Etymology.

The origin of the word Andorra is unknown, although several hypotheses have been formulated. The oldest derivation of the word Andorra is from the Greek historian Polybius ("The Histories" III, 35, 1) who describes the Andosins, an Iberian Pre-Roman tribe, as historically located in the valleys of Andorra and facing the Carthaginian army in its passage through the Pyrenees during the Punic Wars. The word Andosini or Andosins (Ἀνδοσίνοι) may derive from the Basque "handia" whose meaning is "big" or "giant". The Andorran toponymy shows evidence of Basque language in the area. Another theory suggests that the word

History.

Prehistory.

La Balma de la Margineda, found by archaeologists at Sant Julià de Lòria, was settled in 9,500 BC as a passing place between the two sides of the Pyrenees. The seasonal camp was perfectly located for hunting and fishing by the groups of hunter-gatherers from Ariege and Segre.  During the Neolithic Age, a group of people moved to the Valley of Madriu (nowadays Natural Parc located in Escaldes-Engordany declared UNESCO World Heritage Site) as a permanent camp in 6640 BC. The population of

The Iberian and Roman Andorra.

The inhabitants of the valleys were traditionally associated with the Iberians and historically located in Andorra as the Iberian tribe Andosins or Andosini (Ἀνδοσίνους) during the 7th and 2nd centuries BC. Influenced by Aquitanias, Basque and Iberian languages, the locals developed some current toponyms. Early writings and documents relating to this group of people goes back to the second century BC by the Greek writer Polybius in his "Histories" during the Punic Wars.  Some

The Visigoths and Carolingians: the legend of Charlemagne.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Andorra came under the influence of the Visigoths, not remotely from the Kingdom of Toledo, but locally from the Diocese of Urgell. The Visigoths remained in the valleys for 200 years, during which time Christianity spread. When the Muslim Empire and its conquest of most of the Iberian Peninsula replaced the ruling Visigoths, Andorra was sheltered from these invaders by the Franks.  Tradition holds that Charles the Great (Charlemagne) granted a charter to the Andorran people for a contingent of five thousand soldiers under the command of Marc Almugaver, in return for fighting against the Moors near Porté-Puymorens

Medieval Age: The Paréages and the founding of the Co-Principality.

Before 1095, Andorra did not have any type of military protection and the Bishop of Urgell, who knew that the count of Urgell wanted to reclaim the Andorran valleys, asked the lord of Caboet for help and protection. In 1095, the Lord of Caboet and the bishop of Urgell signed under oath a declaration of their co-sovereignty over Andorra. Arnalda, daughter of Arnau of Caboet, married the viscount of Castellbò. Their daughter, Ermessenda, married the count of Foix, Roger-Bernard II. Roger-Bernard II and Ermessenda shared ruled over Andorra with the bishop of

16th to 18th centuries.

In 1601 the Tribunal de Corts (High Court of Justice) was created as a result of Huguenot rebellions from France, Inquisition courts coming from Spain and indigenous witchcraft experienced in the country due to the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. With the passage of time, the co-title to Andorra passed to the kings of Navarre. After Henry III of Navarre became king of France, he issued an edict in 1607 that established the head of the French state and the bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra. During 1617, communal councils form the sometent (popular militia or army) to deal with the rise of bandolerisme (brigandage) and the Consell de la Terra was defined and structured in terms of its composition, organization and competences current today.  Andorra continued with the same economic system that it had during the 12th–14th centuries with a large production of metallurgy (fargues, a system similar to Farga catalana) and with the introduction of tobacco circa 1692

19th century: the New Reform and the Andorran Question.

After the French Revolution in 1809, Napoleon I reestablished the Co-Principate and removed the French medieval title. In 1812–1813, the First French Empire annexed Catalonia during the Peninsular War () and divided the region into four départements, with Andorra as a part of the district of Puigcerdà. In 1814, an imperial decree reestablished the independence and economy of Andorra.  During this period, Andorra's late medieval institutions and rural culture remained largely unchanged. In 1866, the syndic Guillem d'Areny-Plandolit led the reformist group in a Council General of 24 members elected by suffrage limited to heads of families. The Council General replaced the aristocratic oligarchy that previously ruled the state.  The New Reform () began after ratification by both Co-Princes and established the basis of the constitution and symbols—such as the tricolor flag—of Andorra. A new service economy arose as a demand of the valley inhabitants and began to build infrastructure such as hotels, spa resorts, roads and telegraph lines. The authorities of the Co-Princes banned casinos and betting houses throughout the country. The

20th and 21st century: Modernisation of the country and the Constitutional Andorra.

Andorra declared war on Imperial Germany during World War I, but did not take part directly in the fighting. Some Andorrans volunteered to take part in the conflict as part of the French Legions. It remained in an official state of belligerency until 1958 as it was not included in the Treaty of Versailles.  In 1933, France occupied Andorra following social unrest which occurred before elections due to the Revolution of 1933 and the FHASA strikes (Vagues de FHASA); the revolt led by Joves Andorrans (a labour union group related to the Spanish CNT and FAI) called for political reforms, the universal suffrage vote of all Andorrans and acted in defense of the rights of local and foreign workers during the construction of FHASA's hydroelectric power station in Encamp. The 5 April 1933 Joves Andorrans seized the Andorran Parliament. These actions were preceded by the arrival of Colonel René-Jules Baulard with 50 gendarmes and the mobilization of 200 local militias or sometent led by the Síndic Francesc Cairat.  On 6 July 1934, adventurer and nobleman Boris Skossyreff, with his promise of freedoms and modernization of the country and wealth through the establishment of

Politics.

Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality with the president of France and the Catholic bishop of Urgell (Catalonia, Spain) as co-princes. This peculiarity makes the president of France, in his capacity as prince of Andorra, an elected monarch, although he is not elected by a popular vote of the Andorran people. The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, whereby the head of government is the chief executive, and of a pluriform multi-party system.  The current head of government is Xavier Espot Zamora of the Democrats for Andorra (DA). Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both government and parliament.  The Parliament of Andorra is known as the General Council. The General Council consists of between 28 and 42 councillors. The councillors serve for four-year terms, and elections are held between the 30th and 40th days following the dissolution of the previous Council.  Half are elected in equal numbers by each of the seven administrative parishes, and the other half of the councillors are elected in a single national constituency. Fifteen days after the election, the councillors hold their

Law and criminal justice.

The judiciary is composed of the Magistrates Court, the Criminal Law Court, the High Court of Andorra, and the Constitutional Court. The High Court of Justice is composed of five judges: one appointed by the head of government, one each by the co-princes, one by the Syndic General, and one by the judges and magistrates. It is presided over by the member appointed by the Syndic General and the judges

Foreign relations, defence, and security.

Andorra does not have its own armed forces, although there is a small ceremonial army. Responsibility for defending the nation rests primarily with France and Spain. However, in case of emergencies or natural disasters, the Sometent (an alarm) is called and all able-bodied men between 21 and 60 of Andorran nationality must serve. This is why all Andorrans, and especially the head of each house (usually the eldest able-bodied man of a house) should, by law, keep a rifle, even though the law also states that the police will offer a firearm in case of need. Andorra is a full member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and has a special agreement with the European Union (EU).

Military.

Andorra has a small army, which has historically been raised or reconstituted at various dates, but has never in modern times amounted to a standing army. The basic principle of Andorran defence is that all able-bodied men are available to fight if called upon by the sounding of the Sometent. Being a landlocked country, Andorra has no navy.  Before World War I, Andorra maintained an armed force of about 600 part-time militiamen under the supervision of a Captain (Capità or Cap de Sometent) and a Lieutenant (Desener or Lloctinent del Capità). This body was not liable for service outside the principality and was commanded by two officials (veguers) appointed by France and the Bishop of Urgell.  Despite not being involved in any fighting during the First World War, Andorra was technically the longest combatant, as the country was left out of the Versailles Peace Conference, technically remaining at war with Germany from its original declaration of war in 1914 until 24 September 1958 when Andorra officially declared peace with Germany.  In the modern era, the army has consisted of a very small body of volunteers willing to undertake ceremonial duties. Uniforms and

Police Corps.

Andorra maintains a small but modern and well-equipped internal police force, with around 240 police officers supported by civilian assistants. The principal services supplied by the corps are uniformed community policing, criminal detection, border control, and traffic policing. There are also small specialist units including police dogs, mountain rescue, and a bomb disposal team.

GIPA.

The "Grup d'Intervenció Policia d'Andorra" (GIPA) is a small special forces unit trained in counter-terrorism, and hostage recovery tasks. Although it is the closest in style to an active military force, it is part of the Police Corps, and not the army. As terrorist and hostage situations are a rare threat to the country, the GIPA is commonly assigned to prisoner escort duties, and at other times to routine policing.

Fire brigade.

The Andorran Fire Brigade, with headquarters at Santa Coloma, operates from four modern fire stations, and has a staff of around 120 firefighters. The service is equipped with 16 heavy appliances (fire tenders, turntable ladders, and specialist four-wheel drive vehicles), four light support vehicles (cars and vans) and four ambulances.  Historically, the families of the six ancient parishes

Geography.

Parishes.

Andorra consists

Physical geography.

Due to its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains, the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at, and the average elevation of Andorra is. These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y

Climate.

Andorra has alpine, continental and oceanic climates, depending on altitude. Its higher elevation means there is, on average, more snow in winter and it is slightly cooler in summer. The diversity of landmarks, the different orientation of the valleys and the irregularity relief typical of the Mediterranean climates make the country have a great diversity of microclimates that hinder the general dominance of the high mountain climate. The great differences of altitude in

Economy.

Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 10.2 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts.  One of the main sources of income in Andorra is tourism from ski resorts which total over of ski ground. The sport brings in over 7 million visitors annually and an estimated 340 million euros per year, sustaining 2,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs at present since 2007.  The banking sector, with its tax haven status, also contributes substantially to the economy (the financial and insurance sector accounts for approximately 19% of GDP). The financial system comprises five banking groups, one specialised credit entity, 8 investment undertaking management entities, 3 asset management companies and 29 insurance companies, 14 of which are branches of foreign insurance companies authorised to operate in the principality.  Agricultural production is limited; only 5% of the land is arable, and most food has to be imported. Some tobacco is grown locally. The principal livestock activity is domestic sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra's natural resources include hydroelectric power, mineral water, timber, iron ore, and

Demographics.

Population.

The population of Andorra is estimated at (). The Andorrans are a Romance ethnic group of originally Catalan descent. The population has grown from 5,000 in 1900.

Languages.

The historic and official language is Catalan, a Romance language. The Andorran government encourages the use of Catalan. It funds a Commission for Catalan Toponymy in Andorra (Catalan: ), and provides free Catalan classes to assist immigrants. Andorran television and radio stations use Catalan.  Because of immigration, historical links, and close geographic proximity, Spanish,

Religion.

The population of Andorra is predominantly (88.2%) Catholic. Their patron saint is Our Lady of Meritxell. Though it is not an official state religion, the constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Catholic Church, offering some special

Education.

Schools.

Children between the ages of 6 and 16 are required by law to have full-time education. Education up to secondary level is provided free of charge by the government.  There are three systems of school, Andorran, French and Spanish, which use

University of Andorra.

The Universitat d'Andorra (UdA) is the state public university and is the only university in Andorra. It was established in 1997. The university provides first-level degrees in nursing, computer science, business administration, and educational sciences, in addition to higher professional education courses. The only two graduate schools in Andorra are the Nursing School and the School of Computer Science, the latter having a PhD programme.

Virtual Studies Centre.

The geographical complexity of the country as well as the small number of students prevents the University of Andorra from developing a full academic programme, and it serves principally as a centre for virtual studies, connected to Spanish and French universities. The Virtual Studies Centre (Centre d'Estudis Virtuals) at the University runs approximately 20 different academic degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in fields including tourism, law, Catalan philology, humanities, psychology, political sciences, audiovisual communication, telecommunications engineering, and East Asia studies. The Centre also runs various postgraduate programmes and continuing-education courses for professionals.

Transport.

Until the 20th century, Andorra had very limited transport links to the outside world, and development of the country was affected by its physical isolation. Even now, the nearest major airports at Toulouse and Barcelona are both three hours' drive from Andorra.  Andorra has a road network of, of which is unpaved. The two main roads out of Andorra la Vella are the CG-1 to the Spanish border near Sant Julia de Loria, and the CG-2 to the French border via the Envalira Tunnel near El Pas de la Casa. Bus services cover all metropolitan areas and many rural communities, with services on most major routes running half-hourly or more frequently during peak travel times. There are frequent long-distance bus services from Andorra to Barcelona and Toulouse, plus a daily tour from the former city. Bus services mostly are run by private companies, but some local ones are operated by the

Media and telecommunications.

In Andorra, mobile and fixed telephone and internet services are operated exclusively by the Andorran national telecommunications company, SOM, also known as Andorra Telecom (STA). The same company also manages the technical infrastructure for national broadcasting of digital television and radio. In 2010 Andorra became the first country to provide a direct optical fiber link to all homes (FTTH) and businesses.  The first commercial radio station to broadcast was Radio Andorra, which was active from 1939 to 1981. On 12 October 1989, the General Council established radio and television as essential public services creating and

Culture.

The official and historic language is Catalan. Thus the culture is Catalan, with its own specificity.  Andorra is home to folk dances like the contrapàs and marratxa, which survive in Sant Julià de Lòria especially. Andorran folk music has similarities to the music of its neighbours, but is especially Catalan in character, especially in the presence of dances such as the sardana. Other Andorran folk dances include contrapàs in Andorra la Vella and Saint Anne's dance in Escaldes-Engordany. Andorra's national holiday is Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September.  Among the more important festivals and traditions are the Canólich Gathering in May, the Roser d'Ordino in July, the Meritxell Day (National Day of Andorra), the Andorra la Vella Fair, the Sant Jordi Day, the Santa Llúcia Fair, the Festivity from La Candelera to Canillo, the Carnival of Encamp, the sung of caramelles, the Festivity of Sant Esteve and the Festa del Poble.  In popular folklore, the best-known Andorran legends are the legend of Charlemagne, according to which this Frankish King would have founded the country, the White Lady of Auvinyà, the Buner d'Ordino, the legend of Engolasters Lake and the legend of Our Lady of Meritxell.  Andorran gastronomy is mainly Catalan, although it has also adopted other elements of French and Italian cuisines. The cuisine of the country has similar characteristics with the neighbors of the Cerdanya and the Alt Urgell, with whom it has a strong cultural ties. Andorra's cuisine is marked by its nature as mountain valleys. Typical dishes of the country are the quince all-i-oli, the duck with winter pear, the lamb in the oven with nuts, pork civet, the massegada cake, the escarole with pear trees, confited duck and mushrooms, escudella, spinach with raisins and pine nuts, jelly marmalade, stuffed murgues (mushrooms) with pork, dandelion salad and the Andorran trout of river. To drink, the mulled wine and beer are also popular. Some of the dishes are very common in the mountainous regions of Catalonia, such as trinxat, embotits, cooked snails, rice with mushrooms, mountain rice and mató.  Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art are one of the most important artistic manifestations and characteristics of the Principality. The Romanesque one allows to know the formation of the parochial communities, the relations of (social and political) power and the national culture. There are a total of forty Romanesque churches that stand out as being small austere ornamentation constructions, as well as bridges, fortresses and manor houses of the same period.  Summer solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees was included as UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage in 2015. Also the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley became Andorra's first, and to date its only, UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, with a small extension in 2006.

Sports.

Andorra is famous for the practice of winter sports. Andorra has the largest territory of ski slopes in the Pyrenees (3100 hectares and about 350 km of slopes) and two ski resorts. Grandvalira is the largest and most popular resort. Other popular sports played in Andorra include football, rugby union, basketball, and roller hockey.  For roller hockey, Andorra usually plays in CERH Euro Cup and in FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup. In 2011, Andorra was the host country to the 2011 European League Final Eight.  The country is represented in association football by the Andorra national football team. The team gained its first competitive win in a World Cup qualifier on 11 October 2019, in a European Championship qualifier against Moldova. Football is governed in Andorra by the Andorran Football Federation - founded in 1994, it organizes the national competitions of association football (Primera Divisió, Copa Constitució and Supercopa) and futsal. Andorra was admitted to UEFA and FIFA in the same year, 1996.

Andorra (, ; ), officially the Principality of Andorra (), is a sovereign landlocked microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is known as a principality as it is a diarchy headed by two princes: the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, and the President of the French Republic.

Andorra (amtlich ) ist ein in den östlichen Pyrenäen zwischen Spanien und Frankreich gelegener demokratischer Staat in Form einer parlamentarischen Monarchie.


Early life and career.

Dorothy Gibson was born on May 17, 1889 to John A. Brown and Pauline Caroline Boesen as Dorothy Winifred Brown in Hoboken, New Jersey. Her father died when she was three years old, and her mother married John Leonard Gibson. Between 1906 and 1911, she appeared on stage as a singer and dancer in a number of theatre and vaudeville productions, the most important being on Broadway in Charles Frohman's musical "The Dairymaids" (1907). She was also a regular chorus member in shows produced by the Shubert Brothers at the Hippodrome Theatre.  In 1909, the year before she married George Henry Battier, Jr., Dorothy Gibson began posing for famous commercial artist Harrison Fisher, becoming one of his favorite models. Dorothy's image appeared regularly on posters, postcards, various merchandising products and in book illustrations over the next three years. Fisher also often chose her likeness for the covers of best-selling magazines such as "Cosmopolitan", "Ladies Home Journal", and the "Saturday Evening Post". Dorothy was widely publicized during this time as "The Original Harrison Fisher Girl".  Meanwhile, Dorothy separated from Battier, though the couple was not divorced until 1913.

Film career.

Represented by top theatrical agent Pat Casey, Dorothy entered movies in early 1911, joining the Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) as an extra and later the Lubin Studios as a stock player. She was hired as leading lady by the new U.S. branch of Paris-based Éclair Studios in July 1911. She was an instant hit with audiences, becoming one of the first actresses in the new medium of film to be promoted as a "star" in her own right. Praised for a natural, subtle acting style, she was particularly effective as a comedian in such popular one-reelers as "Miss Masquerader" (1911) and "Love Finds a Way" (1912), all of which were produced at Fort Lee, New Jersey, then the center of the burgeoning American motion picture industry.  Despite her popularity in comedies, one of Dorothy's most important parts was that of Molly Pitcher in the historical drama "Hands Across the Sea" (1911), Eclair's debut vehicle and her first star turn.

"Titanic" disaster and first film based on it.

