Hey seeker, it's up to you to find out !

Just go there and write us a short report to tell us if it's still there, we would be grateful to you for that

Update:

The whole thing went to court today, and the judge ruled that the Achterdam could stay open pending the decision that city council has to make on the appeal of the owner.

They expect 2-4 months from now to make this decision, and if it's negative the Achterdam will have to close 6 weeks later.
So that would make it somewhere in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2009.

So for now it's business as usual...

Will be heading over on the 9th Dec and was planning my usual day out in Alkmaar.

Any update on the situation. Any ideas how long the court case may go on for. I'd hate to blow 13 Euros on a trip if most windows are closed as thats money that could be spent in the Wallen.

Can someone please post an update

RLD Lover,

There has been an update of the situation by slick, just read a few lines above.

Achterdam will stay open until the 2nd quarter 2009

Why don't you just go there and give us the lastest news?

The court will make its decision on January 15th, 2009

source : http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2828 ... val__.html

donations help the site, y'know...so in this case, I guess you get what you pay for ;)

in Hollands there is a saying "voor niets gaat de zon op" -- "sunrise is (the only thing you get) for free"

-paniked

Watch out the Dutch news for the next few days. Soon we'll know the decision of the court, either Alkmaar Achterdam will close or stay open

Have they been charging for the sunsets paniked? The Dutch are too clever....

January, Thursday 15th 2009

Hoorzitting over sluiting Achterdam

De burgemeester van Alkmaar beslist binnen vier weken of hij extra onderzoek laat doen naar de voorgenomen sluiting van 92 van de 128 ramen in de hoerenbuurt van Alkmaar of dat hij bij zijn besluit blijft dat de bordeelramen dicht moeten.

Dit bleek donderdagmiddag tijdens een hoorzitting in het stadhuis van Alkmaar. Maatschap JE. Nool, de grootste exploitant van de Alkmaarse Achterdam, lichtte hier de bezwaren tegen de voorgenomen sluiting toe.

Bibob-rapport

Volgens advocaat Rob IJsendijk rammelt het Bibob-rapport aan alle kanten en is het gebaseerd op incomplete informatie en vermoedens. Zo blijkt uit het rapport dat exploitant Coos Nool destijds geld op zijn rekening gestort heeft gekregen van Willem Holleeder. Wat volgens hem echter niet in het rapport staat, is dat Nool het geld binnen een week weer terugstortte. Hij wilde niets met Holleeder te maken hebben.

Ook achtte IJsendijk niet bewezen dat Nool zich inliet met witwaspraktijken. "Mijn cliënt huurt de panden en dat heeft niets te maken met het witwassen van geld'', aldus de advocaat.

Burgemeester Bruinooge

Nool zelf begrijpt niet waarom de burgemeester zo gebrand is op sluiting. "Ik exploiteer al tientallen jaren panden op de Achterdam en ik vind het onbegrijpelijk dat we de vergunning nu niet krijgen. De burgemeester spreekt duidelijk onze taal niet. Door de grootste exploitant om zeep te helpen, hoopt hij de hele straat te sluiten.''

De Alkmaarse burgemeester Bruinooge besloot in oktober 2008 op basis van wet Bibob tot sluiting van de bordeelramen. Op de valreep besloot de rechter in een kort geding dat de ramen pas definitief dicht mochten als de burgemeester alle bezwaarschriften had afgehandeld. In september was de omgeving van de Achterdam al aangewezen als veiligheidsrisicogebied.

source : RTV Noord Holland

http://www.rtvnh.nl/nieuws/index.asp?newsid=93827

not going to translate the whole article, but this is the relevant part:

The mayor of Alkmaar will decide within four weeks whether he will allow extra investigation into the resolution to close 92 of 128 windows in the Achterdam or if he will stand by his decision that windows must close.

In September the area around the Achterdam was already classified as a 'security risk area'.


-paniked

Here is the translation (thanks to Google-Translate)

Hearing on closing Achterdam

The mayor of Alkmaar decide within four weeks whether he additional study into the planned closure of 92 of the 128 windows in the near Alkmaar whore or that he remains in his decision that the brothel must close windows.

This was Thursday afternoon during a hearing in the town of Alkmaar. Maatschap JE. Nool, the largest operator of the

Alkmaar Achterdam explained here the objections to the planned closure again.

Bibob report

According to lawyer Rob IJsendijk shaky Bibob the report on all sides and is based on incomplete information and conjecture. It is clear from the report that Coos operator Nool had money on his account has been Willem Holleeder. What he is not included in the report, is that Nool the money back within a week collapsed. He wanted nothing to do with Holleeder.

Also considered IJsendijk Nool is no evidence that inliet with money laundering. "My client rents the buildings and that has nothing to do with the laundering of money'', said the lawyer.

Mayor Bruinooge

Nool itself does not understand why the mayor so burned to closure. "I exploiteer decades on the premises Achterdam and I find it incomprehensible that we do not get the permit. The mayor speaks our language is not clear. The largest operator to soap to help, he hopes to close the whole street.''

Alkmaar Bruinooge The mayor decided in October 2008 on the basis of Law Bibob closing the brothel windows. At the eleventh hour, the judge in a court brief that the windows were not finally closed when the mayor had handled all appeals. In September, near the Achterdam been designated as security zone.

Source: RTV Noord Holland

Looks like Google has some work to do.

To translate automically is extremely difficult, every language has differences in word order, case and gender that often depend on extremely subtle nuances connected to the overall context of the text in question. Add in the presence or not of strict punctuation rules or not depending on the language, and whether these are exactly followed in the text. Then there is the ever changing and devloping use of media or street language and phrases.

There is normally a huge range of ways in which exactly the same message can actually be said within one language. English is a comparitive monster here with around 1,400,000 words. Glance through a Thesaurus and you'll see the range of meaning and usage for some words, and especially in English no single usage is 'correct' - it's all a question of litery style, and there are very few fixed punctuation rules.

Google's results look pretty good to me!

I guess humor sometimes doesn't come through as well when just reading text. Google certainly does a better job than I could have on my own in the same amount of time. I just found some of the translations especially funny.

i really want to come here!

What I understand from this article is that Alkmaar Achterdam stays open as long as the appeals lodged by the Mayor are rejected. Obviously it was the case, they have no solid evidence to convict the landlords of money laundry, in relation with criminal activities.

Update (if anyone is still interested ;-)

Today the mayor has decided to launch a further investigation before he takes a final decision on the closing of the Alkmaar windows.

This following the hearing 2 weeks ago where the owners stated their objections.
The lawyer of the window-owner stated that the Bibob-report was based on incomplete information and suspicions.
All this justified further investigations according to city council.

A final decision will follow within 2 months.


source:
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/3152 ... men__.html

....And the feet keep a draggin'.

Thanks Slick, very interesting.
I would be interested in hearing more

And hopefully, they keep getting rejected until this mayor is elected out of office