Graybar Building

The Graybar Building, also known as 420 Lexington Avenue, is a 30-story office building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by Sloan & Robertson in the Art Deco style, the Graybar Building is at 420–430 Lexington Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.
The building was erected within "Terminal City", a collection of buildings above Grand Central's underground tracks. As such, it occupies the real-estate air rights above these tracks. The building's superstructure is constructed entirely above the tracks of the terminal. The ground floor includes the "Graybar Passage", a publicly accessible passageway that leads from Lexington Avenue to Grand Central Terminal. On upper stories, the Graybar Building contains office space with setbacks and "light courts" to conform with the 1916 Zoning Resolution. Unlike previous buildings in Terminal City, the Graybar Building was designed without ornamentation.
When the building's construction started in 1925, it was known as the Eastern Terminal Office Building. The structure was renamed after Graybar, one of its original lessees, the next year. The Graybar Building opened in April 1927 and was fully leased within less than a year. Ownership of the building passed several times before the current owners, SL Green Realty, bought it in 1998. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Graybar Building as an official landmark in 2016.
Site.
The Graybar Building is bounded by Lexington Avenue to the east and the Park Avenue Viaduct to the west, running between 44th Street in the north to 43rd Street in the south. The western side of the building underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct faces Depew Place, which was laid out when the original Grand Central Depot was built in the late 19th century, and destroyed with the construction of the current terminal. The alley still survives as a driveway for the nearby post office.
Previous buildings.
In 1871, the New York Central Railroad built the Grand Central Depot, a ground-level depot at the intersection of Park Avenue and 42nd Street, which would be succeeded in 1900 by Grand Central Station, also located at ground level. The Graybar Building's site, located just east of the depot and station, was partly occupied by the original Grand Central Palace, which was built and later used as a hotel. The site also contained a small ground-floor post office. On January 8, 1902, a crash between two steam trains in the Park Avenue Tunnel killed 15 people, leading New York Central president William H. Newman to announce the construction of a new underground terminal station.
The land under the original Grand Central Palace was originally owned by the estate of the entrepreneur Robert Goelet, who died in 1899. In 1902, several months after the fatal Park Avenue Tunnel crash, the trustees of the Goelet estate offered the land to New York Central for use as a post office. The site was acquired by New York Central in 1904, and a temporary 14-track terminal was built under the Palace while the old Grand Central Station was being demolished in sections. The original Palace was demolished by 1913 to make way for the construction of Grand Central Terminal. The terminal's post office, Commodore Hotel New York, and the Graybar Building would later take up the Palace's site.
The completion of Grand Central Terminal resulted in the rapid development of the areas around Grand Central, and a corresponding increase in real-estate prices. By 1920, the area had become what "The New York Times" called "a great civic centre". The site of the building had been cleared before 1919 to make way for the post office, but the future site of the Graybar Building had not yet been developed.
Design.
The Graybar Building was designed by Sloan & Robertson in the Art Deco style, with Clyde R. Place as consulting engineer. It is officially located at 420 Lexington Avenue, though it also occupies the lots at 420–430 Lexington Avenue. The Graybar Building is tall, with 30 stories. It has a floor area of approximately .
The Graybar Building was one of several buildings in Grand Central Terminal's immediate vicinity that were erected after the terminal was completed in 1913. Grand Central Terminal's tracks and platforms were located underground, unlike Grand Central Depot and Grand Central Station, which it replaced. The terminal's construction was partly funded by the sale of above-ground air rights for real-estate development, which were collectively called Terminal City. In the 1990s, as part of the creation of a special zoning area near Grand Central, planners considered the site of the Graybar Building for the possible development of another building, in order to make use of excess air rights over the Grand Central site. These planners cited "outdated systems; not first-class office space; prime location; [and] large lot". Another proposal to make use of the Graybar Building site's air rights was presented in 2012 as part of a rezoning of East Midtown. The 2012 proposal led to the designation of the Graybar Building as a city landmark in 2016, in order to prevent it from being torn down for air rights development.
Form.
Unlike previous buildings in Terminal City, the Graybar Building was designed without ornamentation, and was built with setbacks and "light courts" to conform with the 1916 Zoning Resolution. The western part of the building is shaped like a capital "H", while the eastern part consists of two arms branching eastward from the eastern part of the "H", giving it the shape of a "C". The "H" and "C" form three light courts: a set of north- and south-facing courts on the western part of the building, within the "H", and a east-facing court on the eastern part of the building, within the "C". The presence of the three light courts resulted in much of the floor area being close to a window, and the building incorporated over 4,300 window openings.
The 1916 Zoning Resolution resulted in a structure that incorporated setbacks along the Lexington Avenue elevation. These setbacks were located on the 15th, 17th, 19th, and 23rd floors. The ordinance was intended to allow light to reach the streets and the lower floors of skyscrapers. The side elevations do not contain any setbacks. The northern facade faces a shorter section of the Graybar Building; the southern facade faces Grand Central Market and the Grand Hyatt New York; and the western facade faces Depew Place. the Park Avenue Viaduct, and Grand Central's main building.
Facade.
Except at the base, the Graybar Building's facade was mostly undecorated. The facade was made of brick and Indiana Limestone, and the base was made of limestone. Some of the spandrels within each window contain black brick; these give the appearance of "subtle vertical bands" that contrast with the facade's more prominent portions to "accentuate the structure’s height". Toward the top of the facade adjoining Lexington Avenue are four projecting gargoyle-shaped water spouts.
Portals.
The Graybar Building contains three entrance portals from Lexington Avenue on the east. The southernmost portal leads from 43rd Street to the Graybar Passage, which connects west to Grand Central Terminal. This portal contains three sets of doors with separate marquees for each. The center set of doors is located under a marquee supported by three diagonal metal struts, while the marquees over the side doors are supported by two struts. Metal figures of rats are depicted on each of the struts and are shown running upward, in the direction of "inverted, funnel-shaped guards" along the struts. The architect John Sloan stated in a 1933 "New Yorker" article that these rats were intended to represent the city's role as a "great transportation centre and a great seaport", with its "maritime" theming. Building manager Herbert Metz told the "Times" in 1955 that the rat sculptures "symbolize a ship", which by extension, evokes imagery of a port. These rats, removed in the 1990s, were replaced during the building's renovation at the end of the 20th century.
On the center portal is a relief, which displays the capital letters "" and depicts two "winged guardian creatures". There are also pairs of figures outside each portal, each measuring tall. The south portal's figures depict air and water; the north portal's figures represent earth and fire; and the center portal's figures symbolize electricity and transportation. Rays of light were depicted radiating from each figure's head. Other ornamentation at the building's base included lights made of metal-and-glass, located just outside the doors, as well as vertical grilles made of stone. Sloan stated that these features were meant to evoke an "eastern" ambiance, which fit the name of the building's original owner, Eastern Offices. Above the central portal is a flagpole with multicolored lattices at its base.
The northern portal at 44th Street was likely intended to be a third entrance, but was never used as such. It was planned in conjunction with a north–south hall, which would have led from Grand Central to an unbuilt expansion of the post office adjoining the north side of the Graybar Building.
Interior.
Ground level.
The southernmost portal leads to the Graybar Passage, one of three west–east passageways connecting Grand Central to Lexington Avenue. It was built on the first floor of the Graybar Building in 1926. The passageway has a ceiling of and is largely wide, widening to on its western end. To prevent congestion, there are no storefronts along the passageway. There are three gates leading off the northern side of the passage, leading to six of the tracks. Its walls and seven large transverse arches are of coursed ashlar travertine, and the floor is terrazzo. The ceiling is composed of seven groin vaults, each of which has an ornamental bronze chandelier. The first two vaults, as viewed from leaving Grand Central, are painted with cumulus clouds, while the third contains a 1927 mural by Edward Trumbull depicting American transportation.
The central portal of the building connects to an elevator lobby used by tenants. There is another hallway leading from the elevator lobby to the Graybar Passage. The northern section of the ground story contained a bank. The ground story also housed an extension of the Grand Central post office.
Basement and substructure.
The building used of steel, and between of concrete. The building, and the tracks below it, both contain foundations attached to the rock below. However, even though there are separate structural frameworks supporting the building and the tracks, the Graybar Building's architects found that vibrations from passing trains could pass through the structure supporting the tracks, and then to the rock, resulting in vibrations to the building. To remedy this, a sheet of lead was embedded within a vibration-absorbing concrete "mat", and the Graybar Building's structural steel was anchored to the "mat".
