Get to the Point, Volume XIX, Issue 4

MEMBER STATEMENT

I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps

Program. N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend 10 months getting things

done for America while developing their own leadership. We serve on teams

to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters, build homes, and

help the environment.

To learn more or apply, visit AmeriCorps.gov/NCCC or call 1.800.942.2677

CONTACT THE ATLANTIC REGION COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICE

Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS)

Phone: 202.528.3755 ● Email: [email protected]

Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS)


Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL)


Get to the Point is a weekly newsletter edited and designed by Ben Dillon, CRSTL

Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion

3 Feature Story

My First Time in the South was

a Blast: One Corps Member’s

Retrospective on Firefighter

Training, By Jake Clark

4 Alumni Spotlight

Derek Bowers, Class XVIII,

Atlantic Region

5 Bulletin Board

6 Bursting the AmeriBubble

First Female Secret Service

Director, $338M Lottery Winner,

Earth is 80 Millions Years Older

7 AmeriLife

Recipe for Chicken &

Asparagus Penne

8 Team Shout Outs

9 Corps Member Gallery

Snow in the Atlantic Region

10 Team Project Map

↑ Top-Left: Members of Moose 5, a.k.a. Moose Caboose, pose

with makeshift branch antlers while working with the Camden

Garden Club in Camden, N.J.

↑ Top-Right: Bradley Gardner, Laura Dennis and Jeremiah King of

Raven 2 hold Easter Eggs they painted with staff members of

Habitat for Humanity in Newburgh, N.Y.

→ Cover: Drip torches, similar to the ones used by NCCC wildland

firefighters for ignition when conducting a prescribed burn.

Prescribed burning is a stewardship practice which allows for

better growth of native species and reduces the possibility of

uncontrolled wildfires. (Photo Credit: Coconino National Forest)

ISSUE IN THIS

GET TO THE POINT / MARCH 28, 2013 3

FEATURE

By Jake Clark, Buffalo 1

I always wanted to go beforehand, never wanted to

leave once I got there, and cry myself to sleep every

night now that it has come and gone. One day I will

make a reprise to the South; perhaps not for the same rea-

sons, but for reasons I hope to be just as unexpected.

For one week in March, time stood still for fire camp; it

was another bubble within the AmeriBubble. It all started

like any other day in NCCC—waking up early to look at

familiar faces with equally familiar expressions of exhaus-

tion. But that day would be entirely different; on that day,

hours of sitting and facing one direction in a theater would

be replaced with hours and hours of facing one direction in

a van, bound for North Carolina at a steady 65 mph.

Once I got to this veritable Heaven, I found it to be

much different than I had expected. The clouds, angels and

rivers of gold turned out to look a lot more like flames,

hardhats and a Pulaski. It actually was quite a smooth

transition. We were soon weaned off of familiar endeavors.

Instead of being numbered off and split into groups for a

learning activity, or sitting in a classroom, listening intent-

ly, we were thrown into the fray, learning by doing.

The hours were long and back-breaking, but we all got

used to it right away. An eternity of bending over, stabbing

at Mother Earth with a sharp edge isn’t quite so bad when

it is periodically interrupted by moments of absolute eu-

phoria. Of course I am talking about mealtimes. The food I

was served three times a day would have sent me straight

to Heaven, had I not already arrived there in a 15P.

I regret to remind you that all good things do in fact

come to an end. On March 16, my bubble within a bubble

was burst, and a good lot of us were sent back up north to

be reunited with our permanent teams, while Phoenix 1

departed for the Great Dismal Swamp. Though we couldn’t

all be on Phoenix 1, I feel that for a week, we were all unit-

ed as a massive flock of giant, majestic birds.

I originally pined to be on Phoenix 1 and felt disappoint-

ment in how I could not immediately put my wild land

firefighting training to use, but during the return home I

discovered that I had been transformed to the core into a

firefighter, even though I was not currently acting as one.

Not even 15 minutes after my shuttle—piloted by a fel-

low we all know as Rico—left our beloved temporary home

in North Carolina, the collective lethargy in the van convoy

was instantly turned into adrenaline. We were newly certi-

fied fire fighters en route to our teams, expecting nothing

extraordinary, when we ran into our newest foe: fire.

From a distance, it looked as though someone’s resi-

dence in rural North Carolina was well on its way to be-

coming a pile of ash. We were ready. We had no sort of

equipment suited for saving burning property, but trust

me, we were ready. That readiness soon dissipated once we

drew closer to the home and noticed that it was not on fire,

but two massive heaps of who-knows-what behind the

house actually were. Some of us may not be putting our

new skills to use for another round or two, but I am entire-

ly sure that when the time comes, our instincts will kick

right in and we will persevere with the heart of a Phoenix.

My First Trip to the South was a Blast

4 MARCH 28, 2013 / GET TO THE POINT

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Interview by Mike Brown, Buffalo 4

How did you find out about AmeriCorps?

I found out about AmeriCorps through a close family member who also was a

part of AmeriCorps NCCC but at the Denver campus. Even though I had three

jobs at the time, I decided to do something different.

How did NCCC impact your life and future plans?

NCCC really had quite the impact on my life after AmeriCorps. For one thing, I

definitely know how to shop for a large group of people and I also know how to

get along with and work with people from diverse backgrounds. AmeriCorps

NCCC also helped me get a job [at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve] where I

completed my fire project round last year.

How was your experience as a firefighter?

It was great—a whole lot of fun. I slept in a tent and a shed—between the both

for 2 months—but I slept outside most of the time in a tent. Due to not getting

to see any fire on second round, I was able to get chainsaw certified and go out-

side cutting trees and trimming logs. I had a great time, without a doubt. Since

we never got to burn on my first fire round, I also got the chance to do a good

amount of fire work on my second round, which was also a ton of fun.

What was your favorite aspect of AmeriCorps?

My favorite aspect was kind of my worst, which was the meal budget. It was

hard trying to eat within the budget because I’m a bottomless pit—I can eat all

day. AmeriCorps teaches you how to balance money—your money—and also

how to eat a reasonable portion. (Continued on Page 5)

Derek Bowers, Class XVIII, Atlantic Region

↑ Top: Bowers (right) with

fellow members of Firefox

2 during a project round

with the Albany Pine Bush

Preserve. Above: Bowers

(front) on a firefighting

assignment with fellow

members of Phoenix 4.


For the third straight week, a

new unit has taken the lead in

ISPs! Way to lead the charge,

Buffalo Unit!

Percent Complete

Buffalo: 12.18%

Raven: 11.05%

Moose: 8.93%

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy. - Mahatma Gandhi

“

”

Roadside Assistance

Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Honda

provide free 24 hour roadside

assistance for vehicles still under

the 3 years, 36,000 mile

warranty.

This assistance includes:

Towing service

Flat tire service

Out of gas / fuel delivery

Battery jump

Lock out service

For assistance, call:

Ford: 1-800-241-3673

Chrysler, Dodge &

Plymouth: 1-800-521-2779

GM: 1-800-462-8782

Chevrolet: 1-800-243-8872

Oldsmobile: 1-800-442-6537

Pontiac: 1-800-762-2737

Honda: 1-800-465-7587

BULLETIN BOARD

Alumni Spotlight, Continued from Page 4

What was your favorite meal as a Corp Member?

Portobello mushroom caps and baked beans

Do you have any future plans with AmeriCorps?

Hopefully, I can help an AmeriCorps team go through

their fire round like I did in Albany. I know it would be

different because I will be the supervisor this time and

not the grey shirt, but it would be a lot of fun to help

them grow as firefighters and as leaders.

← Bowers (left) with former Buffalo 4 teammate Evan Berry while working

with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County last year.

Vehicle Safety Reminders

Have the engine oil and filter changed as scheduled

Check the ground for oil or other spots

Keep tire pressure correct

Monitor tire wear pattern to maximize tire life


BURSTING THE AMERI-BUBBLE EXCERPTS FROM NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Obama Gives Secret Service Its First Female Director

NEWS

WASHINGTON (AP) — President

Barack Obama on Tuesday named

veteran Secret Service agent Julia

Pierson as the agency's first female

director, signaling his desire to

change the culture at the male-

dominated service, which has been

marred by scandal.

Pierson, who most recently

served as the agency's chief of staff,

will take over from Mark Sullivan,

who announced his retirement last

month. The agency faced intense crit-

icism during Sullivan's tenure for a

prostitution scandal during prepara-

tions for Obama's trip to Cartagena,

Colombia, last year.

The incident raised questions

within the agency—as well as at the

White House and on Capitol Hill—

about the culture, particularly during

foreign travel. In addition to protect-

ing the president, the Secret Service

also investigates financial crimes.

