CAA: GA News, "New York Airport to dedicate new runway Saturday"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Airport to dedicate new runway Saturday  
By KATHRYN RADEFF
The Buffalo (NY) News


Akron Airport representatives and officials will hold a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to dedicate the airport's newly completed main runway at noon
Saturday in the terminal complex on John Street. 

The community celebration - with the local Civil Air Patrol, Western New
York Flying Club, Buffalo Aero Club and Mercy Flight of Western New York
- will include refreshments and a variety of other activities. 

Larry D. Cummings, president of Christian Airmen, owners of the airport,
said the event is being planned to "publicly thank all the local, state
and federal officials who have in some way helped to bring about this
historic occasion for the airport." 

A $2,442,909 federal grant helped fund the runway improvement and safety
project. The state Department of Transportation also provided a matching
grant to fund $135,717 of the project's cost. 

Other work included drainage improvements to aid in controlling any
runoff from the airport, new underground electric service from the
Village of Akron's Electric Department, an earth berm with shrubs for
noise abatement, reflective pavement markings and a medium-intensity
runway edge lighting system. 

"The runway was updated to meet FAA design standards that will result in
making the airport safer for pilots and the community," Cummings said.
"Other projects funded by the grants include acquisition of lands for
the runway protection zone and the purchase of snow-removal equipment." 

The projects, he said, are the first improvements outlined in the master
plan update, which identified more than $7 million in projects designed
to upgrade the airport to meet current FAA safety- and capacity-related
standards. 

"The significant FAA and state funding participation enables the airport
to cost-effectively begin implementation of these safety improvements as
part of these projects," Cummings said. 

The airport, a public-use, general aviation facility, is located 11/2
miles north of Route 5 in the Town of Newstead, adjacent to the
northeast border of Akron.

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