Final decision on Mineo to be made next year

[unhappycamper]

Final decision on Mineo to be made next year
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, March 18, 2009

MINEO, Sicily — Seems all good things must come to an end, Joanne Aceves lamented of the U.S. Navy housing area where she lives.

The Mineo housing area might be vacated and turned over to the Italian landlord in two years as the Navy in Europe reconfigures housing policies to make use of housing units the military pays for, regardless of whether they are occupied.

"I like it," said Aceves, who has lived at Mineo for about a year. "There aren’t a lot of cars, there are (playground) parks and we are nearby to other towns."

In spite of some imperfections — mainly its distance from the base and services — Mineo provides the perfect compromise for those who want to experience the Italian culture, she said, without actually living out in town.

But between 2002 and 2008, populations at Navy bases in Europe declined about 33 percent, leaving housing units on several Navy bases vacant.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61408