Holiday schedule
Because of the August Emancipation Festival holiday, the Beacon won’t print next week, but advertising and editorial deadlines will return to normal for the Aug. 12 edition. Beaconites wish readers a happy Festival season, and they urge everyone to stay safe and follow all protocols in place to avoid exacerbating the Covid-19 outbreak.
Electricity woes
Last week, electricity to a large part of East End, Tortola and parts of Virgin Gorda was knocked out after a driver hit a light pole, as demonstrated by photos widely circulated on social media. Although the driver’s motivations can’t be fully known, judging by the time of the wreck, a Beaconite suspects he was trying to get home before 7 p.m. curfew. With no reports of serious injuries, it seems the driver was lucky. On Sunday evening, a Beaconite and her friend were nearly broadsided by another vehicle that was speeding along the Ridge Road — again, a few minutes before curfew. She spotted many other fast-moving vehicles on the road, even though the wet, stormy conditions seen often this time of year made driving especially hazardous. The Beaconite urges everyone to allow themselves plenty of time to get home before curfew so that they will not have to speed. People seem to have been lucky so far, but the next person may not be.
Note of appreciation
A Beaconite had a not-so-fun emergency trip to the hospital last week to deal with a bad allergic reaction. She takes it as a good reminder, though, of how hard the Virgin Islands’ medical professionals have continued to work this year, even as global “hero” fanfare has waned. Everyone is well aware by now of the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in the territory, but even with this increased demand for services, hospital staff were quick to admit and treat the Beaconite. A nurse kept a close watch until she could breathe easier and kindly went to extra lengths to ensure she had a curfew pass to get home. The reporter offers her sincerest gratitude to all the VI’s medical professionals as they continue to deal with the physical and mental burdens of this year. Though saddened to see another year pass without the iconic Festival parade and other large in-person events, she understands how important it is to not overburden the hospital system right now. The Beaconite wishes everyone a happy holiday, even if much of it has to happen behind a screen.
Traveling home
On Saturday morning, a Beaconite will travel home for the first time in 19 months (though to be completely accurate, he first will be traveling to Puerto Rico for a quick three-day stop on the way to his final destination). When he touched down on Virgin Islands soil in January 2020 after his last trip home, he did not think it would be so long before he could visit home again, and he certainly did not think that the interruption would have been caused by a global pandemic. Though he can think of few better places to have ridden out the pandemic than the VI, he must admit that having not seen his friends and family in so long, and with the atmosphere in the territory quite tense due to the recent outbreak, he is very much looking forward to spending some time abroad.
Smooth travels
After two weeks abroad, a Beaconite returned to the Virgin Islands on Sunday. She had trouble uploading supporting documents to the travel portal, and faced some issues with the internet connection at the port. But other than that, her travels were rather easy. As the territory struggles with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, she hopes everyone stays safe and takes care of their health first and foremost.