Tuesday 6 March 2012

Penedès News Summary - February 2012


Gran Penedès

Generalitat introduces the so called VAO3+ discount for highly occupied vehicles on the payroad C-32, connecting Baix Penedès and Garraf with the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Read more in Catalan



Garraf: Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Sant Pere de Ribes etc.

The criminal case against Ángel Sala, director of Sitges Film Festival was filed. Sala stood accused for having shown "A Serbian Film" – a film containing scenes of sexual violence with minors. Read more in Spanish

During Sitges Carnival this year, safety personnel amounted to 1.100 people between police, firemen, the Red Cross and volunteers. The new measures for a more orderly carnival celebration - eg. having the parades starting earlier - are considered to have had the desired effect. Read more in Spanish

Jordi Baiget (PSC), Ex-Mayor of Sitges, was violently attacked by a local businessman, claiming the payment of an invoice not regisetered by the Sitges town council. Read more in Catalan

The local CiU minority government of Vilanova i la Geltrú could pass a € 80 million budget for 2012 (-14% versus last year) since the opposition abstained from voting. Read more in Catalan

Support from the Vilanova i la Geltrú town council did not help. Generalitat has decided that the school Pasífae, in barrack since 2009, will disappear within three years and the pupils be transferred to Sant Jordi. Read more in Catalan

Spanish media has reported extensively from the court hearings related to what is know as the "suitcase crime" - a case of brutal gender violence which took place in Sant Pere de Ribes in 2009. Read more in Spanish 



Alt Penedès: Vilafranca del Penedès etc.

The pension scandal at Caixa Penedès is not yet over since former General Director, Manuel Troyano, now demands € 3,7 million in indemnifications for lost honour etc. Read more in Spanish 

To avoid fraud the town council of Vilafranca del Penedès has seen itself forced to center all charity handouts of food to needy into one distribution point. Read more in Spanish  


Baix Penedès: el Vendrell, Calafell etc.

Local businessmen in Baix Penedès create the new platform ImpulsA Penedès to boost econonomic development. Read more in Spanish

During the last three months, the Catalan police – Mossos d’Esquadra - has confiscated more than 1.000 counterfeit products in Baix Penedès, above all CDs, DVDs, sunglasses and watches. Read more in Catalan



Anoia: Igualada etc.

Generalitat is about to initiate a tender for the € 50 million project to lead the FGC railway through Igualada in a tunnel. Read more in Catalan 

A 75% success rate makes the Young Chamber of Commerce of Igualada decide to repeat its "post degree" course for entrepreneurs. Read more in Catalan 

- - -
This monthly summary is a selection of news which I consider can be of interest to foreigners (expats and long-term tourists) living in Penedès. It is biased towards the comarca Garraf (Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sitges) but also covers Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès and Anoia.

In case you want to draw my attention to a special news item, feel free to ping me on twitter - @wirdheim - where I mark all Penedès related tweets with the hashtag #Penedès.

No comments: