New Ta' Qali park proves popular

Anthony Pace Gouder

Dec 31st 2009, 04:33

@ Fabio Psaila > " they must be L. supporters " + " born with an incorporated red retina-filter "

You are totally mistaken in labelling anyone JUST for being critical . This has now become intolerable.
You really don't know me FP ! ....... ESPECIALLY with regards to seeing the true colour of things , as with great satisfaction , I have contributed amply!

Expressing my observations about the strategy behind the location of the park , and pronouncing my objections regarding the CRIPPLED road connections (of the Runway)without providing adequate alternatives , and relagating cartoon animals to Rubbish Bins , puts me with the REDS ?...... what pathetic , misreable thinking !!

@ Adrian Camilleri
Whatever your poltical creed may be , I can assure you that many are of the same opinion , vis-a-vis the scope of eliminating the Air-strip .

Christine Bright

Dec 30th 2009, 22:49

Do not consider my comments as moaning or political. They are not intended as such.

1. Bikes are not allowed. Fine. It would be useful to place a couple of bike racks where they can be locked.
2. High heels. The signs clearly say that playing areas are made for soft shoes only. So why is it that people still step on them with heels? There are guards doing their work but then it's up to the public to show some respect.
3. Bigger area. It's nice and a good size. However all the adjacent area should have been restructured nicely since it was obvious that many people would enjoy a similar park.
4. Maintenance. Apart from the fountain next to the entrance, there are two water features but only one is working. Any ideas?
5. Other areas in Malta and Gozo need to be taken care of. The bandli in Paola and Tigne come to my mind and should also be improved for all to enjoy.

Am sorry to hear that disabled children cannot enjoy the park to the full :(

Claudette Attard

Dec 30th 2009, 16:34

@ Veronique Gaglione

Well done for your comments... I agree with you 100%!! People like Mr Jacobs and Mr Attard, surely are so insensitive that they do not realise that mine is not MOANING but pure ADVOCACY. My five year old son has to sit in his buggy watching his younger sister having fun, only because whoever was involved int the planning of the park did not take into consideration that there are children of different abilities.

This park is one of a kind and we lack such facilities in Malta - so well done for such a development. My intention was not to sound negative but to put forward sound suggestions which hopefully will someday be implemented.

Franco Farrugia

Dec 30th 2009, 13:38

@ J Farrugia - 'l-ewwel in-nies imbaghad il-bhejjem. In-nies dejjem jigu l-ewwel.' >>> Please, don't let me answer you on that one. You see, I am sure the Moderator would not approve. :-)) You are so sweet. Even your words, say so much about you.

s.caruana

Dec 30th 2009, 13:06

2010 GHAGEB shih ghax ftahna bandli Ta' Qali u parking area IL-Belt ghamlinilha zewg madumiet u ftit ilma jisfen.

Veronique Gaglione

Dec 30th 2009, 12:55

@ Alfred Vella - Ghaziz Mr. Vella, billi wiehed jaghti kumment genwien ma jfissirx li ghax qed imaqdar l-amministrazzjoni presenti. Jiddispjacini li hawn Malta ghadna tant lura fil-mentalita ghax jekk tikritika b'modd kostruttiv tinqalleb politikament. Forsi nifhem li min mhuwiex f'certu sitwazzjonijiet ma jaghtiex kas tal-kritika li kkumentajt fuqha jien, imma nixtieq naghddi dal message li dan ma jfissirx MOANING imma hija biss realta ta' socjeta. L-akbar rabja hi li fuq il media intqal li hu accessibli ghal persuni b'dizabilta meta fil-fatt mhu xejn. Jekk terga tmur nissugerilek li tipprova tinnota dawn l-affarijiet.
@ Henry Jacobs - Yes Mr. Jacobs there are some 'bunch of moaners' but having a child with a different ability obviously I would pass on a comment like that. I am only being my DAUGHTER'S VOICE so its not MOANING.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year to all :-) Oh and WELL DONE for the Maltese work men who worked on the project.

Ivan Mifsud

Dec 30th 2009, 12:24

The park no doubt is a commendable initiative. My question is: will it receive the regular maintenance necessary to keep it up to the correct standards?

Adrian Camilleri

Dec 30th 2009, 11:30

@Fabio Psaila

Jiddispjacini ghalik.......nerga nghidlek.....small things please small minds......iva, kburi li minhiex bhalek :)

Ghidli inti, kif tista ma tahsibx hekk, meta l affarijiet huma CARI u EVIDENTI.....inti forsi ma taghtix kas, imma haddiehor jaghti.......Ta Qali = Land of Uncle Sam!!!

