Around Majorca

FELANITX
The mayor of Felanitx, Catalina Soler and Education councillor, Jaume Obrador, awarded subsidies yesterday to help families in need with the purchase of text books. The town council has approved a donation of 50 euros to a maximum of 600 applicants. Single parent families or those with handicapped children have had a higher priority.

Pedestrianisation

SA POBLA
W orks on pavementing the historic town area of Sa Pobla are now underway, the first section under construction from calle Luna as far as calle Marina. Piping is to be renewed in calle Crestatx and calle Asalto as part of a wider town council commitment to drainage modernisation which began during the term of office of the previous government.

Pavement taxes

CAN PICAFORT
T wenty days ago, owners of bars and restaurants in Can Picafort who set up tables and chairs on the seafront walkway for purposes of serving the public, received warning notices from the central government Environment ministry. The owners are due to be fined for not having paid “pavement” tax during the tourist season.

The move comes in spite of a verbal commitment given by the central government delegate in the Balearics at the beginning of the summer, to allow “unofficial” occupation of the seafront walkway by proprietors.

Over the last two years, the Environment ministry has continued to deny Can Picafort Town Council “free use” of the walkway for trading purposes. Meanwhile, the Council have given consent to the traders and demanded a charge for it from bar and restaurant owners.

It is reported that the central ministry therefore wish to recuperate through fines what they have lost in taxes.
Trading Estate Project

VILAFRANCA
The Town Council in Vilafranca has given initial approval to revision of local by-laws which will affect the siting and size of a planned industrial estate.. Mayor Jaume Sansó explained that “we had already put forward plans for change in April of last year but time had to be given for any legal objections to be made by people in the area”. Municipal architect, Mateu Carrió has explained to all parties on the Council how the proposed modifications will comply in full with the regional government's territorial plan.

One key knock-on effect of the approval of by-law changes will be the influence on the decision of where to build the future industrical estate. Indications are that it will eventually be located on the right-hand side of the road leading to Porreres but will now be limited to a maximum area of 40'000 square metres.

A personal farewell

ALGAÏDA
The Parish Church in Algaida seemed far too small on Wednesday evening to accommodate the hundreds of people who came to say their last farewells to Bartomeu Antich, the father of the ex President of the Balearic Islands, Francesc Antich.

Born in Algaïda, Bartomeu Antich was a name in his own right, being the first footballer from the region to have success in Latin America. He emigrated to Caracas in Venezuela and became a football champion in that country's first division team. In Majorca, he played with Algaïda and Montuïri.

With so many queuing to have the chance to pay respects to the surviving family, the church service started an hour later. Amongst the key figures who attended the ceremony were the present leader of the Balearic Islands, Jaume Matas; the head of regional Parliament, Pere Rotger.