Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Soldotna, November 9, 2015—Results from the first year of the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) online assessment for students in grades three through ten in English language arts and mathematics are now available online. In every grade level, KPBSD students continue to outperform state median scale scores in both English language arts and math.
“We have worked very hard to implement the shift to the new Alaska State Standards,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The results from the first implementation of the new assessment are in line with trends across the country in states that have also significantly raised student expectations. AMP is only one component that is utilized in our efforts to prepare students for their future. We are proud of our progress with graduation rates, student earned industry recognized certifications, college acceptance and completion, and Jumpstart college participation. KPBSD utilizes many sources of data to help our students grow and measure progress.”
Background
In spring 2015, our third through tenth grade students took the new online AMP assessment for the first time. AMP replaces the Standards Based Assessments (SBA). Fewer students in Alaska scored at the “meet standards” levels in AMP than scored at the “proficient or above” levels in the SBAs. KPBSD students meet these new standards at a higher rate than their peers across the state. The AMP questions in the new standards measure higher order thinking skills and complex problem solving in contrast to recalling facts and simple processes in the old SBAs. Alaska has new standards and a new assessment, which means we have a new baseline this year. It’s important to remember:
- Student achievement has not declined
- What is expected of students, and measured, is different than in previous years
- These first AMP results are setting a new baseline to help us understand where students stand on their path to success
We anticipate parents will receive individual student reports with English language arts and math results in December. KPBSD will mail reports from the district office.
A November 9, 2015, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) press release states, “AMP gives families, educators, and the public a more accurate understanding of whether students are on track to graduate with the academic skills they need to have choices in an ever-changing economy.”
As teachers and students gain more experience in the new and much more rigorous standards, AMP scores will rise. This has been true for other states which adopt higher standards.
- AMP is not a pass-fail test
- AMP scores do not affect course grades, graduation, or grade retention, but students will receive focused support to improve
- Some students will meet the standards and some students will partially meet the standards
- The AMP test and the SBAs are not comparable because they measure different standards, have different questions, and use different scoring
- Fewer students meet the new standards than used to meet the old standards; the new standards focus on higher order thinking skills and problem solving
- Our students and educators work hard and are capable of meeting and exceeding the new standards
Links
- Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, AMP webpage
- State of Alaska AMP results, 2015
- KPBSD District AMP results, 2015
- KPBSD School AMP results, 2015
- DEED media packet for AMP news conference, November 9, 2015
- KPBSD AMP webpage, http://bit.ly/AMPtest
- AMP Results Tool Kit: Information to help educators and parents understand and use the reports and results from the 2015 AMP assessment.
- Sample English Language Arts (ELA) questions and achievement levels
- Sample Math questions and achievement levels
### This and all KPBSD media releases are online at this web page: http://bit.ly/MediaPublicRelationships Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Golden Apple Award
November 2, 2015
Lisa Green, Volunteer
Mrs. Lisa Green and Superintendent Sean Dusek
“If it needs done, Lisa Green is there to do it,” said Doug Hayman, Tustumena Elementary School principal. “She does it with style, thoroughness, and the upmost attention to detail. A room parent and “Miss Lisa” to the students, she goes on every field trip with her children. Her level of commitment and involvement is unmeasurable. She is in our building at least one full day each week, but the work she gets done in that day exceeds anything one would normally expect. Her leadership is also appreciated. She recruits other parents for school events and field trips as well. She was instrumental in the completion of our school garden including the planting, and now harvesting, of our first crop of potatoes. Mrs. Green is always willing to work with small groups of children whether it is on a project or remedial instruction.”
Mrs. Lisa Green volunteers at Tustumena Elementary nearly every day she has off from her regular work at Cadre Feed Store. Even when she is working at her regular job, she is functioning as a liaison between the school and the business community, gathering donations or arranging discounts for projects around the school. She has been a part of every PTO function or activity in the last seven years.
In addition to the PTO events, Mrs. Green helps every teacher—in any capacity that is requested. It doesn’t matter if one of her children is in the classroom, she will laminate, prepare materials, make take-home booklets, tear out workbook pages, label supplies, and she makes extravagant bulletin boards throughout the school. She runs our Box Top store, organizes bake sales—including large contributions to the sales—and solicits items for the school Harvest Auction fundraiser.
Lisa Green also takes on initiative projects. She has been the point person on professional development with our Vari-Quest machine (a fancy die-cut machine), and worked on our Schoolyard Habitat Project. She has taken the initiative to clean out and organize the school workroom, as well as contact a company representative when the Vari-quest machine was in need of repair.
Without doubt, Mrs. Green’s service to Tustumena Elementary has benefited every member of the school community. From students, to teachers, from parents, to administration, Lisa Green is a go-to person and a value-add to the community.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education is proud to recognize Mrs. Lisa Green for her dedication to the students of the school district, past, present, and future.
Links
- Mrs. Lisa Green, Golden Apple certificate
- Past Golden Apple recipients
- Golden Apple Nomination form and criteria
Lisa Green and Tustumena Elementary staff, school board meeting
Posted in Awards by .
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Golden Apple Award
November 2, 2015
Patrick Dwyer, Educator
Golden Apple recipient Patrick Dwyer, and Skyview Middle School staff
“Mr. Patrick Dwyer is a positive educator who builds rapport with students and goes beyond the scope of his teaching duties when working with students,” said Sarge Truesdell, Skyview Middle School principal. “He is an innovator in the classroom as well as in his duties as our athletic director and head track coach. He has been teaching science at the middle school for the past nine years. A positive staff member, he mentors young teachers and is creative when working toward complex problems in our large building of over 400 students, and more than 50 staff members.”
In 2012, Mr. Dwyer co-created a sixth grade transition program for incoming students to the middle school. As a seventh grade science teacher, he recognized the challenges that incoming students had when transitioning from elementary school to middle school. The summer program has continued to grow serving over 20 students a year, despite shrinking resources. In the four years since Mr. Dwyer helped to create the program, it has served nearly 100 students. Mr. Dwyer has been able to work alongside one of his colleagues to continue to be responsive to the need of students despite limited time and funding.
An innovator, Mr. Dwyer not only developed the middle school transition program, but he has contributed on several district and statewide committees. This past summer he was part of a district-wide science collaboration that worked well into the summer break to find resources that matched the KPBSD science curriculum. Mr. Dwyer is a highly organized person and during his five years as the athletic director, he has put policies and procedures in place to make the athletic department more efficient. When Soldotna Middle School relocated and transitioned to become Skyview Middle School, he successfully transitioned the entire athletic department—including all the equipment and ordering of new uniforms. The ordering of uniforms was a daunting task as it required sizing, quotes, colors, numbers, and funding for every sport offered at the middle school.
Mr. Dwyer has his administrative degree and is the first person to volunteer to substitute in the office when the principal and vice principal are out of the building. Additionally, he has substituted in other KPBSD schools when an administrative substitute was not available. As a substitute principal, Mr. Dwyer can handle any situation that arises, keeps parents informed, and holds students accountable. “Mr. Dwyer is a work horse—he puts in the time that most other educators are just unwilling to put in,” said Sarge Truesdell. “His vehicle can be found in the parking lot early in the morning and late at night. He can be seen setting up cross country running events, putting the flags on the soccer field, and rolling out the scorer’s table for basketball games all throughout our athletic seasons. He does all of that while still planning and preparing for a full six class period day with multiple age and grade science classes. He demonstrates on a daily basis all of the personal and professional qualities of a powerful and dedicated educator.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education is proud to recognize Mr. Patrick Dwyer for his dedication to the students of the school district, past, present, and future.
Links
- Mr. Patrick Dwyer, Golden Apple certificate
- Past Golden Apple recipients
- Golden Apple Nomination Form and criteria
Posted in Awards by .
High accolades for three KPBSD employees who receive praise and recognition during the Alaska Speech–Language-Hearing Association (AKSHA) conference, October 16-17, 2015, in Anchorage, Alaska!
“The speech-language pathologists working in the KPBSD are incredible,” said Clayton Holland, director of pupil services. “It is wonderful that Cynthia Detrow, Judy Gonsalves, and Amy Hogue were recognized for their outstanding contribution to their profession in Alaska. They each bring so much to the table in the terms of expertise, hard work, collaboration, and service to students. I consider it an honor to work with them individually and with the entire group of speech and language pathologists in our district.”
Judy Gonsalves, Cynthia Detrow, and Amy Hogue receive high accolades for contributions that make a difference!
Judy Gonsalves, West Homer Elementary
AKSHA Sourdough: Long-Term Dedication and Outstanding Contributions in Speech Language Pathology and, or Audiology—Judy Gonsalves
This award recognizes an Audiologist and, or SLP who demonstrates long-term dedication to issues in the state, advocacy, leadership, or outstanding clinical practice.
Judy Gonsalves is the Speech-Language Pathologist for grades third through sixth at West Homer Elementary School and has been for the past 12 years. Ms. Gonsalves began 30 years ago as an itinerant SLP in Bristol Bay, flying out to 11 different villages to give services to Alaskan students. Recalling her experience, she said, “I always packed an apple, granola bars and a book for when I got weathered in, and worked hard to keep the audiometer warm in the bush planes on cold winter days!” After filling in for an SLP on maternity leave, she found herself in need of a job and returned to school for her Type A certification, then taught third grade for 15 years. Keeping up her Type C certification, she was able to apply for her current SLP position in Homer. Besides working in the school, she is also active in the community through the Homer Council on the Arts, Homer Friends of the Library, and the KBBI public radio station.
Cynthia Detrow
Red Lantern: Outstanding Contributions in Rural Alaska by an Audiologist and, or a SLP—Cynthia Detrow (Kenai Peninsula Borough School District)
This award recognizes the unique challenges many AKSHA members work under to provide services to those in our rural areas.
Cynthia Detrow took the initiative to pursue providing a distance delivery speech program to the remote sites in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. “By providing telespeech services from another location in the district, Ms. Detrow is able to offer more consistent, efficient, and effective services to students living in hard-to-reach rural areas of the district,” noted Clayton Holland, Director of Pupil Services with KPBSD. “We no longer need to worry about the weather preventing the delivery of services to students.” Cindy, also, travels to the peninsula’s village schools on a rotating basis to provide on-site assessment, collaboration with school staff and parents, and direct services to students. Cindy’s blended approach of distance delivery combined with on-site work has led to therapy that is mutually beneficial to all involved, creating cost benefits for the district while also maximizing the effectiveness of services. Cindy’s work has also inspired other district specialists to use distance technology to provide services, attend meetings when otherwise weathered-out, and link students in remotes sites with students in other locations in the district for educational purposes. Detrow highly deserves recognition with AkSHA’s Red Lantern Award for her outstanding contribution to speech-language service delivery in rural Alaska.
Amy Hogue, President’s Award
Amy Russell, president of the Alaska Speech-Language Hearing Association, selected Amy Hogue for her President’s Award. She said the following: “Amy has made many contributions to our association. Many therapists in the Kenai area have joined our association at the encouragement of Amy. She has also been a great AKSHA ambassador to her employers at the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Amy has served on our ASKHA board for many years. Currently, she is our Communication Chair and has been for almost four years. She has been a key contributor to our current website and has become our Wild Apricot specialist, as we navigate and figure out all that the company has to offer our association’s website. If you ask her to do something, it’s done without a second reminder and done quicker than you even thought possible. If you’ve ever received an email from AKSHA, Amy was probably the one who hit the ‘send’ button.”
Links
#GoldenStory
Posted in Awards by .
The district is facing a fiscal gap for our 2016-2017 budget. We are prioritizing the programs and services we will be able to offer in our schools. The district may need to make difficult decisions depending upon the level of funding we receive from the state and borough. I encourage the public to use this meeting as an opportunity to learn about this fiscal reality, and to think in terms of what we can do differently to produce a balanced budget. – Sean Dusek, superintendent
Action # 1: Review facts and figures
Click to read the October 15, 2015 PowerPoint KPBSD FY17 Budget Development Meeting Presentation by Sean Dusek, superintendent, and Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. And, you might want to navigate to this page to watch a video of the presentation–it’s a link in the FY17 budget development section.
Action # 2: Learn what site councils asked and see summary from October 15, 2015
Review site council questions from the October 15, 2015 discussion and KPBSD administration responses, together with a summary of site council feedback from the budget development meeting discussions and ideas. Both of these documents were presented to the school board on November 3, 2015, during a worksession.
Action # 3: What do you think?
Contribute your thoughts about the KPBSD budget and offer feedback about areas of the budget that can be reduced or should be expanded, and suggestions about solutions to our funding shortfalls. What matters, what doesn’t? Contribute your ideas to KPBSD: Online public comment form. Responses will be collected and shared with the board of education in November and December, 2015.
Links
- PDF: October 15, 2015 budget development meeting presentation
- PDF: Site council budget questions and KPBSD answers, October 15, 2015
- PDF: Site Council budget development feedback summary, October 15, 2015
- KPBSD Finance Department webpage
- News Release: October 15, 2015: Community Budget Development Meeting at 23 school sites
- Alaska Governor Walker Building a Sustainable Future Conversation website
Posted in KPBSD District Stories by .
