Noise ruining our lives, Ra'anana residents say

Residents living near Ra'anana's renowned amphitheater are complaining that the open-air concerts are frightening their children.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
With summer in the air, residents living near Ra'anana's renowned amphitheater are complaining that the open-air concerts held at the site every summer are ruining their lives and frightening their children, reports Ha'ir-Ra'anana. The residents had their first taste of what awaits them with the Yom Ha'atzma'ut celebrations Wednesday night, which featured performances by Yehudit Ravitz, Gidi Gov and others. According to the report, residents of the city's Lev Hapark area have long complained that the annual summer concerts at the amphitheater embitter their lives. "The performances through July and August and the school end-of-year parties that are held there are very disturbing," one resident said. "There is noise and there are traffic jams. When there is a rock concert, even with the air-conditioning on and the windows shut the whole house trembles and my children cry." A municipal spokesman said the city took care to act in accordance with municipal by-laws, which allow midweek events to continue until 11 p.m. and weekend and holiday events to continue until midnight. But residents said the concerts "never finish on time," and the city always finds excuses for this.