For Immediate Release

Print quality photos available from previous events.

For additional information contact:

Larry Lazar, President

Wellington Radio Club

(561) 385-2986

Jesse Wright, EOC Liaison

City of Wellington

(561) 791-4078

Celebrate Wellington - Update

New Zealand Cornhusker Rescues Wellington Radio Club

And Helps Wellington Celebrate Its Beginnings!

Wellington, 3/9/13 – In early February, members of the Wellington Radio Club were elated. The mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, Celia Wade-Brown accepted their invitation to help commemorate the founding of Florida's 17 year-old Wellington. The event is scheduled for March 16th.

On March 8, Radio Club members were left them dumbfounded. Mayor Wade-Brown abruptly canceled her exchange of greetings with Mayor Margolis. An email explained that foul weather forced Mayor Wade-Brown to re-schedule a kayak voyage across the Cook Strait on that date. That left the Wellington Radio Club “high and dry”... until a Cornhusker came to the rescue from 8100 miles away!

Dr. Wayne Guppy, Chairman of the Wellington Region Mayors Forum and Mayor of Upper Hutt stepped forward to pick up the ball and exchange greetings with Mayor Margolis. Mayor Guppy, a PhD from the University of Nebraska is no stranger to Wellington, Florida. Indeed, he was the highlight of the 2003 dedication of Wellington’s Emergency Operations Center when he chatted with then Mayor Wenham and “Councilman” Margolis for over 30 minutes by ham radio. That prime example of international goodwill and emergency communications was made possible by the radio amateurs New Zealand's national society, NZART.

Wellington Radio Club President Larry Lazar noted that “in a democracy, a mayor that's been re-elected for four terms must be doing something right. I bet Mayor Guppy has demonstrated the same initiative and drive to his constituents in Upper Hutt as he has in helping us!" Lazar added: "Now that he and Mayor Margolis will highlight 'Celebrate Wellington', the Special Event will go on as planned.”

Those plans include a "Special Event" short-wave station, W4W to broadcast-worldwide news of Wellington's anniversary on Saturday, March 16th. Wellington Radio Club members will man their station at Pavilion 3 in Village Park from 9:30am to 4:30pm. "Dit-Dah", Ron the Ham-Clown will be entertaining and making animal balloons. From 2pm to 3pm, there will be demonstrations of competition-level, radio controlled racecars. Pavilion 3 is next to a great playground, so bring the kids and enjoy this special event.

Radio Club members volunteer at Wellington's Emergency Operations and often partner with the Village of Wellington on communications projects. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to Wellington Radio Club website at www.qsl.net/k4wrc and www.emergency-radio.org. The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

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