Holiday schedule

Because of the upcoming holidays, this is the Beacon’s final print edition for 2015. The first issue of the New Year will appear on Thursday, Jan. 7, and advertising and editorial deadlines will be as usual. Stay tuned to the Beacon’s website and social media platforms for news updates. Beaconites wish readers and advertisers happy holidays and a wonderful New Year!

Public info for sale

A Beaconite who regularly visits the High Court Registry to work on stories involving legal issues made it a habit to take photos of electronic court documents displayed on computer screens instead of asking Registry staff to print them out. The Beaconite would do this in order to save time for himself and Registry staff, and also to save the paper and ink required to print the documents. However, on Friday he was told that he can no longer take such photos unless he pays the prescribed fee of 50 cents per page. Alternatively, he was told he could have copies of documents e-mailed to him, but he would still have to pay the fee. The Beaconite told a worker at the case management department that he thought the fee was designed only to cover printing and paper costs. The worker replied, “How would you like it if I came to the Beacon and started taking photos of your paper?” The Beaconite tried to explain that the Beacon is private property funded by the newspaper’s owner, whereas documents at the Registry are public property funded by tax revenue. But alas, he was not successful in convincing staff to let him continue taking photos. He didn’t mention this to the worker, but it also occurred to him later that 50 cents only buys one page at the Registry, while it buys around 50 pages at the Beacon.The Beaconite hopes that High Court Registrar Erica Smith-Penn will reconsider the policy of making people pay for documents that aren’t printed and don’t require the labour of her staff to obtain.

Christmas cleaning

During the weekend, a Beaconite and her family started their annual Christmas cleaning and preparations. Each year, the Beaconite usually puts up the Christmas tree. But after she carefully straightened out the tree’s branches and hung the decorations, her family members felt that the tree needed more work. The Beaconite dressed and undressed the tree twice before getting it perfect the third time. The effort, however, was worth it, as Christmas is one of her favourite holidays. The Beaconite hopes that everyone has a joyous holiday and wishes them the best with their preparations as well.

Small town pleasures

On Saturday, a Beaconite was once again reminded of the beauty of living in a small town. While waiting on a bus to carry her to the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College 21^st Performing Arts Series Christmas Concert, she was excited to see a private vehicle stop to offer her a ride. The driver, who was heading to the same concert, had read a few stories she had written about the annual show and decided to offer her a ride. The reporter was happy to save some money, but even more excited when the resident made it her duty to ensure the Beaconite got back into Road Town safely after the concert. The reporter is grateful for such gestures, which prove that Virgin Islands residents really are caring.

A Beaconite can’t imagine how she would feel if someone were to use her articles to further a political career, but she can share with readers what one of her favourite actors did in a similar situation. Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz’s favourite movie, The Princess Bride, includes many highly quotable lines, including the catchphrase “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” from one revenge-obsessed swordsman character. According to a report from a New York Times politics blog, Mandy Patinkin, the actor who played Inigo Montoya, isn’t impressed with Mr. Cruz, however. Mr. Patinkin noted that Mr. Cruz seems to favour revenge in his politics, telling voters he’d like to “carpet-bomb [ISIS] into oblivion.” But the actor would rather the candidate focus on the film’s message of love. “I would love for Senator Cruz, and everyone creating fear mongering and hatred, to consider creating hope, optimism and love,” Mr. Patinkin told the blog. “Open your arms to these people, these refugees trying to get into our country, and open your hearts.”

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