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From The State, Wednesday, December 17
Downtown airport gets new name
By DAWN HINSHAW – dhinshaw@thestate.com
Owens Field to be named after retiring manager Jim Hamilton
With the new year, Columbia’s recreation airport will be renamed for longtime airport manager Jim Hamilton, who is retiring. Richland County Council made the change Tuesday in a 7-3 vote.
The 76-year-old Hamilton said he was humbled. “To have your life’s work, the fruits of that labor, recognized is an honor,” he said.
The change — from Columbia Owens Downtown Airport to the Jim Hamilton Airport — comes after Hamilton’s 46 years of service.
Much of that time he was paid $1 a year to perform the job. But the council allowed him a cut of the airport’s income from gasoline and hangar rentals, leading some to criticize “the sweetheart deal.”
Still, the gregarious Hamilton maintained solid support over the years, with personal relationships reflected in a brief debate over the name change. Councilwoman Kit Smith, his most vocal critic, was silent.
Speaking against the change was Councilman Mike Montgomery, who said naming a public landmark after a living person is “fraught with peril.” And Councilman Bill Malinowski said it was insensitive to the heirs of former Mayor L.B. Owens, who donated the land for the airport. He floated the idea of incorporating “Owens” into a new name. No one supported him.
Councilwoman Bernice Scott, attending what could be her last meeting, made an ardent plea to the council to support her idea. “I’m begging my colleagues — please, please do that for me,” said Scott, who retires this month after nearly 20 years on the council. Scott credited Hamilton with transforming the terminal “from an ordinary chicken coop” into a modern facility used by recreational and corporate pilots.
Later, Hamilton said new signs could be erected in a matter of weeks, after sending notice to the Federal Aviation Administration. Donations will cover any cost, officials said. Hamilton sat through three hours of back-to-back meetings, surrounded by a cadre of supporters from the airport commission, men who told the council he deserved the tribute for the improvements he has made over the years — with hard work, good contacts and federal money.
Bob Pulliam, a pilot for 40 years, said Hamilton had the vision and drive to limit the number of runways and to orient them away from neighborhoods, all in the name of safety. “If you break a rule, you will hear from ‘Mr. H,’” he added.
Hamilton said he did not initiate the change. He said the airport was dedicated to Owens in 1929 but noted the soccer fields across the road, built on the original runway in the Rosewood neighborhood, would still be called Owens Field Park.
Reach Hinshaw at (803) 771-8641.
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