Rocky
Sylvester Stallone may be (somewhat unkindly) considered a has-been now, but in the mid-1970s he was lorded as the man — along with Star Wars producer George Lucas — who saved Hollywood. Both movies — Mr. Stallone’s Rocky, and the fantasy from another galaxy far, far away — turned around the movie industry’s decline in the face of the then all-powerful television. Indeed, “Sly” Stallone even got nominated for a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of the punchy boxer in 1976. A Beaconite wondered if that sense of glory was on Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s mind as he emerged on the podium for a most curious “State of the Territory” ceremony to the Rocky soundtrack. The whole event seemed to exist to present Dr. Wheatley not as the man who saved Hollywood, but the one who saved the Virgin Islands. Saluting children, singers, and dancing girls were all in attendance. Minister after minister lined up to heap praise on the heroic achievements of the past 12 months. And just like at the Oscars, Deputy Premier Lorna Smith even made a dramatic appearance via video because she was unable to attend due to being in Hong Kong. The three-hour event at a Road Town hotel must have cost a pretty penny, but as Rocky Balboa said, “Nobody owes nobody nothing.”
‘No more questions from you’
A Beaconite was taken aback last week when she was told blatantly, “There will be no more questions from you” during the question-and-answer portion of a press conference hosted by cruise industry executives after their site visit to the Virgin Islands. The question that brought the response concerned whether the executives were concerned about exceeding the territory’s carrying capacity for cruise ship tourists. Luckily, the sentiment, which came from a cruise line representative who is also chairman of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, was not enforced, and the reporter was permitted to continue her line of questioning. She should note too that she received thoughtful answers to her query from other panellists. But such a statement made in response to a valid question in a setting designed to promote dialogue among the local media and the cruise industry representatives was hardly appropriate. To say in one breath that the cruise industry is seeking open communication with local stakeholders while also shutting down the inquiry of a reporter reflects an inconsistency that should not be ignored.
Cleaning out the ghut
A reader got in touch with the Beacon yesterday with concerns about heavy machinery that was clearing a stretch of vegetation along the ghut behind the House of Assembly offices in Road Town. To find out what was going on, a Beaconite called Public Works Department Director Jeremy Hodge, who explained that the work was designed to clear out silt that had built up in the ghut over time and had been causing flooding in Road Town. “We’re not going to be destroying our beloved mangroves that we love so much,” Mr. Hodge said. He added that multiple other ghuts empty into that ghut. “When that’s constricted, everything flows into town,” he said.