The François Plantation, is also closing for renovations. Located on the northwestern tip of the island, high in the hills of Colombier, the four-star Hotel François Plantation is housed in typical St. Barth architecture with a wrap-around terrace and a pool surrounded by teak decks overlooking a beautiful bay. The restaurant, one of the most highly regarded on the island, closed on April 1 and the hotel will close on May 7. The renovations here will be to bring the hotel’s sanitation system and kitchen up to date. The hotel will re-open in mid-November and has plans for additional improvements in the summer of 2009.

Flamands will never look the same – just better. The main road is being totally repaved and slightly widened. Any water pipes that were above ground are being put underground. Once the road is finished, plans are in place to add a sidewalk from the pétanque court all the way to the Hôtel St Barth Isle de France.

Repaving of the road will begin soon between Radio St Barth in Colombier and the intersection in Corossol just past Au Regal. In addition, all the electrical wires will be put underground. This will definitely be a visual improvement and a welcome improvement in the case of hurricanes. There’s nothing worse than being closed up in a villa or hotel with no electricity and no air-conditioning!

Have you ever noticed a lot of water in the roads around the pond in St Jean? The breaks in the water pipes are being repaired and the road will soon be repaved as well. In addition, at long last, they will be paving the road between the municipal pool and the archery field.

Access to one of the most popular beaches will soon be easier. If you’ve been to St Barth recently, you’ve probably enjoyed the first half of the road down to Gouverneur beach. It’s been widened and repaved and is a pleasure to drive on. However, after that, the road quickly deteriorates into a mass of broken pavement and potholes. The Collectivity will begin work on the remainder of the road in September and will also put all water pipes underground.

The church hall in the Catholic church in Gustavia is under total renovation and should be completed by mid-May when it will be used for performances of the St Barth Festival of Theater, which takes place May 16-25. Air-conditioning is being added, as well as theatrical lighting fixtures and controls for sound and lighting. Phase two of the project includes enlarging the area as only 150 people can currently be seated.

And, finally, the new clubhouse for the municipal tennis courts in St Jean should be completed by mid-summer.

These are ambitious undertakings that will be enjoyed by everyone!

According to Yoyotte, the professional fishermen in Martinique and Guadeloupe do not pay the tax on gasoline, making their prices 0.78 euros and 0.82 euros per liter, respectively. Why is it then that the fishermen on St Barth are paying 1.28 euros per liter? Yoyotte agrees that the price of gasoline for the fishermen of St Barth should be lowered. However, even if the tax were removed, the fishermen would still be paying 1.20 euros per liter. The representatives of the Collectivity were earnest in their discussions and agreed to research the details of the gasoline and its price when leaving the refineries of Martinique and arriving at the pumps in St Barth. They will also investigate other distributors in the hope of finding one who can deliver gasoline that meets the European standards at a better price. Their hope is to revisit this issue in two to three weeks.

But with the continuing increase in the price of oil, they fear that removing the tax may not be enough to allow the fishermen to make a decent profit. Yoyotte mentioned that a large conference on this subject will take place in September with the national committee for fishing to request government assistance.
In mid-January, Michel Barnier, French Minister for Agriculture and Fishing, announced that the government will earmark 310 million euros to be distributed over a three-year period to assist the fishermen. Of this amount, 10 million euros were allotted to the French overseas territories, including 4 million to Guadeloupe, which will include St Barth. With perhaps up to 50% of this money, they hope to purchase more efficient engines that will burn less gasoline. Yoyotte also hoped that the St Barth fishermen can come up with a more efficient was to fish, suggesting that two or three fishermen go out in the same boat to conserve gasoline. These men work hard and face danger everyday to bring us fresh mahi-mahi, tuna and langoustes. Let’s hope that some relief is in sight for them.

This past week, Bernard Gérard, the associate director, and Magali Cerles, the associate overseas director, visited St Barth to determine the future of Fort Karl. They plan to renovate the fort, which was built during the Swedish era, so that it can be appreciated as an historic monument. To start with, the access to the fort will be improved and the underbrush will be removed. This work will be done in collaboration with a botanist to ensure that no important plants are removed. Clearing the underbrush will reveal the small walls and granite that add to the fort's allure. Once the fort is renovated, the Littoral Conservancy will work with the Academy of Sweden and the Historic Service of the Defense of Vincennes to trace the history of Fort Karl. The history will be made available at the site although they have not yet decided how that will be done. When all of the work is finished, the management of the fort will be under the jurisdiction of the Collectivity of St Barth.

As far as future plans on St Barth, the Littoral Conservancy can only acquire areas that the Collectivity asks them to acquire. Under consideration are the salt flats in Saline. It is possible that one day these salt flats may be rehabilitated.

December 15-20, 2008
Boats begin to arrive in Gustavia

December 21, 2008
Official cocktail reception

December 22, 2008
Promotional race around the island

December 23, 2008
Official dinner reception and awarding of the prizes