[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1465 - September 9, 2005

Sat Sep 10 10:22:56 EDT 2005

Amateur Radio Newsline 1465 - September 9, 2005

The following is a Q-S-T.  Ham radio continues its lifeline communications 
to the stricken Gulf states, a close call for the Handi Hams and Amateur 
Radio remembers the victims of 911.  Find out the details on Amateur Radio 
Newsline report number 1465 coming your way right now.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAM RADIO CONTINUES AS LIFELINE COMMUNICATIONS

Amateur Radio continues as the main communications lifeline to the 
hurricane and flood ravaged Gulf states.  This, almost two weeks after 
Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans and devastated the Big 
Easy.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramovich, NT3V, is here with the 
latest.

--

Sound on tape:

1st operator:  "State your QTH and conditions please."

2nd operator:  "We are in Gulfport, Mississippi at a staging area right now 
trying to fit into about a 6 foot by 6 foot square piece of shade to stay 
cool, over."

--

Those who are living through it and those who are working to help victims 
of Hurricane Katrina say the television pictures just don't tell the full 
story. The devastation and destruction to property, the loss of lives, 
sometimes defies words and pictures. 

Amateur Radio operators from across the country are rallying to do their 
part - as they always do in times of disaster. 

Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, writes the public service column for CQ magazine and 
is an ARRL assistant section manager in Eastern Pennsylvania. 

Josuweit says hams have responded in large numbers to the call from the 
American Red Cross to the ARRL for volunteers to staff shelters. He says 
the effort to put together a database was handled by someone who's had some 
experience in this area. 

"A website for collecting the names of volunteers had been set up by Joe 
Tomasone, AB2M,  down in Florida," Josuweit explains. "Now, Joe has had 
extensive experience following 9-11 in establishing a resource database for 
hams. People are registering for that and then operators are drawn from 
that list as needed." 

Many are heading to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama - to key towns 
where the needs are great. 

Josuweit says those who've been staffing the various shelters and emergency 
operations centers since Katrina hit are running out of steam and need a 
break. 

"People are getting tired, they've been out there for a week some on 24-
hour-operations and we're just going to need to fill in and give the 
operators on site some relief," Josuweit says. 

"It's expected that ham radio operators will be needed for at least the 
next 30 days at various locations in the South." 

He says a particular group of hams with experience dealing with hurricanes 
have stepped forward to help their neighbors. 

"I understand hams in the Tallahasee area in particular have gotten 
together and are coordinating their efforts and bringing equipment with 
them, but, again, they are being assigned to specific locations in 
Mississippi," Josuweit says. 

He says a lot of health and welfare traffic has been passed out of the 
hurricane-disaster zone across the country on a number of bands and modes. 

"A combination of EchoLink, IRLP, WinLink, traditional voice communication 
on UHF-VHF, as well as HF capability," Josuweit says. 

The CQ columnist says the internet is also playing a role in helping 
reunite families, thanks to the Salvation Army and amateur radio. 

"We do have, through the Salvation Army, a website of www.satern.org. 
That's S-A-T-E-R-N dot O-R-G that people can put an inquiry in," Josuweit 
says. "That information will go into the ham radio networks and we'll 
attempt to find it. But it is very difficult and we're having much better 
success getting information out of the affected area rather than trying to 
get inquiries into the affected area." 

And finally, Josuweit notes it's not just the hurricane zones that need 
operators. 

"The hams are not only working directly in the actual disaster area, but 
they're now spreading their operations into other areas of the country," 
Josuweit says. "For example, in the 

Houston area there are many hams providing communications for the EOCs and 
for the Red Cross to the various shelters in that area. 

"And, also out in Oklahoma they've been deployed to provide 24-hour, seven-
day-a-week communication for some of the evacuees out there." 

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia.

--

Just how long it is going to take the government and private industry to 
restore the normal commercial and emergency radio infrastructure along the 
Gulf is not known, but right now it appears that both are wowfully 
unprepared for the task.  This mean ham radio communications may be the 
most important communications channel for weeks and even months to come.  
(ARNewslineT)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  WHAT HAMS ARE DOING

As previously treported, Amateur Radio has been the most reliable 
communications channel since Katrina struck and remains so to this day.   
As soon as the path of the killer hurricane was known, calls for hams went 
out from many agencies and ham radio operators responded.  A week later 
they were still on the job :

--

"N4OWB this is WB4SUY.  We are located in Tennessee at the National Guard 
Training Center.  We're here at the refugee base camp that's set up here.  
We have about 300 to 400 people.  Just checked me in.  We are here with EOC 
and will be set up.

