Sidewalk Repairs

Jahn, who should pay for the damage to these sidewalks you or the developer?

Telegram Letter to the Editor

With the prospect of a viable airport in the air, will the powers that be see the reality of cooperation and giving, or will they, as rumors already have it, get greedy and penny pinch? I’m talking about the parking fees that are being tossed around. We now have a delicate situation that should be nurtured, not squandered. Let’s be grateful for the one airline we have and try to attract more.

One way to do this is to offer free parking, or a minimum charge of $2 a day, just to pay for security. Wouldn’t the half million people who live within 25 miles of the Worcester Regional Airport rather pay $2 than $20 to $30 a day in Boston, or $10 to $15 a day in Providence or Hartford? We have the space, let’s open it up to attract people and in turn attract more airlines. In the future, when we have four, five or six airlines fighting to come here, then we can talk about parking fees.


Let’s be sensible, and give the public a reason to come here, rather than go to some other airport.

RAYMOND A. LEVINE Worcester

Airport Minutes Update

Today is September 30th, most recent agenda on-line July 14th.

Elias Tembenis story in Today's Paper

Click here

Avports

About six months I contacted Avports, an airport management company, to see if they would be interested in leasing ORH long-term. They asked me for a bunch of financial information which I passed on to the airport, who said they would take care of. The other day I sent Avports an e-mail to see how it was going. Here is their response, read from the bottom up.



Bill

Spoke with a rep from the airport who appeared reluctant to collect and make available to us the materials and data we had requested. He indicated that everything we were looking to review would be contained in the master plan update. He asked me to refer to their web site to gain access to the master plan files which were recently posted in final draft. We are looking at the numbers now. Will let you how we'd like to proceed.John

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

From: Bill Randell Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:56:50 -0400To: Subject: Worcester Airport

Just checking in to see if you ever got the information from our airport and did you guys see any potential?Bill

The Day After

Thanks Paulie for being such a great host:

• Great getting to meet many of you "silly' bloggers
• pictures on Jeff's website
• Great food
• Great Music
• Special guest appearance by Dwight Evans (pictured above with Casey Jones)
• Not one single pol
• Mike Allard Madaus was great on the drums
• No Robert Z Nemeth?

Again thanks Paul.

Paulie's

September 27, 2008

2:00 - 8:00 P.M

224 1/2 Chandler Street * Worcester, MA

-rain or shine

Paulie's Bash

What can I say on this blog other then see you tomorrow and bring your rain gear.

Airport Commission Minutes

Today is September 27th. Most recent minutes on-line July 14th.

Pupuseria Facade is Done

Direct Air

I am happy that commercial air service is back and I hope it leads to another annoucement shortly. That said, these people at Direct Air could pay better attention to detail? From their website today here is there route map:

Fees Follow-up

Assume a CDC built the same duplex:

• the 18,000 of fees would be waived
• sidewalks would be paid
• they would most likely get at least 100,000 in grants
• if they could still not sell the property, they would get even more grants

Then when the project was done, the occupants of the said building would have to be low to moderate income. Just what we need, more low to moderate income property owners.

Remember in the event these new low to moderate property owners default during the "affordability" period and a non-low to moderate income person becomes the owner, the City is on the hook for the HOME funds.

Bottom line, we are actually driving private developers out of the City of Worcester while encouraging the development of more low to mod income housing, that we do not need, while tying the City of Worcester into the risk if the "affordabilty" period is violated.

When will will learn that the recommendations of RKG in the 100,000 study from 5 years ago was correct? In the end, we wonder why there is not more private development monies invested in Worcester?

Fees

A private developer building a duplex in the out City of Worcester on an abandoned lot, say abandoned for over 2 years, would pay about $18,000 between:

• water hook-up fees
• sewer hook-up fees
• permits for building, electrical and plumbing
• grind and overlay of the street where you dig the trenches
• sidewalk repairs

How can a private developer compete against a CDC, that not only avoids these outlays, but also gets grant monies that do not have to be repaid back? The simple answer is that they can not and they invest their monies elsewhere.

Paulie's Bash

Paulie'sNOLA Blues & Jazz Festival

September 27, 2008

2:00 - 8:00 P.M

224 1/2 Chandler Street

Worcester, MA
rain or shine-

We have the same spirit in Worcester, Massachusetts that they have in Nawlin's, Louisiana, rain is no gonna break the spirit of the music!!

I am renting big tents for Saturday...many of you won't come because of a wee bit of rain..those that do are in for an afternoon and early evenin' of great Nawlin's Blues & Jazz performed by The Hurricane Horns and The Chris Fitz Band...we'll also have Cajun & Creole chicken, jambalaya, gumbo, Creole Onion Soup, hot dogs for the finicky kid's, Cafe du Monde Chicory Coffee, Abita beer, Harpoon beer and everyone gets a set of authentic Mardi Gras beads just in from the Mardi Gras store in New Orleans!!!

It's all free folks..our way of saying thanks for the great support in 2008 and one more step in the revitalization of our neighborhood in Woostah Urban!!!!

Airport Commission Minutes

Today is September 23, 2008.

Last minutes on-line, July 14, 2008.

Linear Air

Whatever happened to Pogo and now that DayJet is no longer, is Linear the leaded in the Air Taxi business? Based right at Hanscom Field, maybe ORH should role out the red carpet for their CEO, Bill Herp.

Nothing but great press lately:

• Rutland Herald
• Nashua Telegraph
• Portsmouth Herald

Tyler

I was not going to post this, but I decided that I would.

Seven years ago, I heard an ad on the radio about an open house at the Greyhound Center in Southboro. I went on-line and looked at the pictures of the "available" dogs, found Tyler, went to the open house and adopted him on the spot within 5 minutes. In fact two days later when we picked him up, Chronicle was doing a special on the Greyhound Center and filmed us taking him home.

Since that time he has been nothing but a joy and a part of our family. He loved laying around watching television and would come to work with us nearly every day (thats him above at the office). Turning 11 years old this year, he did start to slow down and would rather stay at home then come to work. Evidently he thought that he had reached his retirement age?

This past week-end, he became sick and got steadily worse. Sunday night, we finally brought him to Tufts Veterinary Emergency and were told the bad news. He had cancer and maybe after an operation and chemo that he would have another 6-8 months, we decided that it was time to say goodbye.

I am only posting this here to let anyone, who reads this blog to know that if you ever thought about a dog or adopting a greyhound that it is something that I highly recommend and you will not regret it. He gave us much more then we ever gave him and he will be missed.

Chandler Business Association.

Paul Colyer and I are amongst a group, who are part of the Chandler Business Association. Below is a letter that we have forwarded to the City Council, but here is my two cents first.


Private developers do not have the luxury of approaching the city and asking that their projects be subsidized by the taxpayers of Worcester and then having the city rubber stamp their repeated requests for more subsidies. WGC is already the recipient of taxpayer largese from both the federal, state, and city governments to fund their continual dense overbuilding of low income housing projects in Worcester. Additionally, their city building permit fees and their sewer and water connection fees are routinely waived upon request, per legislation passed by the council. This represents ten of thousands of dollars that Worcester taxpayers must subsidize.

How does the subcommittee justify this to taxpayers who have been on waiting lists for years to have their sidewalks (or their streets) repaired/repaved?

Chandler Business Association

9/11/08

Councilor Paul Clancy
Councilor Michael Germain
Councilor Philip Palmieri
City of Worcester/Public Works Committee
City Hall 455 Main Street
Worcester, Ma 01608

Dear Councilors,

The members of the Chandler Business Association would like to express their dissatisfaction with the recent request of Worcester Common Ground, Inc., for sidewalk repair in the vicinity of 9 May Street and 1 Silver Street, in conjunction with the restoration of the former Hammond Reed Organ Factory. The current deteriated state of the sidewalk in this area was a result of normal construction equipment traffic in the process of developing this project. Therefore, it is our belief that, the developer should be held financially responsible for any improvements they deem necessary to bring the sidewalks into an acceptable condition, and not the taxpayers of our city. Also, how is it that this project received approval ahead of many previously submitted requests for sidewalk improvement?

We would ask that you review your decision to approve this request and hold this developer accountable, as would be expected of any other private developer.

Sincerely,
Chandler Business Association – Board members

Laurel Ciprari
Arthur Mooradian
Andrew Serrato
Richard Kazarian
Bill Randall
Arthur Mooradian
Paul Colyer

cc: City council

Commandment

I was driving on Route 290 and noticed a billboard with a picture of a preacher for a church on Shrewsbury with the tag line:

"I have been give the commandment to bless this City."

Maybe our future is looking up?

Allegiant Route

Just checked it out at. I know I have said this a 1000 times, but these guys are in fact profitable, are not charlatans and know how to run an airline, versus a public charter.

As far as I can tell we spent 23,615 of the DOT grant on Allegiant when they were here, but now we intend to spend 300,000 on Direct Air. I hindsight is 20/20, but we should have spent the monies on Allegiant when we had them.

Since they left ORH, they have now added Fort Laurderdale and St Pete's, which is much much better then Punta Gorda.

Worcester Chamber After Hours

Maybe they do this alot, but I was golfing at Wachusett Thursday and the Worcester Chamber of Commerce was holding there after hours there. In West Boylston???

G'Vannis

Think that is how you spell it.. New sign up in front of TiNova on Pearl Street. Must be opening soon.

SkyMark Tower

Has anyone seen the light show there.

DayJet

DayJet Discontinues Passenger Operations

As of September 19, 2008, DayJet Services, LLC, has discontinued its jet services and cancelled all future flights as a result of the company’s inability to arrange critical financing in the midst of the current global financial crisis.

We regret the disruption and hardship caused by the sudden shutdown of DayJet services to our customers, employees, DayPort communities, suppliers and stockholders. Unfortunately, DayJet is unable to honor customer reservations or issue refunds.

Tiverton Parkway

Been a little busy the past couple of days finishing up a project and wanted to get the word out.

New construction split level, corner lot lot with 1700 square feet of living space, central air, granite counters, 2 underneath parking spots, private dirt road, 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths listed at 275,900. Brokers protected and $500 referral fee for any bloggers who send prospects who buy.

Scott Zobach's Worcesteria

• DIRECT AIR GETS SIGNED: The city is quickly getting ramped up to roll out the red walkway for Direct Air with some needed signage improvements. After a lightning-quick bid period, Sunshine Sign Company is providing five unspecified replacement signs for the airport at a cost of $3,341.30. The city also contracted with Lamar Central Outdoor to provide 6-8 lighted 14x48 signs on major highways in the Worcester, Metrowest, Hartford, Springfield, and Fitchburg/Leominster areas starting this month. Those are likely part of the up to $300,000 in public funds committed to Direct Air for advertising.

Direct Air Radio Ad

Just heard one on WCRN and it talked of "low" parking rates. At the last City Council Meeting, I thought Councilor Rosen brought up the fact that "no" parking rates should be offered and that it would be a great draw to ORH. Evidently "low" parking rates, versus "no" parking rates has been finalized?

Comments On Direct Air At Myrtle Beach Newspaper

Click here


Myrtle Beach Online

Telegram & Gazette Increases to .75 Cents

What do you do after you lay off a bunch of people? Increase the price of the newspaper. On October 6th the newspaper will cost you .75.

Wonder who will be the first to leave downtown, UNUM or the Telegram?

Nemeth Column

Click here to read about his assessment of Direct Air in today's Telegram. Here goes:

• "there was no leaks". Patting myself on the back, I knew that an announcement was eminent, most likely in September for the busy winter season. I even instituted the a "no airport" discussion in August to not be blamed if an airline does not come. Although I thought it was Casino Direct, I predicted Myrtle Beach Direct the day before the announcement. Not bad for a "silly blogger".
• "good formula"? The CEO's, Judy Tull, most recent public charter was Hooters, which was the same exact formula to lease planes and service secondary airports with direct leisure flights as Direct Air. It failed.
• "good track history" of Direct Air? What happened at St Pete's?
• "no pricey consultants.". We spent over $100,000 of our Small Community Air Service Grant to recruit and retain an airline on IMG, we did not even use them for Direct Air? Maybe we should have spent that $100,000 on Allegiant, when we had them to keep them.
• Company desribed as "profitable"? Not sure how the finances of any private company can be described as "profitable" or "non-profitable".
• "Mickey Mouse Air". You got to be kiddin me Allegiant is in fact a "profitable" company and surely are not a "Mickey Mouse Airline".

Although I am happy to have Direct Air and hope it leads to other announcements, this public charter concerns me. Most likely they do not have alot of cash to whether any bumps in business and I am concerned that their aggressive expansion plans may be too much to handle. Lastly Punta Gorda is no Sanford or for that matter a St Pete's.

Nick K

Good story today, click here. Mall is currently assessed at 2.1 million?? Starting to get very concerned about city finances:

• tax collections need to be slow from all the foreclosures
• ever increasing non-profit tax base
• next assessment will surely have much much lower assessed values
• the airport amongst other issues
• sewer madates
• the beattle

What really is starting to worry me is the Commonwealth's finances and our reliance on local aid. I am quite familiar with the new health reform legislation and I know it is costing much much more then expected and the increase tax on cigarettes is not filling the gap. Throw in the slowing Massachusetts economy and the cost of the big dig, I am expecting a the announcement of a big deficit after the elections of course thus a cut in our local aid.

Cape Air Begins Service in Albany

From MarketWatch. Here is part:

HYANNIS, Mass., Sept 11, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Albany, New York is the newest hub for Cape Air, the New England based regional airline, now offering three daily non-stop flights between the state capital and the three communities of Massena, Ogdensburg and Watertown. "All of us at Cape Air are excited to introduce non-stop, convenient and affordable air service to upstate New York and southern Ontario," said Cape Air President Dan Wolf. "With Albany International Airport's direct air service to over a dozen cities Cape Air can provide easy access to the national air transportation network for Massena, Ogdensburg, Watertown and surrounding communities including Kingston, Brockville and Cornwall. We are also looking forward to introducing Cape Air's MOCHA HAGoTDI* brand of service to the area."

Telegram Story On Eric Waldron

Click Here

BOSTON— Management changes are in the air at Worcester Regional Airport today as the current airport manager is leaving the post he has held since 1999 to take a new Massachusetts Port Authority job at Logan International Airport, which will trigger the start of a search for a new airport manager. MassPort spokesman Matthew Brelis confirmed today that Eric N. Waldron, who came to Worcester from Cleveland where he was assistant director of Hopkins Airport, is leaving the Worcester airport job to join the aviation team that manages Logan airport operations. MassPort is expected to begin a search for a new director with the aim of filling the post sometime in the next few months.

It will be the first time the job will be filled by MassPort, since it assumed operation of the airport after Mr. Waldron was hired by former Worcester City Manager Thomas R. Hoover. The change at the top comes as MassPort is raising expectations for expanded operations at the underused regional airport and on the heels of the recent announcement that Direct Air wants to bring regularly scheduled passenger service back to the airport.

Best Case Scenario

Lets for a second assume, Direct Air is a huge success and that we, again for arguements sake, charge for parking. It will have very little effect on on our bottom line. We will still be losing $2,000,000 per year and we still should not be in the airport business.

In other words, although we should do everything we can do to make Direct Air a success, we need to pursue Plans B and C now, not later as we wait for additional studies??

Plan B: Find out how much we would save if we downgraded to only General Aviation. Based on that number, decide if we should downgrade or not.

Plan C: Put an RFP to long-term lease or outright sell ORH. We should be grateful to MassPort, but if they are not willing to take control due to access, guess what? An access road is not coming anytime soon. There are airport management companies and god knows who else that may in fact be interested in ORH. No different then the management company that runs another city owned asset, the DCU Centre.

Then eventually Plan D.

Plan D: If Plan B and Plan C do not work, we can not afford to lose $2,000,000 per year to have Direct Air to fly out of ORH and would need to close ORH and have our local delegations make efforts to waive repayment of past grants given for the airport.

Two Great Blogs on Direct Air

From the

boarding area

upgradetravel better.

More Cities

Add Toledo and Allentown to the new cities services to Direct Air to Florida. This is a very aggressive expansion plan.....

Jet USA

As Tim noticed this was added to the site. It is my understanding that the planes currently used by Direct Air are leased from Jet USA. On the other hand, the planes for the Florida flights will be from Virgin America.

On the web page, "our aircraft" still says JetBlue. This is incorrect.

Direct Air

Announces more cities. In addition to Worcester, they have announced Kalamzaoo, Michigan and Lehigh Valley to Punta Gorda and Sanford after their announcement here. I am trying real hard to support this, but three cities in one week???

Then I read this in Aero-News

The Boston Herald reports Massport agreed to waive all landing, jet bridge and terminal fees for Direct Air for two years, to help the upstart service establish a foothold in the market. The city of Worcester and Massport will also kick in up to $300,000 in federal grant money to promote the carrier's service to Florida.

Remember this was the the 450,000 grant that we got from the DOT 4 years ago that we were suppose to spend in 3 years. Last September we got an extension for one year and now it looks like the 300,000 remaining will be spent of Direct Air.

Lets hope the airport commission 1) reviews all monies planned to be spent on marketing efforts and 2) reviews paid invoices and reimbures Direct Air versus writing a check for the remaining funds to Direct Air.

Parking Fees

All of this discussion got me to thinking about how much money are we talking about. From December of 2005 thru July of 2006 (Allegiant flew August of 2006 and one flight in September), here are the parking numbers ORH broken down between month, total collected, total expenses and net:

12/5 2,350 1,112.91 1,237.09
1/6 3,770 1,196.00 2,574.00
2/6 7,715 2,394,.05 5,350.95
3/6 13,006 3,411.25 9,594.75
4/6 11,879 3,164.70 8,714.30
5/6 6,945 3,124.52 3,820.48
6/6 7,308 2,841.46 4,466.54
7/6 7,217 2,848.04 4,368.96

Totals:Gross Receipts: 60,197
Gross Expenses: 21,092.93
Net Revenues to ORH 40,097.07

Over 8 months approximately $5,000 per month was netted. This is not an insignificant amount, but pales in comparison to a $2,000,000 per year loss. The question that needs to be asked now is:

Is it worth $5,000 per month to advertise FREE PARKING, like other successful secondary airports around the country, to convince people to fly out of ORH?

I think the answer is "yes".

Diane Williamson

I just on her show talking about the airport. Should have posted that earlier, but I was a little nervous. That said she was great and want to thank her for giving me an opportunity to talk about the airport and what I feel should be getting done there.

Thanks

Boston City Council Meetings

As reported on Fox, click here.

Thanks for the link Tim

Paul Colyer

Couple of great posts.

City Council Meeting

Lets hope a councilor will ask or request:

1. How much would be saved at ORH if we downgrade to GA?
2. An RFP to either long-term lease or outright sell ORH?
3. What did Avports say regarding the information that was sent to them?

Direct Air Website

Looks good!

Worcester Business Journal Blog

Entry on Direct Air, click here.

Airport Commission

Congratulations. Versus ratifying agreements, as Chairman Delehaunty mentions, they want to see detailed plans from the company regarding how it runs its business and their marketing plan. Although one would think that they should have seen all of this already, it is good to see that they are asking for it. Kudos to the commissioners.

The website has been changed and when you book a ticket Worcester is now spelled right. Now it is spelled wrong at the top. Evidently another "information technology issue" along with the route map.

Click here for the story.

Direct Air Website Part 2 Today

All the concerns I expressed earlier still have not been fixed?

Direct Air Website

Keep finding more things that concern me:

• under about us, it says JetBlue--they forgot to change it
• currently they are only flying to Myrtle Beach from 4 locations (Pittsburgh, Newark, Plattsburgh and Columbus).
• currently not flying any planes to Florida
• Worcester still spelled Worchester
• flight map not updated
• special offers--Florida not even mentioned as a destination
• News releases, nothing about Worcester

Public Charter

What is it?

Click here

Worcester Airlines

After I explained what Direct Air is, more or less a middle man. My wife asked why we just did not do this on our own. Great question...

You see Direct Air, formerly Myrtle Beach Direct Air, really is not an airline but a public charter. Typically they do not have alot of money and they just put all the pieces together and really do not own anything:

• lease the planes and crew
• rent the call center
• utilize the FBO or the airport at the originating city and destination city to do all the processing of passengers and baggage

Why couldn't the airport powers to be have done this themselves? Could fit well into all the various programs we have Destination Worcester, Choose Worcester, Buy Worcester--Worcester Airlines...

Plan B, C, D for ORH

The other day I was listening to the WCRN Round Table and the "Q" asked Councilor Petty what plan B was, after Councilor Petty said we need to back Direct Air 100% and if that does not work we will work on plan B (more or less that was said). I like Councilor Petty, but when the Q pressed the Councilor what Plan B was, there was not a very clear answer. Let me help you:

1. The Council needs to ask for a report immediately to find out how much would be saved if we downgrade to GA and request to have it by the end of October. That is Plan B.
2. The Council needs to request that an RFP be put together to outright sell or long-term lease the entire airport and request it back to them by November and have it out on the streets by December with a return date of March. Obviously MassPort would get one of the RFP's and they need to reveal their cards once and for all. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I feel we owe a huge debt of gratitude towards MassPort, but they need to either pull the trigger on ORH or not. Waiting for another report like Mr Nemeth suggested is ridiculous. That is Plan C.
3. If there is not a huge savings in Plan B and nobody responds to Plan C then we need to proceed with Plan D--close ORH.

Maybe someone could even ask what Avports had to say after we mailed them the information that they requested.

Parking

I really can not believe we are going to charge for parking (7 per day or 42 per week). We need passengers!!! Once we have a couple of airlines there and the parking lots are full then start charging for parking but now?

Record Day on the Blog

Yesterday

383 unique visitors
731 page loads

Direct Air--Day 2

First off, I am happy that we have commercial service back to ORH. Like other secondary airports that have been able to achieve a certain level of success, you need to start with secondary airlines, show community support and then attract other airlines. I heard, however, yesterday that unlike other successful secondary airports, who offer free parking prominently on their website and other marketing efforts, ORH will charge $7 per day or $42 per week. This is a mistake.

Second, sorry, but I have concerns about Direct Air:

1. Why did they change name from Myrtle Beach Direct Air to Direct Air?
2. Why did they recently drop, what I think would be popular destinations, like St Pete's and Biloxi? Why?
3. Changed from JetBlue to Virgin America, why?
4. Yesterday's website was totally unprepared. It was not until 9:00AM that the site was changed from Myrtle Beach to Direct Air and, from what I could tell, you could not even make reservations on-line to Punta Gorda until 5:00PM. Hardly the preparation one would think would be in place with their major announcement.
5. They had to call in more operators to their telephone center. Maybe if the website was running, less people would have called, or better yet over-staff the telephone center when you make a major annoucement.

Maybe I am being too difficult, but it just does not show alot of preperation? Sorry...

Direct Air Website Update

It looks like it is up and running correctly with DIRECT flights to Punta Gorda/Sanford and no planes to Myrtle Beach yet.

Myrtle Beach Direct Air Now Direct Air

Just clicked on it Myrtle Beach Direct Air.com , like I have done for months, last night and this morning.

It does not go to Myrtle Beach Direct anymore, but goes to pretty much the same sight, the same phone numbers but is now lists Virgina America, not JetBlue, and now calls itself Direct Air. Why did they change names? As a businessman, any time someone changes names, it sends up red flags to me. Do they owe people money?

It also lists Worcester as a City, but the only destination that comes up is Myrtle Beach and Punta Gorda not even listed.

Virgin America--NO

My wife just heard on WXLO that Virgin America is coming to ORH. Let me explain, second tier carriers like Casino, Southern Skyways and Myrtle Beach Direct typically do not own their planes, but lease them. Allegiant is the exception and actually own their own plans, although I believe they lease some others.

In the past Myrtle Beach Direct leased planes from JetBlue, but now they are leasing from Virgin America. Makes you wonder why they switched airlines. Maybe someone should call JetBlue and ask them why? Although technically Virgin America planes themselves will be coming to ORH, it is in fact Myrtle Beach Direct.

Connect to Florida?

If Myrtle Beach Direct plans are to connect through Myrtle Beach to either Punta Gorda and Sanford, people are not going to buy tickets. People will only look at this as an option to go to Myrtle Beach.

In retrospect we should have spent the $300,000 of DOT grant monies keeping Allegiant when we had them. This airline really concerns me.

Myrtle Beach Direct

Although some people think that I consider myself an expert on ORH, I am not even though I slept at a Holiday Inn last night. Made some calls tonight to confirm Casino Air Direct and I do not like the vibes that I am getting? Now I am starting to doubt myself, what if it is not Casino Air Direct?

It only leaves me with one option--Myrtle Beach Direct .

I have had them as a link of my blog and web page for over a year, but they scare me. Why? Well they are based in Myrtle Beach and their management use to be involved with the old Hooters, who owes everyone money. Before that their management was involved with Aviation Advantage, who ran Lehigh Valley Air (owe everyone money) and now Southern Skyways, who seems to be failing everywhere too. Do you see a pattern?

It almost eerie how similar the websites are between Southern Skyways, Myrtle Beach Direct and the former Hooters and Aviation Advantage.... In the end I know beggers can not be choosers and we are about to lose $300,000 in grant monies from the DOT, but lets hope it is Casino Air Direct not Myrtle Beach Direct. Lastly, as far as I can tell, Myrtle Beach Direct does not even fly into St Pete's anymore so where could this SouthWest Florida destination be, Punta Gorda ?

Before I sign off tonight, I am 100% positive that tomorrow one of these two airlines will be announced out of ORH. I personally am hoping for Casino and have huge reservations about Myrtle Beach Direct.

Casino Direct Air

Press Conference tomorrow at 9:00AM at the airport to announce new service. I have been holding out of fear that I would blamed if they decided not to come. For what it is worth, here is my understanding.

Casino Direct Air will be flying a couple of times per week St Pete's . Great news!!! This airline has been doing alot of smaller planes out of St Pete's to Biloxi, but recently signed a deal with Airtran to lease one their larger planes (not sure exactly what kind). Now they will coming to ORH.

In the morning I was depressed after reading WoMag, and now my month long silence is rewarded. Good luck to Casino Air and now we need to support them so more airlines come to ORH.

Casino Direct Air
14700 Terminal Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33762-2936
(727) 828-2270

ORH WoMag Cover Story

Here is the link. Pretty depressing stuff. Couple interesting points:

1. "of the 20 airlines we have spoken to since the IMG report". Really? By review of the airport commission minutes maybe one or two airlines, DJ Airline which never became an airline and Skybus that went out of business, have ever been discussed.
2. Hard to getting in touch with our Airport Director. No surprise here.

Before I go any further. Just read it.

