EWN FRONT EXTRA
New arrival THE first baby born in Costa Tropical in 2015 was a boy named Antonio from Motril. Weighing 2.7 kilos, he came into the world at 2.10am.
Free cake MORE than 5,000 free pieces of Roscon de Reyes (typical cake eaten on Three Kings’ Day) were given out in Torre del Mar last Saturday by local bakery, Panaderia Salvador.
Lucky town THE ONCE lottery brought €9.3 million to Canillas de Aceituno. One seller, Jose Antonio Abolafio from VelezMalaga, sold the tickets.
First concert ATARFE Symphony Orchestra performed a New Year’s concert at Almuñecar’s Casa de la Cultura. Pieces included the Hungarian Dances by Brahms and the Light Cavalry by Suppe.
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Tram service controversy rumbles on in Velez-Malaga THE mayor of Velez-Malaga has condemned the Junta de Andalucia regional government for failing to provide a response to a request for financial aid to bring back the tram service. Mayor Francisco Delgado Bonilla claims that all the technical documents requested by the regional government were deposited at the Autonomous Administration more than four weeks ago, but that the council has not yet received a response. “There are no possible excuses,” said Mayor Bonilla. “We have not heard from them, by letter or any other way, about the possibility of negotiating a solution that they promised
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to us a long time ago.” The Junta had committed to help pay 75 per cent - about €3
million - of the service’s deficit during a visit by former president Manuel Chaves in 2009,
according to the mayor. With a cost of €40 million, the tram service became operational in 2006, but was closed in 2012 due to its high running costs, and was leased out in July of 2013 to Sydney (Australia), where it was to stay for a period of two years. However, the first of three cars made a surprise return to the town in November 2014, and the other two were brought back in December. Bonilla stressed the will of the local government to bring back the service, but also emphasised that it would not be possible unless the Junta de Andalucia helped to pay the bills.
No children without a toy RESIDENTS of Almuñecar have once again shown their kind-heartedness by taking part in the traditional campaign to help poorer families with Three Kings’ gifts. Called ‘No children without a toy’, the campaign has drawn hundreds of citizens and
associations, and numbers have only increased since it was first introduced 20 years ago. Fifty per cent of the budget’s campaign is paid for by the council, while the rest is based on donations. A group of British expats donated €2,000, adding to
the amount that topped all records. More than 340 children from 200 local families received presents from the Three Kings, thanks to the campaign. Families had to apply at the Social Services Centre in order to be considered as recipients.