Tuesday 10th February

Had a good talk with Candido this morning about outstanding issues etc.

First of all following publicity in the Focus magazine about a court case listed for April, in the Focus magazine and a question raised by a reader, Candido confirmed that that case was in relation to a development called Cortijo Zurano out near Almajalejo and is the 3rd time this case has been heard and he has no idea whether this will be a final hearing or not but will update us.

Secondly I asked whether all the TH workers were back at work yet (following the end of the annual leave year) in order to progress the outstanding maintenance work. He said some were but Paco would not be back until the end of the month. I said that the list of maintenance issues was getting longer and he promised to do his best to get all issues on my list attended to as soon as they were all back at work. That included the street lights issues, the other maintenance issues, and the installation of the street plan for Los Llanos (which is sitting waiting in the workshop to be erected). I also asked him to add to their list the hole in Calle Malta caused when the TH workmen repaired the sewer pipe last summer as it was an issue.

I had had an emil from a  resident about the installation of an irrigation control pipe system to the back wall of a residents property near the pool bar. He asked me to go there with him to se it. I did and that area is really coming on they have planted a whole lot more trees and plants and two irrigation systems, one for each side of the landscaped area. He informed me that we will be building small casitas to cover these control pipes and he hoped that was ok with the residents but that if anyone had a problem with the location of the installation he would move them.

I asked when we were likely to get Calle Finlandia and Calle Escocia repaired, following the agreement with the Dipitacion, to provide the funds last October. He said that although Finlandia was included Calle Escocia had not been included however, he has promised to get both repaired in the next 4 to 5 weeks.

I informed him that the grading work required on Calle Miguel de Cervantes, Palaces, and Calle Ulla, Los Carasoles, had not yet been done and he agreed to raise it with the people who had promised to do that work to try and get it done.

I asked him to confirm that the pipework being installed in the rambla between Los Llanos and Cuesta de los Pinos was the second stage in the sewerage treatment infrastructure and he confirmed that that was the case.

As usual I will try and email everyone who asked about these, or other issues which I have not covered on here, but if I miss you out please contact me.

P.A. Meeting

I was called to a meeting last night with a couple of senior members of the Partido Andalucista (P.P.) from Almeria in relation to reestablishing an effective party within Zurgena.

As many of you know within Spain there are currently 2 main political parties Partido Popular and P.S.O.E. respectively the right and left of the political spectrum. As you are probably also aware, if you have been reading this blog for the past 8 years, I was asked by P.A. (a middle way and one which has always fought strongly for local issues within Andalucia) to stand in the elections in 2007 as a representative of the expat community (and by the way the only party to openly involve our community in local politics over the past 10 years!).

The reason the meeting was convened was to formalise the standing of the party within Zurgena and organise a committee to manage that. For some reason (not quite sure how) I have ended up on that committee! Not only that, but, as a member of this committee, I needed to fully join the party and therefore sign a direct debit for my monthly subscription to the party. So now, not only do I not get paid anything, I have to pay for the privilege, but it is only €5 every 2 months!

The meeting was over after 2 hours and we will now prepare compiling our list of persons who we will present to fight the next election in May. If, as I mentioned in an earlier post, anyone is willing to get involved please let me know.

Voting

If you have previously had voting rights (for the 4 yearly, municipal elections which will be held in May) you will continue to have that right. If you have not previously registered to vote there is only one opportunity to register now and that is between the 6th and 13th April. Don't ask me why but there is this one week window for individuals to register, if they had failed to do so before the end of last year.

There is another set of elections on 22nd March but these are not ones we can vote in their are the Andalucia regional elections. They have been brought forward, I suspect, by the politicians currently in power, due to the rise of the Podemos party, who are similar to the Syria party in Greece e.g. anti austerity!

Wednesday 21st January

Apologies for tardiness of this post but for the past week or more I have been trying to progress a couple of important issues for some residents and therefore did not want to divert attention from that by pushing the lesser issues but as things seem to have moved in in regard to these issues I look the opportunity to raise some if the issues today.

Firstly no recent news on the PGOU but none was expected for a few months yet.

Regarding the bowling green, and, due to a small advert in one of the local newspapers which showed bowling available, I asked why or how that could be advertised. I was told that we do not even have the keys to the bowling green yet (as I suspected) because we have no yet signed off the contract with Nila and so they still hold the keys. We are trying to formulate an agreed way forward, in order that we may invite tenders to manage the green, and install the necessary infrastructure, to make it a valuable facility for the village. So please be patient these things have to be done in accordance with various bureaucratic processes to comply with the laws here. I will post on here as soon as anything moves forward.

I again raised the issue about Calle Ulla and Calle Miguel de Cervantes, (Palaces) and Candido did tell me that he has raised these issues with the people who can help and he will remind them over the next week or two and try to get them seen to.

I raised a number of other issues about electric street lights (both the activation and replacement and included areas such as Los Llanos, Los Menchones and others) and he told me that, at this moment in time, it was a question of getting the manpower needed to do the work. Many of the TH workers are using up their annual leave entitlement and this leaves us very short of availability at the moment. He is aware of what is needed where and he assured me that as soon as we get the staff back to normal levels he will attend to these issues in rotation.

We have a number of road humps in the store now and we will try and get those installed in the area most in need but again this will be over the next few weeks/months.

The posts are in for the street plan for Los Llanos and the sign should get erected shortly, however we are having problems with the siting of the one for the pool area, due to the landowner not being happy. As mentioned previously we will have to get the bottom panel of the sign amended and install it on the other side of the road from where we wanted it to go.

I asked on behalf of a few of you about how residents can ensure they can vote in the upcoming local elections. Juan Jo advised that anyone can pop in to check with the Town Hall to see if they are so recorded but even if they are not there is another opportunity to register which is within 15 days for eh National announcement of the due date of the elections. This has not yet been announced.

The driver of the TH lorry asked if I would put a mention on here regarding the dumping of rubbish at the back of the Guardia Civil station in La Alfoquia. This is not a public dumping area and people should not use it as such. They have moved four lorry loads so far and have about another 4 to do. They will put a sign up.

On the Padron checklist this week are the following names,
Gordon and Josephine ANDERSON, Ethan BIRD, Joanne Lee BRADLEY, Stephen George CAINS, Barbara Jan DECKER, John Terence and Maureeen DUDLEY, Claire <Louise LYNN, Heather Donna MORRISON, Ian and Diane POSTLES, Ronald George SKINNER,Raymond Roy THREADER, Lynn Elizabeth WALKER and Brian WALKER.
As usual if anyone recognises any of the names please ask them to pop into the TH to confirm they should still be on the padron, if that is the case.

Library

Just a short post re the library.

Was pleased that Jacqueline was able to get there to help start on recording the books which have been donated. We spent about an hour and Jackie an hour longer  writing down the details in the ledger of the library. I think it may take a few more days to document and classify all the english books there. The next day Jacqueline will be at the library to continue is next Tuesday morning. The library is open from 9.0am in the morning Tuesday toThursday if anyone else could help her next week let me know.

Progress

Well the New Year has started and slowly things are getting back to normal.

Spent a bit of time with Paco and Candido this morning, deciding where we could site the new street plans, for the Pool bar area and Los Llanos del Peral. The latter was easy as it can be installed at the fork in the road on the approach to Los Llanos. The first one was much more difficult and the final decision means we need to get the sign slightly altered. Due to the fact that the TH does not want to spoil the nice approach to this area e.g. the garden and the fact the both side of the approach road are privately owned it was decided that the best place was at the bottom of the hill before you climb up to the development. So that is where they will go.

I informed Candido of the need to give some attention to Calle Ulla in Los Carasoles, and Carl Von Linneo by the cemetery and he made a note of it to see what could be done.

Still waiting the go ahead for Calle Finlandia etc re repairs.

Street light bulb replacement programme and installations is still ongoing but some of the workers have been taken off to install a pavement for the schoolchildren on the street outside their school in La Alfoquia.and Carl Von Linneo.

Short list for Padron checks. If you on the following list could call into the TH when it is convenient to confirm you should still be on the Padron please, thank you
Robert Burns, Calle Eslovenia, Colin and Susan Dawson Calle Miguel de Cervantes, Alan and Gina Hadfield, Calle Nervion, Elizabeth Higgins, Barro Chicago, Janice Louise Peters, Barro Chicago, Christopher Pottle, Calle Sierra de Hornachuelos, Doreen Walsh, Calle Amapola.

I have emailed other individuals directly, regarding other issues, not requiring publication on here and those whose names are on the Padron check who I know.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all readers.

As we start off this one we have numerous rumours and political posturing in advance of our local elections in May. I do not propose boring people with all the preamble of this but, as and when, any important concrete developments emerge I will add. I do still ask that if anyone wishes to get involved to contact me. Particularly ladies as the parties try to meet the balanced quotas on their lists. Anyone so interested need not speak fluent Spanish but preferably live here most of the year. Just give me a call or drop me an email.

Secondly a reminder that the Church of England are to commence their regular church service at the little village church in Los Llanos del Peral this coming Sunday at 11.00am. Reverend Williams has decided to possibly try a bring and share celebratory lunch to launch the service. Fuller details will follow. This follows the fantastic turnout at the Carol Service, where all seats were taken and people were standing in the aisles!

Regarding the TH I have not yet had a chance to go in since returning from the UK but will do later this week. They are working today but obviously off tomorrow. You may have noticed that the new light bulbs are all being replaced. At last.

The son of a friend of mine has launched a form of mobile telephone interpreting service which may help or be appropriate for some people at times. His name is Alex Mortimer Abad and he is based in Albox. His service is available through the following number. He is trying to provide a service similar to that which existed some years ago here, where, if you are stuck somewhere, and need to use a Spanish speaker for whatever purpose, you ring his number and he deals with it. His number is 672851951.

Oh yes and if anyone knows of someone wanting to sell a decent second hand Spanish registered car please let me know as a neighbour due out in a few weeks is looking for one. He added lately that he would like "a car about 5/6 years old and up to 60k"