Pajaro Valley Magazine | June 26, 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE PAJARO VALLEY

A supplement to The Pajaronian

JUNE 26, 2020

ORDER UP Watsonville restaurants gradually reopen for dine-in service

COVER STORY P4 | THE MIXING BOWL P5 | PHOTO GALLERY P8

2 JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

21 Brennan St, Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 831.761.7301

ABOUT THE

COVER

T

We are here for all your Real Estate needs The housing inventory is at an all time low. This is having a great impact on property values. The supply and demand theory is in full swing, thus driving home values up. If you are considering selling or just want an idea of what your property value is in this current market, reach out to us.

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Cover Story

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The Mixing Bowl

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Photo Gallery

CEO & Executive Editor

Dan Pulcrano Publisher

Jeanie Johnson Managing Editor

Tony Nuñez Contributing Writers

Johanna Miller Sarah Ringler Advertising Account Executives

Tina Chavez Jazmine Ancira Lupita Ortiz

Ed Gagné

Kathy Oliver

egagne@baileyproperties.com CalDRE# 01450406

koliver@baileyproperties.com CalDRE# 01116175

Realtor 831.254.1432

Realtor 831.206.2249

Ed Gagné Local Real Estate Specialist CA BRE #01450406

Honesty • Loyalty • Integrity Extensive local market knowledge!

Community Involvement for over 20 years

Design Director

Kara Brown Design Layout

Hon Truong Cover photograph by:

Tony Nuñez

Published by WatsNews, LLC, Watsonville, CA. Entire contents © 2020. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission.

TO PLACE AN AD Email:

jjohnson@pajaronian.com Phone:

831.761.7301

Circle of Champions - Watsonville Office

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

here are few things I enjoy more than going out for a meal. Settling in at a table with friends and family, trying new foods (or old favorites), being cooked for and served… for many of us, it is one of the few pampering experiences we can enjoy on a regular basis.

When shelter-in-place began in March, those experiences came to a grinding halt.

But for me, it was less about my own JOHANNA MILLER disappointment that I couldn’t enjoy a night out on the town and more about the local businesses that would suffer.

My family and I have been trying to occasionally order takeout and delivery from locally owned restaurants, breweries and cafes to enjoy at home. And we will continue to, until this pandemic has run its course and our community is back to being healthy and safe.

I am apprehensive that shelter-in-place restrictions are being lifted. Covid-19 is not over.

In fact, it has never diminished in our county, our state, our country. We never had a second wave—this is still the first wave.

However, if you do want to go out, I would say enjoying a fresh cooked meal on an outside patio with your family unit is about as safe as you can get.

This week’s cover story includes a guide of local eating and drinking establishments that have reopened for dine-in service.

Just remember: Keep your distance. Wash your hands.

And please, wear a mask.

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RESTAURANTS RETURN

Tony Nunez

Cilantro’s manager Ivan Diaz delivers food in the Watsonville restaurant’s patio Wednesday.

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Watsonville eateries gradually reopen for sit-down dining

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E

COMING BACK HOME

By JOHANNA MILLER

ver since the countywide shelterin-place order was put into effect in mid-March, Watsonville restaurants, coffeeshops and other establishments have been navigating a new frontier. While many closed their doors, others jumped head-first into the world of take-out and delivery.

Now, as restrictions begin to loosen throughout the city and county, some have yet again had to adapt in order to re-open their physical locations.

One such business is Ella’s at the Airport in Watsonville. Owner Ella King said that her restaurant has opened for outdoor patio dining, with each table placed six to eight feet apart.

“It’s working out,” King said. “So far it’s been very relaxed and easy-going.”

The restaurant is opting for what King has dubbed “dine-out:” guests can pick their own table, choose what they

would like from the website or a paper menu, call in and have the food brought out to them.

“We are basing what we do off of the most sensitive person’s needs,” she said.

“Like disposables—I really don’t like them, but we’ve been using them because it keeps people safe.”

King said she has appreciated customers’ patience and support as she and other restaurant owners figure things out.

“We’re all having a challenging time,” she said. “But I’ll say this to other restaurateurs… anything you’re doing, you’re doing it right. Everyone is going at their own pace and what is best for them.”

Below is a list of some Watsonville eateries that are currently offering sit-down dining. For a full list of restaurants, coffeeshops, breweries and other establishments open during shelter-in-place visit pajaronian.com. ➝6

THE MIXING BOWL Tempeh is available at most health food stores and you can get bunches of Thai basil at Saturday’s Aptos Farmers’ Market at Cabrillo College from 8am to noon. I found the plant at Staff of Life. You could use the more easily available fresh Italian basil, but Thai basil has a remarkable scent that is like the freshest of fresh air in a garden of jasmine.

The recipe also calls for sambal oelek, a chili sauce that is common in Asian recipes and can be substituted with Sriracha or any thick chili sauce like Bufalo, Valentina, Tapatío or Salsa Huichol. This recipe, from Jessica Hoffman, was found online at choosingchia.com

Tarmo Hannula

FRESH MIX Keep dinner simple and light with an Indonesian basil and tempeh sauce,

served over rice and topped with cashews.

Simple and fresh Thai basil, tempeh and rice

SARAH RINGLER

more than 15 pounds of soybean ‘soup’ in your Ford automobile.”

That’s something to brag about.

Tempeh is an Indonesian invention from over 800 years ago.

It is made from whole soybeans that are fermented and formed into cakes. The fermentation process gives them a flavor that is somewhat nutty and mushroomy, which causes them to often be labeled as a meat substitute. The texture is chewy, but becomes crispy with frying. My first experience eating tempeh was at the Malabar Restaurant, now on 514 Front Street in Santa Cruz. In a very calming atmosphere, they serve a wonderful dish called Tempeh Goreng that is made with fried tempeh mixed with vegetables in a sweet Balinese onion and garlic sauce.

1 block of tempeh - about 200g 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 green onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 cup Thai basil, finely chopped ½ cup chopped cashews 1 cup of jasmine rice 1 ¾ cups water ½ teaspoon salt

SAUCE: 2 tablespoons oyster sauce – vegetarian if desired 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, a chili paste Cook the rice. Bring 1 ¾ cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan.

When the water boils, add the rice and salt. Cover with a lid, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chop the green onions, garlic and basil together. Chop the cashews separately and set aside for the topping. Make the sauce.

Place the block of tempeh in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the tempeh from the pan. This helps to remove any bitter flavor the tempeh might have. Dry tempeh. ➝6

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

H

ow does crunchy cashews sprinkled over fragrant basil leaves sautéed with tempeh, onions and garlic served over jasmine rice sound for a simple dinner?

Soy sauce, tofu, soy nuts, edamame beans, soy milk, soybean oil, soybean sprouts are only some of the products made from the soybean, a widely farmed plant that dates its domestication back to 7,000 BCE, in China. Soybeans have not only been used for food. The Ford Motor Company, according to a story in a 1936 “Popular Mechanics,” invented a soybean soup that when mixed with fiber, was formed into distributor caps, dashboard knobs and more. The lead in the article states, “There are

THAI BASIL TEMPEH STIR FRY

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HOME

• The Farm House Open Sunday-Tuesday 7am-4pm and Wednesday-Saturday 7am-8pm for dine-in and takeout orders. Menu: farmhousewatsonville.com. Location: 11 Green Valley Road. Call: 536-5363.

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RESTAURANTS

Tom Brezsny’s

REAL ESTATE OF MIND

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Provoking thought since 1990

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One of the side effects of the coronavirus is that it morphs the passage of time. The disruption of daily routines makes hours crawl by with agonizing slowness even as months fly by in the blink of an eye. The pre-pandemic days of late February are a lifetime ago and the normal progression from past to present has been altered.

Which, of course, segues into today’s column since the usual flow and regular timing of the real estate market has gone a bit wonky too. The sales data that just came in for May is out of sync with the market and at odds with the experience of the last three months.

When sales figures came out for March and April, they were better than anyone expected. The number of closings was down only 40% - an incredibly positive sign given the huge limitations around sales. More importantly, the median price held remarkably firm around $950K, due to constrictions around new listings coming on.

Restrictions began lifting in May and the market felt like it was opening up.

Showings increased, and heading into the last half of June, there are plenty of stories circulating about the market being “back” with multiple offers and crazy overbids.

And yet…the sales data for May make it look like the market is going the other way.

Spoiler Alert: It may bum your chi to read further, because I’m going to share some disappointing sales data. Here are the numbers for May, based on a yearover-year comparison on homes sold countrywide: Number of Sales: Down significantly, with 89 closings compared to 146 in May 2019 (95 in April 2020) Median Price: $100k lower, $850,000 vs. $947,000 in May 2019 ($949k in April 2020) Amount of Inventory: 4.6 months in 2020 vs. 3.7 months in May 2019 (3.6 months in April 2020) What gives? Why do the numbers look worse at the same time that the market feels like it’s doing so well? The answer is that closed transactions in real estate are always trailing indicators. They usually occur 30-60 days after properties first go on, offers are made and escrows are opened.

Recorded sales never jibe with what’s happening in the moment. May’s closings were a reflection of the worst period of Shelter in Place that happened in April, just as March and April closings were mostly a reflection of the market prior to March 17th. Looking ahead, it appears that summer 2020 is going to be the new spring of 2020 and we may have to gear up for a little March Madness in July.

• Ella’s at the Airport Open Tuesday-Sunday 11:30am-8pm for outdoor dining and noon-7pm for curbside pickup. Menu: ellasinwatsonville.com. Location: 100 Aviation Way. Call: 728-3282.

MEXICAN FOOD/ TAQUERIAS

• Golden China Open daily 11am-8:30pm for dine in, takeout and delivery. Menu: goldenchinaca.com.

Location: 1866 Main St. Call: 724-6957.

• Cilantro’s Open every day 11am-8pm for dine-in or carryout orders. Reservations for dine-in encouraged. Curbside pickup available. Menu: cilantroswatsonville.com. Location: 1934 Main St. Call: 761-2161.

• The Fish House Bar & Grill Open Wednesday-Monday 3-8pm for limited outdoor and indoor dining, curbside pickup and deliveries. Menu: facebook.com/TheFishHouseWatsonville. Location: 972 Main St. Call: 728-3333.

• Jalisco’s Mexican Cuisine Open Monday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday 11am-9:30pm, Saturday 10am-9:30pm, Sunday 9:30am-9:30pm. Dine-in and curbside pickup. Menu: jaliscorestaurant.com. Location: 618 Main St. Call: 728-9080.

• Carmona’s BBQ Deli Open for limited indoor and outdoor dining, takeout and delivery through DoorDash.

Tuesday-Saturday 12 noon-6:30pm, Sunday 12 noon-6pm. Menu: https:// bit.ly/3ezSbvW. Location: 1040 East Lake Ave. Call: 761-9160.

• Ranch Milk Market Open Monday-Thursday 5:30am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 5:30am-10pm and Sunday 6am-9pm for takeout and limited dine-in service. Menu: ranchmilk.com. Location: 1 South Green Valley Road. Call: 722-3662.

• Main St. Burgers and Brews Open Monday-Thursday 12-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 11am-9pm for dine-in and takeout orders.

Menu: watsonvilleburger.com.

Location: 1116 Main St. Call: 536-4632.

• Taqueria Mi Tierra II Open daily 10am-9pm for patio dining and carryout. Menu: taqueriamitierra2.com/

Jesse Reyes CalDRE #01719898

Direct Line: 831-707-8067 www.jessesellingcalifornia.com Helping Buyers and Sellers ITIN Purchases Mobile Home Sales + Purchases

Still Serving Santa Cruz, Monterey & San Benito Counties

TOPS In Their Field

Tom Brezsny

Realtor® DRE#01063297

831-818-1431 getreal@serenogroup.com PA I D A D V E R T O R I A L

Are You TOPS in Your Field?

Contact Jeanie 831-761-7307

taqueria-mi-tierra.html.

Location: 1726 Freedom Blvd. Call: 724-5880.

BREWERIES, ETC. • Beer Mule Open daily 11am-7pm for dine-in, draft purchases and to-go sales. Shop online at kickassbeer.com. Location: 45 Aviation Way. Call: 254-9789.

• Santa Cruz Cider Company Open Friday-Saturday 12 noon6pm for dine-in (limited seating; first come first serve). Order online at santacruzciderco.com for pick up or delivery. Ship anywhere within the U.S. Location: 65 Hangar Way. Call: 288-7049.

CAFES/BAKERIES • Hidden Fortress Open Monday-Friday 7:30am-12:30pm for limited outdoor seating, to-go coffee and food orders. Menu: hiddenfortresscoffee.com. Location: 125 Hangar Way #270. Call: 228-1400.

• Cafe Ella Open Monday-Saturday 6:30am-4pm for dine-in and patio seating. To-go, Doordash and catering orders also available. Location: 734 East Lake Ave. #1. Call: 722-0480.

• Bagel Cafe and Bakery Open Monday-Saturday 5am-9pm and Sunday 6am-7pm for to-go orders.

Limited patio seating available.

Menu: bagelcafebakery.com. Location: 1830 Main St. Call: 722-3838.

• Beach Street Cafe Open daily 7am-2pm for dine-in, carryout and delivery orders. Menu: beachstreetwatsonville.com. Location: 435 W Beach St. Call: 722-2233.

MIXING BOWL

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Add the tempeh to a food processor and pulse until chopped into small bits or break into small pieces with your hands.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and fry for 2-3 minutes stirring it to keep it from sticking.

Next, reduce heat to medium and add the green onions, garlic and Thai basil. Stir together. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan and mix well. Serve on top of Jasmine rice and top with chopped cashews.

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JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

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PHOTO GALLERY

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Tarmo Hannula

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to tnunez@pajaronian.com or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name of the photographer.

PAYING RESPECTS Law personnel bow their heads at the memorial for fallen Santa Cruz

County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller June 17 at Cabrillo College.

Tarmo Hannula

ON THE GROW Agricultural fields spread out across the Pajaro Valley

near San Juan and San Miguel Canyon roads.

LOCAL PRIDE A new mural adorns the wall at the back of the stage in the multi-purpose room

at Pajaro Middle School. It was completed in May by artist Martina Goulart, who simultaneously created a new outdoor mural of the school mascot—a panther—in the campus quad area. The indoor mural features elements suggested by PMS students.

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

a new look to a nopales cactus leaf in Santa Cruz.

Tarmo Hannula

Tarmo Hannula

PRICKLY PERSONALITY Someone took the time to give

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SUMMER HOMEOWNER’S

SERVICE GUIDE 1

HAULING

HAUL IT NOW! Yard Waste, Dump Run, Debris, Tear Offs, Large & Small Trucks Available

(831) 750-7044 24 Hour Service A Division of Ariana Roofing We won’t make you wait. www.arianaroofing.com

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FURNITURE

Baker Bros.

31 E 5th Street Watsonville

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

(831) 722-1776

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2

HOUSE CLEANING

HOUSE CLEANING

3

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A-1 JANITORIAL SERVICES

Professional Carpet & Upholstery Steam Cleaning

(831) 724-4409

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HARDY

QUALITY AIR INC. Heating & Air Conditioning 2576 Freedom Blvd.

Watsonville

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CARPET CLEANING

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

AIR CONDITIONING

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4

2

5

1

ROOFING

ARIANA ROOFING Lic#73748 Make Us One of Your Three Estimates Commercial & Residential Free Estimates Watsonville call 761-1328 Santa Cruz call 462-3036 We won’t make you wait. www.arianaroofing.com

WINDOWS

Delta Glass 1811 Freedom Blvd.

(831) 724-6385 delta_glass@sbcglobal.net

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EQUIPMENT RENTAL

A TOOL SHED 285 W. Beach Street Watsonville

(831) 722-0334

C-39 Roofing • C-33 Painting

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PLUMBING

PLUMBING

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YARD MAINTENANCE

YARD MAINTENANCE

(831) 722-3242

JOHN SKILLICORN Realtor®

CALBRE #01875872

831-818-1540 | www.JohnSkillicorn.com | johnskillicorn@att.net

Testimonials:

Becky Campos Cell: 818-7607

BRE #01900835

Serving You at 4 Locations: Carmel, Prunedale, Salinas & Watsonville

250 BELLA VISTA HECKER PASS AREA

beckycampos.com rcampos 969@aol.com

We couldn’t be more pleased with the services Becky provided. Our family had to sell a home as part of a trust. We had no experience in real estate, but Becky was extremely helpful and transparent about each step of the process. She made herself available to help us whenever we needed it, and was very communicative. Becky has extensive knowledge of the county and neighborhoods and sold our home in under 6 days. For full asking price! We would wholeheartedly recommend her services to anyone looking for a professional realtor.

John Bannister

22 JEHL

719 OREGON ST.

Wow, nothing to do but move in!

2 bedrooms, 1 bath, gorgeous remodel, new laminate, kitchen cabinets, appliances, dual windows, tankless water heater, laundry inside, dining nook, slider to large landscaped backyard.. Oversized living room, open floor plan, long driveway to new 2 car carport. Front yard with easy care landscaping.

Pretty easy commute north or south. Look and purchase today!

L# 4016 $527,750

Location, location, location, California Ranch style home, over 1750 sq ft with living and family rooms, formal dining plus eat in kitchen area, fireplace, laundry inside, 1 story, oversized lot, 2 car garage, plenty of parking. Easily made into 3 bedrooms with a wall in the oversized bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, plenty of room to put a shower in half bath to have another full bath. Room for garden and or puppy run. Work shop on end of garage. Close to most conveniences. Look and purchase today. #4013 $699,500

GROUND LEASE

115 HILL AVE

535 OHLONE PARKWAY

REDUCED

Panoramic Monterey Bay View!!! Estate sized property situated on approx 6 Acres, overlooking the coastline of Santa Cruz, Salinas & the Monterey Bay. Perched on a hilltop this private estate has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and approx 6095 square feet, formal living and dining rooms, two family rooms, country size kitchen, 2 pellet stoves and one wood burning fireplace. You will love the large size of every room in this home. There is an Eagles nest/ Bar room perfect for getting away by yourself. So many amenities, two ovens, two dishwashers, trash compactor, two refrigerators, stainless steel railing around patio to relax and enjoy the view and privacy with family and friends.

Abundant natural light throughout. Gated entry, location is central to Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey & San Benito Counties. 1248 sq feet Shop/Garage with grease pit and one tall door for a motorhome.

INCREDIBLE PROPERTY! BRIGHT & OPEN FLOOR PLAN, BRINGS OUTDOORS IN! VIEWS FROM EVERY ROOM! OCEAN, COAST, VALLEY & MOUNTAINS! SPECTACULAR SUNSETS AND CITY LIGHTS! L#4005 $1,575.000

TRAVERS LANE PARCELS

Parcel 15 has 3.02 acres for $200,000.

Parcel 16 has 3.49 acres for $210,000.

SOLD - Parcel 18 has 2.95 acres for $210,000.

COMING SOON Two nice homes on 5.6 usable acres. Santa Cruz county. Main home has over 2000 sq ft with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, open floor plan in kitchen and dining areas, wood burning stove in large living room. 2 car garage, Deck and Yard areas. Plenty of parking. Second home has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, newer paint and carpet in both homes. Work shop, flat fenced areas, private setting. $1,250,000

26 ROOSEVELT ST Remodeled Beauty, just purchase and move in. 2 bedroom Spanish style bungalow, Gorgeous remodeled kitchen with custom white cabinets, granite, under counter lights, 5 burner gas stove, tiled floor and much more.

Laminate floors thru out, designer paint colors, bath is remodeled too. New wiring and plumbing, long driveway to 2 car garage, nice easy care front and back yards, fenced. Oversized concrete patio for BBQs. Look and purchase today! #4015 $514,500

S

D L O

2 bedroom special, great bones, roomy backyard and great location, close to most conveniences. Fireplace, some hardwood floors, nice and sunny, formal dining room plus eat in kitchen, laundry inside. 1 car garage and long driveway. #4014 $500,000

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PE

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N DI

JUNE 26 -JULY 2, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

2 separate country parcels with a water share each. Maybe Build your dream home. Perhaps modular or Tiny Home. Nice private location, quiet rolling hills. Santa Cruz county, Off Green Valley Rd. Easy commute to work then back home to enjoy the country.

Downtown Watsonville lot available for GROUND LEASE. Many zoning options, list available. Across the street from the Historic City Plaza, seasonal Farmers market, Cabrillo College, bank, retail stores, restaurants, courthouse and parking garage half a block away. $9,500 p/month

4 Plus useable acres, inside the city limits of Watsonville. Build a subdivision, city utilities available.

Close to highway 1 for easy quick access North or South. $4,000,000

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