School Lunch Ideas Help Protect our Water...

August 2012 Fort Polk, LA

From the desk of Thomas Reed,Deputy Community Management Director

Dear Residents,

At the end of the month, we will have completed eight years as your chosen family housing provider. Leo Tolstoy may have said it best through the following quotation, “The strongest of all warriors are these two – Time and Patience.” The past several years have allowed us the opportunity to improve your overall housing experience. Even so, we have appreciated your patience, while we build new and renovate the existing homes at Fort Polk. By the end of the month, we will have completed 481 new homes and 2662 renovations of existing homes in on-post family housing.

It seems as though summer has just started when in fact it is almost over and school will be starting just around the corner. Some of your children are ready to go back to school while others hope that the summer break will never end. Please be mindful that children will be back at bus stops and walking to and from their homes in the mornings and afternoons. Please allow yourself a little more travel time in the morning and afternoons as school busses will be out and there will be an increase in traffic during these times.

The pool schedule has been revised starting August 8th to accommodate back to school hours. Please refer to the schedule on the back of this newsletter.

As the Louisiana summer heat continues to set in, we want you to know that although you may experience air conditioning issues from time-to-time, we are here to help you overcome any difficulties that arise. Over the past several years, Picerne Military Housing has corrected many issues associated with inadequacies in insulation, ventilation and duct work, while working with CEPOLK to service and replace the

existing air conditioning units, as necessary. If you should have an issue associated with your air conditioning, please place a service request with your Neighborhood Office, so that an assessment may be done on your home and HVAC system. Our goal is to obtain the maximum possible performance of the air conditioning system in your home.

There has been an outcry concerning pet and pet waste in the recreation areas, parks and in the housing areas throughout Fort Polk. There are both Picerne Military Housing and Garrison rules and regulations concerning pets waste and the requirement to immediately pick up after your pet. Please be mindful of your neighbors and those who will follow you on the sidewalks and in parks, recreation areas as well as the common areas throughout housing. Pet waste can be a real stinker if not properly taken care of. We just want to remind pet owners that with the high summer heat, pets also suffer from dehydration and need extra water and a place to cool down out of the heat if kept outdoors. Picerne recognizes that pets are part of your family and just wanted to provide a gentle reminder of your pets need for hydration and shade during the hottest part of the summer. We want to keep in touch with you. To aid us in being better able to communicate with you, please contact your Neighborhood Office to update your phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Thomas Reed,Deputy Community Management Director

Lawn CareHarvey, Fernandez, Monroe, Berkley, Lewis, Reed,Miller, Perez 5221-5247

GarbageLawn CareMichael, Whittington, Roach, Hunt, Lee

Lawn CareNorris, Tankersley, Cline, McCauley, Nowak, Zolinski, Traycheff, Perez 5313-5335 Busch Evans



Lawn CareNorris, Tankersley, Cline, McCauley, Nowak, Zolinski, Traycheff, Perez 5221-5247, 5313-5335 Busch Evans









1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Maintenance SupervisorMike Josey

Neighborhood ManagerPaula Peek

Hours of OperationM-F 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.SAT 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Address5300 Magnolia Drive

Websitewww.polkpicerne.com

[email protected]

Phone(337) 537-5045

Fax(337) 653-0361

School Lunch Ideas

Packing a lunch everyday can become a challenge. It doesn’t take long before you run out of healthy and delicious lunch box ideas. You can find plenty of good and healthy ideas at: http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/.

Happy Lunching!

• Use fertilizer sparingly & sweep up driveways, sidewalks, & gutters

• Never dump anything down storm drains or in streams

• Vegetate bare spots in your yard• Compost your yard waste• Use the least toxic pesticides, follow instructions

on packaging• Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces• Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it

in the driveway• Check your car for leaks & recycle your motor oil• Pick up after your pet

Help Protect our Water Resources

For questions contact:

ENRMD’s Storm Water Team

337-531-0998

Resident Responsibility Guide Highlight2-11 Installation of Air Conditioners and

Other Privately Owned Equipment

a. Resident-owned air conditioners are not permitted unless authorized in writing by your Neighborhood Office. All homes requesting to add a resident-owned air conditioner unit will be checked by their neighborhood maintenance staff to ensure that the home and electrical circuit will handle the load of the window air conditioner unit prior to the written authorization being provided. All residents will follow the guidelines as established by their Neighborhood Office on the proper installation of a resident-owned window air conditioner unit.

b. All homes come fully equipped with a stove, range hood, refrigerator and dishwasher. The above listed appliances supplied to the home may not be removed or replaced with privately owned appliances.

c. Residents may utilize a freezer, second refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc., to accommodate

their household needs when the appropriate power supply is available. The Resident assumes responsibility for any damage caused to their appliances, food spoilage or damage to the home by the installation, use or removal of personally owned appliances or equipment.

d. Exterior outlets and outlets located near water sources, in sheds or garages will be on GFI or ARC protected circuits, Personal appliances such as refrigerators and freezers connected to these types of circuits can overload the circuit when they initialize (start up). As such any personal appliance connected to one of these types of circuits that trips the circuit will be at the sole responsibility of the resident for any damage or loss to their personal property, to include food stored in these appliances.

e. Use of waterbeds is authorized. The Resident will be liable for any damages caused by the use of a waterbed.

New Pool Schedule Beginning August 8th

Monday and Wednesday 4:30 PM -8:00 PMCamellia TerraceDogwood Terrace

Tuesday and Thursday 4:30 PM -8:00 PMPalmetto Terrace

Maple Terrace

All Pools will be Open Fridays 4:30 – 8:00 PM

Saturdays 10:00 AM to 8:00 PMSundays 1:00-6:00 PM

2012 Pool Season Ends Labor Day September 3rd

All Pools Will Be Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The air conditioning systems in most of the homes at Fort Polk are geo-thermal units, which mean they rely on wells to cool the air that goes into your home. The geo-thermal units have been designed to strike that balance between comfort and energy conservation, meaning that the system will maintain an inside temperature of 10 to 15 degrees below the outside temperature. On a typical day, you will be able to maintain approximately 75 degrees in your home.

We understand some families may have a comfort level that our homes may not be able to provide in the hottest part of the summer as the geothermal HVAC systems were designed to strike a balance between comfort and energy conservation.

Families have the option to purchase window air conditioners to keep their homes cooler. Prior to purchasing a window unit, please contact you Neighborhood Office and complete an alteration agreement. Picerne will conduct an inspection of the location where you would like the unit installed and provide information on supplies that are necessary for the installation; the requirements are different for every home. The window units should be 5,000 BTU and can be purchased from several local retailers like AAFES, Wal-Mart and Lowe’s. Once the unit has been purchased, please contact your Neighborhood Office to have it properly installed. Please do not attempt to install the unit yourself.

In order to help your HVAC system function at its best, please follow these tips:• Be sure a filter is installed to keep the AC system

airflow as clean as possible.• Change the filter monthly or more frequently if

needed during the summer months as a dirty filter can reduce the efficiency of an HVAC system. Filters are available at your Neighborhood Office.

• Make sure that all air vents are open and not blocked.

• Keep doors and windows closed when the air conditioning is on.

• Set the thermostat to the proper level and leave it there. Turning the thermostat to the lowest setting will not bring the home temperature down.

• Use the bathroom vents (set with timer switch) any time you are showering/bathing to exhaust the extra moisture from your home as this can reduce the effectiveness of your HVAC system.

• Be sure your clothes dryer filter screen is kept clean and that it vents to the outside properly.

• Be sure you do not have any leaking faucets in the home. If you do call your Neighborhood Office.

Please continue to report any HVAC problems to your Neighborhood Office so we may assist you with any issues that may arise.

Geo-thermal Units and Window Unit Installation

My name is Kristina, and I’m a screamer. That is, to say, I’m a parent. Whether we like to admit it or not, all parents tend to scream at their children, in some form or another. Some of us actually raise our voices and yell, while others shut out their children through the silent treatment, or giving into them and walking away from them, letting them do what they want to do because we just can’t handle it anymore. In fact, there’s a University of New Hampshire study that says a full 98% of all parents have unleashed an emotionally damaging outburst toward their kids.

Yes, we’re all screamers, at least occasionally, even those who preach the value of becoming “ScreamFree;” people like Hal Runkel, a licensed marriage and Family Therapist, the author of a book called ScreamFree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Our Kids by Keeping Our Cool. Army Community Service, Family Advocacy Program, with be hosting Hal Runkle, 20 September and 21 September, during two FREE ScreamFree Parenting seminars that will be open to the Fort Polk community.

Now, I’m much better than I used to be. When I’m on my game, I actually feel pretty good about my ability to lead my child with calmness, clarity, and connection--despite his greatest efforts to push my buttons, and most of the time, I feel more capable and confident than ever. When I’m on my game I’m actively concentrating more on MY behavior than the behavior of my child, and that’s really the KEY difference. Focusing on controlling me, instead of him, is the key to becoming the calm, confident, ScreamFree parent I want to be.

The greatest thing we can do for our kids is learn to focus on ourselves. Those words can sound contrary to your way of thinking about raising children. But sometimes it takes a radical shift to create positive change. ScreamFree Parenting is first and foremost a shift in focus. It is an approach that takes our attention off our kids, off our spouses, off our friends and Family, and places it squarely upon ourselves. I am the only one I can ever control. I am the only one I would ever truly want to control. We’ve all tried in vain to control others, particularly, our children. We’ve tried to control their behavior, their thoughts, even their feelings. We’ve tried to make them feel happy or secure, only to be blown away at how quickly their attitudes and emotions can change. We’ve tried to make them respect us and are constantly asking them why they don’t.

You can learn to control you. You can choose how to behave, even when your kids choose to misbehave. You can choose your responses; you can calm yourself down. You cannot control your children, but you can influence them. This is what ScreamFree Parenting is: learning to calm your own anxiety in order to help your kids grow up (and finding yourself growing up in the process).

ScreamFree Parenting is not discipline-free parenting, endorsing some form of laid back, hands-off relationship. It is also not passion-free parenting, advocating an emotionless relationship with your kids. ScreamFree Parenting is about getting a grip on ourselves as parents and taking charge of our own responses. It is about basing our actions on our principles, not on the emotional whims of our children.

ScreamFree Parenting provides a way to connect with our children without being controlled by them. It provides a way to discipline our kids without demeaning them. ScreamFree Parenting shows the way to influencing our kids without having to manipulate them into compliance, just so we can feel better. The world doesn’t revolve around our children; they can’t handle that kind of pressure anyway. By focusing on ourselves, we stop the destructive patterns of that mindset. By controlling ourselves, we teach our children to do the same, to control themselves. Isn’t that what we want? Take it from me, this is all far easier said than done; after all, I’ve admitted to you that I’m still a screamer. But, as I’m growing in my ability to take responsibility for my screaming, my child is growing in his ability to take responsibility for all of his actions.

If you are ready to do and experience the same, join the Army Community Service, Family Advocacy Program on Thursday, 20 September from 1800-1930, or Friday, 21 September from 0900-1030 at the Army Community Service Center, building 920, 1591 BellRichard Avenue. Pre-registration is required and the first 100 registrants will receive a ScreamFree Parenting Book and DVD. FREE Childcare will be provided; however, children must be registered with Child Youth and School Services (CYSS). For more information, or to register, please call 531-1938 or 531-4858.

Are You a Screamer?

Monday June 25, 2012 ENRMD’s Storm Water Team taught at School Age Services Summer Camp, Water Fun Week. The team discussed pollution with some hands on examples of how pollution can affect the students and their families at home. The team then introduced the 1st Annual Pollution Prevention Poster Contest. The topic was “How Can You Help at Home,” over 20 entries were received. All participants received certificates for their entries. The winners were awarded plaques by the Storm Water Program Manager, Fred Hartzell and Bridget Goldsmith, Storm Water Outreach Coordinator Thursday July 12, 2012.

ENRMD’s Storm Water Team Announce Winners of 1st Annual Pollution Prevention Poster Contest

Storm Water Team member Randal Jopling pictured with the Water Fun week participants of School Age

Services Summer Camp Monday June 25, 2012.

Storm Water Program Manager Fred Hartzell, and Storm Water Outreach Coordinator Bridget Goldsmith

pictured with one of the winners of the 1st Annual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Poster Contest Cydney Waring, Age 6 and her mother Bethany

Morgan Taylor.


pictured with one of the winners of the 1st Annual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Poster Contest Noah Smith, age 9 and his mother Jamie Smith.


pictured with Saquoya Roberts, age 10, one of the winners of the 1st Annual Storm Water Pollution

Prevention Poster Contest.

School Lunch Ideas Help Protect our Water...

Documents

Transcript of School Lunch Ideas Help Protect our Water...