Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Bird … "A nightmare alligator-giraffe hybrid monster machine is devouring the Savoy Hotel!"

Thanks a lot to Paul for the following contributions : 

Portugal: global clean-tech leader! The country has a population of 10 million people and covers a land area of 92,345 sq km. As the sunniest spot in Europe, with a long coastline and abundant wind, the country intends to take advantage of what nature has given it, and establish itself as a global clean-tech leader.

Strategy: Portugal expects to generate 31 per cent of all its energy from clean sources by 2020. The country already exceeds its 2010 renewable energy targets. Portugal’s renewable energy plans include the world’s largest wind, wave and solar energy facilities.

The world’s first commercial wave farm became operational in 2008. This facility will provide only a modest amount of electricity to the grid, but, Portugal has set an ambitious generation target of 550MW by 2020. Backed by significant government incentives, the wave energy sector in Portugal is poised to take off.

World’s largest solar power farm in Portugal? The solar sector also benefits from similar support. The world’s largest photovoltaic solar power farm is currently being built in eastern Portugal. The facility, capable of generating enough power for 30 000 homes, represents a play by the country to become a global leader in solar technology.

Photo : Solar power plant (Serpa, Portugal)

The article includes:

-measures taken to stimulate the uptake of renewable energy sources

-Transport Sector targets and measures

-Residential and Services sectors targets and measures

-Industry targets and measures

-Public sector targets and measures:

-Information and communication measures:

-Fiscal measures.

-Financial measures and incentives:

As part of the Action Plan, in September 2008 the Portuguese government began distributing 5 free high-efficiency light bulbs to each of the poorest 13 per cent of households in the country. Link to full article with other links

PUPILS of St John’s Primary School have unveiled a lasting tribute to a fellow pupil who died in a tragic shooting accident while on holiday last year. João Calaça-Sousa (8) died from massive blood loss last November after accidentally shooting himself while playing at his aunt’s house in Venezuela. JERSEY PRESS

Many thanks to Elaine for these two links :

Portugal shows the way on high seas protected areas.  Madeira – WWF today praised Portuguese authorities for announcing the establishment of four marine protected areas on the extended continental shelves of the Azores as well as mainland Portugal. ARTICLE HERE         AND MORE DETAILS

Storming weekend for MML Sports cars. This weekend saw a pair of excellent results for drivers at the wheel of MML Sports Mitsubishi rally cars. António Nunes narrowly missed out on the Group N class victory on Rally Porto Santo Line, the first round of the Madeira Rally Championship while David Westenbrink claimed fifth in his first outing in the Lancer WRCar on the Tank-S rally, round two of the Dutch series. HERE

Shalk, who lives in South Africa, dropped me a line to say : "A lesson in how to get around in Madeira! You have to go up to go down and you have to go down to go up! You have to go right to go left; you have to go left to go right. You have to go around to go straight and you have to go straight to go around. You have to drive right to be right, but if you drive left you wrong. You have to forward to go backwards and you have to go backwards to go forward". Thanks Shalk, I think I will take the weekend to digest that one. Der.

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

DIÁRIO 26/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

5.4% increase in crime. Nationally, there was 1.2% less crime in 2009 than 2008 but in Madeira, it increased by 5.4%. There are 30 – 40 reported crimes per 1,000 inhabitants. The ratio of violent and serious crimes was 1 – 2 per 1,000 inhabitants, or 294. This put Madeira in the top ten of the eighteen administrative districts, the most violent area being Lisbon with a ratio of 4 crimes per 1,000 residents. In the category of crimes against the person, which includes bodily harm, threat or coercion, Madeira was above the national average with an increase of 34.43% compared to 23.32% nationally. Crimes against life in society, including driving under the influence of alcohol, forgery and passing counterfeit currency, 16.41% increase versus a national average of 12.54%. Changes in the prevalence of some other crimes were below the national average. Domestic violence increased by 8.4% compared to 10% on the mainland.

