An example of how things work in the Virgin Islands
A letter sent to me addressed to my PO Box at the Cruz Bay Post Office from Jolly Dog is deposited in the “local mail” slot at the same Cruz Bay Post Office. The letter is taken to St. Thomas, put on a plane to San Juan, processed and sent back to St. Thomas on another flight, put on a mail truck which takes the barge over to St. John where the mail is sorted and the letter placed in my box at the Cruz Bay Post Office. Call me silly, but wouldn’t it have been more efficient to put in in my PO Box, which is less than three feet away from the mail slot by the way, in the first place?

Post Marked "San Juan"

This is how an express mail package goes from St. John to America. It gets there, in a rather timely fashion, but in the same rather roundabout manner. It goes from St. John to Puerto Rico then from Puerto Rico back to St. Thomas and then into custom on St. Thomas and than out to the United States proper. It’s the Island way! To demonstrate that I’m not making this up I have added the  USPS website tracking information to the narrative, shown in red.

I print my shipping label
Electronic Shipping Info Received, June 02, 2009

I bring package to the Post Office in Cruz Bay and the USPS acknowledges acceptance
Acceptance, June 02, 2009, 2:42 pm, ST JOHN, VI 00830

Package is processed in Cruz Bay
Processed through Sort Facility, June 02, 2009, 3:43 pm, ST JOHN, VI 00830

Package is sent to San Juan Puerto Rico and processed
Processed through Sort Facility, June 02, 2009, 4:40 pm, CAROLINA, PR 00979

Package is sent to St. Thomas back in the good old Virgin Islands and processed again
Processed through Sort Facility, June 02, 2009, 5:27 pm, ST THOMAS, VI 00802

Package goes to customs in St. Thomas
Inbound Into Customs

Package clears customs in St. Thomas
Inbound Out of Customs, June 02, 2009, 9:05 pm

Package sent to America
Arrival at Unit, June 04, 2009, 9:17 am, DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515

Again my question, an answer for which I’m sure must exist, is “why not just send the mail that’s bound for St. Thomas over to St. Thomas in the first place?”

PRESS  RELEASE

Sports Banquet- Friday June 5th 6:00 p.m. at JESS School in the cafeteria on St. John.  Students from 3 St. John Schools will be recognized for their participation in sporting programs and awards will be given. This banquet will highlight the positive side of the sporting programs here on St. John in lieu of the recent cancellations of sporting programs on St. Thomas. There are a lot of individuals and groups making sure our kids have a safe and enjoyable time playing sports here on St. John.  Many programs are now in place and more will occur during the summer months.  Contact Lecia Richmond at 626-1871 for more info.

USFSC- using sports for social change, a local St. John group will be in attendance and will distribute sporting balls to the 3 schools present. Nike, in conjunction with benefactor Dean Doeling, a senior design production Artist for Nike, has been sending sporting balls and equipment to St. John for our local youth. The intent of this group is to assist any sporting programs that are all ready in place and to donate sporting equipment to them and our schools and to our youth. To date there have been over 230 sporting balls shipped to St. John, many are still in route. The first donation from USFSC was 20 baseball gloves to the Ruby Rutnik Softball Tournament this year which afterwards distributed them to 3 various schools. Some fun events for our youth are also in the planning for early October. Please contact me, info below, or Dean Doeling at Nike, 503-532-6756  for further info.

Thank you and Be Well

Luigi Costello
Cell: 340-344-5492
vioveg@mac.com