On Sunday, July 11, all roads lead to historic Lindbergh Bay where a number of civic organizations have banded together to celebrate the survival of the ecosystem of the fragile marine environment of the area.

Named after Charles Augustus Lindbergh who landed his Spirit of St. Louis on the estate during his good will tour of 1928, Lindbergh Bay has recently captured the attention of visitors and locals alike.

Surrounded by three hotels and a like number of restaurants, the thriving ecosystem of the bay has been recognized since the settlement of the Moravian Brethren in the area around 1732. Most recently, a 600-lbs leatherback turtle, lovingly dubbed "Lindy" by an adoring and surprised public, nested on the beach, giving evidence to a tradition which began many centuries ago.

To mark the anniversary of Lindy's nesting and to educate the public on the fragile nature aof the ecosystem of the environs of Lindbergh Bay, a number of civic organizations are sponsoring two events on Sunday, July 11. The venue will be at the Best Western Emerald Beach Resort, one of the hotels on Lindbergh Bay.

The celebration kicks off with the youth fun day, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This event which is free of charge, will center around water sports activities, including swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. There will also be a sack race, a treasure hunt, an egg race and painting lessons. Lunch for participating youngsters will be complimentary and the youths will be entertained by the popular Jammez Band.

Lindy Day culminates with a Gala Connie Award Dinner in the Portobello Restaurant at the Best Western Emerald Beach Resort, commencing at 6:00 p.m.

For more information contact the Best Western Emerald Beach Resort. Please call: (340) 777-8800. Thank you!

Local dishes are extremely popular with visitors as well as the locals. Traditional local food tends to be spicy and hearty. Curried Goat, stewed mutton, Chicken, Oxtail, and Fish are all popular mainstays of local cuisine.

Fungi (fun-gee) consists of cornmeal that has been boiled and cooked to a thick consistency. It is flavored with bits of okra. Fungi is usually eaten with boiled fish or saltfish.

Callaloo (or kallaloo) is a soup made from callaloo bush/ leaf and various meats and okra, and is boiled to a thick stew consistency.

Pates are pastries enclosing spiced meats, fish, and/or vegetables, then deep fried.

Conch is a large mollusk often served in chowder or as fritters.

Salt Fish is dried, boneless, salted fish (usually cod) which is dense, firm, and meaty. It is soaked in water until moist and tender and then incorporated into stews and fritters.

Additional popular side dishes are rice and peas, yams, fried plantains, dasheen, sweet potato, cassava, beans and lentils.

For some great local West Indian food visit two of our downtown restaurants: Glady's Cafe, located in Royal Dane Mall and Cuzzin's, located on back street. Both receive great reviews by those who patronize them.

The Virgin Islands Government has the ability to offer tax benefits to businesses doing business in the Virgin Islands. Under the mirror tax system the VI uses the US Internal Revenue Code and all the US tax forms but the taxes collected are remitted to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue rather than the IRS. An individual who is a bona fide VI resident for the entire tax year files a VI return and pays VI tax on his worldwide income for that year. If the US citizen properly files and reports all his income from all sources on a VI tax Return and pays the VI tax, he is not subject to tax in the US. Special rules apply to determine if a person is a bona fide VI resident and if income is possessions source income. There are various tax benefit programs available to residents and businesses of the Virgin Islands through the Economic Development Program (EDC) and the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park (RTPark). These programs offer tax credits of up to 90% of the income tax due.

"Sailing with Captain Max aboard her classic sloop LOU was the best day of all." One of the most experienced captains in the Caribbean takes up to six people sailing and snorkeling to St. John and nearby islands with wonderful food and laughter. There's plenty of sun, the waters fine, add some great company and you are all set for the best day of your vacation. We sail everyday. Call Max and ask about special discounts! www.sailwithcaptainmax.com Email: seamax@islands.vi (red hook map, cruz bay map)

If you look slightly northwest of Mars you will find two bright stars of about the same brightness. These are Pollux and Castor and mark the head of the Gemini Twins. If you know the name Gemini, it is probably because it is one of the twelve constellations that form a band which encircles the sky, the zodiac. It is to the zodiac that we must look to see the planets. Moving eastward along the zodiac, we next come to Aries, the Ram. There are no bright stars to be seen here and thus Aries is usually difficult to find, but since Mars is currently seen against the background of stars of Aries, once you locate Mars you have found Aries. If you look still farther East, you will come to a bright star, Regulus, the red heart of Leo, the Lion.

