Deliver choice and value

October 22, 2008

Dear Sir,

With regards to the area residents having objected to a local company opening a bar/restaurant at Warwick Long Bay, I cannot understand how they would be affected that much. To my knowledge, the closest houses are across the road and well away from the entrance to Warwick Long Bay.

Also, one of the arguments against it is that it will ruin the aesthetic beauty of Warwick Long Bay. This establishment will only be on a small part of the beach. Did the concession at Horseshoe Bay ruin its aesthetic beauty? What about Lido and Mickey's at Elbow Beach? I can name numerous others. No, none of them has ruined our beaches.

Furthermore, the establishment will not be a permanent structure. The owners will be able to take down the building and will truck away any kitchen or sewage waste. Bermuda should welcome this kind of establishment. This is an island tourist destination and people want to go to venues on the beach. The high-end discerning traveller, which we hope to attract, wants dining and entertainment options. If we are to compete for tourists, we must deliver choice and value for money. Other establishments by this company are tasteful and have enhanced the dining and entertainment experiences available in Bermuda. Can we not give them an opportunity to create something for Tourism?

SEEING THE BIGGER (BUT NO LESS BEAUTIFUL) PICTURE

Devonshire

Money problems

October 17, 2008

Dear Sir,

From New York to Bahamas each way $90.

From Bermuda to Boston round trip $537.

If I bought six one-way tickets from New York to the Bahamas, which is 1,099 miles, I can fly to the Bahamas three times. Please take note that each way the fare is the same price. I can fly a round trip from Bermuda to Boston once which is 776 miles.

Globe-trotting – The Boston Globe: TNT Vacations is offering Boston to Bermuda flights at $99 each way on scheduled non-stop Jet Blue and Delta planes.

To get the price, however, you must stay at least four nights at a hotel at $400 per night. Ha-Ha-Ha. Sorry, couldn't help busting out on this one.

I can buy a one-way ticket from Boston to Bermuda for $144 on Jet Blue. That same one-way ticket from Bermuda to Boston is $409 on Jet Blue. This must be that "Bermuda Triangle" I keep hearing about. The reason that objects and people keep disappearing is because they can't afford to get back.

What on Earth is the monopoly that says we'll let you into the Island for $144, but if you dare carry any passengers back to your point of departure we'll let you charge us $409?

If all of the employees who are owed back pay from the Bermuda Government, owed the Bermuda Government money, how long would it have taken the Government to have every person rounded up and sent to court? I have many suggestions to offer and here's one piece of advice. The last people in the world a Government wants to tick off are the people who protect and serve.

Why does Government need to pay their Police Officers in three installments? My educated guess would be that there isn't enough funding to pay them as they should be paid like landlords and mortgages need to be paid, immediately. If your response is we don't have it, then my suggestion is that you borrow it. Pay your people what you owe them and then pay back what you burrow.

SOOKY

Devonshire

A super event

October 21, 2008

Dear Sir,

I had the extreme pleasure of attending the last race day of the season last Sunday. Words can't express how impressed I was by the event, the family oriented atmosphere, and the high level of competition of all the classes racing. From the stands one can see all of the track, and the action on that small track was riveting. All but a couple of races had so much close action the spectating was a blast. And they keep it moving along, class by class, with no letup. And yes, people are legally riding their bikes over 100 mph right here in Bermuda!

The Island has a real opportunity to build something fantastic for the future of the sport, and the talented youth taking part. Toriano Wilson's family, even after their tragic loss at the Red Bull Series in the US, is still deeply involved and dedicated to the sport. It was heartwarming to see Toriano's brother, Tory, win a race, and meeting Mr. Wilson, while he was wrenching on a bike in the pits was an honour. The 70cc scooter class champion is around ten years old, what a bright future for him and Bermuda, likely on the world stage, in seasons to come.

I encourage any Bermudians with interest in motorsports to take a Sunday afternoon and check out this excellently run event next season. It will hook you, fast. Not only do they run a race for each class twice, they allow the general public to stroll the pits between rounds and meet the racers, and the families and sponsors so dedicated to this local effort. The $10 admission was the best entertainment value I have found in Bermuda.

Hats off to the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club (bmrc.bm) for the excellent product they have to offer Bermuda. And thanks to all those involved for making a foreigner in your land feel so welcome at this super event. And thanks to my friend, Burger, for the invite!

