On the Dot...

Some time ago, this column had commented on the dangerous conditions prevalent at the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery, in Paola. The state of the place remains the same; sheer drops; broken stairways and steps without rails and rusted halves of oil tanks with sharp edges are the order of the day.

Horn Blower

A very big well done to whoever took the necessary action to minimise the racket caused by the gas distributor early every Thursday morning in Balzan and the vicinity. The noise he makes when tossing empty gas cylinders in his truck is more than enough to announce his arrival. And so there's absolutely no need for him to blast everybody out of bed as early as 6.30 a.m. using a pneumatic horn - which in itself is illegal anyway.

Hunting Gowks (ii)

It is a dubious honour for hunters and conservationists to acquire derogation under article 9 of the EU Birds Directive. This truly indicates, as we have been told, one of the "realities" of Malta. However - it is not the "fact" that hunting is a traditional pastime that has been highlighted, but that this is a hot issue, not to be touched within four years of an approaching general election.

Green Talk

Green leaders from seven ministries planted 400 trees at the Salini National Park as part of the 34U campaign late last year. One wonders whether the four defaulting ministries in the government's green initiatives campaign were represented too! The four remain unknown to this very day.

Smooth Run

Literally a stone's throw away from the police station in Valletta is one of the alighting/pick-up points for the minivans servicing the Park and Ride scheme. The pavement is broken, and the road surface is uneven. It is not the first time that people intent on negotiating the vehicle's steps have been known to falter or even trip.

Down Hill

Another stretch of pavement and street that need immediate attention lie in St Dominic Street, in the section between St Ursula Street and St Dominic Street, Valletta. This is a residential area and the slope compounds the danger.

Please Receipt

Many people do not think it is worth writing one's details at the back of each VAT receipt slip in order to send them in to take part in the weekly lottery. It would be a good idea for someone to take it in hand to collect these "bits of paper" from relatives and friends, and pass them on to a charitable institution in good time to be rubber-stamped with the organisation's details. This could perhaps, garner some needed funds for the entity.

Stone Cold

It is wonderful to see that Heritage Homes has now included in its collection a breath-taking replica of Barry's Royal Opera House in its series of Landmark Buildings. Now all that is left is for the Real McCoy to replace the ramshackle disaster that some people have the audacity to call a theatre when it is covered by a tent, furnished with plastic chairs, and surrounded by scaffolding.

Help Lines

Marianne Gauci, operations manager of Agenzija Appogg, encouraged children who were being abused to use the helpline. The fact is that these are the very same children who are bound to ask "how" and "when" when such a statement is put to them. It would seem that teachers, the child's first line of defence, may not be trained enough to notice tell-tale signs of abuse or may not want to get involved, even if the situation has improved of late.

Dead end

Roadworks behind San Anton Gardens are at a standstill. Drainage is somehow finding its way into a deep trench dug up over the past two months. Since the road is closed to traffic it is causing great inconvenience to drivers, besides posing a danger to passers-by as there are hardly any safety barriers.