‘Best ambassadors'

February 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

My wife, Eileen, and I were honoured to attend, as Patrons, the Somerset Brigade Band's Annual Music Festival held last Saturday evening in the St. James' Church Hall in Somerset.

The jam packed crowd witnessed a colourful spectacle of musicians, young and not so young, from both the Band of The Bermuda Regiment and the Somerset Brigade Band who had combined on stage to form a single ensemble and which was joined from the hall floor (and balcony) by the Pipers and Drummers of the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band.

The members of all three bands have toured to play in many parts of the world in recent years ranging from Edinburgh to Hong Kong, from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Bremen in Germany and so on. They have and will continue to show what is best about Bermuda - are winners every time in the eyes (the ears) of their audiences - and I would suggest to all reading this letter, are to be encouraged in all ways possible to continue as Bermuda's best ambassadors.

I thank and congratulate Band Master Leslie Lowe, JP, EN of the Somerset Brigade Band for organising the Festival and, or course, all participating musicians.

HARRY WILKEN

President Jardine Matheson International Services Limited

These people care

February 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

I feel that there is misapprehension in our community about the Turning Point Substance Abuse Centre. I had occasion several weeks ago to spend some time as an inpatient and was most impressed by all aspects of care.

The design and decor of the facility is excellent. There are fresh clean single and double rooms with toilet and shower en-suite. Food is very good - and a nutritionist will soon be available. Full medial evaluation including blood test is done and private sessions with psychiatrists and counsellors are frequent.

The staff of senior nurses and counsellors is always there to help and advise or just have an upbeat chat. They are, however, timely professional when indicted. Follow up care is well organised and one can call the unit day or night for help.

Expansion is under consideration and I can think of a few more useful areas for corporate and individual contribution.

The unit is ‘closed' and confidentially is paramount, but I'm sure a team member would be happy to discuss the programme with anyone wishing to help this extremely useful cause.

TURNING POINT

Music to our ears

February 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

If per chance some of your readers liked the music from days gone by, then they probably would have loved The Caisey Family Production Presents music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, which was staged yesterday at The City Hall Theatre, as a benefit performance for Mr. Bobby Wilson.

This particular production was of the calibre equal to, if not better than many I have seen, and heard in the US and other places.

The professionalism and quality displayed by each performer was astounding, one would have to wonder why such entertainment presented by this talented family, and other local acts, are not in our hotels for our visitors to enjoy.

The Minister of Tourism, Dr. Brown, needs to work quickly to ensure talented Bermudians musicians and entertainers have a place in our hotels to showcase their musical skills to our overseas quests, who I am sure come to Bermuda to see and hear Bermudians just like they did a few years ago, when all of our hotels employed all Bermudian entertainers.

The Caisey family have been putting on live variety shows for a number of years now in Bermuda, and I often have difficulty trying to decide which one I enjoyed the most, the one I've just seen, or the one I've seen the year before? For in my humble opinion, each show is totally enjoyable.

The brainchild and creative force behind most of, if not all of these family productions are conceived by none other than the multi-talented Phiemma Caisey, the daughter of June Caisey who also is, and has been a veteran on the live music scene for a number of years.

The Caisey family, and all of the individuals that participated in this production need to be recognised and congratulated for their outstanding musical contributions over the years, to our community and visitors alike.

For those of us who attended this showcase of music yesterday if you were like myself, no doubt you were left wanting more, and for the ones that missed this production, well you missed a great show, put on by a most talented, Bermudian family - The Caisey Family.

THE MUSIC MAN

City of Hamilton

Early retirement

January 26, 2006

Dear Sir,

Re: “Civil servants and pensions” editorial in The Royal Gazette dated 18 January 2006.

The Pension Commission would appreciate the opportunity to comment on a paragraph of the Editorial relating to retirement.

In the Editorial, it states that “As time passes, more civil servants - who can also retire at 55 rather than 65 as is the case in the private sector - have retired...”

Please be advised that private pension plans also permit employees to retire at 55 as well - what is commonly referred to as “early retirement”, although they will receive a reduced pension benefit from what they otherwise would expect to receive at the normal retirement age of 65.

Thank you for giving the Pension Commission the opportunity to provide this clarification.

