We are very sad to announce the unexpected death of our Publisher, Georg Hvizdalek.

It has been a huge loss to us all and is the reason that March's printed and online editions were not published. Martin, our Editor and principal writer for the Gazette, has stepped in to try and fill the enormous work gap left by Georg as well as complete his own obligations. He has done a magnificent job under very trying circumstances and I, as producer of the online edition, would like to thank him for his great strength and dedication. The following is Martin's 'non-obituary' about Georg, as he explains. (JK)

Georg hated the idea of obituaries; he had no problem including obituaries in the Gazette, sent in by readers, even though it wasn’t something that he relished, but he made it abundantly clear that he did not want one for himself in the Gazette.

Many might find the absence of one in the Seaside Gazette this month strange or difficult to understand, but as far as his wife, Kroyi, and I are concerned, Georg’s wishes come first. However, of course, this isn’t an obituary – it’s front-page news and the most difficult front page that I have had to write.

Some of you will remember his nickname – the one that he brought with him from Austria when came over to live in the early 80’s; it was Glücklich (Happy) and Georg demonstrated up till the day that he died that it was the most fitting damned nickname that anybody had.

During those last three weeks that I spent with Kroyi and Georg – three weeks in which he showed us so much about Death and coming to terms with it – we had many, many conversations about how he wanted things done once he was gone, should things turn out for the worse. Consequently, Georg died as he had lived: simply, laid back and without a fuss, unwilling to burden his family and friends with the gravity of his situation.

To that end, and for those who might feel deceived by Georg’s misleading reassurances to the state of his health, I state here that if Georg had asked me to say that the Earth is flat, then I would have gladly sworn to the Devil himself that there isn’t one wrinkle to interrupt the landscape of this horizontal planet, because, in my books Georg gets to arrange his final affairs how he wished – end of story.

When Georg and Kroyi wed, he wore jeans, sneakers and a jacket, and if such attire had been practical at the moment of death, he would have left this world wearing them, because he abhorred ceremony and pomp. That’s why he didn’t want a church or memorial service; that’s why he didn’t want any kind of ‘gathering, because-convention-expects-it.’

He said he would be happy if any one of his friends just lifted a glass to him, if they bumped into one another.

I speak for Kroyi as well as myself when I say that we said all our goodbies, drunk endless bottles of red wine with him, toasted our friendship and good fortune to have met. Consequently, although his friends will organise something in his memory, I won’t be there and nor will Kroyi.

As for the Seaside Gazette, it continues - as Georg wanted. Kroyi is the Honoury Publisher, whilst Anne and I will actually produce its physical reality each month.

Finally, if Kroyi agrees to my reproducing of one of their intimate conversations, I’ll quote the following to show how unconventional Georg’s passing was. He said over a bottle of red that he planned on coming back to watch over Kroyi and she said, “No way! If you go, you’re not coming back; you know how the idea of ghosts scares the hell out of me!” He grinned and said that he was thinking more along the lines of a little angel. Not convinced, Kroyi responded, “If I see any faint wings fluttering around here, I’m gonna reach straight for that air rifle over there!” We all fell about laughing.

Messages of Condolence

Querido amigo,

No va a ser fácil acostumbrarse a la ausencia de tu sonrisa, de la fuerza de tu mano abierta a todos, de la alegría y el coraje que han caminado siempre contigo, de tu cálida compañía y de esos momentos compartidos que tú siempre hacías fáciles y agradables. De hecho, va a ser difícil no tener todo esto de tí.

Pero al menos, sabemos que el amigo Georg nos ha hecho a todos un poco mejores. Por eso permaneces en nuestro corazón, en nuestra palabra y en nuestro pensamiento.

Descansa en paz con todo nuestro cariño. (RV & PB)

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I am hoping that the rumours regarding the death of Georg are, to paraphrase Mr. Twain, "exaggerated".

If they are not, then I'd like to offer you any help I am able to give. I had the pleasure of meeting with Georg a couple of times, and both occasions were completely delightful. Smart, intelligent, humourous, and almost comedical:) Lovely human being!! (DN)

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Very sad indeed. He was a unique person, dedicated, with a wry humour, a good mixer, and yet modest and down to earth. And much too young to die. (PH)

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Firstly, I write to say how sad Catherine and I are at the news of Georg’s death. We knew from your editorials that he had been ill but we had no idea that it was cancer until we dropped in on his mother-in-law to enquire and were told the devastating news.

Secondly, as our Spanish is poor, would you please pass on our condolences to Kroyi and her family when appropriate. We have known Georg since we first started wintering in Almuñécar some twelve years ago.

We edit and produce a small circulation magazine for our district in Dorset and, working on Macs, needed some local help. Georg gave us his time and advice then and, intermittently, ever since. We are sure that he will be missed by all who who knew him. (JA)

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Dear Kroyi, Martin, Anne,

I didn’t know George well, in fact the very first encounter I ever had with him was a little over a year ago when building a fence… …I got to know George as a clever, shrewd but decent and honest man of his word and he grew in my respect and liking. …I was genuinely shocked and saddened to hear of his death last week. George was always a good neighbour to me. I wanted, on behalf of myself and family, to say how sorry we are. Our hearts go out to Kroyi and his family. …Anything we can do to help in the future, just shout. (S, K, Y & A)

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Thank you for letting us know. If there is anything that we can do, please let us know. Georg was a lovely man, funny and generous and kind. He will be missed greatly. Please give our condolences to Kroyi. (NF)

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It was with great sadness yesterday I was told of Georg's death. I spoke with Anne Eastwood this morning and it is clear that this has had a devastating impact on the Gazette team. (JM)

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Hi Martin - we just wanted to say how sorry we were to hear of Georg's death. He will be missed. (J & R)

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Martin, I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was that ill. You all must be bereft. Please will you pass on my condolences to his wife. I will think of him and pass his memory to the mountains. (JB)

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Many thanks for your mail. We were anticipating it for so many days, but lucky, that Georg had to enjoy some good days with his wife and his best friend. He called you both "his family" in his last mail. That is sure a lot more than just "friend" or "partner". I know, he did well and had a peaceful and satisfied farewell with you two at his side. Many thanks for you both, as I know what it meant to care for a paralyzed patient. We thought several times a day about Georg and knew, that you will be there to take care. This circumstance made these thoughts easier. (EH - Georg’s brother)

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I was so saddened to hear about George passing, yesterday. It has always been a pleasure dealing with him and I have greatly admired the professionalism and quality I have come to expect from the Gazette. In my few personal encounters with him he was warm and charming. I understand the mag will not be out this month. I hope you plan on continuing on and you can count on our continued support through advertising. Please pass along my best wishes to the rest of the staff and Georg’s family. (DR)

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I had no idea that George had died when I wrote to you yesterday. We have just heard the news. Our sincere condolences. (D & M)

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This is a great shock. I did not know, because I am in Holland. Fantastic guy. I was sure he would recover, as he at that time (some months ago) told me. Sorry for his lovely wife. (DJ)

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I was so terribly sorry to hear about George. Please pass my condolences on to his Cherie. We are going to miss him. I shall light a candle for him in the Iguana and we shall keep it alight for a week. (CP)

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Jorge was a friendly guy, large and very casual in appearance, whose heart was even larger than his chest (which is immense). Those of us who had the great pleasure of knowing him well and joking with him have no option but to mourn for his passing, and thank Life for allowing us to know him.

