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Flabbergasted; Gebhardt awaits LPS's decision on drug grant;
Topic Started: Feb 28 2012, 09:57 PM (625 Views)
LPS Reformer
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
This is an amazing piece of video. Ms. Gebhardt gives you an inside look at what it's like to deal with our administrators.



These people are simply out of control.
“Child Abuse” means different things to different people....
----Randy Liepa 8/9/12
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Justasking
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Context? From what date?
Is there a response from the Dr.?
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Mrs.M
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Too much money, not enough money, let's run a milage past the voters.

Maybe it was pooh poohed because LPS wasn't the one who paid for the grant writer?

I wonder if FHS and CHS were even given this opportunity?

Well if Archibald SAID he spoke to his secondary principals, that would mean this occured this past December, as he was just appointed to his current position.

"this where I tell you thank you, but you need to move on?"

Lights are off...no one is home
Goodnight LPS
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Extra Olives
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Justasking
Feb 28 2012, 10:50 PM
Context? From what date?
Is there a response from the Dr.?
From Monday, Feb. 27th. Response from Randy? Yeah, right...
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:).
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WOW!! And these funds were to benifit the at risk students, just as the 31 a funds are supposed to. The kids who could really benifit from interventions; tsk tsk.
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Ava
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So what? Who cares?
Remember this? They adopted Everyday Math because they didn't want to lose $47,000 in grant funds???? Everyday Math-The program that teaches a little bit of everything and a lot of nothing! LPS knows best!
Trustees, parents question Everyday Math for fifth grade
Rebecca Jones • OBSERVER STAFF WRITER • May 15, 2008

Parents who said they could no longer help their children with math homework urged the Livonia Public Schools board not to adopt the Everyday Math curriculum for fifth-graders.

But the district's math coordinator, Jennifer Abler, said it is the program that best matches grade-level learning expectations set by the state.
Abler called the criticism of Everyday Math "well-meaning, but misguided."

"Two years ago, I didn't like it when I flipped through it. What sold me was visits to classrooms and interactions with teachers," she said.

Before voting on whether to spend $47,600 for books and materials, some school board members want to visit schools themselves. The issue could come up for a vote on June 2.

Everyday Math was adopted for kindergarten through fourth-grade in LPS, beginning this year. It is a program that uses a spiraling curriculum that revisits topics throughout year, and uses games and daily homework to reinforce ideas.

As fourth-graders move into fifth-grade, the content doesn't flow into the district's current program for grades 5-8, Connected Math, Abler said.

LPS ranks in the 40th percentile for sixth-grade math scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, said Sheila Alles, director of academic services. That "shows that this is an area that needs improvement." The current curriculum has been used since 1996.

Through a state grant, the district has $47,000 to spend on math, but the funds expire at the end of June.

A committee of 13 LPS teachers and a principal looked at math curriculum.

"There wasn't anything else we were interested in piloting for a year," Abler said.

At Monday's school board meeting, seven people addressed the topic; six of them had criticisms.

Parent Nancy Farqhuarson said a national math panel advises against use of a spiralling curriculum. She said Everyday Math spends too much time on topics that are of little value, at the expense of mastering critical skills.

Dean Bowers said his elementary school-aged sons, "seem to have trouble bouncing from concept to concept."

Parents have used tutors and software to supplement children's learning, Bowers said.

However, Loren Schnell, an elementary literacy and math facilitator for the district, said his daughter loved Everyday Math when her class was involved in a pilot program. She even proudly started calling herself a "math geek."

Some school board trustees asked if any studies have been done on the effects of Everyday Math.

The only evidence LPS has is a standardized test that third-graders took in spring. Scores were up, Alles said.

The students won't take the MEAP until next fall. Results come in the second semester.

Trustee Greg Oke asked if Everyday Math leads to better ACT scores later in life.

"We don't really have anything other than your word at this point that this is the program for us," Trustee Cynthia Markarian said to Abler.

Trustee Steve King said he was hesitant to move forward until issues that parents raised are addressed.

"We're adopting something right now that people are running away from," he said. "People are telling me they are going to pull their kids out of school."

Parent Holly Burr addressed the board recently to say she planned to send her children to private school beginning next year, and cited Everyday Math as a reason for that.

rrjones@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2054

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coalminer
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Ms. Frazer-Cherry's Resignation Letter to LPS rings more true every day ...

No support for south-end schools ...
No support for at-risk students ...
Possible misuse of 31A funds ...

Is Liepa who we want representing Livonia?

Pasted from the topic "Randy tries to fire LPS Principal"

December 14, 2011

Dr. Liepa:

After many, many years of faithful service and with an unblemished record, I am submitting my employment resignation to you (in any capacity - teacher or administrator)...effective on December 22, 2011.

There are deep seeded reasons for this decision - which will result in permanent economic hardship for me and my family for the rest of our lives as it will be nearly impossible for me to find work again as a result of this decision. You put me out on administrative leave for months on end with no reasons given, along with directives to speak to no one and not to step foot on school grounds.

I had nothing but silence and my computer for weeks on end. My reputation as a human being and as an educator have been damaged irreparably in my community. However, I have been, and will always be a woman of principle and my services provided to children for many years with love and attention and soul cannot be bought and paid for as a commodity. Not by you or anyone else.

Intimidation, subjugation, financial devastation, and character assassination will not get you what you desire from me. I will not comply with behavior I find morally bankrupt and in violation of the law. Nor will I accept paychecks from those that engage in this type of reprehensible behavior without investigation or even any feigned concern. That is what you are asking of me and many other employees in this district who are too afraid to speak. Many within this system of administrators and teachers you lead are terrified of you, your administration, and what might happen if they step out of line, have an opinion, or, God forbid, make a mistake.

As we both know, I am resigning because you have not allowed me to combat the forces of discrimination in this district. I have been harassed and stalked for visiting at-risk students at their homes in what your Human Resources Director has referred to as "dangerous and crime ridden neighborhoods." I have been told by Human Resources that once a child leaves my building I need to go about my business and focus on what is in front of me instead of continuing my mentoring beyond the walls of the school with my former students. It is as if students who are from a more economically disadvantaged background deserve less time, attention, and fewer resources.

I recall once - several years ago, being in your office and begging for another counselor at my school. I recall telling you, sir, that I feared a suicide or another type of dangerous incident due to the large numbers of risk assessments we had at our school. You told me, "We lose a few every year and we're not a social services agency." I will never forget that statement, nor will another employee who was with me at the time and I should have realized then what I have now come to know.

I have been told in a meeting attended by your Human Resources Director and the Director of Elementary Instruction that I may not use the term "racism" in Livonia. I was told I could not hire a woman of Indian heritage in my office even one day a week at lunch time for $8.00 an hour as a substitute secretary because I was "moving too fast." I have been told by staff members in this district that Indian children have lice and that the Director of Elementary Instruction told the Elementary Support Teachers that they should check Indian children for lice when they return from trips to India. (The Director claims she was not part of this part of the discussion when I questioned her in an email.)

English as a Second Language Learners have spent years receiving their lessons in a storage room in my present school with overturned tables and other unused furniture and equipment while other teachers have had multiple classrooms. When I made changes and gave the ELL students and their teachers a respectable space in which to learn, I got accused of not including the staff in decision making. Every move I made to correct the issues at my school were met by road blocks from Human Resources and the Director of Elementary Instruction.

The lack of support given me gave even more power to a small group of employees at my school to continue with their aberrant behavior which you obliged them with my removal. My removal has left the rest of the staff members and parents unsupported and unprotected as they attempted to right the wrongs alongside me. Since my departure, there has been round the clock security present at the school. At an elementary school, parents are wondering why we are paying for so much security in our schools instead of dealing with our issues head on and with common sense, some love, and a bit of compassion.

In the past, your Director of Elementary Instruction and your Director of Human Resources watched as I was bullied by staff members with no real consequences other than to allow me to work from home so that I would not have to be subjected to the bullying from people I was supposed to be supervising.

I suppose as long as I was at home in a compromised state I would not be questioning Title I funding, 31 A financial expenditures, the ethics of paying for the new elementary science curriculum by giving our students an assessment (for pay from a large testing company), or even asking for some hand sanitizer because our school did not have the resources that some other schools did to purchase more when our children got sick.

Every meeting I have had with your staff since this nightmare began has included pre and post meetings with your Cabinet members and my so-called union representation without my presence. We all know in this district that LEADS Union Board members frequently move on to become Central Office Administrators. I have had to beg and plead to get information from my union on the dispensation of my career and livelihood. These pieces were doled out to me just before Thanksgiving and now, again, on the Eve of Christmas.

The emotional cruelty of such moves are not befitting a man with the responsibility for the safety, security, and educational well being of 15,000 children. My "union" informed me last night that I was to stop using all social networking sites, basically shut up, and go back to a 6th year teaching salary.

It was also intimated that if I kept on with my social networking and letting the community know what was going on with the school system that I would be sued by the district. As if taking my livelihood, stalking me, and allowing me to be bullied were not sufficient already. Complete destruction of an individual is what you are looking for here. How terribly sad. You have done this with employees in the past and, unfortunately, I will not be the last.

This document is public record, sir, and is FOIA-able. I'm providing it to the public for free as many do not have the resources to go through the long FOIA process and pay for it as well. Free speech is also a protected First Amendment Right. The public you are supposed to serve deserve to know the man in whom they have placed their most treasured souls - their children.

With my resignation, you will finally have the silence you've been waiting for. Not a single soul on the administrative payroll will ever speak the word "race" again in anything other than a hushed tone. No more asking for this district to have a diversity or equity team to begin to address the issues we clearly have. Some schools will continue to have more resources as the others have less. No one will question or dare to ask why. How sad. Administrators will continue to tattle on one another to "get ahead."

This is not leadership. It is moral decay and fear based, corrupt management doomed to failure. The problem is that this failure is not yours, sir,... your actions are damaging the lives of children - particularly those of color or those whose parents have what you and your administration feel are non-traditional lifestyles, or perhaps they are living in poverty, or are new immigrants to our country as my mother was when she arrived in Detroit pregnant with me in 1961. I am one of those children that was supposed to fail in your system. And you've found a way to make it happen to me anyway because I am an out of the box thinker with courage to stand-up for what I believe is right. Poverty, hard times, and living in the context of violence and an emotional vacuum can create a crucible that forges a life that is strong and stands up no matter what the forces against it. Is this what you most fear? More like me out there? More that might survive, compete, and not be afraid to BE the change they wish to see in the world?

These children - whom I have always sought to protect, and their parents, those whom you deem "less" in some way are some of the most amazing souls, and I have been forever blessed to work with them. They have made me a better human being and despite you, many will make it. We have countless dedicated teachers and parents and administrators in Livonia doing everything within their power to turn things around for these little ones. They do it on their own dime and on their own time. These Livonia staff members have been forced further underground with my public humiliation and firing. Those people are our true leaders. Many will never know who they are. But the kids will and so will the power many of us call "God."

Yet somehow, even though you have not spoken a word to me in well over a year and seek to fire me as an elementary principal at your clandestine meeting on the 22nd, I still feel compassion for you and I have forgiveness to offer as well. Clearly, you know not what you do. After all, how will you some day come to terms with the fact that you permitted this type of insidious discrimination to abide and that you did it in exchange for cash and political power while attempting to crush our most vulnerable little ones and their potential into the dust? How will you explain it to your own children and grandchildren?

I leave you Dr. Liepa with the honorable words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

God help you. For you, sir, have not started living.

Heidi Frazer-Cherry
Mother, Wife, Spiritual Soul, Educator
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professionalmom
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Flabbergasted' Gebhardt awaits LPS's decision on drug grant

Wayne County Commissioner Joan Gebhardt said Tuesday she is giving Livonia Public Schools another two weeks to decide if it wants a $40,000 grant she secured for the intervention and treatment of substance abuse by at-risk youth before offering it to Wayne Westland Community Schools.

Gebhardt said she was flabbergasted Feb. 27 when Steve Archibald, LPS's director of secondary programs and facilities, told her he had talked with the district's secondary principals and “no one seemed interested.”

When she told him she specifically wanted the schools in her district to get the grant money — Franklin and Churchill high schools and their feeder schools — she said he told her: “This is where I tell you, thank you, but you need to move on,” she said.

“I was flabbergasted, I was absolutely flabbergasted.”

Gebhardt said she went to the school board meeting that evening to tell the school board and the public about it.

“Frankly I'm here because I can't believe it myself,” she told the board.

Meeting today

Archibald said Tuesday that LPS is interested in pursuing the grant for services from Growth Works and he has a meeting set up for today (Thursday) with Executive Director Dale Yagiela.

“We certainly appreciate her making the funds available,” he said.

Archibald said he didn't want to rehash his Feb. 27 conversation with Gebhardt “through the paper.

“It's something Commissioner Gebhardt and I need to discuss,” he said, adding he doesn't want to have any ill will.

Gebhardt said she told Superintendent Randy Liepa about the grant in December. She said he seemed pleased and told her he would discuss it with the district's principals in January and get back with her. When she didn't hear anything by the end of January, she said she called and was told Liepa had turned it over to Archibald. As February neared an end, she still hadn't heard anything so she called Archibald's office. “I have $40,000 worth of services to give to LPS and in two months I hadn't heard anything,” she told the board.

Archibald said Tuesday he wasn't aware of what the time constraints were prior to his Feb. 27 conversation with Gebhardt, but if she is giving the district an additional two weeks, “we will make every effort we can to pull something together.”

‘It takes time'

Liepa said Tuesday that the district receives nearly $8 million in grants annually. “Sometimes it takes time to sort out what we can and can't do,” he said.

Liepa said the district is excited about the opportunity to “help kids” and will continue to investigate the program.

Gebhardt said Growth Works is a “very reputable organization” with Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey on its board.

Growth Works piloted a program for parents, students and faculty at Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, she said. “It's already been field-tested.”

Gebhardt, who represents District 12, which includes Livonia south of I-96 and all of Westland and Inkster, said she wanted to bring something to the northern part of her district. “I just hate to let this $40,000 go without our Livonia youth using it,” she said.

But if Livonia school officials decide against it, she has a plan B.

“My Plan B would be to offer it to Wayne Westland Schools, and I'm sure they'll jump at it,” she said.

ksmith@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-2098

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120308/NEWS10/203080632/-8216-Flabbergasted-Gebhardt-awaits-LPS-s-decision-drug-grant?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Livonia|p
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uh-oh
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Once again, our LPS Cabinet and Superintendent working hard for our kids!

(LIEpa sure is worth that extra 50K isn't he?)
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D2ns
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Accepting the $40,000 grant would be in effect admitting there is a substance abuse problem in the school population; that could be the reason for the principals to shun the gift. No one, espectially a school system wants to draw attention to a problem existing in our schools. Many in the community, including parents turn a blind eye to the problem. Denial and a lack of preventative measures is costing our teens' and young adults' their lives.

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DADDYOH10
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Do not forget that this is Livonia, home of Ficanoism, the student of McNamara, and the former Wayne County magician, and mayor of Livonia, tutor of Ficano, former home to Dr. Watson (inmate Watson?)...We have a great line of perpetrators who would have money, power, and immmunity as long as their alibis hold up!
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DADDYOH10
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see editorial reply in Thursday's Liv. Observer regarding this issue and remember Gebphart took $10,000 from Wayne County"s Chief, or his PAC.
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Mrs.M
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A commissioner's view on county business
Mar. 8, 2012
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120308/OPINION/203080529/A-commissioner-s-view-county-business?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Livonia|s

By Joan Gebhardt
Guest Columnist
Opinion

“Your silence speaks volumes.”

That was the final line in a constituent's letter I recently received and it has haunted me ever since. It is for that reason I have elected to express my position on Wayne County's last four months.

Three years ago, I was sworn in as a Wayne County commissioner and am thrilled to be in the legislative branch. Progress was being made and many seemed satisfied with the work of the county executive and direction the county was headed. And annually, like the rest of the country, revenue decreased while public needs continued to increase.

Wayne County's biggest problem was creating a budget that would do both — provide the best services we could with the loss in revenue that we faced.

New chairman

In 2011 we elected a new chairman, Gary Woronchak, who wanted to work with the commission to revise our procurement ordinance and to start, in earnest, to create a new ethics ordinance. The Wayne County charter was passed more than 30 years ago, and unlike the recently established Macomb County charter, did not have an ethics ordinance that included all employees.

In September 2011, Detroit media began reporting how Wayne County's former economic development director received a $200,000 “severance” payment when she voluntarily left her county job to become CEO of Metro Airport — all without the knowledge of the commission.

It is my belief the severance was paid with the knowledge of Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, violating several internal policies and procedures. It's clear to me that this action — and several others that were subsequently revealed — was done to deceive and circumvent the commission by some of Mr. Ficano's appointees.

In the aftermath of the scandal, media reports brought increased scrutiny to county contracting and projects, while the FBI served federal grand jury subpoenas for county records to determine if laws had been broken. The commission's actions in moving forward will clean up problems within Wayne County government and attempt to restore any public trust that may have been shaken by the controversy.

