FORTHCOMING

16 Apr. 12 noon - 10 p.m. Goan Community Millennium Celebration in conjunction with the Goan Association(UK) on Easter Monday at the Goan Community Centre, Keston Road, London N15. Opening Ceremony by the Mayor of Haringey at 12 noon. Stalls. Performance Football nearby in Downhills Park. Entertainment in Keston Centre from 2-6 p.m. followed by dancing to live band. Disco for the youth will be in the Goan Community Centre. Entrance £1 for 16 yrs and over. Event to accommodate 2000 people covering the areas of the Park & the two Halls so everyone is welcome. Ample car parking. If you wish to put up a stall or participate in the entertainment contact Nina Pinto on 020 8767 0663 or Candy on 020 8245 4513. e-mail candyrose2000@hotmail.com Details at: http://goacom.com/news/world/goan_news_abroad/gauk1.html

29 Apr. Rocky's Trook Tournament. Near Oval LT Station. Rocky Fernandes 020-7274 3585.

6 May. 5 p.m. The Goan Cultural Society UK proudly presents a modern comedy Konkani play, " FARICPON" written and directed by Larryboy. St Monica's Church Hall, Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London N13. Tickets: Adults £ 6, OAPs £ 5 and children under 14 years £ 5. Contact: Rosy 020 8352 9450, Bella 020 8352 0373, Ida 020 8881 2921 or visit our website: www.goanculturalsociety.com

6 May. Saligao Feast. Zemira Fernandes 01895 259947

20 May. Malawi Goans. 25th Anniversary Reunion.

27 May. 12:00-20:00 Cortalim Union. Feast of St. Phillip & St. James at White Hart Lane School Hall. Wood Green. London N22. For further details contact Luis Fernandes 020 8889 2278 luisf@lineone.net, Maria Alfonso 020 8803 5146, or Melvyn Fernandes 020 8809 1128. See Cortalim website for further info at: http://home.earthlink.net/~nsequeira

27 May 12.30pm - 8pm.The members of the Assolna, Velim and Cuncolim Union (AVC) will celebrate their annual feast at Bishop Thomas Grant School, Streatham. Alvira Almeida 020-9300 6154 or Plino Martins 020-8657 8951.

27 May. 1.00pm to 8.30pm. Third Bakuli (Kampala, Uganda) Reunion at the Jasmin Club, Tooting. Music by "Zodiac" and "Ben's Formula 21". Tickets £10 and £5 children. Snacks and meals included. Leave name, address and telephone number at 01666 824122 or email ediasuk@email.com or regdacunha@aol.com Details to follow.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Keith Vaz collapsed during a TV interview at the Foreign Office on 29 Mar.. He was taken to St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster. His condition is not seen as being critical. He had to go to hospital earlier this year suffering from chest pains but it was reported that he had been given a clean bill of health by doctors.

Congratulations to Agnelo Gracias (ex-Mombasa, brother of Flavio) who has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai. The inauguration takes place on 21 April 2001.

The new issue of goanet-gulf is at http://www.goacom.com/news/news2001/mar/msg00045.html

For the Spring events in the Toronto area and the Main Pages of the Toronto Goan Overseas Association's magazine, The PULSE go to http://goacom.com/news/world/goan_news_abroad/

A group of Tanzania Goans based in Toronto have set up a community website at http://www.tanzanite2001.homestead.com

Visiting Canada in July? On 21 July the Calangute Association In Canada - Tenth Annual Celebration, Feast of Patron St. Alex Holy Mass followed by Gala Ball at St. John's Hall, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. e-mail: villa.fatima@sympatico.ca

Ask your Goan friends if they would like to receive this newsletter. One day you may want to send a message to the Community and you will want the maximum audience.

DEATHS

06 March. London, England. ROCKY EUGENE FERNANDES, 63. (Ex- Dar es Salaam). Husband of Assumption, (Liz/Sam) Fernandes, father of Karen, Sandra and Michelle, brother of Matthew, Joseph (Polly) and Mina Fernandes. Funeral was held on 15th March, 2001. Ex- East African Airways and subsequently British Airways (Heathrow - 25 years service). A keen musician renown for his piano playing in the 'Modernaires' in Dar and then formed and ran the 'Clubmen' band in London for 30 years. He will be sadly missed by family and friends for his great sense of humour, entertaining music and unconditional love. E-mail condolence messages to: mfernandes@freeuk.com

22 Mar. Cambridge. LOYOLA SALDANHA (Ex. Kampala High Court Judge). Husband of late Yvonne. Father of David, Frances, Norman, Mary and Ann. Brother of Pam/John D'Souza, Ferdinand/Marie. Funeral on Monday 2nd April 1.00 pm at Our Lady of Succour Church, High Steet, Great Billing, Northampton. The Church is opposite the pub named the Elwes Arms and Penfold Lane leads into the High Street. Anyone wishing to attend the post-funeral gathering at a nearby hotel should kindly inform Cynthia D'Sa 0208 540 9987 or Ann Osborne 01494 564470 by Sat. 31 March at the latest. Condolence messages to m.saldanha@ntlworld.com

24 Mar. Vasco. MILAGRINA M D'COSTA, wife of Augusto, mother of Ashley and Laria, sister/sister-in-law of Rev Fr Roque Rodrigues sfx, Conceicao/Helen (Ireland), Peter/Natasha (London).

26 Mar. Berkeley, California. SOFIA BERNADETTE BONAMIS, homemaker who worked at her daughters' restaurant, Mando, in Berkeley, for several years, died in El Cerrito. She was 89. The native of Margao, Goa, India, lived in Berkeley 26 years and previously lived in Kensington. She was a member of St. Jerome Catholic Church in El Cerrito, St. John's Senior Center in El Cerrito and Kensington Senior Center, and enjoyed gardening and cooking Goan cuisine. She is survived by her daughters, Maria Ligia Britto of El Cerrito and Filomena Giese of Kensington; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Funeral 8 p.m. on 30 Mar. From: West County Times (California) 28 Mar. Condolence messages to FGiese1940@aol.com

FLIGHT CORNER

24 Mar. The Guardian. Easter in Goa. Goa Way (020-7224 7070, www.goaway.co.uk is offering 14 nights' room-only at the Holiday Beach Resort on Candolim Beach for £449 including flights departing Manchester on April 12.

25 Mar. The People. Goa. 7 nts, s/c April 1, Gatwick £329, First Resort (0870 055 6300).

NEWS HEADLINES
( mainly from Joel D'Souza in Goa, courtesy of GOACOM, e-mail: goanow@sancharnet.in )

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has declared the setting up of a separate cell for Non Resident to address their needs in a more efficient manner and also to maintain a comprehensive database which would serve as a potential talent pool to assist the development of the State.

Tourists driving into Goa by car will now have to pay an entry and exit toll ranging from Rs. 25 to Rs.100.

The Calangute police have arrested John Luis Miranda (35) for killing his wife Ballis (30) and son Reginald (4) by slashing their throats, while the mother and son were fast asleep at Umtavaddo in Calangute on March 26 night. His daughter Libra (2), with her wrists slashed, survived the brutal attack but lies in a critical condition at the GMC Hospital.

Five masked dacoits ransacked the residence of Lourdes Vaz at Vasco and decamped with Rs.25,000 and gold jewellery worth Rs.90,000, by holding Lourdes and his wife Sheila at knifepoint at 4.30 am on March 23. Two days later they looted the residence of businessman Mahesh Angle at Borda in Margao using the same tactics. Panic has gripped Goa and on 27 Mar. an unknown man, suspected of being a robber, was beaten to death by an angry mob at Caranzalem.

IN THE NEWS
(e-mail eddie@fernandes.u-net.com for the full text of items marked *) .

*21 Mar. The Guardian. Sting on a shoestring. An investigative journalist working for a pioneering news website, tehelka.com, posed as Alvin D'Souza, president of a large London-based arms company called West End in order to expose the bribery and corruption in India. Top politicians and army officers were secretly filmed demanding and accepting money. Bangaru Laxman, the president of India's ruling BJP party and four ministers, George Fernandes the defence minister were among those who have so far resigned. 1261 words. Full text at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4156080,00.html

*24 Mar. Spectator. When the charter pilot flying Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) and his family across Kenya passed out at 16,000 feet, Britain's best-loved comedian had to take control of the aircraft--in spite of not knowing how to fly! 2262 words

25 Mar. Herald (Goa). By Carol Green: A petition was sent to the Minister of Tourism, signed by over 500 tourists, stating that if there were no chair beds, sunshades and beach shacks allowed, they would not consider holidaying in Goa again. 123 words

*26 Mar. New Statesman. By Geoffrey Bindman. "The investigation of my client Keith Vaz … has reminded me of the amazing ability of even the most serious journalists to be infected by mass hysteria." 963 words.

*29 Mar. Independent. Christmas is that it is celebrated so differently around the globe. Extract: You don't have to find a seasonal excuse for heading to southern India at this time of year, but nowhere makes a better Christmas destination than Goa, with its mixture of sun, sand and Christian celebrations, introduced by the Catholic Church under the Portuguese.

When you have had enough sun-worshipping on the endless beaches, join the crowds gathering at the village of Chandor for The Three Kings Festival on 6 January. Every Epiphany, local boys dress up as the Three Kings and ride on horseback to the Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem. At nearby Reis Magos, named after the Magi Kings, there is a fair to celebrate the occasion, too.

Goans flock to midnight mass on Christmas Eve for the Missa de Galo - the cock-crow service - before everyone settles down to a day of feasting with the family at home. And in a custom from the days of the Raj, wealthy Indians hand out Christmas baksheesh to servants and children.