Short term work for six unemployed
July 8th
Xàbia Town Hall has been able to provide short term, summer contracts for six for unemployed through a government grant. The jobs also reinforce some of the Town Hall departments. The posts are: Admin Assitant for the the consumer information office (OMIC) so people's complaints are more quickly dealt with; an archivist to help sort out municipal records, and for the museum an artefact restorer, an archaeologist , an officer and a construction labourer. The contracts will last for between three and four months. From Press Release.

Teulada-Moraira launches Transport on Demand service
July 9th
Once again, Teulada has demonstrated that it is forward-looking and innovative. Today, it launched a municipal transport service which connects the two urban centres and the beaches with two bus routes and a Transport on Demand (TAD) system. Anyone who holds the recently launched Citizen's identity card, can telephone between 9.00am and 6.00pm to make a pick-up appointment for the next day. A nine seater minibus then collects them from their home to drop them off at central Moraira where they can link up with any of the regular bus lines. These, in turn are designed to link up with the railway station, from which trains leave for Denia and Alicante at pretty much the same time. Bus tickets are €1.50 and TAD tickets, €2.50. From XAD: Teulada pone en marcha...

Xàbia waters host archaeology students
July 7th
Anyone strolling near the Port last month may have seen large groups of SCUBA divers getting ready to enter the sea. These were archaeology students from the University of Valencia, who, over a period of six days, carried out exercises on a fictional "wreck" near the Cabo de San Antonio. The archaeological richness and beauty of the seabed of the coast of Javea is the main attraction for this type of practice. In fact, last summer the town hosted a diving course in underwater archeology. From Press Release.

Public use of the Montgó natural park under debate
July 4th
The Montgó natural Park receives around 365,000 visitors each year and the authorities are in the process of developing a plan for the public use of the Park so that the necessity for conservation of natural areas can be reconciled with recreational use by the public. For this reason, the park management is soliciting inputs from users, authorities and the general public . The forum of the Agenda21 met with a representative from the park to be briefed on the questionnaires, and to provide inputs. The meeting identified the following weaknesses: The presence of a nightclub on la Plana which resulted in large numbers of vehicles, noise and garbage in the summer, constituting a fire hazard. The presence of hunters and two shooting ranges within the Park environs (though these are regulated by other bodies); the absence of an information point on the Cabo de San Antonio (which receives 80% of the visits) and at the Windmills of La Plana; the fact that the toilets at the picnic area were always closed. From XAD: La A21 debate sobre....

The Church belongs to the Church
July 4th
Legal advice has determined that the Town Hall has no hope of regaining ownership of Sant Bertomeu fortified church in the Old Town. Past records are very confused and the building has been used by the Archdiocese of Valencia for over 50 years without any moves being made by the municipality to challenge ownership. For background to this story see: Row over ownership of San Bertomeu and earlier story, Sept 2009 and and Oct 2009
http://agenda21-xabia.wikidot.com/ownership-of-sant-bertomeu
http://agenda21-xabia.wikidot.com/september-2009-news-headlines#StBarts
http://agenda21-xabia.wikidot.com/october-2009-news-headlines#StBarts2

Xàbia defies Zapatero and blocks 5% reduction in Civil Servants' salaries
July 1st
In a curious round of voting, Xàbia Town Hall has not approved the national decree that Civil Servants should have a 5% cut in salary. This National salary cut is part of Spain's strategy to reduce the public deficit. Over the past two weeks, politicians and representatives of municipal employees have had five meetings on how to apply the cut fairly, some workers being asked to cut more, the lower paid, less. The provisional result of this was to have been tabled at the Council plenary session. But when it came to the vote, the ruling BLOC party abstained, together with the CJP and Grupo Mixto. Nueva Javea and PP voted against the salary cut (the PP had to have a 5 minute time out to brief their leader, Juan Moragues, who arrived late since "he had to drive around the town because he could not find parking"). Socialist spokesman, Jose Chulvi considered the action totally irresponsible and warned of serious legal problems if this Royal Decree was not adhered to. Xàbia's annual cost of salaries is 13.8 million Euros, or one third of the total budget. There are 365 employees. Controversially there is €482,000 in productivity payments ( a dozen senior officials netted between €5,000 and €9,500 each for this extra) and some 158,000 Euros was spent on bonuses or overtime. Municipal employees also receive health benefits such as visits to the dentist or optician (€120,000 per annum earmarked) and medicines (€200,000). From Las Provincias: Xàbia desafía.... Note: The Councillors did, however agree to cut their own salaries by 5%. (XAD: El pleno de Xàbia...)

No specialist care for autistic child at Summer school
June 30th
Despite having made representations since April, asking the Xabia department of Social Services for specialist care for their autistic child during summer school, the parents have been palmed off with a suggestion that they take their child to the school for disabled children in Denia or Pedreguer. According to the father, this demonstrates that they are unaware that autistic children do not have the same needs as Down syndrome children because they do not suffer delays in intellectual development. The Department has 10 qualified teaching assistants and and additional €8000 from the State Plan E stimulus package precisely for such needs. From XAD: La Escuela de Verano... Note: The father, Fabian Reig, is now demonstrating in front of the Summer School at the Colegio Arenal . The Gandia Centre, which his daughter attends twice a week during the year is closed for the holidays. There seems little prospect of assistance for his child from the Town Hall although it is required by law, since the company which runs the summer school (Amana) cannot be contractually compelled to provide such a service. Public outcry continues.

Town Hall collects €6640 from mobile phone operators
June 30th
The Town Hall has collected €6640 from several mobile phone companies operating within the municipality. This is a levy of 1.5% of the phone operators' gross annual revenues. The biggest player was Orange (No mention of Movistar in this list..special status??) From XAD: Xàbia recibe...

At last - no parking on the pavement on the Calle Virgen del Los Angeles
June 30th
Parking on the pavement on the Calle Virgen del Los Angeles is now strictly prohibited (at last). This is the road which connects the Old Town to the la Plana / Montgó roundabout. It needs to be two-way because of a high traffic density of around 5000 cars per day. To make up for the loss of pavement parking, the town hall has refurbished and authorised a free parking area for 24 cars on a nearby plot on Calle Ribes Angel Mestre. From XAD: El Ayuntamiento....