Hotels honoured for apprenticeship programme

Three hotels were honoured for their participation in the Culinary Apprenticeship programme ? which is designed to give young people experience in the hospitality industry.

?The Fairmont Hamilton Princess, the Sonesta Beach Hotel and the Elbow Beach Hotel have all provided valuable internship opportunities for the College?s students, enabling them to gain practical experience in the various areas of the hospitality industry and enhancing their employment prospects,? said hospitality chairwoman Barbara O?Shaughnessy.

The three major hotels were honoured by the Bermuda College Hospitality Division along with Island restaurants that have also helped to support the Culinary Apprenticeship programme.

Local restaurants that were singled out were Aqua Restaurant, Cambridge Beaches, the San Giorgio Restaurant and the Lemon Tree Restaurant as six apprentices are currently working and training at these restaurants.

With the completion of theory and practical testing from the Federation of Dining Room Professionals in conjunction with the Bermuda College, six students in the waiter certification course received their Associate Dining Room Professional certificates.

Nomination time for VIP awards

Nominations open this month for the annual BELCO Visitor Industry Partnership (VIP) Excellence Awards which recognise hospitality staff that have given outstanding service in the past year.

This year's annual presentation dinner will be switched to the Fairmont Hamilton Hotel because the Fairmont Southampton will be closed for repairs due to Hurricane Fabian.

VIP executive director Stacey Evans said last night: "The phone has been ringing off the hook this last month with people wanting to know when the nomination forms would be out this year. Nomination forms will appear in The Royal Gazette from Friday and the deadline for submissions is December 5.

The awards will be given out on on March 4.

Opinions split on Morgan?s Point

Opinions are split on the best use for the former US Naval Annex in Southampton, according to a online poll.

Works and Engineering Minister Terry Lister announced ten days ago that plans to use Morgan?s Point as a tourist resort were likely to be shelved and replaced with housing.

But the poll on www.theroyalgazette.bm which ended last Thursday showed that the respondents are broadly divided between three options presented to them.

Of the 676 people who responded to the poll, 35.1 percent supported Mr. Lister?s idea for a new village on the site compared to 31.7 percent who wanted a park/marina. And just 25.1 percent backed a new tourist resort. Those answering ?don?t know? constituted 8.1 percent of respondents.

Visit our website at www.theroyalgazette.com for the latest poll: ?Should the Bank of Bermuda be sold to HSBC Plc.??

More than 70 percent of respondents to a online poll believe there should be an inquiry into the death of prison inmate Steven (Pepe) Dill.

Of the 835 people who responded to the question ?Should there be an inquiry into the prison death of Steven (Pepe) Dill??, 70.7 percent said ?yes?, 16.5 percent said ?no? and 12.8 percent said they did not care.

A coroner?s jury ruled last month that Mr. Dill, an inmate at the Prison Farm, died in 2001 of the absence of timely medical intervention for bronchial asthma, which was possibly exacerbated by poly drug abuse.

Mr. Dill?s family has since said it plans to sue Government over Mr. Dill?s death.

Home Affairs Minister Randolph Horton has said that a decision on an inquiry into the Prisons Service?s handling of the incident will be taken after Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser decides if any criminal prosecutions will be undertaken.

Bus terminal project gets delayed

Reconstruction of the bus terminal on Washington Street in Hamilton will not happen until next year.

Plans submitted to the Development Applications Board by the Public Transportation Board have received final approval but a Government spokesperson said: ?There will be no ground breaking until well into the new year. Hurricane Fabian set the time frame back so the PTB is still in the consultation and planning stages.?

Reconstruction at the Washington Street depot will include better lighting and signage.

Police issue seat belt warning

With less than two months to go before the new seat belt law comes into affect Police are reporting many children are still not in appropriate seats while travelling. The Police reminded the public that in order to comply with the law, which comes into affect on January 1, that:

All front seat passengers and drivers are required to wear a seat belt.

Infants under 20 pounds must ride in a rear facing infant seat or convertible seat.

Children over the age of one and weighing between 20 and 40 pounds must be secured in a forward facing convertible seat suitable for their age.

Children between 40 and 80 pounds must be secured in an appropriately sized booster seat, which will ensure the seat belts fits properly.

All children under one must ride in rear facing safety seats.

All children under 12 must be in the back seat.

BBC back to normal after Fabian

Pre-Hurricane Fabian schedules are now back in operation on Bermuda Broadcasting Company?s airwaves.

Darlene Ming, programming director at BBC confirmed that as of 4 p.m. on Monday both the 1340 AM and 89 FM stations were both fully operational.

Damaged caused on September 5 by Hurricane Fabian had caused many problems with some equipment and, as a result, 1340 AM had been temporarily lost. So, some of the show?s contents, including the Everest DeCosta show and Talk Radio, had been moved to 89 FM.

But with the equipment now repaired, all the AM programming is now back on AM with 89 FM returning to its normal format of easy listening and breakfast show.

Police want their cones back

Police are launching a crackdown on cone thieves. Since Hurricane Fabian, hundreds of cones have been placed around the Island, but Police now believe they are being stolen. Anyone who has stolen or found cones is asked to hand them into their nearest Police station or call Com/Ops on 295 0011.

And Police have shuffled around three superintendents to new responsibilities. Superintendent Sinclair White is now responsible for the Crime Support Division; Supt Randolph Liverpool takes charge of Intelligence; and Supt Roseanda Jones is in charge of Operational Policing.