title: Murciélago Velázquez

abstract: Jesús Velázquez Quintero, better known under the ring names El Murciélago Enmascarado and Murciélago Velázquez, was a Mexican luchador. Velázquez was the fourth wrestler in Mexico to wear a wrestling mask and the second Mexican to work as an enmascarado in the history of lucha libre. He became the first wrestler in Mexico to be forced to unmask, losing a Lucha de Apuestas to Octavio Gaona, creating the most prestigious match type in lucha libre. He once held the Mexican National Middleweight Championship and after his retirement was the head of the Mexico City boxing and wrestling commission for a while. Near the end of his in-ring career, Velázquez began acting in various Mexican films, including several luchador films, working both with El Santo and Blue Demon. He also became involved in the creative aspects of movie making, writing several screenplays and stories over the years. The last movie he wrote the story for, La mujer del diablo, opened two years after his death.

text:
# Murciélago Velázquez

**Jesús Velázquez Quintero** (February 22, 1910 – May 26, 1972), better known under the ring names **El Murciélago Enmascarado** and **Murciélago Velázquez**, was a Mexican *luchador* (or professional wrestler). Velázquez was the fourth wrestler in Mexico to wear a wrestling mask and the second Mexican to work as an *enmascarado* ("masked wrestler") in the history of *lucha libre*. He became the first wrestler in Mexico to be forced to unmask, losing a *Lucha de Apuestas* (or "Bet match") to Octavio Gaona, creating the most prestigious match type in *lucha libre*. He once held the Mexican National Middleweight Championship and after his retirement was the head of the Mexico City boxing and wrestling commission for a while.

Near the end of his in-ring career, Velázquez began acting in various Mexican films, including several *luchador* films, working both with El Santo and Blue Demon. He also became involved in the creative aspects of movie making, writing several screenplays and stories over the years. The last movie he wrote the story for, *La mujer del diablo*, opened two years after his death.

## Professional wrestling career

Jesús Velázquez made his professional wrestling debut on April 3, 1938 in the original Arena México, working for *Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre* (EMLL). He started out his career wrestling as the *enmascarado* (Masked) character "El Murciélago Enmascarado". Velázquez was the fourth wrestler in Mexico to wrestle in a mask, and the second Mexican wrestler to do so, second only to "El Enmascarado" (The Masked Wrestler). Velázquez was one of the first native Mexicans to really play up the show aspects of *lucha libre*, wearing a black leather vest with a hood as he would stalk towards the ring and wrestle in black trunks and mask. His entrance theatrics would at times include him hiding a couple of live bats under his vest, releasing them in the arena during his in-ring introduction, letting them fly free among the audience. His rough, brutal in-ring wrestling style added to the aura of El Murciélago Enmascarado, quickly pushing him up the rankings as he was wrestler that drew fans by the fact that they wanted to see him lose. Within a few months of his debut he was wrestling against some of the top names in EMLL such as Bobby Bonales and Dientes Hernández. One of the defining moments of Velázquez' early career was his storyline feud with Merced Gómez that began only a few weeks after his debut. During a match against Gómez a kick from Velázquez hit Gómez in the face, knocking him down. Moments later the crowd was shocked to discover that Gómez' eye was missing, supposedly from the brutal kick from Velázquez. Gómez had actually lost the eye due to boxing several years prior and had a glass eye that he popped out after the kick to give the impression that Velázquez caused him to lose an eye. Some *lucha* magazines tried to claim that it was Gómez "good eye" that had been injured in the match, trying to keep the illusion that it was a legitimate injury, but the fact that Gómez would continue to wrestle for years underscored the fact that this was indeed a storyline. The storyline had its desired effect, portraying El Murciélago Enmascarado as a heartless villain or *rudo*. In 1939, Velázquez participated in a tournament for the vacant Mexican National Middleweight Championship where he defeated the likes of Jack O'Brien and Ciclón Veloz but lost to eventual tournament winner Dientes Hernández. During the early parts of his career Velázquez also worked as a policeman, both to make money but also to gain access to the *Casino de la Policia* training facilities to further his physical abilities in the ring.

In 1940, EMLL began a storyline between El Murciélago Enmascarado and Octavio Gaona that would lead to one of the pivotal moments of the early years of *lucha libre*. In the United States masked wrestlers were common place and there had been matches where a masked wrestler was forced to unmask as far back as 1926 where Jim Londos defeated the Masked Marvel and he was forced to reveal himself to be Ray Steele. The storyline between played out in a way that the brutal *rudo* Murciélago drew the normally more technical Gaona into a series of brawls, matches that often ended inconclusively. After a particularly violent match Gaona challenged Murciélago to put his mask on the line in a match. With El Murciélago being lighter than Gaona he demanded that Gaona put his hair on the line as well. With the challenge, the *Lucha de Apuestas* (or "Bet match") was created. In the build up to the high profile match El Murciélago Enmascarado faced and defeated a number of other wrestlers in *Luchas de Apuestas* matches leaving Merced Gómez, Bobby Bonales, Dientes Hernández and Ciclón Veloz bald as a result as they built to the match with Gaona. On July 14, 1940, Gaona defeated El Murciélago Enmascarado, forcing him to unmask after the match and reveal his birth name, something that became a *lucha libre* tradition. Since then *Apuesta* matches have become the highest profile match in Mexico; winning the mask of an opponent is considered a higher achievement than winning a championship match. After being unmasked he modified his ring name to Murciélago Velázquez and continued to be a hated *rudo* wrestler as his natural charisma was even more obvious without the mask.

In 1942, Velázquez would gain a measure of revenge on Octavio Gaona when he defeated Gaona in the finals of a tournament for the vacant Mexican National Middleweight Championship. In the late 1930s, a young wrestler, Rodolfo Guzmán, began working as El Murciélago II in and around Mexico City, but Velázquez complained to the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission that the name was too close to his own ring name and that Velázquez had not given permission for the use. The Commission ruled that Velázquez had the rights to the name, forcing Guzmán to choose a different name. Guzmán adopted a new ring character, El Santo, and in subsequent years became one of the most popular wrestlers in Mexico. EMLL paired the two up for a long running feud that saw the masked El Santo defeat Velázquez in a *Luchas de Apuestas* match in January 1943, leaving Velázquez bald as a result. Two months later, on March 19, 1943, El Santo won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship from Velázquez as well. By the end of the year, other Mexican wrestlers, such as El Santo rose to the top, relegating Murciélago Velázquez to the lower ranks, working shows all over Mexico but not making as many headlines as his heyday from 1937 through 1942. In 1955, he experienced a career resurgence, teaming with Samar Saleem, forming a tag team that quickly gained a reputation for disregarding the rules and engaging in out of control brawls with their opponents. The team received a push from the promoters as they were given victories over Cavernario Galindo and El Verdungo, another team known for their wild wrestling style, as well as "Tough" Tony Borne and Tony Barbetta, El Santo and Pancho Valentino, *Los Hermano Shadow* ("The Shadow Brothers"; Black Shadow and Blue Panther) and the team of Tarzán López and Enrique Llanes. One particular match, against López and Henry Pilusso, got so out of hand and bloody that the Mexico City wrestling and boxing commissioner Manuel Muñoz decided to ban both Velázquez and Saleem from wrestling in Mexico City for life. The ban ended the team of Velázquez and Saleem as Velázquez left professional wrestling a short time later to become an actor.

While he retired from in-ring competition in 1955, he never truly left *lucha libre*. Over the years, he trained wrestlers such as Dick Angelo, Fili Espinoza and Humberto Garza. He also worked in several *luchador* films in his acting career. In the early 1960s he was the Distrito Federal boxing and wrestling commissioner, going from being a hated rule breaker to the highest authority.

## Movie career

In 1957, Velázquez had a small, uncredited role in a Mexican movie called *Ladron de Cadaveres* ("The Body Snatcher"). He made his first credited on screen appearance in *La momia Azteca*, where he played a villain known as *El Murciélago* and being billed as "Murciélago" Velázquez, taking his ring name onto the silver screen. Over the next 10 years, Velázquez had roles in a number of different films, including *luchador* films starring El Santo and Blue Demon. During this time period, he also began writing screenplays and stories, the first being *Triunfa la pandilla* ("The triumphant gang") that premiered in 1963. Among his other credits were *El mundo de los vampiros* ("The world of Vampires"), *Tlayucan* and *Santo contra los jinetes del terror* ("Santo vs. the Riders of Terror"). The final movie he wrote the story for, *La mujer del diablo* ("The Devil Woman"), opened in 1974, a year after Velázquez' death.

## Personal life

While Velázquez' in-ring character was brutal and bloodthirsty, the man behind the character was the complete opposite, something not revealed publicly until years after his death. His wrestling peers described him as very friendly and well-read. Velázquez stayed active, writing movie scripts and various stories until his death on May 27, 1972. The autopsy revealed that Velázquez died from cirrhosis of the liver which led to a heart attack.

## Championships and accomplishments

## *Luchas de Apuestas* record

| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| El Murciélago Enmascarado (mask) | Merced Gómez (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL show | June 23, 1940 |  |
| El Murciélago Enmascarado (mask) | Bobby Bonales (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL show | June 30, 1940 |  |
| El Murciélago Enmascarado (mask) | Dientes Hernández (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL show | July 4, 1940 |  |
| El Murciélago Enmascarado (mask) | Ciclón Veloz (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL show | July 11, 1940 |  |
| Octavio Gaona (hair) | El Murciélago Enmascarado (mask) | Mexico City | EMLL show | July 18, 1940 |  |
| El Santo (mask) | Murciélago Velázquez (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL show | January 1943 |  |

## Filmography

**Actor**

| Year | Original title | English title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1957 | *Ladron de Cadaveres* | The Body Snatcher | Uncredited |  |  |
| 1957 | *La momia azteca* | The Aztec Mummy | El Murciélago | Credited as Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1957 | *La maldición de la momia azteca* | The Curse of the Aztec Mummy | El Murciélago | credited as Murcielago Velázquez |  |
| 1957 | *Furias desatadas* | Fury Unleased |  | Credited as Jesús Velázquez |  |
| 1958 | *La momia azteca contra el robot humano* | The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy | El Murciélago | Credited as Murcielago Velázquez |  |
| 1959 | *El hombre del alazán* | The sorrel man |  |  |  |
| 1960 | *Los Tigres del Ring* | Tigers of the Ring |  | Credited as Jesús Velázquez |  |
| 1960 | *Ladrón que roba a ladrón* | To rob a thief | Uncredited |  |  |
| 1960 | *El torneo de la muerte* | The tournament of death |  | Credited as Jesús Velázquez |  |
| 1961 | *Guantes de oro* | Golden Gloves |  | Credited as Jesús 'Murcielago' Velázquez |  |
| 1962 | *Camino de la horca* | Road to the gallows | Uncredited |  |  |
| 1963 | *El señor Tormenta* | Mr. Storm |  | Credited as Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1963 | *Las luchadoras contra el médico asesino* | Doctor of Doom | Marcado | Credited as 'Murcielago' Velazquez |  |
| 1964 | *Las Luchadoras contract la momia* | Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy | Mao | Credited as Murcielago Velasquez |  |
| 1966 | *Duelo de pistoleros* | Duel of the gunmen | Toribio |  |  |
| 1967 | *La isla de los dinosaurios* | The island of the dinosaurs | Caveman |  |  |
| 1968 | *La Sombra del murcielago* | The Shadow of the Bat | Entrenador del murcielago | Credited as Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1968 | *Blue Demon contra cerebros infernales* | Blue Demon vs the internal brains |  | Credited as Jesus Velazquez 'El Murcielago' |  |

**Writer**

| Year | Original title | English title | Wrote | Notes | Refs. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1959 | *Triunfa la pandilla* | The triumphant gang | Screenplay |  |  |
| 1959 | *La pandilla se divierte* | The gang has fun | Screenplay |  |  |
| 1959 | *La pandilla en acción* | The gang in action | Screenplay |  |  |
| 1959 | *Aventuras de la pandilla* | Adventures of the gang | Screenplay |  |  |
| 1960 | *Venganza fatal* | Fatal Vengeance | Story | Credited as Jesus Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1961 | *El duende y yo* | The Goblin and I | Story |  |  |
| 1961 | *El mundo de los vampiros* | The world of vampires | Story |  |  |
| 1962 | *Tlayucan* | Tlayucan | Story |  |  |
| 1963 | *El señor Tormenta* | Mr. Storm | Story | Credited as Jesús Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1963 | *Tesoro de mentiras* | Tresury lies | Story |  |  |
| 1964 | *Yo, el valiente* | I, the brave | Adaptation |  |  |
| 1965 | *Los Tales por cuales* | The tales by which | Story | Credited as Jesus Velazquez |  |
| 1965 | *El pozo* | The Well | Story |  |  |
| 1965 | *Las lobas del ring* | The wolves of the ring | Scenario / Adaptation |  |  |
| 1965 | *Audaz y bravero* | Bold and brave | Adaptation |  |  |
| 1966 | *Esta noche no* | Not tonight | Adaptation |  |  |
| 1967 | *Mi caballo prieto rebelde* | My black horse rebel | Story / Adaptation | Credited as Jesus Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1967 | *Los hombres de Lupe Alvírez* | The men of Lupe Alvirez |  | Credited as Jesus Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1967 | *El centauro Pancho Villa* | Pancho Villa the Centaur | Story /Screenplay | Credited as Jesús Murcielago Velázquez |  |
| 1968 | *La Sombra del murcielago* | The Shadow of the Bat | Screenplay | Credited as Jesus Murcielago Velazquez |  |
| 1969 | *El Yaqui* | The Yaqui | Writer |  |  |
| 1969 | *La maestra inolvidable* | The Unforgettable master | Writer |  |  |
| 1970 | *Santo contra los jinetes del terror* | Santo vs. the Riders of Terror | Screenplay / Story | Credited as Jesus Velazquez Quintero |  |
| 1974 | *La mujer del diablo* | Devil Woman | Story |  |  |

## Footnotes

1. "Enciclopedia de las Máscaras". *Murciélago Velázquez* (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. October 2007. p. 37. Tomo III.
2. "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". *Murciélago Velázquez* (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 41. 17.
3. Madigan, Dan (2007). "El Murciélago". *Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling*. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
4. "Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales". *Lucha 2000* (in Spanish). December 20, 2004. Especial 21.
5. Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". *Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling*. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 29–40. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
6. Lourdes Grobet; Alfonso Morales; Gustavo Fuentes & Jose Manuel Aurrecoechea (2005). *Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling*. Trilce. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-933045-05-4.
7. Madigan, Dan (2007). "The Mask in the match". *Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling*. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Middleweight Championship". *Wrestling Title Histories*. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
9. Madigan, Dan (2007). "El Santo". *Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre& honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling*. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 71–78. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
10. "VELÁZQUEZ Quintero, Jesús "Murciélago"" (in Spanish). Cine Mexicano. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
11. L.L. Staff (2008). "Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". *Santo (1917–1984)* (in Spanish). Mexico. p. 54. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
12. Pitts, Michael R. (2010). "Ladron de Cadaveres (The Body Snatcher)". *Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1928–1982*. McFarlane. pp. 132–133. ISBN 9780786457663.
13. Rovin, Jeff (1989). *The Encyclopiedia of Monsters*. New York, New York: Facts on File Inc. p. 15.
14. Pitts, Michael R. (2010). "La Sombra del Murcielago (The Shadow of the Bat)". *Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1928–1982*. McFarlane. p. 223. ISBN 9780786457663.
15. Various (2005). "El Demonio Azul / Blue Demon". *Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling*. Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. pp. 162–186. ISBN 968-6842-48-9.
16. Various (2005). "the villain of the small screen". *Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling*. Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. pp. 150–183. ISBN 968-6842-48-9.
17. "the Films of El Santo". D. Wilt. Retrieved February 24, 2009.

## InfoBox

| Murciélago Velázquez | |
| --- | --- |
| Velázquez wearing the Mexican National Middleweight Championship | |
| Birth name | Jesús Velázquez Quintero |
| Born | (1910-02-22)February 22, 1910
Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico |
| Died | May 26, 1972(1972-05-26) (aged 62)
Mexico City, Mexico |
| Cause of death | Cirrhosis |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | El Murciélago Enmascarado
Murciélago Velázquez |
| Billed height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Billed weight | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| Trained by | *Casino de la Policía* |
| Debut | April 18, 1938 |
| Retired | 1956 |


title: Matthew McGurk

abstract: Matthew McGurk is an American talent manager, music producer, and artist. He is known for the initial discovery of artists such as Asher Roth, Jay Watts, Maria K and Keshia “KING” Peterson.

text:
# Matthew McGurk

**Matthew McGurk** (born June 6, 1980) is an American talent manager, music producer, and artist. He is known for the initial discovery of artists such as Asher Roth (Def Jam Records), Jay Watts (Republic Records), Maria K (Stereotypes/Sony Music) and Keshia “KING” Peterson (Polow Da Don/Zone 4).

## Early life and education

McGurk was born and raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia. He attended Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, received his undergraduate from Kutztown University, and his master's degree from St. Joseph's University. His first real love for music began in 1986, when at the age of six he took his sisters Beastie BoysLicensed to Ill” tape and listened to it repeatedly. He emulated their style and started to rap as a hobby, which later became his passion and launched his career in music.

## Career

After graduating college in 2002, McGurk moved from Philadelphia to New Orleans accepting a job offer as a talent scout for Trans Continental Records, a Lou Pearlman company. After about a year of working in New Orleans, he realized his special talents for discovering and developing artists and moved back to Philadelphia. In 2003, he discovered and managed, hip-hop artist Asher Roth, who would later go on to sell over 2 million records of his hit single, “I love college”. Asher Roth released 2 albums while under McGurk. His first E.P. called “Just Listen”, and a mix tape called “Believe The Hype”. With the success of Asher Roth, McGurk became only the third person in music history to have discovered a solo white rapper who sold a million or more records of their debut hit single, succeeding Dr. Dre and Eminem. McGurk and Roth later decided to go their separate ways and end their business relationship. Asher Roth went on to sign with talent manager Scooter Braun, who also manages Justin Bieber.

McGurk then went on to discover and produce a pop girl group. After two years of recording and development, he decided to dismantle the group in support of their individual pursuits for solo careers. This led to major record deals for 2 out of the 3 girls. Around this time, McGurk worked with and was mentored by producer Vidal Davis.

In 2009, McGurk decided to take a break from music and became a United States Army Officer. He earned the rank of 1LT and served as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the 172nd Infantry Brigade. During this time he led a platoon mostly compiled of Army Rangers and was the officer in charge of the Battalion and Company Intelligence Support teams. After being injured in the line of duty, he was retired from active duty in 2013. McGurk was awarded the Army Meritorious Service Medal and 3 Army Commendation Medals for his service.

After his retirement from the Army, McGurk moved to Los Angeles. In 2014, his team consisting of Markus Schulz and Daniel Kier, co-wrote seven records with Meghan Trainor.

## InfoBox

| Matthew McGurk | |
| --- | --- |
| Birth name | Matthew McGurk |
| Born | (1980-06-06) June 6, 1980 |
| Origin | Philadelphia, PA |
| Genres | Pop
Hip Hop
R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Talent Manager
Producer
Artist |
| Years active | 2002 – Present |
| Labels | PrimeTime Productions |


title: Maurice E. Dockrell

abstract: Maurice Edward Dockrell was an Irish Fine Gael politician who was elected to Dáil Éireann at ten successive general elections, serving as a Teachta Dála (TD) for thirty-four years. He has been described as "a Protestant with a Unionist pedigree". The second son of Henry Morgan Dockrell, he was born on 6 October 1908 at 1 Herbert Park, Dublin. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Dublin; and Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1930. In the same year became a director of Thomas Dockrell, Sons & Co. On his father's death in 1955 he assumed the position of chairman and managing director. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD for the Dublin South constituency at the 1943 general election, and re-elected at the 1944 general election. After constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1947, Dockrell was returned at the 1948 general election for the Dublin South-Central constituency, which re-elected him on five further elections. He was then elected twice as a TD for Dublin Central, at the 1969 and 1973 general elections. He stood for Dublin South-Central at the 1977 general election but lost his seat in the Fianna Fáil landslide of that year. From 1960 to 1961, he was the Lord Mayor of Dublin. During his term of office he raised the hackles of some Protestants when, in a gesture of ecumenism, he kissed the ring of the papal legate to the Patrician celebrations in June 1961. Always keen to build bridges between Ireland and Britain, he paid an official visit to London in June 1961, when he laid a wreath at The Cenotaph, a gesture later described in his Times obituary as 'an act of piety that involved some political risk'. His father, Henry Morgan Dockrell, and his brother, H. Percy Dockrell were also Fine Gael TDs. His grandfather, Sir Maurice Dockrell, had been a Unionist MP before independence. His son Henry Morgan Dockrell was elected to Dublin City Council in 1967. His grandson Maurice Dockrell was co-opted onto Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council in 2020, making him the fifth generation of the family to serve either at national or local level. During a 1975 debate on reform of the country's conservative laws against contraceptives, he is alleged to have said "I'm for it, but I'm past it".

text:
# Maurice E. Dockrell

**Maurice Edward Dockrell** (6 October 1908 – 9 December 1986) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who was elected to Dáil Éireann at ten successive general elections, serving as a Teachta Dála (TD) for thirty-four years. He has been described as "a Protestant with a Unionist pedigree".

The second son of Henry Morgan Dockrell, he was born on 6 October 1908 at 1 Herbert Park, Dublin. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Dublin; and Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1930. In the same year became a director of Thomas Dockrell, Sons & Co. On his father's death in 1955 he assumed the position of chairman and managing director.

He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD for the Dublin South constituency at the 1943 general election, and re-elected at the 1944 general election.

After constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1947, Dockrell was returned at the 1948 general election for the Dublin South-Central constituency, which re-elected him on five further elections. He was then elected twice as a TD for Dublin Central, at the 1969 and 1973 general elections. He stood for Dublin South-Central at the 1977 general election but lost his seat in the Fianna Fáil landslide of that year.

From 1960 to 1961, he was the Lord Mayor of Dublin. During his term of office he raised the hackles of some Protestants when, in a gesture of ecumenism, he kissed the ring of the papal legate to the Patrician celebrations in June 1961. Always keen to build bridges between Ireland and Britain, he paid an official visit to London in June 1961, when he laid a wreath at The Cenotaph, a gesture later described in his Times obituary as 'an act of piety that involved some political risk'.

His father, Henry Morgan Dockrell, and his brother, H. Percy Dockrell were also Fine Gael TDs. His grandfather, Sir Maurice Dockrell, had been a Unionist MP before independence.

His son Henry Morgan Dockrell was elected to Dublin City Council in 1967. His grandson Maurice Dockrell was co-opted onto Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council in 2020, making him the fifth generation of the family to serve either at national or local level.

During a 1975 debate on reform of the country's conservative laws against contraceptives, he is alleged to have said "I'm for it, but I'm past it".

## InfoBox

| Maurice E. Dockrell | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Teachta Dála | |
| **In office**
June 1969  June 1977 | |
| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| **In office**
February 1948  June 1969 | |
| Constituency | Dublin South-Central |
| **In office**
June 1943  February 1948 | |
| Constituency | Dublin South |
| Lord Mayor of Dublin | |
| **In office**
1960–1961 | |
| Preceded by | Philip Brady |
| Succeeded by | Robert Briscoe |
|  | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1908-10-06)6 October 1908
Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 9 December 1986(1986-12-09) (aged 78)
Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | Isobel Myrick Pound (m. 1938) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |  |
| Relatives |  |
| Education | St Andrew's College, Dublin |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
|  | |


title: Olivella drangai

abstract: Olivella drangai is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

text:
# Olivella drangai

***Olivella drangai*** is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

## Description

**Original description:** "Shell small (length about 10 mm.), relatively thin, white or yellowish-brown, subtranslucent except for the fasciole which is opaque white, Spire elevated, evenly tapering and composed of about 6½ whorls, the nuclear one quite small. Sutures are narrowly grooved with the anterior margin slightly overhanging, the sutural junction underneath generally showing through the thin texture of the shell as a faint line. Parietal acllus well developed, heaviest near the end of the aperture, extending more thinly above to the suture. Pillar structure consists of several small lirations extending upward along the inner lip about hall way, internally the pillar is deeply excavated by corrosion. Length 10 mm., diameter 3.9 mm."

## Distribution

**Locus typicus:** "Galapagos, San Cristobal Island, Bahia Wreck."

## InfoBox

| *Olivella drangai* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Olividae |
| Genus: | *Olivella* |
| Species: | ***O. drangai*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Olivella drangai***<br>Olsson, 1956 | |
|


title: Paisley Canal line

abstract: The Paisley Canal line is a branch railway line in Scotland running between Glasgow and Paisley. The line currently terminates at Paisley Canal railway station, although it previously continued through Paisley West station, near Ferguslie, to Elderslie junction where it met and crossed under the main Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond. After Elderslie, the line terminated at North Johnstone, however another junction allowed services from the Paisley Canal line to continue onto the Bridge of Weir Railway and Greenock and Ayrshire Railway to the latter's terminus at Greenock Princes Pier. The line has its origins in the ambitions of Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton, who had headed and championed both the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal and the Ardrossan Railway. While these had been aimed to developing a route between Ardrossan and Glasgow, these routes were only part-built due to a lack of available finance for the work. During the mid-1800s, the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) acquired both the canal and the railway. While the canal was operated as such for a time, during 1881, G&SWR set about the conversion of the canal to a railway line to relieve the Glasgow and Paisley joint line. During March 1885, the first trains commenced use of the new line. During the 1960s, services on the line were dramatically curtailed as a result of the Beeching cuts; during these years, various stations were closed to both passenger and freight services and often demolished. On 10 January 1983, the line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely to scheduled passenger services; but the section between Hawkhead and Shields Junction remained open to serve an oil depot. A late 1980s Strathclyde Passenger Transport initiative resulted in the resumption of passenger services between Glasgow Central and a new Paisley Canal station, along with five intermediate stations, on 27 July 1990. In the years since its re-launch, additional stations have been built and opened on the route. During 2012, the entirety of the line was electrified, being furnished with a 25 kV AC overhead line for electric traction. On some occasions through 2018-19 Class 320 and class 318 units were used.

text:
# Paisley Canal line

The **Paisley Canal line** is a branch railway line in Scotland running between Glasgow and Paisley. The line currently terminates at Paisley Canal railway station, although it previously continued through Paisley West station, near Ferguslie, to Elderslie junction where it met and crossed under the main Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond. After Elderslie, the line terminated at North Johnstone, however another junction allowed services from the Paisley Canal line (also part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company) to continue onto the Bridge of Weir Railway and Greenock and Ayrshire Railway to the latter's terminus at Greenock Princes Pier.

The line has its origins in the ambitions of Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton, who had headed and championed both the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal and the Ardrossan Railway. While these had been aimed to developing a route between Ardrossan and Glasgow, these routes were only part-built due to a lack of available finance for the work. During the mid-1800s, the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) acquired both the canal and the railway. While the canal was operated as such for a time, during 1881, G&SWR set about the conversion of the canal to a railway line to relieve the Glasgow and Paisley joint line. During March 1885, the first trains commenced use of the new line.

During the 1960s, services on the line were dramatically curtailed as a result of the Beeching cuts; during these years, various stations were closed to both passenger and freight services and often demolished. On 10 January 1983, the line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely to scheduled passenger services; but the section between Hawkhead and Shields Junction remained open to serve an oil depot. A late 1980s Strathclyde Passenger Transport initiative resulted in the resumption of passenger services between Glasgow Central and a new Paisley Canal station, along with five intermediate stations, on 27 July 1990. In the years since its re-launch, additional stations have been built and opened on the route. During 2012, the entirety of the line was electrified, being furnished with a 25 kV AC overhead line for electric traction. On some occasions through 2018-19 Class 320 and class 318 units were used.

