It’s your turn to speak - not ours!

According to the Almuñécar Town Hall, there are 900 foreigners registered to vote. In the other towns and villages on the Costa Tropical foreign names litter the electoral censor in growing numbers, as well.

It is no longer valid, therefore, to sit in the bars complaining about how things are or how they should be. We have a voice and this is the one moment, which comes round every four years, when somebody actually has to listen.

For that very reason: It’s your turn to speak; not ours!

This is your chance to elect the person that, in your opinion, best represents the well-being of your adopted town; regardless of what your politics are in your home country, or indeed, whatever else might be happening, politically speaking, outside your municipality of residence.

Who Rules Almuñécar ?
(Reader's article)

Under normal circumstances, the answer to this question would be obvious. However, the circumstances are not normal. Over the past decade the face of Almuñécar and its surroundings has been changing dramatically. Before, the area had been an insider tip for visitors and foreign residents that were put off by the glitters and noise of the Costa del Sol and similar developments. Rather, it was the unspoiled natural beauty, the exceptional microclimate and the unpretentious and friendly local population, which attracted another type of residents that were willing to integrate themselves into this scenario. The resulting gradual transition into a ‘tourist’ community of holiday makers and pensionistas suddenly exploded with the ‘discovery’ of the Costa Tropical by the – mostly non-local – brick and cement brigade, which had successfully grazed the former meadows of other coastal areas. Luckily, the delayed development of Almuñécar and the growing Spanish economy had by then prevented it from becoming one of these artificial foreign enclaves where it can be difficult to find anyone speaking the language of the country.

The objective of these ‘promoters,’ usually limited companies with fantasy and short-lived names, was a simple one: rather than to make this their primary or secondary home, they were out to make money. No doubt, a legitimate purpose. The problem was that neither the elected representatives of the good people of Almuñécar nor their staff at the Ayuntamiento were in any way prepared for the ensuing pressures exerted upon them. Visions of the bonanza, creating jobs for the local population and filling the municipal coffers, made them blind to the negative aspects of these luring promises. Today, the results can be seen in many of the former beauty spots of the municipality. To name just one example: the eastern hillside of the Punta de la Mona peninsula. In the 70’s, a retired Italian entrepreneur had fulfilled his life’s dream by transforming the area into a spectacular park and garden estate, a recreation zone for the general public. He built what is still the cosiest little marina in the country (giving rise to the whole hillside being named after it), and an attractive array of recreational installations like horse stables, tennis courts, restaurants and a country club. Into this remarkable setup he had planned interspersed groups of two-storey terraced houses and a small hotel, all blending perfectly into the existing environment. By the late 80’s Marina del Este had become the pride of the town, where everyone, including the mayor took his visitors to extol the delights of our community.

Today, if you were to ask the local politicians of whatever colour, including those who are or have been in power since, why and how all this could have given way to the present unsightly jungle of brick and cement, they will unanimously decry these barbaridades urbanísticas – whilst in all innocence, washing their hands, like the biblical Pontius Pilate. But how can this be? Were they not the ones that were putting their signatures unto the planes parciales and building licences? Trying to solve this enigma, you will discover – poking through the smokescreen created by finger-pointing and mutual accusations - that to a man the local politicians will refer you to the informes favorables of their técnicos, which they consider as binding (vinculante). In this case, the generic term ‘técnico’ has, as we say in Spain, ‘nombre y appellido;’ it is the person employed by the Ayuntamiento to head the municipal urbanismo department.

Yet since, obviously, there does not really exist any legal obligation to follow his recommendations, there had to be another answer. And, digging further, you will discover the secret; it is the fear of being accused of ‘prevaricación’. Collins translates this as the ‘perversion of the course of justice,’ which sounds similarly imprecise and ominous as the Spanish original. Our Diccionario del Español Actual explains ‘prevaricar’ in a more down-to-earth way as ‘faltar a sus deberes ... actuando injustamente, a sabiendas o por ignorancia inexcusable, para favorecer a alguien’. Readers of the Seaside Gazette will have little trouble translating these words, with the clue lying in the last four words: in order to be liable for this criminal offence, you must have been favouring someone.

Now surely, you would not be favouring anybody, if you were to turn down a request to re-categories a property or issuing a building license for not being in compliance with the laws and bylaws. But, somehow, during the past decade, in Almuñécar, the legend appears to have developed obliterating these decisive four words from the public conscience.

This resulted in elected politicians signing informes favorables that had been prepared by their técnicos practically blindfolded. Believing in, or using this legend as a comfortable excuse, they were – and are - pointing out the fact that, being non-experts in matters of urbanismo, they could not risk deciding against these recommendations, even if they personally had doubts concerning the wisdom or even legality of a project. Apparently, they did not realise that by doing so they were actually abandoning the powers and responsibilities invested in them by the electorate.

This may sound surrealistic to you but it is the simple truth, explaining the urban atrocities you can see these days. Only the other week, a former mayor of Almuñécar and lawyer by training has had to answer court charges for prevaricación, having allowed a hotel project to be changed into an apartment block. His main defence, according to a report in the daily IDEAL, is that ‘all the informes’ for the project had been favorables, so he had had no choice but to sign the documents.

Now you would have to be a combined saint and superman, if this curious legend-cum-dogma did not have an influence on the person heading the urbanismo department. It explains how he could become the real ruler of the municipality in the all-important field of urban development.

While not even insinuating any similarity with the now almost daily media reports on the big scandals of Marbella & Co, it is not difficult to fathom how the tremendous pressures exercised by the ‘developers’ on the small town técnicos and the evasive or permissive attitude of the elected representatives could change the professional outlook of an architect. As one funcionary explained to this author a few weeks ago, the decisive criterion in his department had become the term ‘economical’, meaning that you had to adjust the existing building rules and by-laws to allow projects proposed by the promoters to become ‘viable’, in order to justify the elevated prices they were paying for the properties.

This extraordinary system further resulted in the common practice of silencio administrativo when neighbours presented their objections to the visible destruction of their environment. They landed on the desk of the author of the same informes favorables, whom you could not seriously be expected to repeal them.

Now for the good news, and to answer the question put by the editor on the front page of the April issue of this magazine: yes, the turning point has finally arrived! It all started eight years ago, when the brave and patient members of the community of owners of Marina del Este (phase 1) objected to the obvious disregard of the valid Town Planning Ordinance (PGOU) at the new development in their neighbourhood named ‘El Faro.’ In March 2007 the tedious legal procedures finally culminated in the ruling of the Tribunal Superior de la Justicia, subject of the same leading story of the Gazette. This court decision has set new standards for politicians and officials alike. Thus, it is now clear that citizens wishing to object to these barbaridades urbanísticas can do so within a period of four years, rather than the two weeks that town halls used to grant you, counting from the date of publication in the BOP (official provincial bulletin)! Furthermore, national and provincial governments have introduced stiffer laws and control mechanisms regarding municipal developments, with the imperative to adapt these to the existing environment.

The Alcalde of Almuñécar himself has taken action to disrupt the system, by ordering building applications to be sent to the provincial authorities for pre-screening. While this, as the editor of the Gazette rightly pointed out in his commentary, can only be a provisional measure, it points into the right direction. Licenses for the construction of more than standard single buildings cannot be left to municipal técnicos, instead they must be scrutinised by outside experts, involving local knowledge and técnicos at superior levels of the public administration, trained for the purpose. Most importantly, though, as the court has pointed out in the El Faro case, decision makers will be held responsible in matters of urbanismo, with personal consequences where the rules might be ‘stretched’ to accommodate developers. It is late, but not too late to save what is left of the natural beauties of Almuñécar.

Pepe Platero

Well, it’s not a very easy month to write, owing to the municipal elections. Even though you might wish to avoid lending any ammunition to one party or the other, so as to present a completely neutral stance, you still have to report what has been going on during the month of April. So that is what we will do, without making, of course, any editorial comment on it. So, let the show commence!

A 36-year-old man, going under the initials of M.A.G.G, was arrested in Córdoba as the suspect in two cases of fraud in Almuñécar as a car dealer, involving allegedly walking off with 50,000 euros from the sale of a car. The incident took place on the 10th of January when two customers reported to the Guardia Civil that they had handed over to the suspect the said money for the purchase of a luxury car in Belgium. However, instead of the desired car turning up, M.A.G.G. disappeared. Fortunately for the police, the suspect was in contact with a local of Almuñécar, from whom he was reportedly in the process of liberating some funds by dishonest means. M.A.G.G. had been using a locutorio (private pay phone) in Córdoba to contact the man in Almuñécar. So, our Guardia Civil lads then shot off to Córdoba, staked out (put under surveillance) the locutorio and tapped him on the shoulder…

Right! The Town Hall has organised a photo competition for up in the mountain park of Peña Escrita – a name that will be cropping up later on in this section, concerning its zoo. This third photography award organised in the park will have prizes totalling 1,000 euros, as well as free holiday stays there. The subject of the photo must be either about the fauna, flora or activities that are carried out up there. The photos can be in colour or black & white, but must be hard copy, i.e. printed on photographic paper, with a minimum size of 18x24 cm. Participation is free, with the closing date for entries being the 14th of March 2008 and the results being made public on the 21st, one week later. So, you’ve got plenty of time to stomp all over the place up there, frightening the hell out of the resident carbon-based life forms. Oh, and the competition is open to both professionals and amateurs. As is normally the case with this particular competition, the Town Hall acquires the ownership of the winning photos. The prizes are as follows: 1st prize is 500 euros and two nights in a log cabin; 2nd prize is 300 euros and two nights; and 3rd prize is 200 euros and two nights. Right, that’s it; I’m bored with this article, so it’s on to the next…

One expert on the A-7 Bridge Disaster considers that the report on the cause of the accident is ‘superficial.’ Federico Paris, who is the university professor in charge of Elasticity and Resistance of Materials Dept. in the School of Engineering in Sevilla, believes that the report on the accident, which resulted in the death of six workers, did not go into the causes sufficiently. Although he considers the report ‘logical’ on the whole, he does not consider it ‘logical’ where it speaks of the welding joint, i.e. whether it was badly done, or had weakened, or was corroded, or was over- loaded. “The explanations are very generic and it is logical that the fault was owing to a joint, or that a bolt was not secured correctly, but both of these things you can judge easily if the structure is visible and you have access to them,” he added. He considers that it is not enough to know that the welded joint failed, but that it should be discovered ‘why’ it failed. The Technical Commission of the Ministry of Work found that the rear end of the cementing platform, on the left-hand side, gave way, owing to previous use of the platform or that a bolt could have come loose during previous operations. When the accident occurred, back in November 2005, Sr. Paris said that it was impossible that the accident could have been caused by material fatigue, as the cementing platform is not subjected to fatigue. Well, I hope that this makes more sense to you than it does to me. Something broke, the bridge fell down and six people died… Perhaps it will never be clear if it was the fault of the construction crew during the operation, whether it was the fault of the company for supplying faulty material, or whether it was the fault of the designers in the shape of a design fault. The official report points to the first, i.e. faulty operation, but dead men don’t talk, do they?

The Mayor has announced that there will be an alternative way down to Almuñécar from San Sebastian (that’s the place just below Torrecuevas, of course; not the Basque city). Furthermore he proposed that this should be carried out with immediacy. The San Sebastian road is a nightmare, being the access road for the several fruit-clearing stations along its length and the principal access to the coast from Lentejí, Otívar and Jete, not to mention an alternative route to Almuñécar from Granada via the Cabra Montes mountain road. Juan Manuel de Haro’s article in the Ideal mentions two places that I had never heard of in 26 years: Caicillos and Camino de Zahonda. They turned out to be lanes that I had used many times but had not known the names of: the Camino de Zahonda is the track that used to lead up from the river and pass behind the old football grounds in Taramay, before coming out at Barrio San Juan road junction; Caicillos is the nucleus of houses just up from the last Torrecuevas bridge, before entering the municipality of Jete – in other words where the local bus turns round. Right! The new Torrecuevas/Taramay road will probably, therefore, skirt down the eastern side of the river from Caicillos, crossing over the Barranco de Ítrabo (where the sewage treatment plant is) before snaking up to where the Taramay industrial estate is. To be able to build such a road, first of all permission from the Southern Water Board will be needed, which has jurisdiction over all water-courses in Andalucía, where the road is to cross over the barranco, which under heavy-rain conditions turns into quite a fast running stream. Secondly, the existing country lane is very narrow, being bordered by houses on both sides, so to be able to cope with heavy, two-way traffic, there will have to be some compulsory purchase orders and demolitions, logically. Remember, if this does come off – and it is much needed – then all heavy traffic (namely articulated fruit lorries) will be using it to reach the upper villages of the valley, without having to cross Almuñécar, so we’re not talking about a narrow road, such as the ones that dissect the vega.

Ten excursionists were rescued by Serim, which is the Guardia Civil mountain rescue squad. The group of baranquistas (those that abseil down waterfalls) had got lost in the Río Lentejí canyon. This was in the early hours of one Sunday morning, but only a few hours before, another squad had had to rescue a group of six that got lost near Jerez del Marquesado. This second group had simply become disorientated and called 112 as dusk fell. The group that were lost in the Lentejí area were well equipped for emercency, at least, with thermal blankets, etc. They had first contacted 112 by mobile phone to say that they were lost, and the Guardia Civil responded by giving them directions to a secure spot where they could be picked up. At first the group opted for not bothering the emergency services further by remaining in the secure spot for the night, but later changed their minds and phoned again. A squad of four were sent in to guide them out.

Locals from Barrio San Sebastian are protesting against a planned underground parking facility in their neighbourhood. (Barrio, by the way, and in case you didn’t know, means ‘quarter’ or ‘urban district’.) Around 100 petitioners signed a document affirming their opposition to the move, which was presented to the Town Hall for official registry by the IU Party (United Left). A spokesman for the IU says that the Town Hall should come to an accord with the locals that would mean that the work, if it were to go ahead in the proposed spot, will cause the minimum disruption possible whist underway. The proposed site is the little square at the top, called Plaza de la Santa Cruz, i.e. where the straight ascent curves to the left, there is an elevated square where the Barrio fiestas are held. The locals point out that as the square sits on top of solid rock, construction would entail a long period of chipping away at it with noisy equipment. But it isn’t only the inconvenience of constant noise that most worries the locals, but the affect that the vibrations could have on the foundations of surrounding houses, which are quite old. The IU proposes that instead of building such an installation for private financial gain, the Town Hall should facilitate such an arrangement, providing reserved parking for locals that shouldn’t cost locals more than 10,000 euros per head. The fact is, that the recent reforms to that stretch of road have eliminated yet more parking spots. Some readers have voiced the opinion that there appears to be a policy of eliminating free parking to force car owners to use private parking facilities.

The Junta Electoral de la Zona (Area Election Board) has ordered the Mayor to take down all his party’s posters that have been adorning the lampposts around town. He also ordered the Mayor of Motril (PSOE), Pedro Álvarez, to do the same. The administrative decision taken against Sr. Benavides was instigated by the PSOE candidate, Rocío Palacios, who later commented, “This mayor distinguishes very little between what is public and what is private.” The clamp-down (tighter control) started in Motril when the Mayor was ordered to close down his mega-exhibition, entitled ‘Motrilenio,’ after it was denounced by the PP. Then came the turn of Almuñécar. The Board gave Almuñécar just 48 hours to get it all down off the lampposts. The main problem for the Mayor is that the Electoral Board awards space according to how many votes a party pulled during the last elections. However, Sr. Benavides is no longer running with the PA, who pulled the majority of votes in 2003; he’s heading the Convergencia Andaluza, which didn’t pull any votes, because it didn’t exist in Almuñécar in 2003. The PSOE claim, therefore, that to get round this, the Mayor had given a concession to a private company to use public lampposts as advertising platforms, and then rented the space of the company for his party. However, the Board wasn’t buying this particular arrangement, even though the advertising space was private, and snipped it effectively in the bud. There is a similar controversy over the availability of such emblematic public places as the Majuelo for end of campaign final rallies, as has habitually been the case. The PP have complained that the park has not been provided for this purpose by the Town Hall because the Mayor’s party would be at the end of the queue for its use, if it were.

Whilst on the elections here, on the 24th April there was an article in the Ideal that announced that the Partido Popular had presented its electoral programme in four different languages, containing some 800 proposals. To my knowledge, the PP is the only party that has published this kind of information in English, French and German. I’ve got a brief interview with the Mayor tomorrow, so I shall ask him.

The Town Hall has announced that there will be a care centre in the town for the aged with disability problems. The centre, which will be housed in the old San Miguel school building, up in the old town, should be operating by summer. “Families cannot be attending to members with mobility or mental problems 24 hours a day, without it causing sometimes insuperable problems for them,” said the Mayor. The idea then, is for the centre to take charge of the aged patients during an extensive daytime period, so that the habitual carers can have a break. “Until now, this task has inevitable fallen upon female members of families,” the Mayor pointed out. Those interested should contact the Town Hall or the Social Services offices, which are behind the old medical centre, next to the gasoline station.

Our industrious workers in the Town Hall have formulated the latest vehicle census, which will bring in a luscious 1.5m euros to the municipal coffers, almost! (1,498,447 euros, to be precise.) We have, according to this census, 20,323 vehicles spluttering around our fair town. Unfortunately, for the municipal Treasurer, they’re not all taxable. The Town Hall does not tax its own fleet of cars (police, etc.) and handicapped drivers don’t need to pay either. So, of those twenty-odd thousand, 342 are not taxable. Neither do they get their hands on the tax for my venerable motorbike, as I’m an Otiveño! How the census does break down is thus: 12,364 cars, 139 trailers, 879 lorries, 25 buses, 125 tractors, 2,537 motorbikes & moped, and a 4WD, eight-cylinder, partridge in a pear tree. If you happen to own a bus with over 51 seats or a 10-tonne lorry, you’re looking at paying 246,66 euros a years, but if your tastes are more modest, i.e. just a moped, then you will have to squander a staggering 8.88 euros. Now isn’t that just so mind-bogglingly interesting – you would have died ignorant and uninformed if it were not for the Gazette… ¡Viva!

You won’t be surprised to learn that Almuñequeros are involved in building housing in the town, but you might well be surprised to hear that they are building homes in India. On the 12th of April, La Casa de la India in Valladolid (north-eastern Spain) was the venue for the signing of an agreement between the Fundación Ferrer, which is based in Almuñécar, the building developer of Cercado de La Santa Cruz – also present in Almuñécar (San Sebastian) - and the Plataforma de Vivienda Joven de Almuñécar. Basically young volunteers from Almuñécar & La Herradura will take part in the construction of 63 dwellings in the Indian region of Anatapur. 63 new householders of controversial a housing scheme for young adults have donated one percent of the cost of their purchase to the construction of 63 dwelling in India, destined for the ‘untouchables’ in this Asiatic caste system. This particular place in India was chosen because the Fundación Vicente Ferrer already carries out charity work there. The Town Hall itself is going to finance a further 63 dwellings in India.

Talking of exotic places… The zoo facilities up in the Peña Escrita mountain park are facing a very possible closure order from the Ministry of the Environment, over the conditions in which the animals are kept. And this is not something that has suddenly cropped up; they have been warning the Town Hall since 2004 about its lack of documentation for the facilities. Furthermore, ecologists have been demanding its closure for quite some time, as well. In fact, from day one of the park, back in 1997, the competent administrations have been nagging the Town Hall for the correct paperwork to issue a licence… and that was long before they started housing hippopotamus, emus, bears and wolves up there. The first big crunch came in February 2005 when inspectors from the Department of the Environment skipped up to the park, drooling with anticipation. Eleven separate documents were missing. What immediately came to light – something that the ecologists had been pointing out for some time – was that the animals ‘were badly kept’ as far as hygiene went and they were ‘poorly controlled.’ One year later, the DoE pay another visit, producing the following list of missing requirements: ‘The identification of all the animals; the protocol for the elimination of cadavers; the prevention plan for the transmission of contagious parasites and plagues; and the protocol for veterinary assistance.’ The Town Hall was given four months to put things right… and the ultimatum expired on the 15th of last month. If the Town Hall didn’t come up with the goodies – and we have no news on this either way – then the park is to be closed to the public and the animals to stay were they are until alternative locations are found for them. Ecologistas en Acción will not be cut up (upset) about this, as they qualified Pena Escrita as a ‘clandestine zoo,’ which meant that it should have been closed down long ago. Finally, for many, zoos are an anachronistic hangover from the 19th century, when curious Europeans, with little possibility of travelling to exotic lands, crowded to see such spectacles. Zoos, for the 21st century spectator inspire pathos rather than pleasure.

The Mayor’s son, Pablo Benavides, has been called to declare as a witness before the magistrate for an alleged electoral infringement during the 2003 campaign. Pablo Benavides is the director of the Onda Tropical municipal television service. During the Day of Reflection (the eve of voting day), when no political messages are permitted whatsoever, the municipal TV service, also known as Canal Tropical, reportedly continued to broadcast all the campaign acts of the PA, which was the Mayor’s party at the time. Pablo Benavides denied all knowledge of the incident and claims he does not know who gave orders for this footage to be broadcast.

The TSJA (regional high court) has annulled the building licences from the year 2000, which permitted the construction of six hotels in Almuñécar. The court sentence considers that the document was an ‘undercover’ modification of the standing PGOU. Of these six hotels, three were eventually built, one of them being the popularly known Football Player Hotel, because players from Real Madrid were behind it; it is the Hotel Bahía Tropical in Taramay. The judge publicly lamented the amount of time that has been allowed to elapse in resolving this judicial decision, because – in his own words – it might well be judicially inefficient now. The sentence can be appealed against. The culprit behind these building permissions appears to be the now very controversial ‘modificaciones puntuales,’ of which over a hundred have been made. These modifications are, in effect, changes to a standing PGOU without resorting to drawing up a new one. These modifications should have been sent to the provincial administrations for approval, but they weren’t. This time, however, the culprit was not the present mayor, Sr. Benavides, but a coalition council of the PSOE and PP, with Juan Luis González Montoro as mayor. However, all political parties voted in favour, including Sr. Benavides’ party.

Funny old month, April, but then maybe it’s just me who struggles with the bad weather. Ah, no, it turns out that the businesses, too, are complaining about a disappointing Semana Santa; both in terms of the weather and, inevitably, the takings. There is real uncertainty in the air, partly the result of boredom (or maybe even a general dissatisfaction) and partly a feeling that people are craving for a genuine positive injection, some sense of direction and purpose. At a time when we should be considering who is fit to lead us into our future, perhaps we should first give some thought as to just where we want to be led and what we want that future to look like.

A new history on the area is produced, as the result of an agreement between the Almuñécar Town Hall and the University Pablo Olavide in Seville. Eloisa Diaz Muñoz and José Andrés Otero Campos released their book entitled, La Herradura, Aproximación Histórica. Quite an interesting use of words, really, since it could mean ‘closeness’, as in we’re very near to the history, since after all history continues to develop. It could also mean ‘estimation’, so that it’s pretty much what happened, but not entirely. In the authors’ defence however, they explained that there was a lot of documentation, which they researched carefully and approached scientifically – so much so that they couldn’t fit everything in. Clearly local government representatives couldn’t resist the opportunity to comment that, “For a village to move ahead, it has to know its past.” (I suspect they want to be more than instrumental in writing its future as well.)

But if you’re interested in respecting history, you certainly can’t ignore the fine efforts of the British Legion in the area. Martin and I had the privilege to be invited to the RBL Lunch at Peña Parda by the Chairman of the Nerja Branch (Bruce Walker) and the Secretary of the same branch (Joan McCallum). There were some 50 members present, as well as the District Chairman of the Legion and I have to say that it wasn’t just about sitting around exchanging war stories. Amidst the merry-making of an Easter Bonnet competition, it was clearly an opportunity for a group of people from many walks of life to come together and just enjoy being able to share the moment around a common cause – keeping their traditions alive. For anyone who’s interested in finding out more about when and how the Royal British Legion meet, including the many and varied activities they undertake, you can contact the Secretary of the Nerja Branch, Joan McCallum on jomacc@wanadoo.es

Touchdown as the sun goes down, with anyone interested in playing touch rugby meeting just opposite the Sunlounge every Wednesday evening at 7pm. All ages welcome, with the objective just to enjoy and have a good time. Sergio Todaro, who is organising this, has also told me that he’s looking for anyone interested in starting up some rugby training for boys and girls between 8 and 11 years of age. Also, some applicants (at least 12), themselves, would be good! You can contact Sergio on 639 754 501, or alternatively pop in to see him at the Estación Náutica, just across the road from the Hotel Sol Los Fenicios.

As the high season approaches, hotels in the area are preparing for (what is hoped to be) an onslaught of visitors. The last to reopen, Sol Los Fenicios, has been undergoing various renovations during its closure. According to Manager, Lola Jiménez, the group Sol Meliá (to which the hotel belongs) has been encouraged by the opening of the new autovía and more than € 350,000 has been invested in improving facilities, including work on the pool, reception area, restaurant, café and their terrace, as well as the 43 rooms in the hotel. This marks the most significant change to the hotel since it first opened its doors 17 years ago, proudly counting amongst treasured clients, the King and Queen of Spain.

For those who have braved the winter months, the hotel industry has been tough. Speaking to owner and manager of the Hotel Almijara, Maria Luisa, they have mostly been looking after British and German clients during the cooler months, with the biggest challenge being finding people something to do within the area. Once they’ve strolled up and down the beachfront a few times, things can be limited, particularly when a number of businesses choose to close for vacation during the same period. November was especially tough, indicating that there should at least be some kind of rota agreement in place between the restaurants so that visitors continue to have a bit of variety. 12th May marks the 4th anniversary of the Hotel Almijara, which continues to offer facilities for formal meetings, parties, as well as accommodation for individuals and families. During the summer, they are hoping to make a lot more of their spectacular terrace, with breakfasts, dinners and themed barbeques planned, so keep your ears and eyes open.

(And all this in an environment where the Hotel Fuerte group already has a section on their website dedicated to their Allsuites hotel planned for 2009 opening, at the entrance point to the road leading to the new sports pavilion in the village).

Dog brought back to life, as Ali of our very own Clinica Veterinaria La Herradura managed to literally revive Keivah’s beloved rottweiler, Darra. Gaynor of Gaynor Hairdresser told me about the emotional rollercoaster the family had been on, finding out that Keivah had been accepted to audition for the British TV show ‘XFactor’, then dealing with the arrival of new puppies, coping with the sudden deterioration of Darra and her devastating death, only to be phoned up the very same weekend and told that a miracle had happened. Just goes to show that we need to be prepared for almost anything here!

At least five accidents at our junction since the opening of the new autovía section, as the Department of Traffic initiates a study as to why this is happening. It’s been just about two months and already this stretch has already claimed more than its fair share of bumps and scrapes, but thankfully no deaths at the time of writing. It seems that so far what we have is an unfortunate combination of overconfidence, unfamiliarity and for some, frankly a bit of a surprise when the autovía actually comes to an end. Since it seems that the exit point has proven particularly unlucky, there have been suggestions put forward to introduce some time of speed humps to slow the 500 metre (and unusually long) descent towards the roundabout. Of course the other natural solution would be to put up more information, better signals, etc to actually notify motorists that the La Herradura – Motril stretch isn’t quite there yet!

Political parties present their candidates to residents, amidst lots of hype. Maria Victoria Ruiz and Daniel Barbero have agreed to continue as representatives – if the CA (Convergencia Andalucista) is voted in – claiming that Benavides was the leader that all the parties wished they had. Their main campaign message clearly pointed towards the number of projects accomplished for La Herradura during their time in power (pavilion, Civic Centre, sub-aquatic station, etc). On the other hand, the PSOE (socialist party) leader, Rocío Palacio and her representatives pointed out that they were the only ones to oppose the PGOU against the government currently in power. In fact, they attacked the back patting that the CA were busy indulging in elsewhere, claiming that the Civic Centre was very little more than an empty monument, the pavilion was built on rural land and as usual, La Herradura continued to be overlooked, with insufficient infrastructure and an inadequate police presence. Let the games begin!

The children enjoyed Día del Libro once again this year, within the far more comfortable venue of the Civic Centre’s auditorium. The secret to the success of these events, however, is to make sure we at least try to participate. Getting our children excited over reading, for instance, is only going to happen if we’re reasonably enthusiastic – scary, as I can vouch for, especially in a foreign language!

The 12th of May, Maths and Physics Day in Plaza de San José, was where big and small kids can challenge their mental prowess. A lot of fun (and frustration), this now annual event is guaranteed to get those nerve ends working overtime, with lots of puzzles, games and problems. And this year there’s even a Mathematical gym karma!

I went to talk to local leader, Maria Victoria, at this politically sensitive time and the first thing that struck me about her is that she’s probably doing the best she can – just like the rest of us, really. Her role is clearly very dependent upon the moves at an Almuñécar level, but she has still been brave enough to position herself in the front line with the village population. As she explained to me, locals come to speak to her regularly about land issues, public amenities and any concerns they have about facilities in the village. The truth is that there is no magic wand and therefore she can’t necessarily make things move faster. She makes no reference to a secret insight into the way to speed up the English library, for instance, or gain prior access to information about events within the Civic Centre. What she could tell me, though, was that the wooden pier and existing railway sleepers remained until discussions between the Town Hall and Medio Ambiente (the Department of the Environment) came to a compromise. Up until now, Ambiente has seen the wooden struts as a useful deterrent to cars entering onto the beach – part of their rationale for supporting a pedestrian ‘paseo.’ This particular topic, by the way, is back with the Department of the Environment, including the 600 representations. So, no signs of change or progress there, either. In Maria Victoria’s view, they were never going to please everyone in the village, anyway, even though she did point out that parking provision had been made within the new car parks (beneath the pavilion and the football field), as well as traffic circulation problems being addressed by the planned alternative road was destined to be built in front of the school once the identified land has been expropriated. On a positive note, though, Maria Victoria commented that the reconditioning of the fortress is already in progress, with a park area and a space for ‘petanque’(bowls) as well. Since the internal condition of the structure is in reasonably good order, they envisage that the project should be complete within eight months. I wonder whose plaque will be on this one?

Despite everyone’s best efforts, the English library remains closed until further notice. Shelving units are still on order. Please retain your library books for now and don’t lose faith! As soon as we have any information, we will communicate it to you all within the Gazette. In the meantime, if you have any queries or suggestions, please call Ann Maxfield on 958 64 00 69.

El Tinao re-opens, much to the delight of locals. We wish old diving buddies, Esteban and Mauro all the luck they deserve. A hard-working and relentlessly handsome pair, these Argentinean mates have made a real impact on the village, so we were really pleased to learn that they were going to bring their own South-American flavour to the bar and restaurant circuit here. Take a look for yourselves!

Countdown ‘til school’s out but we’ve still got some weeks and a number of activities ahead. Already, there have been a couple of talks dedicated to Parent Education on Monday afternoons within the Civic Centre. If we want to continue these useful information sessions,Tessa MacPherson, our most recent school-council representative, needs to hear from you (the parents) about which topics would be most interesting and relevant to you. Subjects could include dealing with homework, keeping adolescents off the streets, young adult issues such as drugs and eating disorders, just to name a few. Please make sure you get in contact soon, as these meetings require a good deal of organisation.

Now you see it; now you don’t, as one of the village’s landmarks made famous by brochures and internet sites over the last ten years is finally removed. Yes; it’s La Herradura’s pier, which became, in the very least, an eyesore, at worst, an issue for public safety, especially once it had been attacked by arsonists (never an ill wind)

Las Granadas finally lets us in, as the whole village has been waiting with bated breath for this very different restaurant and bar to open. Talk about teasing your public into wanting more. What an effective marketing strategy and what can I say? It worked. At the opening bash there was a really cool crowd to welcome the huge efforts of so many in making this establishment a success. Wonderfully different food, great company, sublime décor and service with a smile. Looks like you’ve got the market cornered, guys. May all your hard work continue to be rewarded with full support from the locals (a brilliant mix of foreigners and Herradureños) and beyond.

A 41-year-old English diver loses his life off Punta de la Mona. When such a tragic accident happens, it opens up the whole arena as to just how safe it is to dive locally: are the right precautions in place; is anyone cutting corners; and fingers start to point at who might be responsible. The reality is that with every risk-taking sport, that’s just what you do – you take a risk. Speaking to Luis of Centro Buceo La Herradura, the group of divers who came to explore our waters were experienced and it is a fairly normal occurrence for clubs from all over Andalusia to come here to dive, renting equipment and in this case (because the divers were experienced) a boat as well. On this particular occasion, the group was from Fuengirola and was just going out for a fairly normal dive, when 15 minutes after immersion, one of the divers felt unwell and decided to return to the surface, accompanied by the others and finally reunited with the boat. The affected diver collapsed and the boat took all of them back to the Marina del Este. The ambulance took some 50 minutes to arrive, whilst CPR was administered continuously, but to no effect. It appears that the diver died of a heart attack, which was unforeseeable.

Despite the tragic outcome of this dive, people will continue to thrive on the challenge of this unique sport. There are obviously some things you can do to reduce the risk factor, including keeping reasonably healthy, avoiding smoking before diving and only diving with schools which are properly registered and covered by the necessary insurance and registration. If in doubt, check with the Sub-aquatic Station to identify which are the registered schools with correctly qualified instructors in the area. Our part of the Mediterranean is vitally important to attracting people to the area, as long as we treat it with the respect it deserves and ensure that we keep standards high, whether we’re talking about the diving practices, or any other aquatic activities we undertake.

The Cruces will be all over, barring the shouting, by the time that you are busily swatting flies with the lethal May Gazette in your hands, which means that you will no longer find yourself pinned to the ground by a group of eight year olds, demanding change or American Express for their cross display. Yes, this is the time of year when Gran starts to miss odd ornaments around the house, like Granddad’s funeral urn, candle sticks, a roll of tin foil and half her geraniums, putting it down to the first signs of Alzheimer’s. This is the time of year that inflatable crosses seemingly follow you around town, popping up six times between where you parked your car and the bar. Yes, Ladies and Glazed Companions, this is the month of Las Cruces… Now aren’t you bloody well chuffed that it’s over?

Hello Everyone and welcome to the May edition of the Salobreña NewsLetter. If you want to contact me, then please use my email address of tonysharley@seasidegazette.es. Despite the rain during April, which, believe it or not, mainly fell in Andalucía and being unusual for that time of year, has not managed to top up the reservoirs to their usual depth we would expect in the spring. However, when the snow melts, which is still visible on the peaks of the Sierra Nevada this should add to the precious water supply needed during the summer months and will take us through to the autumn rains without the need for hose-pipe bans etc; which are the norm in another country we all know and love if it doesn’t rain for a couple of days!

On The Rocks is sold. In last month’s edition of the Seaside Gazette, I mentioned that two foreign owned businesses, situated on the beachfront in Salobreña, were for sale. Since that edition, one of the café/bars in question has been sold. However, I am not sure that yours truly can actually claim any credit for the sale, as negotiations were taking place before the April edition was printed. The business has been sold to a Spaniard, who will run On The Rocks as a café/bar/restaurant, serving Drinks and Tapas, but will also provide Spanish meals at a value for money price as well as the traditional English breakfasts! Work is already in progress at both On The Rocks and the vacant unused premises next door, to turn them into an establishment that can cater for far greater numbers than the old business.

A Warning to all Dog and Cat owners. I have received an email from William Trower, who lives in the village, that some areas of Salobreña have been sprayed with a pesticide or pesticides to kill off the weeds, but the Ayuntamiento have not put up any warning signs and these chemicals can have some serious effects for your pets! The area that has been sprayed and is a cause for concern is along the Paseo, just behind the Castle in Salobreña. William noticed that the weeds along this walk appeared to have been cut or treated in some way, as they all seemed to be dried up and dead! His dog, like other dogs, is inquisitive and went to investigate the weeds and grass! Sadly, she ate some of the treated grass or weeds and, within an hour, began to behave rather strangely. She began to find it very difficult to walk properly; was very sensitive to noise and touch, and generally behaved as if she was drunk! William took the dog immediately to Clinica Hubara; the vets in the centre of Salobreña, to see what was wrong with her and what could be done to help the animal in its suffering. The Vet said that it was likely that the cause of the dog’s distress was due to her eating some grass which had been sprayed with herbicide and that other animals had been brought into the surgery recently with similar problems! The Vet also said, that the likely source of the problem was the herbicide Roundup or Atila, used to spray weeds and, if this is consumed in large quantities or over a long period of time, can be fatal! Keep an eye open for your pet behaving as if they have drunk a dozen G&T’s; is salivating a great deal and cannot walk normally. If they show any of these signs, then rush them along to the Vet to get them treated. Surely, as the Town Hall puts up signs when they treat the Palm trees with herbicides, should they not put up warning signs when they treat grass and weeds? After all, these poisons are dangerous for all kinds of animals, including we humans! William, we all hope that your dog soon makes a full recovery, enjoys her walks, but avoids the poisons. With the local elections taking place this month, those putting themselves up for election, should remember that it’s not just the big projects, such as the new swimming pool and road alterations that are important and win votes, but that the basic things, such as informative warning notices, are important too! (By law, you should leave a notice on sprayed land. Farmers normally hang up an empty poison container on the trees bordering their land – Ed)

Clarifying a point from an item published in March. I wrote, in my introductory piece in the March issue of The Seaside Gazette, that I was looking back at Solid Brenda from behind packing cases, as my wife and I were settling into our new home in Almuñécar and would like to offer our thanks to a number of people. Just in-case you miss-interpreted what I wrote and to clarify the situation, it was not my intension that you should think that Margaret Lingwood, of Inmobiliaria Lingwood, does the paperwork for Cyber Surfer Properties or any other local estate agent. Indeed, all estate agents are individual businesses. I would like to unreservedly apologise to all concerned, for any misunderstanding that was caused by the article.

First edition of The Yellow Book! This is a new publication, which is available at various outlets in Salobreña and is a directory of local businesses and services that have been recommended by satisfied customers. This is a public service booklet and it is free to everyone. It will be available from the Tourist Office, Bratan, Cyber Surfer and La Caixa bank in May, but other outlets might like to stock the book in the future. When you get hold of a copy and look through the recommendations, it could be that you would like to recommend someone yourself and get them into the book. Well you can! At the back of the book is a form that you can fill out and send to the address given, or you can send an email to the compilers at the1yellowbook@yahoo.co.uk. New recommendations will be included in the next edition. If you are in business in the area and not included in the book, perhaps it’s time to look carefully at your customer relations and the service you are providing! Could it be that both or one of these need to be improved?

Always check your Bills! This is a recommendation to check your electric, telephone, tax and all other bills, if you don’t already do so, when you receive them. There could just be a mistake in how much they are claiming through direct debit and the wrong amount will not be in your favour! As you know, if you are a regular reader of The Seaside Gazette, my wife and I have recently moved home. I was expecting to receive a series of Bills, from various claimants for the old home, up to the day we sold it and the new owners took on the responsibility for paying them. Imagine our surprise therefore, when we received an Electricity Bill saying that the money had been taken from our account, for electricity used at our old house for a period that included a number of weeks after we had left and moved to our new home! How was this possible? Well the electricity company, SevillanaEndesa, simply changed my name slightly by dropping one letter and calling me Anthony Sarley. However, they used my correct bank details for the claim and it was paid in full! The whole thing has now been sorted out and, the more than one hundred euros, has been returned to me. By the way, they have also, correctly, charged me for the electricity used in the new home! Honestly, it might have been a genuine mistake on the part of the electricity company, but it really does pay to check all your bills and receipts to see if they are correct!

Where have all the mobile homes gone in Salobreña? During the winter months and into the spring, there have often been a large number of mobile homes parked along the beachfront in Salobreña, much to the annoyance of the firstline businesses and the residents who pay a higher rates charge, for the privilege of the position of their premises and the views that they and their customers should be able to enjoy. These vehicles have been encouraged or have chosen to park on the overspill car park along the road, behind La Bahía restaurant, which takes you through the cane fields to La Caleta. The owners of these mobile homes are still able to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of Salobreña from this grassy resting place, without incurring the wroth of frontline businesses, whose potential customers cannot find anywhere to park and cause them to seek food and drink elsewhere! From this stopping place it only takes about a minute or so to walk to the beach, as well as a number of local restaurants and bars situated along the beachfront. The owners of these mobile homes can also walk to the local shops, banks, tourist office and into the village in a very short time. This new place to park these sometimes very large vehicles seems to be an ideal solution, as they are not causing any problems for the businesses, frontline home owners or those visitors or locals who wish to park their cars. Or do you have a different opinion? If you do, please let me know.

They are working on the Bridge to No-where on the Motril side of the Río Gaudalfeo and we could soon have an alternative means of getting from Salobreña to the Granada road or to the Port area in Motril.

News about Lobres. The council in Salobreña, who are responsible for Lobres, have put together the first draft of a plan to build a Day-Care Centre for pre-school children in that village and next to the swimming pool. The cost is estimated to be in excess of €530,000.

Water and Sewage! Salobreña council has, at long last, agreed to fund the linking of the local mountainside urbanisations, to the main sewage system and to connect them to a clean and drinkable water supply. Great, it’s only taken forty years to achieve this! I thought it was only in third world countries that problems like this occurred?

Old Batteries and Glass. The council has decided to provide up to ten containers, scattered around the village, where you will be able to safely dispose of your old batteries and help to save the planet! They are also providing more containers to dispose of and help to re-cycle used glass. Some of these containers will also be placed in bars, restaurants, etc. and other containers will be placed in the open, at a ratio of one container for every 300 people.

Monetary assistance for building work. The council has put aside, from the 2007 budget funds, some €90,000 to pay for repair work to homes in the village, if the people who own the homes have limited means. These loans will be available, up to a maximum of €6000, at zero interest rate and to be re-paid over a period of five years. Am I being cynical to think that all of these loans and environmentally friendly changes are happening now, but that they just might have something to do with the fact, that the Local Elections take place on 27th May? Surely not I hear you say!

Good news for the good folk of Lobres, they will be getting playschool facilities. The Town Hall of Salobreña, which is the administrative overseer of the municipal appendage of Lobres, announced that it will be situated next to the swimming pool, the gym and new park (Calle Federico García Lorca), and will thus complete the promised infrastructure investment. The budget for the infant centre is just over half a million euros, with half the funds coming from the Junta de Andalucía.

Anybody with a WIFI laptop will be chuffed to hear that there will be free Internet coverage in some of the village’s public squares. The locations will be: Plaza Juan Carlos I, which is the one next to the Town Hall; The Plaza de la Libertad in Lobres, next to the Casa de Cultura, and in La Caleta. Great move, eh?

Whilst on the subject of communications, the Town Hall has also announced that it is going to have a new automatic switchboard installed, as well. This will allow direct access to departments within the building, by just punching in the extension number. Up until now, callers have been left with the impression that nobody answers the telephone there.

Boy, can you tell that the elections are upon us! The area bordering the Río Guadalfeo will be converted into a leisure zone. The area will run like a corridor between the river and the Tajo de los Vados, and will have footpaths and cycle lanes. There will be a spot of (a small amount of) tree planting and they plan to restore the small marsh near the mouth of the river. There is a misconception concerning the river area, according to the Consejal de Urbanismo, Juan de Dios Márquez, which has led some using it as an improvised rubbish dump. The first step, therefore, will be to remove the building waste and general rubbish accumulated. Who knows, one day it might even have water in it!

Talking of the river, the Bridge-to-Nowhere has developed a fault, after having stood as it is for the last five years. One of the pillars has slipped, causing a noticeable crack right through the bridge’s structure. However, both the Town Hall and Junta have been working to rectify this ‘little problem.’