Anguilla Local News

Research! Or why we had to miss school. . . .

[Click to enlarge]
 December 1, 1998 - Site Map - Click to enlarge pictures

Two Weeks of "Hardship"

Dear Teacher:

We are very sorry that we missed two weeks of school last month, but we were doing important scientific research in a foreign country. Below you will find a web link to our report, which is entitled "Sand Analysis of a Limestone-Based Island".

Our Science Project

This research was carried out on a remote tropical island called Anguilla. You have probably not heard of it, but please take our word for it that the location was a major hardship: hot weather, no malls, no movie theaters, no boy friends! We request extra credit for this arduous project.

Yours truly,

D. and A. Names Withheld By Request




Lydia Semaria - Settled Bohemian

[Click to enlarge] Lydia Semaria is one of the talented artists who call Anguilla home. Lydia's work is in bright colors, with bold design, and exuberant spirit. [Click to enlarge]

The style of her work matches the style of her life. She has lived on Anguilla for 14 years. While traveling the world as a bohemian artist, she ended up in Anguilla, trying to catch a boat to Santo Domingo, but that boat never came. So she is still here...

As of December, 1998 her Lydia Semeria Art Studio is located in Sandy Ground, on the left, just before the road splits, but she is planning a move to the West End, so keep an eye out for her there. Telephone: 1-264-497-3318. PO Box 904. Works pictured here are Copyright 1998 Lydia Semaria.




Our Reflexologist Big Hit In Jamaica

[Click to enlarge] Margaret Ouwehand is well known in Angullla for her reflexology foot and body massage, but she made quite a splash in Jamaica recently with her new face lift rejuventation massage. Margaret was invited to Jamaica to give a face-body reflexology workshop, the first ever in Jamaica. She is a certified teacher for both the Reflexology Association of Canada and the Ontario College of Reflexology.

Face reflexology is described as

Face reflexology incorporates techniques that simulate the reflexes of the forehead, face and jaw, thereby improving blood circulation and energy flow. The result? Regular treatments tend of firm the muscles of the face and jaw, providing a natural, non-surgical face lift. In combination with body reflexology, which gently decreases blockages, restores balances and lowers stress levels, the overall benefits to the body are immeasurable and hard to resist."

Margaret lives and practices in Anguilla. During the high season she is kept busy running around the island doing massage work at hotels and villas, but she still finds time to make the rounds of the island's health clinics, treating diabetics and older people who have troubles with their feet. She also has a clinic in The Forest. If any of the other islands desire it, Margaret is available in the off season to teach reflexology. Telephone: 1-264-497-5798. Web page: massage.ai

Directions: Starting in the airport parking lot, take the only exit. When you get out, continue straight around the east end of the airport runway. The road turns left at Omolulu School, then forks in about 1/4 mile. Take the left fork and watch on the left for Margaret's "foot" sign in about 1/2 mile. Call first for an appointment.




Trans Anguilla - a New Airline

[Click to enlarge] Manager Lincoln Gumbs and Chief Pilot Carl Thomas have started an ambitious new venture in Anguilla. They have a fleet of 2 Norman Britten Islanders, perfect for zipping back and forth to St Maarten and landing at tricky St Barths airport, plus a luxury Beachcraft Super Air 200 for executive charters (396MPH and it is pressurized and air conditioned) and a 19-passenger Twin Otter for business charters.

The Islander pictured here was a South African plane, and flown to Canada for refitting. The pilot replaced all the seats with extra gas tanks and reportedly made a solo 21 hour flight from Mozambique to Canada, without stopping along the way.

And their prices are reasonable: starting at $30 for Anguilla to St Martin, and $450 for an all-day charter to St. Barths. There is much more information on their web page: trans.ai

Telephone: 1-264-497-8690. Fax: 1-264-497-8689. Email: [email protected]




Upcoming Events in Anguilla

The Anguilla Local News has an Calendar for the year showing events, holidays, and activities.

Dec 5. Soroptomist Christmas Fair is Saturday afternoon, December 5th at the Governor's house in Old Ta. Read about last year's fair.

Dec 6. Meads Bay beach extravaganza

December 10: Art Gallery Crawl. Anguilla's artists and art dealers invite residents and visitors alike to their first "Art Gallery Crawl" on Thursday December 10 from 5-8p.m. One of the many events planned for Tourism Week l998, the Gallery Crawl will feature special events and all doors open wide.

Anguilla's newest gallery, Loblolly Gallery in the South Hill Plaza will celebrate its opening that evening. This is a joint venture of 5 women artists: Marjorie Morani, Lucia Butler, Susie Graff, Georgia Young and Claudia Post. Savannah Gallery will open an exhibition of Kate Spencer that night, featuring several new prints, including "Glimpses of Anguilla". Other studios and galleries participating include Devonish Gallery, Island Art Gallery, Cheddies Carving Studio, The Roadwell, and Lydia Semeria Art Studio.

Dec 12. A taste of Anguilla street fair

Dec 13. Second Tae Kwon Do Tournament, Landsome Bowl.

February 6, 1999. Theatre Arts Awards Banquet at the Anguilla Great House. 497-4358.

February 13, 1999. Sunshine Theatre Company production at Ruthwill Auditorium.

February 25, 1999. Sunshine Theatre Company presents "Do Lord Remember Me", story-theatre in song, dance and dialogue. Ruthwill Auditorium.

February 27, 1999. St. Gerard's West Indian Garden Party. Drinks, music, buffet dinner, and dancing under the stars. All on the Church Grounds across from the Tourism Dept in The Valley. Read about the last party.

July 8, 1999. Sunshine Theatre Company presents "The Hand That Cradles the Rock" at Ruthwill Auditorium.


Hibernia--Still Worth the Drive

[Click to enlarge the Duck Dinner] A favorite place to eat in Anguilla, for locals as well as tourists, is Hibernia Restaurant in Island Harbour. Hibernia specializes in French-Indochinese dishes, mostly seafood but also duck, chicken and beef. It is run by husband and wife team, Mary Pat O'Hanlon (hostess) and Rauol Rodriguez (chef), who won "Chef of the Year" in the 1997 All-Anguilla Culinary Contest.

My wife drools over the building as much as the food. The charming West Indian style house, converted into a restaurant, has had the benefit of years of collecting and refining the interior. Rauol and Mary Pat travel extensively every year in the low season, mostly to Asian destinations whre they collect recipes, china and artwork for the restaurant. Each dish on their menu is served on a unique, coordinated china plate from their collection.

Service charge of 10% is added, but you might want to add more. Reservation are strongly recommended. They have email at [email protected] or make your reservation by phone at 1-264-497-4290. Closed Monday.

Most of the items on the menu are new this year, but a few Thai dishes that are customer favorites remain. Below is their 1998 menu in US dollars.


Hibernia's October 1998 Menu
[Click to enlarge Chef Rauol]

 

 

Chef Rauol

 

 

Soups and Starters

CREME DE POIREAUX AU THE VERT
Cream of Leek Soup Perfumed with Green Tea
8.00
SOUPE DE POISSON ET SA GARNITURE
Caribbean Fish Soup served with its Accompaniments
9.50
SOUPE DE CONCOMBRE ET DE PATATE DOUCE , GLACEE AU PAMPLEMOUSSE
Chilled Cucumber, Sweet Potato and Grapefruit Soup
8.50
TARTE A ONION A ALSACIENNE GRATINEE AU CHEVRE
Alsation Style Onion Tart Toasted with Goat Cheese
9.50
SALADE DE MAGRET DE CANARD FUME ET FRUITS FRAIS SUR FOND DE PATE CROUSTILLANTE
Salad of Fine Slices of French Duck Breast (smoken in our kitchen), and frresh fruits, served on a paper thin pastry
12.00
DARIOLE DE CHOU VERT A L'AUBERGINE ET AU POULET, SAUCE AIGRE-DOUCE
Finely Chopped Chicken mixed with aubergine puree, wrapped in cabbage leaves and served hot with a sweet and sour sauce
10.00
SOUFFLE THAILANDAIS DE LANGOUSTE ET SA SALADE DE NOUILLES CROQUANTES AUX CHAMPIGNONS CHINOIS
Spicy Lobster "Thai Style Souffle" and a Crispy Noodle Salad with Chinese Mushrooms
10.00
ASSIETTE DE POISSONS FUMES PAR NOS SOINS
A Selection of Finely Sliced Caribbean Fish (smoked in our kitchen), served with toasted bread and a ginger and horseradish cream cheese. (Our Speciality)
12.50
SALADE VARIEE ET CRUDITES AUX HERBES POTAGERES , VINAIGRETTE A HUILE D OLIVE ET AU VINAIGRE BALSAMIQUE
Salad of Garden Vegetables and Fresh Herbs Dressed with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
9.00
[Click to enlarge table setting]

