Almuñécar’s Mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides, has attracted the attention of a specialist National Police unit – the same kind that went into Marbella; and we all know how that ended up.

If Benny didn’t have enough to dodge, with the La Herradura sports-complex affair, not to mention the investigation for fraudulent bankruptcy, then he certainly does with this latest turn of events. Yet he has always been able to swat away the swarm of court cases, each time emerging triumphantly – nothing stuck.

The Ideal newspaper made a full-spread article on this latest development, citing ‘consulted police sources’ that spoke of ‘indications that point towards the existence of a network of corruption in the Town Hall of Almuñécar.’

This article was triggered by the lifting of a judicial black out, but it offered little other than ‘mights’ and ‘maybe’s’ yet you don’t get this kind of police investigative firepower unless there is a very strong scent to follow…

If the Front Page looked sufficiently down hill for Almuñécar’s mayor, based as it was on the article published on the 20th December in Ideal, then the information contained in the article published the next day turned the ‘down hill’ sensation into an almost vertical-descent one.

Let me just point out that there haven’t been many Christmas-card exchanges between Juan Carlos Benavides and the regional newspaper, Ideal, in a long time, yet, although the newspaper in question can be seen to be almost ‘jubilant’ in its reporting on Benny’s arguable nemesis, it isn’t making anything up either.

We continue: it now appears that the special fraud squad of the National Police has uncovered what appear to be dubiously acquired properties in Morocco, reportedly belonging to a small circle of corrupt politicians and officials within the Town Hall. Juan Carlos is amongst the suspects, as is – according to the Ideal article – the Town Hall Architect, José Luis Rodríguez-Passolas, whom some consider to be running a small private empire, bestowing or denying planning permission according to his own financial embellishment – this of course has yet to be proved before a court of law and therefore remains within the realms of hypothetical speculation.

According to the police source quoted by the Ideal, the investigation has turned up ‘solid indications’ of money laundering through real estate acquired in North Africa and registered in the names of the accused or the names of third parties.

But you would be wrong to believe that the opposition parties are breaking out the party hats and farting cushions because they also have a date with a judge over the Hotel Mayoral project. All together, nine councillors have been summoned to appear before the judge of Court Number Two (Almuñécar), as accused; not witnesses.

Scheduled to appear were Fernando Callejón, Trinidad Herrera and Pedro Torres (all PP councillors) on the 30th of this month; Juan Jesús Mora (ex-PILH) Francisco José Sánchez (PP) and Rocio Palacios (PSOE) on the 31st; also Antonio Rebollo, Antonio Martín and Sergio García (ex-PSOE) on the 1st Feb.

As a special novelty, Juan Carlos Benavides will be appearing as a witness, instead of ‘the habitually accused.’ You see, as the Hotel Mayoral voting took place in 2003, Benny wasn’t in power, but a PSOE/PP power-sharing coalition. These councillors stand accused of voting in favour of an alteration to the standing PGOU for the building of the said hotel, even though municipal surveyors submitted a report saying that the building quota of the plot was already exhausted.

So, Ladies in Gentlemen, Almuñécar is in the unenviable position of having all the main leaders of its local political parties; Juan Carlos Benavides, (Mayor) Juan Luis González Montoro (PP leader) and Rocío Palacios de Haro (leader PSOE and MP for the Regional Government) appearing before a court of law for allegedly shifty dealings. Although nobody is guilty until the judge says, “Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass Go,” could it not be about time that we break out a deck of new cards because the old ones are looking bent?

A man, whose initials are F.J.P.R, was arrested for wrecking a bar. This 30-year-old also gave the Guardia Civil a hard time at the moment of arrest, as he jumped on the two Guardia Civil policemen as soon as they walked into the bar… Alright, own up - who was it?

Farmers have very bleak memories of the frosts of 2006 that wiped out 85% of the níspola crop in the upper part of Río Verde Valley, (Lentegí, Otívar and Jete) which is why politicians are trying to get the Junta to renegotiate the insurance coverage for fruit farmers. They are joined in this endeavour by the farmers of Ítrabo and Los Guájares.

In 2006, only two farmers of the whole damned lot managed to actually insure their crop, at great expense, and were mightily relieved that they had, because an almost Biblical hailstone storm struck the area only two days before the harvesting season began.

The problem is that while farmers on the east coast have insurances that cover frost, the Costa Tropical does not; hence the call for this to be included. You see, farmers get subventions from the Junta to help pay their insurance, but somebody in Sevilla obviously considers that the Costa Tropical doesn’t get frosts, but you only have to go 19 kilometres inland to gain 1,000 metres in height, and at that level in the winter, you often get snow falls.

Around a hundred locals from the Carrera de la Concepción district mounted a street demonstration in front of the local law courts (opposite Radiovision more or less), calling for a pardon for a man convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. The judge that presided over his case is none other than Adelina Entrena; the female judge in Motril that has been expelled from the judicial college and barred from practicing, after leaving a man that should have been set free, over 400 days in prison.

These protesters consider that the imprisonment of J.L.L - who was sent to prison on Thursday the 13th of last month to begin a three-year sentence – as ‘anti-constitutional.’ They have even gone so far as to accuse the female judge of perjury. “They are calling for a pardon for him, despite the fact that the sentence was later ratified by the provincial court.

The spokeswoman for the group, Inés Cidras, said, “We’ve all known Javier all our lives and we are convinced that he is innocent. We believe that this family man was judged unfairly and we’re going to push for a pardon.” She added, “It’s not right that anybody who doesn’t like you, or as revenge, can go and report you and you end up in jail unjustly, without any evidence against you.”

The Motril court has found Javier, who is an owner of a local supermarket (we reported on this) guilty of continued sexual abuse against a 14-year-old employee, who sat at the checkout. Since his going to prison, his wife and two older children have been running the small self-service shop in La Carrera by themselves.

Heloise has done an article in the Motril section about the new mortuary there, and chance would have it that Almuñécar is about to build one as well, which is a good job, as there was only one on this whole stretch of coast before (Salobreña).

This new facility will be built next to the municipal cemetery, which is in between San Sebastian and Torrecuevas, on the left, and will have a much-in-demand crematorium. Thanks to the isolated location there has been no opposition to its being sited there, however, the whole project has taken two years just to get off the drawing-board stage because nobody wanted the building contract when it was put up for tender. Up until now, Almuñequeros had two possibilities for a wake: do it at home, or use the private facilities in Salobreña.

As for the installations themselves, the two-storey building will be erected on a 1,165-sq/mt plot, belonging to the Town Hall. The mortuary will have velatorios (rooms for private wakes), a chapel, a crematorium, an administrative office and a cafeteria. The new facility will also have underground parking facilities for hearses.

As for the crematorium, until now Almuñequeros have had to use the ones in Málaga or Granada.

(Photo: Infocostatropical)
Around the beginning of the month, I went round to cover the presentation of a cheque from the Almuñécar Royal Navy Association to the newly formed handicapped association, Adalh, which aims to help just about anybody in Almuñécar with any kind of incapacity or impairment; be it mobility, audio, vision or degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

The Royal Navy Association had raised a generous donation of 375 euros for Adalh, thanks to the raffle during the Trafalgar Night Dinner in Hotel Salobreña. The day chosen was the Día Internacional de las Personas con Discapacidad, which was being celebrated in the Social Centre behind the gasoline station. Chairman of the RN association, Nigel Jest, came along with the cheque and duly handed it over to the very grateful Chairwoman of Adalh, Margarita Martín Santaella.

Just some of the prime objectives of Adalh are to eliminate what the Spanish call architectural barriers (public buildings with entrances that are insurmountable for somebody in a wheelchair, for example) and to foster the creation of free spaces for leisure and sport, adapted to the needs of people with physical limitations.

I was so keen, by the way, on getting a good shot of beautiful Marga (story of my life) that Nigel was lucky to even get into the shot, which accounts for heads and feet getting cropped.

The Councillor for Citizen Safety and Local Police, María Dolores Sánchez, together with the Fire Chief of Almuñécar, presented the latest vehicle in the Fire station’s inventory: what appears to be quite a normal-looking van, dutifully painted red and bearing the word – just in case you were in any doubt – Bomberos. This van will be a support vehicle for transporting personnel.

I was mildly surprised that María was not only still talking to me, but actually smiled quite a lot. However, I later asked her whether she had read the front page of last month’s magazine, but she answered that as she doesn’t understand English, she hadn’t attempted to. *Phew!*

The Fire Department, by the way, will be getting three more firemen to supplement their ranks sometime this year.

The squabble over the state-sponsored housing for young people in the Barrio San Sebastian area of Laderas de Castelar has taken a positive step towards a happy ending. In the last Pleno (full council meeting), the Junta’s demand for Almuñécar’s controversial urban-planning modification to be revoked was accepted: the Town Council had unilaterally changed the status of the land where the housing was later built from industrial land (for business premises) to residential land.

A municipality cannot change parts of its submitted and approved PGOU (General Urban Development Plant) without these changes being similarly approved first – which is what the Almuñécar Town Council did not obtain, preferring to simply go ahead and build.

There has been a proliferation of such abuses in many areas of the region, with Almuñécar leading the way; giving local approval to building projects that are not included in the PGOU, applying ‘administrative silence’ to any objections from neighbours adversely affected, and to provincial/regional inspector reports demanding that the process be halted. This allegedly deliberate delay is applied so that the building project can either be completed or so far advanced that the authorities will be presented with a fait accompli.

Yet, the Town Council had its fingers burnt with the Laderas de Castelar affair and has been forced to back down, after three years of delay and families having to live in ‘squatter’ status in the meantime.

Yet, let us remember that the controversial Modificación Puntual 105, which changed the status of the plot from Industrial to Residential, was unanimously approved in a full-council meeting. In other words both opposition parties voted in favour, which means that although Benavides is the primary culprit, those who today are venomously denouncing the decision are also just as guilty.

The PSOE local Leader, Rocío Palacios, whose party runs the Junta de Andalucía, and who has used this affair – rightly – to bash Benny, thought that it was a good enough idea at the time, however, to vote in favour of the project … Such is politics.

(Photo: Infocostatropical)
Sometimes the sea throws back that which does not belong to it during a storm; in this case it was a car that was washed down by the flood. It’s difficult to even recognise what make of car it was, after spending three months on the seabed. Without doubt its makers didn’t have this kind of usage in mind – its owner certainly didn’t. One minute it was parked in a dry riverbed and the next it was pressed against the central pillar of the Rio Seco Bridge on San Cristóbal, battered by flotsam and raging torrents.

Lentegí has just approved its largest budget ever: 600,000 euros. Well, when you consider that there are only around 500 inhabitants, that’s a huge budget. To give you an idea of proportions here, the newly approved 2008 budget is three times bigger than the 2003 one. Nearly 80,000 euros of the 2008 budget will go on personnel and 336,000 euros will go on ‘investments,’ whatever that might be.

