Full story from the Manchester Union Leader. Here is part:
Allegiant Air LLC, the low-cost air carrier, said yesterday it would no longer offer its seasonal air service between Portsmouth International Airport at Pease and Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida.
The airline cited competitive reasons as the key driver behind its decision. The air-travel market for the Seacoast and southern Maine has become increasingly crowded, as carriers such as AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways have started offering service to the Orlando area from Portland, Maine. Skybus Airlines Inc. also offers service to Florida points from Portsmouth through its hub in Columbus, Ohio, although AirTran and JetBlue's operations carried far more weight in Allegiant's decision.
WRRB/Telegram District City Council Forum 10/18
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This forum is for all district council candidates; all candidates are here
today. Format: 14 total questions, 4 questions across districts (for all
candida...
6 months ago
28 comments:
FEWER PEOPLE FLYING INTO,OUT OF BRADLEY AP SAT JULY 21 WINDSOR LOCKS
The number of passengers at Bradley International fell sharply in the airport's fiscal year ended June 30 as airlines switch to smaller regional planes.
From July 2006 through June 2007, 6.6 million passengers used Bardley, down about 9 percent from 7.2 million in the same period the previous year.
Airport officials said they expected the drop because most major airlines at Bradley have replaced larger aircraft with smaller regional jets, reducing the number of seats and driving up ticket prices.
"It has nothing to do with demand'" said Scott Frantz, chairman of Bradley's board of directors. "It has everything to do with the aircraft mix at the airport"
Bradley has been trying to without success to persuade airlines to bring back larger planes, he said.
Despite the declining number of passengers, Bradley will likely end its fiscal year with a budget surplus due to reduced costs and higher revenues from concessions, Frantz said. Bradley anticipates a surplus of roughly $1 million, or 2 percent. Fiscal numbers were not available.
zfyigmMy only question to Bradley:
Which came first, the decrease in passengers or the smaller regional jets?
Why would an airline replace larger jets with smaller ones? Because there are fewer passengers, maybe? Because they can fill the smaller jets and run em less expensively?
Airport officials say it has nothing to do with demand?? Huh??
Also consider that Logans passenger count has been in a free fall since 1996.
I am beginning to question the viablity of smaller airports with commercial jet service, including ORH. Years from now when air travel number will prob grow........maybe places like ORH can be viable with large comm jet service....but for the immediate future maybe we should throw in the towel. Sell it off completely.
Massport CANNOT solve ORH's problems.
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Reply to: pers-380139566@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-07-23, 10:22AM EDT
Amen!
Not only did the town choose the wrong location originally (inaccessible west side vs. high-way accessible grafton location), but they continue to hang on to the idea that if you keep throwing money at it something will happen. Learn the lesson from the downtown mall and move on from this tired old idea of the airport.
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If the city of Worcester chose to run the Worcester Airport the same way that Fitchburg runs their airport, the annual cost to the taxpayers would be $285,702. Instead, they are having Massport 'help' by running it for them, and plan to spend $783,213 of Worcester taxpayers money.
It just dowsn't make sense to continue pretending the Worcester Airport has an airline.
WAKE UP! Worcester does not have an airline. Stop spending $3,876,612 a year hoping some airline will show up and save the day.
FYI: The post starting
"If the city of Worcester chose to run the Worcester "
Is mine.....
But, again, posted on craigslist, not here. Copied without permission......
- CF
Charley:
I find it very funny that someone who does not identify himself is upset when something he posts on CraigsList is copies here.
Believe me it is not me, but if you do not want people to see your comments why post them on CraigsList in the 1st place.
Bill
Interesting news story on Cape Air CEO...
http://www.boston.com/news/necn/Features
Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA
Bill,
Please explain how identifying myself relates to someone posting my writing here. I don't understand the correlation.
- CF
it is illegal to copy and paste from craigs list or a newspaper to another website. what law says that?
Off topic here, but I find it veryyyyy interesting that WTAG is reporting that Wampanoag deal with the town of middleboro stipulates the casino will provide it its own police force and fire protection.
Casino management companies, like Disney World, see the benefits of privatized public safety.
Charley:
I find it very funny that a guy who doe snot identify himself is mad when comments that he posts on the internet are found on this blog?? Why does that make you mad??
Bill
Jahn,
Regarding the private public safety issue, any tribe has the authority to create a tribal police/fire dept. on tribal land. Similar to private campuses. I am assuming you have the ORH Police/Fire dept. in mind when you mentioned this. Due to strong union opposition from municipal fire/police depts, you will never see private companies offering these services in Mass. Out west, private companies such as Rural Metro provide fire and limited law enforcement services to a variety of clients including municipal entities. Until disbanded by the city or Massport, the ORH dept will remain municipal (or state depending on a Massport takeover)
Dave H.
Dave H, check me on this , but not only is their union opposition, but MY UNDERSTANDING is that municipal police/fire protection in Mass MUST BE PROVIDED BY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ONLY. Clearly a backdoor way around some privatization of these services.
The State has a similar law for state employees called the Pacheo Bill...........which basically says that unless the state can save at least 10% then they will not consider privatization. Kinda like saying that unless I can save at least 10% on groceries I will not switch from Stop & Shop to Shaws.
You got me at a bad time as I just came through the Rte 146 construction.....state ploice galore.......everyone knows the rest of the $40+/hr story....so I wont rehash it.
I recently noticed twice on the WPI constr project, that they have Boynton St from Institute Rd. to Salisbury St closed off for about 2 months per the posted sign, yet I have never observed a police detail there (or WPI cops), which is how it s/b. What struck me though was how WPI has the grease to pull this off, yet on the end a leafy cul de sac I have to pay $300 for a detail cop to sit on his derriere for what is supposed to be 8 hours while a trench is dug.
Then 20 years ago the City let WPI completely close off West St from Institute to Salisbury. Can you imagine if a private business ever asked for that consideration? What's next, Holy Cross takes over Caro St?
Hey how about the city tells WPI to ante up some PILOT money or we'll re-open West St (assuming it's possible)....just kidding......I am against PILOT money until the city starts cutting expenses & property taxes rather than services.
Jahn,
The only exception to the rule of Municipal employees providing protection are private college campuses and Native American reservations. Private colleges can create thier own police force, however, they're police powers are limited to the campus. Anything all this is regulated by the state police. Only colleges, railroads, humane agencies and cetain state agencies are eligible for training and police powers from the state police. The municipal police training council offers police training only to those who are sponsored by a municipality. Any municipality can appoint "special officers", which gives someone very limited police powers on a certain property only (most hospital security guards in Worcester have this). Again, I believe the police force at ORH derives their powers right from the city. I'm not sure how it works since half of the airport is in Leicester. As far as details go, On any public, a detail is required if any road work is conducted (there are exceptions). Due to safety concerns and strong union opposition, no private flagmen will ever take the place of the police. Also, just an interesting side note, if you read the MGL on municipal police officers, it states that no police officer shall be required to perform firefighting duties. Guess ORH Police are the exception.
Dave H
Dave, thank you for the add'l information. I wasnt thinking so much of training, but this an eye opener.
Don't private (and public) hospitals have their own police force as well large industrila sites like St Gobain (Norton)and possibly others? Oppps there are no orher large industrial sites left in Worc {g}
Dave, in the Town of Marshfield maybe 10+ years ago, the DPW boss got so fumed about the expense of police details for DPW streeet work that he hired flagmen and it was legal (at least back then). You see in lesser populated areas ther isnt as much private deatil work to go around, so the police start squeeezing their own municipality for police details on wotk their own DPW does. In Worc it is the exception to the rule to have police details on Worc DPW work sites. You will see at it major intersections/thoroughfares, where frankly it is probably needed, but again it is nothing that a trained flagman cannot do.
I have seen tooomany situation s where a private contracotor is required to hire a Worc detail cop, yet when the city does the exact same work, no cop is usually there. Tree cutting is one instance that comes to mind. (I am not in the tree bizz ... FYI).
I am not sure what the safety concern is with private flagmen???
No police officer maybe REQUIRED to do firefighting, but I am sure they WOULD if they were placed in an emergency situation and fire personnel were not yet on teh scene. Don't they have fire extinguishers in their caaaahs? I'll swear at sometime, I have observed a cop putting out car a fires under the hood with what I thought was an extinguisher?
I to upstate NY and when I pass by the 146 site I just roll my eyes. 4 cruisers sitting, reading, wasting gas, flashing lights, hoods up b/c the engines get overheated, etc, etc.
Then 1 1/2 hours later I croos into NY and there is a n interstate bridge down to one lane and nothing there but flashing barricades, warning signs, and constr workers. Ten miles down the interstate there is a MAJOR re-surfacing operation under way in both east and west bound lanes, As I slow to pass the site I count 19 pieces of equipment/vehicles in just the WB lane alone, as double 48 foot UPS tractor trailer units glide by the site. Not only are they cold planing, but they are simultaneoulsy paving. NOT COP IN SITE. Now what does NY know that we here in Mass dont?
According to a Reuters newswire dated 7/25/07-Terrorists are planning to conduct "dry runs" at airports to test security.
We should praise the security employees at our airport.
Thank you for your vigilence
John: I absolutely agree with you. I dont know too much about the security force at ORH, but they're definately underestimated. I do know that there is only a handful of them and the guy on the grave shift works alone, so if something does happen, he has to wait for the city to help him out and that's for both police and fire. Just because the airport isnt busy, doesnt mean something big cant happen. Kudos to those guys.
Jahn,
A municipality doesnt have to hire detail officer for municipal work (ie DPW road work) unless it is a hazardous situation. Private contractors however do need a detail. If a contractor (incl. utility companies) have any equipment in the road and dont have a detail, they can be shut down asap until they get a detail. They detail guys get paid through the company, not through the municipality. As far as the fire thing, in the west, they have public safety departments where they are combination police and fire depts. Officers are required to do both jobs. In Mass general laws, they cannot be forced to perform firefighting duties (ie putting on fire gear and running into a burning building) Again Worcester Airport Police/Fire is the only dept (that I know of) in the state that does both. As far as large companies, back in the 40's and 50's, they did have private police forces, due to the fact that it was during the WWII era and the threat of the cold war and security was tight. Plus, due to many municipal officers serving in the armed forces, manpower was down, so municipalities gave high interest companies (norton, wyman gordon) special police powers for security staff. Due to high liability, very few, if any companies still have special police officer powers.
Dave H.
Dave, agreed the private companies pay for the police detail......but I pay through the nose for my gas heat and electricity, e.g., and these highly paid detail police officers increase the cost of my utlity bills as well who knows what else. Please dont tell me it's only pennies. I have 1000's of people out there telling me something is only going to cost me $.03 per day. It does add up. If the cops want to work a 2nd job, then let them do what I have to do.....i.e. get on a payroll for straight time with a second employer. Why should the detail pay be at time and half when they are working fro a 2nd employer (contractor)....just b/c MGL dictate it I guess???
Also please be aware that if the private contractor hires a detail cop and fails to pay for his services.....guess who ends up paying for it ................yup you guessed it...........the taxpayers of Worc. The city has to eat any unpaid private police details. Of course maybe the cop left after 6 hrs and put in for 8 and thats why teh contractor neer paid.
I guess the airport police are in violation of MGL's then, given that they are taking fire fighter duties. Who is requiring this? I thought we had firemen up there?
You say private co's during WWII and teh cold had police powers................given teh current terroist threats.........should they be given police powers agin? GOD, I can here the air raid warning going off at my old school {g}
Dave would you like it if a law passed that said you can only buy your groceries at Price Chopper even though Stop & Shop and Shaw's were less expensive and less dangerous and closer to you?
Who is the gov't to be saying that Price Chopper (police details) is safer and the general public is safer if they are forced to use Price Chopper (police deatils) as opposed to shopping at Shaws just b/c Shaws uses flagmen.
Please dont tell me that directing traffic around a constr site is rocket science {g}. If the cops had to learn it, so can the flagmen....esp the sitting in the car part of it {g}
It's easy to gripe about the situation from the comfort of your home (provided, incidentally, by those very people you disrespect) without identifying yourself, isn't it?
Unless you've done their jobs, and understand the myriad responsibilities with which they are charged, who are YOU to criticize the arrangement? If you really wanted to change anything, is this how you intend to do it? On a blog? Call your state rep or, better yet, run for office and submit legislation to change it! But I bet you won't. You'll take the easy way and gripe anonyMOUSEly. And no, there are no Worcester FF's assigned to ORH.
Thomas:
1. I provide the comfort in my home. It is not provided by those that you allege I disrespect. I call them as I see them and excpet for those in public safety, most people see these paid details for what they really are. $40 per hour Featherbedding
2. Who am I to criticize? I am the one paying the freight for this public monopoly.
3. I fail to see this featherbedding as something loaded with "myriad responsibilities" , unless you deem sitting in a cruiser all day or staring into an open trench as a task loaded with myriad responsibilities. Likewise for directing traffic.
4. Call my state rep, surely you jest. Those of that ilk are a major part of the problem.
5. Run for office? I already have a job that precludes me from ever running for office. I cannot take days off (or call in sick) ad infinitum to be on Beacon Hill.
6. Submit legislation? Only to see it die in committee, why bother.
As far as the details go, I would rather have a trained police officer directing traffic than a civilian waving a red flag. No matter how inconvenient, road has to be done. People get mad because they have to wait, people get into accidents, I would rather see a cop there who can handle these things and get them out of the way instead of just utter chaos breaking out. As far as private forces go, again, there is too much liability now, companies will not spend money to train, equip and retain a private police force, that is even if they could get approved by a municipality or the state for limited powers. Who is going to work as a security officer with special police powers for $10.00 hour? If anything, people would get the training and quickly leave for a job with a college or municipality. As far as ORH goes, I had conversation with someone who used to work security up there, he told me that the official title is actually Security Guard/Crash Crewman, so that is how they get around any MGL's, but it also screws those guy's out of alot of other benefits that police officers and firefighters normally get, even though they are sworn police officers. Again, after hearing that, I have all the more respect for those guys, who do a thankless job.
Dave H.
John, why should we praise airport security employees at our airport?
Do you ever praise the guy at St Gobain who makes your sandpaper or the GM employee who manufactures your car or the engineer(s) who designed all the safety features or the Teamster who delivered it to the dealer or guy who sold it to you? How about your pizza delivery boy? These are all people who are paid to perform tasks as employees.
FWIW, the teamster who delivered your car has a much more dangerous job than anyone in public safety. Check the statistics some day. You may be amazed to learn that pizza delivery boy is the 3rd most dangerous job in this country. followed by trucking & warehousing. Police and fire are not even in the top 10. These are statistical facts. Please do not shoot the messenger.
So, "Jahn", let me see if I'm reading this correctly: you have a warm, comfortable home, in which you are free to anonymously gripe about the world around you, you have no grasp of what a police officers' responsibilities are while performing the details on our highways that allow commerce and personal traffic to move, you have no intention of contacting your rep because they're part of the problem, you have a job that you feel obligated to attend whether you're sick or not, and never intend to submit an idea for new legislation to change the way things are done because, as you say, it would fail without being considered.
You're an ostrich with its' head in the sand. If you can't SEE a way to change the status quo, there must be NO WAY to change the status quo, right? You'll keep on being miserable and crying about it, but you refuse to try anything different, such as some of the avenues I suggest.
Dave H, thank you for adding salient FACTS to the mix. You sound much more well-informed than others. Good to have some positive energy around here!!
I praise ORH security, because right now, while I'm sitting at home typing on my computer, those guys are up there doing their job. If they stop someone driving through and a gun comes out, they're going to do their jobs and take a bad guy/gun off the street. If an aircraft has an emergency, their going to deal with it regardless of the potential dangers. A pizza delivery person or a truck driver does not go to work every day willing to put his life on the line so others can be safe. Granted, ORH is a ghost town, however it doesn't mean that the security guys wouldnt jump into action if a situation arised. I fly planes for a living, I have a slim chance of ever being involved in an emergency, however that chance is there and if I'm ever involved in an emergency, I know that the police and fire fighters are going to be the ones trying to pull my ass out from thousands of gallons of burning jet-a. So I dont care if its LAX or ORH, those guys get the highest accolades.
Dave H.
Dave H:
Good points. I would not say, however, that a pizza delivery man does not put his life on the line. In Worcester this may be one of the most dangerous occupations someone can have.
Thomas:
Why do you criticize people for being anonymous when I lok at your profile it says "unavailable"?????Seems like the only one who identifies himself on this BLOG id Bill Randell who it looks like runs it.
OK I started this thing..........let's end it........more could prob. be said on both sides......facts & emotion aside.........it prob doesnt really belong here to begin with......both views have been aired.....
Who's suggesting emotion is present here? I'm trying to make a point and give him some positive direction, and this blogger is disrespecting Police Officers, Firefighters, pizza delivery men and women, all because he's too comfortable at home to move anywhere but to his job that he hates! Come on down to my work sometime! Let me know when you'll be there!
And where would that be Tom Anonymouse
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