CalpeNoticias EN

The Local Government (Somos Calpe, PSPV and Compromís) has today approved in plenary session to allocate 1,775,108.25 euros from the Treasury surplus from the settlement of the 2024 budget to a total of sixteen initiatives. The council has drawn up a report on the works and investments that will be financed from the surplus and which must be carried out by 2025.

Among the investments, the Empedrola - Balcón de Bernia road project stands out with a budget of €220,000, the accessibility works on the Banda and Social Services building with an investment of €150,458, and the asphalting of roads in the Bassetes, Calalga and La Fossa residential areas for a total of €650,000.

In terms of sports, €126,757 will be allocated to the creation of an outdoor municipal gym, €71,984 to lighting for the football pitch and €15,262 to lighting for the Benítez sports courts and the Frontón area.

There are also plans to allocate €90,000 to LED lighting in the Old Town, €48,000 for acoustic improvements to the Civic Centre and €40,000 for lighting and sound in the Auditorium.

Other projects included in the surplus are the Local Police hut in La Fossa for €35,000, the installation of the Tourism Department hut on Arenal-Bol beach for €60,000, the installation of railings and ropes in Las Salinas for €80,000 and on the beaches for €20,000.

In addition, €60,000 will be allocated to fencing the El Saladar pet park, €7,645 to the purchase of a vehicle for Civil Protection and €100,000 to continue with the installation of video surveillance cameras.

The mayoress, Ana Sala, stated that ‘the Economic Plan requires us to be cautious and, although it allows us to spend up to €8 million in 2025, we are not going to do so. What we will do is implement a series of projects that are already prepared, representing investments worth €1,775,108.25’.

The Popular Party spokesperson, Miguel Crespo, pointed out that ‘the numbers do not add up. We are concerned that they are patching things up and conditioning future budgets. We have detected shortcomings that we do not know how to solve in the future and that may limit Calp's progress. I want to raise the alarm because this is a paradoxical situation: either we break the spending rule again or the investments are not made’. Councillor Ximo Perles replied that ‘this is not the case, the surplus is more than 8 million, we can spend up to that 8 million and for the moment we are going to spend 1,700,000 euros’.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PLAN

According to the government team, Calp Town Council currently enjoys a healthy economic situation, with no bank or financial debt, €46 million in cash in its bank accounts and a treasury surplus of €26,825,247.80.

However, current fiscal rules require the City Council to present a Financial Economic Plan (PEF) 2025, due to a breach of the spending rule. This breach is temporary, not structural, and is directly related to the readjustment to state fiscal rules, following their suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Plan was approved today in plenary session, with the votes in favour of the government and the abstention of the opposition, with the aim of controlling and limiting spending.

Statements

The spokesperson for Defendamos Calpe, Paco Quiles, pointed out that "Calp has exceeded its spending by 6 million. Defendamos Calpe has been warning that the spending limit was being exceeded. To say that Calp Town Council is in good financial health is not accurate. We would like to know what the money has been spent on and we would like to see an investment schedule. The money should not be in the bank; it should be used to provide public services".

Miguel Crespo of the Popular Party stated that ‘the economic and financial plan is a political document because it derives from political management. In our opinion, they have mismanaged the economy. They have broken the fiscal rules and spent 6 million euros more than they could have. This plan will condition the Town Council's management for the coming years and represents a 30% failure to execute the budget.’

Ximo Perles, government spokesperson, has indicated that ‘The plan has no adjustments because it is not expected that the budget will be executed 100%, but it is impossible to execute the budget 100% for various reasons, whether in chapter 1 or in the reductions in contracting. It is not fair to talk about disastrous management; what we disagree on is what to spend it on.’

The mayoress, Ana Sala, has indicated that ‘We did not comply with the spending rule because 2023 was an election year, and in an election year, especially if there is a change of government, it is impossible to execute the budget. In 2023, spending was reduced, and in 2024, which was a full financial year, the budget was spent as planned’.

The National Police will now issue ID cards and passports immediately in Calpe thanks to the new mobile units recently incorporated. These are Integral Documentation Vehicles (VIDOC), launched by the Directorate General of the Police to improve the efficiency and accessibility of digital public services for citizens and businesses.

This morning, the new VIDOC vehicle arrived in Calpe to issue and renew ID cards and, for the first time, passports, as until now this document could only be issued at police stations, meaning that Calpe residents had to travel to Dénia or Benidorm. In addition, they have been able to obtain these documents instantly, which is a complete novelty, since the Mobile Unit that came to Calpe to issue ID cards from time to time had to return a second day to deliver the National Identity Document to its holder.

The VIDOC vehicle is scheduled to visit Calpe every month from 9.30 am to 1 pm. The next session will be on 12 June and anyone interested should go to the Citizen Service Office in advance to make an appointment. Citizens should also bear in mind that card payments will not be available, as the vehicles are not equipped with card readers, so fees must be paid in cash.

"The arrival of the VIDOC vehicle is a major step forward for Calpe. Our residents can obtain both their ID card and passport without leaving the municipality and, what's more, in a single visit, which is particularly beneficial for the elderly and those with mobility difficulties. We would like to thank the Directorate General of Police for launching this service, which brings the administration closer to the public," said Paqui Solivelles, Councillor for the Citizen Services Office.

The Calpe Town Council has begun the tender process for the installation of photovoltaic panels for self-consumption at the municipal swimming pool, with a budget of €57,438 and a completion period of three months.

The project consists of installing a hybrid photovoltaic system for self-consumption on the roof of the municipal swimming pool, with 50 kW of surplus energy fed into the grid and the possibility of energy storage. A generator consisting of 104 modules or panels with intelligent monitoring will be installed.

The solar panels will cover the facility's own energy needs with renewable energy, reducing the electricity bill and carbon emissions. This installation will complement the municipal swimming pool's biomass boiler and LED lighting, which are designed to maximise energy efficiency and savings at this sports facility.

 The Councillor for Sports, Ximo Perles, pointed out that ‘the City Council is committed to renewable energy, and this is a measure of sustainability and energy efficiency. We aspire to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The installation of photovoltaic panels at the municipal swimming pool to reduce consumption is the first of other investments along these lines to reduce pollution’.

Friday, 9:

• II CalpPiano Festival with a performance by Carla Gómez. The renowned pianist from Alicante will perform pieces by Chopin, Albéniz, Falla, Granados and Piazzola, among others. 8 pm. Saló Blau – Free admission

• End-of-Year Exhibition by ADA (Friends of Art) students. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura.

• Charity exhibition ‘Arte por la DANA’ (Art for the DANA Flood). Masía Casa Nova de Calpe.

• Exhibition ‘Personajes’ (Characters) by the Frax Foundation. Until 29 May in the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Saturday, 10:

• Geek Pride Day! With workshops, games, dancing and much more. From 4pm to 9pm. Parque de la Glorieta – Youth Club

• Borja Montón's Magic Show. 7pm. Casa de Cultura Auditorium. Advance tickets €12 (on sale from members of the 2025 Festival Committee) and €15 at the box office one hour before the start of the show.

• End-of-year exhibition by ADA (Friends of Art) students. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30 May.

• Exhibition ‘Personajes’ by the Frax Foundation. Until 29 May in the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell

• 10 am to 2 pm. Charity exhibition ‘Arte por la DANA’. Masía Casa Nova de Calpe.

Sunday, 11th:

• Walk of the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association of #Calp. At 11 a.m. From the Plaza de la Constitución.

• 5 p.m. – Pasapalabra contest. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

Calpe is moving forward in its commitment to becoming a Smart Tourist Destination. As part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) funded by the European Union - Next Generation, Calpe Town Council plans to implement a smart lighting and irrigation system in the near future, as well as monitoring environmental parameters in order to offer more sustainable and efficient management of the municipality.

The Calpe Town Council has already put out to tender the first two contracts: one for the installation of smart irrigation sensors and the other for the implementation of the three verticals - irrigation, lighting and environment - on the council's Smartcity platform, which are currently being evaluated and awaiting award. It plans to put the contracts for smart lighting and environmental monitoring out to tender in the coming weeks.

This marks the start of the technological actions of the PSTD, which were already included in the Calpe Town Council's Master Plan for Tourism. The smart irrigation project will enable the irrigation of different green areas of the town to be controlled remotely using information recorded by sensors that will measure soil temperature and humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, ambient temperature and rainfall. The aim is to optimise the use of material and human resources in the operation and maintenance of the irrigation area, as well as to reduce water consumption and related costs. It has a base budget of €62,126.03 and is expected to be completed within a year.

Similarly, the smart lighting project aims to install low-energy streetlights and a lighting management system that will enable any faults or breakdowns to be detected immediately, take real-time readings and discriminate lighting needs according to the tourist season and the number of people in each public space. For its part, environmental monitoring will provide information on pollution levels in the municipality, air quality and UV rays, among other parameters, through weather stations installed in public buildings.

These verticals must be integrated into the Smartcity platform, where all the data recorded by the different sensors, weather stations and other sources will be collected, both in real time and for historical consultation. This contract has a base price of €52,000.

‘With these actions, Calpe is taking a firm step towards a more innovative, resilient and sustainable tourism model. The data recorded will facilitate decision-making, as well as improving the response and quality of services provided to citizens,’ said Mireia Ripoll, Councillor for Tourism Planning.

Calpe Town Council has completed the administrative procedures to allocate €120,000 from the 2024 municipal budget to victims of the DANA flood in Valencia. These funds come from the Protocol and Advertising budget for the previous financial year.

To carry out this initiative, it was necessary to make a budgetary credit modification to allocate the amount of €120,000 to aid for the affected populations and to submit the modification file to the Local Government Board for processing.

The aid will be paid into the bank account of the Treasury of the Valencian Regional Government set up for this purpose. As established in Decree Law 11/2024 of 12 November of the Regional Council, these donations will generate credit in the Regional Government's budget, in accordance with the nature of the actions to which they are allocated.

The income from these donations will be used to cover expenses arising from the DANA flood, such as aid to private individuals or legal entities who have suffered damage to their property or rights, repair of damaged infrastructure, supplies, materials, and any other expenses that may contribute to strengthening recovery and a return to normality in the affected municipalities.

This financial aid is in addition to the solidarity campaign to collect products and food carried out by Calpe Town Council, thanks to which 40 trucks of urgent humanitarian aid were sent to Valencia. In addition, the Town Council sent personnel, vehicles, machinery and safety and emergency equipment to the affected areas.

Civil Protection personnel from Calpe, local police officers and municipal general services workers travelled to the municipalities affected by the DANA flood to help with the clean-up, along with vehicles and workers from Acciona, the local cleaning service contractor, and Aguas de Calpe.

In addition, various private initiatives have been organised in Calpe to help those affected by the DANA, such as the Calpe Music Festival for the DANA, which raised €6,620 for the Catarroja Music Union and La Unión Musical La Artesana de Catarroja, and the Solidarity Art Exhibition for the DANA.

One of the companies bidding for the contract for regulated parking on public roads has lodged an appeal, which is delaying the administrative process and the start of the service.

Last February, the tender for the concession of the regulated parking service on public roads in Calpe began after the drafting and approval of the specifications. Companies were able to submit their bids until 17 March.

The Procurement Department is trying to process the file as quickly as possible, but the contract cannot be awarded until the appeal has been resolved. The local government apologises for the delay, which is beyond its control.

The most notable feature of the new contract is the reduction in the blue zone rate for residents and businesses by almost 50%, while in the orange zone (beach area) the reduction for residents and businesses is 22%.

Thus, if until now the hourly rate in the blue zone for residents was €0.40, it will now be €0.25, and in the orange zone it will go from €0.45 per hour to €0.35 per hour. However, the general rate for the blue zone will increase from € 0.85 per hour to € 1.10 per hour, and in the orange zone from € 0.95 per hour to € 1.45 per hour.

This change in rates is intended to benefit residents, who will see a reduction in the cost of parking in regulated parking areas.

The timetables are also being changed, as until now the maximum time allowed in the blue zone was two hours and in the orange zone was three hours, and with the new regulations this will be three hours and six hours respectively.

Other changes include the absorption of the green zone into the blue zone, i.e. the green zone, which was a regulated parking area only in the morning, will disappear, and the mixed orange zone will be eliminated. This means that the blue zone will now have 920 lots and the orange zone 1,135 lots.

In addition, the specifications establish as an investment the replacement of those parking meters that do not allow payment by credit card. Furthermore, the concessionaire must provide a tow truck service. For this reason, the proposed annual fee is €350,000 plus VAT, which may be increased by companies that choose to retain the contract.

On 9 May, Calpe Town Council will once again celebrate Europe Day with a festive day aimed at highlighting the cultural diversity of the municipality and strengthening the feeling of belonging to the European Union.

The events will begin at 11 a.m. with the raising of the European flag in Plaza Colón. At 12 noon in the Calalga area, a manifesto will be read in several languages, recalling the fundamental values of the Union: democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.

At 1 pm, in the Calalga car park, there will be a giant paella tasting open to all citizens.

The Town Council encourages all residents to take part in this event, which aims to strengthen ties between the different nationalities living in Calpe.

This initiative is part of the BELC programme (‘Building Europe with Local Authorities’), an initiative promoted by the European Commission, which Calpe joined with the aim of bringing European policies closer to the municipal level and encouraging citizen involvement.

The councillor responsible for the BELC programme, Marco Bittner, stressed that ‘with this day we want to consolidate an intercultural meeting place and promote the integration of all European communities present in Calpe’.

As a symbolic gesture, several public buildings, such as the Town Hall and the Casa Nova, as well as various roundabouts, will be lit up in blue, the colour representing the European Union.

Europe Day has been celebrated every 9 May since 1985 in commemoration of the Schuman Declaration, considered the starting point of the European integration project.

Friday, 2:

• From 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. - Craft Market. Special Mother's Day and May Bank Holiday. Until 4 May. Calle Alemania-Paseo Marítimo de la Playa del Arenal.
• 7pm - Opening of the ADA (Friends of Art) End of Year Exhibition. Exhibition Hall at the Casa de Cultura.
• 8pm - Calpe Piano Festival: performance by Plamena Mangova. Saló Blau.
• Charity exhibition ‘Art for DANA’. Masía Casa Nova de Calpe.

Saturday, 3

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Charity exhibition ‘Art for DANA’. Masía Casa Nova de Calpe.
• From 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. - Craft Market. Special Mother's Day and May Bank Holiday. Until 4 May. Calle Alemania-Paseo Marítimo de la Playa del Arenal.
• 5pm. Board games. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).
• 6.30pm - Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calpe. Registration required on 965836920 / 965838532 / 677912754 / turismo@ajcalpe.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.
• 8.30pm - Mig Any de Moros y Cristianos: Farewell to the 2024 officials and presentation of the 2025 officials. Plaza Mayor.
• End-of-year exhibition by ADA (Friends of Art) students. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30 May.

Sunday, 4th:

• From 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. - Craft Market. Special Mother's Day and May Bank Holiday. Until 4 May. Calle Alemania-Paseo Marítimo de la Playa del Arenal.
• 5 p.m. - Chess Exhibition. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

The Association of Moors and Christians Santíssim Crist de la Suor will celebrate the ‘Mig Any’ festivities this weekend, marking the halfway point of the festival season, which will see the departure of the 2024 festival organisers and the arrival of the new captains, flag bearers and ensigns.

On Friday, the different ‘filaes’ will have dinner in the kábilas before starting the different xarangas. Saturday will be the most important day of the festivities. The most eagerly awaited event will take place in the Plaza Mayor at 8.30 pm: the changeover, farewell and presentation of the 2024 and 2025 festival officials.

This will be the moment when Quico and Andrea Thewissen Pastor, from the Filà Moriscos, and Miguel Crespo Martínez and Fani Poquet Mut, from the Filà Contrabandistas, will say goodbye as Captain Moro and Favorita and Captain Cristiano and First Lady, respectively, to make way for the Captains of 2025, Adrián Romero and Fini Ortiz from the Filà Tuareg and Ángel García and Estefanía Moll from the Filà Mozárabes.

Another important position is that of Standard Bearer of the Association of Moors and Christians, which this year will be held by Celia González Jorro from the Filà Berberiscos, who will take over from Puri Verdú Balaguer from the Filà Almogávares. As for the Christian and Moorish ensigns, Joaquim Pastor Pastor from the Filà Mozárabes and Juan Ramón Clares Trabalón from the Filà Tuareg will pass the baton to Marc Císcar Martins from Marins Corsaris and Marc Sala Perles from the Filà Berberiscos.

Sunday will begin with the traditional paella contest on Conde de Altea Street. In the afternoon, the children's parade of corporals and squads will bring the Mig Any Fester to a close. This Mig Any is organised by the Associació de Moros i Cristians Santíssim Crist de la Suor, chaired by Rocío Pastor.

Starting this Friday, 2 May, Calpe will host the second edition of the Calpe Piano Festival, which will bring together prestigious pianists from the national and international scene.

The concerts will be held at 8 pm every Friday in May at the Saló Blau, with free admission.

The festival will kick off with a performance by the renowned Bulgarian pianist Plamena Mangova, who has enjoyed a brilliant international career. Trained by Marina Kapatsinskaya at the State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria, and later at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, she has performed with some of the most prominent orchestras, such as the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio France, Luxembourg, Tokyo, the Belgian National Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid, and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has received numerous awards, including second prize in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2007, as well as recognition in other competitions such as the Paloma O'Shea Piano Competition in Santander and the Vittorio Gui Chamber Music Competition in Florence.

On Friday 9 May, Carla Gómez from Alicante will perform. She completed her Higher Degree in Music, specialising in piano performance, at the Óscar Esplá Conservatory in Alicante with Professor Mª Dolores Costa. She has given concerts in Valencia, Murcia, Seville, the Canary Islands, Ghent (Belgium), Bari (Italy) and Warsaw (Poland), where she played at the National Philharmonic, as well as in the main concert halls of Alicante and its province, as a soloist, in chamber groups, with orchestras and with bands.

The Calpe Piano Festival will once again feature Hungarian pianist István I. Székely, who will perform on 16 May, following the success of his performance last year. A teacher at the Katarina Gurska Conservatory in Madrid and the Franz Liszt Centre for Young Talents in La Nucía, he has won several prizes in national and international competitions. He is an internationally renowned concert pianist and teacher, having been invited to give classes at various arts faculties and conservatories in Austria, Hungary, Israel, Serbia, Colombia and Spain. He is the founder and artistic director of the ‘Ciudad de Alicante’ Piano Competition, the Denia International Piano Festival, the Franz Liszt Centre International Piano Competition, the Great Piano Masters Competition, the Alicante International Piano Competition and the Sombor Philharmonic Orchestra in Serbia.

On 23 May, one of the most important Valencian pianists on the current piano scene, Rubén Talón, is scheduled to perform. In fact, critics consider him one of the best pianists of his generation and one of the most promising young musicians in Europe. He has won numerous national and international competitions in Spain, France, Italy, Austria and the United States, and has been recognised with special prizes for his performances of works by Manuel de Falla, Franz Liszt and Sergei Rachmaninoff, as well as the Exceptional Talent Award in Salzburg.

The Calpe Piano Festival will close with an innovative performance, a four-handed concert by Russian pianist Natalia Kucháeva and Malaga-born Jorge Lechado. Natalia Kucháeva, born in Moscow, is completing her postgraduate studies at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow with maestro Vladimir Tropp. She has won numerous international competitions in Russia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Greece and Spain. She has also collaborated with the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville as a répétiteur for opera. She is currently a repertoire teacher at the Alfredo Kraus Chair at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid.

Jorge Lechado is professor of piano at the CSM in Malaga. He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid with Joaquín Soriano and at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where he completed his postgraduate studies with pianist Pavel Nersessian. He has won awards and been a finalist in several national and international competitions.

The Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra, said that the department ‘has made a significant effort to surpass last year's level’ and highlighted pianists of international renown such as Plamena Mangova, who ‘performs on the world's best stages and will also be performing in Calpe’, and István I. Székely, ‘who made a huge impression on the audience after his performance last year’. He added that Rubén Talón, Carla Gómez and the four-handed concert by Natalia Kucháeva and Jorge Lechado ‘will also surprise the audience with the high quality of their performances’.

The Calpee-based NGO Visió Sense Fronteres has carried out a total of 148 eye surgeries in its latest campaign in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, one of the largest concentrations of displaced people in Africa, which is home to nearly 300,000 refugees and asylum seekers.

Most of the operations were for cataracts, although patients with pterygium and the after-effects of trachoma were also treated. One of the most notable operations was performed under general anaesthetic on a three-year-old boy with bilateral congenital cataracts, who was able to see for the first time thanks to this operation.

Three ophthalmologists, two nurses, an anaesthetist, three optometrists and a volunteer travelled to this refugee camp. They were assisted by the humanitarian organisation Embracing the World in Kenya, as well as two local nurses who carried out intensive screening in the weeks leading up to the campaign, enabling around 900 people to be examined.

‘The days have been intense and marathon-like, from dawn to dusk, but the dedication of the team—made up of ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses and local staff—has made it possible to complete all the planned surgeries, deliver 220 pairs of sunglasses for post-operative protection and fit prescription glasses to improve the quality of life of the patients,’ said Visió Sense Fronteres coordinator Isabel Signes, who thanked UNHCR, the Turkana County Government and Calpe Town Council for their collaboration. ‘Thanks to this, we have been able to restore sight — and with it, dignity and hope — to people who had been living in darkness for years, affected by advanced cataracts or other untreated eye conditions,’ she said.

The Kakuma refugee camp, located in north-western Kenya, is home to refugees and asylum seekers mainly from South Sudan and Somalia, but also from other African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sudan and Ethiopia, most of whom fled war, violence and persecution in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

‘The campaign in Kakuma has been a real milestone, not only in terms of clinical results, but also in terms of its human impact: it has literally brought light back to those who need it most,’ he said.

Calpe is gradually returning to normal after yesterday's power cut. Today, municipal offices and facilities are reopening as normal and schools are opening their doors, although there will be no classes.

Throughout yesterday afternoon and evening, the local police force was reinforced and a thermal drone was deployed. One of the first measures was to close intersections regulated by traffic lights to prevent accidents. The local police and Civil Protection rescued around twenty people trapped in lifts.

The Town Hall provided a generator for the health centre and also carried out a manual census of people in the municipality who require a respirator at home.

Yesterday at 5 p.m., a meeting of the CECOPAL was held, attended by municipal officials, the Local Police, Civil Protection and the Red Cross, where measures were agreed upon, such as transferring ambulances to the police station, as the health centre was not receiving any calls. CECOPAL provided petrol for ambulances and police and Civil Protection vehicles, maintained constant contact with the municipality's nursing homes and delivered bottled water to one of the nursing homes that had problems with its water supply pump.

The power cut did not cause any drinking water shortages or sewage relief. Aguas de Calpee worked until the early hours of the morning to manually control the reservoirs and continuously refill the GGEEs at the sewage treatment plants.

The thermal drone was in operation during the night to prevent vandalism or looting, and several Local Police and Civil Protection vehicles also patrolled the streets of the municipality. The Councillor for Public Safety, Guillermo Sendra, reported that there were no traffic accidents or acts of vandalism and highlighted the calm of the population in general.

