get to the
point October 17, 2012
A Special Publication by Class 19 CRSTL
Ben Dillon
get to the point ATLANTIC REGION // PERRY POINT, MD
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend 10 months getting things done for America while developing their own leadership. We serve on teams to help communities to prepare for and respond to disaster, build homes and help the environment. To learn more, or apply, visit americorps.gov/nccc
FIND US ON FACEBOOK FACEBOOK.COM/ NCCCATLANTICREGION
Community Relations Office Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist, SMcKenzie@cns.gov Tristan Fowler, Community Relations Support Team Leader, TFowler.Guest@cns.gov
VOL. XVIII, ISSUE
Above: Members of Raven 3, joined by Corps Members Justin Brammer, Tracy Tran and Cassandra Lewis, stand on their respective home states atop a blacktop mural of the U.S. at Friendship Park in Bridgeport, CT. Last month, the Corps Members participated in a playground build hosted by the non-profit organization Kaboom that brought together more than 200 volunteers for one day of construction. (Photo essay on Page 8) On the cover: (clockwise from top-left) Thane “Ox” Clamann of Raven 5 in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania; Buffalo 1 working for EIHAB Human Services in Tunkhannock, PA; members of a composite firefighting team at the Table Mountain fire in Washington; Liz Fraley and Courtney Strother of Moose 4 working with Philly Rising.
contents: 3 Deerfield: A Big Little Town / Moose 5 4 Graduation & Award Banquet Update 6 Alumni Spotlight: Colin May, Atlantic Class XVII 8 Off the Beaten Path: Working with the SCA 9 Resource Corner / CAP & Media Scoreboard 10 Team Shout Outs 11 Kaboom! A Playground Photo Essay 12 Team Project Map
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full time team-based residential program for men and women ages 18 to 24. The mission of NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national & community service. For more information about NCCC Visit www.americorps.gov/nccc or call 1 800 942 2677
Get to the Point
Deerfield: a big
small town
By Ethan Essick, Moose 5
“
We hope to undermine the evil scheming of the fourth round slump goblins that salivate in the presence of apathy like starved Pavlovian dogs.
amazing small town cuisine. We’ve already made quite an he entire town of impact at this point in our Deerfield, NH is Deerfield campaign, as I like to call approximately 54 square it, and there is still a ton of more miles, yet has a projects to complete. The writer of population of only 4,280. Mostly this article is personally really populated by trees, Deerfield is excited to find and map out quite an anomaly in a world that is unmarked graves. increasingly being overdeveloped Back in much simpler times, and stripped bare. Deerfield residents devised a For fourth round, Moose 5 is different trails located throughout curious practice to deliver the working for and with the town of the town; the backwoods areas of ultimate insult to those who would Deerfield on a variety of different this community is vast and one not get in line with the town’s value projects. Trail maintenance, public cannot help but feel as if they’re system and religion. Instead of outreach at the annual Deerfield going “off the grid” every time a giving the recently deceased an Fair, and scouting and locating casual stroll into the wilderness is honorable burial, the town’s unmarked graves will all be a part taken. residents would deliver the of our work plan. Variety is the While the trails in Deerfield are ultimate insult by placing their spice of life, and by keeping our vast and lush, our team has been graves outside the walls of the projects fresh we hope to hard at work chain sawing and cemetery, sometimes deep into the undermine the evil scheming of the performing overall woodland woods. fourth round slump goblins that maintenance, helping establish Hundreds of years later, we salivate in the presence of apathy harmony among the flora and the here at Moose 5 have been given like starved Pavlovian dogs. fauna. We’ve been hitting up the the privilege to investigate and So far, we have really been Lazy Lion, the town café, pretty shed light on these forgotten enjoying discovering all the often and experiencing some really residents.
T
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Graduation & Awards Banquet What you need to know for your last days in AmeriCorps NCCC The awards banquet and graduation are a time of reflection and celebration. We are excited to applaud your collective and individual achievements over the past year, along with share a laugh and a tear. Please read this information carefully, so that our final days together can be stress free! To RSVP or if you have any questions or concerns about these events, please contact Sam McKenzie at smckenzie@cns.gov or (410) 642-2411 ext 6244
Awards Banquet Information Where: TBD Date: Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 Time: 2 pm to 4:30 pm Cost and payment: TBD Special Notes: Corps member may wear civilian business casual attire. Guests will have assigned seating.
