I refer to the recent article entitled Clean Up This Mess. Hooray, I thought, I must be the only person to notice the horrible stench, particularly summertime, and the bags and boxes plonked outside the restaurant area in Reid Street Extension. I have to walk this route daily into town and am appalled at how grubby these places look outside. I have never seen any business in that area actually washing the footpaths with disinfectant or trying to make the area attractive. In most countries, restaurant areas usually do their best to have their businesses looking attractive -- no way would you see bags of vile smelling garbage, boxes etc., in front of their premises.

Has the Health Department ever walked around this area or don't we have anyone checking these places anymore. I'm sure the cost of some disinfectant and a few planter boxes, instead of the garbage, would not cost very much and would upgrade this very busy but ugly area.

As for Front Street -- come on traders, this is the gateway to Bermuda -- how about some swabbing your front areas and putting in some planters (and maintaining them regularly). If the Corporation of Hamilton won't give it a facelift, how about doing something on your own. Some of the shops are very attractive, especially Astwood-Dickinson and the Butterfield Place look great in that block and the three department stores look good (Triminghams, how about a new carpet on your stairs)? Supermart further down is very grubby outside as are the two restaurants next door. Bermuda is definitely getting dirtier and noisier with the air and bikes going faster and more reckless than ever.

While I am on my soapbox, how about having to couple of Police or Police Cadets, controlling the road and pedestrian traffic during the lunch hours on corner of Reid and Burnaby Streets, and Reid and Queen. It's chaos during this time. Actually wouldn't it be good just to see any Police involvement in the heart of the city at all.

Can't say I've seen any except Christmas week, when they stand in towns chatting -- they were not a bit interested in the fact that some lunatic was attempting to ride his moped on the footpath up past Strands. Come on readers, let us try and get the place cleaned up and on the move.

We are so fortunate to live on this Island.

COOKIE Pembroke Been there, done that August 10, 1999 Dear Sir, Please allow me the opportunity in your newspaper to express my sympathy with Raymanda Davis who received such harsh treatment from the less than competent local Immigration department and the brutally colour-conscious Canadian Immigration. I know exactly what Ms Davis went through. I experienced the same time ten years ago. It would take pending death for me to set foot on Canadian soil again.

I have travelled to Spain, France, Holland, UK, Switzerland, Germany, the West Indies and the USA and have never experienced the blatantly hostile racist attitudes exhibited by the Canadian authorities in any other place I visited.

My nightmare in Toronto occurred ten years ago when I travelled to Canada for a sporting event with several white friends -- I being the only black in a group of four. I intended to remain in Canada for one week. As odd as it may seem, Mr. Editor, the Canadian Immigration allowed all my friends to go through without any problems. In the queue next to me was a white Venezuelan whom the Immigration Officer had some difficulty understanding, even with the benefit of an interpreter. I immediately thought that my experience was routine. I became suspicious later when that officer agreed to let her through even though he stated that he was not satisfied that she was a bona fide visitor. Meanwhile, I was asked several questions which suggested to me that the officer believed I was visiting for the purposes of staying on in Canada illegally. I protested to the officer that I had US$2,000 cash, two credit cards and more particularly, three of my friends who were travelling for the same purpose as I was, had been admitted without any difficulty.

This is when the officer resorted to the classic racist power play. He called a black female officer who escorted me to a room and proceeded to ask me the same line of questioning I had gone through before. I told this officer that I found it offensive that she should be summoned when all of us spoke the same language and that she should have been just as offended as I was. Needless to say, my words had little impact. It was clear that she was the troubleshooter for blacks only.

After spending 30 minutes with this officer, my friends became worried and proceeded to make inquiries regarding my whereabouts, to which one Immigration officer pointedly said to one of my white friends that I was being interviewed consistent with policy, which is designed to ensure that Canada is not flooded with blacks and Latinos looking for handouts. According to my white friend, she told him that she would make a complaint to the appropriate Minister regarding this policy. The officer promptly ended the conversation.

Mr. Editor, this is one example of the devastating widespread effect of international racism. Here were two whites who did not know each other, yet this officer felt comfortable enough, presumably with the colour of my friend, to make such a perversely racist comment. It is immaterial to me if there is such a policy. I rather doubt it is written. Thankfully, my friend was not one of those whites who on a daily basis give tacit support to racism.

After some 45 minutes I was set free whereupon I told the Immigration Officer that I hope never to give her the privilege of humiliating me again.

After returning to Bermuda, I mentioned my experience to someone who simply smiled and said that there were many other blacks in Bermuda including two serving Police officers at the time, who had to endure the same treatment.

My travelling friend, true to form, wrote a letter to the Canadian Minister.

The Minister explained that there was no anti-black policy in place and that the incident would be investigated. That was the last we heard of the matter.

Mr. Editor, my experience has caused me to make a vow never to return to Canada.

Unlike Ms Davis, I hold out no hope that our Government can institute any measures to prevent the same thing happening again. In fact, the current Government would need at least two terms to convince black Bermudians that they have some worth. The UBP has done a magnificent job, making blacks in general and black Bermudians in particular, feel worthless. I have no ill feelings against Canadians here in this Island, having decided to live outside Bermuda myself, but I found it peculiar that during the onslaught of negative comments following the tragic Middleton murder, not one of them set about to defend the relative safety of Bermuda.

What was frightening to me is that Canada was often touted as one of the most progressive countries in terms of legal protection of women and minorities.

After speaking with several Bermudians, West Indians and Americans, I am convinced it is certainly one of the most hostile to blacks at its borders. If Canada represents the hope for improving race relations internationally, racism is guaranteed to be with us for a long, long time.

Believe me Ms Davis, I know exactly how you feel, except in your case, it could have been fatally catastrophic.

JOHN A.L. DILL Devonshire PLP's poor performance August 5, 1999 Dear Sir, Having been pretty fed up with the UBP's ignoring their constituents' wishes, I was rather pleased when the PLP was elected. I had reservations, but I thought a "new broom'' and all that might really do the Island some good. I was also naive enough to believe that once the new Government got settled in, it would do what it was supposed to do -- govern. At my age I should have known better than to believe in fairy tales.

The first thing on the PLP's agenda, apparently, was to hand out lollipops to all their friends and supporters -- political appointments, etc.

Qualifications? Didn't matter. This was followed by their leader's self-appointment as royalty -- no expenses spared and no accountability deemed necessary. Of course, such high-ranked royalty simply demands a `chief of staff' -- also known as a bodyguard, to ward off those vicious natives of Dallas, Texas -- and of course, he must be paid a whopping great salary.

Fighting off those natives from the limousine is hazardous duty indeed, and carrying all those bags is onerous work.

Then they took on our sagging tourist industry with a new campaign which insulted all the prime areas of the US East Coast from which we used to get most of our visitors and, not content with that, they gave Scotland, among others, a slap in the face too. We all know who pays for this exercise in futility.

Land taxes come under the PLP's Revenge Roster: "Let's really stick it to those who have worked hard and managed to build a business and a nice home.'' And where is this huge glut of tax income designated to go? To pay the Police for the rotten jobs they have to do? Don't be silly. "It's a surprise.'' Loosely translated, that means they haven't a clue.

There's more, so much more, but suffice it to say that this entire scenario is playing out like badly-written and badly-produced farce. It might be funny if the results were not so disastrous.

Do you suppose the PLP could possibly put the same amount of effort which they put into turning down the proposed Canadian Consul into toughening up our laws and into actually fighting crime? Do you suppose we could possibly replace our existing magistrates with ones who would crack down on offenders? No, I didn't think so -- too may friends might get hurt. God help us all.

SINKING SHIP Pembroke Peggy missed the mark August 13, 1999 Dear Sir, Upon returning to the Island following an absence of three weeks, I took to my garden with a clutch of Friday newspapers...and learned -- Government had maintained the code of silence. Ronald McDonald's trip to Bermuda had been cancelled. Some rain had fallen. Something about a limo. Good news, bad news.

The Bermuda Sun featured one of my favourite columns, "Peggy's Ducking Stool.'' He/she Peggy can be deliciously naughty and one time was particularly provocative. Peggy can't hope for much more then to inspire debate, pro or con, vis-a-vis her take on people, places or things.

