Airport Manager Urges Community Cooperation on Low-Flying Aircraft-July 3, 1981

Dalton, who has expressed a strong willingness to address neighborhood concerns, emphasized that the airport’s ability to prosecute violators is severely limited without precise, timely evidence. “I think if people were interested and came down, we could help them,” Dalton stated, noting that he had offered as early as the previous November to train neighbors as “reconnaissance scouts” capable of accurately identifying aircraft. To date, however, no residents have accepted the invitation.

The fundamental issue, according to Dalton, lies in the vagueness of many complaints. “It’s very difficult for me to help when people call up and say, ‘A plane flew over my house yesterday, low,’” he explained. He urged residents to contact the airport control tower immediately following a suspected violation and to document critical details, including the time of the event, the type of aircraft, and the color of the plane. Without such specifics, Dalton observed, “It’s like trying to find a Smith in the New York telephone book.” He reiterated that while residents are entitled to register complaints—which currently number about four to five per month, with eight reported in June—more detailed reporting is the only way to effectively identify and track the pilots involved in the approximately 550 landings and takeoffs occurring at Norwood Airport daily.

The airport’s noise abatement regulations, approved by the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission after years of debate, currently prohibit aircraft from generating noise in excess of 75 decibels upon takeoff. Furthermore, specific flight paths are required for planes departing on Runway 28 (east-west); these aircraft must follow Route 1 northbound or southbound until they reach an altitude of 1,500 feet, and are instructed to execute turns near Mark’s department store to avoid disturbing residential properties along lower Neponset Street.

Simultaneously, Beth Clark, an outreach worker for the Council on Aging, is engaged in a major effort to bridge the gap between social services and the Norwood senior population. Working out of the Drop-In Center in the basement of the United Church since October 1980, Clark estimates that while 2,500 of Norwood’s 6,200 elderly residents are connected to social organizations, approximately 4,000 others remain largely unreachable. “They’re out there; but are they isolated, are they living with their families? We really don’t know,” Clark observed. To reach this demographic, she has launched a Home Visiting Program, utilizing street directories to identify residents born before 1921, with a particular focus on those living far from the town center and individuals over the age of 80.

Clark noted the psychological hurdles inherent in her outreach, explaining that many seniors born between 1916 and 1921 value the independence they maintained throughout the Depression era, sometimes finding it “humiliating to have to call in for help.” Despite initial resistance, she remains committed to her mission: “At least you’ve opened a door. Now they know my name, they know where they can call if they change their minds two or three months from now.” In addition to her outreach work, Clark has curated a directory of essential services, including wheelchair transportation options, and has successfully negotiated with approximately 70 local merchants to provide discounts to holders of Drop-In Center ID cards. With her grant from the Department of Elderly Affairs set to expire in August, Clark is currently working to secure future funding to sustain these vital services for the community.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger