Two wins in one day for our Devo and Junior teams Jonathan Vervenne took his first victory of the year in the National Individual Time Trial Test held in Poperinge One of the last riders to roll down the ramp the 21-year-old produced a very solid display and clocked a time of 34:03 which was enough for him to score his second win there seven seconds faster than Matisse Van Kerckhove (Visma-Lease a Bike Development) Our perfect day in Poperinge was rounded out by Thibaut Van Damme who delivered an impressive success in the junior event already victorious in four races this season in the Soudal Quick-Step U19 jersey before the weekend stopping the clock in 35:17 and taking the win after putting 16 seconds into Seff Van Kerckhove (Crabbé-Dstny) The results are more than encouraging for the two Belgians who in just a couple of days will be again in action this time at the ITT National Championships Photo credit: ©Billy Ceusters / Getty Images to know how many times a particular page is read We only use this information to improve the content of our website These cookies are only placed after you have given your consent The page you are looking for does not exist or has been moved Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker we celebrate the life of Maureen Van Popering Maureen graduated from Good Counsel College and later received a master’s degree from New York University where she taught high school English to students who continued to remain in touch with her throughout her life Maureen ran for the Greenport School Board of Education and became the first woman elected She married Bernard Van Popering in 1950 and had a happy marriage of 58 years where they enjoyed southern life for over three decades She is survived by her son Tom (Lori); her daughters Maureen (John) and Berna (Ron); six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and various grand-dogs and great-grand-dogs Throughout her life Maureen loved dogs of all shapes and sizes please consider making a donation to an animal welfare nonprofit leash.org honoring Maureen’s passion for animal welfare With the birth of river otter pups at the Long Island Aquarium and possible sightings of otters at Marion.. Storm clouds over CAST When a summer storm rolls in North Forkers know what to do: secure the shutters,.. Laurel Think twice about expansion Thank you for your overview of federal cuts to local libraries (“Our View,” April.. Southold police arrested Maycon Rosales Gonzalez of Southold Marion West of Peconic Landing in Greenport Everything that could go wrong pretty much did for the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold boys lacrosse team on Monday afternoon unveils a statue to commemorate the Chinese laborers of World War I 140,000 such laborers were recruited to perform support work during WWI a city not far away from the Great War front-line They were among 3,000 Chinese victims of airstrikes near the battlefields of World War I the first ever Belgian monument to the Chinese laborers consisting of three bronze statures of them digging trenches carrying shells and evacuating wounded soldiers was unveiled in a village two kilometers away from Poperinge Wreaths were laid in front of the statue by mayor of Poperinge Christof Dejaegher Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and British Ambassador Alison Rose among other Chinese and Belgian dignitaries Hundreds of veterans wearing poppy flower brooches overseas Chinese and schoolchildren also braved the rain to witness the historic moment were recruited by the United Kingdom and France to perform support work for their military forces on the western front where they labored in the rear echelons or helped build munitions depots About 20,000 were sent to the Belgium front-lines Qu said the Chinese laborers made an unforgettable contribution to the success of the Allied Forces with a labor corps of 140,000 laborers-solders if one laborer digs only one meter of trench a day there will be a front of trenches as long as 140 kilometers," Qu said in an emotional speech to the crowd "If one person carries only one shell a day it will be 140,000 shells poured over enemies every day We can also imagine the number of wounded soldiers whose lives were saved by prompt evacuation from the battlefields." He said that about 20,000 laborers never returned to China with 3,000 dying in German submarine attacks and because of illness and about 10,000 killed in the 1918 Flu Pandemic about 20,000 Chinese laborers-as-soldiers who devoted their lives to come to a place they had never been and to help people they had never met," he said a Chinese-Belgian sculptor who has been working with her assistants for nearly one year to present the sculptures said: "I am very delighted to contribute to make this period of both humiliating and honorable history alive through our efforts." Rose said the Chinese corps members all worked in harsh conditions very close to the battlefield and under constant risk of bombing With thousands of them got killed during the