He will always be a name of reference with respect to how to take life seriously with a great sense of humour, and how to win friends with just a smile, that was even sometimes, directed at him. Do you remember when he had the accident and was left without a car? The story appeared in the next issue of The Seaside Gazette and a photo of him, sitting on a moped. He looked absolutely hilarious but that, precisely, was the great thing about him; he was able to laugh at himself and made fun of himself to reach other people, in addition to having all manner of friends.

Caja Rural de Granada owes a great deal to him as he was the first one to believe in two crazy people who started to talk about changing the company philosophy in a small (absolutely tiny) branch office and earn the trust of foreign clients. Jorge believed in us and step by step, we were able to achieve our goals. Without him, it would not have been possible, or at least it would have been a lot more difficult.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of my soul, which is today not as cheerful as it could be. My saddest farewell to my friend Jorge, that great man who should know that wherever he may be, he will always have a small place in the hearts of those of us who knew him, to ensure he remains close to us.

I promise you, Jorge that I will have a drink with your old friends and you can be sure that we will drink to you. You will always be with us.

Thanks for everything Jorge, and so long. (AGT)

Welcome to the start of the Almuñécar section! Check the harness on your dentures and the airbags on your ogling marbles for pop-out, overload mode because you’ve got 23,000 characters to survive and your already-questionable sanity to protect.

Almuñécar has signed up to be included in the 112 emergency system, as part of the integration of municipal services. What does this mean? Well, in theory, it will improve the response time to an emergency call out. Wow! That was really in-depth information! Sod it – what’s next?

Meanwhile, up in Otívar again the Junta has just opened two information offices for the Parque Natural de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama. These names belong to mountain ranges: la Almijara is the one just opposite Otívar and used to belong to the Marquesa de Cazulas, before she handed it over to a chap from Madrid, Don José María, who in turn handed it over to the Junta de Andalucía. La Sierra de Tejeda is just to the west of them and sits, more or less, behind Nerja, while the Alhama is the mountain range between Alhama de Granada and the coast. This string of mountains, running parallel to the coast, form part of a natural park, which is beautiful and a treasure to have at public disposition.

My father-in-law, by the way, was the gamekeeper of the Marquesa, then of Don José Maria, and then park warden under the Junta de Andalucía, having stomped all over the Almijara during his working life – there’s not a peak or gully that he has not walked across. Here he is in a photo with the Director de Montes from Madrid and the son of Don José María (Fernando), probably from the late 70’s.

Anyway, enough explanations and asides, and on with the article. In the Resinera (Jayena), which is an area HQ for Infoca (forest fire fighters), they have opened this large information office-cum-visitors centre. Here you can see photos and exhibits from the early 1900’s when this was the major turpentine-production centre, using pine resin. In those days, around 300 families lived and worked there.

The actual visitors’ centre has been set up in the old school house, next to the chapel.

Anyway, the reason that this falls in the Almuñécar section is that there is a smaller information point – or soon will be – in Otívar, so I suggest that if you pop up to Otívar and take a look there, you might be tempted to take a longer journey and visit the Resinera itself, which is just before the ‘lake’ (Pantano de Bermejales).

A dozen families in Lentegí will be able to receive building-reform grants, thanks to the Programa de Rehabilitación Autonómicas de Viviendas (Regional Housing Reform Programme). The 19 locals handed in their petitions at the Town Hall, who assessed them and calculated the money needed for each one, and then sent them off to the Junta in Sevilla. Of the 19 hopefuls, 12 were finally chosen. The total cost of the 12 projects combined is 94,120 euros, of which the Junta will put up 47,060 euros.

Did you know that the stretch of old road between Nerja and Almuñécar (N-340) is listed as one of the 20 most dangerous roads in Spain? And not for the first time, because this is the third consecutive year that a 20-km stretch of that road receives this dubious accolade.

These twenty black spots scattered across Spain account for a staggering 20% of all fatal or near-fatal bike and moped accidents, according to RACE (Royal Automobile Association of Spain).

The most dangerous black spot in the whole of Spain also belongs the N-340, but between Murcia and Alicante.

I see that our mate and colleague, Juan Manuel de Haro, has done an interesting article on José Maldonado, (El Último Canastero) who is one of the town’s last traditional basket weavers and wicker specialists. After José goes, nobody in the family will take over from him, as he took over the trade from his father, because José’s sons are all working in the construction trade.

I think I remember his father, from back in the early 80’s when the old road between Salobreña and Motril still existed. Many will remember how it wound down from Barrio San Juan, down to the bridge over the Río Seco. On that last loop of a bend, which is now the turn off for Los Pinos and the International School, the old chap used to sit, on a chair, weaving river cane into baskets or using esparto grass to cover chairs. Well, apparently, that is where José can be found still.

Well, here we are with Semana Santa just out of the way – it’s Monday as I write this – and it is obviously still too early to assess its impact upon Almuñécar, but having had two main beach roads out of action, thanks to the work on the San Cristóbal and Velilla underground car parks, life couldn’t have been fun for either businesses or visitors in these two areas of town.

As if the loss of potential trade weren’t enough, at least one chiringuito near the Velilla worksite has experienced structural damage that could be put down to building work – let’s just say that Sherlock Holmes won’t have to be called in on this one to find the culprit.

Jorge Campoy Valero, who is the owner of Chiringuito La Barca, and the Chairman of the Asociación de Chiringuitos de la Costa Tropical has written a formal letter to the building company, demanding ‘safety guarantees.’

The cracks that have appeared in the ceiling moved the owner to demand a guarantee that the whole thing wouldn’t fall down around his ears because it is often packed out with customers. However, Sr. Campoy is not against the underground car park – he has already reserved three parking spaces for himself – it’s just that every time the crane digs out sand, the whole chiringuito shakes and his knees resonate in harmony with it, no doubt.

The Guardia Civil arrested two Romanians for allegedly stealing 20 outboard engines from boats beached on San Cristóbal and Fuente Piedra (Las Góndolas). They were arrested at five in the morning when a GC patrol spotted two of them hovering round the beach boats to the left of El Santo (cross on the rocks). Apparently they had two vans and a car parked and ready for loading.

The police had been keeping an eye on the two suspects and they had already been arrested down Valencia way for the same kind robbery; i.e., smashing the padlocks of the storage cabins on the beach, where fishing tackle and outboard motors are stored.

The two men of 20 and 24 had crowbars and cutting tools on them at the moment of arrest. As if that weren’t incriminating enough, the two vans and the car were all stolen from businesses in Almuñécar.

On the following day, those that had been affected by the robberies formed a queue at the Guardia Civil post to submit ‘denuncias.’

And it’s over to the damp delights of Jete! Yep, it is damp, compared with Otívar, because whereas Otívar is perched well above the riverbed, half way up the hillside, Jete’s main square is actually on the same level as the riverbed. If you use a motorbike for example you are exposed to the outside elements, and you notice a drop in the temperature just above the Ítrabo junction. Now you were really dying to know that, right?

Anyway, that’s not what the article is about; it’s about the village trying to weasel some money out of the Regional Government for the embellishment the entrance – you know; the one where you risk your life because Landrovers with rubbish turning locks are swinging out into the oncoming lane, in order to be able to negotiation the tight junction.

Hey! You don’t get that sort of intimate details about local life by pillaging the Internet, right? Well, you will be able to, just as soon as this edition of the Seaside Gazette gets posted online, of course.

Damn, digressing again! The Mayor, Placido Jerónimo, has requested from the Junta de Andalucía roughly half of the 132,000-euro budget needed for, “Carrying out a project to embellish the main access junction via Calle Francico Fernández González,” he explained. This ‘beauty treatment’ involves better street lighting (so you have a clearer vision of the 30-year-old Landy that is about eliminate your wheel-borne presence.) This new lighting arrangement will entail taking down all the overhead cables and burying them (hopefully, still connected). The pavement will also get a facelift, which will mean that even more Suzuki Samurais will be parked on them in truculent immobility.

More than 40 years have passed since the last time that Almuñécar was linked to a postal-stamp design. This time a stamp will be dedicated to the Apofis I, cremation urn, which was found in the Laurita Necropolis archaeological site on the hillside behind San Cristóbal. The urn, which is made from dark-grey marble and bears one of the oldest texts found in Spain, was discovered in 1963 when they were building the Barrio de Los Marinos.

It is believed that this Egyptian piece was made towards the end of the XVII Century BC. According to the inscription, the urn belonged to the Egyptian Pharaoh, Apophis I. The stamp will cost 31 centimes, which is the price paid to send a letter anywhere in the country.

The last time that Almuñécar had the privilege of providing the subject of a postage stamp was in 1977 when a section of its Roman Aqueducts was honoured.

On most sunny days you see our intrepid paragliders sailing out from the aerial masts above Otívar to whirl lazily around until they touch down at the pine clump, just above the Cázulas turning… that is when, of course, they don’t just fall out of the sky, which is what happened in the following case.

A 38-year-old German man tried to launch himself from this spot, known as the Cerro El Melión, only to plummet from around 30 metres, due to wind turbulence. The impact broke several ribs and caused several fractures and bruises.

The trouble with that area is its lack of accessibility to any wheeled transport, which means in the case of somebody who is seriously injured, the rescue service has to use a helicopter, but in the case of our ‘downed pilot,’ it was up to four Guardia Civil policemen from the Almuñécar and Otívar posts, together with a male nurse, to clamber over the rolling gorse and other mountain growth with a stretcher. Two locals, who had seen the man come down, also helped retrieve him, which was a good job as the man weighed about 120 kilos.

First of all it was announced that Almuñécar taxis that changed their traditional colour from white to any other colour, or that did not bear the municipal coat of arms, would be fined – that was on the 24th of February. The Town Hall had announced that the drivers had 10 days have the coat of arms added and 60 days to paint any differently coloured taxi to white. This all came about thanks to a report, issued by the municipal police, who apparently had been more occupied by these mind-blowingly important details, rather than actually policing Sin City, a.k.a., Almuñécar.

However, by the 18th of last month things had changed and the Ideal Newspaper dutifully announced that Almuñécar taxis could now be black, beige, grey, as well as white… but that the obligation to bear the municipal coat of arms stood. The Taxi Guild had presented a request for a motion to accept these changes to the municipal regulations at the next plenary meeting of the Council, which was proposed and approved.

In the same plenary council meeting, Fermín Tejero was sworn in as the IU councillor, to replace Iván Sánchez. Fermín and his wife, Yolanda, run the Carambolo campsite, which is on Rancho California, between the river and Barrio San Juan/Portichuelo on the main road. He is a long-time activist for the IU and CGT workers union and a staunch ecologist-minded person, bent upon conserving his small Garden of Eden, where the avocado was first introduced to Spain in the very early 1950’s. Good luck, Fermín; you’re going to need it, Mate!

The bridge might have been rebuilt next to Las Góndolas but the stink from the sewers persists. This persistent stench emanates from the sewage collector and pumping installations that sends our unspeakables a kilometre up the riverbed to the sewage recycling plant (E.D.A.R. or Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales) near El Barranco de Ìtrabo.

Bigwigs from the Provincial Department of the Environment visited Almuñécar to get a whiff of the problem themselves… and were not disappointed! The result was the gagged promise that the historic hum (smell) would be eliminated, thanks to a new E.B.A.R. (Estación de Bombeo de Aguas Residuales). Apparently – and this will come as a shock – the problem with the original E.B.A.R. is that it was built incorrectly… No!

It is not yet clear whether work on the new installation will begin before the summer, or after it. My money is that it will begin after the summer, just when the Velilla underground car park is completed and that stretch of road is re-opened – that way, residents will have to put up with the same road being closed, but nearer to town, by the new bridge, for several months afterwards.

Meanwhile, at the other end of town, on San Cristóbal, businesses are complaining that the work on the underground car park there is scaring tourists away. Hotel Helios, for example, claims that it loses around 80 clients every fortnight, thanks to the road being partially cut by the excavation work. Consequently, the hotel is asking for compensation from the Town Hall – the reckless fools!

“We work with British and Belgian travel agencies and to avoid trouble we inform prospective guests that we have this building work going on right outside, and in most cases they opt for accommodation further down the coast in Nerja,” explained Hotel owner, Rafael Lamelas.

Almuñequero, Salvador López, has patented an inbuilt system to prevent cars from smashing into each other… After working on the project for four years, he believes that he has cracked it (solved), using the idea of the repelling force of opposite magnetic poles.

“The idea came to me after watching a film where a planet was protected by meteor strikes by its magnetic field, so I started to investigate the idea,” he explained. I came to the conclusion that magnetism has a lot of positive energy that we have never taken advantage of, so I decided to apply this energy to prevent cars colliding,” he added.

Basically, cars will have large magnets, powered by batteries, at the front and back, which must be at the same height for all cars to function correctly. So far Salvador has spent 3,000 euros on getting his patent registered and is now busy trying to sell his idea to large motor companies.

Well, I’m no expert on kinetics, admittedly, but I thought that it was the brutal deceleration that killed you, rather than the impact. In fact, the impact is needed to absorb the kinetic energy through the crumple zones. Never mind, I guess the idea is that you just keep deflecting off other vehicles until you find something solid to splurge against.

So, who punctured Fermín Tejero’s car tyres? Fermín, as I mentioned earlier on in the Almuñécar section, has just taken over from Iván Sánchez as the IU councillor in the governing council, as an opposition councillor.

Fermín had just returned from the commemorative walk to mark the 71st anniversary of the Desbandá (Mikaella spoke of this sad episode in her Danish Corner column) only to find four flat tyres! He lost no time in reporting the fact to the Guardia Civil, who, taking into account that this had been an isolated incident, ruled out possibility of juvenile delinquency – i.e., had there been a spate of it, that would have been the obvious conclusion.

Suspecting that the act was a ‘political comment,’ Fermin has asked for the incident to be investigated. “We wouldn’t like to think that such a stupid act was some for of political reprisal,” announced the party spokesperson.

The fact is that according to Fermín, his defence of the vega against urban encroachment has earned him two law suits, negative press from certain news media and some ‘surprising’ political decisions – all three things owing to one particular gentleman in the Town Hall… perhaps!

“I hope that this act of vandalism was just a youthful stunt,” he said, adding, “because it would be lamentable if representatives of the citizenry should have their freedom curtailed in such a manner.”

But Sr Tejero’s car was not the only one to receive special attention from unknown persons, because the Guardia Civil is also investigating the incineration of a car right in the middle of town – in Calle Julio Fajardo, which is the one that connects the Paseo del Altillo to the Plaza de la Fabriquilla (where the old Cine Coloseo was).

The incident occurred between five and six in the morning, when some sort of scuffle took place and a clothes-shop window was also broken. “First of all there was a fight between three or four men, and then, just when things appeared to have quietened down, two more men turned up and set light to the car, which belonged to one of the men involved in the fight,” explained one of the neighbours, who had alerted both the police and the fire service.

Readers might remember that a lorry mysterious burst into flames in the early hours of the morning, a month or so back, on the Avenida del Principe de Asturia, which runs parallel to the Río Verde where it passes through the P-4.

Probably as a result of there being little hope of the projected PGOU every being accepted, the Mayor has resubmitted this urban-development plan with some of the more controversial parts dropped.

This modified document has been adapted to the acceptable, as stipulated in the POTA (Plan de Ordenación del Territorio de Andalucía) i.e., the overall regional urban-development plan, yet even in its modified and more modest state, it still over-reaches itself in its projected population increase.

What’s fallen from the wayside is the projected golf course in the middle of the Vega de Río Verde, which was one of the principal stumbling blocks as far as the Junta de Andalucía is concerning - they actually stated that they would never approve Almuñécar’s PGOU if it contained such a project.

Another ‘adjustment’ was to bring down the urban growth percentage to the permitted amount of 40% - the PGOU now envisages ‘only’ an extra 9,000,000 sq/m of brick and cement over the next eight years, which is the PGOU’s lifespan, although in practice, with a little help from the modificaciones puntuales, the final figure can easily exceed this. The Mayor and team are keen to point out that this means that two thirds of the municipality will still remain undeveloped.

The projected marinas are also out of the PGOU and will be processed apart, by the way. However, as mentioned above, the Mayor is unwilling to reduce the projected population figure: the revised PGOU still contemplates a 55% growth of population, which is way above the permitted 30% in the POTA. The Mayor holds, however, that the natural growth of the present population of 28,000 will increase by 43% to 45,632 even if no urban growth is made.

Everybody agrees that a PGOU is needed - and needed now.

Almuñécar’s tobacconists are not a happy bunch, after the same premises in Baja del Mar was turned over (robbed) twice in just 15 days. In fact, the whole of the Costa Granadina has suffered a series of break-ins, with thieves making themselves a tidy 64,000 in stolen cigarettes.

The problems appears to be - apart from the thieves themselves - that tobacconists have to buy large quantities of merchandise every ten days and stock them, providing a tempting target for our light-fingered friends.

The other problem is, of course, that many pubs, discotheques and bars, for example, are quite willing to purchase ‘cheap cigarettes’ when the booty is sold - solidarity is conspicuous by its absence.

Take the case of Javier Sánchez Blanco, who runs a tobacconist shop in Motril, who was robbed of 4,500 packets of cigarettes, worth 12,450 euros - he is just one of the five establishments on the Costa Tropical that were targeted in two weeks.

But the tobacconists have their hands tied by the Comisionado para el Mercado de Tabaco, which regulates the price of cigarettes, etc. This body will not allow establishments to buy daily; once every 10 days being the minimum. Ironically, little control is made to stop bars and pubs selling cigarettes under the counter.

The Mayor and Magistrates. Benny - who is known to enjoy un poco de caña política - has now been accused of misappropriation of public fund, which means that he now is now facing a total of six legal charges, four of which have earned him a date before the judge. Peanuts for a man like Benny!

In this latest case, the Provincial Public Prosecutor has formally accused the Mayor of misappropriation of public funds for using the Town Hall coffers to finance a private law suit against the then leader of the PP, Juan Luis González Montoro. At the court hearing, the judge not only threw out the charges against Sr. Montoro, but also ordered that Juan Carlos Benavides should be investigated for misusing public funds to cover his legal costs – talk about plans back firing!

However, Benny’s biggest legal headache is the one that concerns the illegal construction of sports centre in La Herradura on green-belt land, which could earn him two years in prison and ten years barred from holding public office, if found guilty. But he is not facing that charge only because six councillors who also put the names to the project will be joining him before the judge. Oh, if found guilty they could be ordered to finance the demolition from their own pockets, as well.

Another charge is the one concerning the town television service – he stands accused of coercion against the company directors and abusing public powers. For this he could get 30 months in jail and ordered to pay a fine of 36,500 euros.

After months of discussion and deliberation, it looks as though the Junta de Andalucía (Regional Government) is lifting the block on that part of the PGOU (plan) dedicated to golf course development along the Granadian coast. Of most interest to those in our area (bearing in mind that a total of nine courses were suggested along the Granadian coast), are the four courses which have been proposed by the Almuñécar Town Hall, namely in Cantarrijan, Rio Verde, Cotobro and La Herradura. This is not to say that all (or any) of these will definitely be approved, but at least that discussion is back up and running, considering important factors, such as the surrounding infrastructure, building density alternative nearby courses and, dare I mention it, access to water (it takes a massive 5000 cubic metres of water – about the same usage as a town of 7000 people - per year to keep an average golf course reasonably happy)!

Another building denounced in Las Maravillas, as a door in one block opens into the terrace of another block. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse in this part of the village, for one resident they suddenly did!

