1. Soundoff!
´
vol. 66 no. 3
Published in the interest of the Fort Meade community
January 23, 2014
resiliency
Annual briefing presents
installation leaders with
overview of post resources
page 3
tax time
Joint Installation Tax Center
cuts ribbon signaling start
of free filing assistance
page 4
UPCOMING EVENTS
Today, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.:
Martin Luther King Jr. Observance
- McGill Training Center
Monday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.:
National Blood Donor Month
Blood Drive - McGill Training Center
Feb. 2, 6:25 p.m.:
Super Bowl Party - The Lanes
Feb. 6, 4 p.m.:
Right Arm Night - Club Meade
Feb. 19, 11:30 a.m.:
National Prayer Luncheon
- Club Meade
snow angel
Mina, the daughter of Heritage Park
resident Amy Jorgensen, could not wait
to go outside to make a snow angel after
lunch Tuesday. A fast-moving storm
delivered a wintry blast of snow, which
produced as much as 7 inches in the
Fort Meade-Baltimore area and topped
11 inches in other parts of the state.
Photo by Amy Jorgenson
2. Soundoff!
´
Editorial Staff
Garrison Commander
Col. Brian P. Foley
Garrison Command
Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter
Public Affairs Officer
Chad T. Jones
Chad.T.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Chief, Command Information
Philip H. Jones
Philip.H.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Assistant Editor & Senior Writer
Rona S. Hirsch
Staff Writer Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer Brandon Bieltz
Design Coordinator Timothy Davis
Supplemental photography provided
by The Baltimore Sun Media Group
Guaranteed circulation:
11,285
Advertising
General Inquiries 410-332-6300
or email advertise@baltsun.com
If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are
experiencing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail TP@baltsun.com.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through
Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the
personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 N.
Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year in
conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must reach
the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. Mailing
address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort Meade, MD
20755-5025. Telephone: 301-677-5602; DSN: 622-5602.
Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage
without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap or sex of purchaser,
user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser
will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source.
Printed by The Baltimore Sun Co., LLC, a private firm, in no way connected with the
Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are their
own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the Army.
The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an endorsement by
the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised.
www.ftmeade.army.mil
You can also keep track of Fort Meade on Twitter at twitter.com/ftmeademd
and view the Fort Meade Live Blog at ftmeade.armylive.dodlive.mil.
Co n t e n t s
News.............................. 3
Sports................................... 12
Community.................. 14
Movies.................................. 15
Religion........................ 16
.
Classified.............................. 17
SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
Commander’s Column
Professional
counseling is key
I hope everyone is enjoying a productive and successful new year so far.
Things are certainly off to a busy start for the
garrison. We have successfully offered recruitment
and retention bonuses to our security guards, and
hiring is ongoing.
We hope to increase our guard force to reopen the
Mapes Road gate in the coming months.
We remain set to open the new Express shoppette
and gas station on Mapes by the end of February.
Construction of the new Exchange is still on track
for completion by the end of August.
We will be cutting lots of ribbons on Fort Meade
this year!
On Tuesday, I conducted the annual ribbon
cutting and opening of our Joint Installation Tax
Center. The center, located at 4217 Roberts Ave.,
saved our service members $560,000 in total tax
preparation fees last year.
The office is staffed by a team of trained volunteers and professionals who achieved a total of
$4.6 million in refunds for last year’s clients. So I
encourage all to make use of this free and valuable
resource.
During this time of year, I make a point to
conduct professional counseling with all those I
supervise as a rater. I use the counseling sessions
to review and update the individual’s personal and
professional goals, and to provide written feedback
on what I consider to be their strengths and weaknesses.
I provide suggestions for ways to improve and also
ask for input on my performance as their boss.
Professional development and counseling can be
time consuming and difficult, but I firmly believe it is
critical to individual and organizational success.
If a person is doing a good job, he should be
praised, thanked
and encouraged
to continue. And
if a person is performing below
expectation, he
should be told
and
afforded
the opportunity
and guidance to
improve.
Praise is easy
COL. Brian P Foley
.
Garrison Commander
and enjoyable,
and often elicits
an even higher level of performance. Critique is
more difficult, less enjoyable but even more important.
Supervisor critique is important because selfawareness of a weakness is difficult for most people
and hard — if not impossible — to change without
assistance. Counseling enables individual improvement; individual improvement leads to organizational improvement; organizational improvement on
Fort Meade means a safer and more secure nation.
Finally, counseling should continue throughout
an individual’s career, regardless of rank, grade or
position. Learning should be a lifelong process.
We all have bosses or work for someone — even
private business owners work for their customers — and should strive to learn from them. So I
encourage supervisors to counsel employees on a
routine basis and employees to ask for counseling if
it is not already provided.
Thanks again to every member of our Team
Meade community. Please let the garrison know if
there is any way we can support you better.
I look forward to seeing you on campus.
Commander’s Open Door
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley has an open door policy.
All service members, retirees, government employees, family members and
community members age 18 or older are invited to address issues or concerns to the commander directly by visiting Foley’s office on Mondays from
4 to 6 p.m. at garrison headquarters in Hodges Hall, Bldg. 4551, Llewellyn
Avenue.
Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is
necessary.
For more information, call 301-677-4844.
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
3. News
Resiliency campaign aids post commanders
Briefing highlights
Meade resources
By Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer
About 30 brigade and battalion commanders received an introduction to the
garrison’s resiliency programs during an
Army Ready and Resilient Campaign
orientation on Monday.
The four-hour presentation, held at
McGill Training Center, was organized
by Chris Thiel, chief of training at the
Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security.
The orientation is required by the
Department of the Army, said Thiel.
Command teams and joint service commanders also were invited. A previous
orientation was held in October.
During the presentation, Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley and Command
Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter commented on
the programs featured.
The orientation included several garrison representatives who gave brief presentations on a wide range of programs,
including the Comprehensive Solider and
Family Fitness Program, (a component of
the Ready and Resilient Campaign); Master Resiliency Training; Sexual Harassment
and Assault Response and Prevention;
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center’s
Behavioral Health Department; the Army
Substance Abuse Program; and the Army
Wellness Center.
CSF2 is a key component of the Ready
and Resilient Campaign and focuses on
five dimensions of strength: physical, family, social, emotional and spiritual.
Staff Sgt. Levon Moody, a small-group
leader at the Signal Corps Regimental
NCO Academy Detachment, is Fort
Meade’s CSF2 program manager. Moody
told the participants that one of the goals
of the program is to “help our Soldiers and
families cope with the issues they may have
when arriving at a new duty station.”
An important part of CSF2 is Master Resilience Training, which is targeted
to drill sergeants, squad leaders, platoon
leaders, first sergeants and company commanders who teach resilient skills to Soldiers in their units.
Moody said there are more than 50
MRTs on post who support CSF2.
The garrison is required to provide 16
hours of resiliency training to new Soldiers
within 90 days of their arrival at Fort
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
file photo
In addition to using Gaffney Fitness Center for physical health, resiliency combines
mental and emotional skills to help generate optimal performance in combat, healing
after injury, and in managing work and home life. The Ready and Resilient Campaign
is designed to build upon physical, emotional and psychological resilience in service
members, families and civilians so they improve performance to deal with the rigors
and challenges of a demanding profession.
Meade. Training takes place during the
in-processing for Soldiers.
Stacey Hale, the garrison’s sexual assault
response coordinator and sexual harassment/assault response specialist, said that
in fiscal year 2013, there were 25 sexual
assaults reported for Fort Meade.
Hale said senior leaders have “established a command climate where people
can come forward.” But, she said, “one
report is one too many.”
Hale handed out copies of the Army’s
SHARP Guidebook, which defines sexual
harassment and sexual assault, and educates commanders on how they should
respond to reports of alleged sexual harassment or sexual assault within their units.
According to Army statistics, female
Soldiers between the ages of 18 and 24,
who are within the first 18 months of their
enlistment, are most vulnerable to becoming victims of sexual assault.
In addition, 35 percent of sexual assaults
began as sexual harassment that went
unchecked.
Mark Fisher, chief of pediatric behavioral health at Kimbrough and a suicide
prevention subject matter expert, spoke
about the garrison’s suicide prevention
efforts and the behavioral health services.
“You’re in the trenches,” he said.
“You’re with the Soldiers and you will
spot things that can prevent a suicide.”
Commanders can take advantage of
the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
Training program, the garrison’s suicide
prevention course, that is sponsored by
the Army Substance Abuse Program.
The behavioral health staff is available for active-duty Soldiers during work
hours. After duty hours, commanders
should call 911 or the on-call garrison
chaplain, said Fisher.
The behavioral health staff provides
psychological evaluations and treatment,
including individual and family counseling.
The staff treats conditions such as
post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries, and mood and anxiety disorders,
and helps people deal with family issues,
deployments and stress management.
Fisher said the staff also provides
command-directed psychological evalua-
file photo
Working with skilled professionals is a
key part of the campaign to synchronize
multiple efforts and programs to improve
the readiness and resilience of service
members, Department of Defense civilian
employees and families.
tions of Soldiers and security clearance
evaluations.
Jamie Valis, director of the Army Wellness Center, gave a brief overview of the
Army’s Performance Triad, which emphasizes proper sleep, exercise and nutrition,
and the Army Wellness Center.
The AWC’s core programs include
health assessment review, physical fitness,
healthy nutrition, stress management,
wellness education and tobacco education.
The center also provides metabolic
testing, body composition measurements,
fitness assessments and stress management techniques.
Maj. Lucas Frank, battalion executive
officer of the 3rd Battalion, 312th Regiment, said it is the responsibility of senior
leaders to ensure that Soldiers get the help
they need.
“There is a wealth of Army programs
out there that are designed to help Soldiers and their families,” he said. “It is our
job as Army leaders to match up the right
Soldier with the right program to ensure
that the programs are utilized.”
January 23, 2014 SOUNDOFF!
4. N ews
Ribbon cutting officially opens Tax Center
Appointments to
start Monday
By Brandon Bieltz
Staff Writer
Not even snow could stop tax season from
kicking off at Fort Meade.
Lt. Col. Marion Bakalorz, commander
of Headquarters Command Battalion, and
tax preparation volunteers officially opened
the Joint Installation Tax Center on Tuesday morning with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The center, which is located Office of the
Staff Judge Advocate at 4217 Roberts Ave.,
will begin seeing clients on Monday and will
remain open through the tax filing deadline
on April 15.
“We help people find all the credits and
refunds that they’re entitled to,” said 1st Lt.
Iris Yao, officer-in-charge of the tax center.
“It’s helping them do their returns so they get
the biggest refund they’re entitled to.
“It is free, we don’t charge anything. We
do have special expertise in military specific
issues.”
The center is open to service members,
retirees and Reservists with active-duty orders
for more than 30 days.
Appointments, which are made on a firstcome-first-serve basis, are scheduled from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Don’t procrastinate, make your appointment soon,” Yao said.
Last year, the tax center generated $4.3 million in returns for more than 1,700 people. The
free service also saved taxpayers more than
$565,000 in preparation fees.
Yao hopes to hit those numbers again,
despite operating with a smaller staff than
last year.
“It’s a one-third reduction compared to last
year,” she said. “Hopefully we can still see the
same amount of clients. .... It’s quality over
quantity.”
The center can prepare both state and federal tax returns.
“We do every state,” Yao said. “We are
specially trained because as a military installation, we will see returns from every single
state. We’re specialized in understanding and
knowing those military rules, and they apply
to the states.”
The center’s volunteer staff, however, cannot prepare tax returns from business income
such as ownership of more than one rental
space, conducting 10 or more stock transactions, or self-employed businesses — except
for in-home child care.
