Outdoor Club of South Jersey Newsletter
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IN MEMORIUM
Corky Garrison
- 77, of Port Republic, NJ passed away peacefully Wednesday morning May 1, 2019.
He was an active lifetime member of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey for many years and participated in hiking and kayaking trips.
He will be missed.
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OCSJ Spotlight on:
Ken Mayberg
By Vera C. Stek
Ken Mayberg just happened to be skiing in Vermont at the same time as a group from the Outdoor Club was there for a ski trip. Being the congenial people most members are, he was invited to sit with them, and when they discovered that Ken was from New Jersey, he was invited to join the club.
Which he did — happily. A hiker, biker, skier and lover of all things outdoors, Ken epitomizes the type of person attracted to the OCSJ. He was also eager to step up and lead a trip to Vermont, where he spent many a mile hiking when global warming or other weather conditions prohibited him from cross-country skiing.
He will be leading a hiking trip to Vermont in August and anyone who loves fresh air, quiet, little-traveled roads and fabulous scenery, should contact him for more information (
kjmayberg@aol.com
).
Lest you think Ken spends all his time outside, he’s also a teacher and a music aficionado, performing the hammered dulcimer with a local group.
Here’s his story:
Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
KEN: I’m a single guy living in Robbinsville. I'm in my 34th year as an elementary school teacher in the Trenton School District. I currently teach computers. I lived briefly in Ohio and Massachusetts before coming to N.J. I have a brother nearby, a sister on the West Coast and I help take care of an elderly parent. I reached 60 years old this year so retirement is on the horizon.
Q. When and why did you join the Outdoor Club? What benefits do you get from being a member?
KEN: My parents instilled an appreciation of the outdoors in me at an early age. We regularly camped in Maine. I remember many hiking trips in which we children picked berries to be made into a pie by my mother. I developed a love of biking and cross country skiing while in college in Vermont.
I became a member of the outdoor club during a solo nordic ski trip to Craftsbury, Vt. The dining there is communal. I was invited by the Outdoor Club leader to join the group at their dinner table. When they found out I was from NJ, they suggested I join the club.
As a club member, I always had a nice group of people on the Craftsbury ski trip to mingle with. I've also gone on hikes with the group and have been exposed to hiking trails in parts of the state that I'm unfamiliar with.
Q. Seems like you’re interested in hiking. What other activities do you enjoy and where have you been to pursue them?
KEN: Actually what I do most is bicycle. I live in Mercer County so I tend to cycle with the local club (The Princeton Freewheelers). I've been to Europe on self-contained bike trips many times. I've ridden across the U.S.
The more exotic bike trips I've taken have been in Vietnam, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Locally, Vermont and Amish country are my favorite places to ride.
I also do a good deal of hiking. I have hiked Alaska, Peru, Guatemala, the Rockies, to name a few.
I also jog and have done several local triathlons.
The hike that stands out the most is Half Dome in Yosemite. It was a 20-mile hike and the last bit of it involved pulling yourself up a steep incline on a rope.
Glacier National Park stands out because it was the first major trip I took away from the northeast. The Rockies were quite a contrast from the local hikes I did in the Appalachians. Walking on the British Cornwall coastal trail, the Lake District, and Yorkshire were pleasurable. One of my favorite places to walk in the U.S. is Mohegan Island in Maine.
My future hikes are in a state of doubt at the moment. A few months ago I came down with a rare form of adult Type 1 diabetes (auto immune in nature). I'm not on insulin yet but the doctors say it's just a matter of time. My energy level has decreased and the future's a bit uncertain at the moment.
However, I still jog about 10 miles - total - (slowly) and swim a couple of miles weekly. I believe the exercise I do has helped me to keep good sugar levels for the near term.
I never hiked the Grand Canyon and it was on my bucket list to make it to the bottom and back. Another goal would be a post diabetes triathlon. We'll see if these comes to fruition in the future.
I also enjoy table tennis and figure skating.
Q. Looks like you are leading a multi-day walk in Vermont this summer. Tell us about it: where are you going, what are the details, how far, who should sign up? What made you want to lead this event?
KEN: I have been either nordic skiing or biking in Vermont annually for about 40 years. I have been staying at the Colonial House Inn for about 15 years now. With global warming, it's not always possible to cross country ski on many occasions.
During those days when the weather didn't cooperate, I walked or jogged local roads around the inn. I've become familiar with the area and thought it would be nice to share these dirt roads that have stood still in time. I always have had an affinity for the quaint villages, mountains, and rural countryside of Vermont.
There are commercial walking trips that charge about $1,500 dollars for the same experience. I thought I could run a similar trip for less than half this amount. The walks will involve some carpooling. People can sign up by contacting me (See info. below). They will get a room at the Colonial House Inn (Weston, Vermont) on their own. The rooms are modest but the inn offers a nice common area to spend time and is located in a scenic location. The picturesque town of Weston is nearby. We will walk between 4 to 6 miles each morning along lightly traveled dirt roads. The afternoons are free to relax, visit attractions, or hike more. The food at the inn is excellent. The info on the inn: Colonial House Inn, 287 Route 100, Weston, Vermont 05161.
Q. Do you have any safety tips?
KEN: I guess I’m the wrong person to ask this question. Unless it’s wet or muddy conditions, I believe running sneakers are good enough for for me. A safety tip for new hikers is not to count solely on your phone as a rescue device in case you get in trouble. When going into a rural area, especially in rural states like Vermont or Maine, there may be no cell phone coverage. There also might be a situation where you run out of battery because the phone is constantly searching for a signal. In this case, always have extra food.
Q. Other hobbies and interests?
KEN: My main hobby now is music. I took up the hammered dulcimer about 9 years ago when I was 50 years old. I current perform with the Pinelands Dulcimer Society. I also paint a bit.
Q. What’s something about yourself that might surprise others to know?
KEN: I find it a big humorous that I’m in charge of my school chorus when I can barely hold a tune. Our school had no chorus and since I played a musical instrument, I started one. Luckily, our guidance counselor who is an accomplished pianist and singer, has joined me. However, I’m the driving force behind the chorus.
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The OCSJ board is working on a new website. We are still at the same address
WWW.OCSJ.ORG
. We have rebuilt the front page, added a better transition to our membership function and reworked many of our Activities pages. We realize that their are still a few glitches. At the moment, we are working on a smoother transition to Meetup and the addition of a link to the Newsletter.
As part of this effort, we plan to use Survey Monkey to solicit ideas from our members. Please take a moment and give us your comments.
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OCSJ events
Cape May Weekend - June 14 thru 16
We are planning on a weekend at the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May on June 14 thru June 16.
To RSVP on meetup, use the following link:
www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Club-of-South-Jersey-Hiking/events/259839903
For more information on this trip, please use the following link:
Vermont Walking Trip August 11 thru 16
From 8/11 thru 8/16, we will walk approximately 4-6 miles each morning along lightly traveled dirt roads in Vermont. Expect mountain scenery, picturesque villages, and rural landscapes. The afternoons are free to visit sights in the area or relax. We stay at the Colonial House Inn in Weston, Vermont. For more information, please contact Ken Mayberg at Kjmayberg@aol.com or 609 751-1387 (Evenings or weekends).
For more information on this trip, please use the following link:
www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Club-of-South-Jersey-Hiking/events/259345207/
or
ocsj.org/EVENTS
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2019 Photo Contest
The 2019 OCSJ photo contest has begun. Hang on to your best pictures from any OCSJ outing taken between September 1, 2018 until September 30, 2019. Your photo could be selected to appear on the pages of our 2020 OCSJ calendar. The best overall picture selected by our panel of judges will appear on the cover. You must be a paid member of our club to enter and it must be an OCSJ event. Submission of all photos will be from September 1, to September 30, 2019.
Mike Engel volunteered to Chair the 2019 Photo Contest. If you are interested in photography and would like to help Mike, please contact him at
ikemengel@hotmail.com
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MEETUP
This is just a reminder that members should use the Meetup comments ONLY for getting more information about a particular event, such as distance, pace, meeting place, etc.
Please, do NOT use Meetup for chit chat. Save your non-important comments for the hike. We all receive too many emails and we don’t need to add to it with needless comments.
Also, for any member going to an event somewhere they’ve never been before, please do your research in the days before the event. Either ask the hike leaders for more details, if necessary, or get out an old-fashioned map or google the site. Do not rely on your GPS, which may lead your astray and cause you to miss the event.
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The new printed Trekker is available at OCSJ board meetings and from Board Members and Leaders.
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OCSJ Participation Policy
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1. OCSJ is a member organization. Membership funds pay for insurance and other Club overhead. However, prospective members and guests of OCSJ members may try one regular activity from each of our activity sections without joining. Thereafter they must join to be eligible for the hundreds of activities and events available every year.
2. Participants on trips which charge money must be members of OCSJ, except where the trip is a joint trip with another club and the participant is a member of that club. Members of OCSJ may bring guests on a day trip charging money. Participants on overnight trips charging money must always be an OCSJ member.
Any comments please Contact Barbara Brandt (
president@ocsj.org
)
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Membership information is now available with the following links:
- WWW.OCSJ.ORG click on the Join OCSJ button and enter your email address and password.
- Wild Apricot ap - on you phone
OCSJ's mailing address is:
OCSJ, PO Box 46, Atco, NJ 08004
Our annual membership rates are:
Individual - $20 or Family - $25
Membership Questions: contact Regina Coeby at
membership@ocsj.org
To receive up to date club information, we encourage everyone to go to our website and to join our Meetup groups.
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THE MILE CLUBS
Miles to Go Before We Rest
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It takes an enormous amount of dedication and determination to commit to the OCSJ Mileage Clubs, but if you are a person who welcomes a challenge, enjoys group activities, and/or simply likes the outdoors, you should really consider joining one of our mileage clubs. If you are an OCSJ member, just contact any of the contacts below and join Us.
- 500 Mile Club - Valerie Danzey (vdanzey1@verizon.net )
- Grand Mile Club - Jon Peterson (jonpeterson66@gmail.com)
- Paddler's Mile Club - Erika Blank (powerofpink58@verizon.net)
- Bicycle Mile Club - Neil Kornhauser (nkornhauser@gmail.com)
OCSJ Paddler's Mileage Clubs
JOIN THE 300, 400 & 500 MILE PADDLERS' CLUBS. Any kayak trip counts with any group or individual. The miles are sent in first week of January 2020, but the last trip is December 31 2019. The people who do not make the 300, 400 or 500 miles, but turn in miles will get honorable mention on the website. For details contact Ericka Blank
powerofpink58@verizon.net
or text 856-364-6029.
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Like us on Facebook
Outdoor Club of South Jersey
We are approaching 2000 Likes!
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The next club meeting is on June 79th, 7:30 pm at the Cherry Hill Library. All members and prospective members are welcome.
The club is actively looking for members to become more involved with the operation of the club.
The club needs people to serve on the board and aid in the processes that keep the club in operation. If you have interest, join us at a board meeting. See how the board and the club operates and see if you are suited for some position or if you would just like to help out from time to time.
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OCSJ TRAIL MAINTENANCE LEADER REPORT
For May 2019
This year the club trail maintenance crew had their biggest season ever! We were honored at the NJ State Division of Parks and Forestry Volunteer Appreciation Day at Batsto. We had over 800 hours of trail work. The crew completed installing over 100 North/South directional signs on the Batona, trimmed and reblazed many, many miles of brush, repaired bog bridges in Bass River SF and Brendan T Bryne SF and filled in the holes in the berm by Evans Bridge with 60 sandbags and a truckload of dirt.
The crew also trimmed the entire 9 mile Yellow Trail from Atsion to Batsto thanks to Dave Bicking who spearheaded that maintenance initiative. A bench built by Diane Mason was installed at the Half Way point of the Batona for weary hikers and to provide a photo moment opportunity. We also replaced a footbridge in 25 degree weather in the Franklin Parker section aka The Catbriar Bridge.
But our biggest accomplishment was working with the Wharton SF staff to get the new Yellow Trail Bridge installed and decked. This was a massive project that took 3 days. The former bridge washed out in 2011 and that beautiful section of the Yellow Trail had been relocated to a dirt road. The OCSJ trail crew was extremely instrumental in getting the bridge open. My thanks to the Drill Team for spending hours on their knees and bellies to secure the planks. Diane, Marilyn, John K, Kevin, Paul, Dan, Henry, Charles and Anthony. Hats off to Frank Pearce for braving the cold water to work under the bridge to secure decking bolts . To the trimmers and painters especially Janet and the unblazer team - Thank You!!
Our end of the season picnic is May 21st but trail work never ends and we already have a list of projects that we will start in September. Everyone have a great summer!
T
hank you to all!! Our trail crew is the BEST!!
To volunteer, please contact Ro Mason at
romason@comcast.net
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Wednesday
May 22:
HIKE TO SHANE BRANCH
- May 22
6-7 miles moderate pace. We'll hike on sand roads and trails to a pretty pond and some scenic bogs. Hope to see Laurel and Lady Slippers in bloom. Bring lunch, beverage and repellent. Meet at the bridge before the lost town of Friendship, on Carranza Rd. SE of Tabernacle. Leaders, Pat Burton, 609-472-8128, email, camperpat123@aol.com. Chris Denneler, 609-351-2789, email cdenneler157@yahoo.com. Check Meetup for changes or cancellations.
Tuesday June 4: Moorestown Walks by David Bicking
Moorestown Walks are approx 3 miles at a Moderate pace. Different routes through Moorestown's historic streets. This isn't an endurance hike or a nature walk. This is a walk on suburban streets and sidewalks to stretch the legs after work on a mid-week night with good company and conversation. Meet At library entrance.
Leader: David Bicking, (8 5 6) 249 - 0886, dbickin @ yahoo.com
Friday June 7: Blueberry Hill hike
Four mile moderately paced hike through the woods with mostly paved paths. Elevation of a few hundred feet at one point, with a view of Philadelphia at the top, weather permitting. Steady rain will cancel. Meet at the parking lot between the Chop House and CVS close to 561. This hike repeats on June Fridays.
Leader: Joanne McNally 267-322-0918.
Saturday, June 29, 2019: Henry Hudson Trail South Section
This hike is 12 miles long.The trail is paved and is relatively flat.The Henry Hudson is a former railroad right-of-way.Much of the trail is tree-lined and some parts have views of the surrounding wetlands, streams and fields.At Big Brook Park,the beginning of the hike,there are port-a-potties and parking.On the trail no restrooms for the rest of the way.Bring water, snacks,and lunch.this will be a moderate 3mph pace.
Leader Al DiCianni E-mail asilviod888@yahoo.com questions.732 569-6858
If you would like to volunteer to lead a new hike, please contact David at
DBICKIN@YAHOO.COM
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Backpacking/Camping Trips
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Friday, June 28, 2019: Camping event with Hiking, Biking, Swiming and Kayaking on Bass River
Join us for camping on group site F at Bass river on Friday June 28, Saturday 29.Come one nite or both. 25 people maximum allowed by park.Great location for beginners.Hiking ,biking and kayaking can be done on your own from group site.Lake Absegami will be open for swimming. Shared meals can be worked out at site,there's a Acme not far from park.Foul weather will cancel this event. Please call for any concerns,John Kerney SJOC,6097067264. Unfortunately no pets. Fee of $5 to help pay for campsite
Hike the Appalachian Trail in Northern Massachusetts/Southern VT: Come hike the Appalachian Trail as we cross from Mass into Vermont. Very Strenuous hike, total of 19.3 miles - not for beginners (there will be a beginner's hike in October)...
If you would like to organize a trip or for backpacking information, contact Kevin at
KDREVIK@AOL.CO
M
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Sunday May 26: Summer Kick off Great Egg Harbor Paddle
Weymouth Furnace to the Lake. Good run for less experienced paddlers and usually very well attended. 4 hour trip. Bring lunch and hydration. Volunteer shuttle. Leader Vicki S. call 856@341#3901, or ravingwriter@gmail.com
Monday May 27: Memorial Day Paddle on the Mulica
Line up for the paddle parade, Atsion to Pleasant Mills, 11 miles. Bring water, hydration, lunch, sunscreen. Volunteer shuttle. No rentals. Meet at Atsion Park Office Parking Lot. To contact leader Vicki S. phone 856@341# 3901, or ravingwriter@gmail.com
If you would like to organize a trip, contact Frank at
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Cape May Weekend - June 14 thru 16
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We are planning on a weekend at the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May on June 14 thru June 16.
To RSVP on meetup, use the following link:
www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Club-of-South-Jersey-Hiking/events/259839903
For more information on this trip, please use the following link:
ocsj.org/EVENTS
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essage from the cycling chair:
Check out the smiles of our happy cyclists on one of our evening rides!
Message from the cycling chair:
The month of May has seen many road rides of all paces. OCSJ has it all and offers every cyclist from beginner to experienced a choice of rides. The categories of rides are as follows:
D pace (10-12 mph), C pace (12-14 mph), C+ pace (14-16 mph), B pace (16-18 mph).
Many thanks to the people who volunteer and lead rides for OCSJ:
Bruce Erdman
for leading his “Biking 101- Intro to group riding” ride. Bruce is a very experienced rider and his safety talks at the beginning of rides are well done and very much appreciated. We look forward to having more of these introductory rides in the future.
Mike Engel
is quite the leader and leads at least one ride per week all over rural areas of South Jersey. He never disappoints his crew and has a knack of finding amazing areas to cycle through. They usually are on a Tuesday so if you work, take the day off and join in on all the fun. Sometimes we all have lunch out after the ride.
Matt Edwards
is one of our newest leaders who has exploded on the scene and has already lead 6 rides for us. He is extremely enthusiastic and is “tearing it up”. He has lead weekend and evening rides and also led a ride in the hills of Hunderton County. Look for more of these hill rides in the very near future.
Jim and Virginia Magee
also new to leading bike rides led an amazing ride down the shore at Island Beach State Park. This ride was a slow social ride out and back on Long Beach Island. Many thanks to this couple for expanding our area to the shore.
John Neidzwski
also gets OCSJ out of the Burlington County area and has us riding in the Barneget Bay/Tuckerton area in beautiful Ocean County.
The evening Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rides are also extremely popular thanks to leaders
Eugene Resnick, Chuck Thompson and Ken Hoffner.
Join us after a day of working to get out and enjoy a slow or brisk ride.
The annual picnic at Pakim pond saw about 30 cyclists on 3 separate rides. We definitely worked up an appetite for the delicious food and camaraderie at the end! Thank you to the leaders of these rides;
Mark Grundel, Jerry Martina and Mike Engel.
We also have our annual Memorial Day all paces rides coming up in which we offer rides for everyone. Thanks to our leaders this year
Ted Daily, Paul Beatty, Ken Hoffner and Jerry Martina.
We expect a sea of cyclists again this year. Wear one of your OCSJ jerseys to show your support!
5 of our cyclists attended the annual bus trip to Washington DC and brought their bikes.
Mike Engel, Christine Torello, Taffy Symmonds, Mike Hamilton and Carmen
(Mtb Champion
) Cortes
biked 26 miles seeing the sights of our nation’s capital. You can say this was a trip within a trip!
I also want to thank our other awesome leaders who step up to lead for us. They include
Eloise and Carl Williams, Kevin Ferroni and Jim Bodnar.
**We are a volunteer club and we want to always have the calendar filled with a variety of rides
We are always looking for people to volunteer and lead rides. We have routes already listed on our Ride With GPS Club Account page. It couldn’t be any simpler! More leaders = more rides! If you are interested email Neil Kornhauser
nkornhauser@gmail.com
to get started!
DIY Tips
:
This very useful tip will save you the frustration of ruining perfectly good inner tubes!
When changing a flat, pump a small amount of air inside the tube so it just holds its shape BEFORE you put the tube back inside the rim. With the tube inside of the tire, work the tube/tire back on the rim. Doing it this way, the tube will not twist inside. A twisted tube will always explode violently and will sound like a gunshot. Take your time and you will eliminate this twist and possibly a long walk back!
Thank you and see you on the road and trails!
Neil Kornhauser (cycling chairman)
nkornhauser@gmail.com
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Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe Trips
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The Winter Schedule
The Cross Country ski and Snowshoe trips will be listed on the OCSJ Website and Meetup. For more information, please contact our Cross Country Ski-chair Eileen Greve (
egreve212@gmail.com
) 609-204-6451.
Please note:
To confirm your place on the trip, you must contact the leader by phone or email. All payments are non-refundable without finding a replacement.
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TRAIL MAINTENANCE -
Ro Mason is our Trail Representative. Every Tuesday, she will be organizing work days for the BATONA Trail. To volunteer, please contact Ro at
romason@comcast.net
Cape May Weekend - June 14 thru 16
We are planning on a weekend at the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May on June 14 thru June 16.
For more information on this trip, please use the following link:
Vermont Walking Trip August 11 thru 16
From 8/11 thru 8/16, we will walk approximately 4-6 miles each morning along lightly traveled dirt roads in Vermont. Expect mountain scenery, picturesque villages, and rural landscapes. The afternoons are free to visit sights in the area or relax. We stay at the Colonial House Inn in Weston, Vermont. For more information, please contact Ken Mayberg at
Kjmayberg@aol.com
or 609 751-1387 (Evenings or weekends).
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The club is actively looking for members to become more involved with the operation. We have a new Volunteer Coordinator, Barbara Berman. If you would like to volunteer or desire more information, please contact Barbara at
bberman96@gmail.com
The club needs people to serve on the board and aid in the processes that keep the club in operation. If you wonder how the club is organized and how it runs, or what leaders do, come on out to a monthly board meeting. (Second Thursday of every month at the Cherry Hill library at 7:30pm). It's your club and we welcome you to get involved.
Board of Trustrees - Interested in joining the OCSJ Board. Come out to a couple of meetings or contact the OCSJ President at
president@ocsj.org
Publicity - We would like to have the OCSJ name appear in more places both in print and online. Contact Fran at
franhorn@aol.com
if you have ideas and would like to help.
Party/Picnic Planning Committee - If you would like to help with the 2019 Picnics, contact the OCSJ President at
president@ocsj.org
Website/Computer - We could use some help from people with computer or website experience. Contact the OCSJ President at
president@ocsj.org
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