Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
Get to the Point: The NCCC News
An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication August 21-28, 2111 Volume XVII Issue 21 Perry Point, MD
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
Strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national & community service
Inside Issue 21: Faces of the Week
2
Phoenix 3 Update
3
AmeriGourmet
5
AmeriCount Down
5
Brain Food
6
Alumni Spotlight
7
Rod’s Ruminations
8
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18 to 24 years old & spend 10 months getting things done for America while developing their own leadership skills. We serve on teams to help communities prepare for & respond to disasters, build homes & help the environment.
2
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
3
Phoenix 3XL & The Lateral West Fire The Lateral West Fire on The Great Dismal Swamp covered less than ten acres when it was discovered on Thursday, August 4. The wildfire had grown to 100 acres when members of Phoenix 3 rode out to the fire line two days later to assist with direct attack. Kiera and Chelsea joined members of the crew from the Black Water Wildlife Refuge in Maryland; Tristan found himself sitting in the office of the fire compound working the radios as dispatcher; Mike, Pat & Andrew worked logistics, mostly in charge of refueling bulldozers & waiting around for something to do. Ben climbed into the copilot seat of a GX7 FlexTrac, a tank-like transport with wide, flexible tracks capable of riding over the rough dozer line that led to the fire line from Interior Ditch. The operator was Jordan Black of the Mackey Island Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. Any member of this year’s Phoenix class will remember Jordan as the NCCC alumnus turned Hot Shot turned engine boss who taught us how to operate pumps back at fire training in March. Megan & Colin climbed on the back of the FlexTrac with Steve Hubner & held on. The loud, bumpy ride through a mile of forest lasted thirty minutes— then all of a sudden they emerged from the woods, and they saw the smoke covering the barren hellish landscape, a reburning of an old fire scar. Phoenix 3 was finally fighting a wildfire. When the lightning bolt that started the Lateral West Fire struck the ground a week & a half before the fire was discovered, Phoenix 3 was sorting clothes at a thrift store in Norfolk, Virginia. They had all but given up on the possibility of working a major wildfire & they resigned themselves to local service projects—a fishing derby for underprivileged youth, trail maintenance at a fish hatchery, a Habitat for Humanity build & a thrift store whose proceeds go to a nonprofit called For Kids. The work was fine, but it wasn’t fire & Phoenix 3 is a fire team at its core. The team did have the opportunity to work the No Rest Fire, a 1.5 acre ground fire in North Carolina. They joined the small-scale operation after the fire had been contained & quickly learned how hard it is to put out a ground fire when the soil itself is burning. The soil is organic, rather than mineral & it takes a thorough soaking to put it out. Phoenix 3 worked for three days on the No Rest fire, making mud pies with ground fire nozzles, trying to extinguish the burning soil. It was on the No Rest fire that they first realized the perks of working on a wildfire—a room at the Hilton & all you can eat meals. The team gorged themselves at the Fire Mountain so many times that they were forced to redub themselves Phoenix 3XL. Now, a week into the Lateral West Fire, the blaze has grown to over 6000 acres & the incident has over 400 people working on it. The entire team is out on the fire line, working on three different type 6 engines, mostly involved with protecting Interior Ditch, the road that leads to Lake Drummond, the source of water that will keep Lateral West at bay until a
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
4
hurricane puts it out. The soil in the Swamp burns persistently & with fire on both sides of Interior Ditch, the road was in great danger of being eaten away. After days of mop up, hoses & hand tools, the road is fully protected, thanks to Phoenix 3. The excitement wasn’t limited to making mud pies—when the Midewin Hot Shot crew staged a burn out to meet the head of fire before it could reach the line, dozens of spot fires lit across the line. The Phoenix Engines quickly went from the unfortunately common & boring standby mode to urgently driving down West Ditch through thick smoke, setting up their pumps, throwing hoses to the Hot Shots & helping them put out the spots before they became too involved. The most inspiring moment happened the week before, while the fire was still just 150 acres. Ben, Megan & Colin were back with Jordan on the FlexTrac, patrolling for spots to put out with water from their tank. After patrolling their half of the line once, they found a spot fire in the brush across the fire line. So Jordan suited up, and the Hot Shot appeared before them like a timeless hero, his black fire pack like a cape, his aviator sunglasses reflecting the developing flames as he marched fearlessly into the thick smoke, charged hose in leather hands. Phoenix 3 has gotten a wonderful glimpse into the workings of a major wildfire. They learned that working an engine as an initial attack crew can just means reading books in the back of a truck all day. And they felt the adrenaline rush you’d expect when you see 40 foot flames, or half to ride on the back of a FlexTrack to reach safety because there’s fire on both sides of the line. They met the veterans & heard their stories. They know what it’s like to sleep in a Hilton every night, but not enjoy it because they only get to sleep for five hours. And they know what it’s like to have a daily food budget of $59.00. Phoenix 3XL all the way. Moose 5 Shout Out: Moose 5 would
Buffalo 4 Shout Out: The new barn is up and buffa-force is
like to thanks everyone in Buffalo that made our time here so wonderful! Baseball games, Niagara Falls and fried chicken! This city knows how to live!
taking it on with full force! Some of our team members are even looking as green as our TL Caleb. Eileen, Beth, Brooke-I miss your gypsy magic.- Sam
Raven 7 Shout Out: This week we were
Buffalo 5 Shout Out: Dear Vermont,
inundated with homasote, swivel chairs, flippy tables and dirty, stinkin wheasles… lots of them. And there is more to come. Phil is gradually becoming more hilarious and less appropriate, and we love it. Aisha and Bobbi invited us to eat dinner at their homes…so thanks for the Malaysian chicken and peanut sauce and pizza! Super special Raven 7 “Ayo!” to Vivian, Iris and everyone else who came out for our Day of Service. We will be a little late getting back to the point, but that is because school starts on Monday and this place is a flippin mess right now.
This place is amazing. We’re never leaving. Sincerely, Buffalo 5
Moose 4 Shout Out: Moose 4 + Moose 6 = MEGA MOOSE!!!
Phoenix 3 Shout Out: Can’t wait to see b3! Love, Chelsea Guess what moose 3? We will see each Other in less than a week! Stretch your eye muscles cuz you’ll be rolling them more now that my puns will be back!! But more importantly, I LOVE ALYSSA COBB! Yours Truly, Megan Christine Hill
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
5
AmeriGourmet: The Cooking Corner Zucchini Parmesan Ingredients Serving: 10-12 people 4-3/4 large zucchini, thinly sliced 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons olive oil 2-1/2 large onion, diced 4-3/4 cloves garlic, minced 2-1/2 (16 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce 2-1/3 cups and 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F 1. In a large pot boil the zucchini until tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and sautĂŠ the onion and garlic until the onion is tender. 2.Combine the zucchini, onion and garlic in a 9x12 inch casserole dish, and mix well. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the mixture and stir well. Top with mozzarella cheese (use more or less depending on your preference). 3.Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.
Peach Cobbler Ingredients Serving: 10-12 people 2 cups white sugar 1 cup butter, room temperature 2 cups self-rising flour 2 cups milk 2 (15 ounce) cans peaches
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 1. In a one-quart baking dish or 9 inch square pan, cream together sugar and butter. Mix in flour and milk until smooth. Pour peaches and their juice over the top.
2.Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
AmeriCount Down
4 Days until Transition
8 Days until Fall Break
12 Days until Round 4
84 Days until Graduation
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
6
Brain Food: L & M Trivia By: Those Crazy STLs L. Mack & M. Jabat
What is NCCC-Activity:
First team to get back to CRSTL Laura Mack will win!
When is the new deadline for the Winter 2012 Corps Member Application?
Complete the fifth circle with the correct dots.
Raven One Shout Out: Raven One worked with 250 ING volunteers and supervised the demo and reconstruction of Bellevue State Park’s bandstand. Then we got a new view of Bellevue from a hot air balloon!
Support Team Leader Shout Out: Laura is has decided that her Life After AmeriCorps plans are to become a NASCAR Driver...she has the experience (ps Amelia she is looking for a helmet as ordered) Melissa is in the process of making/eating anything relating to garlic. Bradley is gaming with the throne. Rod is creating a historical video game. Lia is roaming the Atlantic Region. Chris is going on the liquid diet, while listening to SAT Radio GREEN TEAM COME HOME! WE MISS YOU! Happy Birthday to Julian Raven 7.
Raven 6 Shout Out: Shout out to Kitty and Raven 7! Miss you dearly! (High Five) - Mia Shout out to Trevor for wrestling that bear last week! - Griff
Moose 1 Shout Out: Michael Ryan Rood – You are dead to Reph.
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
7
Alumni Spotlight: Shelly Piombo Lloyd Shelly Lloyd, served as a Corps Member in Class XIV: Badger 4 at the Atlantic Region Campus at Perry Point. How did you find out about AmeriCorps NCCC? I found out about NCCC while browsing the AmeriCorps website.
What was your favorite project with NCCC? My favorite NCCC project was 3rd Round in Mississippi. It was a construction project and we were working with Project REHAB to rebuild houses that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. When I learned that we would be going to the South in the summer doing construction, I was dreading it. I had no construction skills, so I was sure I’d make a fool of myself. I was also worried about the heat. The south in the summer is really hot and humid. But I ended up loving the work and I met some amazing people who I hold very dear to my heart. I learned, during this project, that I like working on roofs, but I’m scared of ladders.
Is there a special memory that sticks out in your mind of your NCCC experience? We had a disaster relief project for our 4th round. In one of the shelters we worked in, there were a bunch of little girls who were fascinated with my hair. Every day they would crowd around me and brush my hair and put lotion in it. My hair was very short and they said I looked like a boy. The ―beauty treatment‖ felt so good and I don’t know who look forward to it more…the girls or me. What are your current plans? Currently, I am a new wife and I am working as a house cleaner. My husband and I would love to have a family of our own. I’m hoping to be a full time mommy some day, as well as a wonderful and loving housewife. That has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl. So far, my dream has been coming true. Reflection & Recommendations for Class 17- The team aspect of NCCC was my highlight of the entire time. I strongly recommend getting along with your fellow teammates. Try to create as little drama as possible. Have respect for each other, even if you have completely different personality types and opinions. Your team is your family; you are stuck with them, so enjoy them. How has NCCC impacted your life after AmeriCorps? NCCC was very challenging for me, but in a good way. I stepped way out of my comfort zone. My experiences helped me to have better confidence in myself. I learned so much during those ten months that I know I can use in my everyday life. Now, if I want to make a shoe rack, by golly I can!
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 21
8
Rod’s Ruminations Crazy Items in the GSA Catalog From time to time, my boss Jen Horan asks me to prepare purchase orders for her (Quick side note: Jen is now the proud owner of two new kittens. Please forward her your congratulations). When this happens, she gives me a list of everyday items to find on the government’s supply website and I determine the price and quantity information. Typically, these items are mundane and expected: dish soap and sponges for 9H… clipboards and flash drives for the Team Leaders. You know, that kind of thing. But last week I began looking through the massive GSA online catalog for some other interesting items. What follows is a brief list of just a few items I found that are available for purchase from this government catalog:
-Bubblegum scented urinal tablets -Whiskas Temptations Cat Treats -CS Chemical Grenades (for crowd control) -Pepper Spray Bear Deterrent -Peerless Steel Chain-Link Hand Cuffs – Pink -Bulldog FX Swat Vehicle -Will protect against the detonation of TWO German DM-51 hand grenades! -Chevrolet 15-P Van -With State Department Level C Armor Package -Protects against heavy arms fire and light rocket attacks
Moose 2 Shout Out: Griff: Psycho, I’m liable to go Michael, take your pick: Jackson, Tyson, Jordan Game 6. Buffalo 7: Let’s all get in the tub? Buffalo 4: Kate says she has a friend who’s selling a banjo real cheap. And shout out to Analisa. Moose Unit: Get ‘Em Up!!!
Buffalo 7 Shout Out: Moose Deuce: Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone ever got a taste of Lucky Charms.
Buffalo 1 Shout Out: 3rd round…roasted. Buffalo 3 Shout Out: B3 Says: Chelsea.