Vox Pop

Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. To call in a comment, dial 829-2900 or 1-800-547-2909 then enter code 8008. To e-mail a comment, write to voxpop@brainerddispatch.com. Comments, which must meet the newspaper's standards of fairness and good taste, may be edited for clarity, length and libel.

Trade the governor?

I heard that President Bush has invited our governor on the trade mission to Africa. While I think that's a great idea, I wonder what they're going to offer us in trade for him. We'll take anything.

Proposed runway location

A few years ago when the new runway was proposed, meetings were held with concerned residents and at that time a home would have been removed and the intent was to build into the French Rapids ski area with flights disrupting wildlife on the Mississippi River. The residents voted it down and the project was stopped. Now the new proposed runway has apparently been approved and its exact location unknown. When did the residents lose their rights to be heard on this?

From five options, an exact runway location was determined several years ago. About two years ago, the Brainerd-Crow Wing County Regional Airport Commission authorized the purchase of a house south of Highway 210 from a willing seller, said Steve Sievek, airport manager. Three parcels of private property, totaling about 75 acres, will be acquired as part of the airport runway project. No residences are involved with any of these parcels, which are mostly non-buildable property. One trail in the French Rapids ski area, which is on airport property, will be slightly shortened. Since the mid-1990s, several public meetings, including two public hearings, have been held in regard to the airport project. No public vote has been taken about the runway. The Brainerd City Council and the Crow Wing County Board have supported this project.