Taking money in advance has become illegal since the law governing this practice was modified in 2005, according to the leader of the local PP, Juan Luis González Montoro. “On these new public works, we will have to put up special plaques stating, ‘This building was inaugurated during the mayoralty of Juan Carlos Benavides… but paid for by mayors that came after him’ said Sr. González with irony. Perhaps Sr. González should remember that no mayor ever pays for public works; taxpayers do, but that is beside the point. Both Motril and Salobreña are carrying out quite a lot of public works, thanks to this kind of income, but the difference is that both towns have already had their PGOUs approved, so there is little or no chance of their having to hand the sums received back.

So, where has this little ‘windfall’ actually come from?

Supan 2000 SL Río Seco = 160,425 euros
(Spent on sports installations)

Altos de Cantarriján: = 364,261 euros
(Spent on sports installations)

Mirador de los Nogales = 55,958 euros
(Spent on sports medical centre)

Jardines de la Mezquita = 33,907 euros
(Spent on sports, La Herradura doctor’s surgery, country roads and P-4 medical centre)

San Ramon = 40,057 euros
(Spent on the plan turístico Almuñécar)

The Cerro Gordo Project = 52,500
(Spent on municipal building, La Herradura)

La Sandovala = 167,479 euros
(Invested in natural environment and country lanes)

And it goes on…

According to the Mayor’s second in command (virtually), Emilio González Pavesio, using such money was common practice up until 2005, when the modification of the law was introduced. He does recognise that some of the projects that have received money up-front might not get the final green light, but he claims that it will be ‘the least part of them’ and that they would have no problem giving the money back. What he doesn’t state is that when they have to give it back, in some cases they will have to add up to 20% interest – few banks could offer better interest rates for you money, could they?

But even if the PGOU does miraculously come through one day in the future, then the Town Hall will have sold off all its available building land at a lower price than what it could have got for it at the market prices that will be in play when it is approved.

Finally, let us recall that it was not that long ago – 2004 – that the Town Hall had to re-finance its outstanding loans with the Banco de Crédito Local (BCL) to the tune of sixteen million ‘euritos de los buenos.’ So, it is not as if the Town Hall can take the blow of having to pay back spent money lightly.

As always, when I begin this column, I ask myself where the hell you start. You’ve got, at one end of the spectrum, Benny taking some heavy judicial blows, whilst at the other, something trivial like a double-decker bus promoting tins of tuna. OK, you’re right; let’s start off on the ground-shaking news… the tuna bus! Some of you might have spotted this old, British, double-decker, with no windows – other than the driver’s of course – and for all the world looking like a huge, travelling, three-pack of tuna, which was parked outside the Local Police offices. Others wouldn’t have, but we won’t go into drinking habits… It bore the slogan, “Atún, un alimento de tomo y lomo.” (“Tuna, an out-and-out nourishment.”) The campaign to promote tinned tuna was run by Interatún, with the intention of convincing people of the importance of this foodstuff in a person’s balanced diet. Hmmm… I keep reading that tunas are being fished out of existence, and that they contain alarming amounts of heavy-metal contamination. Well, such a campaign makes sense to counter the second point, but it’s hard to see how getting more people to eat tuna is going to help the depleting numbers of our tasty friends, isn’t it? The EU tuna-fishing fleet, for example, is 60% Spanish and 40% French, who together capture half a million metric tonnes of tuna (Yellowfin, Skipjack and Bigeye) every year. To speak of the tuna industry, you have to split it into two sectors: extraction (those that do the fishing) and transformation (those that process it). That’s a lot of jobs, when you consider that the Spanish fleet is the biggest and, subsequently, so is their fish-canning industry. On top of that, they make a killing at exporting tuna to Italy, Libya, France, the UK and Portugal. So, next time you crack a tin and hook out its dismayed contents, remember: you’re doing it for greater glory of the Spanish fishing fleet and your rebellious waistline!

Here, we can talk about one long-awaited marine project that we shall soon see take physical form, and another long-awaited one that has received its death warrant. The Velilla breakwater was given the green light by the Ministry of the Environment, which means that its construction should begin during the first quarter of next year. Of course, prior to that, the Town Hall must complete the repossession of the garden area of the first two or three blocks of flats at the western end of the beach… sore point! The breakwater will have a boat-launching ramp and the money that the Central Government is coughing up for this includes the revamping of the Paseo de Velilla.

