military activity in the area.

The Bermuda Regiment is carrying out training exercises at the old Casemates prison in Dockyard and the former US Naval Annex in Southampton.

There will be troop movements in the area and the operation will include vehicle checkpoints, patrolling and key point security. There will be no pyrotechnics or disruptive noise.

Regiment spokesman Lt. Stephen Caton said the weekend was the Commanding Officer's internal security test and would involve various rifle companies and support groups.

He said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the training is necessary. There will be no danger to the public and we will keep any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

"We also take this opportunity to remind employers of their obligation under the Defence Act to release staff for this training. And we appreciate their continued support and understanding.'' NLP HITS OUT AT TOURISM ADVERTS PTL TOU NLP hits out at tourism adverts Controversial tourism advertisements in the US show a lack of imagination and should be withdrawn, the National Liberal Party has claimed.

Spokesman Graeme Outerbridge said the NLP is against the commercials and asked how the Tourism Board could have cleared the campaign for use.

The adverts, which poke fun by comparing Scotland, Venice, Long Island and Cape Cod to Bermuda, caused a stir in the US, where residents and Tourism officials called for an apology.

But Tourism Minister David Allen refused to drop the ads, saying calls to information lines had increased during the radio and newspaper campaign.

Mr. Outerbridge called for a review of the promotion and new commercials that used the Island's merits.

"More harm than good will be produced if Bermuda Tourism doesn't pull these ads,'' he said.

"Bermuda can stand on its own merits without resorting to tacky advertising strategies.'' He added that some advertising agencies were lowering their philosophical ethics in attacking competitors products, and the current crop of commercials showed a "complete lack of imagination'' by New York-based agency J Walter Thompson.

PERMISSION REFUSED FOR PATHWAY PLN Permission refused for pathway Controversial land owners, The Wilkinson Trust, have been refused permission to build a new pathway through a woodland reserve.

The Trust hit the headlines in April after it was revealed that parts of the reserve in Hamilton Parish had already been cut down -- before the owners had applied for permission from the Development Applications Board.

The wood was developed as part of wider plans to open up the Wonderland cave in the reserve to the public.

And although the trust did eventually submit an application to the board, that has now been turned down.

At a recent meeting, the board resolved to refuse the application because "the proposed development fails to conform with the provisions of the Development and Planning Rules''.

The board ruled that insufficient information had been provided for planners to "make a proper assessment of the proposal to be undertaken''.

The board also made a recommendation to Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson that the trust should be ordered to re-plant cleared vegetation.

MINORS TAKES OVER AIRPORT FLY Minors takes over at the airport Bermudian Marshall Minors will assume complete control of the airport as general manager in just a few weeks.

Canadian Jack Gordon, who has held the post for the past four years, will be returning to Canada this summer.

Mr. Gordon is the last of the three consultants taken on by the former Government to provide professional assistance when, on the departure of the American Navy, responsibility for the running of the airport reverted to Bermuda.

Transport Permanent Secretary Herman Tucker noted that Mr. Minors will get specialist training in commercial development during the remaining six months of the contract with Vancouver Airport Services.

"This will help with having retail outlets at the airport,'' he explained.

"It requires general manager type skills.'' As Airport general manager, Mr. Gordon has guided the overall upgrading of the Bermuda International Airport including major improvements to the arrivals and US departure areas.

"I am pleased at the progress made within a relatively short time,'' Mr.

Gordon said. "Bermudians should feel proud of their airport and of the Bermudian managers that will direct the airport into the next century.'' ELDERLY WOMAN ROBBED OF HANDBAG CRM Elderly woman robbed of handbag A 69-year-old woman was robbed while standing at a bus stop on Sunday morning.

The incident took place on South Shore in Warwick at the entrance to Sun Valley Road at 10.20 a.m.

The victim saw a man on a motorcycle enter Sun Valley Road. A few seconds later she was attacked from behind by the man who tried to grab her handbag.

She tried to resist and was dragged over the bus stop wall landing on her back. The culprit drove off on the motorcycle with her handbag which contained $30.

The lady sustained injuries to her back and wrist and was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The culprit is described as brown-skinned, in his late teens and about five-feet, nine-inches tall. He was wearing a dark-coloured shirt, dark pants and a white helmet.

The handbag was beige and contained the cash in a brown ladies wallet and other personal items.

Any witnesses or anyone who has information pertaining to the crime are asked to contact Western CID on 234-1010.

CONFIDENT OF FINDING A SUCCESSOR HOS Confident of finding a successor The Bermuda Hospitals Board is confident that it will find a successor for outgoing chief Sheila Manderson shortly.

BHB chairman Raymonde Dill confirmed that a number of overseas applicants for the job had been selected for preliminary interviews.

And he said a transition plan, which Mrs. Manderson helped formulate, will ensure that the management of the hospital will be running smoothly when the CEO quits the Island at the end of next month.

"We have had a number of applications from Canada, the Caribbean and the US which have been reviewed by the selection committee,'' Mr. Dill said.

"They have been shortlisted down to ten applicants and we are now in the process of scheduling telephone interviews with a view to bringing this to another shortlist.

"We have also been working with Mrs. Manderson to develop details of the transition plan, including the delegation of a senior management team to certain tasks and the creation of a management committee. I think it's a case of all hands to the pump to make things as smooth as possible.''