Awarded
Starting last year, the Beacon and other Caribbean newspapers partnered with the Puerto Rico Center for Investigative Journalism on a series of articles titled “Islands Adrift,” which probed the effects of climate change around the region. That series — which was the first collaboration of its kind in the Caribbean — recently won two awards: a prize in ecological journalism from the Puerto Rico Overseas Press Club and Best Multimedia Special Report in the XXIV National Journalism Awards granted by the Association of Journalists of Puerto Rico. The Beacon, which investigated climate change preparedness here and in the United States Virgin Islands in light of the destruction wrought by last year’s hurricanes, hopes to work on similar projects in the future. Beaconites also hope that the series will lead to a growing awareness of the dangers of climate change in the region and spur leaders to take steps to prepare.
Poisoning
A Beaconite has been watching her friends’ dog for the past two months while they’re off island, and during that time she has experienced all the trials and tribulations of owning a pet. One of those challenges is the danger that a dog could eat poison that has been strategically placed outside. Throughout the territory, there have been sporadic reports of canine poisonings for years, though the perpetrators have rarely, if ever, been prosecuted. So when the reporter’s dog started vomiting and suddenly didn’t want to move around much over the weekend, she assumed the worst. Luckily, a veterinarian who works around the clock was available to give the sick dog activated charcoal, which works to absorb the toxin the animal has ingested. The vet also informed this reporter that poison could be left on personal properties or even along the roadside by some farmers who are tired of dogs attacking their livestock. The vet has seen so many poisonings that she’s planning to create “poison kits” for pet owners. The Beaconite is glad some residents are taking charge to prevent another dog from dying — but she wishes those services were never needed in the first place.
Car shopping
For a Beaconite, the only thing worse than not owning a car in the VI is owning a car, or attempting to own a car. Over the past year, she has observed with quiet sympathy the travails of friends who, while obviously better off with access to reliable transportation, also must constantly cope with the endless stream of automotive woes that seem to come with driving on island roads, and who seem to be constantly sitting around in various garages waiting for the inevitable repair bill. Although the Beaconite has tentatively begun a search to buy a car, since she is weary of trying to hitchhike and knows she is quickly wearing out the goodwill of those around her, she can’t help but feel regretful for leaving the simple, car-less life behind. She also knows her naïveté will inevitably lead her to be taken advantage of by sellers, and her mediocre driving skills will lead to problems of different kinds, starting with the challenge of how to pass the drivers’ test. Sometimes a cat seems like responsibility enough.
Ghost speed bumps
Beaconites have noticed an annoying and potentially costly trend occurring across the roadways of Tortola: invisible speed bumps. Scattered throughout the island, the bumps are very much on the road but often unmarked by yellow paint. They’re just slabs the same shade as the rest of the street, making them quite difficult to spot in certain lighting. The Beaconite would never debate the merit of speed bumps themselves, especially in communities with schools just off the roadside, but these ghost hazards offer little protection against fast-moving motorists who don’t notice them. Instead, they do nothing but dramatically increase the likelihood said motorists — whether they’re driving too fast or not — will need to visit the garage.