The Angers open air market, a tempting place for customers... and thieves

The open air market on Leclerc square is one of the events giving rythm to Angers city. Every Saturday morning, it annouces the weekly breathe the inhabitants love. What ever be the season, the place is always crowdy and if, by chances, there is no open air market on Saturday (it was the case a few weeks ago because of the icy cold), customers and even simple passers by are disappointed : something is lacking and their weekend is unbalanced. 

But, that attractive place and moment is not free from danger. And the least is not the theft and the public is not always watchful to the risk. Recently, an inhabitant who love to walk around the fish stalls has had its wallet stolen after he just had used his credit card. Dishonest watchers looked closely the secret code that customers used to pay his purchases, then slightly push him on the walkway before to steal him his wallet and to take money at the closest cash dispenser. On the following week, an old lady had its basket stolen with all her documents, money and shoppings...


It is not said if the open air market is monitored by police or town hall departments. But it could be useful to do so. That popular moment has to be protected.

In Angers, "Earth Hour" was not on time

Angers city was due to switch off the light of numerous public buildings on March 23 from 8.30 to 10.30 (pm) : town hall, the Fine-Arts Museum, the David d'Angers Gallery, the Grand Theatre, Saint-Aubin tower, Verdun bridge as well as fountains in Mail gardens and Pilori or Ralliement squares. But it was not the case! That initiative of the city, designed to made aware Angers inhabitants to the damaging effects of energetic over-consumption throughout the green house gas emissions. A lot of monuments in other French cities were due to be not enlighted that evening. Apparently, it was not the case for those of Angers.

The "Earth Hour" is a worldwide event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature and held towards the end of March every year. It has been designed to encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. The event first took place in 2007 at Sydney with 2.2 millions residents. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008.

Angers city and Angers Loire Métropole are involved in energy savings with, recently, the running of Biowatts in La Roseraie district which produces heat by burning wood coming from local forests. About 14 000 homes are now connected to Biowatts and Angers publics buildings are now running with 15% of renewable energy. But on March 23rd, had Angers disconnected its watch?

The Angers stores owners movement urges town hall to the dialog

The report titled "Angers store owners at the frontside... of policy" has encouraged Fabien Rebours, recently elected at the head of the Groupement d'entente du commerce de Maine-et-Loire, to comment the analysis of Angers Daily News. Regarding the fact the Angers downtown retailers were at the center of a polemic, Mr Rebours points out his movement doesn't confuse the Angers inhabitants who attend the stores and politicians (what ever be their side) who, possibly, could exploit the questions raised by that community for political aims. "We encourage Angers town hall to set up a serene and honest atmosphere with citizens and stores owners, who are the living forces of our city, [they] love so much", he writes.

A nice cake for tea

A new pastry vill will open soon in Angers along the Pasteur boulevard. Cheri on the cake is the brand of a Brittany company located in Ille-et-Vilaine. Since 50 years a pastry chefs team cooks more than 60 recipes sold at room temperature or deep-freezed. French and world pastries are available with Cheri on the cake and among them the American cookies (it is not said if the pastry will also produce the famous English scones). 

Even if the store is in works where formerly a garage took place, the inside of the store is set up like giant chocolate stores alreadu visible at the West entrance of Angers. If Angers had always known the traditional pastries opened (sometimes on Sundays) the sector looks to gain a new youth as well as tea stores opened here and there over the city (the most recent specialized in Far-Eastern teas). Now it's up to the pastries turn. Close to the Pasteur avenue, a new store dedicated to macaroons had opened for alomost one year. 

Even born in Brittany the company which owns the brand has also an English name : "Cake Valley". Angers if the fourth city to host a store of that group like a "cherry" on a cake.

Minds are warming up in the Angers majority city council

Frédéric Béatse

The visit, on March 22 of the French prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, takes place when the solidity of Angers majority city council looks severely tested. After a new surge of criticism from the down town store owners community against Angers town hall, the mayor, Frédéric Béatse, was due to recall one of his deputy mayor. That one, Jean-Pierre Chauvelon, had denounced, carelessly according to Mr Béaste, an offense from a store owner which had not been committed....

Jean-Luc Rotureau

On the following day, another deputy-mayor, Jean-Luc Rotureau, himself candidate against Mr Béatse inside the Socialist majority town council, invited inhabitants for a debate on the issue "Can we still trust the political action?". It is not impossible that the PM be questionned by Mr. Béatse and Mr Rotureau about the decision of the Socialist party to organize or not primaries in the left side before the 2014 municipal ballots. But Mr Ayrault has probably others worries in mind...

Jean-Pierre Chauvelon

It becomes important for Mr Béatse to pacify the relations between his majority and the Angers store owners, a visible and influent community about Angers inhabitants and to restore a kind of discipline inside his own camp. The pursuit of such a trend would damage his assets and will strenghen Mr Rotureau and also the opposition contenders.

Angers store owners at the front side... of policy

Maybe they don't catch customers. Never-theless, they are in the middle of the front side of the political battle which starts to liven up almost one year before the municipal ballots of 2014. But, during the last year something has changed. While they were powerless regarding the constraints brought by the works of the first tramway line, then by the set up of the commercial park, Atoll, things look to have recently changed for Angers retailers.

After they got audience in the public opinion regarding the soaring of car park fares decided by town hall, they gained the withdrawal of the pavement tax project planned by the city council majority. Very recently, one of the Ralliement square store owners led after a hunger strike the Angers mayor himself to remove all the giant pots of shrubs, set up for years around the place. And yesterday, another store owner threatened a deputy mayor of a complain after a "false accusation" regarding the sale of alcohols...

The Angers mayor is working to switch off fuses of gunpowder kegs but that is weakening his position and the authority he needs as a no elected mayor, after the resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini, former Angers mayor. His opponent, Christophe Béchu seized upon the issue of the architectural failure of Ralliement square. But Angers store owners do not be deceived : customers and vote catchers are very different things...

Anger strike at Ralliement square

If, throughout the redevelopment of the Maine banks, the awakening of inhabitants to nature and ecology, the search awards for its green spaces, Angers city is trying to distinguish itself from other western cities is useful, the mineral aspect of its core is becoming a handicap the mayor will have to overcome, first of all, for political reason. The hunger strike of a store owner against the set up of giant pots of shrubs in front of its store was becoming more and more cumbersome for the majority of town council already criticized by many store owners for its policy regarding the commerce sector.

Christophe Béchu, president of the Conseil général de Maine et Loire and main contender of Frédéric Béatse, current Angers mayor, for the next municipal ballots of 2014, has (skilfully) taken advantage of that specific situation to enlarge the debate upon the mineral aspect of the Ralliement square where that store owner has settled. According to Mr. Béchu, the Ralliement square is one of the most important failure of the current municipal team he compared to a "funeral slab"...

Mr. Béatse is aware of that problem he wants to solve as soon as that year by the set up of flowers and shrubs throughout the place. It is true that cemetaries are often decorated with flowers...

"March showers brings April flowers"

One of the main characteristics Angers will "cultivate" in the years to come is its closeness of nature and ecology. After the awards the city received a few weeks ago because of the maintenance of its public parks, the town hall has planned on April 28th an event titled "Small gardens, big ideas" which will take place all day long at Molière square, formerly an ugly car park replaced now by large sandy space with here and there flowers and shrubs.

The program unveils a wish to awake the inhabitants to the interest of gardening, and not only for ecological reasons but, maybe, for economical ones on condition theses have... a garden. Different kinds of gardens will be displayed : square gardens, pot gardens, lasagne gardens and even ("in French") a "Jardin big bag". Such an initiative looks to fit perfectly with the image the town has, since a long time, developed : the economic importance of vegetable network, the number of green ways and the involvment of Angers in policies aiming at the promotion of nature in towns, like ParkAtlantic, an Irish program Angers is member.

The town council will try to get more supporters to its giant project "New banks" which should play the role of a "green frontside" for people outside the city and to link it with its urban policy of sustainable development. Angers announces other events until the end of the year pointing out the close relationship (some) Angevins have with nature. Regarding the amount of wastes collected in publics spaces in the city, it's rather "Few gardeners, big defiances".

