July 2012 News Headlines

Councillors waive Christmas bonus

July 31st
The full time councillors of Xàbia Town hall have agreed to waive their Christmasn bonus this year, and those who serve part time will take a cut of "the fourteenth path" - equivalent to 7. 14% cut. This is to demonstrate soliodarity with public employees. From XAD: Los concejales....

Old Town to hold a second "Shopping Night"

July 31st
The Old Town Business Association has scheduled a second Shopping Night for Wednesday August 8th, in which stores will remain open until after midnight and catering establishments will offer a "ruta de tapas" . There will also be entertainment in the streets with music and a display of classic motorcycles in the Plaza del Convento. The Town Hall will collaborate with the initiative by keeping the museum open until half past midnight. The last "Shopping Night" in July saw an increase of 35% of customers in bars and restaurants a 50% growth in sales of textiles and accessories as well as a promotional effect of 20% increased sales over the following days. There was also a palpably good, busy atmosphere in the town . From Press Release.

"One Stop shop" for dealing with the Town Hall launched

July 30th
Jávea residents can now carry out almost all their dealings with the Town Hall through a One Stop Shop at the Citizens Information Office "Oficina de Atención al Ciudadano (OAC)" above the Portal del Clot Car Park. There is a ticket-issuing machine which enables people to go to one of seven tables manned by with multilingual staff . Once an application has been made, an internal communication is sent to the appropriate department so that procedures can be sorted out quickly or information obtained, avoiding the necessity fior people to go to other municipal offices. From Press Release.

Britain hands down historic fines to Spanish fishermen

July 29th
A British court on Thursday handed down some of the largest fines in Britain's maritime history to a group of Spanish fishermen after they were found guilty of falsifying log books and tampering with fishing quotas. Fishermen from the Spanish vessels, which had been sailing under the British flag, were found guilty of violating 2009 and 2010 hake quotas that are imposed on British fishermen under the European Union's common fisheries policies. For full story see: El Pais in English.

Co-payment of prescriptions flushes out fraud.

July 29th
The recent introduction of co-payments for prescriptions based on income tax status has revealed some 150,000 active health cards …..of dead people. In addition 800,000 "beneficiaries" were discovered, who were not registered with Social security. There has also been a decrease of 15-20% in the number od prescriptions. The used of geneeric drugs has meant that the reference prices for drugs has fallen more than 6% in recent months. There is still a lot of waste: 10 percent of the medication purchased at pharmacies is not used resulting in €1,100 million wasted. From Levante: [*10 percent of the medication can be purchased at pharmacies do not get to use, resulting in 1,100 million wasted El copago hace….]

Spain’s Jobless Rely on Family, a Frail Crutch

July 29th
Pensions for the elderly are among the few benefits that have not been slashed, though they have been frozen since last year. The Spanish are known for their strong family networks, and most grandparents are eager to help, unwilling to admit to outsiders what is going on, experts say. But those who work with older people say it has not been easy. Many struggle to feed three generations now, their homes overcrowded and the tensions of the situation sometimes turning their lives to misery. For full story see: New York Times

Xàbia PP spokesman booted out

July 27th
José Juan Castelló, the PP candidate for Mayor of Xàbia at the last elections, has been expelled by his peers and now joins ex-Mayor Monfort in the non-affiliated group of councillors. According to a letter to the Mayor: Castelló had "conduct tending to impede the making of agreements within the municipal group, and a stubborn rejection of the democratic decisions taken by it. This attitude served no purpose other than to impose his will against that of the majority, and has permanently prevented the normal development of the functions of the PP local group, as well as seriously hampering the activities of its members with the bodies of this corporation." from XAD: Castelló es expulsado... Ed's note: Castelló had been parachuted in to Xàbia before the last elections to renew the local PP party. Although he has family in the town, he lives and works in Valencia.

Thursday Market stall sells local products

July 27th
The project "Xàbia Terra", launched by the Municipality with the aim of increasing the value of local agricultural products, begins to bear fruit with the opening of a stall at the weekly Thursday market selling fully local products in competitive quantities and variety. They hope to get more farmers involved and open a permanent stall in the municipal market and to dispose of surplus by selling online or directly to bars and restaurants. Terra Xàbia has an initial stock of land with which it has created a land bank available for lease. For more information, contact the oficina de comercio, Calle Roques, opposite the Municipal Market. From Press Release

Promised grant for Xàbia Jazz fails to materialise

Xàbia obliged to re-jig the budget

July 27th
In previous years Xàbia Jazz has been funded with the collaboration of small private and regional entities, with the Town Hall paying the bulk of the costs. This year they had received a commitment from the Casa del Mediterráneo consortium (into which Xàbia has already paid €400,000 with little to show for in return) that the Consortium would cover the full cost, about €60,000. However, the crisis and cutbacks have scuppered this grant, and now only €6000 will be received. This has further compromised the municipal budget, which will already lose several million because of the revertion of the calculation of IBI to 1994 property values. The Council will therefore modify a line of credit to €180,000 and set aside €76,000 for the Jazz festival. From Las Provincias: Casa Med...

