december 21 the signature

Christmasshoppingin Sicily

Page 6 2

CucinaItalia

Try easy anddelicious recipes.

Page 16

SigonellaSuperstar

Find out whothe Sigonella Superstar

of December is.

Find out where the hot shopping

spots are.

DECEMBER 21, 2012VOL. 29 NO. 48 cnic.navy.mil/sigonella

SIGNATURETHE

SIGONELLA, SICILY

Scan for direct linksto NAS Sigonella

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”- Oren Arnold

Students from Sigonella Elementary School performed the holiday musical “A Pirate Christmas” at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella Knight’s Hall on December 13. (U.S. Navy photo by MR1 Gary Spence/Released)

BY MR1 GARY SPENCENAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Students from Sigonella Elementary school perfor-med the holiday musical A Pirate Christmas in frontof a packed Knight’s Hall at Naval Air Station

(NAS) Sigonella on December 13. “We started working on A Pirate Christmas in Octo-

ber,” said Lynn Soeby, music instructor at Department ofDefense Dependent school (DoDDS). “Forty-five stu-dents elected to sign up for our after school MusicalDrama Club. We had an audition with that group and se-lected 15 students to play the main characters in the play.The performers consisted of third, fourth, and fifth gradestudents.”

Students cast in the play spent their after school hoursrehearsing their lines and practicing their blocking andchoreography.

A Pirate Christmas, composed by John Jacobson andRoger Emerson, tells the story of the legendary “WhiteBeard,” also known as “Santa” and his crew of elves whoteach a colorful mix of scallywags about true treasure.

The performance helped students express their crea-tive side, both on and off stage.

“Most [ensemble] students created their own costu-mes based on guidelines that I gave them,” said Soeby.

The show also served as a way for eighth-grade stu-dents to raise funds for their upcoming trip to WashingtonD.C. in January through a “Pancakes with Santa” dinner.By the end of the evening, more than $700 was raised.

“The musical was a tremendous success,” said Soeby.“Everyone involved seemed to really enjoy being a part ofthe program.”

The cast of A Pirate Christmas sing. (U.S. Navy photo by MR1 GarySpence/Released)

It’s A Pirate Christmas in Sigonella

THE SIGNATURETHE SIGNATURE DECEMBER 21, 2012PAGE 2

THE SIGNATUREU.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella

Capt. Scott Butler, Commanding Officer

Cmdr. Eric Vosler, Executive Officer

CMDCM David Graham, Command Master Chief

EDITORIALLt. Tim Page, Public Affairs Officer

[email protected]

Dott. Alberto Lunetta, Community Relations Officer

[email protected]

Jackie Trembath, Editor

[email protected]

STAFFWriter/Photographer

MR1 Gary Spence

[email protected]

GM2 Meghan Schnurr

[email protected]

MC3 Cameron Bramham

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTINGWriters/Photographers

Shannon Blair

HM2 Matthew Clutter

Coco Faber

Alessandra Lunetta

Lt.j.g. Mike Rueda

CONTACT USNaval Air Station Sigonella, [email protected] 624-5440; 095-86-5440

PSC 812 Box 3020, FPO, AE 09627

PUBLISHERStampa Generale S.r.l.,Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher,Naval Support Activity Capodichino (Naples), [email protected]

Tel. 081-568-7884 – Fax 081-568-7887

This civilian enterprise (CE) newspaper is anauthorized publication for members of themilitary services overseas. Contents ofThe Signature are not necessarily the officialviews of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,the Department of Defense (DoD), or theU.S. Navy. The appearance of advertising in thisnewspaper, including inserts or supplements,does not constitute endorsement by the DoDor Stampa Generale S.r.l., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertised inthis publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard torace, color, religion, sex,national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap,political affiliation or any other non-merit factorof the purchaser, user or patron.

A confirmed violation or rejection of thisequal opportunity policy by an advertiser willresult in the refusal to print advertising from thatsource until the violation is corrected.The Signature is published weekly by StampaGenerale S.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher,Naval Support Activity, Capodichino (Naples),Italy - Tel. 081-568-7884, Fax 081-568-7887.E-mail: [email protected].

Editorial submissions are welcomed from allNaval Air Station Sigonella departments,divisions and tenant commands. Editorialsubmissions should be sent to the Public AffairsOffice via [email protected], guard mail stop#68 or hand-delivered to our office no later thanthe close of business on the Friday proceedingthe expected publication date. All articlessubmitted by non-staff members will beconsidered contributing writers.

The Signature will not publish any anonymousarticles. All advertisements in this publication arethe property of Stampa Generale S.r.l. Anyreproduction of advertisements in The Signatureis unauthorized without the written consent ofthe publisher.

cnic.navy.mil/sigonella

As we near the end of 2012 – is it justme, or did this year fly by?? -- I want tothank each and every military member, ci-vilian employee and local national for all ofyour incredible efforts over the past year. Itis this combined effort by all of you, wor-king towards a common goal, that makeSigonella the greatest installation in theNavy! Of course, I would be remiss in notrecognizing the support that our familiesprovide to each of us. The strong familysupport demonstrated each and every dayensures that we are able to remain focusedat work doing our jobs in support of theFleet and the Fighter. My sincere, personalthanks to all of you for your selfless supportof those that rely on all we provide here.

I hope that all of you will have a chanceto enjoy the holidays with friends and fa-mily. Take some well-deserved time off torelax and recharge. I pray that each of youwill come back after the New Year safe, re-freshed and ready to meet whatever missionawaits head on. Thank you again for all ofyour efforts this year -- it remains my honorto serve alongside you. I wish you all aMerry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

We received so many questions for De-cember’s Feedback Live that we couldn’tcover them all during the show, so we’ll usethis Direct Line column to answer them.Your questions are very important to us,

and I encourage you to keep sending themvia email. Remember that Feedback Live isa LIVE call in show – if time permits, youcan get your question answered on thespot. The show is held on the first Thursdayof each month, from 6:30 – 7 p.m. To callin live on the show, please dial 624-4265 or095-56-4265. Due to the holiday leave pe-riods the next edition of Feedback Live willbe February 7.

QWhy doesn't Sigonella submitour movie schedule to Stars and

Stripes? We always have the schedule seve-ral weeks out, but we seem to be the onlybase who doesn't put it in the paper.

AMWR has been concentratingtheir marketing on media for-

mats that most folks in our community useregularly, including sigmwr.com, The Si-gnature, hardcopy schedules outside thetheater, and the signs in the ticket boothand near the flag pole. Still, that’s a greatsuggestion and the marketing team recen-tly contacted Stars and Stripes -- youshould start seeing the Sigonella movieschedule there soon.

QI would like to know why MWRadvertisements stay posted for

weeks on end when the event is over. Iwould also like to give a Bravo Zulu to the

crew at TAKE 5 during the renovations andevents. Thank you!

AWith the enormous amount ofMWR programming that is

done each month in so many venues, it re-mains a constant challenge to keep themarketing properly rotated. Given thesmall staff, there are times when MWRmay miss some locations, but they arecommitted to improvements and will striveto get marketing down after the event.Please let the closest facility know if yousee something outdated. Thanks for the BZfor Take 5 and there are more improve-ments to come!

