Contents

• Want to know what is happening in your community?
• Upcoming Events
• Trick or Treat hours and safety tips!
• Halloween fire safety
• Fall and Winter Yard-of-the-Month
• Fall lawn care
• Courteous parking reminder
• Test your heater now
• Heart your community
• Corvias Foundation Announces Military Spouse Recipients of $100,000 in Educational Grant Awards
• Green corner

Want to know what is happening in your community?

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.

Click and Follow us on Facebook! 

Upcoming events

Now – Oct 28 – 2016 Fort Bragg Family of the Year nominations open.  Nominate a worthy family today!

Now – Dec 5 – 2017 Military Child of the Year nominations are open.  Nominate a great military kid that you know!

Oct 6 – Military Academy Fair  for local high school students from 5-7PM at the Family Readiness Group Center.

Oct 7 – Jazz & Wine Fest at 6PM at Festival Park.

Oct 10 – Columbus Day.  All Corvias Military Living offices will be closed in observance of the holiday.

Oct 17-18 – Alpha Warrior Military Demo/Meet & Greet.  An experiential event that encompasses fitness and nutrition discussion, work outs and hands on fitness experience on the Alpha Battle Rig.

Oct 27 – Sound Off Open Mic Night from 6:30-8:30PM at Sport USA in support of observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  

Oct 29 – Mother & Son Halloween Ball from 5-9PM an Iron Mike Conference Center.

Trick or Treat hours and safety tips!

Trick or Treat hours on post will be from 6-8pm on Monday, October 31. While you and your kids are out enjoying the festivities please remember these safety tips to keep all of our little ghosts, super heroes, and princesses safe:

• Only Trick  or Treat at homes that have their front porch light on (homes without their lights out are not participating)
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone! Walk in groups or with a trusted adult. 
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes or bags or hold a flashlight to help drivers see you.
• Examine all candy for tampering before eating them.  
• Don’t eat homemade items from strangers. 
• Look both ways before crossing the street!   Use the sidewalks! 
• Never enter homes and never accept rides from strangers!
  

Halloween fire safety

Halloween is coming up. Ensure everyone has a safe Halloween by following a few simple precautions.  Candles seem to provide a certain mystic with Halloween and therefore are most popular during this time of year, both in jack-o-lanterns and other decorations, which also leads to an increase in fires and injuries by open flames. Use of candles is strongly discouraged. There are several other products on the market that can substitute for open flamed candles such as battery operated candles and flashlights.  Decorations, like cornstalks and hay bales are highly combustible and should never be brought into the home. They, along with other decorations made of crepe paper need special consideration when used. Keep them away from all heat sources like light bulbs, heaters and open flames. You also need to keep all exits clear and always keep at least 2 ways available to get out. Keep the area by your doorstep and walkways free of decorations so little ones do not trip over them.

When choosing a costume, remember ready-made ones are normally fire resistant, home-made ones are not. Be careful with long, draping and billowy fabrics that can easily be dragged across an open flame and ignite. Use make-up instead of a mask. If you are wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough to see out. Use a flashlight or glow sticks for lighting and tell your children to stay away from open flames. Make sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if they do catch their clothes on fire. If your children are going to parties at their friends’ house, have them look for and plan ways out in case of an emergency.

For more information on this or any other fire prevention topic, contact the Fort Bragg Fire Prevention office, 432-6727 or visit their web site:  http://www.bragg.army.mil/directorates/DES/FireEmergencyServices/Pages/FirePrevention.aspx

Fall and Winter Yard-of-the-Month

The Corvias’ sponsored Yard-of-the-Month program will host a Fall and Winter Yard-of-the-Month again this year.

The Fort Bragg Garrison will recognize the contest in October (Fall Yard-of-the-Month), and December (Winter Yard-of-the-Month). Holiday decorations will be considered, though not mandatory, when judging in October and December.

The Yard-of-the-Month Program will reward those who make a special effort to improve their yard and beautify their home, while remaining in compliance with housing and post regulations. ­These regulations include Fort Bragg’s lawn watering guidelines as well as the regulations outlined in Corvias Military Living’s Resident Responsibility Guide. Please contact your Community Office for a copy of this guide.