war Rose said 86 of them found their final resting place at British military cemeteries in Belgium Most of the tombs are in Lijssenhoek cemetery just outside Poperinge "I have been with the school trips as they have visited the Chinese Labour Corps graves so I know that they are remembered," Rose said Rose also cited one of the epitaphs on the gravestones for the Chinese laborer member at Commonwealth War Cemeteries as saying: "A good reputation endures forever." Chinese labors in Europe during WWI /Photo via Sina.com Chinese people in France lay wreaths to pay tribute to the Chinese Labor Corps who contributed on the Western Front during WWI Full Mile Brewmaster Bill Morgan looks over Full Sun a Belgian pale ale that the Sun Prairie Brewpub made in collaboration with Sunshine Brewing in Lake Mills IPAs continue to pop up frequently in Madison-area brewhouses Full Mile Beer Company and Kitchen in Sun Prairie teamed up with Sunshine Brewing Company of Lake Mills to make a Belgian IPA called Full Sun on tap at both breweries this month Full Mile’s Bill Morgan and Sunshine’s Lane Smith and Caleb Meinke did a joint brew in mid-February in the Sun Prairie brewpub Citra and Strata hops with Belgian pilsner and German Vienna malts It is fermented with the same yeast strain used by Belgium’s Achouffe Brewery Morgan says the collaboration between Full Mile and Sunshine involved a bit of happenstance “I dropped by Sunshine unannounced for a beer because I wanted to taste its Belgian beers I left my business card and Lane called me back which led to a discussion about collaborating,” says Morgan Bill Morgan also has another hoppy offering well worth stopping in for at Full Mile He’s made a Belgian pilsner using a rare variety of hops from the Poperinge region of Belgium — they’re called Groene Bel (or Green Belle) The hops were at first thought to be a long-lost varietal but farmers near Poperinge started re-introducing them about five years ago He heard about them while he was attending a hop festival in Poperinge and after doing some research he exchanged emails with a farmer who was growing them near Poperinge Morgan was able to convince the farmer to sell him a few pounds to try in a beer But when the hops arrived in the mail the U.S Postal Service sent them back because postal officials couldn’t determine what was in the package By the time Morgan received the hops weeks later they had crossed the Atlantic three times thus leading to the beer’s name of “Triple Cross Pils.” The beer is crisp and clean with light spicy and woody notes It finishes at 5.5% ABV ($6.50/20-ounce glass) Hop Haus in Fitchburg and Verona has yet another new release in its Recreational Chemistry Series; it’s been turning out a new one about every two months The beers that appear in the series are all hazy IPAs featuring different combinations of new and experimental hops The April installment is named 23-2 (four-packs of 16-oz It features German Hallertau Blanc and Hüll Melon hops training and education to women and non-binary individuals in brewing Great insight Robin keeping us in the scene please send an email with the following information to calendar@isthmus.com Here's the information we need to include your event in our calendar: * event date; RSVP/ticket deadline if there is one email or website we can publish (REQUIRED) Optional info:* bios/press releases for posting with the online listing Subway will test a plant-based protein at nearly 700 restaurants Starting in September and for a limited time select locations will have the Beyond Meatball Marinara sub as part of a new partnership with Beyond Meat “Our guests want to feel good about what they eat and they also want to indulge in new flavors,” said Len Van Popering “With our new plant-based Beyond Meatball Marinara sub we are giving them the best of both worlds.” The new meatless meatball sub will launch as a limited-time pilot in restaurants in Jackson Subway said in a statement to USA TODAY Plant-based and vegan fast-food options: Choices keep sprouting with more meat-free products coming Impossible Whopper: Burger King's plant-based Whopper arrives Aug. 8 at restaurants nationwide The demand for plant-based products is growing as more people want to reduce meat consumption because of health concerns On Thursday, Burger King's Impossible Whopper, which is a plant-based patty from food startup Impossible Foods, will be available nationwide for a limited time Subway's new sandwich “takes its inspiration from the brand’s classic sandwich but with a plant-based twist,” the company said in its statement The Beyond Meatball was created for Subway “The sub offers the same mouthwatering flavor as Subway’s traditional meatball sub and is packed with protein – 24 grams per six-inch sub,” the statement said Subway says its North America consumers are able to create more than 1 billion meatless sandwich Adding the Beyond Meatball doubles the options to 2 billion "We're excited to partner with Subway and are grateful that the menu team through to senior