Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By JAN TUCKER
Ontonagon — The Ontonagon County Board Tuesday paid tribute to its longest serving member John Pelkola. Pelkola, who served 23 years on the board, many of those as its chairman, was defeated in the November election by one vote.
Commissioner Carl Nykanen, commended his long service to the people of Ontonagon County and other board members applauded Pelkola for his years of working for the people of the county. John said he was please to be a commissioner for 23 years. Prior to his election to the board, he also served as Interior Township Supervisor and is a retired teacher from the Ewen Trout Creek District.
Margo Anderson, Ontonagon County Airport Manager discussed with the board the request of the airport stakeholders to install and operate an automated weather reporting system for flight planning. She explained the Federal Aviation Administration funding level for the Ontonagon Airport annually is $150,000. “This means the Ontonagon County Airport has $150,000 available for projects, provided the local and state matches of 5 percent are met and projects planned,” Anderson added. If this money is not used it can be moved to another airport.
Historically, the Carl Thornton Endowment Fund has been tapped for local matches. She explained that if the Thornton fund is used for the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), the fund would be depleted within three to four years. Thornton donated 40 percent of his estate, or $62,000 in 2004 for the fund.
Anderson said the AWOS II would require $153,000 in Federal funds, $8,500 in state funds and $8,500 in Ontonagon County match. If the AWOS III system was purchased it would up the Ontonagon share to $38,000. Additional maintenance costs would fall on the county at $4,000 to $6,000 annually. Anderson asked the board to think about the proposal. She continued that 10 airports in the Upper Peninsula have the AWOS II. She explained recently a plane coming from Aspirus in Wausau needed to land for a patient and Anderson had to give the pilot a weather report from her cell phone and she was not comfortable with the accuracy of it.
Anderson also reported the Michigan Department of Transportation informed her that four acres of airport property had to be cleared or the county would have to pay back grant money. The clearing must be done by February 24. The county board agreed to take bids on the project.