"We are forgotten for hours." On the National Day of the User of the Health Service, Diário questioned the quality of the service. Patients complained of delays and lack of vacancies for consultations. There is a shortage of family doctors in Madeira and sometimes patients go at 7 am to get an appointment. There were no complaints about health care professionals, who were said to be attentive and sympathetic. The Regional Council of the Medical Association received only six complaints that merited an investigation in 2009, showing that the health care services have improved significantly. Doctors and nurses said patients rights do not leave the drawing board. For example, people have the right to a family doctor and nurse but many do not. After receiving treatment in hospital, there is not always continuity in care. There is a right to privacy but the wards are too overcrowded for this to happen. The President of the Order of Nurses said that people do not look after their own health enough and the emphasis is on treatment rather than health promotion. Nurses are on strike on March 31st over a proposed salary scale.

Petrol station on Porto Santo closes at Easter. The main petrol station on Porto Santo will close when the contract with Galp ends on April 1st. There is no attempt by either parties to renew the contract with complaints on both sides, as previously reported. If the petrol station closes on Wednesday, the only one left is a small one that shuts on holidays and Sundays. Porto Santo Council want a petrol station installed immediately in the Industrial Park. The other option is the possibility of having a filling station on land where a camp site is planned.

MADEIRA

Census of the Galinhola attracts 52 volunteers. Next week, there will be the first regional census of this bird, the Woodcock. 35 volunteers are coming from different parts of the country, Spain, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands to help. This is a partnership between SPEA and the Natural Park of Madeira to assess the impact of power lines on vulnerable birds and to identify key locations. This species, Scolopax rusticola, has a ‘vulnerable’ status and is one of the least known birds on the island. The population count will take place between 28 March and 2 April during one hour before sunset and one hour after, at 100 observation posts.

Jaquine said : The Galinhola bird pictured translates as our fairly common woodcock (or snipe).  I think it’s a young woodcock as the markings look right.  It’s still common in the British Isles, in fact  they’re still regarded as fair game in a shoot, although they move very fast & don’t get caught often.

Nine million Euros for repairing irrigation channels. The Regional Government has embarked on an emergency plan to repair agricultural irrigation channels damaged on February 20th. Eight contracts have been signed at a cost of nine million Euros to minimize the effects on agriculture and regional economy. The funding will come from the EU and the Regional Budget. 100 channels with a total length of over 600 kilometres need repairing, which should take 250 workers 90 days.

250 lorry loads removed from the pond.  Progress report on the clean up of the lagoa do Lugar de Baixo. This is the only tidal lagoon in the region, rich in biodiversity and of great ornithological interest. Over the past fortnight, inert materials and sludge deposited by the storm have been cleared out and the project is ongoing. The Regional Directorate of the Environment and the ponta-solense council are funding the operation and hope to improve the area, making it more visibly attractive than previously. Care is taken not to disturb two reed beds where migratory birds are nesting. After the heavy dredging, which should finish next week, Sanas boats will be used for more delicate cleaning.

Police are promoting destination Madeira. The Public Security Police (PSP) today are ‘selling’ Madeira as a "safe and enjoyable" tourist destination. The action is intended to strengthen the trust and confidence of the foreign and local communities, especially in tourist areas. This is in relation to events of 20.02.2010. The operation between 09.00 and 21.00 in the main hotel district and tourist areas in Funchal, is in cooperation with Regional Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Madeiran Executive, Funchal Council and the Folklore Group of Boa Nova. Leaflets will be distributed in English: ‘PSP: Portugal, Safer Place – Madeira Islands: Welcome to the Atlantic’s safest paradise’. A study in 2007 showed that 99% of tourists classified Madeira as a safe and tranquil destination and the police want to build on this. Crimes related to tourists are "isolated", mostly petty theft.

