The strong storm that hit the Algarve, on November 1st, and left an impressive trail of destruction, especially in Baixa de Albufeira, was one of the most memorable moments of 2015, in the Algarve.
In a year in which forest fires were residual and, among the three largest fires, two were outside the period of greatest risk, it was the water that brought the greatest distress, not only to Albufeires, but to the population of other locations, such as Boliqueime, Quarteira, Ferreiras, Algoz or Alcantarilha.
What also caused concerns, and quite strong, were the demolitions. The Polis Ria Formosa Society began to take administrative ownership of houses in Praia de Faro, with a view to its demolition in January, and the discontent of the populations was soon felt.
Between demonstrations and precautionary measures, the demolitions advanced on the islets and on the Ancão Peninsula, but bumped into the chameleons on the Ilha da Culatra. The Administrative Court of Loulé granted an injunction filed by a group of inhabitants of that barrier island and suspended the administrative swearing-in in the Faroread in Hangars.
2015 was also the year in which work was restarted on the EN125, after the renegotiation of the contract between the Government and the concessionaire Rotas do Algarve Litoral. The State substantially reduced the value of the work, but also removed the section of this national between Olhão and Vila Real de Santo António from the PPP purview.
Remember here, month by month, how the year 2015 was:
JANUARY
At Ria Formosa, demolitions marked 2015. At the beginning of the year, the administrative ownership of the houses in Praia de Faro by the Polis Society, but this was just the first step in a situation that had several episodes throughout the year.
The night of January 16 was far from being peaceful in Olhão. Various acts of vandalism have changed the face of public buildings and shops in the city and not even the image of Nossa Senhora da Graça, on the front of the Compromisso Marítimo building (Museu de Olhão) escaped.
Very close to downtown hovered the threat of the disappearance of the Olhanense football team. The players presented a collective termination notice due to wage arrears and the club management had to race against time to resolve the situation.
On the other side of the Algarve, in Vila do Bispo, it was politics that focused attention. the mayor Adelino Soares withdrew political confidence from councilor Afonso Nascimento and placed the socialist executive in a minority situation.
In health, the year began with the promise of the then Minister of Health, Paulo Macedo, of give monetary and fiscal incentives to doctors who occupied vacancies in the Algarve. But the problems in this sector, in the region, dragged on throughout the year.
To close the month of January, good news: the Promontory of Sagres was selected by the national authority responsible for pre-selection, to submit an application for the European Heritage Label.
FEBRUARY
In the second month of the year, Loulé assumed the status of European City of Sport, a distinction that led to several dozen sporting events for all ages and tastes throughout 2015.
One of the biggest fires in the region this year happened as early as February. on the 17th, a fire in Morgado do Reguengo was fought by more than 90 operatives supported by 30 vehicles and three crawlers.
Around the Algarve in 2015, Geraint Thomas, from Team Sky, was the runner who needed the least time to complete the five stages of the race.
At the end of the month, Michal O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, traveled to the Algarve with good news. The Irish airline announced the increase of its activity at the Airport of Faro during the winter of 2015, with the creation of a route (Memmingem – Munich) and the increase in the frequency of two more. O'Leary estimated that this investment could create 1600 direct and indirect jobs annually.
MARCH
The Camping at Praia de Faro was one of the hot topics of the month of March. The mayor announced his intention to convert the space into a car park, inbut the proposal was rejected at the Chamber meeting and motivated protests by the Association of Users and Friends of the Camping Park. At the end of the month, a new proposal was presented by Rogério Bacalhau, now for the reopening of the park, with new rotation rules.
On the roads of the Algarve, March was not a calm month either. On the 15th, a 51-year-old motorcyclist died when his motorcycle was hit by a car, on the EN2, at Sítio do Chelote, at the entrance to Faro. three days later one 20-year-old young man died after the car he was driving collided head-on with a truck, on the EN125, in the Vale de Éguas area, Almancil.
The demolitions at Praia de Faro took a woman barricading herself inside her house, on March 19, when the machines at the service of Sociedade Polis were getting ready to tear down the house.. The protest failed to stop the demolition.
The next day, Marilu Santana opted for the same form of protest to demand payment of wage arrears at Clube Praia da Rocha, in Portimão, where he worked. After 16 days and 15 nights, the struggle of Marilu Santana and her 15 colleagues paid off and an agreement was signed between the administrator of Clube Praia da Rocha and the workers, for the payment of salaries.
O Algarvensis Metoposaurus revealed itself in the eyes of the World in March 2015. The carnivorous amphibian, which inhabited the Earth at the beginning of the dinosaur era, was identified in the region of Loulé through bones found in the rocks of an ancient lake.
Another of the themes that marked 2015 was the exploration of oil and natural gas on the Algarve coast. The Algarve Livre de Petróleo Platform complained, in March, of lack of information on the environmental and economic risks for the region and called for an environmental impact study to be carried out and disseminated.
APRIL
The solution for the Praia de Camping Park Faro was known at the beginning of the month. At a Chamber meeting, a proposal by the CDU to renovate the space, which should open this year, was approved.
On the roads of the Algarve, April was a black month. On the 9th, un accident on the A22, in the Vila Nova de Cacela area, caused one death and two injuries and, on the 19th, the musician from Tavira Miguel Drago died following a frontal collision on the EN125, near Algarve Shopping, in Guia. Not far from this location, in Guia, on the last day of the month, a bus lost a deadly victim and wounded eight people.
On April 13, work began on artificial feeding at Praia D. Ana, in Lagos, a work that drew criticism from environmental associations throughout the year.
April was a decisive month in the process of demolitions in the Ria Formosa, namely in the nucleus of the Farol. The Loulé Administrative Court accepted several injunctions filed by homeowners in that housing nucleus and, on the 27th, Polis Society technicians bumped into the chameleon, and backtracked as they prepared to take over the administrative office of several houses. A the fight started to be fought in the courts.
The first edition of the Algarve Nature Week started on the 17th of April. The show brought together 6000 people at the Passeio Ribeirinho, in Faro.
On the 22th, a 50-year-old man, housekeeper on a farm in Monte Farelos, Alcoutim, shot his boss to death with a shotgun.
The month ended with the news of the lawyer's death Francisco Florêncio, President of the Municipal Assembly of Portimão.
MAY
The Festa da Pinha had little reason to be celebrated in 2015. On the 2nd, the trailer of a tractor loaded with people overturned during the pilgrimage and caused 10 injuries.
Political issues in Vila do Bispo returned to the news in May, when the council of the PS withdrew political confidence from Adelino Soares, elected mayor and member of that party.
May was not just a hot month in Vila do Bispo. On the 13th, IPMA recorded the highest temperature ever in one of its meteorological stations during the month of May, with 40 degrees reached in Beja.
Sampaio da Nóvoa, then still unofficial candidate for President of the Republic, on the 7th of May he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Algarve. In the speeches at the ceremony, the state of education was the target of criticism.
2015 could have been the debut year of the SIC television program «Dolphins with Stars», which resulted from a partnership with Zoomarine, but Unfavorable opinions from entities that regulate the activity of the Algarve theme park led to its suspension.
News of the opening of IKEA, in Loulé, in 2016, arrived on May 20th. The Swedish multinational announced that it had already received the commercial licenses that allowed it to proceed with the construction project.
On the 28th, the murder of a 31-year-old woman in Faro, shocked the Algarve capital. In broad daylight, the ex-husband entered the snack bar where the victim worked and hit her with several shots from a shotgun. The woman ended up dying in the hospital.
The Algarve district football title was delivered to Almancilense on the 30th. The team from the municipality of Loulé moved up to CNS after a point-by-point championship with Moncarapachense.
JUNE
The month of June began with the announcement by the GNR that one of the Algarve's main hashish traffickers had been arrested in Quarteira. Four people were arrested in the operation that seized more than 80 doses of hash and several firearms.
On the night of the 17th, an accident with a bus with Dutch tourists on Via do Infante, in the Albufeira area, caused four deaths and 31 injuries. O initial balance pointed to three fatalitiesbut the number increased to four, two days later, since a 64-year-old woman failed to resist her injuries and died in hospital.
On the 20th, another misdirection of a bus that had departed from Lagos towards Lisbon, with a stop in Vale Paraíso, caused three deaths and 17 injuries. The accident happened on the A2, near the Almodôvar service station.
The month ended with the news of opening of the bypass to Lagos on the 1st of July.
JULY
The first edition of the Alameda Beer Fest, in Faro, “opened” the month of July, with the Jardim da Alameda full of visitors to sample some of the 140 varieties of craft beer.
The possibility of the area of the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina becoming a Natural Heritage of Humanity, through an application that brings together the municipalities of Aljezur, Odemira, Sines and Vila do Bispo, was announced on 7 July.
The following day, it was the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António to reveal that was invited by UNESCO to nominate the Pombaline nucleus of the historic center and the town of Cacela Velha to the Indicative List of World Heritage.
A Nacional level, Vila do Bispo was considered the Municipality of the Year Portugal 2015, which recognizes the good practices of the local government, with the Festival of Bird Watching & Nature Activities in Sagres.
2015 was a year of change for the Airport of Faro with the arrival of Alberto Mota Borges to take over as infrastructure director and with the beginning of works to improve the terminal that were presented on July 10th.
On July 18, another fatality on the roads of the Algarve. A hit-and-run followed by a crash on the road that gives access to the airport of Faro, caused one death and two serious injuries.
The then Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho gave an interview to the most important regional newspapers in the country, including the Sul Informação, where announced the intention of lowering toll prices in ex-Scut, namely in Via do Infante.
AUGUST
A August 3 IKEA store construction work started, in the municipality of Loulé, but only on the 28th they were officially launched by the then deputy prime minister Paulo Portas. The store should open in the first months of 2017.
There were more than three years of waiting to reopen the old Ponte D. Maria, in Lagos, which was closed to traffic for safety reasons. The reopening took place on August 10, after months of construction work.
Two serious accidents on the EN125 increased the fatality count on this road in 2015. The first, on the 9th, near Lagoa, left two dead and four injured. And on the 17th, a head-on collision between two light vehicles, in the Patã area, killed three people. On this day, the inauguration of the Variant a Faro by the Minister of Economy but, out of respect for the victims, this opened to traffic without ceremony.
On the 20th, an ammonia leak at the Porto de Olhão ice factory, injured seven firefighters and one GNR military, but without seriousness.
SEPTEMBER
The refugee crisis did not pass by the Algarve. In September, the delegation of the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) of Moncarapacho/Fuseta showed up available to set up a refugee camp on land given to him in Fuseta. However, the project did not advance because the proposed location was not to the liking of the Chamber of Olhão.
In health, more problems for the Hospital Center of the Algarve. Earlier this month, the Medical Association (OM) denounced that the CHA's General Surgery specialty was in a state of rupture.
September is the month of return to school and, for the University of Algarve, 2015 was a good year, as the Algarve academy was the fastest growing institution among the set of Portuguese universities, in the number of students placed in the first phase.
But UAlg wasn't just talked about for the best reasons. A practice at Praia de Faro, practiced on the night of September 23, took a student from the Biology course to the hospital and an inquiry was launched to determine responsibilities.
In tourism, 2015 was a good year for the Algarve and the World Travel Awards once again considered the region as the best Beach Destination in Europe.
Who also wants European recognition is the city of Faro who announced the candidacy for European Capital of Culture in 2027.
The legacy left in the Algarve by Infante D. Henrique, promoter of the Discoveries, inspired the pre-candidacy called «Places of the First Globalization» for inclusion in the indicative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which was also formalized in September.
The month ended in the Algarve with a new euromillionaire. A kiosk in Olhão registered the first prize of the draw and made a big party to celebrate.
OCTOBER
The biggest forest fire of 2015 in the Algarve happened in October, on the 1st, in the municipality of Monchique. The fire forced the evacuation of houses, injured a firefighter and destroyed a vehicle.
The tenth month of the year is marked by legislative elections, held on October 4th. If you don't remember the results and the elected deputies, you can remember them in the infographics of the Sul Informação.
One day after the elections, a man barricaded himself in the Lagos Commission for the Protection of Children and Youth, taking three hostages. It all turned out well after negotiations lasted eight hours.
What was supposed to happen in July, it ended up happening three months later: the reopening of the Olhão Level Crossing.
The month proceeded at high speed with the presence of former Top Gear presenters in the Algarve in recordings for their latest show, yet to be premiered. Despite all the secrecy of the recordings, the Sul Informação revealed where Jeremy Clarkson and company have been.
On October 21st, the Algarve “shaked” with an earthquake measuring 3,4 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was felt across the Windward and, in Silves, there were schools evacuated.
NOVEMBER
If October started with problems caused by fire, November started with problems caused by water that fell from the sky, with flooding in various parts of the Algarve. On day 1 it rained more than it is normal for the entire month of November. Silves, Loulé e Albufeira were the most affected councils.
In addition to the monetary losses, there were a mortal victim to mourn in Boliqueime. the days that followed were cleaning in Albufeira, which saw its downtown being totally destroyed by the force of the waters.
With the end of the year approaching, Desidério Silva, president of the Algarve Tourism Region, made a very positive balance of the tourism sector in 2015. What is written out there about the region may have helped. Like, for example, the Telegraph article that considered Tavira one of the 21 most beautiful and unknown cities in the Old Continent.
Also unknown is the Roman city of Balsa which is at risk of being covered by greenhouses.
In November the PSD/CDS-PP Government gave way to the PS Government, which has faces well known to the Algarve. João Soares, who was elected deputy for the Algarve in previous legislatures, is the minister of culture while the finance minister, Mário Centeno, was born and raised in Vila Real de Santo António. José Apolinário, who was the head of the list for the Algarve on the PS lists, is the Secretary of State for Fisheries.
DECEMBER
In December 2015, it has been learned that Albufeira is preparing to invest up to 15 million euros in a drainage plan for the Albufeira river basin, in order to avoid a repetition of the floods that, on 1 November, caused around 25 million euros of damage.
On the other hand, it was also known that the investment of 55 million foreseen by the Government for the requalification of the Algarve Line could fall due to havingra.
These were just two of several topics that were on the agenda in December. In the middle of the month, around 30 cars burned in a car park belonging to the rent-a-car company Luzcar, near the airport of Faro.
On Christmas Eve, another fire, this time in the engine of a plane with 244 passengers on its way to Madrid from Peru, that forced an emergency landing on that airport infrastructure. In the end, everything turned out well.
Other "hot" topics were the refugeeWith the Sul Informação to provide, exclusively, a first-person account by a Syrian student who is studying at the University of Algarve. also the oil prospecting e the first flight between Portimão and Bragança were hot topics.
On the penultimate day of the year, the demolitions once again motivated a demonstration, this time in front of Chalet João Lúcio, where he decided to continue the Sociedade polis Ria Formosa for another year.
In sport, Sporting found partners in Tavira to create a new professional team, in this modality, Sporting Clube de Portugal/Tavira, whose ambition is to win the Volta a Portugal, in 2016.
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