Greetings ;

I have just returned from the Shelby , N.C. Hamfest . Despite the rising price of gas about 7000 showed up for a great weekend. The past attendance once topped 15,000 .

I spoke to a full room at the ARRL forum and was ready to get blitzed about bandwidth issues. It did not happened !

The ARRL friendly group was more concerned about Katrina and how they could help and learn to be better communicators. Of course they want to see license issues addressed , but I think think they understand much better know how the FCC eyes us as amateurs.

On the CW issue I say fight on ! We have nothing to lose and I believe the average member would like to see us go down fighting than give in and do nothing. Like the country song says " You gotta stand for something or you stand for nothing at all".

73 Les Shattuck K4NK

Vice Director Roanoke