When the new St. George?s Seniors? Rest Home opens it is set to bear the name of a person who has ?given much to the country? as part of a process of recognising Bermudians who have played a significant role in the Island?s development.

The name of the person to be honoured will be made public shortly and is one of the first to be put forward by a new committee created to oversee the naming and re-naming of public properties to honour local heroes.

In an end-of-term update on the work of the Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport, Minister Dale Butler gave some details of the honours and how the decision process will work.

Mr. Butler revealed the work of the Recognition Committee, which is chaired by Nelson Bascome MP, and said: ?The committee, who have been tasked with consulting widely within the community on all nominations they receive, will forward their recommendations to me and I will in turn bring their recommendations before Cabinet.

?Copies of the recognition nomination form will soon be available for the public to use so they may nominate those persons that they believe have given much for our country and who should be so honoured.?

The recognising and celebrating of local heroes is just one of the initiatives Mr. Butler?s Ministry is currently involved with, and as he addressed fellow MPs last Friday he listed others which include the compiling and publishing of a national poetry anthology following a visit by Professor Mervyn Morris who held workshops with Island poets and will edit the anthology.

An Internet website is soon to go live that will be a central point for musicians, artists and entertainers to find out about events and venues where they can play and to register on to a database that will allow entertainment event organisers to contact them and book them.

It is also a portal for the public to see what entertainment events are happening throughout the year.

Stuart Haywood has been overseeing the Musicians in Entertainment Industry Implementation Project and the task force has created the Bermuda Entertainment Resource Directory website at www.BERD.bm, due to go live in mid-July.

Running through a number of other initiatives Mr. Butler said the Historical Heart Beats Lecture Series was continuing to provide insights into the Island?s past.

He said that while Bermuda had not won the right to host the 2011 Island Games, it was the intention to bid for the 2013 Games.

Providing sporting and cultural opportunities for youngsters was also a priority and this year?s Summer Day Camp theme is ?A Sporty Bermuda,? said the Minister. The Ministry provides camping experiences for youngsters through the summer.

Speaking about the day camps, he said: ?Each camp has been given a sport in which artwork and open house performances will be based on activities, which include sports, dance, art and music.

?There are also popular events such as mini-Cup Match, Camp-A-Rama, Seniors? Tea, and the Darrell?s Island family picnic.?

Grants have been given to a number of organisations and groups, including sponsorship of the Bermuda Football Association?s Schoolboys? Programme.

On the topic of literacy Mr. Butler said a Literacy Awards Committee had been set up and would announce awards in October, while staff at the Adult Library are looking into the possibility of transferring 1,000 reels of newspapers on microfilm into searchable and readable computerised PDF files in order to make it easier for students and researchers to access information.

Ongoing issues that have still to be completed include constructing the Centre Core of the National Centre, a Working Mens? Clubs report by Rolfe Commissiong and a report on women in sport in Bermuda.

And Mr. Butler rounded off his summary by mentioning that five students from the Island had attended the World Scholar Athletes Games at the University of Rhode Island. Minister of Home Affairs Randy Horton had accompanied the party and was a guest speaker at the event alongside former US President Bill Clinton.