July 29, 2001 – A total of 31 sports and entertainment celebrities are scheduled to participate in the fifth annual Beacon Celebrity Golf Tournament, set for the weekend of Aug. 10-12. There will be activities on St. Thomas and St. John as well as on St. Croix, where the golf scramble itself will be played on the Carambola course.
Headlining the celebrity lineup is comedian, actor, musician and singer Tommy Davidson of television's "In Living Color," whose film credits include "Bamboozled," "Booty Call" and "Strictly Business."
The schedule has the celebrities arriving at the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort on St. Thomas on Thursday, Aug. 9, with a press conference at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, and a reception and dinner for the celebrities and event sponsors that evening at the resort, with Addie Ottley of WSTA as master of ceremonies.
On Saturday, Aug. 11, the daytime activity is a beach party beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Caneel Bay Resort on St. John. That night at 8 there will be an event open to the public — a cocktail party and silent auction at the Renaissance. Admission is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. WSTA "Good News" personality Alex Randall will emcee the evening. Auction items include a cruise, hotel accommodations, day sails, dining certificates, gift items and autographed celebrity items.
On Sunday, Aug. 12, it's early to rise for the celebrities, to catch flights to St. Croix, where the golf scramble is to begin at 9 a.m. Immediately following play, an awards luncheon will be held at the Carambola Golf Club.
Then, it's back to St. Thomas, where the weekend will close with a comedy show at 8 p.m. that's open to the public. It will take place in the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center. Tommy Davidson will be the headliner, with appearances by comedians Chris Spencer and J'Vonne Pearson, and with local comic and JAMZ radio personality Robert Luke as emcee. Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Tickets for both public events are being sold at the Color of Joy, Modern Music/Nisky Center, Monsanto Travel, Parcel Plus, Sam Goody's, Silk Greenery, Soft Touch Boutique and the UVI St. Thomas campus bookstore
Previewing the weekend, Davidson will be signing his videos at Blockbuster Video on St. Croix on Tuesday, Aug. 7, and on St. Thomas on Thursday, Aug. 9, in both cases from noon to 2 p.m.
Also on the talent roster are these sports celebrities:
Greg Ballard, fourth overall NBA draft pick in 1977 who played eight seasons with the Washington Bullets.
Enos Cabell, whose major league baseball career spanned the Orioles, Astros, Giants, Tigers and Dodgers.
Kevin Gravey, NBA two-time All American and Player of the Year for 10 years with the Washington Bullets and Milwaukee Bucks.
Ed Jones, veteran of 15 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, who started in 20 playoff games, six NFC championship games and three Superbowls.
Sam Jones, who joined the Boston Celtics in 1957 and earned All-Pro honors five times.
Mitch Kupchack, general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rick Mahorn, 18-year NBA veteran who played for the Washington Bullets, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers.
Mark Mosely, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins, led NFL scoring in four seasons and was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1982.
Pearson Preston, who played in the '60s and '70s for the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys, playing in five Superbowls.
Allen Pinkett, two-time college football All-American who was the leading rusher for the Houston Oilers in 1991 and later played for the New Orleans Saints.
Kenny Smith, a guard with the NBA World Champion Houston Rockets in 1994-95 and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1988.
Fred Valentine, who played with the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators, where he received an MVP award.
Gus Williams, starting guard for the Seattle Supersonics in 1977-84, ranked No. 14 in the NBA's all-time league leaders in steals.
Pete Wysooki, who played with the Washington Redskins and in the Canadian Football League.
And from the entertainment ranks:
Keter Betts, jazz bassist, who'll head up the musical entertainment at the Friday dinner; he has played with Dinah Washington, Charlie Byrd, Cannonball Adderly and Stan Getz.
Earl Billings, star of the "One False Move" video and whose TV credits include "What's Happening?", the "Steve Harvey Show" and "The Hughlys."
Angelica Bridges, who has played Lt. Walsh on "Baywatch" and Sharon Taylor on "Days of Our Lives."
Dorian Gregory, who has played Inspector Darryl Morris in "Charmed" and parapsychologist Diamont Teagues in "The X-Files."
Harrold Jones, jazz drummer, playing with Keter Betts; named best new artist of 1972 in the Down Beat jazz critics poll, he has played with B.B. King, Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock .
Dawnn Lewis, vocalist for Friday's dinner, who has played Jaleesa on "A Different World and won a Grammy for her vocals in 1992.
Mari Marrow, whose film credits include "Book of Love" and "An Uninvited Guest," and who has hosted the "Oh Drama" talk show on BET.
Kellan Matthews, who has been seen on TV in "Days of Our Lives" and "Melrose Place," and whose feature film credits include "Flintstones" and "Mo' Money."
J'Vonne Pearson, comedian with credits on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Uptown Comedy Club and Apollo Comedy Hour, and who appeared in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
Mekhi Phifer, whose movie credits include "Soul Food," "Clockers," Uninvited Guest" and "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer."
Tucker Smallwood, whose TV credits include "The Practice," "JAG," "Star Trek Voyager," "Frasier" and "Seinfeld," and who had film roles in "Traffic" and "Contact."
Chris Spencer, comic and first host of the TV show "VIBE," who has appeared in a recurring role on the "Jamie Fox Show" and as guest host for "BET Live."
Allen Thick, a seven-time nominee for Emmy and Golden Globe Awards with credits in the TV shows "Growing Pains," "Married With Children" and "Outer Limits."
Basil Wallace, who has appeared on TV in "City of Angels," "Judging Amy," "The Pretender" and "The Practice," and whose film credits include "Screw Face" and "Free Willy 2."
Jerry Weldon, jazz saxophonist, who'll play with Keter Betts at Friday's dinner; he has played with the Lionel Hampton Band and with Harry Connick Jr.
