The Monday Movie film in English at Nyon cinema  on the 25th March will be "Boy Erased", starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Lucas Hedges, and Joel Edgerton. Screening at 20:30. Synopsis - The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion programme after being forcibly outed to his parents.

This Sunday the 17th March, there will be a local vote on an increase in Nyon taxes. Readers may have seen posters around the town saying "oui" or "non", both for and against this proposal. So what does it all mean? Here is one explanation by Bob Jenefsky , a member of the conseil communal in Nyon. Bob is also President of the Parti Indépendant Nyonnais "Two years ago the people of Vaud voted for the RIE3 which reduces corporate taxation to about 13%.  Nyon has a lot of corporations, so it will receive about CHF 12 Million less in revenue from them in 2019.  There was supposed to be a matching federal law but it hasn’t passed yet (there will be a vote on this on May 19) and it’s still not sure it’ll pass because it combines AVS reform with a reduction in corporate taxation. As a result of the deal made between the socialists and the PLR, corporations got a tax cut and in exchange, cantonal social benefits increased, so 50% of the increase has to be borne by the towns (so-called “facture sociale”).  This further increases Nyon’s operating expenditures. In addition, the increase in the amount paid by Nyon to the “péréquation cantonale” (cantonal redistribution system whereby “rich” towns like Nyon subsidise “poor” villages and towns) increased beyond the additional tax revenue gleaned from Nyon’s many new (and mostly affluent) residents. The result is a budget deficit of about CHF 17 Million if nothing is done.  The Municipality agreed to cut town operating expenditures by about CHF 3 Million in exchange for a tax increase of 4 pts (your tax à compte bill already reflects this), which would bring down the deficit to “only” CHF 8 Million. The deficit has little or nothing to do with investment expenditures, which are mainly funded through borrowing.  Nyon’s free cash flow is only around CHF 5 Million, which is a pittance compared to its annual investments of the order of CHF 100 Million.  Because interest rates are low and the town is considered a good credit risk, the town can borrow almost for free, but when rates inevitably go up, the town will get hit. The "no" campaign is refusing the tax increase as they to want to express their disapproval to the municipality for certain decisions (e.g. the temporary installation planned for the Place du Château), but they’re confusing oranges with apples.  These things come out of the investment budget, not the operating budget (except for maintenance of these installations once they’re in place). If the tax increase is refused, the town will have to borrow money to pay for current expenses, which is like using a credit card to pay off a credit card bill. It's difficult to give a full and complete explanation but I’d say the root cause is the passage of the (cantonal) RIE3 and the non-passage of the (federal ) RIE3.  When we voted for the former, by a large majority, they promised us that it would be without effect for individual taxpayers (you and me), but it didn’t turn out that way.  The main reason that the federal law proposal is a package deal with allocates funding for the AVS while reducing taxes for corporations, which violates a principle called “unité de la matière” according to which you can’t mix two different subjects in the same law".

Change of Publication Date for this Site Notice to readers and advertisers - English above, French below.  Living in Nyon has now been running for 10 years. We have thousands of readers, a big email subscriber list and last year we saw record visitor numbers to the site. From the 1st April 2019 (not an April fool's joke!) the site will be updated on a monthly basis only with a bumper selection of great posts at the beginning of each month and some extra reporting during Nyon’s main festivals: Paléo, Visions du Réel , Caribana etc. If you would like to have your event promoted, please send information (text and images in jpeg only) by the 20th of the month for any events that are happening the following month. Correspondence will only be dealt with between the 20th of the month and the 1st of the following month. Please use the email  info@livinginnyon.com . Each monthly post will contain a selection of events coming up, we cannot guarantee all events will be promoted. There is a lot going on in the Nyon area! Don't forget the Living in Nyon column continues to be published in English (on Friday) in La Côte newspaper . To our Advertisers All information (text and jpeg images) must also be sent to us by the 20th of each month for publication the following month. Advertisers may contact us at any time during the month on  cnp@bluewin.ch Note: Thanks to Laurent Smufat from A-Z Traductions for the French text below. Laurent can provide a quick turn around with French translations, a CV, a letter etc - email - info@aaztraductions.ch See our previous article on Laurent here  French Aux lecteurs Living in Nyon existe depuis 10 ans. Nous comptons désormais des milliers de lecteurs, de nombreux abonnés à nos e-mails et, l'année dernière, nous avons atteint un nombre record de visiteurs sur le site. A partir du 1er avril 2019, le site sera actualisé une fois par mois seulement, avec une sélection de publications formidables au début de chaque mois et des reportages supplémentaires pendant les principaux festivals de Nyon, notamment Paléo, Visions du Réel et Caribana. Si vous souhaitez promouvoir votre événement, veuillez envoyer les informations correspondantes (textes et images) avant le 20 du mois pour tout événement ayant lieu le mois suivant. Chaque publication mensuelle contiendra une sélection d'événements à venir. Cependant, nous ne pouvons pas garantir la promotion de tous les événements, car il se passe beaucoup de choses dans la région de Nyon! La rubrique Living in Nyon continue d'être publiée en anglais (le vendredi) dans le journal La Côte. La correspondance ne sera traitée qu'entre le 20 du mois courant et le 1er du mois suivant. Veuillez utiliser l'adresse électronique info@livinginnyon.com. Aux annonceurs Toutes les informations (textes et images jpeg) devront nous parvenir avant le 20 de chaque mois à des fins de publication le mois suivant. Veuillez utiliser l'adresse cnp@bluewin.ch pour nous contacter .

The  IWCN Charity Fair will take place on Saturday 9 March from 10:00 at the Salle Communale in Place Perdtemps (the main car park) in Nyon. Along with lots of second-hand books in English and children's toy for sale, there will be stalls selling home-baked goods, chutneys, fashion, jewellery, crafts, gardening gifts, books, Swiss specialties, English cards, toys and games, sports goods, and a big brocante. You can also get a professional massage and a manicure on the day at reduced prices! If you buy a tombola ticket you can walk away with a guaranteed prize from the bottle stall! There will also be a Bistro with hot and cold meals serving vegetarian and vegan food at the fair. Note: all the profits from this fair go to charitable causes including local Nyon charities. The fair only happens every two years so now's your chance to pick up some bargains.  The Charity Stand at the fair explains which projects your generosity will support. French description of the fair below   La toute nouvelle Foire caritative de l’IWCN aura lieu le samedi 9 mars à Nyon, à partir de 10:00 à la Salle communale, Place Perdtemps. Venez découvrir une multitude de stands offrant vêtements, bijoux, artisanat, articles de jardinage et de sport, livres, spécialités suisses, cartes de vœux anglophones, jouets, et l’incontournable brocante. Achetez un billet et partez à coup sûr avec une bouteille ! Pour charmer vos papilles, laissez-vous tenter par nos gâteaux, confitures et épices faits maison. Sans oublier le Bistro, avec son bar, des plats chauds et froids, y compris des mets véganes. Après tout cet effort, profitez d’un moment de détente dans notre coin zen avec un massage ou une manucure à des prix battant toute concurrence. Notre stand des charités vous fera découvrir les bonnes causes que nous soutenons.

Anti-Racism week in Nyon runs from the 16th -23rd March in Nyon with different events happening throughout the week. This year, the theme is "L'envers des mots" ("Reversed Words" or "Hidden Meanings in words") On Saturday the 16th at 10:30 at the Saturday market in Place St-Martin, there will be a special theatrical performance called "Words that Hurt "("Les mots qui blessent"), by Nyon school children. At 11:00 there will be a theatrical improvisation by Improvizanyon, a local improv group. At 11:30 there will be a stand with an apéro and buffet of food from around the world that is open to the public. Take along some food from your country and chat with others! Check out all the other activities throughout the week (link here) including a concert at 19:30 on the 22nd March at the Temple of Nyon. Note - Anti-Racism week takes place in other towns and cities in French-speaking Switzerland, including Morges. See the main Facebook site here for more details.

