| Name: |
Maverick
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/3/2007 11:48:35 PM
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So here it is:
Assumption #1
Russell Lands is one of the largest, if not the largest, landowner in Tallapoosa county, if not all three surrounding counties. Both lakefront and otherwise.
Assumption #2
Russell Corporation for years has been reducing its workforce and neither Alexander City nor Tallapoosa County has replaced this economic impact to the city or county, other than through increased ad valorem taxes of the escalating lake property values over the past 3 to 4 years or so.
Assumption #3
Both Alex City and surrounding counties still have an established workforce in which to attract industry.
Assumption #4
Other remote cities such as West Point, Georgia, and Tuscaloosa and Lincoln, Alabama have been able to attract major industry to their communities.
Assumption #5
Lake Martin is the “Crown Jewel of the South” and what an asset to have in your back yard to attract industry.
Assumption #6
The cost of living in Alex City and the surrounding counties is no higher , if not in fact lower, than West Point, Tuscaloosa, and Lincoln.
So here is my one stupid question of the year --
So why is it Alexander City and Tallapoosa County cannot attract a major corporation,
- Is it the quality of life?
- Is it the school systems?
- Is it the medical facilities?
- Is it the lack of a workforce?
- Is it hourly wages requirements are to high?
- Is it it’s remote location?
- Is it the Russell Family veto stamp?
If you say the Russell Family veto stamp, that does not make sense as with Russell Lands being the areas major landowner, it is in their best interest, in my opinion, to be involved in bringing new industry to the area, as they have a vast land supply, but very little demand other than lakefront property. As with new industry comes new homes and businesses, better school systems, and overall economic growth thus requiring more land purchases / sales., etc and a better quality of life for all.
So in your opinion, why is it Alex City and Tallapoosa County cannot land a major corporation.
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| Name: |
lakelady
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 12:19:36 AM
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I've got deep roots in Alex. City and the West Point area. West Point attracted Kia because of it's location on I-85 and being able to offer a land package to suit their needs. Less than an hour drive to Atlanta and Opelika is landing parts companies one after the other. Trust me, West Point has nothing else to offer. Alex. City does have Hwy. 280 but maybe it's not being pushed hard by city planners, chamber of commerce, etc. and nothing to do with Russell's. Just some lazy folks that need to get out there and earn their pay and title.
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| Name: |
MythBuster
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 1:34:13 AM
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This might not answer your question, but it should shed some light on the perceived Russell Veto:
Not long ago, Lowe's bought some land on 280 in Alex City, with the intention of building one of their stores on the site. When Russell heard about it, they bought the land back, at about four times what Lowes had paid for it.
Whether that was good or bad for Alex City as a whole is for others to decide; I just wanted to show you the mindset of the local Royal Family.
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| Name: |
Kizma Anuice
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| Subject: |
ITS NO INTERSTATE STUPID!
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Date:
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4/4/2007 2:36:26 AM
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Fact 1.
There is not Interstate highway that runs through Alexander City. 280 is not and never will be equal to an Interstate. Much of 280 is not even a realy "Highway" It is more of a city street in Alexander City, Sylacauga, Harpersville, Opelika and all of the areas surrounding Birmingham. Major "Highways" do not have traffic lights every couple of blocks. Industrial Development Maps do not show 280 as a "Major Highway" in our area.
Fact 2
Most of the "Russell Family" have 0 interest in Russell Lands.
Fact 3
The Lowes story is a lie. Lowes has never build in a market the size of Alexander City. Home Depot has, they picked Sylacauga over Alexander City because of less competition.
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| Name: |
MotorMan
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| Subject: |
Russell attiyude
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Date:
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4/4/2007 7:34:29 AM
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A guy I know was in a chat room and said he got a job in BVham. He said he hd just relocated his family to Alex City in 2002 as a new enginneer hire.
So,, Russell was hiring new on one hand and moving to Atlanta with the other. Poor planning. His contract is headed to Court. He now works for APC..
BETTER OFF.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Answer Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 7:42:14 AM
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I don't think it is a "Russell (Land's) Veto".
Russell still seems to have some of the old plantation/ mill-daddy mentality about the populace but that is not all bad. Look around at the medical facilities, parks, ampitheater, Children's Harbor and the like. There's not anything like that in other counties.
I have often wondered about the animosity with Russell in light of all that generosity and the only thing I can come up with is a tendency to be way too heavy handed about its interests. Now most corporations are but this has developed into something personal. I'm not even sure they realize it. Is it because of the hangover from the old mill days? I haven't been around or involved enough to know.
I think the real obstacle to growth is the general backwardness of the leadership of Tallapoosa County. Not that they don't want industry growth, it's just that the well meaning decent folks that are running the county just don't have a clue. That stuff about Dadeville's sewer system set things back more than they realize when you factor in the longer term reaction from the lake residents.
If you want development and moderization in Tallapoosa and it's communities, the good ole boys have got to go. Most of the old timers don't want change and I can understand that too. What they don't realize is that change is coming anyway and the citizens may forfeit their opportunity to control the change if some planning is not done right now.
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| Name: |
boataholic
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| Subject: |
ITS NO INTERSTATE STUPID!
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Date:
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4/4/2007 8:52:13 AM
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I don't know the facts about the Lowe's in Alex City story, but here is another piece of info to muddy the waters. Lowe's just announced it is building a store in Wetumpka, which has a population less than half of Alex City. Add in those living near Wetumpka and you have a population close to Alex City, but much less than the whole Alex City-Jacksons Gap- Dadeville Hwy 280 area. And Wetumpka also has a Russel Do-It Center.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
That's good
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Date:
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4/4/2007 8:54:02 AM
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Maybe it will sharpen ole Russell Do-it up!
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| Name: |
au67
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| Subject: |
Who's responsible?
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:15:58 AM
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Russell Lands and Russell Corporation (now managed by Fruit of the Loom) are not the problems. The responsibility for progress and development in this area rests squarely with city governments, the Tallapoosa County Commission, the Lake Martin Industrial Development Authority and the Lake Martin Economic Development Alliance. The responsibilty for the makeup of these entities rests squarely with the citizens of this area. You can't make chicken salad from chicken feathers. Well, I guess you can, but it won't be very pleasant to chew.
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
ITS NO INTERSTATE STUPID!
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:24:54 AM
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"There is not Interstate highway that runs through Alexander City. 280 is not and never will be equal to an Interstate. Much of 280 is not even a realy "Highway" It is more of a city street in Alexander City, Sylacauga, Harpersville, Opelika and all of the areas surrounding Birmingham. Major "Highways" do not have traffic lights every couple of blocks. Industrial Development Maps do not show 280 as a "Major Highway" in our area."
Hmmm, Teksid in Sylacauga built one plant originally and now has three on the same property. They make engine blocks. Sylacauga is further from an interstate than AC and Teksid isn't even on Hwy 280. It is located on a 2 lane road several miles from 280. The difference is a very active Industrial Development Board that recruits new industry, not a bunch of Good 'Ole Boys that are only looking out for the best interest of their bank accounts. Sylacauga builds a new 'spec' building every time they sell the existing one, and then markets these to the appropriate industries. I just heard this weekend of a relatively new industry that bags the calcium carbonate (marble dust) for Emerys (SP). They built a pipeline form the quarry to the new building and deliver the CC in bulk to the vendor that bags it and ships it. It seems to me that AC is in a pocket, surrounded by communities that are looking for and recruiting new industries, while AC sits back and says 'we've got Lake Martin'. And then when a new industry announces that it want to come the area, they are made to feel unwelcome because 'we have Lake Martin'.
And BTW, the Sylacauga industrial park is straight across Hwy 280 from WalMart with red lights and all the traffic, and 280 is a 'major' enough hwy that it allows double trailers to be pulled on it.
The original poster is obviously a Russell Lands employee. The wordplay is childish at best. I think we can all decipher the "kiss my anus" from your handle.
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| Name: |
Osms
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| Subject: |
Ric's right....
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:28:29 AM
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the status quo is very important to many in small towns and counties. It's not just the powerful moneyed people, many just don't want to see the rush hour syndrome in their towns. Many of the 'town people' resent or feel threatened by those retiring around the lake--the retirees bring new ideas and threaten their status quo. Do we really want Atlanta-on-the-lake?
I was raised in one of those towns in West Alabama which had a terrible case of what I call 'misplaced Southern aristocracy". That town is just about dead at this time--like so many other small towns in the South.
