Add the following CSS to the header block of your HTML document.Then add the mark-up below to the body block of the same document This work, USAG Wiesbaden Town Hall - April 10, 2025, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright My Army career has taken me to my fair share of unforgettable places a country I wouldn’t have thought to put on my bucket list and only happened upon thanks to a work trip brought a handful of oddities such as the world’s largest Wendy’s and a bowling alley paying homage to cinematic cult classic “The Big Lebowski.” But the biggest standout was the food — not at the Wendy’s mind you — which left such an impression that during Christmas travels in Germany with my family last year I was struck with a craving for Georgian cuisine that wouldn’t go away I was therefore ecstatic to see that Wiesbaden has a place called Kinto that could quell that longing Although it was closed for renovation by the time I returned in January I was thrilled at the prospect of digging into some khachapuri a cheese-filled bread that’s also the country’s national dish a soup dumpling that’s also a cornerstone of Georgian cuisine tucked away in an industrial corner of Wiesbaden-Nordenstadt It has two glass-enclosed indoor seating areas and an open-air option that provides patrons with a view of the kitchen and wood-fired grill leaving the al fresco experience for a return visit during the warmer months knowing khachapuri and khinkali would certainly be a part of the evening I eventually settled on the lamb chashushuli I didn’t expect my main entree to arrive first but everything at the restaurant is prepared fresh the sequencing made sense considering that the other items I ordered are a bit more labor-intensive with each tender bite of meat melting in my mouth and accompanied by the flavors of the tomato base and cilantro The dish had a slight spice that pleasantly rounded out the flavors my next course landed on the table as I finished my last couple of bites of the stew My khachapuri choice was the Adjarian variation which includes a raw egg yolk dropped in the center of the bread boat filled with cheese My mind transported me back to the old wine cellars and hilltop restaurants of Tbilisi I would have been satisfied had I ended my meal there steaming dumplings came out in a set of five Despite being significantly pricier than what you’d pay in Georgia I covered them in a dusting of fresh cracked black pepper and dug in and eating it requires a special technique to look like a pro You grab the topknot of the dumpling and then bite a small hole and sip out all the broth before biting in all the way The broth of the Kinto khinkali was light and aromatic and the seasoned ground lamb and onion filling induced a smile I must confess I did commit a slight faux pas while enjoying my third course I learned that the topknot is not eaten but rather set aside to keep track of how many of the delicious morsels you’ve downed I was caught up in the moment and left no such evidence behind Georgia is also one of the world’s oldest winemaking areas serving up a variety of regional reds and whites its dark ruby color and notes of spiced berries pairing well with each dish I limited myself to one glass of wine because I had to drive but I’d love to return to sample more of the offerings along with a dash of chacha a spirit native to Georgia also offered at Kinto I finished the evening with a slice of medovik for dessert It’s a layer cake that is popular in countries of the former Soviet Union and whose name is derived from the Russian word for honey The flavor combination of honey and walnut was lovely and not overly sweet a perfect conclusion to a nearly perfect meal but I walked away from Kinto thinking it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Wiesbaden I will undoubtedly put it in my regular rotation of restaurant haunts With a return trip to the land of Tbilisi and Batumi not on the near-term horizon for me I’m comforted in the knowledge that a Georgian culinary escape is always available a couple of miles down the road Kinto Georgian Restaurant  5-11 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday  "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 2:23 am)Drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests by Tim ZadorozhnyyValerii Zaluzhnyi former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K. looks around the exhibition at The Tank Museum on April 03 (Finnbarr Webster / Getty Images)Valerii Zaluzhnyi as a "secret weapon" for planning military operations during the war Zaluzhnyi said the coordination center initially took shape in April 2022 at the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany He said the headquarters allowed Ukrainian and NATO planners to assess operational needs in real time and shape logistics accordingly we realized that we needed a joint operational headquarters with our partners to assess the needs for weapons and equipment based on the planning of operations," he wrote Zaluzhnyi said the need became critical in the summer of 2022 when Western partners questioned the utility of some weapons Kyiv was requesting The resulting Wiesbaden headquarters and NATO-standard formulation of requirements Zaluzhnyi said it helped conduct war games, forecast battlefield needs, and relay supply demands directly to Washington and European capitals The NYT report detailed the existence of "Task Force Dragon," an American-led initiative based in Wiesbaden that provided Ukrainian forces with real-time intelligence including coordinates of Russian military positions — even within Russian territory The initiative aimed to counterbalance Russia's advantages in troop numbers and firepower and Ukrainian officers jointly selected targets analyzing satellite imagery and intercepted communications and electronic signals to identify Russian deployments which were then shared with Ukraine's military The NYT article also revealed tensions and confusion within the Biden administration after Ukraine sank the Moskva According to the report, American and Ukrainian naval officers were on an intelligence sharing call when the former noticed the ship sinking on radar screens Bye," the Ukrainians reportedly replied It also reported that Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive toward Melitopol was sidelined in favor of the protracted Bakhmut campaign Zaluzhnyi was dismissed as commander-in-chief in February 2024 and replaced by Oleksandr Syrskyi. The move followed months of speculation and media reports citing internal disagreements over Ukraine's war strategy The former commander-in-chief assumed the role of Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom on July 11 Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent he is pursuing studies in International Relations Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor This work, LRC Wiesbaden employee on Army’s 250th birthday: 'it’s been a series of beautiful moments', by Cameron Porter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden trains first responders – Making the garrison safer!, by Roland Schedel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Germany – In control for most of Friday evening’s game against Vilseck the Wiesbaden girls basketball team found itself in a predicament late After the Falcons’ Giselle Villarreal drained a three-pointer with 2 minutes The hosts had led since the 1:58 mark in the first quarter They scored six straight points and held off the Falcons for a 37-36 victory “I was telling them the whole game: Slow it down move the ball,” Wiesbaden coach Kristin Kachmar said of what caused the late-game response It was nothing special – it was just doing like we’ve been practicing.” 3-4) a much-needed boost against a tough opponent Wiesbaden hadn’t won a league game since sweeping SHAPE on Dec 4-1) were flying high coming off two statement wins over Ramstein the previous weekend and hadn’t lost against Division I foes before Friday “It’s a big win,” Wiesbaden senior Natalia Bergdorf said “They beat Ramstein; we lost against Ramstein Bergdorf herself played a key role in the late-game turnaround On the next offensive possession after Villareal’s three-pointer Maria Valdez hit a runner to tie the game at 33 Following a cagey couple of empty plays for both squads Bergdorf hit teammate Katie Shea (14 points) to retake the lead with 1:19 left Bergdorf’s momentum was taking her out of bounds when she passed the ball back to Brianna Arroyo who scored her lone bucket to make it a two-possession lead with 45 seconds remaining A Villarreal shot from beyond the arc at the buzzer proved to be a consolation prize for the Falcons most hard-working kids that I’ve maybe ever been around or coached,” Kachmar said of Bergdorf who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds first-year Vilseck coach Darci Neville liked what she saw from her Falcons Not resting on their laurels of the previous wins over the Royals Vilseck gave Wiesbaden all it could handle behind Villareal’s 21-point performance while fellow sophomore Mayela Lokeni corralled 14 rebounds – 11 of which came on the offensive glass and Neville said she won’t discourage her players from letting it fly in those situations we trailed most of the game and just at the end they’re always in the fight and that’s all I can ask of them They’re out there to prove that they belong with the big dogs.” The theme of Wiesbaden’s 89-54 win over Vilseck on Friday evening could be summed up by the first three possessions of the game: three steals and three baskets on the other end 7-0) scored 30 fastbreak points – all in the first three quarters They also amassed 17 steals and forced the Falcons (1-6 was how well Wiesbaden took care of the basketball The Warriors committed just nine turnovers “Up-tempo basketball is more fun than slow basketball,” Brown said our focus was turnovers – limiting ours and increasing theirs They combined for one at the 6:48 mark in the first quarter when Jacob threw the ball off the backboard and Joel finished with a two-handed slam Senior point guard Jordan Thibodeaux also took advantage on the fastbreak with 19 points Jonah Harvey scored his 11 points in the fourth quarter who came off the bench to help Joel Idowu shut down Vilseck’s John and Jeremiah Dorff in the low block to just four points each “We’ve been working on getting all of our team involved in the game all of us are ready to play and do our thing.” They managed to get something going in the second half when Khyleel Grimes got hot from distance He connected on four 3-pointers over the final 16 minutes and six total en route to a 25-point performance Friday’s game was another learning experience for his young squad Germany — Small drones built by American soldiers under the watchful eye of Ukrainian troops gave Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll an up-close look this week at fast-changing combat tactics informed by their partners’ ongoing war with Russia Driscoll also refuted reports of any imminent or outsized troop cuts in talks with reporters Wednesday Driscoll mingled with members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment who commanders say are on the cutting edge in the service’s vision of future warfare they’re curious,” Driscoll said Wednesday at the Army’s European headquarters during his first visit to the Continent as the service’s new civilian leader whose tour through Europe included a stop in Poland on Thursday for a visit with troops there is focused on the Army’s effort to fast-track new initiatives through a program known as “transforming in contact.” The aim is to cut through bureaucratic red tape to modernize faster And Russia’s war in Ukraine looms over much of the Army’s modernization push as it prepares and adapts for an evolving modern battlefield “We oftentimes in the Pentagon are talking about the lessons learned in Ukraine .. probably 10 times a day I hear it,” said Driscoll who on Wednesday also was named acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol Close collaboration with Ukrainian troops has factored into recent Army advances and a key part of that effort involved getting drones into the hands of soldiers and incorporating them into the ways small units fight Germany-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment is perhaps the only unit in the Army where soldiers themselves are building drones done without the assistance of any civilian staff or contractors involves purchase of off-the-shelf parts and construction of drones to individual specifications The effort was launched about three months ago in coordination with Ukrainian troops whose combat experience and hands-on experimentation with drone-building proved invaluable Some of the drones on display in Wiesbaden were designed just for surveillance The 2nd Cavalry also has built a tethered fiber-optic drone which can defeat electronic jamming attempts That technology has been put to effective use by Ukrainian and Russian forces in recent months “We are watching the conflict in Ukraine very closely,” David said military’s role in supporting Ukraine has changed in recent months with the Pentagon stepping back from its past position as leader of an international coalition known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said Europe must now play the leading role in such efforts in line with President Donald Trump’s priorities of directing more resources to the Asia-Pacific region American military support for Ukraine continues through its Security Assistance Group Ukraine organization Experiences drawn from the group “are priceless for the American people and for our allies around the world,” Driscoll said “And so I see nothing but continued focus on trying to capture those lessons.” Driscoll’s visit to Europe comes amid uncertainty about the future U.S Talk has swirled across NATO about the possibility of American troop withdrawals ranging between 10,000 and 20,000 The Pentagon is reviewing force posture worldwide to assess whether changes need to be made Driscoll downplayed the idea of an abrupt change in how the service operates in Europe “I have not heard a single thing about having our presence (here) decrease in the near term,” Driscoll said He also denied recent media reports that the Army is working on a plan to cut some 90,000 soldiers from its ranks “I have not had a single conversation with a single person at the Pentagon that has ever alluded to that size of a cut,” he said Germany — A packed house filled the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Friday night as the crowd chanted four-peat,” just before the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships kicked off Fans were eager to see Wiesbaden’s cheer squad clinch its fourth consecutive Division I title — and the home team delivered “It feels absolutely incredible,” Wiesbaden captain and senior Imani Coley said after the trophies were handed out Coley said they didn’t see themselves as clear favorites ahead of this year’s competition especially with only four returning members from last year’s 12-person squad next year’s team will largely consist of fresh faces who has cheered for Wiesbaden since her freshman year Wiesbaden coach Jamie Cook acknowledged that fluctuating team rosters are a challenge for all military schools making any success at the event a testament to hard work Having a group that likes to show off also helps really well in front of a crowd,” Cook said When asked if she was the key to the team’s winning streak Cook was quick to credit her cheerleaders instead edging out Naples in second place and Vicenza in third which finished third last year and failed to place in 2023 “We were just hoping to finish above third this year so this feels great,” said team captain and senior Olivia Bussey adding that the team had been practicing six days a week and I’m so happy we get to end the season with a win,” she said After two years of finishing second in Division III Alconbury claimed the 2025 Division III championship “The feeling of winning… I can’t even describe it I’m shaking,” senior captain Mia Valenzuela said When asked how the team pulled off the victory fellow senior captain Micaela Fromm replied Alconbury was also named 2025 Division III game day champions In addition to the team championship titles which are determined by routines performed at the competition separate game day titles recognize teams for their performances at basketball games throughout the season The other game day champions were Naples in Division II and Vilseck in Division I Lillian Griffin – Kaiserslautern; James Ratkovski – Lakenheath; Idaly Lozano – Ramstein; Shaely McMullen – SHAPE; Giyada Guico – Vilseck; Hailey Stelker – Wiesbaden; Brooklyn Hogan – Stuttgart Domitila Di Bartolomei – AOSR ; Danielle Bean Annika Haas – Aviano ; Marin Storey – Naples ; Lillie Stockton Olivia Bussey – Rota; Ayanna Murray – Vicenza All-Tournament: Solina Moreno – AFNORTH; Micaela Fromm Kenya Tucker – Hohenfels; Salma Stevenson – Spangdahlem The last week of January was a busy one for members of Wiesbaden High School’s Model UN club They traveled to the World Forum in The Hague in the Netherlands to attend a four-day simulation of the United Nations and participated in mock debates “By coming together and assuming the positions of different Member States you will gain insights and come to understand a diversity of points of view.” THIMUN stands for The Hague International Model United Nations THIMUN started as a small conference in 1968 and now stands as one of the most prestigious Model UN conferences in the world attracting more than 3,200 students from over 200 schools across the globe students represent delegations that take part in debates in committees that focus on the world’s most pressing issues and then present resolutions to help These issues could range from human rights to the environment The Wiesbaden High School Model UN club sent 24 students and represented two countries in two delegations this year: the United Arab Emirates and Jamaica Some students were asked to give speeches and all of them participated in debates in their respective committees and I also participated in the Model UN program in the Pacific before that,” said Chris Evans a social studies teacher and the Model UN director at Wiesbaden High School “I enjoy watching students experience it and especially enjoy when students can attend more than once and see them improve.” they would have to pay much more if it weren’t for the generous donations we receive every year from the Wiesbaden Community Spouses Club and the Wiesbaden High School Parent Teachers Organization.” The goal of THIMUN is for students to learn about problems around the globe employ themselves in the world of international diplomacy and relations and demonstrate their public speaking and leadership skills When asked what they thought of the experience delegate Ethan Self-LoBosco said “It was an honorary exclusive The Wiesbaden High School Model UN club left another successful THIMUN conference with more than 90 resolutions passed and an incredible experience on their mind Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense Germany – Everyone competing in DODEA-Europe’s marksmanship league fires their own rifle But while it’s inherently an individual sport shooters have to rely on their teammates to come out on top when it’s time for school bragging rights So when Wiesbaden senior and co-captain Cydnee Lassiter who entered Saturday’s third clash of the DODEA-Europe Marksmanship Western Conference as one the top shooters in Europe her Warriors teammates were more than ready to give her a boost or maybe the energy drink she downed before heading up to the firing line that resulted in her 11-point backslide and fifth-place finish overall on the day in a meet involving seven schools who finished as the meet’s top shooter with 288 of a possible 300 points and solid 90s across the board from Benjamin Pollak and Aidan Sweney gave the Warriors the boost they needed to edge out the 2024 defending champion Kaiserslautern for the second time this season The Raiders started off strongly with sophomore Amanda Garcia (282) and Raider veteran Noah Truschinski (286) holding the top spots for most of the day but the Warriors pushed out to an 18-point lead after the fourth firing order Kaiserslautern’s final shooter Auriana Davis (285) put up a respectable score that included a 98 from the prone With Wiesbaden finishing at 1,132 to Kaiserslautern’s 1,126 the battle for the top spot in the conference is neck and neck with two meets left in the regular season “We’ve been hitting a new record every single match,” Lassiter said while also noting many returning shooters have broken their personal records this year as well She said the Warriors will likely have a better showing at this year’s European championship in February after finishing in fourth place last year Lassiter (282) wasn’t the only competitor to have a bit of a slump Many coaches and shooters acknowledged that overall scores were a few points lower than usual Most attributed it to travel during the holiday break and an interruption to the training schedule due to Thursday’s national holiday I kinda just got bad (and) forgot about shooting,” Kaiserslautern sophomore Amanda Garcia said but I think we’ll still make it to the top of euros and nationals this year and next.” Kaiserslautern coach William Conley said despite losing the team’s top shooter in the off-season and battling the complacency that sometimes accompanies a winning streak the Raiders are still in a great position to capitalize on last year’s DODEA championship run that also featured the JROTC Air Force crown at Camp Perry and an eighth-place finish in the all-service competition and that’s gonna happen sometimes,” Conley said “Sometimes it’s humbling for our team members when they experience a setback — and now the real coaching begins.” Baumholder (1,036) and Spangdahlem (1,004) finished in fourth through seventh place Stream PBS SoCal and your favorite PBS programs to your TV and devices wherever Celebrate AAPI Month on PBS SoCal all May with exclusive programs Find full episodes and educational games from Curious George Support PBS SoCal and watch full seasons of your favorite shows Samantha explores the ruins of a Roman amphitheater near a main train station and visits Eva Vollmer Winery then travels to Wiesbaden to taste hot chocolate at Kunder Chocolateria PBS SoCal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID: 95-2211661 Germany – Wiesbaden boys basketball coach David Brown admitted he didn’t know what to expect from his players after two weeks off and just a couple of practices before Vicenza came to town Friday evening The senior shooting guard showed the Warriors were up to the task against one of the top teams in Division II Idowu dropped 14 of his 23 points in the first half to help Wiesbaden jump out early during a 76-58 victory over the Cougars at Wiesbaden High School “He sets the temperature of the team,” Brown said of Idowu The Warriors (6-0) needed a little time to get going trailing Vicenza (4-1) by three midway through the first quarter Wiesbaden finished the frame on a 12-0 run really turned it up a gear in the second quarter Jacob Idowu scored 11 points for more than half his team’s offensive output (20) keeping the Cougars at a double-digit deficit Idowu scored in various ways – backdoor cuts Taking a 36-24 lead into halftime made the team’s slow start seem like a thing of the past “It took us a quarter or two to get in the flow but I feel like when we get into the flow … we just start hitting shots Others stepped up to complement Idowu’s performance Senior small forward Zion Thompson scored a pair of buckets early while freshman guard Carter Edwards chipped in with all six of his points in the first half Brown dug into his bench often to bring on players like Edwards senior guard Jonah Harvey and junior power forward Isaac Mason The Wiesbaden coach said they earned those minutes and their teammate said he’s noticed their efforts Their performances allowed another of Wiesbaden’s big three – Jordan Thibodeaux – time to find his shooting boots The senior point guard popped off for 20 of his game-high 29 points in the second half He seemed to find his rhythm with a shot from beyond the arc right before the break and continued it over the final 16 minutes The point guard had his hand in the offense early despite not scoring as much Thibodeaux had five assists in the first half with three of them coming on Idowu buckets making sure everybody else’s job is easier … I think he really took that to heart and executed that today,” Brown said The Warriors needed Thibodeaux’s offensive output in the second half Trailing by 10 points at the 2:31 mark in the third period Vicenza produced a 9-2 run over 1:03 to make it 47-44 That’s when Thibodeaux scored four straight points to make it a three-possession game again Jace Herron (19 points) and Ben Harlow (18) paced Vicenza “I thought our kids handled the adversity well,” Vicenza coach Jesse Woods said Vicenza 40: While every DODEA coach faced the same problem of having two weeks off for winter break Wiesbaden coach Kristin Kachmar was thrown an added curveball who figured to be an important piece to the offense During Friday’s game against Vicenza at Wiesbaden High School The Warriors did enough to hold off a pesky Cougar squad I think that it takes a minute for everybody to get adjusted and to get back into the swing of things,” Kachmar said “We’ve got some new girls that need to step up in different roles that they’re not used to there were many times where I was frustrated as a coach Two of those sparks happened right before halftime and early in the third period Wiesbaden (3-3) scored the final eight points over a 2:15 span starting with a Katie Shea (10 points) runner and ending with a buzzer beater by Kariyah Housey (12 points) after Vicenza (1-4) tied it a minute into the third with a drive by Jenina Smith the Warriors rattled off a 16-0 run to pull away for good Housey herself sparked that run with the first basket off a Kaitlynn Boman pass Housey had eight points during the quarter “Once we started to hit that click and understanding in the third quarter … it was really good.” Wiesbaden also enjoyed a major advantage on the glass Senior Natalia Bergdorf corralled 17 herself Although Kachmar said she wished the Warriors had made some of the bunnies that led to the high number of offensive rebounds she couldn’t fault the team’s effort crashing the boards that gives you an advantage,” Kachmar said Am I pleased with the fact that’s what happened couldn’t have been happier with the performance The Cougars have nine freshmen on the squad and not a lot of height Kohut challenged his players to turn over Wiesbaden as much as possible and keep the ball away from the hoop The Cougars forced 34 Warrior turnovers with 21 of them coming on steals Smith (game-high 16 points) had eight of them “The key this weekend is go out there and harass the ball Germany – The Wiesbaden volleyball team isn’t fazed by coaching changes One year after switching the entire coaching staff midseason en route to a European title the Warriors lost their head coach again this fall under unfortunate circumstances Malia Taiafi-Husseini