## History

### The Ardrossan Canal

During the early years of the nineteenth century, Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton developed Ardrossan Harbour at a cost of more than £100,000: he intended for it to serve as a sea port to serve the nearby city of Glasgow, as the River Clyde was not navigable for large vessels at the time. In 1806, he obtained Parliamentary authority to construct the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal. Montgomerie held hopes that other businessmen and investors would quickly subscribe to his scheme; however, only £44,342 would prove to be forthcoming. While work did commence on the canal at the Glasgow end; it had only reached Johnstone by the time by which all of the raised money for the endeavour had been spent; in addition, the company had also borrowed considerable sums, when combined, debts of £71,209 had been accumulated. As part of financial reconstruction efforts, the canal's name was changed to the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal.

Later on, Montgomerie's attention turned to building a railway at the Ardrossan end of the canal's intended route; these aspirations became the Ardrossan Railway. This too was built with the aim of connecting Ardrossan to Glasgow and, just as its predecessor had, it ran out of money during construction, having only reached Kilwinning and Eglinton's collieries in the vicinity. On 5 July 1865, the G&SWR was authorised by an Act of Parliament to acquire the canal, which it did so at a cost of £91,000; however, it had long since possessed a controlling stake in the canal company, having purchased its debt in connection with G&SWR's earlier acquisition of the Ardrossan Railway, with which the canal's financial affairs had been long intertwined.

Early on, the G&SWR undertook to keep the canal operational and open to traffic, as well as to pay £3,471 annually to the canal company's proprietors. At the time therefore, there had been no declared intention to use the physical infrastructure of the canal for railway-related purposes; however, at a shareholders' meeting held during 1879, the Chairman referred to a newspaper article which had made claims that the G&SWR held intentions to convert the canal into a railway line. At that time, there was extreme sensitivity among shareholders over what some saw as the directors' whimsical and expensive schemes, leading to the Chairman speaking out to deny the claim, stating: "That had not entered into the minds of any of the directors, nor was it thought of in the most remote manner, till they saw it in the newspaper." In the Chairman's own words, the suggestion of such a conversion: "was perfect nonsense".

### Congestion on the joint line

By this time, the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) possessed an operational main line between Ayr and Carlisle; but the first section of the Ayr line was over the Glasgow and Paisley joint line. Under this structure, it was operated by a Joint Committee, which was answerable to both the G&SWR and its rival, the Caledonian Railway. This lack of sovereignty was a difficult enough prospect for the highly competitive railway politics of the era; but, as traffic developed, congestion on the busy line became a serious and obstructing issue which fuelled conflict. At that time, goods traffic was heavy and slow, thus both line capacity and service reliability were becoming heavily compromised by the high levels of traffic using the existing line.

During the 1881 Parliamentary session, a Bill was lodged by the G&SWR for the draining of the canal and conversion work to build a railway on its route: exactly the scheme to which the former Chairman had described as *perfect nonsense* only two years beforehand. On this occasion, there was no serious opposition to the proposal raised, thus an Act of Parliament authorising this work was passed. However, this outcome had meant that the G&SWR had found itself in the position of having to raise money for the building of the new line, as well as for existing projects such as the quadrupling of the joint line and the extension of Gilmour Street station at Paisley simultaneously.

During 1881, the same year as the canal's conversion work been authorised by Parliament, it was permanently closed to traffic and drained in preparation for building the railway on top of its former route. The canal had been built as a *contour line*, following exactly a particular altitude; in this manner, it had avoided the use of locks at the expense of having to adopt a circuitous route between its destinations. During the reconstruction works, many of the loops and sharper turns which had been taken by the course of the canal were eased, often via the use of earthworks, as the higher-speed railway was less tolerant of sharp curves but more able to accommodate the presence of mild gradients.

### Opening

During March 1885, the first goods trains started running on the new line; on 1 July 1885, it was also opened to passenger trains. In addition to serving local trains, a number of long distance expresses made use of the route; reportedly, the best time achieved from St Enoch to Paisley Canal was 17 minutes, compared with 16 minutes to Gilmour Street on the joint line.

During the following year, on 5 February 1886, the Potterhill branch of the Canal line opened; this was built to account for the expanding industrial importance of Paisley. Soon, a total of eight westbound and seven eastbound stopping trains were running each day on the Canal line; of these, five were extended to run onto or from Potterhill, while the remainder ran through to Johnstone. A triangular junction was built to provide access to the Potterhill line. The Potterhill branch would later form the base of the Barrhead Branch.

During 1894–1895, construction work on the Canal line was focused upon the building of extensive carriage sidings at Bellahouston, as well as an engine shed at nearby Corkerhill. The availability of affordable land at these locations had rendered such schemes much more economical, but came at the expense of additional empty mileage.

## Topography

The line left the City of Glasgow Union Railway (CGUR) at Shields Junction (at the point where the CGUR joined the joint line) and followed a course south of that route, running through the southern part of Paisley Burgh and rejoining the G&SWR line to Ayr at Elderslie. As the CGUR was controlled by the G&SWR, G&SWR passenger trains from St Enoch, and goods trains from College, could reach Ayr without the necessity of entering on any part of the joint line. Despite the easing of the worst curvature, the new Canal Line was unsuited to fast running due to the alignment. A loop in the canal was used to hold cooling water for the cotton thread mills at Ferguslie.

At Elderslie Junction it ran alongside the Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone and beyond, before crossing it via a dive-under crossing. The line terminated at a station at North Johnstone, however another junction near Elderslie provided access onto the Bridge of Weir Railway. This is not the G&SWR Johnstone North railway station on the Dalry and North Johnstone Line, but an earlier station of the same name at a slightly different location.

### Locations

The main line was opened March 1885 to goods traffic, and on 1 July 1885 to passenger services. It was closed on 10 January 1983; and reopened from Shields Jn to Paisley Canal (new station) on 28 July 1990.

* *Shields Junction; with St Enoch line*;
* Bellahouston; closed except to workmen's trains 1 January 1917; reopened 1919; closed 20 September 1954. *Notes: Dumbreck station opened close to the same site on 28 July 1990; there had earlier been a Bellahouston station on the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Line.*
* Bellahouston Park Halt; opened by LMS 1938; closed 1 January 1939;
* Corkerhill; opened 1 December 1896;
* Mosspark; opened 1934;
* Crookston; closed January 1917; reopened 1919;
* Hawkhead; opened 1 May 1894; closed January 1917; reopened 1919;
* Paisley Canal;
* Paisley West; opened 1 June 1897; closed 14 February 1966;
* *Corsebar Junction; for Potterhill branch;*
* *Potterhill Junction; for Potterhill branch;*
* *Elderslie Canal Junction; with Gilmour Street to Johnstone line*.

Potterhill branch. Opened 5 February 1886. Closed

Note: Entries in italic were not passenger stations.

### Blackhall Bridge

The line crosses the White Water of Cart at Blackhall Bridge. This was originally an aqueduct, the River Cart Aqueduct, which had been built for the Ardrossan Canal between 1808 and 1810, under the direction of the famed civil engineer Thomas Telford. The contractor for the aqueduct's construction was John Simpson and the cost of construction was £5,440. It is a freestone masonry segmental arch of 88 ft 6in (27 m) span and a height over the water of about 30 feet (9 m). The bridge is probably the longest span masonry aqueduct of the canal age on a British canal, and one of the world's earliest bridges to carry a public railway. It had to be widened in order to carry the double track railway, the line also crosses the bridge at a slight skew because of the easing of the sharp canal curvature.

### Operational difficulties

Author David L. Smith recounts an anecdote illustrating the difficulty of working fast trains over the Canal Line:

> In later years, as a driver, Coutts got no. 80, a Manson 4-4-0, and he had her a long while. One night he was on the 5.10 with her, 50 minutes non-stop for the 41.9 miles \[from St Enoch\] to Ayr; Felix Hill was firing to him. Well, some of the "Heid Yins" were going down to Turnberry Hotel for the weekend, and they were travelling in the Directors' Saloon, a vehicle which Mr. C Hamilton Ellis once described as of "more than imperial splendour". The G&SW men had no such reverence for it. They called it, crudely, and no doubt unfairly, "The Shebeen". Some economist at St Enoch thought that a bit of mileage might be saved by tacking "the Shebeen" on the back of the 5.10. Now the 5.10 in those days went out by way of Paisley Canal, a route which has about as much curvature per mile as the Darjeeling-Himalayan, and with only ten minutes allowed in which to cover the first 8¼ miles to Paisley, a driver hadn't much time to ponder over radii and centrifugal force.

> Away they went, thunder-and-turf, out the Canal Road. Coutts took \[the curve at\] Saucel at about his usual \[speed\], and he slid the whole crowd in "The Shebeen" under the table. Paisley Canal station did the same; and so did Elderslie. Right out at the cow's tail and getting all the wag, the distinguished party had a pretty stormy trip all the way to Ayr, at which point the murder of Coutts was strongly advocated. But when they found that Coutts had actually *lost* a minute to Paisley, they began to think something must be wrong with the routing, so the 5.10 was altered to run *via* the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Line, which was at least straight.

