MAYOR CALLS FOR APOSELEMI COMPLETION

Though Hersonissos Mayor Spyros Danellis has fought his own personal battles against the Aposelemi Damn project since its inception, and has characterized it as "very expensive, ineffective" and a "particularly insipid and environmentally destructive project," during a recent press conference he called for all local institutions to unite so that "the worst scenario does not take place at the Aposelemi."

"The institutions involved should unite their voices and press the Ministry of Environment Planning and Public Works (ΥΠΕΧΩΔΕ) to get the project completed," he stated. "Although there is no official briefing from the ministry, it is obvious that the contractor, AKTOR, means to abandon the project. The contractor has already laid-off 50 workers, some of the pipes have been taken out and trenches have been covered up with dirt".

Mayor Danellis does not believe that the contractor is closing the worksites for a five million euro debt – though, as a private enterprise, AKTOR is trying to get a guarantee for this economic debt which has been owed by the government for the past four months.

"Rather, they are closing because the work cannot be completed since the project had never matured, and there were never any actualized and certified studies, and the contractor knows it," he charged. "It is obvious that they see the impasse as an opportunity to abandon the project." 

The mayor outlined some of the problems, such as:

A)  From supposedly 75 kilometres of pipe line only about five to six kilometres have been done to date

B)  No one can say what will happen with the workers who are the hostages in this situation

C)  There are no studies that show what should happen given the new conditions

D)  No work has progressed at the plateau like pipeline or refineries

Mayor Danellis went on to denounce the ministry for an improvised and cavalier attitude towards the project. He called for the Aposelemi project to finish so "we wouldn’t have the worst ecological crime in our area."

"The ministry must stop this risky politicking and seriously consider the future of this problem," he concluded.

HERSONISSOS CELEBRATES YOUTH EUROPEAN WEEK

The Hersonissos Cultural Association, the Local Youth Council and the Hersonissos Township jointly participated in the fourth annual Youth European Week, which is an initiative of the European Committee, with simultaneous events on a centralized European level, as well as separately in each country.      

Youth European Week recognizes the necessity for the active attendance of young persons, and encourages a greater participation.

According to the organizers, the big cultural diversity of Europe represents a unique advantage, such as encouraging all those that live in Europe to "explore the benefits of our rich cultural heritage and the possibilities of learning from different cultural traditions."

Some of the events celebrating the Youth European Week were: a children’s theatre game centering on solidarity; respecting differences and immigration; tree planting in community public areas; a cultural evening with traditional food and live music at the Taverna Lemonies in Old Hersonissos.    

COUNCIL OFFERS ECONOMIC HELP

The Hersonissos Municipal Council unanimously accepted the proposal by the local government
to freeze municipal dues (electric, sanitation and communal space) for the year 2009,
in an effort to lighten the load for households and businesses during the period of the world economy crisis.  

Also, in a frame of sensitivity and social perception, the council, in an earlier decision,
approved a 50 percent decrease in the electricity and sanitation
tariff dues for infirm residents and families with three or more children.