Trouble is you can’t help thinking that Lentegí has bitten off more than it can chew with its housing projects that are under construction at the moment. The fact is that the villages’ tiny sewer system simply empties into a nearby and convenient gully, which just happens to be – if I remember correctly – not far from the village junior school. This might have been adequate for a quaint mountain village of some 100 houses or more – many of which probably didn’t have bathroom that long ago, but it certainly is not adequate for the couple of hundred new flats that will plug straight into the old system, with no modifications to it.

While it is true that a new high-tension line has been erected to bring an extra electrical supply for the housing projects, little real infrastructure investment has been made.

(Photo: Infocostatropical)
APAT stands for Asociación de Prevención y Ayuda al Toxicómano, or in other words, the Association for the Prevention and Help of Drug addicts. It sounds like a contradiction, but it evidently means to try and prevent people falling into the drug trap and providing help and advice to those that have already succumbed. And help is exactly what they do bring to bear, which is much appreciated and applauded.

At the end of last month, for instance, the Almuñécar branch managed to raise 12m euros for the cause by auctioning off artwork donations. Thirty-two works, belonging to 28 different artists were sold in this manner. Four of the contributors were female inmates at the Albolote provincial prison.

But many well-known artists were also represented, such as Roland Fade and Antonio Domínguez de Haro, not forgetting: Luján, Zafra, Sabino Serna, Roex, José Cabrera, Victoria Marota, María Rosa Delgado Castro, Luis García Ochoa or Miguel Viel.

The Welfare Councillor, Dolores Rull, who is also a member of APAT, presented the exhibition of works for sale, together with the Chairwoman of APAT since 1989, Asunción. The actual auction was chaired by José Luis Bonillo, who has a knack for this type of things, urging bidders to raise the sum offered, which in one case reached 2,400 euros for an item.

The Junta de Andalucía is dedicating 300,000 euros for Almuñécar’s housing that was damaged by the flood – this sum also includes funds for La Herradura’s damaged housing as well. This money is to be spent on 443 damaged buildings in La Paloma (next to gas station), La Carrera (near the fountain at the beginning of the Jete road), Los Marinos (opposite Chínasol) and those in La Herradura. The money is destined for repairs to lifts and eradicating damp, for example.

Talking of flood damage, work on the destroyed bridges continues (Anne has an article on the one in La Herradura). You can’t help but feel sorry for the workmen working on the Río Verde Bridge, because the whole area absolutely stinks from the damaged sewers there. Yet again, Las Góndolas must be losing clients left, right and centre, not to mention the new Club Náutico restaurant, which is housed in the old Híper.

It is a tremendous achievement that Almuñécar has been able to attract the Congreso Nacional de Bonsáis, scheduled for the next year, I believe. Congratulations must be given to the Town Hall for their support to Amigos de Bonsáis de Almuñécar in this endeavour.

At the recent III Exposición de Bonsáis, not only could visitors view truly amazing examples, but they could also buy bonsais and all the material and tools necessary.

The exhibition was well set out, using blue cloth as backdrops to the exhibiting tables. Even the stands used for top examples were mind-blowingly intricate.

Also on show was the second prize from the Torrevieja exhibition (Jornadas Mediterráneas de Bonsái), which was a miniature algarrobo (carob tree) which you can see in the photograph. However, inter-placed between the masterpieces were also the creations of beginners, which must have been a rewarding experience for those just starting out in the bonsai world.

The 19-year-old soldier that was caught transporting drugs in his car was taken into custody, pending trial. G.I.M, who is stationed in the garrison of the Spanish, North-African enclave of Ceuta, was caught with four kilos of hashish in his boot. There were two other passengers - another soldier and a 23-year-old female, resident of Ceuta – but the Almuñécar judge ordered their release.

Ceuta and Melilla are the gateways into Spain for the North-African hashish market and in Morocco, as everybody knows, you can’t move without being offered hash.

This year, like every other one for the past 26 years, Jacquie Vahoren, does his particular Father Christmas act in Motril, where he takes his whole crew from Restaurante Jacquie in Cotobro to the old persons’ home of Residencia San Luis and provides a slap-up Christmas Dinner for the 57 residents there, completely free of charge.

Not once in all of these years has he failed to turn up and each year the elderly ‘inmates’ look forward to this gastronomic pampering with bright-eyed relish.

Not only is Jacquie an excellent chef with an enviable reputation, but he also has a heart of gold. Chapeau!

Going back to the last full council meeting of 2007, there was an interesting interpretation given by the IU concerning point ten on the agenda, regarding ‘informe sobre convenio construcción instalaciones deportivas,’ (report on the sports-installations, construction agreement). The councillor for the IU, Iván Sánchez, voiced the opinion that point ten was little more than a trap to get the opposition councillors to share the guilt over the illegal La Herradura sports centre.

In other words, according to the IU, what looked innocently like a mere formality to authorise the Mayor to register all the municipal sports facilities as municipal property, did in fact have the ‘hot potato’ included amongst them.

For this reason he asked for the La Herradura sports centre to be removed from the list, otherwise he would not be able to vote in favour of the motion.

However, neither the PP nor the PSOE backed this petition for its removal, and went ahead with an affirmative vote, whilst the IU voted against. Time will tell whether he was right to be so cautious.

Well, the IU has been keeping us busy this month with plenty of input. Here is another of their little nuggets. They have been asking for a commission to investigate the ‘denuncias falsas’ in the town hall.

Let me drag you off on an aside here to explain a very useful, Spanish word: denuncia, which really doesn’t have a tidy translation. A denuncia is when you lodge a formal complaint either with the Guardia Civil, if it deals with a crime; i.e., something dealt with by the penal code, or you can lodge a complaint at the Town Hall, normally if it is a civil matter; i.e., covered by civil law. It is the first step at taking out legal proceedings against somebody; i.e., you take them to court.

