Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tom …

Many thanks to Becky for sending in this snippet and video :

"The Jersey Football Association Capita Centre of Excellence Year-9 age group is to play four matches in Madeira next month." HERE

Many thanks to Elaine (East) for these website links :

Links with Gibraltar – Madeira Disaster Collection.  HERE

Informative blog about Madeira Wine. HERE

Many thanks to Elaine [West] for this :

SPAD receives help from a German institution. Anima – Hilfe für Tiere (Help for Animals) has donated 10 large kennels for animals. The German institution for the protection of animals ‘Anima – Hilfe für Tiere’ ( ‘Help For Animals’) has given SPAD ten large kennels that will be placed in the Vasco Gil Kennel Site.

The request for help from SPAD came just days after the storm of 20 February, when some animals were brought to the institution because they had lost both owners and their home. At the time, SPAD asked all those wishing to contribute to the work of the association to help supply plastic cages (used or new) for animals to be properly collected. The appeal reached Germany and ‘Anima’ quickly dealt with the deployment of 10 large kennels. Next Thursday, March 25, from 14.30, the kennels will be handed over. On site, a group of five volunteers will be available to unpack and prepare them so they can be finally used by SPAD.

It should be recalled that several years ago ‘Anima’ collaborated with initiatives in Madeira. Recently the German institution has financed free sterilization campaigns in Porto Santo and a number of stray animals (dogs and cats) are sent to Germany each year to homes and families that ‘Anima’ has found for them. In 2008 ‘Anima’ received a total of 28 dogs which were then sterilized and delivered to new owners. Last year various animals from Madeira were received by the them, many of them Huskies. These dogs, although pedigree animals, do not adapt to Madeira’s climate and are often abandoned.

Many thanks to Paul for this :

‘Sisi’ Elisabeth, Empress of Austria & Queen of Hungary (1837-1898) & Madeira. In the 1860′s Elisabeth was considered the world’s most beautiful monarch. In the 1870′s she became the most famous, and probably also the world’s best, female equestrian but, in 1859 left her husband and small children to live in seclusion on Madeira, Corfu, and in Venice. “The Empress had exchanged a carefree country life with the strict etiquette of the Imperial Court and could hardly adapt to it. Francis Joseph loved his wife dearly, but he ruled over an empire of 50 million people and had little time to be with "Sisi" who felt lonely. "I wish he were no emperor", she confided her former governess.”

Sisi likened to Princess Diana. “Little wonder then that following her tragic death Princess Diana was often likened in obituaries to Sisi: Both were women of extraordinary beauty and represented their countries with dignity and elegance. Both succeeded in winning a special place in people’s hearts even amidst the ceremony and protocol of ancient dynasties. Both were dedicated to social causes. And both died tragically before their time.”

Photo : Memorial of Elisabeth (Österreich-Ungarn), also named Sisi, in Funchal, Madeira closed to the Casino. At this location a hotel was located, where Sisi was on holiday.

Sisi Film & Musical. “The romantic legend of how Sisi and Franz Joseph met has been immortalized in the wonderfully romantic and melodramatic Austrian "Sisi" Films starring Romy Schneider as young Sisi. The musical "Elisabeth", which has attracted tourists from all over the world to Vienna for more than five years, is much more realistic.”

In 1998 a hundred years after she died from wounds inflicted during an assassination attempt exhibitions throughout Austria commemorated her life. They documented the intriguing life story of a woman who was an "empress against her will", who was at once fairy-tale princess and liberated woman, a dieting fanatic and expert equestrian, a poet and inveterate traveller.

Photo : Empress Elisabeth of Austria, 1864

Video compilation of the Austrian trilogy "SISSI-The Young Empress"

Sisi’s hold on the popular imagination remains undiminished. “Sisi was already a legend in her lifetime. And especially in Budapest (Hungary) many buildings or institutions are named after her, and Elisabeth is still the most often given girl name in Hungary. Even a century after her death, Sisi’s hold on the popular imagination remains undiminished. This can be seen in the popularity of Sisi films and the musical "Elisabeth", which has run for years in Vienna. The sites where the empress lived continue to draw tourists from the world over. Among these are her apartments in Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg, and the Hermes Villa in Vienna, her tomb in the imperial burial vault of the capital’s Capuchin Church, and the imperial villa in Bad Ischl, as well as many other places throughout Austria.” Link to full article

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

DIÁRIO 23/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

PEC threatens the solvency of public enterprises. Compliance with the rules contained in the Stability and Growth Pact (PEC), which the Regional Government had no objection to, may be disastrous for the Regional accounts as the State will limit borrowing for all public sector companies. The Government of the Republic, in addition to maintaining the rule of zero net debt to the entities of the Regional and Local Administrations, unless in response to emergencies, will also constrain new financial liabilities when public companies use community funding. Thus, public companies will have lower limits for liabilities as neither Governments can risk having to input capital into these companies. Also, the higher the corporate debt, the worse the country’s external debt. According to Diário, public enterprises have increased their bank liabilities seven fold in six years. Some of these debts are to suppliers and if they cannot resort to credit, the inability to invest and make payments will worsen. Madeira’s contribution to the Portuguese deficit is zero. In 2007, Madeira had not reached the borrowing limit that the EU imposed on the State in the PEC. In 2008, Madeira made a positive contribution to the implementation of the PEC as it still had a net lending capacity of one million Euros, helping to balance the public accounts. — An expert in financial affairs commented that the reason that the 4.1 million Euros subsidy to the Jornal da Madeira stays the same as last year, is probably because no bank will lend to the company. The case is to be heard in the EU Court and if they rule the subsidy is illegal and fine the company, who pays and what happens about any debts?

30,000 pensioners below the minimum wage. Most are women on survivor’s pension of 180 Euros per month. The minimum wage for 2010 is 475 Euros. A similar petition was sent last year, with half the present number of signatures, to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira. This year, the petition will also be sent to the Assembly of the Republic as last year, the two government argued that it was each other’s responsibility.

Public Ministry accuses gang of using children in drug trafficking. A trial started yesterday in Funchal with 19 defendants, including two Italians. 16 attended the hearing, all from social housing estates in Câmara de Lobos, two will be tried in abstentia and one is on the Continent. Six defendants are in prison custody, including two Italians and two Guineans, one is electronically tagged and seven are women. The drugs were imported from Guinea, Senegal and the Netherlands via three couriers, two of them Italian and a child who was detained at Madeira Airport in October 2008 carrying 572 grams of heroin. The drugs were stored in the home of one of the defendants in Bairro da Torre, mainly for local distribution. Many of the children/families of the accused have been used to deliver/collect drugs and money. There is wiretapping evidence to support this allegation. The largest haul was in November 2008 when 12,549 individual doses of heroin (1,045 grams) were detected inside the bodies of the two Italians.The heroin was to be transferred to the Guinean who has spent five years in prison for a previous trafficking offence. The drug gang is suspected of operating from at least mid-2007 to August 2009 and the drugs brought into the country were cocaine and heroin. The Guinean is suspected to be the ringleader. Two of the defendants fabricated a construction company to try to justify the origin of the drug money. Items were seized during house searches, for example mobile phones, home-cinemas and LCDs. Large deposits into the bank accounts of the defendants, especially the ringleader, were traced between January and December 2008 (29,500 +11,570 + 41,915 Euros).

MADEIRA

Revive the neighbourhood by planting trees. 300 school children in the county of Ribeira Brava congregated at the school at Serra de Água as part of the celebrations of World Tree Day. The best way to mark the day was to plant trees. The mayor and a school delegate planted a tree then each school followed suit. This location was chosen as it was the area most devastated by the storm, to plant a symbol of hope and to highlight the rebirth of the parish. The tree planting was followed by entertainment, games and a lunch courtesy of the municipality.

London sends 2,500 kilos of donations. The Portuguese Catholic community attending the Scalabrini Church in Oval, South London, collected 2,500 kilos of donated goods over the past three weeks. The collection was begun on the 21st February and includes infant and children’s clothing, underwear, shoes and linens. During the Masses, 1,500 pounds sterling was collected and the amount was made up to 1,800 pounds from church funds to send the 100 boxes to Madeira. It would normally cost 5,000 pounds to send the container but for the generosity of the haulage firm C. R. Trans/Service, where a Portuguese immigrant works. The container left England last week and arrives in Madeira within a week. It will be forwarded to the Association for Community Development in Funchal/Community Centre of Santo Amaro.

New marine protected areas. Several proposals for the establishment of marine protected areas in waters beyond national jurisdiction will be discussed informally between today and Thursday in Funchal. Attending will be representatives from six countries that signed up to the OSPAR Convention (Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Spain and Portugal), and NGOs such as the Worldwide Fund for Wildlife, Northeast Atlantic Ocean Fisheries Commission, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Institution for Conservation of Marine Biology.

ECONOMY

Demolition of the Savoy Hotel is ahead of deadline. The demolition of the Savoy Hotel started in January with a deadline of ten months. The main building is already in ruins and the reception area, gardens, shopping area and car parks are unrecognizable. This is despite the effects of the storms in February. Demolition by implosion was ruled out and the work has to comply with noise and environmental laws. A significant amount of the material will be reused. The firm responsible for the demolition and building of the new hotel is CASAIS. The project architect João Francisco Caires said the new hotel will include classical and traditional Madeiran architecture in proximity to English colonial architecture. The entire project is scheduled to take 36 months at an estimated 120 million Euros. Completion is aimed to be in time for the New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2012.

POLITICS

Tough measures to prevent exploitation. The Regional Government has decided to submit to the Legislative Assembly a proposed law to ensure all entities benefit, and to prevent exploitation of funds for the renovation of Madeira. Careful prioritization will help people and areas affected by the storm and to avoid duplication, the Government will find out who has benefited from other mechanisms such as insurance. The final relocation is underway and 400 new homes are needed and another 400 require renovation. At present, 53 families are still in public establishments, a situation the Executive wants resolving before Easter. The government said any aggregates that are being collected are authorized. The Marine Police is monitoring the situation and has found one case of illegal dumping of flood deposits at the mouth of the stream at Madelena do Mar.

CULTURE

Santa Cruz is still the City of Culture. It was previously reported that Santa Cruz Council had given up the project City of Culture 2010 as it had to redirect finances to storm damage repair work. The council now ensures that the project will go ahead with updates to the cultural program. The mayor has met Rui Massena, the conductor of the OCM, about the possibility of the classical orchestra opening the program but cannot confirm if this will occur. The county has the advantage that the mayor, José Alberto Gonçalves, is the president of the Madeira Classic Foundation that manages the OCM.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

REGIONAL

Gaia calls to Porto to help Madeira. The municipalities of Funchal and Gaia will launch a series of meetings before Easter with businesses in Porto to obtain building materials and furniture for 291 houses. The Vice-mayor of Gaia is impressed with the recovery effort in Funchal and will appeal to businesses in the region of Porto where there is a tradition of furniture manufacture. These 291 houses are outside the risk area and are partially damaged. Other councils in Portugal have pledged help, for example 100,000 Euros from Amadora.

Coração da Madeira helps Serra d’Água. Now this voluntary organization has finished its work in RG3, the volunteers went to Serra d’Água with 74 boxes of donated clothing collected at the church at Nazaré over the past month. In partnership with the English Church, the volunteers will begin to distribute bed linen and clothing to various locations of need.

EVENTS

Two vehicles seized. Since the beginning of the year, there have been four cases of illegal dumping in the serras of Madeira. Last week, a Forest Ranger found two private cars were being used to dump material in Campanário, which came from the excavations for a house. The two cars have been seized as evidence and the case has been reported to the Directorate for the Environment. To recover the cars, the owners will have to first pay the fine for the breach. For dumping light material, fines for private individuals range from 1,500 – 3,740 Euros and for firms from 7,500 – 44,890 Euros. For heavier more damaging material, fines range from 25,000 – 37,500 Euros and for a firm, can go up to 60,000 Euros.

Guides and tourists still use footpaths. The Regional Directorate of Forestry is concerned about the number of people still walking along pedestrian paths despite the warnings, often encouraged by guides. Examples are the Caldeirão Verde and the Boca da Corrida/Encumeada. Eight pathways are closed at present: PR 7 Levada do Moínho (Ribeira da Cruz – Lamaceiros); PR 09 Levada do Caldeirão Verde (Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde), PR 10 Levada do Furado (Ribeiro Frio – Lamaceiros – Portela); PR 12 Caminho Real da Encumeada (Boca da Corrida – Encumeada); PR 14 Levada dos Cedros (Fanal – Curral Falso); PR 16 Levada da Fajã do Rodrigues (Fajã da Ama – Ribeira do Inferno); PR 17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal (Lombo do Mouro – Caramulo – Folhadal – Encumeada); PR 18 Levada do Rei (Quebradas – Ribeiro Bonito); Levada do Norte and Levada dos Tornos.

ECONOMY

Mercado de Oportunidades from 25 – 31 March. The erection of 51 tents on the Avenida Arriaga started yesterday. The Opportunities Market is for the selling of old stock at discounted prices, specifically shoes, decorations, clothing, jewellery, domestic electrical appliances, linen, crafts, toys and perfume. Opening hours will be 10.00 – 20.00. The demand has exceeded supply, 80 traders expressing interest but only 60 can participate, so the remaining 20 have places reserved in the second phase in the second half of the year. There will be eight cruise ships in port during this period, especially on the 31st when there will be five.

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

ERC wants to know more names for RTP-Madeira TV – The regulatory entity says it has asked more explanations. RTP received nothing. And already three weeks have passed.

Today’s main news headline : Bureaucracy ties-up traders – The owners of shops badly hit by the storms of February are "fragile, frail and living in financial difficulties because the financial support is delayed in coming". The words are from Lino Abreu, from the Association of Commerce and Services, in disagreement with the excessive ‘red tape’. Whilst waiting for support, traders are just having to do what they can to recuperate what they lost, and are feeling pretty let down because the route to obtain support is complex and long-winded. Abreu says that some traders are so deflated by what has gone on, he fears that they will opt to close down rather than try and reopen their businesses. He says the process needs to be simplified because the traders need support right now. They need to provide strict evidence for their losses, and some of the documentation needed takes a long time to obtain.

Fountains of João Dinis return to see the light of day – The post-storm clean up has returned to view the old fountains, buried 70 years ago during works in the zone of the Palácio. They are going to return to provide drinking water and maybe inspire some old political jibes.

The Government is going to construct 25 homes in Ribeira Brava – The houses will be built in different communities. According to the Housing Association of Madeira [IHM] housing is still lacking for 17 families in the area, made homeless after the floods. IHM already have two or three locations in mind and is out and about looking for more land to built premises that will house several families. The decision to spread the housing is being taken to minimise the impact of the construction work, and also because there is a shortage of land with sufficient capacity for everything. 17 families still live in temporary accommodation, around 40 people. 

SITAM denounces late payment of salaries – The trade union met with the Regional Secretary for Human Resources. Due to the storm on 20 February, there are people who have still not received their salary from February.

Solidarity parade on the eve of the Flower Festival. Madeira’s favourite fashion designer, Fátima Lopes, is organising the event to take place on 17th April, in conjunction with Funchal Council. "I am preparing a solidarity event in April, that will revert to those who need it most," said Fátima. "It will be a big fashion show, open to everyone, with mannequins of the Face Models and many national public figures".

The main sport / football headline today : União SAD ‘half way there’ [?] – Jaime Lucas hopes that the ‘Ruben Micael case’ works out well.

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 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 other material.

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

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Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … "Taken 21st February".

Many thanks to Becky for sending in this web snippet and video :

"A St Davids artist based in Madeira has described the devastating scenes that forced him to flee his home." – an interesting response to this article has been added by someone from Paul do Mar. From the UK Western Telegraph  HERE

I can’t imagine who would have written that response (joking), but talk about an gross exaggeration  on the whole situation from those interviewed, especially on the rain situation generally. Der

Postais Antigos da Madeira – postcards from MADEIRA ISLAND & FUNCHAL PORTUGAL

Thanks to Pete for these : Clean up Portugal campaign | Programme 1 | Programme 2

Thanks to Paul for this one.

