Town Hall addresses issues Published May 11, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Brian Bahret 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Termites, radon, day care and youth activities were the hot topics for base residents attending two Town Hall meetings Tuesday at the base theater. Base leadership held the meetings in order to foster better communication with the base populace and help address their needs. Following remarks from the 36th Wing commander which included an overview of Andersen's mission, Col. Mark Talley, the 36th Mission Support Group commander, addressed several topics of concern for the base. "Communications" was the start of the discussion. He said Channel 70, the Pacific Edge, www.andersen.af.mil, the Out & About, home e-mails from the Airman and Family Readiness Center are all resources people can use to get up to date information. Colonel Talley said the leadership will use those resources to inform the base populace about the topics covered at the Town Hall meeting as well as any future issues that may arise. The first issue involved termites in base housing. He said 61 units have termites -- 41 of those are occupied. He said, the non-indigenous termites surfaced in some cabinets as part of the housing renovation program. The base is working on a solution. For more information, visit www.andersen.af.mil or call the housing office at 366-2127. The second issue involved increased radon levels in base housing. Radon levels were found to be high in 41 housing units on base, explained Colonel Talley. The Environmental Protection Agency said radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can't see, smell or taste, however it is not hazardous unless exposed for lengthy amounts of time, such as, 30-40 years. However, the base is implementing measures to eliminate or reduce the radon levels in base housing, said Colonel Talley. More information on the base's response will be posted to Andersen's website and published in future editions of The Pacific Edge. In the meantime, a simple solution Colonel Talley offered was to open windows for 30 minutes each day. He said opening the windows will help the radon filter out of the house. The base will retest all of the housing and determine the extent of the radon exposure. Other areas of concern involved youth center and child development center activities. Concerns surrounded the amount of activities available and the hours of operation. Currently, the CDC is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Several residents expressed concerns over the limited hours and lack of child care options. Colonel Talley said there is no short term solution to the CDC hours due to limited financial and personnel resources available, however there are Extended Care Programs that offer before and after options for CDC users. While the hours can't be changed, Colonel Talley offered another resource families may use -- the extended duty care program. "A home care provider that has been licensed and trained is available," he said. In the morning, parents may drop their child off with the provider. The provider will bring the child to the CDC and, in the evening, will pick the child up too, he said. "It's a little bit of movement, but it's all within a very closely monitored and certified system," said Colonel Talley. Plus, he said, it's free of charge. The extended duty care program is available and is paid for with Air Force money, he said. Contact the CDC for more details. All the issues addressed will be taken into consideration, said