Back to the subject of the article; according to the IU, several dencuncias were lodged at the Town Hall, using false names. In other words, ‘somebody’ had used the names of several Almuñequeros, complete with false signatures, to register dencuncias. As you can imagine, the ‘supposed’ authors of these complaints were very surprised when it was brought to their notice.

To make things even fishier (more suspicious), all or most of these original documents have since disappeared and no convincing explanation – according to the IU – has been given, either for their appearance in the first place, or for their subsequence disappearance.

However, the proposal, which was put forward by the IU at the full council meeting, was not backed by the two opposition groups. The now-spokesman for the PP, Juan Luis González, considered that such a commission would be too much of a financial burden on the Town Hall coffers and would be impractical to set up and operate.

The last point to come up, worth mentioning, during the often-mentioned council meeting, concerns the Avendida Don Juan Carlos I underground-parking facilities… or the lack of it.

The company that has built the car park – and is also the owner of the Hotel Bahía, right next to it - wants to mortgage its managing concession of the facilities to raise cash; i.e., citing its concession as an asset to the bank. To do this, it needs permission from the Town Hall; hence the voting session.

Again, it was Iván Sánchez that raised the question, “Why don’t they mortgage their hotel?” A good point, perhaps, as it would not require permission from the Town Council. Is the Hotel already that hard up, after opening less than a year ago? Sr Sánchez seems to think that it is a ploy to tie the Town Hall into the affair, because should the company go back on the concession for any reason, he claims, the Town Hall will end up picking up the tab.

The other interesting point involved here is the posture of the PP and PSOE, who both voted in favour of giving the company permission to go for the mortgage, strangely enough, because when the company that is behind the installation of a gasoline station under the stands of the municipal stadium asked to do the same, both parties voted against it.

Conversely, according to Sr. Sánchez, the PSOE in the town of Alarcón has denounced that their Town Council had granted permission to El Grupo Quirón to take out a mortgage on its right to the use of a piece of publicly held land; i.e., belonging to the town, on which a hospital is to be built by the same company. “Not only was the company sold the land for a risible amount of money, but they have also received permission to take out a loan to build the hospital, without actually using any of their money – a very tidy business,” said the PSOE spokeswoman for Alarcón.

But back to Almuñecar…In the case of the gasoline station there is a huge difference between itself and the underground car park in the fact that the gasoline station is not only controversial (what isn’t in Almuñécar?) but also highly illegal (ditto the first parenthetical comment!). You see, no potentially dangerous installation is permitted within a certain distance of populated areas, and if having several hundred people sitting directly above a gasoline station is not considered ‘dangerous’ then it would be interesting to hear what is.

Nine-million-euro Paseo approved by Department of the Environment (Medio Ambiente), as Herradureños have their representations rejected. Not only has Medio Ambiente accepted the proposal by the Almuñécar Town Hall, but it’s also said there’s no conflict of interest with either ‘Costas’ (the Government Department which controls the seafront) or property owners. In fact, they seem to consider that the entire project should go ahead as planned and proposed by Benavides’ party Convergencia Andaluza (CA), without any real modifications.

Well folks, seems that we should see the work begin in the New Year and in the words of one local politician, “the project will end up attracting quality investors to the area”.

The PP (Partido Popular) will push for an indoor cinema at the next municipal plenary meeting. As pointed out by party leader, Juan José Ruiz Joya, we need to provide entertainment and diversion for residents and visitors here, so that they don’t feel forced into travelling to Motril or Vélez Málaga, instead. With the Civic Centre now up and running, it seems the perfect venue to offer this facility, especially during the colder months, when we’re more than a little stuck for things to do.

Marina del Este remains split, after seven years of dispute between old (EPPA) and new (Marinas del Mediterráneo) managing agents. And the implications are serious, as the port struggles under inconsistent infrastructure and maintenance.

This naturally attractive harbour has huge potential and given the right businesses, combined with careful management, it could be a real destination point and a huge attraction to the area. The reality is disappointing, with exorbitant prices for mooring boats, parking regulations that restrict entry and a local government, which seems dedicated to undermining local businesses.

What’s more, the government at regional level (Junta de Andalucía) doesn’t seem to be any help either because since 2001, it hasn’t been clear who is in charge. Needless to say, all parties want a resolution, in order to move forward.

La Barrica takes a break from 8th – 28th January inclusive. So don’t panic once the ‘Reyes’ have been and gone, to find that they might have taken our treasured Antonio and team with them! They’re bound to be back before the month is up (29th January to be exact), serving you in their own special style and with all the usual Alpujarreño goodies, in an ambience that we’ve come to love!

Ever wondered how the businesses survive during the winter months? Clearly, for those brave enough – or without any alternative but- to stay open throughout the year, they need the turnover to keep going. And if things are out of season, then there are fewer people down here and then guess what? The onus is ‘on us’ to keep the economy ticking over, even if it’s at a lower gear.

I know I’ve commented before about our responsibility to reinvest here, rather than bringing in substitutes from abroad – even if it’s something you consider irrelevant, like the cranberry sauce or the orange marmalade. In times like this, every bit counts and it really doesn’t require that much energy or effort to find some brilliant local substitutes for your favourite lines. In fact, you may even be surprised to discover that the price-to-quality ratio works out much better, not to mention how you’ll be supporting local businesses.

