(21st June). Today’s main news headline : ‘Elderly Folks Desert And Yuppies Set Up Home Below – Youths of liberal type and elderly people in search of quality of life are seeking a residence in the heart of Funchal. They seek more rooms and parking for themselves. A T3 came up at €500,000′. Young professional people with some social status in life, seeking quality of life and nearby facilities, leisure and services, defines the type of person that seeks to buy property in the heart of Funchal. "Generally, an apartment in the city centre is more expensive because it is in the city and by the square meter is more expensive than other areas" says Alexandra Vasconcelos, from the mediation bureau for property. People always start looking to buy in the city centre, but after seeing the prices they end up looking outside the centre for cheaper property with car parking, such as in Ajuda. Funchal is an expensive city to live she continues, compared with for example Lisbon. To rent a T1 apartment in Funchal you would be looking at paying €450 per month. The luxury end of the market is now going to another type of customer, she says. "In my experience of the market, older people, who have sold their farms and homes, are now buying apartments in the city centre, and also young people in their twenties working in professional areas", who don’t see the price as an obstacle. Funchal is also rich in social housing, according to the vice president of Funchal Council, and through that policy it has avoided creating ghettos between the rich and the poor, by including people with low incomes, including accommodation for hundreds of students who go to the university of Madeira. To buy a T3 apartment in Funchal now, with enclosed parking, it will cost around €500,000. Maybe that summary of a long article about house prices in central Funchal doesn’t explain the headline so well, but in a nutshell it is saying that buyers now are older people who have sold property elsewhere, living in apartment blocks alongside wealthy yuppy types, whilst the rest of the property seekers have to find cheaper accommodation in periphery areas.
‘€480,000 For A Promenade That Is Closed – ‘The seaside walk inaugurated in 2004 is out of bounds. In Caniçal they talk mostly about drugs, Zona Franca, Quinta do Lorde, fishing, The Whale Museum, and the cemetery’. This is the weekly featured location in the series ‘Through Madeira’. The promenade completed in 2004, has been closed for years, waiting for works to secure the rockface which is dangerous due to erosion. It runs between Ribeira de Natal and Caniçal, and has excellent leisure potential, but has been abandoned due to the rock falls. The council president say that the government of Madeira has already gone out to tender for the securing work needed. Caniçal recognises that there is a drug problem there, but on the positive side, the controversial development at Quinta do Lorde has created employment and boosted trade.
‘Environmental Education Of The Blue Flag – Summer season this year has a theme of renewable energy. Over the summer will be various activities taking place on the beaches and bathing complexes of Madeira’. If you go to some of the blue flag beaches this Summer you may see exhibitions and activities to show beach users the role of renewable energy, and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel consumption, which is part of the requirement this year to achieve the blue flag award.
‘Charity Campaign Of The Diocese Of Funchal – 32 thousand tons collected on the weekend 6th & 7th of June’. Madeirans show solidarity in times of crisis. The campaign which involved food collections from the public in Pingo Doce supermarkets to help feed the poor was a great success, with 10 more tons than in the previous year. Somehow I think the word ‘thousand’ shouldn’t have been there, but in the actual article it uses 32,000 twice!
’650 March In Santa Cruz – Musical entertainment and the traditional parade of pots and pans is next Tuesday’. Next Tuesday is the actual night prior to the day of São João, despite the earlier celebrations and activities. The parades start at 9pm, and cover the route between Rua Bela de São José and Rua da Praia, finishing at the stage erected near the market. There will be musical entertainment from 7.30pm. Don’t forget that the party may temporarily disappear later on, as the revellers go for the traditional midnight swim.
(19th June). ‘Safety Requirements Now More Stringent In Playgrounds – The Association for the Promotion of Children’s Safety (APSI) asks for suspension of the new law’. From last Thursday, playgrounds have to be fenced and have barriers that limit passage near the swings, with rules that are intended to improve safety conditions for the children. The law reinforces previous legislation from 1997, and imposes rules and obligations on the authorities responsible for the spaces, including conditions of surveillance and information on the physical conditions of the area. The idea of course is to prevent accidents, but the APSI has asked that the law is temporarily suspended because it was introduced without proper consultation, and has rules that end up penalising children.
(20th June). ‘Jardim Pressures The PSD Of São Vicente And Confirms Exit Of Humberto’. President Jardim made it clear who is boss in the PSD Madeira party, and has confirmed that Humberto Vasconcelos is on his way out of the council presidency of São Vicente. "This is an irreversible decision". The new candidate for the council presidency will be even Romeiro Jorge, a doctor resident in the area, who has already accepted the invitation made personally by the president of the social democratic party. Lets hope that kills that story off then, which has had more front page coverage than anything else in the last week.
