Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1952-07-11


controversy had shift of scene
Tuesday night when 100 residents
of Put1n-Bay attended a mass
meeting in Town Hall on South
Bass to devise a, plan whereby pres
ent air service between PutIn-Bay
and Port Clinton can be main
tanned without city councilmanic
interference.
The plan embraces a projected
effort to purchase, by public sub
~scription or through formation of
stock company, all the existing
facilities of air service between
Put-In-Bay to the mainland.
Mayor William McCann presided
at the gathering of representative
islanders and declared he would
name general airport committee
of representative from each civic
and business organization in the
village to consider possibility of
purchasing the Milton Hersberger
Air Tours operation to assure it's
maintenance in case he should re-
tire from the business which he
pioneered % years ago.
Explaining the purpose of the
meeting, Mayor McCann said, Cup
until now we, as officials of this
community have kept our nose out
of the airport squabble, but if
Port Clinton insists upon pushing
us too hard, we feel that we should
do something very concretely
about it."
Hits Diefatorial Policy
Striking at the assumed dictator
ial policies of past and present
city council members in Port
Clinton, Mayor McCann pointed
out, 1--WE can't. tell Port Clinton
how to run the airport anymore
than they can tell us how to run
our docks here, and although the
phases of the private end of the
airport operation are not our par
ticular business, it does become
our business, when we are about
to be badly hurt, and we must do
something about it before it's too
late"
McCann asserted that about 95
percent of Put-In-Bay's money is
banked in Port Clinton and many
thousands of dollars are spent an
nually on the mainland. He called
on Hcrsberger to give an outline
of the airport history for the ben
Eft of the mass meeting.
Hersberger told how he had OBJ.
tanned C. A. A. assistance in devel-
oping airport facilities in order to
get more business for Putin Bay.
After getting c. A. A. sanction,
land was obtained through sub
scription by interested business
men and the airport was turned
over, cost free, to the village of
Port Clinton as sponsor, because
at that time Congress had passed
en- airport aid bill and we were
looking for assistance in getting a
runway. Having runway would
remove all problems at the airport,
he said. While business men raised
$4,000 voluntarily to make an air.
port possible, "the village of Port
Clinton did not contribute a cent?
Hersberger told the meeting.
Negotiations Fai!
Hersberger was asked why the
airport dispute cannot be settled
by city officials in Port Clinton,
and replied, I'VE have tried to
negotiate many times but the city
has steadfastly refused to agree
on anything, and is now demand
ing So landing fee for each
plane, (which in addition to $4,5OO
rental fee, would bankrupt an air.
port of this size"
He added, II feel that / would
be better off to sell out, and
have had some very attractive Of
fers."
Harry Heineman, former winery
operator, said "Put-In-Bay does
not want light planes servicing the
island. We depend on the big tri-
motors, and if we should lose
them,' nothing would be the same
on the island. If they go, our fish
ing business and everything else
would go with them. This would
hit Port Clinton, and hard"
Trustees Interested
Lloyd Wires, North Bass Town
ship trustee, and manager of the
Meiers Wine Co. vineyards, sug-
gested that the problem should be
turned oyer to the township trus-
tees who might study it in cooper
alton with the county commission
ers. He added, "We cannot afford
to lose the Fords. If Milt goes,
we're sunk"
Leslie Bretz, Middle Bass trus-
tee, was also present and evinced
interest in the proposal that com
ty officials as well as civic and
business organizations band to-
gether to work out a practical plan