Can Neighbors Impacted by SMO Unite?

Can neighbors impacted by Santa Monica Airport (SMO) unite?

This question will be the focus of a community meeting later this April.

Bringing the concerns of all SMO neighbors (north, south, east, and west) into one room for discussion is, I believe, very important. Logically, SMO impacts on the community vary depending on location. One area may experience incessant overhead noise from flight-school piston aircraft, while another area is bothered by toxic jet blast. It's time and timely to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. Who can better delineate the community concerns than community members themselves?

This meeting will not be a public forum, but rather open to those SMO neighbors who are concerned about how SMO's aviation operations affect their well being. Representatives from each and every neighborhood and community group dealing with SMO issues are of particular importance.

I have been involved with SMO-related issues since the mid to late 1990's. Making headway has been like climbing a mountain; steep enough that without a computer it would have been extremely difficult to get off the ground. In the summer of 2003 my wife and I founded Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution (CRAAP) along with CRAAP's website, www.jetairpollution.com, to address community concerns about air pollution, noise pollution, and safety concerns regionally.

How effective we are is up to the collective efforts of all of us. The investment of time does not have to be great, and if we invest our time and efforts wisely, the returns can be enormous.

For information about the kick-off meeting (by confirmed invitation only), contact me via email at jetairpollution@earthlink.net.