iNSide

to

pS

to

rie

S

Direct Line

2

Navy News

3

Community Calendar

4

MWR Corner

11

Il Mercato

14

In case you have not

heard, it is time for the

annual Information

Awareness Training

that is required for all

DoD Personnel. Mili-

tary and US civilians

should access this

training via TWMS or

NKO.

PAGE 2

MCPON(SS/SW) Rick

D. West, along with Se-

cretary of the Navy

(SECNAV) Ray Mabus

recognized actor/co-

median and former

Sailor, Bill Cosby, as

an honorary chief

petty officer in a cere-

mony held at the U.S.

Navy Memorial and

Naval Heritage Center

Feb. 17

PAGE 3

Carnival fun continues

across Sicily! So make

sure you see the 111th

edition of the “Carne-

vale di Sciacca,” one

of the most ancient

merrymaking festivals

in the island. Get ready

for two weeks of blast

running through

Shrove Tuesday,

March 8th.

PAGE 6

Check out Sigonella’s

young artists! The

local winners of the

Boys and Girls Club of

America’s National

Fine Arts Exhibit move

on to Ramstein Air

Force Base in Ger-

many for the next

round of competitions.

PAGE 8

Sigonella’s favorite run

is back! Registration

is now open; pre- regi-

ster by 4 p.m. Tuesday,

March 1 to receive a

discount on your regi-

stration.

PAGE 11

february 25, 2011

youtube.com/sigonellavidscnic.navy.mil/sigonella

Check us out online!facebook.com/nassigonella

Vol. 28 No. 7

Traffic

Numbers

Jan. 11 Jan. 10

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Feb. 25H: 60L: 33

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update

Sledge-O-Matic in Sigonella

Photo by MCSA Cameron Bramham. The Signature Staff

Lizeo Spedalieci School (located in Catania) English teacher Anna Rei-fano discusses health questions with some of her students Feb. 16 in theConnections Conference Room located above Connections on NASI.The Italian English class was brought on base for a special health nutri-tion class taught by Registered Dietitian Cmdr. Alice Whitley.

By MCSA Cameron Bramham

The Signature Staff

Naval Air Station (NAS) Si-gonella opened its gates for anEnglish class from Lizeo Spe-dalieci, an Italian school loca-ted in Catania, Sicily for aclass designed to teach and in-teract with Italian youth aboutthe differences between Ame-rican and Italian nutrition.

The class was arranged byEmily Antenucci, a Westche-ster, New York native who tea-ches an English class at LizeoSpedalieci as part of a studyabroad program.

“My students are alwaysasking me questions aboutAmerican eating habits and

why we always eat fast food,”Antenucci said. “I’m alwaystelling my kids that not allAmericans eat McDonaldsand Burger King all the timeso having this kind of class canreally help them understandAmerican nutrition.”

The class was taught by U.S.Naval Hospital Sigonella’s Re-gistered Dietitian Cmdr. AliceWhitley and discussed manysimilarities and differencesbetween American and Italiannutrition, health, dieting, ea-ting habits and restaurants.

“One thing I would like youto take away from our brief is

HEALTH, continued on page 12

Italian students visit NAS Sigonella

By MC2 Gary Prill

NPASE East

Sailors attached to NavalAir Station Sigonella welco-med the comedian Leo An-thony Gallagher for a comedyshow in the Midtown Com-plex gymnasium Feb. 16.

Gallagher, noted for his si-gnature “Sledge-O-Matic”sketch involving smashing ob-jects with a large mallet, madea long journey as part of a Eu-ropean tour with Navy Enter-tainment.

“I’m happy to be here toput on a show for the kids and

The Gallagher show came to Sigonella on Feb. 16. Along with his smashing antics,Gallagher also cracked the crowd up with his signature style comedy.

GALLAGHER, continued onpage 13

Photo by MC2 Gary Prill, NPASE East

Sigonella hits the stage for AnnieBy MCSA Cameron Bramham

The Signature Staff

Since the beginning of theNew Year, the Naval Air Station(NAS) Sigonella communityhas been working non-stop rehearsing andpreparing for the Sigo-nella School-Commu-nity Production ofAnnie, the classic on-stage musical based onthe old comic stripcreated by HaroldGray, Little OrphanAnnie.

The curtains openFriday, March 4 at sixp.m. at Knight’s Hallon NAS I. Before the perfor-mance, the NAS Sigonella LatinClub will be serving dinner in

the high school cafeteria to be-nefit the Sigonella High SchoolSenior Class. There will also betwo performances on Saturday,March 5 at two p.m. and six p.m.

Sigonella High and Middle

School chorus teacher, Elemen-tary School music teacher, anddirector of Annie Lynn Soebysaid she’s very pleased with eve-

ryone’s effort and is excited tosee how the performance willturn out next weekend.

“We have amazing talent inthis community and the fact ourcast consists of over 70 people is

simply wonderful,” Soebysaid. “I encourage eve-ryone who can make it tocome out and see it.

Living overseas as wedo, we have so few oppor-tunities to view a live per-formance such as thisone.”Soeby added that eventhough she had a wonder-ful time working with eve-ryone on this

performance, it wasn’t alwayseasy putting it together.

“I think the most challengingANNIE, continued on page 13

page 2 february 25, 2011

Commanding OfficerCapt. Scott Butler

Public Affairs OfficerLt. Matt Knight

Deputy Public Affairs OfficerDott. Alberto Lunetta

EditorTracie Barnthouse

Staff Writers/ PhotographersMC1 Christopher DelanoMC2 Gary Prill

MC2 Kris CarmodyMCSA Cameron Bramham

The Signature editorial officeis located at:

Naval Air Station Sigonella, SicilyPSC 812 Box 3020,FPO, AE 09627Telephone: 095-86-5440:DSN 624-5440

DirecT LiNeWhether leaders are born or made

has been a long-standing debate. I be-lieve that effective leaders are made, notborn. They learn from trial and error andfrom experience, because when some-thing fails, a true leader learns from theexperience and puts it behind them.

In the past, the Navy has recognizedthe need for further professional leader-ship throughout the ranks, and have insti-tuted programs for enlisted and officerssuch as the Work Center Supervisor(WCSLC) and Leading Petty OfficerLeadership Courses (LPOLC).

Since those days the need for topnotch management has only growngreater with technological advances re-quiring a smarter Navy overall.

There are several ways that Sailorscan receive leadership training: Througha classroom setting, through on the jobtraining and through correspondencecourses.

My personal favorite, for up and com-ing Sailors, are the classroom courseswhich allow petty officers to step out oftheir work environment and discuss lead-

ership issues which occur regardless ofwhat rank they are. There

are a variety of courses open to Sailorswho need the tools and skill sets to effec-tively manage his or her responsibilities.

All Sailors should be aware of thecourses that are required for petty offi-cers selected to advance.

- POSLC (PO3) which is a three daylong course that is held prior to the frock-ing ceremony.

- PO2 selectees must complete phaseone of the PO2SLC at their respectivecommand prior to frocking. PO2's willthen complete phase two of the PO2SLCprior to the date of the first advancementpay increment of the examination cycle.

