Andrews 031315

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 10

COMMUNITYCoffee Club: Brewing strong communities, Page 4

COMMUNITYMontpelier Mansion exhibit features

new artifacts, Page 6

BASE NEWSJBA commemorates Women’s

History Month, Page 2

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Navy veteran, BillBuffington is a staunchadvocate for veterans’rights on Capitol Hill andthe Veterans Administra-tion.

In particular, thefounder of VConnec-tions Inc. is passionateabout providing servicesthrough his non-profitorganization to his fel-low veterans that includeservices through thetwo-year-old non-profitorganization. “We do ed-ucation on benefits andclaims, also health andwellness, with a specificinterest in our servicewomen,” said Buffington.

“I advocate for the vet-erans who have gone outvolunteered to serve forthis country, whether amilitary member workedin administration, foughton the front line, servedon 120-day deploymentor retired with 20 plusyears of service,” saidBuffington, who serveda combined total 8 yearsactive duty and 3 years ofSelective Reserve service.

“The fact that a personstepped up to volunteerfor his or her country andwalked away from theirfamily is reason enoughto fight for and educatethem about their rights,”

Buffington said.Buffington, once a

Navy All Star basketballplayer, uses that sametenacity to continuouslylocate veterans to helpin the St. Charles andCalvert county communi-ties. “One out of every 5people I meet is a veteranor knows a veteran.” Al-though Buffington hasthree offices, including ahigh-rise office at VCon-nections in White Plains,he stays on the go. “Idon’t like offices. My of-fice is on the street meet-ing and talking with vet-erans.”

“When I transitionedback into in the civilianworld, I wanted to knowhow I could help our vet-erans really benefit andhelp to them to betterunderstand the process.So I came up with littlegroups like a VeteransCoffee Break at Chick-fil-A as a place for veteransto eat, with mentors inplace to help each otherand some of our militarystudents on campus atthe College of SouthernMaryland Veterans Or-ganization. Whetherthey’re networking forjobs, support, or informa-tion about available VAservices, I want them tofeel better about transi-

One veteran makinga difference

see VETERANS, page 3

BY LESLIE C. SMITHSTAFF WRITER

The Academy of Nu-trition and Dieteticsinvite you to adopt ahealthier lifestyle dur-ing National NutritionMonth. This year “Biteinto a Healthy Lifestyle”is the theme.

Registered Dieti-tian and author of TheD.I.E.T. Question: Did I

eat today?, Juvonia Har-ris, RD, LDN offers a bitof perspective in helpingyou navigate your wayto a healthier lifestyle.

Harris offers somesimple ways to step intoa healthy new way ofthinking. “Biting into ahealthy lifestyle every-where you go just reallymeans making sure youare aware throughoutyour entire day of what

you are eating; it doesn’tnecessarily mean thatyou have to be obsessed.

“Biting into a healthylifestyle everywhereyou go means if you aremeeting friends for alunch think about whatyou’re going to eat; areyou going to have thecheeseburger and friesor are you going to havea healthy salad withsome sauteed shrimp on

top of it. This means be-ing aware of everythingyou do.”

Harris added, “Be-ing healthy is a stateof mind that you carrythrough your everydaylife and your activi-ties revolving aroundit. When you are facedwith a decision of do youeat the french fries or doyou get the baked potato

Adopt a healthy lifestyle ‘bite’ by ‘bite’

see BITE, page 5

BY MAKEDA KNOTT11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

In observance of Na-tional Children’s DentalHealth Month, membersfrom the 779th Dental

Squadron visited theChild Development Cen-ters Feb. 26.

Each year, for morethan a decade, the squad-ron has teamed up with

the CDC during NCDHM.The month-long aware-

ness campaign, sponsoredby the American DentalAssociation, aims to pro-mote the benefits of good

oral healthcare for chil-dren. The ADA’s cam-paign slogan this year is“Defeat Monster Mouth.”

Four 779th DS mem-

CDC children ‘DefeatMonster Mouth’

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/ SENIOR AIRMAN NESHA HUMES

Aahmir Elmore practices tooth brushing techniques during a demonstration at the Child Development Centerfor National Children’s Dental Health Month Feb. 26 on Joint Base Andrews. The 779th Dental Squadron heldan interactive demonstration to educate JBA children on dental hygiene.

see TEETH, page 2

BAND AIMS TO INSPIRE STUDENTS

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/ SENIOR AIRMAN NESHA HUMES

Skyline High School students sing Journey’s “Don’tStop Believin’” with Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson,U.S. Air Force Band Max Impact vocalist, during aneducational outreach program Jan. 30 in Mesa, Ariz.

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg,Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force or any branch of the United States military.The appearance of advertising in these publications,

including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsementby the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force orthe products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age,martial status, physical handicap, political af-filiation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

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Andrews Gazette2 Friday, March 13, 2015

March 13Live at Montpelier: Sharon Clark8 p.m.Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Road,

LaurelWashington, D.C. jazz vocalist Sharon Clark

has performed for festival and concert audiencesacross the U.S. and Europe. A winner of the GoldMedal and $10,000 top prize in the Savannah Mu-sic Festival’s American Traditions Competition,Clark has headlined the Duke Ellington Jazz Fes-tival, the historic Lincoln Theater, and the CapeMay Jazz Festival. Clark has appeared with theSmithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and hasperformed by invitation for President Bill Clinton.Call 301-377-7800 or visit www.arts.pgparks.com

March 14CarmenBowie Center for the Performing Arts, 15200

Annapolis Road, Bowie7 p.m.The Ballet Theatre of Maryland presents An

American Southwest Carmen, featuring the musicof Bizet played live by the Londontowne SymphonyOrchestra under the direction of Anna Binneweg.Set against the backdrop of the Mexican-AmericanWar, this true-life Carmen weaves, romance, pas-sion, intrigue and betrayal together to reveal thetragic events surrounding the murder of one of themost notorious female smugglers in the history ofthe American West. For tickets and information,visit www.balletmaryland.org or call 410-263-8289.

March 14HeatwaveHarmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livings-

ton Road, Fort WashingtonHeatwave remains one of the most beloved groups

of the 70s. Heatwave is an international funk/discoband and are best known for their successful songs“Boogie Nights”, “Always and Forever,” and “TheGroove Line.” Call 301-203-607 or visit www.arts.pgparks.com

March 17St. Patrick’s Day Concert: Runa8 p.m.Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Road,

LaurelMost recently recognized in the 2013 Irish Mu-

sic Awards and the 12th Annual Independent MusicAwards, RUNA draws on the diverse musical back-grounds of its band members and offers a contempo-rary approach to traditional and more recently com-posed Celtic material. Visit www.arts.pgparks.com

Hot ticketsaround town

Vietnam VeteransRemembered

Active-duty service members,civilians and veterans were amongthose who honored prisoners ofwar and those missing in actionduring the 50th anniversary of theVietnam War commemoration cer-emony and wreath-laying at the AirForce Memorial in Arlington, Va.

“I don’t believe there is any bet-ter place to honor these airmenthan right here, looking at thisbeautiful memorial, looking overthe Pentagon, to our great nation’scapital,” said Air Force Chief ofStaff Gen. Mark A. Welsh.

The ceremony commemoratedthe beginning of the OperationRolling Thunder bombing cam-paign in 1965, in which joint-service aircraft bombed targetsthroughout North Vietnam. It alsomarked the 50th anniversary of re-

tired Lt. Col. Hayden J. Lockhart,who took part in Operation Roll-ing Thunder, becoming the first AirForce POW. Flying the F-100 SuperSabre, Colonel Lockhart ejectedover North Vietnam and survived2,905 days in captivity

B-29 Flight PlannedVolunteers have completed res-

toration of Doc, “the world’s secondairworthy B-29 Superfortress,” andplan to fly the plane from Wichita,Kan., in the next few months. Therestoration team originally wantedto fly the WWII-vintage bomber tolast summer’s Experimental Air-craft Association (EAA) fly-in atOshkosh, Wis. The new plan is tofly formation with Fifi, “the otherflying B-29,” at EAA in July. Itwould be the first time in 60 yearsthat two B-29s fly in formation to-gether.

Allotment ChangesRetirees who pay Delta Den-

tal or Tricare rime enrollmentfees through a retired pay allot-ment with DFAS may experienceslight changes in their net paydue to of changes in enrollmentfees. If you have questions aboutTricare Prime coverage or costsassociated with Tricare coveragecontact your regional contrac-tor attricare.mil/contactus. Thosewith questions about Delta Den-tal coverage costs should consultDelta Dental at www.deltadewntal.com/public/index.jsp.

The Retiree Activities Officeis open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. Visit the office inBuilding 1604 at California andColorado Avenues or call 301 981-2726. Call before your visit to ensurea volunteer is on duty. The RAO hasa website at www.andrews.af.mil.

Retiree corner

bers talked to children at CDC IIabout proper nutrition, brushingand flossing techniques, and gen-eral oral hygiene instructions.

The team provided interac-tive ways for the children to getinvolved. They brought in largeplastic models of teeth and stuffedanimals equipped with a full setof teeth to practice brushing.

“The kids were enthusiasticto be a part of the dental demon-stration,” said Staff Sgt. DavidBrockes, 779th DS dental assis-tant. “All of the kids wanted todemonstrate brushing teeth onour props; I think they really en-joyed it.”

The purpose of this event wasto ensure children understand theimportance of taking care of theirteeth at a young age.

According to Capt. MelissaHolt, 779th DS advanced generaldentist and officer-in-charge ofPreventive Dentistry, children re-quire us to break down difficultconcepts into more understand-able terms.

“During exams, we have muchless time to work on children’steeth and teach them proper den-tal hygiene,” said Holt. “Theirattention span is shorter thanadults.”

Holt cited that although theirattention span is shorter, chil-dren are more willing to learnand incorporate proper care whentaught early. The ADA recom-mends that it is important forparents and caregivers to beginmouth cleaning immediately, evenbefore teeth begin to erupt.

The ADA advises parents to be-gin brushing with a small amountof fluoride toothpaste, twice a day,

when teeth appear. The associa-tion says that teaching childrenthe importance of good oral hy-giene is an excellent way to sethealthy habits for life.

“Parents should continue tobrush their child’s teeth untilthey have the ability to properlybrush without assistance,” saidTech. Sgt. Tina Phelps-Prince,779th DS dental hygienist. “Theymust consistently reassure chil-dren that they are doing well andalso explain to them the impor-tance of healthy snacking.”

Phelps-Prince said having ahealthy diet is essential in main-taining an overall healthy mouth.

According to the ADA, it is agood idea to have the first dentalvisit within six months after thefirst tooth appears, and no laterthan the child’s first birthday.

TEETH, from page 1

BY 1ST LT GRACE GIBBONS1ST HELICOPTER SQUADRON

March is National Women’sHistory Month and Joint Base An-drews is hosting weekly events tohighlight the contributions of wom-en past and present.

This year’s theme, “Weaving theStories of Women’s Lives,” was es-tablished to include both the sin-gular and group accomplishmentsof women.

“The telling of women’s storiesnot only empowers but also in-spires future generations of youngwomen,” said 1st Lt. Grace Gib-bons, 1st Helicopter Squadron spe-cial missions pilot. “These storiesrange from the heroic acts of Mary

Edwards, the only woman to everreceive the Medal of Honor, to theinnovative discoveries of MarieCurie, the first person to have re-ceived two Nobel Prizes.”

Through the weaving of thesestories, we see the unified, cohesivetapestry that is this nation.

Since the beginning of this na-tion, women have participated inevery major conflict, including war.However, it was not until 1948 thatCongress voted and passed theWomen’s Armed Services Integra-tion Act, allowing women to par-ticipate as active members of theArmed Forces.

This month, JBA wants to rec-ognize women’s history with thefollowing events; readings at the

Child Development Center onMarch 18 and at the Youth CenterMarch 28.

“The books we will read to thechildren feature different womenthroughout history,” said Gibbons.

The month will culminate witha luncheon at The Courses at An-drews on March 23 at noon, withguest speaker, Lt. Gen. Judith Fed-der, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logis-tics, Installation and Mission Sup-port, Headquarters U.S.. Air Force.She will speak about her perspec-tive on women in the military.

For more information about JBAWHM events please contact 1st Lt.Grace Gibbons, Capt. Will Perry.

JBA commemoratesWomen’s History Month

Andrews GazetteFriday, March 13, 2015 3

tioning back into the community.”Buffington approached John Flat-

ley, La Plata Chick-fil-A owner/opera-tor, over year ago about providing spacewhere veterans could come eat and shareinformation on VA benefits every Mon-day from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. “I embraced it,because Monday mornings is quiet day,”said the 11-year restaurant owner. “Thenumbers may vary, but I’ve seen Vietnamvets and members who served in the des-ert recently come in and get a chance tocompare notes. That’s when that ‘beenthere, done that’ moment comes up, likethey understand they’re not alone. That’swhere my heart is; when you get some ofthese young guys that just came out ofthe service and are trying to figure it outand mix them with some old guys who’vebeen out for a while and are surviving,it all makes sense,” said Flatley, an AirForce veteran of 21 years.

“There’s plenty of room here and I’dlike to see more women attend. Bill is agiant force within this community.”

As the veterans stood in line for acomplimentary cup of coffee, Buffingtonblended with the veterans of differentages, conflict eras and services meldedinto one group with the obvious missionof sharing their story.

Buffington kicked off the informalmeeting talking to veterans about theservices his company provides. “V standsfor veterans and Connections stands forconnecting you to resources and oppor-tunities by networking like you guys aredoing here today. Bringing that studentor family unit out and getting them tounderstand each other while being in agroup setting like this one is good.”

He noted his group will be sponsoringa Mother’s Day event, focusing on vet-eran mothers, service women and theirfamilies at the St. Charles Library. “We’lloffer on-site employment, health andwellness, and education opportunitiesfor those wanting to know how to applyfor benefits or get back in school. That’swhat my organization stands for,” saidBuffington, before letting the veteransspeak.

Francine Morgan, year-veteran AirForce 17 years, is anxious to serve as theWomen’s Advocate for the Buffington’snon-profit organization to educate her-self and other women about their right

to veteran benefits. “I’m starting fromscratch. I’ve had to dig and crawl to findout information about my benefits,” saidthe native Washingtonian, airing herfrustrations. “I now have medical ben-efits to go to the Charlotte Hall VeteransHome, only because my income is not suf-ficient. I live from paycheck to paycheck.However, they have no female doctors,no OBGYN’s, no X-Ray machines and notransportation,” explained Morgan, nowaWaldorf resident. “I’m really concernedabout women’s health, because I’ve beendealing with it for the past 25 years, tak-ing care of my daughter, Brittany, now25, who has Down Syndrome. “Thanksto Mr. Buffington, I have a car that wasgiven to me free with no payments andit’s mine,” said Morgan smiling. “I joinedthis group, because I wanted to get in theloop of knowledge about veteran benefits.When I got out of the military in 1990they didn’t have TAP classes. So I didn’tget any information.

“Bill is like the energizer bunny, I lovehim to death because he never stops ad-vocating for his fellow veterans.”

Bill Needham, a 77-year-old Navyveteran was among the veterans seekingVA benefit information on how to get newhearing aids. His hearing lost came fromwhile serving active duty. He was toldthat he wasn’t eligible for benefits. Con-soling Needham, Buffington assured himthat he would schedule a date to person-ally take him to the VA to file his claim.So the seasoned patriot who was amongthe Navy members who plucked NavyCommander Alan B. Shepard, America’sfirst astronaut in space from the oceanwas happy for the support.

Lyndon Watson, a civilian who hasno military affiliation listened to veter-ans tell their stories and offered his sup-port. His sole purpose for attending themeeting was to give support to the groupwherever it is needed.

Buffington attributes the success ofhis organization to his veteran teammembers, in particular, the women. I’mthe face of this company. However, myVConnections team is predominantlyran and driven by women. My nonprofitis run by veterans, not by me,” said Buff-ington.

VETERANS, from page 1

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

Bill Buffington, founder of VConnections Inc. (left), Bill Needham, and John Flatley,La Plata Chick-fil-A, owner and operator, pose for group photo after a weekly Vet-erans Coffee Break meeting held at the Chick-fil-A in La Plata on March 9.

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Andrews Gazette4 Friday, March 13, 2015

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Dorothy Lowe, District5 Coffee Club facilitator,called the weekly Wednes-day meeting to order in aroom furnished by ColonySouth Inn in Clinton Mar.4.

“We’re an independentclub and we have a goodrelationship with theDistrict 5 Police Depart-ment,” said Lowe, who

helped to start the clubalong with Derek Mat-thews, founder of TrueVision, a youth develop-ment organization, MajorAnnette James, previousCommander of PrinceGeorge’s County PoliceDistrict V in cooperationwith Clinton SafewayManagement and theStarbucks Company in2004. Club Williams Es-tates Citizen Association.

The non-partisan club

is a public forum werePrince George’s countycitizens, business owners;organizations and publicofficials share informa-tion and work togetherto build a stronger, safercommunity.

“I think the CoffeeClub is a wonderful event.It gets everybody togeth-er to get information outthere in the community.I just wish that morepeople would be able to

attend,” said Major Ray-mond Gordon, PrinceGeorge’s County PoliceDepartment District 5Commander.

Police District V en-compasses Accokeek,Andrews Air Force Base,Aquasco, Baden, Brandy-wine, Camp Springs, Ce-dar Haven, Cheltenham,Clinton, Croom, EagleHarbor, Fort Washington,Piscataway, and UpperMarlboro.

“The club is run by thecommunity, not the policeor fire department. I tryto let them know aboutserious events that oc-curred like thefts; or givesafety tips like when aperson goes to a gas sta-tion make sure they locktheir car and take theirvaluables with them be-cause there’s been a rashof thefts.

We get wonderful feed-back. It’s a great give andtake. That’s the beautyof it. People freely pro-vide their input. We have

other government officialsthat come to the meetingand let us know of some-thing new that’s goingon in the community likea Wal-Mart being built.The developers come tothe coffee club and talkabout it.”

According to Gordon,the information providedvaries depending on theissue they’re having suchas if they had problemswith dogs, somebody fromanimal control wouldbe asked to attend their

Coffee Club: Brewing strong communities

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

A District 5 Coffee Club member talks about phonescams with fellow residents at the Colony South Innin Clinton on March 4.

see COFFEE, page 7

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Andrews GazetteFriday, March 13, 2015 5

that is an opportunity to bite into ahealthy lifestyle because you can choosethe baked potato. It’s just that constantstate of awareness. Staying in tune withyour body to say this is better, maybeI should forgo that; and know the mo-ments that you are going to cheat andjust be mindful.”

Tips for eating healthyHarris offers several tips as guide-

lines to taking the initial steps intoadopting a healthy lifestyle. Harris’ firstsuggestion is to ensure to get enoughfluids, especially water. “Make sure youhave enough water because your body isover 80 percent water and you need toput that back in; and when I say waterI literally mean water.”

Harris added, “You can’t and onlyhave had one glass of water becausethen you’re not giving your body whatit needs to continue to move as well asflush out all the toxins that you put inthroughout the day.”

Another key factor, Harris said, is re-ducing your fat intake. “When you thinkabout fat and reducing it; it’s not onlyfoods that say fried but also things likepotato chips and doughnuts – anythingyou know that is prepared in oil – orgrease – you have to monitor that and

limit those foods that are high in fat.”Fiber is another important aspect of

nutrition. “Make sure you consume over30 grams of fiber in a day because fi-ber is what you need to bring all thosethings together – all that junk – andmove it out of there. There are so manycereals that are high in fiber you canget all you 30 grams probably in oneserving of cereal. If you don’t want toeat it all at one time, spread it through-out the day; just make sure you pay at-tention the content of fiber in your foodsso that you can have enough.”

Fresh fruit and vegetables are alsoessential according to Harris. “Manytimes people don’t eat anything fresh.They’ll go the whole day then they’llsay, ‘I had some green beans or I hadsome apple sauce.’ It’s OK if that’swhere you’re starting. I want you to getto a level where you are making sureyou have an abundance of fresh fruitand vegetables. I even say nine plusservings of fruits and vegetables. You’renot only getting water, you’re getting fi-ber, you’re getting antioxidants you’regetting all the stuff the body needs; andwhen the body gets what it needs it re-ally thrives.”

The last tool she offered is not somuch nutrition but none the less es-sential to a healthy lifestyle –fitness.Harris suggested adding some type ofphysical activity. “It doesn’t have to be

strenuous; it doesn’t have to be some-thing you don’t like. Any sort of exercisethat gets the body moving is always agood thing.”

PitfallsHarris offers that adopting a healthy

lifestyle doesn’t have to be daunting.“Life is life and people are going to goout and eat and there are going to bedays where you honestly don’t want toworry about the calories, you don’t wantto worry about the carbs, you don’t wantto worry about the fat; and for that I saygo for it. If you pick a time, say for ex-ample your anniversary or your birth-day, you want to go out and you wantto splurge and you don’t want to worrythen don’t worry about it. However, forthe majority of the days you have to beaware.”

Enjoy going out to eat but be mindfulof the pitfall of eating out; in particularthe preparation of meals.

