"I had always heard of Madeira as an island that was out there off the African coast but only old people went there and the weather might be dodgy. But I got the opportunity to visit it at the end of January this year and how wrong was my perception. It is a beautiful island with varied and magnificent scenery – mountains, valleys, tropical gardens, golf courses, wind surfing. There is plenty to do even at night time with a huge selection of restaurants and plenty of bars with music and night clubs. So I found out that it is not just for the over 70s". MORE

I have no idea where this photo was taken, it was on a website unrelated to Madeira, but the tug boat is called ‘Funchal’. Is it here, or can anyone shed any light on the vessel?

Many thanks to Pete who emailed me with this creative and very sensible suggestion :

Mosquitoes in your garden? Try planting these! Marigolds, Ageratum, Catnip, Rosemary, Geraniums, Basil, Lemon Balm, Garlic and onion. I have also seen on eBay Mosquito Dunks that you drop in water.  I personally like to try plants rather than chemicals because they are safer for pets and the environment. You can also help by emptying water containers regularly that plants stand in, including anything that stores water.  You can find other plants and ways of getting rid of Mosquitoes by searching the internet. If they fail, you still have a colourful garden, which everyone can admire.

Also many thanks to Elaine (out West) … from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias :

Exhibition unites painting, literature and music – The works of six artists and the texts of six writers, inspired by various musical pieces, are part of ‘Third Bank’, an exhibition opened yesterday which will be open to the public until February 26 at the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias. Sofia Moniz Alves is the coordinator for the ‘Third Bank’, which includes contributions by Ana Luísa Amaral, Pedro Proenca, Teresa Gonçalves Lobo, Fernando Pinto Amaral, Nuno Júdice, Regina Chula, Avelino Rocha, Helga Moreira, Isabel Mendes Ferreira, Agostinho Santos, Lucia David and Porfirio Al Brandão. "The objective was to unite the art of bisexuality. Each writer was paired with each of the artists, making writing, visual art and music one work," Sofia Moniz Alves explained. To this end, next to each table is a text and an MP3 player with music that inspired the works. Also available to the public until 26 February is a catalogue of CDs, whose content is the basis of the exhibition. Entry is 7 Euros.

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

For any nautical bloggers, RTP is following the Sagres Portuguese Navy training ship: SAGRES. The Portuguese Navy site has an English version

Diário online poll : How do you rate the debt of the region?

Alarming 79% ; Normal 8% ; Understandable 10% ; Negligible 3% ;

DIÁRIO 06/02/2010 – FRONT PAGE NEWS

Lagoa do Santo wastes two thirds of water captured. Built in the early 1980s with the purpose of irrigating Santo da Serra golf course and providing water for the municipality of Santa Cruz, the Lagoa do Santo da Serra has never been fully operational. This reservoir has a capacity of 1 million cubic metres of water but takes no more than a third of this amount. It was the first artificial lake in the region, costing the equivalent of 4 million Euros. The problem is the asphalt lining the reservoir so it was drained in mid-2009 but found to be in a worse state than expected. The reservoir has been redesigned and work will begin in May and is expected to be finished by mid-2011, when it should have a capacity of 700,000 cubic metres of water. Originally, the reservoir took water only from the Levada da Serra Faial which is currently being restored. New work means that it should be able to receive water from other sources, water from Ribeira de Boaventura via the Lagoa das Águas Mansas. To help irrigation of agricultural land in the area and provide water for the municipalities of Machico and Santa Cruz, there will be two additional new reservoirs: Lagoa da Portela and Lagoa da Ponta do Pargo.

MADEIRA

Ten places for foreigners. If approved in Lisbon, Madeiran employers will be able to hire only 10 workers from outside the EU this year. This proposal is by the Regional Executive. Last year, they wanted a quota of 20 and despite the Portuguese Government raising it to 58, only 22 were employed. Extra bureaucracy is needed and employment opportunities are dwindling as unemployment presently stands at 13,000. The large public works are over and there are no new investments. This is a national trend as last year only 25% of the quota for immigrants was used, filled by Venezuelans, Brazilians, Africans and Ukrainians.

Four robbers arrested by PSP. They are responsible for crimes committed in Funchal. A 34 year old Mozambican national was sentenced to nine months in prison. He was in possession of several items including computer equipment and perfumes, and was responsible for a dozen thefts from cars parked in public car parks. The police caught him in the act while he was inside a car after having forced open the door. Three suspects from Nazaré were arrested, aged between 18 and 27 years. They had violently robbed an 80 year old woman and most of the stolen item have been recovered.

PSP threaten Carnival floats. Eight days before the Carnival parade, the Regional Commander of the Police has met with the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Transport concerning security arrangements. One of the changes brought forward is that floats are obliged to be covered by liability insurance in case of accidents which cause damage to third parties; spectators and those taking part. In a previous event a float slid for a few metres down the Avenida Zarco, causing a scare. There is confusion about whether the safety standards will be identical to last year or if additional checks will have to be made to the floats, which could mean significant changes to the bodywork and mechanics.

CARNIVAL PROGRAM

13 February, Saturday
Festivities in the Lower Town
10:00 – 13:30 – Carnival Party Band
10:00 – 15:00 – Marching Band
15:00 – 20:00 – Marching Band
19:30 – 23:00 - Puppet Theatre Group on the route of the Float Parade
20:50 – 21:00 – Fireworks
21:00 - Carnival Float Parade

Route: Departing from Praça da Autonomia (south side), Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses (southbound lane), crossing to the northbound lane (opposite the Marina Shopping Centre) and going up Rua Dias Leite, Infante Roundabout, Avenida Arriaga (northbound lane – as far as Banco de Portugal), Avenida Zarco (northbound lane), Rua Câmara Pestana and Praça do Município.

Themes of the groups taking part in the Float Parade

- "Treasure Island" - Veteranos da Folia
- "Divinities of the Sea" – Os Cariocas Samba School
- "Nymph Fantasies" – Associação de Animação Geringonça
- "The Portuguese Sea" – Associação Fura Samba
- "The Sea and Piracy" – Caneca Furada Samba School
- "The Revelry of the Ocean" – Turma do Funil
- "The Delights of the Sea" – João Egídio Andrade Rodrigues
- "Secrets of the Sea" – Fábrica de Sonhos

22:00 – Carnival Music Show, at Praça do Município

ECONOMY

Blue Merlin fishing tournament. The third edition of Madeira Blue Merlin competition is to be held during the 11 – 13 June in the sea around Calheta. Last year, there were 15 teams and this year, 25 will take part. They arise from Madeira, Azores, Portugal, United Kingdom, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the Canary Islands, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA. Caught fish have to be released alive back to the sea. The winner will represent Portugal in the Hawaiian International Tournament in 2011. Teams consist of three to six members with another one to film for validation purposes. Registration fee is 600 Euros per boat. This tournament is intended to honour the surgeon António Ribeiro who at 96 years old was probably the oldest participant for this type of fishing.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

FRONT PAGE HEADLINES – Finance Law passed.  Finance Law must be met.

Diário highlights a constitutional challenge but Jornal da Madeira have only one paragraph about this possibility. Two long articles about the battle, giving their reasons and financial figures for the law since they say the public are confused. (Not surprising!) According to the Diário, there are eight days for the PS socialists to ask the Constitutional Court to judge the law and the Court has up to 25 days to rule, by which date it is too late to enact the law in time to focus on the State Budget of 2010. If unconstitutional, Cavaco Silva has the difficult decision to pass the law (political instability) or veto it and face the consequences of turning against Jardim. If he vetoes the law, it must return to Parliament and be approved by two thirds of the deputies. Later today in Diário, it was reported that Jardim said that the law is "not unconstitutional" but the PS request for a constitutional challenge is a "serious threat". He said the passing of the law shows the possibility of a "historic compromise" and might "liberate" Portugal from a "party that has no ideology or value". Jardim also says a coalition should be formed to govern Portugal.

Alcohol prevention. There will be a proactive prevention of substance misuse in a joint initiative by the police, Regional Service of Drug Prevention and the Alcoholics Association, Mão Amiga. It will last from 0.00 to 03.00 on Sunday morning in the main centres of nightlife in Funchal. Information leaflets on the harmful consequences of drug and alcohol abuse and other substances will be handed out by the police. Those interested will be allowed to try the ‘test balloon’, independently of whether they intend to drive, to allow them to determine their fitness to be behind a wheel. The drug prevention, rehabilitation and therapy teams will be available. This is to be followed by a police surveillance operation on the main roads of Funchal from 03.00 to 08.00, focusing on driving under the influence of alcohol. The representative from Mão Amiga says they want to inform young people on how to enjoy themselves without having to consume harmful substances. They are there to educate, provide information, answer questions, so people can meet them and see they are helpful and friendly, and to help those with an alcohol problem. It is more appropriate for young people to go out and meet real friends than ‘virtual friends’ through computers. The first harmful substance imbibed tends to be alcohol before some graduate onto drugs which are more difficult to abandon.

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

Martins Júnior is a beloved priest – He has been suspended since 1977, but continues to celebrate in Ribeira Seca. There are those faithful in the community, some with 50 years, waiting for the bishop, the confirmation and a canonical solution to the priest that they held in such high regard. "The crime of Padre Amado". Suspended nearly 33 years, Martins Júnior continues faithful to the community of Ribeira Seca. In July 1997 the then Bishop of Funchal suspended Martins from his post, and performing any acts associated with his former role. The charge was disobedience, and the first element of that was political activity, still in the aftermath of the Carnation Revolution in 1974. It’s a long story, full of religious terminology that I don’t understand in any language, and I now wish that I hadn’t chosen this story at all. But anyway, Martins, now aged 72, never accepted the suspension order (or be tried by ecclesiastical court) and continued his priestlike activity until the present, undertaking Mass, baptisms and funeral duties in the parish of Ribeira Seca. The current Bishop of Funchal, D. António Carrilho, has said that he is hopeful of resolving the situation (but that was back in 2007).

