April 1, 2002 – Five Cuban nationals were apprehended on Easter Sunday afternoon as they came ashore on St. John near a popular tourist site.
According to a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the men were picked up around 2 p.m. by V.I. National Park police at Leinster Bay, a relatively remote location near Annaberg Plantation.
The park police notified INS officials on St. Thomas, according to Ivan Ortiz, public relations officer for the immigration service regional office in San Juan. Ortiz said information provided to his office indicated that the five were first spotted around 1 p.m. and that they surrendered without incident.
Although Cubans often try to enter the United States illegally in Florida, Ortiz said, it is rare to find them the shores of the Virgin Islands. Ilegal aliens from China, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia top the INS list of those trying to get into the country from the Eastern Caribbean, he said. Most are dropped off from boats under cover of night.
Federal agents took the five men into custody late Sunday afternoon and transported them to St. Thomas. Illegal immigrants usually are given a quick appearance in District Court for an advice of rights hearing, but by Monday morning, the court clerk's office said no hearing had been scheduled.
With the security of U.S. borders under increased scrutiny since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11, INS scrutiny has been stepped up. But Ortiz said the INS focus on Virgin Islands immigration has not changed much, and the resources for checking incoming vessels remain slim. Would-be illegal immigrants are "going to continue trying to get into the country, and some are going to be successful," he said.

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.

A Mini Carnival will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 6, at the Baa Library. Youth groups and children with adults are invited to join the fun. The fun will include the Lockhart Elementary School Pantomime Group, Gospel Choir and Quadrille Dancers; the Antilles School Mocko Jumbie Bacchanal; a puppeteer; steel band; stories; face painting; refreshments and Nicky "Mighty Whitey" Russel.
Kids Cope and the Friends of the Library are promoting a safe carnival for all.
For information contact Diane Moody, Baa Library at 774-0630 or dmoody4345@yahoo.com.

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.

April 1, 2002 – Dine April 8 at Bonnie's By the Sea and you'll be doing the dogs, cats, cattle, horses and donkeys a favor. And you don't have to eat vegetarian.
The St. Thomas Humane Society has a promise from a number of restaurants to give 10 percent of a certain evening's dinners to the Society, and now it's Bonnie's turn.
So – gather your friends for a social evening and the troubled animals helped by the St. Thomas Humane Society will benefit.
On May 17 proceed to Tillett's Pub, and proceeds will be shared by the Society.
Check the website at www.humanesocietyofstthomas.com for upcoming events and firm dates.
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.

March 27, 2002 – The V.I. Police Department has issued detailed regulations for traffic and parking during Carnival activities.
Effective Sunday, April 21, 2002, any vehicle parked and obstructing either pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the vicinity of Carnival Village will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. The area includes but is not limited to parking on sidewalks in the area of the V.I. Legislature, Alvaro DeLugo Post Office, and Main Street.
Specially assigned wrecker operators will tow and store all vehicles removed from the areas indicated, said the release from the office of Deputy Chief of Police Theodore A. Carty. Towing fees are $70 and ticket fines are $25. To retrieve a towed vehicle, one should report to the front desk at Zone "A" located in the Justice Complex. The desk officer will contact the on-duty wrecker operator to relinquish the vehicle once the fines and fees have been paid.
"To avoid paying these fees, do not park on the sidewalks and in areas which block or obstruct vehicle and pedestrian traffic," said traffic commander Capt. Justin Lettsome.
Regulations and prohibitions during Carnival festivities
Parking less than 10 feet from a corner
Parking less than 10 feet from a fire hydrant
Improper parking or parking more than 12 inches from a curb
Parking in front of the Criminal Justice Complex on Hospital Gade
Parking where it interferes with the free and normal flow of traffic
Parking on taxi stands and in handicapped designated areas
Speeding and drag-racing on the public roads and highways
Driving drunk or impaired
Parking on Main Street from April 22 to April 28, between 6 p.m. and midnight
Parking in excess of posted signage time zones
Parking in police parking lot on Norre Gade
Carnival Village prohibited parking
The motoring public is informed from effective Saturday, April 13, at one minute after midnight through Saturday, May 4, at midnight, parking is prohibited in the Fort Christian parking lot. This is to allow construction and all entertainment functions of the Carnival Village.
Vehicles found parked in the lot or around the Village that obstruct the normal flow of pedestrians and vehicles will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. Provisions for loading and unloading of goods and supplies will be allowed; however, when loading or unloading is completed the vehicle must be removed from inside the Village.
Lionel Roberts Stadium activities
Effective at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, during activities at Lionel Roberts Stadium, traffic will be restricted to a "loop pattern."
Motor vehicles traveling west on Polyberg Hill will turn left at the signal light, then right on the Kongens Gade (Education Street) road, and right onto Hospital Gade to travel north toward the Knud Hansen Complex. Vehicles traveling north on Beltjen Road shall turn left onto Norre Gade adjacent to Wet Willy's bar, and right onto Hospital Gade.
Food Fair activities
On Wednesday, April 24, traffic flow around the Carnival Food Fair located in the Rothschild Francis (Market) Square will be as follows:
Fireburn Hill (Lettsome's Grocery) between 7 and 9 a.m., traffic will reverse to a northbound direction (uphill). Motorists traveling southbound will turn right at the top onto Inter Gade and into Savan.
Gamble Gade (Weekes Bakery) traffic will be reversed from westbound to eastbound. Motorists traveling east on Gamble Gade will be able to turn left onto Fireburn Hill or right onto Store Gade to exit via Wimmelskaft Gade (Back Street). Princesse Gade (Dober School road) will be closed to vehicular traffic.
J'ouvert on Veterans Drive
On Thursday, April 25, Veterans Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic from 4 a.m. until all J'ouvert activity has concluded.
Parade days
On Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, no parking will be allowed on Main Street from 5 a.m. until the Carnival parades have concluded.
Race track activities
On Friday, April 26, during activities at the Clinton E. Phipps Race Track, parking will be allowed only on the westbound lane. Vehicles that park inside of the racetrack must exit by making a left turn and travel westward. Right turns will not be permitted until the activity is ended.
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.

March 31, 2002 – The 50th anniversary celebration of V.I. Carnival officially got under way Sunday with the selection of a new prince and princess for 2002.
The winning duo, 9-year-old Reshai Corneiro and 8-year-old Akeem Warner, charmed the crowd with their impersonations of Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. They also won the prize for best eveningwear.
About a thousand people, mostly families with their own princes and princesses in tow, converged on Lionel Roberts Stadium late on Easter Sunday afternoon for the first of the annual series of Carnival stadium shows and pageants. At the end of the four-hour event, supporters crowded the front of the stage to hail the victorious Couple No. 1. Also offering congratulations were the reigning young royals of 2001, Omari Williams and Britanny Rodrigues.
Couple No. 2, Lauren Fleming and Stanley Barbel, III, captured the best talent, most cooperative prince and princess, and most photogenic awards. Couple No. 3, Aniqua Mills and Caheem Peets, won the question-and-answer segment and the titles of Mr. and Miss Intellect.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull was on hand to witness the pageant, along with about a dozen past princes and princesses dating back to the beginnings of modern-day Carnival in the 1950s. And as a glimpse of things to come, Master of Ceremonies Irvin "Brownie" Brown introduced the four contestants who will vie for the title of Carnival Queen on the stadium stage next Saturday. The candidates were escorted by four young men. In a salute to 1952, there will be a king as well as a queen for Carnival 2002 — the escort of the winning contestant.
The images of the first Carnival king and queen, Leo Sibilly and Carmen Nicholson (who would later wed her king), appear on the backdrop mural, stage left, at the stadium.
Through the double doors leading backstage, each of the three sets of prince and princess contestants appeared and disappeared Sunday evening as they made their way through the pageant's various segments — introduction, sportswear, cultural interpretation, talent and eveningwear. Their cultural interpretations centered on the 50th anniversary theme, "A Cultural Roogoodoo for 2002."
According to emcee Brown, in an interview done a few months ago, a roogoodoo is a loud commotion that usually comes along with great excitement.
For a run-down of what's coming up, see the Source's Carnival 2002 Schedule.

