Belco said yesterday just 130 homes were still without power, but a minor setback delayed work on them.

Two bucket trucks were out of service and being worked on and spokeswoman Linda Smith was hopeful they would be up back in service by last night.

Auto mechanics and others in Belco's garage have been as busy as the company's road crews - working through the night to maintain the fleet, Ms Smith said, adding: "They have done an excellent job."

For the east end of the Island Long Lane was expected to be complete by last night, Claredon and Verdmont had their progress affected yesterday with the loss of a bucket truck and it may not be completed until today, Trinity Church Road, Hidden Cove and My Lord's Bay were expected to be completed.

In the central parishes Bishop Spencer/ Perimeter Road, Between the Walls, Stovell Lane and Boundary Crescent were expected to be completed. Lover's Lane is completed while on Ess Hill trees were being trimmed and the area was hopefully going to be up by last night. On Whitney Avenue a pole is required and is planned for today.

In the western parishes they were also affected by the loss of a bucket truck and Lantana, Bridge Lane, Sunnyside Park, St. Anne's Road, Riddles Bay, School Lane, Lukes Pond were expected to be completed by last night.

The Dunscombe Road transformer work was complete while Sea Gardens, Keith Hall Road and Spring Benny Road were expected to have service last night. Spice Hill Road is expected to be on by today.

Be careful when you burn vegetation

Police are warning residents that it is an offence to burn vegetation or other debris in neighbourhoods where residents are adversely affected.

A spokesman said there had recently been a number of incidents of controlled burning around the Island following Hurricane Fabian and some residents had been inconvenienced by the smoke.

"This is an offence which is punishable under the law," said a Police spokesman. "Those members of the public who must continue controlled burning are asked to do so responsibly."

Some community education classes have been cancelled due to restoration work on the Causeway following the damage caused by Hurricane Fabian.

The Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport said yesterday while some classes were beginning as planned on Monday, some in the East End would not go ahead.

A statement read: "Many Clearwater classes have been cancelled due to the early closure and continued work on the Causeway, as well as the associated transportation concerns.

"If you are registered for a class in that area, please contact the St. George's office at 297-0007. Class refunds, credits and transfers will be processed accordingly.

Classes at Sandys, Spice Valley, CedarBridge, Berkeley and other satellite community schools are running as usual having started on Monday.

British Airways' schedule approaches normalcy

As progress on the airport's runway system continues British Airways was able to start scheduling their flights closer to the usual time.

"During the crisis, we have had to schedule our flights in order to ensure that the airport was completely clear of both passengers and employees by the 7.30 p.m. deadline," said Philip Troake, British Airways district manager.

"This ensures that there is no interference with night work on the damaged causeway. Now that night work is almost finished, we have been given the okay to bring out timings closer to normal. This will keep travel disruption to a minimum, whilst still ensuring that passengers are able to beat the causeway deadline."

Tomorrow the schedule is to stay the same for BA2233 that will depart London Gatwick at 12.15 p.m. and arrive in Bermuda at 3.45 p.m. BA2232 will depart for London at 6 p.m. and arrive at Gatwick at 4.40 a.m. Passengers are asked to check-in no later that 4.30 p.m.

But from September 27 to October 14 BA2233 will depart London Gatwick at 2.05 p.m. and arrive in Bermuda at 5.35. p.m. BA2232 will depart for London at 7.30 p.m. and arrive in Gatwick at 6.10 a.m. Passengers are asked to check-in no later than 6 p.m.

"We will keep these new times until October 14, even if the causeway is opened to 24 hour traffic at an earlier date. It's a real challenge to retime flights at short notice and we have great difficulty in ensuring that all passengers are advised. We prefer to err on the side of caution," Mr. Troake added.

CableVision making progress

More than 60 percent of homes now have CableVision restored after Hurricane Fabian, CableVision said yesterday.

Crews are concentrating on repairing the fibre-optic backbone in St. David's and St. George's, said company general manager Jeremy Elmas. "It will be the last part of the repair work on the fibre-optic backbone.

"Simultaneously we will have crews working around the Island to repair the breaks in the trunk and distribution lines that take cable service out to customers' homes.

"Now that the restoration to our fibre-optic backbone is almost complete and we have assessed where the breaks lie in our trunk and distribution lines, we ask customers to first check with their neighbours regarding their picture.

"If your household is the only one in your area without a picture, please call us on 292-5544. We would like to advise customers that as the cable boxes will have gone into 'hibernation mode' since they have been turned off for a week, customers may experience difficulty when they first turn their box back on.

"Please leave the box plugged in and wait for the clock to appear. We will keep you up to date on our restoration progress."

Thief hits A-1 MarketPlace

Burglars broke into the A-1 MarketPlace supermarket in Paget and stole liquor and cigarettes.

Police were told the thief broke in at about 1.50 a.m. yesterday and made off with 18 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes, two bottles of Hennessy cognac, four one-litre bottles of Gosling's Black Seal Rum, and eight one-litre bottles of Bacardi rum.

Inquiries into the incident are underway and anyone with information should call Police on 295-0011.

A 36-year-old man is to go on trial after pleading not guilty to unlawful assault yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

Edwin Eric Armstrong, of Broken Hill Road, Harrington Sound, Smith's, denied assaulting Alonzo Leroy Landy on July 16 this year in Devonshire.

The matter was adjourned for trial in Magistrates' Court on October 31.

A man who tried to avoid paying for a $29.50 prime rib dinner was instead fined ten times the amount in Magistrates' Court last week.

And Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves drove the point home by giving Milford D. Waldron 29 minutes to pay or spend 29 days in jail.

Crown counsel Koshea Scott told the court that on August 18, Waldron, 37, of Sandys went to the Hog Penny Restaurant on Burnaby Street and ordered a prime rib dinner with mixed vegetables and french fries.

Once finished, the waiter brought the man the cheque in a leather folder.

Waldron twice tried to walk out without paying the bill and on the second attempt he walked briskly down the hill toward Front Street.

The manager of the restaurant chased the defendant until he finally was able to detain the man on the corner of Reid and Court Streets.

In court, Waldron told Mr. Greaves that excessive alcohol was to blame for him not paying the bill, an act he said was out of character for him.

Churchill Conference lectures open to all

All academic sessions at the 20th International Churchill Conference will be open to the public free of charge.

The conference, "Summitry and the Special Relationship", commemorates the 50th anniversary of the historic 1953 Bermuda Summit attended by the British Prime Minster, Sir Winston Churchill, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and French Prime Minister Joseph Laniel.

It will be held at the Hamilton Princess Hotel November 6-8 and sponsorship by XL Capital and Axis Capital Holdings has allowed the admission charge to the sessions to be waived.

At a banquet on the Friday night of the conference, The Right Honourable The Lord Michael Heseltine, defence secretary in Margaret Thatcher's Government, will be presented an honorary membership in The Churchill Centre by Dame Mary, The Lady Soames, Churchill's youngest daughter, who personally met many wartime and post-war world leaders as an aide to her father.

The keynote address on the 1953 Bermuda Summit, held to discuss the international tensions of the Cold War, will be given at the Saturday lunch at the Mid-Ocean club by Sir Martin Gilbert, one of Britain's most distinguished modern historians and Churchill's official biographer.

BHC related civil appeal delayed

An appeal in a civil case between sacked Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) property officer Terrence Smith and carpenter Steven Barbosa was adjourned at Supreme Court yesterday after Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade-Miller declared a conflict of interest due to a personal knowledge of one of the parties.

Premier to re-open Natural History Museum

Premier Alex Scott will this week re-open the Natural History Museum at Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ).

Tomorrow night, the museum will be re-opened after undergoing renovation since the start of the year. Former Government conservation officer Dr. David Wingate will speak about the importance of preserving Bermuda's natural history at the special opening, and the Bermuda Strollers will provide the entertainment to invited guests.

BAMZ spokeswoman Lynda Johnson said the museum would incorporate a mix of traditional and contemporary exhibit techniques and she said it was sure to become a wonderful resource for the Island's students and teachers.

She said, ultimately, BAMZ hoped the new museum would inspire appreciation and care for Bermuda's fragile environment and empower children to make a positive contribution to the conservation of the Island's heritage. However, the open house celebrations planned for this Saturday and Sunday have been postponed until October 11 and 12 due to problems caused by Hurricane Fabian.

Everyone in the community will then be invited to see the new exhibit free of charge. Local food will also be on offer, along with crafts for children, animal encounters and demonstrations from craftspeople.