Nov. 24, 2002 – A meeting of Alvin McBean East Baseball League managers and coaches is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Al McBean sports complex.
A release states that anyone interested in volunteering in those capacities for any of the four youth league divisions is invited to the meeting, with "a special invitation extended to managers and coaches on the island of St. John."
The divisions are:
Little League — ages 9-12.
Junior League — ages 13 and 14.
Senior League — ages 15 and 16.
Big League — ages 16-18.
Jaime "Walla" Francis, incoming league president, "is eager to meet with all returning managhers and coaches, while looking forward to welcoming anyone interested in becoming an active volunteer for youth baseball," the release stated.
For details, call Athniel "Bobby" Thomas at 693-3628 or 775-4252.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
V.I. POWERBALL PERCENTAGE FAR BELOW U.S. AVERAGE
Nov. 22, 2002 – The V.I. government gets much less money for participating in Powerball and other lottery games than other jurisdictions, an examination of U.S. mainland public lottery programs indicates.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
V.I. POWERBALL PERCENTAGE FAR BELOW U.S. AVERAGE
Nov. 22, 2002 – The V.I. government gets much less money for participating in Powerball and other lottery games than other jurisdictions, an examination of U.S. mainland public lottery programs indicates.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
V.I. POWERBALL PERCENTAGE FAR BELOW U.S. AVERAGE
Nov. 22, 2002 – The V.I. government gets much less money for participating in Powerball and other lottery games than other jurisdictions, an examination of U.S. mainland public lottery programs indicates.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Amid considerable hoopla, Powerball, a "jackpot-driven" lottery (in the terms of the trade) has arrived in the Virgin Islands. Sales of the $1 tickets have reportedly been brisk. But relatively little of that money will make its way to the General Fund of the Virgin Islands.
The principal objective of a public lottery is to raise funds for public purposes — to support schools, hospitals and other service systems and programs. In order to be successful, a lottery much provide enough prizes to motivate the public to buy tickets, so as to compensate ticket sellers and cover administrative costs. But the reason for all this activity is to raise funds for the government.
How does the Virgin Islands stack up against the lotteries in the mainland states — all of which are running similar systems?
While government statistics often are hard to come by in the territory, the mainland lotteries are quite open about their sales and the percentages of them that go to their general fund after all costs have been deducted. A casual perusal of the state lottery Web sites linked to the Powerball site shows these percentages of lottery receipts flowing into their respective general fund coffers:
National average – 31 percent
West Virginia – 37 percent
District of Columbia – 37 percent
New Hampshire – 30 percent
Nebraska – 30 percent
Delaware – 30 percent
Iowa – 26.5 percent
Nebraska – 25 percent
Minnesota – 21.6 percent
Idaho – 19.3 percent
Rhode Island – 18.4 percent
Virgin Islands (apparently) – 2.6 percent
Some of these figures come from pie charts shown on the Web sites, some are from audited financial reports posted on the Internet, and many are from end-of-year press releases on total sales and contributions to their general funds filed by most of the state lotteries. The national average of 31 percent was reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit agency that runs Powerball. (It's known by the initials MUSL, pronounced "muscle.")
The percentage of Powerball proceeds going to the V.I. government General Fund is taken from a recent V.I. Daily News report that stated: "For each dollar spent on Powerball, 13 cents also will go to the V.I. Lottery, which turns over 20 percent of its revenue to the government."
And 20 percent of 13 percent is 2.6 of the total.
Eugene Boykins is an official of Caribbean Lottery Services, which under contract to the V.I. government has been operating various computer-based lottery games in the territory since February. Boykins told the Source last April that for Powerball, Caribbean Lottery Services would be paying the government "a minimum of 12.5 percent of gross revenues." (See "Go-ahead expected for Powerball in the V.I.".)
CLS is a subsidiary of Leeward Islands Lottery Holding Company Inc., whose directors include Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, and celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochrane.
The Virgin Islands lottery system has a unique distinction within the nation's public lottery circles: It is the only one ever known to lose money. Last year, in an audit report, the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General said the V.I. Lottery was in debt to the V.I. government to the tune of $3.3 million. (See "Audit of lottery finds mismanagement, fraud".)
Several reasons can be advanced to explain why the V.I. lottery games have run at a loss and are apparently scheduled to get only minimal benefits from Powerball:
– There are no economies of scale in a small operation in a place with a limited population such as the Virgin Islands.
– Incomes as a whole are lower than on the mainland while the cost of living is higher, so that there is less discretionary money in local people's pockets.
– Perhaps most important, the lottery games operate within a government structure that apparently tolerates the running of what should be a sure-fire money-making venture at a loss.
In contrast, the Delaware Legislature has decreed that its state lottery must allocate 30 percent of its gross proceeds to the General Treasury. The Minnesota Legislature has specified that administrative costs of that state's lottery cannot exceed 15 percent of gross revenues. Either of those approaches could make an enormous difference in the Virgin Islands.
But in the territory, another reason for limited government receipts is the nature of the relationship between the V.I. Lottery and Caribbean Lottery Services. Most mainland state lottery operations do most of the work themselves and hire contractors to perform specialized tasks and then pay them for services rendered. The V.I. government's relationship with CLS appears to be different: The contractor does most of the work and then pays the V.I. Lottery a fee for the right to operate what would otherwise be a government-run monopoly. That fee is defined contractually as a percentage of gross revenues — 12.5 percent or 13 percent for Powerball and 10 percent for other games.
Even if the V.I. General Fund were getting the full amount of this fee — which in the case of Powerball it is not — these figures are far below the 31 percent average realized by the various states whose lotteries include the Powerball game.
As far as actual dollars, the Daily News cited the V.I. Lottery director, Austin Andrews, as saying that Powerball would double V.I. Lottery revenues to the territorial treasury, to $2.2 million from the current $1.1 million a year. (It was not clear how Andrews arrived at that figure; Leeward Islands executive Ed Lewis said at a public meeting that he estimated the game could bring in about $3.5 million a year to the V.I. Lottery.)
That indicates, in a population of 110,000, a per-person lottery contribution to the treasury of $20 per year, counting children.
The District of Columbia, another jurisdiction whose economy depends on government and tourism (and whose local government is rarely regarded as a paragon of efficiency), is seeing $84 million a year come into its treasury from lottery operations.
That works out to $161.84 per resident, or more than eight times the per-capita gambling contribution seen in the Virgin Islands. But Washington, D.C., does have some advantages. It operate its own games, rather than farming them out. It legally can and does sell Powerball tickets to people from nearby Maryland and Virginia where that game is not played.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
NEW LAYOUT, LOTS OF FOOD MAKE FOR A FINE FAIR
Nov. 24, 2002 – Many of those swarming the grounds of the Reichhold Center for the Arts at this weekend's St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair took its theme — "Support Agriculture: Eat What You Grow" — to heart, purchasing herb plants, fruit tree cuttings and vegetable seedlings.
Louis Petersen, fair committee member and St. Thomas-St. John district supervisor for the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of the Virgin Islands, said on Sunday: "What distinguishes the fair is that it's grassroots, not commercial. Foods or crafts for sale are either grown here or made here. That's what makes this fair stand out and why the theme is so appropriate."
To make it easier for visitors to access the crop, food, craft, entertainment and animal display areas, the committee revamped the exhibition layout this year.
"We were responsive to comments from the community about the layout of the booths and distance between them," Petersen said. "We've heard good feedback and enjoyed a good turnout both Saturday and today."
The vegetable offerings included several locally grown items not commonly seen before, including corn and red beets.
"Oh they went fast," said Benita Martin of We Grow Food Inc., an organization of more than a dozen Bordeaux farmers.
Tomatoes and greens are Martin's main crops.
"The most profitable are greens, cucumber and eggplant," she said. "That's what people are looking for, so we prioritize to grow these. Eggplant, especially, because it's a staple food in so many cultures — Italians, Indians. The corn and beets take longer to grow."
Martin added, "The water from the two dams helps a lot."
(The dams are a new asset for We Grow Food. See "Bordeaux farmers' first dam is nearly finished".)
Farmer and beekeeper Charles Leonard was selling bananas, herbs such as basil and lemongrass and, of course, honey, for sale. "Honey is most popular, " he said.
Other produce offerings included sugar cane, hot peppers, sweet bell peppers, papaya, avocados, sugar apples and limes.
In the arts and crafts area, Mary Louise Lauffer showcased her calabash bowls, some of them crafted into garlic holders and bird feeders. "Each calabash grows into a slightly different shape," she said, "so the fun in working with it is to create different kinds of objects."
Kids especially enjoyed the petting zoo and Shetland pony rides.
"Oh, it's so cute," 10-year-old Chelsea McAllister, a Sts. Peter and Paul fifth grader, said as she held and petted a black furry bunny.
Donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, peacock, guinea fowl, ferrets, love birds, doves and pigeons were among the animals visitors could view and touch.
The ready-to-eat food part of the fair had a record 28 booths this year.
"Fry fish, that's what's going fast," said a shy server at Henry's booth, where pickup saltfish and saltfish cakes were being eyed appetizingly by passersby.
At N'Thing But Veggie, "the tofu scallop is a big seller," Cheryl Dasant said. Also on the menu at the vegetarian booth were barbecued tofu, gluten steak, macaroni and cheese, cassava dumplings, kallaloo, and such drinks as "carrot blend," "super greens" and maubi.
Sheila Shulterbrandt won first prize for the largest turkey with her whopping 34.5-pound bird.
Boasting a confection that tasted as good as it looked, Anna Quetel took the blue ribbon for Best Sweetbread.
The maubi competition was still being judged as the fair closed Sunday evening.
This year's fair, like last year's, started off on Friday with a School Agriculture Activity Day of student exhibits and presentations for youngsters at nine "learning stations" that included rabbit raising, cabbage art, solar energy and a marine creatures touch pond.
"We had a record turnout Friday," Petersen said. "The kids were so enthusiastic. In fact, one student got so excited about the marine exhibit that he fell in the pool and tipped it over!"
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Louis Petersen, fair committee member and St. Thomas-St. John district supervisor for the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of the Virgin Islands, said on Sunday: "What distinguishes the fair is that it's grassroots, not commercial. Foods or crafts for sale are either grown here or made here. That's what makes this fair stand out and why the theme is so appropriate."
To make it easier for visitors to access the crop, food, craft, entertainment and animal display areas, the committee revamped the exhibition layout this year.
"We were responsive to comments from the community about the layout of the booths and distance between them," Petersen said. "We've heard good feedback and enjoyed a good turnout both Saturday and today."
The vegetable offerings included several locally grown items not commonly seen before, including corn and red beets.
"Oh they went fast," said Benita Martin of We Grow Food Inc., an organization of more than a dozen Bordeaux farmers.
Tomatoes and greens are Martin's main crops.
"The most profitable are greens, cucumber and eggplant," she said. "That's what people are looking for, so we prioritize to grow these. Eggplant, especially, because it's a staple food in so many cultures — Italians, Indians. The corn and beets take longer to grow."
Martin added, "The water from the two dams helps a lot."
(The dams are a new asset for We Grow Food. See "Bordeaux farmers' first dam is nearly finished".)
Farmer and beekeeper Charles Leonard was selling bananas, herbs such as basil and lemongrass and, of course, honey, for sale. "Honey is most popular, " he said.
Other produce offerings included sugar cane, hot peppers, sweet bell peppers, papaya, avocados, sugar apples and limes.
In the arts and crafts area, Mary Louise Lauffer showcased her calabash bowls, some of them crafted into garlic holders and bird feeders. "Each calabash grows into a slightly different shape," she said, "so the fun in working with it is to create different kinds of objects."
Kids especially enjoyed the petting zoo and Shetland pony rides.
"Oh, it's so cute," 10-year-old Chelsea McAllister, a Sts. Peter and Paul fifth grader, said as she held and petted a black furry bunny.
Donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, peacock, guinea fowl, ferrets, love birds, doves and pigeons were among the animals visitors could view and touch.
The ready-to-eat food part of the fair had a record 28 booths this year.
"Fry fish, that's what's going fast," said a shy server at Henry's booth, where pickup saltfish and saltfish cakes were being eyed appetizingly by passersby.
At N'Thing But Veggie, "the tofu scallop is a big seller," Cheryl Dasant said. Also on the menu at the vegetarian booth were barbecued tofu, gluten steak, macaroni and cheese, cassava dumplings, kallaloo, and such drinks as "carrot blend," "super greens" and maubi.
Sheila Shulterbrandt won first prize for the largest turkey with her whopping 34.5-pound bird.
Boasting a confection that tasted as good as it looked, Anna Quetel took the blue ribbon for Best Sweetbread.
The maubi competition was still being judged as the fair closed Sunday evening.
This year's fair, like last year's, started off on Friday with a School Agriculture Activity Day of student exhibits and presentations for youngsters at nine "learning stations" that included rabbit raising, cabbage art, solar energy and a marine creatures touch pond.
"We had a record turnout Friday," Petersen said. "The kids were so enthusiastic. In fact, one student got so excited about the marine exhibit that he fell in the pool and tipped it over!"
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
STUFFING CAN BE MADE WITH LESS-FATTENING STUFF
Nov. 24, 2002 – Think Thanksgiving, and turkey and the trimmings come to mind. Instead of bread stuffing, Virgin Islanders enjoy potato stuffing. If you're trying to skim some of the calories from your holiday fare, then try this recipe for Slim Potato Stuffing.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
STUFFING CAN BE MADE WITH LESS-FATTENING STUFF
Nov. 24, 2002 – Think Thanksgiving, and turkey and the trimmings come to mind. Instead of bread stuffing, Virgin Islanders enjoy potato stuffing. If you're trying to skim some of the calories from your holiday fare, then try this recipe for Slim Potato Stuffing.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
STUFFING CAN BE MADE WITH LESS-FATTENING STUFF
Nov. 24, 2002 – Think Thanksgiving, and turkey and the trimmings come to mind. Instead of bread stuffing, Virgin Islanders enjoy potato stuffing. If you're trying to skim some of the calories from your holiday fare, then try this recipe for Slim Potato Stuffing.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Potato stuffing doesn't go inside the bird. Instead, it's baked in a big pan. And contrary to the sight of this delicious orange dish, it's made with white potatoes and tomato sauce, not sweet potato or yams. Mashing potatoes with skim milk, sautéing the seasoning vegetables in a non-stick pan, and adding plenty of fresh herbs rather than extra salt are all ways to make this dish more healthful.
The students in the Advanced Foods course at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year developed the recipe that follows, with the guidance of home economics teacher Fern Callwood.
Slim Potato Stuffing
6 medium potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup each red and green bell peppers, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until potatoes are very soft. Mash potatoes well, adding salt and milk, and make sure there are no lumps.
In a blender, blend the green and red bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic and thyme with 1/8 cup water until fine.
In a sauté pan, cook this mixture with tomato paste, ketchup and raisins. Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add to mashed potato mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, sugar and salt to taste.
Mix completely and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffing is done when top is lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 255 calories, 0.5 gms fat (2 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 488 mg sodium.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
NEW LAYOUT, LOTS OF FOOD MAKE FOR A FINE FAIR
Nov. 24, 2002 – Many of those swarming the grounds of the Reichhold Center for the Arts at this weekend's St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair took its theme — "Support Agriculture: Eat What You Grow" — to heart, purchasing herb plants, fruit tree cuttings and vegetable seedlings.
Louis Petersen, fair committee member and St. Thomas-St. John district supervisor for the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of the Virgin Islands, said on Sunday: "What distinguishes the fair is that it's grassroots, not commercial. Foods or crafts for sale are either grown here or made here. That's what makes this fair stand out and why the theme is so appropriate."
To make it easier for visitors to access the crop, food, craft, entertainment and animal display areas, the committee revamped the exhibition layout this year.
"We were responsive to comments from the community about the layout of the booths and distance between them," Petersen said. "We've heard good feedback and enjoyed a good turnout both Saturday and today."
The vegetable offerings included several locally grown items not commonly seen before, including corn and red beets.
"Oh they went fast," said Benita Martin of We Grow Food Inc., an organization of more than a dozen Bordeaux farmers.
Tomatoes and greens are Martin's main crops.
"The most profitable are greens, cucumber and eggplant," she said. "That's what people are looking for, so we prioritize to grow these. Eggplant, especially, because it's a staple food in so many cultures — Italians, Indians. The corn and beets take longer to grow."
Martin added, "The water from the two dams helps a lot."
(The dams are a new asset for We Grow Food. See "Bordeaux farmers' first dam is nearly finished".)
Farmer and beekeeper Charles Leonard was selling bananas, herbs such as basil and lemongrass and, of course, honey, for sale. "Honey is most popular, " he said.
Other produce offerings included sugar cane, hot peppers, sweet bell peppers, papaya, avocados, sugar apples and limes.
In the arts and crafts area, Mary Louise Lauffer showcased her calabash bowls, some of them crafted into garlic holders and bird feeders. "Each calabash grows into a slightly different shape," she said, "so the fun in working with it is to create different kinds of objects."
