October 2012 News Headlines

Museum Exhibition to be extended to year's end

Oct 31st
The exhibition entitled: "1612: Xàbia in the Modern Epoch (16th - 17th Centuries)" hosted at the Soler Blasco Museum in the Old Town is to be extended to the end of the year. (From press Release)

Rules for Xàbia's e-Government approved.

Oct 31st
The October plenary session approved new bye laws on Xàbia's eGovernment enabling digital access to municipal procedures. This will facilitate citizen participation and communication with residents for the presentation of documents as well as transactions and consultatiions. The new rules also regulate and commit the Town to a gradual but complete implementation of e-government, the creation of an electronic general office (https://seu.ajxabia.com), through which people will have free access to information ranging from a general catalog of municipal procedures, the relationship between paperwork and procedures, and a suggestion box and claims etc. They can also access electronic Registration and a personal folder. from XAD: El Ayuntamiento...

Rubbish collection tax to increase

Rubbish processing Consortium raises its fees

Oct 26th
The Consorcio de Residuos del Plan Zonal XV which comprises the districts of Marina Baixa and Marina Alta, and the town of El Campello agreed to increase the landfill fee, which represents 40% of the total amount of the bills for rubbish collection. This means the bill charged to municipalities will be increased and therefore, they will be forced to increase the rates they charge their citizens. According to a statement released yesterday by the Province of Alicante, the increased charge of dumping by the consortium is "necessary" to "adjust costs and avoid new debt, currently estimated at four million euros." The new fee (the amount per ton conveyed is increased to 50.60 euros, which "represents an average increase of 12% of the total cost." To date fee was around 40 euros, while in 2011 determined the actual cost of landfilling was €49.22. From Levante: El consorcio...

Moves to privatise the Municipal market

Oct 26th
In view of the poor management of the Municipal Market and losses incurred by the Town Hall, it has decided to explore other possibilities, from the "public and private" initiative. It is clear that "the Town will never be an effective entrepreneur in the field of trade and catering, as has been shown during the time she has managed it," says Councillor Juan Planelles, who believes that the current business model is outdated. After visiting markets in Madrid with members of the Old Town business association, it is clear that the potential of the Municipal Market's space is wasted. Such centres are becoming popular in big cities and have become important meeting places, selling quality products where events and even weddings are held. Xàbia Municipal Market requires a centralized and professionalized model, leaving the current deficit model. From XAD: El consejo...

Portitxol Plot to be auctioned

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Oct 25th
The Town Hall will hold a public auction of municipally owned land to raise cash to deal with outstanding payments until the year's end. The plots are Mar Azul 1 and 6, and the reserve price: not less than 300,000 euros. Despite a slow housing market, Xàbia has detected some interest from developers for this plot which is close to the cala Portitxol. From Las Provincias: Xàbia subastara....

1000-year-old pine tree killed by urbanisation

Oct 25th
One of Xàbia's ancient trees the "Pi ver" - a 1000 year old pine, has died after five years of desiccation, strangled by the urbanisation to which it gave its name. Although the draft urbanisation plan tried to save the tree by building a roundabout around it, its branches were damaged by trucks and an estimated 40% of its roots were cut in building the road. The Town hall had sent reports to the urbanisation owners suggesting pruning the dead branches, and various measures for recuperation, but it seems all they did was throw on a bit of fertiliser, and nothing more. From XAD: El Pi Ver.... (Ed's note: Perhaps the Urbanisation "Pi Ver" (Pine View) should be renamed "Pi Ver Mort")

Courses for the over 30's

Xàbia Town Hall has opened the registration for courses aimed at over 30's, activities which combine training and entertainment will begin ine the second half of January. Those interested in attending one of the 19 workshops scheduled for the first quarter must register, since a minimum of 15 students are needed each for courses. Pre-registration can be done in person or by e-mail to the Office of Citizen Attention (gro.aibaxja|cao#gro.aibaxja|cao) Avda Amanacer 2. In the e-mail include name etc. phone and the course you want to participate in (if there are two times available, so indicate which you are interested in). Registration is until Friday, November 2nd . Among the subjects to be offered this year are several new ones such as the creation and maintenance of bonsai, automaquillaje, kirigami (cut paper art), herbal remedies and natural cosmetics, self or Arterapia. It also topics shown to have had a high demand in previous years e.g. photography, furniture restoration, crafts, watercolor, ceramics, mandalas, tasting wine and culture, yoga and meditation, oriental dance, theater, easy cooking, pilates, monologues and "Cafe teatro" . For full ist of courses - in Castellano see. XAD: Cultura abre...

Surprise roadworks at Saladar / Tosalet junction

Oct 20th
The Alicante Government has done some surprise road works along the Portitxol road, near the Tosalet junction which has been the focus of calls for the construction of a roundabout. The present works are to improve the drainage of the road by altering its camber. Apparently plans for the long-awaited roundabout have already been drafted and it is waiting to be approved in the list of projects funded under the 2013 budget. Work on the other nearby roundabout at Pla 48 has slowed recently. This is funded by Santacreu S.L. as part of a development project next to the Carrasco restaurant. The company is currently focusing on finishing the Green Recycle Point of Flor de la Neu and plots next to the restaurant where a Valencian food retail business will be installed (Ed's note: The name "Consum" has been bandied about). From XAD: La Diputación....

AMJASA creates a Job Centre for temporary work.

Oct 20th
AMJASA has set up a job centre, aimed at 18-35 year olds, through which it will provide short term employment to cover specific requirements.
To qualify, people have to have been resident in Jávea for at least 12 months, have a driving license, their own vehicle and computer skills. Language skills will be a major asset to applicants: in addition to the essential knowledge of Castilian and Valencian, knowledge of English, German and French, in that order are a plus. The jobs will be in three main areas: Maintenance (requiring expertise in plumbing, masonry or electricity) - Administration (expertise in accounting, management or administration) and commercial (knowledge of the Municiplaity, its streets and areas). Interested people should submit their CVs to AMJASA (Cami Cabanes 88) or at the Citizen's Attention Office , Avda Amanacer, before November 2nd. The scheme will run for a year. From XAD: Amjasa abre....

Calle Estret wins "Charming nooks, streets and balconies competition"

Oct 20th
The Calle Estret (Narrow street) was the winner of this annual summer competition to prettify the Old Town. Second was calle Santa Domingo and the third the Calle Major. The winner of the individual section was Calle Estret resident, Holly Ochman, who wins a 300 Euro voucher to be redeemed in shops in the Old Town. This, the third year, has seen more competition among participants. From XAD: El carrer Estret....

Fishermen net huge whale bones

Oct 20th
A Jávea fishing boat has hauled up four huge vertebrae and other body parts of a Fin Whale from the 500 metre deep sea trench, the "Canal de Evissa". The vertebrae were so big, they tore the fishing nets. It seems likely that the whale died of old age and that its skeleton had lain partially buried at the bottom of the trench for some time. The Fin Whale is the second largest animal on earth, behind the Blue Whale. Although they often live and breed in the Atlantic, yhey seasonally enter the Mediterranean to feed. In recent years, several specimens have been sighted off the coast of Javea, characterised by the six metre tall spout which shoots up vertically. From XAD: El Cap Prim....

Help for Expat job seekers

Oct 17th
On Wednesday November 14th there will be an "INTERJOB workshop on key elements and tools for On-Line job searching" organized by the foreign citizens section of the Alicante Provincial government. This training is targeted at foreign nationals residing in Xàbia who are are enrolled in Servef as job seekers and will be held at the Casa de Cultura between 10-13 hours. Among the topics to be discussed will be online identities and monetizing the professional on-line personality, actively seeking employment through social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn, and attitudes and availability on-line. The maximum number of students per session is twenty and those interested should register by November 7th in the Social Center in the area of Social Services. For more information call 96 579 0500 and dial extension 1800. From Press Release.

Intercultural Get Together

Oct 17th
In a town where 85 nationalities live and work, the integration of all of them is a challenge. Therefore, the Xàbia Department of Social Services and the Red Cross have organized the 5th intercultural get together to be held on Monday 22 and Friday 26 October. The first set of activities will be a series of talks on Monday at 19h in the conference room of the Museum . Friday 26th activities will be in the Convent Square, with stands from different nationalities, dancing, music and entertainment. The programme (in Spanish) can be seen on: http://www.xabiaaldia.es/imagenes/foto/big/XbiacelebraelVEncuen_5992_6184.jpg.

Briefing on Changes to Law governing Expat Wills

Oct 17th
In June this year, the EU approved regulations establishing a single method for settling cross-border inheritance situations. These were ratified by the Spanish Government in August. The implications of this change in the law for expatriate EU citizens living in Spain will be explained on Monday October 29th at 6.00 pm in the Casa del Cultura by Xàbia notary Juan Luis Millet, who speaks excellent English. In essence, a 'European Certificate of Succession' can be used to state which national system they wish to use in matters of inheritance. If there is no certificate, then the succession will be dealt with under the law of the member state where he or she had her residence. Spanish law is more stringent than UK law on who you can leave your assets to - some of it must be given to the children, you can't leave it all to your spouse. The new regulations will apply to people who die after August 17th 2015. (From Press Release). Ed's Note: One major complication is that the UK Government has opted out of these regulations see: Changes in inheritance rules - but the UK opts out! … so where does that leave the Brits ? The reasons for the Opt Out are described on IWC probate services.

Alicante starts resurfacing Av Colomer

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Oct 17th
The Diputacion de Alicante has started resurfacing Avda Colomer from the Olive tree Roundabout for 750m up to Tiffany's. This work is designed to reduce the high accident rate on this road, particularly after rain. It is one of the accident Black Spots identified by Agenda21L back in 2008 (See: Javea Accident Black Spots ) and the work is the result of Mayor Chulvi actively pursuing the issue and sending accident, police and technical reports as well as residents' complaints to the Alicante authorities. It will not be necessary for the road to be closed during the works. Meantime the Valencia funded surfacing of service roads on the Pla Avenue has be paralysed because the contractor has not been paid by the Generalitat . From Xabia al Día : La diputación....

Triathlon attracts 340 athletes

Oct 17th
A total of 340 athletes gathered on Saturday in the inaugural Xàbia Triathlon (Trixàbia) whioch was held throughout the municipality starting and finishing at the Arenal beach. Some of the elite national athletes attended. The event consisted of an initial qualifying race, and then a final race for 40 men and 10 women competing for cash prizes, the winner getting €800. The event seemed to go well apart for residents trying to get from the Arenal to the Port and vice versa. Since all the major routes were closed to traffic because of the Triathlon, people had to wend their way through the little lanes of the orange groves, taking "50 minutes for a journey which should take 5 " from Las Provincias: Isaac...

You are now entering Disaster Avenue

Oct 16th
Everyone knew Juan Sebastián Elcano street in Vera, Almería, was prone to flooding. It was built alongside the River Antas, which burst its banks in 1973 and 1989. El País looks at contributory factors which exacerbated the effects of the recent flash floods in Vera, Almería - they include the building boom in the 1990's . For story in English see: El País in English

Hard-up Andalusia opens protected reserve to hunting parties

Oct 16th
The economic crisis has pushed the government of Andalusia into making a rare and controversial decision: to allow hunting in a protected area of the Natural Park of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas in Jaén province. For full story see: El Pais in Englisg

More than 800 yachts dropped anchor on protected sea grass in the Balearics

Oct 11th
More than 800 pleasure boats were obliged to move to another spot to drop anchor on the coasts of the Balearics this summer given that they were located in protected areas where the marine plant posidonia grows. The skippers of the boats had dropped their anchors on the sea grass, which is of great ecological value and is protected as a Site of Community Interest (SCI) under EU regulations and regional and national Spanish laws. For full story see El Pais in English

Bike Day Sunday 21st

The Cycling Club of Javea, with the collaboration of the Department of Sports, is preparing for its 10th the Bicycle Day, on Sunday October 21. At 10.00 am there will be a mass pedal from the Graull school athletics ground to Pinosol Park where there will be activities to promote cycling, a lunch for all and a raffle. Then a mass pedal back to the Old Town via the carretera del Pla. From XAD: Xàbia celebra....

Friends of the Museum of Xàbia (AMUX) to hold inuagural meeting

Everyone is invited to the Inaugural meeting of AMICS DEL MVSEV DE XÀBIA - Friends of the Museum of Xàbia. This is a new cultural association formed to study and promote the history and historical and cultural heritage of Xàbia and the region through lectures, excursions and other activities. Everyone is invited to come along with your suggestions as to what activities you would like the see and participate in. The meeting ia at 19 h Wednesday, 24 October 2012 at the Museu de Xàbia. For more see the Tri-lingual AMUX website. The association is also on Twitter and Facebook

Crisis Charity to hold Musical Night

Oct 12th
The "Todos Juntos Jávea" association will be holding a fund raising musical night in the Old Town on Saturday November 3rd. For more details see: Musica para Todos 2012 See also their website on: Todos Juntos Javea (The aim of the Association is to collect funds to address the most pressing needs and to help people find ways to better themselves.)

Chulvi appointed President of National Socialist Committee

Oct 7th
Xàbia's Mayor, José Chulvi has been appointed President of the National Committee of the PSOE-PSPV Socialist Party. This puts him in an interesting position, since if the current regional head of the party (Mr Puig) steps down, Chulvi would be the next in line.( XAD) When asked to comment on his new role in relation to his duties in Xàbia Chulvi said:'The role of President of the National Committee of the PSOE is a more of an honorary office than an executive position. This committee meets once every three months and is something close to a plenary session of the executive committee, which I chair and ensure the agenda is followed and give the floor to members wishing to make speeches. It is an entity which controls the management of the executive committee. This new responsibility in no way affects my job as mayor, because the meetings are held every three months and on Saturdays.' (personal communication) Chulvi has been receiving coverage in the German Press "A Rebel Cleans Up" and in Hamburg's GreenPeace magazine. Ed's note: If you get muddled up between PSPV and PSOE check out Wikipedia

Form to claim back overpaid IBI up on the web

Oct 8th
The Xàbia Town Hall has uploaded a simplified form for property owners to claim back overpaid IBI from the Cadastral authorities.
See: How to Claim Back IBI Overpayment for details on how to complete this form on-line. People can also go to the Citzens attention office above the Portal del Clot Car Park to get assistance in filling in the form. Please be sure to have all the necessary information with you.

The reluctant entrepreneurs

Oct 1st
Unemployment, pay cuts and the disappearance of whole sectors of the economy are prompting more Spaniards to start up companies. The first two years of the current crisis - between 2008 and 2010 - saw a decline in entrepreneurial activity in Spain, according to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, produced in conjunction with IE Business School in 54 countries worldwide. But GEM also notes that last year saw a 35-percent increase in the number of people starting their own businesses in Spain, representing almost six percent of working-age Spaniards. This may sound like good news but GEM points out that this does not represent "economic recovery," instead noting: "Entrepreneurial activity has increased because of need and unemployment." For full story see: El Pais in English.

Brain Drain - For changing circumstances, Spaniards are changing places

Oct 1st
Spain's economy is changing fast. The worsening depression is prompting growing numbers of people to look for work in other cities or even abroad, while for others holding on to their job or pursuing their career means being prepared to pack up and move to another part of the country. Settling into a new home can be difficult enough, but the process is often made more complicated by regional and local bureaucracy. For full story see El Pais in English

Exhibition to celebrate Xàbia's 400th Anniversary

Oct 6th
The Soler Blasco Museum in the Old Town is hosting a new exhibition entitled: "1612: Xàbia in the Modern Epoch (16th - 17th Centuries)" The exhibition goes over the most representative buildings of the era and their remnants left in the town today, along with ceramics, earthenware and kitchenware of the time. Among the exhibits is a chasuble from the former convent of the Augustines. From XAD: El catedratico.... An explanatory leaflet is available in English.

A Sea of Tapas

October 5th
The Port Business Association is organising a Tapas event in Jávea Port on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th October at lunch and dinner time. The 23 participating local restaurants will offer a drink and sea-food tapa for €2.50. There will be an incentive to vote for the best tapa and a raffle based on the voting forms, the prize of which is dinner for two. There will be music in the streets and tasting of Valencian wines in Avda Jaime I. from press release and XAD: Ruta de tapas....

How to Claim IBI Overpayments

Town Hall to assist claimants with on-line form

October 3rd
Yesterday there was a meeting at 6.00pm in the Casa del Cultura to inform English speaking foreign residents about the situation as regards IBI and procedures for claiming back past overpayments. The Auditorium was full to overflowing as Councillor for Finance, Oscar Anton explained the background to the current situation regarding IBI and what steps propertry owners can make to reclaim IBI overpayments resulting from the "Catastrazo". For a full report on this meeting see: IBI 2012 - Meeting with the Town Hall. The meeting was followed at 8.00pm by a similar one conducted in Spanish.

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