First it was a brick patio, and now it’s brand new tables. Square ones! JJ’s is really classing up the joint.

And doing business, despite the huge construction fence that has cut the restaurant off from the park.

But you make the best of a situation, and in JJ’s case, that means putting a big banner up on the dock side of that construction fence reminding visitors it is most definitely open for business. Same banner idea for Captain’s Corner.

The tally is still being added up, but the take from Saturday night’s 25th anniversary Gifft Hill School gala and auction is already an estimated $150,000, That’s $10,000 more than last year.

There is a whole lot of fundraiser generosity going around St. John this year.

“The whole night was magical,” says development director Beth Jones. “I know it sounds corny but but this community is so generous and wonderful, and everyone who donated, attended and bid high were excited about supporting our scholarship fund.”

The night’s biggest auction item was a Mediterranean cruise package from Sea Dream that went for $11,000. A five night stay at Jungle Stone Villa in Catherineberg went for $7,500. A week at the Zulu Nyala, a luxury tented safari lodge in South Africa, went for $6,800.

And the raffle winner of the “wall of wine,” put together with the help of Starfish Gourmet manager Paul Tsakeres, donated it back to the school on the spot and fetched more than $4,000 in auction.

All of those high end prizes, and many more, but for this woman, being the winning bidder for the 14-inch Poulan chainsaw was as good as it gets.

Now Washington is involved in St. John’s efforts to get Tortola to stop burning noxious trash.

The State Department has formally asked the BVI government to immediately cease open rubbish burning and make building a proper incinerator a priority.

They’re not just burning leaves. They’re burning all sorts of nasty trash like treated wood, plastics and construction debris, according to East End resident Terry McCoy, aka Sloop Jones. The smoke not only stinks, it’s a health issue.

Governor John de Jongh asked the federal government to get involved.

“Our friends in the British Virgin Islands must responsibly process their waste. It is unfair for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically residents of St. John, to have their air quality diminished by the actions of a neighboring country,” said the governor in a statement.

“As a good neighbor, the government of the British Virgin Islands has an obligation not to jeopardize the health of residents of St. John, as well as their own people.”

Here’s a video sent to us by an Coral Bay resident.

Time never changes on St. John, and for the next six months, east coast Happy Hour is now in sync with St. John Happy Hour.

If you’re flying in, you’ll get to St. John an hour earlier now. Sort of.

(Clock wall at Connections. Coral Bay has no time constraints at all.)

Cruz Bay’s most talked about restaurant is adding weekend brunch, starting today.

From watermelon mimosa to brioche French toast to Kurobuta pork belly bacon, these guys do not do anything boring.

And brunch comes with live music too.  The tropical jazz of SAMBACOMBO for Saturday brunches, and a soon-to-be-announced steel drummer for Sunday brunches.

And here’s proof the Fatty folks have already settled into island time.  Saturday and Sunday brunch is served at the most leisurely and lengthy hours of 11 a.m to 4 p.m.  Just in time to transition into happy hour.

Check out the Fatty Crab brunch menu, here.

Nineteen recipes, three finalists and just one winner. Our big thanks to Susie Christy for choosing our finalists and making our meals.

You can see all the recipes here. Find out who won, below!

If you’ve got a hankering for authentic Steak Frites or French Onion Soup, Black Sand Bistro has you covered. There’s also grilled pizza on the menu. And sandwiches and a burger. And dessert.

The La Plancha del Mar guys moved to Mongoose Junction, but they kept their Marketplace lease, and the old space is now home to Black Sand Bistro.

“We’re a casual American Bistro geared toward local diners looking for awesome food at an affordable price,” says co-owner Jonathan Fritts (no relation to the potato.) “Tourists obviously are welcome, but our tiny little nook at the Marketplace lends itself more to local business.”

Jonathan says just about everything is house made, except for the bread and the ice cream. The ice cream machine moved to La Plancha. But the very cool, custom made glowing bar top stayed.

Noon to 8 pm, Monday through Friday and Sunday Brunch, 10-2. Check out the Black Sand Bistro menu over there….to your right. Under Restaurants & Menus.

Remember Laurie Toth, the entrepreneur who started the Saltwater Gypsy consignment store at The Lumberyard a few months ago?

Meet her boyfriend, Wayne Campbell.

Wayne moved to St. John a little more than a year ago, and after having fun bartending at Spyglass for a while, he was itching to start his own business. Which he has.

Wayne now runs The Barefoot Cowboy Lounge, on the consignment store’s Lumberyard porch, the same place that used to be Polli’s Mexican restaurant, next to the Lucky Pagoda.

Wayne serves homestyle lunch with daily specials like pulled pork sandwiches, brisket and red beans and rotisserie chicken and rice, all with a Texas twist. And he’s working on an idea he’s thinking of calling Family Night: a potluck dinner with a cash bar and dishes brought up by locals.

The Barefoot Cowboy is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 7 pm.

Real estate agents say keep the colors neutral. While this is a bit bolder than neutral, the new Legislature building has considerably toned down its previously hideous bright yellow paint job.

Now if they could figure out how to reclaim a bit of the sidewalk in front of the building, all would be well.

On-StJohn.com readers submitted nearly two dozen chicken recipes for the latest installment of Villa Vittles.

We chose three to compete. Which three made the cut? Which one Reigns Supreme? Find out, below!

Taking a famous line from Steve Martin in The Jerk, “The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!”

And for three savvy retailers, that’s enough reason for a party today.

Freebird is having a sale on pearls, and handing out oysters on the half shell.  St. John Spice has appetizers and hot sauces for the oysters. And Bones Rum is offering 10 percent off merchandise, drink specials and rum tastings.

Hurry. It’s today starting at 5 p.m.

We remember the day we showed up in the St. John phone book for the first time.  Just like Steve Martin, we shouted “We’re somebody!”

A quick peek over the fence shows park renovations are still in the tear out mode, with walkways and previous curbing and benches gone. Breaking eggs for the new omelet.

But the jackhammers so far have worked around Shela’s Pot. We bet it stays.

By the way, in 11 years of seeing it, we never noticed Sheila is really Shela.  We also confess to never eating there. Or wherever you eat when you get food there. Should we?