Graduation Ceremony Information Where: Chesapeake Arts Center Date: Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 Time for Corps: TBD by Unit Leaders Time for Guest: Doors open at 9 am; Ceremony will run from 10 to 12 pm; A brief reception for cake will follow. All guest must leave by 2:30 pm Special notes: The “Arts Center� and its parking lot is a NON-SMOKING property. No smoking. Seating will be open for a general audience. Staff will conduct a parent focus group at 9 am 4
Get to the Point Directions to the Chesapeake Arts Center
Chesapeake Arts Center is located at: 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225. Located in Northern Anne Arundel County, just inside the Baltimore Beltway, near the Baltimore City line and Ritchie Highway (Route 2).For more information call 410-6366597. From Annapolis and Points South Take 95, 295, or I-97 North to I-695 East towards Dundalk/Key Bridge. Take exit 3A bearing to your right and join Route 2 North (aka Ritchie Highway), and turn left at the first traffic light onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side. From North of Baltimore Take I-95 South to I-895 South (Harbor Tunnel Thruway) to exit 7 Brooklyn (Rt. 2 / Potee St.) Potee St. becomes Rt. 2. Continue for approximately 2 miles and turn right onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side. From Baltimore City Take Hanover Street South over the Hanover Street bridge. Hanover Street becomes Rt. 2. Follow Rt. 2 to Hammonds Lane. Turn right onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side. From Howard County Take Rt. 100 East to I-295 North to I-695 East towards Glen Burnie to Exit 3A (Rt. 2 North) Join Rt. 2, and turn left at the first traffic light onto Hammonds Lane. CAC is 200 yards on the right hand side. As you enter the parking lot from Hammonds Lane, you will pass the Hammonds Lane Theatre on the left.
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Get to the Point
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ANECDOTES FROM COLIN MAY, ATLANTIC CLASS XVII
N
CCC has redirected my life in more ways than one. It's gotten me to think of the work that I do in terms of service, and I'm no longer attracted to any job or career that isn't going to be helpful in some sort of way—to other people, the environment, etc. NCCC also gave me the opportunity to do a huge variety of work, making me realize that there are so many different things I can do with my life that I hadn't thought of before. After working with The Nature Conservancy of Vermont, and with the US Fish & Wildlife Service on Phoenix 3, I realized that my passion for the environment can mean more than just camping and hiking trips. I'm applying to begin graduate school next fall to study Natural Resource Conservation. NCCC taught me that I should do
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meaningful work, and work that I enjoy. On a more personal note, I made some amazing friends, both on my team and off. Raven 7 is a true family, and even though it's hard to keep up with everyone spread all over the country, we'll always be Raven 7. It's great to know that I have friends all over that could put me up if I needed it.
us in a way that we never could have expected, creating a holiday in our name and calling us “pioneers of service.” We realized that the work we were doing really une 24, 2011 was Raven 7 Day mattered, not just explicitly, but in in Buffalo, New York, and I the way that we gave attention to can't think of a time when I've been communities that had been more proud of work I'd done. neglected for so long. It was truly Raven 7 spent two months toiling empowering to see that the work of away all over Buffalo, cleaning just 11 people could make such a vacant lots, parks, gardens, and big impact for an entire city. playgrounds. By the end of the round we were ready to go home, but on our PLEASE SEE ‘ALUMNI’ ON PAGE 5 last day there the Mayor honored FOR CONTINUATION OF STORY
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Get to the Point
ALUMNI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
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ristan will love for me to tell the media reps that I still write press releases. And it's true, I do. I'm serving an AmeriCorps VISTA term in the communications and development office of a charter school nonprofit in DC, and part of my job is to write press releases for our fundraising events. My English major has served me well, but working as Media Rep gave me some professional writing skills that have proved to be very useful. The most important skill I learned was how to interact with people. I had considered myself a pretty diverse guy, but NCCC plunged me into such a rich assortment of people from such a variety of backgrounds that I had to find a new way of working with people. I learned how to listen, how to manage, and how to consider ten other people in my decisionmaking, in both the living space and the work place.
A
fter graduating college, I briefly considered graduate school, but some restlessness in me steered me away from the books toward manual labor. I was interested in working outdoors, trail maintenance type work, and while searching through AmeriCorps programs, the diversity of the NCCC experience really attracted me. I wanted to travel, meet new people, and do good work. I applied for Fall 2011, but a spot opened for me to start in February instead, and there was nothing keeping me from starting early. Four days after I got the phone call, I was in Perry Point. After NCCC, I was finally feeling the pressure to be a little career-minded, and eager to return to a normal lifestyle where I don't live with the people I work with (no
“
NCCC plunged me into such a rich assortment of people from such a variety of backgrounds that I had to find a new way of working with people.
”
offense, it was fun while it lasted, but you know what I mean). But I still liked the idea of service, so I investigated AmeriCorps VISTA jobs, and landed one at the See Forever Foundation in Washington, DC, which funds and operates the four Maya Angelou Charter Schools. So I said the pledge again and am now working as a VISTA, serving our nation in a more specific, professional capacity.
everywhere, trees torching—it looked like hell on earth. The next day, the wind picked up and spot fires became fully involved. We lost one escape route and had to go out the long way, fire close on both sides of us, and the Flex-Trac moving at a slow crawl. We backed up to indirect attack after that and I worked on the Snackay Mackay Engine. One day, I happened to be lounging in the driver's seat when get to tell some pretty awesome we got called to address spot fires stories from Phoenix 3XL. The from the Hot Shots' burn out, and I Lateral West Fire was wild. The had to drive the engine through a first day, I rolled into the line on the back of the tank-like Flex-Trac. wall of smoke to get us there. Later that evening I was eating $30 We emerged from the woods and worth of Applebee's in my own all of a sudden there was smoke Hilton Hotel room.
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Get to the Point
Hannah Wells, Raven 3
Off the Beaten Path
SCA Quick Facts www.TheSCA.org Service Opportunities: Conservation Internships Corps Programs National Crews Community Programs
One Corps Member’s previous experience with the Student Conservation Association offers a glimpse into a unique opportunity for life after AmeriCorps. I applied to the NCCC and was waitlisted for the first time in the fall of 2009. I had applied to other positions, a few with a program called the Student Conservation Association (SCA). While waiting, I had an offer from the SCA. Being unemployed isn't the most pleasant thing, so I went with the employer I knew for certain would hire me. Thus began my 'career' with the SCA, resulting in five different positions over the course of two years, spanning both coasts and traveling from southern California up north to the Arctic Circle. Time commitments ranged from three months to a year and in that time I lived in and helped restore a desert (the Sonoran); spent a cold and foggy summer in the San Francisco Bay area with 900 year old redwoods and occasionally on a rather infamous
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rock; hung out with some grizzlies and moose (in Alaska!); built a trail in upstate New York; and lived in the City itself planning service events for local volunteers at Ellis & Liberty Islands. A lot of what I learned with the SCA has translated well in the work I do with NCCC. For instance, the trail work was useful while at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in Maine and while partnering with the Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania. Planning service events has been great as a Service Learning Initiator, and working with volunteers was helpful last round with the New Hampshire Food Bank's vegetable garden. Living and working in teams, be that a full on corps program or not, is also integral to most SCA programs. What's more, there's travel and adventure, friends to be made and stories to be gathered; to whit, the two programs share a common bond (as well as origins in the original Civilian Conservation Corps) and I would strongly hope that anyone looking to continue serving, albeit with a environmental focus, would consider working with the SCA.
Areas of Service: Environmental Stewardship Energy Conservation Environmental Education Age Limits: Interns: 18+ Corps Members: 18-24 Crew Members: 15-19 Crew Leaders: 21+ Program Members: 15-19 Locations: Internships, Corps Programs, National Crews: United States & Territories Community Programs: Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Connecticut; Houston; Manchester, NH; Milwaukee, WI; New Jersey; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Seattle; SF/Bay Area; and Washington, D.C. Benefits of Service: Travel expenses to and from service site, housing (unless otherwise specified), weekly living stipend, training/certifications where applicable, education award upon completion of service.
Get to the Point
RESOURCE CORNER: CLEAN UP & CLOSE OUT! Composite Team Leaders returned
Composite Team Leaders have to
If there are any questions please
Corps Members to their prospective
account for each dollar spent during a do not hesitate to contact me at (410)
teams. All Corps Members with travel
project; all receipts are needed. If you 642-642-2411 ext. 6868 or via email,
receipts (bus ticket receipts, travel
do not have your receipts, please
food receipts, etc.) upon return to
complete a “Missing Receipt” form
project site, must return those
(Team Leaders have the form) and
Charese Johnson
receipts to their Composite Team
mail/email to former Composite Team
Resource Manager
Leaders ASAP.
Leaders.
cjohnson@cns.gov
CAP & MEDIA UPDATES
The Scoreboard Shout-outs, Tips and the weekly progress report. All the info you need to stay on top of your CAP and Media work.
Shout-Outs:
Bobby and Lindy—I want to thank you for all your hard work Raven 1’s Henry meets the Mayor Jonathan Mitchell of New Bedford, MA with “Get to the Point” these past few weeks. Your works has been wonderful and I know the rest of the Corps appreciated seeing it in their mail every week. Additionally, thank you for support Sam in my absence. I know he kept you both very busy. Excellent work! Ben Dillon—Terrific job with this week’s “Get to the Point.” I can tell you put a lot of hard work into this, and your design experience really shows through. I loved your added content ideas and the overall look and feel of the newsletter is fresh, clean and very well done.
Buffalo 1
CAP Events 5
Media Hits 0
Alumni Events 0
Elected Officials 0
Buffalo 2
1
0
0
0
Buffalo 3
4
10
2
0
Buffalo 4
2
2
1
0
Moose 1
3
1
0
0
Moose 2
1
1
0
0
Moose 3
6
42
1
0
Moose 4
2
6
1
0
Moose 5
4
0
1
0
Raven 1
3
7
2
0
Raven 2
1
0
0
0
Raven 3
0
3
0
0
Raven 4
0
1
0
0
Raven 5
2
8
0
0
Phoenix 4
0
1
0
0
Moose 3 Media—You have been rocking the media hits this round! Including a great TV piece that circulated around the CNCS office. Very well done! Moose 3 CAPRs— Even without one of your CAPRs you have put together six CAP events this round! That’s a total of 210 contacts. Moose 5 CAPRs—Great job with your 100+ CAP event plus an application! You are the only team to score an application this round! Good job! Reminders: This is your LAST CHANCE to make a difference as a CAP or Media rep. Last chance to spread the word about AmeriCorps NCCC. Young people and average Americans need to know about YOUR hard work. Tell them. Share your stories. Time is running out. Make it happen.
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SHOUT OUTS! BUFFALO 2 “Rain, rain, go away! We are about to enjoy our last week (rain or shine) in Maine before heading to Delaware!” “Goodbye, COLD Maine! We are now off to Arden, DE!” BUFFALO 3 “We miss you, Rocky!” “B3 rode on the Gondola at a ski resort, having a glorious view at the ever-changing leaves in Vermont and her mountains!”
MOOSE 5 “We are glad to have Justin and Porche back on our team! YAY!!! Congratulations to Tierra and Laura for finishing their 1700 hours! Besides the rain, the weather is beautiful! To Jessi, From Justin: Only 3 more weeks! You can do it!”
MOOSE 1 “Moose 1 had fun working the Pettengil Farm Day and enjoyed seeing some Buffalo 2 members.” RAVEN 1 “Maddi is in charge of the chickens “Working with Preble Street Soup and getting the eggs.” Kitchen was a very eye opening “Oh does that mean she pulls the eggs experience for our team.” out of their butts?” - Michael MOOSE 2 “FEMA Corps has taken over our house!” “...we have our house back!” MOOSE 3 “To Jason Cangelosi: Thank you for James’ birthday card that reminded you of me (Jason Babcock) To Robert Russo-Tucker: Hurry up and get here!” “To Laura Tuck: Thanks for bringing Bobby back to us!” MOOSE 4 “It is great to have the team back together for the last 4 weeks of the project. We miss you, Steve, and wish you were here with us. We hope you enjoy fighting fires with Phoenix 4!”
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“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for” - Epicurus RAVEN 2 “Raven 2 is ‘Luvin’ my crew.’ We have completed siding our first house and are heading into the home stretch with finishing work indoors. Less than 2 weeks until dedication time!” “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” - Kelcy RAVEN 3 “True love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops.”
RAVEN 5 “After a musical renaissance and a gathering of kin, Raven 5 is flying high in the deep woods of Penn.” “Raven Five wants to remind everyone to have fun before the approaching apocalypse. Be safe, you screw balls!”
Get to the Point
KABOOM! A PLAYGROUND PHOTO ESSAY By Ben Dillon
Raven 3 arrived at their first Bridgeport job site on the cold, quiet predawn of Sept. 15 and quickly began arranging dozens of shovels, pitchforks, rakes, sledgehammers and an assortment of strange, colorful building materials throughout the vacant, grassy lot. The calmness of the morning setup gave little indication of the organized chaos that would soon follow: by mid-morning, more than 200 bustling volunteers crowded the courtyard of an adjacent elementary school, and after a mere five hours of work, they had raised a new playground from the bare grass of the vacant lot. Friendship Park was born.
Top: Mickey McGlasson, Ishmeal Mitchell and A.T. Holder finish installing the lattice covering of a pergola at Friendship Park in Bridgeport, CT during construction of the playground. Above: Helica Correia assists a student from a nearby elementary school in identifying Connecticut on a freshly painted blacktop mural of the United States.
Top-Right: Avery Engle poses with a piece of the playground’s rocking “horse.” Middle: Raven 3 members dig a hole. Bottom: Helica Correia and visiting Corps Member Justin Brammer help school children select flowers for a new raised garden bed.
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Buffalo 1 Taft— Tunkhannock, PA Buffalo 2 Tomoyo— Wilmington, DE Buffalo 3 Tony— Berlin, VT Buffalo 4 Tiffany— Reisterstown, MD
Phoenix 4 Jessica— Suffolk, VA
Moose 1 Patrick—Portland, ME Moose 2 Megan— York, PA Moose 3 Jami— Schoharie, NY Moose 4 Casey— Philadelphia, PA Moose 5 Toby— Deerfield, NH
Raven 1 Keiper— Marion, MA Raven 2 Davey— Newburgh, NY Raven 3 A.T.— Bridgeport, CT Raven 4 Millena—Kennett Square, PA Raven 5 Dan— Brownsville, PA