Parking lot questions

January 16, 2009

Dear Sir,

I have two questions for Dr. Brown after watching the televised "grand" opening of the new parking lot for the US Consulate:

1. If Mr. Slayton, a Republican, voted for McCain in the last US presidential election, does he fall into the same racist category that you accused me of being in if I had the opportunity to vote?

2. How does Minister Burgess find the time to attend the opening of a parking lot but not to attend or answer questions from the media at a site meeting at the new court/police building that he organised?

RFK

Smith's

Put out by road race

January 14, 2009

Dear Sir,

Here we go again —

Referring to Sunday morning's road racing. It's like participating in a 'Scavenger Hunt' to get to church in Hamilton.

Why can't the organisers or whoever the powers may be, schedule these events for early afternoon?

This would leave the mornings free for Church attendance.

Sounds like a voice crying in the wilderness.

CHURCH GOER

Warwick

Bye bye BBC

January 20, 2009

Dear Sir,

I continue to marvel at the logic in BBC Boss Bill Craig's arguments. He seems to think he has a product that people want to buy and he can sell.

Comparing what we can watch on ZBM and ZFB to programming on ESPN and HBO is almost laughable. Maybe I missed something but is he suggesting that if I'm willing to pay for ESPN, I should be willing to pay for ZBM? By that I mean that CableVision should pay and pass on the cost to the viewer.

BBC has nothing to offer Bermuda except local programming in the form of a 22-minute amateur production every night. I'm a born Bermudian and have been watching ZBM since 1958 (I think !). There was a time when the news was produced somewhat professionally but that may have been because there were few alternatives back then. Today, even VSB produces a news programme which makes BBC's production look like a joke. We have a daily newspaper, two weekend papers, another private station and the Government channel – tell me, Mr Craig why do we need (much less want) to pay for your programming ?

Now, if your argument is that you hold the rights to all CBS and ABC programming, then you have a point but Mr Craig, since you talk about polling all the time, I dare you to poll the public and ask if they'd prefer a similar feed from a US ABC and CBS affiliate as we have with WHDH in Boston for NBC. I can tell you I thank the good Lord for that station every night ! And I know how that poll will turn out.

Finally, although I only watch CITV on very odd occasions, I notice that the picture comes over very clearly. I've never understood why ZBM's signal looks like it's coming from Zimbabwe but may I suggest that CITV do a local news programme and maybe pick up a US network franchise ? Problem solved ... bye, bye BBC.

JUNIOR CLUB ALUMNI

Southampton

P.s. I will genuinely miss Oprah

Height of silliness

January 21, 2009

Dear Sir,

Congratulations to the CEO of Bermuda Broadcasting Company for waving a red rag to a bull (Cablevision) even after losing his legal battle in the Supreme Court!

BBC has benefited for years from having Cablevision broadcast channels 7 and 9 for free – as Cablevision continues to do for VSB.

For Mr. Craig to accuse Cablevision of "silliness" in his letter to the editor on January 20 was the height of silliness! BBC presumably generates most, if not all, of its television revenue from advertising on its two TV stations, none of which is collected by CableVision.

As a satisfied CableVision customer I will now turn to VSB channel 11 for local news, watch the great variety of programming on my Cablevision package, and will take a lot or persuading to go back to BBC channels when they eventually come to their senses.

COMMON SENSE CABLEVISION FAN

Smith's

Obama not PLP

January 21, 2009

Dear Sir,

Rolfe Commissiong in his recent column published in the Bermuda Sun dared to expound upon yet another speculation about how whites might (would) vote, by his suggestion that Barack Obama would not have been able to win the seat if he were the PLP candidate in Paget West.

I think that the PLP (speculative voter analysts) are missing an important point when focusing on the voting public's preference regarding Obama's potential to be a saving grace for the PLP, or not.

If the PLP looked at the essence of what the issue is (i.e. not skin colour), they would realise their speculation is really a non-issue (aka nonsense). If I may be so bold as to match their speculation…I doubt very strongly that Barack Obama, being the man of integrity that he is, would ever consider aligning himself with the PLP in the first place.

