Gran Alacant Advertiser November 2022

Q: Allotments

Hi Lou & Ged

I have a house opposite the allotments in GA. I read with interest the Council’s apathy towards green space and the demise of the use of the allotments.

They have gone from being well looked after, to being a mismanaged derelict eyesore. I was told that people were on a waiting list but after several years, nobody new has appeared!

Thanks for helping the GA community. Kind Regards, Bob

Oscar Valenzuela’s reply:

Good news! This project is ready to re-start. If you are interested in an allotment, please put your name down on the list in the Biblioteca. Please be patient, as it will take a few months before you will be contacted.

Update on Petanca courts from October issue:

Hi Lou & Ged, The sand has been replaced and the court is much better to play on.

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.

Q: Rastro Market

Is there any update on the Rastro Market? Thanks, Michele

Oscar Valenzuela’s reply:

We mentioned a few months ago that the rules have changed and now all such activities are required to go through a tender process. Unfortunately, no company was interested in taking on the market management. The good news is that a group of neighbours “Comission Fiestas” have agreed to handle the Rastro Market. This group organise occasional activities such as summer fiestas and Christmas markets. I hope that this will restart soon.

Q: Calle Malta

Hi Lou & Ged

Over the past years I have made many complaints through the GA Advertiser.

I tried to get Oscar Valenzuela to meet me to discuss road surfaces, lack of cleaning and dog mess over a year ago.

I have included a photo of Council land at the end of Calle Malta. I believe it hasn’t been swept for 2 years, maybe more. There is a build up of gravel 2 inches deep, the pavement surrounding the circle is broken and dangerous, the road has many potholes, one nearly 20cm deep!

This is extremely dangerous for road users and causes damage to vehicles. It is about time we got what we pay for, just because these streets are not on the main road they should not be neglected.

Many thanks your help.

Kind regards Phil & Margaret

I believe the Council are only interested in improving cleaning etc during the tourist season. People who live or own houses pay for cleaning the whole year round, please consider giving us all value for money as I believe this is very lacking.

Regards Bill

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

Oscar Valenzuela’s reply:

Hi Bill, I am happy to confirm that the project of road resurfacing has been finalised and ready to start next year. Phase 1 will focus on resurfacing of Av Escandinavia and Phase 2 will focus on Calle Malta.

In addition to road resurfacing I am pleased to say that the new cleaning contract has been finalised and is out for tender process, so all above mentioned issues will be resolved in a very near future.

(Please read more in councillor’s section of news).

Q: Speeding

I have a problem that I hope you can help me solve. My apartment is located in NOVAMAR III, at the bottom of the Av Escandinavia, where it meets the Av Noruega in the sloping roundabout. The entrance/ exit for our urbanisation is located only a few meters down from the roundabout, towards the school, in Av Noruega, and is very dangerous to exit there by car. The problem is the traffic coming down the hill, passing the speed hump prior to the roundabout, then accelerating all the way through the roundabout, and rocketing out of it towards the school. The vision toward our exit is poor, hence the speed limit is 20, but there is no hump or other obstruction, so everybody is going much, much faster, and in particular all the young people who deliver or pick up kids.

I have repeatedly brought this to the attention of the administrators of our urbanisation and the Board. They claim

LARGE

Tuesdays and Thursdays ONLY.

Please Whatsapp only this number any day of the week to let them know the name of the street you are leaving your large items on.

This would help to make the service more efficient and keep our Gran Alacant nice and tidy.

the problem has been forwarded to the Santa Pola authorities, but nothing seems to happen. I believe the remedy is simple: install a speed hump between the roundabout and our exit/entrance.

Can you contact the local authorities and check on the status of this issue please?

Best regards, Rune Angell NOVAMAR III

Oscar Valenzuela’s reply: Thank you for your email. I will contact the traffic department of the local police to check if there is sufficient distance between the roundabout and entrance/exit to Novamar III to insert a speed hump.

NEWS FROM THE GA COUNCILLOR OSCAR VALENZUELA

FOOTBALL

The Local Government Board has approved the tender for the construction project for a new 8-a-side football field at Gran Alacant Sports Center, for a total amount of 398,000 euros. Interested companies may submit their bids for the completion of the work through the state platform.

The Department of Sports has planned the location of the playing field so that an 11-a-side football field can be built in the future. Sports Cllr Julio Baeza said, “We continue working on the provision

of new sports facilities in Santa Pola and specifically in Gran Alacant. We have already started up the basketball court and now this 8-a-side football pitch, which we hope will be in operation by the end of 2022/beginning of 2023”.

Cllr Oscar Valenzuela said, “We continue to make progress in the provision of services for Gran Alacant. Little by little, we are providing the area with more infrastructure to improve the quality of life for the residents. This 8-a-side football field was a highly demanded facility, especially by the parents of the little ones who practice this sport”.

SIERRA MAR

Urbaser, the company specialising in environmental management with activities focused on urban services and waste treatment, has been tasked with clearing the Sierra de Santa Pola of debris.

Keeping our landscapes clean and tidy is everyone’s civic duty. Please keep GA tidy.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

The rainwater channel is being replaced at Avenida Noruega. This is to help prevent flooding during heavy rain fall. The work started on 18/19 October and is expected to last 2 months.

There is a slight detour between Aldi and Gabe market whilst the work takes place. Thank you Les Mahoney for your photos.

POST OFFICE

Improvement works to the layout of the Post Office are now complete. The entrance to the building is shaded to provide shelter from the sun and there is now a waiting room with seats and toilet for customers. We are currently waiting for the Post office to move their furniture & equipment to the new premises.

A BETTER, CLEANER AND GREENER PLACE TO LIVE

in the service. The bidding price for the contract, which is put out to tender for 10 years, has been set at a total of 56,102,983 million euros, including VAT.

Santa Pola City Council announces new 56 million euros cleaning contract to keep the streets of Gran Alacant and Santa Pola tidy.

The approved contract will include urban solid waste collection, street cleaning, beach cleaning and complementary services. In recent years, the poor condition of the containers in the urban areas has been a common complaint, as well as deficiencies

SANTA POLA TOWN HALL’S LATEST TENDER IS FOR A 1 MILLION EURO ASPHALT PLAN

This is expected to improve the most deteriorated road surfaces of GA such as Calle Malta, Avd Escandinavia and Avd. Noruega. Elevated pedestrian crossings will also be built to improve safety in different areas.

Mayor of Santa Pola Loreto Serano said, “Our goal is for a better, cleaner and greener city, with more recycling and awareness. Santa Pola is going to make a qualitative and environmental leap with this new cleaning contract. We will have new quieter, more efficient machinery, more containers and improved equipment collection”.

There will be more personnel assigned to Gran Alacant with the increase in frequency of collection. New containers will be available and organic waste will also be collected.

POLICÍA LOCAL DE SANTA POLA POLICE NEWS

ALERT FOR RISK OF FRAUD ON SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SMISHING!

Police are warning people to be alert to the risk of fraud on mobile phones and social networks.

The people in charge of carrying out these types of frauds send messages impersonating the technical support of any social network. In this way, they ask the user for a code that allows them to access their account directly and change all the data to take their possession.

They then claim a large amount of money to recover it, sending messages threatening to delete all account data if you do not enter the requested amount through cryptocurrency within a specific interval of hours. This method makes it harder to track them down.

Another of the most used scams in recent years is Smishing (SMS phising). Through this type of fraud, the scammer impersonates different types of businesses, such as banks, courier or state agencies, sending a vital message about any service. In these messages, they add links that redirect the user to fake websites where they collect personal information with which they can access personal data, accounts, etc.

To avoid this type of scams users should:

• Enable two-step verification on all your social networks.

• Do not give any personal information or codes requested by third parties.

• Check that the domain of the link they send us or the email address from which they contact the user is true, is well written and the email information redirects to the website of the company you refer to.

ROAD SAFETY - FLOODS

If you encounter a flood or a flooded road, turn around and find a safer route.

With water at half wheel, the vehicle loses grip and is difficult to control. Any higher and the car could be dragged away in the current.

Do not take chances! Please drive safely.

ROAD SAFETY - DRIVING Did you know that the crimes that cause the most death, injury and suffering are those regarding Road Safety?

In this image of Norway Avenue, a vehicle is overtaking on a curve with double continuous lines. Expect a fine of 500 euros if you are caught doing this. Please use common sense whilst driving on the roads.

K9

His name is Narco one of the newest members of the Police force. His destiny is to patrol the streets and parks of Santa Pola to make them safer for you.

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

Book of the month by Beth

This is a compulsive read. It is chilling but also hilarious!

My Recommended Book of the Month Bella Mackie How to kill your family

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.

When Grace Bernard discovers her absentee millionaire father has rejected her dying mother’s pleas for help, she vows revenge and coldly sets out to get retribution on six members of her family – by killing them all one by one.

Bella Mackie’s debut novel is driven by a first-person narrator who talks wellbeing and social media while calmly walking the reader through her acts of murder.