The questions, comments and concerns statedin this column do not constitute the official po-sition of the U.S. Navy and are submitted bymembers of the community.

NAS Sigonella Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Butler

DR

IVE

SAFE

LYD

RIV

E SA

FELY

December 24Christmas Eve Vigil Mass (Catholic)- 5 p.m. at NAS I ChapelChristmas Eve Service (Protestant)- 7 p.m. at NAS I Chapel

December 25Christmas Day Mass (Catholic)- 10:30 a.m. at NAS I ChapelChristmas Holiday Social (All)- 3 p.m. at NAS II Chapel

December 27Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy- 11: a.m. at NAS II ChapelFor more information call 624-3975 or624-9049 or check out the Naval Air StationSigonella Chapel on Facebook.

In addition to its regularly scheduled worship schedule, the Religious Ministries Department is providing the followingadditional worship services during the holiday season.

THE SIGNATURETHE SIGNATURE PAGE 3DECEMBER 21, 2012

Around NAS Sigonella ...

Children from the pre-education level (three years old) showcased their ballet skillsat a recital for their parents and friends on December 14 at Naval Air Station (NAS)Sigonella. Instructor Maria Rita Puglisi (right) teaches the children the Vanganova'sRussian Method. The Educational Level comprised of four- and five-year-olds and theI Level (five- six- and seven-year-olds) and II Level (age 8 and up) also performed.(Photo by Jackie Trembath/Released)

Children showcase ballet skills

NAPLES, Italy—All U.S. service members with depen-dents who have been permanently stationed in Italy for atleast three months are asked to take part in the Living PatternSurvey (LPS) being conducted from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31.

The LPS, conducted every three years, is one of the buil-ding blocks for determining the Cost of Living Allowance(COLA). Beginning Jan. 1, visit the website: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/lps-italy.cfm.

The survey asks service members and their families toidentify the local economy outlets they use when purchasingitems like food and clothing as well as other goods and servi-ces such as hair care services, auto repair, etc. The LPS also

asks service members to identify how much of their shoppingis done on the local economy, at base facilities such as theCommissary and Exchange or on the internet.

The information collected in the LPS is then used to con-struct the Retail Price Survey (RPS), which will be conductedshortly after the conclusion of the LPS. The RPS collects theprices of approximately 120 goods and services from the lo-cations identified in the LPS. These prices are then averagedwith prices for similar products and services provided by mer-chants in the U.S. to determine the COLA index. This finalindex represents the cost difference between COLA types ofgoods and services in an overseas location compared to simi-

lar goods and services in the U.S. Decreases made to theCOLA index are implemented incrementally while increasesare implemented immediately.

Service member participation is critical to ensuring accu-rate rates are implemented. Additionally, it is important ser-vice members accurately report their shopping at localeconomy outlets and on-base facilities since the COLA indexis significantly affected by the proportion of shopping doneat each.

For more information and to calculate your currentCOLA, visit http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/colaIndexCalc.cfm.

Service members and dependents urged to participate in Living Pattern SurveyFrom Commander Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs

Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella Commanding Officer Capt. Scott Butler(left) gives Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Instal-lations and Environment) Joseph D. Ludovici (Front row: second fromright) a tour of NAS I during a facilities visit on December 15. (U.S. Navyphoto by Lt. Tim Page)

NASSIG welcomes special guest

Mark your calendars for January 10, 2013. At the NAS I Chapel at 5:30 p.m. the “S.M. Jacquline du Prè" choirwill perform.

What makes this choir of thirty people unique is that most have chronic multiple sclerosis, are care givers, orvolunteers.

Music-singing therapy, active and participatory, benefits people with a chronic progressive degenerative diseaselike multiple sclerosis. It helps enhance self-esteem of self-efficacy.

The “S.M. Jacquline du Prè" choir has become the symbol of overcoming the negativity of a disease seen asstigmatizing. Music is a strong and positive stimulus for this choir which has been performing in the province ofCatania for the past four years. They also recently recorded their first music CD titled "NOTE PRESE IN GIRO.”

Choir M.S. Jacqueline du Prè to perform January 10

SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCATE HOTLINESSigonella SAPR VA Hotline: 335-642-8312.

DoD Safe Helpline: 001-877-995-5247 (From cell phones and off-base telephones)

Or: 19020 (toll-free access code) 1-877-995-5247 (From DSN lines)

Sigonellans participate in Jingle Bell Rock 5-mile runMore than 50 Sigonellans participated in the Jingle Bell Rock 5-mile event hosted by Morale, Welfare andRecreation (MWR) Sigonella on December 15. The event was part of the Base 2 Base series. (Photo by MWR).

Need an appointment at thehospital? Call DSN 624-CARE (2273) or commercial095-56-2273, M-F: 7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.

For non-emergent medicalquestions that arise over theweekend, a holiday or afteroffice hours, please call 335-578-8077 if you are normallyseen at the hospital or 335-578-8150 if you are normallyseen at the Flight Line Clinic.

THE SIGNATURE DECEMBER 21, 2012PAGE 4

FFSC: x4291American Red Cross: x4900

Does your command or organization have an event you’d like to see on the Community Calendar? Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

C O M M U N I T Y C A L E N D A RFRIDAY

21ITT

Naro Tour &

Wine Tasting

Youth Complex

Image Makers

2-3 p.m.

Take 5

Pictionary Game Night

6 p.m.

ITT

Agrigento: Valley of

the Temples &

Bagliesi Winery

Take 5

Holiday Treats

Flashback to the 80’s

Library Story Time

10 a.m.

Library

22 23

SATURDAY SUNDAY

Take 5/Liberty

Christmas Dinner

11 a.m.

Library Story Time

10 a.m.

Library

NO PAPER

ITT

Taormina &

Gambino Winery

29 30

4NO PAPER

32JANUARY 1

New Year’s Eve

AA Meeting

NAS I Chapel

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

31 5 6

MONDAY

24Take 5

Holiday Treats

AA Meeting

NAS I Chapel

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

ITT

Live Nativity Scene in

Ragusa Province

Connections

Bingo

6 p.m.

Jox Pub

Texas Hold’em

6 p.m.

CHRISTMASHave a Safe &

Happy Holiday!

Connections

Christmas Day Ham

Sandwiches

5 p.m.

Take 5

Holiday Treats

25 26

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

27

THURSDAY

December

2012

Liberty/Connections/Take 5: x4246, x5602Outdoor Rec: x4777, x4396

Fitness: x4483, x5243Midtown 2 Theaters: x4248

28ITT

Giarre Nativities &

Puppet Show

Youth Complex

Image Makers

2-3 p.m.

Connections

Bingo

6 p.m.

Jox Pub

Texas Hold’em

6 p.m.

New Year’s

Day!

THE SIGNATUREDECEMBER 21, 2012 PAGE 5

Fleet and FamilySupport CenterAdministration Building Bldg. 319 (NAS I)

Monday–Friday7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. DSN 624-4291 Commercial 095-56-4291

There's nothing like the New Yearto let you wipe the slate clean, forgetabout past mistakes and make a newstart. That's how the tradition of NewYear's Resolutions got started andpeople make them every year.

They resolve to lose weight, eathealthier and treat their loved onesbetter. Granted, most people don'tstick to all their resolutions for thewhole year. But it's still a great way toachieve self-improvement because itfocuses your thoughts on the areasthat need help. And even if you onlyachieve half of what you set out for,you're still farther along than you wereon December 31.

With that in mind, here are someNew Year's Resolutions for your per-

sonal finances. If you try to adoptthese into your everyday life, your fi-nancial situation will be vastly impro-ved for the new year.

I will consider the differencebetween what I want and what Ineed before every purchase. Toooften we base our buying decision onemotions instead of facts. Spendmoney only on what you need andyou'll significantly reduce your expen-ses.

I will not let advertising controlmy purchasing decisions. By defini-tion, an advertisement is designed tobenefit the advertiser, by persuadingyou to purchase their product insteadof someone else's, without considera-tion for your best interests.

I will take care of my financestoday by making a spending plan tomap out my income and expenses.Planning is the key to success in prac-tically all aspects of life. Personal fi-nance is no exception.

I will take care of my financestomorrow by saving for goals,emergencies, and my future. A he-althy savings account prevents youfrom having to borrow money whenemergencies happen.

I will meet the credit obliga-tions I have made on time and asagreed. If you've had problems in thisarea, you'll be amazed at how muchstress you can eliminate by gettingcaught up on your bills and debt pay-ments. Also, your credit rating will

improve dramatically if you stay ontop of your obligations long term.

I will continue my personaleducation about financial health,budgeting, credit, and personaldebt. As they say, knowledge ispower. The more you understandyour finances, the more you'll be ableto manage them effectively.

I will plan, beginning today, forthe next holiday season, and willnot include credit cards in thoseplans. By starting early, you'll avoidgetting caught up in the shoppingfrenzy at Christmas time. And byusing cash, you'll avoid digging your-self deeply into debt.

I will teach my children the im-portance of budgeting, saving, andpracticing smart credit habits. Theydepend on you for guidance, and thisis one area that is woefully ignored inour schools. Start by setting a goodexample. As they get older, let themgradually take on responsibility formaking their own spending decisions.

If I am over-obligated, I willseek professional credit counselingassistance. There's no shame in get-ting a little help from the expertswhen you're in over your head. Andyou'll be amazed at how much it redu-ces the stress in your life.

For more information on how toprepare your own financial spendingplan contact your Command Finan-cial Specialist or the Fleet and FamilySupport center at 624-4291

New Year's Resolutions for Financial FitnessGet off on the right financial foot in the new year

If you are planning some Christmas shopping, you shouldknow that you have a lot of opportunities to strike a bargain inCatania and its surrounding towns. Shopping out in town isnot difficult if you follow some basic tips and avoid being a wor-rywart about traffic, parking or driving on the economy.

First of all, remember to check opening hours. Keep inmind that all clothing shops and department stores are gene-rally closed on Monday mornings. Despite this new trend, ri-poso (the Italian version of siesta) is still generally observed.Therefore, don’t go shopping from 1:30 to 4 p.m. You mightfind your favorite store closed! Department stores and shop-ping malls are an exception to this rule, as they usually remainopen throughout the afternoon until late night (9 p.m.). Re-member that it is difficult to find a shop open after 8:30 p.m.As for parking, it is always suggested, wherever you are in Sicily,that you find a parking spot before you enter the historic centerof a town, where all the shops are usually located, since the stre-ets are narrow, traffic is chaotic and some areas are restrictedto vehicles.

Once you decide to go you should remember that, generallyspeaking, if you want to buy high quality craft items, such as ce-ramics, for instance, you should purchase it where it is manufac-tured. Souvenir shops usually located in the islands most touristicareas in the island display nice handicrafts but don’t offer the va-riety and quality of items available from specialty shops.

Caltagirone is a great place to buy good quality ceramics.The city lies atop a 600-meter hill and is pretty close to NASII. As you arrive in piazza Municipio, the main square, you canstart your shopping tour by checking the “botteghe” (wor-kshops) located in the neighboring streets.

Craftsmen in Caltagirone still follow ancient techniqueshanded down by their ancestors dating back to the medievaltimes. Moresque-styled, polychromatic, and renaissance floralpatterns painted with vivid colors (deep blue, gold yellow, man-ganese) decorate tiles, vases, stoups, washbasins, candlesticks,plates, bowls and oil lamps.

As for Christmas goods, you may also find unique crèchesand other holiday ornaments that would make a perfect Chri-stmas present for your loved ones.

If you decide for a “classic” present you may consider chec-king Catania. The city offers two main shopping areas: Via

Etnea and Corso Italia. After having parked near the port areato avoid getting caught in a traffic jam, you can start walkingtoward via Etnea through the Uzeda gate located in PiazzaDuomo next to the Fish Market. As you stroll through elegantBaroque buildings you will find the two Macy’s-like depar-tment stores: La Rinascente and Coin. There you can buy high-fashioned clothes for men and women (dresses, shoes, gloves,ties, shirts); lacework, jewelry, leather goods (handbags, cases,boxes and luggage), ceramics, gold and silver items, straw, em-broidery, glass, tableware and crystal ware.

If you are a shopper looking for Sicilian Christmas pastries,you will have a lot of opportunities to find your favorite deli-cacies in the via Etnea cafes. In windows of thebars and bakeries you will see Christmas cakessuch as the Buccellato (crust ring shaped cake fil-led with dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, rum, and spi-ces), Mustazzoli (cookies made from majorcaflour and filled with cooked wine mixed withpine-seeds and nuts), the raviole (fritters filledwith sweetened ricotta), the crispelle (rice fritterscovered with honey) or the classic torrone (al-mond nougat flavored with either lemon, orange,chocolate and more).

Almond pastries and marzipan fruits are alsoconsidered as Christmas sweets although they arealso available throughout the year.

Shopping malls are also located throughout Mi-sterbianco and the Catania airport area and they areusually open all day long and sometimes even onSundays, as is IKEA which is located near NAS II.Via Etnea is also dotted with classic clothing andfootwear stores for men, women, and children.

As you get near the public gardens in viaEtnea, you may check a neighboring street namedVia Umberto where you will also find some inte-resting shoe stores as well as ethnic shops whichsell fair trade products including crafts, fashions,foods, beverages, paper and cards.

If you are looking for a sharp Armani suit or afine Gucci purse, you are in the right country sincethese fashion items are a bit cheaper here than

they would be in the U.S. But remember that if you want to finda good quality item you should walk a lot because there are nobig shopping centers in Corso Italia, just scattered sassy bouti-ques offering all brands and styles. Your shopping trip throughCorso Italia high-fashioned boutiques could start by parkingsomewhere in Piazza Europa and then walking through this ele-gant shopping area lined with Condotti, Armani, Calvin Kleinand other shops. Jewelers, sportswear and oriental rug storesare also located in the area. Yet don’t forget to check leathershoe and handbag stores. They are among the best buys in Italy!

Whatever is on your Christmas gift giving list, whether foryourself or someone else, Sicily has a lot to offer any shopper.


