Gran Alacant Advertiser July 2023

Gran Alacant Advertiser continues to bring you all the local NEWS including information from the local Town Hall representative. Working for the local community since May 2005.

If you have any QUESTIONS or PROBLEMS you would like us to discuss, please email on info@granalacantadvertiser.com

Q: CLOT DE GALWANY

Hi Lou

I was recently in the bird hide opposite Med II. A wake appeared in the water coming towards the hide. I was amazed to see 3 carp like fish with pale white lips slowly cruise by about 6 feet off the rocks below the hide, each about 10 inches long and they returned 5 minutes later. There has always been small fry visible, but never anything that large. Do any of your knowledgeable nature readers know if the lake has been stocked with fish or have these arrived by other means?

Thanks Bob

DO ANY OF OUR READERS KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS INTERESTING QUESTION?

Q: MOSQUITOES

I would like to draw attention to the problem of mosquitoes in the Gran Alacant area. My son, his wife and 3 children arrived in Spain on the 30 May for 2 weeks holiday and they have all been eaten alive. It has been so bad they had to attend the doctor for medication, which has proved useless. They bought lotions, candles and an electrical zapper but nothing seems to work. Please contact somebody in the council and find out why this is happening. Have they have not sprayed the urbanisations? If something is not done on a more regular basis, I can see a big drop in tourists visiting which would be a terrible shame.

Joyce

Oscar Valenzuela's reply:

We fumigate regularly. For the first time, we made a calendar to make sure Santa Pola and Elche fumigation is synchronised to best deal with this problem. However, due to lot of heavy rain in recent weeks there are more mosquitos. We are doing our best to control them.

Q: DOG MESS DISGRACE

It would appear certain dog owners seem to think parts of the Campo/Open Spaces is actually a toilet for their dogs. The amount of dog mess I have witnessed is disgraceful and shows a complete disregard and disrespect for the place we all live in.

Can I ask Cllr O V how many fines have been imposed since the new law regarding dog fouling came into effect?

If the local council employed a Dog Patrol Warden who imposed fines to these irresponsible dog owners surely they would make an absolute fortune. I would be more willing to offer my services as a warden on a commission only basis; I would be a very rich woman!

If I had a euro for every piece of dog mess I picked up in Gran Alacant, I would never need to work again!

Lynne

Oscar Valenzuela's reply:

Unfortunately, some irresponsible dog owners usually let their dog make a mess when nobody else is around watching. They walk around with plastic bags and water bottles and when somebody is around, they pick mess up. If they see no one, they leave it. Therefore, it would not help hugely to employ a dog patrol warden. However, the new police station should be finished in approx. 2 months’ time. This means we will have more police presence in GA and more fines will be issued if they catch an irresponsible dog owner. The new security cameras will be installed as well which should also help with this problem. However, overall, this is not a police problem but a matter of simple personal hygiene and so we ask repeatedly that dog owners to become responsible and clean up after their pets!

Q: PEDESTRIAN CROSSING

Hello Lou & Ged

I was last in Gran Alacant just over a week ago and noticed that a pedestrian crossing had been painted on the main road at Carabassi near to the bus stops and another one further up the hill towards Arenales. That is a fantastic improvement to a busy road for local people and visitors. Will drop kerbs will be built at the crossings? That might seem a silly question but looking back at the number of years it has taken for some drop kerbs to be put in place on the crossings around our Novamar urbanisations it's probably not.

In addition, the stone pedestrian pathway leading from the main road to the beach boardwalk at Carabassi was damaged a few years ago by flooding. Since then, it has been an impossible route for pushchairs and wheelchairs that now have to wheel up a busy stretch road to access the boardwalk. I know it must have been difficult to keep up with maintenance work during covid but will this work be carried out this summer?

I will be back in Gran Alacant with my wife and our daughter in mid-July and hopefully there will be good news for us all regarding these safety issues.

Peter

Gran Alacant Advertiser's Answer:

Thank you very Peter much for your question. This road and the whole beach area belongs to the town hall of Elche. The dividing line is at the little white church further up the beach road towards Santa Pola. We asked our councillor Oscar what could be done about improvements in the beach area. He told us he has no authority in this area as it belongs to Elche. However, both Santa Pola and Elche town halls closely collaborate and he will make them aware and discuss this problem with them.

Q: MARKET RELOCATION

Hi Lou & Ged

I saw a note that the market was moving down near the Gabe market near Aldi. When is this happening?

Frank

Q: MARKET

Please can you let me know what date the Gran Alacant market is moving to its new location and what day of the week it is?

Sheila

Q: MARKET

Now that we hear that, the market by the sports centre is being moved to be near the Gabe store, does anybody know what the plans are for existing site? There are rumours that it is going to be a new school, or a sports area or a hotel? Can you please ask the councillor what the plans are?

Graham

Oscar Valenzuela's reply:

From 26 June the construction of new high school modules will begin which is due to be finished before the start of new school year in September. This is a temporary solution for approx. 4 years until we receive the budget from Madrid "plan edificant" to build a new high school.

Parents are happy with this temporary solution, as it will avoid commuting to Santa Pola. The technical team studied the grounds of the current market and there is enough space for the new high school modules as well as market stalls. For the time being, the market will stay where it is until we have budget and time to prepare grounds for the new market in lower Gran Alacant as previously published. We do not have an exact date when this will happen but eventually the market will move to lower Gran Alacant, as the stallholders would prefer this new location due to higher number of permanent residents in this area.

FUNDRAISING IN GRAN ALACANT

Fundraising update from May’s “Bruised but not Broken” Cancer Charity walk in El Campello. A whopping 5,300€ was raised in total. Claire & Lee, Quicksave

TOMMY’S BAR RAISED 1480€ for BABY ADA’S FUNERAL

Baby Ada was diagnosed with Edwards Syndrome, a life limiting condition. She was born on the 30th May and sadly passed only 23 hours and 31 minutes later. A fundraising afternoon was arranged at Tommy's bar and 1,480€ was raised to help pay for the funeral costs.

Condolences to baby Ada’s family.

What a fantastic sunny afternoon spent at Dunbars enjoying friendly chatter and superb food provided by Mandy and her team. The GET YOUR LUNCH FOR FREE raffle was won by one lucky lady and we raised 128€ for our chosen charity, Elche Children's Home. Thanks to everyone for their generosity and thanks to Dunbars for donating the prize of a free lunch.

GALS (GRAN ALACANT LADIES) RAISED 128€ for ECCH

ELECTION WIN

Thank you for your continued trust and support. Mayor Loreto Serrano and I will continue working to improve the neighborhood over the next 4 years. I thank you for the trust placed in us. Your neighbor and friend Óscar Valenzuela

MOSQUITOS

Recent rains have led to the proliferation of mosquitoes in all areas near wetlands. We are intensifying the fumigation work to try to control this.

PARAGLIDERS

A historic agreement has been reached between the paragliders association, residents and Santa Pola Town Hall. The three parties have signed an agreement to regulate jumps in the area and ensure the safety of all.

POLICE STATION

Construction work on the police station in the neighborhood continues at a good pace. The building has a budget of 118 thousand euros and will provide service to the Gran Alacant area.

FOOTBALL

Work continues on the soccer field in the Gran Alicante sports center area, with the laying of the artificial grass.

PLAY PARK MEDICAL CENTRE

Work has started to renovate the popular children’s park at the medical centre.

CLEANING & CLEARING

We continue with clearing and cleaning actions in different streets of the neighborhood.

If you would like to supply news or info for our next edition, or have a question for Gran Alacant Councillor Oscar Pedro Valenzuela, please email: info@granalacantadvertiser.com

GRAN ALACANT WALKING FOOTBALL

Members continue to enjoy our weekly Wednesday sessions at 11am at the Indoor Sports Centre next to the outdoor market on Av. D’Escandinavia. We hope to continue our sessions throughout the summer – providing we continue to get access to the facilities. We welcome all nationalities to play in the Walking Football sessions and join us for a drink afterwards.

Julie has asked me to mention that the Womans Walking Football Group will not meet over the summer, but will recommence on Tuesday 12th September.

The leveling work for the new outdoor pitch is completed, the whole area has been tarred over and a small seating area constructed on the outdoor market side. It is hoped that work will be completed by the end of July. We all look forward to this as we know that playing on an outdoor surface is preferable for those with knee and hip complaints and we will welcome these players to the club.

Our June social get-together was a success and the July meeting will be at La Taverna, Sierra Mar Square on Tuesday 4th July from 1pm onwards. All walking footballers and partners are welcome and we look forward to some talk about the astro-pitch start date as well as having a pleasant afternoon together.

John Fraser, Administrator WhatsApp +34 630 582322

MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB

Sponsored by The Pub, Gran Alacant Insurances, Dialprix, The Belfry, Sunrise Builders, La Piedra and Dunbars

CHICKEN RUN

Sunday 21st May

The monthly chicken run was well supported by bowling and social members. As normal the competition was well organised by Joan, Sue and Howie. The winners of the eggs were Joan Harding and Paul Whearity. The winners of the chickens were Lynne Armitage and Iain Sheridan. Thank you to Jean and Rod Chamberlain who donated the chickens and Julia and Ian Hamilton who donated the eggs. Well done to everyone for making it another enjoyable and successful day. The football card was won by Debbie Crawford with Everton.

INDALO BOWLS CLUB

Fifteen players and two supporters travelled to Mojacar for the annual friendship match with Indalo Bowls Club. On the first day we played five rinks of trips, although we put up a good fight we lost. However the next day we reversed the score and won, but it was down to shots and Indalo came out the

winners. Winners or losers we all had a very enjoyable weekend, thank you Cindy for organising the weekend.

AUSSIE PAIRS

Saturday 10th June

On a very hot Saturday morning we played an enjoyable Aussie Pairs competition. Twenty players took part playing eighteen ends. We had a refreshment break after nine ends, after refreshments we did a spider competition which was won by Neil Crawford. The winning pair with a very good score of forty eight shots was Colin Bedford and Neil Crawford. After well-deserved drinks Cindy presented the winners with vouchers for La Piedra. Thank you Cindy for organising another enjoyable competition.

For further information about Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club check out our website www.montemarbowls.com or email us at info@montemarbowls.com

We are also on Facebook

Book of the month by Beth

A great holiday read to enjoy in the sunshine

My Recommended Book of the Month

Jeffery Deaver

The Hunting Game

Beth worked as a Qualified Librarian in Aberdeen for 20 years. She loves reading and delights in finding exciting new authors as well as reverting back to favourite writers of all genres. Beth has lived in Gran Alacant for the last 15 years.

Allison Park is on the run with her teenage daughter Hannah. Colter Shaw is an expert in tracking missing people and has been hired by her eccentric boss, entrepreneur Marty Harman, to find and protect her.

Allison brings all her skills as a brilliant engineer to the game of evading detection. The reason for her panicked flight is soon apparent. She is being stalked by her husband, Jon Merritt, newly released from prison for trying to murder Allison. Jon is a man whose former profession as a police detective makes him uniquely suited for the hunt.

And he is not alone. 2 hitmen are hot on her heels – an eerie pair of thugs who take delight not only in murder but in devising clever ways to make bodies disappear forever. Even if Shaw manages to catch up with Allison and her daughter, his troubles will just be beginning.

An excellent read which has a slight twist at the end.

NEXT BOOK CLUB MEETING

Wednesday 26 July 2pm, Skipper Bar MASA Square

We meet up once a month, discuss the books we are reading now and suggest new ones. Anyone interested in joining us or looking for more information please contact Beth on Whatsapp +44 7853 363060

July Entertainment

Sat 1st - Micky Bronson 8pm

Mon 3rd - Margaret McDonald 8pm

Wed 5th - Robert Munõz 8pm

Fri 7th - Lady Madonna 8pm

Sat 8th - Mr Bojangles 8pm

Sun 9th - Bryan Thomas 8pm

Mon 10th - Alfie G 8pm

Wed 12th - ‘CC’ Corine Calsijn 8pm

Fri 14th - Robbie Williams tribute 8pm

Sat 15th - Roberto Knight 8pm

Sun 16th - Bryan Thomas 8pm

Mon 17th - Robert Munõz 8pm

Wed 19th - Madness/SKA tribute 8pm

Thur 20th - Reggae Fonics 8pm

Fri 21st - Silent Disco Party 9:30pm

Sat 22nd - Blues Sisters 8pm

Sun 23rd - Bryan Thomas 8pm

Mon 24th - Vortex 80’s Party 8pm

Wed 26th - Jersey Boys Experience 8pm (ticket only)

Fri 28th - Silent Disco Party 9:30pm

Sat 29th - Cherry K 8pm

Sun 30th - Bryan Thomas 8pm

Mon 31st - Blues Sisters 8pm

Follow our Facebook page for all events dates & times, or see notice boards at the bar!

your house!

Symbol of confidence

YOUR API REGISTERED ESTATE AGENT IN GRAN ALACANT SINCE 2007

Celebrating Royal Ascot Ladies day

... in Gran Alacant

Home Turf

Follow us on Instagram: juanruano.oficial & archiemaddan

Landscape masterclass

Mid May brought another wonderful excursion with the Costa Blanca branch of the Mediterranean Garden Society. This time our day consisted of visits to three quite different gardens situated in the Xaló valley. The day started with an early morning visit to the home of one of the members, a Spanish professional gardener who has studied and worked in various different parts of the world including Japan. Toni has particular passion for and expertise with cacti and bonsai. His home is a traditional cottage perched on a quite steep wooded hillside blessed with spectacular views over the vineyards and towns of the Xaló valley. In this unpromising site he has created a magical garden formed of terraces wrapped around his austere yet elegant home filled with books, art and his guitar. The centrepiece of the garden is a collection of cacti possibly unrivalled in our region. Toni guided us around the different levels and spaces in the garden explaining the challenges of growing at 45 degrees! He made us very welcome with home made cakes and drinks including a traditional cake made from produce grown in his garden. Toni’s warm Spanish hospitality and courtesy set our group up for the day and he joined us on the second leg of our adventure which took us down into the valley below to a quite different garden and atmosphere.

Our second garden of the day was at the home of a German couple in Alcalalí who over the last decade and a half have created a remarkable garden around their home in a converted farmstead characteristic of this part of our province. Their house was formerly a building for the processing of raisins, it even includes a building that was formerly a chapel for the workers. What is now their garden was originally where

the grapes were grown. The contrast with Toni’s quite water scarce hillside garden could not have been greater. The owners of this piece of paradise have chosen to create an exuberant almost tropical space. Dense plantings of exotic flowering plants crowd the paths that wind through the garden. One is confronted by different specimens at every turn. Instead of the exhilarating backdrop of Toni’s spectacular view their garden encloses the visitor in a secret fragrant world where one pushes through foliage and is surrounded by colour, scent and dappled light. The work involved in making and maintaining such a garden is immense and the couple explained that they work at least 4 hours every day in the garden.

The final garden of the day was also the location of our wonderful lunch; the Finca la Cuta restaurant in Lliber. This quite large garden consists of a series of beautiful spaces famous for lavender bushes which are distilled on site to make scent and other products. The formal parts of the gardens follow the classic Spanish form of beds and pools surrounded

by paths and shady trees. The restaurant provided a mouth watering vegetarian lunch served on large tables set under pergolas on a patio overlooking the formal garden.

The day had one final special treat. After lunch our group was given a short talk by one of America’s leading landscape architects Thomas Woltz. Thomas’s practice is currently one of the foremost landscape design firms in the world and specialises in public projects including important and

historians alongside research scientists and surveyors to build a complete profile of sites which will inform and guide the subsequent design of any landscaping works. His practice also has a commitment to regenerative design enabling degraded landscape to heal itself. The ambition and commitment of Thomas and his colleagues is probably unrivalled in their field. Interestingly, his visit to Spain was to participate in a project to study the ancient Islamic water courses that still bring water from The Alpujarras mountains to the city of Granada. In a private chat after lunch he explained his wish to see a much wider understanding of the places we inhabit; their natures and history; sentiments we obviously heartily endorse!

