Jim's Loire: Epeigné-les-Bois

Showing posts with label Epeigné-les-Bois. Show all posts

Saturday, 4 July 2020

Jean Candiago is Epeigné-les-Bois' new Maire

Jean Candiago with his wife Véronique

Following last Sunday's 2nd Round of the Municipal Elections the first meeting of Epeigné-les-Bois new Conseil Municipal was held last evening. Jean Candiago was elected Maire, Michèle Prieur as 1st Deputy Maire, Claire Dupré as 2nd Deputy Maire and Michel Caraty as 3rd Deputy Maire.

Conseillers: Frédéric Chevalier, Stéphanie Maghissene, Fabienne Somméria, Francis Benoît, Amélie Boguet, Viviane Fève and Ludovic Guillon.

Announcement following meeting (3.7.2020)

Jean Candiago replaces Christian Percevault, who has been Maire since 2014.

I hope the new Conseil can heal the divisions that have sadly divided Epeigné for too many years.

Christian Percevault @VE ceremony
8th May 2020

Sunday, 28 June 2020

Epeigné-les-Bois: result of 2nd Round of election for new Conseil – Sunday 28th June 2020

Result of the 2nd Round of the municipal elections @Epeigné-les-Bois:

Ludovic Guillon: 102 votes (56.04%) elected

Dominique Hisbergue 80 votes (43.96%)

58.65% of the electorate voted. 0.55% of votes were declared invalid. This compares to 62.18% voted on 1st Round with 2.06% invalid votes. Although the number voting in the second round is a little lower than in the 1st Round, it is far above the national participation that was just 34.67%, so an encouraging level of participation in Epeigné-les-Bois.

Result of election@Sale des Fêtes

Composition of new Conseil:

Frédéric Chevalier

Claire Dupré

Jean Candiago

Stéphane Maghissene

Fabienne Somméria

Michel Caraty

Francis Benoît

Amélie Boguet

Viviane Fève

Michèle Prieur

Ludovic Guillon

Update 2nd July 2020

The first meeting of the new Conseil will be tomorrow (3rd July 2020) at 19.30. The agenda will include the election of the new Maire and deputies along with various other roles and posts.

Saturday, 9 May 2020

Epeigné-les-Bois: les vignes communales ont doublés

The second third of Epeigné's communal vineyard (vignoble partagé) has now been planted. Unfortunately due to the coronavirus the three new rows of vines were planted yesterday on 8th May without ceremony. In complete contrast to 13th April 2019 when the first vines were planted. Epeigné's 'grand cru' vineyard is now fenced off to keep the deer out.

Some photos from Saturday 13th April 2019:

First rows pruned 7th March:

The first rows of the vignoble partagé were pruned on the morning of Saturday 7th March – a little over a week before France locked down. No sign of social distancing here, although a number of those present avoided shaking hands, kissing or hugging.

Friday, 8 May 2020

Epeigné-les-Bois: 8th May 2020 – marking 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe

7th May 2020 – the eve of VE Day

The war memorial and the church

The names of those from Epeigné-les-Bois
who were killed during the Second World War

All is ready for the limited and restrained

ceremony to mark VE Day

8th May 2020: VE Day

It wasn't intended to be this way in 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day – the day that Nazi Germany surrendered bringing the war in Europe to an end. A time to remember the sacrifices made by many people from many different nations. Particularly poignant for countries like France that were occupied.

Unfortunately due to the coronavirus the ceremony was limited to just six people – the Maire (Christian Percevault) plus five representatives.

The front of the procession

The Maire's speech

A tribute under 'social distancing'

Laying Epeigné's wreath at the

base of the memorial

Silence for Epeigné's dead

Epeigné's wreath

NB: all above photos taken at more than 2 metres distance.

••

Memories from 8th May 2011:

Looking back nine years to a more customary marking of VE Day. As it would have been but for the pandemic. In normal years there is a ceremony at the war memorial and then a second ceremony in the cemetery. In 2020 only the ceremony at the war memorial was held.

Getting ready to march

The march

The Maire (Michel Mergot gives the speech)

Laying the wreath

In the cemetery:

A plaque of remembrance

••

Looking back nine years is also a reminder of people who are sadly no longer with us:

Piero – one of Epeigné's great characters
with a tremendous zest for life

Gérard Taureau – a previous Maire of Epeigné (1959-1983)
He died in August 2011

'Élu une première fois au conseil municipal d'Épeigné-les-Bois en 1953, il a assuré deux mandats de conseiller puis quatre mandats de maire soit 36 ans au service de la commune.'

