editorial director of Arena for Journalism in Europe and lecturer at the University of Gothenburg she realized the need for cross-border collaborative journalism structures she has worked on developing European support and infrastructure for collaborative journalism across national borders facilitates and advises cross-border investigative journalism teams Follow her work at www.alfter.dk Can investigative journalism be instrumental in the detection of and fight against corruption and fraud with EU funds How Europe ended up paying industry for carbon capture and storage and official complicity plundered the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna OVERVIEW: How a runaway fishing industry looted the seas of tuna OVERVIEW: Decades of overfishing leaves Europe’s fish stocks in peril and its fishermen in poverty: an impasse paid for by EU taxpayers Do you believe journalism can make a difference For just $25 / month you can help expose the truth and hold the powerful to account Get Recruited Faster with a Player Profile on SoccerWire.com John’s University) – With the start of the 2019 season just over two months away Dave Masur has announced the addition of nine student-athletes to his team for the upcoming campaign Tommy Scalici and Bennett Scheib will all don the red and white for the first time this fall Ashrafi is a 6-foot-2 midfielder from Cologne who made 20 appearances and was named team MVP in 2018-19 with VFL Alfter in Germany’s fifth division a local product from Hauppauge High School turned in a highly successful prep tenure on Long Island A three-year all-state selection and three-year league MVP Coles helped the Eagles rack up four straight league championships during his high school days helping his team capture the New York State Cup in 2016 He was also selected to train with the New York Red Bulls Academy A midfielder out of Council Rock North High School in Newtown Finneyfrock was named to the 2018 Bucks County Courier Times Golden First Team after finding a spot on the Second Team in 2017 He was also named to the All-Suburban One League First Team as a senior after scoring five goals and leading Council Rock North to its third consecutive Division Championship His team also reached the quarterfinals of the state championship during his sophomore and junior campaigns and upset two-time defending state champion Conestoga this past postseason Finneyfrock played for Matchfit ECNL on the club circuit Hoffelner comes to Queens with plenty of collegiate experience having most recently made 18 appearances for the Blue Hose of Presbyterian this past season native won eight games and pitched six shutouts turning in a 1.04 goals against average and making more than three saves per outing Two of Hoffelner’s clean sheets came in the opening two matches of the Big South Tournament helping the Blue Hose earn a berth in the conference championship game for the second straight year As a freshman at Iowa Western Community College in 2017 Hoffelner helped the Reivers go 11-3-1 and secure a spot in the Region XI title game He went 7-2 as a starter with five shutouts compiling a 0.67 goals against average to go along with an .813 save percentage The second recruit in the 2019 class out of New York Marra recently wrapped a sensational career at Ossining High School finding a spot on the All-State First Team and earning Section 1 Large School Player of the Year honors from the Westchester Journal News Marra played for the Westchester Flames and helped the club make its final Super Y League Final in 2016 a goalkeeper from West Orange High School is New Jersey made quite the impression during his lone season playing for his school as a senior making 85 saves and anchoring the team to an 11-5-2 record he earned a spot on the All-Essex County and All-Super Essex Conference First Teams and garnered first team all-state honors from the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey Petrucci played for Players Development Academy on the club circuit One of three 2019 recruits hailing from the State of New Jersey Russo earned First Team All-State honors from NJ.com after anchoring a dominant Holmdel High School backline The Hornets won their second consecutive Group 2 State Championship and earned NJ Advance Media Boys Soccer Team of the Year honors Not only a threat in the Holmdel half of the field Russo also chipped in six goals and eight assists as a senior Scalici begins his collegiate tenure after establishing himself as one of the Garden State’s top high school players Morris Knoll High School’s all-time leading scorer with 84 career goals Scalici earned All-America honors from United Soccer Coaches and was twice named the New Jersey Player of the Year by the organization he garnered Gatorade New Jersey Boys Soccer Player of the Year accolades as well Scalici scored 30 goals and dished out 15 assists while leading Morris Knolls to its first sectional championship since 1969 Rounding out the 2019 recruiting class is Scheib As a senior at Robbinsdale Armstrong high school this past fall Scheib was named to the all-state second team and was also rewarded with a spot on the All-Northwest Suburban Conference First Team after allowing 1.3 goals per game Scheib played his club ball with MapleBrook SC John’s men’s soccer team will begin its 2019 campaign on Aug The Johnnies will play their home opener on Sept Join the SoccerWire College Soccer Recruiting Search Engine and learn how to be seen OVER 1 MILLION TIMES PER YEAR This site uses cookies to give you the best possible experience but do not collect personal information By continuing to use the site you agree that we can save cookies on your device Collaborative journalism - particularly across borders - has helped re-empower journalists at a critical moment in the history of the profession Collaborative journalism – particularly across borders – has helped re-empower journalists at a critical moment in the history of the profession, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists member and author Brigitte Alfter For her new book on cross-border collaborative journalism, Alfter interviewed some of the pioneers of the craft, and created a step-by-step guide for the next generation of aspiring journalists to follow she shares some of the insights she gathered along the way The recent surge in cross-border collaborative journalism is very much driven by journalists themselves was need-driven – as an interview for my book showed Journalists were freelancing or working with new nonprofits emancipating themselves from media corporations and establishing their own networks to do the kind of journalism they found important What unites us is one experience: The power of publication Previously we had this on a national level We could bring topics to the political agenda in the local or national realm In recent years we have started to see the full power of cross-border journalism have been brought to the global political agenda through cross-border journalism projects The power of cross-border collaborative publication was first realised by individual journalists and now more and more large media too: Without committed colleagues in other countries we never get the necessary insight into those countries Merely translating from one language to another does not engage citizens because the storytelling traditions and local discourses vary so widely In some parts of the world legal and security concerns constitute another argument for cross-border collaboration: an international team may provide extra security and a media partner in a country with strong protection of freedom of expression – such as the United States first amendment – may allow for some additional legal protection These are key motivations listed by my interviewees – and it’s obvious: Together we’re stronger But working together is a professional task I’ve practiced cross-border collaborative journalism since I co-founded the Farmsubsidy.org project in 2005 and project management were completely improvised If cross-border collaborative journalism was at an experimental stage in the 1990s and 2000s it is settling into the mainstream in the 2010s And we are getting more professional still We now see a pluralism of regional and global networks with different shapes and purposes we also see an emerging infrastructure for cross-border journalism and collaborative journalism in general Scholars and journalism schools are looking into the method and begin to integrate it into journalism education We are now beginning to focus on ongoing challenges such as how to integrate cross-border collaborative journalism in journalism education or carving out new editorial roles such as the editorial coordinator and so forth we are far from having solved all challenges: What about legal threats against entire teams and networks – there is very little case-law and the weakest-link-problem may yet have to be addressed we see emerging work about the danger of media capture If we believe that networked journalism strengthens the power of publication states or others to try to capture entire networks of journalists We thus have to become much better at understanding the nature of our new networks to maintain our independence and to avoid being instrumentalized But all this is part of the further professionalization We now have so many journalists who have good experiences with cross-border and collaborative practice… why would they give that up These will be the journalists who push the professionalization onwards We’re working our way towards a new balance between “collaborative” and “competitive,” I think Or maybe rather: We have started using collaboration and competition in a more targeted way Many journalists – particularly the elder among us – were socialized in an extremely competitive media landscape We would not share anything with other journalists some told me about their struggle to let go of their inner “lone wolf.” Today there is a more nuanced use of competition and collaboration Competition can be stimulating or necessary – think of news journalism But more journalists also consider collaboration as a genuine opportunity we are just as proud to receive a journalism award with