had to take family emergency leave when the final ball fell onto the floor at Ramstein Air Base’s Southside Fitness Center on Saturday the Warriors were atop DODEA-Europe’s Division I Wiesbaden defeated top-seeded Kaiserslautern 25-21 25-10 for their third-straight European crown and it’s really hard on us still,” said senior Bridget Pidgeon who played on all three European-winning squads “We had a really good connection with coach Malia But our relationship with each other and team chemistry really helped us come together.” Players such as all-tournament selections Pidgeon and Nicole Suh credited coaches Amanda Moser and Tariq Zangana for stepping up to the plate and helping keep the squad together The squad was extra motivated to win for Taiafi-Husseini who mentored Wiesbaden to the first title in the three-peat especially with the odds stacked against us,” Suh said Those odds were looking long after losing to both Ramstein and Vilseck on Oct the Warriors found themselves in the unfamiliar position as the fifth seed Zangana said the team never doubted it was going to make a run And while the Warriors dropped a round-robin match to Kaiserslautern they upset second-seeded Stuttgart and third-seeded Ramstein before beating Stuttgart again in the semifinal That set up Saturday’s final to avenge the earlier loss to the Raiders “We never felt like underdogs; we just felt like we needed to clean up our act and play our game,” Zangana said what matters is the tournament and how hard we play while nothing could go right for the Raiders Big runs turned the first two sets in their favor Wiesbaden scored six straight points early to take a 10-5 lead Pidgeon recorded seven of her game-high 14 kills during the opening game Then the Warriors ended the second set on an 8-2 run after trailing by five points midway The Raiders struggled to find the empty spots as the Warriors dove all over the floor on every spike too,” Pidgeon said of the team’s mentality Kaiserslautern finally managed to get something going in the third set as senior middle blocker Mariska Campbell had four kills and blocked two Wiesbaden spikes for points Coach Zac Robinson held a belief that his Raiders were in the match but then a disastrous start in the fourth set saw the Warriors take a 12-2 advantage and it never got closer very good in the fourth set this year,” Robinson said we’re going to win this fourth set; we’re going to five.’ Just started out slow The 2024 campaign was supposed to be a rebuilding one for Wiesbaden The Warriors will have to hope for another reloading season defensive specialists Kayda Chapman and Yasmine David “I’m really grateful to have had this my senior year.” Germany – Many involved in Saturday’s Division I title game of the 2025 DODEA European basketball championships hope third time’s the charm who defeated Vilseck 60-39 in a Division I semifinal at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Friday morning have lost their last two finals appearances be it the overtime thriller on their home court in 2023 or the game they chased from beginning to end in 2024 They also dropped the two regular-season meetings with Wiesbaden which advanced to the final with a 62-22 victory over SHAPE in the day’s second semifinal has failed to get over the hump twice after advancing to the championship game in 2014 and 2017 if they wish to know what he meant when he described them as “heartbreaking.” the Idowu brothers – Jacob and Joel – lost year against Spangdahlem with Hohenfels and it has fueled the Warriors (17-0) this season “We started the season sharing our experiences with the entire team,” Brown said “Our experiences we’ve been learning from every game of this season and the two previous contests were close ball games Wiesbaden’s margin of victory was 19 over the two earlier contests and the Royals were just one of two teams to keep the Warriors within single digits in a 61-55 victory on Dec It all adds up to what could be an electric atmosphere on Saturday evening mental game,” Ramstein senior Ky’Ron Hall said Before the two teams could focus on each other they had to take care of business in their semifinals The Warriors didn’t mess around with the Spartans (8-8) who shocked Ramstein to start the tournament and nearly knocked off Stuttgart in their final pool-play matchup They got up double digits and never looked back before enforcing the mercy rule in the second half Joel Idowu contributed 18 points and Jordan Thibodeaux contributed 13 for Wiesbaden Matteo Sanciu paced the Spartans with 14 points Despite getting the seventh seed in Vilseck (2-14) the Royals already had learned their lesson regarding overlooking an opponent Ramstein blew the game wide open in the second quarter Freshman guard Matteo Jones led the way for Ramstein dropping eight of his team-high 13 points in the second period Junior guard Awwab Noble added another 10 as 11 Royals made the scoresheet Vilseck’s Khyleel Grimes scored a game-high 14 points in the losing effort and it helped us come out strong and stay focused on the match,” Jones said As for how the team will handle Saturday’s championship matchup both Royals were coy and left no hints as to their game plan see this game as cementing their legacy – and they understand the keys to the game so it’s kind of the perfect scenario for us,” Brown said And we need to play the same way we have all year together.” Reinhard Ernst first came across the work of American artist Helen Frankenthaler during a visit to a Paris gallery in the late 1980s The German entrepreneur couldn’t afford the abstract art at the time but was fascinated by it he collected works by French and German artists who made his fortune producing precision gears and drive technology Even while collecting other artists’ work during business trips to the U.S he amassed the largest private collection of Frankenthaler’s art Ernst is not one to display his collection in a home basement bunker Through a foundation he established with his wife Sonja he built the Museum Reinhard Ernst in downtown Wiesbaden headed by the late star architect Fumihiko Maki it opened in June 2024 and holds Ernst’s collection of abstract art from 1950 to the present It recently opened its first temporary art exhibit Move and More.” It features 38 of the 50 works by the artist in the museum’s collection Frankenthaler (1928-2011) was raised in New York City She studied art in college and by 1950 already had one of her works included in an exhibition Only a year later she had her first solo exhibit On her way to becoming one of the great American artists of the postwar 20th century She poured diluted paint onto an untreated canvas and spread the paint over the surface with sponges and brushes Unlike painting on a wall or easel as most artists did the works are shown in four rooms solely with Frankenthalers and in one room of the permanent exhibit This lets Frankenthaler’s work be exhibited next to her mentors such as Hans Hofmann and Adolph Gottlieb to whom she was married for more than a decade The exhibit gets its name from a quote by the artist than halt,” and it’s clear that there was a lot of moving and making in her works large photos feature Frankenthaler working Among the works on display is the oldest Frankenthaler in the collection “Provincetown Harbor,” from 1950 and the first work acquired by Ernst Other notable works to see are “After Hours” and “Second Wind,” both large paintings full of colors Compare these to the rather muted colors of “Fenice” and “Moonrise.” The permanent exhibit is called “Color is Everything,” and in the room the visitor can compare Frankenthaler’s works “Zarathustra” and “Regatta,” with Gottlieb’s “Two Bars” or Dzubas’ giant “Argonaut.” Among the other works on display at the museum are Motherwell’s “Arabesque,” Yuichi Inoue’s “Hana,” Atusko Tomaka’s “Work” and Toshimitsu Imai’s “Formation Stream.” Some visitors to the museum might ask what the artist is trying to say with his or her works Costs: 14 euros for adults; 12 euros for groups of 10 or more and college students; children and youth up to 18 years of age enter free The excellent catalog for the Frankenthaler exhibit costs 29.90 euros Food: Inside the museum is rue 1 by Gollner’s which is home to the service’s headquarters for Europe and Africa Troy Danderson during a ceremony Wednesday at Clay Kaserne who presided over major expansion as a garrison of 13,000 people grew into a community of about 20,000 over the past two years Mayfield said his fondest memories as commander involved developing relationships with the German community adding that he was honored by Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende’s unofficial naming of the Army garrison as the “27th district of Wiesbaden.” “David’s host nation engagement plan has been the model that’s attempted to be replicated across all of our garrisons,” IMCOM-Europe director Tommy Mize said during Wednesday’s ceremony Mayfield’s next assignment will take him to Izmir as the intelligence officer for NATO’s Allied Land Command takes command in Wiesbaden following a tour with the U.S assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs’ protection policy division “I’m eager to work alongside you and anticipating the needs of this community,” Danderson said Wednesday and the community in which we wanted to belong.” artists and photo students from all over the world There are no stylistic or technical restrictions nor are there any restrictions on the nationality or age of the applicants the Wiesbadener Fototage (Wiesbaden Photo Days) has offered photographers the opportunity to submit photo series for the exhibitions which is unique in the German photo festival landscape and are looking forward to a large number of participants in our open call The Wiesbadener Fototage (Wiesbaden Photo Days) have seen themselves as a festival for contemporary artistic and documentary photography with international participation The content of the exhibitions and the festival program is based on the respective annual theme the Wiesbadener Fototage is based on the triad of exhibitions accompanying program and sponsorship awards We are looking for photo series/video works that deal with the content of this year's festival theme Future Photographers from all over the world can enter up to two photo series for the seven main exhibitions of the 13th Wiesbadener Fototage It is also possible to submit one or two 1-channel video works The only thing that counts is that the content is related to the festival theme and that the quality of the realisation is convincing Submitted photo series must contain a minimum of six individual images and a maximum of 12 images An independent jury will select up to 40 positions for the seven exhibition venues from all the photographic and video works submitted Die Jury is composed of Nicole Ahland (Wiesbaden Cultural Office) Andrea Diefenbach (University of Arts Bremen) Marc Peschke (Team Wiesbadener Fototage) and Juergen Strasser (Artistic Director of the Wiesbadener Fototage) Participation in the photo exhibitions of the 13th Wiesbadener Fototage2 A travel allowance of up to 150 euros for participation in the opening weekend4 The chance to win two sponsorship prizes of 1,500 euros each5 A publication in the catalogue of the 13th Wiesbadener Fototage6 National and international promotion of the festival Here is a list of events happening near Wiesbaden this weekend *Know before you go: Always check event websites before traveling to verify information Lectures and workshops on the economy are likely to be in German but may offer English alternatives Events on military bases require base access This work, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Soldiers adopt new patch in ceremony [Image 4 of 4], by Roland Schedel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Soldiers adopt new patch in ceremony This work, Army CID on the Scene for Wiesbaden Celebration of 75th Anniversary of Berlin Airlift, by Thomas B. Hamilton III, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Wiesbaden High School JROTC honors veterans during U.S. Army Europe and Africa Veterans Day Observance, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright When my wife and I clash in our mutual gaming hobby — be it board games card games or the occasional video game — we treat it as a no-holds-barred rumble It was no different when a rare date night away from our toddlers recently brought us to BashParty Minispiele in Wiesbaden where we engaged in cutthroat competition through almost a dozen minigames in a venue of more than 5,000 square feet shorter activities that complement a larger gaming experience The little battles at BashParty unfold in about 10 different rooms or arenas housing equipment like ladder ball sets a tablet guided us through a menu that included our 11 games that appeared to be randomly generated from a list of more than 100 possibilities we were free to complete the additional challenges in the order of our choosing that required precision and finesse to slide wooden discs through tight openings to score points My wife bested me in one of the games that was a time-based challenge themed on the children’s puzzle book “Where’s Waldo?” We had a great time and quite a few laughs while failing miserably at the falling sticks game We didn’t feel so bad when we saw other groups struggle as well Nothing was so physically demanding that my wife but it did seem like I was advantaged from the start with a couple of the games the tablet’s scoring system has teams assign a point score from 1 to 11 for each game adding an additional metagame to the experience and keeping the scoring exciting throughout BashParty opened at the beginning of December and updated its services in the past few weeks to include English translations The website says the ideal group size is two to nine players divided into two or three teams I received an email confirmation with a link to an online app that allows groups to divide players into teams ahead of time Going from room to room in the colorful play space dominated by blue pink and yellow designs reminded us both of “Squid Game.” 3 themed around the popular Korean Netflix drama that saw contestants compete in children’s games with deadly consequences While a few popular games from the show will be included in the lineup I’m sure the stakes won’t be quite as high The price is on the upper end of what we would normally budget for entertainment BashParty advertises the duration of the experience at around two hours but we were quite efficient and completed our games in just under 90 minutes Although the head-to-head competition with my wife there was fun we agreed that the gaming is probably better with a few more people BashParty’s convenient location close to parking garages and Wiesbaden’s main train station also makes for a great jumping-off point for an extended day or night out on the town Discount rates available for families and scheduled party events Germany — A new NATO-led command designed to support Ukraine is up and running in Wiesbaden taking over an effort previously overseen by American forces the alliance’s military headquarters said Wednesday The formation of the group known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine amounts to an administrative reshuffling that the alliance says will ensure more stable support for Ukraine over the long term The move “is designed to place Ukraine in a position of strength which puts NATO in a position of strength to keep safe and prosperous its 1 billion people in both Europe and North America,” Gen was billed as a means for putting alliance support “on a firmer footing” by providing more predictability for Kyiv when it comes to addressing its long-term military needs While NATO hasn’t called the shift a hedge ahead of U.S President-elect Donald Trump’s second term observers have nonetheless described it as an attempt to Trump-proof allied support for Ukraine in the event American weapons supply is halted Trump has pledged to bring a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine war by forcing peace negotiations European Command’s Security Assistance Group–Ukraine headed up the armaments deliveries which also operates at Army headquarters in Wiesbaden deputy commander of the new NATO headquarters said Wednesday that the new organization is ready to begin taking on responsibilities from the EUCOM group and a separate international donor coalition This work, Honoring courage and unity: Wiesbaden Warrior Battalion commemorates 23rd anniversary of 9/11, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright England – DODEA-Europe’s season-ending basketball championships are just a few weeks away and Lakenheath’s teams got a taste of what they’ll be facing Saturday Saturday’s girls/boys doubleheader against Wiesbaden left a bitter flavor in the Lancers’ mouths “Effort was not given all around,” Lakenheath boys assistant coach Eric Riley said “The team is much better than what they were putting out there.” It’s not like the Warriors are exactly slouches They stayed unbeaten on the season with a 55-14 victory The game was officially over at halftime due to the organization’s 39-point mercy rule The Warriors’ defense stymied the Lancers all game And Wiesbaden dominated play near the basket thanks to the strong play of Wiesbaden brothers Joel and Jacob Idowu we just want to get better,” Wiesbaden coach David Brown said “We try not to play to the score; we play to the standard.” Lakenheath point guard Gideon Toure said his team hopes for a better showing if it sees Wiesbaden again on the Warriors’ home court in the championships “We have the team to get the wins,” Toure said “Heads started hanging and the other team took advantage of that.” Wiesbaden was up 20-7 after a quarter and never looked back The games completed the Lancers’ Division I regular-season schedule next weekend and then finish the regular season Feb 7-8 with a home-and-away series against Alconbury before beginning tournament play The Warriors have only single games left against Kaiserslautern and Ramstein the next two weekends Lakenheath 25: Katie Shea scored a game-high 18 points while Natalia Bergdorf put 13 on the board to give the visitors the victory coming off a sweep of SHAPE the prior weekend 5 seed in the seven-team field at the championships This work, Wiesbaden High School JROTC Color Guard elevates school and community events, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Army base that is home to the service’s headquarters for Europe and Africa could be in for a delay Thursday resulting from preparations for an afternoon anti-war protest Up to 500 demonstrators are expected to gather outside Clay Kaserne from noon to 5 p.m city of Wiesbaden spokesman Ralf Munser said Tuesday A follow-on march around the installation and demonstration outside the main gate may last until 8 p.m. Army Garrison Wiesbaden said in a Facebook post Tuesday city crews could start setting up barriers blocking the right-hand lane of the installation’s access road The lane closure could snarl traffic Thursday morning There may be a larger than normal German police presence outside Clay Kaserne’s main gate throughout Thursday Although the demonstration is expected to be peaceful the garrison is reminding its members not to get involved or interact with the demonstrators Drivers are urged not to prolong any delays by rubbernecking as they pass the protest Thursday is a German federal holiday marking the anniversary of the country’s 1990 reunification Stars and Stripes reporter Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report Looking for something to do in the Wiesbaden area Here are some great Easter markets and events going on this weekend: Wiesbaden’s Kinderfest and Egg Hunt will be held at the fitness center Immediately following Kinderfest is Disney Imagination Movers interactive live musical act that encourages kids to “Reach high Free food and refreshments will be offered while supplies last customary music and a fairy tale tent at the Reduit courtyard famously emulates the middle ages More than 100 participants will demonstrate their trade while the revered Dalias-Lane has revelers jigging to their live Celtic sounds on Sunday The 10th annual traditional Medieval Easter Market takes place at the Loreley-Plateau this weekend Dozens of artists and craftsmen will display their authentic works Germany opened their production season with the youth performance of Shrek The Musical Jr all our favorite fairy tale individuals have been banished to Shrek’s swamp complete with a Mike-Myers-esque Scottish accent Shrek is a grumpy ogre who just wants to be left alone Costumes are colorful and help individualize the fairy tale creatures “This place is a dump!” exclaims Pinocchio (Lily Goodman) in one of this musical’s many laugh-out-loud moments The entire multi-age ensemble then burst into song and we learn that Shrek must take the issue up with Lord Farquaad (Orrin Perkins) This is a fast-paced version of our favorite ogre story lots of singing and lots of talent crammed into an hour and fifteen minutes whose hysterical comedic timing perfectly balances out grumpy Donkey’s incessant chatter and Shrek’s varied reactions make for witty banter throughout the show offering audiences the feeling of being in the forest and part of the action It quickly transforms into the castle at Duloc where Farquaad is extracting information from Gingy (Amelia Nieman) who hysterically attempts to withhold details about a princess Perkins does an excellent job with the necessary ‘acting from the knee,’ especially later when riding his broom-horse Shrek and Donkey eventually enter Duloc and their quest is expanded to rescuing the princess from her dragon-guarded tower to three talented vocalists that walk us through the life of Young Fiona (Avery Young) and Teen Fiona (Alice Fuller) as she grows up in a tower and sings about her prince in “manly hose.” Finally adult Fiona (Chloe Goodman) takes the stage on day 8,423 of her lock up The comedic tone quickly returns as Donkey and Shrek travel toward the castle Creative use of props and lighting move time along until we finally get eyes on Dragon (Cassandra Pachecho) whose puppetry head is used by way of introducing this talented singer As our couple and their funny ‘noble steed’ return to Duloc we are treated to moments of hysterical chitchat (yes the farts and burps are popular) interjected by full-cast singing that includes fun choreography and a great opportunity to highlight skills (looking at you we learn that all of our differences make us strong together and who you are on the inside matters most led by Pinocchio help Shrek embrace his uniqueness in the wonderful big Broadway number “Freak Flag.” Then Shrek stomps off to save the day after a laugh-out-loud moment with the bishop (Emma Spahl) by an impressive cast of 30 youth actors has already sold out its upcoming performances it is always worth calling the theater for any changes Curtis Buzzard was nominated this week for a third star and an assignment as the next leader of a Germany-based command focused on getting military aid to Ukraine Buzzard would lead several hundred troops who make up the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine based at U.S Army Europe and Africa headquarters in Wiesbaden Buzzard now serves as commander of the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Moore in Georgia He was nominated Wednesday for the promotion and the Wiesbaden post Buzzard will arrive in Wiesbaden at a time of transition for the Ukraine assistance mission At NATO’s summit in Washington earlier this month member countries agreed to make the U.S.-led effort an alliance-led initiative The new command is expected to stand up in a matter of weeks Army Europe and Africa on Thursday said the SAG-U will continue to function NATO’s military headquarters did not immediately respond to a question on whether the separate NATO headquarters at Wiesbaden also will be led by Buzzard in a dual-hatted role and will address both immediate and longer-term needs,” NATO’s military headquarters said in a July 11 statement The change means that the three-star command will report to U.S Christopher Cavoli in his capacity as NATO supreme allied commander rather than in his other role as chief of U.S my wife and I craved a restaurant that would be a new but not too exotic experience We found just what we had in mind at Namaste Nepal around the corner from the Schlosspark in the Biebrich district of Wiesbaden The restaurant says it sources its Ayurvedic spices from Nepal But having eaten at our fair share of Indian places we weren’t sure how distinctive Nepalese fare would be in comparison Although we saw familiar menu items like naan we started with an appetizer from the country’s Himalayan roots The spicy vegetarian momos are a variation on the traditional dumpling of the region Nepal’s identity came across in the blending of chilis cilantro and cardamom in the slightly fried round dumpling The momos were balanced with enough heat to warrant their spicy label My wife chose the Ayurvedic curry with paneer She said the curry’s cardamom- and clove-forward taste paired well with her Ayurvedic tea a sampler platter that had three smaller-portioned entrees with rice which had a surprisingly creamy texture considering it didn’t contain any dairy as well as a pleasantly fragrant potato-and-cauliflower dish But my favorite of the three was the kalo daal kidney beans and chickpeas was thick and hearty but didn’t feel heavy I tasted a cilantro note and other herbaceous flavors I couldn’t nail down My wife and I agreed that while the curry portions were adequate this is a minor complaint about an otherwise fantastic meal The small dessert that my platter came with was laal mohan a tasty deep-fried dough ball soaked in a sweet syrup with hints of cardamom and cinnamon I can’t say I would have recognized it as a dessert without knowing better The fried apple rings were our favorite dessert by far The treat combined the sweetness of the fruit with a syrup like the one on the dough ball Parking at Namaste can be problematic depending on the time of day A bus stop is within a couple of hundred feet of the eatery there’s something very comforting about Namaste Nepal that I’m sure will call me back Namaste Nepal Restaurant Germany  11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; 5:30-10 p.m.; closed Mondays (except on holidays) 30-40 euros    Germany – Vilseck’s Lyla Ingram isn’t the type to finish her drives to the bucket her first instinct is to dish it off to a teammate Yet with seconds remaining and her team trailing by one point against Kaiserslautern in Friday’s Division I semifinal of the 2025 DODEA European basketball championships at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center the 5-foot-7 sophomore did something out of the norm: She went to the basket Her shot fell through the hoop with 8.1 seconds left to help the Falcons to a 28-27 victory ‘I need to get this shot for my seniors so they can win something,’” Ingram said “I saw my teammate moved to the side of the key The Vilseck leader said she wants her players not to harp on mistakes and instead recover quickly Ingram turned the ball over as the Falcons were nursing a one-point advantage The Raiders