A Boston Herald editorial
Sunday, March 2, 2003

Not in our bucolic back yard

Save Our Heritage, the organization fighting flights out of Hanscom Field in Bedford, almost makes it too easy to lampoon its efforts to limit the public's access to this convenient flying option.

The organization's latest attempt to rid its towns of the scourge of airplanes flying out of an airport was the announcement that Scenic America, a national environmental group, has designated the four communities surrounding Hanscom Field - Concord, Lexington, Lincoln and Bedford - as "Last Chance Landscapes.''

"America needs airports - in the right places,'' said Scenic America's president, Meg Maguire. Ah, and where would that be, Ms. Maguire?

It certainly is hard to describe East Boston as scenic in the way Maguire clearly means it - though its waterfront view of Boston's skyline, burgeoning greenway, classic triple-deckers and walkable squares are an urban delight.

So, we guess that makes it OK for 400 Hanscom-area residents per day to drive through East Boston to get on a jet three times the size of any aircraft regularly flying out of Hanscom and fly over homes in Eastie, Southie, Winthrop, Chelsea and Revere.

Around Hanscom Field, 26 people live with a level of aircraft noise that the federal government defines as having enough of an impact to support funds for soundproofing their homes. That's right, 26.

Around Logan Airport, 17,700 people are impacted by that level of noise pollution.

Yes, America needs airports in the right places, apparently - as long as those places are not in your back yard.

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