Then Grace is imprisoned for a murder she did not commit. In prison she starts to write her story while her lawyer fights to free her. Nobody else can possibly understand how someone, at the tender age of 28, can have killed her family and then got on with the rest of her life, never to regret a thing.

However just like most crime novels there is an interesting twist at the end that changes everything. I enjoyed this book and surprisingly had a laugh or two.

MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB

Sponsored by The Pub, Gran Alacant Insurances, Dialprix, The Belfry & Sunrise Builders

AUSSIE PAIRS

On Wednesday 21st September we played the popular drawn Aussie Pairs.Twenty four players took part each pair played eighteen ends. The result was based on the most shots per couple. The winners were Joan Harding and Sue Bounds the runners up were Jan Soars and Ian Hamilton. Well done to the winners and thank you to Cindy for organising another successful competition.

On Thursday 22nd September we had a very enjoyable morning at Greenlands Bowling Club. Twenty four of us had a great time playing crazy golf followed by a lovely lunch and of coarse a few drinks. Thanks to the ladies of the social club for organising another enjoyable outing.

CHICKEN RUN

Sunday 25th September

The monthly chicken run was well supported with twenty eight members taking part. As usual everyone had a enjoyable mornings bowling in lovely sunshine. The chickens were won by Sheila Roberts and David Eades the eggs by Des Freeman and Paul Dodds. Thank you to Kay and David Thomas

CRAZY GOLF

who donated the chickens and Julia and Ian Hamilton who donated the eggs, with the help of the chickens.The football card was won by Iain Sheridan with Stoke City. Also thank you Joan Harding, Sue Bounds and Howie.

Thursday 13th October

After about three years we played our first Winter League against San Miguel. We had a very good result winning on all of the three rinks. Well done to all!!! Hopefully we will have more good results.

Friday 14th October

Monte Mar Matadors v Country Bowls Panthers. After the long drive to Country Bowls we had another good result. We won on three rinks well done, Sue Bounds, Chris Harding and skip Joan Harding. Lynne Armitage, Steve Hindle skip Phil Goble. Ginna Hindle, Cindy Bedford skip David Eades.

Shots Matadors 84 – 90 Panthers Points Matadors 6 – 6 Panthers

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

are also

Out & About ...

in Gran Alacant

On Friday 21st October, Zest held a charity coffee morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. Many cakes were kindly donated with all cake sales going to this worthy cause. Richard Preston was awarded the title of “Star Baker” for donating his home made lemon drizzle cake, carefully decorated with traditional Zest green icing! There also were lots of donations of raffle prizes and in total this well attended event raised over 400€. Thank you to all those who attended and contributed!

Star Baker

Richard Preston

Turf

A lost world

One of the features of Spain that is little understood by foreigners is its tradition of establishing model new towns and villages. The country is scattered with little settlements built at various times over the last three hundred years by landowners, industrialists and governments. The motivations for establishing these planned communities have included utopianism, commercial profit and Francoist social planning.

A fascinating example of such a town is Colonia de Santa Eulalia which lies about 40 minutes drive outside of Gran Alacant between the towns of Sax and Villena. The little town was established towards the end of the 19th century under the 1868 Law of Colonies and was a product of the utopian spirit of that period. We ventured to this little surviving gem to take a taste of that late Victorian Spanish optimism!

The town was founded by Antonio de Saavedra y Rodriguez de la Guerra, Count of Alcudia, on the site of an historic hermitage of Saint Eulalia. The Count intended that the town would be a small industrial centre to process the various agricultural products of the surrounding estate including grapes, olives and almonds. In 1887 the town was declared a First Class Agricultural Colony. In its prime years up to around 1925 the town possessed a flour mill, cognac distillery, warehouses, oil mills and other facilities linked to its agricultural commercial life including a railway station. However, more unusually the town also contained an inn, a theatre and a casino. The Count also had a palace built in the town for himself. The little model town was indeed a thriving community with the economic, religious, social and cultural life of a fully fledged town.

However the town’s fortunes declined in the late 1920s and in common with much of Spain it suffered great harm due to the civil war. Gradually the town’s industries declined, its physical fabric decayed and population diminished; the railway station being demolished in the 1990s due to its advanced dereliction and declining usage. Many of the surviving buildings are in quite advanced states of damage despite the public authorities recognising its historical importance. In 2016 the Valencian government declared the town an asset of cultural importance. The town has been used for filming due its time capsule quality. To walk around the town’s streets and its two squares is to be transported back to the atmosphere of late Victorian and Edwardian rural Spain: a world just beginning to use industrial techniques to process foodstuffs and send them out on steam trains to distant markets; the birth of the modern era.

A visit to the town should include a careful peek into the sadly decayed Cervantes theatre that still contains its decoration

Follow us on Instagram: juanruano.oficial & archiemaddan

and wooden seating galleries. The Count’s palace also survives and its exterior decorative scheme combines classical proportions with a hint of more modern styles and forms in its plaster work; perhaps an aristocrat’s nod to the modern world being born around him.

Above all however one is left with a sense of melancholy for anall too brief golden age brought to an end by war, economic change and demographic shifts. One cannot help but be reminded of the ancient refrain “Carpe Diem”, a reminder to us all to use our time wisely and to run the day since eventually all things will pass.

If you are interested in Spain’s model towns and villages then there are many

others of these planned towns across our province. Some of them are in the Villena region, Juan’s hometown, and www.turismovillena.com is organising some guided tours this autumn for those interested. The visits will include the following model and planned towns: Colonia Sierra Salinas: a really remote and unsuccessful colony up in the mountains where the towns of Salinas, Pinoso and Villena (Alicante) and Jumilla and Yecla (Murcia) meet.

La Encina: any train spotters out there? This is a railway village built to house railwaymen and their families in the late 19th century and still thriving.

Other towns were planned later on during the Franco dictatorship. Some examples in our province are San Isidro in La Vega Baja and El Realengo (which belongs to Crevillente).

Have you rescued a pet within the last 6 months ?

We at the Pet Hotel want to show our appreciation to all the wonderful people that have rescued a pet within the last 6 months with a €50 GIFT VOUCHER.

This voucher can be used for boarding, day care services or a wellness bath at our premises.

We know that all rescued animals deserve to have the best and want to help all the new owners that have opened their arms and hearts and welcomed a new pet into

their families. What better way to show them they are loved than with a refreshing bath and a relaxing pamper session.

Please contact us to receive your voucher and discuss how you want to use it.

We warmly welcome as well Dogs and Cats with Handicap and pets they need a special care.

Caniresort Domino Costa Blanca offers a full 24 hours service for you pet and a very professional team.

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

WATCH OUT FOR SEA TURTLES!

Do you like sea turtles? Yes, we mean those ones everybody have seen swimming in tropical seas at the movies. Well, here, at the Mediterranean, there are sea turtles too. As a matter of fact, they are the same turtles you have seen at the movies. There are 8 different species which spend their lives at all warm water seas and oceans. Their diet, according to the species, may be carnivorous, herbivorous or omnivorous. Even some of them are carnivorous when they are young, and they become herbivorous as they get older.

They are very important for marine ecosystems as they control algae and jellyfish overpopulation. The mouth of some species is prepared for jellyfish diet, and their irritant “poison” doesn’t affect the turtle in any way. These turtles can eat massive quantities of jellyfishes, so they control jellyfish population (and environmental balance) at the same time.

Due to climate change, sea temperature is increasing, and this make jellyfish population get bigger and bigger, so we need sea turtles at the Mediterranean.

Sea turtles are vulnerable for several reasons:

• They get trapped in fishing nets.

• They think plastic bags are a jellyfish, so they eat them, and many individuals die of intestinal obstruction.

• The places where they lay their eggs have become less safe than they used to be. Male turtles never leave the sea, but pregnant females must go to sand beaches to lay their eggs, up to 3 times a year. They normally go to the same beach year after year, but the last 10-15 years their habits have changed.

Gender in turtles is determinate by the temperature during incubation period, the higher the temperature, the more females are born, and vice versa. Because of the global temperatures increasing, the number of newborn males is very low, and, for this reason,

mother turtles are trying to compensate this effect searching for cooler beaches where to deposit their eggs. And those cooler beaches are our area beaches.

Sea turtles lay their eggs at night: they get out of the sea and walk on the sand till they find the right place. Then they dig a nest and lay 50-100 eggs ping-pong ball size. Then they bury the eggs and return to the sea. The whole process takes about 1 hour. In order to orientate, they search for the reflection of the Moon at the sea (same as the newborns will do a few weeks later): they will go to the sea following the reflection of the Moon. The problem with this is in many beaches there is a high degree of light pollution: turtles (females and newborns) may eventually think light poles are Moon’s reflection, and walk the wrong way (turning their backs to the sea), with catastrophic consequences for them.

For all these reasons, nowadays there is a campaign called “rastros en la arena” (traces at the sand), and everyone who wants can cooperate. You have probably seen the signs at the beach. We try to detect sea turtle nests just to protect them and ensure mother turtles and babies survival. Instructions are very simple: if you see the typical trace “ladder like” at the sand, or even the turtle itself, don’t do anything. Just call emergencies number 112, and the specialists will do the rest.

It’s very important for pets owners who like to walk their dogs at the beach to be extremely careful: if we leave our dog off the lead at the beach, it may destroy the nest in seconds, and not even sea turtles nest but also the nests of other species which choose beach sand to breed, such as Kentish plover, which will protect their nests and chicks with their lives. So, please, don’t let the dogs run free at the beach without surveillance.

Some extra info at Rastros en la arena ecologistas en accion.

SÁBADOS

LABORABLES

ARENALES

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SÁBADOS

ALICANTE ALTET ARENALES GRAN ALACANT SANTA POLA 8:00 8:15 8:20 8:30 8:40 9:00 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:40 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:30 10:40 11:00 11:15 11:20 11:30 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:20 12:30 12:40 13:00 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:40 14:00 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:15 15:20 15:30 15:40 16:00 16:15 16:20 16:30 16:40 17:00 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:40 18:00 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:30 19:40

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We are now able to enjoy the cooler weather at our 11am Wednesday sessions at the Indoor Centre on Av. D’Escandinavia,78. Numbers are constantly good with old regulars coming and visiting more frequently as we all come to terms with “life with Covid” - and we continue to welcome new members and introduce them to the sport.

We had a lovely celebration for Henry “Harry” Hunter’s 80th Birthday at Tommys Bar after our session on the 19th October. We presented “H” with a personalized

club T-shirt and a magnum of his favourite winter drink.

Club T-shirts are still available for the bargain price of 5€.

We hope to get a good turnout at our Annual AGM this year at 1pm on Tuesday 1st November outside The Pub in Masa Square.

(See our Facebook page for the Agenda.)

John Fraser, Administrator WhatsApp +34 630 582322

BICI GRAN ALACANT

We are a small group who spend most of the time here in Gran Alacant. If you are interested in joining one of our rides look us up on Facebook Gran Alacant Road Cyclist (Bici Gran Alacant) where ride details are posted.

TENNIS CLUB - EURO TENIS

For players of all standards near Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, La Marina & Elche

Playing Tuesday and Friday mornings, 10.00 - 12.00 at Club de tenis Elche

For more details email: eurotenis2@gmail.com

GRAN ALACANT RUNNERS

but now he knows he is able to run and finish 5k races. Ian finished in 27 min 06 secs and Julie finished in 37mins 30secs.

1st of October saw El Altet host their 7th edition of the 5k and 10k races with 3 of our runners taking part - Philippe (GA Homefinders) and 2 new comers, Ian and Julie from the UK. Philippe has suffered with knee problems (Meniscus) for many years and this was his first race in 2 years and so he was keeping his fingers crossed he could get round the course without pain or difficulty. With loud music playing everywhere and a large number of runners taking part they managed to meet on the start line in Altet where everyone enjoyed the pre-race atmosphere. The three started together but it wasn’t too long before Ian, going faster than the other two, opened up a gap. Spurred on by the many thousands of spectators, the endless sound of music and the great ambience, Philippe started to catch up with Ian and passed him at 3.5k, but after that point he started to suffer some pain with his knee, but that did not prevent him from finishing in a fantastic time 26min 16 sec. Not his best ever time

They met again at the finish where they enjoyed the food, cakes and drinks, including beer, which was all provided by the organisers. It was generally agreed this was a well organised event with a great atmosphere, and one that will be revisited next year.

Diary Dates:

13 November Alicante – Santa Pola 21k (https://worldsmarathons.com/marathon/ costa-blanca-half-marathon)

22nd January 2023 Santa Pola 21k (https://www.chiplevante.com)

GRAN ALACANT GOLF SOCIETY

GAGS are now back to playing twice a week, Tuesday and Friday at 8am. We are looking forward to meeting up with our regular players and welcoming new members whether they be residents or visitors.

SOCIETY DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Where: El Plantio Golf Resort. The official address is A-79, Km3, 03114, Alicante.

When: the formal Society Day is Tuesdays weekly when all golfers are most welcome. In addition we have an informal get together every Friday which has always been a Gentleman’s Day.

Time: on both days normally 8am so please be there by 7.40am. Occasionally the Starter may request we change the time so unless you are a regular golfer it would be best to check with us beforehand.

Cost: usually €50 per round at peak times to include a buggy plus €1.50 mandatory insurance charge. It can sometimes be cheaper during less busy, off peak seasons. In addition the Society requires €5 sweep money which is all paid out at the end of the round.

We look forward to seeing you. For more information please contact: Michael (966 698 925) Tony (966 183 004)

OF THE GRAN ALACANT