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 VOA Connect Episode 163, Navigating the Pandemic


VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE #163
AIR DATE 02 26 2021
TRANSCRIPT

OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Getting Out the Vaccines
((SOT))
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
In Seldovia, they’ve been very lucky. With it being remote,
there has only been a couple cases of COVID. So, we’re
trying to really get everybody immunized and keep COVID
out of the remote village.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Reclaiming Bread
((SOT))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I want to bring healthy bread to neighborhoods, you know.
That’s the big goal here for me. I discovered I have a
passion for bread-making and a passion for bringing healthy
food to people.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Finding Home
((SOT))
((Darlene Elsmore, Austin Resident))
What I'm seeing now, a lot of the businesses have closed
down. It’s kind of like a living ghost town. It seemed to slow
down more when the young people left, so.
((Open Animation))


BLOCK A


((PKG)) A REMOTE VILLAGE GETS COVID VACCINE
((TRT: 10:54))
((Topic Banner: Vaccinating in Remote))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Seldovia, Alaska))
((Main Characters: 2 female))
((Sub Characters: 3 male; 2 female))
((NATS))
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
Hi, this is Deborah Coila from Seldovia Village Tribe and
we're wondering if we're going to be flying out this morning
to Seldovia?
((Voice from
Telephone))
So, I have heard from my pilots and they say we are a go for
the nine
o'clock.
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
Okay, all
right. Bye.
((Voice from Telephone))
Bye.
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
All right, we're flying. It'll be a bumpy ride.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
It's a little breezy but I think it's
doable.
((NATS))
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
I’ll take this out. You can’t tilt
it.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
I'm taking two different vaccines. The Pfizer one doesn't like
to be tipped over so, we kind of reuse our boxes. So, we're
actually doing first shots today for about 30 people and then
we're doing second shots for about six people today. I don’t
think this is going to fit
in.
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
We're going to go to this beautiful little city called
Seldovia. The only way to get to there is by airplane or
boat. They're expecting, I think, seven-foot [2 m] waves this
morning, so we will not be going on the
boat.
((Locator: Homer))
((NATS: Deborah Coila; Candace Kreger))
Four thirty.
Yeah.
Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.
It’s supposed to be clear and
sunny.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
The first time we went over, we were really scared that if we
shook it, it was going to damage the vaccine. So, I held it in
my lap on the boat ride the whole way
there.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
Okay.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Some vials have 11 doses. So, we're trying to at least get
an 11th dose out of one of our vials today, so we can give
one more person a vaccine.
((NATS: Candace Kreger; Darrel Bakk))
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
I need Band-Aids. I need alcohol pads and I need gloves
yet.
((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical
Assistant))
What
size?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
I don’t care. I’m not picky.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Alaska healthcare is totally different than anywhere else in
the United States. Here in Alaska, we have a lot of remote
villages. And so, Seldovia is one, and with it being remote
and no access to anything but a clinic, there's only been just
a couple cases of COVID here in Seldovia. So, we're trying
to really get everybody immunized and keep COVID out of
the remote village, because if somebody
needs hospitalization, they have to get medevac’d
[emergency evacuation of the sick or wounded] out of here,
either by plane, by boat, whatever it takes to get them out of
here. So, that's why we really want to get everybody
covered with the vaccine here.
((NATS: Candace Kreger; Joseph Zapotosky))
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Hi, Joe.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
Hi, how are
you?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Good. You can have a
seat.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
I was wondering if you guys are going to get over here
today. Pretty windy over
there.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
I was a little worried about the wind
but,
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
It was 28, gusting to 28.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
It was a little
bumpy.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
Yes, it
was.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Not as bumpy as the boat ride would have been. There was
no boats this
morning.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
I think this afternoon it’s supposed to lay
down.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Yeah.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
So, I think you guys are good this
afternoon.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Oh, yeah. I think it’ll be
fine.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
You won't be staying overnight, will
you?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
No. Well, unless I can't get out of here, I might be. It
wouldn't be the first time that's happened. So, we're going to
do the Moderna vaccine today. One, two, three.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
Well, what took you so
long?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
I know.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
Yeah, I had a little reservation at first, you know, but now I'm
okay with
it.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
So, I am going to keep an eye on you for 15 minutes before
you go, just to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction,
okay? So, I have a chair out here for
you.
((Joseph Zapotosky,
Patient))
We told each one of our 12 grandkids that they could come
up when they reached the age of 10 years old, except this
year we had to cancel out and, you know, our 10-year-old
granddaughter cried, you know, when she found out she