Advice and recommendations were broadcast to citizens on the Municipal Radio. The mayor, the councillor for public safety, the chief of police and the head of civil protection broadcast several messages of reassurance to the population on the municipal radio station.

Mayor Ana Sala said, ‘I would like to highlight the civic and responsible behaviour of the residents of Calpee and thank the local police, civil protection and Red Cross for their work during these hours’.

Calpe Town Council has published a tender for maintenance and improvement works on the Paseo de la Playa Arenal-Bol with a base price of €155,340 and a completion period of six weeks.

These works are intended to resolve specific paving deficiencies and improve pedestrian traffic. Until now, maintenance work on the paving of the Paseo de la Playa Arenal-Bol has been sporadic, carried out in the Plaza Colón, at the junction of the Paseo Marítimo with the streets Alemania, Dinamarca, Gran Bretaña, Irlanda and Luxemburgo, meaning that there are currently several areas where the paving needs to be repaired.

The action of the waves, combined with the marine environment and heavy rainfall, has deteriorated the perimeter wall of the promenade, especially in the final section where there is no sandy beach, meaning that the waves hit the masonry wall directly, damaging it. There are sections where the coping of the wall is in poor condition, so it is also proposed to renovate it in keeping with the aesthetics of the rest of the walls along the promenade.

The works will involve the demolition and renovation of the paving, which will be carried out in sections so that the works have as little impact as possible on the normal flow of users of the promenade. The sections of paving in poor condition will also be demolished, cleared and cleaned.

As with the paving, the low wall will also be repaired in sections. In some sections, only the coping will be repaired, in others the masonry wall will need to be reinforced, and in others part of the wall will need to be demolished and rebuilt without changing its location.

The mayor, Ana Sala, has pointed out that ‘we are aware of the age of our promenades and we are immersed in the project to remodel the Paseo de la Fossa, which is why, on a one-off basis and until the overall remodelling of the Paseo del Arenal, we have decided to replace the deteriorated paving and part of the low wall, which is facing normal deterioration due to the passage of time, as they are over 50 years old, unique at the time they were built and now an icon of the municipality. We continue to invest in improving the image of our municipality. As soon as the tender is awarded, we will proceed with the execution of the project and, at the same time, we will continue working on the comprehensive remodeling of the Paseo de la Fossa.

Friday, 25th:

• 6pm - Workshop on Forest Fire Prevention. Saló Blau. Pre-registration. More information: info@ecosilvo.es
• 8.30 pm - Theatre: ‘Music for Hitler’ with Carlos Hipólito and Kiti Mánver. Auditorium. Free admission.
• Medieval market. Old town:

6 pm - Opening of the medieval market with medieval musicians and dancers.

6 pm - Storytelling.

From 6 pm to 9 pm - Children's workshop on painting chests and masks.

7.30pm – Storytelling.

8pm – Music group with dancer and fire show ‘Ánimas de la noche’ with Vendaval Folk.

9pm – Music group with dancer ‘Los lobos salvajes’ with Vendaval Folk.

• Painting exhibition ‘Numen’ by Isabel de la Mata and Francisca Sanz. Until 30 April. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
• Photography exhibition ‘La poética del espejo’ by Pedro Javier Pascual, organised by the Foto Club Ifach as part of the XV Penyal d'Ifach Photography Rally. Until 26 April. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura.

Saturday, 26th:

• Festive Gathering 2025. Plaza Mayor:

From 9.30 am to 12 noon: Popular ‘Esmorzar’ (light lunch)

From 12 noon to 2 pm: Charanga La Motora

From 11.30 am to 6.30 pm: Children's games

From 4 pm to 9 pm: Tardeo with ABDLB brass band

Traditional games tournament and bar service

Giant screen and DJ

• 15th Peñón de Ifach Photo Rally organised by the Ifach Photo Club:

11.45 a.m. – Presentation ‘Mangata, la poética del espejo’ (Mangata, the poetry of the mirror) by Pedro Javier Pascual. Saló Blau.

1 p.m. – Award ceremony for the 15th Peñón de Ifach Photo Rally. Auditorium.

• 5pm - Gardening workshop. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).
• Painting exhibition ‘Numen’ by Isabel de la Mata and infantil Francisca Sanz. Until 30 April. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

• Medieval market. Old town:

11am - Market opening.

From 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. - Children's workshop on painting chests and masks.

12 noon - Music group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

12 noon - Storytelling.

1 p.m. - Music group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

1.15 p.m. - Storytelling.

6 p.m. - Storytelling.

From 6pm to 9pm - Children's workshop on painting chests and masks.

6.30pm - Musical group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

7.30pm - Storytelling.

