Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … Good morning Madeira! The Carnival Time flower

I am sure many will be off to see the Carnival parade tonight in Funchal, and no doubt it will be as wonderful as ever, but don’t forget to send in your best photos. As a bonus for us over the west, there is a ‘Trapalhão’ parade starting tomorrow at 4.30 pm in the streets of Ribeira Brava. That means it’s a free-for-all, so come along and watch, or even better, get yer Carnival togs on and join in the fun … and don’t forget to spend some money, the town needs it. See you there!

The last one from Becky, many thanks … anymore anyone?

Captions please:

I’ll start, with… "Does anyone know where I can get some Toranja Poncha?"

(But you can keep yer hands off mine Bertie. Der)

Thanks a lot to Tobi for this link, that gives access to a brochure called ‘Active Tourism Madeira’. Use the ‘Fullscreen’ button to read the text. NATURE BROCHURE

This weekend’s football : Both our teams play tomorrow, Valentine’s Day of course. Nacional host Rio Ave at 4 pm, and Marítimo go to almost top-of-the-table Braga. The second match is on SportTV1 at 6 pm.

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

DIÁRIO 12/02/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Dumping controversy.  Seven months ago, Diário denounced the illegal mining at the site of Landeiros and dumping of the earth. The local population called in the Forestry Police and they have seized a truck and bulldozer. During the stormy weather on February 2nd, earth dumped by the side of the stream at Lajes caused it to overflow, resulting in a trail of destruction. The local population want Machico Council to build retaining walls around the stream to prevent any further damage. The Regional Director of Forestry and the Regional Director of the Environment do not know if the company is working legally or not. The council said they have authorized the work to repair storm damage in this area and the Forestry Police have no jurisdiction. The Regional Government has the responsibility for the construction of any stone walls.

MADEIRA

Santa Cruz Carnival Parade has less troupes due to lack of financial support. There will be three troupes and 200 participants, fewer than in previous years, due to a lack of financial support from the local Casa do Povo. Two of the three missing troupes are ‘Malta do Furor’ and ‘Amoreiras’. The director of Malta do Furor explained that they will participate at Gaula but the costumes and floats are expensive to make. Santa Cruz Council indirectly supports the Carnival Parade by financing the Caso do Povo who always organize it. The Caso do Povo have financial limitations but still provide six buses and a meal after the parade. There will still be 500 participants on Sunday.

Unions representing doctors cut relations with SESARAM. The two unions representing doctors in the region have suspended relationships with the Health Service Management Board. They complain that SESARAM promotes a climate of permanent tension and that professionals are despised and held in contempt. The unions are ignored and union delegates persecuted. They never hear a word of encouragement and the management is only interested in numbers, indices, percentages and productivity. Careers for Medical Professionals no longer exist in Madeira, so they cannot progress, and their careers are not recognized on the Continent. One union is taking their concerns to Alberto Jardim and are waiting to hear what the Secretary for Social Affairs has to say about the tense climate that exists.

Woman threatening to camp outside the Town Hall in Funchal. A 42 year old woman is threatening to pitch a tent outside the front door of the City Hall in Funchal until the council find her a home. She has been sleeping at the Temporary Shelter for the Homeless during the last month and the length of permanent stay is a maximum of 15 days, which ends today. The woman has had talks with several people from the council with no result. She receives 330 Euros from Social Security which she says is not enough to pay for accommodation. Unemployed, divorced for five years with two children; one son is married and lives in his own house and the other is living temporarily with a friend.

ECONOMICS

Porto Santo Line keeps prices the same.  Porto Santo Line run the maritime ferry, ‘Lobo Marinho’, between Madeira and Porto Santo. They will not increase prices this year, in a bid to attract customers. Turnover (cargo) fell 14% last year although the number of passengers increased by 3% to reach 361,275. The drop in business meant a loss of 1 million Euros in turnover. In four years, the cost of travel to Porto Santo has increased a little over 2% and the price for residents is kept uniform throughout the year. The winter season (October to March) is 19.9% cheaper and 40% of passengers travel then. Resident rates are 38.3% below the average ticket price but they are not publicly subsidized, unlike in the Azores. Porto Santo Line are exempt from port charges to compensate for the reduction for residents. A fuel surcharge was not added last year following a drop in fuel prices. Porto Santo Line promotes packages – travel plus hotel, groups of two or four passengers in a car – which can drop the ticket price by 20 – 50% during the winter season, and summer discounts are smaller, 3 – 10%.

UPDATE

"Invasion" of Madalena do Mar stopped. The dispute centres on the emergency exit routes of the tunnel to Calheta going through the access to a parking lot of a condominium. On Wednesday, in the Legislative Assembly, the Left Bloc denounced the "invasion" of private land by the construction firm. On Wednesday, the residents were verbally told that the excavators would be going onto their land but found they were already there. The Left Bloc said this was a way to prevent the owners from triggering any legal mechanism to prevent the invasion of their land. Legally, they should have been given written warning of compulsory purchase of their land by the Regional Government. Today, the construction company was prevented from entering the private property. The residents denied the company access and the police were called. This is a tug-of-war between the residents, Regional Government and the construction company. The residents have had a subpoena filed in court to protect their rights and liberties.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Working group for the recuperation of the Marina and Avenida do Mar. The Municipality of Funchal and APRAM (Ports Authority) have formed a working group to develop a master plan for the recovery of the Marina of Funchal and the third phase of the renovation of the Avenida do Mar. The third phase is from the Verdinho bar to Ribeira de São João. The aim is an integration of the terraces of the Marina and the Avenida do Mar, an area that is little used and unappealing. The council want more green areas and need to consider how to move the palm trees, which were imported from the Canary Islands in the 1980s, to other gardens. The monuments must be preserved and integrated into the new design which must align with works on the North Pier and on the west side. The council also want to know if the central reservation of grass and trees is justified.

REGIONAL

Debt of Madeira Palace is 7.5 million. The Hilton and Sheraton hotel chains are in discussion about the management of the construction of the Madeira Palace hotel. The work stopped for several months last year. The construction company has 50 employees on the site but is having a problem due to the developer owing them 7.5 million Euros. The construction company cannot carry out any more work and the licenses expire in March, but should be easily renewable.

Fábrica dos Sonhos  and Geringonça in Machico. Geringonça has been invited to open the Carnival Parade in Machico on Sunday at 15.00. Fábrica dos Sonhos (Factory of Dreams) will be the final act. This will be the tenth time Geringonça has taken part in Machico Carnival. Local schools and youth organizations will participate along with the Municipal Band of Machico.

EVENTS

‘Ritual’ in the cemetery of Câmara de Lobos. A most unusual situation was found in the cemetery on Tuesday morning. Gravediggers found on the stairs near the chapel, in a corner, a ‘table’ on which there were three bottles of aguadente (rum), three bottles of champagne, various glasses, a 2 kilo piece of beef, cigarettes and a fire near the wall. Since this is not a place for parties, the conclusion is that it is part of a ritual by either ‘healers’ or ‘masters of magic’ to invoke the dead for various reasons. 

Also, many thanks to Elaine for these web snippets :

A Texan family from a cruise ship visit and are initially harassed but still enjoyed the visit. Lots of good photos.

"I know, I know…I’m very slow! This is the last port day that I have to share with you and in my opinion it was the prettiest. I would love to be able to go back some day and spend more time in Portugal.

Once again we got off the ship with no real plans. We dined with a family that had visited Madeira before and they told us is was unnecessary to buy the bus ticket into town, which were 4.00 each way. So, we took out walking…and we walked…and we walked…and we walked. We were beginning to second guess the decision to walk to town when a gentleman approached us and told us he could take us all over the island and be our personal tour guide for the day. He was a pretty aggressive salesman and I could tell the girls were rather nervous. After Brent dickering with him about the price, the final price was 130 Euro. Brent hemmed and hawed and told the man he would have to pass" TEXAN TALE

Discovering Portugal’s Madeira Wine. Three page article in the January/February edition of Virtuoso Life Magazine.

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

Children shrug-off the Carnival rain – Even with limitations, the kids shook the city.  Well of course they did, the kids are born waterproof these days … when was the last time you saw a kid carrying an umbrella? Anyway there is a nice photo on the front page, and probably more inside. But just blowing the blog trumpet a little, you didn’t have to wait until the next day to see carnival pictures on this website.

Serrão gives paid place to the decisive supporter – The leader of the Socialist Party of Machico will be the local government coordinator.

Race on in the national Social Democrat Party : The ‘oranges’ from here are disturbed with the order of Jardim.

National Council of PSD – Jardim quarrels with Passos Coelho. The leader of the Social Democrats of Madeira said that Passos should no longer be making policy in the PSD.  Alberto João Jardim was involved in a lively battle with the candidate for the leadership of the PSD, Pedro Passos Coelho. In a speech appealing for party unity, one of the first of the PSD National Council, the Madeiran leader criticised Coelho for his stance with the Regional Finance Law. In a face to face confrontation, Jardim told Coelho, ex leader of the Youth PSD, that if it was up to him he would be making any more party policy. Coelho responded that "it is just as well that the party doesn’t depend on you".

Today’s main news headline :  Earth from the landslides invades rivers of Faial – After the storms, it is needed to clear the roads. Rivers pay the price. Justification : in times of emergency, one forgives  the bad with the good that it does. Yes I know, that last bit doesn’t make total sense, but I get the drift of the message. The gist of this is that in Ribeira Seca the muck and rubble from the mudslides is being cleared from the roads and then being dumped into the river to be taken out to sea. There are proper sites where this debris can be deposited, but the president of Santana, Rui Moisés, says that in the time of war it is no time to be cleaning weapons, and that restoring normality is the priority. Environmentalist say that that is the exact reason why rivers cause landslides, because the river beds are fouled. As always, I am with the ‘play it safe’ environmentalists when there is any element of uncertainty in such an action, but with the rainy season just around the corner, we will soon find out who was right and who was wrong. That’s a bit scary isn’t it, after what we have already seen this Winter, to think that the rainy season hasn’t even arrived yet.

People power stops advance of the machines – Yesterday morning was one of tension in Madalena [do Mar]. Despite of the police presence, the exit construction works from the tunnel didn’t get started. There is a thought provoking picture of an elderly lady, armed with an umbrella, ‘getting booked’ by the village bobby.  Both Elaine and I have both given this story plenty of coverage, so not much more to add really.

The main sport / football headline today : 100 – "I have already had to cut-off unpleasant conversations". The referee Elmano Santos will tomorrow complete his 100th game in the top flight.

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.

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Today’s Photo Thanks to Jon … a sunrise from earlier this month

 

This might be of interest to Irish readers, not that I was aware that SATA flies to Ireland.

"Madeira Late sale bargain prices – We have just received a further allocation of seats on the direct Scheduled SATA service to Funchal Madeira which departs every Sunday, the seats are on November 29, December 6 & 13 and January 10, 17, 25 & 31. Hotel Raga 4* B&B from €499 – Hotel Melia Mare 5* B&B from €599 – Hotel Tivoli 5* B&B + 5 evening meals from €699". IS THE RAGA REALLY A 4 STAR HOTEL?

Also for Irish readers, who may not know that Budget Travel has gone bust. IRISH INDEPENDENT 28 travellers are currently stuck here on Madeira.

"Sir Winston Churchill, one of Europe’s most recognisable political figures, was famous for his rousing speeches and war-time strength; what most people don’t know is how he concealed his ill-health from the world by taking recuperating holidays in Madeira". Another one of those Winston Churchill on Madeira articles, nice, but much the same as the many others. WINSTON ON MADEIRA

Can you imagine going into a shop to buy bananas here on Madeira, and getting home and opening the bag and finding that your bananas worked out at €1 each. It can happen I promise. The proof will follow in the next few days. Also if I remember I will tell you about a vegetable that can cost here as much as €20 a kilo, and it’s not a spice or anything fancy. Anyone noticed that broccoli and cauliflower have been remarkably cheap these last couple of weeks. My diet and freezer are filling up with both vegetables. What’s the most expensive fruit or vegetable you have seen? 

Rita sent in this story (or two) that she wrote for friends … many thanks.

We have a loja (shop) in Funchal where all the government departments have counters – you just take a ticket and await your turn – a very good system. However, when I visited the Estrangeiros (immigration) to renew my residency after five years I was told I had to ring a central number to get an appointment before they could deal with my application, despite the fact that there was nobody else waiting and the girl could have done it immediately. I then spent the next two days trying to navigate my way through the telephone system pressing the right button after a series of messages in Portuguese and then sitting for ever with some ghastly music playing in my ear. When I finally got someone to answer I was given an appointment at the loja for the next day, but it did not stop someone queue jumping me. After I had given my fingerprint which is the final detail of the application I asked the girl if she was happy with the new system – very much she replied – I kept my cool and remarked that although it was better for her it may not be so easy for her public…….! On the other hand I went to the laboratory to get my INR blood test done only to find that they must have gone through an inspection of some sort because up until now I have paid my 75 cents when they took the blood but this time was told I needed to wait and pay when picking up the results. When I did return for the results I was presented with an invoice for only 40 cents and was required to sign for the results. You win some – you lose some!!

Rita also sent me a fantastic photo, but that’s on the waiting list so it will be a little while before that treat appears.

Wednesday night was a bit special here in Ribeira Brava when our collection of ’selos’ (the government seals that are stuck onto cigarette packets) reached the 1 kilogramme target. I don’t recall exactly when this particular collection was started, but it can’t be far off a year ago, but that’s another wheelchair ‘raised’ for someone who hopefully will now have a much better Christmas than they would have had. The collection for the next one is already underway. 

Another bit of local news is that the free Portuguese lessons for foreigners, in Ribeira Brava, will continue in the new year, and for now are planned to run until the end of the academic year (Summer 2010). Whilst new students will still be able to join, they should have an understanding of Portuguese at least a basic level, as obviously the classes have to move forward for the existing students, and newcomers with no knowledge will find it difficult to participate and impossible to understand. Anyone wishing to start from the beginning would be best to start by registering an interest at the school (or any school for that matter), but clearly the numbers would need to be sufficient to justify the expense, so it might mean a long wait. It also has to be said that my local school has not been impressed with attendance in the current class, with many joining initially and dropping out soon after, and also with some students who pop in and out of classes when they have time and no other commitments. I can pass on emails registering interest for new classes in Ribeira Brava, but I think it is better if people go in person. Another option, almost certainly quicker, particularly to get started and back into education, is to do the adult education classes with the locals. These are not specifically about the Portuguese language, but the teachers deal with older students who lack basic education in certain areas, and will move around the class focusing on the needs of the individuals enrolled. Of course these teachers may not speak any English or be quite limited in that respect, but I tried it with some success. In my opinion practically no one will learn Portuguese from 3 hours of weekly teaching, and any classes will need to be supplemented with other learning and practicing activities.

PS – For anyone who doesn’t know there will be no lesson in Ribeira Brava on Monday, but Wednesday will be a double lesson from 3 to 6 pm to make up the time.

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

Machico infested with rats. The municipality of Machico is infested with rats. The Council admits difficulties in controlling the pests and the misuse of rat poison. The plague is in evidence in the vacant lots (photo) and houses located near the local Ribeira. Incorrect use of poison has led to the development of poison-resistant rats. The Regional Directorate of the Environment extermination campaign did not work because of the number of derelict land plots which are in the vicinity of the Ribeira – and range of herbs which help the spread of rats – especially in the city centre. One example is the large piece of land at the back of the Church of Machico, about 3,000 square metres, left completely abandoned and was provided for the construction of the Parish Social Centre in a program in conjunction with the Regional Government. The environment authority asks owners to have their land cleaned up as if the majority are cleaned, but there are others who do not, the effect of the pest campaign is reduced.  The rats destroy seasonal fruits and agricultural crops. A land owner lamented: "The rats have been eating pears, avocados and papayas. Just last week, I left out a bucket full of 20 kilos of pears, but all eaten. The official admitted that the campaign of extermination had immediate positive effects in reducing the number of rats, but the plague returned quickly. This is due to poor application of poison. "Much of the success of the process of extermination was the proper administration of the poison in traps that were delivered to farmers." Of the 333 farmers, 78 did not use the poison as directed. The process of extermination has been carried out in two ways: The Council put poison in locations previously defined, while the Parish Council delivered rat poison to the farmers. But a lot of owners of vacant lots did not request rat poison. The Council have bought nearly 4 tons of rat poison this year.

Jardim Ramos abandons seminar. The criticism of the President of the Regional Board of the Union of Nurses, Élvio Jesus, meant that the Secretary of Social Affairs, Jardim Ramos, voluntarily left the room during the opening session of the seminar, accompanied by other members of SESARAM (Health Service Administration). Just before the opening of the seminar, Élvio Jesus, speaking to reporters, said he would take the opportunity to address "two or three issues of concern to nurses". Very critical, he began by pointing out that nurses are overworked, doing overtime "with great risk to themselves and to patients." "The tender announced (this month)  is not on the ground, we do not know anything." Although there is "strong pressure" to assign more nurses to community-based care, he warned it is "a huge waste of resources." Élvio Jesus also denounced the "climate of concern about what is happening in SESARAM", embodied in a petition which in a day and a half managed to gather over 600 signatures. The official went further, saying there were "illegalities that have to be repaired." When confronted with this criticism, even before the meeting, Jardim Ramos said that the tender for admission of nurses is being prepared and will be met. With regard to careers, the minister warned that in the region there is to be applied the "national career" pathway. He assured that there are nurses working overtime and that is why they are launching the tender, so he will ignore the petition. Jardim Ramos said that at the opening of the session he was confronted by Élvio Jesus, "with an intervention of Trade Union nature, offensive, disrespectful, completely devoid of civility and out of context of the meeting, which is why he decided to leave the room." He said he has always shown willingness to hold dialogue with the Nurses Union and the episode will not affect the commitment to maintain the dialogue."

Renewable energies. The Fourth Global Forum on Economy and Regional Development will be held in Funchal in 2011. This was announced by the President of the Association of Development of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ADARAM) at the end of a workshop on alternative and renewable energies. The objectives of this workshop was to discuss how clean energy could be integrated into networks by 20 – 30% in the coming years. The aim is to achieve 20% in the short-term and European governments should speed up their investments so these objectives can soon be achieved, as in California, New Zealand and Denmark. The Portuguese company EDP is working with a German company to transfer technology to Portugal, for example for wind farms. Regionally, there is a political will to reach the goals set at a national and a European level although the archipelago relies heavily on weather conditions, rain and wind, to meet the aim to integrate 30% of all sources into the regional distribution network by 2017.

‘Winning the competition". Theme at the Conference of APAVT (Portuguese Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism). The recovery may be imminent and to do so they need to win the competition. A decrease in activity in the range 10 – 20% resulting in losses from the decrease in demand, taxation as well as inadequate cash flow problems arising from the postponement of credit. In a scenario not very encouraging, the President estimates improvements in 2010. The first signs appear in Asia and the United States, although not yet reflected in the invoices in Portugal. Training and having qualified employees is a priority. The congress will also discuss new forms of distribution – which models are effective and better protect customers – and sales – strategies to promote sales and customer loyalty.

119 creditors reclaiming €11 million from the bankrupt Elimar. The largest creditors are the banks but there are dozens of companies providing construction materials to receive money from this engineering company (one of nine companies of the group). After the first postponement on October 22, yesterday the Judicial Court in Funchal with a meeting of creditors, ruled for the liquidation of the company after a report by the insolvency administrator that recovery of the firm is impossible. Liquidation of the company is, however, suspended as a creditor asked for an embargo on the insolvency request arguing that the firm was solvent in December 2008 and seven months later presents a liability close to 14 million. The application of the embargo has not been decided by the judge. The report by the insolvency administrator lists the credits reclaimed that, with interest, already exceed 11 million. Anxious are the employees of the firm, whose claims have not been recognized but have to pay taxes and have been made unemployed. Elimar had 42 employees but the group founded 27 years ago (9 companies) has a total of 72 employees.

‘Hole’ in Areal Dourado estimated at 60,000 Euros. First reported yesterday. The diversion of funds of the municipal group Areal Dourado is estimated at approximately 60,000 Euros. No one from the Municipality of Porto Santo was available for comment but sources contacted yesterday revealed that in just over two years there has been diverted a large sum of money from the treasury of that company. Funds were used by the Board of Directors of the company for their own purpose including purchase of goods and services of various kinds. It is unknown how the funds were diverted. The participation of the local authority with the prosecution services involve all elements of the Board of Directors but it seems that the alleged irregularities have been committed by only one member of that body. However in order to clarify the real extent of the irregularities, the Municipality has chosen to refer the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, who are taking the necessary steps to determine the facts. The Municipality has also asked Areal Dourado to audit their accounts. The case has raised eyebrows in the locality because the sums involved are large given the size of the company concerned. The company is only partially owned by the local authority and is designed to perform in various areas such as event management and management of social and cultural facilities and even at the level of social action. It is the entity responsible for promotion of tourism activities, cultural, recreational and sports activities that will contribute to the integrated economic, social, tourist, sporting and cultural life of the municipality of Porto Santo.