“We’re restrained by VITA [Volunteer
Income Tax Assistance] perimeters,” Yao
said. “They have their rules that we have to
follow.”
About a dozen service members have vol-
unteered to prepare tax returns this year and
recently underwent a weeklong crash course in
tax preparation.
“It’s talking about everything you need to
know to prepare a return,” Yao said.
With the expectation of preparing returns
for service members, the volunteers were prepared on military issues.
“We are especially focused on militaryspecific issues such as combat pay,” Yao said.
“We are especially knowledgeable about that
because we expect to serve people with those
issues.”
During Tuesday’s brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, Bakalorz recognized and thanked the
service members for volunteering their time to
operate the center.
“We couldn’t open the tax center without
them,” she said. “Thank you for your support.”
Editor’s note: To schedule an appointment,
call 301-677-9366.
Lt. Col. Marion
Bakalorz, commander
of Headquarters
Command Battalion,
cuts the ribbon
signaling the
opening of the Joint
Installation Tax Center
as volunteers look
on during a brief
ceremony on Tuesday
morning. The staff will
begin seeing clients
on Monday and will
remain open through
the April 15 tax filing
deadline.
photo by noah scialom
SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
6. N ews
Copies of the 2014 Fort Meade Welcome
Guide are
available
now.
Please call
301-6775602 or
email philip.
h.jones.civ@
mail.mil
to request
guides
for your
organization.
Tinnitus: What the
buzz is all about
By Maj. Melissa Leccese
Army Hearing Program Staff Officer
U.S. Army Public Health Command
What is tinnitus?
Even if you are unfamiliar with the
term, many of you may have experienced
this distracting ringing, buzzing, clicking,
roaring or rushing sound in the ears at one
time or another.
Tinnitus is not a disease; however, it is
likely to be related to an underlying condition. The most common condition is
exposure to noise, both on the job or during
recreational activities.
Other related conditions include aging,
an ear or sinus infection, a head or neck
injury, heart or vascular disease, some medications, stress or fatigue.
Tinnitus related to noise exposure is
believed to be the result of damage or
stress to cells in the inner ear. These cells
are known as “hair cells” because of the
hair-like projections attached to these cells.
Hair cells play an important role in the
hearing process and damage results in
faulty hearing.
An estimated 50 million Americans experience constant tinnitus. More than 16 million people who suffer from tinnitus have
sought medical attention to find relief.
Tinnitus is the most common service-
connected disability among veterans.
Tinnitus can interfere with ability to concentrate for short or long periods of time. In
severe cases, depression and insomnia can
often result from the condition.
Tinnitus also can be a source of severe
mental stress for many people.
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there
are many treatments and treatment programs available that help people manage
this condition.
Treatment ranges from counseling
groups to help promote relaxation techniques to cope with tinnitus to hearing aids
and sound generators that produce gentle,
repetitive and soothing sounds to help
people sleep.
Although there is no cure, tinnitus can
be prevented. Turning down the volume
or moving away from the noise is a wise
practice. Using hearing protection measures
is also a good choice.
Follow Fort
Meade on
Twitter.com
/ftmeademd
Protect your baby from sudden infant death syndrome
By Maj. Lakisha Flagg
Army Public Health Nurse
U.S. Army Public Health Command
The birth of a child is a miraculous
moment. Unfortunately, about 4,000 of
these babies die every year in the United
States, and the cause of death for these
children is often not obvious or immediately known.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is
responsible for nearly half of these deaths.
SIDS is the leading cause of all deaths
among infants under 1 years old, and it
often occurs when babies are between 2
months and 4 months old.
Some people call SIDS “crib death”
because many babies who die of SIDS are
found in their cribs.
Years ago, the American Academy of
Pediatrics identified sleep position as a
contributing factor in SIDS deaths. In
SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
1994, the organization began its popular
“Back to Sleep” campaign, which encouraged parents and caregivers to place
infants on their backs when putting them
down to sleep.
The organization admonished parents
and caregivers to reserve “tummy time”
for times when infants are awake and
closely watched by caretakers.
“Back to Sleep” positioning was found
to be the most effective action that parents
and caretakers could take to reduce the
risk of SIDS for children in their care.
Because of the campaign, the rate
of SIDS deaths in the United States
decreased by more than 50 percent.
Since that time, several other factors
that contribute to SIDS have been identified. These factors include physical entrapment in bedding and furniture, suffocation
and choking.
In response to these newly identified
risk factors, the AAP has launched a new
SIDS prevention campaign called “Safe
Sleep for All Babies.”
This campaign encourages caretakers
to continue placing infants in the proper
sleep position, and advises them to also
ensure that their child has a safe sleeping
environment by removing all choking and
strangulation hazards from infants’ sleep
areas.
These specific risk-reduction strategies
to prevent SIDS include:
• Placing infants in a crib or bassinet, in
the same room as the parents
• Avoiding co-sleeping/placing infants
in the same bed as adults or other children
• Placing babies on their backs to sleep,
even for short naps
• Reserving “tummy time” (laying
infants on their belly) for when they are
awake and someone is watching
• Using a firm sleep surface such as a
crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet
• Keeping soft objects such as pillows,
quilts, bumper pads and stuffed animals
out of the crib until infants are older than
12 months
• Keeping soft objects and loose bedding away from sleep area
• Making sure babies don’t get too hot,
and keeping the room at a comfortable
temperature for an adult
• Avoiding the use of cribs that are broken, that have missing parts or that have
drop-side rails
• Keeping infants away from tobacco
smoke and places where people smoke
By adopting these simple safety tips,
parents and caregivers can reduce the risk
of SIDS for infants in their care.
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
7. MILITARY PERSONNEL!
Let me help you purchase your next vehicle.
Work with an experienced Military Spouse
Automotive Sales Professional.
Melissa Link
410-349-2582
MINI of Annapolis
31 Old Bottom Road N. Annapolis
mlink@mybmwannapolis.com
Mention this ad for a $$ Discount!
