Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tom … "strange light on the sea during sun rise".

Many thanks to Becky for these web snippets :

"Madeira has a long and venerable tradition of cocktail-making, based partly in the island’s colonial past and partly in local drinking habits. The colonial side is best exemplified at Reid’s Palace Hotel, the most famous and exclusive on the island, where they serve Martinis, Manhattans and all the other classics. The demotic side is exemplified by the cheap, explosively fiery rum (here called aguardente) which forms the alcoholic basis of poncha." BOOZY WEEKEND?

Lizards eating sugar, bananas and fingers.  Do not watch if you’re at all lizard-phobic!

Vanessa Swesnik very kindly sent in this complete article translation ORIGINAL HERE

União Comercial opens facilities. União Comercial, the company that markets automobiles for the Japanese brand, Toyota, in Madeira spent over two million Euros to construct a building from scratch in São Martinho parish, which will hold all of its administrative and commercial services.

The grand opening will be next Friday, on the 19^th of this month. The new building has a total area of 2,400 square meters and meets the need to offer even better service and attention to the client, said Francisco Tavares, manager of the company, to the DIÁRIO.

Toyota automobile sales will now be centralized at 40 Caminho do Poço Barral; garage and post-sales assistance will still be provided in Cancela at the Mendes, Gomes, Lda. facility, an affiliate and Volvo dealer in the Autonomous Region.

Toyota automobiles have enjoyed immense popularity with the people of Madeira for many years. For the past three years, the brand was among Top 3 sales for Madeira. Last year, the brand sold 360 new vehicles on the archipelago and was in first place until the month of November. Christmas sales dropped them to third place. Either way, it is evidence of the prestige and level of satisfaction the brand has earned among Madeirans, acknowledges Francisco Tavares.

With another exterior stand on the roundabout that divides traffic between Pica dos Barcelos and MadeiraShopping, União Comerical now has a team of 20 employers. With the Mendes, Gomes, Lda. workers, the group has close to 90 employees.

An extra article from Elaine, repeated from yesterday, as I didn’t post it until after 7 pm :

Emanuel Salvador plays with the CMO and Ferreira Lobo
Directed by maestro Ferreira Lobo, violinist Emanuel Salvador will play on Saturday. The young Portuguese violinist Emanuel Salvador will play on Saturday February 20 at 21.00 with the Madeira Classical Orchestra, a concert led by José Ferreira Lobo, conductor of the Orquestra do Norte and artistic director of Festival Opera Portimão. Born in 1981, Emanuel Salvador is concertmaster of the Orquestra do Norte.

The program consists of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major Opus 61, by Beethoven, Symphony No. 8 in B minor, the ‘Unfinished’, by Schubert, and the Hungarian Dances nos. 1, 3 and 5 by Brahms. Tickets are available Monday to Friday between 13.00 and 17.00 hours in the Tourist Office, Avenida Arriaga, and at the venue (the Congress Centre of Madeira Casino) between 19.00 and 21.00 hours.

Emanuel Salvador has performed in prestigious concert halls in England (St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Southwark Cathedral) in Kazakhstan (Philharmonic Hall), Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal (Centro Cultural de Belém, Gulbenkian Museum) Germany (Palatin, Wiesloch), Spain (Centre for Performing Arts, Salamanca), Italy and Malta (Manoel Theatre). He has won prizes at national and international competition level: 1st prize in the contest ‘Isolde Menges’ (RCM) and Beckenham Festival, Barbirolli Memorial and Wolfson Foundation Award, 2nd prize at the Young Musicians, Honorable Mention at the Julio Cardona International Competition, among others. He won a scholarship to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation from 2000 to 2003, and in 2008 and 2009 to the Instituto Camões. He graduated Bachelor of Music in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and gained a Master’s Degree in Musical Performance from the Royal College of Music.

Many thanks to Elaine once again for a couple of web snippets and yesterday’s top news stories :

Portugal outperforms Eurozone Portugal is slowly forcing the spotlight off its national economy by this week, once again showing the state of its finances to be far better than the image being portrayed by some analysts beyond its borders. Support for Lisbon’s view that its economy is firmly set on the path to full recovery has been backed up by figures released by Eurostat, the European Union’s official research agency, indicating Portugal outperformed its Eurozone partners during the final quarter of last year …

Madeira suits me to tee. AN EARLY alarm call signals the start of our first day on the island of eternal spring. It’s pitch black outside as we take a bleary-eyed breakfast in the ornate dining room at the Quinta Serra Golfe, our hotel set in woodland on the edge of the pretty village of Santo da Serra. However, by the time we reach the Santo da Serra Golf Club, less than a mile away, the sky is brightening rapidly. The ocean spreads out below us and the mist drifting down from the mountains disperses as the sun bathes Madeira’s premier course …

DIÁRIO 19/02/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Santa Cruz and Ponta do Sol ask for help with coastal protection. The Council of Santa Cruz asked the Regional Secretariat for Social Equipment to place concrete breakwaters, ‘pés de galinha’, in the sea in front of the swimming pools of Praia das Palmeiras, to protect the area from the strong waves that often occur. Every year, the council has to repair the damage to the pools and they want to be ready for when the weather improves and people use the beach. The council has asked informally for help and soon will send a formal letter. The actual impact of the flooding is not yet known as they are waiting for the weather to improve before they attempt any repairs. There has been no major damage but the engine room for the pools has been flooded and railings destroyed. Unlike the beach at Calheta, the beach at Machico has not lost sand or had many stones dragged onto it. It lies sheltered in a cove and the main impact of the bad weather has been debris from a stream that flows alongside the beach. The pool at Porto da Cruz has suffered major damage that occurs every year. Without the capacity or authority to take action to protect the sea front, the Mayor of Ponta do Sol has promised to raise awareness with the authorities responsible for the public maritime domain. The beach at Ponta do Sol was damaged last December and there was some erosion and damage to properties at Lugar de Baixo. The mayor had previously wanted the seawall relocated further away from the beach at Ponta do Sol.

MADEIRA

Earth is the theme for the Flower Festival. This year, the Flower Festival will take place between the 15th and 18th April. There will be the usual initiatives: flower carpet; Flower Exhibition; folk groups performing in the streets and classical music concerts. The Wall of Hope ceremony in the Town Square in Funchal, involving thousands of children, will take place on the morning of April 17th. The Flower Parade will be held on the afternoon of Sunday April 18th.

ECONOMY

Living in Madeira is more expensive. Madeirans are paying more for services and products. This is the conclusion that can be drawn from the fact that in January, the Index of Consumer Prices was higher than the previous month by 0.2 percentage points. The Index measures changes in prices of a basket of goods and services considered representative of consumption by the population in that area. The only class of items that decreased in average price was Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages. The largest increases were recorded for Clothing and Footwear, followed by Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, then Transport. Although it is difficult to directly compare regions, the most expensive area to live in last year was the Azores, then the Algarve and thirdly, Madeira. At a national level, the Index of Consumer Prices fell 0.3% compared to last December. The cost of living will be influenced by the 3.6% increase in labour costs in the last quarter of last year. The index of labour costs reflects the average cost of labour for each hour actually worked, including pay and costs to the employer. The highest increases in labour costs were for farmers and qualified workers in agriculture and fishing, then officials and senior company staff followed by professional and scientific specialists.

Stocklet offers low prices in Dolce Vita in Funchal. The Dolce Vita commercial mall in Funchal is going to host from 19 – 28 February, Stocklet, an activity that offers shoppers the opportunity to make purchases at lower prices and benefit from special promotions. The campaign involves stores from all sectors, including clothing, telecommunications, bookshops, food, utilities and accessories, among others. Stocklet is an initiative of Dolce Vita which aims to sell the end of season stock at reduced prices as well as have exclusive promotions for customers.

POLITICS

Nunes wants to protect the vale dos Salgados. A deputy of CDU-Madeira, Leonel Nunes, argued in Camacha for the designation ‘protected landscape’ for the Núcleo Habitacional dos Salgados. In this parish, the community is concerned about the ‘appetite’ for housing and think this status will prevent environmental destruction in one of the most beautiful valleys of Madeira. The Núcleo Habitacional (core housing / traditional housing) has been ‘abandoned’ and he asks for the support of the Council of Santa Cruz in the allocation of the status of protected landscape.

Accounts of CMF in Belém. Miguel Albuquerque, the Mayor of Funchal, is back in Lisbon to try to keep, as stipulated in the 2010 State Budget, the transfer of 5% of IRS to the councils in Madeira. He is only negotiating for 2010 although in 2009, Funchal Council lost 5 million Euros, a case that is to be heard in the Administrative Court. In 2010, the amount that should be transferred from Portugal to Funchal is 500,000 Euros per month. He will meet parliamentary groups and Cavaco Silva (President of Portugal) next week. After last February, the funds were continued to be transferred to the councils on the Continent but not to those in Madeira and the Azores, despite negotiations.

CULTURE

Folklore and Ethnography Group of Boa Nova to go to Canada. A trip to Canada, from the 4 – 19 August, for the VII European Week of Folklore. There will also be Russian, Italian and possibly Spanish and Indian groups taking part. Grupo de Folclore e Etnográfico da Boa Nova will participate in the Festas de Nossa Senhora do Monte in August for the Madeiran community in Toronto and Montreal.

Over a thousand students visit the Centro das Artes in 2009. To motivate the younger generation to cultural knowledge is a challenge increasingly important given the competition of various means of entertainment. This Arts Centre in Calheta opened its doors to schoolchildren last year with good results. Last year, there were 40 visits involving more than 1,000 students. The children are exposed to various different types of art, for example dance, music, plays, sculpture and visual arts.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Woman who threatened to camp had rejected help. Update of report on 12 February. The woman who last week threatened to camp in front of the Town Hall if her housing situation was not resolved, had lived outside Funchal and refused to comply with the stipulations of the Homeless Shelter. She had refused to take part in an integration project, a necessity as the Night Shelter is only for people in transition. This 42 year old woman rejected everything that was proposed by the Housing Department of Funchal. She refused a room to rent, wanting a house and also rejected computer courses and others. Social Security provided medication which she would not take. Since Tuesday, she has left the shelter after spending the weekend with friends.

EVENTS

Scottish tourists lost in the levada das Babosas. A Scottish couple, aged 72 and 74, ignored the Civil Protection warnings to avoid walks in the serras in the bad weather. They ventured on the vereda between Babosas and Curral dos Romeiros, became lost and requested aid. They made a small fire to help the Fire Department locate them and they were accompanied to the exit at Bom Sucesso then taken to their hotel. This operation took nearly four hours.

Strong gusts felt in São Jorge and Areeiro had the most rain. Between 9 am on February 17th to 17.00 yesterday, the Meteorology Observatory of Funchal recorded a gust of wind of 159.1 km/h in São Jorge. In Caniçal, another record of 155.1 km/h and 100.8 km/h in Aeeiro. The stations at Areeiro and Calheta/Ponta do Pargo registered the most rain falling in 10 minutes. The highest amount was 6.2 mm at 08.50 yesterday. For total rainfall, the station at Areeiro registered 128.2 mm. Temperature ranged from a minimum of 1.5 degrees Celsius at Areeiro at 09.40 to a maximum of 18.7 degrees in Funchal at 15.30.

More later maybe … especially if someone would be kind enough to contribute something …

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a photo or video, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. Please don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

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

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

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Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine out West … View looking over Cabo Girão cliff.

God’s Garden – at the Royal Opera House (London). Date: February 11th until the 13th. "As the sun beats down on the village of Porto Moniz, Madeira, a young man prepares to take the biggest step of his life and get married. While his family and friends rejoice at this momentous occasion, he is uneasy. The young man decides to take matters into his own hands and flees on his wedding day to sow his wild oats, leaving his heartbroken bride behind. When he eventually returns to the village, his family are delighted and celebrate his homecoming. He laps it up, believing that everything is as it was before he left, ignoring the fact that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. God’s Garden is the latest full-length work from choreographer Arthur Pita and is based on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Using a combination of text, live music and dance, Pita’s exploration of love and betrayal promises a highly-charged and exciting evening’s entertainment". Anyone who happens to be in London on the dates mentioned might like to savour a little taste of Madeira MORE

I noticed one or two ears pricked up with this story yesterday, so this article gives more details on the birds affected … "Ponta do Pargo – the destruction of an IBA for a golf course. Unfortunately the economic crisis did not hit Madeira Island as it should and money is still being spent on the worst things… One of Madeira’s Important Bird Area (IBA) is being destructed for the construction of another unprofitable (the 3rd one already!) golf course… Ponta do Pargo is the westernmost tip of Madeira island and it was a very good spot for bird watching some of the endemic birds as Berthelot’s Pipit, Rock Sparrows and Spectacled Warblers but also for migrant birds where Stonechat, Wheater, Woodchat Shrike, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Buff-breasted Sandpiper were some of the species already recorded there. MORE

And the last of today’s web snippets came in from Becky … many thanks :

Anyone need a Life Coach?! You have one on the island, and here she describes her move to Madeira: LIFE COACH – IS THAT A REAL JOB?

Extracts from an old (2003) BBC radio programme about Madeirans on Jersey, learning the language and some returning to Madeira. You need ‘Realplayer’ to hear the clips.

Becky has also very kindly donated a couple of stories from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias … many thanks.

Custody for suspected drug trafficker – The cocaine seized could yield close to 126 thousand Euros if it were to be sold on the street. A man of 33 years, of foreign-birth, is in custody in the Prison of Funchal (EPF) after being caught by the Judicial Police (PJ) last Tuesday with 5,070 individual doses of cocaine. The arrest, revealed yesterday by the coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the PJ in Funchal, Ricardo Silva, was made in Madeira International Airport, where the individual, who is originally from an African country, landed on a domestic flight. "From the prevention investigations carried out, we collected strong evidence that culminated in the seizure of 5,070 individual doses of cocaine, carried inside the body, which was aimed at being trafficked in the Autonomous Region of Madeira," said the Judiciary in a statement. The man was taken to the Hospital Dr. SMF Mendonça, where the drugs – valued at around 126 thousand Euros – were withdrawn from his body. This was an isolated situation, which is not related to other investigations of the PJ, which has already prevented about 10 thousand individual doses of drugs – heroin, cocaine and cannabis – from arriving on the streets of Madeira. The numbers given are not read as indicators of increased consumption, but with a more effective police force and the dwindling supply of drugs in Madeira.

Aldo Lima takes ‘stand-up comedy’ to Chega de Saudade. It is an initiative of solidarity that brings Aldo Lima to Madeira. The comedian presents a show of ‘stand-up comedy’ this Friday at Chega de Saudade. The event will help the earthquake victims in Haiti and will also feature live music and dj’s. According to Chega de Saudade, there will be no entrance charge at the door, so it is through the consumption at the bar that the money will revert to the AMI.

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

DIÁRIO 29/01/2010 – FRONT PAGE NEWS

Jewellers feel unsafe and make their own security patrols. There have been a number of robberies on jewellery shops in the centre of Funchal despite alarms, surveillance cameras and reinforced doors and windows. The shop owners complain about the low police presence on the streets at night and at weekends and visit their shops several times to inspect the premises. Most of these jewellers are uninsured against burglary because of the expense, conditions imposed and not many companies will provide cover due to the high risk involved. Most of the robbers are not caught or items recovered. The target of robberies at these shops and private residences are gold items as the price is high because of global demand.

MADEIRA

Work at Jardim da Serra moving ahead without a budget. The Parish Council of Jardim da Serra has draft plans for the renovation of the Quinta Leonor but have not costed the project. This building belongs to the Region but has been assigned, on a temporary basis, to this Parish Council to be used in a project for the development of socio-cultural research and agro-forestry. It is thought to be a potential use of community funds and will also need private and public investment. 4,000 square metres of land in the Sítio da Fonte Frade, practically opposite the School of Jardim da Serra, are included in the plan. This project is of public interest as it concerns the development of rural communities, the development and promotion of farming and regional products and the social, economic and cultural role of farming. There will be three areas of work: preservation of ethnography, preservation of biodiversity and rural tourism, leisure and education.

