SPOTLIGHT ON: Chelle Owen

I was born and raised in North Platte Nebraska. I met my husband in high school and we dated for a couple of years before he went off to basic training and I went off to college. My husband ended up being stationed in Omaha Nebraska and I transferred schools to Omaha. I graduated college with a bachelors in biology and that summer after graduation we were married. We lived in Omaha for a few years where I worked as the Loss Prevention Manager for Von Maur department stores. I also went to graduate school and graduated with my masters in forensic science in the behavioral sciences. Then we were both ready for a change and we put in for the assignment to GK. We have been here for two years now. We were blessed with a baby boy this past August and we are enjoying every minute with him. In my free time I enjoy outdoor activities, playing sports, golfing, snowboarding, and shopping.

Living here in GK has been a fun and exciting assignment. It has given me the opportunity to travel and see the world! Being able to live in Europe for a few years is a once and a lifetime opportunity and I plan on taking advantage of every minute I have here. In April we are planning a trip to Spain and this summer we are planning on taking a cruise to the Greek Isles.



Many people here don’t know that I worked loss prevention where I monitored and apprehended shoplifters. I miss the excitement and the rush of apprehending and questioning suspects.



Jennifer, I don’t want to be a superhero! I am not creative enough to come up with one.

Spotlight ON: Rebekah "The Clone" Lindholm

Hi, I'm Rebekah Lindholm from Edmond, Oklahoma. I have been married to Scott for almost 14 years and we have one son, Brycen who is in Kindergarten. Before arriving in GK we were stationed at Tinker AFB and soon we will be going back there. We have also been stationed at Dyess AFB in Abilene, TX. Certainly not a surprise, GK has been the most exciting assignment. In my spare time I love traveling, wine tasting and spending time with friends.

Living here in GK has been...the best experience ever. I consider the last three years to have been a vacation, it doesn't get any better than this!!! I've got to travel to places I never would have dreamed of in a million years and then some. My favorite place has to be Tuscany with Paris coming in a close second; I'd move to either place in a heartbeat. I've meet some really goods friends, that I would never have met had we not moved here and I'm thankful for that.




One fact not commonly not known about me would be...this is silly, but I can fold the outside of my ear into the inside. I really would have to demonstrate, but that is the best way to explain it; it is a little odd. My husband says I should go on Dave Letterman's stupid human tricks, haha!!


If I had a superhero power it would be...to be able to clone myself. I work part-time and my son is always asking me to be with him at school when I'm at work. Cloning myself would allow me to be everywhere I wanted to be at any time. Then I could also send my clone to the grocery store which is my least favorite chore.

Spotlight ON: Stephanie "100 percent" Mittuch

My name is Stephanie Mittuch, and I am the advisor for AWGK. Although February is my birthday month, I’m not real thrilled with all the gray hairs on my head that are a testimony to the passing years. I keep telling myself that I’m like a fine French wine, I get better with age! My life is a never ending river leading through places where I meet the most interesting people and do the most incredible things. Since joining the military many years ago, my family has been stationed more than nine different places. I look forward to every move because there’s always something or somebody new and interesting to discover. I guess I like change and seek it out. I have two wonderful teenage boys--at least they’re wonderful today! My husband astounds me by loving this flawed creature that I am. I love to read, quilt, teach, chat with friends, explore, and live in our wondrous world!


Secondly, here are just a few more silly questions we would like for you to answer.

1.(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…a joy. I have met the most wonderful people!

2.Name one fact that is not commonly known about you. I write poetry. . .

3.If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have? I’m not sure what name I would pick, but my special ability would be that I would have enough time and energy to do everything I want/need to do and do it very well. So, I could give one hundred percent to all aspects of my life—family, work, self, friends, etc. That would make me more than the mere humble human than I am today.

Spotlight ON: Karen "Time Turner" Abernathy

Spotlight Questionnaire

You have been chosen to be in the AWGK spotlight!
The Spotlight section of the AWGK Newsletter and the AWGK website is to allow the person in the spotlight to introduce themselves to other AWGK members. Hopefully with this questionnaire, other AWGK members will get a little insight of who you are. This is also your chance to let others know something interesting about you that they may not have known before. You’re in the spotlight! This is your chance to shine!
First, I would like for you to introduce yourself…Just a paragraph about YOU.

Where are you from?

My father was in the Army, so I grew up moving around. I was born in Hawaii, and have lived in Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and most recently California. I also spent several years in Berlin. Most of our extended family is now in Georgia, so that is kind of "home"
My husband and I both attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, which is where we met. I graduated with both my BS and MS in Civil Engineering. I worked for a while doing roadway and airport design, before leaving to get married.

Where you were stationed before GK?

Before GK, we were stationed at Point Mugu in southern California. The base is home to the west coast E-2C Hawkeye squadrons. It is a beautiful area, just north of Los Angeles and just south of Santa Barbara's fabulous wine country.

How many kids do you have?

I have two daughters. Amelia is 5 and Alice is 3.

What do you do in your spare time? Or what you would like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy reading and spend way too much time at the Brunssum library. (Feel free to say Hi next time you are there, I am probably lurking in a corner somewhere...;) I also enjoy traveling and I am trying to get as much in as possible while we are here. I really like getting the "local" experience and tend to find some out of the way places, not just the main tourist stops.
Feel free to put your personality in there.

Secondly, here are just a few more silly questions we would like for you to answer.

(Finish the sentence)

Living here in GK has been…

wonderful. Since my husband is in the Navy, this is a very off the beaten path tour for us. We really enjoy getting out and seeing as much as we can.

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.

My high school boyfriend is now a professional Ultimate Fighter. Yeah, it shocks me too:)

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

I would be a time turner. I would be able to manipulate time so that I could go back and have more time in the great times, and be able to fast forward through the bad.

Need to Know...

Imagine this scenario. Your spouse is TDY and your kids are rough housing as usual. One of them is injured so badly that you cannot drive the child to the hospital and care for the child at the same time. You call 112, the emergency number, and the German on the other end doesn’t speak any English and hangs up! You call 112 again, trying to tell the German about your emergency, giving the name of the village and your address, but no Krankenwagen comes!

Sounds pretty horrible, doesn’t it? This is exactly what happened to one of AWGK’s members in November. Luckily she was able to procure help from neighbors and her child is fine now, but how could this nightmare have been prevented? First, arm yourself with knowledge. German phone numbers are not connected by some magic program to addresses like they are in the U.S. The German emergency workers have no idea where you live if you can’t tell them. Knowing this, you need to be able to speak enough German to get help.

As a bare minimum you should be able to say your name, address and phone number in German and, here’s the key, be able to German phonetically spell your name and address and use German number words to say your phone number. For example, I live on the street Hartweg, so I would spell it “ha, aah, air, tay, vay, ay, gay.” Will I ever be able to remember this in an emergency? No, so I should write or type this up and place it by my phone in case I or one of my family members needs to call 110/112 for emergency help.

Secondly, if you would feel more comfortable, take a basic German class at the Airman and Family Readiness Center or a more in depth course. Third, make friends with your neighbors. Most Germans are friendly, willing to help, and quite a few speak English! Lastly, be prepared! Practice emergency scenarios with your family members, especially the children. What if it is you that needs help and your spouse is TDY? Train your children not to panic and to follow the procedures you establish.

Fill in the emergency card on the next page and keep by your telephone to prevent these emergencies from becoming tragedies!

Submitted by: Stephanie Mittuch
Emergency Procedures

Emergency Card
Mein Name ist ________________________________________________________________
( My name is. . . See chart below for phonetic spelling!)
(phonetic spelling ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________)
Meine Telefonnummer ist _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(German numbers: 0: null, 1: eins, 2: zwei, 3: drei, 4: vier (pronounced ‘fear’), 5: fünf, 6: sechs,
7: sieben, 8: acht, 9: neun, rhymes with coin)
Meine Adresse ist ______________________________________________________________
(my address is: street name, house number, zip code, then city/village)
(phonetic spelling _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________)
Key phrases:
Do you speak English? Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Emergency! Notfall!
Call the police! Rufen Sie Die Polizei!
Danger! Gefahr!
Fire! Feuer!
Get a doctor! Holen Sie einen Arzt!
Help! Hilfe!
Get help! Holen sie Hilfe!
I do not speak German. Ich spreche kein Deutsch.
I only speak English. Ich spreche nur Englisch.
Please call an ambulance! Bitte rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen!


German phonetic alphabet:

A = aah J = yut S = es
B = bay K = kah T = tay
C = say L = el U = ooh
D = day M = em V = fow
E = ay N = en W = vay
F = ef O = oh X = icks
G = gay P = pay Y = oops-il-on
H = ha Q = koo Z = t’set

Hospitals in Netherlands:

Atrium Hospital Heerlen (sees Children!)
Henri Dunantstraat 5
T: 0031 (045) 576 66 66 or 0031-45-577-8844

Maasland Hospital Sittard (sees Children!)
Walramstraat 23
T: 0031 (046) 459 77 77

Hospitals in Germany:

University HospitalUniversity Hospital
(sees Children!)
Pauwelsstraße 30
52074 Laurensberg,
Aachen, Germany
Phone: 0241 8088008

Elisabeth-Krankenhaus
(sees Children!)
Hubertusstraße 100
DE-41239 Mönchengladbach
Germany - Nordrhein-Westfalen
Phone: 02166 3940

Heinsberg Hospital
Auf dem Brand 1
DE-52525 Heinsberg
Phone: 02452-188-569

Geilenkirchen Hospital
Martin- Heyden- Strasse 32
DE- 52511 Geilenkirchen
Phone: 02451-409-2339

Red Cross (GK)
0049-2451-63-2068
M-W-TH 0900-1200

Base providers:
Dentist 0049-2451-99-3535 470th on call provider: 0171-260-9570
Med center 0049-2451-99-3200 470th on call provider:0171-260-9365
Tricare 02451-99-3400/3401/3402
Nurse Advise Line, Europe: 00800-4759-2330
Submitted by: Sarah Archer

Craft Night

Here are just a few pictures taken of the Craft Night on Friday.

Craft Nights are taken place on the second and last friday of the month. 'Sew Much Comfort' is also taken place on those nights. If you would like more information or if you would like to RSVP for babysitting please contact Jade at jadrzgk@yahoo.com or Angela at chacheeka@yahoo.com

Thank You!

January Meeting: "Movie Night"

MOVIE NIGHT!!!

The surprise movie we watched was "Mama Mia" with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.

Movie Night was a great big success. It was definitely a girls night/slumber party...munching on delicious snacks, and watching the ultimate chick flick.

As you know, we had a contest for the funkiest/silliest slippers...here were some of the contestants...

(Stephanie, Rebecca, Amber and Erin)

The winner of the funkiest/ silliest slipper was....

Rebecca with your cute puppy slippers!

***

Here are some more pictures of Movie Night...

Amber looking relaxed and cozy

***

Julie's first night of being hospitable and doing a fantastic job!

(Christian and Brendan)

The only boys that were allowed at the meeting that night :)

Thank You to all that came out and joined us Friday night! We hope to see you again next month!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Amber "MOMSAVER" Cotrell

SPOTLIGHT ON: Amber Cottrell

Your AWGK Vice President was born and raised in North East Texas … Pittsburg to be exact.
“It’s a small town, about 4500, and home of Bo Pilgrim. He is the founder of Pilgrims Pride
Chicken. I guess that would be Pittsburg’s claim to fame in addition to the Ezekial Airship, which
apparently flew before the Wright Brothers. There is a replica in a museum in town. I attended Tyler Junior College and got a degree in Dental Hygiene. I met my husband Chuck at the beginning of my last year of college. We spent the first 7 years of our marriage at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. In 2004, Steph and Jenna, my step-daughters moved in with us and 2 years later we were blessed with little Tate. Before Tate was born, we got orders here to GK. This was my
first PCS and it was quite a change. 2008 was a great year for us because Chuck saw his career dream come true when he was selected for Chief. We have loved being stationed here and have had a great time seeing as much of Europe as we can. We will soon find out where the military will send us next. I will be sad to leave here but will carry some very fond memories of the wonderful people I have met and the friendships I have formed. Living here in GK has been … “a true blessing for our family. We have met many wonderful people. I am not saying that at times it hasn’t been hard with the language barrier and a longing for all things U.S. But overall, it has opened my eyes to new and exciting things!”

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.

“I met my husband online. I always say it was by chance, but God always has a plan and we believe He brought us to each other. We will be married 10 years on May 20th.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

“Wow! To be a superhero with any power … hmm … I would be MOMSAVER … saving Moms from disorganization and timecrunch. With the snap of my fingers I could have everything
clean and in its rightful place. Then Moms everywhere would have more time for other fun things, like playing with their kids.”

Check out the AWGK Website for more members in the
Spotlight!
http://americanwomenofgk.blogspot.com/

December Meeting

I just wanted to Thank everyone that attended last night. We hope that you all had a great time. I know I was having so much fun last night that I forgot to take pictures...sorry about that. I hope to post new pictures of the craft night on December 12, hope to see you there...camera ready! :D

Just wanted to give a great BIG "Thank You" to Vida. All the ladies had a great time playing pictionary and had too much fun with the ornament exchange (right? ;)

Thank You Vida for all that you've done for American Women. You've done such a great job not just with American Women but in everything else that you devote your time to. Although last night was your last meeting as Programs coordinator, we hope that you still come out and join us once in a while.

Also, another great BIG "Thank You" to Cathy Gallagher! Thank you for all you've done for American Women. Just like Vida, you do great things with everything you do. Thank You for taking time out of your busy life to help AWGK. The world really needs more people like you.

***

Thanks Again to all who attended, we hope to see you again next month!!!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Susan "NOT working in a window" Roberts

My name is Susan Roberts. My dad was in the Air Force, so home is where?? Falmouth, Massachusetts on beautiful Cape Cod is where I have lived the longest, so I guess that is where I am from. It is a conversation we frequently have at our home! I have two children. Sarah, 19, is a sophomore at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Matthew, 17, is senior here at AF North. I work a couple of days a week for Hallmark at the Shoppette at Schinnen.

My main hobby would be quilting. I love to quilt! For the last year, I have been making Patriotic lap quilts for the wounded soldiers at Landstuhl hospital. Not nearly as many as I hoped to make, I am hoping to make a lot more in the New Year. I am the Treasurer of the Booster Club for AF North High School. I try to volunteer for MOPPS. So some of you might have seen me with your adorable babies.

We have been at GK for 3 years now. Prior to that we lived in Lisbon, Portugal. I also love the beach and to travel. I met my husband in Amsterdam 22 years ago. And, no, I was NOT working in a window when I met him!! We have been traveling around the world together since. Christmas Day is when I celebrate my birthday. My husband always makes sure I don't miss out on Birthday gifts. The question asked was, "If I was a superhero who would I be?" I can't imagine being a superhero, but if I was I am sure I would have a quilted cape!!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Randi "Travelocity Woman" Chambers

Hi I'm Randi Chambers. I grew up on a Ranch outside a little town in South Dakota. When I say little I mean little the postal town has a population of 8 people and the bigger town has only about 700! I spent most of my summers on the back of a horse riding around the Badlands with my older sister Jonnie. Because we lived so far out I went to a Christian boarding school for high school.

I was a nanny in Oklahoma to four kids, which is where I met my wonderful husband John. We got engaged in January of 2007 the night before he left to come here. We were married in July of 2007 and I came back here with him.
John and I just had our first son, Brenden John, on October 2nd of this year. It has been so much fun watching how fast he is growing! I can't wait to see what else is in store for us while we are here.
In my spare time, which I don't have much of lately, I love to be with friends. I love playing sports and I really miss riding horses. I would love to do alot more traveling and see as many places as I can while I'm here.

(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…
Hard at times but I'm getting used to being in a different country.

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.
I haven't lived in my parents house since I was 14, but that is just because I went to a boarding school.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?
I don't know what my name would be because I'm not good a coming up with witty names but I'd want to have the power to snap my fingers and be anywhere I wanted to. That would definitely cut down on the expensive plane tickets.

A successful 2008 Bazaar!!!

Hello AWGK members,
I know you have all been patiently waiting for a report on how we did over the weekend. I apologize for it taking me so long to get the news out. Despite all the commotion on base Friday that significantly slowed shopping, we cleared $22,000 and some change!!!! All together now, WOO-HOO!!!!!! Yes, that is great!!! A BIG THANK-YOU to all of the volunteers for helping! We could not have done it without you. I also would like to thank Sharon Sherinian, Gwen Dillis and Andrea Yeatman for all their hard work. They did the dirty work, so to speak and I know they worked hard so we could get good vendors and make it a success. When you see them next, please thank them. Again, thank you to everyone who had a part in helping, you are also a part of what made it a success.

Sincerely,Your Vice President

Amber Cottrell

***

Here are a few pictures taken on the last day of the Bazaar...

In this picture we have Sharon Sherinian, Wolfgang Huch (The Russian Doll vendor) and Connie Long.

Thanks again to all the Volunteers and to all the wonderful AWGK members who helped make this bazaar such a success!!! It is because of you we can continue to give back to this wonderful community!

:)

***

SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA "TIMELESS WOMAN" VALLE

My name is Laura Valle and oddly enough I am not really from anywhere. My father was career Air Force and I moved every 3 to 4 years of my life. I went to 4 different high schools and lived in 4 different States – Oklahoma twice and Alaska for 8 years at both Eielson and Elmendorf Air Force Bases. My grandfather, a navigator, was also career Air Force, and now my husband is also career Air Force making for 3 generations of family serving our country - all in AWACS. We were stationed at Tinker AFB prior to coming to Geilenkirchen, and in fact, my husband was in the same squadron my grandfather was in 24 years ago. We have been married since July 2005, and do not have any children as of yet. We do have two wonderful pups though, Asia – a Manchester terrier mix and Cuba – a short haired Border collie mix. Both dogs were rescued from the OKC shelter; Cuba a day before D-day. In my spare time I love to travel Europe, go to Paris as often as possible and practice and teach Ashtanga Yoga in Sittard. During the day I work as the New Parent Support Nurse and Home Visitor for the Triborder Community, helping new parents prepare for labor, delivery and parenthood in a foreign country.

(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…

quite an amazing experience. I love the proximity to so many great locations, cultures, languages and people from a variety of backgrounds and all walks of life. I love the fresh, seasonal food and open markets, the European clothing and just all of the opportunities living in Europe has afforded me. I’ve been able to take both German and French languages, become a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher in Paris, travel extensively and make friends from many different countries. I am completely smitten with living abroad!

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.
Hmmm… I am a pretty open book with my close friends, but commonly I do not think most people know that I am a vegetarian, or that my grandmother is Mexican and that I’ve lived and went to university in Mexico.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

If I were a superhero, my name would be Timeless Woman – I would never age, I could fly, be invisible and I would never need sleep. ;-)

Dinner Night at Simla's

Last night, AWGK had a interesting Dinner Night at Simla's in Sittard. Despite a few problems with finding the restaurant, the overall experience was "EXCELLENT!".

CONS: Hard to find parking, and NO high chairs for the kiddies.

PROS: GREAT and EXCELLENT FOOD, AND WONDERFUL SERVICE!!! (our waiter spoke perfect English).

For most of us, it was our very first time to try Indian food. And for most of us...it won't be the last :p (Thanks to the wonderful people at Simla's)

Lisa, Angela and Jade having a great time...no matter what they do :)

This was so DELICIOUS, I had to take a picture of it. It is called Nan and it is a MUST HAVE!

Since this was our first time, we decided to all share dishes. The number 1 dish that EVERYBODY LOVED was the Butter Chicken.

Overall, Great food+Great Service+Great Friends= GREAT NIGHT! :)

The address for Simla's:

Stationsstaat-17, Sittard

website: http://www.simla.nl/

Tel:046-4521263

Observe speed limits, drive caustiously near USAG Schinnen

Observe Speed Limits, drive cautiously near USAG Schinnen.

USAG Schinnen, Netherlands –
Employees and customers of USAG
Schinnen are warned to observe
speed limits and drive cautiously
while driving on Borgerweg,
Nagelbeek, Stationsstraat and
Veeweg – all roads that lead to and
from USAG Schinnen.
The intersection at the end of
Borgerweg is especially hazardous
because four roads meet at a major
pedestrian crossing and train
crossing. The fall harvest also means
that trucks going to and from the Canisius factory have increased. There is also construction on
Veeweg, which adds to the obstacles drivers and pedestrians face as traffic nears USAG
Schinnen.

Veeweg, a road often used to avoid the railroad crossing by driving around the town of
Schinnen, passes through residential areas and a 30kph zone is imposed there. The speed limit
on the other roads is 50kph. Traffic and road conditions often mean drivers should consider
driving slower than posted limits to avoid hazards.
Residents of the Town of Schinnen have complained to the City Hall about congestion and fast
driving around this intersection. Local media reports identify employees and customers of
USAG Schinnen as part of the problem.

Employees and customers of USAG Schinnen are reminded that posted speed limits off base are
subject to fines and penalties imposed by Dutch officials. If stopped by Military Police on base,
a ticket can be issued that accesses points against a driver’s license and, if necessary, a person’s
on‐base driving privileges can be revoked by the commander.
The potential for an accident increases when drivers do not observe the posted speed limits or
adjust speeds downward to accommodate congested road conditions. As winter approaches,
less daylight and weather will add to the hazards drivers may face. So, please – slow down,
observe speed limits and drive safely.