The Lavo Kingdom was a political entity (mandala) on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River in the Upper Chao Phraya valley from the end of Dvaravati civilization, in the 7th century, until 1388. The original center of Lavo civilization was Lavo (modern Lopburi), but the capital shifted southward to Ayodhaya, the port city on the right side of the Ayutthaya island around the 11th century, whereupon the state was incorporated into the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century.

Before the 9th century, Lavo, together with Si Thep and , was the center of the mandala-style state, Canasapura; however, due to the weather-induced migration, Si Thep and Sema lost its power, and Lavo became the only center of power in the area until it fell under Khmer hegemony during the 10th to 11th centuries.

History

Background

Dvaravati and Mon domination

The area of Dvaravati (what is now Thailand) was first inhabited by Mon people who had arrived and appeared centuries earlier. The foundations of Buddhism in central Southeast Asia were laid between the 6th and 9th centuries when a Theravada Buddhist culture linked to the Mon people developed in central and northeastern Thailand. Theravadin Buddhists believe that Enlightenment can be obtained only by one living the life of a monk (and not by a layman). Unlike Mahayana Buddhists, who admit the texts of numerous Buddhas and Bodhisattvas into canon, Theravadans venerate only the Buddha Gautama, the founder of the religion. The Mon Buddhist kingdoms that rose in what are now parts of Laos and Central Plain of Thailand were collectively called Dvaravati.

The Mon of Lavo

According to the Northern Thai Chronicles, Lavo was founded by Phraya Kalavarnadishraj, who came from Takkasila in 648 CE. According to Thai records, Phraya Kakabatr from Takkasila (it is assumed that the city was Tak or Nakhon Chai Si) set the new era, Chula Sakarat in 638 CE, which was the era used by the Siamese and the Burmese until the 19th century. His son, Phraya Kalavarnadishraj founded the city a decade later.

King Kalavarnadishraj used the name "Lavo" as the name of the kingdom, which came from the Hindu name "Lavapura", meaning "city of Lava", in reference to the ancient South Asian city of Lavapuri (present-day Lahore).

The only native language found during early Lavo times is the Mon language. However, there is debate whether Mon was the sole ethnicity of Lavo. Some historians point out that Lavo was composed of mixed Mon and Lawa people (a Palaungic-speaking people), with the Mons forming the ruling class. It is also hypothesized that the migration of Tai peoples into Chao Phraya valley occurred during the time of the Lavo kingdom.

Theravada Buddhism remained a major belief in Lavo although Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism from the Khmer Empire wielded considerable influence. Around the late 7th century, Lavo expanded to the north. In the Northern Thai Chronicles, including the Cāmadevivaṃsa, Camadevi, the first ruler of the Mon kingdom of Hariphunchai, was said to be a daughter of a Lavo king.

Few records are found concerning the nature of the Lavo kingdom. Most of what we know about Lavo is from archaeological evidence. Tang dynasty chronicles records that the Lavo kingdom sent tributes to Tang as Tou-ho-lo. In his diary, the monk Xuanzang referred to Dvaravati-Lavo as Tou-lo-po-ti, which seems to echo the name Dvaravati, as a state between Chenla and the Pagan Kingdom. By the Song dynasty, Lavo was known as Luówō ().

According to the O Smach Inscription, from 925 to 927, a great battle between three Mon Kings, including King Rathasatkara or Trapaka () of Haripuñjaya Kingdom, King Uchitthaka Chakkawat or Ucchitta Emperor (อุฉิฎฐกะจักรวรรดิ/อุจฉิตตจักรพรรดิ) of Lavo Kingdom, and King Jivaka or Suchitra (พระเจ้าชีวก/พระเจ้าสุชิตราช) of Siridhammana (Nakhon Si Thammarat), was recorded. The battle caused Lavo's capital, Lavapür (ลวปุระ), to be destroyed and left abandoned, and then the area was taken over by the Khmer Empire during the reign of Suryavarman I about eighty years later, around 1006.

Khmer cultural vassalization

Isanavarman I of the Chenla Kingdom expanded Khmer influence to the Chao Phraya valley through his campaigns around the 7th century. Dvaravati cities that fell under Khmer hegemony became Lavo, while the Western cities were spared from Khmer hegemony and formed Suvarnabhumi. Lavo was the center from which Khmer authority ruled over the Dvaravati.

Around the 10th century, the city-states of Dvaravati merged into two mandalas – the Lavo (modern Lopburi) and Suvarnabhumi (modern Suphan Buri). According to a legend in the Northern Chronicles, in 903, a king of Tambralinga invaded and took Lavo and installed a Malay prince to the Lavo throne. The Malay prince was married to a Khmer princess who had fled an Angkorian dynastic bloodbath. The son of the couple contested for the Khmer throne and became Suryavarman I, thus bringing Lavo under Khmer domination through personal union. Suryavarman I also expanded into Isan, constructing many temples.

Arrival of Tai

Modern Thai historians think the Tai peoples originated in northern Vietnam and Guangxi province in China. The origin of the Tai peoples were living in northern Southeast Asia by the 8th century.   Five linguistic groups emerged: the northern Tai in China (ancestors of Zhuang); the upland Tai people in northern Vietnam (ancestors of the Black, White and Red Tai); the Tais in northeastern Laos and bordering Vietnam (ancestors of the Tai of Siang Khwang and the Siamese in Ayutthaya); the Tai in northern Laos; and the Tai west of Luang Prabang, northern Thailand and in the adjoining parts of Laos, Yunnan and Burma. The Tai people had emigrated in the area what is now Thailand around 11th century, the land was already inhabited by Mon and Khmer speaking peoples, who had arrived earlier.

Tai Villages and Mueang

Tai peoples lived in the lowland and river valleys of mainland Southeast Asia. Assorted ethnic and linguistic group lived in the hills. The Tai village consisted of nuclear families working as subsistence rice farmers, living in small houses elevated above the ground. Households bonded together for protection from external attacks and to share the burden of communal repairs and maintenance. Within the village, a council of elders was created to help settle problems, organise festivals and rites and manage the village. Village would combine to form a Mueang (), a group of villages governed by a Chao () (lord). When Tai people settled in Central Plain of Thailand, the Cambodian ruler named them Siem () in the Khmer language. The Tai lords adopted both Mon alphabet and Khmer alphabet, which the Tai developed into their own writing systems as Tai Tham alphabet, for the Thai Yuan people in the north, and Khom-Thai alphabet, for the Siamese Tai in the lower region. The Siamese also called themselves as Tai or Thai and called Lavo as "Lopburi" in Tai dialect language.

Settled in the rural fringes of the Khmer Empire and in upper Laos, the Tai peoples, united by their lords, were becoming a formidable threat to the Khmer Empire. Despite intermarriage between the Tai and the Khmer ruling families, the Tai people kept their distinct cultural and ethnic identity, retaining their own languages and units of social organisation.

Emergence of Tai city states

Siamese Lavo (11th century)
The formidable political control exercised by the Angkor Empire extended not only over the centre of the Khmer province, where the majority of the population was Khmer, but also to outer border provinces likely populated by non-Khmer peoples—including areas to the north and northeast of modern Bangkok, the lower central plain and the upper Ping River in the Lamphun-Chiang Mai region.

The Tai people were the predominant non-Khmer groups in the areas of central Thailand that formed the geographical periphery of the Khmer Empire. Tai groups were probably assimilated into Khmer population. Historical records show that they maintained their cultural distinctiveness, although their animist religion partially gave way to Buddhism. Tai historical documents note that the period of the Angkor Empire was one of great internal strife. During the 11th and 12th centuries, territories with a strong Tai presence, such as Lavo or Lopburi (in what is now north-central Thailand), resisted Khmer control.

In the 11th century, Lavo was governed by a Cambodian prince, as a part of vassal state of the Khmer Empire of Angkor, However, Lavo wanted liberation and sought acknowledgement from China (Song dynasty) in 1001 and 1155 as an independent state. Lavo's large Tai population and its roots in the Dvaravati did not assimilate well with the Khmer civilisation, and in Khmer writings Lopburi was considered a province of Angkor that had a Syamese (Siamese) identity.

The Khmer influences on Lavo began to wane as a result of the growing influence of the emerging Burmese kingdom of Pagan. In 1087, Kyansittha of Pagan invaded Lavo, but King Narai of Lavo was able to repel the Burmese invasion and Lavo, emerging relatively stronger from the encounter, was thus spared from either Khmer or Burmese hegemony. King Narai moved the capital to Ayodhaya and Lavo was then able to exert pressure on Suvarnabhumi to the west and slowly to take its cities.

Yet another wave of Khmer invasions arrived under Jayavarman VII. This time, Lavo was assimilated into the religious cosmos of the Khmer Empire – Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. Khmer influence was great on Lavo arts and architecture as seen in the Prang Sam Yot.

In 1239, the Tai governor of Sukhothai rebelled and declared independence from Lavo – giving birth to the Sukhothai Kingdom. In Northern Thai chronicles Lavo is called “Khom”, and during the 13th century the Lavo kingdom shrank swiftly due to the expansion of Sukhothai under Ram Khamhaeng the Great, retreating to its heartland around Lavo and Ayodhaya.

The Kingdom of Lavo, Lo-hu, sent embassies to China between 1289 and 1299. in 1349 Xiān people of Sukhothai become united with the people of Lo-hu, the new kingdom named Xiānluó (暹羅) by the chinese. However, Xiān might refer to the Suphannaphum Kingdom of Suphanburi Province.

Merger with Ayutthaya kingdom
In 1350, Uthong, who had been a post-Angkorian ruler of one of the cities in Lower Chao Phraya Valley and Borommarachathirat I of Suvarnabhumi (modern Suphan Buri) co-founded a Ayutthaya city, an island on intersection of three rivers; Chao Phraya River, Lopburi River and Pa Sak River, and Uthong became the king of the city. But Borommarachathirat I took Ayutthaya from Uthong's son Ramesuan in 1370 and then Ramesuan retreated back to Lavo. In 1388 Ramesuan took revenge by taking Ayutthaya back from Borommarachathirat I's son, Thonglan. Borommarachathirat I's nephew Intharacha took Ayutthaya back for Suphannaphum dynasty in 1408. Uthong dynasty was then purged and became a mere noble family of Ayutthaya until the 16th century.

There are many theories about Uthong's origin, according to HRH Prince Chula Chakrabongse, he was thought to have been a descendant of Mangrai. Van Vliet's chronicles, a seventeenth-century work, stated that King Uthong was a Chinese merchant who established himself at Phetchaburi before moving to Ayutthaya. Tamnan Mulla Satsana, a sixteenth-century Lanna literature, stated that King Uthong was from Lavo Kingdom.

After the foundation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century, Lavo was incorporated into a major stronghold of Ayutthaya Kingdom. It became the capital of the kingdom during the reign of King Narai in the mid-17th century and the king resided there about eight months a year.

See also
Locach
History of Lopburi

References

Former countries in Thai history
Mon people
Former countries in Southeast Asia
Former monarchies of Asia
Lopburi province
Indianized kingdoms
450 establishments
States and territories disestablished in 1388
1380s disestablishments in Asia
5th-century establishments in Thailand
14th-century disestablishments in Thailand
1st millennium in Thailand
2nd millennium in Thailand
Ancient Thailand
History of Lopburi
History of Central Region (Thailand)
Former monarchies of Southeast Asia
Tributaries of Imperial China


Phyllis Mundy (born January 31, 1948) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and former minority chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Biography
She is a graduate of Kingston High School and Bloomsburg University. Prior to her time in the State House, she was a French teacher and later, the manager of a multimillion dollar manufacturing facility. She was heavily involved with the Junior League, was President of the Wilkes-Barre chapter of the League of Women Voters, and served on the Luzerne County Property tax reform commission. A current and longtime resident of Kingston, Pennsylvania, Mundy represented the 120th legislative district of her state from 1991 to 2014. Given that the district, at the time, was 60 percent Republican, Mundy's landslide victory was considered a political upset, as was her enormous reelection victory in 1992.

In her 24-year service as a member of the General Assembly in Harrisburg, Mundy was a vehement supporter of environmental protection laws and state programs to boost early childhood education. She earned high ratings from the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group that gave Mundy a 100% rating recently, and AFL-CIO, which consistently gave Mundy high marks for her support of working families.

In her career, Mundy's signature policy achievements included leading successful efforts to pass bills that expanded care for senior citizens, improved the rights of foster children, provided stronger home visitation services for low-income expectant mothers, boosted pre-K education, cut property taxes, and expanded prescription drug coverage for seniors.

At home in the Kingston area, Mundy enjoyed broad popular support among voters of both parties in her district. Indeed, in two cases, she had no Republican opponent in reelection campaigns, including in 2004 and 2008. Her exceptional constituent service, constant visits in her district to attend local events and festivals, and her close ties to thousands of voters all contributed to her huge personal popularity. In addition to such attributes, Mundy's policy positions and votes were generally smiled upon by voters in her district. Most notably, her successful effort in 2005 to stop health care cost hikes at Blue Cross Blue Shield for residents of her district and her 2010 proposal for a one-year ban on new Marcellus Shale drilling permits both earned her widespread approval. Nonetheless, it is evident that one political reality aided Mundy in particular: her district became more compact and contiguous and thus increasingly Democratic in voter registration in her last decade in office, reaching 56 percent by 2012. Also, her hometown of Kingston, once heavily Republican, became mostly Democratic during the late 2000s.

Mundy's popularity translated into large election victories when she had a Republican opponent. Indeed, in 2000, 2002, and 2006, Mundy won 64 percent, 65 percent, and 75 percent of the vote, respectively.

Mundy easily won reelection in her last campaign in November 2012 by a 56% to 44% margin.  On December 2, 2013, Mundy announced she would not run for reelection to a 13th term in the 2014 elections and that she would retire at the end of her term on November 30, 2014.

In retirement Mundy serves on the Boards of Maternal and Family Health Services (Secretary), Luzerne County Head Start, Area Agency on Aging of Luzerne/Wyoming Counties (Chairman), Anthracite Scenic Trails Assn. (ASTA) and the Vestry of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church where she serves as Stewardship Chair. She was also appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to serve on the Early Learning Investment Commission and the Governor's Office of Administration Advisory Board. Most recently Mundy became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for foster or care dependent children. Her greatest pleasure in retirement is spending time with her son Brian, daughter-in-law April and grandsons Mason and Bryce.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Phyllis Mundy (Democrat) Official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Phyllis Mundy Official Party website
 Phyllis Mundy for State Representative

1948 births
Living people
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania alumni
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Women state legislators in Pennsylvania
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians


John T. Yudichak (born May 1, 1970) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for 14th District from 2011 to 2022. He previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 119th district from 1999 to 2010.

Early life and education
John Yudichak was born on May 1, 1970, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Joseph and Sarah Yudichak. Both Yudichak's father and grandfather were coal miners. His father was also a longtime supervisor in Plymouth Township. Yudichak graduated from Nanticoke Area High School in 1988, and attended Wyoming Seminary for one year before transferring to the Pennsylvania State University.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1993 and a Master of Arts degree in American Studies from Pennsylvania State University in 2004.

Career
Yudichak worked as an intern for U.S. Representative Paul E. Kanjorski before serving as director of development at the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre. In 1996, he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Stanley Jarolin for the Democratic nomination for the 119th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, losing by 600 votes. However, he ran for the nomination again in 1998, and defeated Jarolin by more than 800 votes. In the general election, he defeated Republican Jean Sepling.

Yudichak was elected to the State Senate in 2010. He easily won the Democratic nomination for the 14th District seat (being vacated by Democratic incumbent Ray Musto) when he defeated Wilkes-Barre mayor Tom Leighton by a 2 to 1 margin in the May 18, 2010, primary. Yudichak won the general election on November 2, 2010, defeating Luzerne County Commissioner Stephen Urban.

On November 19, 2019, Yudichak changed his voter registration from Democrat to Independent, and ceased to caucus with the Democrats, caucusing instead with the Republican majority. He blamed his party switch on "purist" partisan politicians "who demand that you choose a battle camp. You must pass their litmus test, and declare if you support ‘us,’ or ‘them.’" Yudichak would later say the friction between him and the Democratic Party was because of Progressive  Democrats who opposed the expansion of Pennsylvania's energy industry, and "demonize[d]" blue-collar workers.

On March 17, 2022, Yudichak announced he would not seek re-election, after the redistricting process shifted his district to the Lehigh Valley and placed his home in the 20th Senate District.

References

External links
 Pennsylvania Senate - John Yudichak (Democrat) official PA Senate website
 Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus - John Yudichak official Party website

1970 births
Living people
Politicians from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania state senators
Pennsylvania Democrats
Pennsylvania Independents
Pennsylvania State University alumni
21st-century American politicians
Wyoming Seminary alumni
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators


Edward G. Staback (July 2, 1937 – November 19, 2022) was an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 115th District from 1985 to 2012. A  Democrat, Staback also served on the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners in 2015.

Early life and education
Staback was born on July 2, 1937, in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, the son of Irene (née Zipay) and Adolph Staback. He graduated from Saint Patrick's High School in 1955 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics from King's College in 1959.

Political career
Staback was first elected to represent the 115th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1984. He served a total of fourteen terms in the House before retiring in 2012.

In 2015, Staback was chosen to fill a vacancy on the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners left by the resignation of Corey O'Brien. He was sworn-in on March 13, 2015. He chose not to seek re-election in November and his term expired in January 2016.

Personal life and death
Staback died on November 19, 2022, at the age of 85, while on a hunting trip, in Nebraska, with his son.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Edward Staback (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Edward Staback official Party website

1937 births
2022 deaths
21st-century American politicians
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
People from Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Lackawanna County Commissioners (Pennsylvania)


James Wansacz (born June 8, 1972) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2000 through 2010. He was first elected in a special election held on June 20, 2000 and served until his retirement in 2010 after an unsuccessful run for the State Senate. In 2011, Wansacz was elected to serve on the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners.  In the 2015 Democratic primary, he was defeated for renomination by former Democratic chairman Jerry Notarianni and Republican-turned-Democrat Patrick O'Malley.

References

External links

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
1972 births
Politicians from Scranton, Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni

Lackawanna County Commissioners (Pennsylvania)


The 1988 Enzed Sandown 500 was an endurance race for Group 3A Touring Cars. The event was held at the Sandown International Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 11 September 1988 over 129 laps of the 3.9 km circuit, a total distance of 503 km. This was the last time that the 3.9 km International configuration of the Sandown circuit was used for Australian touring car racing. The race was the 23rd running of the "Sandown enduro".

1988 would be the only year that New Zealand based hydraulic hose and connector repair company Enzed, a former sponsor of Larry Perkins, would sponsor the event.

Allan Moffat and Gregg Hansford won the race in their Eggenberger Motorsport built Ford Sierra RS500. It was Moffat's 6th and final Sandown enduro win having previously won in 1969, 1970, 1974, 1982 and 1983. It was also Moffat's final race win as a driver in Australia. Second was the new Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV of Larry Perkins and Denny Hulme, while third after numerous troubles was the pole winning Sierra of Dick Johnson and John Bowe.

Class B was won by the Mobil 1 Racing BMW M3 of Peter Brock, Jim Richards and David Parsons which finished 7th outright, 7 laps down on the Moffat/Hansford Sierra. Class C was won by the Nissan Gazelle of David Sala and Ross Burbidge which finished 11th outright, 20 laps down on the Sierra.

The race was broadcast live throughout Australia by the ABC with commentary provided by Will Hagon, Peter Gee and Melbourne motor racing personality "Captain" Peter Janson.

Class structure
The race was contested in three displacement classes:
 Class A: Outright
 Class B: 2001 cc to 3000 cc
 Class C: Up to 2000 cc

Results

Qualifying
Grid positions were determined by three 30 minute qualifying sessions. The first ten positions were:

Race

Note: Car 13 was still running at the finish of the race but had not completed 75% of the race winners' distance.

Statistics
 Pole Position - #17 Dick Johnson - 1:46.94
 Winners' race time: 4 hrs 4 mins 11.24 sec
 Fastest Lap - #17 John Bowe - 1:47.65 (lap 81 - new lap record)

Race name
Sources differ in referring to the race as either the Enzed Sandown 500 or simply as the Enzed 500. The former is used in the Official Program and in the Provisional Results and has been used here.

See also
1988 Australian Touring Car season

References

Further reading
 Mike Jacobson, Moffat's Sandown, Australian Auto Action, September 16, 1988, pages 10–15

External links
1988 Sandown 500 highlights - Part 1 of 4, www.youtube.com
1988 Sandown 500 highlights - Part 2 of 4, www.youtube.com
1988 Sandown 500 highlights - Part 3 of 4, www.youtube.com
1988 Sandown 500 highlights - Part 4 of 4, www.youtube.com

Motorsport at Sandown
Enzed Sandown 500
Pre-Bathurst 500


Thomas R. "Tom" Caltagirone (born October 30, 1942) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represented the 127th District (Reading, Berks County) and was the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a member of the Gaming Oversight Committee.

Background
Caltagirone was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on October 30, 1942. Prior to Representing the 127th District, Caltagirone was employed in Reading in private business and as a social worker and teacher for the Reading School District. In addition, he has been a member of numerous local charitable and social organizations.

Caltagirone has been the prime sponsor of 32 bills that have been signed into law by the governor. On January 27, 2019, he announced that he had been appointed as the new Democratic chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee for the 2019–2020 legislative session, and would be working on affordable housing legislation.

Caltagirone refused to support the Democratic nominee, H. William DeWeese for Speaker of the House in 2007, resulting in a member from the minority party serving as Speaker, Dennis M. O'Brien, a Republican from Philadelphia. DeWeese later went to prison for several years for public corruption and O'Brien went on to serve on Philadelphia City Council.

In December 2017 it was revealed that Pennsylvania House Democrats spent nearly a quarter-million dollars in taxpayer money to secretly settle a sexual harassment complaint against Caltagirone. The $248,000 payment of taxpayer's money went to settle a complaint in 2015 against Caltagirone by a legislative staffer who worked for about a decade in his Reading office. A document prepared by the state's Bureau of Risk and Insurance Management that said House Democrats authorized paying $165,500 to the unidentified woman and $82,500 to her lawyer. A "sovereign immunity-tort claims settlement memorandum and invoice" asserted Caltagirone's staffer had initially made a claim of $1.5 million for what was called "a complaint of discrimination, among other things" under a federal law that bans discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin and religion. Caltagirone said in a written statement the day after the news report that he was prohibited from discussing specifics of any employment-related settlement, but added that from the start he has denied all accusations. The details of the allegations against Caltagirone have not been made public. Governor Tom Wolf and legislative leaders called for Caltagirone's resignation, but he refused to resign.

During his 2018 campaign for reelection, Caltagirone defeated his primary opponent, community activist Manny Guzman Jr., by only 10 percent. He went on to defeat his Republican general election opponent by a margin of 81 to 19 percent.

In January 2020, Caltagirone announced that he would retire after finishing his 22nd term in office, which he claimed made him the state's longest-serving representative. He served alongside 14 Speakers of the House and nine governors.

Notable committee leadership service

Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee – 2016 – 2018

Chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee – 2014 – 2016

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee – 1989 – 1998, 2005 – 2014

Chairman of the House Commerce Committee – 1998 – 2005

Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee – 1988 – 1989

References

External links
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biographical Website for Rep. Caltagirone
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Caucus Biographical Website for Rep. Caltagirone

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
1942 births
21st-century American politicians


Neal P. Goodman (born October 20, 1957) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Background and Personal Life
Born in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania on October 20, 1957, Goodman graduated from Mahanoy Area High School in 1976, and attended Pennsylvania State University's Schuylkill Haven campus from 1979 to 1981 before earning his Bachelor of Arts in history from East Stroudsburg University in 1986.

In October of 2022, he had fallen from a tree while hunting in Mahanoy Township, Pennsylvania. He was flown to the hospital, and recovered quickly.

Military career
From 1982 to 1988, he served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

Political career
In 1988, he was elected to the Mahanoy City Council, serving as its president from 1995 to 1996 and ending his term in 1996.

From 1993 to 2002, he also served as the chief of staff to Representative Edward J. Lucyk. After serving as executive director of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, Democratic Caucus, Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995, he then served as the executive director of the Tourism and Recreational Development Committee, Democratic Caucus, Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1995 to 2002 and as director of the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau from 1999 to 2003).

A Democrat, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2003 term and, as of 2019, was serving his ninth consecutive term. During his tenure with the Pennsylvania House, he has served as the Minority Caucus Administrator (2013 to 2020) and as a member of the Capitol Preservation Committee (2013 to 2014).

In November 2019, Goodman announced that he will not seek re-election in 2020.

On November 3, 2020, Republican Tim Twardzik of Butler Township, won Goodman’s seat after defeating Democrat Peter “PJ” Symons of St. Clair.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Neal Goodman (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Neal Goodman official Party website

Living people
1957 births
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians


Nolan Royce Van Way (January 31, 1931 – April 3, 2016) was an American operatic baritone and tenor whose stage career, in opera and Broadway musicals, spanned half a century. He sang in many languages including French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. After retiring from the stage, Van Way became a vocal coach.

Earlier life and musical training
While attending Indiana University, Van Way studied opera, theater, and television production. Having trained under bass-baritone Carl Van Buskerk, Nolan Van Way started his career as a baritone. He performed the role of Figaro in the Indiana University production of the opera The Barber of Seville.

Van Way began his professional career in 1956 as a resident baritone at the St. Louis Municipal Opera.

Baritone career
After university, Van Way moved to New York City. His first job was at the Radio City Music Hall, performing in the Glee Club. In 1958, he appeared in various roles in the Broadway production of Oh, Captain!  He continued his studies in opera at the Manhattan School of Music.
The following year, Van Way appeared in Destry Rides Again, co-starring with Andy Griffith and Dolores Gray. He left Destry to play the lead role in Redhead.

Van Way was based in New York City for the next 15 years, and performed with various opera companies throughout the United States. He toured with many Broadway shows and sang in summer stock theatres. While working for the Metropolitan Opera Studio Company in 1962, he was awarded a Ford Foundation grant.

In February 1962, at a White House performance of Mozart's Così fan tutte for children from Washington embassies hosted by Jacqueline Kennedy in the State Dining Room, Van Way was signing autographs when he accidentally tilted the three-foot-long ostrich feather attached to his costume's turban into some lighted candles, causing the headdress to catch on fire.  Rudolf Bing, the manager of the Metropolitan Opera who was acting as the master of ceremonies, snatched the flaming turban off of Van Way's head; it was extinguished quickly.

Van Way made his European opera début at the Nuremberg Opera as Escamillo in Carmen. He also appeared as the Don in Don Giovanni in Braunschweig.

Van Way returned to the United States to sing in Die Fledermaus with the Stadium Symphony Orchestra,
and then played the King in Carl Orf's Die Kluge Van Way worked for the Metropolitan Opera's national company before returning to Barcelona to sing the part of Zar in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmerman. Returning to the United States, he sang in many productions including Show Boat and Carmen, and played the King in Levy's Escorial. At the New York City Opera, he played the Don in Don Giovanni, Escamillo in Carmen, and the Count in The Marriage of Figaro. In 1967, at the Seattle Opera, he played Mercutio opposite Franco Corelli in Romeo and Juliet. Shortly afterwards, he returned to the East Coast to receive a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. The grant enabled him to train to become a tenor.

Tenor career
Van Way's first role as a tenor was Rodolfo in La bohème with the Opera Orchestra of New York. He then moved to Lyon, France, for two years while singing in operas throughout Europe, including Macbeth, Carmen, Lucia, and Falstaff. Upon his return to the United States, he sang the title role in the Seattle Opera's production of Faust. He also sang in Die Fledermaus, Beggar's Opera, Annie Get Your Gun, Bitter Sweet, The Merry Widow, Carmen, Kiss Me Kate, and Show Boat. He performed with Beverly Sills, Florence Henderson, Mary Costa,
and Roberta Peters.

Teaching
In 1976, Van Way moved to California, where he headed the vocal department at San Diego State University for seven years.  He worked also as a private vocal coach to many music and film stars over the next 16 years. He sang in the 1987 film Slam Dance.
Van Way moved to Mexico in 1992 but continued to perform in the United States until 2006. He sang in La Cage Aux Folles, Kismet, Annie Get Your Gun, Die Fledermaus, and Show Boat, as well as performing with philharmonic orchestras and at community concerts. In Mexico, he trained Fernando Figueroa and Reynaldo Ruiz to create the Three Tenors of Mexico. They toured Mexico from 2002 to 2006. Van Way later lived with his wife Maria in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, where he was a realtor and continued to teach singing. His students included Reynaldo Ruiz Larrea and Fernando Figueroa Méndez.

Death
Nolan Van Way died in Burbank, California on April 3, 2016, at the age of 85.

Notes and references

External links
 Official website

1931 births
2016 deaths
20th-century American male opera singers
American male musical theatre actors
American operatic tenors
Classical musicians from Missouri
Indiana University alumni
Musicians from St. Louis
Operatic baritones
Singers from Missouri


Steven Samuelson (born September 21, 1960) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was elected to his 13th term in November 2022 and is currently the Chair of the Finance Committee.

Early life

Samuelson is a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native. He attended Liberty High School as part of its class of 1978 and received a B.A. in Government from Lehigh University as part of their class of 1986. Samuelson served as legislative aide and clerk for the Lehigh County Commissioners board from 1989 to 1998. He also served as legislative aid to representatives Paul McHale and Karen Ritter.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Samuelson was elected to the Pennsylvania House district 135 in 1998, taking office at the opening of the next legislative session in 1999. During his 23 years in office he has sponsored 578 bills. Some of his more notable bills include House Bill 1260 which he co-authored that increased the income limits for the PACENET program by $6,000 to increase access to prescription medicine for senior citizens. It is estimated that due to this expansion 20,000 more Pennsylvanians have access to the PACENET program. Additionally he authored House Bill 2560 which utilized a portion of left over COVID-19 relief money to increase rent rebate payments for an estimated 477,000 Pennsylvanians, mostly above the age of 65. Additionally Samuelson has been pivotal in securing funding for renovation projects in Bethlehem including a $500,000 grant to the National Museum of Industrial History, $30,000,000 to renovate the ruins of the Bethlehem Steel plant in the South Side, and $9,100,000 to renovate the Goodman Building.

References

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
1960 births


Robert L. Freeman (born March 9, 1956) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He currently serves as the Democratic Chair of the House Local Government Committee. In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA named him as a possible successor to House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Robert L. Freeman (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Robert L. Freeman official Party website

1956 births
Living people
21st-century American politicians
Easton Area High School alumni
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Politicians from Northampton County, Pennsylvania


Richard T. Grucela (born April 26, 1946) is a Democratic former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Richard Grucela (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Richard Grucela official Party website

Living people
1946 births
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives


The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on December 30 2021 that as of 2020, 14.2% of workers were in trade unions in South Korea, a 1.7% increase from 12.5% in 2019. Korea's unionization rate peaked in 1989 at 19.8% and fell to 10% 2004.

There are two national trade union centres in South Korea: the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).  In 2007, the FKTU had 1,153,863 members (41.1% of trade unionists in Korea), the KCTU had 1,134,056 members (40.4%), and 516,714 workers were members of independent trade unions affiliated to neither national centre.

See also
South Korean Labor Movement
Women in unions in South Korea
Minjung Movement
Working hours in South Korea

References

Economy of South Korea


Douglas M. Baker Jr. (born December 5, 1958) is the former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Ecolab, Inc., a Fortune 500 company in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services.

Education

Baker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he majored in English. He currently serves on the college's board of trustees.

Career
Baker joined Ecolab in 1989, initially holding various marketing and leadership positions in the U.S.  and Europe including vice president and general manager of Kay Chemical Co. a division of Ecolab that provides cleaning and sanitizing programs tailored specifically for the quick food service (fast food) and food retail (supermarket and grocery) markets.

Baker then became vice president of Ecolab’s Institutional business sector, which provides cleaning and sanitation products, programs and services to food service, hospitality, healthcare, and commercial customers in North America.

Baker was named Ecolab’s president and chief operating officer in 2002, president and chief executive officer in 2004 and added chairman of the board responsibilities in 2006. From 12/31/2013 to 12/31/2017, Ecolab's sales grew from $3.6 billion to $14 billion, a 268% increase, and shareholder's equity increased 476%.

Baker has received numerous awards and recognition throughout his career. Most recently, he was awarded the 2018 Deming Cup for Operational Excellence. He was named to the Forbes Global 2000: Hall of Fame CEOs, and named 2014 Responsible CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. He also was named one of the world's top CEOs by Harvard Business Review in 2016 (#41) and 2017 (#39) and was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 2012.

Before joining Ecolab, Baker spent seven years with Procter & Gamble in various brand management positions.

In addition to his Ecolab responsibilities, Baker serves as a member of the board of directors of Target Corporation, as a member of the board of trustees of Mayo Clinic, and as trustee emeritus of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.  He is a former member of the board of directors of U.S. Bancorp and past member of the board of overseers at the University of Minnesota.  He also serves on the board of trustees of the College of the Holy Cross, his alma mater.

Community involvement

Baker is active in the civic life of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. He serves on the executive committee of the Greater MSP Partnership, a private-public partnership whose mission is to stimulate economic growth and prosperity in the region. Baker also serves on the board of overseers of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and on the executive committee of the Minnesota Business Partnership, an organization of CEOs from Minnesota’s top 100 companies focused on further enhancing the region’s quality of life. He is a board member of Parent Aware for School Readiness (PASR), a nonprofit organization to support the statewide expansion of Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Baker and his wife Julie also chaired the 2012 Twin Cities United Way fundraising campaign.

Baker also was a co-chair of the host committee for Super Bowl LII, which was held in February 2018 in Minneapolis.  He co-led a successful $40 million campaign for Catholic Charities to support a new campus for homeless services in downtown St. Paul.

References

American chemical industry businesspeople
American technology chief executives
Living people
Procter & Gamble people
1958 births


Anthony Joseph Melio (May 13, 1932 – July 19, 2012) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 141st District.

Early life and education
Melio was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and attended Trenton Central High School. He served in the United States Navy Reserves from 1949 to 1959.

Legislative career
Melio was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1986. He retired at the end of the legislative session on November 30, 2010.

Illness and death
Melio died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of eighty on July 19, 2012, from complications related to an appendectomy.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives profile
Official website

1932 births
2012 deaths
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Politicians from Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Politicians from Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton Central High School alumni
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy reservists


Lawrence Hummel "Larry" Curry (February 21, 1935 – December 17, 2018) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represented the 154th District from 1993 until 2012.

Biography
Curry was born in Camden, New Jersey. He lived in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania and graduated from Jenkintown High School. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from University of Pennsylvania and another master's degree from Temple University. Curry taught history at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Curry served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and on the Jenkintown Borough Council.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Lawrence Curry (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Lawrence Curry official Party website

1935 births
2018 deaths
Politicians from Camden, New Jersey
People from Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania alumni
Temple University alumni
University of the Arts (Philadelphia) faculty
Pennsylvania city council members
Montgomery County Commissioners (Pennsylvania)
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians


Thaddeus Kirkland (born January 12, 1955) is an American politician serving as the Democratic Mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania since 2016.  In May 2023, he lost the Democratic mayoral primary to Stefan Roots. He served as a Democratic member of the 159th district from 1993 to 2016.

Early life and education
Born in Chester, Kirkland graduated from Chester High School in 1973 and Cheyney University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Kirkland is a graduate of the Widener University Leadership Academy and is a member of Wine Psi Phi and Omega Psi Phi fraternities.

Kirkland was a community service coordinator at Crozer Chester Medical Center, where he directed outreach and educational programs for teenagers.

Political career

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In 1993, Kirkland was elected as a Democratic member to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 159th district. He was reelected 10 times, serving 11 consecutive 2-year terms.

Kirkland served as the Democratic Chairman of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee and as a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.  In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators.

He was not a candidate for reelection in 2016 and was succeeded by his nephew, Brian Joseph Kirkland.

Sponsored legislation
In the 2015-2016 session, Kirkland sponsored several bills, including: HB 418 concerning human-shaped targets at shooting ranges, HB 419 concerning crimes that could not be expunged from a criminal record, and HB 420 concerning body cameras to be worn by police officers. None of these bills were voted on. Kirkland has been involved in areas of prayer in school, video surveillance, technical training, and Head Start programs.

Chester-Upland School District controversies
In June 2011, Kirkland announced that if $20 million worth of cuts were not restored to the Chester Upland School District, he planned to file a federal lawsuit against Pennsylvania to close the three public high schools in Chester. However, the school board did not support Kirkland's plan, calling a press conference where they stated that they were "fully capable of speaking for" themselves and "totally disagree" with what Kirkland wanted to do. In August 2017, Kirkland welcomed the opening of the Chester Charter School for the Arts, a $25 million public, non-profit charter school on an 11-acre campus on Highland Avenue with kindergarten through 11th grade classes with a focus on music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Mayor of Chester
In the 2015 Democratic mayoral primary, Kirkland defeated incumbent Mayor John Linder 1,818 to 721 and then former mayor, Republican Wendell Butler Jr., in the election. Just before taking office on January 4, 2016, he promised to reduce violence in the city by improving the schools and police force and using body cameras.

Kirkland decided to stay on as the representative of Chester, as well as serving as mayor. He is the first representative who has resigned and then rescinded his resignation.  The House Democratic spokesman stated that because of this action, he will not be taking a mayoral salary until he departs from the House, and instead will take his legislative pay and continue to count toward his pension credits.

In May 2023, he was defeated in the Democratic mayoral primary by Stefan Roots.

Personal life
Kirkland is the pastor of the Community Baptist Church in Chester, Pennsylvania and Vice President of the West End Ministerial Fellowship of Chester and Vicinity. He is a former Board of Trustee member of Lincoln University.

Kirkland is married to Susie and together they have five daughters. Kirkland is the younger brother of former professional basketball player Wilbur Kirkland.

See also
List of mayors of Chester, Pennsylvania

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Thaddeus Kirkland (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Thaddeus Kirkland official Party website

|-

1955 births
Living people
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American politicians
African-American mayors in Pennsylvania
African-American people in Pennsylvania politics
Chester High School alumni
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania alumni
Mayors of Chester, Pennsylvania
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
20th-century African-American politicians
21st-century African-American politicians


Gregory Vitali (born June 4, 1956) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He has represented the 166th district since 1993. He currently serves as the Democratic Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Early life and education
Greg Vitali was born on June 4, 1956, in Havertown, Pennsylvania. He attended Saint Joseph's Preparatory School, graduating in 1974. In 1978, he graduated cum laude from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law in 1981.

Career
Vitali practiced law in Delaware County for 12 years. In 1993, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as the first Democratic legislator from the 166th district. He serves on the House Environmental Resource and Energy Committee and has made environmental protection a priority in his role in the state house. Additionally Vitali has taught classes on state and local government at Villanova and is an ex-officio member of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute Board of Directors.

In January 2018, Vitali announced his intention to seek the Democratic nod for the US Congress for the 7th district after Pat Meehan declined to run for reelection. He lost to Mary Gay Scanlon, receiving 5,568 votes or 9.4 percent of the share.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Greg Vitali (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Greg Vitali official Party website

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania lawyers
1956 births
21st-century American politicians


Michael "Mike" McGeehan (born November 26, 1960) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Michael McGeehan (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Michael McGeehan official Party website

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
1960 births


John Patrick Sabatina Jr. is an American politician and judge currently serving on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. From 2006 to 2015, Sabatina served as a Pennsylvania state representative from the 174th district. He resigned from the state house after being elected to serve as Pennsylvania State Senator from the 5th district following the resignation of State Senator Mike Stack after he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Sabatina resigned as a state senator in 2021 after being elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Early life and education
Sabatina was born on October 6, 1970, in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, the son of John and Judith Sabatina. He graduated from Father Judge High School in 1988. In 1994, Sabatina earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in marketing from West Chester University and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from Widener University Delaware Law School in 1997.

Career
Prior to being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Sabatina served as assistant district attorney of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Sabatina was elected to represent the 174th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on March 14, 2006, in a special election. He was sworn in on April 3, 2006, and was later reelected to serve five more consecutive terms. In 2011, Sabatina was appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing on which he served until 2014.

Pennsylvania State Senate
Sabatina resigned from the state House on June 9, 2015, after being elected to fill the 5th state senate district seat vacated by Mike Stack who had been elected Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. During his tenure, Sabatina served as minority chair on Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee.  He also served on the Aging and Youth; Communications and Technology; Community, Economic and Recreational Development; and Senate Judiciary Committees. Sabatina resigned from the state senate on December 31, 2021, after being elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas the previous month.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
Sabatina has been serving as a judge on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas since 2022.

References

External links

Living people
Pennsylvania Democrats
Politicians from Philadelphia
21st-century American politicians
1970 births


Beșghioz () is a commune and village in the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit of the Republic of Moldova.  The 2004 census listed the commune as having a population of 3,391 people.  93% of its population are Gagauz. Minorities included 76 Russians, 66 Bulgarians, and 46 Moldovans.

Its geographical coordinates are 46° 7' 18" North, 28° 52' 20" East.

The former governor (or başkan) of Gagauzia (2006-2015), Mihail Formuzal, was born in Beșghioz in 1959.

References

Communes of Gagauzia


W. Curtis Thomas is an American former politician who served as a Democratic Party member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 181.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Curtis Thomas (Democrat) official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Curtis Thomas official Party website

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
1948 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American people


MC-12 may refer to:
 a coach/bus manufactured by Motor Coach Industries
 the military version of the Beechcraft C-12 Huron
 the automobile, Maserati MC12


Chinese people in Egypt form one of the smaller groups of overseas Chinese; however, they are a very diverse community with a history reaching back for over a century.

Students

Egypt, and specifically Cairo's Al-Azhar University, has long been an important destination for Chinese Muslims seeking Islamic learning. The earliest Chinese government-sponsored students to attend Al-Azhar were a group of four sent in 1931. However, individual Chinese scholars, such as Yusuf Ma Dexin, the first translator of the meanings of the Qur'an into Chinese, had been going to Al-Azhar on their own as early as the 19th century. The Republic of China (1912–49) sent Hui Muslims like Muhammad Ma Jian and other Hui Muslim students to study at Al-Azhar in Egypt. The Fuad Muslim Library in China was named after Fuad I of Egypt by the Chinese Muslim Ma Songting.

Imam Wang Jingzhai studied at Al-Azhar University in Egypt along with several other Chinese Muslim students, the first Chinese students in modern times to study in the Middle East. Wang recalled his experience teaching at madrassas in the provinces of Henan (Yu), Hebei (Ji), and Shandong (Lu) which were outside of the traditional stronghold of Muslim education in northwest China, and where the living conditions were poorer and the students had a much tougher time than the northwestern students. In 1931 China sent five students to study at Al-Azhar in Egypt, among them was Muhammad Ma Jian and they were the first Chinese to study at Al-Azhar. Na Zhong, a descendant of Nasr al-Din (Yunnan) was another one of the students sent to Al-Azhar in 1931, along with Zhang Ziren, Ma Jian, and Lin Zhongming.

A Hadith(), (it is not a real Hadith but was a popular slogan among Arabic speakers in Middle East in the 19th-20th centuries. It spread to China via Hui Muslim students like Muhammad Ma Jian who studied at Al-Azhar in Egypt) a saying of the prophet Muhammad, spread to China, which says "Loving the Motherland is equivalent to loving the Faith" () ( ).

Hui Muslim General Ma Bufang and his retinue including Ma Chengxiang moved to Egypt before being appointed as ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Exchanges were interrupted during the Cultural Revolution, but resumed in 1981; the group of ten sent from China to Al-Azhar that year included three Uyghurs, six Hui, and one Kazakh. By 1992, that number had reached thirty-four students, of whom twenty-eight were Uyghurs. , there were about 300 international students from China in Egypt, of who the major portion were studying at Al-Azhar. China also provides scholarships to students at other universities, such as Cairo University; some students privately complain that the Chinese government prefers to sponsor those studying science and place various obstacles in the way of those studying religion.

Migrant workers
Chinese construction companies began making inroads in Egypt in the early 1980s, soon after the reform and opening up of China's economy; they were able to underbid local construction companies by importing labourers from China, despite high unemployment in Egypt. Chinese workers have a reputation for being skillful, diligent, and efficient. Dru C. Gladney states that the number of Chinese construction workers in Egypt peaked between 1985 and 1987, at about 10,000 people, but declined again to around 5,000 by 1992.

Traders and entrepreneurs
Individual Chinese traders and entrepreneurs began arriving in Egypt in the late 1990s and early 2000s; they came largely from Zhejiang, Fujian, and the Northeast. They commonly open businesses in the restaurant, garment, and telecommunications sectors. Many of their restaurants serve Cantonese cuisine due to its popularity among Egyptians, though there are few migrants actually from Guangdong.

As of June 2008, the more than 500 Chinese companies in Egypt had invested a total of US$450 million of capital. Manufacturing products in Egypt allows them to take advantage of cheap local electricity and water, as well as local labour which may actually be cheaper than that of China in some sectors, such as garments.

See also

Filipinos in Egypt
Koreans in Egypt
Malays in Egypt

References

Notes

Sources

External links
Egypt Overseas Chinese Net
 Hessler, Peter. "Learning to Speak Lingerie" (Archive). The New Yorker. August 10, 2015.

Asian diaspora in Egypt
Ethnic groups in Egypt
Egypt
China–Egypt relations


Babette Josephs (August 4, 1940 – August 27, 2021) was a Democratic politician and attorney, who served 28 years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Josephs was first elected in 1984, representing the 182nd Legislative District, which encompasses Center City and South Philadelphia. She held office through November 30, 2012. Josephs served as the Democratic chair of the House State Government Committee from 2001 to 2012. She was the senior woman in the General Assembly and convener of the Women's Caucus. In her role as state representative, she was an unabashed champion of progressive causes. Josephs was one of a few members of the Democratic Socialists of America to be elected to public office at the time.

Early life, education and family
Born in Manhattan on August 4, 1940, Josephs earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 at Queens College, and a Juris Doctor degree at Rutgers–Camden School of Law in 1976. In 1962 she wed Herbert Newberg in Queens. Married for three decades until Newberg's death at age 54, the couple had two children, a son and a daughter.

Legislative career
In 2016, at an event sponsored by the City Center Residents Association, Josephs' career as a legislator was honored for her support of progressive and liberal causes:

During her political career, Josephs served on a variety of legislative and party committees, chairing several:

 State Government Committee, Democratic Chair (2001–2012)
 Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Member (2003–2012)
 Philadelphia Delegation, Co-Vice Chair
 Democratic Policy Committee, Member
 Women of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Convener
 Select Committee on Information Technology Member (2008–2012)
 Advisory Board on Statewide Uniform Registry of Elections (SURE), Member (2001–2002)
 Joint Select Committee to Examine Election Issues, Member (2001–2002)
 House Appropriations Committee, Member (1993–2002)
 Health & Welfare Committee, Subcommittee Chair
 House Judiciary Committee, Secretary (1989–1990), Member (1987–1994 & 1997–2002)
 House Health and Human Services Committee, (1985–1992 & 1995–2002)
 Children and Youth Committee, Member (2001–2002)
 Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, Member (1999–2000)
 House Urban Affairs Committee, Member (1997–1998)
 Game and Fisheries Committee, Member (1989–1990)
 House Insurance Committee, Member (1985–1996)
 Professional Licensure Committee, Member (1985–1986)

Civic Involvement
Before, during, and after her legislative tenure, Josephs was involved with a number of civic organizations, including the Philadelphia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she was a longtime board member, eventually serving as a Philadelphia-area delegate to the Board of the ACLU's statewide Pennsylvania affiliate. She was the co-founder (and later, executive director) of the National Abortion Rights Action League's Pennsylvania chapter, and of the Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project. She co-hosted "Conversations Across Time," a TV show that depicted challenging discussions with past historical personalities. She was active on the Justice for Nizah Morris Committee. She was active in the Philadelphia 8th Political Ward and also served on the board of the Jewish Social Policy Action Network.

Previous occupations
Prior to her election to the legislature Josephs was active in law and political organizing.

 Executive Director of Citizens Coalition for Energy Efficiency 1980–1981
 Co-founder and Executive Director National Abortion Rights Action League PA (later renamed NARAL Pro-Choice America) and its foundation, the Clara Bell Duvall Education Fund, 1978 (later part of ACLU-PA)–1980
 Private law practice 1977–1979
 English Teacher in the Philadelphia Public High Schools 1963–1964

Controversy

Pledge of allegiance
In October 2001, Josephs was the only House member to vote against a rule requiring students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. The constitutionality of the law was later challenged, and in 2003, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania struck down the law on constitutional grounds.

2010 primary campaign
In April 2010, the political campaign of her Democratic primary opponent Gregg Kravitz gave to The Philadelphia Inquirer a tape of Josephs that was made by a Kravitz supporter who attended a Josephs fundraiser. In the tape, Josephs accused Kravitz of lying about his sexual orientation in order to pander to LGBT voters, a reportedly powerful bloc in the district. "I outed him as a straight person," Josephs said during a fund-raiser at the Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant, as some in the audience gasped or laughed, "and now he goes around telling people, quote, 'I swing both ways.' That's quite a respectful way to talk about sexuality. This guy's a gem." Kravitz denied stating that he is gay and asserted that he identifies as bisexual. However, he said he did not recall telling people that he "swings both ways" and that his sexuality was not a qualification for office, "I bring it up only in the context that it's important for the LGBT community to have a seat at the legislative table." He also added that it would be good for socially conservative lawmakers in the capital to work with an openly bisexual colleague. Josephs also called Kravitz a "trust-fund baby" with no discernible job history who was running for the House because he was bored, a charge also denied by Kravitz, who cited his work with a local congressional candidate. Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News and a supporter of Josephs, said, "We've [the LGBT community] hit a new high point when candidates are accused of pretending to be gay to win a seat. I've been doing this for 40 years, and I never have heard of this kind of charge in any race in the nation. I take that as flattery. It shows how far we've come."

Josephs defeated Kravitz in the primary by 2,000 votes.

2012 defeat and failed 2014 challenge
In 2012, Josephs was defeated in the Democratic primary by Brian Sims by 226 votes.

In February 2014, Josephs challenged Rep. Brian Sims for the seat. Five hundred and ninety-nine signatures were collected for her for the ballot of the May 20 primary. These petitions were challenged by three Democratic voters, including Duncan Black, a well-known political blogger known as Atrios, alleging widespread forgery, among other claims.

On April 3, 2014, a Commonwealth Court judge, finding that Josephs was 4 signatures short of the 300 minimum required signatures, removed her from the ballot. The majority of the removed signatures were disqualified because the man collecting those signatures had provided a former address.

Retirement

Josephs moved to Eugene, Oregon in 2019. She died August 27, 2021.

See also
List of Democratic Socialists of America members who have held office in the United States

References

External links
Former State Representative Babette Josephs (official website)

Profile at Vote PA

1940 births
2021 deaths
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
American Jews
Lawyers from Philadelphia
Lawyers from New York City
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from Pennsylvania
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Women state legislators in Pennsylvania
Queens College, City University of New York alumni
Rutgers School of Law–Camden alumni
Pennsylvania socialists


William F. "Bill" Keller (born January 19, 1951) is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Education
In 1968, he graduated from Bishop Neuman High School. He received a degree in business from La Salle University in 1972.

Career
Since 1974, he has been the owner of KO Sporting Goods in Philadelphia. He also worked as a longshoreman from 1968 to 1992 and was a member of the International Longshoremen's Association, Local 1291. He was first elected to represent the 184th legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1992.

On February 16, 2018, Keller announced that he would not run for another term.

Criminal investigation
On August 18, 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service raided the homes and offices of Keller and his business partner, Mark Olkowski, as well as his chief of staff, Lorraine DiSpaldo, and a former staffer and then traffic court judge, Robert Mulgrew. Olkowski, DiSpaldo, and Mulgrew later pleaded guilty to various fraud and tax-evasion charges. Keller was never charged with any crime, and claimed to be unaware of the criminal activity.

References

External links
 William F. Keller (Democrat), Pennsylvania House of Representatives website
William F. Keller,  Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

Living people
1951 births
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Politicians from Philadelphia
La Salle University alumni
21st-century American politicians


Robert Donatucci (May 3, 1952 – November 9, 2010) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 185th Legislative District from 1980 until his death in 2010.

A native of Philadelphia, Donatucci graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in 1970 and from Temple University in 1974. He was first elected in a special election on March 11, 1980, to succeed his brother Ronald Donatucci, who resigned to become register of wills of Philadelphia County. As a state representative, he served as chair of the House Liquor Control Committee.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives – Robert Donatucci (Democrat) - official PA House website
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus – Robert Donatucci - official Party website

1952 births
2010 deaths
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Temple University alumni
Politicians from Philadelphia


Ronald Waters is a Democratic politician and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he represented District 191. He was elected on May 18, 1999 in a special election. On June 1, 2015, he pleaded guilty to a bribery charge and was forced to resign his seat.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Ronald Waters official Party website

Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
American politicians convicted of bribery
Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes
21st-century American politicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century African-American politicians


Louise E. Williams Bishop (born June 27, 1933) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 192.

Bishop has been heavily involved in radio broadcasting for many years and she was credited with keeping Philadelphia calm following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968. She was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 22, 2013.

As "Lois Lane", Bishop released the single "Turn me loose" on Wand Records in 1964.

She resigned her seat on Dec 16, 2015 amid corruption allegations.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Louise Bishop (Democrat) official PA House website
Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia web page

Living people
1933 births
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Women state legislators in Pennsylvania
African-American women in politics
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes
Pennsylvania politicians convicted of corruption


Rhett Miller is the album from Old 97's lead singer Rhett Miller. This is his fourth solo album, and first since his 2006 album The Believer. In a four-star review, Rolling Stone called the album Miller's "strongest set yet."

Track listing
(All songs written by Rhett Miller, except where noted)
"Nobody Says I Love You Anymore"
"Like Love"
"Caroline"
"I Need to Know Where I Stand"
"Happy Birthday Don't Die"
"Bonfire"
"Haphazardly"
"If It's Not Love" (Miller, Matt Scannell)
"Another Girlfriend"
"Refusing Temptation"
"Lashes"
"Sometimes"

Dedication
The album is dedicated to Miller's grandmother, Narene Miller, who died shortly before the album's release. The album notes also contain reference to Miller's friend and writer, David Foster Wallace, who died several months before the release of the album.

Personnel
Rhett Miller – vocals, acoustic guitar, handclaps (4), electric guitar (5), group vocal (9)
John Dufilho – drums (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), tambourine (3, 5, 11), shaker (3, 5), kick drum (6), group vocal (9), mouth percussion (11)
Jon Brion – bass (1), electric guitar (3, 9)
Billy Harvey – electric guitar, piano (2), twelve-string acoustic (4), acoustic guitar (10, 11), bass (11)
Rip Rowan – piano (1), tambourine (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11), wurlitzer (3), shaker (4), handclaps (4), organ (7), lap percussion (8), mellotron (9), group vocal (9), mouth percussion (11)
Salim Nourallah – background vocals (1, 4, 11), bass (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10), electric guitar (2, 5), piano (2), twelve-string acoustic (3), organ (6, 8), acoustic guitar (6, 11), finger tap (12), tambourine (12)
Paul Averitt – background vocals (1-5, 7-12), twelve-string electric (8, 11), tambourine (10)
Jason Garner – bass (3)
Gavin Nourallah – raygun (5)
Kristy Kruger – background vocals (10)
John Lefler – B4 organ (10), sampletron (12)
Jason Janik – Photography
Aimee Macauley – Package Design

References

Rhett Miller albums
2009 albums
Shout! Factory albums


This is a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Nevada. The higher education system of Nevada is composed primarily of public two and four-year institutions, private four-year institutions and two and four-year for-profit schools. The largest college in the state is the College of Southern Nevada with over 37,000 students.

The eight public institutions are under the control of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) (formerly the University and Community College System of Nevada "UCCSN") and are divided into comprehensive colleges and community colleges. An unusual characteristic of the community colleges is that they award bachelor's degrees in recognition of the limited resources of the state.

The oldest college in the state is the University of Nevada, Reno was founded in 1874 in Elko, Nevada as a political compromise and later became a Morrill Act Land Grant institution. Following a period of inactivity, the college was re-founded in Reno, Nevada in 1886. In 1951, an extension campus was created in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1957, the extension became the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 1971, the College of Southern Nevada was founded to serve the growing population of Nevada. The most recent public college is Nevada State University in Henderson, Nevada, which was founded in 2002.

The private colleges of Nevada are divided into non-profit and for-profit institutions, with several branches of national for-profit institutions such as the University of Phoenix.

Public colleges and universities

Private, nonprofit colleges and universities

For-profit colleges and universities

See also

 Higher education in the United States
 List of college athletic programs in Nevada
 List of American institutions of higher education
 List of colleges and universities
 List of colleges and universities by country
 List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations
 Nevada System of Higher Education

References

External links
 Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in Nevada

Education in Nevada
Nevada
Universities and colleges


Bendel United F.C. (formerly Flash Flamingoes and Esan F.C.) is a Nigerian football club based in Uromi, Edo State. They are the current incarnation of a team whose roots go back to Flash Flamingoes F.C.

History
In the shadows of other Benin City teams such as Bendel Insurance and New Nigeria Bank, Rubber Board football club was founded in the early 1980s. The team was subsequently sold and bought over by Chief Patrick Osakwe, currently a Senator for Delta State and at the time the owner of Flash pools who renamed the team Flash Flamingoes. It cannot be ascertained whether the team took its name from a moniker used by Stationery Stores, then the most fashionable team in Nigeria. They were promoted to the Nigerian Premier League in 1985.

After placing 2nd in the 1988 Nigerian FA Cup, the team was bought by Bendel State governor Tunde Ogbeha and renamed Bendel United and the next season placed 4th in the Nigerian League. It made it to the finals of the African Cup Winners' Cup before losing 1–0 on aggregate to Al-Merrikh.
Bendel United was relegated to the Second Division in 1992 and played three seasons there before being relegated again to the 3rd division for one season. Returning to the 2nd level in 1997, they never could regain their old form and were relegated from the Professional League in 2005.

In 2006, the team was bought by controversial owner Igbinowahia Ekhosuehi from Solomon Edebiri and renamed Esan FC.

After being on hiatus, Edebiri announced plans in 2013 to resurrect the team under the name Bendel United.

Achievements
 Nigerian FA Cup:
 1988 (runners-up)

 African Cup Winners' Cup
 1989 (runners-up)

Team names
 1984–1988 Flash Flamingoes
 1989–2006 Bendel United
 2006–2012 Esan FC
 2014–Present Bendel United

References

External links
 "What I found wrong in Insurance" Brown Ebewele (Vanguard)
 Forget Politics, Soccer is More Important
 Nigeria 1989 (rsssf)
 Edebiri trusts Bendel United will bounce back

Football clubs in Nigeria
Sport in Edo State
Benin City
1980s establishments in Nigeria
Sports clubs and teams established in the 1980s


Bernard Francis "Mike" Kelly (May 1, 1896October 23, 1968) was an American baseball player, coach and manager.

Career

Player
Kelly made his playing debut in 1916 for St Mary's in the Interstate League. He played one season there before moving in 1917 to the Central League team South Bend/Peoria Benders/Distillers. He again lasted one year before moving to Toledo in the American Association. He played at Toledo until 1920.

Player/manager
In 1921, Kelly began his management career at the Spartanburg Pioneers while still a player.

A year later, he moved to the Spartanburg Spartans in the South Atlantic League and, between 1922 and 1929, played and managed the Spartans where he won a league championship in 1925.

Coach and manager
After retiring as a player, Kelly coached for the Chicago White Sox between 1930 and 1931.

In 1931 Kelly left the White Sox to coach the Newark Bears.

Kelly managed the Jersey City Skeeters in 1933.

In 1934, he moved to the Chicago Cubs where he was a coach.

Between 1936 and 1937, Kelly managed the Syracuse Chiefs.

He later coached with the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1944, he managed the Indianapolis Indians in the American Association.

Scout
Between 1948 and 1950, he was a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

References

1896 births
1968 deaths
Baseball players from Indiana
Toledo Mud Hens players
Chicago Cubs coaches
Chicago White Sox coaches
Boston Braves coaches
Pittsburgh Pirates coaches
Pittsburgh Pirates scouts
Indianapolis Indians managers
Syracuse Chiefs managers


Scranton State School for the Deaf (SSSD) was a residential school for the deaf established in 1880 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. Its students ranged in age from birth to 21. At the end of the 2008–09 school year, the school was turned over from state management to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. The new school was renamed Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

History
Reverend Jacob Koehler established the school in 1880. In 1913, by authority of a state legislative act, the Commonwealth took control of the school renaming it the Pennsylvania State Oral School for the Deaf. It was subsequently renamed the Scranton State School for the Deaf in 1976.

The passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 by the federal government categorized state-operated schools as SSSD as not as preferred compared to local school districts providing education for the deaf. SSSD superintendent James Fricke stated that this could make the school unviable.

In 1979 consultant Dr. Neal V. Musmano argued that SSSD should add a junior college department that grants associate degrees.

In 2009 Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell proposed a budget which would remove all funding for the school. Area state representatives opposed this.

Times Leader argued that lawmakers should study carefully the merits of the institution and whether it should be closed before making a decision.

Campus
The campus school is in the Green Ridge portion of Scranton and had  of space.

Demographics
In 2009 the school had 107 students and 75 employees.

Campus

The school had boarding facilities.

Curriculum

By 1979 the school had two computers for deaf education, with each worth $150,000. They had basic mathematics and reading comprehension programs for elementary students and higher levels for secondary and adult students.

By 1979 the school launched an early intervention program to detect hearing loss in infants, called the Parent-Infant program.

Extracurricular activities

Scranton State School for the Deaf athletic teams, known as the Bears, compete in basketball, softball, cross country, soccer, and cheerleading in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association competition.

Notable alumni

Former superintendents
Dr. Victor H. Galloway (1979-1981)

Dr. Dorothy S. Bambach (1988 - 2006)
Dr. Monita Hara (2007–2009) - Hara criticized the closure of the school and resigned to avoid getting suspended in retaliation.

References

External links

Educational institutions established in 1880
Educational institutions disestablished in 2009
Defunct schools in Pennsylvania
Schools for the deaf in the United States
Schools in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
1880 establishments in Pennsylvania
2009 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
Public boarding schools in the United States
Boarding schools in Pennsylvania
Public K-12 schools in Pennsylvania


The Gymnasium Farmsen (GyFa) is a German high school (see "Gymnasium") in Farmsen-Berne borough of Hamburg, Germany, established in 1956. The school is a bilingual school — some subjects are taught in English. It is a partner school of Minneapolis South High School.

Principals
 Walter Löding 1956–1969
 Uwe Schmidt 1969–1994
 Konny G. Neumann 1994-2011
 Peter Geest since 2011

Awards
In the best school contests, which were initiated by Unicum Abi, the school achieved the following results:
 2005: 1st place in Hamburg,  3rd place in Germany
 2006: 1st place in Hamburg,  5th place in Germany
 2007: 1st place in Hamburg,  8th place in Germany
 2008: 1st place in Hamburg,  7th place in Germany

Notable alumni

 Ingo Egloff, politician
 Wilfried Lemke, manager
 Vince Bahrdt, musician
 Gernot Gricksch, author
 Katja Studt, actress
 Andreas Schlueter, author
 Detlef Gottschalck, politician
 Carsten Frigge, politician
 Stephan Merseburger, journalist, television presenter
 Claus "Bubi the Schmied" Graf-Reinholdt, musician

References

External links
 Official Site
 Homepage of school's newspaper

Gymnasiums in Germany
Schools in Hamburg
Buildings and structures in Wandsbek
Educational institutions established in 1956
1956 establishments in Germany


The National Agency for the Safety of Flight (), is the Italian aircraft accident investigation agency. The ANSV is headquartered in Rome. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy oversees the agency. It is the Italian equivalent of the United States National Transportation Safety Board.

It was established according to legislative decree No. 66 on 25 February 1999. Prior to the establishment of the ANSV, after each aviation accident or incident, two investigations were carried out, including a perfunctory investigation by the airport director and a formal and technical investigation by an ad hoc committee appointed by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. Since the establishment of the ANSV, one investigation by the ANSV is carried out after an aviation accident or incident.

Accidents investigated by the ANSV
Linate Airport disaster
Tuninter Flight 1153
Air Algérie Flight 2208
Ryanair Flight 4102

See also

Aviation safety
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza delle Ferrovie – Rail accident investigation agency

References

External links
 ANSV
  (English)

Italy
Aviation organisations based in Italy
Government of Italy
Government agencies established in 1999
1999 establishments in Italy


John Burns is a British recording engineer best known for his credits with noted bands of the 1970s including Jethro Tull, Clouds, Genesis, John Martyn and reggae acts Burning Spear, Delroy Washington, Jimmy Cliff and Toots & The Maytals.

