Ibiza Sun - News from around the island

News from Around The Island

Old People’s Homes
Whilst 22 million euros has been invested over the last few years in the construction of two care centres, Can Raspalls in Sant Jordi and sa Serra in San Antonio to house people with mental or physical handicaps, the service provided on the island remains far from adequate. The former, which should be funded by the Consell has only six people and the centre in San Antonio remains closed. It is not for lack of ‘customers’ as there are 123 elderly people on the waiting lists; this is the official figure as it is thought that it could be as many as 150. The one centre which is functioning well is Can Blai in Santa Eulalia, which has room for 94 people and is completely full, with a further 53 waiting to be admitted.
Meanwhile in the Residencial Reina Sofia there are 20 residents who need round-the-clock care, with a further six waiting for a place. Many of the elderly are on several waiting lists, although they have not been counted twice when compiling the statistics.
There are several families who look after their elderly relatives at home, causing considerable stress during their daily lives, with most admitting their relatives would be better off with professional care, but there is little chance of them being accepted by a home, for this year at least.
During the last decade some 1,200 people have been given a place in one of the state-run homes and the Consell defends itself by saying that the current economic difficulties do not allow them to open new centres, with the priority to continue to finance the two centres which are available, Can Blai and Cas Serres.
Courtesy of Raquel Sánchez and Diario de Ibiza

Strikes Announced
Spanish teachers are to hold a one-day strike on 22nd May in protest at the recent cuts to the education budget. As part of Rajoy’s recent streamlining to get the country in line with EU required deficit measures, cuts of up to 20 percent to the budget were recently announced. However after Thursdays’ protest outside most elementary and secondary schools, the Unions have decided to call a strike for 22nd, the first of its kind for more than ten years.
The unions claim infant education is being particularly prejudiced by the cuts, along with the first cycle of ESO, Formación Profesional and Rural Schools.

Algae
The Mayors of the five boroughs on the Island had a meeting with the President of the Consell, Vicent Serra, last week to discuss the affects of the banks of algae which have invaded several different beaches. From Portinatx to Cala Vadella, and Cala Tarida to Cala Conta, large patches of a greenish matter can be seen floating in the water, which does not make swimming very appealing. Serra assured those at the meeting that it is not contaminated or sewage overspill, but admitted it was still quite off putting for bathers and a solution would be found. The phenomenon only appears where the waters are shallow and when the temperature reaches at least 24 degrees or due to other factors, including the presence of nitrates in the water.
Meanwhile back on the beaches, although the ever present algae on our sands may be a natural element, it is not seen as a very pleasant addition when trying to sunbathe or when having to swim through the stuff. Not only does it look unpleasant but it can be quite smelly too, and Council workers were out in force in Talamanca last week to clean the washed-up dead sea eel grass from the beach in readiness for the influx of tourists.

Speed Traps
The new fixed radars are not exactly a firm favourite with road users, but one angry motorist has taken matters into his own hands and broken the glass which covers the lens. However his actions were to no avail as the camera is made from toughened glass and will continue to catch unwary motorists.

Tougher Measures Against Corruption
The government announced last Friday its intention to crack down on tax evaders and Social Security cheats with stiffer penalties, including lowering the amount of money involved before the offence is considered a crime. The Penal Code will be altered to include tax fraud on amounts over 600,000€, which is mainly aimed at organized crime or those who use offshore accounts to avoid paying the Treasury. Maximum prison sentences in these cases will also be raised from the current two years to six years. Another proposal soon to be introduced involves increasing the statute of limitations for tax fraud from the current five year time span to ten years, in order to combat public corruption. This would have helped in the recent high profile cases such as the Gürtel ‘bribes for contracts’ scam, where charges against some politicians could not be brought because the statute of limitations had run out.
It is estimated that prosecutors are trying to track down a staggering six billion euros from tax fraud cases.

