Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1339768
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 FEBRUARY 2021 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Appreciation: Cynthia Turner THE National Council of Women (NCW) would like to pay tribute to Cynthia Caruana Turner, recognised as one of Malta's best musicians both locally and internationally. Cynthia was awarded Honorary Life Member- ship by the National Council of Wom- en for her contribution to music in Malta and especially her dedication to the Council's Music Committee. In 1987 NCW set up the Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music Competition. Cynthia was greatly interested in this, joined the organising committee and chaired the adjudicating panel throughout all the competition editions. The Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music bien- nial competition was instrumental in recognising the potential of young art- ists and encouraging their careers. It also gave participants the opportunity of studying abroad as candidates had the opportunity to win a scholarship at the Conservatoire National de Region Lyon, a residential course at the Lake District or a masterclass in Vienna. Cynthia gave masterclasses to the pi- anoforte candidates and she also made available her studio in Gzira for the preliminary sessions. Many of the win- ners of the BMV competition made a name in the music scene, among them Carmine Lauri, Rosetta De Battista, Alan Chircop, Gabi Sultana, Maria Elena Farrugia, Maria Blanco and many more. Cynthia and the BMV organis- ing committee were proud of their achievements and of having played a role in their early development. Cynthia continued to take an inter- est in the National Council of Women. She was proud of NCW's achieve- ments and was always happy to be part of an organisation that never ceased to contribute and promote social and cultural values. Cynthia Caruana Turner will always be remembered and her memory will live in the minds of all music lovers and members of the National Council of Women. On behalf of the Executive Committee and all NCW members, we send our heartfelt con- dolences to her husband, family and many friends. Mary Gaerty President, NCW Mintoff legacy KRISTINA Chetcuti of The Times has every sacrosanct right to freely express her own personal views and put for- ward her most encouraging comments about the newly proposed, impressive development for Floriana's Saint Anne Street. But this eloquent young lady has unfortunately messed up the essence of her marvellous article. She might have unnecessarily expressed insulting, painful remarks towards the minister of environment. And before she so un- fairly criticises Malta's Dom Mintoff, she should make a thorough research of the incredibly disastrous and ter- rible state of housing and abandoned infrastructure in Malta in the 1950s and 1960s, when the dynamic Mintoff took over as PM. She clearly has no knowledge whatsoever of the disgraceful exist- ence of those who lived in neglected, overcrowded, one-room housing and lacking basic sanitary amenities, which is how historically the majority of Mal- tese lived in, especially in The Three Cities and Floriana. Mintoff's main priority was to make sure his government build spacious, modern blocks of self-contained apartments with proper, healthy, clean accommodation for all poor families, raising the standard of living with the minimum wage, social benefits and annual bonuses. Jean Vincent Agius Attard