Giga Park controversy ; Police target Caniçal ; Costa Concordia premiers ; Budget Travel bust
Today’s Photo Thanks to Derek … Flower festival dancers
Many thanks again to Elaine for yesterday’s top news stories …
Giga Park is not yet opened but is already causing controversy. The ownership of one of the leased areas is in dispute and going to court. It is not yet installed but the amusement park in Ponta do Sol is a cause of controversy, which could end up in court. Two individuals claim possession of the land in question. The case promises to end up in court with an action brought as early as next week, says the contesting party. At the heart of the dispute is a piece of land in the expansion zone of Ponta do Sol, where in two weeks time is to be constructed the amusement park for the Christmas season and will remain there until mid-January. Marcos Vaz, responsible for organizing the fair and rents the land it occupies, assures he has possession of the proper permits through signed documents by all landowners. He rejects accusations of invading property without proper consent. One of the Gouveia family, claiming land ownership, complains that the Council of Ponta do Sol is complicit in the invasion because they authorized the installation on private property. Without concealing his anger, denouncing: "Ponta do Sol as the plunderer." In the midst of this is another owner claiming the coveted land, having made a deed of justification (prescription) at the end of last October. Although a period of 30 days is liable for a contest of a document of justification, the claimant promises to take the case to court next week for the judge to rule on the legitimate ownership. The mayor was surprised that there were no objections until yesterday when no one has previously complained to the Council services. He says the person is entitled to complain over registration of the land but he just wants to create controversy. He says the Giga Park has been authorized to be placed in the expansion area of Ponta do Sol but with safeguards that the entrepreneur obtains the proper consent from the land owners. The authorities have not issued any document and will only do so after confirming the lawful possession of the land to be occupied.
Attempted homicide against an inspector of the PJ. The Public Ministry has filed a complaint against an individual who on July 27 2009, on Porto Santo, fired a shot from a shotgun against an inspector of the PJ (Justicial Police) who had his mother in custody. The shot was fired about five metres from the inspector. The defendant is charged with attempted homicide, resistance to arrest and causing injury to an officer. The accused is 22 years old and was born in Porto Santo. The car of the PJ was targeted but no officer injured in the shooting. The investigations that were underway were related to the crime of drug trafficking and the action of the individual was to intimidate the agents who had detained a couple under suspicion. The action eventually cumulated in the arrest of a man and a woman of Portuguese nationality aged 38 and 48. 390 doses of heroin were also seized.
Police operation in conjunction with various forces in Caniçal. On 19 November, there was a Special Crime Prevention Operation in the municipality of Machico, especially directed at the parish of Caniçal. 568 individuals and 264 vehicles searched. Two guns, five doses of hashish, a car and several documents were seized in the operation which resulted in an arrest for possession of a prohibited weapon, illegal transport of a weapon and drug taking. 25 foreign nationals were also investigated for immigration offences.
Volunteers help Dutch couple. A Dutch citizen, in her 60s, was rescued yesterday by bombeiros when she was overcome with exhaustion on descending the path connecting Bobasas to Bom Sucesso. Her husband asked for assistance when she had breathing difficulties and the bombeiros administered oxygen to stabilise her. On arrival at Bom Sucesso, the woman’s condition had improved and they declined transportation to the hospital.
Costa Concordia debut. Italian cruise ship travelled from Lisbon with 2,200 tourists, on their way to Brazil. It was the first time this ship has visited the region and arrival scheduled for 07.00. It is on a repositioning cruise to Brazil where it will operate over the next four months. It was built in 2006, has 17 decks providing 3,780 beds in 1,500 cabins. The range of services on the floating hotel include areas of leisure, catering, gambling and nightlife. There is also a chapel for prayer/meditation. There are four swimming pools including a samsara spa, sundeck, sports area, five jacuzzis and a beauty salon. In addition to a recreation area for children, there is an area of shops, an art gallery and Internet access. The ship sails at 17.00 for Recife and the ship will return on the 22 March 2010 on the way back to Europe. There will be the traditional arrival ceremony accompanied by the Ports Authority and Ships Enthusiasts Club.