I’ve yet to do an interview with the IU (Izquierda Unida), which is a grouping of parties to the left of the socialists. However, we often get bombarded with their press announcements; here is one of them. The IU denounces housing prices in Almuñécar as ‘a total barbarity’. They say that this has come about, thanks to an urban development policy that is based on speculation and ‘developmentism’ (development for development’s sake). They point out that the building of more housing has been sold to us as a means to bring down house prices, which has been proven untrue. They underline the fact that Spain is the country that builds most in the EU, and whose building rate is several times higher than several other countries put together. Yet, they say, here is where house prices are highest, if compared with average earnings. Whatever your personal politics may be, can you disagree with them?

Fancy some ‘subtropical-cooking’ tips? Well, the III Jornadas de Cocina Subtropical de Almuñécar began on Friday 24th of last month… but don’t panic, because it doesn’t wind down (finish) until the 17th December, so you’ve still got time. The event counts on the participation of 14 establishments, with the object of promoting local produce. The whole thing is known as Guisando con Alegría (cooking with joy). The participants are: Restaurante Hotel Almijara, Restaurante Antiguo Mesón, Restaurante Argentina Steakhouse, Restaurante Casa Paco, Restaurante Castilla, Restaurante El Chambao de Joaquín, Restaurante El Rinconcillo de J.R., Restaurante/Escuela Horno de Cándida, Restaurante Jacky Cotobro, Restaurante Mar de Plata, Restaurante Tito Yayo, Mesón Cantalobos “Peña Escrita”, Pizzería ristorante italiano “Il Subacqueo” and Taberna La Corrala. During the days of the event, each one of these establishments will sport a special emblem on their doors. What these establishments undertake is to provide special dishes based on sub-tropical products. This does not mean that you are in for freebies – it means that your taste buds are in for a treat, so show those little tongue inhabitants that you love them and invite them out!

Have you ever tried to work out how the house numbering works in Almuñécar? Don’t bother; it doesn’t! This is why, of course, the industrious champion of alacrity, i.e. the Town Hall, has decided to put some order into the numeration of El Paseo de San Cristóbal, El Paseo de Cotobro and Barrio Los Marinos. They all going to have two-letter references instead of numbers, like: ‘no!’, ‘eh?,’ ‘ah!’, ‘and ‘oh!’ Come on, Guys! I’m joking here. Admittedly, other than a lazily raised eyebrow, you wouldn’t be surprised, but this is not how it is going to be. In the case of San Cristóbal, the houses will be numbered from the Plaza de Abderramán (the statue of the bored git with a sword and diminutive head) to Chinasol. This means that the old names, Paseo Las Flores (the statue up to the bridge near the hotel), and Paseo de la China, which is basically all the rest up to Rincón de la China. The road that runs between Chinasol with the N-340 traffic lights will be called Avenida del Mediterráneo. The Paseo de Cotobro will be from the very end of Cotobro, near the garages, all the way to the Chinasol road junction, thereby swallowing up what used to be known as the Paseo de la Chinagorda. No, stop sniggering; it’s got nothing to do with fat Chinese women – it means ‘big pebbles.’ (Editorial eye-rolling in progress.)

You will have noticed the squeezed chaos of San Sebastian, as vehicles vie for right of way. Even in this cramped flow, you still get car-borne cretins that park - with the all-pardoning, hazard warning lights blinking optimistically away. So what is Somme Re-enactment Division, a.k.a. Town Hall, up to? Well, the said institution has awarded the public works-contract to Hermanos García Motril, S.A, whose task it is to completely overhaul the road itself, the pavements and anybody caught lingering, producing something nice and shiney, complete with all the normal street assessories, such as streetlights, benches, trees and defecating dogs. Now here’s something interesting: there will be 2,300 sq/m of pavement and 4,200 sq/m of road surface, laid down along the 600m of affected road. Hmmm… If we divide the 4,200 sq/mt of road surface by 600 m, we get a seven-metre-wide road surface, split into two lanes. If we do the same with the pavement area we get 3.8 m, to be shared between both sides of the road… That sounds like were going to get a bloody, stupidly-wide pavement on one side - again - which you can land a Boeing 747 on; a road for anorexic lorries down the middle, and a pavement the width of Andy’s goat track, which would have the said animal sucking in its stomach in vertigo-fuelled anxiety at the mere thought of using it. What’s wrong with a wider road, Ladies and Gob-smacked, together with two perfectly adequate and normal pavements? Of course, it goes without saying that anybody caught parking along it should automatically be catapulted off – car and driver – into the vega, where they can practice distant, green, character self-assessment, albeit upside down and dented.