Tom Wright, whose film credits include "Palmetto," "Murder at 1600," White Man's Burden" and "City of Hope," and who has appeared on TV in "NYPD Blue" and "Seinfeld."
Local personalities taking part in addition to Ottley, Randall and Luke are Ervin "Brownie" Brown of WSTA and Sam Topp of Knight Quality Stations.
The annual event raises funds to support Beacon Schools of the Virgin Islands, the territory's national award-winning after-school community learning center program. In its four years, the program has provided services to more than 4,000 children, youth, adults and families, according to a release.
Major sponsors of the 2001 tournament are American Airlines, Chase Manhattan Bank, Prosser/ICC Foundation, the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises and Total Service Solutions.
For details, call Beacon Schools of the Virgin Islands coordinator and tournament director Valerie George at 777-9300.
TROPICAL WAVE BRINGS RAIN AND HIGH WINDS TO V.I.
July 29, 2001 – A vigorous westward moving tropical wave swetp across the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on Sunday afternoon, bringing rain, thundershowers and gusty winds to the region.
The National Weather Service reported wind gusts across the Virgin Islands in excess of 40 miles per hour at some locations. The tropical wave, which on late afternoon satellite photographs appears to be a tropical depression in the making, is expected to continue to cross the local area Sunday night, bringing additional rain and thundershowers to the region.
A flash food watch advisory was issued for the territory and portions of the Puerto Rico commonwealth.
"The potential for flash flooding exists for all of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as well as Culebra and Vieques," said Rafael Mojica, deputy director of the NWS forecast office in San Juan.
Earlier in the day, satellite photographs showed the wave extending from the northeastern Caribbean through the Leeward Islands. The wave has maintained a steady pace to the west at 15-20 miles per hour.
Mojica also said marine conditions were expected to continue deteriorating. "Mariners across the local coastal waters should remain in safe port as dangerous marine conditions are expected to persist at least through Monday morning," he said.
The official marine forecast Sunday night called for easterly swells of 9-11 feet with wind gusts frequently reaching gale force levels.
In addition to the flash flood watch, a wind advisory was posted for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"Showers and strong thundershowers are in the forecast as well as locally heavy downpours. Flooding is possible with windy condition persisting. Overnight low temperatures are expected in the mid to upper 70s," Mojica said in the latest advisory issued Sunday by the forecast office in San Juan.
The heavy showers and thundershowers began to affect the U.S. Virgin Islands early Sunday afternoon with some minor flooding reported in the low-lying areas.
It could not be determined whether an outage of Innovative cable television service at mid-afternoon was triggered by the inclement weather.
At 7 p.m. Sunday, both districts reported showers and occasional thundershowers with temperatures in the upper 70s and gusty winds prevailing.
The NWS is expected to reevaluate the flash flood watch at midnight. It will decide then whether to cancel the advisory or extend the watch through 6 a.m. Monday. The National Hurricane Center issued no advisories or public statements Sunday on whether the tropical wave was approaching tropical depression status. A tropical depression is declared when sustained winds top 35 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service reported wind gusts across the Virgin Islands in excess of 40 miles per hour at some locations. The tropical wave, which on late afternoon satellite photographs appears to be a tropical depression in the making, is expected to continue to cross the local area Sunday night, bringing additional rain and thundershowers to the region.
A flash food watch advisory was issued for the territory and portions of the Puerto Rico commonwealth.
"The potential for flash flooding exists for all of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as well as Culebra and Vieques," said Rafael Mojica, deputy director of the NWS forecast office in San Juan.
Earlier in the day, satellite photographs showed the wave extending from the northeastern Caribbean through the Leeward Islands. The wave has maintained a steady pace to the west at 15-20 miles per hour.
Mojica also said marine conditions were expected to continue deteriorating. "Mariners across the local coastal waters should remain in safe port as dangerous marine conditions are expected to persist at least through Monday morning," he said.
The official marine forecast Sunday night called for easterly swells of 9-11 feet with wind gusts frequently reaching gale force levels.
In addition to the flash flood watch, a wind advisory was posted for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"Showers and strong thundershowers are in the forecast as well as locally heavy downpours. Flooding is possible with windy condition persisting. Overnight low temperatures are expected in the mid to upper 70s," Mojica said in the latest advisory issued Sunday by the forecast office in San Juan.
The heavy showers and thundershowers began to affect the U.S. Virgin Islands early Sunday afternoon with some minor flooding reported in the low-lying areas.
It could not be determined whether an outage of Innovative cable television service at mid-afternoon was triggered by the inclement weather.
At 7 p.m. Sunday, both districts reported showers and occasional thundershowers with temperatures in the upper 70s and gusty winds prevailing.
The NWS is expected to reevaluate the flash flood watch at midnight. It will decide then whether to cancel the advisory or extend the watch through 6 a.m. Monday. The National Hurricane Center issued no advisories or public statements Sunday on whether the tropical wave was approaching tropical depression status. A tropical depression is declared when sustained winds top 35 miles per hour.
DANISH HOSPITALITY ABOUNDS IN HISTORY, FOOD
First in a series
July 28, 2001- Every two years there is a Danish/West Indian friendship foray to either Denmark or the Virgin Islands. This year, the St. Thomas and St. Croix Friends of Denmark societies are being hosted by the mother country for two weeks of extensive cultural melding.
The hospitable Danes have taken 38 guests from St. Croix, 28 from St. Thomas and 11 Virgin Islands transplants currently living on the mainland into their homes for a two-week festival. We are spending the first week on the Fyn and Jutland peninsulas, then will move to a different set of hosts on Zeeland within the Copenhagen metropolitan area.
During the first week there are four separate sets of activities, depending upon the host's residence: North Jutland, Central Jutland, South Jutland, and Fyn and Fredericia.
