Connecticut

Here is my information on the University of Connecticut. Information on TAPS in Warkwick, RI =The Atlantic Paranormal Society=

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Jump to: [|navigation], [|search] hide] * [|1] [|History] 
 * The Atlantic Paranormal Society** (**TAPS**) is an organization based in [|Warwick, Rhode Island], USA that investigates [|paranormal] activity. It was founded in 1990 by [|Jason Hawes] and [|Grant Wilson]. In 2004 the organization itself became the subject of a weekly reality television series for the [|Sci-Fi Channel] titled //[|Ghost Hunters]//.
 * ==Contents==
 * [|2] [|Objectives & Activities]
 * [|3] [|Methods]
 * [|4] [|Criticism]
 * [|5] [|Known members (past & present)]
 * [|5.1] [|Present Members]
 * [|5.2] [|Past members]
 * [|6] [|TAPS Family Networking]
 * [|7] [|References]
 * [|8] [|See also]
 * [|9] [|External links] ||

[[|edit]] History
Hawes began TAPS in 1990; originally it was called Rhode Island Paranormal Society. According to former TAPS member Donna LaCroix, the team initially began meeting "every Sunday in a coffee shop." After RIPS began investigating cases throughout the New England area, RIPS was renamed "The Atlantic Paranormal Society".[|[1]] Wilson joined the effort about two years later. [//[|citation needed]//] 

[[|edit]] Objectives & Activities
The group attempts to help individuals or groups who feel they have paranormal activity occurring to them by collecting evidence, which they also use for their own research purposes. They also share information through their website. [//[|citation needed]//] They attempt to raise money to fund their activities by selling magazines, merchandise, DVD's, and advertising space in their magazines. They also accept compensation for their services from families if offered due to the large amount of travel that they put in, and also accept donations via pay pal on their website. The group has recently released their first book, 'Ghost Hunting[|[2]].' One other primary objective of TAPS is to make the rounds on the college lecture and convention circuit, as the event calendar on the group's main page shows various members are frequently booked at such events, and command competitive rates for their services[|[3]]. It can also be seen from their schedule on their website that they have begun offering more and more 'Meet TAPS' type events in which, for a fee, you can go ghost hunting with them at famous sites[|[4]]. The TAPS website features some of the evidence they have collected in video and audio form. [//[|citation needed]//] TAPS publishes a monthly publication called //TAPS Paramagazine//, which features articles written by group members and information pertaining to the paranormal. Hawes stated in an interview on the skeptical podcast 'Audiomartini' that the magazine is marketed primarily in an attempt to "fund the TAPS operation." [|[5]] The magazine itself states that "TAPS Para Magazine is a financial sponsor of The Atlantic Paranormal Society". The average issue is approximately 39 pages in length and was recently marketed by offering a 'behind the scenes DVD' of the show to new subscribers. Beginning in July 2006 TAPS began releasing podcasts, //TAPS Para-Radio//, featuring Hawes and Wilson, on a sporadic basis. [//[|citation needed]//] In early 2007, TAPS ceased describing itself as a "non-profit organization" and instead adopted the term "free volunteer organization" due to potential liability issues stemming from the inaccuracy of the first description.[|[6]] On December 1st, 2007, TAPS released a video game in conjunction with Star Mountain Studios called 'Apparitions.' Available online for PC & Mac, TAPS co-founder Grant Wilson claims that this game is just the start of larger efforts in the interactive media space from TAPS in the future. [|[7]] 

[[|edit]] Methods
TAPS sends a group of 3 to 6 members to perform an 8-12 hour investigation employing a number of [|infrared] and digital video cameras, [|thermal camera] devices, [|EMF (electromagnetic field) Detectors], digital [|thermometers] and other equipment throughout the site in question. While at a site, the members of the team often find common explanations for the claims of the occupants. In conclusion the team will report on its findings, and express their opinion that a site is "[|haunted]" or "not haunted". They distinguish themselves from other Paranormal groups by going into a case by claiming they wish to disprove a haunting. TAPS do not charge their clients for the investigations or consulting. [//[|citation needed]//] 

[[|edit]] Criticism
//See also: [|Ghost Hunters]//

[[|edit]] Present Members

 * Jason Hawes - Founder
 * Grant Wilson - Co-Founder & Webmaster
 * Joe Chin - Investigators
 * Mike Dion - Director
 * Greg Dodd - Investigator
 * Heather Drolet - Investigator/Interviewer
 * Brent Fair - TAPS Family Co-Manager
 * Kristyn Gartland - Case Manager
 * Steve Gonsalves - Technical Manager
 * Britt Griffith - TAPS Family Manager
 * Bill Lonero - EVP Specialist
 * Dustin Pari - Investigator
 * Jason Porter - TAPS Family International Manager
 * Matt Prescott - Investigator
 * Jen Rossi - Investigator
 * Dave Tango - Investigator
 * Kris Williams - Historical Researcher

TAPS current membership list is available on their website[|[8]]. An archive of their website is also available and can be used to track changes in membership since 2001.[|[9]] Other information was collected straight from the book titled **Ghost Hunting True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena From The Atlantic Paranormal Society**. 

[[|edit]] Past members

 * Ron Southworth - Paranormal Medium
 * Carl Johnson - Demonologist
 * Keith Johnson - Demonologist
 * Jill Raczelowski - Archivest
 * Brian Golas- Investigator
 * Cliff Williams - In Training
 * Mike King - In Training
 * Andy Andrews - Investigator [|[10]]
 * Amy Andrews - Investigator
 * Louie Medeiros - In Training
 * [|Brian Harnois] - Investigator [|[10]]
 * Donna LaCroix - Interviewer/Case Manager [|[10]]
 * Chris Angelo - Investigator, deceased (Aug. 7 1981 - Nov. 2 2003)
 * Brian Bell - Systems Manager
 * Renee Smith - Organizational Advisor
 * Krystin Allen - Field Researcher
 * Renee Laverdiere - Field Researcher
 * Shannon Edwards - Research Agent
 * Andrew Graham - Research Agent
 * Paula Silva
 * Bethany Aculade - Clairvoyant
 * Tony Blackmon - IT manager
 * Paula Donovan - R&D Manager
 * Lisa Dowaliby – Director
 * Al Tyas - TAPS Family Manager
 * Barry Fitzgerald - TAPS International Family Member [|[10]]
 * [|Jodi Picoult] - Tag along Member ([|1996])
 * [|CM Punk] - Honorary Member ([|2006])
 * [|Elijah Burke] - Honorary Member ([|2007])

[[|edit]] TAPS Family Networking
Many [|Paranormal Investigation Groups] network and assist similar member-groups across the nation and around the world. TAPS invites paranormal research organizations into its own network, and may refer cases to them. Member-organizations put a "TAPS Family Member" banner (see below) on their websites which link to The Atlantic Paranormal Society's web page. A list of member organizations is available at the [|TAPS Family Website]. 

[[|edit]] References

 * 1) **[|^]** http://basinpark.com/photogallery/basindisplay/pic_details.php?pid=295&size=1
 * 2) **[|^]** [|The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS)]
 * 3) **[|^]** [|ideal event management]
 * 4) **[|^]** http://www.paranormaltrips.com
 * 5) **[|^]** [|Audiomartini...Paranormal Radio with a Twist]
 * 6) **[|^]** [|The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS)]
 * 7) **[|^]** [|Apparitions - The Game]
 * 8) **[|^]** http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/members.html
 * 9) **[|^]** [|Internet Archive Wayback Machine]
 * 10) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|//**c**//] [|//**d**//] (Now with "[|Ghost Hunters International] team")

[[|edit]] See also

 * [|Ghost]
 * [|Ghost Hunters]
 * [|Ghost hunting]
 * [|Haunting]
 * [|Paranormal Investigation]
 * [|Taps Para Mag]

[[|edit]] External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlantic_Paranormal_Society"[|Categories]: [|Paranormal investigators]Hidden categories: [|All articles with unsourced statements] | [|Articles with unsourced statements since February 2008]
 * [|Official TAPS Web-site]
 * [|TAPS EVP Specialist Bill Lonero's EVP Online Resource]
 * [|Official TAPS Family Web Page]
 * [|UnOfficial TAPS Fan Site]

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Info copied from wikipedia on Niagra Falls =Niagara Falls=

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from [|Niagra falls])Jump to: [|navigation], [|search]For other uses, see [|Niagara Falls (disambiguation)]. The [|American Falls], [|Bridal Veil Falls], and [|Horseshoe Falls]. || Bridal Veil Falls || Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections parted by [|Goat Island]: [|Horseshoe Falls], on the Canadian side of the border and [|American Falls] on the United States side. The smaller [|Bridal Veil Falls] also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by [|Luna Island]. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the [|Wisconsin glaciation] (the last [|ice age]), and water from the newly-formed [|Great Lakes] carved a path through the [|Niagara Escarpment] en route to the [|Atlantic Ocean]. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 [|m³]) of water fall over the crest line every minute in high flow,[|[1]] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[|[2]] The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of [|hydroelectric power]. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s. hide] * [|1] [|Characteristics and formation] 
 * Niagara Falls**||||= [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Niag715.jpg/275px-Niag715.jpg width="275" height="206" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Niag715.jpg"]]
 * ~ Location || Niagara Falls (Ontario & New York) [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Flag_of_Canada.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada.svg.png width="22" height="11" caption="Flag of Canada" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Canada.svg"]] [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png width="22" height="12" caption="Flag of the United States" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg"]] ||
 * ~ [|Coordinates] || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png]] [|43°04′48″N 79°04′16″W] [|﻿ /] [|43.080, -79.071﻿ (Niagara Falls)] [|Coordinates]: [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png]] [|43°04′48″N 79°04′16″W] [|﻿ /] [|43.080, -79.071﻿ (Niagara Falls)]  ||
 * ~ [|Type] || Segmented Block ||
 * ~ Total height || 167 ft (52 m) ||
 * ~ Number of drops || Horseshoe Falls, American Falls
 * ~ Average flow rate || 202,000 cu ft/s (5,720 m³/s) ||
 * ~ Watercourse || Niagara River ||
 * Niagara Falls** ([|French]: //les Chutes de Niagara//) are massive [|waterfalls] on the [|Niagara River], straddling the [|international border] separating the [|Canadian province] of [|Ontario] and the [|U.S. state] of [|New York]. The falls are 17 miles (27km) [|north-northwest] of [|Buffalo, New York], 75 miles (120km) [|south-southeast] of [|Toronto, Ontario], between the [|twin cities] of [|Niagara Falls, Ontario], and [|Niagara Falls, New York].
 * Niagara Falls** ([|French]: //les Chutes de Niagara//) are massive [|waterfalls] on the [|Niagara River], straddling the [|international border] separating the [|Canadian province] of [|Ontario] and the [|U.S. state] of [|New York]. The falls are 17 miles (27km) [|north-northwest] of [|Buffalo, New York], 75 miles (120km) [|south-southeast] of [|Toronto, Ontario], between the [|twin cities] of [|Niagara Falls, Ontario], and [|Niagara Falls, New York].
 * ==Contents==
 * [|2] [|History]
 * [|3] [|Impact on industry and commerce]
 * [|4] [|Preservation efforts]
 * [|5] [|In entertainment and popular culture]
 * [|5.1] [|Over The Falls]
 * [|5.2] [|Movies and television]
 * [|6] [|Tourism]
 * [|6.1] [|American side]
 * [|6.2] [|Canadian side]
 * [|7] [|See also]
 * [|8] [|References]
 * [|9] [|Footnotes]
 * [|10] [|External links] ||

[[|edit]] Characteristics and formation
Please help [|improve this article] by adding [|reliable references]. Unsourced material may be [|challenged] and removed. //(January 2007)// || Aerial view of Niagara Falls, with American Falls on the left and the Horseshoe Falls on the right American side of Niagara Falls before a rain storm (2007) Niagara Falls is divided into the [|Horseshoe Falls] and the [|American Falls]. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 173 [|feet] (53 m). The American Falls drop about 70 feet (21 m) before reaching a jumble of fallen rocks that were deposited by a massive rock slide in 1954. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (792 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (323 m) wide. The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season is 202,000 cubic feet per second (5,720 m³/s).[|[3]] By comparison Africa's spectacular [|Victoria Falls] has over 15 million cubic feet (424,750 [|m³]) of water falling over its crest line each minute during the peak of the wet season (250,000 cu ft/7,079 m³ per second).[|[4]] Since the flow is a direct function of the [|Lake Erie] water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,832 m³/s) of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a [|weir] with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,416 m³/s). Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC).[|[5]] Viewpoints on the American shore generally are astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore. Thus, the most complete views of Niagara Falls are available from the Canadian shoreline. Panoramic American view of the Horse Shoe Falls. The features that became the Niagara Falls were created by the [|Wisconsin glaciation], about 10,000 years ago. The same forces also created the North American [|Great Lakes] and the Niagara River. All were dug by a continental [|ice sheet] that drove through the area like a giant bulldozer, deepening some river channels to make lakes and damming others with debris.[|[6]] Scientists believe that there is an old valley, buried by [|glacial drift], at the approximate location of the present [|Welland Canal]. When the ice melted, the upper Great Lakes emptied into the Niagara River, which followed the rearranged topography across the [|Niagara Escarpment]. In time, the river cut a gorge through the north facing [|cliff] or [|cuesta]. The unusual rock formations did not erode evenly because of the interactions of three major rock formations. [//[|citation needed]//] One rock formation was composed of erosion-resistant [|limestone] and Lockport [|dolostone]. That hard layer of stone eroded more slowly than underlying materials. The aerial photo clearly shows the hard caprock, the Lockport Formation (Middle [|Silurian]), which underlies the rapids above the falls and approximately the upper third of the high gorge wall. Immediately below the hard-rock formation, comprising about two thirds of the cliff, lay a weaker, softer, sloping Rochester Formation (Lower Silurian). The formation was composed mainly of [|shale], though it has some thin limestone layers. It also contains ancient [|fossils]. In time, the river eroded the soft layer that supported the hard layers, undercutting the hard cap rock. Eventually the process carved out the falls. Submerged in the river in the lower valley, hidden from view, is the Queenston Formation (Upper [|Ordovician]), which is composed of shales and fine [|sandstones]. All three formations were laid down in an ancient [|sea], and their differences of character derive from changing conditions within that sea. View of Niagara Falls, showing parts of Canada and the United States The original Niagara Falls were near the sites of present-day [|Queenston, Ontario], and [|Lewiston, New York], but [|erosion] of their crest has caused the waterfalls to retreat several miles southward. Just upstream from the Falls' current location, [|Goat Island] splits the course of the Niagara River, resulting in the separation of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls to the west from the American and Bridal Veil Falls to the east. Although engineering has slowed erosion and recession in this century, the falls will eventually recede far enough to drain most of [|Lake Erie], the bottom of which is higher than the bottom of the falls. Engineers are working to reduce the rate of erosion to postpone this event as long as possible. 
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Question_book-3.svg/50px-Question_book-3.svg.png width="50" height="39" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Question_book-3.svg"]] || **This section needs additional [|citations] for [|verification].**

[[|edit]] History
1837 woodcut of Falls, from //Etats Unis d'Amerique// by Roux de Rochelle. The name "Niagara" (Iroquois Nation pronunciation "niheeka"[|[7]][|[8]][|[9]]) is said to originate from an [|Iroquois] word "Onguiaahra" meaning "The Strait." The region's original inhabitants were the //Ongiara//, an Iroquois tribe named the //[|Neutrals]// by French settlers, who found them helpful in mediating disputes with other tribes.[|[10]] A number of figures have been suggested as first circulating an eyewitness description of Niagara Falls. Frenchman [|Samuel de Champlain] visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of Canada, and members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he described in his journals. Finnish-Swedish naturalist [|Pehr Kalm] explored the area in the early 1700s and wrote of the experience. The consensus honoree is Belgian Father [|Louis Hennepin], who observed and described the Falls in 1677, earlier than Kalm, after traveling with explorer [|René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle], thus bringing the Falls to the attention of Europeans. Further complicating matters, there is credible evidence that French Jesuit Reverend [|Paul Ragueneau] visited the Falls some 35 years prior to Hennepin's visit, while working among the [|Huron First Nation] in Canada. [|Jean de Brebeuf] also may have visited the Falls, while spending time with the [|Neutral Nation].[|[11]] Man and woman on Canadian side of Niagara Falls, circa 1858 During the 18th century tourism became popular, and by mid-century, it was the area's main industry. [|Napoleon Bonaparte]'s brother [|Jérôme] visited with his bride in the early 19th century.[|[12]] Demand for passage over the Niagara River led in 1848 to the building of a footbridge and then Charles Ellet's //Niagara Suspension Bridge//. This was supplanted by German-born [|John Augustus Roebling]'s //Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge// in 1855. After the [|American Civil War], the [|New York Central] railroad publicized Niagara Falls as a focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits. With increased railroad traffic, in 1886, Leffert Buck replaced Roebling's wood and stone bridge with the predominantly steel bridge that still carries trains over the Niagara River today. The first steel archway bridge near the Falls was completed in 1897. Known today as the [|Whirlpool Rapids Bridge], it carries vehicles, trains, and pedestrians between Canada (through Canadian Customs Border Control) and the U.S.A. just below the Falls. In 1941 the //Niagara Falls Bridge Commission// completed the third current crossing in the immediate area of Niagara Falls with the [|Rainbow Bridge], carrying both pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the two countries and Canadian and U.S. customs for each country. After the [|First World War], tourism boomed again as automobiles made getting to the Falls much easier. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the Falls for [|hydroelectric power], and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural beauty. 

