The Signature | June 29, 2020

Vol. 37 No. 10

June 29, 2020

CHANGE OF COMMAND FOR VP-47 & SIGONELLA HOSPITAL pages 6 & 7

SAC EARNS HIGH MARKS IN ACCREDITATION SIGONELLA YOUTH COMPLETES EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT

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Direct Line

Courtney Silvestre, Fleet Readiness Director

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ood Morning, Sigonella.

MWR is happy to be back in operation! On 11 March, we closed the doors to most of our facilities due to the threat of COVID-19, which directly impacted the quality of life for our community. For an organization whose mission is to improve quality of life and who has facilities and programs open on weekends and most holidays, this was a tough reality for the department to accept as well. Our team immediately went to work on offering local virtual alternatives, as well as joining forces with the different installations across the region to offer EURAFCENT@Home to the community. This website allowed folks to go on virtual travel tours, take cooking classes, find a work out, have story time for their children and so much more. Three months later, we are excited to have opened our fitness centers and pools, bowling center, movie theater, auto skills center, Jox Pub, Liberty Center, library, school age care and the child development center. While a majority of our open facilities have restrictions, we are thrilled to be moving toward normalcy.

Many factors went into the decision on when and how to re-open each facility, with the most important reason being our strategic alignment to our host nation’s decrees. As guests in this beautiful country and as employers of local nationals, it

is our duty to respect their laws and regulations. In addition, we needed to make sure that our facilities and programs could maintain appropriate physical distancing, sanitization protocols and programmatic guidelines provided by our host nation, the Center for Disease Control, Navy Marine Corps Public Health and CNIC. The result is our crawl, walk, run approach to opening.

Our goal is to ensure the safety of our community and have a better understanding of our new capacity restrictions; gradually increasing our patron base and programs offered has allowed us to achieve those goals. However, there is only so much that MWR can do ensure the health and safety of others while we operate our programs and facilities. Most of the work required to keep our community in a low risk status relies on the actions of each individual. We depend on our patrons to wash their hands often, to not utilize our facilities with a fever or when suffering from any flu like illness, to wipe down equipment before and after use and to wear masks when required. If we all work together, we will be able to keep Sigonella strong.

In addition to our many openings, we are excited to have approval to hold our annual July 4th celebration: Red, White and Boom! Like our facilities, the event will not look the same as it has in the past due to various

mitigations put in place to keep the community safe. This year, the event will be held on Marinai with activities spread out through the day, starting as early as 0800 with the Color Run and ending after the fireworks, which begin at 2100. We hope to see you all there!

While MWR is making changes to operations, we understand that everyone is trying to adjust to their lives in this ‘new normal.’ For that, we would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this extremely difficult time.

MWR will continue to do all they can to provide similar, if not the same, services we did prior to COVID-19. For the latest on MWR openings, please visit our website at www.navymwrsigonella.com or our Facebook page, MWR Sigonella.

June 29, 2020

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Interactive Customer Evaluation Comment Regarding Barracks Room contractor is currently on track to complete the solar panel project on time in midEntering Procedures :

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Is there a standard operation procedure to October.

We thank you for your continued flexibility walking into an occupied room? Last week I and cooperation in this matter. was walking out of my room and my common area room door was opening. There was no knock, there was no “greeting or voice like a sound off,” just a man walking into my room.

I am a female. I don’t feel like that is right or BZ to MVRO This ICE survey is for MVRO. I greatly that should be allowed. The people who work in the barracks should know better than that. appreciate the efficiency and support of the MVRO during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Response: MA2 Dodson’s attentiveness, response Thank you for your voicing your time, knowledge, and support went above concern regarding the barracks room and beyond standard customer service entry procedure. There is in fact a standard especially during this time of altered means procedure which all personnel should follow of conducting business. I was anticipating when entering private quarters. First, staff/ difficulty in updating my vehicle’s maintenance personnel are required to registration due to an abrupt change in PCS knock firmly and announce their presence dates but MA2 made it straightforward and and intention. If there is no response after painless. The continued support is noticed allowing sufficient time to respond, then the staff are authorized to unlock the door, and appreciated - thanks again!

