Often, the island across Pillsbury Sound is referred to as "St. Trauma." There are lots of reasons; not the least of which is that getting there and back takes at least half a day. If you've been lucky enough to find what you wanted, or get done what you wanted done, it's still an anxiety-filled trek.
So, it was kind of a surprise to see Ella Anderson’s St. John Sun Times magazine's cover featuring "St. Thomas Issue."
"It's a little bit different for us," she conceded in her monthly Publisher's column. "But there are a lot of stories, not so different from our own, on our sister island." And it's only natural, then, for Anderson, who's made "Always Positive" her way of doing business, to write, "Our islands are so close it just makes sense to me to be more inclusive."
The St. Thomas issue features an article about the island's Step Street Project (why so many steps where walkways or bridges could have sufficed?). And the Yacht Haven Grande farmer’s market on Sunday gets some attention, for its fresh herbs, produce, hot sauces and local honey. St. Thomas' four marinas are profiled, with tips on where live aboards eat and shop for provisions.
Credit Anderson for a good idea with this special issue. Good for St. Johnians and visitors to know more about what happens on the other side. It's also good business, since Anderson's broadening her advertising and circulation efforts to the St. Thomas market, too. "I figure it's a nice 'Thank you' to our growing base of readers who continue to discover our magazine.”