By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
The motorbike Grand Prix was held in Jerez last weekend and hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the event many by motorcycles. The traffic authorities and police mount a major security exercise to help prevent accidents but as this year people are still killed on the roads.
The worst of the weekend accidents was on Sunday at around 8.30 at Algodonales on the A-384 Ronda to Sevilla road. Two men aged 28 and 24 years old, both from Ronda, were killed in a multiple pile-up. Six other people suffered serious injuries.
One of the victims was a biker heading for the Jerez circuit when he crossed in to the lane for on-coming traffic and collided head on with a car travelling towards Algodonales. Both he and the young passenger in the car were killed.
Involved in the collision was another biker plus a car. The six injured aged between 24 and 39 years were taken to the hospital in Villamartín. Two have been kept in and whilst they were seriously injured they are not in a life threatening condition.
There were numerous other accidents in Cádiz province related to the Grand Prix. Apart from the two deaths in Algodonales 47 people were injured and first aid teams attended to 307 people at the Grand Prix circuit.
EROSKI DEVELOPMENT HITS ANOTHER SNAG
The major project to build Eroski’s largest commercial centre in Andalucía in Ronda has hit another snag. The property register has refused to issue a deed for the sale of the land to the company because of irregularities in the documentation.
One hitch is that the land was initially to be sold to the Grupo Ruiz Jurado but that was later changed to the Gestión de Proyectos Comerciales SL. The registry states the correct payments for this change have not been made.
The deeds cover the lands of the former football stadium and old fair ground that will be the site of the Eroski supermarket, numerous fashion shops, a cinema plus leisure complex along with a large car park. The town hall recently banked 3.5 million euros for the sale of the land.
The handling of the sale of the land has been highly criticised by opposition parties at the town hall – the Partido Popular and Izquierda Unida. In addition small and medium sized businesses have opposed the development as they fear it will kill the traditional shopping areas of Ronda.
For its part Ronda town hall says it is working to sort out these latest problems with the Eroski project. The last council meeting approved changes to the local development plan (PGOU) to allow the scheme to proceed.
FINISH IT
Ronda council at its last meeting till after the elections allocated 340,000 euros of tourism funding to complete the building meant to house Mueble Rondeño. Finished in 2006 with 1.2 million euros of regional government money it never did become a showcase for Ronda furniture. IU candidate for mayor, Rafael Ruíz, says nobody has any idea what the building will be used for.
GYPSY CELEBRATIONS
Gypsies head for Benarrabá on April 8 - 9 as it holds the first event dedicated to the Pueblo Gitano in the Serrania de Ronda. Benarrabá has one of the highest gypsy populations. There’ll be talks on gypsy history and their origin in Benarrabá, the gypsy flag will fly from the town hall plus there will be gypsy inspired food and entertainment.
DANGEROUS ROAD
There has been another accident on the A-397 Ronda to San Pedro road – the road in Málaga province with the second highest death toll. On this occasion a car collided with a van last Monday at 7.25 at km 18. The fire brigade and ambulance teams raced to the scene and an occupant of the car had to be cut from the wreckage.
RAJOY VISIT
It’s election time in Ronda. Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy spoke before 700 people to back Maripaz Fernandez as the party’s candidate for mayor. Meanwhile the Partido Andalucista’s Pilar González went to a notary to swear her party would not form a pact with PSOE as the socialists have absorbed the former PA mayor and councillors – all of whom were deemed political turncoats.
CRIME WATCH
National Police and Guardia Civil have set up a joint watch in Puerto Saúco and Ronda la Vieja. On March 24 six farms were robbed, one had six young pigs killed and over 20,000 euros of machinery was stolen. There has been a wave of such robberies for over a year. Now police will patrol as well as stopping and search passing vehicles.
CABLES GOING
Ronda is removing all the unsightly cabling from its historic old town. The project will take three years to complete. Work has started in the plaza de Mondragón with the power and telephone cables being laid underground. The project is being carried out by municipal employees working with Endesa. They recently removed the cables in the Patio de Santa Ana in Padre Jesús.
WALL CONCERTS
The historic Murallas del Carmen in Ronda date from the 8 th century Muslim period. Now they are to have a specially created space for outdoor summer concerts. Around 120,000 euros of job creation funds will be used to build a stage, changing rooms, toilets and install a lighting system. The work will be finished before the summer for the festival Cante Grande.
UNICAJA GOING
Unicaja has announced it is closing its branches in Cartajima and Alpandeire in the Serrania de Ronda. Another three closures in the Serranía are being considered, all only open for limited hours. The mayors and residents of the zone are angry as this could leave them without banking services. Other banks are being approached to see if they will take over the premises.
BRONZE CHESTNUTS
Igualeja has inaugurated its new plaza de Andalucía with a fountain in which the centrepiece is a bronze statute of man and woman gathering chestnuts in a sack. The chestnut is a major source of income in Igualeja and the surrounding villages – all of whom sent their mayors for the celebrations. The 1.87m high statue is by the celebrated Granada sculptor Venancio Sánchez.
NO POISON
Ronda has signed an accord with the Fundación Gypaetus with the objective of working to eliminate the use of poison bait in the municipality. Many animals die each year from eating the bait laid in the rural areas largely dogs and birds. Ronda will now be linked to the network of town halls that are working to stamp out this illegal practice.
