1800 VOTED FOR ELVIS LOOK A LIKE

Elvis impersonator Ariel Santamaría was elected councillor in the March 27th local elections in the town of Reus near Barcelona for the independent CORI party. A former postman, Santamaría gave a series of concerts around the town, to publicise his proposal to have marihuana planted in all the town's green areas. He also wants the Guardia Urbana to carry a GPS satellite system at all times so they can find people who have forgotten their lighters and give them a light for their spiff. If he has his way, the Town Hall will be painted pink and the town square will be converted into a swimming pool for nudists. To give his campaign more oomph, his press secretary attended to reporters dressed as a pirate, eye patch included. Despite these eccentricities, 1,800 people voted for Santamaría.

MEDICINAL PLANT EXHIBITION IN COIN

An exhibition of medicinal and aromatic plants is currently on show in the Santa María de la Encarnación convent in Coín until Friday, May 18th. The collector who has provided the specimens, François-Luc Gauthier, will give a talk about the plants and their uses at 6 pm on Wednesday, May 16th. The exhibition is open from 10 am to 1 pm and from 6 to 8 pm.

ISABEL PANTOJA CONCERT A SUCCESS

Despite being under investigation for alleged money laundering in the Marbella urban scandal case, popular singer Isabel Pantoja wowed a 15,000-strong audience in Valladolid's Plaza Mayor (Main Square) last Saturday night. It was the first concert she had given since being arrested and held overnight the previous week. Fans from all over Spain had travelled to Valladolid to see their idol and express their support for her in her current tribulations. There were very few critics in the audience. When one had the nerve to say it was a disgrace to let a corrupt person give a concert, Pantoja's fans retorted: "If you don't like it you shouldn't have come." The concert was part of the annual fiesta for Valladolid's patron saint, San Pedro Regalado.

SAN PEDRO TO HOST ART FESTIVAL

"Festival Arte Sano" a healing Arts festival featuring; live world music, a holistic zone, workshops, artisans' market, bar and café will be held in the beautiful setting of Aventura Natura close to San Pedro de Alcántara this year. The two day festival starts at 10.00 am on Saturday 19th through to 12 midnight and again on Sunday 20th May. Phil Speirs editor of the well-known alternative magazine "La Chispa" has been the inspiration behind similar festivals for the last three years, promoting natural living in Andalucía. This year for the first time in association with Grupo Delfines and Parque Natura Aventura they will provide an entertaining and informative free entry weekend for all the family. The event is one kilometre from the N 340 behind the sports centre on the San Pedro de Alcántara to Ronda road.

SINGER ARRESTED IN MARBELLA

Further arrests were made in the police investigation into corruption at Marbella Town Hall last week. First to be detained were the man who was deputy mayor when Jesús Gil was mayor of Marbella, Pedro Román, and his daughter María del Pilar, who were arrested on the runway of Málaga airport as they got off a plane from Switzerland on Tuesday. An international search and capture order had been issued on both of them six days earlier. On Wednesday night, singer Isabel Pantoja was detained at her house in Marbella, shortly after returning to the town from her other home in Málaga. The arrest came late at night, to avoid alerting the media, and after spending the night at Málaga police station she was set free on bail of 90,000 euros after appearing before the judge who is handling the case on Thursday afternoon. Isabel Pantoja's partner, former mayor of Marbella Julián Muñóz, was arrested and remanded in custody several months ago. At the time of his arrest, the couple's home in Marbella was searched, and 50,000 dollars in cash were found but Isabel Pantoja provided documentary evidence that this money was payment for a performance in America which was subsequently cancelled. She said she kept cash in the house to pay household expenses. She has now been detained for alleged money laundering and tax offences.

OPERA SINGER DIES

Italian opera singer Sesto Bruscatini died at his home in southern Italy last week, at the age of 87. The bass-baritone was a regular performer at festivals such as Glyndebourne in the UK, and Salzburg, in Austria, and his speciality was Mozart and Rossini. He gave up performing in 1986.

NEW SECURITY MEASURES FOR PUBS & DISCOS COME INTO FORCE

Edition: 321
Date: 05-05-03

New regulations are due to come into effect on 21st July which will mean that all discos, pubs and similar establishments which can hold more than 300 people will have to have at least one officially accredited security guard at the entrance door. The move is designed to put an end to the situation whereby doormen and “bouncers” decide who can or cannot enter the premises, thereby preventing potential customers from going in because of their sex or colour. The decree actually came into force in March, but since then the authorities have been trying to resolve problems which occurred, such as deciding whether the regulations should apply to small establishments in quiet rural areas or only to those in resorts, and trying to decide how many security guards are needed. While discussions such as these are continuing, at least the cost has been agreed: 13 euros per hour per security guard. However, the President of the security companies association Asociación de Empresarios de Seguridad claims that many disco owners are opposed to the decree and are trying to delay its implementation by not providing adequate information. People who are currently employed as doormen and who fear they will be out of a job may find it is possible to undergo a Ministry of the Interior training course so they can continue in their work as an official security guard. When the scheme is in force, owners will only be able to refuse admittance if the establishment is full or it is after closing time, or when the prospective customer is too young, has not paid, is behaving violently or aggressively, is carrying a weapon (unless he or she is a police officer or bodyguard), or is drunk.