Since my grandfather came from Flemlose on Fyn, I am staying with hosts on Fyn. Jens Benoni Willumsen and his wife, Kirsten, live in the village of Nord Lyndelse, about 32 miles (20 kilometers) south of Odense. Jens is a direct decendent of St. Croix settlers and studied at the College of the Virgin Islands before returning to Denmark to pursue a career in agricultural research. Kirsten is a pediatric dentist. We stayed with them four years ago during the 1997 festival, when they helped me find my cousin and visit my grandfather's birthplace.
One large group of Virgin Islanders arrived at the Copenhagen airport together, were met by local hosts and were put on a train for Jutland and Fyn — in the unexpected company of one of the hosts. It seems that in the confusion of getting all the luggage onto the train, the host was unable to get off before the train pulled out of the airport station. Fortunately, it wasn't far to the Copenhagen Central stop, where he was able to exit and catch a return train to the airport, as he had the car keys and his wife had the car.
When my wife and I arrived, we were met by our Copenhagen hostess, with whom we had stayed previously. After being welcomed, we were warned that our train was about to leave, and we hurried to the ramp. There, we learned the through train had departed a bit early and were told to go to Copenhagen Central and catch a train for Assens, which would take us through Odense. On the platform, we asked a conductor if the train there was the right one; she assured us it was, and we boarded. As the train pulled out, I began talking with other passanger, only to find they were Swedish and the train was on its way to Malmo, Sweden.
Fortunately, it stopped at the airport, and we were able to catch the correct train after all. Travel sure is exciting!
Sunday: socializing over food
After a day relaxing with our hosts, the Fyn contingent headed for Anna Marie and Lars Mortensons' home in Asperup in west-central Fyn: Crucians Edwin and Condon Joseph, Sweeny Toussaint and his granddaughter, Joy Henderson, Iris O'Donoghue and Claudia Willocks, Victoria Farrelly and Lorraine Motto; and St. Thomians Kirk and Judith Grybowski. Here we participated in one of the festival's most enjoyable events — socializing over food.
Arriving at our hosts' home, we were informed dinner would be delayed a least an hour. It seems some of the participants had eaten so much lunch that they simply could not begin dinner at the appointed hour.
This provided us an opportunity to visit the local beach. Some of Denmark's beaches have crystalline sand from igneous rock, some have rocks, and some are a combination of the two. While the water is cooler than we are accustomed to in the Caribbean, it is relatively warm, given the ambient temperature. The beach we visited was very clean and it was comfortable swimming as long as the sun was out in full force.
Our dinner consisted of pork back with crisp crackling skin, a red currant sauce, new potatoes, pickeled summer squash and zucchini. Dessert was a fresh strawberry compote accompanied with fresh, whole cows' milk and cream.
The trip between the home of our hosts and the dinner venue was enjoyable. Denmark is divided into a few industrial and commercial centers, villages of a few homes, and rural farms. You drive through several miles of farmland, then a picturesque village, then on to more farmland.
At this time of year, the pastures and some fields are shades of green, while the wheat and barley fields are golden and the hay fields are brown. The fields are broken up by patches of woods, with a forest here and there, and predominately red or yellow brick farm and village buildings. Roofs are usually thatched straw or red tile. Churches rise above all other buildings and are usually painted white.
Coming from the Virgin Islands, one is almost blinded by the profusion of color.
Monday: versatile Odense
On Monday, fellow islanders Ed and Cathy Sternberg and Marjorie Smith joined us. Our group began the day's outing at Hans Christian Andersen's home in old Odense. In the backyard of the museum/theater, we were treated to the annual summer's production of the "Hans Christian Andersen Parade." This is a musical presentation of various stories written by the famed Danish author. It is popular among the local residents, and there were several hundred children and adults in attendance at the performance we saw.
From there, the group traveled to the Carlslund restaurant in the Odense woods for lunch. A specialty of this establishment is an egg loaf about 14 inches in diameter piled high with at least a pound of fresh bacon or pork rinds. Accompanied with a heavy, seeded bread and washed down with dark Danish beer, it made for a filling and tasty meal.
After lunch, most of us chose to walk through the park to out next stop, an open-air museum, The Funen Village. An English-speaking guide took us through the village, introducing us to the various historic buildings brought to Odense from throughout the island. Of particular interest were the very luxurious vicar's home and the schoolhouse — with its picture of St. Croix.
After our tour of the village, we walked back through the park until we came to the river landing for the Odense ferry. The riverboat took us through the extensive city park to the center of the city.
As dusk began to fall, our hosts collected us and took us home for smorgasbord and a quiet evening of socializing.
Tuesday: on our own
Tuesday was a special day spent with our good friend Inge Pultz Madsen, who lives in the village of Kerteminde in northern Fyn. Ms. Madsen and her sister, Anna, had stayed with us during the 1999 festival on St. Thomas. She wanted to show us her home and the country where she was born and has spent her life.
After we perused her scrapbook from her 1999 visit, we moved on to the serious business of further socializing with food. She had prepared an extensive lunch of beef from her daughter's farm, new potatoes, gravy and a green salad. Dessert was again a fruit compote, this time of red and black currants and red raspberries accompanied by whole milk.
Next it was off to visit the home and museum of Johannes Larsen, the famed Danish painter. Larsen was fortunate to have a first-class house and workshop a couple hundred yards from the sea and surrounded by gardens, trees and grass. He is best known for his paintings illustrating Hans Christian Andersen stories and his extensive series of bird paintings and prints.
This year, a spacious new museum building has been opened to house the Larsen collection along with paintings by his friends and disciples. The number of works on exhibit is impressive, made possible through the generosity of a local restaurateur who made it a point to collect Larsen's paintings throughout the artist's long and productive life.
From the art museum, we began a loop of the northern Fyn peninsula. Our first stop was at a beach across from the island of Romas, known for its extensive herd of wild deer. Driving on, we found the village of Melo, which boasts a unique church. The tower was built around 1726. A Byzantine addition, capped with a copper bell-shaped roof, houses seven ornately carved wooden caskets. The interior of the church featured the traditional model of a ship under sail suspended from the center of the ceiling.
Our next point of interest was a stone age burial mound, built of 5-foot high boulders placed atop a natural hill and dating from around 3500 BC. The opening to the burial chamber was about three feet square, increasing to about five feet at the junction with the main chamber of about 18 to 20 feet. The farmer who came upon the mound opening was awarded a silver chalice by the Danish government for his find.
Leaving the mound, we stopped along the road to purchase some Fyn cherries. They were about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and full of juice. After driving several more miles along the northern coast of Fyn, we returned to Kerteminde, where we parked at Inge's apartment and walked to the nearby marina, where we had dinner. Obviously the egg loaf with pork rind is very popular, as we had another opportunity to sample it here. This one had a good quantity of chopped cucumber and tomato slices over the frothy eggs.
Following a walk around the picturesque village, we took our leave and drove through the dusk back to Nord Lyndelse.
To be continued
July 28, 2001- Every two years there is a Danish/West Indian friendship foray to either Denmark or the Virgin Islands. This year, the St. Thomas and St. Croix Friends of Denmark societies are being hosted by the mother country for two weeks of extensive cultural melding.
The hospitable Danes have taken 38 guests from St. Croix, 28 from St. Thomas and 11 Virgin Islands transplants currently living on the mainland into their homes for a two-week festival. We are spending the first week on the Fyn and Jutland peninsulas, then will move to a different set of hosts on Zeeland within the Copenhagen metropolitan area.
During the first week there are four separate sets of activities, depending upon the host's residence: North Jutland, Central Jutland, South Jutland, and Fyn and Fredericia.
Since my grandfather came from Flemlose on Fyn, I am staying with hosts on Fyn. Jens Benoni Willumsen and his wife, Kirsten, live in the village of Nord Lyndelse, about 32 miles (20 kilometers) south of Odense. Jens is a direct decendent of St. Croix settlers and studied at the College of the Virgin Islands before returning to Denmark to pursue a career in agricultural research. Kirsten is a pediatric dentist. We stayed with them four years ago during the 1997 festival, when they helped me find my cousin and visit my grandfather's birthplace.
One large group of Virgin Islanders arrived at the Copenhagen airport together, were met by local hosts and were put on a train for Jutland and Fyn — in the unexpected company of one of the hosts. It seems that in the confusion of getting all the luggage onto the train, the host was unable to get off before the train pulled out of the airport station. Fortunately, it wasn't far to the Copenhagen Central stop, where he was able to exit and catch a return train to the airport, as he had the car keys and his wife had the car.
When my wife and I arrived, we were met by our Copenhagen hostess, with whom we had stayed previously. After being welcomed, we were warned that our train was about to leave, and we hurried to the ramp. There, we learned the through train had departed a bit early and were told to go to Copenhagen Central and catch a train for Assens, which would take us through Odense. On the platform, we asked a conductor if the train there was the right one; she assured us it was, and we boarded. As the train pulled out, I began talking with other passanger, only to find they were Swedish and the train was on its way to Malmo, Sweden.
Fortunately, it stopped at the airport, and we were able to catch the correct train after all. Travel sure is exciting!
Sunday: socializing over food
After a day relaxing with our hosts, the Fyn contingent headed for Anna Marie and Lars Mortensons' home in Asperup in west-central Fyn: Crucians Edwin and Condon Joseph, Sweeny Toussaint and his granddaughter, Joy Henderson, Iris O'Donoghue and Claudia Willocks, Victoria Farrelly and Lorraine Motto; and St. Thomians Kirk and Judith Grybowski. Here we participated in one of the festival's most enjoyable events — socializing over food.
Arriving at our hosts' home, we were informed dinner would be delayed a least an hour. It seems some of the participants had eaten so much lunch that they simply could not begin dinner at the appointed hour.
This provided us an opportunity to visit the local beach. Some of Denmark's beaches have crystalline sand from igneous rock, some have rocks, and some are a combination of the two. While the water is cooler than we are accustomed to in the Caribbean, it is relatively warm, given the ambient temperature. The beach we visited was very clean and it was comfortable swimming as long as the sun was out in full force.
Our dinner consisted of pork back with crisp crackling skin, a red currant sauce, new potatoes, pickeled summer squash and zucchini. Dessert was a fresh strawberry compote accompanied with fresh, whole cows' milk and cream.
The trip between the home of our hosts and the dinner venue was enjoyable. Denmark is divided into a few industrial and commercial centers, villages of a few homes, and rural farms. You drive through several miles of farmland, then a picturesque village, then on to more farmland.
At this time of year, the pastures and some fields are shades of green, while the wheat and barley fields are golden and the hay fields are brown. The fields are broken up by patches of woods, with a forest here and there, and predominately red or yellow brick farm and village buildings. Roofs are usually thatched straw or red tile. Churches rise above all other buildings and are usually painted white.
Coming from the Virgin Islands, one is almost blinded by the profusion of color.
Monday: versatile Odense
On Monday, fellow islanders Ed and Cathy Sternberg and Marjorie Smith joined us. Our group began the day's outing at Hans Christian Andersen's home in old Odense. In the backyard of the museum/theater, we were treated to the annual summer's production of the "Hans Christian Andersen Parade." This is a musical presentation of various stories written by the famed Danish author. It is popular among the local residents, and there were several hundred children and adults in attendance at the performance we saw.
From there, the group traveled to the Carlslund restaurant in the Odense woods for lunch. A specialty of this establishment is an egg loaf about 14 inches in diameter piled high with at least a pound of fresh bacon or pork rinds. Accompanied with a heavy, seeded bread and washed down with dark Danish beer, it made for a filling and tasty meal.
