Jardim Asked To Stay Until 2015 ; School For Junkies ; São Vicente To Have Major Facelift
(29th May). In politics, and the main news headline of today : ‘Mendonça Launches Jardim Until 2015′. ‘The announcement of Albuquerque (president of CMF), about his candidacy for the leadership of the social democrats of Madeira (PSD-M), and the reaction of his adversary Coito Pita, served as a motive to eternize Jardim, that in a first move ‘promoted’ Manuel António to calm the pretenders. Now comes Miguel Mendonça saying that the internal divisions and the crisis require that Jardim continues in post after 2011. As always, there follows a period where the leader will show some reluctancy, even up until the completion of the current term’. In a nutshell, Miguel Mendonça who is leader of the legislative assembly (ALM) and a senior member of the PSD-M, is calling for President Jardim to serve another term as party leader and Madeira president, until 2015, despite Jardim saying he was finishing in 2011. Mendonça agrees that "nobody is irreplaceable", but adds that "there are those more difficult to replace, especially in times of great difficulties". Asked to comment on the physical shape of Jardim in taking on the load another four years Mendonça said "I am his doctor, and I am of the free will to to say that he is in shape to do this". The plot thickens … the leader of the ALM now also turns out to be Jardim’s doctor! Anyway, that’s a story for another day perhaps, but another 4 years of Uncle Bertie … I think I need a doctor!!!!!
Madeira News :
(29th May). ‘Baby Still-Born In An Ambulance – The birth happened 3 hours after the mother was released from the health centre in Porto Santo’. The 25 year old woman was at the end of her pregnancy and having contractions of 10 in 10 minutes, but was advised to go home and rest by the emergency clinic on Porto Santo, much to her surprise, deemed to be having a normal pregnancy. She was expecting to be sent to Funchal, as she felt was normal at this stage. The Diário reporter contacted the Health Centre on Porto Santo, but the director is absent because of illness. The clinical director of hospitals, health centres and a midwife with 30 years of experience, does not want to comment on the case now. "I do not know what circumstances occurred, many things can go wrong during a delivery, with many causes possible for the death of the baby. The only normal births are the ones that end well" he said.
‘Disused School In Curral Passed To Become The Shooters Lounge – It is a nightmare for the population of Seara Velha. The council of Câmara de Lobos promises a solution’. The school, disused since last year, has become a refuge for drug addicts, and as well as the usual filthy habits, windows and doors have been forced open and ripped off, glass broke, and even the toilets have been vandalised. The intruder alarm is deactivated, and does not discourage anyone who chooses to enter the old school in Curral das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns). The locals are understandably upset. but is this just a case of ‘not in my back yard’. These junkies are better off the streets than on. Anyway, rather in your back yard than my back yard.
‘Police tackle Prostitution – Many women aged between 17 and 45, of various nationalities, were identified’. The crack-down has been ongoing over 3 days, with police (PSP) using preventative measures against deviant behaviour, that might encourage crimes of sexual exploitation of minors, and prostitution. The focus has been on urban and sensitive tourist areas, where a larger than normal police presence has been visible.
(28th May). ‘Sea Front Of São Vicente In Works This Year – President of the council presents a project of €3 million’. He had promised that one day he would silence his critics, being the traders near the sea front, and Wednesday that day finally arrived. The work will start at the end of year to transform and upgrade the ‘downtown’ area. Poor conditions generally dissatisfied many, especially the lack of car parking, health and safety issues with customers, and exiting problems, to name a few. At the start of the meeting, some showed up reticent about what they expected to see. However, in the end everyone left the meeting in the Town Hall extremely satisfied. The work will take around one year to complete. The commercial area will be expanded, and the sea walks will take on "another dimension". Landscaped areas of leisure will also be added, and the number of parking places along the sea front increased. One detail of the improvement will be to mark the identity of the commercial units, with everybody having a different colour in order to distinguish their space, plus all the shopping esplanades will gain ‘comforts’. The sloping area will have sets of night lights, providing an interesting effect for visitors after dark.
