125+ web files in a constantly updated compendium on Bermuda's activities, art, business, culture, cuisine, customs, daily newspaper, disability accessibility, districts, economy, education, entertainment, environment, fauna, flora, food, gardens, geography, government, history, internet access, laws, lodging, parishes, politics, religions, traditions, transportation options, tourism, vacation planning, wildlife etc. For tourists, business visitors, employers, employees, newcomers, researchers, retirees, scholars. Funded by and linked to The Royal Gazette, Bermuda's only daily newspaper.

Bermuda's History in January and February 2007

News and significant events with social consequences in the first two months of this current year

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

When referring to this web file, use "bermuda-online.org/history2007JanFeb.htm" as your Subject

January 4. The Royal Gazette group reported.  The crush of Bermudians rushing into the Office of Immigration over the past few months looking to get new stamps added to their passports has been so overwhelming senior Ministry officials are considering a permanent change to the way the official Register of Bermudians is kept. The plan under consideration would allow locals to be put on the Register at birth, instead of having to apply for it later in life. If more people’s names were already in the Register the long lines witnessed day after day in recent weeks would never have happened. When asked about the influx of people into the Ministry Immigration Permanent Secretary Robert Horton said: “I don’t think any of us could have imagined.” The United States Department of Homeland Security announced new travel regulations last November, requiring Bermudian travelers to have a valid passport that contains an official Bermuda Status Stamp if travelling after midnight on January 8. Since that time more than 30,000 Bermudians have filed through the Ministry offices and been issued the new stamp. That’s an especially staggering number because only about 40,000 people are believed to have a Bermuda passport. “It surprised me,” said Chief Immigration Officer Dr. Martin Brewer. “I couldn’t understand why people were coming. It was almost the entire Bermuda population coming in!” So far the response rate is somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 percent. “If only we could get this kind of response on other things. It’s a mystery,” said Dr. Brewer. “Once we recognized the huge demand this made,” said his colleague Mr. Horton, “we offered the Saturday service.” That service has been in place since late last year and will be available again this weekend (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), but there have been so many people showing up every other day of the week – the extra day hasn’t really shortened the lines. “This is redundant, ridiculous, and somebody’s not doing their job - plain and simple.” said Tiffany Swann who was into her fourth hour of waiting to get her passport stamped. She was one of hundreds at the Immigration Office yesterday trying to beat the Monday deadline. The process is fairly simple for those already listed on the Register of Bermudians. For them the stamp is basically automatic. Those passport holders got in and out as quickly as 15 minutes yesterday. But for everyone else, the experience can be excruciatingly long and frustrating, especially because people not on the Register have no idea why their name isn’t there. “Why are we here?” asked Miss Swan, 24. “I have a Bermudian birth certificate, how do I not have Bermudian status? “What happened to the records. Why don’t they have them?” For people in her situation, the rules require she fill out an application for status, produce a birth certificate which shows the name of a parent already on the Register, plus she has to pay $11 as an application fee. Over a 20-day period at the end of last year the Ministry processed about 2,000 such applications. In the 12 months previous to that they had only processed 1,000. Permanent Secretary Horton acknowledged a lot of people are shocked to learn they aren’t on the Register of Bermudians. He said: “Until this matter with passports came up, we assumed we were all on the Register. This process revealed many people who thought they were on the list were not on the list.” That’s why Mr. Horton is among a group of senior Immigration officials looking at the possibility of allowing local parents to put their children on the Register the day their child is born. Currently that is not the Government’s practice. Mr. Horton cautions however: “The parents will have to demonstrate they are Bermudians.” That will go a long way to ease the anger of people like Tiffany Swann who spent nearly five hours at the Ministry yesterday. By about lunch time yesterday all ten seats in the Immigration waiting room were taken, there were 23 people standing, and 11 more waiting in the common area just outside the doors of the office. When stamp seekers arrive at the Immigration Office the first order of business should be a flip through the Register. But that can be an inexact process because the Register has been used so often, some of the pages are torn or separated or have fallen out of alphabetical order. “It’s all jumbled!” exclaimed one frustrated page turner. “I have one word: ridiculous,” said a woman who identified herself as Dawn. “I found my husband’s and my daughter’s name, but I couldn’t find my name,” she said. The Register is also available at any Post Office island-wide. It is not available online. Through all the frustration it’s hard to remember that Monday’s deadline really doesn’t apply to everyone. People who aren’t travelling over the next few weeks, or the next few months, really don’t need to rush. The stamping services will be available long after Monday, probably available indefinitely. And even then US-bound Bermudian travelers without a stamp won’t be denied access to America if the stamp is missing from their passports. But they will be required to fill out a visa waiver form. That means many of the people testing the limits of their patience were actually doing so needlessly.

January 4. The Royal Gazette group reported. Giving visitors a better, more vibrant experience when they seek out information about what is happening on the Island is the thinking behind a bid to inject new life and ideas into Bermuda's various tourist information bureaus. It may be the bureaus will become more than simple offices, perhaps combining with a coffee shop setting, or an internet cafe, or into a business that sells other items and services. The potential is unrestricted. What is being sought is something new, fresh, innovative and in line with expectations of 21st Century visitors. An invitation has gone out to anyone who is interested in running one, some or all of the Island's main and satellite visitor bureaus to step forward with their proposals. There are three all-year round bureaus and four satellite offices open during the cruise ship season from April to the end of October. They provide a one-stop shop for visitors seeking information about attractions, services, maps, and to book sightseeing tours and buy transportation tickets and passes and such like during their vacation. Since the early 1930s the tourist information outlets have been owned and run by the Chamber of Commerce with financial assistance from the Department of Tourism, but the time has come for a new approach and that is why the Tourism Ministry is looking for new operators to run the bureaus. "The review is intended to evolve the offering and ultimately reduce the cost to the Bermuda Government. Ultimately, what we are looking for is the kind of innovation that will have a positive impact on the visitor experience," said Cherie Whitter, Director of Tourism. In its request for proposals, which runs until January 10, the department asks for ideas to combine the visitor information service with "other dynamic product and service offerings". The three all-year bureaus are at Front Street, King's Square in St. George's, and Dockyard, while the seasonal services are run at Penno's Wharf in St. George's, No.1 and No.6 Sheds, Hamilton, and King's Wharf, Dockyard. The Department of Tourism will help to negotiate lease terms with the landlords of the current bureaus if required. It is anticipated that, if found, new operators will take over the running of the visitor bureaus from the Chamber of Commerce from April 1.

January 5. The Royal Gazette group reported. Over the past six weeks the Register of Bermudians has been a hotly read document. Once on that list Bermudians are able to obtain the Bermuda Status Stamp required for travel to the United States beginning January 8, 2007. Of the 30,000-plus people to recently obtain the stamp, a sizeable portion have realized, to a great deal of frustration, that they aren’t on the Register, even though they have a Bermudian birth certificate and have their name listed on the Parliamentary Registry. Officials say there’s an explanation for that. The current Register of Bermudians came into effect in 1993. To create the Register officials used that year’s Parliamentary Registry. So if you weren’t a registered voter in 1993, or were born after 1993, or your name changed after marriage post-1993, then your name will not be on the current Register of Bermudians — unless of course, you already have submitted a properly completed application for status

January 8. The Royal Gazette group reported. Airport queues for returning Bermudians only - not non-Bermudians who are tourists or business visitors - are to be cut with a new Fast Pass. They - only - will be able to wait in a fast-tracked new line, separate from returning expatriates, to speed re-entry. Bermudians and visitors frequently complain about the length of time it takes them to be processed upon arrival at Bermuda international airport. Their complaints are often justified. Measures are being taken to address this. As one example, Bermudians with the Bermudian status stamp in their passports will no longer be required to be in the residents’ line. Instead they will be in a dedicated line for Bermudians, provided that their passports contain the Bermudian status stamp. No longer will Bermudians have to stand in the same line as worker permit holders and other residents who undergo more scrutiny. It is not always easy to identify a Bermudian unless he or she has a stamp in his or her passport stating that the holder is a registered Bermudian. But that still means the Immigration officer must go through the passport to find the stamp, an occurrence that serves to lengthen the processing time. One may ask why this is necessary when the passport is a Bermuda passport. The ‘Bermuda’ passport was a version of the British passport, held by non-Bermudians who are British and British Overseas Territory citizens. But there have been cases of people arriving and purporting to be Bermudian but who do not have Bermudian status – only a British or Bermuda passport stating they were born in Bermuda. These persons try to gain unrestricted access to live and work in Bermuda when in fact some are illegal. As a result of this anomaly, Bermuda passports alone cannot be used to confirm that a person possesses Bermudian status. So from December 12 2006 the Bermuda Fast Pass card became available. Bermudians who currently hold a valid passport have to apply for the card at Immigration. Bermudian holders will not have to produce a passport on entering the arrivals hall. It is anticipated that the implementation of the Fast Card process will reduce waiting time significantly.

January 8. The Royal Gazette group reported. Bermuda-bound passengers ended up returning to London two hours after take-off when their British Airways flight had technical difficulties on Saturday. The flight was expected to arrive in Bermuda at approximately 6.35 p.m., however shortly into the mid-Atlantic flight the pilots decided to turn back. BA’s Bermuda spokesperson, Sally Singleton, said the problem was not serious but required engineers to fix it. She said the decision was made to return to Gatwick because there were no BA engineers in Bermuda. As the flight did not land in Bermuda passengers expecting to leave the Island on Saturday night were unable to do so. Mrs. Singleton said the majority of passengers found out about the problems early on and did not come to the Bermuda International Airport. She thanked the Island’s broadcast media and taxi drivers for informing people about the cancelled flight. The diverted plane arrived in Bermuda at 2.35 p.m. yesterday and was expected to depart at 8.10 p.m. Unfortunately, the delay had a knock-on effect she said. The crew that arrived yesterday needed time to rest before departing again. Last night’s BA flight to Gatwick was delayed until 7 a.m. today. British Airways apologized for the inconvenience caused by the delays.

January 10. The Royal Gazette group reported. The average price of a stand-alone Bermuda home soared to $1.6 million in 2006. That translates into a 30-year mortgage of more than $11,400 a month at current interest rates — assuming the buyer has paid out a five percent deposit of $80,000. The revelation came in end-of-year commentaries from two of the Island’s leading realtors, Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty and Rego Sotheby’s International Realty. And the $1.6 million figure was based on completed transactions recorded through the first 11 months of last year. Better news for buyers is that the inventory of properties for sale is at an all-time high, giving home seekers a greater choice and shifting the market in the purchaser’s favour. While the escalating price of free-standing homes is moving them further out of the reach of middle-income Bermudians, realtors say locals are showing increasing interest in condominiums as a more affordable option for a home. Coldwell Banker’s “2006 Year End In Review”, written by agency manager Susan Thompson, concludes that prices of all types of property remained little changed in 2006. “The average condo will cost you just under $900,000, about the same as 2005,” Ms Thompson wrote. “To purchase a single family home you will need approximately $1,325,000, depending on location, acreage, condition, etc., with little to no change from the previous year. Approximately a quarter/third acre of land will command $525,000 and up, once again with little change from 2005.” Becky Paris, a sales associate at Rego Sotheby’s, writing in Island Property News, stated: “In the period of January to the end of November 2006, there were 291 (property) transactions recorded at the Registry General’s office, with a figure of almost $344 million traded. “The average price of a free-standing home soared to $1.6 million and remains out of reach for many; consequently real estate was a hot topic at the sustainable development talks that dominated the media.” St. George’s had the highest average property price of $1,492,203, said Coldwell Banker, adding the inclusion of Tucker’s Town — the Island’s “Billionaire’s Row” — skewed the figures for that parish. In fact, a Tucker’s Town house known as Frick’s Point was the highest-priced property to be sold in 2006, at around $20 million. Coldwell added that Sandys was by far the most affordable parish, with an average selling price for all properties of $728,333, while Hamilton Parish came a distant second at $902,110 and Warwick third at $952,370. Apart from a significant slowdown in transactions during the second quarter, and then a rise in activity over the following three months, 2006 had been very much “business as usual” Ms Thompson concluded. “The most noticeable change was more choices for the buying public and more flexibility by the sellers,” she added. “Our forecast for 2007 would be an increased interest in real estate, particularly in the buoyant luxury market, continued purchase by multiple family members for investment and an ongoing trend towards buying condominiums, which Bermudians now seem to embrace.” Ms Paris expressed Rego’s outlook for the year ahead: “With money still to be made in property, we are likely to witness the Planning Department working at full steam to deal with more applications to subdivide, build, go up and go out. The market seems to have shifted in favour of the purchaser so expect a better value to price ratio.” Although not all property transactions for 2006 have yet been recorded in the Government archives, Coldwell Banker estimated that the total of closed deals would be down by around ten percent. 

January 12. The Royal Gazette group reported. The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce is backing plans for a slew of building projects on the island, saying that the economy is not in danger of overheating. The Planning Department is currently considering an application to transform the 37-acre Southlands property in Warwick into a luxury resort, along with plans to develop the neighboring 11-acre Ritz-Carlton property. There are also plans to build a new hotel in Hamilton and a number of Government capital projects are also in the pipeline. Environmentalists warn the raft of proposals will put a strain on the island's infrastructure and economy. They also claim that planning controls are being bypassed by developers through the use of Special Development Orders. But Chamber of Commerce vice president Dennis Fagundo said the proposals showed that the economy was strong and will continue to be so. And he denied that a healthy construction industry would result in a flood of foreign workers to the island. "This is certainly good for Bermuda," Mr. Fagundo, who runs D&J Excavating and Landscaping, said. "It signals individuals and companies putting their money forward in the belief that the Bermuda economy is strong and, more importantly will continue to be strong. Further to this, construction is predominantly a Bermudian industry. The employment that these projects will bring will provide continued employment for Bermudians within the industry and opportunities for training and development for those wanting to enter the industry. Outside of the construction industry the increase in hotel employment once these projects are complete can only be good for an economy that is struggling to provide fulfilling employment to the lower income brackets. The indications at this time are that the industry will be well suited to manage these projects as they come online. While it is certain that there will be a level of expatriate employment within the construction industry this is not new and there is little indication at this time that the levels will be hugely affected. On the scale of the overall population it is unlikely that there will be an appreciable effect to the island's infrastructure. Mr. Fagundo also defended the use of SDOs saying that the process is in ways "more strenuous than the regular planning procedures". The decision to grant an SDO by Cabinet is not undertaken lightly and the process requires endorsement by a multitude of boards and committees," he said. The development of Bermuda has been continuous for many years, although the population is still at a very similar level to that of the 1940s. The question of the overdevelopment of Bermuda is related to what image one carries of the island. Compared to years past many would say that Bermuda is currently very overdeveloped, others may say it has a long way to go still." Alex DeCouto, president of the Construction Association of Bermuda, said it was too early to tell what impact any new developments will have on the environment. "I think it would be premature to make any predictions," he said. "Just because a Special Development Order (or planning permission) has been granted for a development, does not mean that it is a certainty. Proposals such as these go through a number of additional stages before reaching any degree of certainty. It is highly likely that all of these proposals have been formulated on the premise that they will be operating in today's market, not one in which there are a half dozen other new and substantial hotel properties to compete with. I would speculate that not all of the proposed developments will move forward at the same time, if at all. However, should any number of the more significant developments all move forward simultaneously, the industry would definitely need to import additional labour in order to service these projects. But on the issue of construction workers in particular, we do not have any evidence of a housing shortage for foreign construction workers in particular, any more than the housing shortage generally for those seeking 'affordable' housing. Certainly it is difficult to find suitable housing for our imported workers, but I would imagine that any of the other local industries would say the same. One of the developments stated specifically that they were including a very large employee housing component. Government has pushed for this, and it should go a long way towards minimizing the impact of that particular development on our housing situation. Speculating on which of these projects would start, and when, is a futile exercise, and the number of additional workers, if any, would depend largely on this information. Government is able to plan or time its own capital projects to suit acceptable market conditions, however, these projects have been put forth by private developers who own the properties they are speculating about. It would be difficult, if not impossible, and certainly not recommended, to attempt, plan, or control the free market economy in which we live. It is much more likely that the same free market will identify only those projects which will likely be successful, and it is those projects which will eventually move forward. But clearly there is a new found optimism in tourism investment on the island and this is critical and much needed to improve Bermuda as a tourist destination."

January. The Royal Gazette group reported. Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) was formed, as campaigners fighting to end compulsory military service. Bermuda still has military conscription laws, unlike Britain, Canada, the USA etc and this inequity has been defended by Governor Sir John Vereker who has said, wrongly, that there is no opposition to it. Campaigners are fighting to end compulsory military service. They have issued a court summons against the Governor, Deputy Governor and Attorney General. This alleges that the ballot which chooses conscripts is gender-biased and a breach of human rights because only men are picked, not women. BAD believes Bermudian men are treated unfairly as citizens of a British Overseas Territory in being expected to serve, as Britain formally ended national service in 1960. The organisation has also made allegations of ill-treatment of conscripts at Warwick Camp. Members hope the outcome of their legal action will be a Supreme Court ruling outlawing the draft for good – but they have vowed to take the case all the way to the European Court of Justice if necessary.

January. The Royal Gazette group reported. It was confirmed that Cherie Booth, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is being lined up to represent the family of the 1996 vicious murder, rape and sodomy victim 17-year old Canadian visitor Rebecca Middleton at a judicial review to take place in Bermuda at the Supreme Court on April 16 and 17, 2007. Ms Booth is one of the UK’s top QCs and has previously offered legal advice to the Middleton family. Legal steps were taken in late 2006 to seek a judicial review of DPP director Vinette Graham Allen’s decision in March 2006 not to reinvestigate the matter or consider fresh charges. Chief Justice Richard Ground of Bermuda has allowed a judicial review. Applications have been made to allow Ms Booth to appear as legal counsel for the Middletons at the judicial review. The Bermuda Bar Council is considering the request to allow the famed lawyer to handle the case, and the matter will also be considered by the Department of Immigration. It is also believed that the DPP is also getting overseas lawyers.

