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June 16, 2003
AVweb (Aviation)

NewsWire Complete Issue
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Meigs' Reborn ... For Ping-Pong?

Embittered though many of us may be over the destruction of Meigs Field, some
would concede it could yet be a fabulous park ... but a ping-pong emporium?

According to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times, initial plans by the Chicago
Park District are to fill the terminal building with ping-pong (more properly
known as table tennis) tables and throw it open to the public in the next few
days. According to the Sun-Times, in addition to ping-pong, the imaginative
folks at the parks district came up with skateboarding, climbing walls,
wildflowers, prairie grass trees and an observation deck. Meanwhile the fight
to save Meigs grinds on and the Friends of Meigs (FOM) has asked the Park
District to delay until the FOM can present a cake-and-eat-it proposal that
retains the airport and provides for park use. The proposal will take a few
weeks to finalize and the FOM wants the district to hold off on committing
itself until the plan is ready. The FOM also wants to ensure there's plenty of
public input before the bulldozers rev up again. Meanwhile, the Chicago-born
actor known almost as much for his aviation exploits as his movies has thrown
his support behind Meigs. Harrison Ford said he was infuriated by the
early-morning destruction of Meigs' only runway on March 30. "I don't think
I've been as angry about anything in a long time," he told the Sun-Times. Ford
is also an environmentalist but we think we know where his true heart lies.
"I'm all for parks," he said. "Parks are great, but so are airports."

http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_25a/complete/185172-1.html