Xàbia Water consumption above average

Amjasa turns from loss to profit

July 27th
The lack of rain seems to have led to an increase in water consumption. Last week AMJASA had to provide up to 34,101 m3 a day, a figure similar to that recorded last summer during maximum occupancy periods in August. The public company has been able to turn a loss of € 232,182 in June 2011 to € 111,620 profit in June 2012. Collection of water bill payments increased 112.90 % over that period, reflecting improved management. The replacement of remote control devices, more than 10 years old, in wells and reservoirs will take place over the next few years at a cost of €267,000. From XAD: Amjasa Cierra...

Tourist spending falls

July 27th
Tourists visiting the Valencia enjoy the sun, beaches and cultural attractions, but when it's time to eat in bars, restaurants and enjoy entertainment they tighten their belts. This is reflected in the data of the eighth 'Business Outlook Study', prepared by the Federation of Hotel Industry in Valencia Province (FEHV) for the summer season.
The industry is concerned that year after year there is a fall in spending from 17.95 euros in 2010 to 15.3 in 2011 and to 14.53 euros average expenditure in 2012. In other words, the tourist spend has fallen 19.1% in three years. From Las Provincias El gasto...

Call to loosen forestry laws

July 27th
Forest Owners Association of Valencia (Afoval) has asked for the forestry laws to be simplified and rationalised to enable the use of traditional forest products. They ask the administration to enable "active" and "sustainable" forest management by the owners, promoting the use and consumption of traditional forest products such as wood, cork, firewood, game, mushrooms and aromatic plants and livestock. Currently, the rules are so bogged down in red tape, land owners do not make use of their land, leading to fire-prone undergrowth. Fom Levante: Los proprietarios.....and somewhere in Las Provincias.

Local police to be consolidated

July 26th
Neighboring municipalities, whose populations are less than 40,000 inhabitants, which also lack sufficient resources for a local police force, may join together to provide this service. This is one of the measures included in the collaboration agreement signed yesterday by the Minister of the Interior, Serafin Castilian, and the president of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), Elena Bastidas, for inter-actions to improve safety. The Region currently has 280 local police forces and over 10,400 agents, of which 46 percent correspond to municipalities of less than 5,000 inhabitants. From Las Provincias...

Local Policeman suspended for refusing breathalyser test

July 25th
A Xàbia local policeman who came to work in March, apparently drunk (red face, slurred speech, alcohol on breath) has been suspended for one week without pay, not for being drunk (he said he was congested because he was taking anti flu medication) but because he refused to take a breathalyser test which would have proved his innocence or guilt. From Levante

More danger for the coastline

The new bill tends to the exact opposite of the “environmental protection” it proclaims

July 25th
The reform of the Coast Law recently announced by the agriculture and environment minister, Miguel Arias Cañete, is advancing inexorably through parliamentary channels. As was expected of it, it is going to pull the rug out from under the existing law, approved in 1988, which attempts to reduce the pressure of property speculation on the littoral. The prospects are so favorable for certain businesses, that some entrepreneurs are already planning chiringuitos as large as 1,000 square meters. For full story see: El Pais in English

"For Sale" sign up on Mar Menor (Murcia) protected beachfront

July 25th
For decades, the Defense Ministry has preserved an enormous tract of land intact in Mar Menor (Murcia), an area which happens to be a leading example of unbridled development on the Mediterranean coast. The marina of El Carmolí, which comprises 315 hectares of prime beachfront real estate, was expropriated in the 1940s but the original owners' heirs are about to get it back after taking their appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.
The title deed is not yet in their name, and the land is legally protected by five separate levels of environmental safeguarding, yet these owners-to-be are already checking out the property market to see how much they might make on its sale. For full story see: El Pais in English.

Spain's Financial Crisis Explained: 5 Reasons For Spanish Economic Struggles

July 25th
Spain's financial crisis is a lot like peeling an onion: remove one troubled layer and you expose another. Repeated efforts since 2009 by successive governments to fix the country's problems have managed to undermine confidence in the fourth-largest economy among the 17 nations that use the euro. For five reasons why investors are scared about Spain, check out the slideshow in the Huffington Post article.

Creama cuts working hours to save jobs

July 25th
The Consortium for Economic Recovery, Marina Alta (CREAMA) has decided to cut working hours and pay by 25% in order to prevent staff layoffs. Its main source of income is funding for training which has been cut. Funds for training the unemployed from Central Government and the EU was received by the regional Government but was never transferred to the consortium for which that had been earmarked. The future of the body is in doubt, since its personnel structure is not vaible in these difficult times From XAD:Creama reduce... For more about Creama see: CREAMA - 2007

Municipal Market pilots marketing scheme

July 21st
The covered market in the Old Town has been chosen to pilot a different approach to promoting and differentiating its products. The idea is for the stall holders to work as a group in promoting regional products to clients in a different way. The project is the result of a study carried out over several months. The first event will be from 23rd till 28th July. From Monday to Wednesday all stallholders will be wearing blue and offering customers special tastings of local and Comunidad Valenciana products. On Friday there will be a busy atmosphere, with olive oil and cocas tasting from 7.00pm and a fiesta from 8.00pm with gin and tonics, tapas and DJ music. On Saturday 28th all morning there will be a tasting of Valencian beers to help wash down monteditos, tapas and cocas. From Press Release and XAD: El Mercado....

Gunitec wins awards for swimming pools

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July 21st
Gunitec has received the Award for Best Private Pool of the year and the Gold Award for an outdoor pool from by the prestigious Spanish magazine "Pools XXI". The Award for Best Pool (2011) was given to an infinity pool opposite the island of Portitxol. It has an integrated spa, built-in automatic pool cleaner, LED bulbs, automatic disinfection by salt electrolysis and formidable views. The Gold award pool is near the Montgó Natural Park. from XAD: Gunitec recibe....

PP bigwigs hold four day meeting in Xabia

July 20th
A star studded collection of PP dignitaries and an audience of 100 will attend a four day meeting organized by the Fundación Luis Vives and the Values and Society Foundation to be held at the Jeronimo Monastery on Las Planas this weekend under the title "Social and Political Responsibility," Famous names include: president of Les Corts, Juan Cotino, the Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, former president of the Generalitat, Francisco Camps, and Deputy of PP Studies and Programs, Esteban Gonzalez Pons. Controversially, Xabia Democratica Councillor, Oscar Anton will be attending and contributing to a round table on "Social policies and subsidiarity", and Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP will discuss the role of Catholics in public life. From Las Provincias: Camps... and XAD Camps Camps was greeted with a volley of eggs ( see Typically Spanish.... The Archbishop of Valencia will close the meeting on Sunday.(Levante - Sunday edition)

Jávea tightens up on dog owners

July 20th
Today, Mayor Chulvi signed a proclamation reminding pet owners of their obligations under the law and that infringements can result in fines of between €300 and €15,000. Policing against infringements will be stepped up. Dog owners should note that poly bags for picking up dog droppings are available free of charge from the Town Hall, and that special animal toilet spaces have been set up in several municipal parks including Montaner, Reina Sofia, Avenida de Palmela, Pedro IV and Montserrat Caballe. From Press Release. For details see: Bye Laws governing Pet dogs

Spot checks find illegal staff at the Arenal

July 17th
A surprise inspection of numerous Arenal beach businesses on July 4th found 15 - 20 people working without a contract, or working beyong their contract hours. These businesses now face heavy penalties and the workers will lose any unemployment benefits they might be receiving. From: Información.es

Economic crisis sparks growing exodus of Spaniards

July 19th
The number of Spaniards driven to seek work in other countries by the economic crisis and particularly heavy unemployment jumped in the first half of this year. According to figures released Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute, the number of Spaniards seeking better fortune abroad in the period January-June soared 44.2 percent to 40,625. Immigrants drawn to the country during an economic bonanza fueled by a property boom that turned to bust at the start of 2008 are also departing in droves, with 228,890 leaving to seek a living elsewhere in the period. For full story see: El Pais in English

Long Spanish lunch falls victim to tightening belts

July 19th
Soaring unemployment, rising taxes and belt-tightening family budgets across Spain could finally spell the end of the traditional Spanish lunch and siesta. For full story (in English) see: MSNBC

Former Amjasa manager paid off with €60,000

Arribas had demanded €180,000 in compensation

July 19th
The dispute between former Amjasa manager Vicente Arribas and Xàbia Town Council has finally been settled out of court. Arribas was sacked last year after being manager for 10 years and demanded €180,000 compensation for wrongful dismissal. The Benidorm judge urged the parties to come to an agreement and the Amjasa management accepted that the dismissal had been unlawful, finally settling with a payment of €60,000. During the time Arribas was in charge, Amjasa ran at a loss, and an independent audit of the company highlighted many management failings and a loss of €250,000. In the ten months following his dismissal, not only has the deficit been reduced, but the company runs an operating surplus of €100,000. The compensation payment had largely been allowed for in the 2011 budget which set aside €50,000 for this eventuality. From XAD: El ex-gerente... and Las Provincias: Un acuerdo...

Cumbre del Sol reaches for the sky

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July 17th
The Cumbre del Sol Urbanisation in Benitatxell continues its relentless climb to the top of the "Puig de la Llorenca" mountain. The developer, VAPF has been slowly plugging away 40 for years now and is currently carrying out works in the "Llirios" and "Jasmines" sectors which will reach to the 445m summit. Although current planning regulations "prevent the construction of key elements on the crest of mountains, cliff edges and summits" municipal sources say that the promoter is executing a project approved in 1979 and nothing can be done about it. From Levante: El urbanismo....

Crisis hits fiestas

July 17th
The annual procession of boats accompanying the image of the Virgen del Carmen out to sea was reduced to a single boat this year because the Fishermen's Association could not afford to get liability insurance to cover all participants. (From Las Provincias..... Xàbia's Moors and Christians festival will feature only a single Grand Parade on Sunday July 22nd (in previous years there have been two parades on Saturday and Sunday). For full programme of the Moors and Christians Fiestas see: Los Amigos

Classical Music in July and August

July 17th
There will be two series of evening classical music concerts in Jávea this summer - the first is "Musica at L'Estiu " (which has been held for 27 years now) which takes place between 24th and 29th July next to the Plaza de la Constitución and is free. The second, featuring Russian music takes place on three consecutive nights starting on August 9th. This will be inside the conservatory and ticketed. For details see: Summer concerts 2012

Campaign to catalogue Monumental trees takes off

July 16th
In January this year, the Town Hall announced that it was to catalogue all the ancient and unique heritage trees in the municipality. Now, they have edited multilingual brochures in Valenciano, Spanish, English and German requesting the collaboration of the public. All those who believe to know the location of one of these specimens are asked to report them to the Foundation Cirne or the Municipal Tourist Information offices (if they have problems communicating in Spanish or Valenciano). The summer season was chosen to carry out the inventory phase since most holiday homes are occupied at this time of year. In fact, most of the singular trees are located on private property. For background and details of this project see: Monumental trees catalogue From Press Release.

Counselling for domestic violence up

July 13th
Xàbia's Department of equality has reported an increase in the number of free, confidential consultations given to the victims of domestic violence. in 2011 there were 151 consultations (127 in 2010) , the women were aged between 18 and 44; 77 were Spanish, 63 EU and 11 non -EU. 49% said they suffered ill treatment for more than a year, and 18%, for more than 5 years. The counselling service also provided guidance on rights, benefits and legal issues, giving in all 403 consultations. For futher details see: Counselling Services Report - 2011

Photographic exhibition previews Javea Jazz Festival

July 13th.
The Photo Jazz exhibition opens on Saturday, 14th July to 19th August in various commercial establishments belonging to the Xabia Historica business association. The exhibition is made up of 29 snapshots taken at the jazz festival by local professional and amateur photographers such as Jose Melero, Ivan Almazan, Jack Abbott, Loek Groenendijk, Miguel Vicente, Francisco Catala, Guiomar Ramínez-Montesinos, Miguel A. González, José “El Gallo”, Pepe Mengual, Peke, José Climent and Jean Fleche. The Jazz festival itself runs from August 4th to 6th. From Press Release.

Judge throws out appeal against purchase of the car parks

July 17th
The Administrative Court of Alicante number two has decided not admit the administrative appeal filed by Jose Chulvi, then in opposition and now mayor, against the then Town Council's decision to buy out the underground car parks. In March 2011 Chulvi filed a lawsuit against the city of Javea and Javea Estacionaments Urbans SL against the plenary resolution of December 23, 2012, which agreed to purchase (for €13.2 million) the administrative contract to exploit the two underground car parks. The judge threw out the appeal on a technicality and also noted that managing the car parks directly would be a smaller burden on the Town's coffers than trying to rebalance payments with the concessionaire. Chulvi said that although he disagreed with the judgement, he would not be appealing the court's decision. From XAD: El juez....

Trips to discover Montgó Natural Park…and the Stars.

