Airport Needs Supporters

(We received this note from allies of the airport in San Carlos and thought it was important to pass along to you. -- ed.)

Dear friends of San Carlos Airport:

Palo Alto Airport needs our help. Simply by attending the Palo Alto City Council meeting on Monday June 20th (the meeting starts at 6:45 PM, but our issue might not come up until 9:00 PM or later) you can help preserve Palo Alto Airport. City Hall is at 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto.

This coming Monday June 20th the Palo Alto City Council will vote on a "Colleagues Memorandum" that requests the Council to formally discuss the future of the Airport. This is in response to the City Manager's recent decision to refuse an FAA grant because the City would be required to guarantee the Airport would remain open past 2017. Effectively, this would doom the airport to closure.

On June 6th, Bob Lenox (AOPA Representative for PAO) of the Palo Alto Airport Association (and approximately 6 other pilots) formally addressed the Council about their concerns over this action. But there were also about 100 Airport supporters in the audience, including several members of the SCAPA Board of Directors who saw the positive effect that the size of the crowd had on the Council. This demonstrated the fact that real people would be affected by the closure of the Airport. A large number of faces in the audience was the best way to communicate this.

The meeting starts at 1845, but the "Colleagues Memorandum" is the 24th item on the agenda. Bob thinks this won't be considered until around 2100 or later. He advises that we can arrive late and bring a book.

The SCAPA Board of Directors wanted to bring this issue to your attention and encourage you to attend this meeting in a show of solidarity with our friends to the South. Just being in the audience is a significant contribution. The more pro-Airport people there the better.

If you have any questions, e-mail Jonathan Hull of SCAPA's Board of Directors at treasurer@sancarlospilots.org or call 650-496-5723.

Bring a book and bring a friend,

SCAPA Board of Directors

FMI: www.paloaltoonline.com/com_info/gov_citypa.shtml