Happy Diwali
On Tuesday Hindus in the Virgin Islands joined their counterparts from around the world to celebrate Diwali. Commonly known as the “Festival of Light,” the observance commemorates the victory of goodness over evil. The day is celebrated by light displays, colourful decorations, candle lighting, and much more. A Beaconite would like to wish everyone a happy Diwali.
Mosquitoes on a plane
A Beaconite who travelled to Puerto Rico last week had a harrowing experience with mosquitoes on his plane ride home. The Beaconite had a 6 a.m. flight back to Tortola on LIAT, and had to wait on the runway while airline personnel inspected the plane. While he was waiting, dozens of mosquitoes were attacking him and other passengers. He furiously tried to swat them away, but more and more kept coming, giving him multiple bites. When he boarded the plane, he noticed that his legs and hands were stained with blood due to all the mosquitoes he swatted. Mosquitoes even followed the passengers inside the plane, and he had to battle the tiny bloodsuckers throughout the entire ride home. The Beaconite has never encountered so many mosquitoes, and he hopes he never does again. On the positive side, his flights arrived on time both ways.
HIS101
On Monday, a Beaconite covered the launch of Verna Penn Moll’s new book Funintun’s Christmas, which focuses on Virgin Islands Christmas traditions. During the event, she received a bookmark that shared information about Johnnycakes, which the Beaconite loves to eat. She was interested to learn that the pastry was originally called a “journey cake” because it was relatively easy to preserve during long trips. Over the years, however, the term changed to its current form, according to the bookmark.
Information underload
One Beaconite is finding it increasingly difficult to provide the public with an adequate amount of information about crime in the territory. Police press reports often contain few details, the arrest blotters no longer includes names, and she was barred from attending a rape case at High Court on Tuesday. As she believes these are matters of public interest, she is curious to know if any politicians or other leaders are concerned about this? And if so, why aren’t they speaking up?
Remembrance Day
On Sunday, a Beaconite covered the territory’s Remembrance Day service for the very first time. During the event, she met several veterans she never knew had served in the armed forces. She appreciated the solemn service, which included a short candlelight tribute. The reporter, who herself has been in violent crisis situations, very much appreciates the sacrifices servicemen and women make to ensure the safety of others.
Punctuation counts
A Beaconite who is a bit of grammar nerd was interested to read this week that one little comma may help decide whether former United States Virgin Islands Governor John De Jongh Jr. will be found guilty of a crime. According to a report from the USVI Daily News, the charges stem from about $500,000 worth of security improvements made to the then-governor’s residence using taxpayer funds. Prosecutors say the improvements were a misuse of public funds. But Mr. De Jongh’s lawyer argued in court last week that prosecutors had added a comma when paraphrasing the legislation outlining allowable expenses, making it appear that the funds in question had been designated exclusively for roadwork instead of general construction. The reporter can’t wait to see what the judge decides.
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