Thursday, 7 May 2020

Epeigné-les-Bois: 2020 elections municipales– back to square one...... ?

Although postponed date – 21st June – for the Second Round of the French Muncipal Elections has not yet been cancelled, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Second Round will actually happen as previously planned on Sunday 21st June. From 11th May there is some loosening of strict confinement. However, gatherings are limited to 10 people whether in public or private.

The second phase of loosening is planned for 2nd June but will this allow the second tour of the elections to take place on 21st June? The reported project to organise the municipal elections at the end of September and beginning of October appears to involve a completely new election for those communes that failed to elect a new conseil.

This includes Epeigné-les-Bois. 10 new councillors were elected but not the now critical 11th. Two unsuccessful candidates – Ludovic Guillon and Dominique Hisbergue both on 49.47% – were tantalisingly close to the magical 50%. A new more votes for either candidate would have seen a new conseil elected.

Instead the old conseil has to continue but as their mandate has now expired they are really a lame duck administration. It does seem absurd that Epeigné may now have to go through an entirely new election process. However, taken the whole of France it is not surprising that if a second tour in June is a none start that the whole process has to start again. In the intervening seven months some of the March candidates may have died, become seriously ill, taken up new posts or just lost interest.

A can of worms .....une boîte de vers.......

Sunday, 15 March 2020

Epeigné-les-Bois – results of 1st round of les élections municipales

Here are the results of the 1st Round of the municipal elections for Epeigné-les-Bois (Indre-et-Loire) held on Sunday 15th March 2020.

It is clear that the list (highlighted in Yellow) headed by a trio – Jean Candiago, Dominique Hisbergue and Michèle Prieur – are the clear winners with ten candidates from their list elected on this first round. Six women and four men were elected to the Conseil on the 1st Round.

No candidate from the list (highlighted in green) was elected on this 1st Round.

There remains one more place on the Conseil, which will be decided on the 2nd Round to be held next Sunday 22nd March.

Listes des candidats

Jean-Marie THIREAU 44.21% Non

Fabienne SOMMÉRIA 61.58% élue

Odeh RISHMAWI 40% Non

Michèle PRIEUR 53.68% élue

Aurore NIBAUDEAU 43.68 Non

Stéphanie MAGHISSENE 62.11% élue

Daniel LAUMONNIER (Maire-Adjoint) 45.26% Non

Julien LAMBERT 47.89% Non

Dominique HISBERGUE 49.47% Non

Ludovic GUILLON 49.47% Non

Fabrice FOUANON 41.05% Non

Viviane FÈVE 55.79% élue

Claire DUPRÉ 65.79% élue

Frédéric CHEVALIER 69.67% élu

Michel CARATY 61.05% élu

Jean CANDIAGO 63.68% élu

Amélie BORGNIET Conseiller 46.32% Non

Amélie BOGUET 56.84% élue

Daniel LAUMONNIER (Mairie-Adjoint) and Amélie BORGNIET (Conseiller) were on the outgoing council.

See my previous post on these elections.

Results on the Internaute site.

Update: 16.3.20
President Macron is due to address France this evening at 8pm (7pm UK time). It is expected that he will announce further restrictions – perhaps a virtual lock down. It looks increasingly unlikely that the 2nd Tour due on Sunday 22nd will be held. What happens to the elections including last night's results is unknown.

Saturday, 7 March 2020

La vignoble d'Epeigné-les-Bois: la taille et la mise en bouteille: 7.3.2020

Epeigné's community vineyard

Last April some 150 vines were planted on the coteau that overlooks the Route du Coteau on the D81 between the centre of Epeigné and the hamlet of Les Bergers. Today the vines were pruned for the first time under the watchful eyes of Vincent Beaumont, the winemaker, and Lionel Truet of La Grande Foucaudière. A further 150 vines, which have already been ordered, will be planted later in the Spring. The plan is to plant a further 150 vines in 2021.

At the same time Epeigné's 2019 Sauvignon Blanc was racked and then bottled. These grapes from Jean-Marie's Domaine des Champs Gonneau by a community team last September and vinified by Vincent at Le Moulin du Bourg in Epeigné-les-Bois.