I’m a business traveler who usually votes for anything to improve airport facilities. But the $2.7 million proposed budget for a new rental car wash facility at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and $300,000 in restroom renovations seems a bit excessive to this road warrior. Who will design this car wash, Moshe Safdie? And the men’s room just past XNA security has been adequate and uncrowded in my experience. My only suggestion would be to clean it more often.
There is more on the agenda at XNA regarding remodeling and décor. In a Dec. 11 news article about proposed improvements, airport executive Mr. Scott Van Laningham suggests the Springfi eld/Branson (SGF) Regional Airport as a facility to emulate because of its wallpaper. Oh sir, that’s just the beginning of how they overspent in Springfi eld.
Unfortunately I am very familiar with SGF because I often have to run up there to find decent fares unavailable from Highfill. My recent $297 Atlanta round-trip on Delta versus near $900 for the very same from XNA is a common example. Honestly, my fi rst impression of the new SGF terminal when it opened was “Dear God, they spent too much for this, especially on a place with fewer nonstops than XNA.”
The Ozarks SGF theme is lovely, but the custom carpets appearing as Ozark mountain streams and pebbles, the stylized metal striped bass mobiles hanging overhead and passengers ‘swimming’ with stained-glass trout to reach the TSA scanners are a bit much. Do passengers really notice such things? I only did because of the fi rst visit to the SGF airport and I had arrived early. I have spoken to Springfi eld friends about their outstanding airport ‘sense of place’ themeand they hadn’t put it together as I had. I think most travelers to SGF are just ready to get out of the place and on to their sales calls at Bass Pro or to hop on the tour bus bound for Yakov’s comedy show.
Could the same be said for XNA? Please, just get me to my rental car so I can make my Walmart meeting?
Why not spend some of the proposed car wash and restroom fund on lobbying, arm-wrestling or otherwise negotiating lower fares for XNA customers from the legacy carriers’ feeder airlines or attracting a daily service discount carrier? Once Southwest joins Airtran this spring at the other Springfi eld area airport (Branson-BKG) fare diff erences between Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas can only widen. And the hour and 40 minutes to Springfi eld will seem that much shorter.
TED TALLEY
BentonvilleCITY DESERVES APPRECIATIONNow the election is over and the holiday season is fast aprroaching, it is a good time to give thanks for all we have.
We want to thank Mayor Sprouse, Patsy Christi, the Springdale engineering and inspection crew, Springdale City Council, Sweetser Construction and everyone involved for the newly completed road expansion on Elm Springs Road in Springdale.
The improvements to Elm Springs Road are very much appreciated by the local residents.
The manner in which Sweetser Construction handled the entire project is unsurpassed in putting customer service fi rst.
The road project foreman for Sweetser, Jason Carte, displayed an extreme knowledge of road construction skills duringthe project. His expertise combined with Curtis Thompson’s (Springdale road inspector) keen eye and attention to detail ensured that the project was completed with top quality, on time and on budget. The road workers for Sweetser kept the traft c fl owing all summer long. Workmanship like theirs cannot be applauded enough. Our Springdale city Inspection Department was there every day during the entire project, to assure the jobs being done were on point.
Mayor Doug Sprouse’s foresight will prove to be a capital investment for Springdale. Expanding the road to 5 lanes much improved the traft c fl ow for school traft c, and enhances the area for major retail development on the west side of Springdale.
JACK & VANESSA CLARK
DAN & NORA TAYLOR
Springdale
THANKFUL FOR SUPPORT
On behalf of the staff , students, and parents of Main Street Academy, as well as the Siloam Springs School District, I wish to express our gratitude for the support of the community for the Friends of Main Street Academy fundraiser dinner and auction.
The dinner and auction was a wonderful evening. We enjoyed sharing the story of Main Street with members of the community, and their support of our mission and vision is very encouraging.
We are so blessed to be a part of a community that values education for all students. We look forward to working with them in the future as we continue to build relationships that benefi t the community and our students.
MICHELE MARKOVICH
Principal
Siloam Springs
Opinion, Pages 12 on 12/16/2012