6 Things to Know When Picking a Family Reunion Location

6 Things to Know When Picking a Family Reunion Location The ideal family reunion site is one which is accessible and affordable for the majority of the people you want to attend. Its a place where everyone can be comfortable and enjoy their time together. When choosing a location for your family reunion, there are some important things to consider. Distance Will the family reunion be just one day, an entire weekend, or a full week? If youre planning a short reunion, most people probably wont be as willing to travel long distances to attend. Select a location close to a majority of family members - possibly a neighborhood park, a family members home, or a local hotel or restaurant. Longer gatherings, especially special one-time reunions, may warrant a more elaborate location such as a cruise, dude ranch, or family resort. Convenience How far will guests have to travel to get to your reunion location? If a number of them will have to travel by air, consider holding your family reunion in an area convenient to a major airport. A location thats accessible and easy to find means that more people will likely attend. Accessibility Do you have people with limited mobility attending your reunion? Elderly relatives in wheelchairs or young children in strollers? Make sure that the location you choose will comfortably accommodate everyone who will attend. Children need safe, supervised areas in which to play, and seniors will welcome comfortable seating and nearby restrooms. Affordability Cost - including rental fees, food, and parking fees - is a significant factor for most family reunions. Make sure that the location you choose fits into your budget, as well as that of your relatives. Many facilities offer group discounts and package deals for family reunions. Accommodations If your reunion is held in a setting that doesnt include overnight accommodations, make sure that a sufficient number of affordable rooms in local homes and hotels are available nearby. Features and Activities What attractions and activities does the reunion site and nearby area provide? Recreational activities such as boating, swimming, golf, and camping can be fun when incorporated into a family reunion. People attending from outside the area may enjoy a location with nearby museums, historic sites, amusement parks, sports facilities, and other attractions. Find a location that makes your reunion less of a meeting and more of a destination. When choosing your location, be sure to ask about facilities such as parking, restrooms and, for outdoor reunions, alternatives in case of rain. To help with the legwork, dont be afraid to make use of local travel bureaus and chambers of commerce. Since they like to bring people to their area, they are usually more than happy to help you with location ideas, lodging and dining listings, and recreation and sightseeing opportunities.

Battle of Cold Harbor - Civil War

Battle of Cold Harbor - Civil War Battle of Cold Harbor - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought May 31-June 12, 1864, and was part of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders: Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. Meade108,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Lee62,000 men Battle of Cold Harbor - Background: Pressing on with his Overland Campaign after confrontations at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and North Anna, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant again moved around Confederate General Robert E. Lees right in an effort to capture Richmond. Crossing the Pamunkey River, Grants men fought skirmishes at Haws Shop, Totopotomoy Creek, and Old Church. Pushing his cavalry forward towards the crossroads at Old Cold Harbor, Grant also ordered Major General William Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to move from Bermuda Hundred to join the main army. Recently reinforced, Lee anticipated Grants designs on Old Cold Harbor and dispatched cavalry under Brigadier Generals Matthew Butler and Fitzhugh Lee to the scene. Arriving they encountered elements of Major General Philip H. Sheridans cavalry corps. As the two forces skirmished on May 31, Lee sent Major General Robert Hokes division as well as Major General Richard Andersons First Corps to Old Cold Harbor. Around 4:00 PM, Union cavalry under Brigadier General Alfred Torbert and David Gregg succeeded in driving the Confederates from the crossroads. Battle of Cold Harbor - Early Fighting: As the Confederate infantry began arrive late in the day, Sheridan, concerned about his advanced position, withdrew back towards Old Church. Wishing to exploit the advantage gained at Old Cold Harbor, Grant ordered Major General Horatio Wrights VI Corps to the area from Totopotomoy Creek and ordered Sheridan to hold the crossroads at all costs. Moving back to Old Cold Harbor around 1:00 AM on June 1, Sheridans horsemen were able to reoccupy their old position as the Confederates had failed to notice their early withdrawal. In an effort to re-take the crossroads, Lee ordered Anderson and Hoke to attack the Union lines early on June 1. Anderson failed to relay this order to Hoke and the resulting attack consisted only of First Corps troops. Moving forward, troops from Kershaws Brigade led the assault and were met with savage fire from Brigadier General Wesley Merritts entrenched cavalry. Using seven-shot Spencer carbines, Merritts men quickly beat back the Confederates. Around 9:00 AM, the lead elements of Wrights corps began arriving on the field and moved into the cavalrys lines. Battle of Cold Harbor - Union Movements: Though Grant had wished IV Corps to attack immediately, it was exhausted from marching most of the night and Wright elected to delay until Smiths men arrived. Reaching Old Cold Harbor in early afternoon, XVIII Corps began entrenching on Wrights right as the cavalry retired east. Around 6:30 PM, with minimal scouting of the Confederate lines, both corps moved to the attack. Storming forward over unfamiliar ground they were met by heavy fire from Anderson and Hokes men. Though a gap in the Confederate line was found, it was quickly closed by Anderson and the Union troops were forced to retire to their lines. While the assault had failed, Grants chief subordinate, Major General George G. Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac, believed an attack the next day could be successful if enough force was brought against the Confederate line. To achieve this, Major General Winfield S. Hancocks II Corps was shifted from Totopotomoy and placed on Wrights left. Once Hancock was in position, Meade intended to move forward with three corps before Lee could prepare substancial defenses. Arriving early on June 2, II Corp was tired from their march and Grant agreed to delay the attack until 5:00 PM to allow them to rest. Battle of Cold Harobr - Regrettable Assaults: The assault was again delayed that afternoon until 4:30 AM on June 3. In planning for the attack, both Grant and Meade failed to issue specific instructions for the assaults target and trusted their corps commanders to reconnoiter the ground on their own. Though unhappy at the lack of direction from above, the Union corps commanders failed to take the initiative by scouting their lines of advance. For those in the ranks who had survived frontal assaults at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, a degree of fatalism took hold and many pinned paper containing their name to their uniforms to aid in identifying their body. While Union forces delayed on June 2, Lees engineers and troops were busy constructing an elaborate system of fortifications containing pre-ranged artillery, converging fields of fire, and various obstacles. To support the assault, Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps and Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps were formed at the north end of the field with orders to attack Lieutenant General Jubal Earlys corps on Lees left. Moving forward through the early morning fog, XVIII, VI, and II Corps quickly encountered heavy fire from the Confederate lines. Attacking, Smiths men were channeled into two ravines where they were cut down in large numbers halting their advance. In the center, Wrights men, still bloodied from June 1, were quickly pinned down and made little effort to renew the attack. The only success came on Hancocks front where troops from Major General Francis Barlows division succeeded in breaking through the Confederate lines. Recognizing the danger, the breach was quickly sealed by the Confederates who then proceeded to throw back the Union attackers. In the north, Burnside launched a sizable attack on Early, but halted to regroup after mistakenly thinking he had shattered the enemy lines. As the assault was failing, Grant and Meade pressed their commanders to push forward with little success. By 12:30 PM, Grant conceded that the assault had failed and Union troops began digging in until they could withdraw under the cover of darkness. Battle of Cold Harbor - Aftermath: In the fighting, Grants army had sustained 1,844 killed, 9,077 wounded, and 1,816 captured/missing. For Lee, the losses were a relatively light 83 killed, 3,380 wounded, and 1,132 captured/missing. Lees final major victory, Cold Harbor led to an increase in anti-war sentiment in the North and criticisms of Grants leadership. With the failure of the assault, Grant remained in place at Cold Harbor until June 12 when he moved the army away and succeeded in crossing the James River. Of the battle, Grant stated in his memoirs: I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. I might say the same thing of the assault of the 22d of May, 1863, at Vicksburg. At Cold Harbor no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained.

STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT (AMSTERDAM) Research Paper

STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT (AMSTERDAM) - Research Paper Example g difficulty faced by students from the two main universities in Amsterdam by transfiguring the containers into apartments that accommodate thousands of students. Apparently, Keetwonen, the biggest container city, was created through an initiative closely backed by the Tempohousing contractors. The development created a new experience and lifestyle for students who flock the universities each year. The universities seldom provide accommodation for students while the strict Netherlands rent control system which requires that that private, non-profit housing conglomerates including Stichting DuWo and DeKey be accountable for renting houses to students in a bid to protect them from paying high rents, thus making it hard to cure the accommodation challenge (Kimberley 1). The project’s actual stacking speed was virtually 20 units daily, which goes into the record as the fastest constructed units. The project developer, Quinten De Gooijer, found square building designs to be ideal particularly when containers are used due to the superfluous structural veracity they offer. Architects added a special feature to the exterior of the units by fixing green tubes that hang as curtains that serve the decorative function (Caroline 55). Moreover, there are concrete pavements that were included to create a desirable atmosphere for students as well as improve the site’s persistence. In one of the floors, there is a central installation point that supplies natural gas used in heating the units. Initially, people feared that the units would be too hot, cold, noisy or small. However, they later realized that their fears were unsubstantiated after the units turned out to be well insulated, unobtrusive and spacious enough to offer value for the students’ money (Skaeve 1). Additionally, they contain exceptional facilities including detached sleeping and studying chambers, persona l kitchen (with a sink and stove), balcony, bathroom, a programmed ventilation system with capricious