Archive of articles - February 2000, page 2

Pezinok wine-makers preserve tradition, quality

When asked of the whereabouts of one of Pezinok's locally famous wine makers, an old man making his way home from church rubs his scruffy beard, blinks and then points up the road to a dark wooden wine press in front of a small stone house barely visible through the falling snow. "There," he says, "that there Ľudovit Tretina has some good wine. Go on up there."A sign warning visitors of a mean dog marks Tretina's winery door. After minutes of buzzing the doorbell, the snapping of unlocking bolts and the barking of the (presumably) 'bad' dog becomes audible.

Bratislava Pubs

Montana's Grizzly BarThe Dubliner Irish PubKeltVidrica CaféKGB

'98 Elections

Murdered

Determination to succeed never flagged

When the idea to start The Slovak Spectator was first planted in our minds, I had just turned 24. We were arrogant, full of our own self-importance, enthusiastic, and extremely optimistic.English-language newspapers had sprung up all around central Europe as foreign investment flocked to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, and it seemed Slovakia was next. It wasn't a question of when, but of who would start an English newspaper in the country.

'Brainless twits' revisited two years on

Everyone who writes for a living knows how great it feels to 'get off a good one' - to turn a witty phrase that is sure to have readers rolling in the aisles. It seems rather unfair, then, that the targets of such drollery often fail to get the joke, and that an appetite for 'good ones' is perhaps the most dangerous trait a newspaper reporter can have.

TSS memories: fear, fatigue and friends

I remember getting intoxicated, literally and figuratively, in late October 1994 with the idea of starting an English-language newspaper in a country we knew little about.I remember the fear of failure. I remember drastically switching our advertising strategy after haemorrhaging 2/3 of our start-up capital in the first six months.

Leap of faith brought dream to fruition

Coming to Slovakia after I completed my MBA at the University of Buffalo in 1994 was a leap of faith for me. My best friend and two other Americans put forth a business plan that aimed to bring Slovakia the same luxury item that its neighboring countries enjoyed, an English-language newspaper.I immediately became attached to this project, as their dream helped me achieve many of my own personal ambitions. But from the outset, it was clear that realising our goals would not be easy.

The Best Pezinok Wines

Lexa elected

Highrise building a delicate balance

Given the scars left on the city's face by the second half of the 20th century, Bratislavans are understandably suspicious of any new construction projects in the downtown area. The latest storm of indignation has been sparked by a planned 23-storey building between Obchodna Street and SNP Square.Bratislava is not like Rotterdam or other cities that were bombed during World War II. There, the scale of destruction of old buildings gave architects the freedom to indulge their fantasies; the result was many skyscrapers. Here in Bratislava, where the destruction was less extensive, a delicate balance remains between inhabitants and developers. Thus, the city will probably have an easy task rejecting the latest high-rise project.

Business Briefs

US Dana Corp plans takeover of bearings makerFrance Telecom controls 64% of Globtel GSMUnemployment hits new record in January 2000

Tiso honoured: What the hell's going on up there?

Jefra Benavir, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official who covers central Europe, didn't mince words last week when contacted by a Slovak Spectator reporter. "Pardon me for getting personal," she said, "but what the hell are you people doing up there?"The event which had prompted such candour from Benavir was not The Slovak Spectator's fifth anniversary, but the decision of the Žilina City Council on February 17 to commemorate the leader of Slovakia's World War II fascist state, Jozef Tiso, by mounting an official plaque on the wall of a town nunnery. Many Slovaks gave the same bewildered response when they heard of the Tiso plaque - just what the hell is going on in Žilina, and how can we put a stop to it?

Latest race beating gets police moving

The latest in a recent string of racially motivated beatings in Bratislava has awoken cries of outrage from minority leaders and international observers. Calling violent attacks 'normal occurrences' for non-whites in Slovakia, these groups called on the government and Slovak citizens to end their collective passivity against hate crime.On February 17, two Japanese tourists were attacked by eight male teenagers with shaved heads on Židovská ulica in the Bratislava city centre. Bratislava police spokesperson Marta Bujňáková said that the tourists received "non-serious" injuries which would require five to ten days to heal.Bujňáková said that the police had since detained six of the eight suspects, all of whom were between 16 and 18 years old, and charged them witth hooliganism and causing bodily harm. If convicted they could face three years in prison.

Demand for 'baby-faced' models up

At the age of 15, a naive Andrea Verešová got her first taste of the modeling business and victory in her home town of Žilina. Urged on by her elder sister to join a high-school beauty contest, Verešová's polished figure, blazing green eyes and sleek brown hair, combined with her instinctive sense of style and grace, placed her on the top podium.Having taken full advantage of that first step into the limelight, Verešová, now 19, is breaking into modeling's bigtime. Last year she swept the Miss Slovakia contest, winning both the judges and people's choice awards, and is among the select few girls to grace the cover of Esquire magazine. Her earnings from competitions includes ample cash awards, trips abroad, a luxury flat in Bratislava, and several cars (one of which she sold and gave the money to charity).

Remiaš dies

Referendum

Quote of the week

TSS fare meaty, saucy, sweet and sour

I have often said The Slovak Spectator's greatest contribution to journalism in Slovakia is the restaurant review. Before our first issue, reviews did not exist here. Now several Slovak publications have picked up the habit. And why not? Writing about restaurants involves business, culture and even politics. A review is part reportage, part critique, part entertainment.Over five years, we've served up tablespoons of criticism. We deserve a taste of our own slivovica. A review of our newspaper might go something like this: