BURLINGTON –\u00a0A group of neighbors on Summit Street in Burlington signed a petition calling on the Vermont Air Guard to \u201cFly F-16s over our houses.\u201d The neighbors are disturbed by the gross inequality of their being left out of any exposure to the mind-bending noise. \u201cLeave the people of Winooski alone for once,\u201d said Mordechai Druckerman, a long-time resident. \u201cSpread the pain. Give some to us. Don\u2019t just dump on the poor and minority.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. Air Force EIS says that \u201cchronic exposure to high aircraft noise levels can impair learning\u201d for schoolchildren, and that \u201ctasks involving central processing and language comprehension (such as reading, attention, problem solving, and memory) appear to be the most affected by noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The EIS says that the F-16 has had \u201cdisproportionate impact\u201d on minority and low-income populations in Winooski and South Burlington which would continue or increase under the F-35. By contrast, maps in the EIS reveal that none of the wealthy neighborhoods in Burlington or South Burlington are shown as impacted by F-16 or F-35 noise.<\/p>\n
The petition is entitled, \u201cChange the flight path,\u201d and demands that the Air Guard \u201cleave Winooski alone. Hammering Winooski is immoral and unjust. With 20 languages spoken there and the state\u2019s largest concentration of immigrants, the time to stop blasting Winooski is now. Change the flight path. Permanently send the F-16s screaming over Summit Street instead. Same for the F-35.\u201d<\/p>\n
Summit Street is a leafy street in the posh Hill Section of Burlington. Mayor Miro Weinberger, whose home is on Summit Street, said \u201cno comment\u201d when asked about the petition circulated by his neighbors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"