USVI-On-Line

Sorry for the loss, JT. Sometimes the world does seem pretty small. Other times it seems overwhelmingly vast.

I'm sickened by so many of the changes on STJ, but my wife's told me that she's really had enough of my whining about it. So I've either got to let it go or just not go there anymore if I can't get past it. We'll see how it goes.

But I did want to add this link to a brief article about the concerns that some St Johnians had in the 60s about tourism and the impact of the park. It was pretty eye-opening to spend a week on VG last fall and see an island where the West Indian population still owns most of the businesses and are much more in control of their island:



http://www.seestjohn.com/culture_food_for_thought.html

Lex, I've seen that link before, but every time I read Mr. Mitchell's words concerning the Grenadines and St. Vincent I get goose bumps. I only wish that his mind set had been the rule on STJ.
One evening a few years ago, Mrs. JT and I spent an evening talking to a young to middle aged local West Indian in Callabash Boom across from the old Jason's By The Sea Market. She told how the new prosperity on STJ had destroyed the culture of her family and friends. Instead of living on the island and enjoying the once free, and virtually crime free lifestyle, she felt her younger brothers and friends had traded it in on a stereo, gold jewelery, and a gram of coke.