«I am grateful to the entire community of Loulé that gave me the opportunity to be president and to discover my limits and that is an honor». The words are from Joaquim Vairinhos, the former mayor and «Marafado Algarve», who, since this Tuesday, February 1, has given its name to the Loulé Sports Pavilion.
President from 1990 to 1999, Joaquim Vairinhos was the subject of a tribute.
In front of an audience full of political figures of various party colors, especially former Algarvian mayors, association representatives and many friends of Joaquim Vairinhos, the municipality wanted to «praise the work and a political legacy that is still present in every corner of this county», says the Loulé Chamber, in a press release.
Vítor Aleixo, current president of the municipality, who was part of the honoree's city council team, spoke of Joaquim Vairinhos' connection to his land and the importance he had for its development, in areas such as education, sport, culture or politics.
«Vairinhos was present at crucial moments when these public and political management dossiers accelerated, he always had the vision and sensitivity to understand what was the historical moment we were living in and what ambitions we needed to have. It is indelibly associated with a qualitative leap in the municipal management of all these plans», he considered.
This visionary mentality was immediately evident in education – since his training was as a teacher – which contributed to «interpreting the needs, difficulties and dreams of this profession».
During the ceremony, the "many fights of Joaquim Vairinhos" were remembered.
«From the negotiations with the Government of Cavaco Silva that allowed Loulé to be today the only territory with three access nodes to the Via do Infante, the creation of the Fishing Port of Quarteira, a central element in the local economy and identity, the creation of the Business Area de Loulé, the Calçadão de Quarteira and many other achievements», recalls the municipality.
One of the struggles was also the Municipal Master Plan (PDM), in 1991, which, as the honoree recalled, was born from an understanding between the socialist local government and the opposition, since the then president of the Municipal Assembly, the social democrat Mendes Bota , present at the ceremony, and Joaquim Vairinhos approved by majority this document, which is still in force today.
And it was also this political rivalry that the honoree praised on this day.
“In a democracy we cannot confuse opponents with enemies. We have to fight them on ideas, but we also have to listen to them and see if their ideas are not better than ours. And it is often important not to isolate ourselves», he underlined.
On the day that Loulé celebrated another anniversary of its elevation to the city, the mayor Vítor Aleixo recalled the more than three decades of growth.
«There were 34 years of progress, development, struggles for the preservation of what is ours, what defines us, our customs and traditions, our faith and our culture», he said.
The president of the executive spoke of the identity of this community, but also of the memories of the old village of the Algarve Barrocal, «full of traditions, customs, of simple and wise people, a village of crafts, of shoemakers, of potters, of contractors, of boilermakers , of merchants, of caretakers, of bakers and confectioners, of teachers and priests».
But on a day of celebration also the «positive achievements» with old dreams «some of them also from Joaquim Vairinhos» that are currently underway in the city of Loulé, were in focus.
Thus, in his speech, Vítor Aleixo listed works such as the requalification of the Solar da Música Nova that allowed to house the Conservatory, the rehabilitation of the Gama Lobo Palace, the requalification of Atlético where the Casa da Cultura will soon be installed, the Islamic Baths , whose musealization is soon to be completed and which is awaiting classification as a National Monument, the INEM/CODU building.
«There is a dynamic and a small economy emerging that is animating and valuing the city. Loulé is very popular today and we just want to be up to the many challenges that lie ahead», said the mayor.
He also highlighted the work carried out in terms of housing, which will benefit two segments of the population, families with housing shortages, but also young people, differentiating professions such as teachers, nurses or police officers who seek to settle in Loulé find it difficult to find a dwelling
Finally, he mentioned the long-awaited Circular de Loulé project, which recently took another step, with the signing of the first deeds for the purchase of land.
Loulé City Day also featured a cultural program with a photographic tour of the city’s medieval center and a concert by Rodrigo Leão and the Loulé Children’s Choir, at Cineteatro Louletano.
Comments