DATELINE RONDA MONDAY JUNE 16, 2011

GADAFI OWNS CHUNK OF SERRANÍA

By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The Libyan leader Muamar Gadafi is the owner of half the land in Pujerra and a third of that in Júzcar in the Serranía de Ronda. This has been confirmed by the mayors of both municipalities, Francisco Macías and David Fernández respectively. They say they have no information on the companies involved.

A finca of 7,200 hectares is owned by the Libyan State. In the deeds appear the names of the Libyan Foreign Bank - the Banco Exterior Libio and extends over five municipalities: Benahavís, Estepona, Igualeja, Júzcar and Pujerra.

It is in the latter two municipalities that the Libyan ownership has not been known by the residents or that Gadafi has owned much of their land for many years. Initially these lands were owned by the Unión Resinera Español and later purchased by the Libyan bank.

In the case of Pujerra Gadafi owns some 1,000 hectares although the mayor believes it could be higher as nobody is any too sure who owns what. As the land mass of Pujerra is 2,400 hectares Macias observes the Libyan leader could have around half. The holding runs from La Venta de Tía to Los Baños de la Corcha on the boundary with Benahavís.

Macias says that some years ago directors of the Libyan bank arrived in the village to talk about building 400 luxury homes in the municipality “but they disappeared and since then we have not heard from them.”

A similar situation exists in Júzcar where Libya has acquired 1,384 of the 3,400 hectares in the municipality. Mayor David Fernández says he has been in office for four years and never during that time has there been any contact with the owners. Again the finca runs from La Resinera to the boundary with Benahavís.

In both cases the land acquired by the Libyan bank is principally pine forest and mountainous. At the start of the year a 60 kms long wire fence was placed around the land. However both mayors say the land is used for hunting.

Curiously around seven years ago some land owners in the area were approached by foreign investors who wanted to buy their lands with chestnut plantations for sums far above the market value. All turned the offers down as the lands have been passed from father to sons over generations and the chestnut crop is one of the main sources of income for families in the area.

POLICE GUARD FOR PENSIONERS

Recently the local police in Ronda issued a warning to retired people when they go to collect their pensions. They were told they should be on their guard for robbery attempts and if possible go to the bank with a younger member of the family.

Now the police have placed plain clothes officers on the streets and outside the main banks in order to spot potential attackers. They are backed up by a waiting patrol car that can be on the scene in minutes. Initially the muggers came to Ronda from other towns and villages but in recent times those arrested have been living locally.

There was an attack just two weeks ago when two women assisted by a youth assaulted a pensioner in the avenida Martínez Astein. They attacked him with force and snatched his wallet containing his pension money.

The first woman grabbed the man by the shoulders whilst the second went for the wallet. The youngster was nearby keeping a look out for people or the police approaching.

The majority of the attacks are on victims as they leave the bank with their money especially those who seem confused or have obvious mobility problems. The chief of Ronda’s local police, José Carrasco, said the modus operandi was always the same. One of the group closely monitors the movements of their target as he or she enters the bank. They then watch to see if they withdraw a large sum of money. If so then when once out on the street the pensioner will be distracted as a gang member asks a question. Whilst this is going on another will attempt to lift the wallet or purse and often the victim has no idea they have been robbed until after the thieves have fled.

The problem for the police is that in the majority of cases no violence is involved. Hence if the thieves are caught the fine is small. However in the case of the pensioner who was attacked by the two women, they and the youth have been arrested and face robbery with violence charges.

In recent weeks ten such cases have been reported to the police. The vast majority, 95 per cent, are classed as simple theft with just five per cent being the more serious robbery with violence.

Old people living alone

The National Police in Ronda have also recently arrested three people aged between 24 and 27 years of age accused of robbing old people who lived alone. A number of such crimes have been reported where the victims were intimidated in their own homes.

Two of the trio are being held in prison awaiting trial. They are believed to have been incriminated in a crime committed on March 27 when an old person was threatened with a knife then their money and jewellery was stolen. However there have been other incidences where access was gained to the property by asking for a glass of water and once inside the victim is held at knifepoint.

MARÍN SHOUTED DOWN

The Partido Popular in coalition with the Partido Andalucista now rules in Ronda. At the last election Antonio Marín was re-elected PA mayor but then he and his fellow eight councillors defected to PSOE being officially labelled political turncoats. At the swearing in ceremony Marín, the PSOE candidate for mayor, gave a bitter speech saying the socialists should be in power because they had the most votes and pledging to take back the mayoralty. He was shouted down by many of those attending and the new PP mayor, Maripaz Fernández, had to appeal for calm.

RUN DOWN

A 77-year-old man was run down on Tuesday afternoon in the avenida de Málaga in Ronda. The accident happened with the junction of the calle Escuerdo Marcos de Obregón when he was hit by a car driven by a youth who was over the alcohol limit. He was rushed to the local hospital with a broken hip and is in a serious condition.

MISTER DEPUTY

Failed politicians don’t fade away they are just given jobs elsewhere. PSOE has lost power in Ronda so that means the party now twiddles its thumbs in opposition for four years. Now PSOE in Málaga province has proposed that its senior socialist in the town, Francisco Cañestro, should be appointed a deputy on the provincial administration. He is just one to be promoted.

RUMANIANS NABBED

Four Rumanians aged between 21 and 46 years of age have been arrested in Ronda. On Thursday the gang roamed between the Cuesta de Santo Domingo, plaza España and Puente Nuevo lifting wallets, bags, mobile phones and even expensive video cameras. One of the women pretended to have a fit, the others sought help and they lifted the items in the resulting chaos.

TRAGIC DROWNING

An elderly man in Benaoján was found drowned in the reservoir at the Paraje del Nacimiento. At 17.05 on Thursday the 112 emergency service received the call to say a body had been discovered. The Guardia Civil, local police and ambulance service attended the scene. One theory is the victim slipped and drowned. Although officers are investigating there were no signs of violence.

BRIDGE PETITION

Residents of El Burgo are angry that Málaga province has closed the Puente de Málaga hence all traffic into the village via the bridge has to be diverted. A petition of 300 signatures has been collected as many families are now cut off. The Roman bridge was closed on May 20 and is in a bad state and is meant to be repaired.

ONE EAR

Bullfighters who perform well in the ring are often awarded with an ear by the spectators. However for young Ronda matador Salvador García his encounter with a late night crowd of drinking youths at the town’s Blas Infante ended in a brawl. One of them bit of part of his ear which cannot be reconstructed. He was taken to Málaga’s Carlos Haya hospital.

GARDEN PLAQUE

One of Antonio Marín’s last acts as mayor of Ronda was to unveil a plaque marking the upgrade given to the Jardines de Cuenca overlooking the Tajo gorge. The work was possible thanks to a 245,000 euros grant for tourist improvements by the ICO. The walls have been raised, new paths laid, lighting, seats and rubbish bins renewed plus all the beds replanted.

QUICKER TRAINS

From June 12 Renfe has upgraded the trains on the twice daily Ronda – Málaga service with the result that the journey will now take up to five minutes quicker. The train leaves Ronda for Málaga at 7.12 and now arrives at 9.03. In the evening the return leaves Málaga at 18.40 and is back at the town of the Tajo for 20.35.

RONDA PHONE

A 28-year-old from Ronda, Alejandro López, has designed a download for iPhones that will give the users important information about the town. It is being accessed by residents and tourists and gives information on duty chemists, film showings, cultural events, restaurants and much more. Alejandro hopes that he can reach agreement with the town hall to make it a tourist resource for Ronda.

ENGLISH WALK

Englishman Andy Cameron who lives in Ronda has walked 3,200 kilometres from Rome to the town in 45 days. He suffered from cancer and wants to create a foundation for sick children - his objective is to raise 50,000 euros in two years. He intends to write a book on his experiences on the walk and his website can be viewed at www.romaronda.info.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2011

PROSECUTOR SAYS RONDA’S MAYOR ACTED LEGALLY BUT UNETHICALLY


By David Eade - Costa del Sol News

Good and bad news for the mayor of Ronda Antonio Marín over the controversial golf and leisure development at Los Merinos.

The environmental prosecutor has recommended that the case brought against Marín for obstruction of justice in the approval of the complex be filed. Although the project is currently halted because of the financial crisis when it proceeds there will be two golf courses, 800 luxury homes and hotels built in the open countryside.

The prosecutor says that having studied all the documentation relating to the mayor’s decision it does not appear that any law has broken but he believes Marín did not follow the moral or environmental code.

When he gave the go-ahead for the development by his own decree Marín was a member of the Partido Andalucista. He and his fellow PA councillors have since left the party, sit as non-aligned but he will lead PSOE in to the elections this May.

In February 2006 Marín issued his decree for the development to proceed although an environmental impact report had already raised questions over the lack of water resources on the site. This has led to major protests by environmentalists and the residents of nearby Cuevas del Becerro that fear the complex will drain their own water aquifers on which they and farmers have depended on for generations.

Curiously the prosecutor says there is more than a simple suspicion that irregularities have taken place but says that alone is not sufficient to determine whether illegal conduct has taken place. So Marín stands condemned of unethical behaviour but seemingly spared prosecution.

The battle over Los Merinos will continue not least because the ecologists will not give up even though the Andalucía High Court will ask the regional government to lift any hold-up on its final approval for the scheme.

