Saint George's Day at the Pont d'en Domènech

Having just heard the latest "Caramelles" songs, we bump against one of the most famous festivals of our calendar. Saint George's Day. The festivity is one of the most beautiful days of the year, thanks to which Catalans have helped to universalize the Day book. This year, Saint George's Day brings a very significative premiere in Sitges: the restoration of Domenech's Bridge, these days of Easter we have already seen its new (in fact, historical) aspect. The restoration of the bridge, located in the Promenade at the height of Bassa Rodona street, have been carried out by the Municipal Council's Public Works Brigade in recent months, with the dual aim of improving appearance and restoring its modernist image.

This intervention is part of the improvement plan that the City Council is carrying out on roads, just as the space for getting off taxies at the Plaça de l'Estació, the permanent surveillance service at the underpass, the two-way traffic on the initial stretch of Avinguda de les Flors or the works to fix the asphalt driveway. We are dealing here with specific interventions aimed at improving services and their use by residents and visitors, a demonstration that the responsible use of investments we can improve streets, squares and areas of the municipality.

The restoration and recovery of Pont d'en Domenech also agrees with the policy of defense of our architectural legacy, one of the fiercest battlegrounds of our present municipal government. Accordingly, these days will begin the refurbishment and protection works at Santiago Rusiñol Public Library to be followed soon by the reform of Prado, a heritage building, thanks to the double investment of the Catalan Government and the Council of Sitges.

Sant George's Day, then, will have its focal point on the Promenade. This year, the festivity is loaded with a full program of events promoted by the Department of Culture and with the full logistic involvement of the Department of Commerce .To the traditional stalls selling books and roses, with local authors offering their signed books, this year we have added several activities such as reading recitals for children and adults and a concert with the group Arena y Agua..The cultural agenda reinforces its leadership in Sitges, thanks to the joint efforts of the City Hall and grassroots organizations. We have just celebrated the Cultural Week Catalonia - America and the day next to Saint George's Day we will inaugurate the second edition of the jazz festival, while our theater programming enlarges its range of shows. In Sitges, culture is a differentiating trait that we must care, pamper and share.

Sitges is Cardio Protected: a project to save lives

Last week we presented the project Sitges is Cardio Protected and Healthy , a pioneering initiative launched by the City Council with the collaboration of the Spanish Association Against Sudden Death Jose Duran.The project includes the coming installation of several defibrillators in public facilities, hotels, restaurants, institutions and other public spaces.These devices are an addition to those that went into operation last summer at the beaches of our municipality..

A few months ago, we witnessed one of those shocking news that arouse interest and make us think. At the Sants station, a defibrillator device installed in the pharmacy of the site saved the life of a man who had suffered a stroke. When news came we were about to finish the project Sitges is Cardio Protected and Healthy and in one of the follow-up meetings of the initiative we adressed the case of Sants. At the time, the project that was to be applied in Sitges was in the final stages and it was the right moment to envisage this case moved to Sitges. It was a good way to illustrate a real life episode.

And in Catalonia, 3,000 people die each year from sudden death. That is, 10 per day. There are many. Many. When a heart attack occurs, the first 10 minutes are essential. For this reason, the possibility of having defibrillators scattered around town can be a crucial support in many cases.

The development of this project was planned in the Governance Plan and is an example of shared work and full complicity of the government and social and economic agents. The implantation of defibrillators will allow us to respond to specific cases. But the plan also requires preventive measures that promote and disseminate a culture of healthy lifestyle and eating habits. In this regard, we are working closely with restaurants to offer healthy menus that favor a public health model quality. Another line will be integrated into the plan to create walking routes that encourage healthy living and doing exercise.

Sitges is Cardio Protected and Healthy was born as a service that provides solutions, but also that wants to work on prevention to create a quality of life available to the whole population.