Yesterday, local artist Álvaro Mendoza pulled back the curtain on his latest exhibition, Revelaciones. The sampling of work includes 13 paintings completed over the last year, paintings which Mendoza quips are “somewhere between expressionist and abstract”. The exhibit, which is on display at the municipal gallery of the old town hall (Ajuntament Vell), can be visited Monday through Saturday, 11.00am to 2.00pm and 6.00 to 9.00pm.

Sports councillor Jordi Vidal reported today on the decision by the Formentera Council Office of Sport to award €13,000 in grants to six sportspeople and two coaches from the island. The grant recipients –three tennis players, two judo players and a pro runner– are all under 18. As part of a February agreement and in partnership with the regional foundation for sport (Fundació Balear per l’Esport), the Govern Balear has pledged to contribute €10,000 to the initiative. The Formentera administration, for its part, has added its own contribution of €3,000 “to cover the basic needs of the grantees”.

According to Vidal, the grants were created to “help these young men and women in their development as professional athletes”. Vidal described the process of pursuing economic support for the Formentera residents, which he said began with a request to Carles Gunyalons, director general of sports in the Balearics. Vidal told Gunyalons of his office's commitment to helping the local athletes improve their performance, a task all the more important given the uniqueness of Formentera's particular situation.

The CiF Office of Sport drew up criteria for athletes that sought to qualify for the assistance packs. An application review committee, formed by Councillor Vidal; Eivissa native and Fundació per l'Esport representative Javier Bonet Salvà; Formentera Office of Sport staff specialist Daniel de la Dueña and, in an outside advisory role, José Alborch, coordinator for Escoles Esportives Municipals. The review process, said Vidal, centred around “applicants' needs and athletic level”.

In a statement issued today, the Formentera Council’s presidential office announced that from May 11, a staff member from the Balearic Islands tax office will be available on the island to help residents file their easy-file tax claims here on the island. By calling 971 76 76 76, residents can request an appointment with the tax office representative for assistance filing their 2015 declaration. The office is open from 9.30am to 2.00pm and again from 3.00 to 6.30pm, on carrer Eivissa, number 9, May 11 through June 30.

Earlier today, the Formentera Council’s Office of Sport announced the details concerning its first ever world amateur beach volleyball tournament, set to take place this Saturday on the Cala Saona beach at 12 noon. The CiF councillors in attendance at the morning press conference were Jordi Vidal, of the sports office, and Alejandra Ferrer, of tourism. Also present were two former players from the Spanish national volleyball team: Rafa Pascual and Ernesto Rodríguez, who is organising Saturday’s event.

The tournament will take place all weekend at Cala Saona beach, though one modality –four on four– will be at the centre of a championship that starts today and culminates in a final match at 5.00pm. As Councillor Vidal explained this morning, Maurizia Cacciatore will be the guest of honour at this weekend’s events. Ms Cacciatore, as Vidal noted, is considered by many to be the greatest player Italian volleyball has ever known. The councillor took the opportunity to urge the entire island to come out and “enjoy the waterfront show”.

The matches on Saturday and Sunday will be open to teams of two, in men’s and women’s categories. Morning games will start at 9.30am and recommence at 3.30pm. There will be eight playing areas and 40 participating teams. Sportsdreams is the company that, together with the Formentera Council, has coordinated the event.

Tourism

Councillor Ferrer explained that the tournament is part of Discover Formentera in May (Descobreix Formentera al Maig), a campaign to “expand the traditional season by proposing sports-related activities and other bonuses to off-season tourists”. Pointing to the sport’s popularity among Formentera’s Italian visitors, Ferrer said the Council hoped to entice tourists outside of the traditional summer season.