BINISSALEM
Dressed in traditional attire and with bare feet, 100 young local people took part on Saturday in the grape treading competition, a key part of the Es Vermar fiestas watched my more than 1'000 spectators.

The rules are perfectly clear. There is a time of exactly 4 minutes (for the young ones) and 3 minutes (for adults) to press two sacks of grapes and to squeeze out of them the maximum amount of juice possible. The treading process has to be done in the traditional way, without using hands to clear the tub or prodding the grapes with any kind of stick, but instead working in pairs, hanging on to one another at all times by the shoulders.

The competition transforms into a frantic spectacle with the year-on-year record to date registered at 16 litres of juice for the adult section.
All the competitors finished on Saturday in just 2 hours using 1'600 kilos of graves harvested from the local vineyards. If the juice extracted during the competition doesn't become “vinegary”, it will be used to make this year's wine.

Training grants

CALVIA
C alvia Town Council is to allocate 260'000 euros to 4 new grant programmes, which aim to improve and complement the practical training education of the residents of the district. The applications for each one of the programmes will have to be lodged with the local authorities before 15 October next.

The Council signalled that the period of time allowed for grant application by university students and for people undergoing professional training who might want to put their studies into practice during the winter school calendar period, has already started.

The amount of the grant can be set at 361 euros a month, and the practical training, which will take place in the different services and departments of the municipality, such as with companies which collaborate with the local council, has a time frame of 600 hours.

Calvia Council also arranges financial support for adult students who are taking part in training courses for over-25s who wish to gain access to university or to professional training. This group would include adults who have not been undergoing official study courses for a minimum of two years. ...And not a drop to drink

CALAS DE MALLORCA
L ocal police and firemen reported that the fracturing of a pipeline in front of the Hotel Eurocalas at the entrance to Calas de Mallorca on Sunday night, left the whole area without water.

Spokesmen for the emergency services in Porto Cristo confirmed that the supply was due to be re-established at about 4pm yesterday. The loss of water affected at least 3'000 residents in the Cala Domingos area, as well as all the tourists staying in hotels on that section of the coastline.

Restored water works

POLLENSA
Pollensa sewage works is currently functioning at 60 percent of capacity but this week it will be full steam ahead at 100 percent.
Local mayor, Joan Cerda, confirmed that “we have already received the report from “Ibasan” (water & hygiene department) on the blockage which had caused the sewage works to release untreated water into the Sant Jordi torrent (water course). Technicians tracked the root of the problem to faulty material which had been installed during recent enlargement works. These sections have now been removed and correctly replaced.