For those that do not read the Spanish Press

This is a translation from the Spanish Newspaper, Informacion! Today a court trial opened in Orihuela, of the socialist ex Mayoress of San Fulgencio, Trinidad Martinez, and five other Councillors of her administration for allowing a housing block in an area that was reserved for sports grounds, in the General Plan. According to the warrant seen by this newspaper. The ex Mayoress, faces two years in prison and ten years of disqualification from holding political office, for a continuing offense alleged against planning. On the bench will sit three municipal officers for having supported the project, according to the prosecutor, knowing that it is unlawful.
Together with Trinidad Martinez, the others accused and on the bench are the councilors who took part in the various committees of government in which licenses were authorised for controversial project, José Mora, Teresa and Luisa Terres Alberola and independents Mariano Martí and Simone Elster. The prosecution has called for the revocation of all licenses approved for the sports area of ​​San Fulgencio since 2001 and particularly the agreements of the governing board of the January 14, 2010 in which it was given to the developer for first occupancy license for 44 homes. For the other defendants, sentences ranging from eight to ten years of ineligibility, and one or two in jail.
The events started off in February 2000 when the owner of the land presented a blueprint for building eight blocks of flats and outdoor sports facilities, and the construction of 98 apartments in principle intended for athletes.
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Padrons.

A lot has been said recently about the Padron. In the past it was supposed to be, that without a Residencia, you could not get a Padron.
The rules have now been changed and I am reliably informed, that a Residencia is no longer a legal requirementm, to obtain a Padron.
When applying for a Padron a resident must show that they own a property in the Municipality, by producing their Escritura, a valid passport and your NIE. If you do not own a property and are only renting, then a copy of the Rental Agreement along with a certified copy of the owners passport and a utility bill, along with your own passport, will be required . These should be accompanied by a Solicitud de Inscription en el Padron Municipal. ( Copies are available at the Town Hall and the Offices of the Concejalia de Urbanizaciones )
Your padron may be required to be renewed if you are intending making a large monetary purchase, such as a car. All residents who have a padron should also check to see if they are on the Voting Register. If a Padron has not been renewed for some time, residents may find that their particulars have disappeared from the Voting Register. This became evident at the last Municipal Election when large numbers of people were turned away at the Polling Station, because they were not on the Voters Role.
If a person resides in Spain for more than 3 Months, they should register with the National Police in Elche or Alicante. Information on how to apply for a Residencia, can be obtained from our office on Calle Madrid.

Charity Register.

This is in fact a Register of Associations. All Associations operating in San Fulgencio are required to be registered with the Town Hall. In order for a Charity/Association to hold functions or fundraisers in collaboration with the Town Hall, they should be registered. Associations that are registered can apply for financial assistance  or use of Town Hall facilities. Any grants awarded must be used solely for the benefit of the Association and receipts must be provided, to ensure a continuation of assistance and collaboration, from the Town Hall.
The Psychologist from the Social Services , is collating and updating the data. However, Charities or Associations can Register their details at the Offices of the Concejalia de Urbanizacions. A copy of the statutes are required along with details of the President or other named Office Bearer.
If a Charity is  unregistered and not working with the Town Hall, it may not get the necessary permissions and road closures to hold events.
This ruling is to prevent unregistered Charities or Associations, collecting or fund raising within the Municipality. Any organisation recieving donations from another Charity are expected to declare those donations for tax purposes. If the other organisation is registered as a Charity or Association , then they may be exempt from paying tax. If unregistered, then the Registered Charity can pay the recipient´s bills, but should not give cash donations, which cannot be accounted for.

Planned Power Cuts

Iberdrola will be carrying out work on the Electricity supply in the Lo Pedreño and El Oasis areas on 27th November. The planned down time for the electricity supply if from 0900 to 0930 hrs.

Truth will out

Please allow me to comment on a few entries in a forum, stating that they did not believe the Autonomical Police were about in the area. I asked our Chief of Police if they had been on the Urb and he confirmed that they had been here. I am led to believe they came in unmarked cars and in plain clothes. At this time I am unaware of the results of their operation. Anyone wishing to confirm that they were here, should perhaps make an appointment to see the Chief of Police, but I am sure some will say, that because he is in the employ of the Council, he will say, what he is told to say. You cant win !
Also if anyone wishes to see the copies of the letters that were sent to Valencia, regarding noise complaints, they are in the Town Hall Registry and are available for public viewing. There are no names or addresses attached, so that there can be no reprisals to the complainers. So perhaps instead of theorising, people should stick to the facts that are known and not invent scenarios.

Misinterpretation

It would appear that I have not made it clear to some people, on the subject of bars etc.
So let me try to clear this up. If a bar owner, lets call the bar The Blue Parrot, thinks that by organising a charity event, for let's say an animal charity, they will increase their business and that is the main reason for organising such an event. The owner then submits an application to the Town Hall, it will not be looked upon favourably. How ever, if a charity approached the owner of the Blue Parrot and asked to use his premises and he agrees, then the application will have to come from the president,secretary or treasurer of said charity, if it was to receive favourable consideration.
If permission is granted, it is for the event, to go ahead.
If there are no complaints about noise during the event, the local Police will not intervene. ( noise pollution acts ). But, if the Autonomical Police called at that bar and they did not have the appropriate licence, their powers are greater than that of the local Police and the Town Hall, they can impose fines and close bars. This is the law from Valencia.

clearing up a few points.

When a person representing a charity or organisation applies for permission to have a Fete, Fayre or Fundraiser, this goes to the Town Hall. It may be the intention of the Organisation to provide entertainment. If this entertainment is provided by a bar and is deemed to be an attraction to that bar, to enhance the profits/takings of that bar, then a Licencia de Musica en Vivo, Licence for live music, must be held by that bar.  If the bar does not have the appropriate licence, then, if there are complaints, the Police will attend and Denounce the owners of the bar. If a bar or Organisation, wishes to have an event that is in collaboration with the interests of the Town Hall, i.e. Social Services, Cruz Roja or any other organisation that is directly linked with the Town Hall. They will receive permission from the Town Hall to have Live Music as long as it is ancillary to the event.
Any bar owners who do not hold a live music licence, and have live music, outwith special Fiestas etc., run the risk of receiving complaints, being visited by the Police, either Local or Autonomica, and Denuncias issued. In the case of the Autonomical Police, they have the power to impose fines and close bars. Once a bar is closed by Police Order, it is extremely difficult to re-open.

So the bottom line is this:
 If you do not hold the appropriate licence for live music and you attract the attention of neighbours, Policia Local or the Policia Autonomica, by having live music, the neighbours can make a complaint about the noise and if visited by the Police, you may be Denounced.
As I have said many times before, if a bar does not have the appropriate licences, then it is the bar owners who must either take the chance that they will not be reported or they cover their backs by not having any live entertainment. The Choice is yours!

With respect to some of the entries made on a local Forum, stating that a Council delegate is said to have stated several things which could be deemed detrimental to the Offices of the Urbanisation, I have spoken with this Council delegate and he has since read the entries referring to himself and he totally refutes, the accuracy of their content.
I have also had a meeting with the Mayor on these matters and he has confirmed to me that the message about the imminent arrival of the Automical Police, was due to a direct communication  to him, from Valencia. An entry made on the same forum,  stated that a friend of theirs, who worked as a Funcionario at the Town Hall, had stated that, it was the Mayor who had contacted Valencia, as he was fed up with the problems created by the bars on La Marina. The Mayor has totally refuted this, so who is telling lies?

