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COMMUNITY NEWS

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In a clear incident of racial profiling, Berna Cruz, a Canadian Indian woman was subjected to a harrowing experience, when not one but five officers of the INS accused her of travelling with a fake passport at Chicago's airport on January 27. NCM Civil Liberties Watch (California). Full text, 1215 words at: click here. See also, CanIndia Weekly at: http://www.canindia.com/showcase.asp?ID=133

Keith Vaz showed his culinary flair at the opening of new restaurant Mirch Masala when he cooked a dish of his own before 100 assembled guests. 27 Feb. Leicester Mercury.

The Telegraph 5 Mar. carried a feature article, (2662 words and photographs) by Christa D'Souza. She admits she had a cynical view of weddings since her parents split up when she was five. Last month, aged 58 and 73, they remarried. Her father, Stanley D'Souza was born in Bombay. Text at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ - you will need you register but that is free. Christa D'Souza is a freelance journalist. Some of her articles are on the Internet and these include interviews with Pamela Anderson (http://old.smh.com.au/news/0104/08/entertainment/entertain101.html), Elle Macpherson, Anastacia, the Spice Girls and Sam Fox. She also reveals her own experiences with plastic surgery at http://www.surgicalbreastenhancement.com/press.htm

DEATHS

15 Feb: Assagao/Mahim: ALBINO D'SOUZA, son of late Avelino/late Candida, brother of Bonnie (UK/ex-Nairobi), Henry (UK/Ex-Nairobi), Justin (Canada), Philomena Rodrigues, Lea D'Souza (Bombay). Month's Mind mass at St Michael's Church, Mahim-Bombay, on March 15 at 7 pm.

2 Mar. Slough, U.K. BASTIANA (BASTA) DIAS. (Ex-Eastleigh, Nairobi). Husband of Jose. Mother of Flavia/Lazarus and Felix/Barbara. Grandmother of Ryan, Lianne and Carla-Marie. Funeral service: 12.30pm on 11 Mar. St Ethelbert's Church, Wellington Street, Slough. Burial at 1.45pm at Stoke Road, Slough. Condolences to carlalee@dias1705.freeserve.co.uk

3 Mar. Nairobi. ALZIRA ZUZARTE VAZ. Wife of Neves Vaz Mother to Neveson-Lee and Lee-Ann Vaz. Funeral was on 6 Mar. She was the daughter of the Late John & Elizabeth Zuzarte and one of the Founders of The Goan Welfare Society.

3 Mar: Dar-es-Salaam: EDWARD DE SOUZA (Ex-Customs, Ex-Yuasa Battery. Son of late Diago Caetan/late Sebastiana. Brother of late Pia/late Cosme Fernandes, Lilia/late Martin de Silva, Netty/late Anthony Pereira, Lucy/late John Rodrigues (Portugal), Vincent/Vanda.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

The Daily Telegraph. 1 Mar. By Sheila Datoo. Fourteen nights' b & b in Goa booked through Virgin Travel Store (0870 066 5522, www.virgin.com/travelstore) costs from pounds 399. Flights depart from Gatwick until Tuesday.

The Guardian. 1 Mar. Departing Mar. 20, seven nights at Prainha Cottages in Goa costs £485pp (saving pounds 200) including Gatwick flights. Cheapestflights (0871 7501788, www.cheapestflights.co.uk).

People 2 Mar. Goa (14nts, b/b) Mar 29, Gatwick, £399, Hayes & Jarvis (0870 89 89 890).

PRIZE COMPETITION

Tetley's Tea. Win a luxury Holiday in India for two. No purchase necessary. Details at: http://www.tetley.co.uk/index.htm Closing Date 30 Mar. 2003.

Superdrug Stores. Maldives holiday. Closing date 25/03/03. Entry form with Always Ultra. Proof of purchase needed.

GOA NEWS HEADLINES
mainly from Joel D'Souza in Goa, courtesy of GOACOM

3 Mar. Times of India. The Goa Government plans to transform Goa into a dream wedding destination for foreign and domestic tourists. At present, any couple intending to get married in Goa has to be a resident in Goa for a period of no less than 30 days but that is soon to be changed. 505 words. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?artid=39084297

Goa Sudharop Community Development Inc, a non-profit, volunteer NGO working for the better of Goa and Goans worldwide, will present its Goa Sudharop Fellowships on 6 Mar. The fellowships, which carry a citation and a cheque for Rs.10,000, will be presented to Gurunath Kelekar of Movement for Amity towards Roads in Goa, Isabel Santa Rita Vaz of the Mustard Seed Company, Rajendra Kerkar of the Mahadei Bachao Abhiyan, Subhas Naik Jorge of the Kamgarancho Ekvott, Afroze Shaikh of the Pilgao Yuvak Kala Manch and Bailancho Saad and Paul Fernandes of Gomantak Times.

