Critic doesn?t get it

December 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

I particularly enjoyed Mr. Trimingham?s eye catching headline ?It?s trash, it?s ugly and it gets in the way? recent review on The Bermuda Society of Arts current 3-D Members Show. The headline immediately draws the reader into the review urgently seeking what could possible be so horrific as to be cast into the hideous flames known as (gasp) contemporary art? Just that, contemporary art, which unfortunately the critic just doesn?t get nor appreciates.

Appreciation of the mental discovery an artist first interprets for himself, then the translation of those thoughts, images or purpose for us the viewer to behold and contemplate. Regardless of what we think or the critic, this process of discovery and translation should be encouraged and hopefully not torn down with a litany of headline catching words. But as the old saying goes, bad press is better than no press, just as long as you spell our name correctly!

No dancing around issue

December 9, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am writing with regard to the Letter to the Editor sent by Ms Suzette Harvey on December 6, 2007 in which she associates the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda with charges of racism, saying that she has been deliberately overlooked regarding membership on the Board of the Foundation and, by implication, deliberately not invited to events organised by the Foundation, on the basis of race. As someone who has been working closely with the National Dance Foundation for the past two years, and as someone who has been involved in trying to convince Ms Harvey to join the Foundation?s Board, I thought it might be helpful to have another perspective. I have been working with the Board of the Foundation since June 2004, providing consulting services following the unexpected departure of a staff member who had been hired as Executive Director.

During that time, the Foundation?s Board had reviewed its list of directors and, noting that Ms Harvey?s school and company were not represented, asked whether recent overtures had been made to invite her to join as a Director. Since assuming the role of chairman, it has been the objective of chairman Don Kramer to build an inclusive and diverse Board of Directors. While there were records of a verbal invitation having been extended to Ms Harvey earlier in 2004, when I contacted her, she told me she had no recollection of this. To make sure there was no mistake about chairman Don Kramer?s desire to include Ms Harvey in the activities of the Foundation, I hand-delivered a written invitation from Mr. Kramer to Ms Harvey on June 7, 2004.

Mr. Kramer and I also met with Ms Harvey, Mr. John Harvey in his capacity of chairman of the board of Bermuda Dance Company, Mr. Gary Phillips, deputy chairman of the board, and Ms Debra DeSilva, Ms Harvey?s school administrator, to explain the mission of the Foundation and its plans for offering world-class training to Bermuda?s dance community. Mr. Kramer expressed his sincere hope that Ms Harvey would seriously consider joining the Board. Ms Harvey is a talented visionary whose passion for and commitment to the development of dance in Bermuda is unmistakable. Mr. Kramer subsequently received a letter from Mr. Harvey, dated July 14, and from Ms Harvey, dated July 15. I attach both letters here. The reason giving for declining the invitation was that UDP?s Board didn?t want to divert their energy and time from developing their school, noting that this would require their undivided attention.

The Foundation continued to keep Ms Harvey and Ms DeSilva apprised of developments and continued to extend an invitation to her to join, if not the Board, then the Foundation?s Dance Committee. Until very recently, she has been copied on all communication sent to this committee. We have also invited Ms Harvey to the annual black-tie gala that the Foundation hosts in February to raise funds for DanceBermuda. In 2005 and 2006, three complimentary tickets, valued at $750, were provided to each dance school to attend this event and United Dance Productions (UDP) was included in this distribution.

In January of this year, the head of the Foundation?s Dance Committee, Mary Faulkenberry, met with Ms DeSilva to go over all activities of the Foundation and to determine the best way to keep UDP and the Bermuda Dance Company in the loop. In the meantime, students of Ms Harvey?s school have open access to the Foundation?s training programmes, Many have participated in the free master classes that have been offered by the Foundation, and Sierra-Renae Robinson, who trains at United Dance Productions, was the first-ever recipient of the L. John Profit Commemorative Award, which is supporting Miss Robinson in her studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Every effort has been made to include Ms Harvey in the activities of the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda.

Given her complete and utter dedication to dance, her lack of responsiveness to repeated overtures seems to be rooted in a perceived slight that no amount of invitations have been able to overcome. The National Dance Foundation of Bermuda is committed to raising the standard of dance excellence in Bermuda by providing world-class training to Bermuda?s talented dancers, teachers and choreographers. In the past year, almost 300 talented dancers and teachers have participated in our programmes. In less than two years, $150,000 has been distributed amongst dancers representing all five dance schools. The opportunities that are being offered to the dance community are unprecedented, and I truly regret that Ms Harvey has chosen a path of public confrontation and accusation, to the detriment of the truth and future attempts to forge a positive relationship.

Disgust for cycle rider

December 11, 2006

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me space in your newspaper to congratulate the driver of a bronze Honda CRV for driving so responsibly this morning heading west on Middle Road in Paget by Bostock Hill (approx. 8.45 a.m.). It was wholly opposite to the way that the operator of the Honda Scoopy 125 chose to treat Bermuda?s roads and other road users at that same instant. I could not believe my eyes as this bike roared past the traffic heading east at least four feet over into the other lane and to my horror take a mostly blind corner at a speed much too fast for an empty Bermuda road, let alone Middle Road in morning traffic! It is only by the grace of God that the woman driving the CRV was not driving in the same manner as the Honda motorcycle, for if this woman had been driving as recklessly as the motorcycle, well, we are all too familiar with what happens when bikes going too fast collide with large objects heading the other way!

