The Leader Newspaper 2 May 2023 - Edition 969

637

Now

It is reported in La Verdad that the councillor for education hailed it as a most satisfactory outcome, the choice of Zenia Boulevard Car park for the construction of a new school in Orihuela Costa.

But, in truth, it would appear to be anything but; just one more ridiculous decision emanating from the city of Orihuela, the outrageous targeting of a shopping centre, one of the most successful commercial powerhouses in the whole of the province, without, it seems, any thought given to the considerable economic damage that it could cause.

However, following a meeting between the Councillor for Education, María García, and the Ministry, despite there being a number of other alternative sites in the area, the decision has seemingly been made for the installation of its prefabricated classrooms on the municipal car park adjacent to the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre.

With the schooling situation on the Orihuela Costa close to saturation, many young students relegated to corridors and storerooms, and with the Department of Education needing to find an urgent solution, we are told that the construction of School No 20 will be complete in time for the September term.

For now, the intention is for the school to have a capacity for 450 students, which will mean an investment of 9 million euros, financed entirely by Valencia.

This new school, the third in Orihuela Costa, "will allow the CEIP Los Dolses and Playas de Orihuela to decongest, and therefore improve the educational care that the authorities are able to provide in an area of growing demographic expansion," they say.

The need for school places on the coast exploded following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, which triggered the growth in the Vega Baja of the Ukrainian and Russian population and, with it, the number of students who needed to register at school outside the regular enrolment period.

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The Ministry and the Municipal Council have therefore agreed that the new CEIP number 20 will start operating during the next academic year in prefabricated classrooms.

The assembly work on the provisional facilities will begin before the summer so that the centre will be ready by September. The project will initially provide 18 classrooms (6 for Infants and 12 for Primary), corresponding to 360 school places. The provisional facilities, the Ministry states, "have a maximum ratio of 20 students per classroom so

TORREVIEJA WILL CELEBRATE EUROPE DAY IN MAY

The Department of International Residents in Torrevieja town hall has organised a celebration to recognise Europe Day 2023, with a gala at the International Auditorium featuring Azúcar Moreno, who took part in Eurovision in 1990 with the song "Bandido", achieving 5th position. The gala, which will be held on May 9 at 7:30 p.m., will feature many surprises but sadly all the free tickets were all given out in the first day.

P O E T R Y

O R N E R

“BULLET PROOF ”

by David Whitney c2023

How reckless are the gun laws

In those States across the sea

As easy to obtain a gun

As buy a cup of tea

Three children dead

Three adults dead

Another senseless crime

A lunatic allowed to kill

No reason sense or rhyme

Not safe to school their children

Not safe to work or play

In fear that when you wake up

It could be your final day

The gun men have no conscience

Their actions have no guilt

They seldom live to answer to

The blood they all have spilt

Grief engulfs those families

Who lose their precious ones

In showers of fire and bullets

From those crazy handled guns

When will it stop? How can it stop?

When the gun laws are so lax

I cannot see things changing

So there'll be more gun attacks

To see your poem published on this page send to: office@theleader.info

that teachers and students can work and learn in more comfortable conditions." Thus, when CEIP number 20 is built in brick, its total capacity will be 450 students and a ratio of 25 students per classroom.

The new CEIP will be created by moving students and teachers from the Los Dolses and Playas de Orihuela schools, transferring a complete line from each centre, so many of the teaching staff at Los Dolses and Playas de Orihuela will also travel with their students.

However, between now and the beginning of the

new school year additional teaching staff will be taken on in public schools across the whole Community, a number of whom will be earmarked for the new centre.

While there is no doubt that additional accommodation desperately needs to be found for the Orihuela Costa’s school population, but with a number of other available sites in close proximity, if true, many local associations say they simply cannot understand quite why the council seems intent on putting the economic future of such a successful retail operation at risk!

The town hall will also provide a free bus service from the Torrevieja interchange to the International Auditorium, with the first departure at 6p.m. and the last at 6:30 p.m. On May 6, a day before Europe Day, from 9:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be a Petanque tournament on the slopes of the Rocajuna urbanisation, "Europe Tournament", sponsored by the EmbassyMyHome company together with the Torrevieja Council will feature teams from Spain, UK, Sweden, France, Belgium and Rest of Europe.

Spain, won the tournament on the last occasion it was played.

KING JUAN CARLOS DENIES HAVING A SECRET DAUGHTER NAMED ALEJANDRA

Juan Carlos I has denied a story published by 'El Confidencial' in which the newspaper reports that he has a secret daughter named Alejandra.

The publication says that it has learned from sources close to the King emeritus, that, in addition to Cristina and Elena, he had a third daughter in the 1970s with a Spanish aristocrat.

The information appears in a book written by journalists JosÈ MarÌa Olmo and David Fern·ndez entitled 'King Corp. The never-before-seen empire of Juan Carlos Ií. For more than three years, according to Olmo, the pair have investigated the financial assets, businesses and friends of the emeritus and, in the process, the have discovered the existence of Alejandra, even though she has never claimed any type of succession right to Juan Carlos I.

Olmo downplays the former head of state's denial and wonders what the emeritus would have said if, four years ago, someone had asked him if he had money secreted away in tax havens.

In the book, of which 'El Confidencial' had an advanced copy, it is said that this blood relationship between Alejandra and the emeritus is something that is known by all members of the royal family, although official sources from Zarzuela have also denied the claim.

At mid-morning, barely three

hours after the information was first published, the Casa del Rey press office claimed "to have no knowledge" of whether Juan Carlos I has a secret daughter named Alejandra with a spokesman suggesting that any questions about the matter be raised directly with the former king.

Dodging questions from journalists about Juan Carlos I is nothing new for Zarzuela. It has been doing so since 2019, when the monarch abandoned the crown and public life. That decision was made by Felipe VI just weeks after learning that his father had hidden money abroad, something that became publicly known a year later, in March 2020, when he announced that he would renounce the inheritance should it be left to him when his father dies. That decision was made after the foreign media outlets published details about the fortune of Juan Carlos I in tax havens.

The authors of the book do not reveal Alejandra's last name although they do say that they have confirmed her existence through three sources of information: a former lover of Juan Carlos I, to whom he confessed his paternity; a businessman friend of the monarch and an expartner of the girl.

According to the investigation, the girl grew up not knowing who her father really was and, once informed, she chose to continue her previous life as part

Juan Carlos was in Spain last week to compete in the IIVolvo Regatta

of an aristocratic family "well connected to power". When she found out about the bond that united her with Juan Carlos, the monarch, the journalists point out, "tried to compensate for the lack of official recognition with affection and other signs of generosity, although he never quite treated her like his other three children."

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The Zenia Boulevard Shopping Centre, managed by Nhood, has announced its program of activities for the month of May, where the family, mothers in particular, and the care of the planet will be the main themes.

For Mother's Day, on Saturday, May 6, (Mother´s Day is the Sunday, but the shops are closed on that day, although the restaurants at Zenia Boulevard will be open as usual) the shopping centre will organise the "Happy Mother's Day", a full day of activities especially aimed at mothers.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Spa La Laguna hotel team will offer a free relaxing massage to all mothers who come to their area, and they can also refresh themselves with the ice cream which the shopping centre will provide from 12 noon. Children can make their own bracelets as a gift to their mothers in the children's creative workshop from 5 p.m. to 8. The day will have its finishing touch with the performance at 7 pm of Michael Habanna, the man of a thousand voices, who will appear in his show depicting versions of songs by the best singers of all time. In the build up to Mother´s Day, from May 2 to 6, all mothers who go to the customer information point and show their purchase receipts, with a value equal to or greater than 20 euro, will be entered into a prize draw for a Beauty Day, which includes a hairdressing and makeup session and the style advice of a personal shopper.

A MAY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CARE IN ZENIA BOULEVARD

Another mother that will receive closer attention through-

out the month of May is Mother Earth, with activities throughout May aimed at raising awareness of sustainability and the environment.

On May 13, Zenia Boulevard will host a day with educational activities for children in which they can learn more about the importance of caring for the planet. In the morning, from 11 a.m., the agriculture workshop Plántate will be held, an campaign to support sustainable agriculture and responsible consumption in which children will learn to grow their own plants and food.

In the afternoon, from 4 to 7 p.m., they will enjoy a creative workshop to raise awareness about responsible water consumption, as well as storytelling with the mascots of the shopping centre, Zimbo and Peludo.

From May 25 to 27 there will be a new edition of ReNueva Market, the circular fashion project developed in collaboration with Help at Home. 3 days in which the organisation will open a pop-up store in Zenia Boulevard where they will give a second life to clothing, raising funds to help families with difficulties in the community.

On May 27 and in collaboration with IKEA, Zenia Boulevard will promote the re-use of furniture. With "Give a second life to your IKEA furniture", visitors to the centre who deliver Ikea furniture back to the store that they no longer use in their homes, will receive up to 50% of the original value, while contributing to 'give them a second life' and avoid their destruction and waste.

In the words of the Centre Director, Cristina Ros, "we want to continue offering our customers a calendar full of free activities where fun, education and values merge. At Zenia Boulevard we are proud to be much more than a shopping centre.

We are that meeting point where our customers can enjoy unforgettable moments, while we work with each other to make a positive impact in our community."

DROUGHT INTENSIFIES FOR F A R M E R S IN THE VEGA BAJA

Although Urban supply is guaranteed this summer, the first restrictions on irrigated crops in the province will take place in Vega Baja in July, as the drought intensifies, the heat increases and the reservoirs dry up .

Many reservoirs in the province are down to just 32% of their capacity as the level of the flows continues to decrease. At the moment there is only one area on pre-alert, which is Bajo Segura, and the Júcar basin, but if the forecasts are accurate and it doesn't rain, the situation will become delicate.

In terms of water reserves, the Alicante regions, and especially Vega Baja and Baix Vinalopó, are the ones in the worst situation in the entire Valencian Community. In fact, in the province of Valencia the reservoirs are still at 63% of their maximum capacity and in Castellón the figure stands at 48%.

As a whole, the Valencian Community has 56% of dammed water. It is above the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia (29%); Castilla-La Mancha (39%); Extremadura (51%); Murcia (27%); Aragon (55%); Cantabria (42%) and below Madrid (67%); Castilla y León (69%); Galicia (79%); Asturias (78%); Basque Country (75%) and La Rioja (73%).

The hevy rains in March and April 2022 have helped the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón to be able to face the current drought, but reserves are dwindling, especially in the Alicante reservoirs of the Segura basin that are fed by the Tajo-Segura.

Proof of this is that in the Crevillent reservoir there are currently 4 hm3 of a total of 13 hm3, which is its maximum capacity, while in La Pedrera, which is located in the municipality of Orihuela, there are 65 hm3 of water, of a total of 246 hm3 that it should house. Although it is also beginning to be worrying, the panorama presented by the dams in the Júcar basin is not so dramatic. The BeniarrésSerpis river- stores 17 hm3 of the 27 hm3 of total capacity; The Amadorio de La Vila Joiosa and Orxeta -Amadorio river- has 7 hm3 of the 16 hm3 that it would reach if it were completely full and the one in the best situation in the entire province of Alicante is the Guadalest reservoir with 9 hm3 of the 13 hm3 that can be dammed.

With these meagre water reserves and the forecast of an absence of rain capable of filling the Alicante reservoirs until at least September or October, according to the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, the southern part of the province of Alicante will suffer the first water restrictions by next July. "We have made a great investment in recent years in saving and reusing water in the Valencian Community, but we will continue advancing in the good management of every drop of water," said Minister Isaura Navarro, alluding to the fact that "climate change forces Valencian agriculture to adapt to the scarcity of resources".

If the desired rainfall does not arrive in July, the alert phase will be activated, which will

mean a cut in water for irrigated crops in the Vega Baja region, a measure that will mainly affect citrus fruits and winter vegetables - artichokes, celery, lettuce and broccoli - which begin to be planted in the summer months.

But if there is no heavy rain until October, the alert phase will go to the emergency phase, which will imply a minimum cut of 25% of the volume of water destined to irrigate crops.

Of the entire Valencian Community, the province of Alicante is the most affected by the drought. The cereal harvest has already been completely lost. The lack of water has prevented flowering, so this precious fruit will only be harvested on the irrigated farms in Villena and Vall de Gallinera. And to this list of losses across the Alicante countryside, we must add almond trees in the Orihuela area, which is already in a critical situation, and will not only affect the harvest but also the plantations themselves due to the water stress

they are suffering.

Jorge Olcina, professor of Regional Geographic Analysis and director of the Climatology Laboratory at the University of Alicante said, "What can and should be done now is to transmit a message of prudence and containment of water consumption in urban and agricultural uses and, from here, what will be decisive are the measures that are taken by the Hydrographic Confederations, which are responsible for implementing the management plans depending on the level of drought", but above all he asked for a message of calm as he called for a "rational and responsible". The tourist season is not in any danger. "We are now better than when we faced the drought of the 90s because desalination plants have been built and the urban water supply is guaranteed throughout the province with reservoirs, aquifers and desalination plants. Therefore -he says- the tourist season is not in any danger, but we must all make a rational and responsible consumption."

“However, the agricultural sector could suffer restrictions and in an extreme situation it will be necessary to activate the drying wells if the Confederations so decide.”

The Crevillent reservoir, one of the most affected by the drought in the province of Alicante

On Friday afternoon, a 40 year old British man, who was accused of killing his childhood friend, 21 year old Ben Nesbitt, in Rojales almost 3 years ago, was found not guilty of the crime by a popular jury.

The court said that it found that there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Following the verdict, the judge agreed to the release of the defendant.

The murder occurred in October 2020 when Nesbitt, from Merseyside, died after being stabbed in the neck.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the defendant shared his home with the dead man in a Villamartin urbanisation in Orihuela Costa , although the attack occurred in Rojales.

On September 30, 2020, the defendant and the victim went to a recreational gaming establishment in Ciudad Quesada after which they went to a house in Rojales, owned by another British couple whom they had met at premises.

During their time in Rojales, after consuming a large amount of alcohol and drugs, an argument began in which the defendant was alleged to have cut his partner's throat, causing his death.

Almost 4,000 fake watches seized in Guardamar

Elche Police has taken apart a distribution hub in Guardamar where high end counterfeit watches are offered to dealers. In the operation, 3,560 fake watches were seized and a man and a woman aged 43 and 36, of Moroccan nationality, were arrested. The watches are all high-quality, copies of prestigious brands, such as Rolex.

The detainees were accused of a crime against industrial property but were provisionally released after testifying at police stations.

Arts and craft fair with swing in Rojales

Because of last year's success, the Rojales once again celebrates Europe Day in the Ciudad Quesada urbanization, with an Arts and Crafts fair organized by artisans association Amata. On Saturday and Sunday the swing group will return and teach everyone who wants to join in the fun to dance.

On Friday and Sunday there will be a puppet theater, and for Saturday afternoon/evening, the Town Hall has organized a drumming parade (Butakada), performances by the Municipal School of Dance, a Giant Pizza and the fair ends that day with a nostalgic concert of The Liverpool Band with a tribute to The Beatles.

According to the defendant the owner of the house in Rojales had cocaine. They bought 2 grams for a hundred euros and after consuming it they offered him hashish in exchange for more "cocaine", as they had run out of money.

The three were in the kitchen and the victim, according to the defendant, got angry with the owner of the house who took out a knife to cut a larger piece of hashish.

According to the defendant, both were drunk and as the pair started to fight the owner of the house stabbed the 21-yearold young man, who then ran out into the street, and after collapsing onto the pavement, quickly bled to death.

The Prosecutor's Office however, maintained that the friend himself was the perpetrator of the fatal stabbing, alleging that, following the stabbing, he fled the house for fear of also being attacked by the owner of the house.

All through his trial, however, the accused blamed the owner of the house for his friend’s death.

The jury took less than an hour to reach their decision, finding that there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused man.

The investigation was launched folowing an operation carried out recently in Murcia. On information received from Crevillent Local Police, Guardia agents subsequently arrested nine people and seized counterfeit products with a market value of around ten million euros.

The watches were offered to street vendors or local market traders, mostly ëLooky Lookyí men.

The investigators were able to intercept and arrest the main figure under investigation as he was leaving his home in Guardamar del Segura a search of which found nearly 4,000 more fake watches.

The man's partner was also arrested as an accomplice.

And, of course, there will be the usual high-quality stalls chosen by Amata, this time with a the participation of three painters, offering a diverse range of styles and techniques. At this fair there will be nothing that is imported or made in a factory, just more than twenty stalls with ceramics and pottery, soaps, wooden toys and stuffed animals, turned and carved wood, and leather belts and bags, all hand made by the participants. You can watch various artisans and artists at work, or you can make a vase or bowl on the potter's wheel. And if you can't find what you're looking for, the artisans can make it to order.

The fair will be set up around the Plaza Blanca in Ciudad Quesada and the opening hours will be Friday, the 12th of May, from 6 till 9 pm; On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May the fair opens from 11 in the morning until 9 in the afternoon/night (or later), without closing at midday.

Photos of last year's fair and the complete programme can be found at https://www.puebloartesano.es/rojales. And if you cannot visit this fair, you can find many members of Amata in their virtual craft village https://www.puebloartesano.es

LOS DOLSES - ORIHUELA COSTA

Ref: 001562 e425,000

DETACHED VILLA WITH PRIVATE POOL

Totally refurbished 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, villa with large southfacing terrace.

Airconditioning and heating, all new windows, completely insulated. Underbuild with 2 additional rooms. Garage and access to seperate garden area, part of which is used for bed and breakfast.

ORIHUELA COSTA RESIDENTS DEMAND RETURN OF THEIR BEACH SERVICES

carry out its activity until the new contract was formalised

A spokesman said, "this situation has not only caused negative consequences for tourism and for 30,000 local residents, but also for the economy, as the municipality has failed to collect almost one million euros, corresponding to the payment that would have been made. Neither must we forget the beach bar staff who suddenly found themselves out of work, and with no way of supporting their families, or the many thousands of tourists who descended on the coast over the long Easter period and found the beaches without services.”

"Is this really the image that the Orihuela Council wants to project to encourage

tourism in our municipality and is the loss of the 11 blue flags a chance they are willing to take.”?

AVCLR has also registered a question in plenary this Thursday, to be answered by the Councillor for Beaches, about his proposals to ensure continuation of the certification of the blue flags, "since without the seasonal services they will be impossible to achieve," they warn. Also in attendance at the demonstration were employees of Chiringuitos del Sol, the company that previously provided the service. "Beaches without services, families without work" was just one of the messages that could be read on the banners of the protesters, who also criticised the dirt on the beaches.

Cala Bosque beach, in La Zenia, was the venue for a demonstration on Tuesday by Residents of Orihuela Costa who came together to demand that the Municipal Council restores the beach services that they have been without for the whole of 2023.

The Councillor for Beaches, Antonio Sánchez, took the irrational decision last year to terminate the Beach Bar contract operated by Chiringuito’s del Sol, as a

result of which the beach bar services, including toilets, sun beds, umbrellas, were lost to the 30,000 residents that live on the coast.

The New Year brought absolutely no movement on the new tender with the councillor also failing to deliver on the provision of toilets, which he had promised would be restored in the January Plenary meeting.

Residents are now concerned that the beach bars, and

associated services, will not be reinstated in time for the summer holiday season, which could result in the loss of the Orihuela Costa’s 11 blue flags.

Organisers of the demonstration, which included local resident’s association AVCRL, said that it is a disgrace that the Municipal Council did not plan the new tender well in advance, and they wonder why, in the meantime, they would not allow Chiringuitos del Sol to

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MOST THINGS

Compiling a history of the world would take forever,and I have only a few minutes of your time,so it will help me if you read quickly,thanks.

The Earth began 4 billion years ago and there was an Ice Age but most of it melted,like the remainder is doing at present.Dinosaurs were a passing fad: eventually,oxygen came along and so did we.

Before dying young,some of us took the time to evolve.Many people alive today still possess traces of Neanderthal DNA.I think I've met several of them.We lost our own fur millions of years before catwalk models stopped wearing real fur coats to keep their skeletons warm. The water receded and it became possible to wade between what we now call continents.Without proper galoshes,I bet some of the waders wished they were still fish.

Evolution can be a little tricky at times.Hunters became farmers, then land owners,landlords,property developers,founded banks, became usurers,fraudsters,jailbirds and often novelists.

Villages grew into towns,turned into cities and clusters of cities established nations.Trade caused industrial revolutions and nations had political revolutions.

Witch doctors became spin doctors, both of which could be injurious to mental health.

Despite advances in knowledge, mankind was still unable to control such elemental forces as weather, tides,volcanoes,teenagers and stock

markets,all of which can cause unpleasant crashes.Lots of tyrants lost touch with reality.

So-called "people's revolutions" more often than not produced despots as unhinged as any selfassembly shelf unit I have ever tried to attach to a wall.

Before you scoff,just reflect on how completely machines can now outsmart us,so that nowadays we have to take technology on trust.I hope none of it hinges on hinges.

Wars never end satisfactorily and they never go away,despite everyone declaring they desire only peace.More and more fields turn into housing estates,and more and more people arrive daily to drain the world of its resources.

We know more than ever before,but the world is in a perilous state. Nothing to do with me,honest.

There have been tiny changes in the Earth's angle of spin,which as any astrologer will tell you,can influence the future.("Romance may make you dizzy next week!") I am old enough to remember when students used to get grants rather than loans, so perhaps that is one of the effects. But often the future is a repeat of the past.

London,Rome,Tokyo and the rest will all be gone and forgotten.The first towns are now buried deep below today's cities,just as they in turn will be buried under mounds of empty pizza boxes and other cardboard containers for gourmet meals and obsolete electrical goods. Is the future already here? And if so,how long will it be before we have to send out for more fast food? Let's hope it arrives soon,but even if it doesn't,it won't be the end of the world,will it?

Studio32 Musical Theatre Company whose show, ëHello Dollyíwill be on at the Cardenal Beluga Theatre, San Fulgencio, from Wednesday 31st of May to Saturday 3rd of June.

Any group who book ten or more tickets for the Wednesday or Thursday night performances, will get a 2 euro refund on each ticket on production of their ticket receipt at front of house on the night of the performance.

Donít miss out on this offer. The more tickets they can sell, the more they can give to local charities. Since their inception in 2013 they have contributed over 40,000 euros to local charities.

Pictured are principal members of the cast who are looking forward to performing this show for you. To book tickets online for our show please visit our website www.studiothirtytwo.org , email tickets@studiothirtytwo.org or call Linda on 679 062 272

For those of you unsure of how to use our system you can call into The Post Box in Dona Pepa, or Quesada Tech where someone will be on hand to assist you with booking tickets. You could also come along to one of our rehearsals at Casa Contenta, Rojales, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30pm and 9:30pm where someone will be available to assist you.

Noa is a small, cheeky 2 year old.

He loves lots of cuddles.

For more info

966 71 0047 / 688 792 515

HERE COMES THE REGGAE REGGAE MAN

BYANDREWATKINSON EXCLUSIVE

After decades in the music industry and 18 years of being lead singer with Hot Chocolate, Greg Bannis has released a new album 'Reggae Reggae Man'.

"I have always wanted to name an album 'Reggae Reggae Man', because every time I walk into a gig, whether itís in America, Europe, or Africa, they say 'Here comes the Reggae Reggae Man,' ", said Greg.

"So, one day I just decided to start writing some songs, then gave them all a Reggae rhythm, and call it 'Reggae Reggae Man'," said Greg, Hot Chocolate lead singer from 1992-2010.

Greg, who performed in Insbruck, Austria, with Bonnie Tyler; and in Vienna in 2022, along with a plethora of gigs across the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, said: "The album took about a year to complete.

"I wrote, recorded and produced the album myself, then sent it to my friend Flo Daxner in Austria to master it - as I canít master stuff at home."

Murcia

based Greg added: "The songs are all little stories, nothing too heavy to digest! It's available on all platforms: iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and wherever you get your music

VEGA BAJA HOSPITAL NEEDS 179 MORE NURSES TO GUARANTEE CARE

A study by the SATSE union reveals a major lack of health professionals, including eight midwives and six physiotherapists, in the Orihuela Health Department.

The number of nurses per thousand inhabitants in the Orihuela Health Department is also below the national and regional average, and, although last year the Department of Health increased the structural staff in the department, the real needs are still far from being covered.

The study reflects that while the average number of nurses in Spain, according to the Ministry of Health, is 3.5 nurses per thousand inhabitants, and in the Valencian Community it is 3.2, the ratio is in Orihuela is 2.5, equating to a lack of 179 nurses, if the authority is to provide the correct quality of care.

Specifically, the ICU needs 12 more nurses while the Emergency Department needs 10.

In the meantime, the management insists that "it will continue to work toward achieving the improvement of resources both in personnel and in infrastructure and equipment."

So what is the greatest invention of your lifetime?

When I was a young lad – not today nor yesterday, one of the many local characters that I knew was an eccentric old periodic alcoholic by the name of Jack Murtagh. Jack lived on his own – apart from sharing his house and bed with a rather independently minded terrier of doubtful parentage. The dog went by the name of ‘Ratter’. (You can work that one out for yourselves!)

Jack was one of the most well-read and intelligent men in the parish. The people said he was ‘mad with brains’ by way of compliment. Perhaps the fact that Jack was contrary and bereft of any tolerance for people of less intellect than himself … the handiest label to file him under was ‘mad with brains!’ He didn’t say much in the pub – but when he did, the assembled listened and some of his ‘good ones’ are remembered to this day.

One evening in Bartley’s Bar, the assembled got to discussing modern inventions and how all such improvements were making life easier for everyone.

Farming implements naturally got a good airing, but the general consensus was that the coming of electricity through the Rural Electrification Scheme made electricity the greatest invention of all time.

Television, (which few of them yet owned) telephones and electric kettles were high on peoples preference; but as Sal Fay, said; ‘if you don’t have the ESB, the rest of your inventions aren’t worth a tinker’s curse.’

Jack hadn’t yet contributed to the debate, so somebody finally asked him; ‘and what do you say is the greatest invention of your life-

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEW VOTERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Nearly 190,000 young people will cast their vote for the first time in May, having turned 18 since the previous 2019 elections were held, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). By provinces, in Alicante there are 66,933 new voters, 21,395 in Castellón and 98,543 in Valencia.

time, Jack?’ Jack took a slug of his pint and a pull of his pipe before replying with one word: ‘DDT!’ Now, dear reader, if you are too young to know what DDT is, you never slept with fleas or with a ‘Ratter’ that shipped them into bed like a mini cargo vessel!

There have been numerous inventions since Jack’s time and there have been more new inventions in our lifetime than has there been since the beginning of time. Just think about that one! When I just this minute asked Mrs Youcantbeserious what was the greatest invention of her lifetime, I know it was just on the tip of her tongue to say, ‘you Darling’ – but she didn’t: Instead, ‘wheels on travel luggage’ got her number one vote

Some older inventions which have stood the test of time are now very much taken for granted; such as cement, for example. It will be 200 years next year since the first cement came into being.

I remember learning this story and how it was accidently discovered that it set under water in our English schoolbook. Another one from that same book in Johnstown school, was Jamie Watt’s invention of the steam engine in 1765. The steam engine is no more, but we live with its benefits to this day.

We shall leave all the medical advances out of the discussion for now; other than to give a mention to the X-Ray which was invented at the end of the nineteenth century.

If Jack Murtagh and those barroom philosophers could only come back and see the inventions discovered since that day, they would not believe their eyes.

Computers, Internet and credit-cards, are only

a few of the extraordinary inventions of recent years. So, if you were involved in a similar debate as Jack – and presuming that DDT wouldn’t feature on your list; what would you put forward as your favourite invention?

Two inventions spring to my mind for my nomination for the ‘Jack Murtagh DTT Award’ One is the Sat-Nav – which makes such a difference to a guy whose wife claims, ‘He has such a poor sense of direction he would get lost in Mullingar!’

After I was made a present of the first one, several years ago, its first tentative trial was when she took me straight to the church for a funeral in Dalkey. Since that day, ‘Wendy’ and I have become close and are inseparable travelling companions.

But I think my number one DDT vote for the

Treat for Jazz Fans as Fijazz 23 comes to Alicante

Alicante will host the Fijazz 23 Festival between July 13 and 29, fusing jazz, flamenco, Latin and world music on the stage of the provincial auditorium, ADDA, with figures such as Stanley Clarke, Eliane Elias, Toquinho, and the Metropole Orkest, the largest big band in the world.

Tickets are on sale at www.addaalicante.es, Instanticket and at the Auditorium box office.

La Mata repair costs skyrocket beyond budget

Sueña Torrevieja group has said that repairs to a walkway in La Mata are short of millions to complete the work.

In the settlement of the 2022 budget is the remaining balance of 1.48 million and assuming that this remaining credit has been incorporated into the 2023 budget, an extra3 million euro would be needed to finance the work, they say.

greatest invention of my lifetime has to go to the electric fence! Poor fencing and cattle breaking in or out as they choose, was the bane of my young life.

The electric fence changed all that and eliminated an awful lot of running and ranting as a result. We take all these blessings for granted after a while, but every now and then, when I see a troublesome bovine get a ‘dart’, I get a flashback to what life was like without the ‘fencer!’

And so, what is your favourite invention, dear reader? Do let us know – and perhaps we can compile a ranking list?

DON’T FORGET

Here’s another new invention for you – a solar-powered clothes dryer. It’s called a clothes line.

MINISTER OF CULTURE AND SPORT VISITS ORIHUELA

The Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, visited the Miguel Hernández HouseMuseum on Saturday where he was met by Carolina Gracia, mayoress of Orihuela, Araceli Poblador, sub-delegate of the government in Alicante, as well as municipal councillors. On his visit to the Miguel Hernández House Museum he was presented with a cutting of a fig tree by the deputy mayor.

letters letters

Orihuela Town Hall - Failings

Hi Joe.

I read with interest your letter, and with respect you are Partially correct This current coalition has only been going since May last year, but the coalition partner, Ciudadanos have been in Orihuela government coalition since 2015, and Jose Aix as deputy mayor since 2019.

So C’s have to take a large portion of the blame for the state of Orihuela Costa. Also from 2015 they have held a number of the key positions, including councillor for infrastructure and councillor for the beaches.

Regards Zachary

PIOC

Partido Independencia Orihuela Costa

Tackyvieja

In terms of neglected open areas, approach roads and its urbanisations, Torrevieja increasingly resembles an impoverished Third World country.

If first impressions count - and they do – I predict a British red-top tabloid will soon publish embarrassing images of our weed-strewn calle and communities under the headline Tackyvieja.

What then? Fewer quality restaurants, stores and high-spending tourists. Wealthier residents, home-buyers and their visitors will instead be lost to ‘house proud’ image-conscious rival cities notable by their carefully manicured approach roads and public access areas. We regularly visit friends in Marbella, Puerta Banus and Sotogrande where approach roads and communities are well cared for. What a contrast.

Cordially,

Eco Car Stickers

Can you help?

Mícheál Walsh.

The N332’s expert Mark Nolan wrote: Dear

Mrs Reeves,

We will break down the elements of your question, and hopefully things will then become clearer.

Firstly, your figure of 70% of cars not qualifying for stickers is grossly exaggerated. The official estimate is that 33% of vehicles will not be eligible. But different sources report different figures depending on how much they want to “hype”, as you correctly put it, the situation.

long as you observe the signs, there will not be a problem for anybody.

Of course, mapping applications also indicate this, and they will no doubt be updated, once the municipalities actually get around to complying with their legal obligations, most likely after the elections.

What is different is that the law which entered into force this year is for municipalities of more than 50,000 residents, of which there are little more than a handful in our area, and in those municipalities, the areas in question are relatively small.

There has been so much hype about the car Eco stickers but I can’t find out any information from anywhere as to what you are supposed to do if you aren’t allowed in the cities. Given that probably 70% of cars in Spain won’t qualify for any band of sticker Is there any infrastructure set up as to where these cars can park in each region to then use public transport to access the cities. (Park and ride etc) seems like nothing is in place prior to these rules being implemented as usual.

Regards

L Reeves Mrs

In terms of hype, you also have to be aware that his is not a new system and has been operational in some Spanish cities for many years. In Madrid, for example, they were introduced in 2018. But even the much smaller city of Pontevedra had created an effective Low Emissions Zone even before that. That said, restricting roads goes back even further than that. The No Entry sign for example was first introduced in the UK in 1965. There are other signs restricting traffic, such as No Motor Vehicles, or those that restrict certain vehicles based on the time of day, so the concept of road closures and restrictions dates back decades.

Hardly anybody will check which roads are No Entry or restricted before a journey, because that´s what road signs are for, so, as

Advice: Generally Speaking, Cars are NOTSubmarines

Acurious picture was shared on Instagram this week by the user sergionovaocio from the Navantia naval shipyard in Cartagena.

In the picture, you can clearly see the tail of a submarine, a vessel for which Navantia are famous, and a boat, which is of course normally found underwater, hence the name, submarine. However, slightly further back from the actual submarine is another vehicle seemingly wondering what life is like under the ocean waves, but this particular, and much smaller craft is a Nissan Pixo, a car, which is normally best suited to life on the road.

The post does report that the car entering the water was in fact accidental, although ëa la submarineí, it too found its way to the bottom of the dock in just a matter of minutes.

Park and Ride does already exist in many cities. The smaller municipalities not so much, but because we are talking, at worse, about maybe a couple of streets, it is unlikely that it would be necessary as the most you would have to walk would be a block or two. The matter of integrated public transport is a different matter altogether, due to the fragmented operation of the concept of municipal management, and this also means that neither we, in fact nobody, can comment on each of the 141 municipalities in Alicante alone, but again, we must stress, the Low Emissions Zones will only affect a handful of those. We hope this information calms your concerns. Just look for the signs, as normal, and you will be fine.

Car LED Bulb Confusion Clarified

Although replacing halogen lamps with LEDs without the need for legal procedures had been allowed for months in Spain, various circumstances prevented it or made it excessively complicated, but now, following a change in the regulations, all difficulties are resolved, as the modification allows the free installation of any approved LED bulb in a country of the European Union. In November of 2022, the Ministry of Industry had made a modification to the Manual for Vehicle Reforms to allow the replacement of halogen bulbs with LEDs without the need for approval procedures by the user.

However, said modification required that this could only be the case in the case of LED bulbs approved according to the ECE R37 regulation, which is the one that governs halogen bulbs.

In practice, no existing product on the market met this criterion, since manufacturers approved their LED technology products according to the LED standard and not according to the standard for halogen bulbs. As a result of this, we had to wait until February to have Spain´s first halogen replacement LED lamps approved in the country: the OSRAM Night Breaker.

However, in addition to being very expensive, they did not carry the ECE R37 label, so it was necessary to download a document that accredited to the authorities and the ITV that these bulbs were legal.

Likewise, it was necessary to carry an equivalent replacement certificate, also provided by OSRAM.

Now, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism has definitively resolved the problem, opening the door to other manufac-

turers and, consequently, making it easier for users to switch from halogen to LED bulbs.

On April 15, the BOE published the first correction to the Vehicle Reform Manual indicating that, from May 5, it will be possible to replace halogen bulbs with approved LED bulbs not only in Spain, but in any country of the European Economic Area.

In practice, this modification of the regulations allows the free installation of any LED bulb approved in a European Union country, which must be accompanied by an equivalent

replacement certificate provided by the manufacturer.

Thus, the numerous bulbs previously approved in Germany, France and other EU countries -and which could not be used legally in Spain- can now be installed without problems.

This, in addition to facilitating the use of LED bulbs in vehicles with standard halogen bulbs, will allow the user to access them at lower prices, which until now exceeded 110 euro per pair in all cases.

QUICKIE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ANSWERS Week 968

QUICK

ACROSS: 1 Counterfeit;

9 Nod; 10 Situation; 11 Essay; 13 Isolate; 14 Fright; 16 Trying; 18 Scuttle; 19 Dingo; 20 Loathsome; 21 Wan; 22 Gesticulate.

DOWN: DOWN: 2 Odd; 3 Nasty; 4 Entail; 5 Flavour; 6 Imitation; 7 Unselfishly; 8 Underground; 12 Stipulate; 15 Hatchet; 17 Heroic; 19 Dwell; 21 Wet.

CR CR YPTIC YPTIC

ACROSS: ACROSS: 1 Proletarian;

ACROSS ACROSS

7.Dismay (13)

8.Ancestry (8)

9.Skulk (4)

10.Insult (6)

12.Disappear (6)

14.Forever (6)

16.Affectionate (6)

18.Smooth (4)

20.Vibrate (8)

22.Paradox (13)

CAN YOU MASTER THE SUDOKU CHALLENGE?

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

Solution on Page 23

1.Mighty (8)

2.Desire earnestly (6)

3.Period of time (4)

4.Break (8)

5.Purloined (6)

6.Bitter (4)

11.Confusion (8)

13.Endorse (8)

15.Shrewd (6)

17.Pride (6)

19.Appearance (4)

21.Dirty (4)

9 Ebb; 10 Manifesto; 11 Fount; 13 Talents; 14 Eldest; 16 Ostend; 18 Version; 19 Riser; 20 Chain gang; 21 Pot; 22 Meteorology.

DOWN: 2 Rib; 3 Limit; 4 Tenets; 5 Raffles; 6 Absentees; 7 Self-service; 8 Considerate; 12 Undertake; 15 Science; 17 Unfair; 19 Regal; 21 Peg.

7.They should present no danger to the strikers (6-7)

8.Not early, maybe, but in the Decorated Style (8)

9.Nonsense written about one insurrection (4)

10.Bitter individual who doesnít socialise, we hear (6)

12.Heavenly paths leading to a reconstructed bistro (6)

14.Father gets fine material for a superb building (6)

16.Heís unlikely to enjoy being in an outstanding position (6)

18. One spot near the top of the road for the tree (4)

20.Revolution is not a riot in disorder (8)

22.Barometer used at times of inflation? (8,5)

DOWN DOWN

1.At Capri I upset the girl (8)

2.Quite a lot to digest about what has gone before (6)

3.Sounds like one who pays the price for a farm building (4)

4.Top cover in infancy (8)

5.Beetle to leave a mark on the sailor (6)

6.U.S. city in Grenoble (4)

11.Uncomplicated laceration is sharply outlined (5-3)

13.Painstaking although crude (8)

15.Stop fluctuation in rates about the end of the year (6)

17.Private servant? (6)

19.Snappy dog with a bit of a tail (4)

21.Edward holds one in bonds (4)

LEADER TRIVIA QUIZ (Answers on page 23)

1. Street artist Banksy is originally associated with which British city?

2. In song, who "lives in a very bad part of town"?

3. Cape Agulhas (Cape of Needles) is the southernmost point on which continent?

4. The 12th century Italian Flavio de Gioia is considered by many to be the father of which useful rose?

5. Name 3 Oscar winning films with a city in the title.

6. Which famous hill is named after Prince Carlo III?

7. Which impeccably dressed gentleman drove a 1926 4.5 litre Bentley in a popular TV series?

8. The following lyrics are from songs with 'S-T-A-R' somewhere in the title. Can you name the song? a. Ye cannae change the laws of physics, laws of physics, b. Jamming good with weird and gilly, c. Keeps a ten bob note up his nose, d. Gliddy glub gloopy nibby nabby noopy.

9. In most Arab countries Homer Simpon's first name is what?

10. The dockyards in which city were the largest industrial complex in the world for much of the 19th century?

11. Which little song ditty ends with the words "Cyril Connelly"?

12. Charlie Chaplin shared his cabin with Arthur Jefferson on his first Atlantic crossing in 1910. Who was Arthur Jefferson?

13. Thomas Tompion (16371713), John Arnold (17361799), Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) and FerdinandAdolf Lange (1815-1875) were

all world famous makers of what?

14. Name the three original members of The Supremes?

15. Which controversial actor played all of the following historical figures in film? Fletcher Christian, George Armstrong Custer and Gentleman Jim Corbett

16. The largest wine cask in the world in Schloss Heidelberg, holds how many litres? a. 2,200 b. 22,000 or c. 222,000

17. xn + yn = zn is associated with which famous French mathematician?

18. Which expression is associated with the fate of the HMS Birkenhead?

19. The so called Ararat anomaly appears in certain photographs. What is it that can apparently be seen in these photos?

20. Cinematic History: a: What was the British studio that produced comedies such as The Lavender Hill Mob and Kind Hearts and Coronets?. b: Who succeeded Marlon Brando as the head of the Corleone family in the Godfather movies? c: Who directed Clint Eastwood in the so-called Spaghetti Westerns? d: Who won Britain's first Oscar when he was voted Best Actor for The Private Life of Henry VIII in 1934? e: If Burt Lancaster is to Kirk Douglas, Kurt Russell is to whom, and why?

21. Who was the head of state in Japan during the second world war?

22. What is the smallest planet in our solar system?

23. Who wrote the novels Gone Girl and Sharp Objects?

24. Which legendary surrealist artist is famous for painting melting clocks?

25. The football club plays its home games at Loftus Road?

ACROSS ACROSS

Sweet Cicely’s sweet aroma

Garden Felix - Sweet Cicely's sweet aroma!

Sweet cicely - Myrrhis odorata - is an attractive, early blooming perennial herb, with delicate, fern-like foliage, clusters of tiny white flowersand a pleasant, anise-like aroma!

Sweet cicely plants are known by a number of alternate names, including garden myrrh, fernleaved chervil, shepherdís needle, and sweetscented myrrh.

The plants are rich in nectar and highly valuable to bees and other beneficial insects.

Sweet cicely grows best, when planted in a sunny or partial shady area, that has moist, but well-draining soil.

You can plant sweet cicely seeds directly in the garden in autumn, as the seeds germinate in spring after several weeks of cold winter weather followed by warm temperatures. You can

NEWS IN BRIEF

International Body Building Competition in Torrevieja

On 28 May, the International Auditorium in Torrevieja will be filled with men and women showing of their sculptured and toned bodies, in the AMIX Cup competition. Registration and weigh-in will take place on 27th May, before the athletes take to the stage on the 28th for the main competition, with both men and women and special categories for wheelchair participants.

also divide mature plants in spring or autumn. Care is definitely not involved. Just water as needed to keep the soil moist, as sweet cicely generally needs about 2.5 cm of water, weekly. Fertilise regularly, with any general purpose plant fertiliser.

While sweet cicely isnít considered invasive, it can be quite aggressive. Remove the blooms, before they set seed, if you don't want it to spread.

All parts of sweet cicely plants are edible. You can cook the leaves like spinach, or add fresh leaves to salads, soups, or omelettes. Stalks can be used, much like celery; roots can be boiled or eaten raw - and you can also make flavourful wine with them!

The plant is easy to dry and retains its sweet aroma, even when dried.

Police arrest gang for stealing roadside e-scooters

National Police have arrested eight people, accused of stealing e-scooters from the roadside in Benidorm. Among those arrested are six minors. Police recovered five of the escooters, valued at euro 1,200.

Benidorm local Police lead investigations into the thefts, that included valued brands and models.

The e-scooters had been stolen while the owners were at a sports centre, having left their scooters tied to fences with security locks.

The Church of JESUS

CHRISTof Latter-Day Saints in Torrevieja meet at 10.00 each Sunday in their chapel at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, 104. All Welcome. Phone or whatsapp the missionaries on 659 016 733

Join us at the SALTCHURCH Sundays at 10.30 am. We are a friendly church, bible centred in our teaching and informal in our worship. Meets at Calle Daya Nueva 12, PolÌgono Ind. Levante 11, 03187 Los Montesinos. We look forward to meeting you. www.Saltchurchspain.

Facebook SaltChurchSpain

International Christian Assembly, Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, TorreviejaEvangelical non-denominational church. Sunday service 11a.m.; Sunday school; Prayer meetings; craft and computer clubs. Ladies Bible Study: Thursday 11a.m.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Los Montesinos - La Herrada

2 double bed/fitted wardrobes, bath/shower. South facing ground floor bungalow apartment, DialPrix Supermarket 2 mins away. Private tiled garden, double glazed Patio, Seperate kitchen, Galleria. Close to all amenities - 35 min Alicante Airport, Priced to sell at E79,995

Tel: +34 634 383 099.Tel: +44 776 230 3798. Tel: +44 770 234 0744.

camera.club/ for details.

Church Bible Study: Thursday 1.30p.m. House groups in Torrevieja, La Siesta ñ Contact: 966 752 543 / 617 215 463.

www.icatorrevieja.org

The Car of the Month at AUTOMOVILES CRESPO is a 2016 Ford Grand C-Max Trend+ Diesel which is priced at just 17,500 euro. Come along to our large showroom in Elche and see our vast range of new and used

cars or call 96 666 22 60 for all our latest offers. See page7. We can assure you of the biggest and best in the area for price, choice and quality.

ENGLISH SPOKEN

Los Alc·zares Digital Camera Club. Interested in photography? We invite you to come and join us at our twice monthly meetings. Please contact coordinatorladcc@ gmail.com or see http://www.los-alcazares-

Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur is here to help you with problem solving and well being for the over 50ís. We need volunteer Drivers and people to join our Home Visiting Team to visit a Residential Home, and take them out for a coffee. Call into our centre at C/Paganini s/n, Urb. La Siesta 03184 Torrevieja or ring 966 786 887. Or email: costablanca@ageconcern.org.es

Royal Naval Association, Torrevieja Branch now meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the Lakeview bar/restaurant, Quesada. For more info contact Chairman Tony Jenkins on +44 7576 117 222, Secretary Steve Hemingfield 0n Mob/Whats 711 011 373 The RAFACosta Blanca RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the RAFAand the RMG is via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk.

NATALIE AT No6 ON LOS MONTESINOS PSOE LIST

Last Friday the School of Music hosted the presentation of candidates by Los Montesinos PSOE, who have ruled since it gained independance, in 1990.

Using the motto "We talk about the future", the gathering focused on the progress achieved in the municipality in recent years, as well as the many exciting projects that are planned for the future.

The mayor and mayoral candidate José Manuel Butrón Sánchez, gave an account of the work carried out throughout the 2019-2023 legislature, highlighting the milestones achieved in terms of training, culture, sports, social services, personnel, investments and the municipal accounts. The government team said that "no one was left behind" during these four "difficult" years due to the ravages of DANA, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Butrón highlighted the healthy and economic solvency of the municipality, a situ-

MONTESINOS MAYOR PRAISES CLLR ANA FOR HER 24 YEARS OF SERVICE

By Andrew Atkinson

Los Montesinos mayor Jose Manuel Butron has praised the town's Councillor Ana Belén Juárez Pastor for over two decades of service.

"Ana has been a Councillor for 24 years. We have spent so many years together as colleagues, that it's easy for me to talk about her," said Mayor Butron.

"She is a person with a great vocation for public service, a feminist, with her great achievements in the municipality in the field of sports, one of her great passions," he said.

"The town is now recognised for its sports and hiking trails. "Her great capacity for work has been demonstrated in all of her departments, and in all of them she has always had an interest in creating new opportunities for the development of the town," he said.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION TELL C’S TO REMOVE BILLBOARD OF AIX

Ciudadanos in Orihuela, has ben told to remove an advertising hoarding of José Aix in front of the Miguel Hernández school, with the words "Aix the future begins today. José Aix the mayor of an extraordinary Orihuela", also carrying the Ciudadanos logo. The electoral board says that they consider the hording portrays a message with electoral connotations.

A complaint from the PP said that it violates the law that establishes that "the contracting of electoral advertising can only be carried out in the 15 strict campaign days".

The dissemination of information about rallies and the presentation of candidates is allowed but they say that after examining the poster, the electoral board determines that no reference is made to either a campaign presentation or rally.

A similar billboard featuring an image of the mayor Carolina Gracia was also taken down in Orihuela Costa last month.

ORIHUELA TOWN HALL is beyond broken. But it is not your typically run Spanish town hall, it is in a league of it's own, absolutely unique. From our unelected mayor downwards,

it is appallingly managed by a group of people who are paid extremely well to serve the general interests of the public across the whole of the municipality, rather than the selfserving interests of themselves, which is what we have unfortunately seen during the current legislature. We very much doubt that there is another City Council that as quite as inefficient or disorganised as that in Orihuela!

But is it just inefficiency and a lack of organisation, or is there something more?

We constantly hear of contracts not being paid, vehicles being driven without insurance, beaches without beach bars, services and toilets, a multitude of unfulfilled promises.

Make a different choice, an independent choice. Make history. Be part of history.

A never-ending list that makes it impossible not to be suspicious. Surely no town hall could be this incompetent.

We have seen its mayors and its councillors systematically prosecuted. Our previous Mayor Emilio Bascuñana still waiting to appear in court for alleged embezzlement. We have 2 Ciudadanos Councillors wait-

SAN FULGENCIO PP PRESIDENT RESIGNS CITING LACK OF SUPPORT

The president of the PPin San Fulgencio, MarÌa ConcepciÛn GarcÌa Baeza, has relinquished her office and her membership of the party accusing the group of failing to provide her with support. She had been leading the Partido Popular in the municipality for four years, although only officially for ten months.

In her resignation letter she said ìOne of the primary functions associated with my role as local and election chairperson has not been fulfilled, nor have I been allowed to have a say in the decision-making, both with the campaign, and the electoral the list.

ation that, "allows Los Montesinos to have confidence for the future."

In announcing the electoral list the mayor said that it combines "experience, youth and commitment to continue making progress in the municipality".

New names include Natalie Anne Hayes (British who lives in the town), Isabel García (a nurse by profession and member of the local women's football team) and José Ángel Vallejos (a local musician). The list also includes five councillors from the current government team.

PSOEcurrently holds 7 of the 11 seats.

Top 10 Candidates as follows: José Manuel Butrón Sánchez, Ana Belén Juárez Pastor, Joaquín García Ferrández, Rosa Belén Morán Paredes, Nathalie Marie-France B Dubi, Natalie Anne Hayes, Isabel García Espinosa, José Ángel Vallejos Sáez, María Hurtado Zaragoza, Alejandro Espí Hernández.

ing to answer charges, and now the new PP candidate for mayor, Jose Vegara, is to be tried for tax evasion and false documentation.

But we must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is now time to restore the precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

There is no more sitting on the fence, what we are being represented by is lamentable. It is time to make a real change.

We can’t tell you who to vote for, but we can tell you that you deserve to be represented by a party that puts the interests of the public first. Break the cycle and surround yourself by good people.

As of Monday, I was still unaware of the composition of the list, although I was aware that it had been presented to the electoral boardî.

She further stated that she has not received the necessary information to be able to carry out her role effectively, neither has she felt the support and gratitude that she expected. GarcÌa Baeza had previously been included on the electoral list at number three but, for reasons of which she says she is not aware, she has now been removed.

Councillor Ana Belén Juárez

Occupational Centre for People with disabilities proposed by Sueña

Torrevieja does not have a public residence for people with intellectual disabilities, so affected families must pay high fees in private residences or wait for a place in a nursing home.

Likewise, many of the people affected by the death of their main caregiver are helpless and alone, so it is a priority to create a residence for people with such disabilities where they can receive the necessary care and attention.

Pablo Samper, candidate for mayor of Torrevieja, proposes "the creation of an occu-

Ciudadanos Torrevieja – a list that is "productive and beneficial"

The Ciudadanos candidate for Mayor of Torrevieja, Carlos Hurtado, has published the electoral list featuring a candidacy made up of 14 women and 11 men.

At number 2 is the real estate businesswoman Delfina MartÌnez, and at number 3 is the lawyer Licinio Alfaro.

pational centre within the residence for people with intellectual disabilities and thus also cover the necessary work for the labour inclusion of these people."

“In our Municipality we only have associations in charge of such work, and in this way we would give greater coverage to this sector of the vulnerable population”, he said.

Samper states that "Torrevieja does not have a public residence for people with intellectual disabilities, so the affected families must pay high fees in private resi-

dences or, as an alternative, wait for a place in a nursing home, the latter not being an ideal place to meet the different intellectual needs, physical, occupational and leisure that are required".

Likewise, many of the people affected, when their main caregiver dies, are helpless and alone, so, from Sueña Torrevieja we are forced to establish as a priority the creation of a residence for people with intellectual disabilities where they can enter and receive all the necessary care and attention.

Melina Martín, number 3 of the candidacy of Sueña Torrevieja, adds " that the

creation of these facilities would ensure the following needs: pre-work occupational activities, training and career guidance, training in autonomy, therapy, rehabilitation, care, leisure and free time, among others".

Martín adds that "it is equally necessary to create this centre where occupational therapy services and personal and social adjustment can be ensured, that is, to prepare the person with disabilities to face the demands of daily life and work."

Samper concludes by stating that "the implementation of a residence and occupational centre would also create jobs in different trades and cover the needs of these families in the short, medium and long term."

BRITON MAKES HISTORY IN BASQUE COUNTRY ELECTIONS

Richard Lewington, Chairman of the Madrid branch of Conservatives Abroad ñ the international wing of the British Conservative Party, has been confirmed as a candidate in the upcoming municipal elections in OÒati, Guipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain, on Sunday, May 28th, 2023.

Lewington is listed as candidate number 5 on People Party (Partido Popular - PP) mayoral candidate Ricardo Guisado Balanzateguiís list for OÒati municipal council. This marks a historic moment as Lewington will be the first British citizen to run for office in Spainís autonomous Basque Country.

The 41-year-old originally from Southend on Sea, Essex is a former nurse who moved to Spain in 2007 where he lived in OÒati and worked as a freelance correspondent and English teacher.

candidacy for UNESCO world heritage status.

"I am extremely proud to be part of Ricardo Guisado Balanzategui's list and to be running for office in OÒati. As someone who has lived and worked in the town, I believe that OÒati has the potential to be a model for other towns in the region. If elected, I will work tirelessly to support our small businesses, improve public services, and promote cross-cultural understanding,î says Lewington. ìI am also eager to support the town's candidacy for UNESCO World Heritage status, as I believe that OÒati's cultural heritage and natural beauty make it a deserving candidate.

I look forward to working with the other council members to make OÒati the best it can be for all of its residents."

They are followed by Soledad RogrÌguez, Ricardo Hern·ndez and Esther Laguna.

Hurtado explained that it is a list made up of people from different areas and sectors of Torrevieja. Hard-working people with management skills and commitment to the city.

The objective is that Ciudadanos is to continue being a useful and effective contributor to the City Council, as has happened in this legislature.

ì As a resident, I know the needs of our community, and myself and my team have the experience to address the challenges we face,î he said, promising to be a committed representative and to work closely with all members of the community to build a prosperous and sustainable future for all.

Lewington's platform focuses on supporting rural businesses, enhancing public services for young people, promoting cross-cultural understanding, and supporting the townís

The municipal elections in OÒati will address critical issues facing the town, including improving local services, boosting economic development, and promoting sustainable tourism. Lewington's experience as

PSOE joins Torrevieja Election Push with New Logo

a nurse, teacher, and Chairman of Conservatives Abroad Madrid demonstrates his leadership qualities and his ability to work with people from different backgrounds. "Lewingtonís experience in OÒati, dedication to public service and his passion for making a positive impact in his community make him an excellent and enriching candidate," said Ricardo Guisado

The PSOE in Torrevieja has joined in the electoral campaign and ready to do battle for the municipality,now their list of candidates has been confirmed,with mayoral candidate Bárbara Soler presenting her campaign logo.

The local artist Israel Nicolás Torres,who has thousands of followers on social networks,wanted to contribute to the Socialist Party of Torrevieja by redesigning the logo with his distinctive style. The result is modern and fresh,respecting the original logo design,while reproducing the fist and the rose on the flag of Torrevieja.

The Socialist Party of Torrevieja wants to show its gratitude and admiration for the

Balanzategui, PPcandidate for OÒati mayor. "His political values are very much in line with the values of our land, and we are proud to have him on our list. We look forward to working with him to serve the people of OÒati."

For more information on Richard Lewington and his campaign, visit www.twitter.com/lewingtonrm and www.twitter.com/onatikopp.

artist and has decided to use this version as a campaign logo as it perfectly represents what the candidacy wants to show. With this measure,Bárbara Soler wanted to show her commitment to culture and art and has pledged to support both groups and individuals with cultural concerns so that they can develop them with the support of the City Council. The socialist candidate has proposed to make the local cultural offer more dynamic,encouraging citizen involvement and the generation of new local cultural proposals.

If you would like to see more of Israel’s works,you can visit the website: https://israel-nicolas-torres.webnode.es

Richard outside the Oñati Town Hall

Delfina Martínez is No 2 on the list

Torrevieja PP Revises Electoral List due to Citizenship Error

The Partido Popular (PP) in Torrevieja has published a revised electoral list, after they were informed that the documentation from Alaa Jasim Dakheel, who ranks 21st on the list, was not complete because his dual citizenship is still pending and, therefore, he cannot be part of it. For this reason, Alaa Jasim has had to be replaced from the list by Jean Paul Molero Torres, who will occupy the same position as Alaa, number 21.

JEAN PAUL MULERO

Born in Torrevieja, at the age of 4 he emi-

grated with his family to Paris, where he lived until he was 26, returning to his city in 1993. Following 7 years in the French army, he studied Business Administration and Management at the UNED of Elche and speaks 5 languages (Spanish, French,

Luisa Boné and Ángel Noguera will continue in Ciudadanos top five as the party retain all five of it’s current councillors in the upcoming elections in May.

Number one on the list, and deputy mayor throughout this last legislature, José Aix, will be followed by the same four councillors that are currently serving in tgovernment:the councillor for Human Resources and Contracting, Luisa Boné, the councillor for Culture, Mar Ezcurra, the

English, German and Italian). Having worked in several Torrevieja companies he has been a member of the PP Executive since 2011. He is currently an advisor to the Mayor's Office in the Department of International Residents and manages the Office of Attention to International Residents (OARI).

Remaining candidates to No 15 - 1. Eduardo Jorge Dolón Sánchez, 2. María Rosario Martínez Chazarra, 3. Ricardo Recuero Serrano, 4. Rosa María Cañón Rodríguez, 5. Diana Box Alonso 6. Federico Alarcón Martínez 7. Inmaculada Montesinos Pérez 8. Antonio Francisco Vidal Arévalo 9. Concepción Sala Maciá 10. María Sandra Sánchez Andreu 11. José Antonio Quesada Hurtada 12. Domingo Paredes Ibáñez 13. María José Ruíz Egea 14. María Gertrudis Páez Martínez 15. Gitte Lund Thomsen

recently dismissed Councillor for Infrastructures, Ángel Noguera, and, the Councillor for Police, Beaches and Festivities, Antonio Sánchez. The local leadership has decided to retain them all, including Boné and Noguera, both being investigated for two alleged crimes of prevarication, the first for the maintenance contract for green areas on the coast, and the second for the same, plus the road maintenance contract, also in Orihuela Costa.

The announcement was made on Friday evening from their new headquarters on la avenida Teodomiro.From a lectern located inside the headquarters (so as not to violate the electoral law) an exultant Aix, stuck out his chest extolling compliments to his supporters, who spilled out into the middle of the street.

As a sign of his support, the Ciudadanos deputy for Alicante, a former Orihuela councillor himself, Juan Ignacio López-Bas was present. In his speech, Aix acknowledged that this last mandate had not been easy.There were many difficulties, including a Dana, a pandemic and, most importantly, a motion of censure.

Between 2015 and 2019 Ciudadanos supported the PPgovernment but a year ago, they decided to break and ally themselves with PSOE and Cambiemos to evict the PP from the government.

This was a political move that elevated Ciudadanos to a more decisive position, with greater visibility and more powers within the government.

National PP rejects questions about Orihuela candidate for Mayor

Aspokesman for the Partido Popular in Madrid, at their Genoa headquarters, has rejected questions from DIARIO INFORMATION to rule on the PPCV's decision to retain Pepe Vegara as the candidate for mayor of Orihuela. Both the Prosecutor's Office and the Public Treasury accuse Vegara of three crimes of tax avoidance, for which they have requested prison sentences of up to 7 years.

As reported by Informacion, on Monday, before the list was presented to the electoral board, senior PP leaders in Madrid asked the regional president for an alternative candidate. Among the names, Víctor Valverde was one who was considered. However, sources from the regional leadership have denied receiving pressure of any kind to make a change.

The Party HQ responded, “the question of the appointment of candidates belongs to the regional managers and we refer to them. They have the competence and the confidence to do it."

Carlos Mazón was also asked about the matter on Wednesday morning in Ibi, but he simply repeated the answer he gave last Friday in Orihuela: "We are going to be prudent, Pepe Vegara himself has already given the appropriate explanations," he said.

TORREVIEJA GREENS CRITICISE LACK OF BUDGET TRANSPARENCY

Meanwhile, the regional secretary of Vega Baja PSPV-PSOE of Vega Baja, Joaquín Hernández, has harshly criticised the selection of Vegara.

“The Popular Party has lost a golden opportunity to clean up their politics.” He also described the choice of candidate as " an insult to the residents of Orihuela and a lack of respect for politics.”

The Los Verdes in Torrevieja have raised their concerns about the ìdubious approvalî of the 2022 budget settlement in the municipality.

The spokesperson for the municipal group, Israel MuÒoz, once again puts the focus on a new irregularity carried out by the Partido Popular (PP), relying on its absolute majority. In the month of February, the Governing Board requested the cost structure of the urban transport service, without having yet resolved the appeal that we presented on February 8, 2023. And the question is: why don't they resolve it?

ìIt seems that we already have an answer to that question and that is that the price of the service contract is much higher than the cost of such a service, which was approved in a plenary session in January.

But it is also that the cost structure of the Costa Azul company, which is chosen for such a service, does not contain the same parameters as the valued memory, a totally irregular situation and with an inadmissible lack of transparency to which, unfortunately, they have already accustomed us in the last 4 yearsî pointed out MuÒoz.

Once again, we are going to see how a public service is awarded, in a completely opaque way to a private company, as has already happened to us with the urban cleaning service. And the worst thing is that on March 17, 2023, a cost structure is published in the BOP, to which the opposition does not have access, despite having claimed it in writing and in a meeting of spokespersons, documents that must be publicly exposed for whoever wants to consult them.

ìThe way of acting of the current government is intolerable, which has been doing and undoing as it pleases for 4 years, with public money and spending much more than necessary on public services to favour friendly companies. From Los Verdes, we are going to continue fighting and trying to contain all these outrages, as we have been doing since Eduardo DolÛn returned to the mayor's office.

As the only group that represents a true frontal opposition against these irregularities, we will continue to do what is in our power so that, at least, citizens are aware of the type of government they currently have and of the urgency to replace itî, settled MuÒoz.

Jean Paul Mulero

Ciudadanos Orihuela retains it’s top five

Vegara with PPParty General Secretary Cuca Gamarra

Party Leader Israel Muñoz

LA SIESTA BOWLS (Members Run Club) by Alan Carr

HURRICANE DIVISION The Wasps travelled to Country Bowls for their game against the Red Kites, a couple of games went very close which could have gone either way, but unfortunately, we were only able to win on two rinks courtesy of; Pauline Johnson, Ramsay Sinclair & Dave Blackie (27-10). Les Bedford, Gordon Paton & Stan Dibble (16-15). Lost 4-8 (Shots 74- 78).

HARRIER DIVISION La Siesta Hornets home game was playing against Greenland Warriors where we won on three rinks and collected a further 2 pts for the overall (Shots 83-80) to win 8-4. Winners were; Jo Elkin, Fran & Neil Cox (16-8). Ken Stringfellow, Pat Moore & Ros Stockell (19-16). Peter Ayres, June & David Whitworth (17-15).

VCLLEAGUE The Parakeets travelled to Country Bowls which resulted in the home side winning two of their disciplines, and they also picked up 2 points for the overall (Shots 82-77) to draw 6-6. The winners were; Trips: Joy Gardiner, Derek Biggs & Jean Cooper (25-10). Singles: Karen Kirk (21.6).

The Hoopoes away game was playing the Greenland Titans, which saw the team win on every rink and collected the maximum 12 points (Shots 93-56). Winners being, Singles: Judy Carroll (21-7) & Alan Mawer (21-15). Pairs: Joan Inns & Ken Barber (19-10). Trips: Mags Haines, Jim Jarvie & Mike Inns (13-11) which was a great finish by both teams as this game could have gone to either side. Rinks: Alan Carr, Tracey Paffett, Wayne Howlett & John Skipper (19-13).

Interested in joining La Siesta members run bowls club, there is George¥s Chicken and Egg, every Wednesday 1.30 for 2pm, with Mike & Grahams roll up every Saturday 9 for 9.30 am. Just pop in or call the President George 865772498 or the Captain Brian 604152834 for any further information.

San Miguel Bowls by Barry Jones

On Monday San Miguel Moors were home to Emerald Isle Vulcans, winning 8 - 4, 92 shots 72. The best winning triple were Val Touhy, Steve Parr and Lee Sinclair 22 - 12. San Miguel Christians were away to Greenlands Gladiators losing 11 - 1, 104 shots to 77. The triple who salvaged a point were Jack Jackson, Barbara Scotthern and Mike Douglas 17 shots to 17.

On Wednesday San Miguel Sheriffs were home to Emerald Isle Dukes winning 8 - 4, 87 Shots to 70. In the Ladies Singles Sandi Hannan lost 21 - 13. In the Gents Singles Allan Patterson won 21 - 8. In the pairs Ron Peters and Lee Sinclair lost 20 - 11, and in the Triples Anita Brown, Mary Whitelock and Ron Nairey won 21 - 15. In the Rinks Margaret Patterson, Sheila Booth, Dori Svansbergsson and Steve Cantley won 21 - 6. San Miguel Deputies were away to La Marina losing 10 - 2, 98 shots to 70. In the Ladies Singles Jan Farmer lost 21 - 6, In the Gents Singles Don Darby lost 21 - 8. In the pairs Stan North and Frank Scotthern won 26 - 12. In the Triples Bob Nesbitt, Barber Scotthern and bob Donnelly lost 22 - 10. In the Rinks Pat McEwan, Jack Jackson, Derek Farmer & Mike Douglas lost 22 - 20. A reminder that the Wasps sessions take place Wednesdays 1.30pm for 2.00pm - 5 for an afternoon’s bowling with shoes and bowls available to borrow. Due to the popularity of the Wasps, first time bowlers are asked to attend an initial coaching session on Tuesday afternoons, starting at 1.45pm, by appointment ONLY. To book, please call Dave or Lynn Greenland on +34 667 207 508.

We welcome all bowlers who would like to join San Miguel B.C. as we are a unique clubwe only pay owner fees and a club fee and NO LEAGUE RINK FEES.

For further information on San Miguel B.C please contact club secretary Barry Jones on 602 504 905 or club president Alan Campbell on 606 676 118

ELRANCHO BOWLS CLUB

On Wednesday El Rancho were at Country Bowls playing their B team, El Rancho got off to a good start, holding the lead on three rinks. But alas despite continued good play, Country Bowls overhauled us on two of the three. But we did win the ladies singles and were very close in the pairs and rinks.

Ladies singles: Diane Yates 21-9. Mens singles: Keith Longshaw 421. Pairs: Sheila Cox and Mike Cox 14-16. Trips: Tony Abbott, Ron Greenstreet and Jim Eastwood 7-29. Rinks: Ann Abbott, Frances Johnston, Judy Foley and Bill Johnston 15-19. Bowlers of all levels are welcome at El Rancho, for further membership information contact Sheila Cox at micksheilacox@gmail.com.

NOVICES TAKE ST GEORGES DAY TRIPLES

Kindly sponsored once again by Linea Directa, the St Georges Day Triples competition, held at Greenlands, proved most successful, attracting bowlers from far and wide.

There was a team that came up from Indalo in the south and from as far north as Calpe to the north on what proved to be a wonderful advert for the game.

However, not everything went to plan with the novices from La Tercia, a club with no real structure and very few members, and that plays social bowls only, coming out on top of the pile, a pile, incidentally, that included national champions and internationals, but as organiser Pete Bonsor said, “it is the camaraderie that counts, the fact that the competition was fully subscribed, everybody turned up, and

the day went like absolute clockwork”.

So well done La Tercia and well done

MONTE MAR BOWLS CLUB

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

Monte Mar Toros v Emerald Isle Victors - Away at Emerald Isle it was a good result for the Toros, winning on three rinks and the shots. We got off to a good start on three rinks but stuck on zero on one rink. The rink on zero gradually caught up and eventually won great game!!! Well done to Jean Chamberlain, David Eades skip Phil Goble, Sheila Roberts, Cindy Bedford skip Neil Crawford, Colin Bedford, Sue Bounds skip Joan Harding. Shots Toros 88 – 85 Victors. Points Toros 8 –4 Victors.

Website www.montemarbowls.com, Facebook or email us at info@montemarbowls.com.

La Marina Bowls

also to the teams that came 2nd and 3rd, Javea Green and Greenlands respectively.

San Luis Bowls Club

by Dee Hoey

Third week of the summer league and the weather much kinder. LLB South Alicante League - SPITFIRE Div. Wellingtons at home 8 pts, shots 120-68 v Quesada Lancasters, some fantastic bowling. Winners: Janet Webb, Sandra Burrows, Keith Jones 24-9. Bill Webb, Caroline Smyth, Scott Malden 17-9. Dee Hoey, Stuart Wilson, John Smyth 54-8.

