KINGSHILL — Public Works is no longer mowing the grass in the Kingshill Cemetery.
Concerned citizens whose family members are buried in the historic government-run cemetery contacted the Virgin Islands Free Press to complain about the state of St. Croix’s most popular garden of remembrance — which is overgrown with tall grass and weeds — like a jungle.
Public Works Commissioner Derek Auguste Gabriel did not immediately respond to a request for comment today.
Relatives with loved ones at Kingshill Cemetery said the stress of losing a cherished family member has been compounded by the heartlessness of the Public Works Department and the Bryan Administration.
Asked who is responsible for the lack of proper groundskeeping at the public cemetery, every family member pointed the finger at: “PUBLIC WORKS!”
“There is a general lack of proper management at Public Works,,” one family member said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Maybe not enough man power. Yet and still, somehow they always fail to cut the grass and pick up the garbage at the cemetery. It’s been going on for donkey years. It’s a sad, sad situation. This is a serious issue for community and no one in the government seem to care.”
“They need to hire more crews to cut the grass in there.” Jose “Papo” Medina, Jr. told the Virgin Islands Free Press. “It’s hard for one crew to maintain that big graveyard. I used to work there and it wasn’t easy to maintain.”
The Kingshill Cemetery parking lot on St. Croix underwent much-needed repairs in March of 2020.
Public Works’ contractor, Virgin Islands Paving Inc., began the repairs in February 2020.
The scope of work includes removal of the asphalt pavement and installation of a new one, placement of soil erosion control measures, striping and temporary traffic controls.
The $624,564.50 project was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is expected to be completed by the end of April 2020.
