Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Jost Van Dyke administration building renamed after Albert Chinnery

Jost Van Dyke administration building renamed after Albert Chinnery

During a heartfelt ceremony that renamed the Jost Van Dyke administration building after a former customs officer, gifts were given, songs were sung, and friends and family remembered the life of Albert Chinnery.

“This is a day a long time coming. … Because of Albert Chinnery, I’m here,” said John Klein, a long-time friend of the late Mr. Chinnery who proposed that the building be named after him.

He gave the administration building the nickname, “The House That Albert Built.”

Mr. Klein recalled his first impressions of Mr. Chinnery, praising his professionalism, elegance, friendliness and formality, along with traditions Mr. Chinnery kept.

“Not only did he greet people with a warmth and a smile that was authentic, but he would invite you to come see the island of Jost Van Dyke,” he said.


The ceremony


On the shores of Jost Van Dyke, where the administration building sits between restaurants and shops, white tents and chairs were set up for those attending the ceremony on Dec. 20. A white banner hung across the front of the administration building, hiding the new name until the end of the ceremony.

Government officials from Road Town caught the 10 a.m. ferry from West End to attend the 11 a.m. service, which began with prayer and the territorial song.


Governor Gus Jaspert, opposition member Melvin Turnbull (R-D2), and Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley gave remarks.

Mr. Jaspert recalled standing at the foot of the building two years prior, landing on the island in a helicopter after the devastation left by Hurricane Irma.

“It reminded me today standing exactly in the same spot what a journey it’s been to get to this point. It’s taken a while, but we are getting this administration building back formally open,” he said.

Mr. Turnbull, who is JVD’s representative in the House of Assembly, touched on the same subject, remembering his first stop to the island post-Irma.

“Those memories will forever be etched in my mind. One of the things I will never forget: … the joy that I saw on the persons’ faces. It will always be a reminder for me of the strength, the power, and the unity of the people here on Jost Van Dyke,” Mr. Turnbull said.


Chinnery legacy


After hearing the request of Mr. Klein to name the building after his friend, Mr. Turnbull said that he advocated for it.

“He was not just customs,” Mr. Turnbull said. “I understand he was immigration. He was the post officer. He was the tourist board when there was no tourist board. He was all things.”

Reuben Chinnery played songs on his guitar in remembrance of his uncle, and Adejah George recited a poem that she wrote.

Desiree Gomez, Mr. Chinnery’s niece, gave attendees some insight about the kind of man Mr. Chinnery was.

She told the audience that Mr. Chinnery was born in Jost Van Dyke on Jan. 28, 1937 and that he attended the Jost Van Dyke Methodist school and attained the highest grade at that time. For 30 years, he upheld duties as an immigration officer, postmaster, tax collector, distributor of funds to the poor, and customs officer, she said.

“Uncle insisted on decent language being spoken and proper attire being worn in his office,” she recalled. “He had many fishing boats. His most famous boat was named Angel Baby. He also made his own fish pots.”

In addition to fishing, Mr. Chinnery helped his mother with farming, and he attended church regularly. He died on Christmas Day in 2001.

The ceremony came to a conclusion with a ribbon cutting and the unveiling of the name plaque on the building. Food and refreshments were served as well.


Admin building


Repairs to the administration building following damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria were supported by the Recovery and Development Agency. Some of the funding was contributed by the United Kingdom, according to Mr. Jaspert, who spoke of it during the opening of the West End Police Station in August.

The building houses immigration and customs offices, the police station, and the district officer, according to the RDA, which posted a small summary of the project on its website. Of the $695,759 spent for extensive repairs, $291,987 was received as a contribution from the UK government. The project began in July 2018 and was completed by August 2019.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
×