All shook up

Some Beaconites were working late on Tuesday night in preparation for their Wednesday deadline when they heard a rumbling in the distance. Then the office started to shake.

The culprit was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake 59 kilometres west of Road Town, they later learned. Several residents took to Facebook in the seconds after the quake to report that they had felt the tremors. It was among the strongest quakes that the Beaconites have felt in the Virgin Islands. Fortunately, no damage was reported, and no tsunami followed.

Scooter crash

A Beaconite thought he witnessed a serious injury or worse when he saw a scooter crash into the barrier along the main road in Carrot Bay, but luckily the rider was uninjured. The Beaconite was covering the opening of a new post office there on July 31. When he was leaving the event, a young man who looked to be around 20 years old was driving a scooter heading east. The man went to pull up alongside some friends who were sitting on the bayside wall. However, he must have accidentally hit the throttle on his bike: Instead of stopping, he sped out of control towards the wall. The scooter hit the wall head-on, sending the rider head-over-heels over the wall and onto the other side. The Beaconite nearly called health authorities until he saw the man climb back over the wall, apparently unscathed. If anything, it’s likely that the rider’s pride was injured. However, the incident could have been much worse, and it reminded the Beaconite of the importance of wearing a helmet and exercising caution while on a bike.

 

Lesson learned
It is unwise to play football on asphalt without protective gear. A Beaconite learned this lesson the hard way over the festival holiday. It all started when she noticed a group of boys playing the game in the road and decided to join them. A few minutes later, she fell hard, injuring her knees, elbows and palms. Though she was able to enjoy the rest of the festivities, she felt awkward walking around with huge bandages around her limbs. She will know better next time.

Small world

Sometimes it takes a trip away from the Virgin Islands to realise what a small place it can be. Over the recent holidays a Beaconite was walking around in St. Maarten on vacation when he saw a man who looked familiar waving at him from across the street. The man said, “You’re a long way from Tortola,” and said he’d seen the Beaconite around town. Less than five minutes later, the Beaconite rounded another corner and recognised two other VI residents, one of whom he’d interviewed several years ago. Given the territory’s proximity to St. Maarten, perhaps running into a familiar face or two is to be expected. But the Beaconite is glad for the reminder that the VI is a small and friendly place.

Beacon baller

A Beaconite basketball player is looking forward to playing in the Julian Fraser Save the Seed League, which starts tomorrow. His team, the Bayside Blazers, will compete against 15 other squads for the league title. The Beaconite’s team failed to make the playoffs in the Road Town league earlier this summer, but he thinks the Blazers are much improved with the addition of several talented guards and a centre. They are hoping to add one of the players from the national team in the draft – it’s an intermediate league, so the best players are split up in a draft instead of being able to form their own team. With luck, the Beaconite thinks his squad will be one of the best on the island.

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