Community Ledger, Dec. 4

Action Line

An Action Line has been established to allow Fort Lewis community members to express their concerns and ideas directly to the commanding general. Your issues will be addressed by the commander and his staff.

The Action Line number is 967-0093.

Madigan Beneficiary Flu Drive

Madigan Army Medical Center will offer limited quantities of both the seasonal (regular) and H1N1 influenza vaccines to non-uniformed beneficiaries during the upcoming influenza vaccination campaign, Dec. 7 to 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the ground floor of the Medical Mall, while vaccine supplies last.

There is a severe nationwide shortage of seasonal influenza vaccine, particularly the injectable vaccine for adults ages 50 years and older, children ages 6 to 24 months, and persons with underlying medical conditions. Very limited quantities of injectable vaccine will be available for such beneficiaries. Healthy beneficiaries ages 2 to 49 years without underlying medical conditions will be offered the nasal seasonal influenza vaccine while supplies last.

H1N1 influenza activity is widespread; therefore, vaccination against this virus is important in protecting those who are at highest risk for influenza-related complications: pregnant women, children and young adults, health care workers, and those under age 65 with underlying medical conditions.

Because the supply of H1N1 influenza vaccine is severely limited, vaccine will be made available to beneficiaries in the following high-risk populations, in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department:

1. Pregnant women

2. Persons who live with or care for infants under 6 months of age

3. Health-care workers who have direct contact with patients

4. Persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years

5. People from the ages of 25 through 64 with certain chronic medical conditions putting them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

For more information, call the Madigan Flu Hotline at (253) 968-4744.

Santaland

The Fort Lewis Department of Emergency Services is kicking off Christmas with Santaland.

Come out to Fire Station No. 1 on Dec. 15 to 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. for a visit with Santa, crafts and free refreshments.

Santaland is a holiday-themed event that is held at the main Fire Station near the DuPont Gate, Building 4100. There is no cost to attend or participate in any of the activities. Snacks and crafts will be provided. Bring your own camera for pictures with Santa.

Santaland was created out of the need for a safe and fun environment for families to celebrate the holidays. Last year, more than 400 visited Santaland, and more are expected this year.

Enlisted Spouses Club

The Fort Lewis Enlisted Spouses Club will hold its annual ornament white elephant exchange Tuesday at 7 p.m., in the OSC/ESC Clubhouse, 4201 West Way. The club also plans a cookie exchange, so bring two dozen of your favorite cookies along with a recipe card to swap. For more information, call 273-4738.

Holiday open house

Get into the holiday spirit at your Fort Lewis libraries. Join the holiday festivities during library holiday open house Wednesday. Spend some time perusing new holiday books and new best sellers. Sample the holiday treats and refreshments as you enjoy the atmosphere, filled with seasonal music and traditional holiday decorations.

The open house at Grandstaff Library runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Crittenberger Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 967-5889.

Simulation center

The Charles A. Andersen Simulation Center will hold an open house Dec. 7, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Andersen Simulation Center is the first educational institution in the Department of Defense to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons — only 21 other health-care education facilities in the United States have this distinction.

For more information, call the Andersen Simulation Center at 968-2808.

Santa’s Castle volunteers needed

Santa’s Castle is looking for volunteers to perform a variety of tasks, such as restocking toy shelves and helping Soldiers shop for their children.

Santa’s Castle is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Dec. 11. Each shift runs two hours, and you may work as many or few as you like. Although volunteers are welcome to help during any hours, the afternoon shifts are especially in need of help.

Santa’s Castle also needs donations of food and drink items, such as bottled water, cookies and crackers, for volunteers and families while they are shopping.

Santa’s Castle is run entirely by volunteers and needs your help to keep operating.

For more information or to volunteer, call 964-0635 or e-mail jenniferscholbrock@yahoo.com.

Winter reading program

Book Patch Library will be kicking off its Winter Reading Program, “Reading is Sweet,” running from Dec. 14 through 31.

Come pick up your bookmark and reading log between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. When you are finished reading, bring your reading log to Book Patch to collect a door prize.

Dirty Santa

The Fort Lewis Officers’ Spouses’ Club is having a “Dirty Santa” ornament exchange as its monthly member-only function, Dec. 15 at the Officers’ Spouses’ Club Cottage, corner of West Way and Pendleton Avenue. Bring a $10 ornament for exchange during “Dirty Santa” and an appetizer to share. OSC will provide refreshments. RSVP by Dec. 11: last names A-M e-mail a-mreservations@fortlewisosc.org; last names N-Z e-mail n-zreservations@fortlewisosc.org. For more information see the Web site at www.fortlewisosc.org/.

Recycling changes

Fort Lewis recycling is “Mixing It Up!” In an effort to make recycling easier, the section is converting to single-stream recycling. Residents can now mix paper with their plastic bottles (No. 1 to 7), aluminum cans, tin cans, and milk and juice cartons. Continue to put cardboard in the blue, grated bins. LeMay, Inc., is in the process of delivering new, gray containers throughout the installation to replace the existing two-can system. Glass products are, unfortunately, out of the mix, but these items can be taken to the recycling center for recovery. More glass drop-off locations will be coming soon. For these locations, call 967-3803.

Holiday gift wrapping

Enlisted Spouses Club annual gift wrap is ongoing, so come on out and support your local community. The gift wrap continues until Dec. 24, daily. Help the ESC by coming out and getting your gifts wrapped; the cost is whatever you choose to donate. The funds raised go back out to the community.

The ESC still needs volunteers to help wrap gifts. To volunteer call or e-mail the ESC, 967-5849 or ftlewisesc@yahoo.com.

Fort Lewis tree lighting

The Fort Lewis community is invited to a holiday tree lighting with a visit from Santa on Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. in front of I Corps headquarters. Santa will be on hand with elves handing out candy canes. There will also be a reception at the Family Resource Center from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m., offering holiday activities, free refreshments, holiday entertainment and free Santa photos.

Employment information

Attend a Social Security Administration employment information session on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Employment Readiness Program, in Building 2166, located on 12th Street and Liggett Avenue. Topics in the 90-minute presentation will include the Teleservice Representative position, an overview of application requirements and a brief introduction to USAJOBS, the Web site for applying with the federal government. For more information, call 966-8325 or 967-7287.

Stress management

The Fort Lewis Family Advocacy Program offers a weekly stress management class, from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays in the FAP Conference Room, Building 2013B. Get a better understanding of stress and its effects on health and readiness. Identify physical and emotional reactions to stress. Learn about stress-management tools and how to use them effectively. Call 967-5901 to schedule a class for your unit or family readiness group.

Tax preparation volunteers

The Fort Lewis Office of the Staff Judge Advocate is seeking civilian volunteers to assist at the Tax Center. Volunteers will assist in a high-volume environment, assisting Soldiers, dependents and retirees in preparing their 2009 tax returns. The center’s operations begin Jan. 20 and run through April 16.

Volunteers are required to complete one-week of training Dec. 14 to 18. This training is put on by the Internal Revenue Service, and at the end of the training, each volunteer is certified as a tax preparer. Persons with prior experience in tax preparation, accounting or legal backgrounds are especially welcome.

To become a volunteer, visit www.yarmyonesource.com — the volunteer position “Tax Clerk/Data Entry (No Prior Experience Needed)” is located under JAG — General.

Holiday concert

The 56th Army Band, along with Navy Band Northwest, will present a holiday concert Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. in Carey Theater. Enjoy all your holiday classics and get the season started in the finest style. Admission is free.

FCC amnesty

To decrease the risk of child abuse and neglect in unauthorized care, the Family Child Care Program has initiated an amnesty program allowing individuals who are not certified FCC providers, but are regularly caring for children in on-post housing, an opportunity to register with Child, Youth and School Services without penalty.

If you are currently providing unauthorized child care in your home, call the FCC Program at 967-3039 for information on how you can become certified, or pick up an application in Building 2013B on Pendleton at 3rd Avenue.

FCC provides free training, as well as free child care while you become certified. Any training and credit gained through the FCC program is transferable to working in a child-development center.

Modeling competition

Fort Lewis Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Marketing is looking for real people to represent Fort Lewis with style. Top contestants will walk the cat walk in designer fashions at the Fort Lewis Care Fair, Jan. 30. The grand prize winner will receive a prize package valued at more than $500 and a cover photo shoot for FOCUS magazine.

There are four categories: Men (13 and older); Women (13 and older); Women’s Plus (sizes 14 and larger); Kid’s (ages 5 through 12). To apply, send an e-mail with you or your child’s contact information, age and any full-length photo, to Fort Lewis FMWR Marketing at lewismarketing@conus.army.mil. For information, call 967-5200. Entry deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 15.

Healthy living

Learn about the great fitness programs offered at your local fitness centers. Call 966-3757 and ask for a tour. Talk to the experts and learn proper exercise techniques for the best results and to avoid injury. Arrange a free appointment with a personal trainer and ask about a free MicroFit and Wellness assessment. Did you know that Jensen Family Health and Fitness Center has free child care? What are you waiting for? Call 966-3757 today. Come alone, bring a friend or bring the whole family and get started on a new, healthy lifestyle together. For more information about the Healthy Living series, call Army Public Health Nursing at 968-4382.

Got Health? The choice is yours.

New Year’s celebration

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a black-and-white-themed gala at American Lake Community Center Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Ticket prices are $45 for singles and $80 for couples. Dinner choices include prime rib, game hen or vegetarian butternut squash ravioli. There will be a breakfast buffet served at 12:30 a.m. Dance to a variety of music by DJ Eric, and ring in the New Year with party favors and a complimentary New Year’s toast. Reservations must be made by Dec. 15. For more information call 964-1209.

Job fair

There will be a job fair sponsored by Fort Lewis Employment Readiness Service today, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the ACS Annex, Building 2166, on Liggett Avenue and 12th Street, across from Waller Hall. Attendees will meet many local employers and have opportunities to interview for available positions. For more information, call 967-7287, 966-8325 or 967-3538.

ACS holiday assistance

Army Community Service traditionally offers commanders a holiday dinner program to assist Army families in need during the holidays. ACS will provide commanders with cash vouchers for identified Soldiers. Vouchers are redeemable at the Fort Lewis Commissary for food purchases only. Commanders determine which Soldiers within their commands will receive assistance. Basic guidelines for establishing need will be provided to command sergeants major. Fort Lewis does not have a program to connect Soldiers and families with people off-post. Those who want to support Soldiers and their families during the holidays can make donations to the Army Community Service Holiday Assistance Program by calling (253) 967-9917.

Calendar

The following holidays and days of no scheduled activities are planned:

● Dec. 24, DONSA

● Dec. 25, Christmas

● Dec. 31, DONSA

● Jan. 1, New Year’s Day

● Jan. 15, DONSA

● Jan. 18, MLK Day

● Feb. 12, DONSA

● Feb. 15, Presidents Day

Family Connections

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, in collaboration with Sesame Street Workshop, recently unveiled the “Sesame Street Family Connections” Web site: www.sesamestreetfamilyconnections.org/. This interactive Web site allows service members and their families to stay connected in a safe and nurturing environment surrounded by their favorite Sesame Street friends. Whether the separation is due to deployment or recovery from an injury suffered while deployed, the “Family Connections” Web site offers young children an online environment to stay connected, while offering tools for the entire family, to aid in the recovery of the visible and invisible wounds of combat.

Japanese spouses’ group

If your husband is deployed or deploying, you are new to the area, you have questions or if you just want to meet and talk with other Japanese spouses, the Japanese Spouse Support Group is here for you.

You can join the group for monthly meetings, fundraising events, fun activities, such as barbecues, lady’s night and other events. For more information, contact japanesearmywivesupportgroup@gmail.com.

Hourly child care

The Warrior Hourly Child Care Center is located adjacent to the Madigan Army Medical Center parking area in Building 9037 on Gardner Loop. The mission of the Warrior Center is to provide quality child care for Soldiers assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion; however, all families registered with CYSS may use the facility on a space-available basis. Child care reservations can be made two weeks in advance. The staff provides child care for children from 6 weeks to 12 years old while Soldiers or family members attend medical appointments or use Army Family Covenant respite-care hours. The center hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To use the facility, families must complete a free registration at the CYSS Central Registration, Building 2295 at 12th and Bitar. Call 967-2494 to make a registration appointment. New patrons are offered the initial hour of child care free.

There is a minimum reservation of two hours. To make hourly child care reservations at the Warrior Center, call 968-5656.

Gate hours and locations

Fort Lewis gate hours and locations:

● Liberty (Main), 24 hours, 7 days a week, I-5 Exit 120 to Main Post;

● 41st Division (North Fort), 24 hours, 7 days a week, I-5 Exit 120 to North Fort;

● Logistics Center, 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (closed on federal holidays), I-5 Exit 123 — Thorne Lane;

● Madigan, 24 hours, 7 days a week, I-5 Exit 122 — Berkeley Street;

● East Gate, 24 hours, 7 days a week, East Gate Road and 4th Division Drive (connects to SR 507);

● DuPont Gate, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week, I-5 Exit 119;

● D Street (POV), 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week, access to North Fort from DuPont-Steilacoom Road;

● D Street (CVIP), 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday (closed on federal holidays), same as D Street (POV);

● Scouts Out, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7 days a week (closed on federal holidays), 2nd Division Range Road;

● Transmission Line (ASP), 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday (closed on federal holidays), Transmission Line Road;

● Center Drive (outbound only), 4 to 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday (closed on federal holidays), adjacent to the Regional Confinement Facility;

● I Street Gate (North Fort) (inbound only), 5 to 9 a.m., Monday to Friday (closed on federal holidays), 1 1⁄2 miles north of DuPont Exit 119, just off DuPont-Steilacoom Road;

● Lincoln-Rainier Gate, 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 days a week, from off post — access via Perimeter Road/150th Street; from on post — access via Rainier Drive and Lincoln Street on the Logistics Center.

McChord gate hours and locations:

● Main Gate, 24 hours, 7 days a week, I-5 Exit 125 (Bridgeport Way);

● Barnes Gate, 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 days a week, Perimeter Road, approximately 1/2 mile from the Lincoln Boulevard Gate exit of Fort Lewis;

● Commercial Vehicle Inspection Point, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday (closed on federal holidays), Perimeter Road approximately 1⁄4 mile from the Lincoln Boulevard Gate exit of Fort Lewis;

● Woodbrook Housing Gate, 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, I-5 Exit 124 — Gravelly Lake.

Attention

Event announcements must be received no later than the Friday before publication. They can be e-mailed to nwgeditor@nwguardian.com. Announcements can be viewed online at NWGuardian.com. The Northwest Guardian office is located in the basement of Building 2026-B.

For more information, call 967-0173.