A hopeful start During a Monday sitting in honour of the beginning of the 2020 Law Year — in the fourth floor of the Sakal Place, the new home of …
January 22, 2020
January 22, 2020
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered to fix ‘deplorable’ roads
I like to engage anyone who will listen in conversation on current topical issues and matters affecting the well-being of the territory. One such current issue is the deplorable condition …
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January 22, 2020
COMMENTARY — Brexit seen as likely to benefit offshore
Will Brexit be advantageous to offshore finance? The answer could well be yes. The European Union is pro-regulation of offshore finance for obvious reasons. The EU is much less of …
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January 9, 2020
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Jan. 9, 2019)
Rastafarians in the service The Telegraph recently reported that the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has adjusted its rules to allow Rastafarians to keep their long hair and beards. This is …
January 9, 2020
COMMENTARY — Bikes, bodyguards and pot draw fire
I guess the police commissioner can’t say no to the premier’s decision to allow larger motorbikes into the territory. So he suggests some conditions for importation and regulations for use. …
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January 9, 2020
COMMENTARY — Iran tensions seen as threat to OTs, world
Will there be a vast war in the Middle East? The Trump Administration has killed Qasem Suleimani, Iran’s top military leader, in an airstrike. This is the biggest escalation in …
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December 18, 2019
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Dec. 12, 2019)
Fake news No, the Virgin Islands is not moving to an all-bitcoin-based-economy or doing away with the United States dollar, despite what more than a few fake news sites suggested …
December 18, 2019
COMMENTARY — ‘Inkberry,’ cryptocurrency draw questions
I note Verna Penn Moll’s description of the local old-fashioned Christmas tree in last week’s opinion page. She says it was the “inkberry” or “fishing rod” tree, which is also …
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December 18, 2019
Commentary — 2019 hurricane response reviewed
The 2019 hurricane season, which saw the immense challenge faced by the Bahamas government in mounting an overall response to the destruction of Abaco by Hurricane Dorian, has prompted much …
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December 11, 2019
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (December 5, 2019)
On the water Given that the charter yacht industry is one of the biggest tourism industries in the Virgin Islands, a Beaconite couldn’t believe it took her so long to …
December 11, 2019
COMMENTARY – VI Christmas tree explained
A talk-show host on Saturday night posed a seasonal question the radio audience: “What is the name of the tree we traditionally used in the Virgin Islands as the Christmas …
December 11, 2019
COMMENTARY — Patient recounts health-care journey in VI, UK
Polls show that most Brits would agree with the European Union leader who “reserved a special place in hell” for whoever invented Brexit, but they strongly differ on their attitudes …
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December 4, 2019
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Nov. 28, 2019)
Not a miſprint While looking over a pair of advertisements from a St. Croix newspaper published in the late 1700s (see page four), a Beaconite noticed something odd. In many …
December 4, 2019
COMMENTARY — Throne speech draws scepticism
In the United Kingdom, shortly before the election was announced, the queen read “The Queen’s Speech” outlining the government’s proposed legislation for the next session of Parliament. This has since …
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December 4, 2019
COMMENTARY — Fears of ‘soft colonialism’ aired as UK election looms
As the United Kingdom general election approaches, the country’s ongoing political turmoil over Brexit continues to overshadow the strained relationship between the overseas territories and the UK. The critical issue …
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November 27, 2019
COMMENTARY — Water meter contract sparks questions
I wonder what sort of advice the governor gives in Cabinet meetings? I wonder if the heads of departments know what goes on at the bottom of their hierarchy? I …
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November 27, 2019
COMMENTARY — Call made to mark 1949 protest
Sunday will mark 70 years since the Great March of 1949 in which the people of the Virgin Islands peacefully marched through Road Town to protest the gross neglect of …
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November 27, 2019
COMMENTARY — VI seen through ‘looking glass’
We recall with amusement how our forefathers entered St. Thomas “through the window,” but Alice’s observations of life in the present-day Virgin Islands through the looking glass (as introduced in …
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November 20, 2019
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Nov. 14, 2019)
Culinary success The Virgin Islands is well on its way to achieving its goal of becoming a renowned culinary destination if last week’s Gourmet Soiree at Scrub Island Resort was …
November 20, 2019
COMMENTARY — Writer weighs in on VG bank, other issues
I am pleased for the people and businesses of Virgin Gorda that they once again have banking facilities, albeit through only one bank, and not full time. Of course, one …
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November 20, 2019
COMMENTARY — Call made for trade school
This writer met a very old friend on a street corner in the Virgin Islands on a recent Wednesday. The man is a political bigwig in these parts and from …
November 13, 2019
November 13, 2019
COMMENTARY — Kenyan author’s VI ties noted
In Pursuit of Peace in Africa: An Autobiography, by retired Kenyan Army Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, was published a few months ago in Nairobi, Kenya, but sharp-eyed readers will spot …
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November 13, 2019
COMMENTARY — VI urged to explore ‘blue economy’
The environment extends across all governmental and private-sector actions and operations. As such, the Virgin Islands government should establish a strong environmental programme. Proper environmental management entails conserving, protecting, employing …
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November 6, 2019
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Oct. 31, 2019)
Typo tantrum A Beaconite was disheartened to find several typographical errors in the government’s revised Recovery to Development Plan. The second page, for example, refers to “students beginning housed in …