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News, Views, Comment, Feature Articles, Information and Advertising about Elhovo, Bulgaria, and the surrounding areas.
Current News for the Elhovo Area
Forthcoming Events in the Elhovo Area
This Feature will depend very largely on your help to keep it up to date, so if you have anything going on in your village or the surrounding area please let us know as early as possible so that we can list it here.
Details of Car Boot Sales in the area appear on the Entertainments PageThis Feature will depend very largely on your help to keep it up to date, so if you have anything going on in your village or the surrounding area please let us know as early as possible so that we can list it here.
Stefan Keradzhovo Village Day on the 24th May
The Annual Rose Festival at Kazanlak from 19th May until 24th June
You can access the full Festival Program at :-
http://www.rosevalleybg.com/hu/rose-festival-kazanlak-bulgaria.html
Bulgarian-Greek Festival On Sunday 27 May 2012 in General Inzovo
This festival is of national significance with international participation. In the large village monastery area "Church" in General Inzovo village. Email: contact@tundja.net
Annual Traditional Folk Festival - Ustrem Trinity Monastery near Topolovgrad on 2nd - 3rd June
Including musicians, dancers, storytellers, folk tales, instrumentalists, singers, dance groups and traditional folk groups performing authentic Bulgarian folklore plus Fair and usual stalls and attractions.
Celebration of World Environment Day on Tuesday 5th June 2012
In the Central Square - Elhovo. Email: kmet.elhovo@infotel.bg
The Information given here is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing but no guarantee can be given.
Local News - now updated as News comes in.
Grant Applications for Rural Development ProjectsOn June 4th, 2012 the Regional Directorates of State Fund for Agriculture will accept applications for support under measures 123 "Adding value to agricultural and forestry products" and 313 "Encouragement of tourism activities" and on June 6 will be able to apply for Measure 322 - "Renovation and development of settlements.". The closing date for applications is June 22, 2012, the total funds available amounted to 35 million Euros for subsidizing the development of small and medium-sized food processing and forestry projects to improve their overall business competitiveness and economic efficiency.
In measure 313 municipalities and non-profit making operations may submit proposals aimed at creating employment in rural areas by supporting the development of integrated rural tourism, diversification and improvement of tourism infrastructure, attractions and facilities for visitors. Applications should be submitted by August 3rd, 2012, and the budget designated for the period us € 11,809,256.
Details of the conditions and the necessary application forms and regulations are posted on www.prsr.bg, in the "Measures" section.
You Can Now Purchase a House with Land in Bulgaria Without Having to Form a Ltd Company
In the middle of April 2012 the act finally came into force which allows foreigners from other EU countries to buy land and property with land attached in Bulgaria without having to form a Limited Company to do so. This will hopefully help to encourage buyers when the property market eventually starts to show some signs of recovery, and of course all those who already have formed companies can take over the ownership of their property in person and liquidate their company.
Don't get too excited though, as you may not be that surprised to hear, it takes and least six months to liquidate a Bulgarian limited company at a cost of at least five hundred Levas upwards. You will also have to pay for the legal and Notary costs of the property being transferred over to your own personal ownership which may well amount to several hundred Levas.
Unemployed in Elhovo given training
46 unemployed people in the Elhovo Municipalty have now completed training under the "New Choice" national scheme designed to bring the long termed unemployed back into work. Training is given in skills ranging from horticulture, groundwork and landscaping, ecology, building and road maintenance. The training period has now ended and the trainees will be guaranteed work for the next twelve months
New Governor appointed for Yambol Region
A new Governor, Dimitar Ivanov, has been appointed for Yambol Region to replace the former Governor, Ms Tanya Dimitrova who has been appointed as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Bulgaria in Croatia. The handover took place in the presence of mayors and deputy mayors of the municipalities of Yambol, the heads of territorial units and media representatives in the Yambol District Administration building on May 9th. The new Governor gave Tanya Dimitrova a compass, with the wish for her not to lose sight of the right direction in her new post.
Mayor of Elhovo Issues an Order to Prevent Fires during the Summer months
The Mayor of Elhovo has issued an order aimed at preventing fires, limiting their development and distribution, as well as providing fire safety in protected areas and areas around them during the summer season up until October 31 2012. The prescribed measures are necessary to prevent fires in forested areas and on agricultural land where it is illegal to light fires in other than designated areas. It is also aimed at increase awareness of the dangers of starting fires by carelessness. Particular care should be taken within villages where bonfires should not be lit without water on hand to prevent un-controlled spreading of the fire to surrounding areas.
Police to introduce car based radar checks by the year end
The days of being stopped by a Policeman waving a baton at you will be phased out by the end of this year to be replaced by the latest radar systems operated from un-marked cars parked by the roads in towns and on main roads. There will be no stopping of cars, and offenders will learn of their offence when they receive an electronic record card through the post with details of the location, date, time and speed recorded along with a photograph automatically taken at the same time.
Elderly Woman Murdered in Srem
Three male residents of the village of Srem have been arrested for the murder of an 82-year-old woman from the village on the night of the 28th - 29th of April. This was announced by the regional directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Haskovo. Investigations showed that at around 01.30 hours on the 29th three men who had been drinking decided to break into a grocery store located on the main street of the village, where they stole some money. Subsequently they entered the victim's house, located near the store where they killed the woman and disposed of the body in the river Tunja, where it was found the following day.
In the course of the Police investigations evidence has been found to link the three arrested men to the killing. All three are already known to the Police, being DA, 33 years old, who has 40 previous arrests for crimes including numerous thefts, vandalism, driving after drinking, abuse of a minor and receiving stolen goods. He has already served 5 prison sentences and was only released from prison on the 17th April, a few days before the murder took place. His 31 year old brother and a 21 year old man, both with previous criminal convictions were also arrested.
Child Benefit withheld from 273 families in Yambol area
A total of 273 families from the Yambol area were left without child allowances in the first quarter of 2012 based on Information the Directorate of Social Assistance in Yambol. The families loose the allowance if their children have more than 5 unexcused absences from school during the quarter. The breakdown of figures is Yambol with 114 families, Straldja Municipality with 93 sanctioned families, in Elhovo 34 families, Bolyarovo 17 families and Tunja with just 15. Nationally, since the beginning of the year child benefit has been with-held from 10,671 families totalling 1,855,053 Levs.
Funds made available for the Renovation of five churches in Elhovo Municipality
The State Fund for Agriculture has announced new funding under the "Renovation and Development of Settlements" scheme for five churches in the Elhovo Municipality. The total amount of subsidies across the country, which will be used for reconstruction and renovation of 20 churches is 5,275,898.00 BGN, of which five are in the Elhovo Municipality. The Churches receiving grants are "St. Dimitar " in Elhovo town, "St. George" in the village of Malomirovo, "St. George " which is a monastery church", "St. Dimitar " in the village of Dobrich and "St. Archangel Michael " in the village Trankovo.
The approvals cover projects and activities that involve the repair of roofing and cladding, facade work, interior improvements, restoration of icons, windows and carpentry work, replacement of electrical wiring and fittings, painting, strengthening and lining bells, improvements in the heating and ventilation systems, replacement of water and sewage systems and the renovation and landscaping of the spaces around the churches.
Speed Camera lasts three days
A new CCTV speed camera placed on the road through Zlatinitsa on the Elhovo to Burgas road lasted three days before it was knocked down by a disgruntled local who dragged it over with a tractor during the hours of darkness. When the camera monitor was turned on next morning the only thing visible were two local residents sitting drinking coffee outside the local bar and smiling at the camera.
Don't Fence Me In
Government plans announced last year to build a 181 Km long border fence between Bulgaria and Turkey, aimed at preventing another Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak have now been abandoned. Apart from ecological issues which were raised relating to the project's effect on the nine protected habitats for wildlife along the route of the fence, financial costs are the main reason for abandoning the project. The total cost estimate for erecting the barrier amounted to 28 Million BGN with additional costs for the on-going maintenance each year.
Linking Cash Registers directly to the N.R.A. uncovers the fraudsters.
Since the obligatory linking of cash registers with the NRA, the returns of some 3000 companies around Bulgaria have changed dramatically - up or down, giving rise to suspicions of past abuse when making tax returns. 10,000 checks over 10 days found that absolutely all cash registers in the country are now linked to the revenue agency. Remote connection not only brings to light hidden trading but also allows for automated risk management by the NRA as they now monitor all 300,000 cash registers in the country. The software is designed so that they visualize those merchants where turnover does not correspond to reality, so that we know what the average turnover in a given industry in a region is.
Fishing Ban comes into force from 17th April until the 1st June
The Minister of Agriculture has prohibited angling from the 17th April until the 1st June during the breeding season. The prohibition is based on Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture and implemented annually during the breeding season of species in the Black Sea, Danube River and inland sites and applies to all spring and summer breeding species. The duration of the ban on fishing for pike and perch, introduced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food on March 13, 2012 is extended until June 1, 2012
New Tourist Information Centre opens in Elhovo town centre
One of the first private Tourist Information Centres in Bulgaria has now opened in Elhovo town centre, right opposite the fountain bar. The main objectives of the centre will be the promotion of the cultural and natural heritage of the town of Elhovo, marketing of the total tourist package available to visitors to the Elhovo municipality as a holiday destination and supporting local entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in the absorption of European operational program funds.
The Centre will provide visitors with verbal and written information about the area's tourist attractions, routes and transport, and the availability of accommodation and meals in Elhovo and Yambol municipalities. Along with this it will offer many additional services for residents and those wanting to promote their own activities within the local tourist sector such as tourism advertising and information, design and consultancy, office services and advice on applying for finance which may be available to them .
Doubts about repairs being made to the Elhovo - Konovets road this year.
According to the press office of the Regional Road Administration in Yambol, the reconstruction of the section of the main road from Elhovo to Konovets, to join up with the section to Okop re-constructed last autumn, is still a priority of the Regional Road Administration, but at this stage there is no fixed start date for the repairs. As usual, patching of the worst sections after the hard winter will be taking place. Chairman of the Road Infrastructure Agency Lazar Lazarov admitted frankly that perhaps this year funds will not be available to repair the Elhovo-Konevets section. Now there's a surprise.
Summer Restrictions on the Movement of Heavy Vehicles start
The Road Infrastructure Agency has issued an order prohibiting the movement on sections of national roads for heavy vehicles (including their trailers) with more than two axles, agricultural and farm machinery, tractors and specialized construction equipment. The prohibition applies to highways, national roads and first class sections of secondary roads in the country between 12.04.2012 until the 30.09.2012 between the hours of 16.00 to 22.00 during weekends and over Bank Holiday periods. The temporary traffic restrictions have been introduced during the holiday season to ensure greater road safety. The prohibition does not apply to shipments of perishable food products and the transportation of live animals.
Development of Major Solar Park outside Elhovo is progressing quickly.
Developers Photovoltaic Bulgaria are pushing ahead quickly with the construction of their 3600kWp Solar Electricity Park, just outside Elhovo on the Yambol road. The Park is being constructed on old industrial land at a cost of €752,400. The company are constructing a number of large Solar Energy Parks in various areas within Bulgaria where they supply a turnkey operation from the planning of the project to completion of construction and commissioning, after which the Parks are sold on to investors with Photovoltaic continuing to provide operational services as required..
Improving the Safety of Playgrounds in the Area
As part of a national campaign all 105 Children's Playgrounds within the Yambol area have been inspected for compliance with safety regulations. 18 are for children under 3 years old, 28 for children from 3 to 12 years and 27 for children from12 to 18 years, with 32 playgrounds for all ages. After checking just 42 were found to meet the requirements for safety of playgrounds relating to the construction and subsequent maintenance of playgrounds and facilities located on them.
Primary responsibility for playgrounds lies with Municipalities and the Mayors of the five Municipalities in the Yambol region have an obligation by the end of December 2013 to bring all Playgrounds in their area up to legal requirements. After this period the sites that do not meet the safety conditions will be removed. Managers of Playgrounds are required to commission an independent inspection body to carrying out an annual review of the safety of their sites.
Construction starts on four new Sports Facilities and a boat jetty in Elhovo
Construction work is about to started on the project "The Establishment of Recreational, Sports and Tourism Facilities in the Cities of Edirne and Elhovo" in the IPA cross-border cooperation program between Bulgaria and Turkey.
(The EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance - on cross border cooperation would you believe?)
The project involves the development of park facilities in Elhovo, which includes the restoration of the old basketball court, two tennis courts, a small soccer field and installation of a new pier for boats on the river Tunja to help development water tourism. It is hoped that the equipment needed for the sports grounds, and boats and equipment for water sports can be purchased with the help of donations. The remainder of the park area will be improved by the planting of trees and shrubs and general landscaping. The contractor was selected following a tendering procedure involving three invited participants who submitted bids.
Moves to Improve Long Term Road Safety in the Elhovo Area
The Regional Road Safety Committee has adopted a Road Safety Strategy at its meeting on improving traffic safety for the period 2012-2020 based on national model. The meeting was attended by representatives from all the municipalities in the Yambol Region, and representatives of the DAI, the Traffic Police and the Regional Road Administration.
The strategy aims at improving road safety and sets guidelines for policy implementation to improve the conditions of the roads and reducing the numbers of road traffic accidents victims. The main theory behind the strategy is that most accidents are preventable and that it is the responsibility of all individuals to minimise the risks they take on the roads, and that traffic safety is a shared responsibility, paying particular attention to the training of students and children.
We are always happy to receive news and items of general interest relating to Elhovo
and the area within 50 Km radius at :-
and the area within 50 Km radius at :-
National News
In future the weekly summaries of the past week's news will no longer appear.
The following link will take you straight to the Sofia Morning News site
where you can access the latest daily news every weekday.
In future the weekly summaries of the past week's news will no longer appear.
The following link will take you straight to the Sofia Morning News site
where you can access the latest daily news every weekday.
http://www.sofiamorningnews.com/
If you prefer to read a summery of the past weeks news the following link
will take you straight to the Sofia Weekly News site.
If you prefer to read a summery of the past weeks news the following link
will take you straight to the Sofia Weekly News site.