In Brief

Period of free parking comes to Ciutadella
Motorists visiting Ciutadella are having a pleasant surprise. With the expiration of the period when parking in the blue zones of Ciutadella was managed by Continental Parking and the lack of a new management company, ticket machines throughout the "zona azul"are carrying out of order signs.

The suspension of charges until a new management group can be engaged is leading to a loss of income amounting to 356 euros per day. According to local police figures there are 545 parking places within the "pay and display" zone of central Ciutadella. Free parking has been available since 13th October.

High number of people living in poverty
Between 150,000 and 165,000 people are living below the official poverty level in the Balearic Islands. In real terms these people have an annual income of less than 6,278 euros. Many of these people are leaving the education system early at one end of the age scale. At the top end, there are many people aged above 65 living alone in poverty.

Fraudulent documents
There is ticket fraud on a major scale say travel agents. People posing as residents with the correct documentation have been obtaining cheaper fares and special offers on holidays. These people have then returned to their true places of residence.
This practice has been going on for several years and the public purse is six million euros worse off as the result of such fraudulent claims.

Menorca Britannia
Menorca Britannia Association has arranged a presentation by the Policía Nacional on Wednesday 10th November at 2000 hrs. It will be held in the former Consell Insular premises in cami d'en Castell, Maó, situated almost opposite the GOB headquarters.

This initiative of the National Police is to explain and clarify the roles of each force and to clarify which of them should be contacted in an emergency. They will describe their field of operations and of the other police forces: Guardia Civil, Policía Local, Policía del Puerto, etc. They believe the British community in Menorca, can greatly help them in their work.

The association is proud that the police take this view and hope that as many of the British community as possible will attend.
For more details phone Richard or Ann on 971 359899.

Runway work
The main runway of the airport will be resurfaced in March and April of next year. The material used will be dry silicon instead of a lime-based material. This has the advantages of being harder wearing and giving better grip.

The cost of the works is estimated at just over seven million euros. The period between 2nd March and 12th April is expected to be a time of low traffic and, hopefully, a time when disruption to air travelers can be minimized.

Fish promotion
Organisers of the fish sampling event in Ciutadella's town centre were staggered by its popularity. Seven hundred were expected but some 1,000 people enjoyed the samples and show cooking.

First and last fixtures
This coming Sunday, 24th October, marks the start of Menorca Rugby Club's season and the end of Menorca Cricket Club's fixtures. The Rugby Club kick off with a home match at 1200 hrs against El Toro. As usual supporters are most welcome. The cricket club's busy season winds up with a match against Celtic C.C. beginning at 1230 hrs.

Hoteliers' wrath
The Spanish association representing hoteliers has initiated legal proceedings against the British tour operator Thomas Cook. This action is being taken as a result of the 5% reduction in payments that Thomas Cook imposed on hotels during the key period August and September 2010. The hoteliers took this decision after a meeting of delegates from all the main tourist areas of Spain.

For Thomas Cook the justification for their action is that the 5% reduction was imposed to compensate for money lost earlier in the year, caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland. The tour operator has announced a 141 million euros loss for the second quarter of this year. The prominence of Thomas Cook in the Spanish market is such that it is the major company bringing British tourists to Spain.

Basketball defeat
Menorca's basketball team suffered its first home defeat of the new ACB season, losing 87-96 against Lagun Aro.

They have one victory and two defeats following their opening three matches of the new season. Next weekend they travel to bottom-of-the-league Alicante.

Wet National Day
Whilst viewers in Menorca were watching the military parades, held in the Madrid sunshine, on TV, a glance outside the window revealed a totally different picture. Persistent heavy rain, strong winds that caused delays with ferry services, power cuts and flooding were the main characteristics during Menorca's celebration of the Spanish National Holiday.

Cattle standing knee deep in flooded fields; torrents flowing down the normally dry watercourses of Es Mercadal and Ferreries; and houses surrounded by water - these were the scenes when the sun finally came out in the afternoon. Es Castell topped the rainfall measurements with 125mm. in one day.

The strong winds caused the port of Maó to close between 0630 and 1200 hours.