Twenty-eight projects were presented last night at a gathering of Formentera's alliance of local organisations in the Casal d'Entitats. The “Council of Entities,” as it is known in Catalan, convened to discuss potential candidates for the league's so-called “participatory spending”. By evening's end, some of the initial proposals had been fused, reducing the final tally of projects on the list from 34 to 28.

Member groups have till April 12 to rank the proposals, which will then be whittled down to ten.

Next, explained CiF community involvement councillor Sònia Cardona, administration staff will run numbers on the proposals so that groups can decide how to distribute the budgetary spending.

In 2017 there is €325,000 available for distribution. Last year, the maiden year of the participatory spending initiative, the fund had €250,000. That money was split between 2016's two highest-ranked projects: one to eliminate architectural barriers to people with reduced mobility and another to upgrade school playground installations and children's parks.

On March 12, 2017, Antoni Tur Costa (nicknamed “Gabrielet”) would have turned one hundred. Here on Formentera, we would like to seize the opportunity to celebrate the first centennial of Gabrielet's birth.

Months ago, a committee was created to plan a series of events over the course of 2017 to pay homage to Gabrielet, not only the artist, but also and in especial the human being. As a member of the committee, the Formentera Island Council is a stakeholder in the celebrations.

March 31 (Friday), la Mola's Casa del Poble will play host to commemoration of the artist. Co-presented by Espai_F and OCB Formentera with additional support from the CiF, it will be a moment to share stories and memories of the milestones that marked Gabrielet's drawn-out, impassioned time on our island.

In 2017, two children's contests organised under the banner of the Sant Jordi holiday turn 18 — the first, for bookmark designs, and the second, for literature penned by kids. Named for Gabrielet and Robert Lewis Baldon, respectively, both encounters are included among this year's centennial celebrations of the illustrator and ceramicist. Entrants in the writing contest are invited to speak about “the art all around them”.

Another hat tip to the artist will come in the form of a documentary on his life, replete with interviews, images and samples of his work. Filmmaker Alfredo Montero, a Formentera native, is currently helming production of the film.

Formentera's centennial programme will resume in September with an exhibition at Centre Gabrielet in Sant Francesc. The show will focus primarily on the Eivissa-grown artist's drawings.

The Formentera Council's Office of Social Welfare and Youth Services announced today its programme for the Casal de Jove's tenth anniversary celebration. Friday March 31 marks ten years since Es Molí social centre opened its doors and, with it, the island's gathering space for children and teens.

Department chair Vanessa Parellada described the Casal de Joves (Catalan for “youth house”) as young people's source for both recreation and education over the last ten years. According to Parellada, the goal, helped along rules and qualified staff, was to create a leisure space where youngsters could learn to socialise and coexist with their peers. It has since become a yardstick for youth services, she says. The councillor pointed to a document billed as the island's “youth plan” that is currently being prepared in concert with Formentera youth to ensure the centre's continued ability to adapt to the needs of its users.

Activities
The party starts Thursday March 30 at the Casal with a foosball session, 4.30 to 6.30pm, to be followed by a slideshow with photos and video footage of the Casal's alumni since 2007. At 8.30pm free snacks and birthday cake will be offered in the spirit of celebration and from 9.00 to 10.00pm there will be music and karaoke.

For the big day, March 31, an array of all-ages activities will kick off at 5.00pm in Jardí de ses Eres, with storytelling from Xènia and Siri (“Les mil aventures del Pirata pedorreta i Carlota l'aventurera”) to get the ball rolling. Next up, Casal staff will lead two workshops—urban dance at 6.00pm and voice at 7.00—before Edgar Vilamajo guides attendees through an initiation to graffiti at 8.30. Finally, from 10.00pm till 2.00am, local performers El puerta, Elian.C, Reiminem and Juan Vidal will provide musical entertainment.

The Casal's birthday festivities are part of the Formentera Council's ten year anniversary celebration.

This morning, 14 freshly-finished units of low-cost public housing were unveiled in Sant Ferran. The flats were commissioned by the Balearic housing authority (IBAVI) and built on a plot of land ceded by the Formentera Council.

Alongside CiF president Jaume Ferrer at the morning gathering were Marc Pons, the Govern's minister of land, energy and mobility, CiF councillors and vice-presidents Bartomeu Escandell, Alejandra Ferrer, Daisee Aguilera and Rafael González, as well as IBAVI chief Maria Antònia Garcias and project architect Carles Gabriel Oliver.

Open day
From 12.30 to 2.30pm and 4.30 to 5.30pm this Wednesday, March 29, and Monday, April 3, visitors will be free to tour the flats, all of which come with two bedrooms.

Last chance to register
According to IBAVI officials, 214 applications from would-be renters have been received so far. Tuesday, April 4 is the final deadline for applications, which can be completed at IBAVI's Sant Francesc office on carrer Pla del Rei. IBAVI will remain open from 11.30am to 5.00pm March 29 and 30 and April 3 and 4.