2019) – Philadelphia Union announced today that the club has signed defender Kai Wagner (pronounced: Kye VAHg-nur) from German side Würzburger Kickers in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee Wagner will be added to the Union’s active roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa and will occupy an international roster slot “We are delighted to complete Kai’s signing as he is an up-and-coming and very physical left fullback with high ability and even further potential,” said Ernst Tanner “Kai has joined us in Clearwater and we look forward to introducing him to his new teammates and integrating him as quickly as possible.” Wagner comes to Philadelphia from German side Würzburger Kickers Wagner has totaled two assists across 13 appearances PLAYER BIO: Kai Wagner he was a member of Bundesliga club Schalke 04 he made 33 appearances in 2016-17 after joining from SSV Ulm 1846 the club at which he signed his first senior professional contract in 2015 Wagner played for the FC Augsburg academy as well as for SSV Ulm and SV Lonsee TRANSACTION: Philadelphia Union sign defender Kai Wagner on February 6 He will be added to the active roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa Name: Kai Wagner (pronounced: Kye VAHg-nur)Position: DefenderHeight: 6’0”Weight: 172Born: February 15 GermanyCitizenship: GermanyAcquired: Philadelphia Union sign defender Kai Wagner on February 6 2019Previous Experience: Würzburger Kickers (2017-2019) The 2025 schedule has been released and now is the perfect time to lock in the best seats for all the key matchups at Subaru Park Born in 1938 as second daughter to Frida Wagner and Gerhard Elsäßer (Elsaesser) in Aufhausen Gertrud had an older sister and six younger brothers Her father was a Lutheran pastor and Nazi-objector who was a prisoner of war in WW2 an American exchange student at the University of Tübingen and lived with John in various parts of the country while he pursued a PhD and began his career as a philosophy professor Gertrud attended Fordham University and Lehman College while her children were young and was awarded a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University in 1986 In addition to practicing occupational therapy with school children and the elderly playing recorder as part of various renaissance and early music ensembles as well as singing in the Riverdale Choral Society (Bronx She was also a lifelong hiker and member of several hiking clubs She was an active member of the Society for Ethical Culture and a resident and member of the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative in the Bronx and their families live throughout Germany and mourn her as well Funeral services will be held with family and are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com ​ Previous Community Notice: Fire Hydrant Testing in Hopkinton to take place on April 22nd & 23rd Watch Now: Hopkinton Hillers 24-25 Spring Sports Recap: April 14th-18th © 2025 Hopkinton's Television Station Germany always has many successful dressage riders in the pony consistently winning medals at the European championships The typical career of a young dressage rider in this country starts with the pony division followed by the juniors and the young riders though few are able to move up to Grand Prix Unfortunately focus is usually on those winning medals at German and European championships while there are equally talented riders who followed a different path to become a Grand Prix rider One of them is 17-year old Alexandra Stadelmayer from the south of Germany She has reached the highest levels earlier than many of her age without consistently taking part in the different age divisions When watching her ride one immediately notices that Alexandra represents a remarkable fine style which looks quite differently to what some other riders her age show while performing Alexandra’s mother Ulrike was among the best dressage riders in Baden-Württemberg competing in the mid 1990s on a Hanoverian called Weyden This liver chestnut was trained by Alexandra’s famous grandfather Fritz Stahlecker and was sold to Sven Rothenberger before the 1996 Olympics where he won a silver and bronze medal and went as Dutch team horse Stahlecker became famous with his quite revolutionary method called “HSH” (hand- saddle-hand) His daughter Ulrike has produced some very good international championship horses like Palladio So Alexandra was born into a very horsey family: “Horses has always been part of my life as all of my family like riding.” She started riding under the skilled tutelage of her mother and grandpa on very well trained and sensitive horses Alexandra’s show career began at the age of 6 when she participated in a lead-line class on her mother’s S-level horse Miró in her hometown of Geislingen an der Steige Lead-line classes are a popular start for small children in Germany but Alexandra did not continue like so many others competing on a riding pony Instead her grandpa gave her an extraordinary Christmas gift in 2003: the then 6-year old dark bay Hanoverian gelding Dix This talented horse turned out to carry Alexandra from “Reitabzeichen” (riding badge) to Grand Prix within the next six years When Stahlecker’s young grandchild got the horse Dix had already been trained by him from the ground in all the difficult movements which found more recognition after Weyden became that successful Its main principle is to teach the horses the collected movements from the ground at an early age.Stahlecker uses his own gear a special cavesson with side reins and an overcheck rein which is attached to the nosepiece The cavesson doesn’t include the typical iron parts on the nose but instead is very softly padded and comfortable for the horse The young horses have a snaffle in their mouth but just to get used to the feeling and not for any other use as the bit is not attached to anything at the beginning The advantage of this method is that the horses already know all the difficult movements before they are asked to perform them under the saddle much later Alexandra worked Dix under the supervision of her mum and her grandpa and formed a strong bond with the gelding which was bought as a weanling and named after a painting artist like many of Stahlecker’s horses are Stahlecker's second passion is the art of painting “My grandpa bought Dix (by Donnerschlag) because his dam Wievita is a full sister to Weyden and Dix was bred by Wilhelm and Christiane Köllner from Bodenteich” As a young horse Dix was a bit rebellious now and then but matured into a reliable and totally honest horse “He’s very cooperative and loves to work without any pressure Dix reacts to the finest of aids and is completely supple at the shows His special strength are the canter pirouettes,” Alexandra described her long time partner Dix and Alexandra didn’t focus on the typical junior competitions but started successfully at M- and S-level when she was just 14 years of age Yet Alexandra has taken part at the Junior Championships of Baden- Württemberg coming 4th in 2008 while already having won at S-level at 15 for whom juniors level is an easy thing due to the lack of collected movements in which he excels even placed 2nd in an Intermediaire II competition at CDN Waiblingen Alexandra’s grandfather has often said in public that for him dressage is not a sport who is accompanied to the shows by her parents loves to compete because “I get to know my standard of riding and new motivation” In 2009 Alexandra had the first opportunity to compete against several of Germany’s best Grand Prix riders at Grand Prix level at the renowned national show at Mannheim in May Of course she still lacked experience at this highest level but the style in which she competed was impressive and actually rather an art than a sport In Mannheim Dix was able to qualify for the Grand Prix Spécial Alexandra is currently in her last year of high school and is preparing for her final exams As time is limited and two young hopefuls are waiting to be taken over from her mum the decision has been made to part with Dix He was sold in capable hands at the end of 2009.Since then Alexandra has started to work with the two promising Hanoverians both bought as 2,5 years old at the Verden stallion market Liebermann is born in 2003 and now owned by Alexandra owned by Alexandra’s brother Matthias and previously competed by their mother According to Alexandra the horse has an outstanding talent for piaffe and passage Both horses have first been worked from the ground by Alexandra’s mum and are at S- level now Though it all sounds very promising Alexandra is cautious about her plans for the 2010 season: “All depends on the horses’ development but I am planning to start Liebermann at M-/S- level and Watteau probably at Grand Prix this or the next year.” One must assume Alexandra is completely concentrated on her grandfather’s legendary training method but she likes to look for new ideas everywhere and tries them out at home.Of course she favours her grandpa’s way of training: “I am thrilled by his training method All his horses are absolutely okay and have a great ability to collect which enables them to perform great piaffe and passage.” Alexandra does not have an equestrian idol in particular but likes Anky van Grunsven’s stallion Painted Black: “His ability to extend and his energy are admirable.” It will be interesting to see where the future will hold for a talent like Alexandra Like many of her age she’s dreaming of representing her country at an international championships one day To find out more about Fritz Stahlecker’s training method visit his informative websitewww.hsh-fritz-stahlecker.de Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot it offers visitors comprehensive brand expertise – from WMF Professional Coffee Machines Schaerer and Curtis to WMF Professional Hotel Equipment and HEPP visitors reach the training centre for product and coffee expertise with its comprehensive and attractive range of further training options for customers for example in-depth coffee tasting sessions and product training courses or interactive multi-sensory information and touch-screens on the topic of coffee Germany – With the opening of the new Experience Centre in Geislingen an der Steige SEB Professional is bringing its entire range of solutions for the commercial sector together under one roof This includes products from WMF Professional Coffee Machines Schaerer and Curtis as well as from WMF Professional Hotel Equipment and HEPP The areas Digital & Service and a training centre for product and coffee expertise round off the offering at the 700-square-metre showroom Executive Vice President SEB Professional Coffee Machines explains the concept: “The SEB Professional Experience Centre is far more than just exhibition space offering wide-ranging possibilities to exchange ideas Meetings with national and international customers product presentations or press events – the list of possible uses is long and varied And so we see the SEB Professional Experience Centre as a key element in our future communications strategy.“ Customers and partners of SEB Professional have always experienced the company’s numerous premium offerings in a very individual manner – for example during a meeting at a trade fair by visiting a local showroom (such as the WMF Showroom in Hamburg which opened in 2022) or in the course of an online consultation in the virtual showroom The new SEB Professional Experience Centre adds a new dimension to this broad range of communication options: with exhibition space of 700 square metres In the entrance area of the SEB Professional Experience Centre visitors can see products from the past and gain exciting insights into the history of the various brands WMF Professional Coffee Machines presents a wide selection of fully automatic speciality and filter machines as well as WMF espresso A special highlight is a “transparent machine“ which reveals the entire inner workings of a modern fully automatic coffee machine The area “Digital Solution“ follows on seamlessly and shows how digital solutions can help customer expand their business Various applications demonstrate tried and tested contactless payment functions the visualisation and analysis of machine data and convenient remote access to the fully automatic networked coffee machines in the SEB Professional Experience Centre The next stop for visitors is the Global Service area which presents the comprehensive services and expertise of the WMF service team After enjoying a break in the coffee lounge customers can get to know the Curtis range of machines where they learn how the Schaerer machine portfolio can be tailored flexibly to individual customer requirements Opposite the coffee lounge is an auditorium with room for up to 30 persons and ideal for meetings and presentations you enter the exhibition areas of HEPP and WMF Professional Hotel Equipment These two premium brands from the Hotel division are among the top companies for modern and refined tableware and delight with cutlery Particular areas of focus are the new HEPP cutlery range TRILOGIE the porcelain series WMF SYNERGY and the lifestyle collection WMF STYLE LIGHTS © Copyright 2025 | Editoriale Comunicaffè P.IVA 05752870963 | tel the objective of Comunicaffe International has been to provide an updated punctual and essential information service to operators in the sector cocoa and tea supply chains in order to develop critical thinking and debate Comunicaffe International is also a daily newsletter sent to 38.000 professionals in Italy and more than 85.000 worldwide Sign In Subscribe Now 2018Linda passed away at the Ponoka General Hospital at the age of 87 years after a long struggle with dementia Linda (Sieglinde) was born in Geislingen an der Steige who became her loving husband from 1954 until her death Linda and Hans farmed in the Poplar Ridge district of Red Deer County from 1967 until moving into Red Deer in 2001 Linda was the consummate homemaker: gardening Many friends and family still cherish the numerous sweaters and blankets that she gave them as presents Linda also loved to travel; going on bus tours to Reno Las Vegas and California with her many girlfriends and Gernot Schrag; she is survived by her husband of 63 years who lovingly cared for her as long as possible in the family home until her battle with dementia became too much She will be missed enormously by her 4 children; Barbara (Jerry) Pickering of Nanaimo Alberta and Todd (Anette) Schritt of Pemberton Justin and her 4 great-grandchildren; Eric,Luke Grundling and Greyling for their compassionate care of our mother We will be forever grateful to the staff at Northcott Care Centre in Ponoka for the help and love shown to her in her final years Also thank you to the staff at the Ponoka General Hospital who were so wonderful in her last days there will be no funeral service and at her request her body was donated to the University of Alberta's Anatomical Gifts Program Memorial donations in Linda's honour may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Alberta Condolences may be sent to todd89@telus.net Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Germany – It’s not just a well-known fact among tourism experts that cruises are more popular than ever the industry predicts – once the COVID-19 crisis is over – an increase of 10 million more passengers for 2027 compared to today’s figures Shipyard order books are full to the brim and more than a hundred new ships will be launched over the next few years WMF Professional Coffee Machines is also on board contributing to this impressive development with powerful and innovative technology Fully automatic coffee machines from the southern German premium supplier fulfil all of the passengers’ coffee needs on around 75 percent of the cruise ships currently in service WMF’s role as market leader is not based on the quality of the machines alone partners and WMF-certified service providers ensures that the machines prepare the best coffee specialities at all times – even on the high seas While the ocean liners are anchored in international ports existing machines can be serviced and repaired or new models installed if necessary the service teams are well-prepared to support customers in implementing their concepts This comprehensive service approach ensures that the “floating hotels” are always equipped with high-performing and durable coffee machines as well as outstanding coffee quality The cruise market is booming. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that ships from 27 different companies are now sailing the world’s oceans. The one thing they have in common is that their passengers expect the highest level of catering options. In terms of coffee solutions, WMF Professional Coffee Machines has evolved into the undisputed market leader over the past 20 years A fact that is underlined by more than 5000 coffee machines which are now used on a variety of cruise ships around the world A large part of the industry relies on the technological ability and coffee expertise of the company based in Geislingen an der Steige Depending on where the coffee machines are used on the ship (galley etc.) and the design of the ship in question different machines are suitable for different concepts an extremely efficient solution when space is limited and no more than 80 cups are to be prepared daily the WMF 1500 S+ and WMF 5000 S+ machines prove their worth when it comes to meeting medium or high demand If a particularly large number of guests are to be supplied with high-quality filter coffee The Internal Storage model is capable of preparing up to 500 cups per hour while the External Storage model with integrated high-quantity brewing function can even prepare up to 100 litres in the same amount of time If you want to combine quality and process reliability with the perfect barista feeling to offer your bar guests a very special experience the semi-automatic WMF espresso portafilter is your best bet All machines are extremely durable and easy to handle when preparing coffee and for cleaning they meet the highest hygiene requirements such as the stringent USPH criteria which are a must for cruise lines WMF has declared it is launching a new line of fully automatic coffee machines for the consumer business – the WMF Perfection 800 coffee machine series With almost 100 years background in the industry the high-end German manufacturer is aware that brewing and enjoying a cup of coffee is one of the most sensual things a person can experience The WMF Perfection 800 offers perfect customisation when it comes to “feeling”: Through up to 18 pre-set beverage options up to 16 customisable user profiles and other variable adjustment options can be adjusted to the individual coffee feeling in the most comprehensive way The new WMF Perfection 800 meets every user’s personal taste with its extensive customisation options in terms of aroma strength The coffee enjoyment experience is rounded off by intuitive operation via a high-resolution TFT touchscreen the WMF Perfection 800 claims to deliver an outstanding taste experience: the unique WMF double thermoblock technology enables an outstanding coffee quality – in this technology the second thermoblock is optimised for heating milk and tea This ensures excellent temperature accuracy an optimal distribution of the heated water and perfect milk foam The milk system is automatically self-cleaning and thus ensures reliable hygiene – cup by cup The result of the new fully automatic coffee machine can not only be tasted -the impressive aroma can also be smelt: The WMF Aroma Perfection System provides an olfactory experience that makes one want to enjoy coffee the thermoblock and the brewing unit are combined which ensures that the brewing process starts directly with heated water without heat loss the optimum amount of coffee is ground and pressed into the brewing chamber under high pressure the ground coffee is pre-cooked with a little water Then the brewing process is carried out with hot water in which the coffee flows – wonderfully fragrant – into the cup The design of the new WMF Perfection 800 is immediately eye-catching: The coffee machine impresses with its high-quality WMF design in Cromargan with anti-fingerprint which is perfectly staged through a modern illumination by the LED ambient light The WMF Perfection coffee machine has additional damper technology on the pump The solid honeycomb structure of the inner construction ensures less vibration The double-layer sandwich housing made of plastic frames inside and Cromargan cladding on the outside completes the optimal sound – not too loud The launch of the new WMF fully automatic coffee machines takes place as a series with three devices: The WMF Perfection 800 is available in the following versions: WMF Perfection 840L WMF Perfection 860L and WMF Perfection 890L The machines differ in terms of the user profiles that can be stored and the customisation options that can be set The tea specialities and the premium glass milk container are only available from the 860 versions The top model 890L is also delivered exclusively with a matt black stainless steel housing Philippe Clement already has his first Rangers signing on board with striker Fabio Silva arriving on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers Silva can start his Rangers career on Monday and Clement will be looking for more signings to bolster his squad with Nils Koppen working hard on recruitment Another left back seems to be a priority with Borna Barisic out injured and Ridvan Yilmaz yet to really convince since joining From Besiktas in 2022 We now have another rumour to deal with as reports suggest that Rangers are showing a keen interest in signing Philadelphia Union left back Kai Wagner… Wagner came up in the ranks of German clubs SSV Ulm just about half an hour away from his hometown of Geislingen an der Steige Wagner did spend a brief period with Augsburg but became a first-team player at Ulm Schalke came calling as they signed Wagner for their B team but that union lasted just a year before Wagner moved on to Wurzburger Kickers That is where Wagner started to really get moving and Philadelphia Union spotted him bringing him to Major League Soccer in 2019 Wagner has gone from strength to strength ever since racking up 32 assists and seven goals in 170 appearances for the MLS side One of the top left backs in Major League Soccer Wagner is now ready for another cracking Europe and Rangers could now pounce with Wagner’s contract expiring today “I do think he can play in the Bundesliga, I do feel he can play in England, certainly in the Championship — I think he can play in so many leagues in the world. So sometimes I am surprised that the big offer didn’t come across for the best left back in the league. In some ways, that kept him here — and helped us win games as well,” – Jim Curtin, Philadelphia Union boss “He has the mentality. He’s young. He’s a fighter. He’s not scared of the contact, which is something very important in this league, and I think that’s why right now he’s adapted very well,” – Ex-Union teammate and former Gretna defender Aurelien Collin “I don’t think so, no. He’s unbelievable. He’s doing his job; he’s showing up, he’s also making recovery sprints in the 88th minute to make sure we don’t concede one more. He’s a really good player, and I really enjoy playing with him,” – Union striker Mikael Uhre on whether he hash ever seen a left back like Wagner Rangers are understandably looking at left backs Barisic still has a few months left on his contract and it’s unclear whether there is a market for Yilmaz after 18 underwhelming months at Ibrox Bringing in another left back in January would surely mean letting one go; we can’t see Rangers carrying three left backs at once That means somebody will need to leave and we’re just unsure whether that will come in January Wagner would be a sensible target on a free transfer as his Philadelphia Union contract comes to an end Wagner has shown outstanding attacking qualities in Major League Soccer and he certainly deserves a chance in Europe There aren’t many better left backs around on a free transfer and Wagner’s strong record with the Union makes us believe that he could be the man at left back for Rangers – depending on a departure.