Jabari Goodwin clocked a 4 minute, 45 second mile Monday, half way through the 18th Annual Memorial Day 2 Mile road race on St. Croix.
Goodwin mastered the fast downhill course in 10 minutes and 6 seconds. Jeremy Laurent, just selected as a Virgin Islands National Guard NCO of the Year and Amalie Lockhart of the St.Croix Educational High School ran to the tape together with Lockhart closing at the end, to tie for second in 10:45; Teddy Seymour, a Vietnam veteran and former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps was third in 11:57; nine-year-old Junuru Goodwin was fourth in 13:32; J'Kinde Goodwin, the third Goodwin brother, was fifth in 14:05.
In the close women's field, Aurelein held on to cross the finish in her second road race win in a row. She finished first in the Paradise 5k on May 3. On Monday, she finished with a time of 11:43 over Theresa Harper, a teacher at St. Croix Country Day School.
This sets up a return match of the two in the upcoming Women Race on June 10, a two miler in the streets of Christiansted.
J'Kiwa Goodwin, in her best performance of late, finished third in 13:15; Earthla Arthur was fourth in 13:31; Dulcie Crowther was fifth in 13:59.
The Finishers Male:
1.Jabarie Goodwin 10:06; 2. Jeremy Laurent 10:45; Amalee Lockhart 10:45; 3.
Teddy Seymour 11:57; 4. Jnuru Goodwin 13:32; 5. J' Kinde Goodwin 14:03; 6.Mervin Mills 14:04; 7. Rey Ruiz 14:36; 8. Al Gerni 15:36; 9.Alex Bradbury 16:03; 10.Kent Bradbury 16:04
The Finishers Female:
1.Sherma Aurelein 11:43; 2. Theresa Harper 11:53; 3. J' Kiwa Goodwin 13:15; 4. Earthla Arthur 13:31; 5. Dulcie Crowther 13:59; 6. Jawana Goodwin 14:33; 7. June St.Cyr 17:19; 8. Lorraine Durand 17:40; 9. Bernice Kight 18:31; 10. Marie Elise Witmer 18:40; 11. Dorsett Baily 19:32
Top Schools: Khepra School (Home School) J'Kiwa Goodwin, Jawana Goodwin,
J'Kende Goodwin, Jnuru Goodwin, Coached by Dale Goodwin
The next run on the V.I.Pace runners calender is The 17th annual The Women Race on June 10 at 4:45 P.M. in Christiansted followed by the annual Olympic Day Run on June 23.

When senators lament that the Legislature gets no respect from the Virgin Islands public, they might want to consider the pappyshow that took place last week involving Alphonse Nibbs.
Knowing full well that Nibbs could not be there to testify before the Housing, Parks and Recreation Committee — that in fact he had a previous legal appointment in Louisiana — Committee Chairman Celestino White nevertheless used his position to stage an exhausting, time-consuming and cynical sham. White even went so far as to tell media before the meeting that Nibbs would appear, despite Nibbs’ repeated public statements to the contrary.
Nibbs, as most people know, had made serious allegations about corruption within the territory’s housing agencies. White apparently does not want Nibbs to testify publicly about his charges. Sen. Lorraine L. Berry does.
Aside from trying — and failing — to embarrass Berry, his political nemesis, before and during last week’s fiasco, what was the point of White’s holding a hearing on Nibbs’ allegations on a date when Nibbs couldn’t attend? That kind of cynical behavior undermines respect for the legislative body, for the Virgin Islands government and, ultimately, for democracy itself.
Are the people of this territory supposed to support this behavior with votes and money? Unfortunately, many do, as evidenced by the makeup of the Legislature. But many don't — and with more performances like last week’s, we predict that more people will be joining the ranks of the disgusted. People may laugh at the antics, but increasingly it is a derisive kind of laughter, directed at the players and the process that put these players in place.
The only hope is that out of these embarrassing scenes will arise leaders who want to do things differently; leaders who give the people of these islands more credit than this, leaders who are committed to effective, responsible conduct of the public’s business.
Senators, more and more people are laughing at you, not with you. Don’t you get it? Or don’t you care?

May 29, 2001 – Traffic will be reduced to one lane from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in Smith Bay from the bottom of Cassi Hill to the entrance to Wyndham Sugar Bay Beach Club and Resort.
The Public Works Department will be cleaning and installing pipe crossings in the area.