couldn't come to Alaska and go fishing with us and what
not, you know, and hopefully, we'll get this thing over, behind
us.
((Marilyn Zapotosky,
Patient))
You didn’t get my other shoe, and Darrel came,
and Darrel came. My tennis shoe was in the back seat. And
then Darrel gave us that paperwork and I started filling
out that paperwork. Then he says, ‘Oh, I can take one
of you.’ and I said, ‘Okay, I'll take it.’ Well, I can't fall on
the ice. I got one cleat anyway.
I called the clinic for another reason and then I said that,
‘Can we get on a list for the vaccine?’ And they said, ‘Yeah,
we’ve already moved you over to the 65 and older.’ So, we
didn't have no problem.
((NATS: Darrel Bakk; John Crawford))
((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical
Assistant))
All right, Norm. Have a seat in there. Take your shirt
off.
How’re you doing, John?
((John Crawford,
Patient))
Doing
good.
I see. She’s got to keep an eye on you in case you fall over
and roll around on the floor there. She’ll holler
for help.
((John Crawford,
Patient))
Yup.
((Darlene Crawford,
Patient))
I wasn't going to get one at first. We haven't gone any place
in a year, more than a year. We've been staying
home. But eventually, I want to go to Anchorage, go to
Costco.
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
Here goes.
((Darlene Crawford,
Patient))
Okay.
((Darlene Crawford,
Patient))
You know, they're talking about giving you an inoculation
card or something that you have to show. And in case that
becomes a reality, it's to be able to do whatever I want to do.
That's the only reason I got it, not because I'm afraid I'm
going to get it.
((John Crawford,
Patient))
I was called up, said they had some. So, I decided I’d get
the vaccination. We’ve been getting them for 78 years,
I guess. So, another one must be going to do some good,
for someone.
((NATS: Edith (Sunni) Hilts; Rodney Hilts; Darrel Bakk))
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
We’re here to get our
vaccine.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
We’re getting our vaccinations,
yeah.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
Can you sign that honey, right beside my name?
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Just beside your
name?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
Beside my
name.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
But you didn’t leave me enough room. He’s the dog that has
to go anyplace you go.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
What are you doing? It’s not the easiest thing to do your
paperwork in the car.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Especially not with that thing on your
face.
((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical
Assistant))
Hey, Rod.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
How’re you
doing?
((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical
Assistant))
Good.
((NATS))
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
Vaccination day. Thank you.
My name is Sunni and I'm 82. We came here in
1970. We've raised seven children here, our first five and
then two grandsons. And we love it
here.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
We graduated college in California and decided to go to
Alaska for one year. So, but that was 50 years ago. I don't
know what you say about that, but we're old Alaskans
now.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
You can come in and have a
seat.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
I'm feeling good and I'm going to feel good. I know I'm not
going to have any bad reaction or anything go
wrong.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Which arm would we like to do
today?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
This one, and if you would do me a favor and count to
three?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Count to
three? Okay.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
I had too many children and I did it that way too
long.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
That’s okay. Okay, one, two, three. Was it that
bad?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
No.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Okay.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
I didn’t feel a
thing.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Good. Would you like a sticker that says you got your
vaccine
today?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
Sure. Thank
you.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Alright. So, we'll get you a seat out
here.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts,
Patient))
Okay, honey. It's your
turn.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
I don’t want to go in
there.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
You can come in here and have a
seat.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Okay.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
How do you feel?
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
How do I
feel?
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
How do you
feel?
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Oh, I don’t know. I'm fine.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
You’re going to get in trouble.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
I know. It’s my favorite thing to do.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Alright, then you are good to go and we will see you back in
one month for your second shot,
okay?
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Okay.
((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical
Assistant))
See you, Rod. Have a good
day.
((Rodney Hilts,
Patient))
Okay.
((NATS))
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
It's time to go
home.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
We did 37 vaccines today in Seldovia. And then, we’ll be
back in a month for second doses for those
people. Weather permitting, we will be back in a
month.
((NATS))
All right, Candy
and Deb.
((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care
Coordinator, Seldovia Village
Tribe))
Yup.
((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia
Village Tribe))
Isn’t this how you normally go to work?
((NATS/MUSIC))


TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Making Bread
((SOT))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
Some people would be like, “I want five loaves”, you know,
and they would give it to their friends.
This is my favorite part. I like to cut the middle and see how
well the loaf turned out. All right. Let's see the big surprise.

BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


BLOCK B


((PKG)) MICROBAKERY
((TRT: 04:08))
((Topic Banner: For the Love of Bread))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 1 male))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
This is one of the reasons I’ve started baking, was because I
couldn't find any bread in the beginning of the quarantine.
So, I was like where am I going to get fresh bread? And I
don't like to buy the pre-packaged toast or anything like that.
I like to have like fresh loaves. So, I was like, you know
what? I'm going to try it out making it myself.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
Before the pandemic, I was working in production, mainly on,
in the fashion industry. When the lockdown happened,
production shut down completely. So, we were just at home.
You know, I was very scared to go outside. I had suffered
cancer a few years back. So, my immune system is more on
the compromised side.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
So, I added the three types of flours to this, the natural
yeast, the salt and then I combined it. Let it rest for a little
while. So now, I'm going to do the stretch and fold, which is
really important to give strength to the dough. And it gets
heavier and heavier the more you roll it.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I guess when I actually taught myself how to make
sourdough bread, I started to feel something. And this might
be strange but like any time I would shape the dough, I was
like, I really liked it. I was like, this is so much fun. I was
super like, obsessed with the dough. And when the
sourdough starter would grow, I would get really excited like,
there was this real special connection. This dough is very
high maintenance. Yeah, they're like my little babies.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I was giving it away at first and then people were actually like
texting me, “Do you have a bread? Do you have bread?”
And then, they started to pay for it. So then, I would get
actual orders. Like some people would be like, “I want five
loaves”, you know, and they would give it to their friends.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
This is my favorite part. I like to cut the middle and see how
well the loaf turned out. All right, let's see the big surprise.
Yes. Yes. I work really hard to make, you know, the outside
crispy, the moist and not too dense.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
And then recently I started, for some customers, they were
asking about like making just 100 percent rye (bread). And
so, you try it.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife))
It’s such superfood.
As long as I always get to eat bread, it'll be a family
business.
She made a point. She's like bread isn't supposed to, in
America you buy a loaf of bread, it could be a month later
and it's still exactly the same. And why does it have so
many ingredients, you know?
((NATS))
((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife))
Oh, it smells so good.
((Will, Customer))
There's been a war on bread in America for the last couple
of decades, where people blame it for all of their dietary ills.
So, they've been cutting it out or making excuses or, I mean,
I know there are people with gluten intolerances but
everybody thinks they're gluten intolerant now. So, bread
pays the price.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I want to bring healthy bread to neighborhoods, you know.
That's the big goal here for me. When I discovered I have a
passion for bread-making and a passion for bringing healthy
food to people, like I had so many people message me and
say, “How come your bread is so well digestible like, how
come I'm not bloated?” Like, I'm like well the reason is, I'm
using simple ingredients and natural yeast. It's nutritious. It
should be healthy. It's bread.
((NATS))


((PKG)) THE GROWING POPULARITY OF BIKES IN THE
AGE OF PANDEMIC
((TRT: 03:55))
((Banner: Biking Boom))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Adam Greenbaum))
((Map: Leesburg and Arlington, Virginia))
((Main characters: 2 male))
((NATS: Clear right, clear left!))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
Riding today is fantastic. It's not too hot. The sun is in your
face. You've got the wind blowing, but the smells, cut grass
and rolling by a BBQ shop and smelling that or cookies. It’s
crazy what you smell.
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
I started really young, oh my gosh, four years old or so. I
used to ride to work. That was my transportation till I got
a car, for years and years.
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
The thing about being in a car is, you disconnect
yourself. You can't disconnect yourself on a bicycle in traffic,
you can't. And you are no longer the top dog, and that's
really important. I actually think that that feeling is important
to help you, make you a better driver because you're more
aware of what's around you in the world.
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
I love riding and I want to share that love. So, I founded
Maverick Charities, to give back, to expand opportunity for
other folks. We partnered with organizations who help
incarcerated folks, who are coming out of incarceration, get
back on their feet, and some of them can't have licenses.
((Courtesy: Maverick Charities INC.))
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
We're about to donate 50 bikes to Loudoun County public
schools. And that's our first run of 50. We plan on doing it
frequently throughout the year, at least twice a year.
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
So, I think what COVID-19 meant to cycling was an
opportunity.
((NATS))
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
Bicycling in the United States has been increasing over the
last decade or two in certain cities and places like
((Courtesy: Prof. Ralph Buehler))
Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, Washington D.C.,
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
Bicycling has gotten an additional boost by a very
unfortunate event which is the COVID crisis. Many people
found themselves at home and in the need for physical
activity and they were flocking to bikes, often for recreational
purposes.
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
We have people who still go to work or have to make a trip
but are not comfortable making it on a public transport
anymore. And they are switching to the bicycle to make that
trip. So, they are using the bike for a utilitarian trip purpose
or as a substitute for public transport.
((Courtesy: Prof. Ralph Buehler))
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
Many European countries have had higher cycling levels
historically as the United States, but even from those
levels now, they have made efforts for putting in bike lanes,
putting in cycle tracks, doing intersection modifications to
accommodate bicyclists. They’ve seen a big growth in
cycling.
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
A big part of the population, according to research, between
50 and 60 percent, are not willing to ride with fast moving
traffic and a lot of traffic in the streets. So, what they need
are separate facilities. These can be bike lanes with just a
stripe of paint on the road giving them their own space or
cycle tracks.
((NATS))
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
The more people ride their bikes, the more likely drivers
know cyclists who ride their bikes, the more likely drivers are
cyclists themselves. We are developing more of a traffic
culture that's watching out for the other because the cyclist is
not the unknown or the other, but it may be your friend or
your work colleague and you can sort of relate to the people
who are on bikes. And, I think, it’s changing the traffic
culture.
((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and
Planning, Virginia Tech University))
About 40 percent of all trips that are taken a day, are shorter
than two miles. And so, a trip is from one place, from your
home to work for example is a trip, from your work to
grabbing lunch. These are very bikeable distances. There's
a great potential, especially in cities, to move some of these
trips away, away from cars.
((NATS))
((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities))
The more the community rides, the more the community will
enjoy riding together. In the end, it brings us closer
together. That's what bicycles do. They enable the world
and they bring us closer together.
((NATS))


TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
A Place of One’s Own
((SOT))
((Darlene Elsmore, Austin resident))
I lived here a year before I even came out of my shell.
Finally, my son's science teacher said, “It's time for you to
get the hell out of this situation. Go to work, get in touch and
get real.”

BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


BLOCK C


((PKG)) CONNECT WITH – DARLENE ELSMORE
((TRT: 02:14))
((Topic Banner: Connect with – Darlene Elsmore))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez))
((Locater: Austin, Nevada))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub character: 1 male))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Darlene Elsmore, Austin resident))
My name is Darlene Elsmore. I'm currently residing in
Austin, Nevada, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.
People here are not very open to strangers. They just, it's
hard for them, change. It’s very isolated. I just drove to
Eureka, which is 67 miles [107 km.] or so to….
I just passed my background check, bought me “The Judge”.
Love guns. I go out in the hills with my dog a lot and I don't
like being unprotected because there are mountain lions.
I came from Los Angeles. I grew up there. And my husband
brought me to Reno, and I looked at him, I said, “Oh my
God, where'd you bring me?”
But my husband passed away and I had three small boys
that were 11 to 13. And I moved here, and I was a single
mom, widowed. I lived here a year before I even came out
of my shell. Finally, my son's science teacher said, “It's time
for you to get the hell out of this situation. Go to work, get in
touch and get real.” I did.
I worked the pub my first job. I ran the Lincoln Motel which
is closed down. Someone else was running it because I left.
I was there for seven years. I worked the International
restaurant, the youth center. I did it all. And it was, kept me
busy, I'll tell you, because if I didn't have that, I think I would
have gone a little bit crazier than I am. I'm old but mighty.
I left for five years. I came back because I have a boyfriend
that's doing the geothermal and it was a chance for me to
reconnect. And what I'm seeing now, a lot of the businesses
have closed down. It’s kind of like a living ghost town.
It seemed to slow down more when the young people left,
so. But it's a good place to raise a puppy, a dog and a
boyfriend.
((Darlene Elsmore’s Boyfriend))
Got a cigar?
((Darlene Elsmore, Austin Resident))
This is my hillbilly buddy.
This is an awesome place to live if you know how to live the
slow pace of this town. I've connected more here than I ever
did anywhere else.
((NATS/MUSIC))

CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect

BREAKTHREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


SHOW ENDS






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