Kids especially enjoyed the petting zoo and Shetland pony rides.
"Oh, it's so cute," 10-year-old Chelsea McAllister, a Sts. Peter and Paul fifth grader, said as she held and petted a black furry bunny.
Donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, peacock, guinea fowl, ferrets, love birds, doves and pigeons were among the animals visitors could view and touch.
The ready-to-eat food part of the fair had a record 28 booths this year.
"Fry fish, that's what's going fast," said a shy server at Henry's booth, where pickup saltfish and saltfish cakes were being eyed appetizingly by passersby.
At N'Thing But Veggie, "the tofu scallop is a big seller," Cheryl Dasant said. Also on the menu at the vegetarian booth were barbecued tofu, gluten steak, macaroni and cheese, cassava dumplings, kallaloo, and such drinks as "carrot blend," "super greens" and maubi.
Sheila Shulterbrandt won first prize for the largest turkey with her whopping 34.5-pound bird.
Boasting a confection that tasted as good as it looked, Anna Quetel took the blue ribbon for Best Sweetbread.
The maubi competition was still being judged as the fair closed Sunday evening.
This year's fair, like last year's, started off on Friday with a School Agriculture Activity Day of student exhibits and presentations for youngsters at nine "learning stations" that included rabbit raising, cabbage art, solar energy and a marine creatures touch pond.
"We had a record turnout Friday," Petersen said. "The kids were so enthusiastic. In fact, one student got so excited about the marine exhibit that he fell in the pool and tipped it over!"
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Louis Petersen, fair committee member and St. Thomas-St. John district supervisor for the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of the Virgin Islands, said on Sunday: "What distinguishes the fair is that it's grassroots, not commercial. Foods or crafts for sale are either grown here or made here. That's what makes this fair stand out and why the theme is so appropriate."
To make it easier for visitors to access the crop, food, craft, entertainment and animal display areas, the committee revamped the exhibition layout this year.
"We were responsive to comments from the community about the layout of the booths and distance between them," Petersen said. "We've heard good feedback and enjoyed a good turnout both Saturday and today."
The vegetable offerings included several locally grown items not commonly seen before, including corn and red beets.
"Oh they went fast," said Benita Martin of We Grow Food Inc., an organization of more than a dozen Bordeaux farmers.
Tomatoes and greens are Martin's main crops.
"The most profitable are greens, cucumber and eggplant," she said. "That's what people are looking for, so we prioritize to grow these. Eggplant, especially, because it's a staple food in so many cultures — Italians, Indians. The corn and beets take longer to grow."
Martin added, "The water from the two dams helps a lot."
(The dams are a new asset for We Grow Food. See "Bordeaux farmers' first dam is nearly finished".)
Farmer and beekeeper Charles Leonard was selling bananas, herbs such as basil and lemongrass and, of course, honey, for sale. "Honey is most popular, " he said.
Other produce offerings included sugar cane, hot peppers, sweet bell peppers, papaya, avocados, sugar apples and limes.
In the arts and crafts area, Mary Louise Lauffer showcased her calabash bowls, some of them crafted into garlic holders and bird feeders. "Each calabash grows into a slightly different shape," she said, "so the fun in working with it is to create different kinds of objects."
Kids especially enjoyed the petting zoo and Shetland pony rides.
"Oh, it's so cute," 10-year-old Chelsea McAllister, a Sts. Peter and Paul fifth grader, said as she held and petted a black furry bunny.
Donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, peacock, guinea fowl, ferrets, love birds, doves and pigeons were among the animals visitors could view and touch.
The ready-to-eat food part of the fair had a record 28 booths this year.
"Fry fish, that's what's going fast," said a shy server at Henry's booth, where pickup saltfish and saltfish cakes were being eyed appetizingly by passersby.
At N'Thing But Veggie, "the tofu scallop is a big seller," Cheryl Dasant said. Also on the menu at the vegetarian booth were barbecued tofu, gluten steak, macaroni and cheese, cassava dumplings, kallaloo, and such drinks as "carrot blend," "super greens" and maubi.
Sheila Shulterbrandt won first prize for the largest turkey with her whopping 34.5-pound bird.
Boasting a confection that tasted as good as it looked, Anna Quetel took the blue ribbon for Best Sweetbread.
The maubi competition was still being judged as the fair closed Sunday evening.
