Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer, known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years in 1898, Giuseppe Verdi "praised the broad curves of Bellini's melody:'there are long melodies as no-one else had made before'."A large amount of what is known about Bellini's life and his activities comes from surviving letters—except for a short period—which were written over his lifetime to his friend Francesco Florimo, whom he had met as a fellow student in Naples and with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. Other sources of information come from correspondence saved by other friends and business acquaintances. Bellini was the quintessential composer of the Italian bel canto era of the early 19th century, his work has been summed up by the London critic Tim Ashley as:... hugely influential, as much admired by other composers as he was by the public. Verdi raved about his "long, long melodies such as no one before had written" Wagner, who liked anyone but himself, was spellbound by Bellini's uncanny ability to match music with text and psychology.

Liszt and Chopin professed themselves fans. Of the 19th-century giants, only Berlioz demurred; those musicologists who consider Bellini to be a melancholic tunesmith are now in the minority. In considering which of his operas can be seen to be his greatest successes over the two hundred years since his death, Il pirata laid much of the groundwork in 1827, achieving early recognition in comparison to Donizetti's having written thirty operas before his major 1830 triumph with Anna Bolena. Both I Capuleti ed i Montecchi at La Fenice in 1830 and La sonnambula in Milan in 1831 reached new triumphal heights, although Norma, given at La Scala in 1831 did not fare as well until performances elsewhere. "The genuine triumph" of I puritani in January 1835 in Paris capped a significant career. Il pirata, Capuleti, La sonnambula, I puritani are performed today. After his initial success in Naples, most of the rest of his short life was spent outside of both Sicily and Naples, those years being followed with his living and composing in Milan and Northern Italy, and—after a visit to London—then came his final masterpiece in Paris, I puritani.

Only nine months Bellini died in Puteaux, France at the age of 33. Born in Catania, at the time part of the Kingdom of Sicily, the eldest of seven children in the family, he became a child prodigy within a musical family, his grandfather, Vincenzo Tobia Bellini, had studied at the conservatory in Naples and, in Catania from 1767 forward, had been an organist and teacher, as had Vincenzo's father, Rosario. An anonymous twelve-page hand-written history, held in Catania's Museo Belliniano, states that he could sing an aria by Valentino Fioravanti at eighteen months, that he began studying music theory at two years of age and the piano at three. By the age of five, he could play "marvelously"; the document states that Bellini's first five pieces were composed when he was just six years old and "at seven he was taught Latin, modern languages and philosophy". Bellini's biographer Herbert Weinstock regards some of these accounts as no more than myths, not being supported from other, more reliable sources.

Additionally, he makes the point in regard to Bellini's apparent knowledge of languages and philosophy: "Bellini never became a well-educated man". One critic, Stellios Galatopoulos, deliberates the "facts" presented in the précis, but provides a reliable source for these compositions, Galatopoulos expresses some skepticism regarding the young Bellini's child prodigy status. After 1816, Bellini began living with his grandfather, from whom he received his first music lessons. Soon after, the young composer began to write compositions. Among them were the nine Versetti da cantarsi il Venerdi Santo, eight of which were based on texts by Metastasio. By 1818 Bellini had independently completed several additional orchestral pieces and at least two settings of the Mass Ordinary: one in D Major, the other in G Major, both of which survive and have been commercially recorded, he was ready for further study. For well-off students, this would include moving to Naples. While his family wasn't wealthy enough to support that lifestyle, Bellini's growing reputation could not be overlooked.

His break came when Stefano Notabartolo, the duca di San Martino e Montalbo and his duchess, became the new intendente of the province of Catania. They encouraged the young man to petition the city fathers for a stipend to support his musical studies; this was achieved in May 1819 with unanimous agreement for a four-year pension to allow him to study at the Real Collegio di Musica di San Sebastiano in Naples. Thus, he left Catania in July carrying letters of introduction to several powerful individuals, including Giovanni Carafa, the intendente of the Real Collegio as well as being in charge of the city's royal theatres; the young Bellini was to live in Naples for the following eight years. The Conservatorio di San Sebastiano had moved to more spacious facilities close to the church of Gesù Novo and the building occupied by the nuns of San Sabastiano, was run by the government and there, who wore a semi-military uniform, were obliged to live under a tight daily regimen of classes in principal subjects, in singing and instrumental coaching, plus basic education.

Their days were long, going from early morning mass at 5:15 am to ending b

Marijonas Petravičius is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player. He was a member of the Lithuania national team, he played the center position, but he could play the power forward position. With his former club Mitteldeutscher BC, he won the FIBA EuroCup Challenge in 2004, being the Final Four MVP. Petravičius arrived to Lietuvos rytas Vilnius in 2006, to replace Robertas Javtokas who left the team, he became the first choice center for the team, he helped Lietuvos rytas to reach the EuroCup final in 2007. In 2008 the team was competing in the EuroLeague, in his first game Petravičius scored 29 points against Armani Jeans Milano. Petravičius led Rytas to first place during the group stage, but during a practice Petravičius suffered a foot injury. With the club's three leaders injured: himself, Matthew Nielsen and Roberts Štelmahers, Rytas failed to enter the EuroLeague quarterfinals, he was named the EuroCup Finals MVP in 2009. He joined the Italian club Armani Jeans Milano in 2009.

