Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Vic … Gaula from Madeira Airport

You know, I was lying in bed the other night thinking to myself about Gaula. What’s Gaula all about I was thinking? Who lives there, and aside from a slightly irregular political profile, what does it have different to offer I thought? Well of course I didn’t have all the answers I needed, and added it to my mental list of places to visit. Well you can imagine my surprise to wake up the next morning and find an excellent article and lots of great photos all put together by a blog reader … all about Gaula … the premier is coming soon.

Babymoon on the beautiful Island of Madeira -  Babymoon has done a nice review of Madeira on her blog, but somehow I think she may also be a shareholder in a certain hotel. BABYMOON

I asked yesterday how high is the statue of Cristo Rei in Garajau, and the consensus ranged between 20 and 150 metres, and although I have never seen it I would guess that a lower estimate is nearer the mark . The reason I asked was to do with the story during the week, where the PND new Democrats had put forward a motion in the regional assembly to erect a statue of Uncle Bertie overlooking the port of Funchal. It wasn’t mentioned until a couple of days later that the statue proposed would be 50 metres high. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (pictured), was believed to have been one of the tallest statues of its day at 30 metres, but as the picture shows it was rather a trim statue. With Uncle Bertie’s body mass, at 50 metres it would have been a colossus indeed, and a deterrent to cruise ships coming into port, not just though any physical danger, but also likely to frighten the kids and adults alike. The PSD of president Jardim rejected the proposal, and I think I would have voted with them on this occasion, given the opportunity. But had the proposal been approved I think it might have looked something like this.

MANGO CHUTNEY – Tobi’s ex-secret recipe :
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
5 fresh mangoes
2 pears (sometimes i leave these out)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
300 ml cider vinegar
175 g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp dried crushed chilli
pinch of allspice, salt, cumin, paprika, (don’t worry if you not got all these.)

Chop onions and heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and garlic and cook for 5 mins until soft, add the mangos, sugar, raisins, vinegar and cloves, and bring to the boil, then let simmer rapidly for 30-40 mins, stirring from time to time, until the mangos are tender and the liquid has evaporated. While doing this get your jars ready, I get mine hot in an oven for say 5 mins, with the lids off, but heat the lids as well, as this is just to kill germs, then place the HOT chutney in the jars and put the lids on, when they cool, the lid will pop down making it vacuum tight. Store in the cupboard for at least 2 weeks before eating, once opened it keeps in the fridge for 3 months. I have also placed in plastic tubs in the freezer, as it freezes very well, I love it with curry , or a tub of pringles …. Many thanks Tobi, it smells delicious

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Making a will within the EU : This piece was very kindly submitted by Sheila … many thanks.

Further to the comments about wills, the Portugal News had an interesting piece yesterday.

The European Commission has just proposed the simplification of cross-border inheritance rights. The new rules, if implemented, will allow people living abroad to choose to have the terms of their wills carried out in accordance with the laws of their own country.

At present, the laws of the country, where the deceased lived, apply to the entire estate, even if that includes property or assets in another EU country.

The new rules would allow a single authority (either in the country of residence or of origin) to deal with the whole estate. That would end contradictory rulings by courts, in several EU countries, relating to the same estate.

The Commission also proposes to create a special certificate to enable heirs and administrators of wills to prove their status in a particular country of the EU. At the moment, European countries sometimes refuse to recognise each other’s inheritance documents.

Around 450,000 of the inheritances dealt with in the EU every year have an international element. The total value of such estates is an estimated 120 billion Euros a year. Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot said that the proposed legislation would make inheritance laws more certain and flexible. He said: "It is imperative that citizens and legal practitioners are able to understand and, to a certain extent, choose the rules applicable to assets in a will, wherever they may be located". The new rules will not affect inheritance taxes, which will continue to be administered under national law.

Hopefully that clarifies things a bit but, if you are still in doubt, you might like to do what my husband and I have done – find a good Madeiran, English-speaking lawyer! Good luck.

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

Reminder XXIV Regional Meeting of the Tunas and Mandolin Orchestras in Câmara de Lobos Saturday and Sunday. 16 groups in the Casa da Cultura. Sunday from 16.00.

Apprehension about the new Nursing Director. There was turbulence when the clinical directors were replaced at the hospital, now they think the focus will be on nursing. The previous Nursing Director had resigned for ‘personal reasons’, although few believe that was the real reason, and the successor has now been appointed. The President of the Union for Nurses says the managers change what is working well instead of restructuring regional emergency services or implementation of a regional network of continuing care. The Order of Nurses says they will act if changes mean the legality and safety of patients and respect for all professionals are affected. Focus is thought to be put particularly on the elderly and the Department of Dialysis, as the newly expanded  department will be operational next January. The hospital for continuing care, João de Almada is overcrowded and there needs to be more care for the elderly at the primary health care level (health centres). There is also  a long waiting list for residential homes and not enough money available.

Mackerel fishing fleet reduced. The fleet will be reduced to three when two boats are taken out of service next year. Weak demand, low prices, limitations in the Madeiran market and the only canning factory has closed means that profits are low. Last year’s taxable income was 1,800 Euros. One fisherman will join another company and the other will work with his brother. The EU aims to reduce the quotas (to 15% less fish) in the Atlantic and North Sea next year. For Madeira, it means a reduction from 1,280 to 1,088 tons but they only catch an average of 400 tons. The fishermen reckon there is enough mackerel and horse mackerel locally, especially as there is no Spanish competition. A Marine Biologist said it would be different if the quotas were reduced for the Black Scabbard fish as they are presently catching near the EU quota.

Madeira wine promoted in Japan. Madeira wine from five companies will be promoted to importers, journalists and wine experts. Over the past three years, the Japanese market has been the fourth largest export market for Madeiran wine. In 2008, 205,283.70 litres were exported representing a gross income of 1.0092.786,88 Euros. ——-This time, 0.70 litres has crept into the figure.

Judges are not independent. The President of the Association of Public Prosecutors admitted that the judges are not independent and impartial due to the size of the island and strong political and media scrutiny. They have to do more to resist pressure.

EU recommends that road tunnels are made safer. Smoke emissions in tunnels and car parks and fatal accidents in Europe mean that the present tunnels need to be modified. How does one make a tunnel safer exactly? Perhaps we could knock down the part that actually defines it as a tunnel, i.e. the rock? As our tunnels already have escape routes, cameras, ventilation, lighting, emergency services and equipment and whatever, one struggles to thing what more could be done. Ahh, I know … how about we close them to cars! Der

Diocese has new church paid by the Government. The new church in Feiteiras, São Vicente cost €1.5 million. The parish community raised 120,000 Euros for restoration of art works and interior furnishings. The building was started in 2003 and represents an inverted ship, a reference to St. Peter’s boat.

More than 1,000 crimes against children. In the first half of this year, there were over 1,000 cases of violation of the rights of children and young people, but the numbers have decreased since last year. Of the 1,097 cases, there were 300 cases of neglect, followed by ‘deviant behaviour, psychological abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse’. The social workers and outreach workers were praised at the forum, especially those working in Câmara de Lobos and Nogueira, Camacha. The most cases occurred in Funchal, then Santa Cruz, Machico and Câmara de Lobos.

SANAS assistance quadruples. The lifeguards have dealt with three assistances every hour, four times those registered in 2005, due to a growth in the number of bathing areas. 36% of the help required is given to children, especially wounds. The elderly were vulnerable to drowning due to loss of consciousness. Cases of sunstroke increased, mainly  in adults and adolescents. The most cases of death were in Calheta and the Lido. 37 drownings last Summer, more than half  by exhaustion and three cases required resuscitation. There are over 130 lifeguards on 21 beaches. There were definitely no deaths by drowning this Summer from Madeira’s beaches, so I think there must be some national statistics mixed in here, but I can’t find the original article to check. Der

Portela to Ribeiro Frio levada walk still partially closed. Will remain so until next March. There are notices at Portela advising how much of the walk can be undertaken.

