La Caja Rural de Granada has agreed to extend a lone for 3,000,000 euros to the town hall to finance the building & renovation projects for schools in the township. This money will be spent on the new high school in the P4 (2,452,686 euros) and the high school & infant school in La Herradura (746,633 euros). This action was taken to cut short an excessively long process that was initiated in 1995.

The chief opposition leader, Juan Luis González, criticised the mayor for his lack of support for local events this summer. The two events in question were 'Chica del Verano' and the short films festival. The first of the two is a televised event put on by Tele Cinco, a national private channel. Last year the event attracted tremendous crowds, so much so that the TV company wanted to repeat the venue. According to Sr. González, Tele Cinco were waiting for confirmation from the new town council so that they could go ahead - it never came. "It wouldn't have cost the public coffers a penny," he added. He also manifested his 'preoccupation' over the lack of support for the short films festival that celebrated its fourth year. This year there were 4 foreign films competing, elevating the event to an international level. Up till now the town council has donated 18,000 euros for the staging of the event, as well as providing accommodation and boarding for the competitors. Fortunately, private business put up the money so the 'show could go on.'

The town had its share of robberies and drug hauls this summer. A 20-year-old girl was caught shop lifting in a shop in Plaza de Madrid. The shop keeper had caught her putting two items of clothing into her bag. The stolen items were worth 500 euros. Three youths were arrested by the Guardia Civil after they held up a young German tourist at knife point after he had withdrawn 100 euros from a cash point machine. The mugging took place at 5 in the morning. The victim immediately reported the mugging to the Guardia Civil, who took down a description of his assailants. They found them in a discothèque and arrested them. They confiscated the knife and returned the 100 euros to the now happy German. Two of the muggers were from Almuñécar and one was from Pinos Puente, near Granada. Curiously enough, the girl shoplifter was also from Pinos Puente.

Whilst on the subject of crime in Almuñécar, we must mention the 3 Rumanians who were caught obtaining money from cash points by dishonest means. The 3 of them, 2 women and a man, were rumbled whilst using a Caja General cash point in Velilla. Although this gang used a very sophisticated system, using computers the usual method is the Lazo Libones (Lebonese Ribbon). Basically, it is a false slit for the insertion of the card. It contains a magnetoscopic band which prevents the machine from recognising that a card has been introduce, so there it stays. Up comes a seemingly innocent passer-by, who informs the victim that he knows a method of withdrawing it: an 8-digit code. The first four digits are made up but the last four is the victim's pin code. The attempt fails and the helpful stranger disappears with a shrug. When the victim finally abandons the machine a second accomplice withdraws and re-inserts the card, using the newly acquired pin number. So you see, this is happening on our door step, so beware!

According to the town council the Paseo underground car park will be open and functioning for July 2004. The bar owners under the Paseo will be vacating their premises from the 1st October and on the 30th November demolition work will begin. Work, however, will begin as early as the 15th of this month. When the present owners and tenants get their premises back they will find that they are 50% bigger for no extra charge. In fact the rent paid for these premises will remain fixed for 35 years, which is the period of time that Parquigran has the concession of the underground car park. Well, that's what the article in the Ideal newspaper states and we limit ourselves to simply translating the facts given at that particular time.

Fifteen bars were closed down at the beginning of summer for a variety of reasons, the most predominant being the manipulation of noise limiters installed on musical equipment. It always happens during the most important part of the year, when bar owners are desperate enough to pay whatever so as not to miss the summer rush - very astute.

The Provincial Council for Granada will be financing a 25,000sq/m park in Otívar. The village will receive a total of 360,745.59 euros to prepare the land for the creation of the park. The grant, which represents 100% of the cost of the park, will be received over a 2-year period. The park will be situated above the main road, just past the new warehouse, where the retaining walls have been built. Several years back a large slab of hillside slid off down to the river, taking the mayor's house with it - hence the retaining walls. "It was a logical step that after spending so much money on stabilising the area that something should be done with it. The lower part will contain a car park (whoopee, at last!) and the rest will be a recreation area with paths, shrubs benches and trees.

The medical union has denounced the lamentable state in which Almuñécar's medical centre finds itself. During a summer of exceptional and sustained heat the centre had to make do with no air-conditioning. "The working conditions belong to the 1930's despite the fact that the centre has to fend for a summer population of 50,000 souls. A spokesman for the Southern Health Board recognises that defects exists but states that, 'One does what one can.' The lack of air-conditioning means that patients and workers alike had to put up with temperatures above 30C. Other defects that were listed were: broken blinds, antiquated furniture, damp walls and poor lighting. The Union submitted a written report at the end of June but nothing was done. In fact, they didn't even receive a reply. The district chairperson for the board, Antonia Vazquez, states that there is little that can be done to the old building and that all efforts should be concentrated on the new building, which although is under construction, has been paralysed for the last 3 years, due to a lack of accord between the Regional Council and the town hall.