This year's fair, like last year's, started off on Friday with a School Agriculture Activity Day of student exhibits and presentations for youngsters at nine "learning stations" that included rabbit raising, cabbage art, solar energy and a marine creatures touch pond.
"We had a record turnout Friday," Petersen said. "The kids were so enthusiastic. In fact, one student got so excited about the marine exhibit that he fell in the pool and tipped it over!"
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BYU, ST. BONAVENTURE WIN AGAIN ON DAY 2
Nov. 24, 2002 – The opponents were different but the results were the same, as both the Brigham Young University Cougars and the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies won their individual games on Saturday night at the 2002 University of the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in the Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas.
Cougars (2-0) won the catfight and remained perfect in the young season with a 73-64 victory over the Kansas State University Wildcats (0-1) on Saturday night.
The Wildcats, who arrived in the capital of the U. S. Virgin Islands on Thursday afternoon, seem eager to get their season started. They were on the court doing drills two hours prior to the game. "We just wanted some extra time to do some extra shooting," K-State coach Jim Woolridge said. "We want to be better than we were a year ago; we want to continuously improve. If possible we want to over achieve," he said.
The Wildcats scouted the Cougars at the Friday night game and found ways to match the Cougars' intensity. The Wildcats fought back three times from five point or more deficits, once in the first half and twice in the second.
The Cougars used a full-court press that stifled the Toledo Rockets on Friday. However, the Wildcats utilized their size advantage in the paint to outscore the Cougars 30-16.
The Wildcats won the jump ball to begin the game but did not score for the first 2:30. The Cougars built their first half lead to six points until the Wildcats found their shooting touch. Tim Ellis led the Wildcats with five of his nine first-half points in the final five minutes to tie the game at 29. The Wildcats jumped out to a five-point halftime lead, 36-31, thanks to two three-pointers in the final minutes of the half.
The Cougars hit their first seven shots of the second half to take a 47-40 led. The Wildcats fought back and tied the game, 52-52, on Marques Hayden's three-point play with 9:42 left in the game.
The game got very physical at this point. The Cougars' Travis Hansen picked up two quick technical fouls with 8:48 left in regulation and the score 54-53. Hansen got a little too physical with the Wildcats' Hayden. The referees called a foul on Hansen, who then reacted with a fist into the padding underneath the basket. Those actions caused him the first technical foul. He quickly got the second technical foul when he said something the referee heard and was ejected.
The ejection seemed to motivate the Cougars, who regained the lead, 61-57, with 6:13 left in the game.
The Cougars' Rafael Araujo then fouled out with 5:36 remaining. The Wildcats were able to knot the game at 61 with 4:43 and once more at 63, 19 seconds later.
The Cougars once again came back as they kept the Wildcats from making a field goal. The Wildcats were able to just get one free throw for the rest of the game.
"A multitude of players stepped up, and I am very proud of our effort," Cougars head coach Steve Cleveland said. He would only say that Hansen got what he deserved for his unsportsmanlike reaction.
Woolridge said, "We missed too many field goals, and we had our opportunities but just could not cash them in. We had no answer for Hansen and a couple of our seniors did not perform."
Hayden led the Wildcats with 20 points. Tim Ellis added 14 points and Frank Richards had 13 points.
Travis Hansen scored 19 to lead the Cougars. Mark Bigalow added 18 points and Jared Jensen had 10 points.
In the second game of the evening, Mike Gansey scored 20 of his game high 27 points in the first half to set a tournament record as the Bonnies beat the Michigan University Wolverines, 89-68.
The Bonnies (2-0) took control of the game early with a dominating performance in the first half. They overwhelmed the Wolverines (0-1) in two statistical categories, in points of turnovers, 24-5, and points in the paint, 20-6, in the first half.
Gansey was perfect from behind the three-point arc hitting all of his five attempts. The Bonnies missed only one free throw for the entire game as they shot 17 for 18, 94 percent. The Wolverines shot 24 for 33, 73 percent.
Three tournament records were set in this game. The most points in a half, 54; the previous record was 47 by Miami in 2001. Another record was the most total points in the half by both teams, 88; the previous record by Miami and Eastern Michigan was 75 in 2001. The final record broken was Gansey's 20 points in a half, breaking Clemson's Jamar McKnight's of 17 in 2001.
