2
THE
Outlook
Aug. 9, 2005
This forum is to discuss issues that affectthe community.If you have an issue that you wish tosubmit, visit the 22nd Area Support GroupWeb site at
www.22asg.vicenza.army.mil
and click on the Community Action Councillink.This link provides you the opportunityto review issues that have been previouslysubmitted and responded to by postagencies. There is also a form available foryou to submit any new issue you would likeaddressed. If you have questions, call 634-5222 or 0444-71-5222 from off post.The command encourages you to identifyyourself when submitting a CAC issue inorder to be able to answer your concerndirectly.Childcare is offered during the CAC at$2.50 per hour, per child for children ages 6weeks through kindergarten from 8:45-11:15a.m. Preregistration is required. Children willbe cared for in the Child Development Center,Building 395. Children must be registeredwith Child and Youth Services CentralRegistration.Call 634-7219 or stop by their new locationin the Davis Family Readiness Center.The next CAC is Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. in theEderle Theater.
Issue:
Since the deployment of our spouses, those of us who have young childrenare no longer able to use certain MWR facilities (e.g. Gym, Art Center, Car Center)because of safety regulations that prohibit the children being on site. I can understand this safety regulation
Community Action Council
Formed for God’s family
The 22nd Area Support GroupChaplain’s Family Life Office, in partnership with deployed SETAF and 173d Airborne Brigade chaplains, iswriting a series of devotional articlesbased on the best-selling book, “APurpose Driven Life,” by Pastor Rick Warren.The intent of these articles is to offer deployed Soldiers and their familymembers a devotional meditation whichthey can use for weekly discussion and to hopefully deepen their spiritualconnection during the separation.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Robert Guy
22nd Area Support Group“See how very much our heavenlyFather Loves us,For He allows us to be called HisChildren, And we really are!’
– 1John 3:1(New Living Translation)I have a six year old adopted nephewwhose name is Noah. His biologicalmother, at the age of 18, decided to puthim up for adoption, because she knewthat she was incapable of providing ahealthy home for him.She wrote a letter stating her reasonsas to why she was giving him up foradoption. This letter is to be given to Noahwhen he reaches a certain age.I have read that letter. It is a letter thatreveals a young woman’s heart wantingthe very best for her newborn baby. Shewanted him to be raised by Christianparents in a loving Christian home. Noahis a great blessing to our family and he isdeeply loved.God, too, is looking for children toadopt into his eternal family. In Ephesians1:5, Paul writes that God has “predestinedus to be adopted as his sons throughJesus Christ, in accordance with hispleasure and will.” (New InternationalVersion)God desires to have a family and it ishis will that we become a part of his eternalfamily. It brings him great pleasure. Webecome a part of that family through ourconfession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lordand Savior.Our family life on earth can be veryfragile. In the long term, our family life istemporary.Many times, family life is broken bydivorce, or by the challenge of our familymembers growing older and eventuallyfacing death.But the good news of the gospel is thatwe can become part of God’s family. Thisfamily relationship will last for all eternity,never to be broken by the challenges weface in this earthly life.It is important for us to understandwhat a great privilege it is to be invited tobe part of the family of God.Jesus answered the question as to whoare my brother and sister. Jesus pointedto his disciples and said, “These are mymother and brothers. Anyone who doesthe will of my father in heaven is my brotherand sister and mother.” Matthew 12:49-50 (New Living TranslationAll of us desire to be loved and part of a loving family. We can experience thattype of love in the family of God.So if we want to be part of that family,Jesus said we need to obey God’s will.We need to confess Jesus Christ as Lordand Savior and follow that confession upwith baptism.Rev. Warren writes, “Baptism is not anoptional ritual to be delayed or postponed.It signifies your inclusion into in God’sfamily.”Warren also writes, “Being included inGod’s family is the highest honor andgreatest privilege you will ever receive.Nothing else comes close. Whenever youfeel unimportant, unloved, or insecure,remember to whom you belong.” (pg 138)
to a certain extent – I certainly would not bring my 4 year old with me into the frameshop or gym, but I don’t see what safety issuecomes up with a baby that is strapped into astroller. Is it possible to bring children to eventsas long as they don’t move about the place(are in a stroller) and are not a disturbanceto other users of these facilities?Is there any way to waive these policiesin place right now (only duringdeployments) by maybe signing a waver asthe parent?
Response from Directorate of MWR:
Anexception to policy is not necessary.Children are not only allowed in most MWRfacilities, they are welcome guests.Such facilities include, but are not limitedto, the Child Development Center, SchoolAge Servcies, Youth Services, ArmyCommunity Servcies, Army Lodging,swimming pools, Ederle Lanes, ITR, JoeDugans, post library, Outdoor Recreation,and Soldiers’ Theater.Parents are reminded that they areresponsible for the actions of their childrenat all times when they are in these facilities,and the normal community Child-Supervision Guidance applies.Because of the inherent safety risks insome MWR facilities, such as Arts & Crafts,Auto Crafts and the Fitness Center, specialchild admittance and supervision rules apply.
Issue:
It is quite difficult to attend theCommunity Action Council as it’s in themorning and a lot of us cannot get away from work to attend.Some years ago there used to be Town Hall meetings and they happened after dutyhours, which allowed a big part of thecommunity to attend. It would be nice for the community if CAC was scheduled in the evening after 5 p.m.
Response from Plans, Analysis andIntegration Office:
As a community-wideforum, the CAC is made up of not only theaction council but also the CommunityUpdate, Volunteer Recognition, andCommand Information Highlights. As such,supervisors are encouraged to releaseindividuals in order to attend the CAC.As a large number of personnel arerequired to put on the CAC, it would bedifficult to have it after duty hours, as wellas the fact that it would interfere with theAAFES Movie schedule.We publish a schedule months in advancein order to facilitate attendance by allcommunity members.
Issue:
I think that the new trash cans at the bus stop are a wonderful way to recycleand keep the neighborhood clean. Thestainless steel recycle bin that just went upin front of bldg 109 is pretty nifty. Will moreof them appear around post? Is it possible to have one placed at thesports field in Villaggio? There is only a plastic recycling trash bin which is great but there is also a need for a waste bin for snack trash and other wastes.
Response from Directorate of PublicWorks:
We are replacing all small trashbins on Villaggio and Caserma Ederle.
Discussion:
Every season my children play T-ball and they practice on theVillaggio Sports Field on the left side of theentrance gate. Because of the distance and unsanitaryconditions of the restroom located at theother field, I think there should be a port-a- potty installed at the field.
Response from DPW:
DPW cleans thebathroom two days a week: Tuesdays andFridays mornings. DPW will make anadditional contract for the summer monthsto have the facility cleaned on Saturdays andSundays. Estimated dates for the contract willbe July 15- Oct. 2. For the duration of theadditional contract, cleaning will occur onTuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays andSundays.The Villaggio community needs to helpwith the endeavor of keeping this area clean.Constructing a permanent bathroom is notin accordance with the long term plan forVillaggio.
Response from Directorate of Logistics:
A port-a-potty will be contracted out for theVillaggio Sports Field on the left side of theentrance gate.
Issue:
In my opinion what really needs fixing is the AAFES food court, the Shoppetteand the commissary Bistro. Tons of materialsgo out of those buildings without beingrecycled. My understanding is that Italian Law mandated recycling.
Response from AAFES:
Great Idea! Weare coordinating with the 22nd ASG DPWenvironmental engineer’s office to make thishappen. The food court now has waste binsfor food items, which are now located next toour regular waste bins. Burger King andSubway shops will also have the new wetwaste bins in the near future. Unfortunately,we are unable to recycle most of the plasticand paper wrappers/cardboard we use asthey are not made of recyclable materials.
Response from Commissary:
We areprocuring four recycling containers for plasticand cans, glass, paper and waste.
By Robert Szostek
USAREUR Office of the Provost MarshalPress Release
There is a new scam making the rounds inGermany. It involves Americans selling theircars in the classified ad sections of newspapers like the
Stars and Stripes.
Todate, this scam has been reported inMannheim, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. Here ishow it works.“Someone posesas a buyer, often by e-mail from a far-off country, and forwardsa large cashier’s check to you for more thanthe asking price,” saidLt. Col. Carol A.McKinney, chief of Law EnforcementOperations at theUSAREUR Office of the Provost Marshal.“The buyer wants you to ship the car to hiscountry, giving the excuse that the extra cashis for shipping, and asks you to wire anyexcess amount back to him via a moneytransfer agency.”The check will eventually bounce, but thiscan take a long time. If you have alreadyshipped the car and wired the excess cash bythen, the car and money are lost and remainuntraceable, according to McKinney. Thescam takes advantage of a rule which forcesbanks to clear a cashier’s check within fivedays although they don’t necessarily verifythe check in that time.Sometimes the criminals are only after theexcess cash, rather than the car. There’salways some pretext – the buyer made amistake, needs the money for shipping orwhatever – but the end result is the same.The seller discovers that the certified check is worthless after sending the cash.This scam can involve any expensive itemsuch as motor bikes or motor scooters, horsesor even pieces of art.“Many rip-offs employ certified checks,”McKinney stated and many buyers insist onthem, claiming they’re as good as cash.“But the check may bounce. It may bephony. Counterfeiters can create realistic-looking checks, or alter real checks ,in waysthat make them worthless,” she added. Thesolution is to trust your gut – to a point.“There’s no foolproof way to tell the goodguys from the bad guys, but if the deal soundstoo good to be true you’re probably beingtaken for a ride,”McKinney stated. If your instincts tell yousomething’s wrong,trust them.Also make sure anycertified checksyou’re offered aregood. Get your bank’stoll-free number andcall to ensure anycheck is legitimate andhasn’t been stopped.Another popularscheme to dupe car sellers involves fakeescrow services. Legitimate escrow servicesact as middlemen, taking payment from buyersand then releasing the money to sellers oncethe items bought have been properlytransferred. They’re common in real estatetransactions and Internet-based sales. A fakeescrow service can help a criminal steal a carby falsely verifying a payment has been made.Most car transactions go through withouta hitch but there’s also the remote – but realchance – of being robbed or hurt.Private sales often involve meeting andgetting into cars with strangers – always arisky proposition. Both men and womenshould consider having a friend accompanythem to any transaction, inspection or testdrive. Some sellers take the additionalprecaution of meeting in a public place ratherthan at home.Also, if you’re a woman, think twice aboutputting your name in an ad.You can find more crime prevention tipsonline from the National Crime PreventionCouncil at
www.ncpc.org/ncpc/ncpc/.
Steer clear of car-sale scams
“...But if the deal sounds too good to be true you’re probably being taken for a ride.”
– Lt. Col. Carol McKinneyUSAREUR Office of theProvost Marshal
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