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St. John paper is an artful effort

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Tom Paine and Shirley Reid say their St. John Sun-Times is a newspaper for the softer side of St. John.  He’s a novelist, she’s an artist, and together they’ve cooked up what Tom calls a bouillabaisse of different opinions from island people who are curious about St. John.  "Our interest in St. John is from the perspective of people who love the art and the music and the culture," Paine said.  "When we go around, we don’t necessarily see hard news stores, we see change which is picked up by two artist-type people."  His favorite interview in the past year was a one-on-one with Sen. Craig Barshinger at the island’s miniature golf course, while Reid’s favorite experience was – as a local – staying at Maho Bay campground.

A conversation with the owners of the St. John Sun-Times is this week’s News of St John podcast. 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.

Friends of the Park seminars announced

If you’re on island this winter, don’t miss signing up for one or
more of the workshops, seminars, walks and marine activities sponsored
by the Friends of the Virgin islands National Park.  if nothing else,
you’ll meet some island residents, because the programs are conducted
by volunteers who live on St. John.  Kat Sowa, a well known artist, will offer oil painting instruction in mid-March, archaeologist Ken Wild will conduct a boat trip, and the Love City Pan Dragons will teach you how to play a pan.  The full schedule is here.

Something else you should do while on island.  Attend the annual meeting of the Friends, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Cinnamon Bay restaurant.  Joe Kessler, president of the organization, and Walter Chavez,
the interim Park superintendent, will offer “State of the Park”
reports.  You’ll learn a lot about the Park’s strengths and challenges.

Make a difference, write a check

On- or off-island, doesn’t make a difference.  Year-end donations
from you can help make a difference. 

Here are some of
the island’s community organizations and activities that deserve your
support. Your contributions will be welcomed.

Real estate brightens

The president of the St. John Board of Realtors said Thanksgiving has brought the strongest interest in purchasing island real estate in seven months. John McCann, of John McCann Realty,
said last weekend he toured 10 properties with two couples and found
other sales people also "at every house I showed."  McCann conceded
there has been some downward pricing pressure, caused in part by a
near-tripling of inventory.  "Sellers realize they need to be
competitive," McCann said. "In the past, people said, ‘Well, it’ll sell
eventually.’  Now they need to show how their property is different to
generate interest."

McCann echoed other real estate sales people saying that with some
pricing softness, "This is the time for people priced out of the market
previously to come back and say, ‘Wow, look at all the choices now.’"

The Realtor added that some land prices have also weakened, making
it possible for the brave soul who wants to be his/her own general
contractor to build a property in 18-24 months at a cost of $250-$300 a
square foot.

A conversation with McCann is this week’s News of St John podcast.

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.

Coral Bay sets Christmas activities

Christmas in Coral Bay is set for the evening of Dec. 20 at the basketball court near the Guy Benjamin School.  Alvis Christian organized the event, and told the St. John Source the annual "St. John coming together" will include caroling and a visit by Santa Claus.  The Coral Bay Community Council is encouraging donations of stuffed animals, books, and toys to be handed out as gifts to children.

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.

Google Maps discovers St. John

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Finally!  Google Maps includes the Virgin Islands.  You won’t
find Google much help in scoping out hiking trails, but it is a great
assist in figuring out where your rental villa is.  For an example, click here to see where our villa, Blue Tang, is. The Westin Resort is at Great Cruz Bay.

Google Maps is also useful to identify the various bays and
sightseeing spots like the Anneberg ruins.  It’s been a long time coming, for Google to include St. John … let’s be happy.

Christmas festival this weekend

Provost
This weekend’s St. John Christmas Music Festival & Parade  will highlight a number of off-island gospel, R-and-B, and Soul musicians and an outstanding island-born artist, Victor Provost. 

The 22-year-old "Steel Pan Man" will solo and play with other featured artists including Michael Dunston and Maryel Epps during the free Saturday and Sunday concerts being organized by St. John’s Steve Simon.  You can most likely also catch him at the Sunday afternoon Beach Bar jazz jam, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Provost grew up on St. John, where his father, Jim, was a public school teacher and is an accomplished musician who passed along his talent to Victor and his bother Eric.  Now working as an administrator of an arts program for the under-privileged in Portsmouth, Va., Provost says he’s got the perfect job, "being paid to manage and develop a steel pan band."

Radio_icon_4This week’s News of St. John podcast features an interview with Provost talking about the his music and his life growing up on island. Listen to it by clicking the > button on the player below.

 

How to get NOSJ podcasts automatically. 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 pan", at its most simple, is a 55-gallon steel oil drum, cut down and smoothed, that musicians use a percussion instrument.  Invented in Trinidad in the 1930s, it’s developed as an instrument capable of playing anywhere from four not to 3 octaves (28 notes).

Victor is the focus of this week’s News of St. John podcast.  Listen to it here, or subscribe through the Apple iTunes Podcast Directory, search for "News of St. John."

Hearing "pan" music on St.. John is easy, Provost said in an interview.  "Look for Innervisions, a house reggae band, which has toured the US for the past several summers.  He also recommends hearing Paradise People, featuring Carl Powell and his brother, Eric Provost.  "Anyplace downtown … Fred’s, the Front Yard, down by Wharfside … there is so much music on island, you kind of walk into it," he said.

Provost has just issued his first CD.  Here’s his Web site, where you can hear samples. You can purchase it at CDBaby.com.  Delivered, my copy cost $17.47.  Great holiday gift. The sound of the pan just says,, and plays, "St. John" to me.

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.

Coral Bay’s upscale chef

Last time we checked, Chef CasperCoral Bay was
bringing some high-end experience to Aqua Bistro restaurant located in the
Cocoloba shopping center.  His previous kitchen was at
Chloe and Bernard’s, the best restaurant at the Westin resort.   Casper
has been at Bistro for about four years.  One of his specialties is
barbecue. He makes his own sauces to baste ribs, chicken,
flank steak and turkey legs, the St. John Sun Times reported.