Saturday, 30th June 2007 - No. 135Teide National Park Named as World Heritage Site The Teide National Park on Tenerife has been granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO. The National Park is home to the third largest volcano in the world and the highest peak in Spain, Pico de Teide. It joins the Donana Nature Park in Huelva and Garojonay on the island of La Gomera in the list of such Spanish sites. Million Year Old Human Fossil Found in Spain An excavation team in northern Spain has discovered the oldest human fossils, confirming man's presence in Europe over one million years ago. The fossil, discovered in the Atapuerca Sierra in the northern province of Burgos, is a human tooth. The co-director of research at the site was quoted as saying the tooth could be as old as 1.2 million years. The fossil, which gives a new perspective to human history, was found in the entry to Sima del Elefante, a Pleistocene deposit that was the last to be systematically excavated in Atapuerca. Initial findings suggested it was the remains of an ancestor of Homo antecessor. Seat 600 Celebrates 50 Years The Seat 600 car is celebrated its 50th anniversary this week. The car was the first car ever owned for many Spaniards with waiting lists of more than a year shortly after its launch. Designed by the Italian, Dante Giacosa, the Seat 600 was inspired by the Fiat 500.The model was made for 16 years in several versions with more than 790,000 cars coming off the production line. The first car cost 71,400 pesetas. New Road Safety Laws The Spanish Traffic Authority (DGT) has announced that it is working on a project to modify road safety laws and make headlights obligatory throughout the day in an attempt to reduce fatalities. If the change is approved, legislation could be in place before the end of the year. WWF Criticises Water Transfer Projects in Spain A report from the Spanish branch of the WWF global conservation organisation, WWF/Adena, has warned that the growing popularity of water transfer projects is threatening many rivers in the world, with particular concern for policies in four Spanish regions. They name four transfers between water basins in Spain: the Tajo-Segura pipeline from Castilla-La Mancha to Valencia, Murcia and Almeria, the now shelved project to transfer water from the Ebro River, a project on the cards to transfer water from the Guadiana River to Donana in Andalucia and, currently under construction, transferring water from the Tajo River to the plains of Castilla-La Mancha. The organisation says in a press release that the policies in Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia and Valencia aim to use water transfers to support irrigation and what they call 'unsustainable urbanisations'. Two Arrested for Extortion in Madeleine McCann Case Two people, an Italian man and a Portuguese woman, were arrested in Sotogrande, Cadiz, in the early hours of Thursday morning (28th June) suspected of trying to extort the reward money in the Madeleine McCann case. The Spanish specialised crime Police unit led the operation, carried out on an International arrest order issued in France. It’s understood that the Italian man had contacted the McCann family in what is believed to have been an attempt at extortion, saying he would reveal the location of Madeleine in exchange for the reward money. The second arrest is of a Portuguese woman who was with the Italian at the time. Police are now investigating whether those arrested know the whereabouts of the child or whether it was all invention, but latest indications are that the couple had no idea what happened to Madeleine and were trying to extort the reward money. Spanish Police Arrest Alleged Phone-virus Creator Authorities in Spain charged a 28-year-old man with creating more than 20 different variants of the Cabir and CommWarrior viruses, which could infect mobile phones based on the Symbian operating system, law enforcement officers arrested the man in Valencia, Spain, after a seven-month investigation into the viruses which infected an estimated 115,000 phones, the viruses reportedly contain a reference to "Leslie," which Sophos Security Firm claims is the name of the suspect's fiancée. This latest arrest is not the first for Spanish authorities, in 2003, Spanish police arrested a 23-year-old man on charges of creating and releasing the Raleka worm, which exploited the same vulnerability as the MSBlast worm, however, attacks on mobile phones have dramatically declined in 2007, compared to the year before, according to antivirus firm McAfee. France and Spain World's Top Tourist Destinations France and Spain remained the top two destinations for visitors in 2006 according to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). France has held the top spot for over a decade, recording almost 80 million arrivals in 2006 with Spain in second place with 58.5 million visitors, a position it has held since overtaking the United States in 2004. The rest of the top ten tourist destinations in 2006 are the USA, China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Austria and Russia. El Bulli Owner to Concentrate on Cooking Top Spanish chef, and the owner of the famous El Bulli Restaurant, Ferran Adria, has announced that he will be giving up all his business interests after 2008 to concentrate solely on cooking. He made the announcement during the presentation of two new Spanish books about his famous restaurant. Adria currently owns several companies including a publishing company, and a catering company and is an advisor for NH Hotels. Rich List Grows in Spain The number of rich people in Spain has increased by 6.1% over the past year. There are now more than 150,000 people in the country with more than a million dollars, according to a report from Merril Lynch and Capgemini. The main reason for the increased wealth has been the increase in the stock market and in property prices. Prado Art Exhibition in China Works of art from some of the European masters are being shown in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in what is being described as the essence of the Prado Museum from Madrid. Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch paintings are being shown in the exhibition ‘The Essence of the Prado’ which was opened by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia who have been on a six day visit to the country. The exhibition will remain in Beijing until 24th August before moving to Shanghai. China to Loan Spain a Pair of Pandas China offered Spain a pair of Pandas during the visit of King Juan Carlos as a goodwill gesture to promote ties between the two countries. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the pair of pandas will be the envoy of the Chinese people. Qin did not provide any details of the loan which was announced the day before King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia ended their visit to China. Unique to China, pandas are frequently used by the government as a symbol of goodwill. Loans have been made to the United States and other countries to mark major breakthroughs in relations. Earthquake in Seville Province An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale was registered at 5.53 am today (30 June) with its epicentre in Moron de la Frontera (Sevilla). The quake was felt in several different locations in the provinces of Malaga, Cadiz, Huelva and Seville. According to a communique by the National Geographical Institute, the earthquake was felt with the greatest intensity close to the epicentre, but there have been reports of tremors felt in Olvera (Cadiz), Marbella (Malaga) and in the provincial capitals of Huelva and Seville. Andalucia Regulates Ownership of Exotic Pets Andalucia is to be the first Spanish region to “specifically” ban people from keeping certain wild, exotic or poisonous animals as pets in an attempt to remove the existing “legal vacuum”. Contravention of the ban will be penalised by fines of up to 15,025 Euros. A spokesperson from the Junta de Andalucia explained that once the regulation comes into effect, at the end of this year or the beginning of 2008, it will be illegal to keep animals such as alligators, crocodiles and poisonous snakes as pets, and the ban will also cover reptiles weighing more than two kilos, any primate, wild mammals weighing more than ten kilos and all fish and arthropods whose poison is dangerous for humans. These species will only be allowed to be kept in authorised places such as research centres and zoos. 3rd Malaga Festival of Old Music The Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra is holding its third Festival of Old Music 2007. National and international musicians will offer a complete vision of baroque, Renaissance and medieval music of all styles; vocal, instrumental, formal and thematic. There will be a total of 10 concerts between 28th June and 12th July, which will be held in a variety of scenic settings including the Basilica Santuario Santa Maria de la Victoria, the cathedral, the Canovas Theatre, the church of San Augustin and the Alcazaba. Tickets are available from Canovas Theatre - Tel: 951308902. Chess Competition The Michael Bootello Memorial chess competition will take place next Saturday, 7th July, at Los Caballos restaurant, Alora. The competition starts at 10.00 am and there are 2,000 Euros in prizes to be won. Real Madrid Sack Coach Capello After Winning Title Fabio Capello was fired as coach of Real Madrid less than two weeks after leading the club to its first league title in four years, Madrid's sports director Predrag Mijatovic said the decision, which was widely expected, was made at a board meeting this Thursday whilst the manager was on vacation, he said the club was considering several candidates to replace the Italian coach but would not give any names. Mijatovic said he had presented a report "on all that happened last season" which led to a unanimous decision not to keep Capello, "It was a difficult decision to take knowing that, despite everything, Fabio Capello had a good season. He has worked hard," Mijatovic said. He did not elaborate on the reasons for sacking Capello, saying only that "we felt he wasn't the most suitable person to carry out what we plan to do over the next couple of seasons.” Capello’s season was overshadowed by problems, particularly his unpopular decision to bench David Beckham after the England midfielder signed a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. "A major fault of mine was not to recognize Beckham's potential," Capello said after winning the league title. Chris Coleman Appointed as New Manager of Real Sociedad Chris Coleman, the former Fulham manager, is to take over as manager of Spanish team Real Sociedad next month having agreed terms to lead the San Sebastian club into the 2007-08 campaign. French Grand Prix McLaren overtook Ferrari in final practice today at the Magny-Cours circuit final race in France. Lewis Hamilton finished in first place, followed by Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. Spain's Fernando Alonso finished in eight place. Qualifying ended with Massa on pole and Hamilton second with the race due to start at 2.00 pm tomorrow (1st July). Wimbledon 2007 Spain's Rafael Nadal takes on Robin Soderling of Sweden in the third round at Wimbledon today (30th June). The Spaniard, runner-up in 2006, is the second match on Centre Court. Nadal lost to Roger Federer in last year's final. Kiwis Rally for Thriller Finish to America's Cup In a classic duel on the high seas, the challenger from New Zealand prevailed in a race with eight lead changes to beat defending champion Alinghi and pull ahead 2-1 in the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, which nearly had a crew member fall overboard, won a bow-to-bow battle to the finish for a 25-second win in the best-of-nine series. After the race was delayed for nearly two hours because of the shifting winds, Alinghi owner and afterguard member Ernesto Bertarelli said organizers should have postponed it until Wednesday, ''I don't think the wind should decide the regatta, the competitorsshould decide the race on their ability,'' Bertarelli said after the defeat. ''I think we raced really well, we were just a bit unlucky.'' Special Offers for 1Casa Clients Safeguard Your Investment with Title Insurance Since purchasing a property is possibly one of the most significant investments you will ever make, shouldn’t you have it protected? Insuring the ownership of your property (referred to as “Title”) is just as important as insuring your property and its contents from physical loss or damage, for your complete peace of mind and for the whole time you own the property we can now offer this benefit to you, for more details contact us. Call your Friends and Family FREE at home or abroad. Go to http://301url.com/59aandstart saving money! No special equipment needed, just a computer and your own phone. Try it now, it won't cost you a penny, Cheaper mobile calls too... Need a Visa or Master Card Credit Card but don't have good credit history? We can help! http://301url.com/5eq CHEAP car Hire here http://www.leisurecars.es User Name is 1casa Password is cheap - NO Excess, Great Service... Copyright © 2007 1Casa Affordable Homes, all rights reserved ( but feel free to copy it, post it, think about it, talk to others regarding the contents and send it to friends and family everywhere.Cristina Sanchez 1Casa REALLY Affordable Homes Calle Cantarranas 1, Álora 29500, Málaga, SPAIN UK Callers call FREE 0800 081 1939 In Spain Call 902 021 888 both 24 hours

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This synopsis has been prepared by the staff at 1Casa to give our clients a list of the achievements that the PSOE of Álora have accomplished in 4 years of office, it is NOT a literal translation, we hope anyone who cannot read and understand Spanish as well as others derives  benefit from being able to read it in English.

 

On 25 May 2003 you gave us your support and your confidence so that during 4 years we could govern and manage our Town Hall.

 

Under the Slogan´ Álora Lives´, we presented our Election Programme in which, with your help and collaboration, we brought about the ´Construction of a Great Town, more prosperous and livable for the people who both live in and visit our town.  With this bulletin 4 years of Management 2003-3007¨ the Socialist Party of Álora wishes to inform and quantify the work we have achieved and show you of the projects that we have carried out.

 

Once more, we wish to thank you for your support and confidence and hope that you continue to help us with the struggle and work with us to achieve that Álora will be the town that everyone desires. 

PSOE OF ALORA

 

THE SITUATION IN WHICH WE FOUND THE TOWN HALL AND THE COUNCIL

When we took over the Town Hall, we found it in a state of chaos and ruin, more than 200 million pesetas of unpaid bills, without budgets, a debt of 500 million pesetas, swamped projects put to one side due to lack of finance and, even worse, many Suppliers alarmed by the amount of money owed to them, they were refusing to supply our Town Hall and Council with more materials.

We found Álora ruined, forgotten, without protection, apathetic, with a negative image and deteriorated, a town not even our own people could enjoy.

Included in the necessities and deficiencies even more alarming were the poor condition of the water supply, the lack of reform in our schools and sporting facilities, building projects badly carried out, Nursery´s without water, light and ventilation, lamp posts fitted without cables, prefabricated Medical Centers, temporary buildings used permanently.

During the legislation of the previous Council much damage was done economically to our town, more than 100 million pesetas we have had to pay to 8 Municipal Police Officers due to the Sentence handed down by the Courts, this was due to the fact that the previous Council did not appoint a Lawyer to defend their interests.

 

FIRST ACTS

The first act we carried out was the immediate replacement of the prefabricated Medical Centre, we asphalted the area to create parking, reinforced foundations to compensate for the shortcut that the previous Council had taken in the construction of the Medical Center because of the instability of the ground foundations.  Later we changed the pavements in Calle Carmona to make it better for pedestrians.

 

BETTER ROADS AND BY-ROADS

Over the last 4 years of our management, the main roads along with the byroads have been improved greatly.  We have repaired roads which have been deteriorated for many years such as CANCA, LOS CONEJITOS, BARRIADA DEL PUENTE, BELLAVISTA and the road to EL CHORRO with a cost of more than 400 million pesetas financed by the Regional Board of Andalucía.  Many other roads are also under review for their future improvement, we have repaired in total more than 30 dirt tracks (ANEALES, LA SORDA, ATALAYA, LA MADRILEÑA, LOS PILONES, JURADO, LAJA PRIETA, SABINA, etc).  In these past 4 years we have invested more than previous Governments have in 10 years with a cost of more than 3 million Euros.

 

 

PROGRAME ´KNOW AND ENJOY ANDALUCIA´

Over these last 4 years in office, we have organized a series of journeys for the people of Álora, for youngsters, women and pensioners to places such as Cazola, Cortes de la Frontera, Marbella, Chiclana, La Costa Tropical, Zafra, Huelva, Mójacar and Almuñecar.  We have in these 4 years tried to offer an alternative culture for the people of Álora, places to visit and enjoy!

 

PROJECTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND PROTECTION SOCIAL / AGRICULTURAL (AEPSA)

During these last 4 years we have invested in building materials and labour, more than 3 million Euros in work in our town in different areas.  These have given us solutions and answers to the demands presented to us by our neighbours, which in the past have been ignored by previous Councils.  We have solved a series of problems inherited from years past such as streets, green zones, squares, water supplies etc. with the sole intention of making Álora more habitable.

 

MORE FREE PARKING

One of the more urgent problems has been the lack of parking.  We have created more than 600 parking spaces at a cost of over 1 million euro’s, including Calle Carmona, signposted and with lights.  Besides garden areas we have created such zones in Peñon Gordo along with asphalting and lighting the access to the Cemetery San Jose and, just as we promised, these areas are totally free of charge.

 

HOUSING

Although Legislation problems have not allowed us to construct more officially protected housing, mainly due to the fact that the previous Council sold much of the land such as plots in La Barriada del Puente, Cerro Las Viñas and the plots in front of the Employment Center. We have managed to acquire sufficient land to build houses designated to young families. 

Over the past 4 years more than 200 families have been able to reform their houses at a cost of over 1.5 million Euros.  During these 4 years we must add that over 750 building licenses have been granted to the people of Álora.

 

 

 

 

MORE EFFECTIVE SECURITY

Álora has the lowest crime rate in all of the Valle del Guadalhorce.  As we promised in our Electoral Program, we have doubled the number of local Police and Civil Protection units along with improved systems of communication and vehicles along with a Fire Station; we are now protected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

 

MORE EMPLOYMENT AND TRADE WORKSHOPS

One of our objectives has been to improve the levels of employment and learning of Trades to create a present and future for our workforce.  We have created over 100 courses; the budget has increased from only 10,000 Euros in 2003 to the sum of 200,000 Euros in the year 2007.

We have also created workshops for people wishing to learn about computers, Trades and Handicrafts along with Job Seeking.  For the first time in it´s history Álora now has offices for Employment and Crafts.

 

A STRONG INVESTMENT IN SPORT

We have strongly promoted Sport in Álora, with the reforms and promotions in all of the sporting facilities including the Indoor Stadium, the Football Ground in the Barriada del Puente, we have built a new Sports Ground in La Trocha and opened the Municipal Gymnasium fully equipped with the latest equipment.  We have also created Sports Schools, a local Basketball League along with competitions for local Football Teams.  We have held the Volleyball Final of Andalucía televised live, the Bicycle Tour of Andalucía now passes through Álora.  In athletics we now have a Marathon for the streets of Álora breaking all previous records for participation.

 

THEATRE CERVANTES OF ÁLORA

One of the previously unfinished Projects we have completed is the Cinema Theatre thanks to a subsidy by the Provincial Government of 600,000 Euros.  In April 2005 we opened the Theatre Cervantes of Álora in honour of the celebrated Author who lived some of his life in Álora.