What bothers me more, Mr. Editor, is that someone should think so little of themselves as to put themselves at such risk on the roads with so many serious accidents and fatalities permeating the news. However, to be riding in such a manner with a young girl (so young in fact that her legs could not even reach the foot rests) on the back of the bike, speaks only of how selfish and irresponsible this person must be to put an innocent at such a risk. I?m sorry that the rider has such low self respect and perhaps they may have a ?good? reason for riding in such a manner, but I cannot feel anything but disgust for the rider who put that little girl in such danger!

Won?t be deceived

December 12, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am writing regarding the recent antics of Bermuda?s new Premier. To say that he is an embarrassment is an understatement. I am referring not only to the racial outbursts in the House of Assembly, but to his rude and insulting performance in London recently. The previous Government, for years fought to become a self governing colony, setting itself apart from the other Overseas Territories, only to have Mr. ?P? try to throw it all out the window on his first visit to London, after his election. Under our constitution, the UK Government has always had responsibility for the Police, but with the agreement of the Bermuda Government, they delegated the responsibility to them, something that we have always cherished, in being a self governing colony.

From the recent outbursts from Mr. ?P? and the Colonel, I guess just confirms that for the last seven years, they have failed miserably in policing this island, like lots of things, and now want to try and blame it on the UK Government. Quite frankly, we all know that this is one of many steps being taken by Mr. ?P? (the Great Deceiver) to convince us of the merits of Independence, despite being told it was on the back burner. He is not going to deceive me at the polls next time.

End abuse of roads

December 11, 20006

Dear Sir,

Here it is, December 11, and the abuse on the roads is just as bad as it has been for the past 20 years or more. On a short run from St. John?s Road to Miles and back we encountered several ?near misses? ? two with vehicles pulling out without looking, at least three with bikes squeezing between cars travelling in both directions, and of course, at high speed, and a truck cutting in front of us at an intersection.

Now we know that we have had a number of so-called clampdowns in the past, and in each case they have lasted a couple of days, then things go back to ?normal?, but this time under the new regime of supposedly ?getting things done? we expected the clampdown to last just a little bit longer. Do you think we can squeeze in another road death before the end of the year?

Congestion hints

December 7, 2006

Dear Sir,

Traffic congestion suggestions: When private schools have holidays and public schools are still open, one can experience greatly improved traffic flow. The travelling time from Paget to Berkeley Institute is then almost cut by half. This leads me to think: Why not let public schools start and finish at least one hour apart from private schools. That would ease all daily congestion going to Hamilton. Furthermore: Government offices, banks and exempted companies should give their employees, who are not serving the public directly, the opportunity to work different hours then from 9 to 5. I bet we all would see an improvement on the road!

Who?s to blame?

December 11, 2006

Dear Sir,

If only the Bermuda National Cricket team could move as fast as all those people fleeing the ?Tidal Wave?. Should be interesting to hear how Captain Cornel General Major Burch blames this fiasco on the UBP, the Governor and the UK.

Are race relations phoney

November 28, 2006

Dear Sir,

In today Dr. Brown is quoted as saying that in Bermuda blacks and whites have a phoney relationship. Could he be judging others according to his own standards? I would hate to think that my black friends considered our relationship phoney.

Story missed the mark

December 15, 2006

Dear Sir,

As a parent at Sandys Secondary Middle School, I was very disappointed with your article that appeared in today?s . Here we have a school who is presenting certificates to their students for high achievement and you buried this fact at the end of your article on Page 7, 150 of the 227 students being high achievers. There was so much positive that could have been focused on but yet you chose not to highlight them; 90 percent of the M1 students are high achievers, the fact that the main participants during the assembly were male honour roll students, that a high percentage of the recipients were male, the M3 Principal?s List students were male.

Dr. Brown spoke to young people about being positive. When will our public school system be given their accolades when we do well. I really thought today?s headline would have rather read ?Middle School Celebrates High Academic Achievement?. You needed to put the end of your article first. Yesterday?s assembly actually contradicts your headlines. Ninety percent of the M1 students your newspaper really needs to highlight some positives, not bury them.

In the normal course of events, the students at Sandys Secondary Middle School?s accomplishments would have received greater prominence. However, when the Premier of the Country admits that the Island?s education system overall is broken, that is information that the entire Island needs to know, hence his comments had to be given more prominence.

A note of thanks

December 5, 2006

Dear Sir,

I would first like to thank you for the very lovely write-up on page 2 of the 29th August 2006 edition of . Secondly, I would like, through your ?Letters to the Editor? column, to thank my family, friends (old, young and new) on the great response that I have received on their publishing of my book ?As You Were?. the book records my time in the Services, the B.V.R.C., the B.V.E.?s and the three plus years with the Royal Navy from April 1939 to March 1946.

Of my first, and probably only, printing, I still have about thirty copies remaining, apart from some in the local bookstores, island wide. I am happy with the many letters and phone calls that I have had from abroad from those whose memories have been stirred with similar or other stores from the past experiences. Again, thank you very much.

More info in captions

November 14, 2006

Dear Sir,

I was amused to see a photograph captioned ?Graveney Bannister? next to the headline ?jilted man hid under his former girlfriend?s bed? in of 10 November 2006. I was amused because I know Graveney Bannister to be an upstanding and dedicated prosecution lawyer in the Attorney General?s Chambers. However, those who do not know Mr. Bannister, and did not read the article, may have been left with the impression that he was the ?jilted man? referred to in the headline, which may not have been as amusing for him or his reputation. May I please request that in future, therefore, photographic captions contain not just the name, but also the information as who the person is in relation to the story? Thank you for your consideration of this.