(By Bejay Browne- Cyprus Mail)THE MAYOR of Peyia is refusing to allow a new non-organic dump to be sited in his Municipality.Mayor Neophytos Akourshiotis is opposing the government proposed site, claiming it would be a disaster for the community.The new dump would be a place for building materials, rubble and the like to be deposited. Akourshiotis claims the weight and flow of traffic to and from the facility would have a negative effect on Peyia, and would spoil “an area of outstanding beauty”.“The stain on the environment would be catastrophic,” he added.
Fellow Peyia councillor Linda Leblanc has a more measured approach, noting all the facts need to be collected first.She told the Cyprus Mail: ‘It’s true the site would be for non-organic materials such as building rubble. In Europe there are some requirements to recycle these type of materials; unfortunately facilities for this are not yet in place in Cyprus.”Leblanc continued, “European policy seems to lean toward using old quarry sites, as in our case. This one is on the road heading towards Akoursos.”She stressed: “I think the important thing here is too look at the bigger picture. This spot has been designated for this purpose by the central government, and so I believe there has to have been an environmental impact study. The Mayor is denying this, and I don’t know either way for certain.”“I do have mixed feelings about this project, but it needs to be put somewhere,” she added.“I think it’s gross hypocrisy on the part of Peyia, who have been filling dry riverbeds and gorges for years. They then built structures on top of this rubble. What happens if there is a flood or an earthquake,” she questioned. “It’s better to have a legal site. People in Peyia are used to dumping everywhere.“It’s really a case of, ‘not in my back yard’.”In October 2006, torrential rainfall caused severe flooding in Paphos, destroying many homes and closing a hotel in Peyia. Two people lost their lives as they were swept away in a car by a torrent of water, which had built up in a dry riverbed, clogged with rubbish.Leblanc commented, “I think it makes sense to put this waste in the site of an old quarry. I was recently in England and visited an abandoned quarry, which had been filled in this way; it’s now a beautiful park. This process renews a site, it fills a scar on the landscape, and afterwards may be planted with trees, shrubs and plants.“I really think it’s up to the government now, they were the ones who designated this area. Peyia Municipality has taken the line to fight it, and I think we must wait to see how heavily the government will come down on Peyia.”This type of waste was previously being taken to a site in Marathounda.“The dump in Marathounda is now closed, as it is full, and in addition, doesn’t meet the legal requirements.“Everyone must take responsibility for their rubbish, there is more and more in Cyprus. As buildings go up daily, there is more garbage from construction.“I would like to see a proper impact assessment, but I don’t think the request for a site in Peyia is an unreasonable one. “It’s better to have a legal dump, which will be strictly operated, rather than dumping willy nilly across the countryside,” she concluded.
[The Ambiguous Citizen by Helene Black, 98x98x6cmRusted steel, glass, mirror, paint, Murano glass, silver rings, aluminium frameCyprus State gallery collection]HUNDREDS OF pieces of state-owned art works are being stored in poor conditions and run the risk of being destroyed or lost, the Green Party has warned.
Green Party Leader, George Perdikis, has sent a letter to parliamentary Education Committee Chairman, Nikos Tornaritis, urging the House to discuss relocating the State Art Gallery when deputies return from summer recess in October.
Perdikis described the situation as urgent. "Recently I visited the gallery, where I was informed that from the approximately 2,700 works of art that the gallery has, only 135 are on display in the renovated building on Stassinou Avenue. Exhibitions and exchanges of the works are not in effect because of practical difficulties, while many of the work are lent to Ministries, embassies abroad, etc."
Employees at the gallery confirmed that there are 2,749 works in total, 210 of them on display and that many works were kept in storage or are on loan to ministries and embassies.
“They are constantly at risk of getting lost, while the ones in the warehouses are not properly kept and preserved,” Perdikis said. The leader of the Greens also reported that “the art gallery is understaffed, with only three individuals employed acting as security guards/assistants and no specialised staff, such as art historians, conservationists, art managers or museologists."
The proposal is for the new gallery to be moved to the old Pallouriotissa Co-op, which is much bigger and can house all the works.
“The present situation is far from ideal,” Perdikis added. “They do not organise occasional exhibitions, tributes or retrospective exhibitions; lectures are not given, material is not published, there are no catalogues or brochures. There is no research."
The Green Party has tabled the issue for decision at the House Education Committee as a first step, he said.
“It is vital for a European country to have a gallery. If you don’t have a proper gallery, you lack culture,” Perdikis told the Sunday Mail.
THE BUILDING which currently houses the State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art was designed and built in 1925-26 by the building contractor Michalakis Kouloumbris, who was also its first owner. It was used at different periods as a house, clinic and hotel. It is one of the oldest stone-built structures outside the walls of Nicosia and one of the first examples of urban architecture. The building was made the subject of a preservation order in 1972. In 1982, by order of the Council of Ministers, it was requisitioned and compulsorily acquired in order to be preserved, maintained and used for cultural purposes.
The restoration of the building and its conversion in to the State Gallery were undertaken by the Ministry of Education. It was officially inaugurated on June 28, 1990.
The works exhibited were chosen from the State Collection of Contemporary Cypriot Art by a special committee. The aim of the special committee was to succeed in the most adequate possible presentation of the artistic development of Cyprus from the beginning of the twentieth century up to the present day. The presentation covers the most important periods and trends which developed at various time.
A defining factor in the placing and often in the selection of specific works was the space, which always played a limiting role. Insufficient space also limits the way the committee can depict the development of Cypriot art.
The Education Ministry’s policy is to renew the works periodically, especially those of the younger artists so that other aspects of contemporary Cypriot art may be shown and public interest stimulated.
(By Marianna Pissa - Cyprus Mail)
The two companies that manage ground services at Larnaca and Paphos airports have been slapped with a heavy fine from the government.Minister of Transport and Works, Nikos Nikolaidis, imposed an administrative fine of 59,000 euros to LGS (for incidents at Paphos Airport) and a fine of 53,000 euros to Swissport (for various incidents at Larnaca airport). A fine of 2,500 euros, was also given for delays in getting luggage from the aircraft to the passengers in arrival terminals.Nikos Nikolaidis has asked representatives of Hermes Airports, as well as the heads of Swissport and LGS to meet him on Friday morning at Larnaca airport to discuss the situation.
(Famagusta Gazette)
Last week the leaders of the two main communities in Cyprus agreed to sixteen more building conference measures in order to prepare the ground of full fresh talks for a lasting and fare solution to the Cyprus Problem.
Cyprus is divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the island. Till then, the Turkish Cypriots are forced to move to the northern part, where they declare an illegal separate state.
Most of the conference measures are dealing with environmental issues. In details the two leaders decided about the:
Cooperation for the elimination of illegal dumping sites and the rehabilitation of the affected areas within the buffer zone
Cooperation for exchange of experience and information between environmental experts
Cooperation for the prevention of wildfires
Waste management – treatment-recycling
Awareness raising measures for water saving
Cooperation for the establishment of a common approach on mining and quarrying activities in Cyprus
Biodiversity and nature protection
Marine and maritime pollution management and control
Chemical pollution management and control
Asbestos pollution management and control
Historical pollution management and control
For the Cyprus Greens, these measures are a good sign for peace and reunion in the island.
