Around Majorca

MANACOR
At the end of the year, Manacor hospital will be offering diagnosis through magnetic sounding, an introduction which will benefit some 2'500 patients annually. Currently, the hospital only possesses radiographic equipment for mammographs and a scanner. The new addition will eliminate the need for users to keep going to Palma for tests with its consequent reduction in costs as until now, fees have had to be paid to private clinics in the capital. When the new service is up and running, it is forecast that during the coming year, the increase in the number of patients who will be able to gain access to a more reliable diagnosis may reach 3'500.

Centre for adults restored

MANACOR
The building housing the Centre for Adult Education situated in calle Lepanto, Manacor, was shored up two days ago on the direct orders of the Town Hall Safety Committee, owing to the delapidated state of the property.

The upper floor of the centre annually accommodates 800 pupils for workshop practicals and classroom studies. Because the beams of the lower floor where the Council workmen (Municipal Brigade) keep part of their material (and which also serves as a garage) have had to be underpinned, it has been decided to transfer the Brigade's vehicles to the Council's rented premises on the industrial estate.

Opposition parties condemned the ruling group on the Town Council for letting the building deteriorate to such an extent. They claimed that the Council had turned a deaf ear to the repeated complaints of teachers about the Centre's abominable condition, when places such as Son Servera, Arta and Vilafranca have state-of-the-art education centres.

Carp control in Albufera

MURO
T he regional Ministry of the Environment is putting out to public tender a project for the control of the carp population in the wetlands of s'Albufera Natural Park near Alcudia.

The move comes in the wake of the threat that the fish are posing to the survival of other flora and fauna in the area.
Joana Xamena, director of Biodiversitat, a government department, explained on Tuesday that the carp were first recognised in s'Albufera in 2001 and since last year, different trials have been put in place to eliminate the species.

After initial failure, said Xamena, “about a month ago, we carried out experiments using professional fishermen using a special net and on that occasion 130 carp weighing 3 or 4 kilos were caught. Now, although we know that total elimination is impossible, we want to invite bids for a contract for ongoing population control”.

The bypass marches on

LLUCMAJOR
The construction work on the Llucmajor bypass is rapidly taking shape. The project is nicely on schedule and the route is set to link up with the road which leads from the other side of Llucmajor to Campos.

Sources at the regional Public Works ministry have said that the groundwork is virtually complete; it only remains to tarmac and refine the surface.
The road will have 5 overhead crossings and already these structures are well underway. The dry-stone walls which are being furnished along all highway construction work to seal off the limits of private land are also at an advanced stage.

In short, the next phases involve the completion of the bridges, surfacing, kerbs, barriers and road signs.
Heavy fines for dumping

SA POBLA
The Town Council is to impose fines of between 5 and 300 euros on residents who ignore by-laws related to rubbish disposal. However, the Council will first have to clear its own land (next to Can Peu Blanc college) where a large amount of waste material had been deposited and condemned by Opposition groups on the Council.