There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County. It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry. This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市. 每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告. 這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.
1. Linbian Township 林邊鄉
1a. Pingtung County Magistrate Zhou Chun-mi inspected water pumping stations in Linbian and other townships. The county has been experiencing heavy rains over the past few days, and flooding in low-lying areas such as Linbian, Donggang and Jiadong townships is a constant worry. 防鋒面強降雨 周春米視察林邊等抽水站全面防汛
2. Jiadong Township 佳冬鄉
2a. The Pingtung County Magistrate also visited Jiadong Township to discuss a proposed social welfare center to be built in that area. 佳冬鄉盼活化崇道眷村 周春米 : 意見一致再深刻規劃
2b. Several men in Jiadong were attempting to produce methamphetamine -- or at least one of the components of methamphetamine -- when the chemicals they were working with exploded, injuring one of the men so badly that he later died in the hospital. The other men were soon arrested and sentenced to time in prison. 製毒爆炸害死同夥 兩光製毒師+3共犯判刑
3. Fangliao Township 枋寮鄉
3b. The Fangliao Fish and Fruit Festival was recently held in front of the Fangliao Train Station. Mangoes, wax apples and many types of fish are farmed in Fangliao. 屏東枋寮漁菓節 , 6月10日熱鬧登場 ! 真的有吃 , 有拿 , 好好玩 !
3c. Parts of last year's local elections were declared invalid due to instances of bribery and other improprieties. Among those thrown out of office was Lu Ming-rong, a candidate elected to the office of village representative in Fangliao. Many lawsuits related to these elections are ongoing. 屏東去年九合一大選8人遭判當選無效 竹田鄉代李慶和確定解職 4. Chun Rh Township 春日鄉
4a. This article discusses the history of the Jinshuiying Historic Trail, which passes through Fangliao and Chun Rh townships in Pingtung on its way to Daren and Dawu townships in Taitung. 浸水營古道 台灣五百年的時光膠囊 (2)
4b. Due to drought conditions prior to the recent heavy rains, the mango season came early to Chun Rh and other nearby townships. The weather was, overall, good for the mango crop, but the resulting overabundance of the fruit caused a drop in the price. 屏東愛文芒果因乾旱慶豐收 近日和台南產區撞期量大價跌 (3)
5. Fangshan Township 枋山鄉
5a. Mango season also arrived in Fangshan, further south. The County Magistrate was on hand to help local farmers celebrate/promote the harvest. 屏東枋山芒果節周末登場 周春米化身最佳代言人
5b. A (relatively young) farmer from Shrdze Township won an award in a local competition for growing the sweetest mangoes. He is also farming land in Fangshan, so the award-winning mango could have come from either township. 屏東愛文芒果評鑑冠軍糖度破紀錄15.8度 獲獎者曝奪冠密訣 (4)
5c. The election improprieties mentioned in connection with Fangliao? They also invalidated the election of a village chief in Fangshan. 屏東去年九合一大選8人遭判當選無效 竹田鄉代李慶和確定解職
6. Shrdze Township 獅子鄉
6a. There was another mango festival in Shrdze, this one with a more aboriginal flavor. I drove by this one while it was underway. It drew in an impressive number of tourists. 屏東獅子鄉舉辦獅藝好農日 "獅子好忙" 暨全國傳統弓射箭賽6/10盛大登場 !
6b. The Tzu Chi Foundation recently visited Shrdze to give elderly residents mobility scooters. About 15% of the township is over 65 years old. 送愛到屏東獅子鄉 環保輔具關懷長者 (5)
6c. Collecting the fuel tax in Shrdze can be a problem for representatives of the Pingtung County Government, who must travel around 2 hours roundtrip to collect the required amount in person. They are encouraging residents of the township to pay this tax online using the app. 汽燃稅7月開徵 獅子鄉來回領款2小時... 申辦約定扣款送好禮 (6) 7. Checheng Township 車城鄉
7a. A "lost weekend?" A man left a store in Checheng without paying for items he took from the store. Prior to that he'd burned a pile of his clothes and other belongings near a temple in Hengchun. He was subsequently arrested. 屏東車城超商浩克商人前 先到恆春廟宇焚毀物品
7b. Fruit farmers in Haikou are worried that government-owned land in their area will be leased to solar energy companies. A huge solar panel installation north of central Checheng seems to cast doubt on the future of agricultural land in the area, and these farmers worry that the scenic value of their township will be diminished. 車城海口國有地果園 光電擬開發惹議 (9)
8. Mudan Township 牡丹鄉
8a. The Mudan Township Office is being charged with the misuse of public funds after work was done on the Alangyi Historic Trail, which lies in a protected area. The work done on the trail caused a lot of damage to the local environment, and many citizens are wondering how long such abuses by local governments will go unnoticed. 阿塱壹古道爆規避生態檢核 (7)
8b. Recent heavy rains in Mudan triggered a landslide in the same area. Critics are blaming the Township Mayor for overdeveloping the area, while the Township Mayor claims that such landslides are frequent and have nothing to do with recent development of both the Alangyi Trail and nearby hillsides. 阿郎壹古道旁土石崩落 ! 環盟轟過度開發 鄉長反駁 (8)
8c. A man from Fangliao went to visit an old friend in Mudan. On his way back his car wouldn't start. Police from Hengchun gave him a jump start and he was on his way. 屏東男駕車到牡丹鄉訪友回程 "顧路" 恆春警出手救援 9. Manzhou Township 滿洲鄉
9a. No recent news out of Manzhou.
10. Hengchun Municipality 恆春鎮
10a. A distraught man driving north through Nanwan struck three other vehicles and then fled from the scene of the accident. Police later found him walking north along the highway with a baseball bat in his hand. He later claimed that both his flight from the scene and his carrying a baseball bat were precautions against the owners of the damaged vehicles, who might want to hurt him. 恆春撞車後持球棒肇逃而去 駕駛 : 現場怕被打
10b. There are plans to rebuild a temple that once stood where the Stone Tablet Park is now located. This Confucian temple was destroyed in a WWII bombing run, though the foundations can still be found in the park. Many residents are excited over the project. 本島最南文廟 "澄心亭" 頹圮多年 恆春鎮有意重建風華
10c. Who doesn't look forward to the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday? The officers stationed at the Hengchun Police Bureau, who have to work all the way through it. As a token of his appreciation for their hard work, the Head of the Hengchun Municipality Office recently stopped by to give them boxes of locally grown mangoes. 端午期間恆春警堅守崗位 恆春鎮長贈芒果慰勉 (10) 11. Liuqiu Township 琉球鄉
11a. Representatives of the Donggang Police Bureau, which is also responsible for Liuqiu, recently visited the island to inspect traffic conditions there. A recent scooter accident has highlighted the need for improved traffic safety in the township. 東港警琉球鄉防制交通事故大執法 維護用路人行車安全
11b. The Liuqiu Township Office is making a concerted effort to reduce plastic pollution on the island. This effort has involved both a ban on disposable plastic cups and the implementation of a reusable cup program in which visitors to the island can rent reusable cups during their stay. 屏東小琉球 "琉行杯" 減塑運動推行5年減百噸碳排量
11c. Many residents of Liuqiu complained over plans to hold a music festival near a local beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. These residents protested that the festival would negatively impact the sea turtles' egg laying period, while organizers of the festival countered that the music festival would not be held on the beach, and that visitors would be prohibited from entering the beach at night. 小琉球下週辦威尼斯音樂祭 恐影響海龜產卵
Related Entries 相關的文章:
1. One of my favorite kinds of tree. The flame tree, which goes by many other names, is found all over Taiwan. It's the tree with the bright red flowers. The Wikipedia article about it is very interesting.
2. I highly recommend a hike along this trail. Most people start walking it at "the trailhead," in Chun Rh, which is really more like the halfway point. Those with REAL stamina start this trail at the Fangliao Train Station, and from that point walk all the way across the island to the Dawu Train Station. In bygone days this was the route many people actually traveled.
3. This is a big deal in townships such as Chun Rh, where local farmers grow mangoes to the exclusion of almost everything else.
4. The two townships are next to each other. Fangshan runs along Highway 1 between Fangliao and Checheng. Shrdze is to the east of Fangshan. As Fangshan is so narrow, many farms in the area straddle both townships.
5. This charity organization, which was founded on Buddhist principles, does a lot of work in rural areas. Say what you like about organized religion (I often do), but they do a lot of good for a lot of people.
6. The article states that there are no post offices or ATMs in Shrdze. This is not correct. There's a Family Mart and a 7-11 on the Southern Cross-Island Highway as you approach Taitung. There's also a post office in Fenggang Village, Fangshan Township, about 20 minutes down the mountain from the 7-11 and the Family Mart.
7. This trail lies on the east coast of Taiwan, and stretches from Mudan Township in Pingtung to Daren Township in Taitung. Its ecologically protected status has been a source of contention between the two counties. Pingtung has long sought to preserve the area, while Taitung wants to open it up to more tourists. I'm glad that someone is spotlighting this issue.
8. I really don't know about this article. It seems more like a politically motivated attack. That picture looks more like the highway above Xuhai than anything near the actual trail, and having lived on the Hengchun Peninsula I can attest that yes, such landslides are common in the area. I also can't think of any recent development in that area that would have impacted the highway. Xuhai isn't too far away from me, and if I have time this week or next I'll go take a look.
9. And rightly so. That solar panel installation north of central Checheng is indeed ominous.
10. Such a lame gift. I work a street over from this police station, and I can tell you that this area is lousy with mangoes. I've been given so many mangoes in the past two weeks that I've started dumping new ones in fields around my house on my way home.
