| Today's Feature Airport Relocation Gathers Momentum.
The Council approved by a vote
of 7-2 an amendment to Council bill 98-36 that
would increase the funding for airport relocation
from $300,000 to $500,000 during Tuesday
evening’s regular meeting. Members Jackie
Boyer and Bill Fortune voted against, Donna
Harlan was absent.
The motion brought forth by
Council member Mike Harris would also eliminate
the requirement that a 90% grant be secured
before the funds could be spent. The amended bill
will be up for second reading at the next meeting
in two weeks.
Harris had already secured a
Budget Committee approval of the increase for
next year’s budget during the budget hearing
on Monday evening.
According to Harris, a private
trust fund will be created that will accept
donations from citizens who wish to assist in the
funding of a new airport. He told the Council
that $50,000 has already been pledged to the
account by a local business man, and other
donations are expected.
Before the vote, Boyer told the
Council that she had always favored the
relocation of the airport, but felt the
additional funding was unnecessary. She also said
she felt that having a larger amount of money set
aside would only tend to drive up the eventual
cost of land purchased for the project.
Boyer, who is the Budget/Ways
and Means Committee Chair, also felt other
projects facing the City should be funded with
the money. She cited storm water runoff problems
as a prime example.
Boyer was also concerned with
language in the amendment that said the $500,000
would be returned to the General Fund from
proceeds of the sale of the Myers Park
Development. She didn’t want to see all
future income from sales go toward a new airport.
Mayor Kenneth Johnson said that
he had requested the language in question. He
said the intent was to use any net proceeds from
Myers Park sales to repay the general fund, and
then use a percentage of the remaining sales the
toward airport project.
During a meeting with the
Airport Relocation Committee in April, Missouri
Administrator of Aviation Brian Weiler stated
that the community needed to show a commitment
before any grant funding would be possible.
"I don’t know the
full story," said Weiler. "This issue
has created quite a stir not only in this area,
but throughout the state. (They say) ‘hey,
they’re closing this airport and taking the
money and they want us to come here with 90%
dollars.’ And I know that’s not the
full story. I guess what I’m saying is I
would encourage this group to move forward and
come up with a plan to approach this."
Weiler said his department
would provide any technical help possible.
"Just to make sure that
anything you do doesn’t hurt you," said
Weiler. "But if you could go out an put a
turf runway in the same alignment you’re
going to have a paved runway, so your earth work
is not spoiled, and if you can put a hard surface
in, great, do it. And we might even be able to
help you with that. But having the grading done,
the compaction done, and the alignment correct is
the logical way to go. And then, at some point in
time, we would hopefully have a joint project go
on with a hard surface runway."
"(We look at) the
community’s ability and willingness,
commitment and being ready when (grant) money
comes. That’s why I say, get a grass strip
out there, with the planes in place for a hard
surface runway, and the operations and activity
brought up to a good level and you’re ready
- then that looks good."
In other business, the Council
approved the agreement with 71-A Partnership that
would allow 50% of sales tax generated by the
development to be used to pay for up to $900,000
in infrastructure costs.
letter from ma
I am occasionally surprised to
hear some of Pa's old jokes recycled on
television.
No kidding. Kathie Lee told a
joke on her show recently that Pa was telling
forty years ago. And it got a big laugh.
Guess we've all had the
experience of having someone tell you a
"new" joke and it turns out to be one
you recognize from years ago.
Seems like ideas as well as
jokes and plastic are being recycled, too.
For instance, in our county
over twenty years ago, the health nurses changed
from wearing those stiff white, outfits to
regular civilian clothes so they didn't look so
different from the public. Just the other day I
read that county health nurses are going back to
the white uniforms to distinguish them from the
public.
This new, boyish haircut on
women we're seeing nowadays is an example of
recycling a hairstyle. When I was twelve years
old I was thrilled to have the latest, a
"windblown" cut. Looked a lot like the
trend now, with the sides swirled forward on the
cheeks.
Reba's had her tresses sheared.
Do you 'spose Dolly's going to have her wigs
lopped off to be in style? I hope she doesn't
have all of them trimmed.
She'll need to keep a few for
recycling twenty years from now.
New Tours Available
Release from Carthage Chamber
of Commerce and Visitors and Convention Bureau
The Carthage Visitors and
Convention Bureau announces a new visitor service
available throughout 1998. Thematic day package
tours, geared for small groups and clubs, will be
offered on specific dates throughout 1998. The
tour, which takes approximately a half day,
includes guided double decker bus travel to all
sites, lunch, door prizes and lots of special
attention. The overall project is being conducted
to raise funds for the further promotion of
Carthage and its historical architectural
attraction.
Three tours are offered:
"Victorian Ladies," which features a
look at two historic homes and two bed and
breakfast establishments, as well as other
activities; "Turbulent Times," which
highlights Civil War related sites and
attractions; and "Nostalgic Travel,"
which fucuses on the area's history from the
1830's to 1930's.
All tours begin and end at the
Powers Museum on West Oak Street where
participants leave their cars and board the
double-decker bus with a guide for the tour. Only
one tour is presented per month and reservations
are necessary. Reduced ticket fees are available
for large groups. For more information or to
request a detailed flyer on the service, please
call 417-358-2373, or write Carthage Chamber of
Commerce, Private Tour, 107 E. 3rd, Carthage MO
64836, or e-mail: cchamber@carthagenow.com.
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