management has entrusted us as their innovation partner to deliver delicious plant-based proteins to their guests,” said Ethan Brown Like with most restaurants menu item tests depending on how the product performs it could be rolled out to further tests and then considered for a nationwide launch "We anticipate guests across Canada and U.S so we hope to make a decision soon," Subway said in its statement Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko belgiumSpecial to The Globe and MailPublished April 27 2015This article was published more than 10 years ago It was not the stark cemeteries or overgrown battlefields that touched me most while touring First World War sites in Flanders but a simple house on a quiet side street Situated about 10 kilometres behind the front lines in the Belgian village of Poperinge, Talbot House opened in 1915 as a place of rest for soldiers of all ranks affectionately referred to as “Pops” or “Little Paris,” was close enough to the action that the din of battle was nevertheless audible it was far enough away that troops could escape the immediacy of direct combat and grab some R&R Today the site is a small but well-preserved museum When I sat under the wisteria in the walled garden and closed my eyes it was not difficult to summon up the sounds of life here during the war – the clatter of teacups the notes of a tinny piano and accompanying voices singing Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag The domestic details revealed another face of the soldier’s life “Most people don’t realize that soldiers didn’t fight all the time,” the museum guide explained they wanted to do things that would be life-affirming and that perhaps would bring back memories of home.” Talbot House featured an extensive garden The old hops barn was the site for concerts and Charlie Chaplin movies Soldiers could overnight in the upstairs bedrooms or hang out in the canteen It was a corner of sanity in the middle of chaos for those who craved soldiers returned to the reality of trench warfare in Flanders the area of Belgium that I had come to see While touring war cemeteries and museums may fall into the category of Dark Tourism I consider it meaningful travel – a journey that helps me understand something foreign and far removed from my personal experience but that forms part of my history nonetheless to view thriving green fields and prosperous towns where once some of the worst battles of the war were fought to honour sacrifice – and to celebrate peace Surrounding Poperinge are the Flanders Fields that hold memories of the First World War As the centenary of the war years continues Belgium has become an important destination for those who want to remember hotel packages and commemorative events are planned through 2018 These battlefields hold particular significance for Canadians Canadian troops made their first major appearance on a European battlefield and gained a reputation as a formidable fighting force 6,035 Canadians – one in three – became casualties close to 600,000 soldiers were killed or went missing in this part of Belgium More than half of these came from Great Britain and they lie buried in the 170 cemeteries that surround the city of Ypres marble ones today replacing the temporary wooden crosses used in wartime stood out in sharp relief against a dark sky I toured the concrete bunkers used by the medical corps to administer first aid I memorized that poem in elementary school have heard it recited numerous times at Remembrance ceremonies and can repeat it effortlessly word for word but visiting its inspiration made it tangibly real The Canadian soldier and doctor rested against the damp wall of this bunker He would have heard the battle raging just a short distance away where his brigade’s batteries were in position on the west bank of the Ypres-Yser canal In a letter home McCrae described the scene: “For seventeen days and seventeen nights none of us have had our clothes off gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for sixty seconds.” His close friend he scribbled the lines that would come to define the courage and patriotism of his time a heartfelt outpouring of grief and a hymn to duty most of the war’s physical scars have disappeared with cows grazing in tranquil fields; it’s a fitting tribute to endurance and the ability to start over But every turn in this green and serene country harbours a memory of the Great War As we drove through the back roads between farms my Belgian guide Raoul asked the driver to stop and pointed out a clay-encrusted cylinder by the side of the road a striking Canadian memorial to the men who fought at a bend in the northeast section of the Ypres Salient where the Germans used chlorine gas on the Western Front for the first time is an area of a battlefield that projects into enemy territory and thus faces attacking forces on three sides.) Between Passchendaele and Zonnebeke is the Tyne Cot Cemetery the largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world with almost 12,000 graves and a