Committment Key to New Airport.

The controversy surrounding the closing of Myers Park Memorial Airport is causing "quite a stir around the state" according to Missouri Administrator of Aviation Brian Weiler. Weiler met with the Airport Relocation Committee last Thursday morning in City Hall and outlined what he saw as necessary steps to be taken before the State would consider funding assistance.

Committee member Ray Grace was receptive to Weiler’s comments.

"I’m glad to hear you say what you did about up to 100% of the funds generated by the sale of the (Myers Park) property (should go toward purchase of a new location)," said Grace.

"I sure would like to see that," responded Weiler. "And again, I don’t know the full story. 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. He cautioned that any construction plans should be reviewed by his department to avoid future problems.

"Just to make sure that anything you do doesn’t hurt you," said Weiler. "But if you could go out and put a turf runway in the same alignment you’re going to have a paved runway, so you’re 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."

City Council member Larry Ross, who is not on the Committee but attended the meeting, suggested initially building a landing strip that could eventually be used as a taxi way for a future larger runway.

Weiler said that approach is used and is a good idea.

Weiler told the Committee that aviation grant funding levels are low now, but legislation to increase that is being formulated at both the State and Federal level.

"If either one of those, on the Federal side or the State side, kicks it puts us in a different situation," said Weiler. "I guess what Carthage needs to do is ask, ‘how can I put myself in the best situation’ if that happens."

"One thing that I want to see happen, is that money in the future won’t be sitting around. Communities that are ready to go, we should spend that money as quickly as possible on that development. We are getting out of the (funding) airport master plan business. There for a while we were doing so many master plans, these things aren’t cheap, they spend fifty to seventy-five thousand bucks on them - we were doing planning for the sake of planning. When we only have a five million dollar Federal program, unless we are pretty sure we are going to do a project, we are looking to the local communities to step up and do (the master plan).

"(We look at) the community’s ability and willingness, commitment and being ready when that 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.

"I’ve got communities screaming for parallel taxi ways. But taxi ways fall below, on the priority list, runways. We have two new airports on the books now that there is some question as to whether they will be funded or not. And you guys really aren’t even on the radar scope on that.

"The steps you’ve taken, I see the Mayor here and Council people here, that encourages me. And that’s important. Nothing will hurt an airport more than having an unsupporting city administration."

Commentary

by Martin "Bubs" Hohulin

State Representative, District 126

Regular readers of this column will find this somewhat familiar as it is an issue I wrote about last year. Unfortunately, it is back and we will probably take it up in the House next week. It has been debated in the Senate for some time and was passed out this week. The issue I’m speaking of is school desegregation and the resulting legislation being pushed by Senator Harold Caskey-D of Butler, MO.

As you know, for years now, we have been under a court order by Judge Russell Clark to pour tens of millions of your dollars into a failed desegregation project for St. Louis and Kansas City. The most noticeable effect of this project has not been a better quality education for the students, (surprise, surprise), but a set of palatial school buildings and an incredible waste of money on programs almost too far-fetched to believe. Need I remind you of the fencing (and not the kind that keeps in cattle) instructor that was hired from Russia, and an interpreter for him since he didn’t speak English?

Of course, all this money going to Kansas City and St. Louis schools has meant less for everyone else. For years we have been hearing that when the desegregation case is settled, all the other schools will share in the resulting windfall. Well, a settlement is just around the corner but guess what? An effort is underway to make sure the resulting savings go right back to Kansas City and St. Louis! In fact, the most recent analysis shows that 479 districts out of 525 will get three percent of the money while 46 districts will get 97 percent of the money.

We are being told that if we don’t continue to subsidize these Kansas City and St. Louis, they will go broke and the State will have to assume control and responsibility for the districts. That may be true, but that brings up the real point of this column. We are being told that since the districts have gotten used to receiving this money and are depending on it, we can’t just jerk it away from them. That is the problem in much of government. People get use to receiving something from the government, be it money, health care, food stamps, whatever, and they decide they can’t do without it. Folks, it is a sad day when the people of this great country wake up of a morning and think they have to turn to Jefferson City or Washington D.C. for their happiness.

I kind of got off the subject a little, but I think you can see why this project was doomed to fail from the beginning. Now the fight is on how to fairly disburse this desegregation money. For reasons still eluding me, former Sen. Jack Danforth has declared himself an expert in this issue and is constantly up in Jefferson City trying to convince us to give the money back to Kansas City and St. Louis. For reasons that elude me even further, he is being given credibility on this and folks are actually paying attention to him. Don’t forget, this is the same person that voted to give away the Panama Canal! There is no reason to continue to fund a failed project just because we have done it in the past.

As usual I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments, or advice.

email:

A few moments ago I was moving around the Internet and got connected to one of those search engines that help you to get around this huge and impressive, almost live, being. Almost by impulse I typed "Carthage". I say it was by impulse but, it probably happened because this afternoon I was telling my wife I missed Carthage a bit and, that I would start saving some money to visit once again sometime next year.

Well, I got connected to your site, and read some real fresh news from Carthage. I even bacame aware that my old "pa", Larry Ross, is now a member of the city council (public services, I guess). Well, no need to say that this was only the start of a small fever. I started looking for other sites, pictures, visitors information, etc, etc, etc. It all came back to my mind.

Ok, I’ve not yet told you yet who I am. My name is Euclydes Santos (Kidos Santos for my friends in Carthage). I was an AFS Student at the Ross family between 1974 and 1975. That year really helped to change and give my life its actual shape. So, it is with a mixture of happiness and regret I have all this memories back in mind. Happiness due to what it all represented, and regret because I can’t have it all back right now.

I’m writing these lines not because I would like you from Mornin’ Mail, or anyone else in Carthage, know how I feel, but because I don’t have anyone around who would really understand it. One has to know this town, and specially its people, to really understand that.

Be in peace and, if you can, send a copy of this message to Mr. Larry Ross and his family (I use to call it mine, even after almost 25 years). Also, tell Cora Gail

Kido Santos

euclydes@crab.octopus.furg.br

http://www.octopus.furg.br/euclydes/euclydes.htm

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

The Memorial Hall Long Range Planning Committee needs your help. A survey that will help them understand how you the citizen want Memorial Hall to function will be distributed through local media this week. Here’s a secret, usually these surveys don’t get an overwhelming response. That means if ya fill one out, your input will carry a significant amount of weight.

Ideas on how much locals should be charged for usin’ the facility, what kinds of activities you’d like ta see, how much should the City be willin’ to spend on the place are critical.

When ya see the survey, take a minute to fill it out and get it to one of the convenient collection locations. The more folks in your club, organization, or group ya get to turn in a survey, the more likely your particular point of view will be considered.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

FOOD MYSTERIES: There is a mystery scientists have been trying to solve for years: how minerals in our diets work in our bodies.

There is a myth that children who eat dirt, and pregnant women who crave clay (a once-common practice mostly in the South) have dietary deficiencies. And, apparently, there is some truth to that.

Certain minerals exist in the soil that are later taken up by plant foods. If we don’t get enough of those foods, nature seems to tell us to go directly to the source of those much-needed nutrients.

Most of us know the common minerals we need: copper, iron, zinc, iodine, etc. But we’re still a long way away from learning what these nutrients actually do in the body, and what they don’t do.

We’re also just on the threshold of learning how trace minerals (elements found in very small amounts in body tissues) affect us.

That’s why, while I support the use of supplements (with the advice of doctors, of course), I continually stress the importance of eating a varied diet so that you don’t miss out on any trace elements that haven’t yet shown up under the microscope.

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