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Bonfires When we had those
great bonfires in the pit on the Army Side, we started in
September collecting tires, wood etc, etc. and hoarded it away
on the right side of the pit. These we would take down on
THE night. I remember one night, with a couple other guys
going up to Jane's house,where there was an big airplane
tire just under the kitchen window.We could hear the people
talking in the kitchen, just a few feet away.We managed to
get it over the fence , and head back to the PIT ,with our
loot. We were quite pleased with our loot. Jane, I am
curious if that was your tire, or someone else. I remember it
was someone who went to school with us .Would like to know
whose house it was. Morley Smith
Any Army
Side resident should remember the annual bonfire night. I have
only one photograph of that. They were great events! We would
start collecting tires, etc., just after school started in
September and then, about two weeks before the fire (on
November 5) we would start cutting trees after school. It was
also customary that someone would steal a gallon of gasoline
from one of the service stations to start the fire. Bruce
Sheppard was usually instrumental in that part; and Harry
Newhook was usually the victim. (Gosh, the secret is out now!)
They were great fires and usually burned for some
time. Jim Butler
School Dances -
the Sock Hop We had just moved into our new
school, in the new town, with a brand new gym. I was in Grade
9 and was so excited with the new school plus a new gym and
being in High School, the idea of a "Sock Hop" was unheard of.
I guess the higher classes had some influence with the student
council who had some influence over the staff to agree to a
dance but with limitations. Rule #1: only Gander
Collegiate students allowed. In other words, no "Catlicks".
They had nuns who wouldn't let their girls go. plus we didn't
want their guys getting our girls anyway. Rule #2:
No Elvis Presley Music was an old school record player and we
had to bring our own records (mostly 45's).Vice principal
Harold Loader was chaperon and stood at the door checking
everyones records to insure no Elvis records entered the
premises. Meanwhile Elvis records were hidden under sweaters
and coats and smuggled in. I can still see old Loader tapping
his feet to Jailhouse Rock as Elvis just belted her out,
convinced he had saved our morals from that hip- shaking
satan, Elvis Presley. Of course, only the girls danced to
those fast songs. Us guys just stood around, saving ourselves
for the slow ones. Even today, just hearing the Platters
"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" does wonders for my
libido.
The following year a new teaching staff (Gil
Wells & the boys) came online, and we held dances on a bi
weekly basis downstairs in the Science Mechanics room where we
could keep our shoes on. As much Elvis as we could handle and
those "Catlick" girls were invited along with the guys. George
Baker worked weekends at CBG doing a midnight DJ hour show and
he made tapes for us to play on the school tape player. That
year I graduated from the slow dances to jiving (thank you
Gwen for being so patient), but I did enjoy that "slow
dancing". Jack Pinsent
School
Dances - Sadie Hawkins
 Tickets from the Sadie Hawkins dance that George
Baker and went to on May 1, 1959 Faye
Renaud
Friends Gladys (Goulding) Stryde
and I were reminiscing a little via telephone. Loretta (Smith)
Brinton was one of the first in our circle to get her car
license. We can remember getting a gallon for gas for .50 and
then driving around town - going to "lovers' lane" (the
cemetery) to see whom we could see and then gossip about!
Gladys and I were recalling bicycling to Denty's Pond, having
chips and coke before returning home. Chips and gravy and coke
seemed to be the "in" refreshments then - I can't believe it!
I recall one day when Joan Greene and I skipped school at
recess time to go to Bishop's Falls to visit my grandparents
(we actually went with my parents); Joan had relatives there
as well. The next day I was "kicked off" the prefect team for
skipping school. I was not a "happy camper" about that. What
actually happened was that my mother telephone me at school to
see if I could leave. I returned to the classroom and
whispered the news to Joan, suggesting that we might ask
permission at recess. The teacher gave me heck for talking in
school. I was so peeved that at recess we just left
Marion Pardy
Reading about the snow,
Morley, reminds me of an incident that happened around
this time of the year in 1960 or 61. I was in university
and got a little extra money somewhere and flew home for
the weekend on a Saturday. I got the family car, picked up Ina
and went down to the old army side - I won't get into any
details why there, but, there were no houses there then. It
was February thaw, pouring rain and everything flooded. The
old road down across the old field was flooded so much
that it was actually only one big pond. I went to turn in
where I thought the old road was and went to the chassis. No
lights, streaming rain, no one around and couldn't budge
the car. Of course we took advantage of the time while
wondering what to do next. By and by saw the lights of a car
coming - got out and flagged it down and this was good ol'
you. You were on your way down to the American site for a
party and said you'd phone for a tow truck when you got
there. Had a great time waiting for the truck. When it
came he had to lift the car and swing it. I asked how much -
$20 - that was the very last cent I had to my name. Next
day - Sunday - flew back to St. John's after a great
weekend. Of course, that wasn't the only time you came to
my rescue. Remember in '63 when I had to go back to MUN for
convocation and you loaned me your car for the day? You were
at the bank on Water Street then and you had a new
Volkswagen just like mine. Gander to St. John's was a six
hour drive or more, depending on the weather conditions, over
a gravel winding road in those days. I had planned to fly with
a bunch of other guys, but, everything was fogged in. We
ended up hiring a taxi to drive us in at 11:00 in the night.
One of the Quinlan guys drove us - it took all night, but,
we got there just in time for the meeting at 9:00 a.m. Ina
and my parents flew in that morning. Those were the days when
the university was so strict about everything that if you
didn't come to convocation they would refuse you a
certificate of graduation. They would never get away with that
stuff nowadays. Anyway, I can't remember how I made
contact with you, but, you loaned me your car for that day
and I picked it up after the meeting. You don't know, though,
how much we appreciated your generosity that time. In fact, I
think I was even late coming back to get you after work.
Great memories. Ron
Mosher
Graduating
Class of 59 Faye mentioned the
large size of our grad class and Jim explained that it was
caused by the big in-flux to Gander just after the war.
Further to this, most of the families coming in to Gander were
men and women in close to the same age group. Don't know why.
I noticed this when it came time for my father to retire - it
wasn't long after that all the men who worked with him and
whom I knew growing up, were also retired. Guys from Hangar
13, the Met office, the Admin office and the fire hall. It
could be that after the war when Gander opened up for civilian
workers it drew technicians and craftsmen who had basically
been trained somewhere during the war. Before the war, the
only other towns that had such trained workers in NL were
Grand Falls and Corner Brook because of the paper mills and
possibly Bell Island because of iron mines. Those workers
didn't leave those towns to come to Gander because pay was
quite good where they were.
In
reference to the size of our class - in grade one our class
was divided into two classes which continued up through until
grade 8. When we refer to Molly Primmer as our teacher, she
was really only the teacher of one of the classes. You might
find this next point interesting - I do, being involved in
education - in grade 8, with the combining of the classes,
there were 54 in class. Can you imagine trying to teach that!
It was chaos. Looking back I pity our teachers of that year.
If I remember correctly, there was a Mr. Parrot and a George
Stanford. Jim, was that the first year that Gil Wells came on
staff? Anyway, the next year in Grade 9 there were just over
30 students left who had passed grade 8 - everyone else was
kept behind to repeat the year. I think there were 34 or 36 in
grade 9. Looking back, what was astounding was how the system
managed to keep the class so large for the whole year without
parents, students and teachers causing a riot in protest.
Then, with the high failure rate, how did they manage to let
that continue to exist with all those kids losing a full year
by having to repeat? They would never get by with it
today. Ron Mosher
Gerald S. Doyle
Bulletins ,Don Messer and other radio
stories The 8:00PM Gerald S Doyle bulletin gave all the St.
