Madeira News Blog

Today’s Photo Thanks to  Martin L. … Porto Moniz

" … And an organizational disaster. It took us 1,5 hours to finally leave the ship and they extended the already short stay therefore for 0,5 hours. That was the worst of a long line of going ashore problems we faced. Don’t think that only because it says being at a port from 10 to 17 actually means you got that time". CRUISE PASSENGERS BLOG

"Funchal is another hillside town on the ocean. It has about 150,000 inhabitants and is another quaint town where tourism is the number one industry. Unfortunately, we were docking in Funchal on Sunday so a bunch of the attractions, such as the Madeira wineries, were closed. Enough of the tourist souvenir shops were open that we were able to get some shopping done". YET ANOTHER CRUISE PASSENGERS BLOG

"The island of Madeira has an oceanic microclimate with the warm Gulf Stream passing through the islands and offers year round warm waters to swim in. The capital town of Funchal is picture perfectly set in the bay and is home to the majority of 300,000 population". It’s about Madeira Wine, but quite well written, and worth a visit. DID WE HAVE A POPULATION EXPLOSION LAST NIGHT?

"Woman who battled cancer by embarking on string of adventures plunges 100m to her death from cliff". An update on the death of Ruth Holdway who fell to her death whilst out walking on Madeira. UK DAILY MAIL

Portuguese Ministry of Finance denies owing any money to local authorities in autonomous regions. Portuguese Finance Minister Teixeira dos Santos has denied that the State owed 15 million Euros to the local authorities of the Azores and Madeira. However, local authorities said that the State owes 5 million Euros to the Azores, and €8 million to Madeira in IRS revenues. Azores and Madeira local authorities voiced their complaints this weekend during the National of Associations of Municipalities which was attended by Prime Minister José Socrates. RTP AZORES

Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :

West Zone not celebrating New Year’s Eve. The amusement park Giga Park is the exception on the evening of New Year’s Eve. The amusement park in Ponta do Sol is the only official attraction for the night of New Year’s Eve in the counties west of Funchal. From Câmara de Lobos to Calheta, passing logically through Ribeira Brava, there will be no party to commemorate the passing of the year, with the exception of Ponta do Sol, which this year hosts the Giga Park Christmas fair, which on this long night is open until at least five in the morning. Here lies the only lure that will attract the attention of thousands of Madeirans in what for many is the longest night of the year. Moreover there will be no more proposals for animation because it its understood that Funchal is itself an attraction impossible to dethrone on the magical end of year night. In Câmara de Lobos, due to the proximity of the ‘capital’, a bet on staging a New Year Eve’s Party is risking an expected failure, since the well-held tradition focuses on the centre of Funchal and surroundings. Yet the bars in the old zone of Câmara de Lobos will be open until dawn, thus providing an alternative for those looking to escape the crowded fun areas of Funchal. The nearby Ribeira Brava this year has nothing to offer. After several years of promoting a musical show at the sea front in the early hours of the morning of the first day of the year, which almost always showed low compliance, the Council decided not to continue with an event that a priori was doomed to poor participation. Hence, the arrival of the new year will have no cause for celebration in this county, mainly because of the strong competition that focuses attention both on the capital city or in nearby Ponta do Sol. Ponta do Sol this year is placed on the ‘map’ of options for fun because of the Christmas fair there. The relative proximity to Funchal (20/25 minutes) and the privileged access to the main road – one minute to the expressway – and the large parking capacity (3,000 places) around the Giga Park, are factors that promise to heavily influence not only the residents in the area southwest of the island, but also from other parts. In the extreme, Calheta, also has a night without a party. A reality that also reflects the fact that the only nightclub in the ‘West Point’, the Art Caffe, closes its doors, transferring itself to Funchal on this night of the reveillon.

Christmas only for the great. Political Christmas party rivalry. With three elections this year, the smallest parties have no funds for gatherings. The PSD and the PS will have large celebrations in Madeira Tecnopolo. The PCP (Communists) have never held dinners at this time and the funds will be spent on their convention in February. The MPT (Earth Party) also have insufficient funds.  Of the three large parties, only the CDS-PP have a different choice of location for the Christmas dinner; 200 met yesterday in a restaurant in Encumeada. Last year, there were over 1,500 PSD members in the Tecnopolo and this year, the organizers expect a similar number. It will be at 20.00 on 12 December. With the usual protocol, the regional leader, Alberto Jardim, will open the official speeches before the dinner. The Socialists expect a more ambitious gathering than last year when there were 800 at the meal. This year, they expect 1,200 to 1,400 at Tecnopolo. This is scheduled for December 19 at 19.30, with a speech by the party leader João Carlos Gouveia. On 20 December, the Socialists Funchal branch will also hold a Christmas party for children belonging to the militants.

Credit growing in the festive season. It is normal for this season: closer it is to Christmas the use of credit increases considerably. The manager of Radio Popular in Cancela said that the main sales were in Forum Madeira but he expected a ‘flood’ in the days before Christmas. "Taking into account the experience of previous years, people all come at the same time: it is a massive demand." People of all ages now use credit cards, even the older population. FNAC expect the most sales in the middle of the month and normally the cards provided by the shops are linked to reductions, in the case of FNAC there is a 10% reduction on purchases on ‘days adherent’. —- Other recent articles about Christmas shopping, especially in smaller shops in the centre of Funchal, have been very negative with shopkeepers complaining that people are just looking and not spending.

Câmara de Lobos lights up tonight. In Câmara de Lobos, they maintain the tradition of the official opening of the Christmas celebrations on the public holiday assigned to today. In ‘baixa’, the House of Father Christmas at the entrance to the city is the ‘card’ for the visitor. A traditional nativity scene is by the Municipal Market. In the vicinity of the Town Hall, at the entrance to Avenida da Nova Cidade, the garden is decorated with a large nativity scene with a background of the traditional houses of Santana. Other areas for excellent decorations are the churches where the presepios and lapinhas have been authentically constructed.

Reveillon marks the ‘Day of the City’ of Santana. Santana begins to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the elevation of the village to a city from New Year’s Eve onwards. From Friday, the services of the municipality will begin to collect subscriptions to join the mega-gala dinner. There will be a meal and musical concert in a tent next to the City Hall. The mayor states that you can still go to Funchal to see the fireworks and return in time, as the celebrations will go on well into the night.

Funchal advance in 2010 with classification of trees. The inventory ‘Trees in the Public Interest’ will be advanced in 2010 to include the classification of nearly 30 trees of this genus. The law gives preservation status to these trees. These are iconic or monumental trees and are classified according to size, age and rarity. The most impressive examples are to be found in parks, forests, churchyards, public and private gardens, quintas and public squares. Once classified, the trees have a protection area which has a perimeter with a 50 metre radius from the base. The tree cannot be cut or pruned without prior authorization by the Forestry Authority and maintenance work has to be carried out with their technical guidance. The trees are measured every ten years to monitor their growth to try to prevent their decrepitude. Trees can also be classified for purposes of tourism or environmental education, if asked for by either the land owners, members of the public or authorities. The survey of monumental and emblematic trees was carried out in 1985 and updated in 2008, which is awaiting ratification. The Nucleo de Dragoeiros at Neves is about the only area where there is a Centre of protected trees, the dragon tree (dracaena draco) is slow growing taking 10 years to reach about 2 to 3 metres. The Regional Directorate of Forestry have edited a book on monumental and iconic trees. In addition to protected species such as the lauraceaes, the laurissilva in nature reserves, there is no progress in the protection of individual examples.There are many sites on the island to be looked at.

Fire at Panteada Market. Fire broke out early on Tuesday morning at Panteada Market in Sao Roque, causing extensive damage to 12 fruit and vegetable stalls. The warning was given at 07.07 and two emergency fire vehicles and two ambulances went to the site, manned by 15 men. The firemen wearing breathing apparatus broke down the corrugated zinc door and roof to extinguish the flames and allow the smoke to escape. It is thought that a short-circuit causing overheating of Christmas lights started the fire. After the investigation, the debris can now be cleared away and the losses which are huge are still being evaluated by the stall holders.

Revenue in 2009 does not depend on authorization of the State. With or without the ‘redistributive’ budget approval in the Assembly of the Republic, Madeira will operationalize the €230 million revenue in the budget for this year as ‘financial liabilities’. The redistributive budget and the revision of the Law of Regional Finances are to be voted on in Lisbon on Friday. These two documents represent many millions of Euros to Madeira. Due to falling revenues and the current expenditure, there is a shortfall of 100 million Euros. The budget has a limit of 5 million Euros but Madeira wants a loan of 129 million Euros approved, arguing that this is much lower than if the amount of debt allowed was in direct proportion to the indebtedness of Portugal. As for the Law of Regional Finances, if the proposed amendments are approved for calculating the money that should have been transferred from the State over recent years, 111 million should be returned to Madeira. It is thought that the Socialist Party in Portugal  will approve the new debt limit but the fact that Teixeira dos Santos did not include the Regional Government proposed amendments in the State Budget is worrying. Garces Ventura believes he can find some other way to ensure the budget revenue. Rather than go to the banks to seek authorization to pay off loans and short-term borrowing, the Government will go to funding sources that do not count towards the debt. This will include a new small loan. The vice-president of the Regional Government said that the State is obliged to pay the health and educational costs in the Region but it has not paid a third of what has been spent.

Quercus 12 tips for a greener Christmas. The Association for Nature Conservation has 12 tips to reduce waste which increases each year. Greeting cards should be via electronic mail. This is cheaper and reduces the use of paper and producing waste. If this is not possible, use recycled paper and reusable envelopes, or make your own using recycled paper. Offer any excess used toys to other children. Buy useful gifts which will not just be thrown away. Use rechargeable batteries. Re-use wrapping paper from gifts from last Christmas and birthday presents. Make use of Christmas tree ornaments from last year and buy artificial trees. If buying a real Christmas tree, make sure it is from authorized forest thinning and ask the Town Hall to collect it after Christmas. Buy longer-lasting higher quality items. Buy books printed on recycled paper. Do not eat in excess and cook at home rather than eat pre-packed foods. Consume drinks in reusable containers and use returnable bottles. Recycle packaging and use the waste bottle, card and plastic banks. Use energy-efficient lighting and appliances and have old appliances recycled. Use public transport whenever possible.

Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :

Funchal Council have €200,000 to restore the market that burned – The fire damaged 12 stalls in Penteada. There are in fact only 12 stalls or stands there, and all were damaged to some extent. Elaine has already covered the story above. There will be another 12 pretty unhappy families on Madeira this Christmas, as a chunk of prime selling time passes them by. Maybe the €200,000 recovery budget will compensate them, but things don’t generally work like that here.

PSP Police promise ‘zero tolerance’ during Christmas. There will be no ‘Christmas spirit’ as far as our police forces are concerned, and although they are sensitive to the festive season, the law will be upheld to the ultimate degree. The police chief said that his priority is to ensure the safety of the population, and as such there will be no slack for driving offences or other infractions, and checks will be reinforced.

People already infected by Gripe A swine flu advise calm. ‘Calm is the best remedy for H1N1′. 3 people of different ages tell of their experiences as victims of the the Gripe A virus, and they all talk of the importance of following the recommendations of the authorities. The total number of victims has risen to nearly 400, and there have been two deaths to date, but these were people with other medical problems. The advice given is to quarantine yourself for 7 days, and in most cases one can then return to a normal life.

Today’s main news headline : There are less Madeirans travelling by plane. The liberalisation of the airways doesn’t appeal to residents despite of the fares having fallen by 40% and the travel subsidy. Compared to the previous system, there are 100,000 less benefiting from the public assistance. The state saves 15.5 million Euros. The numbers are undeniable, in the first 11 months of this year only 117,513 journeys by the residents of Madeira benefited from the €60 subsidy, support from the state for air travel. Surprising really, as an early bargain booking combined with the subsidy would cost less for many than the  journey to the airport at Santa Cruz. Money spent that could probably easily be saved on Christmas shopping in Lisbon or even Porto.

Rui Moisés renegotiates previous contracts – The councillor runs a fine tooth comb through the council of Santana. Practically all of the negotiations of the previous president, Carlos Pereira, have been reviewed and renegotiated by the new president Rui Moisés. Loans, debts to suppliers, and public contracts are all being reviewed, and the new man has publically appealed to all the companies involved to show understanding. Moisés says the move is to meet budget cuts of €100,000 imposed by the government of Portugal through failing to transfer 5% of tax revenues. Discussions between the regional and central government seem to be going nowhere, so it may be that we see the other câmaras doing the same exercise now that Moisés has very publically set a good example, and as all councils face the same problem. I suppose most people will see it as a more palatable option than increases in council tax, but I do wonder if there is a little bit of an attempt in this to embarrass an already embarrassed outgoing president, who has already been undeservedly kicked in the teeth enough times by Uncle Bertie and pals.