After lunch, most of us chose to walk through the park to out next stop, an open-air museum, The Funen Village. An English-speaking guide took us through the village, introducing us to the various historic buildings brought to Odense from throughout the island. Of particular interest were the very luxurious vicar's home and the schoolhouse — with its picture of St. Croix.
After our tour of the village, we walked back through the park until we came to the river landing for the Odense ferry. The riverboat took us through the extensive city park to the center of the city.
As dusk began to fall, our hosts collected us and took us home for smorgasbord and a quiet evening of socializing.
Tuesday: on our own
Tuesday was a special day spent with our good friend Inge Pultz Madsen, who lives in the village of Kerteminde in northern Fyn. Ms. Madsen and her sister, Anna, had stayed with us during the 1999 festival on St. Thomas. She wanted to show us her home and the country where she was born and has spent her life.
After we perused her scrapbook from her 1999 visit, we moved on to the serious business of further socializing with food. She had prepared an extensive lunch of beef from her daughter's farm, new potatoes, gravy and a green salad. Dessert was again a fruit compote, this time of red and black currants and red raspberries accompanied by whole milk.
Next it was off to visit the home and museum of Johannes Larsen, the famed Danish painter. Larsen was fortunate to have a first-class house and workshop a couple hundred yards from the sea and surrounded by gardens, trees and grass. He is best known for his paintings illustrating Hans Christian Andersen stories and his extensive series of bird paintings and prints.
This year, a spacious new museum building has been opened to house the Larsen collection along with paintings by his friends and disciples. The number of works on exhibit is impressive, made possible through the generosity of a local restaurateur who made it a point to collect Larsen's paintings throughout the artist's long and productive life.
From the art museum, we began a loop of the northern Fyn peninsula. Our first stop was at a beach across from the island of Romas, known for its extensive herd of wild deer. Driving on, we found the village of Melo, which boasts a unique church. The tower was built around 1726. A Byzantine addition, capped with a copper bell-shaped roof, houses seven ornately carved wooden caskets. The interior of the church featured the traditional model of a ship under sail suspended from the center of the ceiling.
Our next point of interest was a stone age burial mound, built of 5-foot high boulders placed atop a natural hill and dating from around 3500 BC. The opening to the burial chamber was about three feet square, increasing to about five feet at the junction with the main chamber of about 18 to 20 feet. The farmer who came upon the mound opening was awarded a silver chalice by the Danish government for his find.
Leaving the mound, we stopped along the road to purchase some Fyn cherries. They were about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and full of juice. After driving several more miles along the northern coast of Fyn, we returned to Kerteminde, where we parked at Inge's apartment and walked to the nearby marina, where we had dinner. Obviously the egg loaf with pork rind is very popular, as we had another opportunity to sample it here. This one had a good quantity of chopped cucumber and tomato slices over the frothy eggs.
Following a walk around the picturesque village, we took our leave and drove through the dusk back to Nord Lyndelse.
To be continued
MAKE JOHNNYCAKES GOOD FOR YOU, TOO
Those who want to enjoy old-time favorite foods but worry about contemporary health concerns can have their johnnycake and eat it, too, thanks to some simple substitutions such as those in this Recipe of the Week for baked, whole-wheat treats.
July 29, 2001 – Those who want to enjoy old-time favorite foods but worry about contemporary health concerns can have their johnnycake and eat it, too, thanks to a few culinary tricks.
These fluffy round ovals of bread are typically fried — submerged and saturated, that is, with a walloping dose of oil that over a period of years can clog arteries to a stop. The main ingredient in the batter is white flour, devoid of the fiber-richness of whole-wheat grains.
To make johnnycakes more healthful is as simple as baking them and making them using whole-wheat flour as the base. In the recipe below, there are a few other tricks to trim the fat even further: Using light margarine in place of butter, substituting skim (fat-free) milk for whole milk, and "greasing" the baking sheet with a nonstick spray such as Pam.
While this recipe is for basic baked, whole-wheat johnnycakes, inventive cooks might want to go a little farther in adding flavor as well as nutrition. How about kneading in a bit of chopped garlic and parsley to the batter, or perhaps rosemary and chopped onion? These variations give traditional Virgin Islands johnnycakes a twist that tastes good — and makes them good for you, too.
Whole Wheat Baked Johnnycakes
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons light margarine
1/2 cup skim milk
Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add margarine and work in gently with fingertips. Add milk gradually until soft dough is formed. Knead for 5 minutes. Roll into small balls, then flatten and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick coating. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6.
July 29, 2001 – Those who want to enjoy old-time favorite foods but worry about contemporary health concerns can have their johnnycake and eat it, too, thanks to a few culinary tricks.
These fluffy round ovals of bread are typically fried — submerged and saturated, that is, with a walloping dose of oil that over a period of years can clog arteries to a stop. The main ingredient in the batter is white flour, devoid of the fiber-richness of whole-wheat grains.
To make johnnycakes more healthful is as simple as baking them and making them using whole-wheat flour as the base. In the recipe below, there are a few other tricks to trim the fat even further: Using light margarine in place of butter, substituting skim (fat-free) milk for whole milk, and "greasing" the baking sheet with a nonstick spray such as Pam.
While this recipe is for basic baked, whole-wheat johnnycakes, inventive cooks might want to go a little farther in adding flavor as well as nutrition. How about kneading in a bit of chopped garlic and parsley to the batter, or perhaps rosemary and chopped onion? These variations give traditional Virgin Islands johnnycakes a twist that tastes good — and makes them good for you, too.
Whole Wheat Baked Johnnycakes
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons light margarine
1/2 cup skim milk
Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add margarine and work in gently with fingertips. Add milk gradually until soft dough is formed. Knead for 5 minutes. Roll into small balls, then flatten and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick coating. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6.
