‘Banksy of the Marina Alta’ creates welcoming wall
A TALENTED local graffiti artist has designed a giant mural to welcome visitors to La Xara, showcasing some of its key heritage sites.
Tardor Roselló, considered the Banksy of the Marina Alta, has been commissioned to cheer up blank concrete walls from Sevilla to Salamanca – and plenty within his home district. They include parts of the colourful mural inside the Alberca dry riverbed in Ondara, the wall of the driving school in the same town, and a feminist painting in Denia to mark International Women’s Day on March 8.
All his works are shown on his Instagram profile, although as yet, he has not uploaded the La Xara entrance poster’.
“It welcomes everyone who comes into the village,” explains Tardor, who comes from Denia. I got loads of support from residents while I was painting it.
“I love playing with walls, never imposing my own ideas, but listening to everyone’s opinion.
“It’s like an open-door mubell-tower, seum, and it generates lots of interest and affection.”
La Xara mural, with the village’s name in giant, light-blue letters, shows a mountain landscape with an olive tree, the tower of the Sant Mateu Apòstol church, the La Muntanyeta and the public washing station that was built in 1954.
He was asked by the residents’ association to create ‘something that would encourage people to discover the essence of the village’.
IN response to popular demand, a long-neglected park in Ondara will be landscaped and made into a Mediterranean botanical garden.
The Tossals area, the lastsurviving concrete-free patch in the town centre, was due to be cemented over to build a rehabilitation and nursing home – which did not please local residents. Although they largely agreed such a facility was necessary, they did not want to sacrifice their park.
Now, the future design for the public garden has been unveiled – and is said to be snailshaped. Native species of plants and a riverside woodland, with marsh shrubs, a stream and a pond, plus a shaded picnic area – all in a giant spiral – could be the answer to local dwellers’ prayers. Led by garden centre workers, the 20-strong landscaping team will mostly be made up of candidates on the council-run horticulture course aimed at jobseekers.
CELEBRATIONS to mark the first Covid-19 vaccination in Calpe last month triggered a bad-tempered council meeting on Monday amidst accusations it raised serious questions about queue jumping and safety at a residential home.
The ‘good news’ photo opportunity for three councillors came back to haunt the government team as it was quizzed about the day they visited La Saleta last month.
Socialist party (PSOE) opposition councillors tabled questions about the visit ahead of the virtual town hall meeting – and alleged it had ‘unleashed a general malaise’ amongst residents.
They said it came ‘in the middle of the controversy over improper vaccinations’.
The opposition also queried the ‘debatable’ reasoning over safety; visiting a residential home and vulnerable people at a sensitive time in the third wave of the pandemic.
The photograph showed 104-year-old Esperanza after receiving the town’s first vaccination, members of staff, and three councillors - Ana Perles, Rebeca Merchan, and Noelia Ciscar.
PSOE’s Santos Pastor said that while the visit was days ahead of the regional government tightening rules over visits to residential homes, it did not comply with new regulations about the safety of vulnerable and elderly people – and the ensuing publicity had angered families separated from loved ones.
Mayor Ana Sala complained it felt like ‘an inquisition’ but confirmed no member of her team ‘has been vaccinated’ – adding it was with the exception of Ana Perles, who as well as being councillor for health is a frontline worker at Calpe health centre.
She also stressed the town hall party was invited to attend Calpe’s first vaccination by La Saleta management.
“No one went of their own accord, they told us it would be good to go, because the start of the vaccination programme was good news.”
Councillor Merchan also said that she and her two colleagues were offered shots but declined in line with government advice.
A town hall officer, who took part in the meeting, said it was an angry debate as the accusations sought to undermine the government team.
“The councillors did not go into the main part of the building; it took place in a side room which has a different entrance and exit to the main residential home,” they said.