New year old sorrow? The corona crisis drags on like a bad nightmare that doesn’t want to end. The turn of the year has not changed anything and so it remains another year of hope. Innviertel personalities from various areas of work and life remain confident and optimistic.
“Cooperation between science, politics, media”
“The next year will certainly still be shaped by Corona,” says cell biologist Astrid Gillich, who comes from Altheim. It is now important to achieve high vaccination coverage despite widespread vaccination skepticism. “Above all, this requires good, factual information to strengthen trust in the vaccines.” However, Corona has changed the status of science in Austria: “Yes, I believe that Corona has shown that long-term investment in education, science and research is needed. During the pandemic, we had access to several highly effective vaccines based on years of basic research within a very short time. That should motivate us to create framework conditions for excellent research and innovation. ”It is important that scientists work together with politics, business and the media in order to provide knowledge, to explain complex content in a simple way, to present contexts and backgrounds and to keep up to date with current knowledge and To inform and advise developments.
Astrid Gillich expects herself privately: “I hope that friends and family stay healthy, that the Corona situation will soon relax and that a life with fewer restrictions will be possible. I want to live consciously and concentrate on what is really important in life. “
“Farmers need fair producer prices”
160 head of cattle are in the Gurtner farmer’s stable. 75 of them are dairy cows. He specialized in dairy farming many years ago. The past year 2021 was a difficult one. “There was a lot of precipitation and little sunshine. This has had an enormous effect on the quality of the feed. We did not collect the protein on our soil that we need for milk production and had to use alternative sources. Protein feed such as rapeseed has exploded from 31 to 60 cents per kilo in 2021, i.e. almost 100 percent! “
The years ahead will not be rosy for many farmers. “If producer prices don’t rise, some farmers will throw in the towel again. “The resources such as diesel, electricity, fertilizer and animal feed are constantly increasing. An example: We bought a new tractor last year. This year it already costs 15,000 euros more than six months ago. The required standards and levels, which are much higher in Austria than in other countries, are also a major problem in agriculture. There are many categories in milk production: tethering, combination housing, playpen, playpen with run, pasture housing. Fulfilling all of this costs a lot of money, but unfortunately does not translate into a better product price, ”complains the Gurtner dairy farmer
“Abolish cold progression, there is enough money for it”
The new President of the Chamber of Labor, Andreas Stangl, is not satisfied with the tax reform. The Linz native, who grew up in Braunau and completed an apprenticeship as a lathe operator at Amag, has been in office since November and would like the cold progression to be abolished next year. Because, “with the tax reform, the wishes of the Chamber of Labor and trade unions were only partially fulfilled last year,” he says. You have enough money available, says Stangl.
He cites the expected economic growth of 4.9 percent. But there is also a need for further improvements for the employees, he demands. The new AK President looks to the year 2022 with a wish that everyone else will certainly share with him: the end of the corona pandemic. “It remains to be seen how and whether it is possible to defeat the virus in the coming year. But it is important that we push it back enough that normal social coexistence is possible again, ”he emphasizes. He is concerned about the gap that is currently running through society because of the corona pandemic and vaccination. “I hope that the division will end and that cohesion will be strengthened again.”
“Let’s not take the optimism away”
Despite persistent pandemic conditions and unpredictable weather conditions, the “Braunauer Kultursommer 2021” was a complete success with over 2000 visitors, says Robert Ortner from the Bauhoftheater Braunau. “Since the planned winter theater production fell victim to the new lockdown and there is also great planning uncertainty for spring, we are concentrating on the coming summer and are busy making plans for an entertaining Braunau cultural summer 2022,” says Ortner.
An in-house production for adults, a family theater production and a supporting program, which will be adapted to the pandemic conditions, are planned again. “The venue is still open, but after two years in the convent garden of Ranshofen Castle, we hope to be able to return to the church square in the center of Braunau.” More information on the program will follow in spring. “And since we are optimistic even in times of pandemics, there are already concrete plans for our own production in autumn / winter 2022. Therefore, at the beginning of the new year, we look to the future full of hope and anticipation and remain with the quote: ?? Joy is the only thing that doubles when you share it! ?? “
“Hope for a football season that will count”
Games without spectators, cancellations, two interruptions of the championship. The past two years have taken a toll on lower house football and its numerous players. The final of the autumn championship was also canceled due to the pandemic. In some leagues, all the games in the first half of the season had already been played by this time. Among other things in the Landesliga West. Their group chairman Franz Wallner is confident, regardless of the most turbulent seasons recently, that in 2022 there will finally be a rating again including champions as well as promoted and relegated teams. But despite his optimism, the Esternberger is certain that things will not go “normally” in spring either. “Realistically, there will be strict requirements such as the 2G rule for players, everyone has already adjusted to that. The clubs can and should prepare themselves and their players for this during the winter break, ”says Wallner.
