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.
Transatlantic Basel Flight Talk Heats Up; Basel Soap Box Derby Results; Separatist Dignitary Visits Basel; Basel Beach Upgrade Begins
News For 11 September 2018
A group of airline industry veterans are planning to start a Basel based airline offering trans-Atlantic service according to media and industry reports. Service could begin as early as middle 2019, and would see direct, non-stop service between the Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport and smaller market cities in North America. The project began its fundraising this week, with hopes to raise 100 million Swiss francs to fund the start-up. The project, despite having many fans, no doubt has its detractors as well - last week we reported on discussions taking place within Basel's parliament to curtail the number of existing flights into and out of the Basel Airport.
**********
The 11th annual Basel Soap Box derby, sponsored by the Robi Spiel Actions foundation took place at the Margarethenpark this past Sunday. 61 participants entered to compete in speed and originality categories. Even Basel dignitaries took part in the festivities, seeing Basel Grand Counsel member Felix Wehrli hurling down the hill in a soap box car. The competitors were divided into adult and children's and teens groups. The results speak for themselves: The kids and teens groups averaged between 30-40 seconds to complete the downhill course, where the adults and dignitaries groups averaged over 50 seconds.
**********
The Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont stopped by Basel's Marktplatz while visiting the city on his way to Zurich after stumping for suppert in the Swiss Jura region. The controversial figure is no stranger to the city, having been here in his youth according to an interview he gave while having lunch at the Baseler Stubli restaurant.
**********
Basel city civil engineering department has started working on improving and expanding the beaches of the Rhein river in the city. The work is expected to continue throughout the autumn and estimates are that 3 million Swiss Francs will be spent in total to complete the work. Approximately 22,000 tons of gravel and sediment will be dredged from the river bottom, improving the shipping channel, and dumped on the shores starting in Kleinbasel. Consultations with the Environmental department were also part of the planning to help improve the fish and wildlife status of the river.