Inbox stuff

Folks think that you guys pay attention to me so they email me stuff. here’s some of the stuff they’ve emailed me this week;

Dear John,

Would you please add this link to your Red Ribbon Week coverage? www.redribbon.org/contest National Red Ribbon Week starts tomorrow, Oct. 23.

Will you please include a link to the video for parents and students? ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_8oR6zAGhHA ) It shows how easy it is for families and schools from your area to win a $1,000 drug prevention grant for their local school, and an iPad for their family. Studies show that substance abuse risks lessen when children talk to their parents about the dangers of drugs, and this is the goal of 2012’s contest: to encourage families to talk about prevention at home and in their neighborhoods.

Hello. You’ve mentioned your large readership in Tampa several times on the blog. There is an event coming up in just under two weeks that it would be great if you could publicize.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hosting what they are calling the “Central Florida Military Resource Fair” on Sunday November 4th at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Bay Pines VA (St. Petersburg), James A. Haley VA (Tampa) and Orlando VA will all be represented and are co-sponsoring the event. There will also be representatives from federal, state and civilian employers, resume assistance, and interviewing skills development provided. This event is open to veterans and active duty military (bring a valid military ID or DD214). Prospective attendees can pre-register here:

http://web2.buccaneers.com/community/military-resource-fair

‘Veterans Reclaim Armistice Day: Healing Through the Humanities’ offers new take on Nov. 11 holiday

(INDIANAPOLIS) Oct. 23, 2012 – Art and military action each have been catalysts for transformational change, but usually at opposite ends of the human experience. This year, they will come together for “Veterans Reclaim Armistice Day: Healing Through the Humanities,” a free event sponsored by the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library on Nov. 11, 2012, at the Indiana War Memorial.

Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and supported by veterans groups throughout Indiana, “Veterans Reclaim Armistice Day” combines lectures, performances, sculpture, readings, painting and interactivity in an exploration of how artistic expression can help veterans and military personnel communicate their experiences to others.

The event, taking place on the final day of the citywide Spirit and Place Festival, is a natural fit for the Vonnegut Library, says its executive director, Julia Whitehead.

“Kurt Vonnegut was huddled captive in a former meat locker when the bombs fell that leveled Dresden, Germany, in World War II. He was forced to pull out dead men and women and children and pets, and he was a 22-year-old kid. It’s why he wrote Slaughterhouse-Five,” Whitehead says.

Nov. 11 would also be Vonnegut’s 90th birthday.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: (202) 205-1134
Twitter: @forestservice

US Forest Service waives fees during Veterans Day weekend

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2012 — The U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at most of its day-use recreation sites over the Veterans Day holiday weekend, Nov. 10-12.

The fee waivers – the fourth this year — are offered in cooperation with other federal agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Day-use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the Forest Service. Concessionaire operated day-use sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate.

“This is our way of saying thanks to the brave men and women – past and present – who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe at home,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “We encourage veterans, their families and all visitors to take time out over the holiday weekend to enjoy the benefits that nature provides at forests and grasslands throughout the country.”

The fee waiver days support the goals of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Outside.”

Traditionally, fees are not charged on 98 percent of national forests and grasslands, and approximately two-thirds of developed recreation sites in national forests and grasslands can be used for free. Many recreation opportunities such as camping, sightseeing and hiking can be enjoyed throughout the year at no cost.

The Forest Service operates approximately 17,000 developed recreation sites nationwide. Of those, approximately 6,000 require recreation fees, which are used to provide visitor services, repairs and replacements, and facilities maintenance.

The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Forest Service lands contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $27 billion per year.

AUCTIONS AMERICA’S DECEMBER SALE OF HISTORIC MILITARY VEHICLES BENEFITS NATIONAL MUSEUM IN AUBURN

AUBURN, Indiana (Oct. 23, 2012) – Auctions America will conclude its 2012 auction season by helping the historic National Military History Center (NMHM), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in Auburn, Indiana, sell more than 80 vintage military vehicles as well as a diverse assortment of more than 100 pieces of priceless war memorabilia at no reserve. The single-day sale is expected to feature the largest group of full and halftrack military items ever offered at public auction. Each item will be auctioned on Saturday, Dec. 8, at the center including a particularly rare WWII Daimler-Benz DB10 12 ton Primer mover, among the scarcest of all German equipment.

“This is truly an exceptional and unique opportunity for collectors of both vehicles and military hardware to acquire many one-of-a-kind lots and prototypes,” says Donnie Gould, Auctions America president. “The museum items are not relics; they tell not only the American story in both war and peace, but also the histories of Germany, France and Britain. We’re honored to have been entrusted with the sale of select lots from the international collection and look forward to welcoming enthusiasts to Auburn for what promises to be a truly unique, not-to-be-missed sale.”

Comprising German, French, British and U.S. military vehicles, the 83 transnational lots on offer represent a small portion of the extensive museum collection. The group will be sold to the highest bidder, creating more room for the museum to better display its other historic items. The sale will also help the museum pay off its mortgage, in turn safeguarding its future and mission to educate the public about the military history of both Europe and America through vehicle displays.

“The National Military History Museum has focused our efforts on educating the community on the U.S. and Europe’s involvement in major wars at home and around the world,” notes Tammy Hantz, operations manager of NMHM. “With the help of Auctions America, we’ll be able to continue these efforts for years to come. These vehicles are time capsules, and we hope the new owners will appreciate how symbolic they are to our country, as well as those countries in Europe that were involved in historic conflicts.”

Two vehicles sure to attract serious attention from collectors are an American GMC DUKW and British Humber Hexonaut GS, amphibious trucks used to transport Allied troops and supplies over land and water during the war. The Hexonaut GS is the only one of its kind known to exist. Vintage 1940s motorcycles are also on the docket, including a 1942 Harley-Davidson UA with sidecar and a 1941 Indian 841 with saddle bags.

WWII German halftrack armored personal carriers, such as the Hanomag Ausf. C and the Hanomag Sd. Kfz. 11, are also scheduled to cross the auction block alongside more than 100 pieces of war memorabilia including a German 8.8 cm Flak 36 gun and an American white M16, also known as the “Meat Chopper.”

Not entirely sure if this is appropriate, but I thought I’d give it a shot. My dad’s donating one of the two guns, chosen by the raffle winner with the proceeds going to the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation.

Category: Administrative