In August 2011, he agreed to terms with the Turkish team Beşiktaş Cola Turka Istanbul. However, Beşiktaş gave up on signing him, he signed a contract with Azovmash Mariupol, however he asked to wait one month due to personal reasons. Azovmash terminated the contract. On 16 January 2012 Petravičius signed with Khimki Moscow Region, he debuted in Khimki on 28 January 2012. He played only 5 minutes and scored 2 points, grabbed 1 rebound and made one assist, but he made two turnovers and got one foul. However, this was the last one game in Khimki, because his disease renewed. On 17 February 2012 Khimki terminated contract with Petravičius. Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season, he played in domestic competition, regional competition if applicable. Petravičius was a member of the senior Lithuanian national basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics tournament, where Lithuania finished in 4th place, he participated in EuroBasket 2009 and EuroBasket 2011.

During the latter tournament, however, he was forced to leave the team due to being diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. FIBA Europe Cup Champion: 2004 FIBA Europe Cup Final Four MVP: 2004 LBL Champion: 2006 BBL Champion: 2007 EuroLeague MVP of the Week runner up: 2007 BBL Vice-Champion: 2008 LKL Vice-Champion: 2007, 2008 LKF Vice-Champion: 2007, 2008 LKF Cup Champion: 2009 EuroCup Champion: 2009 EuroCup Finals MVP: 2009 EuroLeague Profile EuroCup Profile

Grimes is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U. S. state of Iowa. The population was 8,246 at the 2010 census. Grimes is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Grimes incorporated as a city on May 7, 1894, it is named after former senator and third governor of the state of Iowa. Grimes is located at 41°40′59″N 93°47′4″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.87 square miles, of which, 11.84 square miles is land and 0.03 square miles is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 8,246 people, 3,115 households, 2,222 families living in the city; the population density was 696.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 3,272 housing units at an average density of 276.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.0% White, 1.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 3,115 households of which 44.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, 28.7% were non-families.

21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age in the city was 31.1 years. 31.2% of residents were under the age of 18. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,098 people, 1,887 households, 1,437 families living in the city; the population density was 569.4 people per square mile. There were 1,958 housing units at an average density of 218.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.19% White, 0.33% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.27% from other races, 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population. 2005 population estimate was 6,175. There were 1,887 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.8% were non-families.

19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.13. 32.7% are under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 39.2% from 25 to 44, 15.6% from 45 to 64, 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $56,275, the median income for a family was $60,847. Males had a median income of $40,118 versus $31,588 for females; the per capita income for the city was $23,712. About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. Japanese animation distributor and online retailer The Right Stuf International is headquartered in Grimes; the company occupies a 76,000-square-foot distribution center. Grimes has several parks.

The main park is Water Works Park, where the public library is located. A new sports park is now located at the south end of Grimes, it includes a skate park, soccer fields, baseball fields. Other parks in Grimes include: The Grimes Sports Complex, The Grimes Community Complex, Autumn Park, Beaverbrooke Park, Shawyer Park, North Pointe ParkG, Glenstone Park Grimes' city council meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month; the mayor is Scott Mikkelsen. Grimes, forms the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District system which draws students from both Polk and Dallas County; the high school and Meadows form a campus located outside Grimes, a middle school in Dallas Center. The district has 4 elementary schools, South Prairie Elementary, North Ridge Elementary, Heritage Elementary, which are all in Grimes, along with Dallas Center Elementary, which resides is Dallas Center; the school mascots are the Mustangs and the Fillies, the colors are red and white. Portions of the community of Grimes, Iowa are served by the Johnston Community School District.

Areas within the Johnston Community School District, but within the official Grimes City Limits are those areas on the east side of Iowa Highway 141. Brett Moffitt - 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion City Website Chamber of Commerce Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis manufactured in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British subsidiary in which it owned 75%, from 1974 until 1985. The B55 was designed with a front-mounted engine that still allowed a front entrance position suitable for one-person operation. In this sense there was a common goal with the earlier, Guy Wulfrunian, it was fitted with a compact turbocharged unit of 6.7-litres. The rest of the design was simple, with beam axles and leaf springs. A Self-Changing Gears semi-automatic gearbox was used, it first appeared at the 1973 Scottish Motor Show. The most popular bodywork was the Alexander AV type, replaced by the R type from the earlier 1980s; the Falkirk based Alexander factory thus meant that the Alexander bodied Ailsa B55s were built in Scotland, a significant factor in securing Scottish orders given the ease in securing locally sourced spare parts and repairs. A prototype lowheight Ailsa, designated B55-20, was built for Derby Borough Transport in 1975.

In 1977, an improved Mark II version appeared, with two transmission options offered, a Self-Changing Gears pneumocyclic unit and a Voith D851 with retarder. It was followed in 1980 by a Mark III version; this continued to use the Volvo TD70H turbocharged engine, utilised a Volvo truck rear axle in place of the previous troublesome axle. Air suspension was an available option. In 1981, a 3-axle version was developed to meet the demand for 3-axle buses in Asia. Following the end of production in 1985, the Ailsa B55 was replaced by the mid-engined Volvo B10M Citybus; the Ailsa B55 type was popular with the Scottish Bus Group, although it is notable that of all the constituent divisions and Lowland were the only ones never to adopt the Ailsa into their fleets. Strathclyde PTE was a significant buyer of the Ailsa, but not until the introduction of the Mk III. By far the most enthusiastic supporter of the Ailsa was Tayside Regional Council who bought 161 examples for use on their Dundee city services between 1976 and 1984, with four different body types, Alexander AV and RV, Northern Counties and East Lancs.

The B55 was popular with the passenger transport executives, with significant purchases made by West Midlands and South Yorkshire and to a lesser degree Merseyside and Tyne & Wear. Other customers included Cardiff Bus, the National Bus Company subsidiary Maidstone & District Motor Services. Ayrshire independent operator A1 Service, whose operating area included the Ailsa plant in Irvine purchased several of the vehicles new, increasing its fleet, where it could, through the purchase of used vehicles; as part of its Alternative Vehicle Evaluation programme, London Transport took delivery of three Mark III vehicles in 1984. The programme was intended to evaluate alternative vehicle types for future fleet replacement in London, which, at that time, was purchasing Leyland Titans and MCW Metrobuses; the most interesting of the three vehicles was fleet number V3. This vehicle maintained the usual front entrance door, but had an additional exit behind the rear axle and a second staircase adjacent; this had the advantage of improving passenger flow during off-loading at peak times.

But the second staircase created a blind spot for the driver and the vehicle was restricted to crew operation. The vehicle remained unique, although London Buses rebuilt the rear, removing the doors, but leaving the staircase in place. After a fatal crash on a stormy night in which V3 crashed into a Mini and turned over on its side, the bus was sold for scrap. V3 was rescued from a scrap dealer by Black Prince Buses and extensively rebuilt, retaining both staircases. In March 2006, it was purchased by Roger Wright's London Bus Company and can now be seen restored to London condition at rallies and running days across Southern England. No further orders for new B55s were placed by London Transport, but numerous second-hand examples were purchased from the South Yorkshire and West Midlands PTEs in the late 1980s. A solitary Ailsa chassis was bodied as a single-deck bus by Marshall for Strathclyde PTE; the same operator created a second single-decker, by converting an Alexander-bodied double-decker, the upper deck of, damaged.

A number of 2-axle Ailsa B55 were sold overseas. Indonesia received 320 buses between 1981 and 1985. China Motor Bus in Hong Kong received eight between 1975 and 1978. One B55 was exported to Singapore as a demonstrator for Singapore Bus Services and another to Bangkok. A total of three 3-axle Ailsa B55s were built for export, two were sold to China Motor Bus as demonstrators, the third was exported to Indonesia. In all, just over 1,000 B55s were built, 890 of them being bodied by Alexander. Of the remainder, 64 Ailsas received unusual Van Hool McArdle bodies built in Dublin - 62 buses for the South Yorkshire PTE and two for A1 Service, Ayrshire. Northern Counties bodied some for Derby Corporation, and Cardiff Bus, a total of 35 were bodied by East Lancs Coachbuilders for Tayside and a small number were bodied by Marshall for Strathclyde and Derby Corporation. The last significant number of Ailsas in service in the UK were operated by Cardiff Bus, who had 18 in regular service in 2007, they were withdrawn at the end of 2007.

However, as at February 2014, ten Ailsas remain in service for school work, school contracts and rail replacement with Edwards Coaches of South Wales. There are now around 30 Volvo Ailsas in preservation, with the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust having six; the Sheffield based 388

San Severo is a city and comune of c. 51,919 inhabitants in the province of Foggia, south-eastern Italy. Rising on the foot of the spur of Gargano, San Severo adjoins the communes of Apricena in the north, Rignano Garganico and San Marco in Lamis in the east and Lucera in the south, Torremaggiore and San Paolo di Civitate in the west; the city sits in low-lying country, its center being at is about 90 metres above sea level. Geologically, its soil is quaternary, its territory decreases in elevation from the west 125 metres to the east 26 metres changing from minor ripples in the western hills to a more regular plain in the east at the Candelaro basin. In addition to the Candelaro river, other waterways include the Triolo and Salsola torrents and Radicosa, Ferrante, Santa Maria and Potes channels; the scarcity of rain in the summer causes the groundwater to become brackish in the subsoil of the city. The lands surrounding the city are studded with farms, characterized by ordered groves and vineyards, as well as fields of wheat.

The climate is Mediterranean, with cold winters and hot summers. High wind gusts are quite common. Climate classification: Zone D, GR-G 1494. According to legend, a city called. San Severo is said to be one of the last towns in Italy to remain pagan, only in 536 did Saint Laurence of Siponto, bishop of Siponto, convert the town's inhabitants to Christianity, he required that the village be renamed after governor Severus. San Severo lies on the Daunia, various Neolithic settlements have been detected. In the early Middle Ages, the area was not defined. Between the Lombards and the Byzantine ages, the Benedictine monastery at Cassino was established, with it, the cult of the apostle of Saint Severinus of Noricum. San Severo was founded in the 11th century around a small church built by the Benedictine monks from Montecassino, it developed as a trade town. In 1053, it was the scene of the historical victory of Robert Guiscard over the papal troops under Pope Leo IX. In the eleventh century, San Severo was the route of the Via Sacra Langobardorum and a primitive church arose dedicated to Saint Severino, from which continued an influx of pilgrims to Monte Sant'Angelo and movement of people and goods.

The town was therefore called Castellum Sancti Severini. The conurbation developed due to its favorable position for trade, soon took on considerable importance. Subject to the abbots of the Benedictine monastery of San Pietro di Torremaggiore, in 1230, the city rebelled against Frederick II of Hohenstaufen who ceded it to the Knights Templar. After the suppression of the Templars, by 1312, the city was refortified with a wall, ceded to Robert d'Anjou and his wife Sancha. In 1317, Sancha sold it to Lord of Vico; the resistance of the citizens denied him the possession of his acquisition, resistance only stopped when they gained some degree of independence under the royal authority of Naples. San Severo was declared a royal city in perpetuity, it became the capital of Giustizierato of Capitanata, whose jurisdiction included Molise. The city was the court of the Royal Audience. After Queen Joan I of Naples stayed there, many Neapolitan monarchs followed in her presence, including Alfonso I of Aragon and Ferdinand I of Naples.

In the fifteenth century, the city minted its own coins. In 1521, Charles V sold the city to the Duke of Termoli, Ferdinand of Capua, but Mayor Tiberio Solis was able to redeem it by paying 42,000 ducats to the Emperor by collecting contributions from private citizens; the king granted the city of San Severo the perpetual right to self-government. According to tradition, in January 1536, Charles V ennobled twenty-four local families, establishing the town's oligarchic regime. San Severo became the most populous city in Capitanata in the 16th century; the rich commerce, cultural vitality and self-government made it one of the major centers of the south, due to the presence of a large Venetian warehouse. Directly connected to the Fortore river was an important link between the Venetians and the Kingdom of Naples. Leandro Alberti writes of San Severo "this castle is rich, noble and filled with people, is so wealthy that he envied any other in this region." The town established ecclesiastical organizations, with four wealthy parishes, several hospitals, some religious confraternities and nine religious institutes.

In 1579, at the height of its prestige but suffocated in debt, the city was sold to Duke Gian Francesco di Sangro, who won for his heirs the title of Prince of Sansevero. It lost its rank as capital, which passed to Lucera, the governor of the province and the court was transferred. Accustomed to self-government, the citizens chafed under the tyranny of their new feudal lords. Many families of the old Sanseveresi aristocracy chose to leave the city and those who remained watched helplessly as the era known as the "Regime of Forty" unfolded; this was an era of decline for the city, despite the promotion of the city to Episcopal seat in 1580. On July 30, 1627, a catastrophic earthquake razed the town to the ground and killed eight hundred inhabitants and an unspecified number of foreigner

Pink String and Sealing Wax is a 1945 British drama film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers and Gordon Jackson. It is based on a play with the same name by Roland Pertwee, it was the first feature film. The wife of a pub landlord in Victorian Brighton, having an affair, wants to rid herself of her abusive husband. To accomplish this she befriends a young man who works in his father's chemist shop and thus has access to poison; the film premiered in London on 3 December 1945 at the Tivoli Cinema on The Strand and the Marble Arch Pavilion. The critic in The Times praised Googie Withers and Gordon Jackson for their roles, concluded that Robert Hamer, "has made, in spite of occasional lapses and longueurs, a promising beginning as a director." Pink String and Sealing Wax at the British Film Institute Pink String and Sealing Wax at the BFI's Screenonline Pink String and Sealing Wax at the British Board of Film Classification Pink String and Sealing Wax on IMDb