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More work at Enighed

 The V.I. Port Authority has chosen contractors to manage mangroves in the Enighed Pond commercial port, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News.  The mangroves are valuable for their erosion–fighting characteristics.   BioImpact Inc.
of St. Croix will be hired to plant mangroves in a 6-acre area of the
Pond, at a cost of $77,665, the newspaper reported.  The Port Authority
also authorized a study to determine what can be done with the filled
land now behind dikes at the Pond including what can be done to make it
more firm.

Real estate scoreboard

The average price of a house on the Multiple Listing Service
is $2.2 million, while the median price is $1.69 million.  In March,
the median was $1.9 million, and the average was $2.2 million.  Average
price is unchanged; the median is down 11%.

MLS stats for 5/19/06

    * Houses:  111 (up 1 from 5/19)
    * Commercial:  25 (down 1 from 5/19)
    * Condos:  39 (down 4 from 5/19)
    * Land lots:  249 (down 2 from 5/19)

Celebration heats up for July 4th

Celebration Village opened in the parking lot across from the post office on Wednesday.  Named this year in honor of Nathalie Thomas, the Festival and Cultural Organization’s
treasurer, "Thomasville" will have an opening ceremony featuring the
Love City Pan Dragons.  The Jam Band will follow, playing until the wee
hours, the St. John Source reported.  Generally, bands are expected to
play inn the Village daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Thursday, the children’s village was scheduled to open, sponsored by the St. John Community Foundation.   Chairman Lonnie Willis told the Source the village will feature games, face painting, ball toss., frog toss, hot wheel racing and darts.

July 4th will begin with the annual J’Ouvert parade through the
streets of Cruz Bay, beginning at 4 a.m.  Fireworks over Cruz Bay at 9
p.m. will be followed entertainment from Cool Session and Traffik,
again into the "wee" hours.  Celebration Village will close at 1:30 a.m.

Post Office will dominate new structure

Plans for a new U.S. Postal Service facility were unveiled at a public meeting at the Westin Resort.
A spokesman for the Governor said a contract for the project, budgeted
at nearly $3 million, would be signed in a few days.  A spokesman for
the Postal Service said the new facility will have 7,000 square feet on
the first floor of the new retail/parking structure downtown, across
from the former barge docks.  A portion of the space, about 1,000
square feet, may be used by vendors.  Local retailers might also occupy
the "old" post office building when it’s vacated, the St. John Source reported.

The second and third floors of the building will have a total of 91
parking spaces, 16 of which will be earmarked for post office
customers.  While Public Works will oversee charging people for parking, postal patrons will not be expected to pay.

Plans for the project are still being developed, the Source reported.  Construction could take about 15 months, at which time the Postal Service would begin finish its space.

Parking garage alternatives ignored

St. John officials ignored several letters proposing a pay-for-parking facility that could be developed b y private interests.  Robert Pfriender, founder of Allied International Development Ltd., told News of  St John
a "secure, fully-automated facility … or a full-service garage
staffed 24/7" were both possible, and preferable to what’s now set for
construction.

"The current plan is least likely to succeed," said the founder of
the Long Island real estate development and construction management
firm.  "It would not be staffed 24/7, so either it has to close early
or there will be crime problems after dark."  Pfriender said he also
urged officials to create a master plan for the downtown and Creek area.

Monster potholes plague Coral Bay

A four-foot wide and 10-inch deep pothole has opened at a switchback
on the East End Road.  Citizens and Public Works officials agree the
"monster" is a danger to drivers heading uphill from the switchback
toward Coral Bay.  An unknown person has spray painted Xs and the word
"hole" on the pavement to alert drivers, according to the St. John Source.
Several other potholes have also developed on the east End Road.  One
further problem, brought on by construction and development in the
area, is spilled concrete.  They’re overfilled and when they start
uphill, there are problems.  A Coral bay resident told the Source, "It’s like a large lumbering elephant dropping gray turds," said Terry McKoy.

Petroglyphs set to be protected

An agency of the United Nations is considering classifying the Reef Bay Petroglyphs as a World Heritage Site, a decision that would be "monumental," according to park archeologist Ken Wild.  The Site designation is reserved for "places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity," he told the St. John Source.
The rock carvings are important because they indicate a joining of
Amerindians from the Lesser Antilles and those from the Greater
Antilles, the Daily News reported.  The Petroglyphs date from 1000 to 1400 A.D.

Busy season for weddings

Memorial Day weekend is primetime for St. John weddings.  One marriage planner on island has been conducted three ceremonies a day.

Jacqueline Johnson, travel director for Conde Nast Bridal Group, told a St. Croix business meeting weddings are good business.  Live music, flowers, transportation for a bridal party of a dozen or more, a welcome cocktail party, rehearsal dinner and reception — "It’s a gold mine," she said.

Erica Hebert, a wedding consultant on St. Thomas, agreed, telling the Virgin Islands Daily News, "May used to be dead.   Now it’s sizzling."  Steve Bornn, marketing director for the V.I. Tourism Department, said weddings are also an opportunity for repeat business. "If they have a good wedding, they are going to talk about it," he said, according to the Daily News. Couples return for anniversaries, and bring their kids and friends, he said.

Westin hosts VI Culinary team prep

The first meal cooked by members of the VI Culinary Team was a success, according to people who attended a fund raiser at the Westin to help finance the competitors’ entry in the annual Taste of the Caribbean later this month in Miami.  Team chefs included Andrew Power and Rodney Rightenburg of Caneel Bay, along with three other chefs from St. Thomas and St. Croix. They were selected by a cook off. 

Ingredients used in the "test" dinner at the Westin included hot whit chocolate, handmade marshmallows, banana leaf and local pumpkin.  "We’re making 30-some different items for 40 people," team captain Ric Ade said, according to a report of the event in the Virgin Islands Daily News.