[WARC] Recent posts

[Ed & Mary Crowell]

Hi to All My Friends,  Thanks for inviting me to get Warc Lists Mail.
    I can't help comment on recent posts re: WEPNET et al.
    When we formed WEP net it was the Winona Emergency Preparedness Net.
    Many of you were involved in the formation an operation  of the Net.  R=
uss, Walt, Bob, Jim, Kenny and Clare were involved and served at one time o=
r another as Net Control Stations.  We used to have education programs on t=
he net with Kenny, and Walt doing most of the teaching.  We had instruction=
 in Formal Written Traffic, Technical Topics, and informal items of general=
 interest.  I cannot speak to the needs of the Winona Community there now, =
but our needs then were to cover emergency needs like the Violent Thunderst=
orms that hit us on the very day of our Field Day Operation up at the Gun C=
lub site on the Bluff.  I remember we grabbed our stuff and went down to th=
e town of Winona to help with the Clean-up. I remember many live power line=
s were down and large trees and limbs blocked the city streets of Winona.  =
 The City needed help making live wires and protecting the citizens in the =
streets.  The Policed Repeater was out of service because they didn't yet h=
ave a generator at the site.  Many of us rode the city trucks as barricades=
 were set up and dangerous areas were marked. One year we had 19 call-outs =
in the Summer alone for Tornado Warnings and Watches.  We used to have 20-2=
5 units available even over in Fountain City, and as far as Trempealeau and=
 Arcadia watching the Storms.  La Crosse NWS used to count on us to provide=
 observations as the lines of storms passed through the neighborhood.  One =
Factoid I remember was that Winona ARC had been reported to OKC NWS for bei=
ng among the most active in the whole U.S.   Anyway,  we were very involved=
 in the Emcomms Operations.
              Living here in Florida as I do, we are still very concerned w=
ith Storms--some of which are much bigger than those seen up there.  We sti=
ll work hard on emergency comms.  We have exercises every Spring.  We have =
a very active ARES Unit here in Sumter County with, I believe, 47 members. =
 I have been ADEC here in West Central Florida, and AEC with the local unit=
.  I am still active with the local Club here in The Villages.
    We are in the middle of the License Classes here--teaching Technician a=
nd General Class licensing material.  As part of that, we have been holding=
 up to our prospective Hams our commitment to provide public service to the=
 community and the State as a way of justifying our existence as Hams and o=
ur use of the Spectrum which they own.  =

    What do you think?  Do we owe anything to the citizens for the privileg=
e of being Hams?  I cannot tell you what the needs of your community up the=
re are.  I don't get up there very often.  I apologize for missing you all =
last Summer, but I will try to get by there this Summer.  Far be it for me =
to tell you what you need to do in Winona.  I can only tell you what we are=
 doing here in Florida. =

    I think this Mail List is a good thing.  It makes possible these kind o=
f discussions.  Now and then we need to re-evaluate what we are doing and m=
ake changes.  That way we can respond to the changing needs of the communit=
y and the members of the Winona Amateur Radio Club.  Good luck on your eval=
uation.  We wish you the Best from here in Florida.  We will look forward t=
o seeing you all again this Summer.   73,   =

                                                                           =
                     Ed Crowell, W5TWR
                                                                           =
                     Secretary, TVARC
                                                                           =
                     ARES AEC, Training
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