NEWS
Ham radio operators prepare demonstration days
Montague County “hams” will join with thousands of amateur radio operations who will be showing off their emergency capabilities June 28-29.
This annual events called “Field Day” is the climax of a week-long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. In the Montague County area, the local radio club “MCARC” will be demonstrating amateur radio at the Montague County Courthouse Annex on June 28-29. They invite the public to come and see how ham radio’s new capabilities work and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.
The demonstration will be 1 – 7 p.m. on June 28 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 29.
During the past year the new has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America. During Hurricane Katrine, amateur radio – often called “hams” traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, amateur radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications.
During the upcoming event, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Montague County ham radio operators and see for themselves what the amateur radio service is about. Showing the latest in digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be conducting public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.
Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and back yards around the country. Their slogan, “Ham radio works when other systems don’t,” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.
“We hope people will come and see for themselves. The communications ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that, it’s fun,” said Joe Ehlene, club president.
There are more than 650,000 amateur radio licenses in the U.S. and more than 2.5 million around the world. To learn more about amateur radio go to emergency-radio.org. Come learn more, they can even help you get on the air.
Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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