News of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Governor OK's money for ferries

Timing, it appears, IS everything.

After threatening to stop service days ahead of the start of the new tourist season, St. John's ferry companies have won approval of a subsidy of $530,000. 

Such an allocation by the V.I. Senate was originally vetoed by Governor John deJongh. He said it would bust the Territory's budget.

But the Virgin islands Daily News reported late last week the V.I. Public Works department contacted a top Senator and urged him to override the veto. The Senate did so Thursday night. 

Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone told the newspaper, there was consensus that the ferry companies needed the money to keep operating.  Malone also warned the companies may need more money.

While the Governor's aides said they wanted to see financial records of the ferry operators to justify their pay-up-or-swim stance, no such information was made available publicly.  if there is any sort of investigation into the operation of these all-cash, often-non-receipt-issuing businesses, it's not been obvious.

Ferry companies threaten shutdown

The Virgin Islands Public Service Commission plans an emergency meeting to weigh the possibility St. John's two ferry companies will halt service.

An attorney for the ferry operators told the PSC in a letter that they have been subsidizing the service out of the own pockets, including funds, and cannot continue to do so.  The letter followed Gov. John deJongh's veto last month of an appropriation of about $520,000 for the ferry operators.

Sunday afternoon, there had been no report of interruptions in ferry service .

Thew Virgin Islands Daily News reported the attorney, Claudette Ferron, stated the government, and not the companies, are responsible for financing the ferry boat franchise operation.  Without that help, Ferron said the companies will have to cut service "within days."

In response, an attorney for the Public Service Commission seemed to suggest the ferry companies' statements about their financial situation cannot be trusted.  Tanisha Bailey-Roka reminded that efforts to justify a fare increase last year ran into trouble when the companies were unable to provide "accurate financial statements."

Over the past two years, the ferry companies' service has been less and less reliable and more and more expensive.  Record keeping is imaginary.  There are no receipts for tickets or baggage fees.  And the blatant cries for tips for the bag handlers grow louder. 

The ferry business is a franchise from the government, which means no private competition. Now the ferry operators are trying to bludgeon the Senators into giving them money the Governor and the PSC suspect they don't deserve.

New BVI connection

If you're looking for an easy way to get from St. John to the BVIs, it's going to get easier.

Road Town Fast Ferry, operated by Caribbean Martine Excursions, has leased a ticket counter at the new Red Hook ferry dock. 

The company's Web site says you can buy tickets online, but hasn't caught up with the plan to open an office at Red Hook.  The deal for the Fast ferry was just approved by the V.I. Port Authority, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.  (Read the article.)

St. John ferry fare increases

The cost of the St. John ferry has gone up 50 cents. It could go higher.

The Port Authority has instituted a half-dollar per passenger charge as a cost for using the new Marine terminal.  The new charge is levied not by the ferry companies, but by the Port Authority, which manages the ports. That makes the cost of a ride $5.50. 

The move has incensed Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft, a St. John resident.  "We can no longer ... allow the Port Authority ... to use the residents of St. John as a cash cow for their lack of prudent management," Wesselhoft wrote in a Guest Opinion in the Virgin Islands Daily News.  She wants the Authority to allow an accounting of collected fees and "detailed information ..., exactly how these revenues will be utilized."  Wesselhoft's column.

But wait, there's more! 

An attorney for one of the St. John ferry companies warned it may raise fares a dollar more.  Claudette Feron, an attorney for Varlack Ventures, told a Senate committee the ferry operators have sustained heavy financial losses for years but have not been given VI and federal government subsidies to which they are entitled.  If the money doesn't come soon ('soon come'?), she said, the companies will have to offset their costs by raising fares and ending discounts for commuters, students and senior citizens, the St. John Source reported. Full story.

New at Red Hook

The Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal - it's finally open.

A year late and $700,000 more expensive than planned, 'cause they kinda forgot about the fact the building needed electricity, so they had to have a change order to get a transformer or generator or something.

Anyway, besides the pretty new building, with shade from the sun and a new parking lot, what else is there?

Shopping!  Inside you'll find ticket counters for ferry companies servicing St. John and the BVIs, a shop selling locally-made gift items, information booths (resorts, condos, for example), restrooms, phones (wanna bet how long they work?), a music store and - "Hey, it's the islands, mon," - a bar.

Parking rate to rise at new ferry terminal

The cost of parking at the new ferry dock at Red Hook is going up.  The Port Authority is boosting the cost to $10 a day.  Before the new terminal was built, it was $5 a day.

The Authority also  intends to levy an additional 50-cent a person fee for people who park and ride the ferry, according to a story in the Virgin Islands Daily News. While folks using the car barge have been paying the additional half-a-buck for some time, it was never collected for parkers.  The Authority said it will rectify that by installing turnstiles at the new terminal.

This won't affect most people vacationing on St. John, but it will affect some day-trippers and people making service or sales calls to the island. If you go across the Sound and plan to leave your car in the lot while you go fishing off a charter boat at Red Hook, you'll pay the higher rates, too.

Red Hook ferry opening set

The Virgin Islands Port Authority said its new $10 million ferry terminal will be open for business in about two weeks.  Building tenants, including a liquor store and a bar, are in the process of moving in ahead of the Sept. 25th date, according to a report in the Virgin Islands Daily News.  A spokesman for the Authority said he thinks it will be a "pleasant area" for people, once the food and drink facilites are operating.  He said both ferry companies servicing St. John are expected to have ticket counters.

Tipping the Villa Greeter

There are a lot of outstretched hands looking for a tip between the St. Thomas airport and the Cruz Bay ferry dock, including baggage porters, taxicab drivers, and ferry luggage loaders. Is the person who greets you on St. John another one?

Greeters are part of the villa rental package. They meet you at the ferry dock, take you to a car rental pickup, and then lead you to your house. The greeter's service is worth $50. That's what one villa management company charges owners when guests arrive off-hours, like late at night or on Sundays.  If every thing's on time (on St. John?), it's about an hour's work.  So, that cost has been figured into your rental rate. Greeters are paid by the rental company.

Some island visitors wonder, though, "Should I tip the greeter?" 

What do you think? Make a comment here.

Port Authority OKs funds for waterfront

Update 8/24/07:  The Virgin Islands Daily News, in its report of the Authority meeting said the agency's executive director explained it was likely the U.S. Customs in Cruz Bay building would be expanded and that the ferry pavilion would become an enclosed building.

Ferry pavilion?" WHAT ferry pavilion?"  That wimpy white tent with some folding chairs?

The deJongh group is likely to have some kind of public meeting on Str., John to get locals' input and suggestions.  Here's mine.

DeJongh Associates, a St. Thomas architectural firm, is to be hired by the Port Authority to develop beautification plans for the area known as The Creek - the waterfront dock area formerly used by the car barges.  At a meting his week, the Authority authorized $100,000 for a "conceptual development plan," the St. John Source reported.

The meeting was not without discussion about the atrocious conditions at the St. Thomas airport.  Not only is it awful going through security and Customs when you leave, it's terrible when you arrive.  How terrible?

Liquor, food, music will be sold at new ferry dock

An A.H. Riise liquor store will be a prominent tenant inside the new Red Hook ferry dock,  A three-year-lease for the store, in 60 square feet, was approved this week by the V.I. Port Authority.  Riise will pay $12/foot and 15% of its sales, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.

Why the new Red Hook ferry dock is not open

The V.I. Port Authority has agreed to pay Island Roads Corporation an additional $529,000 to complete the new Red Hook ferry dock.  The Authority's director of engineer said, “the funds are necessary to close out the project,” the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.

The money will be used, the paper added, cover the purchase and installation of pad-mounted transformers. In English, that's so the place has electricity.

Roundabout plans - worse before it gets better

Robert O'Connor, owner of the Texaco gas station in Cruz Bay, said there's going to be a "mess" while the VI government builds a roundabout to move traffic through the intersection where his Texaco station has been for decades.

At a public information meeting last Thursday, the St. John Source reported officials said a contractor for the job may be selected this fall.  The roadwork is expected to begin next February.  It will last two years. How about that, sports fans?

Now get this ... the reason for doing the job has changed. More than a year ago, Public Works said it wanted the roundabout to alleviate traffic problems which would be caused by the opening of the Enighed Commercial Port. Trucks using the barges would have a difficult time using the road past the Fire Department or Centerline or South Shore road.