## Changes since 1960

### Run down of passenger services

The main difference between the original and current routes into Glasgow after 1966 was the alteration of Shields Junction to head to Glasgow Central instead of St Enoch. This was due to the fate of St Enoch station, which was a victim of the Beeching cuts, having been closed on 27 June 1966 to passenger services and 5 June 1967 to goods and parcel trains; the station was demolished during 1975. Since then, the St Enoch Centre (which took its name from the former occupier of the site) has been built upon the same land as had been used by the old station. During 1966, Elderslie station was also closed and demolished in the following years. Around the same time, the stations at Hawkhead and Paisley West were also closed.

For a time, passenger services continued on the Paisley Canal line up until its full closure; these ran from Glasgow Central station to Kilmacolm, while occasional trains to the Ayrshire Coast Line (using Class 101, Class 107 and Class 126 diesel multiple units among others) were also run. During the line's latter years, as a cost reduction exercise, the signal boxes were only single-shift staffed, resulting in the last train of the day being run around 7pm.

On 10 January 1983, the line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely, as well as between Elderslie and Shields Junction, to scheduled passenger services.

### Use as a diversionary route

Following the closure of passenger services, the tracks between Shields Junction and Elderslie Junction were used for another two or three years to enable heavy merry-go-round coal and iron ore traffic from Hunterston Ore Terminal, on the Ayrshire Coast Line, to bypass the main line between Elderslie Junction, Paisley Gilmour Street Station and Glasgow Shields Junction. There were also occasional passenger train diversions away from Paisley Gilmour Street due to works associated with the *AyrLine* electrification project. However, even this traffic was diverted onto the line through Paisley Gilmour Street, and the Paisley Canal line was closed completely to all traffic between Hawkhead and Elderslie, partly as a result of the resignalling scheme associated with the *AyrLine* electrification project resulting in the severing of the line at Elderslie. The section between Hawkhead and Shields Junction remained open to serve the oil depot.

### Disposal of land at Paisley Canal and beyond

During 1986, the track between Elderslie and Paisley Canal station was lifted, and the land around Paisley Canal station, including the line and the goods yard, was sold on and was mainly redeveloped for housing. The station building itself was converted for use as a restaurant, while the station footbridge was demolished and the space between the platforms filled in. Much of the abandoned railway line beyond the original Paisley Canal station has since been developed into a cycleway and walkway operated by Sustrans.

### Partial reopening

On 27 July 1990, the line between Shields Junction and Paisley Canal station was reopened to passenger traffic by Strathclyde Passenger Transport and British Rail. A new Paisley Canal station was constructed just to the east of the Causeyside Street bridge.

For this reopening, the intermediate stations located at Corkerhill, Mosspark and Crookston were also restored at the same time. Subsequent to the line's re-launch, new stations at Hawkhead (one platform) and Dumbreck (two platforms) have been opened. Most stations have only a single working platform.

## Electrification

As part of the 1980s Ayrshire Coast Line electrification, the line between Shields Junction and Corkerhill Depot, which was around one third of the overall route, was electrified, which enabled use of the depot by electric traction. According to author David Shirres, this early electrification work helped to strengthen the business case for the subsequent full electrification of the line, as there was no need for additional high-voltage switchgear to be installed. The tight timetable of the route had also posed significant challenges to the diesel trains used in the route, although these constraints were partially the result of it being a single line, it was recognised that electric rolling stock would have less of a problem due to their greater acceleration.

Surveys of the route determined a conventional electrification scheme would have an estimated cost of between £20 and £28 million. A large proportion of these costs were due to the challenge posed by nine of the line's twelve overbridges, which required electrification clearance work under traditional practices; further difficulties were present at the site of three of these bridges, as they were adjacent to station platforms, so any track lowering would necessitate platform re-construction as well. As the high costs of a conventional approach was judged to be around twice that of which could be justified by the business case, innovative measures and compromises alike were adopted for the planned electrification work.

According to Shirres, a policy of closer working relationships between national infrastructure maintainer and owner Network Rail and franchise operators, in this case ScotRail, had the benefit of significantly reducing the cost of the line's electrification. For the six-week construction period, ScotRail waived its compensation payment rights normally associated with short notice disruptive possessions and also arranged for its sister company, First Glasgow, to accept ScotRail train tickets on local bus services. Observing that only EMUs were intended to operate the route, Network Rail developed customised overhead line equipment (OLE) for the electrification scheme; according to Brian Sweeney, Network Rail asset engineer for electrification in Scotland, traditional practices were overturned where realistic and the lowest possible wire height for EMU operation was specified, however, the pre-electrification W7 gauge was retained for the line. These combined measures had the effect of lowering the scheme's cost to £12 million.

While Network Rail's 2010, route plan update stated that the Paisley Canal electrification programme was to commence during 2014; the work in fact occurred two years earlier due to rapid and favourable progress made during the planning phase. In June 2012, Babcock International was awarded a fixed-price design and construct contract to perform all Paisley Canal electrification works with a six-month programme. During July 2012, electrification of the section of line from Corkerhill to Paisley Canal commenced. For the next six months, the majority of work was carried out during possessions held at weekends and after 8pm on Mondays to Thursdays; a nine-day blockade of the line was also necessary, during which track, bridge, and station modifications, including the rebuilding of the platform at Hawkhead station, were performed.

During November 2012, it was announced that the electrification project had been successfully completed. From December 2012 onwards, as a result of the line's electrification, Class 314, Class 318, Class 320, Class 334 and Class 380 electric multiple units have been used to operate the service. Prior to this, Class 156 diesel multiple units had been used; these have been released for duties elsewhere. Since the route's electrification, freight trains can only traverse the line with the overhead wires de-energised (and thus must be diesel), as a result of the minimum wire height of 4.030 metres being used instead of the standard minimum height of 4.165 metres; this requirement was judged to be insignificant in the context of this particular line.

## Future

The reopening of the section between Paisley Canal station and Kilmacolm has been proposed.

## Connections to other lines

*
* Thomas, John (1971). *A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain*. Vol. VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (1st ed.). Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6. OCLC 16198685.
* Thomas, John; Paterson, Rev A. J. S. (1984). *A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain*. Vol. VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (2nd ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-9465-3712-7. OCLC 12521072.
* Wham, Alasdair (2000). *The Lost Railway Lines South of Glasgow*. Wigtown: G.C. Book Publishers. ISBN 1-8723-5008-9.

## Further reading

* Jowett, Alan (March 1989). *Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day* (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.

Media related to Paisley Canal Line at Wikimedia Commons

## InfoBox

| Paisley Canal line | |
| --- | --- |
| A Class 314 service to Glasgow at Paisley Canal in 2013 | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Locale | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Termini |  |
| Stations | 7 |
| Service | |
| System | National Rail |
| Operator(s) | ScotRail |
| Rolling stock |  |
| History | |
| Opened | 1885 |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | Double track from Glasgow Central to Corkerhill Depot <br><br>Single track from Corkerhill Depot to Paisley Canal |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
| Route map  <br>(Click to expand) | |


title: Rakovica (Kozarska Dubica)

abstract: Rakovica is a village in the municipality of Bosanska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

text:
# Rakovica (Kozarska Dubica)

**Rakovica** is a village in the municipality of Bosanska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

## InfoBox

| Rakovica | |
| --- | --- |
| Village | |
| Rakovica | |
| Coordinates: 45°6′24″N 16°56′4″E / 45.10667°N 16.93444°E / 45.10667; 16.93444 | |
| Country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Republic | Republika Srpska |
| Municipality | Kozarska Dubica |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |


title: Acacia ampliceps

abstract: Acacia ampliceps, commonly known as salt wattle or spring wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Australia. It is a large, bushy shrub or small tree with often pendulous branches, pendulous, linear to lance-shaped phyllodes, white to cream-coloured flowers arranged in spherical heads, and pods up to 115 mm (4.5 in) long.

text:
# Acacia ampliceps

***Acacia ampliceps***, commonly known as **salt wattle** or **spring wattle**, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Australia. It is a large, bushy shrub or small tree with often pendulous branches, pendulous, linear to lance-shaped phyllodes, white to cream-coloured flowers arranged in spherical heads, and pods up to 115 mm (4.5 in) long.

## Description

*Acacia ampliceps* is a bushy shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft), sometimes to 6–7 m (20–23 ft) or higher or sometimes a prostrate shrub. Its branchlets are glabrous, yellow-coloured, and often pendulous. The phyllodes are usually pendulous, variably shaped but often linear to lance-shaped, 70–250 mm (2.8–9.8 in) long and 7–30 mm (0.28–1.18 in) wide with a prominent vein and 2 glands with one of them up to 3 mm (0.12 in) above the pulvinus. The flowers are arranged in 2 to 11 heads racemes up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long, on a peduncle 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, in the axils or on the ends of branches. Each head contains 25 to 50 white to creamy-coloured flowers. Flowering occurs from May to September, and the fruit is a pod up to 115 mm (4.5 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide, and appearing somewhat like a string of beads. The seeds are oblong, greyish brown to black with a scarlet aril.

## Taxonomy

*Acacia ampliceps* was first formally described by Bruce Maslin in 1974 in the journal *Nuytsia* from specimens he collected near the Sandfire Roadhouse in 1972. The specific epithet (*ampliceps*) means 'large head', alluding to the flower heads.

## Distribution

Salt wattle is native to areas south of Wooramel through the Pilbara district, the Great Sandy Desert and the southern Kimberley region in Western Australia, and east to Mataranka and Renner Springs in the Northern Territory. It occurs along watercourses and in floodplains, on coastal sand dunes, and salt flats, growing in sandy soils.

## InfoBox

| Salt wattle | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Angiosperms |
| *Clade*: | Eudicots |
| *Clade*: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| *Clade*: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | *Acacia* |
| Species: | ***A. ampliceps*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Acacia ampliceps***<br>Maslin | |
|
|  | |
| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
| Synonyms | |
| *Racosperma ampliceps* (Maslin) Pedley | |


title: Munich WCT

abstract: The Munich WCT was a men's tennis tournament played in Munich, West Germany from 1973–1975 and 1982-1983. The event was part of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit and was held on indoor carpet courts.

text:
# Munich WCT

The **Munich WCT** was a men's tennis tournament played in Munich, West Germany from 1973–1975 and 1982-1983. The event was part of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit and was held on indoor carpet courts.

## Finals

### Singles

| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1973 | Stan Smith | Cliff Richey | 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1974 | Frew McMillan | Niki Pilić | 6–7, 7–6, 7–6 |
| 1975 | Arthur Ashe | Björn Borg | 6–4, 7–6 |
| 1982 | Ivan Lendl | Tomáš Šmíd | 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1983 | Brian Teacher | Mark Dickson | 1–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 |

### Doubles

| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1973 | Niki Pilić
Allan Stone | Cliff Drysdale
Cliff Richey | 7–5, 5–7, 6–4 |
| 1974 | Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan | Pierre Barthès
Ilie Năstase | 6–2, 7–6 |
| 1975 | Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan | Corrado Barazzutti
Antonio Zugarelli | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1982 | Mark Edmondson
Tomáš Šmíd | Kevin Curren
Steve Denton | 4–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1983 | Kevin Curren
Steve Denton | Heinz Günthardt
Balázs Taróczy | 7–5, 2–6, 6–1 |

## InfoBox

| Munich WCT | |
| --- | --- |
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Tour | WCT tour |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Abolished | 1983 |
| Editions | 5 |
| Location | Munich, West Germany |
| Surface | Carpet / indoor |


title: Matthew McGrory

abstract: Matthew McGrory was an American actor. At 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m), he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horror films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Karl the Giant in the fantasy comedy-drama Big Fish (2003). McGrory also held the Guinness World Records for biggest feet and longest toe.

text:
# Matthew McGrory

**Matthew McGrory** (May 17, 1973 – August 9, 2005) was an American actor. At 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m), he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horror films *House of 1000 Corpses* (2003) and *The Devil's Rejects* (2005) and Karl the Giant in the fantasy comedy-drama *Big Fish* (2003). McGrory also held the Guinness World Records for biggest feet and longest toe.

## Early life

McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of William and Maureen McGrory. He was over 1.5 m (5 feet) tall by the time he completed kindergarten. McGrory grew to the height of 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) and had size 29.5 shoes. He studied pre-law at Widener University. He also studied Criminal Justice at West Chester University.

## Career

McGrory's large size led to appearances on daytime talk shows hosted by Maury Povich, Jenny Jones and Oprah Winfrey and in music videos including Iron Maiden's "The Wicker Man" and the 1999 Marilyn Manson "Coma White" (and *God Is in the T.V.* VHS cover). He can also be seen in Blondie's video for their 2003 hit "Good Boys."

Due to his extraordinary height and deep voice, he appeared on *The Howard Stern Show* beginning in December 1996. He was the first "Bigfoot" in Stern's Wack Pack. He has appeared in movies, often cast as a giant, in films such as *Bubble Boy* (2001), *House of 1000 Corpses* (2003), *Big Fish* (2003), and *The Devil's Rejects* (2005). Television appearances included *Malcolm in the Middle*, *Charmed*, and as a freak show performer during the Great Depression in HBO's period series *Carnivàle*.

## Death

On August 9, 2005, while living in Sherman Oaks, California, with his girlfriend Melissa, McGrory died at age 32 of congestive heart failure.

The DVD release of Rob Zombie's film *The Devil's Rejects* was dedicated to McGrory’s memory.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1999 | *Coma White* | Gaunt | Marilyn Manson - Coma White (Official Music Video) |
| 2000 | *The Dead Hate the Living!* | Gaunt |  |
| 2001 | *Bubble Boy* | Human Sasquatch |  |
| 2002 | *Men in Black II* | Tall Alien | Uncredited |
| 2003 | *House of 1000 Corpses* | Tiny Firefly |  |
| | *Big Fish* | Karl the Giant |  |
| | *Haggard: The Movie* | Doorman at 15 North Cafe | Uncredited |
| 2003–2004 | *Charmed* | Ogre | 2 episodes |
| 2003–2005 | *Carnivàle* | Giant | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | *Planet of the Pitts* | Toto |  |
| | *Big Time* | Richard Blunderbore |  |
| 2005 | *Constantine* | Demon | Uncredited |
| | *The Devil's Rejects* | Tiny Firefly |  |
| | *ShadowBox* | Hort Willows |  |
| 2017 | *The Evil Within* | Giant at Overlook Cafe | Posthumous role, dedicated to McGrory; filmed in 2002 |

## InfoBox

| Matthew McGrory | |
| --- | --- |
| McGrory at the world premiere of *Big Fish* in 2003 | |
| Born | (1973-05-17)May 17, 1973
West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 2005(2005-08-09) (aged 32)
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | West Chester University
Widener University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–2005 |
| Height | 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) |
| Website | http://matthewmcgrory.com/ |


title: Gun laws in Washington (state)

abstract:
Gun laws in Washington regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Washington in the United States. The Constitution of Washington protects an individual's right to bear arms. Washington preempts localities from regulating firearms in any manner more restrictive than State law except as explicitly authorized by the State legislature. Authorized local firearm regulations include:
  - "Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual guaranteed by Article I, section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others."
  - "Restricting the possession of firearms in any stadium or convention center, operated by a city, town, county, except that such restrictions shall not apply to concealed pistol license holders, law enforcement officers, or any showing, demonstration, or lecture involving the exhibition of firearms."
  - "Restricting the areas in their respective jurisdictions in which firearms may be sold." There are some age restrictions on the possession of firearms and some people are prohibited from possessing firearms due to certain criminal convictions or who are released on bond or their own recognizance pending trial for certain criminal charges. Since July 1, 1994, machine guns, short-barreled shotguns, and any parts thereof are prohibited. Suppressors and short-barreled rifles may be possessed and used in accordance with federal law. Pistols transferred through an F.F.L. dealer must be registered with Washington State D.O.L. There are places where the possession or storage of firearms or ammunition is prohibited or otherwise restricted. Statutory law prohibits firearms in places such as areas of buildings used for court proceedings, certain areas of public mental health facilities, establishments which serve alcohol and are off-limits to persons under 21 years of age, restricted-access areas of commercial airports, State correctional facilities, and outdoor music festivals. Administrative law prohibits or otherwise restricts the possession or storage of firearms in places such as certain schools, premises of the Office of Administrative Hearings, child care centers, horse races, near certain explosive materials, and certain shelters for respite or youths. See the Washington 'infobox' or one of this section's referenced documents for the complete list as well as where exceptions apply for those who hold concealed pistol licenses. As a general rule, a person may legally open carry without a permit in Washington state in any place it is legal to possess a loaded handgun, as long as it does not manifest "an intent to intimidate another or [warrant] alarm for the safety of other persons." A properly holstered visible handgun will not generally fall under that clause. To open-carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle a person must have a valid concealed pistol license. The county sheriff or city police chief shall issue a concealed pistol license to any applicant, age 21 or older, who meets certain requirements, including no felony convictions, no misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, and no outstanding warrants. In Washington, the police may temporarily seize guns from people a judge deems a threat to themselves or others. Law enforcement personnel may alert mental health professionals, who can determine if someone is a threat or needs involuntary treatment. The police must notify any family or household members who want to know about a gun being returned to the person from whom it was taken away. Several new gun control provisions were enacted when I-1639 was approved by the voters in November 2018. These include increased background checks, firearm safety training, a waiting period and a 21 years old age minimum before buying semi-automatic rifles, new age limitations on who may purchase or possess certain firearms, including prohibiting some firearm purchases by persons under age 21, and require certain secured firearm storage or trigger-locks, and criminalizing certain firearm storage if it results in unauthorized use. Some local counties have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions in opposition. On April 25, 2023, new gun restrictions were passed, including a ban on the sale, distribution, importation, and manufacturing of certain semi-automatic firearms classified as assault weapons. Possession of assault weapons already owned by state residents remains legal. The state also implemented a ten-day waiting period and a training requirement for firearm purchases. Additionally, a new law allows residents to sue gun manufacturers for irresponsible conduct.

text:
# Gun laws in Washington (state)

**Gun laws in Washington** regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Washington in the United States.

The Constitution of Washington protects an individual's right to bear arms. Washington preempts localities from regulating firearms in any manner more restrictive than State law except as explicitly authorized by the State legislature. Authorized local firearm regulations include:

* "Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual guaranteed by Article I, section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others."
* "Restricting the possession of firearms in any stadium or convention center, operated by a city, town, county, except that such restrictions shall not apply to concealed pistol license holders, law enforcement officers, or any showing, demonstration, or lecture involving the exhibition of firearms."
* "Restricting the areas in their respective jurisdictions in which firearms may be sold."

There are some age restrictions on the possession of firearms and some people are prohibited from possessing firearms due to certain criminal convictions or who are released on bond or their own recognizance pending trial for certain criminal charges. Since July 1, 1994, machine guns, short-barreled shotguns, and any parts thereof are prohibited. Suppressors and short-barreled rifles may be possessed and used in accordance with federal law. Pistols transferred through an F.F.L. dealer must be registered with Washington State D.O.L.

There are places where the possession or storage of firearms or ammunition is prohibited or otherwise restricted. Statutory law prohibits firearms in places such as areas of buildings used for court proceedings, certain areas of public mental health facilities, establishments which serve alcohol and are off-limits to persons under 21 years of age, restricted-access areas of commercial airports, State correctional facilities, and outdoor music festivals. Administrative law prohibits or otherwise restricts the possession or storage of firearms in places such as certain schools, premises of the Office of Administrative Hearings, child care centers, horse races, near certain explosive materials, and certain shelters for respite or youths. See the Washington 'infobox' or one of this section's referenced documents for the complete list as well as where exceptions apply for those who hold concealed pistol licenses.

As a general rule, a person may legally open carry without a permit in Washington state in any place it is legal to possess a loaded handgun, as long as it does not manifest "an intent to intimidate another or \[warrant\] alarm for the safety of other persons." A properly holstered visible handgun will not generally fall under that clause. To open-carry a *loaded* handgun in a vehicle (e.g, car, bus, etc ...) a person must have a valid concealed pistol license. The county sheriff or city police chief shall issue a concealed pistol license to any applicant, age 21 or older, who meets certain requirements, including no felony convictions, no misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, and no outstanding warrants.

In Washington, the police may temporarily seize guns from people a judge deems a threat to themselves or others. Law enforcement personnel may alert mental health professionals, who can determine if someone is a threat or needs involuntary treatment. The police must notify any family or household members who want to know about a gun being returned to the person from whom it was taken away.

Several new gun control provisions were enacted when I-1639 was approved by the voters in November 2018. These include increased background checks, firearm safety training, a waiting period and a 21 years old age minimum before buying semi-automatic rifles, new age limitations on who may purchase or possess certain firearms, including prohibiting some firearm purchases by persons under age 21, and require certain secured firearm storage or trigger-locks, and criminalizing certain firearm storage if it results in unauthorized use. Some local counties have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions in opposition.

On April 25, 2023, new gun restrictions were passed, including a ban on the sale, distribution, importation, and manufacturing of certain semi-automatic firearms classified as assault weapons. Possession of assault weapons already owned by state residents remains legal. The state also implemented a ten-day waiting period and a training requirement for firearm purchases. Additionally, a new law allows residents to sue gun manufacturers for irresponsible conduct.

## Concealed weapon reciprocity

Washington concealed pistol licenses will be recognized in the following states, and concealed weapons licenses issued in the listed states will be recognized in Washington State, so long as the handgun is carried in accordance with Washington law: Idaho (Idaho Enhanced Permit only), Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan (non-resident concealed pistol licenses issued by Washington state are not recognized by Michigan), North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 North Dakota permits only), Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota (South Dakota Enhanced Permit only. Restricted 18 to 20 year old Enhanced Permit is not recognized by Washington) and Utah.

Washington state law also carves exemptions into state law regarding Concealed Pistol Licenses. RCW 9.41.060, section 8: "Any person engaging in a lawful outdoor recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or horseback riding, only if, considering all of the attendant circumstances, including but not limited to whether the person has a valid hunting or fishing license, it is reasonable to conclude that the person is participating in lawful outdoor activities or is traveling to or from a legitimate outdoor recreation area."

Washington is a "stand your ground" state, in which there is no duty to retreat in the face of what would be perceived by an ordinary person to be a threat to themselves or others by another person that is likely to cause serious injury or death. It is a gross misdemeanor to aim a firearm "whether loaded or not, at or towards any human being". Unless the person is acting in self-defense, they can be charged with "brandishing" and threatening someone with a deadly weapon.

## Summary table

| Subject / law | Long guns | Handguns | Revised Code of Washington | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| State permit required to purchase? | Partial | No |  | Must be 21 to purchase a pistol or semiautomatic rifle. Since July 2019, the purchaser of a semiautomatic rifle must provide proof of completing a recognized firearm safety training program in the last five years. |
| Firearm registration? | Partial | Partial |  | Retail dealers must record and report all retail pistol sales to local police/sheriff and to state department of licensing, and must record and report all semiautomatic rifle sales after July 1, 2019. |
| Owner license required? | No | No |  |  |
| Constitutional Right to Bear Arms? | Yes | Yes |  |  |
| Permit required for concealed carry? | N/A | Yes |  | Washington is a "shall-issue" state and will grant concealed carry permits to all applicants who meet the criteria. There are no training requirements. |
| Permit required for open carry? | No | No | (in vehicle) | Open carry is lawful in Washington without any permit. Open carry of a loaded handgun in a vehicle is legal only with a concealed pistol license. Open carry of a loaded long gun in a vehicle is illegal, regardless of CPL possession. On January 31, 2019, the Washington Court of Appeals ruled that the mere possession of a handgun is not sufficient for conducting a *Terry* stop. |
| State preemption of local restrictions? | Yes | Yes |  | State law does not allow more restrictive local laws. Seattle and Edmonds have passed ordinances mandating safe storage of firearms when not being carried or used. Seattle's ordinance also has reporting requirement for lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours. Both cities are being sued for violation of state preemption. Edmonds had its ordinance struck down in October 2019. |
| Assault weapons law? | Yes | Yes |  | As of April 25, 2023, the sale, distribution, importation, and manufacturing of semi-automatic firearms classified as assault weapons are prohibited. Possession of assault weapons already owned remains legal. |
| Magazine capacity restrictions? | Yes | Yes |  | As of July 1, 2022, the manufacture, distribution, and sale of magazines that have a capacity of over 10 rounds are prohibited. The possession of such magazines, however, is not restricted. |
| NFA weapons restricted? | Partial | Partial |  | Machine guns and short-barreled shotguns—unless purchased before July 1, 1994—are illegal for non-law-enforcement possession. Suppressors, destructive devices and any other weapons are lawful to possess and use if registered properly with ATF. Short barreled rifles are lawful to possess and use if registered properly with the ATF, as of June 12, 2014. |
| Peaceable Journey laws? | No | No |  | Federal travel-with-a-firearm laws apply. Some out-of-state CCW licenses valid, otherwise carry must be open or, in a vehicle, unloaded. |
| Castle Doctrine / Stand your ground law? | Not defined - de facto | |  | The Washington State Supreme Court ruled "*that there is no duty to retreat when a person is assaulted in a place where he or she has a right to be.*" |
| Background checks required for private sales? | Yes | Yes | Initiative 594 (2014) | Private party firearm transfers must be conducted through a licensed dealer, who is required by federal law to conduct a background check and keep a record of the sale, unless one of the specifically enumerated exceptions in RCW 9.41.113 . |
| Red flag law? | Yes | Yes |  | The police may temporarily take guns away from people a judge deems a threat to themselves or others without notice to the defendant. If the defendant does not appear to request the restrictions be lifted, they will remain in place. |

## InfoBox

| Gun laws in Washington | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution sections | Article I, Section 24 |
| Synopsis "The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired ..." | |


title: West African bichir

abstract: The West African bichir or retropinnis bichir, is a freshwater fish in the family Polypteridae, is found in the central Congo River basin and Ogooué River in Africa. It is a long, slender fish that grows to a maximum length of about 34 cm (13 in).

text:
# West African bichir

The **West African bichir** or **retropinnis bichir** (***Polypterus retropinnis***), is a freshwater fish in the family Polypteridae, is found in the central Congo River basin and Ogooué River in Africa. It is a long, slender fish that grows to a maximum length of about 34 cm (13 in).

## Description

Bichirs are primitive fish which have a jaw structure that resembles that of tetrapods rather than bony fishes; they also have rudimentary lungs and two slit-like spiracles used for exhalation, and can breathe air when there is insufficient oxygen in the water. The West African bichir has an elongated cylindrical body with a maximum length of 34 cm (13 in). It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by having jaws that are about the same length, and in living specimens, having creamy-white irises speckled with black. The dorsal fin consists of 7 to 9 separate finlets each topped with a sharp spine. The pectoral fin is fleshy and has 30 to 32 soft rays and the anal fin has 12 to 15 spines. The dorsal surface and flanks are olive brown with irregular markings of darker brown and the ventral surface is whitish or pale beige. The dorsal and caudal fins are pale beige with dark marks in rows, and black blotches at the base of the spines. The pectoral fins have distinctive black blotches at the base and rows of tiny black spots on the webbing. The pelvic and anal fins are whitish.

## Distribution

The West African bichir is a freshwater fish native to tropical West Africa. Its range includes the basins of the Ogooué River and the Congo River, and possibly the Cross River basin in Cameroon. Its typical habitat is swamps and floodplains.

## Behaviour

This species is territorial, with territory holders threatening intruders. The attacker starts the encounter by raising its dorsal fin spines and emitting staccato thumping sounds; both fish may continue by biting at each other, or one may submit and flee, emitting drawn-out moans.

## Use in aquaria

*P. retropinnis* is sometimes kept in aquaria. It will feed on small to medium-sized vertebrates and invertebrates, eating anything it can fit into its mouth.

## InfoBox

| West African bichir | |
| --- | --- |
| Conservation status | |
|
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Polypteriformes |
| Family: | Polypteridae |
| Genus: | *Polypterus* |
| Species: | ***P. retropinnis*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Polypterus retropinnis***
Vaillant, 1899 | |
|
|  | |
| Synonyms | |
| * *Polypterus retropinnis retropinnis* Vaillant 1899 | |


title: Oleh Babiy

abstract: Oleh Ivanovych Babiy was a Ukrainian military officer, colonel of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, and a participant of the Russo-Ukrainian War. He was posthumously conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star.

text:
# Oleh Babiy

**Oleh Ivanovych Babiy** (22 October 1990 – 30 August 2023) was a Ukrainian military officer, colonel of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, and a participant of the Russo-Ukrainian War. He was posthumously conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star.

## Biography

Babiy was born on 22 October 1990 in Milovice, Czechoslovakia. In 2011, he graduated from the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi Ground Forces Academy.

He had been participating in the Russo-Ukrainian War since 2014. From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he organised and carried out special operations in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and in Russia, for which he was repeatedly awarded.

As of February 2017, he held the position of commander of a patrol platoon with the vehicles of the 1st Patrol Battalion, 45th Operational Purpose Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine.

With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he continued to perform combat missions, with nine successful reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines, twelve special events to organise and support the resistance movement in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and behind enemy lines. Thanks to the successful completion of the missions, Colonel Babiy's group managed to disorganise the logistics of the occupation forces, destroy its important facilities and elements of critical infrastructure.

Babiy's last operation was the destruction of a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 bomber, and the disabling of two more, which, according to Ukraine, "completely destabilised the operation of airfields and long-range aviation bases" and reduced Russia's ability to launch missile strikes with Kh-22 missiles against Ukraine. In the course of the task, on 30 August 2023, the intelligence group headed by Babiy engaged in a battle with Russian special agents of the Federal Security Service. While covering the retreat of his comrades, Babiy was mortally wounded. For his heroic deeds, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the posthumous award of the Order of the Golden Star.

Babiy is survived by his wife and two small children, the youngest daughter was only one year old at the time of her father's death.

## Awards and decorations

On 15 July 2014, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 593/2014, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class, for personal courage and heroism in the defence of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath during the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

* Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd, 2nd, 1st classes;
* Order for Courage, 3rd class;
* Commemorative sign "For Military Valor";
* Commemorative sign "For Courage in the Performance of Special Tasks";
* Badge "Participant of the Anti-Terrorist Operation";
* Medal "For Participation in the 'Svitlodarsk Arc' Battles";
* The title of Hero of Ukraine with the posthumous award of the Order of the Golden Star.

## Legacy

On 22 January 2024, on the Day of Unity of Ukraine, a memorial plaque in his honour was unveiled on the facade of School No. 49 in Lviv, where Oleh Babiy studied.

On 4 July 2024, the Lviv City Council adopted a decision to name a garden square in the Lviv district of Sykhiv after Oleh Babiy.

## InfoBox

| Oleh Babiy | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Native name | Олег Іванович Бабій |
| Birth name | Oleh Ivanovych Babiy |
| Born | (1990-10-22)22 October 1990
Milovice, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 30 August 2023(2023-08-30) (aged 32)
Russia |
| Allegiance | Ukraine |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands | Main Directorate of Intelligence
National Guard of Ukraine |
| Conflict |  |
| Alma mater | Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi Ground Forces Academy |


title: Fairfax County Park Authority

abstract: The Fairfax County Park Authority is the department of the Fairfax County, Virginia government responsible for developing and maintaining the various parks, historical sites, and recreational areas owned or administered by Fairfax County. Figures published as of 2003 indicate that the Park Authority manages over 22,617 acres (92 km⁲) of parkland.

text:
# Fairfax County Park Authority

The **Fairfax County Park Authority** is the department of the Fairfax County, Virginia government responsible for developing and maintaining the various parks, historical sites, and recreational areas owned or administered by Fairfax County. Figures published as of 2003 indicate that the Park Authority manages over 22,617 acres (92 km2) of parkland.

## History

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established the Park Authority in 1950 under a provision of the Code of Virginia, with the published goal of providing 15 acres (60,000 m2) of parkland for every 1000 county residents. John W. Brookfield was named to the board of the new authority and elected its first chairman.

In 1953, the county made its first purchase of parkland, 15 acres in Great Falls, for $37,717 from the receivers of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. In March 1953, the authority appointed William H. Lindberg as superintendent of parks.

By 1955, the authority had nine public parks, and its budget was $60,000 per year.

In January 1959, Fred M. Packard became the first director of the Fairfax County Park Authority. As director, Packard would work vigorously over the next few years to acquire park land and preserve natural areas in the rapidly developing county.

Under a new county program of acquiring small parks in urban areas, FCPA bought its first neighborhood park, the 9.5-acre Bren Mar Park, in April 1959.

The authority gained control over the disused Fort Belvoir reservoir in March 1960 when it was awarded a 25-year lease to operate the 242-acre site as a public park and recreation facility. The lake was renamed Lake Accotink.

Appointed in November 1961, Joseph Brown became the second director of the Fairfax County Park authority in January 1962.

Lake Accotink was sold by the Army outright to the Fairfax County Park Authority in April 1965 for $176,500 following the property being declared surplus the previous year.

In April 1965, Director Brown was appointed to head the National Park Service's north National Capital area, and assistant director James D. Bell was named to replace him.

The authority purchased Lake Fairfax from its owner, developer Mack Slye "Jack" Crippen Jr., for $1.7 million in 1966.

Columnist and publisher David Lawrence in December 1970 donated a nearly 640-acre tract of land near Centreville worth $5 million to the Authority in respect of the wishes of his late wife, Ellanor C. Lawrence, who had died the previous year. The land became the core of Ellanor C. Lawrence Park.

The approval of a $28.5 million bond issue by county voters in 1971 allowed the authority to purchase 4,400 acres of land over the next five years, adding 39 parks to the system and increasing its total holdings to 10,200 acres by 1976.

James D. Bell was demoted from his position as director of the Park Authority in January 1973 after using park employees to move from the authority-owned house in Great Falls he had been living in. Deputy Director Joseph P. Downs was appointed acting director following Bell's demotion, which also included a more than 30% pay cut from his former $26,972 salary. Downs was permanently appointed as director of the 7,200-acre system in May 1973.

The Federal government agreed in 1974 to give 1,262-acres of land that had been declared surplus the previous December to Fairfax County under the Legacy of Parks program. This vast area would become the Huntley Meadows Park when it was formally deeded to the county the following year.

By 1986, the authority had 342 parks and 14,360 acres under its control.

In 1986, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors sought to exercise greater control over the county's parks. Faced with the potential loss of the Park Authority's charter, the Park Authority Board voted 5–3 in April 1986 to give up its power to appoint its employees and enter into contracts to the county Board of Supervisors. Even with this concession, the Board of Supervisors at their April 7 meeting only voted to extend the Park Authority's charter through May 19, awaiting a decision by Virginia Attorney General Mary Sue Terry as to the legality of the Board's actions. Fairfax County Executive J. Hamilton Lambert was appointed as executive director of the Park Authority in addition to his role as county executive.

After 16 years as director of the Fairfax County Park Authority, Joseph P. Downs resigned in 1989 to take a position with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. William C. Beckner took over as director of the Park Authority. Kirk Kincannon was the most recent director, serving from 2014 to 2021.

As of 2003, the Park Authority had at least 22,617 acres (92 km2) of parkland under Park Authority oversight for a resulting 23 acres (93,000 m2) of parkland per 1000 county residents.

The Park Authority dedicated its first urban park, the 16,000 square foot Merrifield Park civic plaza, in June 2009.

## Operations

The authority officially classifies parks in its system as local parks, district parks, countywide parks or resource-based parks. Additionally, the authority uses the classification of regional parks for those parks and facilities administered by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

In addition to numerous local parks, which are generally less than 50 acres (200,000 m2), the Park Authority also manages nine recreation centers (Cub Run, George Washington, Lee District, Mount Vernon, Oakmont, Providence, South Run, Spring Hill, and Audrey Moore/Wakefield) in several of its district parks. The authority also owns seven golf courses (Oakmont, Pinecrest, Jefferson, Burke Lake, Greendale, Laurel Hill, and Twin Lakes), as well as over 200 acres (0.81 km2) of trails.

Fairfax County has adopted a program to both link the various existing trails and to acquire new land for trails with the goal of creating a county-wide network of pedestrian trails.

## Governance

In terms of political structure and oversight, the Fairfax County Park Authority reports an independent board including twelve members appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, although appointment of the Director of the Park Authority is subject to approval by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (the highest governing body of Fairfax County).

The twelve members of the Board comprise nine members respectively representing the nine magisterial districts of Fairfax County, as well as three at-large members.

Public meetings of the Board are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 in the Herrity Building of the Fairfax County Government Center.

## InfoBox

Fairfax County Park Authority
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1950 |
| Type | Authority |
| Jurisdiction | Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Fairfax County Government Center, Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Agency executive | * Jai Cole, Executive Director |
| Website | fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ |