I do not know what prompt Urged the action: Intentional intent, Selfish ambition, Or innocent enthusiasm? I do not know. Was overstep Of rules and allegiance Ignorance? Or over-confidence? …
May 10, 2023
May 3, 2023
COMMENTARY — Election results analysed
People are asking each other, “What do you think of the election result?” I imagine there are lots of different answers. Firstly, Polling Day seems to have gone very smoothly …
April 19, 2023
COMMENTARY — Cancer Society decries open burning
We, the BVI Cancer Society, are deeply saddened and distressed by the ongoing open burning situation that continues to affect our beloved residents in the Third District and across the …
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March 8, 2023
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (March 9, 2023)
Rentals on the roads As a Cane Garden Bay resident, a Beaconite is accustomed to navigating beaches and roads that can occasionally be crowded with tourists, and she typically enjoys …
March 1, 2023
COMMENTARY — UK ‘oversight’ still seen as needed
Wise residents fully understand that United Kingdom oversight of the Virgin Islands is required at this time. Complete culture change towards an honest society is the singular route to self-determination …
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February 8, 2023
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for new Constitution
I am glad to be alive for such a time as this. When I read about our national heroes like Hope Stevens and Howard R. Penn and how they wrote …
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January 11, 2023
COMMENTARY — Gov’t thanked for avoiding direct rule
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” In an ironic sort of way, this line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar …
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January 11, 2023
COMMENTARY — Call made for change in New Year
Culture change and changes in social behaviour are the prerequisites for a safer and more wholesome society. A society is simply the sum total of individuals, families and communities that …
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September 28, 2022
COMMENTARY — VI urged to take planning seriously
The following familiar motto is attributable to Benjamin Franklin: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Another familiar unofficial slogan for the British Army states, “Preparation prevents piss-poor …
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July 27, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (July 28, 2022)
Festival schedule The Beacon won’t print next week because of the August Emancipation Festival holiday. Advertising and editorial deadlines will return to normal leading up to the next edition on …
July 27, 2022
COMMENTARY — COI seen as a ‘blessing’
The present discomfort and nervousness with United Kingdom indirect rule of the Virgin Islands is a very necessary wake-up call for the territory. We all know that the grandstanding and …
July 20, 2022
COMMENTARY — ‘US influence in the Americas is waning’
The recently ended Summit of the Americas will likely be best remembered for the United States’ decision not to invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua; the chaotic unprepared way in which …
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July 18, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (July 14, 2022)
Customer service A Beaconite is happy to hear that a director of customer service is to be appointed to “enhance” the government’s Customer Service Care Centre. For whoever is hired, …
July 18, 2022
COMMENTARY — Fahie urged to resign D-1 seat
Members of the House of Assembly representing a district are rewarded with a salary and other benefits for participating in the lawmaking process and furthering the interests of residents in …
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July 6, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (July 7, 2022)
Roadside service During the recent roadworks in Fish Bay, a Beaconite noticed a refreshing example of excellent customer service. Twice, he drove up to the site from the Road …
July 6, 2022
COMMENTARY — Reform plan’s viability questioned
The National Unity Government’s performance to date gives its well-wishers scant assurance that its members understand the challenges the Virgin Islands is confronting, let alone have a strong enough vision …
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July 6, 2022
LETTER — ‘Bring on a referendum’
The one clear and straightforward route to Virgin Islands independence is through a referendum. So why are the “elites” shirking from a referendum and yet pontificating on the subject of …
June 29, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 30, 2022)
No rapid tests When returning to the Virgin Islands from St. Kitts this week, a Beaconite opted to get her Covid-19 rapid test upon arrival since government announced recently that …
June 29, 2022
COMMENTARY — VI urged to rediscover ‘paradise lost’
In 1975, while sailing north through the Caribbean, stormy weather caused me to take shelter in the Virgin Islands. The anchorage off Road Town was exposed and uncomfortable, and I …
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June 22, 2022
COMMENTARY — Gov’t urged to up civil service pay
Since watching the recent press conference where the governor and premier discussed overdue police service increments, I have been waiting for the wider conversation. Payment of increments should be step …
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June 22, 2022
COMMENTARY — COI came ‘just in time,’ writer says
The culture of “wrong and strong” is a Virgin Islands folly that will be the territory’s undoing. Currently, a significant subset is averse to the new reality of correctly imposed …
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May 25, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (May 26, 2022)
Intern A Beaconite was thrilled to work with the newspaper’s intern for the week, K’launi Williams, as part of Cedar International School’s outreach programme. It’s always fun seeing the news …
May 4, 2022
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (May 5, 2022)
VI politics Last week, a Beaconite virtually attended a community meeting that, on the surface, was unremarkable. It took place in an empty classroom and lasted less than an hour. …
May 4, 2022
COMMENTARY — Caribbean expected to feel effects of Ukraine war
Earlier this month at a conference on Caribbean security, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley spoke about the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the now unavoidable impact it will …
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April 28, 2022
COMMENTARY — ‘Agriculture, fisheries and inflation’
Food-sufficient countries frequently possess a vibrant internal market culture. This is a way of life driven by farming and associated commercial activity. Food and drink are critical for human existence …
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