Chisinau Municipality in 2014

IPN has summed up the most remarkable events, decisions and initiatives seen by the Chisinau Municipality in 2014.
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• Jan.13: The Chisinau City Hall launches a hotline of the Health Department, 022 272714, where people can report health-related problems.

• Jan.14: A number of hospital subdivisions are re-inaugurated after extensive repair: the Department of Acute Respiratory Diseases at the children's Hospital no.1; the Department or Airborne Infections at the children's Hospital of Communicable Diseases; and the Trauma&Orthopedics Department at the children's Hospital “Valentin Ignatenco”.

• Jan.30: The Municipality adopts the 2014 Budget, providing for revenues of 2.693 billion lei, spending of 2.873 billion lei, and a deficit of 180 million lei.

• Feb.14: A selection of poems by Grigore Vieru is launched by the Municipality to mark the birthday of the late poet.

• Mar.5: Actor and director Mihai Volontir becomes Honorary Citizen of Chisinau, receiving the Municipality's highest distinction.

• Apr.2: The Museum of the City of Chisinau, colloquially known as the Water Tower, is illuminated in blue to support the World Autism Awareness Week.

• May 1: A devastating fire destroys 28 apartments in the mansard roof atop a Botanica building. The Municipality decides to suspend the construction of mansard roofs until a strict regulation is adopted.

• May 12: A bust to Karl Schmidt, Mayor of Chisinau in 1877-1903, is unveiled in the Philharmonic Square.

• May 13: The Emergency Department at the Holy Trinity Hospital resumes work after a repair that cost the Municipality 4 million lei.

• Jun.17: Dorin Chirtoaca presents a report to mark the 7th anniversary of his mayoralty.

• Jul.7: The Municipal Library “B.P. Hasdeu” launches Trolleybook, a mobile library at the entrance to the park Valea Trandafirilor.

• Jul.31: Work starts on a roundabout at the junction of Moscova Blvd and the streets Alecu Russo, Kiev, and Bogdan-Voievod.

• Aug.31: Among many other events held to celebrate the Day of the Romanian Language, the Municipality has invited the public to test their grammar skills and win prizes in a dictation organized together with the State University's Faculty of Letters.

• Sept.6: A fresco by Polish artists is unveiled to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of communism in Central Europe. The painting, called Butterflies of Freedom, is located on a building at 64 Decebal Blvd.

• Sept.16: The Municipal Council suspends a contract to rehabilitate the boulevards Stefan cel Mare and Negruzzi and Vasile Alecsandri St, after an investigating committee found the contractor violated the terms of the agreement.

• Sept.16: The popular singer Sofia Rotaru receives her Honorary Citizen distinction, which was conferred on her in 2013.

• Sept. 22: A “fourth generation” trolleybus made in Belarus is put on the roads of Chisinau.

• Oct.14: Festivities are held to mark Chisinau's Day, traditionally celebrated on the city's saint patron's day, called in Romanian “hram”. In his festive speech, Mayor Chirtoaca stated that Chisinau, being an European city, would be the capital of a EU country within 10 years.

• Oct.21: The Municipal Council adopts the city's 2014-2025 Public Transportation Strategy, which provides for infrastructure renovations and such novelties as e-ticketing and GPS tracking.

• Oct.23: The Mayor's Office orders all kiosks on Alecu Russo St to be removed or relocated to make room for a road extension project.

• Nov.1: The Municipality modifies some minibus routes, after earlier removing others altogether.

• Nov.3: A group of internally displaced people from the Transnistrian region occupy the City Hall's main chamber for two weeks in protest for not being allowed to privatize the apartments offered by the Municipality.

• Dec.1: Winter festivities begin with a tree-lighting ceremony in the Great Assembly Square.

• Dec.19: Honorary Citizen distinctions are conferred on actor and director Ion Ungureanu, author Vladimir Besleaga, and the Master of the Folk Dance Ensemble “Joc” Vladimir Curbet.

• Dec.23: The Municipality awards the city's best athletes and coaches with diplomas and 10,000 lei prizes. The top 10 athletes are Stepan Dimitrov (taekwondo), Vladislav Arventi (taekwondo), Dumitru Captari (weightlifting), Sergiu Cechir (weightlifting) Oleg Sârghi (weightlifting), Victor Ialimov (boxing), Victor Carapcevschi (boxing), Dan Olaru (shooting), Andrian Mardare (athletics) and Alexandru Chirtoaca (freestyle wrestling). The men's and women's rugby teams were also awarded.
  
  Elena Nistor, IPN