Veteran bartender Earl Riley to be buried today ? MPs in tribute

Bermuda?s hospitality and tourism industry bids farewell to a legend today, with the funeral of veteran bartender Earlston Beaconfield Riley .

Mr. Riley died at the age of 76, but in what he passed down to hundreds, if not thousands of bartenders will never be forgotten ? nor has he been forgotten by tourists from as far away as the UK who have flooded his family with calls.

Earl, as he was known to friends and customers, joined the hospitality industry shortly after leaving school. He started working for Cambridge Beaches and continued in the industry for nearly 50 years ? with 41 years at the Elbow Beach Hotel.

?We?ve had calls from as far as England from friends and customers who wanted to pay their respects to the family,? daughter Bridgette Riley said.

Special tribute was paid to Mr. Riley during the House of Assembly session on Friday where numerous Ministers commented on his contribution to tourism. Minister of Tourism Dr. Ewart Brown said Mr. Riley would always be one of Bermuda?s most famous bartenders and would be sorely missed. The service will be held at St. James Church in Sandys at 2 p.m.

Conservationist?s photo to be used in Florida

Bermudian Jennifer Gray?s photo of a sea turtle will be used to promote conservation in Florida.

She entered the picture of the loggerhead to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission?s campaign to protect endangered sea turtles and has just received a framed copy of the decal. Ms. Gray has worked for 15 years to promote marine turtle conservation and regularly leads teams of researchers around the Island.

Day of the Child commemorated

A candlelight vigil to commemorate the Day of Child remembered children who died in 2004, St. George?s Mayor E. Michael Jones said last night.

He said 14 to 15 people participated at 7 p.m. by ?relations of people who had lost a child this year came down and lit a candle to let them know they were thinking of them this Christmas.?

?They start at the international date line, everyone around the world lights their candles at a different time,? he said. ?Some people came and lit a candle and left and others stayed the whole hour. The message is to light a candle to remember the children who died. Next year will be even better.?

Farmer?s Market to expand

There is good news for anyone who enjoys fresh fruit and veggies with news the Farmer?s Market has expanded to include a whole new row to accommodate the record number of vendors

Although Saturday is the final Farmer?s Market for 2004 some 32 vendors will now be featured at the Bull?s Head Parking lot site.

Organisers also announced the Market will remain open until 1 p.m. as opposed to it?s normal closing time of 12 p.m. to accommodate last minute Christmas dinner shopping.

Police issue Christmas season warning

Police have noticed an increase in thefts from vehicles and handbags this holiday season. The Service has also issued a reminder to the public to lock their cars and place valuable items out of sight, either under car seats or in the trunk. Police have also released the following safety tips to small businesses on how they can prevent theft over the busy festive season.

Avoid a build-up of cash takings. Make frequent and irregular trips to the bank to make deposits.

Ideally individuals transporting money should be aware of their surroundings and travel in groups of two or more.

Whenever possible, vary the routes and times of these trips to the bank.

Don?t walk down the street carrying recognisable bank bags for everyone to see.

When in public, disguise your takings with imagination. Transport money in shopping bags, small boxes or rolled up newspapers.

Avoid taking shortcuts or using dimly lit streets. Avoid making deposits at night.

When accepting cheques, always ask the customer to provide some form of photographic identification.

Compare the details on the cheque. Do the numerical and written amounts agree?

Do not accept postdated or outdated or third party cheques ? and all cheques should be in the exact amount.

Pay particular attention to detail when accepting cheques the last weekend before Christmas.

Do not allow customers to rush you. This sometimes is a strategy to confuse cashiers and force them to be less vigilant.

Angle Street shop burgled

An Angle Street shop owner has vowed to be more vigilant in securing his premises after suffering a break-in on Thursday night.

James Tyrrell, manager of Fish and Tings, told that thieves broke into the building through a window and stole a bank deposit bag containing $300 from under the counter and $410 from the cash register.

Mr. Tyrrell said he?s learned his lesson and will no longer leave any cash in the restaurant. ?We won?t make that mistake again. There will be nothing left here anymore.?

School helper robbed

There was some bah humbug business at Whitney Institute on Thursday night when a volunteer had her purse containing $300 stolen.

Dr. Gina Tucker, principal of Victor Scott Primary, said her school rented the hall at Whitney to mount its Christmas play, but the evening was soured when someone stole the purse of a woman who had volunteered to do make-up for the performance.

?After a wonderful evening production, it was very sad to have this happen,? Dr. Tucker said yesterday. ?The woman was not even a parent. She had volunteered to do the make-up and was acting in true Christmas spirit.?