Latest news with #Stadler
Business News Wales
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Stadler and Amey Headline Sponsors for Public Transport Summit
Transport for Wales has announced that Stadler and Amey will be headline sponsors at the Public Transport Summit taking place in Wrexham. Wales' first Public Transport Summit will take place on May 22 and 23 and is designed to bring together both Wales and England's influential transport and business leaders. The two-day Summit will look to unlock economic prosperity through the public transport lens. Over the last five years, Stadler and Amey have become partners in helping deliver transformative change to the public transport network in Wales. Stadler have provided brand-new trains to the Wales and Borders rail network in Wales and Amey have been a key partner in delivering the £1 billion electrification of the South Wales Metro. James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: 'We're pleased to announce that Stadler and Amey will be the headline sponsors at our Public Transport Summit. 'The Summit will be an opportunity to explore the future of public transport and our sponsors will be part of the discussion.' Ralf Warwel, UK and Ireland sales director for Stadler, added: 'Stadler is delighted to be delivering 71 trains for Wales and Borders. Pioneering battery technology is an important feature on the CITYLINK tram-trains we are providing, as well as on 24 of the FLIRTs. They underscore Stadler's commitment to green technology and promoting a decarbonised railway. 'It is an honour to be part of Transport for Wales' summit . We salute our client, as they seek to emphasise the connection between high quality public transport and economic growth in Wales.' Sector Business Director for Rail at Amey, James Holmes, added: 'For over 100 years, Amey has transformed the UK's infrastructure, connecting communities, driving the economy, and improving lives. Working collaboratively with TfW and our supply chain, we have blended our whole lifecycle capabilities to design and deliver an innovative railway systems solution focused on outcomes. Transforming the Core Valley Lines into a modern, electrified metro-style service, we've created sustainable, reliable travel and extraordinary opportunities for the people of South Wales. 'We're delighted to sponsor the Public Transport Summit to showcase our expertise, network with leaders across the industry and help shape public transport for future generations to thrive.'
Observer
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Eurovision stage a dynamic 3D 'playground': producer
The Eurovision Song Contest's groundbreaking stage, built in a race against time, is a hi-tech playground for artists performing at the world's biggest live music TV event, its producer told AFP. The stage is a behemoth that works like a Swiss army knife, with multiple possibilities to bring 37 very different three minute performances to life, said Eurovision co-executive producer Moritz Stadler. The annual television extravaganza's grand final on Saturday, and the semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday, take place at the St. Jakobshalle arena in the Swiss city of Basel. The stage juts out into the arena, with the 6,500 audience on three sides, close up to the dazzling show of lasers, lights and state-of-the-art backdrops. "It's an atypical stage because it's quite iconic: it has never existed in this format," Stadler said as the 69th Eurovision got under way. "It's a stage that's in the whole arena, in both directions: there's no front, no back on this stage. There's an iconic frame in the middle of the arena. "We've noticed above all that countries are using the entire stage, and all the features. It means they've really found a playground that suits them." Stadler said the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, the host broadcaster, had put together a stage set "like a Swiss army knife". "There are countless combinations and possibilities on this stage," and competitors "have to get to grips with this". - Like Swiss clockwork - Stadler said the staging had pushed the performers to stretch their imaginations. To win, "everyone has to surpass themselves and make the most of all these possibilities", he said. The competing countries "have increased their creativity and ideas tenfold, and have even pushed the possibilities of this stage further than our teams had imagined", elevating their performances to "simply astounding" levels. Some 500 people worked day and night over two and a half weeks to build the stage on time. "The biggest challenge is time. That is to say, it is a behemoth of Eurovision production. It's incredibly complex," said Stadler. "But in Switzerland, we know watchmaking and it worked very well." He said Eurovision had developed into a giant production, with today's over-the-top TV feast a world away from the first radio-focused Eurovision in a Swiss theatre in Lugano in 1956. There were seven competing singers and an orchestra. Europe's public service broadcasters "co-produce the biggest musical event in the world. If you had this idea today, you wouldn't be able to start it," said Stadler. An expected 160 million to 200 million viewers will watch the final, while around 1.2 billion interactions on social networks are anticipated. - 3D frame of light - Set designer Florian Wieder said the relatively small size of the arena -- in Eurovision terms -- meant the set could not be hung from the ceiling. Instead, everything is ground-supported by four disguised towers: two behind the video wall and two forming the front-of-stage frame. "We have a box of technical toys... we always try not to use all the toys at the same time, because that would be a total overload," he told a press conference. Wieder said everything which works live in the arena will also come across on television: particularly the energy and the audience connection. Lighting designer Tim Routledge said the set meant he could create a "three-dimensional frame of light using real clever, punchy equipment. So therefore we can make a scene disappear... in a heartbeat," he said. "We have these really cool... huge epic waves of light, which makes it look like we're bending light -- which is technically impossible." The set features 22 broadcast cameras, 4,500 lighting fixtures, 100 pyrotechnic positions, and eight kilometres (4.5 miles) of fibre optic cable. Stage prop changes, performed by a crew of 30 people, take 42 seconds. The set contains 750 square metres (8,000 square feet) of LED video wall, and 200 square metres of LED floor. —AFP
France 24
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Eurovision stage a dynamic 3D 'playground': producer
The stage is a behemoth that works like a Swiss army knife, with multiple possibilities to bring 37 very different three minute performances to life, said Eurovision co-executive producer Moritz Stadler. The annual television extravaganza's grand final on Saturday, and the semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday, take place at the St. Jakobshalle arena in the Swiss city of Basel. The stage juts out into the arena, with the 6,500 audience on three sides, close up to the dazzling show of lasers, lights and state-of-the-art backdrops. "It's an atypical stage because it's quite iconic: it has never existed in this format," Stadler said as the 69th Eurovision got under way. "It's a stage that's in the whole arena, in both directions: there's no front, no back on this stage. There's an iconic frame in the middle of the arena. "We've noticed above all that countries are using the entire stage, and all the features. It means they've really found a playground that suits them." Stadler said the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, the host broadcaster, had put together a stage set "like a Swiss army knife". "There are countless combinations and possibilities on this stage," and competitors "have to get to grips with this". Like Swiss clockwork Stadler said the staging had pushed the performers to stretch their imaginations. To win, "everyone has to surpass themselves and make the most of all these possibilities", he said. The competing countries "have increased their creativity and ideas tenfold, and have even pushed the possibilities of this stage further than our teams had imagined", elevating their performances to "simply astounding" levels. Some 500 people worked day and night over two and a half weeks to build the stage on time. "The biggest challenge is time. That is to say, it is a behemoth of Eurovision production. It's incredibly complex," said Stadler. "But in Switzerland, we know watchmaking and it worked very well." He said Eurovision had developed into a giant production, with today's over-the-top TV feast a world away from the first radio-focused Eurovision in a Swiss theatre in Lugano in 1956. There were seven competing singers and an orchestra. Europe's public service broadcasters "co-produce the biggest musical event in the world. If you had this idea today, you wouldn't be able to start it," said Stadler. An expected 160 million to 200 million viewers will watch the final, while around 1.2 billion interactions on social networks are anticipated. 3D frame of light Set designer Florian Wieder said the relatively small size of the arena -- in Eurovision terms -- meant the set could not be hung from the ceiling. Instead, everything is ground-supported by four disguised towers: two behind the video wall and two forming the front-of-stage frame. "We have a box of technical toys... we always try not to use all the toys at the same time, because that would be a total overload," he told a press conference. Wieder said everything which works live in the arena will also come across on television: particularly the energy and the audience connection. Lighting designer Tim Routledge said the set meant he could create a "three-dimensional frame of light using real clever, punchy equipment. So therefore we can make a scene disappear... in a heartbeat," he said. "We have these really cool... huge epic waves of light, which makes it look like we're bending light -- which is technically impossible." The set features 22 broadcast cameras, 4,500 lighting fixtures, 100 pyrotechnic positions, and eight kilometres (4.5 miles) of fibre optic cable. Stage prop changes, performed by a crew of 30 people, take 42 seconds. The set contains 750 square metres (8,000 square feet) of LED video wall, and 200 square metres of LED floor.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Spring Hill Silo: Nearly a decade since its demolition, residents still remember the beloved landmark
SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) — Despite being torn down nearly a decade ago, one Spring Hill landmark remains a beloved part of the past for locals. The exact history of Spring Hill's silo is not known by city officials. In late 2017, the silo was torn down to make way for a Chick-fil-A. Yet Spring Hill residents still hold on to what they considered a piece of history. 'This is a piece of the Spring Hill silo before they went ahead and knocked it down — the city, to build the Chick-fil-A,' said Nicola Stadler, holding a large piece of concrete slab. 'My daughter came home frantically one day and she said, 'Mom, they're already starting demolishing the silo! Can we go and get a piece? We want a piece!'' Spring Hill preserves its history while forging ahead with new development, infrastructure improvements In fact, the Stadler family ended up snagging two pieces of a landmark that once represented so much to Spring Hill residents. 'Once you saw the castle, you knew you were home,' Stadler told News 2. Stadler said her daughter called the silo a 'castle' when she was young — another sign that the silo left impressions on multiple generations. 'It was a piece of history, and we miss it,' Stadler said. The silo's own history is a great mystery; nobody knows much about it, what exactly it held, or how long it stood along Main Street. Years removed from its demolition and with a shopping center now in its place, Stadler said she figures only about 10% of the growing Spring Hill community even remember the silo at this point. Thankfully, a fellow silo sympathizer found a way to memorialize the destroyed silo in the space it once dominated: a plaque. 'I just got it in my head one day,' Katrina Beckham said. 'I was like, 'What would be funny is if we could put up a permanent memorial for the silo because everybody loved it.'' Beckham and her late husband believed the silo deserved its little spot in Spring Hill history. Beckham's husband coordinated with the Chick-fil-A to allow a metal plaque to be installed near the drive-thru of the restaurant. News 2 On Tour | Explore the communities that shape Middle Tennessee Beckham also created a Facebook page in honor of the silo. It has about a thousand followers. But the plaque? Beckham said it was mostly a joke — one that has already stood the test of time. 'I've actually seen people taking selfies with it, or taking pictures of their kids around it. That just makes me smile,' said Beckham. 'We really did enjoy having the silo there. It's such a crazy thing that it wasn't being used — nobody knew anything about it, but it was just, like, a landmark for us. And we get to still remember it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Canada Standard
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Canada Standard
Inbox: This is their livelihood
That may be the biggest hypothetical Mike Spofford Jessi from Sterling, KS Can you hear my happy sigh there at 1265 Lombardi Ave? You should have when I got to watch "Unscripted" again :) Thank you two for a great recap! And Wes, you mimicking Spoff's hand motions at the end was pretty great, too. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Jennifer from Middleton, WI The music, and listening to Spoff do the reliable ad reads for that matter, are like pulling your comfortable favorite college sweatshirt out of the closet each fall. You put it on, the familiarity envelops you, all is right with the world. I realized the other day we'd never taken that long a break in the show's history getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and not coming back until two weeks after the draft. But it's never uncomfortable getting back in that saddle. Brian from Charlottesville, VA Could the intro music to "Packers Unscripted" be changed to a drum solo by Animal? No objection. Marc from Crandon, WI Quick Craig Stadler story. Ninth hole of GMO at Brown Deer Park. About a 400-yard yard hole. About 125 yards short/right of the green was a beer tent. I purchased four beers (waxy cups in a corrugated tray), turned around and here's Stadler grumbling and walking to his ball right in front of me. I said, "You look like you could use a beer." "You're damn right I could." He put a towel over his head to shield the cameras, grabbed a beer and slammed it down. I'll never forget it! Only in this column do we go from Statler & Waldorf to Stadler (the Walrus) within a week. Richard from Caledonia, WI Good morning, could you kindly reprint the training camp schedule? Which dates will be open to general public? The training camp schedule has not been announced yet. It usually comes out in June. And for those asking about OTAs this spring, those haven't been open to the public in recent years. John from Stevens Point, WI What do you make of the Packers signing Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma to an undrafted free agent contract when they already haveJordan Love,Malik WillisandSean Clifford? Looks like a camp arm or developmental (read: practice squad) guy, at best. I see the signing has been reported, but it's not official yet. If it indeed becomes official, it looks to me like the Packers are setting up a competition for this year's No. 3 QB which could continue into next year as a competition for the No. 2 spot. Bob from Covington, KY Hi, guys. Just curious what's the current tariff on Canadian QBs? Bob wins the internet today. Thanks for playing, everybody. Will from Milwaukee, WI Hello Insiders. I know religion and politics are quasi-verboten in the Inbox, but it appears that with the latest papal election, the Bears may finally have a prayer. Ouch. Please see yourself out. Paul from Ledgeview, WI Gents there are A LOT of new additions to this team. Is there a new Packer you are most excited to see in action when training camp begins? The most likely help will come in the form of a leap in a second- or third-year player. Do you have an eye on anyone in particular? Hopper and Van Ness come to mind almost immediately for me. That second- and third-year list is long. The Packers drafted 24 players in '23 and '24, and 19 of them are still on the roster, none of whom I consider finished products. Then outside the draft classes, there's alsoEmanuel Wilson,Daniel Whelan,Brenton Cox Jr., and others as third-year players. Elliott from Hillsborough, NE Who is considered the greatest linebacker in Packers history? Well, only two are in the Hall of Fame (Nitschke and Robinson), and only one of them had his number retired, so I'll go with Nitschke. Gerry from Salina, KS If you included Reggie White's sacks before he joined the NFL, would he be the all-time sack leader? White finished two sacks behind Bruce Smith on the NFL's all-time list, but he did have 23 sacks in his two years in the USFL. Ray from Phoenix, AZ Lots of examples in the last few years of Gute drafting players where he has expiring contracts. He does not like getting painted into a corner of paying a good player great-player money to a second contact. If a trade partner can be found that is willing to let go of say a third- or fourth-round draft pick, then I believeRomeo Doubswill be traded before the season. Also name the hill at Titletown Mark Murphy Hill. The hill is seen more than the field. First, the hill is already named for one of the Packers' corporate sponsors (Ariens), and Dan Ariens is currently secretary on the Packers' executive committee, so Mark wouldn't want to go there. Second, I agree wholeheartedly on Gutey's strategy of never painting himself into a corner. We've seen it time and again, and it reflects what Wes described yesterday with a GM balancing the need to live simultaneously in both the present and future. Third, fans are always quick to trade a player at a position of surplus. Maybe that happens in this case, but I'd always rather wait to be sure the surplus isn't needed. Jeffery from Milwaukee, WI Thursday's Inbox mentioned giving non-Super Bowl hosting cities priority in hosting the NFL Draft. I agree! My question though is what about cities like Nashville or Washington, DC? Nashville hosted the draft in 2019 and got rave reviews even from Mark Murphy. DC hosts the 2027 draft, and both cities are getting fancy new stadiums to try and host a Super Bowl. How would the NFL balance out those priorities with these cities? The new stadium in Nashville won't be finished until 2027, so it'll probably get its Super Bowl about a decade after hosting the draft. I'm not sure how much was in the works with the new stadium when Nashville made a bid to host the draft anyway. The new DC venue reportedly will be finished in 2030, so the two events might end up on a tighter timeline, but for all the Super Bowls we've seen multiple times in the same locations (New Orleans, Miami, etc.), I don't have any issues with it, especially now that Snyder is no longer Washington's owner. Bob from Grand Rapids, MI Following up on not wanting to release a good receiver "into the wild." PresumingChristian Watsonis not ready to play until October, my understanding is that putting him on IR before the season starts ends his season. So, it seems likely GB will have to put someone on waivers they hope will make it back to the 53. Is that an accurate statement? Is there anything teams do to "hide" a player's talent and ability? Watson will start the season on PUP (physically unable to perform) and will not count on the 53-man roster. He will have to miss at least the first four games with that designation. After that, there's a five-week window during which he can start practicing anytime, and as soon as he does, a 21-day clock starts to be activated to the 53. If the player doesn't return to practice or is not activated at all, I believe he stays on PUP all season. Markus from Aurora, CO What's your favorite quote thus far uttered by one of the 2025 Packers draftees? Collin Oliver:I get to the passer. Thats what I do didn't say it in any kind of boastful way. He's confident and knows who he is. Brian from Fort Atkinson, WI I get the excitement aroundMatthew Golden. First-round pick, the speed to take the top off the D. I am, however, way more excited to seeSavion Williams. We have seen the speed guy that can take the top off a D in Green Bay. I am not sure we have seen anyone with quite the build and coachable abilities of Williams in Green Bay before. Does anyone come to mind? Not really. The different, multi-faceted receivers we've seen before have been smaller guys who fit the "gadget" label. At 6-4, 220, Williamsis no gadget. Mike from New Orleans, LA In Mike's answer to H.R. from Henderson, he mentioned the Pack have had 11 winning seasons and playoff appearances since the last Super Bowl win. Did the team make the playoffs every time the team had a winning season? They must have. Do you have the time to research how many teams have had a winning season yet not made the playoffs in that same span? Somehow I did, and dating back to 2011, I counted 35 teams that have posted winning seasons but not made the playoffs. The only year it hasn't happened in that span was 2015. In '14, '17 and '23, there were five teams each year, four in the AFC alone (all 9-7) in '17. There were also four teams in '21, the first year of the 17-game schedule. But there was just one team in '20, the only year with the 7th seed but just 16 games. Ted from Findlay, OH Do the networks have any input on the schedule prior to its release? For example, do they lobby for certain opponents for Thanksgiving games? Time of year? Game times (e.g. primetime)? There's a process (I'm not familiar with the details, nor are they made public) whereby the league has the networks put in for their top priorities, or the games they want the most. Then the league sorts it out. Jake from Decatur, GA I don't think Clark ever played all the way out at a 7-technique, but there was at least one year he lined up at 5 or 6 a few times, with no one on his outside shoulder and three linebackers bunched on the other end of the line. I always thought that was a fun alignment to watch. Can't remember who was DC at the time, though. Did you notice if Hafley did much asymmetric stuff like that last year? Not a lot. He was more likely to put six or seven guys up on the line of scrimmage and try to keep the defense guessing as to which four, or perhaps more, were rushing. Mike from Geneva, IL Yesterday Wes made a commitment about the importance of opportunity. I've always contended the best example of that is Tom Brady. While many consider him the GOAT, the reality is had Drew Bledsoe not gotten injured we may have never known since Brady wouldn't have had the opportunity. It's unlikely Bledsoe would have gotten benched unless he played horribly. He had just signed a 10-year, $103 million contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL. Opportunity and system! That may be the biggest hypothetical question of the last 25 years of NFL history. How does Brady's career unfold if Bledsoe never gets hurt? I'm not going to bust my brain trying to answer it, but it is sorta fascinating. Jason from Sioux Center, IA Regarding UFAs choosing a team with the most opportunity, would you rather go to one with the most need and the best chance to play meaningful minutes, or a team with the best coaches/players at your position? I think I'd choose the latter. To be the best, you gotta beat the best. But you can't get paid if you can't make the team. Anyone fighting for a roster spot is trying to earn a paycheck first and foremost. This is their livelihood. Mark from Bettendorf, IA Mike, I watched Don Mattingly and Tony Gwynn take batting practice. It was almost better than the game itself. Watching Gwynn was like watching a tennis player returning serves wherever he wanted. And the ball exploded off his bat. Are there any hitters like that around anymore in this home-run-or-nothing era? Luis Arraez is probably the closest. He's won three batting titles so far (one in the AL, two in the NL), but for two of those his average was .316 or less. Gwynn won eight NL batting titles plus had seven non-winning seasons better than .316. Jeff from Flemington, NJ & Andy from Darien, CT Reading your way thru the box today Takes everything you've got Taking a break from the talking heads Sure does help a lot Wouldn't you like to ask away? Sometimes you wanna go, Where Spoff and Wes can post your name, And they're mostly glad you came, You wanna be where you can see, Our troubles are all the same, You wanna be where everybody loves the game. I don't know if Jeff and Andy are brothers or cousins or were just mind-melding out there in the northeast, but they both took a stab at this and I combined their efforts. One of my all-time favorite songs and shows to end the week, and it's almost time to visit such an establishment. Happy Friday. ASK A QUESTION
