THE University of the Third Age (U3A) in Teulada-Moraira recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. More than 300 British residents were present at the event at the Font Santa leisure area, which was attended by local mayor, Antoni Joan Bertomeo, accompanied by councillors Sylvia Tatnell and Jaime Perez.
Ann Colclough, present of the U3A thanked all those present on such a special day for the association which now has 1,400 members in Teulada-Moraira, Benissa and Benitatxell.
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FOUR Albanians were remanded in custody for housebreaking in Alicante, Valencia and Madrid provinces. Although charged with 32 robberies, they are believed to be responsible for at least 100.
The investigation began after a wave of robberies from villas in exclusive Villaviciosa de Odon in Madrid. All took place at night and gang members often habitually climbed to an upper floor to let themselves in.
The robberies tied in with others from urbanisations in the Valencian Community where the Albanians were already under surveillance.
A search of the suspects’ Valencia homes revealed jewellery, cash and designer clothes. There were also vehicles which they either used themselves or sold in eastern Europe.
All had police records in Spain, habitually used forged identity documents and drove cars with false plates. The investigation has not been closed and further arrests are likely.
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INGENIOUS scientists looking for an eco friendly way of dealing with seaweed-strewn beaches are processing it ready to turn into bio fuel. They have developed a machine to wash, dry and compress seaweed into fuel pellets right on the beach.
The 2,000 tonnes of seaweed washed up overnight at Playa de San Juan recently has highlighted the difficulties faced by local councils on a regular basis.
Councils hastily remove the seaweed conscious that pristine beaches are vital to tourism. Once collected it can be processed for fertiliser, but seaweed contains more ethanol than corn and is increasingly used for biofuel and biomass.
Transporting, de-salting and drying it have until now been challenging, but Alicante University investigators have devised a system to eliminate all these problems.
A trailer containing three linked hoppers is fed seaweed as it moves along the beach. Pumped-in seawater removes the sand before the seaweed progresses to the second hopper where a solar-powered device rinses out the salt content.
It then moves on to a third hopper where it is dried by another piece of solar-powered equipment, and then it is compressed into biomass pellets or blocks for use in power plants.
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MAYOR of Rojales, Antonio Perez Garcia, accompanied by his Councillors for Tourism, Education and Foreign Residents, visited the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre (EHCRC) in Rojales.
They took the easy horse tour and got to meet some of the residents and hear their stories. The Mayor Education and Foreign Residents gave a speech about the EHCRC Foundation being an important part of Rojales and how links with the centre and the town hall will be strengthened in the future.
The Education Councillor was keen to encourage the local schools to visit the centre and for pupils to learn more about the animals and what goes on at the centre, as well as develop their English language speaking and listening skills.
Founders Sue and Rod Weeding explained to the local government team that the centre was for all nationalities and that they are keen to get the Spanish population more involved as both visitors and volunteers.
For more information on school visits, the open days or charity shops, please visit www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue on 652 021 980.
PLANS to turn the old Terminal-1 of El Altet airport into a major outlet area with shops, restaurants and leisure facilities have been unveiled.
Alicante company ‘Aerovillage’ has presented the €40 million project to the Spanish Airport Authority (AENA). With the support of foreign investors, it aims to build a 40,000m2 area with 109 stores and restaurants, a hotel, and indoor karting track and an area for flight, skiing and racing simulators, which is expected to create 650 jobs.
Since the arrival of the new terminal at El Altet, with capacity for 25 million passengers per year, the old Terminal-1 will no longer be used and is amongst the buildings for which AENA wants private investors.
Aerovillage began talks with AENA back in 2011, but the project has still not been approved. The plan for an outlet store area has been well-received in the region, since many families travel as far as Madrid for similar shopping and leisure centres. It is hoped a new one at El Altet would attract many people.
The hotel would be aimed at people who need to stop at El Altet overnight before catching a connecting flight, as well as crew members.
UNREGISTERED residents lose La Nucia €1.1 million each year. The town has a population of 19,135 residents according to national statistics institute INE, entitling the town to a yearly transfer of €3.3 million from the central government.
The true number is nearer 30,000, the town hall believes. If La Nucia can increase the padron to 25,500 the amount from Madrid would increase by 34 per cent, bringing in another €1.1 million.
