To All PART of Westford Members,
In light of guidance from the State of Massachusetts regarding older adults having a higher risk related to COVID-19, and avoidance of mass gatherings, the March PART meeting is canceled. This is the only PART activity being canceled at this time; until further notice, the monthly Saturday breakfast (next scheduled for April 4) is still on, and the weekly Owl Diner breakfasts will be held as desired by the attendees.
Items of interest for PART members regarding COVID-19 will be posted on the WB1GOF.org website.
PART is still conducting other activities, and even if there is an epidemic going around, this great hobby of ours provides plenty of ways to interact. Some suggestions include:
1. Monitor the WB1GOF repeater. It’s possible that some of our members will be in quarantine, and they may need help with groceries or other tasks. They may just want to hear a friendly voice. Be sure your HT batteries are charged. If you need help and you can’t reach someone on the phone, get on the air and let someone know.
2. At the ragchew after the Sunday night net, offer suggestions or help in dealing with local issues. Since there’s no club meeting in March, we can hold a “virtual meeting” after the net.
3. I’ve heard rumors that foxes may soon be on the loose. This is ideal fox hunting weather (reasonably warm, and no ticks), and the foxes are eager to be running wild after being cooped up all winter. A walk in the woods is great exercise, and there’s virtually no chance of picking up the Coronavirus. If you’re not a fox hunter, the club’s hunters would be happy to give you a demonstration — join the NE Massachusetts Fox Hunter users group at: https://groups.io/g/
4. The CQ-World Wide WPX (SSB) contest is the weekend of March 28-29. Check out the rules at: https://www.cqwpx.com/rules.
Coping with the epidemic is going to be a challenge for the community and the nation, but challenges like this are what ham radio is for. Let’s do this together.
—
George K1IG
PART President
WB1GOF.org