COMMUNITY NEWS

20 Apr. The Surrey Mirror. Dr Grace Dowling [nee Lobo] has been appointed the High Sheriff of Surrey. She was born in Goa and brought up in Zanzibar before moving to the UK in 1962. Her husband, Patrick is the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Surrey. She had a surgery in Biggin Hill and Tatsfield for many years before retiring in 2001. Since then she has become involved in charitable causes, in particular the welfare of young people. The High Sheriff's post is more than 1,000 years old. Over the centuries it has been stripped of real power and now the role is mainly ceremonial. For full text click here.

11 Apr. Sunday Express (UK). Mortgage adviser Ruby D'Souza is practising what she preaches by switching to a two-year, fixed-rate mortgage with Cheltenham & Gloucester at 4.99 per cent a year. "I decided on a two-year fix because I was getting a bit nervous about rates starting to climb," says Ruby, 46. She lives in [Watford] with her husband Eustace and knows it is difficult to predict when rates may come down but she was still not tempted to go for a longer-term fix. [Ruby, nee Godinho, ex-Mombasa, ruby.d’souza@bbg.co.uk is a mortgage adviser for Bradford & Bingley. Eustace is ex-Voi].

13 Apr. Daily Mail (UK). Excerpts: Helen Fernandes, 37, is a consultant neurosurgeon at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. Her husband, Mark, is a senior executive in the car industry and they have three children, Alexandra, nine, Lauren, seven, and Oliver, three.

Helen earns around £70,000 from the NHS. She says: “My father was an orthopaedic surgeon and I think he had a bit of a hard time. He was a first generation immigrant from Uganda and he felt quite a lot of resentment. He did not encourage me to follow in his footsteps, but I was determined to be a surgeon from the age of three. When I was a little girl, I would operate on my dolls. If I found a dead creature, I would always poke it around a bit. I was fascinated by what lay on the inside. [Helen is the daughter of Tennyson Fernandes, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Emeritus (born & brought up in Zanzibar) and Joy (nee Pearson who is English). Tennyson Fernandes, tjfernandes@doctors.org.uk was based at Mulago Hospital in Kampala from 1963-65 and now lives in the village of Middleton Tyas, Richmond, North Yorkshire. Helen is the sister of Julian and Christine.]

	13 Apr. Financial Times (UK). Keith Noronha and colleagues used £50,000 that Lloyds TSB lent under the guarantee to help establish their Birmingham business, Reynolds Cycle Technology, a maker of tubing for custom-built racing cycles. "Without the £50,000, we could not have done it," says Mr Noronha, "We had already mortgaged our houses to the hilt." [Keith Noronha, Managing Director of Reynolds Cycles, the universally acclaimed racing cycles firm (http://www.reynolds-cycle.com) led the management buy out of the company when it was facing collapse four years ago.
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[Keith Noronha was born in Nairobi (1955) studied at St Mary's School Nairobi and Queen Mary College London 1975-78 (Engineering). He married Barbara in 1982 and they have one daughter Tanya, age 11. Keith is the son of John Francis (died 2003, played hockey for the GI) and Marcia (died 1986). Keith’s brother Derek is the Technical Manager at Bonusprint in London. For an account of his business see http://www.alsters.com/latest-news/tothepoint/issuefive/ReynoldsCycles.asp]

13 Apr. The Western Mail (UK) Teen pregnancy and disease rates to soar, according to Marriage Care. Its Director of relationship education Liz Mascarenhas said, 'We believe it is vitally important that young people are introduced to sex education as part of an overall relationship education programme and children going through the turmoil of adolescence need help to explore their sexuality and feelings.” Accordingly a Foundations for a Good Life programme for children over 11 has been launched. 321 words. [Liz is the wife of Manuel Mascarenhas (ex-Uganda)]. For full text click here.

16 Apr. Guardian. From Claude Moraes MEP, Lab, London. Excerpts: "multiculturalism" is now a devalued, often pejorative, term (though that does not mean it has no value). We should not forget the grim experience of ethnic minorities in other European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy and Denmark, where multiculturalism is rejected and the impossible drive to assimilation creates real separateness and isolation of communities. As one of the few ethnic minority MEPs, I've seen our relative success in race relations and multiculturalism for myself. That should not be ditched overnight. http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,1193074,00.html

16 Apr. Redhill & Reigate Life. Hockey: Reigate Priory 4; Goan 1. For full text click here.

16 Apr. Evening Post (Bristol), HMS Gloucester is taking part in Exercise Varuna off the coast of Goa. Many of the crew took the opportunity to meet up with their partners and children who had flown out for a short break, but everyone took some advantage of all that Goa has to offer. The visit was particularly poignant for Petty Officer Elvis Carvalho who is from Goa but has served in the Royal Navy for 16 years. For full text click here.