Back from Holiday

Last week while I was away in Poland, visiting relatives and paying my respects at the graves of members of my family, it appears that the problems surrounding the bars, has raised its  head again.
First let me say, that last week, the authorities in Valencia, contacted Carlos and informed him that some members of the Community had gone to them, with complaints about noise from bars. As a result the authorities in Valencia, stated that they were sending in the Autonomical Police, with instructions to fine and close any bars not complying with the Laws on Live Music.
As a show of good faith to the bar owners in La Marina, the Mayor instructed a member of my staff to inform the bar owners of the impending visit of the Autonomical Police. I was made aware of this and endorsed his actions.
As stated at several previous meetings with the bar owners, they were expected to get their own house in order and make arrangements to obtain the proper licences for their bars. They were told, that as far as possible, the local Police would not search out offenders, but only deal with complaints of noise. They were advised on how to limit the noise and offered every assistance to get themselves legal.
We are aware that it costs money to get the Live Music Licence, with the cost of the licence and the cost of ensuring their premises come up to the required standard. It is a Catch 22 situation, as most bars require to attract customers to get the money to pay for the Licences, but without Live Music, there are no customers.
So why have these residents gone to Valencia.
In my opinion it is either because there are, a certain group of residents, who do not want any bars with music to exist on this Urbanisation and have no intention of compromise.
Or, it is because some of the bar owners, completely disregarded the advice from the Town Hall.
There are still a few bars complaining against their competitors.
So what is the solution?
Firstly ,I would suggest that any bar that wishes to apply for a special fiesta licence for music and activities at Christmas and New Year, do so now!
Secondly, All bars wishing to have live music, obtain the necessary Licence.
Thirdly, The Town Hall will continue to support all the bars that are legal and try to get some form of compromise with those that complain the most and loudest.

Road Closure

On Thursday 1st November a Film Company will be filming on Plaza Sierra Castilla from 0800 hrs until 2100 hrs. This will result in the temporary closure of the road. All parking will be suspended on Plaza Sierra Castilla from midnight on the 31st October until midnight on 1st November.

Sports for all

Golf: I have spoken with Noel Eastwell, teaching professional at El Plantio. He has agreed that he will give lessons for a minimum of ten persons on a Monday afternoon at a cost of €5 per head. If there is sufficient interest, classes will be split into beginners, intermediate and advanced.
Anyone interested should register at the offices of the Concejalia de Urbanizaciones at Calle Madrid, No. 5

Padel Tennis: A number of person have expressed an interest in learning the basics of the game. Anyone wishing to register their interest should also contact this Office.

Beer Festival

On Thursday 18th October, from 16.00 hrs Bar Bavarius, Casa Mia, The Lounge, Restaurant and Bar , Bar Dreams and Smart Properties, in conjunction with The Concejalia de Urbanizaciones and the Town Hall are holding a Mini Oktoberfest in Calle Alfredo Kraus. The road will be closed from around 14.00 hrs.
Performances from Robert "The Voice" Cartagena, Mariachi and Glenroy Oakley as well as DJ Richie, will entertain you through to midnight.
All are welcome

Police Action

Last week a couple of persons commented on the use of Police outside the Hogs Head last Tuesday night. Having listened to and read the comments on the Spanish Life Forum, I contacted the Chief of Police for a report on the matter.
According to the Police report, they recieved two seperate telephone calls at 23.41 and at 23.42 hrs, from from different telephone numbers, stating that there was a disturbance at the Hogs Head Bar, with music being played at a high level and a person using a microphone at a high volume.
A patrol car with three Police Officers on board arrived at approximately 23.50 hrs. At this time one of the officers spoke with staff and finding no major problem, just asked the staff to close the doors.
As they left, they state that they were subjected to verbal abuse and gesticulations from some of the patrons.
They took up a position opposite and were joined a short time later by another patrol car, sent by the Police Control room.
On their arrival some of the persons on the terrace continued to berate the police who were present. They were calling out to the police calling them stupid, making hand gestures that were interpreted as being rude and insulting and recriminating the police for there actions.
On observing that some of the patrons refused to desist the officers entered the terrace area and tried to calm the situation. They then demanded of several patrons their identification. Two person were unable to supply sufficient identification. These two persons were subsequently denounced under the Law Order 1/92, The protection and Security of the Town.
The Denuncias show that the individuals concerned were reported  under article 23 of the above named Act for Obstructing the Police, Failing to respect the Police in Public, Shouting recriminations at the Police in Public, Failing to produce adequate indentification ( Photographic proof and proof of address is still required by law in Spain ) Contrary to article 26h of the above Act and finaly Disorderly Conduct in a place open to the public, Contrary to article 26i .
As I was not there to judge who´s version is most accurate, I am not prepared to comment further on this matter.

Rubbish tips

In response to some of the comments on other forums, I would like to draw the attention to the following: On the 9th of August 2010 I submitted a report on behalf of the Citizens Advice Group that myself and a couple of others formed, to the Coastrider Newspaper. The following article was printed:

What a load of Rubbish

Written by Contributor

Monday, 09 August 2010 12:53

No this is not about the England football team's performance in South Africa. This is more serious than that. Just over a month ago, the Council of San Fulgencio started to enforce a local by-law, regarding the leaving of Garden Rubbish and Domestic Appliances and Building Rubble next to the waste bins provided for normal household rubbish. The Council, designated areas where the residents of La Marina, could take their rubbish. Where were these tips located? In the middle of the Urbanisations. There are at least five of these tips dotted throughout the area and the largest of these being on the south west corner of the Urbanisation of La Marina. It borders the Camino Convenio, one of the main thoroughfares through “San Fulgencio North”. This site is less than one hundred and twenty metres from the nearest dwelling house. It is approximately two hundred metres south of a children’s play area. Since its creation there have been increasing piles of garden rubbish, being dumped. In many places more than two metres high. Also at this site, there are old sofas, chairs, mattresses and household appliances. An interview with one of the Spanish residents, proved fruitless as she denied living in the house and claiming she was only a cleaner. Despite the fact that our correspondent witnessed her coming out of the swimming pool to answer the door. However, in nearby Calle Helsinki, a young German resident was more forthcoming. She stated that the stench some nights was unbearable and that since the creation of this site she has been plagued by rats and cockroaches. They are climbing into her washing machine during the night and she sometimes only discovers them after doing a washing, resulting in bits of cockroaches through her washed clothes. She stated that a few weeks ago, her two year child woke up screaming, with a cockroach on his face. She has spent a small fortune on bug sprays and rat traps but is concerned about using poisons, in case her two year old should ingest them. When asked if she had lodged a complaint, she stated “What is the point? The council don't consult anyone, so why would they listen to a lone voice”. Perhaps there should not be a lone voice. The Citizens Advice Group, who meet every Tuesday morning at the La Marina Sports Complex, between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon, are collecting names for a petition, to have these eyesores and vermin pits removed from the urbanisations and re-sited, in an area where they can do less environmental damage. Shortly after this article was published I contacted a Mr Peter Wessman at European Commission in Brussels. He replied stating that the EU Commission would be in contact with The Town Hall. A short time later the main Refuse Tip on the Camino Convenio was closed. However, following on from this, the Citizens Advice Group was contacted by other residents concerning another of the so called Punto de Limpios.  Atteached is the letter that I sent to the English Language papers in our area. Thought you might like to read this letter I wrote to the RTN and Coastrider way back in Sept 2010.   Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, A few weeks ago, we at the Citizens Advice Group, campaigned to have a rubbish site situated on the Camino Convenio, closed due to infestation by vermin, cockroaches and other unpleasant animals, insects and reptiles. After an article and letter in the English language papers, the site was cleared within a few days. The nearby residents and the Citizens Advice Group were delighted. Particularly as San Fulgencio Council appeared to be taking notice of the desires of the people. As well as following the regulations on the disposal and placing of rubbish tips, in accordance with DIRECTIVE 2006/12/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 April 2006, on waste.   However, having just returned from holiday, I discovered an e mail from a resident of C/ Francisco de Quevedo, requesting the assistance of the CAG in reference to the Waste Point sited on their door step. This site, is situated 50 metres south of a Baranca, designed to carry flood waters, caused by the heavy down pours, away from the area. The biggest problem, according to locals, is that when it does rain, it cascades over the defence wall and washes away ground around it. Proving that the defences are inadequate. Photograph attached. Also since the closure of the site at the Camino Convenio, this site is being used more and is now overflowing. It is definitely not being monitored, as at the time of visiting, there was evidence of builders rubbish, household goods and general waste. As evidenced by the photos that I have attached. While I was taking the photographs, I was approached by four separate individuals, who complained about the increased traffic to this waste point. The alleged dumping of waste by local garden centres and according to one gentleman, he witnessed council workers removing diseased palms, from what is known locally as the “Satellite Roundabout”, and later dumping the diseased trees on this waste point. Again, the attached photograph proves the point to be probably true. I understand that some of the residents have already tried to get something done by having discussions with Councillor Juan Antonio Palanca and others on 14th July. But it would appear that they have, pardon the pun, been palmed off, with inadequate excuses. It is my understanding from the EU directive, it is the responsibility of the Town Council for the disposal of waste , “The essential objective of all provisions relating to waste management should be the protection of human health and the environment against harmful effects caused by the collection, transport, treatment, storage and tipping of waste.” ( Opinion of the European Parliament of 9 March 2004 (OJC 102 E, 28.4.2004, p. 106) and Council Decision of 30 January 2006.) Please note that a copy of this letter and photographs have been sent to the following individual, who is basically the EU watchdog on the Environment. Peter Wessman, European Commission, Directorate-General Environment, Unit G.4, BU-5 5/178 , B-1049 Brussels, BELGIUM Yours faithfully, Jeff Wiszniewski, Citizens Advice Group, La Marina Jeff Wiszniewski   Bringing us up to date. I was extremely concerned when the Town Hall re opened the Punto de Limpio. The company charged with keeping this area appeared to be very lax in how it was being used. This resulted in other areas brining their cuttings, etc. to our Urbanisation, for disposal. I have since being lobbying the Town Hall to have matters rectified and we are having a meeting with the concerned neighbours on Tuesday afternoon, 2nd October. We hope that an agreement will be reached that will be suitable to all concerned.

Policing

Protection Civil are Volunteers, who show an interest in helping to protect their area. They are not Police Officers. The Protection Civil is open to Spanish and Extranjero residents. Training will be given in First Aid and all aspects of Security.
Strangely enough all the volunteers in San Fulgencio are Spanish residents.
However any person, over the age of 18 years can apply to join. This will always look good on a persons C.V.
They are there, to be utilised in cases of emergency and to release the Policia Local, from some of the mundane duties that they were required to do. Our own Protection Civil operate both here and in San Fulgencio village. In extreme cases they could be called upon to assist in emergencies in other areas.

Plans are in the pipeline to collate crime statistics and utilise them for the purposes of Crime Pattern Analysis. The results will be made available to the general public and be used by the Policia Local to pinpoint areas and times when properties and vehicles are most vulnerable. This will require the cooperation of the general public to report crimes, attempted crimes and suspicious incidents.
More information on the CPA will be released in due course.

Fiesta Patronales San Fulgencio 6th October 2012

After last years Fiesta, with floats etc in San Fulgencio Pueblo, many residents stated that they would have attended had they known about it and others who said that the problem was transportation to and from the village. So we hope that we have solved this issue and in order to promote integration of the Community, we would like to inform everyone of the following:
The main parade of floats will commence around 8.30pm.
There will be  free "Shuttle Bus" in operation leaving at 7pm, 7.30 pm and 8 pm from in front of Super Valu on Calle Amsterdam (Opposite the health centre ) It will go via Plaza Sierra Castilla, then on to Avda. Londres in front of Commercial Zone 4, ( The Grey Area ) arriving in San Fulgencio at La Avda. de San Isidro.
The bus will be available to return passengers to the Urbanisation at 23.30 pm, Midnight and at 00.30 hrs.
We hope that as many residents take advantage of this service in order to take part in and enjoy this Fiesta along with our neighbours in the village.

News from the front.

Well Summer is almost over and most permanent residents have returned from their holidays. That includes myself. I spent a nice week at home with family from Poland, then a few days aways in Jerez. Returned to my desk yesterday, feeling refreshed.
So what has been happening?
Well, we see that the figures relating to the savings that the Council made since taking Office, have been released. A saving of more the €600,000.
We have had the first open day with Help Vega Baja and we are restarting the Conversational Spanish Classes. The new details of how to register for the Sports School, which includes, Football, Basketball, Tennis, Taekwando and Ballet are available from the Council Offices.
We are assisting in promoting a mini fiesta outside Serafinas, Ave. Londres, on Thursday  of next week from 8pm until midnight.
 The Village Fiesta in October has been approved and our offices are hoping to arrange a shuttle bus to take Urb residents to and from the village.
Arrangements are underway for this years 10K run on 14th October. The route has yet to be confirmed, but it is hoped to cause as little disruption to the area as possible.
Registration for Adult Education Classes are available at our office. They commence with the first meeting on Monday 17th at the Social Centre at 6pm.
 We have discovered that although we have a new company dealing with the cleaning and weeding of the garden areas, a couple of streets seem to have been overlooked. If your street is one of those, please contact our office.
If you wish to recieve regular newsletters from our office, please call in and leave your email address for our Data Base.