He assumes that the corona pandemic will also change football in the long term. “Many clubs are already struggling to find enough officials and young players. The current situation will exacerbate this situation even further. It will probably happen even more frequently in the future that clubs form syndicates or even merge. Some will have no other choice. “
Material bottleneck: “Signs indicate relaxation”
The global economy is in an unfamiliar situation, says the new CEO of B&R, Jörg Theis. On the one hand, the demand for goods is higher than ever before. On the other hand, there is not enough raw material to manufacture these goods. Semiconductors in particular are in short supply. As a result, there are currently fewer new cars, cameras and many other products that contain electronics.
This global economic situation is also reflected at B&R. “There is intense demand for our products and our order books are well filled. However, the components required to manufacture our automation components can only be procured to a limited extent. This situation had a major impact on the past year and will continue to have an impact at the beginning of the new year, ”says Theis. However, his view of the year 2022 as a whole is positive: “The signs indicate that the situation on the procurement market could soon ease significantly. When all components are available again, we will produce more in Eggelsberg than ever before. “
His wish for the coming year: “That face-to-face meetings can be carefree again. This applies to private life as well as to professional life. “
“The vegan cuisine will experience even more upswing”
According to Innviertel cook Victoria Stranzinger, the trend of “eating to go” will certainly remain a fixture in gastronomy for a while – also in the Innviertel. “However, I think that it will eventually subside when the situation eases again. But some time there will be demand for ?? to go ?? Certainly still give. ”The trend that more plant-based products are on the plate and consumers want to know more about the origin of the products has also come to stay. “In 2022, vegan cuisine will experience an even greater boom. We have noticed in the last few months that the demand for Indian and Oriental cuisine is increasing. The Thai is also very popular. And people are again planting more products in their own gardens and some people try to grow exotic foods in the process, ”says Stranzinger.
It can be assumed that high-tech kitchen machines such as “Thermomix” and Co. will be found in even more kitchens in 2022. “The technology will certainly develop further, but machines can never replace cooks.”
“With vigor on the way to the pioneer parish”
The dean’s office in Braunau is one of the first to implement the new structural reform of the Diocese of Linz. “After the successful launch event in October, we are working with enthusiasm in the core team on the planning and implementation of the next steps for the year 2022,” says Ursula Barth, Dean’s Assistant in Braunau. The location for the new parish office is currently being surveyed – all 14 parishes of the deanery are working with us. The invitation to tender for the parish council has already taken place. We are looking for pastors, pastoral and administrative boards. “Qualifications, the ability to work in a team and cooperation play a major role in the requirements. Of course, we would very much welcome applications from our dean’s office, ”says Barth. The administrative board is scheduled to start work in July 2022. Unfortunately, the pandemic keeps slowing the process down. “We don’t know whether we can hold the planned dean’s event in January with representatives from all 14 parishes or whether it will have to be postponed again,” says Barth.
Nevertheless, she has a positive outlook on the new year. “My personal wish is, of course, that the pandemic will soon be over and that society will not continue to divide, but rather approach one another again and stand up for one another. I trust in the blessing of God. “
“Standardized school leaving examination must be adapted”
“In the past few months, we have learned to deal with the coronavirus very well in schools – whether with distance learning or with carrying out tests. The constantly changing framework conditions presented a bigger problem. The fact that young people, for example, can decide for themselves when to go to school is anything but productive, ”says Irene Wiesinger, Director of HAK / HAS Schärding.
Politicians would have to create better framework conditions in 2022.
“The most important thing is not to save on financial resources. Additional hours must be made available to support students with learning difficulties as well as talented students. Furthermore, a reduction in class size in the higher education system. And the standardized maturity and diploma examinations should be reconsidered and adapted to the situation of the past few years, ”said Wiesinger. Her wish as headmistress for 2022: “Again more with each other than against each other. School and business must work more closely together. We shouldn’t see ourselves as just competitors – whether between schools or between schools and companies. The aim should be the best possible training for young people. “
Source: Nachrichten