Not so, now, says the government. Wystan Benjamin, the federal-aid program manager at Public Works, said traffic from the Port is not causing major problems.  It's just that the four/five way intersection is a bad one, he said. Surprising comment, eh?  Two years of pain to fix something they say isn't broke.

Here's something Public Works had better think of now, too.  The south shore road up Gifft Hill is a disaster.  Potholes galore need to be fixed.  If Gifft Hill is not repaired, folks at the Westin, Great Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole, Rendezvous, Fish Bay and so on are in trouble if they find gridlock  getting into town by the south route.  Their only option is to go up Gifft Hill ... and that's treacherous, even on dry roads.  Hope Public Works has got some money for asphalt!

A modest proposal for The Creek

The old barge dock area has now become an outdoor garage for ferry repairs, a parking lot, and a dock for small cruise ships.  It could be, and should be, much more. 

Smart planning now could turn this valuable waterfront into an attractive boardwalk and plaza, offering visitors options for exploring the island and the Park, water sports and activities, and maybe a spot to enjoy a rum-and-Coke.  Light retail with island-made art, hot sauce, jewelry and pottery could be featured, too. 

This has a chance of happening if the Port Authority "thinks different," as Steve Jobs would say.

The Authority should offer the land for lease to commercial or island-based, community-minded developers. The deal should be structured to benefit Cruz Bay and groups like the Baby Pan Dragons or Sprauve School. It is not unreasonable to expect far-sighted dreamers to offer the island incentives, either cash or in-kind projects, to improve some of the deteriorating public facilities on the island. 

Planning of the waterfront development should also be a joint effort by private developers and the community. The winner(s) ought to be required to give groups like the St. John Coalition a seat at the drawing table.  Public meetings should offer citizens the opportunity to explain what they would like to see in the project.

The Port Authority has had no problem issuing long leases (20-40 years) for car rentals and food stands across the street, where Nature's Nook is. The Authority should seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to improve St. John.

Governor vetoes Red Hook Customs office

Who knew that the Senators wanted to include a U.S. Customs inspections facility at the new ferry dock at Red Hook - which still ain't open? 

Gov. John deJongh found out about it when he reviewed an appropriations bill that earmarked $400,000 for the project. 

He used his veto pen to kill the idea because, "There is no indication" the U.S. Department of Transportation wanted a new Customs office on St. Thomas.  The Senators, it appears, saw proceeds from a sale of VI bonds, with some dollars not used, and figured - Hey, let's spend them.

By the way, the new ferry dock does have a name.  Turns out to be the Urman Fredericks Marine Terminal.  The Senate approved the memorializing last September.  (Nope, I've no idea who he was or what he did. Anybody?)

Traffic to get worse in Cruz Bay

The new island Administrator, Leona Smith, has announced drivers will not be allowed to line up along the waterfront, between the pay phones to the 30-minute parking area, according to a report by the St. John Source. 

Several villa managers are quoted saying this will mean people will circle through town several times as they try and meet visitors.  And when they do find for whom they are looking, they'll stop in the middle of traffic to pick them up.

Smith was firm in her decision, though, according to the Source.  "It's a traffic hazard" to have vehicles lined up along the one way road, she said.

Among the top complaints from visitors is a lack of parking in Cruz Bay.  Some restaurant operators say business was off as much as 20% during the winter season; parking might be a reason.  One reader on the web site said so. "We avoided going into town most nights choosing to pay for in-villa dinner services rather than trying to find parking for 3 vehicles."

Ferry service to Charlotte Amalie resumes

Pia reports on the Virgin-Islands-On-Line forum that the ferry from Cruz Bay, St. John to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas is again operating.

Not yet: booking a car barge online

The Web site looks too good to be true.  It offers "On-Line Booking" as a choice, and when you click it you're teased with a button that reads "Buy Ticket" for a trip via Love City Car Ferries, Inc. 

"On board our vessel, the M/V Capt. Vic, passengers can look forward to bathing in the beautiful views of Pillsbury Sound, the waterway between Red Hook, St. Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John," says a message on the site.

