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Ana

Erika: Lemonade out of a lemon

Erika turned out to be a non-event.  The tropical storm ran out of gas – er, wind – and breezed past St. Croix to the south and became what the meteorologists call a depression.

And while there was some rain and wind, some folks managed to see the bright side of a cloudy, overcast day.


Erika-rainbow-350IARiverRat spent some of the day in a St. Thomas bar – watching the rain. “The locals smile because rain is a source of fresh water,” the Rat said. 

And Gerry Singer, guidebook-author extraordinaire, found a rainbow after the storm. TWO of them. “Just before sunset an approaching squall gave us this spectacular double rainbow,” be blogged at St. John Life.

Ferry companies really making money?

Caribetrimeferry

The Public Service Commission is giving further study to its decision to approve a rate increase for the Cruz Bay-Red Hook ferry run. 

Tickets would rise 40%, from $5 to $7 one way.  The PSC has also said it would cut the price of the Cruz Bay-Charlotte Amalie run 20%, from $10 to $8.

In a public hearing this week to reconsider the rate changes, the PSC heard from just a few residents, according to the St. John Source’s report of the meeting.

Deep in that story, St. John’s Pam Gaffin … a bookkeeper and author … said what so many many people believe: the ferry company’s books are unreliable.

Of course they are.  When was the last time you got a receipt for a ferry ticket or anything like a barge trip receipt that could be traced and verified.

Gaffin said that corrected financial statements submitted by the ferry companies “show the companies are making prlofits,” the Source reported.  Even though the attorney for the ferries said the boats are losing $1 million a year.

Figures can lie … and …

The PSC plans a second hearing about ferry fares on St. Thomas.  In the meantime, the fares stay where they are.

Weakening Erika expected tonight

 ErikaWinds of about 50 miles an hour and three-to-five inches of rain are expected tonight and early Friday morning as Tropical Storm Erika passes over St. John and the U.S. Virgin islands. 

While Erika is not gathering strength, the National Hurricane Center still has a tropical storm warning in place and cautions there could be heavy rains.

Spicecam1Thursday morning began cloudy and overcast.  St. John Spice’s Webcam, overlooking the Cruz Bay ferry dock, showed a clear picture, but the Coral Bay Webcam appears to have some mist on the lens.

Webcam links:

New storm aims for St. John

Erika Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Erika to arrive in the Virgin Islands tomorrow morning.

The National Weather Service says the storm is more “disorganized” than earlier this week. A storm eye has been formed, but it is weak. 

Maximum winds have decreased to 45 miles and hour with some increase in strength possible in the next 24 hours. 

The forecasters do not expect Erika to turn into a hurricane as it blows over St. John and the other islands.

Erika is, however, expected to bring lots of rain, two to four inches generally, with some places getting as many as six inches.

Here are a few storm information resource links for the storm.  Forecasts and maps are updated as often as every three hours. Keep 'em handy.

Steve Simon, playing at the Pyramids

Simon Bluzapalooza is taking another road trip.

This time its to the U.S. Naval base in Sicily, then a command performance at the Pyramids, the Cairo Opera House and Cairo-American University.

Steve Simon, the island’s foremost musician and concert promoter, said his Bluzapalooza V will last 10 days, October 21 through November 1.

“No matter what I have ever done for a living, my heart and soul have always been in the Blues,” Simon said.  “I have dedicated the rest of my life to bringing America’s greatest music to new audiences all over the world. The Blues keeps me alive!”

Special guests on “The Pizza and Pyramid Tour” include Zac Harmon, Deanne Bogart, and Terry ‘Harmonica’ Bean.

When he’s not touring the world promoting the Blues, Simon can often be found at the Beach Bar on Sunday afternoons leading the Jazz Islanders band.

Bluzapalooza's Web site.

Free night at Maho Bay, but you’ll work for it

Landshark-logo-09 Just one week remains to register to compete in the 11th annual Love City Triathalon and Acquathon. 

Contestants are eligible for a free night at a tent cottage at Maho the night before the event, September 5th.

