In the March 17 issue
of the Lawndale Bilingual News, columnist and radio host
Ray
Hanania writes:
"...should we name
something after Mayor Daley?"
...
"We could re-open Meigs Field and name it Richard M. Daley Field, or
maybe just call it "Apocalypse Now!" after the popular Vietnam War
movie. Daley had it torn to shreds after claiming Osama Bin
Laden might use it for attacks against the city."
"John
Garrido was the top vote getter in the 45th Ward, with about 33%
of the vote, so he will run in the April 4 runoff.
"He has signed our Meigs petition...to let you
know that he's on our side. "
Friends of Meigs Field--as a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization--cannot make endorsements in elections, but we
certainly can let you know the candidates' positions. Bear
this in mind when you
vote on
(or before) April 5. You can
donate to
Garrido's campaign here.
Yesterday, former congressman and presidential Chief of Staff Rahm
Emanuel won outright election as mayor of Chicago, gathering 55% of
the vote, and thus avoiding an April runoff. Emanuel is
commonly believed to be more of a pragmatist and less of an
idealogue than Daley.
In the months after his inauguration in
May, Mayor Emanuel will be grappling with enormous economic
problems, including a city and Park District that are effectively
broke.
The Friends of Meigs Field Parks and
Planes Plan would bring over $100 million in federal funds to
the Chicago Park District, create an exciting park and aviation
museum, and restore business aviation access to the central business
district, assisting the economic recovery.
Over the coming weeks and months, the
Friends of Meigs Field will be working to bring these opportunities
to the new mayor's attention.
For more on the Parks and Planes plan,
Click here.
In the wake of Mayor Daley's surprise
announcement that he will not run again in 2011, the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association--the world's largest civilian aviation
association--announced its support for efforts to reopen Meigs
Field.
According to AOPA president Craig Fuller: "I can make this
commitment on behalf of all those who have fought, and continue to
fight: AOPA will fully investigate any opportunity to bring Meigs
Field back.”
Fuller also stated that despite the
seven years since Meigs' illegal demolition: "The airport has not
been forgotten,” Fuller said. “Grassroots support for Meigs is still
alive."
AOPA was vital in the fight to preserve
Meigs Field from 1996 through December 2001, when Mayor Daley agreed
publicly to keep it open for 24 more years, and AOPA members
protested vociferously when Daley reneged on this agreement with his
midnight attack on March 30, 2003.
Today Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley
announced his intention to step down at the end of his term in 2011.
He has served as Chicago's mayor since 1989.
Daley, whose popularity peaked in 2003
and started a long downward slide since his midnight raid on Meigs
Field, faced perhaps the biggest election challenge of his career. A
poll by the Chicago Tribune in July found that over half of Chicago
voters said they did not want to see Daley re-elected in 2011.
The Friends of Meigs Field, announce a
boycott of the Chicago Park District’s design workshop on ideas for
the Meigs Field site, also known as Northerly Island.
This video was partly responsible
for reopening Meigs after its first closure on 9/30/1996.
Parks and Planes: An award-winning proposal by the
Friends of Meigs Field to rebuild Meigs Field as a combination
park/airport:
The Chicago Park District has
asked for public input on the design for a park at Meigs Field's site.
This proposal is in response to that request. The plan is a framework plan
that includes features like:
A combination of new
lakefront parkland and an operating airport.
What is believed to be more
new open space than any new park that has been added to the lakefront in
over 50 years.
Exciting elements like a
meadow, a lookout point, nature walks, harborside promenade, picnic areas,
fishing stations, an artificial scuba reef.
A new Chicago Air Museum
dedicated to the education of Chicago children.
Exciting activities and
events unavailable at any other park in Chicago.
Preservation and improvement
of all of the benefits of an operating airport.
Generation of millions of
dollars in new revenues for the Chicago Park District to use in improving
parks across the city.
All at NO COST TO CHICAGO
TAXPAYERS.
To learn more about the plan, sign an online petition, or offer your
support,
click here.
Then speak up. The
opportunity is too good to waste.
At midnight, March 30-31, 2003,
illegally and without notice,
Chicago's Mayor Daley demolished the
best-known
single runway airport on the planet: Meigs Field.
Meigs Field -- "Coolest Little Airport on the
Planet"™