July 16th
The Montgo natural Park interpreptation centre is organising free trips during the summer. Firstly, every Thursday there'll be a guided walk from Denia to the Torre de Gerro, the Xàbia windmills, the viewpoint of the Cabo de San Antonio, and rounding off with a glass-bottomed boat trip from Xàbia back to Denia Port. The trip will be free apart from the cost of the bus to Las Rotas (€1.20) and boat trip (€10.00). There will also be four night-time excursions featuring the lookout points, les planes, the windmills and the pine forests. People will have the opportunity to discover the nocturnal fauna of the Montgó (3rd and 30th August). And on two other nocturnal trips learn about the cosmos in the company of the Costa Blanca Astronomical Society (who will provide information in English (July 23rd) and Spanish (August 24th) 7.00pm until 11.00pm - 4 km walking. Reserve your place at the Interpretation Centre of the Montgó Natural Park, San Joan Cami, No. 1 , Denia or by calling 966 423 205/679 196 461. Places are limited .

Go-ahead for Xàbia bus station

July 16th
The Council Executive Board has approved a project to create a bus station. This was the most voted for project in the list of 15 submitted to a peoples' forum December. The bus station will be in the municipal car park in Avenida Palmela, between calle Jose Ortega y Gasset and camí Freginal. It will serve as a stop for coaches arriving from Alicante and Valencia, and also for local bus routes and occasional service buses used by schools for field trips and sports clubs. An area has also been reserved for taxis. The station will thus serve as a “hub” for those coming into Javea by coach and wishing to connect with the local public transport. There will be four bus platforms and a painted taxi area, a block with toilets and a small booth of about 20 square metres which will house concession and vending machines. From Press Release.

Beachfront home amnesty extended to 75 years

July 15th
An overhaul of Spain’s legislation covering coastal areas announced on Friday will allow home-owners, many of them non-Spaniards, to keep their beachfront properties for at least another 75 years. But the proposals have angered environmental groups, who fear further development of the country’s coastline as a result. For full story (in English) See: El Pais in English

Shake up at Bloc

July 12th
Jávea's opposition "Bloc-Centristes" has split, with the two Bloc councillors (Josepa Chorro and Vicent Chorro) joining other Valencian nationalist and ecological political groups to form part of "Compromis". (See Compromis Manifesto in English . Their identity will be "Compromis per Xàbia" with Pepa Chorro as spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Centrist councillor, ex-Mayor Eduardo Monfort will remain on the Council as a non-affiliated member together with the two ex-Nueva Javea councillors. From XAD:El Bloc... and Las Provincias.

Animal rights activists fume as wild boar hunters ride again

July 12th
Hunting wild boars on horseback with a spear - an ancient tradition that was practically extinct - is making a comeback in parts of Spain. Despite criticism from environmentalists and animal rights activists, the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha is planning to take the final legislative step that will modify existing hunting rules to accommodate a new category of blood sport, "spearing boars on horseback, which is being demanded by hunters." For full story in English see: El Pais in English.. The sport was apparently very popular with British officers in India in the 1800's See: Hog Sticking Raj Style

Kayak excursion to the Cova Tallada

July 12th
The Centro Excursionista de Xàbia (CEX), in collaboration with the Municipal Department of Tourism, has scheduled a kayak excursion to the Cova Tallada for this Sunday. The cave is located at sea level in the Cabo de San Antonio. The meeting point will be the Port esplanade and the time will be at 9.00 am. Those wishing to participate must bring their own kayaks or rent one. The organisers recommend participants to take water, food, a torch, life vest and swimming suit, as the entire excursion is expected to last 5 hours. This activity is subject to weather conditions and the organisers reserve the right to postpone it if the seas are rough. For more information contact the CEX. Tel.: 96 579 57 00 Or the Tourism Department. Tel: 965790736 (Ed's note: I hope the wind doesn't get up too much in the afternoon - could be a headwind coming back from Denia ! pufffff)

3,000 mini ashtrays for Xàbia's beaches

July 12.
The Department of Tourism in Javea will distribute some 3,000 free special mini ashtrays. These small blue plastic cones with lids have been specially designed to be poked into sand or between stones, allowing smokers to dispose of cigarette ash and butts cleanly. In addition, the lids bear the logo and the URL of the Municipal Tourism web site. The main objective is to help keep the beaches clean. Cigarette butts do not degrade well and litter the beach. The department hopes to raise awareness that the quality of Javea's beaches requires suitable respect of the environment. The ashtrays will be available from Friday 13th July from the Tourist Office in the Port and from the new Tourist Information kiosk on the Arenal promenade. The idea was suggested made by the Arenal business community to help improve the cleanliness of the beach, while also serving as a souvenir to visitors. (From Press Release)

No overnight emergency health care in seven Marina Alta towns

July 12th
In ten days, Marina Salud, which manages health care in the Marina Alta is to stop giving overnight emergency services in Ondara, El Verger, Gata de Gorgos, Pedreguer, Els Poblets, Beniarbeig and Benidoleig. Most of the patients from these towns will have to go to Denia hospital. This move will affect 44,000 people. The company also announced that at the same time they would be strengthening the health centers in Denia, Calpe and Javea with one more overnight emergency team. Hospital workers unions complain that the Denia emergencies department already suffers from excessive waiting times, and an increasingly negative work environment. From Las Provincias - Piden que... and XAD: Marina Salud....

