Beaches that allow dogs in Spain

SPAIN It seems that although there are strict rules about not allowing dogs on beaches throughout the country, an increasing number of councils are making room for pets - usually a small beach or the part of a beach. A very informative website, Red Canina, gives a breakdown of the very few of them for 2013 (see map). As you will see, there is only one such beach in Andalucía, near Casares, described as 'a small beach full of pebbles'. Red Canina also gives information on what hotels allow dogs, some for free, others not.>>>

Dog park has a hundred daily visitors

LA LÍNEA Only two months ago, an association was created with the support of Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción, the environmental organization, and the Council, whose objective was the establishment of what came to be called a 'canine park' within the large Reina Sofía Park. Over one hundred people now use this space to walk their dogs every day. According to the president of the Asociación Canina Parque Sofía, Fuensanta Guerrero, the idea was born from the need of pet owners to have somewhere to walk their animals and to meet other people. Largely thanks to Verdemar, the park already has a drip system to water the grass, and an agility course is planned. There is also a disused bunker within the area, which Guerrero hopes can eventually be used as an office and meeting place for the association.

Jimena and San Pablo pools open to the public tomorrow

JIMENA/SAN PABLO The municipal swimming pools management (i.e. the Council) has announced that they will be open to the public as from tomorrow, which will surprise many who have passed them each day and seen lots of people in the water, doors open, etc. The fact is that the Jimena pool has been open for swimming lessons at all levels, but not to the general public. This is because a lifeguard had not been hired, a fact noticed and complained about by the opposition in the Council, about which an article in today's Europa Sur reports. Below are the door and season ticket prices (opening hours are supposedly at the door, so we'll try to get them and update tomorrow - and whether they also apply to the San Pablo one, too):>>>

More on dog fouling and 'official' notices

JIMENA This, believe it or not (we have trouble doing so) is an 'official' 'poster' coming, we understand (and are willing to be mistaken), from the Council, whose official seal it has at top left. You've seen them all over the place. It reads: "We want a village without excrement. Cooperate! The municipality is everyone's." While we applaud the sentiment, and being aware of a lack of readies at the town hall, we cannot but be astonished at the lack of professionalism of the design and execution of the 'poster'. There are plenty of people who would be willing to volunteer their time to make this kind of thing look a lot better than this - all they have to do is ask. More importantly, however, is the reason behind the unusual amount of dog s**t everywhere: there is only one street cleaner, the other one being on holiday. Also true is the nasty habit of opening the door to let the dogs out in the morning, and only allowing it back in in the evening. (Check the translation of the official notice about fines.)

Municipal fines for dog fouling

(Photo: TioJimeno)

JIMENA Mayor Guillermo Ruiz recently signed into being a local law whereby irresponsible dog owners (nothing about cats or horses) are to be fined 100.17euros or 200.34euros for allowing the animal to excrete (pooh, that is) in public places. A full translation of the official notice (image) will be available on Monday. In the meantime, please comment below! 
TRANSLATION: According to the Ordinance regarding Possession and Protection of Animals in the Municipality of Jimena de la Frontera, all those who walk domestic animals are obliged to maintain security, health and veterinary measures; said walk must not include grass areas, public gardens, fountains, children's playgrounds, etc. Al excrements must be picked up by the owner, not only from the aforesaid places but also from public sites such as streets and pavements, and deposited in containers for solid urban waste. - Non-compliance of this ordinance could mean a fine of up to €100.17 for a minor offence or €200.34 for a serious one, the Local Police having been given orders to be vigilant in its compliance.

Row over allegedly illegal building

(Photo: IU)

JIMENA Izquierda Unida (IU), the left-wing party in minority opposition on Jimena Council, officially denounced building works they deem illegal - without the proper building license, in other words - in mid-March. Later, on May 22, they made another official complaint, saying that construction continued because nothing had been done. Having passed by there recently ourselves (in the company of about 100 people that day) and seen it, it's true that this looks like a major edification on the road down to the canal on the Hozgarganta river. So far, it consists mainly of stone walls and flooring, palm trees IU says are planted on public land, iron gates, etc. According to the IU Councillor, Fran Gómez, the only license requested - and not yet approved - is dated May 24 for drainage for a nearby stone wall. Alas, this kind of 'license' (for minor work when major work is carried out) has been all too prevalent over the years, no matter which party has been in power.

Small business initiative creates mini-factory for food production

Ayuntamiento, Castellar Nuevo

CASTELLAR Making food at home for sale does not meet health and sanitation requirements. So Castellar Council is promoting the idea of a small multi-purpose factory where food can be made according to current standards, which will allow it to obtain all the necessary permits for sale to third parties. The mobve comes from a recent seminar on food production held in the village, where numerous residents presented their interest in producing such items as yoghurts, cheeses, jams, sweets, marmalades, jams and even canned vegetables fronm materials available in the municipality. The idea then took a turn of reality when Mayor Juan Casanova suggested it would be possible to turn municipal premises next to the football grounds, consisting of some 250 m2, into a small factory for this purpose. It will need to get a Registro Sanitario de Industria (RSI) certification, which is not seen as an obstacle so far. The idea is for a cooperative effort to take shape, which it is hoped will at least employ several people at present unemployed and having a hard time of it.

Buildings over 40 will have to undergo inspection

Old building in Algeciras
(Illustration only)

ALGECIRAS In a piece of legislation that might be expected in other towns and cities in response to regional or national law (Royal Law Decree 8/2011 of July 1), Algeciras is about to order that buildings of 40 years or more must undergo technical inspections to ensure that conditions of safety, sanitation, accessibility and ornamentation are adequate. This applies to all kinds of buildings, from blocks of flats to townhouses and single-family homes. Initial approval of the municipal regulation has been done, and it is now in the public allegation stage until May 22, after which it and the obligation of owners will be in effect.>>>

'Give your face a lift' says Council

Jerez Gate, Tarifa
(Chodaboy on Flickr)

TARIFA As far as we know, these are NOT the words used to launch a campaign by the Council, with the support of the local small business association Asociación de Pequeños y Medianos Empresarios de Tarifa, APYMETA), to encourage home and business owners to clean up the front of their buildings in order to maintain the 'typical look' of the town. the campaign runs during May and June, and among other activities there will be a competition for the best fachada (façade, face, front of building) for a building painted white. More information may be obtained at the Town Hall.

Council worker to lose his home because of unpaid salary

Mauricio Rivas
shows eviction notice

LA LÍNEA Mauricio Rivas Molina, 41, has worked for the Council since 1996 but is owed some €11,000 in unpaid salary, at an average of €730 per month, which he can prove. He owes three months on his mortgage, about €2,200. The bank has told him that the property will be taken back and auctioned o at the end of this month. However, the Junta de Andalucía (and other autonomous regions) have put  emergency procedures to avoid evictions such as this, but Mauri, as he is known, is not sure if he qualifies. This could save him at the last minute. Nevertheless, he points the finger directly at Mayor Gemma Araujo, who has refused to met him personally, not only for the financial aspect of the problem, but also for a severe depression that culminated recently in a suicide attempt. (How on earth, we ask as you surely do, too, can anyone live without being paid for a year? He can't even leave his job because he risks losing his back pay!)

Jimena entrance road to get emergency repairs

(Photo: europasur.es)

JIMENA Anyone driving up the hill into the main village will have noticed a dip in the road that seems to get worse every day. The Council announced this morning that emergency repairs will be getting under way very soon and the road is likely to be closed while work is being done. In the meantime, there is now a weight restriction of 5 tons on that section of road. Entrance to the village is now by the 'middle road' or by the campsite. Regular line buses and school buses can no longer use this stretch, which is only about 50 metres from the A-405 crossroad, so passengers and students have to disembark at the bottom of the road, right by the old silo and the new Local Police station. The cause:>>>

Jimena castle work is stopped - why?

JIMENA Work on the restoration of the castle stopped well over a month ago. We are trying to find out why, since all the barricades are still up (if somewhat the worse for wear) and the tourist season starts in just a couple of weeks, at Easter. Access is possible via a pathway up the side of the hill, but that doesn't apply to parking a car up there. With a budget of €1.017.241,38, as it says on the sign, it would seem there is plenty of money to finish work that is very necessary to the village's only tourist attraction. There is a rumour that some new archaeological wonder was unearthed, which might have put a temporary stop to things, but recent heavy rain has apparently done some damage in the area. Councillor for Culture, Pedro Corbacho was unavailable for comment, but we will try to locate him.

Mayors of all parties get together about A-377 road

Committee to take matter to Sevilla · Roads in area in bad state

GAUCÍN The mayors of ten municipalities and a variety of political colours got together this morning in Gaucín to decide on what next to do about the A-377 road between Gaucín and Manilva (as we reported here). The remaining ten mayors of the twenty expected, most of whom had already signed the agreement at the previous meeting, offered their apologies for not being able to assist. Thus, the mayors of Casares, Gaucín Algatocín, Benarrabá, Cortes la Frontera, Jimera de Libar, Benadalid, Genaguacil, Jubrique and Pujerra, created a COMING SOON:

Mayors meet in Gaucín about A-377 road to Manilva

Click to enlarge

GAUCÍN A formal group of Mayors of councils that run along the A-377 road between Gaucín and the A-7 coastal road at  Manilva  are at this moment meeting in Gaucín, to which all 20 councils on the Serranía de Ronda impacted by the road have been invited, to ratify an agreement they came to last February, and which most have already signed. This is essentially a complaint to the Junta road authority about the state of the road, which, they say, has had and is having a devastating effect on the tourism business on which they rely. This meeting will also be to elect the representatives who will now elevate their complaints further afield than the province of Málaga, and to the Junta's offices in Seville. (More on the subject when the meeting ends.)

