US Virgin Islands News

Artist Lisa Etre profiled

Longtime St. Johnian Lisa Etre has been painting for decades.  As a co-founder of the Pink Papaya gift shop in Cruz Bay, her bright, island-inspired paintings, prints, place mats and coasters went to the states in  many a suitcase. 

Now, she’s moved on from supplying the shop, but she continues to create new works - which you can see on her web site (http://www.lisaetre.com).  In an interview with the with the St. John Source, she described how she’s also moving into new media, including handmade books, jewelry and masks.

(Read the Source story here.)

Go on vacation, bring home a new skill

Most people know Maho Bay Campground as a laid-back, environment-friendly, low-stress place to relax. It's not so well known as an art school.  Yet, that's what it is, too, especially this year with a re-energized curriculum.

Weekly classes are designed for island visitors, generally two hours long.  They includes Kids and Family Potter's Wheel, Kids or Adults Clay Bells and Whistles, and mask making.  Each promises to get you out the door with something you've created.

There are extended classes, also.  Each meets for several weeks, three hours at a time.  They include Relief and 3-D Sculpture, Glazed Earthenware, and Off the Wheel Techniques. 

There are also glass blowing classes, with an emphasis on art you can make from recycled materials.

Early in May, Maho featured Steven Branfman as the Clay artist-in-residence. 

• Weekly classes: http://www.mahobayclayworks.com/classes.html
• Branfman: http://www.mahobayclayworks.com/workshops.html

Blues Festival 2011!

This announcement from Steve Simon:

"Frank, the 9th Annual Johnnie Walker St. John Blues Festival will be held from Wednesday, March 16th through Sunday, March 20th."

Planning to attend? Stay at our Blue Tang villa.  BlueTang.vi.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18th, 2011
Time: 8:00PM
Starring: Albert Cummings, Candye Kane,
and Grady Champion

SATURDAY, MARCH 19th, 2011
Time: 8:00PM
Starring: Curtis Salgado, Reba Russell,
and Moreland & Arbuckle

More info at http://stevesimonpresents.com/stj_blues_festival.html

Big Blue Powerboat Excursions

The relatively new advertiser for NewsofStJohn.com is the 30-foot Big Blue powerboat, under the command of Capt. Wilson  He was born underwater, or so he claims.

Raised on powerboats, sailboats, Wilson has a deep appreciation and respect for the sea. An avid diver for 24 years and an instructor for the last 9, he's gotten to experience quite a few of the world's waters. He's being modest when he says he knows a little about the world below the surface.

With a top cruising speed of 30 miles an hour, his 30-foot Renaissance Prowler can get you and five of your friends onto the water, near the cays, and in the water quick and comfortably. (Places you can go!)

Big Blue departs from St. John when you say it does.  A private boat for your group. You choose what you want to do. You set the pace.

Read reviews: VINow, TripAdvisor

Rummage sale at Pond Bay

A Canadian company is selling personal property and construction equipment at the unfinished Pond Bay Resort at Chocolate Hole.

An advertisement in the online V.I. Source  is headlined, "Court Authorized sale of certain Assets of the Pond Bay Club."

Alvarez & Marsal said it is conducting a sale this week equipment including two electric generators, seven Jeeps, construction materials, furniture and fixtures, a concrete plant, as well as constriction and shipping trailers. A detailed listing also includes light bulbs, doors, Bose sound systems, WiFi routers, a 48' Aquos flat screen TV,doors and desks. 

In other words, it looks like everything's for sale if it isn't nailed down.

Work at the fractional ownership resort ended more than a year ago when the developer, First American Development Group/Carib LLC, ran into financial problems.

There were reports that a German financial institution held the prime mortgage on the project and was trying to transfer rights and permits on the project to another developer.  The VI government resisted a transfer.


• PDF listing of what's being sold

New book set on St. John

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.

Lyrics from As Time Goes By in Casablanca

On St. John, the age old story is about a fight between between development and Caribbean simplicity.  Until the recession hit, development was winning and moving ahead.

The tussle between these forces is at the heart of a new book written by Chuck Ball.  He lived on the island from 2004 to 2007 and saw the boom and bust of the real estate and construction market.  He worked construction, helping to build eco-cabins at Maho and Concordia.

His book is Mingo's Cave. "The central theme of the story is the battle between over development and saving a pristine island environment," Ball explained.

One person has reviewed it on Amazon, giving it a five star rating. "Action, adventure and hidden treasure on a tropical island. Kind of 'Indiana Jones' meets 'Treasure Island'. Enjoyed learning more about the US Virgin Islands and another way of life. A Hollywood ending but that was ok..nice, entertaining read. "

Available on Amazon, it's both an e-book and an audio book.  You can download and listen to it on your iPod, iPad, Zune, PC, Mac and or/ read it on whichever device you prefer.  The price is $3.99.

• Link to Amazon: http://amzn.to/a6f0C2

To do Sunday: run, swim, bike

The 12th annual Love City Triathalon will step off Sunday, delayed a few weeks by the Hurricane Earl which brushed the island earlier this month.

The swim, bike, and run competition begins at 7 a.m. and is open to both individuals and two- or three-person relay teams.  The morning races start with a half-mile swim at Maho Bay, followed by a 14-mile bike route and then a four-mile run beginning with a trek up the stairs at the Anneberg ruins.

The race is sponsored by the Love City Landsharks.  Last year's competition drew 63 athletes.

• Here's a map of the course
• Last year's results are here

Government to spread Net access to St. John

Soon come, maybe.

The Virgin Islands have scored a quartet of federal grants, totaling $67.1 million, which offer the promise of low-cost Internet access throughout St. John and the other islands.

The money will be used to establish and upgrade 40 public computer centers, offer Net access to at least 700 new computer workstations, and several hundred workstations as part of a telework program for people to develop work-at-home businesses and jobs.

The bulk of the federal grants will go to designing and building a fiber optic network to provide what the Governor characterized as 'affordable broadband service' on the three islands.  Rep. Donna Christensen, who announced the grants, said, "The project will construct a 244-mile fiber network and utilize over 3,000 miles of existing fiber to offer speeds between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps to anchor institutions and local Internet service providers."

Let's hope this happens.

• Christensen news releases: here and here.

The Shark means free shots

The newest night spot in Cruz Bay is in an old place that's hosted at least three other bars in years past.

Castaways Tavern and sports bar features lots of live music and dancing.  A frequent performer is Kenny Floyd, a recently-relocated entertainer whose own Web site says he is "armed with six strings of courage."  Fans of Floyd and Castaways have posted a number of videos of his performances there on You Tube.

Frequent appearances are also made by the Free Shot Shark.  A papier mache fish glides out of the wall during the evening and when he does - everybody gets a free shot.  Party time!     

The loud and dark watering hole is located across from Joe's Pizza in Cruz Bay.  For years it was a favorite of locals when it was the Back Yard, a favorite hangout for tourists as well as construction workers.  Then the space hosted the a short-lived branch of St. Thomas' Duffy's Love Shack.  And that was followed by Crazy Crackers, a restaurant and bar. which lasted about 18 months.  A couple of Cracker's former owners have partnered up for their own shot.

• Castaways Tavern's new Web site is CastawaysStJohn.com.
• Kenny Floyd's Web site is kennyfloydonline.com.

Future of Customs House in doubt?

There will be less boat traffic in the Creek in a few years. That's the small harbor in Cruz Bay where the U.S. Customs Office is. 

(That's the Customs building in a photo that Dony31 posted at Flickr.)

The VI government has decided to spend $1 million rum tax revenue to build a new Customs facility at Red Hook, where the ferry dock is, too.

A new office would mean that folks on St. Thomas, taking day trips for snorkeling, sailing, or visiting the BVIs won't have to make a detour to St. John to clear Customs before returning to St. Thomas.

Gov. de Jongh signed a bill appropriating the money.

Now the question may be, Will the federal government close the Customs office on St. John? 

Several proposals for developing the Creek and the Cruz Bay waterfront are being considered, at least two of which propose a marina in the Creek.  Perhaps, the feds will decide it makes sense to close the St. John clearance facility and use the new one on St. Thomas for everybody - meaning day trippers and so forth from St. John would have to stop at St. Thomas before returning to the smaller island.  That would be a bummer.