Missing in Action and Military Appreciation Day Tomorrow

I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I actually moved last month off of Fort Ord and into downtown Monterey. That does mean that I won't be able to post Pinnacle Information anymore. That being said, I will still try and do research to share any military events that I find out about.

One such event is Military Appreciation Day TOMORROW, June 4th at the Del Monte Center. There are a bunch of planned activities, discounts and the like. Take your whole family as the lineup looks to be very exciting. Click below on the link for the flyer

Del Monte Center Military Appreciation Day Flyer

Show the Del Monte Center that military events are worth the effort and expense and that the military community here appreciates the support. Hope to see you there!

Hiatus and Artichokes

I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. I moved out of the Fort Ord Community and into downtown Monterey for my own sanity. That being said, I'll try to stay on top of all the OMC events by getting information from my friends that still live in Pinnacle housing.

As for fun things to do this weekend, I'm headed to the Castroville Artichoke festival this weekend. It is both Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:00 am and running to 6:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. There is live entertainment, tons of food (for purchase mainly), a parade, a prince and princess of the festival, and many more exciting activities. I will never forget first driving into Monterey and passing a sign that said Castroville, Artichoke Capital of the World. I will never forget that sign and I'm really excited to go tomorrow.

Active duty military is FREE. Other military is $5, students/seniors/children 4-12 are $5 and children under 3 are free.

Here's a link to an article in the Salinas Californian about the event.

Another website is the festival site which you can get to by clicking here.

St. Patrick's Day Crafts and Activities

Please join in and celebrate the coming St. Patrick's day holiday with Pinnacle. From 1600-1800 at Fitch Community Center on Thursday, March 17, Pinnacle will be hosting St. Patty's Day Crafts and Activities. All craft supplies and snacks will be provided. Try your luck at being crafty and you might find a pot o' gold at the end of your rainbow!

BE AWARE: TSUNAMI WARNING TODAY

Photo courtesy of GeoTimes

I got a call this morning on my disconnected landline letting me know that there is a tsunami warning for the area after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan (our time yesterday). The advisory I received said to stay away from the shores, off the beaches and out of the ocean water. I suspect that some crazy maverick surfers will not heed the advice of this warning but I do hope you all will. For a slideshow of the disaster in Japan, visit the NY Times slideshow. Be safe and stay informed. For more information on tsunamis and what to do, visit the California Seismic Safety Commission. For more information on the current tsunami warning, keep checking local news websites, the television and radio. Stay safe and if you have any information, share it on here as a comment! Good resources for information, any updates you hear, the more information the better off we all are.

March Fitness and Welness Schedule is UP

The March schedule is jam packed with all your favorite classes. There are a few schedule highlights/changes so take note:

Fitness Classes
• Outdoor adventures: An extreme hike at Garrapata Park on Saturday 3/12 at 10am for those that would like a challenge. I have hiked this mountain and it is intense but the views are worth it! The group is car pooling for this hike. For more information contact Pinnacle.
• A family hike to Garland Ranch is planned for Saturday 3/19 at 11am. The family hike at Garland will have shuttle service provided. Contact jprosser@pinnaclefamily.com.
• I am teaching an additional Masala Bhangra class on Thursdays at Fitch Community Center at 6:30 pm. Yeah! But do take note, Masala Bhangra at La Mesa on Wednesday 3/9 class will be at the Activity Center at 1280 Leahy Road & is canceled for Wednesday 3/30.
• Zumbatomics will be outside weather permitting on Wed 3/30.
• Morning yoga at Fitch is canceled on Friday 3/4.

Wellness
• Family Movie Night at La Mesa is scheduled for 3/10 at 6pm. Bring your family and get comfortable!
• Breakfast-on-the-Go is on for March 24! Stop by your local Pinnacle Office for a quick bite to jump start your day.
• Zumba is canceled at La Mesa on Thur 3/10.

Porter Youth Center Sports- for more information contact the Porter Youth Center or consult this week's Pinnacle Bulletin

Track and Field
Registration – February 28^th – April 1^st
Practices – April 5^th – June 9^th
Local meets – April 30^th – June 11^th
Ages 5-14 are welcome to participate but must be registered with Parent Central Services and have a current sports physical. $40 first child, $34 each additional.

Youth Baseball
Registration January 18^th – March 9^th
Season – Begins in April and concludes in June
Ages 3-12 are welcome to participate but must be registered with Parent Central Services and have a current sports physical. $45 first child, $38 each additional.

Darryl Worley Concert- THIS SATURDAY

The Darryl Worley Concert is this Saturday. Shuttles from the Presidio of Monterey and throughout OMC will begin at 1600. The concert begins at 1800. There will be food vendors as well as an FRG food booth to support military families. Come hear some great music and have a good time. For more information, including shuttle pick-up and drop-off points, click here. The concert is free admission so take advantage of this exciting event!

