The Scriptural passages recommended in the Revised Common Lectionary for Sabbath worship during the season after Pentecost provide a range of divine lessons on how to achieve the more abundant life, which means a life of true fulfillment in righteousness.
As I was driving one day listening to a radio talk show, there was a heated discussion about the possibility of a government-owned hotel being leased or sold to the highest bidder. What caught my attention was when I heard a young lady speaking passionately about not wanting the government t…
Sometime in the next 12 months, when the pandemic is fully brought under control in North America and Europe, visitors will return to the Caribbean in significant numbers. Once that begins to happen, governments, conscious of tourism’s ability to drive rapid GDP growth, will encourage the fa…
With talk about cruise ships starting up again in the near future, the question we now face is: Are we ready as a community to welcome back tens of thousands of visitors? It’s no secret that before COVID shut down this industry, we had some problems that needed change.
Dear Editor,
Many times government decisions raise questions in the Virgin Islands’ community. And recently, such a decision created a conversation of controversy: a tourist who found himself arrested, then tested positive for COVID.
High School is never easy for anyone. But for the 2021 Virgin Islands graduating class, it’s been four years of non-stop challenges, turmoil, and so many changes and confusions that this year’s diploma is more than a certificate of completion. It is a badge of courage.
Will the decision by several U.S. cruise lines to home port in the Caribbean this summer become a permanent fixture, or is it just a temporary workaround?
Government budgets are flexible. We often hear about funds that were designated for a specific purpose being reprogrammed. Many projects never come to fruition and money that is often left over is funneled to other areas.
Dear Editor,
Recent testimony by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources was a reminder of the dire financial state the Virgin Islands finds itself in. This despite hundreds of millions in federal assistance being pumped annually into the territory, plus billions of dol…
Does anybody need a Pitchfork after the year we’ve had? Definitely not. COVID-19, gun violence, plummeting paychecks, and vanishing jobs have been like a sharp poke with a stick, over and over, for 15 months. Even so, certain decision-makers deserve at least a nudge with a piece of foam to b…
It took the wrath of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to finally close down the Limetree Bay Refinery on St. Croix for at least 60 days. After weeks of noxious odors invading the island and making people ill, it was about time that the refinery was stopped dead in its tracks, albeit …
I got up early one morning recently and it felt as if someone was choking me to death. There were no intruders in my home, however, only a strong noxious odor that almost made me pass me out on the floor.
Dear Editor,
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett announced last week that they have been working “behind the scenes” to encourage the return of cruise ships (The Daily News, April 21, 2021). That is laudable and much needed because the ships are currently the lifeblood of the V…
Perhaps the most important aspect of the short statement issued in Washington after a first two-hour meeting last week between the new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his CARICOM counterparts was its emphasis on inclusivity.
On April 13, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he has previously referred to, in pot/kettle fashion, as a “killer.” During the call, Biden proposed a summit between the two in the near future.
In honor of Earth Day today, the University of the Virgin Islands alumni office contacted me to lead a hike to Mount Eagle, the highest peak on the island of St. Croix.
The Virgin Islands needs strong voices urging for the earliest possible return of the cruise ships.
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
It’s a normal human response. We appreciate when good comes to us, making our lives less stressful, and our experiences more comforting, to be smiled at. Usually, since none of us is an island unto himself, or herself, other people do touch our lives in profound ways. They lift our minds fro…
Recently, a suggestion was made from Government House that the Government Employees’ Retirement System consider reinstating loans to its members. With the GERS on the verge of collapse, this suggestion borders on the ridiculous.
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series in commemoration of Transfer Day.
Editor’s note: This is the last of a two-part series rounding off V.I. Women and History Month.
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series rounding off V.I. Women and History Month.
It is Women’s History Month. In fact, we recently commemorated the International Day of Women. So, you would think we women would be super happy and totally feeling ourselves right now. And don’t get me wrong. We are. As with anything, however, there are many sides to a story.
From Russia to Singapore, nations around the world are considering providing citizens who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with digital immunity certificates for domestic and international use. Their principal objective is to stimulate national economic recovery and a gradual return to …
Without doubt America’s global image has diminished in recent years. We once were preeminent as an international leader, but those days are no more. While the presidency of Donald Trump brought U.S. prestige to a low point, there are things we can do to restore our global leadership.
This is an open letter to Virgin Islanders.
Pitchfork to Governor Albert Bryan Jr. who left the territory for a week for parts unknown and for reasons unknown. His PR posse sent out a press release saying only that he was “out of the territory” and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach would be the acting governor. The fact that the governor went s…
