Props A Beaconite, like many residents, has been critical of several aspects of the government’s Covid-19 response. Some missteps were clear: failing to thoroughly explain the disbursement of the $62.9 …
February 24, 2021
February 24, 2021
COMMENTARY — Call made to honour VI heroes
I applaud the theme of the BVI National Commission for UNESCO World Poetry Competition 2021: “Perspectives of Our Past: Unsung Heroes.” So often our lips declare that “we stand on …
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February 24, 2021
COMMENTARY — VI’s ties with UK examined
Some individuals may not want to acknowledge that there are ties which bind the United Kingdom and the Virgin Islands, and I think I can understand why that would be …
February 24, 2021
COMMENTARY — Residents urged to get vaccine
The decision to take the Covid-19 vaccine or not is primarily a personal one. However, the effect and outcomes of not doing it may not exactly be so personal after …
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February 23, 2021
EDITORIAL: New NEOC has been needed for more than 10 years
We are delighted that ground finally has been broken for a new National Emergency Operations Centre. The project has been needed for more than a decade. In fact, by the …
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February 17, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Feb. 18, 2021)
Impeachment A Beaconite watching the Senate impeachment trial of former United States President Donald Trump last week was captivated by the important role played by Stacey Plaskett, the delegate to …
February 17, 2021
COMMENTARY — Governance questions posed in light of ongoing inquiry
In August 2020, I wrote a commentary discussing the Constitution being a tool for good governance, and it turned out to be a prelude to current affairs. The launch of …
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February 17, 2021
COMMENTARY — Vaccine passports expected soon
A second critical travel document — a vaccine passport — is looking inevitable. But issues are mounting on the why, what, where, how and when of such a passport. Will …
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February 15, 2021
EDITORIAL: Vaccines are the way out of Covid
Vaccination is a very personal choice, but it has ramifications for all of society. We therefore urge all residents who feel comfortable taking the Covid-19 vaccine to get the shot …
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February 10, 2021
EDITORIAL: A memo for Governor John Rankin
We welcome Governor John Rankin, who takes office at a time when the territory’s relationship with the United Kingdom is as strained as it has been in recent memory. He …
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February 10, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Feb. 11, 2021)
‘Exclusion zone’ Some charter companies and other marine businesses are becoming exasperated with the ongoing existence of the so-called “exclusion zone,” which bars most boats from the area between Jost …
February 10, 2021
COMMENTARY — Troubled projects listed as inquiry gets under way
Next week marks the beginning of my 50th year in the Virgin Islands. In the early days, I was busy working to provide you with modern communications, and I did …
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February 10, 2021
COMMENTARY — Gov’t defended as COI starts
I couldn’t believe it when I turned on the radio to listen to the BBC News last week and heard that there was to be a commission of inquiry in …
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February 10, 2021
COMMENTARY — Inquiry described as a step toward self-determination
The apparently unprecedented events taking place in the world during our lifetime actually are not unprecedented in life, for there is nothing new under the sun. What has been will …
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February 10, 2021
COMMENTARY — Probe called ‘a very good thing’
An entitled minority must never again be allowed to control Virgin Islands governance, politics and society without full citizen and resident participation. Had full citizen participation been the governing culture …
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February 3, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Feb. 4, 2021)
Podcast On Friday, the Beacon launched a podcast, “The Wave.” The first episode, which was posted on the Beacon’s Facebook page, featured a recap of 2020’s biggest articles from each …
February 3, 2021
COMMENTARY — US urged to drop Cuba sanctions
In the dying days of the Donald Trump presidency in the United States, the State Department designated Cuba a “state sponsor of terrorism.” Regrettably, the measure will slow efforts by …
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February 3, 2021
COMMENTARY — Better governance seen as key to independence
There will be no greater autonomy or independence in United Kingdom overseas territories until their residents trust local government. Recent crises in OT governance in the Turks and Caicos Islands …
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February 1, 2021
EDITORIAL: Inquiry will need a tightly focused strategy
With a monumental task to complete in only six months, the commission of inquiry must devise a tightly focused strategy for shining its powerful spotlight into the dark corners of …
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January 27, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (January 28, 2021)
Inquiry poll Elected leaders have criticised the United Kingdom corruption inquiry in recent days, but a Beacon poll suggests that the probe has very strong support in the community. The …
January 27, 2021
COMMENTARY — Responding to Washington’s new hemispheric thinking
Joe Biden is now that 46th president of the United States, and many governments and individuals around the world are breathing a collective sigh of relief. This is not because …
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January 27, 2021
COMMENTARY — Evangelicals called cowardly
The biggest failure of the modern evangelical church — especially in the United States — is the failure to preach truth to power. Modern evangelicals have bought in to the …
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January 21, 2021
EDITORIAL: Unfortunately, the corruption inquiry is needed
Monday was a dark day for the Virgin Islands, with the United Kingdom flexing its colonial muscle and announcing a wide-ranging corruption inquiry in the territory. However, we are sad …
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January 20, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Jan. 14, 2021)
Housing hiatus A Beaconite found it somewhat shocking when government announced retroactively this month that the Housing Recovery Assistance Programme was no longer accepting applicants as of November because …
January 20, 2021
COMMENTARY — Full Caribbean tourism recovery seen as a possibility after 2021
Last year was a disaster for Caribbean tourism. Estimates suggest that visitor arrivals to the region fell by 75 percent in the last three quarters of 2020, causing overall Caribbean …
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