commemorative wall remembering 34,957 missing soldiers Three kilometres away is the Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum newly expanded and featuring a realistic reconstruction of the bunkers and trenches that spiderwebbed this area during the years of the war which was used by the Casualty Clearing Centre during the war That’s when I could see how white the crosses are how reverently flowers and poppies are placed The visitors centre highlights the life stories of the more than 10,000 casualties buried here In Ypres (Wipers to the British soldiers who were stationed here) the In Flanders Fields Museum has reopened after a complete renovation Devoted to telling the story of the battle of the Ypres Salient the museum embraces the latest technologies to create a moving interactive experience Visitors receive a poppy bracelet that includes a computer chip Once you enter information about your age and country of origin a swipe of the many terminals calls up an individualized history Most compelling for me were the small intimate artifacts – the boots and bindings of an Allied soldier the contents of a German soldier’s wallet and there are few signs of the destruction that Ypres suffered A busy café culture provides colour and bustle devastated by bombing and rebuilt carefully postwar using the original architectural plans I indulged in a platter of carpaccio and arugula followed by grilled white asparagus – just in season in early May – topped with a Flemish sauce of chopped eggs the main course was pork with Blackwell sauce followed by fresh Belgian strawberries the main square is home to a large farmers’ market Each of the tidy streets that radiate out from the square is lined with busy stores and restaurants No one who endured the Great War is alive; the last veteran of the trenches A trip to Flanders is a reminder that we must now become the witnesses: the ones who visit It’s a journey both haunting and surprisingly uplifting – a passage through history and a celebration of regeneration where frequent and convenient rail connections can get you to Ypres and almost any town in Belgium The Airport Express train in the basement of the Brussels airport runs connections to the central rail terminal four times an hour Ypres is centrally located for touring the First World War sites Main Street Hotel The hotel offers a package that includes a four-night stay, a flight over the former front lines, a four-course dinner, and an eight hour battlefield tour, from $1,970 based on two persons sharing. Rooms with breakfast from $275. Rijselstraat 136 - 8900, Ypres; mainstreet-hotel.be Hostellerie St. Nicolas This small hotel and restaurant has just four elegant rooms, but the two-Michelin-star dining room is the big draw. One night B&B with a four-course morning market menu with aperitif, wine and mocha or tea, $243 pp, or $328 pp with the added degustation menu. Veurnseweg 532, Elverdinge, Ypres; hostellerie-stnicolas.com Het Moment This is a small, contemporary-style grill restaurant with excellent fresh food and friendly service. Try the Belgian waffles with strawberries. Boterstraat 42, Ypres; hetmomentieper.be De Fonderie Located in a renovated foundry, this is elegant dining, with good seafood and vegetarian dishes. Polenlaan 3, Ypres; defonderie.be For information on touring the war cemeteries in Flanders which also provides useful information about places to stay in the Westhoek Information about various Great War cycling routes is available at flandersfields.be/en Activities designed to honour the memory of those who fought in the First World War will be held all over Belgium through 2018 In Brussels, the Royal Museum of the Army and of Military History’s EXPO: 14-18, It’s Our History! will run until November, 2015. expo14-18.be The Decoding The Front exhibition at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele in Zonnebeke looks at international communication during the First World War, telling the story of messengers, pigeons, dogs, telephony, telegraphy and wireless audio connections as well as the encryption of messages. mmp.zonnebeke.be With a smartphone in hand, visitors can use Application Diaries 14-18 to tour 10 interesting locations in Belgium and France. Images bring a field hospital to life, while sounds evoke noises of the war. A free download is available from Appstore and Google Play. www.1418remembered.co.uk It did not review or approve this article Situated about 10 kilometres behind the front lines in the Belgian village of Poperinge, Talbot House opened in 1915 as a place of rest for soldiers of all ranks Main Street Hotel The hotel offers a package that includes a four-night stay, a flight over the former front lines, a four-course dinner, and an eight hour battlefield tour, from $1,970 based on two persons sharing. Rooms with breakfast from $275. Rijselstraat 136 - 8900, Ypres; mainstreet-hotel.be Hostellerie St. Nicolas This small hotel and restaurant has just four elegant rooms, but the two-Michelin-star dining room is the big draw. One night B&B with a four-course morning market menu with aperitif, wine and mocha or tea, $243 pp, or $328 pp with the added degustation menu. Veurnseweg 532, Elverdinge, Ypres; hostellerie-stnicolas.com Het Moment This is a small, contemporary-style grill restaurant with excellent fresh food and friendly service. Try the Belgian waffles with strawberries. Boterstraat 42, Ypres; hetmomentieper.be De Fonderie Located in a renovated foundry, this is elegant dining, with good seafood and vegetarian dishes. Polenlaan 3, Ypres; defonderie.be Information about various Great War cycling routes is available at flandersfields.be/en In Brussels, the Royal Museum of the Army and of Military History’s EXPO: 14-18, It’s Our History! will run until November, 2015. expo14-18.be The Decoding The Front exhibition at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele in Zonnebeke looks at international communication during the First World War, telling the story of messengers, pigeons, dogs, telephony, telegraphy and wireless audio connections as well as the encryption of messages. mmp.zonnebeke.be With a smartphone in hand, visitors can use Application Diaries 14-18 to tour 10 interesting locations in Belgium and France. Images bring a field hospital to life, while sounds evoke noises of the war. A free download is available from Appstore and Google Play. www.1418remembered.co.uk Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks Dewitte Potatoes recently further specialized by adding the washing and sorting of industry potatoes This Flemish family business was founded over 20 years ago as a potato retail business It has since grown into a major player in exports mainly to southern Europe but also to Belgium but niche markets offer additional opportunities began washing potatoes and installed a new cleaning line and optical sorter for that," says co-owner Roderic Dewitte "We already had to deliver a washed product for chip potatoes to the UK We got to the point where we decided to do that ourselves." Along with the cleaning line The process involves removing dirt and stones Exports and flexibilityThough washing and sorting offer significant value exports remain Dewitte Potatoes' core business but increasing climatic challenges make it more and more essential We do things like importing from the Netherlands and France to give customers optimal quality." The company does not cultivate potatoes but is considering starting again "Growing your own can contribute to stable product availability Land prices in Belgium and France are rising but we're thinking about cultivation in Wallonia or northern France," Roderic explains Challenges and prospectsBesides these product availability issues acquiring qualified staff is a major concern "It's becoming more and more difficult to find good workers That's why we're investing in automation: to reduce our dependence on manual work We focus on quality and customer satisfaction because word of mouth is the best marketing This family business trades between 100,000 and 120,000 tons of potatoes annually and remains focused on innovation and service As long as we keep investing in quality and customer focus Roderic DewitteDewitte PotatoesKrombeekseweg 58Poperinge, Belgium[email protected] FB Dewitte Potatoes FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com The town of Poperinge is buying the German control tower that during the Second World War overlooked the German airfield that has meanwhile disappeared The town authorities intend to open the German Tower as an attraction for visitors The tower built by German troops is now being renovated and should be open as a viewing platform and information point by September 2024 marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the West Flemish town The German Tower is one of the few remnants of the air war in Poperinge during WW2 It was built as a control tower at Flugplatz Peselhoek or Airfield Peselhoek Other remains include two small bunkers along the Poperinge Canal that marked the border of the airfield Poperinge is eager to protect the tower that is now in a poorly condition and open it to visitors as an attraction The tower stands at one of the highest points outside the town A new car park and access route will also be created The tower may one day feature on Horizon2025 a West Flemish network grouping a score of viewing platforms across our coastal province 2019 the War Heritage Institute welcomes the Polish travelling exhibition Armoured Wings The visitor will discover the history of General Maczek’s Polish 1starmoured division through both sound bites and images The exhibition was put together in the framework of the 75thanniversary of the liberation of Belgium upon initiative of the Flemish government the Polish embassy in Belgium and the non-profit organization “Eerste Poolse Pantserdivisie België” In the spring of 2019 the exhibition will tour the Flemish cities liberated by General Maczek’s troops (Poperinge has the privilege of first welcoming it in its large Aviation Hall The presentation is made up of countless items from both Belgian and Polish private collections and from the rich Royal Military Museum collections was created in the United Kingdom on February 25 By the summer of 1944 it counted 885 officers and 15,210 soldiers as well as more than 380 combat vehicles (Cromwell After the landing in France and fights in the Caen-Falaise area the 1starmoured division entered Belgium in Poperinge on September 6 Assisted by resistance fighters it rapidly moved through Flanders and was already able to liberate Roeselare in the night of September 7 to 8 On September 9 the troops entered Aalter and set course to the Waasland region The division then participated in the fights along the Scheldt estuary and liberated Axel and Terneuze The Maczek division would then move through Germany and come to a standstill in Wilhelmshaven on May 5 Some 1,000 Polish soldiers had by then lost their lives in combat your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt A 98-year-old World War II veteran — inspired by the heroics of Captain Tom Moore who has raised millions of pounds for the UK health service amid the COVID-19 pandemic — embarked on a VE Day walk to raise funds for a former soldiers' club in Belgium Aircraftsman George Sutherlands walked the four kilometres separating the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetary and to the under-threat Talbot House is said to be facing permanent closure amid the COVID-19 pandemic whose Belgian mother and Scottish father met during World War I grew up in the area but fled to the UK in 1940 where he swiftly joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a mechanic The World War II veteran first visited the former soldier's house when he was "12 or 13", he recounted in an video and he and his father both tended to the club's garden before the war started Talbot House was founded in 1915 when Poperinge was used as a garrison town for British soldiers The establishment became an oasis for soldiers returning from the front in which they could relax it has remained open ever since and is now a guesthouse and a living museum it has had to close its doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a consequence is facing a financial shortfall "If we don't take action now, Talbot House might not be there next year," it stressed on a GoFundMe page Sutherlands who returned to his hometown after the war to get married became a professional gardener and worked for the War Graves Commission at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetary — where more than 10,000 Commonwealth soldiers who died during the Great War are buried He decided to join the fundraising appeal after being inspired by Captain who raised about £33 million for the UK health service last month by walking laps around his garden ahead of his 100th birthday accompanied by Pipe Major Ben from the Flanders Memorial Pipe Band gardeners from the War Graves Commission formed a guard of honour just in time for a cuppa and a rest," he wrote on Twitter "I was very happy to sit in the garden I helped to lay out I'll have a rest and a whisky now," he added diseased trees at the castle estate in Elverdinge quickly turned into a tale that revealed the region’s battle history When forest ranger Pierre Hubau (Nature and Forest Agency) first saw the black discolouration on the trunk of a monumental oak tree that had been chopped down he immediately had his suspicions: could they be remnants of the First World War he had previously discovered a tree in Helleketel woods (in Poperinge) in which a piece of gun barrel was still sticking out He contacted dendrochronologist Kristof Haneca from the Flemish Institute for Immovable Heritage who is highly experienced in investigating the rings in oak trees; And with the Ghent University Woodlab where his son Wannes Hubau works as a forest ecologist (faculty of Bioscience Engineering) Kristof and Wannes immediately recognised the value of this discovery Pierre made sure that a slice of the trunk could be taken to the Ghent University Woodlab Kristof and Wannes teamed up with carpenter and tree surgeon Stijn Willen to make a careful study of the trunk section the oak’s hidden war wounds were clearly exposed the trunk section was given a prominent place in the In Flanders Fields Museum (IFFM) in Ypres a 250-year-old diseased common oak tree was chopped down on the same estate and a few slices ended up at the Ghent University Woodlab we are keen to distribute the trunk sections to Belgian museums since they are such a wonderful illustration of nature’s resilience and because they are valuable in remembrance But what do these pieces of trunk actually tell us Wannes Hubau: “The park at Elverdinge castle lay just behind the allied trenches also known as the Battle of Passchendaele* Shrapnel from German bombs severely wounded this oak The oak remained standing and managed to recover over later decades.” Carpenter and tree surgeon Stijn Willen from Woodlab explains how the tree managed to survive: “Following