Heard in the Hive

Members of the Bank of Valletta Young Savers Club were recently entertained to an open day at ESL Gross Market Toy Shop in Zabbar. A number of fun activities were organised and popular radio DJ Enzo Gusman was also present to play tunes for the young savers.

ESL Gross Market Toy Shop were the sponsors of the competition featured in the Gurnal ta' Cikkurillu Christmas issue. The ten winners were awarded a Lm10 voucher.

The second competition was held by the Young Savers Club in conjunction with Razzett tal-Hbiberija. Participants had to identify the number of Cikkurillu faces on the BOV stand, set up during the 58 Days of Christmas Fair at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala.

The four winners, Brendon Micallef, Andrea Zammit, Benyon Borg, and Andrè Busuttil were presented with a family membership at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija health and fitness club worth Lm250, two swimming courses worth Lm40 each and a Lm25 deposit in the BoV Young Savers Account respectively.

Addressing the children during the presentation of prizes, a representative of BoV said: "BoV, through its Young Savers Club, seeks to educate children on the benefits of saving. Such fun events in the company of Cikkurillu, the Young Savers mascot, are going a long way to help us achieve this aim.

The Young Savers Account in fact, provides an attractive way for children to learn how to save their pocket money in their own account while providing the added benefit of enjoying such events in the company of hundreds of other young savers."

Kissing for a Cure marathon winners

Kissing Marathon winners and finalists were presented with their prizes earlier this week at Bay Street.

The winners, Louis Agius and Samantha Lautier Agius, broke their own kissing record with a ten-hour long kiss, earning a place in Malta's Book of Records.

The lucky couple won an SMS cruise along the Italian coast on the SuperStar Libra.

Noemi and Ivan Attard placed second after lasting eight hours and won a trip to Cyprus, courtesy of Emirates. Annabelle Cauchi and George Mercieca won third prize with an overnight stay at the Bay Street Hotel. All three couples also won a cuddly soft toy from Pedigree Toyshop.

Throughout the marathon the participants and the many onlookers who crowded the complex, were entertained by J. Anvil and the Joe Brown Big Band, among others.

Martin Sapiano, Bay Street's marketing manager, expressed his satisfaction at the successful event which was held in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Fund and of five-year-old Francesca Falzon, who suffers from this life-threatening disease.

Richard Saliba's new Website

Artist Richard Saliba recently launched his new Website www.richardsaliba.com, featuring a selection of his works.

Saliba has a long history of artistic activity spanning 30 years. His pieces vary from figurative work, including landscape art, which is especially reminiscent in his early works, to etchings and engraving, and in more recent years to abstract art.

The pieces selected for this Website include a representation of each interesting period in the development of technique and are meant to give the viewer a bird's eye view of the development of his work from 1973 to the present day.

Saliba's work has been exhibited in numerous one-man and collective exhibitions both in Malta and abroad. His work can be found in public and private collections, both in Malta and abroad.

People

Professor Ronald Sultana has been appointed fellow of NICEC, the Cambridge-based National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling, in recognition of his international contribution to the career and guidance field.

Professor Sultana is the director of the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research (EMCER), and a member of the Faculty of Education.

He has written several reports on career guidance across Europe, the most recent being a study co-authored with Professor Anthony Watts on guidance offered in Europe's Public Employment Services. His recent research has focused on the learning society in the European Union. His book, co-edited with Michael Kuhn from the University of Bremen, has just been published by Peter Lang (NY) with the title Homo Sapiens Europæus? Creating the European Learning Citizen.

This volume critically examines the ways in which learning is being constructed across Europe, and the implications this has for democratic citizenship and education.

James Farrugia, B.Accty. (Hons), MA (Financial Services), CPA, recently obtained a Master of Science in International Securities, Investments and Banking (with Distinction) from the ICMA Centre at the University of Reading.

His dissertation focused on "The regulation of professional investor funds in selected small jurisdictions: A critical and comparative analysis".

Mr Farrugia graduated Bachelor of Commerce in 1998 and then Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) in 2000 from the University of Malta. He obtained a Master of Arts in Financial Services (with Distinction) from the University of Malta in 2004 and is also a Certified Public Accountant. He is a Mansion House Scholar after being awarded a scholarship by the Lord Mayor of the City of London.

Mr Farrugia is a manager within the Securities Unit of the Malta Financial Services Authority. Mr Farrugia lives in Rabat and is engaged to Liza Galea. He is the son of Mr and Ms Vincent Farrugia of Rabat.

Anthea Scerri has obtained, with Distinction, her teacher's diploma in American Tap and Classical Ballet with the National Association of Teachers of Dancing UK. She is the first Maltese dancer to qualify as a teacher of American Tap with the NATD.

A pupil of the Pippa Gee Dance Studio since the age of four, Anthea has studied not only Ballet and Tap, but also Ballroom and Latin American. She has participated in workshops and festivals of dance in Malta and abroad. As a juvenile and then a junior competitor in Ballroom and Latin American, she has won competitions in Malta and in England, organised by the International Dance Teachers' Association, UK.

Anthea formed part of the Pippa Gee formation teams which participated in the British Open Juvenile and Junior Formation Championships. On both occasions the team placed third in the Open of the World Championships. Ms Scerri intends to pursue her studies abroad.

Josette Pulis recently obtained a Master's in Early Childhood Education from the University of Sheffield.

She has re-searched the field of literacy and successfully completed a thesis entitled "Beginning Reading Together", which involved the study of parents working as partners with the teacher and school. This was researched in a Grade 1 class at Newark Junior School, Sliema, under the guidance of Dr Jackie Marsh.

Ms Pulis is currently a Grade 1 teacher at the Newark Junior School and a co-ordinator at the Rabat Literacy Centre with the Educational Services Foundation.

Dirk Reinhardt is the new food and beverage manager at Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz Management team.

Mr Reinhardt started his career in the hotel industry in 1997 when he was responsible for a number of banqueting facilities at the Astron Resort in Germany.

In 1999 he joined Kempinski Hotels and after five years at the Kempinski Airport Hotel in Munich, was promoted and transferred to the sister hotel, the Kempinski Hotel Julia in Kuwait. Here, he was responsible for two restaurants, the banquet sales as well as event planning for up to 900 guests.

During this period he managed to build an efficient food and beverage team and excelled in controlling the departmental finances. He also gained extensive experience from managing the outside catering and service, which the Kuwait Airport out-sourced from the Kempinski Hotel Julia for their first class as well as their business class lounge.

Royal Caribbean cruises Employee of the Year

Josephine Grech of Rabat was named Employee of the Year 2006 by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Ms Grech started her career with Cunard cruise lines in 1989 and later joined Royal Caribbean (RCCL).

Her meteoric ascent was hastened by service as group co-ordinator, social hostess, loyalty ambassador and recently concierge. The Voyager of the Seas, a 142,000-ton cruise ship, was launched in 1995, holding 3,288 passengers. She currently sails from Miami for a seven-night cruise to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This summer the ship will be visiting Malta during a seven-night cruise out of Barcelona.

As loyalty ambassador, Ms Grech's responsibilities included representing the company at external affairs and functions, organising activities for frequent travellers and promotions, sales and marketing of various cruise line packages for passengers and customers.

Her ability to excel in this high impact position, while also being adept and versatile, led to her recent promotion to concierge. Here Ms Grech had to make use of her earlier experience and truly test her mettle to excel in the most challenging of environments. She was responsible for providing day-to-day management of VIP guest's itineraries and activities onboard the flagship of the RCCL fleet, Voyager of the Seas, which coincidentally is the second largest cruise ship in the world.

Being responsible for the clientele needs in this niche market meant ensuring that the most lavish and opulent lodging was available as a complement for the stellar service to be provided. During her term as concierge, Ms Grech also developed a system to track guests who had sailed more than ten times on board RCCL ships and give them the opportunity to upgrade to VIP status, increasing customer retention and residual sales to an all-time high.

Ms Grech set a new standard because she speaks several languages fluently and she possesses an intimate knowledge on various ports of call and places of interest such as best-recommended stores and restaurants globally. She constantly liaised between the various departments and helped co-ordinate sales for special events, for the VIP guests, including an ice skating show.

Ms Grech has visited various exotic ports of interest.

The Employee of the Year award is offered to only one employee from a crew and staff of 1,210.

Captain Svein Pettersen, hotel director and staff captain, presented the award Ms Grech, which consisted of a cash prize, a certificate and a pin representing Crown and Anchor Excellence Service.

Dine out with The Sunday Times winner

Mr and Mrs P Chetcuti from St Paul's Bay have won a free meal at the Invasion of the Lobsters Gastronomic Calendar evening, which will be held at the Fra Martino restaurant at the Corinthia San Gorg on Saturday.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements: February 27-March 5

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami will be on a Private visit to the UK this week.

