The newest addition to the retail space in downtown Christiansted is all about elevating style and fashion in sustainable ways. Introducing Southern Saint! Southern Saint is a premier island lifestyle brand founded on the shores of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It began as a shared vision three years ago by two entrepreneurs: Matthew Ridgway, owner of Caribbean Sea Adventures and contemporary artist Briana Casale Cox. From there, the idea between these two entrepreneurial minds further developed into creating clothing and swimwear that fit the unique personality of the islands: boat wear with a flair made of fabrics you want to live in. All items are designed on island in the studio by Briana and her assistant designer, Coral Hamilton and produced around the world.
“The name of the brand truly reflects the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said store manager and buyer Haylee Duke. St. Croix is the southernmost island of the three U.S. Virgin Islands “Saints” and the brand’s logo features the ever-popular mongoose; the animal originally brought in by the Danish to resolve the rodent problem on sugar plantations.
In the making for over three years, Southern Saint’s merchandise was ready to roll out at the start of the pandemic. Products were initially carried at St. Croix Surf Company before opening its doors of their retail space in September 2021. Here you will find swimwear for all shapes and sizes that allows ease of movement while working and playing on the water. There is no shortage of fashionable men’s wear either. According to Duke, Southern Saint is focused on giving men options to elevate their styles. “We noticed there was a gap in men’s fashion options on the island and we try to close that gap with Southern Saint.”
Sustainability is key for this luxury lifestyle brand. All clothes in the store are made from natural fibers like bamboo, linen and 100% organic cotton hand dyed with natural ingredients like roots and berries. The bathing suits are made from recycled materials, towels are made from discarded plastic water bottles and there is even a line of shorts made from coconuts! To shop their collection, visit southernsaintvi.com or check them out in person at their retail location on the corner of Queen Cross Street & Strand Street.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
In addition to the physical beauty of St. Croix, it is often said that the sense of community and acceptance is what motivates many to pack their bags and make St. Croix their new home. This was the case when Julie Sommer and her husband boarded a plane to St. Croix with two suitcases and a 6-month-old baby to escape the brutal Midwest winter in the United States. What began as a winter escape 14 years ago turned into a permanent move geared towards offering occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy to children of St. Croix. “I was surprised to learn there were limited private services available in this field,” said Sommer. With her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT) and Bachelor of Science in Health Science, Sommer hit the ground running using her skills, education and expertise in OT to help St. Croix’s children and families.
Before opening her own private practice, JS Therapies, Sommer worked with Department of Education, Seaview Home Healthcare, Department of Health and offered private OT services in collaboration with Island Therapy Solutions. “Helping children learn, grow and shine using a play-based and family-centered approach is what JS Therapies is all about.” Primarily pediatric occupational therapy and speech therapy, Sommer and her staff treat clients with a variety of conditions ranging from neurological disorders, autism spectrum disorders, genetic conditions, Down Syndrome and developmental delays, to name a few.
JS Therapies has been busy developing and implementing new services for children and families throughout the territory with offices in St. Croix and St. Thomas. On St. Croix, Sunny the Fun Bus is the newest addition to their offerings. This clinic-on-the-go provides pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy services across the island. One of the goals for Sunny is to increase community awareness of the need and benefits of speech-language and occupational therapy and provide better access to these services. “Particularly for those living on the west side of the island and families with limited access to transportation to our Christiansted clinic, Sunny is out there providing community education and outreach and direct therapy services to those in need.” Sommer shared that the value of the services provided at JS Therapies can be seen and felt throughout the community, which has increased their need for more therapists. “We want to offer enhanced services and specialty programs like aquatic therapy and feeding therapy.” With more staff, Sommer emphasized that they would have the flexibility to do more home and community services with increased accessibility across the island and the territory. If you’re in this field with the desire to live in paradise, now is a great time to get in touch with JS Therapies to discuss joining their team. Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty will be on hand to help you find a place to live. Visit their website at www.jstherapies.com/careers and apply today.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
Two miles north of Frederiksted town lies a historic 17th century estate whose beautiful restoration created one of the most unique places to stay on St. Croix. Feather Leaf Inn is the island’s newest eco-retreat that has been fully transformed into a seaside botanical food-forest. Each of the inn’s charming sea view rooms is 100% solar powered featuring Danish architectural details and modern conveniences with its own private entrance and bathroom. Regardless of your location on the property, the shimmering shores of the secluded bay – perfect for snorkeling and swimming – is footsteps away.