Over €58 million spent on medicines. During 2009, Madeirans spent more than 58 million Euros on medicines and pharmaceuticals, buying 6,700,000 units (packages). There has been a decline in the amount spent since 2007 despite more units dispensed in 2009. The explanation is the decrease in prices ordered by the Government of the Republic and generic medications accounting for 9% of those bought. There is still a lot of self-medication and Infarmed (government organization) warn of the dangers of buying over the Internet as there are many illegal sites. They produce a list of approved sites on their website: APPROVED PHARMACIES.

Giga Park continues in Ponta do Sol. A smaller version of the Christmas entertainment park will remain until at least Easter, possibly until October. It has been renamed the Amusement Park of Ponta do Sol. The new opening hours are: Friday 19.00 to 2 am; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 16.00 to 2 am.

Customs seize a kilo of drugs. Customs at Madeira Airport arrested a Madeiran man in his 30s who had heroin and hashish hidden in his underwear. This kilogram of drugs is equivalent to 5,500 doses. He had flown from Lisbon. This is the second arrest this year by Customs, the previous amount was two kilos of heroin or 27,000 doses.

ECONOMY

A classic in port. The tall ship, Stavros S Niarchos, returns to the Port of Funchal and will stay until 14.00 on Sunday. This ship belongs to the Tall Ships Youth Trust, a non-profit making organization. Since 1956, TSYT has catered for 70,000 young people of different nationalities. Madeirans first joined this initiative in November 2006 with the support of Navigation Blandy. The ship will take on youngsters at Funchal for an 11 day trip of the Canary Islands at a cost of 229 Euros each. Tomorrow, 40 youngsters of different nationalities, some flown in, will join the ship. The ship has two masts with 18 sails, is 60 metres long and was built in Devon in 2000, modelled on a XVIII Century sailing ship. The ship has two engines, an air conditioning system, desalination plant and modern radar, sonar, GPS and communications systems.

55 fishermen were considering protesting. Due to the renovation of the Port of Funchal, São Lázaro was to be closed at the end of this month. The boat owners, who said it was difficult to remove their boats, met yesterday afternoon and were considering various forms of protest. The area has been used for 40 years, some boats for fishing and others for sport, some to earn a living. The owners were pleased to negotiate the permanency of their craft in this area.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

Carnival 2010 – Turma do Funil depict mythical figures of the oceans. In line with the Carnival Parade overall theme, Seas and Oceans, this group takes the theme, The Ocean in Folia (Infopedia – lively dance or great fun, spree). On the night of 13 February, there will be 150 participants in this dance group and the costumes will focus on orange, green, purple, black, white, silver and turquoise. Accessories include feathers, stones, pieces of mosaic and chains of coloured sequins. Rehearsals take place in the Casa da Cultura de Câmara de Lobos. The Flag Bearers are the Goddess of the Sea and the ‘Mestre de Sala’ symbolising the King of the Ocean, Neptune, in foaming waves. Following, there will be fishermen delighted by mermaids, and floats depicting the lost island Atlantis with oysters containing precious pearls in the ruins of the submerged island. Then young children will depict pirates looking for treasure followed by animated girls dancing next to sailors. The Rainha da Bateria and revellers will pay tribute to the people of Câmara de Lobos introducing the Espada-Preto fish and  the boat ‘O Xavelha’. At the opening of each group of dancers, there will always be a pair of open wings representing the magnificent coral reefs. A guest will represent Vasco da Gama.

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

Catalogue lacking from the war in the west – The artists of the exhibition ‘Linha de Partida’ [Line of Departure] that has been running for a year in the Casa das Mudas, has Ricardo Veloza under fire.

Today’s main news headline : Horários of Funchal in technical bankruptcy – the company shows it’s own capital as negative and has already had a passive loan [debt] of €30 million at the end of 2008.

Government puts forward another €250,000 for management of the Jornal da Madeira. Is this never going to end? Despite the complaints of the Diário de Notícias at an international level, nothing changes, and the taxpayer is still funding the political mouthpiece of President Jardim’s government. And no doubt the other negative aspects of this state sponsored propaganda mechanism are alive and well, with government advertising expenditure deliberately targeted to ensure that the competition to the Jornal is pretty much excluded from benefitting.

Salaries in arrears prompt rout in the Association  of the Casas do Povo [Social Centres].

