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Friday, 3 September, 2010
San Ġwann councillors call for inquiry
Matthew Xuereb
Five of the nine members of the San Ġwann local council have asked the Department of Local Government to investigate the executive secretary and a list of alleged unauthorised purchases including a €9,000 desk.
Three Labour Party and two Nationalist Party councillors joined forces to complain about a list of transactions made by the council, which, they claimed, were not approved during official council meetings.
A letter sent by the councillors is actually a follow-up to another by former mayor Joseph Agius and his deputy, Etienne Bonello Dupuis, in which they asked the department to look into the councillors’ allegations “to put residents’ minds at rest that the claims are unfounded”.
The letter was signed by Anthony Mifsud Bonnici (PL), Neville Mallia (PN), Joan Farrugia (PL), Marica Bayliss (PN) and Violet Bajada (PL).
The councillors objected to the word “unfounded”, insisting their claims were serious and legitimate and spelt out in point form their worries. The councillors’ letter was sent not long before the mayor resigned shortly after his son, Noel, pleaded guilty to requesting bribes in connection with San Ġwann council. He was jailed for two years suspended for four.
The councillors listed a number of transactions they deemed irregular, especially in the light of the €174,000 deficit the council had. They claimed that, while seemingly lavish spending was taking place in some areas, like the €9,000 splashed on a customer care desk, in June the council had its telephone service suspended because the bills had not been paid since January.
The council had also bought a CCTV system and a large wall unit without councillors having even discussed it.
On the other hand, they complained that payments they approved, were not being made.
In the letter, the councillors said they had voiced their concerns several times but to no avail, which led to their request for an inquiry.
When contacted, local government director general Martin Bugelli confirmed receipt of the letter, adding that the department was looking into the claims.
Mr Agius Snr, who is still in hospital recovering from a heart attack, is expected to be charged with soliciting commissions or bribes from bidders in the race to win the waste collection tender.
The casual election to fill the mayor’s vacant seat on the council will be held on September 13. Sources said PN candidate Janet Barthet is in the running to take the seat but only if she decides to contest the casual election. She had garnered 299 first count votes at the 2009 council election.
Panta Lesco awarded €15 million project in Libya
An artist's impression of the project.
Panta Contracting Overseas Ltd, one of the six subsidiary companies created under the Panta Lesco Ltd umbrella, has been awarded a €15 million project for the World Islamic Call Society’s entertainment centre in Gurgi, Libya.
This project, which boasts a massive total area of 250,000 square metres, equivalent to eight football pitches, is one of Panta Lesco’s largest projects to date.
After completion, the World Islamic Call Society will offer a commercial centre with offices and clinics as well as a small hotel. Panta Lesco is currently in process of catering to the building’s extensive mechanical and electrical equipment requirements and installations.
The project requires a vast amount of materials due to its large dimension including 52,000 square meters of polyurethane ductwork, equivalent to four years of duct panels used in Panta Contracting projects in Malta and 51 kilometers of piping for chilled water, fire-fighting, domestic water, soil and rain water systems.
Panta Contracting Overseas Ltd was set up as an overseas arm of Malta-based subsidiary company, Panta Contracting Ltd in 2005. This Libyan-registered company has since been involved in a number of large landmark buildings such as the BAB Africa Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli and the luxury Palm City Residential Complex in Janzour.
Panta Contracting Ltd is a prominent company based in Malta that has been involved in a number of renowned local projects since its inception in 1993. Through this companies, Panta Lesco Group of Companies have built a strong reputation for their engineered mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing installations and have been instrumental in ensuring that a substantial amount of large scale developments in Malta come to completion including the Bank of Valletta International offices, the HSBC Operations Centre and Golden Sands Resort & Spa.
“The awarding and completion of each client project is an important milestone for the company, offering new experiences and the opportunity to develop our expertise. This particular project in Tripoli has been of great significance to the company since it is one of the largest projects we have been involved in,” Henry Attard, chairman of the Panta Lesco Group said.
The fifth edition of the Qala International Folk Festival
In a conference today, with Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said and the Mayor of Qala Paul Buttigieg, it was announced that for the second consecutive year the Qala International Folk Festival will include an International Folklore Conference, which will be held on the third day of the Festival. The theme of the conference will be Traditional Trades of ‘Malta & Gozo.’ The main conference speakers will be Anton F. Attard and Gwido Lanfranco, who are both experts on the subject.
Chris Said went on to praise Qala Local Council’s initiative to keep the local traditions and folklore alive, but also maximising their potential as a tourist attraction. This shows th potential of the island’s history, identity and traditions as tourist attractions. Every locality enjoys this potential and should work together to take full advantage of it.
The fifth edition of this annual festival will take place between Thursday, the 16th and Sunday, the 19th of September. This festival is marked by the participation of international folk groups, as well as exhibitions from other areas of the islands.This year folk groups will take part from Russia and Italy as well as three local groups including the Menhir Qala Folk Group.
The festival begins on Thursday evening with a defilé by all participants, departing from near the offices of the Local Council to St Joseph Square.
Friday is dedicated to Malta, with Marsaskala and St Julians.
On Saturday morning, for the second year running, the International Conference on Maltese Folklore, will take place at the Citadel. In the evening there will be entertainment in St Joseph’s Square, Qala.
Sunday morning will see a re-enactment of a Maltese Wedding ‘It-Tieg flfl -Antik’, starting at Imgarr Road and moving in a procession towards St Joseph Square and will be concluded with a small ‘festin’ serving traditional wedding delicacies. This display is animated by folk music from a Gozitan Folklore group. In the evening souviners and certificates will be awarded to the participants of the festival.
Thursday, 2 September, 2010
Lower LRP, unleaded petrol prices announced
The price of unleaded and lead replacement petrol has gone down 2c while that of diesel has remained the same, Enemalta Corporation announces this morning.
It said in a statement that these revisions reflect the prices fetched by Enemalta for the latest shipments of imported fuel.
A table showing the revision in prices as announced by Enemalta this morning.
August was warmer than average
The highest temperature recorded at Luqa Airport last month was 36°C on the 21st, the Meteorological Office said.
This is lower than the record high of 43.8°C registered on August 9, 1999. But the mean maximum temperature last month was above the climate norm by almost a degree, making it a warmer month.
Three heat advisories were issued by the office to the health authorities on days when the air temperature was expected to reach more than 35°C.
The lowest temperature was 19.6°C recorded on August 8. The mean minimum temperature last month was 22.8°C, one degree higher than the climate norm for the month. The coolest August night was August 27 1972 with a low of 15.9°C.
The average sea surface temperature was 26.1°C, or 0.6°C higher than the average value for August since 1978. The mean relative humidity last month was 65 per cent which is less than the climate norm for August.
August had an average of 11 hours and 30 minutes of sunshine a day, slightly more than the climate norm.
Ir-rivista Madonna Ta' Pinu b'ħarġa speċjali
Il-153 numru tar-rivista Marjana Madonna Ta' Pinu hu wieħed tassew speċjali, b'aktar paġni minn tas-soltu, kollha mżejna b'ritratti tal-kulur. Il-bord editorjali għażel li jwarrab ftit għall-ġenb l-artikli tas-soltu biex jippreżenta, f'ħarġa voluminuża ta' 56 paġna, tifkira xierqa ta' erba' ġrajjiet speċjali marbuta mal-Madonna Ta' Pinu, kif naqraw fl-editorjal ta' Dun Gerard Buhagiar, rettur tas-Santwarju Ta' Pinu f'Għawdex.
Il-ħarġa tiftaħ b'sett ta' artikli storiċi b'rabta mal-proklamazzjoni - sittin sena ilu - tad-Domma ta' l-Assunta, mill-Papa Piju XII. Din il-ġrajja kienet ġiet iċċelebrata bil-kbir f'Għawdex, fejn id-devozzjoni lejn Marija Mtellgħa s-Sema kienet diġÃ sabet art tajba grazzi għas-Sejħa tal-Verġni Mbierka f'Ta' Pinu fl-1883. L-istoriku Mons. Dr Joseph Bezzina u l-awtur Angelo Xuereb jeħduna fi vjaġġ fil-passat li juri r-rabta li s-Santwarju Ta' Pinu u l-gżira ta' Għawdex kellhom sa mill-qedem mal-kult ta' l-Assunta.
Fost l-oħrajn, fl-1935, il-Legat tal-Papa l-Kardinal Alessio Maria Lepicier kien ġie Għawdex biex iqiegħed kuruna tad-deheb madwar ir-ras ta' Marija fix-xbieha tagħha fil-kwadru ta' Ta' Pinu. L-artiklu interessantissmu ta' Dr Joseph Galea jfakkar dik il-ġrajja memorabbli ta' 75 sena ilu, waqt li Dun Duminku Camilleri jkompli b'nota storika fuq l-altar li ntuża dak in-nhar ta' l-20 ta' Ġunju 1935 għall-inkurunazzjoni.
It-tielet ġrajja mfakkra f'din il-ħarġa hi ż-żjara, għoxrin sena ilu, tal-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II lis-Santwarju Ta' Pinu, fejn qiegħed stellarju ta' kwiekeb madwar ir-ras ta' Marija. Dun Renato Borg jirrifletti fuq l-omelija tal-Papa Pollakk, nhar is-26 ta' Mejju 1990, fuq ir-rabta tal-Madonna Ta' Pinu mal-familji Maltin u Għawdxin.
L-imħabba tal-Papiet lejn il-Madonna Ta' Pinu kompliet tiġi kkonfermata minn Benedittu XVI, li għalkemm ma żarx is-santwarju meta ġie Malta f'April li għadda, ried li l-kwadru devot ta' l-Assunta minn Ta' Pinu jittieħed fuq il-Fosos tal-Furjana għall-Quddiesa tiegħu, li fi tmiemha qiegħed Warda tad-Deheb f'riġlejn Marija. Fil-fatt il-bqija ta' din il-ħarġa tar-rivista Madonna Ta' Pinu tikkonċentra fuq din iż-żjara ta' Benedittu XVI, b'riproduzzjoni ta' bosta messaġġi u omeliji li saru fl-okkażjoni, u li fihom hemm riferenza għall-Madonna Ta' Pinu. Fost l-oħrajn insibu l-messaġġ bi tħejjija għaż-żjara mibgħut mis-Segretarju ta' l-Istat tal-Vatikan il-Kardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB, l-ittra pastorali ta' l-isqfijiet Maltin, u l-interventi tal-Papa nnifsu f'Malta, li kemm-il darba għamel riferenza espliċita għall-qima lejn il-Madonna Ta' Pinu u pproponieha wkoll bħala "Sultana tal-Familja".
Ir-rivista tagħtina rendikont u kronaka dettaljata tal-vjaġġ tal-kwadru tal-Madonna Ta' Pinu lejn Malta u lura f'Għawdex, fejn qabel sab ruħu mill-ġdid fis-santwarju, waqaf għal xi jiem fis-Santwarju tal-Karmnu fil-belt Valletta kif ukoll fil-knisja arċipretali tal-Mosta. Minn kull fejn għadda l-kwadru ngħata laqgħa sabiħa u wasal lura fil-gżira Għawdxija f'pellegrinaġġ nazzjonali mmexxi mill-isqfijiet Maltin u n-Nunzju Appostoliku, fil-preżenza ta' bosta mistiedna distinti u mijiet ta' pellegrini. Fil-fatt fir-rivista nsibu l-messaġġ ta' merħba mill-Isqof ta' Għawdex u l-omelija li saret mill-Arċisqof waqt il-Quddiesa ta' ringrazzjament fuq iz-zuntier tas-santwarju, li għaliha kien preżenti wkoll il-President ta' Malta Dr George Abela.
Fl-aħħar ftit paġni naqraw fuq il-kartolina ta' tifkira li ħarġet apposta għall-okkażjoni u fuq il-mitra li l-Papa rregala lis-santwarju, waqt li min iħobb il-letteratura jista' jaqra wkoll żewġ poeżiji ħelwin iddedikati lill-Madonna Ta' Pinu.
Minn qoxra sa qoxra, il-paġni ta' din il-ħarġa qishom album attraenti b'ritratti u tagħrif ta' kull pass li Marija meddet fostna tul dawn il-mumenti hekk speċjali għall-poplu tagħna. Għalhekk ta' min jakkwista din il-ħarġa biex jibqa' jgħożż it-tifkira sabiħa ta' dawn il-jiem. Dawk li m'humiex abbonati jistgħu jakkwistaw din il-ħarġa speċjali għall-prezz ta' 5 ewro, inkella jistgħu jabbonaw għal 6 ewro biss, dejjem mis-Santwarju Ta' Pinu, l-Għarb, Għawdex, tel: 21 556 187.
INTERVISTA MA CHARLIE BUTTIGIEG NADURI LI JOQOD IL-KANADA
Klikkja hawn News page biex tisma l-intervista.
Charlie Buttigieg it-tieni mix-xellug ma martu Antoinette u il Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi quddiem il-hanut tieghu Malta Bake Shop gewwa Toronto il-Kanada.
PROGRAMM TAL-HADD
Vinnie Cristina commented: "All the Cristina relatives will listen". Thank you
Send your dedications now for next Sunday Program.
Mary Veitch (Casha) commented on the Visitors Book
I am from Buffalo N.Y. This is a great site. Love to read all the saying from people that have left the Island so many years ago. I have been in The U.S.A for 55 years.Malta is still my birth place and have a special spot in my heart.God Bless all.