Weekender Alicante North Issue 108

12 FRIDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2019
www.weekender.news
It’s a dog’s life
Five cyclists hit by “speeding” van
by Simon Russell
POLICE are trying to determine
if a van that hit
five cyclists on a road
near the Valencian town
of Betera was speeding at
the time of the accident.
The incident happened
last Thursday morning on a
bend in the road, and three
of the riders were later hospitalised
with injuries that
are serious but not believed
to be life threatening.
The other two victims suffered
abrasions and bruises
that could be treated at the
scene.
The police say that there
is a long tyre skid-mark on
the road, indicating that the
vehicle may have been travelling
at excessive speed but
the forensics team will be
investigating further.
The van driver co-operated
fully, the authorities said, and
tested negative for alcohol
and drugs.
The cyclists were also tested
and had no traces of any
substances in their blood.
The man who received
the worst injuries was
thrown over the top of the
vehicle after being hit from
behind.
Two ambulances were
required at the scene, one
Basic Life Support and one
SAMU vehicle.
DOG OWNERS in Spain’s
northwestern city of
Zamora will have to pay
a tax from next year, as
the council has got fed
up of paying to clear up
dog mess.
“Dog owners should contribute
to a certain extent
to the expense of it all” said
Diego Bernardo, Zamora’s
tax councillor.
He acknowledged though
that not everyone was happy
by Alex Trelinski
with the new, if modest, levy
of nine euros a year.
“The tax has brought some
criticism”, he added, “but
not all of the reactions have
been negative”.
Zamora council expect to
raise 90 thousand euros per
year from the tax, which
will be used to create more
dog walking areas, paying
for clean-up and distribute
Sun, sea, sand and
culture
FIGURES just released by Simon Russell
show that people are coming
to Denia for more than people went in August then
just its great beaches and the other months but over
gastronomy, with cultural 20,000 a month have been
attractions also being a consistently visiting.
major draw.
In July and August 40,000
The newly reopened old people went to the castle,
fish market, now the Museum
of the Sea, had 67,000 in August, when there were
17,000 in July and 23,000
visitors between mid-June a few rainy days. 20,000
(when it opened) and the end people visited the Archaeological
Museum at the top of
of August.
A couple of thousand more the castle.
bags for canine waste. It’s
not clear though how the
authority will create a register
of dog owners as well as
policing that everybody has
paid the charge.
Madrid’s mayor last year
tried to push for compulsory
dog DNA tests in order to be
able to identify and fine dog
owners who leave their best
friends’ poop in the streets.
After a change in mayor,
the plan was dropped.
Posed as UN diplomat to avoid parking fines
POLICE in Valencia have
arrested an Albanian national
who had been posing
as a United Nations special
diplomat, ostensibly to
avoid parking restrictions,
although the authorities
are investigating further
possible crimes.
Francesk G. was driving
a top end Range Rover with
fake “UN” licence plates
and carrying paperwork
showing he was part of a
French diplomatic service
in Valencia on an official
capacity.
This ploy had worked on at
THE new governing body
in the Town Hall of Villena
(Alicante) are facing
a backlash as they have
sanctioned moves that
appear to open the door
to bullfighting after a five
year ban on the practice.
The previous council, Las
Verdes (Greens) banned
such events in 2014 while
the new PSOE ruling body
have given approval pending
court cases brought by probullfighting
groups, saying
Visitors at the Museum of the Sea,
formerly the fish market
least two previous occasions
but the officer who stopped
him this time was suspicious
and called through for confirmation.
It was confirmed the man,
or his vehicle, had no diplomatic
connections and he
was arrested and the car impounded.
It will be thoroughly
searched as it is thought that
there may be an involvement
in more serious crimes than
impersonation and illegal
parking.
The suspect’s passport was
also found to be a forgery.
Outrage as bullfights are back
by Simon Russell
they had to “consider all applications
equally”.
A spokesperson for the
town’s animal rights group
said the council were “running
scared” of the court
proceedings, that there
was little legal merit in the
pending case and that the
final decision on the use
of any public space always
rests with the elected c
ouncil.
The “UN” plated Range Rover
P.E.P.A. in September
by Simon Russell
THE P.E.P.A animal charity
had their September
lunch and book-sale this
week but there is still
plenty more lined up for
the month.
This starts with the
regular quiz which is to be
held at Bar-Restaurant Ca
Elsa (Villalonga) on 17th
September, with quizzers
needing to arrive at 7pm
for a 7.30 start please.
A Menu del Noche is
available at the price of just
€8, with a choice of two
starters, two mains and
three desserts. Please email
Joyce on joyce_bradley@hotmail.com
to see if there are
any places still available.
In August’s fund raising
efforts €147 was raised at
the monthly lunch while
€139 was made at the quiz.
Sadly Marilyn Lamb,
who had supported the
P.E.P.A. shop at La Font
d’en Carros in the past,
died suddenly last month.
A collection was made
for the charity at her funeral,
raising €255.30. The
group would like to send
their sincere condolences
to all Marilyn’s family
and friends.
Unfortunately the
L’Olleria shop has now
closed after eight years, a
difficult decision to take
but it is no longer viable.
Special thanks must go
to Anne Goodwin for her
selfless efforts in setting
the shop up and her ongoing
involvement, as well as
Terry Conran and Pat Garner
who managed it for the
past year.
The focus will now be on
the P.E.P.A. shops in Oliva
and La Font d’en Carros,
the latter of which has just
moved to a new premises.
You can visit www.pepaspain.com
for more information
on events, the
shops and what the charity
does, as well as the animals
that are currently up
for adoption.