News

Jacobo Domínguez, first Formentera native to win Balearic trap shooting contest

Tuesday, 11 October 2016 14:22

foto campio tir al plat CiF vice president Susana Labrador and councillor of sport Jordi Vidal met today with Jacobo Domínguez Tur, the first Formentera native to win the Copa Balear, a trap shooting contest in the Balearic Islands. The competition, celebrated since 1999, was held last weekend on Menorca.

Councillor Vidal seized the opportunity to congratulate the young skeet shooter, who was only too happy to receive the honour of being the island's first Copa Balear title-holder. “It's a big responsibility”, said Domínguez, “and a great satisfaction to have lifted up Formentera even just that little bit”.

The Balearic champion began practising skeet, or trap shooting, at 14 years old. Today he is 22. Alongside Domínguez was another member of Formentera's local shooting assocation, Joan Ferrer, who also participated and came in fourth.

Mehari pulled from la Mola precipice

Monday, 10 October 2016 11:41

netaja penya-segat 2 In a report this morning the Formentera Council’s Office of Environment informed that 640 kg of scrap metal was lifted yesterday from the cliffs of la Mola. A cleanup day, organized by Colgados de Formentera and the Council, saw members of the association of rappel climbers successfully pull a Mehari car from a spot in the middle of the bluffs where it had sat for more than 25 years.

Other volunteers participated alongside the Colgados team in the cleanup, an event which was included in the programme of the town’s local festival, Festes del Pilar de la Mola. Three members of the Formentera fire brigade also helped slice the vehicle into smaller pieces, which made it possible to raise the chassis from its perch on the crag. The off-road compact SUV was ultimately transported to the local vehicle decontamination plant. Department chief Daisee Aguilera thanked all the participants for their efforts.

Formentera drops suit against APB

Thursday, 06 October 2016 10:48

foto aplaudiment consell entitats Formentera Council (CiF) president Jaume Ferrer has announced that from today the first steps will be taken to withdraw litigation in the Balearic Islands' superior court of justice, TSJB, that took exception to the tender of the project to relocate Formentera's boat landing within the Eivissa port. Last night Ferrer explained the developments before a crowd of local community leaders, known as the Consell d'Entitats (“council of entities”), which convened so the CiF president could report on the deal struck regarding the new Formentera landing in the Eivissa port.

In Ferrer's words, “when there's a sense of dialogue —and it's actively promoted— reaching agreements that are satisfactory to all parties is quite a bit easier”. Ferrer thanked all levels of the administration that were involved and made the deal possible. In addition, he made special mention of a community group —Formentera Importa— and all the locals who took part, April 17, 2016, in a gathering that group organised at the Sant Francesc town square. Participants rallied under the slogan “On Sempre” — a call to keep the Formentera landing “where it's always been”.

At yesterday's Consell d'Entitats gathering, community involvement councillor Sònia Cardona and President Ferrer laid out the steps that went into reaching the accord, a document which was then presented in a September 28 meeting of a Balearic Islands port authority (APB) committee. The text reads: “The [new] Formentera landing will remain on the same lines as the current one; parallel to avinguda de Santa Eulària [an adjacent arterial – TdN] and occupying a lot near Club Nautico Ibiza. It will remain on the same dock as it is currently. This is a solution that maintains proximity with the centre of Vila while still allowing for construction of a pathway that can link the perimeter of the port area, which will be used by people. In so doing, the areas of the port that are dedicated to harbour work, fishing and industrial work will be restricted to the northerly, commercial dock”. The gathering concluded with a hearty round of applause by all those present.

Enregistrer

Formentera Council distributes free recycling bags

Friday, 07 October 2016 13:45

foto entrega bosses reciclables The Formentera Council's Office of Environment reported today on a 255.8-tonne spike in waste generated on the island during the January-September period of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. “In terms of recyclable material, there was a slight increase in glass collected —67.38 tonnes more— followed by a smaller increment in plastics collection, which saw a 24.98-tonne increase. Paper and cardboard, however, experienced a lower collection figure — 13.34 tonnes lower”, explained environment councillor Daisee Aguilera.

From January to September (a period which includes both months) the rates of recycling held steady at about 23%, which are among the highest in the country. However, added Aguilera, that figure is very similar to last years'. To try and increase recycling rates as well as the reuse of reusable materials, to factors which have remained stagnant in recent years, the Formentera Council has acquired 3,000 packs of collection bags for plastics, paper and cardboard and glass.

Starting next Monday October 10 residents can collect their packs at the CiF Office of Environment, located at number 15, carrer Mallorca in Sant Ferran, Monday through Friday, 9.00am to 2.00pm. The packs will also be handed out to users of the Deixalleria, the local household waste collection centre, at the Sant Francesc industrial park, Monday through Saturday, 9.00am to 1.30pm, and Monday through Friday afternoons, 3.30 to 5.30pm.

Each pack includes three bags for glass, plastics and cardboard recycling. The environment councillors hopes the bid will “raise local awareness about recycling and help people recycle in a more ordered fashion”. The initiative carried a cost of €13,539.90. Bags will be distributed until none remain.

Recycling savings
Aguilera highlighted the cost of shipping unrecycled waste to Eivissa —€137 per tonne— plus the added cost of placement in the Ca Na Putxa rubbish tip — €30 per tonne. Hence, Formentera residents saved €310,910.58 by recycling 1,861.74 tonnes between January and September 2016. Recycled waste doesn't incur freight costs, because they are covered by the recycling companies themselves.

Greater involvement
In light of the fact that the summer season's end is approaching, Aguilera asked residents and big waste producers, who may be carrying out end-of-season cleanups, to be mindful and civic, and remember that large rubbish —and waste like paints, electronics, batteries and oils that requires special treatment— cannot be left at collection bins. “The island will be cleaner and we will significantly reduce the costs of treatment and collection if we are all conscious of proper waste management”, the councillor concluded.

Formentera to host country's first hands-on underwater metals course

Wednesday, 05 October 2016 14:05

foto curs metalls Earlier today in the conference hall of the CiF Office of Culture, patrimony councillor Susana Labrador took part in a presentation regarding the island's first practical course on subaquatic metals. The course —which will include hands-on work at a shipwreck site— will also be the first of its kind in Spain. For four days 16 experts in conservation and restoration will gather on Formentera to learn from the experiences of two high-profile experts in the field, Jean-Bernard Memet and Victòria Folgueira, about the latest techniques in treating metal objects in underwater environments.

The councillor of patrimony highlighted the importance of supporting initiatives like this one, saying “here on Formentera, it furthers the conservation of our heritage”. The course, both theory-based and practical, is organised by the Formentera Council and the Balearic institute of maritime archaeology (IBEAM), with additional support from the archaeological museum of Eivissa and Formentera and Trasmapi transport company. Undersea archaeologist Javier Rodríguez was a supporter of the event.

One year ago the Formentera Council and IBEAM signed a deal to draw up an underwater archaeological map that would not only help get the word out about the island's subaquatic patrimony, but also help conserve it. The five-year agreement sets out €2,000 in funding for researchers during each cycle. The archaeological map that is produced will ultimately become property of the Formentera Council.