I would refer to the article in The Bermuda Sun about the Marriott's closure and the fact that it will likely led to a sharp drop in work permits. I am sure this is correct and no work permits will be issued until all of the "out of work'' Marriott employees are gainfully employed in our fast diminishing hotels.

I can see more and more trouble ahead. First, to employ approximately 400 Bermudians, a similar number of non-Bermudians will have to lose their jobs.

This means that the ever-struggling hotels, cottage colonies, etc. will be forced to terminate the position of some of their non-Bermudian workers and hire some of the Marriott's staff. This sounds fair enough, due to the Government policy of giving Bermudians the first crack at any and every position in Bermuda.

However, please do not forget that the hotels and cottage colonies are struggling just to break even; most of them have a few non-Bermudian staff who have served them well and who are completely knowledgeable about their particular position. It appears, however, that they will not have their work permits renewed in order to make way for any unemployed ex-Marriott worker.

What effect will this have on the ever-struggling hotels and cottage colonies? Will they decide that it just isn't worth the struggle? Will we see more and more of them just closing their doors and going into the condominium market? I would suggest first that any and all members of the Marriott staff who are made redundant should retire if he or she is 60 years and over. This may or may not bring down the number -- I don't know, but it would be a start. In any event it would be unfair to force other properties to employ someone over 60 years of age.

I would further suggest that a programme is offered to many of the workers so that they can retrain to become electricians, plumbers or carpenters where there is such a shortage. I am sure everyone reading this newspaper will agree with me that it is virtually impossible to get the services of any of the above without calling numerous times. Why doesn't our Government suggest this to the people who will be out of work, rather than forcing other establishments to take them on and discarding their non-Bermudian workers who are established in a job. Why give the hotels more disruption than is necessary? I sincerely trust the powers that be don't inflict more problems on the hotels and cottage colonies here -- they need help from the Government, not more setbacks.

SAVE THE HOTELS Pembroke Let cooler heads prevail May 20, 1999 Dear Sir, I feel the need to respond to Mr. Tony Brannon's letter in today's paper regarding Bill Shoaf.

He purports Mr. Shoaf to be a "great hotelier'' and a man with "great ideas''. Having seen the changes at the Elbow Beach, in its physical appearance, it is very true that the hotel has been developed into a beautiful resort. However, there is more to being a great hotelier than someone who has great ideas. Of tantamount importance are people skills, and in this area I think it is obvious that Mr. Shoaf is sorely lacking. You can have a hotel with the best physical appearance possible, with all the bells and whistles that your guests would ever want, but if you cannot relate to and manage your employees, then you may as well run a barn.

As a previous employee of the hotel (pre-Shoaf days) and as someone who maintains a number of friendships with the employees of the property, I find the negative changes in the employees to be troubling. Gone are the smiles and the happiness that used to pervade the resort -- they have been replaced by tension and a feeling of overwhelming uneasiness. If the staff chooses not to make Mr. Shoaf's life easy, it is a direct result of his not making theirs easy.

I have great admiration for the courage displayed by Ms Whitter and the other staff members who filed their complaint with the Human Rights Commission. I think that their action was truly a reflection of their frustration at how badly Mr. Shoaf and the Rafael Hotel chain have handled the staff during their time in Bermuda. Mr. Shoaf has made many a decision to the detriment of a Bermudian staff member, while ostensibly promoting the interests of non-Bermudian staff members. If you continually abuse people and trample over their hopes, it is only a matter of time before they fight and bite back.

I for one was not moved by Mr. Shoaf's appearance on television the other night. I can understand his concern for the alleged hate campaign against himself and his family, but at what point will he stop and reflect on his own contribution to this? And at what point will he stop and reflect on how his actions have affected his employees and their families? I learned in physics that to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If Mr. Shoaf continues to handle his staff in such an autocratic manner, I think we all know that they will continue to react and defend themselves accordingly.

It is pretty obvious that Mr. Shoaf, the Rafael hotel chain and the staff members of the hotel must now find a middle ground on which to move forward.

Whether that is with or without Mr. Shoaf is not for those of us on the outside to say. It must be a decision that is made in the best interests of the hotel, its 300 staff members and ultimately the Country. What it cannot be is a decision that reflects the sole interests of one man. Making actual and veiled threats to close the hotel because of Mr. Shoaf's failure to manage his employees will only perpetuate any negative feelings that the staff must feel towards Mr. Shoaf, the Rafael chain and the owners of the property. It's time for cooler heads to prevail.

TW Warwick Crying foul on the BBC May 18, 1999 Dear Sir, I think it is high time that someone blew the whistle on the Bermuda Broadcasting Company and cried foul. As reported in today's edition of The Royal Gazette , they have once again failed to carry live the FA Cup Final, this time using the lame excuse that they are carrying cricket.

Last year at this time, I recall the Bermuda Broadcasting Company (I refuse to call them the BBC since they in no way, shape or form resemble the world's best broadcasting organisation) lambasting the small local group of pubs and clubs, accusing them of greed and depriving the rest of Bermuda the opportunity to view "a local tradition''. The truth of the matter was that they could not afford to carry the signal, and apparently the same applies this year. The group of pubs and clubs have been supplying live football for several years, throughout the season, for the benefit of their patrons. Only on very rare occasions in there a cover charge levied since sales generally cover any expense incurred.

This year, I am informed, the group purchased the Premier League package and the FA Cup package up to and including the semi-finals, leaving the way open for the Bermuda Broadcasting Company to carry the final. This has not materialised since they could not afford the cost. I do not believe for one moment that they were told that they could only carry the game on a tape delay basis. This is more than likely the only coverage they could afford. I offer this advice: If they cannot compete financially, stop whining and making excuses and leave the coverage to those who can provide it. You would be amazed at the amount of locals who prefer the ambience of watching live football with friends via satellite rather than attending local games and witnessing the senseless violence and profanity, which is unfortunately prevalent in the game in Bermuda. The decline in attendance at local games speaks volumes.

Now to the nitty-gritty. Because the Bermuda Broadcasting Company has reneged on carrying the final, the pubs and clubs have had to pay an extra fee to carry the game. It is an expense they could have avoided if they had opted for the entire package at the beginning of the season. I am now forced to pay a cover charge to watch the game, which I will do willingly, but as a canny Scot it will mean I have less money to spend on the beverage of my choice, so I sign off.

STRAPPED Sandys Parish For a cleaner parade May 17, 1999 Dear Sir, The Bermuda Day Parade is always a cultural highlight, and the numerous events provide Bermudians with a golden opportunity to show off.

Unfortunately, the large crowds always litter more than the bins can hold. We would therefore like to encourage Bermudians to bring their own trash bags.

We would also walk the route of the "Parade'' on Monday, May 24, and hand out bags in an effort to keep the litter off the streets and hedges and have a cleaner "Parade''.

Let's have a cleaner Bermuda...especially on our "Heritage Day Parade''.

DALE BUTLER MP CHARLES SPANSWICK City of Hamilton Keep Bermuda Beautiful Don't blame the strippers May 18, 1999 Dear Sir, I would hope that a paper of your accreditation would have the courage and tenacity to ask provocative questions after the incident that occurred at "The Spinning Wheel'' on the night in question. You, as well as the rest of Bermuda, seemed to shift blame to the dancers and the club. Who held the people (all women!) in the riot accountable for their actions? Why were the Police videotaping at a show featuring two out-of-town performers? However, Ms Goodwin took another question to the common man. A completely irrelevant question. "How do you feel about stripping?'' shows a blatantly one-sided opinion, quoting a 48-year-old insurance salesman, and a Christian woman; this was not an unbiased report in the slightest.

ADEM APPEL Baltimore, Maryland Editor's Note: "Man on the Street'' interviews make no claims to be scientific surveys. They are intended to sample opinions on topical issues.

Possibly because of fear of embarrassment, few people who support the idea of strip shows were prepared to say so publicly.