DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY JUNE 10, 2010

OVERHEAD CABLES TO GO

By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

Ronda wants all the unsightly power cables removed from its streets. The new councillor for tourism, Francisco Cañestro, said the town hall would be working to have these power lines removed because they create a negative image for the tourists who visit the historic town.

To start the process the municipality intends to sign an agreement of collaboration with the electricity company Endesa. It is intended that the works department would co-operate with the power supplier.

Cañestro explained the work would be carried out “street by street”. He has set a deadline for all the cables to be removed over a two year period so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy the artistic and architectural heritage of Ronda. The cables used for street lighting would all be placed underground.

CHARITY CALL
Caritas, the Catholic charity, allocated 43 per cent of its budget in Ronda last year to helping those in need who had called on its assistance. Spokesperson Enriqueta Carrillo said its aid to the impoverished had increased by 13 per cent over the previous year. It helped 927 families with 4,818 different actions including food packages, paying rent, mortgages and settling bills.

PICK POCKETS
Ronda police have issued an alert after a wave of pick pocketing was reported at the market and in the town. Last month there were over 20 reported cases and six people were arrested. Fourteen officers in plainclothes and uniform are patrolling the most vulnerable areas of the town. As the amounts stolen are rarely over 400 euros it’s an offence not a crime.

MORE JOBLESS
After three months of decline in the jobless numbers May saw Ronda’s total rise again and there are now 4,159 on the dole. Women still dominate the total with 2,184 (five less) whilst the number of men has risen by 14 to1,975. The mayor stressed the town hall was starting its fifth jobless packed which would give short term work to 50 people.

CINE RONDA
Twenty-two students from18 countries will spend 14 weeks in Ronda this summer on a post-graduate course in film making. It is being sponsored by the Spanish ministry of culture and Unicaja bank. The Media Business School is organised the event in conjunction with the national institute of cinematography and the visual arts. The studies will concentrate on the production and distribution of films.

NO RESPECT
An official at Ronda’s court has reported to El Mundo newspaper that Guardia Civil, lawyers and those attending hearings do not respect the anti-smoking law and use cigarettes at their workplaces which is prohibited by this legislation. He has also reported their behaviour to the provincial authority and the Andalucía justice ministry. He complained of suffering headaches and asthma from the smoke.

SLEEP DRIVING
A Ronda police patrol found a car in the middle of the street in the early hours of the morning with the drive asleep at the wheel. The 59-year-old local man was given a breath test which was four times over the limit. He was arrested, the car immobilised and faces having six points on his licence and a fine of upto1,800 euros.

CABLE THIEVES
There has been a wave of robberies in Ronda of electricity cable. The thieves disguise themselves as employees of Sevillan-Endesa or the town hall and make off with the municipal power wiring from the street lighting sometimes causes blackouts. Police say the losses amount to thousands of euros and the culprits then sell the wire on the black market to the building trade.

HISTORIC PROBLEM
For years Benarrabá has had a problem – the pumping of water to dwellings and businesses. The cost of operating the pumps has left it with an 180,000 euros debt to the electricity company. To solve the problem it has been carrying out a search for water reserves in the hills above the village so that the decent will create its own pressure.

RONDA ANTEQUERA
There is a new bus service connecting Ronda with the AVE station at Santa Ana in Antequera that also serves Archidona, Teba and Campillos. It is run by the Casado company and there are five buses at day from Ronda’s terminus with a ticket costing 3.60 to Santa Ana and 4.50 to Antequera town. The service was officially launched last week in Ronda.

TWO PROCESSIONS
The town of Arriate is celebrating two Corpus Christi processions in June. The first was on June 6, the traditional day for these religious services in Spain. However by papal agreement many years ago the community was allowed to have its procession much later in the month so the men who went away to work in the fields could return after the harvest.