To talk about road jams in summer is as pointless as talking about the heat ? Where's the news? Well, both the traffic and the heat this summer, beat all previous records. The summer heat wave that castigated Europe has been well covered by international press, so we'll only talk about how the traffic effected Almuñécar. On Sunday 17th August the town was gridlocked up the top by Radiovision. In the meantime on the main road things were just as chaotic. The traffic reaching Almuñécar from the Málaga side stretched back, through the Cerro Gordo tunnel, almost reaching the La Herradura petrol station. The tail back of cars stretched between the two entrances to Almuñécar. Things weren't much better coming the other way. It was back to the old days for those who tried to reach the coast from Granada ? 2 hours! In fact, Granada had the worst traffic problems in the whole of Spain. A spokesman for the Guardia Civil Traffic Police said that the traffic retention on the N340 as it passes through Almuñécar was caused by the traffic lights on the P4 junction. Allow us to gloat a little because we did point this out when it was announced that they were going to install them. The other 3 black spots on the N340 were the main entrance into Salobreña, the junction where the N323 (Granada road) meets the coastal N340 and Torrenueva, which again was caused by the traffic lights. Well we are just going to have to put up with the inevitable seasonal chaos until the Motorway is completed, which probably won't be until 2007. Perhaps, next summer, they'll turn those stupid traffic lights off and let the P4 traffic bleed in at discretion. Why they let a municipal architect loose on a main road junction is a mystery. Never mind!

You will be expected to pay again to park in the Blue Parking Zones from now until the 15th of November. The tariffs are operational from Monday to Friday at the following times: 09.00 14.00 and 16.00 - 21.00. The charges are the same as those that were in operation in 2001, i.e. 30 cents the first hour, 45 cents the second and 60, the third. If you make the following imaginary journey then you will have passed through continuing Blue Parking Zones: start off at the bottom of the taxi rank, drive to the end of the paseo, where the kiosk is, turn down past Dallas, carry on along the beach past the bottom entrance for the Post Office and turn left up the road which takes you up to the bus station. Take the first left, which will lead you back to where you started off.

Playa Cálida Hotel is coming along like a rocket. That's the one that they are building down by Cabria beach, Taramay. You can see it as you leave Taramay, driving towards Salobreña, down below you. This 4-star hotel with 321 rooms, 12 of which are suites, should be operating for Semana Santa. The hotel, which belongs to the Playa Senator hotel chain, will also count a fitness and beauty complex with the name of 'Aquaplaya', According to the mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides, this new hotel will be 'one of Almuñécar's flagships of the town's new touristic future.' Ride on, Benny! He also went on to say that although the hotel is a 4-star establishment, its facilities are nearly those of a 5-star hotel and that the hotel's setting is unbeatable. In the opinion of the Ed, the setting was 'unbeatable' until they put the bloody hotel there, but that's progress for you.

It's a typical summer scene to see the beaches covered with beach umbrellas and sun beds, a little like a meadow covered in daisies - but not if the town hall can help it! The problem is that a good proportion of them are sitting there whilst their owners are sitting at home watching the box or squeezing spots. A common practise is to ask someone in the family or a friend to cart your beach stuff down there and set it up to reserve the spot for them for when they deign to appear. This is the practise that the town hall wants to stamp out, if there is a legal way to do it. To that end the legal brains of the town council is busily sucking pencils, pawing over legal documents and playing video games on their work computers. And they're right, of course, to do something about it because it is not right that those who want to use the beach and are 'on site,' so to speak, should have to snooze standing up because some sofa surfer has planted his beach furniture there at first light, just in case he feels like coming down later. Off with their pods!

Almuñécar is finally toeing the line over access to the Cantariján beach, which is a protected area. The Nerja side of the Cerro Gordo Natural Park already prohibits access to the beaches in private vehicles, whereas, Almuñécar has been dragging its heels. The town hall and the Provincial Delegate for the Environment have now reached an agreement to stop access to the beach in motorised vehicles and to build a car park at the top, near the main road. As no parking fee has been agreed upon, parking there will be free of charge until an agreed price is reached.

Raíz (Root) was the winning film at the short films festival held in the Majuelo Park last month. Gaizka Ureisti, which sounds as if it were Japanese for Cat's Urine but is in fact the Basque name of the director of the film, received the trophy and cash prize for the Best Short Film 2003 from the hands of the renowned director, Carlos Orellana. The 3 previous festivals were partly financed by the Provincial Deputation for Culture, but this year they pulled out just before the event was staged. Neither did the Almuñécar town hall collaborate, as was the case on previous occasions.

It's a disaster waiting to happen. The Otívar road was 'finished' around mid June. Since then, the cuttings have been almost ignored. The retaining walls are going up at a snail's pace, despite the proximity of the Autumn rains. Bear in mind that meteorologists have been forecasting very heavy rains due to this unusually hot summer. Even the workers on the road share the opinion that the lot is going to come down after 'four drops,' as they say in Spanish.

Did you see herds of youngsters in yellow T-shirts with 'Ron Barcelo' on the back and front? Well, they belong to the 2003 Mud Wrestling Tournament, which was held on Puerto del Mar Beach. This summer attraction travels along the southern coast of Spain and this year ended up in Gandia (Alicante) on the 30th August. It is organised by Ron Barcelo, which is a company that produces rum. The object is to heave your opponent out of the mud pool. Acts of aggression are punished with immediate expulsion. It is fun for participants and spectators - specially perverts.

The Almuñécar 'Proteccion Civil' carried out 241 call outs during July. That might seem like a while ago to be in the September issue, but August's figures won't be available until mid September. Proteccion Civil is a volunteer service that provides first aid and help in general at large public gatherings and looks after bathers on the beaches during the summer. They're a bit like the St. Johns Ambulance Brigade, but without the ambulances. Anyway, those 241 call-outs translate into 8 call-outs a day.

The town hall has to cough up a year's wage for each of the municipal policemen who were suspended, pending a drug bust investigation. The amounts of money involved are 11,459 euros and 10, 450 euros, which will have to be paid over in 10 monthly payments. But it doesn't stop there. Inland Revenue, through INEM (Instituto Nacional de Empleo - National Employment Agency), is demanding the return of 63,388 euros. The town hall received this sum to help finance employment courses for those who are officially registered as unemployed. According to a spokesman at Hacienda (Spanish Inland Revenue), the planning for the course was a disaster, as was its execution, only rivalled in ineptitude by the way it was concluded. Apart from that, according again to Hacienda, the money wasn't spent where it should have been.

The town hall (what! again?) has decided to send round an inspector to the council estate where 102 homes are being rebuilt in the Barrio de los Marinos (above Chinasol). This comes from numerous complaints from tenants that the building work is pretty shoddy (there's a surprise). The Barrio de los Marinos was built around 30 years ago for the fishermen's families. The houses, little more than shoeboxes with the acoustic insulation of rice paper, were Blue-Tacked to a hillside that nobody was particularly interested in back then. The overspill from this council estate was accommodated in the much more recent Las Palomas council estate opposite the P4 junction on the main road. It has missed nobody's attention that if all those beastly families were shipped off somewhere else, the price of that hillside would rival Cotobro per square building metre.

Do you know how much that firework display cost on the 15th August? 150,000 euros. How does that compare with other towns that celebrated the Virgin de la Antigua? Well, Motril, for one, spent 240,000 euros, the flash gits. 'Flash' being the operative word. Santa Cruz del Comercio (on the way to Alhama de Granada) spent 9,015, which is equivalent to a box of matches, a dozen sparklers and somebody (the Mayor's assistant) bursting paperbags to provide impressive detonations.

The Avenida Mar de Plata received new street lighting! Whoopee and break out the Lucky-Bags! It was about time, of course, because it is the main entrance to Sol Melillá Hotel and it doesn't do to have guests from perhaps Almuñécar's most prestigious hotel tripping over cars and sleepwalkers in a 1940-type blackout.

It was a time for party hats and joyous farting for the Almuñécar municipal police when they nabbed a vanload of hashish last month. A patrol car noticed that the driver of a van was driving in a 'nervous' manner and so as not to spook the driver, called in an unmarked police car. Unfortunately for the Italian and Moroccan occupants of the van, they had a puncture and were forced to stop, at which point the unmarked car parked a little further back along the road and radioed the patrol car. When it came into view one of the occupants tried to hide behind a mound of earth, so the plain-clothes policemen closed in and arrested them. There were 1,472 kilos of hashish in 46 bags in the back of the van.

Do you remember the story of that 103-year-old Granny that was dragged off down to Almuñécar to see the sea for the first time in her life? Well, she's just died, but not before clocking up 107 laps of the Sun. She had lived all her life in Lanjaron, where she was born in 1897. Somebody had asked her what she attributed her longevity to. She said that it was thanks to her daily walks and a nice cup of camomile. Not the stuff you buy in teabags but camomile flowers that she had gathered herself. Quite simply, a couple of months ago she had lost her appetite for food and life in general and decided that it was time to move on - so she died, peacefully and without any fuss. 'Just like that!' as Mr Cooper used to say. She had outlived all her 6 children - the last one died a year ago, but leaves behind 25 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. She will be remembered for her excellent sense of humour: upon seeing the sea for the first time in 103 years, and with tears of joy in her eyes, she remarked, "Damn, I didn't bring my bikini."

Bubble, bubble, boil and... even more simmering heat during this summer. Despite the meltingly hot lazy days there has still been a Pandora's Box of activity within the town. Russ Nash stepped up the vibes at Chupitos at the end of last month to enhance the holiday fiesta time and is planning to return in September with a body shaking rhythm show. Also, to complement the (probably BEST in town) Guinness, a new Irish music duo set about making their debut in the Chupitos shack and what a dazzling array of Celtic flair performed; inclusive of Irish bagpipes, flute and drum… keep a beady eye on the musical ventures for September!

