As summer approaches, attention will soon be fixed upon our local water reserves, so it is only natural that the Rules Dam should crop up in the news. The dam is finished… well sort of. The water is filling it up, but there is still no infrastructure in place to take the much needed water anywhere! In other words, even if it were brimming with water, there it will have to stay.

‘Water, water everywhere, but no a drop for the coast,’ or for anybody else, for that matter. Rules Dam has always been a controversial project. In fact, very few would deny that it is a ‘Monument to Bureaucratic Idiocy.’

Rules Dam - What's Missing

Well, apart from a healthy dose of common sense, efficiency and plenty of rainfall, what’s missing is the whole infrastructure to carry the stored water to where it is needed. You don’t believe me? I’m sorry but it is true. Rules Dam is a garden tap without a hosepipe; a bucket with a sealed lid and a bottle of wine with no corkscrew.

Yes, the water can be dumped down the river, but that’s what the water used to do before they spent millions on building the damn dam, right?

So what do the politicians say? Well according to Acuamed - which is the state agency in charge of the water resources of the rivers that empty into the Mediterranean – work on the infrastructure to carry the water via 190kms of pipes won’t even begin until 2008! Add to that how long it will actually take to finish the job and you’re looking at a dry five years… if all goes well. In fact, the Director General of Acuamed, Sr. Adrián Baltanás, declined from discussing a possible completion date.

He did talk about how wonderful it was going to be for some 15,000 fruit farmers down here on the coast and around Rules, and that our domestic taps would be producing tears of joy, along with the normal liquid associated with ‘taps.’

The Minister for the Environment, Cristina Narbona, said that the dam, when it was functioning, would save up to 20 hectometres of water every year, which is exactly the quantity that is being lost down the river, at the moment.

“It’s possible that it is thought that we have taken a long time, but we needed to know where and to whom the water would go,” said Sra. Fuensanta Coves, who is the Councillor for the Environmental Dept of the Junta de Andalucía.

The water from the dam will eventually flow down a 1.5km pipe towards the coast, at which point it will split into two: one network of some 38kms for human consumption, and another network, involving 190kms for irrigation. The whole lot will cost around 150m euros.

The farmers’ union, COAG, was not impressed that the reunion of bigwigs that made the above announcement could not come up with a finishing date between them. The provincial representative of COAG, Emilio Rodríguez, certainly wasn’t happy with the news that any rainfall between now and the end of the decade would be lost. Finally, he raised a figurative eyebrow over the claim that 15,000 farmers would benefit, “owing to the monstrous encroachment made by urban expansion, which is reducing at an accelerated rate the productive [agricultural] area in the majority of villages in the area.” That’s to say, farming land is being swallowed up at an alarming rate.

The dam, by the way, after well over a decade of construction, was to be operational by 2003.

There have been three main points of contention this month in Almuñécar. The first is the affair of the Roman aqueduct in Torrecuevas, where they have been excavating to make way for a new building beside the main road. On the 12th, Ecologistas en Acción made a press release, claiming that the said building work - 28 dwellings - was putting this historic monument at risk by undermining it. They pointed out that they had already filed a complaint with the regional authorities. The ecologist group claimed that the projected Edificios Argali had “…almost eaten into the monument.” Next, on the 18th, the Town Hall published ‘part’ of a report by Seprona (A department of the Guardia Civil, which could be described as ‘Eco-police’) where it said that no damage had been caused: “In the [earth] walls and the terracing of the works, up till now, no sign of the aqueduct has appeared, therefore no damage to it has been observed.” The Town Hall considered that this report confirmed its posture and that, consequently, they would study the option of taking legal action against the ecologist group. Then on the 25th, the ecologists made a new announcement, accusing the Mayor of manipulating the press, claiming that he often uses reports to his own benefit with the intention of creating confusion. To prove their point they published the last page of the said Seprona report where the conclusions are stated:

“The building developer, prior to commencing any building work and acquiring a municipal building permit, should have carried out a study that took into account the existence of the monument of cultural heritage, its course, a geological inspection of the terrain and a plan for the prevention of damage to it. Said report should also have been submitted to the Provincial Delegation for Culture prior to the concession of a municipal building permit.”

We leave our readers to draw their own conclusions.

The second item of news is the following: the case of an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease at the Hotel Najarra. On Thursday the 20th, the press reported that 14 people had been taken ill by the possible presence of these bacteria in the hotel’s hot water system. Those affected were pensioners from Cataluña, ten of whom remained in hospital on the date of publishing. In 1991, an outbreak in Almuñécar at the Hotel Helios resulted in one death and numerous people reporting to hospitals in the provincial capital. The Hotel Najarra was closed on the Tuesday 24th out of precaution, but the health authorities pointed out that the establishment had received a clean bill of health every month and that there was no negligence on the part of the hotel. By the time of the Gazette going to print, only three of the 12 specimens taken from different areas in the hotel showed the presence of the bacteria. There has been one death – a Catalan pensioner on the 13th in Barcelona, but the autopsy has yet to reveal whether Legionnaire’s Disease was the cause.

The third story concerns the very controversial, projected hotel in Cotobro and the presence – or rumoured ‘ex-presence’ of a Roman well, which has caused an uproar. According to Izquierda Unida (United Left) party, earth movements have uncovered the presence of what could be either the ruins of a Roman villa, or perhaps even, a fish-salting complex. They also claimed that the Roman well has gone and that ‘nobody knows what happened to it.’ Consequently, they demand that the authorities prevent the building company from continuing and destroying what could be of vital archaeological importance. However, the Councillor for Urban Planning, Emilio González Pavesio, claims that excavations and foundation work have the required building licence. “At the moment, works on reinforcing the hillside are in progress and the archaeologist, Antonio Burgos, is co-ordinating an inspection of the site with the Culture Department of the Junta de Andalucía. He also points out that it is probable that an agreement between the hotel owners and the authorities could be reached, whereby the archaeological remains could be incorporated into the hotel. He pointed out that the well was something that was abandoned and hidden from public view, but under the proposed arrangement, it would be available for public viewing.

The following question raises its head: could a company that appears to have lost a known Roman monument the existence of which has been in and out of the press since the controversial hotel project began – be trusted with the excavation and custody of possibly extensive Roman building remains… especially when the existence of such a find is seriously ‘inconvenient’ to the shape and form of the proposed hotel?

In a logical and just world, this discovery should have halted and definitively cancelled the hotel project – indeed, such a proposed hotel would never have been allowed in the first place. Alas, but this is Almuñécar!

Aye, the Municipal Architect – the man whose signature marks the difference between bricks & mortar and an empty building plot – might finally be toppled from his hitherto impregnable perch. It is rumoured that unless the said gentleman is financially involved, no private project can hope to prosper. Of course, we at the Gazette, would never stoop to give credence to such gossip… Who are we to point a finger accusingly at a certain house, nay, mansion, which is rumoured to belong to him, even though, allegedly, the land that it is built upon, is not apt for such a construction? No, I’m sorry; we don’t deal with such malicious rumours…No, Sir! But we do deal with legal accusations! José Luis Rodríguez Passolas – who is the esteemed gentleman concerned – has described certain accusations levelled against him by Ecologistas en Acción as, “absolute distortion!” They denounced that his professional activities were completely incompatible with his public office, i.e., the Town Hall Architect. They went further, claiming that certain landowners in Almuñécar are being harassed by him. Basically, they claim that for many years his private company has carried out building projects that required precisely his approval as Town Hall Architect (Damn it – you don’t call them that in English, but you know what I mean. What is it Chief Council Surveyor or something?) He also claims that he is being harassed by the owner of the camping ground, El Carambolo, (Barrio San Juan), backed by a ‘certain ecologist group.’ I have been to the said camping site recently, inspected the ‘suspect’ installations, whilst accompanied with the owners, who explained a thing or two to me – I did this after reading what the Town Hall had to say about the installations. My personal conclusions are that if Sr Passolas were to take the matter before a judge, concerning El Carambolo, and where all the facts were to be made known, it might be quite embarrassing for him. However, it would be for the Judge to make judgement, of course – not us, right?

The Mayor’s wife, María del Rosario González… or better said, ‘ex-wife’ – was acquitted of the charge of embezzlement of public funds because the case was declared prescribed, i.e., the case was rejected because too much time had elapsed and the offence declared null. Here I am again, stuck for an English terminology, in this case, a legal term! In the meantime, nobody is any the wiser as to what happened to the 26,757 euros that ‘disappeared.’

Your vehicle road tax is due and has to be paid before the 31st May. Municipal coffers are drooling expectantly for the arrival of 1,374,390.54 euros for the 2006 period. According to the official figures, there is a total of 19,219 vehicles register here – and you wonder why that it’s impossible to park? Think about it – the official population: 27,000; the official vehicle ‘population:’ just under 20,000. Do you see 20,000 parking spaces around town, between garages and parking areas? You can either cough up at the APAT office or at any one of the following banks: Caja Granada, Caja Rural, La Caixa, BBVA, BSCH, Caixa Cataluña, Caja Sur, Caja Madrid, Unicaja, Banco de Andalucía and Banco Popular. Of course, if you have a direct debit, they will have already swiped it. The APAT office, by the way, is in Avenida de Andalucía, No.18. After the 31st, if you haven’t paid, then, it starts to get a bit more expensive.

Bad news for the níspora boys up the valley! The market is flooded, leaving thousand of tons of fruit without a market. The fruit clearing houses have actually stopped buying fruit from the farmers, but even those farmers that were lucky enough to have sold their produce have had to settle for as little as a euro per kilo – a bloody disaster if there ever was one. Consequently, farmers are opting for letting the fruit rot on the trees to save the expense of harvesting them for nothing. The fifteen corridas de fruta (fruit clearing warehouses) of Río Verde (Almuñécar, Jete, Otívar and Lentegí) had already accumulated almost a million kilos of nisporas before they closed shop. The irony is that it’s a good-quality crop and an abundant one. The abnormally cold weather this year delayed the harvest here, which normally comes out before other areas such as Alicante, resulting in the Río Verde harvest coinciding with other production areas; hence the glut. The answer, the local fruit growers of Otívar believe, is for the valley to have its own denominación de origen., which would be promoted by ample promotion campaigns etc., with the support of the relevant administrations. This is what happened with the areas chirimoya crops, which now enjoys its own label and promotional campaigns.

The absence of the hoped for and requisite authorisation from Costas has meant that the much-publicised underwater sea park has been suspended. So as not to lose the grants received to date, the funds are going to be pumped into the huge aquarium project, just below Radiovision. The opposition party, the PP, has criticised the governing party for this stalemate, blaming it on the Mayor’s constant confrontation with the provincial and regional authorities.

The Tropical Fruits Scandal continues unabated. The opposition parties accuse the Mayor of trying to delay the judicial process, hoping to hold back the consequences of the rejection of an appeal. The latest point of contention is that the only Town Hall member that will be present on the board of Tropical Fruits will be the right-hand man of the Mayor. This was approved, thanks to the rebel vote of the ex-opposition councillor, Andrés Palacios, who defected from the ranks of the PP. The opposition parties wanted a representative from each party present, to be able to oversee liquidation proceedings. The PP accuses the Mayor of using his party’s influence in the liquidation board to introduce a stall, by insisting on discovering the location of one of the company’s ex-directors who fled to France. The socialist councillor and head of the local PSOE branch, Rocío Palacios (who has no relation to Andrés Palacios), points out that Tropical Fruits, in which the Town Council of the time under Sr. Benavides had controlling shares, lost 200m pesetas (just over 1.2m euros) in three years and has left suppliers without payment for the last 15 years. Miguel Ávila, who is the spokesman for the Mayor’s new party, reproached Sra. Palacios for suggesting that the money was not merely lost through bad management, but was channelled elsewhere, to which she replied that it was not simply her opinion, but the also the court findings that the Mayor is appealing against. Finally, Andrés Palacios spoke out against the PSOE, accusing them of trying to distract public attention from the Escuela Taller Scandal, which involves the misuse of public funds for private use and which took place under the socialist-led Council of Juan Rodriguez, back in the 90s. On a personal note, I can’t help thinking that our politicians, far from distracting blame by pointing out the scandals of the other parties, only serve to hammer home the sad conclusion that our local political body is, as a singular entity, guilty as accused.

Here is an interesting legal point. The leader of the local PP, Juan Luis González Montoro, made a comment that is difficult to see as other than valid. He pointed out that the present governing party, under the name Convergencia Andaluza, cannot legally govern, as they were not present in the electoral lists during the last elections. The moment that a councillor leaves his party to be an independent or join the ranks of another, then he is consejal no adscrita (i.e., an un-attached/assigned councillor). The Spanish electoral laws states, ‘… those that abandon their group will be considered non-assigned.’ (That is a very simplified and abridged translation, by the way). The reason that Sr. González is making a point of this, is that consejal no adscrito is more often than not a euphemism for transfuga (political turncoat). Summing up, and according to Sr. González, the Mayor and the nine councillors that followed him into the Convergencia Andaluza can only speak as individuals, not as representatives of a party that was not a participant in the municipal elections and, therefore, was not democratically elected to office.

The work next to the old Hotel Sol Meliá on San Cristóbal has been completed to the satisfaction of the Town Hall and to the hotel, whose present name is Hotel Playa, Almuñécar. The area, known as Mar de Plata and which takes its name from a nearby apartment complex, was in a lamentable state before, and at last its present state is better than before. However, it would appear that the side-by-side parking has been replaced by a nose-to-tail system, meaning that there has been a loss of parking space. Admittedly, with the proposed, nearby, underground car-park project, the parking strain will be alleviated, but what about this summer? The 270,826 euros needed to carry out the revamping of the area was obtained in part, thanks to the hotel that helped out with the financing of the project.

The bitter war between the Ecologistas en Acción and the present municipal administration specifically – but not exclusively, spills over into new battlefields. The ecologist group is now demanding records going back ten years concerning public land under the Town Hall of Almuñécar’s care and all funds derived from them as a result of urban development. They demand this, suspecting that there has been a huge embezzlement going on. The leader of the provincial branch of the group, Javier Egea, reminded the Administration that according to standing regulations that the monies obtained from this sector should be used exclusively for the further acquirement of land for the enlargement of the municipal estate. He also pointed out that all land belonging to public ownership should be inscribed in the Patrimonio Municipal de Suelo, “which should be available for public scrutiny.” Sr. Egea contends that there should be hundreds of VPOs (council houses, more or less) in Almuñécar, which there are not, despite the heavy building that has been going on in the township for years. He points this out because monies received in lieu of land should be used for this purpose and for other public amenities.

Here is some very interesting news for Alzheimers sufferers, which has been provided by the Almuñécar Alzheimers Association.

Spanish medical researchers have discovered that cerebral proteins from pigs have compatible characteristics to human beings, after subjecting them to a complex hydrolysis, desiccation and isolation process. Furthermore, the Spanish research team has discovered the efficiency of a medical treatment that uses smaller doses than those used to date. This is a peptide compound called Cere that uses swine cerebral proteins, developed using these biotechnological methods. This treatment has not only managed to arrest the constant deterioration of a patient’s cognitive capacity, but also has managed to improve it by a clinically significant percentage. Until now, a 30ml dose has been considered the most effective, but this recent research has demonstrated that doses of only 10ml of Cere has augmented efficiency.

“Alzheimer medical treatments used at the moment give symptomatic benefits during a limited period. The action of Cere imitates the effects of the neuronal growth factors and has shown effectiveness in the recuperation of the cognitive capacity, which translates into a functional improvement in daily activities, “ said Antón Álvarez, departmental head of the neural-pharmacology company, EuroEspes, and co-ordinator for this research.

Did Easter bring in the business? Each time I’ve checked in with any of our clients over the past month, I’ve been asking them about the influx of visitors to the area over the week of Easter. There’s been a real mix of responses, but sadly mostly disappointment. Interestingly, what we view as the insane forming of queues to buy bread, the heavy congestion of cars and lack of parking spaces, as well as the general chaos and bustle, are not a real indication of the spending patterns of the mob that descends upon us. More and more I hear the restaurant owners complain that because of both poor weather and demanding mortgage repayments on apartments bought by the out-of-towners, there’s no spending happening on eating out. I must admit, that like many of the residents, I generally head for the hills in peak time in order to avoid the crowds. So maybe it is true that the visitors really aren’t doing much to supplement all of us bowing out of the local scene.

Vuestra Casa opens its doors. Nico has also opened up a smart new establishment, facing the Plaza. And as the name suggests, Vuestra Casa offers the punters some truly special features for their homes. Whether it’s a chic kitchen, some stunning German windows and matching wooden floors, or just quality fixtures and fittings, it’s well worth checking the options available to you through his stylish new business. Don’t forget that Nico speaks at least three languages, so if anyone can help you, he can. Certainly, if the standard of the showroom is anything to go by, you won’t be disappointed.

The question is whether all this activity and new businesses around the Plaza de Independencia is enough to keep our adolescents busy and constructive? Inevitably the new burger bar will prove a real pull, but let’s see how it’s pitched and how the public respond.

Warmer weather brings restless youths and now it’s not just the absence of helmets that we have to fret about (how do we convince everyone that these really do make the difference between life and death?) I, for one, noticed more crazy bike antics once the speed humps along the front were introduced. Great idea in principal - but why do there have to be a pair? Seems a pretty obvious response that most drivers veer around them in order to save their suspension. The scary thing is when the bikes and scooters do this and decide to use the footpath immediately outside the open entrance to the new children’s park as a trick to avoid the humps. Now isn’t that just a little counter-productive, since it actually puts any toddler wandering out of the park (or anyone, for that matter, who isn’t paying attention) in danger of being mown down by one of these acrobats! Interestingly, I’ve also noticed that someone showing some ‘initiative’ has actually removed one small section of one of the humps outside the park. Since then, the bikes seem at least a little more inclined to stay on the road. Now we just have to worry about what else we can offer the adolescents in the village to keep them distracted and entertained. Surely there are enough talented and committed individuals to think about combining forces and organising some positive activities. Any takers? Please contact us at the Gazette if you think there’s something we could initiate.

Las Gaviotas has the technology, as our primary school is proclaimed the second TIC (New technology) centre in the province of Granada. You’re possibly already aware that there’s already a computer room upstairs in the school building, but this is much more significant. By the time the new academic year arrives (September 2006) the plan is that computers will feature regularly in both the administration of the school and on the academic side. Maths and Language classes will make regular use of this new technology for classes in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th years of the primary school, including computers and the Internet for additional resources.

This achievement as a new technology centre reflects all the hard work that the headmistress Marie Carmen, together with her dedicated team of teachers, have invested in improving the school and moving it firmly into the 21st century. This exciting new development coincides with the opening of the centre, as parents and teachers have also worked towards introducing before and after school activities at the school, including a dining room and extra-curricular activities for children and parents.

We thought that the Marina was supposed to start down at the port, but during the first week of April a burst water main above the fated Best Hotel development and Aparthotel Alcázar meant that escaping water found a recently laid concrete bed upon which to lie and grow up to one metre deep. If this wasn’t disastrous enough, the escaping water also caused a landslip into their recently excavated trench... and the road above their deep trench cracked and also started sliding into the abyss. As one of the local residents remarked, “The enormity of this calamity was evident by the arrival of the local police, complete with their very own tow away truck, several suited officials, an enormous number of unsuited men standing around looking serious, plus a tractor with trailer that worked non-stop to pump the water out of the hole.” In the meantime, after yet another entire day without water throughout the Punta, the residents near to the hole continue to have ever widening cracks in their houses.

The mentioned approach road above the site, has actually started to crumble. It’s been blocked off, so that eleven properties can only be accessed by foot. Speaking to one of the residents (Nila, co-owner of Restaurante El Barco in the Marina), “No-one is assuming any blame, of course and things are in the hands of the lawyers. What I can’t figure out is that if the pipes on the Punta were OK for 40 years, how can anyone think that the building work isn’t now causing problems with the infrastructure?” Nila has denounced the builders on three separate occasions and although the new Administrator of Punta de la Mona has spoken to the architect of the Alcázar, the building work continues. Nila finally added “We’re not in a third world country here and yet people are expected to live under these conditions, affecting not just our businesses, but our daily lives.”

All the world’s a village as the local primary school Las Gaviotas plans to end the school year with a focus on the cultural diversity of La Herradura. Were you aware that within our primary school, there are 89 children from some 22 different nations? This means that more than 30 percent of the student population is not Spanish. An initiative from the Junta de Andalucía education department, called ‘Aprendemos a vivir juntos’ or ‘Let’s learn to live together,’ has been taken on by the school, forming the basis for activities that include students and teachers from the high school, parents of the students and even members of the Town Hall. The aim? A community effort that encourages the involvement of all and endeavours to improve intercultural relations.

The reaction of the headmistress Marie Carmen and teachers is not to run away and hide, but to celebrate this cultural diversity and share different traditions and customs, to enrich all our lives here. To this end, the staff has been focusing the children all year on a project of intercultural mixing. As well as the teachers themselves taking courses, events have been held such as Día de la Constitución (where the children used the principles of democratic government to draw up and vote on their own constitution and rules); the Christmas concert, with its accompanying multicultural decorations; Día de la Paz, and now there’s the build up to the end of term. The focus all along has been on improving relations between the different nationalities within the school.

So what’s in store for the end of the academic year? …Plenty! As well as the anticipated show and party, which is scheduled for Friday 17th June and whose theme is ‘Living together,’ ideas include setting up a multicultural exhibition within the multi-use hall at the back of the Infants’ block. What’s envisaged is assembling representation from each of the 22 countries in the form of maps, physical samples (flora, fauna, flags, examples of handicraft), cultural items (music, books, art, national costumes), famous people and any other things you can think of which summon up images of the country. Finally, speaking to Elena, who is the teacher co-ordinating this project within the school, they hope to set up a Gastronomic event with samples of food from all over the world during the last week of school. You know what’s coming next don’t you? - What this intercultural extravaganza requires more than anything, is our participation and support. That means we need to speak to either the teachers of our children or Elena herself, and most importantly, contribute items, time and treats from our countries to make this a real success. Here’s the chance to demonstrate to our children that although we’ve decided to take on a new life in Spain, that doesn’t mean forgetting or denying our own heritage. It’s also an opportunity to share and gain from learning about the interesting elements of other traditions. So what are you waiting for?

The neighbourhood committee of the old town has reported the Town Hall to the regional authorities for permitting the unsightly construction of a tower, very close to the castle, effectively blocking the view of the said monument. They accuse the Town Hall of issuing a building permit for what is clearly against the standing building development regulations and the law concerning the preservation of historic heritage. This second law states that no construction should be permitted around such a monument without the expressed permission of the Department of Culture. The Mayor does not agree with the neighbourhood committee’s interpretation of the fact, claiming that the said building does conform to existing regulations. But the plot thickens; the vox populi (rumour) is that the municipal building inspector is none other than the brother-in-law of the said house owner. The Mayor was quick to counter that although it is true that this family tie exists: “Building licences are not granted according to family connections or friendship; they are only granted according to the regulations.” Bowing to the public uproar, the Mayor has asked his inspectors, however, to go out there and check again. “If they find that the building work does not conform to the regulations it will be stopped, and if it is necessary to order a demolition, it will be done,” he added.

The Mayor, Jesús Avelino Menéndez, has come out in his own defence against the accusations raised by the spokesman of the UI political party, Ángel Coello, in which he accused the Mayor of favouring a building developer with connections to the Mayor’s own party. “The only thing that Sr. Coello wants is to take advantage of the situation in Marbella [the tremendous, ongoing, corruption scandal], twisting things and creating a ‘psychosis’ in public opinion,” he said. He pointed out that existing documents show that Sr. Coello is lying. He explained that while it was true that the number of dwellings in the Tajo del Caletón project has increased, it had not been achieved by increasing the area, but by building smaller dwellings on the available area. The end result would be an increase in area free of buildings.

Two men – one in Salobreña and the other in Molvízar – were arrested for gender violence. The first, 31-year-old J.C.C.G. was detained for acts of aggression against his partner, despite having a court order out against him, obligating him to stay away from her. It also turned out that the same man is the alleged culprit of the theft of a vending machine, which the police found in the man’s home when they called round to arrest him. In the case of Molvízar, 47-year-old E.P.H was arrested for threatening the female owner of a bar with a knife. He has been charged with attempted murder and making death threats. It started at 17.30h when the man entered the bar to ask the woman where her husband was. When she replied that he was not there at that moment, he suddenly produced a kitchen knife from inside his jacket and attempted to stab her. He would probably have achieved his objective had he not been restrained by several customers in the bar. In the scuffle, he broke the knife-blade on a table, and on breaking free, left the bar with the threat that he would return with another knife to kill the husband and son of the victim. The Guardia were immediately called and they managed to find him and convince him to give himself up by 19.50h. The man is known for his violent character in the village. A few days previously, the bar owner had reported the man for his violent threats when he attempted to charge him for drinks that he had consumed without paying on a previous occasion.

Talking of arrests, two Romanians were arrested after a spectacular car chase through the village, ending in the escaping car ploughing into the centrepiece of a roundabout. Somebody had spotted the two men carrying out acts of theft and had informed the police, who were helped in the act of detention by the Guardia Civil. Several stolen items were found in the crashed car.

The Town Hall is spending 180,000 euros on doing up the Calle Real of La Caleta. That, by the way, is the one that comes off the main entrance of the N-340 and involves just over 1.5m of road surface. Work started on the process back in October, thanks to a little hand from the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa, and the Agua y Servicios company, which took the opportunity to install new water mains and sewers for the houses along the street. According to the Mayor, several ‘miradores’ were provided, one of which contains a fountain and benches.

The Roast Chicken outlet in Salobreña has a new owner! The local Pollo Asado outlet in the village has changed hands and just re-opened, with lots of new dishes and speciality sauces. This take-away roast chicken business is situated in the Rodriguez de la Fuente, opposite the Super Sol supermarket and is open every day, except Wednesday, from 10:30h to 16:30h. The new owner is a Brazilian lady called Antonia, who speaks English, has a fantastic bubbly personality and a great welcoming smile. The take away is called ‘El AS Del Pollo’ and they will take orders on the premises, or over the phone for collection, on 958 610 665. Not only do they provide succulent roast chicken in the normal way, but they can also provide chicken with a BBQ or a curry flavour, as well as chicken curry itself. You can also get freshly cooked wild rabbit, a leg of lamb, roast pork and wonderful Patatas Caseras. There are also meatballs available, as well as moussaka to order, cod croquettes, chicken croquettes and deep fried peppers. To complement all of this, for those of you thinking of the diet and your figure, there is freshly prepared Russian salad, mixed salad and a variety of wonderful sauces available. Soft drinks are also on offer and wine is available, to take away, called ‘La Gitana’. So if you are going to the beach for the day, have visitors you knew were coming, or didn’t know, or just don’t fancy cooking in the warm weather of the summer, or the cold at any other time, then why do all that preparation? Get down to El AS Del Pollo; give yourself a break, as well as a treat. As my wife said ladies, it looks like my cooking days are over for the summer.

British Builders Arrested. The owner and foreman of a building company based in Salobreña have been arrested. The reason for this is that they are being accused of employing seven men from Rumania, who are working without a contract and without any Social Security. Only one of the Rumanians is in Spain legally! The Guardia Civil has thought for some time, that the company has been employing illegal immigrants. They arrived at one of the sites in Guajar Alto, along with an employment inspector, where the company was working and checked the workers papers. Some of the workers said they had only been working for the company for two weeks, others had been working for two months and one had been working for a year and a half! They also said that they worked for fifty Euros per day, which is half that earned by a Spaniard doing the same work and one worker had been injured, but was too scared to go for treatment, in case it was discovered that he was in Spain illegally. The owner and foreman are to be charged with infringing the rights of foreign workers. They were building a house for a British client!

Salobreña to Benefit from ‘ONCE’ Lottery ticket Sales. On Wednesday 26th April at 10:00h, the Mayor of Salobreña, Jesus Avelino Menéndez, met with the Provincial President of the lottery company ‘ONCE’, Rafael Jimenez, to officially accept the design of a new lottery ticket to be sold in the area and whose sales will benefit the village of Salobreña directly. If you buy lottery tickets, then look out for this new one, with its design showing a picture of the village from across the fields, also the village name and official badge.

The ‘E111’ has been replaced by ‘The European Health and Insurance Card’. This is how to get one. Most people try to get their paperwork in order when they become a resident in Spain. They get their resident’s card, social security card, driving licence and car papers sorted out, but forget about the European Health and Insurance Card needed when travelling in Europe! Yes, you do need to get one, even when travelling back to the old country, it is so easy to get and costs you nothing except your time. You have to go into Motril past Al Campo and along Avenida de Salobreña to the Social Security Office. The office in question is not the large one opposite the Post Office, but a smaller one situated in Calle Muralla, behind the Guardia Civil Post at the end of Avenida de Salobreña and towards the traffic lights. All you need to take with you is your resident’s card and your social security card. It takes only a few minutes to get your European Card, as they produce it whilst you wait and the card issued in Spain, currently lasts for a year. When you go along to the office to get your card, you need to ask them for a Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea.

Virgin Vie Cosmetics and Jewellery Grand Opening Night! In the last issue of the Gazette there was an article saying that The Virgin Cosmetics Company was coming to Spain and that included Salobreña. Well the updated news is that they are having a Grand Launch evening in Salobreña, on Tuesday 30th May at 19:00h and all ladies reading this article, as well as your friends are welcome to attend. The venue for the event is The Cyber Surfer Internet Café on the sea front in Salobreña and opposite El Peñon. It will be an informal evening on the terrace in front of the Internet café and if the significant other has to go along, he can pop to one of the bars in the area, if his attention span is a little short! To learn more about the evening, the products, or to book a Virgin Cosmetics Party, contact Kerensa on 617 104 445. Go on ladies, put the date down in your diary, go along to Cyber Surfer, enjoy chatting to other ladies and have a girl’s night out.

The Trouble with Estate Agents! Some people have informed me that they could fill the Gazette every month for a year, with what they think is the trouble with estate agents, both in Spain and in their own country! The comments include, that estate agents are not trained; in fact anyone can call himself an estate agent, a bit like a ‘builder in Spain’ really! They do not give any ‘feed-back’ to the owner after they have shown someone around the property and often it’s the owner who shows the viewer around the house, so what are we paying for? The agent is often viewed as having the same ‘expertise’ as a car salesman, their commission charges are far too high and those buying or selling a property are often left asking the question “Did I get good value for my money”? Any estate agent who is reading this item, before you get too hot under the collar, might like to reflect on whether you are guilty of any of the above comments and ask yourself, “Would I be happy with the service I am providing, if I were the customer”? When we bought our house in Spain, we were taken through the process step by step by our estate agent and could not fault them. Indeed, as we spoke no Spanish, they translated all the legal jargon and made sure that we did not fall foul of Spanish law, generally making the process almost painless, after all we still had to pay! The reason for this article is that the Spanish housing Minister, Maria Antonia Trujillo, has said that there should be more regulation and control, in the buying and selling of properties in Spain and of the Spanish and Foreign estate agents involved. She hopes to bring in regulations, to ensure that estate agents will have to obtain an official qualification to be able to practice here and believes that the charging of 5% commission by most foreign estate agents is excessive! Most Spanish estate agents, she said, charge about 3% commission, split equally between the buyer and the seller. What do you think about her bringing in these regulations? If you have bought or sold any property in Spain, let me know about your experience.

The fishing fleet based in Motril, as well as the men who work in the Port and on the boats, are pleased with the news that the European Union members have signed an agreement about fishing permits being granted to fish in Moroccan waters. A lot of these permits will be issued to fishermen in Andalucía and, obviously, will include those based at Motril port!

A Boat Captain accused of Murder. At the beginning of April, a boat, carrying twenty-nine illegal Moroccan immigrants, was stopped off the coast of the Granada Province and escorted into Motril port. The Moroccans told the police, that the boat had left the North African coast with thirty-four people on board, but this number of people had made the boat unstable and the Captain had forced five of the would be illegal immigrants to jump overboard. This was done when they were a few hundred metres from the shore and no-one knows what happened to these men. The Captain has been charged and he remains in custody during further investigations by the police.

Streakers at Motril football ground. A recent dreary game of football in Motril suddenly became more interesting, when a woman appeared on the pitch completely naked and carrying a banner demanding a better infrastructure in the area now! The game was held up during the time it took the police to escort her from the pitch and the game was resumed. Almost immediately a second woman, also completely naked and carrying a similar banner, ran onto the pitch and the game was stopped again. The police escorted this woman off the pitch and the game was again resumed. It is said that, for the first time in living memory, no-one left the game early, but perhaps they were hoping for further pitch invasions! Also no-one could remember the actual score; they thought it was ‘two or four something’! However, the Motril football Manager has vehemently denied that it was a stunt to boost the number of fans attending home games!! Those behind the incident proved to be a satirical magazine based in Motril, who were protesting against the ‘mediocre politicians’ who run things in the province.

As part of the celebrations for the ‘Cruz de Mayo’ at the beginning of this month, Motril play Real Madrid at home. This should be entertaining and give local Motril fans something else to talk about, although it will be like Manchester United playing Lillingstone Dayrell. There is such a place; honestly, it’s in Buckinghamshire between the towns of Towcester and Buckingham. It has a very ancient church, six houses and two pubs, or is it six pubs and two houses? Anyway it really does have an old church! Will the Motril fans stand behind the home team goal in the first half, and then move behind the other goal at half time, thus making sure they don’t miss anything? It’s also rumoured Motril will have two Ball Boys based in their goal at all times to keep the game moving!