Matador Network's Blog, page 834

Vilnius has set up a beach

The city of Vilnius has proven to be very creative while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, transforming its city center into a sprawling open-air cafe for socially distanced dining and using its quiet airport runway as a drive-in movie theater to keep its people entertained safely. Now, the Lithuanian capital is turning its largest square into an open beach. From June 23 to August 31, Lukiškės Square will be fitted with white sand, wooden paths, sun loungers, a lifeguard tower, and changing booths, giving city-dwellers a beach experience three hours from the coast.

Photo: Go Vilnius

Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said in a statement, “We could not ignore the fact that many people had to drastically change their already planned vacation due to quarantine. The popular seaside resorts of Southern Europe are not easily accessible at the moment, and our Baltic Sea beaches will be overpacked this summer. That’s why we needed a solution to help people recoup some of that vacation vibe on Vilnius’ very own beach.”

Photo: Go Vilnius

Visitors to Open Beach will be able to sunbathe, play beach volleyball or badminton, and make sand castles. There will also be tables with free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets so people can take a “workation,” and special programs will be hosted for kids on Sundays. To make it look like the real deal, a large screen will broadcast the waves and sounds of the Baltic Sea. In the evenings, the same screen will be used to show movies.
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Eurostar will use face scans instead

As contactless check-ins become increasingly popular due to social distancing measures, technology that eliminates person-to-person contact is likely to become the norm even after the COVID-19 pandemic passes. New boarding and border procedures for Eurostar will eliminate the need for passengers to show their passports, instead allowing them to travel using facial recognition technology.

Scheduled for launch in March 2021, the facial recognition system will allow passengers to travel passport-free between the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Upon purchasing Eurostar tickets, passengers will have the option to choose a “pre-boarding” facial recognition option. Then, they will be prompted to upload a photo of themselves and their passport. When arriving at St. Pancras Station in London, the new system will scan your face, compare it to your uploaded photo, and then tie in your ticket and passport details. A kiosk will also be available for those without smartphones.

The project is being spearheaded by the biometrics company iProov, and started off as a project to reduce travel congestion. Given the pandemic, this technology will prove more useful than ever.

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US passport applications delayed

Not that traveling is convenient or recommended right now anyway, but if you’re in need of a passport, don’t expect to get one anytime soon. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US State Department is warning applicants that they could experience extensive delays for new or renewed passports.

According to the State Department, unless you have a life-or-death emergency, you should expect a long wait when applying for a new passport or renewing an existing one.

If you require a passport because you have a serious illness or injury, a death in the immediate family, or any urgent situation that requires you to depart the US within three days, you are eligible for an expedited passport deliverable in 72 hours. You will be required to present proof of emergency with the application.

Many passport application facilities, like libraries, courthouses, and post offices, have not been accepting passport applications, but as states continue to open up, passport services may become more widely available.

Passport agencies and centers are slowly returning to normal, but an appointment is necessary before you make your life-and-death emergency application.

While staff can still only assist customers who need a passport urgently, a limited number of passport applications will be processed, provided that they have already been received prior to the shutdown.

More information on the current status of passport services, including specifics by location, is available on the State Department’s website.

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EatOkra on Black-owned restaurants

The EatOkra app is booming. Anthony Edwards, who founded the app in 2016 with his wife Janique, says that in the wake of the social uprising spurred on by the alleged murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, the app has seen around 100,000 new downloads. That’s compared to last year when the app netted 12,000 downloads in total.

And it’s not just users who are growing: The database — which currently lists 2,600 Black-owned restaurants, bakeries, cafes, food trucks, bars and wineries — is on the verge of a major expansion. Around 5,000 new businesses have reached out to Edwards since June 1, requesting to be added to the EatOkra directory. It’s so much new interest that he and Janique simply don’t have the bandwidth to handle all the new data pouring in. While they raise money to hire more employees, they’re marveling at the recent response to the app.

“We’re definitely happy people are finally catching on to what we’ve been doing. Some people think that we just did this because of what’s going on and like, you do your homework, we’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. We’ve always been in this space, supporting Black restaurants,” Edwards tells me.

In fact, the app was born out of Edwards’ own desire to have a database of readily available Black businesses he could turn to whenever he’s in a new city. The couple got the idea for the app when Janique moved from the Bronx to Brooklyn. Unfamiliar with the neighborhood, they hopped online to find out how to support Black-owned businesses nearby. Their research turned up blog post after blog post listing restaurants they wanted to visit, but no centralized database.

Photo: EatOkra

Edwards, who studied computer science in college, and an aspiring entrepreneur at the time, figured he could put his skills to good use, creating that very database that would make it much simpler to track down Black-owned businesses and give them your money.

“I think we want people to just know that EatOkra is there, so they have the option. We’re not saying you have to shop Black or always do that, but at least know that there are lists of Black-owned restaurant alternatives, or even like, maybe you just want Caribbean food. Maybe you just want to experience something different,” says Edwards.

The app is more than a resource for any curious or socially conscious diner. They also created EatOkra specifically to be a way for Black people to find establishments where they feel safe. The nation is experiencing a kind of deja vu at the moment. In 2016, similarly passionate protests against police brutality following the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling broke out across the country. This was the political backdrop for the app’s creation.

“We were tired of hearing about Black people being abused and violated in spaces that were supposed to create a sense of comfort and reception … we wanted to make it easier for Black people to find hospitality spaces, where they could feel a sense of comfort and inclusion,” the couple wrote in a statement emailed to EatOkra’s users.

Ultimately, the couple hopes that EatOkra can build community by encouraging people to see Black-owned restaurants as more than just neighborhood spots to eat. These establishments are run by real people, who can serve as pillars in their communities — serving not just food but a safe gathering place where locals and visitors alike can bond over a shared experience.

“As we’re spending more time at these restaurants, we’re developing relationships with these restaurant owners who really are staples in their communities,” says Janique. “You get to know that owner, you get to know what their values are, you get to know them in the community, how they go about interacting with people in the community. So when to know them, it really is like getting to know the community because of the type of work that they do.”

This is not just wishful thinking about the world that could look like if more people supported diverse restaurants. EatOkra really works, and the Edwards have proof.

“We get emails pretty much every day from someone thanking us [or] saying ‘I’m from New York, but I just moved to Oakland, this app has helped me tremendously.’ And not just from users, but from business owners as well,” says Anthony. “I just spoke with an owner Saturday, and he told me that people have really been coming into the store, because we’re on the app.”

Photo: EatOkra

The idea of fellowship is at the heart of EatOkra, and crucial to understanding how the app is more than just a directory. One the one hand, it lifts up Black-owned businesses, giving them a platform where they are at the forefront, rather than pushed to the margins — which is where they often end up in other print and online food-focused publications that put together similar “best of” restaurant lists. But it also pushes people to experience the power of meal with a social conscience, one that not just tastes good, but does good.

“In my family, food has always been something that brings us together. Our logo, the okra pod, reminds me of my father, and how he would take me on vacation to South Carolina to visit my great grandparents and my great grandmother would cook stewed okra for him. So in our community food is a representation of that, and we wanted to capture that in the app,” explains Janique.

Today, the couple is focused on building their business so that EatOkra becomes more than just a directory. Anthony hopes to add a “feed of stories” to the app, which will highlight the background of certain restaurant owners, the dishes that they prepare, and the community in which they exist. He also plans to sell the condiments that some restaurant owners make on the app, giving them yet another platform to build notoriety and, ideally, financial support from a greater portion of the public.

“Our app doesn’t solve all of those problems,” says Janique. “Racism is systemic, and individual support can’t solve every single problem for Black-owned businesses. But [EatOkra] is a tool that can get people to be more aware, and more intentional, of who they support.”

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Aperitivo versus digestivo

Many drinkers are familiar with Italy’s beloved wine culture. Many people have also tried, ordered, or at least seen an Italian espresso or other coffee drink. What many in the United States overlook is the massive influence of spirits and liqueurs that make up Italy’s aperitivo and digestivo culture.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy to define what constitutes an aperitivo drink and what constitutes a digestivo (also commonly known stateside by the French version of the words, aperitif and digestif). The beverages widely fall between 15 and 60 percent alcohol by volume, but beer can sometimes be included as well. Aperitivi (the plural of aperitivo) generally have more acid and bitterness, though bitter amari are an important category of digestivi (the plural of digestivo). There is one clear rule, however: If you drink it as a light pre-meal drink then it’s an aperitivo, and if you linger over it after dinner with friends and family then it’s a digestivo.

