‘I am a born BVIslander’- Majority owner of surf school in Josiah’s Bay
While not calling the individual by name, mention was made of a South African expatriate operating a surf school in Josiah’s Bay and Dick-Read felt that the cap fit so he is wearing it since he is the only surf school in the area.
‘I am no foreigner’
Dick-Read said he wanted to place on public record that he is no foreigner but in fact, a native VIslander who spent many years abroad as a journalist, including as an editor for The Surfer’s Path magazine. In his profession, he said he was exposed to many training on surfing and, along with his business partner, Mr Steve Howes, are certified surfing instructors delivering a service in the Virgin Islands.
“I was the first one to surf here,” he told Virgin Islands News Online of Josiah’s Bay. Dick-Read has been a surfer for over 30 years and said he is the majority shareholder in the business.
According to him, his business partner Mr Howes is an Australian who grew up in South Africa and has been doing wonders in the local surfing world as a surfer and lifeguard.
Following our story published on September 15, 2016 persons online have supported the establishment of Surf School BVI, some saying that they had no issues with persons coming in and providing improved services.
Others were in support of the local business owner, Mrs Naomi Frett-Patterson, expressing that expatriates should not be allowed to compete with locals but rather government should provide locals with the training to develop their businesses.
“And he (Steve Howes) is being attacked for no reason. He is the lifeguard and certainly not racist…It’s a business we are operating here,” Dick-Read pointed out.
Locals complain
Ms Frett-Patterson had told this news site that the government of the day is allowing foreigners to come take bread out of her mouth, by allowing an expatriate, who she said was South African, to compete in the same line of business with her.
“Now my business, out of business,” she claimed. “I born here, my parents and people are all born-bred Tortolians and we are supposed to be able to survive right here with our business,” she bemoaned in an earlier interview.
She also accused the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) government of turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to their woes.
However, she was not the only one voicing those concerns as another businessman also felt that they were left on their own.
He used the opportunity to call on the government to conduct some investigations into the alleged illegal happenings in the community.
See link to previous story:
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59 Responses to “‘I am a born BVIslander’- Majority owner of surf school in Josiah’s Bay”
Do t want to hear a darn thing from that Read man...If he so wanted to open or expand that kind of Business, why could he not team up with that lady?
Maybe because she doesn't want a busness offering a service that she has admitted she can not provide herself, providing it themselves.
Maybe because the service she offeres now is sub-par and rather than improve it, would prefer to tear another person down.
There's 3 good reasons right there
Make sure you or ur baby momma don't run go stt or states to make yours too ok.....that could prevent these types of scenarios in other ppls country too.....set a "£$% hypocrites.
axe murderer. Or Charlie Mansons' butler.
Not even a black person on their facebook page.
These same people who claims to be local going around mocking bvi accent in these bars and restaurant and only have negative to say about native locals.?
When I made this statement years ago, Ausar was mocked!
Just check out the real estate industry. Those who came in and worked under black owned real estate companies and was fortunate to now own a company only hires white realtors to work in them.
We must pay attention to these types of "back door" ownership of services that are creeping up among us or else we will find ourselves on the "out" in our own land with others controlling the "commerce", "work" and " play" that is in this country!
We need to stop caring what these other people think or don't think. Stop caring whether they are racist or not. Only then will we be free.
He will straighten this out.
This Bulls**t about I born here have to stop. Get this, yeah you were born here, but you are still mixed with something. We might be born here but we are not 100% true Tortolians. The only people that were 100% pure was the American Indians. I am black and I was shocked to find out that I have family from Scotland,Asia and Santo Domingo.
Nonsense. Do you want to see the USA go back to its culture of blatant immigrant racism prior to the 1965 immigration act? I doubt that you do. So why would you want to see the BVI continue with its bigoted ways towards immigrants and other cultures?
All we need is responsible immigration policy/enforcement and a competent department of culture.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-journalism-terrorism_us_57e42348e4b0e80b1ba0e4a8?section=&