DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 2011

INDICATIONS OF CRIMINALITY


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The former mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, and his ex councillor of public works, José Herrera, will be called again before the local court to answer charges they broke the town planning laws by giving permission for a building to be constructed in the Hoya del Tajo.

The court is now at the stage of oral hearings ahead of a full trial being ordered if the judge finds “indications of criminality” as has been suggested in judicial reports.

The added spice in the case is that the former Partido Andalucista mayor Antonio Marín (now the spokesperson for PSOE on the council) was in coalition at the time with the Partido Popular and José Herrera is of the PP. PSOE were ousted at the last election and now Ronda is governed by a PP-PA coalition so revenge is on the cards.

The case dates back to 2006 when Ecoligistas en Acción discovered an agricultural building had been constructed illegally in the Hoya del Tajo, an area that enjoys environmental protection. The environmentalists notified the Policía Autonómica who carried out an investigation and sent a report to the prosecutor who brought court proceedings.

When Marín was called to give evidence he insisted he had no responsibility for the building as the matter was in the hands of his councillor for public works José Herrera who had insisted it was legal.

Of course it clearly isn’t and both Marín and Herrera will now face a full trial. Also in the dock will be the owner of the building but he insists that he only proceeded because he was assured it was legal and the town hall had issued the licences.

RONDA’S FOUR YEAR AUDIT

On taking control of Ronda town hall the Partido Popular – Partido Andalucista coalition announced that the municipality was bankrupt. It has ordered an external audit to determine where the money has gone. The investigation will be solely on the previous four years when Antonio Marín was mayor.

First he governed with his Partido Andalucista councillors in a coalition with the PP then when he broke that pact, he and all his PA councillors quit the party and become non-aligned whilst forming a coalition with PSOE. Both Marín and his former PA councillors then became members of the socialist party and he was their candidate for mayor in May.

At a council meeting held last Thursday night whilst approving the audit the proposal put forward by Marín for its to cover the past three legislatures was roundly rejected. Both the PP and PA had included in their election manifestos a promise of an audit and they insist that pledge is now being honoured.

Both the mayor Maripaz Fernández (PP) and her deputy Isabel Barriga (PA) have spoken of the town hall’s finances being in ruin. In addition they have accused Marín and the socialists of “ill fated economic management” over a three year period and have referred the accounts to the State auditing body.

MUSICAL HOME

A recent session of Ronda council decided that when the Giner de los Rios College is returned to the town hall’s ownership it will be used as the future home of the Municipal Music School. Councillors were very keen the building should be reserved for educational uses and it will also be home to the municipal band. The move was opposed by PSOE.

EROSKI GO

Málaga’s commission for town planning which falls under the Andalucía ministry of public works - housing has given its approval for the lands of Ronda’s old fair ground to be given over to commercial use. The site is adjacent to the former football ground which means that all the land required for the Eroski commercial centre has now been freed by the regional government.

FUNDING LOST

PIAGRO, which represents the agriculture sector in the Ronda area has issued a statement condemning the poor management of the previous council led by Antonio Marín. The Andalucía ministry of agriculture had offered a subvention of 250,000 euros to repair rural roads severely damaged by the heavy rains. However the cash has been lost because of numerous errors in the town hall’s application.

ECO WINE

The Andalucía government is very keen to boost the production of ecological wines. The Málaga delegate for this sector, Mónica Bermúdez, has allocated 380,000 euros for Thalassa Taller de Vino in Ronda as its contribution to the 1.4 million euro project to establish an ecological bodega at the finca Corchero. Thalassa is made up of local, Spanish and overseas businesses committed to eco-wines.

NEW ACCESS

The regional government projects to create two new access points in to Ronda may be frozen till next year because of lack of funds but work is underway to create a new southern roundabout to serve the San Rafael –San Jorge quarters. It is due to be completed in six months and is being funded by the town hall with an ICO loan.

SUPPORT PLEDGE

The Andalucía minister of culture, Paulino Plata, has written to the mayors of Ronda and Antequera to reiterate his ministry’s support for the candidacy of both towns for UNESCO World Hertitage status. Ronda is basing its candidacy on its natural beauty, the famous Tajo gorge and its bridges. However Ronda has ruled out a joint application with Antequera and will go it alone.

ROBBED CUEVAS

The mayor and councillors of Cuevas del Becerro have threatened to lock themselves in the town hall unless the 380,000 euros taken by the former municipal secretary – accountant is repaid. The theft was denounced in 2009 and in May 2010 the former employee was ordered by the court to pay 400,000 euros. This has not been done nor have his assets been embargoed.

POSTER ROW

Atajate is furious with the nearby village of Montejaque. Atajate held a competition for its fair poster using Tuenti and Facebook with the Sevilla artist Raúl Castellano beating 29 entrants. However the poster for Montejaque’s fair is virtually identical with just the names changes. In its defence Montejaque says its poster was a year in the making and used images from the internet.

SAGE ADVICE

An interesting initiative in Ronda where past mayors since democracy was declared in Spain have been formed in to a council of wise men. Last week the PP mayor Maripaz Fernández met with Juan Harrillo, Juan Fraile, Juan Benítez and José Herrera for the first of these encounters. The idea is they meet quarterly to give advice and suggestions to the current administration.

DATELINE RONDA MONDAY JUNE 9, 2011

YOUTH ACCUSED OF MARÍA ESTHER’S MURDER PLEADS INNOCENCE


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The 17-year-old youth arrested over the murder of María Esther Jiménez Villegas in Arriate in January has declared his innocence before the prosecutor of minors in Málaga. The 13-year-old victim was found in a swimming pool pump house behind the village just 24 hours after her disappearance on January 19 and had been brutally murdered by a violent blow to the head.

The lawyer for María Esther’s family, Bárbara Royo, said the youth had not admitted to the crime as he believes there is insufficient evidence to prove his guilt. She added he had refused to answer any questions and maintains he shouldn’t even stand trial let alone be convicted.

However Royo went to on to state that the biological evidence gathered by the Guardia Civil “in this case is very clear” and it has not been necessary to request more tests at this stage of the court process. In the lawyer’s opinion there has been no problems with the investigation, all is clear even if the youth declares his innocence.

During the testimony the 17-year-old complained about his treatment in detention but the family’s lawyer said this was just a ploy by his defence lawyer to discredit the investigation.

The accused was arrested in Arriate just two weeks after María Esther’s murder. Investigators found her blood on a sport’s shoe belonging to the youth after they search the house where he lived with his family. The Guardia Civil arrested him after DNA tests also linked him with the crime.

The Málaga youth court ordered the accused’s detention in February and he can be held at a centre for six months. It is possible for that to be extended by three months but after that period he must be released.

The parents of María Esther had moved to Arriate to seek work. They have now left the village and returned to Paterna de la Rivera in Cádiz province in an attempt to restart their lives.

LESS DEBT

According to a ministry of the economy report on the level of debt at Spain’s town halls Ronda in 2010 owed 13.418 million euros which is 4.1 million euros less than in the previous year. This makes Ronda proportionally the least indebted town hall in Málaga province. However back in 2008 the debt stood at 18,871 making Ronda the most indebted after Benelmádena.

MARIPAZ MAYOR

If all goes to plan on Saturday Maripaz Fernández will be the PP mayor of Ronda. Her party have pacted with the Partido Andalucista; its leader Isabel Barriga will be deputy mayor. PP take the key posts but it is a return to power for the PA which controlled the last administration before the mayor and eight councillors defected to PSOE.

KNIFE ATTACK

A man aged between 40 and 50 caused alarm at Ronda’s Sur health centre when he threatened a doctor with a knife last Tuesday morning. He shouted insults at staff and patients fled to the reception area. Police soon arrived, the man was tranquilised and after being taken to the emergency unit at Ronda’s hospital was transferred to the Málaga mental illness unit.

HOME GROWN

The National Police have raided a house in Ronda and arrested a 21-year-old woman and 27-year-old man both of whom are accused of growing marihuana on the premises. The couple had set up a nursery to cultivate the illegal plants with heat lamps, thermostats and pump driven ventilation systems. Officers confiscated ten plants and seeds which have been destroyed by the health authority.