prestigious sites at Monticello (Thomas Jefferson’s home), Hudson Yards and the Flight 93 (9/11 hijacking) National Memorial

Thomas gave a fascinating talk explaining how his firm’s approach is to firstly work to understand as much as possible about the sites that they are working on. Analysis of soils, local climate and flora and fauna are accompanied by historical research to establish the history of human occupancy and usage of the sites. His firm employs

It was a privilege to meet these passionate gardeners and to experience the beautiful worlds they have created. Learning about Thomas Woltz’s remarkable work was the crowning glory of a marvellous day spent exploring and learning about gardening and landscape. Our newly appointed councillors in Santa Pola would do well to study the land and landscape they have temporary custodianship of and our own little community in Gran Alacant can definitely benefit from learning from people blessed with a real commitment to enhancing the environment that we all inhabit.

We strongly recommend anyone interested in or appreciative of gardening and landscape to consider joining the MGS and to join us on future adventures!

CLINICA VETERINARIA GRAN ALACANT EXOTICS

Calle Holanda 9, MASA Square I T: 966 698 569

Monday - Friday 10:00 -13:00 & 17:00 - 20:00

Saturday 10:00 -13:00

Liliana Aldeguer Cerdán 793

English translation by Sergio Reina Esteban col 747

DOGS TRUST AGAINST PUPPY SMUGGLING

It’s not the first time we write about this matter, but since we are specially sensitized about it and we found some interesting things at the internet, we think it would be a good idea to reproduce this article from Dogs Trust, in order to make everybody understand in a better English than mine what’s implied in it, and besides that the problem is not only involving Eastern Europe and Spain, but also the UK.

Our work to end puppy smuggling: For more than a decade, we’ve been campaigning to end the vile puppy smuggling trade for good. Since 2012, the Pet Travel Scheme, created to make it easy for owners to take their family pets on holiday with them, has been abused by unscrupulous traders. They’ve taken advantage of the scheme’s simple set-up to illegally import thousands of puppies for sale, making huge profit at the cost of welfare. This has resulted in puppies which are often too young, unvaccinated and in poor welfare being transported to the UK in terrible conditions, to be sold on to unsuspecting buyers. We first exposed this cruel puppy smuggling trade in 2014, we have been pushing for changes to the law to help stop it ever since.

Our Puppy Pilot scheme:

Our Puppy Pilot scheme was set up in 2015 to aid the interception of illegally imported puppies by APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) at the ports and provide care and rehabilitation for them until they find loving new homes. Since them we have cared for more than 2000 puppies. Tragically, we have seen puppies as young as four weeks old being smuggled into the country and dogs with open wounds from ear cropping as well as heavily pregnant dogs close to giving birth.

Don’t fall victim to this vile trade: Our buying advice and information on how

to choose a puppy a litter will help you find a healthy, happy dog from a responsible breeder while avoiding irresponsible breeders and smuggled puppies.

Buyers need to ask:

• Has the puppy been imported? (If yes, how old is the puppy? And does it have a passport?)

• Did you breed the puppy yourself? (If notwho did, where and why are you selling the puppy?)

• Was the dog born in city/country of advert? (If not, where was the puppy born and how did it come to be with you?)

• Can you tell me about the puppy’s parents/bloodline? (If not, why not?)

• Can I visit the puppy at home with its mum, more than once?

• What paperwork does the puppy come with? (Imports will have foreign vet records and probably a passport) Ask to see copies of these ahead of viewing.

• Ask about vaccinations – in particular rabies vaccination – and be aware that to legally come to the UK from an EU country the puppy must be a minimum of 15 weeks of age.

Warning signs:

•Puppies cannot be viewed with their mum.

•No image of mum on the advert, or only an image of her own without her pups.

• It is stated that the puppy is an import but they are under 15 weeks of age.

• Sellers able to offer multiple breeds for sale or offering to deliver the puppy.

• Sellers claiming the puppy has a legitimate passport but failing to show a copy of it.

For some valuable extra info:

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk