Archena Trip

 The details of the Archena trip are now available (see below poster). 

If interested please call into the Town Hall to reserve your place asap.

Halloween & Railway Association & Holiday

Firstly just a reminder to all that if you would like Spanish kids to visit your home when they are trick or treating to put a balloon outside your gate/door.  We cannot guarantee that it will work in every instance but I think it might help reduce the nuisance value but either way it should be beneficial. The addresses of those who have volunteered to have their addresses passed to the families have been passed to them and if they can they will visit.

Secondly not sure how many of you are keeping up with the amazing work of the railway association but their progress has been amazing and they have enlisted the help/support of many influential pe¡pole across Spain to assist in their aims of creating a museum and working train line between Alfoquia and Arboleas. 

The people involved are giving up lots of their own time to progress the work and they have asked me to publicise the fact that they are on site at the Renfe area every Tuesday. They really appreciate people popping along and seeing what they are doing as, I think, it gives them support and motivation to know that people are interested in what they are working on. 

Is if you are out and about in the area of Alfoquia Renfe any Tuesday just visit and have a chat. You do not need to get your hands dirty your mere presence will help. 

And remember next Monday is a bank holiday. 

Road Closed Due to Rain

 Local Police inform us that they have cut off access to Zurgena over the Almanzora River for preventative reasons as driving on some areas of the road could be dangerous due to the heavy rain.

It will be reopened when it is deemed safe.

Halloween

To try and minimise nuisance issues on Halloween the more responsible Spanish children would like to only visit ex pat homes who are happy to have them visit in their costumes and may give them a treat. 

If you would like s visit from some Spanish kids on Halloween evening please send your address to 

jimszurgena@gmail.com or WhatsApp to 910194260

I think it is a good idea and should make Halloween a more enjoyable experience for both the kids and the residents.

Also if you do not want to give out your address then if you put a balloon outside your home they will know to call and not call at those where there is no balloon.

Covid Update and More Thanks & Doctors Consulting room hours

 Our one active case has recovered so we are back down to zero active cases in the municipality today.

Yesterday we also received  24 more food bags from the congregation of the Church at Llanos del Peral for which we thank them.

I am advised that these are the opening hours for the doctors consulting rooms for the next week and a bit.

Thursday 21st Zurgena open - Alfoquia closed

Friday 22nd Zurgena closed - Alfoquia open

Monday 25th Zurgena open - Alfoquia closed

Tuesday 26th Zurgena closed - Alfoquia open

Wednesday 27th Zurgena open - Alfoquia closed

Thursday 28th Zurgena closed - Alfoquia open

Friday 29th Zurgena open - Alfoquia closed.

Telephone number 950639543 for Alfoquia and 950639503 for Zurgena

Covid and Tarmac

We have one new active case in the municipality today to report. Total active cases 1.

We hope to be able to improve the road surface along a stretch of the road in Llanos del Peral which runs past the electricity sub station at the bottom of Calle Abderraman in the next week or two as it has broken up rather badly.

Trip to Archena

 Sorry bu the trip to Archena has been postponed until November.

As soon as details are know I will post.

A few issues I had hoped to resolve for various people are still in hand but the holiday today caused some delay. Hopefully I will have answers before the end of the week. 

Padron AGAIN

 Over the years I have tried to highlight the issue of ensuring that people remain on the Padron. 

The system currently in place in Spain is ridiculous. Every few months a list of names of people on the Padron, who are not Spanish nationals, is generated and the Town Hall tasked with ensuring that the names on the list are still resident and valid on the Padron. 

This is where the problem arises because the TH will check their systems to see what telephone number they have for the individuals on the list and then try and contact them but, if they either do not have an up to date telephone number, or it is not a Spanish number or they do not get an answer then that person is removed from the Padron. Full stop.

It is a system that was brought in to prevent THs claiming for people who they were not entitled to and thereby increasing their entitlement to funds, as all monies received by THs from regional government are based on the numbers on the Padron.

There is a more immediate effect for anyone who falls off the Padron in that they would not be entitled to any benefits etc under the Spanish system. 

As I have previously suggested you should check you are on the Padron at least every 2 years or even every year. Make a date in your calendar and just call into the TH and ask. Also ensure that the TH records have your latest Spanish phone number. 

This all becomes more important post Brexit and for your own protection. 

Keep it up & Crash Barrier

 We continue to maintain no active cases in Zurgena municipality which is excellent news.

I have still to get the official release of the trip details for Archena!! Will probably get it the day before!

Following a request from a resident I have asked if we can try and install a crash barrier on the north side of the road (before the drop down into the Rambla) on the road to La Vida. The councillor responsible is going to see if we can factor in that work this year. There have been a couple of occasions when cars have failed to negotiate the bend which could have (but fortunately didn't) have serious outcomes.