--

And when a message could be delivered it was a joyful noise:

--

"Yeh, Ed. I go through on that message from Melissa Blizard to Mike and 
Kelly Elkins over in Tibidoioux.  I got through.  I delivered the message, 
over."
--

As the emergency moved into its second week there was little in the way of 
Police, Fire and other relief agency radio.  The National Guard handling 
evacuations had its own military radio gear but anyone else in need of 
getting a message delivered had to turn to a near-by ham:

--

Like 12 to 15 of them trapped and a ham in the Tulsa area was contacted and 
he relayed it clear back across country to New Orleans and rescued the 
family.  It was on national TV."

--

This situation is likely to continue for some time as ham radio operators 
continue their lifeline of voice and data communications I  the wake of the 
killer storm.  (ARNewsline with audio from various sources)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  DIDITAL DELAY IN COMMUNICATIONS REBUILD

All of this leads to one glaring question that nobody has been willing to 
ask until now.  That being, is the lack of emergency communications due to 
government agencies relying to much on the emerging world of digital and 
not enough on good old analog two way F-M?  Or is there just to much 
lobbying by big business?  Amateur Radio Newsline's Evi Simons takes a 
closer look:

--

Lack of communications has been identified as a critical issue holding back 
aid in the stricken Gulf states.  But wireless service providers seem to be 
spending a lot of time trying to convince the FCC that they, and only they 
are in a position to give emergency providers in the region with the kind 
of communications that the post Katrina clean-up needs.  The problem is 
that their vision of the task is that of webcams and cellphones and not the 
reality of the day to day struggle people face to survive.

The wireless consortiums claim that they can reestablish internal 
communications and provide connectivity to all disaster relief efforts.  
This, by installing point to point and  point to multipoint links, along 
with I P Web cams to assist the police and fire departments who can not be 
everywhere in such a large area.  They also claim that Voice over I-P 
phones can provide voice communications to relief personnel in remote areas 
and many other types of normal everyday communications that most people 
take for granted. 

What the wireless providers fail to see is that this is a situation that 
requires simple, basic point to point voice communications.  Note the 
emphasis on the word voice.  

Emergency personnel have no time to text message the need for a repair 
crew.  They have little need of a picture taking cellphone to send video 
clips of Kjatrina's destruction that T-V news has already covered in-depth.  
And it really does not matter if the ability of two people to talk takes 
place  by radio or telephone.  This is because the situation in New Orleans 
and the surrounding areas is such that people will die before the first 
webcam comes on line and that can only happen after mains power is restored 
to the area.  And getting power up and running is one of the monumental 
tasks facing those who will be rebuilding the region.

It is clear that many relief agencies stand ready and able to enter the 
heart of the disaster zone to  provide their services but are stymied by 
the inability of communications providers to agree on a fast track plan.  
In the meantime most are relying on ham radio to keep their lifelines of 
communications open and the reports so far say that radio amateurs are 
doing a superlative job.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline,  I'm Evi Simons in New York.

--

You can be sure that in the coming months Congress and other government 
agencies will be holding hearings to find out what went wrong.  You can 
also be certain that everyone at fault will be denying culpability and 
pointing their finger at anyone but themselves.  (ARNewslineT with 
information from various sources)

**

RADIO EVENTS:  KATRINA AFTERMATH CAUSES AMSAT-NA SPACE SYMPOSIUM 
CANCELLATION

Hurricane Katrina has also taken a toll on the ham radio social scene.  
This with the announcement by AMSAT North America that it is canceling its 
annual Space Symposium and General Meeting slated for Lafayette Louisiana 
from October 7th to the 9th.

According to an e-mail from AMSAT President Rick Hambly, W2GPS, and 
subsequent press release Hurricane Katrina spared Lafayette in terms of 
physical damage.  But the city is now the home to thousands of evacuees who 
left the Gulf Coast and are now housed in Lafayette's hotels for the 
foreseeable future.   Hambly says that they did search for an alternate 
location and were offered several  This included several venues in Ohio,  
the Baltimore-Washington area , Pittsburgh, Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco, 
and Tulsa Oklahoma.  But the planners soon realized that the logistics of 
moving an event of this magnitude would be close to insurmountable and 
decided to cancel the 2005 symposium gathering.

