Professor Meenakshi Chhabra is a graduate of the Intercultural Relations Program at Lesley University, where she also completed her Ph.D in Educational Studies with a focus on youth development in protracted conflict contexts. As a scholar and practitioner in Peace and Conflict Studies, Meenakshi has been recognized as a Fulbright Specialist in the field. She has also been awarded two Fulbright Senior Scholarships for her research and teaching related to Peace Education. Her current research focuses on a comparative study examining teaching about historical events of conflict in India, Northern Ireland, and South Africa for which she has received a Fulbright Global Fellowship. Her research interest includes, peace education, youth leadership, and trauma and resilience, in conflict contexts. In addition to research and teaching, Meenakshi has been working with youth and educators in international conflict and post-conflict contexts.
Chhabra, M. (2016). Mirror images of reciprocal distortions and reciprocal connections: Conversations between Indian and Pakistani youth on the 1947 British India Partition. In, T. Danijela (Ed.) Oral history education: dialogue with the past. 1st ed. Ljubljana: Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO. ISBN 978-961-93589-4-8.
Chhabra, M. (2015) Memory practices in history education of the 1947 British India Partition: Opportunities and challenges to breaching hegemonic remembering." Journal of Educational Media, Memory, and Society Volume 7, Issue 2, 10–28.
Chhabra, M. Starting with the self, (2015). In, The Olive branch, teachers guide, Seeds of Peace, Special Issue: Making History.
Chhabra, M. (2017) Teaching conflicting histories. Presentation at the, William Joiner Institute Educational Project, University of Massachusetts.
Chhabra, M. (2016) Teaching about a historical event of collective violence: Should we bring in Human Rights perspective? Paper and workshop presented at Georg Arnhold International Summer School on Education for Sustainable Peace. Braunschweig, Germany.
Chhabra, M. (July, 2016). Taking the perspective of researcher and educators: The case of history education in India and Pakistan. Presentation at International Conference on History Education for Peace in East Asia and Europe, Institute of Global Justice, Hague.
Chhabra, M., Jones, M., Spragg, D., & Cochrane, S. (2014). Sharing our learning: Culturally responsive teaching at Lesley. Community of Scholars Day, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA.
Chhabra, M. (September, 2015). History education and memories of conflict. Paper presented at History Educators International Research Network Institute of Education, London.
Chhabra, M. (October, 2015). Self and other- The practice of dignity. Invited speaker for the Annual Ikeda Forum, Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning and Dialogue, Cambridge, MA.
Chhabra, M. (May, 2015). Crossing borders. Invited speaker for Seminar on peace and conflict resolution, Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning and Dialogue, Cambridge, MA.
Chhabra, M. (April, 2015). Understanding the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion through the lens of identity and culture. Workshop presented at Inclusion not Exclusion: Comparative educational perspectives at the heart of sustainable development, 6th annual conference of Gulf Comparative Education Society, Dubai.
Chhabra, M. (March, 2015). Narratives of conflict- Conflict of narratives: Teaching and learning of the 1947 British India Partition. Featured talk at the seminar, Examining narratives of history and identity in schools today: International perspectives on research and educational practices. UMass, Boston.
Chhabra, M. (September, 2014). Stigmatized and marginalized- Voices from a school in Old Delhi. Paper presented at Miranda College, New Delhi, India.
Chhabra, M. (March, 2014). What kind of education for all? Paper presented at 58th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, Toronto, Canada.
Chhabra, M (2012). Narratives and teaching of a historical event of collective violence: Teaching of the 1947 Partition in Indian high schools. Paper presented at 38th Annual Meeting of The Association for Moral Education (AME) Civility vs Incivility: Respectful disagreement in a divided world. San Antonio, Texas.
Chhabra, M (2012). Reconstructing learner-teacher citizens–Gaps between history curriculum reform and classroom practice in Indian high schools. Paper presented at Institute of Education, Equity and Quality in Education Conference, at the Beijing Normal University, Beijing.
B.A., Lady Sri Ram College in New Delhi, India.


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Austin Police Department (APD) is the principal law enforcement agency serving Austin, Texas. As of Fiscal Year 2018, the agency had an annual budget of more than $442 million and employed around 2,646 personnel, including approximately 1,900 officers.[3] Brian Manley was named chief of police[4] effective June 14th, 2018.[5]
$376 million (2020)[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction
Map of Austin Police Department's jurisdiction.
296.2 square miles (767 km2)
964,243 (2018)
General nature
Local civilian police
1,851[2]
Civilian employees
Brian Manley, Chief of Police
Austin Police
1 Specialized units
2 Patrol divisions
3 Ranks
4 Fallen Officers
5 Controversial Deaths* Related to Use of Force by APD Officers
Specialized unitsEdit
Aggravated Assault Unit
Air Support Unit
Auto Theft Interdiction Unit
Cold Case Unit
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
Counter Assault Strike Team (CAST)
Decentralized Investigations
Digital Forensics Unit
DWI investigation and Enforcement Team
Executive Protection Unit
Family Violence Protection Team
Gang Suppression Unit
Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST)
Human Trafficking Unit
Internal Affairs (IA)
Lake Patrol Unit
Mounted Patrol Horse Unit
Peer Support Unit
Public Safety Unit (Airport, Parks, Downtown)
Robbery Unit
Sex Crimes Unit
Special Events Unit
Special Investigations Unit (SI)
Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT)
Traffic/ Highway Enforcement
Vehicular Homicide Unit
Victim Services (VSU)
Patrol divisionsEdit
Downtown Area Command
Northeast Area Command
Northwest Area Command
North Central Area Command
Central East Area Command
Central West Area Command
Southeast Area Command
Southwest Area Command
South Central Area Command
Highway Enforcement Command (Motors, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, DWI Enforcement)
RanksEdit
Insignia [1]
Assistant Chief
Sergeant (10+ years in rank)
Sergeant (less than 10 years in rank)
Corporal/Detective
Senior Police Officer N/A
Fallen OfficersEdit
Since the establishment of the Austin Police Department, twenty-three officers have died in the line of duty.[6] The following list also contains one officer from the Austin Park Police Department, which was merged into APD.[citation needed]
APD ~ Anderson
Officer Cornelius L. Fahey Monday, March 8, 1875 Gunfire
Officer John Gaines Wednesday, November 19, 1913 Gunfire
Officer Tom Allen Sunday, October 24, 1915 Gunfire
Chief of Police James N. Littlepage Tuesday, October 9, 1928 Gunfire
Sergeant William Murray Stuart Monday, October 16, 1933 Vehicle pursuit
Officer James R. Cummings Sunday, December 3, 1933 Motorcycle accident
Officer Elkins P. Morrison Sunday, February 2, 1936 Struck by vehicle
Sergeant Walter Lee Tucker Sunday, November 14, 1948 Motorcycle accident
Officer Donald Eugene Carpenter Thursday, January 30, 1964 Gunfire
Officer Billy Paul Speed Monday, August 1, 1966 Gunfire
Officer Thomas Wayne Birtrong Friday, August 23, 1974 Automobile accident
Officer Leland Dale Anderson Friday, June 6, 1975 Gunfire
Officer Ralph Allen Ablanedo Thursday, May 18, 1978 Gunfire
Officer Lee Craig Smith Saturday, December 15, 1979 Motorcycle accident
Officer Robert Townes Martinez Jr. Saturday, February 25, 1989 Automobile accident
Officer Drew A. Bolin Friday, June 2, 1995 Vehicular assault
Officer William DeWayne Jones Sr. Sunday, May 28, 2000 Gunfire
Office Clinton Hunter Thursday, November 29, 2001 Vehicular assault
Sergeant Earl Alison Hall Monday, March 4, 2002 Heart attack
Officer Amy Lynn Donovan Sunday, October 31, 2004 Struck by vehicle
Senior Officer Jaime D. Padron Sunday, April 6, 2012 Gunfire
Lieutenant Clay D. Crabb Sunday, October 16, 2013 Automobile crash
Senior Officer Amir Abdul-Khaliq Sunday, September 4, 2016 Motorcycle crash
Controversial Deaths* Related to Use of Force by APD OfficersEdit
*Cases were selected based on the NAACP Austin Branch's list of 1984-2020 questionable use of force deaths,[7] as well as cases that were the subject of significant protests, media coverage, disciplinary action, judiciary investigation, or cases in which officers were involved in other controversial deaths or incidents. Of note, from 1979 to 2016, all cases in which officers used deadly force (including all cases where police discharged a weapon) were automatically brought before a grand jury. As was the case before 1979, the Travis County District Attorney may choose whether or not to present to case to a grand jury based on their investigation.
Involved Officer(s)
Officer Outcome
Joe Cedillo, Jr. July 31, 1971 James Johnson, Paul Looney Police state they saw Cedillo fleeing from the site of a reported burglary. Johnson and Looney both fired at Cedillo when he kept fleeing, despite orders to halt. Cedillo was shot once in the back of the head.[8] Protestors gathered at city hall and within a city council meeting to protest the shooting and the alleged pattern of police brutality in East Austin.[9] Chief of Police R. A. Miles said that protesters were "playing into the hands of The Communists... by discrediting the police in the eyes of the public".[10] Grand jury declined to indict.
No disciplinary action.[10]
Tiburcio Soto October 6, 1974 Ruben Fuentes, Joe Villegas Police were responding to a domestic disturbance, where they report that Soto was in an argument with his son. Police said that Soto got ahold of Villegas' gun while officers were attempting to separate the father and son. Soto allegedly pointed the gun at Fuentes, who then shot Soto four times at close range. The shooting was controversial as witness testimony differed from police. Many witnesses said that Soto simply picked up Villegas' gun by the barrel after it was dropped and never pointed it at police.[11] The shooting prompted public outcry and inspired the creation of a Community Relations Task Force[12] No disciplinary action.
Grand jury declined to indict.[12]
James Lyndon Park January 29, 1976 Ron Smith Smith was on patrol when he saw Park robbing a clerk at a convenience store. According to the clerk, when Park saw the officer stop he told the clerk to come outside with him and tell the officer that nothing was wrong. When the two came outside, Smith drew his weapon and Park walked quickly away from the scene. Smith said that he thought he saw Park reaching for a weapon as he walked away, which is what led him to decide to shoot him. It was later revealed that Park was unarmed and shot in the back of the head. The case drew little attention at the time but became controversial later, when the same officer was involved in the 1984 suffocation of Evans Ekiye.[13] No disciplinary action.
The assistant district attorney decided not to present the case to a grand jury.[13]
Gril Couch August 1, 1979 Dunny Donavan, Claude Hooker Donavan and Hooker, two plain clothes officers, attempted to arrest Couch for public drunkenness after he lunged at them repeatedly in a barbeque restaurant where they were eating lunch. According to witnesses, one of the officers called for a uniformed officer to come arrest Couch after he lunged at them twice but decided to arrest him sooner on the restaurant staff's request. A struggle broke out during which, according to witnesses, one officer held Couch in a choke hold until he went limp and for at least 3-4 minutes after that. Couch was pronounced dead at the scene. His autopsy revealed a fractured larynx and listed asphyxiation as his cause of death.[14] The police later admitted that they never identified themselves to Couch as police officers.[15] The incident sparked outrage in the East Austin community, especially given Couch's history of mental illness, and led to six weeks of demonstrations as well as an FBI investigation. The incident also led to the enactment of a policy that all deaths caused by APD officers be brought before a grand jury.[16] No disciplinary action. Grand jury declined to indict.[17] Both officers later quit the APD. Hooker cited loss of public support for officers and increasing complication of the job as his reasons for resigning.[18]
Vincent Trujillo January 27, 1980 Daniel Pena Pena was called to a suspected break-in and saw Trujillo fleeing the scene. Pena told investigators that he fired his shotgun first when Trujillo turned toward him with a shiny object in his hand (which was later confirmed as a butcher knife) but the shot missed. The chase resumed but Pena then slipped while running, at which point his gun discharged accidentally and killed Trujillo.[19] Grand jury declined to indict.[20]
Evans Ekiye December 5, 1984 Ron Smith, Randall Pasley, Joe Regalado, Amando Balderama Police were sent to Nigerian student Evans Ekiye's address for a domestic disturbance call, where Ekiye's wife told police he had beaten her and threatened her with a gun. Ekiye allegedly attacked Smith when he was looking for the gun. A fight started between Ekiye and the four officers, which ended when the officers handcuffed him and held him face-down on a water bed.[21] Officers continued holding Ekiye face down up until medics called by the officers arrived at the scene. Eikye's cause of death was ruled as suffocation.[22] The case prompted the APD to add more training on detecting when they are injuring someone in police custody.[23] It also spurred an official complaint to the State Department by the Nigerian government, who visited Austin to investigate the case.[24] The case was heavily protested in Austin. Members of the local Black Citizens Task Force picketed in front of APD headquarters for an hour every day for 18 months.[25] No disciplinary action.
A district grand jury declined to indict at the time.[21] The case was further investgated by the Texas Attorney General, who concluded that the officers could be prosecuted for criminally negligent homicide. However, the grand jury declined to reopen the case after review of the report.[26]
Arthur Martinez October 30, 1990 Tobias Santiago Santiago and four other officers were called to a local park when residents reported hearing gunshots. The officers found a group of teenagers drinking and shooting at targets. The teens scattered when police announced themselves, except for Martinez who allegedly pointed the gun at Santiago. Martinez's blood alcohol level was 0.15, according to the medical examiner.[27] The family claimed that Martinez's wounds indicated that he was running away from officers when shot and that at least one of the teens present told them that Martinez was not holding a gun (though all teens later testified that he was armed). Critics also noted that the five teenagers were not interviewed by the grand jury until late in the investigation.[28] Santiago had twelve complaints on his record with APD, four of which he had been disciplined for including rudeness, verbal abuse, and retaliation.[29] Grand jury declined to indict.[28] The family sued the City of Austin for wrongful death but the jury found in favor of the city.[29]
Rodney Wickware Jan 24, 1998 Alfred Trejo, four other unnamed officers Trejo saw Wickware walking in and out of traffic. According to police, Wickware resisted arrest and required five officers to subdue him. He suddenly stopped breathing during fight. The county Medical Examiner reported that Wickware had two broken ribs and fractured larynx, which indicated he had been choked during the fight,[30] but ruled the cause of death as ethylene glycol poisoning,[31] presumably from self-ingestion. Grand jury declined to indict.[31]
Johnny Cornell Feb 2, 1999 Stan Farris Police were called after Cornell set fire to a car with his mother and her friend inside. Witnesses confirmed that Cornell walked toward Farris with a butcher knife, ignoring commands to stop, and was shot four times. The case was controversial because Cornell had a history of mental illness.[32] Grand jury declined to indict.[32]
Albert Juarez January 23, 1999 Billie Hancock and Duane Williams Police called for domestic abuse report. Witnesses confirmed that Juarez approached police concealing a box cutter in his pocket and refused orders to stop and show his hands. Police shot Juarez six times before he stopped advancing towards police[32] Grand jury declined to indict.[32]
Herbert Vences March 2, 1999 Troy Brown and Ross Arnold Police responded to report of man lunging into traffic. Officers found Vences in a nearby parking lot and tried to arrest him but he fled. Brown shot Vences after he allegedly "took a broken piece of [tree] limb and raised it like a spear over [Arnold's] face".[32] Unknown
Erik McDonald September 24, 1999 Allen McClure, William Pursley and Jerry Sullivan Police called for ongoing domestic assault. McDonald allegedly began fighting with police on arrival, requiring restraint. Witnesses reported seeing McDonald unconscious with blood running from his nose and mouth, though the medical examiner reported minimal injuries. Cause of death ruled as PCP overdose.[33] Unknown.
