Anguilla Local News

Between Road Bay and Crocus Bay on Anguilla's Northern coast is a fun exploring beach: Katouche Bay. . . .

Click to enlarge view of Katouche Bay
 March 15, 1998 - Site Map - Click to enlarge pictures

Katouche Bay

This bay is noted for a number of things. It is the start of the Katouche Valley rainforest, it is never crowded, it is a fun place to explore or have a picnic, and it is a good place to look for fossil sealife. I haven't tried the snorkelling here, but my friend Vince does a regular exercise swim from here to Crocus Bay and back (Katouche is the closest beach to his house in Old Ta and a nice hike). Before Hurricane Luis, a grove of Manchineel trees grew along the beach. These have poisonous fruit and leaves, but luckily Luis killed them all. Keep a watchful eye out for them growing back.
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For fossils, search the east end of the beach and examine small rocks that have broken off the cliff (they are intermixed with a lot of broken coral from the sea, so you need to be patient), looking for ancient shell fish and other animals that were trapped in the soil and fossilized.

At the west end of the beach you can explore around a couple of small headlands for further small beaches, a beachfront cave and other adventures.

Directions: From airport parking lot, exit the only way possible, turn left on airport road. Drive straight past Island Car Rental, Anglec and National Bank of Anguilla, turning left at the light by Albert Lake's supermarket. Continue straight, up Coronation Blvd to Crocus Hill. At the top of the hill, turn left and follow the paved road along the ridge until it ends, then continue on the main dirt road to Masara Resort. Check at the office if it is okay to continue on their private road. Drive politely through the resort, down a steep one-lane road to a parking area by the beach.




News Tidbits from Anguilla

Islands Properties Report devoted their entire January 1998 issue to Anguilla: 8 pages about the island, buying and building here, or starting a business. Here is a sample:
"If you are self-sufficient, enjoy a quiet informal life-style, and can pursue personal interests, you will be content on Anguilla. Most expats have visited the island for a number of years before moving and are well prepared to make the adjustment.
You can subscribe to Islands Properties Reports for $49 per year and receive monthly reports on different islands in the Caribbean, and other services. We subscribed to it before we moved to Anguilla. Telephone: 941-263-1222.

A Norwegian Journalist was here this month to research a story on World Cup Soccer. He came here from Jamaica and left to continue on to Brazil! Boy, Norwegians really take their soccer seriously.

ALHCS Boys Choir Performs. The newly formed boys choir of the high school gave its second successful performance on March 7, 1998 in the auditorium of the Teacher Resource Center (upstairs in the library).

Cap Juluca in "Lattitudes", the in-flight magazine of American Eagle. An 8-page article offered an up-close and personal look at the resort, the staff and the guests. "Can it possibly live up to its lofty reputation? In a word, YES!"

Soroptomists Give A Great Show. A packed audience loved the Soroptomists Variety Show recently, held to raise funds for their day care center.

Tourism Continues to Rise, with January record the highest figure ever for the month: 4,987 tourist arrivals, up 11%. Day visitors totalled 8,112, up 10%. But don't worry, Anguilla still feels mostly empty of tourists.

St. Gerard's Garden Party bigger than ever! This year so many people attended that they had to have numerous identical food lines. Incredibly well run. Perfect weather that night too.

Anguilla Beautification Club members visited Cap Juluca recently for a tour of the gardens and discussions with the staff about their unique landscaping plan--they retain as much of the local fauna as possible, while still creating a lush tropical locale.

College Fair at the High School was held last week. Representatives from Caribbean and North American colleges and universities gave the students insights into opportunities and costs for college.

News Stories from The Light, Anguilla's local weekly newspaper:



Cotton Grows Wild

[Click to view entire cotton 'tree'] Anguilla was once a cotton producer, and there are still cotton plants on the island and a cotton ginnery you can view in Old Cotton Gin Ice Cream Parlour. There are stories that the famous "sea island" cotton was brought to Georgia by a planter who discovered it on Anguilla after he purchased a small plantation here. Extensions to the story suggest that he subsequently moved to Mississippi and founded a town that he named Anguilla, Mississipi. It is hard to know how much of this is true, but there is such a town and Anguilla BWI did have a visitor from there recently whose personal family history confirmed some of the story.