Know the ‘Madeiran Fortalezas’

image caption:São Tiago fortress in Funchal, Madeira

Fortaleza de São Tiago, Funchal, Madeira. The Fortress of St James was built between 1614 and 1637 in response to the frequent raids on Funchal by pirates. The complex is now a Monument of Regional Interest and is used to further cultural awareness. It includes a contemporary art museum and a restaurant. Read more:       

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

DIÁRIO 22/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

A quarter of the population live on pensions (social security). 25.9% of the population live on pensions, slightly less than the national average of 26.9%. In January 2010, there were 64,257 pensioners although a person can receive more than one pension (old-age, survivor’s, invalidity). From December 2008 to January 2010, there was an increase of 939 pensioners and the cost increased from 252.2 million Euros to 264 million Euros. Most pensions are for retirement, about 15% of the population or 37,673 Madeirans. The total cost is 13.5 million Euros at an average pension of 360.36 Euros. For survivor’s pension, the numbers are: 7.4% of the population, 18,387 receiving an average of 180.36 Euros, totalling 3.3 million Euros. In the case of disability, there are 8,197 disabled people, 3.3% of the population, at a total cost of 2.9 million Euros or 350.52 Euros per pensioner. The vast majority of pension recipients are women, 43,090: 23,592 retirement, 4,455 disability and 15,133 survivor’s. There were only 3,254 men receiving survivor’s pension, a total of 500,000 Euros compared to 2.8 million Euros paid to women.

Fish, poultry and livestock declined in 2009. In 2009, fish landings decreased by 7%, the auction price per kilo decreased by 8% and the revenue decreased by 14% or 2.3 million Euros. The espada-preta (swordfish) catches suffered the most, 22.4% fewer landings. 3.9% more tuna fish were caught. For cavala and chicharro (mackerel and horse mackerel), the catches increased but the revenue was less due to poor quality, reinforcing the fact that fish stocks are deteriorating each year. Over the past 12 years, 2009 was the worst for fishermen. Livestock production had a poor year reflecting the declining interest in farming. There were 23.5% fewer pigs and 13.3% fewer cattle slaughtered. 9.2% more poultry were raised last year and egg production increased by 1.5%.

MADEIRA

Agriculture scarce. Rain and winds have hampered the growing of vegetables in the region with less variety on sale. ‘Sorteio de Cabazes de Primavera’ started yesterday and runs until May 30th. Over the next 11 Sundays, when 5 Euros worth of regional horticultural products are purchased from the Farmers’ Markets in Santana, Prazeres and Canhas, the purchaser receives a ticket for two raffles for baskets of produce, held on the 25th April and 20th May.

House in danger of falling down the slope. For the past three weeks, landslides and rockfalls have been a daily occurrence in the area of Urbanização da Montanha, in São Gonçalo. A neighbour has alerted Funchal Council about the house in question but the owner cannot be contacted. The fire brigade has visited on three separate occasions but taken no action. The land underneath the balcony and yard has subsided and if this continues, the neighbour is worried that the two-storey house will fall onto the road below.

POLITICS

CDS confirms ‘fiction’ of budgets. The CDS-PP predict an economic recession this year after analysing the Court of Auditors report on the 2008 Regional Budget. 2008 Accounts show a debt of 230 million Euros. 44% of tax revenue (327 million Euros) was absorbed by institutes and autonomous funds. The amount of interest paid for delays in paying suppliers increased by 35% to 23.3 million Euros. The Regional Government continued to support public sector enterprise despite losses of 70 million Euros. The Health Service debt was 431 million Euros. In 2008, the total direct and indirect debt was 1.9 billion Euros. With these debts, the government cannot raise funds to meet its commitments.

Councils postpone projects to alleviate emergencies. A month after the devastating storm, councils are having to rethink their programs of activities. In Ribeira Brava, the damage amounts to 80 million Euros and the planned Emigrant Museum has been postponed. Losses in Calheta, 4 million Euros, result from landslides, cleaning streams and damaged water networks. Savings will be focused on the June summer festivities, hiring artists of lower prestige. In Santana, the council has to find 3.5 million Euros to repair the damages. The slopes were extensively damaged and the auditorium at São Roque do Faial will now be delayed until 2011. The councils have sent reports of losses to the Regional Government but do not know if they will receive any financial support, or the amounts they will receive.

CULTURE

Baltazar Dias reopens on April 10th. The storm caused 500,000 Euros of damage to the Municipal Theatre Baltazar Dias in Funchal. It will reopen for the symbolic Film Festival of Funchal. The Mayor of Funchal arrived at the theatre on the afternoon of February 20th to find waist-deep mud in the audience area. Volunteers, including scouts, cleaned the theatre and there have been changes to improve facilities, for example the red carpet removed to make the acoustics better. The building has been rewired and painted, new alarms systems added and the furniture, floors and doors are nearly completely renovated.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

REGIONAL

Government will acquire 600 hectares in the west. The Regional Government will acquire, if necessary by compulsory purchase, 600 hectares in the counties of Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol. This is to make a forest that will protect diversity, water resources and the security of people living downstream. The government has just bought 25 plots of land totalling 332 hectares at a cost of 674,000 Euros. Later this year, a start will be made on planting 400,000 trees, finishing in 2011. The investment of 4.3 million Euros is from EU support and the Regional Budget. With this latest acquisition, the government possesses a total of 1,760 hectares of the serras of Funchal and Câmara de Lobos in the project launched in 2001 – ‘Tampão Verde’. Including the Ecological Park, the most strategic land in the serras are in public ownership. In 2003, 50,000 head of cattle were banned and removed from the publicly owned areas to end over-grazing. In the last 15 years, the government has afforested 908 hectares and planted one million and 200,000 trees in the serras. 

São Vicente investing in promoting the Laurissilva forest and county. The Mayor of São Vicente said the council intends to strengthen the investment for the promotion of the county. The Laurissilva forest is to be promoted in order to increase notoriety and visibility at the national level, to enable it to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal. The mayor is confident that the forest will win the category Forests and Woods on 11th September. The forest is natural, the oldest in Portugal (Tertiary Period – 20 million years old) and contains 500 different endemic species, an important point as this year is the International Year of Biodiversity. The judges visited the region yesterday as a symbolic gesture and to testify that nature has not been spoilt; that Madeira continues to be a wonderful island to visit.

Porto Santo has a barbusano.  Porto Santo Council and the firm Porto Santo Verde planted yesterday, the World Day of the Forest, a tree in the gardens of Alameda Infante D. Henrique. For the national celebrations of the centenary of the Republic, the national committee challenges the Portuguese councils to plant a tree related to the indigenous forest. The barbusano is a tree belonging to the Laurissilva forest which is extinct in Porto Santo. This tree species is endemic to the Golden Island and it is important to reintroduce the Barbusanos as it adapts well to the island.

CULTURE

‘Funchal, Funchal’ single to be released this week. Luís Jardim wrote and recorded this music to raise funds for the victims of the storm. It will be released on CD-single at the end of this week and all sales revenue goes to the funds for Madeira. It was featured on the SIC fund-raising program ‘Uma Flor para a Madeira’. Luís Jardim is a producer who has worked with respected names in international music and hopes the worldwide Portuguese communities will buy the single. An initial release of 5,000 – 10,000 copies with more produced according to demand. The video clip of this official theme can be seen in full on YouTube

UPDATES

Clocks go forward one hour at 01.00 Sunday. This will mark the beginning of Official Summer Time.

EU approves ‘Cultural Festivals of Madeira’. The EU approves this project for support from community funds until 2013. The four major events covered are: Meeting of Philharmonic Bands in May, Music Festival of Madeira in June, the Festival Atlantic Roots (traditional music) in July and the Organ Festival in October. The Festival of Music will be scaled down from a month to 4 – 13 June.

Diário Question. A month after the tragedy what is still causing concern?

People to relocate 22%

False promises 23%

No plans 28%

Lack of money 16%

Excessive bureaucracy 11%

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

Today’s main news headline : PEC limits debts with public companies – The Programme of Stability and Growth [PEC] threatens to interfere in the public accounts of Madeira. The State is going to squeeze indebtedness.

30 thousand pensioners with pensions below the minimum salary originate petition to the parliaments. Pensioners and retired people are claiming an extra €65, and ARPIRAM have delivered a petition to the Legislative Assembly to stake the claim. I suppose that we will have to get used to the idea that as the State squeezes to re-establish an acceptable deficit in Europe, more and more people will feel the effects, and protests like this will pop up with increasing regularity. Can you imagine the public sector workers carrying on peacefully knowing that their pay is restricted until 2013, and medical staff and teachers here are always in dispute over pay and conditions. The Portuguese are not like the Greeks [yet?] but the squeeze here is going to bite just as hard given time, and I just hope we don’t have to witness here the unrest seen in Greece recently. The ones we won’t see a bad reaction from of course will be those on the minimum wage, in tourism, hotels, shops, bars and restaurants. Any trouble from them and they can be easily replaced. Nothing wrong with peaceful petitions from the pensioners of course, but I guess that won’t be on government priority list until the next elections loom.

Aguiar-Branco proposes more autonomy. The removal of the post of Representative of the Republic [for Madeira] is one of the intentions of the candidate for the leadership of the Social Democrat Party, who expects an interesting vote on Madeira, on Friday. Uncle Bertie also wanted to remove this post I recall, and it was supposed to be a measure included in constitutional reform. What happened after that I have no idea, but maybe this guy will win over UB in the voting, as more autonomy is just what he likes. Can’t wait until Friday when this annoying drawn-out election is over.

"[State] subsidies decrease but guarantees rise" – David Caldeira stresses that the ‘cut’ does not define the big picture. Following on from yesterday’s article that government handouts to public and private organisations have reduced by 57.5%, some financial expert is suggesting that for those organisations affected there is a way forward.

Drug trail judgement in Funchal with 19 suspects – The majority of those involved live in Palmeira, Câmara de Lobos. There are also two Italians to answer charges.

Government has it’s eye on the support – Jardim assures that "tough" measures were taken at the end to avoid exploitation. The Executive is going to present in the Madeira Assembly a proposal of a certificate "that assures that all the entitled beneficiaries don’t stray from the legally established priorities". All about the allocation of the money raised following the storm on the 20th February.

‘Caruncho’ with thematic parties starting from the 26th – Academic camp, cutting ribbons, rock nights, and the prom of the finalists [students] to close on the 10th April. Don’t even ask! I turned to Google translator for help with this one, but it made even less sense. I presume from the photo that this is all about the celebrations of the final year students, and it’s called ‘Semana do Caruncho’ [Woodworm Week].

The main sport / football headline today : The World Cup 2010 is going to decide who is the best – Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo : One of them will be the Best in the World and the decision will take place in South Africa. Rooney? How did he get on that list?

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. 