8pm - Musical group with dancer and fire show ‘Ánimas de la noche’ with Vendaval Folk.

9pm – Music group with dancer ‘Los lobos salvajes’ with Vendaval Folk.

Sunday, 27th:

• 11am – Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calpe. Registration required on 965836920 / 965 83 85 32 / turismo@ajcalpe.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.
• 5pm – Chess tournament. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

• Medieval market. Old town:

11am – Market opens.

From 11am to 1.30pm – Children's workshop on painting chests and masks.

12pm – Music group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

12 noon – Storytelling.

1pm – Music group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

1.15pm – Storytelling.

6pm – Storytelling.

From 6pm to 9pm – Children's workshop on painting chests and masks.

6.30pm – Music group with dancer with Vendaval Folk.

7.30pm – Storytelling.

8pm – Musical group with dancer and fire show ‘Ánimas de la noche’ with Vendaval Folk.

9pm – Musical group with dancer ‘Los lobos salvajes’ with Vendaval Folk.

           10pm – Market closes.

Last year, Calpe Town Council applied to the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office to register the trademark “Gamba Blanca de Calpe” with the aim of creating a distinctive symbol to help promote and enhance this product, as well as highlighting its excellence.

The Town Council has now been informed that the period for filing objections has expired without any opposition being lodged, and the Patent and Trademark Office is therefore initiating the procedure to register the trademark ‘Gamba Blanca de Calpe’ so that it will soon be official.

As part of the celebrations for the centenary of the Fishermen's Guild last year, various initiatives were organised to promote the ‘Gamba Blanca de Calpe’ brand, from the 1st Calpe White Prawn Conference organised by the Guild and the Town Council to the participation of the three Michelin-starred chefs in Calpe (Rafa Soler, from Audrey's, José Manuel Miguel, from Beat, and Andrea Drago, from Orobianco) at Madrid Fusion cooking Calpe white prawns, and the distribution of cones of fried white prawns at Fitur.

The ‘Gamba Blanca de Calpe’ brand joins the already recognised ‘Peix de Calpe’ brand launched years ago by the Town Council, Creama and the Fishermen's Guild to promote and enhance the fish sold by the Guild in the municipality. The ‘Gamba Blanca de Calpe’ brand highlights the excellence of this gastronomic product, of which 2,000 kilos arrive daily at the port of Calpe, emphasising its versatility, which makes it an ideal delicacy for both haute cuisine and home cooking.

The Head of the Calpe Fishermen's Association, Paco Catalá, pointed out that ‘white prawns are currently the star product of the Calpe Fishermen's Association. They are fished throughout the Mediterranean, but those that arrive at the Calpe fish market are particularly tasty due to the combination of grass and rock found on our coastline. The white prawn is a very healthy product because it comes directly from its natural environment, without any artificial processes. Both the Guild and the Town Council are working to promote this product, to make it known as it deserves, and we are also trying to involve restaurants so that they offer it on their menus because it is a quality product’.

Calpe Town Hall invites residents and visitors to travel back in time with the celebration of the Medieval Market, which will take place from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April in the Old Town of the town.

For three days, the streets of the historic centre will be transformed into a colourful stage with craft stalls, medieval atmosphere, live music, parades, storytelling and fire shows. All of this will be set in an atmosphere evoking the Middle Ages, with period costumes, an exhibition of traditional tools and the presence of a majestic medieval dragon.

The little ones will also have their space with a children's corner, which will have educational games, ingenuity tables, and workshops for painting chests and masks, available at different times throughout the weekend.

The programme kicks off on Friday at 18:00 with the official opening of the market and will continue with storytelling, musical performances and a fire show entitled ‘Ánimas de la noche’ (Souls of the night). The activities will continue throughout Saturday and Sunday with a varied repertoire of cultural and leisure activities, including the participation of the group Vendaval Folk, who will perform traditional music accompanied by dancers.

The market will close its doors on Sunday 27th at 22:00, putting an end to a weekend full of magic, tradition and entertainment for all ages.

Plainclothes and uniformed officers from the Civil Guard and Calpe Local Police deployed a police operation a few days ago against the illegal sale and counterfeiting of products. This action is part of a prevention and deterrence campaign that will continue throughout the spring and summer of 2025 in the fight against illegal street vending.

The police operation, which was assisted by a drone from the UMAC (Calpe Local Police Air Unit), involved officers from the Civil Guard Main Station and the specialised unit that monitors the borders and controls taxation in our country, known by the acronym PAFIF (Tax and Border Patrol), as well as the UTAI and USCCALPE units of the Calpe Local Police. of the Calpe Local Police. In total, more than 25 officers from both forces took part in this police operation, which was carried out on the Levante and Poniente beaches in Calpe.

