The lifeguard service of the Formentera Council wishes to announce that Sunday, September 16 at 6.30pm, staff will meet on Es Pujols beach for the team's second ever torxada. The evening of cameraderie will see the lifeguards putting their swimming, towing and racing skills to the test, along with other good, clean fun. At sundown, they'll take to the water, equipped with flaming torxes (“torches”).

Team chief Marco Antonio Lage says it's about “coming together as a team as we prepare to say our first goodbyes to those leaving already”. The whole island, says Lage, is encouraged “to check out the spectacle, and get to know our service a little better”.

High season for Formentera's beach rescue service extends from June 15 to September 15. During that period, the service employs 23 lifeguards to hold watch over the island's waters and ensure swimmer safety. Beaches are patrolled May 1 to October 31. September 15-30, there are 15 lifeguards to surveil Formentera's coastline; September 30-October 31, a group of 10 remain at the season's close, as at its start.

Earlier today, the Formentera Council's Sala d'Actes hosted the presentation of a gift from artist Rafel Tur Cost. The event was attended by administration chief Jaume Ferrer and secretary of culture Susana Labrador, who accepted the gift from the artist's son on the administration's behalf. Also on hand was Espai F's Manolo de Oya, the curator of a recent exhibit by the artist.

The mixed media painting, which first saw the light of day in 1988, was included in this year's La ferida oberta, a show staged by Tur in the exhibition space of the old town hall building, the Ajuntament Vell, from June 26 to July 14.

That stint in the gallery, which marked the retrospective's Formentera début, was coordinated by “cultural collective” Espai F, though additional collaboration came from the local and regional administrations, Fundació Baleària and hometown broadcaster Ràdio Illa.

A native son of Santa Eulària, Rafel Tur Costa was the first abstract painter to come out of the Pityusic Islands, the archipelago in the Balearics comprising Eivissa and Formentera. Tur, one of Eivissa's true greats, ultimately transcended the local art scene to display his work in museums and galleries in Spain and around the globe. He is the brother of the widely known ceramicist Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” and attended Eivissa's Escola d'Arts i Oficis Artístics, though he is largely self-taught.

The piece will be displayed in a public space for all of Formentera to enjoy.

In a one-off plenary session this Thursday, assembled representatives will sign off on two things: the contract to build the island's assisted living residence and a call for bids ahead of upgrades on a Sant Ferran road

The Formentera Council has convened a one-off plenary assembly this Thursday to discuss the granting of a works contract for a live-in dependent care centre. Islanders have long called for such a residence, the crowning piece in a matrix of essential services Formentera began building 11 years ago with the island's hospital. The future assisted-living centre will make it possible for aged islanders to grow old with dignity here on Formentera.

Upgrades on avinguda Joan Castelló i Guasch in Sant Ferran will mark the culmination of neighbour-approved plans to reform the town that began with the overhaul of two roads, or carrers, Guillem de Montgrí and València. The reforms, conceived as a way to soothe traffic on the arterial and give right of way to islanders travelling on foot and bicycle, will mean more space for pedestrians, a new cycling lane and new recharge points/parking spaces for electric vehicles.

Construction of the assisted-living residence
This expansion of the island's dependent care centre, known locally as the Centre de Dia, or “Day Centre”, will entail construction of a residential area for dependent persons. There will be capacity for 14 single and two double rooms, for a total of 18 people. The new structure will house a reception area, visitor services, a dining hall, living room and areas for nursing staff, medical exams and storage. The structure will be made with provisions in place should further expansion be necessary in the future. The 16-month, €2.4-million project, fruit of a deal between the Formentera Council and the social welfare ministry of the Balearic administration, will give rise to a built space totalling over 1,169 square metres.

Avinguda Joan Castelló i Guasch upgrades
Work on Sant Ferran's avinguda Joan Castelló i Guasch will include improved paved surfaces and undergrounded utilities like sanitation, drinking water, telephone lines, electricity and public street lights.

The proposal also covers expansion of pedestrian spaces and would mean eliminating architectural barriers and incorporating a dedicated bike lane the entire length of the road. Recharge points along the road are envisioned as well.

Engineers of the project, which is a continuation of the improvements on Guillem de Montgrí and València, are hoping for the same “single surface solution” (i.e. the pavement and road surface are of uniform height) as the one used for that revamp.

The six-month deadline is intended to ensure completion in time for the 2019 tourist season.

Total project price tag:
Execution of work: €1,817,683.68
Administration of work: €41,140.00

In the first half of October, the Council will convene a gathering of Sant Ferran residents in order to detail the proposed changes, similar to the process that preceded upgrades on carrers Guillem de Montgrí and València.

Formentera Council chair Jaume Ferrer and deputy chair Susana Labrador were joined this morning by José Manuel Alcaraz, Anna Juan and Omar Juan, secretaries of the PP, PSOE and Compromís, respectively, for a visit of the offices that will soon be occupied by the local opposition parties.

The three offices, one per group, are located next to the post office on carrer Pla del Rei in Sant Francesc. The spaces are ready for their occupants, who are set to move in and begin work next week.