text:
Meet OMD's 2017 Shadow Royals - A Simulation Retrospective
Cyborg-free in 2017
By Josh Duggan@oldmanduggan Nov 14, 2016, 12:00pm EST
Share All sharing options for: Meet OMD's 2017 Shadow Royals - A Simulation Retrospective
Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images
For the fourth time, I took the reins of the Royals in the SB Nation Off-season Simulation that Max has presided over since birthing that baby. For those who need a primer, the Simulation happened here and Max's wrap-up was here. If you're even more of a glutton for punishment, here is last year's team, which I intend to write about in the next week or so.
If you don't have the time or desire to head over to those links, the premise is simple: each team is run by a writer/member of their SB Nation team community (with a few exceptions where a Royals Review scribe like Shaun Newkirk or Matt LaMar takes over for a team that gets no takers). They run that team in their own vision. With 30 new general managers jumping into faux-management positions, there are more moves for each team than there would be in real life, of course, but the participants are given a budget to try to work within based upon either a little bit of inflation from the previous season's team payroll or statements from the organization stating a new projected payroll figure. So each team ends up operating as though they were A.J. Preller or Dave Stewart in their first seasons. Whether that is to the detriment or benefit of their teams is up for debate, but there is plenty of precedent in reality for this scenario playing out on a single-team scale.
As is the case in seemingly every season, Dayton Moore stated early in the Royals' off-season that payroll would be lower than we fans would expect. It's a game he plays, one which makes his boss look magnanimous when he loosens the purse-strings and signs that medium-sized name to help try to make a difference. It's also a game that hurts the Shadow Royals every year, but given that my Shadow Royals have generally outperformed the real Royals once playing time is evened out, I have grown to accept this as a necessary leveling of the playing field. This is said mostly in jest, as I'm not competing against the Theo Espstein or Andrew Friedman brain trusts, but the fact does remain that I generally operate on a more restrictive budget than Moore's real-life Royals do.
All that being said, the Shadow Royals were given a $131MM budget under which to operate, a carryover from their 2016 Opening Day budget.
Starting with the end of season Royals roster, this is how the payroll situation looked for the players over whom the club still had contractual control.
It is not news to any Royals fan that wiggle room is non-existent insofar as the presumed 2017 Royals roster is concerned. The first orders of business for the Shadow Royals were dealing with the options.
One note should be made. The payroll figure I was using for Salvador Perez was the one from the sim. When Perez signed his new extension, there was a $6MM signing bonus. That bumped his payroll figure up $1.2MM higher per season than I had accounted for when figuring my payroll. As he received that bonus last season, I could probably justify only counting that towards last year. Instead I'm counting it against the Shadow Royals' payroll going forward. As a result, my payroll will end up $1.2MM higher than I thought it was during the course of the sim.
My option/arbitration decisions were as follows:
Wade Davis - $10MM club option with a $2.5MM buyout
The Shadow Royals exercised this option in a total no-brainer. Regardless of budget, Davis's value is inarguable.
Alcides Escobar - $6.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
While the real Royals exercised their option on Escobar, the Shadow Royals issued him a check for $500K. It seems like Escobar's range is diminished. The value of his production at the plate is pretty much entirely dependent upon BABIP luck, and if he has lost a step (which it seems like he has), then it's hard to imagine him as someone able to beat out as many infield grounders as he might have been able to two or three years ago, to make no mention of the potential decline in defensive value. In short, I felt like I could get comparable production for less money, which was enough reason for me to cut him loose given my budgetary constraints.
Edinson Volquez - $10MM mutual option with a $3MM buyout
With the presumption of the player opting out to seek more money in free agency, the Shadow Royals exercised their option, but Volquez declined his end, resulting in a $3MM buyout.
Kendrys Morales - $11MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout
Same story as Volquez. $1.5MM buyout.
Luke Hochevar - $7MM mutual option with $500K buyout
With Hochevar having undergone surgery to repair Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, it was hard to stomach paying $7MM in 2017 for Hochevar's services. The budget was simply stretched too thin to spend that much on a reliever with a questionable bill of health and only one year of club control. The Shadow Royals declined their half of the mutual option resulting in a $500K buyout.
Kris Medlen - $10MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
No explanation needed here. Shadow Royals buy out their end of the mutual option to the tune of $500K.
Eric Hosmer - $13.3MM, final year of arbitration; Danny Duffy - $8.2MM, final year of arbitration; Kelvin Herrera - $5.2MM, third of four years of arbitration; Jarrod Dyson - $2.5MM, final year of arbitration
All of these were offered arbitration. Despite his questionable value (at least per WAR calculations), Hosmer at least has the theoretical value of his arbitration figure here. The rest are obvious choices to keep in house at those prices.
Dillon Gee - $3.6MM, final year of arbitration; Daniel Nava - $1.5MM, final year of arbitration; Tim Collins - 1.5MM, final year of arbitration; Tony Cruz - $1.0MM, third of four years of arbitration
The services of this quartet were not retained for 2017. Gee struggled and then got shut down to undergo TOS surgery, Collins's first Tommy John surgery was unsuccessful and begat a second, and Cruz and Nava were non-factors who do not figure into the Shadow Royals' plans.
Payroll update
After exercising options and offering arbitration to players, the Shadow Royals' payroll (filling in the roster with players at league minimum and using $500K as league minimum for the sake of ease) looks like this:
Since Max wasn't holding the buyouts against me on the spreadsheet, I'm going to refrain from counting them entirely against me. Still, I will account for them here, as it would be hard to argue that the interest accrued on Meche money is enough to apply to the $6.5MM spent on buyouts this time around. So after arbitration and options are exercised, the Shadow Royals' payroll stands at $126.9MM, leaving $4.1MM of budget room.
Prospects Bubba Starling, Orlando Calixte, and Jake Junis trade to Miami Marlins for shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria and prospect Isaiah White
This trade actually came together before options had been decided upon. Heading into the sim, I'd intended to cut Alcides Escobar loose. I did not want to allocate $6.5MM to a player whose value I felt was replaceable. Still without Escobar, the Shadow Royals had a need for a shortstop lest they head into 2017 with Raul Mondesi Jr., Christian Colon, Whit Merrifield, or a papier-mâché rendering of Angel Berroa filling that spot. For the sake of Mondesi's development, this was a roll of the dice I'd prefer to avoid.
Matt LaMar - filling in as the General Manager of the Marlins in his first sim - let it be known that Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria was available via clandestine back channels.
Hechevarria was due to make $3.7MM in his second year of arbitration with one more year of club control remaining after that. 2017 will be his age-28 season, and he is coming off two seasons in which he was worth a combined 3.3 rWAR and 3.5 fWAR. His 2016 was less than inspiring with the bat (.256 wOBA, 56 wRC+), but he also suffered through a .269 BABIP campaign - .028 points lower than his .297 career mark and .056 lower than his 2015 or .054 lower than his 2014 marks. Without a corresponding dip in his batted-ball profile (his LD% was in line with his career marks, his Hard% was higher than in any other season, and his IFFB% was actually the lowest of his career) and the best BsR mark of his career, it's hard to say that his disappointing offensive season was the result of anything other than bad luck.
On the surface, it seems like Hechevarria is just Alcides Escobar. Of course, Hechevarria is two-plus years younger, has graded out better defensively in each of the past two seasons, and has an extra year of club control. As you will see going forward club control is a key point of concern for these Shadow Royals.
In looking at the prospects given up, I parted ways with Bubba Starling, Jake Junis, and Orlando Calixte. In terms of future with the organization, Calixte is so far down the organizational shortstop pecking order that he's essentially Irving Falu 2.0 - a warm body in Omaha with no real future in Kansas City. Junis had a nice run in AA - Northwest Arkansas but got shellacked in his first taste of the PCL this year in his age-23 season. I like Junis, but I'm not married to him. As for Starling, it felt like this was the last chance to get anything of value for him. I have abandoned hope that he will ever figure it out. As such I'm not going to hold on dearly to a fourth or fifth outfielder.
In Isaiah White, I got a pure defensive centerfielder with a raw offensive profile. A third-round pick out of high school in 2015, White started 2016 in Extended Spring Training before heading to the New York - Penn League. He had a solid walk rate but struck out a lot. He's a long ways off, but his speed rates somewhere in the 70-80 grade range, which is a skill you can't teach. He's essentially a lottery ticket (or a powerless Bubba Starling), but his draft status and player profile hints at a high enough ceiling to make me a little hopeful.
This move put the Shadow Royals' payroll at $130.1MM.
Jarrod Dyson traded to the Baltimore Orioles for prospects Jomar Reyes and Richard Rodriguez
Nearly every inquiry I had early on was asking about Dyson's availability. I love Dyson and didn't really want to move him. He's a source of a ton of surplus value. However, extensions are not a thing that can be done in the sim, and you'll see shortly that this team is being built for future contention.
Offers from other GM's consisted of prospects like Renato Nunez who are closer to the majors with higher floors but lower ceilings. Jomar Reyes was the youngest player in the Carolina League this year, spending the whole season in high-A at 19. After a strong 2015 as an 18-year-old in A-ball, he struggled in Frederick. From my cursory but potentially insufficient research, Orioles' hitting prospects tend to struggle there (Manny Machado hit worse there than at any other level in the minors), but it was undoubtedly a bump in the road and likely knocks him off John Sickels's prospect list (he was #161 heading into the season, along with cracking KATOH's top 100 list). Some of the struggles may have been related to his recovery from a broken hamate bone (particularly any steps back in the power department), but it's possible he was overmatched and will remain that way.
Richard Rodriguez is a 6'4" right-handed reliever who has spent the bulk of the last three seasons in the high minors. His K-rates have been solid. His BB-rates are palatable. His proximity to the majors means I'm adding cheap depth to the back end of the bullpen for 2017.
As much as I valued Dyson, it seemed like other owners were not willing to part with what I thought he was worth. This was the package I talked myself into settling for, as I actually like Reyes. This put the Shadow Royals' payroll at $128.1MM.
Drew Butera signed to a one-year, $1.2MM deal
Needed more hairflips. Payroll at $128.8MM.
Louis Coleman signed to a one-year, $750K deal
Come home, Louis. Bullpen depth further addressed. Payroll at $129.05MM.
Vance Worley signed to a minor-league deal
It always feels like the Shadow Royals are left without much rotational depth in these sims. Worley agreed to a deal worth $750K if added to the 25-man roster with bonuses of $250K if he makes 10, 20, and 30 starts in Kansas City. There is also a player opt-out on June 1 if not added to the big-league roster by that point.
Mat Latos signed to a one-year, $2MM deal
This may not be the sexiest signing in the world, but there is very little money being spent here, and he was worth between 3.1 and 4.8 fWAR for four straight year from 2010 to 2013. If he is even worth the 1.5 fWAR he was worth two seasons ago, he will have been worth much more than he'll have been paid by the Shadow Royals. He only needs to be worth somewhere in the 0.2 - 0.3 win range for him to have been worth his salary. This puts the Shadow Royals payroll at $130.55MM.
Paulo Orlando traded to Miami Marlins for prospect Luis Castillo
Having already shipped Jarrod Dyson and Bubba Starling off, I'm playing with fire with the organizational depth chart in the outfield here. Matt LaMar wanted Orlando and offered Luis Castillo. After seeing that he'd been dealt to the Padres in that Andrew Cashner deal, then being informed by Matt that he'd been sent back after Colin Rea's bill of health raised alarm bells, it wasn't hard to pull the trigger on this deal. Castillo's fastball sits in the high-90s and touches 101 MPH. His second go-around at high-A was strong enough to have me hopeful. Orlando is nice, but he's about to turn 32 and is coming off a season where his .380 BABIP inflated his value. He's strong defensively, but he is due for some pretty serious regression to the mean offensively.
Yordano Ventura, Wade Davis, and Kelvin Herrera traded to the Pirates for second baseman / outfielder Adam Frazier and prospects Kevin Newman, Cole Tucker, Nick Kingham, Alen Hanson, Steven Brault, and Willy Garcia
This was the big one. First things first, I am not even remotely confident that Wade Davis will make it through this next season. I feel like his UCL is a ticking time bomb, and he wasn't nearly as effective in 2016 as he had been since first getting converted back to relief in 2013. I also feel like Ventura is unlikely to become the pitcher that it seems like he should be given his stuff. His contract is where the value lies in this deal from Pittsburgh's perspective, and he'd likely provide Royals with surplus value over the length of his deal, but dealing someone with his value means getting a lot more in return. If he were to go to hypothetical Ray Searage, he'd probably turn from Ramon Martinez into Pedro Martinez, but the Shadow Royals don't have Ray Searage. I am very high on filthy, three-plus-pitch Herrera, but to get Newman back in the deal, I needed to include Herrera.
Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images
As for the pieces I got in return, Frazier, Hanson, and Brault all made their major-league debuts in 2016, though only Frazier logged significant time. Newman and Tucker were Pittsburgh's first-round draft picks in 2015 and 2014, respectively. Using MLB.com's prospect chart, Newman, Tucker, Kingham, Hanson, Brault, and Garcia were ranked Pittsburgh's #4, #7, #10, #13, #14, and #15 prospects.
Frazier was worth 0.7 fWAR with a .335 wOBA and 110 wRC+ in 66 games this past season, and in his professional career has logged time at second, short, third, left, center, and right, and bats from the left side, making for a potential platoon partner with Billy Burns. It's entirely possible he was hitting above his weight this past season, but at the very least he allows for positional flexibility and addresses some of the concerns with depth in the outfield that have been opened up in the wake of dealing Dyson and Orlando in addition to being a potential salve to the problems at second.
Kingham and Brault are both close to being major-league-ready back-end-of-the-rotation arms. Before his Tommy John surgery, Kingham was #50-#100 ranked prospect. His stuff isn't sexy, but he doesn't walk guys and strikes enough out to expect that he can stick in the bigs. Steamer was bullish on Brault for 2017, though projections on guys with little MLB experience are as volatile as our current political climate. Hanson bounced around the bottom half of prospect lists for the last few years but looks to be blocked by Jung Ho Kang and has done little with his fleeting opportunities. Tucker is a defense-first shortstop with plus speed. Hopefully the hit tool develops enough to let him stick.
The real get here, though, is Newman, who currently finds himself the #41 prospect on MLB.com and #94 on Sickels's preliminary end of 2016 prospect list. Keith Law was insanely high on him heading into 2016, ranking him #23 overall. In 2016, he dominated high-A and hit above league-average in 61 games in Double-A, doing it all while indicating that he should be able to stick at shortstop. He could be ready as soon as late 2017, though there would be no need to rush him.
I would have preferred dealing Herrera and Davis in separate deals trying to maximize their value, but the offers I sent out for teams with an apparent need for either reliever's services were met with tepid responses at best. After dealing of Ventura, Davis, and Herrera, the Shadow Royals' payroll sat at $113.3MM.
Scott Alexander traded to the Dodgers for Trayce Thompson
After dancing around trying to work a deal out with the Dodgers centered around Yasiel Puig, Jose De Leon, Willie Calhoun, Yordano Ventura, and Lorenzo Cain to no avail, the Dodgers' GM offered Trayce Thompson from their glut of outfielders. He asked for Scott Alexander. I don't think particularly highly of Alexander, as the Shadow Royals would buy him a season-pass on the I-29 Shuttle. This seemed like an easy yes to me. Thompson isn't arbitration eligible until 2019 and certainly seems worth a back of the bullpen arm, even after getting shut down in September with a back injury.
Jesse Chavez signed to a one-year, $4MM deal
Welcome back, Jesse. Chavez was replacement level in 2016 but was worth 2.3 fWAR in 2015 and 1.3 fWAR in 2016. He is also able to pitch from either the pen or the rotation. He only needs to be worth half a win to be worth what he's getting paid, and I like him to produce more than that if used in the rotation. If he is needed in the pen, it is out of necessity, as the Shadow Royals' bullpen is shakier than a house of cards built upon the shoulders of a dashboard hula girl. This move puts the Shadow Royals' payroll at $116.8MM.
Luke Hochevar signed to a one-year, $3MM deal with an $8MM club option for 2018 with a $2.5MM buyout
There is still risk here, as Hochevar is recovering from surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, but the hope is that he's good enough to help mitigate the loss of Davis and Herrera. At just $5.5MM guaranteed, and only $3MM counting towards 2017's balance, this deal was a calculated risk. The addition of Hochevar puts the Shadow Royals' payroll at $119.3MM.
Lorenzo Cain traded to the Red Sox for the rights to Allen Craig, pitcher Henry Owens, and prospects Rafael Devers and Deven Marrero
Lorenzo Cain could be worth 6.4 fWAR again this year, or he could miss one-third of the season in his final year of club control. Despite the potential value inherent in acquiring Cain, there weren't many lining up for one year of his services. Allen Craig is due $11MM this year and $1MM next year but cleared waivers and is not occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.
As Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi were not coming back in a deal for one year of Lorenzo Cain (per Boston's GM), I pushed for Devers as the centerpiece of the deal. I absolutely love his bat. I'm not alone. He is currently ranked #16 on MLB's prospect list and #10 on Sickels's end-of-year list. Taking on Craig's contract was necessary to get Devers back in the deal, which is a small price to pay for a prospect of Devers's ilk. As for the other two, Owens and Marrero have both lost a bit of their luster as they've struggled in stints in the majors and high minors respectively. Still, Owens was widely regarded as a top 50 prospect as recently as two offseasons ago, and the lanky southpaw could still put it all together.
Losing Cain will hurt, but his one year of club control was converted into one of the game's best prospects and an arm who could still have an impact. The money in 2017 is a wash, so the Shadow Royals' payroll is still $119.3MM.
Eric Skoglund traded to the Nationals for Danny Espinosa
The Nationals came a-callin', offering Espinosa for Skoglund. Skoglund has never struck me as being particularly interesting, prospect-wise. He is a finesse pitcher, which has some value, but at this point, I had added Latos, Chavez, Owens, Worley, Kingham, Brault, and Castillo to the depth chart. Espinosa is in his last year of arbitration and is due $5.3MM, but he serves as insurance in making sure that neither Newman nor Mondesi are needed without them being ready. His versatility can also keep him in the lineup at any number of positions. Worth 2.3 fWAR and 1.7 fWAR over the last two seasons, I like Espinosa to produce at least a little surplus value. Payroll is at $124.1MM.
Peter Moylan signed to a one-year, $1MM deal
Moylan was solid in 2016 and generates ground-ball contact. This seems like an easy way to try to shore up the 'pen a bit. Payroll? $124.6MM.
Eric Hosmer, Trayce Thompson, and prospects Ashe Russell, Foster Griffin, and Cam Gallagher traded to Rays along with $2MM cash for Drew Smyly, Steven Souza Jr., and prospects Ryne Stanek and Justin O'Conner
This one seemed to raise a lot of eyebrows. Hosmer being due $13.3MM in 2017, his final year of club control, limited his value amongst fellow GMs who align themselves sabermetrically. If I had already moved Cain, Dyson, and Davis (to make no mention of guys with more club control like Herrera or Ventura), then it didn't make much sense to hold onto Hosmer. His value has generally been limited by his defensive positioning and his penchant for hitting grounders.
Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
After checking in with teams in the market for a first baseman, Tampa seemed to be the only ones interested. They needed to get rid of some salary, so Drew Smyly made sense as my target. I like Smyly quite a bit, as does Steamer, which projects him to be worth 2.5 fWAR in 2017 (0.6 fWAR more than Hosmer is projected for). Smyly is due $6.9MM in 2017 with one more year of arbitration after that. It is not unreasonable to hope for Smyly to be worth four wins over the course of his two seasons as a Shadow Royal, which would certainly seem to be more than Hosmer will be worth this season. If the Rays had just offered two years of Smyly for one expensive year of Hosmer, I would have played it like I wanted more out of the deal, but I still would have taken that deal straight up and felt like I had won the trade without question.
Souza seems like a modest upgrade over Thompson without the specter of a back injury looming in his recent history. Souza missed a little time in 2016 with a minor labrum tear in his hip, but it only required arthroscopic surgery, and he should return to sprinting by December. Thompson has one more year of club control, but I would prefer Souza to Thompson regardless of the fifth year of control.
That leaves the prospects. Getting anything for Ashe Russell or Foster Griffin at this point is a good thing in my book. Russell's 2016 was an unmitigated disaster. He couldn't get right enough in Extended Spring Training to throw more than 2.0 innings of live baseball all season. His fastball was getting clocked in the 80s. Griffin has been healthy but has yet to show anything to support his having been taken in the first round in 2014. His 6.23 ERA in 95.1 IP in Wilmington was only moderately tempered by his 4.72 FIP. Cam Gallagher is no more than organizational filler given the presence of Perez, Vallot, and Viloria.
Stanek is basically Foster Griffin, a slightly disappointing late-first-round pick, but unlike Griffin, he could conceivably start contributing at the major-league level soon, as he finished 2016 in AAA, and he can strike out minor leaguers. O'Conner has had a little more seasoning in the high minors than Gallagher, but his bat lags behind Gallagher's. Neither figure to be more than a back-up catcher in the Shadow Royals' future plans. This move puts the Royals payroll at $120.2MM.
Alfredo Simon and Blaine Boyer signed to minor-league deals with invites to Spring Training
Depth added at little-to-no cost.
Mike Napoli signed to a two-year deal worth $8MM in 2017 and $10MM in 2018
With a Hosmer-sized hole needing filling and no real internal options close to the majors, I looked toward free agency. Brandon Moss and Mike Napoli were the two options who made the most sense to me, but I slightly preferred Napoli to Moss. The addition of Napoli puts the Shadow Royals' payroll at $127.7MM, and puts an end to the Shadow Royals' moves.
End of Simulation Roster
With the disparity in accounting for Perez's contract, the Shadow Royals' payroll would have come in at $126MM before factoring in the $6.5MM spent on buyouts, which were not being held against me in my budget on the spreadsheet. The buyouts put me over the $131MM by $1.5MM. If applying the Perez signing bonus to each year, not just to 2016, then the Shadow Royals were $2.7MM over budget. Vance Worley's potential salary on his minor-league deal isn't counting against the totals, as he may not make the 25-man roster at all and can opt out on June 1.
This season I sort of let the sim come to me. Part of this was the result of working through much of the sim, and that work did not lend itself to much in the way of availability to look at other teams and be a pursuant trade partner. Part of this was borne from uncertainty regarding the direction in which the Shadow Royals should head.
Ultimately I came down mostly on the side of a rebuild. There was not much interest in Mike Moustakas when I interjected his name into trade talks, otherwise he'd likely have gone the way of Hosmer, Cain, Dyson, and Davis in his last year of club control. If the sim lasted more than three days, I'd also likely have tried to trade Escobar rather than cut him loose, though hoping to get anything back for him would probably be foolhardy with a largely sabermetrically-inclined pool of trade partners.
Of course when a rebuild is the direction chosen, it's unlikely that the operating budget wouldn't be reined in by ownership. There is a fair expectation that the Shadow Royals could see another .500ish season because the funds opened up in trading the key cogs to the Royals' mini-dynasty were reallocated to players with longer club control. If I was forced to be cutthroat due to budgetary constraints, more pieces would have likely had to have been shipped off. I neither fielded nor proposed offers with Alex Gordon's or Salvador Perez's names in them, as both are franchise fixtures, for better or worse, as a modicum of continuity probably matters in maintaining the contentment of a fanbase that could grow incensed. Furthermore, Duffy probably would have netted a fair return, but we cannot work out extensions with players in the sim, and I had every reason to believe that this will happen in real life. When I can hew closer to realistic decisions like not dealing a likely extension candidate, I generally try to for the sake of [semi-]realism.
If a few things broke right, this newest incarnation of the Shadow Royals could even conceivably be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. A shitload of luck would need to break their way, and the new, likely terrible bullpen and thinned out outfield corps would need to not be an utter disaster, but they could be competitive given a deeper pool of starting pitchers from whom to build a rotation. I'd bet against it, but the goal of this off-season's endeavor was not necessarily to build a winner for 2017. It could happen.
Regardless, the 2017 Shadow Royals are getting a sizable influx of talent with significantly more control, both in terms of years and cost, something that the present incarnation of the real-life Royals with their barren wasteland of a farm system does not have. In Devers, Newman, Owens, Reyes, et al., the Shadow Royals added potential impact talent. Furthermore, the group of Newman, Owens, Kingham, Hanson, Brault, Garcia, Castillo, Marrero, Stanek, and Rodriguez could all conceivably help the club this year. That's not to say that their presence will be impactful, but that's a slew of young talent that's close to contributing at the major-league level.
The trading of that core of players, particularly Ventura and Herrera, could be costly for longer than desired, but I don't think I parted ways with any prospects (read: Foster Griffin and Ashe Russell) who factor into the long-term plans of the Royals, Shadow or otherwise. The 2017 Shadow Royals may well finish with lower production (read: a worse record as dictated by WAR) than whatever the real 2017 Royals end up being, but I doubt that deadline deals in what may well be a lost season will net the same return that the players I dealt netted heading into the season, so it seems likely that the turnaround to fielding another sustained competitor has been sped up for these Shadow Royals.
So, what say you, critical spirits? Have I irretrievably ruined the Shadow Royals cursing them to decades of futility the likes of which we are more than familiar with, or is this brave new fake world one in which the Royals can rise to the top soon?
Royals Rumblings - News for January 26, 2023 Are you celebrating Australia Day?
Royals trades clear the path for the kids to play This lineup is gonna be young.
Royals Review Radio: Royals Open Week with Flurry of Trades! More trades than a Pokemon card game convention.


text:
Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile | Preview (ITV)
As Ghislaine Maxwell awaits sentencing in a New York prison ITV's Ranvir Singh unravels the story of how an entitled daughter of a billionaire sank into shame and disgrace through her friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Ranvir also explores how Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, is now embroiled in the scandal as he faces his own possible civil court case brought by Virginia Giuffre. He denies any wrongdoing.
Maxwell's trial shone a spotlight on the lifestyle of her, Epstein and their circle, including private jets, New York mansions and luxury exotic islands. Ranvir explores Maxwell and Epstein's extensive network of rich, powerful and famous friends, speaking with some of those in their 'Little Black Book' of contacts and examining evidence from the trial including flight logs from Epstein's private planes listing famous passengers.
Ranvir speaks to survivors who tell her Maxwell was equally to blame for using her influence as a woman to persuade them into Epstein's web of abuse.
Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile airs Tuesday 18th January on ITV.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Thursday, September 06th, 2018 08:35:12 AM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Saturday, February 02nd, 2019 11:30:12 AM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Saturday, February 02nd, 2019 21:40:12 PM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Saturday, February 02nd, 2019 16:36:12 PM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Sunday, February 03rd, 2019 02:46:12 AM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Saturday, February 02nd, 2019 01:28:12 AM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Friday, February 01st, 2019 15:33:12 PM.
By Latashia Turner. Wedding. Published at Friday, February 01st, 2019 20:25:12 PM.


text:
Home » Biography » Andrea Grymes Biography
Andrea Grymes Biography
Posted on Mar 22, 2017, Modified : Feb 3, 2021 rajan
Quick Facts Andrea Grymes
NameAndrea Grymes
Birth NameAndrea Helen Grymes
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityMixed
Professionjournalist
Salaryaround $200 thousand per year
EducationSouthern Methodist University
Awardsthe Best Morning Newscast Emmy
Andrea Grymes is an American journalist, currently serving as a general assignment reporter for CBS 2 News. Previously, Grymes was as a production assistant at Fox News Channel and ABC's "The View".
Queens, the United States born Andrea Grymes was born in 1984. The prominent broadcaster and reporter for CBS2 News TV came to fame after she joined the CBS2 channel as a Journalist Andrea's Live Reporter. Her commendable work includes the coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Is Andrea Grymes Married? Know her Current Relationship Status, Personal Life, Relationship and Children
Andrea Grymes is a married woman and has a child, however, she has not disclosed the name of her husband on social sites. The couple got married on 2015's April and we know her father-in-law's name is John.
"My husband told me I had to come buy my own because he wasn't gonna share." haha #LongIsland #Powerball ticket buyers at 12p! @CBSNewYork
— Andrea Grymes (@AndreaGrymesTV) January 13, 2016
So happy to celebrate our first year of marriage … as we get ready for our first baby!! 12.2.17 . . . #anniversary #thisdaylastyear #husbandandwife #christmaswedding #christmasbaby #bestdayever #sunset #timeflies (: @glenmarstudio)
A post shared by Andrea Grymes (@andreagrymestv) on Dec 2, 2018 at 6:01pm PST
The Reporter revealed about her pregnancy showing an ultrasound report on June 16, 2018, via an Instagram post.
Making it Insta official: I'm PREGNANT!! My husband & I can't wait to welcome this little boy or girl in December . . . #pregnant #pregnancy #decemberbride to #decemberbaby #santababy #boyorgirl #itllbeasurprise #secondtrimester #momtobe
A post shared by Andrea Grymes (@andreagrymestv) on Jun 16, 2018 at 7:48am PDT
The couple introduced the firstborn as Gary John was born on 2018's Christmas day. She further revealed that the name of her son includes the first name of her father Gary and the baby boy shares his maternal grandfather's birthday. Further, the latter part of his name "John" comes from her father in-law's name.
Andrea Grymes Net Worth
Andrea Grymes earns a handsome salary from her reporting career however the exact net worth has not revealed yet but we estimate it to be well over $5 million as of 2019.
According to CBS channel's reports and inside sources, Andrea Grymes' salary is estimated to be over $100 thousand per year as Minimum CBS reporter's salary is around $30,000 and they reportedly pay around $129,000 to their regular reporters.
Early Life, Education & Career
Andrea Grymes was born in 1984 in Queens, the United States of America. Added that, she holds an American nationality and belongs to white ethnicity.
She graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a double-major in 'journalism and political science', where she also interned during college.
She took journalist as her passion at the age 16 and has done the morning announcements for her high school's television station, and supported the launch SMU-TV's first student-produced newscast, "The Daily Update."
Grymes and her classmates reported the 9/11 terrorist attacks live in New York City and Washington, D.C. That day set Andrea's desire to continue broadcast journalism as a career. As of 2019, Andrea is active on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Reporting for News 12
Grymes joined News 12 as a reporter in November 2006 and spent almost seven years serving for News 12 The Bronx, News 12 Brooklyn and News 12 Long Island. She revealed, "I really enjoy reporting in the Bronx and Brooklyn because I love meeting different people every day".
Grymes not only anchored and reported but also shot and edited almost all of her own pieces. She reported a variety of stories, including the Nixzmary Brown murder trials, Superstorm Sandy, the Miracle on the Hudson, Bernie Madoff's sentencing and Pope Benedict's trip to New York.
She solo-anchored while Hurricane Irene was nominated for a Best Morning Newscast Emmy.
On March 15, 2017, Andrea Grymes reported about the danger of snow in New York City and demanded answers by contacting several government agencies.
The authorities' bottom line was that they are working on it. Grymes saw the MTA crews working at the Carroll Street station in Brooklyn and told that by 10 a.m. crews cleared three-quarters of all stations.
Andrea Grymes' Career Before CBS 2 Channel
Andrea Grymes is currently serving as a general assignment reporter for CBS 2 News, since July 2013 and has been gaining lots of attraction. Prior to this, she was reporting for WNYW-TV in New York from March 2013.
She reported several stories, like post-Superstorm Sandy rebuilding efforts and the Boston Marathon bombings. Grymes also had a stint at Fox News Channel as its production assistant and ABC's 'The View.'
Andrea Grymes
Nicole Young Biography
Elaine Quijano Biography


text:
Sinntalbahn steht für

 Bahnstrecke Jossa–Wildflecken
 Bahnstrecke Flieden–Gemünden

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Google Toolbar is only available for Internet Explorer. Try Chrome, Google's fast modern browser, to get all of the features of Toolbar and more. This extension provides an easier way to access Google tools straight from the main toolbar. -Install the extension -Refresh your browser once. Chrome doesn't support toolbars, the closest you can get to them is extension's. This helps to keep Chrome nice and fast, and most of the.
Chrome could be more Mac-like when it comes to the browser's tabs and toolbar. Google Chrome for Mac arrived yesterday in beta form. The browser is lacking. You can customize the shortcuts that show on your Mac's Touch Bar when you're using Chrome. By default, you'll see buttons for back, forward, refresh, home. Though not required, we recommend you pin the Cast button to your Chrome toolbar. This will allow for easier access to Cast functionality from any web page.
Install an extension Open the Chrome Web Store. Find and Install an extension as part of a Windows or Mac application Arrange extensions on your toolbar. How to Personalize Google Chrome in Mac OS X. As Google Chrome "classic" theme but choosing it under "Google" in the right hand toolbar under "Themes". On Google Chrome. 1. Open Google Chrome Mac - Hover your mouse at the top of the screen, then click the green circle.


Video watch online Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 12th May 2018 Full Episode 1476 Star Plus HD Video. HotStar Serial Yeh Hai Mohabbatein Episode 1476 full by Star Plus. Watch Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 12th May 2018 HD Video Online.


text:
Moneybagg Yo On Megan Thee Stallion Split: 'Two Strong Personalities Bumpin' Heads A Lot!!'
Moneybagg Yo has given fans a touch more insight into why he and his ex-girlfriend, Megan Thee Stallion parted ways - and according to Yo, both of their personalities were too strong together to work out in the end.
During a recent interview with Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning, Ebro inquired about their relationship and was determined to get some details on the recent breakup.
"Was it being in public that made it hard or did you f*ck up?" he asked Moneybagg.
"Two strong personalities just bumping heads a lot," he explained. "It didn't work but I always wish her the best. I'm really proud of her. The Megan I know and the Megan ya'll know are two different things. It's still love, we just didn't see eye to eye."
The pair dated publicly for a few months last year but faced problems after Moneybagg was accused of cheating on her. He denies cheating, but he is currently boo'd up with Ari Fletcher - and he seems to be having fun.
Megan Thee StallionMoneybagg Yo


Many of the Aprilia Vee twins have an extra weight fitted to the back of the flywheel generator and it's common practice among those who race or tune RSVRs to remove it, making the bike rev slightly quicker.
And as the RST also has this 2.5lbs (just over a kilo) of extra weight fitted as standard, you can also do it to your Futura.
Since this mod comes from the track, where every little change counts, it's debateable whether you'll feel much diference on the street, but those Futura owners who have done it seem to like it so I've included it on the site.
RSVR owner Uberchicken did this mod to his own bike and documented it for us all to follow. The procedure for a Futura is essentially the same. You can download it here: Uberchicken's flywheel mod.
It has to be said that you should have a reasonable level of mechanical skill to do this one – and some special tools, such as a flywheel puller. You'll also need to heat up the flywheel to get it off – a delicate job.


What is the difference between the Roger Baldwin Foundation and the ACLU of Illinois?
The Roger Baldwin Foundation is a 501c(3) organization and serves as the legal, educational and communications arm of the ACLU of Illinois. Gifts to the Roger Baldwin Foundation are tax-deductible. The ACLU of Illinois is a 501c(4) organization dedicated to protecting and extending liberty primarily through legislative advocacy. Gifts to the ACLU of Illinois are not tax-deductible. Learn More.
With a growing membership around the country the ACLU protects freedom, liberty, equality and justice through litigation, lobbying and education.
Make a Legacy Gift: name the ACLU in your will.
Does the ACLU share or exchange my name with other organizations?
As part of our recruitment effort, we may arrange to send our members a mailing piece from another organization in exchange for the opportunity to send an ACLU mailing to their members. We always guard the anonymity of our members very carefully. No one but ACLU staff ever sees the membership list. If you do not wish to have your name exchanged, simply notify the membership office.
When I join the ACLU of Illinois, am I part of the National ACLU?
Yes, all members of the ACLU of Illinois are automatically members of the National organization. Likewise all National ACLU members, who live in Illinois, are members of the ACLU of Illinois.
What is the tax identification number of the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU?
Gifts of stock and gifts through donor advised funds often ask for the tax identification number for the organization. The federal tax identification number for the Roger Baldwin Foundation is 36-2682569.
Do you have questions or concerns about your donation to the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois?
Support the work of the ACLU of Illinois. Make a gift today!


Property 18: Luxury 2 Bedroom Townhouse in chic North Adelaide!
Property 22: "DOLPHIN COVE" - Beautiful waterfront house where Dolphins are known to swim by.
MOTHERS DAY SPECIAL! Fully Furnished townhouse . Your home away from home.
Property 36: MOTHERS DAY SPECIAL! Fully Furnished townhouse . Your home away from home.
Property 49: Dolphins Escape -Resort Style Living, Stunning!
I had a wonderful time and was able to walk to my grandchildren's home. Thank you!


text:
Q: preg_replace help needed for BBCode I can't quite figure out the right pattern to use with PHP's preg_replace function. Here is an example of some BBCode on a phpBB forum.
[color=black][font=Times New Roman][color=black]Thanks. As discussed last night/this morning, we were able to Cable and provide some small relief. After enough waste water was evacuated, the camera diagnosis found at 30 foot from clean-out, heavy root penetration and possible damage/separation to the line. We don't want to throw a cost to fix/repair without a second opinion from xxx. We will have solid cost of repair later today of first thin in the morning. [/color][/font][/color]

I'd like to remove the opening and closing font tags, any number of them, that might be embedded in the text, but keep the text in between. In this case, I would like to end up with:
[color=black][color=black]Thanks. As discussed last night/this morning, we were able to Cable and provide some small relief. After enough waste water was evacuated, the camera diagnosis found at 30 foot from clean-out, heavy root penetration and possible damage/separation to the line. We don't want to throw a cost to fix/repair without a second opinion from xxx. We will have solid cost of repair later today of first thin in the morning. [/color][/color]

The name of the fonts vary, some have spaces in the names, some don't. The pattern match would have to work regardless.
Thanks in advance!

A: If you are simply removing them, you don't need a too complicated regex...
$str = '[color=black][font=Times New Roman][color=black]Thanks. As discussed last night/this morning, we were able to Cable and provide some small relief. After enough waste water was evacuated, the camera diagnosis found at 30 foot from clean-out, heavy root penetration and possible damage/separation to the line. We don't want to throw a cost to fix/repair without a second opinion from xxx. We will have solid cost of repair later today of first thin in the morning. [/color][/font][/color]';

$regex = '/\[font=.*?\]|\[\/font\]/i';

$str = preg_replace($regex, '', $str);

var_dump($str);

Outputs
string(457) "[color=black][color=black]Thanks. As discussed last night/this morning, we were able to Cable and provide some small relief. After enough waste water was evacuated, the camera diagnosis found at 30 foot from clean-out, heavy root penetration and possible damage/separation to the line. We donÕt want to throw a cost to fix/repair without a second opinion from xxx. We will have solid cost of repair later today of first thin in the morning. [/color][/color]"

See it on ideone.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Category: Civil War
52Ancestors Bowen Cemetery Civil War
A headstone for William Bowen 52 Ancestors #40
3 Comments on A headstone for William Bowen 52 Ancestors #40
The Bowen family of Washington County Maine made the ultimate sacrifice in the Civil War. Father William and three of his sons signed up to fight for the Union and none returned home [more here]. Back in 2001 or so, cousin Jeanne O'Shea had given me loads of information about William and family and because I lived near where William died, she had hoped I could find his headstone.
I visited the Edson Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts and found that the book for 1862 had gone missing so the staff could not pinpoint his burial place. They suggested that perhaps he'd been buried in a small section of the cemetery that was fenced off from the main part as a number of Civil War-era graves were there. I walked that section and checked every headstone, no luck. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that perhaps we'd never find a headstone and there might not even be one to find in the first place.
Fast forward to two weeks ago…
An Ancestry.com user, Jane Mangum, put a comment on William on my tree with a Find-a-Grave ID number and sure enough, it's the right William! Find-a-Grave user Rick Weaver had taken a picture of the headstone and created the memorial page for William back in 2011.
Photo courtesy of Rick Weaver, used with permission.
The headstone reads:
Wm. BOWEN 1 Batty 1 Battn. ME L.A.
Translated: William Bowen, 1st Battery, 1st Battalion, Maine Light Artillery.
It's a good reminder to check those research dead-ends every once in a while, wonderful things are happening in the genealogical world, it's amazing what's being made available every day. Volunteers do a lot of the heavy lifting, Rick and Jane are perfect examples, look at their profiles on Find-a-Grave, how many thousands of pages they've created, it's inspiring. Thank you very much to Rick and Jane for walking cemeteries and posting the pictures, it's a lot of work and it is much appreciated. Also thank you to Jane for bringing the page to my attention!
Tags 52Ancestors, family history, genealogy
52Ancestors Civil War Lucey
52 Ancestors #37: James Lucey and the Battle of Wyse Fork
2 Comments on 52 Ancestors #37: James Lucey and the Battle of Wyse Fork
In late 1864 into early 1865, the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery was stationed in New Bern, NC on garrison duty. Company M included 16-year-old James Lucey, my 2nd great-grandfather.
New Bern National Cemetery
In the fall of 1864 there was an outbreak of yellow fever in New Bern. An epidemic which took the lives of many, including 23-year-old fellow private and Worcester, MA native Luther Webber.
Early in 1865, the 2nd Mass Heavy Artillery was called upon to join General Jacob Cox's Provisional Corps that were to move towards Goldsboro, ultimately to join with Sherman's army. Just south of Kinston, near Southwest Creek, they ran into Confederate forces under the command of Gen. Braxton Bragg.
Bragg's men attacked the Union flanks and captured an entire regiment, the last mass capture of Union troops in the war. However, miscommunication allowed the Union army time for reinforcements to arrive and fortify its position. Bragg was forced to withdraw, thanks in no small part to the heavy artillery units that repelled the rebel attack.
In the span of three days, there were a total of 2,601 injured and killed, including several of James' compatriots in Company M. Most are buried at the New Bern National Cemetery.
My wife and I recently had the opportunity to visit Kinston and New Bern, including the Wyse Fork Battlefield and the New Bern National Cemetery. We were celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary and continuing our tradition of visiting either a cemetery or a battlefield on our weekend away.
While Company M may have been involved in various skirmishes over the course of the war, the only documented battle is Wyse Fork. It's always an exciting experience to walk where your ancestor walked but it's surreal to visit a battlefield where your 16-year-old ancestor fought.
Today (1 October 2014) would be his 166th birthday.
In the New Bern National Cemetery, there are hundreds of Civil War era graves and several monuments, including one to honor the Massachusetts soldiers.
Tags 52Ancestors, civil war, family history, genealogy, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, New Bern National Cemetery
52 Ancestors #35: G.A.R. Member James Lucey
No Comments on 52 Ancestors #35: G.A.R. Member James Lucey
My 3rd great-grandfather James E. Lucey was very proud of his Civil War service. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic in Rochester, NH and participated in parades and other events, such as the one captured in this photo. The only details on the picture are "Rochester Common, G.A.R. 1928, Jim Lucey"
1928 Rochester Commons, Rochester NH G.A.R. Ceremony. James Lucey on the far right
For more information about the Grand Army of the Republic, visit the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War website
Tags 52Ancestors, civil war, family history, genealogy
52Ancestors Bowen Civil War Stanhope
Memorial Day – Remembering the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
3 Comments on Memorial Day – Remembering the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
A monument stands in the Petersburg National Battlefield near Colquitt's Salient Trail. Today there are tall pine trees, a paved path and quiet. It's hard to imagine that this exact spot was once an open field described as "a burning, seething, crashing, hissing hell".
Lieutenant Horace H. Shaw used those words to describe the events of 18 June 1864, when the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment, some 900 men, were ordered to charge across 300 yards of open field to attack the Confederate breastworks near the tree line. Of the nine hundred, 632 were killed or wounded in the span of 10 minutes. The largest loss of life in a single action of any regiment in the war.
In 1895, Horace Shaw organized funds to purchase the land and commission the monument [details here].
One of the survivors was my 1st cousin 4x removed George A Stanhope, older brother of Gilbert. George was 22 when he enlisted in 1862, his first child Emma had been born just a few months before. In November of 1864 he was promoted to Corporal and returned to Robbinston, Maine when he mustered out in June of 1865. He and his wife Susan (Laskey) had nine more children, I've only found seven of the ten so far: Emma, Sophronia, George Jr, John, Mary, Alice and Jessie. Susan died in 1912 and two years later George married Sophia Hatt. He died 24 May 1919 in Calais, Maine.
The more I read about what the men of the 1st Maine went through, the more I respect and appreciate the sacrifice made by the men and women in our military. I will certainly make every effort to observe Memorial Day more formally going forward, they deserve at least that.
If you are planning to visit this National Park, I'd highly recommend a visit to Civil War Hikes.
Images Courtesy of Clarence Woodcock http://www.cwoodcock.com/firstmaine/index.html
Original source for much information about the 1st Maine and the first 3 images:
Shaw, Horace H, and Charles J House. The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865: a History of Its Part and Place In the War for the Union, with an Outline of Causes of War and Its Results to Our Country. Portland, Me, 1903. Available online via GoogleBooks ( http://books.google.com/books?id=G50dAQAAMAAJ ) Accessed 20-22 May 2014.
This post is 21st in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge series.
Tags 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, 52Ancestors, civil war, cw150, family history, First Maine Heavy Artillery, genealogy, overland150
1st Maine Heavy Artillery 52 Ancestors: #20 Gilbert Stanhope
4 Comments on 1st Maine Heavy Artillery 52 Ancestors: #20 Gilbert Stanhope
In 1862, Peter (my 3rd great-grand uncle) and Caroline (Davis) Stanhope had 5 sons of age to serve in the military. Curtis registered, but I can find no record of military service. Aaron and Lorenzo served in Infantry regiments (9th and 28th, respectively), George and Gilbert served in Company D of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery.
Fortunately they all survived the war, though not without some physical reminders. In 1890 Gilbert was documented suffering as from rheumatism and deafness, he was 44 years old.
Year: 1890; Census Place: Jonesboro, Whitneyville and Marshfield, Washington, Maine; Roll: 7; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 59. Ancestry.com. 1890 Veterans Schedules [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Image modified by author to show the relevant lines.
Over a 30 day span, he would have participated in the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Second Cold Harbor and Petersburg as well as a number of smaller skirmishes. During that short time, over 1100 of his comrades in the 1st Maine were killed or wounded [over 600 in just 10 minutes at Petersburg]. And the war wasn't over, they fought for almost another year. The accounts [see Ch.9 A Burning, Seething, Crashing, Hissing Hell] of 18 June 1864 at Petersburg alone are horrifying, I can't imagine how the survivors could ever shake the shadow of war.
Gilbert returned to Washington county after the war and married Charlotte Frost. He worked as a farm laborer and lumberman. They had seven children: Frank, Lillie, Jonas, Betsy Annie, Sadie, Isabel and Gilbert.
In 1885, the survivors of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery gathered in Portland, Maine. I'm not sure if Gilbert was there, I'd love to find a picture of him to compare with this one.
Courtesy of Clarence Woodcock http://www.cwoodcock.com/firstmaine/index.html
Image from the book "The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865" by Horace H. Shaw, Charles J. House. Citation details at the bottom of the page.
Gilbert died 17 June 1902 at age 56. According to his death record he broke his neck falling out of a wagon while intoxicated. A sad, unfortunate end to be sure.
Source for much information about the 1st Maine and the reunion image:
Bowen Civil War Stanhope
"We lost some noble men": The 1st Maine Heavies at Harris Farm
1 Comment on "We lost some noble men": The 1st Maine Heavies at Harris Farm
150 years ago today… great post from Chris Mackowski on the Emerging Civil War blog on the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery.
Clement Harris's home, Bloomsbury
May 19, 1864, was "a day long to be remembered by the 1st Maine Heavy," wrote a member of the regiment, "as it was on this day that we received our baptism of fire and learned the stern duties of a soldier."
With the Overland Campaign bleeding the Army of the Potomac dry, Ulysses S. Grant called for fresh blood. Among those answering the call were "heavy artillery" units from the defenses around Washington—including the 1st Maine Heavies, shipping south from Fort Sumner, located in what is now Bethesda, Maryland.
No sooner had they joined the army, though, than they found themselves embroiled in a hot fight.
Tags cw150, overland150
52Ancestors Bowen Civil War
1st Maine Heavy Artillery Survivor 52 Ancestors: #19 Frederick Stanhope
2 Comments on 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Survivor 52 Ancestors: #19 Frederick Stanhope
After the The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment fought along with the rest of the Army of the Potomac in smaller battles at the North Anna river and Totopotomoy Creek. In early June they fought in the battle known as Second Cold Harbor, near Mechanicsville, VA. In Grant's memoir he wrote "I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made… no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained."
Map by Hal Jespersen, http://www.posix.com/CW
It was there that my 2nd great-grand uncle Frederick Stanhope received a gunshot wound. I'm not sure if the wound prevented him from fighting in any of the battles over the next year or so, but he did survive the war.
Frederick was about 17 when he enlisted 5 Jan 1864. He was mustered out 11 Sept 1865 and returned home to Robbinston, Washington County, Maine.
A little over a year later, he married Hannah McLaughlin and they had four children: Sarah, Laura, Lucy and Frederick Jr.
Frederick was the eldest son of Rodolphus and Charlotte (Leighton), one of 10 children. I'm related to him through his older sister Sarah (my 3rd great-grandmother) AND his younger brother Sewall (my 2nd great-grandfather).
He died in Dennysville, Maine of tuberculosis on 1 May 1898, at age 52.
Stanhope, Frederick Pension Index. Roll T288 – 449. National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse 52 Ancestors: #18 George Henry Hayward
1 Comment on Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse 52 Ancestors: #18 George Henry Hayward
George Hayward was a 33-year-old father of six when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. His youngest child, Anna Amelia [my 2nd great-grandmother], had turned two the week before he was mustered into Company K of the 18th Maine Infantry Regiment.
In 1912 the Lewiston Journal published a profile on George in which some stories were shared that I think offer some great perspective on the life of a new soldier in 1862. Thanks to David Colby Young, the family of the late Robert L. Taylor and the Androscoggin Historical Society for transcribing and permission to share from their transcription of the original.
When the companies arrived at Portland they found tents pitched and a good supply of provisions. Most of the officers had little knowledge of what a soldier's duty was.
When the uniforms came the space between the bottom of the pant's legs I and the tops of the new army shoes was often an illustration of the relation of 4 the northern and southern states at that time. Nothing could bring them together.
After a while the men began to look natural but it was a good thing that there were no looking glasses. The little army cap, issued and worn at that time, the men regarded as a joke and wore it in all forms except that of a soldier. The arms and equipments, included an unnecessary amount of leather straps and a cartridge box. These were put on in every conceivable manner at, first. But the men soon adjusted themselves to their harness… Aug 24th, Sunday, the regiment took the train for Washington.
Many of the men saw Boston for the first time.
Many of the survivors will remember the reception at the cooper shop in Philadelphia, a refreshing bath and delicious supper. They arrived in Washington about noon of the 27th and were quickly marched into a huge barrack rack, where they were served with a slice of bread, and a piece of boiled beef, with poor coffee to drink and no place to sit down.
That night they encamped with out tents on the side of a hill which had been washed by the, rain, leaving upon the surface stones about the size of a robin's egg, which, of course made very restless beds.
After a year and nine months of garrison duty in Washington D.C., the 18th Infantry was converted into the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment and assigned to join Grant's army in Virginia, near Spotsylvania for the Overland Campaign. Again from the Lewiston Journal transcription:
Soon the men of Co. K were in active warfare and in the first battle at Spottsylvania courtyard, Mr. Hayward was wounded. The old soldier's eyes filled with tears as he told how with the last charge in his gun, he was shot by a rebel.
On the 19th of May, In the same battle where Samuel Collier was killed, George was injured. While prone a bullet struck him between his spine and right shoulder-blade and traveled down his back. The bullet was cut from his hip area. George spent the next year in various hospitals and was eventually discharged in May 1865. According to his pension application he suffered lingering issues due to his injury and collected $12 per month as a result.
George and Rachel (Carter) Hayward. Used with kind permission of David Bennett
George was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia 19 July 1829, the son of Stephen and Anna (Gould) Hayward. In 1850 he married Rachel Bridges Carter (1832-1919), the eldest daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Cox) Carter. One more quote from the Lewiston Journal tells how they met:
One day while going to Pembroke to do some haying, he came to a big mud puddle, and on the other side of it he saw a pretty young lady. He helped her over and they soon became good friends. The young lady was Rachel B. Carter of Pembroke. On Jan. 2, 1850 she became his wife.
They would go on to have 12 children, 44 grandchildren and 66 great-grandchildren [that I know of]. George died 2 Sep 1913 in Dennysville, Maine at 84 years old.
Tags 52Ancestors, cw150, family history, genealogy, overland150, spotsylvania
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse 52 Ancestors: #17 Samuel Collier
2 Comments on Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse 52 Ancestors: #17 Samuel Collier
You may have heard of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment. The unit has the unfortunate distinction of having the most men killed and mortally wounded in battle of any Union regiment during the Civil War. Samuel Collier, the husband of my 2nd great-grand aunt Frances Ellen Bowen, was one of them.
Samuel was born in England around 1830 and married Frances in November of 1861. They lived in Perry, Maine and in August of 1862 when the Army came to enlist men in Washington County, he signed up. His was originally the 18th Maine Infantry unit and the men of Washington County were assigned to Company K.
Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine 1863
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Original data: Various. Sacramento, California: California State Library.
For the next year and nine months, Company K served in defense of Washington D.C. in Batteries Cameron and Parrott and trained in Infantry and Heavy Artillery tactics. In April 1863, Frances gave birth to their son and named him after his father that he would never meet. Garrison duty in D.C. doesn't sound like it was very exciting, they did a lot of practicing and drills, but never saw any actual combat. That was about to change.
In early May 1864 Grant's Overland Campaign began and with it, the order for most of the regiments on guard duty in D.C. to join the battle. The 1st Maine joined Tyler's Heavy Artillery Division. They met up with the main Army near Spotsylvania on May 18th and the next day had their baptism by fire.
Spotsylvania – May 12 1864. Map from NPS.gov, public domain
Although the men of the 1st had been in service for some time, they were still "green". When they were pressed into service near Harris' farm to defend the right flank from Ewells' attack, they fought in a more formal, by-the-book style, rather than the get on the ground/behind cover/in a foxhole – just survive – style that the veterans used. The veterans had learned that there is honor in living to fight another day.
So they stood, literally, in the open and fired at the enemy while being fired upon. As you can imagine, the results were devastating: 82 killed (including 6 officers), 394 wounded, 5 missing. Eventually the Union troops forced the retreat of Ewell's men and ended the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. This was only the beginning for the 1st Maine, but that's a story for another time.
For an excellent writeup of this unit, check out Andrew MacIsaac's thesis "Here the Reaper was the Angel of Death: The First Maine Heavy Artillery During the Overland Campaign" posted here. Also see the National Park Service Regiment Details site.
Tags 52Ancestors, civil war, family history, genealogy, spotsylvania
Battle of Staunton River Bridge 52 Ancestors: #11 Benjamin Bowen
3 Comments on Battle of Staunton River Bridge 52 Ancestors: #11 Benjamin Bowen
On January 13th, 1864, just four days after he turned 18, Benjamin Franklin Bowen was mustered into Company H, First Regiment District of Columbia Cavalry. He traveled nearly 200 miles from his home in Perry to the capital, Augusta, Maine, perhaps with fellow recruits and Perry-ites Columbus Frost, William McPhail and James Garnett1.
The war had already had a terrible impact to Benjamin's family. His older brother George Washington Bowen died in Sep 1863 far away from home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Patriarch William died in 1862 at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts, a mere 4 months after enlisting. The family couldn't afford to bring either of them home for burial.
His brother John Quincy Adams Bowen enlisted in December of 1863 and his brother-in-law Samuel Collier was fighting with the 18th Maine Infantry. Neither would make it back from the war.
Benjamin's regiment was initially formed in mid-1863 specifically to defend Washington D.C., but in January 1864 was pressed into service with Kautz's Cavalry Division. In late June, General Grant sent Brigadier Generals Kautz and Wilson to destroy rail lines that were feeding supplies to the Confederate troops defending Petersburg. They had destroyed about 60 miles of rail lines when they came to Roanoke Station and the covered rail bridge over the Staunton River.
Staunton River Battlefield State Park map. Photo by Dave Lucey
Confederate troops defending the bridge were outnumbered, but they had a heads up and rounded up every able-bodied man and child to defend the bridge. They dug in and on the afternoon of the 25th the Union forces advanced on the bridge. Benjamin's unit attacked from the east and were repulsed. Fighting continued for hours, with the Confederates holding ground, keeping the bridge safe. Eventually, the unit that was chasing the Union troops caught up and attacked from the rear, forcing Wilson-Kautz to move on.
Benjamin was injured during the fight and died two days later, on June 27th. He is supposedly buried in Coyner Springs Cemetery, but I've been unable to confirm that. What I can confirm is that he, like his father and brothers, did not make it home.
The Staunton River Bridge. At the time of the battle this was the covered railroad bridge. Photo by Dave Lucey 2012
The Battle Story
Regiment Details
Battle of Staunton River Bridge
[1] Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Appendix D. Pg. 935-944. Record of Recruits for First Regiment District of Columbia Cavalry. Original data: California State Library; Sacramento; Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine.
Civil War Lucey
Military Monday – James Lucey Civil War Service
3 Comments on Military Monday – James Lucey Civil War Service
It was tempting to call this post Mustache Monday, because James' mustache is phenomenal!
James Edward Lucey, circa 1890
James enlisted 4 Dec 1863 for 3 years, at the time he was 16 years old (18 on the paperwork). He was the drummer boy for the Company M of the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery regiment. Company M was mustered into service on Christmas Eve, 1863. On 8 Jan 1864, under the command of Captain Jere A Greeley, they left for the regimental headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.
Co. M was in Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA until May 1864, then moved to New Bern, NC, Kinston, NC and Smithville, NC until Sept 1865 at which time they were sent home to Boston. At Gallups Island on 23 Sep 1865 they were mustered out. The regiment lost a total of 382 men, 363 to disease. There was a yellow fever epidemic in New Bern during the fall of 1864, which killed about 175 men.
From James' military service and pension records (ordered from the National Archives), I've learned quite a bit. For example, Regimental Muster Rolls show some interesting details of what James was doing and/or breaking:
Jan & Feb 1865 – Lost or destroyed screw drive 23¢
Apr & May of 1865 – Picket and guard duty at Dove Station on Kinston + New Berne Railroad
July 1865 – Provide guard over prisoners Ft. Caswell, NC
From James Pension applications, there is a wealth of information. This is how I learned about his first wife, Mary Crotty, who, along with son James, died in childbirth in 1868. James and his family lived next door to the Crotty's in Groveland, MA in the 1865 census. Mary's brother Edward Crotty remained good friends with James, as he moved to Rochester, NH around the same time and was godfather to James' daughter Cecelia.
The pension application also shows where James lived prior to enlistment (he listed Amesbury, which I'm not sure about but missed Andover.) It also lists all places lived since discharge and provides a physical description, 5'8″, 165 lbs, blue eyes, gray hair and a dark complexion.
James was very proud of his service to America and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) for many years and participated in many parades and ceremonies in Rochester, NH. He also prominently displayed his honorable discharge papers and this beautiful "Soldiers Memorial".
Honorable Discharge certificate
Bowen, James L. Massachusetts in the War, 1861-1865. Springfield, MA: Clark W. Bryan, 1889 pgs 731-733
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Dayton, OH: Morningside, 1979 pg. 1241
Bowen Civil War
Military Monday – Bowen Family Civil War Sacrifice
4 Comments on Military Monday – Bowen Family Civil War Sacrifice
At the start of the Civil War, William and Mary (Boynton) Bowen lived on their small farm in Perry, Maine with 10 children, including my 2nd great grandfather, Frederic Lowell Bowen (age 4). By the end of 1864, she has lost her husband, 3 sons and a son-in-law to the war effort. Her eldest son William Alonso had also died, but not in the war as far as is known.
In November 1861, William and son George Washington Bowen enlist with the Maine 1st Light Artillery Battery. They are initially stationed at Camp Chase, in Lowell, Massachusetts. In February 1862, George leaves with the unit for New Orleans but William, too sick to travel, remains in Lowell and dies on March 17th.
Lowell Daily Courier – Wed. Mar. 19, 1862
Death of the Last Occupant of Camp Chase.
When the soldiers evacuated Camp Chase, they left behind a man named William Bowen, who was confined to the hospital in consequence of an abscess. He died on Monday last. He was about forty-five years of age; it is understood he enlisted at Eastport, ME., and he leaves a family, and also parents probably in that vicinity. His body was buried by Mr. A.P. Lesure, undertaker, of this city, with whom his friends can communicate, should they wish to take any action in relation to the removal of his remains. Maine papers will confer a favor upon his relatives by publishing a notice of his death.
Baton Rouge National Cemetery
Photo courtesy of Jeanne O'Shea
A cousin, Jeanne O'Shea, and I have tried to find where William was buried in Lowell, but the 1862 book is missing from the cemetery where they likely buried him. He is probably in the unmarked section as it's doubtful that Mary had the money to bring his body home.
Son George dies in Baton Rouge, LA just 18 months later, on 14 Sep 1863 and is buried in Baton Rouge National Cemetery.
Son Benjamin Franklin Bowen enlists with the District of Columbia Cavalry on 13 Jan 1864 and dies 6 months later, on 27 Jun 1864, killed in a skirmish at Roanoke Station Virginia.
Son John Quincy Adams Bowen enlists with Company D, Maine 2nd Cavalry Regiment on 8 Dec 1863. John dies of tuberculosis 21 Oct 1864 in Barrancas, FL (near Pensacola).
Mary writes this letter to find out the details of John's death:
Perry November 18th 1864
To the Adgedent generel
Dear Sir I have been informed by Copral James Gallegar of the Second Maine Cavalry Company D John M. Lincoln Captain that my son John Q.A. Bowen, a private in that Company Died on the 19th of October 1864 but of what Decise I have not been informed has his Death been reported to you or the Deceuse he died off please let me know it is the third Son I have lost in the army and I have lost a Husband and Son in law and I have one Son in Company E 17th Maine Reg Fort Preble Portland Maine, if you have the report of his Death please forward a Copy to me and you will oblige me I have never received any of their bountys as yet and my Husband has been Dead three years next March
yours with respect
Mary Bowen
Mary Bowen letter
I'm not sure who the other son is that she mentions is in Company E, 17th Maine. She does have 2 other sons that could have been there, but they are not listed in the roster of the 17th. The son-in-law she mentions is Samuel Collier, husband of eldest daughter Frances Ellen. Samuel enlisted with Company K, 18th Maine Infantry on 21 Aug 1862. The 18th is an interesting story, they spent most of the war stationed around Washington DC, guarding the capitol. In January 1863 the regiment designation was changed to the First Maine Heavy Artillery. In the spring of 1864, they were called to the front lines for Grant's push into Richmond and saw some of the worst casualties of the war over the next year.
Samuel died at Spottsylvania, VA 19 May 1864, the first day that his unit saw fighting. For an excellent writeup of this unit, check out Andrew MacIsaac's history thesis "Here the Reaper was the Angel of Death: The First Maine Heavy Artillery During the Overland Campaign" posted here.
In 1866, Maine passed the "Pension Act" into law, which would pay the family of a veteran up to $8 per month. Mary immediately applies. "I have lost a husband and three sons in the War of 1861"she wrote. She had still not received the US widows pension she had applied for 22 Jun 1863. Her letter must have had some effect, as of 25 Jul 1866 she was receiving $8 per month plus $2 per month additional for each child listed (Silas M., Mary E., Frederick L., Lucy E., and Linnie W.)
Tags bowen, civil war, genealogy, maine


