Just saw William Fichtner on the news at the Bison's game giving support for the base. Cool seeing an actor doing something on a local level to help the military. Not sure what his connection to western NY is.
I'm going to try to get to UB tomorrow
http://wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=29504

BRAC Hearing- What Can You Do? Posted by:  Nancy Sanders,   Created: 6/25/2005 10:48:22 PM Updated: 6/26/2005 4:48:42 PM The Monday's BRAC field hearing is Western New York's chance to tell the top brass just what the Niagara Air Base means to this community. Officials are on a very tight schedule but there are things you can do. AT 7:15AM NIMAC, the Niagara Military Affairs Council, is asking supporters are asked to line the route to the Niagara Falls Air Base with signs and banners. They need people to stand anywhere they chose along Packard and Lockport Rds. from Military Rd. to the base entrance. Local volunteer firemen will line the North side of Lockport Rd. with their equipment. Others are aksed to line the South side of the street. AT 11:00AM There will be a rally from outside the UB Center for the Arts before the hearings. The New York portion of the field hearing will be held from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the UB Center for the Arts. 1:00 - 2:00 Niagara Air Reserve Station (all relevant witnesses sit together on a dais for the duration of the hour) 1:00 - 1:05 Governor Pataki testifies on behalf of NYS 1:05 - 1:10 Senator Schumer testifies on behalf of NYS 1:10 - 1:15 Senator Clinton testifies on behalf of NYS 1:15 - 1:45 Niagara Military Affairs Council testifies on behalf of NFARS 1:45 - 1:50 Congresswoman Slaughter testifies on behalf of NFARS 1:50 - 1:55 Congressman Reynolds testifies on behalf of NFARS 1:55 - 1:57 Congressman Higgins testifies on behalf of NFARS

Went to BNCOC Phase 1 there and just revistited there for my Spring Conference this year. Looks like they've put some money into it since my last visit there; would hate to see the place shut down. Typical military thinking though. There have to be bases/posts that are more expendible than that one.

the local talk radio guy is making a good point, assuming he's correct about where the planes will be transfered to
if they close this almost all the C130s the air force has will be concentrated at one base. which will make them an easy target, or even just at risk from weather like a tornado

Wow... he was born in Mitchell Field? Right by where I work and shoot.

William Fichtner may have been born on LI, but I he grew up here, Cheektowaga I believe.

Quoted: William Fichtner may have been born on LI, but I he grew up here, Cheektowaga I believe.

That would explain why he was here. Wish he had his own website. I'd send him a thank you.

I went to the rally at UB. Was hot as hell. elmer pataxincrease proved once again he's an asshat. He showed up late, after the rest of the politicians, and got down from the podium area and went inside right after speaking, about 15 or more minutes before the outside rally ended. billary and chuck the fuck didn't really inspire me or sound too energetic but I will give them creidt for getting there on time and staying outside for the entire rally. Representative Reynolds was way more energetic in his speech and seemed to rally the crowd a lot more. sluaghter and higgens were so-so, don't really remember how they compared to billary and chuckie but not up to reynolds' level.
Took me scanner in the hopes of hearing some good police chatter. Nothing much other than UB Police saying the secret service requested that they clear out the lobby.
i'm not too good an estimating crowd sizes, and didn't even try to count people to get a decent estimate, but I'd say there were at least a couple hundred people

Cheektowaga it is. Found two references to him growing up there.

My father spent 43 yrs. in service. he retired a chief master sgt. from the 914th in NIagara falls.
The gulf war was his last conflict,(starting with korea) I can remember standing on the runway in 1969 waiting for the return of the c-119's, waiting for him to get off the plane. I watch kids today waiting for their fathers to get off the C-130's (what a memory). GOD BLESS THE 914'th AND THE 107'th and may they please stay here!!!!!!!

looks like the KC-135s are gone, but the C130s stay and the 107th (the refuleing guys) stay. but without their planes?

edit:
wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=31167

A Battle Won The BRAC Commission has voted to move the KC-135 Air Refuelers to Maine. However, only those aircraft will go. The C-130's will remain and the personnel of both units will remain. Today the commission also decided to keep open the Ellsworth Air Base in South Dakota. The Pentagon had recommended closing the base. The vote still needs final approval from President Bush and Congress. Senator Hillary Clinton said, "It is a great day for New York. I am so thrilled, it is beyond anything we could have expected but it is what we hoped for." The vote ends two days of good news for upstate New York bases. The panel on Thursday recommended not only keeping but expanding a military accounting office in Rome by about 600 jobs. The panel voted to remove eight Stratotanker aircraft from the Niagara Falls base, while keeping the planes' 400 or so support personnel where they are. The base generates about 150 (m) million dollars a year for the area. The Pentagon had proposed closing the base as part of a nationwide plan to save 48-point-8 (b) billion dollars over 20 years. The panel tonight also rejected a Pentagon plan to remove four C-130 planes from Stratton Air Guard Station in Scotia. All panel recommendations will go to President Bush next month.