NO HANDICAP

Montejaque has put into effect the first guided walks for handicapped people. This is the first initiative of its kind in Europe and allows those with various physical handicaps to enjoy the walking experiences for which Montejaque is internationally famous. They can now experience the Serranía de Ronda and Grazalema national park taking the route to La Raspa which is 900 metres high.

WATER AWARD

The Plataforma Cueveña del Agua has been awarded the Dragona Iberia 2011 prize by a foundation dedicated to promoting a new culture in guarding and using water resources. The Cuevas del Becerro action group works to defend the valuable water aquifers in the Sierra de Morinos, Carrasco and Bobollón which are under threat from urban and golf developments in the Serranía de Ronda.

HOW MANY

The Partido Popular has reported irregularities in the electoral census in Atajate, Málaga province’s smallest municipality. The party’s candidate Julio Sánchez says at the 2009 European elections the number of voters was 127 but this rose to 157 in May adding such an increase is rare amongst so few residents. He suspects voter fraud with votes going to ruined houses and non-existent properties.

CLASSIC RALLY

Lovers and owners of vintage cars and motorbikes should head for Benalauría on Sunday when the municipality in the lower Genal valley holds its first rally. Participants have to enrol between 9 and 11 then set off for the Mirador del Genal in neighbouring Algatocín. Details of the events and how to get to Benalauría can be found on the town hall’s website.

TEACHER ASSAULT

The 19-year-old boyfriend of a 17-year-old pupil at the Martín Rivero school in Ronda attacked her teacher in an access way to the educational centre at 8.00 on Friday. The youth pushed the teacher to the ground inflicting light injuries. The incident was reported to the National Police who arrested the lad from Pontevedra. The attack is said to have been education related.

NIGHT SHOPPING

Ronda’s calle Nueva is to open on selected Friday nights over the summer months in an effort to beat the economic crisis. Many people pass through the central street to shop in the Carrera Espinel known as La Bola. However there are bars, restaurants, shops, hotels in the calle Nueva and traders say whilst tourists shop there currently the people of Ronda don’t.

BLUE MOVIE

The normally white village of Júzcar in the Serranía de Ronda has turned blue. The media giant Sony is to blame as it has selected Júzcar as being the most like the Pueblo Pitufo featured in the movie for its world wide publicity campaign. The film Los Pitufos 3D launches in the USA on August 3 and here in Spain two days later.

PENSIONER ALERT

The local police in Ronda have alerted the elderly to take a family member with them when they go to collect their pension from the bank or cash machine. This follows a recent attack and robbery on a vulnerable pensioner. The police say such small robberies are the most common in the town and tourists should also be alert when using cash machines.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2011

MUNICIPAL LIGHTS ABOUT TO GO OUT IN ATAJATE AND IGUALEJA


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

As the municipal elections approach the town halls in Atajate and Igualeja could be plunged in to darkness. The Serranía de Ronda electricity company is about to pull the plug because it says the bills have gone unpaid for a number of years.

The amounts involved are not small either given the low populations in both communities. Igualeja is said to owe 407,000 euros which dates back over 15 years. The actual use of electricity is 192,000 euros, the huge balance is in interest.

Atajate, which is the smallest municipality in Málaga province with just 186 residents, owes 91,368 euros. Of that over 61,000 euros is in electricity and the rest interest.

The electricity company says it has reached the end of its tether. Phone calls to the town halls to discuss the matter have gone unanswered and registered letters have produced no resolution so the cutting of supply is the only other option.

Atajate and Igualeja are not alone and many of the town halls of the Cuenca del Guadiaro and Valle del Genal have collective debts of over one million euros with the company.

However municipalities such as Benaoján, Jimera de Líbar, Jubrique and Benadalid have reached agreement with the Serranía de Ronda electricity company to make occasional payments to reduce their debt.