text:
'Ridiculous': Tense transcripts show Seven, Cricket Australia's schedule battle
Australian cricket
By Jon Pierik and Chris Barrett
December 1, 2020 — 3.57pm
Transcripts of a tense conversation between Cricket Australia and Seven West Media reveal the network's despair at a "radical" fixture change and the huge influence of the Indian cricket board.
Cricket's free-to-air partner and the sports governing body are locked in a disagreement over the schedule and quality of this summer's men's fixtures – the international series against India and the Big Bash League. Seven is seeking a significant cut to the $70 million annual fee in cash it pays as part of its claim, and has not ruled out terminating its contract with three seasons remaining.
The international men's summer schedule was moved around to begin with the white-ball matches. Credit:Getty Images
In an affidavit written by Lewis Martin, Seven's head of sport and the boss of its Melbourne operation, and lodged in the Federal Court, Martin said his network was happy with CA's initial fixture released on May 28 under former CA chief executive Kevin Roberts.
Martin said Roberts had used the phrase "BBL 02" to describe the changes that were going to be made to revitalise a tournament that had suffered a ratings decline of 23.5 per cent last summer from 2017-18. There was going to be, according to Martin, innovation, more marketing, and more "household names", not to mention a "compelling fixture list" and a "predominance" of intra-city derbies and Melbourne versus Sydney derbies.
Seven had wanted a "fast start" to the summer by having the BBL begin straight after the opening day's play of the first Test against India, the latter originally scheduled for December 3 in Brisbane.
But in a meeting on August 7, CA unveiled six new schedule options that caught Seven by surprise.
Under the scenarios, this meant the Twenty20 series against India would be switched from October to December, the one-day internationals were flipped from January to November-December and the first Test switched from December 3 in Brisbane to December 17 either in Adelaide or Perth.
The BBL's starting date was switched from December 3 to either December 5, 9 or 12, in each case not coinciding with any significant international cricket. One option had the Australia A tour match against India being held from December 11-13, clashing with the BBL.
According to Martin, it was in this conversation with BBL chief Alistair Dobson and CA's cricket operations chief Peter Roach that he learnt how the Board of Control for Cricket in India – the most powerful cricketing organisation in the world – had wielded its power. The affidavit, read by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, reports the conversation as:
Martin: Guys, this is a radical shift from anything we have talked about or contemplated.
Dobson: Lewis, how so? What's the issue?
Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson. Credit:Getty Images
Martin: Any one of these options is a radical departure from the published schedule. We have been working out our planning for the season based on the published schedule since May. This is ridiculous. This is not the season we have been planning for. Why have you put the "white ball" (T20 and ODI) matches before the first India Test and BBL season start?
Roach: The Indians won't quarantine twice. They want their Test players and white-ball players to quarantine together at the same time, and then after the white-ball matches are played the white-ball players can go home and the Test players will stay in Australia.
Martin continued to push for answers as to why the Twenty20 series against India, now beginning on Friday in Canberra, could not have been postponed, allowing the Test series to start earlier than the now-scheduled December 17 in Adelaide.
Seven's head of sport Lewis Martin.
On or about November 12, Martin had a conversation with Stephanie Beltrame, CA's broadcast and commercial executive general manager. According to the affidavit, Beltrame told Martin that CA was "unhappy" with him for expressing his "exasperation" over why CA had scheduled white-ball matches at the start of the summer – broadcast exclusively on Foxtel – and why the BBL was not beginning on the same day as a Test. The conversation between the pair again highlighted the power of the BCCI.
Martin: You easily cancelled the 3 x West Indies T20 matches, the World Cup was cancelled and the Afghan Test was cancelled, so why couldn't the 3 T20s against India be cancelled as well? Had you postponed or cancelled the 3 x T20s and left the 3 x ODIs where they were the summer we built would largely be intact.
Beltrame: The West Indies did not have a series and it has been postponed and not cancelled. The Afghan Test has been postponed and not cancelled. We have done so much for Seven. It is a worldwide pandemic for god's sake Lewis, nobody knows that more than you.
Martin: The West Indies T20s and the Afghan Test haven't ruined the summer the way the 6 white-ball matches and the Australia A match have. Why don't you postpone the 3 x T20s and allow that ripping summer we built through the year to happen and give BBL 2.0 the best chance?
Beltrame: You keep saying 2.0 (while referring to the 2020-21 season of BBL cricket).
Martin: Your CEO called it 2.0.
Beltrame: He referred to it once in a meeting.
Martin: He referred to it several times in conversation with me. Steph why did you jam those 6 matches against India? They have had a huge impact on our business and any chance of the BBL recovering.
Beltrame: We don't think it has, we have done so much for Seven. We think we will deliver the summer.
Martin: Those 6 white-ball matches have meant 50 per cent less BBL prime time matches pre Christmas, competing schedule with Aust A, no players, less Test matches pre Christmas. Surely you must see how this has impacted us?
Beltrame: Lewis, we have a 10-match bilateral agreement with BCCI. I have to go but I am happy to continue the conversation later.
Sport newsletter
Sports news, results and expert commentary delivered straight to your inbox each weekday. Sign up here.
Seven West Media
Jon Pierik
Jon Pierik is cricket writer for The Age. He also covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.
Chris Barrett
Chris Barrett is Chief Sports Reporter of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Most Viewed in Sport


text:
Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS
(b. 11 September 1756 , Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Canada, New France d. , )
VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS Family Genealogy
Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS was born 11 September 1756 in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Canada, New France. Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS was the child of Pierre-Joachim VANDANDAIGUE and Marie-Josephte QUENNEVILLE and the grandchild of: (paternal) Claude VANDANDAIGUE and Marie BRIDEAU (maternal) François QUENNEVILLE and Thérèse CARBONNEAU dite PROVENÇAL
He married Marie-Marguerite BRAULT 20 October 1777 in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Province of Québec, Canada . The couple had (at least) 1 child. Marie-Marguerite BRAULT was born abt. 1759 in Québec Province, Canada (Quebec). She was the daughter of Antoine BREAU (BRAULT) and Marguerite DOUCET.
Québec Généalogie - Did you know? The Canadian horse was introduced to New France in July of 1665. The first load of twelve horses...Read MORE...
The Story of the Canadian Horse (www.lechevalcanadien.ca/ breed.htm)
Québec Généalogie - What is a 'dit/dite' name? When the first settlers came to Québec from France it was a custom to add a 'dit' nickname to the surname. The English translation of 'dit' is 'said'. The Colonists of Nouvelle France added 'dit' names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a 'dit' name that described the locale to which they had relocated. The acquiring of a 'dit' name might also be the result of a casual adoption, whereby the person wanted to honor the family who had raised them. Another reason was also to distinguish themselves by taking as a 'dit' name the town or village in France from which they originated. This custom ended around 1900 when people began using only one name, either the 'dit' nickname or their original surname.
Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)
Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canada
1777 Marriage / Partner
Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS and Marie-Marguerite BRAULT 20 October 1777, Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canada
Pierre VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS was born 12 September 1778, Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canada
Added: 3/25/2015 10:17:56 AM - Updated:
About Claude - Family History / Genealogy Charts
Genealogy research for Claude Vandandaigue Dit Gadbois (on other sites)
Is Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS YOUR Ancestor? Tell us more!
If you'd like to be contacted by others who are related to Claude VANDANDAIGUE dit GADBOIS, leave a message here!


New information released show how many enquiries councillors have made on behalf of their constituents, which acts as a rough guide for the amount of casework they do.
While the Labour councillor for the area only made 15 enquiries on behalf of his constituents last year, the Liberal Democrat councillor Damian O'Brien did 239, meaning he did more for his constituents in a month than the Labour councillor did in a year.
In fact, Cllr O'Brien made more enquiries than 19 other Southwark Labour councillors put together. Top of the list for all councillors was Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Southwark Council and who also represented part of the ward before the boundaries changed. Between the two of them, they made more enquiries on behalf of their constituents than 35 Labour councillors combined.


Amid great fanfare 44 African countries signed the long-awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) earlier this year. The bloc is expected to boost intra-African trade – pegged at less than 20% – by eliminating import duties and scaling back tariffs. If fully implemented, a market of 1.2bn people with a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion will be created.
Efforts to create a free trade grouping date back to the establishment of the African Economic Community under the Abuja treaty in 1991. In this context, therefore, the CFTA should be celebrated. Nonetheless, it remains more of a beginning than an end to overcoming intra-African trade barriers.
"The political act of signing the free trade area will not, on its own, promote intra-African trade," says Benedict Oramah, president of the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank).
A 2017 report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates an annual $90bn trade finance gap on the continent. If enterprises with cross-border trade ambitions struggle to access finance then the objectives of CFTA may not be properly met.
As it stands banks support about one third of total trade in Africa. However the share of bank-intermediated trade finance devoted solely to intra-African trade stands at a modest 20%, according to AfDB. Of this percentage, well-known and large corporates take the lion's share, but small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and first-time applicants face significant challenges in accessing trade finance facilities from banks.
Egypt, for example, has been attracting investment despite its rating six levels below investment grade by Moody's – one level below Nigeria, which has attracted far less. In such a manner credit ratings in Africa may not be a useful framework on which investors can base their decisions and the ratings will struggle to hold those who default to account.
On the other hand, investors and banks are hesitant to back cross-border partnerships due to a lack of publicly available information about the African private sector as a whole.
"The challenges have always been that counterparty information is not easily available," affirms Benjamin Mugisha, a senior underwriter at the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATIA). "In most markets there is no obligation for corporates to be transparent about their operations and so we are not sure whether they honour their agreements or not." Creditworthiness is therefore difficult to ascertain and finding a credible counterpart can be difficult.
Mugisha believes this can be overcome as Africa's pan-African banking infrastructure continues to develop and achieve greater penetration.
"We have seen a rolling out of financial institutions like Ecobank and United Bank of Africa which is part of the process of increasing financial inclusion," he says. As Africa's ever-increasing financial framework gains sophistication and depth, corporates will follow suit.
This, for Oramah, is a hangover from the colonial-era where African economies were geared up to export raw materials to metropolitan powers. This goes a long way to explaining why 80% of Africa's trade finance is in support of extra-continental trade. Quite simply financial backers will feel uneasy about backing a trade route previously unknown to them – no matter how financially viable.
Currency is a perennial obstacle to trade and trade finance in Africa. Financiers are worried about retrieving money from a country in which they don't operate; either because they may get less than they put in or because the money may get "stuck". Devaluations and political or economic instability may cause a currency to drop and a resulting loss on the exchange rate; or, a lack of foreign reserves may result in a lack of payment.
The possibilities of not getting paid also create harsh collateral requirements for cross-border traders looking to get loans from banks. Collateral requirements are the amount a loan applicant must have in reserves in case of any shock or transactional failure. The collateral requirements for trade finance in Africa may be as high as 100% of the value of the traded goods, presenting significant problems for SMEs and entrepreneurs whose lack of capital lead them to the bank in the first place.
By minimising border tariffs the CFTA will help open the space for trade finance as traders and investors stand to make larger margins on their exports. Yet, for reasons given, substantial problems stand in the way of trade finance being able to support the level of intra-African trade envisaged in the CFTA. If the free trade area is the machinery of Africa's trade revolution then trade finance is surely the grease.
Large development banks such as Afreximbank and AfDB and insurers like the African Trade Insurance Agency are working to minimise some of the risks. They do so largely by providing guarantees and credit rating backings for those looking to trade across borders.
Guarantees work by promising to cover the possibility of a trader defaulting on a loan. A bank is more likely to offer trade finance if the loan is backed up by a larger bank who can cover the repayment in the event of the trader defaulting. In this vein AfDB has recently approved a $50m risk participation agreement with Frankfurt-based Commerzbank AG.
The partnership allows both banks to cover the risk of some of Africa's smaller banks looking to expand their trade finance operations. The facility is expected to support around $700m of trade on the continent within three years. Afreximbank is involved in similar projects. "Last year we launched Afreximbank guarantees for those who are worried about the country risk of other African countries," says Oramah.
Credit insurers, like the African Trade Insurance Agency, also have an important role to play. Mugisha explains how the agency's top S&P credit rating is carried forward to their clients so that those clients can then mobilise finance on the basis they will be able to repay loans. Indeed, insurers function in much the same way as guarantees do in that they guarantee repayments on loans.
Efforts like these are crucial to unlocking trade finance on the continent as only by providing financial bulwarks against Africa's associated risks will the dream of a fully developed trading bloc be realised.


text:
An eBay for Charity Story: More Than Words in Boston
More Than Words helps fund the futures of Boston youth through selling books on eBay for Charity.
In $1 billion raised through eBay for Charity milestone, we partnered with three sellers to create video portraits to spotlight how a single purchase on eBay for Charity can impact charities, their recipients and their local communities. http://bit.ly/3565ShC
eBay for Charity news
By: Francesca Hellebrandt, eBay News Team
Editor's note: This month, we're celebrating $1 billion raised through eBay for Charity with the help of our community. As part of this milestone, we partnered with three sellers to create video portraits to spotlight how a single purchase on eBay for Charity can impact charities, their recipients and their local communities. Watch the new series at youtube.com/ebay.
For 23-year-old Mehki Jordan, hope looks a little something like this: a stack of books, friendly coworkers and a chance to plan for college.
Mehki had joined More Than Words about two years ago seeking a change of pace and scenery. Before discovering the Boston-area nonprofit, Mehki had slipped in and out of trouble. He had dropped out of school, was unemployed and spent the majority of his time with the wrong crowd.
After being stabbed in a street altercation and almost losing his arm, Mehki knew he needed to make a change in his life.
"I didn't want to be a part of [that] anymore," he said. "I really wanted to change from that point on, because it wasn't only for myself, it was also for my parents. When I was in the hospital, that really hurt them bad to know that I was hurt. And I didn't ever want my parents to ever feel like that."
For Mehki, the first step to change direction was to get a job, he said.
More Than Words is a social enterprise that teaches nearly 400 at-risk youth in the Boston area the critical skills needed to become successful in today's workplace. The organization serves disadvantaged young people, between the ages of 16 and 24, who are court involved, experiencing homelessness and/or in the foster care system.
More Than Words trains them to develop professional work and leadership skills by running a successful $3.75 million bookstore. The organization includes a brick-and-mortar store in Boston's South End neighborhood and an online eBay bookselling operation in Waltham, Massachusetts, and aims to achieve measurable outcomes in education, work and life.
"When you're part of More Than Words, a young person or an adult staffer for that matter, you're with More Than Words forever," said Shaun Newell, chief of social enterprise at More Than Words. "And so something really special about this place is that it becomes a family. It's not just changing the community, it's changing the lives within those communities, too."
Like Mehki, the program's youth are given day-to-day jobs on the store floor but also have the added responsibility of a "you job." Every week, employees are required to set attainable goals for themselves (i.e. studying for the SAT's and applying for a driver's license) and work with program mentors to achieve each one.
Once he graduated from the program, Mehki was hired as a business training manager and works with other youth to accomplish their own goals.
"When I see people excelling, it makes me extremely excited," Mehki said. "It also feeds my drive because a lot of people don't think that they have this in them. By coming to work every day, they are changing their lives."
Stories like Mehki's sit at the very heart of the eBay for Charity program. Since 2003, eBay for Charity has empowered consumers to make an impact by enabling them to support their favorite charities and causes when they buy or sell on eBay.
Newell spoke to the direct impact that eBay has had on the business.
"eBay for Charity has made it possible to pay our young people to be participants in this program," he said. "eBay allows us to take almost 100% of our profits made on the marketplace and put it back into this organization."
eBay for Charity is celebrating $1 billion raised in support of charities like More Than Words. Every time a community member buys or sells on eBay, it's an opportunity to support causes that matter the most and to help with their fundraising goals.
Shop with purpose. Shop More Than Words by visiting their online eBay store.
Corporate Contributions
NASDAQ: EBAY
More from eBay Inc.
Building Community and Fostering Kindness on eBay
eBay Launches New Destination to Meet Surging Demand for Certified Refurbished Products from Top Brands
Nov 9, 2020 3:00 PM ET
Meet eBay Employee Peat Bakke
Nov 5, 2020 12:55 PM ET
From the Joy of Collecting to the Joy of Selling
eBay Joins EPA's Green Power Partnership
Oct 19, 2020 2:05 PM ET


How to migrate a testing database in Laravel 5?
I have setup Codeception and Laravel 5 to work. And they work.
But now, I want to run codeception with a testing database, not local.
And that works. It loads the values from .env.testing and runs test on testing database.
The problem now is that I want to migrate the testing database before running the tests.
I do php artisan migrate --env=testing but that migrates my local database specified in .env file.
Is there a way to migrate a database different from one specified in .env ?