GET TO
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2013 VOLUME XIX, ISSUE 16
THE POINT THE
NEWSLETTER
Hurry Up & Wait
Staying prepared and managing expectations as an AmeriCorps wildland firefighter. Page 6.
OF THE
NCCC
ATLANTIC REGION
CONTENTS
IN THIS
ISSUE 03
Gallery Images from Round 3 projects
05
Bulletin Board Update of Independent Service Hours & Team Reminders
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps Program.
↑ Corps Members
10 months getting things done for America
Phoenix 3 members balance
Regions dance
preparedness and expectations.
alongside Wendy the Corporation for National and
Feature We Aren’t Going Anyway.
and Southern
Spencer, CEO of
N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend
06
from the Atlantic
08
Health & Wellness
Community
6 Amazing Facts About
while developing their own leadership. We
Service (right),
Avocados & A Recipe for
serve on teams to help communities prepare
during a
Breakfast Tacos
for and respond to disasters, build homes,
Grandview Park in
and help the environment.
barbeque at Beaver, W.Va.
To learn more, visit NationalService.gov or call 1.800.942.2677
09
Shout Outs
10
Team Project Map
CONNECT WITH AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS) Phone: 410.642.2411 Ext. 6244 ● Email: smckenzie@cns.gov Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS) Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: rhillstrand@cns.gov Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL) Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: bedillon.guest@cns.gov
Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion @AmeriCorpsNCCC NationalService.gov
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JULY 25, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
About the cover Phoenix 3 firefighters had to stay physically and mentally prepared for deployment while managing expectations of seeing a wildfire. Read about this delicate balance on Page 6.
G ALLERY
Rounding Out Round 3 ↑
Buffalo 4 members David Wright, left, and Jeremiah King, right, remove cabinetry from a flood-damaged home in New York while working with Respond & Rebuild.
→ A resident of Ocean County, N.J. shows members of Raven 1 locally caught crawfish during a workday with Jersey Cares. ↓
Raven 4 member Gaby Gardose tends to one of several gardens at Tanglewood 4H Camp near Lincolnville, Maine.
GET TO THE POINT | JULY 25, 2013
3
G ALLERY
The Initiative — Southern West Virginia ↑
Raven 2 members pose with a Boy Scout troop during The Initiative, a five-day event coordinated by the Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia that engaged an estimated 40,000 Scouts for a combined 300,000 hours of community service.
→ Shane Tulp of Moose 3 scrapes paint from a sign for the Indian Creek Covered Bridge near Salt Sulphur Springs, W.Va. ↓
4
Moose 5 members spent a day hiking and whitewater rafting around West Virginia’s New River with their project sponsor.
JULY 25, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
SHOUT OUTS
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” –Samuel Johnson
Kate Raftery, Director of NCCC (center), visited Corps Members and Boy Scouts during The Initiative in West Virginia. Chandler Ballentine, Operations Support Team Leader is at back right.
for The tracking formulas have urs ho Independent Service ers at mb p me been adjusted to ca ely rat cu re ac 100 percent and mo ss. gre reflect teams’ total pro lete
urs Comp Percentage of ISP Ho Raven: 69.06% Moose: 66.64% Buffalo: 64.63%
President Obama has pledged to expand opportunities for national service. For more information, visit the National Service Blog at Serve.gov
Atlantic Region Team Leaders visited an overlook of New River Gorge at Grandview Park near Beaver, W.Va. following a barbeque with Southern Region teams and partnering organizations in The Initiative.
GET TO THE POINT | JULY 25, 2013
5
FE ATURE
we aren’t going anyway by silpa sadhujan phoenix 3 member
L ↑ (At top) Phoenix 3 members stand with project sponsor Steve Hubner in front of the U.S.F.W.S. Fire Management Office. (Above) Ian Slingsby dons a fire helmet and Great Dismal Swamp fire shirt during training excercises.
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JULY 25, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
ife as a Phoenix 3 Corps Member can best be likened to a roller coaster. You build up a ball of excitement in anticipation for the crazy ride that is P3. You’ve heard all the stories from P1 and P2, not to mention stories from current Team Leaders, Emily, Chandler, Evan and Ben, who were Phoenix members. You know more about fire then your inexperience would suggest, because you have absorbed all the stories and suggestions from other Phoenix members past and present. Like a roller coaster going up, down, up again, down again, we were in for a wild ride that challenged our spirit, but it also left us smiling and sometimes sent us into fits of laughter. Wildfires are unpredictable by nature, so Phoenix 3 became the master of the waiting game. Morning check-ins with Steve Hubner, our sponsor at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, were always a big highlight of the day. Steve would give us the most recent fire situation report. This is how we found out how many fires were burning around the country and the condition in which they were in. Counter intuitively, we all secretly were hoping for increased fire activity. The odds were looking in our favor the first week of Round 3. We avidly packed our red bags in proper wildfire manner, did hikes with our fire gear for physical training, mentally prepared to stink and go without
FE ATURE
showering for days. As quickly as the flame was lit in our minds, it was put out. Steve’s subtle way of keeping us from getting our hopes crushed was saying something along the lines of, “there is a lot of wildfire activity out west, but that doesn’t matter, ‘cause we aren’t going anyway.” This became the running joke between Steve and P3. Every time there was a chance of a wildfire deployment, someone would chime in, “doesn’t matter, ‘cause we aren’t going anyway.” This would be followed by many affirming nods and remarks. We became champions of keeping our spirit and morale strong. We worked with local non-profits during the week, which brought purpose and meaning to our team. One of the most memorable places we worked was the Virginia Zoo, where we were revitalizing the vegetation growth in animal habitats. Phoenix 3 has two
“Fire or no fire, at the end of the day, drenched in our well-earned sweat, we went home feeling proud of our accomplishments.” words for you: Red Panda. We will never forget working aboard the U.S.S. Wisconsin or the long, hard days working in the woods at Piney Grove Preserve. On those humid Virginia days with a heat index of 105, when things got hard, we pushed through with the help of Ray’s singing and spontaneous dance parties to Clarity under the shade of a tree. Fire or no fire, at the end of the day, drenched in our wellearned sweat, we went home feeling proud of our accomplishments. After all, as Steve said, we weren’t going anyway.
← Phoenix 3 members dig a fire break to prepare a prescribed burn unit at Piney Grove Preserve in Sussex County, Va. ← Dimi Venkov, Phoenix 3 Team Leader, “island hops” in a marshy area of Piney Grove Preserve while marking vegetation monitoring pipes.
GET TO THE POINT | JULY 25, 2013
7
HE ALTH & WELLNE SS
6 Amazing Facts About Avocados Protein: Avocadoes provide all 18 essential amino acids necessary for the body to form a complete protein. Unlike the protein in steak, which is difficult for most people to digest, avocado protein is readily absorbed by the body because avocadoes also contain fiber. Beneficial Fats: Avocadoes provide the healthy kind of fat that your body needs. Like olive oil, avocadoes boost levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol). This type of cholesterol helps regulate triglyceride levels, preventing diabetes. Carotenoids: Avocadoes are an excellent source of carotenoids.
Breakfast Tacos
Every time you consume foods rich
SERVINGS: 10 (increase ingredients as
well combined. Coat a small non-stick
Anti-Inflammatory: The combined
needed)
sauté pan with cooking spray and place
effect of the deluxe package of
TIME: 5 min. preparation, 10 min. cooking
over medium heat. Add egg mixture and scramble. Remove from heat and sprinkle
INGREDIENTS
shredded cheddar cheese over top; keep warm.
in carotenoids, you deliver high quality vitamin A to your body, thereby protecting eye health and enhancing the immune system.
nutrients contained in avocadoes offers powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. This means avocadoes can help prevent or mitigate
10 corn taco shells or tortillas
2-1/2 cups black beans
10 large eggs
over medium heat, add olive oil and
2-1/2 tablespoons milk
minced garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add
Salt and black pepper as needed
spinach and toss with heat resistant plastic
Non-stick cooking spray, as needed
spatula until spinach is dark green and
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
slightly wilted.
2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
8 cups baby spinach leaves
package directions and place on a flat
oleic acid improves cardiovascular
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
work surface. Divide scrambled egg evenly
health.
1 cup pico de gallo
among tortillas, layer with garlic sautéed
2 Avocados, sliced (optional)
spinach, and use a slotted
Sour Cream (optional)
spoon to divide beans evenly
3. Place second medium non-stick sauté pan
4. Heat four blue corn tortillas according to
over top. Finish each taco DIRECTIONS
with pico de gallo, sliced
1. Place black beans in microwave safe bowl
avocado and
and heat in microwave. 2. Combine eggs, milk and season with salt and black pepper as desired; whisk until
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JULY 25, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
sour cream (optional); serve immediately.
against both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Heart Health: The fat content, which causes some uninformed health "experts" to deem avocadoes as unhealthy, actually provides protection against heart diseases. Studies have shown that
Choosing and Eating: To get the most nutritional value from avocadoes, avoid those which have become over-ripe. Over-ripe avocados will have dents and feel overly soft when you hold them.
SHOUTS OUTS
Justin Leiby contacted
Dear Chandler
us and wishes
and Ben: It’s
“everyone to keep up the good work and
simply not fair.
keep pushing on.”
Sincerely, B3
Buffalo 1
Buffalo 3
Shout out to the visiting King and Queen and Sweden—COME VISIT US IN NEW JERSEY!
Raven 2
We are so ESTATIC to have our wonderful Megan Ryan back! After weeks and weeks, our Moosicorn family is finally whole once again!
Hakuna Matata! I know it’s hot and muggy, but keep your heads up. We are half way through the year!
Moose 1 Congrats to everyone for
“Be miserable. Or We love Purple Polar
motivate yourself.
Bears, Key Lime
Whatever has to be
Quokkas, Black
done, it's always your
Barracudas, Teal Sea
choice.”
Turtles, and Orange
-Wayne Dyer
Shout Outs?
Shouts Outs are short messages submitted by teams each week to share with the rest of the Corps. Whatever it may be, a Shout Out is one little way to keep the Corps connected throughout the service term.
Starfish!
making it through Round 3! Good luck to those in WV! We
Moose 4
Raven 3
wish we could’ve seen you over
Hey, WVA teams! Transition will not be the
transition!
same without you all!
Moose 2
Raven 4
Excited to have Silpa back! Do you think you’re better off
Shout to Reniecea for setting up a wild and wonderful day of rafting and hiking with our sponsor!
Moose 5
alone? Justin Gandy— Chef Extraordinaire
Raven 5 GET TO THE POINT | JULY 25, 2013
9
Where in the Atlantic Region Are They?
Round 4, Week 1
While six teams remain in West Virginia to work with the Citizens Conservation Corps until July 31, six teams are transitioning into Round 4 projects throughout the Atlantic Region. At the start of Round 4, one team will assist with disaster recovery in New Jersey, one team will do disaster mitigation and preparedness work in Connecticut, one team will improve education facilities in Massachusetts, and three teams will do a combination of environmental stewardship and urban development in Baltimore.
RAVEN 1 Chelsea, Mass. Phoenix Charter Academy Urban & Rural Development
BUFFALO 3 MOOSE 4 Elkton, Md. Project Crossroad Urban & Rural Development
MOOSE 2
Torrington, Conn. Torrington AHD/MRC Urban & Rural Development
Toms River, N.J. Jersey Cares Disaster Services BUFFALO 1 Baltimore, Md. Creative City Public Charter School Urban & Rural Development BUFFALO 4 Baltimore, Md. Baltimore City Bureau of Parks Urban & Rural Development PHOENIX 4 Suffolk, Va. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Disaster Services
MOOSE 1
RAVEN 2
Fayette, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
Nicholas, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
MOOSE 3
RAVEN 3
Monroe, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
McDowell City, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
MOOSE 5
RAVEN 5
Summers, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
Wyoming, W.V. Citizens Conservation Corps of W.V. Urban & Rural Development
RAVEN 4 Baltimore, Md. Baltimore County Reforestation Environmental Stewardship