Dear Sir, I read with interest your column in "Lifestyle'' on dance and entertainment, which was published in The Royal Gazette on Thursday, January 6, 2000.

In particular, I was saddened but not surprised that Louise Jackson (who you invited to write the article on dance) did not acknowledge, mention in anyway United Dance Production's founder, Suzette Harvey.

Notwithstanding the contribution of the dancers chosen by Jackson, one would have thought that as a former pupil of Jackson and current facilitator for more than 700 Bermudian dancers, that Ms Harvey's past and present contribution to dance in Bermuda would have been acknowledged.

I read with interest Jackson's contribution to dance in Bermuda and, as an avid dance supporter and follower, I know that Ms Harvey, at her young age has already achieved a significant amount for Bermudian dancers both locally and abroad. With the beginning of a new century and new millennium I am sure that Suzette Harvey will be recognised for her contribution to dance in Bermuda in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries.

Anyway, seems her students and audiences think so and, from what I have been reading lately, she may put Bermuda and Bermuda's dancers on the map internationally. Keep up the good work United Dance Production, your work is appreciated.

Shame Louise Jackson, you lost an opportunity to be fair.

ANNE SMITH Southampton Clarifying ZipX's charges January 24, 2000 Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to bring to the attention of your readers an error appearing in the Winter 1999-2000 issue of The Royal Gazette's affiliated publication, `BL' (The Bottom Line).

In the article `Shop local, think global', a comparison of shipping prices was made between IBC's Zip Express (ZipX)' delivery service and the Phoenix Store's Bookmart.

The article incorrectly stated that ZipX would charge a minimum of $14.95 compared to Bookmart's $4.95 per piece.

ZipX charges are $3.75 per lb. for books, mail and journals. The $14.95 to which the article refers is the (all inclusive) first lb. charge for those items which require customs clearance processing; the rate drops to $3.95, and lower, per lb. thereafter. Books and journals do not require customs clearance processing.

Because ZipX's charges are weight based, considerable savings can be made, especially when shipping large numbers of low weight books.

ELIZABETH SCHAEFER Manager, Zip Express City of Hamilton In praise of black men January 25, 2000 Dear Sir, Please afford me some space in your paper to express gratitude to our `Brothers'? I really would like to see this letter published, as I believe ti is overdue.

Too often our society is bombarded with negative media coverage regarding black men and our black Bermudian men in particular. As a Bermudian female, I would like to take a moment and give a tribute to the strength and beauty exuded by Black men in our lives and community. These men faithfully care for their families and loved ones. They drag themselves out of bed to go to work daily -- whatever their profession. They resist the ever-present temptation to step outside of their relationships for a quick respite from `the daily grind' and routine of their lives. These men make difficult choices for the ultimate good of those they are responsible for and to.

Thanks especially to those brothers who have been and are man enough to admit they have made mistakes, wronged someone or just taken an easy but costly way out and take steps to make amends and start again. It's been written that anything done for the right reason will have positive results. We applaud those of you who are striving to make changes in your lives, improve present day situations, go against the grain and swim upstream to a better tomorrow.

I apologise also for the way `Sisters' have cried you down, often `licking into you' with razor-sharp tongues and lambasting you for `about all that we could expect from you anyhow'. Sorry, for our getting caught up in the misconception that you are all `good-for-nothing' and swearing that we would never seriously get involved with any of you.

For all that have ever misjudged and prejudged you, I just want you to know how grateful we are for your contributions to our families, the community and society. Be encouraged to continue choosing the higher path knowing that your sons and daughters follow behind you.

EUCHAKA City of Hamilton Don't rely on officialdom January 7, 2000 Dear Sir, Both the UBP, when in power, and the `new' PLP Government, have claimed the philosophy that "Government acts best when it serves as a facilitator.'' Most of us would have no argument with this vision -- it sounds like a democratic ideal.

What a government chooses to facilitate is another matter. The People might do well to scrutinise their elected officials for possible facilitator bias. Do our representatives bring integrity or `baggage' to the process? And is any given task actually necessary for furthering the public good? Looking back, we saw a UBP government abandon pressing issues of the day, in favour of a fast food franchise. Polls were conducted, committees formed, the media was enthralled, debate raged. Town Halls became little more than propaganda sessions, with Government trying to convince us, that what we really needed after all, were Big Macs (a la Swan and Burgess). Would this same government have used all the powers of its mandate, fuelled by the public purse, for the average enterprising Bermudian? In 1997, a senior UBP Minister was asked to consider the idea of holding Island-wide think tanks, to encourage public discourse on wide-ranging issues vital to Bermudian well-being. The Minister replied that Bermudians were "not ready'' for such a venture and therefore Government would be unable to help facilitate a comprehensive forum of the People.

A fundamental tenet of facilitation is that "the answer is in the room.'' And the "answer'' is created by and belongs to the group. Perhaps, the UBP was `not ready' for a fully engaged electorate. Through team building, brainstorming and the discovery of allies, via Future Searches and expert facilitation, Bermudians might have explored common ground, while enhancing their appreciation of differences. Bermudians might have reached consensus on how best to proceed for the good of life and land, both of which are under immediate threat.

The "answer'' is out there, though it remains largely untapped potential. Our current PLP Government often appears hard-pressed in finding constituencies to serve, or by legislation, protect. Development and Information Minister Terry Lister has said regarding a possible Bermuda Freedom of Information Act that "we don't have a constituency which is requesting this and without that, there is no impetus to move one way or the other.'' So much for transparency.

Or for doing something because it is right.

As Minister responsible for Human Affairs, Mr. Lister has also failed to locate a constituency to serve in the Gay community and population-at-large, with respect to sexual orientation. Public hate-mongering and intolerant religious anger towards Gays is legal and rewarded by office in Bermuda. What a mangled message is conveyed by installing to the chair of the Human Rights Commission, a confessed condemner and denigrator of all who are Gay. The Reverend Dr. Goodwin Smiths believes homosexuals should be exempt from human rights protection and communicates that there are "satanic forces behind some of the (proposed human rights) legislation'' in the UK White Paper. So much for separation of Church and State. So much for inclusivity. Welcome to Bermuda, where you can be openly hated, and with impunity, the lessons of history relegated to the dustbin.

And what of the delicate Island from whence Bermudians take their name.

Bermuda has been informed by Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson, that while her "woodlands and trees area are a beautiful and valuable resource, they are not sacred.'' What is sacred to Mr. Hodgson? So much for separation of Church and State.

Sustainable development has become the catch phrase of convenience for Mr.

Hodgson and the antedote for the recent planning conundrum as in "however, we do not hesitate in permitting the removal of trees when it is dictated by the requirements of sustainable development.'' Even if that means over-ruling planning experts, scientists and independent inspectors, who advised against the use of nature reserve for the Crawl Gospel Hall extension.

A developmentally sustainable Bermuda is an oxymoron. And sustainable development will remain an unattainable resolve until Bermudians remember to cherish and properly protect their homeland and cease the scorched earth policy where with every building boom more open space, arable land, harbour front and woodlands are forever lost.

For tiny diminished Bermuda, the future is now. Haven't we learned at long last not to depend on our elected officials for imaginative, positive change.

The Bermudian people produce the change agents, individuals or groups who fight the good fight, expending energy convincing tardy, status quo-driven governments to bring critical issues to the table.

Bonnie Critchley Devonshire Editorial was spot on January 27, 2000 Dear Sir, Your editorial on the subject of cruise ships is to the point, especially where your ask, effectively, whether jobs and job security is more, or less, important than the environmental impact of adjusting the ship channels.

Purely on this consideration, can you imagine where we would be today if such environmental concerns had stymied the building of our airport? Or, where we would be if we had not cut and dredged out Two Rock Passage? Or, in a previous time, we had failed to dredge the DunDonald Channel that opened the Great Sound and Hamilton Harbour beyond the Dockyard to shipping? Supposing Town Cut channel into St. George's Harbour had not been dredged? The answer, of course, is that we would now be in the business of swapping chickens for fish, interspersed with the occasional banana, and wondering, while rowing from across from St. George's to the Main Island, about those odd white vapour trails in the sky.

Some will have already forgotten that endless environmental trivia, drawn out and regurgitated over years, held up the Warwick Ritz Carlton, the key to upgrading the hotel industry, until the investors went elsewhere. Similarly the same sensationalised inconsequentials added another 15 feet or so of pollution to the Pembroke dump.

Almost everyone who cares has environmental concerns. The task at hand is to place them properly and clearly into perspective and get on with it.

OSTRICH St. George's Thank you, Bermuda! January 23, 2000 Dear Sir, You may all recall my appeal on the last week of the Lion, Lioness, Leo Clubs Share the Christmas Spirit project, for donations to fulfill the Christmas hamper requests.

Well Bermuda, you excelled yourselves! Shoppers filled up the bins in the Market Place stores. Schools came forward with their food hampers. Businesses, their employees and other individuals made food contributions and donated money. An outstanding effort! On Saturday, 27 November 27, we held our annual instore tag day at Market Place venues. This past season we realised a record $2,918.51. I thank you all for your generosity and thank you Warwick Academy Leo Club for tagging.

Our thanks go out to everyone who helped. The staff at the Market Place stores, children, parents, teachers, shoppers. We could not do this without you.

My personal thanks to Saltus and Bermuda High School Leo Clubs for again gift wrapping the hamper boxes.

We received many comments on the quality of the hampers this Christmas and we were finally able to make up and deliver a total of 375. These were warmly received by the recipients.

Thank you Bermuda for once again Sharing the Christmas Spirit.

PRESIDENT CYNTHIA BELL Eastern Lioness Club Impressed by drug series January 25, 2000 Dear Sir, We are writing as co-hosts of the upcoming Council Partners Charitable Trust Telethon to applaud the efforts of The Royal Gazette in raising awareness of the drug problem facing Bermuda. We refer in particular to the ongoing series written by your reporter, Matthew Taylor.

We hope that all of your readers who are concerned about how drugs is ravaging the lives of too many Bermudians will tune in to the Telethon on Monday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on VSB Channel 11, Cable 4. There are solutions to this pervasive problem and we will be highlighting many of them during the Telethon, including the programmes and services provided by the agencies that receive funding from The Council Partners Charitable Trust.

As co-hosts of the Telethon, we look forward to demonstrating that, as you so clearly articulated in your editorial of January 24, 2000, "these programmes can work with total community involvement.'' AUSTIN WARNER JR.

JUDITH BURGESS Council Partners Charitable Trust