Durbin Calls for Plan to Makeair Travel Safer

By Scott Richardson

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) earlier this month called for an immediate investigation into air traffic controller conditions.

He is concerned about staffing levels and fatigue at Chicago air traffic facilities.

Durbin acted in response to a-national-study on runway safety that showed O’Hare International Airport had the second-highest number of near-collisions on its runways of any U.S. airport between 2001 and 2006. The report cited air traffic controller fatigue as a matter of concern and a key issue affecting runway safety.

“Controllers in the Chicago area are retiring at increasing rates and it is clear that the FAA does not have a plan for the future,” Durbin said. “Now the report has backed up what I’ve been hearing directly from air traffic controllers – low staffing levels are contributing to controller fatigue and making our runways less safe. It’s time to go into these facilities, start asking tough questions and do everything in our power to make air traffic safer.”-

Stay tuned.

Something for kids

Here’s a destination for the younger crowd: Teens R Normal, sponsored by Normal Parks and Recreation, will take an overnight ski/ snowboarding trip to Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort in Galena on Feb. 1-2. The cost is $80 per person, or $65 per person if you bring your own skis or snowboard. The trip is open to students in grades 6-12. Advance registration is required. Call Kevin Smith at (309) 454- 9779.

Boat show

‘Tis the season for outdoor shows. The 78th Annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show is one of the Midwest’s biggest. Dates are Jan. 16-20. Location is McCormick Place.

Nearly 600 boats and more than 200 RVs will be showcased at the event. Admission is $10 for adults. Visit www.NMMA.org.

Hoosiers roll on

Indiana Beach Amusement Resort has announced the first major steel coaster constructed in the state will be built there in 2008.

Steel Hawg, which will be Indiana Beach’s sixth roller coaster and its first to take riders upside-down, will rise 96 feet above ground and feature a 120-degree first drop along with multiple inversions. Designers are S & S Worldwide Inc. of Logan, Utah. Steel Hawg is scheduled for completion in mid-May.

More Indy

Zoo Year’s Eve at the Indianapolis Zoo is 5-9 p.m. Dec. 31. Presented by Indy’s Child Magazine, the event offers a safe and fun place for families to ring in the New Year. Guests receive a free party favor and more.

Buy tickets online at www.indianapoliszoo.com or call (317) 630- 2046.

And, here’s a way to escape the cold. Visit Tropical Adventure at White River Gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo from Jan. 18 through Feb. 17.

The lush green, peaceful environment features a variety of tropical plants, including stunning orchids. Tropical Adventure is free for members and included with regular zoo admission.

Gone fishin’

Looking for a good place to fish this winter without having to cut holes in the ice? Field & Stream magazine named 10 top destinations to go fishing this winter and escape the cold.

Seven of the 10 destinations, like north-central Florida’s Ocala National Forest and Grand Isle, La., offer average January high temperatures of 60 degrees or above. The three coldest spots are Bull Shoals State Park, Ark.; San Juan River in New Mexico; and Lake Amistad, Texas. Other destinations include Aransas Pass, Texas and Castaic Lake and Lake Casitas, Calif.

Two sites outside the U.S. on the magazine’s list are Long Island in the Bahamas and East Cape Baja, Mexico.

Visit www.FieldandStream.com.

(c) 2007 Pantagraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.