In Gaula, councillors challenge puzzling work of the Regional Government.

In football : Portuguese great in the ‘Champions’ – Ronaldo scored two more, FC Porto thrash Atletico. Madeiran Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Real Madrid away at Marseille (1 – 3). Porto won away (0 – 3) at Atletico Madrid. Both teams qualify with ease for the knockout stages of the Champions league.

Another story that caught my eye, but away from the front page, was about a drunk cyclist arrested for hitting and damaging a parked car in Santa Cruz. The man was cycling with over 2 g/l of alcohol in his blood on Sunday night. It is an unusual case, as the cyclist clearly has no insurance for road accidents, and the police have had to take on the role of mediator between the cyclist and the owner of the car. The highway rules specifies that the man committed a crime by drink-cycling, and he will have to appear in court. What the penalty will be I have no idea, but unlike a car driver, it can hardly be anything that will prevent him doing the same thing again.

That’s all I have time for. If anyone else can oblige with any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines or other news stories, here is the link

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TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Elaine … Orchids at the Jardim Botanico

"Recently I had the pleasure of being invited on an official Press trip to the Madeira Islands, courtesy of the Madeira Tourism Board. I must say that my perception of the place changed once I arrived there. Prior to the visit my thought was that Madeira, also the birthplace of the famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, was on a similar status to, say, Ibiza, Majorca or some of the other Islands which usually attract your average 18-30 clubbers known for drinking (and causing trouble) etc.". The words of Navjot Singh : AUTHOR, THINKER, PHOTOGRAPHER, PROFESSIONAL NOMAD How come I never get invited on these official press visits? I am sure more people would benefit from my insight rather than Navjot’s. I too can write very nice things about Madeira from a luxury 5 star hotel ‘de borla’, or a nice comfy seat in TAP business class.

From today’s news headlines :

Hotel nights fell 10.6% in August – Madeira’s hotels registered 73 thousand less nights of occupation than in the same month in 2008. Provisional data from the National Institute of Statistics says that 616,000 hotel nights were sold to 111,000 guests, compared to the 122,000 guests in August 2008. Revenue was down 13.01% to €29 million, and from January to August this year the hotel industry has lost €29,049,000 compared to the same period in 2008.

Lobo returns to be judged for fraud and corruption. António Lobo, ex-president of the câmara of Ponta do Sol, a PSD social democrat I should mention, is out of prison temporarily to stand in a new trial. He will start his trial tomorrow in Ponta do Sol court facing further prison terms (up to 5 years for fraud, and one to eight years for corruption). He is currently serving a six year sentence in prison after being convicted on another corruption charge. The charges this time relate to cheques paid into Lobo’s bank account, supposedly on the pretext of financing a local sports club, and the licensing of  a building of 29 apartments in Rateira, Ponta do Sol which involved some illegal payment(s). He is charged along with four other defendants, including other PSD politicians and partners in the building firm that built the 29 apartments.

Fishermen reject monument offered by Jardim – They prefer the resolution of problems in the port to the statue. The statue offered in a recent government announcement, that is to honour the fishermen of Machico, is not news welcomed by the local fishermen who would prefer more focus on the real problems they face. They say that they have to pay for the berths for their boats, whilst in Caniçal and Santa Cruz they don’t, yet there is no security for their boats in dock, there is no guiding light in the port,  the winch is knackered … the long list goes on.

Not to mention that Portugal squeezed past Malta by 4 – 0 (again) to make it through to the play-off to qualify for next year’s world cup in South Africa. The Diário front page shows goal scorer Nani in mid-summersault, which for me was the highlight of a very one sided game.

Some of yesterday’s main main stories … many thanks Elaine :

Toilets at Cabo Girão closed to tourists on Tuesday afternoon. At least eight tour buses, rental cars and taxis visited the viewpoint. To the indignation of both tourists and traders, the only public conveniences in the area were shut due to flooding, along with the information desk and small museum. It is the responsibility of the Regional Directorate of Tourism, and local traders report that it is not the first time this has happened, always for the same reason and represents Madeiran tourism as a "bad image". A trader added "It is one of the best views of Madeira."

First prize of 600,000 Euros in the Classic Lottery sold in the tobacconists ‘Estrela da Sorte’. The shop is in the Rua Cima Queimada, and is associated with over 20 success stories in the lottery, mainly by regular local customers. The last one was last Christmas with a prize of over 906,000 Euros. There is still confetti on the floor following yesterday’s win and the prize is shared amongst nine people, although two have not yet claimed their winnings. The proprietor noted that the draw was on the same night as Our Lady of Fátima (icon) came to Madeira. The Classic Lottery is still popular but loosing ground to the more attractive Euromilhões and Totoloto which have more lucrative prizes.

More controversy over Quinta do Lorde development. Machico Council, Caniçal Parish Council and the Madeira Roads have stopped the construction of a wall separating the development from the regional road 101. It was also brought to the attention of the above authorities as the locals were upset that the developers were going to block off  palm  trees (palmeiras) planted 50 years ago by the Government. The locals cannot understand why the wall is still infringing planning laws. The wall was originally licensed despite difficulties in deciding the wall dimensions and who owned the trees as the land is now owned by the Quinta do Lorde developers. The General Manager of the resort says the construction of the wall is due to an error in their plans and new plans will be submitted. The trees will still belong to the resort but they will preserve them and he is trying to make amends with the locals, who have resisted the development, by reminding them that the developers returned the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy back to the Council, although it was originally part of the Quinta do Lorde development.

Amendments to the Regional Finance Law. The amendments were previously proposed but rejected by the PS party nationally. The PSD of Madeira want to reintroduce them so "justice is restored to Madeira, without any prejudice to any other autonomous region."  The changes are to restore the transfer of the state budget to Madeira to 2006 figures, which now are about €111 million penalty to the region at the expense of the Azores. The law also provides for a change in the national contribution to funds, support of the new Funchal Hospital, fishing port of Machico and other public projects. It could lead to a decrease in IVA (VAT) and debt limits should be taken into account, which should proportionally follow ‘growth per capita’ (GDP) rather than arbitrary limits set by the Minister of Finance.

In another article, discussions about changes to the Income Tax laws and couples being able to file separate returns.

School situations are incomparable. In response to yesterday’s publication of school league tables, where Câmara de Lobos did badly, the Regional Director of Education said, "Always resist the temptation to compare the incomparable, even if the comparison is favourable." He said that you could not compare different educational situations, and it is more important to improve the performance each year. He noted that the top school is a female private school where the fees are €500 a month.

Second Health Fair at the University tomorrow. Due to the success of the first one, another Health Fair is to be held on the 15th October between 10.00 and 17.30. Health professionals, the police, and the Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals (SPAD) will again advise about alcohol, drug and tobacco consumption, road safety, dental check-ups, cancer and AIDS prevention and awareness, screening for blood glucose, blood pressure and body mass index, and a collection for stray animals.

Air passenger traffic falls 8.9% in September. Drop in international flights mitigated by a 11.7% increase in domestic flights. 32,707 international passengers and 95,706 domestic ones. The indicator fell in July (3.1%) but increased 2.2% in August.

APRAM is threatened with bankruptcy. The Administration of Ports of Madeira finished 2008 with record losses of €16.8 million and liabilities increased by 4.4% to 227 million Euros. These losses are not expected to change in the short term unless covered by lucrative business, and means the profits generated cannot meet the operating costs. Partly due to  a lot of public investments burdening the company, and higher staff costs.

"Women are increasingly present in the career of scientific research in Portugal, but still far from the circles of power." President of the Association of Women Scientists says many women gain doctorates but men still hold decision-making jobs. Partly due to family commitments, but also to a society accustomed to men in circles of power, and they tend to suggest each other for committees etc.

In the same article, tobacco kills six people per second around the world (World Health Organisation). Lung cancer kills 85% of patients and only 15% can be diagnosed early. Lists other diseases linked to smoking. Stopping smoking takes a lot of willpower but the nicotine replacements help under medical supervision.

Continuation of this article. Men who drive a ‘big car’ (expensive) attract more women. A study by psychologists at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.  They showed women photos of men in different cars, for example, a ‘Bentley Continental’ versus a ‘Ford Fiesta’ and the women rated the second car driver a better man. On the other hand, men similarly tested, were more interested in the woman’s appearance than their car. A psychologist hypothesises that this is because a wealthy man is "better able to care for their offspring". He says this basic human instinct will not change in the future even though women are becoming more independent with career and financial success. —- Jornal da Madeira found this latter article in The Daily Telegraph. Highlighted on the front page just beneath a large photo from the next story.

"Fátima is the spiritual heart of the country." Highlighted on the front page of J. da Madeira, a long interview with the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima. He states that the idea of the image coming to Madeira is to enhance spirituality and faith, and show the commitment of the Church to world peace. He is interested in studying the contribution of other symbols to peace in the world.

Mega-yacht in Caniçal. A 52-metre yacht, the ‘Meteor’ stopped yesterday for refuelling, and to replace the crew. It came from Gibraltar and left for Palm Beach, California. It is the largest yacht to visit the Marina Quinta do Lorde since opening in November 2002. This marina was recommended to the ‘Meteor’ commander  by his counterpart of the ‘Never Enough’ which stopped twice there in 2008.

Sotheby’s International Real Estate interested in Madeira. Luxury apartments and houses in Madeira for sale are of interest to them.

Man arrested suspected of murder. A 20 year old was arrested suspected of homicide in Santo António after a fight between two men during the evening of September 22nd.

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a photo or video, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. 

You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions or comments and photos / videos, or if you can contribute regularly, I can give you a special account that allows you to create your own blog postings.
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Please use the comments here for general chit-chat, or feel free to ask any questions … someone usually has an answer.

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(30th August). Today’s main news story : ‘Inter-Island Voyages More Expensive In The Region – To travel by plane between the islands of Madeira costs triple that in the Azores and the Canaries. Airport taxes also penalise the connection between Madeira and Porto Santo’. The Diário conducted a study in the three locations mentioned, about the cost of inter island travel, by air and sea. The conclusion is that mile for mile, the good people of Madeira pay more, and one of the main reasons is the direct government subsidies given (or not given). Cheaper fuel prices and economies of scale also play a part, as well as airport taxes. One of the conclusions is that inter-island travel in the Azores, by sea, costs €0.07 per mile, whilst here it costs €1.20 per mile. By air it costs on SATA between the Azores €3.50 per minute of air travel, whilst here the comparative cost is €9.60 per minute, charged by the same airline. In the Canary Islands the state subsidises residents by almost 60%, the Azores by 25%. Nothing for Madeirans, although those who live on Porto Santo do have an entitlement of 35% discount. It’s a long article, but if anyone wants to know more the two charts on these links sum it up MADEIRA TRAVEL MADEIRA TRAVEL 2

All people suffer from post-holiday syndrome on returning to work and their routines – Syndrome is "a longer version of the sensation that people feel Sunday night, having to return to work". Fatigue, concentration problems, and irritability, are symptoms that experts associate with the post-holiday syndrome, which this time of year affects those who, after a rest period, have to return to work and the routine of everyday life. Many according to a report are suffering from anxiety. An expert on the subject recommends an easing back into the routines, by going to bed early and getting up earlier, and anything else that helps readjust the routines more gradually. I guess that day then for many is tomorrow?

‘Engineer Rui Vieira Died – The agronomist and politician was aged 83′. He was the first director of the Jardim Botânico (Botanic Gardens) of Funchal, and a Euro MP for the CDS / PP. He died yesterday of cancer. 

Today’s sports headline, in football again : ‘Real Madrid Win (3 – 2) With A Goal From Ronaldo – The Madeiran put away a penalty to score one of the goals of the victory of the ‘merengues’ in the start of the Spanish league’.

‘Ponta Delgada Waiting A Civic Centre – With the festival ‘at the door’, it is clear also that it lacks a public bathroom in the centre of the parish’. This sounds like one of those gripping local features that I thought had disappeared a few weeks ago. It has a nice photo of a petrol station / cafe, and a few local men going about their business on the front page of today’s newspaper, but I couldn’t copy that, so we have a scenic view instead. Aside from the WC, it seems that Ponta Delgada has just about everything except adequate parking, and having it’s own petrol station is indeed a great privilege. Aside from that it has it’s own multibanco (ATM), post office, pharmacy, and even a swimming complex. The civic centre was promised to the people ten years ago. As for life there, there is a small drug problem, but mostly out of sight, but people continue to feel safe in the parish. Next weekend is the festa of Bom Jesus, that is one of the most popular and well attended on Madeira, and that is one of the reasons so many people complained about the lack of a public toilet. Like everywhere else here, the youngsters don’t want to work the land their families worked for generations.

