Was there a major basketball game this weekend?  Did it mean heavier use of Horace Williams Airport? This graph from flightaware.com covers the most recent weeks' air traffic per hour. 

This is old news for most people, but thought it might be interesting to see it represented this way.  Still convinced that this airport will remain open indefinitely - because the RDU project may be suspended indefinitely, because funding for CN continues to be a major issue, and because even if closing it might save the University (and taxpayers) some money, users will never allow closure. Not as long as UNC is in the running for March Madness, anyway.

Here are some photos I took on my visit today to Maple View Dairy in rural Orange County. They were hosting a celebration to thank UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp for halting the process for the airport. Mr. Thorp was there having an ice cream as well as many of the key parties that worked so hard to oppose the airport.

I was told later by someone that Chancellor Thorp is a regular visitor to Maple View already, but I did not know if that was shared in confidence so I will not divulge the source. :-)

As reported in the N & O one hour ago:

The university may halt its plans to build an airport in Orange County.

Chancellor Holden Thorp plans a press conference at 11 a.m. this morning to announce a "change" in the plans for an airport authority in Orange County. Thorp had announced in September that UNC would convene the authority early this year.

Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson said the university would not be pursuing an airport in the county.

"They are not going to establish an airport authority at this time," Nelson said. "They're going to back off and focus on other priorities."

- N&O: UNC airport may not get off the ground, 1/9/09

The Airport Action Group sent the following letter to UNC President Erskine Bowles.

The citizens of Orange County have been totally left out of the airport process while UNC and their legislative allies have been colluding with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and other special business interests.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

January 9, 2009

Dear President Bowles,

Two opening volleys for 2009 on the airport controversy appeared in the CH Herald and the CH News respectively this Sunday.

An article by Neil Offen in the CHH ("National pilots group pushes for new airport") leads with: "A national pilots and aircraft owners group plans to meet with UNC system President Erskine Bowles early this year to push for the creation of a new airport in Orange County."  

Link:  http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/orange/10-1061492.cfm?

Twin stories in this morning's CH News from Mark Schultz on the front page: "UNC Pledges Cooperation on Airport" and inside:  "UNC Gave State Airport Bill Language."   Kudos (or the candy of choice) to Schultz for digging away at the behind-closed-doors stuff - e.g., just who from the Univ. was talking to the legislature, seeking the eminent domain provision, etc.; and kudos for going after some actual numbers.  Would expect, however, that assurances of cooperation will be received by citizens with the usual and appropriate skepticism - keep those cards and letters coming...

Three irksome aspects of the stories, at least for me: 

A. The attrition theme - the persistent suggestion that AHEC participants will opt out if they don't like airport location.

NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                                                      December 15, 2009

Via the OrangeChat blog:

Orange County Voice, a citizens group organized against siting an airport or a trash depot in southwest Orange County, will hold a fundraiser Saturday at Harry's Market to help pay legal fees to fight the county's plan to site a garbage transfer station on Highway 54 west of White Cross.

The sale and raffle will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Harry's Market, 3300 N.C. Highway 54. Art and baked goods will be on sale, and musicians will be playing. $10 raffle tickets will give a chance to win art, pottery, wood-working or gift certificates from local businesses such as Harry's and Fiesta Grill. The raffle drawing will happen at 2 p.m.

For more information, call Harry's at (919) 932-7025 or visit www.harrysmarketatwhitecross.com/.

Wonder if anyone who has had an opinion about the CH library expansion saw the Signe Wilkinson cartoon (from the Phila. Daily News) in today's (11/21) ink-and-paper N&O. [I can't provide a link because the N&O isn't allowed to reproduce it on their website and, apparently, the Phila. Daily News hasn't yet uploaded it.]  Here is link: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/Signe_on_the_economy.html?index=8#p...

It shows buildings labeled "A.I.G." "Banks," "Car Companies," and "Cities" failing over like dominoes, and all about to pile up on a library - a dialogue balloon over it saying "Do you have a book about the impact of the economic crisis?"