Toasty hot this week. 93 today, 97 Tuesday, 101 Wednesday, 103 Thursday, 101 Friday, then back down to a balmy 90 on Saturday ( http://goo.gl/5BgyDL ). National Weather Service warns of "extreme" fire danger ( http://goo.gl/6FPwUw ).
- Brad Haugaard
Weird Cloud Over Monrovia
About 5:45 this morning I saw the most amazing cloud over Monrovia. It's in an otherwise perfectly blue sky. This picture was taken from the Pavilions parking lot at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill.
Update: Folks are telling me this is a "lenticular cloud." You can read about lenticular clouds here ( http://goo.gl/AFC5uC ), and here are a bunch of pictures of them: http://goo.gl/EdhMs0
- Brad Haugaard
Ale House Grill Planned on Colorado in Old Town Monrovia
A new Monrovia restaurant called 38° Ale House and Grill is applying to the city planning commission for an alcohol license and permission to stay open past midnight. The restaurant is to be located at 110 E. Colorado Blvd., the location of the current Merengue Bakery Cafe. http://goo.gl/ztKyZL
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Old Cars on Tour in Monrovia
- Brad Haugaard
View Saturn Tonight at Monrovia's Library Park
The Sidewalk Astronomers will be out tonight, in Library Park at the corner of Lime and Myrtle between 7:30 and 9:30. The astronomers are hopeful they can give people a good view of Saturn soon after 8:30 p.m. Plus the moon and Mars.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
The Fountain to the Falls Run
On the downhill stretch. Coming back on the Fountain to the Falls run this morning.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovian Sets New Track Records
Monrovia High's Cravin Gillespie sets two Rio Hondo League track records. http://goo.gl/3OBxxI
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Fire Watch for Monrovia Area - Sunday and Monday
The National Weather Service has proclaimed a fire watch for the Monrovia area from Sunday morning through Monday evening. Low humidity and wind. http://goo.gl/FlKHh4
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia School Board: Attendance High But Down; Combine Elections?
At its 7 p.m., May 14 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/1FKsgg ), the Monrovia School Board will, among other things ...
~ Hear a report that attendance, while high, is lower than last October: "While district-wide student attendance this year was at the highest percentage over the last 15 years, our student enrollment has declined by 94 students from October to March." The declines came at Monrovia High, Plymouth, and Mountain Park. Details: http://goo.gl/Ud2XmB
~ Hear a report on the possibility of combining the school and municipal elections to save money.
- Brad Haugaard
~ Hear a report that attendance, while high, is lower than last October: "While district-wide student attendance this year was at the highest percentage over the last 15 years, our student enrollment has declined by 94 students from October to March." The declines came at Monrovia High, Plymouth, and Mountain Park. Details: http://goo.gl/Ud2XmB
~ Hear a report on the possibility of combining the school and municipal elections to save money.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Robotics Team's Adventure in St. Louis Competition
The young ladies of Monrovia High School's robotics team "The Kings And Queens" returned from the FIRST FTC Robotics World Championships held in St. Louis April 23-26 successful, but not triumphant. As the team's mentor, Brian Johnson, says, "We knew going in that the competition on the field would be fierce. When you start with nearly 4,000 teams and winnow them down over the season to the 128 best, those that remain are very, very good. Since this was our first time competing at this level, we didn't know what to expect so we had a few basic goals of giving a good account of ourselves on the field, making an impression on the FIRST community, learning as much as we could, and having fun."
On the field the team posted a respectable three wins and six losses and finished ranked 100 out of 128. Two of the matches were lost by less than ten points each, a difference of scoring just two of the plastic blocks that are the primary task for the robots. It was the goal of "making an impression" where the team really shined. Holding court from the purple and gold pavilion that was their home base and marketing billboard, the ladies in the purple velvet dresses charmed one and all. They opened the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper one morning to a story about girls in robotics and found two of the team members in a photo accompanying the article. The team was asked by the FIRST organization to co-star in a video to be used to promote FTC Robotics next season. The team pavilion became a favored stop for VIPs, sponsors and dignitaries as they were escorted around the event by FIRST guides, and many people made a special trip to see "the cool purple robot with all the jewels."
"Going to the World Championship was a great experience for the team," says Johnson, "they made a lot of friends, and really put Monrovia on the map in the FIRST Robotics world. They are already making plans for next year to earn their way back to the Championship in 2015 and be a much stronger competitor by applying what they learned this year. Now they know exactly what it takes." As an example to work toward, The Kings And Queens can look to the tournament champion team, "Hot Wired" from Portland, Oregon and the overall top Inspire Award winner, "The Bears" from Mexico City, Mexico.
The Kings And Queens thank the Monrovia business community, the Monrovia Unified School District, Monrovia High School and the people of Monrovia for supporting them so enthusiastically. Without the financial support and encouragement they received, they could never have accomplished so much.
The Monrovia High School Robotics Program will be putting on a robotics demonstration as part of the Monrovia Day festivities at Library Park on May 17. Stop by and meet the Kings And Queens and all the Monrovia robotics teams and see the robots in action.
Source: press release
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Church to Broadcast on Radio
Fellowship Monrovia reports that the church will begin broadcasting on radio, with two weekly programs on 99.5 KKLA: Made For Fellowship Radio (3-3:30 p.m.) and Good News Today Talk Radio (3:30-4 p.m.). If I'm understanding the church's notice correctly, the first broadcast will be on Sunday, May 18.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser Honors Monrovia Mayor
John Wilson, Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, Supervisor Mike Antonovich
A Kentucky Derby themed fundraiser by Monrovia's Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills at the Santa Anita Race Track raised thousands of dollars for youth programs and honored Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz with the Mary Wilcox Youth Advocacy Award.
Lutz, a longtime supporter of the club and its youth programs, said, "Of all the awards I have received in my career, this means the most."
Albert Tate, pastor of Fellowship Monrovia, led the audience in a "Change a Life" challenge that resulted in $40,000 raised in just five minutes.
"Thanks to the generosity of all our supporters who have given us their time and incredible gifts, more 'Great Futures' are in our future," said John Wilson, Executive Director.
The event's major sponsors included The Boone Foundation, Blaine & Lynda Fetter, Volkswagen Pasadena/Alhambra, the Sierra Family of Dealerships, and Monte & Meghan Baier.
Source: Boys & Girls Club press release
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at Bella Sera Trattoria
Lunch at the remodeled and recently reopened Bella Sera Trattoria, on Myrtle a couple doors up from Lemon on the east side. Nice atmosphere. Sort of classy rustic. I got the lasagne ($15) and an iced tea ($2.50), plus bacon wrapped dates ($9) for an appetizer. Two of my favorite foods, dates and bacon, together at last. Loved it! Lasagne was very nice and service was attentive.
- Brad Haugaard
Chairman of Monrovia Plastic Bag Committee Has Concerns about Bag Ban
This Tuesday the Monrovia City Council passed an ordinance banning plastic carry-out grocery bags. Prior to that, the city formed an ad hoc committee to examine the issue. Former City Councilman Dan Kirby was chairman of the committee, and wrote a letter to the City Council outlining some of his concerns with the measure. Here is his letter:
Memo
Date: 4/1/2014
To: Monrovia City Council
From: Dan Kirby
Re: AR-2 - Single Use Bag Regulation Ad Hoc Committee
Madam Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the committee. I was elected by the committee members to serve as the chairman. The members who attended the meetings were highly engaged in the process. The final vote was 2-1 in favor of recommending the proposed ordinance.
Please accept my apology for not attending the meeting tonight. I have a previously scheduled family obligation. I have reviewed the staff report and have some comments for the record.
When I was asked to participate on the committee, I came with an open mind hoping to learn what impact outlawing single-use bags would have on our residents, as well as the benefits to the environment and the surrounding communities. Staff was able to find out what other cities have passed and shared the information with the committee. They also informed us of pending state legislation sponsored by Senator Alex Padilla. This was good information, but several key committee members who were invited to participate chose not to attend so we never got their input.
Unfortunately, after being invited several times, representatives from the larger businesses who would be affected by an ordinance did not attend. We did however hear from Athens Services and retired engineer from JPL.
Most importantly, we were never able to ask the residents. When I shared with people that I was serving on the committee, their response was nearly unanimous, "Please don't take away my plastic bags." This is obviously not a scientific survey, but it says to me that people would definitely be inconvenienced, especially the elderly should you choose to adopt an ordinance outlawing the bags.
The information that we were not able to get were the answers to these important questions,
1. Do these ordinances actually make a real difference?
2. Is the environment really cleaner?
3. Is there really less pollution?
4. When people choose to use reusable bags, what happens to those bags when they wear out? Do they decompose slower than the single-use ones causing a worse impact on the environment?
5. Are reusable bags less sanitary when used in markets where food is bought and sold?
There were no quantifiable answers presented for any of these important questions so for that reason I voted no on the recommendation.
I meet neighbors and friends in the markets or on the streets often and wonder what I would say to them if they asked me why we outlawed their plastic bags. If I said it was good for the environment, they might say, "how do you know?" I wouldn't be able to give them a good honest answer because we don't really know for sure.