In its announcement, AMSAT says that attendees holding reservations at the 
Holiday Inn in Lafayette should cancel prior to the scheduled arrival date.  
This, in order to avoid first night room charges.  AMSAT's Office Manager 
Martha Saragovitz will handle the process of providing refunds for 
registration fees for those who have already paid.   

An AMSAT-NA Board of Directors meeting will take place on October 6 and 7 
in the Washington D-C area.  Those planning to attend should contact AMSAT 
for further information.     

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS IN LA RAISE MONEY FOR KASTRINA VICTUMS

While some hams were providing communications to the stricken area, others 
to far away to be on-site assistance found other ways to help.  And one 
group in the Los Angeles area decided to raise money for those in need.  
Scott Press, N-6-S-A-P, explains what they did:

--

In-Q:  We thought.
Out-Q:  ..American Red Cross.

--

According to Press, word was spread over the repeater and with signs near 
the park where the cookout was held on Saturday, September 3rd.  Over two 
dozen people showed up, all eager to help:

--

In-Q:  We had approximately 25 people.
Out-Q: .also had a hamburger.

--

When the money was counted it amounted to over $1500 dollars.  With 
matching funds that's a donation of $3000 to the Red Cross for its 
hurricane Katrina relief efforts.  

Now, you might be wondering which ham radio group sponsored this fund 
raising event.  No, it was not the local AREWS or RACES organizations.  Nor 
was it one of the towns big gun D-X or contest groups.  Rather it was the 
user group of the notorious 147.435 Los Angeles repeater. Scott Press says, 
no matter whom you are or where you operate, we are all together in this 
one:

--

In-Q:  Its really not the words that we use, its our deeds. 
Out-Q:  .. Our deeds have always spoken louder than our words.

--

Press says that when the chips are down saving lives comes first and 
everything else on the air is just their repeater group as it is.  And if 
the call goes out that more money is needed, the 4-3-5 group will likely go 
fund raising for the people displaced by Katrina, once again.  (ARNewsline)

**

RADIO REMEMBERENCE:  NYC AMATEUR RADIO CLUB REMEMBERS SEPTEMBER 11th 
VICTIMS

And with all the attention now focused on the aftermath of hurricane 
Katrina, its important to remember the anniversary of those who lost their 
lives in the Al Quida terror attacks of September 11th, 2001.  But Amateur 
Radio remembers that fateful day and now comes word that the Brooklyn, New 
York based Kings County Repeater Association will honor the memory of 
victims of  911 on Sunday September 11th. This, by taking to the airwaves 
from at Owl's Head Park in Brooklyn, using the clubs call sign of KC2RA.

The Special Event operation will begin at 8:30 AM Eastern Time and continue 
until about 5:00 PM.  To add realism, the New York City radio amateurs 
taking part will be operating under simulated emergency conditions.  
Conditions not unlike those in real emergency situations such as last weeks 
Gulf Coast hurricane or in the hours and days following 911.  

Station KC2RA will be on 40 through 15 meters.  The clubs 2 meter repeater 
will serve as a talk in station.  If you are in the air and want to visit, 
remember that this repeater's input is on 146.430 MHz with your radio set 
to a + 1MHz offset.  It also requires and a sub audible  access tone of 
136.5 hertz.

Those making contact with the KC2RA September 11th Memorial Special Event 
Station will be eligible for a very special commemorative Q-S-L card.  The 
address where to send yours along with a self addressed stamped envelope 
the K-C-R-A  Nine Eleven Memorial Special Event, Post Office Box 280285, 
Brooklyn, NY 11228.  More information is on-line at www.kc2ra.org  (KCRA)

**              

RESCUE RADIO:  LIGHTNING HITS HANDI HAM CAMP

A close call for some Handi Ham members at the recent Summer Radio Camp in 
Minnesota.  Lightning hit camp on Thursday August 25th right during the 
evening meal.  No one was hurt, but Linda Reeder, N7HVF, reports that those 
present jumped pretty high out of their seats when the thunder crashed.

The bolt that hit did destroy some computers and a local area network 
network switch.  Also the troller for the well serving the western part of 
camp was damaged but it was repaired within a day.

