"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The jury is still out on the overall success of the recent traffic changes in Road Town, but we applaud the government for trying something new in order to tackle …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Traffic reforms have promise, but tweaks will be needed”
In the weeks since the world watched a white police officer kneel on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the response to Mr. Floyd’s death has rightly …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Black Lives Matter fight hits home in Virgin Islands”
Questions and answers A Beaconite was glad to see in last week’s House of Assembly session, coming on the heels of the eighth and ninth sittings the week prior, opposition …
The Black Lives Matter movement is prompting the Virgin Islands to look at both racial injustice abroad and discrimination at home as global protests continue around the world against police …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — VI urged to tackle discrimination”
We might view contemptuously United States President Donald Trump’s attempts to revive the US coal industry against global moves towards cleaner energy, but he gave an enormous boost to the …
Black lives matter A Beaconite is a first-generation Asian American in a family of immigrants. Her elders came to the United States in the 1980s, worked hard and settled down. …
The current international news related to the pandemic points to the scary fact of a second wave of the infection. Are we prepared? Sometime before Easter, a friend (who happens …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — As ‘second wave’ of Covid looms, call made for widespread testing”
It has become extremely necessary for me to revisit the subject of gambling given the present climate of the territory. The Virgin Islands is at the crossroads of history and …
Hi there. Are you wondering where I have been? Right here with you, under lockdown. When the flights stopped and the Beacon could not distribute its print edition for a …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Long-time letter writer returns”
At a time when the Virgin Islands’ relationship with the United Kingdom is increasingly unpredictable and fraught with tensions, we are glad that the government is launching the long-promised constitutional …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Coming constitutional review should look to independence”
Scooter ban It’s no secret that irresponsible and noisy scooter riders have long been a nuisance and danger in the Virgin Islands. Last week, a new curfew order enacted a …
It is time for the Caribbean and various other regions of the world to ditch the superpowers as leading lights of global security and prosperity. The Covid-19 pandemic, trade wars, …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Region urged to ‘ditch the superpowers’”
In 1983, Tom Crowe reported enthusiastically to the Virgin Islands government on the prospects for computerisation reducing the territory’s dependence on tourism (see my May 28 commentary titled “‘Commuting home’ …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY – Need seen for telecom taskforce”
Kudos to the government for working closely with the opposition to finally pass consumer protection legislation, which Virgin Islands leaders have been promising for more than three decades. The achievement …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Consumer Protection Act is a big win”
After months of delays, in late May the government finally unveiled a comprehensive economic stimulus package designed to help the territory through the coronavirus pandemic. We are glad that leaders …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The good, bad and ugly of the economic stimulus”
Paperless, please House of Assembly Speaker Julian Willock mentioned earlier this year that one of the HOA’s goals is to go paperless. As the world is working out innovative ways …
Racism and ethnic prejudice are best battled when humanity recognises that both are inherent in the flawed human personality Just after Barack Obama was elected the first coloured president of …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Racism and prejudice denounced”
Since late April there have been virtually no tourist arrivals in the Caribbean. In recent days, however, several countries have announced plans to reopen to international travel, albeit in a …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Call made for regional tourism protocol”
Everyone in the territory should be preparing now for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which started on Monday and will continue through the end of November. The season is forecast to …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Covid and hurricanes mean a double whammy”
Double threat Hurricane season, a first-time experience for one Beaconite, is just around the corner. She has received helpful tips from friends, including the importance of knowing evacuation routes and …
I overheard a conversation recently in which the persons involved were lamenting, “Covid not playing with us, and we playing with it.” I reflected on the essence of the discussion …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — VI warned against celebrating too soon”
The Virgin Islands’ economic recovery from Covid-19 will be very different from its economic bounce-back after hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the public must prepare for a challenging economic period …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Covid-19 compared to hurricanes”
In May 1986, shortly after being appointed head of the Virgin Islands Library Services Department, I presented a paper to a regional conference on St. Croix, foreseeing a bright future …
As the territory responds to a human pandemic on land, another catastrophe is brewing underwater. The highly infectious stony coral tissue loss disease, which has been spreading south from Florida …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: New coral disease is a crisis for long-suffering VI reefs”
The press conference On Tuesday of last week, a Beaconite attended the first coronavirus press conference in more than six weeks. Though he appreciated the government’s attempt to answer questions …