[[|edit]] Impact on industry and commerce
Please help [|improve this article] by adding [|reliable references]. Unsourced material may be [|challenged] and removed. //(January 2007)// || [|American Falls] (large waterfall on the left) and [|Bridal Veil Falls] (smaller waterfall on the right) The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as a potential source of power. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1759, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the Falls to power his sawmill. Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals which would be used to generate electricity. In 1881, under the leadership of Jacob Schoellkopf, enough power was produced to send [|direct current] to illuminate both the Falls themselves and nearby Niagara Falls village. When [|Nikola Tesla], for whom a memorial was later built at Niagara Falls, NY (USA), invented the [|three-phase] system of [|alternating current] power transmission, distant transfer of electricity became possible. In 1883, the Niagara Falls Power Company, a descendant of Schoellkopf's firm, hired [|George Westinghouse] to design a system to generate alternating current. By 1896, with financing from moguls like [|J.P. Morgan], [|John Jacob Astor IV], and the [|Vanderbilts], they had constructed giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000 [|horsepower] (75 MW), and were sending power as far as [|Buffalo], twenty [|miles] (32 [|km]) away. Private companies on the Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the Falls. The Government of the province of [|Ontario], Canada eventually brought power transmission operations under public control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of the Canadian province. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's flow is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The water then passes through [|hydroelectric] turbines that supply power to nearby areas of the Canada and the USA before returning to the river well past the Falls. [|Panoramic] view of American and Horseshoe Falls from Canada. The most powerful hydroelectric stations on the Niagara River are [|Sir Adam Beck 1 and 2] on the Canadian side, and the [|Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant] and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant on the American side. All together, Niagara's generating stations can produce about 4.4 [|GW] of power. In August 2005 [|Ontario Power Generation], which is responsible for the Sir Adam Beck stations, announced plans to build a new 6½ mile (10.4 km) tunnel to tap water from farther up the Niagara river than is possible with the existing arrangement. The project is expected to be completed in 2009, and will increase Sir Adam Beck's output by about 182 [|MW] (4.2%). Niagara Falls at night [|Ships] can bypass Niagara Falls by means of the [|Welland Canal], which was improved and incorporated into the [|Saint Lawrence Seaway] in the 1960s. While the seaway diverted water traffic from nearby [|Buffalo] and led to the demise of its steel and grain mills, other industries in the Niagara River valley flourished with the help of the electric power produced by the river until the 1970s. Since then the region has declined economically. The cities of Niagara Falls, [|Ontario], Canada and Niagara Falls, New York, USA are connected by three bridges: the [|Rainbow Bridge], just downriver from the Falls, which affords the closest view of the Falls and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians; the [|Whirlpool Rapids Bridge], one mile (1.5 km) down from the Rainbow bridge and the oldest bridge over the Niagara river. The newest bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, is located near the escarpment. Nearby Niagara Falls International Airport and [|Buffalo Niagara International Airport] were named after the waterfall, as were [|Niagara University], countless local businesses, and even an asteroid.[|[13]] A view of the Niagara Falls Canadian skyline
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Question_book-3.svg/50px-Question_book-3.svg.png width="50" height="39" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Question_book-3.svg"]] || **This section needs additional [|citations] for [|verification].**

[[|edit]] Preservation efforts
Niagara Falls has long been a source of inspiration for explorers, travelers, artists, authors, filmmakers, residents and visitors, few of whom realize that the falls nearly were devoted exclusively to industrial and commercial use. In the 1870s, sightseers had limited access to Niagara Falls and often had to pay merely for a glimpse, and industrialization threatened to carve up Goat Island to power expanding commercial development. Other industrial encroachments and lack of public access led to a conservation movement in the U.S. known as //Free Niagara//, led by such notables as Hudson River school artist [|Frederic Edwin Church], landscape designer [|Frederick Law Olmsted], and architect [|Henry Hobson Richardson]. Church approached [|Lord Dufferin], governor-general of Canada, with a proposal for international discussions on establishment of a public park. Goat Island was one of the inspirations for the American side of the effort. [|William Dorsheimer], moved by the scene from the island, brought Olmsted to Buffalo in 1868 to design a city park system and helped promote Olmstead's career. Later, in 1879, the New York state legislature commissioned Olmsted and James T. Gardner to survey the falls and to create the single most important document in the Niagara preservation movement, a Special Report on the preservation of Niagara Falls. The report advocated for State purchase, restoration and preservation through public ownership of the scenic lands surrounding Niagara Falls. Restoring the former beauty of the falls was described in the report as a "sacred obligation to mankind."[|[14]] In 1883, Governor [|Grover Cleveland] drafted legislation authorizing acquisition of lands for a state reservation at Niagara and //The Niagara Falls Association//, a private citizens group founded in 1882, mounted a massive letter writing campaign and petition drive in support of the park. Professor [|Charles Eliot Norton] and Olmsted were among the leaders of the public campaign, while New York Governor [|Alonzo Cornell] opposed. A closer view of the [|Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls] in the early morning. Preservationists' efforts were rewarded on April 30, 1885, when Governor [|David B. Hill] signed legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York’s first state park. New York state began to purchase land from developers, under the charter of the [|Niagara Reservation State Park]. In the same year, the province of Ontario established the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park for the same purpose. On the Canadian side, the [|Niagara Parks Commission] governs land usage along the entire course of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. In 1887, Olmsted and [|Calvert Vaux] issued a supplemental report detailing plans to restore the falls. Their intent was "to restore and conserve the natural surroundings of the Falls of Niagara, rather than to attempt to add anything thereto," and the report anticipated fundamental questions. How would preservationists provide access without destroying the beauty of the falls? How would they restore natural landscapes damaged by man? They planned a park with scenic roadways, paths and a few shelters designed to protect the landscape while allowing large numbers of visitors to enjoy the falls.[|[15]] Commemorative statues, shops, restaurants, and a 1959 glass and metal observation tower were added later. Preservationists continue to strive to strike a balance between Olmsted’s idyllic vision, and the realities of administering a popular scenic attraction.[|[16]] Preservation efforts continued well into the 20th century. J. Horace McFarland, the [|Sierra Club], and the [|Appalachian Mountain Club] persuaded the [|United States Congress] in 1906 to enact legislation to preserve the Falls by regulating the waters of Niagara River.[|[17]] The act sought, in cooperation with the Canadian government, to restrict diversion of water, and a treaty resulted in 1909 that limited the total amount of water diverted from the Falls by both nations to 56,000 cubic feet (approx. 1,600 cubic m) per second. That limitation remained in effect until 1950.[|[18]] American Falls "shut off" during erosion control efforts in 1969 (see text) Erosion control efforts also have been important. Underwater [|weirs] redirect the most damaging currents, and top of the falls has been strengthened. In June 1969, for example, the Niagara River was entirely diverted from the American Falls for several months through construction of a temporary rock and earth dam (clearly visible in the photo at right).[|[19]] While the Horseshoe Falls absorbed the extra flow, the [|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers] studied the riverbed and mechanically bolted faults which would otherwise have hastened the retreat of the American Falls. A plan to remove the huge mound of [|talus] deposited in 1954 was abandoned owing to cost, and in November 1969, the temporary dam was [|dynamited], restoring flow to the American Falls. Even after these undertakings, [|Luna Island], the small piece of land between the main waterfall and the Bridal Veil, remained off limits to the public for years owing to fears that it was unstable and could collapse into the gorge at any time. Not far away from the falls, commercial interests have prevailed. Recent construction of several tall buildings (most of them hotels) on the Canadian side resulted in a remarkable alteration and urbanisation of the landscape. It has also caused the airflow over the Falls to change direction.[|[20]] The result is that the viewing areas on the Canadian side are now often obscured by a layer of mist. 

[[|edit]] In entertainment and popular culture
Please help [|improve this article] by adding [|reliable references]. Unsourced material may be [|challenged] and removed. //(January 2008)// || 
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e3/Question_book-3.svg/50px-Question_book-3.svg.png width="50" height="39" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Question_book-3.svg"]] || **This section needs additional [|citations] for [|verification].**

[[|edit]] Over The Falls
[|Bobby Leach] and his barrel after his trip over Niagara Falls, 1911 In October 1829, [|Sam Patch], who called himself //The Yankee Leaper//, jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of [|daredevils] trying to go over the Falls. In 1901, 63-year-old school teacher [|Annie Edson Taylor] was the first person to go over the Falls in a [|barrel] as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed. Soon after exiting the barrel, she said, "No one should ever try that again." Unfortunately, the fortune she hoped to make from a later lecture tour was never realized, as her manager was a con-man who took everything she owned. (Legend says that a small kitten rode in the barrel with her, but this seems to have been a whimsical myth. Still, when she posed with the barrel afterwards, the kitten sat placidly on top of it.) Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the Falls. In 1918, there was a near disaster when a barge working up-river broke its tow, and almost plunged over the falls. Fortunately, the vessel grounded on rocks just short of the falls.[|[21]] Other daredevils have made //crossing the Falls// their goal, starting with the successful passage by [|Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet] in 1859. These [|tightrope walkers] drew huge crowds to witness their exploits. Their wires ran across the gorge, near the current Rainbow Bridge, not over the waterfall itself. Among the many was Ontario's William Hunt, who billed himself as "Signor Fanini" and competed with Blondin in performing outrageous stunts over the gorge. Englishman [|Captain Matthew Webb], the first man to swim the [|English Channel], drowned in 1883 after unsuccessfully trying to swim across the [|whirlpools] and rapids downriver from the Falls with nine other people. Two others drowned with him, and the other seven gave up before finishing their course. Mr. Roger Woodward and Mrs. Deanne Woodward Simpson as adults meeting with the people who rescued them. In what some called the "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over the Horseshoe Falls protected only by a life vest on [|July 9], [|1960], as two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from the river only 20 feet (6 m) from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island.[|[22]] Minutes later, Roger was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath the Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the [|Maid of the Mist] boat. His survival, which no one thought possible, made news throughout the world. On [|July 2], [|1984], Canadian [|Karel Soucek] from [|Hamilton, Ontario] successfully plunged over the Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured in a practice session for a stunt attempting to re-create the Niagara drop at the [|Houston Astrodome]. His aim was to climb into a barrel hoisted to the rafters of the Astrodome and to drop 180 feet (55 m) into a water tank on the floor. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side of the tank and he died the next day from his injuries.[|[23]] In August 1985, [|Steve Trotter], an aspiring stunt man from Rhode Island, became the youngest person ever (age 22) and the first American in 25 years to go over the Falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter went over the Falls again, becoming the second person to go over the Falls twice and survive. It was also the second-ever "duo"; Lori Martin joined Trotter for the barrel ride over the Falls. They survived the fall but their barrel became stuck at the bottom of the falls, requiring a rescue. They became the first individuals to serve jailtime for going over Niagara Falls. The first two-person trip over the brink goes to Jeffrey Petkovich (25) and Peter Debernardi (42) on September 27, 1989.[|[24]] On September 27,1993 John "David" Monday (or Munday) became the first person to survive going over the falls twice.[|[25]] Kirk Jones of [|Canton, Michigan] became the first known person to survive a plunge over the Horseshoe Falls without a flotation device on [|October 20], [|2003]. While it is still not known whether Jones was determined to commit suicide, he survived the 16-story fall with only battered ribs, scrapes, and bruises.[|[26]] No human has ever survived a plunge over the American Falls, owing to the many boulders and the relatively weak current. A newspaper account in the late 19th century does cite a bulldog believed to have successfully, though accidentally, endured the passage. All "over the Falls" survivors have passed over the Horseshoe Falls, where there are fewer boulders, and the current can "throw" a person farther away from the brink to avoid them. Photographs of many of the stunt people and daredevils can be seen in the [|Historic Niagara Digital Collections Images Database]. A museum houses most of the crafts that were used to go over the falls. 

