Contents

• DoD Civilians, Retirees, Sergeants Have More Housing Options
• Staying warm and preventing frozen pipes
• Pet Deposits to Begin March 1
• Scholarship applications due this month
• Girl Scout Cookie Sale
• Your mulch bed clean-out is approaching
• Proper grease disposal prevents sewer overflows
• Finances, savings and taxes
• Resident Reminders
• Community highlight: Bark Parks
• Fort Bragg tax center now open
• Green Corner
• Want to know what is happening in your neighborhood?

DoD Civilians, Retirees, Sergeants have more housing options: Refer a friend today and earn $100! 

Late last year, Fort Bragg and Corvias Military Living announced that retirees and DoD civilian families are now eligible for select on-post family housing home types. Several of these new families have already moved in, and we are so glad you are calling Fort Bragg home!

In January, we also announced that unaccompanied service members with the pay grade of E5 who are considered geographical bachelors or have been granted a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) for barracks and unaccompanied Department of Defense civilians will now be eligible to live at Randolph Pointe. The on-post apartment community was previously open only to unaccompanied active-duty service members with the pay grades of E6 and above.

Remember, if you refer a friend to live on post and they move in, you could earn $100, so refer your friends today!

Staying warm and preventing frozen pipes

Heating your home accounts for about 66 percent of your monthly energy consumption during winter months. Making some small changes around the house can help you lower your energy consumption and save you money through the Live Army Green Program.

Below are some tips to stay warm without increasing your energy consumption.

• Wear slippers. Warm air rises so your feet on the floor often get cold. Wearing a pair of cozy slippers can keep your feet toasty and help you feel warmer.
• Sweaters, cardigans and sweatshirts can help you stay comfortable while keeping your thermostat set lower.
• Regularly changing your air filter reduces stress on your HVAC system. Filters are available at your community office for no charge.
• A slow cooker is an efficient way to make a hearty meal on a cold day.
• If you are going out of town, an easy way to reduce your electric bill is to lower the thermostat in your home. Setting it at, or above, 55 degrees will lower the energy usage while helping to prevent frozen pipes.
• Frozen pipes can lead to bursts causing damage to your home and belongings but are easily preventable. If the temperatures are expected to fall below freezing let your faucets drip and open the cabinets beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks. Be sure to relocate any hazardous cleaning materials out of reach from small children.
• Turn off and drain your outside hose faucets. Leaving a hose connected to a spigot can result in water freezing the pipes inside your walls. When the exterior hose faucets are turned on, they will attempt to push water through and past any frozen sections.

Pet Deposits to Begin March 1: Register Your Pets Now to Avoid Fees

Fort Bragg is a pet-friendly installation, but did you know that pet-related damages are the number one cause of fees assessed at move out? To help incentivize more responsible pet ownership and reduce property damage, some new fees and deposits are being required for new pets. As of Jan. 1, 2015, a $100 refundable pet deposit and a $100 non-refundable fee per pet will be required for new pets on Fort Bragg.

We realize that some of you may have obtained a new pet for Christmas or may not have properly registered your pets. In order to encourage the proper registration of these pets, an amnesty program is in place. Accordingly, current residents will have an opportunity to avoid the charges by registering their pet(s) with both their Corvias Community Office and the Installation Veterinary Facilities by midnight, Feb. 28, 2015. During this special amnesty period, existing residents who register their permitted pets will be grandfathered and will not be required to pay the new fees and deposits. Beginning March 1, 2015, however, all residents found to have unregistered pets and those who obtain new pets will be required to pay the fee and deposit.

Finally, Dobermans and Chows have also been added to the restricted breed list for Fort Bragg. This change is being made to ensure full compliance with Department of the Army and Department of Defense regulations. Other breeds of dogs on the restricted list include: full or mixed-breed Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Bull Terriers, English Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, and wolf hybrids. These breeds are prohibited from Fort Bragg/Pope Air Field family housing areas.

Please review the Pet Policy in the Resident Responsibility Guide if you have additional questions.

Scholarship applications due this month

Don’t forget! Applications for the Corvias Foundation $50,000 Scholarships for children of active-duty service members are due Thursday, February 12. The application is available online at corviasfoundation.org. $5,000 Educational Grants for military spouses are due May 7.

Girl Scouts Cookie Sale

The Girl Scouts troops of North Carolina Coastal Pines, Cumberland County Area 33 will be out in the community for the annual cookie sale program.  Through February the 11 scout troops on post will go door-to-door Mondays through Fridays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6:30 selling all your favorites, like Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties and Caramel deLites.

Additionally, cookie booths will be set up on weekends selling cookies and collecting donations for Operation Cookie Drop, which sends Girl Scout Cookies to deployed service members. The booths will be at the Airborne Troop Store, Mini Mall, Pope Mini Mall and Smoke Bomb Hill Shoppette.

Your mulch bed clean-out is approaching

Brickman will be completing a mulch bed clean-out service soon in your community. Visit your community calendar to see when this work will begin in your community. After the mulch bed clean-out is complete, you will assume responsibility for maintaining your mulch beds until the fall mulch bed clean-out. Poorly maintained mulch beds may be subject to a clean-up fee. 

