Loulé City Council honored ten personalities/institutions, on the 25th of May, to mark the Municipality Day. Medals of merit were handed out in a ceremony that took place in the Hall of the Municipal Assembly.
The Gold Degree Medal was awarded to Carlos Silva Gomes, a GNR soldier, who highlighted the importance of this award: «it is with great pride that I receive this distinction today from the municipality that has been mine for three decades and in which I have dedicated the most years. productive of my professional life, always accompanied by large military teams. Also in this municipality, I took part in several social solidarity projects, especially the Casa da Primeira Infância. Of all the decorations I have received, this one will become the most important».
Carlos Silva Gomes is from Angola and, according to the Loulé Chamber, "has extensive military training, as well as in the areas of security, fighting crime, interpersonal relationships, legislation, among others."
Professionally, the municipality highlights «the work carried out in the Algarve, namely as commander of the Territorial Command of Faro and also commander of the Loulé Territorial Detachment». Silva Gomes was also Civil Governor of the District of Faro and currently works as Liaison Officer for the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the Embassy of Portugal in Paris.
With the Silver Medal, seven recipients were distinguished. One of the winners was João dos Santos Simões, the businessman who for decades has been in charge of the Commercial Graphics, and who was part of the Administrative Commission of the Loulé City Council in the Pós-25 de Abril. The Chamber of Loulé recalls that the honoree "has served four terms as councilor of this municipality, with responsibility for various areas but without any salary." In addition, he was the director of Louletano Sports Club for decades and was one of the promoters of the creation of the Industrial Zone of Loulé.
Also the illustrator Luís Furtado, «considered by his peers as one of the greatest set designers in the country», received the Silver Medal.
The Loulé autarchy recalls that Luís Furtado, a native of Loulé, «has carried out, throughout his long professional career, works in various fields of painting, including posters for the facades of cinemas (for example, Alvalade, Condes or São Jorge), theater sets (Mayer Park or São Carlos National Theater), television sets (programs such as “1-2-3” or “Grande Noite”), advertising or scenography».
Luís Furtado was also the creator of the image of the Loulé Carnival, of floats, costumes and decoration of the venue in recent decades and was «year after year, an unavoidable figure in the history of the corsican of Loulé», adds the Chamber.
Posthumously, the popular poet Manuel de Brito Pardal was awarded the Silver Degree. «Known as the only popular poet who was a fisherman, this man from Quarteira was the author of a sudden poetry, which was about the sea, the toil, the meager living conditions, but also about other themes that reveal a man who questions life , death and a little bit of everything that surrounds it», explains the municipality. She was also the central character, in 1976, of the documentary/feature film “Mau Tempo, Tides eChange”, by filmmaker Ricardo Costa. He died in 1987.
Also posthumously, Filipe Leal Viegas was awarded a Silver Medal by the Municipality. The Municipality of Loulé says that the honoree has expressed "always concern for the problems of the community" and exercised the functions of councilor of the Municipality of Loulé. He became vice-president in the term of Eduardo Delgado Pinto (1965/69), maintaining this function for several terms and presidential, having come to exercise the presidency in the impediment of the incumbent president. He died in 1998.
Doctor José Manuel Pires Teixeira, a specialist in Gynecology/Obstretics, was another of those awarded the Silver Degree. He founded the Gynecological Oncology and Senology Unit at the Hospital de Santarém, which he directs so far, and which "is a reference in screening for breast and cervical cancer."
The Silver Medal was also given to Fernando Pedro, a priest who has directed the Parish of S. Sebastião de Salir for over 40 years. The Loulé Chamber highlights, «from the activities carried out in this Parish» the «promotion of works in the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz, the restoration of the Parish Church, the construction of the parish complex, the creation of a small museum with objects belonging to the community of great cultural value, the encouragement of social charitable action, among other initiatives».
The only institution that received a Medal (Grau Parta) in this edition was Club BTT Terra de Loulé, a sports association that, since 2001, promotes and publicizes mountain biking.
It is, according to the municipality, «the largest school and the largest cycling club in the country, with athletes who are a reference in training and competition in different aspects of mountain biking, with various individual and collective titles».
Finally, two athletes were awarded the Bronze Degree: Daniel Faísca Coelho, who distinguished himself as a karate coach and leader, founder of several clubs linked to the sport and responsible for implementing this sport in several Algarve municipalities; and Faustino Pires, with a career dedicated to rugby, as a player, coach and sports manager. His career in the sport has reached more than 50 years, mostly at the service of the Rugby Clube de Loulé, having played the role of team manager of the national rugby team.
In this ceremony, the Mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo, highlighted the moment as being «of great symbolism of a Land that is very distinguished by its individualities and identity». «Each one of those present and those who are unfortunately no longer with us, in their profession and in their public life, was guided by behaviors and actions that today have been quite rightly recognized by the Municipality, which did nothing but interpret a general feeling and of consensus around these figures and also the role that the sports group awarded here has had in promoting the sport to which it is dedicated and in the training of its young athletes».
Vítor Aleixo took the opportunity to announce the date of the “LOULÉ. Territories, Memories, Identities”, which will be open to the public at the National Archeology Museum, at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, in Lisbon, from the 21st of June.
For the mayor, «there are seven thousand years of History that will remain, for many months, on that unique and privileged stage that is the National Museum of Archeology, represented by pieces that 'talk', which 'tell' stories, many of which are exposed to the public for the first time'.
Vítor Aleixo underlined the collaboration of several people involved in its organization and appealed "to everyone for a visit to this exhibition that will be a showcase in the capital of History and traditions of Loulé".
The president of the Municipal Assembly, Adriano Pimpão, congratulated the recipients, referring that «these citizens are the guarantee that the municipality's future is achievable».
See photos from the ceremony:
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