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Animal Care Center Looking for Help for Hounds During Hurricane Season

Details: Created on Saturday, 11 May 2013 03:18; Written by Jaime Elliott

Georgie, above, may need a temporary home during a potential hurricane.

When a recent heavy rainfall caused flooding in the lower level kennel area of the St. John Animal Care Center’s Estate Enighed shelter, officials began to think about dangers of the upcoming Hurricane Season.

“The building next to us redid their wall recently and when it rained pretty heavy last week, it flooded into our kennels downstairs,” said ACC Shelter Manager Ryan Moore.

ACC officials are now looking for St. John residents willing to take in one or more dogs in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, Moore explained.

“In lieu of a tropical storm type of situation, we’re looking for foster homes so they’re not in danger,” he said. “At any time we have between 13 and 15 dogs and some dogs can go together to the same home.”

Hurricane evacuation volunteers are only asked to open their homes to the ACC dogs until the storm passes, Moore added.

Street Addressing Pilot Program Moves to St. John

Details: Created on Saturday, 11 May 2013 03:16; Written by Jaime Elliott

Residents in the Cruz Bay area last week began finding information packets hanging from their doorknobs as field crews began the process of implementing a logical addressing system in the neighborhood.

The Street Addressing Initiative, being overseen by Lieutenant Governor Gregory Francis’ office, aims to name all streets and number all buildings across the territory in an effort to bring local addresses into conformity with national standards.
Having a uniform and logical street address system is expected to improve everything from mail delivery to emergency response times and vehicle navigation systems.

Legislation for the initiative was sponsored by Senator Craig Barshinger in 2010 and the pilot program was launched this March on St. Croix. Cruz Bay is the second neighborhood to take part in the pilot program, which will wrap up with Charlotte Amalie later this month.

Field crews will be leaving an information packet at every residence and business in the pilot area. This packet contains the new address that has been assigned to the location, which will include a number and a street name.

Residents are asked to verify that the project team correctly understands their existing address information as reported in property tax databases and contact the Lt. Gov.’s Office if the address information listed is incorrect. Contact information and instructions are provided in the packet material.

IEK Students Featured with William Stelzer, Karen Samuel at Tonights' Bajo el Sol Opening

Details: Created on Friday, 10 May 2013 04:16; Written by Tradewinds Staff

GHS, CORE and Low Key Team Up To Fight Lionfish

Details: Created on Friday, 10 May 2013 03:04; Written by Jaime Elliott

St. John Tradewinds News Photo Courtesy of Frank Cummings
GHS students, CORE volunteers and Low Key Waterrsports recently teamed up to protect local reefs from lionfish.

With the very real possibility of invasive lionfish spreading throughout the area, the Caribbean Oceanic Restoration and Education Foundation was founded three and a half years ago to fight the threat to local reefs.

CORE’s Caribbean Lionfish Response Program continues to educate the public about lionfish. Volunteers host informational workshops, give talks to community groups and recently teamed up with Gifft Hill School officials for the second time this year.

The St. John private elementary and high school GHS hosts “mini-mester” programs twice each year. These programs take students out of the classroom and allow them to choose from a variety of “real world” interests, ranging from theater and arts to athletics and even Scuba diving.

During the school’s previous “mini-mester” program several months ago, one group of students worked with CORE volunteers to help rid several bays of lionfish, explained Frank Cummings, owner of Virgin Islands Snuba Excursions and a CORE volunteer.

“CORE Foundation’s continued efforts of assisting the USVI community and abroad with their Caribbean Lionfish Response Program has once again formed a great union,” said Cummings. “GHS was impressed with CORE’s Caribbean Lionfish Response Program so much that they partnered their minimester program not once but twice this year.”

Kenny Chesney Donates To Friends of VINP and Features St. John on New Tour and Album

Details: Created on Thursday, 09 May 2013 03:56; Written by Jaime Elliott

Graphic Courtesy of www.kennychesney.com
Chesney is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of “Life on a Rock,” above, to Friends of VINP.

Four time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, Kenny Chesney has long been associated with St. John, but the laid-back country crooner’s latest recording, “Life on a Rock,” will resonate on a personal level for island residents even more than his previous releases.

The recording, which was released on April 30, features a cover of tropical snapshots and includes two songs about beloved St. John residents. The song “Lindy” will surely bring a smile to the face of everyone who remembers the Cruz Bay character often spotted laughing at his own private joke.

“He plays piano at the church when nobody’s watching,” Chesney sings in the song. “Sometimes you see him talking to himself, laughing to himself. Lindy strolls around and around and around.”

Chesney’s song “Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi)” on the other hand, might just bring a tear to the eyes of those who called the late Kristi Hansen a friend. The long-time island resident passed away unexpectedly last year, but her memory will live on with Chesney’s poignant lyrics.

“I’ll always see you dancing up on the bow, living life in the moment, happy on the Hey Now,” Chesney sings. “And you’ll live with us as long as memory stays alive. And you left us with so many Kristi, you will never die, never die. You will never die.”

Chesney is also using his new recording to help Friends of V.I. National Park. The singer announced last month that he will donate a portion of the sales of the recording to the St. John non-profit which supports the VINP.

“Kenny Chesney didn’t know what he’d found the first time he went to the Virgin Islands for a video shoot,” according to a statement on www.kennychesney.com. “But over the next 15 years, he found a harbor in the craziness, friends he would have far beyond stardom and a place that grounded him in the beauty of the ocean, the shore and the national parks.”

St. John Needs More Government Services, Say Residents

Details: Created on Wednesday, 08 May 2013 03:55; Written by Jaime Elliott

Dr. Joesph DeJames, above at left, with St. John Rescue’s Amy Reynolds and Bob Malacarne, spoke to senators during last week’s Town Hall Meeting.

From the need for regular bus service to St. John Rescue’s need for a contract with the Department of Justice, Senators Donald Cole and Myron Jackson listened to myriad concerns from citizens at a town hall meeting on Thursday evening, May 2, at the St. John Legislature building in Cruz Bay.

Hosted by the St. John Community Foundation in conjunction with Senator Cole’s office, the town hall meeting drew about 30 residents who each had a chance to share their concerns. In addition to Cole and Jackson, representatives from Senator Jeanette Millin-Young’s office and Senator Clarence Payne’s office also attended last week’s meeting.

“We are here to listen to you,” Cole said. “We’ll go back and ask the proper agency what we have to do to get answers for your questions and concerns.”

From a lack of teachers to lack of services, St. John is often at a disadvantage, explained retired educator Yvonne Wells, who took the podium first.

“St. John is always at a disadvantage,” said Wells. “In the police department there are times when there is only one officer on the road and one at the desk. That is not acceptable.”

“Every time a teacher retires, it seems the positions are being not deemed necessary anymore and not being filled,” Wells said. “For instance three years ago someone retired from Industrial Arts and now that doesn’t exist. That’s a big problem for our children.”