Husband-and-wife owners Ryal Flegal and Corina Marks were up for the challenge to transform the 262- year-old sugar plantation at Butler Bay into an incredible immersive experience for travelers interested in a different kind of stay. The couple is known for saying, “If you’re looking for a hotel, book a hotel. If you’re looking for a Caribbean experience where you can explore and learn, come stay with us at the Feather Leaf Inn.” For example, there are no TVs in the rooms. Instead, guests can explore the sprawling estate grounds, unwind by the pool with a new book, stretch out in a hammock for a mid-day nap, or snorkel and dive in nearby Butler Bay. The possibilities here are endless!
The former private residence was previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places but fell into disrepair over the years. With this in mind, Ryan and Corina were committed to maintaining the building restoration at Feather Leaf Inn as an upcycle project. They made sure to salvage much of what was already there, like fallen mahogany trees and authentic Danish brick.
The nine guest rooms on the property are divided between three buildings. The Main House is a sprawling Caribbean paradise that houses 5 bedrooms, a dining room, private bathrooms, 52-ft gallery sunset porch, library, pool and a gorgeous backyard. The 1- bedroom Ocean House is a historic stone-arch carriage home that sleeps up to five people and has a full kitchen and large patio for lounging. The three-bedroom Dragonfly House features ocean-view balconies and double queen beds in each private room, making it an ideal location for groups traveling together.
Feather Leaf Inn’s impressive location makes the property the perfect venue for weddings and private parties, reunions, events and even retreats. The property can host up to 30 guests simultaneously, features several shared open spaces and has a large room that can be used for yoga and other classes. They also offer 100% plant-based catering, an ideal choice for yoga or wellness retreats. To book your stay at St. Croix’s newest eco-retreat, visit www.featherleafinn.com or give them a call at (340) 474-1358.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
The Virgin Islands Architecture Center is a community development non-profit corporation, organized to develop the Old Barracks property on Hospital Street, Christiansted, St. Croix into an urban campus and education lab that will teach, train and certify our young people in the building arts of stone, wood, iron and other crafts used to build and restore Virgin Islands and other historic towns. The VIAC has been observing Virgin Islands History Month by celebrating the Built Heritage of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. The VIAC has put together a number of cultural exploration experiences for students and the public on the history and legacy of our towns and historic places and an event on March 11th to exhibit preliminary concepts for the restoration of the Old Barracks property, present speakers on the importance of Virgin Islands built heritage.
Click here to read more about the programs on their website and the full article on the St. Croix Source here.
Senator Milton Potter is challenging Virgin Islanders to have fun planting seeds and starting home gardens with their families with the Second Annual Plant a Seed Challenge. Each contestant who registers in one of the 4 age categories will receive a bag of seeds and enough soil to germinate the seeds to grow Cherry Tomatoes and/or Bok Choy. Contestants must use the seeds and initial soil provided by the program. The first Seed Challenge occurred last year and over 200 students in St. Thomas and St. John signed up to participate. This year the challenge has extended to the island of St. Croix so that students in the entire territory can participate. The Senator announced that “the challenge is literally and figuratively planting the seed of possibility in expanding agriculture in the Virgin Islands.”
The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Tourism are assisting with providing prizes and resources for participants. UVI’s Cooperative Extension Services provides the planning and technical support for the success of the challenge.
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett voted to pass H.R. 2471, government funding legislation. She announced in an interview that “the bill’s transformative investment will help working families with the cost of living, create American jobs and support the vulnerable who work hard” as reported on the St. Croix Source (read full article here).
“The investments in this package address some of our nation’s biggest challenges while providing much-needed support to Virgin Islanders” the Congresswoman said, and explained that the provisions will be “investing in the Virgin Islands middle class”. The bill:
Averts the Medicaid funding cliff in the Virgin Islands by extending the increased rate of federal funding (83%) for Medicaid in the Virgin Islands through Dec. 13, 2022, averting a sharp decline in the rate of federal Medicaid funding to the Virgin Islands.
Contains the negotiated bipartisan agreement for federal government funding over the remainder of fiscal year 2022, which includes a $6.5 million increase in Department of the Interior assistance to territories.
Contains funding for House-approved community projects requested for the Virgin Islands (read more details here)
