DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2011

WORLD HERITAGE BID UNDERWAY


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

Ronda’s application for UNESCO World Heritage status will get underway shortly. The architect José Seguí, who is developing the local development plan for Ronda (PGOU), will be in charge of drawing up the documentation to be presented to the UN organisation.

Last week the regional government’s minister of culture, Paulino Plata, visited Ronda and indicated that the starting of the process was “imminent”. Indeed the Andalucía authority and Ronda town hall had already begun the task of planning the documentation.

Ronda will be making an application along with Antequera. In Ronda the Plataforma Pro Ronda Patrimonio Mundial is representing the various local associations and political parties supporting the project. The ministry of culture has offered to pay the costs of both towns making their applications which are estimated at least 90,000 euros each.

The Partido Popular, which now governs Ronda in coalition with the Partido Andalucista, had presented a motion to the Andalucía parliament in support of the World Heritage recognition. It was passed unanimously.

In its submission to UNESCO Ronda will present the Roman ruins at Acinipo, the world famous bridge over the Tajo, the Arab bathes which are the best preserved in Europe, its churches and palaces plus the oldest bullring in Spain. In addition it will highlight the rich and stunningly beautiful natural environment of the three nearby national parks, the Genal Valley plus the 21 villages to be found in the Serranía.

Plata called for the people of Ronda to get behind the application. Once the documentation has been drawn up it will be open for public inspection and people can then register their support. The granting of World Heritage status will bring employment and wealth creating opportunities to Ronda and the surrounding area.

MORE AID

The number of families that need basic foodstuffs and supplies to survive in Ronda has increased by 40 per cent since the new PP –PA coalition came to power in May. The councillor for social welfare, Antonio Arenas, said there were now 160 families receiving this aid whereas in May the figure was 60. The continuing economic crisis had led to the increase.

CHESTNUT ACCOLADE

Chestnuts form the main source of income for many families in the Serranía de Ronda; four million kilos are expected to be gathered. Expectations are the harvest will be the same as last year but the quality is exceptional. Valle del Genal has suggested a denomination of origin is sought to distinguish the high quality of its chestnuts from others on the market.

ASSET STRIPPING

The controversial decision by Ronda’s PP – PA administration to sell municipal assets to raise cash is underway. Last week the provincial bulletin (BOP) carried the conditions for the sale of the Cortijo San Juan 18 kms from the town centre. Also up for grabs is the building housing the wholesale market although the town hall says another will be built to replace it.

TIMELY ARREST

Ronda’s National Police arrested a 38-year-old local man accused of stealing a watch and wallet. His victim reported to police that at 23.20 on September 4 he was robbed at knifepoint in the calle Zahara de la Sierra. Officers took a couple of days to identify the culprit who is said to have 21 previous convictions, 10 of them for robbery with violence.

LEGION ANNIVERSARY

The Spanish Legion celebrated its 91 st anniversary on September 20. To commemorate the event the Tercio Alejandro Farnesio 4 de La Legión based in Ronda held a parade last Thursday followed by a concert. In addition an exhibition was held at the Unicaja gallery displaying material from missions in the Congo, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan amongst others since its inception in 1920.

FERIA FIGHT

Ronda’s councillor in charge of security, Fernando Corrales, has been giving the facts about police action during the period of the Pedro Romero feria. The worst incident was at 06.00 on the final Sunday when a fight at the fair ground led to the arrest of ten people with one person receiving a serious knife wound. There were 16 arrests for drunk driving.

IBI ANGER

Fury in the Serranía de Ronda village of Igualeja where a revision of the land values by the Ministry of the Economy means a 700 per cent rise in the IBI tax in stages up to 2017. The council is made up of five PP and two PSOE councillors and they were united in passing a motion demanding the IBI rise be reviewed.

NO ADMITTANCE

Around 56 per cent of the operations carried out at Ronda’s regional hospital in the first six months of this year did not require the patient to be admitted to the medical centre. It is thanks to a scheme Cirugía Mayor Ambulatoria which saw 1,198 minor operations performed on out patients which in turn provided a more rapid recovery rate at their homes.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY JULY 7, 2011

SUITCASE WITH HUMAN BONES FOUND IN IGUALEJA


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

A walker on the A-397 which links San Pedro de Alcántara with Ronda found a suitcase on the roadside in Igualeja. He looked inside and there were the skeletal remains of a human. On making the gruesome discovery the man immediately called the Guardia Civil who have opened an investigation.

The suitcase was at km 16 on the busy road that links Ronda with the coast. The judicial police are examining the bones to ensure they are human and to try and see if the victim suffered a violent death.

Officers carried out a visual examination of the site where the suitcase was found in case it offered up any clues. In the meantime the bones are at the institute of legal medicine in Málaga.

The bones are said to be dry and clean and are being arranged to see if they form a complete skeleton. There may also be some mummified remains that can offer up DNA evidence. The sex and age of the victim will also be determined as to establish whether the body was cut up.

The Guardia Civil are also studying the reports of missing people to see whether any can be matched with the find. There have been a number of finds of human remains in suitcases in Málaga province in recent years.

Whilst investigators are keeping an open mind on the manner of death of the victim any relation with the Spanish Civil War has been ruled out. The suitcase is modern and officers say the skeleton is probably between no more than ten to fifteen years old.

CUT OFF

Endesa cut off power to Ronda’s municipal El Fuerte sports centre and council offices in Padre Jesús and La Dehesa last week because of 377,000 euros in unpaid bills. Further disconnections are threatened for invoices dating back to between January and May. The PP – PA administration is furious with the company as the debts were inherited from the previous socialist team of government.

DEBT JUDGEMENT

Not only Ronda town hall had some of its offices disconnected from the power supply because of unpaid bills Endesa officials also went to the Palacio de Justicia controlled by the Andalucía government. The building is shared by Ronda’s local police and the Málaga fire brigade. An angry judge and confusion over which meter belonged to whom persuaded Endesa to delay its actions.

PGOU PUSH

For the last two years the local development plan for Ronda has been in a state of paralysis. Now the new PP –PA administration wants to push ahead with the new PGOU and have it operational within three years. A meeting has been held with a company of town planning experts led by Manuel González Fustegueras who has produced PGOUs for many municipalities.

EIGHT GO

Fall out from PSOE’s election defeat in Ronda continues with eight members of the executive committee resigning. In their letter of resignation they accuse the party of having a dictatorial attitude, lacking internal democracy and are highly critical of secretary general Francisco Cañestro. Several are former socialist councillors including Briton Charlotte Wilmot and they have the support of veteran PSOE member Juan Fraile.

POWERLESS GAUCÍN

CHC Energía has cut off the power to at least ten municipal installations in Gaucín. The outstanding bill is 105,000 euros and PP mayor Pedro Godino says it is not a sum the town hall has at this moment. He is now seeking financial help from other administrations but meanwhile gyms, the cemetery, public fountains and the indoor market are all without electricity.

LEOPOLDO DAYS

Alpandeire recently celebrated the 147 th anniversary of the birth of Fray Leopoldo in the Serranía de Ronda village. Last year the friar was beatified in a ceremony in Granada and he is now on his way to being declared a saint. Apart from the ceremony in the “Cathedral of the Serranía” there was singing and music plus a giant paella for pilgrims.

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 7, 2011

TWO RONDA YOUTHS KILLED IN GRAND PRIX ACCIDENT

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.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2010

PSOE LEADERSHIP BACKS MARÍN FOR MAYOR

By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The secretary general of PSOE in Ronda, Francisco Cañestro has told a news conference that the directorate of the local party backs the current mayor, Antonio Marín, as its candidate for the post at next year’s municipal elections.

Marín was elected mayor for the Partido Andalucista at the last election but has caused controversy by abandoning the party with his fellow PA councillors and joining PSOE instead. This led to the Comisión de Expertos Independientes del Pacto Antitransfuguismo accusing all eight of being political turncoats in a ruling last December.

There is no doubt that the merger of Marín and his seven fellow former PA councillors has caused disquiet in the ranks of Ronda’s PSOE. The big test will come this Saturday when the 330 party members will vote to endorse or reject the directorate’s decision. Many socialists feel they have been pushed aside by the incomers.

Marín stated on Monday: “Now is the time for political stability in Ronda with an absolute PSOE majority. The town cannot make experiments, it would be catastrophic.

The Partido Andalucista had been in coalition with the Partido Popular after the last local elections. Then Marín surprised everybody by breaking the pact then forming a coalition with PSOE before he and his fellow PA councillors left the party, sit as unattached members of the council but they are all now PSOE members. This left the PA which had been the majority party with no representation at the town hall hence the condemnation of the political turncoat commission.

A few weeks ago an opinion poll showed PSOE destined to form the next administration in Ronda with mayor Antonio Marín the most popular politician. Now a rival poll says the Partido Popular will take eight seats with the Partido Andalucista on four with both forming a coalition. The most popular leader is the PP’s Maripaz Fernández and Antonio Marín trails fourth. If this poll holds true for the 2011 elections then the PA might yet exact political revenge on Marín and leave PSOE with a bloody nose.

DEATH CRASH
A lorry driver died on Monday morning after his vehicle was involved in a head on collision with another lorry on the A-367 as it passes through Cañete la Real. The tragedy happened at 7.25 at km 20 on the busy but narrow road that connects Ronda with Ardales. Traffic was diverted as the road had to be closed till the wreckage was removed.

IN OUT
Ronda has honoured Rafael Díaz with the title of honoured son. The Efe news agency photographer has recorded the town over many years and the images have been seen all over the world. In the same week the honoured son 81-year-old Francisco Garrido passed away. He had also been a journalist and had produced a series of histories of Ronda and the Serranía.

PLANNING EXPLAINED
The Diputación de Málaga is undertaking the drawing up of the new local development plans (PGOUs) for many of the smaller municipalities in the province. Recently the deputy for planning, Cristóbal Guerrero, visited Jubrique, Genalguacil, Algatocín and Júzcar to explain the plans for their municipalities. There will be 70 social housing units in Jubrique, 40 in Genalguacil and 18 in Algatocín and Júzcar.

BACK MOTORWAY
PSOE secretary general in Ronda, Francisco Cañestro, has called on all political parties in the town to back the toll motorway project with the coast. The PP had blasted the announcement as an election ploy but Cañestro insists it will happen, cut travel times from 50 to 22 minutes and create over 5,200 jobs. The 350 million euros project will be privately funded.

PLAIN CLOTHES
Local police in Ronda are to form a plain clothes unit. The six officers will patrol town centre streets with the main objectives being to catch pick pockets and bag snatchers as well as looking out for drugs traffickers. This follows on from the recent announcement of the forming of a dog unit and the town hall says others will also be formed.

TREE ZONE
An arboretum has been created in El Colmenar in Cortes de la Frontera. Almost 143,000 euros has been spent on the zone that will have recreational, educative and sporting uses. The parkland has 71 eucalyptus trees first planted in the middle of the last century with six walking routes. Visitors will be able to consult a series of informative posters on the species.

NATURE GUIDES
A new brochure on the flora and fauna of the Serranía de Ronda has been produced by the town hall showing the biodiversity of the area and including 24 photographs. Also the Andalucía ministry of the environment has produced a guide to the Sierra de Grazalema. This is the third guide in the series which includes Estrecho (Cádiz) and Cabo de Gata (Málaga).

AFRICAN VIEW
Benarrabá in the Serranía de Ronda now has a bird viewing station. It is so high that on a clear day visitors can see the coast of Africa and Gibraltar. Over 40,000 euros has been spent on the centre with view to developing tourism in the area. There are large charts to show visitors what birds can be seen and in what zones.

GOAT WOE
Protests by goat milk producers in Serranía de Ronda and Antequera were halted after talks with Forlactaria and García Baquero – the largest cheese producers were announced. However the angry producers say they’re restarting protests as no progress has been made. They say the cost of producing the milk has risen by 12 per cent whilst their income has dropped by 18 per cent.

DATELINE RONDA THURSDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2010

AVE BUDGET BOOST FOR 2011

By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

Last week the socialist MP Daniel Pérez steamed in to Ronda’s railway station like an express train in a hurry. His urgent message was that in the government’s budget for 2011 675,000 euros has been assigned to the AVE link between Bobadilla and the town of the Tajo.

Pérez hoped to signal the claim by the Partido Popular MP, Begoña Chacón, that only 100,000 euros had been set aside was nothing more than an engine blowing hot air. The former leader of the PP in Ronda said this called in to question the government’s commitment to the project.

Not so said Pérez. He promised the green flag had been waved but couldn’t say when the train would leave the station. That, he said, was a matter for Adif, the railway infrastructure company.

On hand was Francisco Cañestro, PSOE’s secretary general in Ronda. “The AVE will be a reality in Ronda and it will arrive within the timetable set by the socialist government,” he assured the media. Cañestro went further and insisted that the AVE would arrive in Ronda in 2012 as had been promised by the then minister of public works, Magdalena Alvarez, when she visited Ronda to launch the scheme.

In addition to the AVE funding Pérez said the government would spend 11.6 million euros in 2011 on upgrading the line between Ronda and Cortes de la Frontera. This is part of the massive spending the line is receiving between Ronda and Algeciras spread over several years.

Meanwhile the other major infrastructure project promised for Ronda – a new toll motorway to the Costa del Sol will have its study published shortly. The Andalucía public works and housing ministry says the documents will be sent in the coming month to the town halls along the route and to the Málaga provincial authority.

The proposed road would stretch for 32.8 kms running directly from Ronda to San Pedro. It would replace the existing road, one of the major accident black spots in the province. It would also slash travel times from 55 minutes to little over 20 minutes on a two lane highway.

However the PP has questioned the socialists’ commitment to this project too as it was announced before the last national and Andalucía elections and is still at the report stage.

PSOE WIN
A recent opinion poll has shown that the PSOE party in Ronda which has taken in PA mayor Antonio Marín and his fellow councillors would win between 10 and 11 seats at the local elections. The Partido Popular would take 7 – 8, with the IU and PA taking between 1 and 2. PSOE would have a massive 62.8 per cent of the vote.

STEP NEARER
The outlying districts of Ronda – Montecorto and Serrato – have moved a step near to becoming independent municipalities. Currently they have local autonomy but they are so far from the town centre that the town hall has backed their separation. Last week the council passed a motion to set the segregation in motion. The regional government has already approved the two zones becoming municipalities.

GENERAL USE
A new sports centre at La Dehesa in Ronda is underway. It will cost over one million euros and take nine months to complete. It’s being constructed within the grounds of the Virgen de la Cabeza school and will be used by pupils and the public. Over two floors it’ll have two sports pitches, one covered and will be used by 2,000 people.

GETTING THERE
The massive building project around Ronda to create a series of road accesses to the town is now 70 per cent complete. The work is costing over 13 million euros and is being funded by the Andalucía government. The three key access roads with flyovers are due to be finished by next spring. The scheme’s created 202 jobs of which 107 are direct.

BARRACK PARKING
The space occupied by the former Concepción barracks in the centre of Ronda was used for parking during the fair then closed. In the interim the area has been resurfaced, walls built and lighting installed and has now been opened again and can accept over 200 cars on 5,000 square metres. The demolition of the barracks cost 600,000 euros from State aid funds.

FRUIT ROBBERY
National Police in Ronda arrested a 43-year-old man accused of holding up a fruit shop at gun point. He struck at 14.30 on October 25 when the shop had closed and the staff were counting the takings. Some witnesses say there was a second man armed with a knife. When detained the accused had 130 euros still in a bag from the shop.

THIRD MAYOR
The new mayor of Gaucín is the Partido Andalucista’s Francisco Macías - deputy to the outgoing PP mayor Francisco Ruíz who resigned for personal reasons. He was elected with the support of the PA councillors and Ruiz. New PP councillor Pedro Godino put himself forward but received only his own vote. Since the last election Gaucín has had a PSOE, PP and PA mayor.

NUT CASE
Ten people have been arrested in Igualeja for stealing 300 kilos of chestnuts that had been stolen from various growers’ stores overnight. Local police stopped vehicles on local and Ronda roads with the nuts on board. They were an organised gang who were taking the chestnuts worth1,800 euros to market. In their cars were tools to break in to the growers’ premises.

CHESTNUT COOKING
International chef Dani García visited Genalguacil last Monday to hold a master class on how chestnuts can be used in cooking recipes. Genalguacil is the highest village in the Valle de Genal and of the 8,900 hectares in Andalucía given over to the growing of chestnuts 3,000 are in the valley. Amongst the dishes was a grill of pork with mushrooms and chestnut puree.