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Navy Water Rates on Guam to Increase

By
Edel Alon
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0

Is it me or does anyone else see that this is a 6.58% increase?  I’m not sure if it’s noticeable in your bills but to put it in perspective, did any of you get a 6.58% raise this year?

Starting Oct. 1, the Navy will be charging Guam 26 cents more per thousand gallons of water.

The change from the current rate of $3.80 per thousand gallons to $4.06 was announced Friday. In a news release, the Naval Engineering Command Marianas stated the new rate was “consistent with the Navy’s promise toward graduated adjustments designed to minimize financial impact” to the Guam Waterworks and Power Authorities.

It also brings the rate more in line with what has been charged to Department of Defense customers on the island, the release said.

The command said the adjustment is based on the current cost of producing drinking water for the base and other customers in the southern villages of Agat, Santa Rita, Piti, Nimitz Hill, parts of Asan and Maina, and the Apra Harbor area.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63139

Agility Team Wins Contract for Service on Guam

By
Edel Alon
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0

Agility Team Captures $17M Guam Depot Contract

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Agility Defense & Government Services (DGS) and Accent Controls Inc. have won a contract to manage the Defense Distribution Depot Guam, Marianas (DDGM), the two companies announced today.

The five-year contract, worth $17 million, was awarded May 1, 2009 by the Defense Distribution Center, New Cumberland, Pa.

Accent Controls Inc. (ACI), based in Riverside, Mo., will be the prime contractor. ACI is certified by the federal government as a minority, woman-owned, disadvantaged small business. It will provide program management and ISO certifications in quality, safety and environmental protection.

Agility DGS, based in Alexandria, Va., will act as a subcontractor, providing warehousing, distribution and management services.

DDGM is one of 25 U.S. Department of Defense distribution centers worldwide. It provides distribution-support services, including receipt, storage, issue and trans-shipment of supplies for the U.S. military on Guam. The facility provides additional surge-capacity services to all four branches of the military operating under U.S. Pacific Command.

“This contract is a perfect fit for us. Agility DGS has a substantial and growing presence on Guam, and we own and operate the world-class defense distribution depot in Kuwait,” said Dan Mongeon, president and CEO of Agility DGS. “When you combine our local knowledge and depot experience with ACI’s exceptional record of performance for defense customers, you get a team that has a lot to offer DDGM.”

Mary Janiak, president of ACI, said, “Accent Controls is looking forward to working with Agility Defense & Government Services and providing DDGM with smart solutions for distribution services that are on time – every time.”

Agility DGS runs the only contractor-owned, contractor-operated U.S. Department of Defense distribution center worldwide, the Defense Distribution Center, Kuwait Southwest Asia (DDKS).

The DDGM win is part of Agility’s strategic expansion on Guam. Other recent Agility initiatives on Guam include:
– Agility and its joint venture partner, Tristar Transport, acquired the Agat Fuel Terminal on Guam.
– Agility and Tristar won a five-year, $32 million contract to handle storage and distribution of more than 1.2 million barrels of fuel for U.S. forces in the Pacific and Far East.
– A separate Agility-led joint venture, AFH Fuel Services, operates bulk-fuel facilities at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as well as at U.S. Air Force installations in Japan, South Korea, Turkey, German and Portugal.

Agility also is working with Younex on a plan to provide housing and services for 20,000 temporary workers assigned to infrastructure projects that are associated with the U.S. military buildup on Guam.

About Accent Controls, Inc.

 

Since 1994, Accent Controls, Inc. (ACI), located in Riverside, Mo., has offered an adaptable suite of services by melding its core competencies in engineering systems integration into the areas of public works, base/facilities maintenance and operations, construction management, logistics, warehousing, transportation, and information technology applications.

ACI supports and partners with a wide range of clients including major corporations, industrial organizations and federal, state and local governments. ACI is a minority, woman-owned small business and is ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety Management) registered.

ACI has successfully completed prime contracts and second-tier projects with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Army Reserve Command, General Services Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Toyota, Bayer, Hallmark Cards, Folgers Coffee, Kansas City Power & Light, Black & Veatch Engineering, Burns & McDonnell Engineering and numerous other companies throughout the country.

For more information, please call us at (816) 483-6330 or visit www.accentcontrols.com

About Agility
Agility is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated logistics to businesses and governments. It is a publicly traded company with $6.8 billion in annual revenue and more than 34,000 employees in over 550 offices and 120 countries. Agility brings efficiency to supply chains in some of the globe’s most challenging environments, offering unmatched personal service, a global footprint, and customized capabilities in developed and emerging economies alike.

Agility has three business divisions: Agility Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) is headquartered in Switzerland and provides supply chain solutions to commercial customers large and small. Agility Defense & Government Services (DGS), based in Washington, offers logistics services to governments, relief agencies and international institutions worldwide. Agility Infrastructure group companies primarily focus on opportunities in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, providing infrastructure support in the areas of industrial real estate, customs optimization, and airline services.

For more information about Agility, visit www.agilitylogistics.com.

Guam to Get More Pollution as a Result of US military Plans

By
Edel Alon
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0

Has anyone thought of this?  It’s just a natural process–more people, more trash.  Can Guam handle it?  It’s not just the people, we’re talking about the build-up of the entire island.  Where do we put it all?  Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of driving the trash to another state.

An American anthropologist says plans for the US military build-up on Guam are a sign that pollution on the island is set to worsen.

In a new book, Catherine Lutz claims that residents of territories which host military bases are unwitting victims of a range of environmental, social and financial impacts.

Professor Lutz says the more than 900 offshore US military posts have a long history of polluting the environment.

She says because of the US military, Guam already has a number of sites on the US Super Fund list for the country’s most toxic places.

“There’s been very little clean up. So many people on Guam are as concerned as much about this as some of the possibilities for crime (posed by the military build-up). That is to say they have very high cancer rates in certain of the cancers and people are concerned that maybe the reason why is because they’ve been exposed over all these years to the kinds of material that the military has been using, which include many known carcinogens.”Catherine Lutz

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

Shun Ultimate Utility Knife

By
Edel Alon
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1

One of the things that my wife told me to do when we married was to tell people what I want for the holidays or else I’ll get crap as gifts.  I finally learned my lesson after a few sweaters and socks.  Since then I’ve told people that I want everything kitchen as possible.  Over the years I’ve seen my share of measuring utensils, dishrags, graters, and cheese cloth.  Of course these gifts end up creating a bunch of wonderful tasting delights back to the giver.
What’s cool is that every once in a while I’ll get a really cool kitchen item.

This past holiday season, two friends of mine (Jennifer Tapken and Kat Li) were gracious enough to honor me with a Shun Classic Ultimate Utility knife.  I felt like I was knighted as one of King Arthur’s court.

This knife is amazing!  I know never mentioned a bread knife in the previous blog on all the knives you’ll need.  I’m going to have to digress and say that you really need a good bread knife.  Yes, I did say they gave me a utility knife but look at this thing.  A nice serrated edge that slices through tomatoes and bread like it was softened butter.
The Shun Ultimate Utility knife, also known as the U2, was modeled after the bread and butter knives sandwich makers wield.  You’ll notice the spatula looking blade.  This blade was not only made to slice through bread; it is a great tool to spread mayonnaise (link to grilled cheese article).

I think I’ve found a new favorite in the kitchen.  I just might put away my pairing knife and use this as my lead knife when I reach into the block.

Here’s how Williams Sonoma describes it: The perfect sandwich slicer, this multitalented serrated knife cuts effortlessly through meats, crusty breads, cheeses and tomatoes. The 6″ long blade is forged of high-carbon VG-10 “super steel” clad with microthin layers of stainless steel for a lasting ultrasharp edge. The knife’s wide shape and rounded tip are ideal for spreading condiments. It is over 11″ long overall and made in Japan.

http://tinyurl.com/U2Shun

This has to be one of the best sandwich knives out there.  I did look around and I found a Kershaw Pure Komachi Sandwich Knife.  I was definitely drooling over this one for the past couple of years and probably was the model for the U2.  I guess the second version is usually the better version.  However, if I were to choose between the two, I’d of course go with the U2 from home but the the Komachi knife for a small business.

Thanks Jennifer and Kat for knighting me with such an honorable gift.

