Heard in the Hive

The Animal Park at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala has become more popular recently, especially with children. This is because this park offers an educational and also fun-filled environment.

The park is home to at least 10 different animal species. All animals are well taken care of and they are kept in a natural environment. Rabbits, emus, mountain goats, monkeys, deer, horses and a llama are a few of the animals found there.

The paths around the park leads the visitor from one animal to another with the chance to learn more about each species and also the possibility of getting a closer look at these wonderful creatures.

The park also attracts children thanks to its popular train rides. A machine-operated train gives the children an enjoyable ride around the park while their parents look on.

Needless to say, the go-carting track is always packed with children having a great time racing each other.

Children who prefer horse-riding have the opportunity to do so at the park, with the assistance of a dedicated horse trainer.

The park is always open during school days for schools to treat their pupils to an outdoor activity.

During this week till Friday, the Animal Park will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This should be a great opportunity for all the family to come along and spend some relaxing, yet entertaining, time together at the LWS Animal Park within Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala.

Skål International Malta has new committee

Frans Camilleri is the newly elected president of Skål International Malta Club. Mr Camilleri, chairman of Malta Air Charter and Corporate Group Head Strategic Planning at Air Malta, takes over from Joe Borg Olivier, whose two-year term as president expired recently.

Mr Borg Olivier was responsible for the setting up of Young Skål Club in October 2001 and the launching of the first ever Skål (Malta) Tourism Awards in 2002.

The new committee, elected during the annual general meeting held recently at the Coastline Hotel, is also composed of Sandra La Rosa, vice-president; Tiziana Grech, treasurer; George Schembri, secretary; John Saliba, public relations; Mae Zammit, functions co-ordinator; Joe Borg Olivier and Anthony Gatt, international affairs; and Diana McNamara, member.

Besides their role on the local club committee Mr Gatt is president of the Skål Mediterranean Area Committee (MAC), and Mr Borg Olivier is MAC secretary. Mr Borg Olivier is also internal auditor on Skål International Executive Council.

Skål is the only international organisation which brings together all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Representing the industry's managers and executives, Skål members meet at local, national and international levels in an environment of friendship to discuss subjects of common interest.

In November 2000 the Malta club hosted the Annual Skål International Congress and over 400 delegates from more than 40 countries had attended. The first club was founded in Paris in 1932 by travel trade managers who had been on an educational tour of Scandinavia and so the idea of professionals in travel and tourism working closely together in a spirit of friendship was born.

The idea of professionalism and international friendship became immediately so popular in 1934, Skål achieved international status with the formation of the Association Internationale des Skål Clubs (AISC), on the initiative of the first president of the Paris Skål Club and the man considered the "Father of Skål", Florimond Volckaert. The association is now known worldwide as Skål International.

Skål has a membership of almost 23,000 in over 500 clubs spread throughout more than 80 countries. As in other associations of professionals most Skål activities take place locally, but the movement also features national and area committees under the umbrella of Skål International, which has its permanent general secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.

Genuis - Hansford

Married recently at St Francis of Assisi church, Ta' Paris, Birkirkara, were Romina Genuis, daughter of Mr and Mrs L. Genuis of Gzira, and Simon Hansford, son of son of Mr and Mrs D. Hansford of Lija.

Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Fr Tonio Mifsud, OFM. Mr Louis Genuis and Mr Martin Bonello witnessed the wedding ceremony. Mr Josef Cassano was best man.

The bride was attended by Karen and Sharon Hansford as bridesmaids, and by Lorraine Dimech Genuis as maid of honour.

A reception was later held at Villa Mdina, Naxxar. The couple are spending their honeymoon on a Caribbean cruise.

Malta Biennale event in France

On March 22 a "satellite" show of the Malta International Art Biennale opened on the Côte d'Azur, near Cannes, with a selection of works from 30 countries by award-winning artists at the 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001 Biennales or selected for the 2003 Biennale (June 14- October 1). The exhibition was curated by the founder-president of the Malta Biennale, Dame Françoise Tempra.

