Goa's highly talented, young artist Rajan Fulari, was awarded the MIllennium All India Art Exhibition Award of the All India Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, for his painting "Sacrifice for Time". The Siolim-born artist, who is on the visiting faculty of the Goa College of Fine Arts, is a product of the M S University, Baroda. Fulari has a string of solo exhibitions to his credit, besides joint exhibitions all over the country and even abroad. The AIFACS award, which carries a purse of Rs.15,000 was conferred on Fulari by Vijaya Kapoor, Lt Governor of New Delhi, on March 26.

Wellknown theatre person Jayendra Haldankar bagged the best director award for the staging of the Marathai play "Raja Ovdipus" at the 16th All Goa Marathi Drama Competition, comanised by the Gomant Vidya Niketan in Margao recently. This is the second time in a row that Haldankar has lifted the honour. The versatile theatre director has been much sought after for conducting theatre camps, particularly for students, not only in Goa but several places in the country.

"Diet is the only factor of health which is totally under our control. We need to eat nutritious food right from the time we are very young because nutrition plays a very important role throughout the life cycle," said young dietician Rohini Cardozo. Ms Cardozo was addressing the gathering at the Goa Desc's "Friday Balcao" last month. She is the consulting Dietician for the Indian Red Cross, Goa. She added, "Besides eating regular food, one has to exercise regularly." The Panjim-based dietician can be contacted at acardoso@satyam.net.in

Former international goalkeeper and Arjuna awardee Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, was felicitated recently by the Sport Authority of Goa at the Nehru Stadium. The 25,000 odd football fans, who had come for the Salgaocar-Bagan match, gave a standing ovation to Brahmanand, who was offered a cheque of Rs.1 lakh by CM Manohar Parrikar. Lanky, sturdy Brahmanand kept goal for India over 100 times. He thanked his fans and well wishers, praised his former clubs--Panvel Sports Club, Salgaocar, Churchill Brothers and Anderson Marine SC--and also donated a cheque of Rs.10,000 to the Chief Minister's Gujarat Relief Fund.

Dr Harishchandra Nagvekar, the principal of MES College of Arts and Commerce, Zuarinagar, and a prominent Konkani writer, bagged the Sahitya Academy's literary award for his translation of the Malayalam novel "Ayalkar", written by late P Keshav Dev. The book titled "Shejzari" in Konkani, fetched him Rs.10,000 and a certificate of merit from the Sahitya Akademy. The book depicts poignantly the social transformation which engulfed Kerala during the beginning of the 20th century. Dr H T Nagvekar, a Konkani literature critic and who has been teaching Economics for the last 31 years, has already written a book in Konkani and Marathi each and edited several other books. He was the recipient of the "Kulagar Puraskar" in 1998, for his outstanding contribution to Konkani literature.

Russel Marchon, a hardworking businessman from Margao, has won a free return trip to Paris for a lucky table, along with his Valentine, Virna Silva Pereira, at the Valentine day celebrations at The Leela Palace. The handsome young man also happens to be the first person to own a Cielo car in Goa, having won it out of allotment turn at a lucky dip. Winning lucky dips is almost a habit with Russel, who has done it earlier at The Taj and Ambassador in Mumbai besides winning prizes at Easter and New Year dances.

Being a regular user of Colgate proved lucky for Gregory Vales of Tari Vaddo in Mandur. Colgate Palmolive India Ltd has ingenious ways of promoting their highly popular dental products like toothpastes, toothbrushes, toothpowders and soaps. Gregory was announced as the first winner from Goa in the "Colgate ke andhar kya hai" promotion.

Ms Alison J Lobo, a naval cadet, enrolled in Dhempe College NCC Unit, excelled as the best sailor at the yachting regatta camp held in Orissa recently.

Quite a few kids have been crossing the Mandovi river at various points. Bliston Almeida, who is merely five years old, swam like a fish across the Mandovi river from Divar to Ribandar. Coached by swimming experts Santan Fernandes and Michael Fernandes, Bliston is the first boy from Chorao to successfully cross the Mandovi.

At a function in Parra, the Lions of Club of Mapusa felicitated popular Konkani tiatrist/singer/serenader Young Chico recently.

Ms Ranjana Salgaocar has been nominated as the new chairperson of the Indian Red Cross, Goa. Jovito Lopes is the secretary, R K Pikle is the treasurer and Uday Bhembre, Dr Rajan Cuncoliekar and S Balaram are the members.

TheZoology Department of the Goa University has awarded a PhD in Zoology to Renuka Ramachandra for her thesis "Electrophysiological and Biochemical Studies of the Spinal Cord of Mice under the Effect of DDVP and Monocrotophos".

Dr Shilpa Somnath Velingker has been awarded the prestigious gold medal at the thirteenth annual convocation of the Goa University, for her achievement in the MD (Ob-gyn) exam held in October 2000.

French national Dominique Sabire, who allegedly jumped bail in the Freddy Peats paedophile case and who has been missing since April 11, 2000, has been declared an absconder by the Additional Sessions court.

Ms Prutha Shambu Shirodkar of the Maria Bambino Convent in Cuncolim, bagged the first prize in the junior group, at the State level poster painting competition on Environmental Protection.

