This video was produced in 1996, prior to the first
closing of Meigs Field, Chicago's downtown airport.
Partly with the help of this video, the Friends of Meigs
Field, the general aviation community, Illinois' then-governor Edgar,
and the Illinois legislature worked to overturn the actions of Chicago's
Mayor Daley and the Chicago Park District in closing Meigs on 9/30/2006.
The airport reopened on 2/10/97, for a period supposedly
of 5 years ('til 2/10/2002). Late in 2001, an agreement was struck by
then-Governor Ryan with Daley to keep Meigs open until 2024 as a part of
larger deal to expand O'Hare and build a new airport in south suburban
Peotone, IL.
The airport remained open past its scheduled closure
date, but was demolished by Daley and his bulldozers, illegally, without
notice, at midnight under armed guard the night of 3/30-31/2003.
The claimed reason was to "prevent terrorism" (remember
the Iraq war had just begun). The real reason was to put a park in
Daley's neighborhood, barely 1/4 mile from the Meigs site.
