Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as well as overdose potential among other possible adverse effects. They have been used recreationally for their anti-anxiety and sedative effects, and are thus controlled in most countries due to the risks associated with such use.

Barbiturates have largely been replaced by benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines ("Z-drugs") in routine medical practice, particularly in the treatment of anxiety disorders and insomnia, because of the significantly lower risk of overdose, and the lack of an antidote for barbiturate overdose. Despite this, barbiturates are still in use for various purposes: In general anesthesia, epilepsy, treatment of acute migraines or cluster headaches, acute tension headaches, euthanasia, capital punishment, and assisted suicide.

Uses

Medicine
Barbiturates, such as phenobarbital, were long used as anxiolytics and hypnotics. Intermediate-acting barbiturates reduce time to fall asleep, increase total sleep time, and reduce REM sleep time. Today they have been largely replaced by benzodiazepines for these purposes because the latter are less toxic in drug overdose. However, barbiturates are still used as anticonvulsants (e.g., phenobarbital and primidone) and general anesthetics (e.g., sodium thiopental).

Barbiturates in high doses are used for medical aid in dying, and in combination with a muscle relaxant for euthanasia and for capital punishment by lethal injection. Barbiturates are frequently employed as euthanizing agents in small-animal veterinary medicine.

Interrogation
Sodium thiopental is an ultra-short-acting barbiturate that is marketed under the name Sodium Pentothal. It is often mistaken for "truth serum", or sodium amytal, an intermediate-acting barbiturate that is used for sedation and to treat insomnia, but was also used in so-called sodium amytal "interviews" where the person being questioned would incorrectly be thought to be more likely to provide the truth whilst under the influence of the drug.  When dissolved in water, sodium amytal can be swallowed, or it can be administered by intravenous injection. The drug does not itself force people to tell the truth, but is thought to decrease inhibitions and slow creative thinking, making subjects more likely to be caught off guard when questioned, and increasing the possibility of the subject revealing information through emotional outbursts. Lying is somewhat more complex than telling the truth, especially under the influence of a sedative-hypnotic drug.

The memory-impairing effects and cognitive impairments induced by sodium thiopental are thought to reduce a subject's ability to invent and remember lies. This practice is no longer considered legally admissible in court, owing to findings that subjects undergoing such interrogations may form false memories, putting the reliability of all information obtained through such methods into question. Nonetheless, it is still employed in certain circumstances by defense and law enforcement agencies as a "humane" alternative to torture interrogation when the subject is believed to have information critical to the security of the state or agency employing the tactic.

Chemistry
In 1988, the synthesis and binding studies of an artificial receptor binding barbiturates by six complementary hydrogen bonds was published. Since this first article, different kind of receptors were designed, as well as different barbiturates and cyanurates, not for their efficiencies as drugs but for applications in supramolecular chemistry, in the conception of materials and molecular devices.

The preferred IUPAC name of the base compound, barbituric acid, is  1,3-diazinane-2,4,6-trione. Different barbiturates have different substituents in the basic structure, mainly in position 5 on the ring. In modern chemistry the barbiturates are often presented by its Hirshfeld surface representations showing its intermolecular interactions   calculated with CrystalExplorer Program.

Sodium barbital and barbital have also been used as pH buffers for biological research, e.g., in immuno-electrophoresis or in fixative solutions.

Classification
Barbiturates are classified based on the duration of action. Examples of each class include:

 Ultra short acting (30 minutes): thiopentone, methohexitone
 Short acting (2 hours): hexobarbitone, cyclobarbitone, pentobarbitone, secobarbitone
 Intermediate acting (3–6 hours): amobarbitone, butabarbitone
 Long acting (6 hours): phenobarbitone

Indications
Indications for the use of barbiturates include:
Seizure
Neonatal withdrawal syndrome
Insomnia
Anxiety
Inducing anesthesia

Side effects

There are special risks to consider for older adults, and women who are pregnant. When a person ages, the body becomes less able to rid itself of barbiturates. As a result, people over the age of sixty-five are at higher risk of experiencing the harmful effects of barbiturates, including drug dependence and accidental overdose. When barbiturates are taken during pregnancy, the drug passes through the placenta to the fetus. After the baby is born, it may experience withdrawal symptoms and have trouble breathing. In addition, nursing mothers who take barbiturates may transmit the drug to their babies through breast milk. A rare adverse reaction to barbiturates is Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which primarily affects the mucous membranes.

Common side effects
 Nausea
 Hypotension
 Headache
 Drowsiness
 Skin rash

Serious side effects
 Confusion
 Coma
 Hallucination
 Fainting
 Slow breathing

Rare side effects
 Agranulocytosis
 Stevens–Johnson syndrome
 Liver injury
 Megaloblastic anemia

Tolerance and dependence

With regular use, tolerance to the effects of barbiturates develops. Research shows tolerance can develop with even one administration of a barbiturate. As with all GABAergic drugs, barbiturate withdrawal produces potentially fatal effects such as seizures, in a manner reminiscent of delirium tremens and benzodiazepine withdrawal although its more direct mechanism of GABA agonism makes barbiturate withdrawal even more severe than that of alcohol or benzodiazepines.  It is considered one of the most dangerous withdrawals of any known addictive substance. Similarly to benzodiazepines, the longer acting barbiturates produce a less severe withdrawal syndrome than short acting and ultra-short acting barbiturates. Withdrawal symptoms are dose-dependent with heavier users being more affected than lower-dose addicts.

The pharmacological treatment of barbiturate withdrawal is an extended process often consisting of converting the patient to a long-acting benzodiazepine (i.e. Valium), followed by slowly tapering off the benzodiazepine. Mental cravings for barbiturates can last for months or years in some cases and counselling/support groups are highly encouraged by addiction specialists. Patients should never try to tackle the task of discontinuing barbiturates without consulting a doctor, owing to the high lethality and relatively sudden onset of the withdrawal. Attempting to quit "cold turkey" may result in neurological damage due to excitotoxicity, severe physical injuries received during convulsions, and even death resulting from arrhythmias during grande Mal seizures, paralleling death caused by delirium tremens.

Overdose

Some symptoms of an overdose typically include sluggishness, incoordination, difficulty in thinking, slowness of speech, faulty judgement, drowsiness, shallow breathing, staggering, and, in severe cases, coma or death. The lethal dosage of barbiturates varies greatly with tolerance and from one individual to another. The lethal dose is highly variable among different members of the class, with superpotent barbiturates such as pentobarbital being potentially fatal in considerably lower doses than the low-potency barbiturates such as butalbital. Even in inpatient settings, the development of tolerance is still a problem, as dangerous and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms can result when the drug is stopped after dependence has developed. Tolerance to the anxiolytic and sedative effects of barbiturates tends to develop faster than tolerance to their effects on smooth muscle, respiration, and heart rate, making them generally unsuitable for a long time psychiatric use. Tolerance to the anticonvulsant effects tends to correlate more with tolerance to physiological effects, however, meaning that they are still a viable option for long-term epilepsy treatment.

Barbiturates in overdose with other CNS (central nervous system) depressants (e.g. alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines) are even more dangerous owing to additive CNS and respiratory depressant effects. In the case of benzodiazepines, not only do they have additive effects, barbiturates also increase the binding affinity of the benzodiazepine binding site, leading to exaggerated benzodiazepine effects. (ex. If a benzodiazepine increases the frequency of channel opening by 300%, and a barbiturate increases the duration of their opening by 300%, then the combined effects of the drugs increases the channels' overall function by 900%, not 600%).

The longest-acting barbiturates have half-lives of a day or more, and subsequently result in bioaccumulation of the drug in the system. The therapeutic and recreational effects of long-acting barbiturates wear off significantly faster than the drug can be eliminated, allowing the drug to reach toxic concentrations in the blood following repeated administration (even when taken at the therapeutic or prescribed dose) despite the user feeling little or no effects from the plasma-bound concentrations of the drug. Users who consume alcohol or other sedatives after the drug's effects have worn off, but before it has cleared the system, may experience a greatly exaggerated effect from the other sedatives which can be incapacitating or even fatal.

Barbiturates induce a number of hepatic CYP enzymes (most notably CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4), leading to exaggerated effects from many prodrugs and decreased effects from drugs which are metabolized by these enzymes to inactive metabolites. This can result in fatal overdoses from drugs such as codeine, tramadol, and carisoprodol, which become considerably more potent after being metabolized by CYP enzymes. Although all known members of the class possess relevant enzyme induction capabilities, the degree of induction overall as well as the impact on each specific enzyme span a broad range, with phenobarbital and secobarbital being the most potent enzyme inducers and butalbital and talbutal being among the weakest enzyme inducers in the class.

People who are known to have killed themselves by barbiturate overdose include Stefan Zweig, Charles Boyer, Ruan Lingyu, Dalida, Jeannine Deckers, Felix Hausdorff, Abbie Hoffman, Phyllis Hyman, C. P. Ramanujam, George Sanders, Jean Seberg, Lupe Vélez and the members of  Heaven's Gate cult. Others who have died as a result of barbiturate overdose include Pier Angeli, Brian Epstein, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Inger Stevens, Dinah Washington, Ellen Wilkinson, and Alan Wilson; in some cases these have been speculated to be suicides as well. Those who died of a combination of barbiturates and other drugs include Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Dorothy Kilgallen, Malcolm Lowry, Edie Sedgwick and Kenneth Williams. Dorothy Dandridge died of either an overdose or an unrelated embolism. Ingeborg Bachmann may have died of the consequences of barbiturate withdrawal (she was hospitalized with burns, the doctors treating her not being aware of her barbiturate addiction).

Contraindications
The use of Barbiturates is contraindicated in the following conditions:
variegate porphyria (because of induction of enzymes needed for porphyria synthesis by barbiturates)
Status asthmaticus (because of respiratory depression caused by the barbiturates)

Mechanism of action
Barbiturates act as positive allosteric modulators and, at higher doses, as agonists of GABAA receptors. GABA is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Barbiturates bind to the GABAA receptor at multiple homologous transmembrane pockets located at subunit interfaces, which are binding sites distinct from GABA itself and also distinct from the benzodiazepine binding site. Like benzodiazepines, barbiturates potentiate the effect of GABA at this receptor. In addition to this GABAergic effect, barbiturates also block AMPA and kainate receptors, subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptor. Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. Taken together, the findings that barbiturates potentiate inhibitory GABAA receptors and inhibit excitatory AMPA receptors can explain the superior CNS-depressant effects of these agents to alternative GABA potentiating agents such as benzodiazepines and quinazolinones. At higher concentration, they inhibit the Ca2+-dependent release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate via an effect on P/Q-type voltage-dependent calcium channels.
Barbiturates produce their pharmacological effects by increasing the duration of chloride ion channel opening at the GABAA receptor (pharmacodynamics: This increases the efficacy of GABA), whereas benzodiazepines increase the frequency of the chloride ion channel opening at the GABAA receptor (pharmacodynamics: This increases the potency of GABA). The direct gating or opening of the chloride ion channel is the reason for the increased toxicity of barbiturates compared to benzodiazepines in overdose.

Further, barbiturates are relatively non-selective compounds that bind to an entire superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels, of which the GABAA receptor channel is only one of several representatives. This Cys-loop receptor superfamily of ion channels includes the neuronal nACh receptor channel, the 5-HT3 receptor channel, and the glycine receptor channel. However, while GABAA receptor currents are increased by barbiturates (and other general anesthetics), ligand-gated ion channels that are predominantly permeable for cationic ions are blocked by these compounds. For example, neuronal nAChR channels are blocked by clinically relevant anesthetic concentrations of both thiopental and pentobarbital. Such findings implicate (non-GABA-ergic) ligand-gated ion channels, e.g. the neuronal nAChR channel, in mediating some of the (side) effects of barbiturates. This is the mechanism responsible for the (mild to moderate) anesthetic effect of barbiturates in high doses when used in anesthetic concentration.

Interactions
Drug interactions with barbiturates are:
 alcohol
 opioids
 benzodiazepines
 anticoagulants
 antihistamines
 atazanavir
 birth-control pills
 boceprevir

Caution
Caution is needed in people using:
 Medications such as opioids or benzodiazepines
 Alcohol

Caution is also required in patients with:

 Asthma
 Kidney- or liver-problems
 Heart-disease
 Substance use disorder
 Depression
 History of suicidal thoughts

History
Barbituric acid was first synthesized 27 November 1864, by German chemist Adolf von Baeyer. This was done by condensing urea with diethyl malonate. There are several stories about how the substance got its name. The most likely story is that Baeyer and his colleagues went to celebrate their discovery in a tavern where the town's artillery garrison were also celebrating the feast of Saint Barbara – the patron saint of artillerymen. An artillery officer is said to have christened the new substance by amalgamating Barbara with urea. Another story was barbiturate was invented on the feast day of St. Barbara. Another story holds that Baeyer synthesized the substance from the collected urine of a Munich waitress named Barbara. No substance of medical value was discovered, however, until 1903 when two German scientists working at Bayer, Emil Fischer and Joseph von Mering, discovered that barbital was very effective in putting dogs to sleep. Barbital was then marketed by Bayer under the trade name Veronal. It is said that Mering proposed this name because the most peaceful place he knew was the Italian city of Verona.

It was not until the 1950s that the behavioral disturbances and physical dependence potential of barbiturates became recognized.

Barbituric acid itself does not have any direct effect on the central nervous system and chemists have derived over 2,500 compounds from it that possess pharmacologically active qualities. The broad class of barbiturates is further broken down and classified according to speed of onset and duration of action. Ultrashort-acting barbiturates are commonly used for anesthesia because their extremely short duration of action allows for greater control. These properties allow doctors to rapidly put a patient "under" in emergency surgery situations. Doctors can also bring a patient out of anesthesia just as quickly, should complications arise during surgery. The middle two classes of barbiturates are often combined under the title "short/intermediate-acting." These barbiturates are also employed for anesthetic purposes, and are also sometimes prescribed for anxiety or insomnia. This is not a common practice anymore, however, owing to the dangers of long-term use of barbiturates; they have been replaced by the benzodiazepines and Z-drug such as zolpidem, zaleplon and eszopiclone for sleep. The final class of barbiturates are known as long-acting barbiturates (the most notable one being phenobarbital, which has a half-life of roughly 92 hours). This class of barbiturates is used almost exclusively as anticonvulsants, although on rare occasions they are prescribed for daytime sedation. Barbiturates in this class are not used for insomnia, because, owing to their extremely long half-life, patients would awake with a residual "hang-over" effect and feel groggy.

Barbiturates can in most cases be used either as the free acid or as salts of sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, lithium, etc. Codeine- and dionine-based salts of barbituric acid have been developed. In 1912, Bayer introduced another barbituric acid derivative, phenobarbital, under the trade name Luminal, as a sedative–hypnotic.

Society and culture

Legal status
During World War II, military personnel in the Pacific region were given "goofballs" to improve their tolerance of the heat and humidity of daily working conditions. Goofballs reduced the demand on the respiratory system, as well as maintaining blood pressure. Many soldiers returned with addictions that required several months of rehabilitation before discharge. This led to growing dependency problems, often exacerbated by indifferent physicians prescribing high doses to unknowing patients through the 1950s and 1960s.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, an increasing number of published reports of barbiturate overdoses and dependence problems led physicians to reduce their prescription, particularly for spurious requests. This eventually led to the scheduling of barbiturates as controlled drugs.

In the Netherlands, the Opium Law classifies all barbiturates as List II drugs, with the exception of secobarbital, which is on List I.

There is a small group of List II drugs for which physicians have to write the prescriptions according to the same, tougher guidelines as those for List I drugs (writing the prescription in full in letters, listing the patients name, and have to contain the name and initials, address, city and telephone number of the licensed prescriber issuing the prescriptions, as well as the name and initials, address and city of the person the prescription is issued to). Among that group of drugs are the barbiturates amobarbital, butalbital, cyclobarbital, and pentobarbital.

In the United States, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified most barbiturates as controlled substances—and they remain so . Barbital, methylphenobarbital (also known as mephobarbital), and phenobarbital are designated schedule IV drugs, and "Any substance which contains any quantity of a derivative of barbituric acid, or any salt of a derivative of barbituric acid" (all other barbiturates) were designated as being schedule III. Under the original CSA, no barbiturates were placed in schedule I, II, or V; however, amobarbital, pentobarbital, and secobarbital are schedule II controlled substances unless they are in a suppository dosage form.

In 1971, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances was signed in Vienna. Designed to regulate amphetamines, barbiturates, and other synthetics, the 34th version of the treaty, , regulates secobarbital as schedule II, amobarbital, butalbital, cyclobarbital, and pentobarbital as schedule III, and allobarbital, barbital, butobarbital, mephobarbital, phenobarbital, butabarbital, and vinylbital as schedule IV on its "Green List". The combination medication Fioricet, consisting of butalbital, caffeine, and paracetamol (acetaminophen), however, is specifically exempted from controlled substance status, while its sibling Fiorinal, which contains aspirin instead of paracetamol and may contain codeine phosphate, remains a schedule III drug.

Recreational use
Recreational users report that a barbiturate high gives them feelings of relaxed contentment and euphoria. Physical and psychological dependence may also develop with repeated use. Chronic misuse of barbiturates is associated with significant morbidity. One study found that 11% of males and 23% of females with a sedative-hypnotic misuse die by suicide. Other effects of barbiturate intoxication include drowsiness, lateral and vertical nystagmus, slurred speech and ataxia, decreased anxiety, and loss of inhibitions. Barbiturates are also used to alleviate the adverse or withdrawal effects of illicit drug use, in a manner similar to long-acting benzodiazepines such as diazepam and clonazepam. Often polysubstance use occurs and barbiturates are consumed with or substituted by other available substances, most commonly alcohol.

People who use substances tend to prefer short-acting and intermediate-acting barbiturates. The most commonly used are amobarbital (Amytal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and secobarbital (Seconal). A combination of amobarbital and secobarbital (called Tuinal) is also highly used. Short-acting and intermediate-acting barbiturates are usually prescribed as sedatives and sleeping pills. These pills begin acting fifteen to forty minutes after they are swallowed, and their effects last from five to six hours.

Slang terms for barbiturates include barbs, barbies, bluebirds, dolls, wallbangers, yellows, downers, goofballs, sleepers, 'reds & blues', and tooties.

Examples

Thiopental is a barbiturate with one of the C=O double bonds (with the carbon being labelled 2 in the adjacent diagram) replaced with a C=S double bond, R1 being  (ethyl) and R3) being  (sec-pentyl). Thiopental is no longer available in the United States.

See also
Benzodiazepine
Psycholeptic
Dille–Koppanyi reagent, Zwikker reagent, and others spot tests for barbiturates

Notes

References

External links and further reading

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Source for some public-domain text used on this page.

National Institute on Drug Abuse: "NIDA for Teens: Prescription Depressant Medications".

AMPA receptor antagonists
Anticonvulsants
Anxiolytics
Calcium channel blockers
Chemical classes of psychoactive drugs
Dermatoxins
GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators
Barbiturates
Glycine receptor agonists
Hypnotics
Kainate receptor antagonists
Mitochondrial toxins
Nicotinic antagonists


Ludovic Albós Cavaliere (born 4 May 1979) is an Andorran ski mountaineer.

Albos, expert accountant and commercial adviser, started working in commercial àrea in 1999, since this year he has been working in different commercial areas as accountant and adviser.

In his free time, he practises ski mountaineering, started it in 2006 and competed first in the Gp Vallnord in the same year. He has been member of the Andorran national ski mountaineering team since 2006. Albos placed ninth in the vertical race event of the 2007 European Championship.

His brothers David and Joan are also competition ski mountaineers.

Selected studies career
 FP2 - Technician administrative accountant
 Graduate in tourism
 Licenciate administration companies

Selected sport results
 2007:
 9th, European Championship vertical Race
 2008:
 17th, World Championship vertical Race
 2009:
 19th, European Championship vertical Race
 2nd, 2009 La Serrera Ski Mountaineering race
 2012:
 7th, European Championship team, together with Joan Albós Cavaliere
 8th, European Championship relay, together with Xavier Comas Guixé, Guilad Dodo Perez and Joan Albós Cavaliere

Other activities
2009:
 L.Bordas xtreme

External links
  at ludovicalbos.com
 Ludovic Albos at skimountaineering.org

1979 births
Living people
Andorran male ski mountaineers


The Catalonia rugby union team is the national and/or representative rugby union team of Catalonia. It is organised by the Catalan Rugby Federation and has been active since 1923. On 14 April 1934 they made their international debut with a 5–5 draw at the Camp de Les Corts against Italy.

History
The Catalan Rugby Federation was founded in 1922 and the national rugby union team made their debut on 21 May 1923, losing 9–0 to Toulouse Lanlade Olimpique at the . During the early 1930s they played against various French club and provincial teams. In 1930 they also twice played a visiting Royal Navy XV and also embarked on brief tour of Germany. In March 1934 Catalonia became a founding member of the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur and on 14 April 1934 they made their international debut with a 5–5 draw at the Camp de Les Corts against Italy. On 27 May 1934 Catalonia played their first international against France, losing 15–22. After the Spanish Civil War, Catalonia lost its sporting independence. This saw the Catalan Rugby Federation lose its full membership of FIRA and the right to organise full international games. Despite these restrictions, the Catalonia national rugby union team continues to play friendlies against international teams as well as club and provincial teams. The Catalan Rugby Federation has also campaigned for its full membership of Rugby Europe to be restored, citing founding members rights of FIRA (now Rugby Europe) and comparing their stance to that of England, Scotland, and Wales, who do not compete in a unified Great Britain team, but rather as individual entities and founding members of the IRB (now World Rugby).

Matches

Internationals

Notes

Spanish Regions Championship finals
Since 1983–84 Catalonia have competed in the Spanish Regions Championship, featuring other teams, such as the Basque Country, representing the autonomous communities of Spain. This competition is organised by the Spanish Rugby Federation.

Honours
Spanish Regions Championship
Winners: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1999–2000: 5
Runners-up: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98: 8

2010 squad

Catalonia vs. Sweden (2010)

Catalan qualified players who represented other qualified international teams

Men's internationals
 (1934–1941)

(C&S:this players represented the Catalonia and the Spain rugby team)

(C&S:this players represented the Catalonia and the Spain rugby team)

Women's internationals

References

See also
Rugby union in Catalonia

International rugby union teams
1923 establishments in Spain
European national rugby union teams
Rugby union
Rugby union in Catalonia


Wheelock Graves Veazey (December 5, 1835 – March 22, 1898) was an American attorney, judge, and government official. Veazey served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission. During the American Civil War he received the United States military's highest decoration for bravery, the Medal of Honor.

Early life and career
Veazey was born in Brentwood, New Hampshire on December 5, 1835, to Jonathan and Annie (Stevens) Veazey. After being educated in the local public schools, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and then Dartmouth College, graduating in 1859.  He studied law with Gilman Marston, graduated from Albany Law School, and was admitted to the Vermont Bar in December 1860.  Veazey then began the practice of law in Springfield, Vermont.

When the Civil War began, Veazey enlisted as a private in Company A of the 3rd Vermont Infantry.  He was made a captain in that regiment in May 1861, and in August was further promoted to major and then lieutenant colonel. On June 22, 1861, he married Julia Beard, daughter of a New Hampshire newspaper editor. In the latter half of 1862 he returned to Vermont to raise a new regiment. On September 27 he was promoted to colonel and elected commander of the newly formed 16th Vermont Infantry.

He led this unit at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, and 28 years later, on September 8, 1891, he received the Medal of Honor for his actions during that engagement. His official citation reads: "Rapidly assembled his regiment and charged the enemy's flank; charged front under heavy fire, and charged and destroyed a Confederate brigade, all this with new troops in their first battle." He finished his service as chief of staff to General William Farrar Smith  In 1863, he left the army, and returned to Vermont.

Political career
On his return from the war, Veazey resumed the practice of law in Rutland, Vermont. In 1864, he was elected to the position of Reporter of Decisions for the  Vermont Supreme Court, and held that post by repeated re-election until 1872 In 1872, he was elected to the Vermont State Senate, and the following year was appointed a Registrar in Bankruptcy. In 1876, he served as a delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention.  In 1879, the Legislature elected him as a judge of the Vermont Supreme Court, succeeding his law partner Walter C. Dunton, and he was re-elected to that post every two years until he became a member of the I.C.C. In 1880, he became a trustee of Dartmouth College, and held that position for many years.

Colonel Veazey was active in the Grand Army of the Republic, serving as post commander of the Rutland post, then as Department Commander for the Vermont G.A.R. from 1873 to 1875.  In 1877 and 1888, he served as Judge Advocate General on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R., and finally as Commander-in-Chief himself from 1890 to 1891.  He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.  In addition, Veazey was active in the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers, and served as its president from 1874 to 1875.

Interstate Commerce Commission
On August 31, 1889, Veazey was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, filling the unexpired term of Aldace F. Walker, who had resigned a few months before the end of his term. As Congress was not then in session, Veazey received a recess appointment, taking the oath of office on September 10, 1889.  The term to which Veazey was appointed expired on December 31; Harrison sent a nomination for a full six-year term to the Senate.  The Senate confirmed Veazey on December 20, three days after receiving the nomination.

President Grover Cleveland reappointed Veazey to the I.C.C. for a second six-year term on December 19, 1895, and the Senate confirmed him the same day. He served until resigning on December 20, 1896, and was succeeded by Charles A. Prouty. He remained in Washington, and died there on March 22, 1898.  Veazey is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2, Grave 1026.

See also

List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Gettysburg
List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: T–Z

References

1835 births
1898 deaths
Vermont lawyers
Republican Party Vermont state senators
Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court
Dartmouth College alumni
Albany Law School alumni
People of the Interstate Commerce Commission
People of Vermont in the American Civil War
Union Army colonels
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Grand Army of the Republic Commanders-in-Chief
People from Brentwood, New Hampshire
Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers


"Let Me Talk" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in August 1980 by ARC/Columbia Records as the first single from their tenth album, Faces (1980). It reached No. 8 on the US Billboard  Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 29 on the UK Pop Singles chart.

Overview
Let Me Talk was produced by EWF leader Maurice White. As well the song was composed by White, Ralph Johnson, Phillip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and Verdine White.

The B-side of the single was an instrumental version of Let Me Talk. The song has an allegro tempo of 112 beats per minute. Let Me Talk also came off EWF's 1980 album Faces.

Music video
With a duration of four minutes, a music video to accompany the single, was released in September 1980.

Critical reception
Paul Rambali of NME found that the song is "without a recognisable disco beat. Just goes to show that modern soul music is alive and kicking harder at conformity than its recently revived predecessor. Let Me Talk commits the usual Earth, Wind & Fire crime of spoiling the funk with some Vegas showtime horn arrangements, but these are thankfully at a minimum and entirely outweighed by an irresistible riff". Rambali added "This record gives off such a compulsive, joyous, frenzied noise that it's hard to sit still and type, but I can't resist pointing out that amongst more than a few lyrical platitudes it contains the sharpest admonishment of modern culture you're likely to hear from any source. Earth, Wind & Fire narrow it down to just one line, pointing the finger to people who Try to find excitement in the labels that they wear! And that doesn't just mean the labels in clothes, either." Robert Christgau of the Village Voice said "Let Me Talk," is too political in its fluffy way to break down the racism to today's top 40". Mike Nicholls of Record Mirror declared the song "sets off at a punishing pace which is never relinquished. That means it'll be fine for those wishing to slip a disc in discos but home relaxation? Only if you've got shares in Valium. Positively frantic dahling".

Nelson George of Musician proclaimed "Let Me Talk is in the tradition of distinctive singles like Shining Star, Serpentine Fire and Getaway. Opening with a swirl of Larry Dunn's synthesizer and Al McKay's chucky rhythm guitar, it shifts effortlessly between two grooves while presenting an aggressive lyric filled with references to inflation, Arab oil and the psuedo-chic (trying to find excitement in the labels that you wear) articulated by Maurice White's husky baritone. Gary Bradford of The Pittsburgh Press called the song "searing funk". David Hepworth of Smash Hits exclaimed "Earth, Wind & Fire come over like a warm breeze of simple pleasure, spraying their champagne jazz all over the place and grabbing your heart feet first. This, I have decided, is because there isn't a manjack in that band who isn't hopelessly in love with the sound his instrument makes. More power to them." Paul Willistein of The Morning Call called the song an "enjoyable, though sometimes preachy tune, calling for universal brotherhood". What's more Patrick MacDonald of the Seattle Times described Let Me Talk as a "good tune".

"Let Me Talk" also received an honourable mention from NME in their top singles list of 1980.

Charts

References

1980 singles
Earth, Wind & Fire songs
Songs written by Maurice White
Songs written by Philip Bailey
Songs written by Al McKay
Songs written by Verdine White
Songs written by Larry Dunn
1980 songs
Columbia Records singles


Lambert's Bay is a small fishing town in the Western Cape province of South Africa situated  north of Cape Town. It is part of the Cederberg Municipality.

The coast town has been proclaimed 'the Diamond of the West Coast' because of its white beaches, wildlife and lobsters. Although primarily a fishing town, it has become a significant tourist attraction on the West Coast due to its moderate all-year climate.

Birding
 Bird Island Nature Reserve – The nesting and breeding ground of thousands of Cape gannets, penguins and other bird species can be reached by walking on a breakwater wall.

History
Lambert's Bay is named after Admiral Lambert of the British Navy who did a marine survey of the bay between 1826 and 1840.

In 1887 Mr Stephan bought the commercial buildings and built the hotel in 1888. Lambert's Bay was used as a lay-up for British warships during the war of 1900–1902 and in 1901 HMS Sybille was wrecked opposite Steenbokfontein.

The first crayfish factory was started by Mr Lindström in 1918.

See also
 Mussel Point, a prehistoric shell midden near Lamberts Bay

References

Populated places in the Cederberg Local Municipality


The Spring Standards is an independent three-piece folk-rock band based in New York City.

Biography
 James Cleare, Heather Robb, and James Smith first sang together in the last summer of the 20th century. Having just turned 16, the three teens with a common affinity for "oldies" music and harmony spent the better part of the next two years playing shows around the Delaware/Pennsylvania area. Influenced as much by their parent's record collections as they were by what they heard on the radio, their style began to take shape into something a little bit both and a little bit neither. When high school graduation came along, their paths divided; years passed and things changed, but before they knew it they were all living within a few blocks of each other in New York City. The transition back into making music together was as natural as it was surprising - they happily picked up where they had left off years before, with a unique style that refuses to sit comfortably in any genre.

Cleare, Robb, and, Smith are all songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. They use their strengths as a trio to create a sound that listeners might expect from a band twice their size. With an emphasis on 3-part harmony and a variety of instrumental switching, their range, and energy onstage make each live show a unique event.

Before they were The Spring Standards, all three members were in Old Springs Pike along with John Gallagher Jr. The three current members also played together in an earlier band called The Urban Wombats.

Members
The band members are:
 James Cleare - vocals, acoustic, bass, and electric guitars, harmonica, drums, and percussion
 Heather Robb - vocals, melodica, keyboard, glockenspiel, drums, accordion, and percussion
 James Smith - vocals, acoustic, bass and electric guitars, trumpet, drums, and percussion

Recording
The Spring Standards released their first EP No One Will Know in July 2008 which was co-produced by Rhett Miller of Old 97s and engineered by Kieran Kelly of The Buddy Project. The self-released EP found mild success in the North East leading to an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. On April 13, 2010, they self-released their first full-length album Would Things Be Different produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Phish, The Apples in Stereo).

The Spring Standards returned to the studio in early 2011 to record a double EP entitled yellow//gold, released on May 1, 2012. The record was produced by Dan Molad.

On December 26, 2012, The Spring Standards recorded audio and video at their fifth annual Boxing Day concert at the Arden Club Gild Hall, Arden, Delaware. The project was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. The album Live from Delaware was released on May 21, 2013.

Discography
No One Will Know EP (Released July 29, 2008)
 1. Goodbye Midnight
 2. In The Underground
 3. Little Bug
 4. Reply
 5. Breath And Sound
 6. Your Lie
 7. Sad Song
 8. Pin Cushion (Bonus Track)

Would Things be Different (Released April 13, 2010)
 1. Skyline
 2. Here I Am
 3. Queen Of The Lot
 4. Halcyon Days
 5. Bells And Whistles
 6. Not Again
 7. Frozen
 8. Trouble
 9. Sharks
 10. The Hush
 11. Unravel Unwind
 12. Drowning In Sobriety (Bonus Track)

yellow/gold Double EP (Released May 1, 2012)
 1. Only Skin
 2. Heavy Home
 3. Chicago
 4. Crushing Pennies
 5. Enemies
 6. Wildfire Forest
 7. So Simple So True
 8. Nightmare
 9. Watch The Moon Disappear
 10. Rusty Wheels
 11. Here We Go
 12. Unmarked Pill

Live from Delaware (Released May 21, 2013)
 1. Wildfire Forest
 2. Queen of the Lot
 3. Nightmare
 4. Rusty Wheels
 5. The Hush
 6. Only Skin
 7. Bells and Whistles
 8. Chicago
 9. Sharks
 10. Premonition
 11. Here We Go
 12. Unravel Unwind
 13. Watch the Moon Disappear
 14. Reply (Offstage)
 15. Frozen (Offstage)
 16. Crushing Pennies (Offstage)

Touring
The Spring Standards have toured nationwide at major venues and have been featured on Conan O'Brien (August 2008), Pepsi's Poptub, USA's "Royal Pains" and MTV's Exiled. The band performed on The Rock Boat IX in 2009, "the floating music festival at sea".

The Spring Standards have become somewhat of a staple on New York's Rock Station 101.9 WRXP, having been invited to play "The Rock Show with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram" on numerous occasions, including an annual appearance to sing The Pogues' holiday classic Fairytale of New York with Pinfield on air.

The band has toured nationwide at major venues.  They have performed as an opening act for musicians including Old 97s, The Clarks, Works Progress Administration (musical group), Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Caravan of Thieves (band), Rustic Overtones, Rigby Fawkes, Squeeze (band), The Everybodyfields, and Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers.

In 2010, The Spring Standards were selected to perform at the famed Austin music festival South by Southwest.
They also embarked with Joey Ryan on "The Gang Goes On Tour 2010", headlined by Meg & Dia.

The band was on tour with Ha Ha Tonka throughout the Spring of 2011.

In 2012, The Spring Standards returned to South by Southwest for several showings. In preparation for their new album, they went on the road for a CD release tour in May to promote their new music. Joined by Rhett Miller & The Serial Lady Killers, The Spring Standards kicked off a US tour shortly after in June. On June 18, they appeared on Conan O'Brien's talk show, Conan, and performed "Here We Go".

In February 2013, the band embarked on a six-week tour of the northeast U.S., playing in cities such as Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. May 21 saw the release of their first live album, Live from Delaware (with a DVD release in 2014). That same week, they made an appearance at the Watkins Family Hour, along with singer/songwriter Dan Wilson.

In 2014 they returned to South by Southwest.

The band has also worked with New York composers Kerrigan-Lowdermilk, appearing in concerts and on recordings.

References

External links

Folk rock groups from New York (state)
Rock music groups from New York (state)


Spaccanapoli, now known as Spakka-Neapolis 55,  is a musical group from Naples.

Formation and identity

The band was founded in 1999 by violinist and composer Antonio Fraioli and vocalist Monica Pinto. It was named after Spaccanapoli, a street that crosses the ancient city centre of Naples.

In 2004 the band changed its name to Spakka-Neapolis 55.

Performances and recordings

In 2000 the band released the album Aneme Perze – Lost Souls on Peter Gabriel's label Real World Records.

In 2001 it opened two concerts given by Manu Chao in Genoa and Naples, and in September of the following year it opened two world premiere concerts for Peter Gabriel's album Up.

In 2003 the band won the Miroir Award (Prix Miroir) for World Music and Traditions at the Quebec City Summer Festival.

In June 2004 it performed again with Peter Gabriel in Genoa.

In 2009 the band released the album Janus, on which Alim Qasimov performed as a special guest.

In 2011 the band was featured singing "Vesuvio" on John Turturro's "Passione", a documentary about the music of Naples. The song received excellent reviews.

Television and theatre

In 2002, the American TV series The Sopranos used the song "Vesuvio" from the album Aneme Perze – Lost Souls in the episode "The Weight".

In 2005, the music of Spakka-Neapolis 55 was used by New York's Theater for a New Audience for a show entitled Souls of Naples, written by Eduardo De Filippo and directed by Roman Paska. The play was staged at the Teatro Mercadante in Naples, in New York and in Paris.

In 2007 the songs "O'Mare", "Santa Notte" and "Mmiezo a Festa" were used in the first two episodes of the TV series "The Long Way Down", produced by the BBC.

Discography

 2000: Aneme Perze – Lost Souls
 2009: Janus

References

External links
 Official Website

Italian musical groups


Anthony Raymond Ceresko (1942–2005) was an Old Testament scholar.

History
Ceresko was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on 20 August 1942. After completing studies at the local Salesian High School in Detroit, Ceresko entered the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in Childs, Maryland and was professed on 21 August 1962.

Studies
He studied at the Niagara University, Lewiston, New York, and graduated in 1967. Ceresko was later sent to The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., in 1970 where he studied Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) and Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL).

Ceresko obtained a doctorate from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. His thesis was Job 29:31 in the light of Northwest Semitic - A Translation and Philological Commentary.

Writings
 Job 29:31 in the light of Northwest Semitic - A Translation and Philological Commentary
 Introduction to the Old Testament: a Liberation Perspective
 Introduction to Old Testament Wisdom - A Spirituality for Liberation

Teacher
Ceresko first taught at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He later moved to Canada and was Professor of Scripture at University of St. Michael's College in Toronto.

In 1991, Ceresko moved to India and was Professor of Old Testament at  St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bengaluru. In 1999, Ceresko volunteered to teach in the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, Philippines.

Scholarship
Along with Thomas P. Wahl, Ceresko co-edited the notes on Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk in the second edition of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, and wrote the notes on Jonah.

Ceresko's other journal articles include:
 "The Function of 'Order' (Sedeq) and 'Creation' in the Book of Proverbs with Some Implications for Today".
 "The Rhetorical Strategy of the Fourth Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13-53:12): Poetry and the Exodus-New Exodus"
 "The Abcs of Wisdom in Psalm xxxiv"
 "A Note on Psalm 63: A Psalm of Vigil"
 "A Poetic Analysis of Ps 105, with Attention to Its Use of Irony"
 "Prayers for Times of Distress"
 "Psalm 121: A Prayer of a Warrior?"
 "Psalm 149: Poetry, Themes (Exodus and Conquest), and Social Function"
 "The Sage in the Psalms."  The Sage in Israel and the Ancient near East"
 "The Function of Chiasmus in Hebrew Poetry"
 "St. Francis de Sales - Spiritual Directory for a New Century: Re-interpreting the Direction of Intention"
 "To reward them afterwards - Eschatology and St. Francis de Sales - Direction of Intention or Right Intending of Deeds"

References
Notes

Further reading

Old Testament scholars
20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians
Catholic University of America alumni
Niagara University alumni
2005 deaths
1942 births
Writers from Detroit
Pontifical Biblical Institute alumni
Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University)
20th-century American Roman Catholic priests


Highland Park Schools, officially the School District of the City of Highland Park, is a school district headquartered in Highland Park, Michigan, United States in Greater Detroit. The district serves the city of Highland Park, a total of  of land.

In 2012, the school board authorized the reorganization of the district as a "public school academy" system according to state law, and named it the Highland Park Public School Academy System. In turn, the school academy system has contracted with various charter school operators, who oversee the management and day-to-day operations of the district's properties. Beginning in 2017, the district has been in a Cooperative Education Program Agreement with Detroit Public Schools to offer high school services to students living in the district, with Northwestern High School as their neighborhood high school.

History
Once the "Schools of Choice" program was passed into state law, the district had begun accepting students from Detroit and Hamtramck.

In 1977, the current high school was built for the increasing numbers of students transferring from other school districts (particularly Detroit). Some students were motivated by Highland Park students' access to Highland Park Junior College, which was known to be selective. Jack Martin, who was the emergency manager of HPPS appointed by the state, said that it was a junior college "that was harder to get into than Wayne State."

With the loss of Chrysler and drug dealers coming into the area, the high school was a point of pride for the District and City as it remained a draw for black families seeking suburban-style education without moving there.

Beginning in the 1990s, the district began its decline with the closing of its pool that state-champions used to train in. With students slowing began to leave. Cuts to programs both academic and after-school accrued yearly.  In 1996, another hit came in the closing of Highland Park Community College. Deficit spending and deterioration of the buildings began setting in during the 2000s.

In 2003, 45% of the district's students did not live in Highland Park. This prevented significant closings of schools, prevented a state takeover, and added $2 million to the district's budget. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that "Many of the non-resident students who matriculated in Highland Park had serious disciplinary, academic, or personal problems." In 2006 the district had over 3,000 students. After 2007, student enrollment has dropped off quickly with families either leaving the District altogether or transfer the students elsewhere. In 2012 there were fewer than 1,000 students in the district schools.

Efforts to attract Arab and Muslim students

In 2005 the district made plans to attract Arab and Muslim students resident in Detroit and Hamtramck. Dr. Theresa Saunders, the superintendent of the school system, hired Yahya Alkebsi (), a Yemeni-American educator, as the district's Arab Muslim consultant. It added Arabic-speaking teachers, and began offering instruction in Arabic. Sallow Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", said that the district began treating "Muslim families more directly like consumers". Howell said that the district agreed "to segregate Muslim students from mainstream classrooms" but that the district routinely denied that this was the case. Alkebsi said that he would bring halal food to HPS schools, but he was unable to do so. The district instead had vegetarian options.

Financial emergency
In January 2012, the State of Michigan's review team issued a report recommending that the Governor appoint an emergency manager.  The team found that the District had 3 or more years of deficit spending, failed to spend money according to grant and appropriations and failure to have policy and procedures in place.  The School Board voted to challenge the appointment of an Emergency Manager.  On Monday January 30, 2012, Emergency Manager Jack Martin appointed by Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder took control of the School District.

Robert Davis, a community activist, had embezzled over $125,000 from the district between 2004 and 2010. He pleaded guilty to two charges: filing a false tax return and conversion. The latter charge has a 10-year sentence. He was scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2014.

Charter system
In August 2012, the charter academy system entered into a contract with the Leona Group LLC. The original school district remained to pay off debts and collect tax revenue. The Highland Park Schools district has an elected board with no capability of influencing the decisions made by the charter schools authorized by it.  In 2014 the Highland Park Public School Academy System had a deficit of $600,000. None of this debt was incurred by the original Highland Park School District.

In 2015 the emergency manager, Don Weatherspoon, announced that the Leona-controlled district was closing its high school. Bert Johnson, a member of the Michigan Senate; and LaTanya Garrett, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, said that they were trying to reopen the high school. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit saying that the district was failing to provide an adequate level of education. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the legal system is not the proper place for this lawsuit and the Michigan Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

In 2016, the other charter school authorized by Highland Park Schools, George Washington Carver Academy, announced that it was switching its authorizer to Bay Mills Community College, causing the school district to lose $125,000 in yearly revenue it had received for the school's operations. The district previously received 3% of the money the State of Michigan gave to the school per student; the state gave $7,300 per student at Carver. This left the Highland Park Public School Academy as the only school authorized by the Highland Park school district. Receivership for the HP school district ended in 2018.

In 2019 July, Highland Park Public School Academy System chose not to renew its contract with the for-profit Leona Group and chose the nonprofit Promise Schools as its charter operator until at least 2022. By 2020, the district began seeking a charter operator to establish a new charter high school.

Operations
The school district is currently headquartered at 12360 Woodward Avenue. Previously the district was headquartered in the Henry Ford Campus. It was also once headquartered at 20 Bartlett.

Academics

HPS developed the Career Academy, a program to allow under-achieving students to graduate from high school or to be certified for a GED.

Schools

K-8
Barber Preparatory Academy (formerly Highland Park Renaissance Academy, Barber Campus)

Defunct Schools
High schools:
Highland Park Renaissance Academy High School Campus (formerly Highland Park Community High School)
Old Highland Park High School - Closed in 2009, currently abandoned.
Primary schools:
Cortland Elementary School - repurposed as Highland Park Head Start.
Ferris Elementary School - Currently abandoned as of 2019—slated to be razed.
Highland Park Renaissance Academy Henry Ford Campus (formerly Henry Ford Academy and Henry Ford Elementary School)
Liberty Elementary School (formerly Liberty Focus Academy)
Lincoln Avenue Elementary School - This school has been razed.
Midland Elementary School - This school has been razed.
Thompson Elementary School - Currently abandoned as of 2019—slated to be razed.
Willard Elementary School - This school has been razed.

Other
K-8:
George Washington Carver Academy (charted by Bay Mills Community College since 2016)

Notable alumni

Telma Hopkins, actress
Martha Scott, State Senator
Reggie McKenzie, retired NFL player
Ingrid Walton, better known as CoCo, WJLB morning co-host
J. Douglas "Doug" Hollie, a 1980 graduate, retired NFL player

References
 Howell, Sally. "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press, June 30, 2010. , 9780253004543.

Notes

Further reading
 Feldscher, Kyle. "Highland Park schools to no longer offer classes to high school students." Mlive. May 8, 2015.

External links

 School District of the City of Highland Park
 Understanding the Financial Emergency in Highland Park Schools - State of Michigan
 "Highland Park Schools" - Collection of articles from Michigan Radio
 School district map - Michigan Department of Information Technology Center for Geographic Information. Older map from August 31, 2009.

Highland Park
Highland Park, School District of


Clarence Whistler (February 24, 1856 - November 6, 1885) was a professional athlete and champion Greco-Roman wrestler of the 1880s. As the main rival to William Muldoon in wrestling of the early 1880s, he was best remembered for his unusual strength, indifference to pain and early death. He wrestled three famous bouts with Muldoon, totaling over 14 hours.

Early life
Whistler was born in 1856 (possibly February 24, 1856) in Delphi, Indiana, US, to C. C. Whistler and Leah Catharine Snyder and was the oldest of eight children. By 1878 he had moved to Iowa where he worked as a foundryman and was known for his strength.

Career
While working at the foundry his friends, who had been impressed with his strength, such as carrying a  iron bar for , arranged a match in February 1879 (or January 1878) with Louis Marc (or Lucien Marc). The match, which lasted for an hour, was won by Whistler in two straight falls. Whistler went on to fight Andre Christol in a four-hour match that ended in a draw. This was followed by a tour of the Western United States with Christol, who taught Whistler the fundamentals of wrestling.

In 1881 Whistler's financial backers brought him into New York City to challenge William Muldoon, who had won his championship in Graeco-Roman wrestling from Theodore Bauer the year before. The bout, which lasted seven hours and 15 minutes, ended in a draw without either wrestler getting a fall. Muldoon claimed that Whistler had worn ammonia in his hair, which caused Muldoon's eyes to burn, and Whistler wore his fingernails long purposely to injure Muldoon.

Because of the public interest in the match, the two men formed an athletic combination and toured the country for a time, Muldoon billed as Graeco-Roman champion and Whistler billed as catch-as-catch-can champion. Personal differences and a fight over a woman bought an acrimonious end to their business agreement. Muldoon got the girl. Enmity was so great that Whistler swore he would beat Muldoon on the mat or in the street. He spent the rest of the year slandering Muldoon in the press in order to corner him into a rematch. But he would have to wait two years to get his chance.

After being injured against a ringer in Cincinnati who later turned out to be English wrestler Tom Cannon, Whistler stopped touring for a time and returned to Kansas City. There he met his future wife Minnie and toyed with the idea of entering the prizering to meet champion John L. Sullivan at the behest of friend Robert Ricketts. He continued to slight Muldoon in the newspapers.

Finally returning to the mat, Whistler linked up with Cannon, who saw great natural ability in Whistler. The two toured with limited success. Whistler's assault on Muldoon in the press continued. He issued a challenge to his old foe to wrestle him at MSG which went unheeded by Muldoon, who was already headed West on tour with Madame Modjeska. In the meantime, an old foe of Cannon who claimed the catch-as-catch-can championship of the world, Joe Acton, followed him to America and beat him. Whistler then put his own title claim up against Acton at MSG. The highly anticipated match went two hours to a draw but Whistler was roundly outclassed by the smaller man, losing his already-waning claim to that championship in the process, and a great deal of his public acclaim.

Whistler won a wrestling tournament in 1883 in St. Louis, Graeco-Roman style, and placed second (to Edwin Bibby) in the catch-as-catch-can category. This quickly re-established his claim to the Graeco-Roman title, but it didn't translate into public interest. The tournament featured a number of noted wrestlers but was a financial disaster. Meanwhile, Muldoon was wrestling in San Francisco and creating a boom there. Cannon and Whistler acquiesced and lit to the Pacific Coast at the insistence of Muldoon.

Whistler's rematch with Muldoon finally took place in San Francisco toward the end of 1883. It was remembered as the most exciting of the three contests. In the term of the day, the two bitter rivals "wrestled for blood". The match began at 8:30 pm and lasted nearly four hours. Whistler's left collarbone was broken when he was slammed harshly by Muldoon to the mat. He was visibly maimed. Whistler refused to quit the match, but the doctor disallowed him to continue, thus stopped it. Muldoon claimed the victory. The injury had a temporary healing effect on the friendship of the two.

After Whistler physically healed up, he challenged Muldoon again. In their third and final match in March 1884, the two men wrestled to a defensive standstill and agreed to a draw after three hours and 10 minutes of wrestling. When the question of who initiated the draw of their third match arose, the two men again split, as business partners, bitterly never to rejoin. Muldoon left for the East as interest in the sport waned in California. Whistler stayed West and languished in bouts that generated limited public interest. In a bid to rejuvenate his career, he finally entered boxing and was soundly trounced. Headlining at the old Wigwam Theater in January 1885 in San Francisco, Whistler was knocked out by a local pro in the first round. Despite the disastrous results, Whistler indicated an interest in pursuing boxing further.

Death
Shortly after the boxing fiasco, "all round athlete" and longtime claimant to the Greco-Roman wrestling championship "Professor" William Miller invited Whistler to tour Australia as an athlete and wrestler, and meet Miller at the end of the tour to settle the championship question between them. Whistler accepted. After a string of victories Down Under, Whistler defeated Miller in September 1885 at the Theatre Royal on Bourke Street in Melbourne, for the Graeco-Roman championship. In celebration of his championship victory, he engaged in a reckless, month-long celebration and contracted pneumonia. By November 6, he was dead. Sources referring to the nature of his early death are conflicting. Some suggest that the illness was caused by excess alcohol consumption during celebration. Other sources purport that Whistler's condition was complicated by him either biting the tops off champagne bottles for sidebets or eating a whole champagne glass.

Whistler was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery with Miller as one of his pallbearers. He was memorialized by fellow athletes, including Muldoon, and the sports world at large as the most courageous athlete of his time.

Notable opponents
 William Muldoon
 "Professor" William Miller
 Joe Acton
 Donald Dinnie
 Edwin Bibby

Championships and accomplishments
 American/World Mixed Style Championship
 Australian Heavyweight Championship
 St. Louis International Wrestling Tournament winner, Graeco-Roman
 Catch-as-catch-can Heavyweight Championship
 World Heavyweight Championship

See also
 List of premature professional wrestling deaths

References

External links
 Untitled (full-length portrait of man wearing dark shorts and light colored leggings, taken from rear, labeled Whistler wrestler, possibly Clarence Whistler) (enter 119.1976.3581 in the search box)
 Image of the Theatre Royal in 1885

1856 births
1885 deaths
19th-century American sportsmen
American male professional wrestlers
American catch wrestlers
People associated with physical culture
People from Delphi, Indiana
American expatriate sportspeople in Australia
Alcohol-related deaths in the British Empire
Professional wrestlers from Indiana
19th-century American male actors
19th-century professional wrestlers
Deaths in the Colony of Victoria
Burials at Melbourne General Cemetery


The 1940 Leeds North East by-election was a parliamentary by-election in England held on 13 March 1940 to elect a new Member of Parliament (MP) for the House of Commons constituency of Leeds North East.

The vacancy was caused by the resignation on 8 February 1940 of the sitting Member, Sir John Birchall, through the procedural device of appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. He had held the seat since its creation for the 1918 general election.

The by-election was held during World War II, and the five largest political parties – Conservative, Labour, Liberal, National Labour and National Liberal – were all members of the Coalition Government. As such, they maintained an electoral pact and agreed not to contest any by-elections in seats held by any other party in the Government.

The Conservative candidate, John Craik-Henderson, was opposed only by Sydney Allen of the British Union of Fascists. Henderson won with 97.1% of the vote, but gained only 37.5% and lost his seat in the 1945 general election, when the seat was also contested by Labour and Liberal party candidates.

Results

References

See also
 1940 Middleton and Prestwich by-election

North East, 1940
Leeds North East by-election
Leeds North East by-election
Leeds North East by-election
North East by-election, 1940


Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale is a 2007 young adult novel written by Donna Jo Napoli. It appears in numerous school and public library reading lists.  The book depicts the world of the slave trade around the year 900 in Ireland.

Plot
Set in c. 900 in Ireland, where kings are constantly fighting over land, fifteen-year-old Melkorka is the eldest daughter of an Irish king.  As a princess, Melkorka has lived a life of luxury made possible through slave labor.  However, her younger brother, destined to be king, is injured by Norse men in Dublin, forcing Melkorka and her sister Brigid to go into hiding to protect themselves from the approaching battle.

While fleeing their kingdom, Melkorka and Brigid are captured by slave traders.  While Brigid immediately escapes, Melkorka does not and is transported throughout Europe.  Refusing to speak to her captors, Melkorka gains power and well-being through her silence, which at times intrigues, frightens, and frustrates her captors.  However, it is not enough to protect her from being sold as a concubine to a wealthy Icelandic lord named Hoskuld.  Hush ends on a semi-positive note where Melkorka resolves to speak to her unborn son to teach him about her homeland.

Characters
Melkorka is the beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy Irish king, Myrkjartan. Proud and having lived a sheltered life of privilege, she is unprepared when she and her sister are suddenly abducted by slave traders.  In response, she takes a personal vow of silence no matter what happens to her, causing her to become an object of fascination to her captors, who think she might be an enchantress. Melkorka's silence protects her from being sold until she catches the eye of a wealthy Icelandic chieftain, Hoskuld, who buys her as a concubine. Although Melkorka initially hates and fears him, he is kind to her, and over the course of the story, Melkorka learns to love him. When Melkorka learns she is pregnant, she resolves to speak to her child, and decides to accept her fate in Iceland.
Brigid is Melkorka's younger sister, who is more perceptive and daring than Melkorka.  She teaches Melkorka that for an animal to trust you, you must be silent. "Hush," she says. This is what gives Melkorka the idea to be silent towards her captors, for they are animals. Brigid is captured alongside Melkorka, although using her wits, she is able to escape at one point.  However, her fate afterward is unknown - Melkorka never learns what became of her sister.
Maeve is an Irish slave on the ship that Melkorka and Brigid are brought abroad when they are abducted.  Melkorka believes her to be mad, as Maeve refuses to comply with her captors and fiercely endures against punishments in order to protect herself.  However, Melkorka realizes over time that Maeve has been sold multiple times, gaining a great deal of knowledge of the world beyond Ireland.  An astute woman, she advises Melkorka to maintain her silence, as it gives her a measure of protection by intriguing and frightening her captors.
Clay Man is the head slave merchant, who captured Melkorka and Maeve.  Melkorka's absolute silence frightens and intrigues him, especially after his repeated attempts to force a sound from her fail.  However, his uncertainty around her is why he does not sell her after a number of his other slaves are sold and he sets a high price on her, despite her apparent muteness, when Hoskuld expresses an interest in her.  His true name is Gilli, though Melkorka does not learn his name until she is sold to Hoskuld and knows him as "Clay Man" because of the clay marking his body and clothing from the weights he creates for payment.
Thora is a Norse slave owned by Clay Man.  She becomes Melkorka's guide after Maeve and the other slaves on Clay Man's ship are sold.  Melkorka soon regards her a friend and is broken-hearted at the thought of separating from her after she is purchased by Hoskuld.
Hoskuld is a wealthy Icelandic chieftain with long red fiery hair, who is twice the age of Melkorka and is quite large. He has a wife and family at home and buys Melkorka as a concubine.  He treats her lovingly, finding her to be an endless source of fascination, but is unable to interpret her silence.

Historical note
At the end of the novel, it is revealed in a note by the author that the story is based on the legend of Melkorka, the mother of the Icelandic gothi Olaf Hoskuldsson. According to myth and tradition, his mother was a slave assumed to be mute. One day the king overhears her speaking in Gaelic and she discloses that she was a kidnapped Irish princess.

Reception
Kirkus Reviews writes "As always, Napoli is a spellbinding storyteller, her prose rich in details both tender and blood-soaked. From the texture of embroidery to the odor of sheep dung, her language is vivid, precise, cinematic" while Publishers Weekly states "Napoli does not shy from detailing practices that will make readers wince..." and "The vocabulary, much of which is specific to the setting, may challenge readers, but it's unlikely to stop them: the tension over Mel's hopes for escape paces this story like a thriller."

Literary awards
 American Library Association 2009 Best Books for Young Adults

References

External links
 author's website

2007 American novels
American young adult novels
American historical novels
Children's historical novels
Novels about slavery
Novels set in Ireland
Novels set in the Viking Age
Novels set in the 10th century
Children's books set in Ireland
Children's books set in Iceland
Children's books set in the 10th century
Children's books about slavery
Novels set in Iceland


Lewis Foster (born 21 December 1993) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Leigh Centurions in the Kingstone Press Championship. He is on loan from the Leigh Centurions. His playing position is in the halves or as a Hooker.

Playing career
Foster made his senior début for the Leigh Centurions on 18 May 2014 in a Championship match against Doncaster.

He has played for the London Broncos, Oldham RLFC (Heritage № 1364) and the Rochdale Hornets on loan and the Sheffield Eagles on dual registration from the Leigh Centurions.

References

External links
London Broncos profile
Leigh Centurions profile

1993 births
Living people
English rugby league players
Leigh Leopards players
London Broncos players
Oldham R.L.F.C. players
Rochdale Hornets players
Rugby league hookers
Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside
Sheffield Eagles players
Whitehaven R.L.F.C. players


Scott Donald Reid (January 7, 1947 – June 29, 2021) was an American baseball outfielder who played two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).  He appeared in 38 games for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1969 to 1970. He went on to serve as a major league scout or executive for over 40 years, most recently for the Detroit Tigers from 2002 to 2020.

Early life
Reid was born in Chicago on January 7, 1947.  He attended El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California.  He initially studied at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, before transferring to Arizona State University.  Including the "secondary phase" and January drafts at the time, Reid was selected four times during the first three years of the MLB amateur draft, 1965 through 1967, including twice by the New York Mets.  Finally, the Phillies drafted him in the second round of the secondary phase of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft on June 6.  He ultimately signed a contract and entered professional baseball just under a month later.

Playing career
Reid played two seasons in the minor leagues from 1967 to 1969.  He made his MLB debut on September 10, 1969, at the age of 22, entering as a pinch hitter, drawing a walk in his only plate appearance, and scoring a run in a 6–2 win over the Chicago Cubs.  In three separate stints on the Phillies' major league roster, Reid served as a pinch hitter and started 15 games in the outfield, 14 of them as a center fielder.  He collected ten hits, including one double, and scored ten runs.  He posted a batting average of .147 with one run batted in.  He played his final major league game on September 29, 1970, at the age of 23.  For the rest of his playing career, Reid played mostly for Triple-A teams, including the Eugene Emeralds in 1971 and 1973, and the Tidewater Tides and the Syracuse Chiefs in 1972.

Scouting career
Reid began his scouting career with the Phillies in 1973. He also served as scouting director for the Chicago Cubs in 1986 and 1987. He was one of the early hires in the Florida Marlins front office as a Major League scout in 1992, which is where he met Al Avila and former Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski. Reid became an assistant to Dombrowski with the Marlins in 1999 and was promoted to vice president a few months later. When Dombrowski joined the Detroit Tigers before the 2002 season, he brought Reid with him as part of his inner circle of advisers, with Avila eventually joining them. He worked for the Tigers as a scouting director, adviser and vice president of player personnel for 18 years.