USAA Friendly
Text FOLLOW FORTMEADE to 40404
to sign up for Fort Meade news alerts
on your mobile phone
Learning at home.
Learning in the classroom.
Learning for success.
If you want to maintain, stay competitive,
or advance in your career,
choose Howard Community College
for learning that works for you!
Flexible Scheduling
Online • Hybrid • Accelerated
Convenient Locations
Columbia • Gateway • Laurel • Mount Airy
Support Services
Credit for Prior Learning • Military Assistance
Counseling and Career Services
Financial Aid
Career Programming
Workforce Training
Certications • Degrees
SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
Visit hcclearningworks.com
to take the next step.
N ews
Protect your child’s
online identity
By Jane M. Winand
Chief, Legal Assistance Division
For parents in today’s Internetbased society, it is a challenge to maintain some control over their children’s
activities online.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, gives parents the tools needed to control the
personal information that companies
collect online from children under the
age of 13.
COPPA requires any website, online
service or app that is either specifically directed to children under 13,
or that knows it is collecting personal
information from youngsters that age,
to notify parents directly and obtain
parental approval before collecting,
using or disposing of a child’s personal
information.
The personal information covered
by COPPA includes the child’s name,
address, phone number, email address
and physical location, as well as photos, videos and audio recordings of
the child.
In addition, COPPA protects persistent identifiers such as IP addresses
that can track the child’s activities
online over time.
When your child wants to download an app or uses features on a site
that collects their information, COPPA
kicks in. Before the child can use the
app or feature, a notice in straight-forward language will appear, either right
on the screen or through an email,
indicating what information will be
collected, how the information will be
used, and how you can consent.
The notice should also link to a
plain language privacy policy that
details the kind of information the
site collects and what it might do with
the information such as targeting your
child with marketing, advertising, or
giving or selling the information to
other companies.
The privacy policy should state that
those other companies are also required
to keep your child’s information safe.
You may provide your consent by
responding to the notice and clicking
on a permission slip that is included or
by calling a toll-free number.
If your child insists on downloading
that app “that all the other kids have,”
as a parent you have some choices.
First, carefully read the app’s or website’s information-practices statement
and privacy notice, and make sure you
are comfortable with how the company
will use your child’s information.
Second, consider providing only limited consent. For instance, you might
allow the company to collect your
child’s personal information, but not
permit it to share that information
with other companies.
Third, if you do give permission for
the collection of your child’s personal
information, you have the right to
review the information collected.
Furthermore, you can revoke your
consent at any time and also request
that any information collected about
your child be deleted from the company’s database.
If you think that a website or app
has collected information from your
child in violation of COPPA, immediately report it to the Federal Trade
Commission at ftc.gov, the nation’s
consumer protection agency that is
tasked with enforcing COPPA.
You also may call the Fort Meade
Legal Assistance Office and schedule
an appointment to speak with an attorney at 301-677-9504 or 301-677-9536.
Spring semester begins January 25
Noncredit classes are ongoing
Connect with Fort Meade at
Facebook.com/ftmeade
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
8. C over S tory
photo by Nancy Thornhill-Rodrigues
Kyle Rodrigues watches falling snow in his backyard at the start of the storm.
photo by noah scialom
Snowstorm hits Fort Meade,
drops several inches of snow
photo by noah scialom
People walk around Burba Lake as the snowfall accumulates on Tuesday. The
installation closed at noon Tuesday and opened two hours late on Wednesday.
10 SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
By Brandon Bieltz
Staff Writer
Anne Arundel County Public Schools were closed for two days, and garrison
employees were sent home early Tuesday and arrived late on Wednesday as Winter
Storm Janus moved through the area, covering the roads in snow.
The storm, which reached the area around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, dropped several
inches of snow in the county, including 7 inches at Baltimore/Washington International
Thurgood Marshall Airport by 11 p.m.
Fort Meade closed at noon on Tuesday and opened two hours late on Wednesday
while crews cleared off the streets —many of which had frozen over as temperatures
dropped to single digits.
Frigid temperatures remained in the area on Wednesday with a wind chill that
dropped below zero. Temperatures are expected to remain near-freezing the remainder
of the week. For information on staying warm in cold weather, visit bit.ly/1hjtbW9.
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
9. CENTER: A snow plow prepares for
the winter storm on Tuesday morning.
The snowstorm would drop roughly 7
inches of powder on the area during
the day.
LEFT: Orion Wallace blows a handful of
snow Tuesday afternoon. Anne Arundel
County Public Schools closed for two
days
Photo by betsy wallace
BELOW LEFT: A postal worker delivers
mail despite snowy conditions.
Tuesday’s winter storm brought more
than half-a-foot of snow and cold
temperatures to the area.
BELOW RIGHT: Milo the cat stares
out the window during Tuesday’s
snowstorm.
photo by Nancy Thornhill-Rodrigues
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
photo by Kelsey Geurts
January 23, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 11
10. S ports
Three Soldiers nominated to U.S. Olympic luge team
Story and photo by Tim Hipps
U.S. Army Installation Management
Command
PARK CITY, Utah — Three Soldiers
from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete
Program earned nominations for the U.S.
Olympic Luge Team for the 2014 Winter
Games in Sochi, Russia.
Team USA luge coach Staff Sgt. Bill
Tavares will lead Sgt. Matt Mortensen and
Sgt. Preston Griffall — who secured their
spot with a ninth-place finish in doubles at
the Luge World Cup stop — on Dec. 13 at
Utah Olympic Park.
The U.S. Army World Class Athlete
Program, or WCAP, duo completed its first
run down the 1,335-meter track that features 15 curves in 43.948 seconds, followed
by a shakier slide down the mountain in
44.132 seconds — for a cumulative time of
1:28.080.
Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Bvias Arlt
won the race with a 1:27.326 clocking.
“There’s always a little bit of pressure
when you’re sliding, but for Preston and
I, the main thing was just get down to the
finish without walls — do something that
you’ve done hundreds of times, and just do
it OK,” said Mortensen, 28, of Huntington
Station, N.Y. “Second run, I tried not to do
it OK, but we still managed to get down
without any walls.”
Griffall, a 2006 Olympian who just missed
making the team in 2010, had even more
reason to be concerned. As the bottom guy
on a doubles team, it’s often difficult to see
what is happening.
“Our second run, like Matt said, we had
some problems on the run,” said Griffall, 29,
Sgt. Matt Mortensen and Sgt. Preston Griffall of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete
Program earn a berth in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games by virtue of their World Cup
performances, including this run to a ninth-place finish in luge doubles on Dec. 13 at
Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah.
of Salt Lake City, Utah. “There’s a big scoreboard, actually, behind curve 14 — because
I can’t see directly in front of me because
Matt’s sitting there.
“So I was turned around and trying to
look at the scoreboard to see what place we
were in. And we’re still traveling at 60 or 70
miles per hour, and I couldn’t see where the
place was on the board.”
Another four years instantaneously
flashed through the mind of Griffall.
“I had no idea what place we were in, and
Matt wasn’t doing anything, so there was no
reaction at first,” he recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh,
my God, maybe we didn’t get the place that
we needed.’
“I finally was able to see around him once
we got further up the outrun and I saw that
we were in second place [at that point in the
competition]. And at that point I knew that
Meade Mustangs
weekly roundup
Basketball
Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams fell to Old
Mill on Friday on the road.
The 13-2 Old Mill girls team defeated the Mustangs
43-27. Alexis Jackson scored 13 points for Meade as the
team fell to 9-5.
Tristan Easton led the 10-4 boys team with 24 points,
and Marcus Smith scored 14 in the 77-74 upset loss. The
win was the fourth conference win for Old Mill (5-10)
this year.
The Mustangs will play at North County (boys, 67; girls, 6-6) on Friday. When the teams met early in
December, the boys lost 69-66 and the girls lost 45-42.
12 SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
we had met the place we needed to in order
to qualify for the Olympics.
“I was just extremely excited,” Griffall
said. “That was what we needed to do. I
was happy for both Matt and I that we were
finally able to do this after seven years. This
is the goal that we had, and we finally met
that goal.
“I’m just trying to enjoy it right now, and
we’re going to look forward toward Sochi,
get there, and try and go for it — give ourselves the possibility of going for a medal.”
Mortensen was “paralyzed by emotion”
the moment he realized the WCAP duo’s
second run was good enough to earn an
Olympic berth.
“All that matters is that we qualified for
the Olympics and we’re going to Sochi,” he
said. “We ended up in ninth place today,
which is same as last week, so that’s really,
The girls play at 5 p.m. The boys play at 6:45 p.m.
On Saturday, the boys will face off against Harford
Christian High School (8-9) at 1:30 p.m. The girls will
play at Severn School (13-2) on Wednesday.
Wrestling
The Mustangs wrestling team hosted its annual
“Battle at the Base” tournament on Friday and Saturday. Meade finished the 16-team tournament in fourth
place with 461 points, as Kent Island won with 542.
Travis Chidebe won the 162 weight-class by a major
decision. Justin Pyle finished first in the 172 weightclass by pin. Segun Aboiye finished second in the 197
weight-class.
Chidebe was named the outstanding heavyweight of
the tournament.
The team will compete at Joppatown High School
on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Arundel High School on
Wednesday at 7 p.m.
really good for us.”
The next day, Mortensen and Griffall
enjoyed a “victory lap,” of sorts, by anchoring Team USA to a silver medal in the World
Cup team relay, an event that will make its
Olympic debut in Sochi.
Kate Hansen slid the women’s singles leg,
and Chris Mazdzer filled the men’s singles
spot on the relay team.
USA Luge officially announced nomination of the 2014 Olympic Luge Team,
pending U.S. Olympic Committee approval,
during a gala night at the Utah Olympic
Park Museum.
Joining the WCAP lugers on Team USA:
Mazdzer of Saranac Lake, N.Y., Tucker West
of Ridgefield, Conn., and Aidan Kelly of
West Islip, N.Y., in men’s singles; Erin Hamlin of Remsen, N.Y., Hansen of La Canada,
Calif., and Summer Britcher of Glen Rock,
Pa., in women’s singles, along with Christian
Niccum of Woodinville, Wash., and Jayson
Terdiman of Berwick, Pa., in doubles.
“It’s unbelievable,” Mortensen said. “I get
emotional thinking about it. It’s been almost
17 years that I’ve been working toward this
point, and for it to finally happen is like a
dream come true.”
Griffall hopes his third go-round might
indeed produce the charm.
“Emotionally, it’s a pretty powerful
thing,” he said. “This is the biggest event for
our sport. It only happens every four years.
We have World Cups and World Championships in between, but this is the big one,
you know?
“Yeah, after Matt and I missed it narrowly in 2010, this has been a long time
coming.”
Football
Meade’s football had seven players named to the
Consensus All-State football team.
First team: offensive lineman Jake Hawk; running back Kyle Evans; and defensive end Niquekko
Cook.
Second team: linebacker Jamarkeus Hammond
and defensive back Kavon Witherspoon. Avery
Baker and Segun Aboiye were honorable mentions.
Hawk, who committed to the Naval Academy in
the fall, was awarded the Al Laramore Trophy for
best offensive linesman in the county by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis.
Cook committed to play at Towson University.
Anthony Watkins, a wide receiver from the Class
of 2013, committed to the University of Connecticut.
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
11. S ports
Jibber Jabber - Opinion
Party on, Fort Meade
It’s Tuesday, and it looks like the snow
is going to make things crazy at Fort
Meade once again.
As I pour through the 100 or so Facebook comments regarding our operating
status, I am more convinced than ever
that I need to start blocking posts on
certain topics due to an abuse of bandwidth.