"This operation will be done during the day and we will maintain one lane free at all times; however, motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes," said Wayne D. Callwood, Public Works' commissioner designee.
Callwood asked that motorists slow down and use "extreme caution" in the area.

May 29, 2001 — In what is promising to be a sequel to last year’s drawn-out budget process, Gov. Charles Turnbull on Friday informed the Senate that his proposed budget for fiscal year 2002 will be late.
Turnbull formally advised Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee, that the 2002 fiscal year executive budget would not be ready by the May 30 deadline. In a Government House release Friday afternoon, Turnbull said the delay was due to the lateness in getting last year’s budget in place and unexplained "administrative problems in its implementation."
Turnbull said he "anticipates" sending his budget to the Legislature in mid-July.
The announcement doesn’t bode well for a timely budget process, which was delayed well past the May 30 deadline last year because of two extensions sought by Turnbull.
Hansen’s committee began its budget hearings last week. They will continue over the next several weeks.
By law, Government House is to submit its proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year to the Legislature by the end of May. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 of one calendar year to Sept. 30 of the next.
On May 23, 2000, the governor asked for, and the Turnbull-friendly Legislature agreed to, a one-month extension. Turnbull then missed that deadline and was granted another on grounds that Senate action forced the administration to redo its numbers.
The Senate Finance Committee, then chaired by Sen. Lorraine Berry, didn’t begin deliberations on the 2001 budget until Dec. 1, 2000. The full Senate finally passed the budget on Dec. 22, 2000.

May 29, 2001 – Restaurant Marisol bills itself as specializing in "Pacific rim cuisine." My favorites among its offerings, however, are the Caribbean and African adaptations.
The establishment (where Zorba's used to be) consists of a lounge and bar accessed from the front porch directly off the street, and a rear courtyard. For meals you generally have your choice of locales, and it all depends on whether you are an inner or an outer — of-doors, that is. Personally, I enjoy both. The courtyard can be cool and relaxing at the end of the day and into the evening. The inner lounge is more intimate and, given the heavy local clientele, lends itself to socializing.
One of the menu items I particularly enjoy is the peanut chicken. Of course there is a fancy name for the dish, but the essence is firm breast of chicken with a wonderful mellow peanut sauce that gives the bland meat just the right amount of piquant, yet sweet flavor. I would be perfectly happy with a simple mound of white rice (say a cup or more) topped by a full chicken breast saturated in sauce. Oh yes, while we are at it, a basket of sourdough bread to further accent the sweet and sour — and sop up any remaining flavor buds.
Cooked bananas is another menu item Marisol has perfected. The soft, sweet banana with a touch of coconut keeps you tasting and tasting and tasting. Is it a vegetable, a fruit, or a dessert? I don’t know, nor do I care. It is simply ambrosia.
Another local dish which has received that Marisol touch is Kallaloo — greens, fish, shrimp, conch and any other available seafood. Boil it all up with okra, onion and who knows what else, and you have a succulent, filling, healthful and down right good dish. Pita bread, corn bread or other bread all complement the stew. Add a good beer, ginger ale or some other active libation to clean your palate, and you have a meal in itself. Yes, you can get a cup, not a bowl — but who would want to stop with a few spoonfuls when you can really pig out and be satisfied?
The Marisol Lounge was a great setting for the artists and attendees of the "Africa in the Heart of the Virgin Islands" exhibit at the Grand Gallery. For the gallery opening "after party," the lounge and bar were packed with Virgin Islanders listening to Eddie Bruce and his friends drumming. Eddie also showed his guitar talents, leading the group in numerous lovely tunes. Jon Euwema proved he was more than a pretty face with his own drumming, and several fellow artists sang and danced the evening away.
Marisol's organization, venue, cash bar and succulent snacks really made for a rousing evening. Highlights in the finger-food department included a top notch pick-up saltfish and a black olive paste.
Maybe Marisol could try hosting "after-Reichhold" parties. We really need a place to unwind after a good evening enjoying the arts. The Wendy's drive-up window just doesn’t do it.
The restrooms at Marisol are comfy and clean with plenty of supplies. While the building is historic, the owners have worked at providing a fresh environment. Parking is catch-as-catch-can on Government Hill, but there is usually something available within an interesting walk. If you park down below at Emancipation Garden, you would be well advised to walk the up-sloping road, rather than taking the stairs from Main Street to Hotel 1829. It has to do with the heart rate and the effects of gulping that first drink.