The crew at El Ancla want to wish friends and clients the very best for 2008. After the recent triumph of their ‘Beauty-and-Jewellery evening’ on December 10th, where Rikiki, silver-and-face mapping were so well received by those who attended, we’re looking forward to what’s coming up next. Watch this space for the good times ahead with Jean, Katie, Jonathan and the team.

Chaguga with 50% off jewellery, accessories and gifts! Located between Isla de Capri and Clínica del Mar, you’re bound to find something for all budgets and tastes in this inviting little store. Owner Rosario travels the globe in search of unique trinkets and treasures that aren’t just cheap and cheerful, but pretty and precious as well. Make sure you take a look at the goodies on offer before she jets off abroad again!

Hotels close for the season, leaving no beds available in La Herradura. Who said that Bethlehem had to have the monopoly on the ‘no room at the inn’ story? The truth is that with the excuse of allowing staff to holiday, undertaking necessary improvements or in the case of the Best Alcázar, actually attempting to complete some of the building work originally planned, the three main hotels in La Herradura have closed for several weeks. The additional hotels include Sol Fenicios and, for the first time since it opened four years ago, the Almijara. Owner and Director Jorge Parra, commented, “It’s a case of not having the activities here during the cooler months to attract the necessary tourists.” With many of the restaurants taking a break and the weather at its worst, it’s not surprising that occupancy rates are lucky to reach over 45%. But, fear not as Hotel Almijara should be opening its doors again on January 17th

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(Photo: Infocostatropical)
Talking of activities by the Best Alcázar, it appears that the Association of Neighbours of Marina del Este has denounced the activities of workers on this hotel site, who seem to be playing a game of dumping at the entrance to the Marina del Este. First it’s construction materials, then it’s industrial-size rubbish bins, and then it’s back to construction materials. This is especially outrageous when we know that said hotel has its own storage areas! Really doesn’t make the Marina entrance look more inviting now, does it?

English Library update from Ann Maxfield is that the person in charge of the Spanish Library, Juan Manuel de Haro, has been extremely supportive of their attempts to sort things out. The books still have no dedicated shelving, despite rumours of their being some 40,000 euros set aside from the Junta de Andalucía for cultural activities generally in La Herradura.

What Juan has offered are two ‘wardrobes’ on a landing outside the library, which will accommodate less than 50% of the English library books, but which could be secured with locks. At least in the immediate future this would offer a better solution to having to leave the books in piles on the floor.

The Hideaway invites you to come and celebrate the Three Kings’ coming, just before Jenette and Darren head off towards the Orient, themselves. This gives you a chance to enjoy a couple of drinks before they close the bar from 7th – 28th January, inclusive. But don’t despair, since you can look forward to yet another entertaining Quiz Night during February. Keep your ears and eyes open for details.

Blue parking zones to be introduced in La Herradura, throughout Easter Week and during the summer (1st July - 30th September inclusive). From 11am through to 11pm daily (yes; every day), you’ll be expected to pay for the privilege of parking along the Paseo Andrés Segovia (the beachfront road) starting from the municipal market through to La Caleta (the area where Pizzería Realengo and Pizzería Venezia are located).

The Local Police (thanks chaps!) have proposed an increase in the blue zone for 2008, in order to deal with the bad-parking practices that we all moan about during the peak months. Of course it’s an ideal opportunity for the opposing party (the PP) to complain, saying that the Association of Business owners in La Herradura is definitely against this system, bound to cause problems for visitors and residents alike, especially since there are no feasible parking garages operating as yet.

As party leader Roya pointed out, instead of discouraging people from coming to the village and spending, why not focus on getting the car park beneath the Plaza de Independencia up and running? He has a point.

Those charming enchantresses from Las Brujas are absolutely delighted about moving into the New Year. Ana and Auxi tell me that eight is the witch’s number, so I guess they’re in for loads of luck this year! We may be unlucky while they close for holidays 15th – 30th January. But watch out for some magical treats during February, including their fourth anniversary! Watch this space.

(Photo: Infocostatropical)
New girder for Rio Jate Bridge causes traffic jam as this huge piece of engineering is delivered at peak hour during the middle of the week. Naturally those that were trapped behind this logistic nightmare were not quite so happy, as the two rather large parts of this new structure were brought across from Almansa along the N-340.

Apparently these girders (each 26 metres long and weighing 56 tonnes) were constructed in record time and one has to admit that it was pretty much a record of its own just how long it took to negotiate the second laden vehicle into the village. Not quite designed to accommodate deliveries of this magnitude, the entry point to La Herradura was pretty much blocked for an hour.

You have to admire the blind ambition of the people involved, determined, as they were to stop short of bringing the thing in by helicopter. But there we go, several frustrated drivers and what I would imagine to be a seriously burnt-out clutch on the transporting vehicle, later and ‘Eureka’ it was in! It now seems that the new bridge (supported by the infamous girders) will be ready in about one month.

Councillors busy collecting signatures as decision comes down on the illegal sports pavilion. Interesting to see Daniel Barbero, amongst others, attempting to gain public support from the Herradureños, when the decision has come to declare illegal the new sports pavilion in La Herradura.

I know we covered this in the last issue, but hey, now they’re trying to persuade the villagers that it’s all just a silly misunderstanding and that the politicians’ best interests always lie in favour of the children’s future. I think I might almost agree with them. But why do they always have to use this modus operandi? And why is everything such a PR exercise? And why are they talking about making things more difficult for existing businesses (albeit dressed up as improvements to the infrastructure) as a means to attracting more up-market businesses to the area? All seems a bit cack-handed to me, while the rest of us struggle to make the best of what we have.

Parents will be able to receive children’s results via Internet or text message, as students of the IES Villanueva del Mar in La Herradura will have their marks posted through the SGDWeb (Sistema de Gestión Docente). This system has been operating successfully for the Motrileño high school, Francisco Giner de los Ríos, giving parents the opportunity to view their child’s results, without even having to come near the school. Obvious advantages are for those parents or guardians who find it difficult to take time out from other commitments to meet with teachers.

Although it could be argued that it reduces the need for direct contact between home and school, at least it means that accurate information regarding academic results, as well as attendance and behaviour, is more readily accessible for parents that are interested.

In order for this system to be activated, a subscription fee of five euros is levied per student and an authorisation form needs to be completed. It turns out that already 55% of parents at said Motril High School are using this facility, which, according to the Head of Studies, means improved communication with the centre. It seems the future has arrived!

Christmas spirit arrives, as Las Gaviotas Primary and Infants School finish off the year with their annual Christmas concert at San José Church, after a week of celebrations, excursions and nativity scene extravaganzas. This is my seventh year running and you just can’t beat those tots in their shepherd costumes.

But, talking to another mum, who’s an even greater veteran of this tradition, I still can’t quite grasp why they have to have all the children performing during the same hour and a half. It’s tricky enough for the parents, each vying for pole position whilst attempting to balance video and still cameras without totally upsetting the rest of the thronging crowd. Ah well, knowing how things have a tendency to remain ‘iguales’, we look forward to battling it out yet another year, God willing…!

How would you like to spend 6,000 euros in one day? I am sure there are many of you men reading this that are now guffawing (laughing) into their coffee/beer while reading this, thinking that their wives would be supremely capable to spend this sum of money in an hour, let alone a day.

Well, here’s your opportunity for them not to be spending your money! Salobreña council, through its Commerce Department and in conjunction with 57 local retailers and companies, has arranged a prize-draw promotion for one lucky person to win an opportunity to spend 6,000 euros.

One slight snag (problem); the draw takes place on 2nd January 2008 so hopefully you have received your copy of the Seaside Gazette before this date and managed to get your wife’s names onto a list in one of the many shops participating in the promotion. Again, Salobreña has failed to give us sufficient time to tell you all about it.

The objective is to promote small and medium companies in the town to its residents, its visitors and to show the quality of the commerce in Salobreña.

On 4 January 2008 the lucky winner will be picked up from their home by a white Rolls Royce and deposited at the doors of the Town Hall to be presented with the coupons that they can spend until the shops close that evening.

The International Club of Salobreña kicks off its new year on Wednesday 9th January 2008 with a social meeting at Hotel Salobreña, starting at 11 a.m. All newcomers are welcome. The Club, with members from the greater Salobreña areas (Lecrín Valley/Alpujarra down to the coast and from Motril to Almuñécar), meets on Wednesdays throughout the year.

Between social meetings a variety of activities are planned including walks in the surrounding countryside, speakers, visits to local museums and cultural/historical sites, as well as trips further afield. It’s a good way to meet new people as well as learn about this beautiful part of Spain.

Annual subscriptions are 10 euros per person. More information is available about the International Club on www.icsalobrena.com or by contacting Arlene by email: icsalobrena@hotmail.com or by phone on 666 763 478.

Salobreña has gone diet crazy and it’s not just about New Year resolutions. Many Spanish people I have met over the past few months in Salobreña seem to be under the guidance of a dietician and, by all accounts, they are shedding kilos of weight. What has got into everyone? Is Salobreña leading the way in the general struggle against obesity?

In a one week period, Maria Carmen announced she had lost nine kilos, Conchita says that so far she has lost six kilos and Pepe triumphantly told me he had lost over 20 kilos!

Usually, the professionally qualified dieticians work in conjunction with a pharmacist and a first consultation is in the region of 20 euros. You are weighed, you explain your eating habits, any medical conditions and then off you go with a diet sheet for the week, plus possibly, a few expensive vitamin and mineral supplements provided by the pharmacist. Your orders are to arrive back at precisely the appointed hour the following week and heaven help you if you are one minute late or haven’t lost one kilo in weight - you have been warned; no slackers allowed here.

Each subsequent visit is six euros plus a few more supplements to keep you going along the way. I have been checking out the weekly diet sheet of a friend and have to say that it looks good but you have to make that extra effort to purchase the correct foods and keep to the regime. So, why not join in now and beat the Christmas bulge.

Salobreña Municipal Library has an exhibition of paintings by local artists that started on 20th December 2007 (the news was received by us too late for last month’s issue) and runs through to 19th January 2008. Mondays to Saturdays (except festival days) 5 pm to 8 pm.

Works to the new football ground at the Polideportivo are about to be concluded and it is hoped that it will be opened to the public at the end of February 2008. The artificial turf football field and athletics track are located next to the public swimming pool near the N-340 coastal road. Terrace seating has been built for up to five hundred spectators and it is planned over the next two to three years to completely encircle the football pitch with additional terraces.

Let’s hope that a long ball kicked from midfield doesn’t end up smashing through the windscreen of an unsuspecting motorist travelling along the N-340.

School absenteeism is on the increase in Salobreña and the Council has now set up a Municipal Commission for the prevention, pursuit and control of those pupils that think it’s a laugh to bunk off school. The aim of the Commission is to study the cases of absenteeism and to achieve better attendance rates at the schools.

The local police and Guardia Civil are the ones left in charge to report to families the problems that children have been causing when they are not at school and the Councillor for Education has made a call to all parents saying that, in the final analysis, it is the parents who have the responsibility to ensure their children attend school.

Hotel chain Iberostar is studying the possibilities of building a hotel or two in Salobreña. After contact was made with Iberostar at the recent World Travel Market in London, Salobreña councillors have met with the hotel company to look at the possibilities of building a four-star and a five-star hotel on the TH1 land between Salobreña and La Caleta.

The councillors say that this meeting came about because of their recent contacts at the World Travel Market (otherwise known as justifying a free trip), and that the hotel chain is interested in two of the four plots of 200,000 metres, which remain available to interested parties.

As we know, the TH1 development area has been put on hold but it seems the councillors know something we don’t because they mention that they hope the TH1 embargo will be lifted during the first half of 2008.

A Spanish TV company slipped quietly into Salobreña last July to make a series of five films that were broadcast in late November of 2007. The filming took place over a nine-day period with the assistance of tourism companies in the Costa Tropical area, who offered their services to the filming process.

Hotel Salobreña gave free accommodation to the film crew that were filming the area to show the possibilities that Salobreña and its surrounding areas offer the tourist throughout the year. The films will be translated into Italian, German, Belgian, Czech and British and will hopefully be distributed to other travel channels worldwide in due course.

The N-323 Granada road and its intersection to Vélez de Benaudalla has claimed yet another life. A concrete mixer hit the roadside railings on a curve and swerved into the path of a car, colliding with it head-on. In total, three cars and a van were also involved in the accident in which the driver of the concrete mixer died and two people were injured. The N-323 had to be closed in both directions for over two hours during a weekday afternoon, leading to chaos on the N-340 coastal road, as drivers from Málaga and Almuñécar were diverted around Motril. The N-323 continues to be the road where every budding Formula One driver has to practise their racing skills or rather, the lack of them, and especially when the road is coned during weekends and bank holidays, when it becomes an incredibly scary experience if having to drive it.

Motril’s new bus terminal at last gets the go-ahead. At a recent meeting, an agreement was signed to build a functional and modern bus terminal at the beginning of the road leading to Las Ventillas, or the roundabout where the Plus supermarket is located (on the east side of Motril).

However, Gutiérrez Conception, Public Work Advisor and Transport guru, states that it is not necessary to hurry this project, as they want an attractive and comfortable infrastructure that is located in a good area. Carlos Rojas, Motril’s Mayor, adds that the creation of a new bus terminal is an historical vindication of the city and its priority is now paramount, as the present terminal does not serve well the 60,000 inhabitants of the city.

So why, if transport issues have been such a high priority for Motril, will it take at least another two years for the bus terminal to be up and running? As many of you will know, the present bus terminal is located in the north area of Motril, towards the Hospital Santa Ana and is not easy to get to or from - that is if you can find it in the first place or have any idea of where you are when you arrive.

Hospital Santa Ana has taken its next step in its modernisation programme with the opening of a new 637-sq/m, rehabilitation and physiotherapy unit. The design of this area is innovative, with warm lights and modern spaces, and being located on the ground floor of the new building of external consultations, it gives good access for patients with reduced mobility.

The Director of the hospital, Sebastián Molina, says that this new facility is important for the people of Motril and those living along the coast. He points out that the hospital has already increased its consultations to 5,200 this year, with 2,300 patients being seen for the first time.

Taxes in Motril are to be reduced! The IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) is a property tax paid yearly by residents and non-residents with homes here. Each area sets its own tax rate and you may pay as little as 50 euros a year for a rural property and up to 2,000 euros a year for a villa in an expensive urbanization.

Motril Council has now announced plans to reduce the IBI tax in 2008, which will make it the municipality with the lowest IBI tax rate in Andalucía. Also planned, is to divide the IBI payment in 2008, so that it can be paid in two halves with the first half payable in June-July and the second half in November-December yearly.

The Council has pointed out that the members of the Economic and Social Committee have been working hard to rectify the high rate of IBI imposed on the municipality by the previous administration, which left its citizens in a most onerous situation.

The Association of Retailers, the Association of Officers and Professionals of the Costa Tropical and Independent Professionals have all applauded the efforts made by the Council and consider the measures adopted as “very positive”.

Arranging to have your IBI paid by direct debit, especially if not spending much of the year here, is much easier than going to make the payment in person. Don’t wait for the town hall to notify you, as in rural areas you often don’t receive notification, and late payment charges apply.

The Spanish owners of Casa de Los Bates have spent the past few years trying to get permission to build an extension to the property and it has been causing quite a stir at the offices of the Junta de Andalucía. At present, the house, with its beautiful gardens have just four hotel rooms and mostly caters for weddings and private functions.

The owners put in an application to extend their establishment to a sixty-room hotel and to build a pavilion for events and conferences to be held there. All but one political party here in Motril has supported the planned extension with the IU party saying that they did not want to see something that resembled an urbanisation being developed on land that is designated as agricultural. From a tourism point of view, we hear ad nauseam that we need more hotels in the area; that hoteliers are being sought to build them; that tourism is the way forward for the area; that countless foreign trips are made by councillors to market the area at international-tourism events, etc, etc, etc.

Here we have a Spanish family that has a scheme to generate more income for the area, to create something new and forward thinking, smack bang along the lines that most of the politicians are in agreement should be happening in the area, and the Junta de Andalucía has put the brakes on it.

We spoke to Julio Rodríguez Martin-Feriche, one of the owners running this family business, who confirmed that the Junta de Andalucía has put a stop to the planning permission that was recently approved and they are now waiting for a solution from the courts, which should be known in the next two months. He added that he was very surprised that the Junta had taken this action especially when Casa de Los Bates has recently been nominated by the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine as one of the four best guesthouses in Europe.

The previous administration (PSOE) of Motril is getting the accusative finger pointed at them again. Apparently, they ‘forgot’ to put into the PGOU the necessary land for the much-needed extension of the Palacio de Justicia (law courts complex). It was only in November 2005 that the last modifications to the PGOU were approved and the present administration (PP) has now successfully returned to the drawing board to get the necessary approval.

To further emphasise the ‘forgetfulness’ of the previous administration, a spokesman has said that if the land had been put into the PGOU at the correct time, the extension to the Palacio de Justicia would have been completed by now. The present court buildings are at saturation point with the ever-increasing demands placed on them and are now far too small to take care of rapidly increasing court cases.

The new Tanatorio (mortuary) presently being built on the east side of Motril, going towards Puntalón, is soon to open its doors. Luisa Garcia Chamorro, Councillor for Urban Works, has met with the people in charge of the construction, with the objective of putting the Tanatorio into operation as quickly as possible.

The Tanatorio is being constructed by a society, formed by four Motril based companies and will not only be used by Motril but other towns and villages in the vicinity. A tanatorio is a funeral parlour/mortuary, which offers several services and some include the cremation of the deceased. At present the nearest points to Motril for cremations are in Málaga or near Almería.

In days of old, more people died at home and this is where they stayed until the time of the burial and where family and friends gathered to pay their last respects. The tanatorios in Spain have become more widely used since the early 1970’s, as families have become more geographically spread and more people die in hospitals than at home.

The new facilities will include four rooms, known as velatorios (where friends and family can pay their last respects to the deceased; i.e., a wake), a crematorium, a chapel, cafeteria, florists and a room where families can choose the headstone.

As soon as this news surfaced, a group of neighbours from the residential estate, Balcon de San Fernando, directly opposite the Tanatorio, protested at the Motril Council offices against the installation of the crematorium on their doorstep. These neighbours maintain that this service will be detrimental to their health and to the health of residents in Motril generally.

Crematoria are complex technological facilities that have to be professionally planned and constructed. Cremation is now subject to a wide range of laws and regulations and there are strict emission limits. Apart from which, there is a European law knocking around somewhere, that states that a crematorium shouldn’t be within 500 to 1,000 metres (if not more) to housing, so what is this one doing being built only 50 metres from people’s front doors? We will keep you updated on news as it comes in.

The Multi-Cine has re-opened in Motril after being shut down a year ago. A local businessman, Jose Julio Juárez, has initiated the re-opening of the cinema and thanked Motril Council for its support in his endeavours to bring the cinema back to the people of Motril.

Only one of the four big screens has been put back into use at the cinema complex on the Avenida de Salobreña and there will be four daily sessions, starting from 16.30 hours each day. As soon as the doors opened on its first day the popcorn machine was back in full flow and couldn’t keep up with demand. At five euros a ticket and with tickets soon to be available to purchase on the Internet, we hope that this time the cinema is here to stay for good.

Motril council has recently launched the ‘Blue Card,’ which will give 8,000 Motrileños new social benefits. This card replaces previous benefits received under an older system and offers more in services and discounts. The package of measures and social advantages is completed with the reduction in the age of the beneficiaries to 60 years and apart from the usual benefits of bus passes, reduced train travel and discounts to cultural and sporting activities, the Blue Card will soon include reduced rates on the tax of vehicles and fiscal deductions in the municipal taxes.

Four car dealerships in Gasoline Alley (Carretera de Almeria) were recently robbed by professional thieves over a one-week period. The Chrysler-Jeep dealership was the first to get a visit when the thieves got in through the roof and found the safe. Unable to open the safe which had 12,000 euros in it at the scene, they took a Grand Cherokee, which the police later found in Málaga, and managed to open the safe, which was later found in an agricultural area near Salobreña.

The following week the thieves returned and this time robbed three dealerships on the same night using the same technique of coming in through the roof but also managing to disconnect alarm systems as they went about their business.

In the Peugeot dealership, they made three holes in the ceiling and even the night watchman did not notice the thieves going about their business. Peugeot lost 30,000 euros in cash.

In Hyundai, they disconnected the alarm and in addition to 20,000 euros in cash, they removed computer equipment, DVD’s and spare parts.

At the Fiat dealership the thieves were less fortunate and despite breaking in they did not find anything. The National Police are investigating the thefts but say that the modus operandi used by them is that of professional gangs from Eastern Europe.

The Council of Motril has asked for an increase in the number of National Police due to the population increase that Motril has witnessed over the past few years and an increase in cash to face the increasing onslaught of crime that is evident in the city. Motril currently has 119 policemen, which they say is insufficient to take care of the city. Most worrying is the increase in organised crime by criminals from Eastern countries as the recent criminal activity in the car dealerships in Gasoline Alley has shown.

Twenty-five firemen from Motril have been posing for a 2008 calendar to raise money for the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC). The ‘Calendar Boys’ have delighted the public at a recent photo shoot by posing on their mean red machines, stripped to the waist and caused quite a stir amongst passing drivers, who were tooting their horns and whistling as the Motril firemen got into the spirit of the ‘Full Monty’ or should we say, ‘Half Monty’.

Apparently, several years ago this fundraising idea was mentioned but there were not enough firemen willing to do it at the time. Now that the fire service has been expanded they have finally been able to get these shy boys to strip off. According to a spokesman, they all had great time at the photo shoot with some of the firemen going on crash diets prior to the session and others going to the gym to tone up their muscles. Look out for the calendars on sale in Motril and Salobreña.