John's Hospital reports about people who had operations or
illnesses and how they were feeling, and when they would be
returning home. Also there would sometimes be a broadcast
trying to locate someone in particular to call home, as he or
she were not contactable any other way. The Gerald S.Doyle
Bulletin was a means for people to have basic communications
around Newfoundland, because there was really a very limited
telephone system in those days. Even the Newfoundland Railroad
used Telegraph messages in morse code right up until it ended
service in 1988. Also the GSD Bulletin used to give the price
of the different fish on the market.This was so people could
keep up with the current prices for their goods.Remember, many
people living around the coast and especially on Islands and
other remote areas had no communications. They had to travel
by boat sometimes for long distances just to get to a roadway
or train to get to a main city, like Gander, St. John's, Grand
Falls, Botwood, Lewisport, Corner Brook, etc. So, by using the
services of G.S. Doyle news bulletin, they
could at least have peace of mind that they could tell
relatives and loved ones that they were OK or on their way
home and when.The best part of it was they became great
conversation pieces when the locals in the villages and ports
knew when anyone was coming home, who and when. Everyone would
crowd around the radio and listen for names of anyone they
knew, and if a familiar name was mentioned they would all
smile and say "Did you hear that, Jane is coming home from
the hospital tomorrow." Campbell
Pritchett
The Gerald S Doyle
bulletin was very popular. I remember Grandfather turned on
that old battery radio for two items ... one was the Don
Messer show and the other was the GSD Bulletin.. The
standard message: from " Uncle Harry" to "Aunt Mary Smith " in
Twillingate------------" Up and around. Feeling fine. Back
home on the " Kyle " on Saturday " ---------- Morley
Smith
I asked Dad if he
had some stories re our move to Gander. He said he used to sit
outside the old Goodyear store, waiting for Mom to buy
groceries, and he would be able to tune in Don Messer on his
car radio. Then it would fade out, and then it would come
back, and he found that very frustrating, and wonder, why did
I move so far away from home? He doesn't regret it now, but at
the time, he tells us now, he used to wonder what he was doing
in Gander!
He had a
bulldozer shipped in from New Glasgow. He waited and waited
for it to arrive, he would call and call the guy at the
railway station, no bulldozer. So one day Dad went to the
station, there was his dozer, on a flatbed, parked on a
siding. He asked the guy why didnt' he let him know it was
there. The CN guy said he wondered who owned it. Another
reason Dad used to throw up his arms and shake his
head.. Audrey (Mingo) Grantham
I listened to the hockey games on the radio from
1945/46 up until I went to New York in 1960. My parents didn't
get a Television set until 1962 ro 63, I think. So that was
how we got to know about hockey and the game, and then of
course playing it on the patches of ice in the winter and in
the rinks, if we were lucky. I remember my dad kept turning
the thermostat down during the game on the radio, because the
furnace made a lot of static on the radio, and by the time
the game was finished, the temperature in the house had
dropped about 15 degrees or more. So we automatically knew
when there was a hockey game on the radio and dad was
listening, we dressed pretty warm to compensate for no furnace
running. (It was worth suffering for).
Campbell
Goodyear's
Canteen I would walk from the Canadian side to the old
Goodyears canteen (down by the railway station)- where Mrs.
Hoddinott always asked if my mother knew where I was and that
I was spending money on candies, ten cents bought a LOT of
five for a penny candies. Jane
(Dempsey)Donnally
The
comment made about the Goodyear's Canteen and Mrs. Hoddinott
brought back a few memories. That was a "religious trek" to
see Mrs. Hoddinott at recess while attending the school across
the road from the drill hall (which became Gander's first
artificial ice sheet a few years before we all moved into the
new Town of Gander). Jim Butler
Taverns and Clubs As to the clubs,
Duffy's Tavern was on the Canadian Side just east of The Globe
theatre and across the street from the heating plant (that
kept all you Building 50ers warm). That closed in the early
50s. Cy's Tavern was on the American Side. I think that before
it became Cy's (Cyril Oates)Tavern, John Lush ran it along
with the bowling allies. And who remembers what John Lush ran
before that?? I can't wait for someone to ask! He operated the
Log Cabin on Deadman's Pond. A great place that was once
(probably) a recreation facility for some military group. It
was made of huge logs and the Lushes ran a canteen there in
the summer. I remember seeing an article in some paper
(probably The Evening Telegram; I doubt if The Beacon was
publiahed at that time) when the building was burned as a
safety hazard. Jim Butler
Jack Lush did run
the Log Cabin down at Deadman's Pond - I had forgotten that.
Remember all the wooden bridges (walk ways) up through the
woods and over the boggy areas? We used to go down to
Deadman's Pond to swim, remember? We also used to go out to
Union East. The first time I went out there, I went with you
and Morley. We used to walk out the track and a couple of
times we hooked a ride on the "speeder" with the section men.
Remember all the sand that was there? That was the opposite
side on Deadman's Pond from the Log Cabin where the sea plane
base was. Remember Mrs. Baker used to have a small store there
- she used to sell cigarettes individually for a nickel each?