“So when you go out to restaurantsthere are always foods that have a lotof extra calories and extra fat thoseitems always include a gravy or sauceso if you are eating something that hasa heavy sauce, a cream sauce, a gravy, ifit’s an a gratin – has any type of cheesesauce mixed in there – you can knowthat’s it’s higher in calories.

“The other thing you need to watchout for is any type of prepared salad.

Anything that is pre-mixed and it’s gotall these ingredients mixed up in it, andyou don’t know the individual ingredi-ents, then those aren’t the foods that arein the purest forms. You always want tomake sure you choose something thatyou can identify the food group it be-longs in; and you don’t want to have ittainted by a lot of sauces and cheeseand gravies. What you end up doing issmothering your food and put a lot ofextra calories and fat into somethingthat it doesn’t need.”

Harris suggested staying with grilleddishes, baked dishes, or something sau-téed. If you want a sauce or dressingask for it on the side, “You can controlit better instead of letting the restau-rant control it for you; it gives you morepower.”

Finally, Harris offered, “When youbite into a healthy lifestyle it meanstake it one step at a time; bite into alittle at a time be aware of what you’redoing on a daily basis ask yourself whatdid I eat today: did I eat my fruits; did Ieat my vegetables; did I have too muchfat; did I drink my water? Just start bit-ing it off bit by bit. Set realistic goals foryourself and take baby steps; one day ata time you’ll get there.”

For more helpful tips and recipes youcan visit www.healthy-eating-family.com.

BITE, from page 1

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

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Andrews Gazette6 Friday, March 13, 2015

BY LESLIE C. SMITHSTAFF WRITER

Several of the more than4,000 artifacts will be on dis-play in a new exhibit “HiddenTreasure: Restoration and Ar-chaeology” at Montpelier Man-sion in Laurel, Md. These arti-facts were discovered during ayear-long restoration in 2013 byarcheologists.

With construction initiatedin 1781 by Ann Ridgely andMajor Thomas Snowden, mem-bers of prominent Marylandfamilies, the 70 acres and themansion are what remain of anoriginal 9000-acre land holding.The Snowden family was hostto many famous and prominent,including George and MarthaWashington.

The exhibit is divided upinto several parts including thebackground on Montpelier andthe family that lived there, andthe artifacts that tie in with thebackground of the family andtheir wealth, as well as whatgoes into preserving and therestoration of Montpelier help-ing to educate people about whythis process needs to be done.

“One of the unique thingsabout this project is it wasn’t wewent in and fixed just one thing;it was a project that took manymeetings and took many years

to put together. It was a projectthat was tackled on the wholeon many surfaces from the topto the bottom of the house,” not-ed Edna Graham with Montpe-lier Mansion Maryland Nation-al Parks and Planning.

“What benefits us is that weget a peek into the past when

something like this is done,”said Graham.

“This is not the end. Justlike the honey-do list, there isalways something that needs tobe repaired or fixed,” said Gra-ham.

“Normally sites – or even ashomeowners – we’re not able

to do things as a whole; we fixthis problem then we run overand fix this problem, and we’recontinuously having to fix prob-lems. So this was very excitingthat we would take the yearand attack it on all levels,” Gra-ham concluded.

With the intent to have the

exhibit to be enjoyed by all agegroups there are many hands-on activities with informationpanels. Additional kid’s activi-ties are planned in the exhibitas well as the children’s hands-on room in the Mansion, avail-able on a self-guided tour.

The Spring History LectureSeries discussing the archeol-ogy preservation and conser-vation will also be featuredmonthly from March throughMay.

The exhibit will run throughApril 30. Montpelier Mansion isopen Thursday through Tues-day (closed on Wednesday), 11a.m. to 3 p.m.

Montpelier Mansion exhibit features new artifacts

Numerous hidden treasureswere discovered during theMontpelier Mansion restora-tion undertaken in 2013.

PHOTOS/LESLIE C. SMITH

While visiting the archeology exhibit, Montpelier Mansion is open for self-guided tours which fea-tures a childrens hands-on room where kids can explore 18th century living.

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Andrews GazetteFriday, March 13, 2015 7

The Security Forces Blotter is in-tended to keep members of the JointBase Andrews Community informedand aware of the crimes and offensesthat occur throughout the base eachweek. If you have any information thatmay help Security Forces solve a crimeor prevent a criminal act, please contactBDOC (Base Defense Operations Cen-ter) at 301-981-2001, Crime Stop Line981-2677 (COPS, or the investigationssection at 301-981-5656).

