January 1, 1999 - Anguilla Local News


When driving through George Hill at night watch for the gourmet take-out place with the first neon sign in Anguilla. . . .

January 1, 1999 - Site Map - Click to enlarge pictures

Fat Cat Gourmet

Well, perhaps not the absolute first neon sign ever, but the first we have noticed...

Fat Cat is a gourmet take-out place with baked half-chickens, a freezer full of dinner entrees, plus freshly made cookies, pies, cakes, salads, soups, etc. If you are having a party, they can cater the entire thing.

Great take out sandwiches and salads (try the potato salad). They can make up picnic baskets for beach exploring.

Here are some items available "to go":

Sandwiches	US$	Salads	(Per lb)
Chicken Salad	3.75	Coleslaw	4.50
Fish Salad	4.00	Veggie pasta	4.50
Crab Cake	4.50	Shrimp Pasta	6.00
Lobster	8.50	Potato Salad	4.75
Egg Salad	3.00	Marinated Veggies	5.50
Ham & Cheese	3.50	Tabouli	8.00
Served with lettuce & tomato on home made wheat bread		Fruit	5.50
Desert	US$	Thirst Quenchers
Carrot Cake	3.00	Coke	1.00
Chocolate Cake	3.00	Sprite	1.00
Lime Bars	1.00	Ginger Beer	1.50
Brownies	1.50	Fruit Juices	1.00
Cookies (pkt)	2.00	Ice Tea	1.00

Paperback Library. As a service to the customers, Fat Cat also has a "Paperback Exchange Library". Bring in the paperback you have finished and exchange it for one you haven't read yet.

Open Mon-Sat. 10am-6pm. Telephone: 1-264-497-2307.

Directions: From the airport parking lot, take the only exit and turn left. Turn left again at Island Car Rental and continue straight through the roundabout to George Hill. Go through the light where you turn for Cinammon Reef. Just before the second light at George Hill Landing, turn right for Fat Cat (Highway Rent-a-car is across the streeet).

Fat Cat Entree Selections. They also have dinner entrees, frozen and ready to heat in the oven: Lasagne with Meat Sauce, Vegetable Lasagne with Bechemel Sauce, Curried Goat, Chicken Fricasse with Parsley dumplings, Chicken Breast in Passion Fruit Sauce, and Fish Stew with Leeks, Onions and peppers.

Then add some soup: Gingered Pumpkin, Spicy Fish Soup, Conch Chowder, or Green Pigeon Pea.

Or try a quiche: Crab, Shrimp, Mushroom or Spinash.

Fat Cat makes a selection from their extensive repetoire every day, or call ahead and negotiate almost anything you want.

Party Appetizers. Looking for some munchies for your party? Try Glazed Chicken Wings at 8.75/dz, Individual Quiches at 7.50/dz, Ham Rolls at 5.00/dz, Devilled Eggs at 5.00/dz, Beet patties at 6.50/dz, Mini pizzas at 7.00/dz, Conch fritters 9.50/dz, Fish Balls 8.00/dz, or a Veggie Platter with Dip or a Fruit and Cheese Platter for $35 each.

News Tidbits from Anguilla

Italian Translations of Anguilla News: by Gaetano Di Palo, "Nino":

Italian Version of News for Dec 1, 1998
Italian Version of News for Nov 15, 1998
Italian Version of News for Nov 1, 1998

St Martin Continues to Disrupt Ferry Service. There are still delays in the St. Martin-Anguilla ferry service after the French refused to accept a number of the Anguilla ferry boats.

Commuter Flights Delayed at St. Maarten Airport. On weekends during the high season there are a large number of jet flights into Princess Juliana Airport in St. Martin. Recently there have been so many that it has meant delays and havoc for Anguilla's small airlines that ferry passengers between Anguilla and Jet flights in St. Maarten, since intercontinental flights are given priority. This ia a common problem at Christmas. Some commuter flights were delayed by up to four hours.

Hotelier of the Year. Matthias Mammerer of Sonesta has been named Hotelier of the Year in Anguilla.

Sandy Ground Stars at Christmas. The winner of the Best Village Competition was again Sandy Ground, for the second year in a row. This is a contest to see which village can create the best appearance after a week of cleanup efforts. Then Sandy Ground capped that with a spectacular Festival of Lights for Christmas. Ships Galley Restaurant (Mike and Noretha Carty) was the winner for their Christmas light version of the famous Anguillian sailing boat, "Warspite".

Anguilla Wins Beauty Contest in St. Kitts. Marissa Gumbs, Miss Anguilla of 1998, was winner of the Miss Caribbean Tourism pagaent in St. Kitts.

What Does Sombrero Island Look Like?

Anguilla's remote lighthouse, Sombrero Island, has been much discussed since the US television networks noticed Beal Aerospace's proposal to launch satellites from this little patch of rock. But there haven't been much exposure of what Sombrero actually looks like.