Ice Skating in Monterey- 2 for 1 deal

Miss the ice? From November 20, 2010 to January 9, 2011, Tuesdays are 2-for-1 Military day at the Monterey Bay Ice Skating rink. It is 2-for-1 admissions and the rink is located at Custom House Plaza behind the Portola Hotel & Spa. There is FREE 2 hour parking for locals at the Waterfront Parking lot (bring a bill from your house if you don't have a California license). For more information, visit the website. Have fun and enjoy some winter fun times!

ACS Marketing Makeover Event!!

Army Community Services (ACS) is hosting an exciting Marketing Makeover event.

When: Friday, November 19th 10:00 am-12:00 pm.
Where: Gold Room, Stilwell Community Center, Building 4260 (corner of Gigling Rd. and General Jim Moore)
What: Participants will be asked to give feedback on how ACS can improve their marketing to Monterey military residents, and in exchange will be eligible to win hundreds of dollars worth of bath and body products.

If you are interested, call 831-242-7660 to sign up and FREE DAYCARE is available.

Town Hall Meetings This Week!

Quarterly Town Hall Meetings are happening at La Mesa and Fort Ord.

These meetings are hosted by the Presidio of Monterey Garrison Commander and Garrison Command Sergeant Major, COL Brewer and CSM Martinez. Refreshments will be provided along with Island’s gift card giveaways.

When: Tuesday, November 16^th from 6-7PM

Where: La Mesa Community Center Meeting Room

Who: Presidio of Monterey and La Mesa Village

When: Thursday, November 18^th from 630-730 PM

Where: OMC Activity Center – 201 Noumea Road

Who: Ord Military Community

November Calendar is UP

The November Health and Wellness Calendar is now up on the blog. Some of the highlights this month are:

Friday 11/12: Toy Story Movie Marathon beginning at 0900 at the La Mesa Ballroom (1200 Fechteler Drive, Monterey).
Thursday 11/18: Movie Night at 1830 at Fitch Community Center (1225 Tunisia Road, Seaside).
Wednesday 11/24: Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts from 1300-1500 at the La Mesa Community Center (1200 Fechteler Drive, Monterey) in the Birthday Room.

There are three days where there are NO classes or activities due to holidays:
Thursday 11/11: Veterans Day
Thursday 11/25 and Friday 11/26: Thanksgiving holiday

Stay active and stay fit!

Marine Spouses Meet and Greet- TOMORROW

I'm sorry I am so late in posting it, but for all you Marine Spouses, there is our monthly Meet and Greet at 201 Noumea Road on Fort Ord. It will be at 10am and refreshments are available. Children are welcome to attend as there are plenty of kids activities in the back yard. We will have the usual schedules, and go over details for next week's ball. We will also be discussing formalizing our organization and open volunteer positions for those who want to become more active in the Marine Community here on base. Come and spend time with fellow Marine spouses. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, you can email marinespousemonterey@gmail.com

Yard Sale THIS SATURDAY

The Post-wide yard sale is this Saturday from 10am to 2pm. The yard sale will be located at the back of Fort Ord off Joe Lloyd Way. See map below for details. I am also going to plug a ribbon and bow booth that will be at the sale run by a fellow Marine Spouse. She makes adorable bows and ribbon hair pieces that are great holiday gifts for the little princesses in your life!

Registration for the post wide yard sale/ craft fair is going on Thursday evening from 6pm-8pm and Friday from 10am-1pm and 6pm-8pm. There are plenty of spaces available as well as clothing racks for rent. Spots range from $15-$25 depending on whether you live on Post and whether or not you have a prime space.

Early bird passes are also available for $5 cash only. This will get you in to the Yard Sale 45 minutes before everyone else. Due to frequent poor weather in February this will be the last Post-Wide yard sale until May!

Pumpkin Giveaway by Pinnacle!!!

On Monday, October 18^th, 2010 we will be giving away 100 free pumpkins to the Military Residents of The Parks of Monterey Bay. For a chance to win email your name, address, and two phone numbers to kgordon@pinnaclefamily.com .

Don’t forget to bring your carved pumpkin to be judged at our Safety Spooktacular event on October 30^th at the La Mesa Village Community Center.

Family Movie Night Info

Pinnacle holds a family movie night each month, one at La Mesa, and one at Fitch Community Center. Here is the information for this month's movie nights. And don't forget, it's FREE!

WHERE: La Mesa Ballroom

WHEN: Oct. 14^th

TIME: Movie starts at 6:30pm

MOVIE: Tinker bell & the Great Fairy Rescue – Rated G

Please view details at:

http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/482074

WHERE: Fitch Community Center

WHEN: Oct. 21^st

TIME: Movie starts at 6:30pm

MOVIE: Scooby Doo! Camp Scare

Please view details at:

http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/490996

FOCUS Group Reminder- TOMORROW

Tomorrow night at the OMC Activity Center, Pinnacle will be holding another Focus Group to discuss the Pinnacle Difference Program with Fort Ord residents. They are interested in getting more junior enlisted military and their families at Pinnacle events and classes. They will be discussing scheduling, conflicts, attendance, and want your feedback to tailor the program so YOU will attend. With your help, the Pinnacle Difference program will improve. Refreshments were available at the last focus group (sandwiches, drinks and snacks).

Where: OMC Activity Center 201 Noumea Rd (pumpkin colored house at the corner of Noumea and Monterey Rds)
When: 1800-1900
Parking is available on the street. The entrance to the house is on Noumea Rd.

Marine Spouses Meet and Greet

It is that time of the month again! Thursday, October 7th at 1000 will be the monthly Marine Spouses Meet and Greet. For more information, visit the Facebook group page by clicking here. It will be, as always, at the OMC Activity Center (pumpkin colored house) at 201 Noumea Rd. The house is on the corner of Noumea and Monterey Roads. You can park on-street on Noumea Rd.

This month the theme is the upcoming Marine Corps Ball. We encourage everyone to bring dresses they would be willing to let others borrow, or bring the dress they are planning to wear. Veteran Marine spouses will be there to help give input on the appropriateness of any outfit. We will discuss fun makeup tips, talk about where to get hair and nails done, and also discuss childcare options. There is lots to report so we hope to see you on Thursday! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me. Refreshments will be available and children are more than welcome to attend.

Famly Fun Fitness event this SATURDAY!

The Defense Commissary Agency will host one of the largest partnerships in military resale and outreach history with the unveiling of the Family Fun Fitness Festival. This event offers the military community worldwide smorgasbord of commissary case lot sales, exchange sidewalk sales; and Family and Morale & Recreation fitness activities. You will also find demos and music and industry sponsored nutritious food samples, prize giveaways and discount coupons. Join us for a 2 mile walk/run where the first 225 participating kids crossing the finish line will receive special medals. Lots of food drinks and fun!

Pinnacle Focus Group 10/5

If you live on Fort Ord or in La Mesa, please take part in the upcoming focus group from Pinnacle. On October 5th, Pinnacle and a representative from the Army Residential Communities Initiative will be hosting a focus group to get feedback. Refreshments will be provided and you will be asked questions on how Pinnacle can better serve our community. This includes hosting community events for military families as well as refining the health and wellness program to encourage greater attendance, especially from junior enlisted couples and families. Here are the details:
When: October 5th, 2010 from 1800-1900
Where: OMC Activity Center- 201 Noumea Rd. This is the pumpkin colored house at the corner of Noumea and Monterey Rds. Parking is available on street. The entrance to the house is on Noumea Rd.
Help provide feedback so that community programs not only continue to be offered, but also grow into something your whole family can enjoy!

Infamous One Call- Can You Hear Me Now?

Do you spend most of your time on Fort Ord or La Mesa? Do you live in Pinnacle Housing? Now here is the most important question: do you know about the over 100 events hosted by Pinnacle for the military families throughout the year?

I am guessing your answer is NO. If it is, I am also going to guess why. When you signed your lease with the Pinnacle leasing office, most everything is in the active duty person's name. As the spouse, you rarely initialed or signed anything. HOWEVER, there was a paper called One-Call. It was probably described to you as the phone number and email Pinnacle will use in case there is an emergency. So you probably did what we did, and said, "okay, put the active duty person's information." (I am 5'2" on a good day. I can do little to stop a fire or stave off an emergency situation.)

Here is the BUT, and it is a BIG BUT!! The One-Call is also used to send out weekly information via email about all the upcoming events hosted and paid for by Pinnacle for military families. The schedule of free exercise classes is also sent out for the month so you can take advantage of them. As the holiday season approaches, two big, must go-to events are going to take place: the Halloween Spooktacular and the Winter Wonderland.

So, if you want to add your information to the One-Call, because frankly, like me, you are in charge of scheduling your family's free time, call or stop by the leasing office and have your information added. You will feel much more informed!

Customer Service Survey-DEADLINE September 26th

Hey everyone. I just got this through my community's Yahoo group but I think it could provide some great feedback to the military about our installation. It'll only take a few minutes but could bring about real changes. The link below is active so just click on it and you'll be taken to the site.

Courteous customer service is something that can quickly change an
individual's opinion and can often be more important than other factors in
determining the overall satisfaction level associated with their experience.
Having someone politely, patiently, and accurately explain the process to
get your household goods shipped is another example of service. HQ IMCOM
has released an online survey that allows you, the customer, to rate the
garrison's services. This annual survey is called the Customer Service
Assessment (CSA).

The survey (CSA) opened Monday, Aug. 30, and will remain open through
Sunday, Sept. 26, and can be accessed by going online to
www.mymilitaryvoice.org

Anyone who uses garrison services is eligible to take the survey. That
means we want to hear from Family Members, Service Members, Civilians,
retirees, contractors, leaders and anyone else who works, lives or plays on
this military installation. Most people will only need about 15-20 minutes
to take the survey and provide your service providers some necessary
feedback regarding Garrison services.

The results help shape the way services are funded and what improvements and
changes will be made. Who better to help make those decisions than the
people who use those services? Your voice is important! Help us improve
the Presidio's services by giving us your feedback. Take the Customer
Service Assessment online!

For more information on the 2010 Customer Service Assessment, contact
Anthony Trujillo at 242-7028 or Amber Hill 242-6676. Let your voice be
heard!