Lexington Minuteman
Friday, August 15, 2003

Letter: Stop FedEx from coming

Recently, my 3-year-old daughter woke up at 1:05 a.m. shaking and crying after hearing the loud noise of a plane flying directly over our house. This was most likely a corporate jet, not the larger Airbus 300 as FedEx is proposing to fly out of Hanscom, starting in September.

What will that sound like when it flies over our homes and over the Minute Man National Historic Park? What will the, other cargo planes sound like when they start to fly out of Hanscom day and night, as they surely will once Hanscom is opened up to cargo flights by allowing FedEx in? What is the sound of 28 18 wheeler trucks used to fill one FedEx plane?

Two weekends ago. we brought visitors from Montreal to the Minute Man National Historic Park and spent the afternoon at Walden Pond. They were amazed at the history and the beauty of the area. When we were there, I looked up at the sky and thought of what the fixture could look arid sound like if Hanscom is opened up to cargo planes, such as FedEx Imagine blue sky. the beauty of Walden pond, and the loud sounds of cargo planes landing and taking off nearby. It is already hard to hear the Minuteman National park guides because of the noise of smaller planes. In the future, would we proudly show visitors what we have not valued enough to preserve?

FedEx is proposing one flight a day out of Hanscom beginning in September. Does anyone believe that all they want in the future is one flight a day? Why would they bother to set up operations at Hanscom, if not hoping to expand. The public needs to be aware of the precedence that would be set for future cargo operations, both for FedEx and other carriers, if FedEx is allowed to fly out of Hanscom. Also, we need to be aware that this proposal is not to relieve Logan, but to start cargo business at Hanscom. Massport appears to be on the tract of developing new business for Hanscom and we reed to be aware of what that means in terms of expansion and the effect on the Minute Man National Historic Park, our communities, our lives, and yes on our and our children's sleep.

Make your voices heard. Go to www.ShhAir.org to find out more.

Beth Davenport
Angier Road

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