Rentals on the roads
As a Cane Garden Bay resident, a Beaconite is accustomed to navigating beaches and roads that can occasionally be crowded with tourists, and she typically enjoys getting to see visitors making memories to last a lifetime. She does, however, have a growing concern about road safety. In the past few weeks, she’s seen several worrisome situations unfolding, including a near T-bone from a vehicle heading from Ridge Road toward CGB; a complete disregard for maintaining a lane in the roundabouts in Road Town; a caravan of jeeps bringing a long line of traffic heading out of CGB to a near-standstill; and more. In all those cases, the vehicles involved were rental cars. The Beaconite doesn’t want to discourage visitors from using rental cars to explore the islands, especially considering the high cost of taxis and the lack of public transportation outside of Road Town. But she would encourage them to take the time to understand the challenges of navigating VI roadways before getting behind the wheel.
Politics
Like her colleagues and many other residents, a Beaconite is keeping a close eye on the territory’s political landscape. With the dissolution of the current House of Assembly due this week and elections right around the corner, things are changing quite drastically. She’s excited to see who rises to leadership and who will make the hardest choices for the territory during the next four years. She remembers coming to the Virgin Islands in 2019 at the height of campaigns for that year’s election. The atmosphere was lively and engaging, and this year she hopes that everyone is taking part in voicing their opinions, sharing their stories, and deciding the best candidates after careful thought.
Attending church
A Beaconite has been trying his best to attend mass each Sunday of Lent. He hasn’t done this in years, but the parish staff, including the priests at the St. William’s Catholic Church in Road Town, are very welcoming. Every Sunday, several newcomers are offered greetings during the latter part of the mass, and this is always a wonderful sign at any church. The Beaconite is considering joining the church choir at some point, and he plans to take part in other social activities the church plans to hold in future. The masses on Sundays are lively, and he is especially impressed by the music, which usually has him tapping his toes. Attending mass each Sunday — and even on weekday mornings — was a tradition in the Beaconite’s extended household when he was growing up with his grandmother in Guyana’s countryside. But over the years, the demands of work and family life made it difficult for him to keep up his attendance record. As he grows older, however, he is charting a course to ensure he visits church as often as he possibly can.
Destination VI
The territory appears to be gaining popularity as a tourist destination across many top travel channels and magazines, perhaps thanks in part to the marketing efforts by the BVI Tourist Board. A Beaconite is aware that the agency works year-round in many parts of the world to promote the tourism product, and she’s convinced that these efforts must be paying off. As the world emerges from the pandemic, there are many changes taking place within the workplace and in the way that people are choosing to live. More and more people are choosing to see more of the world, to work remotely, and to spend more time with their families. If the VI is able to navigate this changing environment with agility, the Beaconite is sure that it can benefit greatly.