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â– EDITORIAL â– YOUR LETTERS â– GUEST OPINIONS
N EDITORIAL
N LETTERS
THE OPINION OF THE VOICE
VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY
Finally, a policy to save Hangar One
W
hen the Navy built Hangar One in the 1930s to house the dirigible USS Macon, no one thought of what would become of the massive hangar if the giant airship disappeared. But that is exactly what happened shortly after the Macon arrived at Moffett Field, the victim of a crash on an ill-fated rescue mission. Soon after, the U.S. Navy abandoned massive airships, leaving Hangar One to be re-purposed to much more mundane jobs, like parking airplanes and small blimps within its bulky confines. Then, after years of service as it became a South Bay landmark, it was discovered that the exterior panels covering Hangar One were leaching toxic chemicals into storm-water retention ponds on the edge of the Bay and discussions began about who was responsible to rehabilitate the hangar. Finally, after several years of arguments, the Navy agreed to remove the siding, but refused to spend the $30 million or more it would take to replace it. Today, the Navy’s refusal to complete the job has left the historic structure a skeleton without a skin, with only a new coat of paint to protect it from the elements. But after years of bickering between the Navy, NASA and preservationists, a new idea has emerged that federal officials say could restore the hangar as long as its use is tied to its original aerospace-related purpose. And the winning bidder does not need a link to NASA’s scientific missions, as is usually required for leases of Moffett’s buildings. It will be made possible by a provision in the National Historic Preservation Act, section 111, that allows historic buildings such as Hangar One to be used for their original purpose. This new policy almost certainly will bring Google’s founders back into the picture with their offer to restore Hangar One. By doing so, they will be able to house their fleet of corporate jets inside the hangar and to use the airfield. The Google planes earned that right earlier by being available for NASA experiments, but that work will no longer be necessary if the company submits the winning bid on Hangar One. A request for proposals is expected to be released this spring. It is expected that the lease will be at least 25 years, which finally would close a volatile chapter in the life of Hangar One. NASA also will allow bidders to propose to take over Moffett’s runway operations, saving NASA millions a year to run its flight tower. In a structure the size of Hangar One, there should be plenty of room for the Google founders’ fleet as well as a niche for the world class museum advocated for by the Earth, Air and Space Educational Foundation, which Google said it could accommodate in an earlier offer to reskin the hangar. We hope the community’s input will be considered in this process and that Hangar One can once again be enjoyed by the public, as it was during air shows and other public events in the past. None of this will be possible until the General Services Administration and NASA completes a deal that will restore Hangar One to its rightful place in the history of the South Bay.
â– Mountain View Voice â– MountainViewOnline.com â– May 24, 2013
STUDENTS HAVE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES
NO ACTION YET TO CALM PHYLLIS AVENUE
Individuals are entitled to freedom of expression within legal limits as long as no one is harmed. We support Phil Faillace’s emphasis on protection of individual rights in the Mountain View Los Altos High School District. Frieda and Sterling Haidt Los Altos
We have heard that the Phyllis Avenue crosswalk was going to get a stop sign to avoid the recurrence of the tragedy in our neighborhood. However, nothing has happened here yet: no re-painted crosswalk, like was recently completed at Miramonte; no lighted pedestrian signs, no stop sign. On my way home today, I saw a couple wheeling a stroller, waiting at the sidewalk, so I stopped and they began their way across to the center of the street. However, since the white van, driven by an oblivious woman, was not even slowing down, they waited and I honked, several times to get her attention. Finally, she stopped and they cautiously continued across. When I pulled in front of my house, we chatted and they thanked me for my help. When are we going to get something here, before another person has to die? Barbara Bernie Phyllis Avenue
UNIONS PREVAIL, YOU LOSE Unfortunately the primary motivation for favoring “prevailing wage� restrictions (Council split, May 10) is to do favors to union contractors whose unions then (surprise!) support those elected officials who vote for the restrictions. When the unions gain sufficient leverage, “your� government places union wages and benefits ahead of your priorities. See San Francisco, San Jose, and the State of California for examples. Union contracts also uniformly prevent basing salaries and bonuses on employee performance, using job category and length of employment instead. These two criteria are responsible for perhaps 60 percent of the difference in the take-home pay of men vs. women. Raymond R. White Whitney Drive
COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR MEMORIAL EDIFICES The Pharaohs built cities and statues to show how great and powerful they were. Our City Council is cut from the same cloth. They want to raise our taxes so they can build memorials to their stupidity. Konrad Sosnow Trophy Drive