MAKE JOHNNYCAKES GOOD FOR YOU, TOO
July 29, 2001 – Those who want to enjoy old-time favorite foods but worry about contemporary health concerns can have their johnnycake and eat it, too, thanks to a few culinary tricks.
These fluffy round ovals of bread are typically fried — submerged and saturated, that is, with a walloping dose of oil that over a period of years can clog arteries to a stop. The main ingredient in the batter is white flour, devoid of the fiber-richness of whole-wheat grains.
To make johnnycakes more healthful is as simple as baking them and making them using whole-wheat flour as the base. In the recipe below, there are a few other tricks to trim the fat even further: Using light margarine in place of butter, substituting skim (fat-free) milk for whole milk, and "greasing" the baking sheet with a nonstick spray such as Pam.
While this recipe is for basic baked, whole-wheat johnnycakes, inventive cooks might want to go a little farther in adding flavor as well as nutrition. How about kneading in a bit of chopped garlic and parsley to the batter, or perhaps rosemary and chopped onion? These variations give traditional Virgin Islands johnnycakes a twist that tastes good — and makes them good for you, too.
Whole Wheat Baked Johnnycakes
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons light margarine
1/2 cup skim milk
Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add margarine and work in gently with fingertips. Add milk gradually until soft dough is formed. Knead for 5 minutes. Roll into small balls, then flatten and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick coating. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6.
These fluffy round ovals of bread are typically fried — submerged and saturated, that is, with a walloping dose of oil that over a period of years can clog arteries to a stop. The main ingredient in the batter is white flour, devoid of the fiber-richness of whole-wheat grains.
To make johnnycakes more healthful is as simple as baking them and making them using whole-wheat flour as the base. In the recipe below, there are a few other tricks to trim the fat even further: Using light margarine in place of butter, substituting skim (fat-free) milk for whole milk, and "greasing" the baking sheet with a nonstick spray such as Pam.
While this recipe is for basic baked, whole-wheat johnnycakes, inventive cooks might want to go a little farther in adding flavor as well as nutrition. How about kneading in a bit of chopped garlic and parsley to the batter, or perhaps rosemary and chopped onion? These variations give traditional Virgin Islands johnnycakes a twist that tastes good — and makes them good for you, too.
Whole Wheat Baked Johnnycakes
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons light margarine
1/2 cup skim milk
Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add margarine and work in gently with fingertips. Add milk gradually until soft dough is formed. Knead for 5 minutes. Roll into small balls, then flatten and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick coating. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6.
FITTEST TO BE FREE: 'THE WIND DONE GONE'
The Wind Done Gone
by Alice Randall
Houghton Mifflin, 210 pp, $25
Alice Randall's "The Wind Done Gone," an acerbic underview of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind," has at its core one clear fact: Nobody knows the family secrets like the help. Making yourself indispensible to the lord (or lady) of the manor means becoming like one of the family.
At the expense of their own familial relationships and personal aspirations, enslaved blacks in pre-Civil War America did just that. As they watched loved ones sold off or savaged, they had to turn a smiling face to the ones responsible for their misery. As a means of survival, American blacks wriggled their way into the roles of enabler and indulgent servant. After a time, the masters became enslaved to the confidences and comforts provided by these, their "best" slaves. Such a position could ensure safety and longevity.
Another strength of the oppressed is sharp intelligence and knowledge of the oppressor's psyche. Scheherazade wove tales of Arabian Nights, stopping at a cliffhanger for 1,000 nights and winning the right to live from Sultan Schahriah of Arabia on the 1001st. Tituba, an Amerindian slave accused of being a witch for doing as she was asked, confessed to avoid her own trial, but launched Salem, Mass., into a frenzy now known as the Salem Witch Trials with her own prevarications.
On the other hand, becoming the love object of the oppressor can yield favors thought impossible to attain: Anna Heegaard, the Danish West Indian woman who entranced Governor-General Peter Von Scholten, is such an example. The governor required that she be treated with respect as she served as his hostess at Government House, much to the chagrin of plantation owners of that time.
Anna and Peter's relationship reportedly spanned over 20 years. Von Scholten was seeing to the education of island children as early as 1839 via Moravian missionaries. By the time emancipation came in 1848, many people of the territory were literate and had learned enough to support their new-found liberty.
Alice Randall's debut novel revolves around the maverick spirit of the mulatto Prissy Cynara Brown. Cynara's journal chronicles her life as the illegitimate daughter of the master of the house while watching her mother (Mammy) expend affection and care on the master's children, most notably "Other." Other parallels Scarlett O'Hara, while "R." shadows Rhett Butler. This intentionally lopsided treatment of "Gone With the Wind" seeks to give voice to those American blacks who thrived even in subservient roles — the other side of the Reconstruction era.
Another doppelganger, "Garlic" (Pork), claims to have engineered his being won in a card game by "Planter" (Gerald O'Hara) by dosing Planter's opponents with potent alcoholic beverages while mixing his target's drinks lightly. The goal: to end up at "Tata" (Tara) and create a stable and relatively luxurious environment in which to raise his family.
In "GWTW," this episode is expressed quite differently, with O'Hara winning the hapless Negro by his own wit. Garlic also boasts credit for selecting Mammy (Cynara's mother) and for helping to create the plantation Tata ("He needed me. And I needed him, 'cause I had a vision of a place I wanted to live … Every column fluted was a monument to the slaves and the whips our bodies had received … We, Mammy and me, kept this place together because it was ours").
R. and Other are introduced to each other by Cynara, and R. eventually marries Other. This does not curtail R. and Cynara's relationship, which had begun before he was introduced to Other. He leaves Other shortly after the death of their daughter, "Precious" (Bonnie), after giving the "I don't give a (tinker's) damn" speech, and sets up permanent house with Cynara.