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.

March 31, 2002 – Ready to start the fifth and last race of the International Rolex Regatta on Sunday, St. Croix skipper Scott Stanton at the helm of his family's J/24, Jersey Devil, knew he had to put a boat between himself and Puerto Rico's Don Q Cristal in order to win the highly competitive J/24 class.
"We had a great start and a good windward leg leading in first," the 18-year-old said afterward. "Then, when we rounded the mark, Don Q got right behind us. We covered them all the way, just managing to stay in front." Then, on the second leg, "Don Q and Cora 2002 got into a tacking dual, and they lost speed because of it. By the time we got to the layline for the finish, Urayo had passed Don Q, and we got what we needed to win."
Jersey Devil and Old & Gray, St. Thomas skipper Chris Rosenberg's IC-24, were the two local boats that took first-place honors in the 29th annual regatta, an Easter weekend tradition hosted by the St. Thomas Yacht Club. This year, no longer part of the Caribbean Ocean Racing Triangle, the regatta focused on racing in 12 classes, with no boat being named best overall based on time and handicap, and each class winner collecting a Rolex watch.
Wind — often a lack of it — was the big story for this Rolex Regatta, and Sunday — which was to have been the third race day but instead was the second — proved more of the theme. Competitors headed out from Cowpet Bay in search of wind, rather than sailing the traditional Coral World Race, a traditional route between St. Thomas and St. John and then west. A lack of wind postponed the first start until 11:30 a.m. Then, right in the middle of that race, the winds dropped to near breathless as a big cloud mass moved overhead.
"Sometimes, there was barely enough air to fill the spinnaker and keep it out of the water," Robbie Ramos, tactician on the class-winning Orion, a Melges 24 from Puerto Rico, said afterward.
But then a squall brought the breezes bustling back so the race committee could launch the 78-boat fleet on the day's second race.
St. Thomas's Ben Beer, working the bow on Titan XI, an Andrews 68 owned and skippered by Puerto Rico's Tom Hill, said, "We take what we get. But the more the breeze built, the wider my smile."
Titan XI, competing in the Racing Over 50 Ft. Class, and Old & Gray in the IC-24 Class were two of the regatta's five perfect winners — finishing first in class in all five of the Rolex races. The others were Cold Beer 3 (Spinnaker Racer Cruise Class), Suzuki Tornado (Beach Cats Class 2) and Ex Mero Motu (J/80 Class).
Jersey Devil's campaign was a family effort; skipper Scott Stanton's crew included his twin brother, Peter, and older brother Chris. When asked how he might share his Rolex watch prize, Scott had a ready answer: "It goes to our dad. He deserves it."
This is the last season that the Stantons will be racing Jersey Devil as a team in the spring regattas, as Peter and Scott will be heading off to college in the fall.
Top 3 final results after five races
(Awards this year are in classes only; there is no overall winner.)

Racing Over 50 Ft. Class (3 boats)
Titan XI, Andrews 70, Tom Hill, San Juan, 1-1-1-1-1; 5
Equation, Santa Cruz 68, Bill Alcott, St. Claire Shores, Mich., 2-2-2-2-2; 10
Donnybrook, Custom 73, James Muldoon, Washington, D.C., 3-3-4-4-4; 18
Spinnaker Racing Class 1 (7 boats)
Twisted Lizard, Mumm 30, Mike Lathrope, Naperville, Ill./St. Thomas, 3-2-4-1-1; 11
Mermaid II, Custom 40, Bill Berardelli, Bluebell, Pa./Tortola, 1-1-3-5-3; 13
Caccia alla Volpe, Vallicelli 44, Carlo Falcone, Antigua, 5-4-2-2-2; 15
Spinnaker Racing Class 2 (13 boats)
Orion, Melges 24, Efrain Lugo, Ponce, P.R., 1-1-1-5-1; 9
2 Contact Carib, Melges 24, Fritz Bus, Sint Maarten, 2-2-2-6-3; 15
Lost Horizon II, Olson 30, James Dobbs, Antigua, 6-4-3-1-8; 22
Spinnaker Racer Cruiser Class 1 (5 boats)
Hullabulloo, Beneteau First, Phillip Allen, Southampton, U.K., 2-1-1-1-2; 7
Pipe Dream, Sirena 38, Peter Haycraft, Tortola, 1-2-2-2-1; 8
Spirit of Isis, Farr 65, Harry Spedding, U.K., 5-3-3-3-3; 17
Spinnaker Racer Cruiser Class 2 (5 boats)
Cold Beer 3, Tartan 10, John Schultheiss, Tortola, 1-1-1-1-1; 5
Disco Inferno, Sigma 33, Matt Abbiss, Herts, U.K., 3-2-2-2-3; 12
J.Doe, J/30, Cynthia Ross, St. Thomas, 2-4-3-3-2; 14
Beach Cats Class 1 (10 boats)
Exodus-Sambiago, Hobie 16, Enrique Figueroa, San Juan,1-1-1-5-1; 9
Blame It on Rhea, Prindle 19, Mark Chong, St. Thomas, 6-2-4-1-4; 17
Yuisa, Hobie 16, Rosarito Martinez, San Juan, 7-3-2-4-2; 18
Beach Cats Class 2 (6 boats)
Suzuki Tornado, Tornado 20, Enrique Figueroa, San Juan, 1-1-1-1-1; 5
Red Hook Agencies, Inter 20, John Holmberg, St. Thomas, 2-2-3-2-2; 11
Century 21, Tornado, Terry Jackson, St. Thomas, 3-3-2-3-3; 14
Non Spinnaker Racing Class (3 boats)
Wildflower, Ron Noonan, Marion, Mass./Tortola, 1-1-1-2-1; 6
ATN, J/27, Marcus Compton, St. Thomas, 2-2-2-1-2; 9
Jecy, Oceanis 461, Emanuel Giancomelli/Stefano Spangaro, Rimini, Italy,
3-3-3-4-4; 17
Fun Class – Jib & Main (no pole) (5 boats)
Nemesis, Hunter 42, Edwin Cruz, Fajardo, P.R., 2-1-1-1-1; 6
Windflower, Alberg 35, Stan Joines, St. Croix, 1-2-2-2-2; 9
Far Cry, Bombay Clipper, Herve Chassin, St. Thomas, 4-3-3-3-4; 17
IC-24 Class (10 boats)
Old & Gray, Chris Rosenberg, St. Thomas, 1-1-1-1-1; 5
Voila, Tracy Roberts/Anthony Kotoun, St. Thomas/Newport, R.I., 5-2-3-3-2; 15
Red Dog, Mike Williams/Skip King/Jessica Rosenberg, St. Thomas, 2-3-4-7-5; 21
J/80 Class (4 boats)
Ex Mero Motu, Antonio Mari Jr., San Juan, 1-1-1-1-1; 5
Abracadabra, Carlos Camacho, P.R., 2-2-3-2-3; 12
Sun Bum II, Angel Ayala, Carolina, P.R., 3-4-2-3-2; 14
J/24 Class (7 boats)
Jersel Devil, Scott/Peter Stanton, St. Croix, 8-2-1-4-1; 16
Don Q Cristal, Michael Serralles, P.R., 8-1-3-1-3; 16
Bacardio/Urayo, Gilberto Rivera, P.R., 1-8-2-3-2; 16

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.

April 1, 2002 – A weeklong "Humanities Festival" gets under way Monday on the St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands. All events are free and open to the public.
The first day of the festival, presented by UVI's Humanities Division, featires a lecture by Gilbert Sprauve, professor of modern languages, who is not only an expert in linguistics and foreign languages but also a local culture bearer, especially as regards St. John, his home island. The final day includes soprano/piano recital. In between are a daily smorgasbord of events covering in a variety of approaches the humanities topics of debate, theater, poetry, journalism, literature, foreign languages and music.
Building on the first Humanities Festival, held in 2000, "The festival celebrates the art of communication," Lorna Young-Wright, division chair on the St. Thomas campus, said in a UVI release. Representatives of the division's various academic areas — speech communication and theater, music, journalism, English, modern languages and linguistics — began organizing the festival last October.
The festival theme, "Celebrating 40 Years of Artistic Expression in the Humanities," is a part of the wider celebration of UVI's 40th anniversary.
The festival opens at noon Monday with the Humanities Division hosting an opening ceremony honoring retiring UVI President Orville Kean. The final event is a modern languages society induction ceremony Sunday evening in the campus cafeteria.
The lecture by Sprauve, who is on pre-retirement sabbatical for the semester, is titled, "How About 'Right as Defined by Need' as Opposed to 'Might Makes Right'?" Sprauve says his "basic argument is that in our society socialization and acculturation within the family generally instill an ethic that clashes in very essential ways with that imposed institutionally, pedagogically and otherwise by the dictates of free enterprise efficiency and profitability."
He argues that academia "while usurping the language of reason has abrogated its traditional role as beacon of humanistic didacticism and foment." And, he adds, "The present condition has much to do with shortcomings in the public policy process in our islands."
The schedule of events:
Monday noon — opening ceremony, Chase Auditorium.
Monday 2 p.m. — lecture by Prof. Gilbert Sprauve, Chase Auditorium.
Tuesday 2 p.m. — lecture on "Humanities and Sustainable Development," Chase Auditorium (speaker not announced).
Tuesday 7 p.m. — debate, cafeteria (details not announced).
Wednesday 4 p.m. — a "Celebration of 40 Years of Theatre Productions," Little Theater. This symposium/panel discussion, presented by speech and theater area faculty Rosary Harper, Dennis Parker and Michael Prenevost, will be a look at UVI theatrical productions from 1963 to the present. Parker said it's hoped that many individuals who have acted and worked backstage over the years will be on hand — including UVI Vice President Malcolm Kirwan, music faculty member Austin Venzen, Reichhold Center director David Edgecombe and community members Irose Payne, Hans Eisler, Wanda and Charmaine Dipnarine and Lee Vanterpool.
Wednesday 7 p.m. — poetry reading, off campus at Bethania Hall, next door to Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Thursday 2 p.m. — lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Melvin Claxton, Chase Auditorium. Claxton, a member of the St. Thomas Source editorial advisory board, is a former UVI student who earned his Pulitzer while working at the V.I. Daily News; he currently is a senior investigative reporter for The Detroit News.
Friday 9 a.m. — a "literary conference" (location and details not announced).
Friday 5 p.m. — journalism forum on the First Amendment, Teacher Education Building, Room T101. Participants are attorneys Adriane Dudley and Frederick Watts and TV2 producer and news director Haven Daley.
Friday 7 p.m. — poetry slam, Music Education Building.
Saturday 9 a.m. — "Celebrating Creative Expressions at Sea," MacLean Marine Science Center dock (details not announced).
Saturday 4 p.m. — "Humanities Celebration on the Green," Herman E. Moore Golf Course on campus. There will be music by the UVI Jazz Band, Concert Choir and Concert Band; a visual art display; games and food.
Sunday 4 p.m. — recital by JoAnne Stephenson, soprano, and Lorna Young-Wright, pianist, off campus at Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church. Stephenson is a member of the voice faculty at the University of Central Florida; Young-Wright is on the UVI music faculty.
Sunday 6 p.m. — induction ceremony and celebration by the UVI chapter of the Alph Mu Gamma National Collegiate Foreign Language Association, cafeteria.
The schedule will be updated as more specific information becomes available.

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.

March 31, 2002 – With ripe papayas now showing up at roadside produce stands (and on your trees, if you have some), this is the perfect time to whip up a batch of Papaya Smoothies.
Sometimes called "pawpaw" (inaccurately, since the pawpaw is a wild American fruit not botanically related to the papaya), papaya derives its name from the Carib word abadai. Both the Caribs and the Arawaks cultivated this fruit throughout the Caribbean islands. Christopher Columbus is said to have described the papaya in his journals as a "fruit of the angels." Explorers took papaya seeds to such far-away places as the Philippines and Nepal. In the last hundred years, the papaya has become a favorite fruit in many locales around the world.
When it comes to selecting fresh papaya, the color of the skin is usually a good indicator of the fruit's degree of ripeness. Ripe fruit is mostly yellow-orange but may still have some green coloring, so feel if the papaya yields slightly to pressure when handled. To ripen a green papaya, place it in a paper bag and set it on the kitchen counter. Check the fruit daily to know when it reaches the desired stage of ripeness.
Nutritionally, papaya is an excellent choice. It is rich in the cancer-fighting antioxidant nutrients beta-carotene and vitamin C and is chockfull of tummy-aiding dietary fiber, while being heart-healthfully low in sodium, as well as fat- and cholesterol-free. Half a medium-sized papaya provides only 60 calories.
Ripe papaya, with its green-orange-yellowish blush on the outside and soft inner texture, is most often eaten out of hand with a squeeze of lemon or lime and perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper to temper its sweet flavor. It also tastes great in a fruit salad, wrapped in a thin slice of smoked turkey or ham, and made into a pie or tart for dessert.
Sliced lengths of papaya can be grilled to go along with chicken or fish, and chunks can be threaded onto kabobs with other sweet or savory foods. But my family's favorite recipe — and a speedy one — is for Papaya Smoothies. Adding bananas to this recipes lends a creamy flavor without high-fat dairy products. Try it!
Fresh Papaya-Banana Smoothies
1 medium-size papaya (enough for 3 cups)
3 ripe bananas
1 cup 100 percent orange juice
1 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender, and process for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 150 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 3 mg sodium.
Variation: Spoon smoothie mixture into small plastic cups and freeze, then serve as a sherbet-like dessert.

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.

March 30, 2002 – In the good old days, when there were milk cows on St. Thomas, there was also a little two-lane road wandering through the pastureland of the Petersen estate. On this road was an old stone farmhouse next to a muddy corral, built smack dab on the roadway which led through the farm.
Nowadays, there is a new road around the Petersen property — better known as Mahogany Run Condominiums and Golf Course — and the old road runs past the entrance to The Old Stone Farm House restaurant before disappearing into a fairway. The farmhouse has been gutted and the stone walls cleaned until they sparkle.
In the restaurant, there are three menus: the basic menu, the wine list, and the daily listing of specials and desserts. The basic menu includes six to eight appetizers and about a dozen entrees. The emphasis is on foods you wouldn't want to take the time to prepare at home and for which you might not even know how to obtain the basic ingredients.
Instead of the run-of-the-mill snails, fried cheese, and shrimp, the appetizers stretch from sushi rolls to soup to salad. The sushi rolls yield six to eight goods bites of sushi complete with soy, radish and wasabi — the great green paste which ranks right up there with the finest Antiguan mashed peppers for bite. The soups are healthy helpings with wonderful flavors you are not ever going to find in any store and even many restaurants. The salads are generous, fresh and spirited, going beyond the genre.
The bread baked in the kitchen is served warm with an iced spread. It's a pleasing herbal mix which complements most before-dinner drinks, especially a dry white wine.
The entrees are plentiful, colorful, and tasty. While many upscale restaurants use pastas with some sort of tomato or cheese sauce to fill in the low end of the menu, The Old Stone Farm House has a black mussels and pasta dish which is loaded with plump mussels married to the pasta twirls with a rich cream sauce. If I were to ask for anything more, it would be plain bread to complement the wonderful flavors of the mussels and the sauce.
The shrimp used in the seafood dishes approach jumbo size. With angel hair pasta dressed with a diablo sauce, they provide a great mix of yin and yang.
The wine list can be a bit overwhelming with its preponderance of high-priced bottles. I don't know why so many restaurateurs feel they have to maintain such a markup. I would drink more wine if it were better priced, but most finer St. Thomas establishments have made it a luxury item. If you persevere, however, you can find a couple of excellent wines under $30 for the bottle, which is about the same as four glasses. The water, served in a pitcher, is as good as it should be in a truly good restaurant. Bravo!
Instead of the killer double chocolate, etc., concoctions of cake, cheesecake, brownie, etc., The Old Stone Farm House offers interesting light desserts. There are small cups of custard with different flavorings such as coffee and ginger. There is a tempting selection of handmade ice creams and sorbets including tamarind, berry and vanilla/mango.
The Old Stone Farm House is a splurge: A three-course dinner for two including a before-dinner drink and coffee will cost over $100. The good news is that you can justify the expenditure with the old adage "You get what you pay for." I found the food to be more than adequate in quantity and absolutely first class in quality.
Furthermore, the ambience was remarkable. We could talk without having to shout over someone's idea of dinner music, and the service was timely and pleasant.
The building is historic and the period furniture is suited to the setting. The once-mud yard has been transformed into a paved courtyard, and an outbuilding has been remodeled into luxurious restrooms with an eye to comfort and function. Not just toilets, which are clean with quality supplies, but actual "resting rooms" where you can sit and relax from or for whatever in overstuffed chairs with mirrors aplenty for primping.
Guests arriving at the restaurant can be dropped off at the front door, which is just around a gate opening onto the development road. There is parking at the turn in the road behind the restaurant and above the restaurant where you enter west of the circular drive and across the courtyard. When things are crowded, you can park off the first road to the right, which goes down to the Mahogany Run tennis courts.
At The Old Stone Farm House, if it weren't for the climate, you would swear you were in Provence. If you want to concentrate on top-quality food in an atmosphere where companionship can flourish, I recommend it.
The Old Stone Farmhouse
Ambience: 5 stars
Food: 5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Value: 5 stars
Mahogany Run road
(340) 777-6277
Dinner nightly except Monday 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Amex, MasterCard, Visa
Editor's note: The Tottering Taster is a senior citizen dedicated to enjoying good food who periodically dines in local establishments to bring Source readers unsolicited assessments biased in favor of an ultimate eating-out experience. The individual uses a pseudonym so restaurant personnel will not be able to identify the reviewer and try to influence the review.

