the Island from LaGuardia Airport after all should be welcomed.

US Airways announced late last year that it was dropping the flight. TWA, which had already announced a new flight from St. Louis, said it would fill the gap and is set to introduce a summer flight on the route.

Then on Monday, US Airways, which cancelled the flight because of poor passenger loads and a shortage of aircraft, said it would be continuing with the flight after all.

US Airways says it is getting back on the route, not for competitive reasons, but because an aircraft has become available.

Regardless, this shows the benefits of competition. Bermuda now has two flights to the Island from one of its key markets and this can only benefit the tourism industry. And it may be that fares from the US -- one of the major stumbling blocks to a healthy tourism industry -- will now fall as well.

It would be to Bermuda's benefit if it could offer lower prices at this end as well; this is a great opportunity for the Island to regain some ground for its key industry which should not be missed.

A FINE EXAMPLE EDT A fine example A great deal of time and verbiage is used up bemoaning the problems facing the Island's black men -- sometimes to the point where it would appear that failure is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As with many problems in Bermuda, the number of young black men who do get into trouble is, in reality, far lower than the number who are out working hard and getting ahead in life.

Nonetheless, as it is with the "the youth'', problem, it's always a few people who give the rest a bad name.

But while others stand around wringing their hands, there are groups throughout the community who are quietly tackling the problem head-on in grassroots attempts to give young men discipline and a sense of purpose.

One such group is the Strong Men's Club, which was featured in last Saturday's Young Observer section.

The brainchild of physical education teachers Garry Rivers, the group gets teenagers involved in community service through weightlifting. But it uses weights as the hook to encourage its members to do community service and to go to church.

This kind of closely focused grassroots activity, which does not require a vast bureaucracy or huge amounts of money, is exactly what the Island needs to get young people involved and to help them to lead fruitful and successful lives.