CHILTON COUNTY
Progress 2013
Compassionate Care In Your Community www.heartsouthpc.com
Our goal is improving your heart’s health. We do this with advanced diagnostic methods and compassionate care. Put your heart in our hands and together we will achieve our goal.
SHELBY OFFICE • 205-633-5775
C. Dale Elliott, M.D., FACC
Cliff R. Vance, M.D.
SELMA OFFICE • 866-663-5775
John D. McBrayer, M.D., FACC
David S. Fieno, M.D.
Mark L. Mullens, M.D., FACC
Neeraj Mehta, M.D., FACC
Gregory D. Chapman, M.D., FACC
J. Hudson Segrest, M.D.
Munish K. Goyal, M.D., FACC
William B. Hillegass, M.D., M.P.H.
CLANTON OFFICE • 866-663-5775 SYLACAUGA OFFICE • 256-249-1855
Table of contents options for seniors
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Resources can be found throughout county
go for a walk
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Chilton offers plenty of walking trails
on the way up
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YMCA offering variety of new programs
first nursing class
18
Jeff State program prepares graduates
health calendar
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Upcoming events you will want to attend
18 new nurses Jeff State program will graduate first nursing class
ON THE COVER: Mary Beth Wyatt has worked to make the Chilton County YMCA an integral part of the community since being named executive director in September 2011.
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Options abound
Chilton County Senior Connection meets at the Clanton Recreation Center.
County offers resources for seniors Story and photos by emily beckett
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taying active and remaining plugged into the community can be easier for adults who are working, married, raising children or all of the above.
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On the other hand, senior adults might find fewer reasons to leave their homes and more excuses—retirement, loss of spouses and health problems—to withdraw. The good news is seniors who find themselves in excuse-making mode have plenty of chances to talk to new friends about their experiences, perhaps at tai chi class at Senior Connection of Chilton County. Or during bingo at the Clanton Recreation Center, or over lunch at the Maplesville Senior Center, or after a water aerobics class at Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness in Clanton. Seniors have a wealth of options locally to help maintain their physical and emotional wellness and quality of life. Senior Connection is housed in the Clanton Recreation Center on Lay Dam Road in Clanton. After 19 years as part of Chilton Medical Center, Senior Connection became a separate entity more than a year ago under the leadership of director Vanessa McKinney. “We’re really outgrowing this space already,” McKinney said. “This is a start. Hopefully in the next five years, we’ll see this turn into something big.” Senior Connection has 140 regular members plus those who attend classes and events sporadically.
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Paige Landry of New Beacon Home Health spoke to Senior Connection on Feb. 6. Landry is an example of the many guest speakers the group hosts throughout the year. McKinney said her group saw 489 attendees for exercise classes and activities in January. Senior Connection is open to anyone 55 years and older, and a $15 donation per year is the only fee associated with membership. Members can take advantage of a broad range of classes, activities and free health screenings like the non-invasive vein screening offered by Heart South Cardiovascular Group in Shelby County on Feb. 21 at the Clanton Recreation Center. Senior Connection began partnering with
Cornerstone in January to allow members to attend water aerobics classes two days a week at Cornerstone for $10. “They’re really taking advantage of it, too,” McKinney said. The water aerobics classes are Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:30 a.m. in a heated pool at Cornerstone. “It’s easy to move in water,” McKinney said. “It’s just a proven fact; when you’re in the water, it’s great for arthritis anyway.” Senior Connection has added a walking group on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. McKinney leads the group in a two-mile walk inside with an accompanying exercise video. Arthritis exercise classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. at the center and are led by certified arthritis instructors Elizabeth Cleckler and Gail Sharman. Tai chi classes and line dancing, both taught by Judy Headley, are other exercise options for Senior Connection members. Headley leads her tai chi class twice a month, every other Monday. According to the Mayo Clinic, tai chi is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise that places minimal stress on muscles and joints. “Tai chi is great for all of us but especially seniors,” McKinney said, “(And) for anybody who needs balance. It exercises the brain (because) you have to remember so many
movements.” Like water aerobics, tai chi and line dancing are safer than other forms of exercise for seniors because of their low-impact effects on bones, joints and muscles. Line dancing classes are offered twice a month, every other Monday, at Senior Connection. A craft class at the center and “Monday at the Movies” at the Hoover Library are also benefits of membership with Senior Connection, as well as planned community events. The group held a tea for Clanton Mayor Billie Joe Driver on Feb. 20 and invited the community to help them thank him for the city’s support. “He’s been so good to us,” McKinney said. “We just want to give back a little bit in honor of him.” Along with Clanton, Senior Connection receives support from Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A), Sun Crest Home Health, Southern Care Home Health, Alacare Home Health, Dr. Jim Driggars and Clanton First United Methodist Church. McKinney said she has seen a growing need for Senior Connection as more people in the baby boomer generation retire, and the need is not simply for weekly exercise. Socialization plays an important role in McKinney’s group, especially for members who have lost spouses or loved ones and live alone. “It’s a purpose to get up in the morning and come here for so many of them,” McKinney said. “Just to be around people and to help them stay active. Everybody takes care of everybody. We’re just a close-knit group.” In addition, Senior Connection supports the Arthritis Foundation, Relay For Life and Chilton County Department of Human Resources. For more information about Senior Connection, call (205) 7559032. Other venues for seniors in Chilton County are the Clanton Senior Center and Maplesville Senior Center. The Clanton Senior Center is open Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.
to noon and offers hot meals at the center and through homebound delivery each weekday at 11:15 a.m. Seniors 60 years and older may pay $2 to eat and $1 to play bingo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10–11 a.m. Center manager Faye Price and her daughter and assistant, Amy Price, oversee the center’s activities and hope to add more members to their 15-20 regular members now. The center is preparing to offer an arthritis exercise class on Fridays. On Feb. 15, M4A will begin holding a free healthy living workshop series for adults with chronic conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, pain, osteoporosis and respiratory problems. The workshops will be from 9–11 a.m. every Friday for six weeks. Family and caregivers are invited to attend. To register, call (205) 755-3248 or 1-866-570-2998. The Clanton Senior Center is located at 500 Enterprise Road in Clanton, just past Barth Lumber Company. For more information about the center, call (205) 755-3248. The Maplesville Senior Center, housed in the Maplesville Depot on Alabama Highway 22, is open Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Center manager Faye Hightower said the center averages 23–25 members attending each day. Hot meals are served and delivered to homebound members in Maplesville five days a week at 11 a.m. Members are asked to give a $2 donation per day for meals. Trivia, bingo, card games and socializing are benefits of membership at the Maplesville Senior Center, along with visits from guest speakers, some from home health groups, who provide health information, blood pressure checks and other free screenings for members. “We’re always looking for new members,” Hightower said. “We’re like a big happy family. Our people are loving and very kind, and we all love each other.” For more information about the Maplesville Senior Center, call (334) 366-2717. n
Full Service Hospital — Dentistry, Laser Surgery and Boarding Available
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Confederate Memorial Park boasts one of Chilton County’s most scenic walking trails.
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go for a walk
Many trails available in Chilton Story by scott mims photos by staff
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pending time outdoors can be therapeutic, both physically and mentally, whether you’re taking a walk in the park or a hike through the wilderness. Fortunately, Chilton County
has several different options for the outdoor enthusiast who prefers to travel on foot. And even if you’ve visited these trails before, a return trip will likely reveal something new.
Minooka Park
In north Chilton County, Minooka Park offers an ever-
expanding system of trails. The easiest, most accessible trail is the 1-mile lake trail, which follows the perimeter of the lake and provides access to fishing piers and scenic views. This trail is flat and paved with crushed stone, and is wheelchair accessible. For a slightly more difficult
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clantonadvertiser.com 10 Wellness
maplesville town park
Dr. Douglas C. Clark Dr. Jason K. Dickerson
Dr. Seth Williams
Jemison city park
Richard wood park
Clanton city park
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goose pond park
clanton connector trail
ollie park
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hike, a .75-mile loop connects the lake trail to the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) trail system. Park officials are looking at adding another trail that would provide access by foot from the park office to the lake pavilion. The park’s 25 miles of ATV and dirt bike trails also double as hiking trails. While the park does charge admission to riders, it is currently free to hike. “The majority of these are shared trails, but all are suitable for hiking,” said Park Manager Gerald Arrington. “On the weekends, the vehicles are spread out enough that you can hike those trails without any danger.” Some of the trails are more scenic than others. For hikers looking for a constant change in scenery, Arrington estimated that approximately 10 miles of the ATV trails would meet this need. The Red Trail is the most difficult hike at Minooka. The 4-mile perimeter loop provides more challenging terrain. “It gives you a better workout,” Arrington said. Maps are available at the park office. The park’s entrance road is Chilton County Road 146, located off U.S. 31 north of Jemison. Park hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours expanding to 7 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time.
Confederate Memorial Park
The nature trail at Confederate Memorial Park near Mountain Creek in southeast Chilton County is good for hikers, history buffs and birdwatchers. About .5 mile in length, the trail features many historic sites along the way. “They say it is an area where the hardwood forest meets the evergreen forest,” said Site Director Bill Rambo. Sites include a 1902 era hand-dug spring, an 86,000-gallon reservoir that once supplied water to the Confederate veterans’ home, the decaying remains of a rock and earth dam, and the second largest Yellow Poplar tree in Alabama. The trail weaves in and out of the forest and features wooden bridges crossing over flowing streams. Educational signage along the trail explains the historic sites as well as the wilderness that surrounds them. Recent additions include a replica springhouse built atop the hand-dug spring, a replica reservoir roof, and a replica of Civil War barracks. “It’s made a difference in the whole nature trail to me,” said Rambo, adding that he is working on having interpretive signage installed. “We need to meet demand,” he said. “There are more people coming here and using the place.” A number of smaller trails tie into the main trail. The trail is one of 34 sites along the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail in Central and East Alabama. The Confederate Memorial Park, located off Alabama Highway 143, is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. until sunset. The park’s museum hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Municipal parks
Maplesville’s town park, located on Shanks Drive, is also part of the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail, and is a habitat for Blue Jays, Cardinals, Brown Thrashers, Mockingbirds, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers and Pine Warblers. The .5-mile asphalt trail has two wooden pedestrian bridges. The city of Clanton’s three municipal parks are now easily accessible to each other, thanks to a concrete connector trail that begins in front of Goose Pond Park and crosses under the U.S. 31 bridge to Clanton City Park and Ollie Park. Paved tracks are also located at Goose Pond Park and around the youth football field at City Park. Both Jemison City Park and Richard Wood Memorial Park in nearby Thorsby are located near children’s playgrounds. Both have circular trails, and both provide secure, lighted areas for a carefree walk or jog. n
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On the w County YMCA’s list of programs expanding 14 Wellness
Campbell Easterling participates in a relay as part of her strength training for the CrossFit kids class she takes at the YMCA after school.
the way up Story by emily etheredge | photos by jon goering
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hen Mary Beth Wyatt became the executive director for the Chilton County YMCA in Sept. 2011, she wanted to make the Y the heartbeat of the community.
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Home Health Care It’s at the heart of what we do
Amedisys Home Health Care offers patients the choices necessary to maintain and even improve their quality of life—at home, where they feel most comfortable and recover more quickly. Our range of patient services includes: Skilled Nursing; Behavioral Health Nursing; Home Health Aides; Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy; and Chronic Care Management Programs.
Clanton, AL For more information, contact
Ph: (205) 755-5509 Fax: (205) 755-9980 www.amedisys.com
Boot camp and kickboxing instructor Clifford Ward (above) uses different strength training techniques during his classes, such as getting his students to participate in group exercises of lifting tires. Certified Zumba instructor Crystal Cleckley (below) teaches the Latin-inspired/dance fitness program that creates muscle confusion for a faster caloric burn.
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“The Y should be a place for families to spend time together--a place for children to build friendships and confidence and a place for us all to work toward a healthier spirit, mind and body,” Wyatt said. Now, as Wyatt enters her third year as executive director, the Y offers a variety of classes designed for all ages and body types in an effort to reach everyone. “We really want to have something available here that everyone can enjoy,” Wyatt said. “We have free weights in the cardio center, we have personal trainers available and we have fitness classes that are great for people who have never worked out before and enjoy having something already planned out for them.” Currently some of the classes the Y offers throughout the week include, kickboxing, Zumba, boot camp, Living Strong, ballroom dance, CrossFit and CrossFit Kids. Clifford Ward teaches boot camp and kickboxing twice a week at the Y encompassing a cardio and strength training basis with varied speed and time obstacle courses. “My classes are great for those who might have hit a fitness plateau,” Ward said. “A lot of people may hit a treadmill for an hour with a varied time but coming to these classes provides a different sort of challenge.” Ward said he often has different ages show up to his classes with many attending based off of word of mouth. “It is good camaraderie for a lot of people to attend a class with a friend,” Ward said. “I think a lot of people look forward to getting off of work and knowing that if they come to the class they will see someone they know and have a good time exercising.” Ward said most of the exercises he teaches he does alongside his students and he tries to educate people on proper exercising forms. “I don’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” Ward said. “I hurt with them. I also really try to prevent injuries. I don’t want someone doing something that will end up hurting them.” Crystal Cleckley is a certified Zumba and Zumbatomic (Zumba for kids) instructor and has been teaching Zumba for three years. Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance/fitness program that creates muscle confusion for a faster caloric burn. “Technically, if you take a Zumba class you are supposed to burn 1,000 calories in the class,” Cleckley said. “The purpose of Zumba is to confuse your muscles by constantly moving different parts of the body.” Cleckley said Zumba has become a popular workout class for all ages because everyone can learn the moves and most people that attend the class have fun while exercising. “I have not had anyone that has taken my class and not had fun while doing it,” Cleckley said. “I have a range of people from different ages to guys and girls who all love coming and taking the class. They enjoy it because it is different.” Wyatt said a new program created in February 2012 called Living Strong was designed for people diagnosed with cancer. “It is a six-week long program and includes a Y membership,” Wyatt said. The purpose of the program is to address those who might have survived cancer or are going through cancer and encourage them as they shift to feeling physically and emotionally strong enough to attempt a return to “normal life.” Wyatt said the program is the first of its kind for a Y in Alabama. Wyatt said another popular class at the Y is CrossFit for kids, which is held after school and teaches kids to have fun while exercising. Wes Wyatt instructs kids ranging in age from 6 to 16 through different obstacles that encourage strength training. “We just hope that through the classes we offer here at the Y that we encourage those who come to our facility that we are focused on putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body,” Wyatt said. n
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College producing first nurses Jeff. St. class to graduate in August
I
Story by drew granthum | photos by jon goering
t’s no secret that the Birmingham area is a premiere hot spot for the medical profession; people from all across the country head to the Magic City to seek out help for all kinds of ailments, ranging from
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Nursing instructor Tina Rowe guides students through a lab exercise at Jefferson State’s Chilton Campus.
the most serious to the common cold. That said, Chilton County is quickly beginning to play a role in the medical landscape of the state. In August 2013, Jefferson State Community College-Clanton will be graduating its first class in its school of nursing. The program came to be out of necessity, according to its acting Chairwoman, Dr. Cindy Danley. “We recognized a need,” she said. “A lot of students from [Chilton County] and Prattville were coming to Shelby [County’s campus], and we wanted to meet the need for that area.” Chris Forbes, an instructor of the program at the Clanton campus, echoed the sentiment. “Basically, there was a need [for a program here],” he said. “Even though we’re in an area [with a high number of medical programs], there’s a shortage of nurses.” Forbes said the program, which opened its doors in January 2012, is a five-semester program designed to train students on everything from the most elementary aspects of nursing all the way to placing them in a hospital for clinical study. “Whenever they start, [they’re] involved with the fundamentals of it all,” he said. “The first semester is simply basics. [There is also] an emphasis on trying to acquire skills in labs.” After that, students learn the skills needed to think critically in their field, as well as gain experience through clinical studies in actual hospitals. Forbes said one of the main goals was not only making sure students gain the experience needed to succeed in their field, but also to make
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sure they score high on the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX. “[It’s the] ultimate measure of how we do,” he said. “If and when they pass, they’re considered registered nurses. We place a lot of emphasis to mold their brain to take the test.” Forbes said once the test, which places emphasis on critical thinking instead of facts and figures, is passed, students then spend their last semester focusing on the job market. For students within the program, such as Maplesville’s Adele Griffin, the welcoming environment of the Clanton campus makes the daunting NCLEX less intimidating. “The small class size [25 total students in the upcoming graduating class] provides an atmosphere [for students] to grasp more concepts,” she said. “It’s a small-town environment. Everybody knows everybody; if you have a question, you can ask somebody.” Griffin, who started out at the Shelby campus before transferring to Clanton as soon as it opened, said she appreciated not only the size of the classes, but the dedication of the instructors as well. “We wouldn’t have a program without [Danley and Forbes],” she said. “They show no partiality, and what they teach in class, when you go to clinicals, comes together. They make sure we understand.” She also said heeding Forbes’ advice to “trust the process” was beneficial in her studies. “They’re there for the students,” Griffin said. “That’s for sure.” As the program continues to grow, Forbes said one trait in particular about his local students really stuck out to him.
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Students work in a hands-on lab setting (above) to prepare for the medical field. Instructor Chris Forbes (left) reviews a test with students in preparation for a national nursing certification exam.
“One of the things I like about kids from Chilton County,” he said. “Is they have great work ethic.” For more information on the program, contact Jefferson State at 205280-8200. n
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HEALTH BRIEFS MARCH 16 | MINOOKA MUDDER 5K Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness and Minooka Park will co-sponsor the Minooka Mudder, a 5K mud run with natural and man-made obstacles, at Minooka Park in Jemison on March 16 at 8 a.m. Individuals can participate for $50, or teams of three or more can race for $35 each. SENIOR CONNECTION ATTENDANCE COMPETITION Chilton County Senior Connection has started its “Move It or Lose It” attendance competition in which it will track participants’ attendance for three months. At the end of March, the person with the most attendance will win a $50 gas card. M4A FOOD BENEFIT SCREENINGS FOR SENIORS The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) is branching out its efforts in food benefit screenings to help the Hispanic seniors over 60 in its service area with obtaining food benefits to supplement their budgets through the Alabama Elderly Simplified Application Program (AESAP), run by the Alabama
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Department of Human Resources (DHR) in Montgomery. Being approved is not guaranteed. Potential clients who call or come by the office will be screened by an intake specialist to see if they meet the requirements required by DHR. The requirements include but are not limited to: the senior being over 60 years of age; the senior meeting income guidelines; and the senior living in Alabama. To apply for food assistance, call M4A at 205-670-5770 or 1-866-570-2998 and speak to an intake specialist. SENIOR ASSISTANCE The Aging and Disability Resource Center “One Stop Shop” offers senior citizens help with locating resources for medication assistance, utility assistance, dental and hearing, Medicare, nutrition, food assistance, housing, job assistance and disability advocacy. It is open by appointment every second and fourth Tuesday of each month. To schedule an appointment, call 1-866-570-2998. CHILTON COUNTY SENIOR CONNECTION Senior Connection holds weekly exercise classes Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. at the Clanton
Recreation Center. For more information, call (205) 755-9032. GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP A grief support group meets on the second Thursday of each month at Hatley Healthcare, 300 Medical Center Drive in Clanton, from 3–4 p.m. This group is open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. This is sponsored by ComfortCare Hospice and Hatley Health Care and Rehabilitation. AGING, DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER The Aging and Disability Resource Center assists those 55 and older with disabilities. The center is able to locate the following resources: dental and hearing, utility assistance, Medicare/medication assistance, nutrition/food assistance, disability advocacy, and housing and job assistance. Call 1-866-570-2998 to schedule an appointment. A representative is available every second and fourth Tuesday by appointment only. The ADRC is located at Chilton Medical Center. CLANTON ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Clanton Alcoholics Anonymous meets
each Monday at 7 p.m. at 208 10th St. N. for an open meeting. The organization also meets Thursdays at noon for a closed meeting (only for those who have a desire to quit drinking). For more information, call (205) 755-0979. MANAGING CHRONIC ILLNESS The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) will present Living Well Alabama beginning Feb. 15. Funded by M4A through a grant from the Alabama Department of Senior Services, Living Well Alabama is a series of classes designed to help people with chronic diseases and conditions develop coping skills to improve their quality of life. The classes provide people who are dealing with arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and other conditions with real-world ideas and skills to better manage with their conditions. The workshop will be held at the Clanton Senior Center, 500 Enterprise Road in Clanton, each Friday for six weeks from 9–11 a.m. Participants who attend all six workshops will receive a $25 Wal-Mart gift card. The workshop is free. Seating is limited. To enroll or for more information, call the center at 205- 755-3248 or M4A at 1-866-570-2998.
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you’re coming home
to be with family
Chilton
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Shelby
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Elmore
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Autauga
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Bibb
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Coosa
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Perry
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Dallas