Nacional exit Europe League ; Transport hub idea in Ribeira Brava ; SPAD appeal for food
Today’s Photo Thanks to Elaine over West … I have been dreading this one, it’s been giving me bad dreams, so I will be more than happy to get it off my laptop. Der
"Rui’s case is special for another reason: he’s not from Funchal, which is a large city (100,000 people, more or less). He comes from a small village in the mountains. A very small village. When the people there (many of them his relatives, of course) found out about his interest in the gospel, the sky started falling. Threats have been made; he is no longer considered to be a part of the family; he is considered an outcast. His wife came with him Sunday, but she has serious reservations. Her Catholic upbringing is strong: the comments by her neighbors about her having anything to do with a religion "that doesn’t believe in the Virgin" makes her stop and think". TROUBLE IN THE BAPTISTS
Don found an interesting seasonal story and put it on his blog : "Dinner was taken at Baroness Conceicão’s, and the afternoon passed right merrily. During the entire day the streets of Funchal were completely deserted. The mystery of this was afterwards explained by the fact that the native population spend their Christmas by congregating in one another’s houses and eating pig". Christmas on Madeira anno 1896
If you have the time, the Travel Channel has put a 5 minute video of one of it’s programmes on it’s website. It’s all about Porto Santo, but nice, and something I hadn’t seen before. TRAVEL CHANNEL
It’s the big ‘switch on’ tonight if I am not mistaken. Well in Funchal that is, as here in Ribeira Brava they do things differently and don’t tell people when things happen. You guys in Funchal have no surprises, you know tonight is the night for thousands of Christmas lights to come to life, and you can be enchanted by the spectacle. Here the number of lights is no surprise and no great spectacle, but instead that is substituted by the heavy suspense of an unknown switching on date, and I wouldn’t swop it for anything.
Nacional last night lost their final, albeit very slim, chance to proceed in the Liga Europa after losing 4 – 1 in Germany to Werder Bremen. Rúben Micael scored for our lads, which won’t have done him any harm at all, with top club scouts supposedly present at the match to watch him. No doubt more later on from the newspaper headlines. On the subject of football, it’s the draw for the groups in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which I believe starts at around 5.15 pm, so no guessing what the Portuguese news will be full of for a couple of days, or even for a good few months. My condolences to those who dislike football … there’s always hibernation!
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :
Madeira Tourism site now has end of year program in English.
CDS wants to concentrate transport in Ribeira Brava. The CDS-PP surprised the ‘new’ town council (mainly PSD and PS) at the first public meeting of the current mandate, with four proposals. One proposal is a central parking area for public transport, tourism buses and taxis which will be on a platform suspended over the bed of the river in Ribeira Brava. The idea is to make a central hub where the passenger, be it resident or tourist, can take another means of public transport to reach the desired destination. For example, a bus passenger could then take an immediate taxi to go to the outer districts. Concentration of these services instead of the current dispersion will give greater convenience to passengers. It would increase security in the bypass road where one of the lanes is currently occupied by buses, which is dangerous for other road users and pedestrians. The desired location is on the river at the old North Bridge. Faced with the impact that such a structure may have on the environment, the architects would have to find the best solution to mitigate the impact on the landscape. The Council has technicians capable of knowing how this project would fit in with the surrounding setting. Asked if this bold proposal by the party in opposition will be considered, a centrist councillor replied, "The proposals can always be accepted or not. It depends on the sensitivity of the people. But we believe that this is a valuable proposition and I think it does not hurt political sensitivities. Above all, it is in the interests of the municipality and of residents."
Two weeks without sessions. The Legislative Assembly will not hold sessions until the 15th December. This is when the debate and votes on the Plan and Budget for 2010 has been completed in Lisbon. The discussion of the proposal for the budget will take place between the 15 and 18 December. A condensed discussion is unpopular with the opposition parties and it reduces the time of the plenary sessions. The opposition parties only have short periods of time during the debate to ask questions to the regional secretaries. The plenary meetings will not return until January after the Christmas holidays and a date has not been set for the first meeting of 2010.
