Quercus rubra, the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group. It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada, it grows from the north end of the Great Lakes, east to Nova Scotia, south as far as Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, west to Oklahoma, Kansas and Minnesota. It has been introduced to small areas in Western Europe, where it can be seen cultivated in gardens and parks, it prefers good soil, acidic. Called red oak, northern red oak is so named to distinguish it from southern red oak known as the Spanish oak, it is sometimes called champion oak. It is the state tree of New Jersey and the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island. In many forests, this deciduous tree grows straight and tall, to 28 m, exceptionally to 43 m tall, with a trunk of up to 50–100 cm diameter. Open-grown trees can develop a stouter trunk, up to 2 m in diameter, it has stout branches growing at right angles to the stem. It grows and is tolerant of many soils and varied situations, although it prefers the glacial drift and well-drained borders of streams.

In the southeastern United States, it is a part of the canopy in an oak-heath forest, but not as important as some other oaks. Under optimal conditions and full sun, northern red oak is fast growing and a 10-year-old tree can be 5–6 m tall. Trees may live up to 400 years and a living example of 326 years was noted in 2001. Northern red oak is easy to recognize by its bark, which features ridges that appear to have shiny stripes down the center. A few other oaks have bark with this kind of appearance in the upper tree, but the northern red oak is the only tree with the striping all the way down the trunk. Northern red oak is the most common species of oak in the northeastern US after the related pin oak; the red oak group as a whole are more abundant today than they were when European settlement of North America began as forest clearing and exploitation for lumber much reduced the population of the dominant white oaks. As with most other deciduous oaks, leafout takes place in spring when day length has reached 13 hours--it is tied to photoperiod and will take place regardless of air temperature.

As a consequence, in cooler regions, northern red oaks lose their flowers to late spring frosts, resulting in no seed crop for the year. The catkins and leaves emerge at the same time; the ripe acorns are released from the tree in early October, leaf drop begins when day length falls under 11 hours. The timing of leafout and leaf drop can vary by as much as three weeks in the northern and southern US. Seedlings emerge in spring when soil temperatures reach 70°F. Bark: Dark reddish gray brown, with broad, rounded ridges, scaly. On young trees and large stems and light gray. Rich in tannic acid. Branchlets slender, at first bright green, shining dark red dark brown. Bark is brownish gray. Wood: Pale reddish brown, sapwood darker, hard, coarse-grained. Cracks in drying, but when treated could be used for furniture. Used in construction and for interior finish of houses. Sp. gr. 0.6621. Winter buds: Dark chestnut brown, acute 6 mm long Leaves: Alternate, seven to nine-lobed, oblong-ovate to oblong, five to ten inches long, four to six inches broad.

Lobes are less cut than most other oaks of the red oak group. Leaves emerge from the bud convolute, covered with soft silky down above, coated with thick white tomentum below; when full grown are dark green and smooth, sometimes shining above, yellow green, smooth or hairy on the axils of the veins below. In autumn they turn a rich red, sometimes brown; the petiole and midvein are a rich red color in midsummer and early autumn, though this is not true of all red oaks. The acorns mature in about 18 months after pollination, its kernel is white and bitter. Despite this bitterness, they are eaten by deer and birds. Red oak acorns, unlike the white oak group, display epigeal dormancy and will not germinate without a minimum of three months' exposure to sub-40 °F temperatures, they take two years of growing on the tree before development is completed. Over the last few decades, the northern red oak has dealt with several environmental factors disease, predation by insects, limited opportunities for dispersal.

These stresses have impacted the species' ability to proliferate in both the Europe. The various environmental responses observed in Quercus rubra across several temperate environmental conditions have allowed for it to serve as a model organism for studying symbiotic relationships and habituation between tree species. Canker pathogen, Diplodia corticola, has become a major pathogen to the species over the last decade, causing leaf browning, bark cracking an

Ralph J. Wickel was born on November 28, 1921 and was raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania; the family home was located on N. Towamencin Avenue in the town of Lansdale; the Wickel family were members of the Church of North Broad Street. Wickel was graduated from Lansdale High School. Wickel participated in the Lansdale High School marching band; as tennis was not a varsity sport at Lansdale High School in the late 1930s, Wickel had to develop his skills on local tennis courts. The Pool and Sons Pants Factory, Second Street & Towamencin Avenue, maintained a tennis court; the Pool and Sons Pants Factory owner and operator, Irwin H. Pool, took notice of Ralph's tennis ability and mentored his development. Wickel participated in local amateur tennis tournaments and played at various private clubs in the Lansdale area. Wickel garnered the attention of Temple University and was awarded a scholarship to participate on the varsity tennis team. During the time Wickel was attending Temple University, the United States entered into World War II.

