Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-14
Montgomery Pilots Beck
County Airport Proposal

Private and business pilots
last night gave strong support
to Montgomery County Manager
M. L. Reese's proposal for q
|county-owned airport to lure
Industry into Montgomery and
broaden the county's tax base
C C. Thompson. Of the newly
formed Montgomery County Air
port Committee, said that as
"air minded taxpayers" the
group favored publicly owned
airports over private airports
which can be sold from under
the private pilots.
Mr.. Thompson said he would
practically guarantee" that the
county would get back it's in
vestment in municipal airport
in five years.
Mr.. Reese has proposed $780,
900 to be met by an equal
amount in Federal grants to
acquire land and lay the ground
work for the airf1eld.
Opposition Voiced
Opposition to the proposal was
voiced last night by Henry o.
Willier, of Lux lane, Bethesda,
who has been carrying on a run
ming feud with Congressional
Airport from which planes fly
over his home.
He said the proposed county
airport would be a playground
for the Congressional Airport
crowd" and said it would never
be a paying proposition for the
county.
He said promotion of the air.
port as an incentive for new in
dustry was simply a smoke
screen" and that it was wanted
by a small minority for new
parking lot for the planes and
Junk" now at Congressional.
Congressional Airport is slated
to close down this summer.
Mr.. Thompson said he already
had list of 100 private pilots
who would be willing to pay $40
to $50 a month to base their
planes at county airport.
Library Group Objects
Mr.. Reese saw his proposals
for combining County services
under one group sharply criti-
cized last night by the County
Library Board.
Joseph E. Reeve opposed Mr..
ReeSe's plan for combining pub
lie library with schools or in
municipal centers such as the
one proposed at Wheaton.
Mr.. Reeve said Libraries are
most functional when they are
located in the center of business
districts rather than on the
fringes as are municipal centers
and, schools.
The Library Board also urged
restoration of some $4,000 to
staff and put in service a new
bookmobile.
c. D. Gull. president of the
Rockville Library Association,
urged the expansion of the
county library system and said
that the present $1.28 per capita
spent on libraries is inadequate.
BOOkmObile Stops Urged
Rockville's City Councilman
Alex Greene asked the county to
add four new bookmobile stops
to its service in the town and to
shift the normal school stop to
playground areas during the
summer.
The County Council also heard
from about 100 organized "hot-
rodders" led by John B. Rata
of $500 Garfield street, Bethesda,
They Endorsed proposals for con-
struction of a drag strip" in the
county. The strip would be built
in conjunction with the airport.
County Fire Marshal Charles
H. Howe brought a surprise ron
the hearing as he noted that
establishment of a central alarm
system in the county would cost
at least $4,000 more than he
had requestede in his budget.
More Operators Needed
Joseph Giammateo, of the
Volunteer Firemen's Association
said maintenance of the Upper
County alarm center and an
other one at Silver Spring woulo
require four more operators thar
the budget proposes
Mr.. Howe said a single opera.