Heard in the Hive

Professor Viktor Dulger, Malta's honorary consul-general in Stuttgart, and Mrs Sigrid Dulger, invited some of their friends and business acquaintances to dinner at Le Meridien-Phoenicia on May 14 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of ProMinent Fluid Controls Ltd (Malta).

Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo and Mrs Vassallo, former Industry Minister Karmenu Vella, MP, and Mrs Vella, as well as German Ambassador Georg Merten were among the guests.

ProMinent started manufacturing in Malta in 1989 and now has 80 employees. From its three specialised factories at the Bulebel industrial estate, the company exports a wide range of high-tech products directly to over 40 countries all over the world.

Professor Dulger founded ProMinent in Germany 42 years ago. It is now considered to be one of the world leaders in the field of fluid metering and controls. He is still the owner and chairman of the company which maintains its own marketing subsidiaries in 40 different locations outside Germany and has more than 100 authorised agents throughout the world. Manufacturing is carried out at ProMinent's headquarters in Heidelberg, as well as in Malta, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Hungary, the USA, China and India.

At the beginning, ProMinent was mainly known for its precision metering pumps. Later on, the company started offering entire dosing systems and developed its own sophisticated sensors and controllers to automate all the complex processes involved in precision metering.

Over the years it expanded its activities to cover all areas of water treatment, making use of the most modern and environment-friendly methods.

ProMinent equipment is now used throughout industry, especially for disinfection, water generation and wastewater applications, in the processing, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, swimming pool and petrochemical industries.

Some of the most sophisticated equipment for ProMinent's products, such as all the glass sensors and the diaphragms for the metering pumps, is manufactured in Malta.

Also present for the dinner at Le Meridien-Phoenicia were Albert Friggieri, who set up ProMinent in Malta 16 years ago and is still the managing director, and Mrs Friggieri, ProMinent auditor Richard W. Giorgio of Ernst and Young, and Mrs Giorgio, the company's medical adviser, Dr Gino Abela, and Mrs Abela, Tony Zahra of the Alpine Group of Companies, Bella Giordimaina, Henry Borg, president of the Maltese-German Chamber of Commerce, and Mrs Borg, and Laurence Grech, editor of The Sunday Times.

Secondary school's 25th anniversary reunion

A reunion of the 1979 Maria Assumpta Girls Secondary School class was recently held after 25 years.

The get-together proved to be a pleasant experience for the 150 ladies who welcomed their former headmistress Ninette Borg Grech. The current headmaster of the school Ray Vella was also present for the event.

A donation of Lm55 was presented to the school, while Lm151, which was partially collected during the Mass celebrated during the reunion, was presented to Sr Valerie of Angela House in Guardamangia. A silver icon was also presented to Ms Borg Grech as a memento of the occasion.

All those who were unable to attend the reunion are asked to contact Ruth Mangion on 7920-7637 or log on www.magdazone.com/reu-nion.

People

Executive chief concierge Tony Tabone recently welcomed Fifa president Sepp Blatter at the Corinthia Bab Africa in Tripoli.

Mr Blatter as travelling to Tripoli in connection with the joint bid by Libya and Tunisia, to host the 2010 World Cup.

After ten years at the Corinthia Beach Resort, Mr Tabone relinquished his post to join the Corinthia Bab Africa top team for two years. He is the first international chief concierge to be working in the first international hotel in the country.

Mr Tabone has welcomed a number of international personalities, including the world class balloonist and head of Virgin Group, Charles Branson, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Affairs William Burns, the head of the UN International Atomic Affairs, Mohammed El Baradei, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, son of the former King of Italy, and the governor of Carinthia, Austria, Jorg Haider.

Mr Tabone said that he could not have chosen a better time to be in Tripoli as he is witnessing the fast transition that Libya is currently undergoing.

Katya De Giovanni graduated from the School of Management and Organisational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, where she read for an M.Sc. in Organisational Psychology.

Her dissertation treated the impact of organisational socialisation on personal change in flight attendants. Ms De Giovanni currently works for the Inclusive Education Unit at MCAST where she is the team leader responsible for the students with disabilities following mainstream courses.

She graduated in B.Psy. (Hons) and PGCE in Inclusive Education from the University of Malta in 1997 and 1998 respectively. She has obtained a trainer/consultant certificate in the Let Me Learn Process from the Centre of Advancement of Learning in the US and has trained various teachers in state primary and secondary schools. Ms De Giovanni also obtained the ALCM and ATCL diplomas in pianoforte performance in 1995 and 1996 respectively.

Miss Malta as Miss Personality

Miss Malta, 20-year-old Dana Ben Moussa Camilleri, won the title Miss Personality during the Miss Mediterranean Pageant 2004, held recently in the beautiful sites of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Ms Ben Moussa Camilleri is a university graduate and is currently teaching French and coaching handball. The pageant was won by Miss Macedonia while Miss Romania and Miss Lebanon classified as first and second runners-up respectively.

Ms Ben Moussa Camilleri, who was dressed in a Touch of Class gown received valuable prizes which were covered by a Lm25,000 insurance policy, issued by Bonnici Insurance Agency Ltd.

The 20 Mediterranean countries which participated in the Nations Parade provided a spectacular grand finale at the Rotana Beach Hotel which was televised live for AYA productions by the Misciplus TV International Network.

Miss Malta's participation was organised by GM Productions' George Gatt Mangion and was sponsored by L'Oreal Paris and Olympic Airways with the support of the tourism authorities of Dubai.

Malta's EU accession celebrated in Paris

The Embassy of Malta in France, in collaboration with the Cercle Vassalli and the Fondation de Malte, on April 30 participated through a stand (with Ms Elizabeth Grech as hostess) in a day-long activity, held at the Sorbonne Paris Véme on the occasion of Malta's accession to the European Union.

