Members of the Nittany Amateur Radio Club provided communications for the annual Pennsylvania 4-H Competitive Trail Ride (The Keystone Ride) on September 24, 2011.  This is a horse ride sponsored through the Penn State Extension and is held in the Penn Roosevelt Park in Centre and Mifflin Counties.

Amateur radio operators participating were:

• John, W3JXP
• Woody, K3YV
• Mike, N3LI
• Chuck, WB3AEI
• Eric, W3EDP
• Craig, K3OOL
• Chip, N3IW
• Dean, KB3EWU
• Jim, KB3TBX

John, W3JXP was the contact and organizer for the group.  The total of nine (9) volunteers allowed the addition of two more checkpoints.  Communications went well with no accidents or injuries to horses or riders.  John even reports a new experience of babysitting (horsesitting?) a horse named Sugar.  He reports that the horse was better behaved than his cat!

Our thanks to the 4-H for asking us to participate.

Carmine, K3CWP, and Elaine, K3ERP attended the first day of the annual Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Conference held in Harrisburg on September 24, 2011.  Subjects covered at the conference included:

• An update on the Auxiliary Communications System program
• Keynote address by Glenn Cannon, PEMA Director
• Report on the South Central Task Force Wide Vigilance Exercise held in 2010
• Individual Group Briefings, including a briefing by Carmine, K3CWP, on the progress of ACS organizing and equipment installation in Centre County
• Developing an ACS/EmComm Annex to an Emergency Operations Plan
• Integration of ACS into an Incident Communication Center

All the sessions presented valuable information and were enhanced by the ability to work and talk with other amateur radio operators involved in Emergency Preparedness.

On Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24 amateur radio operators from Centre, Blair, and Huntingdon Counties provided communications assistance for the Annual Keystone Country Ride of the Keystone Division of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  The ride is a fundraising event that runs from Hollidaysburg, PA to State College, PA and back. That’s a total of 150 miles, and this year there were 640+ riders!  Amateur Radio Emergency Services assistance has become an important part of the event.  The ride moves through a number of areas where cell phone coverage is non existent but amateur repeaters provide very good coverage and a network that allows all of the communications units hear what is happening.

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It is time for Centre County Amateur Radio operators to (re) register for ARES.  A number of Centre County filled out paper registration forms several years ago.  Those that did, and anyone who would like to register for ARES is asked to submit a new form.  This time you can register online.

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On Saturday, April 23, 2011 eight members of Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Nittany Amateur Radio Club provided communications assistance to the Penn State Cycling Club.  The club held the Easter Collegiate Cycling Conference District 1 Eastern race in the Black Moshannon State Park near Philipsburg on the western end of Centre County, Pennsylvania.

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