Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tom … Via rápida bridge over Funchal
"Thought you may find this of interest. Madeira’s isolated areas with Internet may be solved, with this new technology … Pete".
"Life the other side of the Island" … Pete VIDEO HERE
"Close to nature" … Pete ROOTS OF A PEOPLE
"This may be more interesting about a slooper that got involved with Madeira fort in 1825. You can delete old story if you like, if it been used before" … Pete HERE
FUNCHAL
BEFORE AND AFTER
Thanks Pete, and Tom for the extra photos, 4 snippets from Elaine (East), many thanks …
Island Escape is the cruise ship based in Funchal that cruises the Canary Islands. Cruise passengers to sue over norovirus outbreaks. Hundreds of British holidaymakers are planning legal action against Thomson Holidays and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines after several outbreaks of gastric illness on the cruise ships Island Escape and Boudicca. HERE
Highlighting the new golf course complex at Ponto do Pargo as a good investment. Is it time to invest in golf property in Madeira? HERE
Interview with a wine writer. But life continues and so does our stay in Madeira. Half of the trip’s 36 days are now spent and what we’ve experienced so far are almost hard to understand. Treated like kings I am overwhelmed by the Madeiran’s generosity and the wine’s they produce! I thought I had tasted some great wines on the noble grapes but so far I’ve been tasting wines that now are new reference points for me – especially exceptional Boal’s from 1903, 1920 & 1922 from Pereira d’Oliveira and Blandy’s. HERE
Above website led me to his other blog Mad about Madeira. A salute to a classic wine HERE
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :
DIÁRIO 14/03/2010
FRONT PAGE NEWS
‘War of the stones’ divides government and mayors. It is a scene of war that is causing eruptions within the government. Companies had been ordered to transport stones and other materials deposited by the floods to the Marina do Lugar de Baixo, but the Regional Secretary for Social Infrastructure thought this decision was dubious. In the Ribeira Brava Council and different departments of the Regional Government, there are suspicions that the deposits at the marina were just to solve the significant cost of building a protecting breakwater. The Mayor of Ribeira Brava is reluctant to withdraw the inert materials from the mouth of the streams as he wants them for later use in the county. For a long time the mayor has wanted an extension to the promenade between Ribeira Brava and Tabua. Using the deposited material for this construction would end the landslides onto the coastal road, provide landfill and a wall, and create a new promenade that links the two areas. The initial order to transport all the material to the marina will not be met as Santos Costa has made it clear that the material should be used for constructing retaining walls around streams and for roads, then any remaining deposits sent to the marina. In Serra de Água, Ribeira Brava, Tabua and Madalena do Mar, small contractors have been withdrawing stones from the streams for one or two large companies, at the request of the government. This has led to a complaint from the Mayor of Ponta do Sol, who opposes the policy of Santos Costa. It is doubtful it the government will pay for the large construction companies removal of this material which has great commercial value. The Mayor of Funchal, Miguel Albuquerque, has to find finances for losses of 200 million Euros. Miguel Albuquerque fell out with the government when Funchal Council would not join the new firm Água e Resíduos da Madeira. The council will now have to independently finance the repair of the sanitation and water supplies. Miguel Albuquerque’s challenging independent stance, and the public praise for the decision to store the deposits on Praia Formosa and Carreiras, might cause shock waves in the future (Jardim’s replacement).
Segadães said that "cheap becomes expensive". Problem: Some bridges collapsed and others were flooded. Solution: Build bridges above street level and pedestrian-only bridges in urban areas. Structural engineers have a role in the reconstruction of Madeira in the post-storm of February 20th. An alternative route is needed over the Ribeira de João Gomes (between Alto da Pena and Rochinha). One proposal is a flyover at Campo da Barca linking Rua Santiago Menor and cota 40. What is agreed is that bridges will not have to be affected by any future flooding from the streams in lower Funchal or Ribeira Brava. Arched bridges with support pillars in the streams are now known to be unsuitable. Funchal needs more pedestrian bridges to allow better traffic flow and roundabouts should not be built over streams. Antonio Segadães Tavares designed the award winning extension to the airport runway. He said he does not share the idea that the flood was a new event to the region but was a bit more than others. We need to learn from the flood and that "cheap becomes expensive". The vice-president of Funchal Council said it is now essential to have the Viaduto da Cota 120 – a second crossing over the Ribeira de João Gomes. The president of the regional section of the Ordem of Engineers said there is a difficult cost-benefit equation. Bridges above street level are ten times more expensive than those at street level. The visual impact is also important.
MADEIRA
Court recognizes owners of Urbanization VIP. In the litigation case, the court recognizes that the owners of these houses are entitled to take part in the proceedings. The nine town houses that constitute Urbanization VIP were licensed in 2002 by Funchal Council. They were then the target of a class action, having been built on an ‘urban green area’ as outlined in the PDM. In 2006, their construction and licensing were ruled illegal although some houses were already inhabited. The council then included them in the new Urban Plans for the area and the promoter ‘Conselheiro -Actividade Imobiliária, Lda.’ appealed to the court to revoke the interim decision. The judge dismissed the claim. In 2008, the council tried to resolve the dispute by issuing a licence but again this was ruled illegal. The home owners produced legal documents to prove they had acted in good faith but the court rejected their claim to be interested parties. This latter decision has now been overturned.
30 families waiting for a new home. More than 30 families are living in precarious conditions in Rua do Poço Barral, São Martinho. The rooms were already in a poor state before the bad weather this winter. They know there are others in worse conditions, such as those made homeless, but ask the authorities not to forget them. The houses were built illegally over thirty years ago. There are leaks, crumbling ceilings, cracked walls and constant damp. Their clothes and the house contents smell mouldy. The owners have delivered documented evidence to Funchal Council who said they would relocate the residents to solve the problem. The authorities insist they will rehouse the most needy first, although they do recognize that the situation is problematic.
ECONOMY
Biomass will not solve forest fires. The Regional Director of Forestry is not convinced the region will benefit from the installation of a new biomass plant in Santo da Serra. He has doubts about the operation of the plant and its impact on the Madeiran forests. Nutroton Energias want to build this plant. They have invested in renewable energy in Porto Santo and obtained a licence for the installation of large solar panels at Caniçal. A biomass plant is only profitable if the material for burning has a diameter more than 8 centimetres, whereas most of the undergrowth causing forest fires is of a smaller diameter. Thus, the Regional Director thinks the plant will not solve the problem of forest fires. The Department of Forestry is there to protect and promote the forests, so needs to know beforehand if any timber is to be felled. To cause deforestation in order to produce energy is not reasonable. 60% of forests are on private land and the owner’s permission is needed for logging. Raw material for biomass combustion is cheaper if it is imported, as it is difficult to access land in Madeira because of the topography of the island as opposed to the Continent. Imported wood needs to be free from pests. If the process leads to better forests, it is welcomed. An expert said that a biomass plant is only useful if revenue is taken from both heat generated (70%) and electricity produced, as if only electricity is provided the income drops to 22%.
Data on forests in Madeira.
59,000 hectares of forests, half of which is natural forest.
16,000 hectares could be used for biomass, or 153 tons of trees.
Calheta has the largest area of forests in the region.
Bush and herbaceous plants occupy 24,000 hectares of the forests.
POLITICS
Court detect illegalities in the accounts of MPT. After the accusations, Ismael Fernandes now produces his evidence at the Constitutional Court. He alleges that irregularities in the accounts of the electoral campaign for the last regional elections were committed by the Earth Party and its financial agencies. He was the former president of the MPT and justifies his actions: he did not notice the dates when he sent the bills to the accountant; lacked experience and did not act in bad faith. The MPT failed to submit to the Constitutional Court a statement of campaign revenue and expenses. The audit identified expenses amounting to 16,923.90 Euros, supported by invoices issued after the election, which cannot be considered campaigning expenses.
More later maybe … especially if someone would be kind enough to contribute something …
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