The week in review
news review
20 May 2018
/ 13:54
CORFU. Catch up on what happened in Corfu this week.
Yet again, waste and refuse collection has dominated the news this week. The refuse trucks continued to dump rubbish in the Temploni landfill facility – a 4th mountain of waste has now piled up beside the baling unit. Residents have reacted by blocking access and pressing charges and visited the Corfu Prosecutor with photos from the site. The Regional Environmental Department confirmed the situation when it published its damning report this week.
Unable to dump the rubbish anywhere, the Cleansing Services announced that refuse collection will stop and published guidelines as to how people should deal with their waste. Another announcement followed stating that all the rubbish that has piled up will be temporarily stored in rented containers.
Matters came to a head, however, on Sunday morning when a refuse truck attempted to dump rubbish in the Temploni facility and was resisted by local residents. The driver and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Cleansing, who were on the scene, were taken to police headquarters and, having given statements, released to appear at a hearing on Tuesday.
On a positive note, volunteers will be cleaning up the coastal road at the Emporiko Kentro – from the port to Alykes – on Sunday 20th.
There was also some positive news regarding the condition of the roads. The contractor has confirmed that work will begin on the Solari section of Eth. Palaiokastritsas Rd on Tuesday 22nd. Other than that, the situation remains as it was. The Friends of Agios Stefanos Beach group sent an open letter to the authorities complaining about the state of the Roda-Acharavi Rd and a downpour earlier this week caused problems with flooding in Sidari and traffic congestion in Corfu Town. One poor man, when trying to avoid a loose manhole cover, fell into the Potamos river in his car.
There was tragedy this week when a Briton took his own life in Kavos. He had lost his two young sons earlier this year in a hit-and-run incident in Coventry.
A 56-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for seducing and abusing a 14-year-old girl. The mother of the girl was also sentenced to 12 years.
On the tourism front, the Mayor met with the Chinese Ambassador to Greece this week as well as with Russian journalists specializing in sailing holidays. The Ionian Islands Region collaborated with the Italian Tourism Organization and ANEK Lines to bring a group of Italian travel agents to Lefkada, Cephalonia and Ithaca. In Corfu the Corfu Literary Festival is taking place – combining literature and cricket with visiting British writers.
A new mutual help group for cancer sufferers is being set up and OKANA – the organization for the prevention of addiction and rehabilitation – is moving premises to somewhere closer to the hospital.
A US warship – the USS New York - docked in Corfu Port. What makes it particularly special is that it has, in part, been constructed from steel salvaged from the Twin Towers in New York. The Regional Governor informed the US Embassy that he wouldn’t be meeting with the captain, as is normally the practice, as a symbolic gesture in protest at the US involvement in the recent incident in Gaza Strip.
International Museum Day saw special events at both the Capodistrias Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. And finally, the young Corfu athlete Katerina Romaiou, who is at college in the USA on a scholarship, did well in the US Regional College Championships, coming 3rd in the long jump.
Unable to dump the rubbish anywhere, the Cleansing Services announced that refuse collection will stop and published guidelines as to how people should deal with their waste. Another announcement followed stating that all the rubbish that has piled up will be temporarily stored in rented containers.
Matters came to a head, however, on Sunday morning when a refuse truck attempted to dump rubbish in the Temploni facility and was resisted by local residents. The driver and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Cleansing, who were on the scene, were taken to police headquarters and, having given statements, released to appear at a hearing on Tuesday.
On a positive note, volunteers will be cleaning up the coastal road at the Emporiko Kentro – from the port to Alykes – on Sunday 20th.
There was also some positive news regarding the condition of the roads. The contractor has confirmed that work will begin on the Solari section of Eth. Palaiokastritsas Rd on Tuesday 22nd. Other than that, the situation remains as it was. The Friends of Agios Stefanos Beach group sent an open letter to the authorities complaining about the state of the Roda-Acharavi Rd and a downpour earlier this week caused problems with flooding in Sidari and traffic congestion in Corfu Town. One poor man, when trying to avoid a loose manhole cover, fell into the Potamos river in his car.
There was tragedy this week when a Briton took his own life in Kavos. He had lost his two young sons earlier this year in a hit-and-run incident in Coventry.
A 56-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for seducing and abusing a 14-year-old girl. The mother of the girl was also sentenced to 12 years.
On the tourism front, the Mayor met with the Chinese Ambassador to Greece this week as well as with Russian journalists specializing in sailing holidays. The Ionian Islands Region collaborated with the Italian Tourism Organization and ANEK Lines to bring a group of Italian travel agents to Lefkada, Cephalonia and Ithaca. In Corfu the Corfu Literary Festival is taking place – combining literature and cricket with visiting British writers.
A new mutual help group for cancer sufferers is being set up and OKANA – the organization for the prevention of addiction and rehabilitation – is moving premises to somewhere closer to the hospital.
A US warship – the USS New York - docked in Corfu Port. What makes it particularly special is that it has, in part, been constructed from steel salvaged from the Twin Towers in New York. The Regional Governor informed the US Embassy that he wouldn’t be meeting with the captain, as is normally the practice, as a symbolic gesture in protest at the US involvement in the recent incident in Gaza Strip.
International Museum Day saw special events at both the Capodistrias Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. And finally, the young Corfu athlete Katerina Romaiou, who is at college in the USA on a scholarship, did well in the US Regional College Championships, coming 3rd in the long jump.
