Torrevieja ‘Carnies’ ask mayor to speed up their move onto the new fairground site

Having seemingly not realised that developing the port area in Torrevieja would cause disruption to the fair ground, the Mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, eventually promised to move the facilities to a new location in the market area of Parque Antonio Soria, but now the fair ground workers are complaining that nothing has been done to help them, even though the summer season, the most lucrative, is about to begin.

The stall holders have already lost serious amounts of revenue during the Easter period, with many of them not working for months.

Dolón made the commitment to the carnies, around 80 fairground attractions that employ 150 workers in high season, to have a new location in the market and fairgrounds by mid-May. However, the municipality, although it is working to get ready the new location, has not been able to fulfil its initial commitment.

The weather has been blamed, in part, for the delay, but other than that, the stall holders have had no further progress reports, and José Mateo, a member of the board of directors of the Asociación de Feriantes, has publicly asked the acting government team for more information on the process and speed.

They have also indicated that the possibility of working with their attractions in other municipalities is now much more limited than before due to local and regional ordinances giving preference to companies with more seniority in each municipality. Therefore, a good many of the families that maintained a fairground business in the port area are now without activity. And it's been like this for six months.

The Council needs an investment of more than 600,000 euro, according to the latest modification of the project approved by the governing board last Friday, to adapt the 13,000-squaremetre facility.

Mateo explains that one of the biggest difficulties is in the provision of energy. Fairground attractions need enormous power and current facilities can only cover around 60% of the demand. If the relocation is carried out without the increase in that flow, it could resort to generator sets.

The same sources also want the Council to carry out an information campaign in the media about the relocation of the fairground when it is clear that the new venue will be ready for its activity in the market area, although this is something to which the municipality has committed, in addition to the provision of a shuttle bus from the centre.

Now the elections are over and promises no longer need to be made, those that were made need to be delivered on, and although the fair workers want a commitment to resume work as soon as possible, they also want to return to their home ground once the port area redevelopment is complete, although that might not happen, as the relocation is something that many councillors have been trying to achieve for many years.

Calls to Build 2nd Runway at Alicante-Elche Airport

The Business Confederation of the Valencian Community, Confederación Empresarial de la Comunitat Valenciana, has defended the need to expand, "in the short term", Alicante-Elche Airport by building a second runway.

They are also increasing pressure on improving the rail network in the area so that it reaches the airport facility.

The association highlights that the airport has not only recovered the figures that consolidated it as the fifth in Spain in terms of passenger traffic, but that the number of users is already 4.9% higher than in 2019.

The confederation regrets that the Alicante-Elche Airport Master Plan has been "paralysed" to date "as a result of the existence of two contradictory reports issued by the Generalitat, since one was favourable to investment on a second runway, whereas the other was against it. The former was based on the business needs, whereas the latter was due to environmental concerns.

"We think that the figures justify the existence of a second runway", said Salvador Navarro, president of the confederation, after holding a meeting in Madrid with the president of Aena, Maurici Lucena, in a meeting in which Esther Guilabert, general secretary of the Employers Association, and the president of HOSBEC, Pere Fuster, also participated.

In the opinion of the Valencian business association, it is necessary to study the construction of this second runway that would come into service, as is the case at the Málaga-Costa del Sol airport, when traffic requirements so demand.

San Javier Looks To The Skies

San Javier will host the International Parachuting Tournament (CISM) 2023, and the National Military Parachuting Championship, from July 15 to 21 at the AGA, with the participation of Spanish parachuting teams from the Army, Navy, Guardia Civil and from eight invited countries: Germany, Austria, Qatar, Morocco, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea and Turkey. In total, the Tournament is expected to attract some 250 participants, including judges and competitors, half of them from overseas. The Tournament, which is part of the annual activities program of the International Military Sports Council, in line with the municipal project 'San Javier, ciudad del aire', was announced last week at the AGA by Colonel Pedro Ángel Díaz, secretary of the Central Board of Physical Education and Sports of the Air Force and Space, along with the mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luengo. The skydiving competitions will take place from July 16 to 21 in the morning and afternoon at three venues, two inside the AGA and one in the area of what was the heliport of the old Los Arcos hospital, where they can be followed by the public. The AGA will also open its doors during the competition to it’s sports field where a small static exhibition of aircraft from the Academy will be held. (Full article at www.theleader.info)

Founder of former RBLSpain North Concert Band dined out

David Last, founder of the former RBLConcert Band, was dined out by band members and guests at Semana 8 Restaurant, in Playa Flamenca, last Thursday night. Davis resigned as Musicl Director of the band 3 months ago after what he called ‘unnacceptable interference and pressure by the District Committee’. He has since gone on to form a clarinet quartet and a string trio.

Davis and his wife Chris, were joined by almost 30 friends and collegues, some of which had flown from UK, especially to attend the event. He was presented with a commmorataive shield and a mug while wife Sue received a colourful bouquet of flowers.