Sincere thanks

November 27, 2004

Dear Sir,

I am writing as President of the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps Overseas Association, but know I also speak for all Bermudian war veterans and their families, in congratulating all branches of the media - the Press, radio and television - for the magnificent coverage they provided before and after November 11.

To present stories, reports and tributes of such excellence called for the highest professional degree of research, reporting, photography and editing.

On behalf of all of us, please accept our gratitude for remembering us, especially for remembering those of us who tragically did not return, in the warm, sensitive and patriotic way that you did so very well.

Congratulations and sincere thanks.

TOMMY AITCHISON

Pembroke

How Planning works

November 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

I recently submitted a letter for your columns with comments about an article in your newspaper concerning architects and the fact that they were mentioned in the so-called Throne Speech. “Architects to get added protection”.

While writing about that I realised that there are very few people who actually understand how the Planning process actually works. In fact many of my clients appear not to have a good grasp of the process at all.

In thinking about protection, and in particular “liability protection”, it might be interesting for your readers to know that:

The Planning process is a two-phase process. You apply for Planning approval, then you need to get a building permit. You cannot build unless you have both phases approved.

The process involves quite a number of checks and balances which are specifically designed to add protection for the public.

1. All submissions are “vetted” by a Planning Officer to ascertain if they abide (even vaguely in some cases) by the provisions of the Planning Statement. The Planning Statement being the bible which all Planning Officers are supposed to adhere to. Everyone's submission gets vetted - even the Capital A Boys.

2. If you have any major structural aspects in a submission, you must have a structural engineer certify your drawings. This engineer's stamp is not easy to get as he/she is going to put you through the proverbial wringer to ensure everything is kosher from the structural/safety aspect. Again, this applies to everyone.

3. Then you need to have a stamp from the Health Department to ensure any possible health issues - like a four inch soil line running though a tank; an obvious health hazard and something which would make the health inspector light up like a Christmas tree if he saw it.

4. You need Fire Department approval to ensure there are no aspects which could be construed as a potential fire hazard or egress problems in the case of a fire.

5. Your drawings are then re-checked, before the issue of a building permit, by the Plans Inspector with the Department of Planning, and then finally...

6. You get what is often referred to as a “Green Card” which is a whole line of checks made as work progresses, by the Building Inspector from the Planning Department's Building Control section.

My reason in listing all this (admittedly boring) background to do with how the Planning process works, is to put for the the argument that there is a considerable safety net already in the system, to protect the Public from bad, or faulty design work.

I have already made the point in a previous letter, that liability coverage is an excellent idea if you are planning to build high rise buildings or (what are often referred to as) capital projects. And, I think it is a good idea if you go directly to the Capital A Boys if such projects are what you have in mind. They have the scale of operations to deal with such weighty endeavours. Most of the independent designers, have neither the scale of operations, nor frankly speaking, an interest in handling such projects.

However, protecting The Public from what might be termed shading dealings, or “cowboys” is another matter entirely.

My previous employer, a man I have a lot of time for, and a Capital A Boy to boot, used to say at the end of every Monday morning office meeting: “Be careful, it's dangerous out there” Maybe he's right about that after all.

JACK GAUNTLETT

Designer

‘Disgraceful example'

November 19, 2004

Dear Sir,

This letter concerns the cause of animal welfare, and its misuse by certain entities seeking publicity. Firstly it must be said there is no excuse in a community boasting Bermuda's wealth for the picture of yet another starving dog in our midst. Neighbours, friends and family of the owner of this dog are just as guilty of neglect and cruelty by not intervening sooner. “Man's inhumanity to man begins with man's inhumanity to animals.”

Secondly I find it incredible that the dog control section of the Department of the Environment chooses to portray themselves as being in the vanguard of finding homes for neglected, unwanted pit bull type dogs, when the cold hard truth is they kill hundreds by lethal injection each year, many still puppies and in much better condition than the poor wretch depicted here. The numbers have gone up in connection with the breeding ban. Could this be a publicity stunt?

Thirdly it is deplorable that this poor animal, whose condition and fate is reported to be of such concern to Ms Goodwin, is restrained for the photo - in my opinion - inhumanely with a lynching style noosed rope tightly around its neck: although the background of the photo makes the restrictive tension into the neck less obvious, careful inspection reveals the definite embedding groove caused by the rope around the animal's neck, with the overlap of a dorsal skin fold.

If they cared so much, couldn't someone have found a collar or a body harness?

What a disgraceful example to set for the public.

WELFARE FOR ANIMALS

Pembroke

Pushed to Independence

November 22, 2004

Dear Sir,

It is becoming abundantly clear that whether we want it or not we are being pushed into Independence, and the person who is adamant in performing this is not doing it for the benefit of the land but to satisfy his own ego and hopefully going down in history as the person who set this event in motion.

Before that happens, it is up to all sound-thinking Bermudians to ensure we are not put in a situation where we do not have a voice in this country, and the title Prime Minister can very easily change to Dictator. We are told that with Independence life will be much better for everyone, that all the people will be closer together, that there will be no crime and everyone will drive on the roads in the correct manner along with many other good things, in fact the land will become something resembling Utopia.

Well if you believe all that, you will believe anything. British passports and the benefits will not exist, you may need a visa every time you want to travel to the States, there may be no pre-clearance of immigration and customs at the Airport, as if travelling these days is not all ready hard enough.

Someone mentioned that the Bahamas did very well after they went independent, well when you are within spitting distance of the wealthiest coastline in the whole United States it is easy to believe they did very well indeed.

If and when we should find our dollar starting to devalue, I am sure a lot of us will take any assets we may have elsewhere. Many people who talk against Independence are accused of scare tactics when they are just voicing their concerns and these are the ones who are aware of what can happen if you look deep enough, especially for a very small Island like ours, hundreds of miles from any other land, with a strong possibility of ending up a Third World country, or worse.

Places like Cayman and Dublin are watching us very closely and getting ready to welcome all those companies in Hamilton with open arms. Imagine all those huge buildings standing empty and then falling apart like the old Club Med in St. George's. How long have we heard that someone was going to take over that property?

We have had more strikes than any six-year period in the history of Bermuda, and we are told by one Minister that the workers now have the “freedom” to show their concerns. What a lot of nonsense. It is absolutely amazing the garbage that comes out from one Minister or the other when they try to explain away some adverse comment that has been made, or something that has gone wrong.

They come across like all Bermudians are imbeciles. They also raise their voices, sounding almost hysterical. A number of us feel that if absentee voting had been in effect at the last General Election the PLP would not have got in.

SEEING IT AS IT IS

Pembroke