Appreciation – Gamini Weerakoon – By Tilak Fernando Everything in this world must come to an end. This happened to Gamini Weerakoon, Journalist and former Chief Editor of “The Island,” Gamini Weerakoon, who passed away on 11 November 2023 peacefully after a brief illness. I saw it, the ‘Sunday Observer.’ With deep sadness, I announce the death of the Chief Editor, who passed on Tuesday, 11 November 2023. He is surviewed by his wife Rajitha, who is also a well-known journalist and one daughter. He was an old boy of St. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. He began his journalistic career at the Sunday Observer five decades ago. There, he served as a News Editor. When I was living in London as a student, and I had gone through a course in Journalism, in between my studies, the Chairman of the ‘Island’ Dr Sivali Ratwatte arrived in London. He was a ...

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Dr. Mary Srikanthi Handy, philanthropist extraordinaire Source:Island Dr Mary Srikanthi Handy was the daughter of the famous Dr George Rajanayagam Handy who was the pioneer cardiologist of Sri Lanka and the founder president of the Sri Lanka Heart Association. She was born in 1935 and is the eldest child and only daughter of Dr. George and Mrs. Kanmanie Handy. Even as a very young lady she is known to have organized and coordinated fund-raising events for the YWCA and similar associations to help the poor. Dr Srikanthi had her primary and secondary education at Ladies’ College, Colombo. She obtained her MSc from the University of Bradford, UK and joined the University of Sussex, UK for her doctoral research on motor neuron disease. She was awarded the PhD for her thesis on “Putative protein abnormalities in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis” which also generated several scientific papers on related scientific matters in ...

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History of The STC Prefects Group – by Sriyan Jayasekera The Past Prefects of S. Thomas’ College  hosted their 12th Annual Prefects’ Dinner in the premises of The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, on 13th March, 2023.  This was following a hiatus of two years on account of the intervening Covid pandemic.  This year’s Chief Guest was General Srilal Weerasooriya, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.  The main feature of this year’s event was that it was managed by a committee unlike in the past, when it was organized by a few.  It turned out a roaring success with well over one hundred participants. Around the year 2006 we felt impelled to felicitate our past teachers, who now spend the evening of their lives even as their numbers were fast diminishing. To organize this we formed a group consisting of about 60 past prefects from 1969 to 1973. However, we felt this group was ...

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Sri Lanka’s only Olympic umpire turns 85-BY DENNIS DE ROSAYRO Source:Sundayobserver Having known Jayampathy from 1957, it gives me great pleasure to pen his outstanding achievements as an umpire, player and administrator. No doubt he was Sri Lanka’s best ever umpire during a long and illustrious career, having achieved the highest grade of International Class I Olympic and World Cup Umpire. In 1984 he reached the pinnacle of his amazing career when he umpired at the 23rd Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA. He would have been in the top bracket by being selected to blow in five matches and reserve umpire in three matches. He umpired in Germany vs USA, Malaysia vs USA, Australia vs India, Great Britain vs Pakistan and Spain vs Holland. ...

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Good News From Jayam July 15, 2022 Pls Scroll Down 35 items The “Hollywood” sign was lit up to Celebrate the First Day of Summer   High-Level US Delegation Visits Sri Lanka The United States has agreed to provide technical assistance for fiscal management in Sri Lanka. This was conveyed by the visiting US State Department Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Kelly Keiderling, during a discussion with Prime Minister .The US Diplomatic Group also stated its support for the ongoing talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund.Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Asia in the United States Robert Kaproth and US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Julie Chung (above) also participated in the discussion. Mahinda Samarasinghe Meets Joe Biden Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States of America Mahinda Samarasinghe met US President Joe Biden at the White House Oval ...

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The Legend Desmond De Silva is honoured on the King & I Casey Radio 97.7 FM Corinne & Ian hosts of the “King & I” Program on Casey Radio 97.7FM paid tribute to Desmond De Silva to mark 3 months passing of Sri Lanka’s popular & Iconic Legend.  The tribute was on their show on Friday 22nd April.  A link to the Tribute is Corinne & Ian are consummate professionals who love their service to the community through their 2 hour program every Friday night between 8- 10 pm.  ‘What inspired them to host this program’ I asked of Corinne and here is their story. Since Corinne was eight years old she has been writing under the close guidance of her late Dad, Douglas Noel Pereira (D.N.P.) who was a teacher of English and the Classics at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia in Sri Lanka.  As a child Corinne had ...

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Learning honesty and integrity through cricket-by Lalith Gunaratne Source:Island My father was a very easy-going person but led a very principled life.  When it came to honesty and integrity, he was right there on top even at the expense of his family. He mentioned these two traits often to his children.  Talking about cricket, he once asked me and my brother, “If you hit a ball and it goes up to be caught by a fielder, what is your status?”  “Out”  If you snick a ball and know that you did and if the wicket keeper catches it, what’s your status?”  ” Out”  “If so, why do you look at the umpire to tell you so?”  He went on to say, “if you snick and get caught, you walk back to the pavilion without shamefully waiting for another man (umpire) to tell you that you are out”.  Thanks to my ...

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                                VICTOR  MELDER  SRI  LANKA LIBRARY 7, Benambra Street, Broadmeadows, Vic 3047, Australia. Telephone + 61 3 9309 4040 E-mail < melder.rjvm1935@bigpond.com > Web Site < www.vmsl-library.com > THOSE WISHING TO DONATE BOOKS & OTHER PUBLICATIONS TO THIS LIBRARY, THEY ARE MOST WELCOME. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT ABOVE ADDRESS, BY EMAIL OR TELEPHONE. Thank You.                                ACQUISITIONS   FOR  THE  MONTH  OF  MARCH  2021 BOOKS. Till the Mountains Disappear, The Story of St Joseph’s College, by Avishka M. Senewiratne & Rev. Dr Stanley Abeysekera, 2020 (Donated by Nirmal De Silva, Colombo & Jeremy De Lima, Vermont South, Vic) Glimpses of Sri Lankan & Australian Relations by Rodney Arambewela & Cedric Forster, 1998 (TWO COPIES) St Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya, Colombo – A Centenary Celebration, 1908 – 2008 Holy Family Convent Dehiwela, Sri Lanka, Reflections – Diamond Jubilee, 1935 – 1995 Records of the Jubilee Celebrations of the Arrival of The Sylvestro-Benedictine Monks ...

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Ranjith Aluvihare the only Olympian from Matale-by Upananda Jayasundera Olympic Athlete, Ranjith Aluvihare. Source:Dailynews Athletic star, Ranjith Aluvihare represented Sri Lanka at the Moscow Olympics in the year 1980. So far he is the only Athlete who has taken part in the Olympics from Matale District. An old boy of St.Thomas’ College, Matale Ranjith Aluvihare was a Champion Athlete in School from Under 10 to under 19. His pet events were 100, 200 and 400 metres. His Athletic career spanned over 50 years. During this period he was active in Athletics as well as coaching boys and girls of Matale District in athletics.   ...

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Memories of St Thomas’ College Teachers by Peter Selvaratnam Source:Stcobasydney Dr Peter Selvaratnam (Ph.D, Medicine), Assoc. Clinical Professor, The University of Melbourne. Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (awarded by the College of Physiotherapists) He is also a Senior Honorary Lecturer in Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine, Monash University and a visiting lecturer at LaTrobe. Peter has also been a consulting physiotherapist for a number of years for state and national sporting teams including cricket, hockey, basketball, football and Olympic sports. Peter is also co-editor and author of the textbook, Headache, Orofacial Pain and Bruxism (2009) and “Healing of the Hurting and Helping the Wounded.” ...

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