January 13 issue of The Signature

A visit toDachau,

Germany

Page 8 Page 11

Craig Kargescoming to Sigonella

Free show at Midtown 2 Theaters

Monday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.

Page 13

Breaking thelanguage barrier

Guest writer, Erin Work

shares a heart-warming story

Read about the life-changing experience.

Scan for direct linksto NAS Sigonella

jANUARY 13, 2012VOL. 29 NO. 1 cnic.navy.mil/sigonella

BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

Euro coin operated shopping cart locks have been installed on all Navy Exchange Sigonella shopping carts on NAS I. The Commissary willalso install coin operated shopping cart locks in the coming weeks. (U.S. Navy Photo by MCSA Brian Glunt)

Gotchange?New Year brings change to Sigonella

With the New Year comes change.Among the new changes comingto Naval Air Station (NAS) Si-

gonella include the following.

Euro coin operated shop-ping cart locks. The Navy Ex-change (NEX) has installed Euro

coin operated shopping cart locks on all theshopping carts on NAS I. The Commissarywill be doing the same in the next couple ofweeks. Installing the locks helps ensure thatshopping carts stay on the NEX/DeCA pre-mises thus maintaining the beauty of NASSigonella by preventing shopping carts beingspread throughout the base. This programhas been in place at the Naples Exchange andCommissary for quite some time and workswell.

A Euro coin dispenser has been installedat the front of the NEX Main store next tothe vending machines. The dispenser accepts5 and 10 Euro bills and .10, .20, .50, 1.00 and2.00 Euro coins. The NEX Sigonella is loo-king into getting a convenient 1 euro coinholder key chain that will be available forpurchase for a minimal fee.

The NEX and Commissary shoppingcarts will not be interchangeable due to theirdesign and therefore NEX shopping carts

will need to be returned to the four shoppingcart stalls in the NEX side of the parking lot.

NATO forces tax-free gascoupons redeemable onlyat AGIP (ENI) gas stations

As of Jan. 1, 2012, the NATO forces tax-free gas coupons can only be redeemed atAGIP (ENI) gas stations. NATO Forces gascoupons can no longer be legally accepted atESSO stations, or any other non-AGIP(ENI) stations regardless of proximity toNAS Sigonella (NAS I or NAS II).

All personnel, including military, civilian,and dependents, are required to abide by therules regarding proper use of the NATO For-ces gas coupons. Misuse of these couponsmay result in loss of privileges regarding fu-ture purchase of the coupons, as well as pos-sible disciplinary action. Compliance withthese rules is critical to keeping this impor-tant benefit available for all our eligible per-sonnel.

Navy Exchange Depot (NEX)new hours, effective Jan. 16The NEX Depot on NAS II will be

changing their hours of operation in an effortto better accommodate shopper's work sche-dules.

New hours of operation effective Jan. 16,2012:Monday - Friday: 0800 - 1700. Saturday:0900 - 1300 and Sunday: Closed.

No cash transactions of 1,000Euro or more, effective Feb. 1Recently enacted Italian legislation

requires transactions of 1,000 Euros or moreto be paid via electronic transfer or bank/po-stal check, not cash. Previous legislation pro-vided for a higher threshold of 2,500 Euros,which is already enforceable. Enforcement ofthe new 1,000 Euro threshold will take effectFeb. 1, 2012.

Violators of the law can face a minimum3,000 Euro fine, or up to 40% of the amountof the transaction, whichever is greater. Thelaw applies to all currency transactions onItalian soil, including those conducted inU.S. dollars equal to or greater than the equi-valent of 1,000 Euro. Please take the timenow to make other arrangements for largesum transactions ahead of Feb. 1. Commu-nity Bank, Navy Exchange, and Housing arecurrently preparing all of our service mem-bers and families with options to ensure wecontinue to abide by all laws of our hostcountry.

Sigonella High School basketball teams hostedboys and girls teams from Cutelli High School, alocal Catania high school, on Jan.10 in an exhibi-tion matchup. Both teams were victorious againstthe visiting local teams. The boys team won 49 to39. The girls team won 47 to 30.

"It is a great opportunity for our team to play alocal team," said Lady Jaguar Coach Tonya Stro-bridge. "It creates a cultural bond."

The Lady Jags game tipped-off at 1600 at "TheJag." After jumping out to a quick double digitlead, with Sydney Moore leading the Lady Jaguarswith 20 points and Sabrina Sabel adding 13. Cu-telli remained within striking distance by the hothand of Panvini Flora, who lead the team with 15points.

"Some of these girls play at the school whileothers play on other teams out in town," said Gu-glielmo Rappoccio, head coach for Cutelli. "Thegirls study more than they play and it has been agood occasion to meet new people."

Sigonella HighSchool basketballteams victoriousBY LT. TIM PAGENAS Sigonella Public Affairs

(U.S. Navy Photo by Lt. Tim Page)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments

of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of

challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

SIGNATURETHE

SIGONELLA, SICILY

Jan. 12

Accidents 7

Injuries 2

DUIs 1

Traffic

Deaths 0

PLease,

DON’T becOme

a sTaTisTic!

THE SIGNATURETHE SIGNATURE jANUARY 13, 2012PAGE 2

THE SIGNATUREU.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella

Capt. Scott Butler, Commander

Cmdr. Eric Vosler, Executive Officer

CMDCM David Graham, Command Master Chief

EDITORIAL

Lt. Tim Page, Public Affairs Officer

[email protected]

Dott. Alberto Lunetta, Deputy Public Affairs Officer

[email protected]

Jackie Trembath, Editor

[email protected]

STAFFWriters/Photographers

MC1 Christopher Delano

[email protected]

MC2 Gary Prill

[email protected]

GM2 Kris Carmody

[email protected]

MCSN Cameron Bramham

[email protected]

MCSA Brian Glunt

[email protected]

CONTACT US

Naval Air Station Sigonella, [email protected] 624-5440; 095-86-5440

PSC 812 Box 3020, FPO, AE 09627

PUBLISHER

Stampa Generale S.r.l.,Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher,Naval Support ActivityCapodichino (Naples), [email protected]

Tel. 081-568-7884

Fax 081-568-7887

This civilian enterprise (CE) newspaper is an authori-zed publication for members of themilitary services overseas. Contents ofThe Signature are not necessarily the official views of, orendorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of De-fense (DoD), or theU.S. Navy. The appearance of advertising in this newspa-per, including inserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the DoDor Stampa Generale S.r.l., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertised in this publica-tion shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color,religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physicalhandicap,political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the pur-chaser, user or patron.

A confirmed violation or rejection of this equal opportu-nity policy by an advertiser willresult in the refusal to print advertising from that sourceuntil the violation is corrected.The Signature is published weekly by Stampa GeneraleS.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activity,Capodichino (Naples), Italy - Tel. 081-568-7884, Fax 081-568-7887.E-mail: [email protected].

Editorial submissions are welcomed from all Naval AirStation Sigonella departments,divisions and tenant commands. Editorialsubmissions should be sent to the Public Affairs Office [email protected], guard mail stop #68 or hand-deliveredto our office no later than the close of business on the Fri-day proceeding the expected publication date. All articlessubmitted by non-staff members will beconsidered contributing writers.

The Signature will not publish any anonymous articles.All advertisements in this publication arethe property of Stampa Generale S.r.l. Anyreproduction of advertisements in The Signature is unau-thorized without the written consent of the publisher.

cnic.navy.mil/sigonella

Buon Anno and Happy New Year Si-gonella! We’ve had a lot of accom-plishments from last year that we

can certainly be proud of and I’m certainthat we will see our opportunities and chal-lenges in the coming year. As most of ourcoalition partners have departed, we stillowe it to one another and our communityto stay involved in the activities and takepride in why Sigonella has been labeled“The Hub of the Med” and always ask –“How can I make Sigonella better?”

As the New Year begins, we must all re-member that we have shipmates, Soldiers,Airman and Marines still deployed in va-rious regions of the world. Whether they areserving in Operation Enduring Freedom,providing Humanitarian Assistance/Disa-ster Relief or on one of many routine de-ployments, they are a vital part of our armedforces and we appreciate everything they aredoing for our country. As for NAS Sigonella,we’ll keep on doing what we do best…pro-vide logistical support to the fleet and forcesabroad.

As the Skipper said, this is the time to“Refresh”, “Reset” and “Renew” our com-

mitment to each other and the base. Thepace of operations has declined over the lastcouple of months. Now is the time as we re-turn from the holiday’s, to take a lookaround your spaces and do any “house clea-ning” that may be necessary so that we canall be prepared for whatever comes our wayin 2012.

Sir Winston Churchill once said that apessimist sees the difficulty in every oppor-tunity; an optimist sees the opportunity inevery difficulty. The challenges we will facetoday will be our opportunities to excel to-morrow. Making the most of our Navy care-ers benefits our families, our Shipmates andourselves. Many of our Sailors will be takingthe Chief ’s exam on Jan 19. They have madea decision to strive to be one of the best ... aNavy Chief. Use this next promotion cycleto make the most of your Navy career ...study, learn and watch the benefits pay off.

There are a few important changes thathave or soon will take effect that we all needto be aware of. As of January 1st, the onlygas stations that can legally accept theNATO gas coupons are Eni and Agip. OnFebruary 1st, transactions over 1,000 Euro

on Italian soil must be made by electronictransfer or Euro check. Violation can resultin a fine up to 3,000 Euro. More informationon these changes will be communicated bymy Public Affairs as information becomesavailable.

Stay sharp. Stay focused. We all have im-portant work to do here and we want eve-ryone to be safe while doing it. I am askingthat everyone drive safely (yes, that meansyou) and to obey the traffic rules and regu-lations.

Please take care of yourselves, your fami-lies, and your Shipmates. Let’s all have agreat year in 2012!

Annee Imle has joined the staff of Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Sigonella as thenew director. She brings with her more than10 years of management experience at non-profit social service organizations. Previou-sly, she served as program director at Habitatfor Humanity of Island County and deve-lopment director at Girls Inc. of Jacksonville.

"I'm excited to join the NMCRS Sigo-nella team and honored to have been selec-ted to lead this dedicated group ofvolunteers. By working closely with ourmilitary partners, NMCRS Sigonella isproviding crucial financial, educational,and other assistance to members of theNaval Service of the United States, eligiblefamily members, and survivors when inneed,” says Imle.

When asked about her vision for the fu-ture of NMCRS Sigonella, Imle indicatedthat her top priority is expanding our vo-lunteer corps and offering consistent pro-gramming to the Sigonella community. Sheadded that she hope to expand the budgetfor baby program and offer additional fi-nancial education programs to cater to thedifferent segments of the Sigonella com-munity.

Imle received a bachelor’s degree in po-litical science from Texas A&M University.Upon graduating, she married Barclay Imleand moved to Pensacola, FL for him tostart flight school. Several moves later theImle’s arrived to NAS Sigonella in Septem-ber and will calling Motta home for thenext three years.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Sigonella welcomes new directorBY RETNA SHAWNavy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Annee Imle is the new Navy-Marine Corps ReliefSociety Director. (U.S. Navy Photo by Lt. Barclay Imle)

Be prepared to be on your own for at leastthree days. Seven is better!

The BASIC FIVE: � Water � Food � Heat � Cash

� Radio

Family Communications Plan: Phone Numbers & Rally Points;Public Protection Strategies:Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place; Web info: Ready.gov; Emergencyinfo: AFN 106.0 FM; Questions Call the EM Office at 624-2630,8265 or 2621.

emergeNcy

maNagemeNT

Office

NAS Sigonella Executive Officer, Eric Vosler

Traffic

Numbers

With college football overand the SEC proving yetagain they are the domi-

nate power in college sports (Con-grats to all Alabama fans at NASSigonella); it’s time to focus our Pan-elists’ attentions on the NFL Play-offs! Unfortunately, we missed theWild Card weekend due to no Sig-nature last week, but we are back andour Panelists are back and ready tofinish the season strong! This weekwe mixed things up a bit in honor ofthe NFL Playoffs. Due to the offen-sive explosion teams have had thisyear and with so many skilled offen-sive players left in the NFL Playoffs,we added a “Pick Of The Week” andasked our Panelists which teamwould score the most points thisweekend. Another twist we addedwas if the Panelists picked the rightteam, they would earn an extraTHREE points to their total record.Let’s see what they had to say…

PAGEA couple surprises to me after the

Wild Card weekend in the NFL. Justas everyone thought Tim Tebowcooled off, he leads his team to animprobable victory over the Steelers,and who would have thought thatthe Giants would have held the Fal-cons to just 2 points.

Houston @ BaltimoreThe next round gets down to

who has proved their worthiness allyear. I look for Baltimore to make apush past the Texans by way of thedefense (and I'm sure the Ravens arehappy to see division rival Pittsburggo down.)

Denver @ New Englandwill end up in a continuation of a

couple weeks ago and will again top-ple the Broncos.

New Orleans @ San FranciscoThey game of the week for me is

the Saints vs. 49ers. It will only be aquestion as to which willprevail.....the defense for San Fran orthe high powered offense of theSaints. Who dat on top!!

SILVERIAfter a short hiatus, I am back

again and ready to return to myrightful position as panel leader. Onto this week's picks....

Houston @ BaltimoreHouston's dream season will

come to an end at the hands of RayLewis and the Ravens. Baltimorewins this one easy at home.

Denver @ New EnglandTebow's streak of luck ends at the

hands of Tom Brady and the Pats. Iwill also be picking the Patriots asmy "Pick of the Week" to score themost points out of all of the picks.

New Orleans @ San FranciscoDrew Brees continues his magical

season at San Fran. I would normallypick the Saints as the highest scoringteam this week, but they are goingup against one of the top defensesand I don't see them scoring morethan the Pats.

New York @ Green BayLambeau Field is a magical place

at this time of the year, but the Gi-ants are adapted to playing in thecold as well. Either way, AaronRodgers and the Bye Week restedPackers will prove to be too much tohandle for Eli and the Giants. ThePack wins this one by 14, at least.

Pick of the WeekNew England Patriots, led by for-

mer University of Michigan quarter-back Tom Brady.

McHENRYHouston @ BaltimoreBaltimore has a great defense, but

like Pittsburgh, they can't score a lotof points. Houston is balanced onboth defense and offense, andproved that they can run and passthe ball as they manhandled Cincin-nati last week. Although Houstonended the regular season on a sournote, they are definitely singing asweet tune now. Look for them toupend Baltimore and play for theirfirst AFC Championship title.

