LOCAL ROUNDUP – TORREVIEJA AND BEYOND

The five thousand square metres of pine forest destroyed by fire in La Mata will take a decade to recover. Around 70 trees were destroyed when fire took hold at the historic Molino del Agua park, believed to have been started in three separate locations, a similar pattern to a number of similar arson attacks across the area in recent years. CCTV footage of the area is being viewed by the police in an attempt to identify to potential perpetrators of what could so easily have been a fatal fire outbreak.

The Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja has launched a new dance competition for young people, aimed at finding the best dancers between the ages of 4 and 16. Registration is open now for the “Factor H” competition, which will then be held in the mall from the 25th of May until the 6th of July, with groups split into three, aged 4 to 7, aged 8 to 12 and then from 13 to 16, with applicants having to submit a video of themselves dancing, either as a solo performer or a group, with judges choosing the entrants for the first gala showcase on the 25th of May.

Work has started this week to remove the fencing around the entrance to the old harbour of Torrevieja, with around 50 metres set to be removed to widen the entrance from the main coastal road, in the first stage of the remodelling of this once popular area. The fence alongside the historic Mar La Marina is the first section to be removed, which will make an open space opposite the old casino, much as it was prior to the installation of the wall in the 1960´s. In its busier days, the area played host to countless tourists who would arrive by coach to the seaside city, and once a thriving part of the centre of commerce for the fishing, and boat building industries.

Nine internationally renowned athletes from Lithuania have been training at Torrevieja´s sports city this week, the latest in an increasing number of international sports performers who are looking to the facilities of Torrevieja to assist in their training regime. They follow on from a group of young Duth athletes who have been using the facilities at the start of the month, and may well lead to more use of the sports complex that is often standing vacant.

The Local Police of Guardamar have expanded their vehicle fleet, with the acquisition of a new 4×4 vehicle which will allow them to patrol in harder to reach areas. The principle aim will be allow the police to patrol the 12 kilometres of beaches better, as well as the rural green areas, allowing for better fire prevention duties to be carried out. Guardamar police now have four normal patrol cars, four motorcycles, two quads and this four wheeled drive utility vehicle.

The Izquierda Unida of Almoradí has registered a motion to allocate 5% of the town hall budget to create an employment platform that would provide work to residents who are unemployed, performing contracted tasks such as maintenance and cleaning of recreational areas. The group argues that with more than 3,000 unemployed people in the town, combined with the overall deterioration of public facilities, by finding a solution to mix those looking for work with work that needs completing is a solution that would benefit every resident in the area as people need to, “work to survive”.

The manager of the market at El Olivo has said that he intends to claim compensation if the market is closed. His legal representative says that the Catral government team has not yet notified the facility of closure but having made significant investments, if the market is closed down is will destroy the livliehood of many local people and would be completely unjustified. As such the “citizens will have to pay.” The lawyers also criticize the Guardia Civil for their constant harassment, actions which they say are disproportionate and unmotivated. They say that Moroccan traders feel coerced and persecuted by them.

Two officers from the Marine Unit of the local police in Santa Pola rescued two fishermen on Wednesday after their boat sank in a in a cove on the coast of Santa Pola. The men are understood to have been fishing aboard a boat, about 3.5 meters long, equipped with a small motor. The two fishermen, 40 and 50 years old, have been transferred to the Hospital General Universitario de Elche with symptoms of hypothermia. According to the police officers, the boat capsized as the two fishermen came to gather in their fishing net. Neither man was equipped with a lifejacket and they were unable to swim ashore, as one of them claimed not to know how to swim. They chose to sit on the hull of the boat and call for help. Fortunately a passing resident spotted the fishermen and alerted the 112 emergency services.

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