23 AUG 07: SOARING AT LAST?
They must have been downright giddy Wednesday, at the Columbus Airport Commission meeting. The airport is adding an extra flight. It's getting a new fire station. Now how are we doing, on adding Starbucks and Cinnabon in the concourse?
The biggest news from Wednesday's Airport Commission meeting may have been about ticket sales. The number of local passengers has jumped 20 percent in the last three months. It's amazing what a summer jump in gas prices will do, to keep people from driving to the Atlanta Airport.
Because of a growing number of passengers, Atlantic Southeast Airways plans to add a fifth daily flight from Columbus to Atlanta in November. Here's hoping it doesn't affect the other flights - and here's hoping ASA isn't trying to move its home of the "latest" flight in the country from Chattanooga to Columbus.
The second bit of good news for the Columbus Airport Commission is that Columbus Council has approved plans for a new fire station on the grounds. The abbreviation for the fire crew which works there is ARFF - which makes you wonder why the station isn't closer to the Muscogee County Humane Society.
The current fire station at the Columbus Airport is about 50 years old. So managers say it was due to be replaced - which is strange, because no one would dare make that same argument about Wynnton Elementary School.
Airport manager Mark Oropeza says the fire station needed an upgrade in part because it was originally built for male firefighters only. The new station will have areas for both men and women - so when September comes, one group can follow football games while the other watches Lifetime.
Mark Oropeza also noted the new airport fire station will be located at the opposite end of the grounds. The current location apparently makes it hard for control tower personnel to see a taxiway - and let's face it, no one would believe it if two planes collided at the Columbus Airport.
Mark Oropeza adds the new airport fire station will be built with federal grant money. In his words, "No taxpayer money will be used." Uhhh - so how is the Federal Aviation Administration getting the money it hands out in grants? Is that how the "begging booths" at airports are used now?
The Columbus Airport Commission might have done handstands Wednesday, if someone had announced a second airline was coming. But no - Mark Oropeza announced only that "serious discussions" are underway with United Airlines. Translation: at least one side is leaving the meetings with frowns on their faces.
Oh, about that Cinnabon idea - I really mean that. I've had enough of their cinnamon rolls at airports to know how addictive they are. In fact, I've stopped at an Atlanta-area mall on road trips specifically to buy one. If they waive the Columbus airport parking fee, I might make special trips every couple of weeks.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Our Wednesday exclusive about NBC-38 has one reader thinking hard....
Richard, So..WLTZ plans to have a news department. I'd like to offer them some unsolicited advice. Of course it might be worth exactly what they're paying for it!
No. 1 - Don't hire anyone who's ever worked for Ch 38 news in the past.
No. 2 - Cover more local area meetings (city councils, school boards, water boards, etc.) that the other stations don't.
No. 3 - Keep your news "local". Viewers already have many sources for national news such as the internet, newspaper, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc.
No 4 - Hire your news personnel based on their knowledge of the local area, intelligence, and public speaking ability and not on their looks, race, sex, or age.
No. 5 - Who cares about the expensive set? We want substance!
And other station advice -
l. Get rid of Al Fleming and his commentaries. Try "guest" commentators - like Bert Coker for instance.
2. Forget the idea of cooking segments on the "Calvin" show. Reminds me of the long ago "Rozell show"
3. Replace Dr. McBarron - Everybody's heard her same advice on buying those expensive vitamin supplements from her husband's health food store for years now. By the way I've often wondered why on her web site and literature she claims to be based in Atlanta rather than Columbus.
Our writer might want to call WLTZ personally about all this - since TV stations have a tendency to hire "consultants" for their news teams.
Let's start at the top of this list - and ask besides Al Fleming, can you NAME anyone who's ever worked for WLTZ news? If you can, you're ready to win a bar trivia contest....
Well, OK - I can. When WLTZ did short news updates during the 2000 Olympic Games, it brought in Reggie Richards to read the news and Mike Vee to provide sports. Of course, Richards is busy with other things these days - like trying to persuade WLTZ to put its new newsroom on Victory Drive.
Really now - do you want WLTZ to cover more meetings? Would you really be that thrilled to see the Columbus Water Board sitting around, discussing things such as fluoride content? I mean, there's a reason why C-SPAN has no advertisers....
I'm sure NBC-38 already has a policy barring discrimination in hiring on the basis of race, sex and age. After all, it's a television station with a federal license - as opposed to the Platinum Club.
But wow - asking WLTZ to hire people based on knowledge of the local area, instead of their looks? There are ways to get around that lack of knowledge nowadays. They're called GPS devices.
And as for guest commentators on NBC-38's newscast - have you noticed the "CBS Evening News" dropped its "Free Speech" segment several months ago? That's what happens when they don't have Rush Limbaugh giving his opinion every night.
I'll bite my tongue about Jan McBarron until another time - and move on to other Wednesday news that WLTZ could have covered:
+ The high temperature in Columbus hit a record 102 degrees F. I had a cup of ice outside at the lunch hour, added some bottled water to it - and the ice was gone in less than three minutes. Imagine if I'd kept the bottled water in the front seat of my car all morning, instead of in the trunk.
+ Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren announced "Operation Safe Streets" has resulted so far in 262 arrests, and the seizure of six weapons. Only six?! Judge Bobby Peters could announce a one-hour "gun buyback," and do better than that....
(Did I hear it right on WRBL - the name of this police effort quietly changed from "Project Safe Streets" to "Operation Safe Streets?" Did some residents of a housing project complain about discrimination?)
+ The mother of a Park Elementary School student in Hamilton complained the principal gave her only two punishment options for her rebellious son -- a spanking or a two-day suspension. She couldn't believe spanking was an option. Then perhaps she should be thankful it WAS an option.
+ Authorities announced the Georgetown City Hall was set on fire, as thieves stole $380,000 worth of seized marijuana. The next time people tell you marijuana is NOT addictive, remind them of this...
+ Retired Fort Benning Commander Paul Eaton told PBS's "Tavis Smiley Show" the U.S. is starting to be pushed around by Russia. If General Eaton can prove terrorists are mobilizing at the North Pole, I'll start to be concerned about this.
(Paul Eaton found fault with President Bush for not developing a "strategic reserve" in the military. But he never explained exactly what that means. Maybe if the President had asked the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention to reenlist....)
+ The Atlanta NAACP called a news conference, urging the National Football League NOT to ban Michael Vick for life. The members of this group must have short memories - because Dexter Manley was banned "for life" from the N.F.L. a couple of times.
(Did you see the man standing with the NAACP at its news conference, holding a sign? It asked whom you serve - "God or Satan?" I kept waiting for someone to ask that man which one he thinks Michael Vick has been serving....)
+ Sports Illustrated put Alabama head football coach Nick Saban on its pre-season cover - and WRBL's Bruce Frazier brought up the alleged "cover jinx." I'll repeat what I wrote years ago, which gained the former LaughLine.com national press: Why is it that the cover jinx never applies to swimsuit models?
+ Instant Message to Brad Williams of Rivertown Ford: I really don't care much about your great deals, or even your cell phone number which spells out Ford. I want to know how your wife in the background suddenly became a brunette.
SCHEDULED FRIDAY: Why would someone steal a movie star.... especially one who's been dead for 40 years?....
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