She used to walk to Gander every day and everyone used to call
her the "Way Freight" - like the freight train that used to
cross the Island two or three times a week.Dad and Mom and I
used to ride the "Way Freight" to Grand Falls every so often
before the highway went through because Mom had a twin sister
living there. It used to take us three to four hours to get
there. Can you imagine - 100 km - that we travel now in less
than an hour! Jack Lush's sons were Norman, Peter and Max.
Norm went on to become a Neuro-Surgeon in St. John's. In fact,
he became well recognized throughout Canada for some of his
procedures. He went to Med school with my cousin Jim Yarn from
Corner Brook. Pete stayed in Gander driving a truck delivering
drinks mainly to the Gander Bay area. Max worked in the James
Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander as the main accountant and
retired only a few years ago.Someone mentioned Mrs. Hoddinott.
Her son Lud worked in the men's dept. of Goodyear Humber
Stores, as well. He used to be Molly Primmer's boy friend,
remember? By the way, I went to Goose Bay back in 1967 as
supervising principal of the school system there. That was the
year the school system there changed from a DND system to the
Newfoundland Dept. of Ed and the systems on the base and in
Happy Valley amalgamated as one. I found out that Molly
Primmer taught on the base for a number of years up to the
year I came. She heard I was coming, I guess, and left.
Ron Mosher
Driving to Grand Falls I also
remember driving to Grand Falls when the road was opened and
it taking quite a bit of time then, too. There were ferries
across both the Gander and Exploits Rivers that usually could
only take two or three cars at a time. I remember a section of
that road being called Bradley's Blunder, since the contractor
ran short of money while constructing the road and having to
follow the contour of the land for the last 10 miles or
so. Jim
In August 1958 or 1959, (when I
turned 16 or 17 - cannot remember which). Daddy (Sandy Millar)
said he would drive me and some friends to Grand Falls for my
birthday. I cannot remember why other than the Trans Canada
had been completed recently at that time and Grand Falls was a
reasonable destination. Although the highway was new it was
not paved and it was covered with shifting gravel and sharp
stones and as one drove along there was a great cloud of dust
raised which obscured visibility. Also no air conditioning, I
might add. Halfway along (near Glenwood?) we got a flat
tire and I have a photo - somewhere in my boxes in Halifax -
of Clarence Lehr and someone else changing the tire while
Daddy looked on. What were those teenaged boys good for
anyway? Although it was my birthday, I cannot remember who
else was in the car. We had it full so there must have been at
least two or three other kids. Who were they. And why were we
going to Grand Falls. I almost think John Malone was there too
but I simply cannot remember. Michal (Miller)
Crowe
More driving
stories Loretta (Smith) Brinton was one
of the first in our circle to get her car license. We can
remember getting a gallon for gas for .50 and then driving
around town - going to "lovers' lane" (the cemetery) to see
whom we could see and then gossip about! Gladys (Goulding) and
I recall bicycling to Denty's Pond, having chips and coke
before returning home. Chips and gravy and coke seemed to be
the "in" refreshments then - I can't believe it! I recall
one day when Joan Greene and I skipped school at recess time
to go to Bishop's Falls to visit my grandparents (we actually
went with my parents); Joan had relatives there as well. The
next day I was "kicked off" the prefect team for skipping
school. I was not a "happy camper" about that. What actually
happened was that my mother telephone me at school to see if I
could leave. I returned to the classroom and whispered the
news to Joan, suggesting that we might ask permission at
recess. The teacher gave me heck for talking in school. I was
so peeved that at recess we just left Marion Pardy
The forest
fires Does anyone remember the summer we
had the dreadful forest fires in Nfld. I believe it was the
summer of 1960, but could stand corrected. I worked at the CN
Telecommunications as a telephone operator, so I think I must
have graduated by then.
We worked all day on the long
distance telephone calls and at that time we wore headsets and
the calls all had to be connected by special little jacks
plugged into the correct holes. We thought we were ever so
clever and it was very exciting as we knew each phone call was
to help with the forest fire. We were asked to work extra
hours as there was such a crises and everyone was pleased to
be able to do something to assist the forest fire fighting
effort. When not working, we were encouraged, and expected,
to help make sandwiches and then help to deliver them to the
men on the fire lines. The whole province was tinder dry and a
state of emergency was declared with the army brought in to
help fight the fires.
Somehow in my off duty time I met
Jacques D'Anville who was brought in from Quebec to concoct
the chemicals to seed clouds with a view to encouraging rain.
Why I was helping him I have no idea, but one day we were
standing looking at a small lake and assessing the fire in the
hills across the lake when the whole forest exploded into
flames in front of us. The sound was deafening and the heat
was overwhelming. The situation produced the strangest
sensation of fear and excitement at the same time. I remember
we were so shocked and mesmerized it took several seconds to
realize we had to get out of there fast.
Daddy (Sandy
Millar) was also helping in his off work hours delivering food
to firefighters. My mother was away in Ontario for the summer
with my brother, so there was just my father and me at home.
As we were so busy working and volunteering, there were no
meals made in our house for days and I think we were running
on nervous energy so we did not even bother to eat. One
particular night we came home at 2 - 3 in the morning totally
worn out but so overcome with nervous excitement over the
whole forest fire situation we could not sleep. Individually,
we both got up and just talked by the light of the full moon.
There was no need to turn on any lights as it was as bright as
day, albeit smoke was in the air and permeated hair and
clothing. Oh yes, and in those days we smoked cigarettes as
well. Can you imagine.
The man in charge of Forests in
Nfld. was Ed Ralph (why can I remember some of these details
in such vivid details and be so vague on others)He was a
handsome man and I had applied to him for a job as a fire
watcher in a firetower that summer. Never did get the job
which was just as well. I probably would have burned to a
crisp. Michal
Doc
Paton It would be interesting to ask at the reunion in
August how many there were delivered by Dr.Paton. My husbands
brother (the late Dr.Jack Crosbie) worked with him at Banting
Memorial Hosp. in the fifties and said it became known to
young MDS starting out as Patons School of Post Graduate
Medicine. I'm sure, Ron, you probably know Ted Shapter, Frank
Duff, George Sceviour and many more of our Nfld.specialists
did a stint at the old hospital. Jean (Cornick)
Crosbie
Going to the Dentist I
remember going to the dentist Mike Maguire on the American
side and my parents had good friends there by the names of Max
and Kay Oldford. He worked with Flying Tigers and later was
transferred to San Francisco, Honolulu and then was an airport
manager in Alaska. Always returned to their Nfld roots for
holidays though and I last saw them in Florida about four
years ago. They had a place in St Petes where all Newfs were
welcome.He has since died and she is living in Homer to be
close to her kids Jean
Senior
Banquet Does anyone
remember our senior banquet? I remember getting all dressed up
and it was held in the auditorium with long table up near the
stage. Don't remember who put it on for us (ungrateful that I
was). I can remember being very sad sitting there, realizing
it was probably the last occasion that we would be seated as a
class. After I found an old scrap book, I learned that we
wrote provincials after the banquet/dance (I remember pulling
an all-nighter studying for them, trying to catch up on all of
the reading and studying I should have been doing throughout
the year). Faye (Lewis)
Raynard
Overnight at Mingo's
Cabin The weekend was
particularly special to me as it was the first time I had been
away from parental supervision overnight anywhere, so
there was a tremendous sense of freedom and excitement
surrounding the event. I was so thrilled to be invited and
part of the group. Vaguely in my mind I remember Helen Dempsey
there too although she is not in any of my photos. (There
may have been others there too, so they should feel free
to add their memories of this weekend.) Also, I seem to
remember a whisper of some boys in another cabin not far away.
I do not know who they were as I did not see them, but it
seemed there were some of the older girls who may have
visited the boys late at night without us. It is my
impression that part of the excitement was staying up as
late as we wished and indeed I believe we did. However, as
we only had candles and a coleman stove perhaps after
darkness fell it just seemed late. Michal
(Millar) Crowe
Elizabeth's Cabin
Story Our father usually
went to our cabin in Glenwood on Friday evenings and returning
Sunday afternoon. So, my sister Marcia and I always invited
our friends Betty and Jane to spend these weekends with us.
This particular weekend our planned events were: A. See who
could stay awake the longest B. See how many cigerettes we
could smoke. We had a "tobacco can" to keep the butts
in.
