PGU INSURANCE SERVICES AUTO • HOME Serving the Community Since 1972 COMMERICAL PROPERTY Lumberyard Business Center Bldg. 4 Suite #26, St. John (340) 776-6403 Email: [email protected] Web: www.pguinsurance.com CASUALTY • BONDS July 9-15, 2012 © Copyright 2012 St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Yelena Rogers Photography Play Mas, Jump Up and Enjoy Yourselves for Festival 2012 Feathers, Moko Jumbies and steel pan music rang through the streets of Cruz Bay on Wednesday, July 4, as hundreds celebrated St. John Festival. Story and additional St. John Festival photos on pages 2-7 and 24. Less paper, more green. Make the paperless switch today! statements Log in to your account and choose the “electronic only statement delivery” e Paperless option after selecting “statements” within the accounts section. Secure Convenient www.firstbankvi.com Green Not available for Mortgage and Consumer loans, Passbook, Certificate of Deposit (CD) and IRA online accounts. FirstBank Virgin Islands is a division of FirstBank Puerto Rico. Member FDIC in the USVI and Puerto Rico only. 2 St. John Tradewinds, July 9-15, 2012 Royalty, Steel Pans and Mocko Jumbies Mark Fantastic Festival Parade By Jaime Elliott down for many participants and morning when huge crowds wound Dancing behind bands aboard just having a good time.” St. John Tradewinds bystanders who packed Love City through the Cruz Bay streets during flat bed trucks pumping out tunes From towering Moko Jumb- Skies above Cruz Bay darkened for the annual St. John Fourth of J’ouvert, the traditional all-night through giant speakers begin- ies to Royalty hailing from across late in the afternoon on Wednes- July Festival Parade. dance party which takes place in ning at 4 a.m., J’ouvert 2012 was the Caribbean, this year’s St. John day, July 4, and when the rains The annual fete actually began the early morning before the July a true bacchanal in the St. John Festival Parade was one of the finally fell, it was a welcome cool- in the wee hours of Wednesday Fourth Festival Parade. streets under a bright full moon. best, and glitch-free, parades in With both steel pans and bass lines recent memory, according to many pumping, dancers kept the streets on-lookers. packed through Wednesday morn- Miss St. John Festival Queen ing’s hazy sunrise. Shanell Thomas waved to her ador- TRADEWINDS PUBLISHING LLC The fun continued in Cruz Bay ing fans from the back of a sleek The Community Newspaper Since 1972 when Varlack Ventures patriarch convertible with St. John Princess Rodney Varlack, this year’s St. Sh’Nyah Bacon following suit John Festival Parade Marshal, rode just a few vehicles behind. Other EDITOR/PUBLISHER COLUMNISTS NEWSLINE down the street in a decked out crowned royalty in last week’s pa- MaLinda Nelson & CONTRIBUTORS Tel. (340) 776-6496 [email protected] Chuck Pishko, Yelena Rogers, www.tradewinds.vi golf cart just after 12 p.m. noon to rade included Miss World USVI Tristan Ewald, Andrew Rutnik, [email protected] kick off the annual parade. Taiesa Lashley, Miss International NEWS EDITOR Craig Barshinger, Bob Schlesinger, Cruz Bay streets were lined with VI Vanessa Donastorg and Miss Jaime Elliott Jack Brown, Mares Crane MAILING ADDRESS people, from St. John residents Teen BVI Ashellica Fahie. [email protected] Tradewinds Publishing LLC SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. Box 1500 staked out in their favorite viewing Julius E. Sprauve School’s WRITERS U.S. & U.S.V.I. only St. John, VI 00831 spots to visitors from across Pills- Marching Gulls kept the beat go- Andrea Milam, Mauri Elbel $85.00 per year bury Sound and across the globe. ing with steel pans, followed by © COPYRIGHT 2012 “This is my second year coming Gifft Hill School’s dancing troupe ADVERTISING THIRD CLASS PERMIT All rights reserved. No reproduction of [email protected] U.S. Postage PAID news stories, letters, columns, photo- over to the St. John parade and I which included a few adult danc- Permit No. 3 graphs or advertisements allowed without love it,” said St. Thomas resident ers joining in the fun in fringed CIRCULATION St. John, VI 00831 written permission from the publisher. Daniel Peters. “The parade is so neon colored outfits. Rohan Roberts much fun and the vibe here is As customary, both Westin Re- great. Everyone is so friendly and Continued on Next Page St. John Tradewinds, July 9-15, 2012 3 St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Tropical Focus Photography Parade participants, from a member of Caneel Bay's Musical Extravaganza troupe, bottom far left, to towering Mocko Jumbies, above, were all smiles during the St. John Festival Parade, including this year's parade Marshal Rodney Varlack, opposite page far right. Continued from Previous Page breeze picked up around 3 p.m. sort and Villas and Caneel Bay