Get ready to change some more Jepp plates. Maynard Jackson supporters now seem willing to compromise on hyphenated name for ATL. I love the last line in the story, "We did the best we could." They did the best they could to hijack the airport and disgrace the Hartsfield family, and they're proud of that.
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Hartsfield kin reject renaming
Support grows for adding Jackson's name to airport
By D.L. BENNETT and ERNIE SUGGS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Relatives of former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield are disappointed the city appears to be moving toward changing the name of its airport, one family member said.
As Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin continued to build support Monday for renaming Hartsfield International Airport to include the name of former Mayor Maynard Jackson, not everyone is supporting the idea.
"It is disrespectful," Walt Hartsfield, a distant cousin of the city's longest-serving mayor, said of the suggestion to change the airport's name. William Hartsfield, who served for most of the years between 1937 and 1962, nurtured the airport to become a regional hub for passenger service.
"How would they feel if they changed it 10 years down the road and took both their names off?" Walt Hartsfield said.
Contrary to recommendations of a special advisory commission she formed to come up with honors for Jackson and former Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., Franklin said last week that she would push for the names of both Hartsfield and Jackson on the airport. Her commission has advised the City Council to approve naming only a planned international terminal after Jackson, the city's first African-American mayor and a mentor of Franklin's.
The City Council will make a final decision on Oct. 20.
"It is a topic we have talked about as a family," Walt Hartsfield said of the heated debate over renaming the airport. No other family members could be reached for comment.
"It is like they are saying that one mayor was better than the other -- Maynard Jackson was better than Mayor Hartsfield was, so you are going to wipe his name out?" he said.
African-Americans have pushed hard for the city to name the airport after Jackson, while Hartsfield supporters have urged the city not to remove the name of the white mayor simply to replace it with that of a black mayor.
Still, the debate on how to honor Jackson, which has been marked by harsh rhetoric from both sides, appears to be headed closer to quieter resolution.
Politicos back plan
Key players continued to line up Monday behind Franklin's proposal. Under the plan, Hartsfield would continue to have his name on the domestic terminal at the airport, while Jackson's name will be on a new $982 million international terminal to be opened in 2006.
And both Hartsfield and Jackson, who was credited with helping the airport expand into one of the busiest in the world, would share the overall nameplate on the airport.
"This is not the recommendation of the study committee or what most of the business community favors," said former Mayor Sam Massell, head of the Buckhead Coalition. "Nevertheless, there won't be any organized opposition. It will be good to get this behind us. It should move smoothly from here."
Franklin has already sounded out many of the City Council's members and said she feels confident she'll have enough support to change the airport's name.
Several council members seemed pleased that the debate would shift from a tense struggle over competing proposals on honoring the mayors to how to approve the mayor's proposal.
"It looks like the debate is coming to a consensus before the debate begins," said Councilwoman Felicia Moore. "It seems like [the mayor] is trying to come up with a reasonable compromise."
Shifting support
Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, who last week signed on to a proposal to rename the airport solely for Jackson, shifted her support to the mayor's plan.
"It sounds reasonable," Archibong said. "I don't want to have this thing blow up and be protracted. If this is a solution everybody likes, I like that."
Even Councilman Derrick Boazman, author of the legislation to remove Hartsfield's name from the airport, said the mayor's proposal will be hard to beat.
"Everybody's going to be running to grab their piece of the glory," Boazman said. "Any proposal that is not in line with the wishes of the [Jackson] family is going to be moot."
Jackson's widow, Valerie, has told city officials she endorses a hyphenated name for the airport. Early in the debate following the death of her husband June 23, she spoke strongly in favor of having only one name on the airport, Maynard Jackson's. Jackson's widow has declined to comment on her change of heart.
Outside the City Council, support also was growing for the mayor's proposal.
"This is what was initially proposed the day Maynard died," said Timothy McDonald of Concerned Black Clergy. He originally called for a Jackson-only name on the airport, but he now endorses Franklin's plan. "We've gone through all this hoopla to be right back where we started."
John Bascom of the United Youth Adult Conference said he would continue to add to the 50,000 signatures gathered so far on petitions seeking a Jackson-only name on the airport. But he acknowledged his goal now is to cement the mayor's plan.
"We did the best we could," Bascom said. "I am declaring victory because his name is going on the airport."
AJC Story
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Hartsfield kin reject renaming
Support grows for adding Jackson's name to airport
By D.L. BENNETT and ERNIE SUGGS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Relatives of former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield are disappointed the city appears to be moving toward changing the name of its airport, one family member said.
As Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin continued to build support Monday for renaming Hartsfield International Airport to include the name of former Mayor Maynard Jackson, not everyone is supporting the idea.
"It is disrespectful," Walt Hartsfield, a distant cousin of the city's longest-serving mayor, said of the suggestion to change the airport's name. William Hartsfield, who served for most of the years between 1937 and 1962, nurtured the airport to become a regional hub for passenger service.
"How would they feel if they changed it 10 years down the road and took both their names off?" Walt Hartsfield said.
Contrary to recommendations of a special advisory commission she formed to come up with honors for Jackson and former Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., Franklin said last week that she would push for the names of both Hartsfield and Jackson on the airport. Her commission has advised the City Council to approve naming only a planned international terminal after Jackson, the city's first African-American mayor and a mentor of Franklin's.
The City Council will make a final decision on Oct. 20.
"It is a topic we have talked about as a family," Walt Hartsfield said of the heated debate over renaming the airport. No other family members could be reached for comment.
"It is like they are saying that one mayor was better than the other -- Maynard Jackson was better than Mayor Hartsfield was, so you are going to wipe his name out?" he said.
African-Americans have pushed hard for the city to name the airport after Jackson, while Hartsfield supporters have urged the city not to remove the name of the white mayor simply to replace it with that of a black mayor.
Still, the debate on how to honor Jackson, which has been marked by harsh rhetoric from both sides, appears to be headed closer to quieter resolution.
Politicos back plan
Key players continued to line up Monday behind Franklin's proposal. Under the plan, Hartsfield would continue to have his name on the domestic terminal at the airport, while Jackson's name will be on a new $982 million international terminal to be opened in 2006.
And both Hartsfield and Jackson, who was credited with helping the airport expand into one of the busiest in the world, would share the overall nameplate on the airport.
"This is not the recommendation of the study committee or what most of the business community favors," said former Mayor Sam Massell, head of the Buckhead Coalition. "Nevertheless, there won't be any organized opposition. It will be good to get this behind us. It should move smoothly from here."
Franklin has already sounded out many of the City Council's members and said she feels confident she'll have enough support to change the airport's name.
Several council members seemed pleased that the debate would shift from a tense struggle over competing proposals on honoring the mayors to how to approve the mayor's proposal.
"It looks like the debate is coming to a consensus before the debate begins," said Councilwoman Felicia Moore. "It seems like [the mayor] is trying to come up with a reasonable compromise."
Shifting support
Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, who last week signed on to a proposal to rename the airport solely for Jackson, shifted her support to the mayor's plan.
"It sounds reasonable," Archibong said. "I don't want to have this thing blow up and be protracted. If this is a solution everybody likes, I like that."
Even Councilman Derrick Boazman, author of the legislation to remove Hartsfield's name from the airport, said the mayor's proposal will be hard to beat.
"Everybody's going to be running to grab their piece of the glory," Boazman said. "Any proposal that is not in line with the wishes of the [Jackson] family is going to be moot."
Jackson's widow, Valerie, has told city officials she endorses a hyphenated name for the airport. Early in the debate following the death of her husband June 23, she spoke strongly in favor of having only one name on the airport, Maynard Jackson's. Jackson's widow has declined to comment on her change of heart.
Outside the City Council, support also was growing for the mayor's proposal.
"This is what was initially proposed the day Maynard died," said Timothy McDonald of Concerned Black Clergy. He originally called for a Jackson-only name on the airport, but he now endorses Franklin's plan. "We've gone through all this hoopla to be right back where we started."
John Bascom of the United Youth Adult Conference said he would continue to add to the 50,000 signatures gathered so far on petitions seeking a Jackson-only name on the airport. But he acknowledged his goal now is to cement the mayor's plan.
"We did the best we could," Bascom said. "I am declaring victory because his name is going on the airport."
AJC Story
Shame on me!