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.

March 31, 2002 – With ripe papayas now showing up at roadside produce stands (and on your trees, if you have some), this is the perfect time to whip up a batch of Papaya Smoothies.
Sometimes called "pawpaw" (inaccurately, since the pawpaw is a wild American fruit not botanically related to the papaya), papaya derives its name from the Carib word abadai. Both the Caribs and the Arawaks cultivated this fruit throughout the Caribbean islands. Christopher Columbus is said to have described the papaya in his journals as a "fruit of the angels." Explorers took papaya seeds to such far-away places as the Philippines and Nepal. In the last hundred years, the papaya has become a favorite fruit in many locales around the world.
When it comes to selecting fresh papaya, the color of the skin is usually a good indicator of the fruit's degree of ripeness. Ripe fruit is mostly yellow-orange but may still have some green coloring, so feel if the papaya yields slightly to pressure when handled. To ripen a green papaya, place it in a paper bag and set it on the kitchen counter. Check the fruit daily to know when it reaches the desired stage of ripeness.
Nutritionally, papaya is an excellent choice. It is rich in the cancer-fighting antioxidant nutrients beta-carotene and vitamin C and is chockfull of tummy-aiding dietary fiber, while being heart-healthfully low in sodium, as well as fat- and cholesterol-free. Half a medium-sized papaya provides only 60 calories.
Ripe papaya, with its green-orange-yellowish blush on the outside and soft inner texture, is most often eaten out of hand with a squeeze of lemon or lime and perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper to temper its sweet flavor. It also tastes great in a fruit salad, wrapped in a thin slice of smoked turkey or ham, and made into a pie or tart for dessert.
Sliced lengths of papaya can be grilled to go along with chicken or fish, and chunks can be threaded onto kabobs with other sweet or savory foods. But my family's favorite recipe — and a speedy one — is for Papaya Smoothies. Adding bananas to this recipes lends a creamy flavor without high-fat dairy products. Try it!
Fresh Papaya-Banana Smoothies
1 medium-size papaya (enough for 3 cups)
3 ripe bananas
1 cup 100 percent orange juice
1 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender, and process for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 150 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 3 mg sodium.
Variation: Spoon smoothie mixture into small plastic cups and freeze, then serve as a sherbet-like dessert.

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.