Engineer Maroun Youssef Maroun (born in 1966) died Wednesday when a cement roof collapse on a construction site collapsed, during the rehabilitation of one of Batroun’s resorts.

Security Forces rushed to the scene and started their inquiry to uncover the reasons behind the collapse.

Maroun’s body was transferred to Batroun hospital.

Secretariat of the Maronite Patriarchate Monday announced the election of Monseigneur Michel Aoun as bishop of Jbeil diocese, Monseigneur Mounir Khayrallah Bishop of Batroun diocese, and father Elias Sleiman as bishop of Aleppo diocese.

CNN:

– Some house important corporate meetings; others are family homes. Some are gearing up to welcome top athletes while others open their doors to school children each day.

But all these buildings have one thing in common: This year they have won coveted architecture awards for innovative design and construction methods and for promoting sustainability.

CNN puts the global spotlight on a handful of buildings that have been recognized not only for their good looks but for their green credentials too.

“xsir Winery — Basbina, Lebanon

Overlooking Basbina in northern Lebanon, this winery combines a restored 400-year-old feudal house with a modern-built, green-skinned (walls or roof of any building that have green capability e.g. they could have plants growing in them) structure. Designed by Raed Abillama Architects, its cellar spaces are buried within the ground as a thermal sponge, creating the needed equilibrium of temperature and humidity.

Award: Green Good Design 2011″

Thursday July 7 2011 marked the opening of the long awaited McDonald’s in Batroun which joins the growing family of 24 restaurants in Lebanon. A blend combining Lebanese heritage and international quick service restaurant under one roof; McDonald’s Batroun.

To add a local flair and spice up this distinctive opening, Mr. Marcellino El Herek , Mayor of Batroun attended this event and crowned the continuous success of McDonald’s and discovered, along the guests, the new restaurant through a guided tour of the McCafe corner and the beautiful outdoor terrace.

Mr. Rashwan Miknas, Manging Partner of McDonald’s was proud and honored of this new addition, “This restaurant is exceptional to me as it gathers two ultimate close things to my heart and that is Lebanese heritage and McDonald’s. A traditional old Lebanese house refurbished to become the beautiful McDonald’s Batroun branch.”

In a simple cut of the ribbon, McDonald’s Batroun was declared officially open! All guests were invited to enjoy the tasty meals prepared with the highest quality ingredients that offer premium freshness and taste.

Fun celebrations and entertainment did not end there, as they will last during the entire month of July with games and live activity shows, taking the customers to a world of fun and joy because every moment at McDonald’s must be unforgettable.

BATROUN: What sets the 2011 Batroun International Festival apart from the summer’s other festivals is its attempt to appeal to a wide range of tastes in matters of entertainment. Unlike the Byblos or Baalbek Festivals, this summer’s Batroun Festival has decided to cover as much cultural territory as possible.

Running from July 9 to Aug. 28, musical events, fashions shows, films and even culinary activities are programmed to take place in Batroun’s boisterous atmosphere.

Ali Campbell, lead singer of the renowned U.K. group UB40, will perform on July 9, honoring the Lebanese crowd with his distinctive voice. Most of us have heard at least one of the band’s greatest hits such as “Don’t Break my Heart” or “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The English crooner will sing tunes from his years in UB40 along with those from his solo career.

On July 16, the Batroun Festival will welcome the great Lebanese singer Najwa Karam to the stage. Making it as a singer wasn’t her original objective in life, but under pressure from family and friends she first appeared in the television music competition “Layali Loubnan” in 1984, where her performance won the jury’s favor.

What makes Karam one of the best singers in Lebanon today is the fact that despite her young age, she is 45 – her voice bears the emotions and clarity that Lebanese once appreciated in the stars of generations past.

On July 22, the festival will stage a musical play that will make you want to “laugh, cry, sing, even jump off your feet and sing,” according to festival press.

“The Little Mermaid,” based on the 1989 Disney film, sounds like a musical performance meant for children. However, it promises to also be an enjoyable experience for grown-ups. Get ready to travel into an underwater world full of colors, songs and joy.

After all these musical events, the festival will end with an extraordinary event aimed at proving Batroun deserves its reputation as a top clubbing town. The “Batroun Open Air Party” will take place July 29, animated by the voice of Lebanese pop star Ramy Ayach.

Renowned across the Middle East, Ayach has won several prizes, such as the 2007 Murex d’Or for best song with his “Habbaytak Ana.”

In addition to all of these musical events, this year’s Batroun Festival has programed further festivities from August 7 until 28. Dining and city tours for tourists on Thursdays and Sundays will be accompanied by fashion shows, photography exhibitions and films.

The details of the August program will be released in the coming month. But the already scheduled shows promise that Lebanese and tourists alike will witness a multifaceted artistic awakening in Batroun this summer.

For more information on Batroun International Festival 2011 please visit the festival’s official website: www.batrounfestival.org or call 06-642-262.

BATROUN, Lebanon: Living by the sea his entire life with the sound of the Mediterranean lapping against his house every day, Georges “Junior” Daou has always been more attuned to nature than the average Lebanese youth.

It was only a few months ago, however, that the 24-year-old recent university graduate decided that his lifelong admiration for the outdoors could grow into a full-time occupation, where he could help the environment and his local community all at once.

Now finding himself as the face of the Wicker Park phenomenon, a one-day music and culture festival raising essential funds and awareness about ecological concerns, Daou has pledged to do everything in his power to make green issues the talk of the town.

“The sea was so much richer when I was younger but I have watched it get more and more polluted,” said Daou. “The environment is changing all around us and we can all sense it.”

Overhauling traditional campaigning methods, Daou and his team of three fellow young organizers, Friday hit the streets of Beirut’s Gemmayzeh bar district, flanked by girls in green uniforms and placards calling to “Give the Tree a Shot,” a literal reference for pub owners to bestow free alcoholic shots to their volunteers, clad in tree costumes.

But the publicity stunt is only the beginning, and the true festivities have been reserved for June 11 when five Lebanese bands will take to the stage at Wicker Park in Batroun for a five-hour musical extravaganza, held in aid of Lebanon Green Again (LGA), a civil society group working toward reducing fossil fuel use, increasing green spaces, and regulating fishing and hunting practices.

“Our idea is to influence people on more than one aspect, environmentally, musically, artistically and culturally,” said Daou.

“We believe that together through the talents of young Lebanese artists, we will be able to urge the youth to respect Mother Nature.

“We want to show that there is another young Lebanon, one that gets angry when you throw litter out of your speeding car window.”

Lebanese rock band Meen will be performing alongside the Makoustics, known for their funky takes on guitar classics, and Green Peter, dishing out an offering of psychedelic rock.

They will be joined by blues band Flying Circus, and electric gar favorites the Eardrums, as well as Jammit the Band, who will blast chilled reggae beats, synonymous with easy sea-side living.

Loud mouthed rapper and activist, Pierre Hashash will also perform his unique style of Lebanese rap, ensuring all audiences find something to dance the night away to.

Dubbed a “threesome between music, art and nature,” the festival, operating under the patronage of the Environment Ministry, will also feature painting and photography displays, in addition to video footage of environmental hazards in Lebanon.

“We will be able to say that we did something good, contributed and boosted awareness about an important issue,” said Daou.

Organizers hope to raise well in excess of $1,000, with all proceeds from the 5,000-capacity venue going to LGA.

The choice of location, nestled in the northern fishing town of Batroun, facing the quiet and secluded bay, is symbolic for the organizers, many of whom played in the field as children.

“The venue plays a powerful role in preserving the context of the festival,” said Daou. “It’s a one of a kind location, which will give the attending public a true experience of the beauty and power of nature.

“It’s an important green space in Batroun and while they are still relatively common, I fear it is only a matter of time before the town becomes a concrete jungle like Beirut and all the green spaces will disappear.”

Vowing to fight on and halt the feared destruction of his home town and surrounding countryside, Daou has already started preparing for Wicker Park 2012. “We already have a lot of ideas running around in our heads. This project has already become so much bigger than any of us first thought.”

Tickets for the event cost $20 and can be purchased from Antoine Librarie bookshops.

In a word delivered on the occasion, Minister Abboud highlighted the role of media and journalists in promoting for Lebanon and tourism especially that there is a keen determination to achieve Batroun’s development.

Raising the issue of sustainable tourism, Abboud said a closed meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow with travel and tourism agencies and companies in a bid to restore the culture of tourism in Lebanon.
Minister Bassil, for his part, expressed appreciation for the Tourism Ministry for the particular attention it paid to Batroun.

‘Batroun is the city of peace which cordially welcomed the Lebanese during difficult times,’ he said.

R.A.H.

Rai

BEIRUT: Newly elected Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai delighted supporters Monday by paying a series of surprise visits to worshippers, monks and nuns near the northern coastal town of Batroun.

Accompanied by Bishop Tanios Khoury, Rai visited the monastery of Mar Youssef in Jrabtta, where he joined believers in prayer. Rai shook hands with worshippers and thanked God for “his presence and inspiration which has helped the bishops to elect a new patriarch.”

He also visited the monastery of Mar Kobrianos and Youstina in Kfifan, where he sprinkled holy water on the congregation, who welcomed him cheering, as the monastery bells tolled.

Rai said his slogan of “love and partnership,” which he announced on the day of his election was a call for coexistence.” He said Lebanese were partners in building their nation, adding that love “cemented” this partnership.

A boat docked in Batroun’s Selaata’s port in North Lebanon caught fire at around 3:00 a.m. on Monday, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The boat was carrying sulfur, the NNA said, adding that Civil Defense forces immediately arrived at the scene to put the fire out.

Four individuals who were on board of the boat were slightly injured and transported to a nearby hospital, the NNA added.

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