Denver @ New EnglandIf you're not a believer yet (and

who wouldn't be after the professedChristian quarterback, Tim Tebow,throws for 316 yards...John 3:16...hmmm), you have to believe that TimTebow is a bonafide winner. The for-mer NCAA National Football Cham-pion and Heisman winner knows onething about football, and that's howto win. This will be the most highlyanticipated re-match of this year'splayoffs. Of course Tom Brady is alsoa winner and has the rings to back itup. What he doesn't have is a great de-fense, which is going to make all thedifference in this game. Unlike thefirst game in Denver, this one will bea closer game in Foxboro and onethat will see the passing of the mantlefrom Brady to Tebow. Oh, yes, Den-ver will win...BELIEVE IT!

New Orleans @San FranciscoNew Orleans is great at home,

but unfortunately for the Saints, thisone is miles away from home. San

Francisco has one of the best run-ning games, a quarterback whodoesn't make mistakes, and a kicker(why again did Philly let him go?!?)who has been money this year. Lookfor the Niners to beat the Saintsgoing away.

New York @ Green BayAs they start their title defense,

the Packers will show the rest of theleague how weak the Giants reallyare this year (did I mention that theEagles should have won the NFCEast?!?...next year, baby) by puttingup big numbers. I don't like to com-pare, but Rogers is years ahead ofFavre at this point in his career. Iguess patience and learning does payoff. Packers will handle the Giantswith ease in this one. Look for a #1vs. #2 for the NFC Championship.

Pick of the WeekMy pick of the week for the team

that scores the most points thisweekend is Green Bay.

Overall Record: 57-47

NFL: 27-20

NCAA: 30-27


NFL: 27-20

NCAA: 36-21


NFL: 27-20

NCAA: 38-19

Lt. Tim PageNAS Sigonella PAO

Lt. Chris McHenryNAS SigonellaAdmin Officer

GM2 Bryan SilveriCMAA Office

LSSN Nathaniel SquallLSC Sigonella

Ashley DembinskiWIC office admin. assistant

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick Of The Week -- Team With Most Points


NFL: 35-12

NCAA: 33-24

Baltimore Ravens

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Green Bay Packers



NFL: 32-15

NCAA: 35-22

Baltimore Ravens


New Orleans Saints

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers

Baltimore Ravens


New Orleans Saints

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints


New Orleans Saints

Green Bay Packers

New England

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

San Francisco

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

THE SIGNATURETHE SIGNATUREjANUARY 13, 2012 PAGE 3

NAS Sigonella welcomes new veterinarian

CPT Elliott Garber, DVM,MPH has joined the staff of the Si-gonella Veterinary Clinic as thenew veterinarian.

CPT Garber spent the last yearon unaccompanied assignment tosupport the Multinational Forces& Observers in the Sinai Penin-sula, Egypt. “My work primarilyinvolved traveling around Egyptand Israel to audit all the food andbeverage companies that we pur-chased from for our Soldiers' con-sumption,” said CPT Garber. Healso provided medical and surgicalcare to about 60 military-owneddogs. Prior to his year in Egypt, hewas stationed at a large veterinaryclinic at Ft Belvoir, in Virginia.

Now, as the Army veterinary

service support to Naval Air Sta-tion (NAS) Sigonella, CPT Gar-ber and his team providefull-spectrum medical and surgicalcare to the military working dogs(MWD) assigned to the securityteam, ensure the safety of allhuman food sold and served at Si-gonella food service locations andprovide basic medical and surgicalservices to the pets of eligible per-sonnel when time and staffing per-mit. They are also responsible forNaval Support Activity (NSA)Souda Bay in Crete, Greece andmake quarterly trips there to pro-vide support.

A graduate of Tufts Universityin Boston, MA, CPT Garber spokeof his decision to become a veteri-narian. “I have loved animals for aslong as I can remember, and myparents were very supportive in

enabling me to have a variety ofpets while I was growing up. Ani-mals play incredibly importantroles in people's lives all aroundthe world, whether they are familypets, livestock, military workingdogs, or even wildlife,” he said. “Asa veterinarian with an interest inthe broader realm of public health,I serve in a wide variety of roles.”

CPT Garber is here with hiswife, Becca and their nine-monthold daughter, Magdalena. “I am ex-cited for the adventures that thenext three years will hold,” he said.“I look forward to meeting manyof you and your pets during thattime.”

Stay tuned for CPT Garber’smonthly column discussing publichealth and pet related topics inclu-ding pet adoption, Leishmaniasisand more.

CPT Elliott Garber, DVM, MPH and his team provide basic medical and surgicalservices to the pets of eligible personnel. (U.S. Navy Photo by Jackie Trembath)

BY jACKIE TREMBATH

U.S. Navy Public Affairs


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 [email protected] and let us know!

Rock ClimbingOrientations at NAS

I Fitness Center5:00 p.m

Snowboarding onMt. Etna;

Departs from ITT 8:00 a.m

Martin Luther KingJr. Celebrationand Cookout at

Connections 6 p.m

Magician CraigKarges at NAS I

Theater 7 p.m

Fleet and FamilySupport CenterAdministration Building Bldg. 319 (NAS I)

Monday–Friday7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. DSN 624-4291 Commercial 095-56-4291

Nip the argument with children before it startsLearning how to nip arguing and

back talking in the bud does nothave to be difficult but it requiresthree components:

1. A parental willingness to hearout the child completely.2. A willingness to reconsider a ruleor decision that might prove to havebeen less than well thought out.3. A steely determination to con-sistently stick by your guns andwhen a well deserved “no” is is-sued, it does not change to a “yes,”no matter how long the childwheedles and whines.

Consider the many faces that ar-guing and back talking can take.Some are obvious while others are abit more hidden.

The Repeater: The child will re-peat the request time and again,sometimes at odd moments. He maycatch you unawares or you may seeit coming. No matter what the occa-sion he presents and the argumentsthat accompany the request do notbother repeating your answer. Say itonly once and then simply refrainfrom saying anything else. You mayopt to walk away or ignore him oth-erwise. At some point your child willcatch on that endless repetition willnot wear you down to complyingwith his wishes.

The Complainer: He is nothappy with your decision and he

makes sure you know it. He mightmutter all the way through complet-ing the task, but it will get done.Eventually, when he notices that noamount of complaining changesanything, he will quit. One caveat: ifthe child becomes rude or disre-spectful in his complaints, it is timeto bring down some consequences.

Dealing with an immediate lackof compliance does not have to turninto an argument. Instead, there aresome ways of preempting such aproblem before it even starts. Per-haps the easiest way is to set someground rules. Kids love to talk thingsthrough and if you explain that everygood debate needs rules, they will behappy to sit down with you and plotthem. This is best done when youare not in the midst of an argumentalready.

Some of the rules to discuss areobvious:• There will be no screaming,yelling, and name calling.• Every person is allowed to finishtheir sentences.• Voices must remain at normal lev-els.• No sarcasm and little jabs. • A parental end of discussion state-ment, such as “this topic is no longeropen for discussion.”

Another possible way of diffusingan argument is by way of choices.

When a child is offered choices, heis less likely to argue. Granted, theremay be times when a child does notlike either choice offered, but in suchmoments the parent must remainfirm that there is no third option.

In select situations this may leadto an argument where the child – inspite of your best effort – talks backin a manner that is downright rudeand highly disrespectful. At the rootof this behavior is most likely an oc-casion or two when the child gotaway with this kind of behavior. Par-ents who consistently discourageback talking or deal with it as out-lined above, most likely will nothave to deal with disrespectfulwords too often.

If you do find yourself in the po-sition of having a child that hasadded disrespectful back talking tohis repertoire of communicationstyles within the family, it is a goodidea to announce that, effective im-mediately, such behavior will nolonger be put up with. Reveal a num-ber of consequences that will bemeted out in response to back talk-ing. They should increase in serious-ness. You may begin with simplelosses of some privileges, such asvideo games for that day, the use ofthe phone for a day, and anythingelse that will remind the child thattalking back is no longer profitable.

The Fleet & Family Support Center offers a series of workshops to help ease your transition:Intercultural Relations (ICR)

Survive & ThriveHistory of Sicily Seminar

Customs and Traditions Seminar



Passengers boarding the newbullet trains ready to whizacross Italy early next year

might be forgiven for thinking of Fer-rari cars at the sight of the low nose,the deep-red livery and the sleek in-teriors.

The chairman of the legendarymarque, Luca Cordero di Monteze-molo, happens to be among theshareholders of Europe's first privateoperator of high-speed trains, NuovoTrasporto Viaggiatori (NTV.L),along with his friend Diego DellaValle, owner of luxury goods com-pany Tod's (TOD.MI).

Founded in 2006 as the EuropeanUnion moved to open up rail trans-port to market competition, NTVhas invested 1 billion euros to shakeup train travel in Italy with the prom-ise of fast journeys and deluxe serviceunder the brand name Italo by March2012.

Having copied the tiered pricingsystem of airlines, where passengerscan travel at rock-bottom prices ifthey book early and choose off-peaktimes, NTV reckons its train servicewith an edge will be affordable to cri-sis-hit Italians.

The train interiors, styled by cele-brated design house Italdesign Giu-giaro, will offer three different classesof travel, with passengers offered theoption to connect to tunnel-proofwireless Internet, watch TV or havemeals served at their seat by stafftrained in hospitality services.

A special cinema coach will be at-tached at one end of the convoy whileItalo lounges will provide separatewaiting areas and ticket offices inevery station.

Such attention to passenger com-fort is expected to help NTV snatcha 20 to 25 percent share of the trainpassenger market from state-ownedoperator Trenitalia and achievebreakeven within three years.

"We are in a tough economic envi-ronment, with the risk of a recessionthat could hit demand for transport,"NTV Chief Executive Giuseppe Scia-rrone told Reuters by telephone. "Wewill carefully monitor demand levels,but if they stay normal these are thenumbers."

TIERED PRICING

If the high-speed service provessuccessful, NTV could consider com-peting against Trenitalia on regionalroutes, where the state-owned firm isoften accused of not trying hardenough.

Lucia Casarin, a 44-year-oldgraphic designer from Venice, saidshe would welcome a service thatpromises above-average standards ofcomfort on her frequent train trips.

"You have to keep in mind thatItalo will compete against a ratherdisappointing train service here inItaly," she said. "But the ticket prices,given the dire economic situation weare in, will be the real challenge forItalo."

Despite the on-board luxury, Scia-rrone reckons Italo will remain af-fordable. "Prices will vary dependingon the time of the day and the day ofthe week, as well as the season, buteveryone will be able to afford totravel with us," he said.

NTV plans to run up to 50 serv-ices a day as the first operator to usethe AGV high-speed trains built byFrench transport and power engi-neering group Alstom (ALSO.PA).

A fleet of 25 trains will link Turinin the north with Salerno in southernItaly, via Milan, Rome and Naples, aswell as Venice with Rome, at a speedof 300 kilometres per hour -- themaximum allowed speed on the Ital-ian rail network.

NEW BREED

"AGV won't be the first train thatwill run at this speed in Italy, but itwill be the most modern," said BrunoSol-Rolland, vice president for rollingstock mainlines at Alstom Transport.

For Alstom, Italo will be a chanceto showcase its next-generation bullettrains after being snubbed by Chan-nel Tunnel train operator Eurostar,which last year opted to replace itsfleet with trains made by Germanarch-rival Siemens (SIEGn.DE).

NTV is so far the only customerfor the French company's AGV high-speed train, the successor to the suc-cessful TGV. More silent and cheaperto run than its predecessor, the AGVis also more spacious because its mo-

tors are placed under each car, insteadof in power cars attached at both endsof the train.

Alstom developed the new design,which helped free up 20 percentmore passenger space, in 2003 withan eye on the looming liberalisationof the train market in Europe and thenew breed of private train operatorsthat it promised to spawn.

These companies -- like NTV andBritain's Virgin Trains, both Alstomcustomers -- cannot rely on govern-ment backing, the support of a largeinfrastructure network or sizablemaintenance operations, unlike state-owned railway companies.

Ferrari-red trains shake up Italian railways

Passengers on board Italy's new Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) trains might be forgiven for thinking ofFerrari cars at the sight of the low nose, the deep-red livery and the sleek interiors.

(Story by Reuters)

"The difference is that these newcustomers are not interested in tech-nology. Their approach is 'I want tohave trains for service every morning.How much does it cost?'," said Sol-Rolland.

With the arrival of fresh competi-tion on their home turf, national trainoperators have been looking for newopportunities, often stepping intoneighbouring countries.

SNCF has taken a 20 percentshare in NTV as a potential spring-board into the Italian market, just as

Trenitalia has joined forces withFrench group Veolia (VIE.PA) tolaunch France's first privately ownedtrain service.

Called Thello, this new entrantaims to bring customer-friendly serv-ice and low prices on overnight sleepertrains between Paris and Venice.

Prices start at 35 euros one wayfor a place in a six-berth compart-ment and can rise up to 275 euros fora single private cabin -- still cheaperthan the average 200 euros SNCFcharges for its day-time link to Italy.

Italian black cat becomes a fat cat after inheriting 10 million euros

Smuggled roman statues head back to Italy

Florence resident 90,000 euro traffic fines

Rome orders the removal of love locks


A black cat in Italy has lived up toits reputation for good luck after in-heriting 10 million euros (£8.5 mil-lion) from his adoptive owner, awidowed heiress.

Four-year-old Tommaso, who wassaved from a hardscrabble existenceon the mean streets of Rome, Italy, asa kitten, is now the proud owner ofcash, shares and a property empirewhich includes flats and houses inRome and Milan and land in Cala-bria.

Tommaso was rescued by a lonelyold lady, named only as Maria As-sunta, who was married to a propertytycoon but widowed at an early age.The couple had no children.

She became besotted with her petbut as her health began to fail, fearedfor his future.

So in November 2009 she wrote

out a will in which she bequeathedher "entire estate" to the unknowingTommaso.

She instructed her lawyers to"identify an animal welfare associa-tion or group to which to leave theestate and the commitment of loo-king after Tommaso".

But none of the animal welfare as-sociations matched up to the old la-dy's exacting standards so she insteaddecided to leave her fortune to Tom-maso through the nurse who hadcared for her in her final months, awoman named Stefania.

The will came into force when theheiress died two weeks ago at the ageof 94.

"She had become very fond to-wards the nurse who assisted her,"Anna Orecchioni, one of the lawyers,told Il Messaggero newspaper.

"We're convinced that Stefania isthe right person to carry out the oldlady's wishes. She loves animals justlike the woman she devoted herself toright up until the end."

The nurse said she had no inklingthat her charge was so rich. "I promi-sed her that I would look after the catwhen she was no longer around. Shewanted to be sure that Tommasowould be loved and cuddled. But Inever imagined that she had this sortof wealth. She was very discreet andquite, I knew very little of her privatelife. She only told me that she had suf-fered from loneliness a lot."

Tommaso now lives with his newowner and another cat in a house out-side Rome. The address is being kepta secret, out of fears that the newly-enriched moggy will be besieged byfortune hunters and con men

(Story by www.telegraph.co.uk)

(Italy Magazine)

The United Nations culturalagency has announced anagreement with the Italian

government to preserve the archaeo-logical site at Pompeii.

Torrential rains last year badly da-maged the Roman ruins, causing theHouse of the Gladiators and theHouse of the Moralist to collapse inNovember 2010.

The new plan will ensure restora-

tion efforts are undertaken to preventthe site from decaying further. Underthe signed agreement, UNESCO willprovide expert technical assistance toguide conservation efforts and main-tain Pompeii's standing the WorldHeritage List. The Italian governmentas agreed to fund the project.

The Archaeological Areas ofPompeii, Herculaneum and TorreAnnunziata have been included onthe UNESCO’s World Heritage Listsince 1997.

Pompeii rescue plan announced

ETD Chiefs spread holiday cheer

Executive Transport Detachment (ETD) Chiefs helped Aci Trezzacelebrate Epiphany which marks the end of the Christmas season andNew Year festivities. ETD Senior Enlisted Leader Senior Chief GinnyFalsetti (third from left) joined local nationals dressed as “La Befana”and handed out candy to passersby. ETD Chiefs also helped pass outcandy. (U.S. Navy Photo by Lt. Melissa Paule)

Authorities in Rome have votedto crack down on lovesick coupleswho express their undying devotionto each other via padlock.

Inspired by a popular FedericoMoccia novel, I Need You, couples inRome have been fixing locks to thecity's popular bridge Ponte Milvio.Following the example of the coupledepicted in the book, this moderntradition leads lovers to inscribetheir names on a lock, afix it to a lam-post, and throw away the key.

Now, the Eternal City will usebolt cutters to remove the suppose-dly dangers locks of love.

Rome officials cited safety con-cerns as the top reason for removingthe padlocks. Gianni Giacomini, thepresident of the city council, explai-ned that the weight of the lockscould cause the bridge rails or lightposts to collapse.

Alexander Cozza, one of the re-presentatives who voted to removethe locks, defended his party's de-cision. "We are not against messa-ges of love", he explained, "but thegesture seems a bit trivial. We wantto invite couples to meet moreoften, speak more, and share real af-fection".

Susan Eileen Townsend has alarge debt to settle with the city ofFlorence after flouting traffic lawsaround the city for years.

The British 62-year-old has longbeen a resident in one of Florence'sposh neighborhoods and over theyears, her car was photographedbreaking traffic rules a staggering1,500 times. All together, the finesfor each violation amount to 90,000Euro.

The well-to-do bad driver wassnapped by traffic cameras as shebroke the speed limit and ignored

signs indicating restricted traffic areas.Though her crimes were nume-

rous, Italian police had a difficulttime identifying Townsend as the re-peat traffic offender because herMercedes bore expired UK tags.Banned from accessing the UK's traf-fic database, police in Florence weretasked with tracking her downthrough pure perseverance.

Townsend has contacted a lawyerto assist her in fighting the 90,000Euro in fines she has amassed, butthe police department has clear evi-dence of her 1,500 infractions.

(Story by Story by Italy Magazine)


The Goddess Fortuna statuedates from the 2nd century AD Apair of Roman statues believed tohave been smuggled from Italy, priorto being purchased at a New Yorkgallery in 1984, are being returnedhome.

The marble statues of the God-dess Fortuna and another female fi-gure had stood in the lobby of abuilding in Louisville, Kentucky formany years.

Health insurance company Hu-mana said the pieces were bought ingood faith.

"What's appropriate... is for us to

return these treasures to where theyrightfully belong," said a spokesman.

Lorenzo Ornaghi, Italy's cultureminister, praised Humana for co-ming forward voluntarily with theirsuspicions about the statues.

"Italy is grateful for the imme-diate transfer of these two importantobjects and their recovery to the Ita-lian cultural patrimony," he said.

According to the Ministry of Cul-tural Heritage and Activities's web-site, the statues date from the 2ndcentury AD.

Italy has long campaigned for thereturn of looted antiquities.


(Story by BBC)

Buon Anno! When wishing people a Buon

Anno make sure to pronounce both“n’s” (An no) or you will be tellingpeople “Good Butt” instead ofspreading New Year cheer.

Speaking of the New Year ...what better time to practice your“please’s and thank you’s” ... inITALIAN!

English: PleaseItalian: Per piacere or Per favore

English: Thank you (verymuch)Italian: (Mille) grazie

English: Excuse meItalian: Mi scusi

English: I'm sorry, but...Italian: Mi spiace, ma...

English: May I... ?Italian: Posso... ?

Here are some useful phrases foryour learning enjoyment:

English: Good Luck!Italian: Buona fortuna!

English:Have a safe trip!Italian: Buon viaggio!

English: Take Care!Italian: Stai (stia) attento

English: Have a nice day!Italian: Buona giornata!

Have fun practicing yourItalian! Buona fortuna!

JUST SAY IT!

Practice your Italian

My heart sank to the bottom of my sto-mach as I approached the wroughtiron gate bearing the words `Arbeit

Macht Frei' or `Work Brings Freedom’. My kno-wledge of WWII history did not prepare me forwhat I felt during my visit to the Dachau Concen-tration Camp Memorial. It is an experience I willnever forget.

A mere 30 minutes earlier, I was enjoying a cupof spiced wine and meandering around the Chri-stmas markets in Marienplatz with my husband.The laughter and energy in Marienplatz bore astriking contrast to the surroundings of Dachauwhere people from more than 30 nations lost theirlives. As I walked through the infamous gate ontothe cold, grey roll-call square, I was overwhelmedby a myriad of emotions; sadness, horror, humi-lity, fear and repulsion.

The concentration camp at Dachau was builtin 1933 by Heinrich Himmler. Prisoners arrivedlike most visitors these days, via train to DachauBahnhof. They were forced to march the 2 kilo-

meters to the camp while enduring verbal andphysical abuse from the town’s residents along theway.

Though Dachau was not a death camp like Au-schwitz, more than 32,000 died there from di-sease, malnutrition and over work or wereexecuted. Dachau concentration camp served asthe model for those that followed. Tall trees standwatch over the roll-call area where Dachau’s in-mates were forced to line up twice daily to becounted.

My husband and I elected to tour Dachau onour own. We rented an audio guide that providedin depth information corresponding with differentlocations throughout the memorial. We watchedthe documentary film detailing the horrors of Da-chau which shows in the museum several timesthroughout the day and is offered in English. It isnot suitable for children under the age of 12.

As we walked beyond the roll-call area alongthe central camp road, the winter air seemed evencolder. We spoke to each other in whispers out ofreverence for what happened so many years ago.

Two reconstructed buildings depict the livingconditions of the prisoners, who once walkedalong the path my feet treaded. Inside are replicasof the triple bunk beds designed to hold 6,000 butwere instead crammed with 300,000 starving, di-sease ridden men and women. Listening to theaudio tour, we learned that inmates were forcedto line-up the checkered bed lined in perfect sym-metry from bunk to bunk; top to bottom, side toside - another form of torture.

Just beyond the replicas, the outlines of therows of barracks are depicted by reconstructedfoundations and referenced by numbers. Inmatesin Barrack 5 were used for human medical expe-riments including testing effects of hypothermia

and malaria. I stood staring at the number 5 forsome time trying to imagine. How? Why?

