By Eloise Anderson

Raymond Krek is a busy trial attorney in Wisconsin, he is a loyal Packers fan, and he was one of the first owners to sign up for a unit at the Grande Bay resort development in Cruz Bay. That was in 2002. As Mr. Krek remembers it:

“We started coming over here after we took a daytrip over from St. Thomas. We had lunch at the Lime Inn, and rented a Jeep. It was right after Marilyn and, when we got to the Hilton [now the Westin], there were still clothes strewn all over the beach. It was the most disturbing thing. So we decided to come back, but we stayed up on the hill at Sunset Ridge! One night we were on St. John, at the Tamarind, and we met Jack McMann. He began talking about this land he’d acquired and the vision he had for it...we signed pre-con on [a penthouse suite].”

On another trip to St. John Mr. Krek was down at Woody’s, talking to some construction guys, and mentioned that the Grande Bay construction time was supposed to be one to two years. And the construction fellows were, shall we say, skeptical! Now, six years into development, I ask if he’s upset that the construction has taken so long. In reply, Krek leaves the phone to go fetch a plaque he says is hanging in his office. “Price, quality, service—pick any two,” he says quite seriously. So, he’s not upset that it’s taken so long? He admits that it’s not exactly what they expected to get, but he also realizes that as the construction ran long, cuts had to be made somewhere, and he has no criticism of the developer. “MY cost wasn’t going up,” he points out, “And it was worth the wait. They took a gem and made it a jewel.” I remind Mr. Krek that many in St. John don’t and won’t see it that way. Is he worried what people will say when they find out he is staying at Grande Bay? “Not at all,” he asserts. “We’ve been coming here for ten years, and I’ve made friends. Of all types. If someone says they’re upset that we bought here, well I’d say, ‘Let’s talk about it. Let’s go sit on my front deck or yours.’ I think we’d have more things in common than we would have differences.”

The Kreks moved in on Easter weekend and couldn’t be more pleased. Mr. Krek relates to me that his wife, Gayle Merry, recently told him, “The picture out my kitchen window, standing at my kitchen sink, is as good as it gets.” I took a look from that very spot when I toured this condo, and yes, it’s a fine view, but it’s quite a small unit—I suppose that, looking from the street level, one assumes that all the units must be huge! Other units are more spacious; the two and three bedroom units are more like small villas. And, what the complex lacks in privacy, it makes up for in convenience—parking, close to restaurants, close to the ferry dock--“European living,” as Mr. Krek called it. We wish the new owners peace, and the best of luck.

This is one owner’s perspective on the process of construction and the end result experience of Grande Bay. Another owner we tried to talk to backed out, fearing negative publicity. Construction isn’t expected to be finished on the entire complex for a while, but it will eventually include an owners lounge, a gift shop, and a local restauranteur has the option on the restaurant to be built there.

By Han Winogrond

What is it about an auction that fascinates us? Although Sotheby's and Christy's are names that jump to mind today, the tradition of auctions stretches back to Roman times. Recently, St. John participated in this long tradition with the annual Pine Peace auction.

The annual auction is held to raise money for the Gifft Hill School. In their roles for the event, Beth Jones and Lori Varlas are what the Romans would have called the Praeco; they put together an incredible event, amassing a seemingly limitless treasure trove of items and creating, by all counts, a wonderful evening.

As is tradition, this year, the night began with a silent auction, featuring a bunch of really cool pieces donated by local businesses to help the school. For those who have never before attended a silent auction, it involves mingling in a room and drinking champagne while you silently write your bid down next to the item you wish to acquire. It's kind of fun, until you come back around and someone else ha

s written in a higher figure. Then, you hastily scribble down an even higher figure because, dammit, that's yours.

Featured at the auction was everything from furniture to jewelry to a surfboard and even a chainsaw. Every piece was donated by businesses and the community to support the school. And, of course, there was art.

Ben Biddle, the school's headmaster, announced that proceeds from champagne auction sales were

going to help augment teachers' salaries. Joe Palminteri also explained how important good teachers are, saying, "It's like any other business: it's hard to attract good people

and it's hard to keep them," going to assert that, "a lot of people wonder why a private school needs donations. Our school supports a lot of students who couldn't afford to attend without financial aid."

My personal strategy at affairs such as the Pine Peace Auction is to appreciate my beautiful wife in a dress, visit the bar as often and discretely as possible and, hopefully, to not bid on something completely impractical and hopelessly beyond our annual income.

One of the most entertaining parts of the auction was the auctioneer, Steve Blackhall. He fills this role every year, and, if you've never witnessed him in action, it's

just like you might imagine. Yes, he wears suspenders. Yes, he talks really, really fast, and no, you can't take back your bid (it's for the kids, you skinflint).

Ben Biddle started off the live auction with a short speech, in which he stated, "This year marks the 30th anniversary of Pine Peace School...St. John is a gem and deserves nothing less than a thriving, well funded, community school at its center. Bid well, bid generously." Biddle went on to describe the school's very popular and successful scholarship program before dedicating the event to Beth Knight for her tireless efforts over the years. She received a standing ovation and a warm, community feeling enveloped the room.

All of the hard work that Beth Jones and Lori Varlas put into the auction was now being realized. The only question now was how

the bidding would go.

There were some very interesting packages auctioned off during the evening, including a "power lunch" at Caneel Bay with retired Island Administrator Julian Harley, Commissioner Andy Rutnik, Police Chief Angelo Hill, Senator Craig Barshinger, and Caneel General Manager Nikolay Hotze. To see all the packages and the winning bids, visit www.pinepeaceauction.com.

Fred Trayser reluctantly accepted a standing ovation for his leadership on the board for eight years and Steve Simonsen, who each year creates a moving short film that is shown at the event, introduced the Fred Trayser Scholarship, funded by Jerry and Liz Levy.

Speaking about his film, Simonsen explained his process, explaining, "If the first people I show it to don't cry then I go back and edit again."

There were some big players in the room, no mistake. Bottles of champagne were auctioned off for $1,000 a pop, not to mention the incredible vacation packages and some really good deals. Looking around, it suddenly hit me: this is for the kids, kids who are going to get a good education, kids who are going to start the rest of their lives right now, kids whose parents can't afford this otherwise, and that's cool. This event is about the St. John community coming together, whether broke or loaded, to ante up and support our little school perched atop Gifft Hill.