PO1 selectees must complete phaseone of the PO1SLC at their respectivecommand prior to frocking. PO1's willthen complete phase two prior to thedate of the first advancement pay incre-ment of the respective examination cycle.As per NAVADMIN 272-08.

These courses are offered at com-mand level and through BETD.

These classes seek to train the pro-

moting petty officers on how to becomea good leader, because let's face it; goodleadership in a department has a dominoaffect all the way into customer service.

The second option is on the job train-ing (OJT), which occurs on a daily basis.Sailors learn leadership skills that arepassed on through the guidance and ex-ample of the senior crew. Every one men-tors the person under them; inprofessional, military and leadershipskills.

The third option is through corre-spondence courses. The Navy provides anumber of self paced correspondencecourses that gradually focus more onleadership as the sailor advances. TheMilitary Requirements for PO3 andPO2, for example, has some leadershiptraining but the Military Requirementsfor Chief Petty Officer has significantlymore. The professional manuals also re-flect the same difference.

Continuing with the theme of leader-ship, I'm sure that you've heard that therehas been several more DUI's bringing usto a total of 3 DUI's and 46 traffic acci-

dents for the year. Leadership is not justa khaki or first class trait. It's everyone'sjob to stop your friends and shipmatesfrom doing something stupid, like drink-ing and driving. As one sailor expressed,"Every Sailor has the potential to lead. Idon't care if it's a seaman recruit or some-one higher ranking ..." Basically, I expectall of you to be leaders.

With that in mind, there are severalnew programs on base that are lookingfor influential young leaders who want tocreate a positive environment for theircommand: JEA and CSADD.

JEA - "Junior Enlisted Association" islooking for motivated Sailors who wantto represent the Navy and our commandin a positive way. JEA does a lot of com-munity volunteering and supports pro-grams like CSADD. For moreinformation contact MC2 Prill at 624-6530.

CSADD - "Coalition of SailorsAgainst Destructive Decisions" is theNavy's new peer mentoring programwhich encourages positive influence andbehavior while at the same time bringing

together on-line and in-person network-ing with peer interaction. This peergroup is only for service members 18-25for more information about CSADDcontact MC2 Prill at 624-6530.

I'll close with this thought, leadershipis a set of skills that can never be mas-tered, but leadership development is alifelong quest to get better.

NaS SigoNella CommaNd maSter Chief, lelaNd moore

NASSIG WORSHIP SERVICES

Chapel Offices: NAS I 095-56-3975, NAS II 095-86-9049

ROMAN CATHOLIC

Sunday

0900 Catholic Mass (NAS I Chapel)

1200 Catholic Mass (NAS II Chapel)

Monday-Thursday

1200 Catholic Mass (NAS II Chapel)

PROTESTANT

Sunday

1045 Protestant Worship (NAS I)

Wednesday

1700 Fellowship Meal

1800 Adult Bible Study

Youth Group

Children’s ClassJEWISH LAY SERVICES

First Friday

1800 Shabbat Service (NAS I Chapel)

sigshalom@yahoo.com

CHURCH OF CHRIST LAY SERVICE

Sunday

1530 NAS I Chapel

Call 624-5128 or 338-736-3061

OTHER SERVICES/ACTIVITIES POINTS OF CONTACT

Latter-day Saints: Sunday 1300 Catania Chapel, shefchik@hotmail.com; 624-1393

AA Meetings: Monday,Wednesday, Friday – 1900, NAS II Chapel, 346-840-7745

This civilian enterprise (CE) newspaperis an authorized publication for members

of the military services overseas. Con-tents of The Signature are not necessarilythe official views of, or endorsed by, the

U.S. Government, the Department of De-fense (DoD), or the U.S. Navy. The ap-

pearance of advertising in this newspaper,including inserts or supplements, does

not constitute endorsement by the DoDor Stampa Generale S.r.l., of the productsor services advertised. Everything adver-

tised in this publication shall be madeavailable for purchase, use or patronagewithout regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age, marital status,

physical handicap, political affiliation orany other non-merit factor of the pur-

chaser, user or patron. A confirmed viola-tion or rejection of this equal

opportunity policy by an advertiser willresult in the refusal to print advertising

from that source until the violation is cor-rected. The Signature is published weekly

by Stampa Generale S.r.l., Sig. BrunoBrandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activ-

ity, Capodichino (Naples), Italy - Tel.081-568-7884, Fax 081-568-7887.

E-mail: stampagenerale@tin.it. Editorialsubmissions are welcomed from all NavalAir Station Sigonella departments, divi-sions and tenant commands. Editorial

submissions should be sent to the PublicAffairs Office via thesig@eu.navy.mil,

guard mail stop #68 or hand-delivered toour office no later than the close of busi-

ness on the Friday proceeding the ex-pected publication date. All articles

submitted by non-staff members will beconsidered contributing writers. The Sig-

nature will not publish any anonymousarticles. All advertisements in this publi-cation are the property of Stampa Gen-

erale S.r.l. Any reproduction ofadvertisements in The Signature is unau-thorized without the written consent of

the publisher.

CNE-CNA-C6F/CNREURAFSEA IG Hotline

It’s everyone’s responsibility to report fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in Navy activities to:

Office of the Inspector General, Naples, ItalyLeave a recorded message 24/7: DSN 626-2983, Comm: 081-568-

2983Speak to the Investigator: DSN 626-2964, Comm: 081-568-2964

Email: ighotline@eu.navy.milWebsite: www.cnic.navy.mil/europe/index.htm

You can choose to remain anonymous or confidential.

NEW, continued on page 12

Reminder from NAS Sigonella N6 ITDInformation Assurance AwarenessV9.0 TrainingBy Theresa Currie

NAS Sigonella Deputy N6

In case you have not heard,it is time for the annual Infor-mation Awareness Trainingthat is required for all DoDPersonnel. Military and US ci-vilians should access this trai-ning via TWMS or NKO. ForLocal Nationals (LNs), trai-ning can be accessed at thefollowing DISA URL:http://iase.disa.mil/eta/iaav9/iaa_v9/index.htm.

Training should be comple-ted no later than 15 MAR2011. The command will beable to pull statistics fromTWMS including names anddepartments of those whohave not yet completed thetraining. Until the technical is-sues are resolved with theTWMS site, LNs will need toprovide a copy of the trainingcertificate to their departmen-tal IAO.

If you have questions,

please talk to your IAO or callthe NAS Sigonella Informa-tion Assurance Manager at624-6633.

Evolving online dangersYou may already be familiar

with “phishing” – the tacticused by criminals to lure un-suspecting email recipients oronline users to a fraudulentweb site in order to obtainpasswords and other personalinformation. Compromisedbank accounts and identitytheft could cost you morethan you imagine. But are youaware that the ways that crimi-nals work at acquiring data toobtain money and stolenidentities continues to evolve?One new type of malicioussoftware being distributed isknown as Ransomware - mali-cious software that once in-stalled on your computerencrypts all of your data. Apop-up message will then

TRAINING, continued on page 12

Outdoor Fire Pit SafetyBy John G. Burgess, Jr.NAS Sigonella Assistant FireChief

And the Headlines read;Investigators Say Fire PitStarts House Fire In NashuaN.H.Family Escapes Unharmed,Thanks To Observant Nei-ghborNASHUA, N.H. -- Investiga-tors said they believe a housefire in Nashua began in a por-table fire pit on the home'sback porch. Neighbors saidthey spotted the flames co-ming from 83 Peele St. justbefore 9 p.m. Thursday. "I just

had to get a glass of water, andI spotted the flames shootingout the back," said neighbor

Norm Jambard. Jambard said he called 911

while his wife, Pauline, ranacross the street to get theirneighbors out of their burninghome. "She definitely savedour lives, I think," said home-owner Jason Forbes. Forbessaid he had no idea his backporch was on fire and that fla-

mes were quickly spreadingup the side of his house. "Itwas amazing," he said. "Theflames were above my roof."

Fire officials said a portablefire pit the family was using onthe porch was cause, but For-bes said he thought it was outbefore he and his wife andchild went inside for thenight. "We probably waitedabout an hour in front of thefire," he said. "It was out wethought, no embers. We wentinside the house." Forbes saidhis home is unlivable until re-novations are completed thatcould cost more than$250,000. But given how fastthe fire spread, he said he'sjust grateful his family is safe.

"When I went back in fiveminutes later to get my cat, Icouldn't even enter the door,

page 3february 25, 2011

Picciolo Dott. StellaNew Hope

Bravo Zulu to the following Commands leading in Individual Medical Readiness:

Executive Transport: 100%Navy Munitions: 95%Naval Hospital: 91.7%

CNE DET MAST: 92%FISC: 90.4%

Percent of Staff Fully Medically Ready(Commands >10 personnel)

Brought to you by your Flight Line Clinic,Medical Home Port

How would you boost morale atNAS Sigonella?

MA2 Jennifer Collins

“I guess more MWR acti-vities out in the towns.”

Lt. Cmdr. Annette Watkins

“More team PT, ratherthan once a week, have

more group PT exercises.”

GM2 Bryan Silveri“I know it would be hard

to do, but they couldstart selling “weekly noshave chits” for MWRfundraising. I know Iwould pay $50 not to

shave for a week.”

LSSN Ashley Diem/Rivera

“I would offer more things onNAS II, because they onlyallow things on NAS I likeyoga, and I live on NAS II.”

MR2 Robert Rutkowski

“I would like to see abetter gym here onNAS II, most of us

work on NAS II and itwould be nice to cutout for lunch and gowork out at a decent

gym.”

MCPON designates Bill Cosbyhonorary ChiefBy MCCS Sonya Ansarov

Office of the MCPON

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Ma-ster Chief Petty Officer of theNavy (MCPON)(SS/SW) RickD. West, along with Secretary ofthe Navy (SECNAV) RayMabus recognized actor/come-dian and formerSailor, Bill Cosby,as an honorarychief petty officerin a ceremony heldat the U.S. NavyMemorial andNaval HeritageCenter Feb. 17.

Cosby began hisrelationship withthe Navy in 1956when he joined asa hospital cor-psman and atten-ded recruittraining at NavalTraining CenterBainbridge, Md.

During his four-year tour, hewas stationed at Marine CorpsBase Quantico, National NavalMedical Center Bethesda, NavalHospital Argentia, Newfoun-dland, USS Fort Mandan (LSD21), and Philadelphia NavalHospital.

During his time at Quanticoand Bethesda, Cosby worked inPhysical Therapy helping to re-habilitate Korean War veterans,a duty he liked and excelled at.

He was also an athlete for theNavy playing football, basket-ball, baseball, and running trackand field.

Cosby said that the Navy tran-sformed him from an aimless,uneducated kid into a man withdrive, discipline and self-re-spect.

"Bill Cosby is not just a co-median and an actor, although

he's pretty good at both, he'salso been a tireless advocate forsocial responsibility and educa-tion – and a constant friend tothe Navy," said Mabus. "Lastyear was the highest compli-ment I've ever received – beingmade an honorary chief pettyofficer, and now Dr. Cosby – yo-u're about to get the samehonor."

MCPON and SECNAV pla-ced the Chief anchors on Cosbyin front of a huge gathering ofChief Petty Officers and Sailors.MCPON helped Cosby don a

Chief Hospital Corpsman ser-vice dress blue jacket and SEC-NAV presented Cosby with aChief 's cover.

"I will tell to you like I tell allof our new chiefs … when I pinthese anchors on you, your jobisn't over and your journey is

just beginning," saidWest. "There is no greaterhonor than having ear-ned the title "Chief " andthe responsibility to ourSailors and our Navy thatcomes with it and we willexpect more of you."

"Thank you all," saidCosby. "The years I spentin the Navy and so manymoments rememberingthat the Navy gave me awake-up call. The Navyshowed me obedienceand that's the thing thatpushed me to realize themistakes I had made inmy young life at 19-years-old and that I could do

something with myself and be-come somebody."

Cosby was honorably di-scharged in 1960 as a HospitalCorpsman 3rd Class. Hisawards included Navy GoodConduct Medal and NationalDefense Service Medal. He alsoreceived the 2010 Lone SailorAward from the U.S. Navy Me-morial.

For more news from MasterChief Petty Officer of the Navy,visitwww.navy.mil/local/mcpon/.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Jason M. GrahamHonorary Chief Hospital Corpsman Bill Cosby delivers remarks du-ring his pinning ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington,D.C.

page 4 february 25, 2011

Pantellaro

Oxidiana

FFSC can be reached at x4291American Red Cross at x4900

Does your command or organization have an event you’d like to see on the Community Calendar? Email us at thesig@eu.navy.mil and let us know!

Gelso Bianco

Chiechio

Cruise into shapesign-up deadline

x4710

Arriverci class8 a.m.-11:30

a.m.

Crews IntoShape. Runs

through April 2

Tobacco Cessa-tion Class

9 a.m.Flight Line Clinic

Breastfeeding Ba-sics Class

9 a.m. - 11 a.m.PCC Hospital

NMCRS New Vo-lunteer Orientation

10 a.m.

Dr. Seuss ReadAcross America

Parade9 a.m.

Nearly New ShopOpen

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Budget for BabyClass

5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

page 5february 25, 2011

Pentagon

Fleet and FamilySupport CenterAdministrationBuilding Bldg. 319 (NAS I)

Monday–Friday7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. DSN 624-4291 Commercial095-56-4291

Empower. Enrich. EDUCATE.Post Deployment/ReintegrationSubmitted by FFSCReferences: Defense Centers of Ex-cellence for Psychological Healthand Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr, Riccardo Milici

Kartodromo

Motta

Initially, returning homeafter a deployment can be atime of joy, celebration, andrelief for both the servicemember and the peoplewho care about him/her.Yet, it doesn’t take muchtime before returning homealso begins to pose challen-ges for nearly every combatveteran and family member.

The reintegration periodcan be used as a great op-portunity to reflect uponwhat’s working well in yourlife and relationships andwhat could work even bet-ter.

The skills needed to besuccessful during deploy-ment can be used to helpwith this reintegration pro-cess as well. Drawing uponthe strength it took to suc-ceed during the deploy-ment process will help younow adapt to the differentdemands that come into

play after your service mem-ber is back home. Expect thetransition to be difficult attimes. It will require the samelevel of commitment and ef-fort that you made to do yourbest during deployment.

Reintegration is not justabout your service member’sadjustment back to living athome—it’s also about his reu-nion with you and his family.This reunion is followed by itsown readjustment as the ser-vice ember and his loved onesget to know one another allover again.

RelationshipsSpouse/ Partner, child

Getting to know each otheragain:The reintegration period is re-ally a period of relearning.Both you and your partnerhave grown and changed asindividuals while you wereapart. You were both affectedby your separation. There-fore, the task that lies ahead isto reestablish the lines ofcommunication with each

other. There may be somedisagreements at this time asboth spouses or partnersstruggle with the changes in-herent in their service mem-ber’s return—particularly ifthere is parenting involved.The key to a smooth transi-tion is patience, by both par-ties.

There may be some speedbumps in this process, butso long as you are both com-mitted, you can do it.

Sorting out family roles:During the service mem-ber’s absence, The family haslikely shifted significantly inhow it operates to compen-sate for the parent’s absence.Many military families findthey have trouble re-sortingthe way household responsi-bilities are divided—whomakes what decisions andwho takes care of whichhousehold tasks. You oryour spouse may want tomove quickly to get back tothe way you had split thoseDEPLOYMENT, continued on page

12

page 6 february 25, 2011

Alberto Lunetta

The Signature Staff

Magnolia

Sciacca’s Carnival, an ancienttradition of merry-making

Photo by sciaccainmymind.blogspot.com7

Bring the entire family out to enjoy the 111th edition of the Sciacca Carnival, oneof oldest merrymaking traditions in Italy which features dazzling allegoric floatsand costumes’ parades, entertainment street-artists performances and food.

Carnival fun continuesacross Sicily! So make sureyou see the 111th edition ofthe “Carnevale di Sciacca,”one of the most ancient mer-rymaking festivals in the is-land. Get ready for two weeksof fun, running through Tue-sday, Mar. 8.

Sciacca, an ancient coastaltown in the Agrigento pro-vince, is mainly famous for itsthermal baths, but also for itsanchovy and sardine industryand ceramic and coral craft-smanship. Sicilian clergymanMario Ciaccio was the first hi-storian to describe the Carni-val of Sciacca in 1890,however, historic sources tellus that the carnival has beenactually celebrated since the17th century.

At the beginning, Sciacca’sCarnival was mainly a celebra-tion of country life with foodand wine. Peasants, fishermenand herdsmen with paintedfaces and funny hats, playedpranks and exchanged insults,played role reversals and madepolitical satire. This was called

“lu gabbu” (the mockery).Nobody was offended becausethat was what carnival was allabout.

The grand finale for the ce-lebrations was the burning of“lu Nannu,” (today named“Peppi ‘Nnappa”) a strawdummy that represented themanifested spirit of carnival.Doing so, bad luck and sinswere burned away, leaving thetown pure and filled withhope for good things to come. Today, the allegorical “Carri”or floats are the highlights ofthe celebrations. Associationsincluding amateur musicians,ceramists, costume designers,poets, craftsmen and decora-tors begin creating these maje-stic parading papier-mâchéfloats after the summer. At theend of every working dayaround midnight, everyonewho is involved in building afloat gathers for the “Schitic-chio (dinner among friends).This is an important socialmoment as it enhances groupcohesion. The “carri allego-rici” (allegorical floats) depict

political and social satire. Bal-lets and performances areheld during the parades.

In Sciacca food is always abig deal and especially at car-nival. Traditional foods anddolci (sweets) associated withCarnevale include “cucchi-telle” (cookies made withpumpkin and covered withfrosting), cannoli , chiacchere,(irregularly shaped piecesof dough, fried and dustedwith powdered sugar) “Mac-caruna di zitu” (maccheronipasta with pork ragu sauce)and “pasta con le sarde” (pastawith sardines) among others. During the festival, stands sel-ling typical carnival food areopen all day long at the villacomunale (public gardens). Float Parades Schedule

Here are some of the must-see events of this amazing car-nival running through March8. Amazing parades of daz-zling masqueraded groups andallegoric floats will tour the ci-ty’s historic heart at on Thur-sday, March 3, Friday, March4, and Saturday, March 5 star-

ting at 6:30 p.m.On Sunday, March 6, a

band concert will open a spec-tacular folklore parades at10:30 a.m. Masqueradedgroups and allegoric floats’ pa-rades will follow until latenight.

On Tuesday, Mar. 8, cele-brations will begin at 4 p.m.and will come to a spectacularsymbolic end around 2 a.m.with the burning of the “Peppi‘Nnappa” puppet in piazza LaRosa. I know it’s late but re-

ally, it's worth it!Sciacca is about two and a

half hours from Catania. It isfairly easy to reach. Exit Calta-nissetta on the Catania-Pa-lermo highway. Take theAgrigento-Caltanissetta natio-nal road. Once you get toAgrigento. Take the Agri-gento-Sciacca and follow di-rections for Sciacca.

For more information anddetailed schedules visithttp://www.carnevaledi-sciacca.it

Roberto Vecchioni wins 2011 editionof Sanremo Music FestivalStory and photo by ilkar.blogspot.com

Sanremo (Italy) - RobertoVecchioni,67, aka IlProfessore(the profes-sor) or thepoet won the61st Sanremofestival withhis beautifulsong "Chia-mami ancoraamore."Quite achange afterthe last two editions won byreality-TV stars Marco Carta(26) and Valerio Scanu (21) -a needed change to restore thecredibility of the contest. Healso won the critic's Mia Mar-

tini award.Roberto Vecchioni released

his first album in 1971 and his

latest, 31st this week. He hasalso released eight books sofar and written songs for otherartists since the 1960's. He isof Napoletan origin but grewup in Milan. He hit it big in

mid 1970's with Samarcanda.In Sanremo he participatedonly once before as an artist,

in 1973 with"L'uomo che si giocail cielo a dadi" but hehas written two otherentries: in 1968 Serafor Gigliola Cinquetti(8th) and in 1985 "Alei" for Anna Oxa. Hewon with 48% of the“televotes” against40% of "Arriverá" byModá and Emma. Al-bano came third with12% for his "Amanda

è libera." The final night sco-red over 52,12% share or12.136.000 viewers. A suc-cess!

page 7february 25, 2011

Palermo Mobili

Wild West

Italy charges Amanda Knox'sparents with libelCouple indicted aer father said in 2008 interview hisdaughter had been physically, verbally abused by police

Members of the family of Amanda Knox give an interview after visting her in Perugia Prison on December 5,2009 in Perugia. (Reuters Images)

Story by CBS/AP

PERUGIA, Italy - A lawyersaid the parents of AmandaKnox, the American studentconvicted of murder in Italy,have been ordered to standtrial for alleging that Italianpolice abused their daughter.

The Italian news agencyANSA said Curt Knox andEdda Mellas were indictedTuesday in Perugia for libel. Lawyer Luciano Ghirga con-firmed the indictment andsaid the trial was set for July 4.He said the couple did not at-tend the hearing.

The charge stems from aninterview they gave Britain'sSunday Times years ago inwhich the father alleged that

police had physically and ver-bally abused his daughter du-ring questioning afterMeredith Kercher's 2007 sla-ying but before Knox was ar-rested.

In the Sunday Times inter-view published June 15, 2008,Curt Knox said, "Amanda wasabused physically and ver-bally. She told us she was hitin the back of the head by apolice officer with an openhand, at least twice. The policetold her, 'If you ask for a la-wyer, things will get worse foryou' and 'If you don't give ussome explanation for whathappened, you're going to goto jail for a very long time.'" Edda Mellas told the paper

that Amanda was told shewould never see her familyagain, and gave a descriptionof the officer who allegedlystruck her.

The Sunday Times said thatcould not be published forlegal reasons.

Police have denied harmingKnox.

A Knox family representa-tive said they would have nocomment.

Italy approves unity holidayStory by REUTERS

ROME -- The Italian government recen-tly approved plans to mark the 150th an-niversary of national unification with apublic holiday, despite objections fromPrime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's pro-devolution coalition allies.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa saidthe cabinet had voted to declare a natio-nal holiday on March 17 -- the date onwhich Vittorio Emanuele II was declaredKing of Italy by the newly constituted na-tional parliament in 1861.

But in a sign of how sensitive the issueremains even a century and a half later, hesaid the two ministers from the NorthernLeague party present at the meeting hadvoted against the move, which has beenhotly debated for weeks.

"It's pure madness," said Roberto Cal-deroli, one of the two Northern Leaguesenior ministers who voted against it. "Ifwe want to really kickstart growth in thiscountry, we would have done the exactopposite wtih today's decree."

The Northern League has campaignedfor the creation of a separate region forthe prosper-o us north, which it says hasbeen held back by the inefficient and fre-quently corrupt south. Party leadersmake a tradition of sniping against the ca-pital Rome.The party, whose support is vital to the

survival of Berlusconi's centre-right coali-tion government, is pushing for federalistreforms that would boost regional po-wers.

Even outside the ranks of the League,enthusiasm for the holiday has been luke-warm with the education minister frettingover schoolchildren missing out on les-sons for the day and business groups wor-ried about lost production.

To make up for the working day lost onMarch 17, armed forces day on Nov. 4,which marks the end of World War Onefor Italy, will not be a holiday, La Russasaid.The squabbling was briefly overshadowedby an outpouring of national praise forOscar-win-n ing actor Roberto Benigni,whose moving rendition of the nationalanthem at the San Remo music festivalon Thursday was credited with awakeningpatriotism.The Vatican newspaper, the Italian presi-dent and politicians from the right andleft hailed the performance, which drewmore than 18 million television viewers.It began with Benigni riding in on a whitehorse and waving the Italian flag."I have never loved the anthem. I alwaysthought it had gone out of fashion, a songthat smelled of mothballs," said leftist lea-der Nichi Vendola. "But yesterday Beni-gni made me understand that there's realcivic passion in those gloomy verses."

Venice water alert sirens silenced bybudget cuts, First 'acqua alta' of yearwent unannouncedStory by ANSA

Venice - Venice's special sirensalerting citizens to high waterlevels were unable to warn ofthe first 'acqua alta' of the yearThursday because municipalbudget cuts hit computermaintenance work.

Venetians could find out ifthey would need their welliesby text message, but the ser-vice is available to subscribersonly.

Technicians worked over-time on the glitch and the si-rens are back working, saidTide Control Centre DirectorPaolo Canestrelli. Explainingthe hiccup, he said: "We recei-ved 500,000 euros (from the

city council) in 2010 for theTide Centre and at the end ofthe year we expected the mu-nicipal authorities to fork outthe budget for 2011. "But no-thing has been earmarked sofar and, although we have ma-chines worth millions ofeuros, we haven't any moneyto carry out maintenance.

"After repairing last night'soutage, we still have three si-rens that aren't working andcan't be fixed".

The latest generation ofacqua alta horns were instal-led in 2007, replacing a noto-riously mournful set thatdated back to WWII air raidwarnings.

page 8 february 25, 2011

Moroboshi Pietro Ange

page 9february 25, 2011

ela Days Inn Alphio

page 10 february 25, 2011

25

*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Sausage Links, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, RoastedPotatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Apple Fritters.*Lunch: New England Clam Chowder, Lemon Baked Fish, Grilled Pork Chops w/ Mushroom Gravy,Steamed Rice, Garlic Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, Creole Green Beans, Sugar Cookies, CheeseCake, Vanilla Cream Pudding.Speed line: Grilled Hamburger/Cheeseburger, French Fries, Baked Beans.*Dinner: Vegetable Supreme Soup, Teriyaki Chicken, Oven Browned Potatoes, Spinach, Oriental StirFry, Sugar Cookies, Cheesecake, Vanilla Cream Pudding.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order.

26

*Breakfast: Farina, Grilled Ham Slices, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, Roasted Po-tatoes, Buttermilk Pancakes, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterhorns.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Logging Soup, Baked Tuna and Noodles, Pork Fried Rice, Cajun OvenFries, Steamed Broccoli, Glazed Carrots, Almond Cookies, Blueberry Pie.*Dinner: Cream of Mushroom Soup, Beef Stir Fry, Steamed Rice, Fried Okra, Corn Whole Kernel, Al-mond Cookies, Blueberry Pie.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

27

*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Minute Steak, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Kolaches.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Bean & Bacon Soup, Cheddar and Chicken Broccoli, Rosemary PotatoWedges, Steamed Brussels Sprouts, Glazed Carrots, Hermits, Velvet Pound Cake.*Dinner: Pepper Pot Soup, Jaegerschnitzel, Rice Pilaf, Cauliflower Polonaise, Seasoned Succotash,Garlic Bread, Hermits, Velvet Pound Cake.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

28

*Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Minced Beef w/ Toast, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterfly Rolls.*Lunch: Beef Noodle Soup, Pasta Carbonara, Yankee Pot Roast, Southwestern Rice, Parsley ButteredPotatoes, Calico Cabbage, Sprouts Superba, Almond Cake, Peach Crunch, Butterscotch Pudding.*Speed line: Assorted Pizza.*Dinner: Cream of Potato Soup, Salisbury Steak, Brown Rice w/ Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Lyon-naise Wax Beans, Almond Cake, Peach Crunch, Butterscotch Pudding.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

1

*Breakfast: Farina, Oven Fried Bacon, Baked Sausage Patties, Biscuits and Gravy, Asstd Omelets,Eggs to Order, Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterfly Rolls. *Lunch: Arroz Caldo Soup, Chicken Adobo, Beef Caldereta, Steamed Rice, Cut Green Beans,Steamed Carrots, Fruit Cocktail Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies.Speed line: Italian Sausage W/ Pepper & Onion, Oven Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Manhattan Clam Chowder, Lasagna, Cream Style Corn, Baked Hubbard Squash, FruitCocktail Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

2

*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Creamed Ground Beef, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, Blueberry Pancakes, Asstd Doughnuts, Danish Diamonds.*Lunch: Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Turkey, Meatloaf, Steamed Rice, Mashed Potatoes, ChickenGravy, Peas & Carrots, Steamed Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Pie, Shortbread Cookies, Peach Gelatin.*Speed line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Chicken noodles soup, Fishwich, Steamed Rice, Lima Beans, Vegetable Stir Fry, Sweet Po-tato Pie, Shortbread Cookies.Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

3

*Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Corned Beef Hash, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Pineapple Carrot Muffin.*Lunch: Corn Chowder Soup, Pineapple Chicken, Beef Sauerbraten, Orange Rice, Mashed Potatoes,Steamed Asparagus, Summer Squash, Devils Food Cake, Fruit Nut Bar. *Speed line: Assorted Pizza, Chicken Drum.*Dinner: Beef Noodle Soup, Chicken Parmesan, Steamed Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Seasoned Carrots,Devils Food Cake, Fruit Nut Bar. Choice hamburger or hotdog by order

Go Green

Sigonella!

Are You

D o i n g

Your Part?

Quick tips for saving energy in the kitchenArticle submitted CE2 Jade Mooteb

NAVFAC Sigonella

Let's save some energy in

the kitchen! Some of the biggest

energy hogs in your home are in

your kitchen. Modifying some

of your current cooking habits

and getting into conservation

mode can help you prepare food

more efficiently. That's good for

your wallet and the environment.

Here is a collection of quick-

and-easy tips for trimming your

monthly utility bill.

Dishwasher Energy Tips

• Check the manual that

came with your dishwasher for

the manufacturer’s recommen-

dations on water temperature;

many have internal heating ele-

ments that allow you to set the

water heater in your home to a

lower temperature (120°F).

• Scrape, don’t rinse, off

large food pieces and bones.

Soaking or prewashing is gener-

ally only recommended in cases

of burned-on or dried-on food.

• Be sure your dishwasher

is full, but not overloaded, when

you run it.

• Avoid using the “rinse

hold” on your machine for just a

few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7

gallons of hot water each time

you use it.

• Let your dishes air dry; if

you don’t have an automatic air-

dry switch, turn off the control

knob after the final rinse and

prop the door open slightly so

the dishes will dry faster.

Refrigerator/Freezer En-

ergy Tips

• Don’t keep your refriger-

ator or freezer too cold. Recom-

mended temperatures are 37° to

40°F for the fresh food compart-

ment of the refrigerator and 5°F

for the freezer section. If you

have a separate freezer for long-

term storage, it should be kept at

0°F.

• To check refrigerator tem-

perature, place an appliance

thermometer in a glass of water

in the center of the refrigerator.

Read it after 24 hours. To check

the freezer temperature, place a

thermometer between frozen

packages. Read it after 24 hours.

• Cover liquids and wrap

foods stored in the refrigerator.

Uncovered foods release mois-

ture and make the compressor

work harder

• Regularly defrost manual-

defrost refrigerators and freez-

ers; frost buildup decreases the

energy efficiency of the unit.

Don’t allow frost to build up

more than one quarter of an inch.

• Make sure your refrigera-

tor door seals are airtight. Test

them by closing the door over a

piece of paper or a dollar bill so

it is half in and half out of the re-

frigerator. If you can pull the

paper or bill out easily, the latch

may need adjustment, the seal

may need replacing, or you

might consider buying a new

unit.

Other Energy-Saving

Kitchen Tips

• Be sure to place the faucet

lever on the kitchen sink in the

cold position when using small

amounts of water; placing the

lever in the hot position uses en-

ergy to heat the water even

though it may never reach the

faucet.

• If you need to purchase a

natural gas oven or range, look

for one with an automatic, elec-

tric ignition system. An electric

ignition saves natural gas be-

cause a pilot light is not burning

continuously.

• In natural gas appliances,

look for blue flames; yellow

flames indicate the gas is burn-

ing inefficiently and an adjust-

ment may be needed. Consult

the manufacturer or your local

utility.

• Keep range-top burners

and reflectors clean; they will re-

flect the heat better, and you will

save energy.

• Use a covered kettle or

pan to boil water; it’s faster and

it uses less energy.

• Match the size of the pan

to the heating element or burner.

• Use small electric pans or

toaster ovens for small meals

rather than your large stove or

oven. A toaster oven uses a third

to half as much energy as a full-

sized oven.

• Use pressure cookers and

microwave ovens whenever it is

convenient to do so. They will

save energy by significantly re-

ducing cooking time.

For more information on

energy conservation and energy

saving tips, visit the Department

of Energy’s website at

http://www.energy.gov/.

page 11february 25, 2011

oN the go With mWr

midtoWN moVie theaterSSChedule & deSCriptioNS

Friday, February 25

5:00pm Megamind PG

5:30pm The Social Network PG-13

7:30pm Unknown PG-13 PREMIERE

8:00pm The Fighter R

Saturday, February 26

2:00pm Despicable Me PG

2:30pm Megamind PG

5:00pm Unknown PG-13

5:30pm Tron Legacy PG

7:30pm The Social Network PG-13

8:00pm The Fighter R

Sunday, February 27

2:00pm Yogi Bear PG

2:30pm Despicable Me PG

4:30pm Season of the Witch PG-13

6:30pm Unknown PG-13

Tuesday, March 1

5:00pm Season of the Witch PG-13

5:30pm Just Go With It PG-13 PREMIERE

7:30pm Little Fockers PG-13

8:00pm The Fighter R

Wednesday, March 2

5:00pm Despicable Me PG

5:30pm Unknown PG-13

7:30pm How Do You Know PG-13

LAST SHOWING

8:00pm Season of the Witch PG-13

Thursday, March 3

5:00pm Yogi Bear PG LAST SHOWING

5:30pm Just Go With It PG-13

7:30pm Tron Legacy PG LAST SHOWING

8:00pm The Fighter R

UNKNOWN- Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aidan Quinn,Frank Langella

Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife sud-denly doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored bydisbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone,tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally, Martin plunges headlong into a deadlymystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he'swilling to go to uncover the truth. (109 min.)

SEASON OF THE WITCH- Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell,Claire Foy, Ulrich Thomsen

A medieval knight undertakes a mission pitting him against a devious witch andmaking him the last hope for the world against an ancient and dark force. His faithbroken by years of battle as a crusader, Behmen returns to central Europe to find hishomeland decimated by the Black Plague. While searching for food and supplies atthe Palace at Marburg, Behmen and his trusted companion, Felson are apprehendedand ordered by the dying Cardinal to deliver a young peasant girl - believed to be thewitch responsible for the Plague - to a remote abbey where her powers can bedestroyed. Behmen agrees to the assignment but only if the peasant girl is granted afair trial. As he and five others set off on this dangerous journey, they realize withmounting dread that the cunning girl is no ordinary human, and that their missionwill pit them against an evil that even in these dark times they never could haveimagined. (95 min.)

THE FIGHTER- Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melisa Leo, AmyAdams, Jack McGee

Life story of boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund, chroni-cling the brothers' early days on the rough streets of Lowell,Massachusetts through Eklund's battle with drugs and Ward's eventual world champi-onship in London. (116 min.)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK- Jessie Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, AndrewGarfield, Joseph Mazzello, Armie Hammer

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius MarkZuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. Ina fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes aglobal social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history, but forthis entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. (120 min.)

JUST GO WITH IT- Adam Sandler, JenniferAniston, Nicole Kidman, NickSwardson, Brooklyn Decker

A plastic surgeon, romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistantto pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When morelies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a week-end in Hawaii that will change all their lives. (110 min.)

Movie schedule is subject to change. Please call to confirm. Movie Hotline: 624-4248

Rock the Base 2 Base!Sigonella’s favo-rite run is back!Registration isnow open; pre-register by 4p.m. Tuesday,March 1 to re-ceive a discounton your regi-stration. Youcan register upuntil the day ofthe race at regu-lar price. Regi-strationincludes specialedition t-shirtand lunch. Therace is a 7.6 milerun/walk from NAS II to NAS I. This once a year event will take place on Saturday,March 12. Same day registration starts at 8:30 am, walkers start at 10 am, and runnerswill start at 10:30 am. Live entertainment will follow the event. For more informationcall 624-4483.

Family Challenge

Think your family has whatit takes to be #1? Come joinus for our First Ever FamilyChallenge and show us whatyour family is made of! The“Family Challenge” will beheld on Saturday, April 2 atthe NAS I Land Annex.Pre-registration is required.Pre-register from March 9thto 12 p.m. on April 1st. A“Family” must consist of atleast four adults and fourchildren, with one adult and

one child being female. Youmay have more than eight“members” in your “family”.The minimum age is 5, andeveryone has to be able tocompete in events and indi-viduals can only compete inone “family”. Show yourteam spirit by having a teamcolor, song, and name. Getcreative and make your fa-mily stand out! For more in-formation call 624-3785.

Sigonella YouthCheck out what is going onwith Sigonella Youth Teen &Tween Centers (6th – 12thgraders). On Saturday, March5, they will be heading to Car-nevale in Acireale. If you havenever experienced Carnevalein Italy, this is your opportu-nity! Don’t forget your sillystring and confetti! Register

by Tuesday, March 1. On Fri-day, March 25 they will be ha-ving Chinese food in Catania.Register by Monday, March21. You can register for thesetrips at the CDC, MarinaiCommunity Center, or at theYouth Center. For more infor-mation call 624-1750 or 624-4018.

page 12 february 25, 2011

Agricola Gambino

Eno

Mojito

TRAINING, continuedfrom page 2

provide you with the web sitewhere you will be required topay to get a code to accessyour own computer! Be extre-mely careful about whichlinks you click on especially ifyou receive it in an email nomatter who is on the ‘From’line. Even links that appear le-gitimate in search results of re-spected search engines such asbing, google or yahoo can leadto malicious sites. Keep youranti-virus and operating sy-stem patched with the latestupdates.

DoD employees can getfree anti-virus protection forhome computers from theNavy INFOSEC web site:https://infosec.navy.mil/av/index.jsp. For Microsoft OSusers, you can get a free copyof Microsoft Security Essen-tials at www.microsoft.com.

Learn more about cyber se-curity and how to protectyourself at the US ComputerEmergency Response Team(US-CERT) web site:http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/.

Stay informed and be alert!

DEPLOYMENT, continuedfrom page 5

roles before the deploymentor make changes to how theroles or divided. It easy torealign goals and responsibili-ties, but it starts with opencommunication.

Differences and problemscan arise over children, too.Indeed, probably the singlegreatest are of adjustment du-ring post-deployment is felt inthe area of parenting. Retur-ning service members some-time reassert their role as aparent by spoiling the chil-dren or by disciplining themtoo strictly. For months, onespouse has been running thehousehold and taking care ofthe children in the mannerthat works best for the familyin the service member’s ab-sence. For the harmony of thefamily, it’s important that theservice member not returnhome expect to automaticallyresume the role they hadwhen they left. This is not toimply that the service mem-ber should forfeit his say inhow things are done in thehome; however, he/sheshould be prepared to be flexi-ble and engage in a conversa-tion with his spouse abouthow things are being done dif-ferently now.

The Fleet and Family Sup-port Center offers the Post de-ployment classes the 3rdTuesday of the month. This isan informational class for ser-vice members and their spou-ses to discuss expectations,changes, operational stress,and local resources to providea successful reintegration withfriends, family members andtheir fellow service members.If you are returning from a de-ployment this class is highlyrecommended. To register forthis 2 hour course please con-tact Sonya Bey at 624-4291.

HEALTH, continued frompage 1

that Americans do have a pro-blem with obesity,” Whitleysaid. “We are fighting itthough, through teaching ouryouth proper diet and exer-cise.”

Antenucci said she was re-ally happy that the base wasable to accommodate her stu-dents and teach them some-thing different while making itinteresting for them as well.

“I thought this would givethem a chance to experiencesome American lifestyle andculture while gaining kno-wledge in the process,” An-teucci said. “I could tell theywere really enjoying the expe-rience which, as a teacher, allyou want to see is your stu-dents learning and having funin the process.”

Following the class, the stu-dents were given a tour of thebase by NAS Sigonella PublicAffairs Officer (PAO) Lt. MattKnight, including a chance tosee the food-court located onNAS I.

FIRE, continued from page 2so it would have taken onlyfive more minutes," he said.

Backyard fire pits are gro-wing in popularity, and it's im-portant to think safety whenburning a fire outdoors, just asyou would when starting a firein the living room fireplace. Ablazing fire pit is a delightfulcomfort on cool nights—un-less the fire flares out of con-trol.

For safety's sake, take theseprecautions before strikingthe match. Never place a pitcloser than 15 feet from anystructure, including yourhouse and overhead tree bran-ches or “patio roofs” (pushingit out from under your patioroof to the middle of your dri-veway and setting up yourlawn chairs there is usually ac-ceptable). Never place a pitcloser than 50 feet from anyfuel storage. Combustible en-gines are prohibited within 30feet of fire pits. With gas pits,make sure all vents are clear toavoid smoky flare-ups. Andonly use the fuel that the pit isbuilt to burn. For traditionalwood-burning pits, thatmeans using dry, well-seaso-ned sticks. Also, don't load inso many that there's a dangerof some falling out. Once thepit is lit, keep the followingclose at hand, just in case yourmerry bonfire suddenly startsburning a little too bright.

Water or sand. Extingui-shing a flare-up might be assimple as keeping your gardenhose nearby, with the waterturned on and the nozzle setto "spray." (A focused streamof water could spread burningembers.) Check ahead of timeto see if your pit can wi-thstand a dousing; water cancrack ceramic pits and evensome metal ones. If it can't getwet, or if you're not sure, keepa bucket of dry sand nearby todump on the flames. For a gas

or propane pit, turn off thesupply before attempting toextinguish any fire.

