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 APRIL 28, 2011

HAVE PATIENCE OVER UNESCO BID


By David Eade – Costa del Sol News

The Andalucía minister for culture, Paulino Plata, has urged caution and patience on Ronda over its bids to be declared UNESCO Ciudad Patrimonio de la Humanidad. He was referring to a motion in the Andalucía parliament demanding that the regional government initiate the process necessary for the town of the Tajo to be given this UNESCO status.

Plata told a press conference in Ronda that the drawing up of such applications never took less than three years and were resolved between three and five years. He said the work to prepare Ronda’s application had started very well and there had been no difficulties along this road or obstacles encountered.

However the minister explain these applications were “very complicated” and the fact the town’s name was being put forward was being linked with parties’ campaigns the municipal elections being held in May.

Plata insisted the regional government clearly supported the candidature of Ronda – a town in which the urban and natural scenery was very special – and there is enthusiasm and hope for the application.

Ronda has formed an action group amongst political parties and local associations with heritage groups to work for its candidature for UNESCO status. A petition has also been started to collect signatures in support of the project.

TENSIONS GROW OVER EXPANSION OF CHINESE BUSINESSES

Spanish businesses are becoming very uneasy and angry over the proliferation of Chinese owned shops on the Costa del Sol, Ronda and elsewhere in Spain including Madrid and Barcelona.

The highly decorated Chinese restaurant facades became a familiar feature in the 1980s but now they have been joined by a network of supermarkets, cheap stores and wholesale outlets on industrial estates. They are family run, have the minimum of investment and sell their goods at low prices.

In Málaga province the number of Chinese owned shops has risen from 2,277 in 2005 to 4,591. At the same time the number of Chinese residents has grown from 575 to around 1,800 largely to staff these businesses.

The president of Federación del Comercio in Málaga, Enrique Gil, has observed the Chinese are buying business outlets including cafes, keeping the same appearance, offering the same products and services but vastly undercutting the Spanish businesses trading alongside them.

The federation complains the Chinese businesses do not apply the same employment agreements or working hours and therefore do not compete on an equal footing. There is disquiet amongst the shops in the various town neighbourhoods as each time they look another Chinese shop has opened up.

A new aspect of the Chinese competition is now increasing traders’ alarm. In the past a Chinese shop was very distinctive. Now they are copying their Western counterparts. One example is the arrival of ‘Zara Chino’ where the decoration and products ape the major fashion stores but are of inferior quality and far cheaper.

The federation says ‘Zara Chino’ has yet to arrive in Marbella but there are similar operations with one located by the old cemetery in premises formerly used by a car workshop and tyre business.

All the products sold are low priced and manufactured in Asia but imitate Italian designer bags and shoes along with French and Spanish fashion items and sell for around 30 euros.

One of the families have been in business in Spain for around 16 years. They started off with a Chinese restaurant in Fuengirola, then opened a 100 peseta shop in Marbella before graduating to the textile business.

Like all Asians the families that run these businesses work hard, have a good business sense and are able to set up without having to rely on bank finance because they finance themselves. The problem for Spanish shops at this time of financial crisis is they are seen as having an unfair advantage as they open all hours, do not have to worry about work contracts or minimum wages and are able to access and sell cheap Asian goods at prices that undercut their Iberian competition.

SIGN LANGUAGE

If you live in the Serranía de Ronda and would like to learn sign language for the deaf then you can attend a course being given by professionals from the local health service. It is organized by the Asociación de Personas Sordas de Ronda and it aims to break down the barriers between people, patients and families with members who have hearing difficulties.

HORSE BIDS

Ronda has spent 360,000 euros on creating a municipal horse school and equine therapy centre at its stud farm. The project has been funded by the town hall, Málaga province and the regional government. In May the tenders will be issued for the management of the complex which aims to make equestrian activities and skills more accessible to the public and handicapped.

MURDER EVIDENCE

Thirteen year old María Esther Jiménez was murdered in Arriate on January 20. A 17-year-old youth from the village has been arrested for her murder and between May 6 and 10 the process will start for those required to give evidence before the minors’ prosecutor. The law of minors stipulates an under 18 can only be held for six months before being released.

CLASSIC VISIT

Before Easter the Club Amigos de los Clásicos de Ronda held an event at the Ascari race track with around 50 people with 21 classic vehicles attending. The celebrity cars were put through their paces and then were parked in the paddock for all to admire. The newly formed club intends to hold regular local and regional events for classic cars in Ronda.

OBAMA EFFECT

The visit last August of the US President’s wife Michelle Obama with her daughter to Ronda still bears fruit for the town. Over Easter the councillor for tourism Francisco Cañestro played host to 20 of the top travel agents in the USA. They spent three days in Andalucía on a fact-finding visit anxious to visit Ronda in the footsteps of the First Lady.

RAIN SHELTER

Seven of the brotherhoods were unable to take to the streets of Ronda as their Semana Santa processions were cancelled due to the heavy rains. However the museum dedicated to the town’s fraternities has just been completed and was open for inspection making a useful shelter from the weather. The museum is still empty but answers a 15-year call from the religious groups.

CUTTING IT

Can you cut it? The cutting of the Jamón is a prized skill and will be displayed this year at Ronda’s Feria de Mayo. Champions of the art are the Corbacho family who own Ronda and Marbella’s Casa de Jamón. A national competition will be held on May 15 so if you fancy trying your hand phone 95287159 or 952773488 for entry details.

AZNAR VISIT

The Partido Popular are pulling out all the stops to win Ronda at the local elections. Recently leader Mariano Rajoy visited the town of the Tajo and last week former premier Jose María Aznar and his wife Ana Botella were in Estepona. Although they met all the local PP candidates for mayor Aznar spent time talking about Ronda with mayoral hopeful Mari Paz Fernández.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY JULY 14, 2009

RED FACE FOR GREEN COUNCILLOR OVER ILLEGAL HOME
By David Eade

Seprona, the environmental arm of the Guardia Civil, have taken legal action against a councillor in Cortes de la Frontera who has allegedly built a house in a river bed. Ironically the politician is from the Izquierda Unida – Los Verdes so is meant to be a defender of the environment.

The investigation started when Seprona spotted the property that had been constructed in the bed of a stream. Such land is zoned as being in the public domain. The law prohibits any construction as it would obstruct the waterway in the case of heavy rain or the river running and could cause extensive flooding.

Further enquiries by the Guardia Civil revealed that the home was owned by the councillor. In addition it has been established that he neither applied for nor received any licence to construct the building so it is illegal on two counts.

Officials at socialist controlled Cortes de la Frontera town hall insist they had no knowledge of the existence of the house and confirmed that no planning permission or licences has been sought or issued. If the court finds the councillor guilty then the house will have to be demolished.

NO RISE
In his first interview since his Partido Andalucista councillors joined PSOE in Ronda mayor Antonio Marín has stated there will be no IPC rise in 2010 and some local taxes may fall. He stated that the regional government would grant the licence for the Eroski commercial centre on Tuesday. On his decision to switch parties Marín said the PA was now dead.

NO PARKING
The parking zone at Blas Infante by Ronda’s bullring is to close on August 3 on the orders of the regional government that says the zone should free from cars as too are other important historic sites. It will now become a pedestrian zone. The workers will be transferred to the parking area at the former El Castillo college in the old town.

MEDAL WITHDRAWN
The commission of the ‘Memoria Histórica’ in Ronda, charged with the removal of all the symbols related to the Franco era, has stated that the gold medal awarded to the dictator and his naming as an adopted son in 1967 would be withdrawn. Examination of the archives shows the dual honours were conferred when the military commander José Luis Gabarrón Zambrano was mayor.

CROSSING DEATH
A 30-year-old woman was killed last Monday by a train after driving in her car onto a railway crossing without a barrier in Ronda at km 67.9 on the road to El Burgo. The driver was a worker at the nearby Serranía regional hospital. The tragedy happened at 17.00 and train services were disrupted for an hour. The local police are holding an investigation.

GIVE FURNITURE
Ronda’s social welfare department is launching a plan whereby used furniture can be donated to those who are suffering economic hardship in the municipality. A storage unit is to be allocated in the next two weeks at the new fair ground which will be managed by the cleaning company, Soliarsa. A telephone number will then be issued for those who have furniture to donate.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY MAY 19, 2009

JUNE START FOR EROSKI COMMERCIAL CENTRE
By David Eade

The Eroski supermarket group will start on its long awaited commercial centre in Ronda in June. When completed it will be its largest in Andalucía.

Mayor Antonio Marín Lara has confirmed that work will begin at 10.00 on Monday June 8. The first action will be to demolish the municipal sports complex that currently sits on the site. This and the subsequent construction works are expected to take two years to complete. Marín Lara added that the construction company – Grupo Ruiz Jurado – had also promised to remove the former fair ground pavilions which are in a poor state and are located on adjacent ground.

The old soccer stadium that forms part of the sports complex will be given a formal farewell. It has been in operation for 40 years and a game between Ronda and a Malaga representative side will be staged between June 1 and 7. Ronda’s soccer team and the other sporting activities that in the past have been held at the old stadium will now move to the new Ciudad Deportiva.

The arrival of Eroski in the town of the Tajo has been a tortuous affair. It was 10 years ago that the supermarket group first announced that it intended to create a commercial centre in Ronda put its bid has been plagued by planning issues. The company’s decision to purchase the sports complex finally opened the door for the scheme to proceed. However the small and medium sized traders in Ronda’s traditional shopping centre are far from happy fearing the new Eroski complex will ruin their livelihoods.

OLD COURT HOUSE TO BE SEMANA SANTA MUSEUM

The former court house that has recently been employed as the office for the new local development plan (PGOU) will become the future Semana Santa museum.

Deputy mayor Francisco Cañestro along with the councillor for Fiestas, Antonio Palma, announced the move. Cañestro stated that the building in the calle Armiñán – in the heart of the historic quarter – would be an ideal museum space and given its location would be assured of many visitors.

The museum will occupy over 400 square metres on the lower floor and above will be the town planning office. The 750,000 euros required to convert the building will come from State funds as part of the Zapatero economic crisis scheme. The project has been under discussion for 15 years and the museum will finally have a permanent home.


CHAMBER MUSIC
The prestigious Camerata de Madrid will give a concert at the Convento Santo Domingo in Ronda at 20.00 on Saturday May 23. The event is sponsored by Unicaja and the chamber orchestra is making a tour of the province which ends on Sunday. Also on Thursday May 21 at 21.00 at the same venue the chamber orchestra of the Hamburg Symphony are performing a concert of the works of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Paganini and Strauss.

CHEERS SCHU
On May 13 and 14 the seven times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher was at the Ascari race track in Ronda. He visited the circuit at the invitation of the drinks company Bacardi along with 50 guests as part of its “Beber Responsablemente – Drink responsibly” campaign. Schumacher was impressed by the facilities at Ascari which he described at “very special” and “unique”.

7,000 PARTICIPANTS
This year’s 101 km race in Ronda attracted over 7,000 entrants – 2,431 runners, 3,376 mountain bikers and 575 dual competitors. It was the 13 th edition of the now famous event which is organised by Spanish Legion as part of its anti-drugs campaign. Over 40,000 oranges, 35,000 bananas, 20,200 litres of water and 13,500 litres of special drinks were laid on for the contestants. In addition 25,000 people are said to have visited Ronda to watch the event.

ROAD INVESTMENT
Over the year 2008 - 2009 the municipalities of Benaoján and Genalguacil will have received 2.6 million euros in investment for road and infrastructure projects. The Málaga deputy for local development and rural roads has visited the two areas to see for herself what was needed and to supervise the works programme. The monies are virtually equally split between the two zones.

PICASSO VISIT
Unicaja is staging its Arco ’09 exhibition in Ronda till June 13. On display will be works of art that the bank acquired at February’s international contemporary art fair in Madrid. Amongst the exhibits will be a piece by Picasso (see above) and others by Andalucía artists. The exhibition is open from 12.00 -14.00 & 18.00 - 20.00 Monday to Friday plus 12.00 – 14.00 on Saturday at the Sala deExposiciones de la Fundación Unicaja in the Calle Pedro Romero, 2.

HAM FEST
El Circulo de Artistas in Ronda will host on Sunday May 24 at noon the VII Concurso de Cortadores de Jámon. The event will be in the hands of the Corbacho family who have won many national prizes for their ham cutting skills. The purpose of the competition is to encourage, develop and recognise the professional methods of cutting the celebrated jámon Serrano.

COUNCILLOR GONE
Ronda’s PSOE councillor for finance and tourism – and a former mayor – Isabel Aguilera has resigned. She is taking over a post with the regional government at the ministry of agriculture where Aguilera will be in charge of sustainable development in rural areas. This is the fourth resignation from the council and will require another reorganisation of the ruling Partido Andalucista – PSOE coalition.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY APRIL 14, 2009

TWO ARRESTED OVER BIZARRE TAJO DEATH
By David Eade

The official statement is hard to believe but the National Police in Ronda have arrested a 63-year-old woman and her 36-year-old son after his girlfriend fell to her death in Ronda’s Tajo gorge and they did nothing to help her.

The tragedy occurred in the middle of last October but now the police have charged the pair with not helping the woman or seeking help from the emergency services.

The woman fell to her death from the balcony of a property in which she had lived with her boyfriend for several months overlooking the Tajo gorge. According to her partner at around 2.30 in the morning they had a row and she disappeared from the apartment. He heard a bang from the balcony door and went out to find her bag, her shoes and mobile phone.

It is at this point that the story changes from a tragedy to the bizarre. The boyfriend immediately phoned his mother to tell her what happened. She told him to be calm, to go to bed and sleep. Both seem totally unconcerned about what had happened to the girlfriend. In the morning his mother arrived, cleaned his house, looked down from the windows over the Tajo and almost certainly saw the body of the girlfriend.

They then went shopping and it was only afterwards that they called at the police station to report what had happened. The emergency services then raced to the scene and although they found the girl she had died around eight hours before help was summoned.

ARRIATE BY-PASS TO TAKE 4,000 VEHICLES


The village of Arriate is the only municipality in the Serranía de Ronda to show strong growth in recent years whilst all the others are suffering from depopulation. For this it can largely thank its closeness to the town of Ronda to which it has become almost a suburb.


However the main street of Arriate is still that of a small village with barely room for two cars to pass and in one section vehicles can only travel in one direction at a time. Hence the announcement that the new by-pass will shortly be started will bring relief to a population that sees over 4,000 vehicles pass their doors each day.


The Andalucía minister of public works, Luis García Garrido, has inaugurated the start of the works that will take traffic from Setenil de las Bodegas to Ronda by by-passing Arriate. The sum of 5.3 million euros has been assigned to the project that should take 18 months to complete. It will also create 93 jobs, over half of them directly.


The by-pass will connect the existing roads, the MA-7403 (Arriate – Puerto del Monte – Setenil) and the A-367 (Ardales – Ronda). It will run to the east of Arriate and cover six kilometres. Currently large lorries cannot negotiate the centre of Arriate and have to take a 19 kilometre diversion via Cuevas del Becerro but they will be saved that journey once the by-pass is operational. It will be a dual carriageway and the rural roads connecting with it will also be upgraded.


The new road is all part of the Andalucía road plan 2004-2013 (Mas Cerca) that also includes the new road connecting Ronda with Ardales that opened on Monday. The minister stressed the Arriate by-pass would connect the Sierras de Málaga and Cádiz with the coast allowing for increased economic activity between the zones. After the by-pass has been completed the next major infrastructure project in the area will be the laying of the high-speed AVE train line between Antequera and Ronda.


LOW TAKINGS
Ronda received around the same level of visitors over the Easter holidays as previous years with hotel and rural houses said to have a 90 per cent occupancy level. However the incomes of hotels, bars and restaurants are down as visitors have spent markedly less due to the effects of the economic recession. Visitors have been looking for bargain prices for stays and food.


NO BIRTHS
The fears over the aging populations in the Serrania de Ronda have been reinforced after four villages reported no births in 2007. The municipalities of Benalauría, Júcar, Parauta and Pujerra are smaller and older as a result as there have been deaths and people moving out to seek work elsewhere. Also suffering are Alpandeire with one birth and Jubrique and Cartajima that recorded two.


DOLE TOLL
The March total of unemployed in Ronda has risen by 76 people bringing the total to 3,913 compared with 2,726 in the same month last year. The construction industry is still the worst affected although the recession has also been felt in the hotel and restaurant trade plus amongst local businesses. Women account for the highest total with 2,012 compared with 1,901 men.


COURT DATE
The Ronda court has set a date in May for the municipal secretary – accountant of Cuevas del Becerro to appear in the case in that he is alleged to have taken 340,000 euros of town hall funds. He has been in the post for 15 years and is said to have used blank cheques signed by the mayor and his deputy for his own use.


BACTERIA ATTACK
The regional government’s environment ministry has employed bacteria to destroy the 28 tonnes of diesel that spilled from a Repsol tanker that recently crashed in to a stream on the Cuevas del Becerro to Setenil road. There were fears that the oil could have caused major environmental damage by seeping into the Peñarrubia reservoir but the bacteria has broken down the hydrocarbon.


CHURCH RESTORED
The work to restore the ancient Santa Cecilia church in Ronda will be completed on April 29. Over 600,000 euros has been spent on the work to the church locally known as ‘Los Descalzos’ – the shoeless after the religious community that served there. The restoration has been completed in two phases starting in 2007 and includes the former Convento Trinitario de Los Descalzos.


FARM MARQUEE
Following the decision of Ronda’s mayor to postpone this year’s Real Feria de Mayo the town hall’s agriculture delegation says a marquee dedicated to the sector will be set up instead in the San Francisco quarter for farmers to use. The May Fair is the oldest in Andalucía but the mayor insists the 200,000 euros designated for the event will be spent on the unemployed instead.


ROAD OPEN
The Ronda to Málaga journey has just got shorter after the new stretch of the A-367 was opened on Monday. The new road between the Venta del Córdobes and Ardales has cost 12 million euros and has been funded by the regional government. It covers seven kilometres and apart from improving road safety should reduce travel times between Ronda and Málaga to one hour.

DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY APRIL 7, 2009

RONDA CANCELS ITS MAY FAIR BECAUSE OF RECESSION
By David Eade

A major shock has been handed out to the people of Ronda and the wider Serranía. The mayor, Antonio Marín, has stated that this year’s Real Feria de Mayo has been cancelled because of the recession. His administration formed by a coalition of Partido Andalucista and PSOE councillors will instead spend more than 300,000 euros on its economic crisis plan.

The Real Feria de Mayo was first held in 1487 and was given its “royal” prefix by the Reyes Católicos. The fair is the oldest agricultural event of its kind in Andalucía and is of major economic importance to the farming sector.

None-the-less Antonio Marín believes that in the present circumstances the main priority is to create jobs and help disadvantaged families. It is intended to contract 106 workers between May and July in addition to the 200 families that exist in Ronda who are living in abject poverty and need town hall help. The jobs will be created in the service sector as gardeners, painters, bricklayers and cleaners amongst both men and women.

Not surprisingly the decision to cancel the fair has provoked an angry reaction. The spokesperson for the opposition Partido Popular, María Paz Fernández, blasted: “The benefits of the Feria de Mayo are incalculable. This measure demonstrates the lack of capability of the mayor. We are indignant!”

The spokesperson for the Izquierda Unida, Rafael Ruiz, stated that whilst his party agreed with the plans to help the jobless and needy families the measure had not been discussed with the opposition parties. He suggested that the mayor consider the various proposals tabled by the IU which would allow the municipality to save money.

Salvador, a Ronda resident, was bewildered by the mayor’s decision. He told Ronda News: “The town hall makes money from the fair, so why cancel it?”

ARRIATE DENIES IT HAS PLANS FOR A GOLF COURSE

The municipality of Arriate is close to Ronda, indeed its boundaries are completely surrounded by the Serranía’s leading player. This goes a long way to explaining why Arriate is the only village in the Serranía to buck the trend of depopulation as it is very much a ‘suburb’ of fast growing Ronda.

Arriate has a very strong left-wing tradition and its solid Izquierda Unida administration has announced plans for its new local development plan (PGOU). It wants to have 570,000 square metres of land declared as for urban use which would allow the construction of 1,000 homes – basically doubling the size of the existing village.

However Arriate is also one of those communities that would be badly affected by the development of the controversial Los Merinos golf course. This proposed major golf, urban and luxury hotel complex is within the boundaries of Ronda but lies very close to Cuevas del Becerro. The residents of the entire area along with ecologists opposed Los Merinos because they say it would draw on the water aquifers on which their communities and agriculture relies – and have done for generations.

Eyebrows have therefore been raised when Ecologistas en Acción declared that it was the intention of Arriate town hall to include land for a golf development within its new PGOU. They allege that whilst the mayor Bernardino Gaona has joined the protests against Los Merinos, as well as another golf course at Parchite, his administration is planning for such a project in Arriate although no specific land has been allocated.

This has led to angry denials from the town hall. The first deputy mayor, Salvador Cabrera, dismissed the claims stating: “In Arriate we are not going to construct a golf course.” He pointed out that the municipality only covered nine kilometres and such a development “is not our intention.”

The ecologists have also dammed the plans for 1,000 homes as being “excessive” but Cabrera countered that they were only bringing the document in to line with the regional government’s requirements. The same applied to the location of the long awaited sewage plant which the Andalucía authority said has to be close to a river.

The deputy mayor says that only five allegations against the draft PGOU had been made and one of those was from the ecologists. He has invited the Ecologistas en Acción spokesperson, Alejandro Moreno, to participate with the town hall in preparing the PGOU document so that the fears over the golf course and other issues can be laid to rest.

WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE
Ronda is one of the most important tourist centres in Andalucía and the most visited in the province of Málaga. Now the town of the Tajo is better equipped than ever to greet and help its visitors from around the globe.

As of Monday a new visitors' centre has been opened in the town. The staff are able to speak to visitors in six languages – these cover the nationalities that most frequency visit the town. Apart from Spanish the staff can speak English, French and German as well as the languages of the Nordic countries.

The aim of the office, which will be open seven days a week, is not only to boost tourism to Ronda but also the wider Serranía area. It is being provided by the regional government but is also backed by Ronda’s town hall that has allocated the premises to be found in the calle Espíritu Santo in the San Francisco quarter close to the old walls. The municipal tourist office will continue to operate close to the bullring.

RADAR TRAP
The traffic authority has scheduled another of its radar speed traps for the A-397 San Pedro to Ronda road at km 7. This dangerous road has more black spots than any other in the province of Málaga. It sees a number of deaths each year, the majority from motorcyclists, and it is hoped that the radar trap will cause motorists and bikers to drive slower and more safely.

BIG DEBT
According to the Ministerio de Economía y Hacienda Ronda has the fourth largest debt in the province of Málaga. The figure stands at 37.5 million euros, an average of 1,026 euros per resident. Councillor Isabel Aguilera has stated that the amount is one that the town hall can manage.

LESS FISH
A study carried out by the Fundación Nueva Cultura de Agua financed by the Obra Social Caja Madrid has revealed a drop in the density of fish in the Genal river. However all the fish found are native to the waters. The majority of Spanish rivers have been invaded by foreign species. Five fish were found but not the Lamprey which historically has been associated with the Genal.