Sheila sent me this email she received this morning, hoping someone would be able to help : "I received this e-mail and, as time is so short if this poor dog is to be saved, I wondered whether any Blog readers might be able to help. I have notified SPAD and just about everyone else I know, who might be able to help. This is a lot to ask, I know, but as there is no RSPCA in Madeira, I would welcome any and all suggestions from your contributors". Sheila

Original email :  Golden Retriever in extensive distress in Garajau :

"There is a dog in Bloco G or H, in Edificio Quintas I, Estrada do Garajau,  Garajau, Caniço, The dog is in the garden at the end of the block, immediately behind the villa that is at the front of the apartment complex Edificio Quintas 1. It is the second last apartment block in Garajau before going round the valley to Caniço.

No one lives in the apartment where the dog is and it has not been fed for 3 days at least. Our friends have been trying to feed the dog, by throwing in food over the wall, but the dog is not eating it, because it is dehydrated because it does not have any water. They can’t put water over the wall.

We know the owner has been taken to court in the past over the dog and so the case is known, but that was primarily because the dog was barking. Now the dog is suffering from lack of care.   The dog can be seen, by walking up the steps at the side and behind the villa and one can look over the wall down onto the dog. It is a beautiful looking dog, but wont be for long without food or water".

I am not on the island, so I cannot do anything about it. Can you suggest some ways to end this poor dogs suffering?

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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 other material.

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

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Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tom … "It has been done on Monte of course but rather unusual because all carriages are made of wood except that one".

A couple of snippets from Elaine (East) … many thanks.

EC rules out further banana aid. ITS JUST BANANAS

Europe seeks closer cooperation on border security. Much of the smuggling from Africa runs from Tunisia and Libya to the Italian coast or its offshore islands, including Sicily, Panteleria and Lampedusa. Other smuggling routes run from Algeria and Morocco to mainland Spain while others target the Spanish African enclaves of Ceuta and Melila. Further routes target Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic islands, notably the Canaries, Azores and Madeira. FULL STORY

Many thanks to Paul for these three articles and video :

MADEIRA ON THE MEND – UK Telegraph Newspaper – "Those of us who were visiting at the time and arrived subsequently were also invited to similarly contribute. I am told that they did so in large numbers, which reflects how the Madeirans are regarded by those they look after so well, year after year."

"Louise Roddon’s article ("Madeira picks up the pieces", March 13) provided an excellent account of the hard work put in by the islanders to restore Funchal and its outlying towns and areas following the events of February 20. She captured their feelings of concern and sadness for their fellow islanders who had died or had been made homeless. Their other concern was that they hoped their regular visitors from many other countries would not be dissuaded from coming to Madeira by pictures beamed around the world in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

The article mentions the money and clothing donated by the islanders, but perhaps misses the point that those of us who were visiting at the time and arrived subsequently were also invited to similarly contribute. I am told that they did so in large numbers, which reflects how the Madeirans are regarded by those they look after so well, year after year.": ARTICLE

Photo : Monachus schauinslandi (Hawaiian Monk Seal) underwater at Five Fathom Pinnacle, Hawaii.

Madeira’s Monk Seals & Hawaii’s Monk Seals – Monk seals are a critically endangered species worldwide. Historically, there were three species of monk seals:

The Mediterranean monk seal found in the western Mediterranean Sea (primarily off the coasts of Greece and Turkey) and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (off the coast of Africa and on the island of Madeira), and has a population of about 500.

The Hawaiian monk seal, which is found in the Northwest and Main Hawaiian Islands and has a population of about 1,100. The Caribbean monk seal was found in the Caribbean Sea but is now extinct after centuries of human exploitation and hunting.

Rare Hawaiian monk seal lands at UCSC’s Long Marine Lab: Scientists hope to learn secrets to save critically endangered species.

Ho’ailona, a gregarious male monk seal born in May 2008 who suffers from cataracts, was abandoned by his mother a few days after birth. He was rescued from a beach on the island of Kauai and nursed to health by scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service for a few months before being released back to the wild on Molokai.

The dire status of the two existing monk seal populations has necessitated international conservation initiatives. NOAA scientists and managers are working with experts around the world to help recover monk seals, and the information gained from treating and monitoring Ho’ailona’s development will help future conservation efforts for the species. LINK  Elaine (East) also sent this one in … thanks.

Film of visit by The President of the European Commission after 20th of February storm

Official video of the visit by The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to Madeira in March 2010 to assess personally the damages caused by the storm that affected the island on 20th of February, 2010.

The President expressed his condolences to the regional government and to the families of the victims. He reiterated the readiness of the European Commission to assist the national and regional authorities, namely through the use of the European Solidarity Fund. Furthermore, the President was deeply impressed by the effort of reconstruction in this short period of time, which is already showing results, thus enabling this region to remain one of the excellent tourist destinations of Europe. Link to video 

Great plug for Madeira Durao, lets hope a few million people watched the interview. Did anyone see him when he was speaking to president Jardim in Funchal? He asked Jardim what was going to happen with all the inert (sand, rock etc.) material piled up from the clean up after the storm. Jardim was lost for words, stuttered, and finally spat out that it hadn’t been decided yet. And there was me thinking it might be sold off for construction, putting a bit more dosh into the pockets of those with stakes in the construction industry.