Exhibition for Cancer Research UK

Artist Miriam Sorrell is once again participating in the Art for Life exhibition at Christie's, London, in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Over 400 art lovers will gather at Christie's on March 13 for the UK's leading charity art event.

It is the fourth year in a row that Ms Sorrell will be exhibiting. Currently she is also displaying her works at Joinwell showroom in Sliema, Art for Life's success is built on the high quality of the art donated by artists. Past supporters of the event in-clude Norman Adams, Sir Anthony Caro, Beryl Cook and Bernard Dunstan RA.

Appogg supports families in difficulty

Parents of children facing difficulties in Cottonera can now turn to the Agenzija Appogg Home-Start Malta, which is being supported by Vodafone Malta Foundation and HSBC Cares For Children Fund.

"HSBC Cares For Children Fund already supports community projects carried out by Appogg in Cottonera, and over the years has also given its support to the various primary schools in the area. This new agreement will help Agenzija Appogg further strengthen the support it gives to the local community," the fund's chairman, Catherine Gonzi, said.

Home-Start is an international scheme that was initiated in the United Kingdom in 1973. It now operates in over 15 countries across Europe, Africa, North America and Asia. In 2004, the organisation helped 74,024 children through 517 schemes.

"Home-Start has a proven track record in helping parents of very young children, offering support, friendship and practical help to those who are struggling to cope with ill health, disability, poverty and other adversities in life. The implementation of this scheme by Agenzija Appogg, with the support of the Vodafone Malta Foundation, will undoubtedly benefit many families," the foundation chairman Gemma Mifsud Bonnici said.

Agenzija Appogg chief executive Joe Gerada added: "This project is extremely important as it operates at the grassroots of the community as opposed to most existing services that are still offering specialist services. This is a smart scheme as it focuses on prevention rather that cure."

Joint collaboration between Home-Start International and Agenzija Appogg enabled this scheme to be applied to Malta, starting with Cottonera. It aims to provide a complimentary service to the support networks already on offer.

Home-Start Malta also aims to work with other existing services/ resources in the community to aid the family to function in a more stable and caring way. For more information contact Jacqueline Casha on 2398-5116 or 2167-8043.

More information about Agenzija Appogg and its services is available on www.appogg.gov.mt and www.mfss.gov.mt

For your diary

The Malta Historical Society is giving two lectures on the Books of Hours by Martina Caruana and rare printed books by Dr William Zammit at St Publius church, Rabat, tomorrow at 6.30 p.m.

Caritas Malta is holding a ReVive no smoking and no alcohol party for youths at Liquid Club, Tal-Balal, tomorrow. For more information call 2590-6600.

The International Wives Association is having its monthly swap shop at Dar l-Emigrant, Valletta, on Wednesday from 9.30 to 11.30 a.m.

The philanthropic organisation Ward u Zghar is holding its annual general meeting at the Social Workers' Union, St Venera, on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Malta Floral Club members and their friends are celebrating Women's Day with Mass at the Millennium Chapel on March 8 at 10 a.m., followed by lunch at The Avenue restaurant in Paceville, St Julian's. For bookings call Lily de Conti Manduca on 2135-4160 or Monica Chetcuti on 2148-8089.

The Malta Cancer Foundation is organising a candle light dinner dance at Villa Arrigo on March 8 at 9.15 p.m. Drinks and canapés will be served at 8.15. Tickets are at Lm20. Call 2298-7163 or 9987-6436 for reservations.

On the occasion of Women's Day, the St Julian's Ladies Circle is holding a seminar L-Arti tal-Kuntentezza at the Vivaldi Golden Tulip Hotel, Dragonara Road, Paceville, on Thursday from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.

Vanni Pulé is showing a short video and holding a discussion on whether a ship was really pulverised into nothingness during the Philadelphia Experiment carried out by the American Navy at the Youth Travel Circle, 227, Merchants Street, Valletta, on March 9 at 7 p.m.

David Pace will follow up on a video presentation by Darwinian scientist Richard Dawkins about the process of evolution being shown at the YTC on March 23 at 7 p.m.

Emanuel Psaila is showing part of video presentation about the prophecies forecasting the end of the world, followed by a discussion on the subject at the YTC on April 6 at 7 p.m.