17 Apr. Navhind Times. During a private visit to Goa, Keith Vaz announced the setting up of a scholarship for a Goan teacher to teach in a British school for a period of one year. The scholarship is in memory of his mother, Merlyn Vaz who died recently. He also noted that the British Government’s Commonwealth Working Holiday Scheme (http://www.ukdiscovered.com/finding_a_job/visas/working_holiday.html) which allows a young person to go to the UK for 2 years to get a job and finance himself had attracted poor response from Indian youth. He announced that he would be pursuing Air India to introduce direct flights from London to Goa.
Mr Vaz admired the “remarkable development in Goa” and said he loved to come here because “this is where our origins are”. His wife, Maria, and his two children, Luke and Anjali, are with him. Full text, 805 words at http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=041711

What Is Goanet? It's a discussion-plus-news forum that gives a chance to all its members to discuss issues related to Goa. Check the link for the list of April 2004 postings.
http://www.goacom.com/news/getStory.php?ID=553

Nairobi: Goan Welfare Society Newsletter. Excerpt: "The Goan Community in Kenya continues to shrink and it is estimated that the Kenyan Goan population is approximately 1000 persons. It is therefore important we share closer links within our community in Kenya and also work with other members of other communities to optimize living in Kenya."
http://www.goacom.com/news/getStory.php?ID=516

21 Apr. Channel 4 TV Programme shown 9 pm to 10 pm. The Risk-Takers. Naz Choudhry and Mark Viegas give up their well paid jobs to risk everything they own on a new fast food concept - Real Burger World in Clapham, South London. Read the programme notes and see the video at http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/R/risking_it_all/risktakers.html

DEATHS

19 Apr. London (East Finchley). LEONIE LOBO (ex Nairobi). Wife of T. J. .Lobo. Mother of Mavis, Maureen/Alvito (Nairobi) Betty/Trevor (Toronto) Neil/Lesely (London). Grandmother of Alton, Alvito Jr, Ailis, Giles, Caitlin and Erin. Condolences to and funeral details from neil@1lobo.freeserve.co.uk

19 Apr: Curtorim, Goa. AMELIA ALBUQUERQUE E COSTA (Ex-Nairobi). Wife of late Vitorino. Mother of Philomena (Sydney), Melinda/Floriano Rodrigues (Sydney), Francis/Maria da Graca (Brazil), Eric/Suzette (UK), Barbara/Adv Alex Pimenta. Sister of late Olinto/Melwyn UK), late Franchich/Melinda, late Ayres/Eileen (Brazil), Joaquim/Martha (UK), late Manuel/late Clara.

14 Apr. Peckham, London. MARGARET (CONNIE) GOES. Wife of Francis. Mother of Melvin and Malcolm. Funeral on Mon. 26 Apr. at 11am. at St James Catholic Church, 45 Elm Grove, Peckham Rye SE15. Condolences to: melvingoes@aol.com

13 Apr: Moira/Miramar (Goa). JULIUS ALBERT NAZARETH (ex-Aden). Husband of late Lira Veronica. Father of late Dr Melwyn/Dr (Prof) Marilyn, Fr Oscar, OP, Frederick/Patricia (Canada), Dr Brenda/Cosme Menezes, Dr Sarita.

30 Mar. Kettering, UK. JULES T. S. DE MELLO (ex De Mello Brothers Band, Dar es Salaam and ex Zanzibar Guest House. In England he ran a string of corner shops called “J&G DeMello before retiring to Kettering). Husband of Gertrude. Father of Lola/Andrew Pointer. Grandfather of Olivia and Eva. Brother of Santan, Remy and Francis all of Canada. Funeral was on 6 Apr. Condolences to santan_demello@hotmail.com

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

16 Apr. Business Standard. Air Deccan, is planning to start its low cost operations in the western region from Apr. 26. It will eliminate standard airline frills like on-board catering, business lounges, upper class seats and other promotional services Mumbai-Goa will be Rs 2,080 (other airlines Rs 3,111), the company said.

17 Apr. Sify. The State Bank of India (SBI) has embarked on a plan to launch a ''mosaic'' of products, including preservation of heritage buildings, to provide its customers with a wide-choice with embedded quality of service as part of an aggressive drive to expand its base in Goa. http://sify.com/finance/equity/fullstory.php?id=13455870

18 Apr. Gomantak Times. As many as 1800 sealed packets containing several kilograms of gold jewellery pledged to Banco Nacional Ultramarino in the pre-1961 liberation era of Goa still remained unclaimed with its custodian, State Bank of India, in Panaji. A majority of the claimants with legally established kinship to the people who had taken the loan, had yet to come forward.