But, alas, after a few more mouse clicks you get a message that says this feature hasn't been enabled yet.  Soon come, as we have come to expect.  But the site (http://www.captvicvi.com/ ) does dangle the invitation to e-mail info@lovecitycarferries.com for a reservation.

The site explains that Capt. Llewellyn T. Sewer "helped to establish the first passenger ferry" between St. Thomas and St. John while another family member began ferry service between St., John and Tortola. "Hence, this corporation was started in honor of his grandfather and great-grandfathers. The M/V Capt. Vic is the first vessel owned by the corporation and it was named in honor of the late Captain Victor Sewer."

Kudos to Love City Car Ferries for beginning the e-process for their business ... hopefully, they'll continue.

Ferry service to Charlotte Amalie interrupted

The St. John Source reports the Cruz Bay to C.A. ferry isn't running. 

Folks were worried that might put an extra load on the ferry to Red Hook, resulting in overcrowding.  At least one Virgin-Islands-On-Line.com forum report says it's not been a problem.  And remember, the island is gearing down now that winter's over. (Er, the folks in New England - getting snow today - might not agree.)

Shipping stuff to St. John

One of the challenges of building a home on St. John is getting supplies, building materials, and furniture from the mainland to the islands.  Tropical Shipping, a container shipping service, is a major player in this business but, in the past, you've had to arrange with a local trucking service or merchant and coordinate getting everything to Tropical's facilities in Florida.  Now, the company's announced an arrangement with Con-Way Freight, a national freight transportation company, that should make the process easier.

Folks in the U.S. who need to ship to St. John, using the new TropicalDirect service, can call Con-Way and get the process started.

(Cross your fingers, though.  Con-Way's Web site shows it's shipping in the VIs to "St. Croix, St. Johns, (and) St. Thomas."

Red Hook to Cruz Bay: 4 hours

Motorists trying to get from Red Hook to St. John have had to wait as long as four hours this week because two car barges are out of service.  One, the Roanoke, was shut down by Coast Guard inspectors after an unannounced safety inspection.  The Roanoke is the barge from which a Mack truck fell into the water about a week ago, too. 

Another barge, the Captain Vic, is undergoing routine maintenance, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News.  Both must be inspected by the Coast Guard before they can resume operations.

That leaves just one barge, the new, big, Mr. B., in service.  Joyce Hrebek, a St. Johnian, told the newspaper the long wait at Red Hook was tough.  "It got nasty out there."

Red Hook terminal ready to go, almost

The contractor completing the Red Hook Intermodal Transit Facility (that's island-government-speak for "Ferry Dock") said it's not likely the $9.3 million dollar facility will be open for business for another three months.

Island Roads Corp. said that while the long-delayed power transformer equipment has finally arrived, the parking lot for the facility needed to be rebuilt. "Unstable sub surface material," according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. (That's contractor talk for 'We screwed up.")

The 8,000-square foot facility looks great, but the entrance is barred and if you want to take the ferry you buy your ticket in a line that kind of snakes around to the new concrete dock, where the ship is parked. Public restrooms, located at the entrance to the new RHITF are accessible. Over one is the sign, "Females." Interesting choice of word. There is no sign over the second one.

The Virgin Islands Port Authority has dropped plans to have a newsstand business in the Terminal, but it is inviting bids for the operation of a bar. (Hey let's go to the dock for a beer! Both the Westin St. John and Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas have said they want to lease space in the building for information centers.

Truck rolls off Red Hook barge

The Roanoke lost a part of its load Friday when a Mack truck rolled off the departing car barge and into the water. The tractor-trailer was pulled out by a track-hoe, according to the Virgin islands Daily News.

No one was injured in the accident on the barge which was beginning an early-afternoon voyage to St. John from Red Hook.

A St. John resident who saw the incident said the captain blew a whistle three times and started backing out, but the loading ramp had not been fully raised. The weight of the runaway truck against the ramp snapped the cables, the ramp went down and the truck rolled into the sea, Nancy Nemeth told the Daily News.

Club Med calls on St. John

Who knew Club Med does cruises?  Turns out they sure do, and one of its ships, Club Med 2, is in port on St. John today.  (The photo is not from Cruz Bay - it's off the Cruise Critic Web site.)

The crew is French/English, and the ship can accommodate almost 400 people.  Its a new breed of ship that combines computer-assisted sailing with traditional engines.  Because she's relatively small, as cruise ships go, 610 feet long, she can call on smaller islands, like St. John. 

CruiseCritic.com describes the experience: "Much like the resorts, Club Med 2 emphasizes fitness and physical activities. At the stern of the vessel is the sports platform, which enables passengers to water-ski, windsurf and SCUBA dive right off the back of the boat. The ship also offers a fitness room with aerobics. Other activities include a piano bar, karaoke, sauna and massage."

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Red Hook ferry dock near completion

A six-month wait for a power transformer has delayed the opening of the new $9.3 million dock and marine terminal at Red Hook.  "The building's finished with the exception of electricity and final paint," said Andy Smith, president of the contracting company, Islands Roads Corp.  He told the Virgin Islands Daily News that the 8,000-square-foot building includes concession areas, a bar, a newsstand, six ticket counters and restrooms. 

It had been hoped the facility would be open by Thanksgiving, but a sharp increase in the cost of cement required the V.I. Port Authority to take new bids for the project.

Podcast: "A magical island"

Even folks who live in the territory agree St. John is special. Anthony Finta, whose Caribbean Online Web site and forum is a great source of information for visitors, can't explain it.  Reading messages on his own boards, Finta said, "They just feel it's a magical place. People love to go there and when they are not there, they love to hear about other people going and hearing what's going on."

In an interview, Finta said many of the questions on his St. John forum are about the same subjects.  Where are the best beaches, where’s the best snorkeling, how much does it cost to get from the airport to Red Hook, and so on.  From his vantage point, Finta hears several restaurants getting good reviews this year, including Sweet Plantains and La Tapa. 

A conversation with Anthony Finta of Caribbean-On-Line.com. Listen by clicking the "play" button below.

Subscribe by copying this link to your podcatcher: http://fbarnako.libsyn.com/rss  Or go to the iTunes Music Store, search for "st. john" and you'll find it.

The Inquiring Iguana hears ...

The island was packed over Christmas week.  Reservations at restaurants were a must, and not just at the high-end places.  Sweet Plantains (777-4653) in Coral Bay - getting great reviews - packed.  Call ahead. Aqua Bistro (776-5336), also in Coral Bay, slammed by people (lots of customers) and experiencing a staff shortage simultaneously ... not good.

Satyamuna at Marketplace ... the new veggie place ... is getting some good comments.  Mushroom lasagna and an eggplant dish got four stars.  Kudos also for old reliables Cafe Roma (776-6524), Lime Inn (776-6425), and Panini Beach (693-9119).

Skinny Legs' shopping arcade is drawing attention. Lots of island souvenirs and clothing for the beach and limin'.

The ferry from Charlotte Amalie is much less a hassle than from Red Hook, which requires a length-of-the island cab ride.  Here's the schedule.

The Inquiring Iguana hears

• Simple Feast is still closed in Palm Plaza.  The shopping center near the Westin has been listed for sale.
• Mr. B, the new 136-foot car barge operated by Boyson, is in service.  "It's great," said one visitor, who added the new dock facility at Red Hook has made it much easier to get from one island to the other.
• St. John Car Rental got a rave review from a recent visitor who said his return time was extended by an hour without asking.
• New at the Fishtrap?  They're now taking reservations, according to some out-of-towners.  "Had a wonderful meal."

Police wrestle with Sen. Barshinger

Craig Barshinger, St. John resident and VI Senator At Large, called the police to the ferry dock after a disagreement between himself and ferry attendants over whether he should pay $2 for carrying a garment bag onboard.  Barshinger said he's carried it previously and not been charged.  He finally agreed to pay, but that wasn’t the end of it as police officers were seen carting Barshinger off the boat, the St. John Source reported. 

The problem, Barshinger said, is there is no consistency to how ferry attendants are applying recently-enacted baggage charges.  Kenrick Agustus, the manager of the ferry operator, Transportation Services, said items like garment bags should be handled as checked luggage.  He told the Source that if people think the fee should not be charged, they can "discuss the matter at the ferry office." 

An official of the Public Services Commission agreed there is room for confusion; that there is nothing spelled out in the ferry company's authorization about the size of carry-on luggage.  Barshinger said, "One of the main problems is the ferry companies believe they have an entitlement.  I believe instead they have an opportunity."

Ferry service reduced

The number of ferry runs between St. John and Charlotte Amalie is being cut to three a day.   Normally, there are four. This month and next, ferries will depart the St. Thomas waterfront daily at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5:30 p.m., and from Cruz Bay at 7:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 3:45 p.m.  There is no change in the hourly service, 6:30 a.m. to midnight between St. John and Red Hook.

Guardrail to limit ferry parking

The Port Authority plans to install a 1,300-foot long guardrail to prevent on-street parking along the edge of Smith Bay Road by passengers using the Red Hook ferry. Work on the barrier was expected to begin this month as construction continues on a new $9.3 million transit terminal. Darlan Brin, the executive director of the Authority, said the terminal is 78% complete and on track to be finished by Christmas, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.

Three hour wait for car barge

It's been tough go get from here to there recently. 

One of Boyson's barges has been in dry dock for almost three months.  A Global Marine boats is out of service.  And the new Boyson ship, Mr. B., hasn't gotten Coast Guard approval yet.  One of the operating barges was diverted to fireworks duty for the St. John festival. 

The result: St. Thomas' Carol Lotz-Felix said on July 5th she waited three hours to get a barge to Red Hook.  "The line went down the street and out into the street," she told the St. John Source.

Another complicating factor is the two barge companies don't accept each other's tickets. So, if you miss one line's barge, you have to wait for its next one, rather than get on the next boat.  Sen. Craig Barshinger indicated he thought reciprocity would be a good idea.

$3 million car barge added to fleet

Pastor Carlyle Sampson of Nazareth Lutheran Church officiated at the blessing of Mr. B., a 136-foot long 44-foot wide barge about to be put into service by Boyson Inc.  The ceremony was conducted at the Enighed Pond commercial port.  Mr. B can transport 52 vehicles, twice as many as Boyson's General.  Cheryl Boynes-Jackson told the Virgin Islands Daily News her firm was involved in the design of the $3 million barge. "Everything we’ve learned over the years we put into that vessel for the 21st century," she said. The company is also updating another of its ships, the 11-year-old General II. Mr. B was built by Chaison Shipyard in New Orleans and named after Noel Boynes Sr., the company's founder, according to the Daily News report.

More work at Enighed

 The V.I. Port Authority has chosen contractors to manage mangroves in the Enighed Pond commercial port, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News.  The mangroves are valuable for their erosion--fighting characteristics.   BioImpact Inc. of St. Croix will be hired to plant mangroves in a 6-acre area of the Pond, at a cost of $77,665, the newspaper reported.  The Port Authority also authorized a study to determine what can be done with the filled land now behind dikes at the Pond including what can be done to make it more firm.

Afternoon ferry service to expand

The crush of construction workers returning to St. Thomas has prompted plans to schedule additional ferries weekday afternoons, according to the St. John Source. "This should alleviate the buildup in the crowds,"   Transportation Services manager Kenrick Augustus told the online newspaper.  Another alternative would be ferries only for construction workers if this solution isn't successful. Lisa Durgin, a St. John vacation villa manager, told the Source there are so many people waiting to get on the ferry at Cruz Bay that sometimes arriving guests can't find her.   

Enighed Pond formally opened

Gov. Turnbull and a number of Senators cut the ribbon to officially open the Enighed Port.  The project was conceived more than 20 years ago, and completed several months ago.  Island administrator Julien Harvey said there is still work to be done, including added bathrooms, install water, build an 800-square foot administration building, and add public phones. Opening the port "is a positive step for St. John and the entire Virgin Islands."

The $16 million facility includes 650 feet of dock space for cargo carriers, 6 acres of cargo handling and storage, and a channel that can accommodate vessels up to 175 feet long, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.

Westin to boost security

The Westin Resort received approval to conduct dredging operations around the hotel's dock as well as to convert seven building to timeshares, expand the pool deck, build a guardhouse and modify the kitchen at the pool bar, according to the St. John Source.  The St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee unanimously approved the hotel's requests. 

The dredging is necessary, the hotel said, because ferries using the dock have filled in the area. CZM required the resort to complete certification of acceptable water quality, which reportedly has already been done.  The CZM action now goes to the VI Senate and then the Governor for final authorizations.

Red Hook terminal moving along

The huge new ferry dock at Red Hook is more than half complete, according to the V.I. Port Authority.  The facility's proper name is "Red Hook Intermodal Transit Facility."

Officials said the $9.3 million project is 65% complete  Plans call for an 8,000 square foot building which includes a bar, a newsstand, six ticket counters, restrooms, outdoor seating and a  parking lot. "I did not envision it being so big," Darlan Brin, executive director of VIPA told the Virgin Islands Daily News. "But we might as well have room to grow.  We need elbow room."

Most of the facility is above water, but more than 100 steel pilings filled with concrete were driven as deep as 68 feet into the water to support the structure.  A spokesman for the contractor said work should be complete by Thanksgiving.

Why Pet owners pay more

If you bring your dog or cat to St. John, be prepared to pay up to $120 to get from the airport to Red Hook.   The main reason for the high price is a $90 fee for an "exclusive taxi" plus kennel fees to make up for luggage the drivers miss by carrying fewer people.

The president of the V.I. Taxi Association said there is no policy requiring pet owners to travel alone with their pets. "People can talk with the driver and try to work out something," he told the Virgin Islands Daily News.  But taxi drivers and dispatchers told the newspaper requiring exclusive taxis is not negotiable because other passengers might be allergic to animals.   

Andrew Rutnik, Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner, told the paper he brought complaints about the policy/non-policy to the taxi group several weeks ago.  He was told the association does have an exclusive taxi policy.  "They felt their insurance policy would be jeopardized if someone had an allergic reaction," Rutnik told the Daily News. "I asked if it was a little dog under someone's arm, was it OK?, and they said no."

Ferry fare hiked again

What cost you $3 last February will cost you almost 3 times as much this February, thanks to a second fare increase in five months for the Red Hook ferries and a new baggage charge.  The regular fare has been boosted to $5 one-way.  You and two bags ... $11.  Last year, $3. The fare from St. John to Charlotte Amalie has been raised to $11.50, plus baggage fees. (I knew this was coming last year when I saw seeing "Tips Accepted" cans on the barges.) 

The $5 one-way fare was approved by the V.I. Public Services Commission.  The PSC calls the increased fare "temporary", but acknowledges that while fuel prices have skyrocketed, the price was $3 from 1989 until this year.  A  $2/bag fee, instituted in August, has been increased to $3.

Bag search on St. John ferry

The U.S. Coast Guard ordered that suitcases, backpacks, purses and other luggage be inspected prior to being transported on ferries from Red Hook to Cruz Bay.  "It may be one in 10, one in five," said Kendrick Augustus, manager of Transportation Services, a ferry company.  He told the St. John Source that once passengers go through a security fence, some people will be asked to put their luggage on a table for inspection, or may be asked to open the bags for viewing. 

Lisa Durgin, a villa manager on St. John, called the screening unproductive.  She said, it's like taking a ferry from New York to New Jersey.  "The whole Homeland security thing is out of control," she told the Source.

Taxi prices rise

A 20 percent increase in taxi fares is now in effect.  The Commissioner of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Andy Rutnik, pointed out this is the first rate increase for the island's drivers in almost six years.  The $9 trip from Red Hook to the Airport will now cost $11.

Visitors will note that the one-way cost of the Red Hook ferry increased $1 in August, and that luggage carried on the ferry now costs $2 a bag.  This makes the island more expensive for everyone, especially families.

Rutnik said there is now a provision for hotels to negotiate group discounts for their guests.  It will be interesting to see if the island's villa rental companies can take advantage of this option.

Ferries checking IDs

In the wake of the terror attack in London, security precautions have been increased to require ferry passengers between St. John and St. Thomas to show identification. 

Both Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures are asking for IDs, the St. John Source reported. Some baggage being carried on the boats is also being screened, it was reported.   Barges between the two islands are not requiring IDs because they carry fewer than 150 passengers.

Mel Vanderpool, identified as the head of the Homeland Security Office in the VIs, said precautions are necessary because it is only a matter of when, not if, a terrorist act occurs.  "We already have terrorists living among us," he said, without offering details, the Source reported.