Sign In Subscribe Now 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. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Imagine Leisure partnered up with LDP for the market analysis and feasibility study as well as Kinetic Creative for the designs Mid-December this plan will be presented to the City Council The historic village of Vaals is located five minutes away from the Three Country Border where Netherlands meet Belgium and Germany The city was founded in the 18th Century when Sir Von Clermont who built his factory there as well as his own house and other buildings His house is currently used by the municipality of the city Although there are a lot of tourists going to the Three Country Border or staying in the recreational parks in the area the municipality asked Imagine Leisure to explore the potential to create a unique experience in this unique building to bring in tourists and revenue To develop this concept and calculate its feasibility Imagine Leisure teamed up with Leisure Development Partners from the United Kingdom and Kinetic Creative from the Netherlands The attraction parameters were created in close collaboration with important stakeholders from the area The main terms for the attraction were to be an addition to the existing facilities to do justice to the history and authenticity of the building and to have a close relationship with the region basic storyline and first impressions were designed In the final phase the feasibility was executed which already has been presented to the Municipality Executives is based on the real history of Von Clermont and the region The attraction consists of an exciting interactive walkthrough in which visitors follow the life of Von Clermont and his work guests can learn about the history of the village of Vaals and the region The ground floor consists of multiple scenes the visitors pass through The first floor is an area to walk around freely and discover more about the story visitors can also choose to do an interactive queeste on the second floor and the area around the building The game can even be expanded to other parts of the village or in the region meeting rooms and a store with merchandise finalise the concept will be presented to the Municipal Council (city legislature) When they give their ‘go’ for the next steps the city of Vaals is a step closer to realising their ambitious leisure plans Get the latest attractions industry
 news direct to your inbox Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified over 160 of the best Magic players from across western Canada met in Vancouver for the Face2Face Tour Weekend Eight invites to Pro Tour: March of the Machine were on the line as well as a seat at the World Championship After eight rounds of Standard play followed by the Top 8 caption: Congratulations to Champion William La Hay Champion William La Hay and friends celebrate his win La Hay piloted Mono-White Midrange to his Regional Championship win defeating Michael Van Vaals on Four-Color Legends in the finals La Hay won game three by using Field of Ruin on his four-color opponent’s lands three times La Hay’s mono-white deck notably had four Demolition Field and four Field of Ruin a deliberate choice on his part after he noticed the metagame favored decks with three or more colors and a multitude of non-basic lands It proved to be a perfect choice for the weekend and secured La Hay an invite to both the Pro Tour and the World Championship Michael Van Vaals and William La Hay play in the finals Congratulations to the Top 8 of the Face2Face Tour Regional Championship who earned invites to Pro Tour: March of the Machine Seven different Standard archetypes made the Top 8 including players’ favorite pick for the weekend and two copies of the up-and-coming archetype Azorius Soldiers Joseph Karani also managed a back-to-back Regional Championship Top 8 Karani won the Face2Face Tour Regional Championship in Calgary last November and followed up that win with a fourth-place finish this weekend See the decklists the Top 8 players used to secure their seat at the Pro Tour here While the metagame at the Regional Championship in Vancouver reflected Grixis Midrange’s enduring popularity in the Standard metagame it was a smaller percentage of the field than at other events around the world and ultimately only put a single copy into the Top 8 The deck was also less than a quarter of the field and the surprising choice of Mono-Blue Tempo was the next most popular deck in Vancouver no Mono-Blue decks fought their way into the Top 8 Mono-Red was also unusually popular in Vancouver with Mono-White Midrange landing only fourth on the list in Vancouver slipping from its commonly held second-place spot and there are four more weekends of Regional Championships to see where it takes us It was a great weekend full of terrific and hard-fought matches in Vancouver and we can’t wait to see how these players fare at the Pro Tour in May and to Canada on another great Regional Championship Find out more about how you can qualify for the Regional Championship and the Pro Tour by visiting here and finding out more from your regional organizer Clark and 8,300 other Americans who were killed in World War II are buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten puts flowers on the grave and plants American and Dutch flags near the headstone He attends Memorial Day services dedicated to the men who lost their lives in battles that raged around the area during World War II Dutch volunteers from the area give their time to care for individual graves with volunteers assigned to specific plots It was chance that administrators assigned Winkens to care for the grave of Clark But the task has become personal for Winkens to honor them," Winkens said in a phone interview from Vaals Vaals and Margraten are in the Dutch province of Limberg a strip of land that juts down between Belgium and Germany from the southeastern corner of The Netherlands It's a place that was the crossroads of troops battling across Europe in the first half of the 20th century he also began to wonder about the man buried beneath that stone and whether Clark had family living in the United States Wayne Clark was 26 when he was killed in action in Germany during the waning weeks of World War II Clark — who attended Waupaca High School — was fighting with the 89th Infantry Division Known as the "Rolling W," the 89th Division and Clark joined the Third Army's assault on western Germany in March of 1945 according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum troops of the 89th Division liberated Ohrdruf a subcamp of the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp It was the first Nazi death camp taken by U.S He was one of 325 men from the 89th Division who were killed in World War II and to make contact with Clark's descendants "I want to let these people know that someone takes care of their loved ones over here," Winkens said through information he found on the American Cemetery's website the author of "The Wisconsin 3,800: Our Men and Women Buried or MIA in the Lands They Liberated In World War II." Mueller provided Winkens a Wausau Daily Record-Herald newspaper account of Clark's death which yielded some information about Clark's family The story also included these details: His wife He was a truck driver in Clintonville before entering the service in May 1944 But Winkens has been unable to make any deeper inroads in establishing contacts with any of Clark's family librarian and researcher at the Marathon County Historical Society was able to find the same information about Clark But other records regarding Clark or what happened to his family dried up The idea that Winkens wants to make the human connection from Europe is a compelling one Keith Uhlig can be reached at 715-845-0651 or at kuhlig@gannett.com. Find him on Facebook or on Twitter as @UhligK. If you know anything about Pfc. Wayne C. Clark, who was killed in action in Germany during the last weeks of World War II, the Daily Herald and Jo Winkens wants to hear from you. You may contact reporter Keith Uhlig at 715-845-0651 or email him at kuhlig@gannett.com. Winkens' email is jnp.winkens@home.nl. Text description provided by the architects. Martens Willems & Humblé Architects designed a social housing residential block with retail within the protected townscape of Vaals How can a large residential block in the social housing sector which will partly determine the image of the new Koningin Julianaplein become a natural part of the protected village scape of Vaals Because if buildings could speak, our block will have to enter into a strong dialogue with its surroundings. What language should we speak in this border town? Without Von Clermont, Vaals would have remained a village. Because of this energetic cloth manufacturer Johann von Clermont (1728-1795), the monumental von Clermont house, today's town hall, and the Bloemendal and Vaalsbroek castles appear in 18th-century Vaals. Shops and restaurants are planned on the ground floor The project was built for a social housing company All the apartments are very spacious and every room of the dwelling always has a view of the square You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Haam Day 2022 is all about the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians AKA Who better to tell us more about HAAM's incredible work in the local music community and its mission than CEO of the HAAM team Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @WeAreAustin and find us on Facebook at We Are Austin Lifestyle Show A Protestant Lithuanian church will have its sculptures returned after their removal during the Soviet era According to Laikmetis Vilnius Evangelical Reformed Church along with the reinstallation of sculptures depicting angels and the Virgin Mary As announced on the church’s Facebook page the restored sculptures have been installed on 20 October “This unusual historical event will probably be interesting to many,” the church announced to their followers After the church’s construction between 1830-1835 kneeling winged angels” and a statue of Mary Mary’s presence is said to symbolise the concept of faith The church’s side facades had also been converted into stairwells that marked the theatre’s entrance Maintenance is set to continue into next year City authorities asked Imagine Leisure to create a concept that will encourage people from a wider area to visit the city and boost Vaals tourism. Based on a market analysis from Leisure Development Partners (LDP) and a meeting with stakeholders and the municipality a concept for an attraction was created by Imagine Leisure This will be centred on the city hall of Vaals A number of aspects were taken into account in designing the experience This included the monumental status of the building and the history of the location There was also a request to strengthen other local facilities like restaurants the concept had to be commercially exploitable Imagine Leisure explored the rich history of the city and the surrounding region which is part of the southern province of Limburg The building was created by Sir von Clermont who started a factory producing fabrics and sheets Because of the business this generated for Vaals The story of Sir von Clermont will be central to the attraction Imagine is creating will lead visitors from room to room through immersive scenes The second part of the attraction will be a walk-through experience A themed restaurant provides the opportunity for food drink and reflection at the end of the tour There will also be a gift shop and some themed rooms available for commercial use The business case for the attraction concept was based on calculations provided by LDP. Shown here are some the designs and sketches provided by Kinetic Creative An opening date and operator will be announced once the project wins public approval Netherlands - The Netherlands American Cemetery near the small town of Margraten is lined with 8,301 simple but turn your head slightly and they spread out to the horizon in gentle curves They mark the graves of American service members who lost their lives in multiple battles in Europe during World War II and they are a stark and visceral reminder of the cost of war U.S. Army Pfc. Wayne C. Clark is buried in Plot 1 Grave 8 at the Netherlands American Cemetery and the father of four children under the age of 5 when he shipped out to Europe on Dec He fought with the 89th Infantry Division of Gen A sniper shot him dead when his unit attacked a machine gun near Crawinkel in central Germany on April 9 a 55-year-old Dutch customs officer named Jo Winkens of nearby Vaals led a small group of Americans into the cemetery to visit Wayne Clark's grave Syd and Leah were just toddlers when their father was killed But his loss had deep and lasting effects on their lives and left them in grief that has lasted for decades The group was quiet when Jo gestured to the cross that marks Wayne Clark's final resting place Then Leah and Julie took out some paper and graphite art pencils and began making etchings of the words on the cross stopping at a line of purple rhododendrons in full bloom about 100 yards away from his father's grave "It was overwhelming," Syd would say later Jo Winkens first visited the cemetery when he was a teenager He knew about the devastation of the war from stories of his father who as a teenager smuggled food into the Netherlands from Belgium The older Winkens talked about the oppression of the Nazi occupiers Over a decade ago, Jo Winkens "adopted" the grave of Wayne Clark through a Dutch nonprofit organization called the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten The cemetery is maintained and the land owned by the the American Battle Monuments Commission but some from far away and other countries plus each of the names of the 1,722 men who were killed in the war but whose bodies weren't immediately found The Foundation's work is designed to show the Dutch people's deep gratitude toward the American G.I.s who died in the effort to liberate their homeland from Nazi occupiers The tradition of visiting and caring for the graves started even before the war ended when Dutch residents of Margraten befriended the Americans who first liberated and then stayed in the town Some of those same young soldiers would later die in battle and be buried in the cemetery and those that knew them started caring for the graves That effort expanded as the people of Margraten vowed to care for all the American dead who were buried near their town each person buried at Margraten is a liberator a soldier who sacrificed his or her life in the effort to give them freedom The adoption program is a symbol of the enduring feeling of gratitude they still feel Generations of families have adopted some of the graves and schools regularly visit the cemetery to teach the young about the cost of war and the value of living free lives David Winkens is even further removed from the war by time he believes the American Netherlands Cemetery to be sacrosanct "I get goosebumps every time I come here," he said "I've always been interested in the history of the war and everyone (buried here) is connected to us." The Dutch place flags and flowers at the grave sites for special occasions such as the large formal Memorial Day celebration that was held on May 29 But their mission is also learn as much as they can about the service members who gave their lives in the war the chairman of the board of the Foundation for Adopting Graves at a special pre-Memorial Day event held in a Margraten community center Saturday night especially in a time when violence and terrorism can strike the Dutch and the Americans can build on the mutual shared values of "cherishing freedom and peace Jo called the Wausau Daily Herald the Tuesday after Memorial Day in 2015 in an effort to find Wayne Clark's living family members. After an initial story ran in USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin newspapers, he connected with Leah and Syd and learned about the lasting impact Wayne's death had on their lives went to live with Babs' parents in Shawano (he died 1999) The Greens had lost two children of their own and Laurence had fought himself at a paratrooper in the war The family moved ahead as if the past hadn't happened and the Clark children felt like they never quite fit in "No one said anything about my dad," Syd said Leah struggled with relationships eventually getting married and divorced three times She grappled with depression and poverty and worked hard to raise two children as a single mother Syd coped by working and moving forward because it left Leah and Cookie on their own He did a stint in the Army that was marred by thyroid disease he worked hard a series of paper mill jobs including in the Wisconsin Rapids and Fox Valley areas He eventually retired as a systems analyst at a mill in Arkansas The trip to Margraten was a way for the entire family to work through the emotional issues that always were beneath the surface in Syd and Leah's lives it was the first time they had visited Wayne Clark's grave Leah had been the grave of her father in the early 2000s "I just felt I wanted to know where he was," she said He wasn't even sure that he wanted to come and the trip helped them confront their sadness together quiet bed and breakfast located about a mile from Margraten's center wheat and hay pastures with small herds of cows and they'd baa gently throughout the night Syd and Leah were able to take walks together "I think it's a huge closure for them (Leah and Syd) I think she struggled her whole life without a father and how excited they are to adopt these grave sites That work made a difference to Syd and Leah "I'm overwhelmed over all the support," Leah said "It''s great to see the enthusiasm of the people," Syd said "and their willingness to talk to you about it." Jo helped the family find their seats at the cemetery's Memorial Day Ceremony in an area reserved for honored guests and dignitaries The Memorial Day celebration is large and formal and dominates Margraten for a day A crowd over a 1,000 converged on the cemetery including World War II re-enactors who wore uniforms of the 101st Airborne Division and drove restored vehicles of the 1940s Members of the Royal Netherlands and United States armed forces were on hand for the solemn ceremony as well as military members from other NATO nations the charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in the Netherlands "We must never forget that we are heirs to a terrible struggle for freedom "May we remain faithful heirs to their (the fallen soldiers) courage The event was designed to honor the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in World War II Jo and David Winkens and the Clark family visited Wayne's grave once again after the ceremony she turned to Syd and put her arms around his neck and he put an arm around her back Keith Uhlig: 715-845-0651 or keith.uhlig@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter  @UhligK Syd Clark's and Leah Woods' trip to Margraten was partially paid with donations from readers of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin readers from across the state Jo Winkens was as touched by the visit of Syd and Leah and their families as they were by his work in caring for Wayne's grave site and his efforts to make sure that Wayne Clark is never forgotten "I witnessed great beauty this weekend and regret," he said I do this because I believe that we should provide the history of these men A Dutch man has succeeded in his quest to find family members of a central Wisconsin World War II soldier buried in the Netherlands who was killed in action in Germany during the last weeks of the war was buried with 8,300 other Americans at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten Winkens called the Daily Herald Media office on May 26 spurred on by a Memorial Day celebration at Netherlands American Cemetery the day before Winkens' idea was that a story in the newspaper would spur public interest and help find living relatives of Clark Winkens received an email from Sydney Wayne Clark of Ashdown "Thank you for caring enough to (take) care and visiting Dad's grave," Sydney Clark wrote "My sister has visited The Netherlands and Dad's grave Winkens said he intends to follow up with Sydney Clark "I'm so excited (at the prospect of connecting with Winkens)," Woods said and I knew someone was taking care of Dad's grave Woods was 2 years old when word reached her mother that her father was killed in Germany I have just some vague memories," Woods said "I remember a Christmas in a trailer house attended Waupaca High School and was a truck driver in Clintonville before being inducted in the Army in May 1944 according to a front-page Wausau Daily Record-Herald story about his death that ran on April 28 the Wausau newspaper ran a story under the headline The 89th Division was known as the "Rolling W" and troops from that division liberated Ohrdruf a subcamp of the infamous Buchenwald death camp It was the first Nazi death camp freed by U.S one of 325 men from the 89th Division who lost their lives in the war Woods said she does not know the precise circumstances of her father's death a soldier who moved ahead of larger units to scan for snipers Woods said she received an offer to bring her father's body home to the United States for reburial Winkens said he's one of many Dutch volunteers who cares for the American graves at Margraten "We owe our freedom today to them," he said Wayne Clark married Beatrice McCabe in 1940 in Shawano goes by the name Cookie Burton and lives in Phoenix Life for Wayne Clark's children was not easy after the loss of their father Beatrice gave up the care of the four children after Wayne Clark died David went to live with Beatrice's parents; the younger three lived with Wayne Clark's sister That family lived on a farm near the Portage-Waupaca county line Wood said her mother went on to remarry many times I think." Wood connected with Beatrice later in life and is close to the daughters Beatrice had after Wayne Clark's death Beatrice died years ago and is buried in Fond du Lac The remaining three siblings have dealt with their loss as best they can "There are a lot of things you think about Keith Uhlig can be reached at 715-845-0651 or at kuhlig@gannett.com. Find him on Facebook or on Twitter as @UhligK When I spoke to Jo Winkens about his search for the family of Pfc The idea that Winkens would care for the grave of a central Wisconsin soldier he never met was inspirational I wanted to know the story of Private Clark It was shared with Gannett Wisconsin Media newspapers and through The Associated Press I began to hear from people who were just as inspired They scoured online websites such as ancestry.com and findagrave.com I received an email and a phone call from Bill Singkofer I plan to continue my pursuit of learning as much as I can about Wayne Clark tentatively titled "Finding Private Clark," and I'm hoping to find people with whom Wayne may have gone to school I welcome phone calls and emails: 715-845-0651 It's important that Wayne Clark's story be told MARGRATEN, THE NETHERLANDS — In caring for the grave of Pfc. Wayne Clark, Jo Winkens is part of a seven-decade Dutch tradition that honors the fallen U.S. soldiers buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten Winkens, a Dutch customs official who lives and serves on the City Council of the nearby town of Vaals, has been caring for Clark's grave for more than 10 years as part of the Foundation for Adopting Graves at the American Cemetery in Margraten when Dutch people near Margraten formed the Citizens Committee Margraten "The committee's goal was to support the set-up of the American Cemetery with an extensive adoption campaign," according to the Foundation for Adopting Graves website "The adopters were supposed to regularly visit the adopted grave and keep in touch with the next of kin in the U.S." The people who formed the Citizens Committee Margraten had lived through the Nazi occupation of Holland and they were jubilant when American and other Allied forces liberated the country and knew the cost of freedom was paid in lives That's why reaching out to the families of the fallen soldiers is part of the adoption process The connections also underscore the human cost of war Margraten's adoption has always been more than caring for graves and remember the suffering and sacrifice of the boys," wrote Peter Shrijvers in his book "The Margraten Boys: How a European Village Kept America's Liberator's Alive." "They have considered it a moral duty as Christians and human beings to provide comfort to the devastated families overseas and even as World War II recedes into the past continue to regard it as important to let next of kin in America know that the sacrifice of the Margraten boys has not been in vain and will not be forgotten." had no idea that someone was caring for their father's grave until earlier this year and they both are comforted by the fact that someone is watching over the gravesite of their father Jo is doing what he can to ensure that Wayne is not forgotten The family of a Merrill paratrooper also buried at Margraten, Corp. Harold "Bud" Lambrecht have gotten to know the caretakers of Lambrecht's grave Rina is part of a generations of Margraten caretakers The Hodiamonts have been guests at Lambrecht family gatherings "They are part of our family," Bill Lambrecht "I think we're just overwhelming by the warmth and the depth of feeling of the .. Dutch people and how much their freedom really means to them," said Diane Kleinschmidt of Wausau "And I had never really thought about that I mean I knew that my brother died in Holland But it was like it became real when they talked about what life was like under the Nazis." Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome A small village in the Netherlands has honoured five airmen of the Second World War including two New Zealanders who lost their lives when their bomber was attacked on only its second operational flight Local researcher Bas Bruls has spent years piecing together the last mission of Vickers Wellington bomber BJ767 It was attacked by a German night fighter aircraft on 12 August 1942 and went down not far from the village of Vaals Acting Flight Lieutenant Laurence St George Dobbin from Taranaki and Petone man Air Gunner Sergeant Jack Jury were killed in an explosion as Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin tried to crash-land the plane The other three crew members had bailed out on the pilot’s orders and were captured by the Germans Acting Flight Lieutenant Laurence St George Dobbin (left) and Sergeant Jack Leslie Jury (right) the date of Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin’s birthday village schoolchildren unveiled a plaque bearing the names of the five crew mounted on a substantial stone near the crash site Mr Bruls said the ceremony drew a large crowd from the village and a small brass band played the national anthems of the Netherlands and New Zealand “I told the crowd about the crash and what had happened and it will be donated to the primary school here in Vaals,” he said “Children from the primary school read letters from the Dobbin family Mr Bruls diligently uncovered the full story of the bomber crew and the crash flying from RAF Feltwell with a crew of five when an enemy night fighter aircraft attacked Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin told the crew to jettison the bomb load but they were unable to do so but Sergeant Jury had a parachute malfunction and didn't jump said Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin told him he would not jump while Sergeant Jury was on board and he would instead try and crash-land the plane sending debris raining down on a Vaals meadow The explosion was so large it tore the roof off a nearby farmhouse Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin and Sergeant Jury’s bodies were later recovered and they were buried locally The plaque honouring the memories of five aircrew whose Vickers Wellington bomber aircraft was attacked in 1942 and came down near the Dutch village of Vaals Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin had trained as a teacher and represented Taranaki in rugby he married fellow teacher Majorie Stainland with his last letter arriving on 7 August 1942 it was special that the village primary school took part in the plaque unveiling “The young students are told the story of Laurence Dobbin and his brave decision to keep the plane in the air to save the others,” Mr Bruhls said Front gunner and bomb aimer Sergeant Jury was only 20 when he was killed Sergeant Jury wanted to enlist before he was old enough to do so “He begged and begged his father to sign the papers to allow him to go off and was known as ‘Red’ among his aircrew,” he said who is married to Acting Flight Lieutenant Dobbin’s nephew Keith is one of several family members who assisted Mr Bruls in his research how they want to keep this story alive for the school children,” Mrs Dobbin said knowing the crash site was about 500 metres away Bas sent us an aerial photo and that was so meaningful to the family “There must be hundreds of stories like this but it’s so nice they are doing it and teaching the children about it.” organised the delivery of a Taranaki rugby flag to be flown at the unveiling he said many family members have visited both graves in the past and would likely travel to see the plaque one day “We have thanked Bas profusely for what he’s done it just makes sure what happened will be remembered,” Mr Dobbin said “We are very appreciative to the Vaals area for this and to the people who have tended the graves for the last 80-odd years.” By Metro Report International2024-09-30T05:00:00+01:00 GERMANY: A project to build a tram line running north from Aachen to Alsdorf has been allocated €5·5m by federal and state governments to continue with planning a feasibility study reported positively in 2022 with follow-up research in July 2023 by Transport Technologie-Consult Karlsruhe GmbH declaring it economically viable Aachen Mayor Sibylle Keupen said ‘we have waited a long time for the funding approval the daily journey will be much more relaxed and comfortable for many commuters Now we can finally get started and take the next steps so that the city and region can move closer together thanks to the Regiotram.’ The project envisages a 20 km line running from Aachen Hauptbahnhof across the city centre along the Krefelder Straße axis to Alsdorf and then continuing to Baesweiler with a 6·5 km branch from Würselen to the airport at Merzbrück Services would run at 15 min interval on each line with eight trams per hour on the core Aachen – Würselen section The next stage will be design and planning approval over the next three to five years with opening projected for 10-15 years from now Aachen has not been served by trams since the Vaals-Brand line closed in 1974 GERMANY: Funding has been confirmed for the 15 kV 16·7 Hz electrification of the 47 km Euregiobahn network of local passenger routes in the Aachen area The federal government has agreed to cover 90% of the €43m cost with the Land and infrastructure owner Euregio Verkehrsschienennetz .. GERMANY: Berlin transport operator BVG has called tenders for the provision of planning services to support the development of a proposed extension of tram Route M17 from Johannisthal to Gropiusstadt in the southeast of the capital Preliminary feasibility and economic viability studies were completed in 2023 EUROPE: A through regional passenger train service linking Liège in Belgium with Aachen in Germany via Maastricht in the Netherlands was finally launched on June 30 the so-called Three Countries Service was originally expected to start running in 2018 Site powered by Webvision Cloud A high-minded ideal intended to make the EU more popular will instead define the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe On a scorching afternoon, a small group of tourists are queuing on a pretty, wooded hillside to get their photo taken. There is no stunning view or dramatic scenery, only a stone pillar and three flags, belonging to Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. This is the place where three countries meet, an epitome of the dream of a borderless Europe where you can cross the three frontiers in two steps “For our generation it is normal to cross the border,” says Michael a 24-year old architecture student at the University of Aachen who is visiting with his mother and a friend “I feel more European than German and I like the fact that I can go and work in the Netherlands or Belgium if I want to.” Down in the valley on the Dutch side lies Vaals Almost half the population (44%) were born in another country: one third are Germans but people have moved here from all over Europe; last year the town took in 30 Syrian refugees “We are living in a European region and people cross the borders without really thinking of it,” says Reg van Loo Apart from a few road signs and buzzing text messages (telecoms are national) there is little to show you are crossing a border For some EU leaders this remains the European dream. “Borders are the worst invention ever made by politicians,” Jean-Claude Juncker, European commission president, and Luxemburger, declared in August just as checks were being tightened across the continent Borders are the worst invention ever made by politiciansJean-Claude JunckerBut in living memory Europe’s borders were far more tightly controlled Packets of coffee and cigarettes were lobbed over border fences into a ruined Germany By the 1970s the Dutch were driving across the border car boots laden with undeclared West German hi-fis and cameras “Vaals has always been a very plural place,” Van Loo says describing how 18th-century Catholics and Protestants of all denominations could worship in the town when it was forbidden elsewhere Yet this dream of freedom to live and work anywhere in the European Union has been called into question like never before since the Brexit vote Britain is set to become the first country to leave the EU in a hostile rejection of one of Europe’s most cherished dreams a high-minded ideal that was intended to make the EU more popular has instead become the wedge that will split the UK from its continental partners In her first major speech on Brexit made clear the UK wants to control immigration as she set the course for a sharp break with the EU that may also limit Britain’s trade with its neighbours but this was dismissed as useless by Conservative backbenchers set on leaving the EU it has been clear the EU would not budge on free movement of people said last month that the EU’s four freedoms – people echoing a consensus among EU leaders that shows no sign of cracking “I refuse to imagine a Europe where lorries and hedge funds are free to cross borders but citizens are not,” Schulz said View image in fullscreenPassengers relax before departure at the cafe bar at Fryderyk Chopin Airport Warsaw Photograph: AlamyMerkel on Wednesday made her clearest statement yet – saying full access to the single market could only come in exchange for signing up to the four freedoms “Anything else would amount to a systemic challenge for the entire European Union,” she told the BGA trade association Free movement runs through many fundamental questions for the EU a professor at the Bruegel thinktank and influential former adviser to the European commission: the relationship between western and eastern Europe how the EU manages an unprecedented influx of refugees as well as attitudes to Turkey and its long-stalled hopes of joining the EU “We are not simply making a deal with the UK The number of dimensions here is endless,” Sapir said you are going back on the original EU project it is another one to start tinkering with the EU as we know it.” Free movement was part of the European idea from the start when six countries embarked on integration nearly 60 years ago at the Conservatori palace in Rome The Treaty of Rome and its four freedoms created the fledgling European Economic Community that became today’s EU View image in fullscreenThe signing of the Treaty of Rome in 25 March 1957 Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesBut free movement was not carved on stone tablets and initially was restricted to workers professor of EU law at the London School of Economics describes the original provision as an afterthought tacked on to please the Italian government France had got farm subsidies and Germany had abolished tariffs for its industrial goods grappling with the poor southern part of the country describing Italian workers who moved north as the “central-eastern Europeans of the 1950s” Free movement of workers did not become free movement of citizens until 1993 a city deep in EU heartland that is a short distance from Vaals Europeans could not only work abroad but study or retire in other EU countries Amid the surge in optimism following the fall of the Berlin wall Brussels hoped that citizenship would give the European project the mass appeal it had always lacked “The people you talk to in Brussels see [free movement] as central to the dream of a people’s Europe that is not just about multinationals,” said Chalmers not many people felt starry-eyed about the EU Few EU nationals chose to move to another country a fact that caused handwringing in the Brussels beltway around the turn of the century fretted that Europe could never match the United States for labour mobility if a person from Manchester wouldn’t move to Munich That all changed when10 central and eastern European countries joined the EU in two waves in 2004 and 2007 (as well as the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus) around 5% of the EU’s working-age population was born in another member state the figure was 7% of the working-age population View image in fullscreenTheresa May tells the Conservative party Britain is ‘not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again’ Photograph: Xinhua/Barcroft ImagesBut senior EU diplomats think the Visegrád 4 will prioritise their compatriots already in the UK rather than future movers “Poland and Hungary will fight for their citizens already there because they could use the workforce back home,” one senior European diplomat told the Guardian The diplomat pointed out that central Europe was dependent on EU money to keep public works programmes going “I think they will be ready to make a concession,” he said “They are saying citizens’ rights are important but behind the scenes c’est le fric [it’s the cash].” The Brexit negotiations will turn on these kind of trade-offs a complex haggle over soaring principle and sharp-elbowed self-interest involving 28 governments and three EU institutions But this does not mean the British government will get the “maximum freedom” to trade that May promised Conservative party activists Sapir, the economist, is one of five high-powered policymakers who argued the EU should allow the UK generous access to the single market, without the fourth freedom. Unlimited free movement of people is not essential for economic integration, they wrote in a Bruegel paper rather it is the element that makes the single market a political project the blueprint was almost regarded as heresy And once the herculean task of Brexit is done one curiosity for historians will be how far British voters’ discontent chimed with the anxieties of their neighbours Brussels has recently acceded to France’s demand for reform of EU labour laws to make it harder for companies to hire cheap workers from eastern Europe and undercut locally agreed minimum wages French anxieties about cheap workers or German worries about integrating refugees do not exactly reflect the British rejection of migration “In the name of austerity we have cut holes in our safety net to such a degree that many feel that the open economy is to their detriment in the short term and offers no prospects in the long term,” one senior EU official said Even in the self-styled heart of the EU region people feel anxious and detached from the EU become less bureaucratic and allow greater regional variation Many Dutch people share the British view that “everything that is going wrong is because of membership of the European Union” he does not think these anti-EU forces ever will sweep away the free flow of people in his three-country neighbourhood “We will always find a way to cross the borders.” 2019It is with great sadness that the family of Linden Melvin Craig Baglo announces his passing on January 06 as the result of an accident while out riding his bicycle with his sister and best friend mimicking a number of accents and playing video games with his cousins He had a huge heart -- illustrated when he was once given five dollars to spend at a family garage sale and returned with a carpet cleaner for his Mom rather than buying things for himself Mourning his loss are mother Jennifer Mitchell (Garrett Van Vaals); Father Kalen Baglo (Shannon Bennie) and his sister Shelby Also mourning are Grandparents - Cheryl Baglo Predeceased by Grandparents Craig Baglo and Sue Mitchell and step siblings as well as his classmates A service will be held at the Nanaimo Conference Center on Sunday however media will not be admitted and security will be on site The family wishes to convey their sincere gratitude to the paramedics the ER team and social workers that assisted both Linden and the family The family would like to also send heartfelt thanks to the bystanders who offered assistance before the First Responders arrived on scene In lieu of flowers there will be a box for personal letters and cards if people wish to do so The love and support from the community has been overwhelming and greatly appreciated This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Netherlands residents from outside Europe relatively often live in the Randstad - immigrants often in the city, and the second generation who were born in the Netherlands most often just outside the big cities. Most immigrants of European origin live in the border regions in the south of the Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Wednesday. Of the 17.8 million Netherlands residents on 1 January 2023, 16 percent (2.8 million) were not born in the Netherlands. Almost two-thirds of this group have a non-European origin. The Netherlands also has 2.1 million residents with at least one parent not born in the Netherlands. Among this second generation, over 70 percent have a non-European origin. Ethnically diverse immigrants are strongly represented in municipalities in the Randstad. The share is the largest in Amstelveen, where over a quarter of residents have roots outside Europe. In Amsterdam and The Hague, that is just under a quarter. Outside the Randstad, Eindhoven has the most ethnically diverse immigrants at 19 percent. The Eindhoven Brainport attracts many knowledge migrants. On average, about 10 percent of a municipality’s residents are immigrants with non-European origins. The share of ethnically diverse Netherlands residents (immigrants and second generation) is largest in Rotterdam (43 percent), followed by Amsterdam and The Hague. The share in this group is the smallest in Tubbergen (2.5 percent), followed by Actkarspelen and Dinkelland. Second-generation European immigrants are also most concentrated in the southern border municipalities - 12 percent in Baarle-Nassau and 11 percent each in Vaals and Kerkrade. “These are mainly people whose parents were born in Belgium or Germany.” The total share of Netherlands residents of other European origin is the largest in Vaals (47 percent), Sluis, and Hulst. This group is least strongly represented in Urk (2 percent), followed by Dantumadiel and Achtkarspelen. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. 2024 Photo: Depositphotos.comAn 87-year-old woman from Lemiers in Limburg who owned substantial real estate in nearby Vaals has left most of it to her tenants in her will who earned her money from a successful fruit and vegetable business and her ties to her family had faded over the years One happy new owner is father of two Bram Brekelmans who sold his house to the woman following his divorce four years ago Brekelmans, a classroom assistant, then asked if he could rent the house from her. “I met her just the once so we didn’t really know each other at all. And then to be given it. That there are such people in a world where you have be brazen to get ahead is heartwarming,” he told the Telegraaf which Brekelmans sold cheaply in exchange for the tenancy would fetch closer to €290,000 if sold today “I only have to pay €75,000 in inheritance tax which I have turned into a mortgage “The who village is buzzing with it,” said Brekelmans who was told by the notary in charge of the woman’s estate “he had a whole list to get through”  “I hear she may have had up to 16 properties and had no direct family Brekelmans said he has no plans to sell his house We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey This website has been translated using an AI program When nature starts to undulate and the Dutch flat green gradually turns into hills No province smells of 'foreignness' anymore - and that is exactly what we are looking for - so we started our discovery mission through Limburg with good courage And what fun things we encountered during our journey Anyone who can't get enough of Limburg will also benefit from our kid-proof Limboland list. This contains 'really' good addresses, each and every one of them addresses, spots and places to be in Limburg for the whole family you can experience an exceptional experience at a high level because Brut172 is 172 meters above sea level Brut is about enjoying and saving moments together As Brut172 itself proclaimed: 'Brut is life Brut 172 Take a pit stop at Brasserie Lodge in Vaals This brasserie exudes Limburg hospitality and conviviality Enjoying the Burgundian style with a beautiful view is on the menu here At Brasserie Lodge you can enjoy a delicious coffee with fresh Limburg pie Brasserie Lodge The centuries-old monumental farm has been transformed into a holiday home bathroom (with cast iron bath on legs and walk-in shower) The farmhouse contains the holiday home Hoeve Hurpesch The kitchen also serves as a cooking studio where cooking workshops are given by owner Cecile Hurpesch farm You are not going to tell us to visit Limburg without tasting Limburg's hospitality We prefer to do that since our last visit to the city Gasterij de Koffiemolen as they all know so well about the place in Valkenburg and the surrounding area So off to the old French Water Mill (hence the name) in the heart of the center and just walk in Once there we understand what the Limburgers mean by the place Because is it a shop or can we sit down for that good cup of coffee that we were promised in advance Amidst the flea market and lots of vintage around you But they are there and you can really sit down and enjoy their delicacies at the same table But then choose our personal favorite: the pastry corner Because we don't really believe that Gasterij de Koffiemolen can disappoint.. Gasterij de Koffiemolen We praise the most holidayesk city ​​of the country has skyrocketed we wrote an article about it that we will explore the city again at regular intervals (because we are allowed to explore the city again at regular intervals) lucky us) with an update Grab it, write along, bookmark and check it again in a few weeks and it will probably be different again: Barts Best of Maastricht. Don't miss anything in Maastricht? Because yes, there is more. Via this link you don't miss anything kitchen and dining room of Baron de Selys de Fanson are the decor of the restaurant The rooms seem to have stood still in the past and have been completely preserved in perfect condition all this time while the dishes of the chef and team on top of the world are The team cooks with ingredients from their own estate and from the region: honey from their own bees incorporated into the sweets of the High Tea Bistrot de Liège When you arrive at the chateau and enter the castle farm The striking tent with its cozy parasols has a lovely terrace in the courtyard But as soon as the Dutch seasons no longer allow it sitting down for a good cup of coffee and a (preferably large piece of) cake next to it is exactly the right thing to do Mayor Quicx is known for Mayor Quicx If you can't get enough of it Chateau St. Gerlach -we don't either- then check in to one of the special suites taking a nap in the beautiful chateau sounds like a dream Name a better place to admire them than from the terrace of The Gerardushoeve Reason one to include the place in your road trip (good idea!) through Limburg Reason two sounds like this: in the restaurant (Slash hotel) you suddenly stumble upon what is called 'Burgundian' The Limburg pride can be tasted in everything from the delicious regional dishes to the Limburg wines they serve (and they also have a lot of expert knowledge about them) We are quite charmed by Gerardushoeve's jacket; the property The Gerardushoeve Although this (laundry) list is secretly quite kid-proof, we put together another list KidsToGo.nl pick out your favorites and you're in for a very long (summer/autumn/spring break And we're not there yet! Nope. Follow this link and read all our tips in the most beautiful province in the Netherlands kasteel vaalsbroek is truly beautiful and seems to be nestled between the Limburg hills of the town of Vaals hidden between those hills after braving the beautiful driveway and an extra lap around the fountain in the courtyard (which is allowed!) and a small look at the pond in the mega garden the holiday mode spontaneously switches on you can dine there and enjoy the lovely terraces The terrace with the beautiful view is already a plus kasteel vaalsbroek Are you looking for a place with an amazing view in Limburg but one surrounded by peace and quiet and nature as far as the eye can see On the surface of the site it looks like the Swiss countryside This is depicted as a beautiful white building balconies with a sea of ​​flowers on the edge and the showstopper: a lovely terrace with your nose looking out over the hills simply let yourself be completely pampered and opt for a 'four-course menu du Chef' with a matching wine arrangement The restaurant of the Klein Switzerland hotel then you can wake up the next morning on that flower-drenched balcony and let your eyes get used to the sunlight over the valley.. Little Switzerland Like a place the name the Glass Palace receives if it comes close to the charm and dreaminess that we automatically get from the name The Glass Palace is a whopper of a building in the center of Heerlen and rather impressive in its robustness but on the fifth floor the doors open to Brasserie My Streek and there it is You arrive at Brasserie Mijn Streek: where - how could it be otherwise - they prefer to work in the kitchen with products from their own region Or will there only be asparagus on your plate and a pie served for dessert On the menu you will find the delicacy itself in the form of cake tar from Run from Margraten Brasserie My Streek because at the very edge of the same city there is a quite beautiful castle Terworm Castle In addition to being a restaurant if you want to go there without getting married (it is that beautiful there).. The garden is in the French rococo style and sitting down for a delicious dinner is highly recommended Because as soon as the clouds appear again and the temperature starts to drop it will be all the more cozy inside Terworm Castle Pst: if you're hanging around in Limburg and it's going to snow Terworm Castle We have been a bit in love with Limburg for quite a long time we haven't experienced that feeling before Restaurant Pirandello is a pearl of a discovery in Limburg Landgraaf (where there is only a few things to experience during PinkPop sorry not sorry) and is located in Hotel Winselerhof The restaurant has a lot of Italian on the menu in the most authentic way out there. Oh lord that canneloni with spinach and ricotta.. go go go for the tiramisu with cherries from our own orchard this almost never happens - forget how beautiful the restaurant looks Or spend a night thinking about it and come back again the next day you can also sleep at Pirandello Hotel Winselerhof Pirandello Elsloo Castle is another version of an impressive Dutch castle Picture perfect is an understatement to say the least Close your eyes in palatial suites after a long day of touring and wake up in Limburg's opulence.. Hotel plus restaurant (plus just a beautiful location on it's own) is more than you want everywhere and everything feels romantic as it should be in a castle and pampering from a hand on the heart delicious kitchen asparagus soup in Limburg is really the tastiest if it were up to those from the kitchen of Elsloo Elsloo Castle From a gigantic castle to a tiny (crunchy) one that is) mountain hut in the 'mountain village' Filing Completely hidden between the trees of the Vijlenerbos (which which is the highest forest in the Low Countries) every now and then tufts of people enter the Boscafé romantically dark in the winter and full of sunshine on the cozy terrace in the summer and everything that is served on the table is the walk up more than worth it (car-free hence the peace and quiet and the crowds of people) but what we do know is that the Limburg pie and/or a specialty beer(s) tastes even better upstairs Boscafé 't Hijgend Hert At Shed 81 in Margraten they know about it The former potato warehouse on Rijksweg 81 in Margraten deserved a second life extensive sparring sessions and simply going for it what we now know as Loods 2015 was created in 81 The vintage furnishings create an intimate living room feeling the creativity in the dishes surprises and delights and the caterer's counter provides even more tasty food deli dishes and buffets prepared in your own kitchen Or make an extensive stop with all kinds of goodies from the seasonally dependent menu with coffee Just check if you at the right time at the right place because the kitchen is not open for reservations every day.. Shed 81 we'll tell it once and you'll never forget it a forgotten village a stone's throw from Maastricht and the place where Heerdeberg estate can be found And that estate is what makes Cadier en Keer so much fun And a holiday home (check one further below for more) in the end the bottom line is that Landgoed Heerdeberg is always a good idea Even if only to taste the delicacies from the (outdoor) kitchen The Heerdeberg estate cooks and lives according to the rhythm of the seasons What the estate offers can be found fresh on the plate Vegetables and herbs picked from your own garden a bunch of foraging and walking animals between all the festivities and before you know it you will be under the tiles for an entire afternoon Heerdeberg estate but in the same village (at the foot of the Heerdeberg Estate just mentioned) you can also continue to nap the beds are spread out for you and the freshly picked finds from the fruit trees in (practically) the back garden are ready for you With the warm welcome of free-range Mergelland fowl holiday home Theodorus quite an idyllic spot Not a bad idea to spend a weekend or midweek with about 4 people in total And what if you hear that you can sleep in an old fire station Especially when it's as handsome as this one in Limburg (always fun) Mechelen A part of the Old Fire Station has been converted into homes and a considerable space has been furnished - completely delicious - into a true holiday paradise The Old Fire Station even more beautiful things Mechelen and secretly (we'll just say it honestly) even more beautiful you know what: lodge style on the outside and not only that Well hidden at the end of a dead-end dirt road now transformed into a beautiful modern and beautifully bright living space houses twelve bedrooms and no less than fourteen bathrooms Claim everything for yourself or get involved with a fun club as soon as everything is possible again The Splendid Finch This pop-up restaurant is practically around the corner Just be careful that we don't start rambling about Hei 15 out of sheer enthusiasm.. Hei 15 When academia failed to meet her expectations The brightly coloured tutus contrast with her research on the conscience development of children: Why do some children develop psychopathic traits and others not ‘In academia you rarely get a pat on the back’ The University is a long way away: an hour and a half by car She picks up her youngest daughter (2) from day-care and waits for her entrepreneur husband Remy to come home ballet classes are taught at the Cimarella dance school which she and her husband kept on after their move the living room the dance studio with the wall-to-wall mirror On the day of my defence I already had a big belly.’ How did she manage it Actually Cima doesn’t understand why completing a PhD should take four or five years Before being appointed at Radboud University she worked as a researcher and lecturer at the universities of Tilburg and Maastricht She conducted research at various detention centres including the Rheinische Landesklinik in Duren (Germany) less than an hour’s drive across the border the first baby was followed by another five: she has four sons and two daughters the other guests look at us with something akin to panic: this will turn into chaos everyone is saying: ‘What a nice family!’’ says Cima proudly And then there is the dance school she opened four years ago that has 45 pupils ‘I occasionally get stressed at the thought of the washing accumulating,’ she says lightly ‘But I feel much more balanced than I did at first.’ she talks about her ballet school as a ‘hobby that got out of hand’ who as a toddler paraded through the house dressed in dance costumes for whole days took her first ballet class at the age of 4 and went on to dance for many years After completing secondary school she even joined the Dance Academy Tilburg I realised that I didn’t want to pursue a professional dance career It’s such a hard world and you’re always away from home And my perspective had changed: dancing had always been my great love but then I met my husband.’ She then studied Psychology and easily slipped into doing research But things didn’t go quite according to plan But in academia you rarely get a pat on the back From reviewers who tell you to change all sorts of things in your article to grant providers who find your proposal not substantiated or innovative enough ‘I can always teach ballet.’ I said this with increasing frequency Now I’ve got something nobody has any say over and I do what I like and what feels right.’ Cima’s pupils practice for the twice-yearly ballet performance with the entire school ‘And now you let yourself fall to the floor Let’s go through the whole thing one more time from the top.’ Her dancers have worked up quite a sweat: they keep making a dash for their drinking bottles we’re going to perform at the old people’s home,’ she reminds the youngest children as they leave – the next group is already waiting To a girl who says she can’t make it next time: ‘You’re going to see your grandma that day the girls’ giggling and chatting are in sharp contrast to Cima’s day job she created a Master’s specialisation in Forensic Orthopedagogics and carried out a number of studies on behavioural problems in young people She is currently studying how conscience develops in children Why do some children display extreme behavioural problems ‘And now you let yourself fall to the floor But traits that relate to behavioural problems such as cold-bloodedness often also have biological and neurobiological components links social contact to feelings of happiness and therefore plays an important role in human attachment I look at whether this substance is low in people who grow up cold-blooded and whether it plays a role in psychopathic traits and lack of conscience.’ Apparently some children display signs of lack of conscience very early on Last year Cima performed an experiment with toddlers at the Baby Lab while the toddler looked on and drew with them Then one of the puppets disappeared backstage and the other seized the opportunity to tear up its companion’s drawing ‘Some toddlers respond by saying: ‘Don’t do that!’ out of compassion they give their own drawing to the victim puppet Other toddlers find the puppet show simply amusing It’s interesting to see where these differences come from and what they correlate with My most important research question is: How do you address these problems is to avoid these young children turning into criminals later in life.’ I always have three times as much energy as before’ It doesn’t matter: ‘Sometimes after a whole day in Nijmegen I’m so tired I really have to pull myself together to go to the ballet school I always have three times as much energy as before.’ this is what physical exercise does for you It raises your energy level and allows you to release tension ‘I think a lot of problems young children experience would disappear if they ate healthy food and got enough exercise.’ This is why she consciously stimulates her children to do lots of sports: Kung-Fu They don’t have ADHD or anything; they’re just boys But without sports I’m sure they’d be a lot wilder.’ She’s not particularly bothered about the logistics of all these sports clubs you’re used to getting in the car and all the children do the same sports Except her five-year old: ‘She does ballet She’s consciously chosen not to organise talent clubs and selection rounds ‘Can you see me reading out a list like that with some children being ecstatic while others go home in tears I think it’s terrible to give children this young a minority complex They don’t think: ‘I can’t dance,’ but ‘I’m not good at anything…’ Teenagers in particular are really sensitive to these things.’ Cima has no time for trouble-making and elbowing your way to the top: a legacy of the ballet academy She doesn’t want to think of her ballet lessons as a form of therapy But it does go further than dance and choreography: she teaches children to work together and they respect each other’s individuality Some pupils are quick to conclude that they can’t do something I teach them that the words ‘I can’t’ don’t exist in my ballet lessons I hope these experiences will help them in other situations in their lives I don’t want to make it into something therapeutic But I observe them and I see that it works: they feel more self-confident after a lesson or performance This is a source of great satisfaction to me.’ organises internships and makes sure they are well-equipped for the world of forensics But I realise that my fundamental research is just one small building block It can only create change in combination with other people’s blocks I’m not under the illusion that I can save the world with my research.’ I’m just happy if my dance lessons have a positive effect on my pupils I hope they remember it later and think: ‘Wow Do you want to leave a comment? Please read our house rules. Your email address will not be published. It may take a while before your response is posted. Read our privacy statement if you want to know more about how we use your data daily or weekly update with our articles in your mailbox This can be done anonymously using the form Wij maken gebruik van cookies.Lees meer hierover in onze privacy statement websitebezoek en gebruik wordt gemeten en gebruikersgegevens worden anoniem verzameld In 2004 the Dutch population grew by 0.2 percent to reach 16.3 million The population increased rapidly in municipalities surrounding larger towns The municipality of Barendrecht reported the largest population increase in 2004 The largest decrease was recorded in the municipality of Marum In 2004 many people moved from Rotterdam to new housing estates in Barendrecht making it the fastest growing municipality in 2004 The population of the municipalities of Pijnacker-Nootdorp (people from The Hague and Delft) and Albrandswaard (people from Rotterdam) increased by approximately 5 percent New housing estates in Haarlemmermeer attracted Amsterdam residents The population of Berkel en Rodenrijs (people from Rotterdam) and Houten (people from Utrecht) grew by roughly 3 percent In the municipality of Thorn the population grew considerably due to the opening of a new home for the elderly The highest rate of population decrease (-2.9 percent) was recorded in Marum the population fell by more than 2 percent In Marum and Vlagtwedde asylum seekers centres were closed down a large number of residents of Vaals left the Netherlands to settle in Germany The highest population growth rate in 2004 was found in Almere (+2.4 percent) and Utrecht (+2.1 percent) Almere attracts many residents from Amsterdam many young families move to Almere which results in a higher birth rate The number of residents living in Rotterdam and The Hague declined by 0.5 and 0.1 percent respectively Amsterdam’s population remained virtually unchanged Using satellite data to focus on air pollution and socioeconomic inequality Press Office and Infoservice in the spotlight a valuable lesson was learned this morning Big came from the cloud for a colorful visit 32 additional hotel and resort properties worldwide are participating in this promotion Ten frequent travel loyalty programs are offering deals in this edition Find out why this promotion could encourage you to try different brands of Hilton This historic area is located in a Manila “envelope” — but it is not sealed Why do they have yellow caps instead of red caps Get some exercise on your own schedule without paying an extra cent for transportation This breakfast could have been a Crowne-ing achievement — but.. Are you hungry for meal service aboard airplanes Electronic communications have substantially overtaken postcards You will be required to pay the lion’s share of the conservation fees The rule was illegal and violated the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 Articles detailing membership programs and loyalty program details Twelve frequent travel loyalty programs are offering deals in this edition When I decided to head to Aachen so that I could be in Germany for the first time I had no idea that the train on which I was a passenger likely passed in a tunnel almost underneath the point where three countries meet — for if I had known I would have gone out of my way to visit it When I was in Amsterdam for a meeting back in September of 2018 I decided to rent a car to take a side trip to Luxembourg — about which I intend to write a trip report — and when I was searching for places to visit on the way back to Amsterdam I found Drielandenpunt — literally translated from Dutch for three land point — which is where the borders of the Netherlands This is the driveway which leads to the parking area at the end on the right The stone marks the point where the borders of the Netherlands Aside from the panorama observation tower — which opened to the public on Friday 2011 and includes a skywalk — shown in the photograph on the right as I was only interested in being in three countries simultaneously As my hand was in all three countries in all of the photographs shown above what if the Schengen Area of Europe — which abolished all passport controls and allows crossing the borders of 26 participating countries as freely as crossing the borders of states in the United States — did not exist Would my blood cells have been required to go through passport control every time they crossed a border from one finger to another Look carefully and you will see the old carvings of the official letter designations of each country which have since been painted on the marker in white Germany and Belgium were three of the five first member Schengen countries I could not decide if positioning my feet this way was the best way to stand in three countries at the same time… …or should I have positioned my feet this way I am not sure at this time what the 1032 means on this marker …nor do I know the significance of the number 193 — but if I find out definitive information pertaining to either number I intend to edit the article to include it here Here is a thought which went through my warped mind: what if someone stood in one country with a weapon shot within the second country and struck a person standing in the third country What would happen to this person; and which country would handle it Metal strips delineate the borders of each of the countries I straddled the border of the Netherlands and Belgium to take this photograph Germany is the country in the background which takes up a full half of this area A fourth country named Neutral Moresnet existed from 1816 to 1920 before it became a territory of Belgium after World War I the road leading to this spot is called Viergrenzenweg which roughly translates to Four Borders Way The closest to a quadripoint in the world currently is in the confluence of the Cuando — which is also known as Chobe — and Zambezi rivers, where the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe meet; but although it is still disputed Namibia and Zimbabwe are generally believed to be approximately 100 meters apart which actually results in the creation of two separate trijunctions in the confluence of those rivers People may not stand on three countries simultaneously every day; but that does not mean visiting one of these points is difficult to do as currently as few as 157 places around the world are where the borders of three countries meet; and as many as 207 may exist — including the one highlighted in this article — depending on who or what you believe “Nearly half of them usually exact but sometimes slightly indefinite places are situated not on dry land but in rivers or lakes or seas”, according to this article from Twisted Sifter which shows photographs of other notable tripoints around the world — along with photographs of them the exact tripoints are usually demarcated by the center or vertex of special (but highly various) markers or pillars Often and increasingly such places are also the sites of sometimes extensive monumental memorials and expositions.” The vehicle in the parking lot in the background which is closest to the site of the tripoint between the three countries is the car which I rented for this trip The flags of the countries of the Netherlands Germany and Belgium — from left to right — proudly wave in the breeze Former border markers of the triple border point are located approximately 50 meters from the current border marker This stone marks the highest point in the Netherlands This is the border of Belgium on the left and the Netherlands on the right as I straddled the border between both countries when I took this photograph Aachen in Germany is the closest city to Vaalserberg hill which is located in the province of Limburg at the south-easternmost edge of the Netherlands near the town of Vaals The road to this location is accessed from within the Netherlands and fairly easy to get to if you are driving a vehicle — although you can also arrive using public transportation via a combination of train and bus The panorama observation tower — which is also known as the Wilhelmina tower which is named after a queen of the Netherlands — is open every day from 10:00 in the morning through 8:00 in the evening You can purchase an entrance token in either the Restaurant de WilhelminaToren or Restaurant De Bokkerijder for three euros The Taverne de Grenssteen restaurant is open every day of the year — with the exception of Christmas Day and Carnival Monday — from breakfast hours until 5:00 in the afternoon or 6:00 in the evening The playground for children is free of charge No admission is charged to visit the actual concrete marker as you do not need to pay a single cent; and it remains open 24 hours per day Should remind Europeans and Americans as well Those US powers trying to destabilize the European Union should be stopped The 193 is a border marker number between the Netherlands and Germany and website in this browser for the next time I comment © 2006-2025 The Gate with Brian Cohen All Rights Reserved Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited provided that full and clear credit is given to The Gate with Brian Cohen with appropriate and specific directions to the original content View previous campaigns. 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