US Virgin Islands News

iPhone, Mac service available

There's help for your Apple gizmo on St. Thomas.  Glenford Carty and Jose Carillo, St. Thomians who graduated college and came back to the island, have opened Tech Box, an authorized Apple dealer.  Located at Havensight Mall , the shopping complex adjacent to where cruise ships dock in St. Thomas.

Carty said he and his partner are able to do repairs.  Sometimes, however, customers believe the work is simpler than it really is or thgat it should to take less time than they'd like. "We're dealing with the intricacies of the device," he told the St. John Source (read the full story here).

This is Carty's second foray into Apple business. After college, opened a tech shop in a small town in Italy.  It worked there, he said, so why shouldn't it work in the VIs?

According to the Source, there is an Apple-authorized service center on St. Thomas.  It's PC Paradise located at Al Cohen's Mall, also in the Havensight area.

Friends to handle Reef Bay hike signups

According to Gerald Singer, author of the St. John Beach Guide, the Reef Bay hike is one of the 10 best in the Caribbean.  

If you want to go on the hike, there's been a change. You now sign up with the island's Friends of the Park, not the National Park Service. You go to the Friends of the Park's store on the first floor at Mongoose Shopping Center and make your reservation.  You pay $30.  The fee is for transportation from Cruz Bay, by taxi, out to the start of the hike's trail, and the boat ride back along the south shore of the island.

"The problem was that there were a large number of no-shows for the hike," said  Joe Kessler, president of the Friends.  "There were generally many empty places, depriving folks who wanted top go."  Furthermore, charging up front for transportation makes no-shows less likely, he said.  "Since the Park was not charging for the tyrip and didn't want the hassle of colecting the money, they asked us tp help. In the end we might make a few bucks in the process."

During the winter, the hike, led by a National Park Ranger, is offered Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays, with the taxi leaving Cruz Bay at 9:30 a.m..

The Reef Bay Hike is a 2.2 mile downhill walk through a shady and moist forest and past four sugar plantations.  It is best known for the petropglyphs (rock engravings) carved by Taino Indians.  For decades, it has been one of the most popular activities in the Virgin Islands National Park.

Previously reservations for the hike were handled by Park personnel.  

• This is a link to Singer's description of the Reef Bay hike.

Benefit for man hurt by Caneel ferry

Russ Kerr was run over by the Lady Caneel II ferry about three weeks ago. He's still hospitalized at a Miami hospital in intensive care.  He's facing a lengthy rehabilitation at the same time his St. John Concierge business, across from the post office, is crippled. 

Ella Anderson, publisher of the St. John Sun Times, is helping to organize a raffle for a benefit cruise for Friday, aboard catamarans Calypso  and Bad Kitty. Anderson's appealing to retailers and merchants on the island to donate items for a raffle.  The list of items will be published on the here.

Tickets are $60, call Calypso (340)-693-7328) to reserve your spot on a deck.  Raffle tickets will be available tomorrow at Cal,uypso's booth at the Marketplace.

The accident happoened at about 6 a.m. Lady Caneel II's captain and first mate were the only people aboard the boatr when it ran over Kerr's 12-foot inflatable dinghy.

How to find the best St. John restaurant

The untimely deaths of two more island restaurants, at the Marketplace, is a reminder of just how tough that kind of business is to run, especially on St. John.

As GastroGrub was limping through its last hours last week, many folks on Facebook - and even in phone calls and in person - were urging islanders and visitors to make a farewell visit to the second floor of the Cruz Bay shopping center to taste the last days' offerings.  Not exactly, "Support Your Local Sheriff," but the idea's the same.

You can't take restaurants, or any business on the island, for granted. So get out there and eat!

Locals have their favorite places, of course.  But visitors arriving in Cruz Bay may ned some help. So they should get to Connections, near the ferry dock, or the tourist kiosk across from the post office and grab a copy of the monthly magazine, the St. John Sun Times.  

On pages 22 and 23, you'll find an extensive directory to island eateries. Whether its breakfast or barbeque or Latin, the ghide ljsts almost 100 tasty options from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. There's also "Cheap Sheet" is a regular feature of the Sun Times, too.  It's a guide to what's new at some of the established places, as well as tips on deals on drinks and appetitzers during happy hours.

The cover story for the latest issue, featuring 'Ravenous Woman', is a roundup of new restaurants. Six places have just opened their doors, featuring vegan, Asian, Jamaican and fresh seafood.  You can prep yourself even before you get to the island by reading Dining Debuts here.

Grande Bay getting good response

Advertorial

The folks at the Grande Bay Residence Club are bullish.  

The director of sales, John Alvarado, said business at the Cruz Bay waterfront property has been so good, "We have decided to accelerate the timing for the next round of price increases."  