Fiesta report

So here we go again, the rumour mills has started once again,without the perpetrators having a clue what the truth is. So if you don't know the truth,why not just make it up, that seems to be the level of some people.
Point 1. The power cuts on Saturday night. This urb. Is served by 4 main power lines, coming off the national grid. Apparently,due to the heat, one of these lines snapped. This put undue extra pressure on the remaining three. This resulted in the power going on and off as the system struggled to cope. This did not affect the fiesta performances as the stage, lighting and sound were working from two large generators. I managed to get a message through to Iberdrola and they sent out 4 engineers to rectify the problem.
Point 2. The story about me  forcing the bar owners to up their prices or I would cancel the Fiesta is absolute Rot.
Suffice to say, the company that ran the bars at the side of the stage was the same company that were contracted to book the acts for Friday and Saturday . They also were responsible for the stage,sound and lighting. If you really want to know who was being held over a barrel, go ask Chris or Allan at J,s and Temptations.
Or, here is a quirky suggestion, why not come and see me instead of posting rumours
 or lies.
Point 3. Overall, I thought that the acts were fantastic, the sound and stage and lighting were superb and for me Sunday was the best day of all. So I would like to say a big thanks to all the back room boys and girls who helped put this together. I would also like to thank all those who came along and went away with positive thoughts about the Fiesta.
On behalf of the Town Hall, I would like to apologise for the failure of the second half of the firework display. This was totally out with our control. But it did not dampen the spirit of the majority of the Fiesta goers . Even with the few hiccups, many thought it was better than last years and last year's was great.

Budgets

Please let me try to explain how I understand this works.
Like any Council or Government, we have to supply certain services to the population. We have to pay for these services, however certain things have to be capped because of the austerity measures.
Services such as Water, Sewerage, Lighting, Education, Sports, Social Services, Police and Emergency services, Rubbish Collection, Healthy Services,Transport, Youth, Tourism, Fiesta, employment, Council wages and more.
There are two side to the Balance Sheet: Money coming in from Taxes, Suma, works licences etc. and the outgoings are for such as the services listed above.
The Money that comes into the coffers is about half of that which is required, therefore the Grants and other payments come from Alicante, Valencia and Central Government to make up the shortfall.
If the individual budgets are not used by these departments, then when it comes to the next budget, we either get a reduced amount or it is cut completely, resulting in cuts in that particular service. How that budget is used, is dependent on the Councillor for that department.
What I dont understand is that when we have a Plenary meeting, there is always time set aside for questions. If the question of the cost of Rock Arena was so important, this was the time to put the question to the Councillor for Youth and Tourism. As no questions were asked by any of the Councillors, we have to assume they had no problems with the proposal for the Rock Arena Concert.

Setting the record straight

First, re the Rock Arena, I attended this event as did SEVEN of the NINE ruling Councillors .
It was not my taste in music, but then again I am not a great fan of country music either. I stayed for around 2 hours and had to leave for a quieter and more musical venue.
Second, the Rock Band that are playing this evening is absolutely nothing to do with our office being 1 year old. This is a private venture, put on by Dos Mas....They obviously see something in Heavy Metal Rock.They did have the concession for the Rock Arena Festival bar and they asked the Town Hall for permission to put on a mini rock concert, between 10pm and midnight and that's just about where our involvement ends.
I can assure the general public that the type of entertainment we have planned for the main Fiesta next month, is far more in keeping with what the public want. Again as far as money being spent on the Rock Arena last Saturday, this came from the budget for youth and tourism. Whether or not this was the best way of spending the money, only time will tell. It must be pointed out that that if the money is not spent on youth or tourism, we would lose part of the grant from Central government. If it was not for these grants, we would have virtually no services. The SUMA only covers about half of the requirements needed to ensure that the services provided are maintained.
For the person who is obviously jealous of the fact that I and one other councillor changed our cars, it is no business of his, but our previous vehicles no longer fitted our needs. For me a seven year warranty from Kia swung the deal. This same person seems to think that I only appear at a council meeting once a week and pick up a fat cheque, they are mistaken, for as many people know, I am in the office every day from 09.00 until 15.00, dealing with all types of enquiries. I receive requests for assistance at home and some even call at my door. Between that and other council duties I put in, between fifty and sixty hours a week. After taxes and deductions I receive the princely sum of €540 a week, (€2200 per month). I can show my bank statements to whoever does not believe me. Yes better than some,but certainly not the €3900 as was quoted by another individual, who apparently was earning quite a bit more, when he was councillor.

Help Vega Baja

http://www.helpvegabaja.com/. On the 3rd of September the Help Vega Baja organisation will be coming to San Fulgencio for a presentation and information seminar. This will be held at the Social Centre in La Marina from 1400 hrs until 1600 hrs. Following on from that date they will be given access to our Offices on Calle Madrid every alternate Friday to Age Concern. We hope that we will form a joint information service, which will cover all aspects of living and working in Spain.
May I suggest that you check out their web site to see the full range of services which will be available.
Those who wish to attend the seminar should intimate this to our offices as seating will be limited.

A couple of things I wish to comment on.

1. There have been a few comments about the amount of money being spent on the Rock Festival. This allocation of funds is from the Council for Tourism and Youth. What the Town Hall gets in from SUMAS etc. is only about half that which is required to ensure the other services are maintained. The shortfall is made up from Alicante, Valencia and Madrid. Therefore the budgets for Youth and Tourism must be spent on just that.
Viña Rock in Albacete, attracts around 50 thousand people each year and the town benefits from them. We must look at projects that will attract visitors for the future.
I suppose, as an alternative, all the Councillors could have gone on an all expenses trip to the London Trade Fare.
2. Watch out there are theives about. A band of theives are targetting the Urbanisations. They normally arrive in a hired car, hired using a stolen driving licence and paid for by a stolen credit card. They are opportunist theives who will sneek in and steal even when you are on the toilet. So make sure your front gates are locked. Make sure your windows and doors are secure when you leave the house, even for a few minutes. Report any suspect cars or people hanging around.
3. Male predators.
 About 10 days ago, the daughter of my neighbour was out on her own in the Urb,near to Consum Square, late at night. She was not a little girl, but a 26 year old mother of two. She was approached by two men who offered to walk her home. One was a white guy, the other dark skinned. When the white guy was informed that she was a mum of two  he left, but the other guy was more insistant. He is alleged to have grabbed her and tried to sexually assault her. She was told that if she screamed, he would kill her. Fortunately she escaped with bruising.
He has since been identified, but is still at large. Warn all your female friends and family that they must be extra vigilant against this type of predator.

Andi and his comments on A Spanish Life

Andi are you living in the past? I feel that you should clarify that all your references are about the previous government teams. The new government which took over in June last year is currently engaged in reducing the huge debt which they inherited. I can tell you that the budget for fiestas for 2012 is less than the that of 2003. The council has plans to bring other events to La Marina and San Fulgencio, which will be staged in other commercial areas, such as the grey area

Cockroaches, Mosquitos, Night Markets and K9

Jeff Wiszniewski

News and Views from the PIPN Councillor

lunes, 11 de junio de 2012

Cockroaches, Mosquitos, Night Markets and K9

Cockroaches and Mosquitos, The program for spraying the manholes to kill the cocroaches will begin at the end of this month into July. As Cockroaches are resilient little beggars, the Manholes will be tackled again from the middle of August until the end of that month. There is an ongoing program to combat those darned mossies. If there is a particular area that is being plagued by either of these beasties, call into the offices and we will arrange a special visit to your area.
I am afraid nights markets are a non starter. As they are run by private businesses, the proprietors do not see there is sufficient business potential for them to run a market for only one night in the week and they feel that unlike Guardamar which has passing trade on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,  La Marina does not have that passing trade.
We are however looking into the possibility of utilising part of the Market Area for a Sunday Car Boot Sale.
On the subject of K9, I would just like to say that I will not be drawn into any wranglings regarding funds etc. I will however state that it is my view and that of the Town Hall, that they, and the other Charities, that operate in our area, are doing a wonderful job to help animals and those in need. I have noted that with more people getting involved in these Charities, it is bringing back the Community Spirit, that we need, to survive these hard times. For me it is a time to put away our differences and work towards a common goal, of making this a Community to be proud of.

Cockroaches, Mosquitos, Night Markets and K9

Cockroaches and Mosquitos, The program for spraying the manholes to kill the cocroaches will begin at the end of this month into July. As Cockroaches are resilient little beggars, the Manholes will be tackled again from the middle of August until the end of that month. There is an ongoing program to combat those darned mossies. If there is a particular area that is being plagued by either of these beasties, call into the offices and we will arrange a special visit to your area.
I am afraid nights markets are a non starter. As they are run by private businesses, the proprietors do not see there is sufficient business potential for them to run a market for only one night in the week and they feel that unlike Guardamar which has passing trade on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,  La Marina does not have that passing trade.
Wev are however looking into the possibility of utilising part of the Market Area for a Sunday Car Boot Sale.
On the subject of K9, I would just like to say that I will not be drawn into any wranglings regarding funds etc. I will however state that it is my view and that of the Town Hall, that they, and the other Charities, that operate in our area, are doing a wonderful job to help animals and those in need. I have noted that with more people getting involved in these Charities, it is bringing back the Community Spirit, that we need, to survive these hard times. For me it is a time to put away our differences and work towards a common goal, of making this a Community to be proud of.

Diamond Jubilee Fiesta

I would like to say thanks to the people who turned up at our very own Celebration of this wonderful occasion . There was a lot of hard work put into this and it was wonderful to see so many enjoying the event. The bars were full and so were the tables on the street. I was told by one of the the people that there were more than a thousand people taking part. A big thanks to the Sindi Group who did the stage ,lighting and sound. A very professional job. Thanks to Sam and Juani for their help in puting it all together. These two girls are worth more than gold. To the Union Musical de San Fulgencio who opened the show with their San Fulgencio Big Band. Their first live performance and it was great. A number of people now want to book them for future events. Thanks to the Shamrockers who came from Javea to perform for us. They certainly kept the Party going. Thanks to Willie Hume and his star pupil for their piping to Patti Ross and to our final Act of the day, the fabulous Lucinda. Her performance was flawless and had so many people dancing in the street. Richie Sparks finished off the day with a fantastic Disco. Finally I would like to thank the boys and girls from the newly formed Protection Civil, who did a great job. Thanks again to all the Charities who provide such a wonderful service in our Community. Now to get down to planning the August Fiesta.

Cost of Opening Licences

In response to the question on the A Spanish Life Forum, I have made enquiries with the Town Hall in Elche and in Benidorm for the purposes of comparison. This year Elche Town Hall has reduced the cost of a new Opening Licence. for areas that are suffering economically, such a La Marina Village. The original cost for a bar/cafeteria licence was €1450 plus IVA. The current cost has been reduced by 50% to €725 plus IVA. . the costs of an Opening Licence is dependent on population and the estimated disturbance coming from the particular business. Therefore the cost of such a licence in Benidorm is €1750 plus IVA. Of course this does not take into account any fees charged by a lawyer or Gestor. There can be an additional cost to a bar if they wish to place tables and chairs outside their premises. This cost varies from area to area, but is around €25 per table. This allows the bar owner this facility for 12 months . So unless the Town Halls in Elche and Benidorm are telling me lies, I have to assume that the figures above are correct.

And is comments re the charity walk for Impact Charity

Andi, normally you are quite accurate with many of you comments, but when you stated that only Paulino walked the walk, I have to point out that Conchi the councillor for Social Services also did the walk, I escorted the group on the first lap supplying water and oranges, paid out of my own pocket, then I joined the group in the second lap. There was no sponsorship from any of the other councillors, because he never asked or informed them that he was participating. Also to clarify another point, there are 17 councillors and it is only nine who are in the Town Hall. As sponsorship is a bit of an alien concept to many Spanish people, I doubt even if they had known about the "Sponsored Walk" if they would have contributed.

Bars and licences

The subscriber who wrote on A Spanish Life, regarding 45 bars and only 30 with opening licences. Over the last five months! individuals, be they bar owners, or members of the public have called the Police more than 70 times? Resulting in Denuncias being issued. In the same period there have been no Denuncias issued in Rojales and Torrevieja. When a Denuncia is issued a copy is sent to Valencia. This has resulted in members of the National Police Autonomica, being sent by Valencia to our little town to check on the licences of all the bars. As has been said before, some bars have been operating without their licence being complete . The Town Hall has been aware of this for some time, but it has been the bars that have put their heads above the parapet and have attracted the attention of Valencia. Many of the Denuncias have come from bars without licences, taking revenge on the other bars who have live music. We the Town Hall have suggested that they stop their inter bar bickering and form a Bar Owners Association, to regulate themselves. We have even offered to help set the Association up. We can categorically state that we have no intention of closing any bars, but if those bars that continually flaunt the law and attract attention to themselves. They can expect further visits from the Autonomical Police, who do have the power to close them down. We have issued guide lines at our meetings with the bars, in order to keep disturbances to the neighbours to a minimum. But if a rival bar complains out of jealousy, then we and the police are duty bound to act on their complaint. I will not say that we will turn a blind eye to music in bars, but if we are unaware that a bar has music on, we will not be hunting them out. I would also say that many bar owners took on bars without doing their homework. They have taken out cheaper licences that are totally inappropriate for the type of business they wish to conduct. Also new owners have been duped by previous owners as to previous requirements issued to them, before they received their opening licence. Now some of the new owners find that they have to have essential work carried out, such as disabled access to toilets, before their opening licence will even be considered. As far as the cost of an opening licence is concerned, the costs vary depending on what type of licence is required. I would be interested to have documentary proof that La Marina village only pays €25. Perhaps that is for a straight forward renewal of a current licence, but I cannot see that it would be as little as that for a new business or a new ownership. Remember even a fruit shop has to apply for an opening licence, you would not expect to pay the same for that as a bar wishing to have live music. On a final note on this subject, the fiesta to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, the August Fiesta and the Rock festival are still on track and will go ahead.

Diamond Jubilee celebrations

The timetable for the above event is as follows:
1400 hrs until 1500 hrs the Sanfulgencio Band will play a selection of Jazz, Big Band sounds etc.
1515 hrs until 1600 hrs there will be presentations of prizes to the Bowlers and Padel Tennis
Galician Pipers and Drummers will play traditional Spanish music
The Shamrockers from Javea are playing a mixture of Traditional Scottish and Irish Music
Patti Ross and band will perform well known songs from the era of the reign of the Queen
Lucinda will perform various types of music including some favourite Rock Ballads.
DJ Richie Sparks will finish off the evening with pop music through the ages.
Spectrum FM will cover the event on an Outside Broadcast.
Live coverage of the Royal Procession of Barges down the Thames

How to get a Doctors appointment on line

This information has come from a friend who has a property on La Marina. If you have access to the Internet, you can make an appointment using the following method. I have just done so and it works.

I, and many others around where I live, have used this method over the past few months. It is very easy.
http://www.san.gva.e...d/homeciud.html
Once you have the website open proceed as follows.
On the left hand side, click on:
Sanitat24: Solicitud de Cita Previa en atención primaria
On the sub-menu, click on:
Cita por Internet
Enter your SIP number (or, if it’s got more than eight digits, enter the last eight), and your date of birth.
Click Validar.
Put a blob by MEDICINAR FAMILIAR.
Click Seleccionar.
The next screen confirms the name of your Doctor and indicates today's date.
Change the date shown to the preferred date of your appointment, then enter between which timings you require (24 hour clock with ":" between hours and mins.).
Then press "Pedir cita."
Next screen gives a date and a choice of timings.
Check the date, tick the appointment time you prefer and press "confirmar cita."
Job done.
You can also print-out the confirmation.

Not, another Councillor

May I take this opportunity to clarify what is being said about another Councillor. The number of Councillors remain the same. The Councillor for Fiestas and Social Services and Health, was working part time with Cruz Roja and part time on her council duties. Under Spanish Law it is illegal for a Councillor to occupy two jobs full time and claim full time wages from both. Therefore when the duties required in her role as Councillor started to overwhelm her duties with Cruz Roja, she resigned from Cruz Roja to be able to concentrate fully on her Councillor duties. This in turn has prompted  the ruling Council to vote in favor of increasing the wages of the Councillor for Fiestas and Social Services and Health, to fall in line with that of the other full time councillors. This will mean that she will recieve approximately another €900 per month before taxes.
As far as the comment about €500,000 being paid out in council salaries. According to my calculations it is closer to €375,000. It should be remembered that all the Councillors, including the Mayor, took substantial pay cuts when we assumed office.
As far as the allegation that services have been cut, apart from re utilising the vehicle used as an animal ambulance, all services are still in place. Some of those services have been taken over by other companies who are providing the same and in some cases, better services for less money. It is always a priority in these times to get best value for money, therefore if this requires the renegotiation of contracts or new contracts by the Town Hall, then it will be done for the benefit of all.

The state of the streets

Someone commented on A Spanish Life forum, about the state the roads and pavements were getting into because of trees and weeds taking over. The good news is that last week, the councillor for the gardens etc., Paulino Herrero, travelled around the Urb. with the maintenance manager for the Municipality. They highlighted many areas that required priority. The new team of gardeners and maintenance engineers, start this week and it is hoped that before the main summer influx of visitors, there will be a marked improvement in the area. If you think that your area is particularly bad, please call in to our office on Calle Madrid No. 5 and we will take note and pass it on to the the new company to try and have your area prioritised.

Rock Festival

I owe the people who read this blog, an apology. I previously stated that the costs for the above Festival was to my knowledge, €9000 or there abouts. This was the figure that was known to me about a month ago. Since then I had to return to the UK on family business. Since then I learned that the venue had been changed from the Oasis Park to the Market Place. Today I asked the councillor for youth activities and tourism, Borja Alonso if he had an up to date figure on costs for the festival. He confirmed that it was now around €18,000, although he stated that the bar had agreed to augment some of the expenses. Again, I apologise if I have mislead any of the readers of my blog. I also apologise to the person who wrote on the other forum, they obviously had a more up to date figure of the costs than I. I would again like to say that if anyone has a comments on the above subject, they can do so through the Facebook accounts of the Town Hall or Rock Arena, San Ful.

Rock Festival La Marina

With regards to the above Post, this Concert is the brainchild of the Councillor for Youth and Tourism, Borja. All advertising has been done through his department. As far as final costings for this event, I believe that it will be around €8000/€9000, and not the vastly inflated figure suggested on another forum. Anyone who wishes further information on this event should contact the Councillor direct or look at the Facebook page, Rock Arena, San Fulgencio. Also there are links on the Town Hall web site and Facebook. The concert will take place in the Market Place on the 7th of July There are six bands, who are apparently well known in Spain. The bar Dos Mas will apparently set up an outside bar at the location. I will be assisting with suggestions for Security and Safety issues.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

I have published a letter of reply from Buckinham Palace for all the residents of our area to read.
For those that do not yet know, there will be a Street Party for all, on the 3rd of June on Plaza Sierra Castilla ( the area in front of Dos Mas and Super Valu ) from 2pm until midnight, with entertainment and a big screen, to give live coverage of the Queen´s procession in the Royal Barges, down the River Thames.
It is hoped that as many people as possible attend and get into the spirit of the day, by dressing in Ancient and Modern costume, depicting the history of Britain and the Commonwealth.

Letter from Buckinham Palace

Obtaining an NIE.

If you find that you require an NIE number you can call in at our office at 5 Calle Madrid, we have the forms and information required for completion.

Parking in your own Driveway

For those who have asked about the above theme, At this moment I have heard nothing either from the Police our the Town Hall´s Technico Dept regarding this. I am having a meeting with the Mayor this morning and I will bring it up at the meeting.. I do know that residents who are having problems with persons parking accross their driveways, particularly on market days, can apply for a Vado, which prohibits the parking in front of their driveway. There is a cost involved and with administration charges it can cost as much as €250

Residencia Cards/Paper

With regards to the enquiry regarding Residencia Cards. The change, according to Madrid, is so that the green paper Residencia form will be replaced by a more convenient format, with the new Residencia card. The green paper copy will remain valid as there are no plans to have them replaced, the new card is only for new applicants. The application is pretty much the same as before.
In the past the authorities did not bother too much about proof of income, i.e,. being able to support oneself without being a burden on the state. Now, due to a tightening up of the legislation, it will be necessary to provide bank statements or reciepts for your pensions. For those who do not have an income, they will have to prove that they either have sufficient funds, a contract of employment or a sponsor, who will support the individual until they are self sufficient financially. This Card will not be considered Identification as it will not have a photo on it. Remember without a Residencia you cannot obtain a a Padron Cert.

Replying on my blog

It appears that there exists a system to ensure that blog entry comments are scrutinised by the host, prior to publishing. Obviously if the comments are viable and reasonable they will be published and answered. However the person must fully identify themselves and not hide behind an anonymous nom de plume. If a person decides to use the commentary box to be abusive, then I have the choice to commit them to a spam folder or delete altogether.

Facebook and the problems associated with this type of

As many of you saw yesterday, comments were made on Facebook suggesting that I wish to have all the bars closed down and implying that I would take “back handers”. None of the comments made were true.

I do accept the apology of the person who initiated these comments. However, if an apology is not given to me directly from the other person concerned, it is my intention to seek legal advice on this matter.

My team and I, in the Offices for the Urbanisations, work so hard to try to make things better and easier for people of all nationalities. We have attended to more than 2000 people in the last ten months, resolved problems, brought services closer to the residents, organised activities and fiestas, worked against violence towards women, supported the collection of food for the needy etc etc etc.

We are trying to deal with a huge debt, left behind by the outgoing group, trying to negotiate a settlement to the Oasis problem, trying to improve the general area, dealing with a large degree of unemployment. (The unemployment office has received more than 200 requests for work since we entered the Town Hall) trying to bring business and tourism to the area, supporting the various Charities and causes, trying to persuade Central and Regional Governments to give us grants to supply a Library, Internet facilities for all, as well as improvement grants for our own roads, lighting and water supply, education, social welfare, the list goes on and on and on.

We work very closely with the Local Police in trying to provide a safe environment for every resident and are in the process of organising a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. To say that any member of this office would try to close down bars is pure fantasy. When we brought the fiesta to the Consum square last year, we were supporting the bars, not hindering them.

We are fully aware of the difficulties that bar owners have and so, in order to spread the business, we are organising for bar owners a Diamond Jubilee Street Party in Plaza Sierra Castilla on the 3^rd of June and are organising for bar owners near the Police Station a 2 day Medieval-style market in the summer in order to bring people and hence extra business to bars in all areas.

We work on a daily basis with the Local Police and the residents to resolve the issues at the Consum square. We work WITHIN the Spanish law and are very much welcomed by the Spanish residents.

As I have stated previously, as long as bars adhere to the SPANISH licensing laws then they won’t have any problems and as long as the residents are sober and legal when they drive their cars then they won’t have any problems either.

We try very hard to share information on all activities within the Urbanisation and apart from a few people, we have received very positive feedback.

If you have any queries whatsoever, then either message me or preferably come into the office on Calle Madrid and we can discuss these issues face to face.

A Spanish Life

Well what a lot of stuff on A Spanish Life  Forum?
To paraphrase the great William Shakespeare : To blog, or not to blog: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?
First, without denying my responsibilities to the people of San Fulgencio, may I remind them that there are 9 Councillors that make up the Corporation in the Town Hall.
Secondly, It would appear that the issue of noise from bars is high on a few people´s agenda. It troubles me to think that when we are trying to deal with a huge debt, left behind, by the outgoing group, trying to negotiate a settlement to the Oasis problem, trying to improve the general area, dealing with a large degree of unemployment. ( The unemployment office has recieved more than 200 requests for work since we entered the Town Hall ) trying to bring business to the area, supporting the various Charities and causes, puting on courses in Spanish, Zumba Classes, Pilates Classes, trying to persuade Central and Regional Governments to give us grants to supply a Library, Internet faccilities for all, as well as improvement grants for our own roads, lighting and water supply, organising events and fiestas, education, Social Welfare, the list goes on and on and on. But the issue of noise from bars seems to take precedence for some people.
I fully apprexciate that noise can be quite disturbing and once you have a bee in your bonnet about it, it seems to be exaggerated. It particularly disturbs me, when I read that the Police are doing nothing about the problem. I must have dreamt the fact that at 11.30 last Friday, after attending a Good Friday Procession in the Pueblo, at which the whole village turned out, but only around 10 or 12 people from La Marina attended, I met up with 3 Police Officers, outside the bars on Calle Justo Quesada/ Franscisco Quevedo. At this time, Chief O´Neills had 2 persons sitting outside and the doors closed. The Hog´s Head had 1 smoker sitting outside and the doors were closed, The George had about 8 or 9 young lads outside. They were being a bit loud but had apparently been warned to turn the noise down. all the other bars on the Consum Square had been monitored and a couple had been warned. While I was speaking with them, they recieved a call, requiring their attendance to an incident on the other side of the Urbanisation. Now it may be deemed that I have a biased opinion, but I feel that the Police under the new Chief of Police, are doing a good job with the resources available to them. Did you know that in the last month, there have been traffic controls set up at various locations in the Urbanisation. A number of vehicles and drivers have been reported for various traffic offences relating to documents, ownership of vehicles, drunk driving and being in possesssion of stolen property. Surely it is imperative to make our Municipality a no go area for criminals, making it safe for our residents to walk the streets. Being a safe area is paramount to bringing investment to an area.
Third: As has been said many times before, If you have a problem, come to the office on Calle Madrid and discuss them face to face. I will not be responding to questions or comments made on the forum,  If any one wishes to cut and paste my comments from the blog, onto the forum, they may do so.

Why a Blog and not on the Forums.

For those that are interested, It is far easier for me to put information on a Blog, as there are enough readers of my Blog to cut and paste relevant material. I am sometimes far too busy to continually reply to threads on Forums and it only results in some cases, to petty arguements. If there are important issues that need to be discussed, I invite you to the Office, where we can have face to face dialog. The matters are dealt with at these times and not spread over several days. So call in an make an appointment or if I am free of appointments, I will be at your disposal.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

We are well on our way to organising the Celebrations for the Queen´s Diamond Jubilee. We are planning a Golf Match at El Plantio on Friday 1st June, A Sports Day on Saturday 2nd June, with 7 a side football, Petanq, Padel Tennis and Crown Green Bowling. On the Sunday we hope to have a Street Party for around 1000 persons, with a Hog Roast, Ice Cream and entertainment from various bands and groups. Their will be the Presentation of Prizes from the Sports events. We hope to encourage the Bars and Restaurants to participate and for those attending to come in costumes, representing the UK and Commonwealth. The proceedings will commence at 2pm and continue through till midnight. If we can overcome the technical details, we also hope to erect a large screen to televise live, the procession of the Royal Barges, down the Thames. So put this in your diary as a Must Do, and show off the Culture of your native country as well as your loyalty/respect to The Queen.
A full timetable will be published in the near future.

Bars and Noise

Over the next couple of weeks, the Policia Local, will be visiting the bars in the Municipality to ensure that they are adhering to their Licences. They will be denounced if they remain open past their designated time. They will be denounced if the noise is excessive. They will be denounced if the fail to keep their doors closed or place speakers outside the premises. They will be denounced if they fail to keep their customers in good order. I have agreed with the Chief of Police that I am prepared to accompany them on a Patrol at the weekend, in order to monitor the bars and cafes in the area. If you wish to report offenders, please do not wait until the day after or days later, contact the patrol vehicle direct on 696465481.

Some of the things our office is involved with

Hospital visit

We are organising a coach trip to a private hospital in Elche called IMED. If you are interested in visiting this new private hospital which includes a tour and wine reception, then please come into the office on Calle Madrid or phone us on 966443002.

Pensioners’ Card

If you are over 65 years of age and live in the Communidad Valenciana then you are entitled to a pensioners’ card which will allow you social and socio-cultural benefits. Give us a call or come into the office and we will make you an appointment with Social Services along with a translator.

Argentinian Tango Classes

We are hoping to organise Argentinian Tango classes in the Social Centre on Urbanisation Marina. If you are interested in attending or require more information then come into the office on Calle Madrid or phone us on 966443002.

Prizes for AJs

AJs bar, who work in collaboration with us in the Concejalía de Urbanizaciones in supplying food for the needy of San Fulgencio, are looking for prizes for their raffle on Saturday the 5^th of May at their fun day. If you would like to donate anything, then please bring it into the office or to AJs bar.

AECC Contra Cancer

A Charity football match is planned for the 28th July in aid of AECC. Policia Local v a San Fulgencio Select. Kick off at 11 am with a pool party and music from 1pm onwards till 6pm. Giant Paella and a Raffle.

Lucky Program Draw. If you wish to donate prizes for the Raffle, please contact our office at Calle Madrid No.5..

Update on Oasis

On the 15th April the General Assembly of Neighbours are holding a meeting at the Social Centre La Marina at 11 am. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the residents about the Terms of a possible agreement with the Town Hall for the completion of the Infra structure. After there will be a vote on whether to accept the proposals.