Publication
The prestigious Spanish magazine Club de Gourmets has published an extensive article about restaurants in Ibiza in its latest edition. The author, Andoni Sarriegi, maintains that it is possible to go from a hub of frenzied activity to a peaceful backwater in five minutes, and includes some twenty establishments in his report. The most highly recommended were the rural hotels and other coastal restaurants which have been in the hands of the same families for several generations. Some of the old established concerns mentioned were Can Curreu, Can Planells, Pou des Lléo, Es Boldadó, Ca n’Alfredo, Es Rebost de Can Prats and Port de Balansat, whilst Sa Nansa was named as the best Ibicenco seafood restaurant on the Island.
He also highlighted the impact nouveau cuisine chefs were having on the island, making special mention to Marga Oller at S’Atmetller, José Miguel Bonet at Es Ventall and the two master chefs who reign over the kitchens of Punto Gastro in Santa Eulalia, José Manual Sánchez and Iván Madrid.
However there was a word of warning to visitors about the possibility of spending a small fortune at ‘in’ places, especially the new-fangled ‘Beach Clubs’ which might be upmarket, but do not give good value for money, according to the article.

Beach Clubs
Whereas only a few years ago the traditional beach bar sold snacks and refreshments to people while they were enjoying a day of sand and sun, with little need for clothes, there is now a new meaning to the word beach bar and several expensive luxury establishments have sprung up over the last few years. There are two in the pipeline at the moment, at Sa Punta des Molí in San Antonio and Cala Nova in Santa Eulalia. The latter is the brain child of the owner of the Atzaró rural hotel, Alex Reiners, who claimed he wanted to keep to the successful formula of his hotel and envisions it as an ‘Atzaró Beach’, and not a discotheque like Blue Marlin in Cala Jondal, which has been the subject of a number of complaints from many local residents recently. He explained that they will concentrate on good food, good service and pleasant music and is aiming to turn it into the best restaurant in the north of the Island.
What will be a full blown beach club is under construction on the site where there used to be two restaurants, Sa Punta and S’Embarcador and cover a total area of 7,000 square metres. It is the British company which runs the nearby Lineker’s which is responsible for the ‘Ocean Club’, and the intention is to be ready to open half way through July. It will have a large pool and ample terraces with sun loungers.
Meanwhile the owners of the Pachà discotheque are renovating a hotel which they own in Cap Martinet, renaming it ‘The One’, but apparently it will not be marketed as a beach club similar to the Usuhaïa, but in the words of the director, “will be a resort in exceptional surroundings, where the discerning may dine in a first class restaurant and enjoy Jacuzzis and yoga. Although there may be parties during the day, we will not be having disc jockeys to attract thousands of people”. The One will open this year, but so far a date has not been set.
Courtesy of Joan Lluis Ferrer and Diario de Ibiza

Tribute
Last week marked the first anniversary of the untimely death of golf legend Severiano Ballesteros.
The game, which was invented at St Andrews in Scotland in the fifteenth century, was seen as a gentleman’s pastime, with participants wearing a strange attire of checked trousers and loud shirts. But in 1976 a young unknown golfer burst on to the scene and, although he was only nineteen, he came second to American professional Johnny Miller in the British Open, and brought a breath of fresh air to the erstwhile sedentary sport. In 1979 he was playing in the British Open at Royal Lytham and unfortunately hit his ball into a neighbouring car park. Several vehicles had to be removed so that he could take his shot, which he struck over the grandstand. He subsequently made a par and went on to win the Open. In 1980 he became the first European to win the Augusta Masters on a course which American players had come to regard as their own property.
After that came the Ryder Cup, which previously had only been a contest between Americans and Britons, but far sighted Jack Nicklaus approached the organizers and begged them to let Ballesteros play, as he was so good. Soon after that Irish players were allowed to join the British team and by the end of the decade it was open to other Europeans. Seve won the Ryder Cup a total of five times, the last being as team captain in 1997 on the Spanish Valderrama course. He was worshipped all over the world and it was a sad day when he passed away, victim of a cancer, at just 54. His son Javier is also a keen golfer and bears an amazing similarity to his father, both in looks and his game, so the Ballesteros legend continues.