I have some knowledge of Nazi Germany. Ihave watched numerous documentaries onWWII. I saw Schindler’s List and read Anne Frank:The Diary of a Young Girl. Yet it wasn’t until myvisit to Dachau that really felt the magnitude ofthe horror of the Holocaust. In Dachau not onlywere Jews enslaved, but also included Germandissidents, “anti-socials,” people who simply didnot “fit in”, clergymen, Jehovah’s Witnesses, phy-sically handicapped, homosexuals, intellects, ar-tists and others Hitler did not deem worth living.Standing on its soil, my soul wept.

For more than five hours, my husband and Itoured the memorial. We walked through the com-pound reading the information posts and listeningto the chilling details of the audio tour. We spenttime in the museum which includes many exhibits

Dachau, Germany

BY jACKIE TREMBATH

U.S. Navy Public Affairs “I have never felt so simultaneously humbled and horrified, nor so inspired by the strength of the human spirit.”

The infamous wrought iron gate bearing the words `Arbeit Macht Frei' or `Work Brings Freedom’is a reconstruction. The original sign was removed by the Americans, along with all other Nazisigns and slogans. Nevertheless, crossing the threshold onto the soil of Dachau where so many people lost their lives is a powerful and emotional experience. (Photos by Jackie Trembath)



with original items. We fell silent as we ventured just beyondthe barbed-wire fence and looming watchtowers to the cre-matoriums; the original crematorium and the larger crema-torium, built in 1943. A gas chamber, disguised as a showerroom is part of the larger crematorium. It may have been te-sted on prisoners, though there is no record it was not usedfor large-scale murders. Beyond the crematoriums is a pathleading to the execution walls peppered with bullet holes. Asign marks “Blood Ditch.” A grave for the thousands un-known is marked by a solemn cross.

The horror at Dachau finally ended on April 29, 1945,just one week before the end of WWII, when members ofthe United Stated military liberated the camp. Accordingto the official report by the U.S. Army, 31,432 people sur-vived including 2,539 Jews who had been brought to Da-chau just a few weeks prior. I learned that by the time theAmericans arrived, there was no more coal left to fuel thecrematory and bodies were left lying on the ground, theirclothing removed and given to the prisoners still breathing.

My visit to Dachau put so much into perspective for me.It breaks my heart that such evil existed. The fact that peo-ple survived such atrocities ... I have never felt so simulta-neously humbled and horrified, nor so inspired by thestrength of the human spirit.

Directions and Details: The memorial site is about a 25 minute train ride from theheart of Munich, Germany. Take the S2 train from Munichmain train station to Dachau/Petershausen. From the Dachautrain station, take bus 726 towards "Saubachsiedlung" to theentrance of the Memorial Site ("KZ-Gedenkstätte"). The me-morial site is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00am to5:00pm. Entry is free. A 20 minute documentary about theconcentration camp shows in the museum in English at11:30am, 2:00pm and 3:30pm. The film is not recommendedfor children under the age of 12.

Barbed wire and former electrical fencing around the perimeter of the camp. The watchtower and moat can be seen through the fence.

Now a museum, the Wirtschaftsge once contained the kitchen, the laundry, storage rooms for prisoners' clothing and personal belongings, andthe notorious shower baths where the SS would torture prisoners by flogging and hanging then at the stake. In front is a memorial sculpture de-picting bodies in the shape of barbed wire.

The building which houses the crematory ovens and the gas chambers is original. A gas chamber was also installed at Dachau but was not usedfor mass murders. The prisoners selected for gassing were transported to other concentration camps.

The old crematorium was located in a dingy wooden hut.In 1942, the prisoners constructed a new crematorium,complete with modern ovens.

Friday, 13 JAN 12 *Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Sausage Links, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Apple Fritters.*Lunch: New England Clam Chowder, Fried/Baked Pollok Fish, Pasta al Forno , Mushroom Gravy,Steamed Rice, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, Fried Cauliflower, Lemon Cookies,Cheese Cake, Chocolate Cream Pudding.Speed line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Cream Of Mushroom Soup, Cantonese Spareribs, Sandwich, Pork Fried Rice, Steamed WholeCorn, Seasoned Spinach, Lemon Cookies, Cheese Cake, Chocolate Cream Pudding.

Saturday, 14 JAN 12*Breakfast: Farina, Grilled Ham Slices, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, RoastedPotatoes, Buttermilk Pancakes, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterhorns.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Beef Vegetable Soup, Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, Mixed Vegetables,Broccoli, Sweet & Sour Sauce, Chocolate Drop Cookies, Apple Crisp.*Dinner: Manhattan Clam Chowder, El Rancho Stew, Spsghetti Garlic & Oil , Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Gravy, Steamed Rice, Green Kale, Peas & Mushroom, Chocolate Drop Cookies, Apple Crisp.

Sunday, 15 JAN 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Minute Steak, Oven Fried Bacon, French Toast Puff, Asstd Omelets,Eggs to Order, Roasted Potatoes, Asstd Doughnuts, Kolaches.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Bean & Bacon Soup, Grilled Chicken Breast, Italian Roasted Potatoes,Seasoned Green Beans, Glazed Carrots, Yellow Cake w/ Frosting, Hermits.*Dinner: Split Pea Soup, Turkey Ala King, Aztec Rice, Black-eye Peas, Fried Cauliflower, YellowCake w/ Frosting, Hermits.

Monday, 16 JAN 12*Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Minced Beef on Toast, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Streusel Coffee Cake.*Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup, Rosemary Roast Turkey, Pasta Chef, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes,Seasoned Summer Squash, Steamed Peas, Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies,Banana Cake, Dutch Apple Pie.*Speed line: Baked Italian Sausage W/Pepper & Onion.*Dinner: Pepper Pot Soup, Steak w/ Onions, Baked Chicken Quartered , Baked Potatoes, CollardGreens, Calico Cabbage, Brown Gravy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Banana Cake, Dutch Apple Pie .

Tuesday, 17 JAN 12*Breakfast: Farina, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Biscuitsand Gravy, Asstd Doughnuts, Blueberry Muffins. *Lunch: Cream of Asparagus Soup, BBQ Spareribs, Southern Fried Chicken, Chicken Gravy, MashedPotatoes, Hopping John, Corn on the Cob, Southern Style Greens, Jalapeno Corn Bread, German Chocolate Cake, Cherry Pie.*Speed line: Chicken Drum, Onion Rings.Dinner: Beef Rice Soup, Spaghetti w/ Meatballs, Lyonnaise Rice, Vegetable Stir Fry, Steamed Asparagus,Brown Gravy, German Chocolate Cake, Cherry Pie.

Wednesday, 18 JAN 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Creamed Ground Beef, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, Roa-sted Potatoes, Blueberry Pancakes, Asstd Doughnuts, Bear Claw.*Lunch: Beef Vegetable Soup, Breaded Pork Steaks, Savory Baked Chicken, Potatoes Au Gratin, OrientalRice, Eggplant Parmesan, Tangy Spinach, Cherry Cheese Cake, Chewy Nut Bars, Cream Puffs.*Speed line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Minestrone Soup, Salisbury Steak, Steamed Rice, Brown Gravy, Peas & Carrots, Wax Beans,Cherry Cheese Cake, Chewy Nut Bars, Cream Puffs.

Thursday, 19 JAN 12*Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Oven Fried Bacon, Corned Beef Hash, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, RoastedPotatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Raisin Muffin.*Lunch: Onion Soup, Asian Barbecue Turkey, Beef Stroganoff, Mashed Potatoes, Boiled Pasta, ChickenGravy, Mix Vegetables, Simmered Cauliflower, Vanilla Cookies, Devil’s Food Cake.Speedline: Assorted Pizza.Dinner: Chicken Noodle Soup, Meat Loaf, Oven Browned Potatoes, Corn O’ Brien, Simmered Carrots,Vanilla Cookies, Devil’s Food Cake.

Friday, 20 JAN 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Sausage Links, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Cinnamon Rolls.*Lunch: Cream of Mushroom Soup, Lasagna, Tempura Fish, Baked Fish, Steamed Rice, Calico Cabbage,Herbed Broccoli, Strawberry Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Fruit Gelatin.Speed line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Egg Drop Soup, Chicken Cacciatore, Rice Pilaf, Southern Green Beans, Savory Squash,Strawberry Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Fruit Gelatin.


Monday, January 23rd – Special Performance!7:00 PM Craig Karges Live FREE

Tuesday, January 24th – Last Shows5:00 PM MI: Ghost Protocol PG-135:30 PM Adventures of Tintin PG7:30 PM Girl Dragon Tattoo R 8:00 PM Rum Diary, The R

nesday, January 25th 5:00 PM Muppets, The PG 5:30 PM Joyful Noise PG-137:30 PM J. Edgar R8:00 PM Immortals R

Thursday, January 26th 5:00 PM We Bought A Zoo PG5:30 PM Muppets, The PG7:30 PM War Horse PG-138:00 PM Immortals R

Friday, January 27th 2:00 PM Water Horse PG 5:00 PM Arthur Christmas PG 5:30 PM Twilight: BD PG-13 7:30 PM J. Edgar R8:00 PM Sitter R

Saturday, January 28th 2:00 PM We Bought A Zoo PG 2:30 PM Jack & Jill PG4:30 PM Red Tails PG-13 5:00 PM Joyful Noise PG-137:30 PM Extremely Loud PG-13

Sunday, January 29th 2:00 PM Happy Feet 2 PG2:30 PM Jack & Jill PG4:30 PM Joyful Noise PG-135:00 PM War Horse PG-13 7:30 PM Sitter R

Movie schedule is subject to change. Please call to confirm.

Movie Hotline: 624-4248

Midtown Movie theaterS

Schedule & deScriptionS

Experience the extraordinary with Craig Karges!Craig Karges is truly extraor-

dinary! The “extraordinist”is an award-winning enter-

tainer, a nationally recognized spea-ker and an author. Karges has madeover four thousand appearances inseventeen countries on four conti-nents and in all fifty states.

Craig Karges combines the art ofmagic with the science of psychologyand the power of intuition to createthe impression that nothing is impos-sible. Tables float, minds are read,metal bends and your imagination ischallenged because you won’t believeyour eyes! Dennis Miller, comedianand media personality, put it this wayafter seeing Karges perform, “Thisweirds me out!”

Audiences may be mystified whenit comes to understanding how CraigKarges accomplishes what he doeson stage but his popularity is no my-stery at all.

From the entertainment orientedTonight Show to the news orientedLarry King Live, Craig Karges hasmade over forty national televisionappearances. You’ve also seen him onCNN Headline News, Fox NewsChannel, CNBC, E! EntertainmentTelevision, Lifetime Television, Wi-sdom Television and even SOAPnet!The extraordinist has starred in two,one-hour television specials. Thesheer number and diversity of Kar-ges’ television appearances is indica-tive of his widespread popularity.

Performance, the internationaltouring talent weekly, named CraigKarges’ touring show, Experience

the Extraordinary, one of the topfive, variety/family shows in NorthAmerica. Karges was in good com-pany as the list also included thelikes of illusionist David Copperfieldand Disney on Ice. Performance ma-gazine called the extraordinist’s per-formance “The next era in mysteryentertainment.” American Enter-

tainment Magazine named him oneof the top five variety entertainers onthe corporate circuit.

Craig Karges is coming to Sigo-nella for a free show at Midtown 2Theaters on Monday, Jan. 23rd at 7 p.m. For more information onthis show, contact Antonyo at [email protected].

WE BOUGHT A ZOO……………………PG STARRING: Matt Damon, Colin Ford, Thomas Haden Church

Based on a true story, Benjamin Mee is a recently-widowed father who moveshis family to a beautiful estate miles outside the city. The only catch is that theestate is also a dilapidated zoo replete with 200 animals, and the purchase ofthe home is conditional on the new owner keeping the zoo and its entire staff.The Mee family subsequently sets out to rebuild and refurbish the zoo to itsformer glory, making new friends along the way (126 m.)

SITTER…………………….………….…….R STARRING: Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell

A comedy about a college student on suspension who is coaxed into babysit-ting the kids next door, though he is fully unprepared for the wild night aheadof him (81 m.)

RUM DIARY……………………..………..R STARRING: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Amber Heard

Tiring of the noise and madness of New York, journalist Paul Kemp travels tothe pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. Adopting therum-soaked life of the island, Paul soon becomes obsessed with Chenault, thewildly attractive Connecticut-born fiancé of a businessman involved in shadyproperty deals that Kemp is writing about (122 m.)

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL……….…PG-13STARRING: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton

Blamed for the terrorist bombing of the Kremlin, IMF operative EthanHunt must clear his agency's name and prevent another attack (133 m)


Forty five percent of Americansmake a New Year’s Resolution.The top resolutions made are

to stop smoking, lose weight and exer-cise more. If you made one of theseresolutions, let’s hope you have goodluck in keeping yours. National stati-stics reveal that by the first week of Ja-nuary only 75% of those who made aresolution are on track. By sixmonths, only 46% stay the course.

According to proactive chan ge.com,while a lot of people who make NewYear’s resolutionsdo break them, re-search shows thatmaking resolu-tions is useful.People who expli-citly make resolutions are 10 timesmore likely to attain their goals thanpeople who don't explicitly make re-solutions.

If you resolved to lose weight,there are resources to help you. Askyour physician for a referral to see thedietician. Call Health Promotion at624-4710 for one of our many classesand visit us on facebook (search He-alth Promotion Sigonella) to read ourmonthly newsletters. The gym alsooffers a variety of classes and equip-ment. You can even work with a per-sonal trainer through MWR to helpyou reach your goals.

Offering suggestions, MWR Per-

sonal Trainer Erin Work says, “Focuson accountability and enjoyment: anappointment with a friend or trainermeans someone is counting on you toshow up. Make it fun by learning so-mething new – a different cardio ma-chine, free weights, swim, or try theclimbing wall. The activity you enjoywill be the one you stick with.”

Making simple changes in yourdaily routine can also help. You burnmore calories each time you chose totake the stairs rather than the elevator

or elect to park fur-ther away andwalk. Another easychange is to in-crease your waterintake. Invest in a

good water bottle. The Navy Ex-change has plenty in stock. Spice upyour water by adding some freshlemon or lime or try fizzy water in-stead of natural. You can save all thecoins you would have used for thatsoda, café or sports drink and watchthe money add up and the poundscome off. If you can’t give up soda, tryto reduce the amount you drink in aday and try to switch to a diet or lowsugar one.

Whatever your New Year’s Reso-lution is, you can be certain Naval AirStation Sigonella has the resources tohelp you to reveal a healthier, happier,confident you.

If you resolved to loseweight, there are

resources to help you.

