Yesterday evening the Consell d'Entitats, Formentera's representative body of local businesses and associations, held an informational session on the project for the new port in Eivissa that will give service to Formentera-bound vessels. Among the attendees were Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer and councillor of community involvement Sònia Cardona. Cardona gave audience members an account of the situation up to now and pointed out that the meeting had finally come after three years of requests sent to the Balearic port authority and the Council of Eivissa.
For his part, port authority director Carlos Plaza detailed the plans for the Estació Marítima de Formentera, which the port authority hopes to construct on Eivissa's commercial dock. Port authority president Juan Gual de Torrella pointed to «the growing number travellers making the Formentera-Eivissa journey, a yearly figure which currently stands at 1,600,000» as the motive behind the location change. The mayor of Eivissa, Rafael Ruiz, was also invited to the meeting. Ruiz spoke about the Casa Consistorial's plan to totally remodel Eivissa's port area, «making for a more pleasant experience for visitors». According to Ruiz, any deviation from the current works schedule will hold up that remodel project. Lastly, Miquel Gallardo, director general of participation and transparency in the Govern Balear, praised the Consell d'Entitats as a model participatory organisation.
Representatives of 34 Formentera groups attended the presentation. A lively debate followed in which attendees of the meeting unanimously agreed that the port authority should continue discussion concerning the new Formentera port's location. At the close of the meeting, President Ferrer expressed his hope that the key players in the Eivissa port remodel meet and «consider the will of the people of Formentera, who must use their neighbour's port as their only available point of entry and exit to the island».
The festivities department of the Formentera Council unveiled details today behind this summer's round of open-air, sixties- and seventies-themed dance parties known as “Flowers”. After the Saturday, June 18 kick-off in la Mola, the party picks up again on July 9 in Es Pujols and concludes with one of the series' most eagerly-awaited: the Flower accompanying Sant Francesc's Festes de Sant Jaume, on Saturday, July 23.
Earlier today, the office of local holidays of the Formentera Council announced the activities programme of Festes de Sant Ferran. Organised by the Associació de Reis Mags with the support of the Council, 'Sant Ferran Days' will have many attractions but one uncontested main event: Saturday 30 May, an evening of live music at the town square.
