A match made at the Beacon Beaconites wish two former Beacon reporters — Conor King Devitt and Amanda Ulrich — a happy marriage! The couple survived Hurricane Irma while working …
COMMENTARY — More Trellis Bay history shared
In my Oct. 11 commentary “Trellis Bay chronicles continue,” I described how Polish Captain Wladek Wagner met Haldane Davis while building Witches Brew at Bar Bay, East End and bought …
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EDITORIAL: Sewer contracts are progress, but leaders must stay focused
We were heartened by the latest round of contracts signed to advance the much-delayed sewerage project in East End/Long Look, where residents have long suffered from untreated waste running in …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Oct. 26, 2023)
Customer service A Beaconite would like to thank the hard-working public officers at government’s Customer Service Care Centre, who must be tired of hearing his voice but never show it. …
COMMENTARY — Inequality seen as deeply entrenched
Inherited capital is the greatest source of social inequality. Capital ownership keeps specific families on top of the social and wealth pyramid for multiple generations. Capital and power are synonyms. …
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EDITORIAL: Is crime at a tipping point?
Crime in the Virgin Islands appears to be approaching a dangerous tipping point where the rule of law and the institutions that ensure it are at risk of being overwhelmed. …
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (October 19, 2023)
Reading is fun A Beaconite’s book club helped celebrate “Reading is Fun Week” once again this year, but in a new way. Last year, the club visited schools to read …
EDITORIAL: Philippe a reminder to stay vigilant
The recent passage of Tropical Storm Philippe was a timely reminder that Virgin Islands residents should remain vigilant through the end of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season and beyond. Philippe …
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COMMENTARY — Trellis Bay chronicles continue
My Sept. 13 commentary related how Wladek and Mabel Wagner — who eventually lived for several years in Trellis Bay — had discovered she was pregnant and abandoned the voyage …
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EDITORIAL: Crown land reform a long time in coming
We are delighted that the government plans to launch a public crown land register that can be viewed online. Even better, the register is only one part of ongoing reforms …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (October 5, 2023)
Mr. Weatherman Any resident who isn’t familiar with Mr. Weatherman should seek him out immediately. The meteorologist — whose real name is Brian Shields — creates daily YouTube videos that …
COMMENTARY — Social inequality, capitalism analysed
Capital ownership has driven increasing social and wealth inequality practically everywhere. Social inequality is a global phenomenon driven by the power of capital and the owners of capital. Capital — …
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EDITORIAL: In praise of NPOs
Of the many reasons to love this season, non-profit organisations are high on our list. Every year around this time, an abundance of awareness activities, fundraisers and other events draw …
EDITORIAL: As school resumes, students deserve better
As students head back to class this month, all is not well in the territory’s schools. First came the case of the Joyce Samuel Primary School, where the opening was …
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POETRY — Hate vs. Love
as the chime of a clock goes tick and tock so my mind chimes with thoughts sublime and as I rhyme in time with lines designed to …
COMMENTARY — ‘The rule of capital’ explained
Capital is resources that drive social and economic growth: finance, machinery, land, technology, labour, skills and management. Those who control capital and how capital is managed rule society. If Virgin …
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EDITORIAL: Prospect has prospects
We are glad that the new government is jump-starting long-delayed plans to redevelop the Prospect Reef Resort. To hear Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley tell it, leaders seem to be …
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (September 14 ,2023)
Recovery newsletter A Beaconite was pleased to see that the Recovery and Development Agency recently launched a “Recovery Matters” newsletter focusing on the impact of the agency six years after …
COMMENTARY — Brit recalls his early married life in VI
I described in my Aug. 30 commentary, “A VI wedding and Captain Wagner,” how an amusing incident after my wedding on Tortola in 1983 led me to discover my Virgin …
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EDITORIAL: Six years after Irma, all is not well
The past year has seen the most progress yet on the government’s protracted recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. First, though, the good news: The …
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COMMENTARY — ‘A hard lesson for a generous community’
A community coming together to aid one stricken by personal financial crisis is admirable. However, that assistance must come with safeguards for those who contribute their cash. There are caveats …
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EDITORIAL: Airport project won’t work without full transparency
For more than a decade, a disturbing lack of transparency has surrounded multiple governments’ unsuccessful efforts to expand the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The new government must turn over …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Aug. 31, 2023)
Whale of a time The float of a humpback whale that dazzled crowds at the August Monday Parade with its working blowhole, recorded whale songs, and immense scale has found …
COMMENTARY — A VI wedding and Captain Wagner
In my Aug. 17 commentary “Captain with VI links remembered,” I described how Polish sailor Wladek Wagner’s epic voyage to promote the reborn Poland started in summer 1931 when he …
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EDITORIAL: Deadly Hawaii fires a wake-up call for VI
The heart-breaking wildfire in Hawaii this month should serve as an urgent warning to the Virgin Islands. The two archipelagos, after all, are very similar in many important respects. Both …
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