Christmas shopping in SicilyVia Etnea, the main elegant Baroque road of the Catania historic heart, is one of the best and most stylish shopping areas in the local economy. (Photo by Mimmo Rapisardi)


Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella Sailors from Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS)received the “Premio Idria”, a special award from the Mayor of Paternò, Mauro Mangano (center). On hand to receive the award were YNC Jeffrey Sellers (center-left) and IT1 Shaun Stanley (center-right). The award is givenannually to recognize service members for selfless acts of courage during humanitarian missions abroad. NCTSSigonella Sailors were honored with the award for their outstanding volunteer community relations (COMREL)projects carried out in the Catania province. (Photo by Giuseppe Bonaiuto)

NCTS Sailors awarded “Premio Idria”

The “Skinny Dragons” of Patrol Squadron FOUR (VP-4) proudly hosted the Lions Club of Misterbianco andMotta Sant’Anastasia, Saturday, December 15.

"It was a real honor to host members from the local community and to be a part of building new relationships,"said Lt. Cmdr. T. Ryan Davis, the command services officer at VP-4 responsible for coordinating community rela-tions events.

The tour began in the VP-4 hanger with a short introduction and a group photo. The Lions Club was shownthe large variety of ordinance the mighty P-3C Orion aircraft carries. The club was then given a tour of the aircraftby Lt. Ever Garay, Senior Chief Stanley Lenover, and Petty Officer Daniel Phillips. Following the display, the groupwas presented a briefing, in Italian, on the P-3 mission and history.

This community relations event marks the “Skinny Dragons” arrival to Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella andwill be the first of many such events. The president of the Lions Club stated, “Patrol Squadron FOUR showed tre-mendous hospitality. I am very pleased that our club was the first to welcome VP-4 to Sicily.”

“Skinny Dragons” host Lions ClubBY LTJG MIKE RUEDAPatrol Squadron FOUR

Members of Patrol Squadron FOUR (VP-4) hosted local Italian members of the Lions Club of Misterbianco/Motto onDecember 15. (Photo by MCSN Menhardt).

JUST SAY IT!

Practice your Italian

English: whiteItalian: biànco

English: blackItalian: nèro

English: redItalian: ròsso

English: dark blueItalian: blu

English: greenItalian: vèrde

English: yellowItalian: giàllo

English: orangeItalian: aranciòne

Have funpracticing

your Italian!

Buona Fortuna


Man arrested for robbing homes and cars of U.S. citizens,Operation 'American house' busts thief near Aviano air base

(ANSA)Pordenone - Police in the northern city of Pordenone last Thursday arrested

a 49-year-old petty criminal suspected of targeting U.S. citizens living in thearea.

Boschian Galliano was arrested in investigations called 'American house'probing burglaries involving the homes and cars of American citizens living inthe area of Aviano near a US air base.

Police said that the robberies were usually so small that they were not re-ported. Galliano is under house arrest after police confiscated stolen goodsworth 3,000 euros in his home.

Scale model of Brunelleschi dome found in Florence, find made during Duomomuseum excavations

(ANSA) Florence - Experts said Friday they believed they had uncovered a scale model of the famous masonry dome of Flo-

rence's S. Maria del Fiore designed by Filippo Brunelleschi during excavations to expand the cathedral museum.The dig brought to light an area that may have served as a workshop for the construction of the dome, containing a

model measuring three metres in circumference and made of bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern, just like the 15th-century dome itself. The discovery was presented during an official site visit to the Duomo museum.

(ANSA) Naples - Ten natural habitats and 176 species have disappeared in Italy since 2000, the international environmental

organisation WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) said in a report published on Friday.The report 'Monitoring Biodiversity in Nature 2000' compared 2012 data taken from 84 habitats and 1,107 animal

species in Italy to a survey taken 12 years earlier. Some 791 species and 75 habitats have taken a downturn and now haveworse situations than previously recorded. The dossier, which was published together with the country's environmentministry, said that threats to the nation's natural heritage come from agriculture, invasive non-native species, fires, tourism,hunting and loss of land. Over 200 experts and volunteer naturalists surveyed 77 'Sites of Community Importance'(SIC) that are part of the WWF oasis network.

Italy Earthquake Case Forces Geologists to Rethink Risk

(www.scientificamerican.com) SAN FRANCISCO — After six Italian scientists were sentenced to six

years in prison for failing to warn the public of a devastating 2009 earthquake,experts are rethinking how they communicate risk.

The magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit the town of L'Aquila, Italy, on April 6,2009, killing 309 people. A week prior to the quake, city officials had made re-assuring statements that downplayed the risk, according to prosecutors, of amajor quake linked to a series of smaller tremors. Prosecutors argued that theseismologists' risk analysis was flawed and that the statements made by cityofficials convinced residents not to evacuate, costing lives.

The group "got snookered into answering a simple yes or no question: Willwe be hit by a large earthquake?" said Thomas Jordan, a researcher at the Sou-thern California Research Center at the University of Southern California. "Sei-smologists can't provide an answer to that type of question."

The scientific community has been frightened by the possibility that sei-smologists could face criminal charges for failing to predict an earthquake —even though there's no way to truly forecast a temblor. [See Photos of L'AquilaEarthquake Destruction]

But the L'Aquila events have also forced hazard experts to reassess how theydiscuss risk with the public. For instance, scientists should actually state thenumerical odds of a catastrophe striking, not rely on qualitative descriptionslike "low chance," Jordan told LiveScience.

Prior to the quake, the quaint medieval town of L'Aquila had experienceda swarm of temblors. But in a press conference a week before the main ear-thquake, a city official (who was not a seismologist) said "the scientific com-munity tells me there is no danger because there is an ongoing discharge ofenergy," reported Nature News.

That statement, which most experts think is not scientifically accurate, mayhave kept people from evacuating the town. The statement was a key part ofthe prosecution's argument that city officials and scientists were guilty of man-slaughter, said Max Wyss, the director of the World Agency of Planetary Mo-nitoring and Earthquake Risk Reduction.

So how should scientists communicate the odds of a cataclysmic event?In 2008, Jordan and colleagues conducted a study that assessed the disaster

protocols in six major countries known to have a lot of seismic activity. Noneof the countries had a formalized process to calculate earthquake probabilityand describe it to the public, he said.

Jordan and his team concluded that giving hard numbers is key: For in-stance, saying the odds of "the big one" are 1 in 100 or 1 in 10,000.

It's also important to compare the odds of an infrequent disaster with eve-ryday risks that people are familiar with, such as a hurricane for people in theCaribbean, said Stephen Sparks, a volcanologist at the University of Bristol.People should also be told how much the odds of an earthquake or volcaniceruption have risen relative to the baseline, or normal seismicity in that area,he said.

But beyond that, seismologists need to convey the uncertainty in those esti-mates of probability, Jordan said.

"You actually have to deal with probabilities of probabilities," Jordan said."That can be a technically difficult conversation."

Natural habitats and species disappearing in Italy, WWF publishes report oncountry's nature reserves


CONTINUED ...

Custonaci Living Nativity Scene: blending

Christmas spirit and Sicilian rural traditions

The Custonaci Living Nativity Scene is a must-see Christmas event, drawing as many as400,000 visitors from all over Italy over the past 30 years.

