From ozzie@digital.net Sat Jul 29 02:57:21 2000 Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 02:52:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Ozzie N4SCY Reply-To: Ozzie N4SCY To: Brevard County Bureau , wftv@insidecentralflorida.com, news@insidecentralflorida.com Subject: WARNIG: Dates on Calendar are closer than they appear! 321 321 AREA CODE IS HERE - USE IT!! Yesterday my girl frined was "channel surfing", and happenned upon your "Channel 9 Voter Registration" campaign. I was appalled that Channel 9 News had the audacity to give the Brevard County number with a 407 Area Code. The new 321 Area code has been in effect since 1999 November 01 when Governor Jeb Bush placed the First Official Phone Call from the Florida Public Service Commission Hearing Room in Tallahassee, to the Kennedy Space Center where Deputy Director James Jennings took the call. Center Director Roy Bridges was with the Governor at the time, and presented him with "flown flags" (flags that had flown on the Space Shuttle) following the phone call. If you look over footage from that day, you will find me on Mr Jennings' right (to his left as you view it), since I was the one who suggested to the PSC that the Countdown Capitol of the World should get Area Code 3-2-1. (note ICFlorida link at the bottom of the Chronology page) I would ask that you not only correct the graphic on future Voter Registration information, but that you get the folks in the "Overlay Area" (where both 407 and 321 numbers are available for use) check to see that ALL Brevard County numbers (where 321 will be the EXCLUSIVE Area Code starting October 01) are given the 321 Area Code in the future. In fact, an alert should go out that while October 01 is the Manditory Date when ONLY the 321 area code can be used to reach Brevard County residents, meaning that September 30 is the LAST DAY that 407 can reach them. That means that by the END OF SEPTEMBER, Brevard residents should have their new stationary, business cards, and business signs reflecting the new area code (they've had nearly a year, after all). I am appalled that newspaper ads for many companies STILL give the 407 area code. Furthermore, residents should notify their out of area relatives and friends of the new Area Code. In my "day job" as a directory assistance operator, I constantly take calls from distraught people (usually elderly) who have dialed a particular number "for more than 20 years" to reach their friends or family. That's my clue to ask what city they are calling, and to give them the new, correct area code. I hope Channel 9 can lead the way in reminding people to avoid this problem by notifying people BEFORE the manditory deadline is here. I also would like to remind you that I am NOT the reason that the Orlando area needed a new Area Code, I'm only the reason we got the number we did. By going up on the Internet, and viewing the files at the North American Numbering Plan Administration , I was able to determine that the number 321 was (at the time) "available for geographic relief", and brought this to the attention of the PSC at their hearing in Orlando in September of 1998. I am proud, and happy to have brought about this numeric representation of our area for decades to come. Thank you for your interest in this matter. Ozzie Robert Osband (321) LIFTOFF (+1 321 543-8633) Pager +1 321 635-4166 PO Box 6841 mailto:Ozzie@SpaceyIdeas.Com Titusville FL http://digital.net/~ozzie/ 321 is MY Area Code! USA 32782 http://SpaceyIdeas.Com I asked for it, they approved it, so it's Originator of the Idea that MINE, right? (But I "The Countdown Capitol of the World" share) Should Get AREA CODE 3-2-1 http://digital.net/~ozzie/ltrs/psc980924.html Service to the Space Coast of Florida began on 1999 November 01 __________ Special thanks to Bell South Mobility for my Telephone Number: (321) LIFTOFF (+1 321 543-8633)