City Notes: KKL, IEC inaugurate lookout in Hagit Forest

The forest was planted one year ago as a joint KKL-IEC ecological venture.

By TAMARA ZIEVE
KKL tree planting (photo credit: Courtesy)
KKL tree planting
(photo credit: Courtesy)
NORTH
Representatives of KKL-JNF and the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) inaugurated a new scenic lookout and cycling trail at the Hagit Forest, between the slopes of Mount Carmel and Ramot Menashe, last week. The forest was planted one year ago as a joint KKL-IEC ecological venture, in recognition of IEC clients who joined the environmentally friendly system of billing by email.
“The scenic lookout demonstrates the green side of the Hagit power station and the IEC’s work for the environment over the years,” said IEC marketing director Anat Shamir.
Ninety hectares of forested areas have been planted in the Hagit Forest thus far, with three kilometers of hiking trails and two cycling trails, KKL-JNF said. The Hagit Circle Route cycling trail is seven kilometers long, and there is another 15 km. trail that connects to other trails as part of the network of cycling trails in the Carmel. A map and picnic tables were also installed at the entrance to the forest.
Future plans for the forest include the opening of a museum of renewable energy featuring a hiking trail with stations along the route presenting different methods of renewable and alternative energy.
“Our aim is to turn the forest into a center for recreation, leisure, sports and learning,” Shamir explained.
“When we visit this place in a few years, I have no doubt that we will see a great many trees here and an awesome forest,” she added, after the representatives planted a tree and unveiled a plaque at the scenic lookout.
“This area is amazing for its beauty and its proximity to central Israel, and it is a great attraction for hikers,” said KKL-JNF Fundraising Division director Zeev Kedem.
KKL-JNF Director of Resource Development in Israel Michael Ben-Abu, who acted as master of ceremonies, said that the collaboration with the IEC constitutes another step toward realizing the vision of a green and sustainable environment.
Technion awards Harvey Prize to two US scientists The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology’s prestigious Harvey Prize was awarded to US professors Eric S. Lander and Eli Yablonovitch last week.
Yablonovitch, of Berkeley’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, received the science and technology award in recognition of “his pioneering discoveries in the fields of photonics, optoelectronics and semiconductors.”
“His groundbreaking studies are highly influential and broad in scope, combining deep physical insights with an applied technological approach. He established the field of photonic crystals and photonic band gap engineering, made fundamental and pioneering contributions to the research and development of photovoltaic cells, and the design and improved performance of semiconductor lasers,” the Technion said.
Lander, an MIT professor, received the prize in the field of medicine in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of genomics, as the initiator and leader of most of the major advances in this field, the panel said. “He has made important contributions by both developing methods to exploit the power of genetic information and leading large endeavors to identify and annotate entire genome,” they stated.
Lander also pioneered the analysis of the genetic components underlying complex diseases, including cancer.
Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie said that in granting the two men the prestigious prize, the Technion was expressing its gratitude and appreciation to the two winners for their enormous contributions to the future of humanity, each man in his own field.
Prof. Daniel Zajfman, president of the Weizmann Institute of Science, delivered the keynote speech at the festive event and stressed the importance of increasing the exposure of science to the entire population so that more young Israelis will choose careers in science.
Two dead in motorcycle accident A motorcycle accident claimed two lives in Kafr Makr late Saturday night, police reported. After the motorbike crashed into a car, one rider died immediately, while the second succumbed to his injuries in the Nahariya hospital. Police were conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
CENTER
15th DocAviv International Film Festival kicks off The 15th annual DocAviv International Film Festival took place this week, Tel Aviv's largest film festival and the only one in Israel dedicated solely to documentary cinema. More than 80 documentaries have been screened over the 10-day festival, each one handpicked by professional committees made up of members of the film and television industry. The festival began on May 2 and is scheduled to end tomorrow, held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, the Port of Tel Aviv and Habimah Square.
National and international film professionals attend the festival each year. In addition to screening scores of films, the festival hosts discussion panels, special events, master classes and workshops.
Twelve Israeli documentaries were selected to compete in the festival, and several other Israeli films were chosen to be screened. The 12 competing films were Thirteen; Let’s Assume, for a Moment, that God Exists; My Arab Friend; Women/Pioneers; Handa Handa 4; Step by Step; Before the Revolution; The Lab; Super Women; Rita Jahan Foruz; Dancing in Jaffa; and Pole, Dancer and a Movie.
An additional six films were selected to compete in the Student Film Competition.
Special Shavuot events to be held across Israel Special events are set to be held across Israel to mark Shavuot next week. Among the many events, the Monkey Park in the Ben-Shemen Forest will be running activities on Wednesday and Thursday. These include a children’s show, creative workshops and a children’s playground.
Park Hama’ayanot (The Springs) in the Valley of Springs will be open to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday, and visitors are invited to travel among the springs by means of electric cars and bikes.
Meanwhile, Kiftzuba Adventure Park, located in the Jerusalem Hills, is preparing for its traditional kibbutz-style celebrations, including a dance performance put on by youths, a first fruits ceremony, a baby parade and various workshops.
Three-year-old boy found at bottom of pool near Kiryat Shaul A three-year-old boy died on Tuesday after he was found at the bottom of a private pool near Kiryat Shaul last Saturday, police said. The boy and other children were in the pool under parental supervision, but after their swimming session ended, the boy returned to the pool on his own. When his parents noticed he was missing, they went looking for him and found him at the bottom of the pool. He was taken to Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital in Tel Aviv in critical condition.
SOUTH
Man dies after car overturns on Dimona-Yeroham road A 53-year-old man died last weekend in a road accident on the road from Dimona to Yeroham after his car overturned. A team of Magen David Adom paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man before pronouncing him dead.
Shfela police launch summer-long ‘Silent Night’ operation Police in the Shfela area launched an operation last week to tackle crimes affecting the quality of life of residents during the summer. During the operation, which will last until the end of September, police will increase their presence in areas where young people gather at night.
The police will place an emphasis on enforcing the law against making noise during hours of rest, alcohol consumption by minors in public areas, bullying and parking offenses. The campaign, called “Silent Night,” will be conducted on a daily basis according to the characteristics of each area, based on the analysis of relevant data. Police will cooperate with city inspectors and parents’ neighborhood watch teams of the local authorities.
Fourteen arrested over use and sale of fake driving licenses
Police on Monday arrested 14 suspects in the South on suspicion of forging drivers’ licenses, driving illegally, using forged documents and endangering lives on the road.
Over the last month, the Southern District’s fraud unit conducted an undercover investigation during which they gathered evidence against the suspects who allegedly sold the fake licenses to drivers whose licenses had been revoked, for NIS 3,000 apiece.
The probe revealed that at the center of the forgery scheme were a Beersheba resident and a Tel Sheva resident. Police also identified a number of drivers who were driving illegally.
On Monday morning police arrested the license distributors and the drivers, who taken to the Fraud Investigation Unit.
Southern District Police Commander Maj.-Gen. Yoram Halevy praised the professional work of the team that uncovered the affair, adding that drivers whose licenses have been revoked are a “ticking bomb that endangers the public. These drivers were forbidden to drive by the court, and they defied the law.”