U biex jaghmluha iktar evidenti, l-extension tal-Park ''Nazzjonali'', ghalqulu l-unika bicca (fil-ftuh) li kien hemm quddiem l-Ambaxxata.

Hawn min jaghma b kocc bandli (li sa 5 snin ohra jigi zdingat, kif gara f bandli ohrajn) u hawn min jara l-interessi ta pajjizu l ewwel u qabel xejn.

R.Giorgino

Dec 30th 2009, 10:42

Araw wicc it-tfal kif jidhlu go dan il-park!! Park bhal dak, tista ddum kemm trid...minghajr hlas ...imma possibli li dejjem imaqdru n-nies!!! Grazzi lil kull min kien involut. Grazzi mill-qalb f'isem il-genituri ..u t-tfal. Keep it up.

Fabio Psaila

Dec 30th 2009, 10:34

Charles Cardona, Adrian Camilleri and Anthony Pace Gouder..... they must be Labour supporters of the type that they consider ANYTHING (good and bad) done by this government "BAD" and ANYTHING (good and bad) done by Labour "GOOD". But obviously they will never admit this. These people will never in their lives be able to see the true colour of things. Because they were born with an incorporated red retina-filter. I am tempted to tell them OPEN YOUR MINDS but I know it would be just a waste of time.

Henry Jacobs

Dec 30th 2009, 10:31

Bunch of moaners.

Well Done to whoever was responsible. Lets find ways and means to have alot of these parks.

And the rest of you stop moaning.

adrian zahra

Dec 30th 2009, 09:40

kif hadd ghadu ma qal PROSIT lill haddiema tal gvern li ghmlu dan ix xoghol sabih u siewi. j'Alla ma jkunx hemm aktar vandalizmu f dan l imbierek pajjiz. ahna imissna qeghdin genna ta l art u mhux wara li ssir xi haga sabiha naraw x ha naqalghu ! j'Alla jibda jkun kuljum ippakjat bit tfal taghna, u it tfal hekk ghandhom bzonn u mhux computers u video games biex jilghabu. is sena t tajba lill kulhadd

Alfred Vella

Dec 30th 2009, 09:34

The difference between being positive and being negative is simply by seeing things through the eyes of the government or through those of the oppostion. How can one doubt that this wonderful incentive is not positive? What is ths scope in raising certain questions here? This is a wonderful park and another positive project done by the present administration. The PN can boast of such superb projects, the MLP on the other hand can say that it has left the shipbuilding to the people!

J Farrugia

Dec 30th 2009, 08:24

@ Franco Farrugia - l-ewwel in-nies imbaghad il-bhejjem. In-nies dejjem jigu l-ewwel.

Lspiteri

Dec 30th 2009, 07:53

I fully agree with M.Mifsud. I took my daughter last weekend and the slides were so packed that my husband had to go up the slide to fetch her, cos we feared she would get crushed. Bigger kids were pushing and pressing to go up the steps before the smaller ones and the security personnel were just standing by watching. During busy days someone should control the queues.

Carmel Saliba

Dec 30th 2009, 07:53

Another project for the Maltese children. What is going to be done for our Gozitan children?

In Victoria we have a playing field. But this is a very dangerous place where our children can play.

Can the Gozitan children have the same playing opportunities as those living in Malta?

Roderick Micallef

Dec 30th 2009, 06:54

This is obviously positive and no one can say it's not however I am sure that most of the funds came from the private sector and if correct then the government didn't do much as such, from the response from the public it is evident that Malta lacks these kind of facilities and other re-creational areas both for the young and also for adults.
I hope that more areas like these will be opened up in the nearby future and I also hope that the government actually contributes towards these projects and not waits for the private sectore to finance money in order for the government to actually do something.
As a final note, I also hope that the up-keep of these places is followed up and maintained properly especially the health & safety aspect.
I am afraid that when a project is new too much attention is focused on it but after some time it will be abandoned and not looked after, as did with other projects in the past.
Are CCTV cameras installed? What prevention against vandals has been implemented? Well done any ways for the initiative and keep the good projects coming on. Happy New Year everyone!

A. Borg

Dec 30th 2009, 06:08

Adrian Camilleri.proset habib,jien hsibtu li hadd ma nduna x'kien il-vera skop li Gvern American kien sponsor f'dan il-progett! Hafna bloggers hawn sa mniehirhom jaraw. Serrahnihom wahda bhal dik! misshom ma jghinux ukoll!