News Release, October 2, 2015 | Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Title VII Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting – Interested tribal elders, community members, students and parents are encouraged to participate.
The Title VII Advisory Committee is comprised of parents and guardians of Title VII students who have been appointed by school site councils.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Borough Assembly Chambers,
Borough Administration Building
144 North Binkley Street, Soldotna, Alaska 99669
The KPBSD Title VII, Indian Education Program, supports Alaska Native and American Indian students for a successful experience throughout their K-12 schooling years. The Title VII Program is designed to assist and support students’ academic achievements, social and emotional development, and cultural awareness in the classroom. KPBSD Native students will be supported and enabled to receive an educational foundation, and given the skills to respond successfully with adults, situations, circumstances, activities and opportunities in school and life.
Over 114 Alaska Native Tribal affiliations are represented in the nearly 1,200 identified Native students in the KPBSD Title VII Program.
Agenda includes
- Outreach in schools to identify all students who quality for Title VII services, online form
- Review of past priorities and outcomes in 2014-2015; Set 2015-2016 priorities
- Project Grad
Please RSVP to Maribeth Snell, MSnell@KPBSD.k12.ak.us
Questions? ContactConrad Woodhead, KPBSD Native Education Program Coordinator, CWoodhead@KPBSD.K12.ak.us, 907.235.8671; or Tim Vlasak, Director of Federal Programs and Assessments TVlasak@KPBSD.k12.ak.us, 907.714.8829
KPBSD webpage: Title VII Indian Education
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Eleven KPBSD Title VII schools designed and created unique banners for their schools as well as a banner representing the collective Native pride that exists in KPBSD. This project was made possible by a Youth Cultural Heritage grant from Alaska State Council on the Arts.
Posted in News Release by .
News Release
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Soldotna, October 2, 2015—Peninsula high school students have an opportunity to meet representatives from more than 40 educational institutions
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
10:00—1:00
Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska
Choosing a college takes time and effort so KPBSD is making it easier for students to dream for and plan their future education path by inviting college representatives to come and meet with students here on the Peninsula. The sixth annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair is free, and no appointments are needed.
KPBSD juniors and seniors will attend with their schools. Connections, IDEA and Cook Inlet Academy students can sign-in at the door.
Students and parents can learn more about scholarships, loans, state and federal financial aid programs at the Financial Aid booth.
KPBSD students must sign-up with their school counselor to attend; transportation is provided.
Confirmed educational institutions: Alaska Bible College, Alaska Christian College, Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, Alaska Job Corps OA/CTS, Alaska Pacific University, AVTEC – Alaska’s Institute of Technology, California Baptist University, Central Washington University, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, Colorado Mesa University, Colorado State University, Eastern Washington University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fort Lewis College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Idaho State University, Institute of American Indian Arts, Kenai Peninsula College, Lincoln College of Technology, Linfield College, Mayville State University, Northern Arizona University, Northern Industrial Training, Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Oregon Institute of Technology, Pacific Lutheran University, South Dakota State University, Southern Oregon University, Southwestern Oregon University, St. Olaf College, The Art Institutes, The College of Idaho, The Master’s College, UAA College of Engineering, Universal Technical Institute, University of Alaska – Anchorage, University of Alaska – Fairbanks, University of Alaska – Southeast, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Idaho, University of Portland, Willamette University.
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Posted in Community Partners News Release by .
News Release, October 1, 2015 | Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
KPBSD schools ShakeOut on October 15
All K-12 schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will participate in the Great Alaska ShakeOut “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” earthquake drill on Thursday, October 15, 2015, at 10:15 a.m.
KPBSD students and staff join more than 69,000 Alaskans who have already registered to participate. Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support, said, “We need to be prepared for incidents we hope never happen, but if they do, we can minimize the danger to our students, staff, and community.”
Earthquake preparation and the proper “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” technique is valuable safety education for our students and employees. We will also practice a radio check-in to the district office from each of our schools following this earthquake drill.
Alaska schools, families, and businesses are also encouraged to participate by signing up at
Resources, including audio clips for the drill, are available online at http://www.shakeout.org/alaska/
News Release, October 1, 2015: Great Alaska Earthquake Drill is October 15
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This and all KPBSD media releases are online at this web page: http://bit.ly/MediaPublicRelationships
Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory
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Kenai Peninsula Borough School District News Release
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Does a quality education and the future success for every young person living on the Kenai Peninsula matter to you?
Yes? ... please participate in the budget development meeting which takes place at 23 KPBSD school sites on Thursday, October 15, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. Here are three reasons why:
- Up front learning about how KPBSD is crafting a multi-million dollar budget in response to the fiscal reality impacting all aspects of state government and funding for public education
- Give your feedback about areas of the budget that can be reduced or should be expanded, and suggestions for legislators about solutions to our funding shortfalls. What matters, what doesn’t?
- Q & R: question and response opportunity
“The district is facing a fiscal gap for our 2016-2017 budget,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “We are prioritizing the programs and services we will be able to offer in our schools. The district may need to make difficult decisions depending upon the level of funding we receive from the state and borough. I encourage the public to use this meeting as an opportunity to learn about this fiscal reality, and to think in terms of what we can do differently to produce a balanced budget.”
Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials are invited to attend the budget development meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2015, 6:00 p.m., via MS Lync, at any of these KPBSD school sites:
Cooper Landing – Room 4; Homer Middle School – Library; Hope School – Sandra Barron’s classroom; Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science – Library; K-Beach Elementary – Room 18; Kenai Alternative School- Front office; Kenai Central High School – Library; Moose Pass School – Katie Abraham’s class; Mountain View Elementary – Library; Nikiski Middle – High School – Library; Nikolaevsk School – Library; Ninilchik School – Library; Port Graham School – Secondary classroom; Seward Elementary School – Library; Skyview Middle School – Library; Soldotna Elementary – Library; Soldotna High School – Library; Soldotna Montessori School – Office; Soldotna Prep School – Library; Sterling Elementary – Mrs. Van Slyke’s room; Susan B. English School – Commons; Tebughna School – Room 6; and Tustumena School – Library.
“Our annual budget is one of the most important things we do each year,” said Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. “We want to give our parents, staff, students, and community members a chance to learn about our budget, participate in the process, and offer input. The meeting on October 15 will be an important step in the process to develop the FY17 budget. We hope to see a large turnout at all our schools across the district.”
Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during November and December board meetings and worksessions.
Links
- KPBSD Finance Department
- 2016-2017 (FY17) Budget Development calendar
- KPBSD News Release: Districtwide Budget Development Meeting is October 15
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- This and all KPBSD media releases are online at this web page: http://bit.ly/MediaPublicRelationships
- Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory
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Kenai Peninsula Borough School District News Release
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Soldotna, September 30, 2015—U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognized Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science [Kenai, Alaska] as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School. Based on overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups for making progress, 335 schools are honored as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School.
One of the 15 charter schools recognized nationally, and one of three schools in Alaska to receive this distinguished honor in 2015, Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science in Kenai, Alaska, joins nine other schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) to achieve the National Blue Ribbon School excellence designation.
“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” Duncan said in a video message to the awardees. “Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction, and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence—in vision, in implementation, and in results—and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”
“I’m honored our school has been recognized,” said Robin Dahlman, principal. “This is a reflection of a vision shared by dedicated teachers, staff, students, families and community members to personalize integrated learning for all students. We look forward to continuing to provide excellence in all we pursue with children’s learning and development.”
“We are very proud of Kaleidoscope and what they are doing for students in our district,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The staff, students and parents should be commended for all of their hard work to make this school such a wonderful place for kids. Congratulations and keep up the great effort!”
The U.S. Department of Education will honor all 285 public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on November 9-10, 2015, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Each school will receive an award plaque and a flag as symbols of their accomplishments. In its 33-year history, more than 8,000 of America’s schools have received the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award.
Students arrive at school on September 30, 2015, and discover the U.S. Department of Education is recognizing their accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that goes into their success!
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science is one of four charter schools in the KPBSD. With forty-three diverse public schools spanning 25,600 square miles on the Kenai Peninsula, Sean Dusek, superintendent, explains, “In my opinion our diversity is an asset that all of us should embrace. While this diversity makes the management of our district challenging, it is the best thing to offer for our nearly 9,000 students.”Alaskan families can choose to send their students to these KPBSD public schools:
- Free neighborhood schools that offer the KPBSD adopted curriculum choices
- Free school district optional and alternative high school programs
- Free local charter schools that offer an alternative curriculum choice
- Free performance-based school
- Free school district homeschool program
Links:
- 2015 National Blue Ribbon School Video Announcement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
- 2015 Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science – National Blue Ribbon School
- Facebook:Kaleidoscope School of Arts & Science
- National Blue Ribbon School Program
- KPBSD News Release: National Blue Ribbon School Award to Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
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This and all KPBSD media releases are online at this web page: http://bit.ly/MediaPublicRelationships
Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory
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