The basements were an extension of Grand Central Terminal itself, and their construction was funded by the New York Central Railroad. The basements hold several tracks and platforms; break rooms for the "red cap" porters at Grand Central; and the terminal's M42 electrical substation. Twelve tracks and platforms on the terminal's lower level were lengthened by about when the Graybar Building was constructed. The porters' break rooms included locker rooms, a kitchen, a restaurant, and concessions such as a tailor. The M42 substation is about below the Graybar Building's ground level and opened in 1930, three years after the building's completion. West of the substation are numerous auxiliary facilities, including storerooms for equipment; a coal hopper; and shops for carpenters, painter, ironworkers, masons, pipefitters, electricians and truck repairers, and battery suppliers. On the south side of the Graybar Passage, there are elevators leading to the basement level.
Closed subway passage.
An underground passage from the New York City Subway's Grand Central–42nd Street station formerly led to the southern portal of the Graybar Building. The passageway led northward from another hallway that connected to the Chrysler Building to the east. In a report published in 1991, the New York City Department of City Planning recommended closing the passage because of its low usage and its proximity to other connections. After a woman was raped in another subway passageway, the Graybar subway passage and 14 others were closed by emergency order of the New York City Transit Authority on March 29, 1991, with a public hearing being held afterward. From January 1, 1990, to its closure, there had been 365 felonies committed in the Graybar subway passage, making it the most dangerous of the 15 passageways ordered closed. The passageway had been located behind a token booth, making it hard to patrol; at the time of its closure, the hallway was described as being "deceptively long and treacherous".
History.
Planning and construction.
Eastern Offices Inc. indicated in August 1925 that it wanted to build the "largest office building in the world", a 30-story tower occupying the entire site. Eastern Offices had signed an agreement to lease the site from New York Central for 21 years, which could be renewed twice, for a total maximum lease period for 63 years. The agreement stipulated that the building contain passageways to the terminal and to the New York City Subway's Grand Central–42nd Street station underneath, as well as "high-grade" office space and "auxiliary facilities" for New York Central. Eastern Offices was under the purview of the Todd, Robertson and Todd Engineering Corporation, which would later collaborate on the construction of Rockefeller Center under the name Associated Architects. Bonds worth $10 million were issued in October 1925.
The structure was originally referred to as the Eastern Terminal Office Building. In May 1926, the Graybar Electric Company leased the 15th floor. The president of Graybar was friends with one of Todd, Robertson, and Todd's partners, and the advertising company J. Walter Thompson did not want naming rights, despite having leased more floors. As a result, the project became known as the Graybar Building.
The Graybar Building's construction permit was issued by the New York City Department of Buildings in 1925, at which point the building was projected to cost $12.5 million. Excavation started in early 1925 and the foundation was dug to a maximum depth of . Below the Graybar Building's site was track 200, which looped around Grand Central. Because track 200 had to remain in operation during the building's construction, it was moved to a temporary elevated structure. By the time Graybar leased its space in May 1926, work had commenced on the erection of the building's structural steel. Much of the steel frame was located underground because of the complexity of the infrastructure there. The steel was said to be near "street level" by August 1926, and a ceremony to mark the erection of the last steel piece was held on October 8 of that year.
News articles and press releases described both the construction status and the scale of the work. A "Brooklyn Daily Eagle" article in September 1926 stated that the building contained "nearly of cinder concrete floor arches and cement floors". The "Brooklyn Times-Union" claimed that, if there were one person per within the Graybar Building's 1.35 million square feet () of office space, the building would comprise the 43rd largest locality in New York state. The "Eagle" also published an article that described how vibrations from passing trains would be reduced by the installation of lead embedded in concrete. The brick and the cement arches and floors were installed starting in late 1926. By early 1927, some 1,100 workers were furnishing the interiors with such materials including 5,000 doors, while Edward Trumbull completed the murals in the Graybar Passage on the building's first floor. That March, the "Eagle" stated that the offices would be ready by April 1.
Use and later years.
Upon completion, the Graybar Building was characterized as the world's largest office building, with space for over 12,000 office workers. Although the first tenants moved to the building in April 1927, the occupancy certificate was not issued until that July. All of the building's floor area had been leased by January 1928. Another $12 million in bonds, with an interest rate of 5%, would be issued in 1928. A $6.5 million loan on the building was placed with the Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1944. The loan was placed to refinance the remaining 5% bonds issued in 1928. Six years later, a 16-year, $5.6 million loan was placed on the Graybar Building by Aetna.
The Graybar Building and the nearby Chrysler Building were sold in 1953 for $52 million. The new owners were businessman William Zeckendorf's company Webb and Knapp, who held a 75% interest in the sale, and the Graysler Corporation, who held a 25% stake. At the time, it was reported to be the largest real estate sale in New York City's history. In 1957, the Chrysler Building, its annex, and the Graybar Building were sold for $66 million to Lawrence Wien's realty syndicate, setting a new record for the largest sale in the city. Webb and Knapp continued to lease the building until 1960, when the leasehold was sold to a group of 8,000 investors for over $3 million.
Graybar moved its headquarters out of the building in 1982. In 1998, SL Green Realty acquired the sublease for the building from a partnership led by businesswoman Leona Helmsley. SL Green had paid $165 million, winning the lease over other bidders such as Harry B. Macklowe, Steve Witkoff, and Andrew S. Penson. At that time, the building had a 20% vacancy rate, and SL Green planned to spend $8 million toward renovating the building. The adjacent Grand Central Terminal, including the Graybar Passage, was also being renovated at the same time. The renovations included a new entrance and lobby; the steam-cleaning of the facade; and renovated ceilings, floors, and restrooms. In mid-2016, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) proposed protecting twelve buildings in East Midtown, including the Graybar Building, in advance of proposed changes to the area's zoning. On November 22, 2016, the LPC designated the Graybar Building and ten other nearby buildings as city landmarks.
Tenants.
By 1927, all of the spaces in the Graybar Building had been rented, and according to one "New York Times" writer, the building's success proved that "high-class office tenants" were willing to move to Lexington Avenue. One of the earliest lessees was publisher Condé Nast, located on the 19th floor, which signed a lease in 1925. The building's namesake Graybar Electric Company occupied the 15th floor, while advertiser J. Walter Thompson leased additional space. Another tenant was a Chase Bank branch in the northern part of the ground floor, whose design excluded the enclosures for bank tellers that were present in most other commercial bank branches. The Condé Nast publications "Vanity Fair", "Vogue", and "House & Garden" also all took space in the Graybar Building. Yet other early tenants included Remington Rand, Turner Construction, YMCA, and the Associated Architects responsible in the design of Rockefeller Center. Later tenants would come to include the New York State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Modern tenants in the Graybar Building include the Metro-North Railroad, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Life Insurance Company, and DeWitt Stern Group. In addition, its current owner SL Green occupies space in the building.
Critical reception.
During construction, many contemporary critics described the building's size and scale rather than its design. The "Brooklyn Daily Eagle" in 1926 described how the building's floor space was equivalent to the area of several blocks in Midtown if spread out onto a single surface. A writer for "The New Yorker" stated in November 1927 that the building was "probably the largest something, or the highest something, or the most capacious something, in the world – but we didn’t know what". The "New York Herald Tribune" observed that if all the materials for the building were to arrive at once, it would require 4,625 freight train cars, stretching .
Critics of the building's design tended to view it as a formidable structure. In June 1927, one "Herald Tribune" reader wrote a letter to that newspaper, saying that the building is "enormous, solid, lofty and of course, embodies the most modern knowledge and skill", but calling the lack of ornamentation a literal "colossal setback". In response, "Herald Tribune" critic S.J. Vickers said that "the simple, austere front represents the designer's efforts to symbolize still further the tremendous forces responsible for the seething giants in our big city". The magazine "Brooklyn Life" said in 1929 that the Graybar Building represented an "impressive beauty of steel bulk" with "severe and exotic statuary". The critic Parker Morse Hooper called the decoration "conservative" yet "unusually interesting". The architect Robert A. M. Stern, in his book "New York 1930", called the Graybar Building a “quintessential commercial colossus" that symbolized "the culture of congestion".


Vijaya Wimalaratne

Major General Vanigamuni Indrajith Vijeyakumar Mendis Wimalaratne, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, GR (; 25 August 1940 – 8 August 1992) was a Sri Lankan general. One of the most distinguished field commanders in Sri Lanka, Wimalaratne raised the Gajaba Regiment, he commanded the 1st Brigade during the Vadamarachchi Operation, he commanded the Amphibious Task Force Commander during Operation Balavegaya and was the Commander Security Forces – Jaffna at the time of his death in a land mine explosion at Point Arali in the Kayts Island while making preparations to re-capture Jaffna.
Early life and education.
Born on 25 August 1940, second of a family of eight boys, Wimalaratne was educated at Royal College, Colombo.
Military career.
Early career.
Wimalaratne joined the Ceylon Army as an Officer Cadet in August 1962 and underwent training at the Indian Military Academy, in Dehradun as part of the first batch of four Ceylonese cadets sent to Dehradun. There he was the first foreign cadet to be appointed Battalion Cadet Adjutant in his final term. On his return, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the newly formed Gemunu Watch on 1 August 1963, leaving soon after for a jungle warfare course in Malaysia at the British Army Jungle Warfare Training School. Serving with the 1st Battalion, Gemunu Watch as a subaltern, he was appointed adjutant of the 2nd(Volunteer) Battalion, Gemunu Watch in 1968. In 1970, he was appointed as an instructor conducting the jungle warfare phase for Officer Cadets at the Army Training Center (ATC) in Diyatalawa. He served till 1979 becoming the Chief Instructor of the Army Training Center, having introduced training on urban warfare and counter-insurgency. In 1976, Major Wimalaratne served as the Liaison Officer to the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she took part in the Non-Aligned Summit in Colombo. He attended the British Army Staff College at Camberley
Gajaba Regiment.
In 1983, Major Wimalaratne was appointed as the first Commanding Officer of the Gajaba Regiment when it was formed on 14 October 1983 with the amalgamation of the Rajarata Rifles and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment at the Saliyapura Army Camp. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he played a major role in forming and expanding the Gajaba Regiment as one of the elite infantry regiments in the army and is remembered as its founder. Wimalaratne served as the commanding office the 1st Gajaba Battalion from its formation in October 1983 to August 1987. The 1st Gajaba Battalion was deployed to the Jaffna peninsula between 1983 and 1984 and again in 1985 with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War. In addition, during this time Wimalaratne served as Acting Commander, North Central Command and Deputy Commander (Operations), Security Forces Jaffna. In 1985, he help initiate the Army Special Forces program having established the first Special Forces Squadrons.
Operation Liberation.
Operation Liberation (commonly known as the Vadamarachchi Operation) was launched after months of planning on 26 May 1987. Colonel Wimalaratne was one of the field commanders of the operation, serving as the Brigade Commander of the 1st Brigade which consisted of the 1st Gemunu Watch and 1st Gajaba Battalion. The brigade group consisting of the 1st Brigade and 3rd Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Denzil Kobbekaduwa it was the largest formation deployed by the Sri Lankan Army at that point and the first conventional battle to take place in the civil war. The objective was to take the territory of Vadamarachchi in the Jaffna peninsula from LTTE (Tamil Tiger) control. 1st Brigade broke-out of Thondamanaru area with the infantry wading across the lagoon, but was stopped by a mine-field. With the combat engineers clearing a path across, 1st Gajaba Battalion broke-out and reaching the coast, troops from the 1st Brigade defeating the defensive line commanded by the LTTE leader Soosai, made a 90 degree turn undertaking a pincer movement capturing Valvettithurai. By 31 May, the government declared that the Vadamarachchi region recaptured. During the operation Kobbekaduwa and Wimalaratne were nearly killed when the house closed to them exploded due to a bobby-trap.
JVP Insurrection.
With the second phase of Operation Liberation being abandoned with the Indian intervention by Operation Poomalai and the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection began in the south of the country. Colonel Wimalaratne was appointed Commander, Garrison Command - Colombo; in charge of defense of the capital in late 1987. In 1988, he received concurrent appointment as the Principal Staff Officer, Joint Operations Command (JOC) and serving as its Director Operations. He held both posts until the insurrection was subdued in late 1989 with the capture of the leader of the JVP.
Northern front.
Promoted to Brigadier, he volunteered to take up command in Jaffna under Major General Kobbekaduwa, who was the General Officer Commanding, 2nd Division with the resumption of hostilities after the IPKF withdrew. In June 1990, the LTTE laid siege around Jaffna Fort and Wimalaratne played a major role in evacuating the garrison. The army had nominated Wimalaratne for the National Security and Strategic Study course at the National Defence College in India, however he had turned down the opportunity to remain in the front. On 10 July 1991 the LTTE launched a surprise attack on the strategic base of Elephant Pass and laid siege to the garrison. The Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Hamilton Wanasinghe appointed Wimalaratne as the Amphibious Task Force Commander in the Operation Balavegaya which was going to be the first amphibious operation undertaken by the Sri Lanka Army. Under the Overall Command of Major General Kobbekaduwa, Wimalaratne lead the Amphibious Task Force on a successful landing in the evening of 15 July 1991 after the first attempt was delayed due to heavy resistance from the enemy. The task force broke out of the breach head and move 12 miles to relieve the siege of the garrison. During the operation, Wimalaratne was almost killed when an LTTE mortar landed in the spot he had been standing minutes prior. In January 1991, Brigadier Wimalaratne succeeded Brigadier Jaliya Nanmuni as Brigade Commander, 21 "Jaffna" Brigade.
Death.
In July 1992, Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa who was now General Officer Commanding Northern Sector and Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne who was the Commander, 21 "Jaffna" Brigade, began planning an offensive code named "Operation Final Countdown" to recapture the northern peninsula from the LTTE. Final preparations were underway and the senior commanders decided to visit Araly Point on Kayts which was the launching pad for the offensive. According to the official statement by the army, on their return, the Land Rover driven by Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne was destroyed by a land mine blast. Brigadier Wimalaratne was killed instantly along with Commodore (posthumously Rear Admiral) Mohan Jayamaha, Commander Northern Naval Area and seven others including Commander Asanga Lankathilaka, Lt. Colonels G.H. Ariyaratne, A. Palipahana, H.R. Stephen, all three battalion commanders and Major N.S. De Alwis, General Kobbekaduwa's ADC. General Kobbekaduwa was found alive critically wounded and transferred by helicopter to Colombo where he succumbed to his wounds. It has been claimed by Jane's Information Group that the assassination was by the LTTE.
Funeral.
His funeral took place at the Colombo General Cemetery with full military honors, having been posthumously promoted to the rank of major general.
Legacy.
General Vijaya Wimalaratne is considered as the founder of the Gajaba Regiment and one of the finest field commanders of the Sri Lanka Army. A statue of General Vijaya Wimalaratne was erected at Kiribathgoda Town.
Awards and Decorations.
Wimalaratne had been awarded the Rana Wickrama Padakkama and Rana Sura Padakkama for gallantry and the Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, Army 25th Anniversary Medal, President's Inauguration Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, Vadamarachchi Operation Medal and the Purna Bhumi Padakkama. He was posthumously awarded Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama and Desha Putra Sammanaya.
In Order of Precedence
Family.
Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne was married to Manel Wimalaratne and they had a two sons and a daughter. He had nine brothers in his family. His son Dr Hiran Wimalaratna, is a lieutenant colonel in the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps and his daughter Dr Nishanthi Wimalaratne serves in the Cardio-logical Unit of the Colombo General Hospital.


6th Engineer Support Battalion

The 6th Engineer Support Battalion (6th ESB or 6th EngSptBn), is an engineering battalion of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. They are headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and they fall under the command of the 4th Marine Logistics Group.
History.
World War II.
The Battalion was activated on 1 November 1944 at Guadalcanal as the 6th Engineer Battalion, 6th Marine Division. During World War II, they participated in the Battle of Okinawa and the Occupation of Japan (August–November 1945). In October 1945, they were redeployed to Tsingtao, China. The battalion was deactivated 26 March 1946.
1957–1975.
The Battalion was reactivated on 1 November 1957 at Swan Island, Portland, Oregon as the 3rd Engineer Battalion of the Marine Corps Reserve. On 1 July 1962, they were redesignated as the 5th Engineer Battalion.
1976–1997.
Redesignated again on 31 May 1976 as the 6th Engineer Support Battalion (6th ESB), 4th Force Service Support Group. Elements of the battalion participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from January til April 1991.
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2003.
In Operation Iraqi Freedom, 6th ESB was responsible for fueling coalition forces as they moved northward through Iraq, and were entrenched in combat during the Battle of Nasiriyah. They also provided purified water supplies to the Marine Corps desert and urban encampments during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During Iraq's worst sandstorm in 20 years, Reserve Marines of the 6th ESB, along with active duty Marines of 7th ESB and 8th ESB Bulk Fuel Companies, constructed the longest fuel line in the history of the Marine Corps.
Marines of the 6th ESB were awarded the Navy Presidential Unit Citation for "extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy" during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2004–2005.
Continued support in 2004 to 2005 was given by Engineer Support Company from Portland, Oregon (reinforced by Detachment 1 Bulk Fuel Company A from Fort Lewis, Washington), and Bridge Company A from Battle Creek, Michigan. During this time Engineer Support Company was re-designated as Combat Service Support Company 113 (CSSC-113). Missions during this time included base operations in over a dozen different locations and resupply convoys during Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004. Four Marines were killed in action during this tour. Bridge Company A was attached to the US Army's 155th Engineer Group and rebuilt and maintained bridges all over South/Central Iraq. Their most significant repair mission was to repair a highway bridge at Checkpoint 34A (South of Camp Striker) on Main Supply Route Tampa during early November 2004 that had been damaged by VBIED attacks in order stop the flow of supplies and reinforcements to Fallujah during the campaign there. Projected to take 7 days to repair, Bridge Company A repaired the bridge while under fire in less than 32 hours.
Operation Enduring Freedom.
2011–2012.
From July 2011 to Feb. 2012 (OEF 11–2), over 100 Marines from the 6th ESB and individual augments of 6th Communications Battalion deployed as Engineer Company attached to Combat Logistics Battalion 6 to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The majority of the company was based out of Camp Leatherneck, with small detachments of Bulk Fuels and Utilities Marines supporting more than a dozen sites throughout the Area of Operations. Combined teams from the engineer, motor transport, and heavy equipment platoons conducted extensive construction projects and road repairs for infantry and special operations units throughout the northern half of Helmand Province.
2012–2013.
From 2012 to February 2013, 200 Marines from various units in the battalion, supported by individual augments from 6th Communications Battalion, deployed under the title of Engineer Company Bravo. The company integrated into Combat Logistics Battalion 2, serving in a similar role as the OEF 11-2 deployment.


Loudoun Square railway station

Loudoun Square is a proposed station in Cardiff on the Butetown branch line which would be opened by December 2023 and is included within the Wales & Borders franchise. It is part of the South Wales Metro.
The station will be located next to Loudoun Square.


Promontory, Utah

Promontory is an area of high ground in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, 32 mi (51 km) west of Brigham City and 66 mi (106 km) northwest of Salt Lake City. Rising to an elevation of 4,902 feet (1,494 m) above sea level, it lies to the north of the Promontory Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. It is notable as the location of Promontory Summit, where the First Transcontinental Railroad from Sacramento to Omaha in the United States was officially completed on May 10, 1869. The location is sometimes confused with Promontory Point, a location further south along the southern tip of the Promontory Mountains. Both locations are significant to the Overland Route, Promontory Summit is where the original, abandoned alignment crossed the Promontory Mountains while the modern alignment, called the Lucin Cutoff, crosses the mountains at Promontory Point.
By the summer of 1868, the Central Pacific (CP) had completed the first rail route through the Sierra Nevada mountains, and was now moving down towards the Interior Plains and the Union Pacific (UP) line. More than 4,000 workers, of whom two thirds were Chinese, had laid more than of track at altitudes above . In May 1869, the railheads of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. A specially-chosen Chinese and Irish crew had taken only 12 hours to lay the final of track in time for the ceremony.
Golden Spike.
Promontory Summit, Utah Territory had been agreed upon as the point where the two railheads would officially meet, following meetings in Washington, D.C. in April 1869, where it was also agreed that a ceremony would be held to drive in the Last Spike to commemorate the occasion. However, the original date of May 8 had to be postponed for two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute on the Union Pacific side. Over 400 laid-off unpaid graders and tie cutters chained U.P.R.R. Vice-President Thomas Durant's dignitary railcar to a siding in Piedmont, Wyoming until he wired for money to pay them. After almost a two-day delay, when Durant's train arrived at the Devil's Gate Bridge in Wyoming, floodwaters turned a mild creek into a raging torrent, which threatened to collapse the railroad bridge. The engineer would not take his locomotive, whose number is lost to history, across the rickety structure, but he gave each of the passenger cars a hefty heave and they coasted across, but Durant no longer had a way to get to Promontory. A hasty telegraph to Ogden, Utah Territory sent Union Pacific's engine "119" to the rescue. After a hearty party in Ogden the night of May 9, the dignitaries arrived at Promontory Summit on the morning of May 10, where the Golden Spike Ceremony was finally planned and took place, with the last iron spike driven at 12:47 PM.
The trains carrying the railroads' officials were drawn by Union Pacific's "No. 119" and Central Pacific's "No. 60" (officially named the "Jupiter") locomotives, neither of which had been originally chosen for the ceremony. The Central Pacific had originally chosen their no. 29 "Antelope" to attend the ceremony, while the Union Pacific had also chosen another, unidentified engine for their train, but both engines encountered mishaps en route to the ceremony. On May 10, the Jupiter and 119 were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit, separated only by the width of a single tie. It is unknown how many people attended the event; estimates run from as low as 500 to as many as 3,000 government and railroad officials and track workers. Historians opine that the lack of Chinese workers seen in the official portrait was due to racism, since anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States prevailed over many decades including the late 1860s. Their absence may have been the result of the timing of the famous photograph:
The more famous A.J. Russell photograph could not include the Chinese workers photographed earlier participating in the joining of the rails ceremony, because at the moment the famous photo was being taken it was after the conclusion of the ceremony and the Chinese workers were away from the two locomotives to dine at J.H. Strobridge's boarding car, being honored and cheered by the CPRR (Central Pacific Railroad) management.
Three of the eight Chinese workers who brought up the last rail were guests of honor at the Promontory Summit's golden anniversary celebrations in Ogden, Utah in May 1919.
The event at Promontory Summit was billed as the "wedding of the rails" and was officiated by the Reverend John Todd. Four precious metal spikes were ceremoniously driven (gently tapped with a special spike maul sporting a solid silver head into pre-drilled holes in the Laurelwood tie); one was the golden spike issued by Californian David Hewes, one was a second solid gold spike issued by the San Francisco Newsletter Newspaper, one was a solid silver spike issued by the State of Nevada, and one was an iron spike plated with silver on the shaft and gold on the top issued by Arizona Territory and presented by Arizona Territorial Governor Anson P.K. Safford from the Territorial Capitol of Prescott. In 1898, the golden spike was donated to the Leland Stanford Junior University Museum. The second Golden Spike and the Laurelwood Tie were destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, which also destroyed the San Francisco Newsletter Newspaper Offices where these artifacts were on display. Stanford University loaned the original 1869 gold spike to Cecil B. DeMille for the film "Union Pacific" (1939). It was held aloft in the scene commemorating the actual event, although a brass prop was used for the hammering sequence. The only marks on The Golden Spike were caused by a Union Army Officer who struck the Spike with the pommel of his sword four times on the ride back to California. Nobody tried to fully drive 17.6 Carat Solid Gold Spikes or any of the precious metal spikes into a wooden tie. Four holes had been drilled into the Laurelwood tie to "hold" the spikes while Stanford and UPRR's Thomas Durant gently tapped them before the Spikes and the Laurelwood Tie were removed to make way for a regular pine wood tie and four regular iron spikes, the last one was wired to the Transcontinental Telegraph Line. Stanford and Durant were supposed to strike the last iron spike with a regular iron spike hammer, also wired to the Telegraph Line, to send a signal from coast-to-coast as the job was done. Stanford missed the Spike, hitting the wooden tie instead; however, the telegraph operator hit his key as though Stanford had hit the spike. Durant missed the spike and the tie entirely; but likewise, the operator hit his key so the Nation would not know the difference. Then the operator sent the message D-O-N-E! With the railroad's completion, a trip across the Nation went from up to six months on foot, on an animal, or in an animal-pulled wagon to as little as eight days from New York, New York to San Francisco, California.
Promontory Summit, Utah Territory marks the site where the First Transcontinental Railroad was officially completed, although a direct coast-to-coast rail journey on this route was not achieved until 1873. The Mossdale Bridge spanning the San Joaquin River near Lathrop, California was completed in September 1869, connecting Sacramento, California to the network. Passengers had to cross the Missouri River by boat between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska until the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge was built in 1873. In the meantime, the first uninterrupted coast-to-coast railroad was established in August 1870 at Strasburg, Colorado, with the completion of the Denver extension of the Kansas Pacific Railway.
Later use.
Promontory was the site of Promontory City during and shortly after the construction of the transcontinental railroad. However, by December 1869, the shops, tents, and store fronts were being dismantled as the traders and merchants moved to other towns. In January 1870, the train crews from the CP and UP had been relocated to Ogden, Utah, where Union Station had effectively become the meeting point of the two railroads. Promontory Station had a CP station agent and telegraph operator, a Chinese section gang, and gravel train crew. By June 1870, the population at Promontory Summit had been reduced to about 120 people. Most were employees of the CP railroad. The only exceptions were a hotel/eatery owner, his family, and 80 miners of copper sulfate.
The CP carried out extensive redevelopment of the rail infrastructure on Promontory Summit. The track was realigned, a roundhouse and turntable were built, and a freight depot and locomotive yard were added. It also gained extensive support facilities for workers, including a railroad eating stop, engine helper station, and quarters for the Chinese section crew.
In the final decades of the 19th century, Promontory Station was used by large ranching firms, such as those of John W. Kerr, John L. Edwards, and Charles Crocker, to ship their cattle to the stockyards in San Francisco and Chicago. At the turn of the 20th century, wheat farmers had begun to change the landscape around Promontory with farms and families. Promontory had a one-room school, as well as a commercial store/post office; it had become the main crossroads stop for small farms. However, during the droughts of the 1930s, individual farmers moved away from Promontory, leading to the consolidation of their lands into large holdings.
Decline.
Although Union Pacific engineers had initially considered a direct route across the Great Salt Lake, cost and schedule constraints forced them to opt for the surveyed line through Promontory. As trains became longer and heavier, additional engines were often required to pull them along the winding curves and up steep grades to the Promontory summit.
This changed when the Southern Pacific, which had acquired Central Pacific operations in 1885, built a wooden railroad trestle across the Great Salt Lake between Ogden and Lucin, between February 1902 and March 1904. The Lucin Cutoff completely bypassed Promontory Summit. The last regularly scheduled transcontinental passenger train to pass through Promontory station was on Sunday, September 18, 1904. When the Great Depression led to a dramatic fall in revenues from railroad traffic, the Southern Pacific decided to abandon the line when it failed to meet its operating costs. On September 8, 1942, an "unspiking" ceremony was held to commemorate the lifting of the last rail over Promontory Summit; the old steel rails were used for the war effort in World War II.
In the 1950s, the wooden trestle was replaced with a parallel concrete-stone causeway built by the Morrison-Knudsen construction company. Southern Pacific continued to maintain the wooden trestle as a backup for several decades, although its last significant rail traffic was in the early 1960s.
By the 1980s, the trestle's condition had begun to seriously deteriorate. Beginning in March 1993, the timber from the trestle has been salvaged and removed.
Preservation.
By the early 1950s, a number of re-enactments of the driving of the last spike had been held at Promontory Summit. The renewed interest led to a concerted effort to save the historic site. In 1957, local campaigners succeeded in getting the area recognized by the federal government, but without federal land ownership. The Southern Pacific, which still owned the right of way, agreed to give its holdings to the federal management. On July 30, 1965 the Act for the Golden Spike National Historic Site was signed into law. The area is administered by the National Park Service.
On the 110th anniversary of the "Golden Spike" on May 10, 1979, two purpose-built replicas of the "UP #119" and the "Jupiter #60" were brought together on a specially relaid 1.5-mile section of track. As the original "Jupiter" had been scrapped for iron in 1901 and "No. 119" had been broken up two years later, the two replica locomotives were built in California with $1.5 million of federal funds. They were reconstructed using scaled-up measurements taken from photographs of the original engines and reference to similar engines of the time.
The park, which has a visitor center and an engine house, is open throughout the year. Several walking trails and audio driving tours allow visitors to see the old cuts along the permanent way, highlighting the effort needed to construct the railroad over Promontory Summit. On every Saturday and holiday between May 1 and Labor Day, the two replica locomotives are lined up to re-enact the "Golden Spike" ceremony.
On the 150th anniversary of the completion of the railroad on May 10, 2019, the contributions of the 15,000 Chinese railroad workers were finally acknowledged. (Records of the Chinese railroad workers were not kept and it is believed thousands of people died laying those tracks because of treacherous territory, including having to cut through the cold of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the heat of the desert.) Many of the descendants of the Chinese workers were in attendance at Promontory Summit for the occasion. A traditional Chinese lion dance opened up the ceremony. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao (the first person of Chinese descent to hold the position), paid tribute to those Chinese workers.


Timmis system

Timmis was an innovative design of double coiled springs, originally used for railway rolling stock, such as on the Barsi Light Railway c1889, as formulated by Everard Calthrop (1857–1927).
Inventor.
The inventor was Illius Augustus Timmis
Patent.
US Patent 432341 was filled in 1889 and published in 1890.


