Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3C
Amateur radio club marks first anniversary
HONORED WITH LEADERSHIP AWARD
Paul “Buddy” Cheek (right), KS4XR, presents the
leadership award to Terry Jones (left), W4TL, at the Tri-
County Amateur Radio Club. Jones also presented the
“Helping Ham” award to Paul “Buddy” Cheek.
RECOGNIZED WITH ‘ELMER’ AWARD
Paul “Buddy” Cheek (right), KS4XR, presents the
“Elmer” award to Mike Gee (left), W9QO, at the Tri-
County Amateur Radio Club.
THE TRI-COUNTY
Amateur Radio Club — which
serves Jackson, Hall and
Barrow counties — recently
celebrated its first anniversa
ry during the group’s regular
monthly meeting.
“We have come a long way
from the vision of three local
‘hams' for the need for a local
club in this geographic area,”
said Paul “Buddy” Cheek,
newly-elected club president.
“There were dinner meetings
each week, with a growing
number of interested people
in attendance and the club
was born.”
The Tri-County ARC is
home to 48 amateur (“ham”)
radio operators and enthusi
asts — many who are also
members of local C.E.R.T.
organizations and Skywarn
programs.
Under the leadership of
outgoing president Terry
Jones, the ARRL-affiliated
club attained “Special Service
Club” status, which recogniz
es amateur radio clubs that go
the extra mile to, among other
things, provide new “ham”
development and training,
technical advancement and
operating activities, emergen
cy communications and pub
lic relations.
Jones received an award
for his outstanding leadership
abilities and his role in the
club's success in its first year.
In June 2009, Tri-County
ARC successfully participat
ed in its first “Field Day”
contest event from high atop
Brasstown Bald Mountain.
This year, radios and
antennas will be set up in
the Braselton area for “Field
Day.”
“Aside from contesting and
just having fun, ‘Field Day’
gives members an opportunity
to practice mobilizing the nec
essary equipment to enable
providing communication in
the event of disaster,” Cheek
said.
The event also allows new
“hams,” as well as prospec
tive “hams,” an opportunity
to make contacts around the
country and around the world
using an amateur radio.
Whether one is newly
licensed or has enjoyed the
hobby for many years, there’s
always something new to
learn and experience, accord
ing to the club.
In the world of amateur
radio, mentoring a new “ham”
in learning about the many
facets of the hobby is known
as “Elmering.” Club mem
ber Mike Gee received the
“Elmer” award for his dedi
cation in helping newcomers
and veteran “hams” alike.
In addition, a “Helping
Ham” award was presented to
Cheek for always being there
to help both the newcomer
and the veteran — whether
it’s simply answering a ques
tion or something a little more
challenging and involved like
installing a tower and antenna
80 feet in the air.
“That’s what amateur radio
is all about: Learning, sharing,
enjoying and just plain having
fun,” said outgoing president
Jones, who has been involved
with this hobby for 45 years.
Tri-County ARC club mem
bers also help people outside
the “ham” community in a
number of ways.
In February, several of the
club’s members participated,
along with the Jackson County
emergency and 911 teams, in
the National Weather Service
tornado drill, which was a
practice drill to test sirens
and other tornado notifica
tion equipment. Tri-County
ARC’s 2-meter repeater was
used as a communication link
in the drill.
The amateur radio commu
nity is made up of a diverse
group of people of all ages,
male and female, who come
from all walks of life.
Members are never too
young or too old to enjoy
the benefits derived from
the hobby, as evidenced by
the club’s youngest member,
10-year-old Marcus Shockley,
a Hall County resident who
passed his technician exam
in 2009.
Membership in Tri-County
Amateur Radio Club is open
to anyone interested in ama
teur radio. “Ham Cram” ses
sions are offered periodically
for the purpose of intense
review geared toward passing
technician or general exams.
Regular test sessions are held
the first Sunday of every odd-
numbered month for techni
cian, general and extra class
licensing.
Regular club meetings are
held every fourth Monday of
the month at 7 p.m. at the
Braselton Municipal Building
in the Community Room.
For more information, visit
www.tricountyarc.com.
Fire Detection - 100°/<vWireless Options Internet Monitoring • 24-Hour Central Monitoring
per month
monitoring fee!
No More
Long Term
Contracts!
Call 770-963-0305
We can monitor most existing
systems installed by others.
© Security
a Jackson/Walton/GreyStone EMC Service
emcsecurity.com 706-543-4009
770-963-0305
EMC Home
Entertainment
Receive a free Sony
Blu-Ray Player
(a $200 Value) with the
purchase and install of
any Sony 40” or larger
flat panel TV.
This offer through April 30, 2010.
ACS team meeting ahead
THERE WILL be an
American Cancer Society
Relay For Life team captains
meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 16, at the Jackson EMC
auditorium.
Anyone interested in form
ing a team should attend this
meeting to get information
and register their team, lead
ers state.
For more information call
706-367-9721 or 706-367-
8574.
Mended Hearts to meet
BJC CHAPTER #171
Mended Hearts will hold
its regular monthly meet
ing on Monday, March 15,
at 7 p.m. in the conference
room of BJC Hospital.
The program will be about
heart cauterization and
the visitation program of
Mended Hearts at Northeast
Georgia Hospital.
Mended Hearts is a sup
port group for heart patients
and their families. Anyone
who is interested is invited
to attend. For more infor
mation call George Evans
at 706-335-6568 or Betty
Ann Mathis at 706-335-
5875.
Basic training completed
ARMY PVT. John A.
Roudebush has graduated
from basic combat training at
Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
He is the son of Alan
Roudebush, Braselton.
During the nine weeks of
training, Roudebush studied
the Army mission and received
instruction and training exer
cises in drill and ceremonies,
Army history, core values and
traditions, military courtesy,
military justice, physical fit
ness, first aid, rifle marksman
ship, weapons use, map read
ing and land navigation, foot
marches, armed and unarmed
combat, and field maneuvers
and tactics.
Subscribe to
The Jackson Herald by
calling 706-367-5233!
The Humane Society of
Jackson County presents
PETS
OF THE
WEEK
For a complete listing of our animals available
for adoption, please visit our website at www.hsic.com.
&
HUM
SoC|£Ty
J&ckson County ,
1
Humane Society of Jackson County photographs animals available for adoption located at Commerce
Veterinary Hospital and Jefferson Veterinary Hospital. These animals are not part of HSJC foster care.
Please call Commerce Veterinary Hospital at
706-335-5111 for the pets below:
Please call Jefferson Veterinary Hospital
at 706-367-5161 for these pets
Please Don’t Litter, Spay and Neuter
Time is of the ESSENCE
Hurry to adopt one of these great pets. Please call to spare a life - call to adopt or
become a foster home. For more information, call 706-367-1111 or see a full list of our
pets on Petfinder.com under shelter and rescue groups. Adoption fee is $100.00 per
dog and $80.00 per cat - this includes their spay/neuter and all up-to-date shots.
‘Pet of the Week” is made possible by these community-minded sponsors:
Jackson
County
Animal
Control
A magazine celebrating the people,
places and lifestyles of Jackson County
www. livingjackson. com
www.FunopolisFamilvFunCenter.com
Located at 40155 Hwy. 441 Sin Commerce -
south of exit 149 off 1-85 past Walmart
.... North Georgia
Pet Cremations
Jackson County’s
'i » Only Pet Crematory
* www.naaDetcr6mations.coin
(770)540-2078
www.petmechanics.org
706-654-3291
ADVERTISE
your business
here and show your
support for the Humane
Society!
Call 706-367-1111