Back in June 2021, Children First St. Croix revealed plans for a new look for the Midre Cummings Playground in Frederiksted. The organizers had then estimated that the project would need a total of about 1,200 volunteers, a minimum of 270 people per day, for a multi-day build. The complete rebuild of the Midre Cummings Playground was accomplished recently in just 9 days (from November 12-21). You can watch a 11 minute VI Consortium video here, reporting scenes from the last day of build. With the help of volunteers from local non-profits, businesses, sororities, fraternities and more over the course of less than 2 weeks, Crucians have come together to transform a green space into a beautiful playground for children.
Midre Cummings is a St. Croix native who played for 11 years in Major League Baseball. He visited the site, greeted volunteers, and remarked on the amazing work accomplished.
St. Croix was recently named a top destination for winter travel by Expedia. At the same time, there is a recent ease on restrictions across the territory. We are excited to see and hear about new eateries and cafes opening in the territory, ready to welcome tourists and residents who are ready to dine out. The St. Croix Source featured three new establishments in Christiansted that offer a variety of options and flavors.
Roots-N-Kulchah‘s Chef Kimba Kabaka prepares vegan and plant-based meals in his one-man kitchen. The eatery has courtyard seating and offers rich lunch or weekend dinner.
ParrotFish features gourmet pub food. It is a downtown sports wine bar with wall-mounted flat-screen televisions in the modern, clean dining room and bar.
Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters was opened in June and sells coffee brewed from beans roasted on St. Thomas and concocted in a wide variety of caffeinated beverages by baristas.
The newest addition to the culinary scene on St. Croix has plans to make their mark “in a big way.” Gwan Mannyé is a family run establishment that opened its doors in September 2021. Owners Christopher Monbelly and Dean Baptiste, Jr. are the uncle nephew duo with St. Lucian roots that wanted to pay homage to their family’s homeland when naming the restaurant. Monbelly is the current owner of Ital in Paradise, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant in downtown Christiansted. By teaming up with his nephew, it allowed their offerings to branch out and grow. “We wanted to have something that catered to everyone, regardless of their dietary preference,” said Baptiste. “At Gwan Mannyé, everyone is represented in our restaurant offerings.”
Meaning ‘in a big way,’ Gwan Mannyé offers contemporary Caribbean cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. Baptiste shared the challenges that come with keeping it local and how the restaurant manages through it. “You can only source so much on a daily basis,” said Baptiste. “This is why our menu changes daily – it fluctuates based on on-island availability.” Whipping up delectable delights in the kitchen are Head Chef Mark Davis and Sous Chef Terrance Bryson. Together, they work on creating a menu that has something for everyone. The daily menu always includes chicken, meat, seafood, vegan and vegetarian dishes. With the fluctuating menu, it is rare to find the same specials appear from one week to the next. When asked how they manage guests wanting a previous dish, Baptiste revealed the level of confidence he has in his kitchen staff. “We have so much faith in our chefs that we know they can create something that would blow you away or surpass your expectations.” This challenges the chefs to be creative on the spot without having to be restricted to a specific menu.
Gwan Mannyé is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast and lunch hours are from 7am to 2pm, dinner 4pm to 10pm. For more information, visit their Facebook page and Instagram page or call 340.715.7979.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
The Virgins Islands Tech Village project is estimated to cost around $40 Million, and is part of the economic revitalization effort on St. Croix. Senators recently showed support for a bill that authorizes the use of 18 acres of land for The Virgin Islands Tech Village in Estate Lower Love. The University of the Virgin Islands’ Research and Technology Park Corporation said the project proposes 18 acres of farmland, a farmer’s grant program and a first-of-its-kind revenue sharing program among local farmers. During the discussion on rezoning agricultural lands for RT Park development, issues on improving the leasing process for farmers had also been raised.
To read more about this, see the full articles from The Virgin Islands Consortium (click here) and from The Virgin Islands Daily News (click here).
The race is on in America’s Paradise! St. Croix is home to one of the longest-running triathlons on record. Since 1988, St. Croix’s previous races such as “America’s Paradise Triathlon” and “IRONMAN 70.3® St. Croix” have been considered must-do events for triathletes worldwide. On November 28, 2021, athletes from around the world will descend onto the stunning shores of St. Croix to compete in the 2021 Beauty & the Beast Triathlon.
This year’s triathlon is led by USAT Certified race directors Scott Fricks and Theresa Harper. The race has partnered with the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation, a local nonprofit organization committed to improving the triathlon training and racing experience in the Virgin Islands while giving back to the community. Each year, the committee designates local charities that will receive donations from the race proceeds.
The event name is the perfect description of the triathlon course. The “Beauty” can be seen in two parts – the swim in warm, pristine ocean waters and a scenic run route. On the other hand, the “Beast” is in the climb on the bike route. While the rolling picturesque ride rewards triathletes with breathtaking ocean views, a 0.7-mile ascent at 26 percent grade is its own monster for a host of different reasons.
At 6:45am, athletes line up at the start of the course in the heart of historic downtown Christiansted. A spirited swim in the harbor transitions to a demanding bike ride and culminates with the run that travels east from Christiansted. Residents, volunteers and visitors are always on hand along the course to cheer on competing athletes, providing them with water, snacks and other items to keep them fueled throughout the race. Due to the pandemic and construction at the prior location, this year’s course will experience a slight change. The race will begin at Cramer Park on St Croix’s East End and the course will primarily stay on the East End of the island. While the world-famous Beast will be missing from this year’s bike, the infamous hills of St Croix’s East End will still offer a “beast” of a challenge to participants.
There are three race events athletes can choose from: Olympic-Distance Triathlon, Sprint-Distance Triathlon and a Sprint-Distance Aquathlon with relays offered in the Olympic and Sprint Triathlon races. For more information about this year’s race, visit www.stxtriathlon.com.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