$338 Million Lottery Winner

Feels ‘Pure Joy,’ Uncertainty

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) —

A New Jersey man feels "pure joy" at

winning a $338 million Powerball

jackpot but has no idea what he will

do with the money — except buy a

car, to replace his feet as his primary

mode of transportation, he said.

Dominican immigrant Pedro

Quezada, 45, and his wife, Ines, ap-

peared at New Jersey lottery head-

quarters Tuesday to officially claim

the prize. Both came in jeans, accom-

panied by four of his eight siblings

and two nephews.

The former bodega owner-

operator, who came to the United

States from the city of Jarabacoa 26

years ago, said his mind is not clear

enough yet to figure out how he will

use the money or where he might live.

Scientists Find Universe Is 80 Million Years Older

PARIS (AP) — A new examination

of what is essentially the uni-

verse's birth certificate allows as-

tronomers to tweak the age, girth

and speed of the cosmos, more

secure in their knowledge of how it

evolved, what it's made of and its

ultimate fate.

Sure, the universe suddenly

seems to be showing its age, now

calculated at 13.8 billion years - 80

million years older than scientists

had thought. It's got about 3 per-

cent more girth - technically it's

more matter than mysterious dark

energy - and it is expanding about

3 percent more slowly.

But with all that comes the

wisdom for humanity. Scientists

seem to have gotten a good handle

on the Big Bang and what hap-

pened just afterward, and may

actually understand a bit more

about the cosmic question of how

we are where we are.

All from a baby picture of fos-

silized light and sound.

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD HEEKS


MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR $4.75 AMERILIFE LESSONS

Make fun out of a monotonous task. If

you’re removing invasive plants for days

on end, challenge your teammates to

see who can collect the most in a day,

or who can pull the longest continuous

piece. Ask each other open-ended

questions or play games (such as the

“one word story,” in which each team

member takes a turn adding a word to

a continuous narrative).

Celebrate holidays with potluck-style

team meals. You don’t need to spend a

lot of money to make a meal feel like a

special occasion. And if you’re team

won’t be together on the next major

holiday, just change the date or make

up your own holiday! A little festiveness

can go a long way!

Your Team Leader is human. Be nice.

Look for free or discounted activities.

AmeriCorps members can sometimes

receive discounts or free passes for zoos,

museums, challenge courses, paintball

courses and other group activities.

Simply call ahead and inquire.

AMERILIFE

Chicken & Asparagus Penne

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Calories per serving: 383

Ingredients 1 lb. Asparagus—Steamed

12 oz. Penne—Cooked

¼ cup Olive Oil

1 lb. Chicken Breast—

Cubed and Cooked

½ Cup Shredded Parmesan

Instructions 1. Cook all ingredients separately.

2. Asparagus: purchase the frozen

bags that are steamable.

3. Pasta: Add salt to taste and a

little oil so it doesn’t stick to pot

4. Chicken: cook in a non-stick

skillet with garlic powder and

seasoning salt for added flavor

5. Once all ingredients have been

cooked, layout asparagus on the

bottom of a 9×13 pan.

6. Next, place drained pasta on top

of asparagus.

7. Then, drizzle with ½ cup of extra

virgin olive oil.

8. Add chicken and stir all

ingredients to coat everything in

pan with olive oil.

9. Sprinkle with ½ cup of shredded

Parmesan and pop under the

broiler for 5 minutes to get it nice

and crunchy.

Nutrition Facts Calories : 383

Total Fat: 14.5 g

Sat. Fat: 3.2 g

Cholesterol: 50 mg

Sodium: 273 mg

Carbohydrates: 45.9 g

Fiber: 8.2 g

Sugars: 3 g

Protein: 25.4 g


Raven 1

Moose 1

Huzzah!

Revenge of the siding: the pump-

jack strikes back on Raven 2! Shout

out to all the Raven teams getting

ISPs done!

To the Phoenix team: We miss you

and can’t wait see you at

transition. Sending lots of love. See

you soon. Have fun burning stuff!

Buffalo One explored Midtown

Manhattan this week! We took the

subway from Coney Island to

Grand Central Station. Once there,

we ate some delicious food and

explored the amazing train station.

