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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">How Will Wal-Mart Affect <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>’s Economy?<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer on this planet, has
announced plans to build one of their superstores in
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What will happen to the existing
businesses in <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> when (or if)
that huge store opens?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How will
that store impact <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>’s economy,
tax base, employment, and the lives of each of us?<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">To try and answer these questions – and any other
questions you might have about a Wal-Mart in
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> – the Moscow Civic
Association (MCA) is sponsoring a public forum on these topics.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The forum (free, of course) will be on
Monday, January 9, at <st1:time Hour="19" Minute="0">7 pm</st1:time>, at the
1912 Center on <st1:Street><st1:address>Third Street</st1:address></st1:Street>
in
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The forum will include a panel discussion with four
participants: Andrew Crapuchettes, Stephen Cooke, Jeff Harkins, and B.J.
Swanson.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Stephen
Cooke an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and
Rural Sociology at the UI. His areas of research are rural economic development
and public finance.<SPAN
style="mso-no-proof: yes"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Andrew Crapuchettes is Chief Executive Officer of
Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) of
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He has been in the hi-tech industry for
over 12 years working with 3D modeling and software design.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>More recently he has co-authored papers
and given speeches on economic development, Input/Output analysis and community
college curricula demand.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Jeff Harkins is an Accounting Professor at
the UI and a former chair of the department. He is a member of the board of
directors of the Latah Economic Development Council and a past President of the
Idaho Society of CPA’s.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: windowtext">B. J. Swanson is a
life-long resident of </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">Latah</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">County</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She is
Vice President of American West Bank, Chair of the Board of Gritman Medical
Center and serves on the boards of the Idaho Economic Advisory Council, Latah
Economic Development Council, </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">Palouse</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">Surgery</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">Center</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext"> and Whitepine Foundation for
Education.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Members of the audience will be encouraged to participate
in the question and answer period which will follow brief presentations by the
panelists. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The Moscow Civic
Association is a non-profit citizen’s organization that</SPAN> strives to
improve the quality of life for
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> residents. The <SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">mission of Moscow Civic Association is to
inform community members about important local issues and encourage civic
participation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN>More
information is available on the MCA website, </FONT></FONT><A
href="http://www.moscowcivic.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>www.moscowcivic.org</FONT></SPAN></A><o:p></o:p></P>
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