Can you name the vandal?

Local residents are furious that a thoughtless and inconsiderate vandal has sprayed the symbolic bull statue on the roundabout between Pilar and San Pedro with graffiti. If anyone recognises the “tag” or signature, locals are asking them to report their suspicions to the police. One local said: “It’s disgusting to think that with the economic crisis people are destroying public property and then tax payers will be expected to foot the bill. This was a beautiful statue and now its an eyesore.” For the picture click http://www.coastrider.net/news/local-news/13781-can-you-name-the-vandal

Pilar continues cost cutting..

The City Council in Pilar has cut the budget for the upcoming fiesta by fifty percent because they still have last year's debt to cover. More than 120,000 euros was spent on festivities in 2010, including concerts, fiestas, parades, decorative lights and fireworks. As part of the cutbacks, the next planned fiesta will begin a week later than usual, have 60 percent less decorative lighting and the main event will be focused on a single night which includes the election of the carnival Queen and her coronation. Grants to associations will also be halved to keep much need funds in the municipal coffers. Even the parade floats are not safe from the cutbacks suffering a slash of 15 percent in prizes.

The upcoming festivities planned for 12th October will see a saving of more than 11,000 euros on lighting alone and the whole celebration has been organised within a budget of just 3,600 euros, a huge saving on the same event held last year.

Councillor Francisco Javier Lara (PP), responsible for fiestas, said: "Our City Council must still pay for part of the festivities from last year., a cost that has been left by the PSOE administration. For this reason we have been left with no choice but to change the traditions. The savings we make to this years fiesta schedule will help pay for this years celebrations and also try to pay the providers of services hired last year, a debt left to us by the previous government team."

Some of those enforced changes include holding the election and coronation of the Queen of the Festival, which traditionally been done in two consecutive weekends, on the same night. This special event will now be held 1st October and will, in itself, save more than 15,000 euros.

Subsidies to associations are also to be reduced by up to 50 percent. Traditionally groups, associations and acts have all been paid to participate. This year these will receive 15 percent less in municipal financial assistance.

The councillor concluded: "We are confident that the residents of Pilar will understand the austerity with which we have been left no choice but to act on this issue. We do this cost cutting for a number of reasons, because there is a huge financial crisis and burden in the country, but also because this City is in debt and is the first major issue that we, as the new administration have to address and solve." "The Coastrider."

HORADADA TV CLOSED TO CUT MUNICIPAL DEBT

As austerity measures continue to bite across the region the latest high profile closure was announced In Pilar de la Horadada on Tuesday by the mayor Fidel Ros with the winding down of the Ayuntamiento’s own TV channel Horadada TV.

The television service has operated in the town for twelve years during which time it has filmed thousands of hours of materiel covering all of the municipality’s most important events. Mayor Ros said that he has to save four million euros before the end of the current financial year and it is with a great deal of regret that the Television Station is just one of a number of casualties of the government’s cost cutting policy.This decision was accompanied by the closure of the transmitting antenna, which was still operating under the old DTT system, and a refusal to address the replacement costs of unserviceable broadcast equipment.

Bogus Health Officials

Two people have been arrested in Murcia for allegedly stealing from elderly people in san Javier, Cartagena and Pilar de la Horadada by pretending to be employees of a medical service. While one distracted their victim by conducting the test, the other supposedly stole personal belongings.

Language course.

The county council of Pilar de la Horadada is launching a course for European residents in Castilian Spanish. According to reports in the Spanish newspaper Informacion, this is because the officials believe that the expats have little desire to learn Spanish and will only communicate in English.
According to the article the coast is a small outpost of Europe and with more international residents than many capitals – but mainly those from Britain, Ireland and Germany.To help address this issue and to hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls the coast has experienced, the Town Hall of Pilar de la Horadada is hosting a free course to promote the integration of foreign citizens in the area and expand their knowledge of Spanish culture.
The seminar, organised by the Provincial Council of Alicante through the European Residents Unit will offer lessons at two levels, basic and intermediate. The courses will focus on the practical use of Spanish, with special emphasis on the communicative aspect of the language. The courses, which will be held from 19th September to 29th November, will run over a total of 40 hours spread over 20 sessions - two days a week for two hours a day.

Camera Course for beginners

A camera course for beginners starts on Tuesday 11th October at Lo Marabu Restaurant, Lemon Tree Road, next to the La Laguna Hotel, Quesada. So if you have a camera with many functions you don't understand, why not come along? The course runs for 8 weeks from 10.30-12.00pm and costs 50 euros.
Call David Stokes on 649 613 517 or see the website www.photogenics-cb.net

La Cocina de LoMonte

This weekend we have entertainment for everibody, again with us two great musicians.
On Friday fish and chips with Steve Finn.
On Sunday roast beef or paella with B.J bluesman.
come on and enjoy with us.

Dancing lessons

Does anybody know if there is any dance school in Pilar? Ballroom, lattin, bachata etc..for beginners.

The CoastRider Pride Of Spain Awards

The CoastRider Pride Of Spain Awards
September 16th, 2011 19:00 - 23:00
Good afternoon! The CoastRider Pride Of Spain Awards will take place on Friday 16th September in the Teatro Municipal in Torrevieja at 7pm and you can order your tickets now, priced at 6€ from the CoastRider office. Simply give us a call on 966 701 060 and we will do the rest! Don't miss this unique opportunity to honour in person those who have achieved so much in and do so much for our community here on the Costa Blanca.

Weekend al Camping LoMonte

On friday, Steve Finn and his guitar, a great entertaiment, and our delicious fish and chips. From 20:00
On Saturday, Rockandroast, with our friends The Beagles and his rockandroll.