Auto Hobby Shop service hours
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
Sir, I work in a 24/7 job on base, and my sleep and work hours can make it difficult for me to take care of personal errands during normal operating times. The posted signs for the Auto Hobby Shop clearly display their hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. I recently arrived there at 7:10 p.m. to change the oil in a friend's car and found all the stalls were open and available for use. However, the attendant informed be that I couldn't use any of the stalls as he closes them at 7:30 p.m. for cleaning. I offered to help with his cleaning chores but he still didn't allow me to rent the stall and instead referred me to RAF Lakenheath's Auto Hobby Shop, which he said closed at 10 p.m. On his reference, I drove to RAF Lakenheath only to find their location was closed.
In my opinion, base agencies should take the time to help members out during their total hours of operation.
Response:
Thank you for bringing your recent experience at our Auto Hobby Shop to our attention. The facility has a sign posted which states, "Work will cease 45 minutes before closing time." This allows the employees enough time to ensure all projects are completed in a safe manner and the work areas clean prior to closing.
The RAF Lakenheath Auto Hobby Shop recently changed their operating hours Jan. 1, 2012, from closing at 9 p.m. to closing at 6 p.m. Our Auto Hobby Shop staff wasn't aware of RAF Lakenheath's recent operating hours change. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
Auto resale registration
*Note: The RAF Mildenhall Auto Resale Lot has relocated from teh Bob Hope Community Center to near the roundabout near the Gateway Inn. All other information is still current and accurate.
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
Sir, to sell vehicles I have to pay $15 a month to display it at the Bob Hope Community Center which I have no problem paying. If you drive around base, you will find vehicles for sale all over the base, which I thought was illegal. Also in the Bob Hope Community Center parking lot you will also find vehicles not registered with the center for sale across from the designated resale lot. I have spoken to the staff and was told that it's out of their hands. They only have control of the area designated for resale. I was told that on RAF Lakenheath vehicles not properly registered at the Auto Hobby Center are ticketed and after a while towed at the owner's expense. I have no problem paying for my vehicle to be sold, I believe it's wrong that others are not paying, but are able to display the vehicles around base to include the visitor center.
Response:
Policy outlining requirements for advertising vehicles for sale can be found in MILDI 31-204. Paragraph. 5.19.15. indicates that a person is guilty of an offense if their vehicle is parked more than 24 hours with a for sale sign or any type of advertisement for the purpose of selling the vehicle. A person is also guilty of an offense if they park in the POV resale lot without the proper documentation. The 100th Force Support Squadron performs random checks for unregistered vehicles, and calls both the owners to have the vehicle removed and the 100th Security Forces Squadron to report the offense. Security Forces also periodically check the sales lot for violations, and responds whenever the 100th FSS has an issue with a vehicle. Thank you for your inquiry.
Bus stop security in Thetford
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
Col. Christopher Kulas - I have two children who ride the after-school activity bus to Thetford from the high school, and the bus stop location seems unsafe after businesses in the area close. The station is dark, and on many occasions I have run across those who appear to be under the influence of some substance. This is not an environment that children should be exposed to.
I called the school bus barn and was told that moving the bus stop to another location isn't an option as it's a contract issue. My problem is that the middle school bus stops at a different location, avoiding the town bus station and is the exact same company that is dropping off high school students. What can be done so that my children and other children who ride the high school activity bus don't have to be exposed to what I think is unsafe behavior?
Response:
Thank you for voicing your concern. I assure you that the safety of our Airmen and families is a primary concern for both the 100th Air Refueling and 48th Fighter Wing. I take such matters very seriously.
The 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron liaised with the RAF Lakenheath School Bus Office, who conducted a security assessment of the bus stop you mentioned. In their opinion, the area is safe to use as a bus stop. However, we have two other high school activity bus stops in Thetford, if you would prefer to use an alternate stop. One is at the old base housing area on Maine Street, and the other is at the intersection of Rosecroft Way and Foxglove Road. Students just need to tell the bus office their preferred drop off location.
Thank you for your feedback. Your insight is valuable to keeping both Team Mildenhall's and the Liberty Wing's future generations safe.
Sincerely,
Col. Christopher Kulas
Participation in National Night Out
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
On Aug. 7, 2012, there is an event called "National Night Out" in the United States. I realize this is a "stateside" event, but I was hoping to try and do something here in our housing as well, to promote safety, and unity as a community. With the housing being filled to capacity and lots of children all over, I am just trying to bring our neighbors out, meet each other and have a nice evening.
My idea is:
*we ask the Fire Dept. to allow Sparky to come
*Police Dept. to set up a finger printing table.
*Maybe Outdoor Rec would generously donate a bouncy castle?
