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ISSUE NO. 1744
6 - 12 December 2018
Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018
A XARQUÍA - C OSTA T ROPICAL YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Pride of the hillside By Tom Woods THE renowned dry stone walls of Arenas, Axarquia, have been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO. They have been in place for centuries, with a clear function of protecting the land from erosion and creating favourable conditions for cultivation. Now this feature, which is also seen in other parts of Spain, and countries like Croatia, France, Greece, Italy and Switzerland, has been included by UNESCO on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The stone walls were also erected by farmers in the hills of Axarquia to assist in the planting of olives, grapevines and wheat. Moreover, they helped to prevent landslides, floods and avalanches. According to UNESCO, “these structures do not harm the environment and are an example of a balanced relationship between human beings and nature.” Axarquia’s Ecologists in Action group said in a statement: “The region of Axarquia could not have been sustained without an agricultural technique being introduced on land that was very difficult to cultivate. “These small walls follow the contours of the hills with ingenious use of local stone.” The multi-purpose structures fortified the hillside against erosion from rain, and also helped to provide a natural irrigation system. However, landslides did occur which destroyed the walls and they would have to be rebuilt by the farmers. Dry stone walls were also used to construct huts, shelters for shepherds and miners,
and snow defences. The famous Casa de la Nieve, near the top of La Maroma, was built with the same stone techniques. They are not exclusive to Andalucia, and can also be seen in Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cataluña, Extremadura, Galicia and Valencia. However, changes in agricultural methods and the emergence of subtropical crop cultivation like avocados and mangos, have led to some stone walls in other regions falling into disrepair.
STURDY STONES: The walls are now getting global recognition.
Demanding answers POLITICIANS in VelezMalaga are demanding to know how much an overturned decision to sack a local police chief has cost the taxpayer. Members of the Partido Popular and Izquierda Unida have called on Mayor Antonio Moreno Ferrer to answer questions about the council’s decision in February 2017 to get rid of Esteban Torres, Chief of the Local Police, due to ‘loss of confidence.’ Members of the Izquierda Unida claimed the
council had received ‘bad legal advice’ when it took the decision, which has since been overturned. A judge has now ruled Torres should be reinstated and back paid the salary he stopped receiving more than 18 months ago. He had been replaced in the interim by Anderes Montoya de Hombre. The court explained Velez-Malaga Council has not been: ‘In any way competent to agree to the decision, since the power lay only and exclusively with the mayor.’
Cancer risk WORKERS have removed a telephone antenna accused of causing cancer on Torrox Costa. Torrox Council confirmed the news after residents of the small neighbourhood between Torrox and El Morche campaigned for the removal of the antenna for 18 years, claiming it was ‘responsible’ for causing the cancer and death of at least four people. The urbanisation of only 300 people say the antenna provided by Orange Spain SA has been making people ill.