Education problems

February 15, 2008

Dear Sir,

As a teacher with a child in the Public Education System I have been eagerly waiting for the recommendations from the Hopkins Report to be implemented. Now we have the restructuring plan unveiled I have one question. Who is going to be appointed to these positions? I hope they are going to be advertised overseas as the current personnel are intellectually and practically unfit to implement the changes required.

It is an open joke among teachers that you show your birth certificate not your C.V. to be appointed as an Education Officer. The current Horton-Perinchief-ex-Berkeley-Seventh-Day-Adventist clique was highlighted by the Review as a barrier to improvement (point 128).

If the current Education Officer have any integrity and if they really care about the children of Bermuda they should do the honorable thing and resign. They have been at the helm of a sinking ship for years. If these people were in the business world, they would have been fired a long time ago.

WAITING

Hamilton Parish

Yes, ECU is a disgrace

February 19, 2008

Dear Sir,

I agree completely that the ECU is a disgrace. I visit the place frequently and have to steel myself to avoid being sick as the amonia from the urine not only assails the nose but even burns the eyes. The hospital should form a task force with goals to turn and change patients on demand.

Caring for the elderly is a hard and demanding chore with little rewards, but while we are quick to blame the hospital for something which they are to blame for, might I suggest that the children of the patients pay a little more attention to their parents.

I have attended functions at the ECU and even at Christmas the visitors at the unit are few and far between. Lots of people think sending flowers once a year is enough. We should have active patient/ relative organisations and monitoring of the care our senior citizens are receiving.

Like Ms Ferguson, I am amazed at the money dispensed to sports when the hospital is in great need of improvement. The rooms do need painting and they are not cleaned properly and the patients are allowed to roam all over the property even when they are in "Isolation". When I was in hospital the bathroom was so filthy that I had to wear my shoes in the shower.

Another tragedy is that most long term patients, both at the hospital and at MAWI, have no income and so are forced to beg for things that all of us need to make us feel human. We could get each patient to be" adopted" by a company or an individual, and given a small remittence each month.

What any hospital needs is the return of grand rounds where the whole team walk around every day, speaking to the patients and taking pictures of what ails the hospital and solving them.

HOSPITAL VISITOR

City of Hamilton

Just ignore Government

February 20, 2008

Dear Sir,

Your Right To Know campaign is falling on very deaf ears in the PLP regime.

I think all of the right thinking people in Bermuda realise that, even though the public's 'right to know' is a common understanding in any democracy, the PLP seem to think that this is a White Supremacist UBP and Royal Gazette attempt to force information from the Government so they can criticise the Government.

It's useless to speculate as to who is doing what for what reason but here's my suggestion to The Royal Gazette. I do appreciate that you are the only daily newspaper but just stop printing the Governments announcements.

Just print what you see, hear or discover and what you think is worth printing. Don't ask them for comment, clarification, interpretation and don't print their press releases. If they get frustrated, just don't print their Letters to the Editor. If they won't communicate with you, who represent the public in a way, then just ignore them except where the public absolutely needs to know.

Clearly the people of Bermuda who voted for this PLP arrogance are willing to accept that they have things to hide. The voters obviously don't care, so why should you? Just ignore them. Report on what others who want to communicate with the public are doing, Report on events that are of some benefit to the public. Report on community things.

Heck ... they can report all they want to the huge viewing audience on their own TV station and ... no doubt, their own radio station.

SAMUEL L. CLEMENS

Southampton

Looking for relatives

February 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

I am visiting Bermuda in August this year with my husband and youngest daughter. My maternal grandfather was born in Bermuda in 1897, his name was Wentford Theodore Outerbridge and his parents were Harry and Louiza Outerbridge, of Sandys Parish I believe. I think my great grandfather was a Sergeant Major in the Army.

I don't know if my grandfather had any brothers or sisters, my grandmother lost contact with his family sometime after his death in 1929.

I would very much like to make contact with any relatives we may have. Wentford and my grandmother Lucy May Outerbridge had four children, Lilian May Outerbridge, my mother; Charles Wentford Outerbridge, John Peter Outerbridge and Amy Elizabeth Outerbridge, all surviving except John who was the youngest.

SHIRLEY LLOYD (MRS.)

Maldon, Essex, CM9 6ET

01621 843136

e-mail shirleyannlloyd@hotmail.com

What zero tolerance?

February 15, 2008

Dear Sir,

I am writing about the pilot from Marine and Ports.

I am glad he got employment, but I am not pleased with the way he received it, because after all, he was fired for being intoxicated on the job.

The Union has set a trend for future cases in the courts. He was operating a machine that is as dangerous as a gun and I don't believe he did not know what he was drinking and how he was feeling during that time.

Staff from Marine and Port, the Public Transportation Board, Works and Engineering, Garbage Disposal Department and the channel pilots have all been seen by me indulging in alcohol beverages while working. I know that managers and bosses are aware of some of this, but since they are friends with their employees nothing is done about it and yet all these departments have a zero-tolerance policy on their books. It seems that is as far as it goes, on the books.

Now let me notify the public about the crew on the ferry boats, they consist of a pilot, engine driver and a deck hand which is three positions. In my o pinion that is one short for the deck hand area. The pilot drives the ferry only, the engine driver starts the engine and makes sure the engine is functioning properly only and the deck hand's job is to look after the passengers and secure the boat only. the engine driver and deck hand should not be at the controls anytime the boat is in public service. I will admit some times an engine driver does have a pilot licence, but if he has not been assigned to drive that particular day he should not be handling the controls.

Mr. Chris Furbert, thank you for exercising the power of the Union by turning down arbitration and sending a message to Col. Burch. This is one time a Premier was disciplined by a president (I guess the president has more power than the Premier). By the way I am a ferry boat user. It is one of my hobbies to ride the ferry.

Yes, I was one of the Bermudians who watched 20/20 cricket. February 10, 2008 was the worst day in cricket for Bermuda. I have a few ideas for selecting the team to represent Bermuda in the next 20/20. My suggestion is to contact Summer Haven for the physically challenged and contact Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association and the Rest Homes from now on for future players. The team sent was a disgrace and embarrassment. One player swung at 11 balls and missed 10 of them. When he gets home, send him to the optometrist.

The captain needs to go beyond retirement by selling his equipment, if he is not lucky in even giving it away, tell him to bury it.

The commentator even said the field ing was as poor as the batting. The selection committee would have done better going down town and asking people if they would like to play for 20/20. In my opinion 20/20 does not do a thing for the skill of cricket. The captain does a good job as a leader in that he leads them off the field as losers.

To the coach Mr. Bascome, my question to you is, what are your qualifications? When it comes to practising in the nets, Bermuda is a great team (but that is not reality).

WILLARD S. FOX

Smith's Parish

Grateful for support

February 11, 2008

Dear Sir,

On behalf of The Bermuda War Veterans Association (Bermudians and Bermuda residents who served overseas in the Armed Forces), I would like to express our thanks to the public for their support in our recent fund-raising drive which was mostly completed by the end of January.

In spite of the fact that we were no longer able to dispense poppies, it is most gratifying to report a very satisfactory response to our appeal. Judging from the many telephone calls received by our committee members, it is obvious that the public were as disappointed and disgusted with the actions taken to prevent us using the poppies for advertising purposes.

I would like to add my personal thanks to all those persons who contributed so generously to our appeal.

J.R.H. LIGHTBOURN

Trustee

Bermuda War Veterans Association