‘Under the clinches’
A Beaconite who loves learning new phrases and words found a new one recently: “under the clinches.” She first heard the phrase from Premier Ralph O’Neal, who was cautioning that the territory must be careful to stay out from “under the clinches” of the British government. The phrase may come from a metal clinch, the fastening used to hold on a horse’s shoe, under which burrs and other irritants sometimes get stuck and are difficult to remove. The phrase “in the clinches” is also used in boxing matches, to describe when the fighters are very close together. This typically happens when one boxer holds the opponent in a way that prevents the opponent from throwing a proper punch.
On time!
The Beaconite who is in charge of pageant coverage hates late starts, which are all too common in the pageant world. But this weekend, she was in luck. The Beaconite was extremely impressed with the organisation of the Mr. and Miss Fifth Form Pageant on Saturday. The event was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., and it did. Also, no time was wasted between segments, and everything flowed smoothly. Best of all, throughout the event, the 13 contestants put on a great show. The reporter suggests that other pageant organisers call the Mr. and Miss Fifth Form Pageant committee for planning advice in the future.
Me, a judge?
Another Beaconite was pleased to be asked to help judge the Mr. and Miss Fifth Form Pageant. At first, however, he was a little nervous, as he had never judged a beauty contest before. He needn’t have worried: The efficient and helpful organisers showed him exactly what to do. As part of a team of judges, he helped interview contestants before the competition, and then he helped judge the career wear segment the night of the show. The Beaconite was very impressed with the students, who were well spoken, intelligent and charming. In a time when young people are often blamed for rising crime, the experience reminded him that the vast majority of Virgin Islands youths are talented community members who contribute positively to the territory.
Keep your shirt on
A Beaconite covering Magistrates’ Court was entertained by a magistrate’s instructions to one defendant, who began to adjust his shirt as he stepped out of the defendant’s box. “Please do not undress in front of me,” she told him. “You would not like me to undress in front of you. It would not be very pleasant.”
Model search
A Beaconite has spent a lot of time recently researching Peebles Hospital for the special report on page one of this week’s issue. Though the article covered plenty of history, there are still some things he’d like to know. For instance, several officials mentioned that there was an intricate scale model of a proposed hospital produced sometime around 2001. No one seems to know where it is, but one official said it was “pretty neat-looking.” The building design has since been changed dramatically, but the Beaconite is curious about what happened to the model. He was also interested to read a story in the Oct. 18, 2007 edition of the Beacon, in which construction workers discovered an underground tunnel, believed to be a storage cellar for an 18th or 19th Century home. The Beaconite hopes to make time in the future to find out whether the ruins from the find were ever further researched and what measures were taken to preserve the site. In addition to those questions, like many residents in the Virgin Islands, the Beaconite wonders when the new hospital will open its doors.
Calling all candidates
Beaconites want to cover all the candidates in the Nov. 7 elections. While reporters are pretty sure they’re in touch with most aspiring representatives, they ask those who are planning to run for office to let them know if not. Candidates can contact the Beacon at 494-3434 or e-mail bvibeacn@surfbvi.com.