Town Hall maintains financial aid for sports clubs and associations

July 11th
The Local Council of Javea has signed financial cooperation agreements with various associations and sports clubs in the municipality. The Athletics Club receives 10,459 Euros, Xàbia Gymnastics club 6,200 Euros; Montgo Sports club (also gymnastics) 4,500 Euros. The Amas de Casa (housewives) will receive 9,706 Euros, while the associations of retirees and pensioners of the Port and Amanecer (in the Old Town) will receive 3,000 Euros respectively. In addition, Javea has renewed its commitment to the National University of Distance Learning (UNED) and approved a contribution of 83,220 Euros to the local branch in Denia, which also programmes courses in Javea. From Press Release.

Death of cow in Dénia "Bous a la mar" denounced

July 11th
The National Association for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (ANPBA) has lodged an administrative complaint with the Directorate General of Security and Civil Protection, to investigate alleged liability arising from the death of a cow in the 'bous a la mar ' in Denia on Tuesday. They have requested an autopsy of the animal to determine the cause of death. The Association notes that this is not the first time that cows have died in such events, either from heart attack or drowning. They point out the heat, stress and fear experienced by the confined animals whose only escape is to jump into the sea - itself an unnatural location for them. The group has requested that the label 'Fiesta of National Tourist Interest' should be removed from the fiesta. They also condemned the 'fire bulls' -' bous embolats' and the 'roped bulls' -' bous in corda' as being social evils, citing also the number of people who have died or been injured. From Las Provincias: Defensores...

Tourists spot migrating whales off the Cabo de San Antonio

July 11th
A family out for a morning sail were excited to see a group of seven fin whales (Balaenaoptera physalus) off the coast of Las Rotas and heading towards the Cabo de San Antonio. The whales were about 1 km off shore and measured between 8 and 12 metres in length. These whales are often sighted at this time of year as they follow their migratory path south. from Las Provincias: Unos turistas...

"Help" opens new charity shop in Moraira

July 11th
The Mayor of Teulada/Moraira opened a new Charity shop for "Help of Denia and the Marina Alta" on July 10th in the "Las Viñas" shopping centre. The services of this association include English interpreters at Denia Hospital Monday to Friday, visits to English-speaking in-patients on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, loan of medical equipment to patients to help them in their homes and improve their mobility. The shop is open from 10.00am until 1.30 pm Monday to Saturday. For information on Help of Denia see: Help of Denia website From Press Release.

Wildfire near Gata forces evacuations

July 11th
An overnight wildfire in the area knows as "Cova del Tio Benito" on Monday night through to Tuesday, forced 150 people from Monte de Gata and Monte Pedreguer to be temporarily evacuated from their homes. The fire consumed some 36 hectares of difficult to access natural vegetation on the mountains. The cause is unknown, but because it started at night when a strong wind was blowing, arson is suspected. From Las Provincias: El incendio....

Night-time plant watering at Granadella

July 11th
Xàbia Viva has organized an evening to water plants which had been planted on Granadella last winter. This will take place on Friday July 13th, at 20h. The Xàbia Red Cross, Firefighters of the Cumbre del Sol and Xàbia Town Hall will be participating. Meet at the entrance to the equestrian centre, Cumbre del Sol, at 20h. Afterwards there will be a walk to the lookout to eat packed suppers. Torches a must. from XAD: Jornada de

Spain economic crisis sends 5,000 horses a month to slaughter

July 10th
The economic crisis in Spain is sending almost 5,000 horses a month to the slaughterhouse and has increased the number of animals abandoned because their owners can no longer afford to keep them. The number of horses slaughtered increased by 31 percent in the first four months of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011, to a total of 19,793, according to official figures. For full story (in English) see:Two circles

Children's Participation

July 7th
The "Consell dels Xiquets" - Council for Children (consisting of representatives of all colleges and schools in the municipality) - ended its first year with a meeting at the Town Hall on July 6th. The group has met ten times and the young people have produced ideas about the future development of Jávea some of which are very much in line with those of other participatory forums such as Agenda21 and the forums for the Strategic Plan. For example: bike paths to schools, promoting public transport, zebra crossings on the Avenida del Pla. They also suggested improvements to athletics facilities. They suggested that parks should have three separate areas catering for different ages (swings and games for the little ones; climbing wall and zip wire for teens and benches and space to play petaque for the adults); educatrional posters about flora and fauna, books to read and wifi, as well as doggie toilets and drinking fountains. From XAD: Participación ciudadana......