Isabel Sánchez thought it was a bit unusual when she first noticed building activity beside the entrance to her property. She asked what was going on, only to be told by the foreman that, in line with the building plans, they were installing an emergency exit to the garage next door. This garage serves some 20 apartments and it turns out, when Isabel investigated the plans lodged at the Town Hall, they did indeed show a door at this point. “It just doesn’t make any sense to invade my house,” complained the resident, “especially since the deed and previous photos of the house clearly show its boundaries.”

This adds yet another sorry tale to the years’ worth of protests from neighbours and residents about the uncontrolled manner in which the area zoned as Las Maravillas is developing.

Ten thousand square metres of land to be expropriated in order to carry out the plans for La Herradura’s maritime ‘paseo.’ The opposition parties (PP, PA and PSOE) have blocked the vote to move to expropriate land both along the front line and behind to accommodate the promenade beside the beach, as well as the road proposed to run behind the front line, in parallel to this promenade.

The ‘land grab’ is set to affect some 30 properties, from Edificio Jiménez (just next to Las Gaviotas, the village primary school) through to Peña Parda.

Despite the ‘inconvenience’ of sorting out the land, Juan Carlos Benavides has promoted the project all along as a means to moving La Herradura out of the 1980’s. He’s also emphasised, together with others, that it would be very unwise to reject the project a third time, as we would be bound to lose out on the essential funding from the Department of the Environment.

Although the opposition has continued to oppose (in archetypical fashion) the philosophy of Benavides, the reality is that the proposed working party, as a combination of all the affected parties in La Herradura (residents, businesses, etc), never did take off. The hundreds of representations against the plan, made by villagers, way back in December 2006, were also rejected by the Junta.

It also seems as though there has been no subsequent organised investigation into how the village will manage on a day-by-day basis with parking, buses access to common garages, or even deliveries to restaurants and businesses. The original plan was to have certain sections of the Paseo designated pedestrian, with access points for emergency vehicles only. But how will people get around and just how functional will the parallel road be behind the front line?

Needless to say, the opposition parties aren’t convinced and the owners, whose properties will be affected, have left it to the lawyers to ‘battle it out’. It goes without saying that even though the latest news is that the government has given its consent to the Town Hall to go ahead with the project on the basis of ‘improving’ the appearance of the last of the urban beachfronts in the Almuñécar municipality, it looks like it will take some time to sort out the compensation issues.

In the words of the second in charge in Granada, Antonio Cruz, the aim is to “achieve a consensus that works for all of the parties involved.” So we should all live happily ever after…

Works are progressing on the Coastal Tunnel-Control Centre that will keep checks on the tunnels closest to the La Herradura exit off the motorway. The Ministry of Development is investing some 11,56 million euros to lay down optic fibre cables within the old and new tunnels along both the N-340 and the motorway. The idea is to install radar cameras, for instance in the Marchante Tunnel to detect any security problems. Also, with an eye on aesthetics, there will also be spending on a pedestrian fly-over for this tunnel, as well as investigation on any deterioration to the surrounding rock face. Finally, funds have been set aside for greenery, plus noise-reduction screens.

Have you recently spotted a fresh, young, German family comprising Jan (Melanie’s brother and Nico’s -Vuestra Casa- brother in law), with daughter Sophie and partner Anna? The good news is that they have taken over Rosa Nautica at the west end of La Herradura’s bay.

Set to open during April, they will maintain a traditional German style, keeping the old favourites and familiar quality. Keep your ears, eyes (and mouths!) open, ready for some hearty fare and a warm welcome.

We’re all aware that you can get a great hair cut, style and colour at Gaynor’s hairdressing salon (located just as you’re coming out of La Herradura). What’s more, Gaynor is now showcasing sublime Rikiki silver jewellery. The whole experience is set to make you feel a million dollars (without the same price tag!). Make an excuse to drop in and spoil yourself with a professional hair treatment and then top it off with some really elegant jewellery.

Las Brujas already four-years old and the magical pair, Auxi and Ana celebrated in style during February. Joined by a collection of spellbound patrons, who sat cackling around over fine concoctions of food and drink, this was indeed an enchanted evening. Thanks to a mystic potion from some secret, pagan-filled wood in Galicia, which could have turned just about any toad into a handsome prince (I think I accidentally went home with one!), next morning it really was a challenge remembering what had happened the night before. No points for guessing that at Las Brujas the future looks bright … the future looks – yeah, you guessed it, orange!

It’s been 20 years since there was an all year round cinema in La Herradura. All that’s about to change soon, now they’re planning to use the auditorium within the Civic Centre on a regular basis. With a seating capacity of 300, the cinema is planned to function the same way as the Casa de la Cultura in Almuñécar, when during the winter there’ll be a film shown at weekends and every Wednesday.

New restaurant La Caleta opens its doors with Nino at the helm. Part of the illustrious family from La Barraca in Cantarriján, Nino has taken on this new venture, closer to La Herradura village centre.

Located just beneath the hostal on the eastern side of the bay, this café, ice-cream parlour and restaurant offers a range of snacks and typical Spanish dishes. Sit inside or outside on the terrace, with an uninterrupted view of the sea (even during San José).

Mentioning the ‘f’ word, just whose bright idea was it, anyway, to leap on a local religious tradition and turn it into a noisy, expensive, messy experience! It’s true that the children’s faces of pure delight barely outweigh the horror on their parents’ faces at watching their hard-earned cash get sucked away, not to mention the problems negotiating your way through the village, the traffic, congestion and general upheaval.

Enough of the ‘bah humbug’! I can’t help but feel that the buzz that brings some well-needed life into the village isn’t such a bad thing after a disappointing Semana Santa.

Poor weather affects trade during Easter. With Semana Santa normally one of the peak times of the year for businesses in the area, blustery winds and rain as the big week approached, just didn’t offer much appeal to the normal barrage of visitors that descend on us during this period.

In fact, the ‘repair work’ required on the beaches after the storms, is still taking place. Probably not a bad thing, when we consider how heavily pummelled the coastline in our part of the world was back in September last year.

Interestingly, in preparation for Easter, the Town Hall reported that they were doubling the number of people and resources dedicated to grooming and maintaining our beaches. This involved clearing out drains, levelling sand, fighting against the clock because of the early arrival of Semana Santa this year.

You might have also spotted the huge mounds of earth (I still can’t call it ‘sand’) that have appeared in strategic points along Cotobro and other areas. This has been delivered to build up the beach in weaker areas.

According to Daniel Barbero, local Councillor for the Environment, there is now a big push to ensure that everything is in top shape for the summer (not sure how he’s going to sort out my flab!). The Town Hall is investing some half a million euros in all the utilities: showers, changing cabins, walkways, oases, amphibious seats and rafts.” And just to ensure things stay spic and span, as from 1st June, they’ll be cleaning the beaches daily. Roll on summer!

Things are looking up with the latest Library update, as Ann Maxfield reports that people are continuing to donate books and use existing funds to purchase new novels.

Membership fees have remained frozen since February 2007 and they continue to attract new members. Thanks go out to those readers who have offered alternative facilities, but the team continue to focus their efforts on remaining within the general library on the third floor of the Civic Centre.

Juan Manuel de Haro, the librarian, remains very optimistic and supports any efforts to develop the English book side of the library. In fact, the vast majority of the books have already been stored in secure shelves. Now there’s just the sorting! To find out the latest, you can contact Ann on 958 64 00 69, or come along to the next meeting in The Hideaway during April.

On the subject of education, there’s been a call by the Provincial Delegate for Education, Antonio Lara Ramos, to build a new high school. In his opinion, the problems being experienced by the existing school would be overcome by building a new one between ten and twelve thousand square metres in size. Initially, he thought about petitioning for a smaller area, so as to extend the current school (Villanueva del Mar) to at least incorporate a schoolyard or recreation area. When he thought about the actual location of the school however, Lara Ramos felt it would be a better solution to aim to build an entirely new centre. The reality is that there are no available building plots of that size anywhere nearby. But Lara Ramos claims he will continue trying for a completely new school.

Jenette of The Hideaway tells me you should pop two dates into your diaries. Firstly, on 23rd April, the Library Meeting will take place 11am – 1pm. The very next day (24th April), from 8pm onwards, those mean quiz experts of La Herradura and beyond will feel right at home. So, a highly intellectual month of April in The Hideaway, which is just a couple of doors down from Annie Sloan, behind the municipal market.

Mobile phones can now be used to receive property information via a unique new system. Brainchild of web expert and mother extraordinaire Emma Haller, Se Vende Casa is a system which allows buyers to receive property information while standing outside a property regardless of the time of day or the day of the week.

As Emma points out, “We are all so familiar with mobile phones; this is just taking it one step further, a natural progression that buyers will feel confident using and familiar with.”

They are currently offering a complete package of advertising their properties on the website, SMS service and the mobile Internet to all agents registered in throughout Spain.

Anyone who wants to learn more about this system, can check out their website www.sevendecasa.eu or alternatively, contact Emma on 618 627 034.

When Lord of the Rings meets La Herradura, magic ensues. Were you aware that there are some pretty special filming projects going on in the village? New Zealander, Will Watson, tracked down Michelle and David in our very own Rio Jate, to create the film, War with no guns. More than just a documentary, this is a fascinating story based in Papua New Guinea and traces how ten years’ worth of civil unrest was resolved using non-violent methods. Michelle and David have been extremely busy over recent months, filming, producing and editing the film. They’re always looking for people interested in contributing towards the enormous effort, to help make this vision into a real project. To find out more about what’s happening and how you might be able to help, please check out their official web site on www.warwithnoguns,com.

So how did La Herradura’s fiesta get picked up by Almuñécar? It seems all manner of strange things have happened this year, not least of which was how even though San José was postponed for nine days, due to its freaky coincidence with Semana Santa, somehow businesses and shops in Almuñécar picked up the extra holiday as well. Mind you, despite banks, post office and supermarkets being closed, the good news is that the municipal market did a roaring trade! That’ll help line the coffers (raise some money) by traders who experienced a relatively disappointing Easter.

El Ancla works its way through a crate-load of champagne with all sorts of wonderful news to celebrate! I know it’s been a while since the last edition of the magazine, but wow! Seems that St Valentine’s took its toll and not only have Jean and Cliff tied the knot, but Jonathan took the opportunity whilst away watching a top 4-team match in Old Trafford with Katie, to organise a ‘special announcement’ over the tannoy. Seconds later, he was down on bent knee, asking for her hand. This old romantic was not to be disappointed and now they’re back here, engaged and … expecting their first baby! And that’s about all the excitement I can cope with in April, even though it’s also a big month for birthdays at El Ancla, with both Jonathan and Cliff blowing out some serious candles.

Driving up into the old town of Salobreña isn’t as much fun as it used to be, especially when you go up one of the streets to find it blocked off. There you are, half way up the hill into the old town, weaving your way round the tight corners, when suddenly in front of you the road has diggers and men laying new pipes. Where was the diversion sign? OK, that in itself is a pretty silly question in this part of the world. Now you are stuck in a one-way system with no way out other than to back right the way down.

Many of the works now taking place in the old town are for new piping and in eliminating the overhead cabling attached to what seems every building and street corner.

The Council admits that while this work is being done it is going to create quite a few ‘annoyances’ for the residents, although they are endeavouring to keep this to a minimum. They ask for the understanding and collaboration of the residents and Olga Garcia, Urban Department, has said that throughout the schedule of works they will try to give out precise information which will hopefully help let us know about the changes in direction of the streets and a minibus will be put into operation to help the residents.

Unfortunately, as with most information that comes out from the Council, it is often far too late to be of any practical use and we would advise those new to Salobreña or visiting the town to stick to foot patrols around the upper town! (Unless you fancy yourself as the next Fernando Alonso reversing down the narrow streets of Salobreña).

Some good news for a change. Regular readers will remember our recent coverage of the motor cross track in La Guardia that has been a great disturbance to many people living on the lower parts of the Monte de los Almendros, La Guardia, La Caleta and to residents on the western slopes of Salobreña.

Having the noise of up to twenty motor cross bikes roaring around a track on many days of the week and especially weekends, wasn’t going down well with the community and we at the Seaside Gazette were made aware of the problem through a concerned resident on the Monte. We were pleased to be able to highlight the problem being faced by many people in the area and we added our pressure on the Council for answers, following on from a letter sent to the Mayor with a signed petition from the President of the Community of Neighbours on the Monte. The Seaside Gazette has now heard that the President has been contacted by the Mayor of Salobreña and the diggers have been sent in and the illegal Motor Cross course has now been flattened. Now that’s what we call a good result!

Youth found dead with mobile telephone in his mouth. An investigation is now underway following the discovery of 18-year-old, Alberto M.P., whose body was found at dawn on a Saturday morning on the promenade of Salobreña. An autopsy indicated that his skull had been totally smashed when he fell off a scooter.

The likely scenario is that he was leaving a disco in the early hours of the morning and came a cropper (had an accident) while he was talking on his mobile telephone. Unfortunately, he was not found immediately as he fell between parked cars that shielded his body from the main view of the road.

His scooter was then stolen by someone else who possibly didn’t see the accident and didn’t see the body of the youth lying between the cars. An anonymous phone call was made to the police in the early hours of the morning to alert them to an accident of a scooter on the promenade road.

The Guardia are now trying to locate the caller and do not discount the possibility that the caller saw the accident or was a witness to the robbery of the scooter after the accident.

Is Molvízar becoming one big garbage dump? Ecologists in Action have circulated photos of the garbage being dumped near the town and which the Environment Department has already placed fines of 30,000 euros.

The Ecologists draw attention to the health risks associated with this dumping ground being near to a water source for the townsfolk and for this reason have presented this information to the Provincial Delegate of the Environment Department and the Provincial Director of the Andaluz Agency for Water in Granada.