Dorothy Gibson's most famous screen role was that of herself in "Saved from the Titanic" (1912), based on her experiences in the legendary disaster. "Saved From the Titanic," released a month after the sinking, was the first of many films about the event.  The "Titanic" is the best known aspect of Dorothy's life. After a six-week vacation in Italy with her mother, she was returning on the "Titanic" to make a new series of pictures for Eclair at Fort Lee. The women had been playing bridge with friends in the lounge on the night of the ship's fatal collision with the iceberg. With two of their game partners they escaped in Lifeboat #7, the first lifeboat launched. After arriving in New York on the rescue ship "Carpathia", Dorothy was persuaded by her manager to appear in a film based on the sinking. She not only starred in the one-reel drama but also wrote the scenario. She even appeared in the same clothing she had worn aboard the "Titanic" that night—a white silk evening dress topped with a cardigan and polo coat.  Although "Saved From the Titanic" was a tremendous success in America, Britain, and France the only known prints were destroyed in a 1914 fire at the Eclair Studios in New Jersey. The loss of the motion picture is considered by film historians to be one of the greatest of the silent era. Dorothy Gibson's other accomplishments in early cinema included starring in one of the first feature films made in the United States ("Hands Across the Sea", 1911), co-starring in the first American-produced serial or chapter play ("The Revenge of the Silk Masks", 1912), and making one of the first-ever public appearances by a movie personality (January 1912).  With contemporary Mary Pickford, Dorothy was the highest paid movie actress in the world at the time of her premature retirement in May 1912. In a brief but eventful cinematic career, she appeared in an estimated 22 Eclair films and in an unspecified number while at Lubin and IMP studios. Dorothy left movies to pursue a choral career, her most notable appearance in that venue being at the Metropolitan Opera House in "Madame Sans-Gene" (1915).

Personal life.

In 1911, Dorothy Gibson began a six-year love affair with married movie tycoon Jules Brulatour, head of distribution for Eastman Kodak and co-founder of Universal Pictures. Brulatour was also an advisor and producer for Eclair; he backed several of Gibson's films, including her 1912 hit "Saved From the Titanic". A year later, while driving Brulatour's sports car in New York, Dorothy struck and killed a pedestrian. During the resulting court case, it was revealed in the press that she was his mistress. Although Brulatour was already separated from his wife, the humiliation of the scandal motivated her to sue him for divorce, which was finalized in 1915. Brulatour's rising fame and political power forced him to legitimize his relationship with Dorothy Gibson, and the pair were finally wed in 1917.  Its legality challenged, the union was dissolved two years later as an invalid contract. To escape gossip and start a new life, Dorothy left New York for Paris, where she remained, except for the four years she spent in Italy during World War II. Brulatour married film actress Hope Hampton in 1923.

Later life.

A Nazi sympathizer and alleged intelligence operative, Dorothy renounced her involvement by 1944. She was arrested as an anti-Fascist agitator and imprisoned in the Milan prison of San Vittore, from which she escaped with two other prisoners, journalist Indro Montanelli and General Bartolo Zambon. The trio was aided through the intervention of Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster, Archbishop of Milan, and by a young chaplain of the Milanese resistance group "Fiamme Verdi", Father Giovanni Barbareschi.  Living in France, in 1946, Dorothy died of a heart attack in her apartment at the Hôtel Ritz Paris at the age of 56. She is buried at Saint Germain-en-Laye Cemetery. Gibson's estate was divided between her lover, Emilio Antonio Ramos, press attaché for the Spanish Embassy in Paris, and her mother, who lived until 1961 when she too was found dead in a Paris hotel room.

Legacy.

Dorothy Gibson's only surviving film is the adventure-comedy "A Lucky Holdup" (1912). Salvaged by collectors David and Margo Navone in 2001, it was preserved by the American Film Institute and is now archived at the Library of Congress.  The character of Susan Alexander in Orson Welles’ "Citizen Kane" (1941) may have been partly based on Dorothy, along with other real-life figures Marion Davies, Hope Hampton, and Ganna Walska. She was also the inspiration for a character in her friend Indro Montanelli’s novel "General della Rovere", which was turned into an award-winning film by director Roberto Rossellini in 1959.  Sophie Winkleman portrayed Dorothy in the 2012 Julian Fellowes-written TV miniseries "Titanic" that commemorated the centenary of the disaster.  Authors Don Lynch and John P. Eaton were the first contemporary historians to rediscover Dorothy Gibson, writing and lecturing about her as early as the 1980s. The first in-depth study of Dorothy's mysterious later life was conducted by Phillip Gowan and published in the journal of the British Titanic Society in 2002. In 2005, the first full-length biography of Dorothy Gibson, by Randy Bryan Bigham, was released; a revised and expanded edition was published in 2012.

Dorothy Gibson (May 17, 1889 – February 17, 1946) was a pioneering American silent film actress, artist's model, and singer active in the early 20th century. She is best remembered as a survivor of the sinking of the "Titanic" and for starring in the first motion picture based on the disaster.

Dorothy Gibson (* 17. Mai 1889 in Hoboken, New Jersey als "Dorothy Winifred Brown"; † 17. Februar 1946 in Paris) war eine US-amerikanische Stummfilmdarstellerin, die hauptsächlich als Überlebende des "Titanic"-Unglücks und durch ihr Mitwirken an dem Film "Saved from the Titanic" bekannt wurde.


History.

The biscuit joining system was invented in 1956 in Liestal, Switzerland by Hermann Steiner. Steiner opened his carpenter's shop in 1944, and, in the middle of the 1950s, while looking for a simple means of joining the recently introduced chipboard, invented the Lamello joining system. In the succeeding years there followed further developments such as the circular saw and the first stationary biscuit (plate) joining machine in 1956 followed by the first portable biscuit joiner for Lamello grooves in 1968. In 1969 the family operation was incorporated by the name of Lamello AG. Lamello continues to manufacture biscuit joiners.  Several other companies such as Porter Cable, Dewalt, and Makita also manufacture compatible biscuit joiners, including some models with interchangeable blades, enabling the user to cut both 4" and 2" biscuit slots.

Production.

Biscuits are predominantly used in joining sheet goods such as plywood, particle board and medium-density fibreboard. They are sometimes used with solid wood, replacing mortise and tenon joints as they are easier to make and almost as strong. They are also used to align pieces of wood when joined edge-to-edge in making wider panels. It is important to use the same face when cutting the slots, so the boards are perfectly flush.  Biscuits are also used to align edges of workpieces, such as when forming a 90 degree angle between workpieces. The biscuit provides a quick means of getting a perfectly flush joint, while at the same time reinforcing the joint.  Typically, the machine will have an adjustable fence, so it can be set on an angle for joining mitered pieces.  Also, there are other types of specialty biscuits available, from metal connectors, used for removable panels, to hinges, making these portable machines even more flexible.

Usage.

The workpieces are brought together and the user marks the location for the biscuits. Precise measurement is not required, as the biscuits are hidden when the pieces are assembled, so a quick pencil stroke that marks both pieces where they align is all that is required. The parts are separated and the machine is used to cut the slots in each piece. The machine has reference marks on the center line of the blade for easy alignment to the marks on the materials being joined.  The body of the machine with the blade is spring-loaded and in the normal position the blade is retracted. The operator aligns the machine and uses a firm pressure to push the body forward against the base plate to make the cut. The waste material is blown out of the slot on the right of the base plate.  Because the slots are slightly longer than the biscuits, it is still possible to slide the panels sideways after the joint is assembled (before the glue sets). This fact makes the biscuit joiner easy to use, because it does not require extreme accuracy or jigs to achieve perfect joints.  The depth of the cut can be altered by an adjustable stop, the smaller base can be rotated through 90 degrees and accessories are provided for altering the offset of the base to the blade (for use with thicker or thinner materials as required). Some models allow slots to be cut at angles other than 90° to the joining face, for example 45°, which greatly speeds up the assembly of things like cabinets.

Standard biscuit sizes.

note: Six depth settings of Biscuit joiner (Six size biscuits with No blade change ) includes #00, #10, #20, D, S, S6  † Biscuits may also be referred to as "plates".<br> ‡ These data require clarification because the standard cutter width is 4 mm thus requiring the biscuit to be thinner. It is more likely that the thickness is 3.75 mm which would correspond well to the typical inch thickness (19/128" = 3.77 mm).

Sizes of Porter Cable biscuits.

Note: The sizes were taken verbatim from the Porter-Cable website.

Detail biscuit sizes.

Detail biscuits are smaller than standard biscuits and are typically used to join smaller pieces of wood together, and offer less structural support.

Blades and depth.

For most portable plate joiners, a nominal 4 inch or 100 mm diameter blade is used for the #0, #10, #20 biscuit cuts. The blade is set deeper for joining the larger biscuits. Most blades have 4, 6, or 8 teeth and fit a 7/8 inch or 22 mm arbor. The thickness of the blade is typically 0.156 to 0.160 inch or nominally 4 mm.

A biscuit joiner (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels. An oval-shaped, highly dried and compressed wooden biscuit (beech or particle wood) is covered with glue, or glue is applied in the slot. The biscuit is immediately placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together. The wet glue expands the biscuit, further improving the bond.

Die Nutfräse, Flachdübelfräse, Formfederfräse oder Lamellofräse ist eine handgeführte Fräsmaschine in der Holzverarbeitung zur Erzeugung von Nuten, hauptsächlich für Verbindungen mit Flachdübeln.


Spectral classification.

In 1943, β Ursae Majoris was listed as a spectral standard for the class of A1 V. When improved instruments made it possible to identify subgiant luminosity classes for early A-class stars, β Ursae Majoris was assigned that class A0 IV. This was later revised to A1 IV. It is considered to be a mild Am star, a type of chemically peculiar star with unusually strong lines of certain metallic elements.

Properties.

Based upon parallax measurements, β Ursae Majoris is located at a distance of from the Sun. It is a subgiant, a star that has exhausted the hydrogen in its core and is now cooling as it generates energy through the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen in a shell outside the core. The effective temperature of the outer envelope is about 9,225 K, giving it a white-hued glow that is typical for A-type stars. It is larger than the Sun, with about 2.7 times the mass and 2.84 times the solar radius. If they were viewed from the same distance, Beta Ursae Majoris would appear much brighter than the Sun, as it is radiating 68 times the Sun's luminosity.  Observation of the star in the infrared reveal an excess emission that suggests the presence of a circumstellar debris disk of orbiting dust, much like those discovered around Fomalhaut and Vega. The mean temperature of this disk is 120 K, indicating that it is centered at a radius of 47 AU from the host star. The dust has an estimated mass of about 0.27% the mass of the Earth.  Beta Ursae Majoris is one of five stars in the Big Dipper that form a part of a loose open cluster called the Ursa Major moving group, sharing the same region of space and not just the same patch of sky from Earth's perspective. This group has an estimated age of about 500 (± 100) million years. As the members of this group share a common origin and motion through space, this yields an estimate for the age of Beta Ursae Majoris. Two stars are known to be located in relatively close proximity: 37 Ursae Majoris at and Gamma Ursae Majoris at ; much closer to each other than these stars are to the Earth.