$1,000,000 Rumor

Rumor mill is telling me that the Dream Center on Chestnut Street just got a $1,000,000 donation from the Landsdowne Foundation?

South Worcester Industrial Park Update

Remember the lot that was sold for a dollar to Pharmashpere on the corner of Canterbury and Gardner, where construction was to begin this past March. As far as I know, the terms of coveyance have still not been signed.

FlyLeb.com

Starting November 2nd (there are 6 incoming and outgoing flights per day)!

Cape Air is your window seat to the world and starting November 2nd will be offering new fast flights to Boston’s Logan International Airport from Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Enjoy convenient, daily, fast service to Boston. We have ticket and baggage agreements with most major airlines and this means seamless, stress-free connectionsBook online today and learn more at FlyCapeAir.com or call reservations as 1-800-352-0714.


Effective November 2, 2008Cape Air Flight Schedule PDF

Lebanon Airport5 Airpark Road • West Lebanon, NH • 03784ph (603) 298-8878 • fax (603) 298-5845

Facade Program

This was a complete joke in the City of Worcester for years. Recently mainly with the help of Paul Morano and Jackson Restrepo, they have completely turned the program around. Although I do not know the exact numbers, I would bet that there has been more activity in this program the past 12 months then the prior ten years combined. I have to say that Chandler Business Group helped out alot by working out all the kinks with the successful completion of facades at Suney's and Henry Bahnan's.

Over the week-end I made some comments about my tenant's restaurant, Pupuseria at 82 Pleasant Street. Although we still have a little more work to do, this was also a beneficiary of the Facade Program (new front pictures above). Please note Raymundo is closed on Tuesdays. If you want to learn more about the program, contact Jackson.

Allegiant Airlines

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air did what most other airlines can't seem to do anymore: It reported revenues were up 48 percent to $132 million in the second quarter, in part by scooping up passengers more troubled carriers left behind.

The gain was enough to help Allegiant outrun a 40 percent increase in fuel prices during the last six months. The company's profit, or operating margin, slipped below 4 percent on the quarter, a decrease from a 16 percent margin during the second quarter last year.

Earnings per share were down almost 75 percent for the quarter to 13 cents. That was 1 cent less than Wall Street analysts anticipated, according to one survey. Still, Allegiant officials hailed the fact they made more than they spent while the rest of the domestic airline industry is in shambles. "We can produce strong profit margins at any fuel price," Allegiant CFO Andrew Levy said. "We have the unique ability to be very nimble."

The airline made money by squeezing more people onto each flight, extracting more cash from customers in-flight, flying shorter routes to save fuel and taking advantage of the Las Vegas tourism slump by offering cut-rate deals on hotel and airfare packages. Allegiant officials also believe their business model of flying from small towns to tourist destinations has another advantage because those communities that haven't been hammered as hard as big cities during the real estate and credit market crashes

Hurricane Gustav

Does anyone else see the ironies that the day Paul was to throw his New Orleans party, a hurricane is pounding New Orleans. Then to top it off Paul postpones his party, did he realize a storm was coming and it would be bad taste to throw his party??

City Trash Bags

A business friendly city should reward businesses that sell city trash bags and run it like the lottery. Offer a 1% commission for all bags sold and have a quarterly drawing whereby a business gets a $1,000.

4rilla

Let me recommend this blog today on this labor day, 4rilla is for real.

Airport Commissioner

It really bothers me that I can not be on a local commission like the Airport Board. People can be part of the City Administration and not have to live in the City of Worcester, which I have no problem with. We even had a State Senator, who did not live in Worcester, but I can not serve on a local volunteer board because I live in Holden?

Is this business friendly? Do business in the City of Worcester, pay your taxes but we do not want you serving on any of our boards?

The City of Worcester should change eligibility to read that you need to either live in the City of Worcester, own property or own a business in the City of Worcester. All things being equal the nod should go to the Worcester resident.
Although this is outdated, there were 57 openings on March 7, 2008.