 

 

Fresh Flowers, Oriental Charm

 

 

Main Courses

BLANC DE POULET FARCI AUX POIVRONS GRILLES , GRATIN DE MACARONI AU BLEU D'AUVERGNE
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Grilled Sweet Peppers and Served with a Blue Cheese Macaroni Gratin
22.00
FILET DE VIVANEAU A LA SAUCE SICHUANAISE
Anguillan Snapper Fillet served with a Szechuan Spice Sauce
23.00
QUEUE DE CRAYFISH SAUTES AUX AGRUMES, CONFIT DE LEGUMES AUX EPICES THAI
Fresh Local Crayfish served out of the shell with a Citrus Sauce, accompanied by a vegetable Ragout seasoned with Thai herbs. Served with Jasmine rice
33.50
MEDAILLONS DE LANGOUSTE POELEE AUX OLIVES NOIRES ET AU THYME
Lobster Medallions Grilled with Black Olives and Thyme, served with a sweet potato puree
35.00
TOM YAM PLA
A Variety of Caribbean Fish Fillets Cooked and Served in a Spicy Thai Broth, accompanied by wild rice
24.00
CASSEROLE THAILANDAISE DE CRAYFISH AU BASILIC ET AU LAIT DE NOIX DE COCO
Basil and Coconut Milk Thai Casserole with Fresh Local Crayfish served out of the shell, accompanied by steamed rice noodles (SPICY)
33.50
MAGRET DE CANARD POELE AUX DATES ET AU GINGEMBRE
Pan Grilled French Duck Breast with Fresh Ginger and Dates served with a Corn Meal Cake seasoned with herbs
26.00
MEDAILLONS DE FILET DE BOEUF GRILLE , SAUCE BORDELAISE AUX TOMATES SECHEES
Grilled Beef Tenderloin served with a bordelaise and sundried tomato sauce, accompanied by gratin potatoes
27.00


Related Pages:
Map Location
Directions to Hibernia
Hibernia's 1997 Menu
Microsoft Expedia report.
Visitor recommendation.
Post your report.

[Click to enlarge Hibernia Restaurant]




Weather in Anguilla


Weather Summary Anguilla
Today: 81F 27C 75% Humidity, Windy December 1
Low temp since last news report 73F 22C
High temp since last news report 84F 28C
Low humidity since last news report 60%
Tropical storm web site Link
Five-day weather forecast Link
Live weather.ai station in Anguilla Link

Anguilla had an incredible rainstorm on Saturday and another day of overcast and rain. But, to be fair, we also have 5 perfect days as well!



News Tidbits from Anguilla

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Woodbine Pre-School held its Christmas fund-raising take-away BBQ lunch last Friday. The chicken was delicious and the children were wonderful. They are located in The Valley, up Coronation Blvd toward Koal Keel Restaurant.

News Flash: Cap Juluca Beach Rebuilt. Since Hurricane Georges caused some erosion at the western end of Maundays Bay, Cap Juluca Resort on has been busy rebuilding the beach. They wish everyone to know that the project is completed, the beach is fully restored and Maundays Bay looks fabulous. To see some pictures taken December 1st, 1998, go to this web page: web.ai/capjuluca

Telephone White Pages. Cable and Wireless has created a web site with the Telephone White Pages for the Caribbean, but the directory for Anguilla does not appear to be loaded as of Nov 30.

Anguilla in Italian. Gaetano Di Palo ("Nino") who was here for the summer as a volunteer at the computer club, has started translating the News.ai into Italian. Here is the November 15th issue, in Italian!

