group of Roger B. Chaffee journalism students wrote about for US newspaper.

The lead article in the "School News'' section of the June 5 international edition of The Miami Herald newspaper examines repercussions for Bermuda as the United States Navy prepares to leave in 1995.

And the group of budding reporters proved to be ahead of the local Press in revealing plans to sink a US Navy PC Orion off Dockyard so it could be used as a commercial dive site.

Maritime Museum director Dr. Ed Harris last week confirmed the students were on target, saying the US Naval Air Station commander had suggested sinking a PC Orion standing at the base's gate rather that chopping it up and putting in Sallyport Dump.

The base could not take the plane with them when they pull out next year because it could not fly.

Sinking old ships and planes as dive sites was common practice in other parts of the world, for example the West Indies, Dr. Harris noted.

"They attract the fish and they make unusual and interesting dive sites,'' he said.

The Museum was acting as a coordinator for the proposal and was currently seeking the input of the Environment Ministry. He assured the plane would be environmentally clean before it went overboard and taken probably to the Western edge of the reef line.

The second article the paper picked up from Chaffee describes the array of marine and animal life that live within the sea surrounding the Island.

And Bermuda's traffic laws -- which if violated can fetch between $150 (sic) and $600 (sic) for a first offence -- were the focus of the third article.

The article states: "With the wind in one's hair and a shirt flowing out behind, the cruise is exhilarating. Suddenly one is brought back to reality by the disturbing wails and flashes of a Bermuda Police siren.'' However, the story soon points out the reasons for the Island's "harsh (speeding) policy'' and that is to keep the roads safe.

BUDDING REPORTERS -- Roger B. Chaffee high school journalism students show off their work which was featured in the June 5 international section of The Miami Herald .