Angers at the top of a national ranking for its quality of life

Angers is ranked at the first place in the category of cities from 250 000 to 500 000 inhabitants by the national weekly magazine L'Express which has dedicated its last issue (june 2nd) to the most dynamic french cities. In this annual ranking, the city is distinguished for its quality of life. But Angers is also ranked first for its security and its solidarity and second in terms of education.

"With 5 000 ha of natural zones, parks and gardens, Angers has nothing to prove anymore", points out the web site of Angers. The solidarity is studied according to the housing and the social mixity. And the magazine concludes that in these fields, Angers " doesn't fear anybody. This must can attract companies".

The ranking was established from seven criterias of which security and durable and united city. "This ranking is a recognition of the city and its qualities", says Jean-Claude Antonini, mayor.

Scapegoats in Angers medias

In many printed medias of Angers, tribunes dedicated to readers blame a part of the population they call "the wealthy"for their responsabilities of the present economic crisis. The most frequent critics point out the implication of these scapegoats in the level of the unemployment, the weakness of the growth and, recently, the reform of the retirement system and so on...

The problem of these critics is they use constantly these words without never define them. Who is rich? From which amount of revenues? From which origin of wealth : creation of a company, heritage, lottery?

The first strangeness of that thought is the critics are always aimed at managers. But many other persons could be considered as wealthy : actors, professionnal sportsmen, singers (whose life is weekly talked up in these medias) and even politicians! The most fervent duty the wealthy should have is the distribution of the wealth, write (or shout in recent demonstrations in Angers) the plaintives. But can we share what has not be created first?

Another strangeness is the cult of the difference (in religion, sexual inclination...) but the unwillingness to accept differences in economic positions. People are not only a sum of physical needs (even if, of course, somme basic needs must be provided). But how would be life in a society where everybody would look alike?

Alcohol shop corners don't want to toast glasses

Shop owners are angry because the town hall prohibited six times in may the sale of alcohols. For several corner shops of down town Angers, it means the loss of about 500 € per night. "When a consumer comes in and is informed he cant get alcohols, he gives up for all he wanted to buy", they complain.

What makes the shop owners bitter is supermarkets located outside the inner city are allowed to sell drinks. "I recognize the loss and the inconvenience of the situation", answers Jean-Pierre Chauvelon, town councillor in charge of public safety at town hall, but "I must be worry of general interest" nevertheless "a local decree has an implementation limited in time and space". New orders could come soon : one because an appeal to a giant drink in Mall gardens was launched on Facebook and another because the music festival. "We have to take steps in order to avoid excessive alcoholization of young people in the streets and prevent a tragedy".

"Of course, alcoholization of youth is a pain, but shop owners can't be considered responsible for that", say the professionals who "ask for the prohibition be postponed from 6 pm to 7 pm". But, between a sure inconvenience and a possible tragedy, is there a choice?

A new tax on households could appear next year

A new tax could appear next year(1). The 31 mayors of town and villages members of Angers Loire Métropole were gathered on that issue last june the 2nd. They talked about the finances of that community which could not be in the best conditions in 2011.


Two elements could explain that : the economic crisis (which probably decreases the ressources of ALM) and the expenses of that community (trolley, Biopole plant, wastewater treatment plant). "The national state withdraws", points out Jean-Claude Antonini, mayor of Angers and chairman of Angers Loire Métropole who needs money.

A first way has been exploited : borrowings. But this could not continue because "the debt is about to blow up", warns André Despagnet, deputy mayor of Angers in charge of finances. In january 2006, the level of the debt was about 67 million €, two years later it has soared to 234 millions € : + 249%!

There is a way out : a new tax on households from 2011 which could be increased on the following years! The mayor of Avrillé, Marc Laffineur, also deputy president of National Assembly, who support a government involved in the reduction of public expenses, surprisingly, agrees with Mr Antonini, saying "A tax is not always a bad thing"! Both could slow the expenses instead of rising taxes!

The new mode of recyclable waste in action

The new yellow and grey recyclable waste containers are usuable from june 1st in Angers. Ten thousands have yet been distributed to the people and will replace the former plastic yellow bags. The containers capacity vary from 140 to 240 litres according to the size of the family.

All the wastes they contain will be sorted in a new plant outside the city. The change aims at limiting the cost of the collect and at starting an evolution in the behaviour of Angers'people regarding the wastes they produce. But the rythm of waste collects is not easy to follow (one week out of two).

A leaflet on wastes published by the city indicates each inhabitant produced, in 2006, 243 kilos of domestic wastes and 71 kilos of recyclable wastes. Since the implementation of recyclable wastes collect, these have increased up to 17% while domestic waste have decreased. What is at stake is for sure ecology, but may be money, for the city and for the taxpayer. Before the new containers 13 team of garbage collectors were necessary, 11 will be sufficient from now.

But the townhall is cautious pointing out that the earnings will only "slow down the increase of household waste collection tax" told Gilles Mahe, deputy mayor for environment. The opposition in the city council, through Laurent Gérault, criticized the measure : "How townhall can charge more and clear away less?"

500 000 € help to the SCO, nobody will foot the bill, promises town hall

The Sco of Angers got, on may the 31th, from the city what it was looking for, a 500 000 € loan, repayable within two years. Members of the opposition voted themselves in favor of the loan but criticized the behaviour of town hall toward the club.

"You promised to implement a financial monitoring in order to inform the local authority but you did nothing about that", Roselyne Bienvenu, opposition councellor told to the mayor Jean-Claude Antonini. "We demand a close monitoring for next year", she said.

"We have the promise of the chairman of the Sco, Willy Bernard, that the amount will be refunded and moreover, savings will be realized next season", answered Michel Houdbine, deputy mayor in charge of sports, himself supported by Jean-Luc Rotureau, his predecessor : "The taxpayer will not foot the bill".

The 500 000 € loan is part of an annual grant and will be substracted from the amount for 2011 (about 1.2 million € for the entire Sco, professionnel and amateur sections). The Sco would nnow be able to present its financial datas to the french federation of soccer.
(From Le Courrier de L'Ouest, Angers Maville)

Man on the Maine : first pace conquest

The first edition of "All Angers is moving" seems to have worked. This initiative of town hall designed to make the public aware of the interest of the reconquest of the Maine banks has gathered about 1 000 athletes and as many of spectators on may the 30th.

A urban trail winded inside the oldest districts of Angers among the sinuous and cobblestoned streets of the Doutre and the Cité linked by Beaurepaire bridge. The runners had to go through several monuments of Angers like the city hall, museums and even the theater.

Walking, running or cycling on a speedway usually overcrowded by cars, but this sunday in a quiet atmosphere was unusual, and even strange. Regarding the density of the traffic all day long on this road considered by many Angers as a scarface, the pedestrian felt a little bit unsecure and distrusful.

But the initiators of the project may have reached their goal : convincing Angers that the delivrance of the banks for cars (But where will they go?) is valid.

(Credit picture : Tony)

The minister of culture pays respect to du Bellay

Visiting Angers on may the 28th, the minister of culture, Frédéric Mitterrand expressed an original opinion as a member of the government entrusted, moreover, with the protection of french language. Questionned about the drifts of french toward its anglicization, Mr. Mitterrand answered : " English words do not upset me so much. In Proust's books, there are a lot of anglicisms".

In fact, many ads visible in town contain english words, and the Angers people, apparently, are not infuriated with. These words are also visible in ads originally from city hall like the recent "Artaq Awards" mentioned in a coverage in this website.

Nevertheless, the visit left place to several compliments to the french poet Joachim du Bellay with the famous "Happy like Ulysses" read by the minister himself, both symbolizing "the wealthiest moment of french litterature"(1) may be (Dubellay and Mitterand) both impressed by Rome (a city where the poet travelled and minister lived). Such an experience "is not so different of the one we live today with globalization", said Mr Mitterrand, "The french language is and must be stay and openness".

(1) quoted by Le Courrier de L'Ouest;credit photo Liré castle : ministry of culture

4 000 demonstrators against the planned pensions reform

About 4 000 demonstrators marched in Angers on may the 27th against the planned pensions reform. The demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of several measures, one of them consisting in a rise of the retirement age (60).

Demonstrators asked to the government to pay the pensions with financial sources "We don't ask to the financial world to make an effort", said a teacher. For one of her colleagues, the manifestation was an opportunity to express political ideas like : "We give all to the managers and nothing to the people". Others promoted the employment of young people "in order to pay our pensions". Others claims were linked to the protection of buying power or the defense of public services.

The cortege gathered on the morning General Leclerc square then went through down town till the highway banks (closed to cars) and came back. According to observers, the mobilization wasn't intense [picture credit : www.angers.villactu.fr].

Artaq yes tags no, in Angers city

Artaq, the first street art festival of Angers is in town for three days since may the 27th. Born in New York city in the 70s', the street art has, for a long time, been conceived as something minor art at best, as vandalism acts at worst. At the beginning, it was only repetitive signatures spray-painted on walls.

But now, street art is everywhere : in exhibitions, museums and even at home. So what is the reason of such a festival in Angers "where anti-tags squads track down and erase them in short time. Because creation has nothing to do with deterioration ", says Jean-Claude Antonini in the city hall website. "Expression surfaces like the wall of the Chabada or graphic design on voltage transformers are testimonies of that".

Some of the pieces of the festival can be seen at the Ralliement theater, the Ronceray abbay and in the parking lot of town hall and in others places till the end of september. [For more informations : http://www.angers.fr/index.php?id=53955]

Town hall starts the Maine banks reconquest on the ground

Next sunday the banks of the Maine will be free of cars from 6 am to 6 pm. The town hall want to dedicate the place to sport all day long. The initiative has been called "All Angers is moving". "We want to get the people out of their homes so that they may discover the banks again", says Michel Houdbine, deputy mayor entrusted with sports.

The people will find displays of fitness, roller, triathlon and archery as well as american football. Sportsmen will be able to compete for a urban trail of 8 km long using all the reliefs of the city like the Saint-Maurice uphill. About 2 000 to 3 000 runners are waited.

But what the city could wat above all is the support of the people to a major urbanistic project which consists in the restitution on the long range of the place to pedestrians. And Mr Houdbine doesn't hide it : "All Angers is moving" is in fact "the first step of the Maine banks reconquest".

Businessmen and disabled workers agree about the meaning of work in their lives

Two press coverages published on may the 25th in Le Courrier de l'Ouest shows unuasual, but quite similar, points of views regarding the part of work in lives of some very different people of Angers : those of businessmen and the one of a disabled worker. All of them talked about their experiences.

The two first had to leave companies in which they were employees even if they were quite well paid and choose to become employers regardless of the desadvantages of the adventure. "To create or take over a company demand a 200% dedication and the renunciation of the seek of an employee job", they said face to an audience of potential businessmen gathered for the annual meetings of companies transfers.

Much emotive regarding the importance of work in her life is the testimony of Rachel Chevalier, a disabled worker at Arceau Anjou Insertion, an association dedicated to the assistance of brain injured persons. "I prefer go for work than staying home doing nothing", she says.

30 years old, Landrau still grows up

A company familiar to many Angevins has celebrated on may the 20th its 30 anniversary. Created in 1980 by Marc Landrau, 54 years old, the company is a group divided in seven business units, all managed by the family of Mr Landrau.

The SAS Landrau is highly visible because its instruments are jacking-up machines. The company owns today more 350 devices. One of them can lift 250 tons till 100 m high. Most of thes cranes has bee used on the city public works like the trolley, the new park Terra Botanica and will be at the future commercial center Atoll. The know-how of the SAS Landrau has also been used for the inauguration of the theater le Quai and for the exhibition Les Accroches-Coeurs.

The company is considered as one of the 15th more important of this profession nation wide. Its turnover is about 10 million € and it employs 90 persons.

The Secours populaire must close its permanence of Angers

"In the absence of sufficient means, the Secours populaire must close its permanence for an undeterminate time". That is what the needy persons will read next thuesday, written in four languages (french, english, russian and arabic) at the Secours populaire of Angers, 20 Maine Street.

The decision was voted in by the board of directors. "It was difficult to take it. But the demand is soaring", say the general secretary of the mouvement for the Maine et Loire, Stéphane Lepage.

During the first four month of 2010, the distribution of products has trebled. "In the past we helped 1 700 families, now we must help 5 000. That must stop". According to Mr Lepage, the gap comes from the asylum seekers who represent about 70% of the public the Secours populaire has in charge.

Last friday, the volonteers had welcomed more than 100 persons but had to turn back others. "And it's like that every day. We have to distribute tickets in order prior the opening time but nevertheless we miss narrowly the quarrel. And it's true that the asylum seekers, often youngmen, are stronger that a mother with a pushchair", remarks the general secretary who fears acts of racism.

Moreover, the stocks are empty. "170 tons are due to be delivered by the European Union. But we don't know when this aid will come", say the volonteers, who, exhausted will not come next tuesday.

The SCO looks for cash

In order to balance its 2010 budget, 6,8 million €, the soccer club SCO of Angers knocks to the door of the town hall and the Maine et Loire council. The financial gap for 2010 is of about 1 million € and must be make up before the next audition of the club by the financial management of the French Federation of Football (FFF).

The doesn't ask more money but money right now. "We just beg an advance like a breath of air" pleads Willy Bernard, chairman of the Sco. The town hall looks ok for that. "It's an emergency measure to attend the audition of the FFF", answers Michel Houdbine, deputy mayor in charge of sports who points out "the contribution of the town can't go beyond what has been planned : 1,2 million €". The town will vote next may 31th and the Maine et Loire council could stand in the same way.

"We have no reproach regarding the management of the club", says Mr Houdbine who thinks the difficulties come from the economic crisis : "loss of sponsoring and less tickets sold". If the budget is not balanced, "I shall pay the difference with my own money", promises Mr Bernard.

Town council : the opposition starts public meetings

The members of the minority in the town council want to meet the people of Angers. "We don't want to wait the polls of 2014 to get out the city hall. If we can't act in the town council, we can do it on the ground", says Marie-Claude Cogné, town councillor.

The opposition to the mayor, Jean-Claude Antonini, meets the population in the different precincts of Angers, and has already started with the inner city. Inhabitants, shop owners or every active person of a district life are invited. The minority group of town councillors are looking the feedback and the propositions regarding the inner city life.

According to Mrs Cogné, "The mayor waste the past and everything which was initiated by Jean Monnier [mayor of Angers before Mr Antonini]. Within ten years, twenty of thirty years of management have been threw out. Look at the Ralliement square and the debate regarding the banks of the Maine". What is most worrying for Mrs Cogné is "the gap of ambition" for the city.

Upsurge of thefts in the inner city

Since a few weeks, the police notes an increase of thefts in parked cars. Forgotten bags on the back seats, personal computers or cameras visible from outside of the cars may disappear, by night or day, warn the police.

The minimum care consists in hiding personal objects from viewers and to close the doors. In many times, there is even no breaking and entring. That was the cas of an inhabitant of down town who did not lock the door of his house : the robber did not have to break down something and had only to take the keys of the car and run away with it!

There is more. A few days ago, the membres of a family, at home, surprised a man collecting their own clothes and putting them in bags in the room nearby. So the police invite the habitants of Angers to be cautious.

Tremplin travail Anjou face a difficult year due to the crisis

For Tremplin Travail Anjou (Tta), an association in charge of the reinsertion of jobless, 2009 was also synonymous of crisis. Tta, who got 60 000 hours of work in 2008, recorded only 50 000 last year and consecuently suffered a loss of 28 000 €.

Hopefully, the association limited the damages thanks to exceptionnal public subsidies, but those could not be the same this year. The national state, the Maine et Loire council and Angers Loire métropole announced restrictions of their financial aids from 100 000 € to 60 000 €. These are losses Tta will have to compensate.

Tremplin travail Anjou (located 50 Lionnaise street, Angers) go with 160 persons per year during periods ranging from 18 to 24 months. "A third find again a job or a training course", says the manager of Tta, Philippe Bliguet, mostly in houseworks or gardening.

Terra Botanica "takes root" pretty good

Terra Botanica, the vegetable park open to public a month ago, welcome 1 200 persons daily and is ready to go further, the board said. In less than a month 27 000 visitors have been recorded as well as groups : associations, company social committees, classes. From now to june, 18 500 tickets would have been already sold "and the figures increase each day".

The success would be would be clear with schools : all the guides for school have already booked their jobtime till summer holidays. The business center is another issue of satisfaction : companies, local communities coming beyond the Pays de la Loire region yet used its services.

Of course, some elements need to be improved. That is the case of roadsigns and markings for cars coming from the south and the nord of Angers. Regarding the fares, 17,50 € per person, there are some remarks but the polls after the way out indicate that satisfaction is there.

A giant drink project under pressure

The project of an giant drink has been planned on Facebook for June the 18th in Angers and the prefecture does not agree with that. The state representation ordered the shutdown of a forum of 4 500 internet users discovered on the web a few days ago.

Apparently, the tactic of intimidation of the organizers of the meeting worked : the initiative has diasppeared from the the web site. But, a few days later, another group of more than 500 persons surfaced, claiming to the web users "Ready to demonstrate to the prefecture and its lapgogs that we shall be there on june the 18 to have a drink all together?".

A few weeks ago the town hall of Angers has tried to block such a gathering and reminded that this may get out of hand. Recent fact could make it right : this week at Nantes, a similar initiative ended with the death of a young man.