ECONOMY

Ryanair based in the Algarve rather than Madeira. Due to the inertia of the Madeiran authorities, Ryanair will not be flying to Madeira. Ryanair had wanted incentives available through the Fund for New Routes to bear the cost of certification of its pilots. The regional authorities considered this proposal unacceptable because this incentive has not been granted to any other company. Ryanair has made an agreement with ANA-Airports of Portugal (1.2 million Euros), Turismo de Portugal (1.2 million Euros) and Algarve hoteliers (600,000 Euros). This announcement stunned Bernardo Trindade, the Secretary of State for Tourism, who did not even know about this proposal and wants to know what is going on. Ryanair will fly to Faro this summer which will boost tourism and the economy, denied to Madeira, as the low-cost carrier offers competitive rates.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

REGIONAL

Cocktail competition on March 31st. The Madeira Bartenders Association will hold this event at the Porto Mare Hotel from 14.00 – 18.00. The winners will represent Madeira at the national competition in May which will be held in Madeira. 30 bartenders will demonstrate their creations and the art of making cocktails.

Nuno Teixeira wants compensation for banana producers. He wants support for banana producers in Madeira and the Canary Islands. The EU and Latin America have reached an agreement to reduce the import tariff. This will adversely affect Madeira and the Canary Islands due to the physical characteristics of the islands and the small sizes of plantations. There are 2,800 producers in the region and this agricultural sector covers 600 hectares. 14,000 tonnes of fruit were produced last year.

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

Old bridges should remain [stay as footbridges] – Cidrão and D. Manuel : The council tries to avoid demolition, despite of the damage. Other already came down. Quite agree, keep them than as footbridges rather than demolish or reopen to traffic. I wish that was what we had done in Ribeira Brava, with one side of our now totally demolished 100+ year old bridge, being perfectly OK for pedestrians. But the council knocked it down, and what we now have is a shiny brand new metal footbridge in its place.

Today’s main news headline : Support  contradicts criticisms of businesses – Since February 20, 136.7 million Euros were allocated to companies affected by the storm. The numbers diminish the complaints from business associations. Around 800 traders have already been included.

Clocks go forward tonight.

Theatre commemorates its day without guarantees – The theatrical activity will only survive if the participants were to have other jobs. One actor, for example, is a policeman.

The main sport / football headline today : Carvalhal came bringing European hope – Marítimo beat Sporting by 3 – 2 and returned to a league ranking close to the access to the Europa League.

Today is the day of Benfica – Sporting Braga. Paiva (ex-Benfica) and Fernando Luís (ex-Braga) give the motto for the game for the title.

Passos Coelho is the new leader of the national Social Democrat Party – Paulo Rangel wins comfortably on Madeira, but stays in second place. I watched this last night as the results came in, and this has now created quite an interesting situation. Sweet Manuela Ferreira Leite has now gone, and bless her for trying, but she was just no match for the smoothie statesman José Sócrates. Pedro Passos Coelho managed to get 61% of the vote nationally, with Rangel taking just 34%, and forget the other two candidates. But in polls released just a couple of days ago, Rangel had a decent lead over Coelho when punters were asked the question "who would be the best party leader?". In responding to the question "who would make the best prime minister?" however, the punters went for Coelho. That analysis fits perfectly with my own assessment, and I have no personal knowledge about these two men or  their abilities, except to say one is probably a stout and whippet man,  and the other a G&T and ex second hand car salesman type. So last night’s results tell us that the PSD membership at large has opted for ‘prime ministerial potential’ over party leadership and stability, no surprise really, with the current Socialist Government just itching to be toppled.

Anyway, what does that mean for Madeira? The fact that President Jardim had told his followers on Madeira that they could vote as they liked, maybe indicated that perhaps he already knew that he was backing a loser … but they voted for Rangel anyway. The fact that Uncle Bertie said he didn’t care who won as the party would still amble in ‘mindless disarray’, confirms that he knew that he was on for a hiding. As I have said before, Jardim hates Passos Coelho with a vengeance, and had made no secret of the fact up until a week or so again when the two men tried just slightly to publically paper over the cracks. Coelho probably won’t want to go near Jardim, and Jardim wouldn’t stoop to Coelho even in the name of party unity, and it just remains to be seen if he takes a softly softly approach (which would probably last just a few weeks)  or adopts immediately the open-air sniper strategy. There is one other possibility not to be ruled out, that Jardim may try and establish a breakaway party, but I believe this was tried once before and failed. I shall be watching with interest …

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. 

