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"Roșia railway station was a station on the Vurpăr branch line of the Agnita railway line in Vurpăr, Sibiu County Romania. The station still exists along with the track which has been protected. History The station was built by the Hungarian State Railways in 1910 who operated it until 1919 when Transylvania became part of Romania. After a decline in usage across the whole line the route eventually closed in 1993. Future Plans exist to reopen part of the line after it was protected in 2008. The local group Asociația Prietenii Mocăniței has taken on the task of restoring the route which has already restored a section of the line. References Defunct railway stations in Romania Former Agnita railway line stations Railway stations opened in 1910 Railway stations closed in 1993 1910 establishments in Austria-Hungary 1993 disestablishments in Romania "
"Vasek Polak (September 11, 1914 – April 17, 1997) was a prominent car dealer, race car driver, car collector, and racing team owner. Life Polak was born in Prague, Czech Republic on September 11, 1914. He fought in WWII and was wounded in the Prague Uprising on May 5, 1945. Polak then left Prague and walked to then West Germany and found a job as a U.S. Army motor pool mechanic. Eventually moving to New York City, Polak opened a repair shop in 1951. In 1958 Polak moved to Hermosa Beach, California and through contact with Dr. Ferry Porsche, whom he had known in Europe through motorsport contacts, opened the first exclusive Porsche dealership in the United States in 1959. Polak would later on also become a franchised dealer for Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Saab, and Subaru in Hermosa Beach. Polak married Anna Maria Littlejohn in 1983. She died from breast cancer in 1993. Polak in response donated $2 million to fund a treatment center for breast cancer at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. Vasek Polak died on April, 17 1997 from cardiac arrest resulting from complications due to an accident on the German Autobahn one month earlier. He was driving a Porsche 911 Turbo S when he crashed at speeds in excess of 110 mph, breaking both of his arms and legs. After a month of recuperation Polak was returning to California in an airplane fitted with an intensive care unit, however when refueling in Great Falls, Montana he went into cardiac arrest and died. Motorsports A 1976 Vasek Polak Racing Porsche 934 Vasek Polak owned a machine shop in the 1930s and started constructing race engines for motorcycles which he then raced in European enduros. Finding success in motorcycle racing, He won the Czechoslovakian 250cc National Championship. In 1947 he moved to automobile racing with a custom built, aluminum bodied Fiat GT race car. When he opened his Hermosa Beach shop in 1958, Polak focused less on driving and more on preparing racing cars and engines for his clientele. Becoming well known in the sports car racing world, he prepared machines for Jack MacAfee, Ken Miles, Jerry Titus, Roger Penske, Bob Holbert, Jean Behra, Jo Bonnier, and Wolfgang Von Trips. In 1966, Vasek took a Porsche 911 from his dealership inventory and prepared it for racing. With Polak as the entrant, Jerry Titus took the car to the SCCA D Production championship. This was the start of his role as a car owner. As well as this, Polak was asked by Porsche to work on their factory racing team during The 12 Hours of Sebring. He campaigned a Porsche 917 for the 1971 through the 1974 Can Am seasons and entered Porsche 934 and Porsche 935 models in the Trans Am Series. In 1976, George Follmer won the Category 2 Drivers' Championship of the Trans Am series in a Porsche 934 under Vasek Polak Racing. References External links * http://www.torrancememorial.org/Clinical_Research/About_Vasek_Polak.aspx * http://articles.latimes.com/1997-04-19/news/mn-50372_1_vasek-polak 1914 births 1997 deaths Czech racing drivers "
"Maria Rita Teresa Batalla-Laforteza (born 3 August 1960) is a Filipino artist who graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in the Fine Arts Department, majoring in Painting. Currently, she is taking her master's degree in the same university. Ms. Batalla-Laforteza is also the daughter of the artist and musician from Cabuyao, Domingo M. Batalla. Early life Maria Rita Teresa Batalla-Laforteza (Born Maria Rita Teresa Herce Batalla) was born on August 3, 1960 in Cabuyao, Laguna. She is the daughter of Dr. Virginia Herce Batalla (acupuncturist) and artist and composer Domingo M. Batalla. She grew up in a small town in Cabuyao, Laguna and still resides there. She has attended numerous schools throughout her education, including the Canossa School in Laguna and the Philippine Women's University. But mostly, her education has been in the University of Sto. Tomas having had her pre-school, college and graduate school years there. As a child, Laforteza initially dreamed to be a doctor like her mother. But as time passed, she grew to love the arts, learning how to draw at a very young age. During elementary, she would make handmade designer stationary that she would then sell to her schoolmates. She would also participate in various art related school activities like school plays (in which she would be the production designer), booths in school fairs, drawing competitions and the like. Come college years, she chose to apply to the University of Sto. Tomas under the College of Science. She did not finish her course, however, and shifted soon to the then College of Architecture & Fine Arts (now the College of Fine Arts & Design) under the course of Painting. She has since developed her artistic ability and honed her skills using the style of impressionism under the watchful mentoring of her professor and another famous Filipino artist, Danilo Santiago. Career Laforteza started to make a name for herself in the art industry when her Thesis work entitled "The History of Medicine" gained popularity as it was praised by her jurors and many art enthusiasts. Said thesis work was even published in numerous print media including The Vision Magazine and Bulletin Today. She was the only outstanding female during her batch's Thesis Deliberation. She made her Thesis artwork exactly 1 week before her deliberation, choosing to focus more on her Thesis book. On the day of the deliberation, she had a high fever and was advised by her mother not to go through with it. But, with the support of her father as well, she pushed through and faced her three jurors: artists Danilo Santiago, Glory Rogers and Leonardo Hidalgo (son of famous artist Felix Hidalgo). She also had her adviser, Antonio Austria, present. With this, she received Top Thesis and was praised for her work. On September 25, 1982 she embarked on her first exhibit for her Thesis work. After this, she focused more on her schoolwork, and didn't join an exhibit until later on in 1995. She joined The Chairman of Research & Documentation historical exhibit along with other artists. It was held on April till September of the year 1995. On 1996, shortly after the exhibit, she joined an On-the-spot Painting Competition. Both events are for the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts. She joined as an alumni. December 1996, she was one of the exhibitors in the 5th National Eucharist Congress and UST "Masters of the Arts for the Eucharist" Painting Exhibition that was held at the GSIS Building. Come 1999, she became a chairman in the Committee on Invitations and Documentations for CITIES 2000, an international convention hosted by her alma mater. Throughout 1999-2000 she joined various kinds of summer art and sports workshops. From 2005 to 2007, she has been in various positions in different committees for the University of Sto. Tomas College of Fine Arts & Design. During August 2006, she participated in helping to break the record Longest painting on Continuous Canvas for the Guinness World Records & International Mid-decade Celebrations of UNESCO for a Culture of Peace & Non-violence for the children of the world. August 2009, three years later, she was an exhibitor for the SI KAD: CFAD Pahid Kulay Art Exhibition, along with her co- faculty members. In the same year, she held her first ever solo exhibit in the gallery of her alma mater, University of Sto. Tomas. She was also an exhibitor last May 2010 for the Lakan Sining Bulacan SM Art Center and 2011 for the Quadricentennial Exhibition of the University of Sto. Tomas. During 2012, she was an exhibitor for the UST Atelier Group Exhibit in Siguada Gallery and September of the same year in the Vignettes and Variations exhibit at the Beato Angelico Gallery for the AAP UST CFAD Junior Chapter. She has since participated in various joint exhibits. A few of these are the Ika 2 Yugot at Galeria de las Islas, Magloyuan, L. E. (2013 November 23). Ika 2 Yugto at Galeria De Las Islas. [Online]. Retrieved last March 13, 2014 from No author (2013 November 18). Gallery News: Agnes Arellano at The Crucible. [Online]. Retrieved last March 16, 2014 from Philstar.com: http://www.philstar.com/arts- and-culture/2013/11/18/1257428/gallery-news-agnes-arellano-crucible the Brushes with Words & Chords Making: Love in Fourteen Collaborative ActsNo author (n. d.). Brushes with Words & Chords: Making: Love in Fourteen Collaborative Acts. An Interdisciplinary Celebration in the Arts and Sciences. [Online]. Retrieved last March 16, 2014 from Agimat: http://www.agimat.net/visual/e130211.php#.UxUoqyixrHM and the like. Her most recent exhibits were held in 2013. They include BALIK-TANAW for Grupong Tomasio, a Collaborative Exhibition at the UST Main Building and a group exhibition at the GSIS Museum called Ugnayan. But her most memorable one is her second solo exhibit in memory of her father titled: Memories, Music & Me 2 – A Tribute to the Legacy of Domingo M. Batalla.No author (2013 August 08). Celebrating A Man's Life Through Art. [Online]. Retrieved last March 13, 2014 from the City of Cabuyao Website: http://www.cityofcabuyao.gov.ph/news_and_events_result.php?id=714 Style Nature is a very common theme with her paintings, mostly choosing to use butterflies, flowers, landscapes and the like as her subjects. She has stated that, in doing her paintings, she keeps thing organized. She has said that, "I have a cabinet at home that contains all my materials. My brushes and paints are in order. I like to be organized," and emphasizes that organization is very important to her because it saves her time and makes it easier for her to start with her works. The longest she has ever painted was 24 hours, but it usually takes her 4–6 hours to finish at artwork, depending on the size and subject of her work. In doing her works, she sometimes gets ideas and starts one on impulse. At other times, however, she researches first on the subject before making a composition and proceeding with doing her work. Music is also a big influence on her, choosing to listen to various tunes while creating her works. She has said that, "You have to have an idea first and then let the music enhance that. You can't depend on it. You can't say that you have to listen to music before you start your work. That leads to you being dependent on it, which will not be good in the future. You have to have the idea created in your head first, and then while making your work, you let the music be your support and you let it enhance your artwork and help you finish it. That's the right way to do it,". She believes that one should be taken by the emotions through the music, not by the music itself. Future projects Her future projects include a wide array of activities, which include: Mural paintings for the University of Sto. Tomas Alumni Center, group exhibitions in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and a group exhibition for the Philippine Embassy in Los Angeles, California in the United States. References 1960 births Living people Filipino artists University of Santo Tomas alumni People from Cabuyao Artists from Laguna (province) "