Walk This Way
The mayor of Ibiza Town, Lurdes Costa, revealed her ground-breaking plans for the capital on Wednesday. It seems that the pedestrian is to become king around the centre of town, as the mayor promised to dissuade people from using their vehicles to make short journeys.
A recent study showed over half of the population of Ibiza Town use their cars to make a journey of less than three kilometres, whilst just under half go by foot. The startling part was that just four per cent used public transport, a scathing attack on the decrepit service within the capital. Costa however is set to change people's mentality and will start with restrictive measures on the use of cars within the capital.
Tourists will be encouraged to use public transport instead of hiring cars, although the Councillor for the Environment, Joan Rubio, refused to be drawn too much on this sensitive issue. However, all vehicles will be restricted with speed limits, and more areas will be pedestrianised. The speed limit will be reduced to just 10 kmph in most of the Old Town. Buses will also be given their own lane to try and increase the speed and reliability of services. Costa also revealed they would build more than five kilometres more of cycle lanes, to try and encourage the use of two wheels instead of four.
Parents will be encouraged to walk their children to school, and to leave cars at home while 3,100 car parking spaces will also be created at the entrance to the town. This will coincide with parking being reduced within the city-centre in an attempt to encourage people to park and walk. She confirmed that most of the plans will be in place by the beginning of next year.
Costas plans are certainly bold, but should not surprise anyone, as her election campaign promises included a great deal on inner city congestion and pollution. Although this may only be the very beginning of her long-term plans, a start has been made..

AROUND THE ISLAND

Mr. Nobody
The Govern Balear will be without any famous faces at the World Travel Market for the first time in several years. The travel fair, which is due to get underway on 12th November, is the most important date in the diary for the majority of travel companies around the world. It is therefore a good opportunity for the Balearics to show everyone what it has to offer. This is normally done with the support of a world-renowned face connected to the islands. Some of the famous names from the past have included Hollywood actor Michael Douglas, ex-tennis superstar Boris Becker and German supermodel Claudia Schiffer.
However the decision has been made this year that the real star of the show should be the islands, a move supported by most concerned with the project. Promotion this year is going to focus on sporting activities, gastronomy and the cultural side, in an attempt to try and increase the length of the tourist season.

Tourism Change
Two leading experts have underlined the necessity to differentiate the Balearic Islands as a tourist destination. The two men, Juan Iranzo, Director of the Institute for Economic Studies, and Joan Garau, the new Director for the School of Tourism, made their claims at the inauguration of the academic year at the new school of tourism in Ibiza.
Iranzo claimed tourism was changing and claimed it was vital for Ibiza to develop according to this adapting market. He used both India and China as examples, with 100million new tourists entering the market with an annual budget to be spent on travel far higher than the average European. He underlined the importance for Ibiza in taking these new markets into consideration when making their new tourist models.
He continued, adding that the island could carry on promoting itself as a sun and sea destination, which would always prove attractive, but it would also have to encourage the development of alternative forms of tourism, including sports and cultural tourism. This would encompass the building of golf courses and other installations to help create better facilities for cyclists and boat enthusiasts.
Joan Garau was in agreement with his companion, and said the only way of creating a longer season would be to include these types of sporting activities in the general promotion of the island. He added that there was not one single sport which could have a deep enough impact on the island, and it needed to be a combination of many different activities. He claimed competition from around the world was now so fierce that Ibiza needed to change tack soon, or risk becoming a stagnant destination, open for just three months of the year.

Gore Warnings
The latest Nobel Prize winner for peace, Al Gore, was in Palma last week to warn against the dangers of climate change. The former vice-president of the United States has made it his mission to inform the world about the dangers of the production of too much CO2. In his speech he warned about the creation of new types of diseases due to the increase, and the complete disappearance of various different species.
He went on to claim the recent weather tragedies around the world were a direct result of the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, a claim which no expert now denies. He also revealed the melting poles would lead to sea levels rising by six metres, and result in 400 million people being made homeless.
He was speaking at the 10th National Congress for Family Businesses in front of an audience of around 600 people. He pleaded for people to take responsibility for their own actions, and added that it was up to each business owner to try and reduce his own carbon footprint.

Ibiza Purifier
The current water purifier in Ibiza Town is only working at 50 per cent of its capability, according to the Environment minister at the Govern Balear, Miquel Angel Grimalt. This is due, in part, to the fact, claimed the minister, that the previous PP run administration stopped investing money towards the maintenance of the machine. This has meant the system is barely able to operate at half its normal capacity, a fact which makes the new water purifier planned for the island a necessity.
The accusations were made on Tuesday, as Grimalt spoke in the Parliament concerning the location of the new water purifier which is to substitute the one already serving Ibiza Town. He confirmed that the exact location had yet to be decided but that the project was a priority of his administration, and would be dealt with accordingly.
For his part, Albert Prats, the environment minister at the Consell Insular, said they were looking at three locations, but until the owners of the land had been approached, he would not reveal exactly where they were. However, he did rule out two areas which had previously been considered contenders. He explained that sa Coma was still owned by the Ministry of Defence, and its purchase would prove complicated. He also ruled out any land near to the current purifier in Jesus.
He continued by revealing they were trying to locate the water purifier as far away from heavily inhabited zones as possible.
He went on to confirm that the purifier in Playa den Bossa was his second priority, and would be studied immediately after the Ibiza project had been set in motion.

Accident Increase
Accidents within the workplace have risen by 42.5 percent on the island over the last three years, according to the Balearic Minister, Margarita Najera. Between 2003-2006 there was an average of 71.8 accidents per 1,000 workers. Although the causes for this sharp rise are still being investigated, Najera claimed one of the main reasons was the lack of a specialist in the field of health and safety within the Consell Insular. For reasons which have remained unclear, the post was not occupied for two years, a decision which has clearly had grave consequences.
This increase has edged Ibiza towards the top of a national list for accidents within the workplace, a rise which the minister is hoping to curtail.

Road Works
Work began last week on several roundabouts across the island, as the Consell attempted to improve safety, after complaints from several motorist groups. The roundabouts in Ibiza Town in front of the multi-cinema complex, on the Ibiza-San Miguel road and at the San Rafael-Santa Eulalia crossing, all have some type of problem which has made them slightly dangerous to use. Whether it is cracks which have appeared in the road, or the fact the roads which circumnavigate them are not level, the roads have been described as unsafe, especially in wet conditions. The work is due to take about a month and will cause some minor traffic delays.

Well Permits
New information released from the Ministry for the Environment last week showed the Govern Balear has authorised a total of 553 water wells since 2004. Most have been for houses, with a high number given to foreign residents.
A ban was put in place in 2000 after several years of drought led to a water shortage. The Govern at the time also wanted to take stock of the situation, which led to them not granting any more permission for perforations to be made. However, the ban was lifted in 2004, since when the authorities have received a steady flow of enquiries. Each well is given permission to extract two hundred cubic metres of water from the ground, a figure the Govern has deemed reasonable for a family of five.

Social Shame
Ibizas lack of social services was crudely highlighted last week, after a report revealed the island invests just 18.60 per inhabitant in social care, by far the lowest amount of any of the islands within the Balearics. The report released over the weekend by the Health Department showed that in comparison Majorca apportions 49.02 per inhabitant, with Minorca not too far behind on 45.60.
The difference was described by social service workers as scandalous, and a direct result of the attitude of the previous administration, led by Pere Palaus PP party, which chose building over social care. However, they remained optimistic that new president Xico Tarres would rebalance the situation, as his partys political campaigning talked a great deal about improved social care. It will be seen over the next few months if Tarres does live up to his election promises.
The report came on the back of a statement by the Social Service and Immigration minister, Fina Santiago, claiming that from 1st January 2008, the control of all the residencies and social care centres in the Balearics will be passed over from the Govern Balear to the individual Consells. This will mean the Consell Insular of Ibiza will take the reigns of all of the centres, both old and new, including Can Blai, the centre for Alzheimer sufferers in Santa Eulalia, as well as the new centre for the handicapped being built in San Jordi, and the centre currently underway in San Antonio for those suffering of Alzheimers and Senile Dementia.
However, the news was not so promising on Thursday from the two new residencies currently being built in San Antonio and San Jordi. The constructors announced work on both buildings had stopped, after the Consell refused to meet the new costs of the residencies. They accused the old administration of under estimating the price and of misrepresenting the costs in their plans. The two groups (the constructors and the Consell) are currently in talks to try and reach a solution. However, the Consell revealed that the possibility of withdrawing the contract was still very much an option.

Loyal Sisters
San Juan paid tribute to some of its most loyal visitors last weekend, as three sisters who have been visiting the island for 28 years received special recognition for their loyalty to the island, from the Councillor for Tourism, Jaume Mari. The three sisters, Margaret Shau, Irene Armitage, and Dodo Brae first visited the island in 1981 and, as with so many, it was a case of love at first sight. They have continued coming, now with their husbands in tow for the last 28 years.
Margaret explained that they all loved the island, and found it a wonderful place to relax. For this reason they normally make at least four trips a year between May and October, always staying in the north of the island.
The occasion was made even more special because the tribute coincided with the wedding of Margarets son, Simon to his fiancé Helen. A wonderful day all round, and a much deserved tribute to one of Ibizas most loyal fans.

Don Pedro Debate
The insurers of the Don Pedro have revealed they have no intention of refloating the ship which sank in July after hitting rocks on its exit from the port of Ibiza. The company has once again made their position very clear on the issue, which is dividing the leading figures involved. However, the amount of groups now supporting the move not to refloat the vessel is steadily growing, and it appears that public opinion is also swinging their way. Whilst the cleanup operation continues out at sea, a decision on the future of the Don Pedro can be put off, but the day is nearing when a choice will have to be made and, for the moment, it looks as if the no refloaters camp are winning on points.
The Minister for the Environment at the Govern Balear, Miquel Angel Grimalt, revealed that the final decision would be made by a special committee containing all those groups with a vested interest in the vessel. Their first meeting was on Friday, and it seems there will be many more debates to come before a decision is finally reached.

Reform Work
The post offices in San Antonio, San Jordi and Santa Eulalia are set to go undergo reforms during the winter to ensure they meet new regulations concerning accessibility, it was revealed last week. The president of the Post Office, Jose Damian Santiago, claimed that ongoing work, first started in 2005, had ensured most of the post offices were now up to regulation standard. The few which were not, would be changed over the winter. He said he hoped the work would not cause too many problems for customers and asked them to be patient.

Adoption Help
The Consell Insular of Ibiza is to establish an economic subsidy for people who adopt foreign children. The pioneering plan from the Tarres administration will give each family that adopts a foreign child 1,500 in order to cover some of the substantial costs of the process.

IBIZA TOWN

Daylight Robbery
Investigations continued through the week into a bank robbery committed on Tuesday morning in the capital. Initial details were fairly scarce but it seems an individual entered the Banca March in Ibiza Town, opposite the Mercat Nou (New Market) at around 9.30a.m. There were no clients in the branch at the time. He told cashiers he was armed, although he did not reveal the weapon at any point. Bank staff handed over the cash in the drawer and the robber left on foot via the front door. He got away with just under 15,000.
Initial reports from staff hinted the man could have been of North African descent, although it was hard to tell as he was sporting a beard and a hat. Police are unsure if the beard was a fake or not. The investigation continues.

SAN ANTONIO

Missing Person
Police were continuing to investigate the possibility the body found in sa Talaia, San Antonio, last weekend is that of the missing British man, Nigel Rees. A missing persons ad was circulated by the British Consulate several weeks ago and appeared in this paper for the last two weeks.
An excursionist stumbled over the body of a dead man last weekend, as he was walking in the countryside. He immediately alerted police who were quick to arrive. The body, however, was in a severely decomposed state and it was impossible to make any type of formal identification. Also, although the body was fully clothed, the man had not been carrying any identification. Early reports claimed the body was that of a man around Rees age, although due to the state of the body nothing could be confirmed.
There was no sign of any violence either on the body or within the near vicinity, which has led police to initially rule out any foul play. However they are waiting for the results of an autopsy, which is due back soon.
According to BBC Wales, Rees left the United Kingdom a month ago in his caravan, with Ibiza the first leg of a European tour.

New Map
San Antonio is to have a sound map in its attempt to try and regulate noise levels within the municipality. Although the plan is still very much in the development stages, the Councillor for the Interior, Jose Ramon Serra Pilot, revealed that areas such as San Rafael and San Mateu, would have a zero tolerance policy, whereas the West End, for example, would be far more controlled. He claimed noise levels within the West End were already excessive, and the plan would introduce stricter controls with fines reaching 300,000 and closures of up to one year for extremely serious offences.
The project was announced several weeks ago and various associations were asked for their input. So far just three have put forward proposals, including the bar association in the area. Pilot claimed the plans would be finished in about one month, and would then be put on public display. There would then be a designated time set in which people could make their suggestions or complaints about the project.

SAN JOSE

Tape Demands
The mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas, declared himself satisfied after he emerged from court on Monday, following the first day of the inquiry into the supposed payment of illegal commissions. His defence, however, called for the original recordings to be handed over, revealing that the current accusations were being based on tapes which were, at times, barely audible. However, the inquiry is set to continue with the mayor due back in court on Monday.
The accusation is that Mari Ribas, along with several other leaders of both the PP and PSOE party, accepted commissions in return for granting the building contract of Eivissa Centre to the company Brues S.A. The project was drawn up by the last mayor of the Town Hall in Ibiza, Xico Tarres, who is now the president of the Consell. It aimed to revamp several buildings within the capital at a cost of several hundreds of millions of euros.
The accusations were made by the former Socialist leader, Roque Lopez, who had been ousted from power earlier in the year, after he failed to receive the support of the PSOE party to run for mayor of Ibiza Town.
While it is certainly true Lopez has an axe to grind, the recordings are evidence enough that the judge has launched an official inquiry and will hear from several leading political figures on the island, including Ribas Mari and the former deputy mayor of Ibiza Town Pedro Campillo.
It is alleged Mari Ribas is heard on the tapes claiming the sale from some apartments would generate enough black (unregistered) money in order to pay the political parties involved PSOE and PP. However the mayor maintains the conversation has been taken out of context, and protests his innocence.
To underline the defences point, the first day of the inquiry lasted longer than expected due to the poor quality of the tapes. They had to be rewound and listened to over and over again by the judge and the witnesses. It is still unclear if the judge leading the inquiry will ask for the originals, or if he is happy with the current tapes. The inquiry continued this Monday.
It was also revealed on Friday that the judge had asked for a full investigation to be undertaken into the personal assets of the former deputy mayor of Ibiza Town, Pedro Campillo. With Agustinet, he is at the centre of the scandal. The decision comes after another member of the party, Sandra Mayans, is heard saying on the tapes that a few of her colleagues were living far beyond their means. Campillo claimed not to know whom she was talking about, and said he was not worried about the investigation. He added that he had been living the same normal life for the last 20 years, since his introduction into politics.

Golf Project
The Consell Insular announced on Friday they would be forced to grant the golf course licence in Playa den Bossa if the project met all the necessary criteria. However, they claimed that was virtually mission impossible because of the close proximity of the plans to the ses Salinas natural park, and sources close to the Consell remained confident the Environment Ministry would bestow a negative report on the plans.
The project for a golf course in Playa den Bossa has been years in the making and is the brainchild of Fiesta Hotels & Resort SL, a group owned by the former foreign minister, Abel Matutes. The project was all set to be approved during this legislation but the change of Consell (Matutes is the PP´s main supporter in Ibiza) to a more environmentally friendly PSOE-Canvi run administration has meant the chances of the project getting the green light are now extremely doubtful.
The Consell and its president, Xico Tarres, have openly assured residents that the project will not be given permission and sources this week encouraged those with complaints about the proposals to make their voices heard.
It seems the island is going to have to wait a few more years for a golf course, despite all the advice from the tourist organisations that such a project would be extremely beneficial to the island.

SANTA EULALIA

Boat Fire
A twelve metre sailing boat sank off the coast of Punta Arabi (Santa Eulalia) last week, after bursting into flames. The occupant of the vessel made his escape in a lifeboat and was later rescued by a passing ship. The Marine Salvage Department immediately launched a rescue boat to try and control the fire, but the mission proved unsuccessful and the boat eventually sank in 50 metres of water.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Womans Anger
A Dutch woman was arrested last week after assaulting a member of staff at Can Misses, as well as a police officer. The incident occurred after the woman was told that she would not be seen by her regular gynaecologist, but a different one. She became extremely aggressive, and the police were called by hospital staff. On arrival they tried to calm the woman down, but she again became very nervous, biting one of the officers in the ensuing scuffle. She was immediately arrested, and although released soon after, is to face trial, with the public prosecutor asking for a nine month jail term, in addition to a fine.

Card Case
The BBVA bank has been ordered to pay back 1,404 to a customer whose card was used fraudulently by another person. The incident occurred after the man forgot his card in a hole-in-the-wall machine, having used it to withdraw cash. The victim did not become aware of his mistake until 18 days after the incident, by which time over 1,400 had already been spent on the card. He tried to reclaim the money from his bank, but they refused to pay it to him, claiming he had not informed them of the lost/stolen card immediately.
However, after a legal process which has lasted five years, and reached the Supreme Court, the man has eventually won his case and the bank has been ordered to pay him back the money, plus interest. The case is a ground breaking one, because it puts the responsibility on the bank and not the retail stores in which the stolen card is used. None of the stores in which the card was used asked for photo identification from the card user, a custom which is now compulsory.
The defendants lawyer said it was important for customers to know that the bank was responsible for the fraudulent use of a bank card, however it has been lost.

Drunk Driver
A man was arrested after failing a breath-test, having crashed his car in Sa Blanca Dona on Sunday. The thirty-six year old Paraguayan man collided with the barriers due to excess speed, as he entered the Ibiza-San Antonio road just after 8 a.m. Police were quickly on the scene, and a breath test showed the driver was several times over the legal limit.

Baby Death
The parents of a three year old baby boy, who died after being released from Can Misses hospital, have made an official complaint about the medical attention received. The parents, both German, took the baby into Accident and Emergency last Saturday night suffering from a fever. The baby was treated at the hospital and various tests were carried out. After a treatment was prescribed, the baby was released and allowed to be taken home by his parents, who are residents in San Lorenzo.
However, they returned to the hospital during the early hours of Monday morning after the babys situation began to decline rapidly and he started to have problems breathing. The father, who had initially called for an ambulance, eventually decided to take his son to the hospital in his car, after it failed to arrive. Unfortunately the boy was pronounced dead on arrival. The parents are claiming medical incompetence led to the death of the infant. They say that no blood test was carried out, an accusation denied by medical staff. There is also a discrepancy about when the boy was first seen by staff, with Can Misses having the date of inscription as Saturday 20th. However the father claims he took his son in on the morning of Sunday 21st.
After speaking to medical staff involved, the administration of the hospital claimed that all the correct procedures were carried out. Can Misses hospital has a paediatrician available 24 hours a day, although hospital sources were unable to confirm whether the baby had been seen by him.
An inquiry was opened, but the judge was still waiting on the definitive results of the autopsy carried out on the child. It is believed the child died of natural causes due to some type of virus. However, medical sources have revealed that if a blood test had been carried out, then there could have been a chance of saving the babys life.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Racist Attack
There was outrage across the country last week as pictures of a racist attack on the Barcelona metro were shown on national television. The attack occurred on 7th October, and although the youth involved was initially arrested, he was later set free. However, after the images were broadcast to a startled nation, the public prosecutor decided to take action. First, he apologised for not acting sooner, but said the case had not been passed on to his department. He said the images spoke for themselves, and claimed it was an extremely serious incident, which has resulted in the immediate arrest and detention of the youth.
In the disturbing images, the 21 year old Spanish youth is seen to punch the victim, a 17 year old Ecuadorian girl, several times in the chest, before kicking her in the face while she remains seated. The harrowing attack was broadcast on Thursday and led the president, Jose Luis Zapatero, to make a public apology to the girl claiming the justice system had failed her. The Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, coincidently on a state visit to Spain, claimed her Government would be supporting the girl in her legal fight and would meet all the judicial costs.
The accused claimed he could not remember anything about the incident, saying he had been extremely drunk. However these claims have been denied by the victim, who said it was a racist attack. She revealed the man had been boasting on his mobile phone about how he had attacked several other immigrants.
The case is due to be heard next month.

Drugs Seizure
A huge drugs operation in the Canaries has resulted in the arrest of six people and a total of 3,700 kilos of cocaine seized. The boat was spotted by a police patrol vessel 80 miles from the coast of Senegal. She was followed for several miles until re-enforcements were called, and the raid began. The boat was taken to Gran Canaria and searched meticulously. In the end, officers found 128 separate parcels of the drug, amounting to just over 3,700 kilos. Four of the men arrested were Ghanaians, the other two were Dutch. They were immediately arrested and, for the moment, were being held in the capital.

Donor Case
A 17 year old girl has won her fight to save the life of her young daughter, after a court ruling declared she would be able to donate part of her liver. The baby girl was born with a badly functioning liver which, if she does not receive a transplant, would certainly prove fatal. A suitable donor could not be found and the mother could not be considered as the legal age limit in Spain for living people to donate organs is 18.
In this particular case, however, the judge has decided to let the mother undergo the operation as it is without doubt, according to the ruling, the most humane and sensible course of action. The girl, who will be 18 in just four months time, went to court over the case, after medics were unable to guarantee her daughter would still be alive when she eventually reached the age of consent. Fortunately, the courts have seen sense and it seems this is one story which is set to have a happy ending.

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