Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is distributed by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book during the National Book Festival. The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) serves as the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book, U.S. Virgin Islands affiliate. The Library of Congress and its affiliate Centers for the Book work together to promote books, reading, literacy and the Library’s literary programming nationwide through public programs and initiatives designed to attract a diverse population and serve affiliates’ local audiences.
The two books selected for the USVI 2024 “Great Reads from Great Places” are “Ziggy on the Rock,” by C.M. Rohan and “The Lesson,” a novel by Cadwell Turnbull. Both authors grew up in the USVI. Congratulations to the authors!
“Ziggy on the Rock,” by C.M. Rohan, has been designated as the USVI’s youth Great Read for 2024. The book tells the story of Ziggy, a vibrant, adventurous and kind boy who is growing up in the beautiful U.S. Virgin Islands. The book follows Ziggy and his friends as they explore their island home and embrace their Caribbean culture.
“The Lesson,” a novel by Cadwell Turnbull, tells the story of an alien ship resting over Water Island. For five years the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands have lived with the Ynaa, a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission they will not fully disclose. They are benevolent in many ways but meet any act of aggression with disproportional wrath. This has led to a strained relationship between the Ynaa and the local Virgin Islanders and a peace that cannot last. A year after the death of a young boy at the hands of an Ynaa, three families find themselves at the center of the inevitable conflict, witness and victim to events that will touch everyone and teach a terrible lesson.
Monthly sales data, inventory, and days on market for the St. Croix, USVI real estate market is available in our downloadable Coldwell Banker real estate reports. The is a report for each category: Homes & Condos, Condos, Homes, and Land!
If you are not familiar with with the implications of the data, please give us a call or email us directly with any questions. We are Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) and Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) and have the experience and local knowledge to help you in every step of the process. We can help you narrow down neighborhoods based on your priorities. We can also advise you on the market trends in your desired neighborhoods.
One of St. Croix’s most celebrated events is making a triumphant return for its 24th year! Taste of St. Croix returns on Thursday, April 18th to showcase St. Croix’s culinary scene from a host of restaurants, caterers, private chefs, and other culinary-based businesses throughout the territory. For the past two decades, Taste of St. Croix has uniquely captured the spirit and flavor of St. Croix’s hospitality industry by way of a celebration that is now recognized as one of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ premier food and wine events. Over the course of three hours, guests are welcome to sample a variety of local and international tastings and savor a selection of elegant wines from around the world.
Event Director Collin Hodge has been involved with Taste of St. Croix since its inception in 2001. “I was initially brought on as a consultant for the event and soon after came on board as event coordinator,” said Hodge. In 2022, the event returned to its original location, Divi Carina Bay Resort, after the property reopened following extensive renovations due to devastating damage from 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria. Hodge shared that it feels good to be back home at Divi with Taste, and he looks forward to another successful installment of the event. This year, the event has added a five-course wine dinner as a prelude to the main event. On Wednesday, April 17th, guests can look forward to unique wines from Segura Viudas, Robert Mondavi, Elouan, and Quest, each expertly paired with food tastings courtesy of Grapetree Bay Hotel. Tickets are $250 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
A 501 (c)(3) non-profit, Taste of St. Croix promotes and showcases the talent and potential of St. Croix’s hospitality industry through fostering partnerships, sponsoring training and industry events, and building public awareness of service-industry importance to the socio-economic future of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The 24th Taste of St. Croix will take place on Thursday, April 18th at Divi Carina Bay Resort from 6pm to 9pm. General admission tickets are available for purchase at $125 per person; VIP tickets are officially sold out. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tasteofstcroix.com.
Christie is an avid reader and we are so excited to see the Florence Williams Public Library, a historic institution in downtown Christiansted finally reopen on April 9, 2024 after being shuttered by the 2017 hurricanes. As reported by the VI Daily News (article available here), Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach, Senate President Novelle Francis Jr., Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien, and Planning and Natural Resources Department Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
WTJX also reported that the new and improved four-story library features two levels of shelves lined with books, and an upgraded computer area with the latest software programs and access to digital audio books that are part of the integration of the Library for the Blind and Physically Challenged. The library features a multipurpose room to host community events that has video conferencing capabilities, and a children’s room with a Taino hut that provides a fun space for reading. WTJX also said the public can look forward to the brightly colored mural and paintings, archives and special collections, a photo duplication lab, and government documents available at the renovated library. The $702,775 recovery project, which included federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was completed by Heights Construction & Supply LLC. Read the full article here.
We saw op-ed articles on the St Croix Source and the VI Daily News urging the preservation of the Ham’s Buff Lighthouse. Over the years, Olasee Davis (author of both op-ed pieces) has written several articles over the years about the need to preserve the historic lighthouse on Ham’s Bluff in the northwest corner of St. Croix, which is part of Maroon Country’s steep cliff wilderness area. There is a lot of history and significance to this historic lighthouse and it is in dire need of repair. We recommend you reading the St Croix Source article here and the VI Daily News article here. We hope the restoration will finally happen!
Photo from VI Daily News
Here is a video of the view from Ham’s Bluff Lighthouse. There is a hiking trail to Hams Bluff Lighthouse where you can find stunning view of the North Shore.
Since 1992, the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation has contributed $3 million towards enhancing health care services in the region. The VI consortium article reported the insights into the legacy of Bennie Benjamin, a songwriter from St. Croix. The Foundation executor said Benjamin’s will specified that royalties from his songs be allocated to health care improvements within the Virgin Islands. The latest donation is to Frederiksted Health Care which has received 3 state-of-the-art dental scanners to improve patient care. These advanced scanners, one for each of FHC’s dental sites, were generously provided by the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation to enhance dental care services on St. Croix.
The article also shared the transformative effects of this donation as illustrated by the FHC.
Prior to receiving the scanners, the process of creating dentures, crowns, and bridges was lengthy and prone to errors, involving off-island shipping of molds which could take 6 to 8 weeks. Heat during shipping sometimes caused molds to shrink, resulting in ill-fitting final products and necessitating re-doing the entire process. With the new scanners, images are sent directly to the lab, ensuring precise results and reducing turnaround time to 10 days.
