dotheythinkwearefools

We celebrated the 5oth Anniversary of Mooie’s Bar just before Christmas. Table One, right
on the corner, was filled with well-wishers; Capt. Kevin, Aska and Wes the cabbie among them.
Founder Theovald Moorehead, ex-Senator, builder and staunch supporter of Virgin Islanders
rights, would have been proud. But, when the conversation turned to development on St. John,
there was no doubt in my mind what Mooie’s reaction would have been. A cloud would have
passed over his expression and righteous indignation would have exploded from deep inside of
him. We all would have wished we’d never brought up the subjects of Sirenusa or the V.I. National
Park, whose recent silver anniversary coincided with that of the little pink bar on the corner.

Some time ago, I was given a copy of a newspaper editorial written by the late Senator Moorehead
in 1958. It was entitled, Exploitation: 1958 Style. I read it, re-typed it and burned it to disk for his
daughter, Theodora. A few days later, I saw it printed in another publication around town, so I read
it again. Clearly, it seemed, Theo felt that that article, penned so many years ago, said something
then that needed to be said today.

I can’t print that article here but I can quote from it and I can paraphrase and I’ll tell you this, we’d
have a dang range war around here if Mooie was alive today. It’s safe to say that Mr. Theovald
Moorehead did not think too highly of Mr. Frank Stick or the tactics he used to acquire the land
that eventually became the National Park. He called him a “front man” for Laurence Rockefeller
and suggested that he was unscrupulous. St. John had one phone line in those days. The people
were eager to believe that the promises being made would improve their lives.

Mooie wrote in his editorial. “Unfortunately, the gift horse that we have accepted is permanently
installed in our stable – asking for more and more room, and threatening it seems, to kick us off
the island entirely if we don’t “cooperate”. And ‘cooperate’, we have learned, means simply to
agree to whatever is presented.”

At the recent celebration of the Park’s 50th, a lot of self-congratulatory words were said. A still
unfinished welcome gazebo was christened and some placards were erected that describe the
founding of the park and mention the work of Frank Stick. Several native St. Johnians sat mutely
through the proceedings. Some had given their entire working lives to the V.I. National Park.

Mooie’s letter to the editor goes on to suggest that perhaps private development would be
preferable to placing vast land holdings under Federal stewardship. He reasoned, that
encouraging for-profit development would create jobs for locals. In those early days, before track-
hoes and international construction companies, that may have been the case. But, those days are
long gone.

I can only imagine what Mooie would have said at the recent DPNR hearing for Sirenusa’s
variance application. Speaker after speaker railed against the heavy-handedness of those
developers. Even if one were to overlook the hideous design of that project, it would be impossible
to ignore the arrogant manner that the builders have displayed. One after another, neighbors and
concerned citizens explained the negative impact the construction is having on their lives.
Boulders, mud, traffic, a trespassing road, all were described. Carlo Marzano sat with his back to
the audience, his jaw muscles twitching, and heard St. Johnians basically asking for respect or at
least an apology.

Sirenusa is billed as a “tiny Tuscan village” but it resembles the high-rise squalor that lines the
Interstate system in Florida. Until, we get a civic planner, establish realistic guidelines on
construction and increase the inspection and enforcement powers of DPNR, we will have to live
with development run amok. But, is that too much to ask? Again, I quote from Mooie’s letter: “Good
neighbors? Interested in guarding our rights as well as theirs? We know they think many
unflattering things about us, but do they also think we are fools?”

- Jeff Smith