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Today's News
In Observance of Labor Day,
TexasISD.com will not post on Monday, September 6.
We hope you have a very safe and happy holiday.
Posting will resume on Tuesday, September 7.
Sep 3, 2010, 09:02
Joe Smith: Lorena and Orange Grove Ratify Tax Rate - September 3, 2010
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I wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend - I need to start mine a little early today and am not writing a commentary, but will give you a quick TRE update. Yesterday, 2 districts had TREs ratified. Congratulations to Lorena and Orange Grove school districts! Celina ISD will have one tomorrow and then, next Saturday, September 11, Brock, Calallen, Coppell, Millsap, Robstown, Tolar, Tuloso - Midway and Weatherford will go to the polls. (Updated September 3 10:30am)
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DISTRICT |
RESULTS |
FOR |
AGAINST |
Total |
PERCENT |
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Lorena |
RATIFIED |
795 |
244 |
1039 |
76% |
| Orange Grove |
RATIFIED |
182 |
11 |
193 |
94.3% |
- Total Districts on list - 68
- TREs held - 19
- TREs Ratified 15 (78.95%)
The TexasISD TRE list is on the Lone Finalist (subscription) - js - webmaster@texasisd.com |
New! September 2 - 10:00 AM - Paytek - Free Check Recovery - Go To Meeting - This is a great opportunity get more information in a very informal setting. - Registration
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Congratulations to the following New Supers:
David Baxter, Assistant Superintendent at Crockett ISD, has been named New Super of Kennard ISD.
Allen Law, Superintendent of Moody ISD, has been named New Super of Giddings ISD.
Dan Trevino, La Feria ISD Assistant Superintendent, has been named New Super of Mercedes ISD. |
Sep 3, 2010, 09:00
ARRA Section 1512 Quarterly Reporting Corrections Period
From TEA: There is one week left in the Continuous Corrections Period for ARRA Section 1512 Quarterly Reports for the quarter ending June 30, 2010. On August 9, 2010, TEA opened the Expenditure Reporting (ER) system to allow corrections to ARRA Section 1512 quarterly reporting data submitted for the quarter ending June 30, 2010.
Sep 3, 2010, 08:41
New From TEA
New! Official Notification of the 2010 Final School FIRST for Charter Schools Rating
New! 2nd Annual Walk Across Texas Challenge
New! Notice of Application to Participate in the Electronic Course Program (eCP)
Education Jobs Bill funding estimates by district
TEA Legislative Appropriations Request
Texas Education on iTunes U
Status of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Title I, Part A Paraprofessional Qualifications Requirements
Admission, Enrollment and Withdrawal
Attendance, Admission, Enrollment Records and Tuition
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Benefits
The Best Practices Clearinghouse
Notice: Review all TEA Correspondence to Districts. Letters on various topics sent to school districts from the Texas Education Agency
Sep 3, 2010, 08:41
Gov. Perry: Washington Politics Restrict Texas Education Funds
(Letter Attached) Gov. Rick Perry today sent a letter to school administrators across the state detailing his efforts to try to access the $830 million in federal funds for Texas schools that Lloyd Doggett’s anti-Texas amendment to the federal emergency education jobs bill (H.R. 1586) has jeopardized. Doggett’s amendment requires the governor to make assurances that the Texas Legislature will make specific funding commitments, which is a violation of the Texas Constitution.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:39
Lorena: Voters show up in force to save school with tax hike
TRE: LORENA - In the face of looming school closings and jobs cuts, the City of Lorena put a tax increase in the hands of voters Thursday night and it passed resoundingly 795 to 244. There was no lack of enthusiasm behind voting, News Channel 25 was told this was the biggest turnout people have ever seen there. Lines out the door while polls were already closed at 7p.m. The last voter cast their ballot at 8:30 that night.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:39
Governor pitches school savings incentive in Lubbock
Governor Incentifve: In the midst of the political season, one of the issues most discussed nationwide is education. In the Lone Star State, Governor Rick Perry is drawing support for a new school savings incentive program. "Sometimes there are functions that you find a better way to do them, and that's a better way to do them and save money so that those dollars can instead go into the classroom," Perry said. Participating districts would receive a grant equaling ten percent of the total money they cut from their budget.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:38
Angelina Co. superintendents react to governor's cost cutting plan
LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) – With budget pressures getting harder to manage, elected officials have already started pitching ideas on how to increase revenue.