18 Apr. Mid-Day Mumbai. The International Film Festival of India preparations give Goans heartburn. http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/nation/2004/april/81397.htm

21 Apr. Indian Express. Drug seizures increase all over Goa. See:
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=45467

21 Apr. WebIndia123. Mango lovers in Goa rue rising prices.
http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=36340&cat=India

From Fred Noronha: Anyuser Telecom, India's leading Internet telecommunications firm today announced that it has slashed all its international call rates. India to USA, UK, Canada is now Rs. 2.35/minute. Pre-paid cards in denominations of Rs. 108, Rs 270 & Rs. 540 are available at retail outlets across the country. See: http://www.anyuserindia.com/

IN THE NEWS

14 Apr. The Evening Standard (London). Metrolife by Fay Maschler. “The notion of regionality in Indian food has finally penetrated Western consciousness. Where once there was talk of a curry, people might now refer to a Goan or a Gujarati meal.”

16 Apr. Evening Standard (London). Oliver Peyton is not only one of London's most fashionable restaurateurs but also a notorious partygoer. He says, 'I don't see myself being 60 and still running restaurants,' he says. 'I might go and set up a hotel in Patagonia, I might make jewellery in Goa you've got to shake it up a bit.'

17 Apr. The Arizona Republic. In a chapel in Magdalena, Phoenix, Arizona, is a life-size papier-maché and cement replica of St Francis Xavier which is stretched out to look like he has been laid to rest here. Bouquets of red roses placed on the saint's brown gown show the adoration of the pilgrims. Dozens of snapshots and handwritten notes are scattered across his body. St. Francis Xavier is revered worldwide, especially in the Southwest and Mexico even though he died in the 1500s and is buried (sic) in Goa. A pilgrimage to Magdalena usually symbolizes the sought-after intercession of St. Francis. 962 words.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/southwestvalley/articles/0417frisco16Z5.html

17 Apr. The Gazette (Montreal). In Goa, the former Portuguese enclave in India, there's a beach known to backpackers and budget travellers as "Little Tel Aviv," filled with Israeli tourists, all clutching their Lonely Plant Guides, which have suggested that this beach and no other is the one for the discerning.

17 Apr. Lancashire Evening Telegraph. Pat Monks, 52, has been to Goa five times and each time she has visited deprived children and taken donations of clothes and cash. She is going back in December with at least £1,000 to put towards a night shelter which is part of the El Shaddai project. To raise the cash she plans to hold a cake stall at Darwen Gala but the main fundraiser will be a sponsored litter-pick in Darwen. Anyone interested in donating money should contact Pat on 01254 775358. Full text 504 words.
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/darwen/news/NEWSDAR1.html

18 Apr. The Gazette (Montreal). The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation had its fundraising Mardi Bras. Drag queens, fantastic lingerie and models body-painted by MAC cosmetics made for a great party. Present was the organizing committee, including Errol Pereira…

18 Apr. The Observer (UK). Headline: The new Klondike. Excerpt: Mica Misic is a muscular Austrian of Serb extraction who works in Baghdad as a bodyguard earning more than $500 a day. And although gunmen take regular pot shots at the compound where he is based, Misic is happy. His earnings have allowed him to buy a Porsche and to pay for building a house on land he owns in Goa. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1194453,00.html

20 Apr. BBC News. Disgraced secretary Joyti De-Laurey pilfered £4.3m from her City bosses… She conned Goldman Sachs boss Jennifer Moses out of £40,000 with a tale of an unfaithful husband and the need for a new home. At the time the couple and their young son were enjoying a luxury five-star holiday in Goa, India, which had been charged to the unsuspecting banker's corporate Amex gold card. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3642573.stm

21 Apr. Catholic News (Australia). Hindu Nationalist Party woos voters in Catholic stronghold. http://www.cathnews.com/news/404/100.php

21 Apr. Agência Lusa (Portuguese). Artist Prafulla Dahanukar has her "Mindscapes" exhibition of 18 oil paintings in Casa de Goa, Lisbon till 28 of April.

