MAYORAL D-DAYS AND WOOINGBy David Eade – Costa del Sol News
November will be the month PSOE in Ronda chooses its candidate for mayor at next year’s municipal elections. The current mayor, Antonio Marín, who defected from the Partido Andalucista to head a PSOE administration, is probably favourite. However it will be up to party members to decide and there is some disquiet that Marín and his fellow PA councillors have been shoe-horned in to the party.
Today (Thursday) Gaucín will probably elect its third mayor since the last election after the PP’s Francisco Ruíz finally stood down. It’s expected that the Partido Andalucista’s Francisco Macías will take over although he is one of three PA councillors accused of town planning offences and awaiting trial. The PA has four councillors, PSOE three and the PP holds the balance of power.
Finally Arriate is famous for being a communist municipality with Izquierda Unida firmly in control at the town hall but there are tensions. Now the socialists are suggesting that mayor Bernardino Gaona might stand for PSOE next May instead of the IU. The IU says Gaona has rejected the approach and PSOE in Arriate denies being involved putting the blame on the Ronda party.
NEW STADIUM
Ronda’s new Ciudad Deportiva will be inaugurated in November. It will have a new stand, changing rooms and floodlights. It can hold 1,500 spectators which is needed as the soccer team in Division 3 currently attracts attendances of over 1,000. The town hall has also signed an agreement with the regional government that will fund the construction of a new swimming pool.
ILLEGAL DRIVING
The local police in Ronda won’t name the driving school but it has been fined for having three cars on the road without insurance. Another vehicle has not passed its ITV road worthiness test. The discrepancies were discovered during a routine check and one car was towed away to the pound. Further checks discovered 14 had no insurance and nine no ITV.
SYMBOLIC SPEND
Partido Popular MP and Ronda councillor, Begonia Chacón, criticised the government for only allocating a symbolic amount, 100,000 euros, for the project to bring the AVE from Antequera to Ronda. It had been promised the work would start next year. PP has warned voters to beware of PSOE pre-election promises of major projects that like the Costa del Sol motorway are never built.
OWN LABEL
The bodegas of Ronda and the Serranía want their own denomination of origin, the wines are currently part of the Málaga province vineyards. This year’s grape harvest has reached 500,000 kilos which will produce 450,000 bottles, the majority of them red. There are 19 bodegas in the area - this year’s vintage is said to be of high quality at 14 degrees of alcohol.
GIANT EGGS
A mystery in Genalguacil where Juan Ramírez’s chicken has produced eggs so big they could be from an ostrich. Chicken eggs are normally 60 to 70 grams but these weigh 165 grams each. Vets have explained the giant eggs are due to the hen keeping them in its ovary duct for longer than usual. The eggs are now on display in Juan’s fridge.
