CLUB OFFICERS

President Bud Hughes K4CWG 269-2796 k4cwg@cfl.rr.com	Vice-President Bob Keim W4TAT 383-1509 w4tat@earthlink.com	Secretary-Treasurer Becky Lee KF4HTB 267-9375 lees@titusvillearc.org
Board Member Bob Farrington W4YBI 633-5664 bobandlinda3@juno.com	Board Member Hank Phillips AA4HP 264-2492 aa4hp@arrl.net	Board Member Pike Abell W4EPU 269-4208 pikeatal@digital.net	Board Member John Renninger KE4ZPA 267-9431 ke4zpa@gnc.net
146.91 Repeater Trustee Les Griner K4SJC 267-1565 k4sjc2@aol.com	146.97 Repeater Trustee Warren Murray W4CEL 268-2199 pager 638-5476	444.15 Repeater Trustee Mike Hensley W4LOV 639-1553 w4lov@hostpc.net	147.775 Repeater Trustee Ken Denman KD4HNW 269-5711
MEETINGS: 4th Tuesday of each month, 1900 hrs at the North Brevard Public Library on Hopkins Ave. in Titusville. SEE SPECIAL BELOW		"Eatin Meetin": Thursday nights 1730-1830 hrs at a local restaurant. Contact Sherry Hughes 279-2796 or 146.91 mHz

Two Important Events - Annual Elections November 23^rd

Christmas Party December 5^th at Claudines Café

Full details in this double edition

The President's Corner By, Bub Hughes, K4CWG

Officers and Board members will be elected at the November 23 club meeting. The meeting place will be the Titusville Public Library on Hopkins. Our Nominating Chairperson, Clara KE4YQL will have a slate of officers and board members to present to you at the meeting. If your choice of officer or board member is not on the slate you may, at the meeting, nominate from the floor anyone you wish to be considered for any of the positions. If you plan to nominate someone from the floor then please before you nominate him or her ask that person if he or she would be willing to serve should he/she be elected.

The library is the next building South of the Titusville High School. When arriving at the library on Hopkins enter the most southerly driveway. There you will find four separate parking areas in which you may park. Enter the building from the South entrance and when inside turn to your right and follow the sign(s) to the meeting area.

TARC Board of Directors approved a one-year free membership to those Astronaut High School students who passed the Technician Class Amateur Radio Exam in April of 2004.

Bill W4RUN a staff member at Astronaut High taught the theory and is commended for his effort in bringing nine students into this wonderful hobby. Those new members to be added to the TARC membership include Patrick Canfield KI4FGH, Aaron Dubovecky KI4FGI, Ian Holmes KI4FGJ, Lance Jackson KI4FGK, Desirae McKenna KI4FGL, Brian Raley KI4FGM, Eric Smith KI4FGN, Ryan Snitker KI4FGO and John Thompson KI4FGP. Subsequently these new hams have since graduated from Astronaut High School and are now pursuing their future aspirations. Our best wishes go to each and all.

Too often we must bid final adieu to a fellow ham friend. Many times when our friend is laid to rest the surviving spouse has the unfortunate role of disposing of the silent key's ham equipment. Pike W4EPU has proposed forming a committee within the club to address such a situation. I have asked Pike to serve as Chairman and to enlist others to serve with him in a Committee named "Committee to Assist Spouses of Silent Keys". The purpose of this committee will be to contact spouses of silent keys and offer assistance to them in the disposal of the silent key's ham radio equipment. Bob W4YBI and I have agreed to assist Pike in this noble cause. If you would like to serve on this committee please contact Pike @ 269-4208.

Bud K4CWG 73s and 88s

Plan Now to attend the annual Christmas Party!!!!

The TARC Christmas Party will be at Claudine's Cafe, located at the south side, main entrance of Searstown Mall. (Claudine's is closed to the public on Sunday so we will have the restaurant to ourselves.) The date is Sunday, December 5, dinner will be served at 6:30 PM.

The Menus is: Choice of Roast Beef or Chicken Cordon Bleu; Tossed Salad, Two Vegetables, Rolls & Butter, Dessert, Coffee and Tea. The cost is $16.00, which includes tax and gratuity.

A great after dinner program is planned - Jokes and skits, Installation of Officers, Soap on a Rope and Ham of the Year Awards, and much more. (We may even sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas".) There will be the usual exchange of $5.00 value gifts. Participation in the gift exchange is optional, of course.

Tickets for the party may be obtained from Sherry KU4ZO 269-2796 or Clara KE4YQL 269-2408. Call now. Don't miss the fun!!!

Abell's Anecdotes, By Pike Abell W4EPU

THE SURVIVAL OF THE PIG: Animal stories are everywhere and this is yet another one: I am a clipper and saver of newspaper clippings. Occasionally I look through old clippings and wonder why I ever saved some of them in the first place. Like the following one, which I clipped from the December 29, 1996 Florida Today paper.

"Pig found alive week after fire" A week after fire destroyed a swine research center and killed hundreds of pigs, workers found four survivors in a pen that had been covered with rubble.

"Miracles happen," said Tom Crenshaw, a faculty supervisor. "It just had to be a miracle that they survived at all." The 3-month-old male pigs, found Wednesday when Crenshaw and another employee were searching the ruins for equipment to salvage, had lost weight and suffered frostbite but appeared relatively healthy. The fire destroyed the Swine Research and Training Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison agricultural station. Also destroyed were millions of dollars in medical and agricultural research and special breeding stock developed over decades.

Oh yew - Now I remember why I saved that article. It was because it reminded me of something that supposedly happened back when I lived on the farm in Arkansas. My dad told about a neighbor who was blowing up a tree stump with dynamite, a common practice in those days. While he was drilling holes in the stump he left the dynamite on the ground behind him. When he turned around to pick up the sticks of dynamite to insert into the holes, there was a pig eating the dynamite. He had already eat

en several sticks. The farmer used what was left and blew up the stump. The pig went to the barn and into a stall with a mule. The mule kicked him and the pig exploded. The explosion killed the mule and completely destroyed the barn. For several days the pig walked around in a daze before he fully recovered. 73a es 88s Pike

A special farewell.......LES WIDICK, K4BZJ - A SILENT KEY REMEMBERED

June 7, 1929 - October 7, 2004

Bill Hoskinson, K4CUO, gave the eulogy and moderated during the military service held at the Brevard Memorial Funeral Home in Cocoa, Florida, October 15, 2004. Les had asked Bill to do so when he realized that his time on earth would soon come to an end. He certainly picked a good friend to send him on; no one could have done it better.

Bill talked about his many years of close friendship with Les, about how much help he was given to become a better Ham during their frequent gatherings and about how Les was always helping those in need. Family members told wonderful stories about Les as a husband, father, a US Marine Major and businessman. Friends related stories of the support Les provided to them in times of mourning and about how Les was always there to help with the many square dancing activities they had. All those present laughed and cried with each story. José, my husband, said on our way home, "It is too bad we don't know all these great things about a man until we hear them at his funeral".

We were glad to hear those stories as we also had wonderful memories of Les. He dared me to start a 10 Meter Net after I had just received my Ham license on January 23rd of 1991. He was surprised when a few weeks later on March 27^th he heard me on the Mosquito Net. He was Mosquito Stinger #3. He always supported and encouraged me. He told me that I did not run a net like anyone else runs a net, but that I ran it well and it was fun. When I did not have a computer he offered to keep a roster for me on his word processor for nearly a year until I got a computer and figured out how to use it.

He was delighted when I arranged our first tailgate/ham fest at the Arthur Dunn Airport parking lot during an Experimental Aircraft Association Smiling Jack Fly-in. We only had two weeks to make arrangements for a tailgate party and get the word out on the radio and with flyers. We could not have pulled it off without Les Widick. The tailgate had about twenty tailgaters, many buyers from all over Central Florida and two Hams from South Georgia. Our first special event was also held that day and Les was one of the net control operators during the event.

The neatest thing was that almost everybody sold all their radio equipment and everyone had such a wonderful time. Les gathered together a group of amateur operators to help our new and old operators put up antennas and help repair them when needed. Only his illness stopped his activity.

I really missed Les when he became so ill. I regret that I only visited him once at his home before he had to be placed in 24-hour care. It was very difficult for me to see him in that condition. I know that he was a good friend to all of us who were honored to know him.

Carole Ann Ramos, KC4VIN

Congratulations Taylor Woltman KI4GMJ. On October 17^th the youngest licensed ham operator in these parts received an Excellence for Community Service Award from Brevard Public School Superintendent Richard DiPatri for her outstanding work as an emergency communicator at the Port St. John Shelter during Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Taylor also was featured in an article in the Florida Today. She and her father Mic KI4CFA are valued members of the Titusville Amateur Radio Club and we could not be more pleased with this well deserved honor.

Les Griner K4SJC is on the mend at Royal Oaks Rehabilitation Center (formerly Mariner Health) at 2225 Knox McRae Drive (just west of Barna Avenue. Les fell and broke three vertebras after a long afternoon working on the 146.91 repeater. He has been in the hospital twice as efforts continue to get him back on his feet. Les is in room 169. He does not have a telephone in his room, but you can catch him on the air on two meters from time to time. Les is one of our most valuable members. Stop in and visit him!

Mosquito Net..............By Jose`, KC4VIO

Stephanie Phillips, K4MVO, has graciously volunteered to be the new Mosquito Net manager.

28.333 MHz was about to be permanently returned to general Amateur Radio use with the net closing November 3, 2004, when she jumped to the rescue. She stated that the Mosquito Net is an important activity of the Titusville Amateur Radio Club (TARC)

and of the Brevard Emergency Amateur Radio Service and should continue to operate as such. The Net meets every Wednesday at 1900 hrs. (Local time). Its first meeting was on March 27, 1991. Carole Ann Ramos, KC4VIN, started the net under the wings

of TARC as an informal way to promote use of the 10 Meter Band and to provide an HF meeting place for local amateurs.

The Net grew beyond anyone's imagination and has awarded Stinger Numbers to 930 members. Mosquitoes (as Net members are known) can be found in all Union States, Puerto Rico, six Canada provinces, one in the island of Grenada, several in thirteen European, Central and South American countries. Five amateur operators became Net members by checking in as maritime mobiles from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

In addition to regular Wednesday evening meetings the Net is also activated during local emergencies, has conducted special events, held a mobile special event during a visit to Clute, Texas, to attend a Mosquito Festival, sponsored anniversary picnics and hosted a group of 30 Brazilian students who visited Titusville. They were brought to Florida by their instructor Ivan Seelig, PY2IJS, Stinger #277.

While Carole Ann held her post as Net Manager since 1991, many sessions were conducted by other Net members for months at a time in some cases. The Net could not have survived without their able assistance. The Net should continue to thrive under Stephanie's direction. She brings with her extensive communications experience, outstanding leadership qualities and unparalleled motivation.

SKYWARN SPECIAL EVENT. From 0000 until 2400 hrs UTC on Saturday December 4^th The National Weather Service is sponsoring a salute to the volunteers who serve as SkyWarn observers. Ham radio stations will be operated at nearly all weather service offices including Melbourne for the 24 hour period. Full details are available on the Internet at hamradio.noaa.gov.

(Note: Do not use the familiar "www" at the beginning of this address or it won't work.) Eric Smitt K9ES and other volunteer operators from PCARS will be operating WX4MLB station at Melbourne. Denis Decker invites everybody to drop in for lunch and a tour of the weather service office!!!

Titusville Amateur Radio Club

P.O. Box 73

Titusville, FL 32781-0073 FIRST CLASS MAIL

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

11/1 M2USO MARIE GENCORELLI

11/1 KE4BBK ORA PROSSER

11/1 W3QIE THOMAS RATNER

11/7 KI4BOT JOHN ALFORD

11/11 W5RAQ RON RICHARDSON

11/15 WB4OO CAROLYN BLANTON

11/22 AE4LE RALPH HALL

11/24 KD4YIX VINCENT ALVAREZ II

11/25 AA4HP HANK PHILLIPS

11/26 KD4HNW KEN DENMAN

11/26 KC4HIO RICHARD SWEATT

11/26 KI4GMG FREDERICK LONGO

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

12/1 WB4ZUZ THERESA VALEK

12/7 KU4ZO SHERRY HUGHES

12/8 WN4YKC DON HATFIELD

12/9 KC4VIO JOSE RAMOS

12/17 KG4WTX THOMAS FULLER

12/20 KF4QIP MICHAEL ALBRO

12/24 N4SCY OZZIE OSBAND

OCTOBER MINUTES

The October potluck supper was held at the Library on Wednesday. Oct. 27. Sherry KU4ZO, outdid herself with the turkey, ham, dressing and gravy. Other members brought a variety of delicious dishes. I believe everyone overate. Clara KE4YQL talked about the election of officers at the November meeting, and urged anyone wishing to make a nomination from the floor to be sure they have the consent of that member for their name to be placed in nomination. She also said that the Christmas party will be held at Claudines on December 5. Get your tickets for the Christmas party from Sherry, KU4ZO.

Becky Lee KF4HTB, Secretary/Treasurer