AAPGPublishedP in the interestG of the people of AberdeenNNEWS Proving Ground,E MarylandWS www.TeamAPG.com THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 Vol. 60, No. 4 newsbrief SNOW SAFETY AFTER THE STORM Safety Office While the installation has returned to normal operat- ing status, the snow and ice hazards from Winter Storm Jonas remain. Keep these safety tips in mind on and off post. Dress for the weather (e.g., shoes with low heels and good tread, layer your clothing and wear gloves, etc. Remove all snow and ice from your vehicle before driving. Take your time on roadways. Watch for icy conditions, slow down and brake early at intersections. At some intersections, you will encounter high piles of snow and visibility may be limited. Stop, inch forward, be patient and go when it is safe to do so. DPW has worked tire- Snow day! lessly to clear APG of snow, however some snow and ice may remain so follow these rules: Watch where you Courtesy photo by Angela Collins walk. Take small steps and APG children and children-at-heart sled down the hill at the Myer Auditorium on APG North (Aberdeen), Jan. 25, taking advantage keep your hands free and of a snow day after the season’s first winter storm. out of your pockets to keep The snow storm dubbed “Winter Storm Jonas” dumped more than 29 inches of snow across the installation, and drifts twice as high, your balance. If you slip, roll shutting down the installation Jan. 25 and causing a four-hour delayed opening Jan. 26. Directorate of Public Works snow removal teams with the fall. worked tirelessly to clear installation roadways, parking lots and buildings. Try to park where snow and ice have been See more snow photos on pages 19. cleared. Avoid inclines and icy or non-cleared walking sur- faces. If an area appears haz- Youth center receives reaccreditation ardous or is posted as haz- ard, take an alternate route. If you see a hazard, REPORT IT and keep Team Edgewood School Age APG safe! Report all haz- ards to your supervisor, Center accreditation to building custodian or call the DPW help desk at 410- 306-1400 to ensure the haz- last five years ard is corrected. Story and photos by RACHEL PONDER inside APG News The APG South (Edgewood) School Age Cen- NEWCOMERS ter (SAC) program has recently earned expedited reaccreditation from the Council of Accredita- Newst members of Team tion (COA). APG receive a run-down The Department of Defense requires all SAC of available on and off programs to be accredited by the COA, a non- post services. profit organization. APG South (Edgewood) Orientation| 4 facility director Jay McKinney said the reaccred- itation process took about 14 months, and the accreditation lasts five years. VOTING Mckinney said the reaccreditation was expe- dited through the review process as a result of The DHR Voting Assis- not receiving any “ratings out of compliance From left, Gabriella Quinones, 8, Briannah Quinones, 10, Kaley McColligan, 10, tance Program seeks to and Sophia Fruchey, 7, learn sewing basics during an after school art project at increase voter registra- the APG South (Edgewood) youth center. The center’s School Age Center pro- tion and absentee voting See YOUTH, page 17 gram recently received a five-year reaccreditation. awareness. Make| 7 MENTORING MDNG assists during recent snow storm Several on-post organi- Maryland National Guard zations and commands offer valuable mentorship Approximately 500 ser- vice members of the Maryland programs as professional National Guard were activated to development for civilians. provide support to civil author- Mentorship| 9 ities during Maryland’s state of emergency before, during an after Winter Storm Jonas. ARMY NEWS “The Maryland National Two major issues raised Guard is a member of the com- during first-ever Warrant munity and the ability for us to Officer Solarium hosted respond has never been better,” by CSA. said Maj. Gen. Linda Singh, the Solarium| 17 adjutant general of Maryland. “No one agency or level of government can do it alone, we are a team effort. A fully online equipped Guard is critical in pro- viding the essential capabilities www.TeamAPG. needed to respond to and mitigate com/APGNews emergencies.” Spc. Paul Pinder, of F Co., facebook.com/ 128th Brigade Support Battal- APGMd ion, was activated and deployed twitter.com/ with members of his unit to sup- USAGAPG port the Maryland State Police Department. Their role was to fl ickr.com/photos/ assist the police during emer- usagapg/ gency calls by enabling them to reach the residents of Maryland. ICE system Maryland National Guard photo Pinder and the state police http://ice.disa.mil/ Maryland National Guard Soldiers from the 110th Information Operations Battalion, while support- Facebook, http://on.fb.me/HzQIow ing the Annapolis area, work to free an ambulance stuck in the snow Jan. 24. See MDNG, page 18 index By the Numb#rs | 3 Mark Your Calendar | 6 All Things Maryland | 8 MWR Events | 10 APG History | 13 Crossword | 16 Did You Know? | 18 Snapshot | 19 2 APG News • Januart 28, 2016 OPINION How do you National Hobby Month prepare for a By RACHEL PONDER because it was something I wanted to do. winter storm? APG News For the past five years in UCC I’ve gained some great mem- Did you know that January is Nation- ories and even learned a few life lessons. The biggest lesson al Hobby Month? For most of us, at the I learned is that “you win a contest in rehearsal.” This means start of the new year we think about that you have to put in hard work to achieve your goals. When ways to improve our eating habits, exer- our chorus won the regional competition in Ocean City, Mary- cise more or save money. But what land in 2013, I was on cloud nine! I make sure the about improving our mental well-being? We competed in the annual Sweet Adelines Internation- heater is work- Developing a hobby is one way to al convention the in 2014, and I felt exhilarated as our cho- ing and I have improve your outlook on life. Hobbies rus performed on stage at the Baltimore Convention Center enough food at can inspire and challenge you to keep in front of thousands of people from all over the world. While home. I make learning new things, and can be much- Ponder we placed 22 out of 33 groups at the competition, what I value sure I have more than an award is our journey to make it to that stage. It enough cat food needed stress relievers after work. According to an article on www.everydayhealth.com, “a is something that I will never forget and I am grateful that my too. You can’t hobby gave me that opportunity. forget about recent Mayo Clinic study found that people who engage in and During UCC rehearsals we are encouraged to “focus on the your pets. Charlotte stick with creative and social activities in midlife may main- music.” For three hours, we escape from stressors at work or Armour tain better brain function by the time they hit their mid-eighties than those who don’t.” The article concludes that participat- problems at home. This break from “real life” is a great stress- Family member ing in artistic and social endeavors can “help keep dementia reliever. Often I will leave rehearsal with my mood lifted and at bay.” ready to tackle the rest of the workweek. To me, this finding highlights how important it is to devel- People sometimes give up their hobbies when life gets too op hobbies even when you have a hectic lifestyle. I’ve found busy. If you want to develop a new hobby I would suggest I buy toilet that slowing down, even for short periods, helps improve my carefully thinking about your interests and considering your paper, milk, outlook on life. personal goals. Think about what you want to get out of your eggs, batter- When I graduated college in 2007, I only focused on work. hobby. For me, I wanted to meet more people in my commu- ies, gas for the I was happy, but I also felt like something was missing. I need- nity and become a better singer. Joining a chorus was a per- generator and ed a creative outlet that was separate from my job. In 2010 I fect fit. gas for the car. decided to join the Upper Chesapeake Chorus, a Sweet Ade- It should only take a little research to find a hobby that fits Then we are all lines International chorus that meets in Aberdeen. your needs. Talk to people in the community, read the newspa- set. Even though I was a little intimated by the commitment per and search the web to find out what is offered at your local level (three hours of rehearsal every Monday night, plus occa- library, community center or museum. Keep an open mind and Gloria Williams sional day-long coaching sessions on the weekends) I missed take a friend or family member with you who will encourage Military spouse studying music, and I missed singing with others. I had par- you to follow through with your plans. Stick with it. And 2016 ticipated in choirs throughout school, not because I had to, just might bring you new and fulfilling adventures. Good luck! I check the gen- Where to go for winter weather updates erator, make sure it is run- ning properly. I Aberdeen Proving Ground-Managed Sites buy windshield APG Facebook: www.facebook.com/APGMd deicer for my car, salt for the APG Twitter: www.twitter.com/usagapg driveway and APG Website: www.teamapg.com a lot of food in case we can’t Lloyd Shires APG Weather Line: 410-278-7669 get out for a few Veteran days.