New: Site Supporter & Patron Icons automated. Please make sure your profile is up to date. Read This Post

[SMMAssociates]

Jeff:

More stuff I didn't now....

Henceforth [demand], I must be informed of all Youngstown-related activities [/demand], or I'm going to have to give Sammy your address ....

Still, good job!

I still object to that picture if out-of-context.... Otherwise, it's funny as hell, and appropriate.... (Somebody has to teach that Sergeant how to take bribes . This is Youngstown, after all.... OK, Campbell, but pretty much the same.... Somebody ought to be able to help....)

YSU is largely a commuter school. Many of the students (I'm not sure the percentage anymore, but when I was there forty years ago or so, there were something like 15,000 students, 10,000 parking spaces, and 500 on-campus residents. Another thousand or so in various pestholes in the area. A buddy of mine was the "Housing Inspector" for YSU, and I saw some of those places.... (He was also YPD's Traffic Investigator. I'm not allowed to say how he got the job , but he was good at it.) Anyway, the students tend to have jobs, and are somewhat more aware, IMHO, than many other schools. Lots of political awareness, too - two of the Vindicator's top guys - Dennis and Bert were top-kicks on the YSU Jambar (the student paper) when I was there.

A lot of YSU is "non-traditional", too - some of the kids are older, veterans, etc., instead of just right out of High School. Some are "retreads", too - having poofed at some other school. Generally, those kids do very well at YSU. 'Bout the only problems I ever had down there was the insane registration process, and finding parking places. The State made 'em go "quarters" while I was there, and that messed things up rather seriously. They eventually switched back, but I was already gone. (On the quarter system, you really couldn't miss a class without having to do some serious catch-up. Not great for people working....)

OTOH, we had a major anti-war demonstration scheduled one afternoon, and a crew was removing a big old tree from the Student Union ("Kilcawley" if memory serves, but I could have blown that spelling), too. More people attended the tree event.... (Which really confused YPD. They had a ton of guys and an armored car hiding near campus in the event of trouble. Lots of "why did you buy that thing?"....)

ETA:

Jeff, I didn't notice that earlier comment about the AR/AK thing.... Makes sense now.... I may have to bring the Mossy next time I get a chance .... Or buy an AK....

Regards,

[jcase469]

Deleted by the OP since the problem is solved and to keep the thread on topic.

Thanks Jeff.

[AlanM]

Things I learned Saturday:
1. In NE Ohio it can SNOW in mid April! Bring foul weather gear no matter what the forecast.
2. When going to one of these things, if you're going to bring a flag make sure at least one is a sizable (3' x 5' at least) stars and stripes.
3. There are a LOT of people that think that getting your CHL means that you can no longer open carry. Hearing about it here on the forums is one thing but to actually run into one FTF (almost literally) means, to me, it's not very rare.

[mropencarry]

The ordinance banned sales, so someone walked around with a for-sale sign on their gun.

How embarrassing. I didn't even put that together. I just thought it was an opportune moment for them.

[mropencarry]

There are a LOT of people that think that getting your CHL means that you can no longer open carry. Hearing about it here on the forums is one thing but to actually run into one FTF (almost literally) means, to me, it's not very rare.

That is so true. While working the Cabelas table I was amazed at the VERY basic misinformation people had.

[AlanM]

I forgot to mention, just like every other OFCC event I've attended, including all 6 previous Parties In The Park, the venue was cleaner when we left than when we arrived. I'm proud of all that attended.

[Teknorat]

The ordinance banned sales, so someone walked around with a for-sale sign on their gun.

How embarrassing. I didn't even put that together. I just thought it was an opportune moment for them.

Not at all, it sold too and the sale was concluded in the parking lot. Strangely neither party was arrested.

[Brian D.]

FWIW, I deserve some of the blame for the Courthouse/Park situation. I was there early and was on the phone with Jeff and told him that I would be heading to the Courthouse to make sure to catch any stragglers. However, almost as soon as I got off the phone, people began arriving at the park and no one knew where to send them. YAL wasn't there yet and when they did get there, they talked to the Police and it was "suggested" that the rally move to another location in the park. I ended up directing traffic to the other side of the park (you can see that in the video from WFMJ). At any rate, I had really assumed that YAL would have had people at the Courthouse...but as others have said, I don't think they had more than 4-5 people there.

Had this been an "OFCC" event, I am sure it would have been different.

Chris: Next time this kind of last-second thing pops up, feel free to send me over to the "old" location to redirect people to the "new" location, okay? (I just sent Jeff G. an e-mail to this effect.) If nothing else, I always keep a few cardboard IPSC targets in the vehicle--along with the ever-present sharpie markers --stapling one up with directions to Roosevelt Park written on it would have been a snap.

As long as I am officially recognized as the OFCC Anti-SNAFU or Anti-FUBAR Coordinator, that would be all the thanks required--we apparently have to save our cash money for, ahem, other pesky expenses that seem to be cropping up in the fight for "free" speech and firearms ownership.

---Brian

[SMMAssociates]

Chris:

Besides, keeping Brian away from the "civilians" may be a serious advantage ....

Sorry I couldn't be there. I had one spare windbreaker in the trunk, too....

Since I wasn't there, the following is more suggestion than anything else.

Many of us are in Ham Radio, and I would guess that everybody who is has a mobile radio or a handheld of some kind. The PTB needs to establish and announce a repeater (2M probably is best) and simplex frequency as long beforehand as is possible. Somebody "local" should be able to suggest one, and clear it with the owner's if necessary. I'm not sure who runs the 31/91 machine now (one of the ones suggested earlier in the thread), but the last guy I can think of is a former Deputy and has a CHL. I expect the MVARA machine (745) would also be available. My group's repeater (147.000) may not cover Campbell well enough, but a quick phone call would have been sufficient.

A "check in" station of some sort should be established. Anybody's car probably would do....

You don't need permission to use a simplex channel, of course, but sometimes the range of the repeater would be of more value.

Somebody said he didn't want PL.... I'm going to assume either an ancient radio (like the one I just stuck into mom's car 'cause I'm driving it more now), or he doesn't understand how to set it up. Both are good excuses to buy another one ....

(Anybody who doesn't know what "repeaters", "simplex", "channels", or "PL" means can PM me .)

More "talk" about how to set up that mobile alert to cellphones....

And, if we do get a change of venue like this, maybe some OFCC signs of some kind to go with the car that stays there? The park was just a couple minutes away, but Campbell is too big to just cruise for it....

Regards,

[jcase469]

Somebody said he didn't want PL.... I'm going to assume either an ancient radio (like the one I just stuck into mom's car 'cause I'm driving it more now), or he doesn't understand how to set it up. Both are good excuses to buy another one ....

The idea behind using a repeater that doesn't have a PL tone set was to make it easier to just put it in the VFO and talk. It also makes it easier to switch to a different repeater if there is some reason to do so. All but one of my radios have PL capability but there are still quite a few old radios that are in good working condition and being used that don't have PL.

If it could be certain that everyone has PL capability the easiest thing might be to program the repeater(s) for the destination into our radios area ahead of time.

Considering the number of hams here I'm a little surprised that some sort of policy hasn't already been coordinated for OFCC events. It's never too late to start though .

I did call out on 2 of the repeaters and 146.520 simplex but got no response.

A "check in" station of some sort should be established. Anybody's car probably would do....

Excellent idea..........

[charben]

I did call out on 2 of the repeaters and 146.520 simplex but got no response.

A "check in" station of some sort should be established. Anybody's car probably would do....

Excellent idea..........

Up until the event started, I was scanning all of the 2m repeaters in the area on my dual-band HT, while keeping the strongest tuned on the other channel...and heard no one call. Morne was also monitoring a simplex freq but I can't remember which.

[blah]

The ordinance banned sales, so someone walked around with a for-sale sign on their gun.

How embarrassing. I didn't even put that together. I just thought it was an opportune moment for them.

Not at all, it sold too and the sale was concluded in the parking lot. Strangely neither party was arrested.

Those pesky lawbreakers.

[JSLACK7851]

I forgot to mention, just like every other OFCC event I've attended, including all 6 previous Parties In The Park, the venue was cleaner when we left than when we arrived. I'm proud of all that attended.

We brought no less than 3 plastic garbage bags for Nick. Also, that park was posted 'NO DOGS'. Kudos to the young officer in the K-9 Unit for telling me 'they didn't enforce it', then pointing me to his Sergeant, who, at first, said he would enforce it, but then changed his mine after some sweet talking.

Also, I'd like to commend Chris and Bryan for a great job of public speaking, you both look great on TV . We had a blast, Nick met a lot of nice people too.

[mropencarry]

......that park was posted 'NO DOGS'....

Oh the irony. All those weapons there and some one gets arrested for an ND of poo.

[Morne]

Morne was also monitoring a simplex freq but I can't remember which.

146.52 MHz