Lockdown, part two
A Beaconite’s household is once again under quarantine after her roommate came in contact with someone from Jost Van Dyke, which is under 24/7 lockdown because a former resident tested positive for Covid-19 in St. Vincent. She doesn’t know much at this point — only that everyone in the house is not allowed to leave until notified. Writing from a second round of quarantine, she would like to encourage everyone to take whatever steps are needed to prepare for a unilateral lockdown, be it refilling prescriptions, getting food and water, or ensuring family members are squared away. With any luck, these preparations can be staggered to avoid the rush preceding and following the last lockdown. The reporter hopes community members find creative ways to work together and help one another in the coming weeks.
High hopes for solar
On Friday, a Beaconite was happy to see the BVI Electricity Corporation take a substantial step towards completing a project to build a solar array on Anegada. The utility has been working to get the project off the ground for years, and has been pushing for greater renewable energy generation in the territory overall for even longer, so it is heartening to see a contract being awarded to company to make this happen. The Beaconite also knows that building solar grids in the Virgin Islands has historically been difficult for reasons that still persist, while the coronavirus will only add more complexities to this project. Nonetheless, it is his hope that the utility and its United States partner in the project will be able to bring this solar grid on stream and create a more resilient energy system while helping reduce emissions.
Out of control
Bring on hurricane season. To be sure, a Beaconite is not wishing for a powerful hurricane, or any hurricane, to visit the Virgin Islands. But given the sorry state of the world in general due to Covid-19 and other crises, she finds herself longing for the sense of control and purpose that preparing for a hurricane offers. Unlike a little-understood disease that seemingly came out of nowhere and that even scientists are still struggling to understand, the steps for preparing for a storm work like clockwork. Stock up on supplies, reinforce one’s home, monitor weather reports, and hunker down and wait. Anxiety and uncertainty remain, of course, but there is at least the knowledge that everything that can and should be done has been done and that anything else is up to a higher power. Additionally, the worst of a storm is typically over within less than 24 hours, unlike a global pandemic that seems to be dragging on indefinitely and is still posing more questions than answers. It says much about the state of current affairs that even the small amount of control that comes from preparing for the possibility of a major natural disaster seems preferable to whatever else is going on in this uncontrollable world.
Auditioning
A Beaconite recently had a first-time experience which she was told is rare in the Virgin Islands. She tried out for a dance audition on Friday at the BVI Dance School for a production that is being put together by local dancers. Two of the organisers said they wanted to bring the experience of auditioning for a role in a production to territory, especially for modern and contemporary dance, because they saw a need for it. Often, people would call on acquaintances to perform with them. But the audition brought out people that the organisers didn’t know, and it gave them a chance to see the plethora of undiscovered talent across the islands. The reporter has been diving into the music and dance scene, recently enjoying BVI Beatmasters held at the J Spot in Cane Garden Bay last Thursday. She’s looking forward to continually discovering the musical and theatrical talents here, while pushing herself to get onto centre stage and contribute to the positive energy.