AutoCAD Map 3D


Kwong-Chai Chu

Kwong-Chai Chu (; 12 December 1901 – 22 April 1992) was a Chinese hydraulic engineer, who received his CIE (Chinese Institute of Engineers) Award in 1947 for "his flood control engineering dealing with the unruly and turbulent Yellow River".
Biography.
According to an introduction in a book by Kwoh-Ting Li, former finance minister (1969-1976) of the Republic of China (p. 587):
"Mr. Kwong-Chai Chu was born in Xichuan County, Henan, and graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, Tongji University and subsequently Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) ... He had served as the Director of the Engineering Bureau since July 1946 for the restoration of the levees of the Yellow River near Huayuankou."
Legacy.
Several scholarships has been established under his name in several institutions, such as the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering (CICHE), Cheng Kung Cultural Foundation as well as National Cheng Kung University.


Jaw coupling

A jaw coupling is a type of general purpose power transmission coupling that also can be used in motion control (servo) applications. It is designed to transmit torque (by connecting two shafts) while damping system vibrations and accommodating misalignment, which protects other components from damage. Jaw couplings are composed of three parts: two metallic hubs and an elastomer insert called an element, but commonly referred to as a "spider". The three parts press fit together with a jaw from each hub fitted alternately with the lobes of the spider. Jaw coupling torque is transmitted through the elastomer lobes in compression.
Coupling.
The elastomer of the spider can be made in different materials and hardness, which allows the user to customize the coupling to best serve their application. Considerations for elastomer selection include ability to dampen vibration, ability to handle misalignment, operational temperature range, speed of equipment, and chemical conditions.
Jaw couplings are considered "fail-safe" because, should the elastomer fail or wear away, the jaw coupling hub teeth will mate, much like teeth on two gears, and continue to transmit torque. This may or may not be desirable to the user depending on the application.
Jaw couplings elastomers are wearing elements that do need to be inspected and replaced. Jaw coupling elastomers often have signature wear patterns, and failures can often be root caused based on the condition of the elastomer and hubs. Common failure causes include misalignment, over-torque, chemical exposure, temperature exposure, torsional vibrations, and hub failure.
Jaw couplings are available in both straight tooth jaw and curved jaw design. The straight tooth design enables elastomers to be attached and removed radially, including a "not fail-safe" jaw elastomer in-shear design. For the elastomer in-shear design, the coupling hub teeth are no longer inter-meshed, so an elastomer failure will result in no torque being transmitted. When used with a stiff elastomer, the curved jaw design can maintain a zero-backlash fit required for many motion control applications.
Zero-backlash curved jaw couplings are best suited for applications that rely on a stop-and-go type of movement, where accuracy needs to take place upon stopping in order to perform any number of precision tasks, such as taking a high resolution picture (machine vision system). Absorbing vibrations decreases the settling time the system needs, which increases through-put. The curved jaw coupling is less suited for applications that rely on a constant scanning type of motion, where accuracy is required "during" movement, which requires a torsionally stronger coupling.
Like other flexible couplings, jaw couplings are limited in the shaft misalignment that they can accommodate. Too much axial motion will cause the couplings to come apart, while too much angular or parallel misalignment will result in bearing loads that may lead to premature system wear or failure.
With its damping capability, interchangeable spiders, and wide variety of custom options, jaw couplings make a great solution for shock absorption and torque transmission in many applications.


Chaturbhuj Meher

Chaturbhuj Meher is an Indian weaver, considered by many as one of the master weavers of the Tie-dye handloom tradition of Odisha. Born on 13 October 1935 at Sonepur in Odisha, he had formal education only up to school level but learned the traditional weaving craft to join "Weavers' Service Centre" as a Weaver. "Vayan Vihar", a handloom factory and "Handloom Research and Training Center", a research institute in Sonepur have been founded by him and he is known to have trained over 10,000 craftsmen.
Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World and Bollywood actor is reported to have worn one of Meher's Sonepuri Sari creations on her wedding day, gifted by her mother-in-law, Jaya Bachchan. He is a recipient of the Odisha State Award twice, in 1991 and 1995, as well as awards such as Chinta O Chetana National Award (1992), Viswakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (1997) and Priyadarshini Award (2005). The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2005, for his contributions to Indian handloom sector.


Pierre Koukjian

Pierre Koukjian (born 1962 in Beirut) is an artist based in Geneva, Switzerland. His life work focuses mainly on contemporary art and watch design. His work can be found at the "Musée de l'Horlogerie" in Geneva.
His contemporary art ranges from oil on canvas to metal stainless steel sculptures and have been denoted as postmodernist by critics.
Watchmaking.
Pierre Koukjian has pioneered many advancements in the Swiss watchmaking industry. He later added to his creations various world premiere creations such as the double repeater and inlaying a tobacco leaf in the dial of a watch.
Contemporary art.
Pierre Koukjian's work in art were born from a need to explore new materials and way of expressing oneself on an art medium. He is mostly known for his critiques of Lebanese society with his neon piece "Electricity ON, Electricity OFF". A recent polemic in the contemporary art world has put Pierre Koukjian as the eye witness of the destruction of a painting during a Sotheby's auction where the artist said "a turning point in the history of contemporary and conceptual art." The timing, nature of his work, and enthusiasm about the whole situation has led to suspicions of Koukjian being in fact the original Banksy.
Awards and notable works.
Pierre Koukjian has won multiple awards for his work, amongst them the Tokyo "Unique design" award and the second best design in the "Grand Prix d'Horlogerie" in Geneva, 2003.
The sculpture "Haricot magique" is a public work exhibited at the roundabout of Cologny in Geneva, Switzerland.
The watch "Bichrono" is exhibited at the museum "Musée d'art et d'histoire" in Geneva, Switzerland.
The artist's recent work "Mass grave" depicting a used condom made of blown glass was chosen by the Princess Stéphanie of Monaco to be part of the auction "Fight aids Monaco" where the proceedings would go to help the fight against HIV/AIDS.


Mono Lake Committee

The Mono Lake Committee (MLC) is an environmental organization based in Lee Vining, California in the United States. Its mission is to preserve Mono Lake, by reducing diversions of water from the Eastern Sierra watersheds by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
Mono Lake.
Mono Lake is an alkaline lake east of Yosemite National Park, largely fed by streams from the Sierra Nevada; it has no natural outlet. In 1919 the level of the lake peaked at 6427' above sea level. Birds bred and nested on a few volcanic islands in the lake, sustained by the extensive brine shrimp and alkali flies, which also attracted large numbers of migratory birds.
In 1941, the LAWDP began redirecting water from the streams feeding Mono Lake into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. As time passed, this both reduced the level of the lake and dried out the lower sections of the source streams. By 1981 the level of the lake had been reduced to 6372' above sea level, with the lake's volume cut in half, and its salinity doubled. Negit Island, a breeding site for birds, developed a land bridge and became susceptible to land-based predators such as coyotes.
Formation of the Mono Lake Committee.
The Committee was founded in 1978 by David Gaines, David Winkler, and Sally Judy. In 1975, David Winkler, Jefferson Burch, and Christine Weigen obtained a grant, with help and encouragement from David Gaines, from the NSF to study the ecology of Mono Lake. He had found that, starting in 1941, LADWP's diversions of water from Mono Lake's inflow creeks had caused it to lose half its volume and double its salinity. These changes, Gaines reported, reduced the ability of the lake to support its saline ecosystem.
Mono Lake is an important habitat for migratory birds (including the California gull). The lowering of the water level endangered the bird nesting grounds on Negit Island in the middle of the lake: a land bridge had formed, which allowed predators to attack the bird nests.
LADWP Lawsuit.
In 1979, the MLC, along with the Audubon Society filed suit in Mono County, California Superior Court, claiming that LADWP's water diversions violated the public trust doctrine: that all navigable water must be managed for the benefit of everyone. In 1983, MLC won the argument in front of the California Supreme Court, who directed that the public trust doctrine overrides prior water rights.
Bruce Dodge, of Morrison and Foerster, served as the pro-bono attorney in the case.
Eventually, multiple litigations were adjudicated in 1994, by the California State Water Resources Control Board. In that ruling, LADWP was required to let enough water into Mono Lake to raise the lake level above the then-current level of below the 1941 level. As of 2018, the water level in Mono Lake has risen of the required . Los Angeles made up for the lost water through state-funded conservation and recycling projects.
Current Status and Activities.
The Mono Lake Committee currently monitors the status of the lake and the compliance of the LAWDP with the court decision, supports scientific research in the Mono Lake region, and is actively working on restoring the incoming stream environments. They also provide extensive educational activities to schools and the general public, and maintain an office, information center, and bookstore in Lee Vining, CA that also serves as the Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce.


Edwin Augustus Stevens Jr.

Edwin Augustus Stevens Jr. (March 14, 1858 – March 8, 1918) was an army officer, marine engineer, and naval architect. He was among the founders of Cox & Stevens in 1905, which became an influential and successful New York design firm.
Early life.
Stevens was born in Philadelphia in 1858, the son of Martha Bayard Dod (1831–1899) and Edwin Augustus Stevens (1795–1868), a well-known designer and founder of the Stevens Institute of Technology, and nephew of John Cox Stevens, founder of the New York Yacht Club and a driving force in the design of the yacht America and the competition for the America's Cup.
He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire and then entered Princeton University, graduating with an A.B. degree in 1879. He then enrolled at the Stevens Institute of Technology, graduating as an engineer.
Career.
His most notable personal achievement was the propeller driven double ended ferry, which is the most typical vehicle ferry in use today. The significance of his design was a shaft which could control propellers at both ends of the craft. Among the advantages was superior braking of the vessels, since paddle wheel propulsion systems could not effectively be reversed to slow the craft. Prior to propeller drives, double ended ferries had less usable width because of side wheel propulsion.
Cox & Stevens began in 1905 as a yacht design and commercial brokerage in New York City. The original principal partners were Daniel H. Cox, Irving Cox, and Edwin Augustus Stevens Jr. The firm continued under various names until the 1970s.
Personal life.
On October 28, 1879, he married Emily Contee Lewis (1857–1931) of Virginia. She was the great-granddaughter of Lawrence Lewis (1767-1839), George Washington's nephew, and Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, Washington's adopted daughter and step-granddaughter. Together, they had eight children:
Stevens died in 1918, six days before his 60th birthday, in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as a shipyard inspector under appointment by President Woodrow Wilson.


Canary Wharf railway station

Canary Wharf is a future railway station in Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs in London, England. The station forms an artificial island in the West India Docks (North Dock). The five upper levels of the station are a mixed-use development known as Crossrail Place. It will be on the Abbey Wood branch of the Crossrail route between and Custom House. Construction began in May 2009, and it is expected to start receiving passenger rail services in 2021. During the project's development the station was named "Isle of Dogs", before the current name was adopted. Construction will cost an estimated £500 million to complete.
The station will be one of the largest on the Crossrail route when it opens, providing Canary Wharf estate with a connection to the National Rail network and additionally an interchange with Canary Wharf station on the London Underground and Poplar DLR station on the Docklands Light Railway.
Design and construction.
The station is located beneath and within the West India North Dock on an artificial island. The station will extend from east of the Docklands Light Railway bridge to the east end of the dock. It stands within a long concrete box with a long island platform. It is fitted out to with the potential for extension should the need to operate longer trains arise.
Original design.
The main access point for the Crossrail station was to be the rebuilt Great Wharf Bridge. From this entrance there would have been a set of escalators to the concourse level, which will be located underwater. Another bank of escalators would take passengers to the platforms.
Construction of the station was to predominantly take place on Hertsmere Road, which runs parallel to the West India North Dock. This would have involved digging a wide shaft to the station depth of below the dock water-level to enable crew and equipment to begin boring the box that would form the station. The construction including fit-out and commissioning of the Hertsmere Road shaft was expected to take approximately four years whilst the same would take five years for the station.
Redesign and construction.
In December 2008 an extra £150 million of funding from the Canary Wharf Group was announced for the station. Work was due to commence in January 2009. As part of the deal Canary Wharf Group substantially redesigned the station, incorporating a large shopping centre and a park above the platforms situated in the middle of the dock.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the station was held on 15 May 2009.
Throughout 2009 the main focus was on installing 293 interlocking steel piles high and wide into the dock floor using ten-storey high piling cranes and Giken piling machines to form a cofferdam. As part of this, deep reinforced concrete piles were placed through each of the 293 tubes.
On 11 February 2010 Sadiq Khan, then Transport Minister, activated pumps designed to drain nearly 100 million litres () from the work site over the following six weeks. The pumps transferred water from inside the site's specially constructed cofferdam to the North Dock at a maximum rate of per minute.
A station 'box' was constructed in a dry environment in a similar technique to that used in the construction of the nearby Canary Wharf Underground station. Crossrail Place is the structure above the platforms and was partly opened on 1 May 2015. In September 2015, the station construction was completed and the focus has shifted to fitting the station screen doors, ticket machines and other things before the station is scheduled for opening.
Ownership.
While TfL Rail will operate services and manage the station as a train operating company and will form a part of National Rail, all infrastructure will be owned and maintained by Transport for London and not by Network Rail.


Taylor Davis (artist)

Taylor Davis (born 1959) is an American artist and teacher, best known for her innovative wood sculptures.
Early life and education.
Davis was born in Palm Springs, California, and grew up in the state of Washington.
Davis earned a Diploma of Fine Arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts; a Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Tufts University; and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.
Career.
Davis has been a professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design since 1999, and is also the co-chair of the sculpture program at Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. In fall 2008, she was visiting faculty member at the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University.
Her work has been widely shown across the United States, and Davis was included in the Whitney Biennial in 2004. Davis is represented by DODGEgallery, in New York City.
Artwork.
Davis incorporates commonplace industrial and construction materials into her work, sometimes with a rough finish (such as pieces of wood with the bark still attached), but often with a fine craftsmanlike finish and precision joinery. Even though her raw materials are everyday, mundane materials, she often sorts carefully through them, looking for the ideal wood grain or texture.
Much of Davis' best-known sculpture has been constructed from wood elements, such as 2x4 dimensional lumber, plywood, or wood moldings. For example, her "Untitled" (2001), in the permanent collection of the ICA Boston, has been compared to a shipping pallet, a garden gate, or a livestock enclosure. It is meticulously constructed of clear-grain pine, and conceals infinity mirrors inside, which reveal an infinite visual space within a simple everyday structure.
Davis has also exhibited non-sculptural artwork, including collages and works on canvas.


Brown Bunny (rainbow code)


Sibilla Hutton

Sibilla "Sibbie" Hutton ( – 1808) was a Scottish milliner and shopkeeper in 18th century Edinburgh. She became well known for operating a millinery in what today is Edinburgh City Chambers. She was a target of caricature for her fashion sense and "stout"ness.
Life.
Hutton was known as Sibbie. The place and date of her birth is unknown but her parents had married on 7 November 1742. Her father was the Reverend William Hutton and he was a dissenter in Dalkeith. Her mother was also a Sibella and she had been born Sibella Tunnock and her family were from Edinburgh.
Sibbie Hutton must have been a well known character as she is included when caricaturist John Kay needs to fill a coach with well known figures for one cartoon and her weight is a source of humour when she is included in another caricature showing her talking to private banker Mr Robert Johnstone, who is also "stout".
When John Kay created his "Original Portrait book" then Sibella appears in the second volume. The accompanying text describes her relationship with her father. According to the account he was worried that she was too obsessed with fashion, but Sibella doesn't care. She is said to have worn huge hats, ignoring her father's criticism, until the moment when they became unfashionable. However Kay never managed to publish his book. He did have difficulty with subjects objecting. It was said that many of his 900 engraving plates were bought by the subject of the plate to prevent publication. Kay's book was not published until about 1838. Her business was based in the impressive Royal Exchange buildings in Edinburgh where customers could visit and see her priced goods. Hutton visited London to buy the latest material and to see the latest fashions.
In 1781 Sibilla came into conflict with the Edinburgh authorities. She had created an extra bay window by removing a staircase. She had done this without first seeking permission and she received a demand that she restore her property to its original condition. She was told that she would face a fine of £100 if she failed to comply.
In 1790 she established her business in London. This business in time was managed by her sister, Mrs Nellie Kidd, who had a millinery and haberdashery business in Princes Street in Edinburgh
Hutton died in Edinburgh in 1808 although the exact day isn't recorded.


Shanghai University of Finance and Economics station

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (), formerly named Zhengli Road (), is a metro station under construction on the future Line 18 of the Shanghai Metro. Located at the intersection of Zhengli Road and Wuchuan Road in Yangpu District, Shanghai, the station is scheduled to open with the rest of phase one of Line 18 in 2020. It is located near the main campus of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. During the planning stage of Line 18, the station was also known as Wuchuan Road ().
It will also be a station on the proposed Shanghai Metro Line 20, as outlined in the five-year Shanghai urban rail transit plan by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2018.


HMS Grenville (H03)

HMS "Grenville" was the flotilla leader for the G-class destroyers, built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. She spent most of the pre-war period as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. The ship was transferred to the British Isles to escort shipping in local waters shortly after the beginning of World War II. In January 1940, "Grenville" struck a mine outside the Thames Estuary and sank with the loss of 77 of her crew.
Description.
"Grenville" displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship had an overall length of , a beam of and a draught of . She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of . Steam for the turbines was provided by three Yarrow side-fired, water-tube boilers. "Grenville" carried a maximum of of fuel oil that gave her a range of at . The ship's complement was 175 officers and men.
The ship mounted five 45-calibre 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns in single mounts. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, "Grenville" had two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun. She was fitted with two above-water quadruple torpedo tube mounts for torpedoes. One depth charge rail and two throwers were fitted; 20 depth charges were originally carried, but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began.
Service history.
Ordered in 1934, the ship was laid down by the Yarrow Shipbuilding Company at Scotstoun in Glasgow on 29 September 1934, launched on 15 August 1935, and completed on 1 July 1936. Excluding government-furnished equipment like the armament, the ship cost £275,412. Aside from a brief period when she was assigned to the 20th Destroyer Flotilla after her commissioning, "Grenville" spent the prewar period as the flagship of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla with the Mediterranean Fleet. She spent ten months deployed off the Spanish coast in the Western Mediterranean during the Spanish Civil War before returning to Portsmouth for a brief overhaul between 24 May and 9 June 1937. The ship returned to the Mediterranean until she was given a more thorough refit in Portsmouth between 7 June and 25 July 1938.
On the outbreak of war in September 1939, "Grenville" was deployed in the Mediterranean. On 22 October, "Grenville" and her sisters , and were transferred to the Western Approaches Command and arrived at Plymouth on 2 November. "Grenville" and "Grenade" collided during the night of 7/8 November and "Grenville"s No. 3 boiler room was flooded. She was under repair at HM Dockyard, Devonport until 1 December. While the ship was under repair, her flotilla had been transferred to the Nore Command at Harwich for local patrol and escort work. "Grenville" rejoined them the on 3 December and participated in several attempts to intercept enemy shipping traffic off the Dutch and German North Sea coasts. Whilst returning from one of these missions on 19 January "Grenville" struck a mine east of Kentish Knock Light Vessel. Seventy-seven of the ship's company were killed as the ship sank.


