Thank you Ivan – comments like yours do make a difference. Yes I remember Alex, Freddie and the Qala feast as we used to accompany him. Happy memories like those bring some joy and a smile. I had posted the previous comment because I still feel that, out of respect, the Birkirkara feast should not have taken place, just three weeks after the accident. Thanks again.

Helen, your father is still fondly remembered in Qala, Gozo. He used to produce fireworks for the St. Joseph feast. Id-Dahna Kulur ta’ Kustanz is still being proudly produced year in year out. I know it will not take away the pain, but hope it makes a difference. I might have some photos of him around-doing what he did best.

Spiccaw il-valuri, il-valur u r-rispett lejn il-hajja. L-uniku valur li fadal huwa dak tal-flus.

Mela il-familjari ma jhallsux talli jmorru jfittxuhom?

Niftakar meta kien hemm l-incident tas-Simshar, il-mara ta’ sid id-dghajsa ma riditx li javzaw minhabba li jekk johorgu jkollhom ihallsu l-ispejjez.

Two ways, two measures?

[Daphne – Sea rescue is different, and she may have had other reasons for not wanting to alert the authorities.]

Daqs kemm hassru tas-7 Santa Marijiet!

Inkella tiehu ghaliha l-Madonna.

The point is, fireworks are not used only in village festas. They are also used on state-sponsored occasions. And now we have the Malta Fireworks Festival in the annual cultural festival, sponsored by the government and others.

So how can the state take such a stand? I personally would not agree with such a stand. In my view, what needs to be done is proper regulation, including that by the industry itself.

I was not aware that the PN government had launched Tax-Free Zone Gozo, besides Eco Gozo.

Jien inhobb il-festi u partikolarment in-nar. Pero mhux kull min ihobb il-festa, ihobb in-nar…u vici-versa. In-nar illum il-gurnata jintalab mhux ghal festi religjuzi biss, jitolbu l-Gvern; l-Oppozizzjoni; tal-Lukandi; l-organizzaturi ta’ kuncerti; koppji li jkunu ha jizzewgu u ‘l bqija. Dan f’Malta, ghax barra l-uzu tieghu u bil-wisq aktar mifrux. Jigifieri ma nalludux ruhna li l-festi u l-qaddisin huma r-raguni li jsir in-nar, altru min hekk!

Wiehed irid izid ukoll li issa n-nar fil-festi, sar jinkludi spettakli akbar u isbah li jpaxxi anke l-eluf ta’ turisti li jigu jzurunha. Wiehed irid izid ukoll li l-maltin huma maghrufin mad-dinja kollha li ghandhom prodott tajjeb hafna w innovattiv fil-piroteknika u l-fatti juru li kull meta kkompetew mal-barranin, rebhu dejjem. Jigifieri pozittiv hemm ukoll fil-loghob tan-nar.

PERO dan ma jfissirx li jien kuntent bis-sitwazzjoni prezenti fejn jidhol dan il-mistjier u delizzju. Bhalissa s-sitwazzjoni hi allarmanti ferm u nkwetanti ghal kulhadd, ghal dawk li huma favur in-nar, daqskemm ghal min ma jhobbux. L-ewwelnett saru wisq incidenti f’qasir zmien. Barra dan, il-kagun taghhom hu aktar stramb mis-soltu. Issa mhux biss qed itiru l-kmamar waqt ix-xoghol tan-nar izda anke meta x-xoghol mhux jinhadem! X’qed jikkawza dan kollu ma tantx trid tkun espert biex tifhem ghax id-delettanti u min jahdem in-nar ilhom jafu! Alla jbierek issa l-awtoritajiet stembhu u ordnaw inkjesta li fost l-ohrajn tara li jigi analizzat il-materjal li jintuza ghal manifattura. Jien ili midhla tal-kmamar tan-nar u tal-Ghaqda Piroteknika fejn min jaf kemm il-darba konna prejokkupati bil-bicca tal-materjal. QATT ma sar xejn fil-konkret, la mill-gvern, la mil-kumitat tal-ghaqda u wisq anqas mill-puluzija.

Jista xi hadd jghidli kemm saru spezzjonijiet mill-puluzija fil-kmamar tan-Nar dis-sena? Kemm gew arrestati persuni li ma kellhomx licenza tan-nar A jew B u kienu fil-kumplessi tan-nar? Kemm gew imharka nies meta ma kienx hemm distanzi kif stipulati mill-Ligi biex jinharaq in-nar u meta gie mahruq f’hinijiet li mhux skond il-Ligi? Jista xi hadd jghid kif u min qed igorr in-nar fuq il-braken f’postijiet bhal tas-Sliema u lejn Ghawdex? Kemm qed jidhol nar illegali u legali min barra (mahdum) bhal dak tac-Cina u kemm dan hu safe?

Pero nahseb li l-akbar problema hi li min jahdem in-nar ghandu hafna pressjoni ta’ xoghol. Meta d-delettanti li jahdmu baqghu prattikament l-istess numru li kienu hamsin sena ilu, issa l-ispettakli li qed isiru specjalment lejliet il-festa bil-fire one, jitolbu ammont ferm akbar ta’ nar li biex jitlesta jrid isir sforz akbar. Barra minhekk, peres li l-materjal dejjem joghla fil-prezz, bosta kmamar tan-nar qed jahdmu aktar xoghol ghal festi ta’ rhula ohra kif ukoll ghall-okkazjonijiet li m’ghandhomx rabta ma festi tradizzjonali. Ma dan zid il-Festival tan-Nar Nazzjonali, issa ma’ tal-ajru zdied dak tal-art u l-partecipazzjoni f’kompetizzjonijiet barra min malta. Barra minhekk, issa mhux biss l-irhula li tradizzjonalment ghandhom il-kmamar tan-nar qed jaharqu hafna nar, pero anke ohrajn, specjalment f’Ghawdex, qed jaghmlu l-istess. Dan kollu ZGUR li qed ikollu konsegwenzi negattivi u nghid ukoll dizastruzi. Irid isir kontroll malajr kemm jista jkun biex ma jkomplix dan il-genn ta’ piki bla razan.

Jien jiddispjacini hafna ghal kull incident kawzat mil-piroteknika, specjalment kazi tragici. Dan ta’ l-ahhar f’Ghawdex hu tal-biza u jkexkixni, fejn familja tilfet bosta membri taghha b’dan il-mod. Jien naf ukoll li Ninu, li tieghu kienet il-kamra kien tal-affari tieghu fil-mistjier u anke min kien jahdem mieghu. Dan ghalihom ma kienx biss delizzju pero hobzhom ukoll. Wisq probabbli, ghalkemm kienu qed jahdmu xi nar meta gara l-incident, seta l-bidu tal-ispluzjoni kellu ragunijiet ohra u mhux tord taghhom! Pero xorta wiehed ma jistax jiskuza certi prattici li QATT MA KELLHOM ISIRU. Insemmi biss li t-tragedja ma kienet qatt tkun ta’ dak il-kobor kieku ma kienx hemm hazna kbira ta’ materjal mhux mahdum; kieku ma kienx hemm dawk l-ingenji mimlija nar mahdum min Malta meta n-nar lest mhux suppost jinzamm f’dawk il-kundizzjonijiet; filwaqt li l-mara bit-tarbija fil-guf qatt ma kellha tmur f’post perikoluz bhal dak. Issa li gara, gara u xejn ma jista jigi lura ghan normal, pero wiehed jittama li xi lezzjoni niehdu ghax ghalkemm in-nar sabih….il-hajja hi ferm isbah!!

According to the comment above, this is not about logic, but about economics.