Solidarity charity closes its doors
By Bejay Browne
 
Paphos charity Solidarity, which has provided a lifeline for thousands of needy people over the past four years, has closed its doors as the numbers who need help have greatly reduced.
One of the charity’s founders, George Sofokleous, said that an improvement in the economy, availability of jobs and improved state aid for low income families have slashed the numbers of those in need of help.
“We were feeding more than 800 families and now the numbers are somewhere around 100, and only 50 of these are in dire straits. Solidarity costs around 2000 euros a month to run,” said Sofokleous, who is also a Paphos councillor. “We are happy to have helped so many people, and slowly the economy is better. People will always need help, but thankfully the numbers are now very small.”
Solidarity’s closure follows that of the Paphos municipality social welfare grocery, which was also helping hundreds of families. It was closed at the end of April on orders from the labour ministry, said a municipality spokesman.
 
Solidarity was started four years ago by local business woman Pavlina Patsalou and Sofokleous and at first helped around 20 families in need. Patsalou has since had to step down due to ill health.
As the crisis hit hard in the wake of the bailout in 2013, the numbers of needy quickly increased to around 850 families of all nationalities.
In September 2013, there were emotional scenes outside the Solidarity headquarters when 100 families, including mothers with babies, were turned away after volunteers ran out of food. It was able to reopen its doors following overwhelming public generosity with food and other donations coming in from all over the island.
Sofokleous said that as the government is now providing assistance to low-income families, charities such as Solidarity are no longer necessary.
 “Many people now have work for the summer season, the economy is improving generally, and if there are those in need, there are other places they can go such as clubs, associations and churches,” said Sofokleous.
Christiana Nikolaou, the volunteer manager at Solidarity, said that the last donations were given out on May 19.
Some volunteers and supporters of Solidarity say it makes no sense to close its doors, arguing there are still many people living on or below the poverty line. Volunteers say they are concerned that severing help could lead to homelessness, people sleeping rough on the streets, malnutrition and even death. “I can’t sleep at night worrying what will happen to these people,” said the volunteer.
Some supporters of Solidarity say they are even considering setting up a separate charity.
However, Sofokleous said that every village in Cyprus has always had a few families in need and for these cases the local communities themselves had been able to help.
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Concerns voiced over Paphos upgrading works
By Bejay Browne
 
Work to upgrade Paphos market is due to get underway, a move which local businesses, residents and visitors have been calling for as the area has seen a huge decline in the last few years. Traditional crafts, artisans, small businesses, as well as cafes and restaurants are all being encouraged to open up, with supporters determined to reinvigorate the area.
However, although the move is generally supported by business, Kyriacos Kyriacou, who heads up association, “Friends of Paphos Old Town,” said that he is concerned that most of the town centre is dug up, and a lack of workers is apparent.
“There is something very wrong. The entire city centre is dug up but you cannot see people working, there are only a few. Either they cannot synchronise between themselves or there aren’t enough personnel, it’s very worrying.”
 
He also said that not enough information concerning the upgrading project, and a lack of a masterplan has led to investors showing reticence and deferring moves to open new businesses there just yet.
“Yes, this will be an upgrade for the area but the investment we were expecting to see by now, isn’t forthcoming. There is no masterplan and for people that want to invest, this is imperative. What will be the situation after the works? Where will the food court be, for example? Will businesses be able to have tables and chairs outside? Nobody is discussing this, there’s renovation and no discussion, people are waiting to see before they invest and this is making us lose time.”
“We will have a grand opening with empty stalls,” he added.
Kyriacou said that the mayor and the councillors need to sit down and listen to the opinion of the public and do their research, there needs to be a plan, he stressed.
 
Kyriacou isn’t the only one concerned about the progress of the works. Paphos councillor Andreas Chrysanthou, said that more than 15 months ago, he submitted written suggestions that works in the centre of Paphos should be completed in four stages and not as they are now.
“I said you never know what you might find under Paphos. And I was right, everything I said has come true.” Chrysanthou was referring to the recent discovery of six tombs uncovered during the recent upgrading works of the area.
 “Time will show who will be responsible for the delay and I believe there will be delays in my opinion. The project won’t be completed on the set days and then the costs go up, I’m noting this as a councillor and also as an engineer.”
The spokesman for the municipality said: “There are no major concerns for the municipality regarding the antiquities department, this kind of thing can be found everywhere in Paphos. Maybe, the most important ones will be kept visible and covered with a special glass, so that visitors may also see it, like a tourist attraction.”
“It won’t hold up the plan, it’s nothing special,” he said.
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Marina in Paphos given official go ahead
By Bejay Browne
 
The ‘Poseidon Grand Marina’ is the successful tender awarded the contract to construct a new Paphos marina, confirmed the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
In December 2015,  Aristo Developers announced that the long-awaited marina project would soon get underway, following a ruling by the Supreme Court, which announced a judgement in favour of applicant ‘Poseidon Grand Marina’, a joint-venture, in which Aristo developers is a major shareholder.
The decision to notify ‘Poseidon Grand Marina’ that it is permitted to proceed with the project by letter, was taken after the Legal Service advised the government to do so, the ministry said.
When finally built, the marina will have a capacity of 1,000 berths for boats and would be located in Potima Bay in Kissonerga; it will take approximately three years to be completed.
Paphos has long campaigned for a marina as it promises to attract high spenders and quality tourism.
Following the announcement of the tender for the project in 2007, it was awarded to the Cybarco-Pandora consortium of which the Leptos Group was part of, in 2008. However, the other two consortiums who had bid for the project challenged the award, at various stages, and it had since been in limbo.
The project had been frozen since litigation began after it was awarded in 2008.
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Limited access to Coral Bay beach
By Bejay Browne
 
Discord between Peyia council and Leptos Developers has escalated and resulted in an area of privately owned land right above Coral Bay, being cordoned off. Until now, it has been used as a car park and access point.
Although the land overlooking Coral Bay is privately owned by the developer, it has traditionally been used as a car park for visitors to the popular blue-flagged beach.
Following the cordoning off of the car park, an emergency council meeting was called to discuss the matter. Reportedly, Leptos plans to build a boutique hotel on the plot.
To facilitate public access to the beach, the council decided to open access to the area by constructing a road on public land which runs along a ravine to the east of the area. This was done in just two days, said Peyia Councillor Linda Leblanc.
“This is not open to vehicles, only those servicing the kiosks, but it’s open to pedestrians. There is also a public car park close by, so there is space to park,” she said.
Paphos Green Party head, Andreas Evlavis, said that Peyia should have created access to the beach through the municipal green area.
“We are putting pressure on the mayor to make proper access for the public. The municipality should take care of the green area and use it as access to the beach. For some reason, they took permission to create a temporary access along a dry river bed. In future, this needs to be returned to its natural state and permanent access created,” he said.
On Leptos’ plans for the proposed boutique hotel, it clearly shows two different access points to the beach, both using municipal land, he said.
“Many people are calling the Greens to complain,” he added.
According to Leblanc, the latest move is the result of a long and complicated situation which involves permission to build the hotel, title deeds, and the tender for the smaller of the beaches two kiosks.
She said that Peyia is currently working on options to come to a resolution with the company.
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Leading academic presented with key to the city
By Bejay Browne
 
A ceremony was held at Paphos town hall to honour prominent historian and academic, Helene Ahrweiler. She was presented with a symbolic gold key to the city.
The ceremony took place in the presence of the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastsiades, said a municipality spokesman.
Ahrweiler was in Paphos at the invitation of Pafos2017- European Capital of Culture-and addressed a lecture at Palia Ilektriki cultural centre.
Helene Ahrweiler, (Glykatzi) is an eminent Greek university professor and Byzantinologist. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Greece.
The 89 year old has held many prominent academic positions and was the first woman to hold the position of Principal of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne.
French president Jacques Chirac offered her the Medal of the Battalion Commander of the Legion of Honor (one of the highest awards of the French Republic), honouring her scientific work and directorship in various French universities, as well as at the Cultural Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
During her academic career, she also became an Honorary Doctor of various Universities in the world, including, London, Belgrade, New York, Nouveau Brunswick, Lima, American University of Paris, Harvard and Haifa. She is also a member of various Academies in Europe. In 2007, she received the title of Honorary Doctor of the Media Studies Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
She has received numerous decorations from the French government:Commander of the Légion d’honneur, Commander of the Ordre national du Mérite, Commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques and Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
In 2008 she was named among the 100 greatest Greeks of all time.
 
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Peyia staff caught illegally burning rubbish
By Bejay Browne
 
Peyia municipal staff have been caught on camera illegally burning toxic and garden waste at plots in residential areas, according to a local councillor.
Linda Leblanc said that problem stems from a general lack of understanding in Peyia about proper waste management and how to implement it.
“The situation is out of control and worse than last year. Staff are taking rubbish to plots in residential areas, they’re not just burning garden waste but also furniture, plastic, all sort of toxic stuff. People are breathing this in, it’s appalling.”
 
Leblanc said that two weeks ago she informed the chief engineer of Peyia municipality that she had photos of municipality staff illegally burning materials and told him that he must put a stop to it. But since then, she said she has received yet another complaint.
 
The councillor said the situation has been made worse by confusion over what rubbish is being accepted at HYTA – the landfill site in Paphos, which has been hit by a recent scandal of allegations of corruption.
However, chairman of the board responsible for HYTA, Andreas Chrysanthou said that its “business as usual” at the site.
“HYTA is accepting MSW (municipal solid waste), as it always has done and is open as usual.” Paphos municipality will take over the operation of the site “soon”, he said.
 
In Peyia, house collection of waste in the coastal areas was privatised a number of years ago, and subsequently costs were slashed, said Leblanc.
“The unions are always concerned about this sort of thing, but no-one was laid off and I have to say that the private company is even better and half the cost.”
She added that the possibility of further partial privatisation is a consideration.