GA English on Sunday News in Brief from Bonn and the Region

Bonn/Region · The gastronomy industry in the Siebengebirge fears for its existence, part of the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis has been declared an official wolf area, the RSVG uses the first hybrid buses in the Rhein-Sieg district, and the Independent Bonn International School cordially invites everyone to a children's vernissage for a good cause – here is our news in brief on Sunday.

 When the weather is fine, Kathrin Lanz's guests are drawn to the garden in "Zur Traube" in Unkel. In autumn, this alternative will not be possible.

When the weather is fine, Kathrin Lanz's guests are drawn to the garden in "Zur Traube" in Unkel. In autumn, this alternative will not be possible.

Foto: Frank Homann

Restaurateurs in Siebengebirge fear for their existence

Siebengebirge. The hospitality industry is suffering due to Coronavirus. Sales in restaurants and hotels in Germany fell by 39.7 per cent in real terms in the first half of 2020, according to the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), which is the sharpest drop in sales in the industry ever measured. Fewer guests, hygiene measures and approaching autumn are worrying the restaurateurs in Siebengebirge and many fear for their existence.

In June, 40 per cent less turnover compared to the same month last year was recorded by Rainer Schmitz, owner of the wine and beer bar "Im Tubak" in Königswinter's old town. Dieter Schwalb from the Alten Standesamt/Alten Rathaus in Bad Honnef has 10 fewer tables outside alone. Simply putting a chair or a second table next to a another table is also not possible, because of the distancing requirement.

In many restaurants, the menu is also partly reduced, because some dishes require a lot of preparation or food has to be purchased in large quantities and restaurateurs do not want to throw it away in case of another coronavirus-related closure. The increased use of personnel also causes problems and the disinfection and cleaning of menus and furniture is time-consuming and staff has to wash their hands often.

Restaurateurs state that the vast majority of guests follow the safety measures. Sophie Lange from the Königswinter Kaufmannsladen has only experienced one case since the reopening where someone didn't want to wear a mask and was sent away. According to the restaurateurs, many guests forget to put on face coverings when they go to the toilet.

A problem for restaurateurs is sometimes the mandatory collection of contact data. "Some people don't understand that this is not a state persecution, but serves the welfare of the guest, because this is the only way they can be informed when a coronavirus case occurs", says Schwalb.

At the moment, seats can still be occupied outside or windows and doors can be opened inside, but restaurateurs are looking ahead with concern and helplessness. The Unkeler Traube is converting a breakfast room of the affiliated hotel into another guest room, because the vine garden and courtyard garden will no longer be available from November. Almost everywhere, the absence of group bookings and festivities are hitting hard.

(Original text, Andrea Simons)

Parts of the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis are declared an official wolf area

Rhine-Sieg district. After a she-wolf with offspring was discovered in the forest near Eitorf, the NRW state government has now officially declared parts of the eastern Rhein-Sieg-Kreis to be wolf territory. This includes all municipalities on the right side of the Rhine with the exception of Troisdorf, Niederkassel, Sankt Augustin, Königswinter and Bad Honnef. These, however, still belong to the so-called buffer zone around the wolf area. The Rhine-Sieg district on the left bank of the Rhine is not included.

As Rainer Kötterheinrich, head of the district environmental office, emphasises, this does affect forest visitors: "Wolves avoid the proximity of humans. Especially with young and inexperienced wolves, however, it can happen that curiosity is stronger than fear". If you should encounter a wolf, try not to approach, touch or feed the animal. Running away is also not a good idea. It is best to stop and wait until the wolf retreats. Try to drive away the wolf by clapping loudly and waving your arms.

For livestock farmers, some things are changing. Support measures for herd protection remain; however, the acquisition and training of herd protection dogs can be promoted for herds of over 100 animals. The cost of losing animals to wolves, which is fully refunded, will be refunded in the new Oberbergisches Land wolf area starting from 20 August 2022, only if the herd is safely fenced in.

Of course, wolves in Germany do not yet have an enormous influence on the density of wildlife, but a look at other countries shows that with the return of large predators (such as the wolf), biodiversity has actually improved and increased, and animal and plant species that have long since disappeared have been able to reestablish themselves.

(Original text, Dylan Cem Akalin)

The RSVG uses the first hybrid buses in the Rhein-Sieg district

Troisdorf. The RSVG managing director Michael Reinhardt had three sets of good news to communicate in Friday: New hybrid buses, a WLAN test phase in some buses, and the newly designed ordering procedure for the TaxiBus.

The RSVG ordered 66 new hybrid buses for this year, 36 of which have already been delivered and are in service in the first quarter. The second tranche will follow gradually. In accordance with corona protection regulations, all new buses are fitted with Makrolon anti-infection windows. These and the destination displays are installed by RSVG itself. 80 per cent of the cost of the new vehicles is paid for by the federal government, with the state providing an additional 15 per cent. The bus uses conventional diesel fuel, but restarts after braking, using recovered mechanical energy. In this way, it consumes 30 per cent less fuel, so that over its service life of 13 years and 50,000 kilometers a year, the additional purchase expenditure is paid off.

Applications for subsidies for electric buses have also been submitted, but the infrastructure must first be built up before such vehicles can be used. Electric filling stations would have to be available at the depots. The first delivery is planned for late 2021, early 2022. An electric city bus costs about three times as much as a diesel bus.

Three buses with built-in free WLAN for passengers will go into test operation immediately. Many buses have already been equipped with USB charging sockets for some time. Buses with a large WLAN sign invites passengers to use the network. Passengers can log in without a password for seven days on all vehicles, after which the terms of use must be accepted again.

The development of the new app "RSVG on demand" is also part of the modernization. The time for ordering a cab bus by phone is coming to an end and a free app can be used for Android and IOS smartphones alike.

For more information, visit www.rsvg.de 

(Original text, Hans-Werner Klinkhammels)

The Bonn I.B.I.S. cordially invites everyone to a children's vernissage for a good cause

The Independent Bonn International School (I.B.I.S.) is holding a vernissage of children’s artwork on 1 September at 17.00 in the Bonner Eiszeit Eiscafé, Heiderhof Akazienweg 2-10, 53177 Bonn.

During the lockdown, students from the I.B.I.S. worked on small works of art, which will now be auctioned off in a joint initiative together with Bonner Eiszeit. The proceeds will go to the association "Bunter Kreis Rheinland", which cares for families in the region with prematurely born, chronically ill and handicapped children.

The headmaster of I.B.I.S., Mr. Philip Wharton, says "we should help each other as a matter of course. I am always pleasantly surprised at how naturally children take it for granted to help each other".

 Children of the I.B.I.S. proudly displaying their artwork that is to be auctioned for charity.

Children of the I.B.I.S. proudly displaying their artwork that is to be auctioned for charity.

Foto: Independent Bonn International School e.V.

The programme:

Greeting from Eric Buschbell / Bonner Eiszeit

Greeting: Philip Wharton / Headmaster I.B.I.S.

Greeting: Christoph Jansen / District Mayor of Bad Godesberg

Greeting: Ejegul Kurbanova (Art Coordinator I.B.I.S.)

Music: I.B.I.S. students

The school would like to thank Mrs. Yari Buschbell and Mr. Eric Buschbell that the vernissage can take place in the Bonner Eiszeit Eiscafé.

Further information and press contact:

Fatema Ansary-Fria

Marketing Manager & Public Relations

Independent Bonn International School e.V.

Tulpenbaumweg 42 53177 Bonn

e-mail: ansary@ibis-school.com

Phone: +49 (0) 228 932 44 47

Mobile: +49 (0) 178 684 05 72

(Translations, John Chandler)

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