Arrecife council has been criticised for its decision to move carnival celebrations from the centre of the city to a site near the Cabildo building. In past years, open air dances and celebrations have taken place in the centre of Arrecife, providing plenty of custom for surrounding bars and restaurants. However, this year Arrecife has decided to locate the celebrations, which carry on well into the early hours, on the Recinto Ferial site near the Cabildo.
Enrique Per8Ez Parilla, Arrecife’s Mayor, justified the move on the grounds of security and easier policing, saying “There’s absolutely no need that the celebrations should take place in the centre.” However he has been criticised by many carnival-goers, who see the move as an attempt to marginalise carnival and break with tradition.
Meanwhile, there are concerns in Puerto Del Carmen that the road works on the Avenida De Las Playas will not be completed in time for the carnival parade on 28th February. Tias Ayuntamiento has assured carnival-goers that the Avenida will be ready, but locals have taken this with a pinch of salt, recalling that the Council also promised in a formal letter to local businesses that the works would be finished by the New Year.

The Canaries saw a 39% drop in the number of fatal road accidents last year. The figure is the highest fall ever and reflects the effect of the new points-based driving licence, as well as road safety campaigns.
57 persons died in road accidents last year, whereas 78 deaths were recorded in 2007. The figures have fallen every year since 2003, when 91 died. In Las Palmas province the figure fell by almost 50%, from 52 to 27 deaths. The good figures were matched in almost every community in Spain.

David Infante, a 35-year old surfer, died on the 1st of January while riding the notorious wave known as El Quemao at La Santa. David, known as “El Fula”, was well-known among the surfing community, many of whom turned out for a memorial service the day following his death. David tumbled from his board and was dragged underwater by a large wave, where he received a fatal blow to the head on the rocky sea bed.

January saw a number of demonstrations in Lanzarote, in opposition to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and in support of 13 workers sacked by San Bartolome Ayuntamiento. Arrecife saw two demonstrations against the attacks on Gaza, which were well attended by trade unionists, left-wing parties and immigrants’ associations. And later in the month, hundreds of workers protested in San Bartolome at the sacking of 13 council workers.
San Bartolome's Mayor, Marcial Martin, justified the sackings by saying the crisis had left the council without money, but the UGT union demanded his resignation claiming poor money management.

A minibus containing seven tourists has collided with a car on the road from Maciot to Femes. There were no injuries, but the accident could have been much worse. The narrow road and hairpin bends leading to Femes from the Maciot roundabout were the scene of a terrifying incident when a car collided with a bus containing seven tourists, including a child.
Both vehicles narrowly avoided being pitched into the deep barranco below. The wet weather is believed to have contributed to the accident. The driver of the car has since denounced the lack of crash barriers on “such a dangerous road.”

Lanzarote airport saw a fall in passenger numbers of 18.5% in December 2008, the worst figures in the Canaries. However, the decrease in passengers over the whole year of 2008 was 3.3% on 2007, which may be better than many expected following the fall of operators such as XL and Futura during the last year.
The figures also showed that, for the second year running, Madrid’s Barajas Airport is the airport that brings most passengers to Lanzarote, followed by Gando in Gran Canaria. London’s Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport bring up third and fourth places. Meanwhile, the Cabildo’s end of year statistical report into tourism shows that All Inclusive packages have risen from 18% in 2007 to 27% in 2008. The average spending per day by tourists has also fallen from just under DB40 to just over DB35, with British tourists spending the least on average.
The strength of the Euro against the pound (the two currencies were almost at parity before Christmas) is undoubtedly a contributory factor to this figure. However, the vast majority of visitors said they were “very happy” with their holidays, and once again the figures confirmed that Lanzarote’s repeat visitors constitute its most important market.

Matthew Vickers, 36, has been appointed as the new British Consul for the Canary Islands after the departure of Steve Jones to take the Consul’s post in Malaga. Matthew, originally from Liverpool, has extensive experience in management with Safeway and Scottish & Newcastle, and arrived in Tenerife to take up his new position in mid-January.
He told the Gazette: “I’m immensely pleased to be here, and can’t wait to start mucking in. Steve set up a great team which I’m lucky to inherit. I shall continue to make this a modern service that is here to meet the needs of the British community.” Matthew’s parents are regular holidaymakers on Lanzarote, and Matthew is already learning the ex-pat ropes as he settles into his new job. A keen amateur historian in his spare time, he can’t wait to discover more about the islands.
The teams in Las Palmas and Tenerife remain unchanged otherwise, and will continue as normal.

The Las Palmas Port authority has authorised 1.7 million for improvements and new jobs at Puerto de Los Marmoles, the island’s main commercial and cruise port. 125 jobs will be created at the port, and improvements will be made to roads, buildings and other infrastructure in an attempt to bring the port into the 21st century.
The state of the port was one of the main drawbacks to proposed new shipping lines to Morocco, and with cruise tourism becoming more and more lucrative for the island every season, it has long been known that improvements were needed. 191 cruisers, including some of the biggest leisure ships in the world, docked at Marmoles last year, bringing almost a quarter of a million visitors to the island. This year at least 219 more are scheduled to arrive.
As a result, the Cabildo has also planned to construct a pathway for those tourists who wish to walk to Arrecife, which will start in February and is due to be completed by the end of the year. There are also plans for a smaller cruise pier in Puerto Naos, closer to the capital.

Lanzarote was horrified to hear of the murder of Expedita Santana, whose body was discovered in the sea at Mala on Sunday 7th December. Expedita, aged 35, had spent many years living rough in Arrecife and was a familiar sight to many on the streets of the capital begging for a loose change or a sandwich.
Originally from Gran Canaria, she fell into a lifestyle of drugs and was described by an acquaintance as “a child in an adult’s body.” Despite her lifestyle, Sister Ana of the Calor y Café drop in centre said “she loved to be clean and wear fashionable clothes.” The nun who works voluntarily with many of the city’s homeless said “There are no words for this crime.”
Silences were observed for Expedita in the Cabildo and the Canarian Government. The Guardia Civil are investigating and initial reports indicate that she was taken to Mala in a car, possibly by more than one person.

Puerto Calero hosted the final competition in the RC44 sailing category world circuit in mid-December, attracting some of the most important sailing teams in the world. The RC44 category is at the cutting edge of competitive sailing, and the competition is rapidly approaching the elite status of the Americas Cup.
Puerto Calero was chosen as the venue for the final date in this year’s circuit, following competitions in Dubai, Trieste and the Lake Garda in Italy. The most famous participant to arrive in Lanzarote was Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle and classed as one of the five richest men in the world.

Parking in Arrecife is bad enough at the best of times, but it could get a whole lot worse after a court judgement meant that all big car parks in Arrecife are now illegal. The seven storey car park on C/Fajardo was declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Las Palmas last month, meaning that it followed the car park on Boulevard Spinola and the Islas Canarias underground car park below the Gran Hotel.
All hotels have been found to violate planning laws and could theoretically face demolition. However, just like the illegal hotels, it is likely that the car parks will remain operative for some time until solutions are found.

Ryanair has cancelled all flights to and from Fuerteventura from the end of this month after it claimed that the AEI, a local professional tourism organization, had not fulfilled its side of a contract. Ryanair, who also pulled out of Valencia recently for similar reasons, demand advertising subsidies from local tourist groups that have been estimated as up to €9 per tourist, and the AEI had been trying to negotiate paying in installments. However, the Irish budget airline was having none of it.
The decision will have serious consequences for tourism on Fuerte: Ryanair brought thousands of tourists with 23 weekly flights from the UK, Ireland and Germany. However, the island had the biggest rise in tourism even before Ryanair arrived, and many islanders hope that other airlines will step in to service the demand.

The founder of the Lanzarote Independence Party, Dimas Martín, spent Christmas at home after finally receiving the “third degree” classification from Tahiche Prison. The new classification means that Martín, who is serving a sentence for corruption, will be able to spend his days out of the prison, returning at night to sleep there.
Martin was originally released in late 2007, but the third degree classification was overturned and Martin has remained in prison since.

The main dates for Lanzarote’s main carnivals next month are Arrecife Carnival Grand Parade: Mon 23rd February Arrecife Burial of the Sardine:Wednesday 25th Feb Puerto Del Carmen Carnival will take place on 26th-28th February and the grand parade will almost certainly be on Sat 28th. Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca parades will take place on the two following Saturdays.

The Lanzarote Business Association held an open meeting at the Gran Hotel on 16th December which was described as a “huge success” by one of the founders, Daniel Trigg. Around 70 people turned up to hear addresses by Daniel, Tias Tourist Councillor Gertraud Gfoeller, and LBA representatives Merethe Thortveit and Sarah English. Many signed up to the association afterwards.
The LBA, which plans to assist local organizations to promote tourism on Lanzarote, will soon be setting up an office and a website. Until then, you can contact them on lanzaroteba@gmail.com

An aircraft carrying 80 passengers from Glasgow only just avoided disaster after a difficult landing on October 31st. A change in wind direction forced the plane to approach Arrecife airport from the north, rather thanc oming in over the sea as usual.
Witnesses said that the plane came down “high and late”, and, when it finally came to rest, the nose of the plane was protruding over the security cordon, providing a talking point for early morning joggers and strollers on Guacimeta beach.
The airport was closed for two hours as a result of the incident. However, Air Europa, the flight operators, later stated that the plane had come to rest “on a natural extension of the runway.” None of the passengers or crew were harmed.

A five year old child lost his life after his mother drove her car off the fishing harbor in Arrecife last month. The events took place on the night of 1st November when the woman drove down to the harbor to meet friends. The harbor area was a popular meeting place for young people, and although many enjoyed themselves peacefully, the zone also had a reputation for being the scene of dangerous and illegal car races, often involving alcohol. The lights illuminating the zone had been switched off to discourage the meetings, but this was also to have tragic consequences after the mother accidentally drove into the sea.
The mother managed to escape from the sinking car but the child could not be retrieved until a local member of a diving club had been alerted, by which time he had drowned. The mother has been charged with manslaughter, but the case has also highlighted deficiencies in the policing of the area, the lack of preparedness of the emergency services – none of whom had breathing apparatus or even an underwater torch, and the Ayuntamiento, which has permitted the meetings to go on despite the fact that two boys drowned in a similar manner two years ago. The harbor area has now been closed permanently to unauthorized vehicles.