From the station we walked to the

42nd Street Library, which is

absolutely beautiful. We explored

Bryant Park, walked to Times

Square, visited the giant M&M

store, took pictures in Rockefeller

Plaza, and ate some more delicious

food in Grand Central Station

before we took the train back to

Coney Island. Overall, it was a

wonderful day!

Buffalo 1

We have been living in the Crimea

Mansion with staff of the

program Outward Bound.

There are 10 of us and 40 of them,

so, as you can imagine, making

breakfast in the morning is an

adventure. Fifty “hangry” men

and women piled into a space

meant for two. Hot pans and

dirty dishes fly over the area

compiling together in a single

sink to form the mountain we call

“Infamous Utopia.”

Watch out for Raven 4 in the MTV

Alternative Spring Break special,

Spring Fix, showing the first week

of April! We lead 12 United Way

volunteers (the Wolf team) who

were being documented by MTV in

gutting out the inside of a church.

Moose 1

Alice in AmeriCorps

Alice: But I don’t want to go

among mad people.

The Cat: Oh, you can’t help that.

We’re all mad here. I’m mad.

You’re mad.

Alice: How do you know I’m mad?

The Cat: You must be, or you

wouldn’t have come here.

We ate big, phat Philly Cheese

Steaks!

Shout Out to Courtney Amburg on

Phoenix 1! Buffalo 4 misses you

and wishes you the best!

Buffalo 4

In total, this week the team

burned a total of 184 acres of land

and built approximately 2 miles

of fire lines, driving a total of 572

miles in between. To celebrate a

successful first week in which the

team received high praises from

the multiple burn and crew

bosses, Steve treated the team to

nachos at a local restaurant in

Suffolk.

Phoenix 1

SHOUT OUTS

Raven 2

Raven 3

Raven 4 Buffalo 3

Hello and much love to our sister

team, Raven 2! And we’re missing

you while you’re on your fire

round, Owen!

Buffalo 2


There’s Snow Place Like the Atlantic Region Early-Spring snowstorms across much

of the Atlantic Region have forced

teams to look for indoor work during

the first part of Round 1; however,

many Corps Members are getting

their first glimpses of snow or a much-

needed reminder of home. Pictured:

Adriana Battle, Bri Rainey and Silpa

Sadhujan of Raven 5 (below); Max

Limeberger of Raven 3 (right); Victor

Alvarado, Eddy Lee and Rico Hernan-

dez of Buffalo 3 (right).

GALLERY

For Round 1, Class XIX teams will complete 21 projects in

seven states and the District of Columbia. Four teams are

aiding in recovery from Hurricane Sandy in New York,

while four more teams are doing long-term disaster

recovery work elsewhere in the region.

Additionally, three teams are

completing projects focused

on environmental

stewardship, two teams

are doing urban and

rural development,

and one team is

doing infrastructure

improvement.

Where in the Atlantic Region Are They? Round 1, Week 3

BUFFALO 1

New Rochelle, N.Y.

Habitat for Humanity

Disaster Recovery

BUFFALO 2

Schoharie, N.Y.

Schoharie Area Long Term Recovery

Disaster Recovery

BUFFALO 3

Baltimore, Md.

Blue Water Baltimore

Environmental Stewardship

BUFFALO 4

Earleville, Md.

Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay

Disaster Recovery

MOOSE 1

Washington, D.C.

FIRST-DC

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 2

Orefield, Pa.

Valley Youth House

Disaster Recovery

D.C.

MOOSE 3

New York, N.Y.

World Care Centers

Disaster Recovery

MOOSE 4

Brownsville, Pa.

Appalachian Coal Country Team


MOOSE 5

Camden, N.J.

Camden Garden Club


PHOENIX 1

Suffolk, Va.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Disaster Response/Env. Stewardship

RAVEN 1

New York, N.Y.

New York Cares

Disaster Recovery

RAVEN 2

Newburgh, N.Y.

Habitat for Humanity


RAVEN 3

Marshfield, Mass.

Mass. Audubon—South Shore


RAVEN 4

Brooklyn, N.Y.

St. Bernard Project

Disaster Recovery

RAVEN 5

Meadville, Pa.

Allegheny College Lake Effects

Infrastructure Improvement

MAINE

VERMONT

NEW YORK

NEW

HAMPSHIRE

MASSACHUSETTS

CONN. R.I.

PENNSYLVANIA

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

WEST

VIRGINIA

NEW JERSEY

DELAWARE

Get to the Point, Volume XIX, Issue 4

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