Friday, May 08, 2009

White Acres Fundraising with Steve Weaver's Photos

Badwater Reflection, Death Valley National Park
Professional photographer and geologist Steve Weaver displayed his beautiful landscape photographs at the White Acres celebration last Sunday. Steve has offered to donate 40% of any sales of his photographs through the coming week to the White Acres - Section 16 Fund. $75,000 of private money needs to be raised by November 15th.

A couple photographs of his that I really like are of Arches National Park and Badwater. He has many more beautiful photos.

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posted by UltraRob @ 9:47:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

White Acres Open Space Celebration

White Acres, Colorado Springs
It is finally time to do some celebrating over the White Acres Open Space deal. Yesterday Colorado Springs made the final approval to acquire it for open space. It has been nearly a year since I first attended a TOPS Working Committee meeting on it.

I spoke in favor of it at the Colorado Springs council meeting a couple weeks ago when they voted unanimously for it. Yesterday's vote was just part of the required process and on the consent calendar. The 2nd vote though does allow a chance for a decision to be changed.

To celebrate the approval there will be a party and picnic this Sunday, May 3rd any time from 1-4 PM. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the afternoon. It will be at the pavilion on White Acres. There will be music, hiking and an art show and sale benefiting White Acres.

The pavilion is just up from the 5-way intersection of South 26th Street, Wheeler, Lower Gold Camp, Bear Creek Road, and Gold Camp Road. Since there is limited parking at the pavilion, please park on the gravel strip on the south side of Lower Gold Camp just east of the intersection. You can see the intersection in my Google map of White Acres.

Because of the limited TOPS funds this year, Friends of Red Rock Canyon and the Palmer Land Trust are cooperating in an effort to raise $75,000 for White Acres by November 15th. Any extra money raised will go toward the $640,000 needed to purchase Section 16 soon after. You can donate now online through the White Acres Pikes Peak Community Foundation Fund.

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posted by UltraRob @ 11:31:00 AM   1 comments links to this post

Monday, April 13, 2009

Important Colorado Spings White Acres Vote Tomorrow

White Acres Near Colorado Springs
Update 4/14/09: White Acres acquisition was passed unanimously by the Colorado Springs City Council. It won't be effective until the 2nd reading of the ordinance on April 28th but it should just be on the consent calendar. Now Friends of Red Rock Canyon Open Space need to raise $75k by December but the Palmer Foundation is helping out.

The Colorado Springs City Council will vote on purchasing White Acres for open space tomorrow. This is the most important vote. There's support on council for the purchase but there's also some uncertainty.

Read through my past White Acres posts for more info about it. The White Acres Google Map shows how it fits in with Red Rock Canyon Open Space and Section 16.

If possible, please come to show your support for White Acres Open Space. The meeting is at the Colorado Springs City Hall April 14th at 1:00 PM. White Acres is the first 2 items of new business on the agenda. There are several other items before new business so it's hard to tell how soon they'll get to White Acres.

Fundraising Event


In related news, Pizzeria Rustica will donate the proceeds from its Earth Week Passport to Tuscany" wine dinner toward the White Acres acquisition. The five course dinner will feature five selected wines from Tuscany/Umbria paired with five Tuscan dishes.

WHEN: Monday , April 20 at 6:00 PM
WHERE:Pizzeria Rustica 2527 W. Colorado Avenue
COST: $49 plus tax and tip
RESERVATIONS: Coaltrain Wine & Spirits 475-9700

Additional donations will be accepted.

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posted by UltraRob @ 10:18:00 AM   1 comments links to this post

Sunday, March 15, 2009

White Acres Open Space Passes 2nd Vote

White Acres, Colorado Springs

There was some more good news for White Acres this past week. On Thursday the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board unanimously approved TOPS acquisition of White Acres as open space. I was there along with about another dozen people to support the acquisition.

The next meeting about the White Acres open space acquisition will be on April 14th with the city council. This will most likely be the most important meeting. There is some support for White Acres on city council but also some uncertainty.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon have decided to not begin fundraising until city council has approved the acquisition. Originally they had planned to start immediately but felt there could be some issues with that. They need to raise $75,000 this year as part of the deal. Even so they do have commitments from some large donors already.

I've put together a Google Map of White Acres that also shows Section 16 and Red Rock Canyon Open Space. I don't know the exact boundaries especially for Red Rock Canyon but I think I got them fairly close. It also has some of the area trails.

If you're on Facebook, I also created a Save White Acres Cause. You can use it to help spread the word. It'll also be another way to get updates and share information on White Acres.

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posted by UltraRob @ 10:11:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Thursday, March 05, 2009

White Acres Acquisition Passes 1st of 3 Votes

White Acres near Colorado Springs, Colorado

I've been blogging quite a bit about White Acres. Hopefully it's not growing old for non-locals. It's a property I really don't want to be developed. It's visible from much of Colorado Springs and is surrounded by land that won't be developed. Red Rock Canyon Open Space is on the north, Section 16 is to the west and Bear Creek Canyon Park is to the southeast. There are a few houses hidden in the trees in Bear Creek Canyon but they're barely noticeable.

White Acres TrailThe photo above from SaveWhiteAcres.org and the GPS track to the right from one of my recent rides show why I'm passionate about this land. Without the critical section of social trail through the property, it wouldn't be possible to make the big trail loop with Red Rock Canyon and Section 16. Even though the development plan seems to allow for the trail, having houses would ruin the beauty and solitude.

Last week the White Acres annexation petition was postponed a 2nd time because a deal to buy it for open space seemed possible. An article in Tuesday's Gazette led many to believe the White Acres deal was approved. That is not the case. Although a deal is in fact on the table, the article ends by saying the deal still needs approval. It seems not everyone read that far.

White Acres Trail, Colorado SpringsThe asking price for White Acres has been dropped from $1.375 million to $1 million. More important is that the full purchase price isn't required now like it was when city council voted it down last year. Instead the purchase will be spread over 4 years.

One key thing that wasn't mentioned in the Gazette article is that this year, $75,000 of private money will need to be raised by December. Only $25,000 of TOPS funds are being committed this year by the city. If the private fundraising fails, the whole deal would most likely fall through. This is the only year private funding is required.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon will be doing the fundraising. They plan to have online donations set up by next week. In the unfortunate event that the deal doesn't go through, donations will be used for the eventual purchase of Section 16.

Although the purchase will be spread over 4 years, the remaining property will be leased for $1 until all parcels are purchased. The farthest west parcel will be the 1st purchased followed by the hogback. The south parcel along Gold Camp Road will be the 3rd and the 4th parcel will be the north parcel along Gold Camp. This means the land least suited to development will be bought first with the best land for development being left to last.

A 5th parcel will be donated which is a slice for the extension of 31st street that's been on the master plan for decades. I don't think it's likely 31st will be extended but the city wants to keep it's options open. Land bought with TOPS funds can only be used for open space. A 6th parcel isn't being bought by the city. The house at the 5 way stop at 26th, Gold Camp and Bear Creek Road is on this parcel.

I was at the TOPS Working Committee meeting yesterday morning. There were over a dozen citizens there in favor of the White Acres Acquisition. If anyone was against it, they didn't say anything. The committee voted unanimously to recommend acquisition with very little discussion.

The next vote will be by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board next week on Thursday March 12th. From what I heard, they will support acquisition.

The bigger unknown is whether city council will support the deal. I've heard there is support for it but its tough to know. They are dealing with a lot of other issues. It'll be key for everyone to make it to the council meeting on April 14th if at all possible.