Personal life
Reid was married to his wife Sherry until his death.  Together, they had two children: Brian and Lindsay.  Brian followed in his father's footsteps and became a scout for the Tigers and Mets.

Reid died June 29, 2021, at the age of 74.

References

External links

1947 births
2021 deaths
All-American college baseball players
Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players
Baseball players from Illinois
Cerritos Falcons baseball players
Chicago Cubs scouts
Detroit Tigers scouts
Eugene Emeralds players
Major League Baseball outfielders
Miami Marlins scouts
Reading Phillies players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Philadelphia Phillies scouts
Spartanburg Phillies players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Tidewater Tides players
Toledo Mud Hens players


Burtnieki Municipality () is a former municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2006 by merging Vecate Parish and Matīši Parish. In 2009 it absorbed Burtnieki Parish, Ēvele Parish, Rencēni Parish and Valmiera Parish, the administrative centre being in Burtnieki.

On 1 July 2021, Burtnieki Municipality ceased to exist and its territory was merged into Valmiera Municipality.

See also
 Administrative divisions of Latvia (2009)

References

Former municipalities of Latvia


Bērzaine parish () is an administrative unit of Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. The administrative center is Bērzaine village.

Towns, villages and settlements of Bērzaine parish
 Bērzaine
 Ludzēni
 Vākšēni

References

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Beter Bed N.V. is a Dutch holding company. Through its subsidiaries Beter Bed Holding N.V. trades in bedroom furniture, mattresses and related products. In this line of business Beter Bed N.V is market leader in the Netherlands and was, until the sale of its subsidiary "Matratzen Concord", also market leader in Germany. Since 5 December 1996 Beter Bed N.V.'s shares have been being traded on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. However, Beter Bed N.V. did not belong to the group of companies that compose the AEX index but was part of the group that compose the Amsterdam Small Cap Index. On 24 September 2018 it was reported that Beter Bed N.V. had been removed from the Amsterdam Small Cap Index.

The corporate headquarters is in Uden, in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Beter Bed Holding N.V. is the mother company of several different brands of chain stores, totalling 161 stores in a number of European countries. These companies operate in various market segments, from cash and carry products to exclusive bedroom furniture, each chain maintaining a unique retail concept. The development and production of, amongst others, orthopaedic mattresses is directed by the subsidiary DBC.

As of 31 December 2019 Beter Bed N.V. employs 915 full-time employees in three European countries.

History
The foundations of what was to become Beter Bed were laid in 1981 by the brothers Mark and Pieter Diks. They raised capital from their father, Jan Diks, co-owner of Dico, managed to secure a modest bank loan and opened their first store in Uden. Shortly afterwards, three stores, specialising in bedroom furniture, had been opened. The official founding year of what is now Beter Bed Holding dates to 1983. At that time stores specialising in bedroom furniture and accompanying products were a new and unfamiliar phenomenon in the Netherlands since this market segment was dominated by large department stores and specialists concentrating on general interiors. The concept of providing high-quality goods and a wide range of products at a low price proved to be successful and was a blueprint for all future activities of Beter Bed. During the second half of the 1980s the company began to grow.

In 1986 Bedden en Bedden B.V., a factory for the production of MDF panels, was established in Uden. In the 1990s two more production facilities were added to the company by acquiring two factories in Poland, Ecowood (1994) and Interwood (1996).

The flotation of Beter Bed Holding N.V. took place in December 1996. Shares of Beter Bed Holding N.V. are traded at the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. In the same year another company was added to the holding by the acquisition of Dormaël, a company that operates in the higher segment of the bedroom furniture market. The following year Beter Baby was founded, with the goal to gain market shares in the trade with bedroom furniture for babies and small children. At the same time Beter Bed N.V. acquired DFC Comfort ensuring the sole right of representation for orthopaedic mattresses and pillows by this company within the Benelux.

In order to comply with the planned expansion and the resulting requirements the company moved to a new location in January 1997, consisting of a larger administrative building and a distribution centre with a surface of 16,000 m2, after construction time of one year.

In the second half of the 1990s the subsidiary Bedden Dump was founded to sell items taken from the Beter Bed range via temporary stores. It was decided in 2002 to expand this format into a discount chain for bedroom furniture according to a cash and carry concept, targeting the lower market segment. In 2005 this company was renamed BeddenReus.

In 1998 the company expanded into Germany by opening the first two stores in Essen and Dortmund. Also in 1998 Beter Bed N.V. acquired the German company Matratzen Concord, whose headquarters is in Cologne.

At the same time Matratzen Concord began its expansion into Austria and Switzerland (1998), as well as the Netherlands (1999), France and Italy (2000). Also in 1998, Mark and Pieter Diks, the holding's founding brothers, sold a large amount of their shares in the company, reducing their commitment to 18%.

The holding's structure began to change in 1999. One of the founding brothers, Pieter Diks, sold his remaining shares and retired from the management. Mark Diks again reduced his share in the company in May 2000 but remained in the management team for the time being. Also in 2000 the production facility Bedden en Bedden was sold off and the subsidiary Dormaël was converted into a franchising format. Following a management buyout Beter Baby was sold off. In August 2000, it was announced that the Blokker family had acquired 15% of Beter Bed's shares.

Mark Diks resigned as CEO and became a member of the supervisory board of the holding in January 2001. At the same time Frans Geelen became new CEO, having joined Beter Bed in  August 2000 and after having served as a member of the board of directors of C&A Europe since 1996.

In 2001 all activities of the subsidiary DFC Comfort were discontinued and a new company DBC International was founded. DBC International is active in the development, marketing and selling of mattresses developed under its own direction.

At the end of 2001 Beter Bed N.V. had a total of 555 stores.

In the first half of 2002 investment fund NeSBIC attempted to take over Beter Bed N.V. by offering €16 for every share sold to it. In view of the inadequate offer and simultaneous insecurity with regards to the financial backing, the project ultimately failed.
At the same time the remaining founder, Mark Diks, sold his remaining shares and subsequently withdrew from the supervisory board.

Matratzen Concord closed all its stores in Italy and France in 2003 due to disappointing sales figures and the lack of short-term prospects.

Beter Bed's strategy changed during this period, returning to its core activities, the trading and selling of bedroom furniture and accessories and turning away from producing its own goods. As a consequence, in May 2005 the last remaining factory in Poland, Interwood, was sold, the second factory in Poland, Ecowood, had already been closed down in 2004. By the end of 2004 some but not all of the Dormaël stores had gone into receivership, Consequently, in June 2005 the first Slaagenoten stores, a company created by merging most of the remaining vending points of Dormaël, founded in 2000 as a franchise retail format, were opened. However, some of these continued to operate under the name of Dormaël. In September of the same year the Spanish chain El Gigante del Colchón was acquired by Beter Bed N.V. At the time El Gigante del Colchón had 20 stores in the region of Barcelona. At the end of 2008 the company had grown to 47 stores, covering the whole of Catalonia, and expanded into the region of Madrid.

In December 2005 all activities of the subsidiary Beter Bed Deutschland were terminated. The locations were integrated into Matratzen Concord.

In October 2006 a second strategy for selling mattresses in Germany was introduced with the founding of the new subsidiary MAV Matratzen-Abverkauf. Two stores were opened in 2006. At the end of 2008 the company had grown to 30 stores. The activities of MAV Matratzen-Abverkauf were concentrated in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia while, at the same time, attempting to expand southwards into Baden-Württemberg.

In September 2007, the first stores of Matratzen Concord were opened in Belgium. By the end of June 2009 the number of stores there has grown to five with the intention to open more in the future.

In the second half of 2008 the first Matratzen Concord store was opened in the Polish capital of Warsaw under the name of Materace Concord. By January 2010 the number of shops of Materace Concord had risen to three.

On 14 April 2009, CEO Frans Geelen announced his intention to resign from the office as chairman of the board of directors by April 2010 the latest. On 9 October 2009, it was revealed that Ton Anbeek, at the time CEO at Koninklijke Auping bv, would succeed Frans Geelen as of 1 March 2010, the appointment being ratified during an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of Beter Bed on 5 November 2009.

On 23 April 2009, it was announced that CFO Ric van der Woude had accepted a position as CFO at Zeeman Groep. On 1 September 2009 his responsibilities were taken over by Duncan van Hoeve as non-statutory Finance Director.

In February 2011, it was reported that Beter Bed B.V. and Dutch mail order company Wehkamp had entered into a strategic partnership with the aim of Beter Bed's core range of products also to be sold through Wehkamp's website.

With the opening of the first Beter Bed store in Olen, Belgium on 29 September 2011, Beter Bed B.V. began to expand into the Belgian market.

During the course of 2012, Matratzen Concord terminated all activities of its Polish subsidiary Materace Concord and closed all stores, the number of which had risen to four. The German company MAV Matratzen-Abverkauf also closed its 15 stores in that year. A new retail format, Schlafberater.com, was established in Germany, counting four stores by the end of 2012. By the end of 2013, the four German stores had all closed with one store having been opened in Switzerland. The Swiss store closed during the course of 2014.

On 19 December 2012 it was announced that CFO Duncan van Hoeve would be leaving the company at the end of March 2013. On 1 April 2013 he was succeeded by Bart Koops.

In January 2014 plans were revealed to close all stores of the subsidiary Slaapgenoten during the course of 2014. Furthermore, all Matrassen Concord activities in the Netherlands and Belgium also terminated during the same period.

In 2014 Beter Bed entered the French market when it started a pilot under the name Literie Concorde. At the end of 2015 this retail format operated two stores. The operations in France were to be expanded with the opening of another five to ten stores within the next years.

In September 2015 it was disclosed that Beter Bed was to acquire the Austrian retailer BettenMax with the intention of turning the existing BettenMax stores into stores of Matratzen Concord. This increased the number of Matratzen Concord stores in Austria to 86, making Matratzen Concord market leader in that country. The acquisition was finalised on 22 October 2015.

On 3 June 2016 Beter Bed announced its take-over of Swedish retailer Sängjätten. Sängjätten owns 16 stores and has nine franchise partners. On 20 June the acquisition was completed.

After seven years as CEO of Beter Bed Holding Ton Anbeek left the company on 1 November 2017 to become CEO of Accell Group.

During 2017 all activities of the French subsidiary Literie Concorde were terminated.

On 16 January 2018 it was reported that John Kruijssen will become the new CEO of Beter Bed Holding as of 1 April 2018.

CFO Bart Koops announced on 1 May 2018 that he would be resigning from his post as of 1 August 2018, and on 27 July 2018 it was reported that Hugo van den Ochtend would become his successor as of 1 September 2018.

On 28 September 2018 it was reported that Beter Bed had completed the sale of their Spanish subsidiary El Gigante del Colchón to Spanish competitor Evolución del Descanso with effect of 1 November 2018.

On 17 October 2018 Beter Bed disclosed that subsidiary Matratzen Concord, active in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, would close 178 of its stores as part of a restructuring and re-organisation programme. The closures were implemented during the remaining months of 2018. However, as a result of the unexpectedly slow recovery of Matratzen Concord and the ensuing financial obligations Beter Bed decided on 25 June 2019 to sell Matrazen Concord, either partially or fully. On 14 October 2019 Beter Bed announced that Hong Kong based private equity company Magical Honour Limited Limited intended to buy the whole of Matratzen Concord for the sum of 5 million euros. At the same time Magical Honour Limited would invest in Beter Bed by acquiring 2.15 million of Beter Bed shares valuing 5 million euros. The transaction was to be completed by the end of 2019 the latest. During an extraordinary general meeting held on 26 November 2019 the shareholders approved the transaction. On 3 December 2019 Magical Honour Limited became the largest single shareholder of Beter Bed N.V.

Beter Bed's CFO  Hugo van Ochtend was released of his duties on 12 December 2019. He was replaced by Gabrielle Reijnen at the time being a member of the holding's supervisory board. She resigned her position on the board with immediate effect.

On 9 July 2021 it was revealed that Beter Bed had sold all parts of its Swedish operations to Danish retailer Sengespecialisten, part of Lars Larsen Group and also owner of retailer Jysk, with effect of 30 June 2021.

Assets
As of 1 January 2020, Beter Bed N.V. is the holding company of a number of retailers operating in three European countries; the number of stores totalling 161.

Results
In the table below some key figures from 2006 onwards are listed.

Objectives
Whereas previously the objectives of Beter Bed N.V. were defined as aiming at fast and profitable expansion in the fragmented European bedroom furniture market whereby, on the one hand, the various subsidiaries were supposed to endeavour to become market leaders in those countries they were active, and, on the other hand, by developing own brand products which were to be sold by the company's own retail chains as well as through other distribution channels, the objectives since then have become more specific and detailed. Due to a change in market conditions the company now aims to strengthen further and increase its alleged market leadership by ensuring the highest service for customers in all the markets in which the company operates. The level of customer satisfaction serves as a benchmark. Furthermore, growth opportunities of all its retail formats are to be optimally utilised and market share increased as well as net profit regardless of market conditions.   A further objective is a strong balance sheet with solvency of at least 30% and a ratio between net interest-bearing debt and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization not exceeding two.  The principle of corporate social responsibility in that Beter Bed “treat the interests of their stakeholders in a conscious and conscientious manner” as “sound entrepreneurship and respect for people and planet go together in this regard.”

Strategy
Beter Bed Holding's describes its strategy for the realisation of these objectives by ensuring like for like growth in revenue at comparable-store by continually refining the positioning of its retail formats and by increasing customer satisfaction. The ultimate aim is to increase the market share in an omnichannel retail environment. The various formats face different challenges in their respective markets which are tackled individually. Product and brand innovation play a key role as well as intensifying of cooperation with strategic suppliers.  Supporting this will be the marketing department whose spending will be increased. A further emphasis will be put on e-commerce activities which will be further expanded and refined in order to gain a substantial share in online revenue.  Additionally, the company aims to expand in the markets where it is already a participant, particularly in the Benelux but also in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Another emphasis is put on purchasing whose objectives include the improving of margins, developing the online range, optimising lead times, having fewer, yet more strategic, suppliers with fewer stock keeping units, developing additional ranges and creating the most possible synergies between the different formats.  In order to ensure the implementation and execution of the strategy as well as delivering the defined results functions related to the back office are expected to focus on customer satisfaction and furthering professionalism and proactivity. Human resource management will play a key role in providing training opportunities, recruiting young talent and focussing on creating a customer-centred, high-performance KPI and team culture. Finance will evolve into business support function whereby the analysis capacity will be expanded by means including implementing a modern business information warehouse and applying function-specific [[dashboard {business}|dashboards]]. Logistics will  focus on creating an optimal infrastructure which, for every country in Beter Bed is active in, will be optimised individually. The aim is to accelerate the supply chain. With regards to corporate social responsibility (CSR), the ambition of Beter Bed is “to further develop initiatives in the field of promoting the circular economy from within the sector and in dialogue with strategic suppliers.”

Corporate affairs

Management board
The management board of Beter Bed N.V. consists of the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer.
 John Kruijssen, CEO
 Gabrielle Reijnen, CFO

Supervisory board
The supervisory board consists of five members.
 Bart Karis, chairman
 Pieter Boone, vice-chairman
 Alain Beyens
 Barbara van Hussen
 Maaike Schipperheij

Substantial holdings
A total of 24.105.562 shares have been issued. As of 21 September 2020 52.7% of shares are held by seven companies. The remaining 47.3% are mostly free floating or are owned by single share holders with less than 3% of the total volume, 3% being the threshold where, according to Dutch law, shareholders have to report this to the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets.

Notes

External links
 www.beterbedholding.nl

Companies based in North Brabant
Retail companies established in 1981
Furniture retailers
Retail companies of the Netherlands


Brenguļi Parish () is an administrative territorial entity of Valmiera Municipality, Latvia. From 2009 until 2021, it was part of Beverīna Municipality. Prior to the 2009 administrative reforms it was part of Valmiera District.

Towns, villages and settlements of Brenguļi parish

References

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Burtnieki Parish () is an administrative territorial entity of Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia.

References

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Dikļi Parish () is an administrative unit of Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Prior to the 2009 administrative reforms it was part of Valmiera District.

History
Dikli is a quiet rural village in the northern part of Latvia that is home to around only five hundred people. In Latvia, Dikļi is well known as the birthplace of the traditions of the Latvian theatre and song festivals.

In 1818, Dikļi Palace was the venue for a performance of Friedrich Schiller's play “The Robbers” translated by a servant on the estate, Janis Peitans, in which the local farmers resident in the vicinity of Dikli took to the stage as actors.

During the summer festival of 1864, not far from the Dikļi Estate Park, the first-ever song festival took place organised by clergyman and writer, Juris Neikens.

Dikļi is richly endowed with various historical objects. The avenue of oak trees leading from Dikļi Palace Hotel leads directly to a small wooden church built as a pile building back in 1722 which was transformed into a brick building in 1848 retaining its previous form. From 1857 to 1867, the vicar of this church was Juris Neikens. The church is home to one of the most ornamental of baroque era church altars in Vidzeme (built in 1698) and a pulpit (built in 1699) which was created by a sculptor from the Riga sculptors’ workshop, J. D. Strauss who also worked on the stone figures that the feature in the portal of St. Peter's Church in Riga and who also created the interior elements of the church in Ugale. The pulpit was further developed from 1730 to 1750 by A. H. Konciuss who was based in Estonia.

Towns, villages and settlements of Dikļi parish

References

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Ipiķi Parish () is an administrative unit of Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the most far-north point of Latvia.

Towns, villages and settlements of Ipiķi parish
Ipiķi (parish center)
Ipiķu skola
Ķirbēni

See also
Rūjiena (town)
Jeri Parish
Lode Parish
Vilpulka Parish

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Stefania Sempołowska (1 October 1869 – 31 January 1944) was a Polish educator, activist and writer.

She has been described as the leader of the movement for prisoners' rights in Poland during most of her lifetime.

Biography
Sempołowska was born on 1 October 1869 in the village of Polonisz, Poznań Voivodeship (now Greater Poland Voivodeship). At age 17 she passed the Teacher Patent at the Government Commission in Warsaw. Since then she was a teacher, supporter of education, kids' rights activist, journalist, and writer – she wrote many school books. Between the World Wars, she became a publicist who fought for equal educational opportunities. She was a member of the Democratic Education Society "Nowe Tory" ("New Tracks"), co-editor of the teen magazine Z bliska i z daleka ("From Near and Far"), and later the biweekly for kids and educators W słońcu ("In the Sun"). She died on 31 January 1944 in Warsaw, and her funeral took place on 2 February.

References

External links

1869 births
1944 deaths
19th-century Polish women writers
20th-century Polish women writers
Polish human rights activists
Women human rights activists
Polish schoolteachers
Polish women journalists


Jeri Parish () is an administrative unit of Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia.

Towns, villages and settlements of Jeri parish
Endzele (parish center)
Jeri
Oleri
Oleru muiža

See also
Rūjiena (town)
Ipiķi Parish
Lode Parish
Vilpulka Parish

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Events in the year 1785 in Norway.

Incumbents
Monarch: Christian VII

Events

Arts and literature

 12 January - The first public library in Norway is opened.
 Frelseren Church was built.

Births
1 August - Georg Jacob Bull, jurist and politician (d.1854)

Full date unknown
Gustav Peter Blom, politician (d.1869)
Michel Nielsen Grendahl, politician (d.1849)
Knut Mevasstaul, rose painter (d.1862)

Deaths
29 December - Johan Herman Wessel, poet (b.1742)

See also

References


Kauguri Parish () is an administrative unit of Valmiera Municipality, Latvia.

Towns, villages and settlements of Kauguri parish
 Mūrmuiža

Parishes of Latvia
Valmiera Municipality
Vidzeme


Peter Townend may refer to:

Peter Townend (novelist) (1935–1999), British novelist, thriller writer, photographer and journalist
Peter Townend (surfer) (born 1953), Australian surfer
Peter Townend (editor) (1921–2001), social editor and genealogist

See also
Pete Townshend (born 1945), British rock guitarist of the band The Who
Peter Townsend (disambiguation)