Opposition make possible inquiry of the Socialist Party about regional debt – The PP and PCP ensure enough signatures to allow a commission of inquiry proposed by the PS , in order to determine the value of the debt denied by President Jardim.

In Lisbon, after several concessions, there is discomfort on the Social Democrat bench with the Regional Finance Law.

Agreement : Transition period began and nobody understood. I bet a few people will look at this headline today and wonder what this is all about, as it shows a paper with various Portuguese words shown and their new replacements with simplified spelling. The idea is to ensure some level of language consistency in the Portuguese speaking world, a move which is not going down particularly well on this side of the pond at least. Some examples : Lectivo will become Letivo, Correcção will become Correção, and Jóia will become Joia. The changes should also reflect better the way the words are actually pronounced.

The main sport / football headline today :  Madeira doesn’t attract stages – Other regions of tourism try to attract teams. Through here there is a lack of reaction. Today Nacional – FC Porto 17h – SportTV and TSF. Despite what it sounds like, the article is saying that at the moment there are national teams looking for warm-up games in preparation for the World Cup this year in South Africa, and are looking for fixtures, or training venues at least, in Europe. The article says it is up to the Regional Government to attract interest, since there is no other entity that can promote all the sports facilities and stadiums of Madeira and Porto Santo. The Diário was unable to get any response from the relevant government department.

An extra headline article that I thought was worth a mention, or a look rather, shows our great President Alberto João Jardim in his famous peg-leg pose. "I will not resign". Jardim asks the parties not to further postpone the vote on the Regional Finance Law. The guarantee of Jardim is that if there is no change in the Law of Regional Finance (LFR), the president of the Regional Government of Madeira is not going to resign. Well he has given them Hobson’s choice really, and getting rid of Uncle Bertie in exchange for losing a few million Eurobucks would have been a worthy exchange indeed. Back to the grassy knoll plan then I think.

If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated. 

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a photo or video, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. Please don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

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

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

(more…)

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine out West … two basking lizards

This is Dorrie’s private video diary taken on Madeira, when on hols I guess. Hear about the bad side of her stay as she struggled with our weather problems.

A short private blog of a cruiser : WE’LL BE BACK WHEN IT’S SUNNY

"The pebbled beaches of Madeira such as the Praia Formosa beach at the western end of Funchal with its palm tress and splendid botanical gardens bordering it make for a delightful attraction for tourists. Calheto and Machico are important tourist beaches where the golden sand has been imported.  The golden beach that stretches to about 9 kilometers in neighbouring Porto Santo is of course, magnificent and cannot be missed out". QUITE A NICE REVIEW OF OUR ARCHIPELAGO

I see that the GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS is still showing 2006 as the world firework display record – "Largest firework display : The record for the largest firework display consisted of 66,326 fireworks and was achieved by Macedo’S Pirotecnia Lda. in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, on 31 December 2006". Has anyone seen any official confirmation that the 2010 display reset the record for Madeira?

This from Elaine out West … many thanks

Only eleven flocked to the “cut price” circus – Bad weather and small audiences forced the cancellation of the session, but there were the complaints … On Tuesday night some people who wanted to see the 21.30 Circus Aquatic Show, which was in Ponta do Sol until yesterday, saw their hopes dashed because of the cancellation of the show.

A situation which caused dissatisfaction and even prompted some complaints from those who felt aggrieved by making the trip to Ponta do Sol to watch a circus show that ultimately did not materialize. Moreover this was not the first time this has happened during the circus’s fateful stay in Madeira, mostly because of bad weather that has been fairly relentless.
Antonela Gouveia was one of those present for what would be the penultimate session of the show in the Region. She told the DIÁRIO that while she was waiting in expectation of the opening of the show a young man appeared who said he was the owner’s brother (Jorge Cardinali), trying to justify the cancellation of the show as "it was not worth opening the circus, with tickets at only five euros”. Antonela criticized the lack of information determining a minimum number of spectators to allow the show to take place.

João Azevedo, who is responsible for the show, confirmed the cancellation of that session "because in total there were only 11 people". Faced with such a small number of spectators, he said there was no justification for holding the show and regretted the resulting inconvenience.