	21 Apr. The American Banker. Headline: Citigroup Exec Menezes to Retire. Victor Menezes, a senior vice chairman of Citigroup is to retire at yearend. Mr. Menezes, 54, has spent 32 years at Citigroup and worked in various posts in Asia, Latin America, and Europe before coming to the United States as Citicorp's chief financial officer in 1995.
He was head of the emerging markets business. But Citigroup stumbled in Argentina in late 2001 and 2002 and Mr. Menezes was shifted out with Sir Deryck Maughan, a vice chairman, appointed to run it. He will act as the chairman of a new Asian Advisory Board. For a profile of Victor Menezes check the link below. http://www.goacom.com/goatoday/2001/dec/coverstoryprofile.html

21 Apr. Toronto Star. Headline: Scathing report blasts health chiefs. Judge singles out Dr. Colin D'Cunha. Excerpts: Poor leadership, petty bickering and a lack of planning, money and expertise badly hampered Ontario's ability to stop last year's deadly SARS outbreak, according to a new report… The then-chief medical officer of health Dr. Colin D'Cunha is called "the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Former Tory health minister Tony Clement, who was the political face of much of the SARS battle last year, confirmed he was well aware of D'Cunha's failings in dealing with the crisis, but feared that firing him would send the wrong message to the public when it came to having confidence in their health care. Full text, 1385 words click here.

FORTHCOMING

See http://www.lanfranc.com/publications/location/directions.htm for help in locating Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croydon

Sat. 24 Apr. 6.30pm till late. 'Viva Goa' presents Gala Spring Dance at Collier's Wood Community Centre, 66-72 High Street, Colliers Wood, SW19 2BY. Featuring Live Band 'Low Level' performing Konkani, Portuguese, Spanish, English tunes. Also Goan folk dances by 'Goan Waves' led by Aldrin Viegas. Tickets £8, children £4.Dress formal/Smart. Please bring your own food and drinks. Tickets Contact Aldrin 07904923566, Celeste 02086489015 Book early to avoid disappointment. Limited Tickets.

SOLD OUT! Sun. 25 Apr. Ex-students Reunion. Nairobi Catholic Parochial and St Teresa's Schools. SOLD OUT!

Sun 25 Apr. 4pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass. Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex.

Sun 2 May. 12:30pm- 8pm. CORTALIM UNION (UK). Feast of St Philip and St. James. White Hart Lane School Hall, White Hart Lane, London, N22. Mass followed by Social. Music by BreakThru and Nitelife Disco. Ticket: £8 (Adults); £4 (11-16); £2 (under 10) Mark Fernandes - 020 8443 1282; More info: http://home.earthlink.net/~nsequeira

Mon. 3 May. 3 pm. Konkani Dramatic Association presents a Musical Show "Ekvott". Play written by Albert de Varca and music written by Tony D'Mello. Second Performance. Archbishop's Lanfranc School Hall, Mitcham Road, Croydon. For Tickets and further information contact: Judy Fernandez - 02087632606, Domacian Moniz - 02083761609.

Sun. 9 May 1pm - 8pm. Assolna, Velim & Cuncolim Union (AVC) Annual Feast at Bishop Thomas Grant School, Streatham. Dancing to Mariano & his band + Disco & great Goan cuisine. Contact Uniece Barros 020 8672 0807, Alba Fernandes 020 8656 3305 or Colin Almeida 020 8687 1470 calmeida@lycos.co.uk

Sun. 16 May. Rocky’s Trook Tournament. Further details from Rocky 020 - 7274 3585

Sun 30 May. 4pm - The Asian Chaplaincy. Konkani Mass. Our Lady & St Christopher's Catholic Church, 32 High Street, Cranford, Middlesex.

Sun. 30 May. 7 pm. G.O.A. May Ball & 38th Anniversary celebrations and Crowning of Miss G.O.A. May Queen at Lola Jones Hall, Tooting Leisure Centre. Music by Maz & Co and Fantasy Disco. Dress theme Black/White jacket and tie essential (bow-tie preferable). Further details from - Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 - 8771 4457 Bernie Gracias 020 - 8723 1322.

Sun 6 Jun. 2pm - The Asian Chaplaincy Feast of Our Patron Saints at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Edge Hill, Wimbledon SW19 4LU followed by multicultural programme.

Sun. 13 Jun Siolim Union (London) will be celebrating the Feast of their Patron Saint, St. Anthony at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham. Mass at 12:00 noon followed by dancing, to the music of Maz & Co. Tickets £12.00 including snacks and meal. Children under 12 free admission. Contact: Loretta Fernandes 020-8696-9886; Eugene Fernandes 020-8240-0818; Tony Fernandes 020-8540-3566; Edwin Athayde 020-8679-5514.

FOR LATER EVENTS SEE http://www.goanvoice.org.uk