Cable change
Do you have an old cable box? You’d better get it changed soon. BVI Cable TV is transitioning from an analog to a digital system. Beginning next month, the company will start swapping out customers’ cable boxes. From Dec. 10 until March 1, 2013, the company will offer most channels on both systems, and customers are being asked to bring in their old boxes to the company’s offices at 27 Fishlock Road. To prepare for the transition, 11 analog channels will be removed from the lineup on Nov. 9, the company announced. The channels to be removed are Dicovery ID, 15; Fox Soccer, 27; EWTN, 28; VH1 Mega, 31; Tru, 38; Discovery Kids, 49; Boomerang, 50; CSPAN, 54; TCM, 58; CNN International, 59; and Fox Deportes, 67. The channels will be available to customers with the digital convertor boxes, according to the press release.
Reckless riders
On Sunday a Beaconite on her way to a vigil organised by the BVI Cancer Society spotted three young men riding scooters in a reckless manner. The riders manoeuvred between vehicles, seemingly without caution. Worse, two of them were riding without helmets. The reporter was disappointed to see that even after two young people have died in recent scooter accidents, some youths still throw caution to the wind. While the Beaconite hopes police will crack down on this behaviour, she believes riders also need to take responsibility for their own safety.
Fainting in court
A Beaconite who spends a lot of time in court has found that proceedings get held up for all sorts of reasons: the prosecution isn’t ready; there’s an issue with the jury; a lawyer is sick or off island; and so on. But Magistrates’ Court was temporarily put on hold Tuesday when something unexpected happened: A woman just outside the courtroom fainted. Fortunately, she was okay. Magistrate Tamia Richards called for a short adjournment as EMTs hopped out of an ambulance, checked the woman out, and went on their way. Then court matters proceeded as usual.
‘Frankenstorm’ hits home
When a Beaconite moved to the Caribbean, it crossed his mind that the occasional brush with tropical storms and hurricanes was likely. But this week, it was his family and friends who were bunkered down on Long Island or holed up in New York City in the midst of a “Frankenstorm.” Time Magazine, in an article posted Monday, said Hurricane Sandy “will almost certainly be the largest storm to ever hit the East Coast.” The prediction was right, according to The New York Times. “Roughly six million people, including many in a large swath of Manhattan, were without electricity,” the paper reported Tuesday. “Streets were littered with debris and buildings were damaged.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the deaths of at least 15 people were linked to the storm. The Beaconite, who was able to reach his family on the north shore of Long Island Monday night, was glad to hear they were safe and sound, drinking Dark ’n’ Stormies by candlelight as the worst of Sandy passed overhead. It will take a while for things to go back to normal, and the Long Island-born Beaconite wishes the best for those suffering in the wake of Sandy.
Not so swell
Two Beaconites went to Cane Garden Bay on Tuesday to check out the impact of the north swell that was generated by Hurricane Sandy. First, they walked out onto the rocky promontory of Cannon Point to watch two surfers trying to catch waves. Then they visited the beach. There, one Beaconite got a little too close to the swell for comfort. As he was inspecting the damage to a beach bar, he thought he was well above the waterline. Then a large wave broke, and water rushed up the beach and around his ankles. Since he hadn’t bothered to remove his shoes and socks, they got soaked, along with his pants legs. The Beaconite is taking the occurrence as a sign that he should spend more of each workday barefoot.
Car alarms? On Tortola?
A Beaconite who lives on Waterfront Drive has an important question: Is it really necessary to have a car alarm on Tortola? In Road Town, the alarms are frequently triggered by passing trucks when a vehicle’s owner is nowhere to be found. This can mean that they go off for several minutes, which can be pretty annoying for someone who is trying to sleep. The Beaconite wonders why the alarms are needed in a place where car theft is as rare as it is here. In the future, he hopes car owners will do their best to ensure that the alarms don’t go off at the slightest vibration.
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