Volume III, Issue 2

Cooperative Observer Awards

The cooperative weather observer program is an extensive network of volunteer weather observers, about 12,000 folks across the nation, that record precipitation ( rain, sleet, and snow), temperatures, snow depth, hail, days with thunder, days with fog, and days with high winds. Also, several stations record agricultural data, soil temperatures, evaporation, wind movement, river stages and lake levels. In addition to the above, folks report to us storm information from their area. At the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, we have 162 observers.

The COOP program in Shreveport has been honored with several observers receiving awards during 2006. Two of our observers, Wilmer Ray Bailey and Jessie Fay Barnes, were awarded the John Campanius Holm Award. Only twenty-five Holm Awards are granted each year nationally, and are presented to observers for outstanding accomplishments in the field of meteorological observations.

Wilmer Ray Bailey (left) receives his Holm award from Meteorologist-in-Charge Armando Garza (right) at a ceremony held on October 20th in Jena, LA.	Jessie Fay Barnes (center) receives her Holm award from Meteorologist-in-Charge Armando Garza (right), and COOP Program Manager Marion Kuykendall (left) at a ceremony held on October 26th in Henderson, TX.

In addition, 14 length of service awards were awarded during 2006. We would like to thank these and all of our observers for their many years of dedicated service.

40 years	Robert Gentry at Many, LA
35 years	William Ward at Dierks, AR
30 years	Ray Bailey at Jena 4WSW, LA
30 years	David Caldwell at Red River Research Station in Bossier City, LA
20 years	Pat Wright at Mount Vernon, TX
15 years	Danny Wilcox at Lewisville, AR
15 years	Clint Cooper at Mount Pleasant, TX
15 years	Travis and Deborah Riogrande at Lufkin 11NW, TX
10 years	Mike Kirkham at Jamestown, LA
10 years	Laura McCoin at Clarksville 2NE, TX
10 years	M.L. Broussard at Hemphill 6NE, TX
10 years	Larry Hassell at Hawkins, TX
10 years	Clark Youngblood at Colfax, LA