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Something “Amazing” Just Happened…

June 1, 2014June 1, 2014 by News of St. John

Boats waiting to transport the racers – Image credit: Captain John Brandi of Palm Tree Charters

Anyone see an abnormally high number of seaplanes flying near Lovango and Congo cays yesterday? Perhaps you saw a helicopter flying back and forth in the area? Want to know why???

CBS chose our happy little slice of heaven as a location in its latest season of The Amazing Race! How cool is that??!!

We got the call yesterday morning from Captain John Brandi of Palm Tree Charters. He mentioned how someone inquired a while back about booking a charter for yesterday. Seeing how Captain John typically takes weekends off, Island Sue [Captain John’s better half :)] turned down the request. Captain John did do a bit of snooping, however, and soon learned what was up.

It turns out that another boat captain friend of ours was tapped to help out. (Now we’re not sure if any confidentiality releases were signed, so we’re keeping his name out of today’s post.) What we do know is that this second captain was out near Carval Rock for a good part of the day. It seems that they did some filming in a variety of places around St. Thomas and St. John.

Check out this mobile movie of the seaplane coming in courtesy of Captain John Brandi:

And here is a helicopter moving in, again courtesy of Captain John Brandi:

Once we heard that CBS was using helicopters, we knew Caribbean Buzz had to be involved. Here’s their super official statement (my guess is they signed something):

“We provided aerial support for filming of a CBS reality TV show. It included (Carval) rock, Hans Lollick, Magen’s Bay and downtown at Fort Christian.”

So cool!

Laurie and Craig Crandall just happened to be passing through St. Thomas yesterday afternoon when they caught a glimpse of filming.

“We just came home from a week in Alaska and were coming to the waterfront. And there were all of these filming crews and teams,” Laurie said. “We asked what was happening and we were told it was The Amazing Race. The seaplane was at the waterfront, so I think it was whoever arrived first got on the plane … There were probably about six teams. I wish I was able to get out and talk to them because it looked really cool.”

Time Flies…

May 31, 2014 by News of St. John

Hi everyone, happy Saturday! I am so excited to write that today is the one year anniversary of me taking over News of St. John! How exciting is that??!! Time sure does fly when you’re having fun…

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect the great things that have happened since taking over this blog. For starters, the love and support I have received from all of you is just simple amazing. Thank you for taking a little bit of time out of your day to catch up on what’s happening on island.

I love reading your comments, Facebook posts, Tweets and emails – both positive and negative – so please keep them coming. My email is [email protected] – please feel free to message me anytime.

I’m so excited to see what year two will bring. I do have something pretty cool up my sleeve right now, so stay tuned for a big announcement. I think you’re all going to love it!

Thank you again for the love and support!

Jenn xoxo

Ceremonies of St. John: Real Wedding

May 29, 2014May 30, 2014 by News of St. John

Advertorial

One of the best parts of using a wedding planner is that you can truly create a one-of-a-kind, customized wedding to suit your specific needs and wants. Ceremonies of St. John wants you to know that they are here on island to make your wedding dreams come true.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Melissa and Chris. This Phoenix couple traveled to St. John earlier this month to be married. With the help of Ceremonies of St. John, Melissa and Chris planned a beautiful early morning wedding at Hawksnest Beach for themselves and 25 guests. See for yourself…

This “real wedding” included numerous customized personal touches such as an aisle of palm fronds and handmade chair hangers. Handmade beaded foot jewelry adorned the bride’s and her bridesmaid’s feet while each carried gorgeous bouquets of flowers that matched Melissa’s chosen bridal colors. The women got ready for the event with hair and makeup appointments, all set up by Ceremonies of St. John.

A steel pan drummer entertained the group before it cruised over to Jost Van Dyke on a full day private sail reception that included snorkeling, lunch at Foxy’s and drinks at the world famous Soggy Dollar Bar in the afternoon.

I’m not sure about all of you, but that all looks and sounds pretty perfect to me.

Ceremonies of St. John’s staff lives and works directly on St. John, so they know all of the ins and outs of the island and can address any need that may arise. Interested in learning more? Call its toll free number at 1-888-282-3933 or email at [email protected]

Image credit: Dow Studio

Meeting on Oppenheimer Use Tonight

May 29, 2014 by News of St. John

Ok everyone, there’s a meeting happening tonight that we wanted you all to know about. We aren’t 100 percent experts on the subject, but here is what we do know…

There is an issue regarding Oppenheimer Beach and how it can be used. For years, organizations have been able to hold fundraisers there where food and beverages could be purchased, and music could be played.

Recently it has come to light that a clause in paperwork somewhere stipulates that “for profit” groups cannot use the beach meaning that a fundraiser cannot sell food and drinks, and only “small” bands can play, although it does not say what constitutes what exactly “small” is. And that clause has just started to be enforced.

From what I’ve heard, it has something to do with the Gibney cottages next door. If that’s the case, then that is a valid point. Guests renting these cottages most likely do not want to have a loud party happening next door. This is only my opinion, but if that is indeed fact, hopefully all parties involved can come to a resolution that suits the interests of everyone. I think we should all work together to put some of the love back into Love City. Anyone agree?

The meeting is happening tonight at 5 p.m. at the Cruz Bay Legislature. If you have an opinion either way, you may want to attend. We’ll keep you all posted on this…

Saharan Dust Moves into Territory

May 28, 2014May 29, 2014 by News of St. John

If you’ve been on island within the last few days or so, you may have noticed a haze throughout the territory. Yup, you guessed it – the Saharan Dust has arrived.

For those of you not familiar with Saharan Dust, it happens nearly every spring/summer. It starts over in the North African desert when an increase of warm air causes sand particles to rise above the desert. Those particles are then transported over the Atlantic Ocean and across the Caribbean.

When the dust arrives in the territory, the islands’ typical bright blue skies are replaced by a haze. It looks like clouds, but in actuality, it’s dust. Visibility is reduced, and the air quality becomes poor. According to the National Weather Service, it looks like the dust is going to get a bit worse in the next week before getting better.

Here are a few pics we took the other day that show a dusty haze in the sky:

Want to know the status of the Saharan Dust? Click here to view current satellite conditions.

Caneel Changes Rules on Charter Boats

May 27, 2014May 28, 2014 by News of St. John

For those of you who follow us over on Facebook, you may have seen the post we shared this weekend about Caneel Bay. Well it received such an intense reaction over there and also on a few other Facebook pages that we thought we should share it with all of you. Here’s what’s going on…

A few weeks back, we received an email from a longtime St. John charter boat captain (one who is not connected to NOSJ in any way). He mentioned how Caneel decided it would start charging the majority of charter boats a $250 usage fee for using its dock. (A bit of background – the Westin has been doing the same sort of thing for quite some time.) So we reached out to Caneel and here is what Nikolay Hotze, Managing Director of Caneel, had to say:

“Due to recent circumstances, we have initiated a new policy regarding usage of our private dock, as a result we have implemented a $250.00 dockage fee for all vessels. This payment is between the vessel operator and Caneel Bay; we will not bill our guests at any time for this usage.

As always, we welcome visitors on boats and those aboard dinghy’s complimentary use of our dock when visiting our restaurants, public facilities or while enjoying any of the services provided by Caneel Bay.”

I then asked Caneel if it was true that a few select boats had been chosen to contract with Caneel, thus not having to pay the fee.

Caneel said, “We have contracted with several of the charter boats which we currently work with on a regular basis.”

From what we heard, we’re pretty certain that Caneel contracted with a charter boat out of St. Thomas. If that’s the case, we don’t think it’s a good move.

What do you all think? Is Caneel in the right? Do you think that since it’s their dock, they can charge anything they’d like? Do you think they should have chosen a St. John charter to contract with? Please let us know in the comments section.

St. John Brewers Launches New Brew

May 27, 2014May 27, 2014 by News of St. John

By Andrea Milam, Special Contributor to News of St. John

Island brewing company St. John Brewers launched its new Small Batch Series line last week with the release of bottled Amber Ale, to be sold for a limited time exclusively in the Virgin Islands.

The medium-bodied, well-balanced Amber recipe was perfected over time at St. John Brewers’ Mongoose Junction brewery, and has been served on draft at the Tap Room for several years. Subtle roasted malt notes, a mild hop profile, and a round finish make the Amber Ale drinkable even in the V.I.’s warm climate.

“It’s a darker beer with hints of roasted grain as well as just a little bit of chocolate,” said co-owner Kevin Chipman. “It’s very food friendly and extremely drinkable.”

“This Small Batch Series will give St. John Brewers a chance to showcase some of the other styles of beer that were created locally,” said Chirag Vyas, co-owner. “Patrons to our brewpub have enjoyed our small batch brews on draft and this is an opportunity for folks to try our island recipes on a larger scale.”

The new Amber Ale can be found alongside staple beers Island Summer Ale, Island Hoppin IPA, and Tropical Mango Pale Ale at grocery stores, bars, and restaurants throughout the Virgin Islands for a limited time. St. John Brewers’ Liquid Sunshine Belgian Ale, released in 2008, will now be placed into the Small Batch Series.

St. John Brewers was founded in 2004 by Kevin Chipman and Chirag Vyas, who met as students at the University of Vermont. The brewing duo initially gained notoriety with their Tropical Mango Pale Ale. Today, St. John Brewers operates its own brewpub, the Tap Room, an apparel shop, the Brewtique, and Chipman and Vyas brew small batches of several different kinds of beers that are served on draft at the Tap Room. For more information, visit www.stjohnbrewers.com.

It’s All About the Turtles

May 23, 2014May 23, 2014 by News of St. John

By now most of you know that I have a pretty big obsession with donkeys and turtles. I’m not sure how I missed World Donkey Day on May 8, but I sure as heck know that I’m not missing World Turtle Day, which happens to be today. So…

Happy World Turtle Day everyone!

In honor or our favorite little sea creatures, we asked all of you to share some pics and videos. A big thanks to all of you who sent them in. Here are a few of our favorites:

Image credit: Travel John - @stjusvi on Twitter — Image credit: Travel John – @stjusvi on Twitter

Throwback Thursday.

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 by News of St. John

Island Resources Photo — Image credit: St. John Historical Society

Last Thursday we shared a pretty cool picture over on our Facebook page. The picture (above) showed the North Shore Road in 1948.

According to the St. John Historical Society, “the picture was taken by Ronald Morrisette, and the women on horseback are his wife, Sarah Morrisette, left, and Helen Auble (Ms. Auble, a St Thomas resident for many years, gave the picture to [Island Resources Foundation] before her death in the late 1990s). The road is near the bottom of Hawksnest hill, in the distance is the Oppenheimer end of Gibney beach, then called Hawksnest beach. They were passing through the eastern side of the Caneel Bay property, which then stretched from the Creek in Cruz Bay to include the present National Park Hawksnest Beach.”

We found the picture to be so interesting that we sought out to find a few more that we could share all of you. We’d like to extend our thanks to David Whitney Knight, Sr. and Eleanor Gibney for sharing the following pictures with us.

Courtesy of David Whitney Knight, Sr.:

How many of you recognize the pristine beach shown in this picture? According to David Whitney Knight, Sr., it was taken c1949-1950. “The lady in the picture is my mother, Anna, with her dog Spooky; the photographer is my father, Dr. George H H Knight.”

Photograph taken by Dr. George H H Knight

The following images are courtesy of Eleanor Gibney. The descriptions are courtesy of the St. John Historical Society.

“A locally-built cargo sloop lowers sail and prepares to come alongside the Cruz Bay dock, c 1959. Up until the 1970s Caribbean-built cargo vessels such as the “Baby Mac,” “Pride of Tortola” and “Miranda Stout,” were St. John’s primary link to the outside world, carrying everything from fuel oil and livestock to mail and passengers.”

“Caneel Bay, 1959.
One of the original cottages from the late1930s on what is still called “Cottage Point” They were replaced in the early 1960s.”

“The impact of modern development on St. John’s landscape becomes staggeringly apparent when you compare Chocolate Hole today with how it looked in the late 1950s (photographer unknown).”

“The iconic Trunk Bay view–here in a slide by an unknown tourist in 1963. The main building of the former Boulon guesthouse is still very visible on the hill, where it was a popular lunch spot, run by Caneel Bay.”

Interested in learning about more of St. John’s history? Click here to visit the St. John Historical Society’s website.

Commercial Debuts Featuring You!!

May 21, 2014May 21, 2014 by News of St. John

The Department of Tourism just released its Virgin Islands Nice commercial. As you may recall, a casting call was held a few months back. Anyone recognize anybody in the commercial??

Check it out:

[vimeo clip_id=95973491 ]

And here’s the song and video that inspired it all…This doesn’t ever get old in my opinion.