Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1532410
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 14 FEBRUARY 2025 NEWS MARIANNA CALLEJA mcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt THE Ministry for Gozo and Plan- ning has received a request from the Kerċem Local Council for urgent roadworks on Triq Għajn Tuta, ac- cording to a parliamentary response by Minister Clint Camilleri. The request, which was made for the year 2025, stems from "unfore- seen structural issues" discovered during ongoing works on the road. According to Minister Camilleri's response to a parliamentary ques- tion by Nationalist MP Chris Said, it was determined that part of the road requires reinforcement with bolts, leading to additional costs amount- ing to €93,088.30. While the parliamentary question sought a full list of roads requested for works across Gozo by various lo- cal councils, the minister's response only referenced the Kerċem request. It remains unclear whether oth- er Gozitan councils have submitted similar demands or whether further roadworks is planned under the min- istry's budget for the upcoming year. Infrastructure and road mainte- nance remain key concerns in Gozo, with local councils often seeking government support to finance nec- essary upgrades. The issue of road quality and timely repairs has fre- quently been raised, with residents and local authorities pushing for increased investment in the island's transport network. Meanwhile, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri is currently facing allega- tions of budget overruns and misuse of funds in the Nadur Road project. In an interview with GozoToday last week, Camilleri countered claims made by opposition figures and re- cent reports from the National Audit Office (NAO). The project in question involved the reconstruction of the link road between Nadur and Għajnsielem, a vital connection between the hilltop village and Mġarr Harbour. The road had suffered significant infrastructur- al damage over the years, necessitat- ing extensive repairs and upgrades. The minister explained to this newspaper that the project's com- plexity and unforeseen circumstanc- es had also led to necessary modifi- cations and additional work. Work on Triq Għajn Tuta, which overlooks Lunzjata Valley and Xlen- di Valley, began in January. Camilleri visited the site, where work was underway to install a long-awaited drainage system for residents, along with an overhaul of the entire water supply system. The final phase of the project will see more than 5,000 square meters of new tarmac laid, the minister had stated at the time. Unexpected structural issues discovered during Triq Ghajn Tuta works push costs to €93,000 Clint Camilleri, minister for Gozo and planning, during a visit on the site (Photos: Facebook) THIS month, Il-Ħaġar Museum is celebrating the 12th anniversa- ry of its inauguration and is pre- senting a weekend of events to mark this important milestone. The programme also commemo- rates Malta and Gozo's foremost contemporary composer, Joseph Vella, on the 7th anniversary of his passing. These events will take place over the weekend of the 21, 22 and 23 February, which this year coin- cides with the exact date of the museum's inauguration. On Friday 21 at 7.30pm, we begin with the 7th Joseph Vella Memori- al Lecture, which this year will be delivered by Professor Jean Paul De Lucca and is titled "Utopias between Past and Future". The lec- ture will be followed by the inaugu- ration of a documentary exhibition celebrating Vella's evergreen and much-loved Mass in D Major op. 20, composed exactly 50 years ago. On Saturday 22, we will host two hands-on workshops for children and students with Gozitan art- ist and art educator Victor Agius. These workshops – one at 11.00am for children aged 6-8, and the sec- ond at 1.00pm for young students aged 9-12 – will be inspired by the designs of Mgr Giuseppe Farrugia (1852-1925). Il-Ħaġar Museum is currently hosting a temporary ex- hibition to mark the first centenary of this Gozitan polymath's demise. In the evening, at 8.00pm, Il- Ħaġar Museum, in collaboration with the Laudate Pueri Choir of St George's Basilica, presents a concert by the Janascharco Trio, comprising Natascha Chircop (Flute), Tatjana Chircop (Violin), and Marco Rivoltini (Pianoforte), who will perform works by Joseph Vella and other composers. This concert will take place at the Aula Mgr Giuseppe Farrugia, annexed to St George's Basilica. On Sunday the 23rd at 11.00am, we will gather at St George's Basil- ica to give thanks to Almighty God for the experience Il-Ħaġar Muse- um offers to the thousands of visi- tors it welcomes each year. We will pray for the museum's benefactors, both those who have passed away and those who are still with us, to whom we all owe so much. Solemn Mass will be celebrated by Muse- um Founder and Curator Mgr Dr Joseph Farrugia. St George's Basil- ica's Laudate Pueri Choir will per- form Joseph Vella's Missa Brevis. Following the celebration of Holy Mass, we will continue the festivi- ties with a four-course anniversary luncheon at the award-winning Ta' Frenċ Restaurant. For logisti- cal purposes, reservations for this event will be accepted until Friday 21 February. Celebrating two important anniversaries at Il-Hagar Museum