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.
Tesla Tussle Heats Up; Basel Pools Close Despite Lingering Summer; Tram 8 Noise Beef Escalates; Swiss Sport Museum Closes
News For 18 September 2018
On the eve of Basel's police department taking delivery of the world's first Tesla fleet, some in government are less than thrilled. The department of procurements for the canton feels that the cost of purchasing and on-going maintenance was never fully or properly vetted. Now that the bill has come due for the seven vehicles, procurement seems to think alternatives, like hybrid gas/electric vehicles should have been considered as well. Security Director Baschi Dürr stands by the purchases, saying, the procurement process could have been more thorough, but the outcome of the purchases would have been the same.
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The warm weather has been welcomed by fans of the Basel region public pool system. In the neighboring communities of Möhlin, Liestal and Reinach, the local operators of the pools have extended their seasons, some as late as September 23. For those hoping to refresh within the confines of the city however, they'll have to jump in the river as the pools at Eglisee, St. Jakob's and Bachgraben are already closed for the season.
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Resident neighbors of the Tram 8 turnabout at Neuweilerstrasse have sought a legal remedy to the noise generated by the trams. It seems the dispute has its origins in the year 2000, when an earlier generation of trams were found to be exceeding the legal noise limits when they left their air conditioner systems running. The situation was rectified by the BVB, and the newer models of trams apparently do not cause excessive noise...with their air conditioning units. Unfortunately, the track repairs which were completed last year seem to be causing the trams using the turnabout to squeak and squeal as they pass through. Although the BVB has made attempts to reduce the noise by reducing the speed of passing trams, the residents have not been satisfied and are now seeking legal redress.
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The Swiss Sport Museum, based in Munchenstein will be closing its doors for good. Lacking available funds, the museum open since 1945, and one of Europe's oldest museums dedicated to sport, housed the largest collection of Swiss sport memorabilia. Over 12,000 objects, 200,000 images, 150 running meters of file archives and 11,000 books, newspapers and magazines will be transferred to the Swiss Olympic organization for housing, although it remains unclear if they will now be accessible to the public. Among the artifacts: one of Roger Federer's Tennis Rackets, Marie-Theres Nadigs Sapporo ski helmet, Ferdi Kübler's Yellow Jersey and the archive of the Swiss Gymnastics Federation.