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 The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

We condense letters; most, as published, won't exceed 300 words. A letter must include the writer's name and city, which will be published, and an address and telephone number for verification, which will not be published. Writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. Open letters, letters to third parties and poetry are not considered. Letters from people living outside the Chronicle's circulation area usually are not considered.

Airport growth is a good investment

Web posted September 12, 2000

 Have a thought? Go to the @ugusta Forums.

Editor, The Chronicle

Airport growth is an investment in Augusta's future.

The current debates about our airport seem to polarize our efforts to move forward. I feel that the Airport commission should mimic the Camp David peace initiatives and get together for the long haul so that this community can grow.

A new modern airport combined with the loss of Delta's air service could be a blessing in disguise. Other airlines need to grow and should take interest when a major carrier leaves. The advent of a new airport under construction should have some other air carriers salivating.

As we develop and expand our convention facilities downtown, we will focus on selling to new groups around the country. A huge hurdle we currently face from meeting planners is limited air service, then cost, not the other way around.

If we had the ability to sell to those groups effectively, what would be the return be to the city of Augusta through economic impact spending and increased tax revenues? It would be significant I assure you.

When complete in May, we will be able to sleep 600 people, one person per bed, between the two hotels. All this convention and transient activity cannot come from the Georgia area alone. Tourism will soon be the largest industry in the world, let's not miss out.

We urge and root for the airport commission to meet often, get through this rough period, find compromise if needed and move us forward. Savannah's convention and tourist activity has grown fourfold since it found air routes to major city destinations and improved its airport.

Let us know how we can help you.

Darryl C. Leech, Augusta

(Editor's note: The author is general manager of Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta.)