Within Reports
How sightings become Oregon folklore
Oregon's UFO culture grows when witness reports move from databases and local media into festivals, tourism and shared town memory.
On this page
- What public UFO databases can and cannot prove
- How local media and investigators preserve sightings
- Why McMinnville turns disputed evidence into culture
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
Oregon’s UFO culture is not built only on dramatic sightings. It is built on a chain of reporting, archiving, retelling and local identity that turns uncertain events into lasting public memory. A light seen by a pilot, a photograph published in a newspaper, or a witness account submitted to a reporting database can travel far beyond the original incident. Over time, some reports fade, some are explained, and a small number become part of Oregon folklore.
The state offers a useful example of how this process works because it has both a large archive of public reports and one of the best-known UFO festivals in the United States. The famous 1950 Trent photographs near McMinnville moved from a local newspaper story into national media, decades of investigation, sceptical debate and eventually a tourism and festival culture that still attracts thousands of visitors. At the same time, modern databases continue collecting reports from across Oregon, creating a constantly expanding record of sightings that may later become local legends, cautionary tales or simply forgotten entries in an archive. [UFO Festival]downtownmcminnville.comMcMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego…
What public UFO databases can and cannot prove
The first step in Oregon’s folklore pipeline is usually a report. Modern witnesses often submit sightings to organisations such as the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), which maintains one of the largest publicly accessible UFO databases. The database contains thousands of Oregon reports spanning decades, from brief observations of lights in the sky to detailed narratives involving pilots, military personnel and multiple witnesses. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgData Bank | NUFORCNUFORCData Bank | NUFORC - Latest UFO SightingsThe NUFORC Databank is the largest independently collected set of UFO / UAP sighting repor… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC Reports for State ORNUFORC Reports for State OR.; Open, 02/05/2026 00:27, Portland; Open, 01/16/2026 04:30, North Bend; Open, 0…
These databases are valuable because they preserve material that might otherwise disappear. A witness who never contacts police, the Federal Aviation Administration or a newspaper can still create a public record. Researchers can search by town, date, object shape or witness description. Patterns can emerge across time, allowing investigators to identify reporting surges, regional clusters or recurring explanations. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgReports by Location USANUFORCNUFORC Reports by LocationUSA - Oregon… NUFORC Participates in AARO-Sponsored Workshop on UAP Narrative Data and Analysis; Rosa… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC Reports by MonthNUFORC Reports by Month; 1992/03, 16; 1992/02, 16; 1992/01, 8; 1991/12, 12.Read more…
However, databases are often misunderstood. A report in NUFORC is evidence that somebody reported an experience, not evidence that the reported object was extraordinary. The database includes raw witness testimony of widely varying quality. Some reports are detailed and immediate. Others are submitted months or years later. Many contain estimated distances, speeds and sizes that are difficult for observers to judge accurately, especially at night. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 1838358 Nov 2024 — NUFORC UFO Sighting 183835; Occurred: 2024-11-03 18:00 Local; Reported: 2024-11-03 19:44 P… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 1972942 May 2026 — NUFORC UFO Sighting 197294. Occurred: 2026-02-24 17:00 Local - Approximate Reported: 2026-04-25 23…
Oregon examples illustrate both the strengths and weaknesses of this material. A report from McMinnville in 2024 described coloured lights in formation and attempted to estimate altitude and size. Another report from North Powder in 2020 described an orange orb descending behind a mountain ridge. These entries preserve witness perceptions, but they do not independently verify what was seen. Without supporting radar data, photographs, astronomical checks or additional investigation, many cases remain unresolved rather than unexplained. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 157912NUFORC UFO Sighting 157912. Occurred: 2020-07-24 20:45 Local Reported: 2020-07-24 23:22 Pacific Duration: 2 min…
The result is a common public misunderstanding. Large numbers of reports can create the impression that Oregon has proven concentrations of unusual aerial activity. In reality, reporting density can also reflect population patterns, media attention, public awareness and the willingness of witnesses to submit reports.
Why sighting numbers often tell cultural stories
When people encounter maps showing thousands of Oregon UFO reports, it is tempting to read them as maps of mystery. In practice, they are often maps of reporting behaviour.
NUFORC’s Oregon archive contains thousands of entries, while investigators associated with Oregon MUFON have noted that reports come from hundreds of communities across the state. That breadth demonstrates how widespread reporting is, but it does not automatically establish that every location is a genuine hotspot of unexplained activity. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNational UFO Reporting Center | Report a UFO | Report a UAPThe most trustworthy, transparent and respectful organization for UFO/UA…
Several factors can inflate or distort apparent patterns:
- Population concentration: Portland and other urban areas naturally generate more reports because more people are looking at the sky.
- Media attention: Highly publicised incidents can encourage additional witnesses to submit reports they might otherwise ignore.
- Retrospective reporting: People sometimes file reports after hearing about similar sightings in the news.
- Changing technology: Drones, satellites and smartphone cameras alter both what people see and how they report it.
- Community expectations: Towns already associated with UFO stories may encourage interpretation through a UFO lens.
This does not mean all reports are mistakes. Rather, it means databases are best understood as collections of human observations rather than direct measurements of unknown phenomena.
How local media keep sightings alive
Most reports never become folklore. The crucial second stage is publicity.
A sighting enters public memory when newspapers, television stations, radio programmes or online outlets decide it is worth repeating. Oregon’s media history shows how that process can dramatically extend the life of a case.
The Trent photographs from 1950 are the clearest example. After the photographs appeared in the local Telephone-Register newspaper, the story spread through wire services and eventually reached a national audience through Life magazine. What began as a local claim became one of the most widely discussed UFO image cases in American history. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMc Minnville UFO photographsMc Minnville UFO photographs
Media exposure changes the nature of a report in several ways:
- It creates a stable public record.
- It attracts investigators and critics.
- It encourages additional witnesses to come forward.
- It turns an isolated event into a shared community story.
Modern Oregon cases follow the same pattern, although much faster. Pilot reports near Eugene in 2024 moved from air-traffic communications into local television coverage and then into national online UFO discussions within days. The speed of modern circulation means that public narratives can develop before investigators have gathered all available evidence.
This creates an important tension. Public interest often grows faster than verification.
How investigators preserve and reshape the stories
A report that survives beyond the news cycle usually does so because investigators continue working on it.
Oregon has long been connected to private UFO research networks. Organisations such as NUFORC and MUFON collect witness testimony, compare reports and sometimes conduct interviews or follow-up investigations. Their archives preserve sightings that might otherwise disappear from public view. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgrecent investigation reportsNUFORCJan 11, 2025 — NUFORC investigators dug into several of our best cases from 2024, performing witness interviews and contacting offi… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 22557He saw a glowing yellow oval or egg shaped object fly past his bedroom window from west to east. It originally w…
Investigation can strengthen a case, weaken it or leave it unresolved.
The Trent photographs demonstrate this process across decades. Supporters argued that photographic analysis and witness credibility supported authenticity. Sceptics examined shadows, viewing angles and possible physical models, proposing that the object was a small suspended item rather than an unknown craft. Neither side removed the case from public discussion. Instead, competing interpretations helped keep it alive. [Wikipedia]WikipediaList of reported UFO sightingsList of reported UFO sightingsMost commonly reported shapes in UFO sightings gathered in the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) On…
This is a recurring pattern in Oregon UFO history. Cases often survive not because they are conclusively solved or conclusively mysterious, but because arguments continue. A disputed case can remain culturally active for much longer than a clearly explained one.
Why McMinnville turned disputed evidence into culture
The most important transformation in Oregon UFO culture happened when a controversial sighting stopped being only a case file and became a civic identity.
McMinnville’s annual UFO Festival emerged directly from the continuing fascination with the Trent photographs. Organisers explicitly link the event to the 1950 sighting, and the festival has grown from a local celebration into one of the largest UFO-themed gatherings in the United States. [Visit McMinnville]youtube.comWhere We Live: Mc Minnville's famous UFO FestivalVisit McMinnville… [UFO Festival]downtownmcminnville.comMcMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego… [UFO Festival]downtownmcminnville.comMcMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego…
What makes this development notable is that the photographs remain disputed. The festival is not built around a universally accepted event. Instead, it thrives on uncertainty.
Visitors are drawn by several overlapping interests:
- Curiosity about the original photographs.
- Interest in aviation mysteries and unexplained reports.
- Science-fiction and popular-culture themes.
- Community celebration and tourism.
- The appeal of participating in a story larger than everyday life.
As a result, the photographs now function in multiple ways at once. They are evidence to some people, a likely hoax to others, a historical curiosity to many, and an economic and cultural asset to the town itself. [UFO Festival]downtownmcminnville.comMcMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego…
The folklore value of the case no longer depends entirely on whether the original object was extraordinary. The story has acquired an independent cultural life.
When folklore becomes more influential than the original evidence
One of the most striking features of Oregon UFO culture is that many people know the legend better than the investigative details.
The phrase “McMinnville UFO” is widely recognised, yet fewer people are familiar with the competing analyses, questions about timing and shadows, or the long-running debate over whether the object could have been a small suspended model. The cultural memory often survives more strongly than the technical arguments. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMc Minnville UFO photographsMc Minnville UFO photographs
This does not mean the public is being misled. Folklore serves a different purpose from investigation. Investigation asks what happened. Folklore asks what a community remembers.
In Oregon, the two constantly interact. New reports enter databases. Journalists amplify some of them. Investigators test them. Residents discuss them. Festivals celebrate them. Over time, a small number become local reference points even when the evidence remains contested.
What Oregon’s reporting culture actually shows
Oregon’s UFO history is often presented as a catalogue of strange sightings. A closer look reveals something more interesting: a system that converts fleeting observations into long-term public stories.
Databases preserve witness accounts but cannot by themselves prove extraordinary claims. Local media determine which reports receive wider attention. Investigators provide competing interpretations. Festivals, tourism and community memory give a handful of cases a cultural afterlife far beyond the original evidence.
The state’s best-known UFO story, the Trent photographs near McMinnville, demonstrates the entire cycle. A local report became a national news item, then an investigative controversy, then a regional symbol. The photographs remain disputed, but the folklore surrounding them has become a durable part of Oregon’s public identity. [Visit McMinnville]youtube.comWhere We Live: Mc Minnville's famous UFO FestivalVisit McMinnville… [Wikipedia]WikipediaList of reported UFO sightingsList of reported UFO sightingsMost commonly reported shapes in UFO sightings gathered in the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) On… [UFO Festival]downtownmcminnville.comMcMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego…
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Endnotes
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Mc Minnville UFO photographs
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMinnville_UFO_photographs -
Source: nuforc.org
Title: Data Bank | NUFORC
Link: https://nuforc.org/databank/Source snippet
NUFORCData Bank | NUFORC - Latest UFO SightingsThe NUFORC Databank is the largest independently collected set of UFO / UAP sighting repor...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/subndx/?id=lORSource snippet
NUFORC Reports for State ORNUFORC Reports for State OR.; Open, 02/05/2026 00:27, Portland; Open, 01/16/2026 04:30, North Bend; Open, 0...
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Source: nuforc.org
Title: Reports by Location USA
Link: https://nuforc.org/ndx/?id=locSource snippet
NUFORCNUFORC Reports by LocationUSA - Oregon... NUFORC Participates in AARO-Sponsored Workshop on UAP Narrative Data and Analysis; Rosa...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/ndx/?id=eventSource snippet
NUFORC Reports by MonthNUFORC Reports by Month; 1992/03, 16; 1992/02, 16; 1992/01, 8; 1991/12, 12.Read more...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=183835Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 1838358 Nov 2024 — NUFORC UFO Sighting 183835; Occurred: 2024-11-03 18:00 Local; Reported: 2024-11-03 19:44 P...
Published: November 3, 2024
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=197294Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 1972942 May 2026 — NUFORC UFO Sighting 197294. Occurred: 2026-02-24 17:00 Local - Approximate Reported: 2026-04-25 23...
Published: February 24, 2026
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=157912Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 157912NUFORC UFO Sighting 157912. Occurred: 2020-07-24 20:45 Local Reported: 2020-07-24 23:22 Pacific Duration: 2 min...
Published: July 24, 2020
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/Source snippet
NUFORCNational UFO Reporting Center | Report a UFO | Report a UAPThe most trustworthy, transparent and respectful organization for UFO/UA...
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Source: nuforc.org
Title: recent investigation reports
Link: https://nuforc.org/recent-investigation-reports/Source snippet
NUFORCJan 11, 2025 — NUFORC investigators dug into several of our best cases from 2024, performing witness interviews and contacting offi...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=22557Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 22557He saw a glowing yellow oval or egg shaped object fly past his bedroom window from west to east. It originally w...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/post230519/Source snippet
522 New Reports Posted | NUFORC19 May 2023 — In brief, the author describes a prototype system he has built that allows the detection, an...
Published: May 2023
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=112070Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 112070NUFORC UFO Sighting 112070. Occurred: 2014-07-27 22:00 Local Reported: 2014-07-31 21:05 Pacific Duration: 2 hou...
Published: July 27, 2014
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/subndx/?id=allSource snippet
All NUFORC ReportsAll NUFORC Reports.; Open, 05/27/2026 06:27, Mudgee; Open, 05/26/2026 22:30, Caerleon; Open. 05/26/2026 22:26, Cerr...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=47486Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 47486NUFORC UFO Sighting 47486. Occurred: 1967-08-01 19:00 Local - Approximate Reported: 2005-11-06 01:42 Pacific Dur...
Published: November 6, 2005
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: List of reported UFO sightings
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightingsSource snippet
List of reported UFO sightingsMost commonly reported shapes in UFO sightings gathered in the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) On...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Where We Live: Mc Minnville’s famous UFO Festival
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF1kJQclyIwSource snippet
Visit McMinnville...
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Source: ufofest.com
Link: https://ufofest.com/Source snippet
UFO FestivalMcMenamins UFO FestivalIn 1950 the small town of McMinnville, Oregon was struck with UFO fever when a local couple spotted a...
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Source: ufofest.com
Link: https://ufofest.com/history/Source snippet
UFO FestivalHistoryThe festival began as a way to honor the famous 1950 Trent sighting, in which a local couple witnessed and photographe...
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Source: downtownmcminnville.com
Title: ufo festival
Link: https://downtownmcminnville.com/ufo-festival/Source snippet
McMinnville Downtown AssociationUFO Festival27 Apr 2026 — Founded in 2000, this UFO Festival began at the historic McMenamins Hotel Orego...
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Source: visitmcminnville.com
Link: https://visitmcminnville.com/events/ufo-festival/Source snippet
UFO FestivalEvery May, McMinnville welcomes Earthlings and extraterrestrials alike for the second-largest UFO festival in the country. In...
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Source: ufofest.com
Link: https://ufofest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/UFOHistory3.05.pdfSource snippet
historYThe photos would become the most hotly debated UFO photographs ever, taking on a life of their own, growing in significance and at...
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Source: visitmcminnville.com
Link: https://visitmcminnville.com/about/articles/celebrating-ufo-sightings-from-the-1950s-present/Source snippet
McMenamins UFOFest: Celebrating UFO sightings from the...8 May 2023 — 23rd annual festival, which will be held at McMenamins Hotel Orego...
Published: May 2023
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Source: ada-nuforc-analysis.github.io
Link: https://ada-nuforc-analysis.github.io/Source snippet
NUFORC Report AnalysisThe NUFORC checks each reports for fakes or hoax and comments them accordingly. The reports are classified by their...
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Source: iconicphotos.wordpress.com
Title: UFO photograph.Read more
Link: https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/mcminnville-ufo/Source snippet
UFO - Iconic Photos - WordPress.com22 Jan 2010 — The Oregonian published the photographs the next day, and within a month they were publi...
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Source: travelportland.com
Link: https://www.travelportland.com/events/ufo-festival-mcminnville/Source snippet
UFO Festival in McMinnville | The Official Guide to PortlandThe family-friendly UFO Festival includes two days of special events, includi...
Additional References
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Source: scottbakal.com
Link: https://www.scottbakal.com/mcminnvilleufoSource snippet
McMinnville UFOThe McMinnville UFO photographs, also known as the Trent UFO photos, were taken by a farming couple, Paul and Evelyn Trent...
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Source: medium.com
Link: https://medium.com/%40sarah.cothron/the-truth-is-out-there-the-mcminnville-ufo-sighting-of-1950-blog-4-54527f7070a2Source snippet
The Truth Is Out There: The McMinnville UFO Sighting of...After the photos were publicized, first displayed at the Trents's bank and the...
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Source: kaggle.com
Link: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/thedevastator/uncovering-mysterious-unexplained-ufo-sightingsSource snippet
UFO Sightings (Location & Time)All reports come directly from the NUFORC site's public database. With this dataset you can uncover everyt...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1ck8tm0/the_mcminnville_ufo_photos_still_mystify/Source snippet
The McMinnville UFO Photos Still MystifySome of the best UFO photos ever captured. 315. 63. One of the best UFO photos ever - taken on a...
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Source: rainydayrabbitholes.com
Link: https://rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/rainy-day-rabbit-holes-presents-mysterious-pacific-northwest-the-mcminnville-ufo-photosSource snippet
The McMinnville UFO PhotosJun 20, 2025 — The McMinnville UFO photographs were taken on a farm near McMinnville, Oregon, United States, in...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TiJ8bz0frASource snippet
LIVE: The history of Oregon's UFO festivalThe 23rd annual UFO Festival is happening in McMinnville that's this weekend and we are very ex...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8gUCGLjea4Source snippet
UFO confirmed!? The McMinnville Mystery | PhotographiliacOldest Most Authentic UFO Photos? - McMinnville UFO And The Trent's Photos. EDGE...
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Source: stayportland.com
Title: Alien costume balls, parades, and otherworldly Oregon fun await
Link: https://www.stayportland.com/guide/mcmenamins-ufo-festival-2026-portland-weekend-tripSource snippet
McMenamins UFO Festival 2026: Portland's Quirkiest...Experience the McMenamins UFO Festival 2026 in McMinnville, just 40 miles from Port...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/ta3xrh/1950_mcminnville_ufo_sighting_one_of_the_oldest/Source snippet
1950 McMinnville UFO sighting (one of the oldest &...The McMinnville UFO photographs were taken on a farm near McMinnville, Oregon, in 1950...
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Source: alamy.com
Link: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/mcminnville-ufo-photographs.htmlSource snippet
Mcminnville ufo photographs Stock Photos and ImagesThe McMinnville UFO photographs were taken on a farm near McMinnville, Oregon, in 1950...
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