Drinking and Driving in St Barth

With the holiday celebrations in full swing, be careful of drinking and driving. The penalties are stiff. Recently, an American citizen was stopped for an alcohol test while driving a rental car. She tested positive with 0.50 mg of alcohol per liter of air exhaled. The penalty? She was asked to pay the fine of 800 euros and to leave the island if she didn’t want to go before a judge. That’s one fast way to ruin your vacation! Under French law, the legal level of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 grams per liter of blood. If you have up to 0.8 grams, you risk a fine of 135 euros. Higher than that level, if there hasn’t been an accident, you must pay a fine immediately. If there has been an accident, you must go before the judge. The sentence for drunk driving can be up to two years in prison and up to 4500 euros in fines. Think before you drink!

La Poste Commemorates the New Collectivity

To commemorate the new Collectivity of St Barth, La Poste designed a pre-stamped envelope with a photo of the Hôtel de la Collectivité and the date of July 15, 2007, which was when St Barth’s new political status became a reality. These commemorative envelopes were presented on August 24, the day of the festival of the patron saint of St Barth. Ten thousand of the pre-stamped envelopes are available for sale at La Poste for 0.90 each. As the first philatelic product of the Collectivity of St Barth, the pre-stamped envelopes could become a collector’s item.

Major Renovation Underway for Hôpital de Bruyn

The Hôpital de Bruyn in Gustavia was built in 1933 and has been long overdue for renovations to bring it up to the standards of a modern hospital befitting the island. Work began on Monday, September 24, with the total cost estimated at 3.5 million euros, and is expected to take 18 months. A new section measuring 500 m2 and consisting of two stories will house an area for local procedures and a pharmacy on the first floor. The second floor will have ten beds for medical patients and seven beds for caring for people on a longer term basis. The original part of the hospital will have space for various activities, such as preparation for childbirth, along with rooms for the personal items of the staff, the administrative offices and a room for get-togethers. The section currently used for emergencies and consultations will remain unchanged.

The Arawak Has Arrived

The bronze statue of the Arawak was erected on August 20 at La Tourmente, the circle at the top of the hill in St Jean that leads to Gustavia, Colombier or Flamands. In 2004, St Barth invited all residents to submit ideas for some type of artwork to grace this spot. In June, 2005, the winner was selected from among 53 submissions. And the winner was a 1.7-meter bronze sculpture of an Arawak Indian, the original inhabitants of St Barth. At the base of the sculpture are an iguana and a pelican – two symbols of the island. The Arawak holds a spear in his right hand and is blowing a conch shell with his left hand. A popular St Barth forum is having a “Name the Arawak” contest, and one suggestion is an Arawak word: "kas-se-qua" meaning “Chief of the Hill or Tribe.” What could be more perfect?

Enjoy the Last Beach Festivals

August 24 brings the Patron Saint Feast Day, the Festival of St Barthélémy. He’s certainly my favorite saint! Church and official ceremonies will be held as well as regattas, music, dancing and fireworks in Gustavia. A special event this year, hosted by the Ouanalo Association in collaboration with the Collectivity of St Barthélémy, is a contest to vote for “Little Miss and Mister St Barth 2007” for children aged 6 to 9 years.

And last but not least, is the final beach festival: the 44th celebration of the Festival of St Louis in the quaint fishing village of Corossol on Saturday, August 25. The festival kicks off at 6:30 am when the boats depart for the fishing contest of orphies. The day is packed full of events, culminating at 8:30 pm with fireworks followed by music and dancing on “le Pont de la Jeunesse.” Here’s the full schedule. As usual, food and drink will be available during the day and evening.

8:00 am Mass at the base of the rock of Saint-Louis
9:00 am Bélote competition
10:00 am Departure of two regattas: Optimists sailboats and traditional canoes
10:30 am ‘Baby-foot” competition and beach volleyball tournament
11:00 am Various games on the beach
12:30 pm Honorary wine and music; awarding of the prizes for the competitions
2:00 pm Canoe and kayak classes
3:30 pm Various games
6:30 pm Dance exhibition presented by Kim
7:30 pm Raffle drawing. First prize if a 7-day cruise on the Costa cruise line for two people; second prize if a computer and HP printer; third prize if a Samsung digital DVD camcorder; fourth prize is a weed blower; fifth prize is a teak coffee table. Remaining prizes include a vacuum cleaner, DVD player, man’s watch and a portable air compressor. Tickets are 5 €.
8:00 pm Skit portraying the years of yore
8:30 pm Fireworks followed by music and dancing

Allô! St Barths – Check Out this New Web Site!

A new, feature-rich, interactive website about St Barth is now operational and open for business. With a free membership, members can post news items, add events to the events calendar, rate content, add comments, buy or sell items, participate in discussion forums, and write personal weblogs. Fun, informative, and insightful content is available for tourists with an easy-to-navigate interface.

Tom Kapanka (left in photo) has been working over the last nine months to bring the latest online tools to the local community, businesses, and tourist industry on St Barth. The site is designed to serve the needs of these three sectors. Visitors are encouraged to sign up and participate in the site directly. Content is being added and updated daily, and can be quickly searched. All island businesses are listed, free of charge, in the Guide section. Business listings provide photos, contact information, hours of operation, and more. Residents can use the free tools such as classifieds and events calendars to save time and money. Tourists can find the information they need to have a safe, smooth, and unforgettable experience.

For additional information, visit http://www.allostbarths.com or contact Tom Kapanka at sales@st.barths.com. Advertising space is available.

Keeping Traditions Alive

A pirogue, similar to a canoe, has been used since the arrival of the first St Barths. However, this traditional canoe was at risk of disappearing. Fortunately, the Unesco club is involved in the building of a true St Barth pirogue, following the traditional methods. The pirogue is 18 feet long and is made from the trunk of a gommier tree that arrived from Dominica last April 26. The gommier is native to St Barth, but most were destroyed by Hurricane Luis in 1995. The pirogue is awaiting its last coat of paint and will be inaugurated on August 15. It will be on display, but will also be put into the water for events such as the arrival of the Transat Ag2r, the summer beach festivals and regattas, to name a few.