Spelling matters
Do you remember the spelling of Patsy Lake’s name? The Beacon remembers. It would seem, however, that the activist known for fighting to keep Wickhams Cay under local ownership has been at least partially forgotten by whoever made the signs marking the sidewalks in the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park in Road Town. Eagle-eyed readers will know what the Beaconite is talking about: In the midst of correctly spelled names, her sign reads “Pasty C. Lake.” It’s a small error, sure, but a critical one: There’s a world of difference between “Patsy” and “Pasty.” Ms. Lake’s honorary sidewalk sign in the park may reflect bigger problems: Typographic and other errors are more common than they should be in government press releases and other official documentation. But it is especially saddening to see the trend affect a historic figure. The Beaconite hopes someone will fix the error as soon as possible.
Kids’ perspective
A Beaconite finds that she enjoys interviewing children because of how candid and open they can be with some of the most simple questions. In recent months, she has had several occasions to talk with the youths of the territory, from primary schoolers to high school graduates. Perhaps such interviews remind her of when she was a teacher’s assistant and tutor. Most recently, she attended a pep rally held as part of Anti-Bullying Week. Afterwards, she also enjoyed seeing that one of the primary schools from which she had interviewed some students had shared her story on the school’s social media page. She must admit that it was strange to see a photo of herself interviewing the students. She is much more accustomed to being behind the camera. But she was glad that students from the participating schools were willing to step out of the pep rally and all its performances for a moment and speak with her about an important topic. They provided valuable input about bullying, a problem that many of them face far too often.
Serenity versus sharky
A Beaconite is sure that he would never eat a turtle. Not that he is a vegetarian: Even certain dishes which have acquired a reputation in these judgmental times, like venison, are certainly not off the menu for him. Indeed, the Beaconite has gone as exotic as a zebra steak (very gamey) in his time. And he sympathised with Madonna when she suddenly became British about 20 years ago after marrying filmmaker Guy Ritchie and got attacked for taking part in pheasant shoots at their Cotswolds country estate. (She replied with her customary frankness along the lines of: “I shot it. I ate it. It’s more honest than going to the supermarket and eating processed meat.”) But, after experiencing the serene tranquillity of Virgin Islands turtles in their natural habitat while snorkelling recently at Norman Island, the Beaconite declares irrational favouritism when it comes to the dinner table. Watching the little fellas (or ladies?) cruise majestically under the sun-kissed waters left a warm impression which means they won a place in his heart — and certainly not a place in my stomach. However, the reporter is quite tempted to try a shark if it is ever presented for supper rather than in the watery depths of Nature’s Little Secrets. The arbitrary emotional connection to other sentient beings can prove fickle.