Dear Sir, We would like to use your Letters to the Editor to thank all of those who assisted in making the activities of the observance of the 40th Anniversary of the Theatre Boycott a success. In fact it was such a success that we are cancelling our planned television programme project with Bermuda Broadcasting, for now. In lieu of this, we are making plans to follow up during the anniversary in June of the Millennium.

We should thank both the Human Rights Commission and CURE for their financial support for this observance and we appreciated the participation of the Minister of Development and Human Affairs, the Hon. Terry Lister MP and the Shadow Minister, Mr. Alan Marshall MP. With regard to financial support we also wish to thank Scandinavia Reinsurance and BGA Group of Companies.

The support from the Corporation of Hamilton went beyond funding. Not only did that body provide the venue for the Service, but when it was obvious that there would be a larger crowd than planned for, they went out of their way to add extra seating. In addition, they laid on a reception for the honourees that day and for all of this we offer our heartfelt thanks.

We would also wish to express our appreciation for the participation of those in the arts who made their contribution. This includes, from the Menuhin Foundation, Chloe Ball and Jennifer Sheridan; Leyoni Junos, Wendall `Shine' Hayward and George Symonds who all contributed their music to the Service. In addition we would like to thank Jonah Jones and Robert Bassett for their paintings that graced this commemoration.

We would also like to thank those churches which were able to ring their bells at noon on June 16, 1999 and the wonderful support of employers who provided the flexibility for their staffs to be able to participate in the noon-time service.

It goes without saying that those of us working directly on this project feel honoured to have played some part in recognising this important contribution to our Island's heritage. The significance of this observance is expressed in the fact that it gained support from all sectors of our community. In addition there have been letters of recognition from some of Bermuda's friends overseas. Rev. Wendell Foster who currently serves on the City Council of New York and was the pastor of St. Paul AME Church in the `50's, has sent his warmest regards. (Five of the Progressive Group were active members of that church at the time). A message has also been received from Congressmen Charles Rangel, the senior African American in the US House of Representatives. Other messages have come from veteran actor Ossie Davis, on behalf of his wife, Ruby Dee and himself, as well as faxes from comedian Dick Gregory and the former Mayor of New York, David Dinkins.

Last but by no means least, we would like to thank the people of Bermuda for their broad support for this venture, an important step in reclaiming our whole heritage.

GLENN FUBLER Coordinator Beyond Barriers Fast-food litter January 20, 1999 Dear Sir, On my way home from church this morning I stopped to pick up three gaudy, greasy Kentucky Fried Chicken containers dropped in the middle of the entrance to my estate road. Unfortunately the type of mindless moron who would risk his health by eating this kind of greasy `fast-food' is exactly the kind of lout most likely to litter. There is a possibility, distant I hope, that an unwilling Bermuda may have another such `fast' food chain forced on us by people whose greed outweighs their patriotism.

There is, however, another solution to the litter and health problems associated with `fast-food' chains. A punishment tax on `fast-food' containers in the form of an import duty of, say, 5,000 percent, half or more of which might be refunded when the containers were turned in at the incineration plant, would at least induce most customers to eat their greasy meal on the purveyor's premises off reusable dishes. Others would have to pay a deposit steep enough to induce them to return their containers.

There is no reason why Kentucky Fried Chicken, the Ice Queen and others like them should be responsible for so much of the Island's filthiest litter without being made to pay for it with some kind of punitive taxation.

GREASE MONKEY City of Hamilton Sick of racist insults June 21, 1999 Dear Sir, To make sense of the following letter, your readers should know that I am a white Bermudian married to an expatriate. Together we run a professional service for the Island, so we do have daily contact with a large cross-section of the community.

I am writing this, because, after an initial optimism at the change of Government, six months later I am beginning to despair of the New Bermuda.

The now thoroughly evident "retributional'' attitude to nearly all matters in Government, is filtering out to the populace at an incredible rate. For example I offer a small selection of my past week's experiences: Thursday at noon I was travelling into Hamilton in my car with all the windows open, when suddenly in front of me a local man on a rented cycle screeched to a halt in the middle of the road in front of me and proceeded to travel against the flow of traffic on the inside lane, circled my car, and rode back alongside the driver's window hurling racial insults at me and gesticulating so wildly, that I was sure he might fall into he window and cause a major accident. I have absolutely no idea who this person was, but irrespective of his darker skin pigment, he is an idiot who does not care whose lives he puts at risk... Quite evidently from what he was screaming at me, mine doesn't count. For the past ten days solid I have had the inordinate pleasure of having no choice but to listen to a W&E tree "trimming'' crew any time I have been at home during the day. (I write trimming, but in fact what they actually do, is apply a scorched earth policy, which has rendered our road devoid of any shade or refuge for bird life during this period of drought.) On no single occasion did it appear that the topic of conversation deviated in any way at all from the central and oft repeated one of "f***ing white people''. The volume of the constant complaining was such that it was hard to tune out...Subsequently, then when one drove past without saying the now nationwide mandatory "Good morning'' -- because frankly one no longer felt that warmth of human kinship -- personal trashing ensued.

At last, with the W&E crew temporarily gone we thought we could only enjoy the Queen's Birthday holiday. Not so. We were accused of harassment when we very politely asked a recreational fisherman moored directly in front of our house if he wouldn't mind cleaning his catch a little further out at sea, due to the unpleasantness of swimming in fish carcasses; and when we tied up along side in St. George's to buy an ice cream, two obviously drugged or intoxicated local "men'' assailed us with the unusual rhetoric. They were told to buzz off in no uncertain terms, and I stayed behind to keep an eye on the boat. As soon as my spouse had left, one of them returned and spat out the words "you f***ing white b****'' to the obvious delight of several onlookers.

