27/09/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

A former tennis coach goes on trial accused of assaulting his pupils.

Plus: We're all in this together? An apple amnesty - how you can save

doomed local produce and make a profit.

A former Guernsey tennis coach has gone on trial in Guernsey today

accused of indecently assaulting two young girls. Jose Felix Alvarez

faces six charges relating to alleged incidents during the 1990s.

Mike Wilkins was in court. Arriving at Court this morning

wearing sunglasses and a black suit, the well-known tennis coach Jose

Felix Alvarez, who is accused of indecently assaulting two of his

pupils. Today, here at Guernsey's Royal Court, Advocate Calderwood

set out the prosecution's case in his opening statement. 47-year-old

Jose Felix Alvarez faces six charges of indecently assaulting

two young girls during their tennis lessons in the 1990s. Mr Alvarez

denies the charges. Reporting restrictions were imposed today,

banning the media from repeating much of the evidence heard. This

afternoon the court heard from the first alleged victim and more

prosecution witnesses are expected to give evidence tomorrow before

the defence begins its case. The trial is expected to last a

fortnight. Guernsey's politicians have

rejected plans to freeze their own pay for four years. It means their

salaries will go up in line with average earnings. Our reporter

Penny Elderfield was following the debate and joins me now live from

our Guernsey newsroom. Penny, firstly, why was this pay freeze

even a possibility? Since the current pay deal was

agreed, there's been an election. The thought was that a new

government might take a new stance on how much they should get paid.

So, a group of deputies brought forward plans that would have seen

their pay frozen till 2016. Arguing if the public were facing tough

times, they should all take a hit, too. In the private sector we have

had pay freezes, job losses, pay cuts. It is time that the link to

automatic pay increases in the public sector, which include

deputies, should be broken. large majority of the States were

against freezing their pay, why? The key argument was that in order

to attract a good range of candidates from a range backgrounds,

the salary has to remain attractive and be enough to allow people to do

it as their full-time job. Others said by sending out the message pay

freezes were acceptable, the private sector might take that on

board at a time when the States want to get the economy moving. And

then there were those that just didn't think this was a debate the

States should be having at all. is totally inappropriate. No

organisation should talk about its own day. Independent investigation

should be set up. So, the result of today's decision is that their

salary will go up each year in line with average earnings locally. But

that also means that if that figure doesn't increase, neither will

their pay. Sports in Jersey will get an extra

�100,000. It's to help the Island Games team get to the Bermuda Games

next year and invest in sport before the Games come to Jersey in

2015. It comes after concerns about the original travel costs,

estimated at �2,000 per athlete to get to Bermuda. More details have

emerged about a proposal for Jersey's Government to buy land at

Plemont. The Chief Minister wants to spend �8 million of public money

on the former Pontins holiday camp site and sell it to the National

Trust for Jersey for �2 million. They want to return the land to

nature. The proposals come as an independent inquiry is underway

into plans to build homes on the site, but the architect behind

those plans says its owners want �14 million if they are to sell.

Rubbish isn't usually a star visitor attraction, but for

businesses in Jersey, this week, it is! They're getting a rare look

inside the island's incinerator in a bid to make them think twice

about what they do with their waste. Our reporter, Nafisa Sayani, joined

them. It's a familiar sight on Jersey's

landscape, but ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the

island's incinerator? Well today, its doors have been opened to local

businesses so they can find out. As Eco-Active firms, they're leading

the way when it comes to recycling schemes and they have been invited

on a tour of the waste site, which is normally restricted to the

public. I just came because it is curious. You see this huge block

being built and you want to understand a bit more about it.

Seeing what it is being used for us quite reassuring. This tour is one

of a number of events happening during Recycle for Jersey Week,

aimed at spreading the recycling word. Bosses have even drafted in

the help of this handsome fellow. Known as Mr Robot and made of old

household appliances, he's been out and about all over the island. With

plans to make Recycle for Jersey Week an annual event, this could be

just the push needed to get the whole island all fired up about

waste. Generally we are becoming more and more aware of for Social

responsibility and we have got to continue. There was so much more

that be can do. We think it is important to start young and

hopefully it will become a lifestyle change and people will

just get into the habit of making good recycling decisions. With

plans to make Recycle for Jersey Week an annual event, this could be

just the push needed to get the whole island all fired up about

waste. You'll can see all of the publicly-owned Channel Islands oil

paintings in a new catalogue. It's been published by charity, the

Public Catalogue Foundation, which is putting together all the oil

paintings in public ownership in the UK. The Channel Islands volume

contains around 1,800 paintings on display and in storage. It's taken

three years to put together by islander Anne Binney with the help

of Fred Hohler, the founder of the charity. They believe it's an

important record. It shows the history of the islands

before photography. We have wonderful landscapes and portraits

from the early-day -- early days. It shows the scale of a lot of

local artists. The Channel Islands have kept all of their paintings in

their galleries, so what you're looking at is a family album. He is

a family photograph album and it tells this story of these islands.

I know of no other catalogue that has that story telling effect

uniquely within its covers. The poor weather has had an impact

on apple crops in Guernsey not good news if you're a local cider

company. But if you've got surplus supplies in your own garden perhaps

you can help. Oliver Farrimond reports.

Ripe and ready for pressing. But whilst the sun's out today, the

lack of it this year has had an impact here. And this is one of the

worst crops for years. It warned done, then went cold, was damp and

windy. Consequently, the blossoms did not set. That means it will be

able to make less cider. It'll be quite a balancing act keeping

everybody supplied next year. It does make my job more difficult.

For the last few years apple supplies have been topped up by the

public. Trading their own crop in for cash or the final product. And

the owners will be hoping for more than usual to make up the shortfall.

We have seen more people because we have been publicising it this year,

but what smaller quantities. Hopefully we will get about 10 tons

of apples. Ready to press, the next lot of apples it may not have been

the best of seasons. But everyone here will be hoping for a more

fruitful one next year Finally, a baby gorilla's been born at Durrell

wildlife park for the first time in nearly a decade. Mum, Hlala Kahilli,

gave birth this morning, which is dad Badongo's birthday. It's the

first offspring for the pair and was due in November, so it's early

arrival this morning came as a surprise to keepers.

We came in this morning and we found the mother with the infants

doing well. It was amazing for us. It is earlier than we expected, but

we obviously got our calculations a little bit wrong and missed the

meeting with her. It is fantastic news. We're really, really pleased.

There are more pictures of that arrival on good Jersey pictures

There is the chance of a few showers around tomorrow. It will be

breezy, as well. That changed tomorrow as this weather front is

weakening as it heads across us and it will bring some showers for a

time. At the time we get to Saturday to a weather front has

cleared away. We should see some sunshine for the weekend. For

tonight, there is a fair amount of cloud around overnight. It will be

dry initially tonight's, but in the early hours of the morning we might

start to see the Roger hour creeping in. The wind will increase

overnight. Temperatures will be no law than 12 degrees. First thing

tomorrow morning it will still be quite cloudy. There will be the

chance of some brighter spells, but by the end of the they think we

will be seeing the showers moving. It'll be breezy from the west and

south-west. We too have the isolated showers, but generally

Towards the weekend will see some fine and dry weather. I think on

Saturday we will will see a good deal of clear proof -- clear blue