Many thanks to Jaquine for this article from yesterday’s Diário :

Pestana Hotels Turn Out the Lights. All the hotels of the Pestana Group situated in the archipelago of Madeira will be in candle-light in their exterior areas and some communal rooms tomorrow (i.e. Saturday 27th), between 20.30 and 21.30.  The reason is the enrolment of the hotel group in the Hour of the Planet, a major worldwide initiative in the fight against climate change by WWF, the global conservation organisation. ‘It is increasingly important that firms, governments and citizens fight against climate change in
defence of the planet.  Through joining this initiative, the Pestana Group intends not just to contribute to the preservation of the planet but to take part in the greater voluntary platform of citizens against climate change’ says a note distributed yesterday by the biggest national hotel group.

The Hour of the Planet started in 2007, in the Australian city of Sidney, where two million people turned out their lights.  In 2008, more than 50 million people in the whole World participated in the Hour of the Planet.  Portugal joined this movement in 2009, and for the second consecutive year the results have been beyond expectations, with the strong support of various cities and towns of the country. ‘The Pestana Group cannot stop helping this campaign in which it aims to stand out and make a difference and start a real change in behaviour’ added the communication.

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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.

(more…)

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … Fish Market Funchal

Many thanks to Elaine (East) for this web snippet :

The next few decades? 10 Species We’ve Lost Forever in Past Few Decades. 4. Madeiran Large White (2007) HERE

Many thanks to Becky for this video and two web snippets :

If my life took an eventful turn and I found myself requesting my last meal, it would probably be Filete de Espada com banana.  Here’s a recipe to try next time I’m in Funchal … or maybe I’ll just save the mess in the kitchen and head to a restaurant instead …

"There is a large brewery on the island, Coral, that makes some very acceptable beer. They brew a golden lager and a tonic (a sort of porter or stout) plus some light and low alcohol beers as well. The taste of both their lager and tonic are infinitely much more pleasing that mainland beers like Sagres and the insipid Super Bock – which is neither super or bock." BEERBLOG – WHAT A GREAT IDEA!

"It (therefore) continues to be the perfect place for a rejuvenating getaway right now, with wonderful hotels offering breathtaking views and special pampering services. Here are a few of the best." HERE

Paul very kindly sent these two articles in :

No singing and dancing orchids! Are you a flower lover? Have you explored the magical world of orchids in Madeira?

Jardim Orquídea. “Pregetter`s Orchid Garden is dedicated to all those who love nature and plants, so don’t expect to find just another garden. Neither will you find “tourist attractions” such as singing and dancing orchids. On the contrary, we devote our efforts to presenting everything in surroundings which are as natural as possible.

Jardim Orquídea is a genuine exhibition. We have built a miniature forest where you will have the opportunity to admire a wide variety of orchids, both in their original form and hybrids, as well as other tropical plants.

We have also built up a symbiosis of plants, birds and fish in the tropical biotope. The Garden’s small coffee shop on the terrace has breathtaking views over Funchal and serves Austrian and Madeira specialities.

The firm was founded in Austria during the time of the Imperial monarchy and since then four generations of the family have been dedicated to the research and development of new species of a wide variety of plants.

The Garden claims that visitors will find plants from every continent and be able to see blossoming plants throughout the year. And add that anyone who tells you that there are no plants in bloom at this time of year or that the Garden is closed to the public, is simply not familiar with Jardim Orquídea.

Great SLIDESHOW of the ‘Jardim Orquídea’ Rua Pita da Silva 37, Funchal, next to the Jardim Botanico. Jardim Orquidea website homepage

Madeira Top 10 for family activity holidays! Madeira is in the Top 10 pick of ‘the Guardian’ Newspaper’s for new family activity holidays in Europe whether it’s cooking, caving, dolphin-watching or riding donkeys!

