Politician Discovers Gem in Her Backyard
On the cloudy chilly morning of April 1st, Charity Grimm Krupa, the state rep from the 51st district which is home to UARC, brightened the morning with her charming smile and sunny disposition on her second visit in two weeks. The first visit was to help celebrate w3PIE-Day. I’m not sure, but during that celebration the seed of a second visit was planted. Arrangements were made to bring in a video crew for Charity to highlight and document UARC’s community involvement and services. I am calling the eventual result a mini documentary that will enhance the diversity of the 51st district to Charity’s benefit and offer a well-deserved bit of notoriety and publicity for the UARC.
Arriving well before the video commenced, Charity engaged in a lengthy impromptu discussion with the club principals having decades of membership and vast ham experience who gathered for the occasion. Not even a member for a year, I was there to cover the event for the web site and this minor contribution to the newsletter. Their conversation served as teaching moment about UARC’s activities, facilities, and history and the basis for Charity’s discussion points for the videoed conversation. It was kind of a rehearsal as well as a strategy session as to how to best approach the actual recording process and with whom. Once that was accomplished there was wireless microphone wiring, (doesn’t that sound like an oxymoron?) and planning for lighting and camera placemen. The two-man camera crew split their attentions, one did the interview video and the other photographed the physical grounds.
Bert and Tony served as club spokespersons. Each was interviewed by Charity in both the clubhouse radio room and the Museum-Emergency Control Center. The conversations were warm and at times animated which I believe lends great color to UARC. The video to be produced is expected to be about 5 minutes in length showing Charity in the heart of UARC’s radio environment bringing out the nature and community related utility of the club’s activities and how the club itself evolved.