[KYHAM] Ky ARRL Convention ARES Award Recepients

[Ron Dodson]

For the fourth year in service as the Section Emergency
Coordinator for ARES here in Ky, it has again been a great
honor for me to be able to recognize some Kentucky amateurs
who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to
amateur radio and its use in providing a public service to
the community in which they live and to the Commonwealth we
call home.  I'd also like to say THANKS to the Bluegrass ARS
and Jeanie, KB8QLC for the wonderful arrangemnts for the 
banquet on Saturday evening at which these awards were 
presented along with all the others for various fields
of amateur radio public service.  

First off, I wish to recognize Mike Wagoner, KB4VKS of
Kenton County in District 7.  Mike is the recipient of a
Public Service Commendation for his work in a number of
facets of amateur radio public service.

I first met this fellow back in the 1980's when talking
over 2 meters in the Louisville area to my newly licensed,
13 year old cousin, KC4BZH (now N8JFO).  Through the years,
Mike and I have continued to chat as time and fate allowed
and I consider him a good friend and a fine amateur. 

Mike worked hand in hand during the 1997 Flood 
with the late Jake McHendrix, WD4PBF in helping to 
coordinate relief shifts of hams for Falmouth, Ky 
for the people in the field and relieved WD4PBF
as net control of the 2 meter frequency and assumed the HF
duties as needed. Mike made calls to Boone center and was
always in the right place at the right time. Ask anyone at
Boone Center who was there at the time and they'll tell you,
AMATEUR RADIO WAS THE ONLY WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH FALMOUTH
in the first days after the flood began.

Mike is currently the RACES/ARES training officer for the
7th District and is very heavily involved in traffic
handling and emergency communications. He is also the
coordinator for the 7th district in arranging for relief
for those in the field and also is net control on the
liaison frequency of the emergency net where he will take
care of any HF contacts and forward the request to Boone
Center.  As if this was not enough to keep him busy, Mike
also serves as Net Manager for the Ky Traffic Net which
meets twice daily throughout the year.

Mike Wagoner, KB4VKS, you have shown yourself repeatedly to
be an asset to this section in public service through
amateur radio.  It is my honor to bestow upon you this
Public Service Commendation on behalf of the amateurs of the
Kentucky Section and the American Radio Relay League.

-----------------------------

Now comes the award that is always the toughest to arrive at
a clear winner for, The Ky ARES Operator of the Year Award
for 2002 (its fourth year).  Each year we accept nominations
from amateurs across the section for this award and ask that
the nominee be someone outstanding who has gone the limit in
giving of themselves in amateur radio public service that
year. 

Before naming the winner, I'd like to first thank the first
winner of the OOTY from 1999, Ron Ritchie N4MOM and last
year's 2001 OOTY winner, Fred Jones, WA4SWF for  
serving on the selection committee 
who assisted me in making the choice for 2002.

Working with county governments has always been a
challenging task to an amateur radio operator.  Lack of
understanding, politics and a host of other forces have
often plagued those who dared attempt this lofty feat. In
the wake of Y2K and the attacks on America in 2001, word has
begun to spread to local agencies that ham radio operators
are an asset that can be counted on when other avenues fail.

But, dealing with government agencies still, today requires
a fine balance of knowledge, confidence, diplomacy,
professionalism, and most importantly ... consistency. 
Minor mistakes can have dire consequences and it takes
someone special to rise to the challenge even in today's
climate. Our Ky ARES Operator of the Year for 2002 is one
who holds these skills in great abundance.
   
First licensed in 1979, but later inactive for a few years,
he reappeared on the scene at the right time and made the
'mistake' of constantly talking about wanting to do this or
that to improve emergency communications capabilities for
himself, and others.  Little did he realize that his
enthusiasm would draw attention to the fact that his energy
needed an outlet.  He was soon asked to represent the local
ARES organization to local government.    In the beginning,
it was very slow going as he got to know the people
"downtown."   However, over the past year, the relationship
between Local EM and amateur radio operators has grown very
nicely, and continues to grow.  If it were not for his
dogged determination this probably wouldn't have happened.
    