To paraphrase Steve Martin in
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” if you
are going to rant on Facebook, here’s a
good idea: Have a point! It makes it so
much more interesting for the reader
— in this case, me. bit.ly/1aGwaa1
If you aren’t sure what an effective
rant looks like, check out this little gem
from Seahawk Richard Sherman. bit.
ly/1bO87GV
Speaking of Sherman, those who are
bagging on Sherman for taking away
focus from the Seahawks’ win are silly.
We’ve got two weeks to hear analysts
discuss the matchup and how the team
got to the big game. That’s why I will
hold off on ranting about how I, the
Prince of Prognostication, predicted the
Seahawks’ Super Bowl run way back in
September.
However, with 10 days until the big
game, we do need to talk about a certain aspect of Super Sunday before next
week’s predictions: The Super Bowl
Party.
Per usual, Fort Meade has a ton of
activities going on to help Fort Meade
ring in the big game. And, as it goes, I
will not be able to participate in any of
them because the Joneses are hosting
their annual Super Bowl Bash.
There are tons of things that go into
making a Super Bowl Party an epic success as opposed to a major fail. Here are
the most important:
1. Make the game the center of attention.
Fellowship and catching up are nice,
but you can do that any normal Sunday.
Super Bowl Sunday is about football, so
don’t be silly and do things like hide the
TV in a corner. Put that bad boy in the
middle of the room and make sure there
is plenty of seating around it. FYI: sitting on the floor is acceptable.
Also, don’t forget the escape area for
true fans who need to get away from
the chatter and focus squarely on the
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
contest. Mine is
going to be in
the master bedroom. If technology permits,
putting a small
screen in the
guest bathroom
Chad T. Jones,
isn’t a bad idea
Public Affairs
either.
Officer
2. Just like any
holiday, Super
Bowl Sunday should be a family event.
But as we know, kids are loud, sometimes whiny, and have a special gift at
making themselves the center of attention. Without prior planning, their skills
make it almost impossible for you to
follow rule No. 1.
So make sure you have a place for the
kids to go with all the things kids need
to be entertained - video games, Netflix
(or adequate cable options), and at least
one child older than 10 to ensure nothing too crazy happens.
If children do wander upstairs or
make a fuss, avoid breaking out the
belt and instead, pull out some sweets.
Of course, don’t make the dessert too
exotic or you may miss some valuable
game time.
3. Speaking of food prep, it’s no secret
that food makes the party, so don’t be
cheap.
It is OK to ask your guests to bring a
dish to pass, but the host is responsible
for covering the basics: chips, drinks,
cutlery and at least one major dish.
We’re going with a Mexican theme
this year, along with some chicken wings
and at least one recipe from Jabber
Nation. Last year, we got a great grape
jelly meatball recipe.
So, please take a little time to send
your best Super Bowl party recipes to
me or better yet, post them on the Fort
Meade Facebook page.
The best recipes will be shared in
next week’s Soundoff! and then tried
at Chad Bash 2014. In an attempt to
#keepithalal, please avoid alcohol in
your recipes.
And of course, if you want to contact
me about this or anything to do with
sports, email me at chad.t.jones.civ@
mail.mil or hit me up on Twitter @
CTJibber.
Sports Shorts
Running Clinic
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Physical Therapy, the Community
Health Promotion Council, and the Army Wellness Center will host a running
clinic on Jan. 31 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the Fort Meade Army Wellness
Center, 4418 Llewellyn Ave.
The free program is open active-duty service members, retirees, family
members and DoD civilians of all running ability levels.
The clinic will include a health care screening, skills and drills to improve
running techniques as well as demonstrations.
Space is limited. Registration is required.
For more information or to register, call 301-677-2006.
Spring Sports
Registration for spring sports is underway at Parent Central Services, 1900
Reece Road.
Spring sports include soccer, swimming, baseball, softball, track, flag football
and basketball.
Participants can register at the CYSS Central Registration Office at 1900 Reece
Road or online at https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/webtrac/meadecyms.html.
For more information, call 301-677-1149 or 1156.
Intramural volleyball meeting
A coaches meeting for intramural volleyball will be held Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. at
Murphy Field House.
A team representative must be present at the meeting to submit a roster.
Only active-duty service members are allowed to compete in the league.
Those eligible to play, but do not have a team, can sign up to be on a free
agent list.
For more information, call 301-677-3318 or email beth.d.downs.naf@mail.
mil.
Dollar Days
Dollar Days at the Lanes is every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bowlers receive a game of bowling, shoe rental, a hot dog, hamburger,
small fries, pizza slice or small soda for $1 each.
For more information, call 301-677-5541.
Texas Hold ‘em
Texas Hold ‘em no buy-in games are played Mondays and Wednesday at 7
p.m. at the Lanes.
Games are free and open to the public. For more information, call 301-677-5541.
For more Fort Meade sports, visit quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.
Spring, summer, fall or winter...
Get involved with Youth Sports on Fort Meade, call
301-677-1105/1146/1156/1179 .
January 23, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 13
12. C ommunity N ews N otes
The deadline for Soundoff! community
“News and Notes” is Friday at noon.
All submissions are posted at the editor’s
discretion and may be edited for space and
grammar. Look for additional community
events on the Fort Meade website at www.
ftmeade.army.mil and the Fort Meade
Facebook page at facebook.com/ftmeade.
For more information or to submit an
announcement, email Philip Jones at philip.
h.jones.civ@mail.mil or call 301-677-5602.
NEWS EVENTS
Blood drive
In observance of National Blood
Donor Month, the Armed Services
Blood Program will sponsor a blood
drive on Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
at McGill Training Center.
To learn more about the Armed
Services Blood Program, or to schedule
an appointment, visit militaryblood.dod.
mil.
To interact directly with an ASBP
staff member or for the latest news, visit
facebook.com/militaryblood.
Support group presentation
The Prostate Cancer Support Group is
sponsoring a presentation on “Hormone
Therapy 101 for Prostate Cancer
Patients” by Dr. Michelle Ojemuyiwa on
Feb. 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the River
Conference Room, third floor of the
America Building, Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center.
