The year 2002 was a busy one for Nadur and its people. June29th.com’s Editor, Pierre J. Mejlak, brushes through his 2002 diary and finds out what made headlines in the past 12 months.
January
2002
01:
The year kicked off in prayer at Nadur's Basilica. The annual Kwaranturi,
a special 40-hour marathon of prayer and thanksgiving, started in Nadur on
December 30th and ended on January 1st.
February
08-12:
For yet another year the Nadur Carnival gathered thousands of people, both on
Sunday afternoon for the official celebration and throughout the five evenings
for the macabre fiesta! Thousands of Gozitans, Maltese and even tourists
flocked December 13th Street and joined the local maskarati.
Political satire generated particular interest in local press.
March 2002
08:
Nadur registered Gozo’s highest increase in Local
Council Election turn-out with 5%. Three
years ago 78% had voted in Nadur, while the figure this year increased to 83%.
Mayor Dr Chris Said was one of the most successful Maltese local candidates
with 982 votes. The MLP candidates won 809 votes, the PN candidates got 1,427
votes, while the 'Ghal Nadur Ahjar' candidate received 260 votes. Dr Chris
Said, Miriam Portelli, Carmel Mifsud, Francis Sammut and Ruben Curmi were
elected to form the fourth Nadur Local Council.
25:
The Last Supper
Exhibition was inaugurated at the MUSEUM branch. This is the first and only
Good Friday exhibition in Gozo featuring life-size figures of Jesus and the
apostles. Thousands of people visited the exhibition.
29:
Nadur marked Good
Friday. Hundreds of Maltese visitors and tourists who were
in Nadur to enjoy the traditional Good Friday procession were left
disappointed due to bad weather.
May 2002
05:
With a 4-0 victory
over Ghajnsielem FC, the town of Nadur gathered around the Club and welcomed
the Youngsters
with their sixth Gozo Championship! It was a well-challenged season, with the
whites’ showing great commitment and determination. Special celebrations
were organized to mark the championship.
31:
The Federation of European Carnival Cities (FECC) decided to organize its 25th
International Convention at Nadur, Gozo in 2005. A group of Nadur Carnival
enthusiasts, led by Mayor Chris Said, went to Poland to officially present
Nadur's bid to host the Silver Jubilee FECC Convention.
June
16: A Naduri fisherman discovered an abandoned fibre-boat floating a few kilometres North of Dahlet Qorrot. It transpired that it had been stolen by two Tunisians who ran out of fuel while attempting to reach Sicily illegally. The fisherman tugged the boat in to Dahlet Qorrot Bay and immediately contacted the Police.
29:
The most special day for the Nadurin was celebrated in style. Thousands of
Gozitans and Maltese people crowded Nadur’s main streets and enjoyed seeing
the Nadurin celebrate! Many believe that Mnarja 2002 was one of the best
feasts ever… excellent weather, so much enthusiasm, superb fireworks, huge
crowds, special activities, new ideas and timely organization.
On
June 29th, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono inaugurated new studios and waiting
area at Nadur’s community radio station, Radju Luminaria, which broadcasts
on 106.9 FM and live over the internet.
July
The
Mnarja Band was invited to perform in Engen, Germany in their special
anniversary celebrations.
Tens of Nadurin accompanied the Band in the Engen tour.
10:
The Nadur Weather Observatory went online at gozoweather.com. The website,
operated by Joe Meilak is updated every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day.
August
17:
Hundreds of Nadurin enjoyed
Summer Fest
at Dahlet Qorrot – a weekend of
special activities organized by the Nadur Youngsters FC. People on board boats
and jet skies watched as Nadur youths battled their way out in several sports
tournaments. Others preferred not to miss a second and built their camps
overlook
ing the bay.
21:
A 76-year-old
priest, Rev John Muscat, who had been living in New Rochelle (Long Island) for the
past
15 years,
was found dead at Dahlet Qorrot Bay. The priest died of heart attack while enjoying his annual vacation in
Gozo. Rev Muscat was
buried in USA on July 30th.
September 2002
11:
Nadur joined the
rest of the world and showed its respect to all those murdered on September
11th, 2001. US flags, flown at half mast, dominated the Nadur skyline
throughout the day.
Special
prayers were also read in Church. The Nadurin, like many others around the
globe, spent long hours in front of their TV sets, remembering what made 9/11
an unforgettable day.
October
30:
Councillor Frans Sammut passed away at St Luke's Hospital. Frans’ unexpected
death shocked all Nadurin. He had served in the Nadur Local Council between
1996 and 1999 and was also elected in the 2001 Council elections.
November 2002
06-10:
The Nadur Local Council organized a bilateral conference on "Italo-Maltese
Town Twinnings in the context of European Union enlargement in the
Mediterranean". The Nadur Council worked in strict collaboration with the
AICCRE (Associazione Italiana per il Consiglio dei Comuni e delle Regioni
d'Europa). The European Union funded the event.
More
than 200 delegates, 80 mayors and representatives of Maltese local councils
and 120 delegates from Italian local councils, took part in the conference.
10:
Nadur celebrated its second-feast, St Coronato's, with a Solemn Concelebration
and a procession through the town's main streets. 
14: Joe Zerafa joined the Nadur Local Council. He filled the vacancy created following the death of councillor Frans Sammut. Zerafa was a member of the first and the second Nadur Local Council. The casual election sent the Electoral Commission in a state of confusion as the number of ballot papers in one of Frans Sammut's packets did not tally with the official records.
December
01:
Nadur Local Council’s official website nadur.gov.mt went online.
It’s part of the Local Council’s marketing strategy to inform all Nadurin
of the work being carried out.
25: Nadur joined the rest of the world and celebrated Christmas Day. The MUSEUM (boys) branch presented "Tama li Rebhet", a musical based on Mary Hayley Bell's "Whistle Down the Wind".
For more special Photos click here.
You can also have a look at Gozo 2002: A Year in Review.