Market Night at Santana. This Christmas season, do not miss the animation in Santana. The municipal program is a series of recreational and cultural initiatives for the coming days. The program highlights the Night of the Farmers’ Market, the Northern municipality’s first ever and to be held from 20 to 21 December. More than 20 producers expected. Various traditional performances to attract more tourists to the town centre. There will be two other features: The Feast of the Nativity, set for 20 December and Exponatal, between 11 and 18 December. The representation of the nativity is already promised to be one of the largest in the region and one of the most emblematic with live figures. This is to capture the attention of children who may, like other visitors, enter the crib. Exponatal is to promote the county, the products and help businessmen and industrialists of the municipality recoup their sales. This will be installed in the area next to the Municipal Building accompanied by musical entertainment performed by different associations in the county. On the 8 December, the Christmas illuminations will be switched on.

Recall of Ben-U-ron syrup. Although there are thought to be no risks to health, the syrup was withdrawn last weekend form pharmacies. A change in the colour of the syrup has been detected. Some people may still have affected lots at home and should not use them but deliver them to pharmacies.

Lions Club organizes Christmas Fair. Next weekend, Saturday and Sunday and aims to raise funds for social causes. There will be on sale various products offered by individuals and companies, as well as new and second hand clothes. Snacks will also be served and homemade pastries and cakes made by members of the club and helpers. Part of the revenue will be used for 12 Christmas baskets allotted to households in economic difficulties. An initiative in partnership with the Parish of Sao Pedro. There will also be 12 grants to help students at the University. The fair takes place at the premises of the Lions Club of Funchal at Rua Imperatriz D. Amelia 84, between the hours of 10.00 and 20.00 next Saturday and Sunday. 

Brussels warns of danger of Christmas lights. 30% of lights are dangerous and half with defects come from China. The main risk is electric shock. 25% had defective wiring, 23% had filaments too thin for the current which increases the risk of overheating and fire, 19%  failed the test of protection against electric shock by insufficient insulation. Brussels recommends consumers buy lights from reputable traders, ensuring compliance with safety standards and warn you not to leave lights on when leaving the home or at night.

ALM staff can receive 35% bonus. The special regime of work allows the entire permanent staff of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, without exception, to receive monthly, 35% additional remuneration based on their basic salary. This is to replace overtime pay which was seen as an injustice. When they leave office, they are entitled to 8% of the salary. This is for as many years as they held in office.

Barclays open two new branches. 30 November, new branches at Calheta and Ajuda in Funchal.

Christmas Bazaar. Red Cross. 30 November to 5 December at 21 Rua Dr. Fernao Ornelas. Crafts, jams, liqueurs and many other items will be on sale.

Christmas opening hours. Traditional trade will close at 20.00, except the week of December 21. Closure on Sunday and opening on public holidays December 1 and 8.

Air Force records 200 evacuations per year. One mission every two days. These are evacuations of injured patients from Porto Santo by the E H 101 helicopter ‘Merlin’.

Foiled robbery at a hotel in Funchal. Two men attempted to break into a hotel on the Rua Imperatriz Dona Amelia in Funchal. Yesterday at dawn, the two suspects were seen trying to break one of the windows of the hotel reception. The police were alerted and were quickly on site but the individuals fled and escaped through the surrounding alleyways and streets. The attempted robbery occurred two months after the same hotel was the target of a robbery by four individuals. These men violently assaulted the hotel receptionist and stole 600 Euros. There had previously been an assault on a hotel when a safe was stolen and the receptionist jumped through a window and fractured a leg, when it was apparent the robbers were armed with metal bars.

 

Police to monitor the environment. To discourage breaches of legislation. Enforcement action started last Monday in several areas, mainly quarries, aggregate extraction and intervention at the level of protected species. This action will continue until 29 November and already some offenses have been identified.

 

 

 

 

 

Romeira files disciplinary proceedings against two officials. These are the fastest disciplinary proceedings in the history of the civil service. Based on an anonymous letter to the Council of São Vicente on October 8 2009 (three days before the elections), the then mayor Humberto Vasconcelos suspended immediately two municipal officials (a building inspector and an IT official). On 23 November, the new mayor Jorge Romeira filed disciplinary proceedings. The reason was for illegal dissemination of information and internal documentation, intentionally and in order to undermine the normal functioning of services. One was working with the Judicial Police. It is unknown who is the author of the letter. It came to the Council at 12.00 and in the afternoon there was drawn up the order to initiate the disciplinary proceedings and the next morning, the seizure of computers and related work. The suspended officials are studying the possibility of suing the Council.

Today’s news headlines from the Diário de Notícias :

The main news headline today : Radar of €25 million already dominates Areeiro – the works will finish in the Spring of 2010 and the radar will be operational in 2011. The tourists stick with the café and the souvenir bazaar. Defence creates a centre for environmental education. Regarding the Freira, it was already stated that it would not affected. The site is supposed to blend in with the barren landscape of Pico do Areeiro, but it is impossible to hide the impact of the radar itself. A placard written in Portuguese and English explains to visitors that the radar is necessary to improve vigilance in the seas around Madeira, and for airspace security. It’s old news now, as the environmentalists lost their battle a long time ago, and it’s just a question of waiting to see how ugly the facility turns out to be in a site of natural beauty. No doubt it will be a talking point for new visitors for eternity, or at least until it rusts into powder. "What idiot allowed that horrible thing to be built there", they will be saying to each other. Of course that idiot will be the faceless Ministry of Defence,  who clearly have the power to steamroller local planning laws, public opinion, and common sense, all in the name of national security.

Madeira Wine and ‘Barbeito’ distinguished in London – International award strengthens brand  prestige. The ‘Madeira Wine Company’ was given the title of best company in the sector of fortified wines, operating in London. The annual gala of the International Wine & Spirit Competition also praised highly the 30 year old Vinho Madeira Malvasia, produced by Vinhos Barbeito (Madeira), and awarded it the title of ‘Best Fortified Wine’. Several other awards too, but I won’t go on as I never really understood mankind’s obsession with fine wines, maybe someone can explain to me? Me, I just go to the local supermarkets, sniff out a bargain, enjoy drinking it, and then sleep very well. It has never occurred to me to sniff a wine, then take a mouthful only to spit it out again. Is there such a thing as an unpleasant-tasting wine?

Funchal Council criticised for changing plan to enable project of Minas Gerais – CMF denies favouritism. This building has been ‘on hold’ since July 2008 after Funchal Council noticed that it has more floors than it has planning consent for. It is a private development by the company Minas Gerais, and is situated in an area  that forms part of the ‘Urbanisation plan of São João’, in Funchal. The PDM (municipal plan for Funchal) requires that new developments conform with the limit of four storeys. However the PSD-M social democrats, the ruling party in Funchal council, voted yesterday to accept the urbanisation plan, which the other political parties did not. Now it seems that the Minas Gerais building will be able to continue in construction, albeit modified.

Insults in the council session in Ponta do Sol. Easily done!

Local authority of the Socialist Party in Santa Cruz criticises it’s own socialist government.

Under-20’s of Madeira want to assert themselves – Today our squad has two games for the ‘Eusébio Regions’. The target is to reach the final on Sunday. Our younger footballers set off for Lisbon yesterday for a regional tournament, named after Portugal’s most respected(?) footballer Eusébio da Silva Ferreira.

Trindade widens promotions to emigration – Portugal Tourism bets on South Africa and Venezuela during the coming year.

Please feel free to put some more meat on these or submit any other stories.

A news extra from Elaine : Car crime silly initiative – Come and get my valuables!

Police are going to leave notices on cars with belongings in sight inside. In order to prevent theft from cars, the police today began an awareness raising campaign that alerts owners to adopt behaviours that may prevent the occurrence of this type of crime. The initiative seeks to alert the owners of vehicles to the importance of not leaving valuables inside the car as this contributes to the risk of them being stolen. Thus whenever the Traffic Police detect the presence of certain objects or items in sight inside the car, they put a warning notice under the windscreen wipers. — They tried this in America and the UK, and not surprisingly crime went up as thieves knew which cars to target!

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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.

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Today’s Photo : Thanks to Sue … New Allotments. "I took this from Dr. Manual Manual Pestana Junior, watched them being installed and in no time already showing plants". 

I´m back after a short break (not that it seemed anyone noticed). I am back and a little irked (I am glad that word got through my spellchecker OK, as I wasn’t sure if it was a real word). The debate about animal welfare irked me, but what also irked me was a posting seemingly directed at UK readers, but this is not a UK blog. It is a blog for and about Madeira. It is a blog for anybody who is an English speaker, and not specifically English people. BTW It is also read by Madeirans who speak English. Nobody can tell me if I have a right to an opinion or not, they can only speak for themselves. I have opinions, and I express them … only limited by law, the fear of retribution, and sometimes the limits of my bizarre imagination. If I and other people think that too many animals are treated cruelly, we are probably right. If someone else thinks that is not the case then they are also right, albeit in their own opinion, and you are welcome to express those thoughts here. Of course they are all opinions based on personal attitudes, personal experience and the information available. Commenting on this issue or anything else regarding Madeira, has absolutely nothing to do with where you were born. If anyone thinks I, or anyone else for that matter, doesn’t have the right to express their opinions because they weren’t born on Madeira, you are definitely reading the wrong blog. Perhaps the Brit newspaper would be more suitable.

And … regarding the issue in point, under the general heading of ‘Animal Welfare’, the Diário has been well filled with readers letters since the article about abandoned dogs was published a week ago. There was even one from that cute wet bichinho on the front page on the day in question. I think I have read them all, and they all conclude pretty much the same thing … that the situation is a disgrace and an embarrassment for Madeira. I agree! So any animal abusers and those who think it is acceptable, stick that in your pipe and smoke it! Anyway, on that very same subject, Doris kindly dropped me a line yesterday …

Abandoned dogs on Paúl da Serra  – on the way to a happy? ending
Members of the animal protection organisation PATA together with the help of Vetmedis, the Vets’ in Caniço, collected the abandoned dogs from Rabaçal and Choupana. One very shy one remains. Ever since the story broke, a German couple went up daily with food for them and helped catching them. They are still persevering with the very shy one. A couple of  German tourists also picked up a female from Paúl and last week took it with them to Germany to give it a home.

The Vets at Vetmedis noticed that 2 females were in milk and with the help of PATA members, the females were taken back up to the mountains and promptly led their rescuers to their families. Now there are also puppies looking for a good home. A reader’s letter from the dogs in yesterday’s Diário tells that they are at the moment at the new branch of Vetmedis, which is to open shortly in Câmara de Lobos. If anybody can help, contact  pata@pata.pt , NIB: 003802460556441877117  or Vetmedis-Sociedade Veterinária Lda., Tel: 291 744 552. Doris

Bless those fine people, but how can we stop more abandonments? … many thanks for the update Doris.

Billy Lansdowne, ex pro footballer, and now TV pundit, writes on his blog about a trip to Madeira for a golfing event "I thought Madeira was flat. I was wrong … the highest point is 1861 m above sea level (some things do register) and the Golf Course we are playing tomorrow is over half way up". BILLY’S BLOG

UEFA, you know the European football people, have announced the details for their jolly very important meeting in Funchal next month. No mention of why Madeira was chosen or what’s to be discussed, but if I was in the government I would be out showing them some of the excellent training facilities here, like the sports complex at Ribeira Brava. UEFA XMAS BOOZE-UP

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

Government increases current expenditure by 5.2%. The Government has made public the 2009 budget amendments introduced for the period covering the first nine months of the year. Current expenditure will rise by 5.2% or 55,2 million. The Government reduces by 7.6% or €31,4 million the amount needed for capital expenditure (investment). The Regional budget for 2009 will be the highest in recent years amounting to 1.528.790.366 Euros.

Environmental cleaning changes. The Department of the Environment of Funchal will create a separate section for cleaning urban streets and tunnels. They want to extend the hours and actions of  environmental teams to include nights and Sundays. The change is to stop rubbish bags being abandoned in public places, on land and in water courses. "There are fewer and fewer cases but it still happens, and in some places it is recurrent." The eight teams will work shifts so that one team is always active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will open abandoned bags to try to identify the offenders for prosecution. Fines vary between 50 and 500 Euros. The change in cleaning will involve 40 more staff and 4 new machines. The total investment will be 670,000 Euros. Funchal Council also want to extend the collection of organic waste.

Atlas of Birds. The project for the ‘First Atlas of Breeding Birds in the Archipelago of Madeira’ was started this year by the Natural Park of Madeira. The book will be presented at the Iberian Congress of Ornithology. The project is still ongoing and 60% of the territory of the region has been analyzed. All information collected is being made available in both Portuguese and English on the Internet  (atlas das aves). The database can be used for various activities from nature conservation to tourism in relation to nature. The Director of SPNM notes, "There is now a doctoral student at an English university who will use and interpret some information from ‘Atlas’ to prepare his thesis on the subject of the evolution of birds on islands and its relationship with the available habitat." On November 20th, a new book is out emphasising nature on Porto Santo, written in both Portuguese and English. ‘Looking at Porto Santo’ by Susana Fontinha and Jose Felisberto Almeida.

Free diabetes testing. There are more than 26,000 Madeirans with diabetes and estimates indicate that 56,840 others may also be pre-diabetic. Between 17 and 20 November, there will be free blood glucose testing as advertised on information posters around the island. World Diabetes Day on November 21st will be celebrated by a symbolic ring of people in the Largo de Municipio followed by  ‘Walking for Diabetes’ to Santa Catarina Park.

Cheque for 10,000 Euros went through contractor to Lobo. A cheque for 10,000 Euros issued by the Vale da Ribeira do Sol society, allegedly to repay the favour to approve a set of 29 apartments in Ribeira da Ponta do Sol as the Plano Director Municipal (PDM) was suspended, was passed to the contractor who did the work. The cheque was to finance the election campaign of the PSD but ended up in the personal account of ex-mayor António Lobo, who is being tried for serious fraud and bribery. A former secretary of the company Giestas said she filled in the cheque, which has the signature of the accused Emidio Correia (former member of the PSD and partner in Ribeira do Sol), and it was put into an envelope for delivery to the building contractor. This cheque for 10,000 Euros and two others for 5,000 Euros ended up in the personal account of António Lobo. It is thought partners of the Ribeira do Sol society were to receive apartments worth around 100,000 Euros as payment.

Marine Biology Station collects dozens of sharks. About a dozen Pata Roxa sharks, popularly known as ‘Canejas’, were yesterday collected from the ponds around the Vagras restaurant where they had been left by fishermen and the restaurant owner realized they would not survive in captivity. The fishermen do not like this type of fish and ether throw them back into the sea or into this area. Some will be taken to the Municipal Aquarium of Funchal, some to the Aquarium in Porto Moniz and others returned to the sea.

Merlin helicopter from Porto Santo participated in a rescue near the Azores. Search and rescue for two crew of a vessel that had issued a call for help off the Azores. The crew were eventually rescued by a Puma Helicopter of the Air Force stationed in the Azores. Also mobilized to the site were a scientific research vessel and another ship, which were both in the area, and an aircraft to co-ordinate the operation. The Co-ordinator of the Rescue Centre of Ponta Delgada said, "The initial problem was that the position of the distress call was out of the reach of the helicopter. The scientific research ship was already in place for some time but could not collect them because of weather and oceanographic conditions, which were very, very adverse."