At the beginning of the novel, R. and Cynara's encounters are steamy and ripe with sensuality. As the natural cooling of the physical aspect of their arrangement sets in, it becomes clear that Cynara has begun to re-evaluate her place in the world. She even muses, "There always seems to be one of us who don't want to be free."
Some time after Other dies, R. asks Cynara to marry — but to move to London with him and "pass" for white with her relatively light skin. This appears to be the point where Cynara reflexively gathers herself: "I cannot go to London and forget my color. I don't want to. Not anymore." From this point on, Cynara sees that, for all his affection, R. is not capable of giving her the kind of love and acceptance that she has denied herself for many years. While she acknowledges his love, she wants his respect.
R. keeps Cynara in a nice style, even as he woos and marries Other. At first, Cynara's focus lies in proving herself worthy of his love, and pleasing him is tantamount to pleasing herself. As the novel progresses, Negro men catch Cynara's eye, and she is shocked to find herself lusting after them. The objects of her desire have something that the Southern Negro had not had in the past: personal and financial success. Up until that time, her power has been in her ability to please R.; now, she slowly finds herself wanting to be pleased.
When R. refers to the object of her first crush as "boy" and Cynara winces, we see that she may be outgrowing her inferior status to R. She marries "her Debt" (R.), while building an intense connection with a dashing black congressman. To speak more of her dealings with her paramour would be giving away Cynara's greatest achievement (in her eyes), and so I shall not.
"The Wind Done Gone" presents the struggle to be free within, rather than without. In Cynara's relationship with R. (later Debt Chauffeur as her view of him changes), we see a parallel to the post-Civil War mentality of many black people in America. From an anxious realization that they had nowhere safe to go and no skills other than those learned on the plantation, many slaves chose to stay close to their former masters.
Cynara hints at the Ku Klux Klan's beastly efforts to restore "balance," almost as a reminder to herself of the risks involved in gaining too much, too soon. She and her intimates of color may not have attained greatness of national or worldwide magnitude in "TWDG," but their fictional struggle depicts the real-life stages of moving from slavery to liberty.
"The Wind Done Gone" is available at Dockside Bookshop in Havensight Mall on St. Thomas. To check out other Dockside favorites, click here.
by Alice Randall
Houghton Mifflin, 210 pp, $25
Alice Randall's "The Wind Done Gone," an acerbic underview of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind," has at its core one clear fact: Nobody knows the family secrets like the help. Making yourself indispensible to the lord (or lady) of the manor means becoming like one of the family.
At the expense of their own familial relationships and personal aspirations, enslaved blacks in pre-Civil War America did just that. As they watched loved ones sold off or savaged, they had to turn a smiling face to the ones responsible for their misery. As a means of survival, American blacks wriggled their way into the roles of enabler and indulgent servant. After a time, the masters became enslaved to the confidences and comforts provided by these, their "best" slaves. Such a position could ensure safety and longevity.
Another strength of the oppressed is sharp intelligence and knowledge of the oppressor's psyche. Scheherazade wove tales of Arabian Nights, stopping at a cliffhanger for 1,000 nights and winning the right to live from Sultan Schahriah of Arabia on the 1001st. Tituba, an Amerindian slave accused of being a witch for doing as she was asked, confessed to avoid her own trial, but launched Salem, Mass., into a frenzy now known as the Salem Witch Trials with her own prevarications.
On the other hand, becoming the love object of the oppressor can yield favors thought impossible to attain: Anna Heegaard, the Danish West Indian woman who entranced Governor-General Peter Von Scholten, is such an example. The governor required that she be treated with respect as she served as his hostess at Government House, much to the chagrin of plantation owners of that time.
Anna and Peter's relationship reportedly spanned over 20 years. Von Scholten was seeing to the education of island children as early as 1839 via Moravian missionaries. By the time emancipation came in 1848, many people of the territory were literate and had learned enough to support their new-found liberty.
Alice Randall's debut novel revolves around the maverick spirit of the mulatto Prissy Cynara Brown. Cynara's journal chronicles her life as the illegitimate daughter of the master of the house while watching her mother (Mammy) expend affection and care on the master's children, most notably "Other." Other parallels Scarlett O'Hara, while "R." shadows Rhett Butler. This intentionally lopsided treatment of "Gone With the Wind" seeks to give voice to those American blacks who thrived even in subservient roles — the other side of the Reconstruction era.
Another doppelganger, "Garlic" (Pork), claims to have engineered his being won in a card game by "Planter" (Gerald O'Hara) by dosing Planter's opponents with potent alcoholic beverages while mixing his target's drinks lightly. The goal: to end up at "Tata" (Tara) and create a stable and relatively luxurious environment in which to raise his family.
In "GWTW," this episode is expressed quite differently, with O'Hara winning the hapless Negro by his own wit. Garlic also boasts credit for selecting Mammy (Cynara's mother) and for helping to create the plantation Tata ("He needed me. And I needed him, 'cause I had a vision of a place I wanted to live … Every column fluted was a monument to the slaves and the whips our bodies had received … We, Mammy and me, kept this place together because it was ours").
R. and Other are introduced to each other by Cynara, and R. eventually marries Other. This does not curtail R. and Cynara's relationship, which had begun before he was introduced to Other. He leaves Other shortly after the death of their daughter, "Precious" (Bonnie), after giving the "I don't give a (tinker's) damn" speech, and sets up permanent house with Cynara.
At the beginning of the novel, R. and Cynara's encounters are steamy and ripe with sensuality. As the natural cooling of the physical aspect of their arrangement sets in, it becomes clear that Cynara has begun to re-evaluate her place in the world. She even muses, "There always seems to be one of us who don't want to be free."
