Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine out West … Aboboras out to ripen in Lombada da Ponta do Sol.

Many thanks to Beck for this video link of stormy seas in Lugar de Baixo on 28^th December.

Madeira’s Bryde’s Whales. "A variety of cetaceans are present in Madeiran waters, including Bottlenose Dolphins, Short-finned Pilot Whales, Common Dolphins and Sperm Whales. However, one species that is attracting scientific interest, and which is present around Madeira each year, is the Bryde’s (pronounced ‘brood-ess’) Whale". MORE

"We know that you have heard of the Boston Tea Party, but have you ever heard of the Madeira Wine Party? The Madeira Wine Party, which occurred several years before the Boston Tea Party, was also a demonstration against British domination over the colonies. On that occasion, it was against the rationing of Madeira, the favorite wine of the colonists. The sloop Liberty had tried to land at Boston Harbor with a cargo of Madeira wines consigned to John Hancock, the first signer of our Declaration of Independence. The British seized the shipment, which set the colonists into action. A conflict took place and, as the story goes, Hancock won out and finally received his wine". From news-leader.com, but is it serious?

I timed it, and I spent an hour and a half on Tuesday going through the list of websites that I go through every day to find the ‘snippets’ and had to abandon the task through lack of time, and I just can’t keep it up in future. I did ask a few days ago if someone could take this on, even on a best endeavours basis, and didn’t get any responses, although Becky independently came up with two batches of really good links under her own steam. Much appreciated Becky.

As I said at the time, it doesn’t need any Portuguese translation skills, just reviewing the websites listed (which would be sent to you daily), and then choosing the best and most relevant sites, and formatting something to post on the blog. I will hang on another day or two, and then I will discontinue this feature if no one comes forward to help. Sorry, but I just have too much else to do, and I cannot spend the rest of my life still working at 10 pm at night.

Sheila very kindly translated and sent in this article :

Here is another example of  the way some Madeirans are giving foreign tourists a bad impression of this beautiful but flawed Island. The story is from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias.

Many foreign tourists are vowing never to return to Madeira because of  the ill-treatment of animals which they have seen on the Island.

Jutta Heinemann and her husband are examples of this growing trend. The German couple came to Madeira for the first time a few years ago when their cruise ship made a stop-over in Funchal. They liked the City so much that they decided to come back and spend more time on the Island. This year, they came for 10 days. With the help of guidebooks, they took trips to the interior of the Island where they found many mistreated animals. Dogs in particular came to their attention when they noticed that many were kept on chains that were too short, had no shelter and were forced to lie in their own excrement.

The Heinemann’s also saw starving cats and a goat kept in a small shack, without drinking water, and attached to a chain so short that it could not even lie down. These sights affected Jutta and her husband so much that they now say that they will not return to the Region. "Madeira is such a beautiful Island but, having seen how animals are treated here, we have no desire to come back" Jutta explains. She adds that the images of abused and neglected animals have prevented her from sleeping during her stay. "When people choose to keep an animal, they should realise that they are taking in another member of the family for some years and that the animal needs to be fed, treated well and to be given care and affection. Many people in Madeira are unaware of the real needs of a domesticated animal", she believes.

Jutta, who is a member of Deutscher Tierschutzbund, an animal protection organisation, could not remain indifferent to the plight of  animals in Madeira so she has adopted three dogs from SPAD (Madeira’s Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals). In a few weeks, she will adopt another dog, rescued by the couple during their stay in Madeira and placed by them in the care of SPAD. The delay is caused by the fourth dog needing a course of vaccinations before it is permitted to travel.

The help given by people like the Heinemann’s is not enough to overcome an animal welfare problem in Madeira, similar to that which also exists in mainland Portugal, Spain, Southern France and Italy. Tourists are asking why the authorities in all these areas cannot intervene to organise campaigns for the sterilisation of stray animals and to impose fines on people, who abandon and mistreat animals. Until then, at least four dogs will soon be starting a new life in Germany.

This is one of the luckier Husky dogs, well kept and fed, and full of confidence

This one is less happy with life, and wishes to make that known to his owner

Sorry Sheila, not to make light of a very serious problem, but it’s my way of coping with such unpleasant matters. Der

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

DIÁRIO 03/02/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Court suggests that the Ports Authority charges more fees. The Court of Auditors suggests that APRAM amends irregularities in licenses and concessions that it has granted to private enterprises. Examples of such cases are the Restaurante Vagrant and the Terminal Marítimo da Cimentos Madeira. The OPM, Beer House, Vagrant and Cimentos would have to pay more for their licences and concessions. The Court wants APRAM to rewrite the regulations to conform with the Water Act so there is transparency, equality and proportionality in setting the rates. The port operation (OPM) is legal and Cimentos Madeira does not pay taxes as there is no evidence of its use. Companhia Logística de Combustíveis da Madeira in Caniçal has chosen not to pay user fees as it disagrees with the bill issued. New licensing would add another 6.5% to present revenue. The Vagrant restaurant has been unlicensed since 2002 and the Beer House is also illegal. The Court also criticized the Council of Funchal for holding a competition for tenders before having a licence to occupy the space.

PS want special taxes for concessionaires. Via Litoral, Via Expresso, OPM and SDM may have to pay 2.5% more on their assets. The Socialist Party want to increase revenue as income tax receipts are down. They state that only taxpayers with significant income who have been immune to the economic crisis will be affected by their tax proposals. This week in the Legislative Assembly, the PS will present three draft legislations. They suggest: a tax on companies supplying public services; a special tax on aggregate extraction, and an alteration of the use of taxes from the Estradas da Madeira. New revenues should help the poorest sections of the population, for their education and health services, and for road safety and to help victims of road accidents.  Large companies will have to pay 2.5% on their mobile assets, for example OPM (Operation of Ports of Madeira) and SDM (operate the Free Zone – International Business Centre). They suggest that for every ton of extracted inert material – rock, gravel, sand etc.-  5 Euros is paid to the region.

MADEIRA

BAD WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

Stream overflowed into workshop. The water in the Ribeiro Fernando in Camacha overflowed and debris blocked the E.R. 205. The local population used spades, shovels and farming implements to clear the road rather than wait for the council to bring in machinery. An aluminium workshop was flooded despite their efforts and two houses were at risk. A section of the road was closed off and some cars became stuck in the mud. Family displaced in the Lombo da Quinta. (Photo). Four people were evicted from a residence in São Gonçalo after a supporting garden wall collapsed. The family were awakened at 4 am by the noise and were later instructed to leave for safety reasons. The house is still under the five year guarantee and there have been construction faults for which the owners are having to take the builder to court. They have worked in South Africa for 32 years and have invested their income in this house. Roads turned into rivers. In Machico and Funchal. In Moinho da Serra in Machico, several cars parked overnight on a road were swept away by water and debris which had clogged a swollen stream. Residents had previously warned the council that this might happen. Porto da Cruz awakes unrecognizable. Roads flooded and cars dislodged by the force of the water. Two homes flooded with significant losses and will take a lot of cleaning. Trail of destruction in the north. In Santana, houses and schools flooded, landslides, roads impassable and overflowing streams. A family had some of their belongings destroyed when their house was flooded. They live on 540 Euros a month and there are eight members in the family. High seas did no damage to the port or marinas. Despite high waves, no damage reported to the Port of Funchal or marinas at Funchal, Quinta do Lorde, Calheta, Machico and  Porto Santo. The City Council of Funchal triggers the emergency fund. Work on the pavements alone will cost more than 1 million Euros. Three families have been displaced and 30 roads damaged. A record level of rainfall was recorded in Funchal: 111 millimetres per square metre.

ECONOMY

Sales of new cars falls 45% in nine years. Sales of new ‘light’ vehicles (passenger and commercial) has fallen from 6,199 vehicles in 2001 to 3,412 in 2009. In 2009, there were 23.9% fewer vehicles sold than the previous year despite increases in 2004 and 2008. The data is encouraging as sales rose in the last four months of 2009. The sale of commercial vehicles fell 36.8% in 2009 which could be the worst year ever. Firms will have to reorganize and restructure, cutting the number of vendors and improving customer service.

POLITICS

Who hurt Socrates? Since 2005, Jardim has been offensive to the Prime Minister of Portugal – "The great enemy of Madeira" -but they must sit together today at the State Council meeting. Jardim has stated that Socrates has an "obsession" against Madeira and he is "concerned" about  "Who in Madeira has hurt the man?" In a television interview, Jardim questioned the reasons why Socrates "looses his temper" with Madeira. Is it because of different political parties? Is it because of political autonomy in Madeira? Is it because Madeira can progress with different policies than Lisbon? Is the answer to these questions the fact that since 2005, there have been controversial statements from Jardim about Portugal.

CULTURE

Funchal has a new window on the past. Agulha e o Dedal (Needle and Thimble) recreates a sewing room from 50 years ago. This one-room house-museum opened yesterday at Rua Câmara Pestana No 6, 1 º A. The project is an idea of Manuela Castro who also created the house ‘Velhos Encantos’ and the grocery store ‘Venda do André’.

Rosa Lobato Faria died yesterday in Lisbon. The 77 year old Rosa Lobato Faria died in a Lisbon Hospital yesterday after post-surgical complications and anaemia. This poet, novelist and actress was born in Lisbon in 1932. She was an announcer for RTP in the 1960s and acted in the Portuguese soap opera, Vila Faia, and in several films. Her writing started later on in life, from 1995 to 2001, writing novels, poetry and award-winning songs. The loss of her husband in 2008 was a hard blow and she tried to overcome this through work.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

RSI beneficiaries will be able to carry out voluntary work. The PSD will arrange a legislative amendment to the RSI (Social Integration Income) that will allow beneficiaries who have the capacity to work, to be able to do voluntary work. This was after a meeting with representatives of Caritas, a charity that provides support to families in need. The charity wants more cross-checking between institutions for better coordination of support to households. They want to combat dependence on support. Such voluntary activities will benefit the community, for example: help the bombeiros clean the serras, clean neighbourhood gardens, care for children in nursery schools and work in centres for the elderly. Caritas is receiving an increasing number of requests for support by parents, especially when the husband has been made unemployed.

Good photo on yesterday’s Funchal Daily Photo, ‘Stop Waves’.

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

Museums lose visitors – The trend of rising visitor numbers recorded from 2001, was interrupted in the last two years.

Dangerous carelessness – The weather couldn’t explain all the damage done.  At the time of building, more rigor is needed.

Today’s main news headline, and also the main photo. A picture of a semi-smiling Prime Minister José Sócrates sat at the same table as a glaring President Alberto João Jardim. Deputy of the Socialist Party of Madeira disobeys Sócrates – If the PS intransigence continues, Luís Miguel França will today help facilitate the amendment to the Regional Finance Law. Hmm, dangerous ground crossing party boundaries, and a career ending opportunity for França perhaps. In another article Jardim says the the country "lives in a carnival", and that the resignation of the prime minister would be "the best for the country".

The controversial [Regional Finance] Law was addressed in the Council of State, that sees no reason for Sócrates to resign, but the President of Madeira opted for silence. Not like you Uncle Bertie. Bit out of your depth with the heavyweights perhaps?

Leaders of the PND Madeira protested in Belém. That would be the Rabbit and his colleagues then, of the New Democratic Party creating yet another spectacle, this time at the parliament in Lisbon.

Pay-to-view gardens yield 3.5 million Euros – ‘Garden Tourism’ is a competitive and differentiating niche, but it is not promoted in the best way by the Region.

The main sport / football headline today : More errors – The scandals and suspect refereeing occur in the football matches of the young people of Madeira. Rui Marote, president of the Football Association of Madeira recognizes that not everything is as it should be, but he ensures that everything is being done so that the referees can do a good job. "Nobody makes mistakes on purpose" he says. But club officials from various directions disagree, criticising the quality of refereeing at youth level, weak technical resources, and little propensity for teaching. the Diário decided to pick the story of the training coordinator of Boaventura to illustrate the complaints, following a match from two weeks ago. "Our team of youngsters was at the ground of Andorinha and ended up with 7 players sent off!", he complains. The article finishes with statements from 10 officials from regional clubs, all saying pretty much the same thing.

If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated. 

Tobi has very kindly sent in some video ‘snippets’ for you perusal. Many thanks.

This is a nice video – Madeira 1951, no sound though. MADEIRA 1951

More of the bad weather   -   Funchal

More of the bad weather   -   Santa Cruz

This is a great one from the hotel at Santa Cruz – OUTDOOR POOL WITH WAVES

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad 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. Please don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions and photos / videos.

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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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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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