Nomenclature.

"β Ursae Majoris" (Latinised to "Beta Ursae Majoris") is the star's Bayer designation.  It bore the traditional name "Merak" derived from the Arabic المراق "al-maraqq" 'the loins' (of the bear). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included "Merak" for this star.  The Hindus called the star "Pulaha", one of the Seven Rishis.  In Chinese, (), meaning "Northern Dipper", refers to an asterism equivalent to the Big Dipper. Consequently, the Chinese name for Beta Ursae Majoris itself is (, ) and (, ).

In culture.

USS "Merak" (1918) and USS "Merak" (AF-21) are both United States navy ships.

Beta Ursae Majoris (β Ursae Majoris, abbreviated Beta UMa, β UMa), formally named Merak, is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major.

Merak (von ) ist der Eigenname des Sterns Beta Ursae Maioris (β UMa) im Sternbild Großer Bär. Er bildet zusammen mit Dubhe (α UMa) den hinteren Abschluss des Kastens des Großen Wagens, dessen Verlängerung über Dubhe hinaus zum Polarstern zeigt. Merak besitzt eine scheinbare Helligkeit von 2,3 mag und ist ca. 80 Lichtjahre entfernt.


History.

At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Native American inhabitants of present-day Westchester County were part of the Algonquian peoples, whose name for themselves was Lenape, meaning "the people". They called the region Lenapehoking, which consisted of the area around and between the Delaware and Hudson Rivers. Several different tribes occupied the area, including The Manhattans, and the Weckquaesgeek and Siwanoy bands of the Wappinger in the south, and Tankiteke, Sintsink and Kitchawank Wappinger in the north.  The first European explorers to visit the Westchester area were Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 and Henry Hudson in 1609. Dutch settlers began arriving in the 1620s, followed by settlers from England in the 1640s. Westchester County was one of the original twelve counties of the Province of New York, created by an act of the New York General Assembly in 1683. At the time it included present-day Bronx County, and abutted then-Dutchess County to the north. By 1775, Westchester was the richest and most populous county in the colony of New York. Although the Revolutionary War devastated the county, recovery after the war was rapid. In 1788, five years after the end of the war, the county was divided into 20 towns. In 1798, the first federal census recorded a population of 24,000 for the county.  Two developments in the first half of the 19th century—the construction of the first Croton Dam and Aqueduct, and the coming of the railroad—had enormous impacts on the growth of Westchester. The Croton Dam and Aqueduct was begun in 1837 and completed in 1842; now a National Historic Landmark, the Croton Aqueduct is considered one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century. In the 1840s, the first railroads were built in Westchester, and included the New York and Harlem Railroad, the Hudson River Railroad, and the New York and New Haven Railroad. The railroads often determined the growth of a town, and the population shifted from Northern to Southern Westchester. By 1860, the total county population was 99,000, with the largest city being Yonkers.  The period following the American Civil War enabled entrepreneurs in the New York area to create fortunes, and many built large estates, such as Lyndhurst, in Westchester. During the latter half of the 19th century, Westchester's transportation system and labor force attracted a manufacturing base, particularly along the Hudson River and Nepperhan Creek. In 1874, the western portion of the present Bronx County was transferred to New York County, and in 1895 the remainder of the present Bronx County was also transferred to New York County. These would later split from Manhattan to form a county.  During the 20th century, the rural character of Westchester would transform into the suburban county known today. The Bronx River Parkway, completed in 1925, was the first modern, multi-lane limited-access roadway in North America. The development of Westchester's parks and parkway systems supported existing communities and encouraged the establishment of new ones, transforming the development pattern for Westchester. With the need for homes expanding after World War II, multistory apartment houses appeared in the urbanized areas of the county, while the market for single-family houses continued to expand. By 1950, the total county population was 625,816. Major interstate highways were constructed in Westchester during the 1950s and 1960s. The establishment of these roadways, along with the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge, led to further growth in the county.

Geography.

Westchester County is located in the New York metropolitan area and Downstate New York, north of New York City and south of Upstate New York. It shares its southern boundary with New York City and its northern border with Putnam County. It is bordered on the west side by the Hudson River and on the east side by the Long Island Sound and Fairfield County, Connecticut. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (14%) is water.  Where Pelham Manor meets Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, the southern border of Westchester is just under from Columbus Circle in Manhattan. At over, Pelham Bay Park is the largest of New York City's parks, forming a substantial buffer between suburban Westchester and the urban Bronx, while Van Cortlandt Park to the west acts as a similar buffer.

Long Island Sound shore.

Westchester's Long Island Sound shore is generally rocky, interspersed with tidal mud flats, marshes and wetlands, as well as several natural and artificially-maintained sand beaches. Municipal and county owned parks provide access to beaches, nature preserves and passive and active waterfront recreational facilities. Several large harbors lie along the shore including Milton Harbor in Rye, Mamaroneck Harbor, Larchmont Harbor, and Echo Bay, and the upper and lower harbors in southern New Rochelle.  A number of islands can be found off the Long Island Sound shore, most of which are located in New Rochelle. Davids' Island, the former location of the U.S. Army's Fort Slocum, is currently unoccupied but is slated for use as passive parkland; Glen Island, currently a Westchester Parks Department run beach and park, was one of the first amusement parks in the country serving as a summer resort at the turn of the twentieth century; Huckleberry Island is largely undeveloped, and has one of the largest rookeries in western Long Island Sound; Echo Island is owned and used by a private yacht club; Execution Rocks is the site of a 19th-century lighthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Columbia, Pea, and Goose Islands are undeveloped; Clifford, Harrison and Tank Islands are part of the "Five Islands Park" and nature preserve; while Oak and Pine Islands are used as private residences.

Hudson River.

The widest section of the Hudson River, at, is found between the Westchester and Rockland County shorelines immediately north of Croton Point. In Colonial times, this area was called the Tappan Zee or Sea. The Hudson River is tidal and brackish through Westchester and contains a small number of estuarine marshes. Two bridges span the Hudson in Westchester: the Bear Mountain Bridge crosses at Cortlandt and the Tappan Zee Bridge at Tarrytown. Municipal, county and state-owned parks provide access to waterfront landmarks and sites, including Croton Point in Croton, Kingsland Point in Sleepy Hollow and JFK Memorial Marina in Yonkers.  The Hudson River waterfront in Westchester is in a transitional period, converting from primarily industrial uses to mixed residential, commercial, retail, and recreational uses. This transformation is most notable in Yonkers, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Ossining, and Peekskill, where redevelopment projects are in various stages of design and completion. In 2004, the county began a project to create Westchester RiverWalk, a walkway along the Hudson River of which will provide pedestrian access between New York City and Putnam County. 32.9 miles of the route are complete and accessible.  At, the highest elevation in the county is a U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey benchmark known as "Bailey" in Mountain Lakes Park near the Connecticut state line. The lowest elevation is sea level, along both the Hudson and Long Island Sound.

Watersheds.

Westchester County is divided into six primary drainage basins or watersheds: the Upper and Lower Long Island Sound; and the Bronx, Upper Hudson, Lower Hudson, and Croton River basins. Within these primary drainage basins are approximately 60 smaller basins, or subwatersheds. The principal streams draining the southern part of the county include Beaver Swamp Brook, Blind Brook, Bronx River, Hutchinson River, Mamaroneck River, Saw Mill River, Sheldrake River, Stephenson Brook and Tibbetts Brook. The primary streams draining the central part of the county include Byram River, Kisco River, Mianus River, Mill River, Pocantico River and Silvermine River. The principal streams draining the northern part of the county include Dickey Brook, Furnace Brook, Hallocks Mill Brook, Hunter Brook, Muscoot River, Peekskill Hollow Brook, and Titicus River. The county contains several major reservoirs; The Croton system and the Kensico Reservoir are important components of the New York City water supply system. The system is a series of interconnected reservoirs and lakes in northern Westchester and Putnam Counties that provide 10% of New York City's water under normal conditions and up to 30% in times of drought. The components of the system include the New Croton Reservoir, the Cross River Reservoir, the Titicus Reservoir, the Amawalk Reservoir, and the Muscoot Reservoir. Other major reservoirs are the Kensico and Byram Lake Reservoir, while there are a number of smaller reservoirs throughout the county.  The Westchester County Department of Planning divides the county into North, Central and South sub-regions.

Geology.

The rock that underlies Manhattan and Westchester is chiefly gneiss and mica-schist, with layers of dolomitic marble and serpentine.

Climate.

The climate of Westchester County is primarily a humid subtropical climate (Koppen "Cfa"), with higher elevations bordering on a humid continental climate. Winters are cold, wet, and occasionally snowy throughout the county, with more snow inland in higher elevations. Summers are hot inland but cooler towards the coast, with somewhat of a relative dryness in the early part of summer. Precipitation is plentiful and in some elevated areas reaches over 50 inches. Snowfall is more common in Westchester than in New York City, with the exception of the southeast of the county where snowfall is often between 20 and 25 inches. In January, inland areas have a low of 21-26°F and a high of 34-37 °F while coastal areas have a low of 27-30 °F and a high of 38-41 °F. In the summer, this effect is much milder. Coastal areas (Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye, Port Chester) have highs of 81-83 °F and lows of 68-73 °F, while inland highs will be 84-87 °F and lows will be 65-70 °F. Winds can be heavy, especially by the coast.

Demographics.

2010.

As of 2010, there were 949,113 residents at an average density of 807 per square mile (312/km). The racial makeup of the county was 57.4% non-Hispanic White, 15.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 5.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.6% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.8% of the population. 71.7% spoke only English at home, while 14.4% spoke Spanish, 3.5% Italian, 1.1% Portuguese and 1.1% French at home.  There were 337,142 households of which 34% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. Of all households 25.7% were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.21.  Age distribution was 25% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 14% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.30 males.  According to census data, the per capita income for the county in 1999 was $36,726. The American Community Survey lists Westchester in 2011 with the median household income of $77,006, the 47th highest in the country. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 6.4% of families and 8.7% (2003) of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.53% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

2018.

At the American Community Survey's 2018 estimates 967,612 people inhabited the county, up 18,499 from 2010's census. 53.1% of the county was non-Hispanic white, 16.6% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from two or more races, and 25.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.6% of the population were foreign-born.  From 2014-2018 there were 375,852 housing units and 347,332 households. The owner-occupied housing rate was 61.3% and the median monthly owner costs of a house were $3,398 with a mortgage and $1,426 without. The median gross rent in 2018 was $1,493, up $517 from the monthly owner cost without a mortgage. The average persons per household in 2018 was 2.71 and 33.3% of residents spoke a language other than English at home. 21.9% of Westchester was under 18 and 17.1% were aged 65 and older.  Westchester County's median income was $92,758 and the per capita income was $54,572. The Census Bureau reported 65.4% of the county's residents aged 16 and older were employed in the civilian labor force, and 59.5% of women worked in the labor force. 8.3% of the county lived below the poverty line from 2014-2018.

Immigrants.

As of 2000, several different expatriate populations lived in Westchester County. Notable French communities are located in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and New Rochelle; while Scarsdale, Tarrytown and Bronxville are the preferred locations for Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans.

Communities.

Westchester County has 6 cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages.  Cities in Westchester have many well established sub-areas within the municipal boundaries. Many of these are similar to hamlets and date back to as early as the late 1600s such as Cooper's Corners in New Rochelle. These areas also include some of the first planned communities in the country such as New Rochelle's Residence Park, Rochelle Park and Heights and Sutton Manor.  The six cities in the county are: Any land area in the county that is not contained in one of the cities is in a town. A town may have from zero to multiple villages. A village can be located in more than one town, as two of Westchester's villages are. The largest city in the county by population is Yonkers with nearly 200,000 residents. The city with the highest population density is Mount Vernon with a density of 15,564 individuals per square mile.  The towns of Harrison, Mount Kisco, and Scarsdale are coterminous with the village of the same name. Two villages are split between two towns - Briarcliff Manor crosses the border between Ossining town and Mount Pleasant, and Mamaroneck village straddles the boundary between Mamaroneck town and Rye town.  With the exception of the towns of Rye, Pelham, Harrison, Mount Kisco, and Scarsdale, all the towns contain area and residents which do not belong to any village. These areas may contain communities referred to as hamlets, or "unincorporated areas". Hamlets have no legal status and depend upon the town for all municipal government and services. There are also areas called census-designated places (CDPs), which are defined by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. A CDP may or may not correspond to a hamlet.  Because some municipalities have the same name, it is often necessary to indicate whether one is referring to the city, town, village, or hamlet. For example, the town of Rye is completely separate from the city of Rye. Pelham is the name of a town and also of a village in the town. The village of Mamaroneck is located partially in the town of Mamaroneck and partially in the town of Rye, but has nothing to do with the city of Rye.  All of the towns have justice courts, and some of the villages do as well.  The towns are listed as follows:

Economy.

Due to its proximity to New York City, many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Westchester county, including:

High technology.

Tech Valley is a marketing name for the eastern part of New York State, including the Hudson Valley and the Capital District. The term originated in 1998 to promote the Greater Albany metropolitan area as a competitor to regions such as Silicon Valley and Boston. It has since grown to represent the counties in New York between IBM's Westchester County plants in the south and the Canada–U.S. border to the north.

Biotechnology.

Westchester County has also developed a burgeoning biotechnology sector in the 21st century, with over US$1 billion in planned private investment as of 2016, spurring "Westchester Magazine" to nickname the county "Biochester". In April 2017, county officials unveiled plans for an 80-acre, 3 million square-foot biotechnology hub to be built with US$1.2 billion in private investment on vacant land adjacent to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla; the bioscience center, a public-private partnership, is anticipated to create 12,000 new jobs and include over 2.25 million square feet of biotechnology research space.

Education.

Westchester County contains 48 public school districts, nearly 120 private college-preparatory and parochial schools, and 14 colleges and universities. Many public and private high schools are continuously ranked among the best in New York State and the United States. Public schools in the county are largely funded by local property taxes, and the median annual property-tax bill for Westchester County residents was $13,842 in 2013, the highest in the United States. According to the 2018 rankings provided by the education website Niche, taking into account public comments, 28 of the top 100 school districts in the state of New York were located in Westchester County.

Culture and recreation.

Historic sites.

The Timothy Knapp House, built around 1670, is the oldest standing building in Westchester. Philipse Manor Hall and the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow are also among the oldest, built around 1682 and 1685 respectively. Philipse Manor Hall is located in Getty Square, Yonkers, and is operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.  The former Edwin H. Armstrong House is the only delisted National Historic Landmark in Westchester. Current National Historic Landmarks in the county are:

Libraries.

Westchester County is served by the Westchester Library System, established in 1958. The system comprises 38 public libraries and 25 college and special libraries in the county. The Westchester Library Association is an organization which advocates on behalf of libraries and their personnel and support systems within Westchester County.

Government.

The Westchester County Government is headed by County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat. The district attorney is Anthony Scarpino, and the county clerk is Timothy C. Idoni.

Board of Legislators.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the legislative branch of Westchester County. Currently, sixteen of them are Democrats, and one is a Conservative who caucuses with the Republicans. The current Chair of the Board is Legislator Benjamin Boykin.

Politics.

Westchester County generally leans toward the political left. It last voted for the Republican nominee for president in 1988.  Historically, Westchester County was a classic "Yankee Republican" county. It supported Republican presidential candidates in all but two elections from 1896 to 1988. However, it swung Democratic in the early 1990s—much like other New York City suburbs. In the most recent national elections, Westchester voters tended to be far more Democratic than the national average. In fact, Westchester, after New York City and Albany County, has produced the biggest margins for statewide Democrats in recent years. Democratic voters are mainly concentrated in the more populated southern and central parts of the county. More than 63 percent of Westchester County voters voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race, the seventh-highest percentage of any New York county.  Currently, all three U.S. congressional representatives from Westchester County are Democrats. and represent most of the county. Lowey's district covers most of the county's central and northwestern portions, including White Plains, Chappaqua, and Tarrytown, and reaches into Rockland County. Engel's district is based in the Bronx, but includes most of the southern half of the county, including Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Rye. The northeastern portion of the county is represented by, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, who was elected in 2012, defeating Republican incumbent Nan Hayworth. Maloney's district includes the towns of Bedford, Somers, Pound Ridge, North Salem, Lewisboro, and a portion of North Castle.  However, Republicans remain competitive with Democrats in state and local elections. For instance, it voted for Republican George Pataki, by a margin of 23.07% against Democratic candidate, Carl McCall in the gubernatorial race of 2002, and by 26.22% in 1998. Pataki hails from Westchester; he previously served as mayor of Peekskill and represented part of the county in the state house and state senate prior to being elected governor.  In 1998, County Executive Andrew Spano became just the second Democrat to hold the post in at least a half-century. In 2006, county legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins defeated 20-year incumbent Nicholas Spano for a seat in the New York State Senate in a rematch of the 2004 race, which she had lost by only 18 votes. His brother, Assembly Member Mike Spano, switched parties in July 2007 to become a Democrat. District attorney Janet DiFiore also switched parties from Republican to Democrat in August 2007. In 2009, Republican Rob Astorino ousted three-term county executive Andy Spano, who had the endorsement of the New York Conservative Party, winning in a landslide. Astorino became the first Republican county executive since Andrew O'Rourke left the post in 1997. In 2011, the GOP broke the Democratic two-thirds majority in the county legislature by picking up two seats. However, two of the Democrats formed a coalition with the Republicans to control the board, with a Republican becoming vice-chair. In 2017 Democrats gained three seats to take outright control of the board. In 2019 Democrats gained two seats and in 2020 the last remaining Republican switched parties to become a Democrat. The current composition is sixteen Democrats and one Conservative.  Westchester County was the home of U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, who occupied the Kykuit mansion near the hamlet of Pocantico Hills.  The county is also home to U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who live in Chappaqua. Former First Lady Barbara Bush grew up in Rye.  Current U.S. President Donald Trump owns a home in Bedford. The 230-acre Seven Springs estate was acquired by Trump in 1996.

Law enforcement.

There are currently 42 local police agencies located in Westchester County. These agencies frequently work with one another and with other agencies, including county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting Westchester County.

Emergency services.

Westchester County has a wide array of emergency services and is the home to 58 fire departments, 42 ambulance services, three Haz-Mat teams, a volunteer technical rescue team, a fire academy and a fire investigations unit. Each department has career, volunteer or a combination of personnel. Westchester County Department of Emergency Services operates the main dispatching system for EMS and fire departments, located in Valhalla. The department also provides numerous support services for the various agencies throughout the county.  The Career Chief's Association, a cooperative of career fire departments, also operates the Special Operations Task Force. The force consists of six squad companies that can be rapidly assembled for a major hazardous materials incident, CBRNE event, collapse or confined space rescue, or other incident requiring a large number of HazMat or rescue technicians. Over 700 firefighters, police officers and EMS providers were trained to be part of this effort and serve over half the population of Westchester County including Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, Scarsdale, Eastchester, and the Fairview, Hartsdale, and Greenville Fire Departments in the Town of Greenburgh.

Media.

Notable county-wide media outlets include:

Transportation.

The combination of the county's numerous roadways and bridges, proximity to New York City, and the county's large population all lead to substantial traffic enforcement and busy local courts.  Transportation routes have been responsible for the county's development patterns, with city and town growth being most pronounced along these corridors. There are five mostly north/south corridors and three which traverse the county in the east/west direction. The north/south routes are (going from west to east): S. Route 9/Albany Post Rd/Broadway Corridor, the Saw Mill River Parkway Corridor, the Sprain Brook Parkway, the Hutchinson River Parkway, and the I-95/New England Thruway. The east/west corridors are, from south to north: the Cross County Parkway, the Cross Westchester Expressway/I-287, and the U.S. 202 corridor.

Bridges.

The Tappan Zee Bridge connects Tarrytown in Westchester to South Nyack in Rockland County, across the Hudson River; a $4 billion replacement for the original bridge began construction in 2013 and opened in 2017, and was renamed the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The Bear Mountain Bridge crosses the Hudson from the town of Cortlandt to Orange County.

Public transit.

Westchester County Airport serves the county, and is adjacent to White Plains. Bus service is provided by the Bee-Line Bus System (owned by the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation) within Westchester and to/from the Bronx, Manhattan, and Putnam County. Additionally, the MTA Bus Company runs to and from Getty Square in Yonkers to Midtown Manhattan. The Hudson Link operates express bus routes from city centers and train stations in Tarrytown and White Plains to Nyack, Nanuet, Spring Valley in Rockland County on the opposite side of the Hudson River.  Additionally, NY Waterway operates a water ferry service between Ossining in Westchester and Haverstraw in Rockland County.

Railroads.

Amtrak serves Croton-Harmon, New Rochelle, and Yonkers. Commuter rail service in Westchester is provided by Metro-North Railroad (operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Metro-North operates three lines in the county; west to east, they are the Hudson, the Harlem, and the New Haven lines. These are former operations of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads (and their successors, Penn Central and Conrail), each of which stops in the Bronx between Westchester and Manhattan.

In popular culture.

Westchester County has been the home of many novelists, including Washington Irving. His most famous work is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", which is set at the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow among other locations in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The story has inspired a variety of works, including the 2013 television series "Sleepy Hollow", set in the modern village.  In the "X-Men" multimedia series, the X-Mansion is located on the Titicus Reservoir, on (fictional) Graymalkin Lane, outside of Salem Center. At the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier runs the Xavier "School for Gifted Youngsters" to educate mutant children and keeps a headquarters for the X-Men.  One of the most successful films shot in the county was the 1988 film "Big". While the majority of the film takes place in New York City, the amusement park scenes were filmed in Rye Playland in Westchester.  American singer and songwriter Loudon Wainwright III recorded a song titled "Westchester County" for his 1983 LP record "Fame and Wealth". It recounts his postwar upbringing in Bedford, Westchester County, New York.  In print media, the area is a frequent setting of the Nero Wolfe detective stories by Rex Stout, which ran from 1934 to 1975. An early documented mention of Westchester County is in the Trixie Belden series (which ran from 1948 to 1986). The series was set in Sleepyside-on-Hudson, a fictional village in the Hudson Valley. The original author, Julie Campbell Tatham, modeled the fictional Crabapple Farm in Sleepyside after her own home at Wolf Hollow on Glendale Road in Ossining. She also mentioned it in her last work in the series: Cherry Ames, Country Doctor's Nurse. Westchester is the primary setting and residence of the main characters in "The Clique" young adult novel series by Lisi Harrison. In Edward Lewis Wallant's novel "The Pawnbroker", the main character Sol Nazerman lives in Mount Vernon.  In television, an early broadcast media presentation of Westchester County was on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961–1966), whose main characters live in New Rochelle. Much was made of their suburban setting and Rob's separate world from New York City. The 1970s sitcom "Maude" was set in Tuckahoe. In the final season of the American sitcom "Friends", the characters Monica and Chandler moved from New York City to live in Westchester. In the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother", Future Ted and his family live in Westchester. In the AMC show "Mad Men", Ossining is home to main characters Don Draper and his family. From season 4, Don lives in Manhattan and Betty lives with Henry Francis and the children in Rye. In the American teen drama series Gossip Girl recurring character Georgina Sparks moves to Bedford, New York where she lives a new life as a married women and a "Bedford wife."

Health.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic first affected the county. As of April 22nd there are a total of 25,276 cases, 838 deaths and 9,371 recoveries. The town of New Rochelle later in March (the 10th) had a state government-ordered one square mile "containment zone" in the northern part of that town. Part of New Rochelle is adjacent to The Bronx, where the majority of New York State's COVID-19 positive cases are (as of May 8th, 350,000 out of 20 million residents). As of May 22, 2020, there were between 30-35,000 cases going both by COVID-19 testing and serological samples, constituting the highest number of highest per capita infections in the world: 3% out of 1 million residents.

Westchester County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is the second-most populous county on the mainland of New York, after the Bronx, and the most populous county in the state north of New York City. According to the 2010 Census, the county had a population of 949,113, estimated to have increased to 967,506 by 2019. Situated in the Hudson Valley, Westchester covers an area of, consisting of six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. Established in 1683, Westchester was named after the city of Chester, England. The county seat is the city of White Plains, while the most populous municipality in the county is the city of Yonkers, with an estimated 199,663 residents in 2018.

Westchester County ist ein County im Südosten des Bundesstaates New York der Vereinigten Staaten. Der Verwaltungssitz (County Seat) ist White Plains.


Overview.

Gameplay.

Controls and graphics are typical of a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game: the left-mouse button selects unit(s) and the right-mouse button commands movement or action(s) of the selected unit(s). The camera work utilizes typical angles of the RTS genre as well. Missions in Emergency usually start off with a short cinematic cutscene of the cause of the emergency the player is attending. The missions take on a standard system of events in numerical order, each individual mission harder and more demanding than the last. Each mission requires the players to carefully choose their emergency services to deal with the multitude of events. Since Emergency 5, missions (renamed events) take on a different system. All events of a campaign, multiplayer or free play mode can be attended in one game session without loading screens in between, which makes the gameplay flow more seamlessly. Between each major event the player deals with standard dynamic emergencies such as car accidents, medical emergencies, crimes, fires, missing persons, pipeline ruptures or others.

Multiplayer.

While all games of the main and spin-off series can be played offline and in single-player mode, an online cooperative multiplayer mode is also supported since Emergency 4. The latest title, "Emergency HQ", can only be played with a continuous internet connection, which is usual for multiplayer mobile games. Emergency HQ doesn't have a multiplayer mode like the pc versions. Instead there are rescue alliances where players can communicate via in-game chat and help each other by loaning units for their missions. Every player can create such a rescue alliance and invite other players. These rescue alliances also compete against other rescue alliances in the league, where the combined scores of the active alliance members are compared.

Setting.

Most missions take place in the present, the graphics are kept realistic. While in the beginning of the series the setting was inspired by real locations but not specifically named, Emergency 5, for example, takes place in major German cities such as Cologne, Hamburg, Munich or Berlin. Accordingly, the emergency services and their vehicles are designed. However, to introduce the campaign, missions in some of the titles take place in the past, such as in the Middle Ages where the player is confronted with witch-hunts or the Black Death. Another typical feature of the Emergency series is that the missions are inspired by current events - be it natural disasters, terrorism or populism. Current topics are integrated into a frame action.

Games.

"Emergency: Fighters for Life".

"" is the first game in the "Emergency" series. Released on July 31, 1998 it has 30 scenarios, which are ordered by increasing difficulty. The scenarios include, for example, an accident at a race track, a plane crash, a flood, a traffic accident and a bomb threat, as well as scenarios based off true events such as Ramstein airshow disaster. Players can choose from up-to 20 different rescue vehicles.

Reception.

Emergency: Fighters for Life became the headstone of the Emergency series, creating a world for the modding community and a long-term franchise for Sixteen Tons Entertainment. It has a metascore of 71%.

"Emergency 2: The Ultimate Fight for Life".

"Emergency 2: The Ultimate Fight for Life", released on November 11, 2002, has a campaign with 25 scenarios. The missions ranging from a train accident at a level crossing to a plane crash or an alien attack. The number of emergency vehicles has increased to over 25. The graphics engine and visual style have been revised, and for the first time the emergency units are able to move within buildings.  On 24 July 2003, a deluxe edition of Emergency 2 was released, which features two new missions and voice control features.

"Emergency 3: Mission:Life".

Known as "Emergency 3" in North America, this installment is the first to use a 3D engine and a movable camera angle instead of a 2D engine. In addition there are 20 new missions, as well as two new game-modes; free play Endless and free play Challenge, for watching over a single city.  In Emergency 3, players can use deploy more than 25 different rescue vehicles. Previously divided into police, fire and emergency medical services, Emergency 3 adds TEC forces who use various technical engineer vehicles for engineers who are responsible for damaged railroad crossings in the game or switch boxes. These units are, however, always referred to as "technical assistants", as the German term "THW" would have created trademark violations.  Emergency 3 introduces the ability for players to use an editor software. This allows the player to create custom maps, emergencies, missions, vehicles, personnel and custom game features. This inspired a growing modding community to create modifications based on different cities and countries emergency services.

"Emergency 4: Global Fighters for Life".