Several much needed rainstorms Resort staged impressive troupes fell on the crowds in Cruz Bay, but INDEX with many participants adorned in “This is my second year coming over to the the showers didn’t affect the bright beads, glitter and feathers. St. John parade and I love it. The parade is so and sunny mood of the day. Business Directory ..............18 Decked out in knee-high boots much fun and the vibe here is great. Everyone Parade revelers sought shel- Church Directory .................16 and feathered head bands, the ter beneath eaves, umbrellas and Classified Ads .....................21 Westin transported the crowd to is so friendly and just having a good time.” overhangs, but were back on the Community Calendar ..........20 the Mediterranean this year with street to watch the final troupes Crime Stoppers ...................19 – St. Thomas resident Daniel Peters its Maltese Knights troupe. Caneel make their way through Cruz Bay. Crossword Puzzle ...............20 Bay officials, meanwhile, kept Musical groups in Festival Vil- Letters ............................14-15 the beat going with musical notes lage kept the throngs entertained Police Log ...........................19 and elaborate headpieces in their the Tap Room group did not disap- on an elaborate performance. until 9 p.m. when, with the rains Real Estate ....................22-23 troupe Musical Extravaganza. point this year. Handing out cold The Bubblez and Tiny Treasures holding off, an impressive fire- Popular St. Thomas “Carib- beer and root beer samples while Troupe was another crowd favor- works display lit up the sky above bean Rockalypso” band West throwing beads to the audience, ite, along with BVI Sky Dancers Cruz Bay harbor. Lindy played aboard a flat bed the St. John Brewer’s embraced a Moko Jumbies and Gypsies Mexi- With the last few explosions of th truck and led the way for We and Green Flash — the brewer’s own can Bacchanal. light during the fireworks finale, Thursday, July 12 Dem’s troupe of Mayan revellers energy drink — theme this year Love City Pan Dragons were revelers returned for Festival Vil- and Moko Jumbies which included as Chirag “Cheech” Vyas kept the the pride of the island as the youth lage for the last night of music to Love City’s own Sarah Swan and beat going. steel orchestra showed off their wrap up a full week of non-stop Audrey Penn, showing off their With war paint and feathered impressive skill for the crowd. fun and merriment as St. John ful- stilt walking skills. headpieces, Shaka Zulu Tribe After several hours of merri- ly embraced the theme of “Jump St. John Brewer’s troupe is an- troupe kept the crowd enthralled ment and entertainment, the skies Up, Mas and Enjoy Yourselves for other perennial crowd favorite and while St. Thomas Majorettes put grew dark and the light afternoon Festival 2012.” 4 St. John Tradewinds, July 9-15, 2012 St. John Festival: July Fourth Parade St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Yelena Rogers Hula hoopers, jump ropers, dancers, singers and more dazzled the crowds in Cruz Bay who enjoyed a fantastic Festival Parade on Wednesday, July 4. St. John Tradewinds, July 9-15, 2012 5 St. John Festival: Jouver't Mornin' St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Yelena Rogers Steel pans led a crowd of dancers during J'ouvert early Wednesday morning, July 4. 6 St. John Tradewinds, July 9-15, 2012 2010 Property Tax Bills Issued St. John Tradewinds The Division of Real Property Tax announced last week that the 2010 real property tax bills are being issued to Virgin Islands property owners. The 2010 bills are issued to all property owners of record as of January 1, 2011. As an incentive for property owners to pay their tax bills before the July 30, 2012 due date, discounts for early pay- ment are again being offered. A 5 percent discount will be applied to bills paid by July 16. Persons paying their 2010 tax bill after that date and before the due date will receive a discount of 2.5 percent. Property owners St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Chuck Pishko are encouraged to pay the 2010 tax bill by September 30, 2012 in order to avoid late payment fees. Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen, The deadline for filing appeals with the Board of Tax Review regarding tax assessments is October 15, 2012. below, joined in the fun during Emancipation Persons who have not paid their 2009 property tax bill are ad- Day festivities in Cruz Bay. See story and vised that the bills are now considered delinquent, with penalty additional photos on next page. and interest for late payment being assessed. Payments for the 2010 property taxes and all past due years can be paid at the Tax Collector’s Office on St. John at the Islandia Building. Payments can be made in person or by mail.