Cash boost for Calpe

CALPE has received €2 million from the EU’s Next Generation scheme to carry out a series of improvements throughout the town.

The investment plan is based around four main areas, namely sustainability and green transition (€470,000), energy efficiency (€510,000), digital transition (€400,000) and competitivity (€621,000).

These improvements will include drawing up the Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan, restoring natural spaces and protecting them against impact from the tourism trade, and recovering marine flora and fauna.

New cycle lanes and walk- ing routes will be created along the access avenues to the beaches and an energy efficiency system will be implemented for tourism-related resources.

Smart pedestrian crossings and street lighting systems that turn on and off automatically according to atmospheric lighting conditions will be installed, as well as new self-regulating watering systems in green areas.

Measures will also be introduced to mitigate atmospheric pollution and new car parks will be opened, while local museums will be equipped with digital tools to improve the experience for visitors.

With temperatures predicted to hit 37ºC in some inland areas, the Education department of the Generalitat sent out a list of recommendations to make classes more bearable for students and teachers.

They included moving physical education lessons to first thing in the morning, limiting sun exposure by changing break times if necessary, changing lunch menus to include more fresh fruit and keeping the blinds down during the hottest times of the day, among other advice.

The July-like heat was expected to be particularly dangerous for young children, whose bodies are reportedly not as effective at regulating temperature as those of adults.

Generalitat weather experts predicted that, while the extreme temperatures were expected to drop again after the weekend, the arrival of a cool weather front before the summer was “extremely unlikely” and that the heat is expected to continue through to at least late September.

They also warned that sudden temperature increases like the one registered last week “will become more frequent every year.”

By Richard Millington

PAUL JONES, the original frontman of Manfred Mann and acclaimed musician, was in Denia last week and was kind enough to attend the Denia Baptist Church along with his evangelist wife Fiona Hendley Jones.

On Saturday evening a packed audience was treated to harmonica versions of Do wah diddy diddy and 54321 by Paul, who is currently the president of the National Harmonica League and has been awarded the ‘Harmonica player of the year’ distinction in the

British Blues Awards several times.

There followed an interesting talk from Fiona