I got up the nerve and just pried the sucker off. It worked well..but I think i now know that there are two clips between the door panel and the kick panel that can be 'compressed' with a screw driver when slid from the front toward the machine that will make removal of the kick panel less 'violent'..they'll just squeeze down under the pressure of the screw driver blade and that will allow the clip the slide more easily out of its retaining hole in the frame of the machine. THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!