News

Job opening for lifeguard

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 16:40

Socorristes The Formentera Council human resources office reports that in anticipation of the high season crunch it is listing an opening for a lifeguard on local beaches.

All those interested can register their candidature at the SOIB (Balearic job seekers' service) until 9 June. Candidates must have completed supervision and assistance training for lifeguard and rescue operations.

4 June 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Thursday marks start of fifth Formentera Jazz Festival—now more sustainable

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 14:10

foto-presentacio---for-jazz-fe1 Acting councillor of tourism Alejandra Ferrer met with musician and cultural producer Maxwel Moya to unveil details about the fifth Formentera Jazz Festival. Moya is both the director and founder of the CiF-backed event, which is scheduled to take place at a host of sites across the island from Thursday to Sunday, 6-9 June.

Congratulating Moya on the festival's growing success, Ferrer linked the Council's support to wanting to give tourists extra incentives to come visit, “and filling out the cultural catalogue for islanders”.

Plastic-Free Festival
Festival organisers have worked out a deal with Plastic-Free Formentera to increase the sustainability of this year's gathering by setting up water fountains and serving drinks in recyclable cups. Plus, on Sunday at 5.00pm, the festival crew and any attendees keen to lend a hand will head to the beach at es Pujols to pick up micro-plastics.

Moya told festivalgoers to expect a Formentera Jazz Festival that is true to its roots, and made assurances that, though the event will still be a meeting of jazz veterans, there will be enough spotlight to go around for some of the other styles that have influenced jazz: hip-hop, funk, Latin jazz, Brazilian music, flamenco and even electronica.

Free festival
Besides being open to everyone and free to attend, the fifth Formentera Jazz Festival will play out across an array of stages. The kickoff, Thursday at 9.00pm at Blue Bar, will include a performance from Max Holm Trio. Ermanno Panta and Banda Zeitun will give a concert in Sant Francesc's plaça de la Constitució at the same time on Friday, with performances from Myriam at 11.00pm and DJ Uri Callejo at 12.30am. Saturday comes with one of the festival's newest features: a daytime concert by Ghost Seed (1.30pm) as part of an initiative called Picnic–Jazz. Then Perico Sambeat will play before crowds at the Sant Francesc square from 9.00pm, Tonina Saputo from 11.00pm and Midi Jazz Club and DJ D.Wattsriot from 12.30pm.

Jam session
Like every year, Formentera Jazz Festival devotes the final day of the festival to musicians on the island of all stripes—pros as well as amateurs—to come out for a giant jam session. The only rule? A jazz music axiom: improvisation. The session starts at 7.00pm on Sunday in Chezz Gerdi.

The complete activities programme is available at www.formenterajazzfestival.com.

The presentation of the Formentera Jazz Festival programme also included an intimate performance by Ermanno Panta, a Sicilian artist who lives on the island and will début his lastest effort, “Isla Musa”, to festival audiences.

4 June 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Motorists to find out from today if July and August driving requests get green light

Friday, 31 May 2019 10:43

The Formentera Council mobility department reports that from today (31 May), motorists who have visited formentera.eco to seek authorisation to enter, drive and park on the island in July and August will begin receiving confirmation if their reservations are accepted.

Since its 15 April launch, the formentera.eco reservations portal has received 3,796 requests—1,936 by tourists, 823 by Formentera locals and 204 by residents of Eivissa.

Payment
Next week will come with the rollout of a payment portal where visitors from outside the Balearics who are subject to a daily fee of one euro to use their cars (or €0.50/day for scooters) can complete the process in a single step. The site can be accessed and credit card payment processed as soon as a petition has been made specifying the days one plans to visit.

Formentera residents are exempt from the fee, as are Eivissa residents and motorists in the rest of the Balearics. Authorisation will be automatic and the online application unnecessary for vehicles belonging to Formentera residents which have already been cleared for blue zone parking.

Rental cars
From next week car hire companies on the island will be notified by phone with the user name and password required for registration. Businesses must visit formentera.eco and click on the empreses de lloguer (car hire companies) section in the condicions especials (special conditions) part of the website. A plate number will be required to finalise the permit to operate a vehicle on local roads in July and August.

Acting mobility councillor Rafael González held up 2019 as year zero of the pathbreaking anti-congestion and conservation-forward programme in Spain. “It's also about giving tourists what they want: a calm, tranquil island where they can enjoy their holidays”.

31 May 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Registration for summer school runs 5-15 June

Monday, 03 June 2019 12:13

foto escola estiu 2019 1 The Formentera Council youth services department will conduct enrolment for the island's 2019 summer school programme—the Escola d'Estiu—from Wednesday 15 June to Tuesday 21 June. Applications may be submitted in person at the Citizen's Information Office, or OAC, Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 2.00pm, or online on the OVAC (www.consellinsulardeformentera.cat). The order in which families register does not determine priority.

To enrol, children must be aged three to twelve or have been born between 2007 and 2015. A selection may be made at signup depending on whether a child wishes to attend activities at sites at primary schools in Sant Francesc, Sant Ferran or la Mola. For families living on the island and included on the municipal padró, monthly tuition is €140 or €220 for two months. The summer programme runs 1 July to 30 August and weekdays from 9.00am to 2.00pm. For an extra €25 per month, children have the option to make two weekly visits to the swimming.

Social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada described the programme as designed to offer “educational leisure activities for children in a fun, adapted environment” and create an alternative for parents looking to “balance work and family during the summer months”.

3 June 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Cleaning crews take on la Savina canal

Thursday, 30 May 2019 10:56

foto-neteja-canal-de-la-savina1 The Formentera Council environment office reports that cleaning operations will be carried out today (30 May) on a canal in la Savina near salterns called salines d'en Ferrer. The administration brought in an outside firm to oversee the work after reports that the freshwater drainage canal was in less than ideal condition due to clogged up waste. A technical study piloted by the Council determined that failure to drain properly meant that water remained stagnant, causing a foul smell and an explosion of insect numbers.

The Council has pledged to pay €1,875.50 (VAT included) for the work, which will be conducted between 8.00am to 6.00pm. The last time similar actions were taken was three years ago. As in the photo below, crews will focus on a segment of the canal which abuts the salines d'en Ferrer and lies between Gregal and Ponent streets, where the canal drains into estany des Peix.

trac--at2

CiF Office of Environment has pointed out the section in question is crosscut by a number of pipes, among them sewage. The Council's requests to have the pipes removed are currently being processed, an initiative which is included in a strategy to replace and upgrade the local sanitation grid that being driven by the Balearic agency for water and environmental quality, Abaqua.

30 May 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council