Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1201983
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JANUARY 2020 PHOTOS of bodybuilding afi- cionado Robert Abela posing in an IFBB contest during his salad days have surely made him out to be Malta's own 'governator' - as bodybuilding champion and Terminator actor Arnold Schwarznegger was known in his times as California governor. But it is Abela's daughter Giorgia Mae's (pictured, top) soubriquet for her square- jawed dad that is now the source of some meme gold on the Maltese social media pag- es: his unmistakable cuboid features make him look like "Spongebob Squarepants" ac- cording to the seven-year old. That's what she told Xara- bank on Friday evening in a quick-fire question and an- swer about her dad, whom she described as a 'perfection- ist' who is always looking to help others. "I have a name for him… Spongebob, because his face is squarish," she said of her father's chiselled good looks. Bodybuilder Dominic Schie- da has told The Times he remembers Abela training at Bertu's Gym in Għargħur in the late 1990s. "He used to come on the weekends. I remember that he was very dedicated… when I heard that he had entered politics and was trusted by [former prime minister] Joseph Muscat I said to myself: here is some- one who will reach h i g h places." NEWS Registration and Notification Services of Births and Deaths in Gozo The Ministry for Gozo would like to inform the general public that the Births Registration and Deaths Notification Services which to date have been offered by the Passports Office Section, as from Monday 20 th January 2020, these services will start being offered from the Public Registry Gozo at, By the Bastion Road, Victoria Gozo, Tel: 22156382. The opening hours are as follows: Winter Monday to Friday 8.00am - 1.30pm Saturday 7:30am – 11.00am Summer Monday to Friday 7.30am – 12.00pm Saturday 7.30am – 11.00am im prime minister. But Bartolo vehemently opposed the idea, and Fearne was adamant not to take up the post given that he wanted to contest the Labour leadership election without the burden of the office. Bartolo had also confided with close aides that Fearne himself was surrounded by many of Keith Schembri's former advisers, and that Fearne could have secured a deal with then tourism minister Konrad Mizzi, to have a ministry without portfolio: a 'demotion' redolent of the post-Panama Pa- pers state for the former energy minister. Fearne had denied as much in a TV interview, but since that in- terview other denials by Fearne – such as not having the publicist and former TVM broadcaster Lou Bondì consulting him – have been challenged by people who were close to the Fearne campaign. Square-jaw Rob's daughter calls dad 'Spongebob' on Xarabank Diver dies in Gozo A 35-year-old Gozitan woman has been confirmed dead after failing to surface while diving. The police said that their as- sistance was required at around 10.30am yesterday at Mgarr ix- Xini, Gozo. A spokesperson for the police said that a medical team, who were called onsite, confirmed her death when she was brought ashore at the Mgarr Harbour. The woman used to reside in Gozo, but her age has not yet been confirmed by the police. The AFM were also called ons- ite, and patrolled the area while her body was being brought to shore. Investigations are ongo- ing. A magisterial inquiry has been launched by Magistrate Brigitte Sultana. JAMES DEBONO PLANS to improve the road net- work between Rabat and Mar- salforn in Gozo will result in the loss of 12,000sq.m of agricultural land according to a Project De- velopment Statement presented by the Gozo ministry. 177 trees, of which 44 are pro- tected, will be uprooted due to the project. These include 24 date palm trees, 11 Mediterra- nean cypress trees and nine pine cluster trees. One of the major aspects of the project is the construction of a bypass that would extend from Triq Gorg Pisani to Triq Patri Gacintu Camenzuli in Rabat. This part of the project, which was already foreseen in the local plan approved in 2006, will re- sult in the loss of 3,230sq.m. of agricultural land. The bypass is also set to form part of "a proposed ring road around Rabat". A further 1,950sq.m. will be lost for the upgrading of the junction between Triq Kap- uccini and Triq Patri Gacintu Camenzuli while 4,714sq.m will be required for "the im- provement of visibility and ramps for field entrances". On- ly 1,317sq.m of land is required for the inclusion of a cycle lane. The cycle lane will start at Triq il-Wied, Marsalforn, continue along the proposed project from Triq ir-Rabat, and terminate at a pedestrian crossing within Triq-Kappucini, in front of the convent. Constructing the bypass is touted to reduce the distances, traffic pressure from the junc- tion between Triq Kapuccini and Triq ir-Repubblika and traf- fic congestions and emissions. The road is being designed in a way which does not "inter- fere" with the yet to be approved construction of the Agritourism Complex at Ta' Mena Estate. The works also foresee an exten- sion and rehabilitation of an ex- isting vehicular bridge located in the vicinity of Ta' Mena Estates. When commenting on the present situation the report only refers to "occasional congestion occurring in the initial segment of the street, which serves as an arm for the roundabout junction connecting Triq Kapuccini with Triq ir-Repubblika and Triq Taht il-Putirjal". But while noting that, in gener- al, the road link does not suffer from traffic congestion in either traffic flow direction, the report refers to the lack of any pedes- trian or cyclist facilities and to various safety hazards. The link from Triq Kappuccini up to Triq ir-Rabat, is current- ly a single carriageway with a landscaped area in between the lanes. However, according to the report, the current alignment poses a safety hazard, "especially due to the very high speeds re- corded along the link". Gozo to lose 12,000sqm of agriculture to bypass project