San Martín del Tesorillo, land of bandits (this weekend)

Illustration only

JIMENA / Tesorillo Traditional crafts, food and music of then and now, and plenty of fun are on at the typical market set up for this weekend at the sports pavilion at San Martín del Tesorillo. The themed event is based on the bandoleros (bandoleers, bandits) of the past couple of centuries that frequented the Ronda mountains, of which there were plenty. Over twenty stalls will be set up from Friday to Sunday, offering local foodstuffs and crafts, as well as a demonstration of falconry and the birds involved, and even a riding display. (Take the A-405 Algeciras-Ronda road and about 20 minutes from the coast is Tesorillo. You can't really miss it.)

New Tesorillo - La Línea bus service

Starts on Monday · Three buses daily Mon to Fri

SAN MARTÍN DEL TESORILLO Travellers from the village and Secadero will be delighted that a new bus line has been established with La Línea, something they have been after for some time. Starting on Monday, September 17,  with the following schedule: SOON YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO SEE THE INFORMATION OFFERED HERE UNLESS YOU SUBSCRIBE >>>

Drug house raided, one arrest

JIMENA / San Martín del Tesorillo In a joint operation, Guardia Civil and Local Police broke up a drug sales outfit at a home in Tesorillo. They became aware of the situation when they noticed a lot of traffic in the area around the house. They kept watch and came to the conclusion that there was an illicit business going on, confirmed by neighbours who had become alarmed. The raid came up with 4.5 kilos of marijuana, 2 grams of hashish, marijuana seeds, plastic freezer bags and a digital scales. They arrested a man and charged him with a 'crime against public health' (delito contra la salud pública as it's called in legalese). He is now 'at the disposal of the courts'.

'I work in Gibraltar because I have English and German'

Elena González
(Photo: europasur.es)

GIBRALTAR We found this nice little piece on Europa Sur online last week. Elena González works at an online firm on the Rock. With family origins in San Martín del Tesorillo, she was brought up in Siegen, Germany, until she was 17, when she and her family returned to their native village. She went on to finish her studies locally and then got a degree in Journalism at the University of Málaga. She spent time in Canada and Austria to complete her studies, but decided to come back again and found her present position in Gibraltar. "I found the job because I speak German and English," says Elena. "Getting a job in Gibraltar gives you the chance to meet people from other countries and at the same time, to be close to the family." Her job in client service is exciting and demanding. "Languages are not well valued in Spain, so crossing the frontier every day is one of the unique things that are offered in this area," points out Elena González."

Jimena and San Pablo roads to be improved

Forty kilometers of roads to undergo works - but when?

JIMENA (Press release) The provincial road authorities announced on Monday that tenders are being invited for improvements to roads on the northern part of the Campo de Gibraltar. More specifically, these are the CA-8201 that runs from Jimena to Puerto Galis (known as the Ubrique road), a stretch of 18kms, and the CA-8200, which goes from San Pablo de Buceite to San Martín del Tesorillo, some 22kms. How these are to be financed is not made clear in the press release we saw, but if the present economic climate is anything to go by, we wonder when exactly work might be scheduled to begin - and end. These roads have been under the magnifying glass of various ministries and local government entities for a number of years, so please allow us, and you, a pinch of salt.

Junta to decide on San Martín del Tesorillo's segregation within four months

Tesorillo from the air

Concern about the elimination of Mancomunidades

JIMENA / Tesorillo (Agencies) This outlying village within the municipality of Jimena de la Frontera is partially governed by a Local Autonomous Entity (ELA in its Spanish acronym). It has been so for a good number of years as the first step towards complete separation from the 'mother council' and becoming a municipality in its own right. Much of the delay could probably be placed at the door of politics. However, the head of the ELA, Belén Jarillo (PP), announced recently that the divorce is closer than ever. After a meeting with the Director General of the Junta's Governing Council on Local Administration, she said that there are a few more steps through which the documentation presented in 2010 must go through, and that 'could take about another four months'. However, Jarillo also voiced her concern about the state of Mancomunidades and the possibility of these and other minor local administrations being eliminated.

Torreguadiaro fire starter is accused of seven others in the area

(Photo: sotograndedigital.es)

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR The San Enrique de Guadiaro man who was arrested on June 24 and charged with the fire that caused havoc in Torreguadiaro earlier that month, has been charged with setting a fire in San Martín del Tesorillo, in the municipality of Jimena. The judge sent the man to prison but he was released on bail on June 26. According to the Guardia Civil, to whom the alleged pyromaniac is well know, he proceeded to steal a motorbike in Secadero (Casares) last Friday. He rode off to the Montenegral area of Tesorillo where he supposedly started a fire in an area known as Pista de los Americanos, which contains several homes. This fire burned down some two hectares. Having left the motorbike close by, the man was arrested shortly after the fire was put out thanks to his being named and identified by several witnesses. He is now 'at the disposal of the courts' accused of a total of seven fires, all of them during June. Aside from this last one, these include one in Secadero on June 7; another on the A-2102 road at San Enrique, on the 16th; the one at Torreguadiaro reported here, on June 19; another two set on that same day, on the Arenillas road, between Sotogrande and Castellar, and the other at Tesorillo.

Tesorillo fire under control in short order, no evacuation necessary

(Photo: europasur.es)

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo A fire that broke out close to the village yesterday evening was under control in a couple of hours. At about a quarter to five in the afternoon, flames and smoke were reported approximately at the border between the municipality of Casares (prov. of Málaga) and San Martín del Tesorillo (Cádiz). The wind propelled the flames towards the latter, but members of the INFOCA prevention organization were quick to arrive and put it out. As a precaution, though, the local firefighters began evacuation procedures that were not carried out because the fire was under control about an hour later with the help of a helicopter. Several local residents, however, did choose to leave their homes in the area of their own accord.

Full programme for Feria del Corpus

JIMENA/Tesorillo The complete programme for the Feria del Corpus at San Martín del Tesorillo - click on Read more below. It includes activities and events for all ages and sizes, such as a parade of floats, with prizes; children's games and activities; a water battle; comedians and musicians; religious ceremonies dedicated to Corpus Christi ... and lots more. See for yourself below.

'I have to have that pony!'

TESORILLO & SOTOGRANDE He is grey haired, stands up on order and loves his job. Children adore him, and he them (at least we think that's what his nibbling means!). He is a short little fellow who has found a permanent home, after living at eight different places over the last eight years. His life hasn't been easy, though not as bad as too many of his kind. He is definitely a puller. His owner, Lavanya, tells us that Rambo first caught her eye some four years ago, when she was doing some work on a private stud farm near Jimena. One of the local people had bought him for his younger brother, who would drive the pony up and down the dirt track in front of the farm she was working on. "He was so eye catching, this minature stallion," says Lavanya. "He would sometimes be cheeky and stubborn with the young boy and root himself to the spot. I loved him from the moment I saw him and joked with friends about how 'I need that pony'." But one day, the pony had gone, disappeared into thin air. Never saw him again. Until ... >>>

'We won't be having Father's or Mother's Day at school'

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Source: TioJimeno) This note was handed to parents by their children at the school in Tesorillo. It reads as follows: "We wish to inform you that under the new instruction regulations, and because the concept of family is changing, we will not be celebrating Father's or Mother's Day, as we will be carrying out activities related to The Family Day, on May 15. Signed by the pre-school and 1st and 2nd grade teachers. " The father who sent it in to TioJimeno was unable to explain things to his child.

JIMENA / Tesorillo The annual collection of food for children in need takes place this afternoon at 6pm on the main square in Tesorillo, together with villancicos of the season. Let's bring our contribution and our best wishes.

Ten arrested in weekend operations in Tesorillo

JIMENA / San Martín del Tesorillo The Guardia Civil detained a total of ten people in two separate incidents over last weekend. The first incident was a street fight outside a disco, in which six were arrested. The quarrel also involved others who were severely injured and needed medical attention. The second involved four people who allegedly set fire to a car, having previously damaged it heavily, and which spread to another two vehicles in the immediate vicinity. The fire also caused damage to the Town Hall offices as well as the post office. All the arrested are now 'at the disposal of the courts'.

Large truck gets stuck on Marchenilla road

JIMENA/Marchenilla (Source: www.buceite.com) A trailer truck carrying 40 tons of oranges from the Cooperative in San Pablo, got stuck on the road to Marchenilla in the early hours of Saturday. Driven by a Bulgarian, it had left San Pablo towards Tesorillo via the CA-8200 road -in theory closed to traffic because of rain damage- but on arrrival at Tesorillo found that it had to go through the village. It happens that Carnival was on, and the Local Police advised the driver to turn back and take the A-405 through Marchenilla. With a complicated manouevre, he turned around and took the advice. Of course, he did'nt know the state of that road (did the police?), which has been in a dreadful state of disrepair for years and is rarely used other than by knowledgeable local drivers with appropriate vehicles. The truck eventually got stuck and stayed there the rest of the night until a crane was brought in to remove it (photo). The trouble is that, aside from the state of the CA-8200, which is worsened daily, lorries are not allowed on it and are often fined. However, this is the only reasonable way for the oranges collected at the San Pablo Cooperativa to reach market.

Couple and two children rescued from Montenegral road

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Agencies/Photo of CA 2101, illustration only) A couple and their two nephews aged 11 and 8, had to be rescued yesterday from their 4WD on the CA-2101 near Montenegral. The vehicle was forced off the road by the water of the Guadiaro river that had risen above the road surface, and got trapped, and stopped, by a large rock. It took the fire rescue service two hours to get them to safety, but the car had to be left behind as it proved impossible to pull it out. (Prospero note: This is the same road that local politicians are now demanding repairs and reconditioning for, a subject that comes up every four years, mysteriously coinciding with elections - and always with the same result: nil. See Jimena and Tesorillo on same track but different trains.)

Jimena and Tesorillo on the same track but on different trains

JIMENA/San Martin del Tesorillo (Agencies) Readers will forgive the use of a railway simile when we're talking about roads, but Jimena Mayor Pascual Collado (PSOE - photo, centre, with Councillor Mercedes Segovia and Tesorillo candidate Jesús Solís) was at the offices of Mancomunidad in Los Barrios while Tesorillo Mayoress Belen Jarillo (PP) was just across the road at the Guadacorte Hotel, having called a press conference for yesterday at 10.30 and 11 am respectively. The objective was exactly the same in both instances: to publicize the demand for immediate repairs and widening of the A-2102 and A-2103 roads that connect Tesorillo with San Enrique and the A-7. This are the roads that offer the natural, easiest exit of produce to the Guadiaro Valley and beyond, but are much too narrow for large vehicles and have very deep, dangerous ditches on either side. (Editorial: The objective is the same: to protect drivers on these roads, among other things. Can't the blessed politicians put aside their petty differences even for this cause?)

Flamenco dance classes in Tesorillo

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Press release) Flamenco dance classes will be starting soon under the direction of Isabel Núñez, who has offered her expertise for a number of years now. At a price of €20, these classes are aimed at adults. Classes will be held at the ELA building, where more information is also available, as it is on 956 618 096.

Over €3.72 millions land in Tesorillo

JIMENA/Martín del Tesorillo (Agencies) A single winner on yesterday's Primitiva tFirst Prize grabbed €3,727,450.63. The news came down early this morning when people began gathering at the stand on the main square, Plaza de la Constitución, where the ticket was sold. There was no news about the winner's identity as this was written, but there was a noticeable absence of bank managers at their desks this morning...

Tesorillo independence is closer and unstoppable

San Martin del Tesorillo

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Agencies) Candidates at this year's municipal elections are well aware that, if the Junta gives its blessing -and there is no reason to suppose otherwise- San Martín del Tesorillo (plain Tesorillo to its friends) will become a separate municipality from that of its present one, Jimena de la Frontera, by the end of this year. Naturally, and because the long-sought segregation is at an advanced stage in the complicated process it requires, all candidates support it. A confusion of bureaucratic names may need some clarity for our readers.>

Tesorillo historical property gets approval for ownership by municipality

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Press release) The building known as La Casita de Campo (Little Country Home - though the diminutive is more ironic than real) that was one of many country homes of the Dukes of Larios, and located in San Martín del Tesorillo, will at last become the property of the municipality of Jimena. The procedure, which began several years ago, involved coming to an agreement with the owners of the property, among many things. The property that will be owned by Jimena when the deeds are signed at the end of the present stage of procedures, has a total area of over 8,000 square metres, of which 566.37 belongs to the Casita itself (photo). However, the property will be put to what is described as a socio-economic use and the area on which its stands will be improved and renovated and will probably include development in a variety of ways.