Jerry Sullivan was later named in 2000 lawsuit for knocking Choyce Perkins to the ground with a flashlight for allegedly interfering with her son's arrest (who was apparently seizing), though witnesses say she was 20 feet away.[34] Allen McClure was later criticized by supervisors for attempting to pepper-spray a man sleeping in a bathroom stall in 2000.[35]
Steven Bernard Scott March 31 2000 Andrew Haynes, Jeremiah Sullivan, Billie David Hancock, Jesse Sanchez, Michael Olsen, Alan Goodwin, Justin Owings, and Mark Ferris Officers started chasing Scott after he fired several shots at a parked car. Scott began fighting with police and allegedly tried to wrestle a gun away from one officer. He then became unresponsive. Cause of death was ruled as cocaine-induced heart attack.[36] Grand jury declined to indict.[36]
Jose Navarro July 28, 2001 Steven McCurley Police called for two men repeatedly stabbing another man after an argument at a convenience store. McCurley stated that Navarro, who was with the two men, was waving a claw hammer at bystanders. Navarro allegedly turned his aggression toward McCurley, who shot and killed him. Unknown.
Sophia King June 11, 2002 John Coffey King was shot while brandishing butcher knife over her housing development manager.[7] King had a long history of schizophrenia. Police were criticized for failing to call mental health officers when responding to several noise complaints by her neighbors in the days preceding her death.[37] Grand jury declined to indict. A jury sided with APD in a 2004 wrongful death lawsuit by family.[37]
Jesse Lee Owens, Jr. June 14, 2003 Scott Glasgow Glasgow was attempting to handcuff Owens through the car window when Owens accelerated the car and Glasgow's arm became caught and he was dragged. Glasgow shot Owens several times.[38] Glasgow later ranked in the top 25 APD officers in number of use-of-force reports filed from 1998-2003.[35] Scott Glasgow was also involved in the 2014 shooting of Scott Caraway (see below). Glasgow was indicted for criminally negligent homicide by a grand jury but prosecutors later dropped the charges for insufficient evidence. Glasgow received a 90-day suspension for failure to follow high-risk traffic stop protocol.
Daniel Rocha June 9, 2005 Julie Schroeder Rocha was pulled over by Schroeder after leaving a "known drug-house". Rocha allegedly resisted arrest, however several witnesses said they did not see a struggle. Rocha was shot once in the back. Schroeder defended the shooting by saying that Rocha was reaching for her taser.[39] Grand jury declined to indict. She was fired by APD.[40]
Michael Clark September 26, 2005 Douglas Drake, Blaine Eiben, Sgt Robert Pewitt, Robin Denton Police were called for domestic disturbance and arrested Clark for public intoxication. Clark allegedly resisted arrest, with nine officers involved in subduing him - two of whom were injured by Clark. Clark was pepper sprayed and tased three times, after which he went into "medical distress".[41] According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was "the consequences of massive intravascular sickling (sickle cell anemia) associated with extreme physical exhaustion due to PCP and cocaine induced excited delirium". Critics of this arrest say that he died from being tased multiple times in a short period.[42] No disciplinary actions. Grand jury declined to indict.[43]
Kevin Alexander Brown June 3, 2007 Michael Olsen Police were called by security guard who reported a patron with a gun. Brown fled from Olsen on questioning. Olsen said he shot when Brown reached for his waistband while running away, but a witness said Brown was pulling his pants up. A gun was found 20 feet from Brown's body.[44] Olsen had a significant history of use of force prior to the shooting. He was suspended in 2002 for using excessive force on Jeffrey Thornton - a bystander who criticized Olsen's behavior while responding to a civil disturbance. He was additionally suspended for writing a false statement and tampering with government records related to that incident.[45] From 1998-2003, Oslen filed 80 use-of-force reports, the highest among all APD officers. Typical APD officers filed around eight in the same period.[35] Grand jury declined to indict. Olsen was fired by APD.[7]
Nathaniel Sanders II May 11, 2009 Leonardo Quintana Sanders and two other men were sleeping in a parked car that police thought may be related to reports of gunfire in the area. Quintana alleged that Sanders grabbed his hand upon waking up as Quintana reached for the gun in Sanders' waistband. The two wrestled over the gun and, after Sanders regained control of it, Quintana shot him. Sanders had been charged with robbery by assault days earlier and was released on bond. Quintana had nine previous complaints of excessive force which were all overturned. The incident outraged residents, who threw bottles and rocks at police the next morning, smashed several police car windows, and minorly injured several officers.[46] While APD maintained that Quintana acted appropriately, an independent report by KeyPoint Government Solutions (hired by the City of Austin) concluded that Quintana did use excessive force and acted recklessly in several ways, including failing to identify as himself as an officer when waking Sanders up. Grand jury declined to indict.[47] Quintana was suspended 15 days for failure to activate his patrol car camera. Quintana was fired in 2010 for driving while intoxicated.[48] The family of the victim sued the City of Austin for wrongful death, which resulted in a $750,000 settlement.[49]
Devin Contreras October 1, 2010 Derrick Bowman Bowman shot Contreras when he pointed a gun at police outside a Big Lots store during an attempted burglary. Police reported that Contreras had shot first, though later said that examination of his revolver revealed it had not been fired. Patrol car video confirms that Contreras did point a gun at police.[50] The case was somewhat controversial because Bowman fired 14 rounds within three seconds, four of which hit Contreras. The family's attorney claimed that the patrol car video showed Contreras running away and was concerned that Bowman kept firing after Contreras had fallen to the ground.[51] Grand jury declined to indict. No disciplinary action.[51]
Byron Carter, Jr. May 30, 2011 Nathan Wagner and Jeffery Rodriguez Wagner and Rodriguez were patrolling for car thieves and said they began following two individuals who they believed were "casing out the area". The officers found the suspects inside a parked car, with Carter in the passengers seat. Officers were approaching the car with guns drawn when the car lunged toward officers, striking and injuring Rodriguez and pinning Wagner against another car. Wagner says he fired several shots at the car while he was pinned and continued shooting as the car drove away.[52] A police firearms investigator later confirmed that the car was passing Wagner as he shot, not coming towards him.[53] The car was found blocks away with Carter dead inside. He had been shot four times. Officers were on bicycles and not wearing body cameras.[52] A grand jury declined to indict the driver of the car for aggravated assault on an officer. The driver later testified that he did not know it was police approaching the car and that Carter had yelled "Go. Just Go" as if they were in danger.[54] A grand jury declined to indict the officers. No disciplinary action.[55]
The victim's family sued the City of Austin in 2013 for violation of civil rights, but the jury sided with police.[54]
Ahmede Jabbar Bradley April 5, 2012 Eric Copeland Bradley fled on foot from Copeland during a minor traffic stop, which ended in a struggle. Several 911 calls from neighbors confirmed that the two were wrestling over Copeland's gun before Bradley was shot. Copeland did attempt to use his taser on Bradley at one point but said that "one of the prongs did not take". A peaceful protest opposing the shooting was held outside APD headquarters.[56] The NAACP and Texas Civil Rights Project later filed a complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice that they had ended their recent civil rights investigation of APD too early, citing Bradley's shooting.[57] No disciplinary action.
Larry Jackson, Jr. July 26, 2013 Detective Charles Kleinert Jackson entered a bank at which Kleinert was investigating a bank robbery as part of the Federal Violent Crimes Task Force. When bank tellers identified Jackson to Kleinert as a possible participant, Kleinert attempted to question him but Jackson ran. Kleinert chased Jackson and shot him after a struggle. It was later revealed that Jackson was not involved with the bank robbery, was unarmed, and was shot in the back of the neck.[7] Kleinert was indicted by grand jury for manslaughter. The charges dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who cited a precedent that protects federal agents from local prosecution. Yaekel's ruling extended the protection to local officers working on federal task forces.[58] The City of Austin later settled a wrongful death lawsuit from Jackson's family for $1.25 million.[59]
Scott Caraway September 8, 2014 Shawn Scott, Scott Glasgow, Phillip Hogue Police were attempting to arrest Caraway in connection with a bank robbery, as part of the Federal Violent Crimes Task Force. Caraway allegedly fired at officers from his car. Officers opened fired and killed Caraway. Scott Glasgow was also involved in the 2003 shooting of Jesse Lee Owens (see above). Cleared by federal officials.
David Joseph February 8, 2016 Geoffrey Freeman Freeman responded to calls about a man chasing another man through an apartment complex. The dispatcher said callers confirmed the two men were unarmed. Freeman encountered Joseph naked and standing in the street. Freeman exited his vehicle, intending to wait for backup from a distance, however Joseph charged at him despite orders to stop. Freeman fired two shots, fatally wounding Joseph.[60] Investigation revealed that Freeman had suspected that Joseph was having a mental health crisis based on the 911 calls that the dispatcher was reporting and had called for backup before arriving. He claimed that he exited the car with his gun drawn in order to "kinda hold [Joseph] there" and that he never considered switching to pepper spray or a stun gun, both of which he was carrying. Freeman later said that he did not think his stun gun would work on someone in Joseph's condition.[61] Joseph's autopsy was positive for marijuana and Xanax but authorities thought that Joseph's behavior was due more to a mental health crisis than drug-induced. In the weeks prior to his shooting, friends reported that Joseph had started acting oddly - often referring to himself as one of the three kings from the Bible. The day before the shooting, he told a friend's mother that Lucifer was after him. Two people told police that Joseph walked up to them near where he was shot and said he was "going to see Jesus tonight".[62] A grand jury declined to indict.
Freeman was fired from APD. Freeman appealed and settled with the City of Austin for $35,000 - an outcome which made him eligible to be hired at other police departments.[63]
The City of Austin settled a wrongful death lawsuit by Joseph's family for $3.25 million. Chief of Police Art Acevedo drew criticism from the Austin Police Association when he appeared with Black Lives Matter activists who were protesting the shooting.[60]
Jason Sebastian Roque May 2, 2017 James Harvel Police responded to a call that Roque was waving a gun erratically outside. Roque's mother then called 911 and reported that her son was threatening to commit suicide. When police arrived, Roque began to approach his mother, ignoring police orders to freeze.[64] Harvel shot Roque because he did not know where Roque's gun was pointed and was concerned for the mother's safety. Roque's parents later sued the City of Austin for wrongful death - stating that footage of the event showed that Roque dropped his gun after Harvel's first shot and began walking away from it but that Harvel fired two more shots regardless.[65] Unknown.
Landon Nobles May 7, 2017 Sgt. Richard Egal, Cpl. Maxwell Johnson Police monitoring the Sixth Street district heard gunfire following an argument between several people. Officers monitoring cameras of the area radioed a description of the shooter. When officers approached a man matching the description (Nobles), he ran and allegedly shot at officers. The officers returned fire, killing Nobles. His cousin, however, says that an officer threw a bicycle in Nobles' path and that his gun went off as he tripped.[66] The family later sued the City of Austin, citing several witnesses who said Nobles was not displaying a gun and the autopsy finding that Nobles was shot in the back.[67] District attorney chose not to take the case before a grand jury[68]
Mauris DeSilva July 31, 2019 Christopher Taylor and two unidentified officers. Police responded to calls of a man banging on fire exit doors at a downtown apartment and holding a knife to his own throat. They found DeSilva, who lived in the building, in the apartment's gym holding a knife to his throat. In response to commands to drop the weapon, DeSilva instead walked toward officers still holding the knife. Two officers shot DeSilva while a third tasered him. DeSilva had a history of depression and manic episodes and the case drew criticism for the APD's handling of mental health crises.[69] According to one study, among the largest 15 U.S. cities, the Austin Police Department had the highest per capita rate of police shootings during mental health calls from 2010-2016.[70] The district attorney is reviewing the case.[71]
DeSilva's father is currently suing the City of Austin.[69]
Michael Ramos April 24, 2020 Christopher Taylor Officers responded to a 911 caller who reported a Hispanic man and a Hispanic woman were using drugs in a car, that the man was holding a gun, and that he had pointed it at the woman.[72][73] Ramos complied with orders to exit the vehicle but did not comply with the officers' other commands. Police shot Ramos with a "bean bag round", at which point he got back in his vehicle. As the car drove away, Taylor shot at the car with a rifle, killing Ramos. No firearms were found in the car or nearby vicinity. Taylor defended his use of lethal force, saying that he thought Ramos intended to use the car as a deadly weapon.[74] Taylor was involved in the lethal shooting of Mauris DeSilva less than 9 months prior, as described above. Unknown but Taylor did return to active duty, as evidenced by the shooting of DeSilva.
Criminal investigations are still on-going but the Travis County District Attorney announced recently that the case would go before a grand jury.[75]
FacilitiesEdit
Austin Police Headquarters
Jaime Padron North Substation[76]
Clinton Warren Hunter Austin Police South Substation
Loyola Neighborhood Center
Law enforcement in the United States
^ Sullivan, Carl; Baranauckas, Carla (June 26, 2020). "Here's how much money goes to police departments in largest cities across the U.S." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
^ "APD Administration". City of Austin. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
^ "Chief Manley's Biography". City of Austin. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
^ "One Austin, Safer Together". City of Austin. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
^ Cunningham, Chelsea; Norwood, Kalyn (June 14, 2018). "Austin City Council approves Brian Manley as permanent police chief". KVUE. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
^ "Officers Killed in the Line of Duty". austintexas.gov. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
^ a b c d "Use of Force Deaths in ATX". NAACP: AUSTIN. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
^ Shultz, Gary (August 1, 1971). "Police kill suspect". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Be Saw, Larry (August 6, 1971). "City Council Urged to Stop Bloodshed". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b "Chief condemns police detractors". Austin American-Statesman. August 7, 1971.
^ Fuqua, Wendell (October 8, 1974). "Shooting reports conflict". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Fries, Jane (December 18, 1974). "Soto widow sues 2 policemen seeking $83,000 in damages". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b White, Jerry (February 18, 1985). "Slaying of robber by officer in Ekiye suffocation recalled". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Schwab, Robert (August 2, 1979). "Grand jury to probe death". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Schwab, Robert (August 22, 1979). "Cops' identity not revealed to Gril Couch". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Schwab, Robert (August 21, 1979). "Dyson rewrites police policy on death reviews". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Schwab, Robert (September 5, 1979). "Dyson orders inquiry into roughnesss complaint". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Schwab, Robert (January 15, 1980). "2nd cop involved in Gril Couch case to resign next week". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Everett, Trent (January 28, 1980). "Fleeing suspect shot, dies". Austin-American Statesman.
^ Sutton, John (February 13, 1980). "Jury indicts no one in burglary slaying". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b White, Jerry (December 28, 1984). "Nigerian death charges refused by grand jury". Austin American-Statesman.
^ White, Jerry (September 13, 1985). "Mattox finds 4 lawmen negligent in death of Nigerian". Austin American-Statesman.
^ White, Jerry (February 18, 1985). "Nigerian death spurs revised medical training". Austin American-Statesman.
^ White, Jerry (March 9, 1985). "Nigerian official to investigate policemen's role in suffocation". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Frink, Charyl Coggins (June 8, 1986). "Picket ends". Austin American-Statesman.
^ White, Jerry (September 27, 1985). "Indictment of 4 police officers declined in death of Nigerian". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Harris, John (October 31, 1990). "Officer kills teen aiming pistol". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Banta, Bob (November 29, 1990). "Officer cleared in death of teen". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Phillips, Jim (May 20, 1992). "Car drags policeman; suspect says he was hit". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Banta, Bob (January 28, 1998). "Man's death after fight with police examined". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Banta, Bob (February 3, 1998). "Poison cited in death of man in police fight". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b c d e Banta, Bob (March 4, 1999). "Austin Police Shooting is Third This Year". Austin American-Statesmen.
^ Osborn, Claire (September 24, 1999). "Suspect in assault dies after arrest; substance abuse possible". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Ruland, Patricia (September 28, 2007). "The Millionaire Who Would Be Constable". The Austin Chronicle.
^ a b c Rodriguez, Erik (January 27, 2004). "Policing themselves". Austin American-Statesmen.
^ a b "Austin police cleared in man's death". Austin-American Statesman. May 13, 2000.
^ a b Tak, Skrey (January 23, 2006). "Death of Sophia King: Office didn't know of illness, city's lawyer says". Austin-American Statesman.
^ Smith, Jordan; Fri.; Dec. 12; 2003. "'Something Went Wrong'". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05. CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ "Officer fatally shoots teen". Austin American-Statesman. June 11, 2005.
^ Plohetski, Tony (November 22, 2005). "Internal review: Rocha shooting broke no rules". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Humphrey, Katie (September 28, 2005). "Man who died in custody had multiple Taser injuries". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Stanley, Dick (October 29, 2005). "Report: Taser did not kill man". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (March 28, 2006). "No discipline for officers in fatal arrest". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Gonzales, Suzannah (June 4, 2007). "Officer shoots, kills man". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Osborn, Claire (August 8, 2003). "Austin officer accused of filing false report is indicted". Austin American-Statesmen.
^ Plohetski, Tony (May 12, 2009). "Questions about use of deadly force renewed". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (August 6, 2009). "Officer who shot suspect not indicted". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (May 8, 2010). "Acevedo stands by decision the shooting was 'objectively reasonable'". Austin American-Statesmen.
^ George, Patrick (October 21, 2011). "Autopsy: Passenger was shot 4 times". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Heinauer, Laura (October 3, 2010). "Friends of slain teen raise money for his funeral". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Plohetski, Tony (February 25, 2011). "No charges for officer who shot teen in burglary". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Grisales, Claudia (June 1, 2011). "Police shoot, kill man, wound teen". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Ulloa, Jazmine (June 11, 2013). "Closing arguments set Tuesday in civil rights suit". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Ulloa, Jazmine (June 12, 2013). "Jury sides with police in lawsuit over civil rights in fatal shooting". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (March 10, 2012). "Police officer not indicted in fatal shooting". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Mashhood, Farzad (April 11, 2012). "Peaceful rally at police headquarters protests use of force". Austin American-Statesman.
^ George, Patrick (June 28, 2012). "Civil rights groups as U.S. to re-examine Austin police". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (November 9, 2015). "Critics: Law creates accountability issue". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Tony (February 15, 2017). "Austin payout might top $2M in police shooting". Austin American-Statesman.
^ a b Urbanszewski, Katie (May 18, 2016). "Cop avoids charge in killing of Joseph". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Plohetski, Joseph (November 9, 2016). "Officer who shot unarmed, naked teen David Joseph: 'I defended myself'". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Hall, Katie (July 2, 2016). "Before being shot, teen said he was 'going to see Jesus'". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Jankowski, Phillip (February 17, 2017). "Council OKs $3.25M in Joseph case". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Hicks, Nolan (May 5, 2017). "Police identify officer in shooting". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Powell, Jacqulyn (September 28, 2017). "Parents of man killed by APD officer suing the city of Austin". KXAN News.
^ Wilson, Mark (May 9, 2017). "Cousin disputes cops' report of shooting". Austin American-Statesman.
^ Wilson, Andrew (April 8, 2019). "Family claims in lawsuit Austin officers shot man in back several times". KXAN News.
^ Wilson, Andrew (November 27, 2018). "District Attorney rules Austin officers' use of deadly force in Landon Nobles' death was justified". KXAN News.
^ a b Raji, Michelle (June 4, 2020). "Why Is APD Responding To Mental Health Crises Like Violent Crimes?". The Texas Observer.
^ Osbourne, Heather (September 24, 2019). "Austin leads in police shootings during mental health calls, study finds". Austin American-Statesman.
^ "Pending Police-Involved Shooting Investigations." Austin, TX.
^ "911 call that led up to Michael Ramos' death raises questions about caller's culpability". kvue.com. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^ Spencer, Bridget (2020-07-27). "APD releases Mike Ramos officer-involved shooting video". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^ "Mother seeks answers from Austin police chief following death of her son". KXAN Austin. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
^ Austin, C. B. S. (2020-05-29). "Shooting death of Mike Ramos by APD officer to be presented to grand jury". KEYE. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
^ Doolittle, Dave (September 26, 2018). "Police substation to be named after Jaime Padron". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Austin_Police_Department&oldid=992468431"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Residents praised developer Clay Grubb in particular for a plan to keep housing affordable for current residents. Town documents show the average rent at Glen Lennox is affordable for someone making up to 72 percent of the area's average median income, or $47,500 a year.
A one-bedroom apartment at Glen Lennox rents for $725 to $905 a month, according to Rent.com, an online rental search page. Documents show there are 440 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for rent in 78 one-story brick buildings, all of which were built by 1953.
The plan would link price increases on 15 percent of the rental housing to the Consumer Price Index for those who have lived in the neighborhood for at least five years. The Consumer Price Index is based on the current cost of goods and services.
The plan also would keep 15 percent of the project's for-sale housing affordable.
Grubb Properties has worked with the community since 2010 to develop the Glen Lennox Neighborhood Conservation District and the development agreement. Existing N.C. 54 businesses and single-family homes to the north and east will not change.
The development agreement provides a predictable framework and timeline for how Glen Lennox would be transformed over the next 20 years. Grubb has said the retail and office buildings along N.C. 54 could be built first. The developer still would have to seek permits for each stage of the project.
Grubb Properties and town staff also have worked with the N.C. Department of Transportation to design new intersections and traffic lanes for both highways. The development team is working with the Church of the Holy Family to allay concerns about access to the church's parking lots.
Town staff will add ideas from Monday's meeting to the agreement and schedule a public hearing for June. The council could vote at that meeting.


text:
Q: Javascript create array with fixed value but matching column amount from another array I have an array which is built from data dynamically, so it can change.
It's basically this:
["t1", "something", "bird", "dog", "cow", "fish"]

What I need to do is to count how many of them there are and create another array with the same amount of columns but all with the value of 1.
For example, if the array is:
["bird", "dog", "cow", "fish"]

then it creates an array of:
[1, 1, 1, 1]

If the array is:
["bird", "fish"]

then it creates an array of:
[1, 1]

How can I do this?

A: You can use the Array.prototype.map method:
var input = ["foo", "bar", "baz"];
var mapped = input.map(function () { return 1; });

A: Just create a new array of equal length and use the fill function.
var myArray = ["dog","cat","monkey"];

var secondArray = new Array(myArray.length).fill(1);

A: // es6
var array = ["t1", "something", "bird", "dog", "cow", "fish"]
array.map(() =>  1); // => [1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1]

// if you don't care if they are strings
'1'.repeat(array.length).split(''); //=> ["1", "1", "1", "1", "1", "1"]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


India – a land of festivals, colors & vibrant celebrations. The wide spectrum of festivals celebrated in India is a manifestation of its rich culture & traditions, where all the festivals are different from each other! Each city boasts its own history & heritage, from Pushkar's camel fair to Kerala's boat festival. We have listed some of the most famous festivals & fairs of India, you can contact us for a customized itinerary for any event you'd like to attend. We craft special itineraries centered around these festivals so you can truly immerse & experience the spirit of these occasions.
The Bikaner Camel Festival is organized in the beautiful city of Bikaner, Rajasthan by the state's Tourism Department. Thedesert town of Bikaner is located in the Northern part of Rajasthan. The festival is organized every year in the month of January or late December to emphasize the value of ship of the desert – "Camel". The two day festival is marked by different interesting activities.
This festival starts off with a magnificent procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort (1588-1593) in the town.
It is a colorful spectacle of beautifully decorated camels that fascinates the onlookers with their charm and grace.
The festivity advances to the open sand-spreads of the Polo Grounds, followed by camel races, camel milking, fur cutting design, the best breed competition, camel acrobatics, camel bands and so on.
A sight of unusual camel activities like camel races, camel dances, and the bumpy, neck shaking camel rides highly fascinates the viewers. The camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction of their riders.
Their displays and competitions accompany the color, music and rhythm unique to a fair in Rajasthan. The jubilant skirt swirling dancers, the awe-inspiring fire dance and the dazzling fireworks light up the fortified Desert City. The festivities reach to the peak with a different tenor as the renowned artists display a medley of folk dances and songs. Finally, the festival concludes on a fine note by magnificent display of sparkling fireworks which illuminates the desert city of Bikaner.
The festive ambience during the Nagaur Fair of Rajasthan is permeated by the bellows of the cattle that are decorated by their owners and the general buzz that is associated with fairs such as these. The Nagaur Fair is well known all over the state of Rajasthan and the special guests of honor at this fair are- Cattle! Yes, Nagaur Fair of Rajasthan is has the unique distinction of being the second largest cattle fair in India.
Nagaur Fair of Rajasthan is one of the largest eight days cattle fair in the country, held annually during the month of Magh, between late January and early February. Nagaur awakens with the thronging of cattle, horses and camels accompanied by their colourfully turbaned owners. Nagaur is a sea of animals, trading over 70,000 bullocks, horses and about 25,000 camels on display every year. The quaint town of Nagaur, one of the most picturesque of Rajput townships, stirs to life during the Nagaur Fair of Rajasthan. Nagaur, a town in Rajasthan is located in between Bikaner and Jodhpur of Rajasthan, is mainly noteworthy for the rustic rural charm and colorful life seen on the way. If you are thinking that the Nagaur Fair is just a regular cattle fair, you are mistaken; Shearing sheep, handsome marwari horses to spices all compiled in one fair. The owners of the animals from all over Rajasthan come and camp around the outskirts of Nagaur while they buy and sell animals.
The fair is organized by the Animal Husbandry Department and the Rajasthan Tourism Department also participates in it. Animal Husbandry Department controls the trading of this huge cattle market where as many as 2,00,000 livestock are brought and sold by some 80,000 farmers coming from as far as Punjab, Haryana.
Famous Khajuraho dance festival is held in month of February. World renowned Artists will be performing Indian classical dance styles such as Kathak, Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali. The dances are performed in an open-air auditorium, usually in front of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated to Surya (the Sun God) and the Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, belonging to the western group. Come and enjoy the Beauty of Khajuraho Temples and richness of Indian Classical Dances.
A herd of camels, locals dressed in colourful fancy dresses, camel races and polo matches, turban tying competitions, menwith long moustache, acrobats, puppeteers, and jugglers comes to ones mind as he hears of Jaisalmer Desert Festival. This exuberant Festival of Jaisalmer is held in January end or February every year in the sand dunes of Sam, 42 K.M. away from Jaisalmer. The celebration continues for three days. These three days of festival glorifies the rich culture of the region. The desert festival in Jaisalmer was started with an aim to attract foreign tourists, who always look forward to explore more and more facets of Rajasthan. This no-nonsense festival only showcases Rajasthani folk songs and dance to promote Jaisalmer culture and traditions. The festival culminates on 'Purnima' (full moon day).
The Rajasthan tourism organizes the Jaisalmer Desert fair/festival. Tourist help cell are setup to solve the problems faced by foreign tourists. The local administration monitors the arrangements and Medical vans equipped with all the essential medical facilities, are kept on call in case of emergency. The major attraction of Jaisalmer Desert Festival is to showcase the culture of the region and thus glorifying of the desert land. The annual desert festival is held on the backdrop of the Jaisalmer fort. The sand of Jaisalmer comes alive with the dazzling colors, vibrant music and laughter of the Desert Festival between the pinks of winters. The people dressed in brilliantly hued costumes, dance and sing the poignant ballads of valor, romance and tragedy. The fair has snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats, folk artists and various competitions are also held here. The festival closes with an enchanting sound and light show in the moonlit night amid sand dunes with a promise to come back again next year.
Goa Carnival – A Musical Extravaganza The best time to travel to Goa is during February because this is the time when one witnesses Goa getting decked up for thecarnival. Goa carnival is an eagerly awaited occasion where one forgets his worries and tensions and simply plunges into merriment and joy-making for three whole days. Goa carnival is all about fun and frolic.
Colorful processions and lavish floats parade the streets. Singing, dancing and masked people mark the uproarious and flamboyant Goan celebration. Most of the countries have carnivals but Goa carnival stands apart as the people of Goa have inculcated different items in the carnival that makes us experience the different shades of Goa. The carnival in Goa had its birth during the era of King Momo. He ushered in the Goa carnival just before the Lent season (Lent is the period of fasting and penance in the Christian calendar and corresponding somewhat to the Mohammedan fast before Ramzan Id). This festival of Goa usually starts off on Sabado Gordo (Fat Saturday) and concludes on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday)-the eve of Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of the season of Lent.
The streets are crowded for three days and it is nothing but a carnival of colors, a carnival of fun and a carnival of joy for the people of Goa as well as the tourists who make it a point to plan their Goa tour during that time. Among all the festivities and feasts of Goa Carnival and Shigmo are the most boisterous ones with great acclaim and enthusiasm anticipated by the mass with great fervour and excitement. Carnival in Goa is round-the-clock 3-day festival of color, song and music, providing a healthy amusement for all, young and old. For three days and nights, the fabled king Momo takes over the state and the streets become active with colour. The week long event is a time of festivity and enjoyment. The carnival renders an amusing aura in which everyone sings, laughs and dances on the tunes of music. Street Plays, songs, dances, and impromptu travesties jeer and display their dances and songs before a crazy and amendable audience. The popular cradle songs and nursery rhymes with colourful attires worn make the atmosphere as well streets more jovial. Innumerable competitions and cultural functions are held right through the three days. The contestants wear colorful costumes and designer masks. In such fun-filled surroundings people smear color on each other, instead of the flour, eggs, fruit and water that used to be used in past. The carnival is not celebrated anywhere else in India and was in diminution even in Goa in the past few years of Portuguese rule. Its resurgence with the freeing of Goa, and a hike to its tourism attracted thousands of tourists to Goa from all over the world every year!
The Elephant Festival is an annual festival which is held every year in the Pink City, Jaipur. This matchless event is organisedon the full moon day of Phalgun Purnima which falls in the month of February/March. It is celebrated on the day before the festivals of colours i.e. Holi. From the ancient times, elephants have always been an important part of the Indian society. The Elephant-headed God, Ganesha, believed to be the remover of obstacles and foremost to all the gods, is revered and devotedly worshipped in all the parts of India.
They are also one of the most important parts of religious events, marriage ceremonies, processions, etc. and in the historic time, they were a significant part of the battlefield.For this festival, elephants are nicely groomed and clothed with colourful and embroidered velvets rugs and parasols and other heavy ornaments like huge elephant jewellery and anklets decked with bells. Intricate traditional Indian motifs are then painted on their bodies. Ear danglers and coloured brocade scarves adorn their ears and necks respectively. Their tusks too get jewelled up by adorning them with gold and silver bracelets and rings; while foreheads are beautified with royal looking head-plates. All this is done by their Mahouts (keepers/riders) after they are done giving their elephants a bath. Moreover, the Mahouts too bask into the sunshine of the festivities by perking up themselves in brocade jackets and royal turbans.This festival begins with the huge and enthralling procession of the royal elephants painted with different shades of colours, embellished with heavy silver ornaments, and embroidered clothes. The elephants enter the ground with their mahouts, thumping to the sound of nagadas and loud blows of bankiya, a musical instrument. The participant elephants are all females. Elephant polo, Elephant race, the tug-of-war between Elephant and 19 men and women are the special features of this grand festival. There are live performances of dancers and musicians too. In addition to this, in the procession there are chariots, lancers on horses, camels, and palanquins. This festival is enjoyed by a huge number of crowds including the visitors from different parts of India as well as abroad. This festival, organised by Rajasthan Tourism and has now become an important part of its' annual events calendar. In previous time, this festival was held at the Chaugan Stadium located in the old city area of Jaipur but due to the increase in crowds and fame, its venue got changed in 2011 and has been shifted to Jaipur Polo Ground which is opposite to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Hola Mahalla or simply Hola is a Sikh festival, which takes place on the first of the lunar month of Chet, which usually falls in March. This follows the Hindu festival of Holi; Hola is the masculine form of the feminine noun Holi. Mahalia, derived from the Arabic root hal (alighting, descending), is a Punjabi word that implies an organized procession in the form of an army column accompanied by war drums and standard-bearers, and proceeding to a given location or moving in state from one Gurdwara to another.
This custom originated in the time of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) who held the first march at Anandpur on Chet vadi 1, 1757 Bk (22nd February, 1701). Unlike Holi, when people playfully sprinkle colored powders, dry or mixed in water, on each other the Guru made Hola Mahalla an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. This was probably done forestalling a grimmer struggle against the imperial power following the battle of Ninnohgarh in 1700. Holla Mahalla became an annual event held in an open ground near Holgarh, a Fort across the rivulet Charan Ganga, northwest of Anandpur sahib.
The popularity of this festival may be judged from the fact that out of five Sikh public holidays requested by the Khalsa Diwan, of Lahore in 1889, the Government approved only two – Holla Mahalla and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Hola Mahalla is presently the biggest festival at Anandpur. It will be appropriate here to discuss briefly the town and the participants of this festival.
Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as 'Holika'. The festivals finds a detailed description in earlyreligious works such as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India. It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. However, the meaning of the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was worshiped.
Pooram is the most colourful of all the temple festivals of Kerala. It is celebrated in Thrissur at Vadakkumnathan temple, dedicated to Lord Shiv, usually in April. The festival includes a magnificent spectacle of fireworks, an umbrella display competition and a splendid elephant procession. The best elephants of the state from the various temples in Kerala are sent to Thrissur to participate in the Pooram festival.
The courtyard of Hemis Gompa, the largest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, is the stage for the famous 'Hemis' festival that celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. Local people are seen dressed up in their finest traditional garb for the occasion. Lamas, called 'chhams,' perform splendid masked dances and sacred plays to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns. The head lama presides over the function. The festival takes an auspicious turn every 12 years in the Tibetan Year of the Monkey, when the two-storey high 'Thanka' depicting Padmasambhava is displayed.
The Urs are held at Ajmer every year at the tomb of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, commemorating his symbolic union with God. Pilgrims from all over the world gather to pay homage. Qawalis (poems) are presented in the saint's honour and religious assemblies (mehfils) and 'fatihas' (mass prayers) are held. The lakeside town attracts thousands of devotees of all faiths on the occasion.
Rath Yatra is a major Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath (avatar of Lord Vishnu) held at Puri in India during the months of June or July. The Puri Rath Yatra is world famous and attracts more then one million pilgrims every year, not only from India but also from the different parts of the world. Rath Yatra in other words the Chariot Festival is the only day when devotees who are not allowed into the temple can get a chance to see the deities. This festival is a symbol of equality and integration.
The 3 deities, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra are worshipped within the temple, on this festival they are taken to the streets of Puri so that everyone can have the fortune to see them. The 3 deities make an annual journey to their aunt's temple (Gundicha Temple), 2 km away from Lord Jagannath temple. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is one among the four most sacred temples in India. The other three are: Rameshwaram in south, Dwarika in west and Badrinath in north.The festival begins with the invoking ceremony in the morning and the chariot pulling on the roads of Puri in afternoon is the most exciting part of the festival. The 3 deities have 3 different chariots – the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosa, has 18 wheels and is 45.6 feet high, the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Taladhwaja has 16 wheels and is 45 feet high and the chariot of Subhadra, Devadalana has 14 wheels and is 44.6 ft high. Every year the wooden temples like chariots are constructed newly. The idols of these three deities are also made of wood and they are religiously replaced by new ones in every 12 years.
The Nehru Trophy Boat Race, named after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is conducted on Punnamda Lake, near Alappuzha, on the second Saturday of August every year. During this fiercely fought boat race, the tranquil lake front is transformed into a sea of humanity with an estimated 2,00,000 people, including tourists, watching it. For the people of each village in Kuttanad, a victory at this race for their village boat is something to be celebrated for months to come.
Ganesh Chaturthi is dedicated to Lord Ganesh (son of Shiv), the elephant -headed god of all good beginnings and success. The festival celebrated as the birth day of Lord Ganesh is a 10-day event. Idols of Ganesh and installed at home and prayers offered to them for 10 days, after which they are ceremoniously carried in a procession through the streets of the town and immersed into the river, sea or well. Classical dance, music performances, poetry recitations, folk dances, theatre and film festival are a highlight of this festival.
In the month of October, Hindus observe a 10 day ceremony of fast, rituals and celebrations to honor the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana. Dussehra is a celebration of victory of good over evil.
The 'Ramlila' – an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth day, larger effigies of Ravana, his son and brother – Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna are set to fire. The theatrical enactment of this dramatic encounter is held throughout the country .In burning the effigies the people are asked to burn the evil within them, and thus follow the path of truth and goodness, bearing in mind the instance of Ravana, who despite all his might and majesty was destroyed for his evil ways.
The magnificent ruined city of Hampi, Karnataka, once the capital of the powerful Vijayanagar Empire, comes alive during the three-day festival of dance and music, held in the first week of November. Organised by the Government of Karnataka, the Hampi festival includes dance, drama, music, fireworks, puppet shows and spectacular processions, all combined to recreate the grandeur of the bygone era. Decorated elephants, horses and men dressed in the military fashion of the Golden Era, are posted underneath the red, yellow, blue and white cloth 'Gopuras' are posted along the lanes of Hampi.
Pushkar is a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11 kms to the North-West of Ajmer. The charm of this sleepy, lake side settlement so captivated the great Indian poet, Kalidas, that it found a place in his classic, Abhigyan Sakuntalam. The Great Hindu epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana make references to this religious place regarded to be Adi Tiratha. Evidence points to its having existed since the Fourth century B.C. Lake in the inhospitable surroundings of a desert is no less than a miracle. It is majestically nestled between three small hills and sand dunes.
Braham Temple (the only temple of Lord Brahma), Savitri Temple, Varah Temple, Pushkar Lake, Ghats, Apteshwar Temple, Rangnath Temple, Anasagar Lake, Rose Gardens, etc are prime attractions of Pushkar It also provides vacationers wonderful opportunity to indulge in exciting activities like camel safari ride on sand dunes of Thar Desert, trekking on picturesque hills, etc. Pushkar is also famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair. During this festival entire Pushkar comes alive. Visitors have wonderful opportunity to see trading of cattle/animals in the oldest form as barter system and several cultural shows depicting Rajasthani culture & tradition.
According to Hindus faith, gods releases a swan with a lotus in its beak (mouth) and let it fall on the earth where the Lord Brahma would perform a grand Yagna. Lord Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have glimpse of Radha Krishna. The place where the flower of lotus fell was called Pushkar. Due to its immense holiness, sanctity and purity, the city is often called "Tirth Raj – the King of Hindus Pilgrimage Sites" by Hindus. Pushkar is the site Lord Brahma Temple, Savitri Temple, holy lake – Pushkar Lake and 52 sacred ghats. With religious & spiritual significance, several attractions and excellent accommodation facilities Pushkar has been also a popular destination of foreign tourists.
The sun temple in Konark is famed as a world heritage site. This is the venue of a joyous festival of classical dance and music which is held annually in December. A host of celebrated dancers from all over the country perform in the open air auditorium. The festival is a celebration of the much appreciated Odissi, Bharat Natyam, Manipuri, Kathak and Chau dance, a lavish feast for the eyes and ears. A crafts mela, with a variety of handicrafts and cuisine, is also organised during the festival. The festival is jointly organised by Orissa Tourism and Odissi Research Centre.


text:
The Piano Sonata No. 1 of Carl Vine was composed in 1990 and dedicated to Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey, who made the debut recording of the sonata under the Tall Poppies label in 1991. The first printed edition, under the label Chester Music, bears the following description: "A complex and challenging piano sonata composed by Carl Vine for the Sydney Dance Company in 1991. The piece was first performed by Michael Harvey in North Melbourne in June 1991. The music is full of rich chordal movements, unusual flowing harmonies and tonalities, with great extremes of dynamic and energy. Reflecting the physical origins of the piece as a dance, the music is dotted with very strict changes of tempo which require exact adherence, rather than the Rubato approach that typifies many piano interpretations." The work is in two movements, the second of which bears the marking "Leggiero e legato".

Critical response
In the fourth edition of The Record Shelf Guide to Classical CDs & Audio cassettes, Jim Svejda wrote that the "Piano Sonata of 1990 is one of the most significant works in the form since the great Piano Sonata of Elliott Carter."

References

Compositions by Carl Vine
1990 compositions
Contemporary classical compositions
Vine 01

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Single overhead camshaft with roller rocker arms.
Standard or wastegate turbocharger above 210 hp.


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Road Types (USA) – comprehensive overhaul of drivable roads
Moderator: USA Champs
Re: Road Types (USA) – comprehensive overhaul of drivable ro
by CBenson » Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:48 pm
It is classed as "other freeway expressway." Thus you would need to apply:
The following roads shall be classified as Freeway :
Roads classified in FHWA's functional classification as Other Freeways and Expressways which meet the following criteria:
Entrance via ramps only, typically with acceleration zones.
Exit via ramps only, typically with deceleration zones.
No at-grade intersections.
No stop lights (except sometimes on ramps).
No stop signs.
Thus, the question becomes: what is an "at-grade intersection."
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Good point, that would justify keeping the exits and entrances as ramp type.
But that logic would also confirm the exits and entrances as "at-grade connectors" that meet the exception to be typed as ramps. I could certainly see some editors making the argument that would mean that the freeway definition of "no at-grade intersections" is not met as you are applying the rules of "at-grade connectors" to the exits and entrances. That argument would result in US-50 being typed as a major highway here.
The advantage I-75 has is that it is an interstate. Thus under the proposal it is a freeway and thus all entrances to and from the freeway are defined as ramps.
sketch wrote: There's a nuanced difference between the definitions here.
A freeway has no at-grade crossings
I like that way of putting it, but don't see "crossings" in any of the proposed pages.
sketch wrote: and no intersections (and no immediate access to adjacent property). There are no at-grade crossings on US-50 there. An "intersection" requires that the roads themselves intersect, not via ramps, but on their own. So, those aren't "intersections", and that's a freeway. There's nothing to stop a ramp from being at-grade.
For at-grade connectors, if we don't want to have to rely on the "signed, numbered exit" exception (which should be expanded to encompass all BGSes regardless of number), we can either (1) define it circularly, saying that every road providing entrance or exit along a freeway must be a ramp,
It is the circular definition that is causing me to worry. A ramp is a entrance or exit along a freeway (or something of a similar style on a highway) and a freeway only has entrances and exits via ramps.
sketch wrote: or (2) change the definition of "at-grade connector" slightly, to include only those at at-grade crossings or intersections. The latter (2) is logically more sound, but then what do we do with situations like this?
I was thinking about the RCUT under discussion with respect to the proposal to add the MUTI guidance to the general wiki. I agree that highways using RCUTs should be typed as highways not freeways. Although, in Maryland these roads using them seem to be classed as OPAs, so under the proposal they would be typed as major highways anyway.
I'm leaning toward just using the "at-grade crossing" language to define a freeway rather than trying to define what intersects with what. I would argue that there are no at-grade crossing on US-50, thus it is a freeway and the at-grade connector rules do not apply to entrances and exits of a freeway. I would argue that for the RCUT and your example the main road does include at-grade crossings thus even if classed an expressway it should be typed as a major highway. For the RCUT you can cross the highway and you do it without a bridge by making the right/U/right, thus it is an at-grade crossing. For connectors to a major highway where there is no bridge (grade separation), one should look to the at-grade connector guidance.
sketch wrote: "Crossing" to me means the road crosses from one side of the freeway to the other; i.e., it doesn't end/begin at the freeway. The reason "Intersection" should also be included is that it also covers roads that do end/begin at freeways — but only those that do at, well, intersections. Perhaps an "intersection" should be defined as "roughly perpendicular", where a road and another actually intersect, without the exclusive use of connectors or ramps.
Understood, but I guess I'm still not convinced that intersections that are not crossings need to be considered in typing a highway/freeway. Can't we simply define a freeway and a major highway by the roads that cross from one side to the other and let roads that do end/begin at freeways take care of themselves. If roads don't T in at traffic lights (which would disqualify the road as a freeway) can't the road still be a freeway if there is an intersection but no crossing. Should US-50 be a major highway because of this intersection? If so how much of US-50 should be typed as major highway?
sketch wrote: I don't envision anyone really having a problem with that being called a freeway any more than they might have had before.
I absolutely agree. I think the proposal is an improvement. Please take my comments as constructive criticism intended to make them better than the current guidance. The reason that this section came to mind is that there were questions regarding what this road should be typed under the current guidance. I was hoping to clarify the issue under the current proposal.
I'm not too worried about the the Baltimore Annapolis Rd intersection, there are always going to be the oddball exceptions. So maybe we don't need to anything else.
by CBenson » Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:39 pm
qwaletee wrote: There's already code to treat unnamed ramps as if they were named with the same name as the next named segment on the route.
This isn't a ramp property. This is true of any segment, isn't it?
by CBenson » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:29 pm
I like both the font change and the chart.
Again the one thing that I would bring up is the signed/unsigned distinction. It's likely fine, but everything signed as an interstate does not have the functional class of interstate. Conversely, not everything that has a functional class of interstate is signed as an interstate.
For example, the entire Baltimore beltway is signed as I-695. However, the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River is not built to interstate standards and thus some of the beltway is officially designated as MD-695, given a functional class of "other freeway/expressway." It does remains fully access controlled, so there is no question that it should be freeway type, so this is for the most point a distinction that doesn't matter. But I'm not sure which block in the chart this section of road should fall.
On the other hand, US-50/John Hansen Hwy from about the Washington Beltway to about MD-70 at Annapolis is officially I-595. However, it is only signed as US-50 (with several other concurrencies in some stretches), there are no I-595 signs. It has a functional class of interstate. Again its a limited access highway, so there is no question that it should be freeway type.
I defy you to follow US-1, US-29 or US-50 through Washington, DC by following signs. There are a couple of issues, first the roads used for the east/north route may be different than for the west/south route (so a segment can fall in a different box in the chart depending on which direction you are going on it). Another issue is that the signage as far as I can tell is utterly random. Its not non-existent but there are large gaps in coverage and few signs tell you to turn. The signs seem to be simply informing you every once in a while that you happen to be on a US highway. There is no effort to enable you to follow the routes by following the signs. I'm sure that there must be some official designation somewhere regarding which streets these US routes follow through DC, but if you can't follow the signs should the roads really be bumped to major highway simply due to the official designation?
I recognize that these are edge cases, and that the guidance doesn't need to be comprehensive. But I bring them up for your consideration as to what they are worth.
by CBenson » Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:48 pm
Thortok2000 wrote: It should route off PURE traffic data in my opinion. If the traffic data shows that road is the one to take, it should take it. It shouldn't take very long at all before the 'major' roads naturally become part of the majority of routing in the area. If you were to label EVERY SINGLE ROAD a major highway, you'd probably get the absolute 'best' route every time. However, it's easier for the routing system to 'think' if it only has to consider and compare 3-4 options rather than 30-40. Still, I think comparing every possible route regardless of road specification and finding the true fastest route is what we would love Waze to do, although there's little that we can do as map editors to make that happen. So FC it is.
You can't possibly really mean that waze should check every possible route between two points. There have to be methods for pruning unreasonable routes from consideration. Taking the back roads across long distances between cities isn't going to be the fastest route and looking at every back road route would overwhelm the calculations. The question is how to define the back roads. Waze understands that editor decisions of road type should not be the only factor in this decision and is working to include their own speed and volume data to make better routing decisions.
Thortok2000 wrote: So the more major highways you have, the more routing improves along the major highways, but the less it works for lower classifications. Waze is like "I want to take a major highway and I'm going to unless there's a STRONG reason not to. If there is, I'm going to take only majors and minors unless there's a STRONG reason not to. If there is, I'm going to take only majors, minors and primaries, unless there's a STRONG reason not to." It's because of this 'STRONG' reason that it sticks to these routes like glue when shortcuts or shorter paths would actually be a bit faster.
I guess it comes down to what makes a STRONG reason. Almost every day waze routes me of off highways onto primary streets where there are highway alternatives. I am in an area that I suspect waze has a lot of data for. So I suspect that the effect of the road types is much diminished where waze has a lot of actual speed data to rely upon.
Re: traffic data only
dbraughlr wrote: I do not want routed through areas where I have to watch for children running into the street or trucks backing into loading docks.
I the case waze is counting: I do want to be routed through such areas.
by CBenson » Sat Mar 29, 2014 9:55 am
daknife wrote: (I also admit to a slight dislike for the Major type because the color used in the App is too close to the heavy traffic color occasionally making it hard to tell at a glance whether that's a Major hwy ahead or a major traffic jam that I need to avoid.)
I suspect very few users that don't use WME frequently use the map editors color scheme. The map editors scheme is almost by definition not optimized for the best user experience.
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Study: Law is in constant transformation. If you do not follow its steps every day, every day you will be less a Lawyer.
Think: Law is learnt by means of studying, but is exercised by means of thinking.
Work: Advocacy is an arduous fatigue to the service of Justice.
Fight: You must fight for the Law; but in that day when Law and Justice come to conflict, fight for Justice.
Be Loyal: Loyal to your client, whom you mustn't abandon until you learn he is unworthy of you. Loyal to the judge, whom ignores the facts and must trust your word; and, in regard with the Law, he must, sometimes, trust the one you invoke.
Tolerate: Tolerate the other's truth as much as you want your truth to be tolerated.
Be Patient: Time takes revenge from those things that are made without its collaboration.
Have Faith: Have faith in Law, as the best instrument in order for human beings to live together; in Justice as the normal destiny of Law; in Peace, as a good-natured substitute for Justice; and, above all, have faith in Liberty, without which there is no Law, nor Justice, nor Peace.
Forget: Advocacy is a fight amongst passions. If in every battle you were to fill your soul with rancor, there will come a day in which your life will be impossible for you. Once combat is over, forget your victory as soon as your defeat.


After Bart and I ate, we sat around in the mostly-empty restaurant in no hurry to leave. Late night patrons still laughed loud at the bar in the back and waitstaff drifted back and forth with new bunches of fresh flowers for the tables and full salt shakers.
"Yeah, yeah." I was stuffed and sleepy and tired of angst and feeling the decadence of the city, so we hailed a cab to take us the half mile back to our hotel where we were once again greeted by the night-time army of bell hops. Bart rubbed his stomach in a slow circle as the elevator took us up and smiled to himself. Chris was happy to move into the suite ("Last one back can have the couch, hey?") and I moved some of my crap into Bart's room.
He was brushing his teeth and I was getting under the covers when I thought to check the day book. The wake up call would come in too few hours, then it would be eleven more on the road until we reached the next hotel outside of Austin. This would be my first time in Texas and I didn't look forward to it.
The more I think about it, the more chicken and egg it gets. Or maybe it's all the same power struggle, playing out in different ways. How much can I compromise for his sake, or the band's, before I'm betraying myself?
Creative differences is a nice euphemism for hair-trigger tempers and tip-toeing around each other's egos on occasion. Well, here's hoping avoidance works – at least to establish a truce through the rest of the tour.
If avoidance doesn't work, we can always have another fight. Ha.
Weird coincidence, as I'm on vacation and I woke up in New Orleans this morning and proceeded to drive to Texas.
I bet you found "Some Kind of Monster" pretty funny when that came out, huh?
Still haven't seen it. It's on ctan's Amazon wishlist, though so we'll probably get around to it eventually…!
very sturdy writing. enjoying the concept and your smooth dialog.
Creative differences = cop-out. I recall you two making beautiful music together and playing off each other instead of working against each other…until you got pissy about him wanting to write lyrics to one particular song…which turned out better that way.
My hope is dimming but I don't give up easily.


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Hoover Dam in Hollywood
December 3, 2020 December 21, 2020 8 minute readby Daniel Macfarlane
Looking down Hoover Dam. Photo by author.
Hoover Dam is an iconic structure, likely the most easily-recognized dam in the world. It should be no surprise, then, that this dam has been featured many times in Hollywood films (see list below). What might be a surprise, however, is that the majority of these cinematic portrayals show Hoover Dam breaking, cracking, or experiencing some type of malfunction.
Hoover Dam in 2016. Photo by author
As this list indicates, post-1945 cinematic representations of Hoover Dam are spread across genres, chiefly action-adventure and science-fiction films, but also romantic and slapstick comedies. There are pragmatic reasons for portraying Hoover on screen: it is an easily recognizable structure; it serves as a shorthand for the Southwest, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas area; its eye-catching setting allows for special effects and cinematographic excess (e.g., aerial fly overs).
But Hoover Dam is also employed because it connotes power – of several kinds. And a failing Hoover Dam, in turn, has implications for understandings of that power. In a forthcoming book chapter I examine filmic representations of Hoover Dam since 1945. There, I argue that the Hollywood portrayal of Hoover Dam projects conflicted views about energy, technology, and the United States itself by focusing on three big-budget blockbusters: Superman, Transformers, and San Andreas.[i] In this post, I will touch on those three movies. But I also want to use this opportunity to delve into some other films that I couldn't get into for that chapter.
I'm going to consider the movies in chronological order. Between 1945 and the late 1970s, there was only one Hoover Dam portrayal: 1957's black-and-white The Amazing Colossal Man. During a plutonium bomb test in Nevada, US Army Lt. Colonel Glenn Manning is exposed to the detonation. Consequently, he begins growing. The colossal man, now over 50-feet tall, rampages around the Las Vegas strip and then heads for Hoover. There on the brink of the dam he is shot by bazookas and falls into the Colorado River.
Probably the most famous silver screen portrayal of Hoover Dam is the 1978 blockbuster Superman starring Christopher Reeve. A rogue rocket commandeered by villain Lex Luthor strikes the San Andreas fault. Luthor's plan is to knock the California coastline into the ocean. The subsequent earthquake causes a crack to form in Hoover Dam while Clark Kent's colleague Jimmy is still on top of it. Superman swoops to rescue Jimmy just before the dam collapses (filming this breach required an intricate scale model of the dam). The dam burst releases a huge swath of water pulsing down the gorge. Superman flies downstream and creates a rock slide to stop the deluge before it reaches a canyon community. Superman then reverses the earth's rotation in order to make time go backwards so that he can save Loise Lane, who had perished after her car was crushed.
In the first decades of the Cold War, dams projected the strength, scientific ingenuity, and technological capabilities of capitalist North American society.[ii] However, by the time Superman was released, the era of big dam building in the US was over. Indeed, Americans had already been reconsidering the wisdom of remaking charismatic waterscapes for hydroelectricity; real dam failures were also on the public's radar, as were the environmental movement and energy crises.
In both Lost in America (1985) and Universal Soldier (1992), Hoover Dam makes a quick cameo. In the former, a couple (played by Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty) get into a huge fight as they cross Hoover Dam. In Universal Soldier, terrorists are holding hostages in the dam, and the army sends in its "super soldiers" played by Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme. These genetically-augmented cyborgs dramatically rappel down the face of the dam, and then enter its bowels, taking out the bad guys.
Three comedies featuring Hoover Dam appeared in a two-year span from 1996 to 1997 (Beavis and Butthead Do America, Vegas Vacation, and Fools Rush In). The first two plumb the dam scenario for puns and laughs. But even in comedies that portray Hoover Dam cracking or breaking, the humor is only effective if the dam and the consequences of its potential destruction are recognizable tropes.
In Vegas Vacation, bumbling everyman Clark Griswold gets separated from his family during a tour of Hoover Dam. Seeing a leak, he picks at rock walls in the bowels of the dam. This causes more leaks, which Clark tries to plug with gum. Soon after, he falls and swings onto the downstream face of the dam, where he clings precariously before climbing up.
In Beavis and Butthead do America, an animated feature-length film based on the MTV television series, the slacker duo arrive at Hoover Dam. During a tour of the dam, Beavis and Butthead wander into an unoccupied control room since it has so many televisions, but are disappointed to find it only has programs about "water" on the screen. Pushing different buttons, they open the dam's spillways, causing a flood downstream.
Hoover Dam plays a stabilizing role, metaphorically speaking, in Fools Rush In. The first major leading-man role for Friends star Matthew Perry, his romantic foil is played by Salma Hayek's Isabelle. Early in the movie, Isabelle she tosses a coin over the edge of the Hoover Dam in order to make a wish. Later on, Perry's character (Alex) gazes wistfully at the edifice, seemingly for the first time, and says: "Wow, this is incredible." Isabelle tells him that her grandfather helped build the dam in the 1930s, and relays that she always makes a wish when crossing.
Recrossing the dam overlook after visiting Isabelle's family, Alex launches into a rom-com speech anchored by a line so bad it is almost good – "you are everything I never knew I always wanted" – and they decide to get married. After the title characters experience a major falling out, Alex flies back from New York to intercept Isabelle. Waiting in the pouring rain, he blocks her car as she drives across Hoover Dam and proclaims his love. She then goes into labor, and symbolically gives birth to a baby girl right then and there on the dam (interpret that however you'd like!).
The two twenty-first century celluloid representations of Hoover Dam are both big-budget action-adventures. Transformers gives more screen time to Hoover Dam than any other movie. It also has the most to say about the meaning of Hoover Dam, particularly in the context of modern energy and technological anxiety. Essentially, Hoover Dam was built so that the US government could secretly study some of the eponymous alien robots, the Transformers, who had been discovered in the Arctic. Reverse-engineering from these advanced machines created the modern age: cars, space flights, microchips, lasers, etc. Fast forward to the present, and the bad Transformers (the Decepticons) want to extract the earth's resources, obliterating humanity in the process, and take over the universe. The Autobots are out to thwart them, and they clash in a battle royale at Hoover Dam.
In 2015's San Andreas, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the lead role, one of the side stories involves a brief disaster at Hoover Dam. Caltech seismologist Lawrence Hayes, played by the affable Paul Giamatti, heads to Hoover Dam to test his predictive earthquake theories after sensing a series of mini-quakes in the vicinity. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits, and the dam starts to rupture. Hayes's colleague manages to escape the bowels of the dam and save a little girl in the process, but just before getting to safety he is washed away in the dam collapse. The action then moves primarily to the San Francisco and the Bay area.
As I hope this survey shows, Hollywood films offer conflicted portrayals of Hoover Dam. On the one hand, the dam symbolizes power and stability (Fools Rush In serving as obvious example). On the other hand, Hoover Dam is vulnerable and potentially dangerous. This latter portrayal is by far the most common, and the questions it raises can be extended to US energy systems more generally. For example, what does it say if the infrastructural epitome of American ingenuity, modernism, and power is fragile? Even just the threat of Hoover Dam's collapse invokes the inverse of technological accomplishment, controllable nature, energy abundance, and American ascendancy.
[i] Daniel Macfarlane, "Hoover Dam in Hollywood: Energy Anxiety in Superman, Transformers, and San Andreas," in American Energy Cinema, eds. Raechel Lutz, Robert Lifset, and Sarah Stanford-McIntyre (West Virginia University Press, Energy and Society series, forthcoming).
[ii] See also Max Haiven, "The Dammed of the Earth: Reading the Dam for the Flows of Globalization," in Thinking with Water, eds. Cecilia Chen, Janine MacLeod, and Astrida Neimanis (Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queens University Press, 2013); Anthony Arrigo, Imaging Hoover Dam: The Making of a Cultural Icon (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2014); Donald C. Jackson, Pastoral and Monumental: Dams, Postcards, and the American Landscape (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013).
Daniel Macfarlane
Daniel is an Associate Professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at Western Michigan University. He is co-editor of The Otter-La loutre and is a member of the NiCHE executive board. A transnational environmental historian who focuses on Canadian-American border waters, particularly in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin, Daniel is the author or co-editor of four books, including the recently-published "Fixing Niagara Falls: Environment, Energy, and Engineers at the World's Most Famous Waterfall." His in-progress research projects include a book on Canada-US environmental/energy diplomacy and a book on the environmental history of Lake Ontario. Website: https://danielmacfarlane.wordpress.com Twitter: @Danny__Mac__
Latest posts by Daniel Macfarlane (see all)
The Climate Crisis and the Canadian Classroom - September 21, 2021
Line 5 and the History of Canada-US Hydrocarbon Pipelines - June 17, 2021
Hoover Dam in Hollywood - December 3, 2020
Environmental Diplomacy, Envirotech, and Canadian History - May 5, 2020
Canadians at ASEH & N|H|S Get Together - March 7, 2020
The First Century of the International Joint Commission - February 26, 2020
Book Launch: The First Century of the IJC - January 19, 2020
An Interview with Dave Dempsey author of "The Heart of the Lakes" - June 25, 2019
Interview with Andrew Reeves author of "Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis" - May 7, 2019
Paddling through the Past - March 12, 2019
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