(Steve Bender photographed this Chorus Frog at White Center Pond)

Here’s our reminder list of what’s happening, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you can always preview the days and weeks ahead – we add to it frequently – and you’ll find even more events than we spotlight in the list):

ROSH HASHANAH: The Jewish New Year begins at sundown and continues until sundown Friday.

CITY BUDGET BRIEFING: Happening right now (started at 9:30), the City Council, meeting as the Select Budget Committee, is continuing to get department-by-department overviews of Mayor Harrell‘s budget proposal. Today: the Office of Housing and Seattle Fire Department. Documents are linked to the agenda here; live stream is via Seattle Channel.

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: Meet at 47th/Fauntleroy at 10 am. Details in our calendar listing.

TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT: 10:30 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

SOUND TRANSIT DROP-IN MEETING #3: 11 am to 1 pm, Sound Transit reps will be at Gallery B612 (1915 First Ave. S.) in SODO for the last of three drop-in meetings to answer questions about the West Seattle light-rail project, now that its Final Environmental Impact Statement is out and the ST Board has to finalize routing and station locations. Sstrictly drop-in, no presentation planned, no open-mic commenting, etc.

SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE: Second of four days to bring your work to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) for this year’s Southwest Artist Showcase, as explained in our preview. Library hours today are 12 pm-8 pm.

TODDLER STORY TIME AT THE LIBRARY: 3 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

HOMEWORK HELP: 4-5:45 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), volunteers can help K-12 students with their homework.

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

FREE GROUP RUN: All runners, all levels, are welcome to join the weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.

TRIVIA x 4: Four trivia options tonight: At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

MUSIC BINGO X 2: One night, two games! Play at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm … At Three 9 Lounge (39th/Oregon), you can play MINGO music bingo, hosted by Mingo Maniac, at 7:30 pm Wednesdays.

KUNDALINI YOGA AND GONG BATH: 7 pm with Inner Alchemy at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35; ticket link is in our calendar listing.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: The spotlight is yours! 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

Planning an open house, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, show, meeting, presentation, etc., that’s open to the community? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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YOU CAN HELP: Library volunteers welcoming book donations

October 2, 2024 9:00 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | White Center

Got books you don’t want/need any more? Many donation-accepting organizations aren’t interested in books … but here’s an exception: The White Center Library Guild. In addition to their sale events, guild volunteers maintain a “for sale” shelf at the WC Library. The guild says, “We accept old books, new books and everything in between. Just take your donations to the library front desk. Contributions help fund children and adult programs at the White Center Library!” It’s at 1409 SW 107th; days/hours are here.

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TRAFFIC, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Wednesday watch

October 2, 2024 6:02 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:02 AM: Good morning. Welcome to Wednesday, October 2nd.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Mostly sunny today, high in the low 60s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:10 am, while sunset will be at 6:45 pm.

(Tuesday sunset – photo by Carol Ann Joyce)

ROAD WORK

*Still no news from SDOT about any possible lane closures this week for the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project.

*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project continues; the north half of the bridge remains closed, with one lane each way on the south side, until the project switches sides later this month. Fairmount Avenue remains closed under the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues too, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.

*The Highway 99 tunnel will close for maintenance and inspections 10 pm Friday to 6 am Saturday (and again the following weekend, for longer – 10 pm October 11, to 6 am October 13).

TRANSIT

Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, plus the “unscheduled third boat.” Check for alerts here, where you’ll also find information on the fare increases that started Monday – Fauntleroy-Southworth, for example, full passenger fare rose from $7.70 to $8, while “small car and driver” rose from $10.95 to $11.45.

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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CRIME WATCH: Another West Seattle 7-11 robbery, likely connected to other holdups, and possible attempt (Wednesday update)

October 1, 2024 11:59 pm

| 40 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:59 PM TUESDAY: Thanks for the tip. This time the Admiral Way 7-11 has been hit by robbers. The clerk was held up less than an hour ago. Initial information from police was only that there were two robbers, both masked, and a gun was held to the clerk’s head. This is less than 24 hours after the Avalon Way 7-11 was held up, which in turn was less than 24 hours after a would-be robber tried to shoot his way through a locked door at the Highland Park 7-11. If you have any information about the Admiral robbery, the SPD incident # is 24-279573.

ADDED 12:44 PM WEDNESDAY: Here’s the SPD preliminary summary:

At 0131 hours, the suspects walked in the 7-11 located at the 4300 BLK of SW Admiral Wy. The suspects were driving a possibly dark sedan. The suspects entered the store, and one jumped over the counter. The second suspect walked around the counter. The suspects punched the clerk in the back twice and jabbed the back of his neck. The clerk felt pain. The suspects took approximately $200 in cash and left in their vehicle. The manager responded to the scene and video footage was reviewed. Possibly the same car was seen at a 7-11 located at the 9000 BLK of Delridge Wy SW. The two suspects attempted to walk inside the 7-11 wearing masks, but the clerk locked the door (Case# 24-279550). The SPD Robbery Unit was notified about both incidents.

There have been multiple recent robberies in South Seattle and West Seattle that appear to be connected to the same robbery crew (see many recent [incident reports]). Detectives with the Robbery Unit are working tirelessly on these investigations. No arrests have been made at this time. We will be releasing more information soon.

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SCHOOL CLOSURES? Seattle superintendent now says he’ll propose five for next year, and none will be K-8 or option schools

October 1, 2024 6:00 pm

| 25 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another development in Seattle Public Schools‘ winding road toward possibly closing schools to save money. Last month, West Seattle/South Park school board director Gina Topp suggested that the superintendent come up with a Option C – closing a handful of schools for starters, rather than the 20+ in the officially unveiled Options A and B. Late today, superintendent Dr. Brent Jones did just that, saying he’ll propose five schools for closure in the 2025-2026 school year – though he didn’t say which five, though he did say the list will NOT include K-8 or option schools. Here’s his full message:

Dear SPS families, staff, and community,

Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts about our plan to develop a system of well-resourced schools. I heard you loud and clear, and I understand the many valid concerns you have about the plan in its current form.

We know we need the support of our students, families, and staff to uplift a large-scale change such as this. My hope is that we can work together to re-establish a level of trust that allows us to move forward in a way that honors our school communities.

After taking some time to reflect on your feedback, I have developed a revised plan that will support addressing the budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year while taking steps to right-size our school system. Under this revision, I intend to propose consolidating five schools for the 2025-26 school year. What we learn from this initial set of schools will guide our future action.

It is also clear our families value many of the offerings we have in our district. Under the revised plan, K-8 and option schools – including those with specialized service models like Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Dual Language Immersion – are not under consideration for the upcoming school year.

Like many districts, SPS is facing declining enrollment and very real budget challenges. This new approach aims to reduce disruption while helping us balance budgets in the coming years. We are working hard to close an approximate $100 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year. Each consolidation will moderately lower this deficit, contributing to our long-term financial stability.

Selection Criteria for Consolidations
Over the next few weeks, the Well-Resourced Schools team and I will determine the five schools recommended for consolidation for the 2025-26 school year. A third-party expert will validate the evaluation process to ensure transparency and accountability.

The selection process is based on the following criteria:

-Building condition: Physical building safety and health levels
-Learning environment: Facility’s design in support of all types of learning
-Analyzing enrollment and capacity: Facility’s ability to hold 400+ students, including space for intensive IEP services and preschool classrooms
-Minimizing disruption for students and staff: Facility’s ability to keep as many students and families together as possible
-Maintaining student access to specialized service models: Facility’s ability to house the resources students need to thrive

What’s Next
We expect to share preliminary recommendations with the Board by the end of October.

We encourage you to stay engaged and share your thoughts as we navigate this important decision together. We will be hosting community gatherings for both general information purposes as well as to share specific plans and transition supports for impacted schools.

We are listening, and we value your input — it is critical in shaping a stronger future for our students.

Please submit your questions or feedback through our Let’s Talk form.

Thank you for caring so deeply about the future of our schools and for your continued support.

This means two West Seattle schools that were under consideration for closures or changes – Boren STEM K-8 was on both closure-option lists, and one list would have changed Pathfinder K-8 to a regular elementary school – have a reprieve, for now. But two other West Seattle schools will have to wait and see if they are still being considered – Sanislo Elementary was on both closure option lists, and Lafayette Elementary was on one. Meantime, while trying to address a $100 million budget gap, the district was meeting today to consider a contract extension and raise for Jones, and is scheduled next week to consider sending $2.4 billion worth of levy renewals/expansions to voters (as reported here last night).

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UPDATE: Woman shot and killed south of The Junction

October 1, 2024 1:15 pm

| 167 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

1:15 PM: Police and fire have arrived at the scene of a shooting in the 4400 block of SW Hudson [vicinity map]. A woman is reported to have multiple gunshot wounds. Updates to come.

1:27 PM: SPD confirms one victim. No other details yet.

1:45 PM: Police do say there’s “no current risk to the community. … There are no outstanding suspects.” And they say the victim has died.

2:37 PM: Just received an initial briefing from police. They say the woman who was killed was 57. (added) They also say three people were involved, and (corrected) would not confirm that an eviction played a role, but they aren’t saying who did the shooting or whether anyone is under arrest, only that, for now, they’re investigating, and not looking for anyone. Video to come when uploaded.

3:26 PM: Here’s the video, from WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli. The SPD spokesperson is Det. Brian Pritchard:

Det. Pritchard also has posted a short summary – with no additional details – on SPD Blotter.

NOTE: This is the fifth non-vehicular homicide of 2024 in West Seattle, after 15-year-old Mobarak Adam‘s shooting death at Southwest Pool/Teen Center in January, 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara‘s shooting death on Duwamish Head in June, 53-year-old William Tappe‘s beating death in the east Junction area in June, and 32-year-old Laupule Talaga‘s shooting death in The Triangle last week. So far Mr. Tappe’s death is the only one in which an arrest has been reported.

3:19 PM: As we just noted in comments – pending a separate followup story we’re writing right now – the woman who died has been identified as 57-year-old Tamara Towers Parry. SPD says in an update this afternoon that she “presented a shotgun” when two people “arrived at the home to serve paperwork” and that one of them, a 40-year-old man, ” fired his handgun, shooting the woman in the torso.” Police say no one is under arrest and that “all firearms were recovered.”

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ORCAS: Whales in view off West Seattle

October 1, 2024 1:03 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales

1:03 PM: Orcas are heading southbound off Constellation Park, reports Kersti Muul. Let us know if you see them! (And if you don’t – check out the video and photos of whales in that area over the weekend.)

1:13 PM: Update from Kersti: “Leisurely SW travel. Now visible from Me Kwa Mooks.”

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HELPING: Lou Cutler’s next big walk for Make-A-Wish – on a legendary running route

October 1, 2024 11:35 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from 2018 Laps With Lou)

For 20 years, now-retired PE teacher Lou Cutler led an annual daylong running/walking event on the field at Pathfinder K-8, raising money for Make-A-Wish, for which he’s volunteered even longer. The event – during which Lou celebrated his birthday by circling the field once for every year of his life – was held during a school day until last year, when it had to move to a Saturday. That just wasn’t the same, so 2023, marking his 72nd birthday, was the last Laps With Lou. But his Make-A-Wish support continues, and he’s found a new way to do it on his feet: This week, he’s going to Boston for a big walk Sunday on the legendary Boston Marathon route. We asked him to tell us – and you – about his plan:

At this time next Sunday, I will have finished the Boston Marathon walk and will no doubt be fully exhilarated that I followed the same path as all the great Boston Marathon runners over the past 100-plus years. The only difference is that instead of finishing where the Marathoners finish, we will finish at Boston Common and I assume that might be due to a traffic issue. The good news is that our course is slightly longer, so I can proudly say that I did a Marathon plus several extra tenths of a mile!!

I haven’t done the recommended amount of training in terms of longer walks, but rather will rely on the inspiration that I receive from my regular interaction with the Make A Wish kids, who are the bravest people in the world who meet daily health challenges head on with maximum effort and a minimum of complaint and through it all are incredibly resilient and superstars!!

As much as I will enjoy myself next week walking the Marathon and raising money for MAW, nothing will ever compare with the joy and thrill of running with the entire Pathfinder student body to benefit Make A Wish for the past 20 years.

As was the case for all the years of Laps With Lou at Pathfinder, there’s a Make-A-Wish link where you can donate directly to Lou’s fundraising campaign to help kids’ wishes come true – just go here.

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Admiral Neighborhood Association dine-out benefit, Sound Transit ‘drop-in’ Q&A, RainWise info, more for your West Seattle Tuesday

October 1, 2024 9:36 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s your reminder about highlights for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from our Event Calendar, where you can look days, weeks, months ahead

SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE: First of four days to bring your work to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) for this year’s Southwest Artist Showcase, as explained in our preview. Library hours today are 12 pm-8 pm.

CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING: Department-by-department presentations continue at 9:30 am and 2 pm today in council chambers at City Hall downtown. The agenda document includes the slide-deck links for today’s presenters – CARE, SPD, and Human Services. If you’re not going downtown, you can watch live via Seattle Channel.

POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: Long-distance advocacy via handwritten postcards to be sent to voters in other states – drop in 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), all welcome.

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DINE-OUT BENEFIT AT MIOPOSTO: Get food/drink from Mioposto (2139 California SW; WSB sponsor) tonight, help the Admiral Neighborhood Association keep presenting awesome events! 4-9 pm – details in our calendar listing.

