Cruz Bay is minus one of its characters.

Jimmy Goulette, a longtime in-town fixture, headed home to Port Jervis, New York Monday to be re-united with family after decades apart.

Jimmy, a war vet who regularly hung out at the Beach Bar and Woody’s, could tell a heck of a story or two if given the chance.

He recently re-connected with long-lost family, thanks to the help of some St. John friends.

This means there is an opening now for Beach Raker at Wharfside Village.

Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park made the hike down to Jumbie Beach a lot safer in December, removing the old, steep steps and carving out a new trail.

It is just one of many recommendations from the NPS Safety Committee that are being addressed.

Meet Laurel Brannick of the NPS, learn about the Safety Committee and see the new Jumbie trail, below!

A very brave Paul Gallo from Baltimore braved the blizzard for this pose.

Paul says he and his family will  be on St. John in 34 days.  You guys are not going anywhere this weekend.

This is where all those bumper stickers and license plate frames end up. In the states, and a few months out of the year in the snow.

Here is a sticker from Maurice in North Carolina, and a plate frame from Peggy and Jay in Richmond.

North Carolina snow and Richmond snow is particularly painful. They’re not so good at it. Sorry guys.

Boyson, Inc.’s barge crew is sporting spiffy new uniforms, issued just last month.

Here is Sheniqua, modeling for us. A breathable, cotton-poly blend in a fashionable dove gray. With epaulets and embroidered Boyson, Inc. logo. Very nice.

Speaking of barges, the Roanoke was spotted in St. Thomas, undergoing a major overhaul. Excellent.

Which is your favorite barge?

Skytop villa owners can now legitimately say “access by paved roads all the way.”

The bumpy, rutty stretch of dirt road between Marina Drive and Cocoloba Trail is getting concrete.

That road is right next to a new Fish Bay nature trail.  We’ll take you on a tour of it soon.

The Love City Pan Dragons are heading to St. Croix for their next gig in a couple of weeks and the kids, and their parents, have replenished the travel budget account.

Here’s Golda, a proud parent of two members of the Pan Dragons, drumming up business at a car wash Saturday.  $25 per wash, inside and out, (“good cause” premium factored in.)

They were washing cars in the morning, and still washing after sunset.

Read about the Love City Pan Dragons, here.

Wharfside Village is getting a handle on plumbing problems that have plagued it for some time now. And it is raising possibility that hanky panky may have been the cause.

In a letter to tenants, Wharfside says the cause of frequent sewage backups in recent weeks “was a board which had been jammed into our cleanout line,” and goes on to say “It is not clear whether the board was inserted into the cleanout line as a matter of vandalism or inadvertence.”

A board. A possible hostile board. Honest, we don’t make this stuff up.

Work is underway to finish repairs in the next day or two.

Cruz Bay’s newest retailer is certainly its most colorful retailer.

The Love City Beach Shop is preparing to open in the former Today’s Flowers location, a new gift shop selling things like t-shirts, swimsuits, beach gear and souvenirs.

It is one of two new stores for Kristen Cox (left) who also runs St. John Ultimate Villas. She opened 212 Boutique in the former Pond Bay sales center at Marketplace a couple of weeks ago. (”212″ is the address.)

Kristen did retailing years ago back home in Michigan and says when the right space opened up on St. John, she jumped on it, willing to open stores even in a down economy.

“I’m an optimist, and I think this is the perfect time to start a business,” she says. “You’re starting at the bottom and climbing the ladder up, instead of being at the top and falling down with the economy.”

Sheniqua Davis (right) is an 11^th grader at Gifft Hill School and is being mentored by Kristen, who is teaching her about business and retailing.

As for the brand new paint job at the Cruz Bay location, “You wouldn’t believe how many tourists have been taking pictures and telling me it’s the cutest building in Cruz Bay,” Kristen says.

Added bonus for the new tenant?  The entrance has what Kristen says is the oldest plumb tree in Cruz Bay.

The best tacos for the money in Cruz Bay are no longer available. At least for now.

The Surly Cantina has closed, but its owners promise to reopen someplace else, sometime soon.

You can read about the drama, as told by owners Craig and Suzanne,  here.

Coral Bay artist Annie Caswell just got a video camera. And she loves animals!

In the first installment of our new feature, Annie’s Animals,  Annie introduces us to Christmas, a baby donkey in Coral Bay (that was actually born closer to Thanksgiving.)

The fuzzy little guy is one of two newborn donkeys that has been hanging out in Coral Bay, and Annie says they’ve been the buzz of town.

“If you’ve never touched a newborn donkey, there is nothing softer,” says Annie. “Christmas hangs out with mom mostly, but you do see dad around town too.”

Meet Christmas, and mom, in the debut of Annie’s Animals…below!

We think Coral Bay artist Annie Caswell is as fun as she is talented. And she’s super-talented.

Annie got to Coral Bay by way of Vermont and her art can be found all over the island. From painting and sculptures to jewelry and photography and her specialty – making Spirit Dolls. Annie also loves teaching art classes.

And, while she’d just as soon not be known for just her Dip Sign t-shirts, you can’t really escape pop culture.

Annie is also going to be an occasional video contributor. Look for our newest feature, “Annie’s Animals,” next week!