January. The Royal Gazette group. Bermuda has the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in the world, following the release of Government figures. The Island’s total GDP – the market value of all the goods and services produced – rose by 9.1 percent in 2005, driven upwards chiefly by the expansion of the international business sector. Bermuda’s total GDP was estimated at $4.857 billion – or a remarkable $76,403 per head. According to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook web-site, that puts Bermuda at the top of the GDP per capita global league table, with second-placed Luxembourg more than $10,000 behind in 2005. In comparison, the US had a GDP per capita over the same year of $41,600, Canada $33,900 and the UK $30,100. The figures showed substantial rises in the output of construction, tourism, business services and real estate, as well as international business. But the output of the retail sector saw only a slight rise – a decline after inflation was taken into account. A loss of 218 retails jobs reflected the closure of Trimingham’s and the sector was also hit by a 14 percent increase in overseas spending by residents. Inflation hit 3.1 percent for the year in terms of the Consumer Price Index, the rise in the price of a fixed “shopping basket” of goods. But in GDP calculations a different measure, known as economy-wide inflation, is used. This figure, which takes into account changing consumption patterns, rather than using the fixed-list method, hit 4.3 percent in 2005. A statement from Government’s Economic Statistics and National Accounts Division said international business, the biggest employer on the Island, had contributed more than $1 billion directly to the GDP, as output increased by 13.9 percent. That figure was bolstered by a wave of start-up insurance companies, established here in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The storms caused billions of dollars worth of damage and boosted demand for reinsurance. The figures also reflect the wider importance of international business to the Island’s economy. “This was reflected in the output of the business activities industry, including computer, accounting and legal services, which grew 12.7 percent,” the Government release said. “The output of the financial services industry jumped 16.9 percent reflecting strong demand from international business and the local economy.” Construction continued to boom in 2005, as its output increased by 21.3 percent, fuelled by demand for commercial office space from the international business and financial sectors. The industry contributed $330.9 million to the GDP and construction was also the biggest generator of new jobs, as it added 264 new employees, a rise in the payroll of eight percent. “Demand for construction services was also vibrant in the hotel industry for both fractional hotel units, such as condominium complexes, and standard hotel structures,” the Government release added. “Steady building development of educational facilities, in both the private and public sector, also contributed to the buoyant construction activity in 2005.” Rental commercial and residential property was the major contributor to real estate output which rose by 10.3 percent to $730.5 million. Output in the tourism sector rose 12.6 percent in 2005, helped by the first full year back in operation for some of the major hotels that were forced to close after the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Fabian in 2003. Visitor numbers increased by 8.3 percent, driven by a 20.1 percent rise in cruise ship arrivals. Landscaping was another boom industry, with nearly 600 people (almost one percent of the population) employed as gardeners. It helped the agricultural, forestry and fishing sector’s output climb by 2.5 percent. The fire which temporarily closed down the Belco plant in the summer of 2005 was the main reason why the electricity and water supply sector was the only one to report a lower dollar output.

January. The Royal Gazette group reported. A US talk show host has criticised the “politically correct” name change of a Bermudian museum. Pulitzer Prize-nominated Les Kinsolving, who hosts a daily radio show for WCBM in Baltimore, takes issue with Rogues and Runners, a Bermuda National Trust property in St. George’s, known as the Confederate Museum until 1996. Mr. Kinsolving writes, in a column entitled ‘Now Banned in Bermuda’ and posted on the Internet,, that on a recent visit to the Island he spotted the name change and quizzed museum guide Judith Perry about it. He says she told him that the name was changed 11 years ago by the trust’s executive committee after “a lot of fuss about Confederate flags”. Mr. Kinsolving writes that Confederate blockade runners were strongly and widely supported by “Bermudians and their Royal Gazette” in the 1860s and that the name change by the “politically correct” Bermuda National Trust to Rogues and Runners is “incredibly disparaging.” He quotes a National Trust pamphlet as explaining that the museum was restored in 1996 when a new exhibit telling “the story of these turbulent years from a distinctly Bermudian perspective” was installed. “Why on earth is it a Bermudian perspective to change the name of the Confederate Museum to Rogues and Runners?” asks Mr. Kinsolving. He questions who “rogues” refers to “since the blockade runners were Confederates (as well as a number of retired veterans of the Royal Navy).” However, the Bermuda National Trust defended the name change and said the old title was no longer relevant to the King’s Square museum, which was once the Globe Hotel and the headquarters of the Confederate States’ representation in Bermuda during the US Civil War. Laura Lyons, BNT’s museum collections manager, said: “The Bermuda National Trust Museum at the Globe Hotel in St. George’s was completely renovated in 1996, including the layout and historical exhibits. “Our exhibit about Bermuda’s involvement in the American Civil War, now named Rogues and Runners, was completely changed at that time due to professional research and tutorial advice; hence the name change.” She added: “Perhaps the ‘new’ name does not pleasingly encompass the exhibit for Mr. Kinsolving, but the point is that it had to change as the old one was no longer relevant to the museum. “The Rogues and Runners exhibit tells the experience of Bermudians and Bermuda as involved in the trans-shipment of supplies during the American Civil War, specifically centered around the fact that rooms in the Globe Hotel were used as offices by Confederate Agent Maj. Norman Walker. “The museum as a whole also offers a short video on general Bermuda history, information on the building itself and the Trustworthy Gift Shop. “We wholeheartedly recommend that everyone pay a visit to the museum as accurate history is most valuable when people are able to learn from it before coming to conclusions without first making an effort to gain a full understanding of events of our past.”

January 11. The Royal Gazette group. Tourists spent over $55 million in 3rd quarter of 2006. Cruise passengers once criticised for not spending enough money onshore have increased their Island expenditures 50 percent, according to newly released figures from the Government’s Department of Statistics. In the third quarter of 2006 cruisers spent $36.6 million versus $24.4 million over the same period in 2005. Air travelers also spent more – about $20 million more quarter over quarter, an increase of about 20 percent. All told it was a chest thumping quarter for the Ministry of Tourism and will probably turn out to be a record breaking year. Already, in just three quarters, 2006 air and cruise passenger numbers – at 524,135 – have exceeded the full year total figures for 2003, 2004, and 2005. The last time passengers numbers went above a half-million in just three quarters was 1987, according to Chief Statistician Valerie Robinson-James. The driving force appears to be cruise ship arrivals. There were 164,467 cruise passengers in the third quarter of 2006 – more than any quarter in history. The rise is a direct result of an increase in the number of ships coming to the Island. There were 82 landings in Q3, an increase of 13 over 2005. The air arrivals sector was similarly stellar. Numbers in the third quarter came in at 96,653 – an increase of about 16 percent or 13,000 passengers over the same period a year ago. Travel hungry Bermuda residents seem to have benefited as well during a period which includes the busy summer travel season. More than 50,000 overseas trips were taken in the third quarter – that is almost as many trips as there are residents. That is a four-and-a-half percentage point increase and the biggest quarterly number ever recorded in this category. "Residents took advantage of increased airline capacity and lower-priced airfares,” said the Government’s statistics report. The amount of overseas spending was also up for the third quarter to $16.9 million – almost half of which ($8 million) was spent on clothing. The hotel industry was not left out of the third quarter bonanza. It earned almost ten percent more in hotel receipts, a rise of about $7.6 million in revenue

January. The Royal Gazette group. Reforms suggested to Bermuda's current Internet system, to get rid of current disadvantages. Under the current system the four categories of telecommunications companies are Class A providers. International service providers (TBI and Cable & Wireless. Also Brasil Telecom, which cannot sell to retail customers); Class B providers. Fixed and wireless domestic service providers, including BTC, Quantum, the cellular providers and the Cable TV providers; Class C providers. Internet service providers, including Logic, North Rock, Fort Knox and Transact; Cable TV providers - Bermuda-based Cable TV companies authorized to provide limited telecommunication services. They include Bermuda CableVision and World on Wireless. Companies would get one licence to cover all sectors under the Government's new proposal. The sweeping reform of the telecommunications industry aimed at generating more competition and lower prices for consumers is in the pipeline. Amid a raft of proposals contained in a consultation document, Government has suggested that restrictions on foreign ownership – known as the 60-40 rule – should be entirely dropped for telecommunications companies. And the industry’s licensing system is also in line for a complete overhaul, which would allow companies to deliver an unrestricted range of services with one all-embracing licence. For example, this would mean that an internet service provider (ISP) like Logic could compete with a cellular phone company like CellularOne, or an international service provider like TeleBermuda International. The moves are mooted in a consultation document on regulatory reforms drawn up by the Ministry of Environment, Telecommunications and E-Commerce (METEC). It is hoped that the abandonment of foreign ownership restrictions will encourage investment in the latest technology and lead to “a level playing field.” Currently, international service providers can be 100 percent foreign-owned, while all ISPs, for example, are subject to the 60-40 rule. METEC announced in mid-January 2007 that the public would be encouraged to have its say on the proposals and consultation would include a public meeting to be advertised in the print media. A statement from METEC said that the restrictions imposed by the licensing system were causing problems for companies now seeking to expand into new markets. There are four groups of providers under the current system and companies are prohibited from providing services outside its licensed area. The consultation document, entitled “Telecommunications Regulatory Reform in Bermuda” proposes that all current licensees should be offered a Unified Domestic Licence (UDL) which would eradicate the restrictions and allow providers to offer “a full service portfolio.” “Tangible benefits to consumers from the proposed reform include one-stop-shopping – being able to purchase all telecommunications services from a single provider – and increased competition which frequently results in improved quality of service and reductions in prices for services,” a statement from METEC said. “Additionally, from a consumer perspective, it is currently necessary for users of telecommunications services to contract with several providers (e.g. for the services provided by the Class A, B and C providers) and this means a more complex and less user-friendly telecommunications environment than is seen in many other countries around the world.” The Ministry also proposes issuing no new domestic licenses for between one and three years “to enable current providers to adjust to the new market conditions before further competitors are allowed into the market”. The regulatory changes would bring Bermuda “in line with international best practice and to ensure the continued investment in innovative services for telecommunications users in Bermuda”, METEC added. METEC Minister Neletha Butterfield said: “Technology is changing rapidly and the structure of Bermuda’s telecommunications industry does not lend itself easily to the new converged technology and service platforms emerging across the world.” METEC this month invited applications from telecom companies to build and operate a new submarine telecom cable. The consultation document explains why the Island needs it. It says that Cable & Wireless operates and owns two submarine cables. “Both of these cables have been in use for a number of years and their capacity limits are inadequate for the future needs of the economy,” the document states. Brasil Telecom also operates a cable to Bermuda but the company is restricted from doing business with retail customers and can only sell capacity to the other international providers, Cable & Wireless and TeleBermuda International. Anyone interested can download the documents via the Government portal (www.gov.bm) or pick them up in person from the Department of Telecommunications on the second floor of the F.B. Perry Building, 40 Church Street, Hamilton.