Back to politics! The local leader of the socialist PSOE, Rocío Palacios, suggested that the PP and Mayor’s party, the Convergencia Andaluza, were planning a pact to join ranks. She said that the provincial head of the PP in Granada, Sebastian Pérez, had already had a tete-a-tete with Sr. Benavides precisely about this possibility. There is certainly no love lost between the PSOE and the PP in Almuñécar, with the socialists accusing Juan Luis González Montoro (PP leader) of being a mere puppet of the Mayor, adding that the very controversial PGOU is as much a child of the PP as that of Benavides. (It is true that it would never have been approved locally in the first place without the votes of the PP councillors.) “[The PGOU] was approved in an illegal manner and contains convenios urbanísticos that are leading to the disappearance of La Vega and Parque Natural Maro/Cerro Gordo,” she warned.

Ninety percent of the chirimoyas produced in Spain come from the Costa Tropical – the other 10% come from the Málaga area. In fact, Costa Tropical is the world’s chief producer of this crop, yet… we can’t get our act together. One of the main reasons is that the crop is produced by several thousand growers, most of whom only have around one hectare of plantation each. In other words, it’s total chaos when it comes to organising things and getting people to act in unison. This is what, at least, local representatives from the big fruit warehouses told the gathered MPs from the Regional Government, when they came down to see for themselves what all the fuss was about. In the case of avocadoes, Costa Tropical cultivates 2,713 hectares, which is half of what Málaga has. The other main fruit here, which is not classified as subtropical, is the nispera, which accounts for about 700 hectares. The great advantage of this kind of fruit on our coast is that the climate permits them to be harvested before other areas, meaning that they fetch a much better price for being the first available.

The Majuelo Park had its 20th birthday last month. The park’s botanical collection is said to be the best in Europe, as far as subtropical flora goes. Both the mayor who was in office at the time of the inauguration of the park, Miguel Ávila, and the present mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides, were present for the commemorative act. As an aside, it is curious to note two points: Miguel Ávila was the first mayor of Almuñécar to be elected with the restoration of Democracy in Spain, and secondly, he is now a member of the Benavides administration. It is worth mentioning that the actual acquisition of the then private land, which even back then was a picturesque private garden, was somewhat controversial. However, the Town Hall back then had little money, and the architect that designed what was to become its present layout, Luis Álvarez de Cienfuegos, did so without charging any fees. Whatever the origins of the park were, it is undeniably a luxury for anybody who has the leisure to look around its truly beautiful arboreal collection.

The Post Office will be moving from its present location near the new underground Paseo del Altillo car park, to the P4. It wasn’t that long ago that it was temporarily housed in the same premises that are now occupied by Delfin Books/Kasbah, whilst the old location was being renovated. Anyway, the new location will be on the ground floor of the Edificio Brisa del Mar, in the Calle Tetuán. Its new location, which will be much more accessible for anybody driving a car, will have double the space available than the old offices, with 210 sq/m.

The political ashes of the very real fire in the Edifício Los Cáctus are being moved by a combined attack of the PP and PSOE opposition parties. The fire in a block of flats was tackled by the only two firemen available at the time, one of whom received two strong electric shocks, as they tried to suffocate the flames. The leader of the PP, Sr. González Montoro, has demanded the resignation of the Councillor for Citizen Safety, Daniel Barbero, over the events surrounding the fire, which Sr. González considers demonstrate the ‘inefficiency and ineptitude’ of the said councillor. “We cannot consent to a town like Almuñécar having a fire service that has only two personnel and a councillor who believes that he knows better than the Fire Chief, better than the Chief of Police and better than the Chief of Civil Protection,” he said. According to Sr. González, the councillor ordered that the fire service’s two fire engines were to be removed from their habitual location near the municipal cemetery, where is was necessary for them to be in order for them to have their batteries charged. It must be remembered that the fire occurred on the 1st, which is All Saints Day, when the cemeteries across Spain are crammed with people visiting the graves of relatives. Sr. González went so far as to say that the councillor was a danger to Almuñécar’s emergency services and consequently, to everybody and that, if the Mayor did not immediately take the step to remove Sr. Barbero from his post, then the responsibility should fall on the Mayor’s shoulders should anything happen afterwards. The PSOE spokesman, Sr. Prados, described the councillor’s decision as demonstration of the ‘grave irresponsibility and cynicism’ of the governing party (C.A.)

The Councillor for Citizen Safety rejects, however, the criticism levelled at him by the opposition parties. He said, “Those policemen present at the scene of the fire confirm that at all times the situation was under control.” However, he announced that after receiving numerous complaints from neighbours of the area affected, he had asked the Fire Chief for a detailed report, and that upon reading it, he would issue another statement.

In the last issue, we mentioned the state in which an old school premises (La Noria) had been found; i.e. ransacked and vandalised. Since then, the Provincial Delegate for Education, Carmen García Raya, has rejected the Mayor of Almuñécar’s calls for her resignation, countering that it is the competence of the Town Hall to maintain such installations. “The maintenance and conservation of the municipal school centres corresponds to the Town Hall,” she said, adding that she was ‘surprised’ by the Mayor’s reproach, considering that the responsibilities in the case are very clear. She pointed out that the classrooms had been used by Antigua Sexi, but when the new school was opened, all serviceable material was removed. She did concede, however, that ‘perhaps a lack of co-ordination was evident’ between the two administrations, as far as preparing the premises for another use and appointing maintenance and custody, adding that these two things were logically taken for granted on her behalf. The Mayor, on the other hand - not noted for his magnanimity or shyness - replied that the woman had ‘so much neck that you could tread on it.’ (Neck = Effrontery) He pointed out that everything concerning secondary school installations is the competence/responsibility of the Junta de Andalucía and that La Noria was used exclusively for secondary education until the pupils and staff were transferred to the new school building. He finished with a stinging, “What she should not add to her incompetence was lying.” Ouch!

Not only does the war between the Local Police and the Town Hall continue, but it appears to be opening up new fronts. There are now a total of 15 ‘dencuncias’ & lawsuits and at least 24 legal proceedings flying between the two parties, according to the Secretary General for SIPLA (the Almuñécar police union), Yolanda Morales, who we interviewed some months back. She claims that despite the Mayor’s constant claim that for all the lawsuits lodged against him, not one has resulted in a firm ruling against him, it is not true. The Mayor always writes off such claims as ‘much ado about nothing.’ Sra. Morales points out, on the other hand, that a court finding dated May 2006 found the Town Hall guilty of failing to pay the town-hall workers’ social security payments. She also claims that they have won three lawsuits concerning ‘unjust’ fines lodged against them by the Town Hall. Finally, the SIPLA has begun legal proceedings against the Mayor for the insults that he allegedly expressed before the media against members of SIPLA. This is at the preliminary-hearing stage at the moment.

The A-7 Bridge Disaster memorial service was our front page last month, as you may remember, with related articles concerning what the politicians and locals had to say. Well, since the first anniversary no more information has been forthcoming… not even ‘promises’ of more information. Although the judge in charge of the case originally ordered that all expert reports on the accident should be handed in by the 20th November, he later relented and gave a deadline of the 4th December. It is mind boggling that even one whole year later, investigative work into the cause of the accident has not been completed, and that the judge has to nag for this information. For example, the results of the ‘collapse’ simulations carried out on the 8th June have yet to appear on his desk.

The judicial departments have ordered all work stopped on five major construction programmes in Almuñécar in the last year. Between them these projects contain 163 dwellings and the majority of which are already finished. Despite the court orders to halt all work, the Junta de Andalucía complains that they have reported, on repeated occasions, that work continues to be carried out on them and have even taken one of these cases before the courts, via the Penal Law Code, as opposed to the purely administrative one. Each one of these projects received planning permission from the Town Hall in their time, despite their specifications not corresponding to legal requirements and limitations. For example a 25-dwelling complex in Cantalobos has been stopped. Although nothing is decided, the presiding judge has obviously seen enough indications to suspect foul play. The Mayor is being hit from all sides, not only by the Junta de Andalucía but now by the judicial sector as well. For example the Delegación de Cultura has at least 20 cases open against Almuñécar in the last two years and the Public Works Dept has challenged 51 pacts, amongst them a hotel on Cerro Gordo, a hostal in La Cabria (Taramay) and a 4-star geriatric hotel. The Mayor presents every legal weapon he has to counter them, but who pays the legal expenses of these constant attritional battles between Almuñécar and ‘the rest of the world’?

