A jazz, swing and rock fundraiser evening for animal charity K9 will be held by Dave and Karen at Bar San Juan, in the plaza near the church in San Juan.

Kick off will be Sunday March 9th around 5pm. Cabaret acts will include Stevie D and Jessie G and other surprises. Why not join in the fun and support this good cause helping abused and abandoned dogs in this area.

Keep an eye on “What’s on locally” – Programme of events on the losgigantes.com message board for an up to date diary of events in the area. See this link www.losgigantes.com/board/index.php?topic=951.0 

Santiago Del Teide town hall are organising a photographic competition titled “Almond trees in bloom”. Open to all non- professional photographers of any age or nationality.

Each exhibitor can enter a maximum of 3 photos. They can be colour or black and white, with minimum size of 25 by 20.

The closing date is the 14th of March.

The judges will be qualified photographers and members of the town council. They will announce their decision on the 24th of March in the town hall. The prizes are as follows:

1st prize……………… 300 euros.
2nd prize………………200 euros.
3rd prize……………… 150 euros.

After the competition the photos will be on display, for a month, in the central patio of the town hall. (Through the main door entrance).

For more information please contact the Departamento de Cultura del Ayuntamiento, telephone number 922-86-31-27 extension 234 or 235.

Translated by John Punton

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The smallest is set to be self sufficient in renewable energy by 2010. El Hierro aims to be the first to be self-sufficient in clean energy.
A new wind power centre will be in operation by the year 2010 and will be capable of coping with the entire power needs of the island’s 10,500 inhabitants.
The Island is set to be the most advanced in environmental considerations with all its energy coming from wind and tidal sources.
It was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 2000, and the costs for the new developments are being met 60% by the local Cabildo government, 30% by the power company Endesa and 10% by the Canaries Technological Institute, together with 35 million Euro state funding from Madrid. Total cost of the project is 54 million.

Tourists on a day trip to Mt Teide National Park had a lucky escape yesterday when their coach was hit by a giant boulder.

Approximately twelve tourists were on the coach at around noon in the car park of the cable car that takes visitors to the summit of the volcano.

The boulder, which weighed at least a ton, became dislodged further up the mountain and rolled down the side, crashing through a barrier in the car park before rolling into the bus.

The bus was partially destroyed and the driver had to be treated for minor head injuries and shock. The tourists were unhurt.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

After months of talks between central government, the Tenerife Cabildo and Granadilla council, the plans of the Department of Coasts to demolish the Hotel Medano have been ditched. Politicians and local people are breathing a sigh of relief.

The hotel building, a popular landmark in the town, will be left standing. However there are plans to demolish the sun deck which was added long after the hotel was built. It stands on stilts and extends into the sea.

A 2-year-old boy attacked by a Rottweiler dog at the Montaña Roja campsite last Sunday is improving rapidly in hospital.

The boy, who lives with his parents in Las Chafiras is believed to be British. He was playing in a children’s play area at the site in El Médano when the dog jumped out of its owner’s car and attacked him, inflicting multiple facial injuries.

Surgeons at the Candelaria Hospital in La Laguna operated yesterday. The child is now recovering rapidly.

The owner of the dog faces prosecution over the incident. Local media reports say he left the window of the car wide open, which allowed the dog to jump out of the vehicle. The Rottweiler is being held in kennels until its fate is decided.

A 27 year old Italian who tried to rob a bank at knifepoint in Playa Paraíso was arrested by an off-duty policeman.

The attempted raid took place at just before noon in the Banca March branch. The raider threatened the cashier with the knife but was restrained by an off duty policeman, who happened to be in the bank at the time.

In an attempt to avoid arrest the robber stabbed himself with his own knife causing a superficial wound. He was treated on the scene by emergency services before being marched off by the police.

It is not known yet whether the Italian is behind the recent spate of bank hold-ups at knifepoint in the south of the island.