On the Dot...

Children swim at Ghar tal-Veccja, in St Paul's Bay, underneath a dangerous wall which has been left in its present state for some years now. The pebble beach could do with some cleaning and some form of control should be exercised to do away with the dog deposits in the path leading to the beach.

By the book

All three copies of a particular book are in the branch libraries but the central public library has no way to retrieve them, even temporarily. This is a shame given the otherwise excellent service. Surely some form of transfer system could be organised!

Cleaning of Culverts

It is hoped that before the advent of the first rains the culverts and valleys around the Maltese islands be given a thorough cleaning so that the waters will be easily channelled to the sea thus avoiding floods similar to those we had last September. Culverts along most of the valleys, particularly the Birkirkara and Msida valleys, are heavily blocked with papers, leaves, twigs and what not.

Beach Volley

The short stretch joining the Bognor Regis Club to the Bognor Beach Club, in St Paul's Bay, between the road and the beach, is used by hundreds of pedestrians and many vehicles, including those unloading supplies, every day, and has also become an unofficial parking lot. It is in an awful state and it is not the first time that minor accidents have happened because of the potholes and the stones hitting people when they are spat out by revolving vehicle tyres.

(Un)Clean Sweep

Besides financial gain - and depriving people of a good slice of the beach - there is another, less obvious reason why seaside hotels are usually keen on having Lidos. This is a reduction in cleaning costs. It is very easy to construct a system where seawater is sloshed over floors which are then rinsed with clean water; and, very often, the temptation to sweep debris as well as dirty water into the sea, which they assume they own, is too great to resist.

Wait and Seethe

The triage system at the Emergency Department of Saint Luke's Hospital works... sometimes. Unfortunately, this does not always hold true for those whose injuries or symptoms are labelled as not needing immediate attention for their place in the queue moves down according to how many cases more urgent than theirs turn up. Could not some kind of system be created where the "easy" cases are seen to immediately so that patients are discharged, the room does not get crowded and tempers are less likely to flare up?

Class Distinction

It used to be purely voluntary but the charming habit of mustering Skolasajf students at the chapel nearest their school and then leading them to their classes after Mass, at least in some areas, has been discontinued. This is a pity; it would be nice if the custom were resurrected for these last few days of the scheme.

Swing Low

One of the slats in the second bench on the parking lot side, at the Rabat swings, is missing. As a result, it is not the first time that tiny children fall through and injure themselves, albeit getting away with a bump in the head or a sprained wrist because the distance to fall is relatively small. However, even these minor injuries could be avoided if the bench is mended.

Channel Funnel

The dulcet voice never fails to thank us for using Gozo Channel to and from the sister island. Short of hiring a private speedboat or swimming there, we hardly have any choice, do we? Perhaps, one day, this holder of one of the most important monopolies in the republic will decide to invest in automatic disinfectant dispensers for its cloakrooms, or, hopefully, have someone specifically in charge of cleaning them after every single trip!

Bean Feasts

Are cars still being rescued from the knacker's yard for at least one more trip? Trailers are still in evidence for the notorious xalata on the morrow of feasts. Since this is a case, where definitely there is no safety in numbers, one is bound to ask what the practice is with regard to this. Are wardens detailed to book these offenders?

Dress Circle

The dress code at the law courts was probably drawn up ages before anyone thought there could one day be women occupying the highest positions in the legal profession in Malta. It is time the rules are overhauled, one way or another; either through the enforcement of a policy directing females to dress with more deference to the hallowed courts or else by easing upon the suit-and-tie system for the men... or, hopefully, both.

Pen and Ink

The school holidays are nearly over and one is pleased to note that works are being undertaken at a steady pace in some buildings in order to ascertain there will be no airborne dust or smells when students return to school. One hopes that, besides these material changes, where necessary schools are given headmasters or headmistress, rather than there being acting heads, or, perhaps, assistant heads filling in when their immediate superiors are on long leave. This, after all, is part of the meaning of "autonomy".

Terminal Velocity

B'tal-linja jaqbillek (it suits you to use the bus) was the slogan a few months ago when the City Gate Bus Terminus was re-arranged to what should have been a temporary state of affairs until the whole entrance to the city was restructured from the foundations of the bastions up. The situation remains the same - and about the only things daily commuters are currently profiting from are gratuitous suntans and unwarranted heatstroke. This situation obtains at other termini too.

Grass Roots

Sometimes, as in the case of the Castille Place roundabout palms, nature is allowed to run wild. On the other hand, as in the case of weeds on road verges being mechanically scythed and being left to dry, flora and fauna are left without habitat and sustenance. This was taken to extremes when the undergrowth at Buskett was practically razed away. What protection does the topsoil now have from the coming rain? Are the people let loose with the implements given a free hand? Do they know what they are doing?

Type Cast

Another rumpus recently broke out right in front of the Detox Centre. in Guardamangia. How many of those blaspheming the air blue were booked for breaking the peace? Do youths who substance abuse have, as part of their treatment (other than methadone doses), mandatory visits to places where they can see the possible consequences to themselves of their actions - prison, the mental hospital, and, if need be, the mortuary rooms where victims they might have known and loved lie awaiting burial?

Moonscape

Residents of Madliena living in Marquis J. Scicluna, Dielja, View and other streets in the neighbourhood have been suffering the dust on their unmade roads for years. Pavements are non-existent, weeds grow tall and the holes make it almost impossible to drive on. Five years of complaints have been ignored only to make residents feel more abandoned.