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36TH LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION FRITS E. LAWETZ LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS TESTIMONY SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd, Chairperson – Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) BILL NO: 36-012 “An act to rename the Peter Carl Limpricht Park the “TSK Park” in honor of the Ten Sleepless Knights quelbe band and making an appropriation to effectuate that change” Good afternoon, Honorable Senator Avery L. Lewis, Chairperson of the Committee on Government Operations, Members and Non Committee Members present and the viewing and listening audience, I am Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd, a proud fifth (5th) generation Crucian born, raised, and nurtured to embrace, preserve and showcase our culture, music and traditions, of which “Stanley and The Ten Sleepless” has been and remains a cross generational iconic symbol of cultural ambassadors and pride, on both a personal and professional basis, for as long as I have known myself. I am not going to preface my next statement by saying, “Like the young people would say” because I am still in their age bracket, but as the saying goes, “ If yuh know, Yuh know”! Being no stranger to this body, the Sponsors and Co-Sponsors of the Bill No.: 36 - 0121, some members of this Committee, and having held the former roles of Director of Frederiksted Health Center/Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic, Founder and 1st Executive Director of Frederiksted Health Care, Inc., Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Health, and Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department Human Services, I am humbled by the invitation and opportunity to appear before you today to give Testimony and input on Bill No.: 36 - 0121 – “An act to rename the Peter Carl Limpricht Park the “TSK Park” in honor of the Ten Sleepless Knights quelbe band and making an appropriation to effectuate that change”. I appear as the Chairperson of the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG), a Subcommittee of the Christiansted Community Alliance, Inc. (CCA) of which I am a member of the Board of Directors and 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Committee on Government Operation, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection Bill No.: 36-0121 – Testimony Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd – Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group September 22, 2025 2 Treasurer. Please note that based on my dual roles, my Testimony hear today is reflective of the stance of the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) Subcommittee and not intended to reflect any particular or specific stance of the Christiansted Community Alliance, Inc. (CCA) Board of Directors, individually and/or collectively. In providing Testimony in support of Bill No.: 36 - 0121, I find it necessary to highlight the percussors, persons, groups, and/or events that by their efforts have drawn attention from near and far. Efforts that brought the now highly annually anticipated “Ah Cultural Glow Fuh Deh World Tuh See – Ah Glow in Deh Park” Annual Limpricht Park Tree Lighting event and other scheduled activities to reality seven (7) years ago. Events that have become highlights of the annual Crucian Christmas Festival, currently coordinated and hosted by thirteen (13) volunteer members of the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG), along with individuals, non-profit groups, corporate and governmental partners, that make the scheduled events a reality for persons near and far to see and experience our “rich and treasured Virgin Islands cultural traditions and heritage”. As a result of a regular Saturday afternoon discussion in Ebbe’s Store, located on King Cross Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, between Ms. Merline Lang, Mrs. Enid M. Ebbesen – “Ms. Ebbe/Ms. Enid” (my mother, a stalwart health care professional, treasure chest of historical information, and astute business woman in her own right), and myself regarding the types of activities, as well as the concerns for the dwindling/diminishing knowledge, existence and display of the “Ole Tyme Crucian Cultural Traditions and Activities”, that were historically staples of our cultural traditions during the Crucian Christmas Festival season. The decision of the need to form a group that would host and focus on “Ole Tyme” traditional cultural activities during the Christmas holiday season to reignite, preserve, and showcase those cultural traditions, began. Subsequently a group of fifteen (15) cultural enthusiast: Merline Lang, Vivian Ebbesen-Fludd, Sandra Gerard-Leung, Suzette Bough-James, Telsalda Josiah, Charlita Schjang, Wanda Figeroa-Vialet, Pat Browne, Renee Schuster, Stephanie Chalana Brown, Teddy Richards, Kendall Henry, Careeme Smith, Ramona King and Pauline Holst were contacted, met regularly, and without hesitation agreed to volunteer their time, talents, ideas, and energies to coordinate traditional events that would not compete with, but rather complement the existing Crucian Christmas Festival in the town of Christiansted, St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. With a goal of maintaining, preserving and showcasing our rich Virgin Islands culture, 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Committee on Government Operation, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection Bill No.: 36-0121 – Testimony Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd – Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group September 22, 2025 3 heritage and traditions the volunteer members agreed upon the name, and the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) was formed. The Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) in partnership, as a Subcommittee of the Christiansted Community Alliance, Inc. (with a focus on revitalizing the town of Christiansted, and host of the Limpricht Park Vintage Town Fair), held its first activities in the town of Christiansted in December, 2019. Their scheduled activities included the groups collective agreement and efforts on the idea of bringing life through lights and decoration to the “unnoticed, underutilized, and often ignored park” located in the middle of the town of Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, for the community to enjoy by, asking individual volunteers, groups, departments and companies to sponsor, decorate and light the trees in the Peter Carl Limpricht Park on King Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) knew that they could not plan to hold such an inaugural cultural event without our world famous and iconic “Quelbe and Cultural Ambassadors” Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights, who when contacted wholeheartedly supported the event, and volunteered their time and services for the community, and the annual “Ah Glow In Deh Park – Limpricht Park Tree Lighting” was born! The journey has been amazing and seven (7) years later, the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) is here today providing testimony regarding enhancing the historical and cultural relevance as well as the ambience of the same park, with the renaming the now Peter Carl Limpricht Park the “Ten