Wickel enlisted in the United States Army in October 1942. Mustered into active service in May 1943, Wickel was stationed at Maryland. Completing basic training and qualifying as a M1 rifle marksman, Ralph's occupational specialty was to be a radio operator with the 3132nd Sonic CompanyThe 3132nd Sonic Company was composed of US Army soldiers participating in a classified unit named the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops; the Special Troop's mission involved tactical deception activities in the European theatre of World War II. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops were composed of the 603rd Engineer Battalion, 406th Combat Engineer, the 3132nd Sonic Company; the special troops were composed of artists, actors, sound technicians, their true mission was not to fight, but to deceive the German army. Their props were inflatable pyrotechnics. During his service, Wickel was involved in the battles of Northern France, Central Europe and the Rhineland; the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops military activities were classified during the war and the mission details were only declassified in 1996.

Wickel earned the military position of Technician Fifth Grade. Receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army, Wickel returned to civilian life in November 1945Wickel returned to Temple University to compete on the varsity tennis team and earn a bachelor's degree. Upon graduation and his wife, continued to reside in the Philadelphia area. Wickel chose a career in education and the Wickel family expanded with the birth of their daughter, Kathleen; as a member of the Middle States Lawn Tennis Association, a division of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, Wickel competed in amateur regional tennis tournaments. Wickel reached divisional rankings of 9th in 1st in double's. Wickel competing in the USLTA men's singles United States National Championships. Wickel competed in Round 1 of the tournament in 1952, 1954 and 1955. Wickel changed careers joining the Holt and Winston Publishing Co. until his retirement in 1981. Retirement brought a change of residence to Florida. Wickel and his wife Georgine were avid antique automobile collector, were members of National Antique Automobile Club and the Indian River County Studebaker Club.

Wickel died on April 2001 in Vero Beach, Florida. Wickel's decorations include Men’s Regional Singles Rankings: 1951 – 17th1952 – 17th1954 – 9th1955 – 13th1956 – 14thMen’s Regional Doubles Rankings: 1952 – 19th 1954 – 1st 1955 – 1st 1956 – 6th Men's singles1952 | 1952-08-29 - US Open Round 1 - Wood Jr. Sidney Burr d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1952 | 1952-07-15 - North Philadelphia Tennis Tournament Quarterfinals - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Hoffman, Harry 1953 | 0000-00-00 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship Round 1 - Eisenberg, Pablo S. d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1954 | 1954-08-28 - US Open Round 1 - Stewart, George d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1954 | 0000-00-00 - North Philadelphia Tennis Tournament Final - Hoffmann Jr. Harry d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1954 | 1954-06-06 - Philadelphia and District Clay Courts Quarterfinals - Hoffmann Sr. Harry d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1954 | 1954-07-25 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship Round 1 - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Clothier 2nd, William J. Round 2 - Lesch, John J. d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1955 | 1955-09-02 - US Open Round 1 - Falkenburg, Robert d.

Wickel, Ralph J. 1955 | 1955-06-26 - West Jersey Open Semifinals - Meade Jr. Newton B. d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1955 | 1955-07-24 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship Round 1 - Gaines, Richard d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1956 | 1956-06-03 - Water Tower TC Hard Courts Quarterfinals - Clark, Straight d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1956 | 1956-06-10 - Philadelphia and District Clay Courts Round 3 - Wickel, Ralph J. d. Clothier 2nd, William J. Quarterfinals - Meade Jr. Newton B. d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1956 | 1956-07-29 - Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship Preliminary Round - Schnaars, James d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1957 | 1957-05-12 - Brockway Invitation Round 2 - Short, Joseph P. d. Wickel, Ralph J. 1959 | 1959-06-14 - West Jersey Open Semifinals - Boyer, Robert (