Specifications:
Steel:        VG-10 cutting core clad with 32 layers of SUS410 stainless
Handle:      “D” shaped Ebony-black PakkaWood
Blade Length:      6 in. (15.2 cm)
Closed Length:      N/A
Overall Length:      10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm)
Weight:      4.6 oz.

How to Make Caramelized Onions

By
Edel Alon
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0

Caramelized onions make a great side dish for any meat.  I always prepare them with a steak and I’ve even made them for a side of baked salmon.  In most cases, regular onions will work but if you want the best onion for the job, I’d pick a Maui onion

Ingredients
4 teaspoons butter
1 large Maui onion

Method
Cut the onion into quarters (half and then half again).  Slice the onion–about 5 centimeter slices.  Add the butter to a saute pan over medium low heat.  Do not let the butter burn.  In fact, once half the butter is melted, add the onions.  Periodically stir the onions every 5 minutes.  This is something you can do on one of the backburners that you’re not using.  You’ll see the onion start to darken.  At this point the sugars are coming out of the onion and are starting to caramelize.  After 25 to 30 minutes you’ll have a sweet side of caramelized onions.

Notes
If you can’t find Maui onions, use another onion and you might have to add a sprinkle of brown sugar once the onions start to brown.  You can substitute the butter with olive oil.  If you are using unsalted butter, add a dash or two.  The salt will bring out the natural flavors.

If you recently pan seared a meat, use the same pan to make the caramelized onions.  This will add more flavor.  You might want to deglaze the pan with a little vegetable stock or wine before adding the butter.

Ibanez SR505

By
Edel Alon
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1

Bought a new toy.

Ibanez

Switched from ShareThis to AddThis

By
Edel Alon
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2

I decided to switch from ShareThis to AddThis. Mainly for the look and feel of AddThis.

addthis

Stop the PTA Drama

By
Edel Alon
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0

An article came across my desk today, “Stop the PTO Drama” by Tim Sullivan.  It reminded me of drama that I used to hear about during previous years that usually stopped me from joining the PTA.  There are some good ideas in the article.  I wanted to add some of my own:

  • Setup the rules for communications and conflicts.
  • Don’t write emails when angry.
  • Agree to disagree.
  • Measure if the actions are part of the objectives.

Here’s the article from http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/821-stop-the-pto-drama:

Stop the PTO Drama

Stop PTO Drama
by Tim Sullivan

There’s too much drama in PTO land.

Yeah, I know, there’s too much drama everywhere. You can barely read the paper without hearing about road rage or a parent behaving badly at a Little League game. But sometimes it seems like drama is the norm rather than the exception for many parent groups, and there’s almost no way for involvement to grow and community to flourish in that kind of atmosphere. As a leader, one of your most basic goals has to be reducing or avoiding drama.

There are many reasons why drama seems to find its way so easily into PTO life. It starts with the passion that many of us bring to any endeavor involving our kids. Add in the fact that most schools bring together a cross section of society, with many different viewpoints on the role of a PTO and how a volunteer group should operate.

I suggest that the final contributing factor is a lack of recognized authority and leadership. Yes, we have officers, but even the president of your group isn’t the boss of a prickly parent. The president can’t simply put an end to a problem with a stern word or a punishment. In most other areas of our lives—our families, our jobs, even our days as students—there are recognized authority figures who can step in and restore order or even remove the problem entirely.

I bet you’ve wished once or twice that you could ground or suspend or perhaps fire a volunteer. But you can’t, and thus drama tends to fester. The squeaky wheel not only gets grease, she may also chase away better volunteers in the process.

But drama isn’t just about the occasional unreasonable volunteer. More often, in fact, it pops up between well-minded people. Among even excellent volunteers, the unintended slight, the change in last year’s process, the misunderstood email—they’re the kindling of acrimony. It even happens with leaders. Do you love to associate with the PTO (“us”) during successes but privately complain about the PTO (“them”) during times of struggle? All of these things, if allowed to boil, can become fuel for drama. How you handle them will determine the atmosphere of your group.

So what’s the drama-avoiding PTO leader to do? Because we do lack that my-way-or-else authority, the only real alternative is to help your group mature. How can you make your group a place where adult manners and adult habits win?

