Dr. Donald Peters appears to be a judgment of Solomon.

Dr. Peters has given a written apology for circulating a memo accusing College chief financial officer Barbara Green of racism in her proposals for restructuring the College's administration.

He has also been found in dereliction of duty for circulating Ms Green's preliminary memo to College staff. And Ms Green has been cleared of the accusations.

The board added: "The college abhors and condemns acts or statements which may be constituted as racist in nature of motivation as having no place whatever in an institute of higher learning.'' Given all of the above, Dr. Peters is a remarkably lucky man. Dr. Peters libelled a colleague -- with whom he will now have to work closely -- in terms which the College "abhors and condemns''.

He is now isolated and, as the second ranking administrator at the College, has had his record tainted and his credibility destroyed with an official reprimand. The College's board should have demanded his resignation and failed to do so. Now Dr. Peters, for the sake of the College, should resign.

LOCAL AIRLINE EDT Local airline Yesterday's story about Island Air Charters, a new charter airline based out of Bermuda, once again raises the question of what sort of air service the Island needs.

The new company is not the first charter service to be formed in Bermuda. And the courier companies already operate a charter flight for express mail packages and other cargo.

The proposed charter airline would be used for medical evacuations -- there were apparently a remarkable 100 last year (one every three to four days) -- and for those businessmen who need flexible flights to destinations not served by the carriers now serving the Island.

There have been several efforts in the past to establish commercial airlines in Bermuda. None have succeeded, partly because of the former Government's resistance to the idea.

The United Bermuda Party rightly feared that an unsuccessful airline carrying Bermuda's name would bring bad publicity to the Island or would burden the Government with requests for bigger and bigger subsidies.

There were also concerns that a "Bermuda airline'' would make some of the Island's airline "partners'' unhappy.

At the same time, the major airlines, albeit while providing the Island with air service through the unprofitable winter months, have not always provided fares at rates which encourage visitors to come to the Island or provided enough capacity to service the tourism industry when demand is high.

But it remains difficult to say whether a local airline, without links from US gateway cities, would be able to successfully get off the ground.

Nonetheless, if the charter services now springing up can be successful, then it might be wise to look again at a local airline which would help the Island's tourism industry more than our current partners are now.