SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --
(Editor's note: This is part one of a multi-part series, highlighting frequently asked questions that were addressed during Spangdahlem's first virtual town hall)
Spangdahlem's first virtual town hall took place Jan. 23 on Facebook, offering a place for the Saber Nation to share their thoughts online and connect with leadership about community improvement.
Subject matter experts (SMEs) were there to address concerns and gather information for the future forum.
The suggestions and comments from the virtual town hall were funneled into the Caring for People forum, which identified quality-of-life concerns and helped create solutions.
Feedback from the forum will be used in the 2014 Community Action Plan, a two-year plan that guides the future of base community improvement. In the past, the CAP has directed improvements, such as changing the sponsorship program and adding healthy-eating options on base.
More of the questions from the virtual town hall will be addressed in part two of this series, after the Caring for People forum has concluded.
Q: What are the rules for using the Base Recycling Center, for both on-base and off-base residents? Can off-base residents pay to use it?
A: On- and off-base residents can utilize the Base Recycling Center for hazardous waste, electronics and compost materials. All other items need to be disposed of properly either using your municipality's program if you live off base or using the on-base bins in your housing area if you live on base (for on-base residents, please refer to the housing manual). Off-base residents are already provided a stipend under their utilities allowance for paying for refuse services. However, in the event of a PCS, if you bring a copy of your PCS orders to the BRC, you can utilize the facility for anything you need to get rid of. Your local Rathaus can provide you further information about where your local dump site is and the other services that are available to you (for example: dumping trash if you forget trash day). If you have further questions, you can contact the BRC for handouts, or call at 452-7460. More information will be published in an article on the base's website in the coming weeks. -Maj. Brian Nazarian, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, operations flight commander
Q: When I call the Medical Clinic for an appointment, I have to give my social security number over the phone. With identity theft a growing concern, could the clinic use an alternate form of identification?
A: The 52nd Medical Group's appointment guidelines were recently updated. Patients' full SSNs will no longer be requested when booking an appointment. When booking an appointment, to comply with HIPAA and Privacy Act Laws, we will use the following information to verify identify: Sponsor's last name and last four of their SSN as well as patient's name and date of birth. Patients can also book an appointment through TRICARE Online (www.tricareonline.com) or MiCare (www.relayhealth.com). -Maj. Sarah Whitson, 52nd Medical Group, group practice manager
Q: Instead of moving Spangdahlem Elementary School to Bitburg, can we move Spangdahlem Middle School to Bitburg instead, and then move the elementary school students to the middle school?
A: Moving elementary school students to Spangdahlem Middle School is one of several options that were considered when planning for the construction at Spangdahlem Elementary School. Unfortunately, there are factors that prevent that from being a viable option. The first issue is that there isn't enough room to move all the elementary school students to the middle school. There are more than 500 elementary school students at SES, and only about half of those students would fit at SMS. The second factor is that SMS is built for middle school sized students and not students that are often much smaller, especially in kindergarten. The facilities including bathrooms, playgrounds and cafeteria equipment would have to be renovated and/or replaced, and there isn't enough time or money to complete those renovations before the start of construction at SES. Everyone agrees that this is a difficult and uncomfortable situation, DoDDS leadership wanted to make the transition choice the least disruptive overall. In this case, we'll be relocating one school, SES, instead of two or more. -Chi Anne McGrew, 52nd FW School Liaison Officer
Q: How will elementary school bussing be handled next year? Will elementary school students be on the same bus as middle and high school students? Will there be additional stops in housing, and will there be an after-school activities bus?
DoDDS leadership and the 52 FW are currently working together to develop a plan for bussing next year. It is likely that all students will ride the same bus in some cases. Students in elementary school sit in the front of the bus and high school students sit in the back. This is currently the situation for many of the Bitburg bus routes.
Families are encouraged to complete the yearly registration in the spring so the student transportation office can plan accordingly in developing the specific routes. -Chi Anne McGrew, 52nd Fighter Wing School Liaison Officer