Banhof Airport Rail Line On Ice; Herbstwarrenmesse - OUT, MUBA - IN; Get A University Degree - In Yodeling; Study Finds Vitamin D Deficiency

News For 6 February 2018

As part of its year 2030/2035 railway infrastructure expansion plans, the Swiss Federal Office of Transport has been planning to provide direct rail links from Basel SBB to the Basel/Mulhouse EuroAirport.  According to Councilor Heinrich Überwasser (SVP), President of the Trinational Distric Council, the railway connection would bring Basel's transportation infrastructure up to par with Geneva, Zurich and other major global cities that offer such direct railway connections to their local airports.  Currently, riders must exit the railway station and board the #50 bus line, which is now facing capacity constraints as travel demand has continued to increase.  The biggest problem, however, now seems to be financing.  In that the railway would pass through parts of France, it has long been assumed that they would bear some of the cost of construction, borne out by the planning discussions which have taken place over the years.  Now, though, it seems such funding is no longer even in the infrastructure project France has planned, where the Swiss have already budgeted for their share of the project's costs.  It seems though, that even some Swiss aren't terribly upset.  Michael Wüthrich (of the Greens Party), and President of the Environment, Transport and Energy Commission of the Grand Council of Basel, wonders if the capacity constraints aren't for the best in that too many flights are already passing over Basel's noise-sensitive citizens.

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The organizers of the Basler Herbstwarenmesse have had to admit defeat. After 91 editions of the 9-day event, that is put on around the same time as the Herbstmesse, they have noticed that the format of the event is no longer as contemporary as it used to be - and the show will no longer continue. In the past few decades, and with the rise of online shopping, consumers’ preferences have shifted to convenience, which provides an almost unmatchable competition to events like the Herbstwarenmesse. The Messe also thinks that having two Messen per year is too much, and have decided to focus all of their resources on the Spring version of the consumer goods Messe, the muba.

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You may recall a hilarious televised skit involving the American late night show host Jimmy Fallon and the actor Brad Pitt yodeling across the New York City skyscraper rooftops.  And while their yodeling may have been improvised for humorous effect, a new program at Lucerne's University of Applied Sciences and Arts is offering a Swiss-Serious course in yodeling, to be offered through its Folk Music program.  The degree oriented program can be completed in 2 years for a Masters or 3 for years for a Bachelors, and students will have the benefit of being instructed by Switzerland's yodeling star and voice coach, Nadja Räss.

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More than 60% of the Swiss population exhibit a vitamin D3 deficiency during the Winter months. The cause is the lack of sunlight during these months. Vitamin D3 is made in the skin using cholesterol. In order to be able to complete this process, the skin requires sunlight, UV rays in particular - which are typically not in abundance during Basel's dreary winter months. Only around 10% of our vitamin D3 requirements are met through foods like salmon, eggs, mushrooms, and milk products.