GstaadLife 6. August 2010

T H E E X C L U S I V E M O N T H LY P U B L I C AT I O N A B O U T T H E G O O D L I F E I N G S TA A D Friday 6 August 2010 Page 1

Friday 6 August 2010 - Issue 6 - CHF 3.50 excl VAT

IN-DEPTH ARTICLE

New zoning & planning in Gsteig

LOCAL PERSONALITY

Bergmann exhibition in Saanen ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

· New hotel management school in Lenk · Hublot Polo Gold Cup includes top international players · Saanenland bee colonies not under threat · Itviduell GmbH in Schönried · Water law changes · Maya’s red flags

A feast of culture

MAGAZINE

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 3

Contents

GSTAADLIFE IS AVAILABLE IN THESE HOTELS

Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 In-depth article Gsteig local planning revision . . . . . .5 Local News Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad 2010 . . . .6 H ornfluh flower path is open. . . . . . .6 Credit Suisse - the bank in Gstaad for Gstaad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 New hotel management school in Lenk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Hospital i n S aanenmöser no t feasible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Saanenland bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Across the de sk w ith T oni K necht: Year end rally in equities?. . . . . . . . . .9 Itviduell GmbH in Schönried . . . . . . .9 Events Events calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Local Personality Bergmann exhibition in Saanen 13 Local News Water law changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Roman Catholic Parish Gstaad . . . . . . .13 Column Maya‘s red flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Local News Menuhin Festival Gstaad 2010 . . . .15

Letter from the Editor - 9’500 High mountain beds Hiking in Swit zerland i s b ecoming more p opular i n te rms o f n umber of h ikers. Ac cording t o the S wiss Alpine cl ub, i t s eems tha t t o a point, fore igners a re d riving the se volumes. I c an vouch for tha t. Recently my son and I took a stroll up the D ents d u Ja man a nd e n-route chatted t o a ho st o f fore igners.

Whether t his ph enomenon o f a n increase in foreign hikers emanates from tourists or the steady influx of mainly E uropean ci tizens, w ho a re able to reside, start businesses or take up work in Switzerland, is not all together clear. However the ris ing membership figures from the Swiss A lpine cl ub ( SAC) is a go od indication.

The cl ub i tself s erves a m ixture o f purposes: g uided wa lks, cl imbing, training and accommodating at high altitude. Membership had rocketed to an impressive 130‘844 by the e nd o f Ju ne 20 10 a nd has risen every year for the past decade.

The gr owing m embership b rings high demand for places in its highaltitude huts tha t provide 9‘500 beds to mountain lovers. Staff that offers basic meals and drinks attend

UPFRONT

many of the huts. The club runs organized a ctivities e ach w eekend, which vary from five-hour walks to full weekends away from urban life.

Famous S wiss mou ntaineer Go ttlieb Samuel Studler founded the SAC club in 1863 in Olten. It is interesting t o note that the Bri tish A lpine Club was created in 1857 and is the oldest r egistered m ountain c lub in the w orld. Headq uartered i n B ern, the S AC c omprises 1 12 s ections across Switzerland, meaning everybody has a lo cal branch to turn to.

The bigge st g rouping is i n Zü rich and Lausanne second, with around 4‘000 members. Fees vary between SFr 80 and SFr 140 per annum and accommodation pric es v arying by hut. Members c an b e as sured that their h ighest f ee w ill b e SF r 2 8; non-members ma y p ay u p t o SF r 40 and more for half board where offered. Nature lovers can also buy vouchers that can be exchanged for stays in huts or technical courses.

Close to the Gstaad region the Grubenhuette, Wi ldhornhuette, a nd Geltenheutte are registered SAC alpine huts. They all belong to fascinating routes and are very welcom-

ing re st a nd ref uel p oints, w hilst underway. T he t wo h uts Ge lten and Grubenberg are owned and managed b y t he l ocal S AC O ldenhorn. Hikers this summer should be prepared for snow patches above 2‘000 mete rs fol lowing a c olderthan-average Ju ne, ac cording t o SAC developed press reports.

The route to the well-furnished and equipped Gelten hut at the foot of the Wildhorn leads past the lake of Lauenen. T he s urroundings o f t he Gelten hut, about two hours further up, is as b eautiful as L ake L auenen itself. G elten-Iffingen n ature reserve, a lpine p astures a nd ne arby glaciers d efine the la ndscape‘s character. It offers an extraordinary nature a nd la ndscape e xperience for the w hole f amily, w ith the e xcitement of an overnight stay.

With the s ummer w eather finding its rhythm now, it is worth getting out into the Alps and venturing that little bit higher up to the hospitality of the u nique S AC huts. I a m s ure with a little planning, a comfortable bed will be awaiting you up there.

Best wishes

GSTAAD LIFE, Anzeiger von Saanen, Kirchstrasse, P.O. Box 201, 3780 Gstaad, Phone: 033 748 88 74, Fax: 033 748 88 84, E-Mail: info@gstaadlife.ch, Website: www.gstaadlife.ch Management Board: Frank Müller, Peter Sonnekus-Williams Publisher: Frank Müller frank.mueller@gstaadlife.ch; Editor in Chief: Peter Sonnekus-Williams peter .sonnekus@gstaadlife.ch; Project Management and content coordination: Sanet Sonnekus-Williams Columnist: Mandolyna Theodoracopulos Translations: Michele Hoffman Editorial: Anita Moser, Christine Eisenbeis, Toni Siegrist Polygraph Team: Sven Köhler and Jonas Bach Printing: Müller Marketing & Druck AG, Gstaad Advertising: Peter Kuntze-Schneider peter.kuntze@gstaadlife.ch, phone 033 744 46 64 Subscriptions: Fabienne Koitka tel. 033 748 88 74

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Friday 6 August 2010 Page 5

GSTEIG Local Planning Revision: New zoning and adjustments in the building regulations ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTICLE BY ANITA MOSER AVS 29.06.10 Photo: Anita Moser

ing plant is to be realized,” says Martin Marti. It is the mayors regret that more industrial zone cannot be made available. “It is our aspiration to bring more in dustry int o t he c ommunity.

But unfortunately we have not found enough la ndowners w ho a re w illing to release suitable land,” says Marti.

One and a half hectares of land will be rezoned in the municipality of Gsteig As a part of the local planning revision one a nd a h alf hectares of land will be rezoned in the municipality of Gsteig. The revision has already been publicly available for viewing, w hich c losed on Ju ly 8 .

If all goes according to pl an, the motion will shortly be placed before the e xtraordinary m unicipal assembly for resolution.

New r esidential zones i n G steig and Feutersoey.

According to the official structure plan for the ne xt 1 5 yea rs, the canton o f B ern has g ranted the community G steig, an a dditional residential z one o f t wo a nd a ha lf hectares. One a nd a ha lf he ctares are a lready i n ha nd, a nd no w one hectare is to be added.

A la rge plo t ( 7’500m2) i n the a rea of Boden shall be included into the residential zone Gsteig. “This closes a gap with the already existing adjacent residential zone,” said mayor Martin M arti. I n I nner- G steig a plot with space for a bu ilding is t o be re zoned i nto the v illage z one.

In Zelg, Feutersoey a la rge plot for five houses are to be removed from the re sidential z oning a nd i n R eller, F eutersoey a n e xisting g roup

of hous es are to b e changed f rom agricultural zone to r esidential zone. “ We he rewith cr eate zone compliance a nd g ive the o wners the opp ortunity t o de velop or e xpand their homes under the building regulations,” explains municipal clerk, Paul Reichenbach.

Industrial z one w ith r eservations.

Zone c onformity s hall a ffect a p lot of l and in t he ar ea G lawematten, Feutersoey, wh ere an e xisting c arpentry business is at present. This will be r ezoned int o an in dustrial z one.

The i ndustrial z one i n t he L edi i s t o be e xpanded w here 5 00m2 o f f orest will be cleared. Paul Reichenbach explains, “We would like to move the live s tock s how a rea s lightly a s t his vacant space can be effectively used for a nother busi ness e nterprise. T he authorities have provided an equally large area on common land in InnerGsteig as a suitable replacement. The deforestation must be approved by the canton, this clearance application runs parallel to the local planning revision,” e xplained R eichenbach. T he Gretelies in Gsteig, is to be changed from a n i ndustrial o nly z one, w ith reservations. “ The pl ot w ill o nly b e zoned accordingly if the district heat-

New holiday home zone in Heiti.

Adjacent to the ski lift Heiti, a new holiday home zone for seven to eight houses will be created.

Primary r esidence a nd va lueadded levy.

Of in creasing imp ortance are t he rulings a nd d efinitions o f p rimary residence. T he pri mary re sidence share w hich was v alid acro ss the whole municipal area, has now been abolished by the m unicipality. T he municipal as sembly has a pproved newly zoned homes as primary residences with share of 30 percent. “As of now a primary residence share of 50 percent will apply exclusively for newly zoned residential plots,” explains Paul Reichenbach. In addition, the council has decided to introduce a v alue-added le vy o f 3 0 p ercent.

“We h ave s igned a n i nfrastructure agreement with each landowner,” informed mayor Marti. “The value added levy is no t a G steiger invention,” he added. “ Many municipalities in the canton of Bern apply for them and the p ercentages vary between 20 and 60 percent. We are on average with 30 percent.”

In addition, landowners have committed t hemselves t o s elling t he land t o t he m unicipality o r t o

IN-DEPTH ARTICLE engage w ith pro spective bu yers and b uilders, p rovided t here a re no plans or intentions of building within t welve y ears. “All t he l andowners have signed the infrastructure contract and have committed themselves t o s ign a c ontract o f purchase rights,” informed Marti.

Adjustments i n t he b uilding regulations.

Part of the local planning revision was a 40-page revised building regulation document. “Ce rtain me asuring criteria, i .e. de adlines, w ere ada pted t o the regulations of the municipality of Saanen,” explained Paul Reichenbach.

In add ition, a m inimum u tilization figure was e stablished. T he re vised regulations contain more det ails, especially i n re lation t o the ae sthetics of the building. “These adjustments were e nforced ou t o f e xperience,” said P aul Reichenbach. Martin Marti adds, “We want to protect and maintain the tr aditional s tyle. T hanks t o the precise description we give, the project ma nagers c an s et clea r t argets and save the client unnecessary project costs. Clear regulations prohibit panoramic windows, unusual window shapes or windows without cross bars. Further, patio doors on the ground floor may not be glazed over the full height and the bottom quarter must be made of wood.”

Special arrangements for V ictoriamatte.

The basic regulation in the village area, regarding the town’s conservation image, is that a lateral distance of a t l east f our m eters b etween buildings mu st b e m aintained. F or the two plots 527 and 448 (Victoriamatte), the voting citizens are given the p ossibility t o re quest u nder Article 31, the l inking o f t wo ma in buildings. In justified cases the total building width can be exceed.

Project files a re a vailable a t w ww. gsteig.ch

LOCAL NEWS

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 6

Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad The flower path is open again ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE PRESS RELEASE AVS 25.06.2010 2010 includes top international The walk to the Horn fluh t his y ear of his own initiative and love for players is again particularly worthwhile. As nature Wi lly Ae gerter, a mou ntain ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTILCE BY CHRISTINE EISENBEIS AVS 29.06.2010 teams play with a total handicap of 16 to 18 and come from Afghanistan, A rgentina, E ngland, I taly a nd Switzerland.

“The orga nizing c ommittee o f the 15th e dition o f th is t ournament is very proud to welcome top players like Marcos Heguy, Alejandro Agote & Milo Fernandez Araujo, to Gstaad whose accomplishments are recognized worldwide,” says Pierre Genecand, Pre sident of the t ournament & the Polo Club Gstaad.

guide, has been doing this work for the last six years. This undertaking is a lso m ade p ossible b y s ponsor Thomas F rautschi, wood c onstructions, in Schönried.

Photo: zVg

The 15th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cu p G staad w ill t ake plac e from August 19 until 22nd 2010 on the a irfield i n S aanen. T he t ournament is he ld for the th ird c onsecutive y ear i n p artnership w ith Hublot. The Hublot Polo Gold Cup belongs t o the W orld Polo T our (WPT), the world’s most important series of Polo tournaments, which counts t oward th e i nternational ranking o f t he pr ofessional P olo players. The participating high goal

he d oes e ach y ear, W illy A egerter has f reshly a rranged t he H ornfluh flower p ath. T he rou te is w ell signposted a nd ea sily a ccessible from the Horne ggli cha ir l ift. Ou t

Willy Aegerter on the Hornfluh flower path.

Credit Suisse – the Bank in Gstaad for Gstaad INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS RIZ Mr. Riz, how important is Gstaad for Credit Suisse?

Thomas R iz: T he t ourist r esorts, no t least G staad-Saanenland, ha ve b een very important for the bank ever since Credit Suisse opened its first offices in the canton of Bern in 1919. Is there any better proof of this than the renovation work s oon u nder wa y a t the G staad branch? Credit Suisse is investing a considerable amount of money enabling us to pr ovide e ven b etter s ervice t o o ur domestic and international clients.

and abroad, they have now lived in the Bernese Highlands for many years because t he q uality o f l ife a nd w ork i s just right here. We love living here. At the same time, we benefit from Credit Suisse’s net work, for e xample f rom our Ec onomic R esearch de partment, which pr ovides u s w ith b ackground information on the global markets and their development including Emerging Markets, Commodities and Alternative Investments. T hese are all-important for the banking business.

In your opinion, what are the pa rticular strengths of Credit Suisse Gstaad?

Thomas Riz: Our deep local roots and our international network – this combination m akes a s trong a ppearance.

Thousands of tourists from all over the world choose Gstaad as their vacation destination. Why ? B ecause G staad is one of the mo st beautiful and relaxing places in the world. My colleagues are also aware of this. While most of them have completed training and development courses both in Switzerland

Credit Suisse is not the only bank to make such claims.

Thomas Ri z ( smiling): T here ar e ot her banks, of course, but I like to point out why Credit Suisse is a ma jor player in Gstaad. Jok ing aside, the re a re obje ctive criteria. T he f amous L ondon journal “ Euromoney” has j ust na med us the “Best Bank in Switzerland” for the fourth year running. We have also received ot her a wards in cluding “ Best Debt H ouse in Swit zerland” an d “ Best M&A Hous e i n S witzerland.” T he e ditors o f E uromoney w ere p articularly

impressed by the cro ss-divisional c ollaboration b etween ou r Pri vate B anking, A sset Ma nagement, a nd I nvestment Banking. We refer to Credit Suisse as “One B ank.” T his has b ecome more than just a slogan. It also provides optimum benefits to our clients, the focus of all our endeavors.

A f ew w ords a bout Cr edit Su isse’s contribution to culture to finish off with?

Thomas Riz: This is an area that is particularly important to Credit Suisse, as well as t o me, p ersonally. Ou r g lobal commitment is greater than that of any other c ompany, p articularly o ur c ommitment t o promo ting you ng t alent.

More inf ormation i s av ailable o nline at w ww.credit-suisse.com/sponsoring.

Here i n ou r o wn re gion, w e w ere the main s ponsor of S ir Yehudi M enuhin’s music festival (Musiksommer Gstaad Saanenland) for 1 3 yea rs w hile he was s till alive. Our c ontinuing support as p artner t o the I nternational Y ehudi M enuhin F oundation in B russels, founded i n 1 991, mea ns a g reat dea l

to us. Through the universal language of m usic, t he F oundation pr omotes intercultural u nderstanding – a mong some 30,000 children worldwide. It’s an added pleasure to see so many familiar faces in the G staad F estival Orchestra from the kammerorchesterbasel, which we a lso s ponsor. B ut w hen i t c omes to pr omoting cu lture, w e a re a ctually quite ha ppy t o f ace c ompetitors tha t can match our commitment ...

Mr Thomas Riz Director, Head Private Banking Gstaad

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 7

LOCAL NEWS

New hotel management school in Lenk ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTICLE BY ANITA MOSER WWW.SHML.CH Photo: zVg

On August 12th the fi rst 15 students b egin the ir e ducation as hoteliers a t the ne wly est ablished College of Hospitality Management SHML i n L enk. T he innovators b ehind the pri vate school a re Ur s a nd Pete r Eb erhardt, as wel l as R obert Arnold - th ree est ablished a nd e xperienced hoteliers.

In S witzerland the re a re a pproximately 3 5 ho tel ma nagement schools - “ quite e nough, one would th ink”. T he reas on w hy U rs and Peter Eberhardt together with Robert A rnold fou nded a nother school was i n the true st s ense o f the words, for practical reasons.

“The c ommon d enominator o f most hotel management schools in Switzerland is that they neglect the practical training. The students are not pre pared for the pro fessional interface after their training,” says Urs Eb erhardt, w ho k nows th is from personal experience.

Urs Eb erhardt w as b orn in Zü rich and has worked for 30 years in the hotel industry.

In the early 90’s he worked at the Gstaad P alace, a nd f rom 20 03 to 20 06 managed the “Olde n” i n Gstaad. No w a t the new ly e stablished private SHML School - Swiss College of H ospitality M anagement i n L enk, U rs e nsures tha t practical t raining i s a p art o f t he students’ cu rriculum. “ The e ducators guarantee this,” he says. “Unlike o ther s chools, a t ou r s chool both the owners and the operators come from the ho tel industry. We count on an advisory board with famous p ersonalities w ho ha ve written history in the hotel industry, such as Onno Poortier or Fritz Sommerau. Thus the students have

The innovators behind the private school: Urs and Peter Eberhardt with Gianfranco Astori the b est o pportunity t o c onverse with h otel e xperts a nd b enefit from the ir e xperiences,” s ays Eb erhardt.

Students bec ome h otel g uests and hosts The school is in the Park Hotel Bellevue in Lenk with the partner companies Gade and Antica Posta. “The students live, study and practice at the ho tel,” s ays Eb erhardt. “ The students are both hotel guests and hosts a nd m ust b ehave as s uch,” adds Gia nfranco A stori, a forme r teacher a t the ho tel ma nagement school in Lausanne and now a partner in the new College of Hospitality Management i n L enk. T he ho telier training course can be completed in a two- or three-year course at the College. “ Every A ugust a nd Ma rch 18-week blo ck c ourses b egin, followed by a si x-month internship at a hotel recognized by the s chool in Switzerland or abroad,” said Astori.

However, students acquire their essential pr actical e xperience d uring the block courses. “The school campus consists of three kitchens, four restaurants, a bar, a reception and a laundry service. Students can thus

learn the ho tel busi ness f rom the bottom up,” says Eberhardt.

Restaurants remain open In the i nitial phas e th is Aug ust the school and hotel operations will run parallel. “If we have enough students, then we close the hotel during each of the block courses. Outside of this time and during school holidays the 3-star hotel remains open for external guests,” informs hotel owner Urs Eberhardt. “At the e nd of each te rm the s tudents get the o pportunity to pre pare the ho tel for the op ening.” T he re staurants re main op en throughout the yea r. “ Thus the ho tel ma nagement s tudents c an ha ve contact w ith ‘real’ g uests,” and this Eberhardt sees as another benefit of his school.

Open to all nations The school is open to all nations, although special consideration is offered to Swiss s tudents. “Condition for all i s a b accalaureate d egree o r an a pprenticeship i n t he h otel i ndustry - a nd o f c ourse go od E nglish skills both written and spoken, as the c ourses a re i n E nglish,” s aid Astori. F or the re cruitment o f s tu-

dents a nd also to find internships, the school can count on the worldwide c ontacts o f i ts f ounders a nd owners. “We have been working on our network over the last year and a half. We visit schools and exhibitions around t he w orld, o r t ake p art i n exhibitions. We are currently especially active in the Asia region,” says Eberhardt, wh o i s c urrently in A sia with his brother. “Our partner hotels Orient E xpress, GHM - ho tel chains in ‘ Boutique-Style’ - a re e nthusiastic about our idea,” s ays Eb erhardt.

“We know many of them personally and they will offer internships to our students, b ecause t hey t hemselves also n eed w ell-trained s taff a nd therefore attach great importance to our collaboration.”

Lenk - the ideal location “Lenk is a n idea l lo cation for the school”, i s t he c onviction o f t he founders. “ The i nfrastructure is great, the climate is good and nature is intact. To add to this is the proximity o f the i nternationally re nowned village of Gstaad,” says Eberhardt.

“And particularly parents appreciate the fact that Lenk is not near any big city,” the father smiles.

LOCAL NEWS

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 8

Government considers hospital Handover of the Saanen airin Saanenmöser, not feasible field continues to be delayed The gove rnment c ouncil o f the canton B ern c onsiders the c onstruction of a hos pital i n S aanenmöser as no t f easible a fter t alks with government delegations from Saanen, the Simmental and the board of the Hospital STS AG. Board president Hans Peter Schüpbach says, “ The f act t hat t he g overnment council did not find the c onstruction of a new hospital in Saanenmöser feasible and appropriate was appreciable.

On one hand the p olitical acceptance from the two regions for a new building is m issing and on the o ther hand procedural de lays. T he b oard is de lighted with the government’s political decision to not have intervened in the competence of the board. As provided

in the hospital care law, the strategy remains t he r esponsibility of t he r espective b oard of directors. We h ave the d uty t o e nsure pri mary hea lth care in the region - the only question is how,” says Schüpbach.

“The b oard w ill the refore shor tly si t together with the health directorate,” agrees Schüpbach and Beat Strubhaar, C EO o f the Ho spital S TS A G. Thomas K nutti, pre sident o f the IG Hospital C are S immental-Saanenland expects the Ho spital STS AG to initiate d iscussion w ith a ll the p arties concerned and that together they will work towards a quality and economically feasible s olution, ensuring basic medical c are fo r the Si mmental a nd Saanenland.

ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTILCE BY ANITA MOSER AVS 06.07.2010 A year ago the president of the Airfield Co operative G staad-Saanen was optimistic about the ha ndover of the airfield from the V BS to the cooperative. No w h is c onfidence had to make space for certain realities. New re gulations by the O ffice of W ater & W astewater a nd the Federal Office of Environment have delayed the acquisition again.

was prob ably too optimistic,” c onceded B enno L üthi re cently a t the 23rd ge neral as sembly, he ld a t the Gstaad Palace.

“All the documents were submitted to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation for f urther pro cessing on Ju ne 6 2009; nothing stands in the way for an ea rly ac quisition o f the a irfield anymore,” s aid B enno L üthi, p resident o f th e A irfield Cooperative Gstaad-Saanen, at the Ge neral A ssembly a yea r ago. “This statement

”Not clea r is ho w the fore courts are to be drained,” explained Bernhard B erger, le gal re presentative of t he air field c ooperative. “ In addition B AFU i s m aking a n e nquiry regarding water protection in connection w ith the pla nned d rinking water supply for the municipality of Saanen.”

Photo: Christine Eisenbeis

Saanenland bees

ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTILCE BY CHRISTINE EISENBEIS AVS 02.07.2010

Once again the Swiss German and Romansh A ssociation - F riends of the B ees - c omplained a bout high b ee c olony lo sses las t w inter. On a verage the b eekeepers have l ost n early 3 0 p ercent o f their populations. In the Saanenland however the situation is not yet as tragic.

“If w inters a re m ild, w hich the y are more often than not, the bees leave the a piary t oo s oon. T hen comes the next cold spell and the bees e xperience a n u npleasant surprise. But that is no t the on ly problem. T he c ause o f the h igh colony losses is o ften the V arroa mite. In the canton Bern however the primary c ause of b ee deaths is foulbrood. This disease kills the bee la rvae a lready b efore ha tching. The small bacilli that cause

the disease can be found virtually in every hive,” said Christian Bircher, bee inspector.

As bee inspector, it is his task to destroy the a ffected c olonies on behalf of t he C antonal Ve terinary Office and help the affected beekeeper r ehabilitate h is a piary. Compared to other regions the S aanen a nd Si mmental a re in a f avorable position. L ast year there w ere on ly m inor c ases i n Gsteig and Lauenen.

Bircher u ses f ormic a cid f or t he treatment o f the V arroa m ite.

Bircher is o f the opi nion: ” If the work is done conscientiously and exact, and if the correct date isn’t missed for the trea tment, the n the b eekeepers wi ll m anage well over the winter time.”

Anita Moser

ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTILCE BY CHRISTINE EISENBEIS AVS 25.06.2010

Bee inspector and beekeeper Christian Bircher in one of his bee houses in Schönried.

In p rinciple, o ne c annot c omplain since the c anton B ern has a h igh density of colonies. “The association has 3’664 members and 28’000 registered colonies.”

His own bees produce under good conditions around one k ilogram of

honey a day. Since February 2010 beekeepers a re co nsidered l ivestock farmers. Thus, they are compliant t o t he A nimal Welf are A ct.

In S aanenland an d in t he up per Simmental there are a total of 141 beekeepers.

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 9

LOCAL NEWS

Year End Rally in Equities ? Yes we can!

ACROSS THE DESK WITH TONI KNECHT

The Standard & Poors 500 index closed a tu multous s econd q uarter do wn nearly 12 % in its worst quarter since the las t three months of 20 08, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the quarter off almost 10 %, snapping a streak of quarterly gains.

At current stock levels, we think that a dividend theme remains interesting for two reasons. First, dividend yield tends to be an effective measure of value, as the value cycle matures. Second, there are areas of the e quity market where the d ividend y ield is h igher t han th e forward credit yield, offering an interesting opp ortunity for i ncome investors. On the Standard & Poors, the P/E

ratio “s weet Sp ot” has b een nom inal bond yields in the 4 % - 8 % range in USD, lead ing t o P /E R atios o f 1 4-20 multiples. At either extreme of high or low rates, P/E begins to contract. Having s aid tha t, cu rrent d ividend y ields and pric es on c orporate b onds i mply S&P 500 of 1361 to 1377.

One has t o re mark that currently, w e are confronted with an extreme negative sentiment reading with American Association of Individual Investors Survey diffusion of % Bu lls less % B ears declined -36.1 in the last week. A reading of - 36.1 has b een ve ry r are since the s urvey was s tarted in 1987 (99th percentile), and it has typically occured close to oversold levels in the ma rket.

This -36.1 level is the lowest seen since the bull market began in March 2009.

The S&P 500 was typically up 8 % over the next 6 months and rose 75 % of the time in 12 other periods when this indicator was +/- 3 points from the current reading of -36.1. The forward performance for the Russell 2000 has been even more impressive, with the index

Photo: Sanet Sonnekus-Williams

Weak jobs and housing data have sobered i nvestors w ho no longe r th ink the e conomic recovery will b e as robust a s t hey h ad h oped b ack i n D ecember 2009. Concerns about European s overeign debt, potential slower growth in China and the May 6 “flash crash”, all contributed to bringing the major b enchmark i ndexes i nto ne gative territory for the years first half.

gaining 1 6 % on a verage and risi ng 92 % of the time. Stock are the worst hit o f a ny risk y as set, g iven i t is the largest clas s a nd a lso c onsidered the “riskiest.” T hus, as i nvestors r aised l iquidity, it was natural for stocks to be sold first.

S&P 5 00 c ompanies a re si tting on $1.05 Trillion in cash ($3.2 Trillon with Bank), or in % of assets now 11 %. This is the h ighest level since 1955. Companies a re ho arding the c ash d ue t o excess caution. They have articulated their reason for caution: given the severity o f the re cession, the re is l ittle need t o e xpand u ntil the re is b etter visibility. H owever, o nce v isibility im proves, w e e xpect c ompanies t o us e their cash in one of three ways : Capital spending; Stock buybacks; Mergers and Acquisitions.

But b earing i n m ind C redit D efault Swap-Spreads for 5 yea rs of 7 % for France (AAA rated Government Bonds) and Credit Default Swap- Spreads for 5 yea rs of 19 % for Sp ain ( AA r ated Government Bonds), dividend yields of,

Toni Knecht, Head of Private Banking at Saanen Bank for instance 3 % , for Ne stlé and 7 % for Zürich Financial Services look rather a ttractive t o us . One has t o ma ke the point that currently, the prob ability o f a def ault for Sp anish Gove rnment Bonds with a duration of 5 years is 19 %, for Portugal the probability to default on 5 years Government Bonds is cu rrently i ndicated by the ma rket as being 2 3 % . It goes without s aying that we’d rather go w ith the b alance sheet of Nestlé and take the 3 % dividend yield. Do we have a c ase for stocks here? Yes we do!

Photos: Urs von Unger

Exhibition Lelli de Orleans e Braganca at Urs von Unger

BY PETER SONNEKUS-WILLIAMS Within the e xuberance of a tropic al forest p ortrayed by e ndless sh ades of green, t he fine d etail of t he artists w ork w ith t he t ouch o f a b utterfly c omes acro ss as s erene a nd untouched by man.

These aspects of the la ndscape work of L elli de Orlea ns e Br aganca, pre sently on e xhibit at Urs von Unger reveal her art in all its perfection.

Most of the pieces on exhibit resemble windows that look upon the natural b eauty o f the tropic s e xpressed with p assion a nd d epth f rom t he unique point of view of the artist.

After finishing her studies in Brazil, Lelli de Orleans e Braganca went to Belgium and graduated with honours from the Van der Kelen art s chool. It was the re where s he p erfected h er s tyle a nd

The exhibition at Urs von Unger in Saanen lasts from 31st July to 19th August 2010. Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. / 3 p.m. - 6 p.m or by appointment +41 (0) 79 322 60 00 learned “ trompe l’ oeil”, the d ifficult technique of decorative painting, which enables the creation of perspectives as well as different visual representations of marble, stone and wood on canvas.

Lelli sp ent ma ny yea rs p ainting i n

various E uropean c ountries b efore returning to Brazil. Since then she has applied much of her talent to the enchantment of the tropic s, which can now be found across South America, Europe, the US and the UAE.

EVENTS

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 10

Events Calendar ■ FRIDAY, JULY 16 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 05 54th Menuhin Festival Gstaad. A classical music festival with world-famous artists. Different locations. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38 or info@menuhinfestivalgstaad.com

Friday August 6 2010 until Friday August 27 2010

■ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11 19h30: Menuhin Festival with Jordi Savall.

Rate: SFr30 to SFr70. Locality: Temple ChâteauD’Oex. Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ THURSDAY, AUGUST 12 18h00: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Public AUGUST 11 rehearsals 2010. Admission: Locals & students Circus Gasser Olympia in Gstaad: A breathtak- SFr10; Free entry for children under 15 years. ing show with delicious snacks or dinner at the à la Tickets are unnumbered. No pre-selling for the carte restaurant. Locality: Tent in Ebnit. Door opens public rehearsals. Opening cashpoint _ hour before rehearsals. Locality: Festival tent Gstaad. Phone 1 hour prior to the start of the program. +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Phone +41 (0)79 797 35 89.

■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 6 – WEDNESDAY

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 13

09h00: 7th Brocante/flea market in Saanen village. Phone +41 (0)33 744 44 43 for more information.

19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Between Heaven and Earth. Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Maxim Vengerov (Conductor), Fazil Say (Piano).

Rates: SFr65 to SFr160. Locality: Festival tent Gstaad. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 18h00: Meeting of the model railway group.

Social gathering & BBQ at the Bahnwagen, Bahnhof Saanen. For further info contact Robert Schopfer +41 (0)33 744 23 85 or Fritz Stucki, +41 (0)33 722 25 52.

■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 13 11h00: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Public rehearsals 2010. Admission: Locals & students SFr10; Free entry for children under 15 years.

Tickets are unnumbered. No pre-selling for the ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 public rehearsals. Opening cashpoint _ hour before Auction of cows on the alp Gumm. An occasion rehearsals. Locality: Festival tent Gstaad. for interested customers and spectators.

Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 & SUNDAY, 10h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Claire AUGUST 15 Huangci, Piano at the Kapelle. Rate: SFr30.

Forest feast of the Brass Band Harmonie SaaPhone +41 (0)33 748 83 38. nen. 17h00 on Saturday and 14h15 on Sunday.

Locality: Wäldli vis-à-vis Bahnhof.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 07h30: 3rd Glacier 3000 Run. Course begins in Phone +41 (0)79 669 50 03 for more information.

Gstaad. Information concerning the event can be ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 found under www.glacier3000run.ch Climbing day on the Oldenegg, Gsteig: Ride up, coffee, climbing, apero in the Malibu-Whirlpool, ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 dinner on the terrace, ride down at 11pm, farewell 19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Blues & drink, cable car, coffee & dinner: SFr53.

Beethoven, Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Violin) Contact +41 (0)79 481 65 61 for more info. & Fazil Say (Piano). Rates: SFr40-125. Saanen Church. Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 13h00: Pre-Concert-Talk 2010: Bobby McFer■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 rin. Locality: St. Niklaus-Kapelle Gstaad.

14h00: Pre-Concert-Talk 2010: Fazil Say at Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38. the Artists Lounge in Basta (Hotel Bernerhof).

For more info, contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Bobby ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 McFerrin – Solo improvisations. Locality: Festival 14h00: Gstaad Kids Run. Distance from 770 to tent Gstaad. Rate: SFr40 to SFr125.

1’190 meters. Start & end on the Kapälliplatz in Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Gstaad. Registration necessary until Saturday July ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 24th. Start from 15h30. Rate SFr10.

Phone +41 (0)24 492 09 23.

10h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Matinée des jeunes étoiles V. Livia Stirbu-Socolov, Piano at ■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 the Kapelle Gstaad. Rate SFr30.

11h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Brunch Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38. concert in the alpine hut. Rate: SFr140 - incl. bus, concert & picnic. Locality: Alphütte les Ouges, ■ SATURDAY AUG 14 & SUNDAY AUG 15 Rougemont. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Folk music at the Festiplatz at Restaurant Apple-Pie Gstaad. Saturday, 6.00pm and Sun■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 day, 10.00am. Phone +41 (0)33 744 56 39.

19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Haydn – The seven last words. Lauenen church. Rate: SFr30 ■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 to SFr70. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Plani Suufsunntig in German on the Alp Plani, Saanenmöser. The musicians will play folk music to ■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 dance. Can only be reached on foot or with a cross11h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Final concountry vehicle. Phone +41 (0)33 748 81 50. cert of the Youth orchestra week.

■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 In collaboration with the Basle Music School.

Free admission. Festival tent, Gstaad.

19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Kiefer Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Hablitzel Prizewinner concert at the church in ■ SUNDAY AUGUST 8, MONDAY AUGUST 9 Gsteig. Rate: SF30 to SFr70.

Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38. & TUESDAY AUGUST 10 ■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 19h00: Gstaad Comedy Night with Frederic Hormuth in German. Reservation & information 12h00: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Music & +41 (0)33 744 98 88. Locality: Hairroomgstaad, Lunch at the Hotel Le Grand Chalet, Gstaad. Rate SFr130. Reservations at +41 (0)33 748 76 76.

Parking Litzi, Lauenenstrasse 32.

■ MONDAY, AUG 16 – THURSDAY, AUG 19 Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Concours Ernst Haefliger. Final concert with the finalists: Thursday Aug 19 at 5pm, Kirchgemeindehaus.

Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 11h30: Menuhin Festival: Final concert of the Amateur Orchestra week: Free admission.

Festival tent, Gstaad. Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ MONDAY, AUG 16 – SUNDAY, AUG 22 Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Amateur Orchestra Week. In cooperation with the EOV. Final concert: Sunday Aug 22, 11:30am, in the Gstaad Festival Tent. Free admission. Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 Gstaad-Schönried Youth on Fire: Worship evening with live band. Locality – Experience hall.

For everybody. info@youth-on-fire.com

■ WEDNESDAY, AUG 18 – WEDNESDAY,

■ TUESDAY, AUGUST 24 19h30: Menuhin Festival: Cecilia Bartoli – Saanen Church. Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

AUG 25 Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Gstaad Vocal Academy with Cecilia Bartoli & Silvana Bazzoni ■ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25 Bartoli. Final concert Wed Aug 25, 5pm at the 17h00: Menuhin Festival: Final concert of the Kirchgemeindehaus. Rate: SFr30.

Gstaad vocal academy: Cecilia Bartoli & Silvana Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Bazzoni Bartoli, in the Kirchgemeindehaus Gstaad.

■ THURSDAY, AUGUST 19 SFr 30. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Menuhins ■ THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 Heritage II with Chad Hoopes, Violin (junior prize winner 2008). Rate: SFr30 to SFr70.

19h30: Menuhin Festival: Hagen Quartet, Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Saanen Church. SFr40 to SFr125.

Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ THURSDAY, AUGUST 19 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 ■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 27 Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad on the Saanen 19h30: Menuhin Festival: The English Nightairfield. For more information, ingale at the Saanen Church. SFr 40 to SFr 125. contact +41 (0)33 744 07 40.

Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 ROTARY CLUB GSTAAD-SAANENLAND 18h45: Pre-Concert-Talk 2010: Valery Gergiev. Locality: Bistro Festival Tent Gstaad.

Meetings every Monday 12h00 Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38 for more info.

Palace Hotel Gstaad (033 / 748 50 00), ■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 President: Rot. Ernst Niederhauser 19h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad: Mahler (033 / 744 21 90), Program: Rot. Andreas 5. Orchestra Concert in the Festival Tent. Rates: Hurni (033 / 744 36 28) SFr65 – SFr160. Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ LIONS-CLUB GSTAAD-SAANENLAND ■ FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 Meetings normally each first and third week Opening celebration of the northern bypass of the month on Thursdays, either at 12h00 a.m.

Saanen. Festivities in the Saanen village.

Everyone is welcome! info@gstaad.ch for lunch or at 7h00 p.m. for dinner. Meetings in Wellness & Spa-Hotel Ermitage-Golf, Schönried, ■ FRIDAY, AUG 20 – SUNDAY, AUG 22 16h00: Scooter meeting Gstaad-Saanenland. Tel. 033 748 60 60. For details and program Locality – Festival Tent, Saanen airfield. Free entry. contact Urs Wittwer, president, 033 748 99 11, For more info, contact +41 (0)33 744 73 78. info@wittwer-fleurs.ch, ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 htttp://gstaad-saanenland.lionsclub.ch 11h00: Menuhin Festival: Public rehearsals 2010 – Saanen church. Locals, students SFr10, children up to 15 yrs free entry. No pre-selling for the public rehearsals. Opening cashpoint ½ hour before rehearsals.

■ CHURCH SERVICES St Peter’s English-Speaking Anglican Church, Château-d’Oex

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 19h30: Menuhin Festival: Heritage III Orches- 17h30 Evening Prayer tra Concert, Saanen Church. SFr 65 to SFr 125. all welcome Phone +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

■ IMPORTANT NUMBERS Ambulance 144, Police 117 Police office 033 356 84 31 ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 Fire-brigade 118 18h30: Menuhin Festival: Glacier 3000 beSaanen Hospital 033 748 02 00 tween heaven & earth. Restaurant Botta, Glacier Château-d‘Oex Hospital 026 923 43 43 3000. Rate SFr150.

Car accident service 033 744 88 80 Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

Veterinary 033 744 35 31 ■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 Medical emergency 0900 57 67 47 10h30: Menuhin Festival Gstaad Kapelle: Dental emergency 033 748 02 00 Renée Schüttengruber, Soprano. SFr30.

Contact +41 (0)33 748 83 38.

For additional useful numbers please visit www.

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 14h00: Pre-Concert-Talk 2010: Albrecht Mayer: Artists lounge in Basta (Bernerhof).

■ SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 16h00: Concert of the Musikgesellschaft, Kapälliplatz Gstaad. Free entry – collection.

Phone +41 (0)33 744 09 40.

gstaadlife.ch/usefulnumbers For the latest local weather forecast visit www.gstaadlife.com/weather

ADVERTORIAL

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 11

“100 years of tradition, elegance and comfortable exclusivity at the Grand Hotel Park” With a s plendid r e–opening c eremony p lanned f or D ec 17th 2010, the G rand H otel P ark w ill p resent itself i n i ts new ly re novated form, to all of its guests, patrons and traditional f riends. T his h istoric mo ment will not only be a show of the result of the 5-star hotels sumptuous renovation, but also a k ey celebration of the 100 years of excellence tha t the ho tel has b ecome synonymous with.

GstaadLife has reported on the renovation in previous issues this past summer where in an interview with the Hotel Director Jean –Yves Blatt, it was e xplained w hat c an b e e xpected f rom t he r enovation. S ome things never change however: The Grand Hotel Park has a p eaceful e legance, a s ense o f c omfortable e xclusivity and a na tural level of s tyle a nd e xcellence – fou nd only within the rare confines of the

world’s pre mier experiences. The Grand Ho tel P ark’s re novation is underway i n orde r t o a mplify th is experience. T he as tuteness o f the management at the hotel however, recognise that s ome things should never cha nge. One o f the se is the traditional “ Waldhuus” w hich is found i n the e nchanted ga rdens of t he G rand H otel P ark. T his t raditional Swi ss c halet r estaurant which specializes in raclette, fondue a nd o ther t ypical S wiss f are, enables g uests a nd v isitors t o the hotel t o e xperience a de ep S wiss tradition within the convenience of the g rounds o f the ho tel. T his is a feature tha t the Gr and Ho tel P ark sees as de finite c ontinuum, whi ch can continue to be enjoyed for many years to come. The same goes for the Ho tels o wn pri vate ho t a ir balloon with its own highly experienced and well-known pilot Chris-

The charming interior of the traditional Waldhuus at the Grand Hotel Park

tian Dupuy. The s ame is to be s aid for t he c ontinuum o f t he h otels fabulous SPA. We a ll eage rly a wait the 1 7th of December a nd the w onderful c ontinuation of the Gr and Hotel P arks legacy of excellence.

SPA at the Grand Hotel Park

Come and fly with the Grand Hotel Park

Traditional Alphorn ensemble which plays a part in delivering the traditional ambiance of the Grand Hotel Park Waldhuus

LOCAL NEWS

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 12

Water law changes ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTICLE BY ANITA MOSER AVS 06.07.2010 Photos: Marina Lohrbach - Fotolia.com

“The b ase f ee is b ased on the r ate value, which is calculated according to the c onnected s anitation ware,” explains Ueli Haldi, manager of the water supply. “Someone with many connections will pay a h igher base fee,” adds T rachsel. A dded t o th is are the usage fees. “We expect that a cu bic mete r o f wa ter w ill c ost a maximum o f 5 0 – 6 0 c ents,” s aid Haldi. Today the cost is 78 cents.

From 2012 consumption is calculated ac cording to the ne w s ystem.

In the future, water usage will be measured w ith w ater mete rs i n the munic ipality of S aanen an d charged ac cording to the c onsumption and base charges. The system ch ange h as r aised t alks in the population.

In Saanen until now, water and wastewater charges were calculated by means of rate value. Meaning that

on e ach w ater c onnection a n a ppropriate fee was levied. “We had a good system up until now, but the time for a cha nge has c ome,” s ays Emil T rachsel, M unicipality C ounselor re sponsible for infrastructure in the c ommunity. The change was enforced through a complaint. “The law is clea rly on the side o f the plaintiff,” s aid Trachsel. “Ou r re gu-

lations are no longer within the law.

The overall Swiss f ederal and c antonal statutory provisions require a usage re gulated wa ter a nd was tewater rate.”

In the f uture the b ase f ee shou ld cover a la rge p art o f the budget .

Previously new bu ildings w ere charged w ith a c onnection le vy.

At the e xpense o f the m unicipality of Saanen a water meter is to be installed in all the buildings within the municipal te rritory. T he meters a re equipped w ith r adio s ignals. Ha ldi expects the re mote reading t o t ake about a mon th. T he plan is t o have all the measuring instruments installed by the end of 2011. Thus, the earliest readings c an b e t aken in 2012, meaning that the first invoices c alculated according to the new system will arrive in all homes in 2013.

ITviduell GmbH – the new Apple partner in the Saanenland A n ew A pple c omputer b usiness has op ened i n S chönried. T he business n amed I Tviduell G mbH trades, se rvices & tra ins w ith computer scie nce te chnology, particularly in the area of Apple and multimedia.

Simon Reuteler says, “An Apple Mac is as good as it looks. They are user

friendly, p owerful a nd de signed with great style. Practically the Apple computers run software such as Windows, O SX, office, word and excel, and are compatible with most camera’s, printers ect.”

Itviduell ensures a go od availability of products and a p ersonal consultative a pproach w ith s trong a nalytical c apability b orn f rom m any years of experience in PC and Mac support.

ITviduell’s purpose is t o provide, on the ground local support. They offer a q uick a nd pro fessional re sponse with g ood pr ofessional a dvice i n German, French and English.

Opening Hrs: Tuesdays: 14h00 – 17h00 Wednesdays: 10h00 – 12h00 / 13h00 – 15h00 Thursdays: 17h00 – 19h00

Mondays, F ridays & S aturdays on arrangement Contact details: Simon Reuteler ITviduell. GmbH Dorfstrasse 53 Postfach 188 3778 Schönried 0041 79 293 292 7 0041 33 744 318 7 info@itviduell.ch

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 13

LOCAL PERSONALITY

ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTICLE/PRESS RELEASE BY ANITA MOSER AVS 06.07.2010 From now until September 17th visitors can embark on a special journey of discovery at the Mu seum o f L andscapes i n S aanen.

The museum is trying something new w ith the a rt e xhibition o f Peter B ergmann. F or the fi rst time pa intings a re no t on ly e xhibited in the foyer, but also integrated into the rooms with the museum show pieces.

Since Pete r B ergmann’s work c onsist of such a vast spectrum, it was easy to place his paintings thematically amongst the v arious museum pieces. At the op ening on July 2nd, the m useum a lmost bu rst a t the seams. S o m any v isitors c ame t o see the p aintings and especially to meet the artist Peter Bergmann, personally. Ma ny ha nds w ere shaken, me mories e xchanged a nd of c ourse p aintings were e agerly bought. B ergmann w ith h is z est for life and “witty sense of humor,” added to a particularly cheerful atmosphere.

Memories o f “ Fr änzis A lpsommer“ a nd “ Strupf w ird S amichlausesel.”

“Following a wonderful and successful m useum a nniversary las t year, w e don ’t wa nt t o ti re a nd latch on to las t years’ e xhibitions,” said Stephan Jaggi, president of the Saanen M useum of L andscapes.

Franziska Ha ldi, b oard me mber, recalled i n he r op ening sp eech how a lmost e very S wiss ch ild has a pic ture b ook by Pete r B ergmann on his/her bookshelf. His paintings represent art that lasts. “These are paintings that are never forgotten, because the y crea te wa rmth a nd harmony. One never tires of looking at them,” said Haldi.

Vigilant painter, moving images.

The artist had been living in Lauenen for 2 5 yea rs b efore he move d t o Southern B urgundy el even y ears ago with his wife Vren. When asked to e xhibit h is w ork a t the M useum of L andscapes in S aanen, t he ar tist asked himself how he could incorpo-

Peter Bergmann with his painting “Washing line”. rate his images in a he ritage museum with some sort of historical connection. The 73-year old said with a grin, that the w orld in the m useum was s till f amiliar t o him . H e e xperienced the “ exhibited e vidence o f past days” as a small boy himself. He also tried to incorporate the the me of “dying homes” and “dying agriculture”. Highly visible in this theme, is his painting “Abandoned Farm”.