U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA

I wanted to give a “kudos” to the CDC Director for being so kind during this period. She has answered each phone call or email with clear and direct information. We don’t always know what is happening right now moving forward, which is actually ok, and she is always able to be compassionate, informative, and patient while being peppered with, what I am sure are, frustrated parents. I have personally appreciated her empathy and willingness to reach out. What an outstanding member to have on the team giving star service!

Community Relations Officer Dott. Alberto Lunetta Alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil

Bravo Zulu

knock, and again announce their presence.

If the resident is sleeping or showering, the inspecting party will not go any further and will leave a room entry form on the door. We discussed your comment with Unaccompanied Housing supervisors, and they have subsequently conducted refresher training with all barracks employees and maintenance staff.

Comment Regarding NAS 1 Parking Structure Construction: Is there any timeline for the parking areas to be opened back up? The work on the parking lots even before the COVID 19 scare has been extremely slow and now it has ground to a halt. I am sure the Italians would like to come back to work. Thanks for your time!

Response:

Thank you for asking this question.

Unexpected and challenging soil conditions dictated a redesign of the piling construction, which resulted in delays at the beginning of the project. This careful approach will result in a long-lasting quality structure, which will go a long way toward reducing our overall environmental footprint. Fortunately, the

BZ to CDC Director

Response from Courtney:

“Thank you so much for taking time to share your experience with our CDC and more specifically your positive experience with our CDC Director, Lee Papa. During a time of so much uncertainty, she has provided constant communication with our families and staff. Her passion for taking care of children is seen on a daily basis but it shines even brighter during this difficult time. We are grateful to have her as part of the NAS Sigonella team and thrilled to hear about her positive impact she has on our families.”

Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard Executive Officer Cmdr. Patrick J. Moran Command Master Chief CMDCM Nancy Estrada EDITORIAL

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Karl Schonberg Karl.schonberg@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

PAO Staff Writers \ Photographers

MC2 Joshua Coté Joshua.m.cote@eu.navy.mil MCSA 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: Alexis Carpenter Command: NAVCOMTELSTA SICILY Department: NCTS N1/ADMIN

By MCSA Triniti Lersch, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

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eople have many reasons for joining the military, such as paying for college, family tradition, or a desire to serve one’s country. For Yeoman Seaman Alexis Carpenter from Flat Rock, Michigan, joining the Navy was the result of family influence. Her uncle, who was in the Navy, gave her more information than any of the recruiting offices, and led to her signing up on June 26, 2019.

Carpenter is now serving at her first command, Naval Air Station Sigonella, with Naval Command Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Sicily. Carpenter is with the N1/Admin department and will be here in Sicily for 3 years.

As a Yeoman, a normal work day for Carpenter involves a lot of correspondence and paperwork going up and through her chain of command and then back to her.

Although she has only been at her first command for six months, Carpenter has already stood out to her leaders with her performance in the office.

“YNSN Carpenter is a rising star with a great work ethic who willingly volunteers for additional responsibilities and is currently performing on a third class level,” remarked Construction Electrician First Class Michael Griffiths, the Division Leading Petty Officer.

“She is a standout performer who consistently displays pride and professionalism in all facets of her rating,” added Griffiths.

Carpenter also has a few collateral duties. She is a Command Resilience Team member and a part of the activities committee, and she is currently working on becoming a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate.

Carpenters favorite saying is, “Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.”

“Sometimes things here can be a little chaotic, and a lot of members here are first term people, so there’s not always a lot of experience,” explained Carpenter. “You need to just be ready to change things, always.”

Carpenter future plans involve taking college courses and cross-rating to Legalman due to her longtime desire of wanting to be lawyer. To cross-rate, Carpenter will have to wait until she advances to E-5, a second class petty officer, before she would be eligible to become a Legalman.

Carpenter enjoys playing video games in her free time and plans to expand her travel outside of Sicily once the lockdown is complete, with visiting Germany at the top of her list.

