The idea of removing the mascletà from the square on March 17 and 18 divides Falla-presidents
Pending the proposals that reach the assembly, everyone agrees that the Offrenda cannot end at dawn
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Everyone is clear that something must be done to prevent the falleras majoras of Valencia and their courts of honour from entering the Plaza de la Virgen during the emotional act of the Offrenda at dawn, nor so that the Falleros are on sit or with stops on the route, but what is not clear is how to do it.
These days several presidents and members of fallas have expressed that they are discussing asking that the mascletà be taken out of the Town Hall square on March 17 and 18 as an option that they see viable to try to give more fluidity to the Offering in honour of the Mare de Déu.
Although they confess that the idea is embryonic, they have started talks to try to shape it and raise it through the legal channels to the Fallas meetings and form a possible proposal with the aim of later raising it to the Falla Central Board.
They assure that they are divising it as a possible solution so that the major falleras of Valencia do not deliver the bouquets to the Mareta at dawn and, incidentally, to give a break to the prize collection of March 17, since it always has to be finished before the security device that is set in motion in the epicentre of the party for the daily shooting of the mascletà begins to be assembled.
Those who defend this suggestion start from the idea that there are small commissions or that they always get low prizes, they have to get a big morning to concentrate their falleros in their house soon and thus be able to move to the Town Hall Square, where the stage is located in which the pallets are delivered.
Likewise, they add this tiredness to the fact of the hours of waiting they usually do during the route of the Offering.
To all this they add that this option would allow an Offrenda to be held in the morning on March 18, which could be from 10:30 or 11 in the morning, a day in which more Fallas commissions would parade and the afternoon schedule would be decongested.
Of course, in this approach, which is in mantillas, there is no alternative place to shoot the macletà of March 17 and 18 in the event that it left the Town Hall Square.
Although the idea is incipient, it is also true that there is a strong counterweight of relevant sectors of the party that do not look favourably on the proposal and who prefer to continue exploring other options.
Thus, for example, Rafa Mengó, recently re-elected president of the Fédération de Fallas de Especial, explains that "on a personal level and soon, it would be strange to me if they removed two shots from the temple of the mascletà."
When it comes to justifying his opinion, he details that "not everywhere there is the same sound as in the Town Hall Square, neither in the river nor anywhere. I don't see anything clear."
Mengó adds: "I don't see a third way or street for the Offrenda either because it would also strangle the route. And it would remain to be seen whether to also bring the Offrenda to the 16th would be alternatives or not."
In the same way, Mengó maintains the idea that "nor do I see the justification for fluffing the prizes, I think that currently they are given importance."
For all this, he maintains that he sees no justified cause to remove the mascletas from the Town Hall Square on the 17th and 18th.
That does recognise that "together we have to find solutions so that the schedule of the Offrenda is not so long and so that the falleras majoras of Valencia do not enter the Plaza de la Virgen at dawn, as is happening."
In fact, he explains that they have recently met with the councillor of Fallas, Santiago Ballester, "and he raised several Fallas groups that we will present in a future meeting possible proposals to solve the schedules of the Offering." And he concludes that they will try to look for "alternatives that do not end up excluding mascletas from the square in two days as strong as March 17 and 18."
Antonio Escrig, who was also re-elected last week as president of the Federation of Fallas de Primera A, in a personal capacity, indicates that "I would not take any mascletà out of the square. I think the gunpowder cathedral is in the Town Hall Square." He thinks that the "mascletà is not the problem for the Offrenda."
He argues that in the monthly meeting of the federation he will transfer the information that the councillor of Fallas gave them at the recent meeting, to collect alternatives, "and if there is a possibility of presenting solid proposals it will be done, as when we made a working commission to propose alternatives for the election of the jury."
Asked the question of how he sees the idea that some Falleros want to formulate, the president of the Intergroup, Fernando Manjón, details that he has no formed opinion, "it is an issue that we have not even considered."
In addition, he explains that regarding the possible changes or not that can be applied to the Offrenda, "the position of the Intergroup that we made known to the councillor, is that any solution that has to be provided, must go through the assembly of presidents. No change should be made unilaterally.'
He insists that in the Intergroup "we want to be very respectful with the assembly of presidents, which is the one that must make the decision, and with the Central Fallera Board, which is in charge of organising the events. It is not up to us or participate in the debate."
Of course, if you ask Fernando Manjón in a personal capacity, then he assures that he does not see it clear that the mascletá is removed from the Town Hall square.
A la espera de las propuestas que lleguen a la asamblea, todos coinciden en señalar que la Ofrenda no puede acabar de madrugada
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