This day, August 6, she did that for me.

Herself wrote: "Peggy simply oozes with respect and admiration for people who protect the environment. After all, without the tree-huggers, where would she sling her hammock? But please, guys and girls, try a little subtlety.'' Peggy was presumably referring to The Royal Gazette article "Sea life threatened by balloon releases'' August 4, and "Letters to the Editor'' "Balloons an ocean hazard'' and "Horrified at balloons'', August 5.

The offending helium-filled balloons had been launched at the opening of Cup Match, in spite of warnings in the media, most recently in The Royal Gazette , "Turtles under attack'' July 23, about the dangers of drifting plastic on marine life.

In reading these back issues at the Library, I discovered that the hyperbole lay not in the words of the authors of the warnings, but in Peggy's.

The ocean watchdogs used The Royal Gazette to convey a calm, reasoned and informative public service announcement. These messages are vital, as consecutive governments have failed to identify a constituency to serve, and thus remain mute on the most important of environmental issues. Doing something because it is right, is too often trumped by political expediency and a willingness to let sleeping dogs lie.

Peggy tried to amuse us with dismissive modifiers and jaundiced commentary.

But isn't the environment too important to have its proponents condemned as tree-huggers, greenies, zealots and exuders of so much noxious hot air. To gain a little perspective, Peggy might look to recent history and note the name given white civil rights activists. Every social movement begins with an awareness by the few, and those few who intervene on behalf of the oppressed, are never given an easy time of it.

Zealots? Nay Peggy. Would you have wanted the whistle blowers to have said that balloons give turtles boo boos and indigestion. Maybe The Royal Gazette should have pushed the envelope and published colour autopsy photographs and testimonials by care-givers on the front lines. This might have counteracted the image of gaily-coloured balloons set adrift before cheering children, held so dear by Peggy.

About the children. Peggy would be pleased to know that Bermuda's children are receiving environmental tuition in the schools, the newspapers, via television and the Internet, at the Aquarium, The Bio Station and BUEI. What do the children think when the adults break so many rules? WEASELGUARD Devonshire Don't kill the messenger August 12, 1999 Dear Sir, I am writing in response to the Rev. Dr. Leonard Santucci's letter published in The Royal Gazette on August 6, 1999.

Quite frankly, about the only thing that Rev. Santucci got right was his statement, that on the front page of The Royal Gazette there was a picture of the Premier placing a bet at the Crown & Anchor table at Cup match. However, as Bermuda's Premier, whatever she does or should do or does not do is news, such as: If she refuses to speak to the Press, this is news as it is her duty to respond; If she travels the world at public expense this is news and we should know what was accomplished; If she uses a stretch limousine at our expense, this is news; If she always needs a travelling companion, again at taxpayer's expense, this is news; If she has now acquired a taste for champagne, and now demands it, even if it is not being served, then this is news; If she places money on the Crown & Anchor table at Cup Match, this is news and should be reported; and If she increases the land tax by $7 million and does not explain to the taxpayers what it is for, this is news, etc.

As they say: "Do not blame the messenger ( The Royal Gazette ) if you do not like the message.'' CALL IT LIKE IT IS Pembroke Give locals a chance August 17, 1999 Dear Sir, I also read with some concern Mr. Winfield's comments in response to my letter of the 10th with regard to Cambridge Beaches policy in not accepting "locals'' for lunch, which I believe is now only if you do not have a reservation.

By the number of phone calls that I have received from locals regarding this incident, I would say that my family were not the only ones insulted and upset.

Having worked in a human resource environment for many years, I can quite understand staffing problems and issues and also your need to maintain a five star standard but I do not understand why this has to impact so greatly on locals, which surely will be your bread and butter in the winter months.

Maybe it boils down to the way in which this information was passed on to us and perhaps it might be fair to say that some of your staff might benefit from some people skill training so that they are able to deal with such matters in a pleasant and tactful way.

If Mr. Winfield would care to discuss this matter further with me, my number is listed in the telephone directory.

CAROL A. BELL Pembroke