JOSHUA BATE

Devonshire

Make Tempest Bermudian

October 22, 2008

Dear Sir,

We were very excited when it was announced that "The Tempest" was to be the highlight of the 2009 Bermuda Festival celebrating Bermuda's 400th Anniversary. It was announced that this Shakespearean play was to showcase Bermudian actors, acting professionally abroad, under the direction of Joel Froomkin. It now seems obvious from previews of the Festival that Bermudian actors are being overlooked by Joel, although, he states the flora and fauna will make it very Bermudian in feel. (I can view these in my back yard).

There are a number of Bermudian actors abroad, many of whom have had grants and scholarships from Bermuda. Young Jason Eddy who is based in London, was recently highlighted in the local press. His role in "The Tempest" received rave reviews from drama critics. Other Bermudian actors acting abroad include: Darren Herbert, Rebecca Faulkenberry, and Sean Dill. We also have a wealth of very fine actors based here in Bermuda, many professionally trained. (Attendance at any BMDS & G&S production would prove this).

The Festival is bringing Bermudian artists from every corner of the earth home for the other performances. Why not for "The Tempest"? Has the Festival production of "The Tempest" lost its original concept? It will be a shame if all we have is the "flora and fauna" of the set design to give "a Bermudian feel" when there is such a wealth of Bermudian talent available to give a truly local perspective to this performance.

RETIRED THESPIAN

(and now vexed Bermoothe)

Warwick

Island needs tolerance

October 21, 2008

Dear Sir,

I am so weary of constantly hearing "We must all work and pull together to achieve peace and harmony in Bermuda". How can we lie down with hypocrites and rogues, let alone swine as the ancient saying goes! Julian Hall should be ashamed of himself that he hangs his hat on any tree that will bear fruit, regardless — a hypocrite of the first and worst order. Eva Hodgson will continue to despair as long as the blacks continue to be the architects of their own demise by not supporting their own.

We will only come together when human nature faces the truth about itself and decides to behave with decency, honour and respect. I have lived long enough to harbour cynicism so I do not hold my breath, but I do believe if some kind of sanity could prevail, tolerance, a kind of tolerance that would listen and consider another view point could one day take place. We must, if this lovely little island is to survive and flourish again.

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke

We are trying to learn

October 16, 2008

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me a moment of your time to vent. I am a student at the Clearwater Middle School, and across the street from my school the old US Base Hospital, Southside, St. David's is being demolished. The constant noise of the tractor crushing the stone of the building is very distracting to the teachers trying to teach and to the students who are trying to learn.

I know progress has to be made to make things better in Bermuda; but I would like to know why the management and staff of BLDC the owner of the property and the construction company demolishing the building did not have consideration and respect for the Bermudian students who want to get a good education; and did this job during the summer months when school was closed. Thank you very much we all cannot concentrate or focus on what we have to do.

A CONCERNED STUDENT

Hamilton Parish

Repave our city streets

October 22, 2008

Dear Sir,

Firstly, I would like to congratulate Works & Engineering for a job well done on the repaving of South Road from Point Finger Road through the lengths of Paget and Warwick. The road is now a pleasure to ride on after over a year of avoiding or trying to avoid all of the many potholes, bumps, lumps and crevasses.

My only question there is why did it take so long? Trenching, which caused a summer of delays and headaches for the road users, was done during the summer of 2007, so why did it take W&E an entire year to get around to repaving a well travelled main artery road to the West End?

Now, I would like to know when the streets of Hamilton will be repaved and who is responsible? The streets of our fine capital are an absolute nightmare to ride a bike on! They are full of mini craters (aka potholes), cracks, splits, grooves and bumps which hurt like the dickens when one's bike wheels are unfortunate enough to come in contact with them. What kind of welcome is this to Bermuda for the few visitors that we do get, when the streets of Hamilton are becoming increasingly like an obstacle course?

Why do we, the workers & taxpayers, who travel into Hamilton daily, have to suffer because whoever is responsible for paving the streets hasn't yet gotten off their duffs and done something about it!

