I thought you might be interested in learning of the valuable role which St. Louis Amateur Radio storm spotters played in yesterday's tornadoes in Missouri. Cliff K0CA From: Cliff Ahrens [mailto:cliff.ahrens@gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011 1:03 PM To: kb5yzy@arrl.net; w0sjs@arrl.net; 'Cliff Rozar' Cc: apitts@arrl.org; news@arrl.org; 'Keane, S Khrystyne, K1SFA'; 'Rod Blocksome'; 'Bruce Frahm' Subject: Congrat's to the St. Louis Amateur Radio Storm Spotters Hi Mark, Steve, and Cliff. I read with interest the stories in this morning's St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the storms and tornadoes that moved through the St. Louis area yesterday. In the "Timeline of Destruction" on page A4, the Post-Dispatch highlights four different reports from Amateur Radio operators in Pacific, Ballwin, Sunset Hills, and O'Fallon, IL. I know that the St. Louis and Suburban Radio Club is actively involved in Skywarn, and working with the NWS in training storm spotters. Please extend my sincere thanks and congratulations to SLSRC and all the Amateur Radio operators who gave extraordinary public service in yesterday's storm. I am confident that their heroic efforts played a role in early warning and helped save lives and reduced personal injuries. If someone in SLSRC involved in the storm spotting and Skywarn training could prepare a short news article with pictures, I would like to include it in my January ARRL Midwest Division newsletter. And I suggest that you also send it to ARRL staff members Allen Pitts W1AGP, Media and Public Relations Manager (apitts@arrl.org), Joel Kleinman N1BKE, Managing Editor (news@arrl.org), and Khrystyne Keane K1SFA, News Editor (k1sfa@arrl.org). On a personal note, just minutes before the storm hit, my daughter and her husband who live in Valley Park were at the shopping center on Hwy 141 across from the church and houses which sustained major damage. They left the shopping center when the sirens went off, and just missed being caught in the tornado. Thanks again for the good work which SLSRC does in the St. Louis Metro area. Best wishes to all the SLSRC officers and members for a happy and healthy new year! 73, Cliff Cliff Ahrens, K0CA ARRL Midwest Division Director 65 Pioneer Trail, Hannibal, MO 63401 e-mail: k0ca@arrl.org Phone: 573-221-8618 www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/> www.arrlmidwest.org <http://www.arrlmidwest.org/>