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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Dear Polk ARES Members,</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
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</SPAN>Greetings once again, I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and
pleasant New Year. Welcome to 2008. For some of you who might not know, Thom
Scott, KF4I, ended his two year term as Emergency Coordinator Dec. 31, 2007.
Over the two year period as our E.C., many strides were made and the membership
of ARES begin to move</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>ahead and greet things happened. Today, ARES, there are still items and
goals to met and</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>projects planned to happen. I will bring you up to date on this in a
few.</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
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</SPAN>First thing in order, I would like to thank those who supported me and
continue to</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Support me as we move forward with 2008. I want to personally thank
Loren, Pat, Dick, Steve, Thom, and many others who have come to the aid of
building Polk ARES and getting this function back in order. I by far can tell
you, it is too much for just one person to do on their own free will. I want to
also thank Polk County Emergency Management personnel, Paul Womble, and Richard
Sharp. These two gentlemen are the driving force behind the repeaters that we
use on a daily basis, and have used in the past for emergency communications
when POLK ARES was called upon. Thank You.</FONT></P>
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</SPAN>I would like to take a moment and open this up a little more to what one
goal that still stands, needs some focus on this year. As we are working
diligently on creating a “TRUE” Polk ARES Identification Card, the County and
Polk ARES had cleared up some mis-information about certain items, and with
that, ARES is moving forward with it’s current membership to recruit new and old
members back to ARES. It is needed to be said, that with our current man-power,
we are still understaffed in the event <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Polk</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>where to suffer a catastrophe, it would cripple even the strongest agency
in the state. Communications would for the less be unbearable, thou, Amateur
Radio Operators always come through, however, the need for those to lead the way
is short. I only ask this, if you are not involved in ARES, please consider
joining. I would look forward to seeing new faces, and even enlighten to see our
younger hams joining us as well. There is plenty of room for them to
play!</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
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</SPAN>For the 2008 year, the main focus is membership, but more then that, the
focus is also on Shelter Operators. With so many shelters around the county, we
are not super-hero enough to be at all of them at one time. The primary shelters
that are around the county are in need of having a team of operators to assist
in communications, traffic handling, and possibly assisting other friends of the
community while at a shelter. There is such a calming joy that overcomes me when
I help someone else, and I get a smile in return. I just love that. While you
read on, please take a moment to think about what you can do to help out Polk
ARES, and Polk Emergency Management, when it comes to helping out at a shelter
near you.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
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</SPAN>Event Happenings: Meeting on the LAST THURSDAY of each
month</FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>January, Directions Finding, or what we call FOX HUNTIN’</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>February: Planning for the up-coming Field Day 2008, MS-150 Bike-a-thon
info and sign-up</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>March: MS-150 PRE-BRIEFING, Thom Scott along with Jason KD4ACG, to talk
about the routes and how Polk County has 90 percent of the race in the county,
why communications is important, and any Q & A that race volunteers may have
for them.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Polk ARES will be supplying communications from the Lunch
Stop.</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>April: POST MS-150 briefing, planning meeting for Field Day 2008; gear,
class, who, what, and beverages, and food, and more beverages…..</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>May: Hurricane Season Preperations, You have a radio you still can not
figure out? Bring it, you have questions for Paul Womble, bring them. You have a
desire to help out, COME SEE US!</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>June: this is a ways down the path but looking to have a presentation of
DIGITAL HF MODES, not D-Star stuff, but PSK-31, MSFK, RTTY, SSTV, and other
modes….</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>July through the end of the year….. I am not that far ahead in thought,
but open to suggestions… Let me or any of the staff members know.</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Closing notes:</FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
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</SPAN>I want to make sure we all know what is going on here with Polk ARES.
There were several months past when it was made known that Thom Scott would not
seek retaining the E.C. position due to uncertain work constraints. That is for
Thom to talk about and not I, however, the ARRL STAFF of West Central Florida,
along with Neil, W4NHL Section Emergency Coordinator, feel that I should be
retained and reassigned to the post of Emergency Coordinator – <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Polk</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, effective Jan. 1, 2008, based on
no one submitting a request for consideration for the E.C. position. I will say
this aloud now since I only mentioned this to the ARES group personally, I will
fill in as the E.C. till there has been a replacement made, at which time, I
will retain my current role of maintaining the web site, attending meetings, and
providing educational type of programs that are based on Amateur Radio
Operations. Being a father to an inspiring young ham wana-be, my son, I tend to
have my hands full 24 / 7 with him… even when he is studying for his Tech
Ticket…. I to have made the motion to advance to General Class this year. I only
ask that we do our part and help Polk ARES grow, back in the early 90’s when I
first got involved with ARES (and Paul and Darryl were new hams) it was easy to
count 30+ check ins on the weekly ARES nets, and then there was the SkyWARN nets
too. I have been asked a few times if there would be such a net again? I can
only say this, if we had a need to, then there would be THE NEED TO, 2 or 3
people is not a need. I think it would be nice to have our SkyWARN members come
together and start a net soon. It would be helpful to many to get that back into
action. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Summertime is coming soon, but we are not out of the fire season yet, not
by a long shot, so we all need to be vigilant for these fires as well as the
storms as they roll through the area. I want to thank you for taking some time
to read this letter, please keep in mind, ARES needs some help still, but with
the staff it has now, it is well off<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>to a grand start.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>I look forward to helping the Amateurs of Polk County out during the time
of need, but further more, I hope to help a group of ARES Leaders achieve that
same goal during their time as well.</FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Sincerely Yours,</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Evans Mitchell</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">E.C. Polk <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">ARES</st1:PlaceName></st1:place></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on"></st1:PlaceName></st1:place></FONT></FONT> </P>
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face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on"></st1:PlaceName></st1:place></FONT></FONT> </P>
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