Basically B ergmann p aints what moves him.

“Through my paintings I always try to create a refe rence to my immediate environment an d my f ellow b eings,” says the artist, who has been earning a l iving from h is p aintings for the past 4 5 y ears. S ince B ergmann p erceives his environment with such vi-

gilance, all his paintings are different - just like real life itself. At times they are colorful and cheerful, other times also sad and gloomy. Sometimes they are f ull o f l ife a nd t hen a gain, t hey encourage the viewer to think.

Whether in the classroom, the shoemaker’s w orkshop or i n the s table, the m useum v isitors d iscover ag ain and again in every room of the heritage m useum, a “ Bergmann”. T he many animal pictures make this exhibition also very exciting for children.

It is worthwhile to embark on a journey o f discovery a t the m useum in the coming months.

Museum of L andscapes S aanen, E xhibition Peter B ergmann, 2 nd July to 17th S eptember, T uesday t o S unday, 14h00 - 17h00.

Photo: Anita Moser

Roman Catholic Parish Gstaad ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM THE ARTICLE BY TONI SIEGRIST AVS 02.07.2010 On Su nday Ju ly 4 20 10, the re stored church and new foyer building were ble ssed and inaugurated with a f estive s ervice. Au xiliary Bishop Denis Theurillat and pastor Thomas Müller held the service.

Together w ith t he n ew a ltar, t he new l ighting a nd the h inged painting the ch urch no w has

its ve ry o wn c ontemplative a nd strong c harisma. T he n ew f oyer building with its easy and filigree architecture, dis tinguishes it self from the e legant a rchitecture o f the church. The need for a covered and protected entrance was fulfilled and at the same time the garage a nd side ro oms a re d iscreetly hidden away.

Photo: Christine Eisenbeis

Bergmann exhibition at the Saanen Museum of Landscapes

The newly renovated St. Joseph church with new pavilion.

COLUMN

Friday 6 August 2010 Page 14

Maya’s Red Flags

BY MANDOLYNA THEODORACOPULOS

In the se s orts o f si tuations s ome sick need is being met by the overbearing love r. T he q uestion i s, will you take notice before it’s too late and the p ersonal c ost sk yrockets?

Most people turn a blind eye to the signs for a v ariety o f reas ons, bu t mainly b ecause the y ha ve a ha rd time identifying their own feelings.

Once the y are drawn in, i t t akes a long ti me t o get ou t b ecause it’s never eas y t o s ee one is c ompromising oneself just to avoid a c onflict and being alone.

Several y ears a go I w atched m y brother ma rry a w oman w e a ll knew h e w ould b e u nable t o s tay married to. The break-up was hard.

Living i t was prob ably ha rder, e specially for the ir kids. Children are never a m istake, bu t w itnessing a whole family suffer is a ve ry painful e xperience, e specially w hen i t could have been avoided. I det ach from m y f eelings o n t he s ubject, most o f the ti me, bu t w henever I see my niece and nephew my heart

breaks for them. I feel very strongly that young children should have a close to perfect upbringing.

Currently, a d ear f riend is in a r elationship with the w rong p erson.

Everybody s eems t o s ee th is bu t the t wo p eople i nvolved. I find it ve ry ha rd t o s tandby b ecause I know the story all too well. Knowing someone is lost in an unhealthy partnership when they are in their mid-thirties, a nd l ikely t o ma rry and ha ve ch ildren, pu ts one i n a delicate p osition. K eeping q uiet is complying w ith s omething tha t is infelicitous. O f c ourse h ow ot hers choose t o lead the ir l ives is t o a certain e xtent, none o f my business. But isn’t it my duty to help a friend in need regardless of whether or not they realize they are in a damaging situation?

When I go t c aught u p i n the b ad relationship, I was 25. My friend is 35. A part f rom tha t, the si milarities are astounding. One sp ouse is divisive, jealous and controlling. To counter the jealousy and the inevitable drama that ensues every time the jealous lover is no t the c enter

of a ttention, the p artner b ends backwards and forwards to try and avoid a c onflict. Af ter a n a ttempt to alter the b ehavior of everybody but that of the jealous person, the episode ha ppens a nyway. T his is the pattern, it goes on and on and on until one realizes one is with the wrong p erson and that no ma tter what one do es, the jea lous love r will always be threatened.

The longer one stays, the more one loses one self, a nd the ha rder i t is to leave. People like to play house and pretend they are in love, e ven when the y bri ng ou t the w orst i n each o ther. I n r eality, t his k ind o f relationship is anything but loving, it is deeply tied to an illusion. Damaged, c o-dependent p eople w ork this m.o. The red flags get ignored out o f n aiveté, l oneliness, a nd habit. To get beyond such a situation requires courage, and a strong desire t o c orrect t he p ast. S adly, we are not all so tough. The kicker is we are often far more forg iving of ou r love rs tha n w e a re o f ou r friends, de spite the f act tha t th is rarely works to our advantage.

Photo: der-Begnadete / photocase.com

I re member a p articular c onversation I had w ith a b oyfriend o f two years during the s econd week of ou r re lationship. He was u nhappy b ecause I tu rned down his invitation o ne n ight t o a ttend m y weekly c ard ga me. I re member saying t o my self: the re is s omething wrong with this guy. In fact, there was s omething w rong w ith me too because I s tayed with him for two years and moved half way around the w orld t o b e w ith h im.

It took me e ight years to get b ack to where I shou ld have been had I been able to resist him initially. Almost ten years on I am still feeling the impact of that gross error of judgement. I n retro spect, the re d flags were there. I just chose to ignore them.

The sad truth is friends care, hours are spent gossiping on the subject, but r arely d oes a nyone a ctually say the rig ht th ing. Gr anted, getting i nvolved i n a nother p erson’s private life is tricky. Taking any sort of p osition i s u sually i nadvisable.

Few people want to risk losing the friendship. So what are friends and family for if not to tell us when we are making immensely taxing life-altering decisions? O ne would think those who love us most have our b est i nterests a t h eart. O ne would also think that they will see for us when we cannot see ourselves. O f course t hey d o, b ut d o we listen?

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Menuhin Festival Gstaad 2010 ADAPTED & TRANSLATED FROM AN INTERVIEW BY CHRISTINE EISENBEIS AVS 06.07.2010 On July 16th the Menuhin Festival Gstaad begins under the slogan “Heaven and Earth”.

Performances to l ook f orward to ar e, am ongst ot hers - t he t hree c hurch c oncerts b y András Schiff, which are dedicated to t he composer Robert Schumann. Next, trumpeter and first t ime m other A lison B alsom. F urther t he G staad F estival O rchestra o n A ugust 13th, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Russian Homage of the Russian National Orchestra wit h Va dim Rep in a s s oloist. C ecilia B artoli will b e p erforming f or t he t hird consecutive time in Saanen. This years finale will take place on Sunday September 5, with the “Tout le Monde du Violon” concerts.