June 29, 2020

Sigonella School Age Care Earns Highest Marks

By Megan Mills, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

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f you walk into the School Age Care building, you may see children shooting hoops, making bee finger puppets, or playing a board game with friends. What you might not see is all the work behind the scenes that goes into making the program a safe, educational, and fun place for kids to be. SAC recently received recognition for all that work, earning not only their general four-year accreditation from the Council on Accreditation, but also credit for additional services provided.

SAC, part of the Children and Youth Program of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, serves children from kindergarten through age 12, providing before-school, afterschool, and summer programming.

They are aligned with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as well as 4-H, and their instructors provide activities focused on core areas of technology, sports and fitness, health and life skills, education and career development, the arts, and character and leadership.

However, the instructors go above and beyond those core requirements.

According to Adam D’Amico, Youth Director, “The staff use what we call youth input. They talk to the youth and they observe the youth and see what things they’re interested in, and then they develop the activities from there.” One week, inspired by a budding entomologist, the instructors created a project involving caterpillar necklaces, the aforementioned finger puppets, and a soil filtration activity, among others.

The COA is an independent nonprofit organization that publishes standards, processes accreditations, and provides guidance on making improvements to social service providers.

Earning accreditation, which lasts four years, took almost a year and involved a self-study, ample documentation, and a site visit.

SAC staff, parents, and children all took part, along with other CYP and MWR staff. The process was not without its difficulties, said D’Amico. “Prior to the actual site visit, our building flooded and we were going through a staffing shortage. Our goal was to make sure

families were not impacted by our own internal struggles. It was nice to hear that, through all the challenges, as a team we were able to rise above and truly make a positive impact for our families.”

The COA’s report concurred, noting “The staff are a great team and work well to meet the needs of the program, youth, and families.”

They found no issues to address, noting that SAC “truly meets the needs of its community.”

In addition, COA awarded SAC supplemental accreditations for arts education and enrichment, academic enrichment and skill development, health and wellness, and homework help and tutoring. As D’Amico pointed out, “Additional work and documentation was required. Not all programs are able to meet the additional service standards.”

Jason Albano, age seven (almost eight), provided his own endorsement of SAC. When asked about his favorite part of the program, he replied, “I like everything.”

To learn more about SAC and other CYP programs, visit https:// www.navymwrsigonella.com/.

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VP-47 Welcomes New Leadership With Change of Command Ceremony Story and Photos by MC2 Brandon Vinson, VP-47

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he “Golden Swordsmen” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 held an alternative change of command today while deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operation.

Due to current COVID-19 concerns, a non-traditional change of command ceremony was conducted during a brief ground ceremony with a limited audience.

During the ceremony, Cmdr. M. Trever Plageman relieved Cmdr. T. Ryan Davis to assume the duties and responsibilities as VP-47’s 73rd commanding officer.

“I wish the Navy would let me stay here forever,” said Cmdr. T. Ryan Davis, the 72nd commanding officer of VP-47. “VP-47 was challenging in the beginning, and that is what has made the experience here rewarding.

Getting to join the team and helping every Sailor make an impact in cultivating the culture at the command was special.”

Skipper Davis went on to reminisce on all the highlights that stood out to him during his tour, showcasing how close he is to the “Golden Swordsmen” that man the watch. Cmdr. Davis ended with some parting words for any one new to the command and to his relief: “This is an amazing squadron. It’s amazing because of the people. Take the time to get to know them.”

Cmdr. Plageman came to the “Golden Swordsmen” from his previous assignment serving as Lead Exercise Planner in the Maritime and Combined Exercises Branch (J37), and as Executive Officer to the

Operations Director, J3, United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany from July 2016 to August 2018.

Following transition training on the P-8A, Plageman reported to VP-47 as Executive Officer in June 2019.

“Cmdr. Davis left VP-47 in a much better state than he found it. His visionary leadership and dedication to a ‘Culture of Excellence’ prepared us very well for our current multi-site deployment and beyond. We bid him and his family a fond farewell, and wish them fair winds and following seas as they start the next chapter of their lives,” said Plageman, who wholly concurred that the people are what make VP-47 such an exceptional Squadron. “The culture and esprit de corps of the Team that we’ve built here is truly without parallel. Leadership comes and goes year after year… but this infinite minded group of amazing people is driven by a just cause. And therefore our ethos as ‘Warfighters, Teammates, and Difference Makers’ that help characterize the ‘Golden Swordsmen’ will remain steadfast for years to come.”

VP-47 conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance and theater outreach operations within the 4th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. The “Golden Swordsmen” are based out of Whidbey Island, WA, and attached to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing TEN (CPRW-10).

For more news from Commander, Patrol Squadron 47, visit: www.facebook.com/goldenswordsmen47 or www.vp47.navy.mil.

June 29, 2020

U.S. Naval MedicalReadinessTrainingCommand Sigonella Conducts Change of Command

By NMRTC and NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

U

.S. Naval Medical Readiness Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella held an unconventional change of command ceremony on June 19. Due to current COVID-19 concerns, the ceremony was conducted with a limited audience via video tele-conferencing and Facebook live stream.

During the ceremony, Capt. Denise M. Gechas relieved Capt.

William E. Todd to assume the duties and responsibilities as commanding officer of U.S. NMRTC Sigonella, U.S. Naval Medical Readiness Training Unit (NMRTU) Bahrain, and U.S. NMRTU Souda Bay. Rear Adm. Anne M. Swap, commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, located in Portsmouth, Virginia, virtually presided over the ceremony. In her remarks, Swap spoke about Todd’s many accomplishments, including leading his command through the COVID-19 pandemic, and his impact on mission readiness.

“You have handled all the added stressors with poise,” said Swap. “Decisions you made supported not only the local Navy personnel here in Sigonella, but also those in Crete and Bahrain.

You took this responsibility seriously, and you carried it out paying close attention to how it affected our sailors, our patients, and our families.”

Swap added, “I don’t want COVID-19 to overshadow your other tremendous accomplishments. You created the first overseas training command site for the Tactical Combat Casualty Care course. You revolutionized virtual tele-health services, and expanded virtual specialty care services, all while overseeing a new construction project in Bahrain.”

In his remarks, Todd praised his command’s approach to

the changes and challenges during his tenure as commanding officer.

“I have but one word to say when I think of you, and that is ‘wow’. What you have attained in two years is astounding,” said Todd. “You took a 48 hour mass casualty drill and evolved that into a pandemic response that was second to none.”

He added, “Most importantly, you learned how to trust one another and to realize that support comes from up and down the chain of command. Your performance was and is magnificent.

You truly have made a difference where that difference matters.”

Upon assuming command, Gechas thanked her family for their support and praised Todd and the entire U.S. NMRTC enterprise for their exceptional success.

“The evidence of this command’s success is all around me.

Your exceptional response to the local pandemic that we’re currently facing and your ability to quickly adjust to an everchanging care environment is truly remarkable, and is a prime example of how the people represent the power of Navy medicine,” said Gechas.

“Becoming a commanding officer has its own inherent challenges even when there isn’t a pandemic to contend with, but it is clear to me that I am inheriting an outstanding organization comprised of real health care support heroes. I cannot wait to write the next chapters of our command’s history with you all.”

U.S. NMRTC Sigonella is a community hospital located in the heart of the Mediterranean in Sicily, Italy. It’s comprised of a local satellite clinic and two branch health clinics located in Bahrain and Greece.

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It’s sconti (sales) time in Italy. Sigonella shoppers can get ready to strike good bargains but need to keep in mind a few tips to avoid rip-offs! In Sicily, the regional government has decided to kickstart the discount season on July 1, one month before the rest of the country, to help Sicilian retailers to compensate the severe economic losses caused by the lockdown which left them with stocks of unsold merchandise. (Photo by www.ilblogdialice.com)

Summer Sale Season Kicks Off July 1st; Top 5 Tips To Get The Best Bargain

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs igonella shoppers will be happy to hear that Sicilian retailers will offer discounts one month ahead of the annual government-regulated summer “sconti or saldi” (sales) season. All the other stores in the rest of the Italy will kick off their discount season on August 1st. Sicily’s regional government made the decision to offer discounts early was made in an effort to help the island’s store owners still facing the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

According to retailers’ associations, a month after the May re-opening, many stores are still struggling to compensate for the lost profits from the pandemic closures. They also must abide by the government’s decrees which require them to adapt their stores to the anti-COVID-19 safety measures to protect their staff and customers, causing additional financial burdens.

At the same time, customers have faced a rise in the price of staple foods since the lockdown began, resulting in a

S

reluctance to begin shopping again because of tightened budgets.

The “sconti di fine stagione” (end-of- the-season sales) begin on Wednesday, July 1 and last until the beginning of September. However, some shops will continue offering discounts until the end of September. During the first days of the season, Italian shoppers typically flock to the stores for good deals, so expect long lines!

Unlike the United States, where sales are not regulated, Italy passed a law in 1939 during the Fascist regime which dictated that retailers, mainly clothing stores, were permitted to offer special discounts twice a year to support a shattered economy.

Typically, the saldi seasons last about 60 days and begin after Christmas to lure customers to buy winter collections and in the middle of the summer (July) for the summer collections. However, dates change from region to region.

While you’re in search of big bargains, make sure you "Italian News" cont’d on Page 11

June 29, 2020

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Sigonella Resumes COMRELs

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs olunteers from Sigonella successful community relations event recently resumed off-base was aimed at renovating, making safe Community Relations activities for families and clean-up the city’s (COMREL) for the first time since Gaglianese Park, which is also used the introduction of COVID-19 for church community activities.

Volunteers, coordinated by HM2 restrictions. These ongoing initiatives, which support Sicilian communities, Louis Fernandez, dedicated five hours are held in partnership with Sicilians at to sanding and painting the railings, local schools, beaches, parks, historic fences and benches of the park.

Father Antonio, the Priest of the sites and charities. They are among the best ways for sailors and civilians Chiesa di Santa Caterina church, to give back to the Sicilian people praised the volunteers and expressed and discover the island’s culture and tremendous gratitude.

“Dear volunteers, our parish traditions during their time onboard community welcomes you with NAS Sigonella.

Navy Medical Readiness and Training gratitude and affection,” said Fr. “The municipal park, Command Sigonella volunteers Sapuppo. jumpstarted the post-lockdown which is part of the territory of the COMREL on June 17th when they St. Catherine’s parish in the ancient joined forces with the Santa Caterina Gaglianesi district, is a special and parish volunteers in Trecastagni in precious place for us, especially in the the ancient Gaglianesi district. This summer. Today, by painting the railings

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and benches, you have beautified this place and colored it with joy; you made it safer, more welcoming and elegant; and you’ve been a blessing to my community,” Local volunteers also welcomed the opportunity to participate in local community service events.

“It was wonderful to engage so closely with the community around us, not just in a social setting, but one where we can positively contribute to the incredible people of Sicily,” said Cheti Moran, a volunteer who recently supported the project.

All NAS Sigonella personal, including spouses, are welcome to attend. To sign up for a COMREL event with your command, organization or association, contact Dr. Alberto Lunetta at: alberto.lunetta.IT@eu.navy.mil.

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Sigonella Youth Completes Eagle Scout Project

By MC1 Kegan E. Kay, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

hat happens to flags that need to W be retired? Thanks to Andrew Wicker and Scouts BSA, Sigonella not

only has a new, streamlined system, but also a way for the public to learn more about the symbolic process.

Naval Air Station Sigonella is host to two Scouts BSA Troops as part of the Transatlantic Council (TAC) of the Boy Scouts of America: Troop 53B, an allboys troop, and Troop 53G, an all-girls troop. Troop member Andrew Wicker, 14, recently created a flag retirement room as part of the rigorous process of becoming an Eagle Scout.

According to the BSA website (scouting.org) only four percent of all scouts earn the title of Eagle Scout, and to even achieve the rank an individual must; 1) be active in their troop for a least six months as a Life Scout, 2) demonstrate Scout Spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law, 3) earn a total of 21 merit badges, 4) serve actively and in a position of responsibility for their troop for at least six months, 5) plan, develop and give leadership to others with an approved service project, 6) participate in a scoutmaster conference, and 7) successfully complete a board of review.

For a majority of Eagle Scouts, their service project can be the most difficult requirement and the most time consuming.

According to the BSA website, the service project requires the scout to “plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project must benefit an organization other than the Boy Scouts of America.) A project proposal must be

approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and unit committee, and the council or district before you start.”

Wicker spoke to other Eagle Scouts during a leadership conference about their projects, and after receiving a suggestion, doing research and finding an actual need in the Sigonella community, he created a plan to set up flag retirement collection benches, as well as a dedicated flag retirement room.

With the help of a few fellow scouts, Andrew repurposed and built two benches. One bench, painted red, white and blue to draw attention, is located on NAS 1, inside Midtown near the movie theater and ATM machine.

The second is located in the newly created flag retirement room, located at the entrance of the public works building on NAS 2. The room hosts not only the bench, but also a history of the American flag and information regarding retiring the flag based on the United States Flag Code.

Commands or individuals may leave the flags inside the benches, and Scouts BSA Troop 53 will retire the flags during the troops’ periodic flag retirement ceremony.

With his service project completed, Andrew sat his Eagle review board on June 24 as part of his final requirement to make Eagle Scout.

“My earlier border reviews were mostly about knowledge and memorization and how to tie knots and how to do first aid,” explained Andrew. “But my Eagle Board review was more of ‘if a Scout is having a bad time on a campout, how would you help them?’ and talking about leadership

and my experiences. It was difficult, but I feel like I’ve prepared for the worst, so I didn’t have it as hard as I expected, but I still think it involves some studying, and it involves a lot of thinking through answers.”

Former Scoutmaster for Troop 53, John Morgan stated, “The biggest thing that I would say is we allow them to fail and give them that safe space to fail so that they understand how to pick themselves back up as well as learn from their mistakes.”

Morgan’s son, Jesiah Morris, 18, will also begin testing his Eagle Scout service project, an underwater navigation certification course for petty divers, now that Sicily has lifted some of their lockdown restrictions and beaches have opened up.

Once his project is completed, Jesiah will sit his Eagle board and when successful, he and Andrew will have their “Court of Honor,” a formal troop ceremony in which both will be bestowed the Eagle Scout rank.

The TAC-BSA website (tac-bsa.org) states, “Scouting is the ultimate form of learning by doing. Scouts explore their interests and improve their skills while working toward Scouting’s highest rank: Eagle. By first imagining, planning then doing their own service projects, Scouts learn the value of hard work, and experience the thrill of seeing it pay off.

Add in outdoor adventures, hiking and camping, and Scouting gives kids all the experience they need to become adults.

For anyone wanting to join Scouts BSA Troop 53 or to volunteer with the troop, contact: sigonella.scouts.troop53@gmail.com.

June 29, 2020

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Sending Plants Stateside is Complex, Often Costly

By US Army Customs Agency - Europe

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any people get attached to their plants while stationed in Europe and want to mail or hand carry them back to the U.S. from overseas. Unfortunately, some plants are outright prohibited from entering the U.S. Most others will have restrictions that are often very difficult to comply with and may be costly to fulfill.

Arrangements with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to send or take plants to the U.S. must be made well in advance. The USDA regulates plants to ensure that foreign plant pests and diseases do not enter the U.S. Most restricted plants will need a permit from the USDA that will stipulate certain requirements such as treatments or fumigations. Phytosanitary Certificates from the government of the country where the plant was grown are also required for plants intended for planting. These may be hard to get because the government officials who issue them may be few in number and may not be close to where you live. Also, there may be a charge for

these certificates.

Additional declarations on the Phytosanitary Certificate may be required to verify certain things such as if the plant was grown in a certain pest or disease-free area or that the plant is free of certain pests and diseases based on an official inspection. Only the government officials in that country are authorized to make these declarations and issue the certificates.

There are also size and age limitations that apply to most plants being brought into the U.S. Many plants cannot be more than two years old and 18 inches high from the soil line. Further, no soil or growing medWia can be sent to the U.S. Only an approved, not previously used, packing media may surround plants going back, and the plants cannot be rooted as inspectors in the U.S. must see the roots.

The most commonly used packing materials include ground peat, sphagnum moss, perlite, pulp-free coconut or other vegetable fibers (excluding sugarcane and cotton), osmunda fiber, excelsior, wood or

cork shavings, sawdust, rock wool, ground cork, buckwheat hulls, polymer stabilized cellulose and exfoliated vermiculite.

These restrictions still apply even if the plant originally came from the U.S. Once a plant crosses the U.S. border, it is susceptible to foreign pests and diseases, and so will be treated as a foreign plant.

As you can see, there are many requirements for sending or taking a plant to the United States. Even if all these requirements can be met, the plant making entry into the U.S. is subject to inspection by CBP or USDA personnel for final disposition.

As always, whether hand carrying or mailing plants or other agricultural items to the U.S., you must declare them on the appropriate CBP declaration form. You may be subject to fines if you fail to do so.

For further information about mailing or hand carrying plants or other agricultural items, consult the USDA website at www. aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/ plantproducts.shtml or contact your nearest military customs office.

"Italian News" cont’d from Page 8

keep in mind some tips suggested by all the Italian Consumer Associations to avoid rip-offs and disputes with merchants that would be difficult to handle if you don’t speak Italian.

Officials also warn against unscrupulous retailers might try to sell shopworn or damaged items as “promotional sales” just to reduce the quantity of merchandise in stock.

Here are some tips to survive the sales season: 1) First, do not trust discounts higher than 50 per cent from the initial price. A “sensational” 80 or 90 per cent discount might sound like a tempting offer, but it is probably a rip-off.

2) Remember that, during the discount season, defective merchandise may be exchanged or returned as usual. There is no “special return policy” when you shop at sales. Therefore, always keep your “scontrino” or receipt and distrust the shops that display signs saying: “la merce venduta non si cambia,” (purchased merchandise cannot be exchanged) or “all sales are final.” You have the right to change any defective fabric or shoe that is not up to sample within two months. Retailers can

either refund you or give you a coupon that should be spent in the same shop.

3) Be sure to look an item over carefully before you buy it. Check different shops to compare prices. If you have previously visited a store, you might be able to evaluate if a product was over-priced and then marked down. As a general rule, if you have just arrived in Sicily and have not been around a lot, it may be easier to shop at big department stores, where sales are usually fair.

4) Stores must display on the tags the initial “prezzo” (price) and the reduced price, both in ciphers and in percentage.

5) Finally, remember that you can use any method of payment. Mistrust shop owners displaying signs saying “non si accettano carte di credito e bancomat” (credit cards and ATM cards are not accepted) because of the sales season.

That’s illegal. If you don’t see any signs around, and the sales clerk tells you about it upon paying, tell them you know they are supposed to accept your credit card or ATM card.

Let Freedom Ring

FIREWORKS DISPLAY

Saturday July 4, 2020 MARINAI sponsored by

Color Run

ALL DAY EVENT

8:00 - 9:30 am

3 Point & Free Throw Contest Qualifying Rounds

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Finals

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Carnival Games

10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Patriot Games

12:00 - 5:00 pm

Cornhole Tournament

4:00 - 8:00 pm

Bike Parade

5:00 - 6:00 pm

Live Band

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Fireworks

9:00 - 9:15 pm

Train Virtual Concert

9:30 pm

Due to COVID-19, this year's event will only be open to individuals with regular access to Marinai, to include US and NATO ID cardholders. No outside guests will be allowed.

CORNHOLE

NAVY ENTERTAINMENT

COLOR RUN

BIKE PARADE COVID-19 RESTRICTION

The Department of the Navy does not endorse any company, sponsor, or their products or services.

All participants in MWR activities on July 4th will be required to maintain 6 feet physical distancing at all times, wear a mask when not active, and sanitize their hands before handling equipment. Thank you for understanding.