He has spent his time attending meetings, working in
planning sessions, educating government officials about
amateur radio, and building a group of operators that will
be working with this city of more than 260,000 people in
time of emergency.

Because of his efforts, amateur radio operators are now
part of the local emergency response plan.  Amateur radio is
now a part of the EOC, and those who work closely with the
EOC have city pagers, emergency management ID's and license
plates on their vehicles.  Amateur radio operators were
requested to participate in a WMD exercise in April, and
will take part in a CSEPP exercise this fall.  All of this,
with an agency that ten years ago would not have any
involvement with amateur radio operators.
     
Newton's Law of Inertia states, "An object at rest will
remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force."  Ron
Nutter has been that outside force here in Lexington, KY. 
It is because of his careful handling and skillful
resolution of some very difficult, delicate political and
organizational problems that in the past had prevented
amateur radio from serving this fine community that Ron
Nutter, KA4KYI, Assistant EC, and ARRL Local Government
Liaison of Fayette County receives the 2002 ARES Operator of
the Year Award.

I hope all of you will join me in offering a hearty,
Congratulations to these two fine amateurs and a word of
Thanks for their efforts.

--------------------------------------

As rare as it is that we give recognition in our own ranks,
it is far more seldom that we see amateurs receive
recognition from OUTSIDE the amateur community.  In the
spring of this year many communities were stricken by severe
storms with everything from high winds, heavy rains and
hail, but also tornadoes.

Many of our ARES teams work in conjunction with NWS offices
to function as storm spotters and often relay important
information to them concerning storms and severe
conditions.  Much of this work would be complicated were it
not for the repeaters that serve as a base of operations for
many of these spotter nets.  Though many of us use repeaters
daily, how often do we stop to thank the private ham who
owns and maintains a machine or thank the club repeater
custodian and their helpers if any, for giving us the
platform which serves as   
a way station for this vital info?  

This year, during the Ky ARES meeting on Sunday, Aug. 4, Ila
(Joe) Pollock, K4ULW received a Public Safety Commendation
from Meade County Emergency Management for his tireless
efforts spent in maintaining the 146.625 repeater which is
the home of the Wide Area Repeaters Net or "WARN", which
serves a number of counties in Area 5 and the surrounding
region to include a good part of southern Indiana.

On April 28, 2002 a line of severe storms prompted tornado
warnings in several counties of areas 2, 3, and 5.  The WARN
net was active and in session when a tornado touched down at
4:12 AM EDT near Cloverport in Breckinridge County cutting a
path on a southeasterly track.  Warning provided by this net
is credited with saving the lives of at least one family of
non-amatuers who were monitoring the net on their scanner
and took shelter in their basement only moments before their
home was destroyed!  Thanks to this early warning responders
were paged and ready to respond to aid the stricken areas
from both Meade and Breckinridge Counties. Again on May 1,
2002 when hail as large as softballs struck the two
counties, early warning through 146.625 from Dubois County,
Indiana to emergency management allowed EMS crews to call in
extra staff and police and fire units to be ready well
before the storms struck!  This had also occurred on the
afternoon of March 29, 2002 when a similar storm of slightly
less intensity struck both counties with hail up to hen egg
in size. 

Next time you use a repeater, say thanks to the folks who
put it there AND keep it running.

Again, as mentioned in the KEN Training this week, 
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO GIVE OF YOURSELVES EVERY WEEK 
BY SERVING AS AN NCS FOR A NET OR AS A PARTICIPANT 
IN AN ARES NET HERE IN THE Ky SECTION.  
YOU ARE WHAT MAKES THIS PROGRAM WORK!

73,
Ron, KA4MAP
SEC Ky