St Croix Reformed Church News
www.stcroixreformed.org

Easter Weekend Dive

This Saturday April 23rd a group of men from the church are gathering on the beach at Cane Bay at 9 am to dive The Wall.

After the dive, we’ll walk across the street for Breakfast at Eat @ Cane Bay.  Certified Divers (men and women) are welcome to join us for this one tank dive. This is not a boat dive. We’ll be kicking out from the beach. Please arrive early.

Non-divers are welcome to join us for breakfast afterwards. We should be out of the water around 10:15 a.m.

If you need air or equipment from Cane Bay, please arrive EARLY and be down on the beach by 9 a.m.

Please RSVP to Neil MacQueen, neilmacqueen@gmail.com

From www.stcroixreformed.org

Following worship on Sunday April 10, the congregation will reconvene at the St Croix Country Club to CELEBRATE OUR VOLUNTEERS with a potluck lunch & cookout, and afternoon of fellowship and swimming.

Don’t forget to bring your friends and a dish to pass. Meat, tableware and drinks provided.

The country club (with the red and white roof) is located 100 yards north of Frederiksted Beach in Frederiksted.

Below is a partial list of volunteers we’ll be recognizing. Please contact Pastor Rod, 340 778-0520, for additions and corrections!

Sue Cissel
Sandi Savage
Stan Joines
Ethel Ritch
Harold Jenkins
Monica Ruhle
Tom Peil
Glen Welles
Sarah Cole
Jane Coles
Brenda Sinfield
Bill Sinfield
Dulce Crowther
Laurie Coughlin
Emmy Zumwalt
Janie Koopmans
Jay Nix
Bill Bohlke
Tuddy Bohlke
George Novey
Julie Hansen-Hodge
Sue Lakos
William Borden
Julia Borden
Don Bailey
Neil MacQueen
John Harper
Theresa Harper
Jeanne Peil
Alex Hensley
Kyle Foster
Orville Sheldon
Carolyn Sheldon

UPDATE: For info about our Wind Turbine you can now visit the Wind Turbine pages at this website: https://stcroixreformed.org/our-wind-turbine/

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Member of the Wind Team have recently met with Clapp Power Inc., the company which will oversee the installation of the tower and turbine. Clapp Power is locally owned and is the tower and turbine manufacturer’s new “rep” here in the USVI. Due to the manufacturer’s backlog, Clapp Power believes that the completion date for the project will now be late summer/early fall.

We are waiting for the final permit to be issued.

Following on our grant approval, members of the Wind Team have been in regular contact with the VI Energy Office, getting i’s dotted and t’s crossed, attending meetings, and beginning to file grant award reports required by the US Dept of Energy.

The church sign down by the road is being repaired and revised. Should be back up in a week or two. It will look like the following…with a stylized cross-like wind turbine as the logo. The sign anticipates that the new turbine and tower will become a unique & unmistakable landmark, -and connects the church to that landmark.

A “Coming Soon” construction sign will go up by the road sometime this summer.

The church’s $50,000 grant award was part of $800,000 in Federal stimulus funds awarded to VI non-profits for energy-related projects. In addition to an estimated savings of over 800,000 kilowatts per year to all the organizations over the next 15 to 25 years, the funds stimulate the economy, and boost the movement to alternative energy and efficiency in the islands.   The energy savings to the church and Kingshill School is estimated at $700 a month. (See earlier posts for how that savings will be reinvested in mission.)

For more information, contact the Wind Team:

Don Bailey
Will Borden
Rod Koopmans
Michael Mongeau
Neil MacQueen
George Novey

www.stcroixreformed.org

St Croix Reformed Church’s Ash Wednesday Service will be held March 9 at 7 pm in Fellowship Hall. Make sure to put it on your calendar.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten season, -the 40 days before Easter during which Christians prepare to commemorate the Cross and Resurrecton of Jesus, and look inwardly at their lives. The ashes are a biblical symbol of confession and humility.

Traditionally, members “fast” i.e. “give up” something for Lent, such as a favorite food or activity. “Giving up” creates a daily reminder of the season. In recent years many have also practiced “giving extra” during the season, typically in a manner of service to others. 

A few suggestions:

• Decide to stay-in for dinner one evening a week instead of going out, and contribute the savings to My Brothers Table or similar social service.
• Give up your favorite food until Easter.
• Gather clothing from your closets and your neighbors and take them to the Women’s Coalition.
• Give up television X nights a week and read an uplifting book instead.
• Go to the beach without distractions and read the Psalms.
• Resolve to attend each worship service and Jazz Vespers service through Easter –bringing a friend with you each time.
• Resolve to give at least 3 specific Positive Affirmations everyday to the people in your life. Tell them why your appreciate them.
• Read a chapter of Matthew’s Gospel each morning.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 
Colossians 3:17

St Croix Reformed Church

Jazz Vespers Schedule

First Sunday of the Month, 5:30 to 6:30

March 6 – Central High Jazz Band

April 4 – Neil Simon

May 1 – Brian Silber

June- Steve Katz

Bring a friend!

www.stcroixreformed.org

St Croix Reformed Wind Turbine Update:

Here’s a video of a 10 kilowatt wind turbine in action on St Croix’s south shore. Our turbine is 10kw as well and will look like this one.

The tower’s hydraulic base seen in the video is a slightly older model from Redriven Inc.  Ours will look like this:

The hyrdaulically operated tower can be lowered for storms and maintenance.