I believe we should all be good stewards of our environment, but based on the information we received, outlawing single-use bags has not been proven to have a positive environmental impact. I believe our residents will respond positively to a well conceived and executed information campaign and some will reduce the use of the bags voluntarily.
In a time when financial resources are scarce, we should carefully prioritize our spending so that we stretch our dollars as far as they will go. This may not be the best use of our taxpayer dollars.
Finally, the state government will eventually adopt a statewide law that will be another unfunded mandate for us to tackle. We will have to deal with it then.
In Gratitude,
Dan Kirby
Memo
Date: 4/1/2014
To: Monrovia City Council
From: Dan Kirby
Re: AR-2 - Single Use Bag Regulation Ad Hoc Committee
Madam Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the committee. I was elected by the committee members to serve as the chairman. The members who attended the meetings were highly engaged in the process. The final vote was 2-1 in favor of recommending the proposed ordinance.
Please accept my apology for not attending the meeting tonight. I have a previously scheduled family obligation. I have reviewed the staff report and have some comments for the record.
When I was asked to participate on the committee, I came with an open mind hoping to learn what impact outlawing single-use bags would have on our residents, as well as the benefits to the environment and the surrounding communities. Staff was able to find out what other cities have passed and shared the information with the committee. They also informed us of pending state legislation sponsored by Senator Alex Padilla. This was good information, but several key committee members who were invited to participate chose not to attend so we never got their input.
Unfortunately, after being invited several times, representatives from the larger businesses who would be affected by an ordinance did not attend. We did however hear from Athens Services and retired engineer from JPL.
Most importantly, we were never able to ask the residents. When I shared with people that I was serving on the committee, their response was nearly unanimous, "Please don't take away my plastic bags." This is obviously not a scientific survey, but it says to me that people would definitely be inconvenienced, especially the elderly should you choose to adopt an ordinance outlawing the bags.
The information that we were not able to get were the answers to these important questions,
1. Do these ordinances actually make a real difference?
2. Is the environment really cleaner?
3. Is there really less pollution?
4. When people choose to use reusable bags, what happens to those bags when they wear out? Do they decompose slower than the single-use ones causing a worse impact on the environment?
5. Are reusable bags less sanitary when used in markets where food is bought and sold?
There were no quantifiable answers presented for any of these important questions so for that reason I voted no on the recommendation.
I meet neighbors and friends in the markets or on the streets often and wonder what I would say to them if they asked me why we outlawed their plastic bags. If I said it was good for the environment, they might say, "how do you know?" I wouldn't be able to give them a good honest answer because we don't really know for sure.
I believe we should all be good stewards of our environment, but based on the information we received, outlawing single-use bags has not been proven to have a positive environmental impact. I believe our residents will respond positively to a well conceived and executed information campaign and some will reduce the use of the bags voluntarily.
In a time when financial resources are scarce, we should carefully prioritize our spending so that we stretch our dollars as far as they will go. This may not be the best use of our taxpayer dollars.
Finally, the state government will eventually adopt a statewide law that will be another unfunded mandate for us to tackle. We will have to deal with it then.
In Gratitude,
Dan Kirby
Meeting Tonight About Development Around Monrovia Train Station
If you want to learn about the development planned for the area around the Monrovia Gold Line station, there will be a meeting tonight, Thursday, May 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus hall at 130 W. Pomona Ave, in Monrovia. Details: http://goo.gl/Lp2J4u
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: Armed Robbery; Hydroponic Marijuana; Graffiti; Etc.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 5-7. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 426 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.
Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
On May 5 at 4:56 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 100 block of North Myrtle. The victim parked the vehicle in front of their apartment complex. During the night, unknown suspects entered the vehicle and took a small amount of cash. The investigation is continuing.
Armed Robbery
On May 5, at approximately 11:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to a restaurant located in the 800 block of West Huntington Drive on the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Employees reported that the suspect appeared in the kitchen as the restaurant was closing. The suspect was wearing a black ski mask over his face and was armed with an unknown caliber handgun. The suspect contacted the manager and directed him to the office, where the safe was open and money was being prepared for deposit. The suspect had a shopping bag in his possession and directed the manager to place the money inside. Upon receiving the money, the suspect directed the five employees to stay in the office and count to 100. The suspect then fled the location in an unknown direction. The suspect is described as male, 5’07” to 5’08” tall, thin build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Monrovia officers searched the area for the suspect with assistance from the Foothill Air Support helicopter and CHP officers from the Alta Dena Station who were in the area and responded, but the suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.
Theft From a Vehicle
On May 6 at 9:14 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 400 block of South Violet. The victim parked her vehicle in the evening, but was unsure if she left her vehicle unlocked or not. The next morning, she found her vehicle ransacked. Her work identification badge and an iPod were taken. The investigation is continuing.
Illegal Hydroponics Marijuana Cultivation Discovered – Suspects Arrested
On May 6 at 1:26 p.m., several tenants in a business complex complained of strong chemical fumes coming from a unit occupied by tenants claiming to operate a water filtration company. The fumes were strong enough to cause headaches and nausea. Patrol and detective resources, city code enforcement officials and hazardous material fire personnel responded to investigate. The unit was being subleased by the original tenant and police personnel were able to speak with one of the people subleasing the unit. Consent to search the premises was obtained from the lessee, who claimed there were no toxic chemicals or anything illegal inside the unit. Hazardous materials specialists entered the unit, stating they recognized the odor of an indoor hydroponic grow of marijuana inside. Once the unit was confirmed to be clear of any immediate hazard, police personnel searched and discovered a fully developed hydroponic grow in process. The two responsible subjects for the illegal marijuana cultivation were arrested and booked on the charges. Additional violations including municipal code and health and safety code violations may be sought.
Injury Traffic Collision
On May 6 at 1:34 p.m., police responded to an injury traffic collision reported at Magnolia and Olive. A driver was headed southbound on Magnolia when he slowly veered left and accelerated into a parked truck, hitting it head on, pushing it in to other vehicles. The driver sustained visible injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
On May 6 at 10:34 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 200 block of South Myrtle observed a male suspect he knew had a warrant out for his arrest. After confirming the warrant, he contacted the suspect and arrested him for the warrant. A subsequent search revealed the suspect was in possession of a hypodermic syringe containing an unknown liquid substance believed to be methamphetamine. He was also charged for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
May 7 at 6:16 p.m., an officer was sent to Alta Vista and Huntington regarding the report of vandalism in progress. A witness called police to report a male suspect spray painting graffiti on the public street. An officer arrived and detained the suspect, who was positively identified by a witness. The male juvenile suspect admitted to the crime. The juvenile suspect was arrested and later released to the custody of his mother on a citation to appear in court. The reporting party will be receiving Monrovia Police Department’s Graffiti Bounty. If a citizen reports an incident of graffiti in the City of Monrovia that leads to the arrest of the suspect, the citizen will receive a $100 bill.
Three Felony Counts Filed Against Robbery Suspect
On May 3 at 5:25 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a robbery. A suspect who had concealed merchandise on his person was confronted outside the store by loss prevention. The suspect threatened the loss prevention officer with a knife and ran. The suspect was identified, and on May 5 an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle recognized the robbery suspect. The suspect attempted to run from officers, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested. A combined effort by patrol officers and detectives resulted in the filing of three felony counts for grand theft auto and robbery against the twenty-year-old male suspect, who is known for theft, trespassing and vagrancy in Monrovia. The man was already on release for other felony cases that are pending, so he is eligible to receive additional time in state prison added on to his sentence if he is convicted.
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 426 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.
Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
On May 5 at 4:56 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 100 block of North Myrtle. The victim parked the vehicle in front of their apartment complex. During the night, unknown suspects entered the vehicle and took a small amount of cash. The investigation is continuing.
Armed Robbery
On May 5, at approximately 11:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to a restaurant located in the 800 block of West Huntington Drive on the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Employees reported that the suspect appeared in the kitchen as the restaurant was closing. The suspect was wearing a black ski mask over his face and was armed with an unknown caliber handgun. The suspect contacted the manager and directed him to the office, where the safe was open and money was being prepared for deposit. The suspect had a shopping bag in his possession and directed the manager to place the money inside. Upon receiving the money, the suspect directed the five employees to stay in the office and count to 100. The suspect then fled the location in an unknown direction. The suspect is described as male, 5’07” to 5’08” tall, thin build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Monrovia officers searched the area for the suspect with assistance from the Foothill Air Support helicopter and CHP officers from the Alta Dena Station who were in the area and responded, but the suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.
Theft From a Vehicle
On May 6 at 9:14 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 400 block of South Violet. The victim parked her vehicle in the evening, but was unsure if she left her vehicle unlocked or not. The next morning, she found her vehicle ransacked. Her work identification badge and an iPod were taken. The investigation is continuing.
Illegal Hydroponics Marijuana Cultivation Discovered – Suspects Arrested
On May 6 at 1:26 p.m., several tenants in a business complex complained of strong chemical fumes coming from a unit occupied by tenants claiming to operate a water filtration company. The fumes were strong enough to cause headaches and nausea. Patrol and detective resources, city code enforcement officials and hazardous material fire personnel responded to investigate. The unit was being subleased by the original tenant and police personnel were able to speak with one of the people subleasing the unit. Consent to search the premises was obtained from the lessee, who claimed there were no toxic chemicals or anything illegal inside the unit. Hazardous materials specialists entered the unit, stating they recognized the odor of an indoor hydroponic grow of marijuana inside. Once the unit was confirmed to be clear of any immediate hazard, police personnel searched and discovered a fully developed hydroponic grow in process. The two responsible subjects for the illegal marijuana cultivation were arrested and booked on the charges. Additional violations including municipal code and health and safety code violations may be sought.
Injury Traffic Collision
On May 6 at 1:34 p.m., police responded to an injury traffic collision reported at Magnolia and Olive. A driver was headed southbound on Magnolia when he slowly veered left and accelerated into a parked truck, hitting it head on, pushing it in to other vehicles. The driver sustained visible injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
On May 6 at 10:34 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 200 block of South Myrtle observed a male suspect he knew had a warrant out for his arrest. After confirming the warrant, he contacted the suspect and arrested him for the warrant. A subsequent search revealed the suspect was in possession of a hypodermic syringe containing an unknown liquid substance believed to be methamphetamine. He was also charged for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
May 7 at 6:16 p.m., an officer was sent to Alta Vista and Huntington regarding the report of vandalism in progress. A witness called police to report a male suspect spray painting graffiti on the public street. An officer arrived and detained the suspect, who was positively identified by a witness. The male juvenile suspect admitted to the crime. The juvenile suspect was arrested and later released to the custody of his mother on a citation to appear in court. The reporting party will be receiving Monrovia Police Department’s Graffiti Bounty. If a citizen reports an incident of graffiti in the City of Monrovia that leads to the arrest of the suspect, the citizen will receive a $100 bill.
Three Felony Counts Filed Against Robbery Suspect
On May 3 at 5:25 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a robbery. A suspect who had concealed merchandise on his person was confronted outside the store by loss prevention. The suspect threatened the loss prevention officer with a knife and ran. The suspect was identified, and on May 5 an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle recognized the robbery suspect. The suspect attempted to run from officers, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested. A combined effort by patrol officers and detectives resulted in the filing of three felony counts for grand theft auto and robbery against the twenty-year-old male suspect, who is known for theft, trespassing and vagrancy in Monrovia. The man was already on release for other felony cases that are pending, so he is eligible to receive additional time in state prison added on to his sentence if he is convicted.
Monrovia Music Fest | Monrovia Over Temple City | Trader Joe Blog
~ First annual Monrovia Days Music Festival, Sunday May 18, 2:30-7:30 p.m. at the fountain at Monrovia Library Park. Music, food, art. http://goo.gl/8BjuIK
~ Monrovia 2, Temple City 0 game puts Monrovia High baseball half a game out of first place. http://goo.gl/4kPu7s
~ How about that, there's even a blog devoted to "What's Good at Trader Joe's." Trader Joe's is based in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/OhXzPr
- Brad Haugaard
~ Monrovia 2, Temple City 0 game puts Monrovia High baseball half a game out of first place. http://goo.gl/4kPu7s
~ How about that, there's even a blog devoted to "What's Good at Trader Joe's." Trader Joe's is based in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/OhXzPr
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Council Adopts Plastic Bag Ban, Rejects Inclusion of City in Federal Recreation Area
At its Tuesday meeting, which lasted into Wednesday morning, the Monrovia City Council voted to...
- Adopt a ban on plastic grocery bags, which will begin to be enforced in 120 days. Mayor Mary Ann Lutz and council members Alexander Blackburn and Larry Spicer voted in favor of the ban. Council members Tom Adams and Becky Shevlin voted against.
- Oppose Congresswoman Judy Chu's proposed legislation to include Monrovia in a National Recreation Area for the foothills area. The vote was unanimous.
Correction: Becky Shevlin informs me that I mis-heard the vote on the NRA. She tells me that Mayor Lutz voted in favor of Chu's proposal, so the vote was 4-1 to oppose Monrovia being included in the NRA.
Correcting the Correction: Becky Shevlin now informs me that my original report is correct. The vote was unanimous. She says she's very sorry for the mistake.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Population: 37,162
According to a report by the Monrovia Community Development Department, "Monrovia’s estimated population as of January 1, 2014 is 37,162. This represents a 0.53% increase over the 2013 estimate."
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
$2.4 million Monrovia Home for Sale
A Monrovia house for sale for $2.4 million. Way up toward the top of Alta Vista. Looks like the most expensive home for sale in town. http://goo.gl/wFAOvg
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
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