Greetings All,
I want to jump right in as this month’s presentation is very important.
Opioid abuse really has become rampant in today’s society and has even affected relatives of our OVH membership. As such, at this meeting, we will be stepping away from our normal format of ham related topics.
Our monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 18th, will feature a presentation by Jim Wooller, BA, QMHP-A, CPRS – Behavioral Health & Wellness Specialist for Prince William County who will give a presentation on Narcan.
Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan among others, is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. It is used to counter decreased breathing in opioid overdose.
The training is about 40 minutes long and everyone who attends will receive Naloxone nasal spray.
Additionally, this meeting will be open to the general public. Please feel free to invite anyone you might think is interested, including friends, relatives and neighbors.
W4OVH Monthly Meeting
18 July @ 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Buckhall VFD Hall
7190 Yates Ford Road
Manassas VA 20111
We hope to see you there.
I have to say, I’m glad it is mid-July. In recent weeks we’ve held our Tailgate Party, supported the Tri-It-Now Manassas Mini Tri, our Field Day, supported the Firecracker 5K and participated in the ARRL 13 Colonies Contest. It’s been a whirlwind for some time now.
Our June monthly meeting on June 20th was a bit of an adventure. The Buckhall VFD EMTs had our meeting room when we arrived to set up. It seems that when there is a Federal Holiday on a Monday (Juneteenth in this case) the EMTs Monday meeting is moved to a Tuesday. And the OVH Officers were not informed until we got there. We were told we could have the room once they had finished, in about 10 to 15 minutes. So we began our meeting in the Buckhall VFD parking lot, and retook the classroom about 20 minutes later. I still think our unofficial motto should be “Semper Gumby” (Always Flexible).
On June 24th and 25th the OVH took part in ARRL Field Day 2023. It was Chairwoman Cat, KM4PBD’s, inaugural event and she did a terrific job. Now that the “unknowns” are now known to her, it is our sincere hope she returns as Chairwoman again in 2024.
Lines were shot in trees on Friday afternoon and antennas began to be strung. Yours truly got the newly repaired OVH Trailer (thanks to Gil, KM4OZH – See the previous article by John, KG4NXT) there Saturday at 9 AM, and already there were many people at work. Byron, AK4XR, once again brought his cherry picker for antenna placement. We were ready to go long before things got started. We also had the return of the Pot Luck Supper on Saturday so there was no shortage of camaraderie.
Back on the 4th of July, OVH supported The Freedom Firecracker 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. Normally run by Wayne, N7QLK, we were lead by Andy, KJ4MTP. Wayne had been called away unexpectedly at the last minute. We were very fortunate that Andy was willing and available to step into the role of “Shadow” at that time. Thank you Andy. This race was a bit different than normal also. The organizers had part of the race off of George Mason property, and onto the county streets, so instant radio communication between spotters was paramount. A 5K race doesn’t take very long, so we were there by 7:15 AM and gone by 9:30-ish.
Also back in the first week of July is the popular 13 Colonies Contest. It ran July 1st thru July 7th. We had many participants and I look forward to reading our stats.
You don’t have to wait until our in-person meetings to see everyone again; you can come out this Saturday, July 15th at 8:00 AM for our monthly breakfasts. Pioneered by Byron, AK4XR, at the start of 2019, we meet every Saturday before our meetings to get together at a table or two in the back of Yorkshire Restaurant for some good food and good conversation.
Yorkshire Restaurant
7537 Centreville Rd
Manassas, VA 20111
(703) 368-4905
Menu: https://www.yorkshirerestaurantmanassas.com/menu/
Coming up on Sunday, July 30th, the OVH is supporting the:
Tri It Now – Summer Super Sprint
The Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center
9100 Freedom Center Blvd.
Manassas, VA 20110
Tri It Now
Volunteer spotters are needed. We will meet at the rally point on Sunday, July 30th by 7:30 AM and are expecting to run until approximately 12:00 noon. Our support for the Manassas Mini-Tri is also a great way for our new hams to get acquainted with their equipment and with our club members. All that is needed is an HT and a desire to serve.
If you are interested, please contact Andy Gamponia – you can reach Andy @ andy@gamponia.com
If you are itching for some Hamfest action, Berryville is just around the corner. It is on the OVH calendar on our website. I know a number of OVH members attend regularly, so you’re sure to see some of us. It’s just a few of weeks away, August 6th at the Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds in Berryville. For more details, visit the website: https://berryvillehamfest.com/
Also, a reminder to check in to the OVH’s Thursday night VHF/UHF repeater net at 8 PM.
The details for that are on the OVH’s web site: https://w4ovh.net This is a great way to stay in touch.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I would like to say thank you.
During this year’s Tailgate Party and also this year’s Field Day event some of our volunteers had logistical issues. This is to be expected in an all volunteer organization such as the Ole Virginia Hams.
At each event both John and Theresa jumped into action. Especially Theresa. Thank you both for being so flexible and continually jumping into the breaches as they occur. The Tailgate Party & our Field Day events were better because you care and were immediately available.
Thank you both.
Questions, comments or war stories can be directed to my e-mail: KN4DD@arrl.net
Semper Gumby, Ken, KN4DD