However this is the second blow suffered by Ecologistas en Acción and Silvema Serranía de Ronda in a matter of days. Last week the regional government’s environmental ministry said it was dropping the complaint against the developers for carrying out works that damaged the environment. This complaint was laid in 2006 and the environmentalists will contest the decision.

In the end a lot may rest with politics and not the courts starting with whether Marín is re-elected mayor in May for PSOE and whether PSOE remains the government of Andalucía in 2012.

SEVILLA ACCESS

The new intersection on the road from Ronda to Sevilla has been opened as part of the Andalucía government’s 14 million euros investment in creating three new access points to the town. Two other flyover - underpass links are being created from the San Pedro and El Burgo – Ardales roads and despite financial hold ups they should be completed in around two months.

ARTS BOSS

José Garasino, currently the director of the Media Business School in Ronda has been unanimously appointed as director general of the Acadmia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España in Madrid. Born in Paris Garasino has worked for 18 years in the film business and films include Torrente 2, La niña de mis ojos, Soldados de Salamina and Pasos de baile.

NOT TALKING

Ronda’s councillor for employment, Josefa Valle, who also happens to be the mayor’s wife, has broken off relations with the Apymer small and medium business association. Valle has accused Apymer of criticising the administration’s handling of the economic crisis and being opposed to the Eroski commercial centre. Apymer says the Eroski report was signed by Los Verdes and Valle should learn to read.

STREET WORKS

You can tell the local elections are approaching as Ronda has given work to 50 people and ordered them to put the town’s streets in order in the shortest possible time. Thirty streets will benefit with work starting in the Cruz Verde - 500,000 euros is being allocated to pavements; 600,000 euros to repairing the road surface and the filling in of potholes.

EROSKI CLOSER

Ronda’s council has approved its fourth amendment to the local development plan (PGOU) to allow the Eroski commercial centre to proceed on the site of the old sports stadium and fair ground. The change was required by the Andalucía government to allow the project to proceed. It’ll see a 120 million euros investment and create 1,200 jobs. The opposition PP and IU abstained.

MAY TRIAL

In February 2007 we first broke the news four National Police and a Guardia Civil officer in Ronda had been arrested for extorting money from brothels and having sexual relations with the girls. The case will finally come to trial this May in Málaga’s court with the prosecutor seeking a total jail term of 39 years for the five.

GIVING BIRD

Ecologists have given the bird to the spectacular of raptures from Ronda’s Blas Infante auditorium. The tourism initiative was launched at the FITUR tourism fair in Madrid. The ecologists say they don’t oppose the spectacular rather consider it a positive initiative but point out the proposed location will have the raptures flying over breeding nests and the Murallas del Carmen would be better.

TARMAC ROW

Angry confrontations in La Indiana as work crews ordered by the Andalucía environment ministry tried to remove tarmac from the right of way through the Ronda enclave. Tarmac had been laid by Adif after heavy lorries had broken the surface during the works on the Ronda to Algeciras line. The tarmac cost 60,000 euros. Adif will be fined 150,000 if it’s not removed.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY DECEMBER 30, 2010

LOS MERINOS PAYS OVER ANOTHER 866,000 EUROS


By David Eade

The development of the controversial Los Merinos golf, residential and luxury hotel project in Ronda has been idle for 19 months. The Catalan company Copisa halted the work because of the down turn in the property market. However it has been scrupulous in maintaining its payments to the town hall due under the town planning agreement.

So far it has handed over 11 payments, the latest of 866,000 euros, just before Christmas. This means the municipal coffers have benefited to date from payments of 11.6 million euros for a development that does not exist.

Indeed just weeks ago Copisa issued a statement saying it had no immediate plans for re-commencing the project. Mayor Antonio Marín says the company had justified the halt on the economic crisis and although it has so far handed over nearly 12 million euros to the town hall the cost of the overall scheme is far more.

Initial work has been carried out on the land but no construction of the 800 villas, three luxury hotels or two golf courses plus all the other leisure infrastructure has been carried out. The mayor says Copisa has already spent 103 million euros with just 50 million to go.

The major problem would appear to be the very legality of the development. Ecologists and residents of the zone such as Cuevas del Becerro – which is far nearer to the project than Ronda’s urban area – fears it will drain their water aquifers which have supplied local agriculture and homes for generations.

Indeed the Andalucía government is taking legal action to have the development halted. There are also questions over whether the mayor of Ronda acted legally in granting permission for the scheme. If the Copisa project is halted then would it demand a return of the payments to the town hall – which have been spent – plus compensation for its multi million investment?

NEARLY THERE

Ronda will soon have its first youth hostel. The building’s located on 2,138 square metres surrounded by 1,200 square metres of green zone on the calles Guadalcobacín and Fernando de los Rios. Spread over three floors it will be able to accommodate 74 people with special access for the handicapped. The project has a budget of 781,849 euros and will use renewable energy.

BRIDGE INSTALLED

Dramatic scenes at La Dehesa in Ronda last week as the bridge for the new intersection on the road linking the town with Sevilla was put in to place and will be operation by February 15. It is all part of the major improved access programme funded by the regional government costing over 13 million euros which is about 70 per cent complete.

ENGLISH WALK

Ronda’s Paseo de los Ingleses runs for three kilometres along the Cornisas del Tajo. Once again its one of the major tourism spots in the town. Sadly the dramatic walkway had fallen into neglect and been vandalised in recent years. Now with over 300,000 euros funding from the ICO for tourist projects the footpath has been fully re-laid, with new furnishings and lighting.

NOT GUILTY

The man accused of starting the fire that engulfed 16 hectares of wooded land at Los Frontones in Ronda on August 28 2007 has been found not guilty by a jury. The cost to the environment was 67,000 euros plus the major expense of tackling the blaze. If found guilty he would have faced a five year jail term and a massive fine.

BRIDGE VIEW

Ronda’s famous Puente Nuevo over the Tajo will now be able to be seen around the world in real time over the internet. The tourist office is installing cameras having contracted a telecommunications company to offer the service. However it’s not only the bridge that will be displayed but also the plaza de España, the calle Virgen de la Paz and La Merced.

FURIOUS RESIDENTS

Residents of Llanos de Aguaya in Ronda are furious over the damaged to their local lane. Three years ago they clubbed together to spend 30,000 euros relaying the surface of the road. Now they say it’s been destroyed with the delegation of Málaga province to blame. It has heavy equipment in the area which has used the road and dug up the surface.

DANGEROUS ROAD

The Guardia Civil has issued a warning over the dangerous state of the MA 7401 that links Ronda with Benaojan and is the responsibility of Málaga province. It has been the scene of two fatal accidents in recent weeks both claiming residents of Montejaque with another in February 2009 and all on the stretch as the road passes the Cueva del Gato.

CASTLE WORK

The ministry of public works is funding four projects in Málaga province one of which will see El Burgo’s Miraflores castle restored. The ministry will be allocating over a million euros for the project which will come from its special ‘1per cent Cultura’ fund. In addition the regional government will allocate the same amount on restoring one of the major monuments in the area.

OLIVE HARVEST

Sixty-per-cent of the olive harvest in Ronda is now in. Five million kilos will be collected which will be processed into a million kilos of oil. The quality this year will be excellent as compared with the last season that suffered from the heavy rains and winds. Also more workers have returned to the sector having been laid off by the construction industry.

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH

People from Ronda and the surrounding Serranía who want to study English through the Cambridge University courses can now do so without leaving the town. The Escuela de Hostelería that has been established in the Casino in the calle Molino will be organising the four year courses. Pupils can now enrol for the first course – the closing date for candidates is January 21.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY APRIL 29, 2010

FIVE-STAR HOTEL FOR RONDA
By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

Ronda has many fine hotels including a Parador but it has yet to have a five-star establishment. Some years ago plans for such a hotel in the historic Casa del Rey Moro were announced but they crumbled along with the current ruin of this fine Moorish building.

The latest plans are for the former El Castillo Silesian school set in the heart of the historic town. It occupies one side of the Plaza de la Duquesa de Parcent which is home to the town hall and the Santa María la Mayor church.

In charge of the project will be the prestigious Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. He has been praised for his past buildings set in sensitive locations. Indeed García Gutiérrez who is behind the consortium that will create the hotel says that getting to laying to the first stone will take some time because of the protracted planning process that has to be gone through.

The hotel project has been made possible after an agreement was reached by the owners of the site – the Fundación Moctezuma – and the developers. It will ensure the archaeological remains on the land will be preserved as will the school’s chapel, the sanctuary of the María Auxiliadora.
It is yet to be seen what will happen with the old school building itself. None-the-less it is known that the hotel will have a minimum of 200 rooms, a large parking zone, a Spa plus meeting rooms that can hold up to 3,000 people aimed at the company conference market.

RONDA TRAINS BACK ON TRACK

As of April 23 the trains are running again on the Algeciras to Bobadilla line. Renfe started accepting bookings last week for its services that were halted in October so that round-the-clock improvements could be carried out on the track.

The works are part of a 176 million euros improvement plan to improve the line and to allow an increase in passenger and freight traffic. This included lowering the floor of various tunnels, installing state of the art signal systems and preparing the line for future electrification. In addition future provision has been made for a third track to international gauges and the proposed AVE service. Although trains are now running the works on the line will not be completed to the end of the year.

Trains will again leave Algeciras at 8.24 and 15.08 for Madrid with the return services leaving the nation’s capital at 8.40 and 15.05.

Trains depart from Algeciras for Granada at 7.00, 12.15 and 15.45 and for Ronda at 18.50. In the other direction trains leave Ronda for Algeciras at 7.42 and from Granada at 7.15, 13.50 and 17.25.

The Madrid trains stop at Algeciras and Ronda. However the local trains from Algeciras to Granada and Ronda stop at the various stations along the route.

The container traffic which since October has gone via Sevilla La Negrilla or road returned to operate from Algeciras port and San Roque from last weekend.

GENALGUACIL ART CONTEST ATTRACTS NEW YORK ENTRY

The village of Genalguacil in the Valle del Genal is a rather special place. Yes it is one of the beautiful Serranía de Ronda white villages but it is also an open air art museum.

Wander around its streets and you’ll come across 70 statues that were exhibits in the nine past international art competitions. There are 112 sculptures on display in all –the other 42 are in its contemporary museum.

Now the mayor, Beatriz Álvarez, has announced the tenth ‘Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal’ will be celebrated between August 1 and 15. Artists wishing to enter their work can do so from June 1 to 15 – they are asked, amongst other things, to describe their project or to give a detailed plan.

Beatriz Álvarez said although the entries would be accepted in June four artists have already announced their intention to participate with one piece coming from New York. Over the years artists have been attracted from home and abroad with exhibits from Mexico, France, German and Italy.

The Genalguacil councillor for culture, Fernando Centeno, acknowledged that the competition was “international” but added that places were reserved for artists from both Málaga province and the local area.

At the launch of the art competition was the president of the Málaga provincial authority, Salvador Pendón. He stated that the Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal are “absolutely unique” and an “authentic reference point” not only for the development of artistic activity in the province but throughout the world.

He added that those artists taking part not only had the opportunity to present their projects but also in to create in Genalguacil “an extraordinary museum” of contemporary art.

FAIR RETURNS
Ronda’s Real Feria de Mayo is the oldest agricultural fair in Andalucía but was cancelled last year because of the economic crisis - this year it goes ahead on May 20 to 23. There will be 96 stalls dedicated to food stuffs, farming and machinery. Although Ronda is home to a world famous bullring for the fair a ring is built on the fairground.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY
A 27-year-old has been arrested in Ronda after an attempted early morning break-in at a branch of Unicaja in the avenida de Ronda. Just before 2.00 he broke a window to enter the bank. This activated a silent alarm and security cameras and national and local police patrols were soon on the scene. The thief fled but was soon caught by pursuing officers.

HEALTH PLEA
The Partido Popular has raised health cover in the Serranía de Ronda in the Andalucía Parliament. The area is home to 50,000 people and the PP wants the emergency service reorganised. Its suggesting a special 061 service, more ambulances made available insisting nobody should wait more than 30 minutes for attention. An Algatocín woman who suffered a heart attack recently waited 90 minutes.

POOR PARKING
Ronda’s local police last year issued 6,175 tickets of which 3,673 were for parking. Over 38 per cent were for illegal parking, 21 per cent for using loading and unloading bays, 10 per cent for kerb parking and nearly 9 per cent for illegal use of disabled spaces. Other offences included speeding, drunk driving, wearing no crash helmet or not wearing seat belts.

CHURCH MONUMENT
The Andalucía government has listed the church in El Burgo as a historic monument. The Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion church was constructed in the 15 th century on the site of a former mosque in a fortified area and its tower was retained. Experts say the religious building is a perfect combination of Gothic and ‘Mudéjar’ styles and also incorporates Baroque features.

PGOUS PRESENTED
Six municipalities in the Serranía de Ronda have presented their new local development plans (PGOUs). The draft documents of Benalauría, Benarrabá, Cartajima, Igualeja, Jubrique and Pujerra were handed over by the president of the Málaga provincial authority, Salvador Pendón. The province has assisted in the preparation of the plans as the municipalities do not have the financial resources to create their own.

POWER ROW
Power to street lighting and Jimera de Líbar’s municipal buildings could be cut off. The town hall has not paid its bills since July but mayor, Maite Domínguez, insists this is because they are filled with errors and do not relate to the electricity used. Endesa is having none of it threatening to pull the plug saying the complaints have not been substantiated.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2009

TAJO CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM
By David Eade

The Tajo gorge in Ronda is one of Spain’s most visited tourist sites. Yet it has a more sinister side as it is the location where many people choose to end their lives or fall to their deaths accidentally.

The latest victim is Beatriz Román, the 35-year-old mother of two children, who disappeared last Friday from Campillos – a nearby town connected directly to Ronda by road. She was found by the National Police on Sunday and the news was announced by the local police in her home town where a search had been underway for several days.

Román left her home on Friday at around 18.00 in the plaza de San Cristóbal and went by car to see her mother who lives close by. On the following day her husband reported her missing and the search began.

The deceased woman had been a teacher in information technology at a college in Campillos. It is said that she had been suffering from depression and the emergency 112 service stated that her death was being treated as a suicide.

DEHESA PLIGHT
Families hoping to get one of the social housing units at La Dehesa in Ronda are in for a long wait. The company awarded the contract run up large bills with sub-contractors and hence they downed tools. The EPSA says the majority of those bills are now settled, and with 80 per cent of the project still to be done a new contract will be issued with work starting again in the New Year.

TREES PLEASE
Casares has asked the regional government to reforest the area of the Sierra Bermeja that was destroyed in the devastating fire of September 9. It has requested that the zone be included in the plans for the next project to recreate forest areas. It has pointed out that some 6,000 hectares of fir trees perished and these need to be urgently replaced.

HOSPITAL’S WELL
Málaga’s delegate for health, María Antigua Escalera, recently visited Ronda and was quick to assure residents of the town and the wider Serranía that work on the new hospital would not be subjected to any delays because of the financial crisis. She stated that the work had been contracted out and hence the money had been provided for in the regional government’s budget.

EQUAL CARE
The Málaga health authority has stated that it is important that residents of small communities have the same access to good medical care as those in towns. Hence in the Serranía 14,000 euros was being spent on upgrading the Cuevas del Becerro health centre with further investment planned for Algotocín, Arriate, El Burgo and Benalauría as well as new equipment being provided.

GAUCÍN HASH
Guardia Civil acting on information supplied by Gaucín local police carried out a joint raid on a dwelling in the village. Their suspicions proved correct as inside the house they found five cannabis plants up to three metres high, another three plants under cultivation plus 1.4 kilos of marihuana. A local resident was arrested and will face charges under the public health laws.

MUNICIPAL ROBBERIES
A wave of break-ins has hit Montejaque and Benaoján. Amongst the targets Montejaque town hall where a safe was stolen with a bar and a shop also victims. There were attempts on other bars in Montejaque and Benaoján. Investigations are underway; it is thought those who broke in to the town hall may have targeted other municipal offices in the Sierra de Cádiz.

DANGEROUS ROADS
A lorry carrying 4,000 litres of liquid gas overturned at midnight last Wednesday at El Colmenar tumbling down a ravine with the driver slightly injured. The Gaucín to Cortes road was cut whilst the gas was released by experts. Meanwhile in Ronda two women aged 43 and 69 were injured when their car left the El Burgo road on Thursday trapping them inside.

HOLY WORK
The regional government has started work on refurbishing the church in the Convento Santo Domingo that forms Ronda’s conference and exhibition centre. The project will take four months and has a budget of 320,000 euros under the Andalucía work creation scheme. The church dates back to the 16 th century and is the only part of the convent yet to be restored

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2009

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
By David Eade

The regional government’s culture and heritage ministry ruled some months ago that the car park that occupied the large plaza by Ronda’s 200-year-old bullring should be removed. It insisted that Andalucía’s third most visited site should be pedestrian only and the town hall quickly complied closing the car park at the beginning of August.

This has now left the plaza Teniente Arce which leads on to the paseo de Blas Infante looking rather forlorn but not for long. The councillor for gardens, Josefa Valle, has launched an international competition for how the area can best be utilised but Ronda historians have also come up with a suggestion.

To start with the historians who are concerned about the location of the main gate to the plaza de toros that is currently on the calle Pedro Romero. However this was not always so and from1788 to 1923 it faced on to what is now the plaza Teniente Arce. The imposing main gate is very important to the bullring because apart from the Goyesca Ladies and Bullfighters entering here during the Pedro Romero bullfights in September it is also out of this gate that matadors who perform well are carried shoulder high in triumph.

It is ease to see from old photographs why the focal main gate was moved in 1923. At that time the old Teatro Vicente Espinal came within feet of the entrance but now where the door once stood faces on to the centre of the open plaza Teniente Arce. So the suggestion of the historians is that the celebrated main gate should be returned to its original position.

Whilst the heritage experts debate the pros and cons of such a move Josefa Valle has opened a competition for ideas that would see gardens created as part of a new layout of the plaza Teniente Arce. Valle explained that the town hall wanted to create an exciting vision for this site which is so important to Ronda and to find ways of utilising the space that currently lies empty.

Hence the competition that is open to Spanish and foreign designers, gardeners, architects and other professionals of international standing to come up with new ideas that would create a zone to relax in for both residents and visitors. The designs will be studied by the town hall, local experts as well as the regional government’s ministry of culture and heritage and some exciting submissions are expected for what is a world-renowned historical site.
ALGATOCÍN BLAZE
Infoca has reported that nine hectares of pasture were destroyed by fire on Monday in the municipality of Algatocín. There fire was detected at around 13.24 close to the boarder with Benalauría and was not brought under control to 15.00. Fifty fire fighters attended the scene supported by four helicopters, one with a high water carrying capacity and an aircraft. The fire alert is now at a high level and the Andalucía government has asked that everybody is especially vigilant.

