Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 22,181, an increase of 5,917 (+36.4%) from the 2010 census count of 16,264, which in turn reflected an increase of 333 (+2.1%) from the 15,931 counted in the 2000 census.

Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and transportation uses, as well as protected areas.

Secaucus is a derivation of the Algonquian words for "black" (seke or sukit) and "snake" (achgook), or "place of snakes", or sekakes, referring to snakes.

History
Sikakes, once an island, was part of the territory purchased by Director-General of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant in 1658. The territory was part of what is considered to be the oldest municipality in the state of New Jersey which was first chartered in 1660 as Bergen in the province of New Netherland and, in 1683, became Bergen Township.

Settlement had begun by at least 1733 by the Smith family, whose namesake Abel I. Smith Burial Ground is part of the lore of Secaucus.

Secaucus was originally formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1900, from portions of North Bergen. On June 7, 1917, Secaucus was incorporated as a town, replacing Secaucus borough, based on the results of a referendum held on June 5, 1917.

Secaucus was originally an agricultural community specializing in flowers. It later became known for its pig farms in the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1900s the town was home to approximately 55 pig farms, which reached a peak of nearly 250,000 pigs in World War II, outnumbering humans 16 to 1. These farms served the meat demands of Newark and New York, and made the farmers wealthy. Many of them were local politicians, most notably pork peddler Henry B. Krajewski, who ran for New Jersey senator, three times for governor and twice for U.S. President. The town's pig farms, rendering plants, and junk yards gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area. An ordinance passed in 1947 prohibited new farms, and in the 1950s the pig farms began to dwindle, partially after 11 of the farms were acquired for construction of the New Jersey Turnpike, which would carry tourists who would not appreciate the odor; the last farms were shut down by court order in the late 1950s.

In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station was dumped in the Secaucus Meadowlands. In later decades Secaucus became more of a commuter town. In a non-binding referendum in 1969, 90% of voters in Secaucus chose to leave Hudson County and join Bergen County, as that county was more similar in character and had lower taxes.  However, only the state has the authority to change county lines, so it never came to fruition. Today it remains the most suburban town in Hudson County. Despite being geographically located within Hudson County, Secaucus Public Library is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.

On February 9, 1996, two NJ Transit commuter trains collided at Bergen Junction in Secaucus when a train operating on the Bergen Line ran a signal and sideswiped a train running on the Main Line. The accident occurred during the morning rush hour just south of the current Secaucus Junction station. With three fatalities, the incident is NJ Transit's deadliest accident and was the first to involve fatalities of the passenger and crew on NJ Transit.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Secaucus as its 182nd best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey, after ranking the borough 11th in its 2008 rankings.

Geography
Secaucus is an island in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Hackensack River runs along western side of town. Penhorn Creek and Cromakill Creek are its eastern borders.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 6.54 square miles (16.95 km2), including 5.83 square miles (15.09 km2) of land and 0.72 square miles (1.86 km2) of water (10.96%).

At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill (officially known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock diabase intrusion jutting up some  from the Meadowlands below, near the New Jersey Turnpike.

Being partly surrounded by the meadowlands, Secaucus provides opportunities to observe the recovery of natural marshes in the town's post-industrial, post-agricultural age. Some marsh areas in the northeast part of town have been filled to provide a new commercial area, and some to build footpaths for nature walks with signs illustrating birds and other wildlife to be seen there. At 27.4%, it has the most open "green" space in of any town in Hudson County.

Secaucus borders the municipalities of Jersey City, Kearny and North Bergen in Hudson County; and Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Rutherford in Bergen County.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include:
 County Avenue – from Municipal Building to Secaucus Junction
 Harmon Cove – along the Hackensack River and Meadowlands Turnpike
 Harmon Meadow – site of Mill Creek Mall and Meadowlands Convention Center
 Laurel Hill
 Little Snake Hill
 Mill Creek Marsh
 North End – north of New Jersey Route 3; home of Secaucus High School, Schmiddt's Woods, and Mill Creek Marsh
 Riverbend – a wetlands preserve at the meander in the Hackensack River
 Secaucus Junction – NJ Transit's central rail hub
 Secaucus Plaza Central Business District at Paterson Plank Road south of Route 3
 Snake Hill – site of Laurel Hill County Park

Subsections

North End

As its name suggests, the North End in Secaucus, New Jersey, is the section of town north of New Jersey Route 3 and the Secaucus Plaza Central Business District, to which it is connected by  Paterson Plank Road. The Hackensack River and its tributary Mill Creek create the other borders for the district.

The North End is one of the older, traditional residential neighborhoods of Secaucus, which itself has been transformed to a commuter town and retail and outlet shopping area in the late 20th century. It is home to Secaucus High School, whose athletic fields are used by the Bergen County Scholastic League. Nearby Schmiddt's Wood is one of the last original hardwood forests in urban North Jersey. As part of the New Jersey Meadowlands District, the areas along the river are characterized by wetlands preservation and restoration areas. Mill Creek Marsh  is park administered by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and will eventually connect to the Secaucus Greenway. It southern counterpart is known as Riverbend. The Mill Creek Mall, also north of Route 3, but on the other side of Mill Creek close to New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur is part of Harmon Meadow

Harmon Cove

Harmon Cove is the western section of Secaucus, New Jersey along the Hackensack River, south of New Jersey Route 3. The name is portmanteau taken from Hartz Mountain, a corporation that owns much land in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which originally developed the area as a gated community in the 1970s with townhouses and highrise residential buildings. Part of the Hackensack RiverWalk Secaucus Greenway passes through the neighborhood, which is north of Anderson Marsh and Snake Hill, home to Hudson County's Laurel Hill Park.

NJ Transit maintained a Harmon Cove station from 1978 until the re-routing of the Bergen County Line and the opening of Secaucus Junction in August 2003. The HX Draw is used by the line to cross the river. NJ Transit bus 329 serves the area. The Hudson Regional Hospital and several hotels are located in Harmon Cove, whose main thoroughfare is Meadowlands Parkway, along which office and manufacturing buildings are found. The Harmon Cove Outlet Center is an outlet shopping district further inland from the Hackensack riverfront. Hartz Mountain Industries operates many facilities and properties in Harmon Cove.

Demographics

In the 2009–2013 American Community Survey, about 20% of the town's employed residents commute to New York City to work.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 16,264 people, 6,297 households, and 4,112 families in the town. The population density was 2,793.7 per square mile (1,078.7/km2). There were 6,846 housing units at an average density of 1,175.9 per square mile (454.0/km2). The racial makeup was 68.40% (11,125) White, 4.11% (668) Black or African American, 0.20% (32) Native American, 20.40% (3,318) Asian, 0.04% (6) Pacific Islander, 4.38% (713) from other races, and 2.47% (402) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.60% (3,025) of the population.

Of the 6,297 households, 27.9% had children under the age of 18; 50.0% were married couples living together; 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.7% were non-families. Of all households, 29.1% were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.

19.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,289 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,523) and the median family income was $96,475 (+/− $10,189). Males had a median income of $58,902 (+/− $7,548) versus $54,665 (+/− $4,626) for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,375. About 4.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
According to the 2000 United States census there were 15,931 people, 6,214 households, and 3,945 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 6,385 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 78.54% White, 4.45% African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.26% of the population.

There were 6,214 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,800, and the median income for a family was $72,568. Males had a median income of $49,937 versus $39,370 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,684. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

There are several large retail areas in Secaucus. Secaucus Plaza is the "downtown" area of Secaucus, just off of Route 3. The Outlets are a collection of outlet shops selling discounted name-brand merchandise in southwest Secaucus. Many factory retail outlets are scattered throughout the Harmon Cove industrial section, often located in warehouses or converted factories. Harmon Cove Outlet Center is the largest outlet mall, on Enterprise Avenue. The Mill Creek Mall is a mall on Route 3 on the west side of the Turnpike. Harmon Meadow Plaza is a large hotel, restaurant and shopping complex that features gyms, a pool hall, the Meadowlands Convention Center, a 14-screen Showplace Theatres and a Wal-Mart and Sam's Club located east of the New Jersey Turnpike, near Route 3 and Interchange 16E. Best Buy, Raymour & Flanigan, Ashley Furniture, Home Depot and Daffy's are located on Paterson Plank Road off Interchange 16E. National Retail Systems is another large employer. Secaucus is home to several corporate headquarters, including The Children's Place, FiberMedia,  Hartz Mountain Industries and Quest Diagnostics.

Goya Foods previously had its headquarters there.

In 2011, two companies announced that they would be leaving Secaucus. The Manischewitz Company announced that it would relocate its administrative offices to Newark after being located in Secaucus for seven years. Panasonic's North American headquarters, with  of offices and  of warehouse space, had been located in Secaucus since 1973. After considering new locations in New York, California and Georgia, the company announced it would relocate to Newark and would receive an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit of $102 million from the State of New Jersey for the relocation  from its Secaucus location. The company also cited the environmental benefits possible by reducing the need of 1,000 employees to drive to work.

Secaucus is home to 11 data centers due to its proximity to New York City and its more favorable costs and storm resiliency.

Arts and culture
The indie rock band, The Wrens, named their 1996 album Secaucus for the town where they resided together and worked for a decade.

Sports
Starting with the 2014–15 NBA season, Secaucus became the official review headquarters of the NBA. All reviews of controversial calls and plays take place in the replay center. Referees consult the headquarters for guidance on the correct call. The high-tech center features over 94 HD televisions, with multiple feeds of every live NBA game.

Sports companies headquartered in Secaucus include Red Bull New York, Major League Baseball's MLB Network, National Hockey League's NHL Network, and NBA Entertainment/NBA TV (whose studios are also the site of the NBA draft lottery). It is also home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC, which is part of the Garden State Soccer League.

Secaucus was the headquarters of Major League Lacrosse for the first four seasons of the league. The headquarters have since moved to Boston.

Secaucus held a pre-Super Bowl "Winter Blast" party during the first weekend of February 2014 to celebrate Super Bowl XLVIII being played in New Jersey. The party featured a number of activities, including an ice skating rink. The town had planned for large crowds, even planning special court sessions in advance to handle the projected surge of potentially disruptive visitors. The turnout was much lower than expected, with Mayor Gonnelli citing the NFL's focus on activities in Manhattan aimed at visitors.

Government

Local government
Secaucus is governed under the Town form of New Jersey municipal government. The town is one of nine municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and a Town Council made up of six council members elected from three wards. The Mayor is elected at-large directly by the voters. The Town Council is comprised of six members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats up at the same time as the mayor and three seats the following year, followed by two years with no elections.

, the Mayor of Secaucus is Independent Michael Gonnelli, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025. Members of the Town Council are James J. Clancy Sr. (I, 2022; Ward 2), Robert V. Constantino (I, 2025; Ward 1), Mark Dehnert (I, 2025; Ward 2), John Gerbasio (I, 2022; Ward 1), William McKeever (I, 2025; Ward 3) and Orietta Turci-Tringali (I, 2022; Ward 3).

Orietta Tringali was chosen in January 2018 to fill the Ward 3 seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Susan Pirro until she resigned from office. On June 9, 2018, the Office of Emergency Management Building was dedicated to Pirro, who died on March 18, 2018.

In October 2016, Gary Jeffas resigned from office to fill the position as Town Administrator; his Ward 1 seat expiring in December 2018 was filled by John Gerbasio, who served on an interim basis until the November 2017 election, when he was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.

Richard Steffens was chosen unanimously by the council in August 2009 to step in as mayor to finish the term of Dennis Elwell who resigned amid corruption charges on July 28, 2009, and was later convicted. Michael Gonnelli then won a full four-year term in November 2009 and was re-elected for another four years in 2013.

In 2018, the town had an average property tax bill of $6,258, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $7,762 in Hudson County and $8,767 statewide.

Fire Department

Secaucus is served around the clock by five volunteer fire companies that make up the Secaucus Fire Department, with a combined fire apparatus fleet of four Engines, two Ladders, one Rescue, one squad/brush unit, and one fireboat, operating out of five fire stations located throughout the town.

Federal, state and county representation
Secaucus is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 33rd state legislative district.

Politics
According to The Hudson Reporter, Secaucus is "arguably Hudson County's most conservative town". As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 10,298 registered voters in Secaucus, of which 5,886 (57.2%) were registered as Democrats, 876 (8.5%) were registered as Republicans and 3,531 (34.3%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.1% of the vote (4,188 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 38.1% (2,609 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (56 votes), among the 6,893 ballots cast by the town's 10,819 registered voters (40 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.0% of the vote here (3,889 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 45.6% (3,348 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (63 votes), among the 7,344 ballots cast by the town's 10,650 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 50.6% of the vote here (3,460 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 48.6% (3,320 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (33 votes), among the 6,838 ballots cast by the town's 9,767 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.0.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 54.5% of the vote (2,214 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 42.8% (1,738 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (108 votes), among the 4,376 ballots cast by the town's 10,966 registered voters (316 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 50.7% of the vote here (2,959 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.9% (2,096 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.4% (315 votes) and other candidates with 2.3% (132 votes), among the 5,833 ballots cast by the town's 10,158 registered voters, yielding a 57.4% turnout.

Education
Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated by the Secaucus Public Schools. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,229 students and 187.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are
Millridge School / Early Learning Center serving Pre-K,
Clarendon Elementary School with 470 students in grades K–5,
Huber Street Elementary School with 635 students in grades Pre-K–5,
Secaucus Middle School with 514 students in grades 6–8 and
Secaucus High School with 594 students in grades 9–12 The athletic teams of Secaucus High School are nicknamed the "Patriots".

For the 2018–19 school year, the Hudson County Schools of Technology moved High Tech High School from its previous location in North Bergen to a newly built  school building in Secaucus constructed at a cost of $160 million on a  site. The former building was sold to the North Bergen School District to become the new home of North Bergen High School.

Immaculate Conception School, the town's only Catholic private day school, serving grades Pre-K through eighth grade, closed in 2008.

The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School, established in 2005, offers a two-year training program that prepares students to service watches.

Transportation

Secaucus contains a wide variety of road and rail transportation. Because of its central location, many shipping warehouses and truck freight transfer stations are located in Secaucus, both for shipping companies such as UPS and for numerous retailers. For example, Barnes & Noble's "same day delivery" service to Manhattan operates from a warehouse in Secaucus. The town also has a large rail yard and multimode terminal run by CSX and Norfolk Southern where loads are switched between trains or transferred to or from trucks.

Roads and highways
, the town had a total of  of roadways, of which  were maintained by the municipality,  by Hudson County and  by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and  by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Secaucus is crossed by several major roadways. The town is roughly divided into four parts by the intersecting roads of Route 3, which runs east and west, and the Eastern Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), which runs north–south. The Route 3 bridges cross the Hackensack River, connecting to East Rutherford; the eastbound bridge, constructed in 1934, was described by state transportation commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti in 2022 as being "in the worst condition of any in the state", and is part of $143 million replacement project. Two turnpike interchanges are located within the town: Exit 16E/17 for Route 3 and Route 495 (which leads to the Lincoln Tunnel), and Exit 15X for the Secaucus Junction station (which opened in late 2005).

Public transportation
Secaucus is the site of NJ Transit's Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction rail station, which connects NJ Transit's two commuter rail networks in northern New Jersey. As the station is in the south end of the town, access from the rest of Secaucus is limited via County Avenue, Meadowlands Parkway or NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X. The station opened in December 2003, with a 1,100-spot parking lot that allows commuters to park and ride. Discount curbside intercity bus service is also provided outside the station by Megabus, with direct service to Boston and Philadelphia, among other locations.

Numerous NJ Transit buses serve Secaucus, including the 124, 129, 190 and 320 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 78 bus to Newark, the 2 route to Jersey City, the 85 route to Hoboken and local service provided on the 772 route. There is a bus park-and-ride at the northeast corner of Secaucus.

In the first half of the 20th century the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway operated a trolley line through the then main business district of Secaucus, on Paterson Plank Road from Jersey City and across the Hackensack River to East Rutherford.

The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, which straddles Newark and Elizabeth. The nearest intercity rail station is Newark Penn Station, a one-seat ride from Secaucus Junction.

Media
Secaucus is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. Local, county and regional news is covered by The Jersey Journal, the daily newspaper that relocated its offices to Secaucus in 2014 from Jersey City's Journal Square, an area of the city that was named for the newspaper that operated there for 90 years. The Secaucus Reporter is part of The Hudson Reporter group of local weeklies.

Locally, Secaucus is covered by weeklies the River View Observer and El Especialito. The town had been served by the Secaucus Home News, a weekly newspaper that published for 107 years before abruptly shutting down in 2017.

WWOR-TV, channel 9, is a television station licensed to Secaucus, serving the New York metro area television market as the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service. Its studios and main offices are located in Secaucus. The 1987–1989 talk show The Morton Downey Jr. Show was among the WWOR-TV programs filmed in Secaucus.

The warehouse at 10 Enterprise Avenue was used as the primary filming location for the hospital drama Mercy, which aired on NBC from 2009 to 2010.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Secaucus include the following: (B) denotes that the person was born there.
 Jeff Bittiger (born 1962), former relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball.
 Robert John Burck (born 1970), Times Square street performer known as the Naked Cowboy
 Jerry Casale (1933–2019), former Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers
 Dave Draper (1942–2021), bodybuilder
 Dennis Elwell (born 1945), mayor of Secaucus from 2000 until 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption
 Paul Iacono (born 1988), actor known for the 2009 film Fame, and the TV series The Hard Times of RJ Berger(B)
 Anthony Impreveduto (1948–2009), served on the Town Council from 1981 to 1992 and in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1987 to 2004 until he was forced to resign after pleading guilty to corruption charges
 Louis King (born 1999), college basketball player for the Oregon Ducks
 Henry B. Krajewski (1912–1966), pig farmer and frequent political candidate
 Margarita Levieva (born 1980), actress
 Mark Lukasiewicz (born 1973), former MLB pitcher who played two seasons for the Anaheim Angels
 Blaine Morris, cast member on the MTV drama Skins
 Frank MacCormack (born 1954), former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.
 John J. Matheussen (born 1953), politician who represented the 4th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2003
 Vincent Prieto (born 1960), member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004 who was chosen as Assembly Speaker for the 2014–2015 Legislative Session
 Dan Resin (1931–2010), actor known as Dr. Beeper in the film Caddyshack and as the Ty-D-Bol man in toilet cleaner commercials
 Ian Roberts (born 1965), founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe
 Russ (born 1992), rapper
 Bart Shatto, actor
 Seven Volpone (born 1972), entrepreneur, business executive, singer, songwriter and record producer

References

External links

1900 establishments in New Jersey
New Jersey Meadowlands District
Populated places established in 1900
New Jersey populated places on the Hackensack River
Towns in Hudson County, New Jersey

Secaucus, New Jersey


John Francis Hodgess Roper, Baron Roper (10 September 1935 – 29 January 2016) was a British politician.

Roper was elected Member of Parliament for Farnworth in 1970. He sat as a Labour Co-operative MP from 1970 to 1981, and for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from 1981 to 1983, when he was also the party's Chief Whip. His Farnworth seat was then abolished, and he contested the seat of Worsley at the 1983 general election. He finished third in a three-way marginal election.

On 12 May 2000, he was created a life peer as Baron Roper, of Thorney Island in the City of Westminster. He was the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Lords until 2005. He was then appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. In 2008, he was elected Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees. He retired from the House of Lords on 23 May 2015.

Roper died on 29 January 2016 after a long illness. He was aged 80.

References

Other websites
Lord Roper  profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
Who's Who 2002 entry

1935 births
2016 deaths
Labour Party (UK) MPs
Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs
United Kingdom Life Peers

John Roper, Baron Roper


Dead Man Running  is a 2009 British crime comedy film directed by Alex De Rakoff, written by De Rakoff and John Luton, and starring Tamer Hassan and Danny Dyer. Football players Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand served as executive producers.

Plot
After an increasing number of his clients fail to make good on their payments, Mr Thigo decides to take matters into his own hands, travelling to London to make an example of local bad boy and debtor Nick. Thigo gives Nick just 24 hours to pay back the £100,000 he owes, and, as an incentive, Thigo holds Nick's wheelchair-using mother hostage. Since Nick is already financially challenged, he is forced to be creative in order to come up with the money. At the same time, Thigo sabotages Nick's efforts in order to be sure that he can take revenge on Nick to prove a point to the other debtors.

Cast
 Tamer Hassan as Nick Kane
 Danny Dyer as Bing
 Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Kane
 Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Thigo
 Monet Mazur as Frankie
 Ashley Walters as Fitzroy
 Phil Davis as Johnny Sands
 Blake Ritson as Jarvis
 Bronson Webb as Smudger
 Alan Ford as Sol
 Andrew "Tiny Iron" Harrison as "Brick Wall"
 Omid Djalili as Fat Bald Man

Release
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2009.  It grossed $681,354 in the UK and $735,875 in total foreign gross.  Phase 4 Films released it in the US.

Reception
Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 14% of 21 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 4/10.  The site's consensus reads: "Poor performances, stiff dialogue, flat characters, and an unimaginative stab at the mood of the Guy Ritchie crime caper make Dead Man Running into a hooligan tale with little to offer."  Kim Newman of Empire rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "This shaggy dog gangland story feels like a straggler from the batch of forgettable Lock, Stock imitators greenlit a decade ago. It has a quality cast, but we've run round this track too many times, while the script jogs from scene to scene without any surprises."  Ellen E. Jones of Total Film rated it 2/5 stars and called it "amiable rubbish".  Derek Adams of Time Out London called it "budget-conscious, simplistically plotted and often cringingly performed".  Philip French of The Guardian wrote that it is "a little uncertain in tone, but brisk and likely to go down well with the patrons of Albert Square's Queen Vic."  Peter Bradshaw, also of The Guardian, rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "For all the sub-Guy Ritchie cliches, it has its moments" and "is not as bad as it could have been."  Robert Hanks of The Independent wrote, "Is there any way of stemming the flow of post-Guy Ritchie cockney crime comedies? Would, say, sticking Danny Dyer's head on a pike somewhere in Bethnal Green be enough of a deterrent?"  Derek Elley of Variety wrote that the film "recycles Cockney crimer cliches to moderately entertaining results."

References

External links

2009 films
2009 direct-to-video films
2000s crime comedy films
British crime comedy films
British gangster films
2009 comedy films
Films shot in Greater Manchester
2000s English-language films
2000s British films
English-language crime comedy films

Dead Man Running


La Dueña is a Venezuelan telenovela written by José Ignacio Cabrujas in collaboration with Julio César Marmol, and produced by Venezolana de Televisión in 1984. The plot was inspired by the novel The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexandre Dumas, though they changed the protagonist from male to female. La Dueña is considered one of the best telenovelas made in Venezuela.

Amanda Gutiérrez and Daniel Alvarado starred as the main protagonists with María Cristina Lozada as the antagonist.

Plot
In 1928, Esteban Rigores lies wounded on a beach after taking part ina  failed coup against the brutal regime of Gen. Juan Vicente Gómez. Fearing death is near, he orders Basilio, his mute servant, to search for Adriana, his daughter, and leave her his fortune. Neither Esteban nor Basilio know what Adriana looks like. When Basilio asks the girl's mother, Beatriz Ayala, now married to Salvador Asensio, one of Gomez's ministers, about the girl, she lies to him that her daughter died in childbirth, or at least that is what her parents told her. Unconvinced, Basilio goes to the house of Don Alejandro, Esteban's friend. There, she meets Adriana, and he immediately recognizes her as Esteban's daughter. But Adriana doesn't know her origins, believing she is an orphan adopted by Alejandro out of charity. Although Alejandro and Encarnación, his wife, have always been kind to Adriana, she is nothing but a glorified servant. Their children, the selfish María Consuelo looks down on her, idealistic Luis Alberto loves her secretly, and young María Eugenia who's always seen Adriana as a sister, now resents her when she realises her fiancé is attracted to the girl's beauty. Ma. Eugenia's fiancé, the arrogant Captain Mauricio Lofiego, is a man used to getting whatever he wants, a trait he has inherited from Purificacion Burgos, his mother. Purificacion is not only one of the richest women in Venezuela, but she's also got General Gomez's ear. Few people are know that Burgos's fortune comes from prostitution.

Adriana gives Alejandro the documents she's unable to read since they're written in French and English. Alejandro discovers that Adriana is now the owner of a huge fortune. That same evening, Mauricio breaks off his engagement with María Eugenia and makes love to Adriana. Alejandro sees him leaving the girl's room and vows revenge. Several attempts are made to separate Adriana and Mauricio, but their love grows stronger, especially after she discovers she is pregnant. Meanwhile, a recovered Esteban and Beatriz have joined efforts to investigate the whereabouts of their child. Adriana plans to escape with Mauricio, but she disappears mysteriously. Under the orders of Alejandro and Purificacion, she is taken to a mental asylum where she is subjected to horrible tortures, and she loses her baby and her mind. Believing Adriana lied to him, Mauricio married Maria Eugenia.

Several years go by, and Adriana has lost her beauty and mind, but she has two friends at the asylum, the kind Helena, and Saul, a political prisoner. When Gomez dies, Saul escapes the asylum together with Adriana and Helena. Adriana finds Basilio who directs her to her father Esteban who had escaped to Paris. Esteban will utilise his fortune to restore his daughter's beauty and educate her. In 1941, Adriana returns to Caracas, rich and powerful, newly transformed as Ximena, but she is called "La Dueña", and ready to take revenge against the families that locked her up.

Cast
Amanda Gutiérrez as Adriana Rigores Ayala / Ximena Sáenz
Daniel Alvarado as Capt. Mauricio Lofriego
Héctor Mayerston as Esteban Rigores
Mariela Alcalá as María Eugenia Tellez
María Cristina Lozada as Purificación Burgos de Lofiego
Carlota Sosa as María Consuelo Tellez
Lucio Bueno as Radamés Parisí
Ana Castell as María Benita
Helianta Cruz as Beatriz Ayala de Asensio
Ramon Hinojosa as Cirilo
Eduardo Gadea Perez as Manuel Antonio Lofiego
Omar Omaña as Abelardo Lofiego
Rafael Briceño as Gen. Juan Vicente Gómez
Agustina Martin as Mercedes Antonini
Freddy Salazar as Alejandro Tellez
Fina Rojas as Elvira
Flor Elena González as Eloiza Lofiego
William Moreno as Ildemaro
Raul Mendez as Pablo
Carlos Acosta as Javier Perentena
Leticia Calderón as AnaMario Brito as Basilio
Leopoldo Regnault as Saúl GalvánOlga Henriquez as EncarnaciónRemakes
2006: Dueña y Señora (filmed in Puerto Rico and broadcast on Telemundo) starring Karla Monroig & Angel Viera2013: La Patrona (filmed in Mexico and broadcast on Telemundo)
2015 Santa Bárbara'' (filmed in Portugal and broadcast on TVI)

References

External links
La Dueña at the Internet Movie Database

Venezuelan telenovelas
Venezolana de Televisión original programming
1984 telenovelas
1984 Venezuelan television series debuts
1985 Venezuelan television series endings

La dueña (Venezuelan TV series)


Shkedei marak (), known as mandlakh () in Yiddish, or as "soup mandels" in the United States, is an Israeli food product consisting of crisp mini crouton used as a soup accompaniment. Shkedei marak are small yellow squares made from flour and palm oil. As a parve product, they can be used in either meat or cream soups. Despite the name, they contain no almonds.

Etymology
The word mandlach is the plural diminutive of mandel, which means "almond" in German and Yiddish. The word "shkedei" is the plural form of "shaked", which means "almond" in Hebrew, and "marak" is the Hebrew word for soup.

History
Although today shkedei marak are manufactured, they are based on the homemade crispy-fried squares of dough known as mandlach traditionally served with  chicken soup by Ashkenazi Jews.

Marketing
For many years Osem was the exclusive manufacturer of shkedei marak in Israel, but today the product is also marketed by other food companies, such as Vita and Knorr. Davidovich Bakery & Sons located near Haifa also produces and packages soup almonds under a variety of brand names. Over the years, food companies have experimented with different shapes for shkedei marak, including stars, rings, and little fish. In addition to their use in soups, shkedei marak are eaten plain as a snack food.

