Two views of history

April 2, 2003

Dear Sir,

Once again your paper seems to have been used by John Zuill to propagate his blatant anti-semitism!

While we are all sorry for the victims of this terrible conflict, we cannot accept the one way view whereby only Palestinian lives count while Jewish lives are a non-event.

Mr. Zuill should study history and find out the origins of the area called "Judea" which actually gave its name to the Jewish people. He might then understand why Israel is where it is. He might also learn that if Islam is roughly 1,500 years old, the Jewish faith goes back more then 3,000 years. Many people seem very narrow minded and obtuse in their poor understanding of the world (which is a very common trait among anti-semites).

I sincerely wish that Mr. Zuill may then reach a more honest view of the situation. He may then understand why Israel has to find ways of fighting hordes of cowardly terrorists who cannot look into the eyes of their victims.

Olga Kudrytska

Flatts

All is not well here

March 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

As a result of recent medical treatment I have been advised to walk three miles or one hour a day. This increase in exercise has produced some interesting results. First of all my weight is decreasing, secondly I have been discovering some new places to walk and, thirdly, I have found that all is not well in the "New Bermuda".

My walking partner and I have now met the local flasher on the Railway Trail three times, and on two occasions I phoned the local community Police cell number and office number which were not answered, so I left messages. On one occasion I also dialled 911 and described in detail what we had witnessed, but no action was taken, no phone call returned, nothing.

I eventually spoke to the community Police officer, one week after my third phone call and I was told the matter would be looked into. It now appears that the wife of a Police officer also saw the flasher, but her comments were not taken seriously. Perhaps I had better train my dog to bit him where it would hurt....

The second and third problems go together. There seems to be an increase in people "living rough". There is the man who lives in the woods on the Railway Trail between Ord Road and Cobbs Hill Road. There is now a man living on the Railway Trail under the Bridge near the Trimingham Hill roundabout.

There are also several tents in the woods at Lagoon Park in Somerset, and there are tents year round at Ferry Reach. I thought permission to camp had to be obtained from the Department of the Environment?

The third problem goes with the second, i.e. what do these people do with their trash? They just make a filthy mess in their surrounding area. The mess beside the Railway Trail to Paget needs to be seen to be believed. The next question is what do these people do about their personal hygiene needs? I very much doubt that they go into Hamilton to use the public bathrooms there.

Twice a year I receive a visit from the Pest Control Department, and they check my property for standing water, which could breed mosquitoes. If I do not comply with the regulations and persist in having standing water, I could be taken to court and fined. What about all the trash in the woods which collects water?

Bermuda is a beautiful place, we have wonderful weather, lovely beaches and a warm gentle sea and lots of caring people. However it is being ruined by others who have no interest in obeying the law, and by those who do not seem to want to uphold the law.

SALLY GODET

Paget

The Northlands example

March 14, 2003

This was sent to Mr. Stanfield Smith, Principal, Northlands Primary School and copied to The Royal Gazette.

Dear Mr. Smith,

I just left the P2 Assembly and decided I really have to write this now, at this moment. It's been along time coming. I don't know how much say principals have in choosing their teaching and support staff, but you have hit the jackpot up there at Northlands.

Because I am copying this letter to the Ministry and the local media, I will give you a brief history of my experience with Northlands Primary School.

Back in 2001, while my daughter Jahnessa was still in preschool, we were awaiting word on whether or not she would be attending Northlands that coming fall. When we received the confirmation letter, she was pretty excited. However, her anxieties manifested themselves strangely through thoughts of loss and despair and after much thinking and talking with professionals within her school, we traced it back to her being afraid of starting a new school and having to make new friends.

One Friday afternoon I had some time off from work and just drove up to Northlands with my daughter so she could at least see the building. Mrs. Outerbridge, your school secretary, allowed us to visit each of the P1 classes for as long as we wished, where the reception was outstanding teachers included her on parts of the lesson, kids jumped at the chance to have her sit at their table.

This alleviated my daughter's fears and those manifestations ceased immediately after that visit. My daughter was also comforted to know and I was surprised myself - that she would be in the hands of so many teachers, the principal and a school counsellor that either taught me, went to school with me or knew me by some other means.

Primary One whizzed by and was quite an experience. Her teacher, Mrs. Singh and her aide, Mrs. Saunders, did a wonderful job in identifying her strengths and weaknesses and kept me informed every step of the way - not just when it was time for parent/teacher meetings. Now we're in the middle of Primary Two and although it's been quite a few years when I was in P2, I know that I was not doing science experiments (like the volcano in November 2002) or my two-and-three times tables. Her current homeroom teachers, Mrs. Taylor and Ms Trimm, push their students to the brink of their excellence - recognising those who need help and providing assistance to them but not at the expense of those who can move on to the next level.

In the many conversations concerning education I have had with parents of students, that is a major complaint. Jahnessa is an excellent math student and I attribute that largely to the fun and creative ways Mrs. Taylor is teaching math to her P2 students - Jahnessa was singing a song the other day and when I figured out what it was she was singing, it was her multiplication tables!

Perhaps if I had learned some aspects of math that way, I would have been a little better with it. My strong suit is English and Ms Trimm is on the ball. I appreciate the different spelling word groups and the increasingly wordy reading books sent for homework; it means that (1) Jahnessa is learning and (2) Ms Trimm is paying attention to the growth of her students. I didn't quite know what to expect when I learned that Jahnessa's class would have two teachers, but I am extremely pleased with the progress thus far. Not every day is perfect, but my good experiences far outweigh the not-so-positive ones.

On a whole, I can tell that something wonderful is going on at the top of Berkeley Hill at Northlands Primary School. I can toot my own horn because I am interested in what is going on, and can blow your horn at the same time because it is a joint effort and from the results in my household so far, we are doing it right. And it's not just academically I am speaking; Northlands Primary School also knows how to have fun, to reward hardworking students and give others the incentive to work harder.

So, to Mrs. Taylor, Ms Trimm, Ms Simons, Mrs. Simons, Ms Allen, Ms Flannery, Ms Doherty, Mrs. Richardson, Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Aitken, Mr. Aberdeen, Mr. Lambert, Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Outerbridge, Mr. Smith, the rest of the staff at Northlands and the school PTA (especially for the hot dogs on Friday) - names are escaping me, so please don't take it personal - I applaud you.

Congratulations to the teaching, administration and caretaking staff of Northlands Primary School. You extend yourselves further than some can imagine. Your interest in our children does not end with the school day and it shows.

Thank you so very much.

RIKKI PAYNE

City of Hamilton

Getting noticed

Dear Sir,

This letter is in response to `Constructive Criticism' published in your Letters to the Editor of March 29, 2003. The "idiots" responsible for the Parliamentary Registry's advertising would like to take a moment to respond to your comments.

First and foremost, we are thrilled that you have taken notice of the full page advertisements we've put in both The Royal Gazette and Bermuda Sun informing voters that there have been some changes to their voting information for the next General Election. A letter like yours shows us that the general public is paying attention and confirms our advertising is working.

As an advertising agency, our job is to get a message noticed. If you've ever heard that saying "you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time" it is especially true in describing our line of work. When you speak to the general public you are also under the scrutiny of those same people you speak to.

We never expect that everyone will appreciate the way in which we communicate a message. We can only hope that our message gets noticed and that people take away the core idea.

I can see that you have concerns about getting the right voting information from the Parliamentary Registry and I would like to assure you that your specific information is coming. We will be sending out island wide information packages informing each and every voter of their specific changes. Until that arrives I would kindly direct you to visit www.elections.gov.bm or phone 293-VOTE for more information, as indicated in our ad.

On behalf of RB&K Advertising I would like to thank you for your "constructive criticism". This "amateur" in particular always appreciates an opportunity to get free advertising for his clients.

Kind Regards,

Doug Gordon

RB&K Advertising

We give thanks

March 31, 2003

Dear Sir,

In everything give thanks. We the officers and members of The Orchid Charity Club take this opportunity to say thank you to the many merchants who gave donations towards our annual gift giving to our Senior Homes, the seniors were so very thankful and overjoyed.

Thank you all for your donations towards our Annual Tag Day, January 17 & 18, 2003. We realised over $10,000.00.

To the merchants who gave permission allowing our taggers to be in front of their premises - Thank you.

To our many faithful taggers thank you, hope to see you again next year, we cannot make it without you.

To our most illustrious and informative speaker Mrs. Cheryl-Ann Lister, CFA, MBA, Chairperson and CEO of Bermuda Monetary Authority - Thank you.

Thanks to: The North Village Band, our soloist Sis Cheryl-Ann Swan, one of our members, our chairperson Sis Neletha Butterfield, JP, MP, our hard working member Sis Ann Beach, all the officers and members of our Club who continue to do their best, our brothers The Leopards Club, and let us not forget our faithful patrons most of whom support us each year, our special waitresses and to anyone who helped in anyway - Thank you all.

May God continue to bless you all.

LOIS L. WEEKS, COR.SECTY

Orchid Charity Club