In The Know
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, September 18, 2020
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Why America's Jobs Recovery is Different from Other Countries'
From the Wall Street Journal: The U.S. unemployment rate shot up faster than in any other developed country during the pandemic. WSJ explains how differences in government aid and labor-market structures can help predict how and where jobs might recover.
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Annual Dinner Gets Turned Upside Down. |
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It's been a year like no other...which calls for an event like we've never had before. Rather than host the Chamber's Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner this October as has been the case for over 100 years, the decision has been made to make some major changes to this year's event. The special events committee put their heads together to come up with a better option, a safer one, but one that still allows us to gather, celebrate, and honor chamber members and their employees.
On Wednesday, October 21st, National Chamber of Commerce Day, the Chamber will host its first-ever Member Appreciation "Mask-erade" Barbecue at St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Our typical nominations, awards, and speakers will be replaced with a night of music, food, and drink both inside and out. Please join us as we honor all of our members and come together to celebrate the resilience, passion, hard-work, and dedication of our business community. Watch your mail and email for more details and your invitation. Sponsorships are also available starting at just $500.
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A Handful of Team Spots Left For The Chamber Golf Classic.
Take a day off to support this important event.
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The 2020 Trinity Health System Chamber Golf Classic is set for Tuesday, September 22nd, at the Steubenville Country Club. This event is the Chamber's biggest fundraiser of the year and this year, it is more important than ever for it to be a success. There is a very limited number of team spots left as of today. Please contact the Chamber offices with questions or click below to register. For a printable registration form, click here.
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Grow Your Career with Trinity Health System. |
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This is a very exciting time for Trinity Health System. As the organization grows throughout the Ohio Valley, individuals are encouraged to grow their careers by becoming a member of the Trinity Team.
Although COVID-19 has slowed career fairs and recruitment events, individuals have not stopped searching for career growth. Therefore, the Trinity Health System Human Resources & Talent Acquisition Teams are hosting a Virtual Career Fair on Wednesday, September 23rd, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.
The virtual platform will be much different than the traditional face-to-face format, but will continue to have the personal touch both career seekers and hiring managers prefer. In order to attend the career fair, career seekers are required to register for the event by accessing the link on the Trinity Health System website or by clicking on the button below.
Once the individual registers for the event, they will receive an invitation via email to join the Zoom link. On September 23rd, career seekers will need to access the Zoom link sent in the invitation and log on.
After logging on to the event, career seekers will be greeted by the Trinity Health System Vice President for Human Resources and additional members of the Human Resources and Talent Acquisition Teams. Following the greeting, individuals will be placed in breakout rooms with hiring managers. Breakout rooms are developed based on the individual's selected area of interest noted on the registration form.
For example, if the individual has interest in growing their career as a Pharmacy Technician, they will be placed in a breakout room with the Director of Pharmacy. The breakout rooms will provide the opportunity to learn more about the organization and specified department, along with the chance for the career seekers to begin building a relationship with the department leader and for the department leader to build relationships with career seekers.
As we know, traditional career fairs consist of many passersby who create distractions and deter individualized attention. The virtual platform allows for both the career seekers and hiring managers to be part of a personalized group of individuals with similar areas of career focus and growth.
The development and deployment of the event has been a tremendous team effort throughout many departments of Trinity Health System, such as Information Systems, Marketing, Human Resources, and more. The collaborative effort for the planning of the event also gives career seekers a glimpse at the cross-functional work that takes place throughout Trinity Health System on a regular basis.
Trinity Health System is hiring Registered Nurses, Medical Laboratory Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians, Environmental Service Technicians, Dietary Aides, Financial Analysts, and more. Grow your career with Trinity Health System by attending the Virtual Career Fair on Wednesday, September 23rd, at 5:30 p.m. Please register for the event by clicking the button below.
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Treasurer Sprague Calls for Small Business Relief Through Remaining CARES Act Funds
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is calling for at least $100 million in the state’s remaining federal CARES Act allocation to be used for the creation of small business grants. The grants would provide much-needed support and relief to Ohio’s job creators severely impacted by the ongoing pandemic. The proposal has already garnered support from several of Ohio’s leading business associations, including the National Federation of Independent Business (Ohio) and the Ohio Restaurant Association, whose members continue to be adversely impacted by the challenges and uncertainty caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“For more than six months now, Ohioans have confronted COVID-19 with courage and resolve – two characteristics indelible to the Buckeye State,” said Treasurer Sprague. “However, the long-term effects this pandemic has on our economy remain unpredictable. With thousands of small businesses across the state closed or operating at a limited capacity, now is the time to utilize this federal relief to support Ohio’s small businesses and the families who depend on them.”
The federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) included in the CARES Act provided temporary relief for businesses that faced the onset of COVID-19’s many challenges. However, small businesses continue to face uncertainty as Ohio continues to combat this once-in-a-century pandemic.
Treasurer Sprague is proposing a streamlined, reimbursement-based grant program to cover eligible expenditures (to be determined by the Ohio General Assembly) to assist small businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Hats Off!
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Franciscan University in
Top 15 of Midwest Universities.
The 2021 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings assesses 1,452 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality.
Franciscan University was tied for second among best Midwest universities for first-year retention rate—demonstrating that once students start at Franciscan, a high number of them stay until they graduate. Franciscan also placed third overall for students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class, an indicator of academic quality.
Under the Best Value Schools category, Franciscan University ranked 10th, meaning Franciscan is an excellent value when factoring in the costs and benefits received from its educational mission.
“We are honored to be recognized again by U.S. News for our academic excellence. This is a tribute to our dedicated faculty across all disciplines of study,” said Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, president of Franciscan University. “It’s interesting to note that U.S. News focuses solely on academics, so when you factor in Franciscan’s vibrant faith life you can see why students from all 50 states are attracted to our mission, which combines academic excellence in a passionately Catholic environment.”
This press release was provided to the Chamber by Franciscan University.
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Take Out Tuesday Returns!
And it's not just for restaurants.
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On September 15th, the Chamber re-launched its "Take-Out Tuesday" program with some great changes that will make it easier than ever to promote not only your food-related business but your retail store, fitness center, salon and more. Here is how it works: Submit your special each Monday by noon by using a short, online form. We will even send you a reminder on Monday morning. On Tuesday mornings, the complete list of member specials will be sent to the Chamber's email list that includes 750 member businesses and organizations and their employees. We will even link your website, menu, coupon and/or Facebook page! It does not get any easier to get the word out about your business.
You may submit your special offer anytime via the Chamber website under "Online Forms". Or click below to submit your special for next week. Questions? Contact Hannah Ward at the Chamber offices at 740.282.6226 or hannah@jeffersoncountychamber.com.
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The Chamber Job Bank: Check Out Our New Job Openings |
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CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL EATERIES, BREW PUBS, BAKERIES, AND WINERIES.
As the Ohio Valley continues to reopen safely, remember to continue supporting our local, Chamber member food businesses. They are working hard to adapt to your needs and come back from months of restrictions and limitations. Click here for the latest issue of "Let's Eat!"
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Updates from Ohio Governor DeWine's September 17th
Press Conference
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Below are the updates from the September 17th press conference with Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd at 2:00 p.m. You may watch it on the WTOV9 website here
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- Ohio’s COVID-19 case data:
- 134,001 confirmed cases
- 7,584 probable cases
- 141,585 total cases
- 14,625 hospitalizations
- 4,282 confirmed deaths
- 298 probable deaths
- 4,580 total deaths
- 3,149 ICU admissions
- 119,690 presumed recovered
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More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.
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Governor DeWine released this week's new Ohio Public Health Advisory System map.
- Upgraded to Level 3 (Red): Portage
- Remaining at Level 3 (Red): Butler, Mercer, Montgomery, and Putnam
- Downgraded to Level 2 (Orange): Preble
- Downgraded to Level 1 (Yellow): Summit
- There are no counties on Ohio’s Watch List
- Governor DeWine announced the state has launched the Schools Dashboard and the Children’s Dashboard to provide school districts and parents the best information to make decisions about their child’s education and social interactions. The Schools Dashboard will show new and cumulative COVID cases reported to schools by parents/guardians and staff. Schools are required to report cases to their assigned Local Health Department who then report to the Ohio Department of Health.
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The Children’s Dashboard, developed in consultation with the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, includes information about cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 among children aged 0-17 in Ohio by selected demographics and county of residence. Both dashboards are available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
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Governor DeWine announced that the state of Ohio has its first, documented case of the flu in Putnam County. He reminded Ohioans of the importance of getting a flu shot this year to reduce the spread of the flu and its impact on our hospital systems. While it does not protect you from COVID-19, it does provide another layer of protection to keep yourself, your family, friends, and communities healthy. Anyone without a primary healthcare provider can visit vaccinefinder.org to find nearby pharmacies and other healthcare locations offering the flu vaccine.
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Governor DeWine announced that the state has released a Rapid Response Guide for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers. This guide will support local health districts in developing culturally appropriate plans to respond to outbreaks in the migrant and seasonal farmworker communities. In addition, the Ohio Department of Health is awarding $2.6 million in CARES Act funding to agricultural camp operators to improve the health and safety of migrant workers worksites and camps to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
- In response to media questions, Governor DeWine reminded Ohioans that if they have a loved one living in a nursing home, state health orders permit visitation, under certain health guidelines, including visitation taking place outdoors and the wearing of facial coverings. In the coming weeks, orders will be updated to include health guidelines for indoor visitation in anticipation of the winter months.
- Governor DeWine provided an update on Ohio’s Coronavirus Wastewater Surveillance Network. Since mid-July, the network has been monitoring income waste at wastewater treatment plants around the state to test for gene fragments of COVID-19. Ohio is currently testing in more than 30 cities across the state and will expand testing to more than 50 locations in the next month. The state will continue to closely monitor the wastewater data and ensure communities are aware of trending increases in gene copies to assist with quick response and prevent further spread of disease.
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Governor DeWine reminded parents that Halloween activities will be different this year than in years past. He encouraged parents and children to wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid large groups, and to stay home if sick. Final decisions on whether to hold or participate in trick-or-treating or other events should be made by local communities, individuals, and parents. The state will be developing guidance for Halloween and it will be posted on coronavirus.ohio.gov to help communities and families plan for the holiday.
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Governor DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has started distributing $300 per week in Lost Wages Assistance to eligible unemployment insurance recipients. This assistance is available to Ohioans who received traditional unemployment benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Trade Readjustment Assistance, SharedWork Ohio or extended benefits for weeks ending August 1st through September 5th. PUA claimants will receive payments first, in a staggered manner with individual payments for each week they qualified for the program. For Ohioans receiving other types of unemployment benefits, there will be one retroactive payment for all weeks they qualify. Updates on this process can be found at jfs.ohio.gov/lwa.
- Ohioans filed 16,294 initial jobless claims last week, according to the statistics that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Department of Labor today. Ohioans filed 320,532 continued jobless claims last week, which was 455,770 fewer than, or less than half (about 41%) of the peak earlier this year.
- Over the last 26 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $6.3 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 804,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, more than 94% have been processed, with less than 6% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $5.6 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 561,000 PUA claimants.
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Ohioans can apply for unemployment benefits online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at unemployment.ohio.gov. It is also possible to file by phone at 877-644-6562 or TTY at 888- 642-8203, Monday through Friday 7AM to 7PM, Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and Sunday 9AM to 1PM. Employers with questions should email UCTech@jfs.ohio.gov.
As always, Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Department of Health hotline, 1-833-4-ASK-ODH are great resources for those who have questions.
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Member Morsels
Member Morsels are free and an easy, fast way to reach hundreds each week. It reaches the entire Chamber database each Friday - that's over 850 local business owners, managers and employees.
Remember to visit individual member websites by clicking on the business name or logo. Submit your Member Morsel by clicking the button below.
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Join Anytime Fitness for
$1 Fall Promotion!
Anytime Fitness is currently running a fall membership promotion that allows you to join their gym for just $1. Anytime offers a variety of membership options and training packages. They also offer a free 7-day pass to all members of the local community. Why not check it out and see how great their equipment and personal service is? For more information, please contact Mindy Phillips at 740.275.4140 or via Facebook Messenger to Anytime Fitness Wintersville. Anytime Fitness is located at 100 Main St. in Wintersville. This special offer is going on now and will end on September 25th, 2020.
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A Very Special Event Hosted By One of
Our Newest Chamber Members
On Saturday, October 3rd, Birch Creek Farmery is hosting a "Farm To Fork" dinner event on its 250-acre farm in Burgettstown, PA. Treat yourself to a wine-and-dine night out with the first hour featuring a hand curated wine flight by Refucilo Winery and seasonal appetizers followed by a decadent dinner and live music. Seating is limited. Ticket cost is $95 for individuals or $180 per couple. Purchase by clicking below. Check out the Birch Creek Farmery website by clicking here and view or print the event flier here.
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Don't let the summer get away from you without a few more weeks of fresh produce and delicious baked goods. Support our local farmers and spend your money near home by shopping at both Steubenville markets all summer long. The Gateway Market is held on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Eastern Gateway Community College and the Downtown Steubenville Market is held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the corner of South 4th and South Streets.
For more information on the Gateway Market, visit the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District website at www.jeffersonswcd.org. For information on the downtown Steubenville Market, contact the Steubenville & Jefferson County Visitors Center at 740.283.4935 or visit www.visitsteubenville.com.
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The Winter Drive-In in Wintersville is featuring some great movies this weekend. Shows start at dusk.
Check out the drive-in's website above or their Facebook page for next week's listings.
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The Chamber's Podcast series, "In Good Company," continues to grow. Check out the first two episodes on the Chamber's YouTube page below, along with lots of other fun videos and clips. In the coming weeks, the podcast series will be available to listen to on your iPhone, tablet, or in your car. Watch your Chamber emails and In The Know for updates.
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Around the State. Around the Country.
Up-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce
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Ohio to Work Pilot Project
In [Tuesday]’s press conference, Governor DeWine, along with JP Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio, announced that JobsOhio and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Ohio Development Services Agency will launch a pilot initiative called Ohio To Work.
The initiative will help connect Ohioans looking for a job to a new job opportunity.
Ohio To Work brings together employers, nonprofits, educators and training providers to help Ohioans reskill and restart their careers.
Individuals participating in Ohio To Work will be provided a career coach, be invited to virtual career fairs and be connected to employers ready to hire.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
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The Business Impact of the
Abraham Accords
This week leaders from Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain came to the White House to sign the Abraham Accords, a historic agreement normalizing relations between the three countries. This agreement will unlock tremendous business potential between these economies and create new opportunities for trade and investment across the Middle East.
“The great economic benefits of our partnerships will be felt throughout our region,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the signing ceremony.
In advance of the historic signings this week, the Chamber hosted His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari, UAE Cabinet Minister and Minister of Economy, where we led productive discussions around the economic potential flowing from this new pact.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
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The Library Link
Great Books About Business With Just A Click
Please Note: The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is open for curbside service. Visit www.steubenvillelibrary.org to order books, then call your library branch to schedule an appointment to pick up your library items. Library branch contact information and operating hours are available by clicking here on this link from the website.
Your link to success begins at the library. With each week of "In The Know,"
you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week:
The Idea-Driven Organization: Unlocking the Power in Bottom-Up Ideas
by Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder
Too many organizations are overlooking, or even suppressing, their single most powerful source of growth and innovation. And it's right under their noses. The frontline employees who interact directly with your customers, make your products, and provide your services have unparalleled insights into where problems exist and what improvements and new offerings would have the most impact.
In this follow-up to their bestseller, Ideas Are Free, Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder show how to align every part of an organization around generating and implementing employee ideas and offer dozens of examples of what a tremendous competitive advantage this can offer. Their advice will enable leaders to build organizations capable of implementing 20, 50, or even 100 ideas per employee per year.
View this resource by clicking here.
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Today in History
Canada mall sets parking lot record
- September 18, 1981 -
From History.com: On September 18, 1981, the 20,000-car parking lot at Canada’s West Edmonton Mall makes the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest parking lot in the world.
The mall has held other records, too: At one time or another it’s been the World’s Largest Shopping Mall (5.2 million square feet, or about 48 city blocks), the World’s Largest Indoor Amusement Park and the World’s Largest Indoor Water Park (which includes the World’s Largest Indoor Lake and the World’s Largest Indoor Wave Pool).
The West Edmonton Mall has more than 800 stores, 100 restaurants, and 19 movie theaters.
It also has a full-size ice-skating rink, where the Edmonton Oilers occasionally practice; two hotels, one of which boasts elaborately themed rooms (the Hollywood Room, the Polynesian Room, the Igloo Room, the Canadian Rail Room, the African Room, and the Arabian Room, for example); a chapel; and a sizeable handful of nightclubs. The mall is arranged in a series of wings, also themed:
There is an opulent 19th-century European boulevard, a faux Bourbon Street, and a Chinatown wing arranged around a Koi pond. A replica of Christopher Columbus’s famous Santa Maria shares a lagoon with real submarines and exotic fish. When the mall opened in 1981, its developer offered this dedication: “What we have done means you don’t have to go to New York or Paris or Disneyland or Hawaii,” he said. “We have it all here for you in one place, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!”
Though the mall has held the world’s largest parking-lot record for years, some people argue that it shouldn’t: Because the lot is half indoors and half outdoors, they say, it’s actually not one parking structure but two.
By that calculation, you can find the world’s largest parking lot at Seattle’s Sea-Tac airport, which has 13,000 parking spaces under one roof. At any rate, huge lots seem to be everywhere: Universal Studios has two 10,000-car garages, the Denver airport has two 7,000-car lots, and the Baltimore airport has two garages that hold almost 14,000 cars in all.
For more events that took place on September 18th, please click here.
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-860,000-
"New US jobless claims for the week that ended Saturday totaled 860,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That came in slightly above the consensus economist estimate of 850,000, but marked an encouraging decline from the prior week."
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Questions about Oil & Gas?
These non-profit organizations are here to help you stay up-to-date on the oil and gas industry
in Jefferson County:
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Get The Information You Need - The Chamber Staff Is Here To Help |
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Melissa DeFrances
Administrative & Accounting Coordinator
Melissa is your go to for membership benefit or billing questions, job bank postings, event reservations or any other assistance you may need.
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Tricia Maple-Damewood
President
Contact Tricia with suggestions, input or feedback on member programming, how to get involved on a committee or special project or with questions related to Chamber membership.
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Hannah Ward
Administrative Assistant
Contact Hannah with changes to your membership information, questions regarding events or programs, or assistance with scheduling an Eblast or Member Morsel.
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Contact Us
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
630 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740.282.6226
Fax: 740.282.6285
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