Roger's WebPoint©
the nostalgic site of priceless pictures & vivid memories...
2nd ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
by Nick Munoz Chan January 1, 2010 Toward the end of each year, we send our best wishes to our relatives, friends and acquaintances and others. This tradition is actually good for everyone. It renews or rekindles our relationships with those who touched our hearts. This worldwide celebration brings people closer together, which enhances our lives. This year is unique for us-the Munoz clan. We are celebrating a special “means” that brought us closer together. It’s created by one of us with special talent. Since “day one”, there was excitement. There were good news, some sad but we continued to support and enjoy what it brings us. We got to know each other and brought us closer | to each other. It’s the website Roger’s WebPoint that started all of the excitement. We are now entering the beginning of its third year. How do we celebrate? First, we recall the beginning and remember the articles posted that drew our attention. We wanted more and we came out to participate. But the center of it all is the person who created it. He promoted a family atmosphere with positive aspects that gave all of us a sense of pride. Roger Munoz, a man of determination, dedication and talent. Please join me to congratulate and thank this gentleman who has devoted his precious time round the clock to preserve all the goodness of the website for us. |
Mayflower Festival, Santa Cruzan
by Nick Munoz Chan December 31, 2009 One of our volunteer community projects is to support the children activities. There are many Filipino social clubs in Jacksonville-thirteen to be exact. We support all of them but we do not belong to any specific association except lately, the Veteran’s Society that we just formed. The Filipino Civic and Cultural Association sponsor the Santa Cruzan. When I retired from the service, we joined the club in order to participate with the children’s yearly activity. In the beginning, we considered ourselves as support group, attended meetings and let the officers and members run the show. We noticed early on that there were disagreements, which is normal. The constant problem was the choosing of the “Reyna Elena” (queen), a prestigious role on the final stage of a young woman’s years of participation-the finale. This usually happen and coincide upon completion of high school. The participating children start at about 5 – 7 years of ages, the girls as angels, the boys as “Way to Heaven”. The respective parents devotes lots of time to prepare their children or grands. Those who work hard for years and fully support the club for this activity since the beginning, expect their child-candidate to be the queen. The Reyna must not have absentee, must go through all of the requirements and participate in all of the activities. There is always a tendency of some parents to go around | the system, wanting their young lady to be the queen without meeting the criteria. Trouble start when someone in the club promises a friend without approval of majority. We could not stand to see members having animosity, loss of tempers and loss of members-usually the hard working ones. We got ourselves involved deeper to prevent the problems. It has been customary to raise funds for the miscellaneous expenses especially the food for the participants and their parents. It used to be for Filipino kids only, however their non-Fil neighbors who wants to participate just could not be turned down. It’s gotten huge. We now feed close to 400 adults. A plan to cut it down or eliminate the adult guest feeding had not materialized yet. Meanwhile, the parents and grandparents have been doing Christmas caroling. We started with portable sound system. We upgraded system, investing on more professional instrument with 6 mikes including cordless. Leilani made cummerbund, and matching ties for the men and upgraded the women’s outfit too. The caroling donations went up so much more that we continue to feed everybody who comes, the priest who officiate the ceremony actually enjoys the celebration that he join in the procession around the huge church grounds. Here are photos of the latest of moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas caroling in their outfits. Rehearsals start in October. We usually sing 10 songs and more if requested, change selections yearly. |
2009 Christmas Party for Children in Jacksonville, Florida
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JACKSONVILLE UPDATE
by Nick Munoz Chan December 17, 2009 The two boys the Medical Mission brought in over here for corrective surgery are healing well. They are finally going back home next year. This picture was taken last month.
The next Medical Mission will be in the year 2011 in Pangasinan. The major surgeries will be done in Dagupan City while the minor ones will be performed in the designated smaller towns of Pangasinan. Alna, Leilani’s cousin who lives here in Jacksonville often invites us for dinner or any occasion. Alna and her husband Olie work at odd hours. She could work in the evening or “on call” as a nurse at the Jax NAS hospital and he at the lab. It is difficult for us to invite the whole family to fit their sked except on Turkey Day and other major holidays. They have two grown-ups, Ivane-their first, is married to Steve Parrish whose mom is from Japan and dad is American. Greg, the younger is just running around with a girl friend named Crystal. He’s been working since finishing college two years earlier. | The Parrish’ have two boys, Steve’s younger brother-Jason is part of the working class for the past couple years, also running around with his gf whom we knew since childhood. We used to invite and or sponsor her and a sister to the May Flower Festival (Santa Cruzan). Steve’s specialty is turkey deep frying during T/G. |
Pics at Alna & Olie’s home.