*All the neighbors could set up a BBQ in their yards, to eat and have a
"competition" (Men and their grills)
* Salsa Making Contest
* Ask a face painter to come, (no cost to us as she would charge right there
at her "tent")
*Housing Yard Competition? Giving everyone plenty of time to get to Self help, for seed, and fertilizer, plant plants and get ready for a competition? Anyway I have loads of different ideas and I want to see if Public Affairs could come and take pictures as well.
As a mom and resident here I am hoping with the given time that we have before this event we could possibly have some updates/upgrades to our parks and basketball hoops.
Response:
I like your ideas. The 100th Force Support Squadron and 100th Security Forces Squadron would be eager to assist in any "Safety Day" type activities that are scheduled around the base housing area. However, in this constrained fiscal environment, we try to fund base-wide events. Since the event you suggested would only impact a small population of the base, this event would not meet the criteria for funding. If you would like to put together a neighborhood block party, I would recommend contacting FSS at 01638 543130. They can give you some good ideas on how to put this event together, and Outdoor Recreation can provide some of the equipment you referenced in your suggestion at a reasonable cost. Additionally, the base is sponsoring a base-wide event June 21 called Marauder Melee. Marauder Melee will provide Team Mildenhall and our families a social event similar to your suggestion. More information will be available soon, and in the meantime, you can call 01638 545806 to get additional details. Thanks again for your inputs.
Speeding in RAFM housing
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
Dear Sir, I want to bring to your attention the housing area inside of Mildenhall and the horrible speeders we have on our streets. Unfortunately most are resident/active duty members coming home from work or play. The speed limit in our area is 10 mph, we have no stop signs only give-ways, and with Halifax Dr. being the only one-way street leading to Lincoln and Virginia, it gets quite busy.
Sir, we need speed bumps and traffic radar ran. We need a bigger presence out here. If the sun peaks through for even a few minutes our children are running out to play!
Please help us keep our children safe, since for some ungodly reason the people who live here who have children think they are safe and will not look out for them when it is the opposite. The person with the deadly weapon needs to look out for them and be proactive. I appreciate your time in this matter and look forward to your response.
Response:
Thank you for your suggestion. Patrolmen from the 100th Security Forces Squadron have been directed to increase their presence in the base housing area in an attempt to thwart any potential speeding problem. Please understand that SFS does not have the manpower to dedicate a patrolman solely to that particular area, but will increase their patrols. As you know, the SFS Operations Officer contacted you directly to try to establish a pattern of when the most speeding is occurring.
Traffic route in RAF Mildenhall housing
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
I noticed that the gate heading out of housing on Halifax is open. I want it closed! Our children play at that park and in the area. I don't want more people speeding
through our neighborhood.
Response:
Thank you for bringing this security concern to our attention. The gate on Halifax was never intended to be left open, and this was an unknown result of the progress of the Lincoln Road renovation project. Prior to construction, chain link fencing blocked access to these gates, but this has since been removed.
Now that they are no longer physically blocked, we have locked the gates to prevent residents from opening the route and allowing non-housing traffic to cut through. Again, thank you for highlighting ways for us to improve the safety of our families and housing community.
Why is the Shippea Hill gate closed to vehicle traffic?
Action Lines may be submitted HERE.
Question/Concern:
Col. Christopher Kulas - I understand a decision has been made to close the Shippea Hill exit for vehicles departing RAF Mildenhall. It appears that there will henceforth be
just two exit points - the Lincoln Road exit and the West Row exit on the south side. The closing of the Shippea Hill exit seems rather illogical as there will remain a 100 SFS guard present for pedestrian access/egress. It will also lead to more traffic congestion for vehicles converging on the Lincoln Road exit at busy times of the day. Grateful for your thoughts on this change and whether there may be scope to reopen the Shippea Hill gate in future.
Response:
Thank you for the opportunity to address your concern and highlight a few important elements in the decision to cease outbound vehicle traffic at Shippea Hill gate.
Public safety and force protection are two key elements in the planning and execution of installation refinements like the Lincoln Road project. In this instance, the Lincoln Road renovation served to address both the public safety hazard and force protection vulnerability presented by the gate's close proximity to the A1101. The combination of vehicle throughput on the A1101, frequent pedestrian crossings, and unmetered vehicle outlet, presented unnecessary risk to the community. Furthermore, the past design of the Shippea Hill gate made for a number of current antiterrorism concerns identified by several vulnerability assessments. The newly-constructed Lincoln Road was designed to alleviate these concerns and allow for a more efficient traffic pattern exiting the base.
Once again, thank you for the opportunity to address this concern and offer insight on the elements behind base enhancement decisions.
Sincerely,
Col. Christopher Kulas
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