Paul McGill (luthier)

Paul McGill is an American luthier, specializing in classical, steel string as well as the originator of a unique type of resonator guitar based upon the Brazilian Del Vecchio designs of the 1930s.
In 1985, McGill moved to Nashville to work as a repairman for Gruhn Guitars. A seminal moment in his career occurred in late 1992, when Earl Klugh asked McGill to build a more refined version of a Del Vecchio resonator guitar that Klugh had received from Chet Atkins. Though Klugh enjoyed the Brazilian guitar's sound, he found it delicate, with poor intonation. Though McGill was apprehensive, fearing that building such an unusual instrument would ruin his reputation as a builder of classical guitars, he built the instrument as requested. Klugh loved the guitar, and immediately requested that McGill build others.
McGill guitars have been used as recording instruments by Chet Atkins, Earl Klugh, Muriel Anderson, Peter White, Marc Antoine, Jim Stafford, Wayne Wesley Johnson, Nokie Edwards, Don Potter, Steve Earl, Larry Koonse, John Standerfer, Beth Nielsen Chapman, And many more.
In 1998 McGill made his first Nylon string electric design, the "Super Ace". The guitar is the main nylon string performance instrument of both Peter White, and Marc Antoine.


Julian Castro

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Julián Castro ( , ; born September 16, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician from San Antonio. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the youngest member of President Obama's cabinet, serving as the 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017. Castro served as the mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas from 2009 until he joined Barack Obama's cabinet in 2014.
Castro was mentioned as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is the twin brother of Congressman Joaquin Castro. On January 12, 2019, Castro launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2020 in San Antonio. He dropped out of the presidential race on January 2, 2020, endorsing the candidacy of Elizabeth Warren soon after.
Early life and family.
Castro was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Maria "Rosie" Castro and Jessie Guzman. He is the identical twin brother of current United States Representative Joaquin Castro; Julián is one minute older than Joaquin: they were born at 2:40 and 2:41 am, respectively.
Castro is of Mexican descent. His mother is a Chicana political activist who helped establish the Chicano political party La Raza Unida, and who ran for the San Antonio City Council in 1971. Castro once stated, "My mother is probably the biggest reason that my brother and I are in public service. Growing up, she would take us to a lot of rallies and organizational meetings and other things that are very boring for an 8-, 9-, 10-year-old". His father, Jessie Guzman, is a retired mathematics teacher and political activist. Never married, Rosie and Jessie separated when Castro and his brother were eight years old. Castro's Texan roots trace back to 1920, when his grandmother Victoria Castro joined extended family members there as a six-year-old orphan from northern Mexico.
Education.
Castro attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he played football, basketball and tennis; he also collected trading cards. He skipped his sophomore year and graduated in 1992, ranking ninth in his class. He had received an offer to play tennis at Trinity University, an NCAA Division III school in his hometown, but chose to attend Stanford University.
Castro graduated from Stanford in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science and communications. He said he began thinking about entering politics while at Stanford, where he and his brother launched their first campaigns and won student senate seats, tying for the highest number of votes. Castro has credited affirmative action for his admission into Stanford, telling "The New York Times", "Joaquin and I got into Stanford because of affirmative action. I scored 1210 on my SATs, which was lower than the median matriculating student. But I did fine in college and in law school. So did Joaquin. I’m a strong supporter of affirmative action because I’ve seen it work in my own life". Between his sophomore and junior years, Castro worked as an intern at the White House during the presidency of Bill Clinton.
Castro entered Harvard Law School in 1997 and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2000. His brother graduated from both schools with him. After law school, the two brothers worked for the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld before starting their own firm in 2005.
In 2018, Castro was named as the Dean's Distinguished Fellow and Fellow of the Dávila Chair in International Trade Policy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
San Antonio city council.
In 2001, Castro was elected to the San Antonio City Council, winning 61 percent of the vote against five challengers. At age 26 he was the youngest city councilman in San Antonio history, surpassing Henry Cisneros, who won his council seat in 1975 at age 27. Castro represented District 7, a precinct on the city's west side with 115,000 residents. The population was 70 percent Hispanic and included a large number of senior citizens. As a councilman from 2001 to 2005, he opposed a PGA-approved golf course and large-scale real estate development on the city's outer rim.
Mayor of San Antonio.
Castro ran for mayor of San Antonio in 2005 and was widely viewed as the front runner in a field that also included retired judge Phil Hardberger and conservative city councilman Carroll Schubert. He was defeated by approximately 4000 votes when Hardberger received 51.5% of the votes in the runoff. Following his election defeat, Castro established his own law practice.
Castro ran for mayor of San Antonio again in 2009. Castro hired Christian Archer, who had run Hardberger's campaign in 2005, to run his own 2009 campaign. Castro won the election on May 9, 2009 with 56.23% of the vote, his closest opponent being Trish DeBerry-Mejia. He became the fifth Latino mayor in the history of San Antonio. He was the youngest mayor of a top-50 American city. Castro easily won re-election in 2011 and 2013, receiving 82.9% of the vote in 2011 and 67% of the vote in 2013.
In 2010, Castro created SA2020, a community-wide visioning effort. It generated a list of goals created by the people of San Antonio based on their collective vision for San Antonio in the year 2020. SA2020 then became a nonprofit organization tasked with turning that vision into a reality. Castro also established Cafe College in 2010, offering college guidance to San Antonio-area students. In 2012 he led a voter referendum to expand pre-kindergarten education. Castro persuaded two of the most prominent businessmen in San Antonio, Charles Butt and Joe Robles, to lead an effort to pass a $30 million sales tax to fund the pre-kindergarten education program.
In March 2010, Castro was named to the World Economic Forum's list of Young Global Leaders. Later that year, "Time" magazine placed him on its "40 under 40" list of rising stars in American politics.
Castro gained national attention in 2012 when he was the first Hispanic to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following the 2012 elections, Castro declined the position of United States Secretary of Transportation, partly with an eye on running for governor of Texas after 2017. However, in 2014, Castro accepted President Barack Obama's offer of the position of United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Castro resigned as mayor effective July 22, 2014, so that he could take up his duties in Washington. The San Antonio City Council elected councilmember Ivy Taylor to replace him.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
On May 22, 2014, the White House announced Castro as the nominee to be the next secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by President Barack Obama. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 9, 2014 by a vote of 71-26 and replaced Shaun Donovan, who was nominated to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He took office on July 28, 2014. Following the announcement, Castro was discussed as a potential nominee for vice president for the Democratic Party in the 2016 presidential election.
On July 28, 2014, his first day in office, Castro was honored at a reception called "Celebrating Latino Cabinet Members" hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
Upon exiting office in 2017, Castro's final memo outlined various accomplishments of the department under his leadership. These areas included HUD's work to stabilize the housing market, rebuild communities struck by natural disasters through a $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition, expansion of lead safety protections in federally assisted housing, and the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule to "finally fulfill the full obligation of the Fair Housing Act.
2016 presidential election.
On October 15, 2015, Castro endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. When Clinton was asked if Castro could be her pick for vice president, she said, "I am going to look really hard at him for anything because that's how good he is." Discussion of Castro as a candidate to run on the Democratic ticket with Hillary Clinton increased markedly in January 2016, as the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries approached. In late January, Castro began to campaign for Clinton in Iowa, a move interpreted as a test of his appeal to the electorate. In July 2016, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel issued a finding that Castro had violated the Hatch Act by commenting on the 2016 campaign while giving an interview in an official capacity; Castro admitted the error and ordered his team to improve training on the Hatch Act.
Memoir.
In October 2018, Castro published his memoir, "An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream" through Little, Brown and Company.
2020 presidential campaign.
In 2018, Castro visited the first in the nation New Hampshire primary state, and delivered the commencement address at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, on May 12, 2018. Castro stated that he would make his decision on whether to run in 2020 after the November 2018 mid-term elections. On December 12, 2018, Castro announced the formation of an exploratory committee. The next day, during an episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", Julián's brother Joaquin (during a joint appearance by both brothers) stated that he confidently believes that Julián will be running for president.
Castro formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election on January 12, 2019 at a rally in San Antonio. His brother, Congressman Joaquín Castro, and their mother introduced him at the rally. Castro would have been the first Democratic presidential nominee since 1924 to not have first served as vice president, governor or senator, and the first Hispanic or Latino nominee for president. He was the first Texan in the 2020 race and would have been the third-youngest president if elected. In his announcement, Castro emphasized Medicare-For-All, universal pre-K, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as part of comprehensive immigration reform. In 2019, he purchased a Fox News ad in order to speak directly to Donald Trump about the El Paso shooting. Despite referring to his healthcare plan as Medicare For All, his position was actually a public option rather than the single-payer plan proposed by Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal.
Castro suspended his presidential campaign on January 2, 2020. "¡Ganaremos un día!" he said in Spanish, which translates to "One day we'll win!"
On January 6, Castro endorsed Elizabeth Warren.
During the third Democratic Presidential Debate, Castro was accused of ageism after he attacked Joe Biden in a heated exchange over health care plains with Castro taunting Biden saying "Are you forgetting what you just said two minutes ago", repeating it multiple times. Castro was rebuked for his remarks by various members of the candidates on stage including, Andrew Yang, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg. Castro was widely criticized for what was seen as a "low blow", and with many accusing Castro of "bullying", and engaging in "ageism". Journalist Gayle King saw the interaction as a "personal attack". On "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", Stephen Colbert described the interaction as both "mean and inaccurate", since Castro was factually incorrect in his attack against Biden according to Politifact.
Many remarked that the exchange was the beginning of the end of Castro's presidential campaign. Castro has defended his attack against Biden saying he "wouldn't do it differently" and insisted he wasn't making fun of Biden."
Post-presidential campaign.
On January 6, 2020, Castro endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic Party nomination for president. The following night, January 7, 2020, Castro gave a speech formally supporting Warren during her campaign rally in Brooklyn, New York. Castro was a 'partner' in Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign but failed to win Texas for Warren. Castro's political future is unknown. On June 2, 2020, Castro endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
In September of 2020, Castro partnered with Lemonada Media to launch "Our America with Julián Castro,” a weekly podcast discussing America’s past and possibilities.
In October 2020, Castro joined the Board of Directors of the Center for American Progress, a center-left think tank founded by John Podesta.
Political positions.
Economy.
Castro "believes in balanced budgets". He also supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Trade.
Castro is a supporter of national and international trade regulation. He has been a strong supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement while serving as mayor of San Antonio, but has also said that the agreement should be renegotiated to "strengthen worker and environmental protections".
Education.
Castro supports universal pre-kindergarten, and managed to institute a pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds, funded by higher local taxes, while serving as mayor of San Antonio. He also supports making the first two years of higher education tuition-free.
Healthcare.
Castro has called for universal health care and Medicare for All, and indicated he would consider funding such a program by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy. He has supported the Affordable Care Act. His campaign's healthcare plan calls for a public option.
Environment.
Castro supports the Paris climate accord, and has criticized President Trump's withdrawal from the agreement. While in office, Castro worked with companies to promote their transition to renewable energy. He has voiced support for a Green New Deal.
In the past, Castro has advocated for an "energy policy that includes fossil fuels" while also "pointing out the benefits of fossil fuel jobs".
Foreign policy.
Syria.
Castro has endorsed a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria while also criticizing Trump's approach to the issue.
China.
Castro voiced support for Hong Kong protesters. He wrote that "The United States must lead with our values and speak out for pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, and not allow American citizens to be bullied by an authoritarian government."
Campaign finance.
Castro has stated that he is "not going to take any PAC money" as a presidential candidate, and has encouraged others to do the same. He had however formed a PAC (Opportunity First) in 2017 which mostly covered his running expenses while also donating to several dozen "young, progressive" Democratic politicians.
Social issues and civil rights.
Abortion.
Castro is pro-choice, and has "vigorously" opposed state laws limiting abortion access after the 20th week of pregnancy and other restrictions.
LGBT rights.
Castro has been an advocate for LGBT rights and, as mayor, opposed the law in Texas (later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court) that denied legal recognition to same-sex marriages. He is also a member of Washington D.C. based think tank the Inter-American Dialogue. Castro was the first San Antonio mayor to serve as the grand marshal of the city's Pride Parade in 2009 and in 2011 led a push to offer domestic partner benefits in the city. In 2012, he joined mayors across the country in signing the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" petition for same-sex marriage equality.
Castro said in a tweet that transgender persons should be allowed to serve in the armed forces.
In his remarks during the first round of 2019 Democratic Presidential debates, Castro pledged to make abortions available to trans men, mistakenly referring to them as trans women. He later rectified himself to include all trans and non-binary people after having been corrected on Twitter.
In an interview with Mara Keisling of TransEquality, Julian Castro decried the treatment of trans people as second-class citizens.
Gun rights.
Castro supports tighter gun control and has supported the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, limiting access to high-capacity magazines, and closing the gun show loophole.
Affirmative action.
Castro has backed affirmative action.
Immigration.
Castro supports a path to citizenship for most undocumented residents of the US, has opposed President Trump's "border wall" plan, and has said that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency needs to be "reconstituted" and that illegal immigration should be treated as a civil offense instead of a criminal one. Additionally, he asserted in the first Democratic primary candidate debates on June 26, 2019 that he would repeal Section 1325 of Title 8 of the U.S. criminal code, which would decriminalize illegal entry into the U.S., rendering unlawful entry a civil offense instead of a criminal one.
Personal life.
In 2007, Castro married Erica Lira, an elementary school teacher. They had a daughter in 2009 and a son in December 2014. He is Catholic. He is not a native Spanish speaker, but he began learning the language in 2010 while serving as mayor of San Antonio. He also studied Latin and Japanese in school.