the attack it produced new wood to enclose its wounds such damage is actually relatively harmless to a tree If a tree is fit enough it can take quite a bashing.” Wannes continues: “At the time of the attack the tree was normally about 150 years old An oak can easily live for up to 300 years so at that moment it was a fit fifty-year-old (laughs) Provided a continuous strip of bark remains With our investigation we are keen to discover exactly how the tree protected itself as this is hard to decipher just by looking It certainly took at least ten years until the shrapnel wound was completely covered on the outside and you could no longer see it.” These marks are visible across half of the tree’s circumference “Each mark is assumed to match the impact of shrapnel The tannins in the oak’s sap dissolve the iron in the bomb” “A chemical reaction between the tannins and dissolved iron causes this black discolouration.” The oak’s recovery illustrates how resilient a tree can be That’s something that Stijn is well aware of as a tree surgeon and automatically fear that a tree may fall down if a branch breaks off Our reaction is immediately to chop down or prune the tree these slices show that we should leave trees in peace more often The world’s oldest tree has never seen a saw (laughs).” “In these worrying times of climate change “The tale of this oak shows that we can depend on nature if we protect it At the climate conference in Glasgow a lot of attention was paid to forest protection which lasted from 31 July until 10 November claimed 450,000 lives on the two sides of the front especially when you consider that the allied front only advanced by 8 kilometres Autumn is the season for mushrooms – they are everywhere and certainly growing in abundance in forests But did you know that the mushrooms you see are just a very small part of a vast other plants simply wouldn’t be able to survive The advent of spring also means the return of many migratory birds after a winter in warmer countries But in journeys that are often thousands of kilometres long Kim Calders discovered his passion for scanning trees when doing his PhD in Hallerbos forest he has been travelling the world with his LiDAR scanner ever since he has ended up face to face with cassowaries and elephants and collaborated with artists to make a forest sing The last years’ drought has caused stress in trees Some have stopped growing; others have shed their foliage The bioengineers at the Department of Environment (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering) are crossing national borders to try to find out the causes of the problems effecting trees globally and working on a type of forest that can cope with climate change King’s half term music trip to Belgium featuring the school choir and additional instrumentalists was a resounding success The tour saw three concerts take place in Ypres One of the most poignant moments of the tour was the performance at the Menin Gate ceremony in Ypres on Saturday evening This large memorial has the names of 54,000 soldiers killed during the First World War whose graves are unknown The choir and orchestra performed (in the snow) in front of approximately 1,000 people creating a deeply moving atmosphere during the laying of wreaths by several visiting schools Adding to the emotional weight of the event The concert in Poperinge was held in Talbot House which was used during the war as a resting place and entertainment venue for soldiers away from the front line  A good audience of locals was captivated by the pupils’ performances Our tour guide informed us that two Old Vigornians both visited the house and signed their guest book in 1917; both were killed in action by the end of that year the concert took place in St George’s Memorial Church made up of members of St George’s congregation This church also has a link to King’s; on the Nave wall is a plaque in memory of Old Vigornians that was placed there about 20 years ago The tour also included visits to several World War I sites such as the Tyne Cot cemetery and the Flanders Fields Museum These visits provided the students with an increased understanding of the important historical context of this area of Belgium In addition to the concerts and historical visits the tour offered plenty of opportunities to explore The students enjoyed visiting numerous chocolate shops indulging in Belgium’s famous sweet treats An afternoon spent exploring the picturesque city of Bruges on the final day was a highlight for many The group basked in the sunshine while taking in the city’s stunning architecture and charming canals A river cruise through Bruges provided a relaxing and enjoyable way to see the city from a unique perspective The music tour was a perfect blend of performance culture and sightseeing and one that was greatly enjoyed by all Dirk Frimout wrote a letter to his 17-year-old self What advice does he have for the young Dirk as he takes his first step on a path towards unknown heights It will be about a year ago that you were