Feb. 22, 7:07 a.m.: Security Forcesresponded to a crash involving a pri-vately owned vehicle. Further inves-tigation revealed, while traveling onNorth Perimeter Road and ArnoldDrive, a driver lost control of the ve-hicle after driving over a patch of iceand struck the curb on the side of theroad. The individual was uninjured.

March 2, 3:09 p.m.: An individualattempting to gain access to the instal-lation through the Main Gate was dis-covered to have a controlled dangeroussubstance in the vehicle.The individualwas detained and charged accordingly.

March 3, 3:28 p.m.: Security Forcesresponded to a reports of shoplifting atthe Main Exchange. An individual at-tempted to walk out of the Main Ex-change without rendering payment fora pair of earrings. The individual wasdetained and charged accordingly.

March 7 at 10:10 p.m.: An indi-

vidual attempting to gain access to theinstallation through the Main Gate wasdiscovered to have a controlled danger-ous substance in the vehicle. The indi-vidual was detained and charged ac-cordingly.

As A ReminderThere has been an increase in at-

tempts to enter the Installation with acontrolled dangerous substance in thevehicle. All vehicles entering the In-stallation are subject to be searched,anyone caught attempting to bringcontrolled dangerous substances onthe Installation will be charged andmay lose their base privileges.

When exiting your vehicle be sureto secure your personal property anddon’t keep items of high value in yourvehicle unattended.

Please remember, while driving onthe installation you must have a validdriver’s license, proof of insurance, ve-hicle registration and proper MilitaryIdentification. All credentials mustbe up to date and present at the timethey are asked for.

For reporting any emergencies ornon-emergencies please feel free toutilize the “LiveSafe” app. “LiveSafe”is an anonymous reporting app thatcan be downloaded for free on yoursmart device.

Security Forces police blottermeeting to discuss it or if there wasa be legal concern, a county attorneycould ask to give advice to our citizensto alleviate certain issue. “There mightbe an inquiry about snow. A Publicworks representative could be con-tacted to inform residents what theyshould do,” said Gordon, who’s been at-tending the meetings since 2011.

“It’s a non-adversarial atmosphereand you get to talk about what’s goingon and what’s happening in the com-munity, such as crimes in the area.The whole body of the Coffee Club isvery committed.”

He noted The Citizens AdvisoryCouncil (CAC) has a meeting at thepolice station the 3rd Tuesday of ev-ery month to have discussions and thechief of police has a CAC that meetson a regular basis to discuss what’s go-ing on in the community as well. “Wediscuss everything like the Fergusonsituation, body cameras etc. There’s alot of open dialogue that goes on.”

Vonetta Norman, a retired Air ForceTech. Sgt., was among the audienceclub members who became more in-volved after Carolyn Lowe invited herto one of the meetings. “I’ve alwaysbeen interested in my surroundingcommunity, said Norman. “Attend-ing these civic association meetingsallow me to be aware and involved inactivities that directly improve PrinceGeorges County District IV in Mary-land.”

Norman explained that she hasacquired a vast amount of useful in-formation while attending the weeklymeetings. “I’ve received links to cur-rent legislation with affects the com-munity and various county and statetraining made to residents. I receivededucation regarding various subjectssuch Fraud/Scams prevention, newand incoming businesses. Along withPrince George’s County District 5 po-lice, the Brandywine and Clinton firedepartments offer ways to keep myfamily safe, like installing carbon mon-oxide/smoke detectors and chimneymaintenance,” said Norman.

“I believe the Coffee Club membersare able to improve the community.This directly impacts the lives of theirfamily members and neighborhoods.”

Maj. Gordon said Prince George’sCounty Police Department is lookingfor people who want to attend The Cit-izens Police Academy, a 12-week pro-gram for citizens who want to learnabout the police department opera-tions. The individual will go throughvarious scenarios, including what anofficer might encounter, such as whenit would be necessary to shoot or not.Trainees will attend every Monday atthe training academy in Lanham.

About Coffee ClubThe District 5 Coffee Club meets 9

a.m. Wednesday at Colony South Hotelin Clinton. For more information contactDorothy Lowe at [email protected] or subscribe to [email protected].

COFFEE, from page 4

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Andrews Gazette8 Friday, March 13, 2015

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