The program also will be available
via video-teleconference at Fort Belvoir
Community Hospital in the Oaks Pavilion,
first floor, Room 332.
Spouses/partners are invited. Military
identification is required for base access at
Walter Reed.
Those without a military ID should
call the Prostate Center at least two days
prior to the event for base access at 301319-2900.
For more information, call retired Col.
Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or email jane.
l.hudak.ctr@health.mil.
Club Meade lunch service
begins
Club Meade is offering an all-you-can-eat
daily lunch buffet or order from the menu
on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Buffet themes are: Monday - seafood;
Tuesday - Asian; Wednesday - Southern;
Thursday - barbecue; Friday - soup and
salad.
14 SOUNDOFF! January 23, 2014
file photo
MLK DAY OBSERVANCE
The Fort Meade commemoration of the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
observance is today from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at McGill Training Center,
8542 Zimborski Ave.
The free event is open to the public.
The keynote speaker is Pastor Johnny Green, a retired member of the Air
Force.
All Fort Meade service members and civilian employees are encouraged
to attend with supervisory approval and without charge to annual leave.
Administrative leave is authorized.
For more information, call the Fort Meade Equal Opportunity Office at 301677-6687 or the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at 301-677-6298.
The buffet is open to all.
Lunch service is no longer available at the
Conference Center.
For more information, call 301-677-6969.
Jummah prayers
Individuals interested in participating
in Jummah prayers on Fort Meade
should call 301-677-1301.
Fort Meade has a room available
at Argonne Hills Chapel Center, 7100
Rockenbach Road.
The community also is seeking
individuals to join in a morning prayer
on Fridays.
EDUCATION
OSC scholarship
applications
The Fort Meade Officers’ Spouses’
Club has posted its 2014 scholarship
applications on its website at http://www.
fortmeadeosc.org/scholarships.
College-bound, high school seniors
and dependent children currently
enrolled in college can apply for the
Merit Scholarship.
High school seniors with an
outstanding academic record also will be
considered for the Etta Baker Memorial
Scholarship.
A Military Spouse Scholarship is also
available.
Applications must be postmarked by
April 1.
Read the eligibility requirements
carefully before applying.
For more information, email the OSC
Scholarship Chair at scholarships@
fortmeadeosc.org.
Free classes
The Navy Fleet and Family Support
Center offers a variety of classes at its
new facility at 2212 Chisholm Ave.
The free classes are open to DoD
identification cardholders, including
active-duty service members, retirees
and their family members, DoD civilian
employees and contractors.
Registration is required for each
class.
• How To Work A Job Fair: Today,
9 a.m. to noon: Strategies to make the
most of a job fair opportunity
• Transition, Goals, Plans, Success
(TGPS) Workshop: Monday to Jan. 31
• Career Exploration: Tuesday, 9 a.m.
to noon: Learn about your personality
preferences, values, and interests, and
how to use them to achieve success.
• First Term Financial Readiness
(online class): Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Time Management: Wednesday, 911 a.m.
• Medical Record Review: Have
your medical records reviewed by Ms.
Johnson of AMVETS. Appointment
required.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-9017 or 301-677-9018.
ACS classes
Army Community Service offers a
variety of classes at 830 Chisholm Ave.
The free classes are open to DoD ID
cardholders including active-duty service
members, retirees and their family
members, DoD civilian employees and
contractors.
Registration is required for each class.
• 1st Term Financial Readiness:
Tuesday and Feb. 25, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thrift Savings Plan: Feb. 11, 9-11
a.m.
• Buying an Automobile: Feb. 18, 9-11
a.m.
• Military Saves: “A Day of Financial
Fitness”: Feb. 28, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-5590.
YOUTH
Story Time
The Children’s Library at Kuhn Hall
offers pre-kindergarten Story Time on
Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
The free event features stories, songs or
a finger-puppet theme.
• Today: “Silly Stories and Giggles”
• Jan. 30: “Ice is Nice” — focusing on
penguins and polar bears
For more information, call 301-6775522.
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
13. C ommunity N ews N otes
Grilling Chilling
Grilling Chilling for grades six to
eight will be held Jan. 31 from 6-8 p.m.
at the Youth Center.
Fore more information, call 301-6771437.
Teen Center events
The Fort Meade Teen Center is featuring
a checkers tournament on Jan. 31, from 3-5
p.m.
Teens will play a freestyle/unrestricted
tournament.
For more information, call 301-677-6054.
Kids Craft Club
The Kids Craft Club for toddlers and
preschoolers will meet Feb. 11 at 9:30
a.m. at the Arts and Crafts Center.
Remaining sessions are: March 11,
April 15 and May 6.
Fee is $5 per session. Cost includes a
craft, snack and juice.
Space is limited. Registration is
required.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-7809.
RECREATION
Out About
• The 18th Annual MSP Polar Bear
Plunge will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. at Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. Mass Plunges
will take place at both 1 and 3 p.m.
Participants take a quick dip in the
Chesapeake Bay for $75 in pledges, to raise
funds for Special Olympics Maryland.
There is a PeeWee Plunge for children
ages 10 and younger.
The Carnival FunFest heated tent hosts
vendors, crafters and roving entertainment
including stilt walkers, caricaturists, hop
dancers and balloon sculptors.
For more information, email plunge@
somd.org or call 410-242-1515.
• “Milestones: African Americans in
Comics, Pop Culture and Beyond” will
be presented Feb. 1 through March 1 at
the Geppis Entertainment Museum, 301
W. Camden St., Baltimore.
Museum hours are Tuesday to
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets
cost $10 for adults; $9 for students ages
5 to 18; $7 for children; and free for ages
4 and younger.
For more information, call 410-6257060 or go to geppismuseu.com.
• Leisure Travel Services is offering its
http://www.ftmeade.army.mil
next monthly bus trip to New York City
on Feb. 22, with discounts to attractions.
Onboard prize giveaway will be offered.
Bus cost is $60. For more information,
call 301-677-7354 or visit ftmeademwr.
com.
MEETINGS
• Fort Meade Homeschool Co-op will meet
Friday and Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Potomac
Place Neighborhood Center. For more
information, go to its Facebook page at Fort
Meade Homeschool Group and Co-op.
• Society of Military Widows meets for
brunch the fourth Sunday of the month at 1
p.m. at the Lanes. The next meeting is Sunday.
For more information, call Betty Jones at
410-730-0127.
• Single Parent Support Group meets the
second and fourth Monday of the month
from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at School Age Services,
1900 Reece Road. The next meeting is
Monday. Free child care will be provided on
site.
For more information, email Kimberly.
d.mckay6.ctr@mail.mil.
• Bully Proofing Support Group meets
the second and fourth Monday of the
month from 4 to 5 p.m. at Potomac Place
Neighborhood Center. The next meeting is
Monday. The group is geared for school-age
children and parents. For more information,
email Kimberly.d.mckay6.ctr@mail.mil.
• Marriage Enrichment Group, sponsored
by Army Community Service, meets the
second and fourth Monday of every
month from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Community
Readiness Center, 830 Chisholm Ave.
The next meeting is Monday. For more
information, call Celena Flowers or Jessica
Hobgood at 301-677-5590.
• Families Dealing with Deployment, Unaccompanied Permanent Change of Station,
Temporary Duty meets the first and third
Monday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30
p.m. at Meuse Forest Neighborhood Center. The next meeting is Feb. 3. For more
information, email Kimberly.d.mckay6.ctr@
mail.mil.
• Retired Officers’ Wives’ Club will
sponsor its February luncheon on Feb. 4
at 11 a.m. at Club Meade.
The topic is “Health and Wellness
Options” presented by the Johns Hopkins
US Family Health Plan.
Cost of the luncheon is $18.
Reservations are required by Jan. 30. Call
your area representative or Betty Wade at
410-551-7082.
Membership dues are $25 per year,
but you may join from February through
May now for half price. Members may
bring guests at any time to the luncheons,
which are held on the first Tuesday of
each month, except in June, July, August
and January.
For more information, call Genny
Bellinger, president of the ROWC, at 410674-2550.
• Monthly Prayer Breakfast, hosted by
the Garrison Chaplain’s Office, is held the
first Thursday of every month at 7 a.m. at
Club Meade.
The next prayer breakfast is Feb. 6.
There is no cost for the buffet; donations
are optional. All Fort Meade employees,
family members, and civilian and military
personnel are invited.
For more information, call Diana Durner
at 301-677-6703 or email diana.l.durner.civ@
mail.mil.
• Meade Rod and Gun Club meets the first
Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Perry’s
Restaurant and Odie’s Pub at 1210 Annapolis Road, Odenton, in the banquet hall in
back of the building. The next meeting is
Feb. 6. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. For more
information, call 410-674-4000.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness of
Anne Arundel County offers a free support
group for families with a loved one suffering
from mental illness on the first Thursday of
every month at 7 p.m. at the Odenton (West
County) Library, 1325 Annapolis Road. The
next meeting is Feb. 6. For more information,
visit namiaac.org.
• Women’s Empowerment Group meets
Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to provide
a safe, confidential arena for the support,
education and empowerment of women
who have experienced past or present family
violence.
Location is only disclosed to participants.
To register, call Tina Gauth, victim advocate,
at 301-677-4117 or Samantha Herring,
victim advocate, at 301-677-4124.
• Spanish Christian Service is conducted
Sundays at 1 p.m. at the Cavalry Chapel
located at 8465 Simonds St. and 6th
Armored Cavalry Road.
For more information, call Elias Mendez
at 301-677-7314 or 407-350-8749.
• Cub Scout Pack 377 invites boys in
first through fifth grades, or ages 7 to 10, to
attend its weekly Monday meetings at 6 p.m.
at Argonne Hills Chapel Center.
For more information, email Cubmaster
Christopher Lassiter at pack377_cm@
yahoo.com or Committee Chairperson
Marco Cilibert at pack377_cc@yahoo.com.
• Boy Scout Troop 379 meets Mondays
at 7 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel
Center on Rockenbach Road. The troop
is actively recruiting boys age 11 to
18. For more information, email Lisa
Yetman, at lisayetman@verizon.net
or Wendall Lawrence, Scoutmaster, at
lawrencewendall@juno.com.
The movie schedule is subject to change. For
a recorded announcement of showings, call 301677-5324. Further listings are available on the
Army and Air Force Exchange Service website
at www.aafes.com.
Movies start Wednesdays to Saturdays at
6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
PRICES: Tickets are $5.50 for adults (12
and older) and $3 for children. 3D Movies:
$7.50 adults, $5 children.
Today through Feb. 9
Today Friday: “Out of the Furnace” (R). When
Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law
enforcement doesn’t follow through fast enough,
his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his
own hands to find justice. With Christian Bale,
Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana.
Saturday Sunday: “Saving Mr. Banks” (PG13). Author P.L. Travers reflects on her difficult
childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt
Disney during production for the adaptation of
her novel, Mary Poppins. With Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley.
Wednesday Feb. 1: “Anchorman 2: The Legend
Continues” (R). With the 1970s behind him,
San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy,
returns to take New York’s first 24-hour news
channel by storm. With Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd,
Steve Carell.
Jan. 30, 31: “American Hustle” (R). A con man,
along with his seductive British partner, is forced
to work for a wild FBI agent who pushes them
into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.
With Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy
Adams, Jennifer Lawrence.
Feb. 2, 8: “Walking With Dinosaurs” (PG). See
and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled
the Earth, in a story where an underdog dino
triumphs to become a hero for the ages. With the
voices of Charlie Rowe, Karl Urban, Angourie
Rice. (3D Feb. 8)
Feb. 5, 9: “Grudge Match” (PG-13). A pair of
aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement
to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last
match. With Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone,
Kevin Hart.
January 23, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 15