See also
Israeli cuisine
Oyster cracker
Saltine

References

External links
  Osem website

Israeli cuisine
Snack foods
Israeli inventions

Shkedei marak


Gabriel Alonso de Herrera (1470–1539) was a Spanish author, best known for his Obra de Agricultura (Treatise on Agriculture), published in 1513 under the patronage of Cardinal Cisneros.

Herrera was born in Talavera de la Reina.  His treatise contains the teachings of the classics, and was used as a reference book until the early 20th century. This ample tome also contains information on veterinary medicine, meteorology and studies on the influence of food on health.

1470 births
1539 deaths
Spanish agronomists

Gabriel Alonso de Herrera


Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre ("Don Juan or The Feast of Stone") is a five-act 1665 comedy by Molière based upon the Spanish legend of Don Juan Tenorio. The aristocrat Dom Juan is a rake who seduces, marries, and abandons Elvira, discarded as just another romantic conquest. Later, he invites to dinner the statue of a man whom he recently had murdered; the statue accepts and reciprocates Dom Juan's invitation. In the course of their second evening, the stone statue of the murdered man charms, deceives, and leads Dom Juan to Hell.

Molière's comedy derives from the Spanish play The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest (1630), by Tirso de Molina, but each playwright presents a different interpretation of the libertine protagonist. Molière's Dom Juan is a French man who admits to being an atheist and a free-thinker; whereas, de Molina's Don Juan is a Spanish man who admits to being Catholic, and believes that repentance for and forgiveness of sin are possibilities that will admit him to Heaven, but death arrives early, and thwarts his avoiding moral responsibility for a dissolute life; in both the Spanish and the French versions of the comedy, Dom Juan goes to Hell.

Throughout the plot of Dom Juan or The Feast of Stone, the valet Sganarelle is the only character who defends religion, but his superstitious Catholicism is a thematic and intellectual foil to Dom Juan's free-thinking disregard for religion and social and sexual norms. In early 1665, after fifteen performances of the original run of Dom Juan, the French royal authorities halted performances of the play; Molière then had to defend the play and himself against accusations of irreligiousity and political subversion. That the playwright Molière was celebrating a libertine life by positively portraying a rake, thus the intent of the play is disrespectful of the official doctrine of the Church, and thus subversive of the royal authority of the king of France, who is an absolute monarch. The consequent state-and-church censorship legally compelled Molière to delete socially subversive scenes and irreligious dialogue from the script, specifically the scene where Sganarelle and Dom Juan encounter the Pauper in the forest, in Act III.

In 1682, the prose edition of Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre was censored, with paper strips glued upon the offensive text, for inclusion to an eight-volume edition of the plays of Molière. The censored, verse edition Le Festin de pierre (1677) by Thomas Corneille changed the style of writing — and thus changed the intent of the play — by exaggerating Dom Juan's libertinism to render Molière's comedy of manners into a cautionary tale of the unhappy fate of irreligious people.

Plot

Dom Juan or The Feast of Stone (1665) presents the story of the last two days of life of the Sicilian courtier Dom Juan Tenorio, who is a young, libertine aristocrat known as a seducer of women and as an atheist. Throughout the story, Dom Juan is accompanied by his valet, Sganarelle, a truculent and superstitious, cowardly and greedy man who engages his master in intellectual debates. The many facets of Dom Juan's personality are exposed to show that he is an adulterer (Act I); an accomplished womanizer (Act II); an altruistic, religious non-conformist (Act III); a spendthrift, bad son to his father (Act IV); and a religious hypocrite who pretends a spiritual rebirth and return to the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, which is foiled by death (Act V).

Synopsis

Act I
In the garden of the palace. After a few words of appreciation for snuff tobacco, Sganarelle speaks with Guzmán, the squire to Donna Elvira. Her primary concern is the abrupt departure of her new husband, Dom Juan. For Guzmán, Sganarelle proudly paints a terrible portrait of his master, Dom Juan, as a fickle, cynical disbeliever whom women should distrust. Guzmán exits and Dom Juan enters to argue with Sganarelle about the topic of marriage and amorous inconstancy, before revealing that he has fallen in love and has his sight set on someone new — a young, rustic bride-to-be. Donna Elvira then enters to challenge Dom Juan to explain the reasons for his abrupt departure; his response leaves her angered.

Act II
In the countryside. Speaking in rustic vernacular, the peasant Pierrot tells his bride, Charlotte, of the adventure story of his rescue of Dom Juan and Sganarelle after they had fallen into the lake when their boat capsized. Pierrot then exits to go "wet his whistle", and Dom Juan and Sganarelle appear. Dom Juan tells Charlotte that he is in love with her, and persuades her to marry him. As Dom Juan is about to kiss Charlotte's hand a thousand times, Pierrot returns and intervenes. Then appears Mathurine, yet another woman Dom Juan promised to marry. Two fiancées, and both demand an explanation. Dom Juan manages to inveigle his way out of girl trouble, leaving each woman believing that all is well between him and her. A man enters with the news that Dom Juan is in danger — twelve men on horseback are looking for him. Dom Juan says to Sganarelle that they should exchange clothes with each other. Sganarelle says "Not likely.", and they hurry off.

Act III
In the forest. Enter Dom Juan in country costume and Sganarelle in doctor costume. They are lost and encounter a pauper dressed in rags, and ask him for directions through the forest. Learning that the pauper is religious and devout, Dom Juan tests the man's faith by offering him a gold piece to blaspheme; the pauper refuses. Then Dom Juan sees a gentleman being attacked by three robbers, so he draws his sword and goes to his rescue. The gentleman turns out to be Dom Carlos, a brother of Donna Elvira, who explains to Dom Juan that he and his brother, Dom Alonso, have been hunting for Dom Juan to avenge his seduction of their sister. Pretending ignorance, and not admitting his identity, Dom Juan says he knows Dom Juan but that he is only an acquaintance, not a friend. Dom Alonso arrives. He recognizes Dom Juan and demands immediate revenge. In gratitude to Dom Juan for saving him from robbers, Dom Carlos persuades his brother, Dom Alonso, to postpone his revenge. The brothers exit. Continuing on their way in the forest, Dom Juan and Sganarelle find themselves at the tomb of the Commander, a man recently killed by Dom Juan. He orders Sganarelle to invite the statue of the Commander to dinner. The stone statue nods his head to the valet.

Act IV
In his apartment, Dom Juan wants to sit for dinner, but he is interrupted by a series of unannounced visitors. First is the creditor Monsieur Dimanche, a tradesman whom Dom Juan placates with many compliments, but then he snubs Dimanche by suddenly exiting the room. Sganarelle enters to usher out Dimanche from the apartment. Dom Juan's father Dom Louis arrives. He scolds Dom Juan and then leaves, angry with contempt. Donna Elvira enters, no longer furious, but with loving, wifely spirit to warn her husband against the wrath of Heaven. She attempts in vain to persuade Dom Juan to repent his sins. She leaves him alone. Finally, Dom Juan and Sganarelle sit to dinner, when the statue of the Commander appears; he does not join them at the table, but he does invite Dom Juan to sup with him the following day.

Act V
In the countryside near the city, Dom Juan tells his father that Heaven has changed him and that he has renounced his wicked ways. Happy at hearing that news from his son, Dom Louis leaves. The news of repentance and reformation also delight Sganarelle, but Dom Juan immediately says he meant none of it, and then passionately speaks at length in praise of hypocrisy. Then Dom Carlos appears, and a duel appears inevitable.

The spectre of a veiled woman appears to offer Dom Juan a final opportunity to repent his sins. Dom Juan draws and brandishes his sword at the spectral woman, and he refuses to repent. The statue of the Commander enters, proclaiming: "The wages of sin is death". At that moment, Dom Juan cries out that he is burning, that he is afire. Thunder and lightning sound and flash, and the earth breaks open to swallow Dom Juan, whose fall is followed by flames. Seeing that his master is gone, the lonely valet Sganarelle bewails the loss of his wages.

Characters and premiere cast

{| class="wikitable"
!Character
!Cast of the play's premiere performance (15 February 1665)
|-
| Dom Juan, son of Dom Louis
| La Grange
|-
| Sganarelle, servant to Dom Juan
 |Molière
|-
| Donna Elvira, wife of Dom Juan
| Mademoiselle Du Parc
|-
| Guzmán, gentleman-usher to Donna Elvira
|
|-
| Dom Carlos, brother of Donna Elvira
|
|-
| Dom Alonzo, brother of Donna Elvira
|
|-
| Dom Louis, father of Dom Juan
| Louis Bejart
|-
| Charlotte, a peasant woman, fiancée to Pierrot| Mademoiselle de Brie
|-
| Mathurine, a peasant woman| Mademoiselle Molière
|-
| Pierrot, a peasant| André Hubert
|-
| A Pauper
| possibly La Thorillière?
|-
| The Statue of the Commander
| possibly La Thorillière?
|-
| Violette, servant to Dom Juan|
|-
| Ragotin, servant to Dom Juan|
|-
| Monsieur Dimanche, a tradesman| Du Croisy (Philibert Gassot)
|-
| La Ramée, a swashbuckler| De Brie (Edmé Villequin)
|-
| A Ghost (in the form of a veiled woman)
| possibly Madeleine Béjart?
|}

Folkloristics
In folkloristics, the theme of a living human recklessly inviting a dead person or skull for dinner is classified in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index as ATU 470A, "The Offended Skull".Pedrosa, José Manuel. "El mito de don Juan y el cuento tradicional de "El cadáver ofendido" (ATU 470A)". In: Hecho teatral. vol. 7 (2007). Castilla y León (España), Valladolid: Universitas Castellae. 2007. pp. 63-90.

Notes

Further reading
 Mackay, Dorothy Epplen. The Double Invitation In the Legend of Don Juan. Stanford University, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1943.

External links

 Le Festin de Pierre, comedie. Par J.B.P. de Moliere, edition nouvelle & toute differente de celle qui a paru jusqu'à present. A page-by-page view of the antique book that contains the text of the play as it was published in Amsterdam in 1683''
 Dual language publication of the play, French and English, every other page, dated 1739.
   The text of Dom Juan available online in English translation

 Film based on the play
 Free Online 2010 American Translation

Plays by Molière
1665 plays
Works based on the Don Juan legend
Plays set in Sicily

Dom Juan


The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League. The competition in its older format shared its name with the trophy, being also known as the European Cup, before being renamed for the 1992–93 season onwards.

There have been several official incarnations of this trophy, as a club was entitled to keep the cup after five wins or three consecutive wins, with a new cup having to be forged for the following season. During the first years of the competition, up until 1966–67 season, the trophy had a distinctively different design.

The trophy

The original European Cup trophy was donated by L'Équipe, a French sports newspaper. This trophy was awarded permanently to Real Madrid in March 1967. At the time, they were the reigning champions, and had won six titles altogether, including the first five competitions from 1956 to 1960. Celtic therefore became the first club to win the cup in its current design in 1967.

The replacement trophy, with a somewhat different design from the original, was commissioned by UEFA from Jörg Stadelmann, a jeweller from Bern, Switzerland. At a cost of 10,000 Swiss francs, it was silver, 74 cm high, weighing 11 kg. Subsequent replacement trophies have replicated this design. The shape of the handles have earned it the nickname of "big ears" in multiple languages, including French ("la Coupe aux grandes oreilles"), Italian ("La Coppa dalle grandi orecchie"), Spanish ("La Orejona"), Russian ("Ушастый, Ushastiy"), Vietnamese ("Cúp tai voi") and Chinese ("大耳朵杯"). Between 1967 and 1994, the trophy bears the title "Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens" in sentence case, of which AC Milan were the last team to win this type of trophy. Since then, the trophy bears the title fully in capital letters, albeit the size is increased in the subsequent and current trophy.

The trophy that currently is awarded is the sixth and has been in use since 2006, after Liverpool won their fifth European Cup in 2005. Since 2009, Champions League winners have not kept the real trophy, which remains in UEFA's custody at all times. A full-size replica trophy, the Champions League winners trophy, is awarded to the winning club with their name engraved on it. Winning clubs are permitted to make replicas of their own. They must be clearly marked as such and can be a maximum of eighty percent the size of the actual trophy.

Clubs awarded the trophy permanently

The previous rule introduced before the 1968–69 season, allowed a club to keep the original trophy after five wins or three consecutive wins.  At that point, Real Madrid was the only club meeting either qualification and indeed met both. Once a club had been awarded the trophy, the count was reset to zero. For example, a club with no prior titles which won six titles in a row would have been permanently awarded trophies after the third and sixth wins (each for three-in-a-row) but not after their fifth win.

Five clubs have been permanently awarded the real trophy under the old rules from the 1968–69 to 2008–09 seasons:
 Real Madrid, after their sixth title in 1966.
 Ajax, after their third consecutive title in 1973.
 Bayern Munich, after their third consecutive title in 1976.
 Milan, after their fifth title in 1994.
 Liverpool, after their fifth title in 2005.

Prior to 2008-09, a club whose Champions League title win was not a fifth overall or third consecutive had kept the real trophy for ten months after their victory and received a scaled-down replica to keep permanently.

Multiple-winner badge

The "multiple-winner badge", sometimes called "badge of honour", was introduced for the start of the 2000–01 competition for clubs that kept the trophy permanently. The badge itself adorns the left sleeve of the team's shirt during Champions League matches. The original badge was a blue oval on which was an outline of the current trophy in white, overlaid with part of the Champions League starball logo. Above the trophy was the total number of titles held by the club. At the start of 2012–13 competition, the badge became grey with a new design, which was used until the end of 2020–21 season.

Starting with 2021–22, UEFA abolished the badge's use on the left sleeve, allowing for sleeve sponsors, and incorporated the badge into the regular "Starball Badge" for the clubs who normally wear the multiple-winner badge, with the number of victories placed on top of the middle star. Other teams, in the meantime, wear the same badge but without any numbers. Additionally, title holders with three consecutive or five overall wins have their number of victories etched onto the title-holder logo, with the starball scrapped, while holders that do not have a right to wear the multiple-winner badge sport an empty blue title holder logo.

Because the current trophy permanently remains UEFA property, it is no longer given to a team that wins a fifth overall or third consecutive title. Liverpool therefore became the last team to be permanently awarded the trophy. However, the multiple-winner badge is still awarded to such clubs.

Six teams have won five overall or three consecutive titles, and thus can wear the multiple-winner badge:

 Real Madrid (5, 3 consecutive, 14 overall)
 Milan (7 overall)
 Bayern Munich (3 consecutive, 6 overall)
 Liverpool (6 overall)
 Barcelona (5 overall)
 Ajax (3 consecutive, 4 overall)

Title-holder logo
A separate "title-holder logo" is worn by the reigning Champions League champions in the following season's competition in place of the regular patch worn by the other competing teams. The logo is predominantly dark blue and was introduced in 2004–05, with Porto as the defending champions. The distinction between the title-holder logo and the badge of honour can be compared to the distinction between the Scudetto ("shield") worn by the reigning Serie A champions in Italy, and the stella ("star") worn by teams with over ten Serie A titles in total. However, whereas Juventus wear three stars as they have won over thirty titles, there is no provision for multiple UEFA badges of honour, as the count within the badge can be incremented indefinitely. From 2006–07 to 2010–11, the title holders also played with the match ball used in their triumphant final in their home matches, but from 2011–12, the title holders use the same match ball as the 31 other teams.

The original design for the title-holder badge featured two of the interconnecting stars of the competition's star ball logo at the top, with the caption "champions" and the season of triumph in the centre of the badge. It was slightly modified in 2008–09 to feature the entirety of the star ball logo, albeit with the other stars faded out, and it was drastically changed for the 2009–10 competition. Without the star ball background, it instead featured a design of the trophy which was used for the branding of the previous season's final.

It was revamped again in 2010–11 to feature part of the star ball on show below the "champions" caption and the year of triumph. A replaced design was first worn by Chelsea in 2012–13; it featured an outline design of the trophy along with the year of triumph, the same design was kept from 2015–16 for the logo, but the material used on the logo was changed. Starting with the 2021–22 competition, reigning champions wear a new logo, which still keeps the same design, but is grey and no longer keeps the championship year in it. In case the title holder also wears a multiple-winner badge, the number of victories is incorporated in the logo which is used in place of the starball.

Winners

Original trophy
 Real Madrid (6) – 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966
 Benfica (2) – 1961, 1962
 Inter Milan (2) – 1964, 1965
 Milan (1) – 1963

Redesigned trophy

 Real Madrid (8) – 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
 Milan (6) – 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
 Bayern Munich (6) – 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
 Liverpool (6) – 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019
 Barcelona (5) –  1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
 Ajax (4) – 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
 Manchester United (3) – 1968, 1999, 2008
 Nottingham Forest (2) – 1979, 1980
 Juventus (2) –  1985, 1996
 Porto (2) – 1987, 2004
 Chelsea (2) – 2012, 2021
 Celtic (1) – 1967
 Feyenoord (1) – 1970
 Aston Villa (1) – 1982
 Hamburger SV (1) – 1983
 Steaua București (1) – 1986
 PSV Eindhoven (1) – 1988
 Red Star Belgrade (1) – 1991
 Marseille (1) – 1993
 Borussia Dortmund (1) – 1997
 Inter Milan (1) – 2010
 Manchester City (1) – 2023

References

External links

The trophy on UEFA.com website

UEFA Champions League
UEFA trophies and awards
European football trophies and awards

European Champion Clubs' Cup


Martha Gunn  (1726-1815) was a famous dipper in Brighton, England. She was a favourite of the then Prince of Wales, the future George IV.

Career
Martha's work as a dipper or bather involved running a bathing machine. She would have pushed this type of machine in and out of the sea. She would have also been responsible for helping the bather who is using the machine to get into and out of the water. It involved a lot physical activity. Her job was something that suited her large build. Martha was a dipper for around 70 years. She was forced to retire through ill-health in 1814.

Fame
Martha was famous in Brighton and throughout the country. In one of the national newspapers she was addressed as, "The Venerable Priestess of the Bath".  She appeared in a a number of engravings, one of which showed her repelling a French invasion with a mop.

In another engraving, Martha is seen with the future George IV and his companion Maria Fitzherbet. She was a favourite of the future King, so much so that she had free access to the royal kitchens at the Pavilion.  A portrait by John Russell of Martha is displayed in the Brighton Royal Pavilion's tea-room.

Personal life
Martha lived at 36 East Street in Brighton. The house still stands. Martha died in 1815 and is buried in the cemetery of Brighton's oldest church, St. Nicholas' Church.  Her burial plot has a guarded headstone.

References

1726 births
1815 deaths
People from Brighton

Martha Gunn


"What Comes After" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 4, 2018. The episode's teleplay was written by Matthew Negrete, from a story by Scott M. Gimple and Negrete, and it was directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, a heavily wounded Rick Grimes struggles to divert a zombie herd while he questions his legacy in maintaining his vision of the united communities.

This episode included guest appearances by former regular cast members Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha Williams), Scott Wilson (Hershel Greene), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Emily Kinney (Beth Greene), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham Ford), and Lennie James (Morgan Jones). It was Wilson's penultimate on-screen appearance before his death. It also marks the final appearances of Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), and Pollyanna McIntosh (Anne). It was also the last appearance for Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene) in the season, due to other acting commitments. She returned to the show in late second part season 10 and was a series regular in the third part of season 10.

Plot
Rick dreams of a swarm of helicopters, before regaining consciousness and finding himself surrounded by walkers. He manages to free himself off the rebar he had been impaled on after being thrown off by his spooked horse, but is bleeding profusely. He makes it back to his horse, barely holding onto consciousness to lead the merged walker hordes away from the construction camp. Getting enough of a lead, he finds an abandoned cabin nearby to create makeshift bandages, before leading the hordes onward. Throughout this, Rick falls in and out of consciousness and has lucid dreams of him trying to find his family, which includes conversations with Shane and Hershel, both of whom urge him to wake back up to reality and stay ahead of the horde.

Anne is trying to make her way to a planned rendezvous point in Heath's stolen RV, and is told by the man on the other end of the walkie-talkie that she had misled them before. She assures them she has the "A" they need and needs to get out of this place. Maggie continues onto Alexandria; Michonne hears of this and intercepts her before she reaches the cage where Negan is being kept. Maggie is able to convince Michonne to hand over the keys, telling her she will be able to live with this decision. Negan taunts Maggie about how much he enjoyed killing Glenn, but she remains steadfast. Negan soon starts begging her to kill him so he can be with his wife. Thinking it another trick, Maggie pulls Negan out of the cell into the light, and sees that he is a shadow of his former self. Maggie puts him back in his cell, walking out satisfied, with a better understanding of why Rick kept him alive. She and Michonne then hear word of trouble outside, and race to see what is happening with other residents.

In another vision, Rick walks onto a field filled with the bodies of all his friends, where he speaks to Sasha, who reminds him that all he has done has been for the good of all. Sasha tells him that he will find his family, as they are not lost. Rick then awakens to find himself at the now-abandoned camp, with the horse having fled. With walkers - including zombified savior member Norris, Oceanside resident Kathy and community members from the clash at the camp - closing in on him, Rick keeps on leading them toward the bridge. He stumbles just short of the bridge, but as the walkers near him, he sees Michonne lead a large group of his allies to dispatch the walkers. Michonne urges Rick to keep on fighting, and Rick comes to realize that Michonne and his friends are now his family. He realizes this is just another vision; he finds himself alone just off the bridge with the horde still following him. He gets back up and continues to lead the walkers across the bridge as the river waters rise. To Rick's dismay, the weight of the walkers is not sufficient to cause the bridge to fall. A group from the united communities – including Saviors – arrive and begin killing off the walkers near Rick. Maggie worries that if the walkers cross, they will continue onto Hilltop, and leads a group to try to turn the horde around, but Rick waves them off, muttering to himself that he found his family. Rick sees some of the dynamite left on the bridge, and fires at it, destroying the bridge and most of the walker horde, causing the remaining to fall into the river. To his allies, Rick appears to have been killed in the explosion, and several break out in tears of grief.

Anne sees the smoke from the explosion and chatter over the walkie-talkies about Rick's apparent death while a helicopter lands nearby. She sees Rick on the bank of the river, still alive but severely injured. She tells the pilot that she has a "B", and convinces the helicopter to rescue Rick. She and Rick are airlifted away to places unknown.

Six years later, a small group of survivors, Magna, Connie, Kelly, Yumiko, and Luke are trying to hold off a walker horde when a few are shot from a forest nearby. The group is told to take cover, and find that they have been rescued by a now-preteen Judith Grimes, who wears Carl's hat and is armed with Rick's revolver and a katana like Michonne.

Production

This episode marks the last appearance of both Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) as well as Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis/Anne). Both actors were planned to take a role in a series of three AMC Original Films to continue Rick's story, with production on the first to initially start in 2019. Lincoln had been working with Scott Gimple, the former showrunner and now current content manager for all of AMC's The Walking Dead properties, about how Rick's story could continue for some time. They had established early on that it needed to involve Jadis and the helicopter, and established these elements in earlier seasons to prepare for this point. Showrunner Angela Kang also confirmed that this episode would be the last episode of this season for Lauren Cohan as Maggie, due to previous commitments she had made for the show Whiskey Cavalier prior to signing on for the ninth season, though it is uncertain yet if she will return to the show; Kang stated they have additional stories they can tell with Maggie's character should Cohan be able to return. As to close out Maggie's story, they introduced the scene with Maggie and Negan which took place much later in the comic book series (after the introduction of the Whisperers). This gave them a way to move Maggie forward and beyond her obsession with Negan, should Cohan be able to return.

The cabin that Rick stops to rest was modeled after the cabin from the film The Evil Dead, including a replica of its Necronomicon on the table. The episode's producer, Greg Nicotero, had previously worked on Evil Dead 2.

All of the lucid dream shots were filmed on a sound stage at Raleigh Studios, using green-screen effects for the backgrounds. These scenes were to play on the Third man factor, bringing in people from Rick's past that would help keep him moving as he struggled with his blood loss. This led to some discussion about whom to bring back for these shots between Kang and writers Scott Gimple and Matt Negrete, needed characters that were essential to Rick. Shane, as played by Jon Bernthal, was considered essential given Shane's impact on Rick's story throughout the show. Hershel as played by Scott Wilson was seen as a father-figure to Rick, and Sasha as played by Sonequa Martin-Green was seen as a soldier who knew how to put the bigger picture first in her priorities. They had considered bringing back others like Steven Yeun who played Glenn, but there were scheduling conflicts, and the production felt the three guests they had worked strongest for the story. This ended up being Wilson's last on-screen role before his death; on the day that they announced that Bernthal, Wilson, and Martin-Green would return in guest roles for this episode during the 2018 New York Comic Con in October 2018, Wilson died from complications from leukemia. Additionally, former The Walking Dead actors Lennie James, Sarah Wayne Callies, Emily Kinney, and Michael Cudlitz all provided voice-line cameos as their former characters Morgan Jones, Lori Grimes, Beth Greene, and Abraham Ford respectively as part of Rick's lucid dreams.

The shot of Rick walking among the bodies of those he knew include a mix of his fellow actors, body doubles of former characters, and dummies for other characters. The scene itself was inspired by one of the special covers for issue #100 of the comic book, where Glenn is killed by Negan.  This scene was originally to have some of the bodies rise up to make it more harrowing towards Rick, including Negan, but this was ultimately cut. Kang stated they felt that Shane served well-enough as an antagonizing character to Rick but had a friendship and connection with him, while Negan's hostility would have been more direct. The final scenes shot for the episode involved the hospital setting where Rick first woke up in the pilot episode "Days Gone Bye", though with small changes. To further bookend Rick's arc, they reused the song "Space Junk" by Wang Chung which was also featured in "Days Gone Bye".

The episode includes an estimated six-year time jump, according to Kang. The episode introduces Cailey Fleming as an older Judith, as well as the members of Magna's (Nadia Hilker) group, including Lauren Ridloff as Connie, Angel Theory as Kelly, Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko, and Dan Fogler as Luke, who are key elements related to the Whisperers arc in the comic book series.

Reception

Critical reception
"What Comes After" received mostly positive reviews from critics, with praise being aimed at Andrew Lincoln's performance and the return of Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 76% with an average score of 6.4 out of 10, based on 33 reviews, the lowest scoring episode of the season on the site. The critical consensus reads: "'What Comes After' serves as an emotionally raw and rousing farewell to series lead Andrew Lincoln, though some viewers may find Rick Grimes' ambiguous departure more of a cop out than a relief."

Jeff Stone writing for Indiewire praised the episode with a qualification of B and in his review he said: ""What Comes After," at least before things take a serious turn for the bonkers, is a perfectly acceptable, if somewhat, cliché-ridden hour of television, with some extremely welcome returns." Megan McCluskey of Time Magazine praised the Lincoln's development and said: "The Walking Dead has a sprawling cast of characters, but the story at its core has always revolved around Rick's leadership of the group of survivors." Noetta Harjo of Geek Girl Authority praised the episode and wrote: "I was bawling like a baby. I enjoyed all of the callbacks to episode one. And seeing the return of Jon Bernthal, Scott Wilson and Sonequa Martin-Green was heartwarming."

Ratings
"What Comes After" received a total viewership of 5.41million with a 2.1 rating in adults aged 18–49. It was the highest-rated cable program of the night, and the episode marked an increase in viewership from the previous week.

