February 11, 2014

Dear Sir,

I might very well be considered a Bermuda booster

I love this great island and its people, and have been coming here since 1968, when my parents took five American children to the Breakers Beach Club, where my family had the greatest of vacations, far from the dark and gloomy shores of Lake Ontario.

Years later I came back to Bermuda on a Navy ship, USS Talbot FFG-4, as a young Navy Officer who was ever so happy at the Hogpenny Pub, after 120 days at sea.

Fast forward to today, with over 32+ visits to Bermuda, most to the awesome property The Reefs, which we now call home,

Bermuda is indeed special and despite challenges and changes in government and all, remains one absolutely awesome destination for both business and vacation.

For my family Bermuda is all about you, the people of Bermuda. From the well informed and GPS “enhanced” taxi drivers to the kindly schoolchildren who bag groceries at the Modern Mart, Bermuda is special.

To the Mayor of Hamilton, who years ago walked my family through a Westfield Prison Expo at City Hall on a rainy Saturday, to the lovely long standing hostess at Hogpenny who welcomes us after a morning of shopping at Calypso and Browns.

Bermuda is, and will always be, that sunny dream on a cold damp January morning at home. Bermuda will always be that warm water awaiting endless cufflink worn DC meetings as I await our return where the destination is BDA!

Bring back the lovely music upon arrival at the airport is my suggestion to the new Tourist Authority. And to each and every resident of Bermuda can I please, ever so humbly thank each and every one of you, who together, independent of political party, together, united form and weave together a fabric of continuity and warm welcome.

May God continue to bless each and every one of you, And for a precious few days a year allow my family to become your family.

Joe Long

WASHINGTON DC