The Angers Cie Map stages war scenes shots

In a quiet province like Anjou, far away from international news, dramatic as important issues nevertheless attract audience. That was the case with the play "Right to the end", written by Eric Bouvet, a photojournalist who was sent a few years ago to cover the Chechenia conflict opposing supporters of the independance of that Russian province, to Russia. The story is staging what were his feelings during the coverage of the Chechenia war.

That war leaded Eric Bouvet to face horrors, death, hell and madness. Following Russian soldiers, he depicts in "Right to the end", the progressive terrible bids between fighters of both sides. Brought face to face to such non sense facts and behaviours, it is possible that Mr Bouvet needed to write the things he saw after he "shots" them.

"Right to the end" was played in Saint-Barthélémy d'Anjou, a city in the surroundings of Angers on March 12th, after the story of Eric Bouvet was "translated" to the stage by the Angevine theatre "Cie Map", settled in the Monplaisir district. Both, Eric Bouvet and Map recently deserved the comments of the national daily newspaper Le Monde.

Letter from the editor

Dear Sam, Thank you for your kind comment. The choices of Angers inhabitants in favor of English sounding christian names is intriguing and has maybe something to see with a wish to introduce English words in their "home world". Regards. Edgar

Letter from the editor

Angers Daily News will interrupt its publication during a week for holidays. Edgar

"So British" is (at the) Welcome

"So British", the British forthight stops in Angers but just for two days! That event, initiated by the European cultural centre, an association located in Nantes and supported by Nantes Métropole, is about to travel across the Pays de la Loire. In Angers, the initiative is unfolded with several participants : the Maison de l'Europe 49, the English speaking library of Angers and the Wigan ambassador in Angers.

If "The Islanders in sight" are often considered as people having a way of life and of mind as different, sometimes conflicting with those of the continent. That's the gap the British fortnight stop in Angers wants to fill because, in spite of the differences, the two cultures have a lot of common elements. And the French way of life is clearly influenced by the British one. A walk along the stores front sides in Angers allow to notice the important use of English words...

If those are able to catch the interest of the Angevin passer by, that one should have a glance to the British exhibition. Permanent organizations dedicated to the tea tradition ("The nice cup of tea"), virtual visits of London and some of its monuments will take place for two days while different workshops will be set up on March 16th and 17th : an English market, debates about man and woman equality and above all a conference about the stereotype in English and French relations, by the Wigan ambassador to Angers, Al Makraz. 

The place where the fortnigh will be hosted is, by itself, a clue about the friendly interest of Angers towards the Islanders. The name of that building "Les Salons Curnonsky" was known, for a long time, by Angevins, and in French, "Le Welcome"...

Steal job

It was a crazy act. The man who commited it was probably mad. To attack a Pôle-Emploi agency with an aerosol spray for toilets is more inept than dangerous. Even if the man had nevertheless planned everything to make believe that it was about to commit an hold-up! Alas (for him) in spite of his mask, he did't impress anybody because, last but no least, there is no a single euro to steal in the unemployment authority...

The only valuable goal of such an action was to steal... a job. So much people in Angers and in France would be ready to carry out crazy things to get a job : some even publish their picture on a whole page of newspapers. Coincidence, the same day Angers medias reported the attack of the Angers Pôle Emploi agency, they debriefed they readers about the soaring of jobless people. With a 10% level, the unemployment reaches its worst level in France history. And Angers could be, according to the latest statistics, on the same trend.

So it's not amazing an Angers Pôle Emploi agency be attacked for a job. What person, sensible, without a single answer to hundreds of candidacies could be ready to do in order to get a job? If truth be told, was the robber of Pôle Emploi so crazy? All that joblessness doesn't smell good...

With the project of a new congress centre, the Maine reconquest should be considered as a source of revenues for the city

After the first change along the Maine right bank took place a few weeks ago near the Angers rowing club, a more general approach is planned by the Angers city council towards inhabitants. After the choice of an architects team by the town councillors in April 2012, a group of Angevins has since worked on the project of the redevelopment of the Maine banks. A synthesis of its technical constraints and the population opinion about the scheme is planned on March 19th at the Angers law school.