4 Mar. Goa News. By Sandesh Prabhudesai. The influx of outsiders, not the tourists, is becoming a prime issue in Goa, prompting the leading politicians to voice out their concern while compelling the enraged youth and students coming on the road in protest. Text at http://www.goanews.com/4mar03.htm

3 Mar. Herald (Goa). Goa University recently announced that it plans to strengthen its communication network. But perhaps the university should first do something about its telephones and telephone operators. It is impossible for anyone to get to any of the faculty members including head of departments on the telephone. Apparently, the telephone operator is a political appointee who never bothers to lift the telephone. Even if family of staff members wants to contact them, they have to drive all the way to the university.

IN THE NEWS

26 Feb. Carmarthen Journal. Rotarians were glad to find that James Akeroyd, Club Secretary, had returned safely from holiday with his wife Diane, in Goa. He was presented with commemorative bannerettes by the presidents of the two Rotary Clubs he visited in India, Mapusa City and Macupa, [sic Margao?].

27 Feb. Caterer & Hotelkeeper. Damon Yoxall, operations manager at the Stoke-on-Trent Moat House, has completed a two-week, 400-mile bicycle ride around northern Goa to raise funds for charity Debra. Yoxall went ahead with the trip despite breaking his hand in a collision with a dog one month before leaving the UK. He estimates he has raised between £400 to £500 for the charity.

1 Mar. Birmingham Evening Mail. A police officer is collecting baby toiletries and nappies to take to orphans in Goa. Insp Sally Holmes makes her third trip to the Sisters of Charity orphanage in Panjim, Goa at the end of March. And she hopes to take bagfuls of baby goods such as shampoo, antiseptic cream, talcum powder, re-usable nappies, bottles, bibs and babygrows for the orphanage nursery. Anyone who wants to contribute can pass items to their local police station, marked for Inspector Sally Holmes at Sutton Coldfield Police to arrive by March 20.

2 Mar. Scotland on Sunday. Joao Magueijo, theoretical physicist based at Imperial College London has been in the media spotlight recently following the publication of his book: Faster Than The Speed Of Light. William Heinemann, £16.99. He is Portuguese and Goa is his favoured holiday destination. http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/thereview.cfm?id=254492003

2 Mar. The Observer. A reader writes to complain: Before leaving for Goa last December, I bought £750-worth of American Express traveller's cheques. In January, £700 of them was stolen. I obtained a police report, but Amex has refused to refund the money and said they never would do so. Apparently there has been quite a lot of a traveller's cheque-related fraud in Goa… The Observer replies: There is a particular problem in Goa: fraudsters target backpackers, offering to buy their travellers cheques at reduced prices, leaving the tourists to claim a refund. It has rejected your claim because the police report does not support your case though you claim that the police report was unfavourable because you did not have the money to bribe them. http://www.observer.co.uk/cash/story/0,6903,905523,00.html

2 Mar. The Nation. (Kenya). Bobby D'Souza beat a field of 58 golfers to win the General Motors tournament at the Kericho Golf Club yesterday

3 Mar. Ananova (UK). Reports that a picture of Sacred Heart of Jesus was bleeding in a house in Goa have caused a stir. It was 14-year-old Steffi Fernandes who claimed to have seen the dripping of blood from the picture on Feb 26 at 11 pm while she was studying.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_756475.html?menu=news.quirkies

4 Mar. The Mirror. (UK). People have flocked to a Church in Goa to witness a painting of Jesus "weeping tears of blood". The picture belongs to a 14-year-old girl from a village in South Goa who first claims she saw it crying in her bedroom cupboard. Her family alerted the parish priest who moved the portrait to the village church. Since then locals have been queuing up to take a look. Church spokesman Father Olavo Pereira said: "The church cannot simply exploit the situation, we have to be careful and verify it before we take a decision." Also Pamela D'Mello in The Asian Age. For full text click here and an article in Portuguese: http://www.regiaodeleiria.pt/nahora/index.sdg?a=18076

3 Mar. Gulf News. India's Leander Paes and the Czech Republic's David Rikl walked into the history books as they clinched the doubles crown of the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open tennis with an easy 6-3, 6-0 win over the Zimbabwean pairing of Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett.

