Blog for Milwaukee's greatest German-American Radio Program on WEMP, 1250 AM Saturdays from 10-11 a.m.
http://www.archive.org/download/StimmungStundePodcast008112805/Podcast_008.mp3
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 4:32 PM
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posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 10:10 AM
Take a tour of several German cities to discover this beautiful holiday tradition...
Each year, Christmas markets spring up around Germany in the weeks before the holidays, signaling the beginning of Advent. The centuries-old tradition is a feast for the senses. Here, communities meet to celebrate the holidays and spread the warmth of the season in the cold month of December.
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The History of German Christmas Markets
Christmas markets began as seasonal marketplaces where recently-harvested produce was sold in preparation for the coming winter months.
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Augsburg: Angelic City
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Berlin: Metropolis Flair
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Dresden: Germany's oldest Christmas market
Dresden's Christmas market is the oldest in Germany. Each year, the community takes part in the "Stollenfest," where a 3,500 kg. fruited bread is baked and served to the public.
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Frankfurt am Main: Christmas at the Crossroads of Commerce
Visitors to Frankfurt's sprawling Christmas market -- one of the most popular in Germany -- can take home one of the area's famous prune people.
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Lübeck: Marzipan mecca
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Munich: Christmas in the heart of Bavaria
The Schwabing market in Munich is a hip place to drink a cup of Glühwein and shop for unique gifts.
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Nürnberg: Market with Tradition
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Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Medieval Christmas Magic
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posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 8:52 AM
Christkind office opens for business
Ten "post angels" have begun answering children's letters to the Christ child or "Christkind" in one of the country's most beloved holiday traditions.
For 20 years running, an office in the western town of Engelskirchen near Cologne has been responding to the letters, which come from children around the world.
The project began in 1985, when several letters addressed to the "Christkind" were circulating through the postal service without a concrete address. In Germany, children receive gifts from the "Christkind" on Christmas Eve, not from Santa Claus, as in the United States.
Postal employees began to send the letters to Engelskirchen, which literally means "Church of Angels." For years, Engelskirchen has been the preferred address for kids' Christmas letters. Last year, the office received around 70,000 letters.
Many of the letters are homemade, with stickers and pasted illustrations cut out of catalogues — lest there be any confusion as to what the child wants. And all of them receive a response bearing the official stamp of the Christkind Engelskirchen.
The office's official address is:
An das Christkind
51766 Engelskirchen
Source: This Week in Germany newsletter
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:49 PM
JS Online: It's a wonderful run of classics: "MORE YULE TUNES: In addition to WOKY-AM (920) going all-Christmas on Thursday, the weekly 'Stimmung Stunde' German music show on WJYI-AM (1340) is marking the holiday on its 10 a.m. Saturday show with the usual holiday music.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 11:40 AM
Children hopping on "Walking Bus" to avoid obesity
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| Kids in Paderborn form a "walking bus." |
A new project to get kids moving and ward off obesity has caught its stride in Paderborn, Germany, Deutsche Welle reported this week.
The "Walking Bus," which draws on a similar project begun in the United Kingdom in 2003, consists of two adult chaperones that snake their way through a Paderborn neighborhood, all the while picking up children along the way to school. Taking the less auto-trodden path, they avoid the dangerous exhaust fumes emitted by cars and trucks while giving children time to chat with their friends.
The project comes amid growing concern that high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure aren't just middle age ills anymore. Nearly a third of all German seven-year-olds are overweight, according to recent study by the World Health Organization.
But German kids aren't eating more than they used to — they are walking less, according to Wolf-Dietrich Brettschneider, a gym teacher who started the Paderborn project. The "Walking Bus" is going against that trend, making exercise a regular part of the children's daily lives.
School administrators and teachers at the Margarethenschule in Paderborn are already seeing the fruits of the children's new exercise regimen, citing better concentration, alertness, and less chattiness during class time.
"The kids also learn earlier how to interact with traffic in a safe way" Nobert Maier told DW.
Source: This Week in Germany newsletter
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 9:48 AM
TICKETS FOR THE 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT ON SALE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
PAGEANT TO AIR LIVE ON CMT SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2006
FROM THE ALADDIN RESORT & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS AT 8:00 PM ET*
* * *
Fans Can Buy Tickets To Inaugural Las Vegas Event
By Visiting www.Ticketmaster.com
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - November 23, 2005 - Tickets will be available for THE 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT beginning Saturday, November 26, it was announced today by Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization. 2006 will be the first year that Miss America will be crowned in Las Vegas, and fans can buy tickets to both the preliminary competitions and the live pageant through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (702) 474-4000.
Fans can purchase seats for each individual night of the competition and can also buy four-night ticket packages at a significant overall savings.
TICKET PRICE RANGES
(NOTE: these do not include applicable taxes and fees)
The two-hour telecast of THE 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT will originate from the Aladdin in Las Vegas and will air live on CMT Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET*.
"Fans of Miss America are a huge part of what makes this organization so successful and we're delighted to be opening up ticket sales now for our inaugural pageant in Las Vegas," said McMaster. "Vegas is a destination city, and we welcome new fans to come and see our one-of-a-kind pageant experience firsthand."
Over the past two years, CMT has experienced record growth with 2005 poised to surpass last year as CMT's most-watched year ever. Known for its dedication to music, CMT is America's most popular country music network reaching more than 77 million households. In addition to world premiere videos, live concerts and events by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, CMT also produces original entertainment programming and specials. CMT is owned and operated by MTV Networks. Log on to country music's biggest website at www.cmt.com.
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.
The Aladdin Resort & Casino, the future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, is a joint venture partnership involving Robert Earl, founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood International, Inc., Bay Harbour Management LC and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The property will continue to operate as the Aladdin Resort & Casino during the renovation process which is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2006. Upon completion of renovations the property will be re-branded and renamed the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a Sheraton hotel. For more information, go to www.aladdincasino.com.
*The 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT will air live at 8 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. CT; and will be tape delayed to air at 8 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. MT.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 8:25 AM
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 ON CMT
Denton Also Signs Development Deal With CMT
NASHVILLE - November 23, 2005 - "Desperate Housewives" star James Denton will host the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT live from the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET* on CMT. In addition, Denton has signed a first look development deal with CMT effective immediately.
In a joint statement, Paul Villadolid, vice president, programming and development, CMT; and Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization note, "We're thrilled to have James onboard, as he's a fantastic choice to host the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT. As a star on TV's hottest show, he brings excitement and class to the pageant, not to mention the added thrill our contestants will have sharing the stage with him."
Villadolid adds, "Moreover, James has a deep understanding of the CMT audience. So the opportunity to develop original shows with James as a producer is a great bonus for us."
"I'm happy to be taking part in Miss America's transition," says Denton. "CMT is a very progressive leader in cable television and I am excited about the pageant being the start of my ongoing relationship with the network. I plan to develop projects with CMT that continue to convey the all American sensibilities with which both the pageant and network were founded."
Perhaps best known for his role as Mike Delfino on the hit ABC series, "Desperate Housewives," Nashville native James Denton began his acting career in the theater and found acclaim in Chicago as a member of The Griffin Theater and The Strawdog Theater Ensemble in such plays as "A Street Car Named Desire." His television credits include "The Pretender," "Philly" and "Threat Matrix," and his film credits include "Primary Colors," "Face/Off" and "That Old Feeling."
Over the past two years, CMT has experienced record growth with 2005 poised to surpass last year as CMT's most-watched year ever. Known for its dedication to music, CMT is America's most popular country music network reaching more than 77 million households. In addition to world premiere videos, live concerts and events by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, CMT also produces original entertainment programming and specials. CMT is owned and operated by MTV Networks. Log on to country music's biggest website at www.cmt.com.
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org. Tickets for the 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT at Aladdin Resort & Casino are available at all Ticketmaster outlets beginning Saturday, November 26 and at www.ticketmaster.com.
*The 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT will air live at 8 p.m. Eastern; 7 p.m. Central; and will be tape delayed to air at 8 p.m. Pacific; and 9 p.m. Mountain.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:28 PM
West Allis Christmas Parade
The West Allis Christmas Parade was really well attended and was covered by the West Allis Public Access channel. It was a really fun time. Tammy and I were in the front seat (where the heater kept us going) and Marci was up on the back of the convertible with international film star, Shrek. It was a big hit.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 9:01 PM
The Associated PressATLANTIC CITY, N.J. Nov 19, 2005 — With its bags packed for Vegas and its bank balances sagging, the Miss America pageant is asking former winners to donate money for the scholarship that goes with the crown.
In an unprecedented step, Miss America Organization CEO Art McMaster appealed to former winners to kick in for the $50,000 scholarship, citing the pageant's new push for fundraising.
In a Nov. 3 letter obtained by The Associated Press, he noted the pageant's loss of network television revenue and said donations were needed to underwrite the Miss America scholarship.
"I am asking that all of you make a donation towards this scholarship and support the organization that helped to shape all of your lives, just as you would support your alma mater as alumni," McMaster wrote.
McMaster, who announced this week that the next Miss America will be crowned in Las Vegas, did not return several telephone calls seeking comment.
The closely knit group of former winners had mixed emotions about the plea.
"I knew this program was at a critical time and, in many ways, in dire straits," said Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner. "It didn't make me think things were worse than they are. It confirmed my worst fears that we really are at a crossroads and that something powerful needs to happen."
Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, said the request was "a little odd."
"The formers, we're all in a very precarious position," she said. "You can't find bigger supporters of this organization than us, but when called on at the eleventh hour, it makes it a little difficult. We're trying to plan, as a group, to see what the best course of action is."
The Miss America Organization bills itself as the world's leading provider of scholarships to young women. It makes $45 million in scholarship aid available annually, including $50,000 to the winner.
Money from the pageant's TV partner has historically funded the scholarships and the organization's operations, providing up to $6 million annually.
But ABC pulled the plug on Miss America 13 months ago after record-poor viewership for the 2004 pageant, which was watched by 9.8 million people. Last year, the Miss America Organization lost $1.7 million, and in August, McMaster announced the plan to move the pageant out of Atlantic City in search of cheaper digs.
Cable outlet Country Music Television has since picked up Miss America, but the broadcast rights are believed to be far less than before.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1328933&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 8:28 AM
O Tannenbaum, how true your price is rising
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| Another adjective can now be added to "O' Tannenbaum": expensive. |
Families in Germany will dig deeper into their pockets for the family Christmas tree this year thanks to rising demand for specialty trees and the loss of many smaller tree farms. In all, about 25 million live Christmas trees will be set up and decorated in German homes in the coming holiday season.
Around 70% of those trees will come from Germany, continuing a longtime trend of Germans buying their trees domestically, and even more often, locally. Most families will decorate them on "Heiligabend," or Christmas Eve, and take them down shortly after Christmas.
The trendiest tree in the forest these days is the Nordman fir (abies nordmanniana), called the "Claudia Schiffer of the Christmas trees" by Henning Pein, owner of a forestry school in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
The Norman fir, Pein says, is known for its "great figure," durability, and soft needles.
Yet due to late frosts over the last two years, the sought-after Tannenbaum will cost about 30% more than last year, according to the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald.
The next most popular are the blue spruce, the silver fir, and the common fir. But regardless of their species, each will be decorated in a custom that originated in Germany.
Since the Middle Ages, German families have brought evergreen clippings into their homes to ward off spirits. Fir, pine, holly, ivy, and juniper have long stood as symbols of strength for their ability to stay green throughout the long, cold winter.
In the 16th century, historians in Bremen documented how an upright evergreen tree was brought inside and decorated with apples, dates, and nuts. Children were then allowed to "plunder" the tree's gifts.