In politics : Law of Finances agitates the Socialist Party – Bernardo Trindade and Miguel França deny conflict.  Carlos César [Azores] doesn’t believe in the presidential veto. The socialists are now looking for the resignation of President Albert João Jardim following the episode with the Regional Finance Law. Madeira’s representative in the Lisbon assembly, Bernardo Trindade, says that Jardim is now a problem for Madeira now that he doesn’t have a weapon against Lisbon. The socialists of Madeira do admit that the new law is fairer for Madeira than the one passed in 2007, as it has reduced the ‘positive discrimination’ that favoured the Azores. França was the only socialist MP to vote against the government, but any talk of a rift as a result in local politics is being played down.

Diabetes costs a packet – The costs have risen. On Madeira there is expenditure of €4 million per year on medicines. That cost is just for the regular medicine, the more expensive stuff is not included in that figure. There are around 26,000 diabetics on Madeira, and estimates suggest that there are another 50,000 that may already be pre-diabetic. The responsible director in Hospital Central do Funchal said that the cost in the last year had escalated around half a million Euros. This was in part down to the use of more effective medicines, that were more expensive.

Today’s main news headline : Societies ask for €100 million more – The loan aims to avoid bankruptcy of the Development Societies and of Madeira Parks. The loss is €98.5 million, and the businesses pay just 18% of the costs.

The main sport / football headline today : Expectations boosted – With the defeat of Sporting, Marítimo and Nacional have a new incentive in the fight for a European placing. Huge surprise to know that Sporting lost at home against Académica last night. The action with our local teams starts at 3 pm, but only on the radio TSF-M / RTP.

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. 

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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.

If you post a comment and are not registered on this site (free), your comment will be moderated, so please do not waste time with spam postings.  If you register, your comment will be posted automatically. If you register, your email address will not be passed to any other party … promise!

Please send any topical or Madeira related photos or videos to Der at blog@madeira4u.com to appear on this blog. Photos may take a while to appear, depending on the number waiting. Please don’t send copyrighted material.

The headline news & other snippets reviewed here on the blog are mainly from the Diário de Notícias of Madeira, although news from any source is used and welcome.

The blogs in the ‘uncategorised’ category come from the old madeira4u blog.

IF YOU NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE, TRY THE MENU ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ‘USEFUL LINKS’ & ‘TIPS & HELP’

Madeira News Blog © 2007 – 2009 All Rights Reserved

I´m back after a short break (not that it seemed anyone noticed). I am back and a little irked (I am glad that word got through my spellchecker OK, as I wasn’t sure if it was a real word). The debate about animal welfare irked me, but what also irked me was a posting seemingly directed at UK readers, but this is not a UK blog. It is a blog for and about Madeira. It is a blog for anybody who is an English speaker, and not specifically English people. BTW It is also read by Madeirans who speak English. Nobody can tell me if I have a right to an opinion or not, they can only speak for themselves. I have opinions, and I express them … only limited by law, the fear of retribution, and sometimes the limits of my bizarre imagination. If I and other people think that too many animals are treated cruelly, we are probably right. If someone else thinks that is not the case then they are also right, albeit in their own opinion, and you are welcome to express those thoughts here. Of course they are all opinions based on personal attitudes, personal experience and the information available. Commenting on this issue or anything else regarding Madeira, has absolutely nothing to do with where you were born. If anyone thinks I, or anyone else for that matter, doesn’t have the right to express their opinions because they weren’t born on Madeira, you are definitely reading the wrong blog. Perhaps the Brit newspaper would be more suitable.

And … regarding the issue in point, under the general heading of ‘Animal Welfare’, the Diário has been well filled with readers letters since the article about abandoned dogs was published a week ago. There was even one from that cute wet bichinho on the front page on the day in question. I think I have read them all, and they all conclude pretty much the same thing … that the situation is a disgrace and an embarrassment for Madeira. I agree! So any animal abusers and those who think it is acceptable, stick that in your pipe and smoke it! Anyway, on that very same subject, Doris kindly dropped me a line yesterday …

Abandoned dogs on Paúl da Serra  – on the way to a happy? ending
Members of the animal protection organisation PATA together with the help of Vetmedis, the Vets’ in Caniço, collected the abandoned dogs from Rabaçal and Choupana. One very shy one remains. Ever since the story broke, a German couple went up daily with food for them and helped catching them. They are still persevering with the very shy one. A couple of  German tourists also picked up a female from Paúl and last week took it with them to Germany to give it a home.

The Vets at Vetmedis noticed that 2 females were in milk and with the help of PATA members, the females were taken back up to the mountains and promptly led their rescuers to their families. Now there are also puppies looking for a good home. A reader’s letter from the dogs in yesterday’s Diário tells that they are at the moment at the new branch of Vetmedis, which is to open shortly in Câmara de Lobos. If anybody can help, contact  pata@pata.pt , NIB: 003802460556441877117  or Vetmedis-Sociedade Veterinária Lda., Tel: 291 744 552. Doris

Bless those fine people, but how can we stop more abandonments? … many thanks for the update Doris.

Billy Lansdowne, ex pro footballer, and now TV pundit, writes on his blog about a trip to Madeira for a golfing event "I thought Madeira was flat. I was wrong … the highest point is 1861 m above sea level (some things do register) and the Golf Course we are playing tomorrow is over half way up". BILLY’S BLOG

UEFA, you know the European football people, have announced the details for their jolly very important meeting in Funchal next month. No mention of why Madeira was chosen or what’s to be discussed, but if I was in the government I would be out showing them some of the excellent training facilities here, like the sports complex at Ribeira Brava. UEFA XMAS BOOZE-UP

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

Government increases current expenditure by 5.2%. The Government has made public the 2009 budget amendments introduced for the period covering the first nine months of the year. Current expenditure will rise by 5.2% or 55,2 million. The Government reduces by 7.6% or €31,4 million the amount needed for capital expenditure (investment). The Regional budget for 2009 will be the highest in recent years amounting to 1.528.790.366 Euros.

Environmental cleaning changes. The Department of the Environment of Funchal will create a separate section for cleaning urban streets and tunnels. They want to extend the hours and actions of  environmental teams to include nights and Sundays. The change is to stop rubbish bags being abandoned in public places, on land and in water courses. "There are fewer and fewer cases but it still happens, and in some places it is recurrent." The eight teams will work shifts so that one team is always active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will open abandoned bags to try to identify the offenders for prosecution. Fines vary between 50 and 500 Euros. The change in cleaning will involve 40 more staff and 4 new machines. The total investment will be 670,000 Euros. Funchal Council also want to extend the collection of organic waste.

Atlas of Birds. The project for the ‘First Atlas of Breeding Birds in the Archipelago of Madeira’ was started this year by the Natural Park of Madeira. The book will be presented at the Iberian Congress of Ornithology. The project is still ongoing and 60% of the territory of the region has been analyzed. All information collected is being made available in both Portuguese and English on the Internet  (atlas das aves). The database can be used for various activities from nature conservation to tourism in relation to nature. The Director of SPNM notes, "There is now a doctoral student at an English university who will use and interpret some information from ‘Atlas’ to prepare his thesis on the subject of the evolution of birds on islands and its relationship with the available habitat." On November 20th, a new book is out emphasising nature on Porto Santo, written in both Portuguese and English. ‘Looking at Porto Santo’ by Susana Fontinha and Jose Felisberto Almeida.

Free diabetes testing. There are more than 26,000 Madeirans with diabetes and estimates indicate that 56,840 others may also be pre-diabetic. Between 17 and 20 November, there will be free blood glucose testing as advertised on information posters around the island. World Diabetes Day on November 21st will be celebrated by a symbolic ring of people in the Largo de Municipio followed by  ‘Walking for Diabetes’ to Santa Catarina Park.

Cheque for 10,000 Euros went through contractor to Lobo. A cheque for 10,000 Euros issued by the Vale da Ribeira do Sol society, allegedly to repay the favour to approve a set of 29 apartments in Ribeira da Ponta do Sol as the Plano Director Municipal (PDM) was suspended, was passed to the contractor who did the work. The cheque was to finance the election campaign of the PSD but ended up in the personal account of ex-mayor António Lobo, who is being tried for serious fraud and bribery. A former secretary of the company Giestas said she filled in the cheque, which has the signature of the accused Emidio Correia (former member of the PSD and partner in Ribeira do Sol), and it was put into an envelope for delivery to the building contractor. This cheque for 10,000 Euros and two others for 5,000 Euros ended up in the personal account of António Lobo. It is thought partners of the Ribeira do Sol society were to receive apartments worth around 100,000 Euros as payment.

Marine Biology Station collects dozens of sharks. About a dozen Pata Roxa sharks, popularly known as ‘Canejas’, were yesterday collected from the ponds around the Vagras restaurant where they had been left by fishermen and the restaurant owner realized they would not survive in captivity. The fishermen do not like this type of fish and ether throw them back into the sea or into this area. Some will be taken to the Municipal Aquarium of Funchal, some to the Aquarium in Porto Moniz and others returned to the sea.

Merlin helicopter from Porto Santo participated in a rescue near the Azores. Search and rescue for two crew of a vessel that had issued a call for help off the Azores. The crew were eventually rescued by a Puma Helicopter of the Air Force stationed in the Azores. Also mobilized to the site were a scientific research vessel and another ship, which were both in the area, and an aircraft to co-ordinate the operation. The Co-ordinator of the Rescue Centre of Ponta Delgada said, "The initial problem was that the position of the distress call was out of the reach of the helicopter. The scientific research ship was already in place for some time but could not collect them because of weather and oceanographic conditions, which were very, very adverse."

Racism in sport discussed in parliament. The violence, racist and xenophobic attitudes and safety in sports grounds will be topics of discussion next week. A new law came into force in August for both amateur and professional sports. Placement of cheerleaders, segregation of fans, parking and video surveillance systems are some of the areas with rules that clubs and other sporting bodies are obliged to observe. Xenophobic and racist behaviours are severely penalized for both the perpetrators and the supporters clubs. Penalties for crimes of aggression, xenophobia, destruction of property and entering the area of the game range from 1 to 3 years imprisonment, and are worse when the victims are athletes, referees, coaches or members of the media. The penalties for clubs range from fines to bans on sporting venues.

Forum Madeira promotes collecting toys for disadvantaged children. More than a hundred children awaited the arrival of Santa Claus today. There is a ‘Brinquedao’ in Forum Madeira for the collection of used and new toys.

SESARAM and Social Security trying to contact families who leave elderly relatives in the Emergency Department. Last Wednesday, eight people were left there. The authorities are trying to contact families of 130 such patients who remain in hospitals in the region. These families often feel they cannot cope with the relatives, so the Social Services will try to find a solution as the relatives miss their homes and contact with their families.The problem will worsen when the influenza A epidemic reaches its peak and the relatives are at risk of catching the infection.

New fishing port at Câmara de Lobos. The work should start at Easter 2011 and all infrastructure relating to fisheries will be transferred there from Funchal.

Youth arrested with drugs in his shoes. The Customs Services of Madeira Airport picked up a 23 year old carrying drugs inside his shoes. He had 250 grams of cocaine, equivalent to 2,500 doses, which could yield an income of more than 50,000 Euros. The cocaine was in between the insole and base of the shoes. He had flown in from Lisbon and thought nobody would be there to order him to remove his shoes.

A quarter of the demand for homes is for rental. Between the months of August and September, a quarter of the residential demand was for rental homes. 63% of the property supply is apartments and 29% houses. 47% of enquiries were for apartments and 39% for houses. 61.6% of enquiries were for T2 and T3 properties. 50% of the enquiries were in the region of Funchal and 13% Santa Cruz. Ranges of purchase varied from 120,000 Euros for a T2 to 270,000 Euros for a T5.

300 art works from museums at an exhibition in Lisbon. From November 2009 to February 2010, the Painting Gallery of King Louis 1 in the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon will host an exhibition of art works from museums in Madeira. These reflect the main phases in history from the fifteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. The exhibition brings together  a set of symbolic parts of the collections of sculpture, painting, jewellery, furniture, ceramics and photography among others. The aim is to show the strategic importance of the archipelago in the context of expansion into Portugal and then Europe, in relation to the sugar, wine and tourist trades. The exhibition will promote the region as a cultural destination of great quality.

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It’s back to me now (Der), so the top story of today has to be the 1 – 0 victory of Portugal over Bosnia last night in the World Cup Play-off game, and I know that without even looking at the newspaper. It was a tough game for sure, those Bosnian players were so big compared to our lads. I was quite confident about a home victory yesterday, but after what I saw yesterday I am not at all confident for the away leg on Wednesday. So much at stake, and with Bosnia hitting the woodwork 3 times yesterday, they must have felt really unlucky. I tried to use the line ‘Portugal were saved by the madeira’ last night, but no one understood what I was on about. Perhaps goalposts here are made of plastic? More luck than judgement.  Was the headline. Portugal won 1 – 0 but Bosnia sent the ball to the post three times.

Today’s main news headline in the Diário : Authority builds 13 churches - The Government has invested millions of Euros in the construction of Catholic churches. The participation generates criticism.

Privates ‘help out’ CMF – Funchal council pockets 48% of the revenue from the parking meters of SEP. It is the local authority in Portugal that earns  the most with its franchise. The company that manages the parking meters of Funchal ensures that its master is well rewarded, according to research carried out by the Diário. In fact rewarded to the tune of €635,121 in 2008. On average each parking space generates around €965 of charges per annum. Funchal council not only benefits from it 48% slice of the cake, it also gains more because it charges car owners 60% more than the going rate.

Bad weather takes away €250 thousand – The ‘Independence of the Seas’, with four thousand tourists on board, cancelled its stop-off today in the port of Funchal.

‘Pit of Death’ in Ponta do Sol. The Christmas fun is back. This year the ‘Gigapark’ moves west. After previous Xmas visits to Água de Pena, Porto Novo, Cancela and Ribeira Brava, the ‘Gigapark’ Xmas fair is to ‘erect its tent’ in Ponta do Sol. Close to the main road, and with 3 thousand parking spaces, this years event is expected to be a real winner. It will be in place from the beginning of December, located in the development area of the town, and will stay there until the middle of January. One of the attractions will be a circus of sea animals, including sharks and penguins, that will perform for the public. Perhaps the new laws covering the use of animals in circuses didn’t extend to sea creatures then?

One further story from yesterday that I spotted, that rang alarm bells. Jardim cancels construction in Porto Moniz. The president of Madeira’s government cancelled the construction of a road between Porto Moniz and Fajã das Achadas da Cruz in the programme of the Madeira executive. He said it was too costly and wouldn’t benefit anyone. This is from the blog of 12th October, following the local elections : "Surprises In Juntas de Freguesia. The PSD had already said that their aim was to take all 54 of the the Juntas de Freguesia, or town / parish councils, and were already the holders of 52(?), but things didn’t quite go as planned, with just 49 remaining ‘orange’ at the end of the night. The PS socialists managed to retain Água de Pena and Achadas da Cruz, and gain Porto Moniz". Coincidence or punishment?

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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. 

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

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Please use the comments here for general chit-chat, or feel free to ask any questions … someone usually has an answer.

If you post a comment and are not registered on this site (free), your comment will be moderated, so please do not waste time with spam postings.  If you register, your comment will be posted automatically. If you register, your email address will not be passed to any other party … promise!

Please send any topical or Madeira related photos or videos to blog@madeira4u.com to appear on this blog. Photos may take a while to appear, depending on the number waiting. Please don’t send copyrighted material.

The headline news & other snippets reviewed here on the blog are mainly from the Diário de Notícias of Madeira, although news from any source is used and welcome.

The blogs in the ‘uncategorised’ category come from the old madeira4u blog.

IF YOU NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE, TRY THE MENU ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ‘USEFUL LINKS’ & ‘TIPS & HELP’

Madeira News Blog © 2007 – 2009 All Rights Reserved

Tobi found this Madeira online radio station MIRADOURO I had a listen when I was reading through the Diário yesterday, It’s was all pre-recorded music early morning, although there was some talking around 8 am.

Tobi, also said : "A friend of mine Luis Filipe Pessoa e Costa has an exhibition on in the Electricity museum of paintings and some other artwork on the theme of Africa, they are there till the 14th November, and its free to enter, just ask to see the Africa Exhibition.  I have added a link to the photos I have". AFRICA ART

Don has updated his blog with a preview of a Madeira Christmas FUNCHAL’S EVENING DRESS

"Portas do Mar in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel (Azores), has unveiled a New Year’s Eve program set to rival that of Funchal, Madeira". I DON’T THINK SO!

It’s the day of São Martinho tomorrow, a special saint’s day for bacalhau, castanhas, wine and good deeds. The Roman soldier died in 397 AD, and his first and most famous good deed was to cut his cape in half with his sword to help keep a half naked beggar warm.

And talking of good deeds, I’m in a better mood today, particularly cheered up by a kind soul that used the PayPal button (just down there on the right hand side of this page). How he got through the rust I don’t know, but he managed, and it is now loosened and working OK. Anyone else encouraged by this act of kindness, please bear in mind that without volunteers to contribute to this blog there are no guarantees as to how long it will keep going. At the moment it’s just a few regulars, and in particular Elaine, who has been providing the daily news, keeping this going.

The rumours last week were true, with the TVI series set on Madeira, Flor do Mar, coming to an end after nearly 300 episodes. Anyone wants to know who shot Ana-Maria, I’m your man. It finished in an action packed fashion, with yet another murder, and the suicide of the baddy (of the feminine type).  That should save the government here a few Eurobucks in hotel bills.

There were 8 new cases of Gripe A swine flue on Madeira last week, half of the victims  were aged 15 or under. Two cases of the virus were caught here. 27 suspect cases were tested.

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

Delays in Santa Cruz Court. People in Santa Cruz are having problems obtaining compensation due to delays in court hearings, now taking three years. Both cases cited were against Vialitoral for damage to cars when hitting loose stones on the motorway at Porto Novo and near the airport. One case was dismissed and another is still awaiting a trial date. One person sent a letter to the President of the Supreme Court of Justice asking him to intervene to make the court enforce the Civil Procedure Code and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so there would be justice without delay.

"The worst is yet to come." Unemployed immigrants from Eastern Europe are going in increasing numbers to the Presbyterian Church for social assistance to help pay their utility bills. The Church has limited funds. Employment is increasingly scarce whereas in the past, unemployed workers could obtain temporary work in agriculture, e.g. banana cultivation. People can not see a way out of the crisis and often become alcoholics and both men and women turn up drunk when they go to ask for help. The Pastor stated, "The most serious are the middle class in poverty, feeling embarrassment and shame. This has not yet appeared in force, but I believe it will appear. They are hoping the problem is resolved. The worst is yet to come." Many of the other 200 Presbyterian population are also experiencing hardship, pensioners needing help with obtaining medication. At one stage, there were 4,000 Ukrainians resident in Madeira, and now are less than half, but they are having problems getting their permits renewed if they cannot provide evidence they can support themselves and their families. They do not want to return to the Ukraine where the economic situation is worse and they have families here with children in the education system. As well as the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church receives Government aid and the Pastor thinks there could be better social assistance by a united effort of all the Christian religions.

Criminal Register Certificates. These are for criminal convictions handed down by Portuguese courts and foreign courts for both Portuguese and foreign residents. The Criminal Register Certificate  can be obtained from judicial offices, Loja do Cidadão and representatives of Foreign Consulates or Embassies and costs 3.5 Euros.  It should take no more than three days to obtain and the content depends on the purpose it is intended for. It can be used for employment, licence, permit or registration of a public nature. It is required to obtain Portuguese nationality, change of name, taxi drivers, children transport services, freight forwarding businesses, public service workers etc. There is also a certificate for public companies, organisations and institutions. Misuse is punishable by either a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.

Diocese of Funchal held vocational meetings for young people. For people interested in entering seminaries for the Priesthood. About 20 boys of year seven or above at school attended the meetings where there was a screening of an American video about the life of a priest, called ‘Fishers of Men’ and is available on YouTube. They also learnt about the three components of seminary life; prayer, relationship and living and study. In the 96 parishes of the Diocese of Funchal, there are 76 priests and 22 are more than 70 years old, and 4 between 50 and 60 years. There has been 10 years with no ordinations and there will be 3 new Priests in Madeira next year. On average, there are 2 ordinations a year.

Socialists call for an inquiry into RAM debt. The "rampant debt" and the "illegal debt" the Madeira Government has been mounting up, could lead to a 100 million Euros penalty in State transfers in 2010. The 150 million Euros in loans which "violated zero indebtedness" under applicable laws could result in a penalty of more than 50% of transfers in 2010. The Socialists justify the initiative as follows: "The need for the commission of inquiry stems from the fact that the Government of the PSD shows a great sense of irresponsibility and makes politics a weapon against the Madeirans since launching  a state siege with the loss of two million per year in the Regional Finance Act (between 2007 and 2009), and calls into question more than 100 million Euros in transfers in 2010, with the bad governance it practices." They also accuse the Government of the "obvious inability to act" with incentives to overcome the crisis that have proved "clearly insufficient". They proposed seven initiatives to help the crisis.

‘Almanaque PEF’ celebrates 150 years of existence. The cover picture is a reproduction by a forgotten artist from Madeira, Jayme de Sa. This yearbook has 200 pages of regional events, religion, agriculture, history and cuisine and in addition to the tributes each month, a chapter on the British participation in the economic, social and cultural Madeira. —– I assume there is not an English translation. It sounds interesting.

‘Delights of Israel’ in Reid’s Palace Hotel. The Embassy of Israel in Funchal is promoting the cultural event to be held on the 7th and 8th December. Specialities in ‘Les Faunes’ restaurant will be provided by the Executive Chef of the Sheraton Plaza Hotel Jerusalem with music provided by the singer Ya’ara Olchik.

Mission Recycle short of expectations. After three days in Funchal and Machico, only 72 used coffee machines deposited, enough to represent the planting of only 18 trees. No one showed up later on at Ribeira Brava after the initial queue at 7.15 am for the offers of 10 coffee machines at 10 Euros. .

PS Rui Caetano warns of illegal container park. He was at the entrance of the food market in São Martinho yesterday morning to highlight the fact that the illegal parking of trucks and containers has occurred for four years. The problem starts when it rains and the mud floods the road and obstructs access for residents and customers of the food market. There is also the issue of unfair competition as there are some companies with the same activity which conform to the payment of taxes. The land is a public space and is not licensed by the Council and taxes are not paid to either the Council or the Government.

Another container site in between Machico and Santa Casa de Misericordia has been complained about to the police and the Council of Machico, as the container has been placed there without prior written permission of the owner since 2006. Manuel Franco Santos told the Diário, "I went to the Council of Machico, where I was told it was illegal and they would notify the owner of the container to remove it within 15 days." So far, nothing has happened. The President of the Council says he will send an inspector to investigate as the situation is illegal and an invasion of private property, so justifies informing the police. In 2007, Manuel Franco Santos filed a complaint with the police but they said they could do nothing as it was private property.

Habitat restoration projects are important. 10th November is the anniversary of the Natural Park of Madeira becoming the second protected area in Madeira in 1982. (Interview with the Director). The objective of the Park is to improve the quality of life of the people of Madeira for the long-term. The Director of the Natural Park said, "The mission is to contribute to the sparing use of our unique natural heritage, preserving our cultural identity and landscape, three elements crucial to creating wealth and employment interests of sustainable tourism." The Natural Park occupies 70% of the island, includes several different habitation areas and some species in danger of extinction. One of the many projects being developed is the recovery of the habitat of the Freira da Madeira (Zino’s Petrel) to help its survival. Another project is to minimize the impact of wood pigeons on agricultural fields. Surveys are looking at the use of natural plants in the everyday life in the rural parishes and in Fajã da Ovelho, and cultural and heritage uses of natural materials. The Marine Reserves are an asset to the island; Garajau, Rocha do Navio, Ilhas Desertas and Selvagens and around Porto Santo.

Almost half of the olive oil consumed in Portugal comes from Spain. Between 40 and 50 thousand tons imported per year but within four years Portugal will be self-sufficient. This is when the recently planted olive groves will be in full production. Spain is the main investor in Portugal in this sector, especially in the regions Alentejo, Beja, Serpa and Ferreira do Alentejo. The price has almost increased 50% worldwide in two months. Portugal exports 32.3% of its olive oil production, mainly to Brazil. This year, Tras-de-Montes predicts a fall in production, Alentejo region estimates a 20% increase in production and Beira Interior promises to be the best harvest in recent years.