Le Moulin de Peymeinade, residence of Giacomo de Pass, as well as painting and sculpture ateliers of the artist, around the swimming pool and verdant gardens, was part of the historical estate, the Chateau de Cabris, owned by turbulent Marquise de Cabris, a relative of Napoleon's minister, Mirabeau.

Malta Biennale artists attended from Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Malta, Tunisia, UK and US, and were mostly guests at this superb venue.

They also enjoyed a special welcome reception, on March 21, by the mayor of Peymeinade, Dr Florent Lerebour, and deputy mayor Mme Laenger, in the town hall.

A selection of Malta Biennale artists' works will now be part of the Peymeinade town hall's permanent collection and library as Dame Françoise presented books and works by artists from eight countries. Maltese artists' works included those of Anton Agius, Nikki Arnett-Depasquale, Gabriel Caruana, Joe Genovese, Tony Mangion and Arthur Rizzo.

Tony Mangion, who had travelled with the group from Malta, received great applause from the public on both occassions for his portraits of President de Marco, soprano Miriam Gauci and Fr Marius Zerafa, especially the one in the Oratory of St John in Valletta showing the Caravaggio, which will remain in the permanent town hall collection. The mayor stated he also proudly accepted Tony Mangion's book The Maltese for the library.

The works donated to the Peymeinade town hall included dynamic large canvases by Michael Korber, vibrant perspex creations by R.O. Schabbach, the entwined passionate figures of Ran Gazit, the entertaining caricatures of Antonio Fuertes and the surrealistically enticing nudes of his son Mario, the geometrical envolées of Irene Rousseau, the famous 1937 Wind and Rain darken the Sky, the Cock crows incessantly by Chinese artist Xu Beihong, the linear lyricism of Manuel Quintanilla, the lesser known abstraction of sculptor Peter Meyers, the goddesses of Maqbool Hussein, and the fascinating etchings of Ahmed Nawar, Joseph Paul Cassar and Bruna Brazzalotto.

Other works included the entertainingly humorous Moggie of Milena Kunz Bijno, the Three-legged Race by Patricia Finch, the flowing Venices of Luciano Gasper the galactic universe of Lilika Papanicolaou, linear works by Frank Hill, a nude by Anthony Calleja and others by Maltese artists Harry Alden and Norbert Attard, Saif Gaddafi, Salah Shagroun and Fawzi Zwei (Libya), Zoltan Perlmutter (Israel), Norbert Attard, Rita Charis Pergolani (Belgium), Carlos Diaz (Peru), and Dominique Philippe, Xavier Zevaco and Guy Lemesre (France).

During the evening Dame Françoise was presented with the K18 award from Germany in presence of Professor Ivan Coset Maniere (of Ceram Sophia Antipolis, the Nice-Cote d'Azur chamber of commerce, who plans a special Malta Biennale event early next year):

K18 was founded in 1993 in Düsseldorf, Germany by R.O. Schabbach and co-founders Ansgar K (Kristensen), Ellen Abram and Kurt Dospinghaus to build up an international network of selected artists to communicate and exchange philosophical and practical knowledge. An important part of this is the possibility to travel to other countries and to have the opportunity to work, perform and exhibit their art.

In 1995 the group founded a forum for the performing arts, and opened a studio. Numerous exhibitions were held in museums, galleries and studios with big recognition. This year, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, K18 created the first international Art Supporters Award.

The 2003 nominees for their award, besides Dame Françoise, include Gunter Sachs (art collector), Donald Trump, Johannes Rau (President of Germany) and, posthumously, Anthony Quinn (in memory of his support of the arts). Dame Françoise received the award for her outstanding support of the arts, as her life project.

The post-opening evening proceeded with songs and dancing (with 2003 Malta Biennale second writer, composer and performer Dynam (France), 2003 Biennale jazz composer and percussionist Ross de Julio (Italy), and finally "pianist for the occasion", journalist Marco Libelli, from the financial Italian bewspaper II Sole-24 Ore, who had specially travelled from Milan.

The 'highlight' of the evening was the 2003 Malta Biennale film Entre-Ciel and of course a short 'preview' of the film on Giacomo de Pass by Michel Claret, with music by Arnaud Galand and text by Didier Cazet. The director of the Malta Tourism Authority office in France, Robert Zammit, who had come from Paris and said a few words at the opening, was among those watching the film, which also features Malta prominently.

The 2003 Malta Biennale will be opening on June 14 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, and many those watching the film concluded that this would be a good opportunity to visit the island.

The evening went on with the birthday celebrations of Dame Françoise's sister Mina Tempra, art and music lover Diana Grech and the American singer Sherri Tyler until the early hours of the morning.

For your diary

Car boot sales are being held today and every Sunday in aid of the disability programmes of Razzett tal-Hbiberija, at the organisation's grounds in Marsascala, from 7 a.m. to noon.

Ward u Zghar is organising birthday celebrations for various members, at the Centru Hidma Socjali, St Venera, on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Car boot sales are will held today and every Sunday in aid of the Vittoriosa Stars Football Club at the football ground in Vittoriosa, Il-Fortini, all day. Parking is no problem.

A card party in aid of the Girl Guides Association is being held at the Imperial Hotel, Sliema, on Wednesday at 10 a.m. For bookings, contact Mrs Pace on 9948-9797.

The Singles Social Circle is organising a social evening at Beach Heaven, Xemxija, on Saturday at 9 p.m. Members may invite one guest. Tickets cost Lm1.25 each.

The Marian Culture Group is organising a day-trip to Rabat on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The group will also attend Mass at Rabat parish church. For more information phone 2163-2959, 2189-6586 or 2133-2424.

A bazaar is being held at Pembroke church hall on May 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A range of goods such as books, clothes, groceries and plants will be on sale at reduced prices.

The President and Mrs de Marco's engagements - April 21-27

Tomorrow
11 a.m. The President receives young people from Lily Band Club, Mqabba, accompanied by Hyazinthara group of Vorarlberg, Austria, at the Palace, Valletta.

Noon The President receives Henley College principal Professor Stephen Watson.

12.45 p.m. The President receives the General Workers Union president and secretary-general accompanied by council members.

Tuesday
10 a.m. The President receives British High Commissioner Vincent Fean at the Palace, Valletta.

Noon The President receives Maltacom chairman Maurice Zarb Adami.

6.30 p.m. The President and Mrs de Marco preside over a Malta Community Chest Fund board meeting at San Anton Palace, Attard.

Wednesday
10 a.m. The President receives German Ambassador Georg Merten at the Palace, Valletta.

11 The President receives Malta's Ambassador to Tunisia Ives de Barro.

12.15 p.m. The President receives the Union Haddiema Maghqudin president and secretary-general, accompanied by administrative council members.

5.30 The President receives members of the Belfast Philharmonic Society

Thursday
10 a.m. The President is presented with credentials by Norwegian Ambassador Eva Bugge, at the Palace, Valletta.

11.15 The President is presented with credentials by Bosnia- Herzegovina Ambassador Luksa Soljan.

1.15 for 1.30 p.m. The President and Mrs de Marco host an official luncheon in honour of the newly accredited ambassadors at San Anton Palace.

Friday
11 a.m. The President attends a wreath-laying ceremony on ANZAC Day at the Pietà Military Cemetery.

Noon The President attends a reception hosted by Australian High Commissioner and Mrs Iain C. Dickie on ANZAC Day, at their residence in San Pawl tat-Targa.

Saturday
8 p.m. The President and Mrs de Marco attend an operatic concert by soprano Miriam Gauci on A.M. Mangion Group's 25th anniversary, at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta.

Sunday
10 a.m. The President attends a ceremony of the conferment of the citizenship of Vittoriosa on SMOM Grand Master Fra' Andrew Bertie, at the Couvre Porte, Vittoriosa.