As the Ecologists point out, when the perpetrators that are spilling tons of rubbish into this dumping ground see themselves put in jail, perhaps this kind of continuous environmental attack may cease.

Pine trees and the processional caterpillar are both back in the news. Firstly, Salobreña Council has announced plans to plant up to one hundred and fifty pine and olive trees in a park in the north zone of the town.

According to Gustavo Aybar of the Environment Department, this will create a green lung in the area that currently lacks vegetation and will give a greater aesthetic quality to the area.

Secondly, we have been contacted by a concerned reader who has recently been out walking around the Lobres area and who wrote to let us know that many of the pine trees in that area are now under attack from the processional caterpillar that annually, during the Spring period, has been killing many of the pine trees Furthermore, if you come into contact with them, they can give a very nasty rash.

We advise caution if walking in areas with pine trees and especially for those walking with children and dogs. If you find any of them near your home or in your garden, you can call Seprona on 062 and they will get rid of them for you.

The Junta de Andalucía has now given the green light for the construction of a new bus station next to the new football ground in Salobreña. The Council has already prepared a first-draft proposal for the station to be built on an area of 5,470 metres of land next to the N-340 road. Included in the plan are ten, bus ‘docks’ and three or four ticket offices, plus toilets, an information centre, taxi pick up/drop off point, cafeteria and administrative offices.

Salobreña tourism statistics have just been released for the 2007 year. These figures are based on the number of people visiting the tourist information centres, either at the entrance to the town or on the beachfront during the summer months.

In total, 26,450 people visited the offices during 2007 and a further 1,049 people consulted the offices through fax, email or telephone. The figures show an increase of 5.8% over the same period in 2006, with 13,770 coming from different points in Spain, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany and then by 40 other nationalities.

A whopping 45% of the tourists arrive over the July, August and September months, although there has been an increase in visitors outside these periods, as travel agencies and tour operators (mainly Spanish) are now beginning to include Salobreña as a stopping off point.

It will be interesting to see if the 2008 figures overtake 2007 with the removal of Monarch flights in to Granada and the general downturn in the economy.

A 63-year-old ex-policeman has been charged with the attempted killing of his 23-year old son. Events took an ugly turn when the son arrived home in the early hours of the morning and his father met him on the street with a small kitchen knife in hand.

The son was rushed to Motril hospital for emergency surgery to four knife wounds, where he is now recovering.The father calmly handed himself in at the police station in Motril.

The incident took place in the Avenue Peronne de Salobreña, where neighbours report there were often confrontations between the pair and that their fight on the morning of the stabbing was about the late arrival home of the son.

It is also alleged that the son had a drug habit and had a 5-year-old son that lived with the grandparents. The father can now expect to spend the next two to five years behind bars for perhaps being pushed to the brink of insanity by a seemingly irresponsible son.

Campervans (motor-homes) are again invading Salobreña over the winter period. On a recent trip along the seafront there were none parked on the front road but quite a few tucked into the side streets. Where had most of them gone? Were the police winning the annual battle to keep the campervans off the main beach road?

Travelling up into the old town and looking out towards La Guardia, the answer was plain to see. Over 30 campervans were parked together on a parcel of land, although we are told that there are often more at this parking point.

A recent conversation with a campervan owner highlighted many of the problems that they face when they are travelling through Spain.

In many other European countries, France being mentioned as one of the most forward thinking in their approach to the campervan tourist, there are Aires, which are sites especially for the use of campervans and shouldn’t be mistaken with camping sites. At these Aires, usually situated in walking distance to towns or other central locations, the campervan travellers have the use of water supplies, electricity and a CDP (chemical disposal point).

The costs are minimal and are usually much less than a camping site. France is reported to have over 3,000 Airies throughout the country but as soon as you drive into Spain the situation changes dramatically.

In other European countries the campervan tourist is seen as someone who brings additional economy into the towns and villages and are welcomed, yet in Spain, its either park in the designated camping sites or face the prospect of being moved on.

A campervan is an expensive piece of kit to purchase and the owners have probably thought long and hard over the pros and cons of owning one and most of them are usually responsible and law-abiding people that want to enjoy the freedom of waking up each morning somewhere different and to choose their direction and pace of travel.

Many owners do enjoy what is known as ‘wild camping;’ to pull over and stop where and when they want to but they are usually respectful of their surroundings and will ask for permission from a landowner before parking. However, there are always those few who spoil it for the others.

Back to the campervan site that has grown larger by the week in Salobreña. Where are the campervans disposing of their black water (waste from toilet holding tanks) or their grey water (waste from sinks and showers)? The landowner has obviously given his permission to the campervans to park on his land and with any luck is getting some financial recompense, the police and local residents are no doubt happy not to have the presence of campervans on the beachfront road and the shops in Salobreña are no doubt gaining from them economically.

Perhaps it is time for Salobreña to arrange for a designated campervan site with water, electricity and a CDP and show the campervan owners they are wanted and welcomed, especially over the quieter winter months.

Five firemen from Motril made a spectacle of themselves when rushing to a fire in their shiny bright fire engine. The vehicle came steaming up the port road into town with lights ablaze and the siren going at full volume. The driver took the roundabout in the centre of town just a little too quickly and travelled 25 metres on two wheels before the 4,000 litres of water in the fire engine did the rest of the work and tipped the fire engine onto its side … landing on top of another vehicle with two passengers in it.

Allegedly, the fire engine was the oldest in service and the accident could have been due to the failure in the suspension of the vehicle … hmmm. The colleagues of the driver made it clear that, given the driver’s skill, he could not avoid the accident … hmmm. A finger was also pointed at the driver of the squashed vehicle who was nervous at hearing the sirens and was possibly dithering (hesitating) in the road ... hmmm. I am sure we’d all be dithering around in the road if we saw a fire engine on two wheels bearing down on us.

No one was injured in the accident and no further mention was made of the rubbish container that had been set alight by vandals, which the firemen were rushing to extinguish. Perhaps the removal of the traffic lights from one of the busiest junctions in Motril had just a little to do with this accident? A speed bump before reaching the roundabout certainly wouldn’t go amiss either.

A Santa Ana Hospital Casualty Department doctor was recently beaten up in what was described as a savage attack. The young aggressor, named as A.L.F., a twenty year old, appeared in court less than one week after having been denounced by the doctor. A.L.F. got an eight-month jail sentence suspended for a five year period … one wrong move and he does his time (goes to jail).

He has also to compensate the doctor to the tune of 524.70 euros. The news was welcomed in the Casualty Department of the hospital where Salvador Gallant, Vice President of the Hospital Union, said that they urge other associations and city councils to stop this aggressive behaviour against civil employees, as this is now becoming a social problem.

Motril Council has also been quick to support the hospital by saying that they have their total and absolute support (we are sure the hospital would rather prefer an injection of cash into their budget under the heading of ‘hospital security’ rather than mere words of support).