Ms Geetali Gopi Bhat of Bicholim is an intelligent girl, who excels in academics She obtained the first rank in BE (Chemical) examination of the Gulbarga University. While a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidhayalaya, she had topped the HSSC examination, and later the BE degree course from semester IV to VIII.

Ms Rupa V Gaonkar of Margao, who is studying at the Gomantak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya & Research Centre, Shiroda, topped the third year BAMS examination of the Goa University held in October 2000.

Minister for Information Sanjay Bandekar has been in and out of news most of the time. This time round he has been among the Olive Ridley turtles. Bandekar released around 270 baby turtles in the sea at Dovol Khazan in Agonda in February. People in Agonda are all praise for Bandekar, who has shown a lot of concern for the turtles. Generally, the Forest department is the one to take such an initiative.

Samir Chari, a product of the NCM Sesa Technical School, Sanquelim, notched the third place in the Instrument Mechanic Trade in the National Level Skill Competition, conducted by the Directorate General of Employment Training, New Delhi. Earlier Samir had won the first rank in the ITI examination in Goa and scored 87 per cent in the State Level Skill Competition qualifying for the National competition.

Noted Konkani writer and dramatist Pundalik N Naik said that dramatics was a dynamic art, which could create a lasting impact on the minds and hearts of the audience. Having scripted some of the best Konkani dramas, he should know better. Naik was felicitated by the Dhadem-Sanvordem Shri Siddharudh Tarun Natya Mandal during the annual zatra of Betal Devasthan.

Ramesh Vithal Naik of Shiroda will go down in the history of Goa for a different reason altogether. Naik was the first person to be fined for smoking at a public place, on February 17. He was booked for smoking at the KTC bus terminus in Panjim and fined Rs.1000, under the Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act, which was enacted long ago but was enforced by the State police from February 14.

Anthony D'Souza, an employee of the UCO Bank, Mapusa, has been awarded Doctorate in Llaw by the University of Pune. His thesis dealt with the topic "Are the judicial and quasi judicial power of the Company Law Board effective in dealing with modern companies?"

Philip Spencer from Australia took over as the General Manager of the Goa Marriott Resort in February. Spencer sees the Goa Marriott as the most guest-focussed hotel in the region.

Dr Mahendra Kudchadkar, orthopaedic surgeon, has been recently awarded the membership of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is the sole such surgeon in Goa to receive the honour.

Shrinivas V Dempo, on behalf of the Shree Sansthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Mutt, has announced that the Vidyadhiraj Puraskar Award 2000 will be conferred upon D M Sukhthankar, IAS (retd), for the meritorious services rendered to the society, particularly in the field of public administration. The award will be presented in Poinguinim on March 27.

On February 21, Pope John Paul II inducted 44 new cardinals from 27 countries, including Cardinal Ivan Dias from India, raising the number in the special College of Cardinals to 135, eligible to elect a successor after his death or resignation.

Countess Albina du Boisrouvray, the founder of the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (AFXB), was in Goa on a three-day visit recently, tol inaugurate the AFXB India Society in Baina, Vasco da Gama.

Christina Coelho was elected to the post of the deputy sarpanch of Saligao Village Panchayat. Christina defeated Ranjana Ashwekar in the elections.

The volleyball team headed by Anjuna sarpanch, advocate Suhasini Govekar, won the runners-up spot in the volleyball tournament of the Women's Sports meet at Peddem in Mapusa. They defeated the Saraswat College in the finals.

Savio da Costa from Murmuti in Margao lost by a whisper to Vivan Bhatena in the prestigious "Grasim Mr India 2001" contest held in Kolkata on February 25. Savio. son of Carlos and Fatima and a former student of Loyola High School and Damodar College, was shortlisted from 8,000 entries. The 24-year-old from Margao, good at dancing and singing, took to fashion designing, after a stint with noted fashion designer Wendell Rodricks. Savio is studying at NIFT in Mumbai. He is already readying for the Mr Intercontinental title to be held in Germany.

The freedom fighters of Canacona observed February 17 as "Gaitonde Din 2001" to commemorate the 46th anniversary of opposition to the Portuguese rule.

Renowned Indian classical vocalist of Goan origin Padma Bhushan Mogubai Kurdikar passed away at the Mumbai's Hinduja hospital on February 10 at 8.30 pm, at the age of 97. Ms Mogubai is survived by her daughter Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, a renowned vocalist, son Ulhas and another daughter Lalita Kurdikar. She was born in 1904 at Sristhal in Kurdi, a small village in the Sanguem taluka, now partly submerged by the Selaulim dam.

Indrajit Gupta, a veteran CPI leader, former Union Home minister and the longest serving parliamentarian, died of cancer at 82 on February 20. Indrajit was instrumental in stopping the Goa Police Bill 1997, passed by the Goa Legislative Assembly, as the police force would have been virtually privatised through it, recalls Christopher Fonseca, AITUC general secretary.

Maj Gen A C D'Silva, husband of Maureen, father of Arun/Mini, Indira/Lester Herbert and Veena/Dr Nav Grandhi (USA), brother of F X D'Silva/Carlotta, expired on Feb 22, and interred in his ancestral village at Acsona in Benaulim on February 25.