News!

On Thursday, July 3, Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH -- the man who has come to embody Amateur Radio Enforcement -- said goodbye to the FCC as he retired and began his life as a private citizen. In May, Hollingsworth announced he would definitely retire; he had contemplated retiring in January 2008, but cited "several issues on the table that I want[ed] to continue to work through with the amateur community." While his successor has not yet been named, he was quick to point out that the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program will continue.

Hollingsworth said that he has "loved" working for the FCC and has "always had great jobs, but this one involving the Amateur Radio Service has been the most fun and I have enjoyed every day of it. I've worked with the best group of licensees on earth, enjoyed your support and tremendous FCC support and looked forward every day to coming to work. The Amateur Radio Enforcement program will continue without missing a beat, and after retirement I look forward to being involved with Amateur Radio every way I can. I thank all of you for being so dedicated and conscientious, and for the encouragement you give us every day."

Saying it has been a "privilege to work with and for the Amateur Radio licensees and the land mobile frequency coordinators," Hollingsworth said that he is "extremely fortunate to work for two wonderful groups of people: Those at headquarters in the Enforcement Bureau, and for the Amateur Radio operators."

Before joining the FCC, Hollingsworth, a South Carolina native, graduated from the University of South Carolina and Wake Forest University School of Law. While in high school, he worked as a disc jockey for WRHI, an AM station in Rock Hill, South Carolina. "It's a funny thing," Hollingsworth said. "They once held a beauty pageant in Rock Hill and nobody won!" In the mid-1970s, he was a "Nader's Raider" and worked on brown lung disease in the North and South Carolina textile mills.

"Basically I'm just an ordinary guy caught in the cross-hairs of radio history," Hollingsworth said. "But I am proud of the fact that the digital clock on my VCR has been blinking for 4 years."

Hollingsworth told the ARRL he was "so very impressed" with the young people who are involved with Amateur Radio: "To the very young Amateur Radio operators I have met who have dreams of being scientists and astronauts and communications engineers, we will be pulling for you; I have a strong feeling we won't be disappointed."

Calling the Amateur Radio Service a part of the American heritage, Hollingsworth explained that he is "going to stay as actively involved in it as I possibly can. Thank you all for working tirelessly to provide the only fail safe communications system on Earth and for helping this country keep its lead in science and technology. What an incredible gift it has been to work with you every day, and how fortunate we are to love the magic of radio! Every gift of lasting value comes with responsibility. We must never forget what we owe for our spectrum privileges. I will continue working with you in every way I can to ensure that Amateur Radio lasts a thousand years. "

American Red Cross Responds to ARRL Concerns Regarding Background Checks

In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red Cross (ARC) regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other things, a credit check and a "mode of living" check for its staff and volunteers, including ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross during disasters. ARRL saw these portions of the background check as unneeded and inappropriate for ARES service.

In a letter dated May 8 of this year, Armond T. Mascelli, ARC Vice President for Disaster Response Services replied to President Harrison: "I can now report back to you that [these] actions have been completed and changes have been instituted which I trust resolves the concerns detailed in your letter. This effort took considerably more time and attention than originally envisioned, but I believe the results will now benefit our respective organizations.

"A new background consent form now [is] to be used by all Red Cross chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related process is limited to the name and social security number verification of the individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to other related investigative possibilities have been stricken."

ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, announced the resolution at the ARRL ARES forum at the Dayton Hamvention® and received hearty applause.

"We are very pleased that the American Red Cross has addressed some of the issues that we raised regarding their background investigations and that we can move forward in a relationship that has existed for a long, long time," Harrison said. "The American Red Cross and the ARRL have shared a productive relationship for many years which has been of benefit to both the organizations and to the public. We are glad that throughout the past months we have been able to negotiate the issues that we had and have finally come to a resolution."

What's Next?

With the background check issue apparently resolved, the ARRL will be working with the ARC in the negotiation and creation of a draft for a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or similar document to replace the one which expired last year; Dura and Keith Robertory of the ARC will be leading the effort. When complete, the draft of the MOU will be presented to the leadership of both organizations for approval.

"The ARRL is very pleased that the American Red Cross has responded appropriately to our concerns about the background check issue," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We believe it now will be possible to go forward to negotiate a statement of understanding between the two organizations. We look forward to renewing and expanding the relationship with the Red Cross."

Field Day Info

Exhibit Kits Now Available for Field Day: Please visit our Field Day information page for all the details on Field Day rules, frequencies, forms, pins, logos and T shirts. The complete Field Day packet can be downloaded from the site as well. If you have unanswered questions about Field Day, contact ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, via e-mail fcinfo@arrl.org or by phone at 860-594-0236. If you want to order exhibit kits containing printed flyers about Amateur Radio, you may order these materials on the ARRL Web site. The cost of the exhibit kits ranges from $8-$12 depending on shipping. To make sure you'll have the display material in time for Field Day, your order must be received before June 13.

Club Library

We now have a Club Library. Claude N9BKA is the librarian. He has several books and is ordering an ARRL book about RFI.

To check out a book from the library, contact Claude. (Number is in the Club membership book)

WARC Paricipates in a "Mock Bioterrorism" Drill.

Several members of the Watertown Amateur Radio Club participated is a "Mock Bioterrorism" drill. Maranatha was set up as a Medical dispensing facility. This drill was put on by the Watertown Health Department. The American Red Cross also participated in this drill. They provided sandwiches, water and snacks for the volunteers.

The auditorium at Maranatha was the area used for the drill.

The auditorium at Maranatha was set up as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). We set up a 2 meter radio using battery power and a make shift antenna. Net Control was set up at our "Central Command Post" (CCP) in our designated area in the basement of the Firestation.

Amateurs were dispatched to the Hospital to aid in communication between the EOC and Hospital. Several Amateurs were at their home stations to help were needed.

The "Incident Commander" at Maranatha gave us a hand held 2 way radio. This is how communication needs were given to us. We in turn sent out the communication.

This was a successful drill.

Our Club will be reviewing the drill and having discussions regarding our effectivness.

Officers For The Watertown Amateur Radio Club

            President Lucky K9LUK   Vice-President Gerry W9GP



Secretary Claude WA9KCU      Treasurer John WA9YVE

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