Our Midwinter Madness hamfest was a success. Over 500 attended, and we nearly sold out of tables for vendors. I hope everyone got a chance to be there. Thanks to everyone who volunteered, we couldn’t have done it without you. And a special thanks to Barb and Jerry, they are the glue that holds it together, and to the MWM committee.
We knew it was not entirely without risk. Although COVID is at a low point, it’s not zero- I know of at least 3 people that tested positive. I was one of them. I thought I was being careful, wearing a good N95 mask the whole time. But I didn’t wear it for setup on Friday, and I also took it off for lunch. Fortunately, I’ve had all 3 shots, so it hasn’t been too bad, about the level of a mild cold. I never even had a fever. We now know that COVID immunity fades after time, and it’s been nearly 6 months since my last one. I plan to get a 4th shot as soon as I can, especially with Omicron BA-2 being the dominant variant now.
I look forward to participating in all our summer volunteer opportunities this year. The Multiple Sclerosis Society bike rides are always looking for volunteers, with the first one being the Twin Cities bike ride coming up on May 15th. They need SAG drivers and navigators, and rest stop communicators. You should all know by now that this is a chance show the community our dedication as a communications resource, as well as keeping our skills fresh.
We’re still planning on meeting in person at the Legion Post on Tuesday. Tim Arimond will be giving a presentation on a project he and Roy have been working on. They’ll be using a Raspberry Pi and a Yaesu 847 to measure repeater coverage for Metro Skywarn.
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Benton Jackson, K0BHJ
