Vision Plan Outreach Phase Ongoing
At the most recent public Republic Airport Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 17, the board of commissioners honored Dr. Philip Acinapuro, a long-standing member of the board and contributor to the airport.
Acinapuro became a member of the Republic Airport Commission in 1996. He was nominated by Governor George Pataki and served on the commission for 14 years. Eighteen community members and tenants were in attendance, including Acinapuro’s wife, Ellen, to help present the honor as being the fourth longest serving member of the commission for his outstanding contribution and his years of dedicated service. During his term, Acinapuro supported the Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program that requires non-aviation businesses located at the airport to pay taxes to the Town of Babylon for the benefit of the Farmingdale School District, Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Department and town.
Chairman Frank Nocerino said, “We would like to acknowledge a distinguished commission member, Dr. Philip Acinapuro and we would like to present this plaque on behalf of the board and New York State Department of Transportation which reads, ‘In recognition of 14 years of services as a Republic Airport Commissioner, faithful representation of interests of the People of New York and outstanding commitment and dedication to Republic Airport.’”
A resident of North Massapequa, Acinapuro has also served on various boards including the Farmingdale School Board, as a liaison to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Occupational Education, and as a member of the Community Resource Group for Human Relations. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Reform Education Funding Inequities and Farmingdale Schools Legislative Lobbying Committee. He is a member of the Farmingdale Community Summit.
Noise Abatement
Neighboring residents of the airport are encouraged to call the airport hotline at (631) 752-7707 to register excessive noise complaints with the airport. Each month, a tally of the registered complaints is presented to the board members and the administration for review. In May, 76 recorded complaints were made regarding excessive noise, while in June only 29 complaints were reported.
Vision Plan
DY Consultants have established a website at http://republicairportvision.com to keep community members and airport tenants informed of the changes happening at the regional airport. The airport’s administration welcomes opportunities to present the vision plan details at any civic meeting. Groups that would like to arrange a meeting can contact Airport Manager Shelley LaRose-Arken at (631) 386-6104. The planning consultants have been meeting with community organizations and leaders since June to gather input. Vision planning meetings will be mutually scheduled through September. It is the airport’s intention to finalize the planning concepts by the end of the year. Additionally, at the website listed above, community members and tenants are encouraged to take the online surveys, and submit questions and comments through the contact page; a paper survey, returnable by mail, is available inside the main terminal.
Career Fair
The Aerospace Education Corporation will host the annual aviation career fair on Thursday, Sept. 23 and Friday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the main terminal of the airport. Industry professionals including pilots, mechanics, engineers, meteorologists and air traffic controllers will be in attendance to answer questions. Aircraft, flight crews, and flight simulators will be on display. The event is open to middle and high school and the general public. The focus is career introduction; recruiters are not guaranteed to be in attendance. Registration is required, but the event is free to attend. Visit http://aerospaceeducationcorp.org/ or call Jennifer Minori at (631) 389-1470 for registration and additional information.
The next public meeting of the Republic Airport commissioners will be on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in conference room 201 of the Main Terminal Building at 7150 Republic Airport in East Farmingdale.