Gouveia is in reverse and Rodrigues is in Lisbon. Having advocated a tough stance against the Government and Alberto João Jardim, which would be a boycott of the budget discussion, the leader of the PS has retreated after a meeting of the parliamentary group, confirming the presence of members of his party in the discussions that take place between the 15 and 18 December. João Carlos Gouveia admitted only a week ago, the PS was a clear voice of protest against the regiment of the debate of Planning and Budget 2010, but the way of expressing socialist discontent has changed. Yesterday, the parliamentary group was convened and decided to attend the debate. The leader went on to defend that strategy. Gouveia acknowledged that it would be difficult to explain to Madeira the absence of discussion of a proposal by the Government which affects the lives of all. The president of the PS, who is also the parliamentary leader, recalls that by the end of the year there will be no more debates in the Assembly so the boycott will be even more complicated. Although he dropped the withdrawal strategy which was to demonstrate against the violation of rights of the opposition, he accused Jardim of behaving as a dictator who refused to discuss the budget with his deputies. The PS complain about the time distribution among parties, but especially the fact that the President of the Republic is not subject to questions in Parliament. "Then at the end, and without a time limit, he can insult the deputies." The leader of the CDS-PP, José Manuel Rodrigues, will not be at the Legislative Assembly to attend the debate on the Regional Budget of 2010. He will be in the regional parliament to discuss the most important aspects of the Plan and Budget, but would not join the debate and vote. The main reason for his absence is that he has to be at the Assembly of the Republic when they discuss specific proposals that affect the region. He will be in Lisbon to discuss the revision of the law of regional finances, scheduled for the 11 December and other legislation arising form the Legislative Assembly of Madeira.
200 cars in Used Car Show. Initiative of the company Camacho. ExpoGonfirpe from yesterday until December 6 at Madeira Tecnopolo (free entry). There will be 200 cars exhibited with promises of unbeatable prices. Financing available with their partner Santander Consumer, the average interest rate (APR) of 6% and car insurance with Lusitania and AVS, for example insurance liability (broken windows) of around 160 Euros. These shows are held twice a year, the last one was in June when they traded almost 100 cars.
Record of Madeira might have fallen last night. Madeira must have lost last night its only recognized record in the famous Guinness Book of Records, the fireworks display of New Years Eve 2006/7, which was recognized as the largest of its kind. Yesterday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates far outpaced the record of eight minutes from Madeira and the news has reached the Diário through the news agencies of the Persian Gulf that the show lasted 45 minutes and the fireworks reached a height of 2,000 metres. 100,000 fireworks were released from 12 barges located in front of the Marina Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The inspectors from the Guinness Book of Records were in attendance and within a few days, Madeira will know if the firework display which marked the 38th National Day of the United Arab Emirates is approved as a new world record in that category. In November 2008, the Emirate of Dubai, at the opening of the Atlantis Hotel on an artificial island had a show of fireworks which earned the rank of the world’s most expensive. The cost was 3 million dollars.
Madeiran Christmas in the Palace of Belém. Nini Andrade Silva designed the Christmas decorations for the Presidency of the Republic. The Palace of Belém, where the Head of State, Cavaco Silva and his employees reside, the Madeiran designer Nini Andrade Silva was invited to decorate for Christmas. This renowned interior designer is responsible for the interior decoration of some prestigious hotels in Portugal and abroad, winning several international competitions. The Madeiran insisted on taking to Belem decorations and arrangements produced in Madeira as well as many fresh flowers originating in the gardens and greenhouses of the region. Nini also took the team of decorators to Lisbon for the finishing touches and three companies collaborated in the project. The inauguration of the Christmas tree at the Palace, a ceremony marking the opening of the Christmas spirit, will occur today. The tree itself was also from Madeira.
SPAD needs blankets and food for the rescued animals. This year, SPAD will not be able to promote the usual December collection of food for the dogs and cats it rescues, due to a lack of volunteers. There is a particular need for food for infants / young due to the growing number of litters of dogs and cats. They also need blankets, any old ones which are no longer used, and Turkish towels. The cost of adopting an animal is 40 Euros, which pays for vaccinations, deworming, an identification chip and sterilization. Membership is 25 Euros per year and allows 20% discount on services.
Region has completed the POG areas of conservation. Six Plans of Organization and Management required by the EU for the Special Areas of Conservation have now been completed with the Laurissilva the last one to be executed. The plans required both the Directorate of Forestry and the Natural Park of Madeira to work together. The other ones have been for areas of the Desertas, Selvagens, Ponta de Sao Lourenço and Porto Santo. This plan covered the forests of Santana, São Vicente, Ponta Delgada, Boaventura, Seixal, Ribeira da Janela, Porto Moniz and Poiso.
Adventurous tourist required rescuing. A tourist born on the continent required help yesterday afternoon in a rocky area of Fajã Escura in Nun’s Valley. The walker was alone on a path by Pico do Areeiro, then left the path to go up a rocky slope thinking it would lead to another path. This was not the case and showing signs of muscular fatigue, thought it was best not to try to descend back to the original route. Asking for help, was assisted by the bombeiros from the Curral Section. After being helped back to the levada, the tourist continued the walk alone.
German camper helped. The German citizen who was camping for some time in the Admirante Reis gardens was picked up by the police and is now being helped by the Association for the Protection of the Poor. He was in a very precarious position in terms of food and hygiene and was taken to the hospital and later contacted by Social Security. He is now being helped by the Association for the Protection of the Poor, especially due to his physical limitations.
Man attacks another with knife to kill pigs. A man used a ‘knife used to kill pigs’ to attack another, with some gravity, near to the Casa da Luz – Rua Artur de Sousa Pingo. The attack occurred during a brawl and despite a deep abdominal wound, the victim is out of danger. A man is detained by the police, awaiting a court appearance, and claimed he used the knife that day to kill pigs. Under the new arms law, it is illegal to be in a public place with a knife or sharp object.
Carristur launches ‘Sparkling Funchal’. The panoramic tourist buses will for the third consecutive year run trips to see the Christmas lights in Funchal. The ticket costs 3 Euros and is free to children under 12. The trips are held from 4 December to January 6, omitting December 24, 25 and 31. They begin at 19.00, 19.30, 20.00 and 20.30 from near the Marina, Avenida do Mar.
37 tons of food collected by Caritas. Christmas campaign was a success. Thirty-seven tons of food were collected last weekend, 4 tons more than in the campaign in June and 10 tons more than last Christmas.
Câmara de Lobos seafront plan. Urban redevelopment project of the seafront between Socorridos and Fajã do Mar, includes new access and a promenade. The promenade will be between Praia do Vigário and the new fishing port. There will be new access to the seafront, both pedestrian and by road, and recreational areas and green areas. There will also be specific zones for nightlife. The plan will be completed by the end of 2011. The countryside will also be preserved with sitting areas and recreational areas installed in each parish. Air quality will be monitored, more solid waste recycled and the domestic water supply upgraded. There will be a new Fisherman’s House created, integrated in the recuperation of the Historic Zone, renovation of the Sao Bernardino Convent and old chapels and churches, and the building of a new Church of Santa Ceclia. Social support to the elderly will be intensified with community centres built and a new community and social area at Fajã das Galinhas.
News headlines from today’s front page of the Diário de Notícias :
Tourist promotions continue without funding – There are €2 million of arrears from the Madeira Government and Tourism of Portugal, and the budget for 2010 will be diverted to the internal market. The State and the Region don’t make the transfers, which leads to collapse in the Associação de Promoção da Madeira. Conceição Estudante and Bernardo Trindade, secretaries for tourism at both levels, get the blame for the 40% shortfall in AP-Madeira revenue this year. They should have together contributed €2 million for the activities of the association, that is responsible for promoting Madeira for tourism purposes. Attempt to resolve the issue were ‘smothered’ by Tourism of Portugal, who refused to settle the account.
Today’s main news headline : Gripe of the people of Funchal treated in Santo António – It is starting on Monday for the residents of the capital with flu symptoms, who will be treated in the centre of Santo António, and not in the hospital, that remains allocated for pregnancies and babies. From 7th December, the health centre (Centro de Saúde) of Santo António will be the destination for anyone from Funchal showing symptoms of flu (Gripe A or seasonal flu). This was always part of the contingency plan, to set up a specialist unit, the Serviço de Atendimento à Gripe (SAG), and the decision was taken to implement the measure following the recent increase in the number of people becoming infected with H1N1, particularly in schools. SAG will be open 7 days a week, between 8 am and 8 pm on weekdays, and weekends and public holidays between 8 am and 1 pm. Outside these working hours, only serious cases may go to the hospital for examination and treatment. The president of the health service IASAÚDE said that those living outside of Funchal should continue to go to the nearest Centro de Saúde that has the facilities (valences?). Pregnant women, babies under 1 year old, and chronically ill people will be the only exceptions to the rule. 55 schools have now registered outbreaks (2 or more cases). Did you know that to date Porto Santo island has been Gripe A free?
Museums awarded – Portuguese Association reveals innovation of Palácio de São Lourenço and Estação de Biologia. (Marine Biology Station?). The two institutions were recognised by the Associação Portuguesa de Museologia (APOM) with awards for Innovation and Creativity, for making themselves more accessible, with blind people in particular mentioned as beneficiaries of the actions taken.
Taxi Judges – In the performance of their duties judicial officials catch a taxi on the rank, or a ‘Carroça’ from home. Carroça translates as a cart or wagon, but it just means ‘own car’ in this case. Elaine of the West very kindly translated this article … many thanks.
An ancient car in poor condition remains the only means of official transport official in the service of the courts of Madeira. This car is given over to the General Circuit Court of Funchal, although occasionally, when available, it is ‘borrowed’ together with a driver for the duties to be carried out by the Judicial Court of Funchal. But when this is not possible, judges and officials of the Justice Palace in Funchal have no option but to resort to using taxis or even their own private cars to travel where they need to in the course of work.
The issue of transport for the Madeiran judges and court officials is not a new one. About two and a half years ago, the DIÁRIO recognised this problem in connection with the criminal court of Funchal. After that time, the scenario remains, though, on the other hand, the number of external representations also declined. The regional representative of the Association of Portuguese Judges, Paulo Barreto, recognizes that the only official car in Madeira is old and on several occasions it has broken down, leaving the officials stranded on the road. The demand for a new car has already been issued a while ago, but so far the Ministry of Justice has not responded positively. He argued, “Here in the Circuit Court on Fridays we have to go to Santa Cruz, São Vicente and Ponta do Sol, so it is important to have a car".
However, Paulo Barreto questions the real need for an official car at the service of a district court, since trips performed as part of the proceedings are normally short. Except, of course, the district of Funchal, which, said the judge, has a remit which extends as far as Santana. The magistrate further clarified that it is only when it is a criminal case that the State assumes the costs of transport, which are then forwarded to the defendant in the case of conviction. In civil cases, the value of travel is borne by the parties as part of the expense of the process. The coordinator of the Regional Delegation of the Union of Judicial Officials, Danilo Pereira, believes that one solution to the problem of lack of transportation would be to use those cars seized by the courts which are in good condition. However, he admits that the issues of who would pay for the fuel and insurance are not easily solved. What is more, ends Danilo Pereira, “The risk of conducting an investigation using a private car, particularly in certain housing estates, must be taken into account.”
and Jon of the East also … Sod’s law I think it’s called, after over a week of trying this ploy!
The Judges of Madeira that have to travel to various Courts around the Island (in pursuit of their duties) wish to have a new "official" car supplied to them to enable them to do this. Currently they have an "old banger" that is worn out and not roadworthy and so have to resort to private taxi hire between home and the various courts. Whilst the costs can be claimed back it does take some time and is less convenient than having an official car. It is two years since they applied for a new vehicle but as the legal system here is somewhat slow and many cases are "log jammed", the relevant government department has yet to approve the "issue" of a car. It has been suggested (by the Judges?) that perhaps vehicles "appropriated" by the Police could be used instead …… I can’t believe that there is no official transport for our fine and respected legal gentlemen – unless of course they are unpopular with Uncle Bertie?
Many thanks to you both, and your stories collaborate too, so 10 out of 10!
Over half of the front page today is given over to a photo of the president and players of Nacional, looking rather dejected leaving the pitch in Germany last night. Defeat in Bremen finishes any mathematical chances of qualifying – Liga Europa : Alvinegros show too much respect and lose 4 – 1.
Marítimo has another player (Kléber) infected with Gripe A. It was already reported this week that Bruno is laid up with swine flu. No doubt if there are any more, the president (you choose which one) will be calling for games to be postponed.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
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.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Please use the comments here for general chit-chat, or feel free to ask any questions … someone usually has an answer.
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. 
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. 
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. 