It starts with open communication. When you sense hurt feelings or a murmur of discontent, address it openly right away—not in a gossipy way, but as the adult. “I’ve heard some questions about this issue, and I wanted to clarify my thoughts and get your feedback” is a disarming approach whether it’s used in a one-on-one email or in front of your whole group or committee.

We hear stories about perceived and real misdeeds all the time on our message boards at ptotoday.com. “What should we do?” is the plea. My first response is almost always the same: “Have you tried sitting down and having a calm, adult conversation about your concerns?” That simple first step, which is an excellent way to defuse drama, is often skipped.

I also find that self-deprecating humor can go a long way before, during, and after conflicts. You’re not in this to win arguments and you’re certainly not perfect; don’t be afraid to mention both of these early on. The latter will become clear eventually, so you might as well get ahead of it.

I also can’t emphasize enough the value of distributing credit and taking blame. If you’re the adult (and therefore don’t need every bit of glory for yourself) and you see the value of reducing drama, this is the magic formula. Thank and praise widely and publicly. When feelings are hurt, apologize rather than explain why feelings shouldn’t have been hurt. That keeps others from turning away. Defensiveness begets drama.

I hear all the time that being part of the PTO feels like being back in the high school cafeteria with its cliques and its social stress, but I find that to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It doesn’t have to be that way. Your group can do better.

In high school, it was hard to be above the fray because we couldn’t see the fray; we weren’t adults. Now we are. Or at least you can be—and that can make all the difference.

Electricity From the Sea

By
Edel Alon
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2

U.S. Navy Plans Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plants
By william matthews
Published: 1 June 2009

Heat from the tropical sun warms the ocean surface off Guam to an inviting 80 degrees Fahrenheit. But 3,000 feet below, the ocean remains a bone-chilling 40 degrees.

That temperature difference promises to provide the U.S. Navy with a limitless supply of electricity.

Good thing, too – the U.S. military plans to move 8,000 Marines and 17,000 family members to Guam from Okinawa, Japan, by 2014. But these new residents and the expanded military installations are likely to overwhelm Guam’s power grid, which today generates all of its electricity from imported oil.

The Navy thinks “ocean thermal energy conversion” may be the answer to Guam’s future electricity needs – and Diego Garcia’s, Kwajalein’s and Hawaii’s, too.

Continue

Defensive Indifference

By
Edel Alon
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0

I heard this story today and I thought it would apply to the other parts of my life. Yes, please take second base. Sometimes we think too much on the now and don’t allow for actions made the other players.

Defensive Indifference: When the defense allows a base runner to advance one or more bases. The runner then does not get credit for a stolen base because the base was “given” not “stolen.” The defense may allow this in the ninth inning with two outs, where the focus is on inducing the batter make the final out.

 

Could Have Been Guam’s Reef

By
Edel Alon
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0

The USS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg’s job is not over.  This 523-foot ship was built in 1944 (originally the USS General Harry Taylor) and then later converted into a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship.  The ship was decomissioned in 1993.  After serving many duties in the Pacific and Atlantic, this ship has been selected to be used to build an artificial reef in the Florida Keys.

Personally, I think it’s a great honor to be placed in the reef especially when we have a lot of environmentalists against throwing things in the ocean.  One of the reasons why it was selected was for the really cool instruments, radar equipment, and other cool looking things on the top of the ship.

I’m wondering if Guam could do the same.  Then we can throw in some dive tours for the tourists.  One of the things that caught my eye is that this ship served some duty on Guam.

Long before a Key West dive boat captain embarked on a quest to turn the mothballed USS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg into an artificial reef, a typhoon that ravaged Guam in the mid-1970s almost did the job.

general_hoyt_s__vandenbergFor 48 hours, the fearful crew and civilian workers rode out 25-foot waves by tying themselves to desks and chairs, hoping tons of concrete placed at the ship’s bottom would offset the top-heavy load: missile-tracking equipment for spying on the Russians during the Cold War.

From Miami Herald: After many past missions, ship taking on reef duty by Cammy Clark

Oh well, I guess we’ll have to wait for the next typhoon.

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