A dynamic festive night was pursued for the grand 30th birthday celebration of the Chupito's Jefe, Len, which entailed an abundance of amigos clicking glasses and superb servings of the most delicious cake made by Pernille. A huge thank you to everyone who came to test their vocal chords for Happy Birthday J!

Amongst the summer crowds some new faces appeared in town. Heidi's daughter, Katie is catching a quick dose of Costa Tropicale and Richard has found the delights of a BIG fan to assist the climate in his new abode… watch out there is a beast of an editor in our midst! Belgian Bruno and Geerd have been in town wholeheartedly sampling the liquors and Bahamas Alan has been making himself acquainted with the Chups locals on his long awaited 'rest???' vacation! Finally a new face not to be seen for some months yet … Yvonne is expecting a wee babe. Many congratulations!

With great anticipation all sexitanos and multicultural residents were awaiting the annual Virgin de la Antigua fiesta night. This was an incredible evening. There was a tingling excitement in the air as everyone descended to the paseo and beach… and Oh My! The vast population was a spectacle in itself. Droves of people seemed to emerge from the depths of the town as though a magician's wand had been waved over Almunecar. Then a spectacular firework display synchronised to classical tunes…with the odd blip of windows music… engulfed the sky and shoreline, as the fisherman also had a principle role in the dazzling the crowds with the fountain fireworks. I have witnessed some astounding fireworks but the finale deserves the credit for being a knockout… countless fireworks lit the sky simultaneously with a good dose of booms!

However, with the great fiesta night the partying town was also a not so great no-parking town. Intriguing parking techniques were apparent in every street in town so keep your ears to the ground for new parking proposals in town and should mañana be the word of the day, it may be worth it for residents to rally around to press the issue in the wake of next Spring to relieve this annoying stress. Hand in hand on the annoyance factor is the debate on clean beaches with an exquisitely beautiful coastline Almuñécar deserves to be challenged for blue flags too!

Once again the change of season is imminent and some becoming (ha ha ha) faces will be deserting us, or have already… sorry folks. Adam's family Laura disappeared during August for Scottish ventures and Shirley has toddled back to England for a time for an eye op. For those who had cunningly escaped to more northern lands this summer for a cooler breeze, discovered that there were no cooler breezes and their plans were foiled! What a wonderful heat wave… no complaints! Better than drizzly cloudy skies.

Until next month keep your spirits high …intake as well as smiles ;-) A new winter season agenda is being compiled but in the meantime pop in for a gummy bear or peachy chupito treat… Did I mention our new concoction is wickedly lethal?

Users of La Herradura library will soon be able to have access to free Internet facilities. It is part of a project launched by the Regional Government, La Junta de Andalucía in Sevilla, whose aim it is to provide Internet connection points in every town in Andalucía, where there is a public library. No doubt residents and visitors will be able to use this facility after making a reservation.

'Amigos de La Herradura' staged a very succesful interpretation of Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde. All told, 30 people took part in the production: actors, prop carpenters & painters, seamstresses and typists etc, the vast majority of whom were locals with a flare for amateur theatrics. The performance was so well received that it was decided to repeat it later on in the month (23rd August) at the Las Gaviotas Junior School. The photo shows the cast taking a bow before the audience at the Alcazar complex on the Punta de la Mona.

At the beginning of last month the new members of the town council got their collective finger out and set about tidying the area where the wooden paseo ran. Maria Victoria Ruiz, the Vice-Mayoress and head councillor for La Herradura, says "This was done to improve access to the beach and to improve the drainage system for rainwater".

After having heard that the municipal police apparently pulled down an 'illegal' chiringuito (beach bar) owned by the Nuevo Camping de La Herradura, The Ed. went round and spoke to the owner's daughter. She told him that the chiringuito was pulled down because the authorities had received numerous complaints from neighbours, stating that it was cutre (shabby). Nuevo Camping has permission to set up a 'terraza' on that part of the beach immediately in front of their bar. However, they had also mounted a bar there, which is illegal hence, the townhall demolished it. Whether it was shabby or not, is a matter of opinion. The woman interviewed, when asked whether she felt that they had been unfairly or brutally treated by the municipal police said that they hadn't. In place of the 'offensive' chiringuito is a cluster of beach umbrellas and sunbeds where the bar's customers can relax on the beach.

Joaquín is at it again. La Asociación Amigos de Baracoa is set to begin its 8th annual campaign to collect material and financial donations for the Cuban village of that name. Last year a bus was donated to the cause. This year they hope to be able to provide a scanner for the local hospital. But they accept and pass on everything... accept winter clothing, because Cuba doesn't know what winter is. A good deal of themoney raised, as the locals know, comes from his monster paella that can feed nearly a thousand people. "This Christmas I'm going to prepare a typical Valencian one," he confided. They lack so many things there, that it is sometimes difficult to decided what to provide, and provide, they have. In 2001 they supplied German forceps and scissors for the operating theatres. They totally fitted out two hairdressers and renovated 26 butchers shops in the town of Baracoa. The whole project started when Baracoa became the twin town of Almuñécar.

