La Goutelle
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La Goutelle is a village and commune in the Puy-de-Dôme département of central France.
La Goutelle is situated on the old N141 running from Royan on the Atlantic coast all the way across France. The road, now renamed the D941, has lost it's national importance but still remains the principal route linking Clermont Ferrand to Limoges.
La Goutelle is part of the canton of Pontgibaud, and like Pontgibaud relied on mining as its major source of income until the early 20th Century. Nowadays milk production, forestry, passing trade for its bars and restaurants and the export of labour to Clermont Ferrand and the Ancizes form La Goutelle's ecomony.
La Goutelle has a population of around 550 people (with 520 registered voters, not all full time residents). It shares primary school services with neighbouring St. Jacques d'Ambur but otherwise has yet to join a "communité de communes" - a marked disadvantage in the years to come. Its football team is currently incorporated into Association Sportive Pontgibaud - La Goutelle. Although all home games are played at La Goutelle, the last Goutellois player left the club in 2007.
The mayor is Jean BOUCHERET, mayor-adjoint Michel BONNAFOUX, 2nd Adjoint Maurice MARTIN, 3rd Adjoint Jean-Francois MARCHEIX and 4th Adjoint Stephane NEBUS. La Goutelle was one of the many French communes to elect an Englishman to the town council in 2008