GstaadLife

This past Thursday October 20 2011 at around 17:30 two men robbed a jewelry shop in Gstaad. They threatened the shopkeeper with a knife and tied her up before they got away with watches worth tens of thousands of francs. The cantonal police of Bern are asking for help in finding the robbers. In a press release they are described as possibly Russian, both between 30 and 35 years old. One is about 1.8m tall, slim, with a pointy nose and dark, short hair. He wore a dark brown leather jacket and dark trousers. The second robber is about 1.65 m tall and also slim. He has a flat nose and dark, black hair. He wore a dark jacket and dark grey jeans. Please call the Bernese cantonal police on 033 227 61 11 if you saw anything. 

Last week saw the conclusion of the trial of Hanspeter Reust and his wife for charges stemming from last year's cheese scandal at the Molkerei Gstaad. He was found guilty of having falsified the delivery of cheese to Migros, was fined, and required to pay compensatory damages. He was found not guilty of fraud and since they didn't convict him for the more serious crimes, his wife could not be found guilty of aiding and abetting. Reust, who attended the trial, is currently living and working in China, while his wife remains here in Saanenland.

 

This past weekend the Swiss voted "yes" to an amendment of the constitution that will see the expulsion of foreigners convicted of certain serious crimes. Nationwide 52.9% supported the measure and in the region Obersimmental-Saanenland it was as high as 68.1%. Say what you like about the measure: perhaps it's not such a bad idea. But can't we skip the polemic re-run of the racist posters, promo that was criticized by the UN on its first outing? And then the Swiss wonder why they are sometimes seen abroad to be less than open to foreigners. Above, one of the top stories last night on the website of new newspaper ARA.cat in Barcelona (that ran right up there next to the main headline of Barca's 5-0 thrashing of Madrid).

 
by Niki Rommel

On November 28th the Swiss are voting on a public initiative launched by the Swiss Popular Party (SVP) aiming to add provisions to the Swiss constitution that enable the automatic expulsion of foreigners residing in Switzerland who have been convicted of one or more clearly-defined serious criminal offenses. Under the present laws expulsions under certain circumstances are left to the discretion of judicial authorities. The political opponents of this initiative and certain journalists claim that automatic expulsion mutilates the claim for free movement and violates the freedom given to foreigners to emigrate to and settle in Switzerland. I have no affiliation to any political party but disagree with this criticism. The right to settle in Switzerland is at the outset linked to the condition that immigrants respect our laws and integrate themselves into the local environment. Having been convicted of serious criminal offenses means they will have certainly spent time in jail (at the taxpayer’s expense!), but the moral offense of having not respected our laws is not wiped out. These foreigners must therefore assume their responsibility and accept the automatic expulsion from our country. If I offend the wife or children of my host he will throw me out and understandably not invite me again; but with that he has not mutilated my freedom.

The Gstaad promenade and especially its flowers were vandalized in the night from Monday to Tuesday June 14/15. Ok, all the city people are rolling their eyes right now, wondering why we're not thankful these thugs are only smashing up our decorative fauna, and not, say, our heads. But still: who does things like this and why? The police is involved and would appreciate hearing from anyone who saw or heard anything. 

 
This past Friday evening we stopped by Brot Bar on the way home to pick up a loaf of one of those very good (and at 18h30 still warm) paillasse dunkels. As we walked in, to our right under the Anzeiger TV screen, the corner was piled high with photo and video equipment, the place was rammed with people who wear fluorescent jackets and drive white vans, the coffee machine was running on overtime, and the whole place had the nervous buzz of a newsroom on a mission. Thing was, the mission had largely been a failure. Of course, they were all there for the shot of Roman Polanski arriving back in Gstaad for his period of house arrest as he awaits the outcome of extradition proceedings. But having spent much of the past days trapsing through neighboring gardens off the Grubenstrasse, all they left with were cold feet and the distinct feeling that they weren't very welcome. It is said that the right shot could have fetched hundreds of thousands of francs, but it's hard to feel sorry for them - moreso for their families maybe. Anyway, what do you think about this whole Polanski thing...




 
by Roger Seifritz, Director Gstaad-Sanenland Tourism.

Adapted & translated from the article in Anzeiger von Saanen 09.10.09. Interesting words considering Polanski was this week released on bail from Swiss jail and, pending further developments in his extradition case, remanded to the custody of his Gstaad home monitored by electronic tag...

The arrest of Roman Polanski has made waves. An outcry of appall went through the country. Many could not understand why Polanski was arrested for an offense he had supposedly committed 32 years ago and besides that, he had been allowed to go in and out of the Saanenland for many years. Our region experienced an invasion of journalists in search of people-stories. Not only were the official sources interviewed, but also locals and visitors who in some cases clearly enjoyed giving out information. In the meantime, everybody knows where Polanski’s chalet is, what a wonderful father he is to his children, how often he skies, how well he dresses, what his preferences are and that Saanenland regrets his arrest. Gstaad is once more a showcase to the world as a favorite destination for the famed. In principal this is not a bad thing.

What is going on in Gstaad right now? In the wake of the robbery at the optician Woerni a few weeks ago, now the jewelery shop of Isabelle Fäh has been robbed. On Thursday August 20 sometime between 18h30 and 07h55 several pieces of jewellery and cash were stolen from her shop in Sutterstrasse next to Brand Sport. If you saw anything please contact: 033 356 84 31. Surveillance cameras, anyone?

During the night from Wednesday to Thursday the optician Worni in Gstaad opposite Coop was robbed. About 1,000 pairs of designer frames were stolen worth over SFr 100,000. If you saw or heard anything, please contact the police at 033 356 84 31.

Well, it is not really big news that there are drugs around - but it is nevertheless the biggest drug case in Saanenland and it made it into the newspapers and Stammtische of Saanenland. A 31 year-old has been convicted of selling 1.2kg of cocaine, 9g of MDMA and 820g of marijuana. He was sentenced to three years, two of them on probation, and a fine of SFr 30,000.