The activity comprised conferences, round tables and animation hosted by Maurice Quénet, Chancellor of the Universités de Paris, Albert Prévos, director of the International Centre for Pedagogical Studies and Gilles Delouche, president of the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures, on the theme L'elargissement de l'Union Européene et le Langues (the enlargement of the EU and languages).

The stand featured several Maltese publications. A number of Maltese texts were read and the island's history and language were discussed. Also participating in the event were the diplomatic and cultural representatives of Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.

In the evening a reception was held at the residence of the Maltese Ambassador in Paris, Professor Salvino Busuttil.

Other activities marking Malta's EU accession included a reception for French music critics and cultural journalists, a chamber performance of Charles Camilleri's opera The Maltese Cross (see page 42), and an exhibition by Gilbert Calleja. A concert of Maltese classical music by Collegium Orpheus at the church of St Germain de Prés, Paris, will be held on June 10.

Sammut - Catania

Married on May 8 at St Mary's Church, Birkirkara, were Lawrence Catania, son of Mr and Mrs William Catania of Birkirkara, and Dr Tanya Sammut, LL.D., MA (Fin. Serv.), Dip. Trib. Eccl. Melit., daughter of Mrs Lara Sammut and the late Mr André Sammut of Luqa.

Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Fr Martin Micallef.

Rosita Sammut, the bride's sister, and David Catania, the groom's brother, acted as witnesses. The duties of best man were carried out by George Douglas Blanco.

The bride was attended by Claire Cassar, Rachel Borg and Michaela Catania while Luke Catania and Andrea Blanco acted as ring-bearer and flower-girl respectively.

A reception was later held at Villa Marija, Zurrieq.

For your diary

The Dominican Sisters are holding their annual bazaar at their convent at 49, Main Street, Naxxar from June 20 to 30, from 8.30 a.m. to noon and 4 to 7 p.m. (and not as printed last week).

A card party in aid of the Little Sisters of the Poor is being held at the Preluna Hotel, Sliema, on Wednesday from 10 a.m. For bookings phone Blanche Martin on 2133-0387.

Caritas is holding a day at the Corinthia San Gorg, St Julian's on June 9. The programme includes a talk by Romina Grech on antiques. For more information contact Marilouise Mifsud (2133-0471), Mary Darmanin Demajo (2131-3486), Josephine Farrugia (2132-0016) or Phyllis Ciappara (2134-2910).

Friends of the Manoel contribute towards restoration of theatre

The Friends of the Manoel recently presented An Evening with Madame Butterfly to a full house at Sala Isouard.

This performance was held to mark the centenary of the premiere of Puccini's famous opera.

The part of Madama Butterfly was sung by soprano Karen Camilleri while the parts of Suzuki and Kate Pinkerton were performed by Connie Frances Zerafa. Tenor Joseph Aquilina sang the part of Lieutenant Pinkerton and baritone Kevin Caruana took the role of Sharpless. The pianist was Cynthia Genovese. Claude Gaffiero compered the evening which was under the direction of Joseph Fenech.

At the end of the evening, the president of the Friends of the Manoel, Angela Tabone, presented a cheque for Lm500 to the Manoel Theatre Management Committee (MTMC) chairman Wilfred Kenely, towards the restoration of the interior of the Manoel Theatre.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements: May 31-June 6

Tomorrow
10 a.m. The President receives Mr Fernando Sanchez-Arias and members of the Junior Chamber International at the Palace, Valletta.
10.45 a.m. The President receives Professor Salvino Busuttil, Ambassador of Malta to France.
11.15 a.m. The President receives the representatives of the Valletta Alive Initiative.
12.15 p.m. The President receives Dr Deborah Farrugia, secretary of the Commission for the Administration of Justice.

Tuesday
7 p.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over the Ball of the August Moon meeting at San Anton Palace.
7.30 p.m. The President inaugurates an exhibition of paintings by Eric Gerada Azzopardi at Din l-Art Helwa premises in Valletta.

Wednesday
10 a.m. The President receives the president and council members of the Malta Federation of Industry at the Palace, Valletta.
10.30 The President receives the president and committee members of the Sliema Wanderers Football Club on a courtesy visit.
11 a.m. The President presides over the Pope John XXIII Award for Kindness.
12.30 p.m. The President receives Dr Tonio Borg, Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, and Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary.
7.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a reception hosted by Dr Alvise Memmo, Ambassador of Italy, on the occasion of Italy's National Day at Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar.

Thursday
9.15 a.m. The President receives the Prime Minister at the Palace, Valletta.
10.30 The President receives Mr Vladimir Plechko, former Russian Ambassador to Malta.
11 a.m. The President receives a group of Chinese representatives for the National Committee on Aging.
11.30 a.m. The President receives Senator Hannetraud Schultheiss, honorary consul-general of Malta in Mainz, Germany.

Friday
10 a.m. The President visits Liceo Dun Guzepp Zammit in Hamrun and is presented with a donation in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund from proceeds collected during the bicycle marathon organised by the students of the lyceum.
1.15 for 1.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami host a luncheon in honour of the Speaker and former Speakers of the House of Representatives at San Anton Palace.
8 p.m. The President attends an activity organised by the San Lawrenz council on their 10th anniversary at San Lawrenz Parish Square, Gozo.

Saturday
10 a.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami visit residents at St Vincent de Paul Hospital, Luqa, on the occasion of Father's Day.
7.30 p.m. The President attends a symphony concert organised by the Valletta council commemorating Sette Giugno on Great Siege Square, Valletta.