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July 22, 1996
(Saugus, CA) -- Toby Metz, a 16 year-old amateur radio operator from
Meridian, Idaho and Agoura Hills, California, has been named the 1996
"Young Ham of the Year," according to Award Administrator Bill Pasternak
(WA6ITF). The award is jointly sponsored by Pasternak's Saugus,
California-based "Amateur Radio Newsline," Yaesu USA Corporation of
Cerritos, California, and CQ Magazine of Hicksville, New York.
Metz, whose ham radio call sign is KB7UIM, recently moved to California from Idaho. He was selected based on his work with introducing amateur radio to the deaf community of Boise, Idaho. Toby explained that his involvement with the deaf community came as the result of a scouting project that quickly became a public service.
"I knew I needed an Eagle project, so I began brainstorming with my friend Rich Dees (AA7WG) on how I could bring the handicapped into this picture while also using ham radio. We began talking about the possible ways that the deaf might use ham radio and realized that it would be natural for them to use packet radio." [Note: Packet radio is a means of communicating over the radio via computer.]
Toby decided to start a ham radio training class for the deaf. He enlisted the help of a woman from his church who worked with deaf people in Boise. Through Toby's perseverance and her assistance, a small but enthusiastic training class came into being. Metz says that it was a class that quickly grew.
"At first we started off with three people but the class became larger when family members of the students decided to come as well... (One student) even learned code using a device that converts sound to a vibration that you can feel with your fingers."
Toby Metz's Eagle Scout project drew praise from the handicapped community in Boise. It also brought Toby to national prominence when he was asked to write up the project for last November's "73" magazine.
In addition to his work with the deaf, Toby assisted in the creation of a Ham Radio Explorer Scout Post in Meridian Idaho and spent over a year hosting an on-air discussion group known as the "Discovery Net." Toby presided over this gathering until a few nights before he departed Idaho late this spring. At its peak, Toby's "Discovery Net" had almost three dozen ham radio operators taking part.
New to southern California, and now a student at Agoura Hills High School, Toby says that two of his priorities are joining another ham radio club similar to the one he enjoyed in Boise and to become an Explorer Scout.
"Now I am interested in the adventure aspect [of scouting]. I want to do high adventure camping, 50-mile hikes, rafting, and those kind of things."
Toby Metz was nominated by Rich Dees (AA7WG) of Meridian, Idaho. Dees, who helped bring Toby into the exciting world of Amateur Radio, describes his young protege as a born leader.
"Toby Metz, KB7UIM, epitomizes what young folks need to be like today. He is a hard working young man and one of his goals is to make a difference. He took on a project aimed at making a difference [in these peoples lives] and he did," says Dees.Dees adds that Toby continues to want to make a difference in the world: "... and I think that young people need that as a role model."
Metz will receive his award on August 17th at the Huntsville (AL) Hamfest Grand Banquet. The presentation of the award as a regular feature of this prestigious amateur radio convention has been made possible through the generosity and kindness of and the Huntsville Hamfest Planning Committee and its chairman, Scotty Neustadter (N4PYD).
Making the presentation will be Newsline producer Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF) and Judging Committee chairman Larry Zettwoch (KR4IF), along with representatives of Yaesu USA Corporation and CQ Magazine. These two companies are the corporate underwriters of the Young Ham of the Year award. They will be joined by three former award winners -- Kevin Boudreaux (N5XMH - 1993), Allison Zettwoch (KD4CKP - 1994) and Adam Weyhaupt (N9MEZ - 1995).
As "Young Ham of the Year," Metz will receive -- courtesy of Yaesu USA -- an expense-paid trip to the 1996 Huntsville Hamfest along with a gift of Yaesu ham radio equipment. CQ Magazine will treat Toby to a week at Spacecamp-Huntsville, and will present him with a variety of CQ products. Newsline will provide Adam with a commemorative plaque at the award ceremony.
Both corporate underwriters of the "Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award" are world leaders in their respective areas of Amateur Radio product support. Yaesu U.S.A. Corporation is a trailblazer in the design, manufacture and distribution of high quality amateur and commercial two-way radio equipment. CQ magazine is published by CQ Communications, Inc., and is considered the trend-setting publication serving today's modern radio amateur.
On learning of the selection of Toby Metz as this year's winner, Kevin Karamanos, (WD6DIH), Yaesu's Amateur Radio National Sales Manager, released a statement congratulating him. Karamanos said:
"Yaesu is pleased to see so many fine young people nominated for this award and who have become so deeply involved with Amateur Radio. This is the primary reason that we support this award program. To us, Toby Metz is an excellent example of today's American youth and we join with all of the nation's Radio Amateurs, young and old, in commending him on his great public service and other achievements at such a young age."
CQ Publisher Richard Ross (K2MGA), agreed with nominator Rich Dees that Toby sets a good example for American youth:
"Any time you worry about the youth of this country, and the kids with problems who are so often in the news you can look at kids like Toby and take heart. The kids in trouble are not typical. And while Toby is not typical, either, you realize that there are many more young people out there who are like Toby than those who are like the kids in trouble. They are tomorrow's mainstream and tomorrow's leaders."
The Amateur Radio Newsline is the premiere on-the-air news and information service to the world wide ham radio community. The Newsline Young Ham of the Year award program, (formerly the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year) now entering its second decade is presented annually to a licensed radio amateur (ham) who is 18 years of age or younger and who has provided outstanding service to the nation, his community or the betterment of the state of the art in communications through the Amateur Radio hobby/service.
Past recipients of the Young Ham award include Shawn Alan Wakefield, WK5P, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma (1986); David Rosenman, KA9PMK, of Muncie, Indiana (1987); Jonathan Binstock, NK3D, of Potomac, Maryland (1988); Erin McGinnis, KAOWTE, of Topeka, Kansas (1989); Mary Alestra, KB2IGG, of Staten Island, New York (1990); Richard S. "Sammy" Garrett, AAOCR, of St. Louis, Missouri (1991), and Angela (Angie) Fischer, KBOHXY, also of St. Louis (1992), Kevin Boudreaux, N5XMH, of New Orleans, Louisiana (1993), Allison Daneen Zettwoch, KD4CKP, of Louisville, Kentucky (1994), and Adam Weyhaupt N9MEZ of Alton, Illinois (1995).
EDITORS: Your coverage of the award ceremony is invited. For details, contact Award Administrator Bill Pasternak, (WA6ITF), at 805-296-7180 or by e-mail to newsline@ix.netcom.com.
Contacts:
Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF) / Amateur Radio Newsline 805-296-
7180 / newsline@ix.netcom.com
Kevin Karamanos, (WD6DIH) / Yaesu U.S.A. Corp. 310-404-2700
/ wd6dih@ix.netcom.com
Rich Moseson, (NW2L) / CQ Communications, Inc. 201-680-1585
/ NW2L@aol.com
THE AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE Editorial Office
28197 Robin Avenue Saugus Ca. 91350
Tel./Fax.: (805) 296-7180
America Online: billwa6itf@aol.com
Internet: newsline@ix.netcom.com
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