The huge €50,000 kit and lifesaving equipment donation organised by Amovate for the Aljezur Bombeiros did not just make headlines in Europe–it also hit some newspapers back in the UK.
“Here is the headline and story that appeared in the Sunbury and Shepperton Herald”…
Here are some photos from the Winter Storm Hercules, and how it affected the beach at Monte Clérigo yesterday, together with today’s clean up operation.
The photos have been kindly provided by Amovate Members Helen And Steve Rowell.
From The Algarve Daily News:
Aljezur sets low 2014 council tax
Aljezur council voted to lower council tax rates at the first meeting of the new term for the socialist leadership.
Mayor José Amarelinho said the council tax reduction takes into account “the difficult situation that families have in the current crisis, with a high tax burden that is expected to go up next year, with more cuts in wages and pensions.”
The council commented that, “the rigour imposed on our financial management has meant we can alleviate in some small way the tax burden on our citizens.”
Aljezur has set a rate of 0.35% – the maximum rate could have been 0.8 %.
As Leo says on the Vale da Telha.eu website:
“If my memory serves me well, the current rate is 0.40% and this is good news as most VDT resident’s exemptions come to an end shortly.”
Click here to go to the article in the Algarve Daily News:
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/232-aljezur-set-low-2014-council-tax
Posted on the Algarve Daily News Website on Wednesday, 09 October 2013
“Condemned Aljezur mayors may yet slip through the net
The Court of Lagos today postponed to November 6th the reopening of the trial of the mayors of Aljezur, at the request of defence lawyers.
According to the mayors’ legal team, the defendants have no knowledge of the charge on which they were indicted and therefore wait to be informed so they can prepare their defence. “The accused must be informed of the charge and then will have to respond within the deadline set by law to submit a defence.”
In June 2012 the Court of Lagos condemned Manuel Marreiros, president of the municipal assembly of Aljezur and José Amarelinho, president of Aljezur council, to suspended prison sentences and the loss of their positions for the proven crimes of malfeasance in licensing works in Vale da Telha, Aljezur.
Next, the Court of Appeal in Évora determined that the judgements were invalid on the grounds that the court had displayed a poor critical analysis of the evidence. The appeal court recommended a new judgment having reviewed the evidence, or a whole new trial.
The president of the municipality, José Amarelinho, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three years and two months, suspended upon payment of €5,000 to the League for the Protection of Nature, and loss of office.
The current president of the municipal council and former mayor of Aljezur, Manuel Marreiros was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, of the payment of €5,000 to the environmental association ALMARGEM, and removal from office.
According to the review by the Court of Appeal in Évora the two defendants were not informed of the possibility of removal from office should they be found guilty, and there had been a change in the legal classification of the acts described in the indictment.
In the recent local elections José Amarelinho (PS) was re-elected Mayor of Aljezur with an absolute majority.”
Bruno Vieira, a professional photographer and TV cameraman from Lisbon was holidaying here on Vale da Telha recently. It is his first visit and he says he fell in love with the area.
During his stay he took a number of photographs along the coastline from Amoreira to Arrifana, and two spectacular images of Arrifana can be seen here at the beginning of this selection from those photographs, which he sent to Amovate with his permission to use on the website.
Bruno took these unusual photographs of Arrifana at night. They were taken on a 30-second exposure from the clifftop close to O Paulo. The camera was in manual mode, with 1600 ISO (“just to get things right”), and although it looks like the whole place is on fire this is just the street and house lighting of Arrifana.
Quite a dramatic effect…
(Please note: These photographs are used here with the express permission of Bruno Vieira. They remain his copyright and cannot be reproduced elsewhere without his permission)
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