TOP HAM

The Corbacho family own the Casa del Jamón in Ronda. They’re famous for the hams they sell and their cutting skills. Lourdes Corbacho should know her father, husband and brother have all been acclaimed as “maestros” of the art. Not to be outdone Lourdes has joined them being the first woman to enter and win at the Salón de Gourmets contest in Madrid.

PARK ACCESS

Ronda wants its gardens enjoyed by everybody including blind people or those with impaired eyesight. Hence the tourism department’s campaign to erect small signs at the entrance to each garden with information in Braille. The signs tell the visitor the garden’s layout, its key points of interest, where the entrances and exits are, locations of toilets and what plants can be found there.

WITHDRAW IT

The electoral authority covering the Ronda area has given the mayor Antonio Marín 24 hours to withdraw the publicity on planned projects entitled Ronda 2015. Marín who is standing for PSOE but was elected previously for the Partido Andalucista was taken to court last Monday by PP accusing him of obstruction and misusing public funds by paying for the material with municipal funds.

FIVE STAR

After years of dispute between Ronda and the owners of the historic Casa del Rey Moro the project to create a five-star hotel in the ruined building is gaining momentum. The protected mansion overlooks the Tajo gorge and in presenting plans for the improvement and restoration of the Casa del Rey Moro the owners say it will cost 2.5 million euros to complete.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY APRIL 14, 2011

SPECTACULAR TAJO LIGHT AND SOUND DISPLAY


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

“A light and sound experience that is unique in the world” is how Ronda’s councillor for tourism described plans for an extravaganza using the Tajo gorge as a backdrop.

To make the “Ronda Experience” a reality will cost three million euros. The light and sound spectacle has been created by Manuel Coronado, a company that is the international reference point for such displays having staged similar projects on the Egyptian Pyramids and at Expo 92.

The plan is to project giant images on to the cliffs of the Tajo and the Puente Nuevo. The area to be covered covers 120 metres in height and 500 metres in width. The images would reflect the origins and history of Ronda through the Roman and Arab epochs, water vapour would pour beneath the bridge, birds would fly and the town’s links with bullfighting and the Goyesca feria would be displayed.

The soundtrack would rely for its scripting on historians and researchers. The images would be projected from ten cabins in the Molinos del Tajo area situated at the foot of the cliff face. The images will be visible for 15 kilometres and says the tourist office would attract thousands of people to Ronda and boost night stays in its hotels.

However the first phase it to find the funding required for the project. The hope is that the various levels of government will contribute to the three million euros budget. Little is likely to happen before the May elections and of course a change in administration could make the Ronda Experience short lived.

Jardines de Cuenca reopen this month

Ronda’s celebrated and historic Jardines de Cuenca overlooking the Tajo gorge will be reopened to the public this month. The mayor and his wife, who happens to be the councillor responsible for parks and gardens, visited the site last week and reported the work is 95 per cent completed.

The project has been funded with over 211,000 euros from an ICO loan to improve the tourism infrastructure of the town. New furnishings have been installed in the gardens and the height of the wall above the gorge has been increased. In addition over 1,000 roses have been planted from 65 different species.

MAYOR ACCUSED

The case surrounding the diversion of Grazalema’s river and the building of homes on the old river bed is returning to court. The judge has finalised the preliminaries and ten people will face trial including the PSOE mayor of Grazalema and the former mayor. They are accused of bribery, obstructing justice, carrying out businesses prohibited to public officials and town planning law violations.

JOBLESS UP

The number of unemployed in Ronda grew again in March rising to 4,669 from 4,602. Men were the hardest hit sector with a rise of 84 cases bringing the total to 2,249 whilst the number of women has dropped by 17 to 2,420. Women still dominate the totals. Of the new contracts on offer the majority are temporary; agriculture took up most workers.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The training section of the Andalucía health service dedicated to domestic violence is working with nurses in emergency units to enable them to detect cases of women who have suffered abuse. Currently these courses are being held in hospitals in Ronda and La Línea but will be extended to all medical centres in due course. Often these nurses are the victim’s first contact.

STRONG WINDS

Residents of the Ronda area woke up last Wednesday morning to find that 80 km an hour winds had left a trail of destruction overnight. One woman was injured after a lamp post fell on her. Trees were toppled crashing on to cars – eight vehicles were damaged in the Patronato Militar alone and a large pine fell on the hospital’s parking area.

MASS OPPOSITION

PSOE in Ronda is feeling the heat from the PP, PA and IU ranged against it. The problem is the socialists absorbed the former PA mayor and his fellow councillors who were officially labelled political turncoats. The PA has sworn it will not pact with PSOE and the socialists say the PP, PA and IU have a secret agreement to keep them out.

RURAL CINEMA

The second edition of cinemáscampo is being held in Benarrabá, Benalauría, Júcar, Jimera de Líbar, Cartajima and Cortes de la Frontera in conjunction with the CEDER rural development programme. The object is to bring dynamism to the rural communities and especially young people in small municipalities through short films with workshops on production and script writing in conjunction with Ronda and Málaga University.

DODGY MAYOR

The socialist mayor of Alpandeire in the Serranía de Ronda, Gabriel Jiménez, will still be number one on the party’s list for the town hall elections despite being recently accused of receiving stolen heavy machinery. The Guardia Civil say he received construction equipment that had been stolen on the coast. Jiménez insists he was set up and never new the machinery was illicit.

SUSPICIOUS NUMBERS

The national statistics institute (INE) and the office of electoral registration have voiced their suspicion over the number of residents added to the roll in seven municipalities of Málaga province, five of them in the Serranía de Ronda and are investigating. They say the increase cannot be justified in these small communities: Benarrabá, Genalguacil, Atajate, Faraján and Jubrique along with Sedella and Totalán.

OPPOSITION MOUNTS TO COAST MOTORWAY LINK

OPPOSITION MOUNTS TO COAST MOTORWAY LINK


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

Ecological groups, Los Verdes, residents associations and other organisations have presented a catalogue of objections to the proposed Ronda to Costa del Sol toll motorway.

The regional government is in the process of publishing the study carried out in to the viability of the route. It has established the construction would cost 350 million euros for the 32.8 kilometres from Ronda to San Pedro de Alcántara. Current travel times of 50 minutes would be slashed to just 20.

The date for presenting allegations against the project passed on Monday of last week. However the ecologists have asked the Andalucía ministry of public works to extend it as the study has not yet been put on public display by the town halls through whose municipalities the route passes for all to examine it.

The ecologists oppose the road because they say a new motorway is not necessary and it will bring a mass of urbanisation in its wake although that has to be questioned in the present economic climate. They have also proposed major improvement to the existing road – one of the major black spots in the Málaga road network.

In 2007 the then minister for public works, Concepción Gutiérrez said the road would be completed in 2012. Now it is clear it is unlikely to even have started by then.

However the ecologists have said from the start that such a road would have a great negative impact on the environment and would pass through areas declared of Community Interest by the EU because of their valuable flora and fauna. They have also raised fears that the construction could free potentially cancer causing materials that have been covered for over 20 years.

The spokesperson for Izquierda Unida, Rafael Ruiz, has said his party has presented no comments on the plans for the simple reason they do not believe it is a serious project but just an electoral ploy to gain votes.

RONDA’S HOMAGE TO KEN LOACH

Many major names attended Ronda’s first political film festival held all last week at the Convento de Santo Domingo conference centre. Amongst them was Spain’s internationally famous campaigning judge Baltasar Garzón. Yet pride of place went to the veteran British film director Ken Loach who received a special ‘Goyesca de Honor’ for his life’s work at this cutting edge of socially orientated cinema.

Loach is renowned for his social comment films. He received his ‘Goyesca’ last Friday evening from his collaborator screenwriter Paul Laverty. A number of films on which they have worked together were shown over the week.

Amongst the Loach films shown was his latest Route Irish. This involves two young Irishmen who have known each other from school. They decide to go to Iraq as part of a security team earning 10,000 pounds tax free a month.

One of the lads Frankie dies in Iraq and his friend Fergus returns to Liverpool and anger by the cover up of his death starts his own investigation. Loach was on hand with Laverty to talk to the audience about this film and other shown during the festival.

