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Paphos Local News November 2017

Nominations for the tenth Hearts of Gold Cyprus Awards open
By Bejay Browne
 
The nomination process for the tenth annual Hearts of Gold Cyprus awards are now open, and this year will allow proposals from all over the island, according to organisers.
 
The annual awards recognise both children and adults who are extra special in some way and members of the public can nominate people each year, that they feel are deserving.  The winners are chosen by a panel of judges, including this year’s guest judge, British High Commissioner, Matthew Kidd.

 
“We are celebrating our tenth anniversary in 2017 and wanted to open up the awards to adults and children living all over the island in recognition of that fact. These awards are a celebration of our culture, humanity and philanthropy and an important way to thank the many wonderful people that make our island such a special place to live,” awards patron Marios Joannou Elia told the Paphos Post.
 
Members of the public are now able to put forward their nominees by filling in a nomination form, available on request, and sending it by either email or post.
 
There are four awards in the 2017 programme, as well as a number of Honourable Mentions, and they are all philanthropic, community-based awards which aim to recognise those who have shown tremendous courage, strength and determination, worked tirelessly within the community or for charities, overcome tragedies with a smile or have simply been a great help and support to neighbours and friends.
 
“We are delighted that Aphrodite Jewellers will once again be creating special solid gold ten year commemorative pins for the Junior and adult winner this year,” said Joannou Elia.
 
The adult Heart of Gold Award is open to adults over the age of 18 and the Junior Heart of Gold Award is open to children and young people under 18.
 
In addition, renowned Paphos based artist, Yiota Ioannidou, is creating a magnificent award for the Lifetime Achievement winner, which is given for outstanding dedication to the community; this award may also be given posthumously.
 
She will also create smaller versions for the Junior, Adult and Jasmitha Awards, which are all supported by Blevins Franks Cyprus, tax and wealth management advisers.
 
The Jasmitha Award for Courage 2017 is supported by Kivotos Gallery in Paphos, and is open to children who have shown determination, resilience and strength when faced with difficulties
 
Joulietta Chocolatier will present special festive hampers to the four winners which will include an array of hand crafted chocolates and the adult winner will also be gifted a weekend break with dinner and spa treatment at the luxury Almyra Hotel.
 
All accepted nominees receive a certificate and a flower and a buffet lunch reception will also be provided.
 
The invitation only event will be held at SEK building in central Paphos on Saturday December 16, 2017, and will include an appearance by Father Christmas with gifts for the children, a spectacular dance performance by Romiosini folk ensemble, a performance by local choir the Zingers, who raise money for Cyprus charities, as well as other musical offerings.
 
Nominations should be no more than 100 words and are open to individuals, of any nationality, living anywhere in Cyprus. (Businesses are not eligible for the awards). The closing date is Saturday December 2, 2017.
 
The awards are supported by Paphos Municipality, British High Commission Nicosia, Aphrodite Jewelry, Blevins Franks Cyprus, Almyra Hotel, Massiva printers, The Paphos Post, Cyprus Mail Newspaper, Radio Pafos, Flybynite Media, Kivotos Gallery, Chris Hopkins Photography, Cyprus Images Photography, TOTT Events and Joulietta Chocolatier and Patissier.
 
To request a form or for further information: info@heartsofgoldcyprus.com
 
www.heartsofgoldcyprus.com
 
 
Cyprus Samaritans celebrate 20 years
By Bejay Browne
 
The Cyprus Samaritans celebrated 20 years since inception in October.
 
The volunteer organisation offers an island-wide free helpline number which provides a listening ear to all those who need it.
 
Although they are not part of the UK Samaritans, the charity’s policies are similar and they are part of ‘Befrienders Worldwide,’ which operates in around forty countries, Samaritans director, Christine Simister told the Paphos Post.
 
“We are here to offer confidential support to people with emotional difficulties, people who are distressed or despairing, or experiencing feelings of suicide,” she said.
 
The service costs around €50,000 a year to operate and the charity is reliant on the income from their three shops, two of which are found in Paphos and one in Limassol. The Cyprus Samaritans also operates two centres, one in Paphos and a second one in Limassol, which opened in 2013.
 
The demand for the service has increased dramatically during its 20 years in operation, and although it can vary from week to week, around 30 or 40 calls are handled by the trained listening volunteers every week.
 
The helpline is run from 4pm-midnight every day, 360 days a year, she said. “Some people may have mental health issues, are bereaved or felling lonely, we are here to help,” she added. The volunteers listen to caller’s problems but do not give advice or tell people what to do.
 
“Often people will work through their problems by talking to us and letting it all out, they often come to conclusions at the end of the call and have worked through issues, we are all non-judgmental,” Simister said.
 
Around 18 months ago, the Cyprus Samaritans started a new initiative when, ‘In Touch’ was launched, it offers a friendly ear to those who are mostly alone. “The same volunteer speaks to those that might not otherwise have much human connection in their lives for a weekly chat, it’s a befriending call, not necessary anything bad or sad,” she added.
 
The trained listening volunteers now number around 45, and some speak Greek as well as English.
 
Simister, an ex-teacher, joined the Cyprus Samaritans in 2006, after retiring to the island from the UK with her husband the year before. She took over as Director of the charity in 2015, and heads up a 10-strong committee.
 
She will hold this position for three years, after which a new director will be chosen.
 
“It is very satisfying being a Samaritan and we are always looking for new volunteers to help in our shops in Limassol and Paphos, as well as those that wish to take part in our training programmes,” she said.
 
To volunteer contact Christine Simister: 99988849
The Samaritans can be contacted in confidence via email at: confidential@cyprussamaritans.org
The Freephone confidential helpline service 8000 7773, is available from 4pm until midnight seven days a week.

 
 
Cyprus has third highest increase in air passengers in EU for 2016
By Bejay Browne
 
Cyprus recorded the third largest airline passenger increase in the EU in 2016, according to figures published by Eurostat.
 
The Cyprus News Agency reported that in 2016, 972.7 million passengers travelled by air in the European Union, an increase of 5.9 per cent compared with 2015.
 
Larnaca airport ranked 57th among 147, with 6.628m passengers, a 24.7 per cent increase since 2015.
 
According to Eurostat, the largest increases were 25 per cent, in Bulgaria and Romania.
 
Overall in the EU, the number of air passengers rose by 54.4 million (5.9 per cent) between 2015 and 2016.
 
In 2016 the highest number of air passengers was recorded in the UK, around 249m. This was followed by Germany at 201m, Spain 194m, France 145m and Italy 135m. However, Belgium saw a 2.7 per cent decline and Slovenia a 2.2 per cent decrease.
 
London’s Heathrow remains the EU’s busiest passenger airport in 2016, with 75.7 million passengers handled, a slight increase on 2015.

 
 
National dance ensemble ‘Romiosini’ captivates audiences
By Bejay Browne
 
A fantastic two hundred strong dance ensemble is captivating audiences around Cyprus with their performances of traditional folklore dances of Greece and the Caucasus nations.
 
Headed up by choreographer and artistic director, 35 year old Agis Toursidis, who is also a practicing vascular surgeon, ‘Romiosini National Dance Ensemble’ regularly perform at the islands largest theatres and events and have also taken their shows abroad to Greece, Russia and Georgia.
 
Toursidis explained that the “Romiosini” has a ‘great meaning’, and reflects the culture of the orthodox Greeks.
 
“It is mostly connected with the period of the Byzantine Empire but its roots lie in Hellenic history. Since Greeks from Georgia make up ninety per cent of our ensemble and they are direct descendants of the Byzantine Greeks, it seemed logical to give this name,” he said.
 
The repertoire of the ensemble is breath-taking and encompasses many styles and traditions, all performed to an excellent standard. Toursidis explained that the aim of the choreography is to underline the meaning of each dance and to create the ‘proper’ atmosphere both on the stage and in the audience, whether the performance is a war dance on a battlefield or a joyful celebration in a village.
 
Toursidis, who speaks fluent Greek, Russian and English, first started to dance at the age of four in Stavropol, Russia, where he was born. He first appeared on stage at five and said that being a vascular surgeon is his second profession, dancing is his first, as it’s ‘in his DNA’.
 
His father and mother met at Stavropol University, where his father, Nektarios, was the art director of the university’s dance ensemble “Kazbek”, his mother became a member of the group, going on to perform solos.
 
