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

PBS focus is on St. John

The Virgin Islands National Park and the waters of St. John are featured 'performers' in a new Masterpiece Theater presentation from PBS, "Dance in America: Wolf Trap's Face of America." 

The theme of the 90-minute program, debuting on PBS stations Monday night, is to incorporate the beauty of national parks with the art of dance.  Choreographers created interpretive dances which were performed by troupes in four Parks.

On St. John, Donald Byrd and members of his company, along with jazz composer/musician Steve Turre were inspired by the remains of a sugar cane plantation and danced on the shoreline of Cinnamon Bay.  Offshore, the Olympic Synchronized Swim Team offered their talents in a program capturing the spirit of aquatic life in the Coral Reef National Monument. 

Other national parks are featured in the show are Yosemite, Mammoth Cave, and the Wright Brothers Memorial.

• PBS has posted the entire program on the Web, and you can watch the VI segments, as well as other Parks' here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/wolftrap/program.html.
• Here's a link to PBS's description of the project.

St. John's Earth Day plans

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park are is planning activities to mark Earth Day, beginning with a slide show at the St. John School for the Arts. The presentation will be based on Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.” The slideshow will be presented Friday at 7 p.m. by Kent Taylor, a volunteer trained by The Climate Project. Earth Day.

The Friends’ annual Earth Day Environmental Fair is set for Tuesday April 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the National Park Ball Field in Cruz Bay.  This event is free. "Participants can learn about alternative energies and landscaping with native plants, participate in simulated archeology digs,” the Friends announced.

The Fair will be followed by beach and trail cleanups on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 & 20.  Participants of the Friends’ Adopt-A-Beach/Trail program are asked to remove debris from their adopted beach/trail as part of an island-wide cleanup. 

Anyone can participate, local or visitor. And this kind of activity is a great way to learn more about the Park, the island, and the folks who live on St. John. If you are interested in adopting a beach/trail or joining the Friends for a beach cleanup of Drunk Bay Saturday April 19, please contact the Friends at 779-4940.   

Summer work on St. John

The Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park are inviting young people to join work crews for the National Park this summer. High school students and adult crew leaders will be asked to repair hiking trails and restore wildlife habitat, while also learning about marine biology, natural ecology, and the Park's cultural history.  For information and an application, call 340-779-4940.

The Friends group is also offering an 8-to-10 week summer internship, with "accommodations and a modest stipend" to a college student entering junior or senior year.  He or she should have an interest in environmental science, conservation or environmental education.

The Friends' Web site is at friendsvinp.org.

VI Park needs more money

The Superintendent of the Virgin Islands National Park must be a real optimist. 

Mark Hardgrove told the annual Friends of the Park meeting on Sunday he's asking the National Park Service to increase his operating budget from $5 million to $8 million.

In addition, he told about 100 people at the meeting at Cinnamon Bay's Tree Lizards restaurant, there's a $22 million backlog in maintenance projects.  They include care for roads and trails, signage, boat docks, and the Visitors Center. 

(A full report of the meeting was published by the Virgin islands Daily News.)

Joe Kessler, President of the Friends group, said that while he hopes the NPS will allot more money to the VINP, he intends to urge his group to do more, rtoo.  While the Friends raised a record $750,000 in 2007, through fund raisers, memberships, workshops and other afctivities, he hopes to boost that number this year to $900,000.

New: Friends of the Park Store

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park celebrated the opening of its new retail venture with a grand opening party late in November.    The store is located at Mongoose Junction, in the former space of the Canvas Factory. 

Items for sale include home decor, educational gifts, local crafts, t-shirts, and souvenir items. The store also offers information about Friends and Park events.  You can also join the Friends group (which gets you a discount on seminars and activities).

Friends sets annual meeting for weekend

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park will have its annual meeting next Sunday, the 27th, at the T’ree Lizards Restaurant at Cinnamon Bay.

The keynote speaker will be Virgin Islands Governor John P. deJongh. Other speakers will include VINP superintendent Mark Hardgrove, who will give the State of the Park address, and Friends’ president Joe Kessler who will present the Friends’ annual report.