One winner will be named per community in October and December. Each Yard-of-the-Month winner will receive a ­ recognition letter from the Fort Bragg Garrison Commander, a Yard-of-the-Month sign to be displayed in front of the home, and gift certificates.

Judging and Rules:          

1. Judging will be conducted on October 17 and December 19. The Directorate of Public Works (DPW) will perform the judging and select winners. No Corvias employees will take part in judging.
2. To be eligible to participate, yards must be in full compliance with requirements set forth in the Corvias Military Living Resident Responsibility Guide.
3. Winners will be notified in the same month as recognition. A resident may win only once during the 2016 Yard of the Month program, from summer until winter.

Fall lawn care

Just a reminder that the initial community inspections to ensure that residents are maintaining the exterior of their home to include their flowerbeds as outlined in the Resident Responsibility will occur on October 3. 

With fall officially under way, your lawn will not grow as quickly as it does in the summer. As a result, the lawn schedule will be revised as our 2016 mow season comes to an end. Please refer to your community calendar to confirm your October lawn care schedule.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Community Office with any questions. 

Courteous parking reminder

For the safety of our children and families, please do not park in other residents’ driveways or block access to/from driveways when parking. Residents are also not allowed to park in the grass or dirt areas surrounding their home.  The MPs can and will issue tickets for such illegal parking. 

If residents need additional parking, we invite you to park on the street and/or additional parking spots provided where it is legally permitted.

Courteous parking will ensure that emergency vehicles can access a home at any time.

Test out your heater now

As we are preparing for the winter, here is something you should know: When your heat is not used for long periods of time, dust can collect on the heat exchange. When you turn on the heat for the first time, this dust will burn off and release an odor. This is normal and the smell should disappear in a few hours. If the problem persists, check your filters. If your filters are dusty, visit your local community center to pick up your free filters. If this is still happening after 24hrs, contact the work order hotline at 1-866-206-1365 and a tech will be happy to come out and check your system. You can also turn your system on early to burn off the dust.

Heart your community: Seven ways to build community in your neighborhood

The only certain thing for a military family is uncertainty. Throughout your life as a military family, you live in several neighborhoods and watch neighbors come and go. Building a sense of community is an essential part of military life especially when other family members can be hundreds or thousands of miles away. Strong communities are a place where your family can feel safe, supported and thrive. Here are seven tips to help you build a sense of community in your neighborhood:

1. Coordinate a neighborhood potluck or block party. It is important to know your neighbors and what better way to break the ice than the casual, laid-back setting of a party. If you don’t have time to plan the party yourself, try to get everyone involved in the planning process. Check out http://www.perfectpotluck.com/ to help organize the dishes. Consider planning activities and games for neighbors of all ages and suggest everyone bring a few printouts of their recipes for a recipe swap. Don’t forget to share contact information. Oh yeah, before everyone leaves, plan the next get together! If you are looking for a party location, residents at Corvias installations can host parties at their community centers. Check with your Community Office about how long the band can play and whether you can use that turkey fryer.
2. Organize a meal team. Neighbors come and go, get sick, have babies, lose loved ones and face other trying situations. One way to show community support is to provide a meal for a neighbor during those hectic or trying times. To assist with scheduling meals there are several resources available, including http://www.takethemameal.com/, to help show neighbors you care.
3. Establish a Bunco or game night. Bunco is all the rage right now. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to play, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials. If Bunco is not your thing, lawn games such as pickle ball, corn hole, bocce ball and ladder golf are fun ways to get the competitive juices flowing. If childcare is a challenge, have all the parents with kids chip in for a sitter or take kid sitting shifts. Neighborhood game nights are a great way to get everyone together and you can’t beat the commute.
4. Pay it forward. A great way to keep your neighbors guessing and having fun is to pay it forward. You can begin a quarterly tradition of leaving a themed basket on someone’s porch with instructions to pay it forward to another neighbor. This does not have to be an expensive act of kindness; the dollar store is a great place to start. You can find a bunch of ideas to get started on Pinterest. Don’t forget to leave some type of sign for the door showing the house has been gifted, so others are included in the fun.
5. Little Free Library. Got books? If you have a great collection of books just sitting around the house, start a Little Free Library. These “boxes full of books” are popping up everywhere and it’s an awe-inspiring way for neighbors to share literature. The idea is simple: take a book and leave a book. Cookbooks, magazines, children’s books, the possibilities are endless. My kiddos and I love visiting the one in our community. We never know what we will find. Check with your Community Office to make sure it is okay to start one in your neighborhood.
6. Find common ground. We all have something in common. Whether it is kids, pets, cars, hobbies or sports. Discovering what you have in common with your neighbors is a great way to start building a community.
7. Attend events in your community. Local and on-post organizations are always hosting events. To stay up-to-date on events in your community, visit local area websites and Facebook pages. Check out your installations online calendar or newsletter to find out about events in your community, like our upcoming Fallapalooza and many other complimentary, resident events held throughout the year.

Corvias Foundation Announces Military Spouse Recipients of $100,000 in Educational Grant Awards

Corvias Foundation, a private, charitable foundation and the charitable arm of Corvias, has been committed to supporting military families in the pursuit of higher education since 2006. This year, Corvias Foundation has awarded 20 educational grants totaling $100,000 to the spouses of active-duty service members. This year’s grant recipients represent 9 Army and Air Force installations across the United States. The names of the outstanding spouses who received the awards follow:

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Tiffany Escalera-Garcia is a freshman pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Law at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She plans to specialize in juvenile law and probation with the hope of creating better opportunities for troubled youth. She volunteers in her Family Readiness Group and local elementary school. Her husband is Spc. Charles Garcia Jr. of the U.S. Army.

Ramatou Kassegnin is a sophomore pursuing an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College and she plans to continue on to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She is an active volunteer with the Red Cross. Her husband is Spc. Isaac A. Awaasah of the U.S. Army.

Mahsa Lynch is pursuing a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University and is specializing in bioinstrumentation. Her husband is Sgt. David Lynch of the U.S. Army.

Isabell Perkins is a sophomore pursuing an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Sciences from Central Carolina Community College. She is passionate about working with animals and currently works as a kennel technician at the local animal hospital. She has volunteered at various animal shelters, nursing homes, and elementary schools. Her husband is Spc. Andrew J. Perkins of the U.S. Army.

Taylor Pinne is pursuing a Master’s in Social Work from Aurora University. She is dedicated to creating social change. She has had experience with advocacy and upon graduation, she hopes to work as a clinical social worker primary supporting rural communities and is also passionate about advocating for service members and military families. Her husband is Spc. Kolby Pinne of the U.S. Army.

Alexandria Scandalis-Dempsey is pursuing a Master’s in Social Work from California State University-Northridge. She works directly will military families and provides them with information to overcome challenges. Through this work, she has found her passion for working with military families, especially children, to have a voice. She plans to continue to work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with military children to help with the challenges they experience with military life. Her husband is Sgt. Kenneth Dempsey of the U.S. Army.

 Keri Wygal is a sophomore pursuing an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College. Her ultimate dream is to be a medical doctor or physician’s assistant, specializing in neuroscience. She is involved on campus in the Science Club and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Her husband is Spc. Robert Stewart of the U.S. Army.

Sara Thompson is a sophomore pursing an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College. After serving in the U.S. Army, she has been dedicated to the field of nursing and she volunteers with her Family Readiness Group. Her husband is Spc. Michael Thompson of the U.S. Army.

About Corvias Foundation

Corvias Foundation, the charitable arm of the Corvias, is committed to inspiring students, college and university campuses, military families, and our employees to reach higher. Founded in 2006 as "Our Family for Families First Foundation," our work increases access to educational, internship, mentoring and volunteer opportunities so that those we touch are empowered to pursue their dreams and to make a greater impact in service to their communities and their nation. We strive to create ever-increasing opportunities by providing the resources and networks needed to help our scholars and partners surpass their goals. We achieve this through a commitment to education, community engagement and high-impact charitable giving. Online scholarship applications are available each November at www.corviasfoundation.org or call 401-228-2836 for more information.

Green Corner

How do you get rid of “energy vampires?” Unplug appliances that are not in use. Do not leave them in standby mode.