Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Crisis

Oil Slick, What can WE do?
Christina M. Callisto
Freelance Writer
Published in Military Voice & Community News May/June edition, 2010

We are all anxiously waiting to see where the oil slick will spread and how fast. The tragic fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which claimed the lives of 11 crew members and injured many more on April 20, 2010, has left leaks that have proved difficult and dangerous to stop.
As the weather systems bring the slick in close to the Louisiana border, tar balls will eventually find their way to Pensacola and continue eastward along our beautiful beaches possibly as far as Bay county. If the loop current pulls the mass away from us, the rest of Florida will be the target.
There are a few methods which may be employed to help the cleanup process before it gets to us. NASP has BioRem-2000: a microbe which eats hydrocarbons! When this mixes with water the microbes spring into action. Supposedly there are no harmful effects when it is used properly. The only bipoduct is carbon dioxide, the same gas mixture we breathe out.

A “green” (and cheap!) solution to cleaning up any oil which may reach our shores could be in our own “back yard.” A demonstration of the amazing power of hay to collect and adhere to the oil was recorded by the Northwest Florida Daily News and can be viewed on its website. Search: “Using hay to clean up oil.” This hay is grown by local farmers and will be harvested shortly due to the growing season. The possibilities are truly amazing.

So what can we do? Clean up is not an overnight success and it will be slow.
Although volunteers will not be handling cleanup (that is for BP’s trained, paid, contracted employees) someone needs to tell them where they have to go! That is what we can do. Be a Coast Watcher. Keep an eye on the beaches, vegetation, and wildlife. Notify the hotlines if you notice a change and contamination. Remember, if no one speaks up, help will not come. Visit volunteerfloridadisaster.org for more information and contact numbers.

Get out there and clean up the trash! Stay off the grass but help get the garbage off the beaches and it will not collect and hold the tar that washes up. Don’t forget, the wind blows it all around so even if the items seem far enough away, it may be in the water in a matter of moments.
Help the responding organizations by allowing them to do what they have been trained for. Many are asking for help answering phone lines.

Please do not attempt to rescue any animals affected by or clean up the oil sheen, tar balls and tar mats without proper training and safety equipment (see link to photos below). The type of oil which will reach us will be hardly flammable (should not ignite) and can be cleansed from your skin using regular soap and water. However, avoid repeated or long-term exposure to your skin. Clothing can likewise be washed using normal practices. Do not burn any contaminated items.

There will be no harmful effects from breathing the air near affected water or beaches. The chemical compounds which would affect the respiratory system are broken down shortly after the crude oil is exposed to the surface of the water and will be gone by the time it reaches us. This is the same reason the tar which reaches our beaches will not be flammable. The bad smell might turn your stomach, but it is not a health hazard. That said, young children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune or respiratory systems should avoid areas where it has been confirmed that tar has washed ashore (none at time of press).

Please do not enter into the area of restricted access put forth by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By entering or approaching, you will not only stir the water and aid in drawing the oil slick towards our shores (it will stick to the bottom of your boat!), but you run the risk of catching or collecting fish and wildlife which could be ill from the affects of the oil on the ecosystem. Ingesting such food, even cooked, would not be wise. Visit noaa.gov and click the link for “Commercial and Recreational Fishing Closure.”

To see necessary protective clothing and measures utilized visit http://www.wwltv.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/Photos-Workers-clean-oil-off-of-birds-92526009.html
Addition contact numbers and information can be found at:
Okaloosa County Online 311: www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/index.asp
Santa Rosa County Emergency Management: www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency/
Walton County Sheriff’s office: www.wcso.org/
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.php
http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/8220
Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center: (985) 902-5231; (985) 902-5240
Report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information: (866) 448-5816
Submit alternative response technology, services or products: (281) 366-5511
Submit your vessel for the Vessel of Opportunity Program: (281) 366-5511
Submit a claim for damages: (800) 440-0858
Report oiled wildlife: (866) 557-1401
My Florida: www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/
*** At the time this went to press it was the most up-to-date information. The following week the Hair Booms broke into the news.

