NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 5.0 MILLION

Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Region, and Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, accompanied by Gerardo Camps, Valencian Government Councillor of the Treasury and Employment, attended the official opening ceremony of the 33rd America's Cup that promises to be a resounding success to judge from the extraordinary firecrackers display offered to the numerous public in Valencia's Port.

The first Match Race between the Defender Alinghi from Switzerland and the Challenger BMW-Oracle from the United States of America, will commence at 10:00 a.m. today with the BMW-Oracle to starboard as determined by the tossing of a silver coin at the opening ceremony.

A gigantic Valencian Paella for 5,000 people was cooked at the opening ceremony and consumed by an enthusiastic public for 5 Euro a plate, with the proceeds going to help the disaster victims in Haiti s part of the "A Grain of Rice for Haiti" campaign.

Rafa Miro, Autonomic Secretary of the Council of Culture and Sports, accompanied by Carmen Perez, manageress of the Valencian Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (IVACOR), and Javier Serna, Secretary General of the Counsel of Education of the Government of Castilla y Leon, Guillermo Granja, the Technical Advisor of the government of Castilla y Leon, Luis Alonso, director of the College of Artistic Heritage of Palencia, Francisco Medina, Territorial Director of Culture, and Miguel A. Mulet, Deputy of Culture, signed an agreement by which professionals from Castilla y Leon will study the methods carried out by the IVACOR to restore artistic works, with a view to implanting them in Castilla y Leon.

Manuel Cervera, Valencian Government Councillor of Public Health, accompanied by Fernando Giner, Mayor of Vallada, inaugurated the new dispensary constructed by the Valencian Government in Vallada at a cost of 900,000 Euro, and that will offer health service to a 3,477 patients on the Coast in the areas of Xativa-Onteniente.

A Tourist Info Point has opened at the Juan Carlos I Royal Marina to offer tourist information to visitors arriving in Valencia for the celebration of the 33rd America's Cup Match Race between the Swiss Yacht Alinghi and the United States BMW-Oracle, that was supposed to start on the 08th February but had to be postponed to the 10th, because of lack of wind. The new Tourist Info Point opened Sunday the 07th February, and on the first day employees distributed 3,000 tourist information leaflets, and answered 1,600 queries - 24% from foreigners - mainly from Italy, Britain, Switzerland, France, and New Zealand.

The Tourist Info Point will attend tourists till the end of the 33rd America's Cup event, with opening hours from 09:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. the days of the races, and from 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. the other days.

Vicente Rambla, Valencian Government Councillor of Industry, Trade, and Innovation, presided the Assembly of the Network of fourteen Technological Institutes - REDIT, and announced that before the summer the Law of Technological Institutes will be approved. Councillor Rambla also said that the Valencian Government destined over 158 million Euro to the Network during the present legislature, and in 2010 another 47 million Euro will be made available

Angelica Such, Valencian Government Councillor of Social Welfare, met with Laura Roig, Mayoress of Almassara (photo on the left) to discuss the construction of a residence for the elderly, and also announced the subsidy of 416,000 Euro for the construction of a Social Home for Retirees.

In the second photo, Councillor Such met with Ricardo Cardona, Mayor of Canals, to discuss the integration of a day centre in Canals to the Valencian Government Network of social enterprises. A subsidy of 1.2 million Euro will also be granted for a social-cultural centre equipped with multiple-use halls, for youths.

Rafael Blasco, Valencian Government Councillor of Solidarity and Citizenship, signed an agreement with Moises Belloch, chairman of the Algemesi Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, Intervention, Aid, and Emergency (IAE) after they had resurrected four people from among the rubble caused by the earthquake in Haiti.

By the terms of the agreement, the Valencian Government will grant 50,000 Euro for the group to participate in international emergency rescues and they will also be awarded the Valencian Government Distinction of Honour. The Association trains dogs to detect people buried in rubble caused by catastrophes.

"A Strange Thing" the second opera by Valencian composer Martin i Soler premiered in the Theatre of the Court of Vienna, Austria on the 17th November in 1786, will be staged in the Queen Sofia Arts Palace in the City of the Arts and Science in Valencia, with soprano Ofelia Sala and tenor Jose Prieto, and with Ottavio Dantone as musical director and Francisco Negrin as director. The dates of the functions will be the 10th, 12th, 14th and 21st February 2010.