Councillor spends €200,000 on mobile phone in a month

Council investigates how the bills got so high

BURGOS The Mayor of Burgos, Javier Lacalle (PP), decided to separate Councillor Eduardo Villanueva temporarily from his duties because the head of the Department of Technology and Industrial Engineering allegedly spent over €200,000 on a telephone card owned by the Council. The expensive calls happened between April and May last year. The suspension is only temporary, according to a communiqué from the town hall, 'until matters regarding some phone bills are cleared up.' The PSOE opposition on the Council has asked for a full investigation committee, to which Vice-Mayor Ángel Ibáñez replied that it is probably the result 'of billing errors by the phone company', though he admitted later that the facts before him now seemed to prove otherwise. Meanwhile, municipal employees staged a loud protest asking for the Councillor's resignation.

Sex video councillor's mayor summoned to court

TOLEDO / Los Yébenes (Agencies) The Mayor of Los Yébenes, Pedro Acevedo (PP), has been called to court by the magistrates investigating how a private explicit video of Councillor Olvido Hormigos (PSOE) was put up on the internet (See Councillor resigns after her erotic video appears on internet). Acording to the EFE agency, court sources say that th Mayor is not formally charged with anything yet, but is summoned to make a statement that would 'help with the magistrate's enquiries'. He is due to appear on September 27 and has been advised to 'come with his attorney'. Hormigos did not in the end present her resignation, despite 'having a very bad time of it'. The magistrate has charged a local football player and 'intimate friend' of the councillor in the case.

First day at school: let's paint the crossings (!)

JIMENA It's not as though there hasn't been any time to do it in almost three months of an empty school. No, first thing in the morning, at about 8, there were the crews painting the zebra crossings right by the school. It's chaos enough on a good day, but to have cars swerving the bollards, with a single overwhelmed 'vigilante' trying to make sense of it - not good. The comment that is the headline came from one indignant parent taking his child to school. Forward thinking is distinctly lacking among the maintenance crews in this town. (About a fortnight ago we read an item in Europa Sur about a lift being installed at N.S. de los Ángeles school in Jimena village - no sign of it... we didn't report it 'cos we knew it was too good to be true.)

Council refuses to comment on cruise liners departure to Málaga

Ibero Cruceros need more infrastructure to carry out tourism plan

ALGECIRAS Following our recent item on the Grand Mistral cruise ship choosing Málaga over Algeciras in a project that would seem to be ideal for this depressed town, the organizers of the cruise called 'Cuba through the Mediterranean', Ibero Cruceros, said in a statement on Wednesday that the port would need 'significant infrastructure' to meet the demands of mass tourism, despite support from the port authorities. However, insistent questions on the subject from several local media got no comments from the town hall.

Tarifa charges for beach parking

'Barrier' to stop caravans
(Photo: europsur.es)

TARIFA The Council has decided that it can charge for parking on or near its beaches, which is why access to the one at Los Lances has seen numerous arguments and traffic queues of late. Charges are up to €5 for caravans and mobile homes, despite the fact that the access roads and the beaches themselves are 'in the public domain', in other words they do not belong to the Council. Charges are also being made at Valdevaqueros and Bolonia, though these are for parking on municipal ground. Charges are being applied from 9 to 9 and do not allow camping or overnight stays. After 9pm, vehicles parked in the areas marked out by barriers, could be fined. Parking and staying overnight have always been a problem in what the Councillor for Beaches, José Antonio Santos, says are the "beaches of the region", but they have always been free of charge. In fact, permission to charge has previously been denied by the Demarcación de Costas (the coastline demarcation authority of the Junta de Andalucía).

Residents to be given a choice on street lamps

LED on the right

JIMENA The Council is leaving an important decision up to its residents: LED or sodium induction street lighting. The idea is to save some 20% off an annual bill of €120,000 just for this illumination. Councillor Pedro Corbacho says that he wants the inhabitants to decide on the matter, and if necessary, to look for other ways of saving. He has contacted numerous companies who offer similar savings and is preparing the documents required to put the contract out to tender. In the meantime, tests are being carried out with LED lighting in the village's main square.