This picture of Sombrero was taken by Vince Cate when he went for a visit on the provisioning boat. You can see more pictures on Vince's web site.

Here are some news stories about Beal and Sombrero on the Internet:

Even though it is 40 miles away, Sombrero has been a part of Anguilla for years. There is a lighthouse on it to warn shipping of the danger.

Time to Register for the Arts Festival

The deadline is approaching to register for Anguilla's second International Arts Festival and Competition. Registrations must be postmarked by March 31, 1999, but luckily there is a registration option and price for every type of artist personality: from $70 for do-it-yourselfers to $700 for all the tutorials, events, workshops, critiques, etc.

Highlights planned for festival:

$15,000 prize money, including $10,000 first prize
Four technical workshops offered in Oil and Acrylics, Pastels, Watercolour and Stained Glass.
Opportunities to exchange experiences with other artists or just soak up the inspiration of Anguilla.

Read all about the Festival on their web site, www.artfestival.ai and email any questions to [email protected]

Building: www.beachshack.ai

Ever wonder what it would be like to build a house in the tropics, specifically Anguilla? Here is a web site all about building on Anguilla, with hundreds of pictures, names, dates, techniques, books, floor plans and 3D renderings. There are even landscaping tips and links to useful suppliers and resources.

www.beachshack.ai

Beachshack shows the progress of an actual construction project in Anguilla, with a great deal of detail.

Updates and Feedback

Update on Leduc's French Restaurant: Chef Maurice Leduc is going strong again this season, after a serious auto accident last year. And he has added a fixed-price 3-course meal if you dine between 6:30 and 7:30 pm. To see the current menu, click here.

Update on Yoga Massage: Francoise Lemeur has opened a yoga and meditation center in South Hill called Om Sweet Om. She gives yoga and meditation classes, teaches macrobiotics, does Shiatsu massage, and Reiki also. Telephone: 254-497-2922, 4721. Read much more about the Om Sweet Om Center on her web page or email Francoise at [email protected]

Update on Straw Hat Restaurant: Big News! Marc Alvarez is the Executive Chef at Straw Hat for the 1998-1999 season. Alvarez worked at CoveCastles resort also in Anguilla for the past two seasons and has quite a following. Conde Nast Traveler called him "Anguilla's best chef" in Nov97 and The Robb Report called him a culinary genius. Naturally, Marc has introduced a new menu at Straw Hat. If you want to see what culinary surprises Marc is serving, click here for the new menu.

How to Buy Groceries

Anguilla is a rural island and first time visitors who rent a villa sometimes have difficulty figuring out where to buy their groceries. So this is our latest in a series of tips for new visitors.

Vista Food Market

The closest major grocery store to the West End resorts is Vista Market in South Hill, just before the Sandy Ground roundabout. This grocery store is known to cater to the tourist crowd. It has special gourmet items and a liquor department, a reasonable selection of cheeses, pate, sausages, and other deli-type items, fresh tomatoes, and nice bananas. Telephone: 497-2804.

Directions: Starting from the airport parking lot (a known landmark on an island with no street signs, few street names and no building numbers), take the only exit and turn left. Turn left again in 100 yards and drive past the airport, straight through the roundabout. Continue straight through two traffic lights. When you reach the Sandy Ground roundabout, bear left and you will see the Vista on your left.

Albert's Supermarket

Less selection than either IGA or Ashleys, but a better frozen fast food section and they have a selection of wines. Check the special cheeses in their produce section. Pretty good selection of meat. There is a wholesale food warehouse next door if you want a case of anything. Telephone: 497-2240.

Directions: From the airport, turn left, go straight past Island Car Rental and National Bank. You will find Albert's on the right at the main intersection of Anguilla, where there is often a traffic light that often works.

IGA Fairplay Food Center

IGA is in the Fairplay Center, the closest thing Anguilla has to a shopping mall. It carries a good selection of American chain grocery items and has nice fresh produce, good selection of dairy products. Look and feel of small US market. No alcohol in this mall. Telephone: 497-3877.

Directions: From the airport, turn left, and go straight and turn left at Albert's onto Coronation Blvd and go past the Library and High School. Turn left again at the "temporary expermental roundabout" onto Queen Elizabeth Ave. Turn right at Cable and Wireless. If you reach the airport roundabout, you missed the turn. Go one block, then turn right and you should see IGA on the left.

Ashley and Sons Grocery

Similar to IGA, but more speciality items (Spanish, Jewish, East Indian, etc.). Stupendous variety of groceries (sesame seed oil, hot mustard, stuff olives, ...). Sometimes they sell Avon Skin So Soft bath oil, which is good for discouraging mosquitos. Will special order if you ask. Remodeled and expanded since the IGA opened. Variety store upstairs. Liquor store next door. Telephone: 497-2641.

Directions: From the airport, turn left and go straight until Albert's. Then turn left onto Cornonation, go through the temporary roundabout, and up the row of mahogany trees. Just before the basketball court, turn left and you will see Ashleys. If you reach Public Works, you missed the turn.

