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    <font face="Architects Daughter">In case you missed this press
      release, please read below!<br>
      We hope you can make it tomorrow ~<br>
      Karen.<br>
    </font>
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      <br>
      -------- Original Message --------<br>
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        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="color:black"> </span><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"> <b>Kanabec Broadband
              Initiative showcases community broadband projects</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Mora, Minn. (August 14,
            2014) —</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> <span
              style="color:black">Broadband is revolutionizing rural
              Minnesota business, government, education, work and
              lifestyles. Abundant and robust access to the Internet,
              and the skills to take full advantage of this access, are
              essential as communities seek to compete and thrive in a
              digitally-connected world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">The Kanabec Broadband
            Initiative (KBI) has seized the opportunity to strengthen
            its broadband savvy, through participation in the Blandin
            Broadband Communities program, a two-year, statewide
            initiative convened by Blandin Foundation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">On <b>Tuesday, August
              26, 2014, 4:00 – 6:00 pm</b>, area residents can see the
            results. The Kanabec Broadband Initiative “Strut Your Stuff”
            tour – free and open to the public -- will showcase work by
            community leaders on seven projects that are bringing
            broadband to life for our area, including PC’s for People,
            Joined for Health, Community WiFi Improvements, and Life
            Enrichment Center Technology Enhancements.  It also will
            provide an opportunity for the community to share its
            thoughts on strengths of the projects, and its dreams about
            a broadband-enabled future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Kanabec County is one
            of nine communities statewide participating in this round of
            the Blandin Broadband Communities program. Each received
            planning and organizing support, and the opportunity to
            apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding for locally
            developed projects that address community-identified needs.
            <o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">“Competitive rural
            economies demand connected rural communities,” said
            Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and engagement
            at Blandin Foundation. “We stand with leaders, like those in
            the Kanabec County area, who are taking action to build
            robust broadband into a vibrant future for the community.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align:center"
          align="center"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">—END—</span><span
style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:.5in"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"> </span><span
style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span
            style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">SIDEBAR<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span
            style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">What:
                         Kanabec Broadband Initiative Strut Your Stuff
            tour<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span
            style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Where:           
            Life Enrichment Center, 160 Valhalla Circle, Mora, MN  55051<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span
            style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">When              
            4:00 – 6:00 pm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span
            style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">More:             
            Free and open to the public<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Kanabec
              Broadband Initiative<span
                style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">For
            additional information, contact:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Beth
            Thorp, City of Mora, 320-225-4807 or <a
              moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="mailto:beth.thorp@cityofmora.com">beth.thorp@cityofmora.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN">Blandin
              Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN">Located
              in Grand Rapids, Minn., Blandin Foundation is one of only
              a handful of foundations in the U.S. focused exclusively
              on rural communities and the largest rural-based private
              foundation in Minnesota.  The Foundation seeks and
              supports vibrant rural Minnesota communities.  </span></i><i><span
              style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">For
            additional information, contact:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Allison
            Rajala Ahcan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Director of
            Communications, Blandin Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
              moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-House-of-Itasca-County-MN/148145895249526"><font
                color="red"><b>MailScanner has detected a possible fraud
                  attempt from "www.facebook.com" claiming to be</b></font>
              arahcan@blandinfoundation.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">direct:
            218-327-8717<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">cell:
            218-259-2893<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Online: <a
              moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="http://www.blandinfoundation.org">www.blandinfoundation.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Twitter:
            @BlandinFound<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Facebook: <a
              moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="https://www.facebook.com/BlandinFoundation">https://www.facebook.com/BlandinFoundation</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode
            MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode
            MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
              style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Eras Medium
              ITC","sans-serif";color:navy">Beth Thorp</span></b><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Eras Medium
            ITC","sans-serif"">Community Development
            Planner</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Eras Medium
            ITC","sans-serif"">Mora City Hall | 101 Lake
            Street South | Mora, MN  55051</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Eras Medium
            ITC","sans-serif"">320.225.4807 Direct
            | 320.679.3862 Fax</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
            style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode
            MS","sans-serif""><a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="http://www.ci.mora.mn.us"><span style="color:blue">ci.mora.mn.us</span></a>
          </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
            style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode
            MS","sans-serif"">This information is
            intended only for the use of the individual or entity named
            herein. If you are not the intended recipient, you are
            hereby notified that any review, distribution, or copying of
            this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received
            this communication in error, please contact us immediately
            by return e-mail or calling the number listed above and
            destroy the communication received. No response indicates
            that the appropriate authorized party received the
            information.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"
          style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
            style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode
            MS","sans-serif"">The City of Mora is an
            Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer. For TDD,</span><span
style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">
            call 711. </span><span
            style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
            Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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      <p class="" avgcert""="" color="#000000" align="left">No virus
        found in this message.<br>
        Checked by AVG - <a moz-do-not-send="true"
          href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</a><br>
        Version: 2014.0.4716 / Virus Database: 4007/8029 - Release Date:
        08/13/14</p>
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