57th year, No. 18
Serving the Nato, Naples and Gaeta military communities in italy
Get lost at Capodimonte
Friday, May 11, 2012
Navy marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month By Ensign Amber Lynn Daniel, Diversity and Inclusion Public Affairs
see pages 4-5: the Capodimonte Museum, which contains the most important collection of paintings in naples, is housed inside an 18thcentury Bourbon palace and surrounded by a lush park. (Photo by Melissa Kabukuru)
Coupon programs help Naples families save money By Melissa Kabukuru, Panorama editor
Looking for an easy way to save money? Come pick up a box of coupons from the Naples Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) or look through the coupon bins at the Naples Commissary. The Naples FFSC and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society receive thousands of coupons that people in the United States have donated to help military families. Because the Naples Commissary accepts coupons even after they have expired, coupons that aren’t useful to others can still benefit members of the Naples military community, said Lynn Marie Smith Martin, director of the Naples FFSC. “You can use them for six months after the expiration date,” Smith Martin said. To help people take advantage of the donated coupons, the FFSC has set up a room called its Coupon Corner where members of the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples community can come and look through what’s available. Community members are also invited to come take a box of coupons and sort through them at home.
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“Several have told me that they sort coupons while they watch TV, listen to music, or even while their kids do homework,” said Maggie Lynn, FFSC front desk manager. “Others come to grab lots of coupons to share with friends here in our NSA Naples community. One wonderful retiree couple takes coupons to sort for the coupon bins at the front of the Commissary.” According to FFSC estimates, a family of four can save up to $80 per month by using coupons when shopping. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) also receives coupons that are donated by people in the United States, said Margaret Copson, director of the organization’s Naples office. A team of volunteers sorts the coupons and then places them in coupon bins at the Naples Commissary, where they are available for patrons to use. If you want to pick up some coupons, check the Commissary coupon bins, which you will find across from the ID checkpoint as you enter the store. Or, visit the FFSC office at the Support Site, located in the Navy Lodge building on the first floor (one level up from the lobby). If you pick up a coupon box from the FFSC that contains some coupons you won’t use, please give
the extra ones to friends or drop them off at the coupon bins at the Commissary instead of bringing them back to the FFSC office, the organization asks. If you are interested in volunteering to organize coupons in the FFSC office or would like more information, call 081-811-6372. Those interested in volunteering with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s coupon program can call 081-5683913.
W hat ’ s I nsIde
Town hall meeting scheduled for May 15
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Weekly crime statistics SUNDAY High 75 / Low 57 Partly cloudy
Review what happened between April 30 and May 6. Page 7
The Navy joins our nation in celebrating Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month throughout the month of May. Navy commands are encouraged to reflect on the national 2012 theme, "Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion" to increase their knowledge and awareness of the contributions Asians and Pacific Americans have made both to American history and to the Navy. In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter established the first official Asian and Pacific American Heritage Week during the first 10 days of May. The month of May was chosen to both commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States May 7, 1843, and mark the anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad May 10, 1869. The majority of the individuals who laid the tracks on the first transcontinental railroad were Chinese immigrants. Twelve years later, then-President George H.W. Bush extended the observance throughout the entire month of May. In 1992, the monthlong celebration was officially signed into law and named Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month. "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have persevered and flourished, achieving success in every sector of American life," noted President Barack Obama in his 2010 Presidential Proclamation. "They stood shoulder to shoulder with their fellow citizens during the civil rights movement; they have served proudly in our Armed Forces; and they have prospered as leaders in business, academia, and public service." Commands are strongly encouraged to increase their knowledge and awareness of the contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans to our Navy and nation by celebrating Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month through programs, exhibits, publications, and participation in military and community events. The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute provides printable posters, presentations and educational facts on its website, http://www.deomi.org, under the section "Special Observances." For more information about the history of Asian Americans and their numerous contributions to the Navy, visit http://www.history.navy.mil/ special%20highlights/asian/asianindex.htm. For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel – Office of Diversity and Inclusion, visit www.navy.mil/local/ cnp-diversity/.
Treat Mom to special events throughout May Pages 6-7
Music students perform in Northern Italy Page 13
Join Capt. Scott Gray, Naval Support Activity Naples commanding officer, for a town hall meeting Tuesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Support Site theater.