December 3, 2021
Vol. 38 No. 21
ARMY ‘BRAT’ TO SPACE FORCE GUARDIAN PAGE 6 -7
COMMUNITY UPDATES NATIVITY SCENES IN CALTAGIRONE
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Direct Line
Peter Faulk, Installation Housing Director
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s the Installation Housing Director for NAS Sigonella, I am responsible for housing all personnel assigned to Sigonella. I believe in providing excellent customer service while being responsive and proactive in all housing issues for both military and civilian residents. I like to get out into the community, which allows me to see first-hand how we can improve overall customer service and processes to ensure smooth transitions for all personnel. Economy residents should be aware that utility prices are going up across the European Union. Higher commodity prices are causing electricity costs to increase approximately 29% and gas costs to increase by as much as 14%. The Italian government has taken measures to limit the impact, but prices are rising in Italy, and some customers are already experiencing higher bills. Customers should plan for their current and upcoming bills to reflect higher rates, though we expect these temporary price increases to end in spring 2022. So conserve your utilities! If you have questions about your bill, please contact a utility counselor in the housing department, at 095-56-4311 or 095-563845. For those living in Marinai housing, a five year plan of upcoming projects includes a skateboard park, club house, Splash Park, replacement of all A/C units, perimeter fence replacement, new entrance points, new lighting in units, and the renovations of two more parks. These projects were part of the recent lease renewal negotiation with Pizzarotti. Housing will come out with a schedule for these projects in early 2022. Now, I’d like to recognize the efforts of our housing staff. During the October floods, the housing program made sure everyone had a dry safe place to go, which included making reservations at the local hotels and coordinating rides with MWR. Housing also made sure funds were available for moving residents to other units and processing TLA’s. We have a great team here in the Housing program who made all this happen. Kathleen Seymour was on the ground physically talking to residents to provide updates and information. During the first night of flooding she assigned housing units for residents to move to, helped families to evacuate their homes, inspected units for families who were away, and checked on people who had spouses deployed. Monica Drago, our referral supervisor, served as the point of contact for hotels and TLAs, contacting families and arranging all reservations based on their needs and what was available. Christine Albanese, housing business manager, reached out to residents over the phone on the first day of the
emergency to verify if families needed temporary or permanent housing and to provide TLA information. On the following days, she monitored and verified the housing inventory. Furnishings manager Rosario Nigretti and the moving and handling contractor processed all requests for loaner furniture, appliance replacement and other items to ensure all needed services were promptly provided to residents. Francesco Pagliaro actively assisted with the flood emergency in Marinai from the very first day. He coordinated and conducted unit inspections to assess the conditions of the affected and vacant units. Shantal McFarland answered residents’ questions and directed them to the appropriate personnel, as well as relaying information to residents via Facebook, phone, and email. She is still currently addressing any health and safety issues in the units such as mold or electrical wiring. As the housing Director I am always looking to improve and solve issues, so anyone can email me at any time at peter.faulk@eu.navy.mil. An issue brought up now can help correct the issue for current and future residents. Finally, be sure to follow our Facebook page @HousingSigonella. We post about utility outages, trash schedules, house safety, and what to do in case of an emergency. Remember to be safe these holidays whether you are hanging Christmas lights or frying a turkey! Happy holidays, Sigonella!
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THE SIGNATURE U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA
NEWBORN PASSPORTS Newborn passports are normally processed through U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, but recent staffing changes have meant that no one qualified to process newborn passports remained on site. As a temporary measure, Sigonella PSD will now process newborn passports through January 2022 to help bridge the gap until new personnel arrive at the hospital. PSD will continue to process no-fee passports applications and, as a courtesy, fee passports applications for adults and children. UTILITIES PRICES Electricity and gas prices in Italy have increased as a result of recently changed host nation tariffs. The allowances that you receive to pay for utilities while living on the economy depend on your employment status. If you are an active duty service member, they are determined by the Defense Travel Management Office Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) survey, which is conducted annually to collect utility/recurring maintenance expenses incurred by uniformed service members stationed overseas who reside in private housing. The last OHA survey was completed in May 2021. DTMO is aware of increases across the EU and is working to arrange a new survey to capture these and other costs across the EU. For civilians, the Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) rates are set by the Department of State’s Office of Allowances based upon annual Living Quarters Expenditure Surveys. The Sigonella HR department is currently exploring the ability to have an out of cycle LQE survey for Italy. We will keep you informed of any surveys that will impact your allowances. POST OFFICE SERVICES We would like to give you a few more details about the current situation at the post office. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted NAVSUP’s normal mail movement routes leading in and out of our AOR (area of responsibility). Fleet Mail Center Sigonella receives mail daily (Mon-Sat) from Catania airport. Pre-COVID, there was an average of 10 flights daily between Rome Intl. Airport
and Catania Airport. Since that time, the incoming flights have been reduced to 2-3 due to commercial airline restrictions and cargo limitations. Fewer flights means fewer opportunities to receive mail, unfortunately. The good news is that while mail has slowed down, it is still moving, all things considered. On average, mail takes 13.2 days to arrive from Catania from the serving gateway CONUS, and 13.9 days to arrive CONUS from here. As a reminder, our recommended holiday mailing dates this year are 23 November for ground and 30 November for priority and first class packages. Our mail movement issues are not unique to Sigonella. The Military Postal Service is an extension of the United States Postal Service (USPS), and as such we are affected by their operations as well. The United States Postal Service is also experiencing records highs in mail volume and delays due to current world events. Nevertheless, we strive to bring you your packages and letters as quickly as we can within these constraints. Parcel pick up hours are as follows: NAS 1 Post Office 0900-1600 M-F NAS 2 Post Office Command Mail call 1200-1600, M-F. Command mail call start time of 1200 gives the postal staff adequate time to receive and process incoming mail from Catania airport. This also ensures that you receive the mail the same day it’s received from the airport without any additional delays. NEX UPDATES The past year and half have been difficult both for customers and employees at retail locations all over. Supply chain issues have affected product availability, including (but not limited to) children’s clothing and food items here in Sigonella. In some cases, the NEX has been able to supplement with product from DECA, but in general, delays and low availability continue to be an issue. Children’s clothing in particular has gone through a transition in the last few months, but we have started to receive inventory from Old Navy and GAP. A wider variety of clothing can be found at mynavyexchange.com. Beginning in late September the NEX "Updates" cont’d on Page 11
Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard Executive Officer Cmdr. Ronald Cappellini Command Master Chief CMDCM Anna Wood EDITORIAL Public Affairs Officer Lt. Drake Greer drake.greer@eu.navy.mil Assistant Public Affairs Officer Megan Mills megan.mills@eu.navy.mil Public Affairs Leading Petty Officer MC1 Kegan Kay kegan.kay@eu.navy.mil Community Relations Officer Dott. Alberto Lunetta alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil PAO Staff Writers \ Photographers MC2 Joshua Coté joshua.m.cote@eu.navy.mil MCSN Triniti Lersch triniti.lersch@eu.navy.mil CONTACT US
Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily thesig@eu.navy.mil DSN 624-5440; 095-86-5440 PSC 812 Box 7, FPO, AE 09627-0001
This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of The Signature are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense (DoD), or the U.S. Navy. Editorial submissions are welcomed from all Naval Air Station Sigonella departments, divisions and tenant commands. Editorial submissions should be sent to the Public Affairs Office via thesig@eu.navy.mil. All articles submitted by non-staff members will be considered contributing writers.
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Name: ABF3 PHILIP ALBERTI Command: NAVSUP FLCSCI Department: FUELS
By MCSN Triniti Lersch, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
hen Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) W 3rd Class Philip Alberti from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania joined the Navy in August 2015, he had
a very specific rate in mind. “Working with petroleum products is definitely the future,” said Alberti. He knew the job opportunities outside of the Navy would be abundant with the right qualifications, so he chose ABF without hesitation. Naval Air Station Sigonella is Alberti’s second duty station, with the first being the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). He works at Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella, Sicily, Italy (FLCSI) Fuels. “Being an ABF here at NAS Sigonella, we work with petroleum products such as JP-5 and diesel,” said Alberti. “Our main goal is to provide, to all the squadrons and ground support equipment, the cleanest and brightest fuel set at the Navy standards they could possibly get and making sure it is in the safest environment possible.” Alberti also runs the operational management aspect of his command, through inspection purposes and as repair leading petty officer. Alberti has only been here at NAS Sigonella for six months, but he has already stood out to his leadership. “Since Petty Officer Alberti’s arrival, he has been an outstanding Sailor who has been identified as a technical maintenance expert,” said Assistant Leading
Petty Officer of NAVSUP FLCSI FUELS Aviation Boatswains Mate (Fuel) 2nd Class Peter Wright. “During his short time onboard, he has assisted in changing out truck nozzles and maintaining our fuel trucks to be able to meet the demanding flight plan. He is a trusted Sailor among the division who strives to learn and grow every day.” Alberti’s favorite part of his job is fixing things that people think are impossible. The most difficult part is figuring out how to solve these challenging fixes. Being an ABF is not just pumping gas. “Everybody thinks that you just top off a truck,” he said. “There are hundreds of evolutions that go on to make sure your fuel that you get is the cleanest that you could possibly get. The Navy’s standards are really tight and we like to meet them and then go beyond.” Alberti has enjoyed his brief time at Sicily and looks forward to the rest of his tour. In addition to hiking and going on adventures with his wife, daughter, and dog, he’s taken time to explore his Italian roots. “My favorite thing about being in Sicily is learning about my heritage,” he said. “I have family over in Venice. I’ve been to Rome and a lot of places in Italy. I also saw a lot of my family members.” Alberti’s favorite place in Sicily so far is Agrigento. “Agrigento has my heart. That is an amazing place; I love the ruins.
December 3, 2021
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FY22 PINNING CEREMONY
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
Master Sgt. Roberto Abato, USAF LSC Remon Azer AOC Eric Bribiesca ISC Skyler Cain RSC DanielleJoseph Catibog HMC Nathaniel Corpuz MAC Terry Draper AZC William Fonseca ETC Gregory Fraser CEC Mikey Griffiths, Jr. ATC Charles Gross
MAC Jordyn Japec AWOC Nathan Lay MAC Patrick Long AWOC Robert Mathews Jr. MAC Cory Martin Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Meledez, USMC AWOC Thomas Merkling Sgt. 1st Class Monica Morgan, USA MAC Baretta Vincent PRC Daniel Wood MAC Jonathan Zelaya
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December 3, 2021
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From Army “Brat” to Space Force Guardian Story by Megan Mills NAS Sigonella Public Affairs, Photos by MC1 Kegan E. Kay and courtesy of Sgt. David Kim
pace Force Sgt. David Kim, 25, has spent almost S half of his life overseas, thanks to three branches of the military: His father served in the Army; he enlisted
in the Air Force after high school; and when the chance came in early 2021 to be one of the first members of the military’s newest branch — the Space Force — he jumped at it. Job Title: Satellite Systems Supervisor Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Stationed: Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy Unit: 7th Reconnaissance Squadron What was it like growing up as an Army “brat”? For me, it was an enriching experience because I did get to grow up in a lot of different environments. It’s weird whenever people ask where you’re from or what’s home because I can’t really give a solid answer. The majority of my life has been overseas; I have lived in Germany for 12 years total! I have my Korean heritage from my mom and dad, but based on the way I talk and act, I’m completely American. It’s a bunch of cultural influences that can make it confusing for me. What was your father’s path to service? My dad was a Korean immigrant who served for 23 years in the Army. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 80s or early 90s, and after my sister was born in 1993, he needed a way to support the family so he joined. For my family, the military is one of those things that we are really grateful for. It gave us opportunities we really needed. How did you decide to join the military? The reason I joined primarily is I didn’t have too much direction about what I wanted to do after high school. I didn’t think going to college for an aimless reason was going to do me any good, so I decided to go to the military. My dad is the one who said I should choose the Air Force before any other branch. I enlisted right after I graduated high school while we lived in Korea at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey. How important has travel been to you? My dad and my mom knew they would never be able to necessarily provide financial riches, but at least with the experiences that they were able to provide, we were able to go to so many different countries. They instilled the travel bug really early on to me. To me, knowing that some people don’t have passports or have never been out of their state boggles my mind. I had to get a passport as soon as I was born so we could move to Germany! Right now if it weren’t for COVID, I’d be going to a different country every other week. In my lifetime, I don’t even know how many countries I’ve been to. Over 30 at
least. If you get the chance, definitely go to Thailand! Is it ever hard to be overseas? How do you cope? As a young service member, when you’re overseas you go through a lot of stuff that sucks, like being isolated and being away from everybody, even if you do get to live in a cool location. I got into Olympic weightlifting when I lived in Korea [during high school] because of CrossFit. … I don’t have any numbers where I’ll ever be able to go to the Olympics, but I just love the sport because it’s a lot of fun and I like things that require you to get really nitty gritty with it and just pay a lot of attention. If you’re willing to put a bunch of weights over your head and stand it up, then I think you’re more than capable mentally to do a lot of things that the military will ask of you. You served in the Air Force for four years. Why did you transfer into the Space Force? I joined on a whim! My old unit was asking if anybody wanted to do it, and I applied because I thought it would be cool to say I was part of the newest branch. I didn’t actually realize I was going to get it until I came over here [to Sigonella]. As a new branch, we’re at that new frontier. One of the reasons I joined is because with the new things comes the ability to kind of think outside the box. I like the idea of being able to be creative and try to figure out something that hasn’t necessarily been done yet. You’re a satellite communications technician. What is your job like now that you’re in the Space Force? I came to Sigonella under the slot of an Air Force job, and for now at least, it’s the same job. It’s not like I’m actually going to go to space. I’m transferring soon to Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, so my answer may be different then. At its core, what I do in the military is information systems technology equipment for the Air Force/ Space Force. My job, specifically. is in radio frequency transmission systems. We spend a lot of time outside doing maintenance on the equipment, but we’re also in front of a computer a lot of the day. The thing about my career field as a whole is it’s very vast. You always have a wide array of opportunities to do a bunch of things. What do you want people to know about the Space Force? [Comedian] Steve Carell is not my boss! Thank you, Netflix, for giving us that advertisement [on your streaming TV show], but that’s not actually how it is. It’s just like any other branch of the military, as far as my experience.
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Nativity Scenes Return to Caltagirone By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
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fter a year of preparation, Presepi (Nativity scenes) will once again be showcased in the churches and baroque buildings of Caltagirone’s historic center to celebrate the Christmas season. One of the eight towns in south-eastern Sicily that have been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Val di Noto, Caltagirone has been the hub of artistic pottery-making industry for centuries. All eight hilltop towns were rebuilt after the devastating 1693 earthquake and, according to the cultural agency of the United Nations, represent “a considerable collective undertaking, successfully carried out at a high level of architectural and artistic achievement.” One of Caltagirone’s artistic achievements is Presepi. Historically, Presepi were used as a beautiful and educational way to teach the story of Christ’s birth to devotees. A display of faith and creativity, these scenes tell the story of the mystery of Jesus’ incarnation and have become, over the centuries, a true form of art. The Presepi’s decorated figurines, which are carved from wood or shaped from ceramic, wax, paper-mâché, resin, clay, and other materials, are traditionally set up in almost every Sicilian house. Today, this Christmas tradition is one of the most heartfelt celebrations in Sicily. Representations of Nativity date back to the Middle Ages. According to tradition, Saint Francis of Assisi was the first to set up a Nativity scene in 1223. His version, displayed on Christmas Eve in the hills surrounding the central Italian town of Greggio, included the use of live animals. Here in Sicily, four major centers boast a tradition of hand crafted nativity scenes: Palermo, Siracusa, Trapani and Caltagirone. In Palermo and Siracusa, where beekeeping is widespread, wax has been used since the 17th century to mold the figurines depicting infant Jesus called Bambinelli. Between the 17th and the 18th century, the area surrounding the church of San Domenico in Palermo was home to many Bambinai (craftsmen who shaped these figurines) and their shops. Wax sculptor Gaetano Zumbo is among the most famous 17th century craftsmen. He carved an
Nativity scenes’ displays are at the heart of the Sicilian Christmas’ celebrations. Caltagirone boasts a centuries-old tradition featuring hundreds of pottery Nativity Scenes on display in historic buildings and churches. (Photo by Giuseppe Stimolo)
amazing Nativity scene that is on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. These Bambinelli are usually enriched with silver or gilded accessories and often depicted holding a cross. In Siracusa specifically, the 18th century Cerari (wax workers) represented infant Jesus with a joyful or a sleeping expression and holding a lamb, a flower or a fruit. These figures are placed inside Scarabattole (glass caskets). In Trapani, craftsmen shape figurines with valuable materials such as coral (used alone or mixed with ivory), alabaster, shells, ivory and mother-of-pearl. Breathtaking examples of these Nativity scenes are exhibited at the Pepoli Museum in Trapani and Cordici Museum in Erice. Caltagirone boasts a world-renowned tradition, dating back to the 17th century, of Nativity scenes are made with large clay or wood figurines set on a painted background representing country life scenes. In the 18th century, Nativity scenes became popular in everyday houses. Families used to compete among each other for the most beautiful display, inviting friends and even people passing by to their home to evaluate the best Nativity scene These scenes typically depicted the rural world, with characters such as sleeping shepherds, pipers, ricotta sellers, hunters and more. According to tradition, children used to collect a little money every month in order to buy little clay figurines to decorate their Nativity scenes. "Italian News" cont’d on Page 11
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How to be More Environmentally Responsible Than a Three Year Old By Kenny Eiford, Environmental Engineer, NAS Sigonella, NAVFAC EURAFCENT
esterday, something strange happened. My wife and Y I were debating whether to clean up after dinner or to just give up, ignore our children, and re-watch season
2 of “Chuck.” Now, this debate is not particularly strange, although sometimes we consider trying new shows instead of just re-watching underrated classics. No, the strange part was that we realized the house was uncharacteristically and alarmingly silent. Being the parents of two young children, this immediately triggered suspicion, fear, and a cascade of questions. What were they doing? Weren’t you supposed to be watching them? Should we give that “Shadow & Bone” show a shot? I hear it’s good. We found our children in the bathroom making what my son called a “magic potion.” It was a bowl filled with water, some dirt from a nearby potted plant, finger paint, laundry detergent, and my iPhone. Why do I bring this up? Well, because I couldn’t help but notice my children had created the perfect diorama to represent stormwater pollution, which lead me to write this article. Our children truly are our greatest inspiration. What is stormwater? Excellent question! Stormwater is water that does not quickly absorb into the ground. Often, it travels over roofs, down streets, and sometimes into storm drains, collecting contaminants along the way that can pollute nearby bodies of water. Back to my children: none of their magic potion ingredients should mix with stormwater. Dirt, paint, detergents? No. No. No. Cell phones? Technically also not allowed. This is because stormwater systems are designed to prevent flooding and typically offer no filtration or treatment. Therefore, anything that is washed in ends up in the home of a nearby adorable duckling or dolphin. Fortunately, not many people other than my children are deliberately mixing water with weird stuff for fun. So how are these harmful stormwater “potions” created and how do
we prevent them? Let me give you some examples. Problem: Dirt and other contaminants from a construction site flows into a storm drain and clogs the piping. Solution: Construction sites should have sediment dams or silt fences to contain runoff. Stockpiles should be covered or contained. Contact Environmental if you see otherwise, and I will politely discuss solutions with them. Problem: Paint washed from brushes or pressurewashed off walls carries harmful compounds into the storm system. Solution: Stop and coordinate with Environmental Department for proper disposal of paint waste. Problem: Oil drip from vehicles and aircrafts are washed into storm drains when it rains. Solution: Use drip pans and empty them regularly to appropriate containers. Do not leave full drip pans lying around. Problem: Overflowing trash bins, metal scraps, or old fridges lying outside are happy to mix with rainwater to make a super gross and sometimes toxic cocktail perfect for killing fish. Solution: Coordinate disposal of bulky waste quickly through proper methods. If you don’t know how, contact Environmental for guidance instead of letting it pile up. Problem: Detergents for cars and aircrafts contain harmful chemicals. Solution: Use designated wash racks. Pressure-wash with water only. You may have noticed that many solutions involve contacting Environmental. So please call me if you have any questions about stormwater, other environmental issues, or good TV show recommendations. 624-9601.
Source: https://www.neponset.org/do-your-part/reduce-stormwater/
12 12 DAYS DAYS OF OF SAFETY SAFETY The Signature
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1 1 Place candles on a sturdy, Place candles non-flammable on a sturdy, non-flammable surface, never surface, never near trees or near trees or boughs, and boughs, and don`t leave don`t leave them lit them lit unattended. unattended.
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Did you know? Thanksgiving is the peak Did know? Thanksgiving day you for home cooking fires. is the peak day for home Be alert to thecooking dangersfires. if you're thinking Be alert to thethe dangers if you're thinking of celebrating holidays by frying a of celebrating the holidays by frying a turkey. turkey.
The chimney should be checked annually The should be checked annually by a chimney professional by a professional Even if the chimney is not due for cleaning, Even if the chimney is not for cleaning, it is important to check fordue animal nests or it is important tothat check for prevent animal nests or other blockages could smoke other blockages that could prevent smoke from escaping. from escaping.
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Make Make sure sure your your tree tree has has a a stable stable platform. platform. If using using a a natural natural tree, tree, If make sure sure it it is is watered. watered. make Keep Keep trees trees away away from from fireplaces, fireplaces, radiators radiators and and other heat sources. other heat sources.
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Replace light sets that have broken Replace light sets that have broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, wires, or or loose loose connections. connections. Check Check holiday holiday lights lights for for fraying, fraying, bare bare spots, gaps gaps in in the the insulation, insulation, or or spots, excessive kinking kinking in in the the wire. wire. excessive
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When When putting putting up up decorations, decorations, choose choose the the proper proper ladder ladder or stool or stool to to do do the task safely. the task safely.
Toys Toys are are age-rated age-rated for for safety, safety, not not for for children’s children’s intellect intellect and and physical physical ability, ability, so so choose toys in the choose toys in the correct age range correct age range Choose toys for Choose toys for children under 3 that children under 3 that do not have small do not have small parts which could be parts which could be choking hazards. choking hazards.
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Keep potentially poisonous plants – mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem cherry, cherry, poinsettia, poinsettia, and and amaryllis amaryllis – – away away from from children children and and pets. pets.
12 12 Reheat leftovers to at least 165˚F. Reheat leftovers to at least 165˚F.
Source: Source: nsc.org nsc.org
Wash your hands Wash your when hands frequently handling food. frequently when handling food. Keep raw meat away frommeat fresh Keep raw produce. away from fresh produce.
If using an artificial tree, check If using an artificial tree, check that it is labeled “fire resistant.” that it is labeled “fire resistant.”
Turn off all lights and decorations when you bed and or leave the house. Turn offgo allto lights decorations when
you go to bed or leave the house.
www.navalsafetycenter.navy.mil www.navalsafetycenter.navy.mil facebook.com/NavalSafetyCenter facebook.com/NavalSafetyCenter
twitter.com/NSC_Updates twitter.com/NSC_Updates issuu.com/navalsafetycenter issuu.com/navalsafetycenter
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"Updates" cont’d from Page 3
has increased their deliveries from two times a week to three, BZ to Post Office and inventory levels are increasing. While there are no easy A big thank you to Ms. Jackson, and the whole NAS 1 crew. solutions, both the NEX and commissary are working to improve You guys never disappoint, and it is always a friendly, fun filled their selections. environment everytime I visit. Thank you for being the best post office I have ever visited, and remembering everyone’s box BRAVO ZULUS numbers is awesomely insane. Until next time, thanks for the experience. See you in Japan! BZ to PWD I would like to give a shout out to UT2 Douglas, UT2 BZ to Housing Williams and CE2 Hatch for their acts of bravery during the Received excellent service after I was assigned a new great storm in October. As the rain was pounding and the roads turned swiftly into rivers we found ourselves trapped counselor. My initial counselor wasn’t available to meet for with rising water in both directions on the SS192. These two weeks. I was forced to seek housing on my own and found three brave men got out of their car to access the situation and a good house through a local realtor. Laura and Francesco without hesitation jumped into action! Soon afterwards you were wonderful helping me out when I eventually walked in could see them feeling their way through deep raging water to requesting service. I was eventually assigned a new counselor remove an avalanche of pallets that swept over the road. They Giuseppe Fresta, who took care of everything and walked us saved the day! Gentlemen, thank you so much for helping all of through the entire rental process, inspection, and lease signing. Overall excellent service and I appreciate all that they do. us through. BZ to MVRO: BZ to N6 Mrs. Messina and Sgt Ross were extremely helpful during I just wanted to take a moment to highlight Mr. Ted Gale. His level of customer service is ALWAYS top notch. It is clear the entire process of vehicle purchasing/registration. These that he is willing to go ABOVE and BEYOND. He is a model 2 have superb customer service skills that all clerks should Director and I truly appreciate his timely responses. As I’m sure emulate. Please give these 2 a pat on the shoulder. everyone knows, work comes to a near stand still when there are BZ to MWR: computer issues and his timely response helps tremendously! Viking has done an outstanding job of promoting new activities THANK YOU SIR!!! at the MWR and has brought a great sense of enthusiasm to the job. The various activities such as water balloon volleyball have BZ to FFSC Mr. Andrea Carobene has assisted me on my move from been a blast. Aci Catena to Motta and was the only reason I was able to setup BZ to Housing my internet in a timely manner. He has also saved me money on I want to thank Michela Bentivegn for her assistance with multiple occasions by letting me know about different deals or areas around Sigonella that supplied services I needed such as setting me up with my living situation. She provided exceptional cheaper food or items. Mr. Carobene has also translated for me customer service by answering all my questions, fast responses, when I was getting maintenance done on my care. He is always and providing with any and all information that I needed. Also, eager to help and has a positive attitude as does the rest of the made me feel more confident during my transfer. Ms. Bentivegn was a tremendous help and I’m truly grateful for her. staff. Also the receptionists are very respectful and kind. Customer BZ to Security Service is difficult and they are very positive. If it were up to me Very professional. Willing to help customers. Great job. I’d give them a raise. "Italian News" cont’d from Page 8
Pasturari and Santari (craftsmen artisans that used to make shepherd or saint shaped clay statuettes) would sell these magnificently carved figurines during fairs or inside their workshops. Convents and churches also commissioned these craftsmen to create figurines imitating the ones depicted in famous holy paintings. Today, more than 100 craftsman workshops in Caltagirone keep the tradition alive. Hundreds of Nativity scenes will be set up in historic buildings and in the major churches (Cathedral, Basilica of St. Giorgio, Basilica of Santa Maria del Monte, Church of St. Giuseppe, Church of St. Pietro) and historic buildings. Almost all of these exhibitions require a fee to be admitted. Visitors will also be required to show their Green Pass or CDC card as proof of vaccination. For more information on the displays and other events, visit the Tourist Office (Ufficio Turistico Unificato) located in # 15 Via Duomo in Caltagirone (Sicilia), e-mail them at servizio-informazionituristiche@comune. caltagirone.ct.it , or call them at: +39 0933.490836.
