Political storms
The thunder and lightning crackling across a brooding Road Town sky could be seen and heard from within the House of Assembly chamber as the clock ticked down to the opening of a session scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday. If opposition members took it as a good omen for their push to sweep Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s government from power in a vote of no confidence, the drama proved short-lived. By the time the meeting came to order — precisely 63 minutes late — the sunshine was once again flooding through the windows of the assembly building, and the storm had dissipated into just a few drops of water dripping from the portico outside. Maybe it was the threat of rain, but the mass demonstration called for by the opposition failed to attract a single demonstrator — a no-show for the no-confidence showdown. But, just like the last attempt in September, the order paper was unusually full with government business, and any attempt to get to the motion that could topple the premier was talked out of time. As the HOA takes its ceremonial lead from Westminster, it is noticeable, and noticeably convenient for the premier, that it does not give priority to confidence votes as the House of Commons does. In the end, Dr. Wheatley again avoided a vote on his future as the opposition attempt to bring him down proved to be a washout on Friday. But the real storm was raging behind the scenes. Yesterday morning, the premier suddenly struck, ousting Lorna Smith as his deputy and tempting opposition member Julian Fraser to cross the floor to replace her. The political weather is rapidly changing. Which way will the wind blow next?
Sea shanty towns
Dozens of derelict cars around the territory have been collected, crushed and shipped away in recent months. What remains, however, are the many listing and listless yachts that have dotted the shoreline since Hurricane Irma more than seven years ago. In some places, groups of derelict boats give the impression of a floating shanty town, where kingfishers sing high harmonies to the coqui frogs’ sea shanties. Perhaps these could be sunk at sea and repurposed as dive sites, where fish and lobsters could find new homes. In fact, perhaps all the derelict vessels in the territory could be rounded up and piled together underwater like a super-sized version of the existing Wreck Alley dive site. Perhaps it could even become its own tourism destination. “Here is Hurricane Irma’s pile of boats,” dive operators could say. It would be an impressive sight. The Beaconite suspects many of the forgotten vessels have weathered to the point of disintegration, but what does he know? He hardly notices them anymore. To him, they’re just part of the scenery.
Cancer awareness
A Beaconite was glad to see the tents around Road Town aimed at raising awareness for breast cancer. As someone who has a family member who is a survivor, she believes that it is important to educate people about the disease. Though she was unable to participate in the annual CIBC Caribbean Walk for the Cure held earlier this month, she has some friends who did. While the reporter is too young to need a mammogram test, she hopes residents who do need one will schedule an appointment with their doctor, as it can help lead to early diagnosis. The reporter was also glad to hear Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley say Friday in the House of Assembly that the BVI Health Services Authority will launch a triple assessment clinic on Nov. 5 as part of efforts to diagnosis and treat patients.