HARRIER Div. Hercules BYE. Valencian Championship League - DIV A. Falcons at home 10 points, shots 89-71 v Greenlands, a real nip and tuck morning. Well done winners: Singles – Sandra Burrows 21-18. Pairs – Dave Webb, Keith Jones 25-7. Triples – Dee Hoey, Caroline Smyth, John Smyth 15-14. Rinks – Kath Reid, Trish Reilly, Vic Mahomet, Pat Reilly 22-11. DIV B. Hawks were against some strong players, 8 points, shots 93-83 at Quesada against the Tigers. Well done winners: Singles – Jane Hamill 2111. Triples – Ray Watmough, Bob Bromley, Derrick Cooper 16-15. Rinks –Dave Notley, Margaret Morrison, Stewart Hamill, Neil Morrison 20-11.

EMERALD ISLE BOWLS

Monday 24th April, S.A.S.L, Harrier division, and we are at home to Country Bowls and we achieved another fine win of 102, with a shot difference in our favour of 92-83. Our winning trips were Mo Kidd, Mick Lowe, Garth Slater 21-15, Margaret MacLaughlin, Norman Ship, & Mike Stone 20-19, Dave and Lesley Joynes with Margaret Finlayson 18-9, and Anne Stone and Carol and Mike Smith, 16-14.

Wednesday in the VCLwe played San Miguel at home and came away with another fine result of 10-2, our winning disciplines were Janet Parsons 21-6, and husband Peter played the men's 218, the pairs we lost 26-12 but came back with a fine trips win, Norman Ship, Tom Spencer and John Rae 22-10, our rinks of Mike & Carol Smith with Anne Stone and Margaret Finlayson had a tight game but came away with the vital 2 points and 22-20 win.

Well done all a very successful week with 2 10-2 wins.

By Dave Hadaway

GREENLANDS BOWLS CLUB

Greenlands Warriors v La Siesta.

Not a good day for the Warriors only achieving 4-8pts for La Siesta shots were very close 83-80

Hurricane League - Greenlands Gladiators v San Miguel. What a great result for the home team winning on 4 rinks and drawing on the other so result 11-1, shots were 104-77. Keep up these winning ways such a joy to report. Well done.

VCL league Greenlands Giants v San Luis.

Not a good day for the giants only getting 2-10 for San Luis shots were 89-71 On wards and upwards.

VCL League Greenlands Titans v La Siesta. Our opponents from la Siesta really outplayed Greenlands getting a 12-0 victory. The shots were 56-94. No joy for the titans on this day ..

Vulcans played at San Miguel Moors and got beaten 4-8 Aggregate 72-92, N Prior S Elvin C Lindgren 20-16 P Willicott S Marks R Marks 14-13

Victors played at home against Monte Mar Torros and they slipped to a 4-8, Aggregate of 85-88. J Forrest B Eldred B Carter 24-13, S Ellis J McGregor A Forrest 19-11

Dukes were at San Miguel Sheriffs and they got beaten 4-8 Aggregate of 70-87, M Dyer 21-13 S Marks R Marks 20-11 Earls were at home against Country Bowls Foes and lost Aggregate 58-95, G Digby J McGregor M Willicott 19-15, J Forrest A Forrest C Wilson J Loughran drew 14 all

Winners La Tercia flanked by Javea and Greenlands

DIANALLOYD MEMORIALKO COMP

SEMI FINALS - TUE 25 APRIL

Gap Girlz5 - 1Primadonnas

Ladybirds5 - 1Friendly Temps

HOTSHOTS: Gap Girlz - Bliss Wright

121, 100 x4, Jane Kelly 129, Chelsea Campbell

125, Gail Murray 119, Amanda Skinner 100

CK1 Ladybirds - Donna Ralph 171, Sandra Crabbe 126, Lynn Young (LB) 116, Sue Christie 112. Primadonnas - Sharon Frain 121, Mitch Halliday 121. Friendly Temps - Monique

QUESADA FITNESS GYM JUNIOR KICKBOXING.

Classes are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 18.30 at a cost of euro 4 per class, with discounts for monthly membership. Parents can also use their time wisely by joining the gym or classes, which coincide with when the children are under supervision.

Telephone: 865 774 577 for more information.

Edelenbos 133, 131, 114, 102, 100, Julie Thompson 118, Ann Bartlett 106, Ellie Attwood 100

The Tipsy Toad in El Galan hosted the Diana Lloyd Memorial Cup Semi-Finals, their own team having been eliminated in the first round by the formidable Gap Girlz. The league toppers

The Hot Shots would suggest a fairly even

Friendly Temps: Julie Howard, Monique Edelenbos, Nicola Moseley, Ann Bartlett, Sue Wade, Ann Wharton, Kim York Fickling, Bev Howard, Ellie Attwood

match between the Ladybirds and the Friendly temps on Board 1, with some great scoring from Monique Edelenbos and a triple treble 19 from Dons Ralph but as they say ¥scoring for show, doubles for doe¥ and the Ladybirds took the 3 pairs games in a 9 game match that was the first to get to 5. Monique struck back in the first of the singles but Ladybirds Dons and Sue Christie nailed the

next two to give them the 5 they needed. In an identical on board 2, Gap girls raced ahead in the pairs only to be pulled up by Primadonna Sharon Frain in the first of the singles, who dispensed Jane Kelly 2-0. Yvonne Rouffignac and Bliss Wright then took on Mitch Halliday and Di Dane in 2-1 tussles to see them through to the finals, which will be held at The Friendly bar next Tuesday.e draw

Dream Cup Success as Monte win Plate

THE Dream Team won the Costa Blanca Independent Pool League Cup with a 6-4 win against The Taverners.

Full Monte Azul defeated Super Beer Monsters 6-5 in a close encounter to win the Knockout Plate competition.

The singles and doubles final and presentation night will be held at Olde 9th La Marquesa Golf at 7pm on 17th May.

QBC ROUNDUP By Steve Hibberd

In the South Alicante summer trips league, Blenheims played host to Vistabella Fairways. Winning on 3 rinks and also overall shots, meant that they recorded a useful 8-4 victory. Here's the winning rinks - G Phillips, M France, Jason P 32-6. G Carnell, C Brazier, A Bowen 27-10. B Trinder, A Linley, P Morgan 31-7. Lancaster's visit to San Luis, where they faced the Wellingtons, didn't go quite as planned. They won on 2 of the 5 rinks, but lost overall shots, as they slipped to a 4-8 defeat. Well done - T Brinton, J Brinton/A Reid, D Conlon 14-11. H Olsen, D Collings, T Voisey 28-14.

It wasn't a happy days hunting for both our teams in the VCL. Lions travelled to Vistabella, where against the Saxons, only the trips team of C Dye, C & K Lowry - 22-12, scored points in a 2-10 defeat. Tigers fared slightly better in their home match against San Luis Hawks. Wins for A Reid in the mens singles (21-14), plus R Cole & T Voisey (25-22) in the pairs, resulted in a 4-8 defeat in their div 2 match.

Vistabella Bowls Club

South Alicante Summer League....Spitfire division - Quesada Blenheims v Vistabella Fairways

A very tough game against some very good players from Quesada. Only two winning rinks for Vistabella which were Rosemary Savage, Ken Savage and Paul Durham 15-14, also Richard Willey, Keith Black and Gary Thorpe 18-17 both teams winning on the last end!!

In the end total scores Quesada 121-56 Vistabella. Quesada 8-4 Vistabella.

VCL summer league - Vistabella Saxons v Quesada Lions

A much better day for Vistabella out playing our rivals Quesada. Singles: Carol Thorpe 21-11, Martin Foulcer 21-15, Pairs: Richard Willey/Maggie Furness 15-12 winners close game. Fours: Keith Black/Paul Durham/Alan Bannister and Eric Bishop 15-13 also a close game. Total points scored: Vistabella 84-73 Quesada. Good win for Vistabella Saxons 10-2.

Club contact:richardwilley321@gmail.com or tel: 698 925 932.

CARP-R-US ANGLING

Carp-R-Us returned to El Bosquet for Round 5 of their Spring Series. Fortunately, the high temperatures of the previous days had gone and the match was fished in very pleasant conditions. At the draw ¥Golden Arm¥ Steve Higgins drew the favoured peg 16 and was expected to win the match easily.

As it turned out it was ex-England international Vinnie Smith who gave a master class in fishing floating pole on peg 12 to take 44.06kg using pellets and maggots as bait. Steve Higgins did manage runners up spot with 22.74kg using pole and pellet tactics. Third was Steve Fell on peg 8 with 16.80kg, again using pole and pellet and fourth was Paul Burton (peg 15) with 7.66kg caught using pole feeder and pellet.

The picture is of Steve Higgins at a previous match. Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp-r-us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp-R-Us Fishing Costa Blanca.

MATCH RESULTS FOR 27 APRIL

2ND HALF SEASON WEEK 6

DIVISION 1

CC´s Flyers 7-5Tipsy Toad Toppers

El Capitan8-4Hub Hyenas

Mind the GapP-PCC`s BEES

DIVISION 2

Leeson St Trotters10-2CK1 Lads

Fallen Angels7-5Danny´s Bar

Freakie Taverners5-7Milo´s

DIVISION 3

Ck1 Ladybirds9-3Pint Depot Queens

Tipsy Toad Tiaras8-4Angel Delights

Hub Hellraisers6-6Domino´s Desp

LEAGUE TABLES WEEK 6 - HALF SEASON

DIVISION 1 P Pts Legs

Mind The Gap5840

Hub Hyenas6840

Tipsy Toad Toppers6736

El Capitan6532

CC's Flyers6532

CC´s Bees5123

DIVISION 2

Leeson Street Trotters6943

Ck1 Lads6841

Milo´S6838

Danny's Bar6433

Freakie Taverners6429

Fallen Angels6332

DIVISION 3

Ck1 Ladybirds61252

Tipsy Toad Tiaras61043

Angel Delights6635

Domino's Desperados6535

Hub Hellraisers6328

Pint Depot Queens6023

180´S: Mark Ellis (6) Hub Hyenas 27/04/2023, Edmundas Klimonis (5) El Capitan 27/04/2023, Billy

Dolling Fallen Angels 27/04/2023 Andy Flavell Cc´S

Flyers 27/04/2023, Charles Pritchett CC’s Flyers

27/04/2023, Pat Schofield Tipsy Toad Tiaras

27/04/2023 1st Lady To Hit One This Season

HIGHEST CHECK OUTS: Mario Garcia Freakie

Taverners 154 T20-T20-D17 05/01/2023, Steve Tilley

Leeson St. Trotters 150 T20-T20-D15 27/04/2023, Suso Madrid CC’s Flyers 12020-T20-D20

27/04/2023 Mark Farmer Leeson St. Trotters 113 20T19-D18 27/04/2023 Matt Smith CC’s Flyers 94 T1820-D10 23/04/2023

DIVISION 1 El Capitan v Hub Hyenas

The Hub outscored the Caps in the opening triples, but found themselves 2-1 down after the obligatory warm ups. Two "maxi's" figured from Ed Klimonis and Mark Ellis, the outs from Vycka Bobinas, Andres Liamazares (Caps) and Jay Wilkinson.

A nice 140 and 78 out from Bobinas, with partner Ed K. not enough as Ellis hit both doubles to level 2-2. Liamazares and Arold K. shared 4 tons and a double each for 3-2, followed by Ben Kernahan and Chris Logan increasing Caps advantage to 4-2.

Ed. K. (POTM) managed a 76 out, 140,123,100 in his 2-1 defeat of Dario Sierra in the 1st singles, Hub's Pete Spence hitting 4 tons in his 0-2 defeat of Kernahan, now 5-3.