Key Dates


THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 7:30 AM — Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1:00 PM — Colorado Springs City Council
City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue

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posted by UltraRob @ 1:00:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Sunday, March 01, 2009

White Acres Open Space Deal in Works

View of Downtown Colorado Springs from White Acres

Two weeks ago the White Acres annexation petition was postponed for 2 weeks because of negotiations. Now the petition for annexation has been postponed until April 28th.

Trail in White Acres Near Colorado SpringsA possible deal is now on the table offering the City's TOPS program the opportunity to purchase White Acres in successive parts over four years and at a lower price than before. Friends of Red Rock Canyon will be raising money to cover most of the amount for 2009 since TOPS money is very limited.

The deal must now be formally approved by the TOPS Working Committee, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Colorado Springs City Council. The meetings at which approval will be considered are:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 7:30 AM — TOPS Working Committee
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 7:30 AM — Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

TUESDAY, APRIL 14 or 28 (?), 1:00 PM — Colorado Springs City Council
City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue

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posted by UltraRob @ 9:13:00 AM   0 comments links to this post

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Possible Good News for White Acres

White Acres

I went to the Colorado Springs city council meeting this afternoon because of the White Acres annexation proposal. Read my post from Sunday for some background information. Mr. Howard of Proverbs 3.5 LLC got up and asked that the presentation of the annexation proposal be postponed for 2 weeks. He said there had been some productive talks with City Parks and he wanted to continue those.

There was some discussion about whether to postpone it since quite a few people were there to discuss it. Scott Hente excused himself because he's done business with Mr. Howard in the past. Jerry Heimlicher was the only one to vote against postponing.

Heimlicher was the one that wrote the guest column in the Westside Pioneer. In it he stated he couldn't support development of White Acres. The council took a recess after voting to postpone.

Heimlicher came back and was talking to a small group of us. He said he didn't think it would be necessary to come back in 2 weeks and that it was a good thing. He also said he thought if the annexation had gone to a vote that it would have been rejected. He said he really couldn't say more than that.

I also talked to Chris Lieber from Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation. He seemed positive about what could happen with White Acres. We mainly talked about the 531 mile ride he and his family took on their quad bike from the Atlantic headed west. His kids are 9 and 10.

I'll be on the watch for any news about White Acres and will post it when I find it. If it's on the council agenda again in 2 weeks, I'll try going and getting the details.

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posted by UltraRob @ 4:03:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Sunday, February 08, 2009

White Acres Annexation to be Presented This Tuesday

White Acres Near Colorado Springs

I've written about possible development of White Acres a few times over the last year. The developer's petition for the annexation of White Acres is scheduled to be presented to the Colorado Springs City Council this Tuesday afternoon.

White Acres Near Colorado SpringsIf you don't know the background on White Acres, you can start with my report of the pre-annexation meeting in December and my post about whether development is a bluff. also Councilman Jerry Heimlicher post in the January 8th Westside Pioneer gives some insight into why the city hasn't bought the land for open space.

The meeting schedule is posted online. The petition for annexation is also online although I don't see anything other than legalese.

The Council meeting is this Tuesday, February 10th at 1:00 PM in the Colorado Springs City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue, upstairs in the Council Chambers. Although the meeting agenda looks long, it is expected that the White Acres annexation will be near the beginning of the meeting. I plan to go down to see how it goes.

White Acres Near Colorado SpringsThe petition for annexation is the first formal step in the annexation process. City Council frequently accepts petitions for annexation as a routine matter, although Council can deny the petition at this stage.

Acceptance of the petition is NOT the same as approval of the annexation. If the petition is accepted, the application is referred to the planning department which studies the proposed annexation, reviews various reports, accepts public comment, and makes a recommendation to the Planning Commission. Planning Commission then makes a recommendation to Council to either approve or deny the annexation. This whole process takes months.

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posted by UltraRob @ 5:02:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Monday, December 08, 2008

Is White Acres Development a Bluff?

White Acres, Colorado Springs
In my report on the White Acres pre-annexation meeting, I said it felt like Infinity Land Company was trying to force something. Email conversations with those that know more details seem to confirm it. Some believe that they are trying to use public opinion to be able to sell the land for a higher price.

Another developer doesn't see how they can get money to do the development. Permits for new houses are a tiny fraction of what they've been the last several years. At least one other project that Paul Howard of Infinity is involved with is in foreclosure.

White Acres, Colorado SpringsIt seems the city has a fair amount of control. I asked Mr. Howard what the effect on development would be if the city council reject annexation. He said they would develop as part of the county. I thought they needed the land annexed to build as many houses as they want to but he didn't answer that.

An article in the Gazette answers that question though. They would only be able to develop 8 lots if it's not annexed by the city. It seems like that would make it tough to make much of a profit on the development.

Although it appears less likely White Acres will be developed anytime soon, I'm still going to keep a close eye on it. I still think it's a good idea to take the actions I listed in my pre-annexation meeting post.

Mark, who posted the great video of White Acres last week, also video taped the pre-annexation and has been uploading clips of peoples comments to YouTube. He has one of Cyndy Kulp accusing Mr. Howard of blackmail.

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posted by UltraRob @ 7:33:00 AM   2 comments links to this post

Thursday, December 04, 2008

White Acres Annexation Pre-Application Meetting

White Acres Annexation Meeting
White Acres, Colorado SpringsLast night I went to the pre-application meeting for annexing White Acres. Read my post on White Acres from a couple days ago to see video and learn more about it.

City council rejected buying White Acres for open space during a closed session in September. Howard says he and the church would still rather see the land left as open space. He said even if they submit the annexation application, they will pull it if something can still be worked out for open space. Of course the church and Infinity want to get as much money as they can.

White Acres, Colorado SpringsI believe the church would like to see it open space. Infinity is just doing business. City council made their decision behind closed doors so we don't know their side of the story. Somehow though it feels like Infinity is trying to force something.

David Litzelman from city planning talked about the process for annexation. John Maynard from NES, Inc. spoke about their preliminary look at how the land could be developed. Paul Howard from Infinity Land Corporation, half owner of the property, talked about the open space negotiations and responded to most of the questions. Although there was a representative from Bethany Baptist Church, the long time owner, in the audience, he didn't speak.

The Development Plan

White Acres, Colorado SpringsThe plan they are talking about would have townhomes near the 5 way stop at 26th, Gold Camp and Bear Creek Road. Currently there's a house on the corner. Howard said something about 6-8 units. I'm not sure how many townhomes would be in a unit although I've seen a number 16-22 total townhomes.

Up the hillside toward the south would be single family homes. Currently there's a pavilion in this area. There would be approximately 27 lots that would be around 1/2 acre.

They wouldn't be able to develop the hogback because of the city's hillside ordinance. They'd be willing to leave the area on the backside open space. Howard didn't know if it would be given to city parks or how it would be managed.

Peoples Concerns

White Acres, Colorado SpringsBesides the obvious impact to the views and wildlife, peoples biggest concerns were traffic and water. Gold Camp Road the east would be able to handle traffic but I don't see 26th being able to handle much traffic. There were questions both about water for the homes and also how runoff would impact the surrounding area. Someone brought up a concern about increased risk of a brush fire and greater impact if there is one.

I asked what Infinity would do if the city council rejected annexation. Howard said they would go to El Paso county with development.

If the property isn't inside city limits, I don't believe Colorado Springs Utilities is required to supply water. It seems it could be difficult to develop it without annexation. I don't know much about development so does a reader have any insights on it?

Price Negotiations

White Acres, Colorado SpringsAccording to Howard, the city had the property appraised by a Denver company in March. That appraisal was $800,000. Infinity thought that was too low and wanted another appraisal. An appraisal in July came in at $2.1 million. He said they have a bank appraisal for $3.2 million. He said they would have sold White Acres for $1.375 million.

Even at $1.375 million, the land would be $29,000 an acre. The city paid $16,000 an acre for Red Rocks Canyon Open Space. Howard said that less of Red Rocks would have been able to be developed so they aren't asking that much.

How You Can Help


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posted by UltraRob @ 7:43:00 AM   1 comments links to this post

Monday, December 01, 2008

White Acres to be Developed



White Acres, Colorado SpringsIt had been a while since I'd heard much on White Acres. It's a section of land for sale bordering Red Rock Canyon Open Space and Section 16. The video above really shows what a beautiful area it is. I also posted several photos of White Acres the beginning of June.

I attended a TOPS meeting in May for public input on buying it for open space. At the meeting in May, no cost for the property was discussed. According to an article in the November 20th Westside Pioneer, Bethany Baptist Church and Infinity Land Corporation wanted substantially more than the $16,000 an acre paid for Red Rock Open Space.

The city wasn't willing to pay the asking price so plans are going forward to develop it. They're also asking the city to annex the property. It seems that allows more houses to be built than if it remained outside city limits.

The plan is for 16-22 townhomes along Gold Camp Road. Approximately 27 single family homes would be built on the backside of the ridge and be visible from Section 16 and Red Rock Canyon Open Space. The ridgeline and hogback would be left undeveloped.

On the map to the left from Friends of Red Rock Canyon, Gold Camp road is the curved border on the east side of White Acres. The curved part starts at the 5 way stop sign on 26th street on the popular bike ride up 26th and Gold Camp.

How You Can Help

  • There's a meeting for public comment this Wednesday evening, December 3rd, from 6 to 8 at Midland Elementary School, 2110 West Broadway Street. I plan to be there.
  • Add your name to the Save White Acres petition. They will be giving the list to the city.
  • Help spread the word that this land is about to be developed. Many people don't know it's private property and about to be developed.

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posted by UltraRob @ 3:48:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Thursday, July 24, 2008

White Acres Article

White Acres/Section 16

Update 12/1/08: The city has decided not to buy White Acres for open space and it looks like development is moving forward. Development still isn't approved so make your voice heard.

Last week The Gazette, our local paper, had an article about White Acres. I've written about the possible open space a couple times. My last post had several pictures of White Acres.

According to the Gazette article, Bethany Church would like to see the land undeveloped. The church needs a lot of maintenance and needs money. Since TOPS wasn't initially interested in buying the property, they've partnered with Infinity Land Corp. and have a plan for 28 houses.

My 5 year old went with me to the TOPS meeting a couple months ago when White Acres was discussed. We were riding at Red Rock Canyon last Sunday. She asked me if that was where we needed to stop people from building houses. She was on the trailer bike and I took her up there. I certainly got a workout!

It really would be sad if this great spot was developed. You can let TOPS know what you think by sending email to Chris Lieber.

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posted by UltraRob @ 8:37:00 PM   1 comments links to this post

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Update on White Acres with Pictures

White Acres/Section 16

Update 12/1/08: The city has decided not to buy White Acres for open space and it looks like development is moving forward. Development still isn't approved so make your voice heard.

Update 12/8/08: Maybe development of White Acres is a bluff by the land development company to get the city to pay more. Even if it is, I think the city needs know people don't want it developed.

White Acres Map, Colorado SpringsThe Friends of Red Rock Canyon have created a page with more information about the White Acres land. This is the land near Section 16 and Red Rocks Open Space that is for sale. A couple weeks ago, I went to the TOPS meeting to discuss buying it for open space.

The map they have shows how Red Rocks Open Space, Section 16 and White Acres fit together. The curved White Acres boundary on the east is the location of Gold Camp Road. The social trail that connects Red Rocks Open Space and Section 16 is about 2/3 of the way from Gold Camp Road to the Section 16 boundary on the north. It goes into Section 16 before the south boundary of White Acres.

You can still e-mail your comments to TOPS. Below are some more pictures of the area.

White Acres, Colorado Springs

White Acres, Colorado Springs

White Acres, Colorado Springs

White Acres, Colorado Springs

White Acres, Colorado Springs

White Acres, Colorado Springs

These pictures are from farther north in Red Rocks Open Space.

Rock Quarry in Red Rocks Open Space, Colorado Springs

Old Landfill in Red Rocks Open Space, Colorado Springs, CO

Looking Toward Ute Pass from Red Rock Open Space, Colorado Springs, CO

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posted by UltraRob @ 7:51:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Thursday, May 22, 2008

TOPS Meeting on White Acres

White Acres Social Trail
I did make it to the TOPS Meeting yesterday for the presentation on the White Acres/Bethany Baptist Church parcel near Section 16 and Red Rock Canyon Open Space. The church is interested in selling the property. It seems there is a developer that is interested in developing about 25 lots plus town homes along Gold Camp road.

White Acres Social TrailThere was a short presentation that included pictures of the area. The TOPS committee has had some discussions about only purchasing the area along the hogback or ridge and allowing development along Gold Camp. Although I think the ridge is the most important piece, I really don't want to see any development on that land.

If you don't know where that land is, it is near the 5 way stop where 26th street drops into Bear Creek Canyon. It is the land along Gold Camp Road to the right if you're headed into Bear Creek Canyon. It extends up and over the ridge. You can see a map of the parcel on the county assessor’s parcel info.

The key thing about the property is there's a trail that runs along the ridge that connects from the old landfill road to near the Section 16 parking lot. This allows for some bigger loops with trails in Red Rocks Open Space and the Section 16/Intemann Trails. There are some great views from there. The pictures I've added are from late in the day in November so the lighting isn't very good.

There were only 5 people there including me to comment on the White Acres/Bethany Baptist Church parcel. All were in favor of it being purchased for open space. A couple said they thought some development was alright. I made it clear I didn't want any development.

Jim Yount from Medicine Wheel asked if people could comment by e-mail since he hadn't been able to notify people until yesterday. The committee said they would welcome email comments. They should be sent to Chris Lieber. Send me an email if you would like his email address.

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posted by UltraRob @ 9:44:00 PM   0 comments links to this post

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Today TOPS to Discuss Land East of Red Rocks Open Space

White Acres, which is owned by the Bethany Baptist Church, adjoins the south end of Red Rock Canyon Open Space and the east side of Section 16. It is between 40 and 50 acres spanning the hogbacks and is visually prominent from the east as well as from many places in Section 16. The popular informal trail which links the Lion Trail in Red Rock Canyon Open Space to Section 16 trails crosses White Acres.

This informal trail is part of my favorite loop in Red Rock Canyon Open Space. It is a narrow trail along the top of the ridge over looking the city. I can't get Blogger to let me add the picture I have of the trail but it's the bottom picture in this post from November.

The Church is now interested in selling White Acres; and an application for TOPS to acquire the property has been submitted. There will be an update on White Acres at the TOPS Working Committee meeting this afternoon, Wednesday, May 21st. It would be a real bummer to lose this pieced of land to development.

The update on White Acres is scheduled for 5:15 PM and it would be a good idea to arrive earlier in case other agenda items are shorter than scheduled. The meeting is in the Parks Department building, 1401 Recreation Way, in the Palmer Room. I'm not sure I can make it out of work in time to make it to the meeting, but I'm going to try.

To get to the Parks Department building, take Uintah to Glen Street just east of I-25, go north a block on Glen, then go west a block on San Miguel. San Miguel bends to the north and becomes Recreation Way. The building is on the right an about a block. You can also get there from the I-25 Fontanero exit by heading east. You then have to turn right onto Recreation Way.

Update: I just found out that a developer is interested in that land. They want to put in 25+ lots plus town homes along the road.

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posted by UltraRob @ 11:48:00 AM   0 comments links to this post


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