2010 Public Service
2010 Statistics
Hours Served: 41 hours 50 minutes
Distance Driven: 319.6 miles
Distance Walked: 0 miles
Distance Biked: 0 miles
Events
CROP Walk 2010
Date: October 10, 2010
Time: 12:45 - 16:00 (3 hours 15 minutes)
Location: Omaha, NE
I've been doing the CROP walk almost every year I've been a ham (though somehow I never recorded it in the database) and this was by far the most messed up of all the CROP Walks. I think mainly because the organizers kept changing the time. I was en route to the walk when Pat K0CTU found me on the radio and told me that the start time had been pushed back, and to meet at 1:15 instead of 12:30. I arrived around 1, and there were already several walkers on the route. I think they told the walkers a different time than they told us! I was at the same spot as previous years -- water stop 1 at the Lutheran church at 61st and Western. This year we didn't seem to have the supply issues we have in the past, despite the warm temperatures. The volunteers at my water stop were encouraging walkers to refill their cup, instead of just using it once. After the water stop closed down, I moved to a couple other points on the route to keep track of our last walkers. Next year, I'm bringing my bike!
Distance Driven: 13 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Market-2-Market Relay Race 2010
Date: October 9, 2010
Time: 6:15 - 14:30 (8 hours 15 minutes)
Location: Louisville, NE
This year they started the runners off in 4 waves, with the faster runners starting later than the slower ones. This was done in an attempt to have everyone finish at about the same time. I spent time at exchange 4, which was at Hayworth Park, in Bellevue. This exchange was well staffed, with about a dozen volunteers. It was easy to keep the spectators and runners where they were supposed to be. I was there until the last runner went through about 10:15, at which point I moved on to my next assignment: exchange 10 in Louisville, at the intersection of highway 50 and highway 31. Exchange 10 was a cluster, unfortunately. The leader at this exchange would call out team numbers as runners came across, so that runners would come to the exchange point to hand off the timing bracelet. There was another staff member who was charged with writing down each and every team number that came through the exchange. This didn't work well, as due to noise and commotion it was hard to hear or see the numbers of the teams. A spreadsheet on a computer would have worked much better. There was one injury this year, with one of the runners suffering heat stroke. There was another runner that took a wrong turn somewhere between exchanges 10 and 11. He eventually got found by his team. This even went much smoother than last year, and I hope that next year continues this trend.
Distance Driven: 86.5 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Make-A-Wish Ride 2010
Date: September 26, 2010
Time: 5:10 - 12:20 (7 hours 10 minutes)
Location: Percival, IA
This time around I was stationed in Bartlett, right next to the rail road tracks that pass through there. It was a little odd because that location isn't actually a water stop. It was just me there, watching the trains and the bikes, and making sure they don't get tangled up. There were 3 or 4 trains that went by, and they were FAST. No incidents this year while I was there, which is good. We were out there incase we were needed, though.
Distance Driven: 115.7 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Babcook Bicycle Race 2010 - Race
Date: July 11, 2010
Time: 8:15 - 14:40 (6 hours 25 minutes)
Location: Elkhorn, NE
It rained over night, so the course was wet. One of the low sections of the course actually had water over the road. The race was delayed a couple hours while officials waited to see if the course would dry up. 3 deputies took turns driving their squad cars through the big puddle, trying to drive the water off the road, while the volunteers looked on and shook their heads. Finally a decision was made to shorten the course, so that it would pretty much resemble the course used in the time trials. I moved back to the same corner I was at the previous day. The shortened course made everything go faster, even more so since the course was now pretty much flat. The water continued to cause problems, however. We had several bikers hauled off in ambulances, one fairly seriously injured. It was an interesting event.. we'll see what happens next year.
Distance Driven: 42 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Babcook Bicycle Race 2010 - Trials
Date: July 10, 2010
Time: 8:15 - 10:30 (2 hours 15 minutes)
Location: Elkhorn, NE
I don't always do the time trials with this event. This time around, I had nothing else going on, so I thought I'd go for it. Things went well for this, I was posted at one of the corners on Rainwood road. Everything went according to plan and without incident.
Distance Driven: 26 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Nebraska State Track Meet 2010
Date: May 22, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 15:45 (8 hours 45 minutes)
Location: Omaha, NE
This year, I started a "real job," so I couldn't make Friday like I normally would. I only did Saturday this year, but watched discus just like previous years. It sprinkled a little in the morning, but it stopped quickly. The weather stayed nice, and there weren't any incidents at the track meet. At least while I was there!
Distance Driven: 9 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
MS Walk 2010
Date: April 24, 2010
Time: 8:15 - 12:30 (4 hours 15 minutes)
Location: Omaha, NE
This was an interesting MS Walk. It wasn't in the Elmwood Park area like it has been in previous years. This year it was downtown. Parking was easier for me than I thought. I got stationed along the fountains in the park downtown, and watched the ducks while waiting for my first set of walkers. Turnout seemed smaller this year than previous years. We had the usual supply issues, but didn't seem nearly as bad as last year. All in all, a good event.
Distance Driven: 10 miles
Distance Walked: Not Recorded
Distance Biked: Not Recorded
Siren Test 2010
Date: April 3, 2010
Time: 9:20 - 10:50 (1 hours 30 minutes)
Location: Omaha, NE
Checked sirens #501 and #502 in Omaha, NE. 501 was located at a Philips 66 station at 120th and Center, while 502 was at a church near 108th and Center. Both sirens were "all okay." It was a really nice day to be out!
Distance Driven: 17.4 miles
Distance Walked: 0 miles
Distance Biked: 0 miles