The New POTA (Plan de Ordenación del Territorio Andaluz), which has been mentioned in the Andalucía Section of this issue, will just about kill the PGOU stone dead for three reasons. Firstly, it expressly forbids that a municipality can increment its built-up area by more than 40% of what was permitted in the town’s previous PGOU. This means that Almuñécar’s projected PGOU doubles the limit permitted. Secondly, a new PGOU cannot increase the present population more than 30% in eight years. Again, the increase of 30,000 dwellings, gives a projected population figure increase of nearly 100,000. Wrong! Finally, the POTA will ring the death knell of all four projected golf courses, because under this new legislation, no golf course can have housing estates included, unless the land on which the golf course is to be sited was already categorised as building land in the previous PGOU, which in the case of Almuñécar’s Fabulous Four means not one of them.

Music inspires art in the village as Ferran Millán from Nexo Art Gallery has organised a number of different cultural activities to coincide with the Andrés Segovia competition, actually leading through until the 20th December. Amongst everything going on recently, there’s an exhibition in place at the Hotel Almijara called ‘Concepto Partitura,’ which involves the installation of 40 sq/m worth of paintings by Millán, focused on music through the rhythm of colour, embracing the spectator and transmitting vibration and rhythm. You can visit the exhibition Monday to Sunday 11am-2pm. Watch out for further events and presentations.

Bridge at Las Tejas in need of attention, as neighbours have alerted the authorities on the danger of the carretera at this point. This is the point just beside the Hostal Los Verdiales, which is itself awaiting news about its progress on the construction front. The bridge could be quite dangerous, according to authorities, particularly when the heavy rains come back. The Department of the Environment has been informed that it really needs to attend to the bridge, to keep it clear and intact, ensuring that communication with the north side of the N-340 isn’t cut off.

Enjoy the festive season at El Ancla when on Christmas Day the team opens 12 midday to 3pm for mulled wine and mince pies, Christmas cake and a nice opportunity to raise a glass with friends. On Boxing Day meet up with all your mates at the Anchor to enjoy the usual sports fest. Guaranteed best atmosphere in town, whilst taking part in that most demanding of activities, armchair sports! Don’t forget about Katie’s delicious Sunday lunches, where it’s absolutely essential to book, if you don’t want to be disappointed. Phone now on 958 64 04 17.

New paseo moves closer as the Junta looks set to approve the estimate of nine million euros, submitted by the Town Hall in Almuñécar. The technical investigations have already taken place and now it seems as though the green light is on the horizon for 2007. The project will include a complete overhaul of the promenade, including the pavement, lighting, drainage and outlets in the shape of shells designed to meet at the narrowest point of the beach, therefore maximising the area dedicated to swimmers.

Felicia Hall Art Gallery sets up their new exhibition of miniature paintings from 17th December. With the inauguration taking place from 1pm, these fabulous works will make delightful Christmas gifts - well gifts for any time of year, really! Artists (some new, some you’re already familiar with) include: Diana Adshead; Teresa Almagro; José Bautista; Stuart Briggs; Paco Broca; Rowland Fade; Anna DiGesú; Steve Godfrey, Juan José Gómez de la Torre ; Antonio Gracia Pérez; Irene Grant; José Felix Jiménez Muñoz; Annabel Keatley; Santiago Lujan; Pepe Molero; Augusto Moreno; Rafael Valentino; and Sissa Wilks. Get ready for a real cultural feast. Felicia, Andrew and Rosi also want to let you know about their new winter timetable, with the gallery open every day 11.00-14.00 plus 16.00-20.00, except for Sunday afternoons and Mondays.

A sign of the times as La Herradura and Almuñécar improve 100 of their commercial and institutional signs. Set to cost the Town Hall absolutely zippo (there’s an incentive, if ever I heard one) the company Impursa is organising the new signage in both Spanish and English, providing clearer information for visitors and inhabitants. The company is set to take approximately three months to change over the signage and remove the old stuff - telling us all where to go in the nicest possible way, naturally! And the intention is to keep the signs renewable within the following 4- 8 years (wonder how many changes this area is likely to see in that time?).

Sunlounge celebrates its first birthday on 16th December with cava and cake to enjoy all day. Come in and share in the fun with Leanne and crew! There are still some spaces available for Christmas lunch if you’re quick. Then, of course there’s New Year’s Eve at 15 euros per person for a delicious buffet, cava, grapes and entertainment. But make sure you get in now for your ticket. Finally, don’t forget about the homemade specials available daily, as well as the smashing cake and coffee afternoon teas which you can take on their sun-drenched terrace. Ah, that’s the life!

