ah...looks like the last part of my note was just simply cut off due to its length...here's the rest of what I had to say :-)

I have also tried to help catalyze, be a part, of a Transition Initiatives effort in our neighborhood/county/region but there currently isn't an interest in my backyard and the ones that have tried to get up an running at the county/regional level seemed to veer away from the Transition principles and as far as I know, are no longer in existence.

Is there a Transition Initiatives group up in Hocking County now?

I am in agreement with the Transition Initiatives Cheerful Disclaimer and am very fond of the citizen-based, multi-stakeholder organization and planning approach.

The Transition Initiatives Cheerful Disclaimer:

"What we are convinced of is this:
If we wait for the governments, it'll be too little, too late
If we act as individuals, it'll be too little
But if we act as communities, it might just be enough, just in time.

73's,

KC8ZHR monitoring ACARA repeater frequency 145.150

Kathy Jacobson, RN

The Broadwell Hill Learning Center and Woodland Sanctuary

The Community Health and Civic Resilience Alliance

Federal Creek Watershed, Bern Township, Athens County, SE Ohio

Howdy Neighbor!

You and I live in adjacent Ohio counties: Hocking/Athens.

I frequently have our 2 meter amateur radio rig on, set to scan frequencies.  However, the Athens County Amateur Radio Association, ACARA repeater at 145.150 with an off-set is my primary link out of my neighborhood.  

I've had conversations on that  repeater with folks in Hocking County and am wondering if you can also access the ACARA repeater from your base.  If so, we should be able to communicate with each other on that frequency.

However, I am most willing to try to access other area repeaters.  Please let me know what frequencies you use to get out to a broader area in Southeast Ohio. 

I hope that the effects of the derecho did not impact you severely.

I am pretty prepared here with supplies and off-grid solar electricity, rainwater collection system, pond for back-up, satellite internet, HAM radio,etc. 

However, my neighbors did not have electric, phone and therefore no internet for over a week. 

I was able to communicate with  HAMs around the county, and folks who did have internet, but  I could not communicate with my local neighbors unless I saddled up the horse to go for a visit. 

I have been speaking with my neighbors for a long time about developing a Neighborhood radio system, i.e. two way radios, CB radios with our HAM station serving as a central point.  And, I have expressed my willingness to serve in that capacity, i.e. monitor the 2-way radio, CB, access and mobilize resources and relay messages in and out of the hood.

The derecho and its subsequent effects definitely revealed to me that there is still a need for such a neighborhood system, especially given our sparsely populated area and the fact that we need to adapt to a post-oil reality where it won't be feasible to jump in our car to go visit folks.

Yes, we need to develop alternate means of transportation as well, which for me equates to my feet, bike and electric golf cart charged off the PV solar system but in terms of checking in on folks while using a minimum of resources...  radio is the way to go..  Smoke signals wouldn't work so well given our hills and we don't have many young folk in the hood who could serve as runners.  :-)

Yes, it is true that most of my neighbors are pretty self-reliant and hooked into community networks that activate when someone needs help; we are very blessed in that way.  But, it contributes and perpetuates that attitude of "nothing much happens here and if it does we'll just wing it the way we always do".

I can live with that kind of community networking but it doesn't ring my bells.  I am much more interested in being a part of collective, citizen based, effort to build a much more robust and resilient neighborhood system via multi-stakeholder planning.

I have taken the ARRL EM COMM classes and tried to find ways to get more involved in our local club and ARES group that also help satisfy my desire to help build more resilient systems. Much of my approach is reflected in the material presented at this site: 

EMCOM Emergency Preparedness  FAMILY / NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

I am also very familiar with our county and regional emergency response plans and attitudes.  One doesn't have to look into such things very deeply to find the weak links but given my background as our county health preparedness/infrastructure coordinator... I am very aware of the situation, very aware of the need to help activate the citizen component.

I have also tried to help catalyze a Transition Initiatives effort in our neighborhood/county/region but there currently isn't an interest in my backyard for such a collective effort, the ones that have tried to get up an running at the county/regional level seemed to veer away from the Transition prin