Achieving your New Year’s resolutionBY LCDR LYNN SKINNERHealth Promotion Committee

Thirteen Navy Junior Recruit Officer Training Corp (NJROTC) cadets traveled toRota, Spain to attend four days of Basic Leadership Training. (U.S. Navy Photo by JimBurke, Naval Science Instructor, NAS Sigonella)

Recently, 13 Navy Junior RecruitOfficer Training Corp (NJROTC) ca-dets traveled to Rota, Spain to attendfour days of Basic Leadership Trai-ning. Unit CO, Cadet Jasen Black andCadet Tristan Morris also attended asassistant instructors.

The ROTC unit flew from NavalAir Station (NAS) Sigonella to Rotaon a Marine Corps C-130 aircraft.For many cadets, this was the firsttime flying in a combat operationalaircraft. Along the way the flight lan-ded in Naples to pick up 38 cadetsfrom Naples high school.

Upon landing in Rota, the cadetswere met by more than 20 Marinesfrom the ROTA FAST platoon and

escorted to their “plush” living accom-modations. After bunking down andeating a quick box lunch, the cadetswere introduced to their Drill Instruc-tors.

Each day started at 0430 for mor-ning PT followed by training in aca-demics, fire arms, drill etc. Thehighlight for most of the cadets wasthe Marine Corps obstacle course.

A total of 70 cadets from Sigonella,Naples and Rota completed the trai-ning. The course ended with a gradua-tion ceremony where Sigonellacadets, Brian Burke and SpencerSabel were named outstanding cadetsfor their respective platoons.

Congratulations to all the cadets!

NJROTC Cadets travel to Rota

Sigonella Elementary Presents “Math Knight 2012”

Sigonella Elementary invites families and their children, Pre-Kinder-garten through fifth grade, to the annual “Math Knight” on Friday,Jan. 20th from 4 - 6 p.m. at Knight’s Hall. The theme is “Light up

the Night with Math.” There will be math games based on the Math Stan-dards, Star Lab, Smart Board and technology activities, estimation stations,literature/math activities, door prizes and food. Bring your family andenjoy a night of math and learning.

Service and family members at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella started their New Year off withthe New Year’s Resolution 6 Mile Run/Walk on Jan.7 on NAS 2. This was run/walk number five.For more information on the Base 2 Base Series Runs/Walks call MWR Fitness at 624-4951. Markyour calendars for upcoming runs:

NAS Sigonella starts the New Year with 6 mile run/walk

BY jIM BURKENaval Science Instructor, NAS Sigonella


DON'T DRINKAND DRIVE

Drinking and driving endan-gers the safety of everyone onthe roads and throughout our

community. Local LawEnforcement agencies

recognize that drinking anddriving is a problemthroughout Italy and

has significantly increasedDUI/sobriety check points.They're taking the problem

seriously just as we are.Additionally, Sigonella's

Security Force members willperform increased Alcoblowsand sobriety checkpoints on

all of our installations. Don't become a statistic andDON'T think that because

you're out in town you won'tget caught. DON'T DRINK

AND DRIVE- PERIOD.

Always remember: Be Smart.Be Safe.

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Iwouldn’t call myself “completely integrated”or “brave,” when it comes to daily interac-tions in Italy. But I love to buy fresh produce

out in town, and I have a favorite produce store.Ducking into this shop neverfails to enrich my day withmore than just fresh vegeta-bles.

The store’s owner (let’s callher “Mama Produce”) speaksonly Italian, so upon entering,my brain must click over to itsembarrassingly limited “Italianlanguage mode.” On a recentvisit, Mama Produce’s youngson stepped beside me andasked in his accented child's voice,"What_is_your_name?" He seemed delightedat my mixed expression of surprise and delight.I exclaimed, "Bene!" (Good) and told him myname. In Italian, his mother ex-plained that he studies Englishat school.

Following the boy's braveinquiry; I asked in slow, delibe-rate English, "What is yourname?" He cocked his head to the side. So Iasked the question in Italian. To this, he answe-red quickly with a look that said "ah, I know thatone!" Nervously he tapped his fingers on his chinand gazed at the ceiling. I could practically hearthe gears in his brain turning. I knew preciselywhat he was thinking. "Oh no, I got stupid andbrave and tried to talk to this person in their lan-guage, and now I can't think of how to say any-thing else relevant." I turned toward the registerto give him a moment to think. Before MamaProduce could tell me my total, he was at my sideagain asking, “Do_you_like … chicken?”

I restrained my delight and managed to shiftmy focus to asking him the same question in Ita-lian, "Si. E tu, tu piaci pollo?" He giggled andnodded, then thought for a moment. While I sif-ted through euro coins he produced another zin-

Breaking the language barrierBY ERIN WORKFLCSI Ombudsman

ger. "Do_you_like...chips?" I laughed and nod-ded my head “yes” realizing that I'd need to con-tribute to this exchange or the peppering of "Doyou like (anything he knows in English)?" could

go on for awhile.With careful enunciation I asked,

"How old are you?" He respondedwith a terrified expression that I reco-gnized only because I myself have fla-shed it to countless Italian folks. Itwas one that unmistakably said, "Aaa!I don't know! I should know, but Idon't! I should've kept my mouth clo-sed from the beginning. I'll never beable to do this!" I wanted so badly togive the boy a huge hug and sooth his

fear away, assuring him, "It's ok, really! I do thesame thing. Languages are hard!" I repeated myquestion in Italian. Some brightness returned tohis eyes when he answered in English, "Ten."

I paid for my purchases. Mama Produce wal-ked my bags around the counter and her boy,with regained confidence bounded around thestore pointing to produce and exclaiming,"Green! Red! Yellow!"

I held back the urge to run to him and dancearound the shop, because I too have felt thesame. When I put my ego out on the table andtry to speak in Italian, sometimes I feel like I'vemade a fool of myself and so I blurt out anythingI know in Italian as a last-ditch effort to say, "I'mnot completely ignorant of your language!"

As I stood near the door, Mama Produce stuf-fed six "offro" (my treat) mandarin oranges inmy bag. The young boy spoke again.

"Do_you_like...Italy??"At this, I smiled warmly. "Yes," I said, "Yes, I

love Italy."

“I held back the urge to run to himand dance around the shop,because I too have felt the same.”

Erin Work

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are back in Sigonella.

For information on Alcoholics Anonymous

meetings, please call 340-608-2140.


Mercedes 190 e 1988, white, oneowner since new, ac, ps, pw, pwdrl,alarm system, original vintage radio,always garage kept, not a dent orscratch, very dependable car andruns great, very comfortable, needsno new maintenance in two yearswill be possible to ship in U.S. with-

out changing the spec, very rare inthis condition! Asking 2,500 euro little negotiable ask for tom 331-95444 86 [email protected]

1992 Chevy Camaro RS+, 25th An-niversary Edition, 95,000 Miles, RunsGreat, Fully loaded, Teal Green,Craiger Mufflers, T-Top, New Battery,

Shocks and Brakes, Asking $8,000OBO. Contact: Joe at 339-218-1204

1994 Fiat Motorhome, Sleeps 6, In-cludes: Fridge, kitchen, Shower, Hotwater, Bathroom, A/C, Power gener-ator and more Great for travel andcamping All working componentsWorks great, Must see $14,000 OBO.Contact Joe at 339-218-1204.

2002 Hyundai Elantra AUTOMATICAvailable the first week of January.For sale from original owner.Please contact Chris at 348-423-5152. $2450.00 / OBO.

Inline Hockey players to play pick-up games and/or to play gamesagainst local teams and to partici-pate in local tournaments. Anyoneinterested in playing inline hockeyplease call Amedeo at 624-5073 or3356067929 or email me at [email protected].

AUTOMOB I L E S

WANT ED

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January 13 issue of The Signature