Nicola Iseard writes there are plenty of opportunities for family adventure holidays in Europe and “wildlife lovers may be interested in travelling to Madeira in Portugal for a spot of dolphin and whale-watching. "You’ll also get a chance to spot some of Madeira’s sea birds"

Stunning walking routes

Photo from official tourism website

Visitors to the region can take advantage of the mountainous terrain by following stunning walking routes at Pousada Dos Vinhaticos, Quinta do Monte or Quinta do Estreito.

Link to The UK Guardian article

Also from Paul …

Optimism on Portugal’s austerity budget: “the Socialist government has cut a huge budget deficit before, when it soared beyond the EU limit in 2005”

“Trade union leaders in Portugal have called for a nationwide protest in May, following what they say was a successful strike on Thursday by public sector workers over pay cuts.

But politicians have vowed to rein in spending lest the country default on its debt, says the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Lisbon”.

Photo : Prime Minister Jose Socrates has some unpleasant medicine to administer : Link to BBC Article 

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

DIÁRIO 10/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

ON Fusion Art by Porto Bay, 16 – 18 July. The third edition in the Old Zone of Funchal arrives earlier this year, normally held in September. The exhibitions bring together painting, photography, craft shows, multimedia design, fashion, dance, street theatre and other forms of expression. Events are held at: Largo do Corpo Santo, Rua de Santa Maria, Jardim do Almirante Reis and the Hotel Porto Santa Maria. The Porto Bay Group’s "duty" is to boost private enterprise in Funchal and accept its share of social and cultural responsibility. ON in the name is from the fusion of Old and New and means to activate, connect and energize. The revival and revitalization of the historic area is in mind during the three days of intense activities, including live performances. ON is a biennial event and the works of art are auctioned at a formal dinner for not-for-profit institutions. The first two events in 2006 and 2008 raised a total of 65,000 Euros for social services institutions, particularly the Associação de Paralisia Cerebral da Madeira (Association for Cerebral Palsy) and the Centro de Acolhimento de São Tiago (Shelter). Money raised this year is for the Associação dos Amigos da Arte Inclusiva – Dançando com a Diferença (Association of the Friends of Inclusive Arts – Dancing with a Difference) and the Associação de Desenvolvimento Comunitário do Funchal (Community Development Association).

Marina do Lugar de Baixo will get new protection. Technicians and government officials consider the best solution for the stones and other inert materials removed from the stream between Serra de Água and Ribeira Brava, and the stream at Tabua, is to use them to protect the marina. A Dutch study had suggested a stone breakwater with a width of 30/50 metres, 400 metres long and parallel to the quays, to protect the marina. The solution did not progress any further as it required 450,000 cubic metres of stone, at a cost of 40 million Euros. This is more than the investment made for the construction of the marina. The authorities at an emergency meeting were not all in agreement, although it resolves several problems in one foul swoop. The fact that it creates hundreds of jobs is enough to persuade the initially resistant mayor. Santos Costa ensures this solution is of no additional cost to the construction firm ‘Ponta Oeste’, and the Region will not have to take out a 40 million Euros bank loan. It is still not known if the stones should be deposited directly into the sea or stored on land for later use. Builders would prefer the stones to be used in construction work in the future. Technicians responsible for the study are trying to persuade the Regional Government that it would be quicker and cheaper to deposit directly into the sea. If the protection of the marina is guaranteed, the hotel and accommodation project of the Pestana Group will be one step closer. The amount of stones and inerts removed from the streams of Ribeira Brava and Tabua exceeds the amount removed from all three streams in Funchal. There is an estimated 400,000 cubic metres or 26,000 lorry loads.

MADEIRA

Region submitting 16 applications for the Blue Flag. The Blue Flag status indicates that the beach meets a set of criteria for the natural environment and the safety and comfort of users. Last year, a record of 20 beaches were entered for the Blue Flag. In Funchal Municipality, Praias Nova and Areeiro (near to Praia Formosa) will not be entered this year because of the work at the promenade. The application for the Complexo Balnear do Lido has been withdrawn after recent storm damage. The beach at São Roque in Machico had the Blue Flag status suspended last year and an application was not submitted this year. None of the beaches in the Municipality of Ponta do Sol have been entered as the results of tests on the bathing water quality, leading to the withdrawal of the award in 2008. Also in 2008, the beach at Calheta had poor quality water and for the same reason, an application cannot be submitted this year. Of the 16 candidates submitted this year, 15 hoisted the Blue Flag last year. This year is the first time the Praia da Calheta in Porto Santo has been an applicant, bringing the number of possible flags on Porto Santo to three; the other two beaches at Fontinha and Ribeiro Salgado. In Madeira, the applicants are: Funchal – balneares da Barreirinha, Ponta Gorda/Poças do Governador, Doca do Cavacas/Poças do Gomes, Clube Naval do Funchal and Praia Formosa; Santa Cruz – Palmeiras, Roca Mar, Galo Mar and Garajau; São Vicente – praia da Ponta Delgada, and local beaches at Porto Moniz and Ribeira Brava. The authorities hope the beach and complex at Ribeira Brava will be fit with everything working by the start of the season (June 1). The National Blue Flag Commission starts to assess candidates from Friday 12th March and the results will be announced in May. — Have I lost a beach, as I count only 15 here? Even worse Elaine, in a press announcement by the president of Ribeira Brava, says that with so much muck and so little time it is very unlikely that an application will be made, although he says that he thinks the water quality will be good enough regardless. Better not to apply than be refused.Oh bugger I just read the next article! Der

Candidature of Ribeira Brava might be suspended. Following on from the last item, the Mayor of Ribeira Brava thinks the application for the beach at Ribeira Brava to gain Blue Flag status should be withdrawn. The council has not discussed the suspension. He thinks this precaution is needed as there is a lot of work to be done, particularly in Tabua and Serra de Água. During the flooding on February 20th, the entire sea front and the basin inside the breakwater were completely littered with debris. The area surrounding the beach is still strewn with waste despite the removal of a large amount of material. Some of the mud removed during the clean-up was discharged directly into the sea near the beach front and into the river, whose flow has taken it to the shore. The mayor, Ismael Fernandes, believes the quality of sea water will be good during the summer season even if the Blue Flag is not raised.

Marginal serves as a dump for rubble. The coastal road between Ribeira Brava and Tabua is used for storing the debris removed after the flood of February 20th. Since last week, lorry loads of inerts mixed with rubbish, washed ashore during the flooding, have been deposited in the section beneath the parish cemetery. The Chairman of the Council assures that the situation is temporary, allowing a quick recovery back to normal life and an attractive county. The mayor is convinced there is no risk to Public Health as the area is safe and away from the populated area.

Landslide in marginal. Part of the coastal road connecting Ribeira Brava and Tabua has been impassable since May 2007, after a landslide. The Regional Laboratory of Civil Engineering predicted the area was in imminent danger of further landslides. The road remained closed and the mayor declared there were safer alternatives, particularly through the tunnel. During the recent storm, a large amount of earth and stones falling onto the road have ruled out the reopening of this section.

Lagoa do Lugar de Baixo should be fully restored within a month. This pond is a vital nesting site for sea birds in spring. The Regional Director of the Environment says the storm of 20th February destroyed this breeding ground, as the pond is now a "deposit" of gravel and debris. The clean up will start immediately but some problems will need to be solved, as there are many  tons of debris. The material will be screened for either usability or transport to secure sites. Just a large duck pond is it not? Der

5,000 pounds in solidarity from London.  A solidarity dinner on Sunday night at Brixton Recreation Centre raised 5,000 pounds for Madeira. The event was attended by both Madeirans and British. 500 tickets at 10 pounds a head were sold within two weeks. The Ambassador of Portugal in London and his wife attended and he provided information on the situation of people in Madeira. Lambeth Life newspaper published a report of the storm with details of a solidarity bank account. The dinner was accompanied by two folk groups and a variety act.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

REGIONAL

Funchal has relocated 168 people. Seven council teams are surveying 804 homes hit by the bad weather. 168 people belonging to 45 families have been rehoused. 254 of these 804 cases emerged after March 1st. This is related to the fact that some people were staying with family and friends, and there have been problems identified by other organizations that have now been relayed to the council. The teams will distinguish the situations which require an urgent solution and detect any opportunism. Some residents are resistant to returning as they are still traumatized and fearful of further landslides.

Dolce Vita reopens Friday. The Dolce Vita mall reopens this Friday, 12th March. It is a partial reopening and at present, there are no more details. It won’t include Pingo Doce for sure. Der

Health Centre of Gaula completed this year.  The parliamentary group of the PSD visited the expansion and improvement of the Health Centre of Gaula, in the municipality of Santa Cruz. This is an investment of 600,000 Euros. There are 4,000 inhabitants in Gaula, of which 3,700 are voters. There has been a considerable increase in the local population in recent years, requiring a more than doubling of the existing facilities. Currently, the health service is working temporarily in former offices of the parish council.

ECONOMY

The Port of Funchal receives more passengers. The Port of Funchal received 6.5% more passengers this January and February than in 2009. There were 41 calls with 81,709 passengers, of which 79,078 were in transit – the rest were embarking / disembarking. This was the same number of cruise ships as last year but they have more capacity. This is despite cancellations in February due to the floods. — From March 8th Diário, my translation of their article on port movements did not make sense – not unusual with their difficult statistics. I understood they stated a 3.1% decrease in cruise ship passengers since 2009. Don’t worry Elaine, there were two conflicting articles just yesterday, and I only scanned the newspaper. Der

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

The national Socialist Party rediscover the charms of Madeira – Jorge Lacão and Francisco Assis are the socialists that come next. They come to the daily parliamentary work. Wow … gripping headline stuff to  get started with! Couldn’t possibly be a jolly I suppose?

Solidarity shows (concert) continue – UHF play today in Coimbra in an event for Madeira. Can’t say I have heard of them, but they look like a bunch of rockers from the photo. Thanks lads!

Today’s main news headline : University has means to forecast the weather – Researcher at the University of Madeira defends the cross-over [overlap?] of the various meteorological forecasts and the coordination between several entities as a way of predicting catastrophes.

Landslides generate outrage and fear in Jardim do Mar.

Tunnel between Meia Légua and Serra de Água cannot proceed sooner because it is "expensive".

Road cleaning finishes off the agricultural exploration [farm?] in Arco de São Jorge. 

Accounts of the Câmara without comment from the TC [Auditors]. The 2008 accounts of Funchal Council passed the ‘court of auditors’ scrutiny without a single criticism. Not a single irregularity, financial or in process. A rare event indeed apparently, sufficient to make the front page of Madeira’s top independent newspaper. I should be patting Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Câmara, on the back, with my hearty congratulations, but too many other unexplainable thoughts are swimming around my head preventing my hands coming out of my pockets.

TAP pilots strike doesn’t hit Madeira – Operation to and from Madeira keeps going during the six days of labour withdrawal. The announcement was made by the pilots union SPAC, saying that Madeira would be excluded from the industrial action scheduled between 26th and 31st of March.   Shrewd move there Srs. TAP pilots, ‘cos solidarity for Madeira is currently running much much stronger than solidarity for TAPs undernourished pilots.

The main sports / football headline today : Real Madrid is out of the Champions league – Cristiano Ronaldo scored but doesn’t avoid the elimination against Lyon.

20 clubs contest the billiards [pool] association.

Bernardo Sousa comes to the rally on Porto Santo.

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.

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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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(10th August). ‘Ex-Leader Predicts Bad Results For PS-M’. Duarte Caldeira expects the worst outcome for the socialist party. A founder and former parliamentary member of the PS-M, he spares no criticism of the party leadership. He fears that the elections scheduled for the months of September and October are going to stay as bad memories for Madeirans, as the worst result ever in the history of the party. "The PS is in a sorry state " he said. At a parliamentary level, he singles out just two politicians of any value, the rest of the group he says consists of "a bunch of incompetents". Nothing like sticking the knife in when the party is almost already dead. Uncle Bertie and the cronies must be laughing their socks off.

