I think Erik and I have a diffrent way of looking at this. They way I look at will be expressed here, to see Erik's thoughts go to his blog. Erik believes that Kern is bulling the area home owners. I don't see that way as much.
I first want to take this police overtime issue for Hermntown. The City has asked Duluth to help pay and we said no, we will use some of our cops to help with airshow travel but will not pay. Then the city went to the air show staff and asked for help they also said they would not pay for city over time. Why should they have too? I don't believe they should have to. Many other events cost a city tons of money for police issues as well. Yet they are not asked to help pay for any of it.
The second issue I want to discuss is the airshow and if people should be able to watch it for free. The answear is apsolitly not. I don't care if you live near the airport or not, it does not give you the right to watch for free. Or if you go to a near by parking lot such as Harley Davidson, or pull over on the side of the road. This event cost money to put on and all that watch should pay to do so. You have to no right to watch the event with out paying for it.
Here is the editroil by the a Duluth staff writer.
Residents resist requests to vacate
BY JANNA GOERDT
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
MONACO AIR DULUTH AIRSHOW
Allison Pagnac has scheduled three days off work in early July to stay home and enjoy the Monaco Air Duluth Airshow from her yard.
She has no right to watch this event from here home. Nor does anyone else that lives near the airport. Again this event cost money to put on. You need to pay if you want to watch.
Much of the action would happen right over her head, as Duluth International Airport is close to Pagnac's home on Lavaque Road in Hermantown.
But when Monaco Air Duluth Airshow President Ryan Kern came to the Pagnac's door this month, he said the Pagnacs, along with five other nearby families, must vacate their homes for the air show on July 7, 8 and 9, following Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
If they don't, "He said the (St. Louis County) sheriff would escort us out of our homes," Pagnac said.
The fact is Kern is right by regulations these areas are to be vacated. Why? because of the events on the airshow it allows for these regulations to be used. I am not sure that the sheriff will escort people out or not, but I believe they have the right to, with use of the regualtions.
But Hermantown police Chief Dan Perich said no law enforcement agency has the power to force people from their homes so that a private event can proceed. Perich said he has heard from several residents on Lavaque Road who said they were threatened with a temporary eviction.
"We can't, aren't and won't remove people from their homes," Perich said. "There's nothing we can do about it."
Notice this is Hermantown police Chief how has no respect for the show at all. You can in fact with use of regulations remove these people do to what the show effects. The fact is this is based manily on millitary based plains.
Several of Pagnac's neighbors, including 90-year-old Viola LePard, are elderly and can't easily leave for the day.
The six families on Lavaque Road next to the airport are in the "air show box," a zone the FAA wants cleared in case an air show act, such as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, goes awry.
That's a standard practice during any air show, said David Boe, public relations director for the air show. He noted the Thunderbirds require a larger box than past air show acts.
Please keep in mind that this is realy for saved issues.
"They more or less want to rent our land to crash in," said Brent Pagnac, who lives next door to his parents. Brent Pagnac has not agreed to leave his property during the air show.
Neither has LePard.
"I can't leave my home for those many days," she said. "I just can't leave my home. I can't drive too far."
Kern could not be reached for comment on the alleged eviction threats.
Boe said that as far as he knew, no one from the air show told residents they would be temporarily evicted if they didn't voluntarily leave.
"We can't do that," Boe said. "Even law enforcement can't do that. We will do all we can to make this work."
There has been ongoing friction between some air show employees and Hermantown officials over the city's costs to manage the event. The Hermantown City Council recently passed a resolution stating the city's intent to bill the air show for about $4,000 in police costs, though city officials conceded they couldn't force air show officials to pay.
Perich said he will send as many Hermantown police officers as necessary to handle traffic and security during the air show, whether or not the city is compensated.
In a letter dated April 13, Kern offered the Lavaque Road families a free pass to the air show for July 8 and 9. They also would need to be gone July 7, when the Thunderbirds practice.
By signing and returning the letter to have the tickets mailed to them, residents would agree to vacate their homes from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.
Two day passes aren't much compensation, Pagnac said. A one-day advance general admission ticket costs $14.
"Anyway, I don't want to go to the air show," Pagnac said. "I probably couldn't afford to eat at the air show for two days."
Neither Kern nor Boe said they knew what would happen if residents refused to leave during the air show. In past years, just one or two homeowners were involved.
"There's never been a problem before," Boe said.
"We have to work with them," Kern said. "We need to figure it out. I haven't had follow-up conversations with all people, but the ones I did speak to were extremely cooperative."
Pagnac doesn't know of anyone who has agreed to leave their homes in exchange for free tickets.
Lavaque Road resident Ole Ustad, 86, said he and his wife, Anna, haven't decided what to do when the air show rolls around.
"At my age, I don't like leaving the house for too long," he said. "We're just waiting to see what happens."
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