 

MONUMENT FOR THE ´CANTE POR MALAGUEÑAS´

Álora ´The cradle of Malaga´ has always been seen historically as the cradle of the type of music known as ´Malagueñas´.  We have now created a monument to this historical fact at a cost of 100,000 Euros, we now have a permanent testimony to our heritage in the form of a magnificent Statue – Sculpture set in a lit garden at the end of the new access road entrance to the town.

 

CULTURE, PERFORMANCES AND YOUTH

Along with the opening of Theatre Cervantes, the cultural aspect of Álora has improved greatly in quantity and quality.  For our town has seen performances such as ´Malaga en Flamenco´, Ýerma´, Biznagas´etc.  Our Theatre has become the most visited in all of the Guadalhorce Valle.

We now have music, drama and dance workshops, cultural visits to museums, our own magazine of Poetry and Art.  There are Art Exhibitions, Municipal Bands etc.  Besides Concerts and Live Music Acts from Flamenco to Hip Hop, during our Feria in August we have contracted leading National Artists such as Melendi, Chnoa, Junior, Manuel Carrasco and David de Maria.

 

GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

We have invested more than 350 million pesetas in Education in our town; one of the most important has been the reform and equipment of all our schools along with the creation of access to the University of Malaga (Belaerasmus).  We have completely remodeled the Instituto Las Flores, Valle Del Sol and the Colleges, Los Llanos, El Hacho, Guadalhorce, Cervantes, Bermejo, Arco Iris and La Gavia.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF CHILDRENS PARKS AND NURSERIES

The construction of the Children´s Park in Avenida Cervantes has been one of the most needed, we have created a zone where children can have fun and learn at the same time in addition to adding quality of life to the town of Álora.  Comfortable benches, trees along with modern equipment and child friendly design have made this a very popular area for both children and adults.

 

LEISURE AND COMMERCIAL CENTER ´LA CANCULA´

As promised and with the collaboration of the local business organization (AECA) we are now constructing the Commercial Centre ´La Cancula´.  This Centre will greatly improve the commercial activity in Álora and create an area of leisure.  Along with the reforms carried out in the Fuente de Mania we have invested over 13 million Euros creating over 100 jobs.  The total area will cover over 4,000m2 in shops and offices along with underground parking for 100 cars.  The new Tax and Employment Offices will be moved to this area, there will an Exposition Centre for Conferences, and this represents a vast improvement in Commerce and Leisure in our town of Álora.

 

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

As promised we have carried out large investments in the purchase of Garbage Containers, trucks and machinery to clean both.  Increased staff in these areas have been deployed and there is advice to residents in the area of Environmental awareness, the creation of green zones and their corresponding maintenance.

At a cost of 120,000 Euros we have carried out the re-forestisation of the Cerro de Las Torres (Castle hill) along with the cleaning of the Guadalhorce river bed.

 

COMPUTER SKILLS AND ACCESS

We have renovated and created a computer Centre in the Town Hall and the Casa de la Cultura, created our own website www.alora.es.  In the Casa de la Cultura the use of computers is free of charge and assistance available.  Soon a similar Center will be opened in the Barriada del Puente.

 

FOOTBALL STADIUM WITH ASTRO TURF

At the moment we are finishing the new Football Ground, the project costs are around 1.2 million Euros with a capacity for over 600 spectators.  This includes Floodlights, Dressing Rooms and a Gymnasium.

 

INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

At a cost of 2 million Euros we will soon have a new, modern climatized indoor pool next to the College of Los Llanos, it will have a total of 1,900m2 of construction, consisting of a laminated wooden roof, large glass windows to admire the views, Offices, Dressing Rooms, Toilets and a Cafeteria.

 

NEW MEDICAL CENTRE

Thanks to the magnificent work by our Mayor soon we will at last have a fully equipped and staffed Medical Centre, one of the best in the Province of Malaga, at a cost of over 21 million Euros.

 

NEW ACCESS ROAD FROM THE NORTH

The construction of the new road has been a priority of the Town Hall.  At a cost of 2,600,000 Euros we have greatly improved the access to Álora from the North.

 

ÁLORA, THE TOWN THAT HAS INVESTED MORE FROM THE YEAR 2003 – 2007

In these last 4 years we have carried out the most investment than any other town in the Guadalhorce Valley to improve the infrastructure and quality of life for all residents and visitors.

 

Last year we saw the visit to Álora by the President of Government.  ÁLORA LIVES is our Slogan, thanks to your support these things have been possible and in the next 4 years we aim to improve the quality of life in Álora further.

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