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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.

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<v Speaker 1>It is time now for our community connection and today

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<v Speaker 1>we've got our friends from Tri County Tech. We have

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<v Speaker 1>George from kimmyon with us today. How you doing, folks,

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<v Speaker 1>Very good, doing very well, doing great well. I'll tell

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<v Speaker 1>you what Trike County Tech. You guys don't loaf out there.

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<v Speaker 1>You guys got everything going on sometimes all at once.

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<v Speaker 1>First of all, want to talk about the workforce and

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<v Speaker 1>Development months. Tell us a little bit about that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so September is officially a workforce development month. We

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<v Speaker 2>had just finished and graduated our first b POC class

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<v Speaker 2>that we held. They graduated on September sixth. And then

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<v Speaker 2>they are always looking to help companies with customized trainings.

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<v Speaker 2>We do a lot of safety training, so you can

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<v Speaker 2>do in person, we can do online. We can even

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<v Speaker 2>customize those trainings for your company whatever that might need,

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<v Speaker 2>what you might need.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, Trick County Tech is just not for kids,

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<v Speaker 1>although I have a daughter going there, she just loves it.

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<v Speaker 1>But the adults with the flex programs, those are wonderful.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right. And we've got quite a few new offerings

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<v Speaker 2>this year that we're offering them in the modular sections

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<v Speaker 2>so they can come in different cohorts. So for instance,

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<v Speaker 2>our carpentry, the construction service class, we split it into

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<v Speaker 2>four modules. So right now electricals going on. In October,

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<v Speaker 2>HVAC starts. We have still I think about six spots

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<v Speaker 2>left in HVAC that kicks up, so it's just a

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<v Speaker 2>three month and then you can get trained and get out,

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<v Speaker 2>and then after that comes up plumbing and starts in January,

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<v Speaker 2>and then carpentry in the spring. So instead of taking

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<v Speaker 2>the whole ten months, you can split it into four

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<v Speaker 2>different sections. Come in and take one, get out, or

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<v Speaker 2>keep coming and take all four.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow. And you know, even though you're not getting into

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<v Speaker 1>construction maybe for a vocation, this is great for anybody

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<v Speaker 1>who ever plans on owning a home. With the simple

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<v Speaker 1>factor you can be totally in control of your home. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>you can learn a lot of things. Computers are a

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<v Speaker 1>good part of our homes these days too, as well

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<v Speaker 1>as work, and I understand we have a computer course

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<v Speaker 1>now available.

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<v Speaker 2>We do. We have a lot of computer classes that

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<v Speaker 2>are starting at We've got word Excel, Microsoft Office. We're

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<v Speaker 2>even doing a computer skills for the workplace so all

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<v Speaker 2>of those. If anybody's looking to enhance your computer skills

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<v Speaker 2>or just get some computer skills so then you can

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<v Speaker 2>get that next entry level job, go online and you

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<v Speaker 2>can see what all there are to offer that you

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<v Speaker 2>could get enrolled in.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, we'll talk about the golf tournament in a moment,

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<v Speaker 1>because I want to get George involved here. George, you've

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<v Speaker 1>been doing this thing for more than a few minutes

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<v Speaker 1>with the robotics out there at Tray County Tech. Tell

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<v Speaker 1>us first of all a little bit about the program

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<v Speaker 1>and your involvement, how you work with that.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, the robotics program, of course is not a class

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<v Speaker 3>as an after school program, and it's was something that

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<v Speaker 3>was started in two thousand and seven. It's been going on.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a national actually international program, and their teams from

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<v Speaker 3>all over the world, and we've had, like I say,

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<v Speaker 3>the program's been going on for eighteen years, and during

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<v Speaker 3>the falls when we're recruiting students, and so right now

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<v Speaker 3>we're trying to find students from all the schools that

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<v Speaker 3>feed students at Tri County Tech, from No Water, from Dewey,

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<v Speaker 3>from the Oklahoma Union, from Bartlesville, everywhere, and so we're

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<v Speaker 3>out trying to find the students to participate in the program.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I understand we have like an open house coming

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<v Speaker 1>up on this coming.

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<v Speaker 3>Up in a few days, right, yes, Now, on September

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<v Speaker 3>the ninth, we're going to be having the students meet

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<v Speaker 3>team together and uh so, uh we're trying to get

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<v Speaker 3>them to come and find out more about the program.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, all I got to say is where was this

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<v Speaker 1>when I was a kid. It wasn't around yet, that's

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<v Speaker 1>for sure. But man, it's got to be fun to

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<v Speaker 1>be a mentor with these youngsters. Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 3>We have nine mentors and uh and these are believe me.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh we have PhDs and they're excellent. And and we

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<v Speaker 3>tell our youngsters you don't have to know anything. These

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<v Speaker 3>gentlemen and will teach you how to uh put together

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<v Speaker 3>the robot, design, build and work the robot. So you

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<v Speaker 3>don't have to know anything. Come there and learn.

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<v Speaker 1>Bring you have front, bring your curiosity, and bring your

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<v Speaker 1>bring your desire to learn. Right. Oh wow, and good

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<v Speaker 1>sense of fun. Yes, yes, this is great. This is outstanding.

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<v Speaker 1>And again I'm just thinking, wow, kids, if you're thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about it, don't don't let it pass your bike, because

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<v Speaker 1>you kick yourself if you do. We've got the Foundation

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<v Speaker 1>Golf tournament swing for students, and you know, I've talked

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<v Speaker 1>to Champagne about this a couple of times. It sounds

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<v Speaker 1>like a lot more fun than she lads on. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a lot of fun.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a lot of fun.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>Last year we raised thirty eight thousand dollars to provide

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<v Speaker 2>scholarships for students. That provided twenty one adult scholarships for

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<v Speaker 2>students to be able to attend Trey County that probably

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't have been able to come if we had not

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<v Speaker 2>raised the fund. So this year, of course, we want

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<v Speaker 2>to you know, surpass our goal from last year. We

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<v Speaker 2>still have three sponsorships available. So we have a title sponsor,

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<v Speaker 2>we have a driving range sponsor, and we have a

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<v Speaker 2>putting green sponsor. And so with those sponsorships would include

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<v Speaker 2>a team in the tournament as well. And I can

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<v Speaker 2>promise you the swag bag you will not be disappointed,

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<v Speaker 2>because we don't put together a bag that you're going

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<v Speaker 2>to throw over in the garage when you get home.

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<v Speaker 2>You're going to want everything in this bag. That was

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<v Speaker 2>one of our biggest compliments last year was what an

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<v Speaker 2>amazing swag bag we put together.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it got around.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, we always say golf's fun that when

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<v Speaker 2>you're helping students, I mean, it makes it even more

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<v Speaker 2>a blast.

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<v Speaker 1>So at Track County Tech, one thing that Track County

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<v Speaker 1>Tech is famous for is not saddling their students with

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<v Speaker 1>a heavy loaded debt when they walk away, many of

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<v Speaker 1>them walk away with the big zero, right, because it's

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<v Speaker 1>all been taken care of by either paying through or

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes through the foundation if you're entire need.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we have ninety percent of our students qualify for

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<v Speaker 2>assistance from the foundation. So we actually one other thing

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<v Speaker 2>was going to mention, we have our progress report for

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<v Speaker 2>f Y twenty four is going to be coming out

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<v Speaker 2>this month, so be on the lookout for that. We'll

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<v Speaker 2>have it posted on our website as well, so you

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<v Speaker 2>can go back and look to see how phenomenon we

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<v Speaker 2>did in FY twenty four. We keep saying it's the

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<v Speaker 2>best year we've ever had, and then next year we'll

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<v Speaker 2>say it's the best year we've ever had. We just

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<v Speaker 2>keep getting better, is what George and I were talking

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<v Speaker 2>about on the way over here. It just seems unreal,

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<v Speaker 2>but we just keep getting better each year. So our

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<v Speaker 2>results will be out with you know, adult graduate and

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<v Speaker 2>average wage, how many enrollments we had as well as

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<v Speaker 2>we have a section in there on the foundation and

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<v Speaker 2>how much assistance was offered to our students.

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<v Speaker 1>Getting back to the adults. So you might have a

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<v Speaker 1>job already, but you might actually be in line for

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<v Speaker 1>creating a pathway to get a better job. You might

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<v Speaker 1>be underemployed and don't even know it, right, You should

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<v Speaker 1>really check out the website. Ye be all you can be.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. And by the way, track County Tech folks, they

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<v Speaker 1>went awards like crazy, Malcolm ballbridge Ward, I think you

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<v Speaker 1>guys own it, you know, I mean as many times

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<v Speaker 1>as it's been given into you. And also with a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of the things with that technology, a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>awards there too that don't go out to just any school.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a big deal. And the thing is, our big

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<v Speaker 1>deal is Tricouty Tech and our big deal is right

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<v Speaker 1>here in town.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, and one award that we get that's a little

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<v Speaker 2>near and dear to my heart is because I serve

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<v Speaker 2>as the CFO as well, and we have achieved a

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<v Speaker 2>Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for three years straight

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<v Speaker 2>through international ASPECS.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's a big deal.

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<v Speaker 2>That shows that we're taking care of the taxpayer dollars

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<v Speaker 2>and spending them appropriately, and we go through an audit

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<v Speaker 2>and rigorous financial and that they dig in and look.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's always.

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<v Speaker 2>A I like to brag about that for the Finance office.

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<v Speaker 2>The girls work hard.

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<v Speaker 1>So George, you always seemed to hang out with winners. Absolutely, absolutely, well,

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<v Speaker 1>this is a grade school of great people, a great

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<v Speaker 1>you know, history as short as it may be. But boy,

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<v Speaker 1>I can tell you what this Going into the future.

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<v Speaker 1>It's like being on a rocket. Hang on.

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<v Speaker 2>You never know what you might get.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to thank you both for coming in today

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<v Speaker 1>and being with us and sharing all this great news

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<v Speaker 1>about right here on cable.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you, thank you,