Despite the Christmas bonus, people still not spending. The Civil Servants have received their Christmas bonus but the traders in the centre of Funchal say the sector is still in crisis. Trade has been poor all year and people are buying the cheapest articles. Traders hope that business will improve when other employees receive their bonus on the 15 December. The ATM machines were affected and often unavailable for service yesterday afternoon with withdrawals and transfers due to the Christmas bonus. The Porto Santo ferry is changing its schedule to help people travel to Madeira for Christmas shopping, so they can travel on Thursday night and return to the island on Friday night.
Bankruptcy of Irish tour operator affects the region. The collapse of the Irish tour operator Budget Travel has stranded more than 700 customers in various resorts worldwide. There are 28 tourists in Madeira whose return is guaranteed via SATA and money will be refunded to other customers who have booked holidays. There are still debts to be paid and the firm last week paid a large sum to a regional hotel group. Budget Travel was allocated 50 seats per week on SATA flights from Dublin. The airline will now have to try to sell the seats to other Irish operators but the prospects are not very good given the economic collapse of Ireland last year, which made news headlines around the world. Budget Travel has been in the market for about 35 years and has faced serious difficulties since last year. The company has no means and no prospects of paying in the coming months the debts to suppliers estimated at around €9.4 million. Madeiran hotels lose potentially 50 customers per week, an annual total of 2,500 guests with an average stay of seven nights.
Nuno Teixeira attends to the future of fisheries. The Social Democrat MEP promised yesterday to pay attention to the interests of Madeira in the fisheries sector, although this is not an area under his direct competence. He met with the parliamentary group of the PSD to discuss subsidies for construction and boat repair and the three month period without fishing for the black scabbard fish (espada). He took the opportunity to talk to the people of Madeira about the importance of the Green Paper on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which is in consultation until the end of the year. The argument is that the European Community compensation for the additional costs in marketing certain fishery products from the outermost regions should not be subject to a time limit as these are permanent handicaps. There should be a distinction between small regional fishing fleets and large industrial trawlers, and identification of fragile habitats.
Council of Machico limit the amount of construction. The Council of Machico will set a quota for construction throughout the county, taking advantage of the revision of the Municipal Plan. Although there are still some major works to be completed and new projects, the priority will be to focus on the environment and social areas. Works of the council will focus on green areas integrated into urban areas. In the more populated centres, there will be established gardens and leisure areas. The mayor points out that there are still some important works to be achieved; the health centre at Porto da Cruz, the enlargement of the quay at Porto da Cruz, the new sports pavilion at Machico and upgrading the centre of Caniçal.
Madeira inundates São Bento with propositions. In a little over a month, there were six initiatives, taking advantage of the weakness of the Portuguese Socialist Party. The two proposed amendments to the law of support for air transport are the first in what is promised to be a long series. Since the beginning of the current legislative session on October 20, Madeira has sent an average of one bill a week to the Assembly of the Republic. The aim is to take advantage of the fact that the PS lost its absolute majority and force the adoption of proposals rejected by the previous Socialist Government. The key of course, is the amendment to the Finance Act of the Autonomous Region, as proposed by the PSD-M and even had the backing of the Socialists in Madeira. In the case of the Finance Act, there is agreement with the PSD in Portugal and the opposition CDS and BE will probably agree, so the Socialists have few alternatives. The other laws are; pension supplement of 65 Euros paid by the Government of the Republic, 30% more for the police and immigration officials, and salaries of public administrations of ANAM. Jardim advises the Portuguese Government that as all is not well in the current situation, it should resign.
This article was also translated by an Elaine, this one from the West … many thanks!
(This is today’s top story in the Diário) : 15 more TAP flights for the festive season. Fernando Pinto has promised and TAP will fulfil. The airline will increase flights to Madeira from the second half of December and the end of the first week of January. According to data provided by the carrier, 14,248 places will be available on the Lisbon – Funchal route, through the enhancement of 96 flights. Between Porto and Madeira 54 more flights are planned, an increase of 7318 seats. The increase during Christmas and New Year’s Eve is because of immigrants who keep up the tradition of spending the festive season in Madeira, but also thanks to the diversity of programs offered by national operators, leading to TAP increasing daily flights. In all, more than 150 flights and 21,566 seats will be available. "This has always been the case, and we will continue to enhance the service to Madeira at Christmas and the end of the year," said the president of TAP, Fernando Pinto, during the 35th Congress of the WTTC, despite the time of crisis which has led to the reduction in supply and loss of passengers in the increase of air transport to Madeira. In the festive season TAP will also strengthen its operation to the Azores: over 14 flights to Horta, equivalent to 1,968 seats, plus 20 for Terçeira, ensuring an increase of 3000 seats and 4 more for Pico, providing over 528 seats.
A quick look at the rest of the front page of today’s headlines in the Diário de Notícias (Der) :
Food aid triples on Madeira. 83 thousand packages arrived this month for 10 thousand Madeirans, resulting in Social Security concluding that "only those who want to go hungry". The larders of some social and charity institutions and around 10,000 impoverished Madeirans were filled during November with over 830 thousand food packages, almost three times as many as in 2008 (326,000). This has been achieved through the Program for Community Food Aid for the Disadvantaged (PCAAC). The head of Social Security confirmed the figures, saying that there no need for anyone to go hungry. Madeira has been included in the scope of PCAAC since 1999, that has the objective of distributing specific food types to various member states in need. The main products are rice, pastas, biscuits, butter, cheeses, milk, flour and sugar, although this year several more luxurious products were also delivered. The number of aid recipients has actually dropped slightly this year to 9,618 (9,916). No doubt this publicity will boost the list again, especially as the head of Social Security admits that there are families that have not been identified as ‘poor’, and calls on people and institutions to let them know of any cases. There are also families identified as ‘poor’, but reject the food aid offered.
Solidarity of the people : The charity Cáritas fills 18 carts in only 4 hours just in one shopping commercial area. I won’t cover this one today personally, as the campaign is still running until closing time today, so don’t forget to get down to your local Pingo Doce and fill a bag or two of goodies, and hand them over to the scouts or guides (or whoever) at the entrance on your way out. There should be an acceptable product list on display, that excludes perishables.
Economic Inspection tightens with commerce. The inspection begins tomorrow in ‘Operation Christmas’, with special attention for toys, Xmas decorations and accessories, and foods. The Regional Inspectorate for economic Activities (IRAE) starts its Xmas operation with its focus well prioritised, and the checks will run throughout December, as is customary each year. "With Christmas around the corner there is greater activity of business and trade and, as such, IRAE must be attentive and vigilant in the market for a number of factors, starting with a clear indication of prices of products and services offered", said Regional Inspector Valentim Caldeira. Checks will also be made on toys to ensure that the labelling is consistent with what is required by law, notably in terms of details regarding the age limit for use, and that the instructions or labels are written in Portuguese, especially with electrical products that could be a potential hazard. Valentim also warns that "consumers themselves should be aware of the importance of buying safe toys", because "the children all must be so careful." The safety of toys is as an important aspect in choosing a product as is value for money. Food items will also be checked, in terms of price, but especially with regard to hygiene conditions and packaging. Valentim adds that also the transport of food is also an area for review. As regards Christmas decorations, it is again electrical items with potential safety issues that will be checked. Items that do not comply with regulations are seized by the inspectors. The issue of instructions in Portuguese is interesting, as the consumer organisation DECO does not say that it is illegal, and just says if the instructions don’t exist in Portuguese, then buy something else. They also say that buyers should read the instructions before buying the product, asking a shop assistant to open the package if necessary. As a lot of electrical products come in sealed boxes, I can’t imagine that being so successful, especially where there is a label warning about buying if the seal is broken. Chinese shops beware!
Cliff Bay Hotel restaurant keeps its ‘Michelin Star’. Does anyone really care?
Registration of ships bring millions in IVA tax (VAT) – Ships registered in Madeira are floating commercial centres. Not wishing to hog all the top stories I will leave this one for someone else, someone new perhaps. Quem me dera!
