By:Marcia Abramson
I returned from Bermuda to find myself on an emotional roller coaster, mostly on the "down" pathway from Sept. 11, the day that terror came to New York City with the loss of thousands of lives, including those of friends' children, to the funeral of Robert Richner this past Thursday. Bob Richner, the co-publisher emeritus with his lovely wife, Edith, of the Nassau Herald and the Herald Community Newspapers, will be missed for the positive influence he had in local government through his objective newspapers. Fortunately, his legacy is being carried on by his sons Clifford and Stuart. Also not to be forgotten on that dreary rainy day was the loving eulogies delivered by his grandchildren, Zachary, Kate and Gregory Richner.
But, I was also heartened by the sense of resolve and renewed sense of purpose in President George W. Bush's address to the nation that evening. The President and New York City's Mayor Rudy Giuliani urged us to defeat the goals of the world's number one terrorist, Osama bin Laden, to destroy our economy. They urged us to fly without fear, to shop as usual and keep our businesses running to capacity and thus thwart the devious destructive plans of bin Laden and his murderous followers and save our airlines, lodging and tourism industries.
With that in mind, I will take you on a trip to Bermuda, just a two-hour flight and 774 miles from New York. Bermuda has always been a favorite destination for honeymooners. In fact, I remember being most blinded one Sunday morning, at the airport, by the glare of the shiny wedding bands on the new bridegrooms' left hand. The climate is that of a semi-tropical island with temperatures in the 70's in October and November. I found it ideal for strolling on the famous pink sand beaches and playing tennis. The two-time US Open winner Aussie Patrick Rafter has a home here and can be seen on the tennis courts when he isn't traveling the circuit. The eight golf courses have been the sites for some great opens. I did get to the Mid-Ocean Country Club for a shoot-out. The greens are beautiful and quite challenging. The club members spoke the Queen's English and were a delight to the ears. You might also want to catch a cricket or soccer match if you can tear yourself away from the inviting sea.
As I walked along Front Street in Hamilton I saw a sign leading to Parliament and Court Streets. I decided to follow the sign to Sessions House and found the Supreme Court there. It was similar to Old Bailey in London except that it was much smaller in size and the barristers wore Bermuda shorts under their black robes. The magistrate (judge), the Crown counsel (prosecutor) and barristers wore their ubiquitous white wigs. I sat in on three cases. The first dealt with an American tourist charged with importing cannabis. She was found with a homemade cigarette containing 0.72 grams of cannabis and fined $1,000 for importation of a controlled substance and $500 for possession. I could see her gasp at the severity of the Magistrate's sentence. The second case ended with a 41-year-old unemployed woman being sentenced to 40 hours of community service. She pled guilty to the theft of a $24 t-shirt. Since she had no previous record, the Magistrate went easy on her. The last melodrama had a 38-year-old man plead guilty to unlawfully assaulting his twin sister. It seems that he went to his sister's workplace and slapped her around because she was disrespectful to him. The Crown counsel told the court that the twins had an argument on the telephone which precipitated the defendant's action. The Magistrate felt that the man showed no remorse or respect for his sister and remanded him for 12 months. I also found the Crown Counsel to be very friendly. He pointed out that his robe contained a pocket under the left shoulder that dated back to the 17th century. Its purpose was to receive a guinea if the defendant wanted his barrister to continue pleading his case. I would suggest that you follow that sign as I did to learn about what constitutes crime in Bermuda.
The town of St. George was the capital of Bermuda from 1612 to 1815 until Hamilton became the seat of government. This historic town and its fortifications have been designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). You can rent a moped and ride out to St. George from Hamilton and find yourself in a place where people have lived and worked for nearly 400 years. I was greeted by the town crier in his colorful regalia. He advised that there would be a "ducking and hanging" at the stocks and pillories on the hour. I learned from the crier that the oldest and most impressive British fortifications in the New World were built around the coast of St. George's from 1612 to 1956. These fortifications and massive gun were part of the defense system that protected St. George's as a Royal Crown Colony.
I found this to have a more authentic feel than Williamsburg, Va. and definitely worth a visit. For more information on Bermuda, you can call 1-800- Bermuda at the Bermuda Department of Tourism.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