Sombrero Island and Rockets. The BBC has an article on their web site about the proposal by Beal Aerospace to use Sombrero Island to launch rockets. Sombrero is a part of Anguilla, but is 35 miles away.

The Light. Here are more local stories from recent issues of The Light:

The Herald. The Daily Herald has news of Anguilla on their web site, but only the front page articles are free.

The Straw Hat Restaurant is opening soon. They are located on a pier over the water in Forest Bay and suffered damage during Hurricane Georges. Call the Straw Hat at 1-264-497-8300 to check which day they open. It could be as soon as December 2nd.



Updates and Feedback

[Click to enlarge]

Update on Trattoria Tromonta: Alan Piazzi back again this year. Alan makes a special rum punch at bar of his waterfront restaurant, and serves a special Grappa to complement the Northern Italian cuisine. The grappa is smoothed out for even the most delicate taste.

Dinner "Ferry" to St Martin: Mimi Gratton of the Hotel and Tourism Association reports

There is a new boat service that offers a late night ferry between Anguilla and St. Martin however it is quite pricey because it is done on a charter basis.

The service is offered by Eric Drai, who is based in St. Martin. Tel: 011-590-271843. Fax: 011-590-878183. The dinner/shopping excursion is available on Thursday night only - departs Blowing Point in Anguilla at 7:00pm and docks at Marina Royale in St. Martin. The return is at 11:00pm from Marina Royale into Blowing Point. The cost is US$90.00 per person - a minimum of 5 persons is needed. Reservations are required - and are accepted unitl 12:00 noon every Thursday. Passengers must have all their travel documents. If you are staying at any of the following hotels you can make your reservations at the front desk: la Sirena, Cocoloba, Malliouhana, Frangipnai, Cap Juluca and Sonesta.

Update on Circle Inn: Open for lunch every day, dinner on weekends. This is a local place, on a hill above The Valley, in a residential neighborhood. Tasty, great prices, friendly company. Nice view.



Astrid for Exotic Flowers

[Click to enlarge] Astrid Lewis imports and arranges exotic Caribbean flowers on Anguilla. She brings in Red and Pink Ginger lilies, Bird of Paradise, Anthuriums of various colours, Hawaiian Touch, and Wild Banana Flower (Heliconia). Astrid buys the flowers from estates in Dominica, has them shipped by air to Anguilla, pays 11% duty, and then arranges them into beautiful displays.

If you need flower arrangements for your holiday villa, business, wedding, party, or other special event, you can reach her at 1-264-497-4617. Fax: 1-264-497-6713. There are more pictures on her web page: web.ai/flowers




New Visitor Training Program

Here is what you need to know for your first visit to Anguilla:
Comfort: 80F day and night. Casual dress. No ties. No swimsuits in town. Airco not needed.
Perils: Use sunscreen at the beach. Do not touch coral. Guard against mosquitos.
Money: Bring US cash and travellers checks, plus your credit cards. No ATM machines.
Phonet/Net:: Reliable but expensive. Consider Internet-by-the-minute.
Driving: Stay to the left. Don't worry about horn beeps. Bring your license.
Manners: Say "good morning" before stating your business. Wave to strangers.
More Tips: Power. Pets. Gratuities. Ferries. Marriage. ...



"Natalie Needs a Nightie"

[Click to enlarge] The Sunshine Theatre Company continues to get better and better. There latest production is a comedy farce by Neil and Caroline Schaffner, adapted and directed by Felix Fleming. Tommy Brigg's boss expects him to be married, but he is single, so he must find someone to pose as his wife. The entire play occurs in Tommy Brigg's bachelor apartment, somewhere on the island of Anguilla. Cast included Farrah Banks, Felix Fleming, Gary Fleming,Hyacinthe Snaggs, Elson Gaskin, (pictured left to right) plus Claire Haskins and Marcel Fahie off camera.


Stories from the previous and earlier issues.
Hidden Delight: Dropsey Bay Art Festival Stamps
Allamanda Beach Club Where to Snorkel
Road Well Cafe and Artworks Fishing with Junior


Anguilla Local News



 
 
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Bob Green

Our villa on Shoal Bay: Bellamare.

And ten minutes away, our villa in St Barths.

© 1998