Apparently there are people who think either my wife or I wrote the cruel letter from Sandys which appeared in your column last week in reference to the St. Mark's affair'.

I assure you that neither of us would write such a letter. Rev. William Hayward has my full support.

Smith's Parish is fortunate to have such a dedicated, caring and compassionate parish priest and I wish him every success in his ministry. He deserves encouragement and praise and I pray that Goodness will prevail.

JOHN ROSS Sandys Parish Purvis unjustly portrayed March 29, 2000 Dear Sir, I write with reference to your recent story, "Family in limbo over education'', of Tuesday, March 29.

It upset me when I opened the newspaper and read a story such as yours. First of all I must ask -- what crazy person or persons are you listening to. I don't think that neither they, nor yourself, have any concrete proof about what you are talking about.

You really need to spend a day or two at Purvis and see just what good things go on there. The principal, teachers para-professionals and other support staff are all well trained in their field and are always willing and ready to lend a helping hand.

If you had taken the time to visit Purvis School during the final week in February, you would have been able to view the children's outstanding work that was on display during the Open House.

Parents were very pleased. Just a few weeks ago (March 9), P1 and P3 teachers and para-professionals held an evening "make and take'' workshop for the parents.

The workshop was well received and the parents asked if this type of workshop can be repeated -- the answers given by the teachers were yes, of course this can be done.

So, the teachers do work hard and give up long hours after school to make sure that our children come out with the best.

The students at Purvis come from all walks of life and races. They are not discriminated against and they are always encouraged to do their best. The children are involved in their lessons, sports and any other tasks put forward to them.

As a visitor to the school, you can never walk through the hallways without receiving a hug or a friendly greeting.

I'm not saying there are no problems -- because there are -- but there are problems Island-wide, school-wide and at home. This is something that we as MPs, principals, teachers, parents, clergy, doctors and lawyers have to come together as a community and sort out.

Just don't leave the problem solving to the schools. Whether your child goes to Purvis, Paget Primary, Gilbert Institute, home schooling or any private schools, at the end of the day, they may all end up at the Bermuda College or any university/college overseas and then come back to Bermuda and work together in the work field.

In closing, let me remind you and any other person who have chosen to forget that Purvis Primary has a rich tradition and has supplied this community with literally hundreds of outstanding citizens over many, many years. How dare you insult what this school has stood for? I would suggest that the next time, you do your homework first, you visit the school, meet the staff and students and I'm sure that once you have done this you would leave the school with a more positive opinion.

I also quote: "Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.'' -- Bacall.

PROUD EX-STUDENT OF PURVIS Warwick STW moving mystery March 28, 2000 Dear Sir, When the Jardine Matheson Group of Companies pulled out of Hong Hong in the 1980s, prior to the takeover of Hong Hong by the Chinese, they moved their business to another offshore jurisdiction -- Bermuda.

STW appears from the reports in your newspaper to be returning to the state of California on the United States mainland. Was this report in error? If it is correct, why would a company that is dissatisfied with one offshore jurisdiction not move to a more suitable offshore jurisdiction? It would be most helpful and could perhaps help to put this controversy to rest if STW (or the Editor) could explain to the Bermudian public the decision by STW to return its operations to the jurisdiction of the United States tax structure as opposed to another offshore jurisdiction.

EUGENE M. SIMMONS Somerset Welcome to reality March 27, 2000 Dear Sir, Concerning this CURE legislation -- what on Earth does "other'' mean? I look white but in fact I am part English, part Scottish, part native American (Ojibwa), part Asian, Part Sicilian and part African.

I was born in Bermuda raised in and around Belleville, Ontario and I have lived in Canada, the US, England and Bermuda.

I am a history buff and I don't like what happened between the England and the Scottish and I don't like what happened between the Colonists/Americans and Native Americans and I don't like what happened between the Canadians and the Chinese and I don't like what happened between the Sicilians and the Italians and I don't like what happened between the so-called Whites and the Africans and I don't like what happened between the Africans and the Africans and I deplore, what happened to Rebecca Middleton in Bermuda and I am absolutely sickened by the judicial system's failure to achieve a murder conviction in this atrocious case.

So there you have it folks, welcome to reality.

There are many facets to cultures. There is only one race, made up of two genders.

JON ERIC PETTY City of Hamilton P.S.: There is a benevolent force which exists in Bermuda which is above politics, religion and micro/macroeconomics. Its sole purpose is to ensure that the integrity, honour and dignity of this exquisite Island nation is preserved. Hear this, be warned this benevolent force does not discriminate.

Time CUREs all Dear Sir, I was pleased to see that the Senate had the wisdom to withhold implementation of the CURE programme.

Something this important and far-reaching can only be improved with a little more time, thinking and talk, providing the key participants are involved and there is a sincere interest to make it better. This certainly is no time to rush.

Having only read limited reports on CURE, I don't recall seeing what Government's objective is with it. Was that ever stated? Is it going to make life better for Bermudians over the long haul? Is it to minimise discrimination? Does Government believe that today's CEO is the slightest bit interested in an employee's colour, over that employee's potential to make a contribution to the Company? Who would be so foolish? Let's hope the additional time that the Senate has made available will be wisely spent, and that Government and business can work together as the partners they are. Then we shall have a CURE programme that is beneficial to ALL.

JOE LINDO Wilmington, Delaware Don't scapegoat school March 20, 2000 Dear Sir, In 1999, St. George's Prepatory School agreed to the Ministry of Education's plan to rotate the two streams of P1 classes between the St. George's schools.

It appears that the St. George's Prep PTA now wishes to change this policy and is attempting to use East End Primary as an scapegoat for not complying with the policy to which they agreed.

Unlike East End Primary, St. George's Preparatory School is not a Government school but is an aided school, which is owned and administered by a Board of Trustees.

St. George's Prep Board of Trustees owns the school property and hires the principal, teachers and other staff working at the school. The Bermuda Government pays the salaries of the Principal and teachers and gives the school a grant for the running of the school.

East End Primary, which has been subject to the same "imposed plans from various Ministers'' mentioned by a former principal of St. George's Preparatory School, does not own its school property and does not have a Board of Trustees to represent its interest.

East End does not have the option of hand picking its principal and teachers or preventing them from being transferred by the Ministry.

It has been suggested that St. George's Prep is an integrated school but in fact the school is a white school with an integrated student body. The St.

George's Prep Board of Trustees and teaching staff with a few exceptions are all white. The student body is integrated but the majority of white and expatriate children attending primary school in St. George's attend St.

George's Prep.

Many dedicated teachers and parents have struggled to make East End Primary a first rate school which will benefit ALL the children of St. George's.

The East End Primary PTA is interested in the welfare of ALL the children of St. George's and is working very hard to instil a sense of pride in ALL the children of St. George's no matter what school they attend.

The St. George's Preparatory School PTA should not publicly denigrate the hard work of the dedicated teachers, parents and students of East End Primary in their efforts to change the policy to which St. George's Preparatory School agreed to in 1999.

PTA MEMBER, PAST STUDENT OF EAST END PRIMARY St. George's