A new location for Hamilton's Bus Terminal? One solution is to utilise the City Hall Car Park property. Unless the space is earmarked for future development (I'm unaware of), it is adjacent to the existing terminal in the centre of town, and could be designed as an open-sided, fully covered terminal providing much needed shelter from rain and scorching sunshine. The second storey could serve as the existing car park and entertainment area when required, the size of the building being softened by trees and shrubs. Access and egress for buses and passengers could be from one street frontage of the property, motor vehicles and drivers on another side.

The small numbers of children who remain in town after school, standing hot and bored in the sun, might be persuaded to visit a supervised meeting space within the newly created terminal catering for hobbies, games, vocational guidance, reading, computers for homework or Internet access, "hanging out'' and otherwise burning off excess energy. The key word would be "supervision'' in the form of mentoring these young people.

Bermuda's voluntary community has many talents to tap and may be willing to guide youngsters into positive activities after school, under direction from paid professionals. Pie in the sky? Thinking positively and laterally often brings solutions! Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown was reported as saying he had "no idea and no choice'' as to where to put the new terminal. Hopefully more readers are putting on their thinking caps and will share their ideas on this vexing issue.

TRISH WAN Warwick Facts not speculation October 4, 2000 Dear Sir, In The Royal Gazette of October 3, there was what was trying to be a "scare'' headline. "Police Cancer Mystery Deepens - latest victim in Cancer Epidemic.'' Do your staff know the meaning of the words they use? Cancer: It is not a single disease but a group of several hundred diseases with a common characteristic: uncontrolled invasive growth at the expense of normal body systems.

Epidemic: spreading rapidly among many people in the community.

In the last 50 years I imagine a great number of people have died of various cancers. To pick out one group of people who were at one time living in a barracks and saying that some had died of cancer between 1950 and 1998 is hardly a mystery. How many men did it include? What kind of cancer did they die from? What was their background and their lifestyle? Was there a history of cancer in their families? Your reporter apparently does not know how many men died from cancer of the oesophagus. He says statistics show the likelihood of contracting the disease is one in 7000. (One in 7000 what? policemen? males? all people?) When were the figures compiled and in what conditions? Fifty years ago, men living in a tight community were quite apt to be smokers.

If you are not a smoker you can't get cancer of the oesophagus by inhaling others' smoke.

Since the cancers appeared over the course of many years, it can hardly be called on epidemic. Rather it seems to have been incidental to the fact that a group of men who were living at Prospect Barracks fifty years ago have lost some of their members to cancer.

Your reporter says that ex-policemen who left the Island -- after living in the barracks, have also died of cancer. One cannot infer that "living in the barracks'' had anything to do with their affliction.

Please don't make mountains out of molehills. I know cancer can be serious (I have recovered from one).

I feel deeply for Mr. Instone's family, but I cannot believe that they are blaming living in Prospect barracks many years ago for his recent affliction.

Only his doctor knows the background of his illness.

A reporter should report, not speculate. Fact and speculation are different things. Because the latest cancer victim was a Policeman at one time, I would not jump to the conclusion his former occupation, or his living in barracks, was the cause. The obituary was well-written.

ELIZABETH BENEVIDES Paget A negative response October 3, 2000 Dear Sir, My letter was inspired by the kind letter written by Carol Carvalho about the excellent customer service she received from various businesses here.

BTC would be wise to take note of her responsive positive attitude to good customer service. I however cannot be positive about customer service from BTC.

On September 16 I experienced a part of the vast destruction inflicted on Bermuda by the hurricane. I assume the destruction was vast because after two weeks plus, I still have no phone. I would think that BTC is swamped with all the horrible destruction inflicted on Bermuda's telecommunications by that powerful killer storm -- I am lucky my house is still standing! Could someone who has a phone please call BTC for me and ask them, why my phone cable is still unrepaired? I have called from work, but the repair people must not respond unless you call from your home phone. Wait, that's right, I have no phone! On another note, Belco, after a year or so still has not repaired very loose wires which arced and caused the blowout of my BTC cable in the first place.

But of course, they must still be repairing other lines from that other storm Gert which also must have inflicted serious damage on the Island's power supply infrastructure! Have we asked the US or England for help? We must need extra workers to aid the unionised workers that are working hard at repairing our battered Island! Oh that's right, Derek told me that the management was to blame. All the management at BELCO and BTC are probably expats anyway.

SURVIVOR Paget Calling on the minister October 2, 2000 Dear Sir, A few weeks ago a letter I wrote appeared in The Royal Gazette which described the residency criteria which hinders Bermudian students from applying for research funding in the UK.

The letter was a copy of a letter sent to the Minister of Education, Milton Scott. The point was that I was asking him whether in his capacity as Minister, he could effect any change in this area.

I have been made aware that my letter as printed in The Royal Gazette did not make it clear that it was a copy, and that the original was sent to Mr. Scott.

I hope this letter corrects this, and preserves my original intent.

CATHERINE DRAYCOTT Oxford, England