Concerns about airport should focus on noise, lead
I am writing to address some of the more misleading assertions in two recent Commentary articles written by Jan Burton in the Daily Camera (“Community shows broad support for airport” from March 14, and “Boulder’s abundant housing possibilities negate airport closure”). First, the “Save the Airport Petion” described in the first article was not an assertion of the community’s feelings. The petition was never sent to all, or perhaps any, of the local residents around the airport or in Boulder, at large, for that matter. Another misleading statement is that the Boulder airport is essential for emergency support. The airport is too small for larger planes (e.g., fire-fighting tankers) and the use for helicopter landings can be accomplished with only a small area and not the entire airport. Finally, I doubt that the City believes that they are flush with enough sites for new residential homes to not consider the airport footprint even if the City decides to develop the Area III Planning Reserve in North Boulder in the near term.
I reside in a housing development near the “touch and go” flight paths from Boulder airport. The houses have been there for 40 years, and I have lived there for that long. We are not currently interested in closing the airport (unless it could be relocated further to the east and away from higher population zones). Our concern is with flight noise and lead pollution from the engines. Unfortunately, many of the flights out of Boulder airport do not comply with even the existing guidelines and there is an attitude among the airport users to not even discuss these issues. This is evidenced by the false statement at the end of the first cited commentary: “Given the fast-approaching transition to unleaded fuel and electric flight, noise and pollution concerns will soon be moot.”
Eric Olson, Boulder
Please use the full team name
I don’t know when shortening sports teams’ names became fashionable, but as a DU alum, I feel very disrespected when the Pioneers name is shortened to the Pios. It also feels very disrespectful to shorten the Rockies to the Rocks or the Nuggets to the Nuggs. Please use the full team names when writing a column (and especially in the story header) about sports teams.
Beth Cole, Boulder
How many tennis courts is Boulder actually building?
In the April 2 article about the Gunbarrel tennis complex being put on hold, you stated that the city might build up to eight tennis courts at EBRC. I believe that this is incorrect, although when I went to the parks and rec meeting about this they indeed made it sound like this was true until I dug deeper. When I looked at the map and proposed plan, five of those eight courts were already there although one is currently used for pickleball. So I believe that it would be more correct to say that they are only going to build three tennis courts. Please correct me if I am wrong because as an avid senior tennis player, I want them to in actuality build eight additional tennis courts!
Terry Crook, Boulder
Brookdale Meridian staff were excellent during recent crisis
When the windstorm and power outages hit the Brookdale Meridian Seniors Facility, the staff reacted immediately and we are all grateful for everything they did.
Director Marcia Klassen and Lead Receptionist Shirley McCoy were back on the scene immediately as well as many staff members who staffed the kitchen. Every resident was visited in their room to ask how they were doing and what they needed. Cold meals were served to everyone and there was a phone line available for calls. Those of us with email received messages keeping us informed of what was going on.
Our retirees are as active as we can be, but without power, we were all in the dark. We all survived and just want to thank the staff at this facility for doing so much to help us through it.
Susan Boucher, Linda Gardner, Betsy Hunt, Evelyn Kaye and Diane Thomas, Boulder
