Archive of articles - May 1997, page 3

Parliament passes progressive law snuffing out smokers

Come July 1, people who want to have a smoke while waiting for their train can forget it, unless they're willing to pay a fine worth a carton of cigarettes.Beginning this summer, Slovaks will have what some praise as a progressive law defending non-smokers, but what others view as "a smoking big brother" infringing upon their rights to take a puff.In February, parliament passed a No-Smokers' Protection Law submitted by 55 deputies from both the coalition and the opposition. "This time, parliament did not split into political camps, but into camps of smokers and non-smokers," said Roman Kováč, a former heavy smoker who co-sponsored the bill. "This is the only example in this term where the opposition and the coalition managed to unite to accomplish a good thing."

MALÁ FATRA: Where a gulp from a mountain stream doesn't hurt

In 1688 Juraj Jánošik entered this world in Terchova, a tiny village in the Malá Fatra mountains. The family was poor, and though his father labored from dawn till dusk, his children were often hungry.One day young Juraj, who was studying to be a priest, came home to see his father lying on a rack. Two catchpolls whipped him to death, because he didn't pay a tithe to the feudal lord. Kneeling beside his dead father, fighting to hold back his tears, Jánošik clenched his fists and said, "There is no justice in the world. My father was good, but I must be an outlaw." Jánošik organized a group of twelve young, stout boys armed with axes. Since that time the name Jánošik became a nightmare for feudal lords.

Around Slovakia

Unknown terror group claims two police slayingsPoisoned fish in Váh riverThree homeless people consumed by fire

Gov't-NBS discussing easing monetary policy

Capital market gets low rating

Making music with the Philharmonic

"From the top . . . ," he says. All 124 musicians respond promptly in tandem to the authoritative voice of master conductor Ondrej Lenárd. His hands wave in simple time at first, but then, as the music builds, they quicken, maniacally slicing and dicing the air between the music makers and himself.Time is running out to catch the sounds from the 48th season of the Slovak Philharmonic since their concert series ends in June - though it was extended due to enthusiastic but small audiences demanding more.A great deal of that success and enthusiasm rests on the shoulders of one man. Lenárd has been the principal conductor for five years, having previously been the conductor of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years. His résumé of over 1,200 recordings for radio and stage productions speaks for itself.

International Cuisine

Community Grapevine

Cabinet goes to Const. Court over referendum question

A committee in charge of carrying out Slovakia's upcoming referenda on NATO entry and the direct election of the country's president has rejected Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar cabinet's attempt to avoid a public vote on how the president should be elected.On April 22, the cabinet asked the Constitutional Court to issue a verdict on whether or not it is possible to amend the country's constitution by a referendum. While waiting for the court's decision, the cabinet bound Interior Minister, Gustáv Krajči, to stop the distribution of ballots containing the direct presidential election question.The Central Referendum Committee, as the panel is called, stated that the cabinet's decision has no foothold in the country's legal system and therefore this issue should be included on ballots in the May 23-24 referendum.

Two make it big in restaurant, hotel business

Viera Zemanovičová, 30, was appointed the new marketing manger for the multinational computer company Hewlett-Packard on May 2. Before her marketing career took off, Zemanovičová was a student at the Economics University in Bratislava, graduating from there in 1985.In 1993, Zemanovičová left the cultural scene for the computer field, taking a job in the marketing department with S & T Slovakia, which as fate would have it, was and still is the distributor and service center for Hewlett-Packard in Slovakia. Zemanovičová worked in S&T's marketing department for four years before her promotion.But she said that though the position is new, her familiarity with the parent company is not, noting that she has worked with Hewlett-Packard's products and dealt with the firm's philosophy while at S&T. Zemanovičová likes to watch TV, walk around her hometown of Trenčín, or take a stroll in the woods with her dog.

Unemployment dips slightly

Foreign trade fund bestows first grants

Tetra Pak Grafobal kicks off milk drive

Slovenská Pošta has loss

ŽILINA: Rebuilt center has a Renaissance feel

It is a fresh, early May morning. Wind brings tiny droplets of water from the river. It seems though, that a group of people standing under a covered sightseeing platform don't mind.Their gaze follows a hand, apparently an expert among them, pointing toward the horizon while describing the construction of a multi-purpose water project on the Váh River. A moment later they try to recognize the place where they have just looked from the drawings and plans situated on the stands of the sightseeing platform.When ready, the water reservoir will be 7.5 km long and 0.6 km wide. Numerous questions and consonant mumbling prove that they are impressed.

IRB shares taken off CESI

Hamžík gets earful from Washington

Washington's icy reception of Slovak Foreign Minister Pavol Hamžík's visit there last month has fuelled already existing doubts that the country's bid for NATO membership will pay off at the alliance's July summit in Madrid.Meeting with Hamžík on April 23, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once more told him that Slovakia must continue making democratic progress before joining NATO. "We are disappointed with Slovakia because it did not carry out the type of economic and political reform which we all expected," the U.S. State Department quoted her as saying during Hamžík's visit.State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns urged the Slovak government "to take concrete steps to pass a minority language law, and give opposition members greater representation in intelligence, media, and privatization committees."

SPP and Gazprom sign 10-year gas transit deal

The governments of Russia and Slovakia on April 29 signed a series of contracts aimed at enhancing the supplies and flow of Russian natural gas through Slovak territory to central and eastern Europe.In a signing ceremony as part of an official two-day visit by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, the Russian and Slovak gas distribution companies, Gazprom and Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP), respectively, signed a 10-year contract to form a joint-venture to manage deliveries of Russian gas above contracted quotas to western Europe."This is the first long-term treaty we have concluded with any state; it goes to the year 2008 and contains clauses for future prospects," Chernomyrdin said at a news conference with Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar arranged at the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft. "This contract means the full coverage of Slovakia's consumption to the year 2008."

Janko Lehotský celebrates 50th birthday with feel-good concert

Though Janko Lehotský, one of the most famous music composers in Slovakia, has just turned 50, his music has kept his soul young and free. "Somebody else said that I am 50-years-old, not me," he said as he chuckled. Determined to defy his age, Lehotský will celebrate his birthday with another one of his energetic concerts on May 17 in Petržalka's Dom Kultúry.Even though Lehotský's birthday was on April 16, the concert's date was scheduled in May so his trumpet-playing brother Juraj could play along side him.You can feel how good Lehotský is just by being close to him. Energy flies all around him, so much that you can't help but be in a good mood. The same can be said of his music with its beautiful harmonies, moving solos, and feel-good tunes. Lehotský's music is especially popular with contemporary adults.