Daniel Barbero, (There's an unusual surname in the village), as Councillor for Transport and street safety has announced the tendering of the municipal transport licence. He says that bidders must assure that they will provide better vehicles and timetables than those that have been operative up until now. The mayor said on the subject that the present system belongs to the 70's and must be radically and substantially changed.

The PP will put forward a motion during the next council meeting for a golf course to be included in the modifications of the 1986 PGOU (General Urban Planning Ordinance) The project concerns a proposed golf course in the Rio Jate area (above La Herradura). The designated land, over 1.5 million sqms. belongs to just four owners. Let's see whether this attracts waves from the ruling party.

As has been mentioned before, the parking restrictions on Catarriján Beach have come into being. There are access control points, both on the old N340 entrance, which is tarmac'd and on the dirt track once you're over the bridge on the Granada/Malaga limits. Their task is to inform users that they are not to park on the beach and to make sure that the maximum of 200 cars only is not exceeded. Apart from these control points the beach is also patrolled by Zodiacs dinghies to keep illegal sport fishing, as well as encroachment by fishing boats, at bay. User rules are as follows: parking on the beach and camping is prohibited; it is strictly forbidden to light camp fires or barbecues; It is forbidden to use soaps or shampoos, or any detergent on the beach. All animals must be kept on leads. Apart from that it is totally and completely forbidden to bring ugly wives, girlfriends and daughters onto the nudist beach.

What a good idea! The Comunidad de Propietetarios de Punta de la Mona & La Herradura (association of neighbourhood homeowners) installed its first solar-powered street lamps - two of them, one of which is near the old bowling alley near the entrance to Marina del Este. Solar energy has come a long way since the first models and you can know run your whole house from a solar-powered system at 240v. By which we mean, washing machines and God knows what else. Anyway (I must get out of the habit of using that damned word). These robust looking street lamps, once fully charged, (and let's face it, sunlight is not a problem here), they can run for 72 hours. The street lamps cost 2,400 euros. It provides an interesting solution for isolated groups of houses, far from where the town council can be bothered to install street lighting. One more thing, apparently the solar board rotates allowing it to take full advantage of the sun's rays.

The only, (to date), high school in La Herradura is in the process of being modernised and extended. The building extension will add a further 200m2 to the school, providing 4 new classrooms. It should, repeat, should be ready for the beginning of this coming school year?

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Chief Opposition leader in the Spanish Parliament, had his holiday in the village. He was seen in all sorts of places, one of which was Chiringuito Marina Playa, down in Marina del Este, where he ate most days. Our publisher was down there anyway with his habitual attachment, i.e. his camera, but he decided to let the man eat and not give him 3rd degree burns from a flash bulb 3 inches from his retinas. Zapatero also made a surprise press conference for Europa Press in Hotel Sol Meliá, and although the Ed's girlfriend works as a waitress there, security was tighter than a Catalan's grip on his wallet. This socialist politician's ascent to the pinnacle of the PSOE surprised many voters and party members. In fact, you can say that it 'raised a few eyebrows'... and talking of eyebrows, this man's angular, arched eyebrows have been a Godsend for uninspired or burnt out cartoonists - they are remarkable! The Seaside Gazette also caught up with him at the Almazara restaurant in Almuñécar but the mere grim aspect of the five body guards persuaded us not to mention our presence. He also made his only official appearance at a dinner for the local PSOE in Motril. During his speech he said, "To be of the left wing means that you worry about other people - to be of the right wing means that you worry about yourself, only." He said that he had heard a 9-year-old girl utter this sentence and had decided to adopt it for its simplicity. For quite a few it confirms a growing suspicion - prepubescent children write his political speeches. As far as the village goes, Zapatero said that he enjoyed his stay enormously and would be back - whether it will be as the President of Spain, will be a mystery until the 2004 March National Elections. But if he is elected as the President, one of the first things he says he will sort out, are the traffic jams on the coasts. Perhaps the fact that he had to put up with being stuck in one for a couple of hours had some influence on this. Somebody is reported to have told him a joke making the rounds at the moment: Do you know where Almuñécar is? At the end of the traffic jam!

A huge lorry just outside San Antonio decided to lie down as it came round the bend, resulting in dead lorry and an overturned driver. Such was the impact that the refrigeration above the cab unit flew off exposing its load to the extraordinary heat of this summer. Of course, it had to be fish, didn't it! The stench was incredible, as you can imagine. You can see in the photo that the road signs that had valiantly tried to stop the giddy juggernaut have been completely ironed flat. No other cars were involved in the accident - just rather a lot of surprised fish. "One moment, there we were, swimming around in the sea and the next..."

The Gazette team was on its way to Nerja when they decided to look in on the Marchante Tunnel behind San Antonio and see how it was going. And going it is - at a rate of knots! They had an opportunity of asking the foreman, Vicente, how work was progressing and what method they were using. They weren't using a 'mole,' which is a huge rotating disk with more teeth than Ken Dodd. They were simply perforating the rock face and introducing explosives. Where they come across soft rock they employ a 'pica pica' (a pneumatic drill mounted on a lorry or JCB). The twin tunnels had already progressed 60 and 90 metres respectively in just over a month, working 24 hours a day. Apparently, one tunnel must always be more advanced than the other for safety reasons. The tunnel will be just over 300 metres long.

The IX Crossing of La Herradura Bay took place on a blistering Sunday around mid August. Angel Galdo, the organiser of the event didn't take part this year because, 'being nearly eighty takes its toll!' As seems to be the tradition a man from Málaga won the competition. Fernández Ordóñez finished the course in 24 minutes, 15 seconds. Just to keep it in the family, his sister, María won first prize in the feminine section, completing the course in 25 minutes, 29 seconds. She was also sixth across the finishing line in general terms. The crossing started in its habitual place, Peña Parda and finished in La Caleta, at the opposite end of the bay. More than 150 people participated (adults & children) on what proved to be a calm Sunday morning. The organiser, Ángel Galdo was worried up to the last moment that winds would ruin the event - he needn't have worried because it was a glorious day and sea state. What did the winner win - a Jamón Serrano...! ¡como Dios manda! Right up to the last seconds Marta García and Daniel Acedo, both from Motril, held everybody in suspense as they plunged on, neck and neck. In the last moment the lad won through. Miguel Muñoz González won the handicapped prize with his winning time of 32 minutes, 08 second, the prize for which he donated to ONCE, the National Blind Person's Organisation. Nobody drowned or defected to Morocco.

The Ideal Newspaper ran an article on the lamentable (Third World was the term used) state of the sewage system in the Marina del Este and the new building estates above it. It went on to say that as incredible as it may seem, raw sewage is pumped into the sea from one of Southern Spain's must luxury pleasure ports. The reason for this state of affairs, according to M. Navarrete who wrote the article, is that the sewage system was originally designed to handle the waste from the port and front line houses - not from the sprawling mass of constructions that are bubbling into being behind it. The Minister for the Environment for the Regional Government has opened an investigation that might well result in sanctions against the town hall. Alfredo Morales, President of the neighbourhood association said that the sewage system was laid down 18 years ago for 400 dwellings and 1,600 people. At the present moment the summer population of the port and the building estates behind is over 5,000. But it's not only the sewage system - the mains water supply is not up to the task, either. The local residents have, at the moment, 14 law suites open against the town hall, for these reasons. According to the Regional Government, not one of the sewage pipes that discharge into the sea has a licence, yet the town hall continues to concede building licences for yet more houses above the port. The town hall, on the other hand, is not sure just who is responsible for the port's problem. The mayor says that the problem falls into the domain of the local Mancomunidad de Municipios (Association of Townships), which is not operative at the moment. He went on to state that he is not aware that the Regional Government is planning to take out sanctions against Almuñécar. If such sanctions exist, then they will be against the mancomuidad de municipios - not the town hall. And as for the excessive building licences issued, he puts the blame firmly on the previous administration.

Cerro Gordo (Big Hill) is being attacked from all sides: illegal sports fishing in its underwater caves, illegal commercial fishing off its beaches, urban encroachment and veritable pigs who leave their rubbish on its beaches are all taking their toll of this protected area's natural reserves. For those of you who have recently arrived and haven't had the chance to learn the local geography yet, El Cerro Gordo is the headland at the western extremity of La Herradurra. The Cerro Gordo Natural Reserve not only encompasses Cerro Gordo, but also extends as far as Maro. The park covers some 1,815 hectares, with a coastline of 12 kilometres. Its highest point is 395 metres above sea level. It is because of this constant aggression against the natural park's flora, fauna and marine resources that the Regional Government is getting tough. No only are there land patrols and coastal patrols in Zodiacs but there is also a special underwater vigilance team that is there to stop our weekend bubble blowers from depleting the octopus and grouper fish population in the underwater caves. At the end of the day, Cerro Gordo is probably Andalucía's most important coastal fauna, flora and marine reserve, which is why the regional authorities are taking it so seriously. On the very day that the local press were invited to see the patrols in action, two local fishing boats were fined for trespassing and a skin-diver was caught red-handed coming out of the water with a harpoon full red mullet. "Our objective is that people don't see Cerro Gordo as somewhere to sunbathe or build a chalet, but as a special place that needs all our co-operation to preserve it," explained Geraldo Sánchez, who is the Regional Delegate for the Environment.XX The eternal saga with the town's old rubbish dump plods on. When it all seemed tied up and the place would finally be closed, the new mayor has reached an agreement with transport companies that move building related rubbish, allowing them to dump rubble etc there. Under the terms of the agreement the dump would be open from 08.00 to 20.00 during the summer one hour less during the winter. It will also be closed on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays. Two opposition groups - the PP and IU - have warned the mayor that this contravenes the original agreement reached in February with the company, whose task it is to close the dump and process the existing contents. This breach of contract, according to Juan Luis González (the ex-mayor), leaves the town hall open to a possible suite for compensation. Sr. Gonzalez considers that, "As a short term solution it seems acceptable and convenient but it does not contemplate a date of closure, treatment of solid residuals or the permanent state of instability of the dump."

The summer rush takes a slow turn back to some degree of normality. The holidaymakers return home and the locals drift back. Some of them have been away for a few months and now return to several changes that the year-round resident has come to accept as everyday life. A new car park has been created in front of the new town hall affording spaces for 30 odd vehicles, depending on which angle drivers choose to park their cars. Also, an area opposite Restaurant La Gaviota was made available, which eased some of the tension for beach worshippers.

Building work has started opposite Edificio Nador, at the back of Café Luciano, on more apartments and also the extension to the secondary school which looks likely to continue even after the new term starts.

Last month we recommended that people try the new beach bar at Nuevo Camping. We apologise if anyone spent time searching for it because it has gone. Early in August the contractors with their Lorry and under police supervision dismantled it. It is believed there has been a misunderstanding over the permission and so the saga continues. When the truth comes to light we will obviously inform everyone.

Sun worshippers who were on the beach on the morning of 10th August were treated to a free air display. An old biplane flew across the bay and entertained everyone in the surrounding area with an array of tricks, 'loop the loops' and upside-down flying for approx. 20 minutes before flying off to cheers and whistles from an appreciative crowd.

A big effort is being made to complete our section of the motorway on time. The contractors are working round the clock with the aid of floodlights. Tunnels have appeared alongside the road to Peña Escrita and the landscape at the back of La Mezquita and the Las Guerras road is changing now on a weekly basis.

Bar Vista de Mar at the back of the former Plaza de Independiencia has re-opened after being closed down for a few years. The bar is being run by Uwe, formerly of Bar Halibu.

The end of August saw the beginning of the football season in the Premiership and the Scottish league. The Hideaway, showing live games all season, enjoyed a packed house with holidaymakers and locals alike urging on their favourite teams.

Another lorry overturned on the N.340 this time at the entrance to San Antonio shedding it's load across the road. So beware, you never know what's round the corner.

A small boat, anchored at the La Gaviota area of the beach, was washed onto it by heavy seas which acts as a timely warning that even in August it can be extremely dangerous out there so take care.

En Primera Linea, the latest restaurant to open on the beachfront, held its invitational open evening on Tuesday 5th Aug. The event was very well attended, free drink and tapas, in which everyone indulged. The restaurant has been very tastefully designed and offers a varied and fairly extensive menu. Jose Maria has enjoyed a very successful opening month and reservations are recommended.

The ecologist group, Gena, has presented the Frigiliana Town Hall with a series of complaints of the reassessment of the Almachares green belt area as building land. The spokesman for this group, Rafael Yus, says, "No consideration at all has been taken into account about the negative impact that this decision will have on the environment. The connections between Almachares and La Molineta will be a bridge over the Río Higuerón, which will effect the public water supply." He also went on to say that, "The creation of a building estate so close to forest land will visually damage the area and will produce an added danger."

Nerja will be splashing out 274,000 euros to provide street lighting along the N340 where it passes through the town and other road improvement schemes. There will be two stretches of street lighting. One will be from the Frigiliana roundabout to the motorway and the Plaza de Cantarero (400m) and the second stretch (600m) will be from the Burriana Beach roundabout to the Fuente de Badén estate. This will be done to satisfy a long standing request from various neighbourhood communities along the old main road. The road will be improved around Rapto de Europa (west side of town). The Avenida de la Consitución will be resurfaced along the stretch near Urbanización Villas Algarín.

Nerja had its Día del Tourista on the 29th which, of course, was too late in the month for us to cover it in this issue. We will be letting you know how it went in the October issue - such are the drawbacks of being a monthly magazine!

The Nerja Platform for Citizen's Rights came into being last month with 100 members already inscribed. Manuel Martín, Carmen Martín, Arrabal Cesestino and Antonio & Carmen Villasclaras were elected to hold administrative posts. They shall be campaigning for a golf course, a marina and the cleaning of the town's beaches. They will also be asking for the creation of a national park for the cliffs of Maro. The mayor offered the platform legal help to compose their own statutes etc, if they are unable to find legal representation for themselves.

You can't whinge that the Spaniards have it in for the foreigners because when it comes down to the crunch, they are there to help you out. E.F.G. took advantage of the fact that a British tourist was stomping around in the surf to snatch her handbag. Unfortunately for the thief, and despite the heat, a group of bathers ran after him and caught him, retaining him until the municipal police turned up. The Samaritans also rescued her handbag containing 300 euros.

Whilst on the subject of beach users, bathers who use El Salón beach constantly point out that moped riders completely ignore the restriction on access for vehicles from El Balcón de Europa. Now there's a surprise!