Life and career

Burns (who is also a guitarist) played in a teenage band with Andy Johns, the engineer and younger brother of Glyn Johns, and Andy Johns got Burns his first job in the industry, as tea-boy and tape operator at Morgan Studios in 1965, at the time when Morgan were doing all of the recordings for Chris Blackwell's Island Records.

Burns graduated to assistant engineer with the Jethro Tull albums Stand Up (1969) and Benefit (1970); his credits in this period include the self-titled album by Blind Faith (1969), Humble Pie, Jethro Tull, Spooky Tooth, Blodwyn Pig, Ten Years After, Quintessence, David Bowie, King Crimson and Donovan. During 1970 he worked as a live engineer for acts including Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Johnny Winter. He was a live sound engineer at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969. and toured extensively with Jethro Tull.

He returned to studio work after touring with Tull and Clouds over a period of eighteen months, and engineered Tull's breakthrough Aqualung (1970) album. During a period as freelance engineer with Island Records, when he often stood in for other engineers on sessions, he worked with major acts including Traffic, Mott the Hoople, Fairport Convention, Free, Curved Air, Deep Purple, Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Jeff Beck, Alexis Corner, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & the Maytals and John Martyn, on the sessions that became Martyn's classic Solid Air (1973) album. His first producer credit came when he produced and engineered the now much-heralded Watercolour Days by Clouds in 1971.

In 1972 he began a successful collaboration with progressive rock band Genesis on their Foxtrot album replacing two previous engineers who had been brought in and then quit. Genesis were impressed with his work and he went on to co-produce (with the band) their next three albums -- Selling England by the Pound (1973), which included their first charting single, "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", Genesis Live (1973) and their ambitious 2LP concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974), the last Genesis studio album with original lead singer Peter Gabriel.

Later in 1974 he worked at Ginger Baker's studio in Lagos, Nigeria with the late Fela Ransome-Kuti. In 1975 Burns mixed a dub version of Burning Spear's "Garvey's Ghost". During a brief period as owner of Escape Studios in Kent in the late 1970s, he recorded artists including Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker and engineered Motörhead's 1977 self-titled album with producer John "Speedy" Keen (ex Thunderclap Newman). He also produced Straight Eight a band signed to Pete Townshends Eel Pie Label, their first album No Noise from Here.
Burns had few major credits after the end of the '70s but has recently begun recording again, working with US singer Lisa Doby and the band JEBO. He is credited as remastering engineer for the reissue of the 1998 Gary Numan album Exile.

References

External links
 http://www.johnnieburns.co.uk John Burns official website

Living people
British audio engineers
Year of birth missing (living people)


Llanfendigaid Estate, located on the Cardigan Bay  coast of southern Gwynedd (formerly Merioneth: ), near Tywyn in north Wales is a mid-Georgian house that has belonged to the same family for over 600 years. Llanfendigaid is listed Grade II* by Cadw which is only given to houses of exceptional historic interest. The estate once encompassed over , is now reduced to  within the Snowdonia National Park.

History
A word borrowed from , it translates Parish of the Blessed. The Nanney-Wynn family and their ancestors have occupied the lands of Llanfendigaid since it was first recorded in approximately 1241, the main house was built in the 13th century, and it was renovated to its present design in 1746. John Nanney married the Anwyl heiress in the early 17th century which means the family is related to Evan Vaughan Anwyl who descends from Owain Gwynedd.

Llanfendigaid is a member of Premier Cottages and is operated as a high quality flex-catering complex.

Listing the home for sale in 2021, the former Army officer Will Garton-Jones is the last of 40 generations of the Wynn-Nanney family to own the house, the estate has an asking price of £2m.

References

External links

Buildings and structures in Gwynedd
Llangelynin, Gwynedd


State-centered theory (or state-centred federalism) is a political theory which stresses the role of the government on civil society. It holds that the state itself can structure political life to some degree, but doesn't facilitate the way power is distributed between classes and other groups at a given time.

Theory holding that the national government represents a voluntary compact or agreement between the states, which retain a dominant position. Supporters of state-centered federalism included Thomas Jefferson and the Republican Party. They saw the Constitution as an agreement among the states of which gave them the ability to self-governance.

National policy makers interact with economy independently, with intention of raising social welfare. This gives legitimacy to market intervention.

References

Further reading
 State Centered and Political Institutional Theory: Retrospect and Prospect

Political science theories


Apollon Vasilyevich Galafeyev () (1793–1853) was a decorated Russian general.

Apollon Galafeyev was born into a noble family in Tambov guberniya. After having received his education at the 1st Cadet Corps, he graduated in the rank of podporuchik on December 26, 1811, and was assigned to the Tula Infantry Regiment. In 1812, Apollon Galafeyev served in Count Peter Wittgenstein’s unit and took part in the Battle of Sivoshino, Battle of Svolnya, First and Second Battle of Polotsk (promoted to poruchik and awarded the Order of St. Anna, 4th Class), Battle of Czasniki, and Battle of Smolyanka (promoted to staff captain). In 1813, Apollon Galafeyev participated in the siege of Pillau and the Free City of Danzig, the blockade of Wittenberg, Battle of Luckau (promoted to captain), Battle of Leipzig, capturing of Amsterdam and repelling of the enemy from Breda. In 1814, Apollon Galafeyev took part in the blockade of Jülich, Battle of Craonne, Battle of Laon, and occupation of Paris.

On April 23, 1817, Apollon Galafeyev was promoted to the rank of major and then lieutenant colonel (September 15, 1819). On December 8, 1820, he was transferred to the Velikolutsky Infantry Regiment. On December 12, 1823, Galafeyev was appointed commander of the 20th Jaeger Regiment. On January 28, 1828, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and then sent to the Russo-Turkish War. For his performance in several battles, Apollon Galafeyev was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir (4th class), Order of St. Anna (2nd class), a gold sabre inscribed "For Bravery", and another Order of Saint Anna with diamonds. Besides this, Galafeyev took part in the siege of Shumla and Varna. On October 23, 1829, he was also awarded the Order of St. George (4th class). In 1831, Apollon Galafeyev participated in the Russo-Polish War, mainly fighting against the units of Brigadier Józef Dwernicki and General Samuel Różycki. For his service in Poland, he was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir (3rd class), promoted to the rank of major general (December 6), and assigned to the commander-in-chief of the 1st Army. On August 19, 1833, Apollon Galafeyev was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus (1st class) and then Order of Saint Anna (1st class) a year later. On October 19, 1834, he was appointed chief-of-staff of a detached Siberian Corps. On December 6, 1838, Galafeyev was appointed commander of the 20th Infantry Division.

Also, Apollon Galafeyev participated in the Caucasian War of 1817-1864. As infantry commander, he took part in Adjutant General Pavel Grabbe’s Dagestan campaign against Imam Shamil from April to September 1839. Galafeyev was awarded the imperial crown to his Order of Saint Anna (1st class) for defeating Tashev-hadji (Shamil’s associate) and Order of Saint Vladimir (2nd class) with a promotion to lieutenant general for capturing Shamil’s mountain stronghold of Akhoulgo. From March to December 1840, Apollon Galafeyev participated in a military campaign against the mountaineers, commanding the so-called Chechen unit. On July 11, the famous Battle of the Valerik River took place, in which Mikhail Lermontov took part (later he would describe this event in his poem called "The Valerik"). In October 1841, Galafeyev participated in military action in the Chechen unit under the command of Pavel Grabbe and was wounded in upper abdomen with a rifle bullet. On September 7, 1842, he was shell-shocked in his right shoulder by a cannonball.

On November 3, 1844, Apollon Galafeyev was appointed governor of Sevastopol, but had to remain in the Caucasus due to his illness until 1846. On October 1, 1852, he was removed from his post and court-martialed for administrative abuses. On December 15, 1853, Apollon Galafeyev was dismissed from military service. He died later that same year.

1793 births
1853 deaths
Russian military leaders
Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class
Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class


Mirrors is the second studio album by German pop singer Sandra, released on 13 October 1986 by Virgin Records. The album spawned the European Top 10 singles "Innocent Love" and "Hi! Hi! Hi!".

Background
Mirrors was produced by Michael Cretu and Armand Volker, and continued the synth-pop-oriented style introduced on Sandra's debut album, The Long Play, released the year before. The material was arranged with the use of such synthesizers as Akai S900, PPG, Linn 9000, Prophet 2002, Oberheim Matrix-12, EMS Vocoder, Yamaha DX7 and Roland Super Jupiter. Mirrors saw more songwriting and singing involvement from Hubert Kemmler, who was already a popular singer in Germany under the name of Hubert Kah. The song "Don't Cry (The Breakup of the World)" was written in reaction to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Four singles were released from this album. "Innocent Love" was the lead single and reached the top 10 in multiple European countries, followed by "Hi! Hi! Hi!", which was a top-10 entry in Sandra's native Germany, as well as Greece and Spain. The ballad "Loreen" and the uptempo "Midnight Man" served as the album's third and fourth singles, respectively, and both achieved a moderate success across Europe.

The album charted within the top 20 in Germany, Switzerland, Finland and Norway.

Track listing

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Mirrors.

 Sandra – lead vocals
 Michael Cretu – production, arrangements, performance, background vocals
 Armand Volker – production
 Hubert Kemmler – background vocals
 Peter Ries – background vocals
 Tissy Thiers – background vocals
 Timothy Touchton – voice on "The Second Day"
 Mike Schmidt – cover
 Dieter Eikelpoth – photography

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

1986 albums
Albums produced by Michael Cretu
Sandra (singer) albums
Virgin Records albums