Dear Sir, Re: New Year's celebrations at the town Hall Square St. George: this poorly organised event was embarrassing.

In the future I hope we (a) learn from it or (b) leave it to others who know better.

The balloons, decorated Onion and the fireworks were excellent. Town Mayor Lois Perinchief certainly enhanced the occasion and our Premier was stunning in her white suit.

REGGIE SEMOS St. David's Death penalty is wrong January 6, 2000 Dear Sir, As an organisation which campaigns against the death penalty, we greatly welcome Bermuda's addition to the majority of nations which have already rejected this inhumane, ineffective punishment.

United Bermuda Party backbencher John Barritt is reported as having condemned the move because he claimed it was against the wishes of the majority of citizens. In fact most countries that have abolished the death penalty have not done so by popular demand but because it is right.

Governments should protect us from our own worst instincts and on occasions take a moral lead. The evidence is that most public opinion on judicial killing is formed on the basis of knee-jerk reaction rather than reasoned debate. Is that really the way policy should always be decided? It is inspiring that in 1995 a country with the tragic, violent history of South Africa abolished the death penalty against the run of public opinion. In so doing the South Africa Constitutional Court acknowledged that democracy means more than merely being ruled by the ballot box, particularly when the democratic process does not always adequately protect the marginalised and those the majority consider to be the least deserving.

We understand the need for justice and we recognise that it is the duty of government to punish offenders and protect the public. However, these objectives can be achieved without resorting to the taking of life, and we very much welcome the progressive step that Bermuda has taken.

SHELAGH SIMMONS Co-Ordinator Caribbean Justice Hampshire, England Strengthen the Police January 4, 2000 Dear Sir, I have been a regular visitor to Bermuda over the past 20 years and greatly enjoy the superb conditions plus peace and security which have existed during that time.

As an `outsider' I am however deeply concerned about the various articles related to the Police Force, published by your paper, over the past few days, plus your timely editorial on 3rd January. If the Police establishment is 44 short of its budgeted level of 440, that is near crisis level. If the possibility exists of losing a further 50 experienced people on retirement in the spring that is catastrophic. Apparently there is some difficulty in attracting Bermudians to join the Police Force at present. That I would hope could be overcome given more time and good public relations work. Overseas recruitment, on short service contracts, can be the answer provided conditions are attractive. Free, or subsidised housing, I have heard would provide a real incentive as rented accommodation costs continue to soar and purchase is not an option for a non-Bermudian.

I am puzzled by Government's apparent reluctance to make any use of the old US bases. Accommodation used by the American forces would have been a good standard and by using it for the police on short term contracts that would address a difficult problem. The housing will revert in due course to Government as staff conclude their contracts and become redundant. During this interim period a relatively low cost solution could thus be achieved.

I was sad to read the Minister's reported comments about the Police Commissioner raising the matter and trying to do his job of protecting the people of Bermuda by obtaining adequate resources. Anyone more concerned about `discourtesy to Government' rather than dealing with a critical issue would do well to re-examine his/her priorities.

If any further deterioration in the security position takes place over the next few months large companies with financial and commercial interests could well review their positions -- many other tax havens exist -- and that would be serious.

As a `selfish tourist' hoping to continue to visit the Bermuda which I appreciate so much, my comments are intended to be constructive. I am confident that the many friendly, courteous, sensible people I meet here will make sure their Government takes positive steps to head off any further deterioration and brings the force back to its established level.

Whatever its costs in the short term it will not interfere with the Force's ultimate Bermudiansation and will I am sure be cheap at the price.

J.E. ALAN ROBERTSON Surrey, England Stop wasting our money January 6, 2000 Dear Sir, I note in today's Royal Gazette front page news "Government's finances desperate'' and quite frankly am not surprised, as they appear to be spending money unnecessarily -- case in point, changes to the Barker's Hill round about and now a new round about being constructed at the Wilkinson Avenue junction, reported to be required to make walking safer for our visitors.

