• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

2009 Minnesota Skywarn Workshop

John Wetter

SN President
Staff member
Joined
Dec 11, 2005
Messages
956
Location
Maple Grove, MN
The website has been launched and registration for the Minnesota Skywarn Workshop opens Monday, February 2nd! Visit us at: http://www.mnskywarnworkshop.org

The fourth annual Minnesota Skywarn Workshop is set for March 28, 2009 at the O'Shaughnessy Educational Center on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, MN. John Wetter, coordinator of Skywarn operations at the NWS Chanhassen office is again putting together a program where storm spotters can come together to train, equip, and connect with other area Skywarn organizations.

This year's keynote speaker will be Donald Burgess. Don is a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) and Adjunct Professor of Meteorology, both at the University of Oklahoma. He retired as Chief of the Warning Research and Development Division of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in 2003 after 32 years of federal service. During his federal career, he also served as Director and Chief of Operations at the NEXRAD Radar Operations Center (ROC), and Chief of National Weather Service Radar Training. He received his M.S. from the University of Oklahoma in 1974. His research interests lie in the areas of severe weather and techniques for improving warnings of weather hazards, particularly techniques using Doppler radar to detect and warn on tornadoes. In 1979, he was a co-winner of the Department of Commerce Silver Medal, and in 2003, he was a co-winner of the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. He was editor of an award-winning book, has written chapters in several books, and has been author of over 50 formal publications and over 200 conference papers and other informal publications. He currently serves on the VORTEX2 Steering Committee.

His presentation is entitled: "Tornado Warning Research: Where We've Come From and Where We're Going" looking at the history of tornado research and looking ahead to the Vortex-2 field study.

Other presentations will include a multi-perspective look at the severe weather outbreak of May 25, 2008, looking at the meteorology of the day, severe weather operations during, through the damage survey of the event.

There is a $10 pre-conference registration fee. This fee, along with our sponsors will help defray the ever-increasing cost of putting on the workshop. Registration will be opening on Monday, February 2nd! If you, your company, or your organization would like to help by sponsoring the workshop, please visit our website to learn how you can help keep this workshop at a fair, low price and available to the spotters of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Minnesota Skywarn Workshop
March 28, 2009
O'Shaughnessy Educational Center
University of St. Thomas
St. Paul, MN
www.mnskywarnworkshop.org
 
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