Spelling matters A Beaconite noticed Premier Dr. Orlando Smith is scheduled to move a motion in the House of Assembly today establishing the long-awaited National Addressing System. The Beaconite thinks …
July 4, 2018
July 4, 2018
COMMENTARY — Asia House head touts China links
When the Virgin Islands government decided in 2013 to open its office in Asia, it estimated that somewhere in the range of 40 to 60 percent of the territory’s financial …
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July 4, 2018
COMMENTARY — Kudos offered for premier
I have never admired or respected Premier Dr. Orlando Smith more than I do as I write this letter on June 19. Of all the options he could have chosen …
July 4, 2018
LETTER — Passport statement draws questions
I feel it very important that I address information about passports that was reported on the radio on June 19 pursuant to a joint release issued by Government Information Services …
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July 4, 2018
COMMENTARY — ‘Where is our money?’ writer wants to know
Where is our money? You know, the stuff we pay our taxes with, for the government to spend on our behalf? Did it all get blown out of the banks …
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July 3, 2018
EDITORIAL: Keep the campaigns clean, please
Though the general election likely won’t be held until next summer, campaign season is already in the air, with politics increasingly driving public dialogue on the airwaves, social media and …
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June 26, 2018
LETTER — Economist thanked for registers piece
I wanted to commend Peter Wickham on his article of last week explaining the negative effects that the recent United Kingdom decision will have on the fiscal stability of the …
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June 26, 2018
COMMENTARY — Nutritionist debunks diabetes myths
Look! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. Nope. It’s just another diabetes myth. There are many myths about diabetes out there. We’ve all heard them and they sometimes sound so …
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June 26, 2018
COMMENTARY — Trouble seen in NHI’s future
It was interesting to note that in the Standing Finance Committee it is being suggested that people who do not have to contribute to the National Health Insurance fund, but …
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June 26, 2018
COMMENTARY — Walker recounts travels of his youth
I remember the anxiety I caused my parents when I demonstrated my budding interests in walking, personal finance and travel at the age of 6. My sister Joyce celebrated her …
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June 26, 2018
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 21, 2018)
Healthy dialogue online A Beaconite has noticed a positive uptick in political dialogue on social media recently in the Virgin Islands. While he has traditionally had a lot of disdain …
June 25, 2018
EDITORIAL: High school should be full time by September
Repairing the territory’s public high schools should be a top priority in the recovery effort, and until the job is complete government should devise a way for students to comfortably …
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June 19, 2018
COMMENTARY — Gov’t urged to tap local expertise
Over the years since I returned home in 1986 (and I do believe the situation existed before I returned) this government and past governments in their endeavour to develop this …
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June 19, 2018
COMMENTARY — Economist weighs in on UK register law
We have recently received the news that the United Kingdom Parliament has passed legislation that requires the overseas territories to set up public registers of company ownership by 2020 and …
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June 19, 2018
COMMENTARY — Call made to build back green
The world is facing huge environmental threats and a climate change narrative that is changing the culture and way of life of geographically and ecologically vulnerable communities and societies. Communities …
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June 18, 2018
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 14, 2018)
Court-esy A Beaconite loves poring over publicly available legal and financial documents. That likely sounds very strange, but considering that there are often many roadblocks to obtaining information as a …
June 15, 2018
EDITORIAL: Kudos to the marchers. Here’s what should happen next
The Friday march in Road Town could have benefited greatly from a clearer message and more-realistic demands, but we were delighted that residents took to the streets to push for …
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June 8, 2018
EDITORIAL — Where’s the cruise pier audit?
The Tortola Pier Park audit has been delayed for far too long, and officials’ excuses have been weak at best. The probe — which KPMG is carrying out in part …
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June 8, 2018
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 7, 2018)
Happy birthday, Beacon Following a difficult year that saw the Beacon continue reporting during and after Hurricane Irma, the newspaper celebrates its 34th birthday today. The Beacon’s first issue, on …
June 7, 2018
COMMENTARY — Sargassum sleuth offers a solution
Anyone who looks at the sargassum seaweed cluttering the once beautiful sandy beaches of many Caribbean islands will have that sinking feeling of having their scenic sand and near-shore …
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June 7, 2018
COMMENTARY — UK’s registry move draws fire
Those who hanker for a transparent world where everybody knows each other’s business are now on a roll. Having browbeaten the House of Commons into enacting a statute seeking to …
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June 7, 2018
Commentary — Case made for legal marijuana
Ending the prohibition on cannabis in the Virgin Islands is a hot topic and one that should be approached with some care. Many persons have strong feelings about the use …
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June 4, 2018
EDITORIAL — Storm season is here, and the VI isn’t ready
With hurricane season starting tomorrow, the territory is ill prepared for any strong storm, to say nothing of another Irma. Part of this failure is unavoidable: Given the devastation that …
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June 4, 2018
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (May 31, 2018)
Court fees a blow to transparency A Beaconite’s wallet recently took a beating at the High Court Registry. For readers who don’t know, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court instituted a …
June 4, 2018
COMMENTARY — Territory warned to diversify economy
Economies that depend upon a single product and a single market for their existence put all their eggs into a single basket. When that basket takes a hit, all hell …
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