A change in the agreement has been reached with regards to the collection of the contributions to be made by the Neighbours. The SUMA will now become involved and further information will be available on the date of the meeting.



Easter Celebrations

Schedule for the Easter Celebrations

Tuesday the 27th March 2012

20:30: COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF PENANCE.

Saturday the 31st of March 2012 (Eve of Palm Sunday)

18:00: Mass in Nuestra Señora de la Paz. ( Urb. Marina)

19:30: Mass in the village.

20:00: Easter concert in the music centre

Palm Sunday the 1st of April 2012

10:00: Blessing of the palms, procession and Mass in en Ntra. Sra. De la Paz. ( Urb. Marina).

11:30: Blessing of the palms in the Expo. Procession towards the Church where Mass will be celebrated in the village.

18:00: Representation of the Passion of Christ by Grupo Jerusalem in the Cardenal Belluga Theatre.

Holy Week

Monday the 2nd of April 2012

19:00: Mass in the village.

Tuesday the 3rd of April 2012

19:00: Mass in the village.

22:00: Procession: Nazareno, Verónica ( Encuentro)

The Nazarene will leave from C/Jose Antonio, La Verónica from the door of the Museum, towards the Plaza José M. Serra and A. del Real. ( next to the Mª Angeles supermarket)

Wednesday the 4th of April 2012

19:00: Mass in the village.

22:00: Procession: La Piedad, San Juan, La Soledad.

Maundy Thursday the 5th of April 2012

18:00: MASS “The Last Supper” in Ntra. Sra. de la Paz (Urb. Marina)

19:30: MASS “The Last Supper” in the village

22:30: PROCESSION OF SILENCE followed by HOLY HOUR in the parish church.

Good Friday the 6th of April 2012

8:00: Prayers in the parish church (village)

16:30: Ceremonial Remembrance of the DEATH OF CHRIST in Ntra. Sra. de la Paz (Urb. Marina).

18:30: Ceremonial Remembrance of the DEATH OF CHRIST in the parish church (village) and followed by the WAY OF THE CROSS through the village.

21:15: Procession of the HOLY BURIAL: Nazareno, La Verónica, La Cruz de los Labradores, Cristo del Perdón, La Piedad, San Juan, Cristo Yacente and Nra. Sra. de la Soledad.

Saturday the 7th of April 2012

22:00: Blessing of the fire and the Solemn Easter Vigil in the parish church (village).

Easter Sunday the 8th of April 2012

10:00: Mass in Ntra. Sra. de la Paz (Urb. Marina)

11:30: PROCESSION TO COMMEMORATE THE RESURRECTION AND ENCOUNTER WITH THE DISCIPLES: San Juan, Virgen del remedio.

Followed by Mass in the village.

Easter Monday the 9th of April 2012

19:00: Mass in the village.

Monday of San Vicente 16th of April 2012

10:00: Mass in the parish church (village).

Followed by the PROCESSION OF THE MOST HOLY FOR THE SICK (in the village)

Security on the Urb.

Neighbourhood Watch

If you are interested in being involved in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme them please come and see us in our office on Calle Madrid.

Guardia Civil Safety Practical Tips

1. Make a note of the make, model and serial number of your TV, DVD player, video camera, digital camera, etc, even mark them, in order to make the recovery easier.
2. Keep the bill and box of your mobile phone. They are very important for the Guardia Civil.
3. Make a note of the numbers of your debit and credit cards, as well as the phone numbers where to call in case of theft.
4. It is very important to bring the above mentioned information when you go to report the loss or the theft, especially the information related to mobile phones and credit cards.
5. Do not leave handbags, purses, wallets and keys close to open windows, because it is easier to steal them with sticks and hooks.
6. Put in your windows and doors small sound alarms, which you can purchase in shops.
7. When you go out, leave some lights, music or radios on, in order to pretend that someone is at home.
8. Make a note of the registration number of suspicious vehicles which prowl around your house, and then call the Guardia Civil or Local Police to give them this information.
9. Get a friend to collect your mail while you are away.

On going problems in La Marina

Gas men. The first thing I should point out is that these guys are legal. It is their methods that may be suspect. Yes it is true that Gas Appliances should be inspected on a regular basis. But it is up to the customer to decide who does the job. When these men call unsolicited, they should not be admitted to your home. Ask to see their ID. If you are satisfied, tell them to come back at a time that suits you. If you do let them in to examine your appliances tell them that they must give you a written quote. NEVER allow them to carry out any work without a quote. If they say something needs replaced, ask them to show you. If it is a length of tubing, this costs no more than €3 from the DIY shops, the regulator costs between €7 and €12. These guys have been known to charge exhorbitant prices for parts and labour. If they harass you, call the Police.
Noise from Bars:  Many of the bars that operate in the area, operate within the law. However there are some that continue to ignore the regulations and cause annoyance to the nearby residents. The ones that continue to flaunt the rules will be the ones that will be visited. As far as noise when customers are leaving the bars, if this is deemed excessive, I have been assured that these people will be dealt with by the Policia Local.
Drunk Drivers Beware. You will be targeted. Our Office will accept information regarding suspect drunk drivers. This can be done anonymously. Tell us the make, model and Registration number of the vehicle and times when this occurs. We will pass this on to the Police.The problem is that under Law, in order to stop a vehicle, an Officer in Uniform, must witness a moving Traffic Offence or suspect that the vehicle or person driving has been involved in a crime. If the driver under questioning exhibits signs of having consumed alcohol, they can demand a breath test. So if we know when and where these incidents occur, the Police can take observations and deal with the offenders accordingly.
The Police are checking on vehicles entering and leaving the Area for Drunk Drivers, unregistered vehicles, vehicle without insurance or documentation. They are also stopping and checking vehicles that have foreign registrations and ensuring that the documentation from their countries of origin are up to date and legal.

Oasis

A few days ago, I sat in on the meeting between the Ayuntamiento and the main Residents Association of Oasis. The purpose of this meeting was to formulate grounds for aggreement on the completion of the Infrastructure.
I have been asked several questions regarding this meeting, the main one being the problems that may arise from the collection of  the funds required. Some have expressed the desire to have the Suma involved in the collection. This, I am told cannot happen , as the Suma is a Government collection agency and the Residents Association is a private concern.
 I have also been informed that as the contract for the completion of the Infrastructure will be decided by the Residents Association, it would be wrong for the Ayuntamiento to get involved or be accused of trying to influence the decisions of the Association.
We have agreed that we will monitor the work being carried out, in order to ensure that it up to the standard required.
I can say that a grant of money will become available to the Ayuntamiento, if the project is completed by February 2013. This grant will be for further improvements to the general area.
As to the amounts each household will have to contribute, this will have to be decided by the Association and the smaller Communities within the Oasis area

Water Bills in San Fulgencio

By now, most of the residents of San Fulgencio, will have recieved their Water Bills from Aguaguest Levante. As you will have noticed, there has been a small increase, but certainly not the huge hike that was expected by some residents. The scaremongering tacticts of certain individuals do nothing, but spread fear in the Community.
Our Offices would like to reiterate, that if you have a problem, query or concern, do not rely on the sometimes flawed information from others, but come and speak with us. We will always give you the facts  as we know them.