our team as when we’re alone Maybe even happier – because you can celebrate the award with precious colleagues the collaborative mindset means to respect each other and to be willing to understand differences while not giving up one’s own identity This is one of the most fascinating experiences in this work: The collaborative mindset In the research for this book I studied literature from other disciplines Journalists have little tradition of collaboration probably due to our socialization in news media and competing for exclusive news by the minute But in business sociology or in culture studies I found highly relevant material on networking processes on how to collaborate in diverse teams while still maintaining the editorial goal Journalists are decades behind business when it comes to networking and collaborating and working across cultures; in business sociology such studies were initiated in the 1970s this is easily accessible information – and very In a cross-border team I have to respect that journalism traditions may be different elsewhere I may find it enriching and fascinating to work with colleagues from different parts of the country or I may find I come from a tradition with a more developed practice in one field or the other so they may be interested in learning from me I must not give up the ethical and legal guidelines of my own country I see the collaborative mindset transferred from cross-border to local journalism in the European countries where I follow such developments or the Football Leaks research with ever new revelations by the EIC network There are also smaller collaborative efforts There is the ad-hoc four-country team unveiling exports of arms likely to end in war torn Yemen Or the eight-country team exposing workers’ rights abuses in the European transport sector Or three students of journalism hooking up with a senior journalist for an ad-hoc project where they uncovered slave labour in elderly care and the obscure business structure behind it – leading to a debate in at least one national parliament on the day after publication Cross-border and other collaborative journalism can be fabulously powerful Yet it does not come as a one-size-fits-all solution You do not use data analysis when the best way to the information is one or several in-depth interviews with a key source collaboration might not be the most appropriate tool for every journalistic task Any good collaboration needs to hold a promise of a win-win for each and all team members otherwise you need to look for another team or another research method It is important to think across borders – national or other – but cross-border journalism can be cumbersome The important thing is what you take away from a collaborative project and how you use this experience to improve your journalism skills and improve our profession In the book I break cross-border collaborative journalism down into single steps and get an understanding of important considerations for each moment of that work process where cross-border methods are applied by more and more journalists and where journalism schools have started picking up on the topic Then the development of more sophisticated networks and finally a growing use of collaboration between various groups not only among journalists and across borders We’re about to surmount a lot of different borders We’re now seeing different types of network develop You have a small editorial team across 10 countries You have a big team of journalists and data journalism experts specialized in investigations and in coordination You have groups of media joining forces and sharing a coordinator and an IT-infrastructure I would call this the “pluralism of networks” – network structures are developed to function in different contexts with different purposes for their journalism This may sound a bit nerdy – and I guess it is (or perhaps let it be called “highly specialized”) The data journos among us are acquainted with some networking theory – here we can apply it to ourselves I hope that scholars in journalism studies will help us understand how to organize our work better On collaboration between groups: We now see examples of journalists and scholars systematically collaborating and trying to figure out how to cross these professional borders in order to better share knowledge where data journalists and academics gather to collaborate We see journalists collaborating with civil society groups – which can be tricky in some countries where it can be considered dangerous to be too close to advocates or activists where audiences are partners or co-owners and often involved in the editorial process from crowdsourcing to actually contributing text We had an entire panel on that during the European Investigative Journalism Conference & Dataharvest in May I see a lot of cross-border and other collaborative projects in the future I’d even say I see it as a basic competence all journalists should be introduced to in their education – at the same level as interview technique What has been invented cannot be uninvented What journalists have developed in terms of collaborative competencies over the past years Far Flungers Documentary “Magicians: Life in the Impossible” might have had a bigger splashier opening if it had opened a year ago which began through one director’s connections at the Magic Castle in Hollywood ended its premiere event there on a Tuesday evening The Magic Castle was originally built as a banker’s mansion in 1809 when the land was still mostly fields and before the movie industry moved in By the time Milt Larsen and his brother Bill bought the building in 1962 it had been partitioned into a maze of small apartments Bill was a magician as their father had been and with the help of generous friends Bill and Milt officially opening the Magic Castle on January 2 1963 as an exclusive private clubhouse for members of The Academy of Magical Arts Now the Castle is a few blocks north from Jimmy Kimmel’s studio, Disney’s El Capitan and the famous TCL Chinese Theatre.  an award-winning magician who co-starred on the two-part Travel Channel special “Magic Outlaws,” and German illusionist Jan Rouven and his manager/partner/husband Frank Alfter The focus is narrow—on white men of different ages with a sidetrack to Gillis’ performance partner Another magician admits he’s gotten dates because magic is a good ice-breaker Being a good magician is also about seducing people into being your temporary friend breaking through the usual layers of distrust.  What comes through clearly is the precarious nature of life as a magician the continual charming and conning of audiences entertaining for Johnny Carson on the “Tonight Show.” Now he’s losing his own castle and playing smaller crowds Jon Armstrong is on the road so much he has a hard time maintaining a relationship He marries but the marriage unravels quickly off-screen He’s worked on films and TV and he’s the co-creator of the IDW comic series “Smoke and Mirrors.” We see him at San Diego Comic-Con which He teaches others how to perform and sells instructional merchandise but has accomplished all of his life goals David Minkin is hoping that the TV show will open up new avenues for him but viewers have to weigh both Armstrong and Minkin against Gillis but there’s always a danger in mixing alcohol with any show Even small shows can be frustrating. During the documentary Minkin also faces the aging of one of his two dogs there’s another side of magic—the big show with lots of stage hands smoke and mirrors—the kind of show that plays to big houses in Las Vegas Jan Rouven is a young German man who was discovered and trained by his partner in business and life Rouven makes it to Las Vegas and near the end of the documentary Rouven is proof there is such as thing as bad publicity and his fall from grace is what has likely muted the launch of this documentary the directors brought up that Rouven faced serious charges Rouven was arrested in March of this year on federal charges but had been under FBI investigation for months The documentary premiered at Hot Docs in April and the directors found out about Rouven’s arrest days beforehand They admit that they were completely blindsided by the charges the film premiered at the Vista and was simultaneously released the same day on a variety of streaming platforms His husband has already returned to Germany “Magicians: Life in the Impossible” becomes a curious relic It might have made Rouven more well known outside of Vegas His spacious Las Vegas villa deeply contrasted the downsizing of Gillis’ life.  most magicians won’t make the big time on the Las Vegas strip or as the favorite of a national TV show host. Most will remain humble practitioners always looking for an audience and always trying disarm you with a quick smile and a friendly word They won’t win awards or be the subject of a documentary; they do it for the love of magic and its effects on their audiences The Magic Castle celebrates all types of magicians the ones who make a precarious living as illusionists made his Glendale barber shop a magical place You almost wish the documentary had captured someone like Dill. Still, “Magicians: Life in the Impossible” does give you a better appreciation for magicians and may make you wish for a little more magic in your life Jana Monji, made in San Diego, California, lost in Japan several times, has written about theater and movies for the LA Weekly, LA Times, and currently, Examiner.com and the Pasadena Weekly Her short fiction has been published in the Asian American Literary Review Movie: "Magicians: Life in the Impossible" Synopsis: It's hard to love a professional trickster but you may feel differently after this doc not to give away trade secrets (you may pick up a few hints) but to introduce us to four magicians at different stages of their lives and careers strip away the mystique and reveal the dedicated a true master of close-up magic who still has to hustle like a latterday Willy Loman but "Johnny Carson's favorite magician" is finding it harder to pay the bills these days and doesn't have the repertoire to reinvent himself And Jan Rouven (who lives with his manager Frank Alfter) headlines his