If you continue eastward you will come to another bright star-like object, the planet Saturn. On March 22nd, Saturn will be at its closest approach to Earth for all of 2010. Of course, when you are talking distances in the Solar System, "close" is relative. Saturn will be only 790,480,000 miles (1,272,000,000 kilometers) away.

North of Leo, look for seven fairly bright stars which form a dipper or a cooking pot -- three stars mark the handle and four more the bowl. This is the Big Dipper. Some people know that if you draw a line through the two stars at the end of the bowl and extend the line away from the bowl, you come to the North Star. Now, remember, the North Star is NOT the brightest star in the sky. In fact, it really isn't bright at all. It happens to be at a point in the heavens almost directly over the North Pole of the Earth. So having found the North Star, if you did not know which way was North you would now know.

The night of April 21-22 will be the maximum of the Lyrid meteor shower. If you are away from bright lights and smog, between midnight and dawn you might see a dozen or so "shooting stars" per hour. Shooting stars, more properly called meteors, are the flash of light we see as pebble-sized rocks burn up speeding through the air some 50 miles about the Earth.

Now is the time of year when sailors from the U.S. and Europe plan their trips to the Caribbean to participate in one or more of the popular island regattas held here every spring. Not all Caribbean regattas are created equal, however. Savvy sailors know that the International Rolex Regatta, hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club and scheduled for Friday, March 26 through Sunday, March 28, 2010, has an offering that goes beyond just beach parties and calypso bands. The International Rolex Regatta guarantees exceptional racing by virtue of its dependable trade winds and, even more important, a professional race management team.

The International Rolex Regatta is the only major Caribbean regatta that is run by a yacht club, so competing sailors can be certain that the organizers know a thing or two about what the "whole package" should be. Absolute proof that this is the case will always be in the eventual entry line-up, and this year anticipated headliners are Jim Mitchell (SUI), returning with his Reichel Pugh 52 Vincitore to defend his 2009 title, and Tom Hill (Puerto Rico), returning to reclaim the past glory of multiple Titan victories with his latest steed, Titan 15, a Reichel Pugh 75.

The event has been hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club for 37 years and is the oldest regatta in Rolex's portfolio of international sailing events. Rolex is known for sponsoring famous offshore and grandprix events such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Middle Sea Race, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship.

A.H. Riise Stores, Official Retailer of Rolex watches in the U.S. Virgin Islands, takes an active role in sponsorship of the event. The St. Thomas shop is one of the largest in the Caribbean and is located on the historic waterfront of downtown Charlotte Amalie. Island Global Yaching, USVI Department of Tourism, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort, Mount Gay Rum and Heineken are all supporters of this event.

The public is welcome to attend any of the scheduled events.

Best viewing will take place on Friday March 26th from Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort. That day the boats will race from the Yacht Club to Charlotte Amalie Harbor in the morning and return to the Yacht Club in the afternoon. On Sunday March 28th the races can be best viewed from Sapphire Beach in the morning.

T-shirts, sailing gear, caps and other items will be for sale at the St Thomas Yacht Club every day.

For more information, visit www.rolexcupregatta.com or call the St Thomas Yacht Club at (340) 775-6320.

Join Captain Nate on this roomy, US Coast Guard certified 27 ft ProKat for a day of fun, exploration & relaxation. Options for a day on the water include exploring the US & BVI at popular beach bars or secluded beaches; Deep Sea Fishing for experienced or first time anglers; Snorkel Adventures among exotic coral, colorful fish & sea turtles; Explore the Caves at Norman Island; or swim with the Dolphins. Combine excursions for a day you'll remember forever... $50 off with any direct booking! www.natecustomcharters.com (red hook map)

Enjoy an exciting day of island hoping, snorkeling and swimming. All boats have bimini tops, snorkel gear, large coolers, showers and great music. Use our itinerary or customize your own tour. Mini Boat Tour- Enjoy driving your own boat under the watchful eye of our trained crew. Swim, snorkel, enjoy the protected marine sanctuary.