As a result of the operation, five vehicles used as alleged warehouses were seized, along with 180 leather goods, 212 T-shirts, 38 swimsuits, 12 caps and 291 pairs of trainers were seized, all counterfeit goods with a potential market value of 15,000 euros, counting only the seized material, plus the value of the immobilised vehicles. The identified sellers were also reported to the competent authorities.

The Councillor for Public Safety at Calpe Town Council, Guillermo Sendra Guardiola, expressed his satisfaction with the good relationship and spirit of collaboration and cooperation between the Civil Guard and the Local Police. ‘The fact that both forces work together and combine their efforts and resources translates into increased safety for the residents of Calpe and visitors,’ said the councillor.

The municipal by-law prohibits both the street sale and purchase of these products, so the local government's commitment is not only focused on enforcing the law, but also on raising awareness in the community about the risks and implications of supporting this type of illegal trade.

The Calpe Tourist Board has taken part in a roadshow in Poland with the aim of promoting the municipality and attracting new tourists from this booming emerging market.

The event, Spanish Event 2025, was organised by Nekera, one of Poland's leading tour operators, and Turespaña, and took place in Katowice, Poznan and Warsaw. Fifteen Spanish regions and 11 hotel chains participated, and more than 360 of Nekera's best travel agency salespeople from all over Poland attended.

The travel agents had the opportunity to learn about Calpe's tourist attractions and talk directly with representatives from the Department of Tourism and the AR Hotels chain. Specifically, they were able to learn not only about Calpe's beaches, but also its sports, gastronomic and cultural offerings, as Polish tourists, in addition to sun and beach tourism, like to engage in activities and enjoy cultural events during their travels.

This is the first time that Calpe Town Council has taken part in this tourism promotion tour together with the AR Hotels hotel chain, given the importance that the Polish market has acquired in recent years. It should be noted that the Valencian Community was the autonomous region that saw the highest growth in Polish tourist visits in 2024, with an increase of 59 per cent over the previous year, and was, with 18.5 per cent, the second most popular destination for visitors from this country last year, after the Canary Islands.

Furthermore, Alicante airport receives the most flights from Poland in the whole of Spain. Most tourist traffic from Poland to Spain is carried by regular airlines, including low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Wizz Air.

The Calpe delegation highlighted the importance of maintaining a constant presence at these international events, especially in emerging markets with high growth potential such as Poland. ‘Our participation in the Polish roadshow is essential to consolidate our position in this strategic market. The excellent results obtained last year encourage us to persevere with these promotional activities,’ said the Councillor for International Promotion, Marco Bittner, adding that the tourism sector is seeking to diversify its traditional source markets and take advantage of the significant increase in air connections with Poland.

The tour operator Nekera, organiser of this promotional event, currently has contracts with almost 2,400 travel agent offices and 50 franchise offices. It should be noted that when booking their holidays, Poles prefer to contact their travel agent directly, and this trend is expected to continue over the next few years.

In 2024, Nekera increased traffic to Spain by 60% and expects to increase it by another 30% in 2025. It offers holiday trips to 150 destinations in 51 countries around the world. It has a network of 2,600 multi-channel agencies in Poland and operates from 14 Polish airports.

This event has become an unmissable date in the calendar of important events in the Polish tourism sector, as it has a wide reach and extensive coverage in foreign media.

The meeting in Warsaw was also attended by the Spanish Ambassador to Poland, Ramiro Fernández Bachiller, and the Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Sport, Piotr Borys.

This week, students from Calpe will begin to receive subsidies to cover the transport costs of their studies outside the municipality. A total of 229 students have benefited from these subsidies, for which the Town Council has allocated a total of €113,803.

This aid is intended to help cover part of the transport costs of students who have been enrolled during the school year in a public, private or state-subsidised private educational centre located outside the municipality.

To apply for the grants, applicants must have been registered as residents of Calpe for at least two years, be up to date with their tax obligations to the Town Council, the Tax Agency and the Social Security, submit the application and all other relevant documentation in the required form and on time, and have passed 50% of the subjects they are enrolled in.

The grants range from €198 to €633 depending on the distance from the centre. Thus, the maximum amount of the grants in the case of Intermediate or Advanced Vocational Training is up to €264 if the distance is less than 20 kilometres and up to €396 if it is greater than 20 kilometres, for professional arts education, up to €264 if the distance is less than 20 km and up to €396 if it is greater than 20 km; for higher arts education, up to €396 if the distance is less than 20 km and up to €528 if it is greater than 20 km.

In the case of undergraduate, master's and doctoral university courses, up to €396 if the distance is less than 20 km and up to €528 if it is greater than 20 km, and for UNED distance learning and online university courses, €198.

A total of 52 students have been excluded for reasons such as late submission of documentation, not having passed 50% of their subjects or not studying at centres recognised by the Ministry of Education.