There are a million questions that come up during an international move, and one of the most pressing for families is: Where do I send my kids to school? This is no simple question. Finding and vetting schools and arranging enrollment can be a challenge, and the choice of a school can shape a family’s social life and cultural adjustment.
Snow And Cold Test City Services; Wind and Air Travel - The Perfect Storm; License Plate Auction Frenzy
News For 16 February 2021
The unusual quantity of snowfall in Basel combined with the cold snap that followed soon thereafter, left many roads and sidewalks dangerously icy. Dominik Egli, responsible for city cleaning services at Basel's Civil Engineering Office said that despite having 150 staff working at 100% capacity, the city is simply not resourced to clear the amount of frozen snowfall the city has experienced in the last few weeks. Politicians of all stripes seem to be in agreement for once, that the danger to Basel's population can not be tolerated. In addition, they cautioned property owners to observe their responsibility to clear sidewalks as well. Incidentally, Basel ranked as the coldest place in Switzerland for the first time last Wednesday when the temperature was recorded by MeteoSwiss at a frosty minus 5.2 degrees Centigrade.
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JUSO Baselland, a branch of Switzerland's Young Socialist Party, has called for Basel's EuroAiport to be closed. The party has condemned the planned halt of the Chall wind farm project, saying it is shameful that harmful air traffic is weighted higher than a project for a renewable and environmentally friendly future, and added that the Federal Government does not seem to have recognised the seriousness of the situation. The party is not only bothered by environmental pollution, but also by aircraft noise, which the left leaning political parties of the Basel region have been fighting against for years. According to them, the burden on residents is unreasonable, especially since air traffic is increasing from year to year. JUSO further stated "that the current Covid situation is a perfect time to give up on the trinational airport, and instead of protecting aviation, the Federal Government should better promote rail traffic." The Federal Government has yet to comment on this matter.
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By this time next week, you could be the proud owner of Basel Land license plate that bears a coveted low digit number. In this particular case the number is 46 and the auction for the right to display it on your car will end on the 21st of this month. Starting bid - as if you have to ask - is a few shekels north of 80,000 Swiss Francs, in minimum increments of 100 Francs. License plates with especially low numbers or minimum digits are highly coveted in Switzerland, with the number 10 having raised over 200,000 francs in Canton Zug a few years ago. At the moment there are no bids on the Basel website hosting the auction, and the highest price paid in the past was 34,000 francs for a number 7 plate.