January. The Royal Gazette group. Members of the public have inundated the Department of Planning with more than 100 letters of objection to the proposed hotel plans for Southlands. The letters were written after members of the public learned Southlands Ltd was requesting two special development orders (SDOs). If approved, these would allow the builder to bypass planning regulations. Objectors believe the proposal violated the spirit of the Sustainable Development Strategy and Plan. The more stirring arguments came from people who considered themselves neighbours to Southlands. They believe the people most affected by this development should be considered in the planning process, including families that have lived in the area for generations.

January.  The Royal Gazette group. Belco has started a public consultation about plant location and alternative energy sources in order to better plan for the future. People have been asked if they would support the construction of a new power plant or sub-plant and where they think a new plant should go, if built. Alternative energy sources were also featured prominently, with people being asked if they were open to developments such as wind turbines and solar panels. The company's aim is to gather information that would allow them to assess the interest in various energy options in order to gauge what the demand for them would be over the next 20 years, especially with Bermuda's demand for energy expected to rise 1.5 percent annually over the next 20 years. What are people are doing now to conserve energy? Are they are interested in becoming more energy efficient? Do people want solar panels on their house or is that not aesthetically pleasing?

January.  The Royal Gazette group. Two mega-size cruise ships berthing one in front of the other at an expanded facility in Dockyard now appears the most likely way forward for Bermuda. And for St. George's a future vision of a Monaco-style destination with mega yachts visiting the harbour rather than cruise ships was put forward by Premier Ewart Brown as the future of the Island as a cruise ship destination was discussed. The results of Government's Cruise Ports Study were revealed and showed the high cost – in terms of money and to the environment – the Island would face if it attempts to enlarge the navigational channels at Town Cut in St. George's and Two Rocks Passage near Hamilton to fit larger cruise ships. There is now little doubt the smaller cruise ships currently able to access St. George's harbour and Hamilton harbour will be phased out by the major cruise line companies within the next two to three years. With the cruise ship market favoring Panamax and post-Panamax sized ships, which typically reach 950 feet in length and beyond, Bermuda's most workable answer appears to be to expand the Dockyard cruise port with an extra berthing spot enabling two of the giant ships to visit at the same time rather than just one as is the case today. Although Government has not concluded that there will be no alteration to Town Cut or Two Rocks Passage, it is the opinion of St. George's Corporation that Town Cut not be widened and alternatives be considered such as a cruise pier being developed at Murray's Anchorage for the large cruise ships with passengers then being ferried to town.

January 18. The Royal Gazette group. A new law to make land squabbles a thing of the past is in the pipeline said Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister. He said titles would have to be registered and open to all to see under new legislation likely this year. He told The Royal Gazette : “You will know who owns titles so the questions around that can be resolved.” The mechanics are still being worked out but the objective was everybody will be registered — Government properties as well as private properties — said Mr. Lister. “As time go on the process will be compulsory — as transactions take place and properties change hands they will be automatically registered with the land title registry.” He said the proposed legislation is nothing new. " It is something which is done in other jurisdictions and will help alleviate problems which exist with questions around ownership. You hear stories to this day with people saying their family had owned this whole plot of land and now it’s been subdivided up and years later new generations can’t understand how it got from the ownership of the family to where it is today. 

January 18. The Royal Gazette group. Uncommon Results — the programme which will target at-risk youngsters on the verge of dropping out of society — will make a huge difference to Bermuda, predicted Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler. His ministry is now trying to get at least 100 Bermudian volunteers to help run the programme over the next two or three years. Set to start in April, Mr. Butler said of the scheme: “It will happen. It will make a big difference.” Government is looking for private sponsorship and Mr. Butler said the costs of not intervening were far worse. “If you don’t nip these issues in the bud, for a cent be prepared to pay a dollar. The challenging and intensive course has wayward youth examine the consequences of their choices and talk over problems. It ultimately leads them to discover why their lives are not working.” The programme, which will be run by Mark Charley, involves a two-week residential process for about 30 youngsters at a guest house. They will undergo individual and group counseling and physical activity. “They go out around obstacle courses. They come back and discuss what went right and what went wrong. They are mini-Survivor type courses — why is it you can’t interact with other people in your group?” The programme has been successfully used in eight countries and Mr. Butler said clients had found it made a lasting impact. Course graduates are then channeled to other youth programmes, mentors and other opportunities such as financial help for study. Mr. Butler hopes youngsters can be referred to the programme as an alternative sentencing option.

January 21.  The Royal Gazette group. The Department of Tourism is taking a close look at its public relations agencies in both North America and the United Kingdom. Word of the reviews came from Director of Tourism Cherie Witter who said it was standard practice to ensure that Bermuda tourism is being effectively promoted overseas. The current PR agency in North America is Lou Hammond and Associates which has offices in New York City, Miami, and Charleston, South Carolina. The company has held the account since 1999. It’s not certain whether or not Lou Hammond will be replaced, but Mrs. Whitter said, “The ideal agency partner is one that is immersed in the marketplace and that has established relationships with North American media, influences and celebrities that can be leveraged for the benefit of Bermuda Tourism.” She also advised that the UK agency review began last year and is almost completed. The North American review has just started.

January 21. The Royal Gazette group reported. First stage approval has been given for Cherie Booth, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to come to Bermuda to represent the family of teenage murder victim Rebecca Middleton this April. The Bermuda Bar Council has agreed to a request to have Ms Booth, one of the UK’s leading QCs, as legal counsel at the judicial review scheduled to take place in Supreme Court on April 16 and 17. However, before Ms Booth is given the final green light to work as a legal representative on the Island she must also gain approval from the Department of Immigration and the Supreme Court. Applications to clear those hurdles have been made and will be dealt with in coming weeks. A brief review of how things are progressing with filing evidence documents for the case was held in the Supreme Court at the end of last week. The Department of Public Prosecutions had previously agreed that by January 19 it would file its evidence as to why the director Vinette Graham-Allen made her decision last March not to reinvestigate the murder or consider fresh charges. The brutal rape and murder of Canadian visitor Becky, 17, at a remote spot at Ferry Reach, St. George’s in July 1996, remains unsolved. No-one has ever been convicted of the murder. The court hearing this April, expected to be heard by Chief Justice Richard Ground, will deal simply with the arguments as to whether there should or shouldn’t be a re-examination of the evidence and pursuit of fresh charges against suspects. Ms Booth has previously offered legal advice to the Middletons. Attorney Kelvin Hastings-Smith, of Appleby Hunter Bailhache, served evidence to the DPP containing reasons as to why the case should be reinvestigated at the end of 2006. He said the short court hearing last Thursday was dealing with case management to ensure everything is in order for the April deadline. He said the DPP had co-operated in efforts for Ms Booth to be brought to the Island. The DPP is believed to be seeking overseas counsel of its own to appear in the two-day judicial review, which has been allowed by Mr. Justice Ground.

