Happy Labor Day, everyone! I know it's the "unofficial end of summer" and all; but in South Plainfield, NJ the holiday is a big one. We hold the largest (and maybe the only) Labor Day parade in the State of New Jersey. The community really becomes a family for the day with a foot race kicking off the festivities, followed by the parade, then a community "picnic" at the Police Athletic Field. The community pool's last day is today and the whole celebration will be topped off tonight with a fireworks display at Spring Lake Park.
This is amateur radio related; because the South Plainfield hams become involved in a big way helping to provide communications for the parade and the fireworks display. This morning, it was very gratifying to see 9 hams turn out for communications detail (myself included). Everyone who graduated our Technician class in the winter showed up, except for one Ham who moved to South Carolina about two months ago.
All the Hams were used; and we could have used a few more, too! Last minute additions and deletions from the parade lineup had to be given to the two grandstand announcers on separate points of the parade route. We also helped keep tabs on the running of the foot race and helped the boro police with traffic detail where needed. It's good practise in radio usage and discipline. Hopefully, we'll never need to use the techniques we've learned in a large scale emergency. But if we're ever needed, the town has a pool of capable amateur radio operators to call upon. I'm so very proud of each and every one of them.
73 de Larry W2LJ
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