References

External links

"What Comes After" at AMC

2018 American television episodes
The Walking Dead (season 9) episodes

What Comes After (The Walking Dead)


New Orleans English is American English native to the city of New Orleans and its metropolitan area. Native English speakers of the region actually speak a number of varieties, including the variety most recently brought in and spreading since the 20th century among white communities of the Southern United States in general (Southern U.S. English); the variety primarily spoken by black residents (African American Vernacular English); the variety spoken by Cajuns in southern Louisiana (Cajun English); the variety traditionally spoken by affluent white residents of the city's Uptown and Garden District; and the variety traditionally spoken by lower middle- and working-class white residents of Eastern New Orleans, particularly the Ninth Ward (sometimes known, since at least the 1980s, as Yat). However, only the last two varieties are unique to New Orleans and are typically those referred to in the academic research as "New Orleans English". These two varieties specific to New Orleans likely developed around the turn of the nineteenth century and most noticeably combine speech features commonly associated with both New York City English and, to a lesser extent, Southern U.S. English. The noticeably New York-like characteristics include the NYC-like short-a split (so that mad and map, for example, do not have the same vowel), non-rhoticity, th-stopping (so that, for example, "those" may sound like "doze"), and the recently disappearing coil–curl merger. Noticeably Southern characteristics include the fronting of  and possible monophthongization of  (just these features, plus non-rhoticity, often characterize the Uptown accent).

Often, the term "Yat" refers particularly to the New Orleans accents that are "strongest" or most especially reminiscent of a working-class New York City accent, though others use the term as a regional marker, to define the speech heard in certain parts of the city and its inner suburbs. Used in these narrower senses, Yat is simply one of many sub-dialects of New Orleans. The word comes from the common use of the local greeting, "Where y'at?" or "Where are you at (i.e. in life)?", which is a way of asking, "How are you?"

History
A unique New Orleans accent, or "Yat" accent, is considered an identity marker of white metropolitan people who have been raised in the greater New Orleans area. English professor Allan A. Metcalf discusses that "Yats" mostly live near the Irish Channel in blue-collar neighborhoods. The dialect's connotation with the working-class white population therefore encodes the speaker's identities.

The striking similarity between the New Orleans Yat accent and the accent of the New York metropolitan area has been the subject of much speculation. Plausible origins of the accent are described in A. J. Liebling's book The Earl of Louisiana, in a passage that was used as a foreword to A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole's well-known posthumously published novel about New Orleans:

In the decades following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, when New Orleans changed from being a French colonial possession to an American city, Irish, German, and eventually Italian (largely Sicilian) immigrants indeed began populating the city. However, rather than believing the New York and New Orleans dialects evolved similarly merely due to a similar mixture of European immigrant populations, modern linguists believe that the dialect histories of New Orleans and New York City actually have a direct relationship: significant commercial and demographic interactions between the two cities. Although exact linguistic theories vary, the broad consensus is that key New York accent features probably diffused to New Orleans by the late 19th century. Large-scale movements (permanent or seasonal) of working-class, lower middle-class, and merchant-class Northeastern Americans of European immigrant families to New Orleans may have brought along their native Northeastern (namely, New York City) accent features. Even during the antebellum era, Northerners made up over a quarter of all free, white, non-immigrant residents of New Orleans. Linguist William Labov specifically argues that Jewish American bankers and cotton merchants strongly affiliated with New York City were the biggest influence on upper-class accents (and presumably, the eventual accents of all classes) in New Orleans. He cites examples of Sephardic and German Jewish connections to influential mercantile firms in 19th-century New Orleans.

Phonology
Many of the features bear a direct relation to Southern American English or New York City English, when not common across the United States more broadly. Of the "Yat" dialect features, the most distinct ones are:
no caught-cot merger, as in regional American accents. there is a father-bother merger, but the merged  becomes  or  in rhotic environments.
stressed  and  becoming  and  to  or  (i.e.,  'God,' 'on,' 'talk', become , ,  and , respectively).
non-rhoticity; 'heart' and 'fire' become  and , respectively.
the coil–curl merger: phonemes  and , creating the diphthong , before a consonant. the feature has receded, but not as much as in New York City. Sometimes, the exact opposite occurs, the full rhotacization of a syllable-internal  (i.e. 'toilet,' becomes ); this is more typical in men than in women.
th-stopping, pronouncing the "th" sounds like 't' or 'd'. this is common to many lower-class varieties of English.
a variable horse-hoarse merger
 or  used for unstressed and final . this makes 'running' sound like 'runnin'.
splitting the historic 'short a' vowel into tense  and lax  versions. New Orleans' system most closely resembles New York City's, but also applies to voiced fricatives and function words.
-monophthongization, resulting in . this is common to many Southeastern United States accents.
however, the Canadian raising of both /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ can also be heard among younger speakers
shifting the stress of some words, such as "insurance", to the first syllable. this also occurs in the broader Southeastern United States, and many forms of AAVE.

There are some words with phonemic pecularities, but according to no particular pattern; including 'sink' , 'room' , 'mayonnaise' , 'museum' , 'ask' .

New Orleans is locally pronounced  or , with the "New" destressed. The slurred, stereotypical "N'awlins"  and the General American  are not often heard from natives. Louisiana can be pronounced as the standard  or a slightly reduced  in the 'Yat' dialect.

Vocabulary

Local variance

The Yat accent is the most pronounced version of the New Orleans accent, and is perceptually similar to a New York accent. As with all dialects, there is variance in the accent to geographic and social factors like one's exact locational or financial background.

Speakers of this dialect originated in the Ninth Ward, as well as the Irish Channel and Mid-City. Lighter features of the dialect can be heard in some parts of the city, such as Lakeview, the Marigny, the Garden District, and some parts of Gentilly, but mainly in the suburbs. The dialect is present to some degree in all seven parishes that make up the New Orleans metropolitan area, from St. Tammany to Plaquemines. As with many sociolinguistic artifacts in the 21st century, the dialect is usually more distinct among older members of the population. The New Orleans suburban area of Chalmette shows the strongest Yat accent.

In popular culture

The distinct New Orleans dialect has been depicted in many ways throughout the city and the U.S.

The main character of the cartoon strip Krazy Kat spoke in a slightly exaggerated phonetically-rendered version of early-20th century Yat; friends of the New Orleans-born cartoonist George Herriman recalled that he spoke with many of the same distinctive pronunciations.

Actual New Orleans accents were seldom heard nationally. New Orleanians who attained national prominence in the media often made an effort to tone down or eliminate the most distinctive local pronunciations. Dan Baum's Nine Lives shares the feelings of Ronald Lewis, a native of the Ninth Ward who is embarrassed by his local dialect when speaking in front of a group of white northerners.  After the displacement of Greater New Orleans area residents because of Hurricane Katrina, the United States was introduced to some of the New Orleans Yat accents by constant news coverage. Steven Seagal's show Lawman exposed some Yat accents and dialects to the nation.

Ronnie Virgets, a New Orleans writer, commentator, and journalist, employs New Orleans dialects and accents in his written and spoken works, including the locally produced public radio program, Crescent City. WWNO, the local public radio station, broadcasts the program and provides access to past Crescent City programs on its website.

The name of the official mascot for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, held in New Orleans, was derived from the truncated pronunciation of "See More of the Fair," which results in the pseudo yat speak "Seymore D. Fair."

A Midwest Cajun restaurant chain based in Indianapolis, Indiana carries the name Yats.

Cellphone company Boost Mobile used the phrase "Where Y'At?" in early advertising campaigns.

Who Dat? is a chant commonly tied to the Yat dialect and used in support of the New Orleans Saints football team. The entire chant is "Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" Saints fans are collectively called the "Who Dat Nation."

The Yat dialect is seldom heard when New Orleans is depicted in movies and television shows. Traditionally, characters portrayed from New Orleans are heard using a southern or Cajun accent. An example of this is 1986's The Big Easy, in which Dennis Quaid speaks an exaggerated Cajun/southern derivation. This trend has been challenged, though, in light of post-Katrina New Orleans representation, like HBO's Treme and Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, both of which feature actual New Orleans locals either speaking in Yat or one of its variations.

Other local dialects and misconceptions
Historically, the city of New Orleans has been home to people of French, Spanish, and African heritages, which led to the creation of the Louisiana Creole language, before this city came under U.S. rule in the Louisiana Purchase. Over the course of the 19th century, the city transitioned from speaking French to becoming a non-rhotic English-speaking society. Similarly, much of the South has historically spoken non-rhotic English.

A misconception in other parts of the U.S. is that the local dialect of New Orleans is the same as Cajun English (spoken in several other areas of South Louisiana), but the city's cultural and linguistic traditions are distinct from that of the predominantly rural Acadiana, an area spanning across South Louisiana. While there has been an influx of Cajuns into the city since the oil boom of the later 20th century and while there are some similarities due to shared roots, Cajun culture has had relatively little influence upon Creole culture and thus Yat culture. The confusion of Cajun culture with the Creole culture is largely due to the confusion of these French cultures by the tourism and entertainment industries; sometimes this was done deliberately, as "Cajun" was often discovered to be a potentially lucrative marketing term. Speakers with a New Orleans accent are typically proud of their accent as it organically stems from the historical mixing of language and culture. This distinctive accent has been dying out generationally in the city due to white flight of the city, but remains very strong in the suburbs. However, the Yat dialect does survive in the city in several areas, notably Mid-city, Lakeview, parts of Gentilly and Uptown.

Notes

References

External links
 On the Hunt for the New Orleans Yat
 Lexicon of New Orleans Terminology and Speech
 Glossary of Terms Used in New Orleans
 A Yat Encyclopedic Reference

Languages attested from the 19th century
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Culture of New Orleans
American English
City colloquials
Middle class culture
Working-class culture in the United States

New Orleans English


Sébastien Masi (Clermont-Ferrand, France, 16 July 1974) is a French head chef and Michelin star winning restaurateur with restaurant Locks Brasserie.

