JUNE START FOR EROSKI COMMERCIAL CENTREBy David Eade
The Eroski supermarket group will start on its long awaited commercial centre in Ronda in June. When completed it will be its largest in Andalucía.
Mayor Antonio Marín Lara has confirmed that work will begin at 10.00 on Monday June 8. The first action will be to demolish the municipal sports complex that currently sits on the site. This and the subsequent construction works are expected to take two years to complete. Marín Lara added that the construction company – Grupo Ruiz Jurado – had also promised to remove the former fair ground pavilions which are in a poor state and are located on adjacent ground.
The old soccer stadium that forms part of the sports complex will be given a formal farewell. It has been in operation for 40 years and a game between Ronda and a Malaga representative side will be staged between June 1 and 7. Ronda’s soccer team and the other sporting activities that in the past have been held at the old stadium will now move to the new Ciudad Deportiva.
The arrival of Eroski in the town of the Tajo has been a tortuous affair. It was 10 years ago that the supermarket group first announced that it intended to create a commercial centre in Ronda put its bid has been plagued by planning issues. The company’s decision to purchase the sports complex finally opened the door for the scheme to proceed. However the small and medium sized traders in Ronda’s traditional shopping centre are far from happy fearing the new Eroski complex will ruin their livelihoods.
OLD COURT HOUSE TO BE SEMANA SANTA MUSEUMThe former court house that has recently been employed as the office for the new local development plan (PGOU) will become the future Semana Santa museum.
Deputy mayor Francisco Cañestro along with the councillor for Fiestas, Antonio Palma, announced the move. Cañestro stated that the building in the calle Armiñán – in the heart of the historic quarter – would be an ideal museum space and given its location would be assured of many visitors.
The museum will occupy over 400 square metres on the lower floor and above will be the town planning office. The 750,000 euros required to convert the building will come from State funds as part of the Zapatero economic crisis scheme. The project has been under discussion for 15 years and the museum will finally have a permanent home.
CHAMBER MUSICThe prestigious Camerata de Madrid will give a concert at the Convento Santo Domingo in Ronda at 20.00 on Saturday May 23. The event is sponsored by Unicaja and the chamber orchestra is making a tour of the province which ends on Sunday. Also on Thursday May 21 at 21.00 at the same venue the chamber orchestra of the Hamburg Symphony are performing a concert of the works of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Paganini and Strauss.
CHEERS SCHU
On May 13 and 14 the seven times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher was at the Ascari race track in Ronda. He visited the circuit at the invitation of the drinks company Bacardi along with 50 guests as part of its “Beber Responsablemente – Drink responsibly” campaign. Schumacher was impressed by the facilities at Ascari which he described at “very special” and “unique”.
7,000 PARTICIPANTS
This year’s 101 km race in Ronda attracted over 7,000 entrants – 2,431 runners, 3,376 mountain bikers and 575 dual competitors. It was the 13 th edition of the now famous event which is organised by Spanish Legion as part of its anti-drugs campaign. Over 40,000 oranges, 35,000 bananas, 20,200 litres of water and 13,500 litres of special drinks were laid on for the contestants. In addition 25,000 people are said to have visited Ronda to watch the event.
ROAD INVESTMENT
Over the year 2008 - 2009 the municipalities of Benaoján and Genalguacil will have received 2.6 million euros in investment for road and infrastructure projects. The Málaga deputy for local development and rural roads has visited the two areas to see for herself what was needed and to supervise the works programme. The monies are virtually equally split between the two zones.
PICASSO VISIT
Unicaja is staging its Arco ’09 exhibition in Ronda till June 13. On display will be works of art that the bank acquired at February’s international contemporary art fair in Madrid. Amongst the exhibits will be a piece by Picasso (see above) and others by Andalucía artists. The exhibition is open from 12.00 -14.00 & 18.00 - 20.00 Monday to Friday plus 12.00 – 14.00 on Saturday at the Sala deExposiciones de la Fundación Unicaja in the Calle Pedro Romero, 2.
HAM FEST
El Circulo de Artistas in Ronda will host on Sunday May 24 at noon the VII Concurso de Cortadores de Jámon. The event will be in the hands of the Corbacho family who have won many national prizes for their ham cutting skills. The purpose of the competition is to encourage, develop and recognise the professional methods of cutting the celebrated jámon Serrano.
COUNCILLOR GONE
Ronda’s PSOE councillor for finance and tourism – and a former mayor – Isabel Aguilera has resigned. She is taking over a post with the regional government at the ministry of agriculture where Aguilera will be in charge of sustainable development in rural areas. This is the fourth resignation from the council and will require another reorganisation of the ruling Partido Andalucista – PSOE coalition.