Mulch bed clean-out includes the following services: 

• Re-define mulch bed line by mechanically edging bed.
• Cut down or remove excessive weeds in flower beds.
• Trim shrubs and perennials as necessary.
• Apply a granular weed preventative to help prevent weed germination. The product is very safe for kids and pets.
• Apply a grade A hardwood mulch
• Spray backyard fence lines with Herbicide. Product is very safe for kids and pets.
• How to prepare your mulch beds for clean-out: 
• Install a bed border around personal plants in the mulch bed, or move your personal plants from the mulch bed to pots or containers.
• Store or remove decorative yard ornaments or lighting elements to prevent damage (solar lights, sculptures, plant hooks, etc.). If items are not removed from mulch beds, your home will not receive mulch bed clean-out services, and you may be subject to a fee.
• Remove toys, trash, pet waste and water hoses from mulch beds before your scheduled clean-out dates. If items are not removed, your home will not receive mulch bed clean-out services, and you may be subject to a fee. 

Notify the Community Office before your clean-out dates if: 

• You have special plants or decorative mulch in your mulch beds that you do not want disturbed, removed or covered.
• You would prefer to maintain your own mulch beds.

Proper grease disposal prevents sewer overflows

The accumulation of fats, oils and grease (also known as F.O.G) has recently caused a sewer overflow on Fort Bragg. Fortunately, no personal property was damaged and no health concerns were posed.

Helping prevent future sewer overflows and backups is easy. All you have to do is properly discard or recycle F.O.G. from food scraps, cooking oils, shortening, lard, butter and margarine, gravy and other fatty food products. 

Do not pour F.O.G. down your sink, toilet, gutters or storm drains. Over time, these materials will build up in sewer lines resulting in blockages that could cause untreated waste water to back up into homes, yards, streets or storm drains.

To properly dispose of F.O.G., pour it into a sealable container and place the sealed container in the trash. It is that easy. Click here for more information.

Finances, savings and taxes

Military Saves Week begins February 23! Saving your hard-earned money year-round is a great way to ensure your family’s financial preparedness. One of the tools available to service members is the website www.militarysaves.org. The site can help you set goals, make savings plans and find resources to help you save.

It is important to recognize that despite your savings plans, there may still be financial emergencies that cost more than your nest egg can cover. If you are ever in an unexpected financial emergency, Army Emergency Relief (AER) is here to help. AER can assist with medical expenses, funeral expenses, emergency travel, car repairs, food, rent, and other emergencies. For more information, please visit www.aerhq.org.

The Military OneSource no-cost, online tax preparation and filling service has launched. If you are eligible under the Military OneSource program, you can complete, save and file your 2014 federal and up to three state returns with a custom tool made available through the Military OneSource website.

Resident Reminders

• If you have not yet removed your holiday decorations, thank you for doing so at your earliest convenience. If you still need to dispose of your Christmas tree, simply place it curbside on your normal trash collection day.
• Please do not park on any grassy areas, including next to driveways or carports. We invite you to park on the street where it is legally permitted and where you are not preventing residents from leaving their driveway. Courteous parking will ensure that emergency vehicles can access a home at any time, and that you do not receive a parking ticket.
• We greatly appreciate your pulling your trash and recycling carts back to your home at the end of your collection day.

Community highlight: Bark Parks

Corvias Military Living at Fort Bragg has the perfect spot to take Spot, the Bark Park. Our Bark Parks are fenced areas where your canine friends can run and play. Each park has separate areas for large and small dogs.

We offer two Bark Park locations on Fort Bragg:

• Main Post Bark Park is located off Bastogne Drive just down the street from our Hammond Hills Community Center. This location features a water fountain and lights for early evening use.
• Linden Oaks Bark Park is located off the corner of Linden Oaks Parkway and Percy Boulevard and is surrounded by tall pine trees which provide year-round shade. The Linden Oaks Bark Park is open to residents and their dogs from sunrise to sundown.

Bark Park Rules of Use are available here.

Please observe the posted rules, remember the "poop and scoop" policy, and always keep your eye on your dog. Both Bark Parks are play at your own risk.

The Fort Bragg Tax Center is now open

Fort Bragg’s Tax Center is now accepting appointments. The center provides free tax preparation, electronic filing, and tax form distribution for federal and all state tax returns. Active-duty service members, family members, and retirees are encouraged to file their taxes at the center. The Tax Center is located on the 6^th Floor of the Soldier Support Center.

The hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays. Assistance is provided by appointment or on a walk-in basis. However, appointments are highly recommended. Don’t forget your W2’s, DoD ID card, and Power of Attorney, if necessary. For more information or to make an appointment, please call (910) 396-8299. 

Green Corner

Replace the air filter in your home every 30 days. Air filters are available at your Community Office for no additional cost.

Want to know what is happening in your neighborhood?

Your community calendar can help you stay up-to-date on trash, recycling, lawn care, resident events and community activities.

You can even sync your community calendar with a personal Google calendar by clicking on the +Google button on the bottom right-hand corner of the calendar.

Upcoming events and important dates

• Feb. 1: Big Bowl Party, 6 p.m., Tolson Youth Activities Center
• Feb. 12: Week-long Lifeguard Certification Course starts
• Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day
• Feb. 16: Presidents Day, all Corvias Military Living offices are open
• Feb. 21: Fort Bragg 5k Walk/Run, 9 a.m. Hedrick Stadium