Marcia and Jane fell asleep by late Saturday
afternoon or early evening and I don't know why but Betty and
I went to visit our dog house situated in a garden of ours a
short distance from the house. Soon we heard a lot of people
noise (shouting, calling each other, etc.). We went in the
direction of the noise to investigate what it was all
about. Well, PINSENT'S BOARDING HOUSE WAS BURNING DOWN!
Betty and I stayed until the bitter end. Then we went back and
woke up Marcia and Jane. They couldn't understand why we
didn't wake them sooner! Elizabeth
Lyons
The Scandal
Story. It all really started in spring 1958 when
the school board didn't invite the principal Roland Clark and
vice principal Harold Loader back for the 1958-59 season. They
(the school board) were going to clean house and bring in
a bunch of new people, all with university
degrees.
They started with the principal, an british
guy with more degrees than a thermometer. I forget his name.
The vice principal was Gil Wells, a local guy with a degree.
The rest were all brand new to us. The principal was a real
phoney. He walked around with a cup and saucer sipping tea
all the time. He even set up a smoking room for the students.
We thought this was great. He taught us History in Grade X,
Not sure about other grades. We also had this young Science
teacher. Forgot his name as well. He was just out of
university, about 21-22 and hung around with the boys
after school. He was a pretty daring guy. He was caught making
moonshine in the chemistry lab with the distilling apparatus.
Not only that but a couple of the students were involved as
well. Alex Genge was one of them.
Then the sh-- hit the
fan. The principal was fired. A couple of teachers were
fired/quit which made the school short staffed. They made Gil
Wells acting principal. Then the Board asked parents who had
teaching experience, to become "temps" till they hired new
teachers. Sandy Miller & Hap Chafe took turn and
taught Physics. Clarence Bowering taught History. Sandy &
Hap were great. They were ex WWII air force pilots so they
spent most of the time telling us war stories. Mostly BS but
at the time we thought it was true. I worked with HAP in ATC
later and he said he had to tell us those lies because he
didn't have a clue about physics. Clarence was an ex school
teacher and taught History. We gave him a hard time. Nicknamed
him "Plato". Years later he told me it was the worst
experience of his life and I was his worst student. We had a
lot of laughs over that.
There were other temp teachers
for other classes but I have forgotten them. This was all over
in a few short months. We got a couple of new teachers and the
following year, a new principal. Jack
Pinsent
I was aware of it.
That was when Bill Lebans came to the school and also Murray
to teach Science - they were the teachers hired in the middle
of the year because of the shortage. That was the year we used
to come and go in class as we wished. Remember, Clyde Taite
would never show up for Math classes and teachers were
changing courses like changing socks in the first term. It was
slack for a time - but - it tightened up a little after
Christmas. There was more to it than Jack mentioned there, as
well. Apparently, the School Board meeting where the principal
was sacked was a riot with half the staff supporting him and
half not. The guy was a character all right. The story was
that he used to go to the bar at the RCAF base (station) and
lower a bottle of Scotch just about every evening. Gil Wells
did a good job pulling that year out of the toilet, but, never
ever got any real thanks for it. I was gone the next year,
but, I heard the stories for years afterwards. Roland "Pop"
Clarke went back to university and got his masters and took
over a school in Conception Bay and Harold Loder took over the
high school in Glovertown and treated his teachers there
like he treated his students. Ron
Mosher
A Love
Story The first day of school in Grade 1. I had
attended kindergarden and had never seen her before. There she
was. The prettiest thing I had ever seen . I had just been
given a little puppy dog by my parents, which I thought was
the most precious thing I had ever seen but this was
different. I made up my mind right then and there. She was
going to be my girlfriend and I would marry her. Well.
after school that day, we all (the boys) met together for the
general fooling around antics with 6 yr olds, when I declared
Barbara Godden was going to be my girl friend. This other guy
stepped forward (Kenny Barnes) and challenged me because he
was going to ask her to be his girl friend. I had seen
enough cowboy movies in my short life time to know that this
meant a duel to the death. I don't know who threw the first
punch, but the one that Kenny hit me with hurt. To be polite
about it all, I was thrashed soundly (as the British would
say). That was the last time I ever fought over a girl. A
lesson learned very wisely at an early age. I don't know if
Barb ever knew about my fight for her honor. I guess I never
thought it was important enough to tell her. Jack
Pinsent
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