Many thanks for this from Selina : In  yesterday’s Diário newspaper an article about the funds for replacing the damaged cars in the storm. Information support for people who lost their cars in the recent storms. The controller Automotive Trade Association and Industry Funchal says there is demand for vehicles by people who have lost their cars in time, but not materialized because the deal pending legislation on the support announced. "We have a notion that 500 cars were actually lost in the rivers in flood, the land, the roads, but we have a forecast of more than 500 cars were in garages and were damaged, said Alfredo Mendonça. The Madeira executive announced last week that people with cars which were completely destroyed in the storm of February 20 can receive a grant of Euros and a deduction for three thousand Euros car tax on the purchase of a new one. This was discussed at a meeting of the executive, and has been reported that there is a line of credit in the CGD for the procurement of car under these circumstances. To qualify for this help, the owner must demonstrate that the recovery of the car is impossible and that the disaster was the direct cause of their destruction. Alfredo Mendonça says that there is "a demand for people to hire, but do not want to go another step because they do not know how they will handle" this support. "We are all waiting to get that law without which one can not do anything," he says. "It was said that there was a support of four thousand, but how are you going to handle this situation, and how will it be passed on to customers, how the participation will come to the brand owners do not know why there have been no public information," stresses.

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

DIÁRIO 19/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Houses on a knife-edge. Several houses at the top of Fundoa in Monte are at risk and families can only visit during the day. Technicians from the IHM have visited but the families have not yet heard from the council when it will be safe to return. Many families want to return and not be rehoused. The rains have damaged the supporting walls and the foundations are visible. The houses originally had land in front of them but this has been gradually eroded away until they now overlook an abyss. The Regional Government had been asked to consolidate the escarpment by the Socipan bakery, which was damaged by a landslide. The technicians do not know if the houses can be saved. Teams have been prioritising those temporarily staying with relatives and in shelters, determining if their houses were overcrowded and if they need relocating. In Funchal, there are homes and families in areas at risk with an uncertain future.

MADEIRA

Our Lady of Fatima returns to Funchal.  At 15.00 on Sunday March 21st, the Pilgrim Image will leave the Church of São Jorge, accompanied by bikers on the journey to Funchal. Between March 21st and April 11th, the time devoted to Easter celebrations, the circuit around the parishes is suspended. From April 11th to May 12th, Machico and Santa Cruz will receive the image of Nossa Senhora de Fátima.

In Venezuela, April 25th will be transformed to Day of Madeira. In Venezuela, the ‘April Revolution’ this year will be associated with Madeira. The day the Portuguese remember the Carnation Revolution will be for fundraising activities. All the money raised will go into a single account and transferred directly to the Regional Government of Madeira. This is a curious date given the bad coexistence of Alberto Jardim with designated ‘ideals of the April Revolution’.

Homeless family refuse a house. A family of seven, victims of the storm of February 20th, refused resettlement in a house supplied by the IHM. The family visited the house in the Calçada do Pico and complained it was dirty and without furniture. They returned to the Youth Hostel where they had been temporarily accommodated but have lost the right of staying there for free, having to pay the normal fee of 11 Euros per night. The IHM cannot understand their decision, saying the T4 is excellent and is much better than what they had. Caritas said they had a lorry of furniture and equipment for the family and waited for an hour but they never materialised at the house. The family  have now lost the right to be rehoused. The photo shows the old house in Vasco Gil where they cannot return to as it is at risk.

Many of the flood losses are yet to be declared. Many of those whose assets were destroyed or damaged a month ago, including houses and cars, have not officially declared them. For vehicles, the owners are waiting for the law to be published that will set out the rules on compensation. The Regional Government has stated it will subsidize the cost of a new car by 1,000 Euros and allow a 3,000 Euros tax deduction. The two pre-conditions are that the car is irrecoverable and that the destruction was due to the disaster. Owners need to prove the destruction of the car through statements from the councils or police with, wherever possible, photographic evidence. For property damage, owners can contact the IHM, town halls or community development organizations. At present, the Recovery Program of Degraded Property (PRID) is for houses requiring reconstruction. Since the end of December, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture has received declarations of crop damage resulting from the harsh winter. The network for the receipt of declarations of damage has been extended after the storm of February 20th.

ECONOMY

New regional cruise ship. The Grand Voyager will begin on April 30th a series of 19 seven night regional cruises, allowing embarking/disembarking at Funchal. The Carnival group has confirmed the dates, prices starting at 500 Euros per person and sold through the agent, Blandy. The Grand Voyager will call at Vigo, Lagos, Casablanca, Arrecife, Las Palmas and Funchal. Dates when the ship calls at Funchal are: May 7, 14, 21; Thursdays in June – 3, 10, 17, 24; July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; August 5, 12, 19, 26 and September 2, 9. The ship was built in Germany in 2000 and is registered in Madeira, which is why Portuguese is the official language on board. It measures 180.7 metres long, 25.6 metres wide and can carry 922 passengers and 360 crew members. This ship first called at Funchal on the 22nd April 2001 under the name Olympic Voyager.

POLITICS

Joint Committee to complete the evaluation within a month. João Cunha e Silva (the vice-president of the Regional Government and a member of the Joint Committee) wants the evaluation of the damage and examination of means of financing the reconstruction of Madeira to be completed within a month. All committee members visited the worst affected areas of Ribeira Brava yesterday morning and Câmara de Lobos in the afternoon. Today they go to the high zones of Funchal and then move on to the lower zone. Cunha e Silva acknowledged that the extensive damage required a lot of work, and more funding than available through the EU Solidarity Fund as the damage goes beyond the initial estimate of the Regional Government. He warned that the EU Solidarity Fund is not as substantial as people think and falls far short of expectations, so other sources of funding will need to be creatively used. Committee members emphasised the spirit of full cooperation between the two governments and said that the great effort and work the Madeirans have already done is "moving".