own death-defying spectacular on the Sunset Strip They all communicate their love for their art but this fascinating film isn't likely to inspire a surge in competition: it's an impossible gig and revealing- in fact upsettingly blunt to some aficionados (as I overheard it at the premiere) But that is the greatest strength of the film: honesty documentaries as a genre have become polluted with fawning love letters to the subject What you get is an unflinching look at what it takes to be a professional magician The six magicians (making up four acts) profiled were well-chosen and they occupy totally different magic niches The contrasting situations and characters creates a wonderful harmony against the thematic melody that runs through each of their lives where the themes are used to seamlessly bridge disparate magicians that the masterful skill of the film's creators (Marcie Hume and Christoph Baaden) is the most obvious." -- User Ed Clint from United States "The ostensible topics of this film -- card tricks and other magic -- are treated with skilled cinematography slowly weaving us through the world of magic as experienced by both the audience and the magicians But the true magic of the film is found in the subtle yet profound layers it unfolds (with no narrative simply good documentary art) of the people behind the magic and the many different paths they take in their love of the craft "As someone who was not especially interested in magic before I watched the film I recommend the film for opening my eyes to this fascinating world But even for people convinced that magic will never intrigue them the documentary is worth watching for its masterful treatment of visuals and people." -- User Ellen This Nosferatu spider was discovered by the Roos family from Alfter while cleaning up Louise Roos just wanted to tidy up a bit in the courtyard of her house – and made an exciting discovery for the family "There was a plastic box on the table," the woman from Alfter reported Her five-year-old son Lennart then saw an animal sitting in the box: a spider it was quickly clear that it had to be a Nosferatu spider we are interested in such animals," said the Alfter resident in conversation with the General-Anzeiger a spider expert from the Koenig Research Museum in Bonn identified the animal from Alfter on the basis of photos the GA had sent him grows up to five centimetres in size and is currently the talk of the town – not least because it is poisonous Even though more and more sightings of the Nosferatu spider have been reported this summer the species is not entirely new in Germany - and also known to appear in the Cologne/Bonn region The spider was brought to the Koenig Museum for examination The animal can still be found there today – but it is completely harmless The Nosferatu spider is not native to the Rhineland it is a Mediterranean species," Krammer told the GA "which has since spread all over Germany." The first specimens were sighted in southern Germany and a few years ago the first specimens of the genus were even found in Bremen The climate has made the spread of the species possible there is no spider that could really be dangerous to humans Experts estimate the bite of the Nosferatu spider to be comparable to a mosquito or bee bite If you find a nosferatu spider in your house Whether a species of spider can bite humans ultimately has to do with its size the higher the probability that it can penetrate human skin at all Most spider species that live in Germany are so small that they cannot bite humans Those who are currently wondering in general why there are already so many spiders in the houses find the answer rooted in the weather With the warm and dry weather of the past weeks spiders have found the best conditions to multiply and grow Since there are also many mosquitoes and flies around this summer the spiders have one more reason to come into the houses Climate change brings more and more species to Germany Louise Roos from Alfter moved the Nosferatu spider from the box into a jar after discovering it but also her children are enthusiastic about the animal After it stayed in the jar for a day and a night for display purposes daughter Mia (10) had already discovered a Chinese mitten crab in the Sieg but has established itself here as an invasive species Reports of discoveries of Nosferatu spiders are still curious they have a first background: climate change The spider's immigration is a consequence of this And it will not be the last species to come north from the south because of the climate Quite a few people are disgusted by spiders but some people get downright scared when such an animal appears This is called arachnophobia or spider phobia It is one of the most common anxiety disorders longer and more dominantly than non-affected persons They also estimate the risk of being bitten and injured by a spider to be much higher than people who do not suffer from the phobia Sometimes accidents occur in the household or in traffic when people suddenly panic because of a spider Experts try to take away the fear of spiders with special therapies These lantern rings are now being put on lamp posts in Alfter The picture shows a marked lamppost in Königswinter The "Night-time deactivation of streetlights in Alfter" project has reached the next stage the so-called lantern rings are now being installed: self-adhesive foil strips with a red center and white edges This is an official traffic sign that must be observed These lantern rings are used to mark lanterns that are not switched on all night in accordance with road traffic regulations drivers must switch on their parking lights within built-up areas if they park their vehicle next to a lamppost marked in this way The municipality would like to point out that this rule also applies to motorcycles which must be illuminated with their own light source or another approved light source In response to an earlier inquiry from the General-Anzeiger Alfter's municipal spokesperson Maryla Günther explained that a vehicle with insufficient lighting is an administrative offense This could result in a warning fine of 20 Euro "If an accident occurs as a result of the violation the owner of the parked vehicle may be partially liable an increased warning fine of 35 Euro may also be due," Günther continued at the time the marking of the street lamps will take four to five weeks It will start in Volmershoven-Heidgen and Witterschlick it was discovered that individual streetlights were completely overgrown with private greenery "These street lamps that have not been cut free have been recorded and the property owners have been contacted by the municipality of Alfter The administration requests that this vegetation be cut back completely," the municipality's website continues Alfter's politicians have decided that the majority of Alfter's street lighting will remain switched off at night: Monday to Friday from midnight to five o'clock and Saturday to Sunday from one o'clock to five o'clock This is intended to save electricity and money as well as areas around level crossings and crosswalks lanterns that should actually be off are also switched on at night several circuits for different streets are bundled together and supply them with electricity," says the municipality This is why streets that are actually suitable for being switched off at night are sometimes illuminated As the separation of the circuits is associated with high costs and effort the night-time switch-off costs 48,600 Euro for the installation of timers 1,700 Euro for programming the night-time switch-off and around 8,000 Euro for installing the lantern rings switching off the lights currently saves around 70,000 Euro in electricity per year (Original text: Christoph Meurer; Translation: Mareike Graepel) Both teachers and students appreciated Brigitte Alfter's visit to JMG She generously offered her special knowledge in crossborder journalism how journalists can collaborate across national borders in investigative journalism Brigitte Alfter is one of the members in the programme board that serves to assist JMG in supporting the development of the Master's Programme in Investigative Journalism (MIJ) author and expert on crossboarder journalism she told students and teachers about her specialist skills in crossborder journalism and explained the special challenges encountered in the collaboration between journalists from different countries with different journalistic traditions - and the strength of this It was two very inspiring days for both students and teachers - on the photo together with Jenny Wiik Brigitte Alfter's website with more information about her work on crossborder journalism. The MIJ's Programme Board. About the international Master's Programme in Investigative Journalism (MIJ). Find organisation made friends for life on the voyage with the "Thor Heyerdahl" Jonas Groell (16) swapped his classroom at the Carl-von-Ossietzky-Gymnasium for the swaying planks of a 90-year-old sailing schooner Together with 34 students of about the same age from all over Germany the adventurous sea voyage went from Kiel via the Canary Islands to the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa captain and ship owner of the "Thor Heyerdahl" as well as the project manager and initiator of the "Classroom Under Sail" (KUS) it was uncertain due to corona whether the voyage planned long in advance could take place at all With the restriction that the route did not follow Alexander von Humboldt's footsteps across the Atlantic to the Caribbean - as has usually been the case since 2008 - the crew of the "Thor Heyerdahl" set sail for the south after crossing the Kiel Canal (NOK) Sophomore Jonas Groell had previously been able to draw on the experience of a six-month stay abroad in France But the sailing trip promised to be more than "just" a lesson away from home: the experiential education concept from KUS is intended to be a living experiencing and learning space in which the young people can develop their personalities The curricula of the various providers of sailing classrooms include active participation in the operation of the ship shore stays of several weeks in foreign countries participants also experience feedback that tracks their professional performance as well as their social and personal development the young people on the 50-meter-long and six-meter-wide sailing ship are often pushed to their physical and mental performance limits Living together in close quarters for several weeks at sea also means enduring and dealing with conflicts "We have become a strong community," Groell said upon his return He made many new friends throughout Germany Hardly any of the participants can remember the beginning of the sailing trip Shortly after leaving the NOK in Brunsbüttel crew and ship were already "greeted" by a first storm on the North Sea "It felt like the waves were five meters high," says Groell All but two of the students became seasick threw up and were unable to leave their cramped bunks So it was a relief to reach the port of Helgoland after eight hours no one on board knew yet that they would be stuck on the small island for the next twelve days Storms and unfavorable current conditions prevented the cargo motor ship which had been converted into a topsail schooner even the captain spoke of a "borderline situation," Groell recalls "We had only sailed for eight hours before the next storm hit and we were all sick in our bunks again." But the ship's command allowed for little weakness: as bad as he was he was awakened nightly and - after throwing up again - began his watch duty in stormy wet and cold conditions A hard "school" that had nothing to do with the cared-for life in his native Alfter it took about three days for most of the students to adjust to life at sea They gradually got to know the ship and understood where the seemingly endless ropes led with which ones the up to nine sails were operated even when waves up to seven meters high washed over the deck and one had to shimmy along safety lines And the experience was quickly made that it was no longer the individual who counted There was no room for self-promotion and egomania on board Feedback rounds conveyed how one was perceived In teaching units that took place regularly on board or ashore astronavigation or creative writing were offered in addition to the main school subjects On the approximately three-week sea voyage to the Canary Island of La Palma Portuguese was to be added on the way to the Cape Verde Islands Already from the Canary Islands the weatherproof oilskins could be exchanged for T-shirts It was already up to 30 degrees at the end of November where the ship shuttled for four weeks between Tenerife taking the student body on shore excursions and explorations the entire crew repeatedly went into days of voluntary self-isolation in order to be able to recognize symptoms of a covid infection at an early stage one of the smaller Cape Verde islands located about 640 kilometers off the African coast the students had taken command of the ship for 24 hours in order to demonstrate their nautical skills all the way to the anchorage in the bay of Mindelo the participants got to know the volcanic island world and its people whose hospitality also left a deep impression on Groell It took the sailors a little more than three weeks to reach the Azores from Cape Verde they were startled by the forecast that they would encounter a hurricane this turned out to be "only" a violent storm with wind force eight which the students were able to face in the meantime with due respect and the certainty of being able to rely on each other every hand was needed on board to brave the forces of nature The goal of having the participants disembark at the end of the voyage confident resilient and calm was achieved - Groell also confirms (Original text: Stefan Hermes/Translation: Mareike Graepel) The "Thor Heyerdahl" was converted into a three-masted topsail schooner in 1979 and has been sailing as a "Sailing Classroom" since 1983 More than 20,000 teenagers and young adults have now participated in the experiential education programs The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl took over the sponsorship of the youth sailer due to his personal connection to ship owner Detlef Soitzek who had participated in his Tigris expedition and personally christened it with his name in 1982 the "Thor Heyerdahl" has been regarded in Germany as a pioneer of the idea of supporting young people on board a traditional sailing ship on the road to maturity and in their personal development There are many carnival parades and parties in and around Bonn The carnival season is already in full swing and the first carnival parades will soon be making their way through Bonn and the surrounding towns After the storming of the town hall on Weiberfastnacht the so-called fifth season finally reaches its climax and there will be plenty of parties on the carnival days There are more than 30 parties from Weiberfastnacht to Rosenmontag in Bonn alone Some of them include fancy dress competitions >>> You can find an overview of the parties in Bonn in this article (in German) the street carnival started with the Geisterzug ("Ghost Parade") in Graurheindorf on Friday The carnival hustle and bustle reaches its climax ten days later with the big Rosenmontag parade in Bonn city centre >>> You can find all 2024 carnival parades in Bonn in this article <<< The first carnival parade on the Rhine and Sieg will take place in Siegburg-Brückberg on Sunday The street carnival ends with the parades on Rosenmontag >>> All carnival parades in Siegburg, Sankt Augustin, Niederkassel, Troisdorf and Hennef can be found in this article <<< Six carnival parades are on the programme in Wachtberg in 2024 >>> You can find all carnival processions in Wachtberg in this article <<< Meckenheim and Swisttal are scheduled between Saturday >>> All carnival processions in Rheinbach, Meckenheim and Swisttal can be found in this article <<< From the children's carnival parade in Bornheim-Sechtem to the Veilchendienstag parade in Alfter-Ort: There are numerous parades in Bornheim and Alfter >>> You can find all carnival parades in Alfter and Bornheim in this article <<< Carnival revellers will also be parading through the streets in the Siebengebirge region this session https://www.kamelle.de/narren-news/koenigswinter/bad-honnef-und-koenigswinter-alle-karnevalszuege-2024_aid-42724287 Remagen or Sinzig: there are plenty of parades along the Ahr this year >>> You can find all carnival processions in the Ahrweiler district in this article <<< Cyclists who have to cross the Hardtberg are also annoyed by cycle lanes that are used as parking spaces Many people from Hardtberg travel by bicycle They also take the bike when they want to go shopping or meet friends for a coffee in the city centre They know their way around the streets in the borough That's why the GA wanted to know where they would improve things for cyclists When Reinhard Schoch goes to work in the city centre He lives in the district of Heidgen in the municipality of Alfter It takes him about 30 minutes to cover the roughly twelve-kilometre distance His route also takes him over the Brüser Berg and down Derlestraße to Duisdorf There he has two options: to turn right into Rochusstraße or a little further to the right onto the B56/Am Burgweiher Rochusstraße is a pedestrian zone and the B56 is always busy He would like to see a cycle path or traffic calming measures there Reinhard Schoch drives every day from Alfter to city centre the cycle path is separated from the road by a dotted line," says Schoch there are parking bays next to the cycle lane His nightmare: a car driver opens the door and he crashes into it He would like to see more space between parked cars and cyclists the cycle lane is often misused as a parking space Stephanie Bregenstroth rides a bike for many reasons "To get some exercise," says the 47-year-old "And the environmental aspect also plays a role." She wants to be a positive example for her children She takes them from Duisdorf to day care and school in Tannenbusch Stephanie Bregnstroth is worried about her ten-year-old daughter "Especially in the morning at rush hour," says Bregenstroth She is particularly worried about her ten-year-old daughter Bregenstroth also takes the bike when she wants to go to Beuel or to the cinema in the city centre She finds it inconvenient for cyclists at Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz buses and cars - especially if you have children with you." Stefan Rostock and his family do without cars "Life would be nicer without cars in the city centre," he says does his shopping by bike and also uses it when he goes to work the traffic light phase is very long," says Rostock "This leads to people just running across on red or cycling across." Here he sees room for improvement Stefan Rostock uses his bike to go shopping and to get to work When Rostock cycles back from the city centre he more often takes the route via Königstraße There is no reasonable way to avoid a short stretch of one-way street A sandy path that cyclists could use does not have a lowered kerb She takes the bike not only when she goes to work from Duisdorf to Südstadt but also when she meets friends in the city centre at about the height of Theodor-Litt Straße "It's bumpy and narrow," says the 42-year-old Then you have to get off or drive at walking pace "I recently went to Sankt Augustin: There is a new wide cycle path with a good surface It's a completely different cycling experience." Carolyn Molitor doesn´t like the cycle path along the B56 Frank Heinemann thinks there are cities that are better for cycling than Bonn - but also some that are worse who lives on the Brüser Berg and is active in the ADFC Heinemann would like to see a better connection between the Brüser Berg and the Venusberg So far he takes a dirt road from Ückesdorf to the Ippendorf cemetery or rides directly through the Kottenforst His suggestion: to build a cycle path along Röttgener Straße "It's also lit up in winter when it's dark," he says Heinemann would also like to see the cycle path widened where the provincial road crosses the A565 has an extremely high kerb and is open in both directions "That is very dangerous with oncoming traffic," says Heinemann (Original text: Dennis Scherer; Translation: Mareike Graepel)