Liamazares enjoyed a 60 out in his 1st leg tussle with singles champ Ellis, then 95,140,100,100, D8 for 2-0 and match score of 6-3. Arold K. won the match with a 73 out on Bull, Havelock earning his POTM with a 0-2 defeat of Logan,including 135, 2x100. Bobinas nailing 2x100, 125,140 in the 12th.

C.C. Flyers v Tipsy Toad Toppers

Toppers won 2 of the 3 triples available through Graham Solomans D16 and John Rodford D2, Phil de Lacy 125, Flyers Matt Smith D20. Andy Gildea scoring 386 points of 701 in the 2nd. Charles Pritchett finding plenty of T20's.

Pritchett 123 left it to partner Smith in the 4th, the latter nailing both legs and 100,125. Andy Flavell 100, opted for Suso Madrid to do much the same with 100, plus a 120 out and a S17,S16,D8 finish for 3-2. Solomans and Rodford D20.D2 completing the 1st half at 3-3.

Pritchett banged in a 180 and 2x100 to edge the hosts ahead, Solomans 3x100,140 overcoming a lively Chelsea Campbell 100,121, and an 88 out for 4-4. The next 3 went the hosts way for the match, Madrid earning POTM with a 72 out, an 18 dart 2nd leg and 4 tons, prior to a similar Smith effort 6x 85+, a 1st leg 94 out then a winning S18,S17,D20 for 6-4. Dougie Adkins got the better of Andy Gildea 2-1 for the points (13 x 85+ and a 140 in this game). Rodford, POTM, claimed the 12th with a 60 finish, despite a 180 from Flavell.

DIVISION 2

Leeson St. Trotters v C.K.1 Lads

Trotters came out winners of this "top of the table" clash and now exchange 1st and 2nd positions. 40

tons or more, the hosts just coming out on top, but some tasty finishing. Trotters opened with a nice S20,T19,D18 (113) out from Mark Farmer,assisted by 100,121 from Yvonne Rouffignac. ln fact the home side won all six 1st half legs, despite Steve M.Dalton's 123,100 and Les Adam's 2x100,135. Steve Tilley had a real "hum dinga" with Adams, the Trotter managing 4x100, 2x134, and taking the deciding 3rd leg with a 150 out. Adam's contribution 2x100,118,121,99. Rouffignac 133,95,94 and a 64 out got the better of John Crabbe, before M.Dalton inflicted a rare defeat on Farmer, both players recording 3 tons or more and 5x80+ each. Barry Shingler nailed Trotters 9th leg with a 94 out, Darren Hurcombe taking Lads 2nd leg to include a 75 out. POTM - Tilley - M.Dalton.

Freakie Taverners v Milos

Despite 3 figure scores from Bryan Livsey and John Boden, Milos took an early 0-2 lead through Raul Rocamora D8 and Cain Garcia, Javi de Gea contributing a ton. Mario Garcia 123 and Boden D2 made it 1-2 before the visitors added 2 more, the best of which a Rocamora D8 and 2x100, plus an Alex A. 156. Sharon Frain closed the 1st half on D15, partner Livsey 2x100, for 2-4. Garcia, Noel Kenny and Mitch Halliday got the hosts to 5 legs and level after de Gea had disposed of Boden, with 2 to play. Rocamora got the travelling Milos to 5-6 with a 4 ton effort over Livsey, leaving Sam James to take the match over Frain. POTMLivsey - Rocamora.

was 3 apiece at the halfway stage, Lisa Ivill (99, D10; 112, D1) and Simone de Lacy (81, 96, D8) putting in the overtime against a strong performance from Delights POTM Sharon Williams (100, 16-20-D10; 92, 85, 81, 135, D2) and a D1 out for fashionista Nikki Dean. Henni Oortwijn (81, 112, 95) and Susan Frew (100) also playing their part. Tiara POTM Pat Schofield gave us a glimpse with 133 but no conversion.

Sarnies noshed, the Tiaras on equal footing, triumphed in the singles with a Simpson - Oortwijn payback game and then a season´s first max score for a lady player, courtesy of Pat Schofield, D8-D3 to finish. With two visits to the Ochey. de Lacy nailed both (80. 81, 8-D4; D4 and Sharon Crane´s D9 got it to 8 legs, Sue Frew (D15) getting the 4th for the Delights.

Hub Hellraisers v Dominos Desperados

Sue Spiers once again led from the Raisers front scoring 121,131 and a finish but it was Lesley Dolling's turn this week for POTM with some impressive scoring and 2 outs.

The ever youthful Ray Hayes put in a good shift for Despos 3x100, 3x80+ as did Paul Chick 121,125, 3x80+, but Dennis Rhodes claimed POTM with 3 game shots, for shared points.

Fallen Angels v Danny's Bar

This match was nicely poised at 5-5, the hosts leading at half time 4-2, the visitors taking 3 of the 1st four singles for 5 apiece. Just 2 to go, enter Mike Tierney and Tony Spiers to earn both points for the hosts, each game going to 3 legs. Notable performances from the visitors Bob Smith with 3 tons and an out in the 1st half and a fine 2 leg singles including 2x100 and 2x140, for POTM. Angels James Mackay found 2x100,140 with a 2 leg singles, Billy Dolling earned POTM with 2 winning doubles 3x100 a 180, but lost his singles to Smith. Steve Collins added a singles win to an earlier out in the triples, 3x100, 5x80+, in a 3 leg tussle with Graham White 100,121,3x85+.

DIVISION 3

Tipsy Tiaras v Delights

Fielding 5 players, the Tiaras were up against but It

C.K.1 Ladybirds v Pint Depot Queens

Queens Marie Cummins gave table toppers Birds an early scare taking the 1st on D19, the lead was short lived however as Birds took the next 3 via Gena Wood, Donna Ralph and Kirsty Green. Lorraine Cox pulled one back on D2, Sue Cam closing the 1st half on D6 for 4-2.

Jade Cox restarted with a showboat D6,D4 out, prior to Birds ruffling their feathers to take the remaining 5 for a 9-3 scoreline. lnterestingly l noted both Green and Wood opted for a S10, D2 for a 14 finish, instead of a potential split on D7. Good thinking. POTM - Sandra Crabbe - Marie Cummins.

Angel Delights

Raul &Bryan

Raisers and Despo’s

THADER EARN BRAGGING RIGHTS IN LOCAL DERBY DEMOLITION

Thader manager Adrien Pastor must have read his team the riot act, following the previous weeks horror show at Preferente division basement team Benferri, for they gave their all in this humdinger of a local derby.

CD Thader ...........2

Not only does this victory complete a double over near rivals Redovan, but it secures an 11th place slot on 40 points. Missing regulars Quino, Rafa, Dani Lucas & Calderon, the team sheet revealed a bench of 3 youth team players, but more of that later. With only 3 matches remaining in a topsy turvy season, a mid-table finish is on the cards, from what can only be described as a Jekyll and Hyde side.

Redovan CF .........1

To say they did it the hard way, is an understatement.

With barely 30 seconds on the clock, Thader keeper Chema parried a goal bound shot into the path of Redovan striker Toni, who made light work in stroking the ball into the back of the net.

Lloyd's 20 yard free kick rattled the post on 8 mins, as the hosts were determined to restore parity asap. An exquisite cross from the left by attacking full back Rosquin, found Fran in

space at the far post, but alas his headed effort flew the wrong side of the woodwork on 15 mins.

Following a period of midfield mediocrity, the game sprung to life on 37 mins, as Chema pulled off 2 brave close range saves in quick succession, denying Redovan going further ahead.

Another Rosquin foray down the wing was unfairly halted, leading to the resulting free kick being clinically headed home by an ecstatic Fran on 41 min.

All square at half time, it really was anyone's game, played out in oppressive heat conditions.

In the 56th min, Redovan's Javi watched his shot narrowly miss the target, then straight up the other end, Rosquin's daisy cutter agonisingly evaded the target.

Rosquin was again instrumental in further build-up play, when on 64 mins, his assist to Berni culminated in Thader's midfielder shot rattling the upright. Redovan should have taken the lead on 68 mins, but Javi somehow spooned a routine finish over an open goal. This was a signal for Thader to bring on the youth team players, including 16 year olds Icelandic Holmar, Vadin and Moroccan Adan.

4th place finish for Lucía

Last week the Spanish Individual Base Championship was held in the city of Pamplona, where the championship reaped magnificent results for the Jennifer Colino Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, in which the club from Torrevieja achieved two national finalist diplomas.

LucÌa Quesada Guillen, competed in the benjamin category achieving a magnificent fourth position in free hands, just tenths outside the medals.

Valeria Vorontsova finished in fourth place in the 2011 infantil category, while her teammates £frica Castillo and Ainhoa Egea made their national debut in the competition.

All 3 made an immediate impact, none more so than Adan, who on 81 mins, picked up a loose ball, and although his initial shot was saved, he nonchalantly buried the rebound. The gods were certainly looking down on the men from Rojales, for less than a minute later, Toni wasted a glorious opportunity to double his goal tally, when he inexplicably missed an open goal. Adan almost made it safe for Thader, but his effort was well saved

Party in the park as Orihuela gain promotion

Orihuela supporters took to the streets on Sunday evening to celebrate the promotion of their team from Tercera to Segunda B. The fans had to wait until almost midnight to receive their heroes at the Gabriel Miró roundabout, as they travelled back following their 2-1 victory at Silla in the very final game of the campaign.

The city center became a huge party upon the arrival of the players, together with the more than 400 supporters who travelled to Silla to cheer on their team.

The area was flooded with fans wearing yellow t-shirts and scarves as the Players, coaches and managers climbed onto a stage erected by the City Council , from where they addressed almost 1000 fans.

And yet it was a promotion that they gained in only the final 15 minutes of the game, having gone behind to relegated Silla who took the lead though Pau Palacín, in the 66th minute.

SUDUK

O SOLUTION

by visiting keeper Buyo.

With time running out, Redovan created a further 2 opportunities, which were once again squandered.

So, all in all, Thader just about deserved this victory, and should go into next weeks away match at high flying Eldense in a confident mood. Check CD Thader facebook page for further details on this, and other information relating to the football club.

However, goals from Ayo (76) and Nacho Muñoz (84) turned the game around, securing the title and automatic promotion for Orihuela who finished just 2 points ahead of second placed Atzeneta UE, following their 2-1 win at Elche. The Oriolanos culminated their successful campaign, in which they have remained leaders for 25 consecutive weeks. They moved into first place after week 5 and have held on to that position until they secured the championship on Sunday, supported by over 400 travelling fans.

SUDUK O SOLUTION

QUIZ FROM PAGE 14: 1.Bristol, 2.Sloopy.Hang on Sloopy (The McCoys), 3.Africa, 4.The windrose on a compass.5.Chicago, An American in Paris, Casablanca, 6.Monte Carlo, 7. John Steed in The Avengers, 8.a.Star Trekkin (The Firm), b.Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie), c.Mean Mr.MuSTARd (Beatles), d.Good Morning Starshine (Oliver), 9.Omar (Omar Shamshoon), 10.Portsmouth England, 11.Eric the half

a bee.12.Stan Laurel.13.Clocks and watches, 14.Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, 15.Errol Flynn.16. c.222,000 litres.17.Pierre de Fermat, 18. 'Women and children first' 19.The remains of Noah's Ark.20.a:Ealing, b:Al Pacino, c:Sergio Leone, d:Charles Laughton, e:Val Kilmer (both pairs played Wyatt Earp and Doc Halliday), 21. Emperor Hirohito, 22.Mercury, 23.Gillian Flynn, 24.Salvador Dali, 25.Queen's Park Rangers

ADAN DREAM START - The 16 year old scored the winner on his club debut