Seven Olympic Medals For Switzerland; Advertising Rules On Trams and Buses Relaxed; Pressure Persists For New Housing; Farmers Lament Lost Cherry Harvest

News For 23 August 2016

Now that the Olympic closing ceremonies are upon us its an opportunity to take stock of the Alpine country's performance.  The team managed a record 7 medals in Rio this year, counting 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze.  The gold medals went to competitors in Men's Cross Country Mountain Biking, Men's Bicycling Time Trials, and Men's Quadruple Sculls (Rowing).  Silver medals went to the Swiss Women's Triathlete, and the Swiss Women's Doubles Tennis team.  Bronze medals were earned in Women's Gymnastics Vault and Women's 25 meter target shooting.

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Moving Media Basel AG (MMB) the company that's responsible for the television screens on buses and trams has relaxed its rules for permitted advertising.  Last Thursday saw MMB announce that henceforth, political adverts will also be permitted on the screens inside the vehicles - curiously, however, the ban will persist on the outside of them.  The announcement came with a caveat, that MMB will still exercise its discretion to deny specific political advertisements on the screens.  The silver lining to all of this (tongue-firmly-in-cheek, of course) is that in case you haven't been sufficiently inundated with political discourse lately courtesy of the American presidential elections, the political ads on Basel's public transport will arrive just in time for the Baselstadt cantonal general elections in 2 months.

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The housing shortage in Basel continues.  Although vacancy rates have risen for the second year in a row, they still hover below one half of one percent.  According to city housing statisticians, 400 new homes per year will need to be built to accommodate the growth of Basel's population.  Fortunately, rent increases have been moderate, averaging 1 to 1.2% during the same period measured for vacancies.  Driving all this growth and demand for housing is jobs, of course.  City planners estimate 30,000 new jobs and 20,000 additional new residents to fill the roles by the year 2035.  Managing all this urbanization has not come without challenges as the city attempts to keep pace with providing educational, health and cultural resources to retain and integrate new residents.

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You may have noticed the sub-par cherry harvest that materialized this season.  Word on the street was that the rains early in the summer season prevented the trees' fruits from blossoming properly.  However, it seems that another culprit was to blame for this year's failed crop: The Suzuki Fly.  The asian pest was introduced to Europe from Asia about five years ago and has been responsible for destroying Swiss harvests of cherries, raspberries, grapes and plums.  President of Basel Fruit Association Ernst Lüthi expressed his alarm at the fact that the cherry harvest which was expected to be approximately 600 tons nationwide, was ultimately only 170 tons this year.  Some farmers are despairing and thinking of cutting down their trees before the Suzuki Fly takes hold and possibly attacks other crops.