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THE SIGNATURE
MARCH
9, 2012
THE SIGNATURE U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella Capt. Scott Butler, Commander Cmdr. Eric Vosler, Executive Officer CMDCM David Graham, Command Master Chief
EDITORIAL Lt. Tim Page, Public Affairs Officer timothy.page@eu.navy.mil
Dott. Alberto Lunetta, Deputy Public Affairs Officer alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil
Jackie Trembath, Editor jackie.trembath@eu.navy.mil
STAFF Writers/Photographers MC1 Christopher Delano christopher.delano@eu.navy.mil MM2 Johnnathan Archbold johnnathan.archbold@eu.navy.mil GM2 Kris Carmody kristopher.carmody@eu.navy.mil MC2 Matthew C. Haws Matthew.Haws@eu.navy.mil MC2 Gary Prill gary.prill@eu.navy.mil MR2 Gary Spence gary.spence@eu.navy.mil MCSN Brian Glunt brian.glunt@eu.navy.mil
CONTACT US Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily thesig@eu.navy.mil DSN 624-5440; 095-86-5440 PSC 812 Box 3020, FPO, AE 09627
GUEST Writers/Photographers HM3 Matthew Clutter Sarah Conlan Ian Coubrough Domenico Sambataro Judy Shannon Mark Ventura
PUBLISHER Stampa Generale S.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activity Capodichino (Naples), Italy stampagenerale@tin.it Tel. 081-568-7884 – Fax 081-568-7887
This civilian enterprise (CE) 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. The appearance of advertising in this newspaper, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DoD or Stampa Generale S.r.l., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. The Signature is published weekly by Stampa Generale S.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activity, Capodichino (Naples), Italy - Tel. 081-568-7884, Fax 081-568-7887. E-mail: stampagenerale@tin.it. 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, guard mail stop #68 or hand-delivered to our office no later than the close of business on the Friday proceeding the expected publication date. All articles submitted by non-staff members will be considered contributing writers. The Signature will not publish any anonymous articles. All advertisements in this publication are the property of Stampa Generale S.r.l. Any reproduction of advertisements in The Signature is unauthorized without the written consent of the publisher.
cnic.navy.mil/sigonella
NAS Sigonella Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Butler
W
e received so many questions for February’s Feedback Live that we couldn’t cover them all during the show, so I’ll use this Direct Line column to answer them. Your questions are very important to me, and I encourage you to keep sending them via email. Remember that Feedback Live is a LIVE call in show – if time permits, you can get your question answered on the spot. The show is held on the first Thursday of each month, from 6:30 – 7pm. To call in live on the show, please dial 624-4265 or 095-56-4265.
Q
People often do not stop for school buses on Marinai, likely because it is not a law in Italy. I thought it WAS a rule on base and I'm concerned for the safety of our school kids when I see cars drive around a stopped bus picking up and dropping off kids.
A
I was unaware of this and hope that folks wouldn’t risk hurting somebody by driving around a bus that is in the process of loading or unloading children. In accordance with NASSIGINST 11101.4J Handbook for Military Housing (MFH) Residents, everyone is required to adhere to the following regulations, regardless of whether you live in MFH or just happen to be on base or Marinai when the buses are operating. Speed Limit and Child Safety: Do not pass school buses when they are at a stop with their flashers on, as they are loading and/or unloading children who may cross the street unexpectedly! Ensure your children utilize sidewalks and do not allow them to play in the streets. To reiterate, the speed limit within the Marinai complex is 12 MPH/20 KPH and is strictly enforced by the Security Department.
Q
The first floor of the NAVSUP HQ building smells like sewer...when will this be fixed? They have been out once before, last year, but the problem has not been resolved. Numerous requests have
TRAFFIC NUMBERS
Jan. 12 Jan. 12 Mar. 12 Mar. 11
Accidents
41
50
Injuries
4
9
DUIs
3
3
Traffic Deaths
0
0
Please, don’t become a statistic!
been put in on this issue to Public Works as well.
A
Although one might be tempted to attribute the sewer smell to Capt. Gantt as he continues to train for an upcoming Iron Man, the smell on the ground floor actually comes from the floor drains in the rest rooms. Unfortunately, these drains tend to back up during rain events like we had a few weeks back. The NAVFAC Environmental Office is securing funding to fix this, and the first step is for them to determine the locations of storm/sanitary sewer cross connections that cause this intermittent condition to occur. I ask that you kindly bear with the inconvenience until this study is concluded this spring. Repairs should occur soon after and the sewer smell should be mitigated by next year’s rainy season. The smell coming from Capt. Gantt, however, is a different matter altogether…
Q
Are the recyclables placed into the recycling bins in Marinai really and truly recycled?
A
Absolutely yes. By Italian Law, the lessor of the Marinai complex must recycle a large percentage of the waste removed from the complex. Despite rumors to the contrary, the trucks that remove the recyclable material are compartmented to accept/sort the different materials and are not taken to the same general waste facility. Because the actual rate of recycling at Marinai has been steadily dropping over the past few years, the lessor will soon propose new refuse and recyclable collections. This may include individual recycling bins, and daily collections, at each residence. I encourage every resident of Marinai to be proactive
Emergency Management Office Be prepared to be on your own for at least three days. Seven is better!
The BASIC FIVE: Water Food Heat Cash Radio Family Communications Plan: Phone Numbers & Rally Points; Public Protection Strategies: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place; Web info: Ready.gov; Emergency info: AFN 106.0 FM; Questions Call the EM Office at 624-2630, 8265 or 2621.
in their recycling efforts – it’s the right thing to do! The questions, comments and concerns stated in this column do not constitute the official position of the U.S. Navy and are submitted by members of the community. I wanted to also take a moment to congratulate Lynn Soeby, Tony Waldbillig and every cast and crewmember of Oliver! for their spectacular performances over the past week. With nearly 100 Sigonellans involved in some aspect of the production, events like this truly represent the pinnacle of what our Community can achieve together. The performances were enjoyed by hundreds of Americans and Italians, each of whom had a chance to see how the weeks of hard work and preparation paid off. It truly was a great event and, following on the heels of last year’s successful performances of Annie, is a great reason to look forward to next year’s show, whatever it may be! Congratulations again to everyone involved!!