PETER T. SOUSA

Chief Executive Officer

Service with a smile

February 11, 2006

Dear Sir,

This is a big thank you to Mr. Carr, the helpful drivers on Saturday, February 11 of the delayed #7 bus from Somerset (around 11 a.m. at Astwood Cove). He went out of his way to ensure that I was able to catch the 11 a.m. #3 to Grotto Bay by suggesting a stop at Crow Lane and a walk up Corkscrew Hill would allow me to catch it on Middle Road on time.

I nominate you Mr. Cann for the Driver of the year!

JUDY MADEIROS

Warwick

Unprepared, vulnerable

February 9, 2006

Dear Sir,

After reading in the weekend press that British Airways are still making profits despite oil prices reaching records highs (thanks to their insuring actions against rising oil prices via the futures energy markets), Belco's recent self-justification ads in the newspaper suggesting that the only way for Bermudians to reduce the impact of the fuel adjustment Belco charges them is to conserve energy is beyond belief.

Energy conservation by consumers is surely only one of the many avenues available to be pursued in order to reduce electricity bills, unless Belco is considering its local de facto monopoly as a licence to management complacency and benign neglect.

It is time for Belco to consider implementing the price hedging techniques airlines and other energy utility companies operating in competitive markets currently use to reduce the impact of rising oil prices. Belco's annual oil consumption of one million barrels should enable them to enter the price hedging game using the futures market and lower the fuel adjustment amount charged to consumers.

Further, given the long time it takes to evaluate and implement non-oil based sources of energy, it is urgent for the Government of Bermuda to create a committee chaired by an energy specialist appointed by the Premier to explore what alternative energy technologies (wind, solar, fuel cells, smaller or hybrid cars…) could be considered cost effective in Bermuda, free of import duties in order to prevent Bermudians from being hit by any further oil price increase in the coming decades.

If nothing is done now in terms of alternative energy policy and sources, Bermuda will remain unprepared, highly economically vulnerable to any further oil price increase with this adjustment passed by Belco onto Bermuda consumers soon forcing us to live, like mushrooms, in the dark!

A CONCERNED MUSHROOM

Flatts

Money is what matters

February 16, 2006

Dear Sir,

Bermudians who work for American owned or controlled businesses on the Island, (hotel industry in particular) should know by now what to expect from a majority of these American companies, when their fiscal “bottom Line” is threatened!

A good deal of these companies behave in a contemptuous and arrogant manner when it comes to the treatment of their employees, whether employed in the States or most other world-wide locations. Most couldn't care less about the welfare of their workers. The most important thing to them is their “Bottom Line”, in other words ... MONEY. The employee is ‘just a number', easily dispensed with at their convenience. They are quite merciless and show no compassion in this regard!

As a Bermudian who has resided and worked in the US for the past 14 years I should know. Many states' labour laws operate under a “Right to Work Law”. This means that unless you have a specific written contract with your employer, you have absolutely no protected rights in the workplace. This law is also designed to stifle trade unions. There's nothing like a good Washington lobbyist to help get these laws enacted on the part of unscrupulous and greedy businessmen (remember Jack Abramoff?)

If someone in upper management takes a disliking to you or you somehow don't ‘Fit In', then you are “sacked” on the spot and escorted off the property! You don't have to break any particular workplace regulations, or be constantly late, or take too much sick time. You are shown the door and the rest is history. No recourse, no two weeks notice or two weeks pay in lieu of notice either.

So be forewarned. If anyone is thinking of moving to live and work in the US, then this should be food for thought! The US isn't the “utopia” you may think it is! Also, don't forget that there are approximately 45 million Americans without any form of health insurance. And that's not including the ten to 12 million illegal aliens, who have taken up residence as well.

If you are contemplating a move then head for the UK and Europe, where there are many labour laws to protect you from the harsh realities of the “American workplace”. You are even given simple things like sick day's, vacation time and health insurance. Imagine that? They are much more civilised in this regard! In other words, you are appreciated and treated with a lot more respect. Incidentally, I also resided and worked in the UK for ten years! I have seen both sides of the “Proverbial Coin”. And no ... I have not become a US citizen. My British passport is my ace-in-the-hole!

BRUCE MCCLARRON

Arizona (Right-to-Work state)