Sleepless Knights Park” in honor and support of our own iconic, world famous Quelbe and Cultural Ambassadors – Dr. Stanley Jacobs and the Ten Sleepless Knights. In its quest to preserve, maintain and showcase our rich and treasured culture, the Crucian Cultural Group stresses that we must remain ever mindful that while relevance, interpretation, and circumstances changes, “History is History”, and should be acknowledge as such based on the relevance of its time and occurrence. All efforts should be cautious taken to not erase history for the next generation because it is uncomfortable or unpleasant, by the removal of historical monuments and landmarks that whether positive or negative, mark or depict an era, circumstances or experiences relevant to the definition of a part or parts of our cultural identity. We must always choose to also look at the glass a “half full and not half empty”, and that these historical monuments and landmarks although they may possibly bear reminders of unpleasant historical experiences, remain now in places where we were not historically allowed to access, but now access 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Committee on Government Operation, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection Bill No.: 36-0121 – Testimony Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd – Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group September 22, 2025 4 freely. That these places and our opened accessibility for ourselves and others, stands to ultimately depict and educate on the “resiliency and tenacity of the people of the Virgin Islands” with our strong stance of holding our “chin up and shoulders back” proudly, displaying our Virgin Islands pride, and that through it all - “See me - Ah still deh yah”. Let us not forget that we must also educate on the relevance of the experiences of the past and present that shaped us – not of shame, embracement and anger – but as examples of our collective ancestral strength. Most importantly, let us remember not to lend a hand in erasing ourselves and our cultural relevance, but rather embrace it for what it is “History”. The Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) remains unaware of what other legislative recognition that may being considered but must state that it sees Bill No: 36 – 0121 as the start of a much earned and deserved recognition during the commemoration of Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights 55th Anniversary Celebration year. However, since afforded the opportunity we take this time to also respectfully state and hereby plant the seed of consideration for further action that the “Stanley of the Ten Sleepless Knights” band are also most desiring of a yet a grander publicly visible “permanent naming of a significant and relevant roadway” on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands along with its members as decided and geographically possible, in historical recognition of the cross generational “Foreday Mahnin’ Serenade” and their significant fifty-five (55) years of unselfishly being a part of and contributing to the preservation of our rich , treasured and unique Virgin Islands culture, through music, cultural education and scholarships - so when asked the story can be told. The Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) lend our support to this measure being enacted through Bill No.: 36 – 0121 inclusive of the following matters of consideration: 1. As historical users of the Peter Caarl Limpricht Park we remain aware of its nuances and needs, therefore in the efforts to pay true honor and respect to Stanley and The Ten Sleepless Knights for generation to come, we ask that the appropriate resources be designated to the department of authority, not only for the initial signage and name change when adopted, but for the upkeep, enhancement, promotion and use of the park as a year-round cultural and musical event site with scheduled cultural and musical activities. The appropriate funding will promote regular use and avoid the historical occurrence of the park only coming to life annually for thirty-one (31) days every December, for public display, family and community amazement.; 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Committee on Government Operation, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection Bill No.: 36-0121 – Testimony Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd – Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group September 22, 2025 5 2. That the “permanent naming of a significant and relevant roadway” on the islands of St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands for the “Stanley of the Ten Sleepless Knights” band and its members as decided and geographically possible, in historical recognition of the cross generational “Foreday Mahnin’ Serenade” and their fifty-five (55) years of unselfishly being a part of and contributing to the preservation of our rich and treasured Virgin Islands culture, through music, cultural education and scholarships are more than deserved and earned.; 3. That for any reason the renaming of the Peter Carl Limpricht Park to the “Ten Sleepless Nights Park” will negatively impact any designated historic funding in progress or being sought for by the respective department of authority, that creative measures be utilized to achieve goals of continued funding and renaming.; and 4. That to preserve the historical story of the park and usher in the new musical and cultural era of the park, that the existing monument be relocated to a designated area within the park for historical display and relevance. In closing, the members of the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG) wishes to express their continued immeasurable gratitude to their partners, Stanley and The Ten Sleepless Nights, WTJX, Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Park and Recreation, Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, Virgin Islands Police Department, Virgin Islands Department of Health, Virgin Islands Fire and EMS, VI Lottery, Diageo USVI, Viya (Now One Communication), our faithful Annual Tree Sponsors, Media Partners, Community Volunteers and Groups, and all civic minded individuals who assist us in achieving our Annual “Ah Cutural Glow Fuh Deh World Tuh See and Ah Glow In Deh Park” Tree Lighting. We look forward to their continued involvement as we prepare for our 2025 annual community events. The events that we proudly see has drawn the attention of many near and far and played a part in the enactment of Bill No: 36 - 0121. Small groups and activities can and do make a big difference in our community! CONGRATULATIONS IN ADVANCE, Dr. Stanley Jacobs and the Ten Sleepless Knights. 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Committee on Government Operation, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection Bill No.: 36-0121 – Testimony Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd – Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group September 22, 2025 6 Again, we Thank you for the invitation and opportunity to provide Testimony on behalf of the Crucian Cultural Group (CCG), and I remain available to answer any questions this Committee may have. Respectfully submitted, Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd Chairperson, Crucian Cultural Group