Looking for positive New-Year resolutions, where you might actually help others? Here’s a chance to put your hard-earned language skills to great use. There is a need for quality, available translators at the Santa Ana Hospital in Motril. If you’re interested in acting as a volunteer and joining the approved list and possibly helping others who might not have your level of Spanish, please contact Rosa Felipe, Trabajadora Social (social worker) on 958 038 389. Alternatively, for more information, about what’s involved, contact Clare Fear on 958 827 462.

Have you ever heard of the Salobreña Nazarí Project? Well, you will have, come March, because Salobreña will virtually become a Nasrid theme park! The Nasrid Kingdom was the one that stretched, more or less, from Cabo de Gata to Gibraltar. The second reign of Muhammad V (1362-1391) was the apogee of Nasrid culture in Granada, when silks and other textiles of unsurpassed quality were widely exported; irrigation and agriculture flourished as never before. However, it was earlier, in 1248, that Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar (1232-73) ordered the erection of Spain’s most famous edifice, the Alhambra (i.e. ‘The Red One’). The chosen site was a mountain crag, bounded by deep ravines, and looking down upon two rivers; the Darro and the Genil. This building has survived a dozen earthquakes, by the way, not to mention Napoleon’s soldiers sneaky idea of blowing it up. Anyway back to good old Solid Brenda (thanks, Tone). The Councillor for Culture, Gustavo Aybar, said, “It’s about an experience in which the protagonists will be the people of the village. The villagers will dress in costumes of the XIII Century, to remind us of the time when the village belonged to the Nasrid Kingdom.” So there you have it, Folks, short-sleeve order and bed sheets & towels all round! There will also be theatre plays, produced and performed by the villagers again… All this will happen – in the words of U2’s Bono, With or Without You – on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of March. So far some 500 people have put their names down for it! So why don’t you foreign lot shoot off round the Town Hall and slap your names down, too, and offer yourselves as British Bedouins, Danish Desert Dancers and Scandinavian Sand Sadists? Just a thought…

What about Lobres, then? Hasn’t that grown? I shot by there on my way over the top to Jete from the Azud de Vélez and was amazed by the brick explosion that was crouching on the hitherto empty fields. Forty percent of the pavements in this annex to Salobreña are going to be renewed, by the way, as well as the mains water and electricity supplies being overhauled, if they haven’t finished already. The 900 inhabitants of Lobres already enjoy a municipal gym. Soon to come will be the pensioners’ club, a municipal swimming pool and a public library. Lobres, you see, is very strategically placed for the autovías, especially the Granada-Motril one, which, together with lots of virgin land and its proximity to the coming golf course, Los Palomares, means that everybody wants to be their friends, all of a sudden. All these public amenities come at the price of about 235 new dwellings, 10% of the price of these building projects (397,000 euros) going directly to the Town Hall for precisely the schemes that are being carried out. Then again, you see, Salobreña has a PGOU that has been approved by the Junta de Andalucía, unlike Almuñécar’s one.

Not everybody’s happy in good old Slap ’n’ Brain Ya, because the IU is calling for the Mayor’s resignation. If the PP councillor up in Ogíjares, José Luis DelOjo, has to resign for illegally permitting developers to build where they shouldn’t have, then why not the PP Mayor of Salobreña, Jesús Avelino Menéndez, who some claim has committed the same offence? Well, for Pedro Vaquero, who is the provincial coordinator for the IU, it’s pretty clear, but then again, if your name is Peter Cowboy, most things are – ask George Cowboy in the Whitehouse. You see, Sr. Vaquero says that the Mayor arbitrarily awarded a public works contract, without putting it up to tender. He is referring to the work on the amputated bridge over the empty river.

Meanwhile back in the dark laboratory of the Partido Socialista Independiente de Salobreña things have also been gearing up for the elections next year, with suitable war cries patented and practices before mirrors. “The Town Hall of Salobreña finds itself in a grave patrimonial and economical situation,” they claim. The leader of this political group, Manuel Pérez Cobos, who used to be mayor himself, once, has sent a report to the municipal auditor to this effect, concerning the budget for 2005. The said budget, which was liquidated back in September by the governing administration, showed a deficit of four million euros, and an outstanding debt for nine million euros owed to creditors, claims Sr. Pérez. He says he cannot understand how the Town Hall can owe that kind of money after the municipal coffers have received more that 17 million euros for land sales.

The work that is due to commence next year on the seafront promenade (Paseo) will mean that the chiringuitos (beach bars) will have to be removed from the beaches. However, with a bit of luck, said work won’t begin until after the summer, meaning that the chiringuito owners can fill their boots during the high season. The beach bars will finally be incorporated within the Paseo, instead of on the beach itself.