But that's not all.  When he returned home on Monday August 29th, Handi Ham 
leader Pat Tice WA0TDA, discovered that his house had been struck by 
lightning. Linda says that Tice lost a lot of valuable gear from that few 
seconds of mother natures wrath.  (N7HVF)

**

RADIO LAW: WALTER CRONKITE SUPPORTS 'PETITION TO DENY K1MAN LICENSE RENEWAL

Meantime, a high profile public figure has lent his support to a petition 
drive that asks the FCC to deny a license renewal to Glenn Baxter, K1MAN.  
We have more in this report:

--

Famed CBS newscaster Walter Crokkite, K-B-2-G-S-D, has lent his name in 
support of a petition to the FCC.  One that asks that the agency deny a 
license renewal grant to K-1-M-A-N.  

On June 13th the former CBS Network News anchor issued the now public 
letter.  In it Cronkite stated that in November 1996 he furnished an audio 
recording to be used for station I-D for Glenn Baxter's amateur station K-
1-M-A-N.  Cronkite's letter continues by stating that after its initial 
airing, he received numerous letters from 'ham' radio operators all over 
the country.  Letters he says were complaints of Baxter's use of the 
amateur airwaves to promote his American Amateur Radio Association for 
which Cronkite says Baxter was using his name, likeness and voice without 
his permission.

Cronkite says that he made what he termed as the reasonable request that 
Baxter cease and desist from using the recording.  He noted that as a 
journalist he has a long-held practice of not lending my name to support or 
promote any commercial entity. 

Cronkite's letter says that Baxter's response was a flat refusal.  That 
Baxter continued, undaunted, even after a follow up request by Cronkite's 
attorney.

Cronkite ends by noting that based on his personal experience with Glenn 
Baxter, that he supports a petition to deny the renewal of K1MAN's Amateur 
Radio license.  This, request coming from the man who was once called the 
most trusted voice in America.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ.

--

As to Baxter's response to all that's happened in the past few weeks.  
According to a letter to the FCC's Tracy Simmons posted on his 
www.k1man.com Webster, Baxter seemingly plans to fight the agency.  

He says and we quote:  "My legal position is that the Commission has thus 
intentionally and illegally violated my  constitutional rights of due 
process by, de facto, not renewing my timely filed renewal application, in 
which case, I could continue to operate K1MAN indefinitely until the 
Commission makes its final adjudication of the renewal application which 
would, of course, be appealable to the D.C. Court of Appeals and then to 
the United States Supreme Court where this quite obvious constitutional 
deprivation issue would be finally decided, if necessary."  Endquote.  

But as reported two weeks ago, if the issues between Baxter and the FCC are 
not settled by the date his current license expires in October, the 
regulatory agency has the option to  invoke the Red Light Rue and then 
order K1MAN off the air.  (ARNewslineT)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  RADIO FREE BRATTLEBORO UPDATE

In Vermont, the fight over Vermont's Radio Free Brattleboro is still not 
yet over. Legal maneuvering is continuing over whether the station should 
be permitted to continue broadcasting or forever be banned from the 
airwaves.

As previously reported. the U-S attorney's office wants a judge to order 
the station off the air immediately because it has no license.  Radio Free 
Brattleboro promises to sign off after an alternative FCC approved station 
comes on the air, but not until. 

The operator of Radio Free Brattleboro has had a running feud with the FCC 
over whether his ten-watt station is legal.  Until the court decides it is 
a standoff situation between the two.  (RFB)

**

RADIO NEWS:  PRA NEW GMRS GROUP

The Personal Radio Association headquartered at Huntingtown, Maryland is 
the latest group to surface with a claim that it represents users of the 
General Mobile Radio Service.  In an e-mail statement the PRA says that it 
is now accepting applications for membership to the group..

The Personal Radio Association says flatly that it will become the primary 
voice of the GMRS community.  It claims that its members have already 
reported many FCC violations to the FCC, which PRA claims is initiating 
enforcement action.

PRA is not the first to lay claim to representing GMRS users.  The Personal 
Radio Steering Group headed by Corwin Moore, WB8UPM, has been established 
and lobbying GMRS issues since the days of the old Class A CB.  
(ARNewslineT from PRA release)

**

WITH NEWSLINE:  MORE THANK YOU'S

Ladies and gentlemen, with a word of thank you to some very special people, 
heres our Support Fund administrator, Andy Jarema, N6TCQ:

--

It's time for some thank-youƒ?Ts. In the month of April we heard from 
regular contributor Benton Bonney, W4PE of Orlando:  Monthly contributor 
Joseph Bartzi, Jr., KC8DKF of Columbus, OH:  The Hamfesters Radio Club of 
Evergreen Park, IL:  The Peoria Area ARC;  Monthly contributor William 
Walters, WA2IBM, of San Jose; Monthly contributor Scott Hensley of the Area 
Communications Team, also in San Jose.

Via PayPal we heard from: George Eldridge.

In the month of May we heard from:Kenneth King, W4ARS of Columbia, SC:  
Walter Wise on behalf of the Egyptian Radio Club, W9AIU in Glen Carbon, IL:  
Brad Berryhill, WA6JJB of Anaheim Hills, CA:  The South Orange County 
Amateur Radio Association, and most especially our monthly contributors

Our website, arnewsline.org has the information on contacting us. Thanks to 
all for helping to keep us on the air.
I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ

--

Thank you Andy.  

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  ADVENTURER AMBROGIO FOGAR, I2NSF - S.K.

Legendary Italian radio ham Ambrogio Fogar, I2NSF, has died.  This, some 12 
years after an accident during a Paris-to-Beijing car rally left him 
totally paralyzed.

Fogar was an adventurer who was always on the look out for new dare devil 
challenges to stretch his prodigious physical and mental capacities to the 
limit.  He circumnavigated the world in a yacht, was adrift for 74 days in 
the Atlantic on a raft, and made an attempt to reach the North Pole on 
foot.  One of Italy's most colorful characters, he also found time to 
manage a popular Italian television program called Jonathan.

Following the accident, Fogar became a tireless disabled rights campaigner.  
He made  numerous appeals to prevent the prohibition of scientific research 
that could help cure paralysis.  (RSGB)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  HATE RADIO AND GLOBAL TERRORIASM

Meantime, Media Network has taken a look at the way terrorists are using 
radio broadcasts and it does not like what it sees.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, has the details:

--

Global terrorism has added a new element to what's popularly called hate 
radio. In doing so it has exposed a major weakness in existing legislation 
for dealing with broadcasts that encourage violence by one section of 
society against another.

 According to Media Network, an example of the problem is Radio al-Tajdeed.  
That stations programs were produced in London and broadcast to the Middle 
East via satellite and the Internet.   

For six weeks after the London bombings on July 7th, exiled Saudi militant 
Dr.  Mohammed al-Massari remained in London producing material for Radio 
al-Tajdeed.  Programs that called for attacks on westerners.  It seems 
nobody bothered to check what Radio al-Tajdeed was doing.

I'm Burt Hicks, WB6MQV.

--

Unfortunately there is no one law world wide that can keep the purveyors of 
terror radio in check.  Each nation faces this situation on an individual 
basis based on a given administrations telecommunications laws.  

A special article in collaboration with Clandestine Radio Watch has been 
developed by Radio Netherlands.  It is on-line at 
http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/wot050822.html?view=Standard  
(Media Network) 

**

WORLDBEAT - AUSTRALIA:  WIA TO STUDY NEW 40 METER BANDPLAN

The Wireless Institute of Australia's Board Directors has decided to 
conduct a review of the current Australian 40 meter band plan.  And any 
replacement will be formulated with reference to the corresponding  band 
plans of the IARU and other Region 3 countries.  

The W-I-A says that it will also take account of international 
developments, such as defining segments in terms of emission bandwidth, 
rather than by emission modes.  The W-I-A says that any new band plan must 
have the support of the majority of users.  To this end, the society seeks 
input from all Australian amateurs on a new 40 meter  plan.  (WIA News)

**

DX

In D-X, word that  K5LBU has told the Ohio Penn D-X newsletter that all 
systems are go for a D-Xpedition to Swaziland.  Frosty says that hem and 
his group hope to take to the air on July 8th at about the time this 
newscast goes to air.  Joining him are 3DA0KDJ, 3DA0JR and 3DA0TM.  K5LBU 
will be operating as 3DA0CF and 3DA5HQ.  Q-S-L as directed on the air.

Also, operator Richard Paul will be active from the Falkland Islands for 
the next two years as VP8DIZ.  QSL as he directs on the air.

Lastly, F0CRS, and F5IRO are in French Guyana for the next four 
monthsoperating on H-F bands on  CW and PSK.   They haven't asked for an FY 
callsign, but they will be active from the Cayenne Amateur Radio Club.  Its 
call is  FY5KAC.

