ARJUNA AWARD FOR BRUNO COUTINHO: Goa's top notch and most popular footballer Bruno Coutinho is the second Goan, after Brahmanand Shankhawalkar, to earn the country's highest sports honour. In the limelight since the age of 14 years, when he represented the Indian school team at the international school tournament in Brunei in 1987, Bruno made effected his international debut after joining Goa's top soccer side Salgaocar Sports Club. In 1989-90, he played in the President's Gold Cup in Bangladesh. Two years later he captained the Pre-Olympic squad for the matches held in Hyderabad. Again in the SAF games at Chennai in 1995, Asia Cup at Malaysia, Eider Nehru Cup in 1997 and SAFF Cup, in Goa, 1999. Bruno tied the marital knot with his long-time girlfriend Nyna Dias on April 21 this year, and is already on the way to become a proud papa.

KENI TO HONOURED: Goa's eminent Konkani writer, Chandrakant Keni, received the Sahitya Akademi's prestigious translation award on August 19 at New Delhi. Mr Keni's Konkani translation of Gujarati novel "Saat Paglam Akashmam" written by Kundanika Kapadia, has been chosen for the award. "Goenkarancho Ekvot", New Delhi, also organised a get together on 21st August at the Goa Sadan to felicitate Chandrakant Keni, renowned Goan writer who was here in connection with receiving the Sahitya Academy Award. During the evening, Keni gave an enlightening talk on the responsibility and role of Goans, outside Goa, to maintain the Goan Identity.

AD GURU FRANK SIMOES DEAD: Advertising guru and writer Frank Simoes died at Jaslokh Hospital, Mumbai, on August 25 at 12.25 pm, following a massive cardiac arrest. Simoes took the ad world by storm in the 1960s, and founded the hugely successful Frank Simoes Advertising agency in 1967…He built his home in Candolim, near the beach, and visited Goa three or four times a year. He filled his house with paintings done by his wife Gita. He also built a Home for the Aged. Former Speaker, Tomazinho Cardozo, writing about the ad guru says, "He (Frank Simoes) was paid a good amount of money by the Salgaocars to produce the book ('Fare Forward, Voyager'), and I must tell you that Mr Simoes donated this whole amount for the construction of the home for the aged ('Arc of Hope') in Candolim."

GREAT GRANDMA: Ms Maria Aninha Matildes Porfiria de Braganca e Pereira, a great grand mother from Canturlim in Tivim, became a centurion on August 2. Maria was born at Ansabhat in Mapusa, in the family of a businessman, late Estacio and late Rosa Adolfina 100 years ago. There were four siblings in all, she being the only daughter. To lose her mother at the very young age of 8 years and to survive for a century is a great boon to Matildes, whose three brothers live no more.

MAESTRO'S MARIANO: Famed Goan violinist, maestro Mariano Francis Rodrigues, expired at his residence at Gaunsvaddo in Mapusa on August 1, 2000. Born on 11 June, 1932, Mariano is said to be the first Goan to score music for the Konkani audio cassettes. He was working for the Central Railway in Mumbai. Mariano, who also played the bass guitar, was serenading at the popular "Goa Portuguesa" in Mumbai and after shifting to Goa played for choirs until recently. His colleagues and associates say that Mariano was a soft spoken and friendly person. He leaves behind his son Ian Cassius and wife Philomena nee Figueira.

KING COBRA: The majestic 11-foot king cobra that made headlines last last month was released in a jungle. Amrut Singh, who had trapped the deadly reptile, stated that he had to take the decision since the Forest department could not adhere to the conditions he had laid down for handing over the cobra.

CYRIL FELICITATED: Cyril D'Cunha, founder member of the Goa Union of Journalists and former News Editor of The Navhind Times, was felicitated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on the occasion of Journalists' Day on August 1.

KAFKAS METAMORPHOSIS: Venantius Pinto recently did the scenography/painting for Kafkas Metamorphosis, directed by Rene Migliaccio. It's an interesting piece which has a projected video component to it while Gregor Samsa as the bug acts out his part on stage. The approach to the piece is German expressionism both in terms of its overall direction as well as the art direction. email: Venantius mudra@inch.com

AWARD FOR BOND: Alfonso Bond Braganza of Lions Club of Mapusa city and Dr Ajay K Aras of Panjim Club were both awarded the Best Regional Chairmen in District 324-D2, comprising Goa State and 8 revenue district of Karnataka, for the year 2001-02 at a glittering ceremony in Belgaum recently.

8-FOOT PYTHON: Dr Nagaraj Samaga, an ayurvedic doctor, who has mastered the ability to catch snakes, caught an 8-foot python at Taravale-Shiroda, early last month.

SARPANCH OUSTED: Sodiem-Siolim Sarpanch Francis Fernandes was yesterday ousted from office, after the no-confidence motion move against him was passed by 4-3 votes. Dr Jawaharlal Henriques, Jeanette Henriques, Prasad Mandrekar and Deepak Haldankar voted in favour of the motion.

FOREIGNER'S SUICIDE: Sack Isabelle, a 20-year-old girl of German nationality, apparently committed suicide by hanging herself from the roof, in her room at a guest house in Vagator recently.

BEULA ELECTED: Beula V Pereira, a lecturer of Fr Agnel College of Arts and Commerce, Pilar, was elected from Tiswadi taluka to the academic council of the Goa University in the recently held elections.

BUS RUNS OVER LECTURER: Carmel College Botany lecturer Nirmala Mendonca succumbed to grievous injuries after she was run over by a Kadamba Transport Corporation bus at Nuvem yesterday afternoon. Nirmala was returning to Margao from work on a scooter when the but hit her from behind.

SUPERIOR GENERAL: Fr Tony Lopes was elected the new Superior General of the Society of Pilar in a close and secret conclave of 33 delegates yesterday at the Pilar Seminary Annexe during the 16th General Chapter of the Society. Fr Lopes, who hails from Chinchinim and ordained in 1984, is well known for his austere and exemplary lifestyle.

IT'S LORNA: Sinaris have backed Lawrence de Tiracol's twenty-fifth audio presentation "Lorna Forever…Tuzo Mog", a classic assemblage of Konkani numbers. Almost all songs sung by Lorna on this audio had been recorded on music records by Chris Perry, although three of which were not sung by her then. Keeping company with Lorna are Sudhesh Bhosle, Young Chico and Lawrence de Tiracol.

SHARON TOPS: Sharon Nisha Pinto has topped in Master of Financial Services examination from the Goa University with 71 per cent aggregate.

LAXMIDAS BORCAR AWARD: The editor of "Raashtramat", Mr Sitaram Tengse, has been awarded the prestigious Laxmidas Borkar Memorial Journalism Award for the present year. The award consists of Rs.5,000 and a memento.

HUSBAND-WIFE VOTED: The husband-wife duo comprising Dr Jawaharlal Henriques and his wife, Jeanette, were elected unopposed as sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch respectively of Sodiem-Siolim Panchayat.

DR SHIRODKAR FOR BRAZIL: Dr Ajit Shirodkar, horticulture enthusiast and resident of Alto Santa Cruz, has been invited to make a presentation on Alphonso cultivation at the Seventh International Mango Symposium to be held at Recife, Brazil, this month. The title of his presentation is "Alleviation of Yield Variability and Quality Improvement in Alphonso-Long Term farm Experience".

FOR BANGKOK: Mr Anand Patil, reader in English, Goa University has been invited to present a research paper on 21st century Indian literature: comparatist's vision at the XIIth International Congress to be held at Assumption University, Bangkok.

MIRACLE ON MARGAO BABY: A team of doctors led by renowned paediatric surgeon Dr Sanjay Khope successfully performed an emergency operation on a new born baby affected by an extremely rare problem called "Bilateral Chonal Atresia" wherein the nose was blocked on both sides by a bony tissue and the child could not breathe.

ARCHITECT OF MODERN GOA: Vishwasrao D Chowgule, scion of Chowgule house who was responsible for laying the foundation for Goa's socio-economic revolution, is stepped into the 87th year of his purposeful life on August 25. It was Chowgule's maiden export of mineral ore to Japan in 1951 that revolutionized the Goan economy and brought prosperity to Goans for the first time in Goa's recent history.

AWARDS FOR 2 GOANS: Ian Karl Alvares and Isabel Bruto da Costa are two young Goans, who have been awarded the De Souza Trust Goa Scholarship, administered by the British Council, for the year 2002. The scholarship is given to students of Goan origin to help young Goans contribute their might to the state of Goa.

MUCB TEAM HEAD: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said that the government had identified former bureaucrat, Alban Couto, to head the team that will manage the beleaguered Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa.