Content

• SatisFacts survey winner
• Leaving so soon?
• Holiday decorations and removal
• Corvias Foundation scholarships and grants
• Troops to Teachers
• Keeping resolutions on track
• Heart your home: Ways to overcome cabin fever
• Winter driving tips
• Help us keep Randolph Pointe beautiful
• Green Corner
• Want to know what is happening in your neighborhood?

SatisFacts survey winner

Congratulations to the Fort Bragg SatisFacts survey winner! Capt. Charles Maurer was chosen at random to receive a $400 gift card for completing and returning SatisFacts survey.

On-post residents received a housing survey from SatisFacts via e-mail late last year to determine resident satisfaction. The data collected from residents helps Corvias improve your experience living on post.

The SatisFacts survey is for all types of residential management companies. Corvias Military Living has earned a superior rating from SatisFacts the past seven years and has also achieved the highest score for companies with at least 10,000 homes six times.

Leaving so soon?

Residents who are moving out need to be sure to schedule their move-out inspection date and times in advance. Please provide written notice and a copy of your PCS orders to the Community Office at least 30 days prior to your desired move-out date.

If you are preparing to move, you may request a pre-inspection of your home at any time. During this pre-inspection, we will walk through your home, and let you know if there are any potential charges upon move-out. Addressing these issues prior to move-out will help you avoid paying these charges.

Please leave your home in a surface clean condition upon move-out. This policy is designed to ease the moving process. If you regularly clean your home, a simple wipe down and sweep/vacuum prior to move-out would meet the surface clean policy.

Holiday decorations and removal

To help in energy conservation holiday lighting decorations should be limited to the hours of 5 to 11 p.m. All decorations should be removed from the exterior of the homes 15 days after the holiday. This provides everyone ample time to take down their decorations and store them. If you have any questions regarding the policy on decorations please refer to the Resident Responsibility Guide (RRG). 

Corvias Foundation scholarships and grants

Spread the word! Deadlines for the Corvias Foundation $50,000 Scholarships and $5,000 Educational Grants for children and spouses of active-duty service members are coming up soon. Applications for high school seniors are due Feb. 12 and applications for spouses are due May 7. Applications are available online at corviasfoundation.org.

Troops to Teachers

The Troops to Teachers program is offering an information briefing for military members, veterans, National Guard members, reservists and retirees. The event will be at the Bragg Training and Education Center, Building 1-3571, in the F Wing Auditorium, on Jan. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. The briefing will inform attendees about the teaching profession, the steps required to earn a teaching license, and employment opportunities in public education.”

Keeping resolutions on track

Setting a New Year’s resolution January 1 is easy, but sticking with it for the next 364 days can be tough.  Service members and their families have a resource to help keep those resolutions going in 2014.

Military One Source, a one stop shop of information, resources and tools, provides assistance to help the military and family members in any aspect of life. The most popular areas include work-life balance, a healthier lifestyle and relationship improvement.

In addition to the information available Military One Source offers free and confidential non-medical counseling.  For your convenience, counseling is available in person, online or by telephone. Counselors address everyday stressors, relationship concerns, deployment and reintegration, financial management and many other issues.

To learn more about the services offered by Military One Source go to: www.militaryonesource.mil or call (800) 342-9647.

Heart your Home: Ways to overcome Cabin Fever

By Mark Nettles, Corvias Military Living

I was in my early 20s when I first observed cabin fever. I was living at the top of the world in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was winter and the darkness, cold weather and isolation had plunged my roommate into a deep funk. This was his first winter in Alaska and first Christmas away from home. He had lost interest in his favorite activities, sleep too much and put on some extra pounds. Nothing seemed to shake him from his depression.

He was suffering from cabin fever, or as others call it, winter blues, seasonal sadness, winter malaise or "Seasonal Affective Disorder"   (SAD).  This condition is not limited to northern climates like Alaska and can occur anywhere the seasons change. Even people in places like sunny Louisiana or Southern California can suffer from this affliction, but it becomes extremely rare in those living closer to the equator. 

Eventually my roommate recovered from his affliction, but he was not alone in his suffering. According to Mental Health America more than half a million people suffer from SAD each year. Most sufferers are women and the symptoms usually develop between 18 and 30 years of age. 

Military family members are subjected to frequent relocations to some very different places. You may not always be able to choose where to live, but there are several ways to treat cabin fever. WebMD offers these suggestions on helping to overcome SAD:

• Get Outside – When symptoms are mild, spending time outdoors during the day can be helpful. Get outside when the sun is brightest and open your blinds to let in as much natural light as possible.
• Stay Active – Make a plan for fun exercise, large projects, hobbies and social events to keep you active in the winter.  Weekend warrior projects like organizing the pantry, catching up on laundry, or re-organizing a closet can help reduce the symptoms of cabin fever. 
• Light Therapy – Light therapy consists of daily exposure to a light box that simulates high-intensity sunlight. Light helps to regulate melatonin and serotonin in our body. Serotonin keeps a person alert and full of energy. Melatonin regulates the body’s sleep patterns. These two hormones help keep us rested and active.
• Medical Care – Sometimes cabin fever requires professional medical care antidepressant medication or counseling. It is normal to feel down from time-to-time, but if you feel down for days at a time, think about suicide or abuse alcohol or other substances, see your doctor.

Maintaining an active and social lifestyle can help keep cabin fever at bay and make most winters bearable. Luckily most sufferers improve quickly in the spring, over a period of a week or so. Some people even develop great bursts of energy and creativity in the spring. Until spring comes, get up, get out and get social.

Help us keep Randolph Pointe beautiful

Ensure all trash and recyclables are put in the containers, and not left on the sides or around the trash area. Please do not store recycling bins, or any other items, in the common areas or breezeways. Cluttered breezeways are a violation of fire code and subject to fines.

Winter driving tips

Winter weather creates inconveniences and hazardous conditions. Below are a few simple, winter weather driving tips:

• Decrease speed: The posted speed limits are designated for dry pavement, decrease speed when driving in hazardous road conditions.
• Refrain from using cruise control: Roads that appear clear can have isolated icy spots and the lightest touch of your brakes to deactivate cruise control can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
• Watch for icy surfaces on bridges and overpasses: Even when the rest of the road appears to be in good condition, bridges and overpasses frost over with ice first.
• Clear snow and ice from vehicles: Completely clear all windows and lights of snow and ice - even the hood and roof - before driving.
• Leave plenty of room for stopping and brake early: It takes more time to stop when roads are wet or icy and braking suddenly may result in them locking up.

Live Army Green Corner

Open draperies and blinds to allow warm sunlight to enter in daylight hours. Close draperies and blinds at night to maintain heat.

Want to know what is happening in your neighborhood?

Your community calendar can help you stay up-to-date on trash, recycling, lawn care, resident events and community activities.

You can even sync your community calendar with a personal Google calendar by clicking on the +Google button on the bottom right-hand corner of the calendar.

Upcoming events and important dates

• Jan. 1: All offices closed
• Jan. 19: All offices closed
• Jan. 21: Troops to Teachers briefing, Building 1-3571, F Wing Auditorium, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Jan. 23: Indoor Soccer league starts six week season
• Jan. 27: Strike the Night Bowling, Dragon Lanes, 7 to 9 p.m.