In addressing these issues, the commission has compiled the following initiatives:

Resolution prohibiting severance payments. In addition to the $200,000 payout to the former economic development director, it was revealed there were agreements which would include compensation upon retirement for 15 other appointees. Thus, the commission approved a resolution in January prohibiting the administration from making any sort of severance payment to employees who leave.

Commission rejects lawyer contract for FBI subpoenas.

The commission in December unanimously rejected a contract extension of $350,000 for the law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone.

Ethics ordinance nearing completion. Wayne County will soon have a comprehensive ethics ordinance in place, the result of months of work done by the commission's Ethics Task Force and newly formed Ethics Committee, both chaired by me. Ethics policies currently exist in the county's procurement ordinance, which sets policy for contracting. But clearly, more transparency and stronger ethical guidelines are necessary across all units of county government.

Commission establishes fraud unit. This January, the commission passed an ordinance setting up a new method of reporting and investigating fraud in the county. The action creates the new Fraud and Corruption Unit to be established in the county prosecutor's office.

Efforts to end retroactive contracts. The commission has created a task force that is moving to end the executive office's practice of entering into contracts for professional services or goods and services prior to commission approval.

Is he guilty?

Constituents have asked me if Mr. Ficano is guilty of wrongdoing. I have answered by saying, “In our country a person is innocent until proven guilty.” To date the federal investigation of Wayne County has not raised any criminal wrongdoing by Mr. Ficano. He is entitled to have that investigation completed.

Now, did he take his “eye off the ball” and allow his appointees to make critical decisions? Yes, I believe that. The county executive has said that he was focused on bringing investments and jobs into the county and relied on others to run the day-to-day county business.

Has he been working to change the executive branch? Yes, I also believe that to be true, and the legislative branch, the commission, continues to pass ordinances so these circumstances will never again happen in Wayne County. Should the commission remove Mr. Ficano? No, and we cannot. There is no provision in the charter that grants the commission the authority to remove the CEO.

Do I think that Mr. Ficano should resign or leave his office? No — but circumstances may change. I believe we are doing what we should and that is passing ordinances to curb such matters. We must wait for the final results of the FBI investigations and, if required, move swiftly to discipline public servants responsible for the gross misuse of government funds.

Joan Gebhardt represents District 12 which includes Westland and part of Livonia
1. Is this the editorial to which you refer?
2. It's all in the choice of words..She took $10,000, She accepted $10,000
3. Are you questioning WHY Gebhardt is not promoting a resignation from Ficano?
4. Why wasn't Cox (outspoken and R) as demanding and determined of an investigation into the 'private and closed door meeting' the R-AG had with Kilpatrick, (whereby the AG revealed the mansion party was mere 'urban legend'), as she was with the D-Wayne CEO?
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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DADDYOH10
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forget the D's and R"s - "accepted" , "took, put it in her account, spent it to get helself and Ficano re-elected"???... yes, it is all semantics, just like Kwame, and his shills did for him. I'm mostly just don't trust any of them, think there are too many of them, with too big a budget that they can't get their heads around because there are too many hands in the till. Gebhart is a lot like Romney when you get right down to it...she is what ever looks and sounds good at the time , all for personal gain, not out of some "patriotism" to serve the community...she has been like most public employees in the upper management - kicking around the county in pursuit of this job or that, until she hit the jackpot and her friend gave her the employment she now enjoys. Exception...she is not wealthy, but perhaps looking for a double dip pension for herself ??/
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Monkfish
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DADDYOH10
Mar 21 2012, 03:48 PM
forget the D's and R"s - "accepted" , "took, put it in her account, spent it to get helself and Ficano re-elected"???... yes, it is all semantics, just like Kwame, and his shills did for him. I'm mostly just don't trust any of them, think there are too many of them, with too big a budget that they can't get their heads around because there are too many hands in the till. Gebhart is a lot like Romney when you get right down to it...she is what ever looks and sounds good at the time , all for personal gain, not out of some "patriotism" to serve the community...she has been like most public employees in the upper management - kicking around the county in pursuit of this job or that, until she hit the jackpot and her friend gave her the employment she now enjoys. Exception...she is not wealthy, but perhaps looking for a double dip pension for herself ??/
"until she hit the jackpot and her friend gave her the employment she now enjoys."

Sounds like Godfroid-Morecki and Jack Kirksey!!
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DADDYOH10
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You betcha! It is just at a different level of government (largess).
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