The "New Banks" project consists in a "reconquest of the river sides" aiming at gathering the left and the rights... parts of the town and at strenghening the attractiveness of the city in Western France first. If there is no doubt about the positive consequences of the project regarding the urban consistency of the city, its effects about the fame of Angers outside the West of the counctry seem, until now, a little bit vague. 

The risk is to get a place only designed for the Angevins pleasure while it should be a tool to attract tourists, for business or for leisure, from other parts of France and even from abroad. The set-up of the new congress centre announced a few weeks ago should give more consistency to the project. The new banks could also bring money.

Angers political leaders could meditate over sports facilities projects

A year before the 2014 municipal ballots, the field of public facilities becomes a ground for fights for the minority of Angers town council. Sometimes, the attacks come directly from its leader, Christophe Béchu, regarding the project of a new congress centre. Sometimes indirectly, through a current member of the minority side, and lately, Gilles Groussard, regarding the new Biowatt power plant. 

But there is a project the minority suggested in the past which could not resurface soon : a new stadium for the soccer club Angers Sco. Le Mans, a neighbouring city of Angers, is painfully, facing a difficulty coming from its decision to get a new stadium for its soccer team. After the club declined from the first to the second division, its financial revenues sharply decreased. 

But the cost of its new stadium, property of the Vinci group, didn't decreased. Event after the rent was divided by 50% from € 12 million to € 600 000 per year, by Vinci, nevertheless, Le Mans FC is currently unable to pay the wages of the players... So, the Angers inhabitants should be cautious to the project of a new stadium for the Sco. Because, in sports, chance is an important part of the game. The promoters of such a foolish idea should be warned by a red card.

Pasteur Avenue murder : more questions remain after the accused tried to set fire to his prison cell

The man accused of the murder of a woman a month ago tried to set fire to the  cell in which he not imprisoned. Samir Adam Hassan, 20 years old Sudanese who is charge to have cut Nicole Chatelain's throat in front of her home on Pasteur boulevard, was found burnt on the ablazed mattress on which he was sat. The man has been conveyed to the Angers hospital.

The reasons of his act are unknown as well as the motive of his murder and his attacks with arms against three policemen, and among them, a woman. It was said that the man was living in Angers for several years but had no jobs and was in charge of the Promo-Jeunes association where Nicole Chatelain was educator. 
 
If the questions about the behaviour of that man are, at that time, unanswered, the questions about his presence in Angers remains without explanations. In the meantime, three young African, whom it is said they are minor, have been hosted on an emergency way, two in a temporary housing and the third in an hotel without any support. A support which could nevertheless be useful to avoid the drama of Nicole Chatelain.

The Angers store owners want a municipal policy with "services included"

If the Angers city has not yet galvanised the retail trade business in down town, it has nevertheless succeeded to galvanise the retail store owners! These, infuriated by the increase of car park fares, worried (for a while) by the project of pavement tax, weakened by the opening of the commercial park Atoll (after the works of the tramway line), recently made angry because of the prohibition to open on Sundays before Christmas and End of the Year day (then by the ban of cooking crepes on the pavements), have elected the man who held the "megaphone" since a year. 

Fabien Rebours, now the president of the professionnal organization of the retail stores owners of Maine et Loire, is the most critical adversary of Jacques Motteau, Angers deputy mayor in charge of commerce. His election should not temper his enthusiasm for a lively Angers down town. The Groupement d'entente du commerce de détail, until now a discreet and old association of retail store owners, has unanimously elected on February 28th Mr Rebours as president after a crowdy meeting, signal of its members are fed up with a municipal policy they say it doesn't take care of their business, their employees and their customers.

If the industrial sector has declined during the last twenty years in Angers, its is not the case of the trade sector, indication of the expansion of the service sector, in the city and over France. The new managers of the Gec have already claimed what will be the issues they want to talk about with Mr Motteau : a car park municipal policy viable for their employees and their customers, the stimulation and the promotion of the neighbourhood stores and the opening of stores on Sundays before Christmas. And, at the top of if, just one year before the 2014 municipal elections!

A "heavy truck" twinning between Angers and Södertäjle

Södertälje (Credit Picture Wikipedia)

A new orientation is at work in the twinning policy of Angers city. The future twinnings must be... useful. In order to be sure of that, twinnings must be based, at least for a part, on the economic interest of the Angers city. That was one the caractacterics of the agreement signed by Angers with Austin, the capital of Texas. And that is also, one of the caracteristics of the project of twinning between Angers and Södertälje, the Angers mayor, Frédéric Béatse, announced a few days ago. Södertälje is the city where is located the headquarter of Scania, the Swedish trucks manufacturer which set up in Angers almost twenty years ago a factory.

"Scania is an emblematic company of Angers city and an important employer", said Mr Béatse when he made public the project. "Scania attracts towards Angers clients coming from France and from Europe", pointed out a Scania representative, adding that "Angers is our front side". So, Angers town hall probably want to build on Scania a supplementary attractiveness and to be part of that front side.

Credit Picture Scania

Södertäjle should be the 7th city Angers is twinned with. Haarlem, Onasbrück, Pisa, Wigan, Bamako didn't, until now, brought a lot of economic advantages to Angers. Those were more considered with Austing because Angers hosts some companies dedicated to the music industry, the Austin twinning could strenghen. In the competition with the other territories of Western France to get new companies (and new jobs), Angers is using the twinning way. Twinning usefulness with pleasure : why not?.

From street code to courtesy code

"I love Angers. I drive to 30 km/h" is the title of a campaign the city council unfolds over the different districts of the town. That initiative is part of the "Street code" policy which aims, unofficially, to dissuade inhabitants to use their cars in town in favor of alternative mode of travel : tramway or buses, biking or simply walking. In every district, the speed in most of the streets is now limitated to 30km/h, while, along the principal ways, the speed stays unchanged at 50 km/h.

The idea is good for inhabitants' health (and wallet), air cleanliness, quietness of streets and safety of trafic... But to convince inhabitants to let their car in the garage, Angers will have to enhance advantages to go in town by "soft" or collective modes of transportation. And the current conditions stimulating inhabitants to use one or the other are not yet gathered. The price of a one way ticket by bus or tramway is €1.40 what is quite expensive, and travellers have to buy another one for their way back home if they stay more than one hour in down town.

For the bikers, it's not better because of the unsafety of traffic : lanes for bikers are hardly ever distinct from the ways dedicated to cars but the limitation of the maximum speed for these may be counterproductive for bikers. At 30 km/h, cars do not go faster than bikes and the drivers may be get irritated, so more agressive. In that way, the association of inhabitants - drivers or walkers from time to time - looks suited to the objective. 

But the street code should also include measures aiming at "driving" inhabitants to have respect for the cleanliness of the urban ways...The street code is also a courtesy code and from that point of view, the game is far from being won.

The scheme of a congress centre in the middle of the campaign... of 2014

The new congress centre should be on the left (credit Angers)

The project of a new congress center planned by the Angers city council majority will be, as it was said in that blog a few weeks ago (February 14th 2013), an important stake of the next municipal polls. That possibility, mentionned a few weeks ago by Jean-Claude Bachelot, deputy mayor, was confirmed on March 1st by... Christophe Béchu, likely candidate to the office of Angers mayor, who criticized the scheme of a that new congress centre.

Pointing out the majority project will be too costly and not served by the second tramway line, Mr Béchu claimed that other locations existed : "There are some temporay solutions to imagine for conventioneers : Terra Botanica", the park he set up a few years ago in Avrillé and which is not at its best. After three operating years, the park frequentation does not take off. About 260 000 visitors were recorded in 2010, 300 000 in 2011 and around 270 000 last year.  So, the facility is far to have reached its objectives : 400 000 visitors per year. 

The Terra Botanica park

 According to the president of the Conseil general de Maine-et-Loire, the main weakness of the Angers town council projet is its location. "When the new congress centre will be opened, it will not be served by a tramway". But Terra Botanica is and nevertheless...