- There’s a possibility Paul Trujillo, owner/chef at Ten Tables (at the Lumberyard) is moving the operation to a new location. Stay tuned!
- The 8 Tuff Miles roads race is set for Feb. 24. Lots of training is going on, including what are being called "Geiger Tuff Tune Ups," training runs in memory of David Geiger, a long time resident and good guy. http://www.8tuffmiles.com
- Cinnamon Bay Campground’s T’ree Lizards restaurant is pitching for more business. Half a page, four-color ad in the St. John Sun-Times lists the restaurants breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The "Virgin Gorda Blackened Tuna" sounds good. Open air, roomy – it’s a nice place.
- Marty Beech’s CD, "Summer Wind," is on sale at St. John Spice, Sun Dog Cafe, and Infusions Lounge. He recorded it last summer, in Atlanta. (Listen to a sample.) The St. John Sun-Times says the Islander real estate broker "channels ol’ blue eyes" with his renditions of Cole Porter tunes.
Vows for Valentine’s
Hundreds of couples have done it before and dozens more will do it again on Valentine’s Day at 5:30 p.m. on the Trunk Bay Beach: re-marry their mates. The ceremony is conducted by Anne Marie Porter, known as the Barefoot Minister. You can register for the February 14 event by calling 340-693-5153.
Governor names new Administrator
Leona Smith has been named St. John Island Administrator by Gov. John DeJongh Jr. Her experience includes running the St. John Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs office and overseeing the St. John July 4th Celebration Committee.
Smith told the Virgin Islands Daily News, "I’ve dealt with many complaints and getting them solved. Before that, I worked with the Legislature dealing with constituent complaints. That’s what the administrator does – try to solve the complaints of the people."
In a statement from the Governor’s office,
Smith added, “With my organizational skills and the proficient manner
in which I have executed projects … I expect to make an outstanding
contribution to this administration as the go-to person on St. John.”
Blues festival set for March
Steve Simon, the island’s music man, plans to make St. John a blue, blue place next month. He’s producing the Third Fifth Annual Blues Festival, March 21st-25th, with the main concert in Coral Bay at the ball field, March 24. "It’s the biggest music event in the Virgin Islands. We sell out all the car rentals, all the villas, and all the restaurants" he said in an in interview.
This year’s headline performers include Jon Cleary, Billy Gibson and Joey Gillmore. Simon has contacts with them through his seat on the board of the national Blues Foundation.
Most people on island know Simon for his free Sunday afternoon jazz jams, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Beach Bar. "It started seven years ago, at Mongoose," he said, "and within a few weeks we had lots of people showing up." A few weeks ago, Simon said, there were as many as 1,000 people on the beach, in the water, and on the docks listening. "A couple of cruise ships sent their tenders over and it was glorious."
Usually, the sessions are less crowded, maybe a few hundred people, he said. The core group of seven musicians, known as the Jazz Islanders,
play standards from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s infused with influences of
Caribbean and jazz rhythms. Other musicians contact
Simon during the week to arrange to sit in, too. Often musicians vacationing on St. Thomas
will come over to jam, too.
The Jazz Islanders have big things in store this year. They are
completing a CD which Simon said should be released by April. "Our band
has also been invited to perform in St Croix in April at the Sunset Jazz event," Simon said, "and then we’ve been asked to go to Italy’s Umbria jazz festival this summer," Simon said. "We’re very pleased."
The Festival’s Web site is here: http://www.stjohnbluesfestival.com/bf/blueshome.htm. It is one of several projects Simon will produce this year. Others include the annual free Christmas Festival in Cruz Bay and a series of rock concerts on St. Thomas.
Listen to an interview with Steve Simon by clicking 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: [email protected].
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.
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.
Banzhaf Gallery exhibition
Michael Banzhaf plans an artist reception and exhibition opening this Friday night. Oils by Tom Gardner, a frequent visitor to the island, will be on display.
"Gardner sometimes fears these images may one day be all that’s left of an endangered environment," Banzhaf wrote on his gallery Web site. "But he prefers to hope that given half a chance, the environment will fight back and survive."
St. John’s Simon plans rock concert
Orleans, a ’70s soft rock group, is touring again and they’ll be on St. Thomas in about three weeks. Listen to samples on the group’s Web site.
St. John’s Steve Simon and St. T’s Jim Tunick are producing the concert Feb. 17 at Sapphire Beach Resort. It will be a Rotary fund raiser for the Nana Baby Home.
"Every couple I know has a song they call their own that reminds them of love," Simon said. "That, to me, is what the music of Orleans has always been about."
Tickets are $25 in advance,$30 at the gate. They can be purchased on St. John at Connections Cruz Bay, Connections Coral Bay and Chelsea Drug Store in Marketplace.
Double whammy for property owners
Gov. John deJongh has said he will try to make sure that the territory-wide property reassessment project does not mean sky high increases for locals. But while he can do his best to make sure the valuations are fair and equal, he can do little about the fact property owners are likely to get two tax bills this year.
The 2005 bills are due to go into the mail within a few weeks, six months late. The Governor indicated it is likely the bills for 2006 will be mailed this summer, too. "If anyone is not paying attention to why change is needed, hitting them in the pocketbook will certainly wake them up," the Governor said in his State of the Territory address.
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: [email protected].