Borgo Scurati is a little Sicilian village where time seems to havestopped. It is located a mile from Custonaci, a town near Trapani nestledon the slopes of Monte Còfano. Every year, this picturesque spot housesone of the most beautiful living Nativity Scenes in Italy. One hundred thirty-six active quarries from which the valuable “Perlato di Sicilia marble is ex-tracted, surround this enchanting “villaggio.” The “Mangiapane Cave,” amajestic rocky quarry from the Paleolithic period is the actual backdrop forthe Presepe Vivente (Living Nativity Scene) itself.

The cave is named after the household that lived in it from the 19th cen-tury to the end of World War II. Through the years, small houses, stablesand an oven to bake bread were built around the cave making it similar tothe Bethlehem scenery. The surrounding quarries host the other Nativityscenes’ characters featuring about 300 local re-enactors performing 65 dif-ferent craftsman and vendor activities. Most of them actually demonstratetheir working skills, since they are professional craftsmen.

The living Nativity scene tradition, which dates back to 1983, derivesfrom the celebrations in honor of the Virgin Mary of Custonaci. Duringthese celebrations, religious dramas had been staged at a Sanctuary locatednearby since 1971.

Traditionally, on the night of December 24, a torch light processionfrom the Sanctuary to the cave and a brief religious drama is staged. TheVirgin Mary riding a donkey will knock at the door of an inn asking for hos-pitality. She will be told that there is no room available, therefore she willhave to stay at the cave. Every day there will be four consecutive SicilianPuppet Shows telling the story.

Custonaci is fairly easy to reach from the Castellammare del Golfo exiton the Palermo-Trapani highway (A29). Follow directions toward San VitoLo Capo and drive for about ten miles along the Trapani coast until you getto the Custonaci exit.

This amazing Nativity Scene can be admired from December 25-26 and29-30 and January 5-6, 2013. Tickets are € 5. Children: under 2 years arefree and children 3 – 6 years are € 2.

Admittance hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. Last admission is 8 p.m. There isalso a shuttle bus service that will take you from the village of Cornino tothe caves in a few minutes, as well as a 1,500-car parking lot. For moreinformation and to purchase tickets on line visit http://www.presepe-viventedicustonaci.it/

Diesel owner Renzo Rosso to restore Venice's Rialto Bridge, Works expected to runfive million euros

(ANSA)

Venice, December 13 - Public works officials in Venice said on Thursday that restoration of the Rialto Bridge thatcrosses the city's Grand Canal will be carried out by Otb, a company headed by Renzo Rosso, founder and owner of theDiesel clothing brand.

Rosso, whose company is based in the Veneto region, has long been rumored as an eager donor to restore the 400-year-old landmark.

The complete restoration will cost five million euros and is expected to take 18 months.Rosso's Otb was the only bidder for the works needed to preserve the World Heritage Site.An estimated 20 million tourists trample Venice's ancient pavement every year, inevitably taking a toll on the Rialto

Bridge, a city icon that for centuries was the only foot passage from one side of the Grand Canal to the other.Last year a column on the bridge's railing collapsed, and some of the marble steps have begun to crack, one of which

was dislodged last summer, closing down part of the bridge.Calls for donors have become increasingly common as city budgets have been cut amid Italy's economic crisis.Last year Diego Della Valle, the founder of the luxury leather goods brand Tod's, announced he was investing over 25

million euros in the three-year restoration of Rome's Colosseum, enlisting further help from the Italian business commu-nity to bankroll restoration and conservation plans elsewhere in the country in the absence of government support.

The most visible example is French luxury-fashion mogul Francois Pinault, owner of such lines as Gucci, Balenciagaand Stella McCartney.

Pinault made a splash in the Venice lagoon with the purchase of Palazzo Grassi, followed by the acquisition and re-storation of the landmark Punta della Dogana, both of which house his personal art collection as well as featuring majorexhibitions.

Other fashion labels restoring sites in Venice include Bulgari, Replay and Palazzetti, in addition to Prada and Benettonwho have recently bought palaces on the Grand Canal for private use.

(ANSA) Rome - Students tend to do better in Italian class than mathematics, a new study of Italian students showed Tuesday.And they also perform better at lower grades, such as primary school, compared with higher levels.That said, in eighth-grade math, things are improving. The average score rose from 480 in 2007 to 498 in 2011, ac-

cording to the the findings of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). It has been workingin conjunction with Performance on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to measure progressinternationally on math and literacy for more than a decade.

In comparisons of more than 60 world education systems, students in East Asian countries tended to outperformeveryone else

Italian students better in language than math, Pupils perform better at lower grades,says study

(Photo By Sergiobutta)


Alessandra Lunetta

has a bachelor's de-

gree in Italian litera-

ture and a master’s in

food journalism and is

a free-lance journalist

and food writer for

local Sicilian newspa-

pers, food-guides and

magazines. She has

a passion for all that

involves food; from kitchenware to cookbo-

oks to foods from all over the world. Inspired

by fresh, natural and seasonal ingredients,

Alessandra shares some of her favorite re-

cipes from around Sicily with the Sigonella

community. Try one of these recipes and

share it with family and friends.

Pancake di farina di castagne eyogurt, con salsa al cioccolato

Ingredients:■ 140g unsweetened almond milk

(or soy milk)

■ 35g of Greek natural yogurt

(or vegetable cream)

■ 1 organic egg

■ 1 tbsp of cane sugar

■ 40g chestnut flour

■ ½ tbsp potato starch

■ ½ tsp baking soda

■ 100g dark chocolate

■ Crumbled walnuts

Serves TWO

Directions:■ Mix together 40g unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk) with 35g of Greek natural

yogurt (or vegetable cream). ■ Beat 1 organic egg with 1 tbsp of cane sugar until

pale and fluffy. ■ Sift together 40g chestnut flour and ½ tbsp potato starch and ½ tsp

baking soda and add to the egg. ■ Then add the milk and yogurt to the mixture.

■ Cook into batches to make 6 small pancakes. ■ Serve the pancakes with chocolate

sauce (100g unsweetened almond milk and 100g dark chocolate melted over low

heat in a saucepan, until smooth and velvety). ■ Decorate with crumbled walnuts.

Start a new Christmas Day tradition by making these delicious chestnut flour and yogurt mini pancakes with chocolatesauce. Not the usual pancakes, these are smooth and delicate, with a velvety chocolate sauce and some crumbled wal-nuts.

BY ALESSANDRA LUNETTAFood writer and blogger, volevofarelochef.it


Pancake di farina di castagne eyogurt, con salsa al cioccolato

Ingredients:■ 140g unsweetened almond milk

(or soy milk)

■ 35g of Greek natural yogurt

(or vegetable cream)

■ 1 organic egg

■ 1 tbsp of cane sugar

■ 40g chestnut flour

■ ½ tbsp potato starch

■ ½ tsp baking soda

■ 100g dark chocolate

■ Crumbled walnuts

Serves TWO

Directions:■ Mix together 40g unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk) with 35g of Greek natural

yogurt (or vegetable cream). ■ Beat 1 organic egg with 1 tbsp of cane sugar until

pale and fluffy. ■ Sift together 40g chestnut flour and ½ tbsp potato starch and ½ tsp

baking soda and add to the egg. ■ Then add the milk and yogurt to the mixture.

■ Cook into batches to make 6 small pancakes. ■ Serve the pancakes with chocolate

sauce (100g unsweetened almond milk and 100g dark chocolate melted over low

heat in a saucepan, until smooth and velvety). ■ Decorate with crumbled walnuts.

Ciocco mandorla da bere

Ingredients:

■ 250g of unsweetened (organic) almond

milk

■ 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder

■ ½ – 1 tsp of cornstarch

■ 3-4 small dark chocolate chunks

■ Extra dark chocolate

■ Sugar (to taste)

Serves TWO

Directions:■ Gently heat 250g of unsweetened (organic) almond milk in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder and ½ – 1 tsp of cornstarch*. ■ Add 3-4 smalldark chocolate chunks and vanilla sugar to taste. ■ When cocoa is dissolved andchocolate melted, remove from the heat. ■ Whisk the almond chocolate with anelectric mini-whisk until lightly frothy. ■ Pour into 2 small mugs. ■ Sprinkle with extradark chocolate and enjoy!

* Use 1 tsp for a thicker chocolate and less (½) if you like a more fluid chocolate.

Phot

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My special comfort food is a hot cup of chocolate. Italian chocolate lovers usually prefer a dark, thick chocolate that canbe eaten with a spoon! This chocolate instead is smoothy, frothy and very light! The delicate flavour of almond milk isthe secret of this indulgent chocolate drink. Inspired by a Jamie Oliver’s recipe.

Start a new Christmas Day tradition by making these delicious chestnut flour and yogurt mini pancakes with chocolatesauce. Not the usual pancakes, these are smooth and delicate, with a velvety chocolate sauce and some crumbled wal-nuts.


There are certain things that must be doneevery Christmas; necessities, if you will. Put upa tree. Wrap presents. Deck the proverbialhalls. For me, it used to be watching “A Chri-stmas Story,” which aired – and still does air –for 24 consecutive hours on TNT each Chri-stmas Eve and Christmas day.

Ralphie and his coveted BB gun have since run their course, though,after wearing me down yuletide after yuletide until the only memories I canstand of that insufferable movie are the commercial breaks, while I someti-mes find myself wishing if the poor kid would, in fact, shoot his eye out.

But it never lessened my holiday spirit. And I still get excited forDecember, despite the fact that Christmas decorations seem to pop up ear-lier and earlier each year. I sometimes feel bad for Thanksgiving, that meta-phorical middle child stuck between Halloween and Christmas. If it weren’tfor food and football, the holiday would go unnoticed.

In the military, we have the standard Christmas traditions – trees, gifts,etc. Heck, MWR even gave us snow this year for those who attended thetree lighting ceremony. For military members and their families, though,what changes are the locations.

My last Christmas was spent on loaner furniture that smelled vaguely offeet and corn chips. The Christmas before that was spent in Afghanistan sho-wering myself in the endless boxes of socks and sunflower seeds we received.

The holiday season is a time to be thankful. And while I remain thankfulfor the over-the-calf tube sock, spending Christmas in Afghanistan only hei-ghtened my fondness for the comforts of home. Likewise, spending a Chri-stmas on a used couch only made me treasure the dent my hind parts left inmy own couch.

It’s a forgotten aspect for those who live the military life. Every year,thousands and thousands of military families spend the holiday season ei-ther deployed or resting on borrowed furniture.

So while I treasure the comforts of my own home, I can’t help but thinkof HM2 Nathan Wolf, who will be spending his first Christmas away fromhis wife and two-year-old daughter while he is deployed to Cuba. Or HM1Brent Graceffa, who is finishing up a tour in Afghanistan.

Of course, there are many more. And all of them will be returning totheir respective bases when their deployments are finished. And all will surely appreciate the comforts of home even more. And maybe, just maybe,they’ll appreciate 24 hours of “A Christmas Story.”

But I doubt it.

BY HM2 MATTHEW CLUTTERU.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella

Holiday season a timefor thanks, especially for military members

Befana is the “Italian version” ofSanta Claus, a good witch with ahooked nose. Kids imagine her rid-ing a broom and secretly sneakinginto their homes carrying a sack fullof presents over her shoulder. Theday before the Epiphany, childrenprepare their stockings and try to be-have so that they can get candy.

The name Befana comes from“Epiphany,” the holiday celebratedon Jan 6. Christians commemoratethe visit of the three Wise Men to in-fant Jesus, with their gifts of gold,frankincense, and myrrh. The wordEpiphany comes from ancient Greekand means “manifestation (or “ap-pearance”) of a supernatural being orof a divinity.” For the Christian tradi-tion it is “a moment of revelation” ofnewborn Jesus to the world.

Although Befana is basically apopular tradition, it is somehow tiedto Christian heritage. According tolegend, on their journey to Bethle-hem, the Tre Re Magi or Three WiseMen stopped an old woman andasked her for directions to visit theChrist child. They also invited her togo with them to see Him. Since shedidn’t know about the new baby, shegrumpily sent the men away tellingthem she had too much houseworkto do. Later, as she realized who thebaby was, she felt guilty for sendingthe men away and went looking for

Befana is the beloved “good witch” who,according to tradition, delivers gifts toItalian children on Epiphany’s eve. Thekids who behaved get candies or sweets,the “bad” ones: “coal candy.” (Photo Byhttp://www.studentessamatta.com)

Epiphany andLa Befana

them but was unsuccessful. Tradi-tion holds that every year during thenight between January 5 and 6 shewanders around flying on her broomcarrying a bag full of all the gifts forthe good children, those presentsthat she couldn’t deliver to infantJesus.

The tradition also says that LaBefana knows how the kids behaveso they have to watch their mannersas the festival nears otherwise in-stead of finding toys and candy theywill only get “coal” or carbone, thisactually consist of black rock candiesresembling pieces of coal. Some-times parents to make a joke to theirmisbehaving kids, fill up the stockingwith “coal” and right after give themthe gifts.

BY ALBERTO LUNETTANAS Sigonella Public Affairs


The Homeschoolers in Sigonellagot a sweet start to their holiday season;twenty-one kids gathered to assembleand decorate homemade gingerbreadbuildings for a community display.

“The walls may be hard as concretebut they’re edible!” said the ginger-bread-house baker, Richele McHenry.

Special icing helped cement thewalls and roof together and then thekids were encouraged to embellish.

The homeschoolers have traditio-

nally gotten together in December todecorate gingerbread houses but this isthe first year they have created a displayfor others to enjoy.

“It just seemed like a nice way tospread a little holiday cheer," said AnnForrest, president of the group. "Thekids had a blast and the parents don’thave to deal with more sweets in thehouse.”