[[|edit]] Movies and television
Already a huge tourist attraction and favorite spot for honeymooners, Niagara Falls visits rose sharply in 1953 after the release of //[|Niagara]//, a movie starring [|Marilyn Monroe]. Later in the 20th century, the Falls was a featured location in 1980s movie //[|Superman II]//, and was itself the subject of a popular [|IMAX] movie. Illusionist [|David Copperfield] performed a trick in which he appeared to travel over the Horseshoe Falls in 1990. The Falls, or more particularly, the tourist-supported complex near the Falls, was the setting of the short-lived Canadian television show //[|Wonderfalls]// in early 2004. With the recent influx of more international tourists, annual visits exceeded 14 million in 2003. More recently, location footage of the Falls was shot in October 2006 to portray "World's End" of the movie //[|Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]//.[|[27]] The movie [|Canadian Bacon] takes place in the Niagara area. [//[|citation needed]//] 

[[|edit]] Tourism
Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors in 2008 is expected to total 20 million and by 2009, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year.[|[28]] The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the //[|Maid of the Mist]// boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls since 1846. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.[|[29]][|[30]] 

[[|edit]] American side
From the U.S. side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Point Park, which also features the [|Prospect Point Observation Tower] and a boat dock for the //Maid of the Mist//. [|Goat Island] offers more views of the falls and is accessible by foot and automobile traffic by bridge above the American Falls. From Goat Island, the [|Cave of the Winds] is accessible by [|elevator] and leads hikers to a point beneath [|Bridal Veil Falls]. Also on Goat Island are the Three Sisters Islands, the Power Portal where a huge statue of Nikola Tesla can be seen, and a walking path which enables views of the rapids, the Niagara River, the gorge, and all of the Falls. Most of these attractions lie within the [|Niagara Falls State Park].[|[31]] The Niagara Scenic Trolley offers guided trips along the American Falls and around Goat Island. Panoramic and aerial views of the falls can also be viewed from the Flight of Angels helium balloon ride, or by helicopter. The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center showcases the natural and local history of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge.[|[31]][|[32]] 

[[|edit]] Canadian side
On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The observation deck of the nearby [|Skylon Tower] offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant [|Toronto]. Along with the [|Minolta Tower] (formerly the Seagrams Tower, currently the Konica Minolta Tower), it is one of two towers in Canada with a view of the Falls.[|[33]] Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs the 35 miles (56 km) from [|Fort Erie] to [|Fort George], and includes many historical sites from the [|War of 1812].[|[34]] The [|Whirlpool Aero Car], built in 1916 from a design by Spanish engineer [|Leonardo Torres y Quevedo], is a [|cable car] which takes passengers over the whirlpool on the Canadian side. The //[|Journey Behind the Falls]// - accessible by elevators from the street level entrance - consists of an observation platform and series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side.[|[35]][|[36]] There are two [|casinos] on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the [|Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort] and [|Casino Niagara]. The former is situated in the [|Fallsview Tourist Area], alongside many of the area's hotels, whilst the latter is adjacent to [|Clifton Hill], a major tourist promenade.[|[37]] American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls from Maid of the Mist || The Horseshoe from Helicopter || View of the Horseshoe from a Fallsview hotel room || Niagara Falls rapids (White water walk, Canadian side) || The popular [|Clifton Hill] on the Canadian side lit up at night || View from the Rainbow Bridge || Maid of the Mist leisure boat in front of the Falls || Horseshoe Falls viewed from Maid of the Mist || Tourist spot at the bottom of the Falls || A portal looking out on the back of Horseshoe Falls ||
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/DSC01343_JPG.jpg/120px-DSC01343_JPG.jpg width="120" height="90" align="center" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DSC01343_JPG.jpg"]]
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dd/Cliftnon_Hill33.JPG/90px-Cliftnon_Hill33.JPG width="90" height="120" align="center" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cliftnon_Hill33.JPG"]]
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Niagara_Falls_-_Canada_-_Closeup.JPG/90px-Niagara_Falls_-_Canada_-_Closeup.JPG width="90" height="120" align="center" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Niagara_Falls_-_Canada_-_Closeup.JPG"]]



[[|edit]] See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: //**[|Niagara Falls image gallery]**// http://www.seanbuckley.ca/blog/2006/08/28/niagara-falls-was-frozen-in-1911/ [|http://www.iaw.com/~falls/faq.html] 
 * [|Niagara Falls, Ontario]
 * [|Niagara Falls, New York]
 * [|Niagara Scow]
 * [|Incline railways at Niagara Falls]
 * [|Ontario Hydro]
 * [|Table Rock, Niagara Falls]
 * [|Welland Canal]
 * [|Whirlpool Aero Car]

[[|edit]] References

 * //The Earth//, Tarbuck and Lutgens, 1987
 * //Encyclopedia Britannica//
 * //National Geographic Guide to State Parks of the United States//
 * [|"Niagara Falls at Thunder Alley"]
 * [|"Hydro One Historical Timeline"]

[[|edit]] Footnotes

 * 1) **[|^]** [|Falls Facts (Trivia) - Niagara Parks, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|03-21].
 * 2) **[|^]** [|The World's Best Waterfalls]. Retrieved on [|2006]-[|09-24].
 * 3) **[|^]** [|Niagara Falls History of Power]. Retrieved on [|2006]-[|09-24].
 * 4) **[|^]** [|Victoria Falls - World Waterfall Database: World's Tallest Waterfalls]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|06-22].
 * 5) **[|^]** [|IJC – International Niagara Board of Control]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|03-19].
 * 6) **[|^]** InfoNiagara.com, [|//Niagara Falls Geological History//]. Retrieved March 3, 2007.
 * 7) **[|^]** [|The Sacrifice at Niagara Falls]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|06-22].
 * 8) **[|^]** [|oshumare niji — Poet Seers]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|06-22].
 * 9) **[|^]** [|Iroquois Indian Mythology and Spirituality - American Indian Dream Ceremonies and Interpretation]. Retrieved on [|2007]-[|06-22].
 * 10) **[|^]** [|ABACA Flows Over Niagara Falls: An Illustrated History]. Amoeba Books. Retrieved on [|May 23], [|2007].
 * 11) **[|^]** [|The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents Volume 33]
 * 12) **[|^]** [|Niagara Falls is such a cool honeymoon destination even Napoleon's Brother chose it]. Retrieved on [|2006]-[|09-24].
 * 13) **[|^]** Asteroid //12382 Niagara Falls// was named for the Falls.
 * 14) **[|^]** Laura Wood Roper, FLO: A Biography of Frederick Law Olmsted [Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973], pp. 378-81.)
 * 15) **[|^]** New York (State). Commissioners of state reservation at Niagara, Albany, The Argus company, printers, 1887
 * 16) **[|^]** The New York State Preservationist, Vol. 6/No. 1, Fall/Winter 2002, “Falling for Niagara”, page 14+15
 * 17) **[|^]** Burton Act.
 * 18) **[|^]** U.S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 34, Part 1, Chap. 3621, pp. 626-28. "An Act For the control and regulation of the waters of Niagara River, for the preservation of Niagara Falls, and for other purposes." H.R. 18024; Public Act No. 367
 * 19) **[|^]** This effect also obtained once as a result of natural forces, as an upstream ice jam stopped almost all water flow over Niagara Falls on [|March 29], [|1848].
 * 20) **[|^]** Students at the [|University of Guelph] demonstrated, using scale models, that the air passes over the top of the new hotels, causing a breeze to roll down the south sides of the buildings and spill into the gorge below the Falls, where it feeds into a whirlpool of moisture and air. [|Discovery Channel Video Player]. [|The Discovery Channel].
 * 21) **[|^]** [|STRANDED ON BRINK OF NIAGARA FALLS; Scow with Two Workmen Aboard It Fa... - Article Preview - The New York Times]
 * 22) **[|^]** [|Over the Falls]. Retrieved on [|2006]-[|09-24].
 * 23) **[|^]** [|Info Niagara Karel Soucek]. Retrieved on [|2008]-[|02-08].
 * 24) **[|^]** [|Info Niagara Steve Trotter]. Retrieved on [|2008]-[|02-08].
 * 25) **[|^]** [|Info Niagara Dave Munday]. Retrieved on [|2008]-[|02-08].
 * 26) **[|^]** [|Niagara Falls survivor: Stunt was 'impulsive'] (Wednesday, October 22, 2003). Retrieved on [|2008]-[|02-08].
 * 27) **[|^]** [|Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - Filming locations]
 * 28) **[|^]** [|Niagara Falls]. Travelooce.com. Retrieved on [|August], [|2007].
 * 29) **[|^]** [|Maid Of The Mist]. Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company, Ltd. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 30) **[|^]** [|American Indian Legends - Legend Of The Maid Of The Mist]. www.firstpeople.us. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 31) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|Niagara Falls State Park]. Niagara Falls State Park. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 32) **[|^]** [|The Flight of Angels]. The Great American Balloon Company. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 33) **[|^]** //Let's Go Travel Guide//, 2004
 * 34) **[|^]** [|Niagara River Recreation Trail]. Niagara Parks Commission. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 35) **[|^]** [|Journey Behind the Falls]. Niagara Parks Commission. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 36) **[|^]** [|Whirlpool Aero Car]. Niagara Parks Commission. Retrieved on [|March 27], [|2007].
 * 37) **[|^]** [|Niagara Falls Casinos]. Niagara Falls Tourism. Retrieved on [|March 30], [|2007].

[[|edit]] External links

 * [|Niagara Falls travel guide] from [|Wikitravel]
 * [|Niagara Falls - History of Power] Historical and engineering data on the U.S. and Canadian power stations
 * [|Geology of Niagara Falls]
 * [|Panorama] Niagara Falls Panorama found at [|Queen's Park] Toronto.
 * [|Niagara Falls] Guidebooks from the 19th Century Digitally-recreated 19th century guidebooks
 * [|Historic Niagara Digital Collections]
 * [|Live Niagara Falls Camera]
 * [|US Army Corps of Engineers] The US Army Corps of Engineers completely blocked the flow of water over the American Falls in 1969.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls"[|Categories]: [|Niagara Falls]Hidden categories: [|Articles needing additional references from January 2007] | [|All articles with unsourced statements] | [|Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007] | [|Articles needing additional references from January 2008] | [|Articles with unsourced statements since February 2008]

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Here is info copied from wikipedia onBBHOF The **[|Naismith] Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame**, located in downtown [|Springfield, Massachusetts], honors players who have shown exceptional skill at [|basketball], all-time great coaches, [|referees], and other major contributors to the game. It is separate from the Naismith Museum & Basketball Hall of Fame in [|Almonte, Ontario]. Six entire teams have been inducted—the [|Buffalo Germans], the [|New York Renaissance], the [|Original Celtics], the [|Harlem Globetrotters], and most recently the [|1966] [|Texas Western] team.[|[1]] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's mission preserves and promotes the game at all levels and serves as basketball's ultimate library of history. hide] * [|1] [|Building] 
 * ==Contents==
 * [|2] [|Criteria for induction]
 * [|3] [|Inductees]
 * [|4] [|Other Hall operations]
 * [|5] [|See also]
 * [|6] [|References]
 * [|7] [|External links] ||

[[|edit]] Building
The entrance to the former site of the Basketball Hall of Fame near downtown Springfield. It was established in [|1959], with fundraising leading to an actual building opened to the public on [|February 17], [|1968], at [|Springfield College] in [|Springfield, Massachusetts], [|United States]. In [|1985] a new building off-campus was opened near downtown Springfield on the east bank of the [|Connecticut River]. On [|September 28], [|2002], the Hall of Fame found its third home in a new [|$]45 million, 80,000 square foot (7,400 m²) shrine to the sport, located just south of the previous Hall of Fame. The facility's bolder architecture features a large, silver, semi-spherical structure (resembling a giant basketball) several stories high and a tall spire topped with an orange globe. The hall is surrounded by a shopping center of retail outlets (Adidas and HOF Gift Shop) and restaurants (Max's Tavern, Pazzo Ristorante, and McDonalds). The new Hall of Fame is much more user friendly and involves a far greater level of technology. It is divided into three floors: Honors Ring: Level looking over the entire museum in which all of the enshrined members have a photo and short display with artifacts representing them. Second Floor: includes such areas as the Players Gallery, Hooperactive Zone, Coaches Gallery, Broadcast Section, and College Section. This floor houses the majority of the artifacts as well as information on all different forms of the game as well as the invention by James Naismith. Center Court: A full-sized collegiate basketball court open to the public to take shots. There are a number of different hoops through the years in addition to a slam dunk area and a trivia challenge. 

[[|edit]] Criteria for induction
Because the Hall—in contrast to the [|Pro Football Hall of Fame] and the [|Baseball Hall of Fame]—honors not only American professionals but also international professionals and American and international amateurs, it employs four screening committees to identify prospective nominees: one each for American candidates, female candidates, international candidates, and veterans candidates (players, coaches, or referees who have been retired at least 35 years prior to their being nominated). Individuals who receive at least five votes from a seven-member screening committee in a given year advance to an Honors Committee, composed of 12 members who vote on each candidate and rotating groups of 12 specialists (one group for female candidates, one group for international candidates, and one group for American and veterans candidates); any individual receiving at least 18 affirmative votes 75 per cent of all votes cast) from the Honors Committee is approved for induction into the Hall of Fame. Advancement to the Honors Committee is generally pro forma, although the Hall's Board of Trustees may remove any candidate who "has damaged the integrity of the game of basketball" from consideration.[|[2]] To be considered for induction by a screening committee, a player must be fully retired from play for at least five years, while a coach or referee must be fully retired for at least five years or have been active full time in his/her respective craft on the professional, collegiate, of high school level for at least 25 years. No temporal criterion is enforced for the election of contributors, who must have made a "significant contribution to the game of basketball". Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, sportswriters and commentators (such as HOFer Chick Hearn) in the Basketball Hall of Fame are full-fledged members. Controversy has arisen over many aspects of the Hall's voting procedures including the anonymity of the voters. The other major sports' Halls of Fame make the debate transparent and sportswriters and other voters openly debate their choices. Springfield has also been widely criticized for its tendency to enshrine active collegiate coaches and relatively obscure players, while there are highly notable omissions such as [|Guy Lewis][|[3]] and [|Artis Gilmore].[|[4]][|[5]][|[6]] 

[[|edit]] Inductees
After the induction of the Class of 2007, the Hall had honored 278 individuals (of whom 131 will have been enshrined as players, 77 as coaches, 3 as both player and coach, 54 as contributors, and 13 as referees) and six teams. [|John Wooden], [|Lenny Wilkens], and [|Bill Sharman] have each been inducted as both a player (Wooden in 1961, Sharman in 1976, and Wilkens in 1989) and a coach (Wooden in 1973, Wilkens in 1998, and Sharman in 2004).[|[7]] The Class of 2007 is the first class since 1968 not to include a player.[|[8]] 

[[|edit]] Other Hall operations
In addition to its role in recognizing prior achievement in various basketball roles, the Hall also recognizes extant achievement in [|collegiate basketball] in conjunction with the Final Four of each year's men's and women's [|Division I NCAA basketball tournaments]. For men, the Hall presents the [|Bob Cousy Award] to the top [|point guard] from among players in [|Divisions I], [|II], and [|III]. This award, given since 2004, is voted on by [|Bob Cousy], selected [|media] members who cover basketball, selected college basketball coaches, fans, and selected sports information directors. The Hall also presents the [|Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award] to the female player under 68 [|inches] in height and the male player under 72 [|inches] in height who are determined to have been the nation's best student-athletes. The men's award, given since 1969, is voted on by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The women's award, given since 1984, is voted on by members of the [|Women's Basketball Coaches Association]. 

[[|edit]] See also

 * [|List of members of the Basketball Hall of Fame]
 * [|Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]
 * [|FIBA Hall of Fame]

[[|edit]] References

 * 1) **[|^]** hoophall.com, [|Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announces seven members of the class of 2007], accessed [|February 16], [|2008].
 * 2) **[|^]** hoophall.com, [|Guidelines For Nomination and Election Into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame], accessed [|February 16], [|2008].
 * 3) **[|^]** h-association.com, [|"A Hall of Fame Record"], accessed [|March 5], [|2008].
 * 4) **[|^]** espn.com, [|"Hall of Fame still neglecting a few greats"], accessed [|March 5], [|2008].
 * 5) **[|^]** remembertheaba.com, [|"It's Time for the A-Train to Make a Stop at the Hall"], accessed [|March 5], [|2008].
 * 6) **[|^]** jacksonville.com, [|"Gilmore still waiting for his Hall pass"], accessed [|March 5], [|2008].
 * 7) **[|^]** hoophall.com, [|Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinees By Category], accessed [|February 16], [|2008].
 * 8) **[|^]** hoophall.com, [|Year By Year Enshrinees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame], accessed [|February 16], [|2008].

[[|edit]] External links

 * [|Official Site]
 * [|Hoop Hall History Page]
 * [|Naismith Museum & Basketball Hall of Fame - Almonte, ON]
 * [|History of amateur and professional basketball in Canada]
 * [|Basketball HOF at HallOfFameMagazine.com]