On the dot...

It cannot be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. However, it seems some wise guy (or guys) "borrowed" stone slabs from a wall on the Birkirkara bypass opposite the university to keep the billboard, just behind the wall, in place.

Rainbow Valley

One of the last strongholds of nature, as it were, is the Bahrija area and it is only "natural" that residents as well as NGOs would want to have their say about its ultimate fate. Yet, illegal development has been extant on other, more noticeable and more historic stretches of beach, such as the area immediately beneath the Sacra Infermeria, now the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta.

Book Reviews

Well done to the librarian of St Joseph School, Blata l-Bajda, and no doubt others in other schools too, who invited students to select books to keep from those that were going to be replaced by newer ones. It is actions like these that engender the love of reading in students, which will be in good stead in later life.

Rent For Higher?

Well done to Alternattiva Demokratika for increasing pressure towards the reassessment of the current rent laws. Unfortunately, the issue sometimes becomes a vicious circle; houses are allowed to fall into dereliction because it does not make economic sense to spruce them up and rent them out for a pittance. Meanwhile, a great demand and a meagre supply of residences forces prices up, to the detriment of new homeowners.

Rock On

A recent survey would appear to indicate that nearly three-fourths of the people of Gozo prefer those on the mainland as tourists rather than foreigners. If this is really the case, it is hard to believe that all those who try to squeeze the last cent from the pockets of their favourites by charging the earth for a weekend break, per person, per night, were respondents to this same study.

Bermuda Triangle

At the bottom of Mountbatten Street, Blata l-Bajda, just across the street from the swings, is a cut-off triangular piece of street. This has become a customised rubbish dump, with people throwing all manner of things into it. Stray dogs and cats make a meal of the contents of the bags and, of course, they never clear up.

Building Bridges

The idea of land reclamation using debris from the building industry has often been raised here. Now it appears this idea will be actuated, albeit in a different structure, with the formation of islands. It is a well-known fact that in countries like Japan, with a high-density population like ours, these land masses are used to support whole housing estates.

Round Robin

A few years ago it was not unusual to see stickers on door jambs indicating that residents did not want visits from anyone not following the household's religion; these fell into disuse when it was realised it was a very rude thing to do. However, the same idea would hold a lot of water were it used to advertise drug-free premises. In that way, no one could plead ignorance; and anyway, ignorance of the law is not justification.

Fare Staged

Several times, this column has mooted a suggestion that, as is done with route 75 (St Luke's Hospital), at least one public transport bus each morning would leave from a town or city and pass along peripheral areas of towns and villages, going to Valletta. This idea would be a boon to several people, especially to the elderly and those who would otherwise have to catch two buses to get to somewhere else on the same route.

Red-Letter Daze

It is ironic that whereas, throughout the scholastic year, parents regularly receive notes about donating blood, parishes organise sessions, and the blood banks themselves call donors to remind them of their duty, World Blood Donors Day came and went, last Tuesday, without too much fanfare. Only those who have donated blood a set number of times were accorded the honour of meeting dignitaries; why?

Road Harrows

All this talk about money for new, world-class roads coming from the protocol agreement with Italy has left some people confused. On the one hand, we are told we ought to be ashamed of the fact that foreigners have had to pay for our basic needs and, on the other hand, we are told it was the Labour Government that originally arranged for the funds to be seconded to Malta. This is what is meant, perhaps, by dramatic irony.

Money Talks

What is done about all the money collected during the year by leaders of youth groups, and teachers, ostensibly for photocopies and craft materials? Some of them actually give the money back; others ask for the children's permission and then send it on to a charitable organisation of their choice, and then show the receipt. But there are exceptions where explanations are never forthcoming.

Deep Heat

A pair of jeans forgotten on the washing line for a couple of days becomes scorched stiff and some of its colour drains away. Yet animals such as karozzin horses, in one week, spend much more than the equivalent of that in the fusty heat of Palace Square, Valletta, and elsewhere. Indeed, one wonders how they can be fit enough to make one journey, let alone more.