May 9, 2010 at 1:42 am

Eglin Vet For Our Pets

Eglin Vet for our pets

Not credited but printed with my permission
Published in the February/March 2011 issue of the Military Voice & Community News
Our pets are our families. While some would rather favor one over the other, they have nevertheless helped us relax and exercise through countless moves, holidays, and deployments. But where to get the best care of them?
Look no further than the Eglin veterinarian at the 96 Force Support Squadron Army Veterinarian Treatment Facility. While its primary mission is to take care of the Eglin and Hurlburt working dogs, the clinic is also open to our best friends. They do not offer bathing or nail clipping, but care for pets of active duty and retired military personnel include rabies vaccinations, outpatient treatment, heartworm checks, and general immunization.
If you are worried about moving or have a roving cat or dog, the Eglin pet Vet offers an affordable HomeAgain microchip implantation system and American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) database enrollment.
Interested? Pets are seen by appointment only at Building 888. Eglin Vet hours are 7:15 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday, closed federal holidays, and can be reached at 882-8250 or 882-2233. This is not an emergency facility but you can find the number for the Emergency Veterinary Clinic, which is 850-729-3335. For more information on the AKC CAR program, visit http://www.akccar.org/about/profile.cfm.

From Seoul to Saigon

From Seoul to Saigon

By Christina M. Callisto Free Lance Writer
Published in the October/November 2010 issue of the Military Voice & Community News
Sandra Davis is a quiet local celebrity. Perhaps you saw where Pensacola Junior College (PJC) recognized and honored her during National Women’s Month in 2003 for her unconventional careers. She may be better known around these parts for her time as Dr. Sandra Lockney-Davis, retired District Department Head of the Learning Resources Centers at PJC. While there, she authored an article in the journal Community College Libraries entitled, “Surviving Hurricane Ivan at Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola, Florida.” Not surprising, she and her husband, Charlie Davis, a local author, joined the Emerald Coast Writers, a non-profit organization for established and aspiring writers.
Sandra was named an honoree for the 2003 National Women’s Month program called “Guts, Glory, and Lipstick” at PJC. As an honoree she was expected to speak to the students and faculty. In humor typical for Sandra, she focused on the lighter side of what it was like for a female to live in Korea 11 years after the war and in Vietnam while the war was raging.
The presentation was based on the time she served as a civilian in the Army Special Services, the replacement for the Army Morale Division and the precursor to the current Army MWR program. Sandra was just one of approximately 12,000 civilian and military females who served in Vietnam. More specifically, she was one of only 600 Special Services personnel who served in Vietnam from 1966-1972. These women coordinated programs for troop morale and entertainment in the service clubs, libraries, and craft shops, harmonizing USO shows, Army Soldier Shows, and the Army Exchange which evolved into AAFES, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. Well more than fifty civilian women were lost, never to return to the homefront. Unfortunately, accurate numbers remain scarce. They were the ensurers and continuants of esprit de corps for our troops. These women were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for soldiers who were doing the same.
After a year-long tour in Korea, Sandra was offered a position for a single year tour in Vietnam. The war was on when she stepped onto Vietnamese soil and she remembers living there through the Tet Offensive. Her outpouring of patriotism was inspired by her father, Lt Colonel William J. Lockney, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who saw action in World War II, Korea, and eventually Vietnam.
These women of Special Services were honored at the dedication of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1993. It is located at the site of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. Those able to attend listened as Admiral William Crowe, a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at the historic event. Sandra L. Davis was one of the Special Services women who received a personalized Certificate of Appreciation signed by Les Aspin, U.S. Secretary of Defense. A special publication was produced for the surviving honorees: Vietnam Women’s Memorial: A Commemorative. You can find more of her life and volunteer service in her memoir, due out soon, as well as in selected chapters of her husband’s book, Growing Up in Pensacola, by Charlie Davis.
Sandra will present her story again at the Gulf Breeze Historical Society. This time her program and PowerPoint presentation are entitled: “So, What’s A Nice Girl Like You Doing In A Place Like this? From Seoul to Saigon.” This happens to be the title of her memoir which is now in the editing stage. The presentation will be on Tuesday Oct 19, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Gulf Breeze City Hall. All are heartily welcome to attend.