The festival which featured ten films amongst its official entries attracted large audiences. Over 200 university students and 700 pupils studying for their Bachillerato attended the various screenings and sessions along with members of the public.

The fledgling Ronda festival has now been linked with the festival of political cinema in Buenos Aires which will be held next March. The director of the first Ronda event, Piluca Baquero, was to promote synergies between the two festivals and not to compete. The Ronda festival is the first of its kind in Europe and the event in Buenos Aires will be the first on that continent.

FIVE YEAR JAIL TERM FOR OLIVE GROVE BLAZE

The Málaga prosecutor is seeking a five-year jail term for a man who is accused of starting a fire that destroyed or damaged 16 hectares of olive groves in Ronda. The ecological damage and loss of trees has been put at 67,600 euros.

The fire ignited on August 28 2007 when the accused “started the fire that caused environmental damage”. It occurred in the area known as Los Frontones on a plot of land. Because of the dry summer and the high winds at the time the flames raced along and up the high terrain with great virulence and were a major danger to those in the area.

The fire was finally put out on August 30 and covered 16.07 hectares of which 15.25 were forest land with the rest agricultural. Amongst those attending the inferno were eight environment agents, 15 fire specialists, support groups, five fire engines, five helicopters and two aircraft – all of which cost 46,216 euros.

The prosecutor says that apart from the jail term the man should be fined 16,200 euros and also pay the specialist fire fighting organization Infoca 46,200 euros – its costs in fighting the blaze. In addition another 67,670 euros should be paid to the Andalucía ministry of the environment for the damage and losses.



HANDICAPPED HOME

Ronda will have a residence for handicapped people before 2012. The regional government is funding the project with 1.2 million euros. The town hall will have to finance a similar amount which will come from the sale of the former football ground to Eroski. Located in La Isla building which is 55 per cent constructed it will have a swimming pool and solarium.

THIEVES ALERT

Farmers in Ronda have met with the local and National Police as well as the Guardia Civil to ask for improved security because of the wave of robberies on their lands. Mostly the thieves make off with young cattle, chestnuts and olives. As a result of the meeting the town hall will meet with the 700 members of Asaja to discuss the issue.

OPERATING NORMALLY

Ronda hospital which serves the town, Serranía and parts of the Sierra de Cádiz has returned to normal after 50 operations had to be cancelled in a single week due to the lack of anaesthetists. The health authority has now added another specialist to the staff with a further addition due in the near future. The hospital had five of its allotted seven anaesthetists.

FIRE BREAK

The regional government has invested over a million euros in upgrading the Forest Defence Centre in Ronda. The landing area has been extended so it can now cater for seven helicopters. A giant water reservoir has also been created holding 200 million litres of water which can be used by the helicopters and land based crews to fight forest fires in the region.

JOBLESS UP

November saw a rise in the number of people unemployed in Ronda. The new total is 4,441 which is 113 more than in October. Since the start of 2010 the number of jobless in the town has risen by 284. The majority of those out of work are women. The town hall has created a number of job creation schemes to boost employment.

NOT ME

Again the mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, has appeared before the courts and claimed others were responsible for the offences he is accused of. In this instance the case surrounds his publication La Gaceta de Lunes which published confidential information about the president of the PP’s Nuevas Generaciones. Marín said he was blameless - he didn’t approve their publication it was PSOE’s political secretary.

POLITICAL FRICTION

Friction between the Partido Popular and Partido Andalucista in Montejaque. The PA spokesperson, Cristóbal González has dumped the party, joined the PP and will be their candidate for mayor in next May’s municipal elections. This has led the PA to say it will break all ties with the PP in Málaga because of this disloyal act, accusing it of being the extreme right.

MOSTO CIRCUIT

Atajate has been famous for its mosto grape based drink for generations and its Fiesta del Mosto celebrates its 25 th anniversary. Now an open museum has been created with the various exhibits showing the history of the brew spread around various areas of the Serranía village. It takes just a short and pleasant walk to complete the route aimed at boosting tourism.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY OCTOBER 14, 2010

BLEAK HARVEST TIME

By David Eade

October is the key month for gathering the chestnut harvest in the Valle del Genal. The nuts from this area are rated as being of the highest quality and are the earliest harvest gathered in the EU. Yet all is not well as the prices for the chestnuts have plummeted.

The importance of the chestnut to the area is plain to see. Some 4,300 hectares are dedicated to the chestnut trees. The production is around 5 million kilos. Fifteen municipalities in the valley depend on the income from the harvest to maintain the livelihood of 1,000 families. However this year the prices are pointing to a bleak winter.

Mateo Rosado is the president of the co-operatives that produce the first and second grade nuts. He says the winter rains have fattened the chestnuts but the reality of selling them is very depressing. He added: “For another year the prices have collapsed.”

The world of chestnut is very similar to that of the stock market – prices go up and prices come down. However prices for the producers seem to be on a constant downward spiral. At the start of October they were three euros a kilo, then they fell to two then dropped again rapidly to1.60 euros.

In Pujerra, one of the main centres of production, the mayor Francisco Macías, stated that every year the families receive an average of 1.5 million euros for their chestnuts. He equated it to their winning the lottery but added that this year the results could be catastrophic.

Part of the blame has been placed on speculators who buy up the harvest at low prices and then drive them off in vans to sell at the national and international markets. The chestnuts are sold in Germany, Holland, France, England and North Africa but as always it could be the middle men rather than the growers who reap the profits harvest.

TOURISM PACT
In a municipality divided by political conflict PSOE and opposition PP and IU have come together to sign a pact on tourism which is the main economic motor in the town. They have agreed to set aside any differences and to work together to promote and develop the full potential of the sector. The agreement has the backing of the Andalucía tourism ministry.

JOBLESS RISE
September registered a sharp rise in the number of unemployed in Ronda. The end of the peak holiday season has resulted in 231 people joining the dole queue. That brings the total to 4,334 of whom 2,321 are women and 2,013 men. New jobs totalled 864 with 829 on temporary contracts and 35 long term with the service sector leading the job creation.

TWO GORGES
The town of Ronda is to share a stand at the Fitur international travel trade fair in Madrid next January with the municipality of Cuenca. Both mayors were present at the first stone laying for Ronda’s refurbished Jardines de Cuenca. Both towns have stunning gorges as their main feature and the architect who created the park also designed Cuenca’s cathedral and some churches.

CENTENARIANS HONOURED
Ronda held a special ceremony at the Vincente Espinel theatre to pay homage to the residents of the town who were centenarians. It was the municipality’s celebration of the International Day of the Elderly. In moving tributes those honoured were Antonia García (103) and Francisco Vera (101). There were also mentions for the presidents of Arunda and Amaro that care for the aged.

BUS RACE
Parents of seven children in Ronda who travel to Málaga’s Manuel Carra music conservatory on a Friday for professional level studies say they will have to withdraw from the course. The problem is the bus that takes them to Málaga leaves just 15 minutes after the school finishes, there is insufficient time to catch it and those who do don’t return to 22.00.

YOUTH CENTRE
Gaucín is to have a Casa de la Juventud. It will cost over 574,000 euros with the majority of the funding, 539,000 euros, coming from Málaga province. The youth centre will be housed in a 548 square metres building spread over three floors and include a conference room with film and video facilities, exhibition hall, work shop plus administration offices and support facilities.

LIFE SAVING
Residents of Atajate and Jimera de Líbar recently participated in a workshop at Benaoján health centre to teach them the skills to reanimate a person who has suffered a heart attack. The sessions were given by medics and those receiving the instruction were residents who were in contact with the public including the police who were shown how to use the portable defibrillators.

ALGATOCÍN ALARM
Residents in Algatocín have presented a 350 signature petition to have an antenna that provides an internet link removed from near the Ermita del Santo Cristo. They say it is a health risk and an eye-sore. The town hall insists it is safe and is important for the development of the village. It has accused the opposition PSOE of scaremongering to win votes.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

CYCLIST KILLED AT ATAJATE BLACK SPOT

Five road deaths in five years

By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The fifth person in five years to die on a treacherous bend on the A-369 Ronda to Algeciras road was killed in an accident at Atajate last Thursday morning.