Fire extinguisher. It shouldbe a dry-chemical extinguisherwith a Class B and C or multi-purpose rating, such as theone you have in your kitchen.Be ready to follow the PASSprocedure: Pull the pin; Aimat the base of the fire; Squeezethe trigger slowly; Sweep thenozzle from side to side. Re-member that most portablefire extinguishers have a rangeof just 6 to 10 feet and last for8 to 10 seconds.

Portable or cellular phone.If fire spreads beyond the con-fines of the pit or flares aboveyour head, or prevents youfrom switching off the pro-pane tank or natural-gas valve,calmly evacuate everyonefrom the area and call 911from a base phone or 095-861-911 from a cell.

As with all types of firepla-ces, portable fire pits can be afire hazard, maybe more so be-cause of their less permanentnature. Rather than with a fi-replace built to existing buil-ding codes, with portable pits,it's up to the homeowner toensure their fire pit is used insuch a way as to keep thehouse safe.

Other Tips: When burningwood in bowl-shaped fire pits,keep the sticks no longer than

three-quarters of the bowl'sdiameter. Fires should be ex-tinguished completely beforeyou retire for the evening.They certainly should never beput on top of a combustiblesurface. Another factor to takeinto consideration is wind.

Here at NASSIG when ithappens to be windy, it is bestto not even light a fire underthese conditions, especially ifit is in the dry season. This iswhy you should always use amesh spark screen/cover,which usually comes withmost portable fire pits.

Lastly, remember, if there isa fire and it is determinedupon investigation that YOURfire pit started the fire, YOUare responsible!

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella’s Dietician, Cmdr. Alice Whitleyspeaks to studentsfrom an Italian school about the difference between Italian and American diets.

page 13february 25, 2011

Ben Turner

GALLAGHER, continuedfrom page 1

service members” said Galla-gher during the opening forhis show. “I’m not the bestlooking but I’m a proud Ame-rican.”

Prior to the show, Galla-gher made a quick touraround base, and stopped byAmerican Forces TelevisionSigonella’s studio where heshot skits for television com-mercials. He also took a trip tothe market in Sicily’s secondlargest city Catania to com-plete his shopping list for theevening’s events.

Prior to the shows start,Gallagher signed autographsand took pictures with Sailorsand their families the hadlined up through the MidtownComplex, awaiting entry.

Gallagher began his showin a completely filled audito-rium by introducing his act,along with a new line of clo-thing he designed involvingcutting the crotch out of amen’s pair of boxers and wea-ring them like a halter top.

Shortly following, he intro-duced his laws on food forflight, a description of how tobuild your own stunts andwhat food you should use toachieve maximum velocity.

“You want to use the squi-shy stuff in the middle likemashed potatoes and creamcorn, and then put the solidson the outside,” he explained.“When you crush the mashpotatoes and rice the potatoeswill propel the rice.”

After telling a few morejokes, one involving the crowdbeing covered in canned pum-pkin representing bear andrabbit feces, he moved ontohis signature stunt of crushingvaries foods for entertain-ment.

“Tonight was great, the tur-nout was excellent, and I’msure everyone enjoyed it,” saidAntonyo McCall. “I didn’tknow exactly what to expect,but he didn’t disappoint meTo close out his show, Galla-gher invited kids up to thestage and allowed them to joinin the act by crushing a pieceof watermelon.

“He got the kids all into itand they got all dirty andmessy. All-in-all it was a greatevent,” said McCall.

For more informationabout future show and eventssponsored by Navy Entertain-ment visitwww.mwr.navy.mil/mwrpro-grams/entertainment/ent_home.

ANNIE, continued from page1

thing has been getting all themembers of the cast togetherfor scenes they have together,Soeby said. “We have ages thatrange from five year old kids topeople who work in shifts onthe base, so we had to workaround school, work, highschool sports and academictrips as well as vacation timeand scenes don’t work unlessyou have everyone there.”

DoDDS Elementary Schoolkindergarten teacher TheaBurke who plays Daddy War-buck’s secretary, Grace Farrellsaid it has been wonderful to bea part of a musical like Annieand to watch how it’s all cometogether over the past fewmonths.

“It’s a unique opportunityand a chance for our commu-nity to see live theatre,” Burkesaid. “We get so use to watchingmovies at theatres or televisionin our house but live theatre islike nothing else.”Burke also said it was a longprocess getting everything justright in time for the curtains toopen.

“It can be a long process, westarted thinking about what playwe wanted to do last year, thenwe start looking at what kind oftalent we have to work withwhen school starts up,” Burkesaid. “For something like Annie,you have to find the right kind

of girl to play to cute, likeableorphan and I believe we havethe right girl for the part. Oncewe figured out that we wantedto do Annie and started puttingtogether a cast, our next movewas to design a set, create ourown props and wardrobe whilemaking it as realistic as possi-ble,” Burke said. “This includedsearching the web for ideas andtrying to create an illusion ofwhat we want to portray on-stage. We don’t have the luxuryof going to a Target or a Wal-Mart here, so what we gavesome volunteers lists of propswe needed, and they went outand located what we were loo-king for.

They went to the Nearly NewShop, scrounged around theNEX’s, put out emails at workand even ventured out to Cata-nia to search at the local mar-kets. They deserve a lot ofcredit. After we figure out whatthe scenery will look like, webegin rehearsals which beganon Jan. 3 and will continue torun all the way to Mar. 3 wherewe will have our full dress rehe-arsal. Once we figured out howwe were going to make the sce-nery realistic our next order ofbusiness was learning the musi-cal scenes, dance moves andsongs. When we have thatdown, we combine it with thedialogue and the scenery tocreate a full scene. When wehad all the scenes ready to go weput them together to create afull act. Once we have all ouracts rehearsed, we will put themtogether and create the musicalperformance, Annie.”

Soeby also said now that thewhole process is finally over, sheimpatiently waiting for openingnight.

“It was like running a 23-ringcircus,” Soeby said. “It was a lotof fun but at times very challen-ging and at times kept me up forlong periods of the night thin-king about the details for theperformance, but I’m excited tosee the end result next wee-kend.”Burke added that watching themusical come together was likea puzzle being put together.

“We work on rehearsals everyweekday from two p.m. to sevenp.m. and on the weekends weworked constantly on the set,”Burke said. “It pretty much be-came a seven-day-a-week opera-tion. Right now we’re at thepoint where we’re putting toge-ther the final pieces and gettingready for our final rehearsals. It’sall part of the building process,but what happens when the pro-cess finally comes together isamazing. I would hope that eve-ryone could come to at leastone of the three performances,”Burke said. “This is for our com-munity and our families to seesomething different and reallyenjoyable.”

Before his show, Gallagher poses with fans at NAS Sigo-nella. Gallagher treated the crowd to a show of watermelonsmashing and comedy.

Showing off some of his signature smashing tricks, Galla-gher hits a plate full of rice, mashed potatoes and other edi-ble items, sending food into the crowd. Plastic bags werehanded out to the first 12 rows of seats.