News from Fuerteventura. July 2005 Archives.
Fuertemusica, a success!
Fuertemusica 2005 was a resounding success. Over the two days, more than 16000 people attended and the event ran to schedule and without incident. See Fuertemusica , for details.
Imagine a Better World 2005
Yesterday the "Imagine a better world" charity event was held at Sadie's bar in Corralejo. This annual event raises lots of money for various charities and we will let you know how much was raised this year. There was an official photographer there but here are some of the pictures we took.
July 29th
Fuertemusica 2005 begins.
The press conference was held in the el Centro de Arte Juan Ismael, with regard to Fuertemusica 2005. The organisors expressed their thanks to the two main sponsors who are La Caja de Canarias and Tropical. The artists were represented by members of both Link and Haze. They said they were pleased to be on Fuerteventura and were looking forward to giving a concert in such spectacular surroundings (see the photo). The organisers say they expect 8000 people to attend.
We had a short chat with Kenneth Suarez from Link, who said he much prefered playing music to giving press conferences, he said his music was a blend of that played by Massive Attack and Pink Floyd. He also said his dad was a massive fan of the Rolling Stones, having seen them in several Spanish cities. Kenneth is a really nice guy and we look forward to seeing him play tonight.
July 28th
More places available on childrens' sailing course
The Cabildo have made another 10 places available on each of two sailing courses that are being run for children between the ages of 7 and 13.
The courses, learning how to sail Optimist III and IV yachts, will run from 1st - 12th and 16th - 26th August between 10.00 and 13.00.
To apply es necesario que se rellene la hoja de inscripción y adjuntar una fotocopia del Libro de Familia ó D.N.I y de la Cartilla de la Seguridad Social en el Departamento de Deportes del Cabildo de Fuerteventura.
July 27th
Current electricity problems to be investigated
The Department of Industry, Energy and New Technologies in Fuerteventura will, over the next six months, examine the systems of electricity supply on the island, looking a the performance of the system and the quality of the service. They will also look at the potentiality of using more renewable energy sources.
July 26th
Low cost airline flies to Fuerteventura!
A new airline, Nexus Airways will begin flights to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura from the 1st of November. Fuerteventura flights will be on Wednesdays and therefore begin on November 2nd. Special offer prices start from £50 (plus taxes) one way. See www.nexusairways.com for details. The story behind it is that Daniel Reilly, an A level student from Maghull in Liverpool chose to research the setting up of an airline for his A level project. On realising that the idea was feasible, he contacted a financial adviser and got backing for his project. Best of luck to him.
July 25th
Ban on Fires and Barbeques.
El patronado de espacios naturales have backed a proposal to ban indefinitely, the lighting of fires, barbeques etc, in the pine forest of Betancuria. They have also extended this ban to cover other areas of the island, including palm groves and Tarajals which we think are shrublands. The reason for the ban is due to the dry climatic conditions.
Improvements to Footpaths.
The Cabildo are working with la Asociación para el Desarrollo Rural de La Palma, (rural council) using their experience to upgrade the network of footpaths on the island. In total fifteen footpaths will have the ground and surrounding vegetation improved and six will be completed this year.
July 20th
Sotavento set to explode with action, as PWA announces new collaboration with IFCA.
The Professional Windsurfers Association has announced today that it has reached agreement for the joint sanctioning of the upcoming Slalom event at Sotavento, Fuerteventura.
The International Funboard Class Association (IFCA) Slalom World Championships will take place at Sotavento from 22nd to 30th July 2005. Under the new agreement, the event will also now become a stop on the PWA Slalom 42 Racing Tour.
Sotavento has been a firm venue on the PWA World Tour with outstanding events annually in the Racing, Freestyle and Super X disciplines for over twenty years. That tradition will now continue as, once again, Fuerteventura takes centre stage as the first stop on this year’s PWA Racing Tour.
Some of the biggest names in windsurfing will compete for glory in Fuerteventura, including former PWA World Champions, Micah Buzianis (F2, North Sails), Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Maui Sails) and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (North Sails) The women’s fleet also has it’s share of PWA champions with Karin Jaggi (f2) hoping to topple current PWA Racing Champion Allison Shreeve (F2, Neil Pryde)
A collaboration such as this has not been seen since 2002 when the PWA joined forces with the Formula Windsurfing Class to jointly sanction the Formula World Championships and finals of the PWA Racing Tour at the 2002 World Cup Sylt.
Event Organizer Renè Egli
"We are very happy to be hosting a joint collaboration such as this and very happy to have the PWA back in Sotavento this year. We have a very good history of events with the PWA and we are very glad to be able to continue that relationship for 2005 and years to come."
PWA Tour Manager Rich Page
"July would not be July without a PWA contest at Sotavento. It is an incredible windsurfing location and is ideal for competition. The record of successful events there stretches back over two decades and Renè and the local authorities put on an excellent and exceptionally professional event year after year. We hope that this may be the first of many future collaborations with other windsurfing organizations and a major stepping-stone to greater unification within the sport.
Awards for Tourists
The Tourist Board of Fuerteventura are to award tourists for their fidelity to the island. The tourist board are of the opinion that tourists who return to the island year after year are one of the best forms of promotion for the island. With this in mind they are asking all the hotels etc. to give them the names of tourists that have stayed in the hotel etc for at least three consecutive years, with a view to giving them an award.
First University Level Course to be run on Fuerteventura
As from this September students who are studying for a degree in Technical Engineering will be able to study the first year of their course on the island. It is hoped that this will raise the educational aspirations of those on the island. It is also hoped to increase the number of courses that are available.
July 19th
More than 100 visits
There were more tha 1000 visits to sunnyfuerteventura.com yesterday. 1215 to be exact. This is the first time we have had more tha 1000 visitors. Thanks to everbody that visited.
July 15th
Whale Body Washed Up
The body of a young Curviers Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris) was washed up on the shores of Pajara. When a whale is washed up on the shores of Fuerteventura, an autopsy is carried out to ascertain the cause of death. The autopsy was carried out by the vetenarian services of the Ayuntamiento, who kindly supplied the photograph.
The cause of death in this case was thought to be starvation, possible due to its mother being unable to provide milk.
Property Registration
Between the 21st and 23rd of July the Cabildo will be involved in a trying to raise awareness of the necessity to register property. There have been problems in Corralejo for several years because some of the proprty in the old town had not been correctly registered. The three days will end with a demonstration and a musical concert in the Plaza Publica in Corralejo.
July 14th
Irrigation Scheme
The central government of Spain have provided 2.2 million euros towards a project aimed at reducing the effects of the drought on the rural parts of the island. The project will involve improving and extending the irrigation network. A network will be created from Puerto del Rosario to Tarajalejo.
The minister for agriculture of the Cabildo has requested that the Canarian Government develop and extend the irrigation network, and also to create new desalination plants. He has also urged the rural communities to come together to help overcome any negative effects of the drought.
July 12th
Snakes Alive!
A family in Puerto del Rosario returned home from their holidays to find a metre long python on their patio. The snake was captured by the Gyuardia Civil and is now happily ensconced in th zoo at La Lajita. The snake in the photograph is at the zoo, but is not the same snake.
It is thought that the snake arrived by boat, and the introduction of foreign species is becoming a worry, as the ecostystem on Fuerteventura is thought to be quite fragile.
The chipmunks that are to be seen everywhere on the island are descended from a pair that was brought over from the Sahara to take part in a wedding ceremony in the 1970's. Still at least they are cute and adored by the tourists.
Life's a Beach!
We wondered what the floating dock was for in the bay at Puerto del Rosario. It turns out that they are barges being used to store the sand that has been dredged up so that the facilities for cruise liners can be improved.
It seems that some of the sand has been transported to Tenerife for the purpose of creating an artificial beach, and this has caused some bother.
Today's stories were all to be found in La Provincia, the daily newspaper of Las Palmas
July 11th
Problems with the scrapping of vehicles
Fuerteventura has a problem with the scrapping of vehicles that have come to the end of their useful life. The lack of the necessary infrastructure means that there are currently 3,500 vehicles waiting to be processed. The island only has one facility to deal with the scrapping of cars, and the growth in the islands population means that this is less than adequate.
July 8th
Fuerteventura Music 05
Fuerteventura Music 05 is 29/30 July in an 8000 sqm area behind Los Laquitos bay, El Cotillo.
To date 8 bands are playing. First band friday approx 21:00
Link, kind of spanish massive attack electro progressive.
Others include headliners Carmen Paris- (Spain) Jazz/Blues/Rock
Elephantes -(Spain) Pop rock
Son de la Frontera -cuban/flamenco/rock
Haze -hip hop dance
Los Coquillos -pop rock canarian
Mastretta -electro rock
Cafe Tacuba -latin rock
Plus 4 DJ's for before and after.
There is no definate finish time per night, but not before 06:00
There will be toilet, bar and food facilities plus Red Cross and security on hand. Parking will be strictly controlled from all approaches and go around coaches will link from car parks to concert area.
Radio Qfm will be interviewing in the lead up and backstage on the nights.
Thanks to Johnnyb of Radio QFM for the info.
July 7th
Phase II of Palacio del Congresos
The Cabildo have awarded the contract for the second phase of the building of the Palacio de Congresos. This stage of the work is expected to take 320 days to complete at a cost of around 4 million Euros. The building is expected to be complete by the 2nd quarter of 2007, at a total cost of 22 million euros.
The building will have five floors and as well as acting as a centre for government, it will also have facilities for cultural and training activities.
The building, designed by architect Jorge Sastre, will have an elliptical footprint. The edifice will face out to sea, and is expected to enhance the shoreline of that part of the city. The area in which the building is located is being developed with a range of facilities, including a new swimming pool, which is well on the way to being completed.
July 6th
Mussel Beds
Juan Estárico, el consejero de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca del Cabildo de Fuerteventura, was accompanied yesterday by technicians from the Spanish Oceanographic institue as they visited several sites to investigate the possibility of establishing mussel beds for the production of the Majoero mussel, (Perna perna). The technicians were supportive of the plans and trial beds are to be established on the coast of Montaña Roja and in las Playitas.
Domestic Violence
El Dispositivo de Emergencia para Mujeres Agredidas del Cabildo de Fuerteventura (DEMA) (roughly translated the emergency mechanism for assaulted women) report that there were thirteen proceedings involving cases of domestic violence in the last quarter (April to June). The assailants were, as usual, from all sectors of society. The different branches of the authorities are working together to improve the situation by making sure that women who are in danger can find help more easily now than was the case until recently.
July 5th
Wall collapses.
A new development called Caleta Alta is being built on Chipmunk Mountain. Some of the people in the Artenara development were told the land behind them would not be built on, and some of the people in Villas Antigua were told there would be no building in front of them. Anyway, there is.
The land is being built on. A retaining wall is being constructed behind Artenara and houses will be built on the land that has been filled in.
The photos show two accidents that have happened during the work. The first involved a crane that was lowering a board that would be placed against the mesh for concreting purposes. The centre of gravity found itself above the outside of the base area, and as all good physics students know, this caused the lorry to tip over.
In the second incident the wall collapsed as concrete was being poured.
Both situations happened a couple of weeks ago, and have since been sorted out. The workers are taking more care. If something like this happens to your property telephone 112. The police will come and help to sort things out.
July 4th
There will be a Fuerteventura Windsurfing and Kiteboarding World Cup. The dates are 22nd July to the 6th August.
Though the event will be smaller than the PWA Grand Slam, which has been cancelled, about 300 competitors will take part, and the organisers say that the entry list reads much like a who's who of windsurfing and kiteboarding.
July 2nd
There was lots on yesterday. George Duke played in Puerto del Rosario. The band consisted of himself, Mike Manson, Gordon Campbell, Jef Lee Johnson and Shannn Pearson. The audience enjoyed the gig. The song I enjoyed most was one called Piano. A member of the audience was invited to play at the end. The group were looking for a keyboard player, but the guitar is the instrument of choice on the Canaries. Jeff Lee Johnson was generous enough to loan his guitar to the bloke, who didn't disappoint himself or us.
George Duke, Shannon Pearson and a guest from the crowd entertained us.
Miss Las Palmas 2005 was elected at the Atlantico centre in Caleta de Fuste. The winner was Tania Ladeiro García, who was representing Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria.
During the show there was entertainment from the rock band Jarabe de Palo.
Some of the entrants, and the winning line up.
On Thursday the new dual carriageway that is being built between Pecenescal and Bayuelo in the municipality of Pajara was visited by Jesús León, (El consejero de Infraestructuras y Ordenación del Territorio del Cabildo de Fuerteventura). He was accompanied by Lázaro Cabrera (consejero de Medio Ambiente del Cabildo Insular : medio ambiente = evironment) and representatives of the firm doing the work, as well as technicians from the Canarian Government. Ways to minimise the effect of the road on the environment were considered, as were possible solutions to the problem of access for those living in Pecenescal. The solution may be an additional lane. This will make entering and leaving the dual carriageway safer.
July 1st
The new nautical school, on the Avenida Maritima in Puerto del Rosario, is being visited by the president of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura Mario Cabrera and Edilia Pérez the Cabildo's director of sport. The building work is complete and the school just has to be fitted out with equipment before it can be put into use.
© "sunnyfuerteventura.com 2005"
