Jersey appeal raises €70k for Madeira ; Private firms to Rebuild in Serra de Agua
Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tom … Monte wicker basket ride
Thanks to Pete for sending in this really interesting snippet : "A huge hydro-electric power plant 250 kms south-east of Lisbon in Portugal uses Alstom technology to combine and store wind and hydro energies. This plant has a capacity of 260 megawatts and supplies energy to 175,000 households. The reduction in CO2 emissions is the equivalent to removing 185,000 cars from the road". VIDEO
And thanks to Paul for these two snippets :
£70,000 to date from Jersey Appeal for Madeira disaster. “CUSTOMERS and staff at one of the Channel Islands’ biggest retailers have dug deep and raised nearly £19,000 for the Jersey Side by Side appeal for Madeira.
Around £70,000 has been raised by the appeal so far after flash floods devastated the Portuguese island almost a month ago, killing 42 people and leaving around 600 homeless. A massive £18,980 of the appeal total has been raised by Sandpiper CI, the company that owns the M&S franchise in Jersey, along with Safeway and Checkers, in just one week. The total, which was raised in both Jersey and Guernsey stores, includes £1,000 from Sandpiper’s management, while the rest came from fundraising events among staff and customer collections.”
Have you seen the Large White Butterfly? “The commission cited the Large White Butterfly from the Portuguese Atlantic island of Madeira, which has not been spotted for at least 20 years.” READ MORE I can’t imagine who thought up the name for it? Der
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :
DIÁRIO 17/03/2010
FRONT PAGE NEWS
RTP, Sonae and Mota Engil rehabilitate the Serra d’Água. Those responsible for the RTP and Grupo Sonae solidarity campaign will meet tomorrow with the Governing Board of the Investimentos Habitacionais da Madeira (IHM), in order to determine which applicants should receive the donations. The campaign Together for Madeira (‘Juntos pela Madeira’) has raised 800,000 Euros already and the promoters have donated 1.5 million Euros, enough to build a small housing complex. Over one million phone calls were made in response to the RTP campaign, and the Sonae Group challenged thousands of Portuguese to round up their till receipts in Modelo, Worten and other stores in the group, a campaign that will continue until the 18th April. RTP is preparing a mega-program to be broadcasted on Sunday between 15.45 and 19.00 hours, also helping to promote the 7 Wonders of Portugal competition, in which the beach at Porto Santo and the Laurisilva forest are 2 of the 21 candidates. RTP is preparing a fundraising concert with one of the top Portuguese musicians. It will be transmitting the Flower Festival Parade and the program is to be dedicated to Madeira in solidarity with the reconstruction effort. It will include images of the cleaned baixa (lower) area of Funchal, without forgetting of course the strickened area of Serra d’Água. In the latter area, 25/26 houses need to be rebuilt, for which Mota Engil guarantees 1.2 million Euros on top of the donated 1.5 million Euros by the Sonae Group and RTP. A Portuguese company is offering 25 Teka kitchens, Tintas Dyrup is giving 25,000 litres of paint and Indutora will install the electrical wiring in the new houses. The company Paços de Ferreira is donating furniture. Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Lusíada and the architect José Paradela are offering their services for free. Donations are deposited in a fund specially created by the Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa.
Joint Committee meets in the region over the next two days. The Joint Committee created by José Sócrates to assess the amount of damage and the best use of funding for the reconstruction work after the storm on February 20th, meets for the first time tomorrow. Representatives from the Government of the Republic arrive tomorrow in Madeira for two days to look at the destruction of houses, roads and other public infrastructure that occurred in the worst affected areas. The committee will not monitor the regional authorities. The members will rigorously assess the help needed, cost it and then formulate a framework of cooperation between the State and Regional Governments through the Special Law of Regional Finances. The committee will also prioritise the work and what needs to be done later.
MADEIRA
Beach walls are provisional. Santos Costa, the Regional Director for Social Infrastructure, replies to yesterday’s report about walls built in the middle of the beach of Porto Santo. He explained that the walls are only provisional, built to prevent damage by the abnormally violent storms that occurred from last November to February 20th. The photo shows the threat that the government is attempting to alleviate and the technicians will be able to decide on a technically and environmentally desirable solution when the sea is calmer.
Humanitarian problems in Funchal. The Report of the USA about Human Rights in 2009 revealed that Portugal and the archipelagos have humanitarian problems, although there have been improvements in prison overcrowding. With regard to Funchal, the report highlighted a young offender imprisoned for eight months with convicted adults. This was despite a special prison (prison-school) in Leiria for young offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 years old.
Excessive police force. A car was badly parked in a prohibited area while the driver went into a shop. On returning, he found a a police officer was fining him and he exchanged ‘bitter’ words with the officer who then asked for reinforcements. Two police motorbikes and two patrol cars responded using sirens and the unresisting man was forced out of his car, searched and arrested. This was watched by angry witnesses, an elderly woman in the front seat and accompanied by screams from a child of approximately nine years old in the back of the car. The two passengers were also taken to the police station. The Regional Command of the Police has not yet responded to the questions of the DIÁRIO.
ECONOMY
Madeira – Paris / Orly from 58 Euros. The airline transavia.com starts the promotion today for the new routes between Funchal and Nantes. The first flights begin at the end of March and the French low-cost carrier offers a discounted price for journeys made between 1 April and 15 July. Travel between Porto and Funchal is from 38 Euros in both directions. For Nantes via Porto, flights start at 58 Euros one-way. The all-inclusive web reserve system is totally transparent. The promotional campaign includes the transport of 20 kg luggage in the hold and 5 kg in the cabin.
POLITICS
Court of Auditors stop work by the council. The Court of Auditors has stopped a road being built in Camacha by Santa Cruz Council. The road was to link the Caminho Municipal da Portela, by the old church of Camacha, to Mato Grosso. The work was financed by both the Regional Government and Santa Cruz Council but the contract did not stipulate details of the co-payments. In 2005, the Tribunal could not obtain assurances that the council could honour their financial commitment and the work was prohibited. The municipality wanted to build a bridge linking this road to Mato Grosso, where the population is of a significant size. They began to build the bridge then were ordered to stop by the Court of Auditors. During the last storm, retaining walls were washed away and earth deposited inside the bridge, threatening the flow of the ribeiro Pedro Lourenço and houses downstream. A date for the completion of the bridge depends on an agreement being made.
UPDATES
British Embassy supports Centro Porta Amiga do Funchal. The British Embassy in Lisbon has decided to help the Centro Porta Amiga do Funchal after the disaster of February 20th. Financial assistance will be raised through the Sport Relief Mile event, organized by a British charity each year. The race takes place on the 20th March, starting at the promenade of Oeiras at 10.30 am and finishes at the beach of Santo Amaro. If interested in making a donation, contact the Embassy by phoning 213924035 or e-mailing kate.christie@fco.gov.uk
JORNAL DA MADEIRA
CULTURE
Show raises over 23,000 Euros. João Carlos Abreu, President of Criamar, the charity for the Social Development of Children and Young People, handed over 23,803.65 Euros to the Association of Development of Ribeira Brava. This will go towards the reconstruction of houses damaged on the 20th February. The money was raised by performances in Lisbon by Filipe La Féria and by "Juntos Renasceremos" (Together Reborn) in Funchal.
Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :
Valter puts in the drawer [postpones] the library of Farinha – It took 5 months and a change of presidents in Porto Moniz in order that the project might cease to be a priority.
Contest of the pharmacies drops a clanger – Opinion of the ANF hinders the process. Competitors protest.
Today’s main news headline : MP requires efficiency in the Madeiran Inland Revenue – The coordinator of services of the Public Ministry in the region devastates the leadership of Fiscal Affairs. The annual report reveals there is late notification in the establishment of inquiries, ‘investigation’ that is not worthy of the name, "almost total ineffectiveness" in fighting tax crimes. Ho, ho, ho, I wondered when someone would notice. Great people, and very helpful in my tax office, but efficiency doesn’t ooze in the IRS of Madeira. Whoever this guy is he will have to change a complete culture of local standards, rules, and behaviours. If successful, that would cause some considerable hardship in the Madeiran cash community. Can’t say anymore than that for fear of reprisals.
Taiwan send money through the deputies – Storm causes diplomatic embarrassment.
Christian democrat Party, CDS, asks for a commission of enquiry, CDU shows sites in need of recuperation.
Increased number ‘signed on’ in the Employment Centre – Madeira registers the second highest increase in Portugal. The numbers increased throughout the country, except in the Azores. Nationwide, there was an increase of 19.6% comparing the last two Februaries, and a 0.2% rise on January 2010. From January to February this year, the number of those ‘signed on’ on Madeira increased by 3.8%.
The main sports / football headline today : Jardim’s plan for the European season is at risk – The famous meeting in preparation for a triumphant season for Marítimo did not result in a dynamic winner.
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.
Many thanks to Elaine (West) for this heart-tingling story :
Saved from the rubble after almost 30 days. A dog was rescued alive yesterday in São Gonçalo during cleaning of the site. A unique situation for those who witnessed it. Yesterday morning, a group of employees of a company that specializes in building found a dog trapped beneath the debris resulting from the tragedy of the 20th of February during a cleanup operation in the area of São Gonçalo,. Nearly a month after the storm, to everyone’s surprise, the animal was healthy, but with its hind legs, preventing it escaping and fleeing the scene. The black cocker spaniel was helped by another dog, which faithfully kept him company. According to the DIÁRIO, the animal was freed by firefighters and taken to the Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals (SPAD), while the dog which had protected its friend ran behind the car. "It was a shame not to bring those two together, because they seemed to be great friends," said one worker on site. As the animal appeared to have been well looked after, there is every reason to believe that it has an owner and that he was caught by the flood. The dog was found yesterday morning around 10 o’clock, when a group of workers took over the clean-up operation by Palheiro Golf in São Gonçalo. After the initial cleaning, the workers returned yesterday to the site to continue the work. The DIÁRIO also tried to establish with SPAD the state of the animal, but was refused any access to information by the management.
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Infiltrations in the Bairro da Nazaré. For over 20 years, residents in the social housing complex in the neighbourhood of Nazaré in Funchal have complained of rain entering the apartments. A resident complained he had spent 500 Euros in an attempt to fix the problem and had to replace a water damaged washing machine and refrigerator. On the top floor, a middle-aged couple no longer bother to have the damage repaired because the same problem recurs. Residents have notified the IHM, responsible for the building, but they visit then say they have too many repairs to do.
Benjamin Marques in focus in Madeira International Art Biennial. The Biennial will open on June 15th and the works of art will be displayed over several areas. This year it will pay homage to the Portuguese artist Benjamin Marques with a display of eight of his works. This is the third edition of this arts exhibition and the inauguration will be held at the Casa da Luz (Electricity Museum) on June 15th. The event ends on July 31st. The works and artists will also be represented in other areas of Madeira: from June 18th at the Casa de Cultura de Santana; from 24th June at the Casa da Cultura de Santa Cruz and at the Library of Estreito and Civic Centre of Ponta do Pargo, at dates to be announced. The photo is one of the works of Benjamin Marques in the collection titled, Géologie.
Madeiran wins slot in television series – Joana Ponte is a vampire in the series ‘Lua Vermelha’ [Red Moon]. I haven’t watched this series on SIC, but a few days ago I saw a bit when channel hopping, and it looked quite interesting. But if SIC wanted to recruit for monster / weirdo roles in the series, surely Uncle Bertie would have been the first choice. He has nothing else constructive to do, and he wouldn’t even need any make-up. If that doesn’t get me deported, then I reckon I am safe here for the rest of my days!
Rock fall forces family from home. The car was buried inside the garage, and the house damaged, early on Christmas morning in sítio do Calvário, in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. There were 5 people in the house when it was stuck at about 1.30 am yesterday morning, but all escaped uninjured. The fire brigade attended, but there was little they could do, so the matter is now in the hands of the council to clean up and secure the location from further problems. Also up until early yesterday morning the fire departments were called to Funchal, Tâmega (Ribeira Brava), Fontaínhas and to Quinta Grande to deal with trees that had fallen into the roads. At Levada dos Piornais a wall collapsed. Somehow I suspect there must be many more stories of problems than just the few cited here, but everyone deserves a day off, so bad luck for the firemen as well as for those badly affected.
Most of the front page today is taken up with a ungripping photo of a stopped (abandoned?) car in a street littered with flood debris … but no flood (maybe the Diário photographer arrived a bit late?) : Night of panic – Rivers spill over in São Vicente, Ribeira Brava, and Madelena do Mar. Sue kindly covered the weather stories above, so not much more to add. All was under control in Ribeira Brava town, but the flow in the river was the strongest I have ever seen. I can’t normally see the actual river from my balcony, but last night for a while I could, and the noise was incredible. The water clearly coming from somewhere with much more rain than we actually had in the town. The poor ducks (around 70 of them) were homeless with no high ground left to sleep on. They ended up clustered on a few rocks very close to the sea and the threat of high waves. Don’t forget if you have some leftovers / bread etc. you can spare, they really do need help to find food at the moment and probably for a good few weeks to come.
Rain and wind threaten the most popular night in downtown Funchal. The rain hasn’t helped businesses, and now with the stalls of flowers, fruit, vegetables erected around the fruit market (Mercado dos Lavradores) ready for Market Night tonight, traders are apprehensive about the night and trade being ruined by more bad weather. The roads are closed to traffic and full of traders trying to make the most of the last few days before Xmas. The sun umbrellas amongst the stands are serving to provide some protection from the repetitive rain, but there has been no protection against the financial damage they have all suffered as a result of the poor weather.
Sea changes colour. Deposition of land into the sea by the works of the promenade. Increasingly common sight now Winter is approaching.
Red Cross needs more volunteers. There are about three dozen people who make up the volunteer corps of the Portuguese Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa CVP), but they need more people willing to take part in the social work of the institution. They deliver breakfast to outpatients at the hospital, visit inpatients, work with groups of elderly people and deliver clothes to families and individuals in need. The opening of the Christmas Bazaar is only possible because of the goodwill of a few volunteers. All products on sale were made by the volunteers of the CVP. It will continue until Saturday December 5, from 10.00 to 19.00, at 21 Rua Dr. Fernão de Ornelas. The most demand has been for the sweet products and Christmas decorative pieces.
Isidora pays a fine and expects a licence. João Isidora, the leader of the Earth Party (MPT) had work done on his house that was not licensed by Funchal Council in 2007. The Council ordered the demolition of this extension last June. He challenged this decision and awaits an outcome. Meanwhile, he must pay a fine of 1,000 Euros. The original licence was for improvement to the roof but instead he added an attic. He applied for a second licence but this was refused on grounds that it did not fit in with the Municipal Plan (MDP). His new challenge is that only 65 cm of the roof is illegal and he also challenges the legality of the MDP. — The Earth Party leader spoiling the contours of the environment!
Construction contentions in Chão da Ribeira. In the countryside, brown wooden barracks have been built in defiance of the laws. There are now several thousand throughout the valley, they infringe the Municipal Master Plan and are of concern to both the Council of Porto Moniz and the Natural Park of Madeira. The Mayor of Porto Moniz and the Director of the Natural Park of Madeira are to meet to decide the most effective measures to combat investors converting ‘palheiros’ and vacant land to small buildings for weekend / weekday nightlife. These constructions of non-permanent residence proliferate in an area of strict building restrictions to protect the landscape and existing buildings. Buildings can only be reconstructed, restored or remodelled if they do not increase the area of existing construction. This is what is happening. The mayor is awaiting a detailed plan of the location in order to impose detailed rules setting out, once and for all, policy development. The cultural and environmental heritage will be preserved. These palheiros were used to store farm implements and agricultural products. "I am in favour of reclassification but with detailed guidelines." The mayor has a stone palheiro in the area. The Director of the Natural Park of Madeira confirms that criminal misdemeanours have occurred. A wooden building can cover an entire plot of land, have high walls, a barbecue and a TV satellite dish. The previous mayor defended the Municipal Plan for the area which enabled the reconstruction of 120 palheiros and a restoration area, and was agreed by the Regional Government. Now it is known the gravity of this plan on the landscape of the whole valley of Chão da Ribeira. —- A palheiro is a small building, like the typical A-framed houses at Santana. Selling on the web, with land, for about 100,000 Euros. —- for anyone who likes history, from the J. Madeira.
Discotheque will liven Market Night. The nightclub ‘Vespas’ will erect a tent in the Praça da Autonomia. The programme for December includes various parties and the presence of famous DJs, and runs into the beginning of January. The big story is the market night entertainment provided by Vespas, that will appeal to the younger generation, that each year fill the main arteries of Funchal. I could give you a list of the ‘star’ names who will play music, but I suspect it might be as useful as the names of Rudolph’s pals who will be out delivering presents those nights. I remember reading from last year that the traditional significance of Market Night was diminishing, and with this racket filling the streets all night this year, that it not likely to get any better. Perhaps I misjudge the younger generation, and after dancing the night away to DJ Motiv8 (pictured), perhaps they will stock up with a bag or two of fruit and veg before ambling home. And as for Motiv8 himself, what were his parents thinking when they christened him with a number in his name?