The regulation on the web angers Anonymous on Ralliement square

The Anonymous, a protest movement against all forms of censorship on internet, had called for a demonstration at the end of January on Ralliement square, and is now planning another gathering on February the 11th. The title "Anonymous" comes from the fact the activists wear a mask during their demonstrations and are dressed on the same way : black suit, white shirt and black tie. It is possible to join them by registering (under a true identity?) on Facebook.

Credit picture Wikipedia

Since 2006, the year of the creation of Anonymous, the movement demonstrates and denounces all threats aginst freedom of expression and calls for civil desobedience. Its members demonstrated later agains the scientology church because they considered its method was a mind manipulation. Their mask is originated from the character V, in the movie Vendetta, screened in 2006. In France, the Anonymous launched attacks against the presidency's website and the weekly news magazine L'Express.


This kind of gathering through the web is gaing ground in Angers. Every year, spontaneous gathering are designed by that way ; most of the time, it is for a giant drinking party. The demonstration called in Angers was against the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement discussed the same day byt the European Parlement. The issue opposes the defenders of the copyright and the defenders of the downloading.

The new brand Angers Loire Valley has its first positive consequences and should inspire the city more widely

The business tourism in Angers takes off. According to the Angers Convetion Bureau of Angers Loire Métropole, the amount of financial fallout on the city soared in 2011 : +20% at 60 millions €. While 300 possible business events have been dealt in 2009, they were 800 last year and about 70% of that amount will give tangible results.

Two factors could explain such an evolution : the set up of the Angers Convention Bureau in 2009 and the new English brand Angers Loire Métropole points up : Angers Loire Valley. That one is not the unique Englicised trade mark the city uses for its promotion "Meet in Angers" or "Anger get surprised" are others catchwords on the French and English version of Angers Loire Valley website soon redesigned.

 Such a policy had been widely criticized at the time of its implementation. But the present results could claim some Angers inhabitants were wrong to disapprove the new orientation. Moreover it could prompt other websites Angers city is launching to get more Englicized. For example, the new website angers-development.com launched by the Angers economic development agency is only in French! And the ultimate is the website talks of a new facility for outside companies : " Accueil city". Tell it in English please!

The cold wave didtn't surprised Angers inhabitants

The first day of February didn't brought the Angevine mildness. It was even the opposite : low temperatures with an icy wind in the streets. The inhabitants brought out again their winter clothing : gloves, scarves, hats and deep hooded overcoats or fur coat. Apparently Angers pedestrians do not want to catch a cold or the flu.

Alsace street on Wednesday afternoon

The streets were not very attended becausen, for example in Alsace street, a Russian wind, swept away the dressing precautions. An impression of cold was enhanced by the mineral aspect of the street. The Ralliement square itself was invaded by the wind and scarce travellers at the tramway station had nothing to do but to hunch their shoulders while the waiting time. 

Town hall decided not to jeopardize the hydraulic devices of the Mail gardens foutains, out of order because of the cold. An additional sadness was engendered by the shops front sides where discount ads compete to attract the latest shoppers. Météo France forecasts lower temperatures on the days to come and the lowest could be on Friday : 9° below zero are possible but nevertheless the weather will be shiny. Stand firm a little bit more folks!

The minority side tries to unsettle the new Angers mayor during the 2012 budget discussion

If the serial about the unexpected resignation of the former mayor of Angers, Jean-Claude Antonini, is over, the disappointments and the disagreements which have been expressed along the last days inside and outside townhall, could have left an imprint about the tone of the debates of the municipal council. That was highly visible during the discussion of the 2012 city budget with the clear intention to unsettle the new Angers mayor, Frédéric Beatse.

The critics of the minority side of the municipal council were concentrated on several projects and especially the aqualudic complex whose costs could be higher than corresponding projects in other cities. But, the arguments were marked by a politician tone they didn't have before. The French presidential elections could invite themselves in the debates of Angers municipal council between the left (majority side) and the right (minority side).

Credit picture Angers city

An aspect of the budget, nevertheless quite important, has not been refered : the unequal increases of capital budget and of the operating budget. The first, consituted by investments, raises by 1,6% (62 against 61 millions €). The second, which gathers the expenses for everyday functionning, increases by 2,5% (from 177 to 181 millions euros). The operating expenses are three times more important than the investments expenses. And the total is still increasing... Are left and right OK about that? 

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Snowfall on Angers : a test for Angevine mildness

The winter arrived on Monday 31 of January. The change was unexpected. On the previous day, the city benefited of a sunny weather. And, up to now, the weather was rather mild. Flowers, especially daffodils, believed spring was there. Humans were surprised too. At the end of the day, people choose to go back home, foreseeing icy roads. 

In Angers downtown, the cafés terraces were deserted and the owners had to alleviate the large sun umbrellas from the weight of the snow. For the place itself, its the first time pedestrians have the opporunity to test its surface under the snow. Apparently without any casualties. 

The snow started from the very morning and lasted till the end of the afternoon. The visibility, although secure for the traffic was nevertheless reduced by a light fog. The meteorology forecast a worsening of the weather along the week. The temperatures could lower to zero up to the end of the week. 

The traffic could be difficult in the days to come if, during nights, the thermomether goes to zero. Heavy snowfalls are predicted and later the region could face a dry and cold weather, with ice. The famous Angevine mildness is gone for a while...

The 1ers Plans Festival, a good plan for Angers

Probably, the event 1ers plans is seen in its cultural aspects. But this exhibition of young talents, which holds in Angers its 24th edition, has another value the cultural dimension may hide : the entrepreneurship value. All those first movies are, above all, an attempt to realize a project in spite of its, mainly financial, difficulties.


Of course, all the "actors" of this event are anonymous but some coud become facmous. About a hundred professionnal directors screaned their first movie in Angers. That event is largely opened on the international world and a tribute has been paid to an icon of the British director of the seventies, Alan Clark, who worked for the BBC. He depicted the Thatcher years from a point of view totally diffrent of the one, seen in the new film "Iron mowen", with Meryl Streep.

Credit : Angers city

The propotor of the event, Claude-Eric Poiroux, is himself a man dedicated to cinema and searched to check the advantages of the 1ers plans festival through a survey ordered to the Maine et Loire Chamber of Commerce and Industry. According to that inquiry, more than 900 000 euros benefit to the Angers city thanks to the expenses of the visitors of the festival. And its of common sense that "there is nothing more business like the show business".

Angers inhabitants set out to "winter economic time"

With the economic crisis, Angers inhabitants borrow new habits in their daily life. One of the most visible change is, because of the electricity rates are soaring, the lighting of their homes. It's easy to realize the change on the evenings when darkness invades streets and squares. For example Lorraine square is half surrounded by residential buildings erected at a time when energy was cheap. Large windows open on the square above letting the pedestrians catch sight of life inside the flats.

January 28th of 2012 08:22 pm

Now its quite difficult. Leaving, on the eve of a working day, the famous La Salamandre restaurant after a dinner served at usual time, the customers who walked on the new Lorraine square could count ont the fingers of one hand the lighted apartments where shutters were not closed. This new trend overlays other changes, some old, some new. Since years, Angers inhabitants have choose to use bike for short travels in down town. The use of bike is increasing. If it's good for the planet, it's also good for the wallet (even for people who are wealthy)! The recent discount days displayed huge decreases in prices : till - 70% and sometimes more because the shop owners have to come apart of thire last collection.


The city itself foresees difficulties for the inhabitants who used to go to Lamoura, a village located in Jura, a mountain department in Eastern France. The village were rent by several cities. Some of them have not anymore the financial resources to share the costs. So Angers inhabitants who used ski could be deprived of that pleasure.

The Angers castle Renaissance

After months of burying under tarpaulins and scaffoldings, since a few days, the royal home of Angers castle is again visible. Rejuvenated, clean, bright, the core of the monument stands up and displays its neat and sharp shapes under the wintry blue sky of Angers, perfect as a crystal. Within a few months it will be released of all the materials its complete renovation demanded. All the damages of the January 2009 winter will not let any scar.
 