retook the lead 10 seconds later when Shayla King sunk a pair of free throws “I didn’t think she was going to go all the way but she took it all the way and laid it in Ingram’s layup completed what seemed like an improbable comeback midway through the third period The Falcons (11-7) trailed 19-8 before Ingram drove at the 4:15 mark Five consecutive points by freshman Willa Greenwood capped off by a three-pointer at the 4:13 mark and Greenwood again connected on a jumper to give the Falcons’ their first lead of the game with 2:23 remaining in the game The rally didn’t shock both Neville and Ingram and just working together has been amazing for me.” Even more amazing for the Falcons were the sources of the offensive output Sophomore Giselle Villareal has been the team’s main offensive threat for most of the season but the Raiders (14-3) shadowed her for most of the game that task fell to senior Elizabeth Marriott and she held Villareal in check for just five points – all of which came in the third period underclassmen such as Ingram – who scored all 10 of her game-high total in the second half – and Greenwood – who scored her seven points in the fourth – filled the void in crunch time they’re going to start shooting for Giselle when she starts making baskets,” Neville said it opens up an opportunity for everybody else to step up It’s great when they know that and they can feel it.” Marriott and Olivia Ilkka each posted seven points to lead Kaiserslautern Vilseck advanced to its first final in more than a decade where it will square off with powerhouse Stuttgart The Panthers pulled away in the second half against Wiesbaden for a 38-24 semifinal victory The defending champions didn’t sleep on the Warriors (10-8) despite picking up two double-digit victories during the regular season over them “We didn’t underestimate them at all because we knew they were coming in here to fight,” Stuttgart forward Serenity Sampson said Stuttgart (15-2) used a balanced scorebook to overcome Wiesbaden with nobody totaling more than Hannah Holmes’ nine “We try to focus on the team,” Stuttgart coach Nathan Garrett said “It’s not one girl or two girls that score all the points and that helps them to propel the offense after playing that strong defense.” Wiesbaden’s Katie Shea posted five points in the losing effort The Panthers turn their attention to the Falcons Garrett and Sampson said they won’t take lightly Vilseck and Stuttgart split the season series the weekend prior to the tournament a late four-point push put the Panthers on top The point differential in those four games: Vilseck plus-1 “I anticipate it to be a good game,” Sampson said “But it’s going to take a lot from us because Vilseck is more than what we thought they were going to be.” Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app In Germany's largest wine region, Mainz unfolds like a delightful Riesling. Samantha explores the ruins of a Roman amphitheater near a main train station and visits Eva Vollmer Winery She enjoys German wine at Weinhaus Loesch, then travels to Wiesbaden to taste hot chocolate at Kunder Chocolateria At the Wiesbaden Museum she admires the largest Art Nouveau collection Finally, she tours the fairy-tale town of Rothenburg, experiencing its medieval charm and visiting the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Shop home to an impressive collection of authentic German Christmas decor Watch On Your Schedule: This episode will be available to stream with the PBS app for a limited time PLACES TO LOVE takes viewers on a discovery of the emotional heart of travel by highlighting the people who are changing challenging and strengthening a destination to deliver a decidedly refreshing and enriching travel experience The series encourages viewers to experience the passion of people and the soul of a place in a way that only traveling can do Samantha Brown on Facebook / Instagram My wife and I have found that most family attractions in Wiesbaden are geared toward children a few years older than the 2- and 4-year-old rascals we have running around the house While an occasional day trip to the zoo or lake can be a nice change of pace sometimes the logistics alone are enough to stop us from venturing further than the neighborhood playground or ice cream shop down the street We recently came across a nearby play venue designed for little humans that made for a fine outing on a late Saturday morning about 15 minutes outside of Wiesbaden in Eppstein clean space for children 6 and under to play while parents can take a well-deserved breather The tiny downtown main street is home to seven different play areas that include a doctor’s office A reasonably spacious cafe with seating for 20-30 guests and free Wi-Fi allows parents enough distance to relax or squeeze in some remote work while keeping an eye on the children Little Kids Town uses a reservation system to minimize congestion there were about 10 kids playing while five or six couples sat in the cafe enjoying drinks My wife and I soaked in the calm atmosphere with plenty of room to stretch out with our fellow parents — a stark contrast to our normal daily bustle The cafe offers breakfast for two on the weekends for 13 euros a few buns and a small assortment of meats We thought it was a nice touch and a good value My daughter enjoyed fulfilling her civic duties as a doctor firefighter and construction worker while my son took to the streets spending most of his time driving around the assortment of Bobby cars I’m skeptical that the little utopia the children created would function as an effective society arguing or fighting among the tiny citizens during our 2 1/2 hour stay — credit to the young ones as that’s far more than I can say about us grown-ups in this day and age The staff members ask guests to help keep the large assortment of toys orderly during and after play The little villagers didn’t seem to mind that they might occasionally find a walkie-talkie in the grocery store’s produce section or a fireman’s helmet in the doctor’s office Our kids were worn out in the best of ways after a couple of hours and nodded off for an early afternoon nap on a quiet drive home Any toddler parent would agree that such moments are priceless My daughter was still talking about Little Kids Town and her “new best friends” days after our visit and has asked for a return trip more times than I can count the little village is certainly kid-approved Little Kids Town free; drinks 3-5 euros; weekend breakfast for two but not so enamored of the German protocol that dictates a sauna can only be visited when butt-naked and in mixed-sex company There isn’t any way I know around the “textile free” policy other than arming oneself with a gigantic fluffy towel with a sturdy velcro closure to facilitate quick drops and pick-ups But there is a way to avoid an all-too-up-close-and-personal look at body parts of the opposite sex outdoor pools and ten saunas to choose from might be disappointed in the relatively modest scale of this thermal bath Finnish sauna and resting rooms of various temperatures its offerings cover the most essential bases there’s a nozzle that shoots icy water crystals onto your shoulders and around your knees or should you just want to drink some mineral water with healing properties a fountain in the rest zone provides you with a free source of it only women are allowed to use the facilities I’m sorry to say that you don’t get your own day you’re welcome to enjoy this watery pleasure palace in mixed company Visit: The Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme is located at Langgasse 38-40 Admittance is restricted to those ages 16 or over The spa has its own parking lot; be sure to get your parking ticket stamped at the counter to take advantage of discounted parking fees A visit costs 6.50 euros per hour in the winter season (Sept 1-April 30) and 5 euros per hour the remainder of the year Bring your own towels or be prepared to rent them (3.10 euros for a small one David Brown stepped into the Wiesbaden High School gym to meet Darnell Moran Jr The then-senior entered with his younger brother While the Warrior boys basketball coach was speaking to Moran Jr. he noticed the younger brother picking up a ball and shooting That was the first time Brown met Jordan Thibodeaux And the two hit it off over their love of basketball he was sure that he could beat me in 1-on-1,” Brown said “I had to challenge him and show him that you don’t need a great bag to be good at 1-on-1 You just need to be bigger and stronger than the other guy “I didn’t do anything else but back him under the basket and shoot which he thought I was cheating by doing that it was a good first impression for the both of us.” That wasn’t the lasting impression Thibodeaux left with the DODEA European basketball scene Thibodeaux posted 19.1 points per game and shot 49.8% from the field including a whopping 60% on 2-point attempts His plus/minus was 366 over 435 minutes of play The 5-foot-10 point guard was named the Division I tournament MVP after leading the Warriors to an undefeated season and their first European title since 1999 Thibodeaux has been named Stars and Stripes’ 2024-2025 boys basketball Athlete of the Year “It makes me feel like the work I’ve been putting in when nobody’s watching is paying off and finally is being noticed.” Thibodeaux earned first-team All-European honors his junior year after averaging 17.1 points And he finished his career with 1,007 points playing 69 varsity games over four seasons Thibodeaux wasn’t considered “the man” for the Warriors Brothers Jacob (senior) and Joel (sophomore) Idowu transferred to Wiesbaden from Hohenfels and they made a trident of major offensive threats Not only did his scoring average go up by two points but his assist-to-turnover ratio jumped from 0.48 his junior season to 0.95 his season year “I don’t think it changed my role much because I’ve always been the type of guy to try to get everybody involved,” Thibodeaux said “I just made my role honestly easier because I had more help native could defer to his new 6-4 and 6-6 teammates And he chose to do so in the biggest game of his career In Wiesbaden’s 58-54 title-game victory over Ramstein on Feb 15 at Clay Kaserne’s Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center Thibodeaux scored his team’s first six points and dropped 13 points in the opening frame He finished with a game-high 28 points as the Warriors led from start to finish He also showcased his leadership skills late in the game as the wheels almost completely fell off The Warriors led by 15 points with 1 minute 7 seconds left and still enjoyed a nine-point advantage with 19 seconds left the Royals had clawed it back to a one-possession game Thibodeaux calmed down his teammates and sealed the win by splitting a pair at the free-throw line with 0.4 seconds left He pointed to a JV game Thibodeaux’s freshman year in which the young point guard took over against a much-better opponent “We were outmatched,” Brown said of that JV game and he pretty much controlled the entire game the guy that showed up in the championship game Thibodeaux’s final performance was a work of art which is ironic because he doodles from time to time but doesn’t show anybody “I just slap the pencil down and whatever happens,” said Thibodeaux he has a few options to play collegiately but hasn’t made a decision Brown said Thibodeaux has held his own against those who have played at the next level – he just needs an opportunity his coach will remember Thibodeaux as the little guy from their first meeting “I’m going to remember him as that first day I saw him in love with basketball and doing everything he can to make everyone else around the court is in love with basketball,” Brown said This work, 71 issues addressed at USAG Wiesbaden 2024 AFAP Conference, by Stephen Perez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Growing up in the Midwest with parents whose culinary leanings were anything but adventurous I couldn’t tell you the difference between tikka masala and vindaloo until my late 20s A quick takeout order about seven years ago began another long-term relationship with one of my favorite eateries in Wiesbaden Tucked away on an unassuming street close to the main train station Singh’s Tandoori Indian Restaurant offers an extensive menu of bold flavors for enthusiasts of the subcontinent’s cuisine I dropped in on a recent Monday evening for a dine-in experience I hadn’t enjoyed since late 2019 with seating for about 50 in two dining areas but seven other patrons soon joined me in the front bar and dining area seafood and more than 20 vegetarian options I went on a menu tour of northern Indian cuisine that included curries biryani rice dishes and meat-centric tandoori specialties I laughed a bit to myself at the heart- and rose-shaped vegetable garnishes that accompanied the pastries stuffed with potatoes and peas Three sauces accompanied the deep-fried dumplings that created an almost “rock-paper-scissors” experience fruity profile paired well with the savory snack vinegar-forward flavor that cut right through the chutney’s sweetness and the yogurt mint sauce cooled things down with its creamy texture I couldn’t help but cut the two samosas into multiple pieces and repeat this pattern a few times The curry was an explosive combination of flavors and textures The tomato-based sauce was rich and complex with garlic My first bite of lamb nearly dissolved in my mouth Having no room for dessert after eating my fill of flatbread I settled for a coffee and enjoyed a slight endorphin rush that capped off an excellent meal I’m hard-pressed to find anything to complain about spicy food and absence of air conditioning did make for a toasty dining experience but this is expected for a downtown Wiesbaden location Singh’s is only a few minutes’ walk from multiple parking garages in the area The restaurant also has a robust takeout and delivery service I’ve ordered from Singh’s at least a dozen times; it was in my regular rotation during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 I’ve practically eaten my way through the entire chicken curry menu I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with an order although delivery does understandably lack the wonderful presentation that comes with a dine-in experience I picked up a palak paneer on my way out to carry home to my wife She described the cheese-and-spinach curry as smooth It’s the good stuff,” she told me as she took another large bite Though we cook and eat most of our meals at home Singh’s will remain a go-to for my family when we want to treat ourselves I don’t know whether I’d be open to trying another Indian restaurant in town because I’m pretty sure I already know Wiesbaden’s best one Hours: Monday and Wednesday through Friday Limited selection lunch entrees 10-15 euro Kaiserslautern’s secondary turned into receivers during the Raiders’ 46-21 victory over Wiesbaden on Friday night Joshua Kim and Mason Stephenson – recorded interceptions Kim and Stephenson recorded pick sixes of 35 and 25 yards The interception parade came hand in hand by pressure from the defensive linemen such as Garrett Vitter The unit forced two intentional grounding penalties by Wiesbaden Not that the Kaiserslautern offense was to be outdone Quarterback Rueben Todman went 14-of-25 passing for 375 yards and three touchdowns – a 10-yard and 28-yard pass to Potter and a 70-yard pitch and catch to Carson He chipped in with 47 yards and a 5-yard run to open the coring on six rushing attempts Potter finished with 150 yards on five receptions Jakob Bell had 53 yards on three grabbed and Sevastian Quiles contributed 67 yards on two catches Noah Washington accrued 59 yards and a 14-yard touchdown on seven rushes while Denver Dait had 40 yards on seven attempts The Raiders (2-1) travel to Stuttgart on Sept while Wiesbaden (1-2) hosts Vilseck the same day Lakenheath 12: The Panthers improved to 2-1 with a home victory over the Lancers (1-2) Kai Lewis led the way for Stuttgart with a pair of touchdowns -- a 25-yarder and 1-yarder with Cooper Gaulin kicking all three extra points Ethan Jenkins punched in two rushing touchdowns for Lakenheath The Panthers host Kaiserslautern in a matchup of Nos while the Lancers welcome Ramstein the same day AFNORTH 28: The Spartans outlasted the Lions in a back-and-forth affair in Mons SHAPE’s Keller Schutt connected with junior Chris Carter for a 74-yard strike and Carter’s 50-yard scoop-and-score on a fumble proved to be the difference for the Spartans (1-1) Schutt went 14 of 24 through the air for three touchdowns and 203 yards while he added another 31 yards and two scores on the ground Schutt amassed 21 tackles and an interception To go along with his fumble-recovery touchdown Carter had an interception and 6.5 tackles defensively the junior had a pair of touchdowns on five receptions for 117 yards Junior Gavin Procknal totaled 43 yards and added a score on two catches while sophomore Will Smith had one grab for 25 yards sophomore Howard Traylor recorded seven tackles and sophomore Liam Kennington and senior Luca Nanni chipped in with six each SHAPE gets a bye week before hosting Spangdahlem on Oct while AFNORTH (1-1) hosts International School of Brussels on Sept Alconbury 12: The Jaguars continue to dominate Division III opposite with the third straight mercy-rule victory against the Dragons on Saturday Junior quarterback Ryan Miniard threw for 246 yards and five touchdowns Michael Torres produced three scores in three different ways -- rushing The senior running back/wide receiver ran for 64 yards catch 78 receiving yards and added 77 kick-return yards Junior running back Aiden Shaposka totaled 71 yards of total offense and a receiving touchdown Senior receivers Isiah Wilson and Sebastian Hedemand each had catching scores and totaled 44 and 48 yards receiving Freshman running back Makari Spencer added a touchdown and 31 rushing yards Alconbury (0-2) scored on an inside counter run and an outside option pitch Sigonella (3-0) travels to a Brussels for a showdown with the Brigands on Sept Information regarding scheduled games between Ramstein-Vilseck and Baumholder-Hohenfels was not available at 8 p.m