January 26. The Royal Gazette group reported the Causeway was closed for four hours, nearly 500 people went without power and hundreds of schoolchildren and workers were sent home as hurricane force winds battered Bermuda. With gusting winds hitting 75 knots, flights from Bermuda International Airport and ferry services on the Island were also cancelled. Public Safety Minister David Burch shut the Causeway at 1.30 p.m. for safety reasons, with sustained winds at 45 knots. It remained shut until winds dropped at about 5.30 p.m., leading to scores of frustrated motorists in lengthy tailbacks. All Government schools were closed at lunchtime after power outages at five schools across the country, with a number of private schools following suit. Business leaders described it as a “crazy” day, as many staff left early amid confusion over the Causeway and to fetch their children from school. Four electricity circuits went down during the morning, with about 485 people without power, some for up to three hours. It is thought the problems happened when the wind blew branches onto electricity lines. In the afternoon, a Continental flight from Newark was delayed, while JetBlue and Delta’s Atlanta flights were cancelled because the closure of the Causeway meant people could not reach the airport. Mr. Burch said people had called the Government to complain about the closure of the Causeway, but argued he acted in the interests of public safety. He said Government had set guidelines to shut it in strong winds in the light of Hurricane Fabian in 2003. “Following Fabian, the Government took the stance that when wind speeds rose above 45 knots the Causeway would be closed to vehicular traffic,” he said. “We have to remember that while the sustained winds were 45 knots, the gusts were up to 70 knots. “We have had some criticism for closing the Causeway, but when it comes to a question of life and limb, we are not going to take a chance. If the experts say the winds are gusting at 70 knots, I am going to take action. “Bermuda has a lot of experts who think they know what to do. To some extent, people are a little bit cavalier because it doesn’t occur to them how dangerous the winds can be.” Declan O’Connell of the Bermuda Weather Service said the most severe winds were early afternoon in Dockyard. He said that area faced sustained winds of 55 knots and gusting winds of 75 knots. The airport area had sustained winds of about 38 knots, with gusting winds of about 52 knots at that time. Mr. O’Connell said the storm had been at a fairly steady level from about 9 a.m. until late afternoon, and suggested Government had made the right decision to take action. “A storm like this isn’t totally rare – it happens maybe once or twice a winter,” he said. “But I would think they were right to close the Causeway. You can never look back in hindsight – maybe somebody has been saved by not being able to go across the Causeway in those winds.” The weatherman said the wind had formed north of Bermuda and was now heading towards Canada. Retail businesses maintained their stance all day, letting staff go home depending where they live, and whether they had children to collect. The most severe outage happened in the Main Road area of St. David’s, when about 350 people were without power from about 10.40 a.m.. It is believed two circuits tripped at around the same time. One left 200 people without power for about an hour, the other affected 150 people for about 45 minutes. In The Lane, off Harbour Road, Paget, 86 customers were without power for about an hour and a half from noon. Meanwhile, about 50 customers were down for around three hours in the St. Monica’s Road area of Devonshire. Bermuda Electric Light Company (Belco) spokeswoman Linda Smith said: “We have been able to stay on top of things and ensure we haven’t had an excessive number of outages.” Mr. Burch said all schoolchildren were sent home after five schools were shut due to outages. A wave of students from the Berkeley Institute could be seen walking into Hamilton around lunchtime. Many of the pupils are traditionally picked up from the Pembroke school campus by bus, but yesterday had to walk to the Central Bus Terminal to take their perspective rides. A few students locked arms with one another to brace themselves against the gusts as they walked. Private schools which closed for the afternoon include Bermuda High School and Warwick Academy.

January 30.   The Royal Gazette group. Built at a public cost of $20 million,  the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility, just opened, is the replacement for the St. George's Parish Rest Home, which closed five years ago due to health and safety concerns. It has a library, beauty salon and chapel and underlines the Government's commitment to take residential care to a better level. The government regards it as the future model for residential care, nursing homes and other care facilities. Health Minister Mr. Bascome said: "This is the first step in the Government's commitment to restructure and upgrade our senior residential care and nursing homes to ensure the provision of safe, comfortable and healthy living environments. It will provide needed long-term care, in the east parishes in particular, and help to address a pressing need for more intermediate and skilled nursing care across the Island. The intent of this facility is to provide care and services from assisted living to skilled nursing in an integrated fashion. It embraces the concept of ageing, making it possible for residents to experience dignity, care and individualism at all levels of physical and cognitive ability without having to relocate. The mission of the facility is to deliver effective resident centered care in a home-like environment through the involvement of residents, caregivers and the community. We recognize we must provide a continuum of services that supports seniors and assists them in maintaining their independence and involvement in their communities." The facility was named after Sylvia Richardson, a nurse who made a significant contribution to the St. George community and to the people of Bermuda. Premier Ewart Brown and former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith, local MP, were among the guests as the new home was unveiled. It was built after the Ministry of Health commissioned a report over long-term care facility needs in Bermuda. This involved consultation with the community.

February 12. The Royal Gazette group reported. Labour and Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess has reluctantly scrapped plans to create a register for land trusts after experts told him the move would cause serious damage to the Island’s trust business. The scheme was to have been a major part of the Government’s efforts to clamp down on “fronting” – when Bermudians illegally “front” trusts to buy and hold land on behalf of non-Bermudians. But Mr. Burgess announced in the House of Assembly on Friday that his Ministry was withdrawing the Trusts of Land in Bermuda (Registration) Act 2006, which was tabled on December 1 last year. Instead of the comprehensive trust register that was originally planned, Mr. Burgess on Friday tabled a replacement bill – the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 2007 – entailing a “less intrusive form of information-gathering”. “I have withdrawn from the concept of having a comprehensive registration scheme for all land trusts in Bermuda, a scheme that was of major concern to stakeholders who felt that it would be most injurious to trust business in Bermuda,” Mr. Burgess said in a ministerial statement. “It is with some trepidation that I have abandoned the compulsory registration scheme. However, should the passage of time reveal that the less intrusive form of information-gathering provided for in the new bill is ineffective, the Government will not hesitate to return to this Honorable House with stern measures along the lines of the Trusts of Land in Bermuda (Registration) Act that is to be withdrawn today.” Mr. Burgess told MPs that some parties had raised concerns about the land trust register idea, prompting the Minister to invite them to air their views. “In response to my invitation, stakeholders including the Bank of Bermuda, the Bermuda Bar Association, the Bermuda Association of Licensed Trustees and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Bermuda) made submissions setting out their views on the proposed legislation and offering proposals whereby they might be modified,” Mr. Burgess said. Labour and Immigration technical officers joined Mr. Burgess in a meeting with concerned parties on January 22, with UK trust legislation expert James Wadham providing support for the Government team. “After reflecting on the input received from these bodies and after much deliberation, I , supported by my Government colleagues, came to the conclusion that the public would be better served by a simplified regulatory regime,” Mr. Burgess said. Key information-gathering powers proposed in the scrapped bill had been merged into the new bill, the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 2007, he added. Government would not waver on its policy to ensure “the preservation of Bermuda’s land bank for future generations of Bermudians”, Mr. Burgess said.

February 14.  The Royal Gazette group. Better pay for nurses and the rebuilding of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will help tackle the nursing shortage in Bermuda, according to new hospitals chief David Hill. Improved training opportunities are also being considered as Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) steps up its drive to recruit and retain medical staff in response to the global shortage of health care workers, said Mr. Hill. The CEO said the new-look hospital would provide an attractive environment for nurses and healthcare professionals. Mr. Hill said: "Recruiting staff remains an issue now and will be an issue for many years to come, both for this hospital and hospitals internationally. We are working on various initiatives, particularly around the nursing shortage. We come up with as many initiatives as we can to recruit and retain staff. We are looking at salary and pay ladders this year to make it more financially rewarding to staff to work here. Schemes are also under consideration for local training. If there's good training packages available and then a good salary, once people have trained they would stay here, particularly if there is the prospect of a new hospital. Good clinical staff want to work in the best environment. That's what we want to provide for them." In November last year, Health Minister Nelson Bascome revealed demand for nurses on the Island will go up from 430 to 473 in the next decade to help care for increasing numbers of seniors. Mr. Hill was speaking around two months after taking up his five-year post at the BHB. One of his key tasks will be to oversee the rebuilding of the KEMH. He confirmed health bosses were continuing to plan the rebuilding project at the hospital's present site and stressed measures were being drawn up to ensure disruption to patients would be kept to a minimum. "There's a clear policy the new facility should be built on this site," he said. "We welcome that policy and direction. It brings clarity and focus to our planning. We have done a lot of background research into what new facilities we need. We are now translating that into how it would look on this site. At the hospital, we have got some new parts and some older parts. Some areas have got a higher priority in terms of needing work. Keeping disruption to a minimum is down to detailed planning and good project management. Internationally, most hospitals have got continuous building work going on to improve their facilities. When you look at this site, it's very large. We should be able to plan it." He added that the time-scale of the project was still being planned. Mr. Hill was chosen to lead the KEMH and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute on the strength of his past experience in the UK Since the 1990s, he headed the James Paget Healthcare Trust, in Norfolk, one of the best performing healthcare trusts in England. Under Mr. Hill's leadership, the trust was given a maximum three-star rating by the UK Healthcare Commission for its achievements in providing care to patients and overall hospital management. It also achieved University Hospital status, meaning it trained doctors. He said he came to Bermuda to embark on a new personal and professional challenge. "It wouldn't have been enough to go to a new hospital in the UK," he said. "I wanted something very different, and Bermuda gave me the opportunity to do that. In my interview, they were very open about Bermuda and both hospitals and what had been achieved and what remained to be achieved. It's been a whirlwind first two months and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I'm very impressed with the quality and commitment of staff that we have here, and the support of the community for both the KEMH and the Atlantic Institute. There's a very real feeling of belonging and ownership." He said he was looking forward to some tough challenges ahead. "There's some issues, including the new hospital which has to be completed," he said. "It needs leadership in that area. Medicine is moving very fast internationally. Every hospital has to move on a constant basis up to those international standards. In this hospital we are very keen to hit those international standards on a regular basis. It involves looking at all the various clinical outcomes that we achieve, particularly the patient experience in terms of comfort, dignity and privacy. There are areas that we are working on. I'm talking to doctors, physicians and the other professionals, and other stakeholders, to obtain all their views to priorities what order things need doing. The biggest challenge will be how to invest and improve services in the existing hospital while we are preparing for a brand new hospital. In my five years, I would like to make sure that the new hospital is well advanced. My job is to facilitate and harness all the commitment, energy and efforts in Bermuda into improving the services that are available to the local population."

February 14.  The Royal Gazette group. About a dozen Bermudians who have worked with the US State Department are now part of a very exclusive alumni association — put together with the help of the American Consulate in Devonshire. Friday was the new alumni group's first ever meeting to discuss what the programme has accomplished and what its future may hold. The State Department's Voluntary Visitor Exchange Programme recruits non-Americans to go to the United States to meet with and learn from American experts in various fields. For example, the first Bermudian group travelled to the United States in 2005 to pick up knowledge on youth development. The five-member team went to Washington, DC, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Jacksonville and Chicago in a fast-paced, ten-day stretch. Dr. Derrick Binns led the 2005 group while he was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs. Last year Kennette Robinson from the Department of Child and Family Services led a second team to Washington, New York and Florida on a mission to better understand strengthening families. Members from both of those trips make up the new Voluntary Visitor Alumni Association. Part of the inaugural meeting on Friday was spent discussing the 2007 trip to the United States. US Consul General Gregory Slayton said: "The VolVis Exchange Program is an important public diplomacy tool reflecting the co-operative nature of the relationship between the United States and Bermuda." He also said he would like to see a contingent off to the United States every year and the alumni association has moved them one important step closer to that goal. The Bermuda alumni group will have the opportunity to meet with other alumni around the world. There are an estimate 23,000 who meet occasionally and participate in discussion panels and on-line web chats with guest experts. 

February 19.  The Royal Gazette group. Some of Bermuda's most influential people paid tribute to Gloria McPhee who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 80. She was instrumental in the racial integration of Bermuda's schools, helped create the Bermuda College, and was the country's first ever female Government Minister, representing the United Bermuda Party at the time. But those who honored Mrs. McPhee — aunt of Progressive Labour Party Premier Ewart Brown — were of all political stripes. Last night former Premier Sir John Swan heard the news for the first time from The Royal Gazette and said immediately: "What a tragedy." His wife, Lady Swan, was equally surprised to hear the news. Sir John said: "I'd like to extend to Dr. McPhee and the family our condolences on behalf of Lady Swan and our family. "She was a true Bermudian who believed in Bermuda as a true democracy. She worked in a bipartisan way and devoted herself to the political process. She helped to bring Bermuda through an evolving, difficult and maturing process which helped build the foundation of the Bermuda we know today. She left a considerable legacy in her commitment to the United Bermuda Party and the country as a whole. She'll be looked at as one of the most outstanding Ministers in our history. Bermuda owes her a debt of gratitude." Mrs. McPhee's husband, Dr. G.B. McPhee spoke lovingly of his wife when contacted at home last night: "She was my whole life — my great advisor, lover, and friend. She was everything to me. She's a great loss." Mrs. McPhee is survived by her husband and her two children Karen Juanita McPhee and Kevin Darrell McPhee. Dr. and Mrs. McPhee met at Howard University in Washington DC and were married there in 1948 right after Mrs. McPhee's graduation. She had thoughts originally of becoming a dentist, but instead decided to work in her husband's medical practice as a certified laboratory technician. She was there about a decade until she went into public service. In 1968 she won her first election as a member of the United Bermuda Party and summarily defeated the Opposition Leader. Gloria McPhee would never lose an election her entire political career. The family's lawyer, Julian Hall, often lamented his client wasn't elevated from O.B.E status to Dame. He said last night in an e-mail message: "The late Sir Henry Tucker described her as the UBP secret weapon and he was absolutely right. She was a formidable daughter of the Bermudian soil whose impact on the Bermuda education system and on our understanding of the need to protect and preserve our environment was monumental. She was an extremely diligent and hard working servant of the Bermudian people for many years." After the United Bermuda Party win of 1968, Mrs. McPhee became the first woman appointed to the Cabinet. Dr. McPhee said: "She was loved by the country, even as a member of the UBP she held the respect of both parties and the unions. She was the only full-time politician in her day — she was doing 60 hours a week." Current Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert said he had known and respected Mrs. McPhee for decades. He said: "I'm very sad to hear Gloria McPhee has passed. I entered politics at a very young age, when Gloria McPhee served the people of Hamilton West. I worked very closely with her at the time. She helped me get my first education scholarship when she was the Minister of Education. She encouraged me to apply for a teaching scholarship and I received it." "She was a lady's lady. She spoke well. She was everything that Hamilton Parish really wanted. I'm sure she has gone now from her labour to rest." Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced shortly. 

February 20.  The Royal Gazette group. Despite no rise in general payroll tax in this year’s Budget, companies face an ever-increasing payroll tax burden because of salary increases and the need to employ more staff, according to business leaders. For some relief comes by taking a portion of their operation overseas, or even starting out with a percentage of staff located in places other than Bermuda. As welcome as the Island’s booming economy might be, a drawback is the high cost of having locally-based staff. That’s one of the reasons why some businesses have either out-sourced work overseas or set up business units in lower-cost jurisdictions. “Businesses are going to pay more in payroll tax. The amount they pay is going up even though the (tax) rate has not changed. That is because salaries have risen and the number of employees are going up,” said Peter Everson, president of the Chamber of Commerce. “So international business looks to see where it makes the most sense to locate their people. Is it better to have new recruits in other countries?” he said. “The more it makes more sense to have them somewhere other than Bermuda the more Bermuda will suffer. And these young people (who are employed) end up not having any allegiance to Bermuda one way or the other.” One company that saw economic sense in having some of its operations based outside Bermuda is Flagstone Re. Set up in December 2005 in the wake of the devastation of hurricanes Wilma, Rita and Katrina on the US, Flagstone employs 95 people globally, of which around one-third work at its Church Street offices. The others are spread out, mostly in Canada and India, but also at small offices in London and Switzerland.  Flagstone made a deliberate decision at inception to have multiple operations in different countries. So it was not a case of it relocating staff overseas at a later date. Explaining why it had not brought all its people to Bermuda from day one, president and CEO David Brown said: “We realised, having worked in Bermuda for a long time, that certain jobs it is hard to get the locals to do the work because of limited availability, so rather than try to have those jobs in Bermuda where you have to get the people through immigration and there is the high costs, we decided to have them from the very beginning somewhere else. So what we have is access to lots of big talent pools and no immigration problems because they are working in their own country.” Flagstone has accountancy, legal claims, and IT support and networking based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while in Hyderabad, India, it has a catastrophe modeling team, development operation and research and development group. While Flagstone had its overseas teams from the outset, other Bermuda businesses have been branching overseas with Nova Scotia a particular favorite with Olympia Capital and Butterfield Bank opting to open operations there. Does Mr. Brown think others in Bermuda might follow suit? “I think they will. It’s a global, competitive business. If you want to be competitive you have to look at those options, I think you will see it more and more,” he observed. “We did not move the jobs abroad because the jobs were never in Bermuda in the first place. It’s a little more difficult if you have people established in the job and you want to replace them with somebody in another country. “The cost of bringing someone in (to Bermuda) is very high. It’s hard for them to make a career move because they can’t stay here forever, so it’s much easier to employ someone in their own country with lower cost base where there is no issue about them getting a job and they can stay with us as long as they want. Payroll tax does increase the cost of doing business here and is one of the factors that people look at when they are doing business. It costs a lot for lots of good reasons; it’s a small Island with limited resources and limited labour pool and that tends to drive up prices. I’m not complaining about, it’s just a fact. The higher those costs get the more people will start looking for alternatives like we chose.” Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Everson views this year’s Budget as “neutral” but warns there does not appear to be any setting aside of revenue during the current boom to tide the Island during leaner economic times.

