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Show M S August 7, 2014 Key to Success Educational School Fair Fair to help prepare for upcoming school year By SARAH STOLL Hilltop Times correspondent The Key to Success Educational School Fair will be held 4:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Hill Air Force Base Landing. This event helps Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, and retired families prepare for the upcoming school year. "Operation Homefront distributes backpacks, partnering with the Dollar Tree Store, to supply school supplies," says Judy Maughan, Hill's school liaison officer and one of the event coordinators. "Families can come with the school's list of supplies and we will fill the backpack with these supplies." Approximately 40 informational tables, featuring public and private educators, will also be available so parents can speak with educators and organizations about getting information and solving problems before the school year begins. This is the event's third year working with Operation Homefront and its fourth year running. "This is a neat event as we truly help children prepare for school and receive school supplies," notes Maughan. "We have also been successful in identifying children who may be developmentally delayed and need some extra help in school... It is wonderful to meet and greet all of our families, network with our schools, and be aware of all the agencies that are a part of our community that are ready to help our families MILITARY MOCK TRIAL Delanie Stafford/U. S. Air Force 'mock trial' held June 9, inside the Offutt Air Force Base Courtroom, Neb. All Airmen attending the week-long First Term Airmen's Center orientation course will participate in a mock trial as part of their training. The 55th Wing Legal Office created the program with the goal of preventing sexual assault through education and awareness. Rolek is a 55th Wing assistant staff judge advocate. Capt. Dave Rolek cross examines a simulated defendant charged with sexual assault during the first ever Airmenget inside look at military judicial system BY DELANIE STAFFORD, 55th Wing Public Affairs O FFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - Students attending orientation training through the Offutt Air Force Base First Term Airmen's Center now actively participate in mock court-martials to raise awareness about sexual assault in the military. "Members, today (June 19) you're going to hear about a sexual assault ... that was committed against the victim ... by the accused, her friend," the prosecutor said in their opening statement. Members of the 55th Wing legal office modeled the program after a similar platform used at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, titled 'Got Consent,' which promotes sexual assault prevention through education and awareness. The program launched at See JUDICIAL I Page 10 when needed." For more information about this upcoming event, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 801-777-4681. If you wish to receive a backpack at the fair (limit of 2 backpacks per family), you MUST register at http://www.operationhomefront.net/event/list?Id=3393 prior to the event. Retirees need to call 801-775-5960 to sign up with a coordinator. Enola Gay navigator passes away WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. - The navigator on the famous B-29 Superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, died July 28 in Stone Mountain, Ga. Van Kirk was 93. "Whiteman (Air Force Base) and the nation have lost a great patriot," said Brig. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, the 509th Bomb Wing commander. "Maj. Theodore Van Kirk was a vital member of a historic unit, the unit from which the 509th Bomb Wing was born, and his contributions to American military history and to Allied victory in World War II will forever be remembered." A veteran of 58 World War II combat missions, Van Kirk was selected to be a member of the 509th Composite Group by Col. Paul Tibbets, the commander of the 509th CG. The group was the predecessor to the 509th Bomb Wing, which is stationed here. Before the mission over Japan, Tibbets told Van Kirk the group had been chosen for a top-secret bombing mission that might end the war. On Aug. 6, 1945, the Enola Gay, crewed by Van Kirk, Tibbets and 10 others, dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima; Van Kirk, a captain at the time, was only 24 years old. His skill and professionalism ensured the Enola Gay arrived at the drop point a mere 15 seconds after the initially planned time, quite the accomplishment given technological and logistical limitations during World War II. Van Kirk completed his military service in August 1946 with the rank of major. His decorations include the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and 15 Air Medals. Information courtesy of 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs Disney misses a step with 'Muppets Most Wanted' BY STEVE SALLES, Standard-Examiner movie critic A s excited as I was to tell moviegoers about 2011's "The Muppets," I must admit, this sequel to that extraordinary reboot feels more or less ordinary. What's missing this time around? Simple. No Jason Segel. He was such a big fan of the original material and made such a significant and clever film the first time around, that there was bound to be a letdown without him. Even the the Muppets themselves realize it in the opening song as they poke fun of sequels as never being as good as the originals — and they are prophetically right. This story picks up where the previous left off, as the Muppets, with their newly found fame, want to keep the party going. To that end, a slick tour manager, Dominic (Ricky Gervais), convinces the motley crew to go on a worldwide tour. Dominic is really working for Constantine, the world's most dangerous frog, who looks just like Kermit, only he has a beauty mark, a Russian accent and likes to blow things up. The plan is for Constantine to escape a Siberian gulag, slap a mole on Kermit's face and exchange places with him. Kermit is arrested and sent to Russia, while Constantine pretends to be Kermie, even though he sounds nothing like him. He also plans to use the Muppets as a distraction, while he and Dominic break into various European museums, in search of the means to eventually steal the Crown Jewels from the British monarchy. So the stories diverge as Kermit is forced to deal with the harsh prison life in Siberia, while Constantine manipulates the show tour to suit his grand heist schemes. big impact Segel had on that last film, and based on this new one, I don't think Disney realized it either. AP Photo/Disney Enterprises, Inc. Kermit the frog, left, and Ricky Gervais in a scene from "Muppets Most Wanted." As in other Muppet films, several celebrity cameos are throw in, but they don't have the same creative purpose as the last movie so masterfully exhibited. I felt especially bad for Christoph Waltz and Salma Hayek for their lame walkthroughs. The musical numbers were pretty decent, especially that initial "sequel" song, while Ty Burrell's French accent and Tina Fey's Russian equivalent were just so-so. I wouldn't call this any kind of leap forward in "The Muppets" franchise. In fact, it's more of the same old, same old. I guess I didn't realize what a *** THE FILM: `Muppets Most Wanted' STARRING: Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Danny Trejo and the Muppets BEHIND THE SCENES: Cowritten and directed by James Bobin (The Muppets'); filmed at various locations and Pinewood Studios in the UK and Walt Disney Studios in the United States. PLAYING: Layton Hills 9, Syracuse 6, Megaplex 13, Cinemark Farmington, Layton Tinseltown, Newgate Tinseltown, Megaplex 14, Walker 8, Capitol. Runs 112 minutes. MPAA RATING: PG for some mild action 7 |