The Triathalon includes a half-mile swim, a bicycle ride of 14 miles, and a four-mile run.  The Aquathon course is a half-mile swim and then a run of almost three-and-a-half miles.  The Triathalon begins at Maho Bay at 7 a.m. Sunday.  The events will have a staggered start, with both finishing their run at the Annaberg Ruins.

Last year, 97 people finished the competition.  This year’s registration will be capped at 110 contestants.

Virgin Islands Park unearths ‘new’ old ruins

Esperance-002Near the end of the 18th Century, the sugar industry was in full swing on St. John.  One of the island’s largest plantations was L’Esperance, with 152 acres of sugar, according to the St. John Beach Guide

The National Park Service has recently given some attention to those ruins.  They include an estate house, a rum still, and a sugar factory. 

Lynn Giovanna, of Islandia Real Estate, calls them ‘fabulous’ and included this photo on the firm’s blog.

“It’s a must see!!,” Giovanna enthused. “You can find the entrance with a small clearing for parking shortly after you pass the entrance into Catherineberg when traveling east on Centerline (about three-tenths of a mile). Look for it on your right after a few bends in the road.”

The trail runs from Centerline Road to Reef Bay. It's maybe a 30-minute hike. Here’s a link to a National Park Service map.

US Airways adds non-stop from Boston

Usair

US Airways
is now taking reservations for a Saturday-only non-stop flight from
Boston to St. Thomas.  One-way fare was priced online at $369 for the
3-hour 50-minute flight the new route.  With a non-stop return, the
round trip ticket is $668 including taxes and fees.

The release from the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
about the new service is fascinating.

  • Tourism is ‘dedicating’ (giving?) $25,000 to help the airline’s marketing of the new service.
  • DOT
    has ‘earmarked’ $1 million for TV ads from now ‘til December ‘with US
    Airways     as the call to action.” This means Tourism’s doing TV
    to promote the Territory and tagging each spot with a pitch for US Airways.
  • Tourism will sponsor a reception for travel agents and media in Boston in
    December to promote the service, ‘followed by a familiarization visit
    (!!) for a group of key US Airways travel agent suppliers and top-tier
    journalists     in early January 2010.”  No cost estimate was provided.

Lights! Action! St. John!

Heron A trio of classic yachts from St. John will co-star with Johnny Depp in “The Rum Diary,” a film to be released in 2010.  It is based on a Hunter S. Thompson autobiography, chronicling the years he worked for a sports newspaper in San Juan.

Producers of the film decided they needed some iconic, beautiful Caribbean boats for scenes in the film. They found several on St. John, and sailed to Puerto Rico where filming was done.

Two of the ships, Patient Lady of East End, and Robin Clair Pitts’ Liberty were primarily used in background shots, according to a story about the production published in the St. John Sun Times. 

But Twig Bower’s Heron got some personal time with Depp, the actor.  “We hung out with him a little bit,” Bower told the newspaper.  The job was supposed to be done in six days, but it turned into a 3 1/2-week project.

Bower s also a shipwright and built the boat; launched it in 2003.  Summers, he and his wife do day sails out of Rockport, Maine, and during they offer charters from Maho Bay.

Clothing by Chesney

Kennyhat The most popular country singer in the US …  who is also a part time resident of St. John … is moving beyond music to ready-made wear.

Kenny Chesney will launch his new clothing line Aug. 31 at the MAGIC Marketplace apparel show in Las Vegas, a three-day fashion industry trade show. He will kick off his latest venture with an invitation-only concert Sept. 1 at Hard Rock Hotel, according to CNS.

The line of clothing for men and women is branded Blue Chair Bay, a reference to one of Chesney’s songs about a chair on the beach near his house at Peter Bay.

Speaking to People magazine, Chesney said his pieces are designed to feel like “that favorite T-shirt that you’ve washed a lot, that is kind of sun bleached … your favorite khakis, and your shirt you’ve had forever.” The line also includes cowboy hats and tennis caps, produced by Dorfman-Pacific.

So far, no St. John store has been mentioned as carrying the Chesney Line.  At least one store that will carry it, Levy’s in Nashville, sells top brands like Hugo Boss, Armani, and Hickey Freeman.