Mar 22, 2022 | Island News
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)
#stcroix #usvi #virginislands #caribbean #community #funding #investment
Mar 21, 2022 | Island News
This is great story about giving back to the community! With students coming out of the pandemic and back school in person, local school libraries could use some new books. Altona Lagoon Book Club in St. Croix tried to “pay their love of books forward” to a local elementary school. Members selected Juanita Gardine K-8 school as the recipient of their donation. The school librarian came up with a list of books the students would like to read. With the help of the book club along with former Juanita Gardine student Keith O’Neale of O’Neale’s Transport, Inc., all the books on the list were purchased at Undercover Books & Gifts in Gallows Bay and given to the school.
Read the full article on St. Croix Source here.
Photo credit: Elisa McKay
#books #donation #stcroix #stcroixusvi #caribbean #community
Feb 27, 2022 | Island News
International Coastal Cleanup is combining cleanup efforts in the territory with data collection. They use data to support natural resource management and different policies and frameworks. More than 30 volunteers participated in the recent Hull Beach cleanup event (read the VI Daily News article here).
Volunteers including members of the Black in Marine Science group also participated in the Salt Water Bay cleanup in St. Croix. According to the organization’s mission statement, it “aims to celebrate Black marine scientists, spread environmental awareness and inspire the next generation of scientific thought leaders.” According to one of the BIMS volunteers’ tweet, the group “in 50 minutes we collected 55 POUNDS of trash.”
#stcroix #usvi #caribbean #SaltRiverBeach #saltwaterbay #beachcleanup #conservation #marine #preservation #environment
Feb 15, 2022 | Island News
Say hello to St. Croix’s newest art gallery! Christa’s Art Gallery in downtown Christiansted features artwork and products from local artist Christa-Ann Davis Molloy that distinctly captures the rich cross-cultural experience of the USVI and beyond. A daughter of the Caribbean, Christa-Ann was born in Trinidad but has lived on St. Croix for almost 30 years. She became interested in art and design from age 11, sketching in pencil. Far from your conventional artist, her pieces are designed to take individuals on a journey rich in history and culture. The gallery acts as a carefully commissioned space where her cultural artwork can be on display for Virgin Islanders and visitors to appreciate and ultimately purchase the pieces that speaks the most to them. “Every piece I paint should tell a story to someone,” said Christa-Ann. “I want my art to create words.”
At Christa’s Art Gallery, you are sure to be spellbound by paintings and sketches highlighting mocko jumbies, quadrille dancers, carnival masqueraders, steelpan drummers, historical buildings, local and Caribbean scenes, and notable events. “I’ve aimed to be a photo-realist painter with main interests in visual art, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and ink in black and white and color.” At Christa’s Art Gallery, one will also find her artwork depicted on items such as mugs, canteens, shower curtains, coasters, umbrellas, throw pillows and bags.
The gallery hosts regular sip and paint events where attendees can create their own artwork. Art kits are also available for purchase to craft one-of-a-kind creations in the comfort of your own home. If nothing in the gallery sparks your interest, customized and commissioned works are available upon request.
Christa’s Art Gallery is located at 57 Company Street in Christiansted. For more information, visit the website at www.christaart.com or call 340.713.9959.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
Photo of painting from www.christaart.com
#stcroix #stcroixusvi #usvi #art #culture #community #development #visual #gallery #artwork
Feb 15, 2022 | Island News
On February 1st, 2022, Midre Cummings Park & Playground in Frederiksted officially opened to the public. The soft opening welcomed members of the St. Croix community to experience the renovated outdoor space. Named for former Major League Baseball player Midre Cummings, this native son played for several major league baseball teams during the 1990s, ultimately winning the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an outfielder and pinch hitter against the New York Yankees.
Children First St. Croix is the organization that spearheaded the project. Created under the non-profit organization, St. Croix Educational Initiative, the committee members consist of community leaders who were dedicated to designing, fundraising and building a state of- the-art community playground. The park was built by Play by Design, a New York based manufacturer of community playground equipment. They regularly partner with community volunteers across the United States to produce custom-designed play structures for toddlers, preschool and school-aged children.
A huge undertaking, the park was 100% funded by donations and built 100% by volunteers from local organizations, businesses and private citizens, including a few Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty agents. Even the park’s namesake, Midre Cummings himself, volunteered his time to get the park ready for inspection without anyone initially knowing he was present. Midre Cummings Park & Playground is open daily from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. The official grand opening is scheduled to take place in late February; official date and time to be announced. For up-to-date information about the project, please visit the Children First Project Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ChildrenFirstStCroix.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#stcroix #stcroixusvi #usvi #playground #community #development #baseball #coldwellbanker #volunteer
Feb 15, 2022 | Island News
Flip-flops meet fine dining at Goat, Soup and Whiskey on St. Croix! Opened December 10th, 2019, GOAT STX became the newest addition to the Goat, Soup & Whiskey restaurant family spearheaded by owner Scotty Jackson. Each year, Jackson would vacation on St. Croix with his family once their Keystone, Colorado location slowed down and before the Put-in-Bay, Ohio location reopened in the summer. After enough visits to the island, Jackson realized he had discovered the perfect location for the third Goat, Soup & Whiskey restaurant. Between St. Croix’s tranquility and beauty coupled with the warm, welcoming local culture, the only thing left to do was to find the right spot for the restaurant. After a lengthy search, Jackson settled on the restaurant space right above the pool located in Coakley Bay Condominiums.
With a made-to-order menu and friendly service, it’s no wonder this seasonal restaurant has become a beloved favorite for visitors and locals. Open from December to April, the restaurant’s open air seating restaurant boasts breathtaking views of Buck Island and the illuminating waters surrounding St. Croix’s East End. Enjoy daily lunch and dinner specials, hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, pasta, a variety of salads and sandwiches for lunch plus three house made soups to choose from. The Goat Curry Soup and the Oxtail Stew are two crowd pleasing favorites that never last too long when on the menu. The drink menu features handcrafted cocktails from their Ohio location along with new ones made with locally sourced ingredients. For example, the ever-popular Banana Bliss blender cocktail is made with fresh local organic bananas from Ridge to Reef Farm.
The GOAT STX is open for lunch, dinner and takeout every day except Wednesday. Sunday Brunch takes place from 10am to 2pm with lunch and dinner following. Daily happy hour from 3- 5pm offers $2 off all cocktails, $2.50 beers and $4 well drinks. Reservations are highly recommended for this popular East End eatery located in Coakley Bay Condominiums. Call 340.773.3333 and visit their Facebook page for daily specials at www.facebook.com/TheGoatSTX.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#stcroix #stcroixusvi #usvi #foodie #flavor #local #caribbean #restaurant #brunch
