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  Marijuana Would Help Many Who Are Suffering

Posted by CN Staff on May 04, 2009 at 09:15:10 PT
By Senator Steve Murphy 
Source: Post-Bulletin 

Minnesota -- This may well be the year the Minnesota Legislature passes legislation to allow seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest. Despite the scare stories you may have heard, that would be a good thing for all Minnesotans.Scientifically, there is simply no longer any question that marijuana can relieve symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and certain types of pain that inflict great misery on thousands of our fellow citizens battling a variety of illnesses, from cancer and AIDS to severe pain from devastating injuries.
That's why medical organizations like the American Public Health Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, American Nurses Association and Minnesota Nurses Association support safe and legal access to medical marijuana for the seriously ill.That's why a coalition of experts, including the Lymphoma Foundation of America and the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America wrote, in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, "For certain persons the medical use of marijuana can literally mean the difference between life and death. At a minimum, marijuana provides some seriously ill patients the gift of relative health and the ability to function as productive members of society."Amazingly, some opponents still deny the growing mass of medical evidence. Others have tried to frighten the public with side issues and red herrings.They talk, for example, about the hazards of smoking, while failing to mention that marijuana does not need to be smoked to be used as medicine. More and more patients are using vaporization -- technology that provides the same fast action and precise dose control as smoking, but without the hazards of smoke.Or they'll tell you that that the legislation has inadequate controls and will somehow flood Minnesota with marijuana, failing to mention that in the 13 states with medical marijuana laws, no such thing has happened.In fact, Minnesota's legislation has some of the toughest controls in the country, similar to the successful laws in states like Montana and Rhode Island. Eligible patients will be monitored through a statewide registration system, and anyone misusing their registration card will face felony prosecution -- more severe than the standard petty misdemeanor penalties for illegal marijuana possession.Most importantly, we now have real-world experience with medical marijuana laws in 13 states, containing nearly one quarter of the U.S. population. They work. And they don't cause an increase in marijuana use or any of the other problems you may have heard dire warnings about.For example, in Vermont, the state government surveyed law enforcement statewide to determine impact of that state's medical marijuana law. The responses were amazingly consistent, with 90 of police managers surveyed reporting that their department had "not incurred any additional costs as a result of the law." Eighty-four percent said the law had "not made it more difficult to enforce drug laws," and 74 percent believed that the law had "not contributed to an increase in illegal marijuana use."When Rhode Island's legislature first passed its medical marijuana law in 2006, it gave the measure a sunset clause, requiring a review and re-authorization after one year in order to keep the law in effect. In 2007, legislators voted to make the law permanent by an even larger margin than it had passed by in the first place -- majorities of more than four to one in both houses. Does anyone really think that would have happened if the doomsday scenarios predicted by opponents had come true?There is simply no excuse for further delay. This must be the year we pass medical marijuana legislation and stop using our scarce law enforcement resources to arrest suffering patients for seeking physician-recommended relief.Sen. Steve Murphy, a DFLer from Red Wing, is sponsor of the medical marijuana bill that passed the Minnesota Senate last week. Source: Post-Bulletin (Rochester, MN)Author: Steve MurphyPublished: May 4, 2009Copyright: 2009 Post-Bulletin Company, LLCContact: letters postbulletin.comWebsite: http://www.postbulletin.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/YcafHqw6Related Articles:Medical Marijuana in Minnesotahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24773.shtmlState Senate Approves Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24766.shtml

