Paris to Miami plane diverts with sick traveller

The airport dealt with its second medical diversion in a week yesterday when a flight bound for Miami stopped off at the Island after a 70-year-old man suffered a heart attack.

The American Airlines Boeing 767 from Paris touched down at 1.30 p.m. and ambulance staff stabilised the man before transporting him and his family to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The flight took off again at 2.35 p.m after refuelling.

On Tuesday, an Air Jamaica flight from New York to Grenada diverted to Bermuda after an air hostess became seriously ill.

Airport General Manager James Howes said yesterday that a female passenger onboard the Air Jamaica flight suffered heart palpitations while the plane was on the runway and she, too, was taken to hospital.

Civilian prison staff dispute in mediation

Representatives of the Bermuda Public Services Union, Prisons Commissioner John Prescod and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs sat down for talks yesterday after the union issued a 21-day strike notice.

The parties agreed to go into mediation although the strike notice has been withdrawn. It is understood the concerns are based around the failure to implement a series of directives that have come from the Commissioner.

Unlike in the ongoing dispute between the Prison Officers? Association and the Ministry, it is not Mr. Prescod who is being blamed for the problems but junior management. Home Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Robert Horton was not available for comment yesterday.

The POA went on strike earlier this year in an attempt to oust Mr. Prescod and continued to have grave concerns about the Department of Correction?s administration.

Newest ferries to be named today

The final names for the new fast ferries will be revealed today during a ceremony at City Hall.

An Islandwide competition was conducted with 3,400 entering to name the two new Sea Express foil-catamaran ferries.

Thirty finalists were selected and the two final names will be drawn by Transport Minister Ewart Brown.

The boats are scheduled for delivery next Spring and can travel up to speeds of 32 knots and comfortably seats 177 passengers on each boat with a maximum capacity of 200. The ceremony will begin today at 1 p.m.

DAB reject Aunt Nea?s Inn renovations

Former Politician Delaey Robinson?s plans to renovate Aunt Nea?s Inn have been rebuffed by the Development Applications Board.

The DAB said renovation plans would have a negative impact on its historic value.

?The scale will also have a negative effect on the surrounding area and the materials chosen are not compatible with a historic building,? the board said.

The building?s scale would also interfere with the privacy of two adjoining properties, the DAB said.

?The development has the ability to be redesigned in such a way as to minimise the impact on the surrounding area and to the historic building. The proposed scale and massing of this historic building is not keeping with traditional forms of development.

The proposal does not enhance the appearance of the area, as it will dominate the corner of three streets within the World Heritage site.?

Also in St. George?s, the Bank of Butterfield branch there has been given planning approval for renovations, manager Alvin Daniels said.

?Due to the fact that the St. George?s branch is a historical building we have ensured that the renovations will respect the buildings historic significance,? said Mr. Daniels.

Improvements will include an indoor ATM vestibule and major changes to the interior.

The branch was given approval by the Development Applications Board last week.

Cambridge Beaches seeks beachside bar

Cambridge Beaches is planning a major winter renovation programme that could see individual plunge pools in cottages and a new beachside bar.

Eight cottages will have their bathrooms stripped out and extended with marble throughout, with whirlpool tubs, large separate showers, and double sinks.

The upmarket Sandys resort has also applied to have individual plunge pools at the cottages but has still to decide whether the install them.

Cambridge Beaches, which has spent about $30 million in improvements in the past ten years, has also applied for planning permission to build a bar next to its new beachfront restaurant.

?We have invested enormously over the years to ensure we can provide facilities that compete with the best in the world,? said Cambridge Beaches president Michael Winfield.

Masterworks expansion approved

Masterworks Foundation has received approval by the Development Applications Board to renovate Arrowroot Factory in the Botanical Gardens.

The final plans were approved last Wednesday. A ?state of the art? museum will be opened to the public by the end of 2005, said the assistant director of the Masterworks Foundation, Elise Outerbridge.

Ms Outerbridge told : ?We plan on changing the old fern garden into a gallery which will exhibit foreign and Bermudian artists.

Hamilton to get phones for the death

Public telephones for the deaf and hard of hearing will be available beginning in January.

Two TTY/TDD(Telecommunications device for the deaf) units will be installed in the City of Hamilton. Each will attach to the bottom of a public phone and a keyboard and screen will be exposed when a TTY number is used.

The Bank of Butterfield Employee Shared Trust (BEST) has donated $4,011.98 to the Bermuda Islands Association of the Deaf, according to a press release.

The funds will be used for the purchase and shipping of the TTY/TDD phones.

The telephones will enable the hearing impaired to effectively communicate by telephone, especially in the case of an emergency.