Help save the bees with CNME
CNME: "Maastricht is home to 270 out of the 340 bee species native to the Netherlands. This is more than any other city in the Netherlands. The Viper’s Bugloss Mason Bee is one of them and Maastricht is the only Dutch city where they live. CNME (Centrum for Nature- and Environment Education) wants to help these bees and by doing so also help the other bees. They use special hotspots as seen in the video. These hotspots have an average area of 25 m2. These hotspots are a hill made of Mergel (local soil containing chalk) and residue from construction. This combination makes the hill rich in nutrients for the plants, because of this the hotspots consist of a variety of plants. This includes the hostplant of the Viper’s bugloss mason bee. This plant is called Viper’s Bugloss and is more widespread than the bee itself. The bee is more selective than the plant in the places to burrow or live. Besides the Viper’s Bugloss Mason Bee, the hotspots are used by other ground-nesting or solitary bees. All these bees like to sit in the sun to warm up and gain their energy. To do this, they need a plain area with no plants preferably facing the side with the most hours of sunlight.
Interested in helping? Contact Peter Alblas to get started:
Email: [email protected] / WhatsApp: +31 6 47330904.
Learn more on our website: https://www.cnme.nl/ (in Dutch)
#savethebees #cnme #gemeentemaastricht
Last month the Signaalpunt Maastricht tegen Eenzaamheid (Maastricht signal against loneliness) was launched. Concerns about a lonely neighbour, family member or patient can be reported there, after which Humanitas Maastricht-Heuvelland will further investigate.
The Signaalpunt Maastricht tegen Eenzaamheid can be contact by telephone on +31 (0)6 510 88 753 (also on WhatsApp), or by e-mail at [email protected]
'Este mich versteis dan kal ich plat taege dich', (If you understand me, I'll speak dialect with you) was sung as far back as the 1970s. In the Maastricht horeca (hospitality) and detailhandel (retail) industries, however, this has long since ceased to be true. Increasingly, customers in Maastricht are addressed in English.
Montessori Kindcentrum in the city centre was the first to start the 'Limburgs als tweede taal" (Limburgs as a second language) project. This moves away from the idea that it is better to address the little ones in childcare and playgroups only in Nederlands (Dutch).
Toads on the move
They might just jump at your feet in the coming time: padden (toads) are on the move. The creatures are making their way to mating grounds early this year, and there are warnings about this in natuurgebieden (nature reserves), such as Sint Pietersberg.
RTV Maastricht spoke to Peter Alblas from CNME last month, he's asked us to be mindful of the amphibians as we make our way through their territories, and they make their way through ours.
Maastrichtse wins Vrouw in de Media award for Limburg
Maastricht-based Kiki Bakker, coach of politici (politicians) and hoge ambtenaren (senior civil servants), received the Vrouw in de Media Award 2023 for Limburg.
The Vrouw in de Media Awards is an initiative from Janneke van Heugten of expert database Vaker in de Media and Marga Miltenburg of speakers' bureau ZijSpreekt. They point out that women are still underrepresented on radio, television, in newspapers and in digital news, and encourage female experts and role models to make themselves more visible in the media. The award can be significant in this regard.
Kiki Bakker was one of the 7 female experts nominated on behalf of Limburg. Together with Alina Ploeg, vegan inspirer and graphic designer, and also Maastricht paediatrician Anita Vreugdenhil, she received the most votes. The jury unanimously chose Bakker because she draws attention in the media to an important issue that often goes unacknowledged: how do you maintain yourself in a healthy way in a political or high-level official environment?
The judges saw in Kiki Bakker an example for many because of her courage and the humour in her approach. One voter put it as follows: "If there are fewer overworked politicians, it ensures that better choices can be made for the Netherlands. Bakker makes this issue open for discussion and thus contributes to strengthening our democracy. And that is something that is desperately needed right now, given what is going on nationally and internationally."
The provincial award is part of the national Vrouw in de Media Awards for expert women who were regularly or impressively in the picture in 2023. The judging panel for Limburg consists of Ingeborg Dijkstra-Verbeek, educator and chair, Monique Houben-Parren, news director of provincial newspaper De Limburger, and Kirsten Paulus, daytime chair and podcast creator.
Voting was open until Wednesday 14 February. A total of over 35,000 people cast their votes at the www.vrouwindemedia.nl website.The provincial winner now com
Just before Carnaval, the Iewige Wachter (eternal watcher) was unveiled in Limmel. The wooden sculpture symbolises the long wait for the go ahead for the Limmel aan de Maas project.
The realisation of the project, which will see 950 homes built on the Tregaterrein and Zinkwitterterrein, is now closer than ever. This is because the gemeenteraad (municipal council) finally approved the purchase of the Tregaterrein by the stadsbestuur (city board).
According to Jack Ummels of Buurtnetwerk Limmel, the title "Iewige Wachter" refers to 2 meanings; the long wait for the realisation of the Limmel aan de Maas project and keeping watch when it comes to future developments around the project.
The Iewige Wachter has his trousers half down. This is because he is 'sjiet der vaan' (got the sh*ts / not happy) for having to wait so long for the houses on the vacant grounds.
Maastricht has recently started a trial where deelauto’s (share cars) do not have a vaste parkeerplek (fixed parking space). They can be collected and returned in a dedicated zone.
The MyWheels company eventually wants to distribute 10 to 20, mostly electric, cars across the city. The fact that shared cars can be picked up at various locations in the city should lower the barrier for automobilisten (motorists) to participate in the system. Although the cars parked in Wittevrouwenveld cannot count on everyone's enthusiasm.
The 20 share cars already in use in Maastricht, offered by Greenwheels, do have fixed parking spaces. There will be 6 more of these soon added.
The Gemeente is enthusiastic about the plans, as it hopes to relieve the parking pressure in the city with share cars. The trial with share cars without a fixed parking space will last 1 year and may be extended 5 times, each for a 1 year period.
Head over to our website for more news: english.rtvmaastricht.nl
104 years old, making her the oldest resident of Maastricht, Mevrouw Nelly Raemakers-Trines. On Lenculenhof, where she lives, there was a big party; a day to be enjoyed, together with everyone she loves.
From Friday, 15 March, international students on a limited income resident in Maastricht can also apply for the energietoeslag (energy allowance). It amounts to a one-off allowance of €400. Maastricht is the first city in the Netherlands to offer this financial support to international students, which has been available to other groups of residents since 2022.
Interview with wethouder Alain Garnier at the Stadhuis in Maastricht at the announcement on Tuesday 12 March.
This month, the first 5 residents will move into the Skaeve Huse on Malberg. A total of 3 more will follow in March. The houses, intended for homeless people who cannot move into regular housing due to psychiatric problems, are ready.
Read more news at: english.rtvmaastricht.nl
Dozens of farmers, mostly young, took action at the Gouvernement aan de Maas Provincial offices on Thursday afternoon against the current landbouwbeleid (agricultural policy).
A manifesto was handed over, seeking help from the Provinciebestuur (Provincial board).
Unlike previous farmers' protests, this demonstration in Maastricht did not hinder any traffic or cause disruption.
A festive moment, this afternoon, at Kledingbank Us Mestreech in De Rink. There, the new shop for self-care products was opened, by a special delegation: Prins Guido of the Beerbieters from Borgharen with his entourage.
Once in a while, those artists float to the surface during the Carnaval season that make you wonder: who exactly are they and why are they singing? That curiosity grows when you see 4 masked singers with the stage name Undercovahz vaan Mestreech.
A delegation from the masked girl group came to Bankastudios to explain. But who are they exactly?
Read more at: english.rtvmaastricht.nl
The amount of subsidy Opera Zuid receives from the Rijk (state) will not be increased. So writes staatssecretaris Steven van Weyenberg, of culture and other interests, in response to questions from GroenLinks-PvdA.
Opera Zuid recently sounded the alarm. The €1.8 million it receives from the national government and the €800,000 supplemented by the province and municipality are no longer enough to keep its head above water in these times.
Fixed subsidy
According to the staatssecretaris, the subsidy ceilings have simply been set and Opera Zuid receives the amount appropriate to the company's mission, which is to serve the south of the Netherlands. Other opera companies provide productions with a national and even international reach and are also subsidised on that basis.
Revision of cultural system
The staatssecretaris does say that in 2029, when the cultural system is reviewed, it will be examined whether the current subsidy still fits Opera Zuid's function.
https://english.rtvmaastricht.nl/news/article/rijk-refuses-to-increase-opera-zuid-subsidy
Maastricht's football club MVV has been granted an uitstel van betaling (reprieve) by the Gemeente until June 2024. The repreive totals €425,000 covering the current rent of the stadium and artificial turf, among other things.
Preventing bankruptcy
MVV needs the postponement to avoid a negative bank balance and possible bankruptcy. This is because the club is €450,000 short in this current season. The US investor, which currently holds 24 per cent of the club's shares, will send €250,000 in the short term to put out the first financial fires.
Majority of shares
That US investor is also the solution according to MVV. The latter wants a majority of the club's shares, which in turn will give MVV over €2.3 million. With that deposit, MVV can pay off all debts. However, it is waiting for approval from football association KNVB for the takeover. Until then, MVV aims to keep its head above water with the reprieve with the Gemeente.
Loss
MVV recently announced losses of €1.1 million over last season. In the current season, entrepreneurs from Maastricht and the US investor guarantee a hole in the budget. That investor previously put €734,400 into MVV to get its hands on the aforementioned 24% stake.
Strengthen
Given the financial situation, it is therefore also out of the question for MVV to recruit a reinforcement for the first team this winter break. Thus, no replacement for the recently sold Koen Kostons will be recruited either.
https://english.rtvmaastricht.nl/news/article/mvv-gets-reprieve-from-the-gemeente
Continued armoede (poverty) has put more pressure on local aid organisations in Nederland in the past 6 months. This is according to a report by Armoedefonds. Local initiatives have to pull out all the stops to keep up with demand. At Stichting Stille Armen Maastricht and Quiet Community Maastricht, too, they notice that things are much busier than before.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists, who held a protest in the Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) departure hall on Saturday 20 January, left at the request of the Marechaussee (military police). Some activists, who did not want to leave by themselves, were removed.
Also detained earlier in the day were 3 people who refused to board a flight to Porto in a parallel protest. They were sitting on the stairs in front of the plane, Extinction Rebellion revealed.
Protests during Tefaf
XR's protest marked the run-up to the climate activists' large-scale campaign which will start on 9 March during Tefaf (The European Fine Art Fair), their focus being the banning of private jets at the airport.
Package of demands
Extinction Rebellion, in addition to an outright ban on private jets, wants their protests to bring about a climate plan with enforceable agreements on substantial reductions in NOx and CO2 emissions. Ensure substantially less air pollution, reduction of (ultra)fine dust emissions and no public money to aviation are the other demands they are making.