SATA and TAP reinforce code-sharing agreement. The Azorean airline increased the agreement it has with TAP to destinations linking Porta Delagada and Funchal to northern Europe and Lisbon-Zurich. —- Details given but I haven’t a clue what code-sharing means. It just means they share the same plane, but from a passenger point of view they are separate flights … until they board that is. Der

Cristiano Ronaldo receives compensation from the Daily Mirror. The British tabloid newspaper accused him of drinking excess alcohol and dancing while recovering from a foot operation in Los Angeles in July 2008. He received an apology and an unspecified amount of damages.

Madeira nurses are better leaving the region in search of better working conditions. The complaint of the President of the Order of Nurses, due to motivation and difficulties in finding employment. Nurses have left due to recent changes made by the Regional Health Service for nurses with more years of service and difficulties for recent graduates in finding work. The President said that the future is black and within six or seven years, Madeira will have to import nurses from less developed countries. For these reasons he calls on the Government to reverse the health policies in the region. He said the health service lacks human resources and the 75 nurses who qualified this year are not enough to make up the shortfall.

Of the six patients in Portugal who had severe problems after eye injections at Santa Maria Hospital, two have just been told they are permanently blind. The hospital later denied that the blindness is irreversible.

Interest rates threaten to double by the end of next year. Opinion of many analysts that the Euribor rate will settle at around 2% in 12 months time, i.e.. late 2010. At present the rates are at a historic low at 1% and there has been a downward trend since October 2008. Last September mortgage rates reached the lowest value at 2.361%.

Holders of firearms unaware of amendments to the law. The Regional Command of the PSP has found irregularities in the supervision of individuals with firearms due to amendments of the act in May 2009. Failure to comply with standards of conduct leads to fines, forfeiture of licences and confiscation of weapons. There is "frequent confusion" between liability insurance policies, and safe storage of firearms to ensure against loss, theft and accidents.

Praça do Município in Funchal illuminated blue. From last night until Sunday the three most  important buildings in the square, the Town Hall, Sacred Art Museum and the Church of the College, are illuminated due to an initiative of the International Diabetes Federation. 10.9% of the population of Madeira suffer from diabetes. 26% of those aged from 60 – 79 years suffer from the illness.

A quick peek at the front page of today’s Diário newspaper :

Today’s main news headline : Alcohol sends 600 a year to hospital. Liver cirrhosis problems account for 95% of the hospitalizations in the Service of  Gastroenterology. The Nucleus of professionals of that sector, who celebrate 25 years, meets Friday and Saturday in Funchal. Too many medical terms in this one to make sense to me, but the 600 alcohol related admissions mentioned in the headline, would be higher, but the unit is limited to just 15 beds.

São Martinho : Bacalhau without music – The celebrations today on Madeira are the initiatives of the  traders. And, with the exception of São Roque in Faial, new wine and cod fish is served without music. Even in São Martinho. There will be less barracas than usual in São Martinho tonight on the eve of it’s patron saints day, but the urge to mark the tradition will be the same as always.

Minister says that Madeira received €10 million more – Office of Portugal’s Finance Minister insists in the advantages of the current Finance Law. The PSD-M social democrats say that the Regional Finance Law loses Madeira €200 million, the PS-M socialists say it amounts to just €6 million, and now the chancellor of the Republic says it benefits Madeira with an extra €10 million. As the Diário correctly points out, analysing the Finance Law is like analysing the election results, with each party having a different angle on the subject. They all agree that Madeira has lost out however, and there seems to be no doubt that the Azores receive more than Madeira from the State Budget. And why shouldn’t they, if the need is greater.

Golf of Ponta do Pargo already awarded – It just lacks the money. The €40 million needed has not yet been secured, even though the consortium of Somaque and Zagope has already been awarded the €16.4 million construction contract for the new golf course. The 100 hectare site has already been acquired at a cost of around €20 million. With an area of around 1 million square meters, the design conceived by Nick Faldo will include an 18 hole course, a 9 hole ‘pitch and putt’, a driving range, and a club house. The work will not start whilst the finances are unresolved, and the banks are tightening their lending criteria, and will not now lend against the original concept of the project to minimise their risk. So big deal … we need another golf course here about as much as we need Uncle Bertie’s debt management skills. I have been living here since before the concept of this new golf course, and despite the picture, I swear that there has never been a report of Nick Faldo ever coming here, so maybe his kids designed the complex with some coloured crayons when they were like 6 years old.

Ronaldo provokes ‘Iberic war’ – Portuguese Football Federation pressures, but Real Madrid won’t back down. Portugal want to call up Ronaldo for the game against Bosnia, but Real Madrid say he is injured and won’t be ready to play. But the Portugal manager reckons that Real are pulling a fast one, and said send him anyway and we will get our own doctors to check him out, and if there is any risk we won’t play him. Ronaldo himself when asked said he just wants to play football, so he is keeping out of the politics.

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