Čachtice
Humane approach cause of Čachtice tragedy
ON NOVEMBER 10, 2006, a funeral was held for policeman Tibor Bolech, who was killed in a recent police operation. Hundreds of people mourned the death of the 34-year-old officer.
Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Police President Ján Packa were among the mourners. After the burial, Packa told the media that the tragedy happened "because of the humaneness of policemen".
Officer Bolech was killed on November 4 in Čachtice when he and his colleagues attempted to pacify a 54-year-old mentally ill man.
Packa told the media that the policemen acted so humanely probably because they knew about the man's mental illness and wanted to save his life at any cost. "We will send a clear message. If the law allowed the firing of a gun, policemen would use them. It is the basic way to protect policemen," said Packa. A commission is investigating the police action that went wrong; results are expected within a few weeks.
The man's relatives called the police because he was threatening them. The two-man police patrol came to the house, but the attacker stabbed one of them in the chest with a knife. The other officer then called for reinforcements. The man also attacked the second group, killing Officer Tibor Bolech.
His colleagues subdued the highly aggressive man without using their firearms. The attacker died after a medical emergency staff gave him an injection to calm him down. An autopsy will reveal the exact cause of his death. The injured policeman is in the hospital in serious condition.
Slovakia
Reflective safety vest a must for drivers
FROM the beginning of November, all drivers in Slovakia are now obliged to have reflective safety vests in their vehicles and within easy reach. However, this requirement does not apply to their passengers, Police Corps Presidium deputy spokesman Viktor Plézel told the state-run TASR news agency on November 14.
According to the road traffic act, reflective safety vests have become compulsory for everyone who carries out repairs or makes adjustments to their vehicles while on the road. The vest should conform to European standard EN 471.
Other acceptable reflective safety clothes include overalls, trousers, anoraks, and raincoats.
Mýto pod Ďumbierom
Mýto opens skiing season on Christmas Day
THIS YEAR'S skiing season at central Slovakia's popular Mýto pod Ďumbierom ski centre is set to begin on Christmas Day, the resort's operators announced on November 13.
Visitors to the resort, located near Banská Bystrica in the Low Tatra mountains, will be able to use six ski lifts (including one for children) and six slopes totalling 4.5 km in length. They will also be able to take advantage of ski equipment rental services along with ski-school and kindergarten services.
Ski Centrum, the company that runs the resort, will begin depositing snow on the slopes and the three tracks in early December. The lifts can carry a total of 2,500 passengers per hour. A free car park will be provided only 50 metres away from the lifts.
A new buffet, which has cost Sk15 million (€417,000) to build, will be opened for business for the first time, while accommodation will be provided by a hotel and three guest houses with a total of 400 beds.
Ski Centrum has been operating the ski-centre since 1995. Around 350 skiers visit the resort daily, of which approximately 60 percent are from abroad (mostly Hungarians, Czechs, Poles, and Ukrainians).
Martin
Big investments in Valčianska Valley
A COMPANY called Yeti from the town of Martin in northern Slovakia's Žilina region has invested some Sk240 million (€6.67 million) into the development of the Snowland Valčianska dolina (Valčianska Valley) ski centre since it was built five years ago.
Out of this, as much as Sk140 million has gone towards the construction of a four-seat ski lift, which went into operation in February.
The ski lift has a capacity of 2,000 passengers per hour. When used in combination with the resort's six other ski lifts, more than 5,000 passengers can be transported every hour, the ski-centre's head, Ladislav Cisárik, told TASR on Novenber 13.
The resort also provides a snowboard run and a 1,640-metre-long ski-slope suitable for expert skiers. These features, among others, have raised the centre to International Ski Federation standards.
The highest number of visitors recorded last season was around Christmas, with over 2,000 skiers in one day. A similar amount is expected this year.
The Snowland ski centre, located in the Malá Fatra mountains, had around 35,000 visitors last winter. Out of these, nearly 55 percent were Slovak, while 35 percent came from Hungary. There were also considerable numbers of Poles and Czechs.