Restaurant Marisol
Ambiance: 5 stars
Food:5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Value: 5 stars
1854 Government Hill
(340) 776-1200
Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
Dinner Wed./Thurs./Sun. 6-10 p.m.; Fri./Sat. 6-11 p.m.
Tex-Mex/ Southwestern menu
Amex, Visa, MasterCard

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.

May 28, 2001 – Want a fun, inexpensive, clean place to visit which is very European with a mixture of architectural styles, interesting food, extensive transportation system, and a high probability of finding polite English-speaking residents? Look no further; Budapest is for you.
We discovered Budapest last year. This year, we went back for more.
What is your favorite architecture — Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Eclectic, Modern? You name it, you can find it in Budapest — sometimes all in the same block. The Baroque castle and churches in Buda, the Classical National Museum and Obuda Synagogue, the Romantic Pest Synagogue and Nyugati Railway Station (complete with a Romantic McDonald's behind hundreds of panes of glass) are great examples of the genre.
Into Eclectic? Experience the new Town Hall and parish churches in Ferencvaros and Erzsebetvaros. For Art Nouveau, there is the Gellert Hotel and Baths. Folkloristic-Modern enthusiasts have the Nerve Surgery Institute, while the Neo-Neo-Baroques have the Corvin Cinema and Corvin Department Store. For Bauhaus devotees, there's the row of apartments lining the Eighth District. Fans of the '50s will love the College of Applied Arts; and those of the '70s, the Scala Budapest Department Store.
These are but a few of the hallmark buildings in this often-destroyed, often-rebuilt city. The views of Buda and Pest from the elbow of the Margaret Bridge are said to be finest cityscape on the Danube, with the Parliament building on the left hand curve, Buda's Castle District on the right and Gellert Hill and the Citadel in the background.
For me and my wife, the best building of all was the "house of chocolate" at the head of Vorosmarty ter (plaza) and the tourist shopping street Vaca ut (street). You are right! We’re not so much into architecture as we are into chocolate. The chocolate maven Gerbeaud began his business here in 1870.
The Frank Joseph Underground Railway was started in 1894 and opened in 1896. It was the second subway in Europe (after the London tube), and the Vorosmarty exit from the east end of the rail line is directly in front of the chocolate master's café.
The Gerbeaud pastries are exquisite works of art crafted in whipped cream and chocolate. Prices are a bit more here than elsewhere, and the service is slow, but who cares? You are seated in a European center of indulgence, eating and drinking the finest products of the master known for the Konyakos Meggy (dark chocolate coating of sour cherries matured in cognac).
Two years ago, a new pub featuring its own micro-brewed ales opened for business in the basement of the Gerbeaud building. The service is excellent, the brews superb and the food top of the line. So far, though, the clientele is sparse; it's just not a place for maximum visibility like the sidewalk café, and it's too new – two years can't compare to 130-plus.
One of our favorite etterims (restaurants)is Kispipa in the Jewish District. We sought it out our first night and got lost. Stopping at a beauty salon, we asked directions. The proprietor consulted his watch and his schedule, hung out the "gone for a bit" sign, and ushered us down the street to the restaurant.
Our total bill for soup, main course, dessert and wine was $13.52. Generally we ate breakfast and lunch at our hotel as part of our hotel package, then had dinner out before attending almost nightly musical events. Our dinner prices ranged from $8.50 to $17.
Our favorite neighborhood restaurant from last year was Szep Ilona in northern Buda. The first time we looked for it this time, we had instructions to "take the 158 Bus above Moszkva ter to 1-3 Budakeszi ut." We found the bus easily enough, but the driver didn't speak English. When I asked if he went to Budakeszi ut, he nodded happily. I then realized this was not a good question, as his route could take us miles down Budakeszi ut but not to where we wanted to go.
Next I wrote the name of the restaurant on a piece of paper and showed it to him. Again, he nodded happily and motioned for me to sit down. After a mile or so, he caught my attention and motioned for me to come to the door. With a flourish, he stopped the bus and opened the door — directly in front of the restaurant.
The Szep Ilona's goulash soup is among the best, the pork knuckle and red cabbage are to die for, and the sour cherries are an excellent complement to the full-bodied red wine. Our total bill this year was $14.
Speaking of wine, we spent a great afternoon in the Budapest Wine Guild in Buda sampling Hungarian wines. While there, we met a Hungarian-American wine merchant from Delaware who was attempting to purchase commercial quantities of wine. He said the reason Hungarian wines are not better known in the United States is that they are so good they are fully subscribed in Europe, leaving nothing available for export to the U.S.A.