Source: This Week in Germany newsletter
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:46 PM
| Miss America's image clashes with Sin City
Miss America and Las Vegas just aren't perfect together. Sure, we wish the pageant had stayed in Atlantic City, its home on the Boardwalk for more than eight decades. But our lament doesn't have its roots in sour grapes or begrudging pageant officials for want-ing to reverse the pageant's financial fortunes and declining television viewership. It does, however, have everything to do with image and message. Since 1921, the pageant has been about wholesome, young beauties politely competing for the Miss America title, representing all that was good about America. Even runners-up, who had to be at least a little disappointed, would bravely smile and give the winner a hug. It was about faithful volunteers working to make the contestants comfortable and the show run smoothly. There was a touch of innocence and quaintness about it. There is nothing innocent about Las Vegas. Sin City is all about glamour and glitz, where people gamble away their money and watch flashy showgirls strut their stuff. This city is about good times and fast marriages quickly regretted with the morning light. After all, Las Vegas proudly boasts that "what happens here, stays here," and it's obvious we aren't talking about consuming cookies and milk and practicing family values. We would probably feel a little better about the whole episode if pageant officials had moved Miss America out of Atlantic City because of the report warning that the ocean will swallow the New Jersey coastline in the coming century because of global warming. That would have been more wholesome then throwing the dice and apparently selling Miss America to the highest bidder providing the best deal. The move put an end to the Miss America parade, in which waving and smiling contestants rode down the Boardwalk in convertibles to the applause and delight of thousands. It put an end to the newly crowned Miss America frolicking in the Atlantic Ocean, impossible in landlocked Las Vegas built by shady characters in the middle of a desert. We wish the Miss America pageant the best. But call us old-fashioned, we can't help thinking that her image is now somehow tainted and it will never be quite the same again. |
| Originally published November 18, 2005
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posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:44 PM
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:42 PM
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - "The 2006 Miss America Pageant" will take place in Las Vegas, it was announced today by Paul Villadolid, vice president, programming and development, CMT; Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization; and Michael Mecca, president and CEO for the Aladdin Resort and Casino. The two-hour telecast will originate from the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and will air live on CMT, Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
"Las Vegas is the perfect host city to bring new energy to The Miss America Pageant as we continue to grow our brand," said McMaster. "It will truly be exciting to take our contestants there. It should make for a fantastic pageant and great television."
"By bringing Miss America to Las Vegas, we are coming to a top-rate production town with excellent promotional opportunities," said Villadolid. "The Aladdin Resort & Casino helps us create a glamorous new vision of the pageant and gives us an inspiring venue for the crowning of the next Miss America."
"We are thrilled to host the Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin, future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino," said Mecca. "This event belongs in Las Vegas, and where better in Las Vegas to hold it than on this property. We have the most central location on The Strip and we are home to the most beautiful theatre in the city."
Over the past two years, CMT has experienced record growth with 2005 poised to surpass last year as CMT's most-watched year ever. Known for its dedication to music, CMT is America's most popular country music network reaching more than 77 million households. In addition to world premiere videos, live concerts and events by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, CMT also produces original entertainment programming and specials. CMT is owned and operated by MTV Networks. Log on to country music's biggest website at www.cmt.com.
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.
The Aladdin Resort & Casino, the future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, is a joint venture partnership involving Robert Earl, founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood International, Inc., Bay Harbour Management LC and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The property will continue to operate as the Aladdin Resort & Casino during the renovation process which is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2006. Upon completion of renovations the property will be re-branded and renamed the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a Sheraton hotel. For more information, go to www.aladdincasino.com.
Source: http://www.pratttribune.com/articles/2005/11/17/news/02_vegas.txt
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 3:41 PM
The Miss USA pageant will return to Baltimore for a second consecutive year in April 2006, sources familiar with the deal said.
This time, the 51 contestants will parade through First Mariner Arena, a 13,000-seat arena that will afford more room for the viewing audience.The 2005 Miss USA pageant was held in April at the Hippodrome Theatre, which has a 2,200 seating capacity. In an interview with the Baltimore Business Journal in August, pageant executives said they had maxed out the Hippodrome's seating capacity and were eyeing other venues, including First Mariner Arena, for 2006.
City officials who have been working with Miss USA organizers to bring the pageant back to Baltimore could not be reached for comment. State tourism executives declined comment.
Maryland and Baltimore officials are scheduled to hold a press event Nov. 22 to "announce details of a major television entertainment event returning to Maryland in 2006," a release from the state said. Miss USA spokeswoman Erin Cooney deferred comment to Baltimore officials and said nothing will be announced until Tuesday.
The event will be a big boon to tourism. State officials credit the 2005 pageant for generating $1 million in spending on everything from hotel rooms, food, attractions and car rentals during the contestants' three-week stay.
With 13 million viewers in 100 countries, the pageant also aired nine minutes of footage with Maryland sites as the backdrop. That airtime on network television is valued at $4 million, state and pageant officials estimate.
The Miss Universe Organization produces Miss USA through a partnership between real estate mogul Donald J. Trump and NBC.
Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/11/14/daily42.html?from_rss=1
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 8:37 AM
Miss America Bets on Vegas
After 84 years in Atlantic City, the Miss America pageant is moving across the country to that other gambling mecca: Las Vegas.The new location is another major change to the Miss America contest, which has seen more than its share over the past year. ABC, which had aired the pageant since 1997, dropped it last year in the face of declining ratings, and after months without a broadcast home, Miss America signed a deal with cable network CMT in June.
The late signing of the TV deal led the Miss America Organization to change the date of the pageant from its traditional September time to January 2006. Following that, the organization decided to look elsewhere for a home for the competition.
The pageant will air Jan. 21, 2006, from the Aladdin Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The broadcast may incorporate some reality show-like elements designed to help viewers get to know the contestants. CMT sister network VH1 will also air pageant-related programming in the days leading up to the finals.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 11:51 PM
Holiday parade promises plenty of razzle-dazzle
By Meagan Frank, Reporter
Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 4:22 PM CST
 Princesses from Spring Valley rode on one of more than 40 floats in the first-ever WINTERDAZE parade last year in Menomonie. This year’s parade is set for Thursday, Dec. 8 Joel Becker/Dunn County News |
Chilly sidewalks along Main Street in Menomonie will be lined with eager faces red from brisk winter air. Spectators young and old will wait with excited anticipation for the glow of twinkling lights and the sounds of holiday cheer.
The second annual WINTERDAZE holiday parade will make its way through downtown Menomonie, Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Starting at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Fourth Street, the parade will head north on Fourth, turn west down Main Street and end on the Stout campus after a brief jog onto the historic Second Street corridor.
Several favorite participants from last year's event will be present for this year's parade as well. The Fantasy Corral will once again bring an array of animals including, among others, reindeer, camels and horses. Miss Wisconsin 2005, Tracy Gest, and other members of her royal entourage will also be in attendance.
Every unit in the parade, whether it rolls on wheels as a float or walks in boots, is required to be illuminated. There were 48 registered participants in the 2004 parade and this year the float entry limit is up to 65.
Hot chocolate will still be served, but no food booths will be available at this year's event. The hope is that parade-goers will patronize local vendors.
“We want spectators to go into downtown restaurants,” said Main Street of Menomonie, Inc. executive director Mary Solberg.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Clock Tower Plaza to take gift requests.
At the conclusion of the parade, there will be a 12- to 15-minute fireworks display over Lake Menomin.
Solberg points out, “This event is meant to bring our community together in appreciation of and to celebrate the holidays, to celebrate what a wonderful community we live in and to showcase what a great downtown we have.”
Deadline for interested parade participants is Monday, Nov. 21; applications must be submitted to Mary Solberg at Main Street of Menomonie, Inc., 342 East Main St., Menomonie, WI 54751 or through the e-mail link on www.mainstreetmenomonie.org.
Source: http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2005/11/16/news/news06.txt
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 4:53 PM
MISS AMERICA IS MOVING TO VEGAS!
CMT AND THE MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION
JOINTLY ANNOUNCE PAGEANT’S MOVE
TO THE ALADDIN RESORT & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS
PAGEANT WILL AIR LIVE ON CMT, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2006
NASHVILLE, TN, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ and LAS VEGAS, NV - November 16, 2005 - "The 2006 Miss America Pageant" will take place in Las Vegas, it was announced today by Paul Villadolid, vice president, programming and development, CMT; Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization; and Michael Mecca, president and CEO for the Aladdin Resort and Casino. The two-hour telecast will originate from the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and will air live on CMT, Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
"Las Vegas is the perfect host city to bring new energy to The Miss America Pageant as we continue to grow our brand," said McMaster. "It will truly be exciting to take our contestants there. It should make for a fantastic pageant and great television."
"By bringing Miss America to Las Vegas, we are coming to a top-rate production town with excellent promotional opportunities," said Villadolid. "The Aladdin Resort & Casino helps us create a glamorous new vision of the pageant and gives us an inspiring venue for the crowning of the next Miss America."
"We are thrilled to host the Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin, future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino," said Mecca. "This event belongs in Las Vegas, and where better in Las Vegas to hold it than on this property. We have the most central location on The Strip and we are home to the most beautiful theatre in the city."
Over the past two years, CMT has experienced record growth with 2005 poised to surpass last year as CMT's most-watched year ever. Known for its dedication to music, CMT is America's most popular country music network reaching more than 77 million households. In addition to world premiere videos, live concerts and events by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, CMT
also produces original entertainment programming and specials. CMT is owned and operated by MTV Networks. Log on to country music's biggest website at www.cmt.com.
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.
The Aladdin Resort & Casino, the future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, is a joint venture partnership involving Robert Earl, founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood International, Inc., Bay Harbour Management LC and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The property will continue to operate as the Aladdin Resort & Casino during the renovation process which is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2006. Upon completion of renovations the property will be re-branded and renamed the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a Sheraton hotel. For more information, go to www.aladdincasino.com.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 6:46 PM
Briana Lipor crowned Miss Racine: She advances to Miss Wisconsin competition
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 10:24 PM
You are going to be surprised!
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 5:55 PM
Germany this week recalled the courage of the freedom-loving demonstrators who helped bring down the Berlin Wall and usher in the end of Europe's Cold War division 16 years ago.
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| On November 9, 1989, citizens of East Germany crowded the checkpoints at the Berlin Wall and forced their way to freedom. bpa photo |
The Berlin Wall separated East and West Berlin for nearly three decades before it fell on November 9, 1989, amid massive protests led by East German democracy activists.
Its dramatic collapse sparked euphoria on both sides of the Iron Curtain and set the stage for the formal unification of communist East and democratic West Germany 11 months later.
Around 150 people gathered at the main Wall memorial site at Berlin's Bernauer Strasse to remember those momentous events, including Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit and Marianne Birthler, a former East German democracy activist who is now in charge of archiving the files of the regime's brutal Stasi secret police.
"The fall of the Wall 16 years ago on this day moved the world and it made the Germans, at least for a moment, the happiest people on Earth," said Birthler.
Participants lit candles in memory of the more than 1,000 East Germans killed while trying cross the heavily fortified border between East and West. About 230 of them died at the Wall itself, many at the hands of East German border guards with orders to shoot people trying to escape.
Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. President George W. Bush commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of the German people by declaring Wednesday "World Freedom Day."
"The fall of the Berlin Wall showed the world that the love of liberty is stronger than the will of tyranny," Bush said in a proclamation.
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| "The fall of the Wall 16 years ago on this day moved the world and it made the Germans, at least for a moment, the happiest people on Earth." bpa photo |
The collapse of the Wall came after huge pro-democracy protests had already forced the removal of East Germany's hardline communist leader and the resignation of his cabinet.
Under pressure from the demonstrations, officials decided to lift travel restrictions to West Germany.
Yet instead of securing their regime's survival, the move hastened its demise when a spokesperson for the ruling Politburo famously fumbled the announcement, mistakenly saying the new regulations were meant to come into effect immediately.
The offhand remark sent thousands of East Berliners scrambling to border crossings, where guards stood down and let the jubilant demonstrators pass.
Today, fragments of the Wall can be found in the United Nations building in New York, a Las Vegas casino, Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and the Latvian parliament.
Yet little of the 97-mile reinforced concrete barrier remains standing in Berlin itself.
A few large segments can be found tucked away in Berlin's outlying suburbs and at the city's "East Side Gallery," but in the city center, only a discreet double line of cobble stones marks where the wall once stood.
The memorial site at Bernauer Strasse includes a stretch of the original Wall and gives a good idea of how the border functioned.
...from This Week in Germany
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 5:54 PM
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/inhalt/26/0,4070,2385114-5,00.html
Here a link to an interview with Heino that talks about his good-bye tour that started on October 22 and will end on November 19.
Then no more Heino -- live.
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 10:09 PM
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 10:08 PM
Congratulations to our new Spielmannszug Prinzenpaar, Prince Michelle and Princess Waffa. They had a great time at their crowning this past Saturday, November 5th, and photos of the entire affair are now available in our Webshots galleries!
posted by Tim Kretschmann @ 1:50 PM
Host of Milwaukee's best German Radio program, the Stimmung Stunde and president of TKPN podcasting network which includes the PageantCast and Police on the Scene with a Crime Prevention Lean.