Building materials from the Continent for the reconstruction effort. Various councils and parish councils on the Continent have offered to send building materials to assist the rebuilding of Funchal. A shipping company will transport them for free. Via the council, BES bank distributed 55,000 Euros to commercial establishments from its solidarity fund. The council gave 2,500 Euros cheques to each trader to help clean and recuperate losses. The council has hired two companies to survey the houses affected by storm damage over the next two weeks. Reconstruction will depend on their recommendations, guided by financial experts and local development associations. 14 contracts have been issued by the council for areas requiring immediate work.

PS criticize structures on the beach. Jacinto Serrão, the leader of the Socialist Party will request a parliamentary hearing so the Regional Government, Porto Santo Council and maritime authorities can clarify aspects of the constructions that are destroying the beach of Porto Santo. The PS went to Porto Santo to see the walls and infrastructure that are being built on the beach. They concluded these accumulate errors and cause negligence, and call into question the sustainability of the beach which is a candidate for the Seven Wonders of Portugal. The structures are destroying the beach just to satisfy the particular interests of some. The socialists want to know the reasons for these constructions and the type of study undertaken before licensing. The economy of the island cannot be destroyed in this way, because of the desire of some who want to keep their houses on the dunes.

UPDATE

State received almost 200,000 Euros IVA from solidarity campaigns. The IVA was collected by the State from the premium rate promoted by TMN, PT and Sonaecom. The Ministry of Finance received 198,120 Euros in IVA from calls and sms messages of solidarity. It followed the law fully and retained this money. From three solidarity campaigns, a total of 991,170 Euros has been donated to Madeira. A campaign by TMN and PT permitted a phone call or sms message to be sent where the person contributed 0.60 Euros to Caritas Diocesana do Funchal. This campaign was adhered to by 61,000 people and raised 36,600 Euros. PT and SIC through the ‘Uma flor pela Madeira’ project raised 590,000 Euros. ‘Portugal Solidário – Ajuda a Madeira’ in conjunction with the Media Capital group collected 364,570 Euros for Caritas.

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

Líbano [José] Martins, murder suspect, in the end was not arrested. The Diário confirmed with the Brazilian government the notable error of the Portuguese authorities. Back again to the story of the gang leader, allegedly responsible for the kidnap and murder of an elderly businessman  from Porto Santo.

Today’s main news headline : Without money in sight. Today marks one month since the tragedy came and the reconstruction goes ahead, even without knowing when any money will come. True it is that the hopes rest with Lisbon (€500 million) and not with the European Union (€45 million). All the following headlines are related to the same story (except the sports headline). Today the Diário has a special edition to illustrate the events of the last month.

Political parties intensify criticism and demand technical studies.

Anadia [shopping centre, Funchal] reopens in May, remodelled.

List of the MP deflates rumours, pointing to the localities from where all of the 43 dead were removed.

Rain unleashes stress and fear.

Media coverage took the news of the storm to millions around the world.

President of Naval [football club] came to offer €55 thousand; the big clubs haven’t fulfilled their promises.

The signs of the storm – 28 days have passed from when the chaos started on the island. The reestablishment of the relationship between the central and regional governments, a wave of solidarity without precedent, and the capacity of the Madeirans to rebuild, are the signs of the storm that ravaged Madeira one month ago. The island has lived in exactly 28 days, also one Saturday, one of the worst moments in its history after being devastated by bad weather that caused 43 deaths, 8 missing, 120 injured, 600 homeless and caused huge material damage. On the day of 20th February, the middle of the morning, after a rainy night, the population was surprised by strong torrents of mud flooding Funchal, dragging huge rocks and debris that caused chaos in the Madeira capital. The situation stretched to other locations on the island, mainly on the west side, in the regions of Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol. The immense torrents of water dragged away everything they found in their paths, people, cars, houses, streets, bridges, communications and electricity posts and farming land, leaving a vast trail of destruction.

Funchal became impassable, the communication networks started to collapse and the motorway [via rápida] was closed. The news started coming in with images giving an account of Madeira suffering a great natural catastrophe, and a climate of despair set-in as fruitless attempts were made to contact relatives and friends by mobile phone.

Landslides, isolated populations, collapsing houses, vehicles and people swept away by the torrents, [underground] car parks filled with water, and hundreds of people made homeless placed in hosting centres were the stories that filled the news. In a demonstration of solidarity in order to be with the Madeirans, on that day, the prime minister of Portugal came to Madeira to observe the damage and announce the first measures of support, marking a new era in the relationship between José Sócrates and Alberto João Jardim. The president of the Madeiran government said that he needed the "axes and [gardening] tools to rebuild the island" and Sócrates guaranteed total solidarity from the State to the region.  There followed visits by the President of the republic, Cavaco Silva, from various other ministers, from the European Commission for regional development, and from the president of the European Commission, Durão Barroso.

After the the initial impact, reconstruction had become the watchword, a task that involved all the community in re-establishing normality, including the army that transported to Madeira a bridge to resolve the isolation of Fajã da Ribeira, in Ribeira Brava, that was familiar to all who visit the island. Three days later, some traders reopened their businesses and measures of support started to be announced, including the formation of a joint commission from the Government of the Republic and Madeira, that is already working out in the field to determine the investments needed for the reestablishment of normal life.

Some works that took place in Funchal, Ponta do Sol and Ribeira [Brava ?] will be the memories that will remain of that fateful day, especially for those that lost somebody in the storm.

The main sports headline today : [Vítor] Sá takes the leadership in the Porto Santo Rally – The start of the competition was marked by the withdrawal of Filipe Freitas.

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 other material.

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

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

(more…)