 

During the meeting, the Friends recognize outstanding volunteers who will receive “Volunteer of the Year” awards.  The Friends will also recognize a VINP staff member, who best embodies the partnership between VI National Park and the Friends.

St. John for your iPod

The SeeStJohn.com Web site has more than the usual information for tourists.

Sure, you can find links to rental homes, restaurants, real estate firms, wedding planners, and so on.  But besides all that kind of boiler plate data, the site has links to eight videos, including some you can download to an iPod.

Two of the videos were co-produced by the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park.  The first is a video tour of the Park, while the second is the story of an effort in 1999 to protect the coral reefs.

There are half a dozen other videos.  They include a video tour of the Annaberg Sugar Mill, a nature lover's view at Trunk Bay in the morning, and deer at Cinnamon Bay.  No Oscar winning material here, but pretty pictures at least.

Sign up now for Park seminars

A highlight of any winter vacation to St. John is attending one of the dozens of workshops and activities organized by the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. 

This year's schedule has been posted online.  It includes opportunities to explore the ocean and island from above and below water level, visit homes and learn about their architecture, study the environment, and hear first-hand from knowledgeable locals about life on St. John.

New seminars this year include lessons in crocheting woven bags from plastic grocery bags, using pastels in painting, a hiking and snorkeling trip near Lameshur Bay, and Afro-Caribbean drumming

In previous years we've taken Doug White's tour of island buildings - this year he's focusing on 'green building techniques.' We've also sailed the coastline with archeologist Ken Wild.

Christmas gift from the Park Service

There will be no entrance fee charged at Trunk Bay on the 24th and Christmas day, according to a report by the St. John Source.  Admission is usually $4 a day for people over 16.

The President has declared those days federal holidays, so beach access will be free.  And while these may be holidays, lifeguards and Rangers will be working. 

Trunk Bay is probably the most popular beach on the island and finding a parking space is often a challenge.  Making the beach free for the day may well bring lots of people and make parking even more problematic.  So, if you;'re driving the North Shore road around Trunk and Cinnamon and Hawk's Nest, slow down.

Maho Bay Camps land for sale

The Trust for Public Land is hoping to acquire the 14 acres which include Stanley Selengut's Maho Bay Camps. 

A director of the trust told St. John Rotary the lease for Maho Bay expires in 2012 and the land owner, Geri-Geri Corp., has it listed for sale "for a healthy price," according to the St. John Source.  Greg Chelius said the Trust plans to meet with the owner's attorneys in New York next month.

Earlier this year, the Trust made a $19 million deal for Park acreage inland. Chelius told Rotary how his group got a foothold in the 419-acre parcel. 

One of the heirs had been presumed dead because he'd not been heard from for years.  The trust hired a private investigator who, in fact, found the heir, Joey Adler, living in a Veterans Affairs facility in California.  He received $1 million and is now more comfortable, and the Trust had the land which let it negotiate with other heirs.

Park Friends to open retail outlet

At Mongoose Junction, the space formerly occupied by the Canvas Factory will soon be the home of a operated by, and for the benefit of, the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. 

Items for sale will include T-shirts, educational toys and materials as well as home decorations.  "Many of our carefully chosen products will be made from recycled materials and renewable resources, and others will support the objective of fair trade amongst nations," the Friends announced.  The store will also be a resource for information about Friends activities and seminars. 

A grand opening party is planned for December but hopes are to have the store open by the middle of November.

Estate Maho Bay acquired for $19 million

A national nonprofit conservation association announced it's bought 419 acres on St. John's South Shore. The land includes the quarter-mile long Maho Bay beach.

(Click on the photo at left for an aerial view of the land.)

The purchase by The Trust for Public Land does not include the Maho Bay Camps, but John Garrison, a field officer for the Trust, told the Virgin Islands Daily News preliminary discussions about a deal are underway.

The land has been purchased from the grandchildren of Harvey Monroe Marsh, who died in the 1960s.  Since then, the Virgin Islands National Park, at least one private buyer, and the Trust have been trying to acquire the parcel.  The Trust said it now owns seven of 11 shares while the Park owns three. 

Each of the Marsh family heirs is retaining six acres and has the right to build two homes.

The Trust  intends to give the land to the Park after it raises $35 million for this and other purchases.  TPL said it will retain 18 acres, away from the beach, and sell the land for 'limited development' unless funds can be raised privately to help repay a loan covering the cost of the purchase.  Information about the purchase and contributing can be found on the Trust's Web site, TPL.org.

Park leader reaches out

The new Superintendent of the Virgin Islands National Park is not spending his first days catching up on paperwork.  Instead, Mark Hardgrove has been out and about.  Improving community relations is his number one job, Hardgrove told the St. John Source. As part of his outreach effort, Hardgrove has held "open houses" at the Park's Visitors Center in Cruz Bay and at the John's Folly Learning Institute in Cruz Bay.

Hardgrove told the Virgin Islands Daily News that he's aware the Park has its critics. "I don't know that there's tension - I know that there's history," he said. Some of that controversy has come from Carmen Wesselhoft, the VI's Senator At Large.  She wants the Park to donate 200 acres to island residents who are unable to buy land to build moderately-priced housing.

Everything you wanted to know about the Park

Darren Smith, an internationally-known travel writer, has posted a comprehensive guide to the Virgin Islands National Park on his About.com Web site. It includes information about camping at Cinnamon Bay, a section about the history and geology of the Park, as well as tips on how to volunteer or work for the Park service. "Here you'll find everything you need to plan your Virgin Islands national park vacation, including directions, maps, photos, lodging, camping, things to do, weather, and more," he writes.

Smith's cataloging of the Park and its information is decidedly third-person - there's no sense in his reporting that he's ever been to the island.

New Park Superintendent named

It's taken 10 months, but the National Park service has found it's man. Mark Hardgrove is currently a deputy superintendent at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in South North Carolina, according to the St. John Source.  He's been with the NPS at least 21 years. 

Hardgrove has a lot more than flora and fauna to worry about on island.  The Park could be directed by Congress to lease land to the VI government for construction of a new school, and At Large Senator Carmen Wesselhoft wants the Service to donate several hundred acres for locals' housing.

Hardhrove is expected to begin his duties on island by the end of the month.

Where's the money?

Rick Bates, a reader who operates an educational consulting firm, posted a comment on the post about finding land for a new school.  He inquired about its expected cost and source of funding.

I smiled and replied:

"Dear Rick:

"The cost of a school has not even been mentioned. Unless there are federal funds, I can't imagine where the money going to come from.

"But here's something that will spur THAT discussion.

Where could a new school be built?

More than 100 people attended a Congressional subcommittee hearing on St. John on where a new kindergarten-12th grade school might be built. 

V.I. Delegate Donna Christensen, who sits on the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, convened the hearing to discuss her proposal to authorize the Dept. of the Interior to lease V.I. National Park land for the project.  (H.R. 53)

A representative of the V.I. Education Department said it would like to have 10 acres to build a campus including classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium and auditorium, according to a report of the meeting in the Virgin Islands Daily News.  A member of a group called One Campus testified saying it preferred 55 acres.

Washington DC PBS station airs VI Park documentary

The documentary produced to celebrate the Park's 50th anniversary was broadcast by Washington, DC's PBS station last Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. "Establishment of Virgin Islands National Park, was commissioned by Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, and created by Bill Stelzer, Bruce Schoonover and Steve Simonsen. The film tells the story of three very different men who came together to preserve and protect the incredible beauty of St. John.

Now, early afternoon on a Sunday isn't the best time slot, but it's better than no slot.  And, of you're outside DC, and know someone at the PBS station in your community, this is at least an excuse to say, "Hey, how about you guys running the show, too?"

Or  you could buy the DVD and watch it yourself, anytime :)

Myrvang a repeat winner of Power Swim

A 16-year-old from St Croix, Annie Myrvang, was the first place finisher in the 4th annual Beach to Beach Power Swim.  She also won the event last year.  Myrvang completed the 3.5 mile swim from Maho Bay to Hawksnest Bay in 1 hour 20 minutes.  Her average speed in the water: 2.62 miles an hour. 

Dave Nielsam from St. Thomas finished second with a time of 1:21:10.  The third place finisher was Barb Crowder from California with a time of 1:22:10.  There were 142 competitors in this year’s event which included courses for solo swimmers as well as relay teams.

Conditions for this year's Power Swim were a little rougher than in past years.  Joe Kessler, president of the Friends of the VI National Park, the organizer of the event, said there was a light surf which "made it more challenging this year." Sponsors included Alfredo's Landscaping, Scotia Bank, and Mongoose Junction. 

Here's a link to the complete results: http://www.friendsvinp.org/swim/07_results.pdf

Beach-to-Beach swim this weekend

The fourth annual island Power Swim is scheduled for 8 a.m., Sunday, May 27. 

Organized by the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park, there are four races including three contests for solo swimmers and one for a relay team.  The individual courses range from one to three-and-a-half miles, while the three-person relay is three-and-a-half miles.  All begin at Maho Bay. The long route ends at Hawksnest Bay.

In a practice swim two weeks ago, the nationally ranked swimmer Jack Zakim finished first on a Maho to Trunk Bay course.  Another practice was scheduled over the past weekend.

"The event has become part of the list of challenging sporting events inn the Virgin Islands," said Joe Kessler, president of the Friends. "It features the incredible waters and beaches of the Park."

Sponsors of the Friends fund raiser this year include Alfredo's landscaping, Mongoose Junction, American Paradise Realty, St. John Insurance, Skinny Legs, the Tap Room, Starfish Market and St. John Rotary.

Winners in the various competition categories will get their awards during an end-of-day barbecue at Oppenheimer Beach. There is more information online at www.friendsvinp.org/swim.

18th century plantation found

A plantation discovered in 1981, and then forgotten, has been found again by archaeologist Ken Wild and Amber Davis of the VI Cultural Resources Management Team. The location was not revealed. 

Writing on the team’s blog, Davis said, "The plantation consists of three structures - the main residence, the enslaved quarters and the warehouse."  (The picture is from their blog.) Davis and Wild found ceramic fragments near the site of a type known to be in use 375 years ago.

The plantation was included on a St. John map prepared by Peter Lotharius Oxholm in 1780. In 1981, Barbara Johnson found the site, but then it was forgotten, Davis reported. Understandably, she and Wild were pleased with their find - especially since they'd spent an entire day chopping catch and keep and cutting cacti in their search.  The celebrated with a burger at Skinny's.

Here's an Oxholm map on the St. John Historical Society's Web site.  Very interesting.

Preparing for reburial at the Park

Archaeologist Ken Wild and his current crop of interns are digging again at the Cinnamon Bay site where they plan for ceremony to inter human remains which have washed up onto the site from the ocean.  The pit is known as Unit 11. The interns' blog reports that the size of the site has been set and excavation has begun. 

Bet you can't sit on just one

Tom Clifton is an artist from Memphis who's also adopting St. John as a place to live.  He also has an exhibit opening on St. John this week at Best of Both Worlds at Mongtoose Junction. 

He and his second-best friend (after his dog), Pat, have been building Amansala.  They have been chronicling the project in a blog, following in the keystrokes of Bongo Bongo's Russ and Jeff.

The latest posting on Amansala includes this great map of the island's beaches. Click on this image for a larger graphic and see how many beaches you've been to.  Start making a list of "Beaches to Do" for the next trip.

What's your favorite beach?

St. John's got dozens of beaches and after a few visits, you begin to have favorites.  Xislandgirl, an active member at Virgin Islands On-Line, decided to ask fellow forumites where they liked to catch some rays and snorkel for Blue Tangs. 

The winners?  Among the choices on the ballot, Hawksnest limped into first place with 18% of the votes, beaten badly by "Other's" 61%.

In this week's podcast, Xislandgirl says she was surprised that HER favorite appears to be lots of others' perfect place, and she didn't even put it on the ballot: Francis Bay.  Some may fault it for no see-ums, but you have to love it for the lack of crowds and the fantastic patrolling Pelicans.

Hear Islandgirl, a.k.a. DeeDee from Connecticut, talk about the island's best beaches. Click the play button below.

You can download or hear the file by clicking here.

You can also subscribe to News of St. John's weekly podcast by going to the Apple iTunes Music Store and searching for "news of st. john," or you can copy the words feeds.feedburner.com.stjohn and paste them into the subscribe field under the iTunes software’s "Advanced" tab.  You can also use that Feedburner link to subscribe in other podcatching software.  If you’re having a problem, e-mail: frank@newsofstjohn.com.

Park Rangers ticketing at Maho Bay

Park Service Rangers are putting tickets on vehicles parked along the road at Maho Bay Beach, according to the St. John Source.  In the past, it was possible for a number of cars to pull off the side of the road and straddle the asphalt and the shoulder.  But with the island's winter season in full heat, parking's becoming tough everywhere.  "You can't find a place to park anywhere in town," said Gale Spring, a Floridian.

Chief Ranger Mark Marschall told the Source parking enforcement is "not anything new," and that previously people got warnings.  Now it's tickets.  The Ranger said it's understandable if people are surprised by fines, since "We're trying to avoid having signs."  He said parked vehicles can cause damage to trees and brush.  Marschall suggested people take a taxi to Maho Bay instead of driving and trying to find a parking space.

Friends of the Park seminars a 'must do'

The Friends of the Virgin islands National Park seminar series is more popular than ever.  Friends president Joe Kessler said 27 programs are scheduled from January to April.  "People need to call us as soon as they know when they'll be on island, to make reservations," Kessler said.  "A day in advance is not going to cut it."

In this week's St. John Podcast, Kessler talked about the Friends seminars, what's new at the Cinnamon Bay archaeological dig, and the volunteer guides who answer questions at Annaberg Plantation.

Listen to the podcast by clicking the play button below.

You can download or hear the file, also, by clicking here.

You can also subscribe to News of St. John's weekly podcast by going to the Apple iTunes Music Store and searching for "news of st. john," or you can copy the words feeds.feedburner.com.stjohn and paste them into the subscribe field under the iTunes software’s "Advanced" tab.  You can also use that Feedburner link to subscribe in other podcatching software.  If you’re having a problem, e-mail: frank@newsofstjohn.com.

VI National Park: "Reasonable year"

More than 100 people attending the annual meeting of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park heard a modest State of the Park address from Resources Management Chief Rafe Boulon. He said 2006 was a "reasonably good year ... despite level funding and cost increases, the St. John Source reported.

Boulon might have added that other handicaps included the resignation of Park Supt. Art Frederick and a short "acting superintendency" of Walter Chavez.  He recently returned to his full time post on Puerto Rico.  A new acting superintendent, Catherine Light, arrived on island during the weekend.

Park party draws notables

Lots of self-patting on the back at the weekend's 50th anniversary parties for the Virgin Islands National Park.  The Virgin Islands Daily News estimated the cost of the new garden exhibit highlighting the role of philanthropy in the Park service at $60,000.  That makes me smile. You spend 60K to thank people for donating to a good cause.  Is an exhibit a good cause?

Mary Bomar, director of the National Park Service, was the keynote speaker.  She said a Stewardship Action Plan is being developed to project ocean parks, engage visitors in stewardship, and establish a "seamless network" of parks, wildlife refuges, marine sanctuaries and research reserves, the Daily News reported.

Interim Park Supt. ready for anniversary

Celebrations observing the 50th birthday of the Virgin Islands National Park this weekend include dedication of a new memorial garden near the National Park Service building and a fund raising dinner at Caneel Bay. 

Representing the Park will be Walter Chavez, the interim superintendent, who will be on the job through most of the winter while a permanent head of the VINP is recruited.  Chavez's last posting was at the San Juan National Historic Site.