With reference to James Debono’s article, which appeared in MaltaToday Midweek of Wednesday 12 September 2007, the developers of Townsquare project would like to correct three important facts.
The Townsquare project is not just a 32-storey building as Mr Debono stated, but will consist also of considerable public open green spaces and underground parking facilities, which Sliema desperately lacks besides the restoration of what is known as Villa Drago, which will also be integrated in the project.
The developers do not necessarily agree with all the views on the property market expressed by the independent consultants who prepared the Environment Planning Statement particularly the comment that the Euro adoption is expected to significantly support the local market.
The developers object strongly to the heading of the article ‘Townsquare to sponge undeclared cash’, which we deem to be unfounded and uncalled for. A spokesman for the developers of Townsquare said that when the marketing of the residential and commercial areas commences, the developers will ensure that any Euro transaction will be vetted and that only declared money will be accepted by the developers.
Mr Michael Soler, Director of Townsquare Sliema Ltd, the consortium behind this project said, ‘We have always played by the rules and conducted our business affairs with the utmost seriousness, transparency and responsibility in all our economic activities.’

Leonora Grech
MPS Marketing Communications,
Gwardamangia

It was on Thursday, October 6, 1927 that Warner Brothers premiered the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, starring the legendary minstrel Al Jolson.
The success of The Jazz Singer changed the cinema industry fundamentally. It was the collaboration between Warner Bros (Harry, Albert, Jack and Sam) and Bell Telephone Labs-Westem Electric that produced a sound system known as Vitaphone.
Darryl F. Zanuck, a young executive with Warner Brothers, suggested that a feature film should be produced. Shorts with Vitaphone system were screened but did not leave a great impression even though audiences increased wherever they were projected.
And it was Mr Zanuck who suggested to Al Jolson that he invest his money in The Jazz Singer. Thus Al Jolson became the first entertainer to have shares in a film company. The triumph of The Jazz Singer was due to the ad libbing that Al Jolson did during the shooting, and because of the great personality that he possessed on the stage, on the screen and elsewhere.
It was due to the workmanship and the initiative of such people that the first talking picture was a worldwide success. And therefore while it was the end of the silent movie era, talkies were born.
The Malta branch of The International Al Jolson Society is suggesting that Saturday, October 6, the 80th anniversary of the making of the first talking picture, will be “Talkies Day”. We suggest that on this day cinema tickets will cost less when compared to other days.

Vince Williams
International Al Jolson Society,
Paola

The government has given Ryanair subsidies on the Barcelona, Stockholm and Bremen routes, which subsidies Ryanair are utilising to squeeze out Air Malta out of Barcelona, Stockholm and Hamburg.
Now that Air Malta has expressed interest in flying to Bologna, Ryanair has now resorted to blackmail by threatening the government to withdraw from other routes if they are not given subsidies on the Bologna route. It looks like the Klagenfurt story repeating itself.
I strongly recommend the government to call their bluff. I am sure Air Malta can easily take up these routes if given the same amount of subsidies which are being handed over to Ryanair. Are not the subsidies coming from taxes paid by the Maltese, including the Air Malta employees?

Joseph Bugeja

As everybody knows, this summer there was a whole boom for the music industry with several foreign artists performing on our island, including several Italian artists.
In support for these foreign artists, local bands/singers gave their performance as well. However, my concern is that the Isle of MTV concert, Gigi D’Alessio concert, Ciao Scia and other important concerts have all had the same local support bands/singers, not to mention names. Always the same faces? Is this a game of monopoly?
I am a fan myself of the aforementioned artist but why is it that the same artists are being contacted for these activities, hence giving no opportunity for other local talent to perform in front of thousands of people and in front of foreign artists? Are we led to believe that Malta has no other talent to offer other than the mentioned ones? I’m sure of the contrary. I actually attend most concerts/gigs where I see all kinds of bands and I can honestly say that we do have more and varied artists able to perform in front of big audiences and deliver a great show.
I therefore strongly appeal to local organisers of such activities to give a better chance to the rest of the local music industry.

Jade Alamango
Attard

The PN government and party will be celebrating the 43rd anniversary of the day when Malta became an independent state, on 21 September 1964.
I have refrained from writing “celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Independence” simply because the “Independence” won on the historic day is no more. Today Malta is a “Dependency” of the European Union! It depends on the EU for the large majority of its laws and regulations. Malta has no longer the right to form its own laws and regulations according to the wishes and aspirations of the Maltese people.
When Malta was still a colony of Great Britian, we had the right to decide that laws and regulations were to be introduced in our country except in three areas – then known as “reserved matters” – foreign policy, defence and our currency. Today we hardly have three areas where we enjoy the prerogative to decide by ourselves without any “foreign” interference of the EU! Even in those areas which “officially” are still the prerogative of the Maltese government, the EU has its own well-known ways how to make us give up those rights through its “political pressure” which it uses on member states!
Perhaps the best example of how the EU does not give two hoots at what European peoples want is in the way it never accepts a “No” for an answer; how it has ignored the “No” of the French and the Dutch people on the EU Constitution. The EU, with the connivance of its governments, is about to impose that same EU Constitution, this time disguised as a “Reform Treaty” or amendments to two existing Treaties, without EU “citizens” being given a chance to have their say on such an important development in the way European peoples are governed.
Today, “foreign” EU nationals who come here and commit serious criminal acts cannot be returned to their native countries. They have as much right to continue to live here as much as honest Maltese citizens. Malta is theirs as much as it is ours!
I could go on and on citing examples which prove that Malta is no longer a truly independent country. So what will the PN government and party be celebrating, pray?

Eddy Privitera
Mosta

In the last few years we have been reading about how to achieve an ‘everlasting peace agreement’ between Israel and Palestine. Many people often wonder why Palestine and Israel cannot reach the same agreement Britain had reached in Northern Ireland with the IRA.
We sometimes blame interference by the USA, the UK or Russia, but when one reads Israel’s present ambassador to Ireland Zion Evrony’s long account “A History Lesson and Hamas is NOT the IRA” (which article appeared in the International Herald Tribune, 2 September 2007), it explains it all.
So I hope our Maltese foreign minister and Opposition spokesmen would read Zion Evrony’s article in all its detail and I’m sure they will find it very interesting.
I will just put out the main points which explain why this cannot happen in Palestine as long as the ‘violent’ Hamas keeps interfering. The reason is because the Hamas Charter adopted in 1988 and (which is very much in effect up to this day) defines the land of Palestine as ‘Islamic consecrated ground’ and stresses that Israel must be eliminated from the world map.
This means Hamas is therefore opposed to any peace process and in fact, took over Gaza by force.
As I see it, Hamas in Gaza is now isolated and in deep trouble. They brought this situation upon themselves. The USA and Britain should now encourage Saudi Arabia to mediate in the schedule November Peace Conference. Israel will hopefully deal safely with the West Bank of Palestine which is ruled by President Abbas of Fatah council.
Both these parties now acknowledge each other’s existence and they are showing a great sign of mutual goodwill and respect. This is a breakthrough and a peace agreement can now be signed. Then the isolated Hamas in Gaza will have no option but to go along with this plan.
As I see it, Fatah in Gaza are regrouping and Hamas will have to disarm or else they will have to silenced once and for all by Israel and Fatah and all the Western world powers, thus Palestine will become a state recognise by Israel and all the Western world.
So let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray that the Middle East crisis will be a thing of the past.

Jean Agius
Attard