Shop owners and residents in Arrecife are getting tired of the ever-increasing wave of graffiti that appears on the walls of the capital. The graffiti, usually done in marker pen, is difficult to remove and many shop owners are sick of having to clean it off week after week. The two public employees whose job it is to clean public buildings also have more work than they can complete. As a result, the local councilor for Cleaning, Antonio Machin, has launched an initiative urging businesses to clean up their shop fronts for the Christmas shopping season.
Nevertheless, this is not enough for many victims who complain that there is no local police presence to deter the vandals.

One of the abandoned warehouses on Arrecife sea front caught fire on 13th November, causing a plume of smoke that could be seen for miles. The warehouse is situated in the area known as Las Rocar, where ruined warehouses have caused an eyesore for many years, with local politicians doing nothing about the problem. The warehouses are occupied by a number of the capital’s homeless, and the possibility that the fire was the result of an accident or even arson, has not been ruled out.

Costa Teguise residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a special Christmas market from the 20th to 23rd of December. The market will take place in and around the Pueblo Marinero area and will feature a wide range of stalls.

Two young men have been arrested after a travel agent in Puerto Del Carmen was robbed of €2,500. The travel agent, on C/Jameos was robbed by two men wearing hoodies and balaclavas, who escaped with €2,500. The Guardia Civil immediately launched an investigation and arrested and charged n 18-year-old and a 20-year-old three days later. The two have also been charged with the attempted robbery of a supermarket in the town.

A permanent radar camera was installed on the LZ2 road between EL Cable and Playa Honda on Wednesday 18th November. It is the first stationary speed camera on the island and will be linked directly to the DGT (Direccion General de Trafico) who will issue fines within 72 hours. Mobile cameras have already been in use by the Guardia Civil, who monitor traffic from disguised vehicles.
Some drivers have expressed annoyance that the new camera will be installed on a straight and relatively safe stretch of road, rather than a black spot. They suspect that the camera is simply being used to raise money. On a more positive note, the introduction of points-based licence has been hailed as a huge success, cutting road accidents throughout Spain, as well as in the Canaries. In 2007 nine people died on Lanzarote’s roads, but this year only three have suffered fatal accidents so far.

Ten lucky Lanzarote residents won €35,000 each on the national lottery organised by the ONCE. The ten winning tickets , all in the same series, was sold in the Deiland Shopping Centre where a similar win happened five years ago. So far, according to the ticket seller, none have so far claimed their prizes.

An Englishman who speaks hardly any Spanish found himself the Mayor of his district after the rest of the ruling council group were arrested on corruption charges. Mark Lewis, of San Fulgencio on the Costa Blanca, found himself in the hot seat after the standing Mayor and five other members of the ruling group on the council were arrested for allegedly taking bribes in exchange for building licences.
Until his unwanted promotion Mr Lewis had held the post of Animals Councillor, tracing lost dogs and monitoring the local animal rescue centre. Mr Lewis said “It’s only temporary, I hope.”

Spanish-owned airline LTE folded on Thursday 16th October, leaving at least 2,000 Canary-bound tourists either without holidays or return flights. Lanzarote will be the worst affected of the four main Canarian destinations. LTE flew to the island from Cork in Ireland and Hamburg in Germany.
The company blamed the price of fuel for its collapse, even though prices have recently fallen. LTE’s failure follows the fall of XL and Futura, both of which also brought a large number of tourists to the island. Airport figures in September at Arrecife fell by 11%, a statistic that was almost inevitable following the recent events that have reduced the number of planes arriving to the island.

San Bartlome and Tias taxi drivers are threatening to strike if the Cabildo does not grant them control of the new central GPS operating system. A central system covering the whole island has been discussed for two years, and both the Cabildo and the Ayuntamientos support it. However taxi associations on the island have been unable to reach an agreement for how they would share out the management of the new Auriga system.
The closing date to submit their application passed on September 15th. As a result, the Cabildo has lost patience and has put the management of the system out to public tender, offering it the best-suited candidate. The move has infuriated the taxi associations of San Bartolome and Tias , who have threatened strike action if the tender is not withdrawn and control of the system given directly to the taxi associations. They have also demanded the resignation of Cabildo Transport Councillor Ramón Bermúdez. According to Bermúdez “It’s now too late,” and the taxi associations will have to submit a tender like anyone else.
Taxi drivers are also furious that they will have to spend around €2,000 on installing the system in their cabs and are demanding subsidies from the Cabildo.

The ex-Mayor of Yaiza, José Francisco Reyes, will be investigated by the organised crime division of the police in relation to various charges of corruption. The Supreme Court of Las Palmas authorised UDYCO to investigate Reyes’ private affairs and interests despite a vigorous defence by the ex-Mayor’s lawyer, who claimed this area of his life had nothing to do with the charge of planning fraud that he faces.
Around 30 licences granted by Reyes between 1998 and 2003 form the basis of a number of charges Reyes faces relating to corruption, fraud, misuse of public funds and money laundering.

The egrets that roosted in the Parque Ramiréz Cerda in Arrecife have moved on, but at a cost. The Ayuntamiento of Arrecife has faced criticism for the action it took in stripping the branches of the Canarian pines in the park, leaving the egrets nowhere to roost.
The denuded trees may not have egrets, but they also have few leaves and branches, and the council has been accused of acting excessively.
Meanwhile the egrets have moved on and can now be found roosting in trees outside the Hacienda tax office or opposite the yachting club, where their mess has become a hazard to people dining or taking drinks in the evening, which is when the birds return. The parasols that normally protect diners from the sun are now all that prevents certain diners from an unexpected and unwelcome addition to their pizza topping.

Nationalist politicians have reacted furiously to the news that the Canaries will receive a cut in grants of €61 million from the central government in Madrid. Out of all the autonomous communities in Spain, the Canaries came lowest in this year’s round of the General State Budgets, and will receive €61 million less than last year, making it by far the worst done by of all the autonomous communities in Spain.
The Canarian Government has claimed that President Zapatero is “punishing” the islands. Although the socialists won most votes in the 2006 elections, a pact between the Coalicion Canarias and the conservative PP denied them control of the government.

While Tias, Haria and Mancha Blanca all have popular farmers’ markets, it has taken until last month for one to arrive at Arrecife. ALEA is the organisation headed by Leticia Padilla, who earlier this year mobilised thousands in demonstrations against high prices charged by the two main supermarket chains on the island.
At that time Leticia said that markets offering fresh food and cutting out the middle man were one of the solutions, and on October 25th the Recinto Ferial hosted its first farmers market where people could buy food, handmade goods and listen to folk music. Among the sellers were members of ADISLAN, the centre for the mentally handicapped, whose vegetable growing workshop has been a huge success.

The extension of Puerto Del Carmen’s harbour will be completed by May 2009, according to the Canarian Councillor for Public Works. Juan Ramón Hernández responded to a query from a Partido Popular politician in the Canarian Government, saying that 30% of the works were now finished and that next may should see the extension of the pier completed.

The growth of Playa Blanca over the last 15 years has meant that the town’s need for public transport has become more and more intense. Now, with the establishment of a new bus service, that need has been answered. The new service will run every 30 minutes from 6.30 am to 10 pm, joining 34 stops over a distance of 21 kilometres from Playa Limones to Centro Comercial Papagayo.
Tickets are a flat €1.15, and residents can sign up for a saver card giving 20% discount. Gladys Acuña, Mayor of Yaiza, officially launched the line at the end of September, and also opened the new waiting room and bathrooms at Playa Blanca bus station.

The issue of illegal hotels in Lanzarote has caused a political earthquake on the island, in the middle of which yet another hotel saw its licence repealed. The Princesa Yaiza in Playa Blanca, one of the most luxurious and emblematic hotels in the resort, was judged illegal by the Supreme Canarian Court on September 18th, bringing the number of Lanzarote hotels declared illegal by the court to 25.
The news came as politicians battled over how to address the problem of the existing illegal hotels. Yaiza mayor Gladys Acuna of the PIL party has come into open conflict with Cabildo President Manuela Armas over a plan to apply for the legalisation of the hotels under the law for urgent measures in the Canarian Government. Acuna claims that the Cabildo had agreed with this, but Armas refused to support the motion, saying it would allow the Canarian Government to cover up the illegality of the hotels, and that Councillors who colluded could be committing fraud.
Canarian President Paulino Rivera has stepped aside, denying any responsibility but warning Lanzarote to hurry up with its application as “the law cannot wait any longer.” All of which guarantees that the pressure cooker of Lanzarote politics will continue to simmer.

This year’s pilgrimage to the Church of Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores (our Lady of the Sorrows) in Mancha Blanca saw an unprecedented amount of revellers converging upon the tiny northern village.
An estimated 60,000pilgrims, nearly all in traditional Canarian dress, made their way to the church for a series of traditional concerts, dances, market stalls, a funfair , and plenty of food and drink – not forgetting the parade in honour of the virgin. Offers of flowers and food were made to Our Lady and merry-making continued long into the night.

September was a lucky month for lottery participants on Lanzarote, with two large prizes falling on the island. The first winner was a gentleman in Costa Teguise, who won over one million euros on the Bonoloto. According to the owner of the shop who sold the ticket, the lucky winner strolled in calmly to present his ticket and announced that the first thing he would do with his winnings was take a holiday.
A week later, fortune smiled on an Arrecife resident, who won over €350,000 on the ONCE lottery after buying a ticket in Calle Real, the capital’s main shopping street.

Tias police have arrested and charged a 40-year old man who is accused of stealing municipally-owned copper electrical cables. For some months, cables had been stolen from the areas of Tias, Masdache and Macher, in some cases causing street lights to fail.
After appealing for the public to report anything suspicious, and observing areas where thefts were taking place, police eventually arrested a man who had a crowbar and various lengths of cable in his car. The accused was also driving without a licence.

Haria Ayuntamiento has presented a plan which it hopes will boost tourism in the municipality considerably. Haria hopes to attract 10% of the 1.7 million tourists who currently visit Lanzarote annually, and will try to achieve that aim by focusing on its existing attractions.
The northern municipality contains some of the most beautiful scenery on the island, as well as a still-existing agricultural heritage. As a result, Haria will open a wine route, where visitors can sample vintages from the area; and a Cèsar Manrique route, which will highlight the importance of the municipality to the “father of modern Lanzarote”, who chose to be buried in Haria. The project will be supported by internet campaigns.

The new school year saw the resumption of protests and the threat of industrial action by Canarian teachers.
The teachers are demanding that those of their number who have not taken the professional exams giving them civil servant status be given equal rights and conditions. They also have a wide range of grievances about underfunding and have accused Canarian education minister Milagro Luis Brito of intransigence. Brito has repeatedly refused to meet the teachers for discussions.

An estimated 47 illegal immigrants arrived in Lanzarote in two boats over the weekend of 20th/21st September. In the first case, a boat carrying 32 immigrants was intercepted off the coast of Teguise. The boat was taken to Arrecife where its occupants, among them a woman and her baby, were found to be in good health. The second boat arrived at Playa Garrita near Arrieta and its occupants managed to slip away before the landing was discovered. It is estimated that there were 15 on board.

A rare species of whale has been photographed for the first time jumping and playing in waters north of Lanzarote. The Gervais’ beaked whale is a species which is almost unknown to scientists, and any knowledge has been derived from stranded specimens. However, in September the clipper Morena, operated by Caja Mediterraneo, managed to snap some incredible photos of these creatures leaping from the water while 115 kilometres north of Lanzarote’s coast.

Lanzarote and northern Fuerteventura suffered a total power failure on the evening of 5th to 6th August, leaving around 200,000 people without electricity. The power cut started in the north of Fuerteventura at around 10.30 pm. Shortly afterwards, the lights went out in Playa Blanca, Yaiza, and eventually the whole of Lanzarote. Further north of the town, the shorter the power cut lasted – Arrecife’s cut was just over an hour long, while Corralejo in Fuerteventura was without power for nearly four and a half hours.
The cause of the cut is still unascertained, but it is believed to have stemmed from underwater power lines linking the islands.
However, there were reports of unidentified flying objects on both islands during the cut! Whether aliens zapped our power or not is unclear, but thousands of residents and tourists got a rare chance to see the magnificent night skies in this part of the world, which are usually lost to light pollution.

Tias Council have laid off the traffic wardens who patrolled the Blue Zones on the seafront and other areas in order to save funds. However the opposition PP members in Tias Council have denounced the ruling group for keeping the parking meters operative.
This, they say, discriminates against those drivers who are not aware that there will be no penalties for parking without a ticket or overstaying their allotted time. The effects on parking in the Avenida remain to be seen – the Blue Zone system is designed so that cars will move on after short periods, but now anyone can park there all day.

Workers at Lanzarote’s waterworks, Inalsa, have announced their intention to strike in September. The workers are protesting against what they feel is an unacceptable rise in overtime and the lack of responses that Inalsa management have provided to their Committee. They have also rejected the Inalsa Viability Plan announced by the Cabildo, which many fear is a stealthy privatisation of Inalsa. The workers intend to announce the strike date at their General Meeting on September 1st.

The Spanish Defence Minister, Carme Chacon, has spent her summer holidays on La Graciosa. The 37-year old Minister made headlines throughout Europe last year when she was appointed to perhaps the most traditionally macho post in politics by President Zapatero.
Shortly afterwards, photos of the heavily-pregnant Chacon inspecting troops were published throughout the world. Sra.Chacon came to La Graciosa unannounced, with no official entourage. In her arms she held 3-month old Miguel, the child she was carrying in the famous photos.

Arrecife’s Sports Councillor, Fayna Álamo, resigned last month, bringing the number of resignations of councillors on the island to 10 since the elections in May 2006. Arrecife alone has seen seven councillors resign their posts. Álamo said she was resigning because of the stress resulting from her job as Councillor combined with her career as a teacher.
She is not the first, as five other Arrecife councillors have resigned for personal or work reasons. The seventh and most high-profile resignation, that of ex- PIL leader Antonio Hernández, stemmed from disagreements within his party.
The resignations have only added to the political paralysis and inactivity that has marked the cash-strapped Arrecife council since day one, and many voters are wondering whether their politicians have either the will or the desire to serve the public in return for their wages.

An Arrecife man was bailed by the court after taking part in a high speed car chase that led to a crash in Nazaret. The 29-year old had been driving dangerously in Puerto Naos, Arrecife when police attempted to arrest him. Instead he headed out of the capital at high speed, ignoring orders to stop. Despite a tyre blowing out at the Manrique roundabout in Tahiche, the driver continued until he ploughed into a police car blocking the road at Nazaret.
The driver’s family in Arrecife have complained that the young man is uncontrollable and mentally ill and blamed doctors at the hospital who failed to authorise his commitment in a psychological unit.

The bells of one of Lanzarote’s most important churches, San Ginés in Arrecife, will peal out again for the first time in years after a campaign by the new priest of the church to renovate them.
The bells of San Ginés were one of the sounds known by all townspeople of Arrecife, but the neglect of the belltower meant that they stopped years ago. The clock on the church has also stood at 9.30 for at least three years.
However, a clean up campaign followed by engineering works meant that the bells were ready for the Fiesta de San Ginés in August.

Lanzarote’s wine harvest has already begun in Haria, making it one of the first places in Europe to bring in the grapes. But predictions for this year’s crop are pessimistic. There has been little rain over the last year, and last year’s summer heatwave scorched a large number of plants. This has meant that weeds have flourished at the expense of the vines. Further south, areas such as La Geria are still waiting before they start their harvest.
Despite the predicted low quantity, experts predict the quality of the grapes will be high this year. Anyone who wishes to see how grapes were traditionally harvested, and even have a go at treading a few, should go to the La Geria bodega on the morning of 15th August, when a special fiesta is held.

The technical workers of the Spanish tax authorities have estimated that around €322 million have been lost to tax avoidance in the property sector in the Canaries every year since 2003. The figure is part of much larger amount of almost 8 billion euros that has been denied to the Spanish tax authorities every year by promoters and constructors of houses.
The fraud is strongly associated with the €500 note, known as the ‘Bin Laden’ in Spain, as so few people have ever seen one. These high-denomination notes are so frequently used in large cash-in-hand payments - the ‘black money’ payments that permit sellers to avoid taxes - that the technical staff of the tax authorities are requesting that the government introduce measures forcing banks to disclose transactions involving large amounts of the banknotes.
Although the problem has diminished recently with the dip in the domestic market, the technicians are demanding that firm action be taken.

Three Lanzarote businessmen have been charged with hiring a German contract killer to murder a local lawyer. Oliver Rodriguez Santos, a Lanzarote businessman and rally driver, was taken into custody after the Guardia Civil uncovered an attempted contract killing of a lawyer on the island.
It is alleged that Rodriguez Santos and two other businessmen hired a German known as ‘Boris’ to cut the throat of a lawyer who they believed owed them money.
However, the Guardia Civil believe the case is a classic extortion racket. An architect in Tenerife was also threatened by the group, who went as far as cutting the brake cables on the car used by the lawyer and his family.
The Guardia Civil monitored a conversation which took place in an Arrecife warehouse, in which the killing of the lawyer was agreed, before arresting the plotters and the hitman, who are now being held in Tahiche jail awaiting trial.

Tias councillor Pedro Calero has accused the Tias Ayuntamiento ruling group of ‘bringing the municipality to ruin” following the revelation that the Council is considering out-of-court settlements of €3 million.
Mayor José Juan Cruz is accused of settling various debts for invoices out of court in an attempt to save money for the Council, but Calero insists that this is an example of mismanagement in “what was once the richest municipality in the island.”
Cruz has already announced that the budget for leisure and sports will be cut, and the loss of 2.5 million Euros of public heritage money following the building of the golf course is another example of waste, according to Calero. “We have to ask where these huge amounts of money have ended up, “ he said, “and it is clear that Puerto Del Carmen will suffer due to money shortage.”
Meanwhile, Yaiza Council has made the first steps towards dragging itself out of debt, taking out a loan that will enable it to pay off a two million euro tax debt. However, the Council is now looking for ways to address a six million euro debt owed to Social Security. “Since I have arrived, I have done nothing but seek ways of patching up the. Municipality’s debts,” said Leonardo Rodriguez, the Yaiza Treasurer.

The Canarian Government’s Tourism Department has presented its annual report, and claims that tourism on the islands is improving, with new markets being tapped.
The Tourist Department pointed out that markets such as Russia, Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic have all grown enormously, by between 40 and 70 per cent. Inter-island tourism has also grown, with 8.8 million holidays between the islands in the last year.
The Spanish mainland also remains an important market, and last month Madrid Barajas airport took over Gran Canaria as the airport which provided the most flights to Lanzarote. The Tourist Department is also going ahead with work to improve Puerto Del Carmen (Turning the Avenida de las Playas into one-way road with cycle lanes; and Costa Teguise, where the promenade at Punto Jablillo will be renovated.
A Canarian campaign has also been launched encouraging locals to be friendly and welcoming to tourists. The “Put a Tourist into Your Life” campaign will begin shortly.

The Cabildo’s Road Safety Department has launched a campaign that aims to reduce speed on the island’s roads by raising people’s awareness of the dangers of excessive speed.
“Why so much speed?” is the slogan for the campaign, which will be carried out with posters, advertisements on TV, radio and in the papers and leaflets.
600 people died on Spanish roads in 2007, and a large proportion of those deaths were caused by excessive speed. So far this year, four people have died on Lanzarote’s roads, and the Road Safety Department does not want to see any increase in that amount.

Hauliers throughout Spain have staged a massive demonstration against the high Price of petrol and diesel. Lanzarote truckers have also joined in, and the strike on the mainland could have serious repercussions for the Canaries.
The National Federation of Transport Associations, Spain’s second-largest haulage union, is protesting against petrol price rises of 20% over the last year, which they say are making it impossible to make ends meet. They demand that the Spanish President Zapatero subsidise the sector. Lanzarote truckers joined the protests on the morning of Friday 13th June, forming a convoy of around 200 vehicles and holding up traffic between Arrecife and Playa Honda as they drove slowly around, before parking in front of the Courtrooms in Arrecife.
Further demonstrations have been planned. Blockades in mainland ports have also meant that hundreds of tons of Canarian produce has gone to waste, although at the time of writing it is not forecast that the islands will suffer any shortages due to lack of supplies.

Hundreds of dead seagulls were found in northern Lanzarote in early June. Local authorities were first alerted to the presence of a number of dead birds at the Vega de San José in Teguise. Later, more bodies were found at Famara and around the dam in Mala. The small pools of fresh water where the birds were found were immediately fenced off and samples taken for analysis.
At the moment, there has been no official explanation for the deaths, but official sources say that everything points to the fact that the seagulls were poisoned, probably by consuming toxic materials at the dump in Zonzamas. Poisoned birds frequently go in search of fresh water, which would explain their presence at the sites at which their bodies were found.

The Hotel San Antonio in Tias, one of the island’s most famous, will be the first hotelon the island to have a ‘solar floor’. One entire floor of the hotel will be powered by solar panels, which will not only provide hot water, but also air-conditioning – giving rise to the strange situation of guests being kept cool by the sun. It is estimated that the installations will save up to 622 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere ever year.

The PP party in Tias has been told by a judge that it must pay €12,000 if it wishes to act as peoples’ prosecutor in the case against Tias Police Chief Francisco Hernández and Tias Mayor José Juan Cruz.
An open trial has been declared to investigate allegations that, last January , the Police Chief caused a traffic accident while drunk, fleeing from the scene afterwards, and that the Mayor of Tias attempted to cover the incident up. The charge is nothing out of the ordinary, as it is normal for claimants to be expected to pay a form of bond in court cases.

The Lansaldo Fair in Arrecife got off to a roaring start with over 5,000 bargain hunters attending on the first day. Over 58 exhibitors were at the Fair, which was set up as an alternative for retailers to sell goods that are out of date or that a shop wishes to remove from stock.
As a result, massive bargains were to be found on items from clothing and fishing tackle to perfume and carpets. The fair was so successful it looks as if it will become a regular event. Let’s hope next time someone tells the Gazette about it in advance!

President Zapatero of Spain met Canarian President Paulino Rivero on June 4th for the first time since ‘ZP’ was re-elected in March. After a two-hour meeting, a spokeswoman for the Canarian Government declared that the two leaders had agreed on almost all points. However, President Zapatero said he was opposed to Rivero’s pet project of the creation of a Canarian Police Force.
Both leaders agreed that the 40-day limit for interning illegal immigrants should be extended – a proposal that has been bitterly opposed by human rights groups and immigrant associations.
They also agreed that the growth of the Canarian population would have to be taken into account in state budgets. Although no announcement has been yet made, rumours are strong that President Zapatero will spend his summer holidays in Lanzarote once again. The President has holidayed here twice previously while in power, and frequently speaks of his love for the island.

A meeting between Cabildo President Manuela Armas and the Mayors of the island’s seven Ayuntamientos resulted in broad agreement that such a centre should be built on the island. Theonly Mayors who disagreed were those of Haria and Tinajo, both members of the Coalicion Canaria, who feel the centre “isn’t necessary.”
However, the other five Ayuntamientos, allied by Socialist/PIL coalitions apart from Yaiza, agreed that the Spanish Government’s order to build a centre on Lanzarote arose from an agreement between the Canarian Government and the state that such a building was necessary. Lanzarote is the largest Canary Island that does not yet have an immigrants centre, while smaller islands such as Fuerteventura have had one for some years.

Two members of the Teguise Local Police have owned up to pocketing traffic fines. Antonio M. and José M. members of Teguise Local Police, admitted in court to keeping around 30 traffic fines, totalling more than €1,800, between 2003 and 2005.
It was reported at the time that the officers targeted tourists, who were less likely to complain. Judgment has not yet been passed.

Tias council have pledged to extend foreign language facilities for the large number of foreign residents who live in the municipality. Last month, Tias Mayor Juan Jose Cruz, announced the introduction of a simultaneous translation project that will allow English and German-speaking residents to speak to Council officials and police officers.
The service consists of a mobile phone with headphones, which is worn by both the official and the customer. The customer will give their question, which will be translated by a translation centre and relayed to the official. Their response will also be translated for the customer. Languages such as Chinese, Arabic and French are also available.
The mayor said “The ideal situation would be that everyone spoke Spanish, making integration complete,” pointed out the Council was promoting Spanish lessons for foreigners. However, unlike in other municipalities in Spain, the courses are not subsidised.

There was anger at a general meeting called by Teguise council to discuss the proposed Immigrants Centre, that is proposed to be built near the current prison in Tahiche. Opposition councillors from the CC and PP strongly opposed the centre, and asked for the mayor’s resignation, accusing him of ‘’going behind the people’s backs’ by entering into the first stages of approval for the centre with the Cabildo recently.
PP Councillor Roger Deign caused a stir when he said he feared the centre would become a ‘Guantanamo’, and claimed that residents of costa Tegusie were worried the immigrants would bring ‘tropical diseases’, and that the town would be vulnerable to ‘starving, desperate people who will do anything to stay alive.” Deign’s words were attacked by the socialists, who said his words were ‘intolerable’ ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic’. Deign later apologised for what he described as his ‘unfortunate’ statements.
The planned Immigration Centre will hold 200 immigrants, with a maximum number of 400. Lanzarote is among the last Canary Island to have such a centre. Other centres in the Canaries and mainland Spain have been criticised for their ‘brutal’ conditions, in which immigrants are held before extradition procedures are carried out. Few illegal’s remain in the Canaries, with Spain being their main destination.

Prepare for a Viking invasion as low cost Scandinavian airline Norwegian launches its new line form Oslo to Lanzarote on October 13th. It is hoped that the flight, which lasts 5 hours 25 minutes, will be popular with sun-starved Norwegians, as well as Lanzarote residents who fancy a spot of skiing in the frozen north.

The annual spring cleaning of Teguise takes place on Saturday 7th of June, and organisers hope that it will prove just as much of a success as previous spring cleans. Schoolchidren will form black bag squads to clean the beaches in costa teguise, while scuba clubs will work to remove underwater rubbish.
There will also be a simultaneous cleaning of Famara beach. Anyone is welcome to join in, and participants will receive a T-shirt and bottled water. There will also be a special party to celebrate the end of the clan-up. Just turn up at the carpark at Los Charcos beach (near Hotel Melia Salinas) at 9.30 on 7th June to register.

The golf course at Montaña Roja near Playa Blanca remains on the cards. The Canarian Official Bulletin in April published a notice relating to the environmental impact of the project which stated that the plans for the course have been modified to avoid infringing on the breeding grounds of protected bird species. The course has been reduced from 24 to 18 holes, will have four lakes and cover 681,500 square metres.

As well as the Guardia civil, the national and the Local Police, the Canaries will soon have a fourth police force, as the Government of the Canaries has approved the creation of a Canarian Police Force. The motion was approved by the PP/CC ruling group, and opposed by the Socialists, who said “Nobody wants this. It’s a pointless waste of money.”
Meanwhile, a CC spokesman said “Today is a great day. The Canarians will be able to feel safer.” The first police will be inaugurated next year, with a body of 300 officers, rising to 1,700 in coming years. However, their duties and responsibilities have not yet been clearly defined.

Driving without a licence became a crime in Spain on May 1st. Previously treated as an administrational misdemeanour, drivers who go on the road without licences now face heavy fines or even prison.
Up to now it has been fairly common practice on Lanzarote for parents to let their children drive their cars without passing the driving test, but now that’s all changed. Driving schools have already reported a rise in registrations as youngsters try to avoid being collared. Lanzarote police have, so far, arrested four drivers under the new laws. All were fined.

The taxi drivers have asked the island’s institutions to consider spreading flight arrivals at Arrecife Airport throughout the week to avoid the huge taxi queues that still form. The taxi drivers association said that opening up the airport to taxis from other municipalities was not the solution, as “this day makes up for the other six.” The only solution, according to the association, is to distribute flights equally throughout the week.
Currently, the queue at the airport must reach 50 people before taxis from other zones can pick up. This explains why furious tourists can wait up to an hour for a cab, while a number of vehicles are parked across the road with drivers waiting for the queue to hit the 50% mark.

The stepfather of Yulissa Perez , the 18-year old Dominican girl whose body was discovered outside Arrecife last year, has confessed to her murder. Antonio Luis Ferreira has been held in protective custody since the murder, but was finally formally charged of the murder after forensic tests proved that the body had been transported in his car. He confessed shortly afterwards.
There were emotional scenes at Arrecife’s courthouse as Ferreira was formally charged. Yulissa’s mother held a vigil outside, shouting “How could you do it when she loved you so much?” At one point the grief-stricken mother collapsed with emotion. All of this was filmed by local media, who have been criticised for the intrusiveness.
Last year a TV company delayed telling the mother the news that her daughter’s body had been found in order to film her reaction. Ferreira has been transferred to a prison in Gran Canaria, as his safety cannot be guaranteed in Tahiche jail.

The Cabildo has anno