Another Calendar Old

Did you get a calendar?  Probably not. They only go to a fraction of the people on this list. Why is that?

Despite the calendar’s meager debut 30 years ago, the annual mailing eventually grew to an unwieldy 1500 prints. Attempting to keep a handle on things we capped the production there and sent them only to people who contributed to the airport’s operating fund.  It’s done the same way today.

If you typically get a calendar, don’t worry. The US Postal Service treats bulk mail as a necessary evil. Even though they went out some time ago only a few have arrived at their destinations. However, all of them soon will.

When they do we hope you’ll contribute once again. Each year these funds go directly to keeping the airport running and indirectly they do the same for us.

Anyone who has followed the airport through the years knows we’ve been at it a while. This is my (rich) 20^th year at the field and Ginger’s 17^th. Along the way we’ve done many positive things and also butted heads with politicians, utilities, the FAA, and inconsiderate pilots. Everything we ever did was to improve the chances Lee Bottom survived the long haul. There’s just one problem. Ginger and I will not last the long haul.

Obviously, I am a fallible biped. My eventual demise has never been in doubt. However, Ginger has been accused of being a machine. Well, I’m here to dispel the myth.  She is not. Borg maybe, but not machine.

What does this mean? Each year the effort required to keep the airport running gets more difficult for us to muster as retirement increases its offer of less involved days. Somewhere in there the lines cross, “S over R Max.”  That’s spending over reward to those who still believe they’ll live forever.  Beyond that point it doesn’t makes sense for us to use all our spare pennies to keep the airport open if pilots don’t feel the need for it. No matter how much we love the place, if we can’t eat or go to the doctor in old age it would be insane to keep at it. For this reason, we’ve been planning our lives so that doesn’t happen. We’ve also been planning a future for the field. That’s where the Lee Bottom Aviation Refuge (a 501C-3) comes into play.

Years ago we told everyone we’d base the airport’s future on how much the community wanted to keep it alive. Therefore, when folks like you contribute to the operation fund it’s a massive shot in the arm. Every time you show your support, it makes it that much easier for us to do the hard work.  THANK YOU!