The grant was applied for September 8, 2010 and awarded December 21, 2010.

Here is the estimated INSTALLATION TIMELINE:

January 2011: 
Filing of grant acceptance paperwork.
Filing of “Earth Change” permit with DPNR
Filing of Engineering Report
Receipt of grant funds

Early February 2011:
Deposit made to start manufacturing of tower and purchase of turbine

March 2011:
Construction of Concrete Pad
Posting of sign at road announcing construction

April 2011:
Begin electrical work (installation of net meter, conduits, converters, computer)

May 2011:
Arrival on island of Turbine and Tower from Canada
Erect tower/turbine
Throw the switch and a party!

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The funds for this project were made available in part by a grant administered by the Virgin Islands Energy Office from funds provided by the U.S. Energy Department,  Grant Award Number DE-EE0000223, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Budget: 
$50,000 VIEO Grant
$16,500 Loan from the SCRC Reserve Fund (to be paid back from energy savings)

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Our Reverend Rod Koopmans was one of five people on St Croix recognized by The Avis in their annual “People of the Year” issue. On Sunday, Rev Rod was applauded by the congregation for the recognition and for his service.

“While there are numerous volunteers from non-profit organizations, churches, soup kitchens, and government agencies that are instrumental in feeding the hungry and less fortunate on a daily basis throughout the territory, The Avis selected five individuals that stand out amongst the community service providers.” –The Avis

As many know, Rod is the Executive Director of My Brothers Table, a feeding ministry in Fredriksted. www.mybrotherstablevi.org

To read the full article, go to St Croix Avis People of the Year 2010 (a pdf)

Reverend Rod received  official word Monday December 27th that our church has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Virgin Islands Energy Office to install a 10 Kilowatt Wind Turbine !

The Church Consistory, having unaimously approved the proposal earlier in the fall, has reviewed the details and filed the final papers to accept the funds and begin the installation process. 

In January 2011 the permitting and engineering process begins, followed by placing the order for the turbine & tower. Once ordered, it will take approximately 90 days for the pad to be constructed and the equipment to arrive.  If all goes well, we could be flipping the switch sometime in May.

The church’s out of pocket contribution is approximately $16,500. This money will be borrowed from the church’s reserve funds and paid back by electricity savings per a 7 year schedule.

The turbine’s output will be “net-metered” into the island’s power grid. Every kilowatt the turbine produces will be credited on our WAPA bill.  The grant money was made available through the US Dept of Energy as part of the Economic Stimulus Plan. Because the cost of electricity in the USVI is the highest in the US, the turbine is projected to save the church upwards of $700 a month on its electricity bill. 

In addition to paying back the reserve fund, savings will be redirected into 3 special funds:  

(1) To provide energy related benevolence to the St Croix community and energy improvements to the church building.

(2)  To provide additional instructional help to The Kingshill School.

(3) To provide maintaince and eventual replacement funds for the turbine.

The innovative way in which the church proposed to distribute the savings was part of what caught the grant committee’s eye. In addition to generating savings, it is the church’s hope that the prominent location of the turbine will stimulate discussion and demonstrate the feasibility of wind power on the islands, as well as, make people aware that there is a warm and welcoming Reformed congregation up in La Reine!

Guiding us through the permit and installation process will be Steffen Larsen and Rich Carpenter from “Cruzan Power” –alternative energy & wind experts here on St Croix, and both of whom have installed 10k wind turbines at their homes. Cruzan Power is assisting the church without fee in order to promote wind power on the islands.  (See photos in previous post of our meeting with them.)

For more specific details about the Grant Proposal, and for details about the specific Wind Turbine and tower, including a video, see the previous post on the subject at https://stcroixreformed.org/2010/09/05/consistory-approves-wind-turbine-proposal/

Our thanks to the members of the Grant Proposal Task Force!

Don Bailey, Will Borden, Michael Mongeau, Stan Joines, George Novey, Neil MacQueen, Rod & Janie Koopmans, with technical advice provided by Don Buchanan.

The Consistory has  authorized Rod Koopmans and Neil MacQueen to form a new “Wind  Committee” to oversee installation and operation. Arguably, this is the most appropriately titled church committee ever.  If you are interested in being part of that team, let them know. As we move forward, the comittee will be posting progress reports and sharing more details about the turbine and tower.

Members of the Wind Committee and their functions on the committee:

Don Bailey,accounting, Consistory liason

Michael Mongeau, grant compliance, education/promotion, Kingshill School rep.

Neil MacQueen, Committee coordinator,  liason to Cruzan Power, education/promotion

Will Borden, installation/contractor oversight

George Novey, installation/contractor oversight

Rod Koopmans, staff raconteur

We invite you to join us for the year-end Jazz Vespers “A Crucian Jazzmas” featuring Otto James and friends on Sun. Dec 5th at 5:30 at the St Croix Reformed Church.

Please also bring a toy to donate. St Croix Reformed Church – sponsor of Jazz vespers , distributes toys to children in need, and we will support that  initiative by asking for donations of unwrapped children’s gifts.

Otto James (keyboard) will be joined by Thomas Jackson (flute), Devin Carrington (Bass), Larry Bough (drums), Junie Allick (congas), and Isidore Giles (percussion)  as they entertain you with Crucian spicey music for the holidays.

Please come and bring a friend.

I’ll have a sign up form for anyone who can donate refresshments for a month between Jan and June.

Thanks…see you there!

Claudette Young Hinds/ Adjoa
340-778-3275 ph