sitting in your room although there was sometimes nothing to hear but a ‘beep beep’ It was the start of space travel and you experienced it live The coming years were then extremely exciting Filled with lots of opportunities to be conquered will put you on a direct path towards space Maths and science have been your hobby for so long And you know Ghent like the back of your hard since you left Poperinge for boarding school when you were only fifteen.You will never believe it since you left Poperinge for boarding school when you were only fifteen Looking back I can only confirm that it’s the right step to take It’s a very broad education and there will always be subjects that are less appealing which are less in line with your particular interests when you start working as a scientist at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy It is there that our dream to go into space will truly start to take shape It will sometimes be tough and challenging Taking exams four times a month from now on But I know you well enough to realise that you won’t mess about during these rehearsals but when you enjoy something and you have set yourself a clear goal then you’ll do everything you can to achieve it And it helps when you are taught by inspiring professors like Marc Vanwormhoudt The next five years are the most important in your life They are the foundation for everything that follows That they think carefully about what they want to do with the rest of their life There’ll be disappointments and it will take a long time Defending why you never lose sight of that one particular goal the time will come when you land back on earth and your first thought will be: “What can I do now There will be a bit of luck involved and even some politics The fact that you start a scientific career And it’s this decision that makes the difference At a certain moment the realisation will grow that not only pilots are necessary in space travel opportunities to learn and always making positive choices the day you stop learning is the day you lose your value. The role of alumni within any university is not to be underestimated “Our contact with ex-students is immensely important for so many reasons: research ,” maintains Emeritus Professor Kristiaan Versluys Read more essayist and poet Stefan Hertmans has strong ties to Ghent University as an alumnus and later as a doctoral student and guest lecturer academic research has played a key role in his work and the foundations for this were laid at Ghent University "My philosophical education has been essential in my thinking The university has given me the ability to see a form of truth in doubt." The Ghent University Alumnus of the Year award is still a recent tradition at Ghent University Because Ghent University wouldn't be Ghent University without our alumni we honour one former student who has made special achievements each year So which alumni received the award in the past In 2012 Margo Vansynghel obtained a master’s degree in art history from Ghent University Today she works as an ‘Arts Economy Reporter’ for The Seattle Times What are her thoughts on the outcome of the US presidential elections Zhong divides his time between London and New York as he runs the unicorn Deliverect What are his thoughts on the outcome of the US presidential elections was the Belgian town where British soldiers leaving the trenches around Ypres could lose themselves in a stupor of booze as army commanders grew increasingly concerned about drunken fights and venereal disease They would lure Tommies away from the vice dens and trouble spots with the promise of comfortable chairs says: “It sounds like a very hard job to do and it was the birthplace of an international movement.” The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n \n \n \n '.concat(e,' Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response A Fort Erie man has been charged for drug trafficking.Niagara Regional Police began an investigation into the sale of drugs on April 29. Police observed several drug transactions in the area of Garrison Road and Lakeshore Road.As a result of the investigation, Philip Popering, 36, was arrested and charged for drug trafficking. Popering was held for a bail hearing on April 30.Kristine Letwin, 29, This article is over a year old, and the information within may be out of date. A Fort Erie man has been charged for drug trafficking. Niagara Regional Police began an investigation into the sale of drugs on April 29. Police observed several drug transactions in the area of Garrison Road and Lakeshore Road. As a result of the investigation, Philip Popering, 36, was arrested and charged for drug trafficking. Popering was held for a bail hearing on April 30. Kristine Letwin, 29, of Fort Erie, and Fred Cratt, 24, were charged with possession of a controlled substance.   Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. This Page Has Washed AwayLooks like this page has disappeared with the tide — perhaps it’s buried in the sand at Vazon or drifting off Petit Port!