Yesterday (Dec 14), we finally corralled everybody. They came for dinner, but the significant event is for the boy’s announcement of their “near future” intentions, a big one and we were told to standby-whatever that means. The younger group’s picture at home; Greg in front with Crystal at right. Jason and Peaches at the back. Ivane and Steve on the left.
UPDATE, Jacksonville and Vicinity
by Nick Munoz Chan December 2, 2009
Jacksonville, Florida, a city of a million and home of the Jaguars, is unique. It is USA’s largest city in point of land area. It sits in Duval County which is the whole city itself. Driving into the metropolis, a highway sign reads – “Entering Duval County, City of Jacksonville”.
It is also home of over ten thousand Filipinos due to the three* Naval bases within the city/county. Nearby Kings Bay in Georgia, the Submarine Base is a stone throw from Mayport Naval Base. Before the Cecil Field Naval Air Station was closed not long ago, Jacksonville was the only US city with three active Navy Airbases capable of handling fighter jets and the larger military aircrafts. *(The former Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville NAS and Mayport Naval Station –only one of the three bases to have both aviation runway and ships).
Due to the Military Base Realignment & Closure, assessment and re-assessment is ongoing. Relocation of ships, squadrons and other navy commands have some bases/stations gain or lose some units. Only NAS Jax and Mayport are active at present.
NAS Jax is gaining P-3 Orion patrol planes from the NAS Brunswick, Maine as the base fell victim to the BRAC-Base Realignment and Closure.
P-3 Orion is a long range anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance aircraft. Its mission has evolved in the late 1990 & 21st century to include surveillance of battle space, either at sea or over land. Its long range & long loiter time have proved invaluable assets during Operation Iraqi Freedom as it can view the battle space and instantaneously provide that information to ground troops especially the marines. Has 4 turboprop engines that can fly for over 10 hours. The record time aloft is 21 ½ hours by the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It is used by numerous airforces of countries around the world.
Mayport Naval Station (Jacksonville) is gaining a Nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Funding for dredging and deepening of the basin is approved and work will soon start.
NAS Jax, a multi-mission base hosting more than 100 Tenant Commands. It’s the third largest naval installation in the USA. It occupies almost 4,000 acres along the scenic St Johns River not too far from downtown Jacksonville. It employs more than 23,000 active duty and civilian personnel.
Naval Hospital Jacksonville, a medical and surgical hospital offering both inpatient and outpatient care to active duty personnel, military retirees & their families. Also has the Navy’s largest Family Physician Training Program & the hospital is fully accredited by the Joint commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. Each year, the 8-story hospital treats over 400,000 outpatients and admits about 10,000 inpatients.
The Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) inside NAS Jax is an industrial facility that performs rework, repair and modification of aircraft, engines and aeronautical components. NADEP is the Navy’s premier Engine Facility and Reworks jet engines and over 36,000 components and avionics.
NAS Jax is also home of 5 squadrons of anti-submarine Helicopter Support Facilities that include an airfield for US and foreign pilots training. The facility also prepares and trains air crew & maintenance personnel for further assignments.
Mayport and Kingsbay are both candidates to base the new Navy’s “Brown Water” – the Riverine Force which saw a lot of action during the Vietnam War. AHHHH, nostlagic! It was de-activated after the war and quickly forgotten until recently. The Riverine Force has gone from a small group of sailors in Little Creek, Virginia to three active squadrons, one conducting in Iraq now.
The new force is seeking a permanent home as it is operating out of temporary facility. Since the Force’s concept only over 2 years ago, it has evolved into a mission-capable force that is currently contributing to the global war on terrorism. The last time an active Riverine Force was during the Vietnam War when the navy’s River Patrol Force operated along the Mekong Delta and other rivers & canals in South Vietnam. WOW! What a nostalgia.