The village will be on display in theCommissary through the holidays. Photos by Shannon Blair

BY HOMESCHOOLING IN SIGONELLA

Homeschoolers make a Gingerbread Village


Master-at-Arms Seaman Apprentice Racel Deaton has a high level of pride in herjob and motivation to succeed. Because of these attributes she has been selectedas the December Sigonella Superstar! Going above and beyond the call of duty,MASA Deaton is also a member of CSADD and has requested to be an assistantSAPR. (U.S. Navy photos by MC3 Cameron Bramham/Released)

MASA RACHEL DEATON

Master-at-Arms SeamanApprentice (MASA) RachelDeaton arrived on board NavalAir Station (NAS) Sigonella inJuly of 2012 and immediatelyhit the ground running. The ty-pical job requirements for aMASA are to maintain goodorder and discipline within theentry control points of the in-stallation. The standard wasnot enough for this young Sai-lor as she acquired the qualifi-cations of gate sentry,patrolman and desk sergeant,qualifications normally heldby third and second classpetty officers.

“I would like to think ofmyself as a motivated personwho enjoys being at the frontof the pack at anything I do,”MASA Deaton said. “Part ofthat was getting qualified so Ican get more job experienceand get out there and do myjob.”

MASA Deaton’s highlevel of motivation and pridein her job has earned her thetitle of Sigonella Superstar,December 2012.


Where are you from originally?Syracuse, NY

Why did you decide to join the service? I decided to join the service because I wanted to serve my countryas well as see what the world could offer me.

How many years have you served?It will be a year in January.

What does your job entail?To maintain the integrity of the base as well as enforcing theNavy’s rules and regulations.

What is your favorite thing about your job? I’m a very social person and I love interacting with people, sowhether I’m the first or last person someone sees, I like to put asmile on their face.

What is your favorite thing about living in Sicily? Sicily is in the perfect geographical area and you can get anywherefrom here for cheap.

How long have you been stationed here? I have been on the island since July 17, 2012.

What is the favorite place you have visited so far? I haven’t visited anywhere yet because I wanted to focus ongetting my qualifications first. In March I will be visiting Irelandand Venice with my sister for our birthday.

What are your future goals?I want to make Second Class Petty Officer before I transfer fromhere and I would like to get my Bachelors Degree.

MASA Deaton (left) checks the ID of a Sailor as he enters Marinai, and does so with a smile. (U.S. Navy photoby MC3 Cameron Bramham)

Get to knowRACHEL

Friday, 21 DEC 12 *Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Sausage Patties, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, RoastedPotatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Apple Fritters.*Lunch: New England Clam Chowder, Lemon Baked Fish, Steamed Rice, Spaghetti Carbonara,Asparagus, Carrots, Sugar Cookies, Cheese Cake, Vanilla Cream Pudding.*Speed Line: Grilled Hamburger/Cheeseburger, French Fries, Baked Beans.*Dinner: Vegetable Supreme Soup, Italian Sausage, Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, Oven Browned Po-tatoes, Spinach, Oriental Stir Fry, Sugar Cookies, Cheesecake, Vanilla Cream Pudding.

Saturday, 22 DEC 12 *Breakfast: Farina, Grilled Ham Slices, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order, RoastedPotatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterhorns.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Roast Turkey, Steamed Rice, Cajun OvenFries, Steamed Broccoli, Glazed Carrots, Almond Cookies, Blueberry Pie.*Dinner: Logging Soup, Beef Stir Fry, Baked Fish Portion, Steamed Rice, Peas, Corn Whole Kernel,Almond Cookies, Blueberry Pie.

Sunday, 23 DEC 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Minute Steak, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Kolaches.*Brunch: Breakfast Items, Bean & Bacon Soup, Oven Fried Chicken Nuggets, Steamed Rice, Stea-med Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Hermits, Velvet Pound Cake.*Dinner: Pepper Pot Soup, Veal Parmesan, Rice Pilaf, Cauliflower Polonaise, Ham & Cheese San-dwiches , Seasoned Succotash, Garlic Bread, Hermits, Velvet Pound Cake.

Monday, 24 DEC 12*Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Minced Beef w/ Toast, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterfly Rolls.*Lunch: Cream of potato Soup, Turkey Pot Pie, Yankee Pot Roast, Tossed Green Rice, Parsley ButteredPotatoes, Calico Cabbage, Sprouts Superba, Almond Cake, Peach Crunch, Butterscotch Pudding.*Speed Line: Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Chips.*Dinner: Beef Noodle Soup, Spaghetti Meat Sauce, Brown Rice w/ Tomatoes, French Fried Fish Por-tion, Collard Greens, Lyonnaise Green Beans, Almond Cake, Peach Crunch, Butterscotch Pudding.

Tuesday, 25 DEC 12 *Breakfast: Farina, Oven Fried Bacon, Baked Sausage Patties, Biscuits and Gravy, Asstd Omelets,Eggs to Order, Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Butterfly Rolls. *Snack: Cold Sandwiches, Potato Chips.*Dinner: Broccoli & Cheese Soup, Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, Shrimp Cocktail, Ribeye Roll w/na-tural au jus, Roast Turkey w/Gravy, Baked Ham, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, Sweet Potatoesand Apples, Fruit Sauce w/Raisin, Cranberry Sauce, Steamed Broccoli, Peas & Carrots, Corn BreadDressing, Sweet Corn Bread, Deviled Potato Salad, Waldorf salad, Roasted Nuts Selection, CheeseCakes, Eggnog, Holiday Candies, Assorted Pies.

Wednesday, 26 DEC 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Creamed Ground Beef, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, Blueberry Pancakes, Asstd Doughnuts, Danish Diamonds.*Lunch: Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Patties Parmesan, Steamed Rice, Ma-shed Potatoes, Chicken Gravy, Peas & Carrots, Steamed Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Pie, ShortbreadCookies, Peach Gelatin.*Speed Line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Chicken noodles soup, Fish Breaded, Steamed Rice, Pasta Siciliana, Lima Beans, Vegeta-ble Stir Fry, Sweet Potato Pie, Shortbread Cookies.

Thursday, 27 DEC 12 *Breakfast: Hominy Grits, Corned Beef Hash, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, French Toast, Asstd Doughnuts, Pineapple Carrot Muffin.*Lunch: Corn Chowder Soup, Baked Chicken, Beef Sauerbraten, Orange Rice, Mashed Potatoes,Steamed Asparagus, Summer Squash, Devils Food Cake, Fruit Nut Bar. *Speed Line: Assorted Pizza.*Dinner: Beef Noodle Soup, Chicken Parmesan, Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Steamed Rice, Stea-med Broccoli, Seasoned Carrots, Devils Food Cake, Fruit Nut Bar.

Friday, 28 DEC 12*Breakfast: Rolled Oats, Grilled Sausage Patties, Oven Fried Bacon, Asstd Omelets, Eggs to Order,Roasted Potatoes, Waffles, Asstd Doughnuts, Apple Fritters.*Lunch: New England Clam Chowder, Fried/Baked Pollok Fish, Pork Chop , Mushroom Gravy, Stea-med Rice, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, Fried Cauliflower, Lemon Cookies, CheeseCake, Chocolate Cream Pudding.*Speed Line: Grilled Cheese/Hamburger, Baked Beans, French Fried Potatoes.*Dinner: Cream Of Mushroom Soup, Cantonese Spareribs, Farfalle Alfredo, Rice Pilaf, SteamedWhole Corn, Seasoned Spinach, Lemon Cookies, Cheese Cake, Chocolate Cream Pudding.


