What a wild week of weather! Just when we were thinking we would escape a cold and snowy winter we get the polar vortex slipping our way. Depending on where you live the snow and ice kept travel near impossible. Out here in East County we had temps in the low 20s and blowing snow causing drifts up to 3 feet high. Today the freezing rain has coated everything with almost an inch of ice. I love the snow but now I am looking forward to far less weather drama. Good old gentle Oregon rain with temps in the 40s and 50s sounds good to me now.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Sunday special Resource/Information net. We had 78 checkins and several emails from members who were out of town and unable to check in. It is great to practice how a net like this may evolve in the event of a major disaster.
A special thanks to Dylan N7LYD who has taken the job as MCARES Training Manager as of January. Dylan has been leading the new member trainings and has been doing a great job.
We are sorry to report that Echo Team member Jim Masog N7JFC is now a silent key. Jim had been fighting a long battle with cancer for the last several years. Jim lived less than a block from Gresham Fire Station 74 and it was his mission to take care of the ham radio equipment there. He knew all the fire fighters and was there for ARES exercises. He volunteered with the US Forest Service and he and his wife, Louise, spent many, many hours patrolling the forest service back roads. You might remember him as the guy with the old military jeep who always stopped by at our annual camp outs. We will miss him for sure!