The Barker's Hill round about improved the road safety or flow very little and has yet to be properly finished off. I would suggest to the Minister that he go and have a look himself because the workmanship is appalling and has yet to be landscaped.

The Wilkinson Avenue junction in all my 23 years of passing the area has never been noted as a accident area or a traffic jam area and if safety is a concern for the walking public, then please just put in a proper sidewalk. Going to the expense of breaking up the hard limestone with heavy equipment for days on end and then putting in a roundabout is certainly a waste of the tax payer's money.

Rather than wasting money at Wilkinson Avenue junction, how about getting Palmetto Road fixed which, if the Minister isn't aware, is a main artery into Hamilton's north side parking. We are now in the fifth month of traffic lights -- what is holding this job up? KATHY A. LIGHTBOURN St. George's Bermuda was let down January 3, 2000 Dear Sir, Now with the frivolities and celebrations of the Christmas Season behind us and as we close out the current century, it would be wise to review some of the institutions and practices we have dragged along with us for some time.

Specifically, I speak of the oft referred to term used by yours and other news medium that of the Rubber Stamping Senate.

Let us first look at its composition. On the Government side, each and everyone without exception is a rejected candidate from the last election. One of the five holds a senior cabinet post which from all outward expressions of the ABUT and unnamed sources at the Department of Education say he is either unqualified to handle the post or `has forgotten where he came from...' Another one of the five is concurrently a Chief of Staff, for which there is still no staff, and still no approval by the legislature for either the position, the salary or the new car he is driven around in. As for the other three, the previous description of rejected candidate pretty well sums up their contribution.

As for the Opposition two of them carry the dubious distinction of rejection by the voters and one has made many an attempt, inevitably in vain, at bringing some reality to the reason for the institution. Whilst from an mathematical point of view the vote outcome is predictable; it was either by design or good fortune that there may well be times a persuasive enough position is put. This could have the outcome of having the independent members and dare the occasional government member to see clear their point at that given time and consequently vote with them.

Now for the Independent Senators, of whom there are three, from whose ranks the President and Vice-President of such an august body are determined. This is done for the sole purpose of giving comfort to all concerned that no possible party-partisan influence can hang over their position, like an executioner's sword, to unduly influence their thought and or decision process. This is a generally accepted principle by all with the exception of the Government Leader, Minister Scott.

What transpired in the Senate on Wednesday, December 22, 1999 was nothing short of a dereliction of the duty and responsibility to carry out its function as a `checks and balances' part of the Legislature, i.e. pass good law and reject poor law.

The issue being placed by Sen. Pettingill was not as an advocate or as an adversary of the abolition or retention of capital and corporal judicial punishment. The issue was far more basic. It was the passage of good law. It was to remind the august body that regardless of which side of the political or emotional fence one sits on, the higher responsibility of the institution is to oversee and approve good legislation, which makes sense. Sense not only to the people passing it; but sense to the people whose lives will be guided by it; and finally sense to the judges who will use it to rule on someone's future. This clearly did not occur.

This despite the recognition by the President of Sen. Pettingill's `valid observations of sloppy legislation drafting', in addition to the President's own `uncovering of glaring errors in the legislation.' Along with similar resounding remarks from the other independent, opposition and government Senators, none the least of which was the Senator who introduce it, and his own Government Leader finally acquiescing' to having it amended at the earliest possible moment.' Ha! Shame on you Mr. President, shame on you Minister Scott for once again letting the people of Bermuda down. Perhaps it is time for a real change.

DAVID J. SULLIVAN Sandys Parish PS. Did anybody find out what the hurry was anyway? Renewed faith in people January 3, 2000 The following was sent to The Rt. Wor. William de V. Frith, JP Mayor of Hamilton and copied to The Royal Gazette .

Dear Mr. Mayor, I wish to take this opportunity to commend to you one of your Corporation workers whose honesty resulted in a miracle for me.

On the night of Wednesday, December 29, 1999, I was with my family at the Liberty Theatre in Hamilton to see a film. We had parked (and carefully locked) the car on the corner of Victoria and Union Streets. Some time between 9 p.m. and midnight, the car was broken into and my hand bag was stolen. We reported it immediately to the Police, and a resulting search of the area for the stolen bag, or any of the contents, was unsuccessful. The following morning, I went through the extremely inconvenient routine of applying for a new driver's licence and cancelling my credit card, among other things.

In the meantime, while I was in Hamilton attending to the above-mentioned tasks, my brother received a phone call at home from a family friend, who had been contacted by a Corporation of Hamilton sanitation worker, Mr. Ernest Spence. He had, apparently, discovered the handbag, and contents, in a trash recepticle in the driveway of the Health Department on Victoria Street. He had carefully searched the entire trash container to retrieve all my belongings.

He found a telephone list, and eventually used that to contact our family friend, who, in turn, contacted us. My brother immediately drove to Hamilton and Mr. Spence handed over the bag to him.

Upon examining the handbag and its contents, we discovered that the only thing missing was the cash. All the credit cards, bank cards, the driver's licence, and numerous precious, personal items, were in the bag. It was truly a miracle, and we have taken steps to thank Mr. Spence personally for, not just his honesty, but the time he took to retrieve the items from the trash container, and his efforts to locate somebody to tell us he had the bag. Mr.

Spence is truly a fine person, and we are confident that he must be a most valuable employee of the Corporation as well.

As we enter this new millennium, and the 21st Century, with all the predictions of doom and gloom, and the never-ending news reports of disasters and man's inhumanity to man it is truly a bright spot in my life to know that people like Mr. Spence are still amongst us. Simple honesty, and a willingness to go the extra mile to do something for others, is what makes people like Mr.

Spence really great, and our faith in our fellow man is renewed. I hope that the Corporation of Hamilton will suitably recognise Mr. Spence's good deed.

JENNIFER WILLIS St. David's Grateful for treatment December 30, 1999 The following was sent to the Executive Director, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and was copied to The Royal Gazette .

It gives me great pleasure to write to you in order to highly commend the attention I was given in your hospital over the recent holiday period.

As a result of slipping on grass, I was unfortunate enough to break my right leg. Normally this, and the following treatment, would not merit recording but it occurred on the afternoon of Christmas Day! As I lay on the grass, while one of my companions put through a 911 call. I must confess the anticipated delays in collection and treatment did pass through my mind.

That momentary concern was soon banished upon the quick response of the ambulance from whence everything proceeded so efficiently and smoothly, it is now, in hindsight, difficult to recall it was Christmas Day.

Your staff, from the ambulance man (who arrived quickly -- I was in Warwick and immediately made me comfortable and at ease), the Emergency Department team (who dealt with me immediately and kept me informed of everything that was being done), the lady radiographer (with her lovely Christmas hat who gently took the necessary x-rays) through the surgical team headed by Dr.

Chelvam and Dr. Morris (who with their team all had to be called in but nevertheless had everything very quickly set-up and explained in detail what was going to be done) to the nursing and support staff on Cooper Ward (who were all working under great pressure but were attentive to my needs when required) and finally the physio staff (who got me mobile again) and the general support staff (who I did not meet but the benefit of whose endeavour I experienced).

I now reflect upon the fact that however inconvenient it may have been for me to break my leg on Christmas Day. I am truly grateful that I did it in Bermuda and benefited from the friendly, caring, comforting and above all professional manner in which I was looked after at KEMH.

You have dedicated people who are a credit to Bermuda and in turns of dealing with my problem, I have no doubt, equal to any in the world.

I would be grateful if you would please pass on my sincere and grateful thanks and appreciation to those who looked after me. Those on call suffer no little disruption to their own Christmas holiday.

RODNEY HIGGINS Surrey, England