The tragedy happened at 8.40 when a group of cyclists travelling in the direction of Algeciras rounded the bend on the approach to Atajate. One of the group, a 72 year-old Dutchman, fell from his bike. He was struck by a car travelling in the opposite direction and died at the scene.

When the Guardia Civil and ambulance services arrived the driver of the vehicle, a local man from the Serranía, explained to officers that the cyclist was lying in the road and there was nothing he could do to avoid him. Needless to say he was in a very distressed state.

The A-369 has now been transformed with a 26 million euro investment into a scenic tourist route between Ronda and Gaucín. However residents of the Valle del Genal have long been concerned about various accident black spots along the road including the stretch between the Fraile mirador and the village of Atajate.

There is a sharp bend; neither the road nor the shoulder are sufficiently wide for vehicles, motorbikes or cyclists to pull off in an emergency. The majority of people who have perished on this stretch of road have been motorists or cyclists.

In addition to the road deaths there are frequent accidents and the verge is littered with broken glass, pieces of bikes, vehicle parts due to numerous collisions. Some residents have placed a cross on the bend in memory of those who have died here.

With the latest death the Málaga delegation of public works has promised it will study the bend which has been responsible for so many deaths to see what improvements can be made. Sadly this comes too late for the five people who have died to date and residents can only hope that number will not increase before action is taken.

NIGHT VIEW
In order to boost the number of people staying in Ronda for the night the tourism office has arranged for monuments such as the Palacio de Mondragón, Casa del Gigante and Los Baños Árabes to open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Participating hotels and restaurants will be able give their guests free entrance tickets, however other visitors will have to pay.

BAR DEATH
Tragedy in Benaoján where last Wednesday a 39-year-old woman died after falling down the stairs of her bar. The accident happened at 20.30 as she was cleaning and the Guardia Civil believe she was overcome by the fumes from the liquids she was using. The bar in the plaza San Marcos had been closed for holidays and was being cleaned thoroughly before re-opening.

CANNABIS PLANTS
After an investigation lasting six weeks Guardia Civil found 71 cannabis plants of varying sizes in a house in the outlying La Atalaya area of Cañete la Real. Officers say the haul had a value of 8,000 euros. The plants were being reared in an outhouse on the property. In addition a young man in Gaucín has been arrested for rearing seven plants.

ANGRY FARMERS
The agricultural community in Ronda has been displaying its anger over the fact that the rural roads and lanes that were severely damaged in last winter’s rains have yet to be repaired. Francisco Cañestro, the councillor responsible, has promised an action plan to prioritise the worst roads but the farmers have threatened protests unless an immediate start is made especially in Los Villalones.

RESCUE PRACTICE
There was a sense of reality when Ronda fire brigade held a rescue practice at the Tajo gorge. The date coincided with the arrival of heavy rains which made the simulated rescue even more challenging. Eighteen fire fighters took part in the practice which formed part of their training course. The rescue was staged in the rugged Los Molinos zone of the gorge.

PLAZA ROW
The Partido Popular are furious with plans by the ruling socialists to name the plaza that will be formed on the site of the now demolished Concepción barracks after the PSOE activist Pablo Iglesias. Apparently plaques bearing his name have been delivered to the town hall. The PP says there are more suitable candidates as he does not represent the whole town.

GOYESCO MUSEUM
The association of Peñas in Ronda has asked the town hall to create a museum dedicated to the traditional Goyesca bullfight held every year as part of the Pedro Romero fair. This year was the 54 th at which the Damas Goyescas, in beautiful dresses from the Goya era, took part. The administration has welcomed the idea and will study the proposal.

CHESTNUT HARVEST
The chestnut harvest is here and the residents of 15 municipalities in the Valle del Genal will take to the hills to gather them in. It’s expected that the chestnuts this year will numerous in quantity and of a high quality. However it’s not yet known what price the tree owners can expect for their harvest which is sought after nationally and internationally.