4 Mar. The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia isn't exactly flush with Goan restaurants, so the closure of the celebrated Kokum - Taste of Goa has created a vacuum. Augustine D'Souza reopened the site yesterday as Viva Goa. He has given the room a quick makeover and hung prints from Goan artists. While he has kept many of the regular items from the old menu, he has also introduced a few specialties, such as mussels with roasted coconut and cumin and a Goan wedding dish of twice-cooked pork. Viva Goa, 2 Scott Street, Pyrmont.

4 Mar. Manchester Evening News. Two Salford brothers charged with a serious assault on Paul de Souza in Australia (see GVUK 2003-2) will not be extradited. Paul de Souza now has seven plates and 55 screws in his face which will never be removed. Liz de Souza, the mother of the victim reacted angrily to the decision not to extradite them. "I'm appalled at all the inconsistencies of this case. I'm amazed that they actually had enough evidence to charge the boys but now say they don't have enough to extradite them. They also said it would cost $20,000 to bring them here but you can't put a price on justice." Full text, 464 words, at
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/stories/Detail_LinkStory=53052.html

5 Mar. Lewisham Council has asked residents beware of bogus workmen who are conning people out of money. Sergeant Irvin Fernandes, of Lewisham police, said: "I would ask residents to look out for neighbours who may be vulnerable, such as the elderly." Call Sgt Fernandes on 020 8284 5287 if you have any information about the workmen. Text at:
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/search/display.html?nwid=703276 [Irwin Fernandes was born in Nairobi and attended St Teresa's School there as well as in Siolim, Goa. He has been in the UK since 1984].

6 Mar. Times of Oman. The Goan community in Oman will once again come together to organise an All India 8-a-side football tournament for the Curtorim Gymkhana Cup to be held at Oman Club on March 28.
http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=26714&pn=sports

6 Mar. Times of Oman. Chandor defeated Saligao Sporting to lift the Challenge Cup 2003 Football Tournament. http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=26712&pn=sports

FORTHCOMING
(for a list of events scheduled for the next 12 months, see: http://www.goanvoice.org.uk)

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

Sat. 8th Mar. 8-11 pm celebrating 'International Women's Day' at the Goan Community Centre, Keston Rd. N17.Enjoy line Dancing, self Defence for Women, Bingo, Discussions on delicate issues concerning vulnerable women in a 'Man's World'. Entrance FREE. Bring a plate of food and a drink to share. Contact Roma 88881400 or candyrose2000@hotmail.com

Sat. 8th Mar. 7 pm till 11 pm. Join 'Say One Do One Disco' in an evening playing R&B, Garage and latest tunes. Free entry. Upstairs in the Princess Louise Pub, 208 High Holborn. For details call Paul on 07956 496190, Nigel 07956 984532 or email: say1do1@hotmail.com

Sun. 20 Apr. 7.30pm Goan Association (UK) Easter Ball. Details to follow.

Sat. 26 Apr. 7pm. Goan Association (UK) Disco for the over 16's at Bina Banqueting Hall, 4 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17 7PG. Tickets £5. For details contact Tony & Lily Fernandes 020-8644 5310.

Sun 4 May: Cortalim Union celebrates its 25th anniversary at The Haringey Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, Tottenham. London N17 8DX. Doors open at 12noon for Holy Mass at 12.30pm sharp, followed by a Social. Music by Mustang and NiteLife Disco . Tickets (inc. meals and snacks) : Adults £10. 11-16 yrs £6. 10yrs & under £3. No tickets will be sold at the door. Contact: Leocadia - 020 8444 1096, Maria 020 8803 5146 or Luis - 020 8889 2278. Full details at http://home.earthlink.net/~nsequeira

Sun. 4 May 12noon - 7pm Saligao Association Feast of Mae de Deus. Bishop Thomas Grant School, Belltrees Grove, Streatham. Music by Ronnie Victor's band and the usual excellent Saligao Association bar prices. Tickets Members £9, Guests £12, price reductions for children. Please contact Serge Coelho on 020 8543 4681 or Selina de Sa on 020 8643 9675 or Nathan DeSouza, Desouza1@aol.com or http://www.saligao.co.uk/

Mon. 5 May. The Goan Cultural Society UK presents "TUJEA PASSOT" Written and directed by Goa's award winning writer JOSE I ROD at St Monica's Hall, Green Lanes, Palmers Green, at 3.00pm, For further information contact : - Bella Fernandes 020 8352 0373, Rosy D'Silva 020 8352 9450 and Ida D'Souza 020 8881 2921.

Sat. 10 May. 6.30 - 10pm. The Goan Musical Society presents a Goan Cultural Evening. Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Tickets will be on sale from March 2003. Visit www.geocities.com/g.m.s for more info.