Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Dirty tricks
It seems that members of a rival party (not the PSOE) have been delivering envelopes with voting papers inside telling the recipients that they are votes for the PP.
Fortunately, someone checked the contents of the envelopes and reported the matter to the Partido Popular.
This is not the only scam that people get up to in elections here in Spain. It is common practice for people to try and vote more than once by visiting different polling stations
In the recent General Election, one town recorded a turnout which was greater than the number of eligible voters.
Fortunately, someone checked the contents of the envelopes and reported the matter to the Partido Popular.
This is not the only scam that people get up to in elections here in Spain. It is common practice for people to try and vote more than once by visiting different polling stations
In the recent General Election, one town recorded a turnout which was greater than the number of eligible voters.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
I was shocked
I have to confess that it has been a few years since I last walked around our urbanisation.
This afternoon, Pam and I did a quick tour in the car following Pam's walk around last night.
Most of the houses have been well maintained and look every bit as smart as they did when they were first constructed. There are others though that have been altered beyond belief and no longer fit in with the original scheme, e.g. garden walls that have been built up in ways that make them incongruous with their neighbours.
We also saw constructions close to boundary walls. When we wanted to replace our wooden shed with a brick built one, we were refused permission on the basis that we could not have a permanent structure closer that 3 metres from any of the boundaries.
The derelict houses and the land surrounding them give the appearance of an area in decline. To add to that, the sorry state of some of the pavements and the rut across Canada de Andrea makes the urbanisation look sadly less appealing than it once did.
The Council has some responsibility for the state of Villas Andrea and I am sure that will be conveyed to the current Mayor at the meeting on Thursday. However, I believe the owners of properties must also take a share of responsibility for the overall appearance of Villas Andrea.
This afternoon, Pam and I did a quick tour in the car following Pam's walk around last night.
Most of the houses have been well maintained and look every bit as smart as they did when they were first constructed. There are others though that have been altered beyond belief and no longer fit in with the original scheme, e.g. garden walls that have been built up in ways that make them incongruous with their neighbours.
We also saw constructions close to boundary walls. When we wanted to replace our wooden shed with a brick built one, we were refused permission on the basis that we could not have a permanent structure closer that 3 metres from any of the boundaries.
The derelict houses and the land surrounding them give the appearance of an area in decline. To add to that, the sorry state of some of the pavements and the rut across Canada de Andrea makes the urbanisation look sadly less appealing than it once did.
The Council has some responsibility for the state of Villas Andrea and I am sure that will be conveyed to the current Mayor at the meeting on Thursday. However, I believe the owners of properties must also take a share of responsibility for the overall appearance of Villas Andrea.
Voting this weekend
As you are no doubt aware, Sunday, 26th May is yet another polling day here in Spain. This time we are being asked to select both a local council and representatives to the European Parliament.
You should have received cards in the post that tell you where your polling station is and which table you should go to. In our case, we will be going to the Auditorium Francisco Grau, Mesa C.
Polling stations will be open from 9am to 8pm and there will be people there to guide you to the right room.
You will likely have received envelopes with voting papers in them from the main parties*. These will either have been delivered to your door or put in your letterbox.
Pam and Teresa, as candidates for the PP, have been round to most of you by now. If you missed them though or they missed you, I'm sure there will be papers available for you at the meeting this Thursday in the Restaurant Camping La Pedrera at 9pm.
The blue envelopes and papers are for the European election and the white ones are for the local election.
You can either use these to vote or you can pick up envelopes and papers at the polling station, it is up to you.
YOU WILL NEED SOME FORM OF IDENTITY
A passport is the most acceptable form of identity for those of us who do not have a Spanish DNI card but you could take your Spanish driving license instead. The important thing is that the document has a photograph and it MUST NOT be a photocopy.
Unless you are determined to make a protest vote, please make sure you have the appropriate voting papers in the envelopes and that you have not written on them. Put them in the right boxes and you are done.
Whilst you are down in the town, why not pop along to the Parque Huerta del Cura and find out what the Hawaii Market is all about.
* Remember, you are not voting for a particular person, you are voting for a party. The number of seats that each party will win will depend on the percentage of votes they receive.
WE ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN BOTH OF THESE ELECTIONS.
You should have received cards in the post that tell you where your polling station is and which table you should go to. In our case, we will be going to the Auditorium Francisco Grau, Mesa C.
Polling stations will be open from 9am to 8pm and there will be people there to guide you to the right room.
How to vote
You will likely have received envelopes with voting papers in them from the main parties*. These will either have been delivered to your door or put in your letterbox.
Pam and Teresa, as candidates for the PP, have been round to most of you by now. If you missed them though or they missed you, I'm sure there will be papers available for you at the meeting this Thursday in the Restaurant Camping La Pedrera at 9pm.
The blue envelopes and papers are for the European election and the white ones are for the local election.
 |
| The papers for the Partido Popular |
You can either use these to vote or you can pick up envelopes and papers at the polling station, it is up to you.
YOU WILL NEED SOME FORM OF IDENTITY
A passport is the most acceptable form of identity for those of us who do not have a Spanish DNI card but you could take your Spanish driving license instead. The important thing is that the document has a photograph and it MUST NOT be a photocopy.
Unless you are determined to make a protest vote, please make sure you have the appropriate voting papers in the envelopes and that you have not written on them. Put them in the right boxes and you are done.
Whilst you are down in the town, why not pop along to the Parque Huerta del Cura and find out what the Hawaii Market is all about.
* Remember, you are not voting for a particular person, you are voting for a party. The number of seats that each party will win will depend on the percentage of votes they receive.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Saturday, May 18, 2019
The Sports Centre gets some attention
It is 40 years since the municipal sports centre was first built. At last, the access to it is getting a covering of asphalt. The first phase, covering 65% of its surface, has already been completed. The perimeter walls have been repaired and the perimeter wall of the football field has been painted. On Tuesday an electronic scoreboard will be installed.
The second phase will begin next week with the design and construction of an athletics track, lighting on the Vereda del Molino and the placement of speed reducers for greater safety of the users of the sports centre.
The second phase will begin next week with the design and construction of an athletics track, lighting on the Vereda del Molino and the placement of speed reducers for greater safety of the users of the sports centre.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Tonight's meetings
Tonight's meetings are as follows: the PP will be at the Parque Santa Ana, the Socialists will be at Calle Antonio Maura and the Liberals will be at Parque de la Cruz
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Improved waste management
The plan for the improvement of waste management in Bigastro continues to advance.
"We have improved the economic and service conditions with the collection contract that was signed last year. It has allowed to reduce the rate of garbage that we pay all bigastrenses.
We have gone from paying € 140 / year to paying € 80 / year. A reduction of 43%.
We have agreed with the Consorcio Vega Baja Sostenible selective collection of special waste through this mobile ecopark that comes every Thursday to Bigastro .
We have started renewal of the selective waste containers and placement of other new ones in more streets and clean points of the locality.
Composters have been placed for the reuse of organic waste in all schools, in the leisure gardens and in the green point of the industrial estate."
"We have improved the economic and service conditions with the collection contract that was signed last year. It has allowed to reduce the rate of garbage that we pay all bigastrenses.
We have gone from paying € 140 / year to paying € 80 / year. A reduction of 43%.
We have agreed with the Consorcio Vega Baja Sostenible selective collection of special waste through this mobile ecopark that comes every Thursday to Bigastro .
We have started renewal of the selective waste containers and placement of other new ones in more streets and clean points of the locality.
Composters have been placed for the reuse of organic waste in all schools, in the leisure gardens and in the green point of the industrial estate."
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
From the Telegraph
Our family and lots of our Spanish friends use WhatsApp to communicate with each other.
WhatsApp has urged users to update their messaging app after concerns were raised that hackers could inject spy software on to phones via the call function.
The Facebook-owned company said the spyware was spread by an “advanced cyber actor”, and infected multiple mobile phones using a major vulnerability in the app.
The spyware, developed by the secretive Israeli spyware company NSO Group, has the ability to give hackers full access to a phone remotely, allowing them to read messages, see contacts and activate the camera.
WhatsApp confirmed that a “select number” of users had been victims and that the bug and that the bug affects all but the latest version of the app on iOS and Android.
The attack involved cyber hackers using WhatsApp's voice calling function to ring a device. The surveillance software would then be installed, even if that call was not picked up.
The Financial Times on Monday evening reported that cyber hackers had been using the loophole up until Sunday evening, when it was used to target a UK-based human rights lawyer.
A spokesman for NSO, which is believed to sell its spyware to intelligence agencies and nation states, said that it was investigating the issue. The spokesman said NSO “would not, or could not” use its own technology to target “any person or organisation”, including the UK lawyer.
The vulnerability was also used to target a researcher at Amnesty International, which is fighting for the NSO Group to have its export license withdrawn by Israeli government.
NB If you use WhatsApp and your phone is set to automatic updates, then the app will already have been updated making you safe from this intrusion.
WhatsApp has urged users to update their messaging app after concerns were raised that hackers could inject spy software on to phones via the call function.
The Facebook-owned company said the spyware was spread by an “advanced cyber actor”, and infected multiple mobile phones using a major vulnerability in the app.
The spyware, developed by the secretive Israeli spyware company NSO Group, has the ability to give hackers full access to a phone remotely, allowing them to read messages, see contacts and activate the camera.
WhatsApp confirmed that a “select number” of users had been victims and that the bug and that the bug affects all but the latest version of the app on iOS and Android.
The attack involved cyber hackers using WhatsApp's voice calling function to ring a device. The surveillance software would then be installed, even if that call was not picked up.
The Financial Times on Monday evening reported that cyber hackers had been using the loophole up until Sunday evening, when it was used to target a UK-based human rights lawyer.
A spokesman for NSO, which is believed to sell its spyware to intelligence agencies and nation states, said that it was investigating the issue. The spokesman said NSO “would not, or could not” use its own technology to target “any person or organisation”, including the UK lawyer.
The vulnerability was also used to target a researcher at Amnesty International, which is fighting for the NSO Group to have its export license withdrawn by Israeli government.
NB If you use WhatsApp and your phone is set to automatic updates, then the app will already have been updated making you safe from this intrusion.
For your information
Parque de la Cruz, Parque Santa Ana, Calle Antonio Maura and Parque Huerta del Cura.
If you want to see the full presentation by the PP (the "hard sell"!) those are the venues to attend on the dates and times indicated.
The planned meeting in the Restaurant at Camping La Pedrera will be less formal.
It has been called so that the candidates can listen to the residents and get a feel for what concerns people, what they would like to see done and their proposals for further development of the town and Villas Andrea.
PS If I get notices of any other parties that intend to meet with you, I'll post them here on my blog.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Giving it some wellie
You can relive the concert by listening to my audio recording at
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dc4wb2ig07rubio/Party%20in%20Concert.mp3?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR0JsN7IcQqEXo2UNcWhnbmNBTNYOvU0j2RIgR7Hsa3jgAjt8toKL2PrzSE
Your chance to know
Don't worry, they have a planned meeting at La Pedrera which will be announced soon.
Friday, May 10, 2019
The midnight ramblers
Campaigning officially starts today so the PSOE and PP were out last night at midnight putting up their posters.
PS I am pleased to say that 2 out of 3 candidates chose K Williamson PHOTOGRAPHY for their campaign portraits!!
Thursday, May 09, 2019
Worth celebrating
It isn't often that you get the opportunity to say that you are proud of English football. However, over the last couple of days, two teams have set out to show us that at last we have something to cheer about.
First Liverpool came back from a 3-0 deficit to win a place in the Champions League Final and the following night Spurs did the same.
Now I know that my son-in-law will not be celebrating Liverpool's victory but surely he must at least be pleased that it will be an English club that lifts the trophy in Madrid.
Not only are English clubs in the Champions League Final, the Europa League Final will see Chelsea facing Arsenal.
It is good that the two European cups will be in England but a little sad that there are three London clubs in the finals.
First Liverpool came back from a 3-0 deficit to win a place in the Champions League Final and the following night Spurs did the same.
Now I know that my son-in-law will not be celebrating Liverpool's victory but surely he must at least be pleased that it will be an English club that lifts the trophy in Madrid.
Not only are English clubs in the Champions League Final, the Europa League Final will see Chelsea facing Arsenal.
It is good that the two European cups will be in England but a little sad that there are three London clubs in the finals.
Not in my dictionary
Given that many of those words are made up and will not appear in any normal dictionary - what chance do we have of understanding what people say?
Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Will they or won't they?
There are now almost 150 houses at Villas Andrea*. Even if we discount the holiday homes, that still leaves a substantial number of people eligible to vote in the Municipal Election on May 26th. Probably enough to tip the balance between the parties**.
Although there are more Spanish speaking residents than there were originally, there is still a large caucus of English speakers who are eligible to vote.
The question is, will any of the four parties that are standing produce a manifesto in English and will any of them organise a meeting for us?
If my memory serves me correctly, in 2007 it was just the Socialists and Joaquin Moya who took the trouble to hold a meeting at La Pedrera. In 2011, Raul Medina made a presentation at La Pedrera and Aurelio Murcia called a meeting at the Centro Social Integrado. Then in 2015 the present Mayor invited us to a meeting in Darren's Bar opposite the Health Centre and Aurelio held a meeting in an office on Calle Purisima. To be fair, by 2015 the numbers attending these meetings had dwindled to just a handful defeating their purpose.
Still, there are a substantial number of votes to be won (or lost) making some form of presentation be it a meeting or a leaflet in English surely worthwhile.
*By my reckoning, there have been 5 new houses occupied since the Urbanisation was completed by Star Sol and three more that are in the process of completion.
** It took just 360 more votes for the PP to gain control in 2015.
Although there are more Spanish speaking residents than there were originally, there is still a large caucus of English speakers who are eligible to vote.
The question is, will any of the four parties that are standing produce a manifesto in English and will any of them organise a meeting for us?
If my memory serves me correctly, in 2007 it was just the Socialists and Joaquin Moya who took the trouble to hold a meeting at La Pedrera. In 2011, Raul Medina made a presentation at La Pedrera and Aurelio Murcia called a meeting at the Centro Social Integrado. Then in 2015 the present Mayor invited us to a meeting in Darren's Bar opposite the Health Centre and Aurelio held a meeting in an office on Calle Purisima. To be fair, by 2015 the numbers attending these meetings had dwindled to just a handful defeating their purpose.
Still, there are a substantial number of votes to be won (or lost) making some form of presentation be it a meeting or a leaflet in English surely worthwhile.
*By my reckoning, there have been 5 new houses occupied since the Urbanisation was completed by Star Sol and three more that are in the process of completion.
** It took just 360 more votes for the PP to gain control in 2015.
It is important to vote
 |
| 2015 |
 |
| 2011 |
 |
| 2007 |
These charts from the last three Municipal Elections show the importance of voting.
You can see that the percentage of people voting dropped from almost 89% in 2007 and just over 86% in 2011 to almost 79% in 2015. At the same time, there was an increase in spoilt papers. The number of votes needed to gain control of the council was effectively less last time than in previous elections.
Municipal elections should be about the people standing rather than political allegiance. In other words electing the group who you think will best do the job of running the town.
We saw how issues with Brexit affected the results of local elections in the UK and that was a nonsense. Good councillors and well run councils lost out because of something they had no responsibility for. Hopefully, that will not happen here in Spain this year.
Whichever party you intend to vote for, the important thing is to actually make sure that you go down on May 26th and make your intention known and please don't waste your time writing on the paper or putting an empty envelope in the box because a protest vote is no more use than an abstention.
Monday, May 06, 2019
I was wrong...
..when I suggested it was Hidraqua who are responsible for our water supply. They are the company that are contracted for supply and for maintenance but in fact ALL of our services are the responsibility of the Ayuntamiento.
So yesterday, I took the opportunity to broach the issue of water pressure with a member of the Town Council.
The councillor told me that all of our water supply comes from the reservoir above the campsite. It is pumped there from the water station at the T junction.
The councillor went on to say that he knew nothing about the problem that some residents are facing and will take the matter up with the relevant people and investigate why it is that the pressure has been reduced. Hopefully then we will see a resolution to the problem.
So yesterday, I took the opportunity to broach the issue of water pressure with a member of the Town Council.
The councillor told me that all of our water supply comes from the reservoir above the campsite. It is pumped there from the water station at the T junction.
The councillor went on to say that he knew nothing about the problem that some residents are facing and will take the matter up with the relevant people and investigate why it is that the pressure has been reduced. Hopefully then we will see a resolution to the problem.
I proudly present...
Together with my husband Keith, I have been resident in Bigastro for nearly 15 years.
My family in England consists of my daughter Jemma, my daughter Laura and son-in-law David plus grandchildren Molly and Rory.
Before retiring to Spain, I worked in Education as a teacher from 1969 – 2004. Previously at College, I studied Education and specialised in English/Drama and French language and Literature.
I believe that I am friendly, enthusiastic and outgoing. I love to chat to the people in Bigastro and attend many of the Cultural Events on offer.
I have also been able to help local students with their English Language Studies. I feel very proud of the progress they made.
It has been an honour for me to be invited to join the Partido Popular.
My life here in Bigastro has been enriched by the friendly people and their Traditions. In return, I would like to offer my help and support to the community as a whole.
And this is my translation of the presentation of Pamela to the public by the Mayor:
I present Pam Williamson , although it is not necessary, because you all know her.
We have been seeing Pam and Keith Williamson for many years in our town. Always kind and participating. So much so, that Keith, along with Fonta Biagastro, has become our official photographer of the cultural and social activities that take place in # Bigastro .
I remember the day that they were proposed to participate as Kings of the Third Age of the Patron Saint Festivities of San Joaquín 2017.
They did not hesitate for a moment. They reacted how any of the retirees born in Bigastro would have done because they won our hearts and we won theirs.
I asked Pam to be part of the political project of Populares Bigastro because she loyally represents her British compatriots who both live in Bigastro and enrich it culturally. The British are a community very active and committed to the town and their neighbours. They deserve to be represented in our town hall in the figure of Pam.
I invite all the host bigastrenses to participate in the political life of our municipality, if they wish, as Pam has done.
As many times I have expressed in my speeches, "Bigastrense is not only the one who was born in Bigastro, but everyone who comes to live with us in peace and harmony."
Sunday, May 05, 2019
Pick up a book to read
Bigastro City Council has joined the international initiative to promote reading called "Book Crossing", with the aim of taking the books to the street so that the municipality becomes a large library.
The mayor, Teresa Belmonte, visited different public places where "little houses" of books have been installed.
The places where you can find them are the Health Centre, EI La Paz, CEP San Jose de Calasanz, IES Miguel Hernandez and there is a "little house" outdoors, in the Huerto del Cura Park.
The boxes that have been installed have been decorated by the students of the centres and in the case of the Health Centre box it has been covered with a unique design of the Bigastro hook group, as well as the Reading Club that uses the design of the Association of People with Disabilities "La Pedrera".
The idea is that bigastrenses have available books of all kinds of narratives so that they can pick them up, read them and even take them to other cities where they travel, because this project is of an international nature.
NB Photos and text taken from Activa Orihuela.
The mayor, Teresa Belmonte, visited different public places where "little houses" of books have been installed.
The places where you can find them are the Health Centre, EI La Paz, CEP San Jose de Calasanz, IES Miguel Hernandez and there is a "little house" outdoors, in the Huerto del Cura Park.
The boxes that have been installed have been decorated by the students of the centres and in the case of the Health Centre box it has been covered with a unique design of the Bigastro hook group, as well as the Reading Club that uses the design of the Association of People with Disabilities "La Pedrera".
The idea is that bigastrenses have available books of all kinds of narratives so that they can pick them up, read them and even take them to other cities where they travel, because this project is of an international nature.
NB Photos and text taken from Activa Orihuela.
Saturday, May 04, 2019
May help someone
If like Pam, you have not received your bill for car tax this year, then there is an online solution.
Go to SUMA website and type in your NIE number in the top box and the registration number of your car in the box below(Unique tax reference/N Fijo). What you should then get are the tax bills for 2018 and 2019. Click on the one you want to pay and follow the instructions to pay online.
Go to SUMA website and type in your NIE number in the top box and the registration number of your car in the box below(Unique tax reference/N Fijo). What you should then get are the tax bills for 2018 and 2019. Click on the one you want to pay and follow the instructions to pay online.
Worse that I thought
Speaking to a neighbour who lives on Calle Alemania, it seems that the issue with low water pressure is more extensive that I originally understood it to be.
There have been many visits by the water company to Calle Alemania to repair leaking pipes and as a result, the pressure is now lower than before. I'm told that the pressure drop is not sufficient to cause a problem with showers but definitely is lower than it was.
Another neighbour, who I believe lives on Canada de Andrea, told Pam that the pressure in their house was variable, some days it would be just a trickle and other day it would be really high.
No doubt, there will be meetings before the local elections for us to have our say. I am sure that those affected by issues with water pressure will take the opportunity to make their concerns known. Hopefully, the political parties will then take note and pass on the grievances to the water company.
There have been many visits by the water company to Calle Alemania to repair leaking pipes and as a result, the pressure is now lower than before. I'm told that the pressure drop is not sufficient to cause a problem with showers but definitely is lower than it was.
Another neighbour, who I believe lives on Canada de Andrea, told Pam that the pressure in their house was variable, some days it would be just a trickle and other day it would be really high.
No doubt, there will be meetings before the local elections for us to have our say. I am sure that those affected by issues with water pressure will take the opportunity to make their concerns known. Hopefully, the political parties will then take note and pass on the grievances to the water company.
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Something different
On May 12th at 7pm in the Francisco Grau Auditorium, the band will be presenting, "PARTY IN CONCERT". It promises to be a lively affair where you will have difficulty keeping your feet and your hands still.The last time they tried this, their music brought the house down.
The band will take to the stage with 3 singers, an electric guitar, an electric bass and a dance group. All of which will be accompanied by a great light show .
Tickets for this concert cost €3 and will be available from the Auditorium Francisco Grau and Estanco Álvaro.
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