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Few Words from W2XX:
Well, it’s been an exciting time in Amateur Radio so far this
year. There has been a lot of positive enforcement
action by the invigorated FCC Compliance and Information Bureau. This
enforcement is very much overdue, but Riley Hollingsworth
is certainly making up for lost time. Restructuring has happened, and all
indications are that it has started to breathe new life into our treasured
avocation. VE sessions are standing room only, hamfest attendance seems to
be breaking a downward trend and equipment vendors are reporting better sales.
Whether you agreed with the details of the FCC’s ruling or not, you certainly
must agree that this new excitement is a positive development.
Of course, the Hudson Division has fared well too. The PRB-1 bills
currently in front of the New York State legislature are a very exciting
development. Many of you know that I have a deep and personal involvement
with the issue of ham radio towers. My personal legal battle with the Town
of Cortlandt lasted close to two years and cost me more than $20,000 in legal
fees alone; yes, this number does not include one single piece of tower or
antenna hardware. The end result was a permit to erect the tower but,
obviously, my family and I could have done without the financial and
psychological burden of entering into a lawsuit against the town in which we lived.
The existence of a NY State bill, such as the one discussed in the previous
article, certainly would have enabled me to concentrate on building my
station rather than wasting my time and money, not to mention the money of the
rest of the taxpayers in the town. Those of you interested in reading more about
the case can see The New York Law Journal,
3/26/96 NYLJ 37, (col.3).
Many activities have kept me busy on a national level this year. I have
attended all three of the ARRL board of
directors meetings since our last newsletter, as well as numerous local club
meetings and hamfests. I am serving as the board liaison for the
ARRL’s Public Relations Committee for the second year in a row. This
dynamic group is charged with developing ideas to enhance the visibility of the
ARRL in particular and of Amateur Radio in general. It’s an exciting
assignment and it keeps me in touch with some of the brightest PR minds in the
country, some of whom are from this very Division.
If any of you would like to me to address your club, please let me know. I’m always happy to meet the active amateurs here in the Hudson Division. I continue to serve Director Fallon in any capacity he sees fit, and currently I am chairing the awards committee for our upcoming Hudson Division Convention and Awards Dinner. I’m looking forward to an exciting event and I hope to see you there!
send questions or comments to W2XX
This page last updated
Monday, September 18, 2000 12:00:00 AM