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| A Social and Benevolent Organisation |
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| WILLIAM R. DECOTA: A FRIEND AND A LEADER IN OUR AIRPORT COMMUNITY |
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| Joe Alba |
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Bill DeCota walked past the Airport Press Offi ce at JFK’s Building 141 several weeks ago; the door was open from the hallway, so he poked his head in and said hello. Since I was seated at the receptionist’s desk, Bill did some gentle ribbing as I sat staring at a PC screen. That in essence was Bill; never too busy to say hello, never too caught up in his own executive position with the Port Authority to be friendly to anyone in our community. Whether he was having a chat with a Board Chairman of a global corporation, or an entry level cargo worker, Bill had the |
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same smile and warmth for everyone. This was the real secret behind the man; he really liked people and it showed. I know if Bill was looking over my shoulder right now he’d be saying; come on Joe, just say I passed on and that’s enough. |
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Keep it plain and simple. He was fundamentally a shy man and never sought any acclaim or credit. On the weekend that Bill died, I had to ask my boss, Bill Puckhaber, to repeat what he said when he called. 51 years is just too young. None of us know when our time is up and that should be a lesson to us all; never miss a chance to say hello, and never miss a chance to be kind and lend a hand. A resident of Old Bridge, New Jersey, Bill was named the Port Authority aviation director in December 1999, after serving as deputy director. He joined the agency in 1982 as a fi nancial analyst. During his tenure, Bill oversaw operations at John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Stewart and
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Teterboro airports, with more than 100 million passengers using those facilities annually. He was an active advocate for airport issues on Capitol Hill and in the business community. He is a recognized expert on managing airport congestion through prudent airport expansion, cutting-edge technologies and demand management. Through board leadership positions on major aviation trade associations, including participation in the Policy Review Committee of the Board of the American Association of Airport Executives and Airports Council International, Bill DeCota developed a reputation for national leadership. During the Orange County Chamber Business Show late last month, Dr. John D’Ambrosio President of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and I were talking about our mutual association with Bill. John and Bill had developed a friendship as well as their strong business relationship. Stewart Airport was looked upon as Bill’s “special project”. John said to me what many of us feel; “We lost a real friend and supporter of Stewart Airport and the Hudson Valley as a whole…it’s a real loss.” It sure is.
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| NEXTGEN: CHARTING A NEW PATH FOR FAA |
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Many Americans already have Global Positioning System (GPS) units in our cars, either built-in from the manufacturer or stand-alone devices that we’ve added. These are smart devices. They know where we are and, when we input a destination, they give us directions on how to get there. GPS technology has also found a place in boating, and for quite a while now, in aviation. As a |
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pilot, I use this technology every time I fl y. GPS has introduced some remarkable improvements in aviation and, in fact, is one of the cornerstones of the Federal Aviation Administration’s next generation air traffi c control system, code-named “NextGen.” NextGen, however, uses GPS improvements that you don’t get in your car. One is Wide Area Augmentation, which provides an additional degree of accuracy and reliability, both desirable when functioning in a critical environment such as U.S. airspace. The other is Traffi c Information Service — Broadcast. This is akin to having your automobile GPS understand not only where it is, but also the |
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| See NEXTGEN - page 3 |
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| INTERFAITH SERVICE COMMERATES 9/11 |
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911 Remembrance Service at JFK Terminal 4 Chapels: Four Chaplains - Rabbi Bennett Rackman, Rev. N. J. L’Heureux, Imam Ahmet Yuceturk, Fr. Gerald T. Walker. |
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An interfaith service was conducted in the Chapel Area at IAT Terminal 4 on September 11th to commemorate all the dead who perished on 9/11, but especially those who are our own, the large contingent of Port Authority |
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employees – amongst who were 37 Port Authority Police – who died that day. The event was held at the Synagogue and Rabbi Bennett Rackman opened with a prayer and Reverend Gerald Walker read Psalm 121 - The Lord is thy keeper. Inspector Michael Guarnieri in his Refl ection remarks recalled the sacrifi ce shown by the men and women that day. After the candle lighting, Lt. Daniel Carbonaro, Barbara Brown Lax, and James Stevens did |
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| 911 Remembrance Service underway. |
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the Reading of the Names. Jerry Spampanato the JFK General Manager offered a prayer, the Benediction was done by Iman Ahmet Yucturk and Closing prayer offered by Rev. N.J. L’Heureux. |
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| BERLIN: A GREAT TRAVEL BARGAIN |
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Berlin is a vibrant energetic fun city, eight times the size of Paris, and decidedly more affordable. With its world-class museums, opera, theater, classical and modern music venues, historic sites and monuments, award winning architecture, and edgy bustling nightlife, there is no end to how you might spend your days and nights here. Over one third of Berlin’s center is covered with lush forests and parks for more idyllic pursuits. Although hotel prices are high, we found several great bargains on line, even in the mid July! We chose a double at the Westin Grande, a fi ve star hotel in a perfect location, the Mitte, for about $130 a night, |
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with many of the major sights in walking distance. One of the best ways to see Berlin is on a double-decker hop on and off bus, a bargain at $20 USD for two days. The complete audio guided tour takes two hours (if you choose not to hop off), makes 16 stops, and covers the major sights of Berlin: from the |
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| See BERLIN - page 3 |
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