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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white'>Dear ASAP member,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>As many of you know, NSF will be repurposing the Arecibo Observatory in the coming months with plans to move from a research-focused facility to an education-focused one (</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><a href="https://new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-announces-over-5m-funding-create-new-stem" target="_blank" title="https://new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-announces-over-5m-funding-create-new-stem"><span style='color:#1155CC'>https://new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-announces-over-5m-funding-create-new-stem</span></a></span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>).</span><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'> </span></span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>This will undoubtedly change the historical purpose of ASAP as a science advocacy group. The ASAP Board election has traditionally taken place in July or August; however, under the current circumstances the election was decided to be delayed until the scope of ASAP has been revised.</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><br>All ASAP members are invited to a planning meeting to discuss how ASAP will need to be transformed to meet current challenges and evolve in the future to potentially return science and research as the core focus of the facility in the future. A form for comments on the options determined by the planning meeting will be made available after the meeting, and a vote on the final decision will be organized.</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Based on the poll sent out last week, October 26 at 10 AM AST / EDT, 14:00 UTC is the best option.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>More information to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'> </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Best regards,</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>ASAP Board </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>