So, thankfully, I (as a "black" Bermudian) would not even need to consider changing my vote to that party.

I hope this can put an end to the PLP's continued use of excuses about the "white" voter inclinations to justify their inability to get some people to embrace their (PLP) leadership.

S. SMITH

Smith's

Looking for Norman Ray

January 22, 2009,

Dear Editor,

I am trying to trace Norman Chris Ray (dob 12.12.1918). From my research it would seem he was married to Pearl Betty Ray and they had a son, Kenneth Gordon Ray (dob 29.07.1939). Norman also had a brother, Percival Louis Ray.

If anyone has any information about the family and their present whereabouts I would be very grateful to hear from them.

My contact details are Juliet Kingsford, 2 Culverhayes Road, Wimborne, Dorset, UK, BH21 1EZ. Telephone +447868492798 or +441202840260, or e-mail to juliet.kingsford@googlemail.com">juliet.kingsford@googlemail.com.

Thank you,

JULIET KINGSFORD,

Dorset, UK

Why mess with beach?

January 16, 2009

Dear Sir,

I thought it was a joke – a beach bar at Warwick Long Bay.

Now I read that it's a done deal. The unspoiled beauty of Bermuda's beaches is the biggest reason I have been coming back for the last 38 years. Why would anyone need to mess up a beautiful beach? If I wanted the extra people, noise and rubbish I could go to Coney Island (NYC).

I remember when Church Bay was quiet and uncluttered. I'm not the first to say it, but Bermuda has lost much of its charm and it seems to be getting worse.

I guess that's a negative point for having a good memory.

RON LACEY

Massapequa, New York

Wasting our money

January 7, 2009

Dear Sir,

I think it is an excellent idea to have an independent inspector come to Bermuda to give his expert opinion on controversial developments. However, as long as the minister of the environment has the power to overrule these decisions (and this seems to happen fairly frequently), then it is a waste of taxpayers money.

As an example, in this last case at Warwick Long Bay, the new Environment Minister had hardly warmed his seat, when he made his controversial overrule of the inspector and the D.A.B. Where does he get this "superior" knowledge?

A. SMITH

Paget

Don't make beach mistake

January 15, 2009

Dear Sir,

Over the many years of driving along South Shore, going west, I have come around the corner by the Warwick Long Bay playground, and seen tourists (and residents too) pulled into the lay-by taking photos of Warwick Long Bay, and just admiring the view of our lovely unspoilt beaches, surf, waves pounding on the rugged rocks, all there to be SEEN.

We can learn a lot from the Cayman Islands. By comparison, 7 Mile Beach in Cayman cannot be seen anymore at all from the road! We were in Cayman some 30 years ago, and there was but one hotel on the beach. The beach was beautiful! You could see it and the bay from the road! Now all you see from that same road are hotels. They could have been built across the road, so the beach would be enjoyed by all. I have had countless visitors tell me "how smart Bermuda is not to develop along South Shore beaches!" Let's take a lesson from Cayman and let's not put that a concession on Warwick Long Bay. We don't want to look like Cayman!

Cayman does so many things well, however, and some better than us! Most notably are race relations! We were there last year, and I asked several people, black and white and mixed, what the ratio of black and white was in Cayman. They looked at me as though I had two heads! "We don't know here, we don't count, and we don't care"! Such a great attitude! We have a lot to learn from them on this issue. And we can learn from the disaster of 7 Mile Beach not to allow that to happen to our unspoilt places.

Our National Parks must be protected from development. They are for all the people of Bermuda and our visitors to enjoy unspoilt. We already have a concession on Horseshoe Bay where people can go for food and drink. There are other places all around Bermuda with food and drink on the beach. Save Warwick Long Bay as it is for all to see unspoilt. THAT would be the smart thing to do!

PEGGY COUPER

Pembroke