N9REP (Wendell Smith) is looking for local amateur radio operators to support this public service event. This is not a McHenery County EMA event and is open to any amateur radio operator. The event runs from 7AM to 5PM on June 2nd.

Amateur radio operators supply rider and logistics support, called SAG (Support and Gear),
consisting of riding the routes, assisting riders and notifying the event coordinators of any problems.

Please contact Wendell (N9REP) at wjsmith@ameritech. net or 815-245-9325 for further details.

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It is with great sadness that I forward word of the passing of Bill Early, K9ZG. Up until his cancer caused him to slow last fall, he was an active member of McHenry County EMA and our RACES and ARES organizations. He was also instrumental in the formation and promotion of the Search and Rescue program within McHenry County EMA. His obituary follows.

• William “Bill” Biety Early, 66, of McHenry died Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at home, surrounded by family.

He was born on Dec. 25, 1946, in Geneva, Ill., to Gordon Lauder and Margaret Elizabeth (Biety) Early. On April 12, 1980, he married Karen Louise Brooks at the Presbyterian Church in Wheaton.

Bill was a devoted husband and cherished time with his grandchildren. He was a senior roofing consultant who took pride in his job and was very active and took leadership roles in his professional organization, RCI, Inc.

Bill loved animals and in one phase of his life he was the shelter manager for the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society and served as a docent for the Lincoln Park Zoo. When he and Karen moved to McHenry, they became active volunteers with wildlife animal rescue, education and rehabilitation through the McHenry County Conservation District Wildlife Center and Wildlife In Need. Bill was licensed through the U.S. Federal Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which enabled him to keep and maintain several raptors for educational purposes.

Bill was also very active in the McHenry County Emergency Management Association. He served in many areas, starting as a radio/communications operator, then assisting with Dive Rescue, Weather Spotting and was particularly involved with Search and Rescue.

Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Karen Early of McHenry; children Christopher (Janie) Early of Irrigon, Ore., and Josh (Elizabeth) Early of Iron Mountain, Mich.; grandchildren Liam, August, Mallory, Elizabeth and Joshua; father Gordon L. Early of Evanston; brothers and sisters Robert (Traudel) Early of Watsonville, Calif., Margaret Blair of Bluffton, S.C., Catherine (Virginia) Early of Macomb and Carol (Brian) Cooney of Evanston; and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Biety Early, and brother-in-law Donald Blair.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until the funeral service at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 12, at the Colonial Funeral Home, 591 Ridgeview Drive, McHenry, IL. Interment will be private.

Memorials may be directed to McHenry County Emergency Management Association or the Wildlife Rescue organization of the donor’s choice.

For information contact Colonial Funeral Home at 815-385-0063 or www.colonialmchenry.com.

John Zelz, W9ZE

Deputy Director, McHenry County Emergency Management Agency

Chief, McHenry County, IL RACES http://www.mcraces.org

EC, McHenry County, IL ARES

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Due the the inclement weather today, the RACES/ARES meeting scheduled for tonight, 2/26/13, is cancelled.

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Your EMA volunteer leadership team recently met to outline our Q1/Q2 training objectives for 2013.

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The next meeting of the McHenry County RACES and ARES organizations is scheduled for Tuesday, November 27, at 7PM in the EOC. This will be the last meeting of the year.

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Re-post from Neil Ormos N9NL

The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is
seeking amateur radio operators to help with a
communications exercise on Saturday, 10 November
2012. The exercise will be conducted in Glenview.
It will begin around 8:00 AM CT, and conclude
around mid-afternoon.

This will be a great opportunity to work with the
Red Cross and meet the local Disaster Services
Technology team, which provides communications and
IT support for the Red Cross’ disaster services
activities.

If you’re available on Saturday and would like to
participate, please contact me by e-mail.

Thanks and 73

–Neil Ormos N9NL
ARES® District Emergency Coordinator
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ARES District 4 (Cook, DuPage, Lake Counties)

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All EMA Volunteers…Mark your calendars for the next Emergency Management Volunteer Meeting on November 14th at 1800 hours. Meet at Vaughan’s Family Restaurant, 790 S. Eastwood Drive, Woodstock for a short meeting, buffet style dinner, gifts and door prizes. We hope to see you all there!

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McHenry County Recognizes its Emergency Management Volunteers for Their Thousands of Hours of Dedication to Emergency Management for the Citizens of McHenry County.  View the proclamation presented by the county board here.

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