February 20.  The Royal Gazette group. Bermuda has lost another of its peaceful warriors from the sometimes turbulent political period of the 1960s and 1970s. The late Gloria McPhee, who died this weekend, was an iconoclastic and independent-minded politician, who was part of the outstanding class of 1968 that revolutionized Bermuda politics as the Island entered the era of universal suffrage and political parties. Former MP Julian Hall rightly quoted a description by the late Sir Henry Tucker of Mrs. McPhee as the United Bermuda Party's "secret weapon", and that she was, defeating then-Progressive Labour Party Leader Walter Robinson in 1968 and then holding her seat in 1972 and 1976, when her running mate the late Dr. John Stubbs was defeated. Mrs. McPhee, Bermuda's first female Cabinet Minister, was subsequently a leading force in the UBP's Black Caucus, which was formed as UBP MPs became increasingly disturbed that the then-Government was lagging in its commitment to social reform and opening up opportunities for black Bermudians. So disillusioned did she become that in 1980, she nominated Opposition Leader Lois Browne Evans for her Devonshire North seat in a general election that the UBP only narrowly won. That signaled the end of Mrs. McPhee's participation in active politics, but she remained busy behind the scenes. Indeed, only a few months ago she raised her concerns about the impact of global warming and climate change on Bermuda, and it is ironic and unfortunate that our series on the issue should have been started just after her death. Mrs. McPhee was a courageous and independent politician, in much the same way that colleagues like Dr. Stubbs, the late Dr. Stanley Ratteray, Harry Viera, C.V. (Jim) Woolridge and Dr. Clarence James were and are. While it is fashionable today to claim that black Bermudians joined the UBP "for what they could get", this is deeply unfair. For many, it would have been easier to join the PLP and avoid the accusations of being Uncle Toms that followed. For the most part, these men and women were conservative, and that in large part motivated them to join the UBP and to force change from within the old establishment. Few were from what was then generally considered to be the "Forty Thieves", and they all had a fierce passion for Bermuda and an abiding belief that Bermuda could only progress if it did so as a truly integrated community in which the races worked together to eliminate their differences. This was the fundamental difference between the UBP and the PLP then and now, because the latter party has a regrettable tendency to look at politics via a prism in which race is the sole factor, and fails to recognize the differences and similarities that individuals have, regardless of the skin colour that they were born with. Despite the use of Mrs. McPhee's name as a UBP dissident, she never veered from her fundamental beliefs.  She had a unshakeable commitment to building and maintaining the dignity and worth of the black Bermudian, but she never veered from her commitment to an integrated Bermuda, and she certainly had deep concerns about the direction in which Bermuda was going before her untimely passing. It is also fair to say that she probably would have looked at the quality of today's House of Assembly with some dismay. It is all too easy to look at the past with rose-tinted glasses and it is true that obituaries perennially gloss over the human weaknesses we all have in abundance, but it is undeniable that the members of today's House of Assembly are a far cry from the stellar statesmen and women who occupied seats in the House during Mrs. McPhee's era. That is as true for the PLP as it is for the UBP. Apart from those named above, the House today lacks leaders of the caliber of Dame Lois Browne-Evans and the late Eugene Cox and Frederick Wade, both of whom were part of the Class of 1968. Today, as too many of these great leaders pass on, having left a legacy of which all Bermuda should be proud, they leave the question: Will Bermuda see their like again?

February 22.  The Royal Gazette group. US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is one of three senators who have proposed legislation that seeks to recover an estimated $100 billion a year in tax revenue they say is lost each year because of overseas tax havens. The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act will impact many offshore jurisdictions including Bermuda, which was mentioned directly by Democrat Sen. Obama when spoke on the proposal. “Under this bill, if you create a trust or corporation in a tax haven jurisdiction, send it assets, or benefit from its actions, the Federal Government will presume a civil judicial and administrative proceedings that you control the entity and that any income generated by it is your income for tax, securities, and money-laundering purposes,” said Sen. Obama. “The burden of proof shifts to the corporation or the individual, who may rebut these presumptions by clear and convincing evidence. This bill provides an initial list of offshore secrecy jurisdictions where these evidentiary presumptions will apply. Taxpayers with foreign financial accounts in Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands or Dominica, for example, should be prepared to report their accounts in the Internal Revenue Service.” Senators Obama, Norm Coleman and Carl Levin have jointly presented the proposed legislation, which will in part force hedge funds to report their foreign investors to the Treasury Department. Also speaking to the proposal Sen. Levin referred to a 2004 report he had helped compile that revealed that two-thirds of the top 100 companies doing business with the US Government had one or more subsidiaries in a tax haven. One company, Bermuda-based Tyco International, had 155, he told Congress. The 68-page measures proposed will impose tougher requirements on US taxpayers using offshore secrecy jurisdictions, give the US Treasury the authority to take action against foreign jurisdictions that impede tax enforcement, stiffen penalties against abusers and close offshore trust loopholes, according to Michigan Democrat Sen. Levin. "The legislation would require hedge funds to establish anti-money-laundering programs under guidance from the Treasury Department to better track offshore investors. The measure would also prohibit the US Patent and Trademark Office from issuing patents for accounting strategies intended to “minimise, avoid, defer, or otherwise affect liability for federal, state, local, or foreign tax. We cannot tolerate tax cheats offloading their unpaid taxes onto the backs of honest taxpayers,” Levin said. “Offshore tax havens have declared economic war on honest taxpayers by helping tax cheats hide income and assets that should be taxed in the same way as other Americans.” Both the Treasury Department and top lawmakers in both houses of Congress have made a priority this year reducing the so-called tax gap, the difference between what individuals and companies owe and what they actually pay. The IRS said a study of 2001 tax returns shows the tax gap is about $345 billion a year, only $55 billion of which is recovered. The legislation is a “strengthened” version of a measure introduced in 2005 by the senators, said Sen. Levin. The legislation is the product of four years of investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “Our bill offers innovative ways to combat offshore secrecy,” Levin said. “We can’t let the offshore tax havens hide $100 billion in US tax revenues which are needed to protect our troops, fund health care and education, and meet the other needs of American families.” The Senate committee’s extended investigation culminated in a 370-page report in August that concluded companies and rich individuals, usually advised by lawyers and brokers, set up sham trusts and shell corporations to hide assets in countries such as Belize and the British Virgin Islands. The report said wealthy American individuals have $1.6 trillion in offshore assets which they use to illegally evade between $40 billion and $70 billion in annual taxes. US corporations evade about $30 billion a year through these shelters, it said, citing an IRS study. “It is simply unacceptable that some individuals are using offshore tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions to shelter trillions of dollars in assets from taxation,” said Sen. Coleman. “We are introducing this bill to close these loopholes, shut down offshore tax schemes, and ensure that every American pays their fair share of taxes.”

February 22. The Royal Gazette group reported that American television personality Rosie O'Donnell has chartered an entire cruise liner and that ship is headed for Bermuda. It's not the first time Ms. O'Donnell has booked a complete ship for gay and lesbian families, but this time she rocked a few boats because people who had previously made reservations on Norwegian were bumped. A spokesperson for "The View" co-host said: "It's not Rosie's fault. This happens every time someone charters a cruise, but because it's Rosie, people want to make an issue." New Yorker Carol Farina told the Daily News the cruise was a Sweet 16 celebration for her granddaughter who has lupus. Members of the family arranged their vacations around the trip. Now they've been bumped. "I don't blame Rosie O'Donnell," Ms Farina said. "I think it's up to the cruise line." Norwegian officials offered an apology and a $50 onboard credit to people who were inconvenienced. They also plan to rebook those displaced passengers on a different cruise. The Farina family may have to pass on the opportunity though because everyone in their group can't reschedule. The cruise of gay and lesbian families is due to leave New York on July 7. It will come to Bermuda, then go to the Bahamas, before returning to the U.S. East Coast on July 14. Rosie O'Donnell announced she was a lesbian in 2002. Two years later she married her long time girlfriend Kelli Carpenter in San Francisco. The couple has three adopted children and a fourth who was conceived through sperm donation. In 2006 Ms. O'Donnell's gay and lesbian family cruises became widely known through the release of a documentary on HBO called "All Aboard: Rosie's Family Cruise."

February 23. The Royal Gazette group reported that Government leaders may turn to private partners to help pay for a second cruise ship pier in Dockyard. Already $20m dollars has been set aside in the new budget for the project, but that represents only about 60 percent of the anticipated cost- another $15m will have to come from the next budget. When asked how the second budget allotment will be paid for, Premier Ewart Brown, who is also Tourism Minister, said: “It will either come out as a capital expenditure or we may engage in a public-private partnership with the cruise lines.” Such a partnership would provide some relief to taxpayers, but the cruise lines will be expecting something in return. Dr. Brown added: “They form a closer relationship with the Government, I think it gives them a better chance at being considered when schedules are being formulated. If they’re co-owners of something they expect to have a greater say.” According to the Premier, these kinds of partnerships have been brokered in other jurisdictions and he predicted one could work well for Bermuda. The Dockyard port enhancement is needed, according to proponents, because the smaller traditional cruise liners are being phased out to make room for larger Panamax ships. The Panamax ships won’t fit through Town Cut in St. George’s or Two Rocks Passage near Hamilton, so the burden of the bigger cruise liners rests solely on Dockyard. Ultimately, the new project would allow two Panamax ships to dock simultaneously. Passengers could be ferried to various parts of the Island. The announcement of a new Dockyard port arrives after the numbers of 2007 cruise ship visits were released, which showed 180 visits this year, 11 more than in 2006 and 34 more visits then in 2004. Visitors arriving by cruise ship in 2006 were up by 36 percent with a total of 336,299 over the 247,258 in 2005 and the focus on cruise arrivals is part of Dr. Brown’s objective to increase overall visitor numbers. A $35m expense, however, to further promote the cruise passenger product, is not going to make everyone happy, especially because the cruise visitor doesn’t spend nearly as much on the Island as the air visitor. It’s a point the Premier agreed with. “It’s an established fact,” he said. “But our position is that a cruise visitor is better than no visitor and that’s what we used to have.” So by those parameters, it’s difficult to see what benefit the $35m project holds for local tourism businesses. The Premier responded: “No that’s not quite true. While we’re rebuilding our bed inventory, we decided we still wanted to have some tourists. A: because a cruise visitor is better than no visitor and B: because those cruise visitors represent potential land visitors in the future.” The Premier has argued the race to rebuild tourism lies in a revitalized hotel industry. That’s why he’s been a strong advocate of the luxury hotel proposal at Southlands. But his affinity to allow commercial construction at that historic Warwick property is one of the reasons he is at odds with some sustainable development campaigners. Premier Brown is now apt to point those critics to the 2007/2008 budget where he set aside $236,000 for sustainable development. It’s the first time in three years there’s been a specific allocation for this purpose. The Premier said: “Let’s talk about the fact that the press have implied that sustainable development has been dropped as an issue by this Government. I expect the line item in the budget scuttles that because we don’t budget for things that are not important.” When Premier Brown assumed the leadership from former Premier Alex Scott he was widely criticised for not including the words sustainable development in his Throne Speech. He also balked at the chance to broach the subject when he gave a national address earlier this month marking 100 Days in Office. Perhaps the Premier’s harshest critic on this subject is environmentalist Stuart Hayward. The Premier refused to reappoint Mr. Hayward to the sustainable development roundtable. Ever since the two men have been on opposing sides of just about every environmental issue, particularly Southlands. After the Premier’s 100 Day Address Mr. Hayward said: “There is no mention in the statement whatsoever of Sustainable Development. It would appear that former Premier Scott’s initiative on sustainable development has been relegated beyond the back burner. When so many Bermudians were encouraged to take part in surveys, questionnaires and public meetings, it is extremely disappointing to have all that public goodwill disregarded.” Erin Moran’s group Greenrock also advocates for sustainable development. She said: “It clearly appears the focus of his PLP Government administration is heavily weighted towards economic development. Yet, four months ago, the former Premier, Alex Scott, stated his PLP Government administration stressed the importance of planning ahead with equal weight on the areas of economic, social and environmental issues. So which PLP Government is right?” Even though the phrase ‘sustainable development’ has been missing from major speeches, the Premier argued the topic is still in the forefront of his mind. He said: “Absolutely, what happened was we had a change of administration, a change of leadership and composition of the roundtable. And now we’re ready to go.” When pressed for an explanation on how the $236,000 would be spent in the next fiscal year, the Premier said: “I don’t want to lock them (the roundtable members) in. I expect they will examine and comment on all major Government projects not just construction projects, but all major projects and initiatives. All of them.”

