Fall 2008 Newsletter (download pdf)

Volume 4, Number 1
Autumn 2008
Mary’s People
A Newsletter by and for the people of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and those persons interested
in the varied programs and outreach goals which reflect our Parish’s Mission Statement.
What’s Inside:
• Fr. Tom O’Connor Award … Page 5
• Dodzik Designs Flood Solution … Page 2
• Student-Athletes ………… Page 6
• Parish Birthdays … Page 7
• Mary’s Kitchen … Page 4
Multi-Faceted Fundraiser for Soup
Kitchen Raises Needed Monies
Saturday, October 25th was the first of a projected annual fundraiser for our Soup Kitchen. Success was the
keynote word as over $5,700 was raised from a variety
of projects.
For a small entry fee of $10, those attending had opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities;
these included: music, dancing, karaoke, 50/50, silent
auction, food, cash bar, and door prizes. With such a
menu of events to entice them, attendees had a full evening of fun.
Jay Scott of Enlightened Entertainment provided the
music and karaoke activity. There were multiple people
who tried their hand at the karaoke venue – including
some members of the St. Mary’s Church Choir. No matter their age, several people lent us the pleasure of their
voices in song. The supplied music was also used by a
lot of people dancing.
There were several ways to win prizes, including: the
silent auction, a 50/50 draw, and varied door prizes.
For the silent auction portion, one
anonymous person chose to bid
minus $30 on a University of
Michigan blanket (it happened
that this event was the same day as
the Michigan State/Michigan football game for bragging rights in
the State of Michigan; might be a
tie-in there!).
However, there
were a lot of great items for people
to place their bids on.
Food and drink was another enjoyable aspect of the
event as Ceruti's Catering provided the cash bar, and the
Knights of Columbus provided the Italian beef and
sloppy joe sandwiches for reasonable fees.
All proceeds went to the Soup Kitchen. Those who
chaired the event were delighted to have the many volunteers who gave their time and talents to make this a
success. They also said, “We are currently accepting
donations for next year’s silent auction.”
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2
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Photos here show: (1) guests looking
over items for Silent Auction; (2)
Members of St. Mary’s Choir trying
Karaoke; and (3) a couple who also
did a Karaoke number. Pictures were
supplied by Val Vorndran.
One of Fort Wayne’s Troubled Flood Areas Gets
Solution From Design Efforts of Andy Dodzik
One of Fort Wayne most troubled flood-prone areas
has received a new life due to the design efforts of parishioner, Andy Dodzik. He serves as the City's Program Manager for various Flood Control projects.
The Westbrook/Eastbrook area bordering Spy Run
Creek has seen major flooding and sandbagging efforts
for many years when that creek overran its banks due to
heavy rainfall. Such flooding not only saw regular sandbagging efforts, but severely inconvenienced residents
who lived there as well as other citizens using those
streets for transportation.
While the Westbrook/Eastbrook area received flooding problems on both sides of State Street, the major
problems existed on the portion between State and Clinton Streets. Because the most prominent area for flooding was on that part of Westbrook Drive, the city -about two years ago -- began buying out 11 endangered
homes there for demolition and flood control.
Much of the design effort for this project was brought
to fruition this summer as
you can see by the accompanying pictures.
The
sidewalk in the picture is
the original sidewalk
which allows people to
walk through the area of
the rain gardens. “It will
be a park-like setting,” he
said.
The concept of the rain
gardens came about when
Andy Dodzik suggested
that, “since the road (Westbrook Drive) was going to be
closed, that we do something with the space, such as a
rain garden.”
The city has similar plans to remove Eastbrook when
all the homes are bought. It is planned to add to this
project when those remaining homes are purchased and
demolished. About 10 homes remain there, but their
purchase and demolition are dependent upon how
much money is available to buy homes in the near future.
This renewal of Westbrook and Eastbrook is also tied
into the city’s plan to make that portion of State Street
less curvy when the portion from Westbrook to Clinton
in straightened in a few years.
