NEWS FROM YOUR AREA

Tree rescue THE Balearic Nature Institute (IBANAT) has been removing 3'274 fallen trees in the forest areas in Valldemossa and Esporles. This extensive project needs the help of helicopters to help transport these fallen trees (see picture). These trees were the victims of the intense rainfall and gale-force winds that plagued the island last September. In total the Balearic Government will grant 641'273 euros to these works. The majority of the trees affected by the weather are located in the Son Tugores country estate (around 2'217 trees), and Vistamar (674 trees). Other urban areas were also affected, such as Sa Marina de Valldemossa, Son Oleza, Son Brondo, Son Mas, Sa Baudia and Son Antich. The first job was to free the access roads to these areas, Then, all the fallen and broken trees had to be collected and then removed by helicopter. THERE are several houses in Llucalcari that must be demolished according to a legal order. However, the problem seems to be, who is goiong to pay for this work to be carried out? Will it be the Deya town council, the Balearic Government or the Council of Majorca? The Mayor of Deya, Jaume Crespi, insists that that “the town council is the least responsible for this situation”. He adds that the town council can not bear the costs of the demolitions. The leader of the Balearic Government, Jaume Matas, met with the Mayor to “calm him down”, as he too thinks that the responsibility for this work does not exclusively lie with the town council. In fact, it is the Department for Patrimony which issues the building licences. Matas said that he will continue to look into this matter after a legal report has been completed and delivered to him. So far the Council of Majorca, who is responible for the Patrimony areas on the island, has not got involved with this debate and the town council has not even asked for their advice. It therefore seems that these “illegal” houses will remain for some time more before this funding decision can be reached. THE Council of Majorca yesterday started the project to build a new roundabout on the Porreres main road, near to the cemetery. It is hoped that with this new roundabout the traffic will flow better and accidents will be reduced. The roundabout will hopefully be finished within three months and will cost approximately 550'000 euros, said a spokesperson from the Public Works department. In addition, a project has been developed to improve the condition of the road that joins Porreres and Llucmajor, said the councillor for Public Works in the Council of Majorca, Antoni Pascual. THE Llucmajor town council has given the charity Fons Mallorquí de Solidaritat i Cooperacío (Majorcan Funds for Solidarity and Co-operation) 48'000 euros from this year's municipal budget. This money will go to helping the poor areas of Nicaragua in Central America. In particular, this money will help the Las Sabanas area, in the Madriz county. Amongst the help that this money will provide, it is planned to buy seeds and crops, to offer farming advice, help rural schools and offer youth programmes for those children in a negative social situation. In order to explain more about this project and the area that it will help, the Director of the Human Promotion Institute (charity), Gladys Cáceres, will be holding a conference at Casal de Ca s'Hereu next Monday. FOR safety reasons the Ministry for Transit and Transport in the Palma City Council, have changed the road direction of a city centre street, calle Cerdanya, which is between calle Bonaire and Paseo Mallorca. This change was made yesterday after the local police put in a petition to change the situation on calle Cerdanya. This change was made after representatives from the Palma City Council asked the various residents in the area. With this change, it has got rid of the turn, which has very limited visibility. THE Minister for Public Works, Mabel Cabrer, yesterday officially opened the project which will reform and improve the marina building and the building that will house the kitchen and the tourist information office in Cala Bona. The Ministry's aim is to improve the services at this marina, so that it is a “marina of reference” on the eastcoast.