On 14th-17th March 2019, the Festival du Film Vert (Environmental Film Festival) comes to Nyon with film screening, workshops and debates Flavie Scholtz, President of the Festival, tells us more about the festival, its tour around Switzerland and how this Parisian (now a Nyon resident) became involved in environmental issues. Photo above - Flavie Scholtz What is the festival all about? "The Festival du Film Vert takes place each year in March in 60 Swiss cities – and even a few French ones. Its roots are here in Canton de Vaud as the very first edition occurred in Orbe back in 2006. Nyon joined in 2007 and is now one of the biggest edition with over 1,000 attendees. The festival aims to address global environmental challenges – energy, waste, water consumption or biodiversity just to name a few. We pride in having high-quality documentaries, selected not just for their topics but also for their cinematic qualities. The festival takes place at the Ferme du Manoir, located at the very heart of the town in the Place du Château.  See the programme here. Facebook site here  A festival for everyone - guest speakers on environmental topics We make sure the festival is for everyone, those who are already familiar with environmental issues and want to get a better understanding of some topics, and those who want to discover more. We make sure we have a guest speaker for each screening so the audience can have a discussion about the issues. The festival is affordable: the entrance is only CHF 10 and we will also have a short-film programme that is completely free. One of the films that will be screened in English is "Living the Change" on Saturday 16th March at 18:30. See the trailer below. This film explores solutions to the global crises we face today through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way. Water shortage discussed There will be films about biodiversity conservation, including some filmed here in our region. Addressing the actual water shortage that we experienced last summer, one film is covering different types of water issues and propose scientific and pragmatic solutions. Besides the screenings, the festival is also a great place to hang around since as there will be a bar, there will be a forest installed in the Ferme du Manoir, with animators welcoming children to workshops. There will be several associations present, including Demain La Côte and  Zero Waste Nyon . Make your own natural deodorant and toothpaste There will be a workshop on Saturday 16th March at 16:00 run by Zero Waste Nyon on how to make your own natural deodorant and toothpaste.  Cost of workshop CHF 7 - Reservations required call -  Nadine Heim 079 -383 94 68. Tell us more about you. How did you become the festival president?  I was born and raised in Paris –a place with a lot of air pollution - and I can still recall how revitalizing our family weekend walks in the forest where when I was a kid. I also remember being deeply moved by the movie "Gorillas in the Mist” starring Sigourney Weaver when I watched it at the age of seven  – that was my very first shock at the crossroads of environment and cinema I would say! I started my career in the industry, working for multinational companies, but soon enough became discouraged by the pollution caused by their activities, not to mention the tax dodging and lobbying issues. Since 2010, I have been working for an NGO and now for the public sector. I have also been volunteering for several environmental associations, mainly one fighting Amazonian deforestation for 6 years. When I moved to Nyon in 2015, I was immediately curious about the festival and had the chance to join the team in 2017. In May 2018, the committee voted me as president of the festival".

On Sat 16th March – Sun 17th March there will be a " Meet the Agents" event , organised by the Geneva Writers' Group.    The event will take place at Webster University in Bellevue. On Saturday 16th there will be a panel discussion with literary agents (and more) and Sunday is a chance for members to meet with an agent one-on-one.  Agents  Lucy Morris  from Curtis Brown, Tom Witcomb from Blake Friedmann, and Laura Williams  from Greene & Heaton will be present. Register on the website  or via email at  genevawriters@gmail.com .  Please note that bookings for the Sunday one-on-one sessions are on a first-come, first-served basis

"Les Hivernales" is Nyon's *winter rock festival which runs from the 28th February - 3rd March 2019 and will take place in the following venues around the town: The Salle Communale, La Parenthèse, Le Cactus Jack, Quai 23, Le Saint Jean, Fishermen's Pub, La plage, Ambrozie, Barawine, Mumbaï, La Roulotte, La Patinoire, and Le Village. See map here This year, the festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary and there is an eclectic mix of music on offer from the "indie rock/ psychedelia" of "The Velveteins" from California playing at the Cactus Jack ar 22:00 on Friday 1st March, to the western electronic music/ eastern sounds & vocals of "Acid Arab" on Saturday 2nd at the Salle Communale. Check the full programme out here  *despite the Spring temperatures at the moment!

Swimming Camps for Children and Adults during the Easter Holidays  For those parents looking for swimming classes for their children during the Easter holidays,  the La Lignière Centre de Santé in Gland  will be holding collective lessons of one hour a day over three days. Perfect for getting the children ready for a summer of swimming! La Lignière clinique is set in lovely grounds just on the outskirts of Gland. The dates are as follows :   Monday 15th, Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th April from 16:00 to 17:00 or from 17:00 to 18:00   Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th and Sunday 28th April from 16:00 to 17:00 or from 17:00 to 18:00   Note: warm water at 32 degrees and Jacuzzi at 34 degrees Please email  natation@la-ligniere.ch  or call Sarah for more info (she speaks English) on  022 999 65 81 Cost: Just CHF 210 per child, CHF 290 per adult

There will be an "inspired writing" retreat from March 23- 24th at the Château de Bossey near Nyon. Workshops, meditation, finding your voice, yoga and more. More details here.

There will be an opportunity to try Telemark skiing on the slopes of St Cergue from 18:30 - 21:30 on Thursday the 7th March. More details here. photo:glenn-michel - courtesy La Côte Tourisme

The next  GEDS theatre production from Tues 19 - Sat 23 March will be  "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" , written by Christopher Hampton, based on the iconic 1782 French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The production is in English. The Hampton script of this story of power and manipulation using sex as a weapon has been done many times to great acclaim notably in the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons, with Glenn Close and John Malkovich as well as on stage, by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985 (Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan)and a 2016 production of the Donmar Warehouse (Janet McTeer, Dominic West). The production will be at the Théâtre de l’Espérance, 8 rue de la Chapelle, 1207 Geneva. Tues - Fri at 20:00, Sat at 19:00 Directed by Rick Vincent Details & Ticketing info Tickets: 30 CHF and 20 CHF, numbered seats