October 3, 2002

Hi Folks,

We got through the month of September with no tropical storms but with enough rain to keep the island green and lovely. Although this is the slowest time of the year for us there were still enough activities to keep life interesting. On the first of the month there was a long distance swim sponsored by the Sports and Recreation Department that attracted about 60 participants, most from the main island. There were several different divisions in the swim which included a shortened course for those with special needs. The event included live music as well as a Judo exhibition and of course all the usual great food from the kiosks as the event was held in Esperanza. The fastest time for the 2000 meter course was just under 30 minutes and was accomplished by a 13 year old! The slowest time was 2 hours and 15 minutes and that was by an 81 year old woman! She was the best as she exited the water in great spirits and joked with the organizers about them finding another 80 year old for next year. There were five local Viequense residents that competed and hopefully that number will grow for next year.

Other interesting things that occurred in the past month included a visit by Governor Sila Calderon who was on hand to inaugurate the new maternity facilities at the local hospital. I enjoyed her visit as she is a captivating public speaker and seems to always be "on", should politics become boring she could have a very successful acting career! Following her tour of the new maternity ward she addressed the public with information of the new "smart card" health insurance being developed here, spoke of the electric services being provided in new areas of the island, and of course said that she was still actively trying to get the Navy out of Vieques before the May 2003 date. I am not a great mathematician however I am trying to understand if the maternity ward built at a cost of $4.7 million, a new staff of 25 specialists and support professionals, is really cost effective for the average 120 births that may occur here. I agree that it makes life much easier for the residents to have this service but…… Perhaps if they take advantage of the staff for providing routine health care for women it might convince me that economically it is worth it. Just 10 days after the facility opened the first birth occurred, the mother said that it was a wonderful experience however her baby was born prematurely and was transferred immediately to the main island where it could receive the additional specialized care. 

New information circulates about Martineau Bay Resort. It seems that Raffles International will be taking over management however the facilities are not quite up to their standards and additional construction is needed. Roberto Cacho, developer of Martineau Bay, had originally stated that the resort would be opening in December, now the rumor mill is saying that it may not open for the upcoming season at all. There are many business that are counting on the support of the extra tourism this project will bring and once again are shaking their heads in frustration. Read in the coming months for additional news on Martineau Bay.

There are always changes in the business schedules this time of year as many choose to close for a few weeks during "hurricane season." Reopening this month are Tropico and Trade Winds which both offer great dining. Closed this month are La Sirena (not sure of the schedule), Café Media Luna, and the restaurant at the Inn on the Blue Horizon. The Blue Macaw will be taking over the kitchen at the Inn and offering a great bar menu as well as dining on the terrace in November. Things are up in the air for Duffy at Chez Shack so best to call when you arrive to see when he is open. La Central has a great breakfast Thursday-Tuesday and will be doing lunch and dinner soon. The bar is open at Amapola on weekends however the kitchen is closed for now. Max has everything in place to open Uvas in Isabel II but just does not have the opening date announced, that will be a nice addition to the island. The group from the Oasis have given up managing Island Café as two restaurants was more work than they had anticipated when Owen returned north, they will be concentrating on the Oasis and offering some fun nights as well as pool parties at Water's Edge. Island Café has pulled Liz out of retirement and she along with Scott and Eli are in the restaurant business! I am sure that there will be additional staff changes for all the restaurants in the future so stay tuned for more information.

Here is the calendar for October: ADOPT A DOG MONTH! Visit the Humane Society!

Well that about covers the activities here on the island for another month. Things and schedules always change so it is best to call ahead and make reservations just to be sure! 

The best thing that has happened this past month is Jim Starke's return to Vieques. He is excited about being back and adding to www.enchanted-isle.com  to keep it the most up to date and informative site about the island. He has been busy pounding the pavement, and perhaps the sand, catching up with old friends, making new ones and getting back into island life! He picked up his truck in San Juan recently which he shipped down from Florida, a confirmation of his commitment to be here most of the year. With any luck he will whip up some of his great hot sauces again that everyone loved! He does have some good competition for great hot sauces though in those being produced by "Coqui Fire", a great line recently developed. As a "pepper head" there can never be enough great hot sauces to enjoy as long as they have flavor and not just heat. Who knows maybe Vieques will become the "Hot Spot for Hot Sauces" in the future!

If you need to get in touch with Jim you can reach him at his "new" Vieques phone number, 741-3391. He will be happy to help with web site development as well has hosting and is a wealth of information for those not very savvy in the magical world of computers, websites, searches, etc. Thank goodness he lives across the street and is helping me comprehend some of the magic!

Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you soon. By the way you can now find me bartending Tuesday Nights at Island Café! It is a wild night during happy hour but please stop by and say hello, just understand that I can't chat much during that time! When visiting or making reservations please let the businesses know that you visited www.enchanted-isle.com  to learn more about Vieques. They like to know that their advertising dollars are being put to good use! Thanks again. 

Judy

PS: If there is anything you would like to see in the newsletter or have any feedback please email Ask Judy. Thanks.  askjudy@enchanted-isle.com 

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 If any of you would like to see something specific in this newsletter please contact the webmaster and I will do my best to investigate for you. 
Email: whats_happenin@enchanted-isle.com 

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