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Play Sloop Jones for a Day with Shirt of Art Workshops

Details: Created on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 12:24; Written by Andrea Milam

A student in Sloop Jones’ new Shirt of Art workshops shows off her creations.

Sloop Jones’ vibrant and colorful shirts, dresses, and other “wearable art” have long embodied the beautiful and creative spirit of St. John. The East End artist’s wearable souvenirs have been brightening the closets — and ensembles — of untold numbers of island visitors and residents alike since 1986.

Now, Sloop Jones, née Terry McKoy, is giving guests the chance to play Sloop for a day with his Shirt of Art workshops. Students are invited to make themselves at home in McKoy’s studio, where he’s amassed numerous paints, stencils, brushes, tools, and other resources that are at guests’ fingertips as they make their own creations.

Sloop Jones’ art workshops got their start when McKoy hosted lessons for kids attending camp at the V.I. Environmental Resource Station. By December 2012, McKoy realized there was a demand for people to express their creativity, and to walk away with something that would always remind them of their time on St. John.

“The people who come to the workshops are not interested in buying clothes,” said McKoy. “They’re interested in learning something.”

V.I. National Park Returns Historic Anchor to Park Waters

Details: Created on Monday, 15 April 2013 08:59; Written by Jaime Elliott

The historic anchor where it rests today in Hurricane Hole, above, was delivered back to Coral Reef National Monument waters.

The Hurricane Hole location of the anchor is shown on the map above. It can now be viewed by snorkelers and divers.

There is a new attraction under the waves in Hurricane Hole.

A 15-foot anchor dating to the 1800s was recently returned to the V.I. Coral Reef National Monument area of Hurricane Hole for the enjoyment of snorkelers and swimmers.

After resting on the sea floor off of the East End of St. John for a few hundred years, the anchor was originally discovered almost a decade ago, when the 218-foot mega yacht Golden Shadow picked it up, explained V.I. National Park Archaeologist Ken Wild.

“On July 27, 2004, the Golden Shadow was anchored off the Hurricane Hole area and they picked up this anchor with their anchor line and couldn’t shake it off,” said Wild. “They finally shook it off out in the middle of Coral Bay harbor near Le Duck island.”

The crew of Golden Shadow called VINP’s Division of Resource Management and reported their find, Wild explained.

“They called us and told us about the anchor and gave us the coordinates of where they finally shook it off,” he said. “It was in about 90 feet of water and the visibility was pretty bad, but we dove down and found it right away. We took some pictures of it and put a little buoy on it so we could find it later.”

Snorkelers check out the historic anchor in Hurricane Hole.

On The Market: Casa Mare Is Caribbean Luxury with Sleek, Modern Design

Details: Created on Sunday, 14 April 2013 04:45; Written by Jaime Elliott

With walls of windows and a serene decor, Casa Mare offers contemporary island living in true luxury.

Remarkable modern design and luxurious Caribbean living go hand in hand at Casa Mare.

The four bedroom, four and a half bath home with soaring glass windows is for sale for $3.79 million, explained Holiday Homes broker owner Miles Stair.

Casa Mare is an exciting contemporary home located in the quiet residential neighborhood of Estate Chocolate Hole, just a short drive to the dining and nightlife in Cruz Bay.

The home is situated a short walk to the laid back beauty of Hart Bay beach or a quick drive to the alabaster beaches on the North Shore of St. John.

The first thing you’ll notice at Casa Mare are the exquisite views enjoyed from this marvel of modern design.

“The view across the south shore of St. John is breathtaking, and from Casa Mare you won’t miss a second of it,” said Stair.

National Park Service Billboard Back Up

Details: Created on Saturday, 13 April 2013 04:39; Written by Tradewinds Staff

After an outcry last year when the V.I. National Park first unveiled the blinking billboard sign near the maintenance area in Cruz Bay, park officials removed the sign. The unpopular flashing sign, however, was spotted again recently warning residents of the North Shore Road speed limit, high surf conditions and more.

Friends of VINP Practice Swims Set To Gear Up for Beach-to-Beach Power Swim

Details: Created on Friday, 12 April 2013 04:34; Written by Press Release

As residents gear up for the 10th Annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim on May 26, Friends of VINP officials are hosting a series of practice swims starting on Sunday, April 14.

Friends of VI National Park officials last week announced a series of practice swims to help participants prepare for the upcoming 10th annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim which will be on Sunday, May 26.

The first practice swim will be on Sunday, April 14, and will be from Maho Bay to Cinnamon Bay, a distance of about one mile. There next practice swim will be on Sunday, April 28, from Maho Bay to either Cinnamon Bay or Trunk Bay, a distance of about two and one quarter miles.

The final practice swim will be on Sunday, May 12, from Maho Bay to either Cinnamon Bay, Trunk Bay or Hawksnest Bay, a distance of about three and one half miles.

All practice swims will start at 8:30 a.m. at the northern end of Maho Bay beach, near the dinghy channel. Swimmers should arrive by 8:15 a.m. for sign up and a briefing. Kayaks, stand-up paddlers, a dinghy and a VINP patrol boat will accompany swimmers for their safety.

Country Singer Kenny Chesney Launches Blue Chair Bay Rum

Details: Created on Thursday, 11 April 2013 09:33; Written by Press Release

When Kenny Chesney decided it was time to find the rum he’d always wanted to drink, he didn’t approach the various distillers who’d offered him lucrative deals to lend his name and likeness to a brand created for him.

No, the man who oversees every aspect of giant stadium productions and listens to myriad songs beyond what he writes for his albums, decided he wanted to do it himself.

So with a handful of dedicated professionals, Chesney began thinking, then researching, then seeing if it was possible. For a young man who didn’t dream of rocking football stadiums, but for whom the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium was holy ground, the impossible never seemed to be something out of reach.

“Everybody’s always expected this from me,” said Chesney. “There have been people who’ve approached us, stories that have gone around over the years. But rum is what I drink, and I always told myself; if I was going to do this, I wanted to create something I could be really proud of.”

“Not just take a check and a piece of a company, but make the rum I truly wanted to drink,” he said.