"We are here to work. We did not come here for holidays," he added, pointing to the effects of bad weather, which yesterday also made itself felt at the time of the show. He felt that had been responsible for poor attendances and called for understanding and even tolerance in the circumstances.

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

Jardim cancels test period promised to successor. At the last political meeting at Quinta Vigia, Alberto João Jardim changed the deadline so the new leader will now be announced at the Easter 2011 congress. For a long time, he has guaranteed his successor will be chosen in 2010 and have a year to prepare for the October 2011 regional elections. He will resign during the summer, leaving the new leader two months to prepare, which is considered not enough time.  Another scenario is that Jardim will stay on but this seems unlikely after his recent speeches.

Recording failure requires new statements. A public complaint has been made against the Police Commissioner Roberto Fernandes. In 2004, when he was sub-commissioner at Câmara de Lobos, a traffic accident occurred involving one of his family. There were discrepancies over times, dates and alcohol test results, which were investigated after an anonymous letter. He was investigated for abuse of power, falsification, denial of justice and malfeasance. He was then promoted to Commissioner of the Police of Funchal. For his defence, he submitted audio recordings of the witnesses statements but the judicial authorities now realize these are inaudible, so if the case goes to trial, new statements will be needed.

Vandalism – revenge attacks. On farmland in Campanário, vandals have destroyed banana plants. Some had been deliberately cut, sometimes only the bunches targeted. This act occurred during the first week of this year and was only discovered last weekend by the owner. The land owner has no doubts as to the perpetrator as he has been previously threatened by the owner of neighbouring land. It is not the first time this has happened and this time, he has reported the case to the police. It is bad enough with some of the crop destroyed by the bad weather.

Increases in illegal limpet harvesting, amongst other crimes. Statistics of crimes detected last year by the GNR (National Republic Guard – part of the police force). Increased limpet harvesting was due to bad weather and fewer preventive measures. In 2009, 26 illegal harvesting of limpets were detected by the GNR and Service for Protection of Nature (SEPNA). The maximum catch permissible is 2 kg/day/person. 16 offences occurred in Garajau Reserve and one in Rocha do Navio Reserve (Santana). 10 cases of caça submarina (underwater spear fishing) but no instances of using explosives. 5 cases of illegal sport fishing. 747.45 kilos of fish were seized, worth 4.067,22 euros. Other offences detected were mainly: 458 tax offences, 657 breaches of the Highway Code, 7 cases of illegal gambling and 5 breaches of the street trading laws. Both at Santo da Serra and Funchal, counterfeit goods were confiscated, worth 14,960.30 euros – clothing, CDs, DVDs. The GNR consists of 194 individuals and now have a new commander. There are also 28 officers based at Caniçal (commercial port), 20 at the airport and 15 at Porto Santo. They have maritime powers, up to a range of 12 miles. — A quick calculation, overall crime has decreased.

Flights from Moscow bring more to the region. The five weekly flights from Lisbon to Moscow have had a good occupancy rate, a service that began last June. Several Russian travel agents now have packages to Madeira especially with the ease of flying between Lisbon and Madeira. 50% of the Russians arriving in Lisbon come to Madeira and the rest either stay in the Portuguese capital or go to the Algarve.

SATA confirms flight to Faro. SATA will have two weekly flights between Madeira and Faro in the Algarve in the coming summer season, using the new Q400 NextGen aircraft which have 80 seats. At present, passengers must go to Lisbon and this discourages holidaymakers. In future, these new aircraft will be used on the Madeira – Ponta Delgada link and in summer, for the Canary Islands and the Algarve. The increased number of passengers carried over the last quarter was not enough to counteract the global economic crisis in which SATA Internacional had 1.5% fewer passengers than 2008.

Regional Government allow GESBA to borrow 7 million. The public owned management company of the banana sector, GESBA,  has authorization from the Regional Government to obtain a banking loan of 7 million euros. This is to pay the liabilities of two cooperatives. These cooperatives have severe financial problems despite the strong community support they have received over several years. There is a history of guarantees at high cost to the government as the banana business cannot exist without public subsidies.

