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Tom Bolt, Chair of the Virgin Islands Continuum of Care on Homelessness, addressed the American Bar Association’s Commission on Homelessness and Poverty at its Midyear Meeting earlier today in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bolt noted that the current economic situation would continue to put a strain on homeless services throughout the nation and would advance from the ranks of low income to middle income families.  "We are look at an economic tidal wave that could devastate many families that never thought homelessness would touch them."

Continue Reading Territorial Advocate Addresses National Homeless Commission

St. Thomas based Merchants Commercial Bank has refused a $1.2 million investment from the U.S. Treasury, saying the bailout money was not needed and involved a commitment to rules that could be changed down the road.

The bank’s board of directors turned down the Treasury’s offer in a unanimous vote, said Tom Bolt, General Counsel for the bank.Continue Reading Merchants Commercial Bank Refuses Fed Bailout

One of President Barrack Obama’s principal communications policy objectives is to "encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media . . . and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum."  This has not been the case in the United States Virgin Islands where Jeffrey Prosser of Innovative Communications Corporation owned all locally produced TV stations, the local telephone company, a local cellular telephone company, all cable television stations and the local newspaper. The monopoly is ending, however, with Mr. Prosser’s ongoing bankruptcy, where the Trustee intends to sell the ICC family as a unit. While the president’s website offers no more in the way of specificity, it is commonly understood to be referring to measures that would constrain further consolidation of media ownership, and enhance broadcasters’ local service obligations.Continue Reading Obama’s Communication Policy May Impact VI Broadcast Communication

On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, effectively overturning a controversial 2007 Supreme Court decision dealing with discrimination in employee compensation. The Act, named for the plaintiff in the 2007 Supreme Court case, eases the path for employees suing their employers for pay discrimination by relaxing certain statutory deadlines for filing a claim. Continue Reading President Obama Signs New Law Creating Additional Rights to Recovery for Employees Claiming Discriminatory Pay

A celebration of diversity took place the Friday night before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day  at the St. Thomas Synagogue as the 37th sabbath service honoring the life of the Dr.King was held in conjunction with an awards ceremony recognizing the contributions of seven area high school students to their community. Elliott Davis, Jr., an intern at Tom Bolt & Associates, P.C. and a student at The Antilles School was one of the students honored with the Martin Luther King Jr. Awards, which included a certificate and a $500 savings bond. The students were chosen for their high academic standing, extracurricular activities and their exemplification of the values of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.Continue Reading TBA Intern Awarded MLK Award

On November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its long-awaited revisions to regulations interpreting the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). As originally enacted in 1993, the FMLA provided employees meeting certain eligibility criteria with the right to take up to twelve weeks of job-protected unpaid leave during a twelve-month period for four specified family and medical reasons. In January 2008, the FMLA was amended to add new leave rights for military families. The new regulations address the 2008 amendments to the FMLA and make significant (and in many instances, employer-friendly) changes to the existing regulations that have guided employers and the courts since they were first issued in 1995.

Continue Reading Department of Labor Issues Revisions to Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations

Last night a child cried himself to sleep in Tutu as he had no supper.  A mother in William’s Delight agonizes over having to choose between paying her WAPA bill or putting food on her family’s table.  A senior couple faced with an every shrinking fixed income and escalating costs has to forego their lunch every day to pay prescription costs.   These are the tales of hunger in America’s Paradise, the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

This week, November 16-22, 2008, Governor John P. deJongh has declared as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in the Territory.  In a land of plenty, there is no good reason for people to be hungry. Continue Reading Ending Hunger in the Virgin Islands

Tom Bolt, managing partner of Tom Bolt & Associates P.C., a leading Virgin Islands full service law firm, has announced that the firm has expanded its practice to include a family law and children’s issues practice group. Bolt, who serves as chairman of the Children’s Trust of the Virgin Islands, a fund of the Community Foundation of the V.I., which is dedicated to child advocacy in the territory, noted there was a distinct need in the V.I. for legal services in family law and children’s issues. "The law has become more specialized. Our children and families deserve the best representation," he said.
 Continue Reading Law Firm Expands Practice Into Family Law & Children’s Issues

The Salvation Army launched its Annual Appeal on Saturday, September 27th at Emancipation Gardens on St. Thomas with a concert of The Salvation Army Southwest Division Youth Band.  Tom Bolt, Managing Attorney of Tom Bolt & Associates, P.C. and Chairman of The Salvation Army Advisory Board outlined the events of the weekend launch.

The performance highlighted the kickoff for The Salvation Army’s Annual Appeal which includes a drive for the expansion and renovation of its St. Thomas Corps headquarters on lower Main Street. The events started with a Friday night concert at Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel, followed by Saturday’s concert and parade, a concert Saturday evening at Church of God of Prophecy, a 9 a.m. service at the St. Thomas Reformed Church, and finally wound up with a Magens Bay picnic at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Continue Reading Salvation Army Launches Annual Appeal

HUD Secretary Steven C. Preston addressed the annual conference of the National Alliance to End Homelessness on Tuesday in Washington, DC.  commending Virgin Islands homeless advocates, Tom Bolt, Chairman of the Virgin Islands Continuum of Care on Homelessness and Michael Akin, Director of Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands  and the others attending for their "tremendous work for thos who need the help desperately."

Immediately after his address Secretary Preston released  HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress which details a 30% drop from 2005 to 2007 in chronically homeless people living on the nations streets and in shelters. "We can all be encouraged that we are making progress in the reducing chronic street homelessness," the housing secretary said.  "But we must also recognize that we have a long way to go to find a more lasting solution for those struggling with homelessness every day." Continue Reading HUD Secretary Releases Annual Report on Homelessness and Commends Advocates