STB to conduct regular maintenance at Merlion Park

STB to conduct regular maintenance at Merlion Park

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will carry out regular maintenance work at the Merlion Park on February 13, 14 and 17.

On those days, the water spouts of both the main Merlion statue and Merlion cub will be turned off.

The Merlion cub will also be barricaded, and will not be available for photo-taking.

However, the main Merlion statue will be available for photo-taking as it will not be hoarded up.

STB said no maintenance work will be carried out during the weekend of February 15 and 16.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Chinatown Food Street expected to open by the end of the month

Chinatown Food Street expected to open by the end of the month



Chinatown Food Street, known for its roadside hawker food, is likely to open by the end of this month.

The revamped food street will feature 24 hawker stalls, featuring popular food outlets in Singapore. The 100m stretch along Smith Street will include the Geylang Lorong 9 Fresh Frog Leg Porridge, Old Airport Road Satay Bee Hoon and Steam Boat, and Odeon Beef Noodles.

The food street's operator Select Group has also retained two stalls from the previous food street before it closed last May. Renovation works were supposed to have ended at the end of last year but the $5 million project was plagued with delays due to a more complex network of underground cables and pipes, said Select Group's executive director Jack Tan.

The additional works and change in design have also pushed renovation costs up by $1 million. The operator has applied for a temporary occupation permit, which will be awarded by the Building and Construction Authority, pending an inspection on Thursday.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Sentosa launches litter-free initiative to keep the island clean

Sentosa launches litter-free initiative to keep the island clean

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) launched its first litter-free programme on Thursday in an effort to encourage its staff on the island to keep their offices and areas like the beaches clean.

As part of the initiative called SELF, short for Sentosa Embraces Litter Free, the leisure group's employees will pick litter around the island once every two months.

They will also clear their own rubbish in their office spaces at the end of every work day, and bring it to common waste disposal points.

The group has 1,200 employees across 11 offices, including its main corporate office on the island and subsidiaries like the Mount Faber Leisure Group and the Sentosa Golf Club.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Oil spill reaches Kusu, St John's isles

Oil spill reaches Kusu, St John's isles


CLEANING UP: These bags at St John's Island yesterday are filled with oil-slicked sand. About 200m of the beach at Kusu Island, north of Lagoon No. 1, and 100m of the beach at St John's Island that is north of its jetty are closed. (PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES)

AN OIL slick off the coast of Marina South has reached Kusu and St John's islands, affecting large stretches of beaches on both islands.

The National Environment Agency issued a statement yesterday warning the public to stay away from the affected locations.

It also advised the public to avoid "primary contact activities" such as swimming, waterskiing and wakeboarding in the areas.

About 200m of the beach at Kusu Island, north of Lagoon No. 1, and 100m of the beach at St John's Island that is north of its jetty are closed for clean-up works.

On Thursday, the container ship NYK Themis and the barge AZ Fuzhou collided at East Keppel Fairway, about 4km south of Marina South.

NYK Themis reported that one of its bunker tanks sustained damage, and bunker fuel was spilled into the sea.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore dispatched four boats to deal with the spill, and several companies were also activated to support its efforts.

~News courtesy of Omy~