Getting in touch
The Beacon has been having some phone trouble at the office in recent days, but the advertising department can be reached by phone or WhatsApp at 542-2404 or by email at bvibeaconadvertising@gmail.com. Beaconites apologise for any inconvenience and thank customers for their patience.
Your feedback
Journalism can sometimes be a tough field, but one thing that always keeps a Beaconite motivated is when she feels like she’s doing a good job of asking questions that matter to the public. At an Aug. 10 press conference with the governor and premier, she asked about what she considers a troubling lack of transparency in the law-making process: After the House of Assembly passes a bill it has amended during a closed-door committee session, the amended version of the bill is not made public until after the governor assents to it. This means that the amended bill can go unpublished for months or even years. And in cases where the governor withholds assent, an amended bill might never be published. The Beaconite believes that this system withholds important information from the public. Fortunately, in response to her questions at the press conference, the governor and premier both said they’re open to reviewing the existing process. After the Beaconite asked about the issue, a commenter wrote on a Facebook broadcast, “Good question, Beacon reporter! Where there have been substantial changes to a Gazetted bill it definitely should come back to the public before assent.” This publication always aims to seek answers on issues that matter to the community, and it’s helpful to know when members of the public believe the reporters are on the right track. The Beaconite would like to add that she is glad to see frequent press conferences being held considering how much is happening with the governance of the territory at the moment. She’ll be on the lookout for further announcements about upcoming community meetings concerning the constitutional review and hopes residents will take the opportunity to voice their views on the rewriting of one of the most important documents in the territory.
Stable prices?
A Beaconite recently overheard someone suggest that prices of gas and goods have begun to stabilise across the territory after the rapid rise in recent months linked to the war in Ukraine. She has noticed a similar trend. In fact, at her local gas station, the price per gallon dropped from its recent peak of $6.25 to $5.40. However, those price levels are still much higher than before the war in Ukraine began. And even with import duties slashed across the board, prices on grocery shelves remain much higher as well. As the territory’s leaders continue to explore ways to bring in more revenue, residents also need more opportunities to supplement their incomes in order to meet the demands of one of the highest inflation spikes in recent history. The Beaconite hopes that leaders will open avenues for different income-generating avenues that may have been closed off in past years.
The best friends
Virgin Islands friends are the best friends, a Beaconite believes. She returned this week from visiting a pair of other former Beaconites who have gradually become some of the people she’s closest to. Five years ago, she faced her new colleagues across a table in a temporary office space at the beginning of a friendship forged by the hardships of Hurricane Irma. Now she’s preparing to be a member of their wedding party next year. Whether these get-togethers are in California or Mexico or wherever life may take them, the conversation in this group always turns toward the VI and what it means to them to live here and be part of this island community. As the Beaconite prepares to move on soon to another stage of her own life and career, she remembers where it all started.