Holiday schedule

Because of the holidays, this is the Beacon’s last print edition of 2021. Printing will resume on Jan. 6, and all advertising and editorial deadlines will be as usual for that issue. In the meantime, check out bvibeacon.com and the Beacon’s social media channels for news updates. Beaconites thank readers and advertisers for their support this year and wish everyone a wonderful holiday and a joyous 2022.

 

A sporting chance

A Beaconite would like to echo sentiments shared at last week’s contract signing for work to be done at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex, when officials congratulated the athletes representing the Virgin Islands at the Junior Pan American Games in Colombia. Sprinter Jaleel Croal managed to pull off a personal best and held his own against experienced runners. The territory’s athletes continue to do the VI proud, and the reporter can’t wait to see how far they can go in the coming years with new investments in infrastructure and management at recreational facilities. The territory should be proud too of the community members who continue to push for better facilities on all the islands so VI athletes can get a step up when competing at international levels. She hopes everyone will be able to cheer on more star athletes at the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.

 

Looking back

A Beaconite can’t help reflecting on the past year and all that came with it. She traveled again for the first time in a year and a half, and finally reconnected with family. She’s also enjoyed a quiet year while living all the way on the west end of Tortola, enjoying places in the area like Long Bay Beach Resort, Sugar Mill Resort, Sopers Hole, and so on. The reporter has written many memorable stories and covered interesting testimonies from the Commission of Inquiry. All in all, it’s been an eventful year and she welcomes 2022. She hopes the pandemic slows down and the world can return to some normalcy.

 

Pantomime

In the United Kingdom, Christmas pantomimes are as storied a tradition as turkey and carolling, and many Brits grew up attending them every year — cheering heroes, booing villains, and enjoying the magical storytelling and broad, slapstick comedy. However, in a Beaconite’s native United States, they’re almost unheard of, and she had never before seen one live. As a theatre enthusiast and a wannabe actress and singer in another life, she was shamelessly excited when she obtained a last-minute ticket to experience BVI Arts’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Virgin Islands’ very own panto. There was much musical and comedic talent on display, the adult and child actors alike were clearly having a blast, and the joy and enthusiasm was infectious, especially after a year with limited chances to experience the arts in a communal atmosphere. She congratulates the director, cast and crew. If they’re back next year, maybe she’ll even try out for a part.

 

Pantomime, part two

Another Beaconite was similarly impressed by the pantomime. When he agreed to accompany his friends to the event, he wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t that he’d find his new favourite Christmas tradition. It was clear that everyone involved put great effort into the show, and the Beaconite appreciated that they leaned into the silliness of it all. Even as he was concentrating on taking photos and notes for an article in this issue, it was hard not to feel a childish amusement at watching a gang of villains sing into a sendup of a Britney Spears while plotting on how to kill Snow White.