Community Ledger, Dec. 11

Northwest Guardian

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.

Crime Snapshot

The most common crimes on Fort Lewis from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3 were: assaults — three; driving under the influence — six; driving while license suspended — 24; negligent driving — 11; and larceny or theft — 14.

The majority of cases of driving while license suspended offenses were identified at Fort Lewis gates.

Of the cases of larceny and theft, seven were shoplifting at the PX. The remaining seven larcenies occurred on 12th Street North (Davis Hill), on F Street, on 2nd Division Drive (the parking lot next to Building 3215), at 5470 North 8th St., in the parking lot of Building 3222 (702nd Brigade Support Battalion) and at Sequalitchew Lake.

Negligent driving was the third most commonly titled offense, with driving under the influence the next most common. Individuals convicted of DUI lose their on post driving privileges for one year for the first offense.

Of the assaults during this time period, the majority were cases of domestic violence. For questions about domestic violence, contact Family Advocacy at 966-SAFE (7233). These assaults occurred on Bitar Avenue (in Broadmoor), in the 62nd Medical Company barracks and on Pennsylvania Avenue (in Greenwood).

Tip of the week: A good crime prevention measure to assist in the recovery of stolen property is to inventory your personal property and maintain photographs and a record of all serial numbered items.

Correction

During the 593rd Sustainment Brigade Dining Facility’s Thanksgiving celebration, the horse-drawn carriage was from Country Wagon, from Enumclaw, and not from Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm. Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm provided the animals, gourds, summer squash, feed, hay and other items.

Santaland

The Fort Lewis Department of Emergency Services is celebrating Christmas by hosting Santaland.

Come out to Fire Station No. 1 Tuesday through Thursday 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.

Winter reading program

Book Patch Library will hold its Winter Reading Program, “Reading is Sweet,” from Monday through Dec. 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, Tuesday 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 today: 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 wrapping at the Main PX is ongoing, so come on out and support your local community. The gift wrapping 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 stll needs volunteers to help wrap gifts. To volunteer call or e-mail the ESC, 967-5849 or ftlewisesc@yahoo.com.

Communication for relationships

If you would like to know more about healthy ways to communicate within your marriage, sign up for a relationships communication class. Brought to you by the Family Advocacy Program and the Family Life Center, the next six-class session begins Jan. 5 in Building 9120, Four Chaplains Memorial Chapel, from 9 to 11 a.m. and continues each Tuesday, Jan. 12, 19, 26, and Feb. 2 and 9.

For more information call 967-5901.

Holiday outreach for survivors

Army Community Service’s Survivor Outreach Services is hosting a holiday ornament-making event for survivors of fallen Soldiers, Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Levy Briefing Room 2 at Waller Hall. For more information call 967-7501.

West Point vs. Portland

Fans of the Black Knights won’t want to miss the chance to root their team on, at the only Military Academy basketball game scheduled in the Northwest this season. West Point will take on the University of Portland Pilots at Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus, Jan. 2, with the tipoff at 8:10 p.m. For information on tickets, contact Maj. Joe Lontai at lontai@up.edu or call (503) 880-3299.

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.

Team Lewis Night

Join BOSS Dec. 18 at the Cascade Community Center for Team Lewis Night from 3 to 6 p.m. Enjoy complimentary gourmet pizza from Garlic Jim’s, fun games and great prizes. You must be at least 18 to attend and 21 to purchase or consume alcohol.

For more information call the BOSS team at 967-5636.

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 Monday through Dec. 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 Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Carey Theater. Enjoy all your holiday classics and get the season started in the finest style. Admission is free.

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 Tuesday. For more information call 964-1209.

Couples needed

Doctors John and Julie Gottman, psychologists who teach research-based skills to help marriages succeed, have been appointed by the Army to create a program to help support Soldiers’ and their families’ struggles with communication, trust, jealousy and faithfulness, which can lead to unhappiness, depression and, in the worst cases, suicide. The program will be delivered in an interactive online format. Four modules will be created that center on the most common challenges faced by couples as they experience the deployment cycle. The doctors are seeking Army couples to take part in this program.

Couples will be interviewed as a group in a one-day talk show format. They must have at least one family member serving in the Army. Ages may be from 18 to the mid-30s. Couples may be married or unmarried, but must be in committed relationships. They should be willing to disclose personal experiences. Couples who have experienced at least one cycle of deployment are preferred. Couples may still be in the throes of relationship challenges or they may have navigated past them.

To apply, send an e-mail by Dec. 21 to militarycouples @gottman.com. Write “CSF Couples Project” in the subject line and provide the following information for yourself and your spouse/partner: full names, ages, ethnicity, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and best times to reach you and your partner; how long you’ve been married or together, whether or not you or your partner have been married before and how many times you or your partner have been deployed.

Filming will take place in Seattle on Jan. 15. Three couples at a time will engage in a conversation centering on some aspect of their relationship.

Topics may include how to sustain trust, how to manage conflict, how to recover from past conflicts, etc. There may also be conversation about infidelity and moving beyond it with renewed trust.

Couples will receive $500 at the end of the day of filming.

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

Workshop for parents

The Children and Deployment Workshop, Dec. 17 at the ACS Annex (at Liggett Avenue and South 12th Street) from 6 to 7:30 p.m., is designed to help parents minimize stress, enhance resiliency and ensure the well-being of children and youth during deployments. Parents will learn how to tell their children about deployments, learn about possible reactions their children might have and will learn how to handle situations that might arise. Attendees may come any time throughout the deployment cycle. If you would like to attend, call Army Community Service at 967-8430 or e-mail pamela.j.allen@us.army.mil to register.

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.

Latin New Year’s Eve

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Latin Sensations (inside Madigan Café) from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Cost is $30 per person or $50 per couple and includes a champagne toast and breakfast. Call 964-4054 for more information.

Martin Luther King

The Reverend Samuel McKinney will be the guest speaker, discussing the life and lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on Jan. 13, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Carey Theater. For more information, contact Staff Sgt. Julie Williams or Pfc. Shawn Caskin, 966-0297.

Christmas Eve at Bowl Arena Lanes

Need the family out of the house for the last-minute cooking, shopping or present wrapping? Bring your family to Bowl Arena Lanes on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Games and shoe rentals are $1. For more information, call 967-4661.

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 are transferable to working in a child-development center.

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.