My wife and I have now spent six weeks seriously sampling Hungarian wines, and in our view they range from very good to superb.
We spent another pleasant evening wine tasting in the catacombs of an ancient monastery located beneath the Hilton Hotel in the Castle District. After wending our way in/out/down the stairs, we found this first-class cellar filled with rare wines available by the glass. We then spent more than an hour alone with the wine steward and his bottles, sampling some outstanding vintages to the accompaniment of classical music in the background.
One of the more off-beat etterims is the Nineteenth Hole. Walking south from the Parliament building on Nador ut along a nondescript building, one comes upon the entrance to the Golf Centrum and the 19th Hole. The Golf Centrum is a pro shop with clubs, clothes and all that rigmarole. It is has a virtual golf course, where you smack a ball into a screen showing a computer-generated video golf course. For the less adventurous, there are several driving nets to practice tee shots.
Friends in our hotel stumbled across this spot one afternoon and one of them had the good fortune to try the Hungarian onion soup. The creamy soup is served with grated cheese in a hard, round loaf of pumpernickel bread. Add a glass of full-bodied red wine, and you have a supper to suit almost any palate.
One morning we decided to lunch at Gundel's, take in the tapestry exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in the afternoon, then do our hotel's "folk night" buffet complete with gypsy music.
Eating at Gundel's cannot be a simple meal. Our experience last year — at dinner — lasted about four hours, involved four close companions whose friendship developed the first half-hour, and expanded to include five additional diners before the evening was over. Throw in half a dozen waiters, wine steward, maitre d', coat-room attendant (I needed a proper jacket, which she arranged), and an orchestra of seven or eight musicians, and you get more of a production number than a meal.
Lunch was different, but only a smaller-scale production. Instead of a bottle of Hungarian fine wine, we settled for a glass each. Instead of five courses, we made do with three. Instead of $125 dollars, it came to $55. Instead of four hours, we were able to trim it to three, allowing for an hour in the museum before we headed back to the hotel for a nap, a swim in the thermal pool, and a light dinner after nine. It doesn’t get much better.
Next: So much to see and do, so easy to get around, and so hard to keep your pockets from being picked.

May 28, 2001- Each year at the start of the mainland "beach season" — that is, over Memorial Day weekend — Stephen P. Leatherman, a respected marine scientist who's parlayed his research into a popular sideline, releases his latest list of "America's 20 Top Beaches."
He did it again this weekend. As usual, Hawaii and Florida are all over the place. And, as always, the Virgin Islands is nowhere to be found.
That, however, does not speak ill of the beaches in America's Paradise. Leatherman, who issues his lists using the monicker "Dr. Beach," simply doesn't include U.S. territories in his research.
"I just do the continental United States and Hawaii," he explains.
And, he adds, "I think if I put Caribbean beaches in with mainland beaches, it would skew the study. If I put the Virgin Islands in there to compete, they would be very close to the top, if not at the top — certainly the ones I'm familiar with, like Magens Bay and Trunk Bay."
Virgin Islanders might find his concern about skewing the study less than persuasive, given that Hawaii and Florida have dominated the list since its inception and no other state has made it to the No. 1 spot.
He rhapsodizes about the beauty of Hawaii's beaches "where the mountains meet the sea" with "lots of coral reefs close to shore." Nothing the territory couldn't compete with there, for sure.
The good news is that the Virgin Islands may get its go at glory soon.
Leatherman admits he's been "informally working on" an annual list of the best beaches of the Caribbean, which he would issue in the fall at the start of the tourist season. "I'm working on it as I can take trips down there," he says in a telephone interview, adding that he hopes to be ready to launch the project "in a couple of years."
Having traveled extensively, including in the South Pacific, he says, "I really look at the Caribbean as having some of the best beaches in the world."
"I've been to a few of them," he says, mentioning Antigua and Barbuda and Margarita Island in addition to the U.S. Virgins, "but I've got a lot more to go."
In his full-time job, Leatherman is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami.
He is the author of 13 books and over a hundred journal articles and is a noted authority on coastal erosion management and the implications of changes in sea level. He wrote the "Barrier Island Handbook," edited "Island States at Risk: Global Climate Change, Population and Development" in the Journal of Coastal Research, and has conducted and collaborated on studies for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The National Geographic Society and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 1998, he came out with a full-length book on his research of "America's Best Beaches."