Known as "911: First Responders" in North America, released April 2006, the game's campaign features several foreign missions where the player must todecide beforehand which units they will fly over. Between the more complex missions, the action is taking place in a fictional city, attending the everyday between mission operations. For the first time in the Emergency series, there is also a cooperative multiplayer mode, where players can join online lobbies where the host decides either online free-play or missions to play. The previous graphics engine and controls are optimized compared to its predecessor. In Emergency 4, players also have the opportunity not only to play campaign mode but also in a free-play mode to play and to achieve high scores.  "Emergency 4: Global Fighters for Life" contains 20 missions, with mandatory free play intermissions at every interim, and the Endless and Challenge free play modes. It is also the first in the series to support multiplayer gameplay. The deluxe release includes three extra missions, support for voice commands, plus some additional game features. The game allows the player to use over 25 emergency vehicles plus varieties of rescue personnel. The abilities of the TEC forces have been extended since their addition in Emergency 3, allowing engineers to use front-end bulldozers and the new TEC Rescue Helicopter that can winch the injured out of danger or rappel an engineer to terrain that is hard to reach.  The game can be extended with several modifications by the community, such as the Winterberg Mod or the LA Mod.  Besides German and English, the game has been translated into Spanish.

"Emergency 5".

"Emergency 5" is the fifth installment of the Emergency series and was released in November 2014. Innovating on the campaign missions, Emergency 5 mixes both campaign and free mode for a more fluid and atmospheric experience. Whilst several improvements were made to the game, the title was not received as well as its predecessor. Due to performance problems at its first release, and the drastically changed ′′Emergency World Builder′′ (the replacement for the previous mod editor), several mod creators refused to move over from Emergency 4. While modding is explored in Emergency 5, it did not receive the expected level of attention.  Besides German and English, Emergency 5 has been translated into French, Italian and Spanish.

New Custom Engine.

A new graphics engine built upon OGRE was introduced in Emergency 5 to replace its predecessor's, aimed to add more detail and create a more realistic atmosphere.

The Music.

The main theme of Emergency 5 was composed by Benny Oschmann from Dynamedion, a German music composition and production company. The style of the score is a mix of a classic orchestral melody played on strings, accompanied by modern rock sounds.

"The Complete Emergency".

In 2018, a collection of almost all previous Emergency titles (with the exception of the first one as well as Emergency Police) was also released for the anniversary of the game series. The ′′classics′′ are now also available as download via Steam. However, apart from the current patches for Emergency 20, this collection offers nothing new.

Spin-Off Games.

"Emergency Police".

"Emergency Police" is a spin-off released in 2001. It contains 15 missions, was developed by Sixteen Tons Entertainment and published by Koch Media. It uses the same graphics and controls like Emergency - Fighters for Life and features a new unit, the SWAT. Other than Emergency, Emergency Police only contains police missions, for example hostage situations or rampages.

Reception.

Gamestar rated Emergency Police with 48%.

"Emergency 2012: The Quest for Peace".

"Emergency 2012" is the first installment of a spin-off series which was developed by Quadriga Games, published by Deep Silver, and uses Trinigy's Vision Engine.

Reception.

PC Games November 5, 2010 – 80% ′′Demanding strategy instead of lame Sim.′′

"Emergency 2013" (Expansion).

"Emergency 2013" is the second installment of the spin-off series which was developed by Quadriga Games, published by Deep Silver. This is an expansion pack for "Emergency 2012" and will add four new campaign missions focusing on volcanic disasters, a new freeplay map and new missions to owners of Emergency 2012. Still controversial it was stated that the Emergency 20XX games were not primarily aimed at die-hard Emergency fans, but was to draw new players into the series and to take the graphics engine to its peak.

Reception.

4Players December 7, 2012 — 56% ′′A washing up of the predecessor, which offers too little new content.′′

"Emergency 2014" (Expansion).

"Emergency 2014" is the third and final installment of the spin-off series which was developed by Quadriga Games, published by Deep Silver. This second expansion pack for "Emergency 2012" focusing on meteor disasters. Similar to "Emergency 2013" it features 4 new campaign missions, a new larger freeplay map, and 3 new units. "Emergency 2014" was released 15 November 2013.

Reception.

"spieletest.at" April 14, 2014 – 70% ′′Despite slight operational weaknesses, it is simply fun to keep order on the scene of major disasters or small accidents with the large vehicle fleet under enormous time pressure.′′

"Emergency 2016" (Expansion).

This is a new version of Emergency 5, containing several new vehicles, 5 new missions, as well as a medieval mission featuring plague doctors. Some new mechanics are added in the game as well, for instance, police officers are equipped with pistols unlike the original Emergency 5 version, which limited this firearm to be exclusively for SWAT operatives.

Reception.

"Computerbild Spiele" October 25, 2015 – 2,7 (satisfactory) ′′Despite all its weaknesses, ′Emergency 2016′ has its appeal.′′

"Emergency 2017" (Expansion).

"Emergency 2017" is the new version of Emergency 2016. It includes the Emergency 2016 campaign as well as a new campaign, again starting in the Middle Ages.

Reception.

"Gamestar" December 29, 2016 – 58% ′′The actually quite decent catastrophe simulator suffers from a dull KI and inadequate scope.′′

"Emergency 20" (Anniversary Edition).

"Emergency 20" is a replacement for Emergency 2017 and additionally recreates 10 missions from the early games of the series to celebrate 20 years of the Emergency franchise. After completing a classic mission, a making-of video with the developer speaking about the history of that mission gets unlocked.

Mobile Games.

"Emergency DS".

In November 2008, an Emergency port for Nintendo DS named "Emergency DS" was published by Rondomedia. The game includes five scenarios, each with four missions – some of them known from earlier Emergency games.

Reception.

In 2009, Emergency DS was nominated for the first German Computer Games Award (DCP) in the category "Best Mobile Game".

"Emergency for iOS and Android".

In Emergency for mobile devices, the player controls 18 different units of firefighters, ambulance, police and technical service. The game includes 13 different catastrophe scenarios. The game was released in June 2012 for Apple iOS and in March 2013 for Android.

Reception.

According to Golem.de the iPad-Version of Emergency is recommendable, not only for fans of the pc version. In 2013, Emergency for iPad was nominated for the German Computer Games Award.

"Emergency HQ".

"Emergency HQ" is the first Free-to-play-Spin-Off for Android and iOS. The game was released in 2018. In the missions, the player calls the needed rescue units and gives them orders via tapping a button in their ring menu and selecting a target. After completing a mission successfully, the player gets coins and mission points. With the coins, players can upgrade their vehicles and buildings, as well as buy decorations for their base. With the earned mission points, players can climb the leaderboard of their league. Players can also form rescue alliances and support each other. Typically for a Free-to-play game, waiting times for upgrades can be decreased with a premium currency that can be purchased with real money.

Reception.

According to the "Pocket PC"-magazine, Emergency HQ is a successful implementation of the Emergency game principle: “In conclusion: a strong classic re-issued for the mobile gaming market”.

Reception.

Emergency has become the best known title by Sixteen Tons Entertainment. As of 2019, games of the series are being played all around the world. Emergency HQ alone has more than 1,000,000 downloads in the Playstore. The series for the PC received overall mixed reviews from critics, with ratings ranging from 39% to 86% for different titles of the series. Emergency DS, Emergency 2012 and Emergency iPad have been nominated for the German Computer Games Award. As of 2019, Emergency has an active modding community for more than a decade. Although Emergency is a game ′′not for everyone," critics praise the unusual setting and love for detail in the game design. According to "Feuerwehr-Magazin", a German magazine for firefighters, Emergency is still one of the best firefighting games in 2019.

Emergency is a series of rescue simulation video games by German developer Sixteen Tons Entertainment, designed by the creative director and inventor of the series Ralph Stock. In the games, players take control of emergency services, including fire and ambulance services, police, and technical services such as Technisches Hilfswerk. The central element of the series is to head up operations of fictional rescues, crimes, and medical and catastrophe management, commanding a pool of vehicles and personnel.

Emergency ist eine Computerspiel-Reihe von Rettungssimulationen des deutschen Spieleentwicklers Sixteen Tons Entertainment. Der Spieler übernimmt die Rolle eines Einsatzleiters und muss mit Hilfe der ihm zur Verfügung stehenden Rettungskräfte verschiedene Katastrophenszenarien bewältigen. Schauplatz der Spielereihe ist in den meisten Missionen die Gegenwart, die Grafik entsprechend realistisch gehalten. Während anfangs die Einsatzorte zwar von realen Orten grob inspiriert, aber nicht konkret benannt sind, spielt beispielsweise "Emergency 5" in deutschen Großstädten wie Köln, Hamburg, München oder Berlin. Entsprechend sind auch die Einsatzkräfte und deren Fahrzeuge gestaltet. Zur Einleitung der jeweiligen Kampagne finden Missionen aber auch einmal in der Vergangenheit statt, beispielsweise im Mittelalter, wo der Spieler mit Hexenverfolgungen oder der Pest konfrontiert wird. Typisch für die Emergency-Serie ist zudem, dass die Missionen vom aktuellen Zeitgeschehen inspiriert sind – seien es natürliche Katastrophen, Terrorismus oder Populismus. Aktuelle Themen werden dabei in eine Rahmenhandlung eingebunden.


Context.

Nanni Balestrini is associated with the Italian writers' movement Neoavanguardia. He wrote for the magazine "Il Verri", founded and co-directed the now-defunct "Alfabeta" and was one of the Italian writers published in the anthology "I Novissimi" (1961).  Balestrini was born in Milan. During the 1960s, as the group was growing and becoming the Gruppo 63, Balestrini was the editor of their publications. From 1962 to 1972, he was working for Feltrinelli, cooperating with the publishers and editing some issues of the "Cooperativa Scrittori". In 1968, Balestrini was co-founder of the Potere Operaio political group and in 1976 was an important supporter of the Autonomia Operaia. In 1979, he was accused of membership in a guerilla group and fled to Paris and later Germany.  Balestrini became known by a larger public thanks to his first novel "We Want Everything" ("Vogliamo tutto", 1971). It describes the struggles and conflicts in the car factory of FIAT. In the following years, the social movements of his time continued to be his subject. With the book "The Unseen", he created a literary monument for the "Generation of 1977". It shows the atmosphere of rapid social change during these years, concretising in house occupations, the creation of free radios and more, and also shows the considerable repression by the state of these movements. Other important works by Balestrini include; "I Furiosi", dedicated to the football supporters culture of the AC Milan, and "The Editor", dealing with Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. Especially in his book "The Golden Horde", co-written with Primo Moroni, his proximity to operaismo is obvious. His final novel published while he was still living, "Sandokan" (2004) deals with the Camorra in Casal di Principe.  His experimental "novel" Tristano, was conceived to be read by each reader differently, since each sentence is randomly shuffled. Originally conceived in 1966, it had to await publication till the age of print-on-demand, but critic Tim Martin found one of its 109 trillion versions "drifting, impressionistic and oddly compelling."

Nanni Balestrini (2 July 1935 – 20 May 2019) was an Italian experimental poet, author and visual artist of the Neoavanguardia movement.

Nanni Balestrini (* 2. Juli 1935 in Mailand; † 20. Mai 2019 in Rom) war ein italienischer Schriftsteller und ein radikaler politischer Aktivist des italienischen Operaismus.


Hockey career.

Minor.

Agosta switched from figure skating to hockey at age 6. As a teenager, Agosta participated in AAA boys hockey with the Chatham-Kent Cyclones. With the Cyclones, Agosta was part of Alliance Championship teams. She later competed for the AA Windsor Wildcats of the Ontario Provincial Women's Hockey League. At the 2003 Canada Winter Games, her goal clinched the win for Team Ontario. A teammates was Haley Irwin. She was a gold medallist for Team Ontario Red at the National Under 18 championships in 2005. Agosta is an accomplished inline hockey player. She was a gold medallist for Canada at the 2004 World Inline Hockey Championship.

College.

Agosta distinguished herself as at Mercyhurst College when a freshman in NCAA Division I hockey during the 2006–07 season. She became the first freshman ever to make the final three for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She was also a First Team All-American and a unanimous choice for CHA Player of the Year. She helped lead Mercyhurst to the NCAA quarterfinals and to its inaugural No. 1 national ranking.  During the 2007–08 season, Agosta tied Krissy Wendell's one season record of 7 shorthanded goals. In the 2008–09 season, Agosta would tie Wendell's career mark of 16 shorthanded goals. She led the 2008–09 Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team to the finals of the NCAA women's hockey championship. She was captain of the Lakers that season, as she earned numerous accolades. These included being selected as a 2009 First Team All-American, a Patty Kazmaier Award Final Three, College Hockey America Player of the Year, CHA Three-Star Player of the Year, CHA All-Tournament Team, and the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. For the month of October 2010 (her first month back to the NCAA), Agosta scored 10 goals and had 19 points. On January 21 and 22, Agosta recorded five points on two goals and three assists in a two-game sweep of Robert Morris. On January 21, she scored a goal and dished out two assists in a 6–3 win. The next day, she scored her 26th of the season while the Lakers were short-handed, and added an assist. On February 4, 2011, Meghan Agosta became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's hockey history with three goals and one assist in Mercyhurst College's 6–2 win over Wayne State. Wayne State goalie DeLayne Brian was the goaltender in net when Agosta broke the record. Agosta's four points gave her 286 career points, one more than ex-Harvard forward Julie Chiu's record of 285 set in 2006–07. Agosta, who also owns the record for most short-handed goals and game-winning goals, added three assists in the Lakers' 3–1 win over Wayne State on February 5. On February 25, 2011, Agosta scored her 151st career goal to become all-time leading goal scorer in NCAA history. She accomplished this in a 6–2 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials women's ice hockey program at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. She surpassed Harvard's Nicole Corriero, who set the record at 150 during the 2004–05 season. The goal was scored on the power play at 15:18 of the second period with the assist going to Bailey Bram. She later added her 152nd goal in the third period. Agosta was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd feature in the February 21, 2011 issue (as recognition of becoming the all-time NCAA scorer). In 2011, Agosta was named CHA Player of the Year as well as a First Team All-CHA selection, marking the fourth time in her career she captured both accolades. On March 5, 2011, Agosta scored three goals in the CHA championship game. With the hat trick, she topped 300 points for her NCAA career as the Lakers defeated Syracuse 5–4 and captured its ninth straight College Hockey America title. On March 12, 2011, Agosta scored two goals in her final NCAA game, in what would be a 4–2 loss to the Boston university Terriers in the NCAA regional playoffs.

CWHL.

In the 2011–12 season, Stars forward Agosta won the Angela James Bowl while breaking the league's single-season scoring record. Her 80 points (41 goals and 39 assists) broke the previous record of 69 points held by Jayna Hefford. By winning the 2012 Clarkson Cup, she became an unofficial member of the Triple Gold Club (the accomplishment by women is not yet officially recognized by the IIHF), as she became one of only five women to win the Clarkson Cup, a gold medal in Winter Olympics, and a gold medal at the IIHF World Women's Championships. She joined Caroline Ouellette, Jenny Potter, Kim St-Pierre, and Sarah Vaillancourt.  In the 2012–13 season, Agosta became the first two-winner of the Angela James Bowl.  Agosta went on to score 9 goals and 6 assists and two penalty minutes while helping Canada to a Gold Medal in the Vancouver Olympics. She was named tournament MVP at 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Personal life.

Agosta grew up in an Italian household, in Ruthven, Ontario; a community of the town of Kingsville. She represented Canada at the 2006 World Inline Hockey Championship in Taylor, Michigan. She earned an assist in the gold medal game in a loss to the United States. Her parents' names are Nino and Char. She has three siblings, Kara, Jeric and Jade. Her brother Jeric received a full scholarship to play hockey at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She majored in criminal justice at Mercyhurst. On August 31, 2012, Agosta married Marco Marciano, the Canadian national women's team goaltending and video coach. Marciano is also the goaltending coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. Agosta separated from Marciano in the fall of 2014 and changed her name back to Agosta shortly thereafter.  In fall 2014, Agosta took a break from hockey and joined the Vancouver Police Department as a probationary constable. Agosta graduated from the Vancouver Police Department Police Academy in May 2015. Agosta took a year leave from the Vancouver Police Department to train and play with the Canadian national team.

Career stats.

International play.

"Statistics source".

Meghan Christina Agosta (born February 12, 1987) is a Canadian women's ice hockey forward, who last played for the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Agosta plays for the Canada women's national ice hockey team and is a gold (3) and silver medallist at the Winter Olympics of 2006 Turin, 2010 Vancouver, 2014 Sochi, and 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Agosta was named MVP of the Women's Hockey Tournament. She is a multi-medallist at the Women's World Championships with two gold medals and six silvers. During the 2006–07 season at Mercyhurst College in NCAA Division I hockey, Agosta was the first freshman named as a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She was also named a First Team All-American and unanimously chosen for CHA Player of the Year. Agosta led the 2008–09 Mercyhurst Lakers to the finals of the NCAA women's hockey championship and as captain that season, earned numerous accolades, including being selected as a 2009 First Team All-American, a Patty Kazmaier Award Final Three, College Hockey America Player of the Year, the CHA Three-Star Player of the Year, to the CHA All-Tournament Team, and to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

Meghan Christina Agosta, gsch. "Agosta-Marciano", (* 12. Februar 1987 in Windsor, Ontario) ist eine kanadische Eishockeyspielerin, die seit 2013 ausschließlich für das kanadische Nationalteam aktiv ist. Als jüngste Spielerin des Nationalteams gewann sie bei den Olympischen Winterspielen 2006 die Goldmedaille. Während ihrer Ehe mit Marc Marciano, dem Torhütertrainer des Nationalteams, trug sie zwischen August 2012 und Herbst 2014 einen Doppelnamen.


Orbit and classification.

"Ilsewa" is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements. It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.7–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,050 days; semi-major axis of 3.16 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic. "Ilsewa" was first observed as () at the Crimean Simeiz Observatory on 27 May 1916. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg in September 1922, three months after its official discovery observation.

Naming.

This minor planet was named after, an acquaintance of the discoverer. The naming was mentioned in "The Names of the Minor Planets" by Paul Herget in 1955 ().

Physical characteristics.

In both the Tholen- and SMASS-like taxonomy of the Small Solar System Objects Spectroscopic Survey (S3OS2), "Ilsewa" is a uncommon T-type asteroid, part of the overall larger C-complex of carbonaceous asteroids.

Rotation period and poles.

In August 2012, a rotational lightcurve of "Ilsewa" was obtained from photometric observations by Robert Stephens at the Santana Observatory. Additional observations were taken at the Center for Solar System Studies. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of hours with a brightness variation of magnitude (). Andrea Ferrero at Bigmuskie Observatory determined a concurring period of hours and an amplitude of magnitude.  A modeled lightcurve using photometric data from the Lowell Photometric Database was published in 2016. It gave a sidereal period of 42.8982 hours, as well as a spin axis at (352.0°, −66.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).

Diameter and albedo.

According to the survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, "Ilsewa" measures between 35.7 and 38.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.14 and 0.17. The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" derives an albedo of 0.1707 and calculates a diameter of 36.93 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 9.7.

979 Ilsewa ("prov. designation": "or" ) is a background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory on 29 June 1922. The uncommon T-type asteroid has a longer-than average rotation period of 42.6 hours. It was named after, an acquaintance of the discoverer.

(979) Ilsewa ist ein Asteroid des Hauptgürtels, der am 29. Juni 1922 vom deutschen Astronomen Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth in Heidelberg entdeckt wurde.