‘Quotas: Inequality Or Justice? – After the elections, the country will see if the parity was a sham or the beginning of a new era’. Whether you agree or not with the mandatory requirement that a third of electoral lists are women, the law of parity has at least achieved one purpose : preventing the masculine status quo continuing to clash with the entry of women in politics. Invited to ‘give a face to a party’, the women mastered the opportunity to prove their abilities. So say some of the candidates heard by the Diário. No one says it openly, but there are those that suspect that once the elections are over, that one will come to see the ‘distancing’ of the ‘imposed candidates’ in the favour of male candidates more desirable for the party structures. There is nothing in law, once the elections are over, that forces the top politicians to show equality in the allocation of portfolios and the top jobs in politics. The election rules themselves require that there cannot be more than two consecutive male candidates on the lists. In a country where female participation in political office is very low, and gender discrimination of women continues at many levels, the past few months have brought ‘to light’ complaints within political parties on the difficulty of finding enough women. Never before has it been seen in Portugal, so much interest in the inclusion of  ‘ladies’ on the electoral lists, and at the time of submitting the official lists, some parties are keen to shout publicly about their pride in fulfilling the law of parity. A female candidate in Santa Cruz said "The law is good in a society that still discriminates, because in some cases it could guarantee women an opportunity to prove their capabilities".  In contrast, the number three candidate for the PSD in Machico (also a woman) disagrees with the imposition of seats for women on electoral lists, but admits that it is an effective way to ‘open the political doors’ to the female sex. It’s a really interesting long article on the subject, which left me a little surprised that women in politics didn’t especially support the law of parity, and a controversial comment was made was that women candidates would be more attractive on the posters and political propaganda, and that might make a party more attractive to a voter. Well I will be voting in the local elections, and although I am open minded at present (particularly as my vote will be a waste of time anyway), I will be looking out for the parties that have women placed at exactly number 3, 6, 9 etc. on their lists, and not casting my votes in those directions.

‘JPP want everything in Santa Cruz’. Rework the policies, support investment and reset priorities. These are some objectives that a Group of Citizens ‘Juntos pelo Povo’ (Together for the People) delineate for Caniço. Carlos Costa is the political representative of the JPP, and stresses that the movement is banking on "getting everything" in Santa Cruz. "Our intent is to win all the parish elections together with the municipal council (câmara) and the municipal assembly", he said yesterday. The candidates led by Filipe Sousa were outside of the church in Caniço to present some of the proposals of the movement, when it challenged the delay in implementation of some urbanization plans in the area. I wish you all luck, I really do, but the snag of course is if successful on the scale outlined, where will you turn for money and government support … the social democrats in regional government of course. That means Santa Cruz will probably be number 11 on a priority list of 11 regions, and the reality is you will have less and achieve less than with the status quo. I love to see democracy at work … thanks Uncle Bertie.

In another sort of related article : ‘Independents In Santa Cruz ‘Seen’ As Socialists – Two years after leaving the PS, they continue as socialists on the câmara website’. Filipe Sousa (mentioned above, and now in the JPP) abandoned the PS-M socialists two years ago, along with two other PS councillors, but the câmara (mostly PSD) left them as socialists on the official website, with photographs and all. Those concerned were appalled by the situation but nothing changed. The Diário contacted the President of Santa Cruz last week on the subject, but he refused to make a statement on the matter. However, the inside whisper was that "there were more important things to be done". Miraculously the website has now just been changed.

"In The Truth The People Don’t Know" – Fransisco Dias Challenges Jardim to clarify the future of the marina of Lugar do Baixo’. The socialist candidate to the council of Ponta do Sol takes up the theme, challenging Jardim to "clarify exactly" the future of that undertaking. "When Dr. Alberto João Jardim came to Ponta do Sol last week he said that the people knew what was going on in the marina of Lugar do Baixo, but in the truth the people don’t know, but they want the matter clarified". He recalls that when the matter was raised by his party PS-M in the legislative assembly about why there were discussions going on in private, without a public tender, the question was ‘flunked’ by the socialist democrats.