Since issuing the first list in 1991, he has imposed his own rule that once a beach makes the top of the list, it can't be considered again — but each year he also cites the previous winners along with his new list.
Leatherman uses 50 criteria in evaluating beaches, awarding them from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) points on each. The criteria include low-tide width, sand type and color, water color, air and water temperature, wind, size of breaking waves, bottom conditions and slope, currents, turbidity, suspended waste matter, oil and tar balls, sewerage runoff, algae, seaweed, smell, insect pests, wildlife, domestic animals, vistas, cleanliness, surroundings, access, amenities, lifeguards, swimming safety record, beach crime, intensity and types of use, and noise level (mechanical, musical and human).
At the top of Leatherman's 2001 list is Poipu Beach, Hawaii, followed by St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Fla.; Kaanapali, Hawaii; Hanalei Beach, Hawaii; and Caladesi Island State Park, Fla. In places 6 through 20 are four other Florida sites, three others in Hawaii, two in North Carolina, two in New York, one each in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, and one beach shared by Florida and Alabama.
His No. 1-ranked beaches in previous years were Kapalua Bay, Hawaii (1991), Bahia Honda State Recreation Area, Fla. (1992), Hapuna, Hawaii (1993), Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, Fla. (1994), St. Andrews State Recreation Area, Fla. (1995), Lanikai Beach, Hawaii (1996), Hulopoe, Hawaii (1997), Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii (1998), Kailea Beach, Hawaii (1999) and Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii (2000).
In addition to his annual list of best overall beaches, Leatherman nowadays comes up with a list for The Travel Channel of the 10 "best beaches with nightlife." In exception to his "mainland and Hawaii only" rule, Puerto Rico's off-island of Culebra managed to make its way onto this one for 2001, ranked third, in fact, behind East Hampton Main Beach on Long Island, N.Y., and Miami's South Beach. The others are two from Hawaii, two from California, another from Florida and one each from Oregon and Texas.
Dr. Beach envisions his new islands list as being "a kind of Caribbean rating for people who could go there for the winter." And of course, he adds, "I would like to put another book together on that."
More information about Dr. Beach and his evaluations can be found at his web site, www.drbeach.org. He can be contacted via e-mail at Dr. Beach.

May 28, 2001- Each year at the start of the mainland "beach season" — that is, over Memorial Day weekend — Stephen P. Leatherman, a respected marine scientist who's parlayed his research into a popular sideline, releases his latest list of "America's 20 Top Beaches."
He did it again this weekend. As usual, Hawaii and Florida are all over the place. And, as always, the Virgin Islands is nowhere to be found.
That, however, does not speak ill of the beaches in America's Paradise. Leatherman, who issues his lists using the monicker "Dr. Beach," simply doesn't include U.S. territories in his research.
"I just do the continental United States and Hawaii," he explains.
And, he adds, "I think if I put Caribbean beaches in with mainland beaches, it would skew the study. If I put the Virgin Islands in there to compete, they would be very close to the top, if not at the top — certainly the ones I'm familiar with, like Magens Bay and Trunk Bay."
Virgin Islanders might find his concern about skewing the study less than persuasive, given that Hawaii and Florida have dominated the list since its inception and no other state has made it to the No. 1 spot.
He rhapsodizes about the beauty of Hawaii's beaches "where the mountains meet the sea" with "lots of coral reefs close to shore." Nothing the territory couldn't compete with there, for sure.
The good news is that the Virgin Islands may get its go at glory soon.
Leatherman admits he's been "informally working on" an annual list of the best beaches of the Caribbean, which he would issue in the fall at the start of the tourist season. "I'm working on it as I can take trips down there," he says in a telephone interview, adding that he hopes to be ready to launch the project "in a couple of years."
Having traveled extensively, including in the South Pacific, he says, "I really look at the Caribbean as having some of the best beaches in the world."
"I've been to a few of them," he says, mentioning Antigua and Barbuda and Margarita Island in addition to the U.S. Virgins, "but I've got a lot more to go."
In his full-time job, Leatherman is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami.
He is the author of 13 books and over a hundred journal articles and is a noted authority on coastal erosion management and the implications of changes in sea level. He wrote the "Barrier Island Handbook," edited "Island States at Risk: Global Climate Change, Population and Development" in the Journal of Coastal Research, and has conducted and collaborated on studies for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The National Geographic Society and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 1998, he came out with a full-length book on his research of "America's Best Beaches."
