Dear Sir,

On November 5, The Royal Gazette featured a piece by Owain Johnston-Barnes concerning Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce’s wish for the Throne Speech.

The article states that BEST can support the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s development focus being unleashed on five public beaches, provided that the pristine status of the rest is retained.

“However, we have observed extensions beyond these, which has caused us concern — noticeably at Admiralty House Park where locals, toddlers to adults have been nudged aside.”

We would very much like BEST to explain this comment, as we have been at Admiralty Cove operating on the waters a licensed water taxi, kayak, zayak — looking glass — as well as two water seesaws and a hammock over the water and Bermudian-made bamboo rafts.

Our group has raked daily the beach and grass area to a never-before pristine condition with our own resources. All visitors to Admiralty Cove shared words of encouragement, saying that nowhere else in Bermuda can people go and do fun water things as they do at Admiralty House, and how Admiralty House is so much better now.

Do you have any noticeable concerns at Deep Bay, where we watch as boatloads of visitors are being taken daily while we have mostly locals and a hand half-full of visitors? We have the same kayaks. Is something going on here?

We are a group of separate entrepreneurs, all Bermudian, trying to get ahead in life as well as offering a service to locals and visitors, and bringing much needed visitor dollars into Bermuda to stay.

We need these jobs, but as the Reverend Jessie Jackson said, we have increased crime, increased guns and decreased jobs. Please don’t put us down before we can get on our feet.

Contact any of us — Dawn Smith, Caffee Seymour, Meredith Stapff — at 336-7001. We would like to be at Admiralty Cove next year.

MEREDITH STAPFF