Maybe if we all start sending our mechanics bills (for all of the adjustments that have to have done to the shocks of our bikes) and all of our chiropractors' bills (for all of the adjustments that have to be done to our backs), someone may get around to repaving the streets of Hamilton.

BERMUDIAN BIKE RIDER

City of Hamilton

Driving with Ms Daisy

October 19, 2008

Dear Sir,

A recent visit to your beautiful island provided us with an experience that we want to share.

It being our first visit to Bermuda, we decided to travel to St. George to see the historic sites and the topography. We visited St. Peter's Church and were pondering how to get to other sites. We asked a passing Bermudian the best way to accomplish this. She began to tell us, then shrugged and offered, if we trusted her, to take us personally. What a delightful experience!

She drove us not only to Fort St. Catherine's but also through narrow alleyways to have a close look at blooming passionflowers, the Unfinished Church, a local primary school, areas of new condo construction, and even an old restaurant with bottles in the window that have been there since her childhood.

She provided information about the local real estate market and a guided tour of the Fort, and she encouraged us to dig for sea glass over our objections that we might track sand into her car. She told us how to find the local needlework shop and a Salvation Army Store. (She also volunteers there.)

St. George's can be proud of its goodwill ambassador extraordinaire, Ms. Daisy Simmons. Her generosity, kindness, and sense of humor were a highlight of our trip. "Driving with Ms Daisy" was an experience we will both treasure for years to come.

On the public bus back to our hotel, we were also delighted to observe the manners of your schoolchildren and the pleasantness of the population in general.

Bermuda! What an incredible island!

JUDITH WILLIAMS

AND CHLOE HARRIMAN

Illinois and Florida

Whipped by the overseer

October 18, 2008

Dear Sir,

Racism without racism (RG October 16) was not surprisingly, of interest to me. Of particular relevance to black Bermudians – because we are a significant majority in Bermuda – is the comment that "(Blacks have their own unconscious biases, surprisingly often against Blacks as well). Not so surprising for those of us who are Black. Most of us are very familiar with the charge that many of us believe that "White ice is colder".

However, recently black Bermudians have had to face another reality and, ironically, it has been most blatantly demonstrated by the Premier's consultant on Race Relations!

Many may remember the Premier's dramatic press conference when we were all informed that the Premier's Race Relations Initiative would be localised and Bermudianised. We would do the work that Bernestine Singley's Straight Talk Organisation had been doing. After all the problem will never be solved unless we, as Bermudians, solve it. What actually has happened? The Consultant has continued to bring in very highly paid "foreign experts" once a month (which is not necessarily a bad thing since Bermudians are always more interested in listening to foreigners)

But what is significant is that these events were advertised in full page ads over several weeks and not once were the local BRRI sessions considered of sufficient value or significance to be given even a tiny advertisement, with the obvious consequence that they were considered to be of no importance or of any significance, except for a dedicated core of genuinely concerned black and white residents.

In addition the foreign facilitators of Straight Talk were given a contract which cost taxpayers in the neighborhood, more or less of $111,000 over a period of 11 months (or was it ten).

The Bermudian facilitators, often with more academic qualifications and certainly much wider or broader international experience, were denied a contract and then given, without any consultation, one 50th of what had been paid to the foreigner!

Bermudians, generally, are undisturbed by this disparity of value placed on black Bermudians versus black Americans which, of course, is the reason that it can happen – just as white racism could be practised unchallenged for so long. While black Bermudians can express concern about not" going back to the plantation", they often choose to ignore the fact that the whipping inflicted on black slaves was often done by blacks who were made overseers.

Few of us, as black Bermudians, are prepared to even acknowledge, much less address, this issue because it is easier and a lot more comfortable to address the racism of whites (or rant and rave about whites not turning up to something for Dame Lois').

But we are in the majority and the sting of the whip of the black overseer is even more brutal than that of the white slave master who, in our case, while still powerful, is old and weak and few in number.

It is fairly evident that some of those who "rant and rave" about white racism do so not because they themselves place any value on other black Bermudians. They are, in fact demanding that whites give a value to black Bermudians which they themselves do not give.

I do not pretend to have an answer but having publicly challenged the demeaning of blacks by whites throughout my life, I cannot remain silent when blacks are even more insulting and demeaning to other black Bermudians.

We, as blacks, are in the majority and we are determining the nature of our society.

EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl