Serving the Nato, Naples and Gaeta military community in italy
58th year, No. 33
Friday, September 6, 2013
A Trip to Scanno
W hat ’ s I nsIde
Naples Welcomes September Events Pages 4-5
Navy Prepares to Face New Challenges A view of medieval buildings in Scanno found during a hike. (Photo by Michael Maddox) By Michael Maddox
Mountains, fresh air, forests and vistas; having been raised in Colorado, I was delighted to find all of these in Scanno, Italy. It’s a medieval town with a modern ski lift in the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, just a three-hour drive from Naples. Though new to me, Scanno’s pleasures are well known to Italians. During the day, many explore the narrow town walkways, hike the mountain trails, ride horses, fish at nearby Lake Scanno. At night, they are able to enjoy the town’s ambience and festivities.
I came for the hiking, so at 9 a.m. when the chairlift started, I ascended to the top of Monte Rontondo (€7 round trip, but cheaper for children). Most people ride up to look over the valley and to sit in the sun at the summit cafe while sipping a drink or eating a panino. Hikers continue past the chairlift for another two hours up a well-marked trail to the Carapale Pass and then to Monte Terrata, which is 2,208 meters high. The hike from Valico del Carapale to Monte Terrata and back again is not well marked, but there’s no getting lost since it’s along a ridgeline from which there is a 360 degree view of the
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Apennines Mountains. Una bella vista! After a day of gorgeous views and strenuous uphill hiking, I was ready for a shower and a rest, which I enjoyed at my ski-lodgelike hotel, the Hotel Mille Pini. The price was inexpensive; the location great (five blocks from the central piazza and also near the chairlift) and the breakfast was sumptuous—a spread of meats, cereals, cheeses, fruits, juices, many artistically presented cakes and sweets, and cappuccino. These fortified me for exploration. See SCANNO Page 10
Caserta Law Enforcement Representatives Recognized
101 Years of Service
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The U.S. Navy Dental Corps By Lt. Jeffrey K. Dean, USNH Naples Public Affairs
The U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples celebrated the 101st birthday of the Dental Corps with a cake-cutting ceremony, Aug. 29. The celebration included remarks from Capt. Matthew Pommer, Jr., commanding officer of USNH Naples, a dentist himself. The Dental Corps has a proud history, beginning with its establishment on Aug. 22, 1912. From 1912 until the present day, dental officers and technicians have served dutifully, ashore and abroad, in peacetime and in war, enabling the world’s finest Navy and Marine Corps to complete their missions. During World War I, the Navy’s Dental Corps grew to more than 500 officers as the Navy deployed dental officers on ships and with Marine units. Two Navy dental officers were awarded the Medal of Honor while serving with the Marine Corps in France. see NAVY DENTAL Page 6
Weekly Crime Report Review what happened between aug. 28 and sept. 3. Page 5
FRIDAY High 84 / Low 70 Chance of Rain
SATURDAY High 84 / Low 72 Clear
USNH Naples Dental officers, Cmdr. Robert Hemperly and Lt. Stas Grandi, cut the Dental Corps 101st birthday cake during a ceremony, Aug. 29. (Photo courtesy of USNH Naples Public Affairs)
SUNDAY High 84 / Low 73 Partly Cloudy