J W Proctors Market

A mid-size grocery that carries some specialty items from England. Located in The Quarter. Often carries local produce. Telephone: 497-2446.

Directions: From the airport, turn left and go straight until Albert's. Turn right and head into The Quarter. Go straight and look for Proctors on the left in about 3/4 mile. If you reach a sharp turn in the road, you went 100 yards too far.

"Medium" and small size ...

Most villages have their own grocery store. These are medium-sized, such as the one in Blowing Point, Stoney Ground, Sandy Ground, Long Bay, and the Island Pub in Island Harbour. The selection in some is quite extensive. And then there are the really small stores: Every few hundred yards along the road there is a small place to buy food, although it may not have a sign. These may just have a freezer with some chicken and some bags of rice, or they may have a selection of canned goods. This is where people without cars shop for the basics.

A few basic tips:

You are on vacation. Don't think about the price. If it is something you usually eat, buy it. The prices are at least 50% more than a US supermarket and hard to calculate, since they are marked in EC$. The EC$ is 2.68 per US$, so the prices look very high. The store clerks convert EC$ to US$ and always seem to get it right.

Most stores are closed on Sunday, but IGA is open until noon. Markets are normally closed on public holdiays, but sometimes one will be open until noon (call Ashleys and IGA in The Valley to check).

Fresh meat is difficult to find. Most meat is frozen and the selection is limited. If you are willing to buy a case or large amount, try the Merchants Market wholesale in Little Dix village. Telephone: 497-5533. Directions: From the airport, turn left and go straight through the intersection at Albert's and into Stoney Ground Village. In about a mle, you should see the sign for Little Dix village and find Merchants Market on the right. If you reach the left turn for Shoal Bay, you went 1/2 mile too far.

Case quantities of Beer, Coke, Ting and bottle water are available at Tropical Flower Wholesale for good prices. Telephone: 497-4315. Directions: From the airport, turn left and go straight until Albert's. Turn right into The Quarter and follow this road for several miles and two jogs until you see the tall radio tower on the left. Now look for Tropical Flower on the right. If you reach the roundabout, you went too far.

Web Sites About Anguilla

Information Technology in Anguilla. siliconisle.com is a web site about information technology activities in Anguilla. And don't forget the financial cryptography conference in February this year, fc99.ai

Symmetry Products. An Anguilla distributor for Symmetry Products (nutrition, herbal remedies, etc.) has created a web page at symmetry.ai explaining the products and their benefits.

The Light Switches to "Subscribers Only". According to the web site for The Light, one of Anguilla's two weekly newspapers, Issue 276 is the last that is accessible by everyone on the Internet. With effect January 1, 1999 the text of The Light will only be accessible by registered users (i.e., subscribers).

Air Anguilla has a web page at air-anguilla.com

Bali Hai Villa has a new web domain at balihaivilla.com

Benjamine Group of Companies in Anguilla has a web page at benjamine.ai for their legal chambers, auctioneers, company services, etc.

Keithley Lake has a web site at www.anguilla-attorney.com for his law firm in Anguilla.

"How to Create a Web Page"

The Anguilla Library Computer Club used the Christmas school break to host a 6-night course on web pages. The course was very successful and resulted in many web pages being created. Pictured here are two of the students, Ysanne Gumbs and Indah Wallace. Other students included Sherrilyn Hodge, Merissa Rey, Cara Webster, Johanne Webster, Lourance Stevens and Teresa Harrigan. The course was taught by Bob Green with Lab Assitance by Danny Laud, Tyler Close, Griffin Webster, Leroy Hill and others.

Here is a photo gallery of the class.

For you technical types, the club's computer lab was supplemented by a network of 4 Pentiums with scanner and printer, connected to the Internet via a single 33.6 modem and using the WinGate proxy server.

Here are some of the student web pages:

If you can't wait until the next time the Computer Club gives this class, you can give yourself the class. All of the materials and tools are available on the Internet at this interesting Anguilla web site.

The club meets Monday and Thursday, 3:30-5pm, at the back of the Arts and Craft Building. Directions: From the airport parking lot, take the only exit and turn left. Follow this road straight past Island Car Rental, and National Bank. Turn left at Albert Lakes/Barclays Bank. Pass the Library and the Dept of Education, then turn left and drive back to the blue Arts and Craft building. The computer lab is around back.

Stories from the previous and earlier issues.
Wallblake Art Screen	Public Holidays 99
Zara's Restaurant	Loblolly Art Studio
Hibernia Restaurant	Why We Skipped School

	Beaches Menus Hotels Villas Tips Index/ Links

www.news.ai
Bob Green
Our villa on Shoal Bay: Bellamare.
And ten minutes away, our villa in St Barths.

When driving through George Hill at night watch for the gourmet take-out place with the first neon sign in Anguilla. . . .