By Magens Bay Authority

Job Opportunities

Lifeguards
The lifeguards work under direct supervision of the Chief Lifeguard and are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations of the Lifeguard team, which include customer service, patron safety, emergency procedures/evacuations, and daily safety checks of the beach front and surrounding areas.

Security Officers
The security officers work under direct supervision of the Chief of Security and are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations of the Security team, which include customer service, patron safety, emergency procedures/evacuations, and daily safety checks of the buildings, sheds and surrounding areas.

Assistant Business Manager
Magens Bay Authority is seeking a mature, highly motivated, organized and results oriented individual. The successful candidate must be independent, with exceptional organization and follow-through capabilities. Applicants must be able to do multiple tasks simultaneously while providing attention to detail and possess strong written and oral communication skills.

Candidates must have a strong background in accounting, bookkeeping, office management and administration. The Assistant Business Manager is partially responsible for bookkeeping, accounting, and ensuring operational effectiveness and efficiency of the Magens Bay Authority.

Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, and Google Workspace.

– Email info@magensbayauthority.org for more information.

News
By Magens Bay Authority

Magens Bay Authority Seeks to Fill Board Vacancy

The Magens Bay Authority has begun the process of filling the vacancy left on the board by the passing of Elliott “Mac” Davis on Sept. 11, it announced in a news release on Tuesday.

According to its mission statement, the authority preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources of the Magens Bay Authority park system, without discrimination of any kind for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Civic-minded individuals who would like to serve should send a letter expressing their interest and detailing what they feel they can contribute in line with the mission statement, the release stated.

A resume should be included, and both sent by email to info@magensbayauthority.org. The deadline is Thursday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.

In other news, Barbara Petersen has been named the new chairperson of the Magens Bay Authority Board of Directors.

Petersen has committed to “strive for transparency with all aspects of the board,” according to a news release announcing her appointment when the board met in executive session at its meeting on Oct. 29.

Along with her appointment, Avery Lewis was named vice chair, and Cecile deJongh will remain treasurer. The secretary position, which Davis held, remains vacant.

To read the full article click here

News
By Magens Bay Authority

Elliott McIver Davis Dies at 70

Elliott McIver Davis, a true Virgin Islander, known by most as “Mac,” who adored and was adored by his family, friends and the St. Thomas community, died on Sept. 11 in Falls Church, Va. He was 70.

Mac was born in Savannah, Ga., to Joseph Olin Davis and Elizabeth McIver Davis. His life truly blossomed; however, when he moved to St. Thomas with his parents and siblings, Jody and Cameron, at the age of 10, other than some stateside residencies for schooling, he never lived elsewhere and never planned to do so.

He loved his island upbringing and made lifelong friends, such as Leslie Friedman, Jeni Smith and Gregory Kirchoff at an early age. He was a student in the founding class at Antilles School, and he still called many of his classmates friends until the day he died.

After spending his senior year there, Mac graduated from Savannah Country Day School and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Wesleyan University. He always returned to his island home for breaks and during one in the summer of 1976, he met the love of his life, Debbie.

To read the full article click here

News
By Magens Bay Authority

AccessMats beach wheelchairs unveiled at Magens Bay

ST. THOMAS — The territory’s first “AccessMat” was inaugurated Tuesday at Magens Bay Beach. The brightly colored vinyl mats, along with beach-friendly wheelchairs, give the physically disabled easy access to the water and pave the way for enhancements to come.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new mat connecting the Magens Bay restroom to the water, V.I. Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White credited the equipment to a $50,000 grant from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.

The grant provides mats and buggies to two beaches per district: Magens and Coki Point Beach on St. Thomas; and Cramer Park and possibly Fort Frederik Beach on St. Croix. Two beaches on St. John will also be designated at a later date.

White thanked the 33rd Legislature and Sen. Steven Payne Sr., who sponsored a bill — later signed into law by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. — that appropriated an additional $375,000 to make beaches more accessible, to include ramps, walkways, signage and parking spaces.

Perhaps more than anyone, White credited the tireless advocacy of Territorial Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator Julian Henley Sr.

“Your dream is now a reality,” White told Henley.

Henley, who himself has been in a wheelchair since 2008, said the new equipment represents just the beginning of a long effort to make the territory more accessible. Noting his love for the water, Henley said the beach was a good place to start for those with mobility challenges because “when you’re in the water, you’re just like everybody else.”

“It is an extremely proud moment to see that now persons who are challenged with mobility challenges will have an opportunity to go to a place where they can get into the water and not have to worry about the barriers that have plagued us for all these years,” he said.

Bryan, who also attended Tuesday’s ceremony, acknowledged that the territory’s commitment to the disabled has been “unsung for a long time,” and that his administration is seeking to reverse that.

“They say, ‘Who feels it, knows it,’” Bryan said. “We need to make more of a commitment to making our public spaces more accessible to our residents and our visitors who are physically challenged.”

Bryan said he will sign an executive order to increase the hiring of people with disabilities and to create more diversity in our workplace.

The AccessMats are portable, easy-to-install mats that can be removed. The new wheelchairs, known as “WaterWheels,” are brightly colored vehicles capable of traversing the mats and sand and are designed to float in the water.

V.I. Tourism Depatment representative Luana Wheatley said the equipment will be a boon to the tourism market.

“The installation of these mats throughout the territory will create barrier-free travel and barrier-free access to what we take for granted as going to the beach and going in the water,” she said. “To be able to have barrier-free travel for all visitors and locals is invaluable. Our visitors can see that we as Virgin Islanders are taking their ability to travel to the Virgin Islands seriously.”

Tuesday’s ceremony ended with a demonstration of the equipment by Natalie Rhymer, a client of the V.I. Association for Independent Living.

Also on hand for the demonstration were V.I. Human Services Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez, DPNR Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol and Magens Bay Authority Chairwoman Katina Coulianos.

— Contact A.J. Rao at 340-714-9104 or email ajrao@dailynews.vi.

photo & post courtesy of
http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/accessmats-beach-wheelchairs-unveiled-at-magens-bay/article_81ff5496-79f3-597b-b9c9-9603a2a3e5eb.html

Travel
By Magens Bay Authority

Coconut Grove

The rustle and sway of tall, majestic coconut palm trees. The single, graceful coconut palm arching over a bit of beach, offering a respite from the tropical heat. Each image conjures a vision of Caribbean vacation bliss. Did you know that the coconut palm tree, symbolic of island life, is not in fact native to the Caribbean at all? Originally from the coasts of Africa and the Indian Ocean, these slender beauties were brought to the Caribbean by white colonizers years ago. A hardy tree, they have adapted supremely well to our tropical maritime coast and are now found as an invasive species here.

At Magens Bay Park, you can explore our very own Coconut Grove, a planned garden of coconut palm trees. Originally planted in rows by Arthur Fairchild, additional trees have seeded naturally in a random spacing between the taller trees. Stop by for a stroll in our shady grove, and experience a quiet retreat among these regal island beauties. While here, be on the lookout for the native plants and creatures that populate the park. Delight in the bounty of flowering plants-including the bright red bougainvillea, the fragrant hibiscus, and the national flower of the Virgin Islands, the yellow cedar. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the crabs, lizards, and other small creatures that call our island home.

Travel