Talking about the project, Andy said, “The city will be
promoting this flood control concept for both future
storm water abatement projects as well as for home
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help fight floods in the area along Spy Run
Creek. At the time, Bob Kennedy, Fort Wayne
director of public works, said the city had already purchased the homes on Westbrook in this
area to help fight flooding.
The project – estimated to cost $250,000 –
will owners as a way of diverting storm water
from entering the many combined sewers.
This project got the go-ahead when the Fort
Wayne Board of Storm Water Management approved removing Westbrook Drive from Edgehill
Avenue south to North Clinton Street so rain
gardens can be planted.
To help protect the remaining homes in the
area, the ground will be graded, plants will be
installed and a small berm will be built on the
west side, Kennedy said. The berm will prevent
the city from having to lay sandbags when the
creek floods. Westbrook Drive north of Edgehill
will remain.
Mr. Dodzik holds a BS in Civil Engineering
from Indiana Tech. He received his Professional
Engineers License in Indiana in 1976; he is also
licensed in the states of Michigan and Arizona.
Previously, he worked for the City of Fort
Wayne from 1969 until 1976. He then worked
for the Bonar Group from 1976 to 1986; leaving
as a Vice President to open my own firm Dodzik
Engineering, Inc. in June 1986. In 2005, his
firm merged with DLZ Indiana, LLC. Andy now
serves as the Public Works Department Manager, as well, as a Senior Project Manager for the
City of Fort Wayne.
Andy Dodzik, a 15-year plus member of our
parish, serves as the City's Program Manager for
the various Flood Control projects that are
funded through a $7 million dollar storm water
bond issue that was put in place about 4 years
ago. These flood protection projects include: (1)
Woodhurst Area; (2) Park/Thompson Area; (3)
Tillman Road/Lincolnshire Area; (4) Winchester
Road; and (5) Fairfield Ditch. The Fairfield project is a joint venture with the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. The City will be working with
them to complete a feasibility study that will address how best to protect the Bella Vista
neighborhood. Note: Numbers in the above listing are only for convenience and have no bearing on importance or sequence of the projects.
Photos From Redesign of Westbrook Drive Flood-Prone
Area Project Designed by Parishioner, Andy Dodzik
The two photos at left
are of the redesign efforts which took place
this year in the Westbrook Drive area between West State
Street and North Clinton Street.
While both photos are
similar, Photo #1 was
taken about halfway
between State and
Clinton Streets.
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Meanwhile, Photo #2
was snapped from
nearer State Street and
shows nearly all of the
redeveloped area between the two main arteries.
In both pictures, the
narrow grassy strip to
the left of the sidewalk
is a rough parallel to
the former Westbrook
Drive in that area.
Clinton Street is seen
in the background of
both photos.
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Mary’s People
Pictured at
right is one of
the signs for
the soup
kitchen
“thank yous”
from varied
businesses in
the area.
(Photo by
Tom Keller)
… is published quarterly for the people of St. Mary’s
Catholic Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana., Rev. Phillip
A. Widmann, Pastor. It is also published for those
persons interested in and benefiting programs of our
Mission Statement. Submissions by interested parties are appreciated and considered for publication.
— Gary J. Huhn, Editor
(483-6452 or
gjhuhn@hotmail.com)
Vol. 4, No. 1
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Autumn 2008
From Mary’s Kitchen
Favored recipes from some of
the great cooks at St. Mary’s
Now that we’re in the midst of the holiday seasons,
we felt it judicious to offer a few recipes for the coming days of family gatherings and gifting parties.
These recipes were given to us by Marabeth Leonard.
These are all dessert type offerings that will hopefully
make your holiday entertaining a bit easier.
Easy Pumpkin Cake Dessert
Directions:
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter, peanut butter, sugar, and
brown sugar about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended.
1 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 tsps pumpkin pie
spice
Stir in flour mixture until well blended and dough
forms. Stir in chocolate chips. Using an ice cream
scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheet,
spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in
325-degree oven 15 to 17 minutes until golden
brown around the edges and lightly colored top.
3 eggs
Directions:
Wisk these ingredients
together until well
blended, pour in
lightly greased 9 x 13
inch pan. Sprinkle 1
box white cake mix
over pumpkin mixture. Chop and toast 2
cups pecans or walnuts and then sprinkle over cake
mix. Melt 3/4 cup of butter, pour over top and bake
for 50 to 60 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven.
Remove and cool the baking sheets for 3 minutes.
Remove cookies with metal spatula and transfer to
wire racks for added cooling. Makes about 60 cookies.
Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/3 cup dried pineapple
Ingredients:
1/3 cup dried mango
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dried apricots
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 lb. unsalted butter or margarine
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1-1/3 cups chunky peanut butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
Directions:
4 eggs
In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, and sunflower seeds
with maple syrup; spread on cookie sheet. Bake at
300 degrees for 20 minutes or until light golden and
crisp. Remove from oven; add fruit. Cool. Store in
airtight container. Makes 15 servings.
4 tsps. Vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips
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Encouraging the Next Generation of Servant Leaders
Fr. Tom O’Connor 2009 Light of Christ Award Nominees Sought
Nomination Guidelines
By Andrea Thomas
Each year The Father Tom O’Connor Light of
Christ Award committee seeks nominations of persons of faith, high school age or older, whose activities
serve as an example and encouragement to youth.
One category for nominations is designated by the
committee each year and only one nominee in the
designated category will be selected to receive the
award. The committee may, should it so desire, defer
selecting a winner in any given year. Application information is available online at www.stmarysfw.org and
www.diocesefwsb.org, as well as from the St. Mary’s
Catholic Church office, 260-424-8231. For the 2009
award, the committee is seeking nominations in the
area of Education.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church Fort Wayne, in cooperation with Bishop John M. D’Arcy and the Diocese of
Fort Wayne-South Bend, is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Father Tom O’Connor Light
of Christ Award. Nominees for this year’s award
are being sought in the area of education.
The Father Tom award is presented each year in
March to an individual whose work reflects the
strong values exemplified by Father O’Connor in one
of the following six areas: Peace and Justice, Nonviolent Resolution of Conflict, Racial and Cultural Diversity, Education, Food for the Hungry, and Shelter
for the Homeless.
How to Apply
One of these categories is designated each year for
nominations; the category is Education. This
award carries with it a gift of $1000 given in the
name of the recipient to her or his designated project,
school, faith community, or nonprofit organization.
In the words of Bishop D’Arcy, the Father Tom
O’Connor Light of Christ Award has been designed to
encourage “the next generation of Father Toms.”
1.
Nominations are to be made by letter from someone who knows the nominee well.
2.
Nominees must come from a strong faith background and be of good character. Nominations are
open to persons of all faiths.
3.
The nomination must include the following information in the order
listed:
a. Nominee’s name
Father O’Connor, who died March 17, 2004, at the
age of 74, served as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish for 34
years, and is considered by many to be an icon of
Catholic faith in action. Father Tom was instrumental in the creation of the St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen,
which has operated non-stop since opening on January 22, 1975, the Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinics, St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Day dinner, and an annual Christmas box distribution that helps more than
500 families each year.
b. Contact information
c. Age and school or occupation
d. Faith affiliation
e. Where the cash award
is to be directed, should
the nominee receive the
award.
f. Name and contact information of the person
submitting the nomination.
After the death of Virginia Schrantz, Father O’Connor ensured the continuation of Miss Virginia’s Mission House under the St. Mary’s umbrella. He was
co-creator of the national award-winning East Side,
West Side program for children and families from
diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds.
g. Names and contact information of three references.
h. A brief narrative no more than two pages in
length explaining how the nominee reflects the
ideals exemplified by Father O’Connor’s life and
work and why the nominee should be considered
for this award.
Father Tom was a member of the original steering
committee of Vincent House at the time of its creation by the Diocese, and also worked tirelessly to secure Catholic school scholarships for central city
youngsters through the Bells of St. Mary’s campaign.
Actively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities, Father Tom was a strong advocate for peace,
both locally as well as in the wider community. He
was also an important resource for persons seeking
discernment as they considered conscientious objector status.
(continued on Page 8)
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4.
E-mail submissions (Word document attachment) are preferred and should be sent to
jan.stmarys@verizon.net. E-mail nominations must be received no later than 4 p.m. on
Friday, January 16, 2009.
5.
Letters of nomination for 2009 may be mailed
to Father Tom O’Connor Award Committee, St.
Mary’s Catholic Church, PO Box 11383, Fort
Wayne, IN 46857-1383, and must be received
no later than January 16, 2009.
football game this fall and missed the majority of
the season. However, he has recovered and is
now back for his senior year on the Luers basketball team.
Already committed to Indiana University’s
football team for next year, Lawrence plans to
pursue a degree in the field of business. An altar
server at St. Mary’s, Lawrence said his favorite
subject in school is English. Regarding hobbies,
he enjoys playing video games.
Now we arrive at the female members of our
student-athletes, Allison and Emily Hayes,
daughters of John and Jennifer Hayes. Allison is
a 17-year-old senior at Bishop Luers and her
sports participation has been in swimming,
Andy Bayer
rugby, and as a manager on the football team.
Possibly her best sport is swimming and her
achievements were spotlighted in the NewsSentinel earlier this year. During her swim season for the 2007-08 school year, Allison managed to cut 45 seconds off her previous best time
in the 500 freestyle event.
Allison is thinking about going into the U.S.
Navy after High School, although a career of
pathological study seems of some interest also.
Her favored subjects in school are science and
math; she is a member of the Bishop Luers Key
Club; and her hobbies are centered on reading ,
sports, and friends. At St. Mary’s, Allison is a
Lawrence Barnett Eucharistic Minister.
Meanwhile, Emily Hayes is a nearly 16-yearold student at Bishop Luers where she participates in rugby, swimming, and softball, while
also being a manager for the football team. Her
goals for further education are in the areas of
Law – which she hopes will be paid for by the
U.S. Air Force and she then plans to stay in the
Air force.
Emily’s hobbies involve the speech team, reading, writing, and sports. Her favorite subjects in
school are: English, religion, history, and creative
writing. At St. Mary’s, Emily is active as an altar
server.
Student/Athletes Are Promising
Core of St. Mary’s Young People
One thing that St. Mary’s is becoming
known for is that we are the home of several
promising student-athletes. This article will
highlight four of them – all from Fort
Wayne City or Allen County schools. On the
distaff side, we have Allison and Emily
Hayes, while the male group highlights Lawrence Barnett and Andy Bayer.
One thing that all four of these young men
and women have in common is that they are
lifelong members of St. Mary’s Parish and
community.
These four youngsters have been participating in athletics for their respective
schools and have shown what the phrase
“Student-Athlete” means to themselves and
our community. Andy Bayer, the son of
Kathryn Brogan and Robert Bayer, graduated this past spring from Leo High School
and is now attending Indiana University in
Bloomington.
Andy is running cross country and track
for the Hoosiers. Those sports were his specialties while attending Leo High School
where he ran both track and cross country
for each of his four years there. Andy also
delved into the wrestling circles during his
freshman and sophomore years at Leo.
At Leo, Andy was the 2008 Indiana state
champion in the 3,200 running event. He
owns school records at Leo in the 1,600
(4:12), 3,200 (9:02), and 5K (15:44) events.
Andy also earned all-semi-state and academic all-state honors in 2007; and was
named the 2007 Indiana 3A-4A Runner of
the Year.
At Indiana University, Andy, whose favorite scholastic subjects are mathematics and
sciences, is considering a Major in biology.
In his spare time, Andy enjoys running for
exercise and pleasure, snowboarding, and
hanging out with his friends. His involvement at St. Mary’s included time as Altar
Server.
Another stellar athlete from St. Mary’s is
Lawrence Barnett, son of Eugenia and John
Barnett. A 17-year-old senior at Bishop Luers High School, Lawrence had arguably one
of the better junior years that any athlete
could have. His teams won Indiana State
Championships in both football and basketball during the 2007-2008 school year.
Lawrence was a key member of both
squads – playing defensive back on the football team and point guard on the basketball
team. His senior year got off to a bad start
when he was injured in the team’s first
Allison Hayes
Emily Hayes
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With young student-athletes like these, St.
Mary’s has reason to be proud of their efforts
– both scholastically and athletically.
Upcoming Birthdays for Mary’s People
(December, January & February)
Arnold, Irvin—Feb 11
Graham, Nikki — Feb 20
Avila, Laura—Feb 15
Grawcock, Anne — Jan 12
Bachinsky, Timothy — Jan 31
Gunderson, Phyllis — Jan 20
Barnett, Catherine — Dec 3
Gunkler, Carl — Jan 23
Barnett, John — Feb 18
Hake, Anna—Jan 23
Bayer, Andrew — Feb 3
Harkenrider, Alida — Jan 2
Beiswanger, Carole — Jan 20
Hayes, Allison — Feb 12
Belch, Charles — Jan 29
Hayes, Jennifer — Dec 7
Bell, Joseph — Jan 24
Hipskind, Gary — Feb 24
Berghoff, Richard — Feb 20
Hipskind, Jay — Feb 17
Berghoff, Rita — Dec 13
Hollonay, Sierra—Feb 9
Beverly, David — Feb 25
Hollonay, Trevor—Jan 29
Blinn, Logan N. — Jan 25
Horrell, Megan — Feb 25
Blinn, Shannon — Dec 5
Howell, James — Dec 28
Bond, Grant G. — Jan 2
Hudson, Clifton — Dec 27
Bowles, Thelma—Dec 27
Hunter, Frederick — Feb 26
Bratton, Christiana — Jan 26
Huth, Abigail — Jan 22
Bratton, Eva — Dec 22
Huth, Adam — Feb 27
Breisch, Kierston — Feb 18
Huth, Michael — Dec 14
Brennan, Moira — Feb 22
Jackson, Patricia — Jan 23
Bryan, Sharon — Dec 11
Jehl, Susan — Feb 17
Calzada, Joshua — Feb 29
Jones, Reva — Jan 12
Carter, Anita — Jan 6
Kelly, Patricia — Feb 25
Chmiel, Barbara — Feb 7
Kitzmiller, Katilyn — Dec 29
Chmiel, Eugene — Jan 30
Kowalski, Derrick — Feb 3
Coe, Marie — Jan 10
Kowalski, Melanie — Jan 20
Croom, Franklin III — Dec 29
Lehto, Stephanie — Feb 1
Deck, Darlane—Jan 13
Longberry, James — Jan 4
Dodzik, Alice—Dec 1
Lothamer, Nathan — Jan 11
Dodzik, Cynthia — Feb 3
McBride, Madison — Dec 30
Eisenacher, Erica — Feb 27
McBride, Patrick — Dec 9
Evans Mitoraj, Mary C. — Dec 12
McClure, Russell—Jan 29
Fadus, Karen — Dec 24
McPherson, Aliene — Feb 8
Ferguson, Donald — Jan 10
Miller, Joanne — Feb 4
Ferguson, Lisa — Jan 5
Miller, Joseph — Feb 5
Floyd, Georgia—Dec 28
Miller, Judith — Dec 21
Floyd, Jonathon—Jan 23
Moilanen, Yolanda — Jan 9
Floyd, Katrina—Dec 14
Morthorst, Marilyn — Jan 25
Floyd, Michael—Jan 3
Myers, Christopher — Dec 4
Floyd, Michelle—Jan 31
Myers, Wallace — Dec 23
Fox, Chauntelle—Jan 17
Myles, Christina — Jan 31
Fox, Ron—Feb 21
O’Brien, Mary — Dec 1
Oakes, Mary — Jan 16
Odigboh, Michael—Jan 7
Ottenweller, Janet — Dec 7
Ottenweller, Nelson — Dec 16
Parish, Dale — Feb 24
Parnin, Patricia — Feb 9
Phillips, Shane — Feb 10
Pierce, Catherine — Feb 19
Randolph, Braxton — Jan 7
Ray-Vas, Amani—Feb 22
Ray-Vas , Xavier—Dec 3
Reitinger, Sharon—Feb 10
Richards, Thomas — Dec 20
Rohr, Marian — Jan 11
Rosloniec, Angela—Feb 25
Schiffli, Danielle — Dec 25
Schiffli, Hunter — Dec 27
Schiffli, Suede — Feb 25
Schmieman-Iehl, Nancy — Jan 7
Smith, Sheryl — Feb 14
Snyder, Hunter—Jan 7
Snyder, Nathan — Jan 26
Sorg, Charlotte — Dec 24
Spencer, Therese — Feb 24
Stabler, Linda — Jan 16
Stabler, Rachel — Jan 22
Stewart, Benjamin — Dec 18
Stewart, Danielle — Jan 22
Stewart, Ephraim — Feb 5
Stewart, Secily — Jan 28
Stockert, Holly—Dec 20
Strother, Andrea — Jan 22
Strother, Tracie — Dec 30
Strother, Wesley — Dec 6
Till, Rashelle — Feb 10
Troyer, Chuck — Jan 3
Vondran, Jeffrey — Dec 20
Vondran, Valerie — Feb 5
Wade, Willie — Jan 10
Walker, Donald — Jan 28
Francis, Cory — Feb 1
Weir, Thomas — Feb 22
Francis, Devon — Dec 13
Wick, Jane — Dec 4
Fraze, Caitlin — Feb 27
Williams, Anna Mae — Dec 18
Garrett, Dwayne—Dec 1
Williams, Josephine — Dec 12
Garrett, Jeremy—Jan 10
Woltering, David—Feb 4
Gasnarez, Antonia — Dec 15
Yurosko, Amy — Jan 9
Girgash, Mark—Jan 17
Yurosko, Robert — Jan 1
Graham, Charles — Dec 15
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H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
This photo shows students gathering for classes
at St. Mary’s Mission School
in the 1960s after Father
Ralph Larsen reopened the
parish school for neighborhood and parish children.
C
O
R
N
E
R
As always, St. Mary’s history is important to our parishioners. If you have an
interesting picture from past
years at St. Mary’s and
would like to share it in this
newsletter, please get in
touch with Mary’s People
editor, Gary Huhn, at 4836452 or e-mail him at
gjhuhn@hotmail.com.
Thanks!
Fr. Tom Award
(continued from Page 5)
Many of us have fond
memories of the youngsters
populating this school and
their varied activities guided
by the Principal, Agnes Hart,
and her teaching staff and
assistants.
Father O’Connor was honored during his lifetime with many awards and accolades, including the prestigious national Catholic Extension Society’s Lumen
Christi Award, described by the Society’s president as the “Church’s equivalent
of the Nobel Prize.”
Father Tom always said that his efforts, extended through the work of St.
Mary’s, was rooted in his Catholic faith, in the Scriptures, and in his priestly vocation. Because of this, nominees for the Father Tom O’Connor Light of Christ
Award must be committed to and active in their own faith traditions.
Non-Profit Organization
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
US Postage
1101 S. Lafayette St.
PAID
P.O. Box 11383
Fort Wayne, IN 46857-1383
Fort Wayne, IN
Permit No. 1356
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