Heartfelt tribute

January 25, 2007

Dear Sir,

I am writing your column with the hopes that all Bermuda shall read my letter and understand how I and countless other feel and in this case, I am honoured to write this letter. On Sunday, January 15, 2007 I attended the funeral services of Stanley Clifford Maxwell Woolridge. This gentleman was a dear friend, not only to me, but also to countless other people in Bermuda. For those people that were fortunate enough, like me, to have spent time with Stanley will tell you straight up, this was a man of great character and poise. To me, he represented what Bermuda is and should be all about — it’s people!

Stanley was truly an ambassador when it came to the island he loved so dearly. He touched the hearts of many, both in Bermuda and around the world. From company CEO’s, the “rich and famous” to the everyday person in the street, he treated them all as his friends. This man never had an unkind word for anyone. He could always be counted on to give advice or simply to listen, that was just part of his personality. Whenever you met Stanley, the first thing you would notice was his smile and you could not help but smile too!

The treasures of his life were his wonderful wife Clarissa of 59 years, his children, along with his brother Hadley, Peter and the entire Woolridge family. Stanley wore his love for Jesus on his sleeve proudly — a true Christian! All of us that knew Stanley well, are all better people today for knowing him. Truly a great, great man. I would like to suggest to the management and staff of Mid-Ocean Club, that a portrait of this wonderful man be placed in the halls of the club along side of the many dignitaries that have graced the club over the years. He was a member of the Mid-Ocean Club, a club that he adored and did so much for! He will always be a Bermudian treasure. I extend my heartfelt sorrow to the entire Woolridge family. Stanley did it the Lord’s way!

GORDY GIBBONS

Paget East<$>

Kudos to Child Watch

January 29, 2006

Dear Sir,

I would like to congratulate Eddie Fisher, Edward Tavares and other founder members of Child Watch on being awarded charity status last Friday. Unfortunately, but understandably, fathers tend to give up when the fight and struggles to have reasonable access to their kids become too much to bear. It’s not because we want an easy option out but because there never seems to be any direct, simple answer to solving a tough problem. Thankfully we here in Bermuda have men like Eddie Fisher, Edward Tavares and others who feel strongly about the wrong that has been done — not just to their own, but to other children in Bermuda as a result of a parental split handled in the Courts and resulting in very diminished access to the father.

As a member of Child Watch I have come to the realisation that although my own situation may not be resolved as quickly as I would like (due to numerous complications) I always keep in mind that when my predicament receives the attention it deserves it will benefit the men, women, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and of course the children, that are yet to come through the system behind me. I personally feel that our community needs to have a better understanding of Child Watch and stop viewing us as “a group of angry men trying to get desperate revenge on ex-wives/girlfriends”. No, that is not Child Watch.

What most people don’t realise is that it’s not just men that attend meetings to vent their frustrations and seek a solution but women as well. Yes women, as in grandmothers and significant others who are directly or indirectly witnessing the pain, frustration and struggles fathers here have in dealing with a biased court system that seems to feel that all Bermudian men are “dead beat fathers” and chooses not to listen to valid grievances on the matter of access to our children. So again I applaud the founding members of Child Watch for their diligence and hard work and I look forward to continue being part of a group that is actively working for Bermuda’s children, fighting for the rights of the child to enjoy equal parenting.

CONCERNED FATHER

Devonshire Parish <$>

The Draft: We are not alone

January 29, 2007

Dear Sir,

Please allow me this opportunity to congratulate all of the young men and woman who successfully completed Boot Camp 2007! I feel that somebody needs to say it and give these new soldiers a pat on the back, as it appears that very few people are doing that. Where the fairness is in the media? I would like to point out that almost daily there is coverage in the media about the “draft dodgers” and their fight or court hearings, but there was very little coverage of the 173 new soldiers and their instructors who started and finished their two weeks in camp. I am a proud daughter, sister, niece and cousin of past and present Bermuda Regiment soldiers and it saddens me to see these positive accomplishments passed over.

Maybe that is part of the problem with our island, we seem to focus on the negatives and fail make mention, or very little of it, to the positives. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from these recruits who “suck it up” and finish their time, usually as happier and more fulfilled individuals. Also, as a point of reference there are 31 countries in the world with conscription, so we are not alone. Having spoken to young men of other nations, the thought of just not showing up or fighting “the draft” is not even contemplated. For most of you this would be your only positive contribution to your island home. Sincerely,

PROUD OF OUR SOLDIERS

Save Southlands

January 28, 2007

Dear Sir,

Having been alerted by my brother to the fate which may be in store for Southlands, I feel that I must add my voice to that of other protesters. I, too lived at Southlands in the late 1950s — my parents and my brothers and I lived in Silo Cottage. As a six-year-old child I was caught up in a magical world where I roamed freely around the estate with my chums — which included Julian Darrall-Rew, currently also making his objections heard from the UK.

We could be children there, in safety — few if any cars, acres of lawn on which to play and wonderful trees to climb and swing from... part of Bermuda’s water colour charm was that it was so unspoilt. I recollect long walks on the beach with my father and our dog — no tourists to step around, just the gentle sound of the sea and the warm sand to play on. Life felt happy and safe in such a natural environment.

Evidently this haven of tranquillity is now to be sacrificed to yet another hotel. Why, may I ask? How many hotels does Bermuda need...? Money talks, it seems — I can only say that for all the glib promises no doubt trotted out by the developers, this will be a case — as the song says, of... “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone — pave paradise — put up a parking lot.”

Open your eyes, Bermudians — your tiny islands do not need more places for the rich to play! Don’t allow these tiny islands to be tarnished further by crude and unnecessary development. Where will tomorrows children play? FIGHT IT.

MARION DAVIS (FORMERLY COAKES)

Resident of Southlands 1958-62

Former Warwick Academy Pupil

UK resident<$>

Callous driver

January 14, 2007

Dear Sir,

This letter is for the lady in the white jeep. On Saturday, January 6, 2007 at approximately 10.20 a.m. I saw you driving down the Tribe road opposite the Reefs Hotel. You were driving a large white vehicle (I believe it was a left hand drive and possibly a RAV 4). As you came down the hilly part of the Tribe Road, a black dog jumped out of the trees in front of your jeep and you struck him. There was no way you could have avoided the incident and it was obviously unintentional. You stopped your jeep, opened the door and exclaimed to me how stressed you were (or words to that effect) and then proceeded to climb back into your vehicle.

I incorrectly assumed you were moving it to the side but you actually took off down the hill! In your haste to leave you almost hit a blue Taxi coming down the hill. I unfortunately was unable to record your license number as the Taxi blocked my view. I now come to the point of my letter. It would have been very nice if you had stuck around and tried to find the owner and we carried the dog home and made arrangements pertaining to its untimely demise. Did you know that he cried? I realise that it was an unavoidable accident but I also saw that you intentionally left the scene. Did you ever go back after I left? I was there for well over an hour and I never saw you! What kind of a person are you?

UPSET

Warwick<$>

I have a dream for Bermuda

January 16, 2007

Dear Sir,

I have a dream, that the Bermuda Government will work together and not against each other in and out of the party. How can you possibly fight in your own party and expect to run and Island? I have dream that from the clock tower of Dockyard to the Fort St. Catherine’s in St. George’s there will be no more violence, no more weapons, no more poverty, no more gossip, that every street corner of every parish would be cleaned up for this generation and the generation to come.

It will be tranquillity, serenity and obsolete in every neighbourhood. I pray for peace, freedom of strife. Public quietness, order and security. I have a dream that we would go back to the golden days on raising our children, it took a village to raise Our child. I believe we need to go back to when we can leave our houses open knowing that are houses are safe. Also going back to families having everyone at the table eating together. I have a dream that housing will one day fit everyone in Bermuda’s budget. I have a dream one day Bermuda, we will become as one.

If we come together in harmony, singing one song, working together like an army we can make a difference in the community. I have a dream that every soul would be saved. Churches will come out of their four walls and come out in the communities and preach. He gave us an ear to hear each and everyone one of us. Bermuda we just need to believe that anything is possible if you just believe in lord and yourself. Bermuda stand for yourself, stand Bermuda stand.

LARRITA ADDERLEY

St. David’s

Don’t pick on CedarBridge

26th January, 2007

Dear Sir,

In today’s Royal Gazette front page where the Minister has made public the graduation rate for 2006; Mr. Editor you need to be more considerate when using file photos and who will be offended. Was it necessary to include a photo? Why a photo of CedarBridge Students? Haven’t we provided you with enough publicity over the past months? Even though our Graduation rate was higher in 2006 than in the past — you never seem to have the time or the space in your paper to investigate and include the positive things that are happening at CedarBridge Academy.

Your file photo of CedarBridge Students has highlighted a specific school whether intentional or unintentional, which was not the way the Education Minister made his statement, as he used information provided from both Public Senior schools. We the PTSA Executive of CedarBridge Academy invite you to visit the school with us, so that you can obtain first hand information about the positive achievements that CedarBridge students have obtained recently and will continue to obtain in the future. Look out Mr. Editor, a CedarBridge Student is coming for your job.

GERALD SWAN

PTSA Chairman<$>

BAD is right to use law

January 30, 2007

Dear Sir,

Admirable Men of Conscription. In a time when so many negative things are said about young men being a problem in our society; it brings great joy to see young men legally fighting the conscription order. Whether one agrees with conscription or not these young men need to be applauded for taking a stand against something they feel is not right and unconstitutional. Secondly, what a wonderful lesson these young men are being taught about the law, constitutional issues, how to represent themselves without violence and how to stand tall, with back bone. When discussing their arguments, these young men are articulate in their presentations; their opinions are sound and are based on information rather than emotions.

This would be a great opportunity for any young person male or female to join the group or at least follow the case to get a working knowledge of how to change things in our society they feel are not right. There are other sectors of people in Bermuda who suffer in silence who have not mustered up the courage or wherewithal to legally challenge their plight via the highest court in the land, who can learn from these courageous young men. Congratulations to the young men for the sterling manner in which they represent themselves in the midst of a time where so much negatively is written about Bermuda’s males. Sincerely,

STANLEY M TROTT

Too many distractions

January 28, 2007

Dear Sir,

To coin al old phrase, “You can lead a horse to the water. But can we make him drink”? There has been much debate surrounding the education system verses the graduation rate here in Bermuda. While I am in agreement that the figures released are startlingly, I ask the question. Would a change in the system bring forth a desired result? As a parent, I have an invested interest in my children’s education and have on several occasions visited their schools (Primary, Middle and Senior). What befalls me, is not the curriculum but the students’ attitude towards education. The teachers have a mammoth task in bringing about order in their classrooms before any attempt at learning/teaching can begin.

As I review my children’s home and school work on a daily and weekly basics, I am impressed with their scope of learning. However if they do not put the time and dedication to their studies, all will be in vain and they too will become a part of the 52 percent fail rate. There are many factors that contribute to the decline in graduation. Single parent homes, the electronic age (Game Boys, cellular phones, iPod , etc.) and the high cost of living which draw a great number of parents out of the homes to a second or third job just to make ends meet.

This factor alone removes the parent, with the responsibility to supervise the home work, from the home. So if a child is not disciplined and dedicated to his or her studies they will indeed fall through the cracks. With this view in mind I strongly feel that a change in the Education system will have little or no effect if other factors are not given due attention.

ERIC BEAN

End adversarial divorces

January 26, 2007

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to express my gratitude on your paper, dated January 22, 2007, Page 4, in regards to Childwatch, written by Matthew Taylor, he did a fantastic job! May I also, commend the Minister Hon. Dale Butler and the Attorney General for their courage for, under taking the task that many have stumbled into this minefield and veered far away from the subject matter, “The importance of fathers in the lives of their children”.

Mostly, I commend the Government of Australia for doing the right thing in July 1, 2006 as they have revamped the Family Law. If anyone looks at the rational behind the new Australian law, it is a no-brainer, as I have been lobbying for sixteen years. Presently, the current adversary system creates havoc in child rearing as it leans towards the mother as the preferred parent, and fathers are made visitors having every other week-end with their children. This brings about many dynamics and invites much hardship to all, especially, the children.

Further, it brings about alienation against one parent by the other parent, which is devastating to our children, as they love both of his/her parents. In 2002, the law was amended, bringing online the unmarried fathers to par to the married fathers. However, the marital fathers were still at odds, being left out of the loop, as the system with its ancient mine-set and principals, maintaining, that only mothers can be parents, and fathers as financial contributors.

The paternal family are left out also, especially the grandparents. Grandparents are grieved by these actions, also, as most times fathers are denied access, as these times are also shared with the rest of paternal family. Even though with court ordered and allocated times and dates, fathers are finding themselves losing lots of time and resources, getting nowhere, with today’s adversarial courts system. We need shared parenting for our children, in order for both parents to share equally in all aspects of raising their children, not visitors accessing the mother’s child(ren) or fathers just being an ATM.

Albeit, professed by professionals that, the child’s only beneficial needs from the father after divorce or separation is only of financial contribution. How is this ideology in the best interest of our children? Numerous studies, done around the world show clearly that, children do far better when the fathers are involved.

A NO-BRAINER SOLUTION

Pembroke