Some time after Other dies, R. asks Cynara to marry — but to move to London with him and "pass" for white with her relatively light skin. This appears to be the point where Cynara reflexively gathers herself: "I cannot go to London and forget my color. I don't want to. Not anymore." From this point on, Cynara sees that, for all his affection, R. is not capable of giving her the kind of love and acceptance that she has denied herself for many years. While she acknowledges his love, she wants his respect.
R. keeps Cynara in a nice style, even as he woos and marries Other. At first, Cynara's focus lies in proving herself worthy of his love, and pleasing him is tantamount to pleasing herself. As the novel progresses, Negro men catch Cynara's eye, and she is shocked to find herself lusting after them. The objects of her desire have something that the Southern Negro had not had in the past: personal and financial success. Up until that time, her power has been in her ability to please R.; now, she slowly finds herself wanting to be pleased.
When R. refers to the object of her first crush as "boy" and Cynara winces, we see that she may be outgrowing her inferior status to R. She marries "her Debt" (R.), while building an intense connection with a dashing black congressman. To speak more of her dealings with her paramour would be giving away Cynara's greatest achievement (in her eyes), and so I shall not.
"The Wind Done Gone" presents the struggle to be free within, rather than without. In Cynara's relationship with R. (later Debt Chauffeur as her view of him changes), we see a parallel to the post-Civil War mentality of many black people in America. From an anxious realization that they had nowhere safe to go and no skills other than those learned on the plantation, many slaves chose to stay close to their former masters.
Cynara hints at the Ku Klux Klan's beastly efforts to restore "balance," almost as a reminder to herself of the risks involved in gaining too much, too soon. She and her intimates of color may not have attained greatness of national or worldwide magnitude in "TWDG," but their fictional struggle depicts the real-life stages of moving from slavery to liberty.
"The Wind Done Gone" is available at Dockside Bookshop in Havensight Mall on St. Thomas. To check out other Dockside favorites, click here.
NEW WAPA GAS TURBINE CLOSE TO GOING ONLINE
July 28, 2001 – The Water and Power Authority's new gas turbine unit No. 22 will provide an additional 25 megawatts of electrical power to St. Thomas when it goes online in mid-August.
Joseph Thomas, WAPA executive director, said the unit will "provide the additional capacity … to enable us to take some units out that are sorely in need of repair, and … enable us to meet our reserve requirements, which is to be able to meet peak demand with our two largest units out of service."
Warren Coker, construction manager for Besco Inc., the general contractor overseeing assembly of the unit, said similar units have been installed around the world including several in Africa and 16 in China. Coker explained that the heart of the unit is a Pratt and Whitney jet engine, similar to theose that power intermediate-size airliners, which provides the hot gases to spin the turbine blades. The blades then spin the generator element of the new unit.
Mark Knopf of Pro-Mar Services directed the placement of the new unit's exhaust stack Wednesday. One major piece remains to be connected before the new generator can be started for testing, which should begin in early August, according to Coker.
Besco, based in Jacksonville, Fla., has used subcontractors from St. Thomas, St. Croix and Puerto Rico, including Pro Mar Services Inc., which provided the crane that placed the exhaust stack.
Joseph Thomas, WAPA executive director, said the unit will "provide the additional capacity … to enable us to take some units out that are sorely in need of repair, and … enable us to meet our reserve requirements, which is to be able to meet peak demand with our two largest units out of service."
Warren Coker, construction manager for Besco Inc., the general contractor overseeing assembly of the unit, said similar units have been installed around the world including several in Africa and 16 in China. Coker explained that the heart of the unit is a Pratt and Whitney jet engine, similar to theose that power intermediate-size airliners, which provides the hot gases to spin the turbine blades. The blades then spin the generator element of the new unit.
Mark Knopf of Pro-Mar Services directed the placement of the new unit's exhaust stack Wednesday. One major piece remains to be connected before the new generator can be started for testing, which should begin in early August, according to Coker.
Besco, based in Jacksonville, Fla., has used subcontractors from St. Thomas, St. Croix and Puerto Rico, including Pro Mar Services Inc., which provided the crane that placed the exhaust stack.
WATER SAFETY IN PRE-HURRICANE ADVISORY
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources advises the public to insure that drinking water resources are protected when preparing for an impending hurricane, the following tasks should be completed:
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing stored in a safe waterproof place. To calculate the water needed for two weeks, multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at the Cyril E. King Airport, Terminal Building, 2nd floor, 774-3320.
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing stored in a safe waterproof place. To calculate the water needed for two weeks, multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at the Cyril E. King Airport, Terminal Building, 2nd floor, 774-3320.
WATER SAFETY IN PRE-HURRICANE ADVISORY
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources advises the public to insure that drinking water resources are protected when preparing for an impending hurricane, the following tasks should be completed:
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing stored in a safe waterproof place. To calculate the water needed for two weeks, use the formula: multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at the Cyril E. King Airport, Terminal Building, 774-3320.
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing stored in a safe waterproof place. To calculate the water needed for two weeks, use the formula: multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at the Cyril E. King Airport, Terminal Building, 774-3320.
WATER SAFETY IN PRE-HURRICANE ADVISORY
The Department of Natural Resourcs advises the public to insure that drinking water resources are protected when preparing for an impending hurricane.
The following tasks should be completed:
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing be stored in a safe waterproof place.To calculate the water needed for two weeks, use the following formula: multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should also be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at 118 Water Gut Homes, 773-0565.
The following tasks should be completed:
1. All downspouts leading to cisterns be disconnected or blocked.
2. A two week supply of water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing be stored in a safe waterproof place.To calculate the water needed for two weeks, use the following formula: multiply the number of residents by 20 gallons per person per day and multiply that number by 14 days.
3. An adequate supply of disinfecting agents should also be on hand and stored in a safe place.
Emergency Water Supply Lists may be obtained from the Division of Environmental Protection at 118 Water Gut Homes, 773-0565.