J.C.Grech

Dec 30th 2009, 01:50

Our legendary Ta' Qali runway has been ruined forever......and so our dreams of building racetrack at ta' Qali.

A racing circuit would have been great for motorsport enthusiasts plus the old airstrip would have been saved from destruction and enjoyed as well by historic aviation lovers.
Silverstone's airstrip is no bigger than Ta' Qali's and is still intact if you see it in google maps.
Too late now.
l aqwa li nimlew kulmemm bandli u sigar u gonna ha nehilsu.....flok strategy and
planning, tragedy and planning ghandna f'dal pajjiz.

Anthony Pace Gouder

Dec 30th 2009, 01:34

What a SHAME to treat animals as rubbish bins ! .......... THE PARK BOASTS OF RUBBISH BINS SHAPED LIKE CARTOON ANIMALS ! How SWEET !!!!!

.........................Absolutely , this is a Malta First . Only in Malta .
Has anyone ever seen or knows of such an animal degrading action anywhere else on the globe?

Sooner or later , the local FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM , who annually protest vigorously in defence of CIRCUS animals , will have this animal HUMILIATING issue to settle .

Veronique Gaglione

Dec 29th 2009, 23:20

I defenitely agree with Ms Attard's comment as I experienced the same faults when i visited the park this morning with my two children who one of them is special needs. I decided to go after hearing the Minister say that it is a Park with all the facilities & fully equipped for the disabled. I thought it was going to be another fun day for us as a family like yest. at Popey's Village where on the contrary it was accessible in each hut even though with its space limitation. Unfortunetly today my daughter & myself had to sit on a bench and just watch everyone having fun. I couldn't find an answer to my other two year old daughter who was asking me to take her sister on a swing or a slide with her, like what we usually do at our local playground.
Well i take the opp. to praise the Min. it is not moaning however I am critisizing the fact that saying it is fully equipped for the disabled its not appropriate. I wonder who the expertise were? At least we hope that nappy changers & ramps would be put in the near future.

D.Attard

Dec 29th 2009, 23:10

This has become a MOANERS' BLOG...

M. Mifsud

Dec 29th 2009, 23:04

It was a lovely idea, thanks to whoever came up with it. I took my 3 year old son there on Xmas Day, so I would like to express my opinion. The areas designed for different ages are excellent, if only the age groups stipulated are respected. There were 11 and 12 year old kids in the 3-5 year old section. The slides/tunnels were literally packed with children all pushing and squeezing to have their turn. Kids climbing up slides while others were trying to slide down. I had to drag my son out for fear that he would get hurt. The wardens were there for one reason it seems: To stop anyone from littering. It would be great if a couple of trained persons are placed there to maintain some type of order, like other private leisure parks. It would lessen the risk of injuries and fights between parents ;)

Claudette Attard

Dec 29th 2009, 22:53

.... and I can go on with the list. Just by wayching this video clip... is there any disabled child involved in the games? And what about the adverts on billboards and national TV? once again children with disabilities were not involved... so how are we going to ever chnage the attitudes towards disability?

I would really like to know whether experts in the field of disability were ever consulted at all. I’m pretty sure that if parents of children with disability had to be consulted, they would have done a brilliant job! Unfortunately, in most cases if one never experiences disability, one wouldn’t realise the needs.

I strongly believe that leisure activities help to promote a focus on the child's ability rather than on his or her disability and can open up exciting opportunities and challenges. I hope that these comments will be useful in some way or another.

Children with disability should move on from being passive VIEWERS to DOERS!!

Claudette Attard

Dec 29th 2009, 21:47

This park was supposed to include activities for children of ALL abilities and yet the needs of those children with severe physical impairment, who most often are not mobile and who need adult assistance in order to move around the park, have once again been left unheard.

Adaptive seating equipment could be provided not just on swings but also on other playground equipment. Please note that the two adaptive seats at the park are not the ideal for children with physical impairment, as these are more geared towards children of a younger age rather than physically impaired. Keep in mind that the child with a disability needs age appropriate equipment. Older children in wheelchairs need a special swing on which they can climb onto together with their wheelchair.

Nappy changers are still missing. The bathrooms are large enough to include several nappy changers. Please note that nappy changers are used by EVERYONE, since it is a playground where children of all ages attend.

The pavement at the entrance has no ramp, and anyone with a pushchair or a wheelchair has to go up the pavement and down again in order to cross the street and enter the park.