This week Governor Rick Perry proposed a new incentive program that would reward districts who partnered with other districts, counties, and cities to reduce administrative costs
The news of possible financial incentives is usually well-received, but not one that governor Perry recently pitched.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:37
Education's less-than-certain windfall
It sounded at first like the best of news for South Carolina. The $26 billion jobs bill passed by Congress earlier this month would send $143.7 million to the state, which has lost between 2,800 and 3,900 teaching jobs over the past two years.
Instead, after taking a look at the bill’s fine print, state education officials found a flaw that could deprive them of that money. A set of provisions in the bill requires states to have kept up their level of higher education spending this year, something South Carolina did not do. The bill, which offers money only for K-12 schools, included the higher education funding requirement as a holdover from previous drafts of the legislation.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:35
High number of home-schooled students leads to state audit
READ! - from yesterday - js In an attempt to ensure that public school districts aren’t disguising high school dropouts, the Texas Education Agency is conducting an audit of students who withdrew under the auspice of home schooling. TEA officials wouldn’t reveal details of the audit — other than to say that the state is contacting a random sampling of families to validate that they intended to home-school when they left middle or high school.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:35
State looks at number of home-schoolers
The Texas Education Agency has begun an investigation into the large number of high school students who have withdrawn from public school to begin home schooling in the past couple of years. More than 22,620 Texas secondary students were listed as withdrawing to home-school in 2008. That number represents a 24 percent increase from the year before. TEA officials have expressed concern that some public schools could be disguising their dropout rates.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:35
California to use new type of nationwide school tests
READ! With a federal award of $330 million, California and 43 other states joined Thursday to replace the much-maligned year-end English and math standardized tests with new nationwide tests that could better measure student learning and teacher performance. Also Thursday, the Los Angeles Board of Education formally directed its superintendent, for the first time, to include student test score data as part of teachers' evaluations. That change would have to be negotiated with the teachers union.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
Congress Considers Changing 'Metal Retardation' Language in Federal Education Laws
Need to know - The U.S. Senate passed a bill last month that would amend language in federal law that strikes the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" in favor of "intellectual disabilities," the phrase of choice used by the Centers for Disease Control and the White House. Now the House of Representatives has its turn with the language. Originally introduced last November by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Senate bill 2781 seeks to remove a negative stigma associated with the "old-fashioned" term once commonly used to describe a person who learns and develops more slowly than others, according to the Web site KidsHealth. But the term is now generally frowned upon by those in educational and therapeutic circles because of the harmful effects it can have on feelings of not only persons with disabilities but also their families and friends.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
No Pass, No Play: The Back Story by Bill Hobby with Saralee Tiede
Several people sent notes that they enjoyed this article -so i reposted for today - js [Editor's note: How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics, by former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby with Saralee Tiede, is being published this month by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas. In this excerpt — the second of three that the Tribune will run — Hobby writes about the 1984 fight to reform public education in Texas and the fallout of teacher testing, standardized student testing, and the idea that nearly derailed the whole effort: No Pass, No Play.]
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
Some State Board of Ed members want broader health care resolution
Some Nebraska State Board of Education members Wednesday balked at a resolution calling for repeal of the "unfunded mandates" in federal health care reform, saying it pitted education against health care. But most did support a resolution addressing all unfunded mandates, and expressing the board's commitment to education. "This pits one institution against another," board member Joe Higgins said of the resolution. "We shouldn't say we can only provide for medical care at the expense of education." Instead, he said, the board should step back and look at what it wants to say about all mandates. He noted that the Legislature imposes unfunded mandates on the state board and the state board does the same to local districts.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
State ruling leaves 1,500 HISD ‘virtual’ students unaccredited
At 8:30 a.m., Patrick Kehoe approaches his desk, turns on his computer, and starts his school day. The 13-year-old has a curriculum gamut similar to other peer eighth-graders, from Algebra I to Physical Education, though Kehoe handles the rigors of instruction from the comfort of home, as a student in the Texas Connections Academy Houston, a partner of HISD.
“It’s a great option,” said Patrick’s mother Pam, of her son’s move from the Rainard School for Gifted Children to the home partnership in the public school system. “HISD should be commended for being part of this program. Having a gifted kid comes with educational differences and you have to keep these kids challenged.”
Kehoe is a textbook example of the skyrocketing popularity of virtual classrooms in HISD. The TCAH partnership began in 2008 with 100 students and grew to 1,000 last year, serving grades 3-8. Earlier this year the district announced plans to expand the 1,000 enrollment cap to a projected 2,500 and found the community interest more than equal to the ceiling.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
Texans' Personal Income Loses Ground to Other States
Recent data on personal income and per capita personal income released by the Bureau of Economic Statistics (BEA) demonstrates the devastating effects of the recession on Americans across the country, especially in Texas where per capita personal income fell from a rank of 26 to 29 in the United States. Despite a 2 percent population increase in Texas between 2008 and 2009, total personal income declined by 1.6 percent to $904.2 billion. Although Texas had a lower unemployment rate (8.2 percent) compared to the national average (9.7 percent), per capita personal income in the state declined faster than the national rate. Twenty-one out of the 25 Texas metro areas (MSA) experienced declines in per capita personal income.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
TX: Low tax collections make budget shortfall worse
The state's 2010 fiscal year ended this week. Finally.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:31
Superintendent Vacancies
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| Vacant |
Canton ISD - Search by Arrow Educational Services Click for More Info! |
| Vacant |
Calhoun County ISD - Search by Horn, Smith, Wood & Preston |
| Vacant |
Mount Pleasant ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Huffman ISD - Search by Bob Griggs & Associates |
| Vacant |
Taylor ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Eagle Mt.-Saginaw ISD - Search by Bob Griggs & Associates Updated |
| Vacant |
Waelder ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Gorman ISD - Search by Gorman ISD Board of Trustees |
| Vacant |
Tidehaven ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Hico ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Grape Creek ISD - Search by GCISD Board of Trustees Notice |
| Vacant |
Marble Falls ISD - Search by Horn, Smith, Wood & Preston |
| Vacant |
Alvin ISD - Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| Vacant |
Region 20 ESC Executive Director Info |
| Vacant |
McMullen Co. ISD - Search by McMullen Co. ISD Board of Trustees Brochure |
| Vacant |
Baldwin County Public Schools, Bay Minette, Alabama - BWP Associates George McShan, Nolan Estes & Harold Dodge Info |
| Lone Finalist |
Port Neches-Groves ISD - Rodney Cavness, Supt. Evadale ISD; Search by Dr. Danny Lovett, Region V ESC Brochure |
| Lone Finalist |
Perrin-Whitt CISD - John Kuhn, HS Prin. Mineral Wells ISD; Search by Dale Thomas, Region 9 ESC |
| Lone Finalist |
Crosby ISD - Dr. Keith Moore, Asst. Supt. Special Programs; Corsicana ISD; Search by Don Hendrix Announcement |
| New Super |
Brooks County ISD - David Perry, Supt. Gorman ISD; Search by BCISD Board of Trustees Announcement |
| New Super |
Mercedes ISD - Dr. Daniel Trevino, Asst. Supt. La Feria ISD; Search by Mercedes ISD Board of Trustees Announcement |
| New Super |
Fruitvale ISD - Dr. Jennifer Jones, HS Prin. Martins Mill ISD; Search by FISD Board of Trustees Brochure |
| New Super |
Sanger ISD - Jerry "Kent' Crutsinger, Interim Supt. Little Elm ISD, Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| New Super |
Decatur ISD - Rod Townsend, Supt. Hico ISD; Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| New Super |
Connally ISD - Frances Penland, Supt. Karnes City ISD; Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| New Super |
Kennard ISD - David Baxter. Asst. Supt. Crockett ISD; Search by Jim Vinson & Fred Rush, DRV Educational Solutions Info |
| New Super |
Giddings ISD - Allen Law, Supt. Moody ISD; Search by Jim Vinson & Fred Rush, DRV Educational Solutions Info |
| New Super |
Hutto ISD - Dr. Doug Killian, Supt. Huffman ISD; Search by Texas School Solutions Carol Ann Moffett |
| New Super |
Galveston ISD - Larry Nichols, Supt. Calhoun Co. ISD; Search by Horn, Smith, Wood & Preston |
| New Super |
Trinity ISD - David Plymale, Supt. Waelder ISD; Search by TASB Executive Search Services |
| New Super |
Wellman-Union ISD - Mr. Dewayne Chenault; Search by Wellman-Union ISD Board of Trustees Notice |
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Last Updated:8/31/10 |
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Click Here for More Vacancies & Details! |
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How do I get my SuperSearch on TexasISD.com? | |
Sep 3, 2010, 08:30
Burleson educator named only superintendent finalist
Longtime Burleson educator Richard Crummel was named the district's lone finalist for superintendent Thursday.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:29
Houston: HISD to open night high schools
The Houston school board voted this morning to approve another one of Superintendent Terry Grier's let's-get-this-done-yesterday initiatives: night classes for high school students. The so-called twilight school is slated to operate on seven campuses: Sharpstown, Lee, Jones, Kashmere, Worthing, Scarborough...
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:27
Superintendent's Corner: Robotics curriculum is coming to Alpine ISD
When the doors opened last week, students at Alpine ISD had a new elective added to their curricula, "Robotics Education Team Development Program." In May 2010, Alpine ISD's technology director, Debbie Dodds, applied for a grant through the Texas ...
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:23
Public corruption: Feds allege bribery, kickbacks
Eleven people -- including the mayor of Socorro, two lawyers and several current and former elected officials -- used a scheme of bribes and kickbacks to obtain contracts for Access HealthSource, a local health-care provider, federal prosecutors allege.
The workings of the enterprise were unveiled in a 27-page indictment that became public Thursday. The indictment charges all of them with six counts of bribery and fraud. Most of them are also charged with one count of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, known as RICO.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:20
Palestine ISD sees gains in TAKS test
PALESTINE — Palestine Independent School District officials are pleased with gains made by the district’s students on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test this past school year.
The district and three of its campuses (Palestine Middle School, Story Elementary School and Southside Primary School) were rated “academically acceptable” by the Texas Education Agency, while Palestine High School, for the second straight year, achieved a “recognized” ranking.
“First of all, I couldn’t be more proud of our teachers in Palestine,” PISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas A. Wallis said, “considering 24 of 25 academic indicators were either exemplary or recognized with TPM (Texas Projection Measure).”
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:19
Seguin: Tackling Truancy
It’s two weeks into the start of school. Students are still learning their schedules and Matador Stadium has yet to see a home game.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:16
Police Issue 175 School Zone Speeding Tickets
The first week of school in Tyler saw motorists racing to get their children to school on time, getting stuck in traffic jams and forgetting to reduce speed and put the cell phones.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:15
School board sets tax rate, raises teacher pay $1,200
The San Marcos CISD trustees set a property tax rate of $1.35 per $100 of taxable value this week. However, school officials worry about future budgets unless they receive help from the state legislature.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:15
Paris: Students leading the way to acceptance
Wow. What an insight viewers of “If You Really Knew Me” gained Tuesday from the MTV special featuring Paris High School students.
I attended portions of Challenge Day in the fall of 2009 and knew then the program brought to the school by the Paris Diversity Task Force was something special. But I did not realize the potential this program has to change relationships when students begin to share their innermost feelings with one another.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:13
Store Owners: K2 Ban May Bring Overall Sales Down
In just a matter of days, K2 will be illegal in College Station. Even though the ban doesn't go into effect until Sunday, many stores have already taken it off their shelves.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:11
Mansfield High School softball coach arrested
A Mansfield High School softball coach was arrested Thursday on suspicion of online solicitation of a minor, according to police.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:10
Can teachers run a school with no principal?
The idea has gained currency as debates rage over the best ways to ensure that teachers can bring up student achievement. The drumbeat of "teacher accountability" is getting louder – with everyone from President Obama to district leaders calling for teachers to meet high standards or risk being removed.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:06
Counties Worry Cuts Lead to Unfunded Mandates
Related to Counties but applicable to schools - State lawmakers facing an estimated $18 billion budget shortfall will soon wield their knives, but who or what will sustain deep cuts? As Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, county officials are among those waiting to see how the legislative slice-and-dice could affect things back home — and they're particularly nervous about unfunded mandates.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:06
Bulletin Board
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TexasISD "Events and Opportunities" |
| Schwartz & Eichelbaum, Wardell, Mehl & Hansen |
- Legal Issues for School Secretaries
- 12 Sessions around Texas beginning Sept. 8
- Click here for more information and to register online
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| Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators |
- Covering HR laws, best practice, and state agency updates.
- Regional workshops in June at various locations and dates for supervisors of non-exempt personnel
- State-wide conferences held in Austin in July and December for administrators:
Winter Law Conference with Legal Digest, Dec 8; Winter Conference Dec 8-10.
- State-wide conference held in Austin in September for all HR support staff : Fall Conference, September 26-27.
- Visit the TASPA website for conference descriptions, locations, and dates.
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| Region 4 ESC |
- Are you Pursuing the Superintendency?
Learn the key issues instrumental to a superintendent's success from a panel of distinguished speakers and practicing superintendents at Region 4’s Aspiring Superintendent and Education Leadership Academy - Starting September 2010. <Download Info>
- Who should Attend?
- Those pursuing the superintendency as a career choice
- Administrators or principals seeking a senior central office position
- Central office administrators pursuing a better understanding of the superintendent's role
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| Midwestern State University – Superintendent Certification Program ONLINE! |
- 18 hours of coursework;
- Complete the program in one calendar year;
- 220 hour internship served in your district under the mentorship of your superintendent;
- Coursework aligned to Educational Leadership Consortium Council Standards;
- Classes 100% online with video conferencing enhancement to provide interaction with other students and professor;
- All classes taught by MSU Educational Leadership professors with real-world experience
- Test preparation support;
- Scholarship assistance available.
- Click Here for additional information
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| Stephen F. Austin State University |
- You can earn a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Standard Principal Certificate …Online!
- Stephen F. Austin State University’s Educational Leadership Online Principal Program
- 6-semesters, 36-hour Master’s Degree Program
- 18-hour Principal Certification Program (for those who already have a Master’s degree and meet program requirements)
- Attend face-to-face classes for three Saturdays during the semester for each course offered
- Complete the rest of the courses online
- For more program information, please visit
- http://www.sfasu.edu/education/departments/secondaryeducation/ (Please visit site and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Online Principal Program)
- For application information, please visit:
http://www.sfasu.edu/go/ed-leadership/ or contact Dr. Janet Tareilo, Coordinator of the Principal Program, by email at tareiloj@sfasu.edu or 936-468-1592.
- Web-Enhanced Superintendent Certification Program
- Attend classes on campus at sites near you
- Complete some of the class sessions web-enhanced reducing the number of face-to-face classes
- Complete the Superintendent Certification courses in one calendar year
- Scholarship money available
- Receive support to pass the state superintendent exam at no additional cost
- For application information, please visit: www.sfasu.edu/go/superintendent or contact Dr. Pauline Sampson, Coordinator of the Superintendent Program, by email at sampsonp@sfasu.edu or 936-468-5496.
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| Region 14 ESC - Alternative Certification Programs |
- SUPERINTENDENT PRINCIPAL & COUNSELOR
- Apply now for Summer 2010 cohorts. Complete program in one calendar year (for those who already have a masters)- 20 face-to-face summer sessions and one Sat. a month during fall and spring
- For more information, please visit www.esc14.net
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Texas Superintendents’ Certification Institute |
- A blended online program designed by superintendents, for aspiring superintendents.
- Attend face-to-face sessions in San Antonio (ESC20) and Austin (ESC13) once every six weeks.
- Conveniently complete coursework online, while interacting with the other participants and the course facilitator.
- Visit the TSCI website to apply.
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| The University of Texas at Tyler - Principal & Superintendent Course Now ONLINE! |
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Sep 3, 2010, 08:00
Corpus Christi: CCISD: No more &*%#@*$#
CCISD has started a new lesson for some students: Cursing could cost you.
Students who curse at an adult or fellow student at school could get a ticket, a trip to a justice of the peace and as much as a $500 fine. So far, 14 tickets have been issued, officials said.
The citations are part of a new initiative at Corpus Christi Independent School District campuses to improve student behavior.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:00
Hale Center High School students receive MacBooks to do school work
“It’s so beautiful,” exclaimed Kaylan Baca, a Hale Center High School junior, as she pulled the white, 13-inch Apple MacBook from its case. “It’s too cool.” Freshman Katie Beth Barton hugged her laptop to her chest, saying aloud she hoped she would not drop it since she will be using that computer for the rest of the school year.
[ View Article ]
Sep 3, 2010, 08:00
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