The above photo was taken at the entrance to the Marsa sports centre on May 11. It shows a sofa lying in the ditch surrounding the grounds.

View to a Dump

Malta Environment and Planning Authority inspectors should have a look at the rural area known as Gheriexem between Rabat and Mtarfa. Cars and other bulky waste have been dumped there. The fields are just beneath the upper part of Mtarfa bypass that leads to Rabat and Mtahleb. Tourists driving through this road stop just at the top of it to take photos of the beautiful scene of Mdina. This dumping is spoiling the view.

Helping Hand

Id-Dar Tal-Providenza and the other residential homes for people of different needs have long lived up to their name. Lately it has been divulged the state waives a part of the water and electricity bills, to the tune of Lm19,000 annually, in order to subsidise their monumental work. Perhaps the time has come for a total subvention of bills as this would go a long way towards allowing the projects to continue.

Part Exchange

Interviews on the media with Mepa staff always elicit the information that they do not have enough enforcement officers, or money, to deal with certain contraventions of the laws as they would like to. However, it is nearly faultlessly logic to assume that a person who has commissioned an illegal building is bound to have nearly enough money stashed away somewhere to have it pulled down again. Alternatively, costs may be deducted at source from the person's wage packet, or even social benefits, in order to pay for the demolition of illegal edifices. Has this ever occurred?

Bedside...

Well done to the Daniel Delicata Memorial Foundation, which is set to further improve the quality of life of children who need to stay in hospital for a while. Whereas every effort is made by the staff to ensure the little patients get all the love, care and attention they need, no doubt, a brighter place with more amenities will enhance the environment.

...Manners

Meanwhile, the old part of the hospital, specifically the area where certain scans are taken, remains in a near-derelict state. Patients who attend for tests in this area are already in a state of trepidation, through having had to be there, in the first place. They could do with surroundings that do not include peeling walls in a generally neglected area.

Tall Stories

If you can't draw, forget biology; if you can't stand maths, forget physics; if your memory skills leave much to be desired, forget history... are some of the myths repeated each year to students about to pick their options from those offered. The fact remains, however, that no one has so far bothered to issue textbooks for the aforementioned subjects in the vernacular, citing the age-old excuse that there is no adequate terminology available. Be that as it may, has the Akkademja tal-Malti ever done anything about this?

"Ranch" Hands

Another well-deserving institution no doubt is Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija, which was recently the recipient of a handsome donation by the Malta International Airport group. It would be a good idea were everyone to realise that money is not the only thing one may donate. How about skills and time?

Light Work

Some years ago there was talk about the feasibility of connecting Malta to Italy's national grid for additional electricity supplies when local demand warranted it. At the time, nothing was done about it and, yet, the topic has come up once again. It would be interesting to discover whether the costs for this adjustment would be borne by the taxpayer and, whether, when push comes to shove, supplies would eventually be cheaper than they are at present.

Arch Enemies

Anti-graffiti paint is an invention that protects ordinary houses, as well as historic monuments, from spray can-happy hooligans who seek to use vandalism to make their mark. Is this type of protection considered a defacement of monuments such as Portes des Bombes rather than additional protection?

Mountain Errs

Mounds of rubbish are regularly placed at the corner of the pavement by St Michael School, Qormi. Similar heaps are placed on the traffic island just across the road, in front of the petrol station. This happens well before collections are made and sometimes even at weekends. The culprits assume that, having placed the bags away from their residences and businesses, the havoc wrought by the stray cats and dogs in the area is not their responsibility.

Hit and Miss

In one year, no fewer than 93 children were injured in traffic accidents. This may mean one of several things; either young children are being allowed out on their own, without their having been properly drilled in the Green Cross Code, or else motorists are not heeding traffic signs. Either way, it would seem that less time must be spent by traffic police and wardens on motioning motorists to the side of the road, while reckless driving goes on unchecked.

Letter Perfect

Maltapost has recently rightly boasted of a 97.5 per cent next day delivery service, reminding us of the days when letters received on Monday could be answered by return of post and another reply received on Wednesday. However, the question begs itself: What happens to those letters that would not have made it into the statistics? Are they lost in transit, delivered a week late or do they simply disappear into thin air?

Book Barrows

The good news is that reading, as a past time, has slightly increased in popularity. It would be even more so were children encouraged to read even more by banning the showing of all video cassettes in primary schools during break time and introducing a reading option instead. Branch libraries open for longer hours would also help, as would regular bring-and-buy sales of (only) books organised by parishes, schools and other entities.