"We expected to be here going for the tournament championship," Bonnies freshman point guard Ahmad Smith said. "We saw a little of the BYU game and we know that they are a good team, but we are going to play a good game. We worked on our defense all pre-season," he said. Smith had 16 points and Marques Green had 15 points for the Bonnies.
LaVell Blanchard scored 21 points to lead the Wolverines. Bernard Robinson and Lester Abram each had 11 points.
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Cougars (2-0) won the catfight and remained perfect in the young season with a 73-64 victory over the Kansas State University Wildcats (0-1) on Saturday night.
The Wildcats, who arrived in the capital of the U. S. Virgin Islands on Thursday afternoon, seem eager to get their season started. They were on the court doing drills two hours prior to the game. "We just wanted some extra time to do some extra shooting," K-State coach Jim Woolridge said. "We want to be better than we were a year ago; we want to continuously improve. If possible we want to over achieve," he said.
The Wildcats scouted the Cougars at the Friday night game and found ways to match the Cougars' intensity. The Wildcats fought back three times from five point or more deficits, once in the first half and twice in the second.
The Cougars used a full-court press that stifled the Toledo Rockets on Friday. However, the Wildcats utilized their size advantage in the paint to outscore the Cougars 30-16.
The Wildcats won the jump ball to begin the game but did not score for the first 2:30. The Cougars built their first half lead to six points until the Wildcats found their shooting touch. Tim Ellis led the Wildcats with five of his nine first-half points in the final five minutes to tie the game at 29. The Wildcats jumped out to a five-point halftime lead, 36-31, thanks to two three-pointers in the final minutes of the half.
The Cougars hit their first seven shots of the second half to take a 47-40 led. The Wildcats fought back and tied the game, 52-52, on Marques Hayden's three-point play with 9:42 left in the game.
The game got very physical at this point. The Cougars' Travis Hansen picked up two quick technical fouls with 8:48 left in regulation and the score 54-53. Hansen got a little too physical with the Wildcats' Hayden. The referees called a foul on Hansen, who then reacted with a fist into the padding underneath the basket. Those actions caused him the first technical foul. He quickly got the second technical foul when he said something the referee heard and was ejected.
The ejection seemed to motivate the Cougars, who regained the lead, 61-57, with 6:13 left in the game.
The Cougars' Rafael Araujo then fouled out with 5:36 remaining. The Wildcats were able to knot the game at 61 with 4:43 and once more at 63, 19 seconds later.
The Cougars once again came back as they kept the Wildcats from making a field goal. The Wildcats were able to just get one free throw for the rest of the game.
"A multitude of players stepped up, and I am very proud of our effort," Cougars head coach Steve Cleveland said. He would only say that Hansen got what he deserved for his unsportsmanlike reaction.
Woolridge said, "We missed too many field goals, and we had our opportunities but just could not cash them in. We had no answer for Hansen and a couple of our seniors did not perform."
Hayden led the Wildcats with 20 points. Tim Ellis added 14 points and Frank Richards had 13 points.
Travis Hansen scored 19 to lead the Cougars. Mark Bigalow added 18 points and Jared Jensen had 10 points.
In the second game of the evening, Mike Gansey scored 20 of his game high 27 points in the first half to set a tournament record as the Bonnies beat the Michigan University Wolverines, 89-68.
The Bonnies (2-0) took control of the game early with a dominating performance in the first half. They overwhelmed the Wolverines (0-1) in two statistical categories, in points of turnovers, 24-5, and points in the paint, 20-6, in the first half.
Gansey was perfect from behind the three-point arc hitting all of his five attempts. The Bonnies missed only one free throw for the entire game as they shot 17 for 18, 94 percent. The Wolverines shot 24 for 33, 73 percent.
Three tournament records were set in this game. The most points in a half, 54; the previous record was 47 by Miami in 2001. Another record was the most total points in the half by both teams, 88; the previous record by Miami and Eastern Michigan was 75 in 2001. The final record broken was Gansey's 20 points in a half, breaking Clemson's Jamar McKnight's of 17 in 2001.
"We expected to be here going for the tournament championship," Bonnies freshman point guard Ahmad Smith said. "We saw a little of the BYU game and we know that they are a good team, but we are going to play a good game. We worked on our defense all pre-season," he said. Smith had 16 points and Marques Green had 15 points for the Bonnies.
LaVell Blanchard scored 21 points to lead the Wolverines. Bernard Robinson and Lester Abram each had 11 points.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