LONGER PARTY
Ronda celebrates its Feria de Pedro Romero from September 3 to 6. The hours of the day fair in the town centre have been extended. On September 3 and 4 it will continue to 19.30 but on the final two days will last till 20.00. The night fair will be held at the new fair ground by Hipersol with the former fair ground across the road used as a parking zone. The two are connected by a foot bridge.

STORM DAMAGE
The recent storm that saw 50 litres per square metre fall on Ronda in just 30 minutes is estimated to have caused 1.6 million euros in damage. Some 170 rodeños have submitted claims for compensation and these have been forwarded to the Andalucía government by the town hall. The areas worst affected were the UVA, Padre Jesús and the commercial town centre.

TREE PROTEST
Ecologistas en Acción have officially complained to Ronda town hall over the felling of three hectares of pines at La Dehesa by the regional government’s public works ministry. The trees were felled as land was cleared for a new access roundabout, part of the 14 million euros road scheme. The ecologists insist the felling is illegal and no environmental impact study was commissioned.

NOT ME
Ronda’s mayor, Antonio Marín, slipped in and out of the local court last Thursday to give evidence in the case on the illegal construction of an agricultural warehouse built on non-urban land in the protected Hoya del Tajo. He blamed the councillor for public works, José Herrera, plus other councillors sitting on the Commission for Works in July 2006 when the licence was granted.

FLU CAMPAIGN
Ronda’s health delegation and the Serranía health authority are co-ordinating plans to launch an information campaign in September to advise residents and to help control the spread of ‘Gripe A’ swine flu. The campaign will concentrate on basic hygiene actions such as the thorough washing of hands that will help prevent the contraction of swine flu or the propagation of the virus.

SAX ROBBERY
The economic crisis is driving many people to petty crime but the theft of two saxophones with accessories from a house in Cortes de la Frontera on August 11 raised eyebrows. The Guardia Civil soon tracked down the culprit who was a fellow resident who lived nearby. Officers are staying quiet on how the thief was found – blowing a stolen instrument perhaps?

SELF ESTEEM
The Diputación de Málaga is to organise courses by the Instituto de Sexología aimed at improving the residents’ self-esteem, self control and communication skills. Over 30,000 euros is being assigned to the project that will be held in Benadalid, Cañete de la Real, Cartajima, Cuevas del Becerro, Gaucín, Jubrique, Júzcar and 24 other villages in largely rural, inland areas of the province.

SPRAY TIME
High summer temperatures coupled with the humidity caused by recent rain storms has meant that 10,000 hectares of olive groves are being urgently sprayed to kill off the olive fly. Failure to take action could lead to four million euros of losses for the olive growers of Ronda, El Burgo, Cuevas del Becerro, Ardales, Cañete la Real, El Saucejo, Benaoján, Jimera, Montejaque and Cortes.

USA BULL
Members of the USA Asociación de Clubes Taurinos, led by their president Lore Monnig, were recently received at Ronda’s Palacio de Mondragón by Mayor Antonio Marín. They attended the bullfights at the Málaga feria then visited Ronda. The mayor explained the role of Pedro Romero in creating the modern bullfight and that Ronda’s plaza de toros was the third most visited monument in Andalucía.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2009

TEN TOWN PLANNING VIOLATIONS IN COURTS
By David Eade

The three judges of the Ronda courts and the Málaga prosecutor are currently undertaking ten investigations in to the breaking of the town planning laws in the municipality. Ecologistas en Acción reported that some of these cases dated back to 2003 and although no hearings have yet been held they remain open.

The most high profile investigation involves the illegal construction of four buildings in the Hoya del Tajo. This development has been denounced by the ecologists but also the regional government’s police force and the environmental wing of the Guardia Civil, Seprona.

Also under the spotlight is an equestrian centre at the Puerto de la Muela. In this instance ten councillors of the previous administration are under investigation for obstructing justice. There are also reports of overbuilding in the same zone of two chalets and an agricultural unit.

Amongst the other cases are the building of a warehouse used by a bodega but which is situated very close to the Roman ruins of Acinipo and a house built in the same area on non-urban land. It was Seprona that took action in both these cases.

Of course the most celebrated case in Ronda relates to Los Merinos golf – luxury urbanisation development. Here the town hall issued a works licence despite the regional government having given it a negative report. There are now court cases brought by Izquierda Unida and the regional government against the mayor, Antonio Marín, and town hall officials.

PSOE propose expropriations in historic quarter

A working party set up on the special plan for the historic quarter of Ronda by PSOE – one of the town hall coalition partners – has submitted a series of changes it wants made to the provisional document. Amongst these is a series of property expropriations to improve the image of the area and to protect Ronda’s heritage.

Specifically the PSOE groups wants the town hall to take over abandoned properties in the historic quarter or those that are in a poor state. It sites the case of the Casa del Jalifa that was taken over and restored and is to be used for public services.

GAUCÍN RESIDENTS CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST HIGH TENSION POWER LINE

It was back in November 2007 that the Ronda News first broke the story of the fight by Gaucín residents against the plans by Endesa Sevillana to build a high-tension power line across a beautiful protected valley.

At the time Gaucín resident Jane Powell told us: “Endesa is proposing to put a new line of high tension 20m high pylons some 7 km in length across an EEC protected valley near to Gaucín. They are using the certificate of “national priority” to override the protection order.”

Since then the battle has very much gone against the residents who formed an action group to halt the project. It was authorised by the regional government on the grounds that it was in the public interest, a ruling as Jane suggested seems to outweigh the fact that is going to ruin an area of natural beauty which is home to endangered species and deemed of special environmental interest.

It is not just the action group with Jamie Ewing at its head that is fighting the project. Gaucín town hall, Ecologistas en Acción are both strongly opposing it and 2,000 residents have signed a petition to have the power line stopped.

Last Wednesday the action group went to Sevilla to make their voices heard holding a demonstration outside the offices of Sevillana-Endesa. Jamie Ewing said they were taking their case to the Andaluz Ombudsman, José Chamizo, to tell him: “the new high tension lines are not necessary because there exist others going to the same place and these can be enlarged instead.” Chamizo is now studying the case.

Ewing explained that this view was supported by a study of technical engineers who say that it is viable to change the project to make it accepted both environmentally and technically.

The mayor of Gaucín, Francisco Ruiz, has suggested that Sevillana Endesa should reinforce and reutilise the high tension line that transports electricity to the centre at San Roque. He said this would avoid a new high tension power line causing a large amount of environmental damage.

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
There was an attempted robbery on the Caja Rural Granada in Ronda’s central plaza de Socorro at 12.20 on Monday. A man and a woman entered the bank whilst a second man kept the door open to avoid it being locked by the security system. The sub-director managed to sound the alarm causing the trio, all thought to be South American, to flee. National and local police were soon on the scene but as of yet no arrests have been made.

ACCESS RONDA
Last week Ronda announced it had produced a tourist guide in Braille so blind people could enjoy the sites – the first town in Spain to do so. This week the tourism office launched its ‘ciudad accesible’ project aimed at ensuring the historic town and its buildings would become fully accessible to handicapped tourists and also make life easier for residents with disabilities.

ARMED ROBBERY
Last Wednesday at 21.30 four masked gunmen held up the BP Los Pinos petrol station on the Campillos road in Ronda. The staff had been told in such instances to offer no resistance and to hand over the cash box to the thieves. This they duly did and the robbers escaped with – 300 euros. The Guardia Civil are searching for the gang’s Opel Corsa.

FIRST JUMP
The provincial delegate and Ronda’s councillor for agriculture last week opened the first phase of the municipal equestrian school being built adjacent to the horse stud farm. So far 120,000 euros has been invested on a horse training track and now another 120,000 euros is to be spent on an equine therapy centre for use by handicapped people or those with chronic illnesses.

AGUSTÍN’S BACK
There was much consternation in El Burgo last August when the venerated statue of San Agustín fell to the ground and was smashed injuring a woman. The accident happened as those carrying the patron performed a dancing movement accompanied by the municipal band. Now after eight months of restoration the statue will be ready to again take to the streets on August 28.

LEOPOLDO HOMAGE
The village of Alpandeire in the Serranía de Ronda is the birthplace of Cappuccino Fray Leopoldo, the holy friar later who worked amongst the poor of Granada where he is also venerated. On August 29 a number of events will take place in Alpandeire as part of the campaign to have Leopoldo beatified a process on the path to sainthood which started in 2006.

WATER INVESTMENT
As part of a wider programme of investment in water infrastructure the Diputación de Málaga is carrying out two projects in the Serranía de Ronda. In Benaoján 10,000 euros is being allocated to purchasing a new pump and engine for improving supply within the village whilst in Cuevas del Becerro 26,408 euros is being spent on the mains from the municipal reservoirs.

NOCHE VIEJA
Whilst most of us celebrated Noche Vieja – New Year’s Eve – on December 31 the people of Cañete La Real held their party on Saturday night. Many have moved from the village to other places in Spain and Europe but return for the month of August hence it was decided to hold this fiesta in their honour including a “Miss y Mister Emigrante” competition.