Frigiliana, not to be outdone by neighbouring Nerja, is set to pump 116,000 euros into street improvement works, too. According to the mayor, Javier López Ruiz, amongst the streets that will get a face lift is the one between Olivo and Hotel Las Chinas, next to La Era Gardens. He said that this area was the one that most needed infrastructure improvements, such as drains, mains and lighting. He also foresees that Maldonado and Cuatrocientos will eventually included in the scheme.

The PP Councillor for Beaches, José Miguel García, has criticised the free 4x4 transport system, providing access to the Maro Natural Park. He said that several families - elderly folk among them - had to wait over an hour to wait their turn to be taken up to the main road where their cars were parked. Aw come on José! Of course they had to wait... What do you expect when everybody decides to pack up and go home together? Even if everybody could drive down there, they would have to wait to get back up under such circumstances because of the jams. The truth of the matter is that Nerja never wanted the system, which was imposed by the Regional Council, in the first place.

Talking of 4x4 transport down to the beach, one of the vehicles went down the hillside when it came off the track! No tourists were onboard. The cause of the accident seems to have been the bad surface of the track, which caused the vehicle to skid and take a short cut down to El Cañulelo Beach. The incident occurred around 19.00 when the Nissan Terrano was on its way down to collect tourists. Pine trees and shrubs broke its descent and stopped it from rolling. The driver was unhurt. The Regional Minister for the Environment classified the incident as merely 'anectodal' as the driver was unhurt and the vehicle relatively undamaged. José Miguel García from the town hall stated that the use of these vehicles duplicates the wear and tear on the track - quite how he works that out is a mystery or just an act of mental gymnastics.

There will be a new bus link between Nerja and Madrid, according to Francisco Adriano Fernández, the Councillor for Transport. After a meeting with Alsina Graells, one of Andalucía's largest bus companies, it was decided to provide two services to Madrid and back per day. This service should come into being this month as the bus company still needs permission from the Minister of Transport for the Central Government. Almuñécar has enjoyed a similar service for many years but the bus does not cross the Málaga border. Nerja Bus users have complained that they have had to hire taxis or a friend's car to be able to pick up the Madrid bus. Well, lets see if it works both ways, because to get back from Málaga airport to Almuñécar has always been a nightmare. There is a regular bus service to and from Nerja but that is as far as it goes. If your flight arrives after 19.30, you might as well get a taxi.

Angélica Portillo, the Councillor Delegate for the Woman, (wonderful titles, these!) says that over 47 'letters' have been entered for the Letters literary competition. The subject for entrants was 'a letter written to a wife-beater'. The competition was open to any woman over 16, who lives anywhere within Andalucía. The judges should be getting together around mid September and making their decisions known during October. The first prize is 240 euros, the second, 120 euros and the third, 60 euros all cash prizes come with a commerative plaque and diploma.

The competition, III Certamen de Canción Española Feria de Nerja, is open to entrants until the 15th of September. You have to be over 16. Entrants have to provide a demo with three songs. Those interested should send the demo and their name, age and address, in an envelope addressed to: Ayuntamiento de Nerja (Concejalía de Fiestas), calle Carmen, 1. The words 'Certamen de Canción Española' must be clearly marked on the envelope. The competition is open to semi-professionals and novices. The first prize is 1,100 euros, the second, 733 and the third, 554. Go on, have a bash - it's free!

To stop smokers throwing their cigarette ends on the beach, the town hall has distributed 10,000 ashtrays throughout the summer. The ashtrays are in the form of cones and are reusable.

Sunshine Radio News
Dr. Benjamin Dwyer, One of Ireland's foremost musicians, guitarist and composer was a guest Paula Anthony's program and on the "Go For Baroque" show (hosted by musicologist Lynne Kurzeknabe). He was so enthusiatic with the change in the style of programming at Sunshine Radio that he eagerly offered to collaborate on future programming. He divides his time between Ireland and Spain, so it seems that it will be an ongoing project for him! Benjamin had been commissioned by the Bank of Ireland to compose a score based on Ted Hughes work "The Crow".

Musicologist Lynne Kurzeknabe, director of the Almuñecar based Coro de Juventudes Musicales, has thrown herself into her latest project as presenter of the two hour early music program "Go For Baroque", Sunday afternoons from 14.00 to 16.00. She has enthusiastically emersed herself in her research; reading old manuscripts, finding historically correct recordings, seeking interviews with fellow musicians. Ethnomusicologist, Dr. Albert McNeil, director of the Los Angeles Jubilee Singers was on Paula's show prior to the performance in the Festival de Cuevas de Nerja, and Lynne discovered that they had had the same music professors back in Berkeley. Also, when Velez Malaga recently held their first Flamenco singing contest, Lynne Kurzeknabe was asked to be on the jury.

Mark Shurrey, osteopathic physician and flamenco guitar musician, has recently started hosting a Sunday afternoon program from 17.00 to 18:30 pm called, "The Spanish Guitar," which covers the entire spectrum of music played on the spanish guitar from jazz to classical, to flamenco and more.