The Mongoose Junction merchants Association just donated nearly 60 books and maps to the Sprauve School, about $500 worth, something the business owners have done for several years now.

And the kids devoured them.

“They are building a nice library,” says Association member Radha Speer. “Each school on St. John receives a selection of books from us every year.”

Radha, with principal Mario Francis, Susan Stair and Jo Anne Keele, below.

Christy Beaty and Jayme Gottschall are new mothers (There they are with 14 month old Bannon and 20 month old Gianna) and new mothers know what mothers need. And what they don’t need on vacation is to be hauling around all of that baby paraphernalia.

So they started a baby paraphernalia rental business, called Island Baby.

“We both used to do pick-ups for rental guests and saw first hand so many families with tons of stuff they were hauling around,” says Christy.

“Kids screaming, mom carrying one and holding on to another while trying to push a stroller filled with toys while dad is nowhere to be found because he is buried behind two car seats and all their luggage.”

You can order jogging strollers, car seats and toys, and even video monitors and toddler life jackets from them.

And you can do it ahead of time, online too.

Jayme, from Albany, has been on St. John for four years now and Christy, from Virginia, has logged ten years on island.

Personally, we think a vacation is a good chance to get away from those kids, but if you bring them, leave all that stuff at home. Check out the Island Baby Website.

Here is the winner of the Beach Bar’s 2010 Minimal Regatta, and that is the best looking boat in this competition in years. Seriously. Consider the rules for making Minimal Regatta boats.

“Abigail” was built by team Blue Fin Builders, Grande Bay contractors from St. Thomas.  Complete with beer holder. Nice!

This is Valerie and her husband Albert. Valerie was the first off-island reader to correctly guess this week’s Boat Cam was Denis Bay.

Val and Al are from Malvem, Pennsylvania and they first visited St. John in 2008.

“Not being into big resorts, we are much more into the lure of hiking to a quiet beach and to be able to look around and see only green hillsides and beautiful water,” Valerie tells us.  “We appreciate that much of St. John is protected, not to mention the snorkeling and the people are wonderful as well.”

Valerie says they are only able to visit St. John once a year, but this year’s visit is coming up in a few weeks. And, coincidentally, they have already booked one of their activities – a boating day with Palm Tree Charters.

The police have had to move around their parking lot full of SUVs to make room for some new toys. This tough looking ATV for one. And, below, a shiny new CHiPs-like scooter, complete with blue light on the back.

Theories abound on why these vehicles are on the island.  But we have learned the real reason.

They are  part of the new Smoking Ban Enforcement Unit.

The day you’ve all been waiting for: Bravo airs the first of two episodes of Real Housewives of New York taped on St. Thomas and St. John tonight.

And here’s some inside scoop.

You’ll get to see the ladies cavorting around at their St. John hideaway, Presidio del Mar. And you’ll know that they ate well too: St. John Catering/Mathayom Private Chefs did all the catering.

“Despite an exploding tea kettle resulting in a badly burned hand and being chewed out by Bethanny,  we’re going to go ahead and say it was worth it,” says chef Mat. “Not only did we cook for the lovely ladies during their stay, we kept their crew of almost 30 people sated as well.”

For those of you who don’t watch (like us) Bethanny is one of the lovely ladies. We looked it up.

“What happens is not to be believed,” blogged Bravo senior vice president of original programming Andy Cohen. “Truth is stranger than fiction and for anybody who doubts the real-ness of these shows, keep watching. We’re just not that creative, people.”

Tonight on Bravo.  A few sneak peak scenes…we know you’re anxious…here.

Instead of us telling you what beach we’re taking you to, you tell us.

Reminder: Palma Bella can go as far as a half a tank of gas will take her. (The other half’s important for getting home.) Oh….. and spelling is important.

We’ll give 15 minutes of OSJ fame to the first reader to guess right. Boat Cam, below!

Innovative telephone and cable will emerge from bankruptcy owned by one of its creditors under a plan just approved by the PCS, and the new owners promise 21^st century services.

The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp says it will invest $75 million in Innovative phone and cable over the next five years, upgrading “with the construction of a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network,” the company says. We hope that means cable modem Internet access is finally coming.

“CFC is committed to operating a state-of-the-art telecommunications system that will be an asset to to businesses and residents of the Virgin Islands,” chief financial officer Steven Lilly said in a statement.

CFC also promises not to fire any employees or raise customer rates.

How has your experience been with Innovative lately?

This is one of the best-preserved sugar mill ruins on the island. According to the new book published by the St. John Historical Society, “Life in Five Quarters,” the impressive windmill tower and unique storeroom/chapel underneath represent the height of sugar production in the Danish West Indies. You’ll find it on a rutty road just off Centerline Road.

There is a very eerie sense of history here.

Step back more than two centuries…below.

High Tide bartender Dan Feltman suffered a serious knee injury during a flag football game about six weeks ago.

The knee is healing, but not before stateside orthopedic surgery to repair what the head surgeon called the most extensive damage to a knee he had seen in over 15 years.

Dan has no insurance. And the family is facing a pile of travel and medical bills, so, while Dan recovers stateside, friends are hoping to raise a little money for his bills. It’s the St. John way.

High Tide’s Danifit is Saturday from 9 p.m. to Midnight. The staff is working for free. And many local businesses, including just about every Cruz Bay restaurant and two dozen retailers,  have donated products and services for a raffle.

Can’t make the party?  Just look for the Dan is Missing milk cartons and drop in a little donation!

Mathayom Private Chefs/St. John Catering owner Mat Vacharat and his staff debuted gourmet meals-to-go this week at the Starfish Gourmet store.

The meals are made fresh every day with ingredients from the stores.

“It’s fun to play ‘Iron Chef’ with random stuff there and show people they can make great food with what’s readily available,” Mat tells us. “The menu varies and depends on what the market has, and is focused on healthy, smaller portions.

Mat plans to make the take-out meals Monday through Friday with up to five choices each day. Prices are $7.95 to $15.95

Mat’s a great chef. This is a good way to test drive what he can do.

They’ve been a few weeks in the making, but new street signs in parts of Chocolate Hole are up.

“We’re putting up new signs in the west area for now,” says Abby Schnell, with the Estate Chocolate Hole Landowners Association.  “There were a lot of signs that were missing or in bad shape and we’re just trying to provide better directions for emergency vehicles and visitors alike.”

If you know of any missing or damaged signs elsewhere in Chocolate Hole, let ECHLA know.

Is this news?  Well you read the story. So, yes!