The family left Russia and moved to Cyprus when Toursidis was 12, and for 8 years he didn’t have a chance to continue dancing at a serious level. However, when he returned to Russia to study medicine, he was invited by his father’s protégée, who was now the art director of the ‘Kazabek’, to join them at their anniversary concert.
 
“I started dancing again; I became a soloist, then moved on to become the chief choreographer and art director of the ‘Elefteria’ ensemble of Greek diaspora in Stavropol, which my father also created.”
After his medical studies he moved back to Cyprus in 2011.
 
Nektarios also created the “Romiosini” ensemble in Limassol in 1996, and on his return, father and son revamped and expanded the group, starting dance lessons in Paphos in 2011, followed by Nicosia in 2012.
 
Toursidis is in the process of creating a new dance show ‘300 Spartans’ that will depict the legendary battle at Thermopylae.  “We will try to finish it by summer 2018,” he said.
 
 
Decision on Paphos marina expected soon
By Bejay Browne
 
Pafilia Group will find out in the coming days whether they have met the necessary criteria to construct a long-anticipated marina in Paphos, according to the head of the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and industry.
 
Andreas Demitriades told the Paphos Post that: “The Pafilia Group were asked to provide all of the necessary documentation to highlight their ability to promote, implement and finance the project for the construction of the marina in Potima in Kissonerga. They need to demonstrate that they meet the terms and conditions of the competition,” he said.
 
The Poseidon consortium had planned to build and run the new Paphos marina, which came with a €215 million price tag, but they were rejected in April, which meant that tender runner up Pafilia could step up and submit their paperwork for a chance to snare the deal.
 
The Pafilia bid is a different design and costs less, around 175 million euros, and if their bid is successful the project will be awarded to them. However, if the developer fails to meet the criteria, the entire process, which has already dragged on for more than a decade, will be cancelled and another tender announced, he said.
 
The tender for the project was first announced in 2007 and in 2008. It was initially awarded to the Cybarco-Pandora consortium, which includes the Leptos Group.
 
However, the other two bidding consortiums, Pafilia and Poseidon, a joint venture in which Aristo Developers is a mayor stakeholder, challenged the award at various stages. They claimed the winning developer used inside information to offer a lower figure for the construction of the marina, and won the tender.
 
The project was then frozen after litigation began in 2008.
 
In December 2015, the Supreme Court voted in favour of Poseidon and their €215m project. They then had to provide proof of funds – a total of 60 per cent of the amount, which was set at €125m.
However, after many months of negotiation, it was decided that Poseidon was unable to meet the financial criteria, and the project then passed on to Pafilia, the biggest developer in Cyprus.
 
The proposed marina will include up to 1,000 berths and more than 42,000 square metres of residential and commercial developments. The project will take approximately three years to complete.

 
 
Paphos old town appeals for new citizen centre
By Bejay Browne
 
Paphos old town is appealing to the government to create a second citizens’ service centre in the area to better serve residents.
 
Head of the Paphos Old Town Association Kyriakos Kyriakou said that such a decision would bring multiple benefits to both the residents and authorities of Paphos.
 
“I have been informed that the government has made a decision to create a second satellite citizens’ service centre in an area of Paphos which is already busy and doesn’t have good public transport links. This is awful and a disaster,” he said.
 
The centre is earmarked to be created in an area which already houses the road transport department, off the main Mesoyi Road, and is extremely busy, he said.
 
The service centres deal with issues such as passport renewal, IDs, certification and medical cards. “They are an important one stop shop for all sorts of things,” Kyriakou said.
 
The association is now appealing to the government to reconsider the position of the facility and has sent letters to that effect to the Paphos district mayors and councillors, MPs and government officials, while ministers are next on the list.
 
“The proposed area would not be a good choice in any way and we are suggesting that instead it be placed in the heart of the old town in the newly renovated old post office which sits next to the district office,” Kyriakou added.
 
He said four large car parks which are close by are an added benefit and that as the bus station is only a couple of minutes’ walk from the building, it would mean that many people would not have to bring their vehicles into the area at all.
 
“There are good public transport connections with the harbour, Coral Bay, the suburbs and the villages and it makes much more sense to create a new centre here,” he said.
 
