Madeira News Blog

(12th September). Today’s main news headline, and also the main photo (unusually striking for the Diário, but not the one shown here) is of a very high support pillar for a new road bridge : ‘Expropriations Catch Bispo – The works of the Cota 500 take away land and generate anxiety. D. Teodoro is one of the compulsory purchase targets, and has already received €13,000 for a plot of 135 square meters’. He is also selling 3 more plots of 31, 591, and 308 m2, in one of the largest public investment projects to date focused on the people of the high zones of Funchal. Crossing the parishes of Santo António and São Roque, the ‘Cota 500′ involves seven tunnels and 9 bridges. Phase one, already underway goes between Vasco Gil and Ribeira Grande, is costing €40 million. Phase two, a total of 4,200 metres, takes the road to Fundoa, and will cost around €60 million, and is in the government work programme that finishes in 2011. The compulsory purchase of land alone will cost €4 million, with 125 plots needed for the complete route. Phase two of the project is causing more concern, because it is not physically on the ground, and the road layout is causing some confusion for landowners because of their plot boundaries. Other people will be affected in different ways, some even uprooted as their properties are demolished. The process of expropriation is not always peaceful. Nothing will ever be like it used to be. The authorities say the project was put to public consultation and officially approved, without any complaints, observations, suggestions, or requests for clarification from the public. Nobody bothers to challenge these projects, because history shows that power is everything and that public interest always takes second place. Problems and complaints from residents are coming now though, mainly about the lack of information, and the use of explosives for the tunnel construction.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about a big party organised by a famous international magazine called ‘Faces’, that is due to take place next weekend, with lots of celebrities expected to come to Madeira. ‘More Beauties – Liliana Campos Is Another Of The Famous That Comes To The ‘Faces’ Party’. All in all around 50 VIP passes are being issued to national celebrities for the event, where the main focus is a party in The Vine Hotel. As usual, I have no idea who she is, as my celebrity knowledge is very thin on the ground in these modern times.

Today’s sport headline : ‘Unprecedented Feat – The tennis player Martim Trueva, still a junior, conquered the national championship completely in the pairs’. He could go still further today in the singles. he is the first Madeiran ever to win an absolute(?) victory in a national championship. I would like to offer my congratulations to Martim, not for the comparatively mundane achievement of winning a national doubles title, but for the much harder achievement of keeping football off the front page of the Diário on a Saturday during the football season. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an editorial oversight.

‘SATA Plane Departs For Porto Santo Four Hours Late – One of the crew was showing Gripe A swine flu symptoms and had to be substituted’. The 8 am SATA ATP flight from Madeira to Porto Santo didn’t leave until midday. Four hours to find a crew member (or three hours according to another article) … I doubt if the delayed passengers would have found that very acceptable for an airline with a base on Madeira, and it wasn’t even the pilot with the with symptoms.

The crowds gathered in Machico yesterday in sítio do Paraíso, where president Jardim inaugurated a new road, which leads to the mouth of the tunnel that goes to Caniçal. The new road is 1,300 metres long, and cost €1.85 million to build. I am not sure whether these inauguration articles belong in the political section, or in Madeira news, these days. I think it all depends on whether Uncle Bertie is wearing his PSD lapel badge.

‘Minor assaults elderly man to steal €10 – After the theft, the thief assaulted the victim, hitting him with a shoe on his head’. The 15 year old minor was identified by police after assaulting a 63 year old man in Nazaré, in Funchal. After knocking the man to the ground, the thief took the money from the man’s pocket, and then took his victims shoe so he could whack him around the head before fleeing the scene. It all took place in front of witnesses. The police managed to identify the boy, and quickly arrested him, only to find that he had already spent the €10, and so they took him back to his grandmothers house. The matter will be reported to the Court for families and minors. It all sounds a little surreal, and with crime this sophisticated, I think the police have little problem in catching the criminals. No doubt granny will give him a good spanking, send him to bed without any supper, and withhold his pocket money to repay the €10. 

‘Colombo Disembarks On Porto Santo’. As is traditional in the Colombo festival, Christopher Columbus sails to shore along with Mrs. Columbus (or soon to be) to recreate the arrival and passing of our famous hero (which hopefully is not a tale as fictional or improvable as the claim that Columbus is Portuguese). The event finishes today. In a later article, the secretary for tourism for Madeira said that the 10th festival had been such a success that she wants to promote it nationally and in Spain next year. "It caused a true filling of the streets of Vila Baleira" she said. €108,000 was the cost of the event, and a 53% hotel occupancy rate was achieved.

‘Two Suspects Detained For Drug Trafficking – 2,100 doses of cannabis seized’. Funchal police arrested a man and woman with the drugs, destined to be sold on the streets of Madeira. In another article, police from Câmara de Lobos seized 590 doses of heroin and arrested two individuals on Thursday.

The hit and run driver who seriously injured a man in Lugar de Baixo, before fleeing the scene in a silver grey VW last Sunday, has now been identified. The driver committed the crime of "Omissão de auxílio" (Failure to help), as set out in article 200 of the Penal Code, and now faces up to 2 years in prison, or a hefty fine and / or loss of his driving licence. The victim is still in hospital awaiting surgery. 

Petrol and diesel prices drop another cêntimo on Monday.

In this weekends football, Nacional travel to play Rio Ave, currently 5th in the league. The match is at 6 pm, but is not televised. Marítimo play at home against top of the table Sporting Braga on Sunday morning, on SportTV 1 at 11.15 am.

From yesterday’s Jornal da Madeira : ‘Digital Terrestrial Television now covers  65% of the Autonomous Region – Funchal, Porto Santo and the areas west and east already have the signal’. Free DTT, the technology that allows one to receive television of better image and sound quality, is now available to 65 percent of the population of Madeira, according to a government spokesman. DTT will replace the current analogue terrestrial broadcasting, which provides the four general national channels (RTP, RTP 2, SIC and TVI), and also RTP-Açores and RTP-Madeira. Anyone delved into this yet? I am thinking of packing in with Zon, so I am interested to know if anyone has the ‘free’ option and what they think of it.

(3rd September). Today’s main news headline : ‘Teachers Worried – Those that don’t have ties seek the Employment centre; 1,402 await contacts’. The government plans to renew contracts with 1,402 teachers, 170 fewer than in the academic year 2008 / 09. The new school year starts on 21st September, but teachers are already preparing themselves for the return. For those ‘non permanent’ staff, who work on fixed length contracts, the situation appears to be much more tense and unpredictable, as they are officially unemployed unless told otherwise that they will have a new contract. The placement lists are still being finalized by the Regional Department of Educational Administration (DRAE), which intends to employ 6,219 teachers and expects to contract 1,402 on a temporary basis. Right now, nobody knows who will be left out, so the Teachers Union of Madeira (SPM) has advised all to sign-on at the the Employment Centre. "If you did not get a renewal of contract and have not been taken off the lists, then you’re in a situation of unemployment", concludes Marília Azevedo, president of the SPM, as there is no guarantee of work for anyone. Many of those worse affected are young and with little financial stability.

‘Injunction Hinders Completion – The urban works in São Roque are stopped for nine months’. The main picture of the day just shows a pretty empty street. The courts ordered the work to be stopped last November, but last week the machines returned to São Roque to demolish another building. The three residents, who sought and obtained the injunction, are now in fear that the machines will be entering their own properties. They took out the injunction to stop compulsory purchase of their property because they were not satisfied with the compensation offered. The department responsible for the infrastructure, guaranteed that work will resume only after the court decision is known. Until then they will just demolish buildings whose owners have accepted the terms of expropriation (compulsory purchase). The project will see the construction of a roundabout.

Today’s sports story : ‘Clubs Of Madeira Deceive Federation – FPF imposes tickets priced at €6. But the price is not inviting, so the clubs release freebies’. The Série Madeira, the new football league starts on Sunday, but the clubs feel obliged to fool the organising federation who have set the minimum ticket prices for spectators. "Instead of helping, the Federation just complicates life for the clubs", said a manager at one of the participating clubs. The price is just too high for the level of football, and the clubs don’t want to discourage spectators from attending the matches. Among the measures being taken, or considered, is ‘open doors’ matches, cut price season tickets, memberships, and other incentives. The clubs do need to cover match expenses, so most are considering offers that still attract spectators but cover costs as well. Many of the football clubs already have membership schemes where fans just pay a few Euros a month (€2.50 in Ribeira Brava for instance) which includes entrance to the matches, so €6 a game is a big jump.

‘Builders Give Up On ‘Affordable’ Housing – The crisis has changed the tendency of the market, and developers claim that they have lost clients’. The builders say there are no buyers because the market has changed, and new projects are selling badly, with houses and apartments left unsold. Falling prices have also made these projects less viable, and more difficulty in obtaining bank loans and finance. The situation is not serious according to some of the businessmen contacted by the Diário, although some refused to discuss the matter. I think these are developer led projects, that buy up land to build a apartment block or row of houses, where economies of scale and other factors make the costs and selling prices much cheaper than a ‘one off’ house build. It is much the same situation as reported as happening on Porto Santo a few weeks ago.

‘Festas Stacked Up Don’t Worry ‘Xutos’ "It will be a memorable concert", says Zé Pedro of the Xutos. On a Saturday of festas, the appearance of the band in Ponta do Sol is one of highlights’. This is the top rock act in Portugal, and they perform at 10 pm on Saturday as part of the ‘Festa do Conselho’. ‘Xutos & Pontapés’ will perform 10 songs from their new album, as well as a ‘journey through the classics’. It seems they are on a busy schedule, but really wanted to play on Madeira, "where we have many friends" said one band member.

(2nd September). ‘Electricity Of Madeira Distributes 250,000 Light Bulbs – The campaign will start this month and function in the same manner as the previous campaigns’. EEM has made available ‘new stock’ to persuade its customers to switch to energy efficient light bulbs.

UPDATES :

The President of the Board of the Regional Health Service (SESARAM), Almada Cardoso, released a statement following the reporting of the high profile case of a young lady who caught a hospital infection whilst undergoing surgery. The infection attacks the immune systems of it’s victims. In the press release, Almada Cardoso states that "nosocomial infections occur in all hospitals in the world" and that "Funchal Central Hospital has a lower rate than the national average, thanks to the very worthy work of the Commission for the Control of Hospital Infection of SESARAM, that performs an important daily prophylactic activity, to reduce the prevalence of nosocomial infections, which is a constant and permanent challenge". I am glad that was clarified, as the report yesterday was one sided, and the response from the hospital spokesman was very poor, and gave the impression that nothing could be done, and nothing was being done to minimise the chances of infection.

‘Treatments distributed to beekeepers’. In order to combat varroa, a parasitic disease caused by a mite which causes the weakening of the swarms, the Regional Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Development is distributing a veterinary drug to Madeira’s beekeepers.

‘Enrolments For The Dog Show End Today‘. The last chance is today (6 pm) to enter a pet into the IV Dog Show for the event in the Lido Gardens on Saturday, starting at 2.30 pm. Rush to SPAD or VetFunchal now if you forgot. Any race, or non-race, can enter but must be between 4 months and 10 years old, and must have proof of the necessary vaccinations.

In Portugal, a new automatic car registration reader was installed in just 17 police vehicles in June. Already in just 3 months, 521 stolen cars have been detected, and 2,256 cars have been identified without insurance. The equipment costs around €11,000 per vehicle. We don’t have it here yet, but nationally the plan is to extend the installation of this equipment in vehicles of the security authorities (GNR & PSP).

