In celebration of Arona Petersen, a well-known local author, folklorist and businesswoman, the Virgin Islands Lottery is releasing a traditional lottery ticket featuring quotes from her first book “Herbs and Proverbs.”
Among her selections of local proverbs featured on the ticket are “Don’t lend your friend money unless you don’t want it no more,” “Willing is a good man, but able is a better one” and “Never pick up what you didn’t put down.”
Arona Petersen has been described as a ‘one-person institution in the Virgin Islands community’ and was honored in 1983 as an outstanding black businesswoman receiving the Carlos Cook Achievement Award. But mostly, she is known for her sincerity in educating both young and old about the local heritage of the Virgin Islands through her books. She has been praised for capturing and preserving large amounts of the West Indian culture through her writings. She has written three books; “Herbs and Proverbs,” which was widely distributed throughout many parts of the world including Africa and South America. Her two other books are “Kreole Ketch N’ Keep,” a collection of West Indian stories, and “Food and Folklore of the Virgin Islands,” where she shares her philosophy of life and death coupled with her favorite Virgin Islands recipes. More about Arona Petersen can be found on the Virgin Islands Department of Education St Croix School District Web site. www.stx.k12.vi <http://www.stx.k12.vi>
Among her selections of local proverbs featured on the ticket are “Don’t lend your friend money unless you don’t want it no more,” “Willing is a good man, but able is a better one” and “Never pick up what you didn’t put down.”
Arona Petersen has been described as a ‘one-person institution in the Virgin Islands community’ and was honored in 1983 as an outstanding black businesswoman receiving the Carlos Cook Achievement Award. But mostly, she is known for her sincerity in educating both young and old about the local heritage of the Virgin Islands through her books. She has been praised for capturing and preserving large amounts of the West Indian culture through her writings. She has written three books; “Herbs and Proverbs,” which was widely distributed throughout many parts of the world including Africa and South America. Her two other books are “Kreole Ketch N’ Keep,” a collection of West Indian stories, and “Food and Folklore of the Virgin Islands,” where she shares her philosophy of life and death coupled with her favorite Virgin Islands recipes. More about Arona Petersen can be found on the Virgin Islands Department of Education St Croix School District Web site. www.stx.k12.vi <http://www.stx.k12.vi>
Henry L. Feuerzeig, Arona’s good friend, neighbor and attorney, speaks very fondly of her. ”She was a truly outstanding Virgin Islander who contributed so much in her years here and abroad. She meant a lot to my wife, Penny, and our children Paul and Darcy, who considered her a surrogate grandmother, as we did. She was a marvelous neighbor, friend, cook, writer and artist and the recognized authority on Virgin Islands food and folklore.”
The Local Proverbs ticket goes on sale Thursday, Aug. 18, and draws on Sept. 8. Tickets will be available in front of the V.I. Lottery office and at dealers outside any V.I. Lottery office, Anna’s Market, Udder Delight, Caribana, MoneyGram locations and other dealers.
The Local Proverbs ticket goes on sale Thursday, Aug. 18, and draws on Sept. 8. Tickets will be available in front of the V.I. Lottery office and at dealers outside any V.I. Lottery office, Anna’s Market, Udder Delight, Caribana, MoneyGram locations and other dealers.
This ticket celebrating Arona Peterson’s proverbs is a continuation of the Lottery’s History and Heritage series of tickets featuring images of life in the territory. Past tickets have featured St. Croix Ag Fest, St. Thomas Step Streets and Virgin Islands Architecture and Beaches.
Future tickets will include Celestial Beauty and the most popular ticket to date “Lucky You,” featuring 19 Virgin Islanders showing their “lucky face.” See entry details for “Lucky You” at www.winusvilottery.com <http://www.winusvilottery.com>
For more information, contact A.C. Burgess, special assistant to the director, Virgin Islands Lottery at 774-2502.