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Comment #41 posted by FoM on May 08, 2009 at 14:24:21 PT
Medical Marijuana Passes Last House Committee
By Andy Birkey May 8, 2009Minnesota’s medical marijuana bill cleared its last committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, paving the way for a House vote. It passed the House Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 17–6 after no debate. Several major changes were made to the bill to appease law enforcement.“I have tried to accommodate concerns along the way,” Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) told the committee. “Thirteen other states have not had the problems that law enforcement is talking about in this state.”He said they have made significant changes to the bill including a sunset date in fall 2011 and a reduction in the number of plants per patient from 12 plants to 6 plants.URL: http://minnesotaindependent.com/34401/medical-marijuana-passes-last-house-committee
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Comment #40 posted by vincent on May 05, 2009 at 21:51:44 PT:
The Opposition
As this article says, although there is mounting evidence to support the legalization of marijuana, at least for medical purposes...the oposition always either ignores it, tries to prove it wrong or comes out their face with some other "bad" thing about marijuana that they heard, just to have the last word. They never learn. That's why I get so pissed off at the opinions of these knockleheads. I must apologize for some of my "tirades" on this board. It's a shame that after Woodstock and Watergate, two events that exposed the truth, some people of my generation still can't see.
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Comment #39 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 11:20:21 PT
Hope
Now that Verizon and Alltel have merged I am getting good speeds. I wish you could get a data card. I've no regrets with using a data card. I haven't had any reason to call tec supporter for over a year or more.http://www.speedtest.net/result/467063205.png
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Comment #38 posted by Hope on May 05, 2009 at 11:14:11 PT
Was good?
I'd still be loading!
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 11:04:14 PT
Hope
That was good.
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Comment #36 posted by Hope on May 05, 2009 at 10:54:47 PT
Here's a good one of the Three Marlenas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiWcn3yGZE8&feature=relatedI see a "video" in my mind of a baby swing with a sweet little baby in it, clicking and swinging to the beat.
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 09:36:31 PT
Hope
I just went and listen to samples and put that cd in my wish list.
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Comment #34 posted by Hope on May 05, 2009 at 09:09:00 PT
Bringing Down the Horse
is the CD I have. I haven't listened to it for a long time. Listening to One Headlight now. "The cemetery trees"... his daddy used those words in at least one of his songs. It always stuck in my mind. I think of cedar trees for some reason. He, Bob Dylan, also used the term "African trees, bent over backwards from a hurricane breeze" in his song, Man in the Long Black Coat. Those words, too, drew powerful pictures in my mind that have stayed with me. Ah... I can hear Dylan's voice in my mind, "She went with the man in the long black coat".:0)When I get a new CD I play it virtually continuously for months sometimes and can associate music with certain eras in life. I associate Bringing Down the Horse with taking care of one my grandson's during his infancy. It was a lullaby and near constant background music for him. I can still hear in my memory his little swing rocking and clicking to the music of these songs. It calmed his little soul, much as it often did mine. He was just a tiny baby. A couple of months old. I always thought The Three Marlenas was his favorite. Some beautiful music on this album.I especially like Sixth Avenue Heartache, too. One Headlight, too. His voice is like a powerful, low, warm wind blowing across a desolate plain ... in a good way. A kind of lonesome way... but a good way.I think I've got Dire Straits Portabello Belle song transcrossed in my memory files with the Wallflowers. Wallflowers never did that one, I think. Probably, I played a lot of Dire Straits about the same time, too.
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 08:26:36 PT
Rainbow
I know what you mean.
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Comment #32 posted by Rainbow on May 05, 2009 at 07:57:08 PT
article
FOM thanks for posting these two articles.
the problem here in MN and Rochester (republican town) is they believe Mr. Flaherty, no matter the conflict of interest.Sorry to rain on the parade but 10-1 has pawless vetoing the action, he is as lame as the police dude in the article.
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 06:03:17 PT
HempWorld
Thank you. 
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on May 05, 2009 at 06:02:42 PT
Hope
I never knew that Bob Dylan has a musician as a son. Now I want to hear more from this talented man. Cat Stevens has a new CD coming out and they did a big ad on TV and it made me smile. I don't know if you can get this video to work but it is good. It's called Thinking Bout You. At the end of the video he gets up and walks out and gets in a VW bus and turns the key and starts the engine. That means he's back to me.http://www.amazon.com/Roadsinger-Warm-You-Through-Night/dp/B001TN1EDO/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_lnk
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Comment #29 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 21:49:15 PT
Jakob Dylan ... The Wallflowers
Love them! Have for years. The Three Marlenas. Portabella Belle. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to watch those videos. Bout ready to call it an evening here.
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Comment #28 posted by HempWorld on May 04, 2009 at 21:15:56 PT
Ja, ja so gut, so muss dass sein ... 
I totally agree with FoM, 100%.Peace out everyone! It's just a matter of time, hopefully before Dec. 21st 2012!Yes, this is a great article! Go Senator!
Legalize It!
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 20:14:03 PT
The GCW
I don't have a problem with compassion centers except the price and when people get in trouble they don't seem to understand why. We need to change the federal law and then it will work.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 20:02:14 PT
The GCW
We don't have snow but it's chilly. There's nothing like the warmth of a woodstove. I just discovered Bob Dylan's son. I didn't know Dylan had a son that is a singer.Something Good This Way Comes - Jakob Dylanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cFZfaziYEk
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Comment #25 posted by The GCW on May 04, 2009 at 19:58:42 PT
FoM,
Other states haven't got the problems that California hasButCalifornia has made it easier for a larger percentage of citizens to have access to cannabis with out digging into the black market.Not that I have any problems with the black market...-Every state should have more compassion centers than Starbucks.
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Comment #24 posted by The GCW on May 04, 2009 at 19:52:18 PT
FoM,
I'm still burnin' wood too. -mostly just in the mornin's lately. We woke up to an inch or so of wet spring snow that coated all the tree branches which is very pretty.
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 18:28:12 PT

bionic man
It has been a learning experience and an experiment in state's rights. They forged ahead and we can learn from them for being out there in the front. Other states with medical marijuana laws on the books haven't had quite the problems as California. 
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 18:25:33 PT

OT: Bob Dylan's Son
We were watching the 101 on DirecTV and Jakob Dylan was performing. He was really good and looked so much like Bob Dylan with his hat and glasses on. I did a search and found this song by Jakob Dylan. He's good. The Wallflowers - One Headlighthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLqOwiZ8n5I
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Comment #21 posted by bionic man on May 04, 2009 at 18:25:11 PT

comment 17
Prop 215 has been a learning experience for everyone.
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Comment #20 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 17:38:14 PT

Comment 19
I dread reading that... but it's loading.It's cool here today and cloudy and rainy. A little fire would be nice, actually. I'm just thinking about the sunnier days coming.

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Comment #19 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 16:58:41 PT

Stiff Sentence Upheld for Medical Pot Supplier
May 4, 2009URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/04/BATQ17EC5N.DTL
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 16:04:42 PT

Hope
I'm still burning wood!
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 16:02:45 PT

bionic man 
I think that Prop 215 has gone beyond what the initial intention was and there will be problems. That doesn't mean Obama won't stand on what he said. People that push the envelope will get in trouble in my opinion. I don't want to think that my state, if we ever get medical marijuana legal, would do it like California has. Most states aren't that liberal.
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:43:18 PT

That "Sun Mask"
I'm thinking I need one of those. The sun is so hard on me.It looks like it might come in very handy sometime this summer.
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Comment #15 posted by bionic man on May 04, 2009 at 15:42:22 PT

Progress?
doctortom has a sobering read. I sure hope he's wrong.
http://www.doctortom.org/
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:37:52 PT

Oops. Comment 13
should be addressed to Bionic Man.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:37:03 PT

Lest all hope be lost
at the thought of no chance again for two years... don't forget "Special Sessions".Do we have enough people to insist that a "Special Session" be convened, a heck of a lot sooner than two years from now?
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:27:52 PT

EAH
You really should send that to the editor of this paper. It is very well written... said.I can almost guarantee you'll get ink if you send just this part:Dennis J. Flaherty is wrong
For example: "You have a very loosely written piece of legislation that, if passed, would clearly hamper law enforcement's ability to enforce marijuana laws. Laws on both the state and federal level prohibit the possession and sale of marijuana. If legalized for any purpose, it will put us in conflict with the feds."The point is to change these repressive, unjust, unAmerican laws. 
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:14:53 PT

Bionic Man
Of course not in Texas. It's a political dance, really. It's known as 
The Legislative Drag".And you know what they're dragging.
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 15:08:18 PT

Just to make you laugh... or something.
I was searching for sun protection in hats and such and ran on to this "Sun Mask" for twenty five dollars at the Patagonia website.http://bit.ly/12cl7l
http://bit.ly/12cl7l
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 14:47:00 PT

bionic man
My state decriminalized marijuana in the mid 70s. I know there are states that desperately need the federal law to be changed and I am hoping that this time it might just happen.
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Comment #8 posted by bionic man on May 04, 2009 at 14:26:18 PT

not in Texas
Patients in Texas will continue to suffer as the legislative session is winding down and the next one is in 2011. HB164 would have only provided a possible defense if you were arrested, and also possible defense for Dr. Can only hope that by 2011 it will be legal at the federal level.
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Comment #7 posted by EAH on May 04, 2009 at 14:03:13 PT:

Dennis J. Flaherty is wrong
For example:
"You have a very loosely written piece of legislation that, if passed, would clearly hamper law enforcement's ability to enforce marijuana laws. Laws on both the state and federal level prohibit the possession and sale of marijuana. If legalized for any purpose, it will put us in conflict with the feds."The point is to change these repressive, unjust, unAmerican laws. "it creates penalty provisions for unlawful cultivation, distribution and possession of the drug that are much less severe than existing statutes."Good, but there should be NO PENALTIES AT ALL."The proposal gives the Commissioner of Health the sole responsibility to regulate this new bureaucracy and excludes the Commissioner of Public Safety with any oversight role. The very agency best suited to help regulate this new industry will be sidelined."Good, once again your limited ability to see things differently biases your 
opinion."The facts are that marijuana is a drug that is associated with violent crimes such as robberies and assaults. Many have and will resort to almost anything to get their hands on it. Families and caregivers of the sick could easily become victims of yet another illness called crime."First that is wildly exaggerated to the point of being a lie. Second, just as in the days of alcohol prohibition, if it wasn't illegal the association would not exist!"Legalizing it for medical purposes will create a perception among many, especially our children, that marijuana is a good thing, when we all know that it is not. It is the most widely abused controlled substance in our state."This is the one that you guys trot out every time. This is not about children it is about adults. Most children are smarter than you give them credit for anyway. Marijuana IS a good thing, you have been so completely brainwashed over the years that you are completely unable to see this. Along with that you are also unable to distinguish between use and abuse. By the way, prohibition 
turns out to be a lousy method of control. It was a failure with alcohol and it's a failure with cannabis. Legalization would provide much better actual control without all the problems for people whose lives are far more ruined by the criminal justice system than the marijuana."If as a state we are really serious about trying this, then I can assure you that a better, more carefully written bill could be put together that does a far better job than the one being considered in the Legislature."I doubt very much whether you would be in favor of any measure. Your priorities are not in line with what true reform is needed. "Don't pass this bill. The risks are too high."THAT is a fallacy. You are demonstrably wrong. The sky will not fall.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on May 04, 2009 at 13:56:06 PT

This article... very good. Upright, truth telling.
A Senator, no less.This is good.
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Comment #5 posted by mykeyb420 on May 04, 2009 at 13:15:08 PT

one more time
here is a BIG FATTY,,we smoked on cannabis freedom day in SF
big joint
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Comment #4 posted by George Servantes on May 04, 2009 at 11:31:49 PT

great article
This is such a fine article by Steve Murphy, I am really glad things are moving into positive direction for us medical patients. He made so many good points against prohibition arguments. 
Me as a medical patient myself don't care about getting high, stoned or wasted, when I see some marijuana users I can clearly see that they give us medical users bad image. They use marijuana like it's some kind of drug like alcohol.
 We must work on that to show that responsible adults and supervised youths can reap many health benefits from medical marijuana usage.
God bless you all, I am glad and hope this year we'll see more medical marijuana states.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 10:56:11 PT

BGreen 
I agree with you. 
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Comment #2 posted by BGreen on May 04, 2009 at 10:43:47 PT

re: post #1
OMG, you mean there are cops against legalization of cannabis?Yawn!The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 04, 2009 at 10:00:45 PT

Risks Far Outweigh Benefits from Medical Marijuana
By Dennis FlahertyMay 4, 2009Minnesota -- This year at the Legislature we're at it again, engaged in what has become the annual debate about "medical" marijuana.The stage has long been set. On one side you have a group of people wanting to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, and on the other you have every legitimate group in our state representing law enforcement. Very soon our elected representatives will have to choose a side. They will decide on what type of Minnesota they want.You have a very loosely written piece of legislation that, if passed, would clearly hamper law enforcement's ability to enforce marijuana laws. Laws on both the state and federal level prohibit the possession and sale of marijuana. If legalized for any purpose, it will put us in conflict with the feds.In addition, it creates penalty provisions for unlawful cultivation, distribution and possession of the drug that are much less severe than existing statutes.The proposal gives the Commissioner of Health the sole responsibility to regulate this new bureaucracy and excludes the Commissioner of Public Safety with any oversight role. The very agency best suited to help regulate this new industry will be sidelined.The proposal does not limit the use of marijuana to treating patients confronting a terminal illness, but instead would allow many to access it including for the treatment of pain. Don't believe that it is designed only for those that are in the final stages of their life finding some relief from a "joint." That is not what the bill says.The facts are that marijuana is a drug that is associated with violent crimes such as robberies and assaults. Many have and will resort to almost anything to get their hands on it. Families and caregivers of the sick could easily become victims of yet another illness called crime.Legalizing it for medical purposes will create a perception among many, especially our children, that marijuana is a good thing, when we all know that it is not. It is the most widely abused controlled substance in our state.If as a state we are really serious about trying this, then I can assure you that a better, more carefully written bill could be put together that does a far better job than the one being considered in the Legislature.Law enforcement and prosecutors have paraded before committees of the Legislature where this proposal was heard, consistently telling our policy makers that the proposal was seriously flawed and how it would have a dramatic affect on drug business in our State.They pointed out flaw after flaw from a public safety standpoint, the very things they are the experts on. They did not challenge the total lack of medical science to support that marijuana has any medicinal qualities, or that doctors can prescribe many other legal drugs to address the pain people with debilitating diseases normally encounter.Law enforcement stuck with their script, which as law enforcement professionals was to point out realistically the things that will result if passed.To counter Minnesota's law enforcement experts, the proponents brought in a former chief of the Seattle police department who in December 2004 wrote an editorial in The Seattle Times wherein he announced that "I favor legalization, and not just of pot but of all drugs, including heroin, cocaine, meth, psychotropics, mushrooms and LSD."Here he is brought in to St. Paul to testify in support of medical marijuana. I sincerely hope no one was influenced to support this bill based on anything he said. As a people, I don't believe that his direction is the way we want to go in Minnesota. It gives one pause as to why those advocating this selected him to testify as their "law enforcement expert."At the end of the set, some voted to side with public safety, but more voted to roll the dice and give it a try.It is difficult for me to predict the outcome of how the Legislature handles this. I can tell you to simply ask any cop you know and the decision is an easy one for them. They would tell you they should vote it down. If they had the chance to be in St. Paul, they would tell the Legislature the very same thing that their colleagues have been saying at each committee.Don't pass this bill. The risks are too high.Dennis J. Flaherty is the executive director and chief lobbyist of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. 
Copyright 2009 Post-Bulletin Company, LLC http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=397769
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