Cut out and color


ON THE GO WITH MWR

Friday, December 21 5:00 PM Jack Reacher PG-13 5:30 PM Silent Hill 2 R7:30 PM The Hobbit PG-138:00 PM Man with the Iron Fists R

Saturday, December 222:00 PM Rise of Guardians 3D PG2:30 PM Wreck-It Ralph PG4:30 PM Jack Reacher PG-135:00 PM Lincoln PG-137:30 PM The Hobbit 3D PG-13 Sunday, December 232:00 PM The Hobbit 3D PG-132:30 PM Skyfall PG-135:30 PM Man with the Iron Fists R6:00 PM Cloud Atlas R7:30 PM Flight R

Monday, December 24Christmas Eve3:00 PM Rise of Guardians 3D PG3:30 PM Jack Reacher PG-135:30 PM The Hobbit 3D PG-136:30 PM Man with the Iron Fists R

Tuesday, December 25Merry Christmas 5:00 PM Skyfall PG-135:30 PM Rise of Guardians 3D PG7:30 PM Silent Hill 2 3D R8:00 PM Paranormal Activity 4 R

Wednesday, December 26 2:00 PM The Santa Clause PG5:00 PM Jack Reacher PG-135:30 PM Alex Cross PG-137:30 PM The Hobbit PG-138:00 PM Flight R

Thursday, December 275:00 PM Fun Size PG-135:30 PM Wreck-It Ralph PG7:30 PM Lincoln PG-13 8:00 PM Silent Hill 2 R

Friday, December 282:00 PM Arthur Christmas PG5:00 PM Life of Pi PG 5:30 PM Jack Reacher PG-137:30 PM Man with the Iron Fists R8:00 PM Breaking Dawn, PT. 2 PG-13

Saturday, December 292:00 PM Life of Pi 3D PG2:30 PM Fun Size PG-134:30 PM Skyfall PG-135:00 PM The Hobbit 3D PG-137:30 PM Flight R Sunday, December 30 2:00 PM Wreck-It Ralph 3D PG2:30 PM Life of Pi PG4:30 PM Lincoln PG-135:00 PM Cloud Atlas R7:30 PM Man with the Iron Fists R

GREEN PREMIERRED LAST SHOWBLUE FREE MOVIE

Midtown Movie theatersSCHEDULE & DESCRIPTIONS

Get in the holiday spirit

Are you ready for a private tour ofone of Sicily's most cherished expe-riences? MWR has the solution! Tra-vel is fun and rewarding especiallyaround the holidays! You can expe-rience your own private tour of theMuseo del Presepio Giarre, on Satur-day, December 29. It is exciting tostop and look carefully at these tradi-tional nativity scenes, but this mu-seum gives the impression ofentering into the scenes as an activeparticipant. This special tour is desi-gned to treat the Sigonella commu-nity to a Sicilian tradition that datesto medieval times. Continue the af-ternoon with the flavors of the sea-son with lunch at Agriturismo RegiaCorte. Sig's the Season!

ITT Gear N Go Tripto Giarre Nativities& Puppet Show

Movie schedule is subject to change. Please call to confirm.

Movie Hotline: 624-4248

FLIGHT……………………….……RSTARRING:Nadine Velazquez, Denzel Washington

An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals somethingtroubling. (138 m.)

MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS……………RSTARRING: Russell Crowe, Cung Le and Lucy Liu

On the hunt for a fabled treasure of gold, a band of warriors, assassins, and a rogue British soldierdescend upon a village in feudal China, where a humble blacksmith looks to defend himself and his fellowvillagers. (95 m.)

JACK REACHER……...................…PG-13STARRING:Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins

A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five randomvictims. (130 m.)

LIFE OF PI 2D & 3D…..............................PGSTARRING: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Adil Hussain

A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery andforms an unexpected connection with another survivor…a fearsome Bengal tiger. (127 m.)


GAMEFind the words!

Find and circle all of the Christmas words

that are hidden in the grid. The remaining

letters spell a secret message.

ANGELBELLSBETHLEHEMCANDLESCANDY CANECAROLSDECORATIONSEGGNOGFAMILYFRANKINCENSEFRIENDS FRUITCAKEGABRIELGIFTSGOLDGREETING CARDSHOLLYICICLESJESUSJOSEPHLIGHTS

MANGERMARYMISTLETOEMYRRHORNAMENTSPOINSETTIASANTASHEPHERDSSKATESSLEIGH SNOWFLAKESSNOWMANSTABLESTARSTOCKINGTHREE WISE MENTOBOGGANTOYSTREEWREATH


Sudoku!

Did you know?

Each year more than 3 billionChristmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.

All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts.

Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850.

Christmas purchases account for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S.

'99 BMW 520i, 170K km, AC/Heat,CDplayer,radio,abs,airbags,manualtrans,good condition. $5,000 OBO. Call342-182-7027.

2006 Peugeout 107, full accessories,automatic shift, perfect condition, in-spection passed. Asking 4,200 Euro.FMI call Armando at 3489128930.

2002 VW Passat S.W 1.9 tdi 130hp.Cruise control, A/C full tronic, abs, airbags, rims, stereo, and removable tow-bar. Very good condition. $4,000 OBO.Call 3923769817 or email [email protected].

1998 Alfa Romeo 156 1.6L gas engine; 4door sedan, very clean. Has 141K kilo-meters; passed recent safety inspection;new tires, new brakes and new batteryin 2012 and replaced heater core, headgasket and clutch in 2011. A/C worksgreat as does the heater. Radio with CDplayer. Good on gas. Available January2,2013 Asking $1,400 OBO. For more in-formation contact Aaron Work at 624-2137 or at 3666822000.

Are you interested in becoming yourCommand Financial Specialist? Nexttraining will be offered by the Fleet andFamily Support Center (FFSC) on March18-22, 2013. Call 624-4291 for more de-tails on the requirements you need tosign up

Mario & Luigi, 6 months, medium,male, brown, dog, current on shots, mi-crochipped, may due better with olderchildren.

Fideo, 7 months, medium, male,brown, dog, loves everyone and is a ty-pical active puppy, current on shots,microchpped.

Phillipo, 7 months, medium, male,black and white, dog, a very active andplayful puppy, current on shots, micro-chipped.

Jenna, 3 years, medium, female, tanand black, dog, very mild manneredand loving, great with dogs, children,

and people, current on shots, micro-chipped, and spayed. She has a few3 month old puppies left.

Diesel, 8 months, medium to large,male, black and brown, rottweiler, verysmart and loving dog, loves cats, dogs,

and children, current on shots, micro-chipped.

To volunteer, adopt or foster, visit facebook.com/Sigonella.Animals orhttp://sigonellaanimalwelfaresociety.webs.com/

AUTOMOB I L E S

S AWS AN IMA L S

NOT I C E


The appearance of advertising in this newspaper, including inserts of supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Navy (or Marine Corps), (name of command)or (name of publisher) of the products and services advertised. "Everything advertised in this newspaper shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color,religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunitypolicy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. Published by Stampa, a private firm in no way connected with DoD,the U.S. Navy (or Marine Corps), under exclusive contract with the U.S. Navy (or Marine Corps).

You can adopt while

posted overseas.

International�&�fostercare

adoptions,�homestudies.

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