WEF Arrives In Davos; Rhine Swells; Museum Visitor Statistics Fluffed; StadCasino Renovation Delays

News For 23 January 2018

The World Economic Forum got underway today in Davos accompanied by the tumultuous weather which has dumped record snowfall in the alps, and is likely a reminder of the tumultuous times facing the political and economic leadership scheduled to attend.  The kickoff keynote address is scheduled to be delivered by India's leader Narindra Modi, and the final keynote is scheduled to be delivered by US President Donald Trump.  The theme for this year's forum is the continuing concentration of global wealth and its negative implications despite the overall global economy's health.  

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Since Monday afternoon, the Rhine has surpassed the critical high water point of 790 centimeters. It was measured at the monitoring site in Basel-Rheinhalle, where the Birs joins the Rhine. The Swiss Rhine ports issued a statement saying that the Rhine waterway is closed for cargo ship traffic between Basel and Birsfelden. The authorities advise against spending time around exposed shore areas, as rescues would be difficult and potentially impossible with such high waters.

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The Tageswoche newspaper reports that museums, especially in the Basel region appear to be inflating their visitation numbers.  Apparently, in a bid to increase their subsidies from the state, The Museum of Cultures and the Historical Museum both bump up their statistics by counting people who enter to use the toilets, the gift shop or the cafe/restaurant, without actually paying to see the exhibitions.  MuseumNacht, the annual Basel event which just passed last week, is particularly notorious for allowing Museum managers to take liberties with or even simply estimate the visitor counts.  Needless to say, the Association of Swiss Museums (VMS) has expressed outrage at the practice, and is demanding reforms and better systems.

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The renovation and extension of the Basel Stadtcasino, a 78 Million CHF project, has been delayed. The new opening date is set for the concert season of 2020/2021. The StadtCasino society, responsible for the management of the venue, had originally planned the re-opening for September 2019, implying that the project has been delayed for at least one year. The delays are being blamed on the old, protected structures of the building, and the archeological finds which were unearthed during last year's excavation at the site. The casino society has already extended their contract with the Musical Theater by another year to provide a venue for the StadtCasino's productions.