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Sound Of Silence 2021 rally, May 21-23

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Stay tuned here for the latest info. I told them that the event was getting too big for the space they reserved. Soooooo......

"We spoke with the owner of the Begging Burro this morning actually, and since we’re already at 123 people with a couple weeks to go, we decided to move the banquet dinner to the Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company’s Event Center (same owners). It will still be the Mexican food from the Burro, but served at the Event Center that has a larger seating capacity. We understand most of the attendees don’t like being in the same place two nights in a row, but the Custer area has no other large restaurants/banquet halls/etc. We’ll need to think of another option for next year…"

We did it. Busted their seams. We are now in the largest place Custer has. Nice going guys. Should you have someone else you would like to bring to the Saturday night event, it will cost you $30, but let the Chamber know so they can plan.

It will be a great event. See you there!

Mac
 
Stay tuned here for the latest info. I told them that the event was getting too big for the space they reserved. Soooooo......

"We spoke with the owner of the Begging Burro this morning actually, and since we’re already at 123 people with a couple weeks to go, we decided to move the banquet dinner to the Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company’s Event Center (same owners). It will still be the Mexican food from the Burro, but served at the Event Center that has a larger seating capacity. We understand most of the attendees don’t like being in the same place two nights in a row, but the Custer area has no other large restaurants/banquet halls/etc. We’ll need to think of another option for next year…"

We did it. Busted their seams. We are now in the largest place Custer has. Nice going guys. Should you have someone else you would like to bring to the Saturday night event, it will cost you $30, but let the Chamber know so they can plan.

It will be a great event. See you there!

Mac

This is good. The event center at the brewery is a great location for us. We were really busting the seams at the pizza place last time. As long as the food is different, I’d don’t mind at all that the location is the same.
 
Some good news for people concerned about potential spread of the virus in South Dakota:


With ~55% of the population already infected (most within the last 9 months) and another 31% fully vaccinated, ~69% of South Dakota's population is immune to the virus. So they should be well on their way to herd immunity for such a sparsely populated state. By selecting "At Least One Dose," the number of vaccinated goes up to 42% and the level of immunity goes up to ~75%. This is probably a reasonable approximation of what we can expect when we are there in 2.5 weeks for our rally.

This is called herd immunity the hard way!
 
I’m not convinced that prior infection results in immunity, but that isn’t going to stop me from going.
My general understanding is that it is somewhat less effective than the vaccines and it wears off over time (the vaccines' effectiveness will likely wear off over time as well), but it's still a big factor. The fact that almost all of the SD Covid cases were relatively recent (but not too recent lol) is a good thing in this case.
 
We will be sending out another email a little closer to the event. Do you have any suggestions on things for attendees to know? A large % of attendees are first timers. For example: If you plug in somewhere, that charger does not belong to you personally for the entire night. Charge, unplug, make it available for others! There will be a bunch of charging stations, unfortunately, not near the 3 big hotels, (Holiday Inn Express, Super 8, and Comfort Inn). Those 3 hotels are nearly half the lodging in Custer. I am working on getting Black Hills Energy to commit to putting more charging in there. Won't happen this year, guys. Mac
 
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Hi Mac,

I think it’s important for people to be aware of the four NEMA 14-50 outlets at the Chamber of Commerce parking lot. These are very convenient for folks having a meal or a drink in town. These were very lightly used in 2019, so I feel that it’s worth reiterating their existence.

You mentioned installing additional NEMA 14-50 outlets around town. Is that happening this year and if so, where?

I’d also like to see a breakdown of registration stats; number of people, number of cars, number of first timers, breakdown by vehicle if they have that information, etc.

Finally, it’s worth requesting that people only charge to 80% when the Superchargers are busy. If you need a 100% charge, do it on a level 2 charger or do it at night at the Superchargers. I’ve been to a few events where charging is scarce, people develop irrational range anxiety and sit at the Supercharger until 100% even though they don’t actually need that much energy.
 
Unfortunately I had to cancel for this year, combination of son's birthday party and needing to prep for our move. Have a great time everyone, I am bummed I won't make it . Hopefully 2022 will be my first year. Safe travels
 
I'm really frustrated with the complete lack of COVID precautions. Does everyone really plan to pile into these closed spaces and be tightly packed together? I am vaccinated and it is a solid shield but it isn't perfect.

As for the numbers, the low population count really scews the percentages and we'll all be coming from every corner of the country.

I know it is SD but after Sturgis last year, I was hoping for at least a modicum of effort.
 
I'm really frustrated with the complete lack of COVID precautions. Does everyone really plan to pile into these closed spaces and be tightly packed together? I am vaccinated and it is a solid shield but it isn't perfect.

As for the numbers, the low population count really scews the percentages and we'll all be coming from every corner of the country.

I know it is SD but after Sturgis last year, I was hoping for at least a modicum of effort.
I share your concerns, but I too will be vaxxed by the time I get there so that helps quite a bit. I have a feeling most Tesla owners are pro-vaccine so that should help too. I live in basically the worst state in terms of opening up vaccination eligibility to the general population so if I was able to get vaxxed in time, then everyone else should have been able to as well. I definitely wouldn't feel bad about bailing on any of the indoor events if you feel uncomfortable though. Hopefully the weather will be nice for once and we can do some more things outside.
 
I'm really frustrated with the complete lack of COVID precautions. Does everyone really plan to pile into these closed spaces and be tightly packed together?
It's easy. Like the CDC says, Pick Two:

1) Don't Gather Indoors
2) Wear a Mask
3) Have been fully vaccinated

So if we are indoors, you'll need a mask. At least until the world is vaccinated.
 
Big Earl, good points. I will put them out a little closer to the event, thanks for the suggestions. You read it here FIRST:

As of today
How many cars? 80
Number of people: 130
Breakdown by what type of car? OOPSIE!! The COC registration system has sorta MISPLACED that. Also first timers vs. returning data. Also where everyone is coming from. OOPSIE! Sorry.

Mac
 
Big Earl, good points. I will put them out a little closer to the event, thanks for the suggestions. You read it here FIRST:

As of today
How many cars? 80
Number of people: 130
Breakdown by what type of car? OOPSIE!! The COC registration system has sorta MISPLACED that. Also first timers vs. returning data. Also where everyone is coming from. OOPSIE! Sorry.

Mac
How about sharing a Google Sheet to collect missing info? Most of the info is anonymous and I wouldn't have a problem sharing name or Twitter handle with attendees.
 
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Hello all,

I’m afraid I have to cancel this year. I have mobility issues, and this past year they have worsened to a degree that it will be difficult to travel long distances.

I will endeavor to get back to travel-shape by next year’s rally.

Enjoy the rally! I’m going to miss all of you.

- Michael “txakoli”
 
Hello all,

I’m afraid I have to cancel this year. I have mobility issues, and this past year they have worsened to a degree that it will be difficult to travel long distances.

I will endeavor to get back to travel-shape by next year’s rally.

Enjoy the rally! I’m going to miss all of you.

- Michael “txakoli”
We'll see you at a future event for sure. Good luck and sending positive thoughts on "get[ing] back to travel-shape."
 
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