• Read more about it.

St. John's party animals party pictures

A good time was had by all - as many as 200 people - who attended last weekend's benefit for the Animal Care Center, the Snow Ball.  Attendees got a full evening of food and fun, as well as party favors including flashing bracelets and rings and glowing necklaces.  Fun!

"Many people said this was the best party ever," said Bob Schlesinger, owner of Tropical Focus Photography.  "Essentially, that's because the entire community came together to make it work."  (These are Bob's pictures; there are about 250 more you can see here.)

There was also marvelous food. "There was plenty, and a lot of variety," said Schlesinger. "BJ Harris was in charge of the food committee, and it was a great way to end her tenure on the Board."  

There was also lots of entertainment.  The groove band Ish played.  (You can hear some of their tunes here.)  Pyros of the Caribbean also wowed the crowd attending the soiree at the Great Cruz Bay villa owned by Janet and Martin Marshall.

Caneel trying to keep out the riff-raf?

 Urban Dictionary:

The term used to describe people who try to gatecrash and just generally rain on your parade also known to be filthy and annoying.

Expect management types at Caneel Bay Resort to deny it.  But it's an unavoidable thought that the reason the cost to park on the grounds has doubled is to keep out the riff-raf.

Beginning two years ago, folks who wanted to enjoy the resort's beach, or hike through the property to Honeymoon Beach, were asked to pay $10 at the gate. The money would be refunded if you spent at least that much at the beach cafe or the gift shop.

Which isn't tough to do.  A couple of iced teas might be enough.

Now, this season, the cost is up to $20.  Still easy to do with a sandwich and a beer.

Management justifys the increase saying it has to do with expenses to keep up the property.  The Inquiring Iguana thinks that's reasonable.  Spending an afternoon there is a luxurious treat, and even though Caneel is required to make its beaches available for public use, there is no requirement to provide access to common areas like the veranda or the patio roof deck  or even its rest rooms.

The Virgin Islands On-Line forum has some comments about Caneel's policy.  Some smart, some unreasonable.

Blue Tang's neighbor hosts animal party

The unbelievable villa-manse of Janet and Martin Marshall will host the "Snow Ball" fundraiser of the St. John Animal Care Center Saturday night.

The villa, A La Mer, is on the water at Great Cruz Bay.  It  has nine bedrooms, nine baths and can accommodate 22 guests, according to a villa rental Web site.  The price: $5,700 - a day.

At Blue Tang, our more modest two-bedroom villa, we've been watching the construction of this impressive house for, honestly, several years.  BT is on the hillside above, easily within binocular range. The house is amazing.

The Marshalls have generously agreed to open their gates and doors to the ACC fund raiser, which has an appropriate winter theme.  Lots of Christmas winter decorations will be strung around the villa, and during breaks in the music and dancing, there will be fire dancers.

The event is open to anyone, local or visitor, who loves the puppies and kitties the ACC shelters, feeds, and ministers to.

Tickets are $125 at the gate.  It's worth the m oney to be able to see the villa. The dress code is what St. John calls "Island Fancy."

You'll have a good time - and be doing good, too.

Goodbye Gastro Grub

With heavy heart, and perhaps stomach, Allan Lancaster, is closing the doors of GastroGrub at the Marketplace.

Following up on his warning earlier this week that it could happen, Lancaster posted to Facebook Thursday it soon could be over.

"Well it's official, (Friday) will be our last day of business. We would like to thank all who have supported us. Also, we invite you to join us over the next two days to assist us with reducing our inventory so we may decrease our balance. We would also like to thank Jason and Jonathan from La Plancha del Mar for affording us the opportunity to open in their space and working with us through this difficult process."

In the last few days, people have been commenting on how much they liked what Lancaster accomplished at GG in just a few months. "I will miss you ... your wonderful food and hospitality!," said Beth Tuttle Heskett. "It was a fantastic restaurant with fantastic food," agreed Daniela Manrique.

Vote for your favorite St. John business

The Virgin Islands Daily News is running its annual "Best of V.I." competition and this year's promises to be the  biggest ever.

You don't have to be on island to vote for your favorite restaurant, jewelry store, real estate broker, or whatever. You can do it via Facebook, Twitter, or text message.

Just download the "Voter's Guide" so you can make sure your vote goes to the business you intended. You can get the listing here. Neither the Facebook app nor the Official Ballot indicate when voting ends.

The 64-page official ballot lists hundreds of business categories and businesses in those categories.There are also provisions for write in votes.

Wining a "Best of V.I." award is a big deal.  Business owners love to post certificates of their award as a way of assuring customers they're good people to deal with.  And on the "Best of" Facebook page now, you can read messages from business owners campaigning for votes.