Jardim accuses Teixeira dos Santos of using the review of the Finance Law for tax rises. Alberto Jardim today accused the Minister of Finance of using the fair review of the Regional Finance Law as a pretext to threaten the Portuguese with tax rises. The review, according to Jardim, seeks only to restore justice under the law legislated by the Gutterres Government/Sousa Franco. The socialist government has for political purposes destroyed a law that was agreed by the Socialist Party itself.  José Sócrates said, "The Government of the Republic will not give more money to the Government of Madeira and the PS does not accept the Law on Regional Finances defended by PSD-M." The changes introduced by his government were "fair". This was in reply to the national PSD leader, Manuela Ferreira Leite accusing the Government of the Republic of pursuing a discriminatory policy in relation to Madeira for political revenge. Guilherma Silva, a PSD member of the Assembly of the Republic said, "The money is not for the Portuguese Government, it is for the Portuguese."

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

Today’s main news headline : Sócrates says "enough!" – "Enough! With this government my lady deputy cannot count on the alteration of the Regional Finance law and giving more money to Madeira". The warning of [Prime Minister] Sócrates to Manuela Ferreira Leite [leader of the Social Democrat Party] was given yesterday in São Bento. It’s bad news for Jardim and is even surprising to the politicians in his own Socialist Party. Already one is talking about new national elections. I was thinking this the other day, that the Socialists without an overall majority in the Lisbon Parliament, are finding it a real struggle to govern either with or without the support of the opposition parties. It was always going to be a tall order, and of course as always the politics and monkey business take priority over the needs of a floundering economy and it’s people. Even with another election, I don’t see how it will necessarily resolve matters, and if it is still possible then the PS should first look again at the possibility of a coalition.  Uncle Bertie will be hopping mad no doubt, and after Marítimo get thumped by Benfica tomorrow, it will be a weekend he would rather forget.

Horários do Funchal opts for the ecology but changes don’t please  – The issue is in the West zone : the [bus] passengers are obliged to flow onto the Estrada Monumental.

Accidents force the stopping of dumping – Only after 5 accidents in the area muddied due to the movement of mud laden lorries, in São Vicente, the Regional Government suspends the clean up operation. The 5 road accidents occurred in the space of just 3 days, with one person receiving facial injuries, and the Regional Secretary, responsible for the big mud clean up after recent storms, has given the order to suspend the clean up works in the area of Paço da Areia. The accidents have been happening where cars are skidding out of control near to the mud dumping site at the coast (in the sea).

Rock fall in Madalena flattens banana crop.

‘City Council of Culture’ remains for Santa Cruz.

The main sport / football headlines today : 5 thousand places in the ‘Cauldron’ sold out in the last 4 days – Mitchell can’t count on Marcinho for the coming of Benfica. How on earth Marítimo’s stadium ever got the nickname of the ‘Cauldron’ is still one of life’s great mysteries for me. You would be lucky to see two men and a dog there during some games.

Nacional fight for fourth place in Alvalade today.  That’s the home of Sporting in Lisbon of course. G’luck!

A sea of colour. The first mention I have seen this year I think of next months Carnival. The article mentions an organisation that is preparing it’s piece for the parade (Cortejo) on 13th February, that has the theme ‘Fantasias de Ninfa’ [Nymph] which sounds intriguing. Preparation for some of the participants started in last October.

and just a few more snippets to finish up …

This is a nice blog, and account of somebody’s visit here, with lots of photos. A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY

Biggest IT retailer expanding to Africa, Madeira and Azores (from Portugal News Online). Chip7, Portugal’s largest computer retail chain, is expanding its business this year to Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde in Africa and Portugal’s autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores, the company’s founder said. Miguel Monteiro, also Chip7’s majority shareholder, told Lusa he expected to conclude master franchise contracts in the three African Lusophone states and the two Portuguese Atlantic archipelago by the end of this year. Good news for us computer buffs!

Hundreds of different locations from north to south of mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores, have been nominated as candidates to become one of Portugal’s ‘Seven Natural Wonders’. The official list of places that can be voted upon was made public last Thursday in Lisbon. Organisers of the project New 7 Wonders of Portugal, have dodged giving the specific number of valid applications, but confirmed the number was in “the hundreds”. MORE

Have a great weekend!

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