February 23. The Royal Gazette group reported. Securing work permits, term limit exemptions and visitor permits from the Department of Labour and Immigration is the biggest challenge faced by international business in Bermuda. And the leader of the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) is urging rapid improvements to be made to remedy that situation. There should also be extreme caution shown towards any move to increase the tax burden faced by international business in Bermuda because the Island already presents high costs to companies located on the Island. Those are two key points expressed by ABIC chairman David Ezekiel, who has generally welcomed the Budget unveiled by Finance Minister Paula Cox a week ago today. “We note the Minister’s statement that much of the allocation provided to the Ministry of Labour & Immigration is to be used to deliver a long-promised improvement in the delivery of services to its customers,” said Mr. Ezekiel. “We cannot stress strongly enough the importance of this being done and being done quickly. Our members continually advise us that dealing with the Department in relation to work permits, term limit exemptions, visitor permits and the like is the biggest challenge facing them as they try to operate efficiently in the Bermuda environment. Again, we are encouraged Minister Derrick Burgess has given us a commitment that we will see improvements in the approach and response time sooner rather than later.” In its initial Budget response the ABIC repeated it is not supportive of any tax increases “during this time of a fast-expanding revenue base on the Island.” The raising of the payroll tax cap from $235,000 to $350,000 will impact high level executives in the Island’s international business sector but is not likely have an appreciable impact on most Island businesses according to Mr. Ezekiel. However, he warns that any addition to the cost of doing business in Bermuda should be viewed with caution. “Bermuda is already seen as a high-cost domicile, and any measures that put pressure on the cost for businesses or their employees should be avoided as far as possible,” he said. On other aspects of the Budget, Mr. Ezekiel commented: “We consider the Budget Statement, as one would expect from Minister of Finance Paula Cox, to be a clear expression of Government’s intent and plans for the future, and ABIC and its members are supportive of the underlying theme of the document, which is that ‘doing good is more important than doing well’. Against this backdrop, however, we urge the Minister to continue with strong budgeting controls, so that we do not have costs simply rising to match the ever-increasing revenue from this healthy economy.” ABIC noted the Budget provides a picture of a thriving economy, with revenue in 2007 expected to increase from $856 million to $917 million — well above the rate of inflation — to fund many programmes outlined by the Government. Payroll tax revenue, much of it from ABIC member companies, is expected to amount to just under $300 million in the year ahead. Mr. Ezekiel said ABIC, which represents more than 120 international companies incorporated in Bermuda, was encouraged by the Budget’s focus on education. He said: “We firmly believe that many of the problems and frustrations being experienced within the community have their root in deficiencies in the education system, particularly in the public sector, so we continue to support a strong focus on education. We are encouraged by the commitment made by the Minister of Education Randy Horton, to put procedures in place which will hopefully lead to a widespread improvement in the quality of education provided on the Island. We also are extremely supportive of all initiatives directed at ensuring that Bermudians, and particularly black Bermudians, are provided with full opportunities to rise to the higher levels of management, both in the local and in the international business sectors.”

February 27. There are more than 583 people on the housing waiting list, Government revealed yesterday, with 287 on the emergency list, 256 on the urgent list and 40 on the critical list. Opposition MPs hit out at the figures, which were revealed during yesterday’s budget debate on housing, claiming that the total had soared in the past few years. However, Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister said Government had more than doubled the amount of units available through Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC). The Minister said there were 1,850 people in BHC managed housing, and that since 1999 the units under its control had increased from 350 units to 585. Mr. Lister, who read the brief because Housing Minister David Burch sits in the Senate, said: “We have doubled the stock of housing units available for the public to be housed in from what was there previously under BHC.” The Opposition argued Government had merely doubled the amount of properties it managed without necessarily increasing the amount of housing available on the Island. Responding to the housing list figures, Shadow Works and Engineering MP Jon Brunson said: “That’s 583 people that are in dire need. The people of Bermuda have been crying out for support.” Mr. Brunson cited last year’s closure of the Canadian Hotel as an example of Government’s “reactionary” behavior to emergency housing needs. Most of the venue’s 60 residents were moved into an emergency house facility at Southside about a month after it was announced the hotel would shut. “It’s clear that this Government is reactionary to the issue,” said Mr. Brunson. “We knew for some time that the issue of the Canadian Hotel was going to finally come to an end, yet only at the eleventh hour, when the rental agreement was going to be cancelled, did this Government act. The people knew they had to leave, and there was no assistance. The assistance came at the outcry from the people.” Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert said Government had “failed the people of Bermuda when it comes to housing”. They have failed the people for the last nine years and as soon as the PLP recognizes this, as they have in education, the country will be better for off.” He said that eight or nine years ago, just 61 people were on the housing list. Mr. Lister had said the programme to handle apartments owned by seniors had sparked a great response with 20 units offered to BHC to manage and more inquiries flooding in. And he said BHC had an aggressive programme to renovate properties and that annual inspections had changed to twice-yearly visits to identify problems early. Mr. Lister listed a string of projects which should help the affordable homes crisis, including nearly 100 low-cost homes being built at Harbourside Village, available for $199,000 to members of the public who won a Government lottery last year. He pledged that work would start this year to convert affordable homes in a development in Ewing Street, Hamilton. Responding, Mr. Brunson complained these projects had been mentioned before and called for progress on them to be made quickly. He accused the Government of being “irresponsible” for not delivering affordable homes sooner. “We all know this issue of housing is a critical issue that’s facing Bermuda,” he said. “The sense that I got when I listened was: ‘Play it again Sam. This Government has been in power for more than eight years ... I reflect back to eight years ago when people had hope that the Government was going to deliver on its promises. This issue of housing is not my issue, it’s the people’s issue, the people who are struggling and have nowhere else to go.” PLP MP Glenn Blakeney praised Government for the projects underway and applauded Finance Minister Paula Cox for a “prudent and relevant” budget. “I think everyone in this country would agree we are challenged, but we are still ahead of the pack,” he said. He described projects being worked on or completed - such as 38 homes in Perimeter Lane, and recently opened schemes at Anchorage Villas and Butterfield Lane - as “tangible, not just promises”. He referred to schemes at Harbourside View and Ireland Island as “wonderful initiatives” that will “bring families together”. Mr Brunson queried why just two posts in the Ministry of Public Safety and Housing required a combined salary level of $565,000. Mr. Lister explained that although there were two established posts — that of a Permanent Secretary and an administration assistant — the money also funded a further four posts, including people on boards such as the Parole Board and the Treatment of Offenders Board. And Opposition Legislative Reform spokesman John Barritt probed for answers on what $362,000 budgeted for professional services went on. Mr. Lister was not immediately able to answer which sparked frustration from the United Bermuda Party including Finance Spokeswoman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin who said the details were supposed to be available. “He should come here with the facts.” Mr. Lister later explained that, of the professional services cash, $100,000 went to local services, $99,000 to overseas services and $163,000 was spent on board and committee fees. The Opposition also queried claims that Government was trying to get 90 percent of the post to people within four days. Mr. Barritt said it seemed those waiting for the other ten percent were constantly lodging complaints and he indicated the Post Office was falling behind with timely deliveries. “It’s important we get to grips with it when you look at the amount of money that is spent on the Post Office.” He said $57 million was spent and eight million came back in revenue but people were tired of waiting so long for their letters. The debate also touched on areas in the Public Safety portfolio. Progressive Labour Party backbencher George Scott commended Government for amalgamating the Island’s three fire services. Mr. Scott, who has a background in that area, said with three services there was no clear point of command and control. And he called on the fire service to have more input in inspecting the many multilevel buildings springing up.