PLAYA ANCHA HOPES TO PICK UP BLUE FLAG STATUS

Playa Ancha is hoping to win Blue Flag status in 2015. Inspectors from the European Environmental Education Foundation have been visiting the beach recently to assess whether it meets the requirements for the prestigious Blue Flag status. the beach must provide a range of services for users including lifeguards, permanent waste bins, and showers. The water qua lit of the beach will also be tested. The councillor for beaches, Juan Jesus Rodriguez, has stressed that winning Blue Flag status would be an important boost for Playa Ancha. He said that this year has seen an increase in tourist visitors to the beach and an absence of jellyfish that plagued the beaches in recent summers.

CASARES LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO KEEP THE TOWN CLEAN

The ayuntamiento has distributed a leaflet to all residents reminding them of measures to keep Casares clean. The information sheet contains information on the hours of the rubbish collection, the ban on feeding animals in public and the law to scoop after poop with your dogs. The leaflet is being distributed door to door and the local police will ensure that all the bye laws are complied with. Rubbish bags can be left in the street between 11 pm and 6 am and collection is at 7 am. The ayuntamiento reminds people that feeding  cats and pigeons is prohibited in public areas as dog owners must scoop after their dogs poop.

BEACH ALERT AT PIEDRA PALOMA IS CALLED OFF AFTER ORANGE STAIN TURNS OUT TO BE FISH ROE

A beach alert was declared at Piedra Paloma on Wednesday after a large orange stain was spotted in the sea. Lifeguards banned swimming after the alert and local police marked out the area between Torre de la Sal and Piedra Paloma until the origin of the material was discovered. However it was soon confirmed that the orange material in the sea was fish roe and the green flag status was restored. Local fishermen realised that the material was fish eggs and that it was not a health threat.

A NEW TOURIST GUIDE FOR CASARES IN ENGLISH HAS BEEN LAUNCHED

A new tourist guide in English, Discover Casares, has been launched. The guide has been edited by Casares resident, Briton Heather Burrell. Discover Casares is a thirty page booklet containing all sorts of relevant information for English speaking visitors to the Casares area. Ten thousand copies have been produced and the guide will be distributed at tourist offices from Malaga to Gibraltar. The guide has been financed by the ayuntamiento and those who collaborated in the production include catering, hospitality and tourist companies. It has information on the historic Casares quarter as well as major holidays and events.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Over 200 children are attending this year’s summer schools in Casares and Secadero. The kids will have a wide range of activities, including sports, culture and recreation. The school runs for four weeks in Casares and for July and August in Secadero.

THE MEDIEVAL MARKET IS BEING HELD IN CASARES THIS WEEKEND

The Medieval Market is being held in Casares this weekend and runs from today until Sunday. This major tourist attraction attracts visitors from all over the Costa del Sol. The streets of the town take on a medieval character for the three day event. The weekend’s activities begin this afternoon with a parade and continues with street theatre, juggling, concerts, magic shows, medieval music and the Dance of the Fireflies which close the festival on Sunday night. During the festival the streets will be filled with many stalls selling local produce, including food and arts and crafts. 

THE BLAS INFANTE AWARDS WILL BE HANDED OUT AT A GALA CEREMONY TOMORROW

Tomorrow is the birthday of Blas Infante, the father of Andalucia and native of Casares, and it will be marked with the announcement of this year’s solidarity awards at a gala ceremony. The awards are worth 50,000 Euro, that’s 0.7 per cent of the municipal budget and they are given to projects that support international development and co-operation. This year there were 49 applicants for the awards and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Blas Infante Cultural Centre at 12 noon tomorrow. The large number of entries this year highlights the fact that many agencies are suffering financial hardship having had their subsidies withdrawn. Representatives of various NGO’s will attend the special ceremony which should not be missed.

TWO MAJOR FIRES ARE DEALT WITH BY EMERGENCY SERVICES THIS WEEK

There were tow major fires in the Casares area on Tuesday which caused great alarm and plumes of black smoke which were visible for miles. The first fire broke out on the Manilva river, close to the Hedionda Baths, between the twons of Casares and Manilva. The fire destroyed about 600 square metres of reeds on the riverbank. It was brought under control  in an hour by local police from Casares and Manilva, the Guardia Civil, local firefighters and a helicopter. The second fire which broke out after 5 o’ clock in the afternoon was at the Solid Waste Plant at Los Pedregales and following a 112 emergency call to local police in Casares, all staff were evacuated and the area cordoned off. Three helicopters as well as firefighters from Casares, Manilva and Estepona fought the blaze which proved difficult to control because so many plastic and cardboard bales were on fire.  Police in Casares have advised anyone spotting a fire to immediately call 112.

UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS FOR THE FOURTH MONTH IN A ROW IN CASARES

Unemployment has dropped in Casares for the fourth consecutive month in a row. The latest figures show the jobless figure at 474 in June, that’s a drop of 12 on the previous month. A similar trend was reported in Estepona where there were 380 less people on the dole, making a total figure of 6,444. Unemployment also fell in Manilva where the jobless figure for June was 1,199. The overall trend was repeated throughout Malaga province where the uneployment figure for June was 189,769, a drop of 6,612 than in May. The latest figures show that unemployment is at its lowest since 2011. However the trade unions say that much of the improvement is due to seasonal factors and the increase in service jobs during the summer months.