Saturday of draws. Nacional only managed a home 1 – 1 draw yesterday against Naval, which won’t help the recovery too much of Nacional manager Manuel Machado, in hospital after an infection following a hernia surgical procedure, and still not out of danger. The headline also refers to and pictures the derby match between Sporting and Benfica last night, that ended in a 0 – 0 draw. Marítimo play away today at Belenenses at 6 pm (SportTV2).
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Togolese suspect vessel may be towed. The mystery of the ship ‘Newhope’ that since November 9 has been hovering 12 miles from Funchal thickens. The vessel continues in Portuguese waters, with lack of food and fuel, a situation which the authorities consider strange for a ship travelling between Brazil and India. During the past three weeks the ship has asked permission to anchor, claiming to need supplies, a claim the Maritime Authority does not authorize as there is information that the ship’s certificates are expired and that the ‘Newhope’ is included in a list of ‘black flag’ ships, which constitute a threat to safety and the environment. Now a representative of the shipowner is in Madeira, who in recent days has been trying to encourage the regional authorities to find a solution through supplying while offshore, without the ship entering port and subject to an inspection. The presence in Madeira of the seagoing tug ‘Fairmount Summi’ thickens the mystery. Because there is suspicion that the presence in our seas for five days and without a port of destination, it is linked to the situation of the ‘Newhope’. With lack of water, fuel and oil for the generators and other equipment, the captain of the Togolese boat may request aid and thereby triggering a maritime rescue operation, that would justify the presence of this tug of Dutch flag. Recently the tugboat has towed a ship for 20 days from Brazil to Europe, at high cost, which may link the presence of the ‘Fairmount Summi’ with the situation of ‘Newhope’.
Two boulders threaten road. Two large stones are likely to fall on the road linking Pestana Junior to the access to the motorway. The rocks are about 40 metres away from the road that is used daily by thousands of cars. The warning was made to the Diário by householders residing in the area, who became aware of the situation while searching for mosses and ‘cabrinhas’ for presepios which they are making for Christmas. The two rocks should weigh close to half a ton each, appear to be based on an area of land capable of being easily altered by the elements of erosion, particularly in the event of high intensity rainfall over an extended period. Note that the slopes of the area, limiting the Ribeira de Joao Gomes, have been subject to several visits to remove earth and stones, some of which were conducted in the wake of some landslides or to prevent such an occurrence.
Prisoner of 35 steps. Maria Ilda, 59 years old, has to overcome 35 steps by using her arms whenever leaving and returning home. There was a call for the purchase of an electric wheelchair and the construction of a ramp on 23 November in the letters section of the Diário, as a last resort, but it did not work. She now has osteoporosis causing pain in her shoulders and arms and has difficulty climbing the stairs, especially when it rains. Her wasted and paralysed lower limbs are due to contracting meningitis when she was one and a half years old. A wheelchair would give her some independence but she only has a pension of 200 Euros and the family all work and have no spare income. She has requested support from the Social Security for three years with the help of the specialist rehabilitation nurse but the cost of more than 5,000 Euros could not be met. The ramp would cost about 25,000 Euros. There is a fundraising campaign by the readers of the Diário. The NIB no:00350687000056743002 in the name of Maria Ilda Ascensao Andrade.
Lightning bolts in the unveiling of the illuminations. The lights in downtown Funchal were switched-on on a stormy night with a widespread power-cut, but symbolised the initiation of the Christmas spirit : academics deliver presents and the charity Cáritas collects donations. The actual front page photo shows Xmas decorations like lightning bolts hitting the ground, but unfortunately I can’t reproduce that photo for technical reasons. Anyway the gist of the headline is that the switching-on of the Christmas lights coincided with a very noisy storm last night that put nearly the whole island (more so in the West) into darkness. Here in Ribeira Brava we were in blackness for about half an hour. It was indeed a spectacular storm with numerous dazzling lighting bolts, window-rattling thunder, and very heavy rain. It was almost without wind here which was great as I was able to stand out and watch the sky for a while. An hour or so after it started you wouldn’t have known there had been a storm, and even the moon was visible. Smarty Alec me must have had a premonition as I brought a pack of candles this week! The bit about the charity collections is already covered above in Elaine’s article.