Since issuing the first list in 1991, he has imposed his own rule that once a beach makes the top of the list, it can't be considered again — but each year he also cites the previous winners along with his new list.
Leatherman uses 50 criteria in evaluating beaches, awarding them from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) points on each. The criteria include low-tide width, sand type and color, water color, air and water temperature, wind, size of breaking waves, bottom conditions and slope, currents, turbidity, suspended waste matter, oil and tar balls, sewerage runoff, algae, seaweed, smell, insect pests, wildlife, domestic animals, vistas, cleanliness, surroundings, access, amenities, lifeguards, swimming safety record, beach crime, intensity and types of use, and noise level (mechanical, musical and human).
At the top of Leatherman's 2001 list is Poipu Beach, Hawaii, followed by St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Fla.; Kaanapali, Hawaii; Hanalei Beach, Hawaii; and Caladesi Island State Park, Fla. In places 6 through 20 are four other Florida sites, three others in Hawaii, two in North Carolina, two in New York, one each in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, and one beach shared by Florida and Alabama.
His No. 1-ranked beaches in previous years were Kapalua Bay, Hawaii (1991), Bahia Honda State Recreation Area, Fla. (1992), Hapuna, Hawaii (1993), Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, Fla. (1994), St. Andrews State Recreation Area, Fla. (1995), Lanikai Beach, Hawaii (1996), Hulopoe, Hawaii (1997), Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii (1998), Kailea Beach, Hawaii (1999) and Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii (2000).
In addition to his annual list of best overall beaches, Leatherman nowadays comes up with a list for The Travel Channel of the 10 "best beaches with nightlife." In exception to his "mainland and Hawaii only" rule, Puerto Rico's off-island of Culebra managed to make its way onto this one for 2001, ranked third, in fact, behind East Hampton Main Beach on Long Island, N.Y., and Miami's South Beach. The others are two from Hawaii, two from California, another from Florida and one each from Oregon and Texas.
Dr. Beach envisions his new islands list as being "a kind of Caribbean rating for people who could go there for the winter." And of course, he adds, "I would like to put another book together on that."
More information about Dr. Beach and his evaluations can be found at his web site, www.drbeach.org. He can be contacted via e-mail at Dr. Beach.

May 28, 2001- Each year at the start of the mainland "beach season" — that is, over Memorial Day weekend — Stephen P. Leatherman, a respected marine scientist who's parlayed his research into a popular sideline, releases his latest list of "America's 20 Top Beaches."
He did it again this weekend. As usual, Hawaii and Florida are all over the place. And, as always, the Virgin Islands is nowhere to be found.
That, however, does not speak ill of the beaches in America's Paradise. Leatherman, who issues his lists using the monicker "Dr. Beach," simply doesn't include U.S. territories in his research.
"I just do the continental United States and Hawaii," he explains.
And, he adds, "I think if I put Caribbean beaches in with mainland beaches, it would skew the study. If I put the Virgin Islands in there to compete, they would be very close to the top, if not at the top — certainly the ones I'm familiar with, like Magens Bay and Trunk Bay."
Virgin Islanders might find his concern about skewing the study less than persuasive, given that Hawaii and Florida have dominated the list since its inception and no other state has made it to the No. 1 spot.
He rhapsodizes about the beauty of Hawaii's beaches "where the mountains meet the sea" with "lots of coral reefs close to shore." Nothing the territory couldn't compete with there, for sure.
The good news is that the Virgin Islands may get its go at glory soon.
Leatherman admits he's been "informally working on" an annual list of the best beaches of the Caribbean, which he would issue in the fall at the start of the tourist season. "I'm working on it as I can take trips down there," he says in a telephone interview, adding that he hopes to be ready to launch the project "in a couple of years."
Having traveled extensively, including in the South Pacific, he says, "I really look at the Caribbean as having some of the best beaches in the world."
"I've been to a few of them," he says, mentioning Antigua and Barbuda and Margarita Island in addition to the U.S. Virgins, "but I've got a lot more to go."
In his full-time job, Leatherman is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami.
He is the author of 13 books and over a hundred journal articles and is a noted authority on coastal erosion management and the implications of changes in sea level. He wrote the "Barrier Island Handbook," edited "Island States at Risk: Global Climate Change, Population and Development" in the Journal of Coastal Research, and has conducted and collaborated on studies for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The National Geographic Society and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 1998, he came out with a full-length book on his research of "America's Best Beaches."
Since issuing the first list in 1991, he has imposed his own rule that once a beach makes the top of the list, it can't be considered again — but each year he also cites the previous winners along with his new list.
Leatherman uses 50 criteria in evaluating beaches, awarding them from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) points on each. The criteria include low-tide width, sand type and color, water color, air and water temperature, wind, size of breaking waves, bottom conditions and slope, currents, turbidity, suspended waste matter, oil and tar balls, sewerage runoff, algae, seaweed, smell, insect pests, wildlife, domestic animals, vistas, cleanliness, surroundings, access, amenities, lifeguards, swimming safety record, beach crime, intensity and types of use, and noise level (mechanical, musical and human).
At the top of Leatherman's 2001 list is Poipu Beach, Hawaii, followed by St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Fla.; Kaanapali, Hawaii; Hanalei Beach, Hawaii; and Caladesi Island State Park, Fla. In places 6 through 20 are four other Florida sites, three others in Hawaii, two in North Carolina, two in New York, one each in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, and one beach shared by Florida and Alabama.
His No. 1-ranked beaches in previous years were Kapalua Bay, Hawaii (1991), Bahia Honda State Recreation Area, Fla. (1992), Hapuna, Hawaii (1993), Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, Fla. (1994), St. Andrews State Recreation Area, Fla. (1995), Lanikai Beach, Hawaii (1996), Hulopoe, Hawaii (1997), Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii (1998), Kailea Beach, Hawaii (1999) and Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii (2000).
In addition to his annual list of best overall beaches, Leatherman nowadays comes up with a list for The Travel Channel of the 10 "best beaches with nightlife." In exception to his "mainland and Hawaii only" rule, Puerto Rico's off-island of Culebra managed to make its way onto this one for 2001, ranked third, in fact, behind East Hampton Main Beach on Long Island, N.Y., and Miami's South Beach. The others are two from Hawaii, two from California, another from Florida and one each from Oregon and Texas.
Dr. Beach envisions his new islands list as being "a kind of Caribbean rating for people who could go there for the winter." And of course, he adds, "I would like to put another book together on that."
More information about Dr. Beach and his evaluations can be found at his web site, www.drbeach.org. He can be contacted via e-mail at Dr. Beach.

Dear Source,
I just witnessed the most terrifying moment in my entire history of V.I. driving. I had just arrived at the bottom of Crown Mountain Road, in St. Thomas, where it intersects with the Moravian Highway.
I was awaiting the traffic light to change in my favor. I've adopted the habit of waiting for a few seconds even when the light turns green to avoid being broadsided by drivers rushing through the amber and many times just-turned-red, traffic lights.
I noted the amber light and a car rushing to beat the red going west to east. Simultaneously, I observed a youth on one of those low riding bicycles whoosing past me to my left. Perhaps he underestimated his momentum, as he continued without slowing down straight out onto the highway, and directly into the path of that oncoming eastbound car. I heard myself screaming in horror as I saw the car brake. He slowed, but unfortunately, he still hit the youth. Then the light turned green, and angry honking car horns behind me propelled me to cross through the intersection.
I immediately pulled into the adjacent parking lot to see if I would be needing to call the police and an ambulance.
At first I saw only the driver jumping out of the car. Then, miraculously, I saw the youth stand up, stunned but seemingly unharmed. His bike? Not so lucky – mash up badly.
Still I wasn't sure if he was hurt or not, so I went ahead and called the police. They connected me to the ambulance department, who entered into a conversation with me which was seemingly to try and determine whether or not the ambulance was actually needed.
Now, I have three important observations and points to make about this experience. First, to all parents: please, talk to your bike riding children, tell them how much you love and cherish them, and passionately encourage them to exercise extreme caution while bike riding. Next, to all drivers: please, please, obey the V.I. traffic laws, slow down when you reach intersections, remember that amber light means slow down, proceed with caution, red light coming soon and for goodness sake, DON'T RUN THROUGH A JUST TURNED RED LIGHT! And, finally, to the V.I. Police Department and affiliated ambulance service: I recognize how seriously stretched to the limits you are for personnel and equipment, but please, please, please, don't force a witness to an accident to try and determine if anybody is in actually in need of help or not.
Priscilla Lynn
St. Thomas, V.I.