The macabre discovery of a carbonised corpse in a burnt-out van on the Avenida de Andalucía gave most people a nasty turn. It had been parked there, and for reasons that nobody quite knows, it burst into flame around eight on the evening of the 7th November. The posture in which the corpse was found, without any wounds or signs of violence, and the fact that the fire appears to have begun in the front seat area, seems to indicate that the man fell asleep whilst smoking. The gases given off by the growing fire and the fumes coming off the thinners that were stored in the back could have made the occupant unable to react and to consequently suffocate. On going to print, the police had still not established his identity, using DNI techniques and examination of his dental work. Although the police know to whom the vehicle belongs – a man from Huétor Vega, whose wife has reported him missing, they cannot be completely certain that the corpse corresponds to the missing man, although it appears more than logical. Locals claimed that the van had been parked in that area for several days and that the occupant used it for sleeping in.

And to end on a more positive note, somebody in Salobreña won 72,549,72 euros on the Euromillones lottery – lucky git! He or she won third prize, having five of the numbers.

The winter rains bring the first signs of snow! How lovely it is now to drive along the N-340 coast road to Salobreña, Motril or inland towards Granada and see the Sierra Nevada peaks, covered in snow. It is also a very picturesque view from the third tee at Los Moriscos golf course at Motril, or indeed from the beach near the course and very tempting to stop and take a photograph of the lush green of the course contrasting with the snowy peaks in the distance. However, if you are playing golf, then don’t hold up play or annoy others, to actually take pictures, no matter how tempting it is to photograph this lovely local view! The village is now much quieter, as there are far fewer visitors and that includes less mobile-homes this year, parked around the seafront! It’s also the time of year when some of the chiringuitos are closed for their annual painting and re-furbishing, ready for the first influx of visitors next year at Easter. In the meantime, those who live here, have a peaceful and tranquil Salobreña all to themselves, how lovely that is!

The Bridge to Nowhere gets a facelift! Work on this bridge, spanning the Rio Guadalfeo and situated on the road just behind the seafront road and parallel to it, has been going on for some weeks now, to give it the finishing touches, well at least on the Salobreña side of the bridge! To the road bridge has now been added, safety rails, a footpath on either side and a series of newly designed lights. This has been done for the safety of pedestrians, walking from Salobreña to Motril or vice versa, along the newly constructed Paseo. However, when both sides of the bridge infrastructure has been completed, the new road will provide a much needed alternative to traffic, travelling from the beachfront in Salobreña to the Granada road, particularly in the busy summer months when the N-340 is so congested. It will also provide an alternative route for local traffic travelling between Salobreña village and the area around the Port of Motril. The completing of this new bridge and the road system, could still be at some considerable time in the future, because, as reported in the last issue of the Gazette, there are a number of Green Issues to be resolved and the Green Lobby are determined these issues will be resolved. Meanwhile, the bridge still leads nowhere!

Here’s the latest information about the Salobreña swimming pool. It was hoped to have this new facility opened by now, but the safety checks and other important aspects of the new indoor pool have taken more time than at first thought. The new pool, if you are not too sure where it is, is situated at the rear of the Salobreña Municipal Sports Hall and on the inland side of the N-340. Having spoken with the Town Hall recently about the opening of the new pool, they informed me that it is hoped to have the official opening sometime in January and, from that time, the pool will be open to the public for recreational swimming. I hope, when it is opened, many of you will use the pool, as swimming is still regarded as one of the best all-round sporting activities to keep you fit, is good for the heart and you can exercise at your own pace. Don’t forget the new pool is an indoor facility, has changing rooms, etc; and there is a car park. Get fitter in 2007!

Changes at the cemetery road and the old Guardia Civil entrance to Salobreña. Major work is still going on in this area of the N-340 and caution is needed when driving there, as diversions are in operation and can change without warning! It is currently not possible for funeral processions to cross the N-340 from Salobreña onto the cemetery road, as they have traditionally done in the past and a diversionary route is in operation instead. It is also not possible, at the moment, to turn left out of the old Guardia Civil exit towards Almuñécar and all traffic leaving this exit must turn right. When the work is completed, it will provide a much safer means of crossing the N-340, by passing under the road and also make turning into the old part of Salobreña much safer too. The new junction will also allow better access to the cemetery road from the N-340 and also to the planned facilities for Salobreña of an equestrian centre, golf course and park. Please approach this section of the N-340 with extra caution, especially whist the work is still in progress.

Special offer from Justin Curran Photography! Salobreña based, but mobile and willing to visit your home to take photographs, Justin Curran, currently has a very special offer, with regard to portrait photographs and this is available from now until St Valentines Day, next year. Justin will take a portrait photograph of you, a member of your family or a family pet, with a discount of 50% off the normal price! Start the New Year with an up-to-date portrait of someone who is loved in your life, or you can buy a Portrait Voucher, at the reduced rate, as a special gift, for a friend or a loved one, for Christmas or St Valentines Day. Go on, spoil yourself for once and contact Justin on 697 428 901 or by email at justincurran@fsmail.net. Justin Curran is also available for general Freelance Photography, as well as Corporate Events, Advertising Photographs, all Family Functions and everything at very competitive rates!

Colourful Aspects surrounding Salobreña! Not so many decades past, all the village houses were painted white in Andalucía and, as a result, the villages on the coast and in the surrounding hillsides offered romantic and picturesque views of Spain. That was one of the reasons, there are many others, some of them legal, why so many foreigners visited the area for a holiday and also decided to come to live here. How things have changed. Sadly, like many other changes in life, they are introduced in the name of progress, but do not always making things any better! Houses in the area are now being painted in all kinds of colours and shades, from red to blue and all the colours in between. Some parts of the area have so many houses painted in different colours that it is more like living in Dallas than Andalucía and some colours are so garish, that it looks as if Andy Warhol has painted them after a night full of nightmares. Houses were painted white to help to deflect the heat of the sun in the summer months and the newly painted colours, irrespective of the claims of any manufacturers, will not do this! It would be nice to know what you think about this situation and I would like to hear from both sides of the spectrum!

Here’s a progress report about the changes at urbanisación Costa Aguilera. Driving into or out of this urbanisación has always been a hazardous thing to do in the past and was a subject this magazine brought to the attention of the Mayor of Salobreña, Jesus Avelino Menendez Fernandez, when we interviewed him earlier this year. The Mayor was keen to sort out this dangerous situation, by authorising the building of a new and safer entrance and exit system. The problem has always been that, when turning out of the urbanisación, you could not see the extent of the traffic travelling along the N-340 towards Almuñécar and you had to join this flow near to the point where the two lanes become a single lane. When entering the urbanisation, you had to slow down on the main road to such an extent, that your vehicle was in danger of being rammed from behind and perhaps involving you in a major accident. The speed of the traffic at this point is mainly due to drivers of all types of vehicle, trying to beat others to be in front of them, when the road becomes a single carriageway! Work began on the new entrance and exit shortly after our interview with the Mayor and this magazine extends its grateful thanks to him, for taking such prompt action to solve this danger. The new entrance and exit are now sited along a much straighter stretch of the N-340 towards Salobreña. This gives a much clearer view of the traffic situation, to those going into or coming out of the urbanisation and will make the whole situation much safer for everyone! The new entrance and exit roads are now easily definable, work is still in progress at the site and it is hoped to open the new system early in the coming year. However, there is a note of sadness in all of this, because a major campaigner for the new traffic system at Aguilera, Don Phillips, who lived on the urbanisación and helped to improve other amenities, died recently. We shall all remember your tireless efforts to improve things, Don, and I will remember our games of golf together. We all extend our sympathy to your wife and all the other members of your family.

From over the water comes information, well in advance once again this year that the shops in Motril will be closed on Saturday 13th January. This is because the good citizens of that town will be celebrating, once again, the anniversary of an earthquake! They will celebrate this event because, when it occurred in 1804, no one was killed, but the town suffered severe structural damage and this lack of death is regarded as something of a miracle, to the people of Motril. Attention all you Car-Boot fans. A reminder, that on the third Saturday of every month, there is a car boot sale in Motril in aid of The Motril Cancer Association and well worth your support. It is situated near the Mercadona supermarket, just off the road to Puntalón opposite the supermarket Plus. There are household items for sale, plants and lots of different bargains for your consideration. Make a note in your diary to attend and give your support to this most worthy cause. Diary Dates. It is Constitution Day on 6th December and remember, that on 5th January it will be the special celebration day throughout Spain of the Three Kings, when the arrival of the Three kings to the stable in Bethlehem is celebrated with processions and the throwing of sweets to children and others in the crowd. It is also the day when, traditionally, Spanish children receive their Christmas presents.