XabiaViva talks to Culture Councillor about Old Town Cinema
March 10th
Last Saturday the XabiaViva association had a meeting with Quica Gil, culture councillor, on the possibility of re-opening the old Central Cinema in the Old Town. They were informed that in its present state the building would not meet safety requirements and that it would require a complete revamp. There had been a preliminary plan to turn it into a youth centre at a cost of around 1 million euros, but there had been no funding. The association did however receive an assurance that the Town Hall would work towards re-opening the site. From las provincias and XAD XàbiaViva invita...

Xàbia Windmill on point of collapse
March 10th
One of the eleven mills on the Plana of Cabo de San Antonio is on the point of collapse after years of neglect. Over the past few days a large chunk of the south wall has fallen away together with a window and the door. Although the mills are considered to be Heritage sites, all bar two of them are are privately owned. The mill in question is one of the newest, being built in the 18th Century. The poor state of the south wall was noted in a 1991 inventory, but the owners have done nothing since then to renovate the building despite being reminded by the town Hall of their obligation. From Diarioinformacion.com Un molino....

Red Palm Weevil a regional plague
March 10th
The Red Palm Weevil is becoming a major problem in the region. Not only does it kill Canary Date Palms, but many of these trees grow in private gardens, with the owners probably oblivious to the threat. Palm tree-owners should check for wilting crowns, particularly on younger trees. Check any fallen leaves for signs of burrowing, and put their ear against the trunk to listen for chewing noises within. If you see any symptoms contact the Town Hall Parks and Gardens Dept - e-mail: servicios@ajxabia.org. This situation is so serious that the town hall is organising a seminar on the biology and control of these weevils on Thursday March 11th at 11.30 am at the Casa de Cultura. The guest expert will be Susí Gomez, chief of the Estación Pheonix Laboratory from Elche. (From press release and Town Hall flier) For practical information in English see: http://www.ciudadverde.net/picudoEN.html

Wild winter weather
March 10th
According to today's Las Provincias this is the coldest March in the Comunidad since 1984, with temperatures 5-6 degrees lower than normal for the second week in March. Meanwhile rough seas have once more washed away the sand on Denia's beaches. To add insult to injury, the Costas had just spent 1 million euros rebuilding the sandy beaches for the Easter holiday period; work now worthless. They are now thinking that the only long term solution would be to build a series of sea groynes sticking out into the sea (as in Sitges).