‘Funchal Câmara Doesn’t Back Down On The Projects Of Clean Public Transport – President Miguel Albuquerque  assures that the ‘Eco Line’ and the ‘Green Line’ will not affect the taxis’. Despite the opposition of the taxi drivers, Funchal Council will not back down on the projects for environmentally friendly public transport. Eco Line goes into free travel on Tuesday, and September 22nd sees the start up of the Green Line, which connects Praia Formosa Beach to the city centre. The president of CMF believes that the controversy with the taxi drivers is being fed and used by politicians on the eve of elections. As regards to the Green Line, which replaces the various existing buses, Albuquerque states that it will not be free travel, and what changes is that the new buses are environmentally friendly.

‘The president of the Azores, Carlos César, argued yesterday that the Portuguese autonomous regions can not be treated equally by the state – Madeira to Porto Santo is 40 miles, but Santa Maria to Corvo is over 600 miles’. He directed his speech at the elections of 27th September, and to support the re-election of José Sócrates, Prime Minister. In his view, the Government of the Republic can not "treat in the same way things that are different," noting that the Azores are composed of nine islands and Madeira of just two. So the Azores should be entitled to a "positive discrimination" within the Regional Finance Law, which determines the amount of money that comes from the state to the autonomous regions. In other words he argues that the Azores should receive more state money than Madeira. That reality, according to the PS president, "the PSD and Manuela Ferreira Leite (party leader) have not understood" accusing the Social Democrats of wishing to change the calculations of transfers from the islands so as to "harm the Azores". "It is therefore crucial and fundamental to the Azores that the PS and José Sócrates win in the elections of 27th September", he appealed.

UPDATES :

Following the earlier story about the new environmentally friendly buses in Funchal, the council has said it wants to take out out the hotel coaches / buses that frequent Avenida do Mar, and encourage tourists to take the new ‘Green Line’ buses instead. The idea is to reduce congestion along the Avenida and the Estrada Monumental, by taking out the coaches which often carry very few passengers. That means tourists will have to pay for transport in and out of downtown Funchal.

‘RTP-M Interviews 12 Candidates In 12 Days’. The TV station of Madeira has decided to interview the 12 main candidates from the political parties that are standing in the national legislative elections on 27th September. The first one starts on Tuesday, and they will be shown after the 9 pm news. Each candidate or party representative will be given around 30 minutes to express their ideas and positions to the Madeira public. The channel is also considering having debates, but nothing is decided yet.

The final front page article today has a photo that makes no sense at all : ‘Ministers Come To Support Bernardo – A circuit of lectures will include a minister and several secretaries of state’. The objective is to discuss "key areas for the Region" with Bernardo Trindade, the socialist candidate for the parliament, as part of a set of initiatives that will take place from 7th September. He has invited several members of central government to take part, as well as other personalities from Madeira. "The aim is to trigger thought and discussion, and seek to decentralize initiatives," says Bernardo Trindade. The first lecture is scheduled for September 7th in Santa Cruz, and will be dedicated to the environment and spatial planning. The roadshow then goes to Câmara de Lobos (8th), Funchal (10th), administrative simplification will be the subject on 12th, then to Ponta do Sol (14th) to discuss agriculture, and then Machico to discuss employment. Porto Santo will be the venue to discuss tourism and transport on the 16th, with a final lecture still to be arranged on the 18th to discuss policies for autonomy.

‘Sócrates Against Social Security Proposed By The PSD’. The prime minister and secretary general of the Socialist Party, José Sócrates, said yesterday in Faro that he disagrees with Social Security based on "every man for himself", and criticized the social democrats for defending the capping of the Portuguese Social Security, as outlined in its prospectus presented to the public on Thursday. He said what was being proposed certainly means the "privatisation" of part of Social Security, and it would be "a bad decision for the country".

A very thin newspaper today, so that’s it for now. With the holiday season over tomorrow, perhaps there might be a few more journalists on duty.