Because of a malfunction of a heat device, a fire erupted in the building destroying the framework and the slates roof of the building built in 1410. The city rallied for the restoration of the place which - apparently - is now over for the civil work. Probably, a lot of repairs and redevelopment are still necessary inside. 

Simultaneously, the restoration works on the battlements of the castle are on way. On the Maine river side, scaffholdingsmake disappear entirely the towers. The stones have suffered from pollution and need to be cleaned and to stick again. The most symbolic monument of the city (which doesn't belong to the city) could be one of the winners of the future Maine banks once got rid of pollution.

The new mayor sets up a council for employment with corporate managers

The circumstances around the resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini, more than the election of Frédéric Béatse, as new mayor of Angers, will leave marks on the climate inside to city council, inside the majority side of that authority and may be inside the voters. But Frédéric Béatse immediately marked the beginning of its office with his top priorities : "the economic development and employment" because "the crisis interpellates us".

Credit picture Angers city

One of the most significant decision of the day is to set up "a strategic council about employment" whose members, quoted first, will be "the corporate managers". The new mayor pointed out that he will go on the field, close to the corporate managers and the employees in order to listen to them". He will probably hear (justified) complains about the fiscal pressure the city hall has just annouced it will raise through the transportation tax!

That could be a way to rally voters to the left side in 2014 because, in two years 2011 and 2012 households and companies will have seen their taxes soared. The resignation of a representative of a majority member is the clue of a shock the Angers opposition will strive to capitalize at its advantage.

Angers mayor succession, a controversy is spreading in medias

According to local medias, the resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini, mayor of Angers for yet a few hours and the election by the town councillors of the majority side at city hall of his heir, Frédéric Beatse, would be the result of a plot.

The roots of that plan could be partly due to a resentment of Mr Antonini against Jean-Luc Rotureau who, a few years ago, followed, regarding the project of an express way at the South of Angers a stance slightly different of the mayors point of view. The secret scheme between Mr Antonini, Mr Beatse and two others persons, Daniel Raoul, senator, and the head of the mayor's cabinet, aimed at avoiding the organization of primaries between the candidates to the Angers office of mayor, whose effects could be unwanted.


The disappointment, or at least, the bewilderment of some majority town's councillors was today reported by local medias what could weakening the position of Mr Beatse, what Mr Rotureau could exploit. According the the medias, Paris company was even hired to help these four persons to settle the problem. A crisis communication agency could be needed soon...

Employment and economic attrativeness of Angers, the top priorities of the next mayor

The balance sheet of Jean-Claude Antonini could be a little bit damaged by the method he chose to leave office. If the opposition side in Angers town hall widely criticizes the form of that end of office, the most critical assessments came from some supporters of the next former mayor of Angers. The critics do not mainly aim the candidate who will succeed to Mr Antonini, Frédéric Beatse but his predecessor himself.  

Credit Angers city

If the next head of Angers will take office in the middle of a turmoil, he could deflect the policy planned by Mr Antonini. Mr Beatse comes from the private sector. He runs a company dedicated to digital technologies so he should know how the difficulties the companies, employees and bosses, live presently. He recently disclosed what will be his top priorities in the next two years. The first is economic and Mr Beatse links two words : "employment, attractiveness". Yet, the Angers city has just plan to increase the transport tax in order to finance a second line of tramway. Mr Beatse should look to the local taxes weighting on employment. The second results logically from the first and they are "solidarity, social link".

The challenge is difficult so Mr Beasts is eager to turn over a new leaf. The next polls are in 2014. 

The resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini openly criticized in his own side

The resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini from the head of the Angers town hall after he promised, a few weeks ago, to continue his office till the end of the mandate, is widely crtiticized in his own side and, of course, in the opposed side. If Mr Antonini did what Jean Monnier, his predecessor, did in 1998 - to put on orbit a successor - two differences appear : Jean Monnier did not promised to his inhabitants he will stay at the head of Angers city till the end of his own mandate and it was in 1998, about a quater o century... 
 
In the mind of Angers inhabitants of 2012, a mayor is there to promote ideas, to design policies, to implement projects and not for appointing someone, even if he or she has the abilities to face the challenges. From that point of view, such a gift could be poisened for the apparent heir.

Jean-Luc Rotureau, deputy-mayor of Angers has openly announced his disapointment and his disapproval : "I have expressed a huge disagreement about the method. [The mayor] said he would go on : that's disrespectful". Another aspect is quite incongruous. Just before leaving office, Mr Antonini had submitted to the Angers representative a deliberation regarding the allowances of satellite companies of town hall, he will preside very soon...

The second Angers tramway line is on the tracks... with a new increase of transport tax for local companies

The recent debate about the budgetary directions of Angers Loire Métropole (Alm) for the fiscal year 2012 has confirmed that the announcement by the president of the territorial authority, Jean-Claude Antonini, regarding the stability of local taxes was, only true for households but not for local companies. As the city is Angers is already planning the construction of a second tramway line, Mr Antonini and his colleagues mayors of cities and villages members of Alm, plan an increase of the transportation tax.

This one had yet soared for the first trolley line and will be heavier in 2012. The rate of the tax will increase from 1.8% to 2% and will give 4.5 millions Euros more for Alm. So what the Angevins will not pay as households, they could foot the bill as employees... And Bernadette Caillard-Humeau, recently ousted from her charge of 1st deputy mayor at Angers, complains the tax doesn't bring back more money!

This second tramway line is so "on the tracks" and some inhabitants communities want it whatever be its cost. Mr Antonini promised that the studies would be finished in 2014. Recently, some Monplaisir district inhabitants urged the mayor to build half a line. While the second line is due to link Beaucouzé to Saint-Sylvain d'Anjou through Monplaisir, these suggested the line could only link Angers down town to Monplaisir district. But what will say Angers districts and villages which will not get it?

Frédéric Beatse, as next mayor of Angers? is now in orbit for the next municipal polls in 2014

The majority side of Angers town hall, constituted by members of the Parti socialiste and of Europe-Ecologie-Les Verts, gathered on 20th of January, choose Fréderic Beatse as successor of Jean-Claude Antonini, who has resigned the same day of his office. The sequences were politically perfect and the competitor of Mr Beatse, Jean-Luc Rotureau, is doubly defeated: first because because he got 14 favourable bulletins against 28 for the winner, secondly because the municipal primary he wanted becomes useless.
 
Mr Rotureau didn't comment the results of the majority side's vote but will talk next week. Logically, if Mr Beatse, supported by Mr Antonini who stays at the head of Angers Loire Métropole, a territorial authority whose Angers city is part, he could be the natural candidate of the present majority at city hall.
 
Some Angers inhabitants could think that they have been misled by Mr Antonini who should not have commented on the rumours regarding his possible dismissal because of health problems. That makes the difference with the choice Jean Monnier, made in 1998, when he resigned two years before the end of his term, in favour of Mr Antonini. The opposition, and its leader, Christophe Béchu, know who they will have to challenge in 2014. After the next presidential and legislative polls, the municipal campaign could start in Angers...

The Angers mayor resignation renews an event 14 years ago and prepares the next term

The mayor of Angers, Jean-Claude Antonini announced today his resignation. Mr Antonini, who suffered from cancer about a year ago, came back to office after his recovery. An uncertainty was allowed to persist. A few months ago, many Angers medias predicted Mr Antonini could resign about two year before the next polls. The person most directly concerned said it was not true and asserted, at several public events within the last months, that he would continue his mandate till its regular end in 2014...
 
That strategy is now an advantage for Mr Antonini's side because this one will have time to prepare the next polls within two years. His successor, Frédéric Beatse or Jean-Luc Rotureau, will have time to get ready for the elections. But this is not suiting perfectly with the idea of primary elections Mr Rotureau wanted to set up. Staying at the head of Angers Loire Métropole as chairman, the former mayor of Angers will be a closed allied to the next first representative of the city.
 
This withdrawal can also relaunch the campaign of the opposition who, in 2008, near missed to win the city hall. In fact Jean-Claude Antonini, beyond the debate about the choice of the Maine reconquest scheme which will be implemented on 20 years, renews the formula he had himself benefited in 1998 when his predecessor, resigned two years before the end of his mandate.

New English words for the English world designed for Angers youth

"To live an expérience abroad needs organisation" tells the Angers City through its website to young inhabitants. And there are new ways to go there. Among these, two are expressed in English - "woofing, couch surfing" - but the city website doesn't explain them.

The woofing expresses the idea of a housing paid by four hours of work. Couch surfing is a way to visit by staying in people's houses with the wish to meet the locals. But are these available to meet and talk for free their mother tongue? This is not sure.

Apart the mention of the two Englicized words for the discovery of foreign countries a lot of workshops are set up during this event organized by the Centre information jeunesse : studies and internship abroad, the necessary measures to fix before leaving, the ways to improve one's skills in a foreign language, how to work and how to get a job abroad?

All these informations on the town hall website are written in French. In order to stimulate the desire for such experiences, sometimes far from Angers, the municipal website should write them in English!

The interest of Angers inhabitants for one of the Maine banks projects is emerging

Credit Angers city

While the exhibition dedicated to the Maine banks reconquest project is extended, demonstrating the interest of Angers inhabitants to the future of their river in the city, local medias predict the Grether team gets their preference. The scheme is founded on the idea that the river is the matrix of the city. So the banks are enlarged and vegetalized to attract inhabitants toward their river. More original is the choice for the laying out of slates folds along the paths.

This leads to transpose the core of the city just on the river because the Maine is the main artery of the city. In order to reach that goal the Grether project increases the bridges and footbridges while it also totally reconsider the function of existent ways like the Verdun bridge and the Segré railway bridge. But the creation of two little islands on the North part of the Main inside the city is one ot the most original ideas of the competition.


The echo the Angers town hall initiative met within the population (3 000 people visited the exhibition) is also a positive clue for the "participation democracy" it wants to implement even if a point (which is not minor) is not already fixed : the cost. But it also true that, for now, it is time to dream. The inhabitants may do so at Le Quai theatre till the February 7th.

The Artaq 2012 edition weawes yarn links between Angers and Austin

Credit : wikipedia

The 2012 edition of the Angers Artaq festival is englicizing. This event, planned between the 11 and 13 of May will launch a new artistic expression called, on town hall website ("in French") : the yarn bombing. According to Aurélie Mathigot, a Paris plastic artist in charge of the promotion of the event in the city, "the yarn bombing consist in wrapping the street furnitures with yarn. The trend appeared in the United States thanks to an artist, Magda Sayeg who lives in Austin". With the yarn bombing, "it's possible to improve the urban landscape with bright colours to urban shapes often rigid and gloomy".

Credit Angers city

In Angers, the scheme is to dress all the Mail garden furnitures with yarn : kiosk, fountain, benches and even the Lions statues. From now and up to the end of the Artaq festival, Mrs Mathigot will advise all the workshops of Angers involved in the leisure of knitting. Other parts of the cultural places of Angers will be wrapped of yarn : the Ronceray cloister, the Turc walk and the Ralliement and Saint-Eloi squares. These trend is promising : it doesn't pollute, it weaves links between inhabitants and even with Austin, the Texas city Angers is about to twin with.

Angers workmen builts confidence

Construction site located Boreau street

 At the beginning of every New Year in Angers, the weather turns colder and the lengthening of daylight is hardly noticeable. These conditions apparently do not slow down the pace of building work in the city. The building site located a the corner of the Carnot boulevard and Boreau street shows it. At 7.30 pm on monday, it was dark. Nevertheless, workmen, guided by cranes lights, were very busy on the construction of the concrete walls and floors of a housing building due to be delivered probably at the beginning of next year.

The night, and the temperature, didn't raise problems for the workmen to go on in a true jungle of woven-wires, iron bars, cables, floors of different levels, so many dangers in the shadows of the night and the thin fog.The summit of the cranes were barely visible : nevertheless the cranes operators were manipulated tons of concrete above the site.

At a time when France has just lost its AAA (UK has kept its grade, till now), that could be heartwarming for inhabitants to see such construction site going on what be the weather and the time. A French popular common saying tells "When the building business runs, everything does so". If the economic weather for France is getting harder, it's reassuring to see humble people who do not give up.