Belongership poll Last week, the Beacon published an article on its website about a group called VI Voice complaining about the large number of people granted belongership status last …
February 12, 2020
February 12, 2020
COMMENTARY — Post-Brexit, OTs’ place considered
Brexit is simple English tribalism. A redefined relationship between the post-Brexit United Kingdom and the overseas territories is inevitable if, as is expected, the turmoil of a post-Brexit Britain becomes …
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February 12, 2020
POEM — The Winding Road
People live and people die; They say hello and then goodbye. That is a path we all will take. We must be kind each step we make. The road …
February 12, 2020
LETTER— Dump smoke draws fire from STJ
Dear People of the Virgin Islands, Here is a photo of your smoking, burning dump on Monday. Unfortunately, in the United States Virgin Islands, we get to see and …
February 10, 2020
EDITORIAL: The ferry system is a national embarrassment
Operating a reliable, convenient ferry service between Tortola and St. Thomas is not rocket science. It is not even ferry science. It is plain common sense. But despite decades of …
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February 5, 2020
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Jan. 30, 2020)
Medical pot The Bahamas, like the Virgin Islands, is among several Caribbean countries that have recently announced plans to consider a medical marijuana initiative. The country’s plan resembles the VI’s …
February 5, 2020
COMMENTARY — Guv explains likely Brexit impacts
The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union tomorrow with a deal. This deal includes a newly negotiated withdrawal agreement, whereby the UK will enter an implementation period …
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February 5, 2020
COMMENTARY — RDA CEO’s resignation imagined
I’ll start this week’s commentary by imagining the resignation letter that could have been penned by Recovery and Development Agency CEO Paul Bayly. Dear Sirs: Due to the …
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February 5, 2020
COMMENTARY — VI urged to prepare for Brexit
The Virgin Islands government would be squandering precious time if it tried to make separate trade deals with the European Union after Brexit, which United Kingdom professor Dr. Peter Clegg …
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February 5, 2020
COMMENTARY — Victimisation claims cause concern
One politician’s recent assertions about victimisation reveal a pervasive culture. Now, when it comes to victimisation in politics anywhere, all are guilty. There is no innocent political party. Talk to …
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February 5, 2020
EDITORIAL: Kudos to an opposition that has much to do
After we criticised the opposition in October for an apparent lack of coordination, we are delighted that members now appear to be working as a team to hold the government …
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January 29, 2020
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (January 23, 2020)
From pines to palms A new Beaconite has been getting her bearings this month. Dana Kampa grew up in Wisconsin in the United States, and she spent the last two …
January 29, 2020
POEM — One with Words
I write to become One with words To resuscitate Not divide and conquer To disseminate What could be useful Because I am hopeful I remain an optimist Not only to …
January 29, 2020
COMMENTARY — Royal couple’s exit analysed
The Meghan Markle story is part of the ongoing process of change in the west at a time when the United Kingdom has been slow to enter the 21st Century. …
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January 27, 2020
EDITORIAL: Medical pot could be a boon, but it needs to be done right
The government’s plan to establish a medical marijuana industry in the Virgin Islands could be a sound idea, and we applaud the new administration for its decision to move forward …
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January 22, 2020
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (January 16, 2020)
A hopeful start During a Monday sitting in honour of the beginning of the 2020 Law Year — in the fourth floor of the Sakal Place, the new home of …
January 22, 2020
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered to fix ‘deplorable’ roads
I like to engage anyone who will listen in conversation on current topical issues and matters affecting the well-being of the territory. One such current issue is the deplorable condition …
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January 22, 2020
COMMENTARY — Brexit seen as likely to benefit offshore
Will Brexit be advantageous to offshore finance? The answer could well be yes. The European Union is pro-regulation of offshore finance for obvious reasons. The EU is much less of …
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January 22, 2020
EDITORIAL: RDA CEO’s resignation hurts, but it’s no surprise
The slow pace of the government’s hurricane recovery is nothing short of a crisis, and the resignation of Recovery and Development Agency CEO Paul Bayly is another major blow to …
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January 14, 2020
EDITORIAL: Our New Year’s wish list
In the Virgin Islands, 2019 was a tumultuous year. The territory saw political upheaval, external pressures, dire new revelations about climate change, threats to financial services, and more delays in …
January 9, 2020
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Jan. 9, 2019)
Rastafarians in the service The Telegraph recently reported that the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has adjusted its rules to allow Rastafarians to keep their long hair and beards. This is …
January 9, 2020
COMMENTARY — Drag racing slammed in open letter
Dear Governor Gus Jaspert and Police Commissioner Michael Matthews: I have written to you both numerous times about the drag racing that started about two months ago from 6 p.m. …
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January 9, 2020
COMMENTARY — Bikes, bodyguards and pot draw fire
I guess the police commissioner can’t say no to the premier’s decision to allow larger motorbikes into the territory. So he suggests some conditions for importation and regulations for use. …
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January 9, 2020
COMMENTARY — Iran tensions seen as threat to OTs, world
Will there be a vast war in the Middle East? The Trump Administration has killed Qasem Suleimani, Iran’s top military leader, in an airstrike. This is the biggest escalation in …
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December 23, 2019
EDITORIAL: Virgin Islands must buckle up for Brexit
The startling result of the United Kingdom election this month virtually guarantees that the UK will exit the European Union soon, heralding a historic shift in world affairs that will …
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