(Various DX sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  HAM RADIO IS EVER THERE

And finally this week, these words from Pete Kemp, KZ1Z.  Pete notes  that 
it's a well known fact that Amateur Radio operators always want to be where 
the action is.  After all, public Service is part of their obligation to 
the community and they take this responsibility seriously. 

So as Hurricane Katrina made her intentions known, six Tampa area hams were 
already preparing for deployment with the Hillsborough County Emergency 
Management Office.  Others were getting ready as relief ops, maintaining 
the communications center and placing telephone calls to worried relatives 
and friends.

The system went into high gear when the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
and Alabama asked for aid assistance through the Emergency Management 
Assistance Compac or E-M-A-C.  Under E-M-A-C, a disaster impacted state 
requests mutual assistance from other states and the Federal government.  
When advised, the Hillsborough County Director of Emergency Management, 
Larry Gispert, KR4X, activated the team.  And while they waited their 
marching orders, they took to the air to see whow they might help out.  
They found another ham in the disaster area doing the same:

--

Audio only.  Hear it in the MP3 version dowmloadable at www.arnewsline.org

--

The Hillsborough County E-O-C has one of nine mobile Emergency Deployable 
Interoperability Communications Systems units in the State of Florida.  
These  provide a "field link" to deployed responders.  They were used 
during the 2004 hurricane season to assist communities with damaged 
communications systems. 

Gary Sessums, KC5QNC, is the ARES and RACES Emergency Coordinator for the 
county.  He says that area hams have received emergency communications 
training and experience with the equipment.  Soon after the storm members 
of the group were approached by Bob Kilroy, Radio Director for the 
Mockingbird Wing of the Mississippi Civil Air Patrol.  Their antennas had 
been damaged when a tree fell.  The hams sprung into action offering 
assistance to cut away the tree and reinstall their antennas. 

Now, heres the kicker.  While repairing one antenna, Danny Conner, KD5UJ, 
realized that the CAP Director of Communications was a ham friend from 
years ago.  This, when they resided in Michigan.  Tallk about it being a 
small world.  (KZ1Z)

**

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM AE5DW

A final personal note. you probably know that my family and I live in 
Chalmette, Louisiana. That's in St. Bernard Parish, one of the hardest hit 
areas in Greater New Orleans. My home is a 20 minute drive to the east from 
the Superdome. There is still flooding to the roofs of some homes and many, 
many lost lives. 

As this newscast is being prepared on Wednesday the 7th we are still in a 
hotel in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Instead of dwelling on how bad it us 
for us and what we've lost I would like to talk a bit about what we have 
gained. We've met and have been helped by so many wonderful people here in 
central Arkansas. We went to a Wal-Mart the other day and there was a 
steady stream of people dropping their change in the big Plexiglas 
collection box. 

I went up to one man as he donated and thanked him on behalf of all of us 
in the affected areas. He grabbed my hand, squeezed hard and said "God 
Bless". 

The churches have gone all out to support us here and in cities all over 
this great country. Last night we ate dinner at the Cornerstone Bible 
Fellowship Church in North Little Rock. You should have seen the 
organization they had there. There were relief information packets 
available, the food was incredible, there were clothes and other supplies 
donated for any who needed it, lots of toys for the kids, and the people 
were so friendly. 

Our little cousin, Haley, celebrated her 2nd birthday yesterday and the 
church found out about it. When she arrived they sang to her, had a wrapped 
present and a cake. If only the government relief organizations were ran 
like this. This church will continue to do this every Tuesday night until 
there aren't any more people to help. 

I would also like to thank the hams here in North Little Rock, particularly 
KC5ECB, W5RXU and everyone on the Central Arkansas Radio Emergency Net 
146.94 repeater. Their hospitality has been much appreciated. 

We have so much love and appreciation for the city of Little Rock that 
we're going to feel sad when we have to leave. When that will be we don't 
know. Until then, we thank everyone for their kind actions, thoughts and 
prayers. God Bless you all.

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ 
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the 
RSGB and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur Radio 
Newsline(tm).  Our e-mail address is newsline @arnewsline.org.  More 
information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official 
website located at www.arnewsline.org.  You can also write to us or support 
us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 
91066. 

Before we go a reminder to keep an ear open for the Kings County Repeater 
Association's 911 Commemorative Memorial operation on September 11th.  
That's a day that none of us in America should ever forget.  