The Granada Beach Neighbour’s Association has managed to get the attention of the local media and Town Hall in their bid to have the proliferation of campervans removed from their beaches. The Coastal laws prohibit ‘the parking and the non-authorised circulation of vehicles as well as camping’ and if you take a walk or drive along the Motril beachfront during the winter months, you will find many a campervan enjoying a free sea view.

Valeriano Ferreira González-Carrascosa, President of the Association says that many of these campervans remain in the same position for over one week. He adds that these scenes are repeated up and down the coast and in addition to the contamination that the vehicles cause near the beaches, they bother the local residents and give the area a bad image. A spokesman from the Environment Department at the Town Hall reminds us that there are two legal camping sites on the beach in Motril and that the Local Police prosecute and fine those campervans that ignore the warning signs in place at various points along the beachfront.

Commercial Park Kinépolis in Granada has visited Motril and it now looks quite possible that the town will soon be getting a new commercial centre and cinema complex. It is hoped that construction will commence in late 2008 and will open its doors at the end of 2009.

The commercial centre will cover an area of 7,500 square metres and the site under discussion is next to the Día supermarket on the new avenida between the Alcampo roundabout and the roundabout on the port road. The cinema complex will cover an area of 1,500 square metres with five screens and seating for approximately one thousand. Over two hundred new jobs will be created and it is felt that this new centre will revolutionise the supply of leisure facilities to the coastal area and will give a great boost for tourism in the area.

Boring Saturday afternoons for the teenagers will become a thing of the past and we can all look forward to being able to shop, eat and go to the movies without having to take our cars. This is OK if you live in the town of course. The total investment is in the region of ten million euros and with such a hefty amount being spent on this centre it does beg the question of whether or not a cinema complex can survive bearing in mind that the Motril cinema on the Avenida de Salobreña closed its doors back in late 2006 due to lack of business. A Motril businessman re-opened the cinema (just one screen) in December 2007 but it now appears that after the initial success over the Christmas period this one screen theatre now sometimes doesn’t have any customers. Only 2,700 cinema-goers have passed through its door since it re-opened (out of a possible one hundred thousand people in the coastal area).

Unless attendance figures improve the cinema will be closed again within the next six months. How about a 10-pin bowling alley instead of a cinema?

There you are, walking down a street, minding your own business, when you hear, from a long way away, the sound of a car stereo booming out some incomprehensible sounding music that is rapidly approaching you and getting louder. For some reason the car always seems to be a red or black Altea, driven by a spotty male youth with the windows open, who doesn’t look old enough to drive and you always secretly wonder how the hell they got all the money to buy the car if they are only just out of shorts!

Motril Council has now taken exception to these menaces that fly by you at speed with their boom-box music at full and deafening volume. So far in 2008 over twenty cars have been stopped and fined heavily for the annoyance they cause the general public. The local police now have four plain-clothed agents on the streets ready to pounce on these offenders and to also fine anyone who decides that a little graffiti is good sport, those who put posters up in unauthorized places, destroy trees, let dogs soil the pavements, parks and gardens, etc.

A 68-year-old resident of Castell de Ferro, Adolph Galán, has begun a hunger strike in protest at the opinion of a Motril judge who prevented him from marrying a young Moroccan who is 23-years old. The judge believes that it would have been a marriage of convenience and has denied a marriage license. Adolph considers this as ‘unjust’ and took himself off to the Moroccan border to inform all those that would listen about his situation. He is only drinking liquids and says that he will stay on hunger strike. Do the words ‘silly’, ‘old’ and ‘fool’ spring to mind?

The Mayoress of Vélez de Benaudalla, Pilar Peramos, has recently unveiled new plans for the town and its surroundings, now that the motorway gets closer to fruition. Working alongside two architects and a group of experts, she assures us that she wants to see not only the town centre being improved, but importantly, also the areas between the dam and the village and the Lagos area.

Their plans cover an area of the 78 kilometers surrounding Vélez de Benaudalla, which would be developed as a natural historic zone. Pilar Peramos also mentions a total area of five million square metres to be developed in two stages over a period of fifteen to twenty years, although no specifics were given as to what type of development other than a commercial centre and a themed park. Plans will now go forward for approval later in 2008 and hopefully for inclusion in the PGOU.

The arrival of the motorway will make a car journey from the town to the coastal beaches possible in under ten minutes (only five minutes and on two wheels, if you are a fire engine driver) and the Mayoress says that it is now time the town wakes up to the changes taking place as it is well placed to be a paradise with a strong economy.

The Baleria shipping line has recently sent one of its ferries into Motril port to see whether the ferry captain felt comfortable moving the boat around the port and with the port’s facilities! A big thumbs-up was given by the captain and Motril now waits with baited breath for the final yes or no from the shipping company. If it is a yes, a new ferry service between Motril and Melilla will begin, possibly as early as May 2008.

Motril’s Mayor, Carlos Rojas, is now also the Chairman of the Mancomunidad (an association) of Municipalities of the Tropical Coast. Wearing his new hat as Chairman, he has requested at a recent meeting of Andalucía that it includes in the sub-regional planning arrangement of the coast a further ten golf courses, distributed around the different coastal towns.

The Province of Granada has just four golf courses out of the one hundred and sixteen in Andalucía and the Costa Tropical has just one in the Playa Granada area between Salobreña and Motril. Many of the municipalities are reviewing their PGOU’s and Carlos Rojas feels that this is the right moment to request further golf courses to get a dialogue going.

This news certainly got a dialogue going from the PSOE party, who are pretty incensed that this proposal has been put forward as no study of any type has been undertaken. As they point out “the facilities that are finally authorised must fulfil all the requirements and environmental parameters, and must be respectful with the city planning arrangement and also to the tourist and economic development of the zone”.

Let’s wait until the Ecologists in Action get hold of this news and then the dialogue will really start to fly.

The proposed crematorio to the east of Motril has at last gone up in flames and Motril Council have now agreed to look for a new location. Two residents living opposite the proposed site, who went on hunger strike in protest at having a crematorium on their doorstep, are no doubt pleased to be back on solid food again.

We will probably never know how the crematorio got the green light from the previous socialist-run council to be built so close to a residential area and to the town itself, but we should be grateful to the residents in the area for their persistence in having it stopped.

The Mayor of Motril talks rubbish… and I don’t mean verbal rubbish! A new, underground, rubbish-collection system has been unveiled in the Santisimo district of the town and the Mayor was on hand to show off the new town rubbish collection service that will soon be extended to other areas of the town. You may well have come across these ‘buried’ rubbish containers in other towns along the coast and which leave the streets looking far cleaner and hygienic … especially over the summer months when the smells wafting up from some of the unsightly street containers could drop a horse at forty paces. Carlos Rojas tells us that these new developments are all part of the twelve million euros the Council will be spending during 2008 on general street improvements.