Grapevine: Swiss Village to Vote on Welcoming Schuey

A tiny Swiss village will have the last word on whether to allow Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher to move there with his family so that his children can attend German-language schools.

Schumacher is close to a deal to buy a farm in rural Wolfhaden, a village of 1,700 people in eastern Switzerland, and build a new home there, Hans Altherr, the head of the cantonal (state) government in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, has said.

But converting the farm into an estate complete with stalls for his wife, Corrina, to raise horses would require a zoning change, which means the voters of Wolfhalden would have to decide whether to let the famous family in.

"I think they will be in favour if the whole thing is explained properly," said community president Mario Pighi. "They certainly won't say yes to something they don't know."

Altherr said in a statement the Schumacher family were eager to leave the noisy world of motor racing behind and lead a quiet life when the German racer was not at work.

"As an alternative to the hurly-burly on the racetrack they would quite deliberately like to live somewhat secluded but take part in village life and be in contact with the people," he wrote. He said Schumacher would drive his car to the local airport and take his private jet to work.

"It is an unfounded rumour that he wants to get to his house by helicopter and that a landing pad is planned," he said.

Schumacher, who has lived in French-speaking western Switzerland for the past five years, told a newspaper recently of the joy he took in meeting an old woman on a walk who had no idea who he was. After chatting for several minutes, the woman asked what he did for a living. When he said he raced cars, she answered: "How nice."