Typo tantrum
A Beaconite was disheartened to find several typographical errors in the government’s revised Recovery to Development Plan. The second page, for example, refers to “students beginning housed in the new facility for the beginning of the 2019/2020 school year.” In the first paragraph on the next page, there is a floating “g” unattached to any word. Page 17 includes a photo caption printed in the middle of the page, which blocks an entire sentence, instead of being placed underneath the photo at the bottom of the page. And that’s just the beginning. The reporter believes the errors are unprofessional and do not represent the high caliber that the territory deserves in its recovery effort. It seems that the proper time, attention and care were not given to the revised plan, especially in comparison with the previous one (which also fell short of what is needed in a recovery strategy). The reporter knows the government has the ability to create professional frameworks, and she was disappointed to see basic errors that could have been caught by running a spell-check programme. Ultimately, the errors suggest that the document lacks the extensive planning and careful execution needed for such an important strategy.
Fish, cocktails
A Beaconite’s friend dismissed it as “not a very creative name,” but the Fish N’ Cocktails event hosted by the BVI Tourist Board on Friday was decidedly a success, and the title was great to the extent that it made clear what to expect. The Beaconite attended with coworkers and friends, most of whom, despite living the territory for years, had yet to venture to the Callwood Rum Distillery, whose customer service and rum the Beaconite has always found to be top-notch. She tries to visit often, given that it’s in her neighbourhood of Cane Garden Bay. Last year, she covered pretty much every Food Fete-related event as a reporter, and enjoyed them even then, so it occurred to her that she should attend at least a few events this year without the pressure of having to interview people. Bartenders served up free shots and exceedingly creative, flavourful rum cocktails. Also on sale were reasonably priced fried fish, chicken and sides, offering attendees a welcome (and inexpensive!) alternative to the usual happy hour scene. There were a healthy number of attendees, and the Beaconite ran into some bewildered-looking tourists who weren’t quite sure what they were eating, drinking or doing, but who seemed to leave happy. If the rest of the Food Fete is so successful, the board should consider its job well done — and consider hosting more events of the same kind, both in the same area and in other parts of the territory.
VG visit
A Beaconite, who has wanted to thoroughly explore Virgin Gorda since arriving in the territory several months ago, was finally able to do so while visiting a friend on the beautiful sister island Sunday afternoon. Like most people, the Beaconite’s first stop was The Baths. He had been once before, but only for a quick dip in the water before reporting a story. This time, he strapped on his snorkel gear and lazily swam around the submerged boulders, gazing at the colourful fish swimming past and turning onto his back to take in the otherworldly landscape encircling him. Next up was a traverse across the island to Leverick Bay, where the Beaconite chilled by the pool, ordered a tasty jerk chicken sandwich, and watched boats come and go from the dock. The sun was beginning to set by the time he had to leave for his ferry, and on his way back to the terminal, he and his friend spent a few moments standing on a lookout high over The Valley, staring at the pink sky.