He concluded that the association sincerely hopes the government and the municipality of Paphos will directly assess this “great opportunity” and make a positive decision to transfer this service to the centre.

 
 
New gallery opens its doors in Paphos old town
By Bejay Browne
 
An art lover has launched a unique art gallery in the heart of Paphos old town which sees thirty local artists specialising in a raft of different mediums, all housed in an old renovated house.
 
Found down a side street in Ktima, (Paphos old town) the aim is to create a space which is home to an eclectic mix of unique artworks from a variety of local artists across the island, and create a positive space for the town, full of great energy, said the founder, 28-year-old English Cypriot, Lauren Love.
 
Opened on Friday October 6,’ Chakra Fine Arts and Gifts’, also holds workshops run by artists. “Our new gallery features work that you might not be able to see anywhere else, it’s a mix of everything and at the moment, thirty artists are taking part,” said Love, adding that Ktima is slowly becoming a buzzing and vibrant place.
 
Love said that she chose the name ‘Chakra’ as she would like to establish the gallery as the energy centre for Paphos, a place that exudes and resonates a positive feeling of warmth.
As the founder of Chakra, the art lover is on a mission to support local artists.
 
“Some are well-known but don’t exhibit anywhere and some others prefer to stay out of the spotlight, but produce amazing artworks,” she said.
 
She added that the gallery displays many genres including: mosaics, sculptures, paintings and limited edition prints, digital installations and photography and handmade gifts and accessories.
 
“There are also locally made wooden gift art which people can personalise if they want, beautiful handmade jewellery, intricate prints and even a spherical mosaic fountain, mosaic garden table and jazzy coral-like pots for the garden,” she added.
 
It has taken four months of hard slog to get the rented space up to scratch and even the front of the building sees a community kids project, a mosaic map of Paphos, grace its exterior wall.
 
The venue is open six days a week, excluding Sundays, from 8am until 7pm. It consists of a main gallery space and a smaller one which is currently being used by a local artist, Paris Christodoulou. A separate studio will also be available to rent as a workshop space in the near future.

 
 
Latchi port authority plans improvements at picturesque harbour
 
By Bejay Browne
 
Latchi port authority’s new plan to improve the organisation of the harbour is worrying fishermen who fear the latest regulations are threatening their livelihoods.
 
“The new general plan is to make the harbour as good as it can be. Up to now, everyone was doing whatever they want,” said a spokesman for Latchi port authority.
 
Recently local fisherman fed up with jostling for space with an increasing number of tourist boats, and angered over a number of the new ‘regulations’, staged a short protest, blocking the entrance to the harbour for a couple of hours.

 
“It seems that the port authority is giving priority to the tourist boats, and that the size of the vessels using the marina is increasing, making it far harder for us to negotiate our way in and out to sea,” said Alecos Christodoulou, head of the local fisherman’s association.
 
There are around thirty or so professional fisherman currently using the harbour, he said.
 
Christodoulou said that the main problems he faces, as well as the lack of space to moor his boat, involve the storage of fishermen’s nets and use of trailers.
 
“We have been told to remove our nets from the front of our boats, and it is difficult to take them home every day and bring them back in the morning. Also, we are no longer allowed to use our own trailers to get our boats in and out of the sea, but only ones belonging to the ports authority and then they will charge us,” he said.
 
The fisherman said he believes that their space is being encroached on, as the ports authority make money charging commercial vessels.
 
“I don’t think that they want to remove us from the port and there is nowhere else for us to go anyway, but it is now very difficult to get in and out to sea,” he said.
 
The ports authority spokesman denied that the space allocated to the fishermen had decreased, but suggested that the number of professional fishermen in the area is dwindling. “They are choosing other professions,” he said.
 
Latchi harbour is also home to many popular restaurants, and their operation is also being affected by the new initiative already being implemented by the authorities.
 
Lakis Matheou, owner of Faros, a busy restaurant along the harbour, said that he welcomes the new plan which he hopes will be fair for all and improve the area.
 
“We are still busy with tourists now, it has generally been a very busy summer which is great,” he said. “Everybody needs to have his own position on the harbour, to understand the guidelines so we can present a better organised face.”
 
He added that improvements are still needed such as public toilets.

 

 

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