Next year’s sailings on the MS Veendam run from May 1 until October 9. The ship will spend one day in St George and two nights in Hamilton.

Cruise fares begin at $699 per person plus taxes, double occupancy.

It is believed that more Bermudians per capita than any other country in the world volunteered to serve in the First Word War (1914-1918). They served in all of the great battles of the First World War, including the Battle of the Somme in France, which lasted for six months and claimed nearly a million lives.

After the First World War, the Government of the day promised a War Memorial and the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, laid the foundation stone in the Cabinet Grounds in 1920. A competition was held for the design. The Memorial was never built and pensions and benefits were never given to the returning soldiers.

After the Second World War (1939-45), there was no change in the Government’s attitude towards Bermuda’s returning soldiers, but a war memorial does exist for smaller separate units, like the BVRC Memorial in Victoria Park.

Bermuda’s military units were segregated at the time of the World Wars and the records of many soldiers, particularly black soldiers, have been poorly maintained. Many others do not exist at all. The current campaign aims at righting an historic wrong in the Bermuda community. The aim is to recognize appropriately the First and Second World War service of all of Bermuda’s residents. The new War Memorial will honour the sacrifice of every Bermudian man and woman who served in the Great Wars.

Until the Government amended the War Pensions and Services Act in 2007, Bermudians who served in the defence of Bermuda and nearly all black veterans and their widows received no acknowledgement or benefits.

The Government has extended benefits to veterans and widows to include free hospital treatment, respite and palliative care, a monthly pension and a funeral grant. There were extensive benefits available in the 1919 and 1947 versions of the War Pensions and Services Act, but unlike other Commonwealth countries which had similar Acts, the benefits were never made properly available in Bermuda.

It is to be noted that the Cenotaph, located on the Cabinet Grounds, is not a war memorial. Instead, it is an ‘empty tomb’ that reflects in abstract the ‘Glorious Dead’ who perished in the two World Wars. It is a miniature model of the Cenotaph in London.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering has launched an appeal to the community to ensure all their names are included on the War Memorial and the public is encouraged to contact Ms. Carol Everson at 533-4567 or via email at nosoldierleftbehind@hotmail.com to provide details of any Bermudian war veteran.

“Hospitality rules,” says Peter Shrubb, Commodore of race co-sponsors Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. “We’ll make Bermuda’s guests welcome. We want them to come back in two years . . . or sooner. Thanks to all the local volunteers in Bermuda who work from the finish line to the duty desk and behind the scenes, it all happens with style.”

Racing starts in Newport at 2.00 p.m. on June 18. Spectators can track the racing boats’ course to Bermuda online at www.iboattrack.com. And new for 2010, thanks to the new Gateway Bermuda Finish Line Cam, spectators watching the big screens at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club can watch boats finish 24/7.

All race details are updated on www.BermudaRace.com.

All those in Bermuda during the week is invited to join the fun at RBYC. Some of the most spectacular racing and cruising boats will berth in the club marina. Captains and crews are always willing to spin a sea-yarn or two with inquisitive guests. Winning boats are identified with appropriate signage. Shirts, caps and lots of logo race wear for men and women are available in the regatta store.

The RBYC Anniversary Regatta will be held on Friday, June 25 in the Great Sound and adjacent waters. The second race finishes off the Hamilton Princess in mid-afternoon. Up to 30 yachts from 37 to 90 feet long will be racing in Bermuda that Friday. It is the biggest offshore race in Bermuda all year.

If conditions are right for Newport Bermuda, the fastest boats, three 90 to 100 footers in the Open Division, could finish on Sunday afternoon. Alex Thomson’s Speedboat, first to finish in 2008, hopes to repeat but this year in record time. Ken Read on Puma, a Volvo 70, and Bermuda’s Argo Group CEO Mark Watson, sponsor and skipper of the US Merchant Marine Academy’s Dubois 90 Genuine Risk, both hope to snatch line honours and rain on his parade. The Open Division record was set in 2004 by Morning Glory with a time of 48 hours, 28 minutes and 31 seconds.

In the other divisions, competition is just as tight. The focus in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division will be on Niklas Zennstrom’s JV72 Ran, winner of last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race and class winner in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. Peter Rebovich in his Cal 40 Sinn Fein are going for a record tying three straight St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy wins.

In the Cruiser Division, Bermuda’s Paul Hubbard has his sights set on a repeat first place finish aboard Bermuda Oyster. The double-handers feature the biennial battle between Rich du Moulin’s Express 37 Lora Ann and Hewitt Gaynor’s J120 Mireille along with 25 other boats sailed by just two sailors.

Successful candidates running for the office of Alderman were Pamela Ferreira, John Harvey, and Glen Smith. Those elected to the office of Common Councillor were Walter Cross, Marshall Minors, Pamela Quarterly, Dennis Tucker, and Nicholas Swan.

Charles Gosling is the managing director of Gosling’s.

Last month the government announced its intention to abolish the Corporation of Hamilton and the Corporation of St George’s and transfer responsibilities to central government.

At a press conference in Bermuda yesterday, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced plans to open the St Regis Bermuda at the corner of Par-la-Ville Road and Church Street, overlooking Par-la-Ville Park.

The 5-star luxury hotel will offer 140 guest rooms and suites, plus 80 serviced residences. Other features include a spa, restaurant and wine bar, library, rooftop conservatory, 4000 square foot ballroom, and outdoor courtyard.

The hotel will be owned by Par-la-Ville Hotel and Residences Ltd, a partnership between Virginia-based Unified Resorts Ltd and New York-based Sagewood Investments LLC. It will be built on land owned by the Corporation of Hamilton.

Completion is scheduled for 2013.

The first of the Summer Sundays in the Park will take place tomorrow and will feature live entertainment, island cuisine, and a children’s play area.

The events run from 3 pm until 8 pm. Other dates are June 7, July 12, August 9 and September 13.

It will run from 7 pm until 10 pm and feature live entertainment, Gombey dancers, stalls offering local arts and crafts for sale, children’s activities, food stands, and more.

Ferries depart from Royal Naval Dockyard (Kings Wharf/Heritage Wharf) at 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm, returning at 10 pm and 11 pm.

Harbour Nights run every Wednesday evening until August 26th 2009. They are organised by the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Pickled Onion, Hog Penny, Flanagan’s, Café Cairo, Bermuda Bistro, Norwegian Cruise Line, the Department of Tourism, and the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs.

The Veendam is a relatively small ship, accommodating 1,300 passengers and 500 crew, and enabling it to dock in both Hamilton and St George.

Richard D. Meadows, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Guest Programs for Holland America Line said, ‘Veendam is ideal for this itinerary. She is a premium mid-size ship, the perfect size to navigate the narrow entrances to the harbors in Hamilton and St. George’s. Veendam’s guests are able to step off the ship right in the center of each town. Ships larger than Veendam must tie up at the Dockyard facility a considerable distance from both towns. With overnight stays in Hamilton and St. George’s, guests will truly have the time to explore Bermuda and gain an appreciation of its culture, its people and its history as well as the time to relax on the island’s beaches, play a full round – or two – of golf on its world-renowned golf courses or partake of the many activities offered.’

LV’s Piano & Jazz Lounge aims to attract a mature and sophisticated clientele by offering live music, and enforcing a smart dress code and over-25’s entrance policy.

The lounge is open from Monday to Thursday (noon to 1 am), Friday (noon to 3 am), and Saturday (8 pm to 1 am).

It is owned and operated by the Little Venice Group. Their portfolio also includes the Harbourfront, Little Venice, La Trattoria, and Fourways Inn, L’Oriental, and Blu Bar and Grill.

Johnny Barnes was born on June 23 1923 and grew up in Pembroke Parish. He worked as an electrician on the Bermuda Railway until it closed in 1948 and then drove buses until retirement.

He can be seen every weekday morning on Crow Lane roundabout waving to people passing by.