Rod Abela

Dec 29th 2009, 21:44

Way back in the year 2001, Minister George Pullicino had promised,- with plans in hand - to save a substantial part (about 1,500ft) of the old 6,000 foot Ta' Qali airfield runway and 'annex' it to the Malta Aviation Museum run by the dedicated Ray Polidano and his friends.

As with many other matters aviation related these plans were not only scrapped but a polite form of "vandalism" happened by ripping up the old runway! Addio historic site protection! It is a disgrace that nothing remains to commerate all those courageous airmen who died flying from Ta' Qali during WWII.

Of course I am not against recreational playgrounds for the young and public in general but such places should be built not over a historic runway! Unless obviously we want to appease the US Embassy who "generously" sponsored part of the cost....

And by the way...any one knows what happened to the promised UH72A Lakota half-a-copter that was supposed to be half sponsored (is this a new habit..?) by Uncle Sam? This was supposed to be delivered last November..

Anthony Pace Gouder

Dec 29th 2009, 20:56

I'm all for these Adventure Parks for our young generation ,and appreciate all that has been done , but Ta'Qali is quite an extensive Area , and I "wonder" why the Park was located right here in the middle of this old Runway ! First the roundabout and the road access near the American Embassy were blocked off , then for months the centre section (where we now have this park) also had a roundabout removed , with the connecting road that served mid-way the MFCC and the other end scrapped, leaving an access way open only in EMERGENCIES ! Its obvious that the idea behind all this was to eliminate completely the wide, efficient , practically straight road and in the process FRAGMENT the old runway . Probably for security reasons. The whole Area is in dire need of a functional re-planned Road system . Access roads to the National Stadium and the other Sport Facilities and MFCC , should be re-routed to avoid "middle of the road" strollers, dangerously CONFLICTING with Football Traffic common on SATURDAY & SUNDAY afternoons, generally along the NARROW road leading to the Stadium Millennium Stand . Solution? Extend Valletta road Ta'qali access.

joseph saliba

Dec 29th 2009, 19:21

George you must be the happiest man today. You made me wish I were child again. A happy new year to you and all your family. And all those who brought about this wonder.

Joseph Tonna

Dec 29th 2009, 19:11

Thawlu hafna sigar madwar l-pajjiz kollu, u vera prosit, pero mportanti hafna li mhux inhawluwom u nitilquhom ghal rihom, mportanti li fl ewwel snin tahhom niehdu hsiebhom sakemm jimmaturaw, ghax ninnutaw li hafna minnom imutu ghal diversi ragunijiet jew nixfa etc etc etc

Adrian Camilleri

Dec 29th 2009, 19:10

Small things please small minds!!! X'ma tohrogx sponsor l-Ambaxxata Amerikana, nehhewlhom minn nofs runway li setghet isservi ta' inkwiet zejjed ghal l istess Ambaxxata!!! Anke bhala sigurta, jaqblilhom iktar.......haddmu naqa raskhom, mhux kull ma jleqq huwa deheb!! Dan sieheb l-extension tal-Park Nazzjonali.....kollox bizzilla ghamlu Ta' Qali.

alex genuis

Dec 29th 2009, 18:40

WONDER NOTHING!!!WHAT'S DONE GOOD MUST BE PRAISED AND APPRECIATED,WHAT'S DONE BAD MUST BE NOTED,CRITICISED AND BROUGHT UP TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION!!!!!

Franco Farrugia

Dec 29th 2009, 18:38

@ Mario Camilleri - Oh, you as well? Nice one, mate! Even you have started discouraging criticism and calling it 'moaning'? Happy New Year!

J Attard

Dec 29th 2009, 18:33

It's good to see that GOZO has not been forgotten... again!! The GOZO pool, GOZO athletics track and field, GOZO public football field and tennis courts, and public parks are excellent recreational areas. (For those unaware, they do not exist or are in a poor state).

E. Vassallo

Dec 29th 2009, 18:10

U iva hafna ghageb. Issa tara la jitla Joseph kif se ngibu kullimkien genna ta' l-art. Il-problema tal-pajjizz jghibu mill-lejl ghal nhar.

cardonacharles

Dec 29th 2009, 18:06

Possible wara dawn it taxxi kollha li nhalsu biex jinbena dan il park il gvern kellu jitlob lghajnuna tal BOV u il Gvern American? affarijiet tal misthija.

mario camilleri

Dec 29th 2009, 18:01

No moaning against the Government from the usual bloggers. I wonder? MC St Paul's Bay

Franco Farrugia

Dec 29th 2009, 17:48

Where is the project for the animal hospital or whatever-it-is-going-to-be-called?