On the TV news this morning, there was an astounding leap in the cases of Gripe A in Portugal. Swine flu has been confirmed in 5,123 cases, up 2,897 in just one week. Madeira, is included in these figures, but itself had just 3 new cases in the week, taking the total number of confirmed cases here since the beginning to just 33. The message is clear, come to Madeira for your safe holidays (as if you didn’t already know!), as long as you don’t bring Gripe A with you.

In politics today :

‘Carlos César considers Sócrates "courageous" for advocating the need for greater support for the Azores – The leader of PS Azores reaffirms that the "cost of living on the nine islands are greater than on two, and the Azores need more support than Madeira". The row continues, with the president of the Azores again reiterating that the Azores needs more financial support than Madeira. Personally I don’t see what the row is about, as each region has it’s own needs, and central funding must be based on those. I can’t see any value in comparing the two and squabbling about who deserves more. I didn’t see any statement from prime minister Sócrates on the issue, but it seems he agrees with César anyway, who in turn is using it as an election tool to persuade the Azores population to vote for the PS socialists.

‘Council Presidents Receive Thousands Even In Times Of Crisis – Albuquerque receives half of the president of the republic, €250,000 per mandate’. The full time presidents of the câmaras have no reason to complain, as is the case for those others in positions of high political trust. Miguel Albuquerque, president of CMF (Funchal Council), is paid €250,000 for his 4 year mandate of the governance of Funchal, and is the ‘richest’ on Madeira. Presidents of smaller câmaras receive €200,000 per mandate. Miguel Albuquerque receives €4,483 a month, including allowances / expenses, about half of the salary of Cavaco Silva, Portugal’s president. In the other regions, in those with between 10 and 40 thousand voters, the presidents receive €4,035 a month (inclusive), and in those with less that 10,000 voters the presidents receive €3,586 a month. Full time councillors in Funchal receive €3,310 a month (including allowances / expenses), with the rule of thumb being 80% of the salary of the president.

(23rd July). Today’s main news headline : ‘Government Suspends PDM – For this time, the suspension of the Municipal Master Plan is done for S. Roque: Twisting rules to permit the construction of a civic centre’. The Câmara of Funchal and the Madeira government are roughly in agreement with the action, that will allow a significant deviation in policy that ensures urban planning projects conform with investment requirements. The civic centre in São Roque, the conversion of an existing building, violates the rules of the PDM, but will go ahead under the label of "public interest", justified by the fact that the one new centre will unite the users of other local centres.

The day’s main photo shows a police vehicle parked outside a police station, and continues the kidnapping and murder story : ‘Family Of Guilherme Alves Had The Money For The Ransom Demand – Rui Jorge Ferreira, son-in-law of the murdered Porto Santo businessman, deplores that the kidnappers had not given time so that he could have transferred to ransom sum. Talking to the Madeiran society in a long open letter in today’s Diário, Rui Jorge who was also threatened with death, tells everything and says that he warned the police to detain the suspect at large. Still alert to businessmen and individuals "This real bandit can appear when you least expect him". The family of the murdered man have not requested special protection, but they are in fear of retaliation, but protective measures will have to be approved through a court, following examination of the circumstances. Also in fear are those with their names on a fake ‘headstone’, for their part in the failed business of Martins (as mentioned yesterday). The fact that there are two of the gang in prison helps, but with the ringleader still on the run, people are still worried for their safety, despite the fact that Martins is known to have fled the country using a false passport, but he may have other false documentation he could use to return.

In a related headline : ‘For their part, one family member of the suspect José Martins complains that no one offered psychological help to the family and he understands that, if his relative murdered someone, he would kill himself afterwards’. The relative mentions that Martins has farmland in Brazil, with around 300 head of cattle, but refused to give more details and the address when asked. They also say that he "is of good heart", and that he is "capable of turning himself in to justice, if he realises he is thought to be involved in the case", as he is "not capable of spending all of his life with the burden of guilt". It’s always best to hear both sides of the story to get a balanced opinion, but a man who flees the country on a false passport straight after a kidnapping and murder only deserves so much positive blog coverage. Who knows, I might soon be on his ‘gravestone’ black list, and I wouldn’t be to hard to track down.