The Valencia wildfires devastate rural communities

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July 9th
The Sunday edition of Levante carried a number of articles about the recent wildfires near Valencia. The consequences to the small farming villages, such as Dos Aguas, are devastating: Stockholders who rescued their sheep and goats, now have no pasture for their flocks and will have to buy feed. Bee keeping, a significant source of income, has been destroyed, as has rural tourism. Fruit trees, vineyards and drip irrigation infrastructure has been damaged. Farmers are worried that wild boar, having lost their natural habitat will turn to agricultural land for food. An estimated 150 species of wild animal has been adversely affected by the fires, including 94 species of bird.

The severity of wildfires has apparently increased since the 1800's. This can be ascribed to the depletion of the rural population and subsequent abandonment of farmland which has become overgrown with highly inflammable scrub. Only a small proportion of forested land in the Comunidad Valenciana is managed with firebreaks and even then, recent budget cuts have led to poor maintenance. Interestingly, blocks of cypress trees are very effective is preventing the spread of fire. They are less flammable than pine, and when burning, do not throw off sparks. 90% of them survive burning and can regenerate, and, as every gardener knows, they create natural windbreaks. 80% of burned forested areas in the Comunidad are left to regenerate naturally. The main problem is areas above 1000m, habitats of black pine and juniper, which are poorly adapted to fire. Here, replanting programmes would be necessary.

See: Los incendios... Dos Aguas... for more (in Castellano)

Parishoners raise over €3,000 for Church repairs

July 9th
A charity market held on July 1st was held in the Port to raise money to cover repairs to the roof of the Fishermen's Church. Spanish Parishoners raised € 2,267.52, while ex-pats gathered € 1,296.47, a total of € 3,563.99. The money will help to cover repairs to the roof of the Church damaged by weather and bird droppings. The works, costing €150,000 have already been carried out but have yet to be paid for. From XAD: La parroquia....

"Boat people" landed at Xàbia

Boat containing ten immigrants brought to Xàbia Port

July 9th
Ironically, just one day after a practice drill on the topic, the Red Cross had to deal with a real incident of immigrants arriving by sea. On Friday, around 8.30pm an Italian merchant vessel spotted the small boat some 30 miles out to sea. The Maritime rescue service brought them to Xàbia. There were ten men aged between 20 and 34, apparently from Algeria (though Levante states that they originated in Syria). One of them was sent to Dénia hospital suffering from hypothermia, the others taken to the Guardia Civil HQ where they were given food, drink and fresh clothes. According to Levante they will be deported to Algeria. From XAD Una Paterna..... and Levante Sunday edition

New exercise park in Thiviers

July 4th
A new outdoor gym circuit has been set up in the Avda. Amanecer de España park, in the Thiviers zone. There are seven different exercise units for adults to enjoy the benefits of resistance training in the open air, without the costs of a gym membership. It is the third such green gym to open in Javea (the other two being in Calle Ausias March near the Port, and another on the sand of the Arenal beach). Thus all three urban centres are now equipped with these facilities. From Press Release.

Ancient Anchors stolen by diving thieves

July 6th
The Jávea department of archaeology has detected the theft of an anchor dating from the eighteenth century which had been buried in the seabed off the coast of the municipality. The authorities of the Ministry of Culture and Guardia Civil have been notified. Divers who frequent the area reported that there were several small buoys marking points where other anchors are known to be buried. These marks raised suspicions that the thieves were planning to return during the night to continue the operation. The Red Cross lifeguard rescue boat and local maritime police patrol are therefore increasing surveillance. The cooperation of the public is called for. People are asked to alert the police if they see suspicious activity that might indicate further underwater plundering. Under Spanish legislation, these remains are national heritage. They are also a popular attraction for visiting scuba divers. The stolen artefacts may well end up decorating private gardens. From Press Release.

Water Sports for Jávea children

July 6th
The Town Hall has organised a series of recreational water activities for children between 6 and 12 years for July and August in the Javea Tennis Club. This course lasts one week with a cost of 4 Euros (to cover insurance). There will be four one-hour sessions from Monday to Friday, between 9 and 11 am, Course content is a mix of different kinds of recreational aquatic activities intended to develop the habit of practising sports and physical activity in young people. Initially each child may only sign up for two weeks, although this limit will ultimately depend on demand. Those interested in registering can do so at the Miguel Buigues Andrés Sports Pavilion in the Port, Monday through Friday from 3.00 to 9.00 pm. From Press Release

Open air music in the Old Town

July 4th
The Old Town business association has launched a new summer activity. This is the series called "Music in the street", an extension of the ""Los viernes que no pare la música" that has successfully been offered since the spring. Live, outdoor music will take place at differentr corners, streets and squares of the Old Town four days a week: Wednesday to Saturday. Every Wednesday from 20h there will be music on the Calle Major, on Thursdays from 20h in the Church Square, Fridays from 21h in the Plaza de Baix, while the Saturday concerts begin at 20:45 h and the location will vary. From XAD: Xàbia historica... For details see: Summer music programme

Landowners reminded to keep plots tidy

July 3rd
The Javea Department of Agriculture has asked owners of disused agricultural plots to make an effort to keep them in a clean and tidy state to contribute to attempts to curb wild boar and rabbits, which have been damaging crops, and to aid in the prevention of fires, especially during the extremely dry summer that the area has been experiencing. The Town Hall reminds landowners of the current law, making them responsible for the cost of extinguishing fires that originate on private property. Thus the abandonment of unused farmland can result in a stiff fine, as well as provoke a natural disaster. From Press Release

Beach Cinema returns to the Arenal Beach

Films in Spanish with English subtitles every Tuesday

July 2nd
The Javea Town Hall Department of Youth has scheduled a season of free family films this summer on the Arenal beach. The films in the series "Cine Vora Mar" (or Cinema by the Sea) will be shown each Tuesday evening from 3 July to 28 August, starting tomorrow. The films will be shown in the Spanish but with English subtitles, with the exception of the French film "La Guerra de los Botones". The programme begins this week with COWBOYS & ALIENS (July 3), and continues each week after that with LA GUERRE DES BOUTONS (July 10), SUPER 8 (July 17), WE BOUGHT A ZOO (July 24), I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT (July 31), JOHN CARTER (August 7), JACK & JILL (August 14), PUSS IN BOOTS (21 August) and REAL STEEL (August 28). From Press release.

Spaniards' electricity bills rise 70 percent in six years

July 1st
Between 2006 and 2011, the price of electricity for Spanish consumers rose 69.9 percent, according to Eurostat figures. Meanwhile, in the 27 European Union countries, the average rise over the same period was 19.9 percent. In the euro area, the rise was just 13.1 percent. For full artilce see: El País in English

Virtual reality Migdia Cave

July 1st
The Cirne Cultural Foundation in Javea has presented two innovative multimedia resources they intend to make available to everyone, researchers and general public alike, about the excavation and analysis of the Cova del Barranc de Migdia on the Montgo. These are two computer-generated 3D multimedia products that recreate the interior of the cave which can be played on PC, iPad or smart-phone, allowing the user to interact with the ceramics and bones discovered in the cave. Cirne has also produced a video game that features a virtual tour inside the cave, 3D exploration of the objects and extensive information about the site. An audiovisual documentary is also being edited. From Press Release.

Re-designed roundabout welcomes visitors to Jávea

July 1st
The roundabout at the entrance to town from the Gata road has received a facelift under the inspiration of local artist Toni Mari. The collaboration of several local firms has enabled the renovation to be carried out for less than €50,000. Gone are the shrubs around the iron sail sculpture, instead there are tosca blocks and pebbles; palm trees on the approaches to the roundabout have been supplied by the JGPS garden centre, and electrical installation by Vicente Ribes. Both town names, Jávea and Xàbia, sculpted in iron, face drivers as they enter town, these will be illuminated by LEDs at night, and a figure of a diving man will be installed. The roundabout will be inaugurated on July 2nd.

More Heat waves predicted

Wildfires decimate tens of thousands of hectares

July 1st
The weather section in Las Provincias predicts more heat waves this summer, as a result of conditions generated by a particularly dry winter and spring. Meanwhile two large wildfires continue to decimate tens of thousands of hectares in inland areas to the north and west of Valencia. Both fires seem to have been started through negligence. One, during the installation of solar panels, and the other ignited by a badly controlled agricultural fire. For details of the fires see: Typically Spanish and El Pais in English Photo gallery on Las Provincias..... Similar early season fires in the US fit into a pattern of extreme weather events and catastrophic fires that climate scientists predict will only worsen in decades to come. See: Pondering a link between Forest Fires and Climate change

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