WKH VXFFHVV RI WKH Ă \ LQ RQ SXEOLFLW\ LW received throughout the state. Col. Bill Hansen, a retired Marine who now serves as the airport director IRU 9DLGHQ )LHOG VDLG WKDW WKH PRVW LQĂ XHQWLDO FRPSRQHQW RI 0F$OHHU¡V LQYROYHPHQW LQ 9DLGHQ )LHOG ZDV WKH exposure that she brought to the project. Due to her connections with pilots throughout the state, McAleer helped make the general aviation population aware of the opportunity to utilize 9DLGHQ )LHOG “That’s what Bethany and the Fellows did for us,â€? Hansen says. “What was lacking was exposure and advertising for 9DLGHQ )LHOG DQG WKDW¡V ZKHUH WKH Ă \ LQ
was a huge asset.â€? Because both she and her family are involved in the aviation community in WKH 6RXWKHDVW 0F$OHHU IHOW FRQĂ€GHQW that she could encourage the pilots she Ă LHV ZLWK RQ D UHJXODU EDVLV WR PDNH DSSHDUDQFHV DW WKH 9DLGHQ )LHOG Ă \ LQ “On their Saturday mornings they don’t wake up and look forward to football, they wake up and are excited DERXW Ă \LQJ VRPHZKHUH Âľ 0F$OHHU says. “There’s no better way to spread the word about this land and this opportunity than through people who have the connections, either directly or indirectly, to bring in industry to Marion.â€?
Photographer: Quint Langstaff; Designer: Adam Booher
to the area. Like many rural, Southern towns, Marion has had a history of racial tension, McAleer says. She wanted to use WKH Ă \ LQ WR KHOS XQLWH WKH FRPPXQLW\ toward the common goal of revitalizing the Marion economy through the airport DW 9DLGHQ )LHOG “I wanted to help bring Marion WRJHWKHU :KHQ D SODQH LV Ă \LQJ RYHU your house, you can’t help but to ORRN XS DQG QRWLFH DQG , Ă€JXUHG WKDW curiosity would help get a lot of people to come out who wouldn’t normally be involved,â€? McAleer says. $OWKRXJK DZDUHQHVV RI 9DLGHQ )LHOG within the Marion community was essential, Martin also bases much of
50 | Mosaic 2011