"We’re Going To Lose History" – Traders and cultural agents ask for certification for traditional drinks of Curral de Freiras’. A solution that supports the production of traditional beverages such as ginja (cherry liquor) and castanha liquor (chestnut), is wanted by traders, and organisations that are interesting in preserving and disseminating traditional activities in Curral das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns). Currently local products such as chestnut cake, chestnut soup and grilled chestnuts are sold in establishments, but the ginja and liquors sold are not from Curral das Freiras, even though they may purport to be. The process for certification of ginja has already started, but no mention of plans for the chestnut liquor, and if it doesn’t occur then production and tradition may be lost. Does this mean to say that if one buys a bottle of ginja in Curral das Freiras now, then currently it would be considered to be ‘moonshine’?

The football stadium of Marítimo at Barreiros has now got permission to start work on the stadium redevelopment, from Funchal Council, although it does appear that work had already started.

‘PJ Investigate A Probable Murder In Calheta – A man looks to have killed his own wife, and then committed suicide’. It happened last night, with a disagreement being the cause suggested. The man appears to have taken his own life with a firearm.

‘Funchal Is The 5th Best District To Live In Portugal – ‘Land Of The Future’ was the slogan chosen by those responsible for the study’. From among 20 districts in all of Portugal, through enquires made to public using 10 objective criteria, Funchal finished in a top position, and was given the title ‘Land Of The Future’. The project did criticise Funchal for lack of investment in the area of culture, but the president of Funchal Câmara said that steps were planned for a venue to host shows, and for a public art gallery.

‘Two More Cases Of Gripe A On Madeira – The number of confirmed cases rises to five’. Two 9 year old children have now been confirmed to have H1N1 swine flu. They arrived from the UK on Saturday. Why don’t they cross-off the ones that are released? It would be nice to get back to zero again when the current 4 are released, but instead they just keep adding on.

In a related headline story : ‘Gripe A: The Race To The Pharmacies Continues – Paranoia helps to sell out supplies of disinfectants and masks’. On Tuesday one chemist sold 130 bottles of disinfectant, and the story repeats itself throughout Funchal, if there are any stocks left at all. One customer brought 10 bottles. Those most worried are those that work in public service and have contact with the public. The masks are also in high demand, mostly from those going on holiday, to wear on the plane. What they don’t realise is that the masks on sale are not suitable for Gripe A, and all they do is protect others from the wearer of the mask, and not the other way around. It’s an updated and recycled story from a couple of weeks ago. National forecasts on the expected impact of the swine flu is that 2.5 million people will be affected, and between 2,500 and 8,700 people will die. For just Madeira, 62,500 infected, and between 625 and 2,170 will die.  If that news doesn’t send people scarpering off to the chemist, I don’t know what will!

A report released yesterday on the state of forestry on Madeira reveals that 43% of the island is forest. Of the total area of Madeira (80,102 hectares) over 34,000 are forested zones, mostly Laurissilva. The report, which is the first forestry ‘inventory’ ever carried out, shows that just 5% of such areas exist in urban zones, and the rest is roughly equally split between natural forest and cultivated forest. The report will be updated every 5 years, and will be a key tool in planning matters. Like what forest will we use to build the next cable car perhaps?

Traders in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos are suffering a crime spree. A florist shop in the centre is the latest victim of 5 robberies within a week. Around €100 was taken during the night. It seems a lot of robberies take place because cash is left on the premises overnight. If the insurance companies insisted on ‘no cash’ left on the premises, a lot of this would gradually fizzle out. Otherwise who would burgle a florists?

‘Madeira Gains New Magazine. It can be read on http://magazon.netmadeira.com/ Magazon is a magazine about arts, politics, society, and the good things in life. It is only available online, and is in Portuguese of course.