SOUND TRANSIT ‘DROP-IN SESSION’: Questions about West Seattle light rail? Sound Transit is hosting another “drop-in session” – no presentations, just info-boards and Q&A opportunities with ST reps (here’s our coverage of the first one), 4:30-6:30 pm at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds) in The Junction.

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.

DROP-IN WINE TASTING: 5-7 pm Tuesdays at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – $10 fee, $5 off with bottle purchases.

(added) DEBATE WATCH PARTY: The vice presidential candidates’ one and only debate is at 6 pm our time tonight, and we just got this announcement:

West Seattle Realty and Good Society are hosting a debate-watch party again tonight. We’ll be playing debate bingo, some prizes and almost certainly enjoying some good laughs. No dogs or cats will be harmed during this event! 6:00 pm at Good Society and of course with sound.

Good Society is at California/Lander.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

FREE TRACK RUN: All runners welcome! Meet up at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.

CHIEF SEALTH IHS PTSA: Topics tonight, as previewed here, include safety at CSIHS – updates from Principal Ray Morales – and upcoming PSAT/SAT testing. All welcome, 6:30 pm in the library. (2600 SW Thistle)

GET READY! Can you spare 45 potentially lifesaving minutes for a free preparedness party with Just in Case‘s Alice Kuder? Next one is tonight at 6:30 pm at Whisky West (6451 California SW) – our calendar listing has the RSVP link.

GET RAINWISE: Eligible for a rain garden and/or cistern undeer this program? Meet contractors and get info 6:30-7:30 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).

BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – Tuesday nights bring Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

OPEN MIC: Your night to shine at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), 7 pm. (21+)

TRIVIA X 4: Four trivia options Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7:10 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).

HIGH-SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Two 7 pm home matches – Chief Sealth IHS plays Cleveland (2600 SW Thistle), West Seattle HS plays Bishop Blanchet (3000 California SW).

JOE P, LIVE: Live in-store concert by Joe P, 7 pm at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) – free, all ages.

Planning an event? Tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar – just email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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UPDATE: Driver extricated after car-on-side crash on Admiral Way Bridge

October 1, 2024 7:31 am

| 39 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Reader photo sent by Andy)

7:31 AM: SFD has a rescue-extrication response arriving at the Admiral Way Bridge, where a crash involves a car on its side.

7:36 AM: Admiral is fully blocked at the bridge – which has been down to two lanes, one each way, for several weeks because of the earthquake-strengthening project. SFD reports one person trapped in the car that went sideways in the eastbound lane.

(Added – texted photo from another reader)

7:39 AM: Firefighters just told dispatch they’ve gotten that person out.

(Added: Vehicle after firefighters cut off top to extricate driver – photo by Christopher Boffoli)

7:58 AM: The Admiral Way Bridge remains blocked both ways and that’s leading to traffic trouble on other access routes to the bridge, according to police radio, until the scene is cleared. Meantime, we’re checking on the crash victim’s condition.

8:06 AM: The driver is being taken to the hospital. According to what medics told the emergency-room doctors on emergency radio, this was NOT a high-speed crash – she was going “25 to 30 mph” when she hit something on the bridge. Meantime, SFD has cleared the scene; SPD is awaiting the tow truck but just let a bus go through.

8:14 AM: Police are now allowing westbound traffic to go through.

8:29 AM: The tow truck has arrived.

8:59 AM: Admiral is now open both ways. (Thanks again to Andy for progress reports.)

9:45 AM: SFD tells us that the driver, an 84-year-old woman, was in stable condition when taken to the hospital.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: October begins

October 1, 2024 6:03 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Covering Admiral Way car-on-side crash separately here.)

Earlier:

6:03 AM: Good morning. Welcome to Tuesday, October 1st.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Increasing clouds expected today, high in the mid-60s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:09 am, while sunset will be at 6:47 pm.

(Monday sunset – photo by Carol Ann Joyce)

ROAD WORK

*No word yet from SDOT regarding any possible lane closures this week for the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues too, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.

*Early warning – the Highway 99 tunnel will close for maintenance and inspections 10 pm Friday to 6 am Saturday (and again the following weekend, for longer – 10 pm October 11 to 6 am October 13).

TRANSIT

Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, plus the “unscheduled third boat.” Check for alerts here, where you’ll also find information on the fare increases that start today – Fauntleroy-Southworth, for example, full passenger fare goes from $7.70 to $8, while “small car and driver” goes from $10.95 to $11.45.

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

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