Racism in sport discussed in parliament. The violence, racist and xenophobic attitudes and safety in sports grounds will be topics of discussion next week. A new law came into force in August for both amateur and professional sports. Placement of cheerleaders, segregation of fans, parking and video surveillance systems are some of the areas with rules that clubs and other sporting bodies are obliged to observe. Xenophobic and racist behaviours are severely penalized for both the perpetrators and the supporters clubs. Penalties for crimes of aggression, xenophobia, destruction of property and entering the area of the game range from 1 to 3 years imprisonment, and are worse when the victims are athletes, referees, coaches or members of the media. The penalties for clubs range from fines to bans on sporting venues.

Forum Madeira promotes collecting toys for disadvantaged children. More than a hundred children awaited the arrival of Santa Claus today. There is a ‘Brinquedao’ in Forum Madeira for the collection of used and new toys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SESARAM and Social Security trying to contact families who leave elderly relatives in the Emergency Department. Last Wednesday, eight people were left there. The authorities are trying to contact families of 130 such patients who remain in hospitals in the region. These families often feel they cannot cope with the relatives, so the Social Services will try to find a solution as the relatives miss their homes and contact with their families.The problem will worsen when the influenza A epidemic reaches its peak and the relatives are at risk of catching the infection.

New fishing port at Câmara de Lobos. The work should start at Easter 2011 and all infrastructure relating to fisheries will be transferred there from Funchal.

Youth arrested with drugs in his shoes. The Customs Services of Madeira Airport picked up a 23 year old carrying drugs inside his shoes. He had 250 grams of cocaine, equivalent to 2,500 doses, which could yield an income of more than 50,000 Euros. The cocaine was in between the insole and base of the shoes. He had flown in from Lisbon and thought nobody would be there to order him to remove his shoes.

A quarter of the demand for homes is for rental. Between the months of August and September, a quarter of the residential demand was for rental homes. 63% of the property supply is apartments and 29% houses. 47% of enquiries were for apartments and 39% for houses. 61.6% of enquiries were for T2 and T3 properties. 50% of the enquiries were in the region of Funchal and 13% Santa Cruz. Ranges of purchase varied from 120,000 Euros for a T2 to 270,000 Euros for a T5.

300 art works from museums at an exhibition in Lisbon. From November 2009 to February 2010, the Painting Gallery of King Louis 1 in the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon will host an exhibition of art works from museums in Madeira. These reflect the main phases in history from the fifteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. The exhibition brings together  a set of symbolic parts of the collections of sculpture, painting, jewellery, furniture, ceramics and photography among others. The aim is to show the strategic importance of the archipelago in the context of expansion into Portugal and then Europe, in relation to the sugar, wine and tourist trades. The exhibition will promote the region as a cultural destination of great quality.

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It’s back to me now (Der), so the top story of today has to be the 1 – 0 victory of Portugal over Bosnia last night in the World Cup Play-off game, and I know that without even looking at the newspaper. It was a tough game for sure, those Bosnian players were so big compared to our lads. I was quite confident about a home victory yesterday, but after what I saw yesterday I am not at all confident for the away leg on Wednesday. So much at stake, and with Bosnia hitting the woodwork 3 times yesterday, they must have felt really unlucky. I tried to use the line ‘Portugal were saved by the madeira’ last night, but no one understood what I was on about. Perhaps goalposts here are made of plastic? More luck than judgement.  Was the headline. Portugal won 1 – 0 but Bosnia sent the ball to the post three times.

Today’s main news headline in the Diário : Authority builds 13 churches - The Government has invested millions of Euros in the construction of Catholic churches. The participation generates criticism.

Privates ‘help out’ CMF – Funchal council pockets 48% of the revenue from the parking meters of SEP. It is the local authority in Portugal that earns  the most with its franchise. The company that manages the parking meters of Funchal ensures that its master is well rewarded, according to research carried out by the Diário. In fact rewarded to the tune of €635,121 in 2008. On average each parking space generates around €965 of charges per annum. Funchal council not only benefits from it 48% slice of the cake, it also gains more because it charges car owners 60% more than the going rate.

Bad weather takes away €250 thousand – The ‘Independence of the Seas’, with four thousand tourists on board, cancelled its stop-off today in the port of Funchal.

‘Pit of Death’ in Ponta do Sol. The Christmas fun is back. This year the ‘Gigapark’ moves west. After previous Xmas visits to Água de Pena, Porto Novo, Cancela and Ribeira Brava, the ‘Gigapark’ Xmas fair is to ‘erect its tent’ in Ponta do Sol. Close to the main road, and with 3 thousand parking spaces, this years event is expected to be a real winner. It will be in place from the beginning of December, located in the development area of the town, and will stay there until the middle of January. One of the attractions will be a circus of sea animals, including sharks and penguins, that will perform for the public. Perhaps the new laws covering the use of animals in circuses didn’t extend to sea creatures then?

One further story from yesterday that I spotted, that rang alarm bells. Jardim cancels construction in Porto Moniz. The president of Madeira’s government cancelled the construction of a road between Porto Moniz and Fajã das Achadas da Cruz in the programme of the Madeira executive. He said it was too costly and wouldn’t benefit anyone. This is from the blog of 12th October, following the local elections : "Surprises In Juntas de Freguesia. The PSD had already said that their aim was to take all 54 of the the Juntas de Freguesia, or town / parish councils, and were already the holders of 52(?), but things didn’t quite go as planned, with just 49 remaining ‘orange’ at the end of the night. The PS socialists managed to retain Água de Pena and Achadas da Cruz, and gain Porto Moniz". Coincidence or punishment?

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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. 

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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