On the Dot...

It is both on a need-to-know and public interest basis that the power-that-be should make it a point to publish ASAP the findings of three high-profile inquiries: The Qormi fatal shooting; the near air miss over Zebbug and the AFM Bulldog crash. People have a right to know what exactly happened in all three instances.

Pigeon Nuisance

Residents in areas where racing pigeon coops are kept are very sore at owners who will not face up to responsibilities. Pigeon droppings are corrosive, smelly, and probably a health risk too. Apart from that, house façades, washing on the lines, parked cars, and roofs and yards keep having to be cleaned up. This problem is extant also in areas where misguided people feed the pigeons.

Number's Up

The VAT receipts lottery is regularly broadcast on television, and the results are later shown in the printed media. However, it is not the same for the lottery involving route bus tickets. No one appears to know when the ADT, which insist tickets should be in by the 5th of each month, actually conducts the draw. The public would appreciate more information, and more transparency, about the matter.

Beached Wails

A sandy beach was developed at Bugibba, beneath the general area of the Dolmen Hotel. That, according to the St Paul's Bay local council, ought to have satisfied everyone. However, the rest of Islets Promenade, all the way to the bocci pitch by the McDonald's restaurant, has been sadly neglected. The parking area by the Bognor Beach Club is still a stone-filled wilderness, and rubbish is strewn on the beaches because some people cannot be bothered to take litter home when there are no bins.

Call Back

Many people assume they must not use cellular telephones at petrol stations because they might interfere with the workings of the gauges on the machines. However, phones that light up when either switched on or when they ring can emit enough energy to ignite fuel fumes, causing serious burns to those close by, and much damage. The international media has recently reported three such incidents.

Crash Course

It is about time that football boots with fancy designs but very little ergometric or physical function are banned from pitches. Some of them are more suitable for a catwalk than for a 90-minute stint on the pitches. Moreover, some of them could be dangerous not only to the wearer but even to another player during rough play.

Weight Watch

It is pathetic and funny - but it also makes some sort of sense. The mayor of Varello, in Italy, is offering a €50 award to men who shed a reasonable four kilograms of body weight in a month; women's target is three kilograms. This financial incentive, it is hoped, will step in where self-control has failed, and this venture looks like it's succeeding. Perhaps some enterprising local council will not feel as if it is insulting the residents if it emulates this interesting development.

Glass Works

A broken glass pane in a shop in Naxxar Road, Birkirkara, across the road from the Big Bon shops, is posing a great danger to passers by. It has been boarded up by a piece of plywood from the inside, which means that the edges, at toddler height, and reachable by children in buggies, are still there.

Clean Sweep

Someone has decided that the bring-in site at Burmarrad deserves better. So it has now been promoted to temporary landfill status, with all manner of rubbish being dumped alongside the containers that have been placed there to collect recyclable material. The fact that this junk is not cleared away at regular intervals, and given the site's proximity to the parish church, makes the problem much worse.

Wall Flowers

An empty plot of land by the Ciappella Moots showrooms, on the way from Mosta to the Lija cemetery, has been partly walled in. The gap left, however, is very dangerous, because of the sheer drop involved should there be an accident. Joggers and walkers, despite the inherent dangers, are known to use this route at night, and cars often drive such that the pedestrians have to squeeze themselves against the edge of the road.

Online Errors

http://www.kelb-tal-fenek.com/Website-Grafiken/ktfmalta6.jpg is a website devoted to things Maltese. It extols the beauty of the kelb tal-fenek, but also gives esoteric information about our islands. However, the effect is somewhat marred by the inclusion of the word "busses", and other tiny syntactical errors. A little proof-reading is in order.

Lights Out

With all the talk about light pollution, one would have expected several local councils to know better. It has become fashionable to include powerful uplighting spots, sunk into the ground, to highlight historical monuments or other places of interest. Certain commercial establishments do this, too. These, apart from wasting energy, annoy passers-by and continue to befuddle birds and bats, and thwart sky-gazers by interfering with natural night-light.