“Beverages are not meant for the five seconds of drinking them in Italy, but for what happens after,” says Livio Lauro, an Italian spirits expert, author, and cocktail educator who grew up in southern Italy. He now lives in Las Vegas and recently hosted a virtual tasting of spirits over Zoom. Lauro talked about history and drinking, culture, and traditions. Through it all, the clearest sentiment is that Americans need to incorporate more aperitivo and digestivo in their lives.

There are a number of reasons why people in the US haven’t picked up on the aperitivo and digestivo customs like the Italians, French, and others. Prohibition is in part to blame because many fine-dining restaurants that incorporated pre- and after-dinner drinks had to shutter without the income from high-profit margin alcohol sales. Then there’s the puritanical, socially conservative atmosphere of the US in general that positions alcohol as a vice used to get drunk rather than a cherished element of a complete meal.

Attitudes have somewhat shifted with the rise of the US as a respected wine region, as well as the craft cocktail and craft beer industries. Still, for the most part, Americans might benefit from experiencing more pre- and post-meal beverages.

Aperitivo

Photo: Dulin/Shutterstock

An aperitivo comes from the Latin word for “opener.” The name describes its function as a pre-meal beverage that stimulates the appetite and kicks off conversation. In Italy, a small snack usually comes with the drink free of charge during aperitivo hours between around 4:00 and 7:00 PM.

The drink itself can be many things, including vermouth, a light cocktail, Prosecco or other sparkling wine, or beer. Outside of beer and wine options, the selection generally falls into two broad categories: aperitivo liqueur and bitter liqueur. Both are wine or spirits infused with citrus, herbs, and a sweetener. Aperitivo liqueur is generally lower in alcohol while bitter liqueur is a little stronger and, as the name suggests, bitter.

These are the best types of aperitivi to try.

Cocktails: Italian cocktail culture isn’t as prevalent as it is in the US, but there are a few notable exceptions when it comes to aperitivo hour. Ideally the cocktail is not too strong and not too sweet so it doesn’t ruin the meal ahead.

Aperitivo cocktails to try: Negroni (gin, vermouth, and Campari) and the many varieties of spritzes (a mixture of a light amari like Aperol, Prosecco, and sparkling water)

Vermouth: When people drink vermouth stateside, it’s typically mixed into cocktails like the martini, Manhattan, and Rob Roy. In Italy, however, it’s not unusual to sip it on its own or in a simple spritz. Vermouth is a wine fortified with a liquor (often brandy) and flavored with herbs, spices, and various plant roots, barks, and seeds. A little sugar is added to vermouth as well. All of this makes it somewhat like a cocktail in itself in that it has the main components of alcohol, bittering and flavoring agents, and a sweetener. The first modern vermouths were made in Turin in the mid- to late 18th century, and today styles are divided between sweet, dry, extra-dry white, sweet white, rosso, and rosé.

Vermouths to try: Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino (a sweet red vermouth with notes of kola, chocolate, menthol, and citrus) and Cocchi Americano (a white vermouth dating back to 1891 infused with cinchona bark, citrus peel, wormwood, and other botanicals)

Rosolio: This Italian liqueur gets its name from the sundew plant (Latin: ros solis), which grows in bogs and eats insects. It’s not to be confused with liqueurs infused primarily with rose petals, though that doesn’t mean roses can’t be one of the many plants, herbs, and citrus fruits added to a rosolio for flavoring. The exact mixture, like many infused beverages in Italy, depends on where it’s from — Campania is famous for its lemon-based rosolio, for example, while Tuscan producers often use juniper.

Rosolio to try: Italicus, which is a rosolio de bergamot made with chamomile and ginseng that tastes like candied lemon and lavender.

Digestivo

Photo: Doctor_J/Shutterstock

The purpose of the digestivo, like the aperitivo, is in the name. Digestivi are drinks that supposedly help you digest. While you shouldn’t turn to the bottle after a long, lingering, multi-course Italian meal for actual digestion aid, an after-dinner drink serves an important purpose: to extend the time spent with the friends and family you just shared a meal with.

These are the best types of digestivo to try.

Grappa: A type of brandy that’s made from the grape skins, seeds, and stems left over after the grapes are crushed for their juice. Those skins and stems are called the pomace, and it takes a special distillation to turn the solids into a spirit between 35 and 60 percent alcohol by volume. Grappa is sipped on its own in a small glass or mixed with espresso for a caffe corretto (“corrected coffee”). Another common way to drink grappa as a digestivo in northern Italy is to put a little in the cup of your finished after-dinner espresso, swirl it to pick up all the leftover coffee and sugar, and drink it as an ammazzacaffè (“coffee killer”).

Grappa to try: Poli Grappa, a spirit that comes from a distillery that dates back to 1898 and has fragrant raisin notes

Limoncello and other fruit liqueurs: Limoncello is a spirit, often brandy or vodka, that’s steeped with lemon peel and sweetened. It’s produced primarily in southern Italy, especially around Amalfi, Naples, and Sorrento, as well as the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. Other similarly made fruit liqueurs include fragolino, made with strawberries, and peachello, made with peaches. There’s also mirto, a liqueur made from myrtle bush berries primarily on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica.

Italian fruit liqueurs to try: Though most Italian limoncello is local and not widely distributed, Arvero and Caravella are easy enough to find

Sambuca: A clear anise spirit. The flavor is somewhat like licorice, and it’s served neat or as a con la mosca (“with the fly”) with three coffee beans.

Sambuca to try: Molinari has been a favorite in Rome and around the world since the post-war years

Nut-flavored liqueurs: There are a number of sweet nut-flavored liqueurs that are sipped neat or chilled. The flavors largely depend on the region you’re drinking from. There are two popular versions: nocello, which is sweet and flavored with hazelnut, and amaretto, which is also sweet with an almond flavor achieved by infusing the liquor with apricot kernels.

Nut-flavored liqueurs to try: Toschi Nocello, which has an intense sweet hazelnut aroma from the moment the bottle is opened and is best enjoyed chilled or on the rocks

Amari: The broad category of amari encompasses just about every level of sweetness and bitterness one can have in a drink. In general, it’s an herbal liqueur made by infusing a liquor with herbs, roots, citrus, and caramel, with alcohol percentages ranging from 16 to 40. There are those that are so bitter they’ll make your toes curl and those that are so light they’re typically thrown into the aperitivi category like Aperol. When consumed as digestivi, however, amari are sipped at room temperature.

The popularity of amari rose in the 1800s, and many of the recipes still reflect Italy’s global influences at that time (Fernet-Branca, for example, uses ingredients from South Africa, China, France, Argentina, and India). Today, bitter beverages reference the Italian preference for bitter flavors across the country’s cuisine. As the saying goes, “cose amare, tienile care,” which means “bitter things, hold them dear.”

Amari to try: Averna (an easy drinking Sicilian beverage that’s slightly bitter), Fernet-Branca (an intensely bitter amari that’s a bartender favorite), Montenegro (a good intro to amaro), and Cynar (an amaro made from artichoke)

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Dubai is reopening in July

Dubai is the UAE’s flagship tourist destination, and in July, it’s finally opening back up to tourists. On July 7, the emirate plans to welcome international visitors once again. To enter Dubai, you must have international health insurance that covers COVID-19 and either show documentation that you have recently tested negative for the virus or undergo a test at the airport.

In a statement, Dubai’s government media office said, “The new announcement will allow thousands of people affected by the worldwide restrictions in passenger air traffic since the start of the pandemic to resume their travel plans. Emirates welcomes the latest air travel protocols that will facilitate international travel for UAE citizens, residents, and tourists, and open Dubai to business and leisure visitors from 7 July, while putting in place careful measures to ensure the health and safety of travellers and communities.”

HH Sheik Ahmed bi Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive, added, “We are confident that the multi-layered measures that have been put in place in the air, on the ground, and throughout our city, enables us to mitigate risks of infection spread and manage any required response effectively. We believe that cities around the world are conducting ongoing reviews and will soon follow suit to update their border entry requirements for international travellers.”

In April, Emirates was the first airline in the world to conduct rapid, pre-flight COVID-19 tests.

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30 by 30 conservation initiative

Ask Senator Tom Udall about the state of conservation in America, and you’d better be prepared to hang around a while. The New Mexico Democrat is among the most active proponents of land conservation in the Senate and a continual voice for funding the Land and Water Conservation Act, including cosponsoring and voting in favor of the Great American Outdoors Act. But even after passing what many consider to be the biggest conservation bills in recent decades, Udall wants the movement to go deeper.

The planet has warmed about one degree Celsius since 1900, according to scientific data, and many scientists have warned that Earth is undergoing its sixth mass extinction, driven by high rates of species loss in recent decades.

“We are currently facing a serious nature crisis,” Senator Udall tells Matador.

Part of the solution is undertaking a massive conservation effort aimed at protecting biological diversity and open spaces to keep the rise in global temperature to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, among other benefits. Senator Udall has a plan. The senator recently introduced his Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature, an initiative to protect 30 percent of the land and water managed by the United States from development by 2030.

“One million species are at risk of extinction because of human activity, and we are losing a football field’s worth of nature every 30 seconds,” Senator Udall says. “The idea to save 30 percent of our lands and water by 2030 comes from the scientists who tell us we must take these steps to preserve our planet, and ultimately ourselves.”

Senator Udall is calling his initiative the Road to 30.

What is the 30 by 30 initiative, and what does it mean for open spaces in the US?

Photo: Sopotnicki/Shutterstock

An international group of scientists first proposed the concept of protecting 30 percent of the planet from development by 2030 in the journal Science Advances in 2019. The scientists also called for an additional 20 percent of the earth to be labeled as “climate stabilization areas.” A global treaty called the Convention on Biological Diversity is expected to accept the scientific findings and plan at some point in 2020. Every member of the United Nations has ratified this agreement — except for the United States.

Senator Udall’s initiative aims to bring the US in line with the convention and commit the country to protecting 30 percent of its land and water by 2030. The country has a long way to go — currently, only 12 percent of American land is protected, according to the Center for American Progress.

A boon for outdoor recreation and tourism

Photo: Umomos/Shutterstock

Protecting 30 percent of US land and water could have massive impacts on outdoor-focused tourism and recreation, particularly in the western United States. Development projects, including oil and gas scouting and production, would be kept off protected spaces, while outdoor recreation may be allowed.

“Like countless Americans, some of my favorite memories are of exploring our nation’s iconic outdoor spaces with my family when I was a child,” Senator Udall says. “Those experiences helped shape my relationship to our environment and our country’s great natural and cultural heritage. That is why I introduced the Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature, to officially set this conservation goal for the United States to preserve these special places for future generations.”

Once protected, some of the lands would be accessible for outdoor recreation, as well as managed to promote responsible use and maintain the dignity of the ecosystem. Oil and gas development would be restricted, eliminating persistent threats to popular recreation sites, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments. Both monuments made national headlines in 2017 when President Donald Trump slashed their size to make space available for oil and gas leasing, outraging both recreationists and conservationists. Senator Udall cites Chaco Canyon in his home state of New Mexico as another example.

“Every year thousands of visitors come to explore Chaco Canyon, a New Mexico treasure,” he says. “Despite its singular history and natural beauty, the region has been under near-constant threat of new oil and gas development — without consideration for the concerns of the public and tribes, public health, the environment, and our history and culture. Without protections we will continue to lose these natural wonders and be unable to share their beauty and heritage with travelers from the US and around the world.”

Senator Udall says that a thriving conservation effort is key to a thriving outdoor recreation industry.

“This goal is restoring and preserving our nation’s outdoor spaces to the benefit of all Americans and would involve a diversity of efforts like creating new national monuments and parks, designating new wilderness areas, creating more urban green spaces, and returning federal lands to a healthier state,” Senator Udall says. “There is no one size fits all solution to achieving the 30 by 30 goal, and the effort must include the input of scientists, public lands managers, local communities, and Native voices.”

How to support the 30 by 30 initiative

A successful political movement requires action from citizens. To learn more, sign up via the Road to 30 website to hear about virtual events taking place in your area. Senator Udall’s team created a promotional YouTube video to break down the reasoning behind the initiative.

“Polls show a strong bipartisan majority favor the idea, but we have yet to see this support trickle up to Congress,” Senator Udall says, noting that the best way to support the measure to call and write your senators and representatives. “Be part of the movement of Americans that are calling for a bold new conservation agenda.”

“Protecting and restoring 30 percent is an ambitious goal, and it will take all kinds of lands and habitats from iconic national landscapes to the park just down the street to get there,” Senator Udall said. “National organizing efforts matter and local ones, too.”

If you are unsure of what to say in an email to your representatives, the video offers key talking points. And because the video tells personal stories, it can offer a framework for your personal story and why protecting open lands is important to you.

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Rename Columbus, Ohio, Flavortown

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many agree that the United States’ attitude towards race needs to change. That includes anti-racist policies, police reform, as well as taking down Confederate monuments and renaming streets so they don’t commemorate racist individuals. When it comes to renaming things, though, deciding on the new name can be a bit tricky. In Columbus, Ohio, there’s currently a petition to rename the entire city “Flavortown.”

“Columbus is an amazing city,” the petition reads, “but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself. Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That’s not exactly a proud legacy.”

Instead, petitioners want to rename the city “Flavortown” in honor of Guy Fieri, who was born in Columbus.

“For one,” says the petition, “[the name] honors Central Ohio’s proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation’s largest test markets for the food industry. Secondly, cheflebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he’s such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature.”

Nearly 30,000 people have signed the petition so far, with an overall goal of 35,000.

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US travelers fined $1,200 for hiking

The border between Canada and the United States has been closed for non-essential travel since March and will remain as such until July 21, but that has not stopped determined US travelers from getting in.

The Canada Border Services Agency is letting Americans through who claim they’re traveling to Alaska. Unfortunately, many are exploiting this loophole and taking a few unsanctioned detours in Canada.

On June 16, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police received a complaint about a vehicle with US license plates being parked at a trailhead near Lake Louise in Banff National Park for an extended period of time. Officers issued four violation tickets at $1,200 each. On June 18, officers were notified about two more US cars parked at Lake Louise, for which two more tickets were issued.

Corporal Deanna Fontaine told The Daily Hive, “[American travelers going to Alaska via Canada] are only to engage in essential needs on the way. Which doesn’t include going hiking in the park.”

Fontaine emphasized that not all cars with US plates in Canada are necessarily breaking the law. Some are legitimately en route to Alaska, while others may belong to people with dual citizenship. If you are crossing the Canadian border to travel to Alaska, it’s important to abide by the rules and not make unnecessarily lengthy stopovers.

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Puerto Rico is reopening

Puerto Rico is the latest country to announce that it’s welcoming back tourists, with a reopening date set for July 15. As with many other border reopenings, however, international visitors will have to comply with a strict set of safety precautions.

Visitors arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (the only airport currently welcoming international flights) are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Free testing will be available on site at the airport. Currently, there is a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in effect for all travelers, regardless of test results, but the government is working on an exception for travelers who test negative. No other details are available yet, but more information can be expected in the days leading up to the reopening.

According to PR Newswire, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) is requiring all tourism businesses to comply with a set of strict standards and regulations before restarting their operations. Many of Puerto Rico’s hotels have remained open throughout the pandemic, though pools, bars, restaurants, shops, and other common spaces are limited to 50 percent capacity. You can expect a temperature check before entering restaurants, and if your reading exceeds 100.3 degrees, you will be denied entry.

According to Carla Campos, executive director of the PRTC, “We are certain that the assurances and security these measures provide, coupled with the experiences that make Puerto Rico such an attraction destination, will play a vital role in the short-term recovery of the travel industry of the island.”

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