Lincoln Journal
March 28, 2002

Resident slams Fargo’s airport bill

To the editor:

Senator Fargo’s bill to transfer Hanscom Field from Massport to the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission would be a major mistake. MAC’s statutory mission includes " developing and promoting aeronautics. " Its specific purposes are fostering air commerce and private flying, encouraging the establishment of airports and air navigation facilities, and cooperating with the federal government in the enlargement and improvement of airports. Control of MAC is limited to persons who favor aeronautics.

In 1973 MAC proposed diverting Logan Airport traffic to Hanscom Field and scheduling regular commercial jet commuter aircraft operations at Hanscom. MAC’s proposal met with a groundswell of citizen opposition, and at a public hearing in Concord attended by hundreds of angry and concerned residents, MAC was presented with a petition with over 1,500 signatures opposing proposals to expand or develop aircraft operations at Hanscom Field or to divert Logan traffic to Hanscom.

MAC’s attitude was one of dismissal of the masses, who in its eyes were standing in the way of progress and MAC’s mandate. At the same time, perhaps encouraged by MAC, Massport in its 1973 annual report announced that it would like to divert traffic from Logan to Hanscom. During the next several years, the citizens and boards of the surrounding towns spent considerable time and effort to defeat these proposals, obtain a master plan study from Massport, and take MAC out of the picture.

After this experience, asking MAC to take over Hanscom may be like calling for the return of Dracula. I would urge our citizens and town boards to contact Senator Fargo and drive a stake through this bad idea before it goes any further.

Evan Y. Semerjian
Blueberry Lane, Lincoln

During the 1970’s Mr. Semerjian was chairman of Citizens’ Aviation Policy Association and a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Hanscom Field.

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