Maybe they're backwards, but remember we're the ones that joined them in their world, because we see the value in their life style. They didn't move to our town--we moved to theirs--remember why!!
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| Name: |
Hero
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| Subject: |
What he said...
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:31:22 AM
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That is all.
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| Name: |
Nutin Bitein
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 12:07:06 PM
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Why change? Change is not always a good thing. If another major player moved into the lake area they would want to run the lake as they see fit. Do you thing they would over look there bottom line for the best interest of the lake. NEVER. The current king has respect for the lake. Its in his best interest he owns lake land and lots of it. Big industry would ruin the lake over years and when its dead move on.
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| Name: |
Pier Pressure
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 3:25:52 PM
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Why can't we wait to trash talk Russell until AFTER INDEPENDENCE DAY? ;-)
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| Name: |
greycove
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| Subject: |
One Stupid Question Per Year
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Date:
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4/4/2007 3:27:26 PM
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These is strong evidence that being off an interstate is a major disadvantage. More than 20 years ago, the state of Georgia looked at population growth by county over a three year period. Note, EVERY single county in Georgia with an interstate passing through showed a population gain over the three year period. Also note, EVERY county without an interstate passing through loss population during the three year period. Interstates appear to be magnets for industries.
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Who's responsible?
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Date:
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4/4/2007 5:41:12 PM
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I agree 100% Au67. I have been wondering for years now why we have 2 industrial parks, one on each end of the county. It doesn't make sense to me, except for the politicians competing with each other in the same county. IMHO, you could have built one and then used the money spent on the other to attract or offer incentives to industry. The one on the north end only had two occupants, then lost one of those to Coosa county when they expanded to double capacity. But the pond and fountain sure are pretty.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
OMS is right....
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:37:42 PM
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You can't move in to the kitchen and complain about the cookin' . Well said!
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Why Change?
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Date:
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4/4/2007 9:43:58 PM
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Because change is happening every day at lake Martin. No one can stop it. The question is how the change is going to affect the community.
You know the ostrich might pull his head out of the sand and find a bunch of wolves looking at him.
He who has the plan wins. He who has no plan will be caught up in the current.
Think about it.
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| Name: |
The Old Vet
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| Subject: |
ITS NO INTERSTATE STUPID!
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Date:
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4/5/2007 11:32:54 AM
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Check out the following link. The new store is going to be built in Wetumpka . . . not Sylacauga
URL: Wetumpka works to land Lowe's
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| Name: |
Nutin Bitein
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| Subject: |
Why Change?
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Date:
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4/5/2007 1:59:46 PM
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Because change is happening every day at lake Martin. No one can stop it….. Your right! But, not all change is good. This tread started out wanting to know why Big Industry has not come to Lake Martin area. That is not a good change for the lake. The slower the lake changes the better off the lake will be. Look what a few major storms on the gulf did for us. Big ugly condos with the land stripped bare, all trees removed just a pile of dirt and a half built complex. And no buyers. That kind of change sucks! Big industry would bring the same kind of thing. Home Depot, Lowes, that will come in time weather we want it or not. I have thought about it. Not all plans suit all people; if I had an interest in selling property on the lake I would want faster change. My head is not in the sand it is up tall enjoying the view.
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
ITS NO INTERSTATE STUPID!
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Date:
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4/5/2007 5:39:07 PM
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Who said it was? Sylacuaga has a relatively new Home Depot.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Why Change?
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Date:
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4/7/2007 10:45:34 AM
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You are right as rain. I agree with you. The county needs some development regulation though like ...uh.... can I say it.....a nice zoning ordinance for openers. This is what I meant about choosing to control the growth rather than just react to it. When one of those ugly condos go up it's too late. That North Lake condo club is a prime example. Unless some strong leadership gets control of the association it is just a slum in progress.
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Better get used to them
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Date:
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4/7/2007 1:41:34 PM
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From what I hear, both of the other corners there will soon have condos too. But my money is on Frankies being gone by Labor Day.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Better get used to them
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Date:
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4/7/2007 5:02:53 PM
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I can't imagine having bought one of those condos for $300K then waking up one day to standing on my balcony looking out at a juke joint that is open to the public. I would not be happy.
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| Name: |
Lakeman
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| Subject: |
Better get used to them
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Date:
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4/7/2007 5:41:45 PM
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Ros where is this?
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