New hospital still has no guaranteed funding. Initial investment of  €150 million needed. According to the D. Notícias, but not confirmed, Jardim has been in talks with the Mello Healthcare Group who have investments in hospitals in Portugal and Spain. They say that in the short-term, they will be unable to make investments so it will not be for another 3 to 5 years. Two other private groups are interested in building the new hospital of around 662 beds. Private hospitals are 14% cheaper to construct and operate than public sector ones due to tight control of costs and efficiencies.

——-In contrast:

Barreiros stadium to be completed on time. Redevelopment will be finished by December 2010 and in time for the Schools Sports in May 2010. Contracts should be signed within a month. —-No mention of the cost. Questions asked at the pre-elections time why this is more important than the hospital. Jardim’s involvement? €45 million of taxpayers money is being used to fund the Marítimo stadium redevelopment. Der

12,625 unemployed (8%). September last year, the number was 8,184. 68%  received Jobseeker’s Allowance, 5% Social Integration Income and 8.9% were looking for their first job. 70% were short-term employed and 30% had been registered unemployed for more than one year.

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(19th September). Today’s main news headline : ’65% Without ‘Morals’ – Each time there are less students signed up for the option of Religious & Moral Education. There are less than 10 thousand between the 5th and 9th grades, and just 37 in the secondary school’. The older they get, the less interested the students are in the discipline, and now religious education has been selected by just 35% of children for the new academic year, that starts on Monday. The religious classes are optional for students under the law of religious freedom.

‘Sentence Annulled – António Henriques, condemned for the crime of active corruption in sport, won his appeal’. A court in Porto annulled the suspended sentence of 28 months in prison for the man who was tried after a game between Marítimo and Nacional, in the 2003 – 2004 season, that secured a place for Marítimo in the UEFA Cup. The referee in the game was also convicted at the trial last November, and given a suspended prison sentence of 20 months. Unreliable evidence and unclear facts helped clear the former vice president of the Refereeing Council, for his alleged part in the ‘golden whistle’ game, which became known as the game ‘well robbed’. No doubt destined for a career in Politics now. Uncle Bertie is probably on the phone to him right now, especially as the alleged act thrusted his favourite team into Europe that year.

’50 Students In A Basement – Paralysed works in the school of Lombo de São João oblige the controversial transfer to the basic school of Ribeira Brava’. Families of around 50 pre-school students demand real classrooms in the return to school. The usual school in São João is undergoing improvement works, that were promised to be completed in January this year, but the works were suspended for 6 months due to the contact being transferred to another company, due to insolvency. Meanwhile the kids occupy two basement rooms at the Basic School of Ribeira Brava, where the temperatures are high, and there is very little natural light.

‘Officers On Waiting List – The regional command of the Public Security Police is going to receive 23 new Madeiran officers, but there are 79 transfer requests still unanswered’. The ‘green light’ has been given by the PSP nationally to transfer the 23 officers to Madeira to strengthen the regional command. But there is no shortage of further candidates, with 79 officers on the mainland asking for transfers to Madeira. Some are desperate to come here, and join the region of Portugal that has the lowest ratio of police to population, just 3 officers per thousand inhabitants. The last influx was in January 2008 when 15 officers were transferred from Portugal. The new recruits are due to start duty next month, and will take the PSP numbers up to around 750 officers. The trade union spokesman for the police said that he had not been informed of the transfers, and preferred to wait and see before commenting, but did say that 23 recruits was not enough to provide the total contingent needed.

‘PSP Seize Arms In Machico – Domestic violence triggered a search’. 7 fire arms were seized, various forms of rifles, along with around a thousand rounds of differing calibres of ammunition. Police managed to obtain a warrant for a search of domestic premises, and were seized on the basis of elevated risk in a case of domestic violence, which applies even if the firearms are legally held.

