In Brief

Tickets available from: Ken Toomey, Menorca Home Care, 971 151 591 or Colin Guanaria, Bonnin Sanso, 971 350 405.

Drink drive offences
The majority of drivers who are incurring points penalties on their licences in Menorca are doing so for alcohol-related offences. Since the new points system was introduced in 2006 whereby points are deducted from an initial credit, 26 drivers in Menorca have now used up all their points.

Compared to the drink/drive rates in the other Balearic Islands, Menorca's rate is low.

Growing population
The Institute of National Statistics has announced that the archipelago's population has increased by 1,674 in the past twelve months. The population total is now 1,085,784. There are more people aged 35 than any other age. There are 1.099 more men than women.

Delays to demolition
Work to dismantle the former fuel storage depot at Cala Figuera in the port of Maó is on hold. Since June the company responsible for the site has been waiting for the licence to proceed.

Visiting hours changed
Various attractions on the island have closed for the winter. These are the Torre de Fornells and the interpretation centre of Torre den Galmés. They will both reopen for Easter.

Fort Marlborough will continue to open in the mornings until 22nd December. Monuments such as the Naveta de Tudons will continue to be accessible with free entry.

Extra hour in bed
Readers are reminded that they should adjust their clocks this coming Saturday night. Clocks should be put back by one hour as summer time officially ends.

Punter's luck
A "one-armed bandit" at the Casino Maritim has paid out 32,000 euros to a punter who paid in just 3 euros. This windfall follows another in a different game, Video Poker, that last month paid out 28,000 euros.

The casino is introducing a winter season of tournament poker which will include events on Wednesdays as well as the current Sunday tournaments.

Disco could reopen
Following four years of closure a discotheque may reopen in Son Vilar. Discoteca de Tonic was closed down by the Es Castell council as the result of complaints from local people about alcohol-related nuisance at night and excessive noise.

Irene Coll, who was Mayor of Es Castell at the time of closure, said that reopening of the premises may yet be denied as the premises are outside the areas where such premises are normally permitted. On the other hand the owners of the discotheque say that their licence for reopening has been properly presented and accepted. The owners have collected one hundred signatures supporting their re-establishment of the business. They have a meeting with the current mayor in the near future and feel that they have been handed the right to reopen.

Irene Coll gave the discotheque owners more reason for optimism when she said she could support the reopening as long as there was an agreement on hour of closure plus better vigilance.

Autonomy for Fornells being considered
Discussion focused on the viability of Fornells having a degree of independent local government status will resume this week. The mayor of Es Mercadal, the municipality under which Fornells is administered, has warned of the costs involved in severing the village's ties. He also pointed out that there is only one other centre of population as small as Fornells that has autonomy in the whole Balearic archipelago.

Parking fees to return in early November
The period of free parking within the "zona azul" of central Ciutadella is to end. From 2nd November, following the All Saints Day holiday, the zone will be managed by the council and charges will be applied once more.

South African holiday ends in tragedy
Staff at the Mateu Orfila are mourning the death of a colleague. Raquel Sanz Izquierdo was on holiday in South Africa with her partner, an intern at the same hospital. Her death was the result of an accident involving the all terrain vehicle in which the couple were travelling.

Successful weekend for island sports teams
Menorca Basquet gained a last gasp away win against bottom-of-the-league Alicante. The points victory of 59-61 was achieved in the very last second of the match. The ladies volleyball team, who play in the Superliga are top of the league following a 3-0 home win. They remain unbeaten after their first three matches of the new season.

Menorca R.U.F.C. kicked off their season with an impressive 22-6 home victory against El Toro.

October Anglican Church draw result
Winner of the October 100 Club draw lives in Port d'Addaia. Ticket number 5 wins 50 euros.

Rents cheapest
The cost of renting apartments in the Balearics is lower than in any other part of Spain. In the third quarter of this year prices fell by almost 17%. The actual price paid per square metre has fallen to 6.90 euros.

These figures are those given by the estate agents and on the website facilisimo.com. Nationally the fall in rental prices has been 2.1%.

War on graffiti
Maó council has employed a specialist cleaning company to jetwash graffiti from walls in certain areas of the town. Narrow streets and subways have been targeted, plus the area close to the Claustre del Carme. The council regrets having to spend large amounts of money on such an operation. People found guilty of causing the damage can be fined up to 750 euros.