Is there any point in making a complaint to the Police or the HRC? No of course there is not, I know that. If however we decide to pull up and leave Bermuda, our entire work force of extremely nice dedicated black Bermudians will be directly unemployed, and several others will suffer loss of income indirectly. I love Bermuda, it is my home, I was born here, but I am not certain how much more we can stand. From speaking to others, I know that we are not being specifically targeted. This is going on Island wide.... What should we do? To whom do we turn?.... Heaven help Tourism! SAD BERMUDIAN City of Hamilton Lights drive me crazy! June 18, 1999 Dear Sir, I have always regarded Front Street as the main traffic artery between points west and the ever more commercialised Pitts Bay Road. As I crawled along it this afternoon, stopping every 50 feet or so, I had ample time to observe and time the lights at the foot of Burnaby Hill. In every minute, the lights were red for 45 seconds and green for 15. It is apparent from this that Front Street through traffic is stopped for 75 percent of the time at Burnaby Hill alone. The idiotically complicated lights at Par-la-Ville Road are worse still.

This is not expediting traffic. It is not even managing traffic. It is, simply put, obstructing traffic. If you or I obstruct traffic we can be prosecuted for it. It is time the Police prosecuted the Mayor and Corporation of Hamilton for obstructing traffic. It may be the only way to get them to do something about the appalling traffic conditions they create in the city. The traffic lights as they now exist must have been conceived by a sadistic maniac. They must rival any in the world for inept design and consequent traffic congestion.

LAXATIVE Paget Apology is needed June 14, 1999 Dear Sir, If you ask me Mr. Editor, rather than accepting membership into the British Empire, what Bermuda's Grand Dame should be doing, is asking the Queen of England for an apology and for reparations, for more than 400 years of pain and suffering! DR. CLARK GODWIN City of Hamilton Take the clock down June 20, 1999 Dear Sir, That silly clock hysterically counting away the seconds until the end of the year on the side of Number One Shed is an illegal electric sign. It should be taken down immediately. What on earth induced the Corporation of Hamilton to condone anything so idiotically vulgar? The third millennium begins on January 1, 2001; next year is just one more year in a long, violent century. I dare say this will serve the perpetrators as an excuse to keep the irritating thing running another year as well.

TIME AND TIDE City of Hamilton Ras has no `insight' June 23, 1999 Dear Sir, I would like to comment on the advertisement entitled "Front Street cycle races remain stalled'' which appear in The Royal Gazette on June 18, 1999. Let me start off by saying that Mr. Ras Mykkal has never discussed anything regarding motorcycle racing with me, he has never attended any of my race school classes or my meetings (when he was invited many times). So he has no insight of what I have been trying to do and what I have accomplished.

Since November of 1997, if Ras would have accepted any of my invitations he would have known that my school and monthly rides stress safety and riding techniques. The motorcycle racing division of the BACU is well organised. It follows the BACU constitution which has been in existence for over 30 years and the members follow the rule book of the AMA (which is a worldwide, recognise motorcycle organisation). So nothing has been skipped or overlooked.

As you stated I have a higher knowledge of racing and organisation of events but yet you find it necessary to help discredit my capabilities. My experiences and schooling has taught me that safety comes first. It's not just motorcycle racing which has safety hazards but all forms of motorsports, whether it be in a purpose-built facility or otherwise. That's why I don't understand why Mr. Roger Sherratt would mislead the public in believing that my proposal did not include safety barriers when it clearly states that barriers would be used in such an event. All we can do is make it as safe as possible, as others have.

As far as my vision goes, it's very much in tact and my passion hasn't blurred me to the facts of safety, organisation and participation by all. Ras, I thought I could depend on you for your support but I guess I should have known better.

DAVID JONES SR.

Chairman BACU Motorcycle Racing Division Issue of taxation June 23, 1999 Dear Sir, I have read with interest and dismay the various positions of many Government Ministers on the ubiquitous issue of taxation. No-one seems to have remarked that we simply cannot tax our existing international companies as they have been granted an exemption until the year 2016. Last year the PLP promised to extend this exemption by four more years in its election manifesto.

So if they tax individuals, local companies and new international companies (if there are any), then we will have a two tier tax system and will have no defence to the "harmful tax jurisdiction'' status bestowed upon us by the OECD.

The former government did not need to raise income taxes to successfully run the fiscal aspects of our Island. It would be a real shame and a clear sign of incompetence if the PLP were to be the first government in 40 years that had to do so in order to operate.

EXTREMELY CONCERNED City of Hamilton On `naming' names June 23, 1999 Dear Sir, I refer to today's issue of The Royal Gazette and in particular the Lifestyle Section and the article titled INFIDELITY.

Whilst I appreciate the article states that "The names of people who(m) agreed to be interviewed....have been changed to protect their privacy', the writer then proceeds to name names.

This naming of names was totally uncalled for and the article would have been better served by simply using titles such as Mr. A or Mrs. B, etc.

My concern has been aroused already this morning by persons signifying a connection and I am sure others are feeling the effects of such also.

The `naming' as I have said was totally unnecessary, was inappropriate and in bad taste.

There are only one or two persons of my particular surname on the Island and I assure you that in no way did I contribute to this article in any way. DAVID J. GOODMAN Southampton