Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 1 1 June '86 3

FAA Threatens Freeholders Over Banner Aircraft

By JACK SMYTH ERMA — County freeholders face the loss of federal funds if they refuse to work out an agreement with a company that has been towing advertising banners from the county airport here, an Federal Aviation Administration official reports. "We are prepared to hold them in non-compliance with a federal grant." said Pete Nelson, FAA manager of planning and public affairs. "The penalty is, we would not pay them $226,030 of a total of $3,815,217 that we have committed to the Cape May County Airport," said Nelson. "And they would be ineligible for future federal grants." Nelson was contacted in connection with freeholders' refusal to renew a lease permitting Astro Aerial Advertising of Blackwood to continue to tow banners from the airport. Freeholder Herbert C. Frederick told this newspaper that the county has not renewed the lease out of concern for safety. He said Thurman Mason, Astro president, and Cape May restaurateur George Fite have "a history of safety problems," a charge both deny. TO PROTECT his business, Mason obtained a restraining order in U.S. District Court, Camden, and has been operating

under it. Federal Judge John F. Gerry is weighing freeholders' appeal of that order. Responding to the FAA's threat to cutoff federal funds to the airport, Freeholder Frederick said, "It's not a threat. It's a statement of fact." But the matter is in litigation, Frederick said, and the county has responded to the FAA's notification that funds would be withheld. Nelson said the FAA "has received a package from the airport, alleging that Thurman Mason is unsafe, and we will be talking in house with our investigators about it." Nelson characterized the situation as "the kind of problem that crop6 up occasionally when a legitimate business attempts to do something the airport doesn't like." Mason said freeholders I have less than 30 days to negotiate a new lease with him. He referred to a May 30 letter from Darlene M. Freeman, FAA regional counsel, to Frederick. In the letter, Freeman said the county had 30 days to comply, or lose the funds. "They (freeholders) still haven't told me why they don't want me to pay them several thousand dollars a month to tow my banners," said Mason. Frederick, Mason said, "has neither the authority nor the expertise to recognize a safety problem much less the right to ter-

minate someone he thinks may be causing it." MASON CHARGED that the freeholders' action "clearly preempts both the FAA's right and duty to make that kind of decision." In 1982, Mason said, the FAA informed Frederick that "they, not him, would make that decision, and they did so when they determined that banner towing at the airport is safe." Restaurateur Fite, who owns The Winchester Inn, 513 Lafayette St., also criticized the freeholders. "I'm the only one at that airport that's got $6 million worth of insurance and I can't get my money back, and I'm still not flying," said Fite. "The county told me they would get back to L me, and they haven't gotten back to me."

Hodges, James Win irrMiddle

COURT HOUSE - Fiftyfive percent of Middle Township's registered Democrats — 1,041 of 1,868 — turned out to vote in last Wednesday's primary election. Robert Hodges, of Stagecoach Road, was selected as his party's nominee for township committee in the Smith Serving In 6th Fleet NORTH CAPE MAY - Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph I. Smith, son of Joseph I. Smith Jr. of 207 Learning Ave., is currently serving as a member on the staff of Commander Sixth Fleet aboard the fleet's flagship USS Coronado, homeported in Gaeta, Italy. The Sixth Fleet Commander directs a force composed of combatant and support ships and aircraft which are manned by approximately 20,000 officers and enlisted men and women. A 1974 graduate of Lower Cape May Regional School, Erma, Smith joined the Navy in June 1974.

November election with less than one third of that vote. Only 18 percent of Middle's registered Republicans — 382 of 2,137 — came out to vote for Richard James of Dias Creek, who ran unopposed. He collected 382 votes. The vote totals (including absentee ballots): Hodges. 341; Tom Long. 307; Barbara Beitel, 190; Rodney Downs, 84; Anthony DeVico III, 71; and Carl Baker, 48. Hodges, a general contractor, and James, a businessman, will vie for the committee seat of James E. Alexis, who is not seeking reelection. Talk on Abuse CAPE MAY -The Coalition Against Rape and Abuse (CARA) will give a domestic violence presentation at the First Presbyterian Church, Decator and Hughes Street, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 20. The lecture will be given by Terri Scott.

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