Donald Schnell
Local artist Donald Schnell, owner of Donald Schnell Studio, was recently honored by St. Ursula’s Church at its Patronal Festival Dinner at the church’s multipurpose center.
Church officials honored Schnell, whose Amore Center is located across the street from St. Ursula’s Church, for being a great neighbor and long-time supporter.
Schnell’s signature ceramic pieces, including name plaques and light sconces, are seen across St. John and the Virgin Islands. He has played an integral role in keeping what he refers to as “St. Ursula’s Way,” the street from Amore Center to the church, safe and clean.
“Early on, Miss Emma Penn encouraged Donald with praise for his neighborhood improvements,” according to information from Patronal Dinner booklet. “Since then, St. Ursula’s and Donald Schnell Studio have watched each other grow from humble beginnings to the beautiful and safe havens we admire today. Donald admires and supports St. Ursula’s social missions to feed the homeless and their elder care programs as he continues to develop the Amore Center and does his part keeping the neighborhood beautiful and safe.”
“Donald feels blessed to be a neighbor to St. Ursula’s and thanks Miss Emma Penn, Miss Irva Roberts, Miss Alecia Wells, Miss Judi Shimmel, and all of the St. Ursula’s community for their positive vibrations and asks them to continue to bless the Amore Center, its occupants, and ‘St. Ursula’s Way,’” according to the booklet.
St. Ursula’s Church also honored retired Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center employee Margaret Charles at its Patronal Festival Dinner.
Schnell also recently made headlines when his rental car company Bougainvillea Leasing was awarded a $27,582 federal grant to purchase and install a photovoltaic array.
Schnell’s company was one of seven Virgin Islands entities to receive the renewable energy funding under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for American Program.
The Virgin Islands projects were among 450 selected nationwide which focus on reducing energy consumption and costs, using renewable energy technologies and conducting feasibility studies for renewable energy, according to a press release from Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen’s office.
“I am pleased that our local businesses and agencies are proving once again that they can successfully compete for federal funding and in this case, help to address the high energy costs in our community, further demonstrating that this necessary diversification is indeed possible,” Christensen said in the release.
REAP offers funds for farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficient improvements. The other Virgin Islands awardees were:
– Inter Ocean Insurance Agency: $8,726 for a solar array project,
– Legacy Restaurants: $6,000 to replace HVAC,
– Princess Mill Properties: $5,965 for a wind turbine project,
– CSA and Associates: $20,000 for a wind turbine project,
– Quality Electric Supply: $7,877 for energy efficient improvements, and
– DC Bornn Solar: $22,149 for solar array project.
For more information about Schnell, check out www.donaldschnell.com.
