Algarve is committed to a network of digital and smart villages
“The focus on smart and digital villages” is one of the ambitions for the future of the Algarve region and was one of the central themes addressed this week in the session “Development and valorization of endogenous resources in low-density territories”, at the Museum do Traje, in São Brás de Alportel.
As an overview of what is being done, results of the work developed within the scope of the Action Plan for the Development of Endogenous Resources (PADRE) and partnerships with local authorities and local development associations were presented. The upcoming challenges and opportunities within the framework of the ALGARVE 2030 Regional Program were also listed.
The initiative was promoted by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) and the ALGARVE 2030 Regional Program together and in partnership with the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL). The opening session was attended by Vítor Guerreiro, president of the Municipal Council of São Brás de Alportel, Brandão Pires, first secretary of AMAL, and José Apolinário, president of CCDR Algarve.
In his speech, the president of CCDR Algarve, José Apolinário, highlighted the importance, not only of taking stock of the work carried out, but, essentially, of “ projecting the future ”. Thanking AMAL “for their collaboration, execution and commitment to this project”, he warned of the current demands and the essential need for “ support from municipalities, parishes and networking ”.
Although the population increased by around 4% between 2011 and 2021, in the Algarve, there was a decline in the Interior and the average age increased, calling on José Apolinário to present and promote new projects to be carried out by municipalities and parishes, with “the bet in smart and digital villages ” one of the ambitions for the future. Vítor Guerreiro highlighted “the importance of support from the CRESC ALGARVE 2020 Regional Operational Program for the development of projects in São Brás de Alportel, including the Casa da Memória on Estrada Nacional 2, an important resource that generated great dynamics and attractiveness, as well as the Casa da Serra in Parises, a small interpretive center in Serra do Caldeirão, which revisits ancestral traditions and knowledge”.
In the debate panel “ Endogenous Resources Development Plan and Action: What results?”The impacts on communities and rural and low-density territories were highlighted. With an initial allocation of 9 Million Euros (M€), 47 operations were approved with a total investment of 16.9 M€ (and an expected contribution of 11.9 M€ from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as a result of the reinforcement of participation). At the moment, PADRE records an execution rate of 87%, corresponding to investments made in the amount of €11.2 M (€7.8 M ERDF). The data was presented by Filomena Coelho (Technical Secretary of the ALGARVE 2030 Regional Program), in a panel also attended by Artur Gregório (Associação In Loco), Aura Fraga (Vicentina – Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Sudoeste), Ricardo Bernardino (Associação Terras do Lower Guadiana),
In the second part of the session, ' PADRE 2030: renewed challenges and opportunities',Oliveira das Neves, consultant, presented the 'Intelligent Villages' project, and Brandão Pires reinforced the importance of PADRE for rural territories and low population density, the need for greater intervention by AMAL, to revisit the theme of territorial planning and to mobilize municipalities and parish councils. He also highlighted the relevance of an analysis of the territory covered by PADRE, due to its different characteristics, supporting an integrated approach in leveraging its resources. Aquiles Marreiros, executive member of the ALGARVE 2030 Regional Program, moderated this panel, highlighting “the main differences compared to the 2020 period, namely the reinforcement of the PADRE allocation”, which will have more than €30 M, “the priority to strengthening chains of value associated with regional endogenous resources.
The presentations made in this initiative can be seen HERE.
Man travels from Caminha to Portimão on inline skates
João Chalupa, a record breaking hockey player, has become the first person to travel from one end of Portugal to the other, on inline skates.
The Portuguese Guinness record holder travelled from Caminha to Portimão on inline skates, without falling. The athlete had already made history in 2019 when he became the hockey player who made the most touches of the ball with the stick (513 touches). This feat earned him entry into the Guinness World Records at the time.
Hockey entered João 's life when he was just five years old, however, he had “a kind of aversion to inline skating. It requires a different technique from the way we skate. Parallel skates have a brake at the front and you just need to tilt your back to brake. If we do that with the linear ones, we fall flat.”
João wanted to try inline skates, despite all his fears, and started walking around the street with them around two years ago.
Over time, the athlete covered more and more kilometres at once. In May, he did 100 kilometers, without taking the wheels off his feet, and he thought, “if I can do this, I can also do a trip around Portugal”.
“The idea started to mess with my head. I decided to research and plan a suitable route, to avoid dirt paths and cobblestones.”
His girlfriend and a college friend also joined this journey, so that João would have a support car, in case something went wrong and to help him on the steepest descents.
To finance this adventure, the hockey player had to find extra work in a factory, however, the money was not enough and he still needed the support of sponsors. When he got them, he couldn't go back!
João's journey began on the morning of August 27th. He departed, Viana do Castelo, heading towards Portimão. The trip ended on September 7th. In total, it was 12 days and 798 kilometres of skating, without ever falling.
“There were many threats of falling, some serious, like when I was going 40 kilometres per hour, going downhill, and I almost did the splits! I hurt my groin, but it wasn’t anything catastrophic, it went away,” he says. On the first day, his feet were already full of blisters, “which burst and left real holes”.
“Whenever I put on my skates, I put on some cream to forget the pain. It didn’t improve much, so I had to keep putting it on,” he says.
The athlete was insulted and honked at several times during the trip, but everything changed when he decided to put a piece of paper in the 'support car', telling that he was going around Portugal on roller skates. The drivers he met on the road then began to encourage him with words of support.
During the epic tip, João covered around 60 to 70 kilometres a day, but whenever it rained he had to stop for safety reasons. When the descents were steeper, João leaned on the 'support car' to slow him down.
During the entire journey it was only necessary to change the wheels on the skates once. I could do 700 kilometres with them, but as I got rained on, they lost grip and I replaced them with new ones”, he said.
João slept in the houses of family or friends. When he didn't know anyone in some locations, he had to resort to spending the night at campsites.
The adventure ended on September 7th, when he arrived in Portimão. Despite the pain in his feet, the following day, he returned to training at Hóquei Clube Vasco da Gama de Sines.
Algarve: 10 people arrested for drug trafficking so far this week
This week so far, the GNR have arrested three women and seven men between 23 and 50 years old, for drug trafficking in the Algarve region.
As part of an investigation into trafficking in narcotic products that lasted around ten months and spread across the entire Algarve region, the GNR carried out police investigations that established that these individuals were involved in drug trafficking, and that they were part of a drug distribution network for sale to consumers in the Algarve region, said the GNR statement.
34 search warrants were carried out, 15 home search warrants and 19 non-domestic search warrants, namely 14 in vehicles, one in a sailing vessel, one in an establishment, two in warehouses and in a garage, all in various locations in the of Albufeira, Loulé, Faro, Olhão and Portimão. These searches culminated in the arrest of the ten suspects and the seizure of various material related to the illicit activity.
During the searches, police seized 500 doses of hashish, 334 doses of cocaine, four doses of liamba, 3.23 grams of MDMA, 1.1 grams of CBD hashish concentrate, four hallucinogenic mushroom capsules, an alarm pistol and nine casings, a brass knuckle, a cleaver, a knife, 15,385 euros in cash, three scales, 17 cell phones and seven vehicles.
The detainees will be presented at the Judicial Court of Loulé today, for sentencing.
The action included military personnel from the Coastal Control Unit, Territorial Detachment of Faro and Loulé, Intervention Detachment of Faro, Intervention and Public Order Group and with the support of the Public Security Police, in a total of 147 operational personnel.
Silves: Residents demand a solution for fumes emitted by cork factory
Residents in Vale da Lama, Silves, have again demanded an end to the emission of fumes emitted by the Amorim Group's cork factory, expressing outrage at the delay in resolving the problem.
Residents allege that Corticeira Amorim Cork Insulation did not comply with the plan presented to the City Council and the Regional Development Coordination Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve, which provided for the elimination of smoke and noise produced by the factory by the end of August this year.
The emission of smoke and noise from the factory dedicated to the production of cork insulation agglomerates is located in on the N269 road from Silves to Algoz, opposite parts of the Pestana Silves Golf Course just outside Silves.
The situation has been causing complaints from local residents for several years, which led to the municipality taking the initiative to act as a mediator between the cork company, residents, the Algarve CCDR and the Pestana Group, with the golf course also affected by the smoke produced.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, one of the representatives of the residents association “Vizinhos da Fábrica”, Nuno Neves, said that “the problem has not been resolved completely, there is indeed a reduction in smoke emitted during the day, and an increase at night. The plan to which the company committed was not fulfilled and, once again, Amorim are delaying the resolution of the problem, claiming that there are delays in the work”, he said.
According to Nuno Neves, “what has been done, contrary to what would be essential, which was to eliminate smoke, are cosmetic works, with improvements to areas surrounding the factory, with trees, parking area and lighting”.
According to the person responsible, in the periodic meetings held at the Silves Chamber to present the progress of the process, the company claims that the pollutants emitted are within legal parameters, but does not present any document to justify it.
“We want to see the results of the tests carried out by the company to be sure that there is no environmental pollution that could put people's health at risk”, Neves said.
To call for an end to environmental discomfort, the Vizinhos da Fábrica association made up of residents living close to the factory promotes gatherings at the entrance to the Chamber on the days when meetings take place.
In a written response sent to the Lusa agency last May, Corticeira Amorim claimed that it is “complying in detail with the plan established with official entities and in which residents participated”.
In the document, the company states that in accordance with its legal obligations “it periodically informs the CCDR of the Algarve about the parameters of gaseous emissions from two emission sources: Boilers (emission of the so-called black smoke that occurred when the Boiler was started) and Autoclaves ( emission of so-called white smoke resulting from the water vapor used in the process)”.
At the time, the company maintained that “no legal non-compliance was detected in emissions”, and “a new boiler was installed in January 2022, which solved the problem of black smoke”.
Regarding white smoke, tests have begun on the first filter system and depending on the result, a second filter system may or may not be necessary.
Quarteira: Teenager hospitalised after being attacked inside school
A teenager, aged under 16, was hospitalised at Faro Hospital at the end of last week after being the victim of attacks by another student, inside theEscola Secundária Dr.ª Laura Ayres, in Quarteira.
The young man, who only started this school this year, was treated in hospital due to the injuries he suffered. The attacks, which took place on Thursday morning, were filmed by several other students who were watching.
The students father explains that his son, who “only started attending this school this year, was called by an older classmate, who said he wanted to talk to him. And that was a kind of trap. They caught him there, one of his colleagues started talking to him and the other one came up from behind and attacked him.” As the victim's father told Portuguese newpaper, Correio da Manhã, there must have been premeditation with several accomplices: “It was all planned, for sure. The other colleagues who were there, started recording before it even happened. They were already prepared.”
The GNR were called to the school, and “the school management is aware of the case. Witnesses have already been called to be heard as part of disciplinary proceedings.”