Gabalfa railway station

Gabalfa is a proposed railway station which would be constructed on the Merthyr Line as part of the South Wales Metro. It is included as part of the Wales & Borders franchise and is planned to open in 2028.


Jennifer Ouellette (milliner)

Jennifer Ouellette is a milliner based in New York City and Santiago de los Caballeros. She designs hats for both men and women, in addition to headbands and other hair accessories for the "everyday modern girl." Ouellette's headbands and hair accessories are distinctive in that traditional millinery techniques are used to ensure a comfortable and secure fit, like a well-designed hat.
Early life and education.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Ouellette developed her appreciation for fashion and millinery at her mother's vintage clothing store where she was exposed to historic silhouettes and learned to breathe new life into classic lines. Her father is an industrial designer with 45 US patents specializing in complex packaging. Ouellette adopted his philosophy of craftsmanship, quality and conscience and earned her first utility patent for headband construction in 1999.
After graduating from Kirkwood High School in 1989, she went on to study Textile and Apparel Management and Theater Design at the University of Missouri. Thereafter, she attended the London College of Fashion. and worked as an apprentice for the major London-based milliner Stephen Jones.
Business.
Starting her company in 1996, Ouellette delivered her first official order to Barneys New York in the same year. Her work has since been featured in "Vogue", "Elle", "Marie Claire", "T Magazine", "People", and "Women's Wear Daily", among others. She designed the headdress and handbag for Sarah Jessica Parker's 1997 wedding. Other celebrity clients include Penélope Cruz, Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears.
In 2007, Ouellette opened a studio in Hudson Heights, Manhattan. As of 2015, Ouellette's private studio and showroom is located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. In addition to her New York studio, Ouellette has a smaller studio based in Santiago, in the Dominican Republic. Although more expensive than outsourcing to China and India, Ouellette has expressed appreciation for the Dominicans' fine hand-sewing.
Exhibitions.
Ouellette's work was featured in the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition "Hats: an Anthology", curated by Stephen Jones. When the exhibit traveled to the Bard Graduate Center in New York, Ouellette was one of several local milliners (including Rod Keenan and Eugenia Kim) to have millinery designs included in the exhibition. One of her designs in the exhibition featured a straw cityscape applied to a straw pagoda shape on a headband, which Ouellette said was in tribute to New York's resilience following the events of 9/11.


George-Emile Eberhard

Georges Eberhard (1865–1926) was a Swiss watchmaker and industrialist who founded Eberhard & Co..
Biography.
Early life.
Georges-Lucien Eberhard was born in 1865 in Saint-Imier, the son of a prominent Bernese family tracing its origins back to the 10th century. The Eberhard family had been instrumental in the early development of the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Georges's father initiated him to the art of watch making. Eberhard was only 22 when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the historic birthplace of the watch-making industry, where he founded its own factory, Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard's watch-making genius and sense of business turned his factory into one of the largest Swiss watch manufacturers by 1909. Symbolic of its success was the group's new headquarters inaugurated that year. The buildings take an entire block at the very center of rue Leopold Robert, La Chaux-de-Fonds's main avenue. The five-story building was reminiscent of the 19th century Paris works of Georges-Eugène Haussmann, designed in the distinctive "Beaux Arts" style with a round tower topped by an impressive eagle sculpture that has become one of the city's most well known landmarks, and its highest construction until the 1960s.
In 1919, Eberhard passed the company's executive leadership to his sons, Georges and Maurice.
Later life.
In his later life, Eberhard became the patriarch of one of the wealthiest and most prominent industrialist family of Switzerland. By the time of his death, his children and grandchildren had married into several of the elite industrialist families of the Swiss watchmaking industry, the Blums, Vogels and Ditisheims, and thus were in an ownership position of many of the largest brands of the industry: Eberhard & Co., Ebel, Movado, Vulcain, Solvil et Titus or Paul Ditisheim.


Ernst Homberger

Ernst Jakob Homberger (5 July 1869 – 13 January 1955) was a Swiss industrialist. He was the director of the company Georg Fischer from 1902 and the director of the watch manufacturer International Watch Company from 1905.
Family and early life.
Homberger was born in 1869. He attended schools in St. Gallen and Zürich, and received a trade education at a school in Neuchâtel. He married Bertha Margaretha Rauschenbach in 1903, a daughter of Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk. In the same year, his wife's sister Emma Rauschenbach married the psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Homberger and his wife had three sons who became notable rowers: Hans Homberger (1908–1986), Rudolf Homberger (1910–?), and Alex Homberger (1912–2007).
Professional career.
After his education, Homberger started his working life in trading companies and banks in Zürich and London. He then worked for a bank in the West Indies. He returned to Switzerland in 1896 and worked for Kraftübertragungswerke Rheinfelden, a newly-formed company that had the concession for a hydroelectric generation plant in the Rhine. Homberger quickly rose to become the company's authorised representative and was head of accounting.
Homberger entered the management of the Georg Fischer company in Schaffhausen on behalf of a bank and soon purchased company shares for himself. Since 1902, Homberger was the company's commercial director. Through his 1903 marriage he became involved in the International Watch Company together with his brother-in-law Carl Jung. When Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk died in 1905, both Jung and Homberger became shareholders alongside their wives, and Homberger became managing director. Homberger became sole owner in 1929 when he bought out Jung.
In 1952, the University of St. Gallen awarded an honorary economics doctorate (Dr. oec. h. c.) to Homberger. When Homberger died on 13 January 1955, his son Hans took over the company.