Civil Protection website ; SATA add fuel surcharge New football stadium sinking ; 10 kg potato
Today’s photo – Many thanks to Martin … Rolls Royce Phantom c 1922 displayed on Avenida Arriaga during the 2009 Volta da Madeira
"Due to the long established fishing tradition on the island, fish plays an important role on the daily menu of the locals. When you have spent a few days on the island, you will soon discover that Madeirans also have a sweet tooth! Everywhere on the island, in all the cafés, snack bars and restaurants, you will find a wide variety of cakes, sweets and desserts. Besides the world-renowned Madeira Wine, locals produce their own wine from different grapes – the so-called ‘vinho seco’ (dry wine)". A well written and researched article from a cruise website TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
"Madeira is, essentially, 2 island, and not only does a little over 98% of its population live on just one island, but a huge part of that live in just one city, Funchal. This makes things incredibly easier from a managerial standpoint because then you CAN have any type of flight you want. All the Madeira Regional government has to worry about is the littler under 5,000 people living in Porto Santo". This article was written by a blogger in the Azores, on the problems of servicing the many islands with flights, including the ‘low cost’ factor. Quite an interesting read, and shows that we do pretty well here in comparison. LUSO’S LAIR
A short private blog with a few photos, mainly of the author … CARROT TOPS ARE GREEN
"Discovered in 1419 by Portuguese explorers, its strategic position and warm sub-tropical climate led to quick colonisation and nowadays around a quarter of a million Madeirans call this beautiful island home. Known locally as the ‘Island Of Flowers’, or ‘The Floating Garden’, Madeira certainly lives up to its nicknames and, in fact, boasts some of the most beautiful natural scenery you’ll find anywhere". ANOTHER MADEIRA REVIEW – CREST HOLIDAYS
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :
Der, small news items today. If you want to make money, sell on the black market in Venezuela or become a doctor. No wonder the Health Service is in debt – I bet the article on the doctor’s cars gets some comments. The paper misprinted ‘Austin Martin’. This was the Google translation to a photo caption of the story I covered yesterday about a falling wall damaging a roof: ‘The day before yesterday, Matilde Gonçalves not resist the temptation to go to her house to lie down to eat three cats.’
Wind looses force from tomorrow. Today, yellow alert for wind up to 50 km/h and gusts up to 90 km/h in mountainous regions. A slight reduction in wind speed from tomorrow, a moderate 20 – 30 km/h wind from the west becoming weak, below 15 km/h. In mountainous regions, the wind will be moderate but should not exceed 35 km/h. Temperatures slightly below today’s maximum of 22 C and 18 C minimum temperature. Sea conditions about the same, temperature 18 C, 1.5 – 3.5 metres waves.
‘NetMadeira’ fraudulent e-mail. An e-mail asking for personal details was received yesterday by 1.5% of NetMadeira customers who use the 880 mailbox. NetMadeira, like other companies, does not ask users for their passwords or identification.
New Civil Protection website. This site has been updated to make it easier and quicker to find useful information. I had a look and it has a version in English and contains useful information. Examples include road closures, phoning about emergencies, location of fire stations, weather and health alerts, emergency first aid and there are good links. Website: Civil Protection — Might be one for Der’s right-hand side toolbar. OK, make a comment if you like it and we’ll see, but I know the sponsor wants to shorten the list rather than grow it. Der
Dates when nurses are on strike. For two days, 27 – 28 January. On the 29th, some will participate in the national demonstration at the Ministry of Health. There is a three day national strike but it is only for two days in Madeira. The proposed wage scale presented by the Ministry of Health in January is worse than the one presented in November.
SATA also increase fuel surcharge. As expected, following TAP’s announcement yesterday that they will increase the fuel surcharge for flights between the Continent and Madeira, SATA will similarly increase it for flights between the Continent and Madeira and the Azores. Increased from 9 to 12 Euros for flights from 20 January. In effect, this means an extra 3 Euros on each ticket except promotional fares. Promotional fares SATA Discount are unchanged for flights between Funchal and Porto Santo, and for other tickets the surcharge increases from 4.5 Euros to 6 Euros. Fuel surcharge is updated quarterly.
Caracas – Funchal ticket doubles in price. Flights between Caracas – Funchal will cost twice the present price due to the exchange rate between the strong bolivar and the dollar. Last Friday, Hugo Chávez announced a devaluation of the national currency, which rose from 2.15 to 4.3 bolivars to the dollar. Thus, Luso-Venezuelans will have more difficulty in leaving Venezuela. The airline ticket between Caracas and Funchal rises more than 200%. The sale of flight tickets was suspended last Monday to allow the airlines to update the reservation system, as they have to be sold at the official exchange rate. There is no change in price for tickets sold in Portugal because the exchange rate for euro – bolivar stays the same. Exchange rate controls have been in place in Venezuela since 2003 to prevent obtaining unregulated foreign currency in the country. This also means imported goods are more expensive and people have been rushing to the shops to stock up. On the black market, due to demand the euro is worth three times more than the official exchange rate. Venezuela is said to be like a pressure cooker with no escape valve. — I think there will be mass exodus of Madeirans back here. The old houses in Madeira owned / inherited by Madeirans who have emigrated to Venezuela might finally be restored and made habitable. Many have been murdered recently, especially in Caracas.
Garage claims a doctor owes 83,000 Euros for work on his ‘fast-cars’. A well-known physician who works in family and occupational medicine, known for his display of top-of-the-range ‘fast-cars’ is facing a debt of 83,000 Euros owed to the workshop. At the end of December at Santa Cruz Court, a claim was lodged to recover the debt accumulated between March 5 2002 and September 10 2008. The garage, as far as Diário could establish, is ‘Auto Lazareto’ in Cancela and the claim is for unpaid mechanical repairs, bodywork and panel beating, painting and upgrades. The cars involved are: a red Ferrari, Jaguar, Golf, Aston Martin, 2 Toyota Yaris, Opel Astra, Maserati, Audi A6 and a Citroen AX. The claimant provided goods and services to the amount of 75,898.86 Euros plus interest, which have not been paid for. They acted in good faith and in a climate of friendship. Over seven years, the debt grew and the doctor postponed deadlines claiming financial difficulties and debts from third parties. Since September 2008, the doctor suddenly failed to appear at the garage to pay the instalments although he had been gradually settling the bill. He used his reputation as a reputable and distinguished doctor and it was his social status that led the workshop to grant credit. The doctor asked for urgent repairs to his Ferrari (photo) so he could lend it to Cristiano Ronaldo on his trips to Madeira, and repairs to other cars to lend to the singer Marco Paulo and other media figures whom he knows well. Diário contacted the doctor who denies he owes the money. He said he has not been notified of the court action, and if and when notified will challenge it, and if necessary will sue for defamation. — "Trust me, I’m a doctor."
Potato more than 10 kg in Tabua. This sweet potato was dug up from agricultural land in Tabua and weighs 10kg and 600g. The potato is of the type batata vermelha (red potato).
CDU support agricultural reserve areas. The communists want the region to adopt agricultural reserve areas. These would be located in areas where agriculture is most profitable in the region and would be adequately protected for this activity. They would not be ‘eaten away’ by construction works, for example the places chosen for the Câmara de Lobos football stadium (zona do Carmo) and the future Hospital of Funchal (Santa Rita), which absorb significant agricultural areas. Such reserves already exist on the Continent and the Azores. Edgar Silva accused the Executive of being "the grave digger of regional agriculture".
Census 2011. The National Institute of Statistics in conjunction with the Regional Government will hold a census in 2011. The last one was in 2001. 450 people are already being recruited who will carry out the survey and the period for the census will last from January to July 2011.
New Pestana hotel in Porto Santo. The Pestana Group are preparing to build a second hotel in Porto Santo. The work will begin later this quarter and will be a four star tourist village named Pestana Residence. It will include 250 apartments and the investment is 50 million Euros. The financing of the Colombo’s Resort is still uncertain as the banks are not interested in loaning the money to complete the development.
Vote of congratulation of the EU Treaty rejected. A vote of appreciation of the entry of the Treaty of Lisbon was rejected yesterday by the PSD, BE, PCP and only favoured by the Socialists who proposed the vote. The Socialist Serrão Jacinto considered that the Lisbon Treaty resolved the impasse the EU was plunged into and economic problems, thus constitutes "a tool that will give more power to the EU". He said that Madeira should appreciate the EU as it has used their funds to develop the country. "We must stand together in solidarity with those who were with us."
79 People in ‘virtual home’ in hospitals. 51 people who remained unnecessarily in hospital with ‘high dependency’ status have been transferred to homes; 28 to Dr. João de Almada, 15 in Lar de Bela Vista, 8 to Lar do Porto Moniz and one transferred to the Health Centre in Calheta. This has been after a joint effort by the Department of Health and Centre for Social Security. There are still 79 people left in a ‘virtual home’ in the two hospitals in Funchal. This is not ideal as they are likely to become infected and are ‘bed blockers’. The situation is aggravated by a waiting list of 800 elderly people for care home places. There are plans to provide 400 more nursing home places in the near future but with an increasingly elderly population, an additional solution is needed. To help keep people in the family home, there are 3,000 people receiving daily nursing and social care at home. Since 2008, the aim has been to pay family members to function as carers and there are 179 such people who receive 220.79 Euros from Social Security.
State will have to pay 82 million Euros in 2010 to restore justice to Madeira. The Technical Unit for Budget Support has proved that the current Regional Finance Law has lost Madeira 157 million Euros from 2007 to 2009. To remedy this, the State would have to transfer 82 million; 74.6 million to Madeira and 7.4 million to the Azores.
11.5 million investment in Câmara de Lobos football stadium is sinking. The soil along the wall that supports the newly opened stadium is sinking. This stadium, promoted by the Regional Government, has been open for six months and is already causing concern. The stadium cost 7.5 million Euros to build and an additional 4 million Euros to stabilise a slope overlooking it. The athletics track is uneven, also due to subsidence. The Regional Secretariat for Social Infrastructure say that this is normal settling of land.
Dog disappeared from the circus. Circus Brazil in Machico was yesterday without two of the three dogs that were part of the show. One was a hit and run victim. The other, Nina, was the star of the show and has been missing since last night. The dog is a brown poodle wearing a pink collar. The dog is two years old and has been in training for eight months. The circus goes to Lisbon on Saturday. Any information, please phone 968072755. If found after Saturday, please contact Joaquim who works at Circus Dalas at Madeira Tecnopolo.
Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :
Very unusually the Diário moves out of Portugal for the big photo and headline : Earthquake in Haiti kills 100 thousand – The numbers are of course not confirmed, because there are bodies buried. But the tragedy results in the destruction of one of the poorest countries in the world, very vulnerable to natural disasters.
Video catches boss that wanted to fire – Bakery in Machico filmed employee suspected of stealing, but the video didn’t serve as proof and the management even incurred expenses.
Moisés opened presents sent to employees – The president of Santana [council] took care of the Christmas presents and opened them in front of everybody, with the names of the benefactors. Bottles and cheeses were kept for the office Xmas party. Moisés diverts the presents for employees to the council. Bottles, cheeses, liquors, wines, chocolates and watches were kept. Not everybody was happy. The new president of Santana Câmara never ceases to surprise. This time, after the office Xmas lunch held in the school canteen in Porto da Cruz, the boss ordered all Christmas gifts to be received at work to be taken directly to his office. And it wasn’t just the employees, with bosses, politicians / councillors also told to fall-in-line, with the spoils claimed as property of the treasury. Rui Moisés confirmed to the Diário that he had taken the action … "I respect everything that is personal. However, from the time the delivery is made in the council it ceases to belong the individual", justifies the president to explain the his position, not withstanding that the move has a questionable nature. Some of the bottles (costing in excess of €30 each) were drank at the staff gathering, but the rest of the goodies were retained. It has been suggested that things like the watches be auctioned, but Moisés guarantees that they will serve as ‘offerings’ in official functions. Since he was elected last October and took up his post, PSD politician Rui has made waves throughout his constituency, with staff, locals, local businesses, and even his predecessor, and since then has probably made the front page more times than Uncle Bertie himself. But is he the real thing we ask? Is he a PSD politician determined to crack down on corruption and special favours, as Portugal portrays as an urgent priority, or are there ulterior motives more in line with what we are accustomed to in the Socialist Democrats of Madeira? Will there be a man with a boné and dark glasses with a stall at the nearby Sunday market selling certain goods this weekend I wonder? I would like to think that his motives are genuine, but I think we need to give this a few more months, or even years, before concluding that someone has broke that stereotypical image we all know so well.
Today’s main news headline : Strike and lack of vaccines threaten to make matters worse in health – The ventilators [breathing aids] arrive at the end of the month, guarantees the company that won the public tender process. But the vaccines for Gripe A have run out again. And the nurses foresee more disruption during the three day strike.
Jardim keeps quiet over Regional Finance Law and State Budget – But he praised the stance taken by the CDS / PP, MPT, and PCP over the Regional Finance Law.
The main sport / football headline today : Nacional draw and stay with one foot out of the [next phase] of the League Cup – The ‘Alvinegros’ now depend on the results of others to progress to the next stage. With just one point from their first two group games after a 1 – 1 away draw yesterday, Nacional are bottom of their group, with a tough game remaining against Guimarães on Madeira.
‘Chapéu da Esperança’ [Hat of Hope] delivers donation of €5,000 to charitable institutions. I have no time to read the article this morning due to a rare foray into Funchal, but I hope that this annual fund raising event managed more than €5,000, with all the effort put in. It must cost so much more than €5k just to organise. It all seems a waste of effort when you compare with the €45 million of taxpayers money given to Marítimo to redevelop its stadium. And yes I am getting repetitive.
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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Two elderly ladies gagged and bound at home Two sisters, one 79 and the other 81, with mobility problems, were gagged and bound inside their house in Amoreiras in Arco da Calheta. This was around 1.30 am on Wednesday morning when two individuals, wearing gloves and with their faces obscured, forced an entry and threatened to murder them if they did not say where their savings were. The two aggressors stole cash and gold articles, then later one of the women managed to free herself and ask the neighbours for help. The local population are worried, especially elderly residents living alone because the two robbers have not yet been identified or caught. The women were frightened and shocked, suffered bruising from the tape wound around their face and were taken by the police to Calheta Health Centre. Maria da Conceição Teixeira continued to explain what happened. "They began by locking the dog in the kennel. They broke down the door of the residence with an iron crowbar (pe-de-cabra). They burst in with lanterns, to prevent using the lights so as not to draw the attention of the neighbourhood. They said, "We are not aggressors" but the first thing they did was to put tape on our mouths to keep us from screaming. Then they tied our hands so we could not do anything and asked us with threats where the money was. I said that the retirement money was in the post but they would not know that. They searched everywhere, emptied drawers, looked under beds and took all the money we had left for expenses. They stole the valuable pieces we had, including a two metre gold chain, two rings and a necklace, all made of gold. We experienced moments of terror inside the house. When the individuals left us in those conditions, I manage to free, with difficulty, the adhesive tape around my mouth and phoned the neighbours for help. – who were celebrating the Dia de Reis – and they almost immediately came to our aid." Yesterday morning, scattered around the floor of the access to the house, were cigarette butts and a cigarette packet of a particular brand that is not known locally. This indicates that the attackers spent time hiding near the house before engaging in the crime, smoking cigarettes.
Department of Infrastructure guarantees that aggregates are the property of the Region Reply to yesterday’s article in Diário about the dredging of more than 700 truckloads of stone from storm damaged regions. The methods taken are deemed necessary and urgent to restore the normality of physical spaces and the lives of people affected by the unusual recent storms. "It is necessary to act immediately, assessing the costs and benefits of decisions and above all, setting priorities for intervention, which are weighted by various factors in the present circumstances." "In Madalena do Mar, the immediate dredging of the stream was identified as a priority because the weather is unstable, to prevent or minimize the impact of possible storms that may occur again." "Faced with this emergency, the SRES, acting within its powers contacted the two companies for this purpose, and all the material that is removed and deposited in their yards will be quantitatively controlled by monitoring." "Staff of the Secretariat will also identify and evaluate the areas adjacent to increased erosion, followed by the removal of selected materials by the process of dredging to strengthen these areas where it is technically justified." "The material taken from the mouth of the stream by the purpose of dredging is the property of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and only in the case of leftover material, can be purchased by businesses. Should this occur, the value as may be determined is, yes, minus the total cost of dredging." 
PS denounce illegal firms in Ribeira de São Vicente The Socialist Party call for an end to all industrial activity in the Ribeira de São Vicente. The activity is not licensed and the parish council, municipal council and Regional Government do not receive any contribution. The Socialist Party leader, João Gouveia, condemns not only the exploitation of the geological wealth of Madeira, mud and stones are deposited in the stream, threatening the flow of water and the town of São Vicente.
Today’s main news headline : It is illegal to dump earth [mud] in the sea – Domingos Abreu, biologist and ex-regional director for the environment [DRA], is against the view of the current holder of that post : There is no exception to the law and authorized dumping at the coastline of São Vicente should be prohibited. Abreu says that one "cannot combat evil with another evil, even though it may be lesser". Correia, the current DRA post holder says however that he has no official knowledge of dumping on the coast of São Vicente, and that the law allows exceptions for these sorts of cases. "It is a situation of public interest" he says, refusing to brand the dumping operation as illegal. One thing that is clear is that this island should have contingency plans for dealing with such matters, and despite of having had several years of similar weather problems and the consequences, still nothing seems coordinated or organised in coping with the aftermath. 
Government outlines new goals for organic production. Bio Madeira Week. At the time when the region has 5% of agricultural land classified as organic, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources yesterday set a challenge of increasing this area from 240 hectares to 500 over the next few years. In 2000, there were only 21 hectares devoted to organic farming. For these producers there are added incentives, e.g. payments higher than for traditional farmers – 30% more for organic grapes and bananas. The expansion of this type of agriculture is an opportunity and a factor of competitiveness. As Madeira is only a small island, farmers cannot compete on price so the produce must be of high quality and organic certification is a critical distinction.
Car caught fire on motorway. A car caught fire yesterday on the Funchal – Ribeira Brava motorway. The incident occurred around 15.30 and the front of the Peugeot 206 was completely destroyed. Manuel Rodrigues, the owner, said that while going from Funchal to São Vicente, at the exit from the tunnel after Quinta Grande the car started to emit smoke and then fire broke out. This continued until the exit to Campanário. He used a fire extinguisher but it was the bombeiros who eventually extinguished the fire. The car was purchased in London and was brought to the region yesterday via the Naviera Armas. The fire might have been caused by a short circuit.