Not only the town hall stands to profit, because the extra money could be ploughed back into the municipality. Services would improve and local taxes lowered, explained mayor Bernabe Cano.
The town hall, backed by the collaboration of several foreign consulates, has launched an Empadronamiento campaign, encouraging residents of all nationalities to register on the “padron.”
Posters have been printed in several languages. “Register now,” urges the English-language version, under the heading “We are all residents of La Nucia.”
Empadronamiento also provides both foreign and Spanish residents with access to vital services that include schools, health care and social services, Cano pointed out.
COSTA BLANCA MOUNTAIN WALKERS SCHEDULE
Saturday 25th May
a) Dos Ermitas. Moderate, mostly good tracks. Small "party" after. 12 kms, 5 hours, 450m ascent. No dogs. Peter 669 873 159.
b) Llosa leg stretcher. Moderately strenuous, some rough terrain. 12 kms, 5 hours, 560m ascent. Dogs on leads at rear. Gordon 635 281 284
c) Granadella walk & beach. Moderately strenuous, some rough terrain. 7 kms, 3 hours, 400m ascent. No dogs. Geoff 696 032 882
Wednesday 29th May
a) Javea La Plana. Moderate, some rough terrain. 10 kms, 3 hours, 165m ascent. Rough & steep paths on the descent midway. Dogs on leads at rear. Ann 646 716 303
b) Javea La Plana II. Easy, good tracks. 9 kms, 3 hours, minimal ascent. No dogs. Alan 965 583 637
PLEASE NOTE: AFTER THESE TWO WALKS WE WILL HAVE THE END OF SEASON LUNCH AT THE RESTAURANTE AMANACER. Reservations already booked from the website.
Walks depart promptly at 10am unless otherwise noted. Boots, packed lunch and adequate drinking water required. First aid kit recommended, as well as protection against sun, wind and rain. Walkers participate at their own risk.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the time stated for each walk will always depend on the fitness and ability of the walkers and also the weather and passage conditions on the day of the walk. The rules and guidelines for walking are given on our website, see http://www.cbmwalkers.org. Please also refer to this website for any last minute changes to the walks.
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OOPS! This lorry driver decided he knew better than the warning sign. Hoping to squeeze under this railway bridge in Altea he was left with a red face when he got stuck.
And it took Local Police to divert traffic away and clear a path before the driver could extricate his truck from the jam he had got into. After letting air out of his tyres to lower the lorry’s height he reversed out of his predicament, last Friday.
Traffic problems were kept to a minimum as drivers found alternative routes. Then with nothing worse than a crumpled aerial, dinted container and maybe a slightly bruised ego for the driver, the lorry was on its way.
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THERE will be 100 fewer beds at Elche General Hospital during the summer months. Sixty beds will be unavailable in July, August and September in addition to 30 removed from service since the summer of 2011.
A further 10 beds in different medical units will also remain empty during this period. Two wings usually close each summer for renovations but this year none will be carried out owing to insufficient funds.
Instead they are closing so that staff normally assigned to them can cover for colleagues on holiday, hospital sources revealed. This way it will not be necessary to engage temporary staff, they claimed.
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A BRITISH fugitive said to be violent and dangerous has been arrested in Calpe, Costa Blanca after a six-year search in both countries.
Andrew Terence Moran, 32, from Salford, near Manchester, was arrested after he and his accomplices held up a Royal Mail Post Office security van carrying the day's takings from a well-known UK supermarket at gunpoint, beating the driver over the head with iron bars and making off with about €30,000 in cash.
This was back in 2005, when the accused was aged just 24, and he was arrested in 2007.
Upon his sentencing in February 2009 at Burnley Crown Court, Moran attacked four court security officials, leapt over the dock barriers and fled.
He was known to have escaped to Spain and was on the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)'s list of Britain's most-wanted criminals in the country.
Spanish police caught up with him in Los Alcazares (Murcia) in November last year and, during their attempt to catch the escapee, he rammed their two unmarked patrol cars with his 4x4 vehicle and managed to get away again.
On Friday, however, he was traced to a villa in Calpe where he was living with a partner. 60 rounds of ammunition, two handguns and a machete were also found.
He was detained and remains in custody until a decision is made as to whether to extradite him to the UK.
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