The Swedish School in Majorca is a private school in Palma, Spain. Its courses are multilingual: 60% of the instruction is in Swedish; the school is funded by student fees, augmented by participation from the government of Sweden. A Board of Directors oversees the operation; the school's studies are operated per regulations of the Swedish school system, in coordination with Spanish school authorities. Graduates of the Swedish School receive an International Degree, but its requirements are the same as those of schools in Sweden; the Swedish School participates in a pupil exchange programme with a school in Sweden from the island of Gotland. It has an arrangement with a school in Stockholm; the School offers Distance Learning, via internet classes. From the first year, students are taught both in conversation and formal studies. English is used where appropriate, more in the activities and stage presentations than Spanish. In addition, the school offers weekly Swedish-maintenance classes, for persons who wish to maintain their knowledge of the language, adult-study classes for learning Swedish and Spanish.

The school provides a weekday afternoon snack to students. Twice-weekly classes are provided at a local sports facility. In addition, the island offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities, from water sports to hiking to horseback riding. Monthly field trips are organized for vocational or cultural instruction; the school organizes musical and theater productions. The school year is capped with a June musical presentation; the school shares an activity field with the German School in Majorca. The Swedish School in Majorca The Swedish School in Majorca

Millbrae station is an intermodal transit station serving Bay Area Rapid Transit and Caltrain, located in Millbrae, California. The station is the terminal station for BART on the San Francisco Peninsula, served by two lines: The SFO–Millbrae line at all times and the Richmond–Daly City/Millbrae line on weekdays before 9 pm, it is served by all Caltrain service except for a small number of limited-stop trains. The station is served by SamTrans bus service and Caltrain shuttle buses, other shuttles. Rail service to the area began with 17 Mile House station, which opened in 1864 on land deeded by Darius Ogden Mills; the station was rebuilt in 1907 after twice burning down. The 1907-built station was threatened with demolition in 1976, but was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. A modern intermodal terminal opened in 2002, connecting Caltrain for the first time; the older station building was restored for use as a railway museum, which opened in 2004. Millbrae station has five tracks and three platforms at ground level, with a fare concourse on a mezzanine level above.

The Caltrain tracks are on the west side of the station. The westernmost track has a side platform. South of the Millbrae Avenue bridge, the northbound track splits in two to form a triple-track section to allow passing trains; the northbound platform extends past the BART area as a side platform, curves to serve the diverging track. BART has three tracks; the other two tracks serve an island platform. Because ridership at Millbrae is lower than expected, only the western track is used in regular service. A 2,200-space parking garage and surface parking lots are located on the east side of the station. A smaller busway and parking lot for Caltrain are on the west side; the BART platform at Millbrae has six sculptures embedded in concrete blocks, with each figure representing a different era in community history. Forty-two terrazzo benches installed at the station show scenes of local history. In 1862, after buying a section of Rancho Buri Buri from José de la Cruz Sánchez, Darius Ogden Mills deeded land to the under-construction San Francisco and San Jose Railroad in exchange for a station to allow guests to visit his estate.

The line opened in October 1863. The line was soon taken over by the Southern Pacific Railroad for its Peninsula Commute service; the station burned in 1890. The station burned again in 1906 and was replaced with a two-story colonnade-style depot of standard SP design the next year, it was located on the west side of the tracks just south of Millbrae Avenue. In 1976, preparing to discontinue the money-losing Peninsula Commute, the SP proposed to tear down the station. However, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Southern Pacific Depot on September 1, 1978 after efforts by the newly formed Millbrae Historical Society. In August 1980, the building was moved 200 feet south to make room for a widening of Millbrae Avenue; as part of the BART SFO Extension, a new intermodal terminal for BART, Samtrans was built in Millbrae just north of Millbrae Avenue. BART service to the $70 million facility began on June 22, 2003; the station was served by the Pittsburg/Bay Point line, plus a shuttle service to San Francisco International Airport station.

The shuttle service was discontinued on February 9, 2004. The Richmond line began serving Millbrae at weekday peak hours, with the Pittsburg/Bay Point line providing service at other times. BART service to stations in San Mateo County is funded by SamTrans, rather than county tax revenues; as ridership stayed below expectations, SamTrans had to pay a larger-than-planned operating subsidy to BART. On September 12, 2005, in order to lower these subsidies, BART reduced service so that only the Dublin/Pleasanton line served SFIA and Millbrae stations. SamTrans and BART reached an agreement in February 2007 in which SamTrans would transfer control and financial responsibility of the SFO/Millbrae extension to BART, in return for BART receiving additional fixed funding from SamTrans and other sources. On January 1, 2008, BART increased service to the San Mateo stations. Service to Millbrae station was provided by the Richmond line on weekdays, the Dublin/Pleasanton line on weeknights and weekends. Direct service between SFIA and Millbrae was discontinued.

On September 14, 2009, the Pittsburg/Bay Point line was extended to Millbrae on nights and weekends, restoring direct service at those times. On February 11, 2019, SFO -- Millbrae line service resumed on Sundays; the station continues to be served by the Richmond line on weekdays, with the Antioch line serving both SFIA and Millbrae on weeknights and Saturdays. On February 10, 2020, the SFO–Millbrae line begna running during all operating hours, with the Antioch line operating only to SFIA. Millbrae station was expected to have some 16,500 daily BART boardings by 2017, but has fallen well short of projections, with under 7,000 daily boardings by then. Millbrae is planned to be a California High-Speed Rail station. Senate Bill 1029, passed in 2012, provided funds to lengthen the Caltrain platforms for future high-speed

Magome-juku was the forty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, an ancient road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period. It was the last of eleven stations along the Kisoji, the precursor to a part of the Nakasendō, running through the Kiso Valley; this well-preserved section of the old route is in the present-day city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As a post town, it was prosperous and cosmopolitan, with a currency-based economy, it fell into obscurity and poverty, after the completion of the Chūō Main Line railway, which did not pass through Magome. In recent decades, it has been restored to its appearance as an Edo period post town and is now a popular tourist destination; the central feature of Magome is its restored row of houses along the former post road, which runs at a slope between the town's low and high ends. Most were built for common people in the mid-18th century, with shops and inns for travelers along the Nakasendō. A quiet portion of the original highway has been preserved between Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku, the next post town, restored.

It provides for a pleasant walk through past waterfalls. Bus service is provided between the two post towns, allowing visitors to start at either end of the path. Records show that in 1843, Magome-juku had 69 buildings. Among the buildings, there was one honjin, one sub-honjin, 18 hatago. Magome was the birthplace and childhood home of noted author Shimazaki Tōson, who wrote about the Kiso region in his most famous novel, Before the Dawn, between 1929 and 1935, he is buried in the town's small cemetery. The town offers a fine view of Mount Ena, which rises 2,190 m. Panoramic views of the surrounding mountains may be enjoyed from a vista above the main parking lot at Magome's upper end. Nakasendō Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku - Ochiai-juku Kisoji Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku Media related to Magome-juku at Wikimedia Commons

The Capitol Arts Center is a performing arts theatre featuring two art galleries located on Fountain Square at 416 E. Main Street in downtown Bowling Green in the U. S. state of Kentucky. Known as the Columbia Theatre in the 1890s, the building was a vaudeville house. In the 1930s, it was renamed Capitol Theatre; the theatre doors were closed in 1967 after showing movies for over three decades. The building sat vacant for over 10 years and in 1977 was purchased by a group of citizens known as the Bowling Green-Warren County Arts Commission; the Capitol Arts Center was reopened in September 1981 after a $1.3 million renovation project. It retains the Art Deco decor of its 1930s renovation; the Capitol Arts Center has received funding from the Kentucky Arts Council, an agency of the Kentucky Education, Arts & Humanities Cabinet, the National Endowment for the Arts. In July 2000, a $6.7 million dollar grant from the Commonwealth of Kentucky was given to fund the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Inc. a facility for larger performing arts productions than the Capitol Arts Center could host, including tours.

SKyPAC manages The Capitol Arts Center, which continues to host theatre productions and concerts as well as weddings, receptions and a variety of community events. Official website