‘All The Schools Now have Contingency Plans For Gripe A – Rui Anacleto says that self-control is needed’. All schools will start the new academic year on Monday with a swine flu contingency plan. The regional director of education guaranteed yesterday that all schools are prepared and ready to deal with the H1N1 virus, but only in terms of procedures and prevention in the spread of the virus, with the reinforcement of hygiene requirements. Disinfectant products, masks, and isolation rooms form part of the plans. Anacleto said that everything was being done to minimise the situation, and asked all involved to show self-control. He said he did not want "to transform the pandemic of Gripe A into a pandemic of fear".

Monday will see the official presentation of the Monte Train Project. Funchal Council will reveal the project ‘Comboio do Monte’ on Monday afternoon, that will provide a route by rail between Largo da Fonte, in Monte, to Terreiro da Luta.

The Festa do Pêro is tomorrow in Ponta do Pargo, Calheta. President Jardim will be there around 1 pm to make a speech to the farmers. On Monday he will be performing inaugurations at two schools, one new, the other enlarged.  

Police (PJ / Judicial Police) are warning people to ignore emails that are seemingly coming from them. The emails have been sent to many on Madeira, advising them to install a Microsoft security programme, that in fact is a virus. The emails seem to be coming from South America, and the exact source is being investigated.

A young man, who has had an arrest warrant outstanding for over a year, was finally captured yesterday in Nazaré, Funchal. The arrest was made after a routine check in the area. The man is wanted in connection with of thefts and robberies in Funchal going back over several years.

‘Albuquerque promises better quality of life – Centre of São Martinho is enhanced with a garden overlooking the sea’. A new garden was opened yesterday in São Martinho, Funchal. The garden, with sea views, is located at the Centro de São Martinho. The president of Funchal Council who was at the inauguration, promised more such urban open spaces that offer the population "more quality of life". The new garden occupies a site of nearly five thousand square metres, and was transformed at a cost of €450 thousand. It has 145 trees of 60 different species, seat, litter bins, and play equipment for children.

This weekend’s football : Only one football match worth watching on Madeira this weekend … the local derby. Nacional v Marítimo Sunday 6 pm, on SportTV 1.

Petrol and diesel prices drop 1 cêntimo on Monday. Petrol will be around €1.19 a litre, and diesel €0.93.

UPDATES :

‘Registered Unemployed Rose 50% In August, Compared To 2008 – In August 2008 there were 8,209, one year on there are 12,315. But there are 74 less than in July’. The registered unemployment on Madeira and Porto Santo continues to show signs of improvement, for the second month running. However, August is normally the best month of the year for job offers.

‘Another Fine Mess – Madeira was involved in another case that shakes the country, this time the bugging of the Presidency of the Republic’. The scandal is believed to have connections or even origins on Madeira, after information about bugging the President’s office in Belém was revealed by an aide of Cavaco Silva. First it was the free ride in the car of the regional government to the national leader of the PSD, and her presence at inaugurations, then it was the "**** ****" of president Jardim, and now the listening device(s) in the office of the President of the Republic. Several controversial episodes, separated by just a few days, and in one form or another, they all have Madeira in the middle. Madeira and the PSD that is. It was on the front page of the Daily News of Lisbon yesterday, that the principle aide of Cavaco Silva had revealed there had been a possible interception of information through monitoring of the President’s team. The news is full of this story, but Cavaco Silva himself has refused to discuss the matter publically, as he thinks it is better to wait until after the elections.

In the latest poll by SIC, the PS socialists have moved ahead of their only real rivals, the PSD social democrats, in the race for seats in The Assembly of the Republic, due to be contested a week tomorrow. The poll indicates that the ruling PS have increased their vote share from 33.6% to 34.9%, whilst the PSD have fallen back to 31.6%, a difference of 3.3%. The BE Left Block has remained steady in third place with 9.6%, whist the CDU communists have fallen back 1% to 8.4%. 15% of those involved in the poll said they were still undecided on which way to vote.

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

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

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

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

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

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

UPDATES :

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

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

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

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

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

In politics today :

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

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