Masi emigrated to Ireland in 1994 to work and train at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. Later he worked in The Commons Restaurant. Due to head chefs leaving the restaurant, he became the head chef of a Michelin starred restaurant at the age of 22. He was not able to retain the star for 1998.

Masi left The Commons Restaurant in September 2000. In October 2000 he, and his partner Kirsten Batt, opened Pearl Brasserie in Merrion Street.

In 2010, Masi and Batt took ownership of Locks Brasserie in Portobello, Dublin. In September 2012, the brasserie was awarded a Michelin star. In July 2015, the brasserie was closed.

References

Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)
French chefs
French restaurateurs
Head chefs of Michelin starred restaurants

Sébastien Masi


Wood Creek is a river in Central New York State that flows westward from the city of Rome, New York to Oneida Lake. Its waters flow ultimately to Lake Ontario, which is the easternmost of the five Great Lakes. Wood Creek is less than  long, but has great historical importance. Wood Creek was a crucial, fragile link in the main 18th and early 19th century waterway connecting the Atlantic seaboard of North America and its interior beyond the Appalachian Mountains. This waterway ran upstream from the Hudson River (at Albany, New York) along the Mohawk River. Near present day Rome, the Mohawk River is about one mile from Wood Creek across dry land. In the 18th century, cargo and boats were portaged between the Mohawk and Wood Creek; the crossing was called the "Oneida Carry". In 1797, the Rome Canal was completed and finally established an all-water route. The waterway then followed a downstream run along Wood Creek to the east end of Oneida Lake. After a 20 mile crossing to the west end of the lake, the waterway entered the Oswego River system. This system led either to the Lake Ontario port at Oswego, or further westward along the Seneca River.

The Mohawk River route was very important for more than a century. The only other waterway crossing the Appalachians lies far to the north in Canada. This was the St. Lawrence River, which flows northeast out of Lake Ontario to Montreal, Quebec City,  and the Atlantic. Philip Lord, Jr., for many years a researcher at the New York State Museum, has published extensively on the Albany-Oswego waterway and on its Wood Creek section.

18th Century fortifications and battles

In the 18th century, boats and their cargoes coming up the Mohawk River had to be moved a few miles overland to Wood Creek at the Oneida Carry (present-day Rome). The relaunched boats then navigated downstream to Oneida Lake and the Oswego River, which discharges into Lake Ontario. Wood Creek and the Carry were used by the canoes of Native Americans, and in 1702 representatives of The Five Nations petitioned Lord Cornbury, the governor of the British colony of New York, to mark the Carry and to clear Wood Creek of obstructions. In addition to periodically clearing obstructions, in 1730 a short canal was built to bypass a notorious "hook" in the Mohawk River. It is one of the first canals built in North America.

Wood Creek and the Oneida Carry were of sufficient strategic importance that the British built three fortifications there in 1755 during the war with France (the French and Indian War (1754–1763)). Fort Bull on Wood Creek was the furthest west, and was the scene of the 1756 Battle of Fort Bull; after its destruction, it was briefly replaced by Fort Wood Creek. After the loss of Fort Oswego to the French forces in 1756, the British destroyed the Oneida Carry and Wood Creek fortifications. In 1758, the massive Fort Stanwix was constructed to defend the Oneida Carry, although it never saw action and was later abandoned. The fort was refurbished by American revolutionary forces in 1777. Stanwix was the site of an important 1777 battle in the American Revolutionary War, when British, Loyalist and indigenous forces came down from Canada and up Wood Creek to besiege the fort. They were unsuccessful, which contributed to the defeat of British forces at the Battles of Saratoga shortly thereafter. The disastrous outcome of the 1777 British campaign is considered a turning point in the American Revolution.

Improvements by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company
In 1791, following the American Revolutionary War and the independence of the United States, the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company was chartered in New York State to make improvements in the Albany-Oswego waterway. Philip Lord has written, "This tortuous route was the only highway west of any consequence 200 years ago and it was the improvement of this water route from Schenectady to Oneida Lake that was the mission of Philip Schuyler's Western Inland Lock Navigation Company in 1792." When completed in 1803, the program of improvements would greatly increase the shipping along the waterway and substantially reduce its cost. The increasing population of settlers in western New York was also served by this waterway. The route to the western regions passed through Oneida Lake and the Oneida River. It then followed the Seneca River upstream, instead of going downstream to Oswego. This route stretched as far as Rochester and Canandaigua Lake.

Philip Lord and Chris Salisbury write, "The most troublesome of the inland waterways was Wood Creek, a narrow and twisted channel which connected the west end of the 1797 Rome Canal to the east end of Oneida Lake (now Sylvan Beach). This stream was so narrow that travelers often recorded they could jump across it where the boats first entered it, and it was so deficient of water that boatmen often had to negotiate with a miller just above the landing place to release extra water from his pond to get the boats floated and on their way. Yet in spite of its fragility, Wood Creek was the lynchpin of the waterway route to the Great Lakes." Among the improvements to the Wood Creek waterway were 13 short canals cut in 1793 that bypassed meanders (or "hooks") in the creek; the cuts were "among the earliest artificial waterways for navigation in North America". In 1802 four wooden locks were constructed to aid the passage from the end of the Rome Canal to the junction with Canada Creek; unusually, the locks were "covered", as was common for bridges in this region in the 19th century. Lord and Salisbury have also discovered that a man named Abraham Ogden had used a sophisticated method known as "brushpiling" or a "kid weir" to improve navigation on Wood Creek; they write, "it is in the upper reaches of this tiny stream that we find extraordinary evidence of a direct linkage between American wilderness engineering and English waterway history. ...its use in Wood Creek in 1803 is the first application of this ancient English erosion control technology in the United States."

The Oneida Carry was replaced by the Rome Canal in 1797. The program of improvements to the Albany-Oswego waterway by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company had been completed by 1803, which permitted the replacement of the relatively small boats (batteaux) by heavier craft.

Prelude to the Erie Canal

As noted by Ronald E. Shaw, "These improvements made it possible in times of sufficient water for new Durham boats as long as sixty feet and carrying sixteen tons to supplant those carrying only a ton and a half used heretofore on the river. The cost of transportation from Albany to Seneca Lake was reduced from $100 to $32 a ton, and that from Albany to Niagara by half. Down the canals came furs, lumber, pot and pearl ashes, wheat, and salt, and up them moved boats 'principally laded with European or Indian productions or manufactures'."
In 1812 about 1500 tons of cargo was moved through Rome by this route.

In the mid 19th century, John MacGregor wrote of the waterway, "However imperfect the navigation, as compared with that of the Erie Canal, which superseded it, its influence on the prosperity, the early and rapid settlement of western New York, is incalculable." However, Shaw concluded that "even with the company's works in operation the river boats could never supplant wagon carriage by land ... The canal builders of this period must be judged to have left a record more of failure than success." Nonetheless, thousands of workmen had learned the trades of canal builders, and the de facto engineers of the waterway had acquired experience and vision. Shaw writes that these men "bent on improving the navigation on the Mohawk at the turn of the century would be intimately involved with the New York canals for the remainder of their lives. Their experiences in canal making were being stored for future use. Limited as was their success, the efforts of these men to develop an inland water empire served as the first major step to the development of a greater project that would go far beyond Seneca Lake and Oswego, reaching its destination on the shores of Lake Erie."

Closing of the Wood Creek to Oswego waterway
In 1817 New York State chartered the Erie Canal, which would solve the myriad problems of the Albany-Oswego waterway by building a system of unprecedented size and sophistication. In 1820 the works of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company were purchased for the use of the Erie Canal, which bypassed the Wood Creek to Oswego portion of the old waterway in favor of a direct canal from Rome through Syracuse and Rochester to Buffalo, on Lake Erie. The Rome Canal and the waterway running west along Wood Creek to Oneida Lake were abandoned. The century when tiny Wood Creek was a channel for much of the cargo between the inlands of North America and the Atlantic seaboard had ended.

References

Further reading
 A detailed webpage describing the archaeology and history of the Wood Creek waterway.
 To celebrate the 1993 bicentennial of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, the New York State Museum sponsored the recreation of a batteau, Discovery, that was navigated and displayed around the state. The attempt to navigate upstream along Wood Creek is chronicled on this webpage.
 Brief description and map of the many forts built at the Oneida Carry.

Canals in New York (state)
Geography of Oneida County, New York
Rome, New York

Wood Creek


Blessed Ekkehard of Huysburg (died 28 June 1084) was a canon at Halberstadt Cathedral and first abbot of the Benedictine abbey in Huysburg.

Life
According to the chronicles of the Annalista Saxo, Ekkehard about 1070 was appointed by Bishop Burchard II of Halberstadt as the spiritual director of the anchorite Pia, a nun from Quedlinburg, who lived at the site of a former Carolingian fortress in the Huy hill range north of the Halberstadt walls. Ekkehard also induced Adelheid from Gandersheim and Ida from Quedlinburg to live with Pia in her hermitage.

After a short time other men and women gathered there, and Ekkehard founded the double monastery (i.e., for both monks and nuns) of the Huysburg (Huy Castle), of which he was elected the first abbot on 24 December 1080. Bishop Burchard II consecrated him the following year; Ekkehard had a chapel erected and dedicated to St Sixtus, however, he resigned the office on 13 August 1083.

Ekkehard died 28 June 1084 and was first buried in the St Sixtus Chapel. In 1121 his mortal remains were transferred to the newly erected Huysburg abbey church.

Veneration
In 1121 he was beatified. His feast day is 28 June.

1084 deaths
German abbots
German Benedictines
Year of birth unknown

Ekkehard of Huysburg