September 2021
Vol. 7
THE THE
OFFICIAL
EMPLOYEE
VOICE NEWSLETTER
OF
JACKSONVILLE
DISTRICT
IN THIS ISSUE:
Col. Kelly transitions to retirement- 2
Kissimmee River Restoration celebration - 4
Manatee Park benefits from USACE project - 5
JaxStong hosts a family reunion - 7
THE VOICE
"The best job I've ever had." Kelly transitions into retirement Story by Peggy Bebb
As his time draws to a close, Col. Drew Kelly reflects on the past three years serving as the commander of the Jacksonville District and what led up to what he considers the best job he's ever had. Coming into the Army as a cadet at West Point, Kelly fell into the engineer regiment. "My goal was to become a doctor, but once I realized I wasn't going to get into medical school, I went through the branch selection process." "I knew a few professors that were engineers, and they looked at engineering as a career. The engineer regiment had a lot of interesting choices and a lot of variability." "Full combat, airborne, mechanized, and construction, that variety appealed to me. I looked at it as a pretty aggressive mission, so when I graduated West point, I just fell into it, but I have been extraordinarily happy with the result." Kelly was attracted to the wide variety of work that the engineer regiment handled and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) component with the many districts and civil works was wholly different and hugely variable.
Pictured Right: Col. Andrew Kelly hands the keys of the completed Alternate Care Facility the district built in the Miami Convention Center to Kevin Guthrie, Deputy Director of the Florida Division of Environmental Management. The facility was built in response to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic and was turned over ahead of schedule. (USACE Photo)
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"I didn't understand that until I was assigned to the North Atlantic Division as the executive officer for the commanding general. It opened an entirely new door, not only of the power and resources that the engineer regiment has total, but the interconnectivity between USACE and the military and the ability to move between the two worlds. I have fallen in love, especially later in my career, with the USACE side of the house, especially Civil Works." Kelly was notified that he would join the Jacksonville District while attending the War College. After War College, but before arriving to the district, he was assigned to a one-year tour downrange. "I was excited about the fact that it was the first time in the Army where I got my first choice of assignment, and I wanted to come to Jacksonville." Between the War College then his tour in the Middle East, Kelly stated he didn't have a lot of time to focus on his upcoming stint as Jacksonville District's commander, but it did excite him as he knew, as he put it, fun times were coming. Before coming to Jacksonville, Kelly stated he knew a few things about the South Atlantic region but didn't understand the Jacksonville District. He expected that he knew a bit of the Puerto Rico side, saw the district as the Everglades, and knew there were many beach missions. Shortly upon arriving, Kelly saw an explosion in the workload thrust upon the district and had to reset to the new normal.
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"I had no idea how Jacksonville grew so quickly.
Part of his vision was to put into practice the
The workload, the mission set with a Bi-partisan
leadership skills he had gathered over the years.
Budget Act of 2018, we doubled the mission. We
Building trust, being inclusive, and recognizing
went from a half-billion-dollar district annually to a
opportunities.
billion-dollar district without slowing down. I didn't expect that kind of growth so quickly. I also didn't
"You've got to trust the experts in the district.
quite understand how the supplemental and Bi-
Jacksonville has a great number of truly
partisan Budget Act of 2018 mission set was so
professional experts with a lot of history and a lot
significantly different than normal."
of experience, so you've got to trust that. Be inclusive, not only internally but externally as
While coming into the district, Kelly hit the ground
well. Make sure you're spending more time
running. One of his goals was to be transparent.
listening than you are talking and make sure that
Although the district has always been open and
USACE is truly participating and listening to all of
communicative in different ways, Kelly understood
the different needs."
the need to communicate with significant stakeholders was going to be paramount.
Kelly noted that he and his team needed to recognize opportunities when presented to them
"When I first got here and the evolution of how I
and not be afraid to take the chances, even when
think about it now, is that I thought the media and
it may be a little unnerving or scary.
stakeholder communications were different, two separate things with two different goals. What I
"Be able to see and understand an opportunity
kind of figured out over time is they weren't very
exists and go for it, then walk with the team
nested and that the opportunity to talk with media
through that opportunity and be able to adjust.
reaches a greater group, a greater public, which
There are always opportunities to adjust but when
then turns into how the stakeholders think, which
you see an opportunity, grab it. Grab it and go,
actually enhances the detailed stakeholder
allow everyone to feel like they can do that
engagement and so you really can't do one
without being worried about making a mistake."
without the other." He quickly realized that although an interview or media event didn't necessarily have the targeted end state, it helped with communications because the stakeholders would see it. "Just being able to tell the people, the public, the media, or stakeholders what we're thinking, when we're thinking it, and what things we're going to do next proved extraordinarily valuable. Just having an open dialogue, especially when there are so many differing opinions, everyone has a different way of defining success." "So, you put that all out on the table in a very open and transparent way and talk about it into the future and make it okay to openly talk about our disagreements and how we can work together, it brings more people together and makes it easier to have a good solid communications platform."
Pictured: Col. Andrew Kelly participates in the Puerto Nuevo Flood Control Project on Aug. 23, 2021 (Photo by Luis Deya)
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Although there are many systems in place to
Kelly stated that the collaborative nature and the
make sure the district doesn't do things wrong,
team's flexibility and agility allowed them to get
Kelly doesn't think that USACE quite encourages
through it all..
the aggressiveness of seizing the opportunities quite as much as they ought to. The district needs
From these many missions to the many
to take those opportunities when they present
accomplishments, Kelly is most proud of how the
themselves because there is always the ability to
team has remained motivated to continue the
correct them.
mission.
"Just go for it when you can because our people
"My general interpretation of the feeling in the
make smart decisions if they're allowed to make
district right now is excitement. Everybody is
them."
excited about what's coming, is still motivated, and continues to get after it. I am pretty proud of
Jacksonville District's challenging missions kept
that," noted Kelly.
Kelly and his team on their toes. He had to figure out how to take on a significant mission set and
When asked how he felt about the August 2021
workload and better organize for combat.
headline from NBC2 news in Southwest Florida that read, "LOSOM will be Col. Kelly's legacy, but
"The corporate board and I got together early on
he won't see it through," Kelly responded that he
and reorganized the business process of the
was okay with it.
district, the structure of the district - to be able to truly handle the workload," Kelly stated.
"Because I am out in the media and with stakeholders a lot, there is a general
The Covid mission and the immediate reaction had
misunderstanding that there's one person that
Kelly getting told on a Tuesday to be in Miami on
does the work, right? It's 1000 people that are the
Wednesday then get a hospital built in twelve
Jacksonville District that does the work. I am just
days without ever having done it before. Kelly
the guy who talks about it most of the time, so, at
noted, "This was a unique challenge, and the team
the end of the day, the media talked about the
knocked it out of the park."
new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) schedule as being a positive for Florida."
“Additionally, when you have a program like the Everglades, as an example, that is decades-long
He stated that it is the same as the Jacksonville
with decades to go worth billions of dollars with a
district legacy has always been.
bunch of people who have a bunch of different perspectives on what success looks like. How do
"We do better than the day before for the people
you keep that giant group of folks together pulling
of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
on the same rope, if not in the same direction, but close enough to the same direction to keep us all
Everything we do makes life better every single
going?"
day and for the media to capture that in a headline is great because it reinforces the fact
According to Kelly, each of these missions posed a
that the team works hard every day. Life is better
different challenge to the district, but all were
in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Florida
unique and awesome to be a part of.
because of the work the district does."
The team here in Jacksonville, the leadership in the district, the corporate board, and division chiefs throughout the district worked hard at each of those missions.
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As Kelly's time at the district comes to an end, he is not happy about it. "I am leaving too soon,” Kelly explained. "We're at an inflection point, kind of, with the district and how the district is going to operate for the next decade or so." He explained that COVID certainly changed how the district does business by working virtually versus in an office setting. It changed the way we communicate; we are right on the cusp of getting into how we will work on a day-to-day basis from a business perspective in the next decade-plus. "We've got a good trajectory that the corporate board and I have put together for the coming months. I wish I could see that through because I think it's going to be a game-changer, and we're going to come out on the other side even stronger and better able to get the mission accomplished." As Kelly reflects on these past three years, he says that he is most thankful for being allowed to take part. "It's relatively easy to keep the commander away from the details and away from making sausage, so to speak, and to provide decisions. But the Jacksonville team and leadership here really embraced me and allowed me to get into it so that we could all work through some things together, and I know that's a little unique." "I am leaving sad because I wish I could stay longer, but I'm thankful at the openness and acceptance that everyone had in letting me participate in a lot of the activities, share opinions, take criticism and just work through all of the processes together at the table, so we just get the job done." "I can tell you that this is the best job I've ever had. The Jacksonville District team is awesome, and everyone out there's got so much to be proud of."
Pictured: Snapshots of Col. Kelly during his command of Jacksonville District. (USACE photos).
THE VOICE
Partners celebrate completion of Kissimmee River Restoration Project Story by Erica Skolte
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“The Kissimmee River Restoration Project was the first successful large-scale active riverine ecosystem restoration project in the country, and even in the world,” said Kelly. “It was the model for science-based ecosystem restoration worldwide, and proof that ecosystem restoration works. It set the foundation for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.”
More than 150 partners and stakeholders joined
Mr. Jamie Pinkham, Acting Assistant Secretary of
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville
the Army for Civil Works and a citizen of the Nez
District to celebrate the completion of
Perce Tribe, opened his remarks in his language
construction for the Kissimmee River Restoration
“to recognize the original stewards and
Project at the Riverwoods Field Laboratory in
inhabitants of this beautiful land that they call
Lorida, Florida on July 29, 2021.
home,” the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.
Our partners in restoration, the South Florida Water Management District, and representatives
“…We are reminded of what we always knew –
from the Department of the Interior, and other
that Florida’s delicate ecosystem is truly unique
local, state, and federal agencies, as well as
and requires special care, and as stewards of this
elected officials and stakeholders -- some of
land, we share responsibility to ensure its
whom have been involved in the project for since
durability…it’s another lesson about the
the early 1970s -- came together for a ribbon
importance about taking the cue from the natural
cutting ceremony.
world,” said Pinkham.
Jacksonville District Commander Col. Andrew
“I believe that this river has a strong memory, and
Kelly kicked off the event by holding up a
it’s going to adapt to its original path, and it’s
ceremonial shovel used during the
original purpose. And so, I’m proud of the lessons
groundbreaking ceremony in 1994.
that we have all learned, and so we are celebrating lessons learned. And you have
“Today, we celebrate the completion of the
created a template for others to follow.”
construction phase with many of the people who have worked hard to maintain the momentum on
“I want to thank those partners from the agencies,
this project for more than 30 years,” said Col.
but I also want to thank the people who have long
Andrew Kelly, Jacksonville District Commander.
lived along this river, tribal and non-, who understand the sacrifices it takes to bring a project like this to come to success because this is their home, these are the lands that they love.”
Pictured Left: Partners celebrated the completion of construction of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Riverwoods Field Laboratory in Lorida, Florida on July 29, 2021. (Photo courtesy of South Florida Water Management District)
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“While we celebrate, we are also reminded of the tremendous amount of work left to be done. President Biden has prioritized environmental restoration in the Everglades, including the largest budget request for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan since its inception. This administration and my office pledge to continue our work with our Congressional allies to provide the necessary resources to fulfill our commitment here,” said Pinkham. The Kissimmee River once meandered for 103 miles through Central Florida. Its floodplain, reaching up to two miles wide, was inundated by heavy seasonal rains for long periods. Wetland plants, wading birds, and fish thrived there. Prolonged flooding caused severe impacts on humans, so Florida officials asked Congress for assistance. Congress tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and between 1962 and 1971, USACE cut and dredged the Kissimmee River into a 300foot wide, 30-foot deep straightaway called the C-38 canal. The project achieved flood reduction benefits, but it also harmed the river-floodplain
Pictured: The Kissimmee River Restoration Project restored 44 miles of the Kissimmee River and its 2-mile-wide floodplain. (Photo by Brent Anderson, South Florida Water Management District)
Now that construction is complete, the Headwaters Regulation Schedule can be implemented, and ecological monitoring will continue for an additional five years. Many Corps project managers and team members have been involved in various phases of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project over the past several decades, even before the project was authorized in the Water Resources
ecosystem.
Development Act (WRDA) of 1992.
Congress authorized the Kissimmee River, Florida
Senior Project Manager Tim Gysan was the final project
project in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1992. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Riverwoods in 1994, and construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2021. The Kissimmee River Restoration Project backfilled 22 miles of the C- 38 Canal and “put the wiggle back” into the historic meandering river. It restored more than 40 square miles of the river floodplain ecosystem, 20,000 acres of wetlands,
manager to guide the project through the completion of construction in the summer of 2021 while simultaneously leading the effort to take tremendous amounts of public and stakeholder input on the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM). “The Kissimmee River Restoration ribbon cutting celebrates the completion of the physical restoration of the beautiful meandering river and the vast flood plain that surrounds it.
and 44 miles of the historic river channel.
The event is the culmination of work started in the mid-
Restoration efforts resulted in environmental
achieve through the dedication and cooperation of
improvements that exceeded expectations during many years, including increased dissolved oxygen levels, recovery of wetlands, and increased populations of waterfowl, wading birds, bass, and other sunfishes.
1970s and represents the amazing restoration we can hundreds of individuals and agencies at all levels government. Being a part of the team that has delivered this incredible world-class restoration effort to the people in Florida is the highlight of my career,” said Gysan.
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JaxStrong project benefits Manatee County residents Story and photos by David Ruderman
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““It’s building the capacity for future dredged material. If we don’t do it now, we would have to seek alternate placement areas, which would lead to higher costs in the future to maintain the port,” said Merrill. The excavated material is being truck hauled eight miles south to fill a long-disused county
Manatee County hosted a celebratory project
borrow pit, transforming it over the next ten years
start event at Washington Park in Palmetto,
into an 88-acre park. The county plan calls for
Florida, July 28 to mark the first stage of a
constructing a contoured landscape with walking
decade-long collaboration with Jacksonville
trails that restore the historical balance of upland
District and Port Manatee.
and wetland habitats, topped off with a playground and recreational amenities.
Since February, the district has been off-loading accumulated dredge material from the Port
About 60 community leaders and residents joined
Manatee Dredge Material Management Area
more than 20 county, port, and USACE personnel
(DMMA) to build capacity for future placement. In
to celebrate the first iteration of a project that all
partnership with the county and the port, the off-
agreed had been a long time in coming.
loaded material will be re-used for an environmental restoration project in nearby
“This has been a 20-year project in the making,”
Palmetto, saving the county millions of dollars.
said longtime resident and Vietnam veteran McArthur (Mac) Sellars as he delivered the
“It’s awesome to use it for the park, which appears
invocation. “Continue to bless this site. We thank
to have been a wasted space for a while,” said
you for all you’ve done, all you are doing, and all
USACE project manager Bryan Merrill. “With the
you will do.”
county committed to restoring the land, it’s exciting to be able to use it this way, restoring this
“It’s been a long time coming,” agreed Manatee
kind of asset for the community.”
Co. Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh. “I’ve been on the board since 2009, and this was already a
Initially constructed in the 1990s, the transfer
topic of discussion when I got here.”
creates more room at the DMMA.
Pictured Left: Jacksonville Deputy District Commander, Maj. Matt Miller, addresses community residents and county and port representatives at the Washington Park dedication ceremony July 28, 2021.
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“Against great odds, the story of Washington Park begins today,” said county District 2 Commissioner Reggie Bellamy. “Thank you to the Corps of Engineers for dredging new channels in Port Manatee and instead of throwing or towing that sand away, hauling it to this park over the next ten years, saving the county $10 million in the process.” Like many in the crowd, Bellamy had close ties to the community, where his 93-year-old mother still resides. He praised lifelong resident Lawrence Livingston, former pastor of nearby Eternity Temple, for his vision and tenacity in pursuing the restoration of Washington Park for more than 20 years. “This is the fruit of your labor,” said Bellamy. “I’m just thankful I lived to see it,” said Livingston. Maj. Matt Miller, Jacksonville District deputy commander, led the USACE team of Tampa
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““The excavation of the DMMA is critical for us being able to store dredge material in the future. It affords us the capacity for years’ worth of maintenance dredging,” said TRO resident engineer Erin Duffy, noting it was her first experience with truck hauling dredge material for such use. “I came in with the experience of working on the Herbert Hoover Dike, so for me, this was relatively straightforward,” said TRO project engineer Sergio Alvarado. “It’s simpler than dredging. And it was a team of wonderful people, including the contractor.” “I was really excited that this is a win-win-win for the Corps, the port, and the county,” said Duffy, who was equally impressed by the strong, emotional turnout of area residents. “I knew it was important to the community, but I didn’t know it was that important. Their voices were heard,” she said.
Resident Office staff who have overseen the project. “The Corps contribution on this project is smart recycling of dredge material accumulated over time as we maintain the navigability of vital federal water channels. Not just here at Port Manatee, but throughout Tampa Bay, these federal waterways enable the shipping and boating that underpin the economy of the Florida Gulf Coast,” said Miller. “And we are very pleased that the Corps can beneficially re-purpose this material to support Manatee County in their far-sighted endeavor of refurbishing Washington Park,” he said. “It’s been a great project so far; there have really been no issues,” said TRO construction representative Kenny Poindexter. The team had already placed more than 120,000 of the total 139,000 cubic yards of material called for in this first phase of renovation, he said.
Pictured: Jacksonville Deputy District Commander, Maj. Matt Miller, joins Manatee County and community leaders for the ceremonial dirt turning at the Washington Park dedication event July 28, 2021.
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Administrative Procedures During Emergency Conditions (APEC) Story by BJ Fagan
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APEC outlines the District’s processes and describes the options that Commanders and employees have available to navigate thru an emergency event. Let’s go over those options and walk thru the steps: Step 1 - Liberal Leave. Leadership can always authorize the use of liberal leave for an employee to make emergency preparations and/or depart
If you live in a coastal or low-lying area, it’s that
the area ahead of potential events. Once you
time of year to prepare and be aware of the
have completed preparations or arrived at a safe
potential for severe tropical storms or hurricanes.
destination, you always have the option to remain on approved leave or telework.
South Atlantic Division (SAD) is not immune to inclement weather particularly since all five
Step 2 - Weather and Safety Administrative
Districts are located near a coast.
Leave. The Commander can authorize Weather and Safety Leave based upon operating status
And, we’ve all had our share of inclement weather
announcements. The important point about this
situations and that was when it became evident
type of leave is that it is authorized when
within the Resource Management (RM)
employees cannot safely travel to or safely
Community of Practice (COP) that each of us was
perform work at an approved location. Under a
interpreting guidance differently when applying it
telework agreement, your home is a designated
to disaster scenarios.
approved work location and unless your home becomes unsafe to perform work, you may not
The RMs realized that an overarching policy was
qualify for this type of leave.
necessary to ensure payments and benefits were in accordance with applicable authorities and that
Step – 3 Targeted Evacuation Order. A targeted
became the primary reason for the development
evacuation order is based on a limited number of
of Policy Memorandum No. 0037-20-03,
pre-identified positions.A targeted evacuation is
Administrative Procedures During Emergency
not the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) site
Conditions or APEC for short.
team. A targeted evacuation is for those positions that contain skills necessary to continue
The purpose of APEC “is to support mission
the critical day-to-day operations of the District.
continuity in the event of a potential or actual
The intent is that an employee who is evacuated
adverse mission-impacting natural or manmade
with those critical skills will be required to return
disaster” but the real benefit of the policy is that it
immediately back to the impacted area when it is
is an excellent desk-side reference on
safe to do so.
procedures to follow leading up to and during a potential or actual emergency event.
Step 4 - Full Evacuation Order (Safe Haven). This evacuation order is issued by the Commander
Safety is always first and foremost and
authorizing or directing departure from an area,
sometimes that is an individual’s personal
given only when the area is threatened by
decision on what they need to do, and when, to
unusual or emergency circumstances creating
ensure the safety and welfare of themselves and
imminent danger to employees’ life, health, or
their family.
safety.
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A “Safe Haven” is a temporary pre-designated
Local and state evacuation orders do not qualify
single geographic location to which an employee
an employee to incur lodging or other costs at the
and their dependent(s) are evacuated. For
expense of the Federal Government. If you live in
employees to be authorized Safe Haven
an area where local officials order a mandatory
allowances, the Commander must issue an
evacuation notice that does not qualify you to
Evacuation Order separate from mandatory
stay in a hotel and file for reimbursement for
evacuation orders issued by state/local
lodging or travel costs. Only the Commander
authorities.
retains the authority to issue evacuation orders which generate a travel order which can then be
At any time in this sequence, the Commander can
used for reimbursement of specific expenses.
direct an Administrative Office Closure. During an office closure, the Commander identifies the
Make sure your contact information is updated in
dates, times, and office(s) that will be closed. The
ALERT to receive operating announcements,
time of reopening may not always be known up
keep your internal calling tree up to date and
front, and employees will be provided instructions
know what to expect before an emergency
on where and how to obtain this information.
happens. The APEC document has 12 appendices with forms and definitions and contains other
Employees whose permanent duty station is
information which supervisors and employees
identified for administrative closure are excused
should be aware of.
from reporting to the office to work. The full document can be found at: Two important points about an administrative
https://usace.dps.mil/sites/PUBS-
office closure:
SAD/_layouts/15/search.aspx/siteall?q=APEC.
(1) There could be minimal impact to the employee since most employees have an approved telework agreement and could perform work from their home; and (2) An administrative office closure does not authorize the employee to incur lodging or other costs on the government’s behalf with the expectation of being reimbursed. The majority of employees have a telework policy in place and it is the expectation of Management for an employee to telework once the employee has taken the necessary immediate safety precautions and is able to telework. Communication with Supervisors is critical to keep them informed of your status and telework capability.
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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion JaxStrong employees gathered at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds in August for a family reunion. The awards ceremony kicked off the day of fun, followed by a host of activities and lunch provided by various food trucks. Congratulations to all of the Corps Day winners and a special thank you to the Corps Day committee and Sandcastle Club for hosting the event! Check out a few photos from the day below! (Photos by Mark Rankin)
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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion
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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion
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THE VOICE
Editor's Note... The July edition of The Voice contained an error. We misidentified an individual in the article "Antilles office celebrates new boat facility," on page 5. The individual identified should be Joy Spencer.
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