This picture was taken by visitors Gordon and Laurie McDonald on the old side road along Forest Bay. This is their 3rd visit to Anguilla from Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, and they always spend a large portion of each trip exploring the plants and animals. They also found that it was possible to take a very economical two-day side trip to Dominica, which is incredibly lush with nature. They enjoyed themselves so much they made up a web page for the $24/night guest house they discovered on Dominica!




Debate Team Prepared for Antigua Contest

[Click to enlarge Debate Team] Anguilla's winning debate team is at it again this year. In 1997, the Leeward Islands Debating Competition was held in Anguilla, and the Anguilla team came out victorious over teams from Antigua, Monteserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis.

This year the competition is in Antigua, April 1st through 6th.

The 1998 team members include Kishma Bryan (17 years), Marlon Lake (17), Damien Harrigan (16), Tara Carter (17). Substitutes are Vernon Lawrence (17) and Lorelle Richardson(16)

Team Staff sponsors are Sharon Richardson and Curtis Richardson. Team advisors are Marcel Fahie, Don Mitchell, Dwayne Adams, Bob Green, Rita Carty, Lana Horsford and Maris Edwards.

The Propositions to be debated this year are:

  1. The Internet Should be Regulated.
  2. The Main Reason for the Decline of West Indian Cricket is that West Indians No Longer Understand the Political Importance of the Game.

News Flash: Anguilla Wins Again!

Last year's winning team consisted of Keesha Webster(graduate), Joash Proctor(graduate), Chantal Lewis, and Tara Carter, with substitutes Kishma Bryan and Marlon Lake.

Guest article by Tara Carter.




Trattoria Tramonto (Guest Article)

[Click to visit Trattoria Tramonto web site] The Trattoria Tramonto restaurant on Shoal Bay West (not east!) opened in Fall 97 and now seems to be picking up steam, according to this review by Anguilla homeowner Steve Donahue:

"On 5 March, 1998, Suzan and I had the opportunity to enjoy a truly unique dining experience at Trattoria Tramonto, located at Shoal Bay West between Cove Castles and Blue Waters. Owner Alan Piazzi and his wife, Chantal, have totally remade the old Paradise Cafe, imported an excellent Chef from Italy, and given Anguilla a real taste of Northern Italy - complete with Italian opera as background music. Due to a recent storm, there is now a beautiful, wide beach in front of the restaurant, where Alan also rents beach chairs and umbrellas."

"Suzan and I started our meal with several well-made, very generous drinks, along with a basket of excellent, fresh made focaccia with olive oil & rosemary. We thought the bread basket could be greatly enhanced with the addition of a cloth napkin, as well as a few flavored olive oils - pesto, garlic, etc. We started with a goat cheese crepe appetizer (one of several specials offered) which was topped with an excellent sauce of besciamella and porcini mushrooms and placed under the broiler for a few minutes."

"As a main course, we had filetto ai due pepi, a Black Angus tenderloin with a peppercorn sauce, and red snapper alla marinara, a red snapper with capers, tomato, potato, olive oil . Both were prepared to perfection! Another surprise was the quality of the vegetables with the main course. Each meal was served with squash, tomato topped with cheese and bread crumbs, potatoes, and carrots - all excellent."

"And then the best part of the meal - dessert. Alan makes his own titamisu - a generous portion prepared with a sponge cake base, chocolate bits and a Kahlua with Amaretto biscuit filling - to die for!!"

"One final surprise with our visit - the service was some of the best we have seen - including here in the states. We were not rushed at all, but our courses arrived perfectly, with no long waits between courses. After vising most of the restaurants in Anguilla over the years - some of which are no longer there - we have to rate this one in the top five for value, service and quality of food. Drinks, dinner and desert came to about US$100 - very reasonable for the service and quality."

"P.S. While visiting Trattoria Tramonto, I noticed a great looking model of an Anguillian sailboat on the bar, painted in red, green and white (Italian flag colors) and named "Trattoria Tramonto". Alan informed me that Damien Carty, son of boat builder David Carty, makes and sells these models of the traditional racing boat. We ordered one with both customized colors and name, and will pick it up the next trip. I strongly recommend a trip to the restaurant to take a look at the model."

Guest article by Steve Donahue.


Read another description of Trattoria Tramonto by a neophyte exploring Anguilla's food!

For more information and a complete menu - less specials - visit their web page. For reservations, call 264-497-8819, or fax 264-497-6982 or email [email protected]

Directions: Drive west to the end of the main paved island road. Turn left on a gravel road for Shoal Bay West and CoveCastles resort. Keep left on a sand road just behind the beach and you will run into the restaurant just before Blue Waters Beach Apartments.




Weather in Anguilla


Weather Summary Anguilla
Today: 82F 27C 61% Humidity, Sunny March 15
Low temp since last news report 75F 23C
High temp since last news report 84F 28C
Low humidity since last news report 44%
Tropical storm web site Link
Five-day weather forecast Link
Live weather.ai station in Anguilla Link

Friday, March 6. 2am. Anguilla is a neat place isn't it. We had the most incredible thunderstorm last night. Woke us up at 2am with a lightning strike and thunder crash that was right on top of us , then another, then an incredibly strong wind from the south that lasted 10 minutes and pushed all the furniture on the verandah to one end... then it was still again and we could just see the lighting in the distance. amazing.



Upcoming Events in Anguilla

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

Jollication at West End Village, Saturday, March 28th. "Come wuk de gruhn." 7AM.

Team Triathalon, Sunday, March 29th. This fun event has categories for serious atheletes and for the serious fun-seakers too.

Easter Monday Boat Races, April 13th, Sandy Ground. Start is sometime after 10. Great party atmosphere on the beach.



Day Cruise To St. Barths

[Click to enlarge view of MV Deluxe] The MV Deluxe has begun day cruises from Anguilla to St. Barths. I just had to investigate when two people independently mentioned this new service to me in the same a week: Damien Harrigan of Island Harbour (while quizing me about the Internet for the debate team) and visitor Peter Wehmann who wrote:
We took the inaugural once-a-week ferry trip to St. Bart's on February 17 on the M/V Deluxe, leaving from Blowing Point at 9:15, going directly to Gustavia and returning at 5:30. Great fun! $65 per person and very enjoyable.

[Click to enlarge view of Captain Davis]

The MV Deluxe leaves Blowing Point at 9:15am, arrives in Gustavia and St. Barths at 10:30. You spend the day there and board for your return trip at 4pm. The round trip fare is $65, including open bar and snacks the trip. St. Barths is a wonderful place to visit for the day. It is very quaint, very French, very chic. They can arrange island tours.

The Captain is Joseph Davis. He had the MV Deluxe specially built in Lousiana to US standards. suitable as a party boat, a ferry boat and a cruiser. It is air conditioned, has a bathroom, sundeck, GPS, etc. Power is by Dual turbocharged Cummins Diesel 71s.

There is a cruise every Tuesday in season. Please call by Monday for a reservation. Telephone 264-497-8663, 6289 or 4754. Email to [email protected] if you have any questions. Bring your swimsuit, a towel, your camera and proof of citizenship. You are on your own for lunch, but St. Barths has great restaurants. The Creme Brulee at the Carl Gustaf Hotel is the best I have tasted anywhere in the world (if you have $100 for lunch).




Public Holidays in Anguilla

The Anguilla Public Holidays for 1998 are as follows. Please note that the Queen's Birthday is Tentative (the real date changed from the tentative date last year):

New Year's Day Thursday, January 1
Good Friday Friday, April 10
Easter Monday Monday, April 13
Labour Day Friday, May 1
Anguilla Day Friday, May 29
Whit Monday Monday, June 1
Celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty The Queen Monday, June 15 (tentative)
August Monday Monday, August 3
August Thursday Thursday, August 6
Constitution Day Friday, August 7
Separation Day Friday, December 18
Christmas Day Friday, December 25
Boxing Day Monday, December 28

There are often boat races on public holidays. Check the calendar of events.




Updates and Feedback

Who Knows Anguilla's Track and Field Records? Martin Arenlind in Sweden would like to know the Anguillan Track & Field national records. Can someone please help him with this?

Feedback on Sally's Circle Inn and Milly's Inn. Donna Lambert reports:

My husband Bob and I read about Sally's Circle Inn in the Anguilla Local News before we visited Anguilla two weeks ago and we want to add our compliments on the fine service, food, and hospitality we received there. After finding the Inn, we ate there several times and were always pleased with the quality, price, and especially the portion-size! My husband has never cared for macaroni and cheese, but he loved Sally's version, and our last day there she was gracious enough to share her recipe with me. Thank you again, Sally!! The ribs, chicken, potato salad, lasagna, rice and peas, as well as the macaroni and cheese were all delicious.

This was our first trip to Anguilla and we want to thank everyone we contacted for their hospitality and tolerance. We got lost several times and people were always patient and kind in helping us find our way -- especially one young man who spent much time directing us to Little Bay. In any case this young man obviously knew his island and loved it very much -- a joy to see in one so young. We stayed at Milly's Inn on Shoal Bay and were very pleased with our accomodations. The beaches are wonderful, of course, and the weather perfect, but the kindness of the people we will remember as well.

Updates to Anguilla Villa Guide:
Sue Taylor of Caribbean Villas on the Web sent these three new web pages for villas in Anguilla:

Sue runs a web site where you can rent villas directly from the owner. If you own or represent a property that you would like to have on this site, please contact her by email at [email protected]. She charges US $25 per month (UK sterling 15 pounds) to advertise on this site provided you have your own email address. If you wish to use her email address, there is an additional charge of US $25 (UK Sterling 15 pounds). There are no additional charges made for initial set up or changes to the site.

Villa Casa Turquesa in Seafeathers also has a web page at anguilla-villa.com. The villa is new, 1800 sq ft, with 3 bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom. And, if you like it, you can buy the villa for $345,000.

Update on The Link Ferry, announcing expanded daily airport shuttle between Blowing Point Anguilla and Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten. Depart Anguilla at 12:15pm, arrive airport 12:45pm. Leave airport at 2:45pm, arrive Anguilla 3:15pm. US$15 per person. Telephone: 264-497-2231. Web page.



Budget Anguilla: The Pavillion Hotel

[Click for distant view of Pavillion Hotel] The Pavillion Hotel is a basic apartment hotel near the ferry terminal in Blowing Point. It is 300 yards away from Sandy Point beach, a 4 minute walk to the ferry and has a total of 8 apartments. Each apartment has a living area with kitchen, a bath room and a bedroom.

Recent guests included a family with one child who found it perfect for them. The parents used the bedroom and the daughter slept on the sofa. They found the view of St. Martin incredible. In fact, they own a vacation villa with pool in the British Virgin Islands, but during the high season they rent that out for $300 per night and stay at the Pavillion in Anguilla for $60 per night instead!
Feedback: I just returned from Anguilla and I stayed at The Pavillion and loved it - thought the accommodations were perfect and very fairly priced. I miss Anguilla already! Regards, Kathleen Shea

Directions: Driving toward the Ferry Terminal, turn right just before the terminal. Pavillion is on the right after about 200 yards.

Reservatons: Contact Pavillion Hotel, Blowing Point, P.O. Box 411, Anguilla, B.W.I. Telephone: 264-497-6395, Fax: 264-497-6234.

Guest article by Danny Laud, age 16





Visitor Feedback

Every day brings new email messages about Anguilla. Here are three interesting email messages from March, 1998:

Date: MARCH 3, 1998 11:27 PM
Subject: I HAVE BEEN TO ANGUILLA BEFORE

DEAR BGREEN,

I HAVE BEEN TO ANGUILLA BEFORE AND I ABSOLUTLY LOVED IT THERE. I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY DAD THAT WHEN I GROWN UP I WANT TO BE A VET THERE. I AM GOING TO TRY TO STICK TO THAT DREAM AND I HOPE TO ACTUALLY DO THAT. I AM NOW 13 AND I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO... I LOVE THE AMOUNT OF GOATS THAT YOU HAVE THERE. HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU.
SINCERELY,
BRITTANY REECE (A PLEASED PERSON WITH THE WAY THAT ANGUILLA IS)!

Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 10:13:34
Subject: Check Baggage Danger

You may want to pass on to your readers that the segment on "20/20" about items being stolen from checked baggage by airline personnel is still true today - I am missing a laptop to prove it. I ALWAYS carry my laptop with me, but we were taking a side trip to Saba on the way home, and, because my luggage would be with me all the time, packed it in my suitcase. We missed our Winair connection in St. Martin, so quickly changed our tickets for the return trip to Baltimore - without removing my laptop from checked luggage. It was packed in a closed, zippered freezer bag, which was packed in my locked suitcase.

We figured it happened in Miami before customs because of a 45 minute delay in getting our bags - guess they needed time to go through everyone's bags!! Tell me how they managed to break the lock on my suitcase, open it, open the freezer bag and remove my laptop, mouse and charger - all like they knew it was there. These guys are REAL professionals. I'm making claims, but don't think I'll get anything without a real fight.

Regards, Steve Donahue

Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 09:17:19
Subject: 4th Visit to La Sirena

We'll be making our 4th visit to LaSirena in May. I am always impressed when I deal with LaSirena. Their reservations process is extremely efficient. They are delightfully pleasant to deal with. They show a fairness in their dealing with customers that is hard to find anywhere. The Swiss background of the owner comes through in everything they do at LaSirena, and it a real treat. Swiss hospitality and Anguilla sun--an unbeatable combination!

Joan Ashley, Nashua, New Hampshire

Read more email from visitors.




Educators Learn to Use the Net

[Click to enlarge view of class] A three-person team came to Anguilla to given an Internet course funded by the Canadian government.

Pictured here, left to right, are Stuart Colquhon, a computer consultant from Eduplus in Canada, Wendy Lowe, an instructor from Tecsult in Canada, and Mark Ernest, an Information Research Specialist from OECS Education Reform in St. Lucia. Anguilla was just one stop on their whirlwind training tour, which also visited Grenada, Dominica, and Antigua.


[Click to enlarge view of class]

Educators in Anguilla were given a hands-on introduction to the Internet. The computer room of the Remote Learning Center (in the library) was connected to the Internet, allowing them to send and receive email messages, "surf" the net, and find educational resources.

The course lasted two days and each person had their own Pentium PC with Windows NT and all the Internet tools. The attendees I talked to were very pleased with the course, excited about email and the Net, and wishing that they had it on their desks!




Web Sites About Anguilla

Shoal Bay Scuba has a web page at shoalbayscuba.ai

Virtual Voyage's Anguilla web page has some useful information and a lot of links.

Danny.ai is the new web address for high school student Danny Laud, with updated information and updated pages on the Karate Club and the high school.

Palm Trees at Beachshack.ai: Mary Ann's tropical construction page has more building news, including the planting of a large container of palm trees from Miami.

Wallblake House web site has a new page of professional photographs, taken by Anguillian resident Sally Janin. The trust formed to restore the building has raised about $50,000 of the estimated $200,000 cost and has commenced restoration work.



Top stories from the previous issue.
Cavanaugh Cave Partial Eclipse
Quaint Old Church Repaired Steel Orchestra
Cryptography Conference Shoal Bay Scuba


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