DR MARIA TEREZA VEIGA, consultant dermatologist and venerealogist from Panjim left for the US on July 3 to attend a two-month observership in HIV/AIDS at the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Detroit Medical Centre, Wayne State University in Michigan. During her observership she will be dealing with the management of HIV/AIDS infected patients, community-based programmes dealing with public education and Hospice Care Service as practiced in the USA. Dr Veiga, who hails from Mapusa, studied at the Goa Medical College and has been practicing in Goa and the Middle East for the last 18 years. She has also been invited to make a presentation of the AIDS scenario in Goa and India.

Vice-Admiral John Colin de Silva, AVSM Director General Coast Guard, was on a five-day visit to his home state Goa last month on the occasion of the commissioning of the Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel “Sarang”. Vice-Admiral joined the National Defence Academy in 1960 and was later commissioned in the Indian Navy. A gunner specialist, he did the super specialisation course in the UK. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenhan, UK, and also an alumnus of the Naval War College, Newport, USA. He was promoted to Flag rank in October 1992 and was the Assistant Chief of Personnel (career planning) till his appointment as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. He was decorated with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 1993.

Goans excel in the field of theatre be it in Konkani or Marathi. The prestigious Bal Gandharva Award was conferred on Goan theatre stalwart PRASAD SAWKAR by the Cultural Affairs department of the government of Maharashtra recently. The award comprises of Rs.10,000, which was presented to Sawkar at a special function at the Rangshard Mandir at Mumbai on June 14.

Goa's students shine not only among their local peers but also at the All-India level as proved by Ms RACHANA PRABHU, a brilliant student of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Vasco. Rachana secured 93.40 per cent marks in the All India Secondary School Examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

The Portuguese prize-winning novel Domingo a Tarde (Sunday Afternoon) by late Dr Fernando Namora is now published in Marathi. The translation was done by the late Padmashri VAMAN SARDESSAI, Konkani writer, poet, freedom fighter, former editor of Goa Today magazine and former Ambassador of India in Angola.

MLA ISIDORE FERNANDES is probably the first corporation chairman (Housing Construction & Finance Corporation) to recommend its dissolution for failing to secure even Rs.5 lakh business despite costing Rs.50 lakh for setting up.

After a two-and-a-half-year stint in Goa, the Portuguese consul-general ANTONIO JORGE JACOB DE CARVALHO is headed for Palestine. His successor will be a lady-diplomat, Vera Fernandes, who is currently in Ottawa. Besides attempting to build links between businessmen of the two countries, the Patto-based consulate keeps busy issuing passports and visas to those wanting Portuguese nationality.

IN MEMORIAM: Many mourned the sudden passing away of FR CAMILO XAVIER, the well-known musician, music teacher and former director of the department of Western music at the Kala Academy, Panjim. The maestro rendered meritorious service for the propagation and teaching of Western music in Goa, besides his services to the Church.