• THE VIRGIN VOYAGE: As a public charter, Direct Air doesn’t actually own or operate any of their own flights, essentially serving as a broker and a brand. So, who operates those flights is actually a big deal. Before the company first announced in Worcester, their flights had been operated by JetBlue; they had previously been operated by a few different smaller carriers. When Worcester was announced, it was released that Virgin America would be the new airline of choice. And earlier this month, the site was updated, reading “Flights operated by Virgin America & USA Jet.” USA Jet Airlines is an on-demand charter service flying DC-9’s, nowhere near as nice as the Virgin A-320’s. Not to worry, says Direct Air President Ed Warneck (who picks up a main contact number himself on a busy call day). “We will be flying aircraft from Virgin America … the response from Worcester has been too strong.” Warneck says the DC-9’s are for shorter flights, and raves about the Virgin planes (leather seating, entertainment centers on every seatback, mood lighting, etc) and the long-term contract between the two companies.
• DIRECT INVOLVEMENT: As for future Worcester plans, Warneck says the company plans to announce dates and times for Myrtle Beach flights in the spring, and that there’s a possibility of more cities being added depending on response. Warneck gushes about the community response and the support Direct Air has gotten from Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray’s office, as well as Massport. And, he says, it’s going both ways. Officials from the company are meeting with the business community in October at the Chamber of Commerce, and Warneck talks about building a “footprint” in the community. “Our approach is different, we know we have to be part of the solution.”
• DETAILS WILL FOLLOW: One thing that didn’t make Tuesday’s City Council meeting, despite expectations that it would show up under suspension — when councilors can slip in orders they didn’t get on the agenda — was any mention of a potential local ordinance that could protect some detail work for cops. Those details are currently threatened by a state ordinance that would turn certain details over to civilian flag bearers. At least two union officials were present at the meeting; one huddled with City Manager Michael O’Brien for about 15 minutes following the meeting.
• RUNAWAY, RUNWAY: They’re nothing if not consistent. Months after declaring they would never again vote for any sort of airport funding as long as the airport remains in city hands, councilors Paul Clancy and Phil Palmieri are sticking to their word. On Tuesday, they stood alone as they voted — twice — against Worcester Regional Airport funding, including for security and infrastructure upgrades.
• THE BOND IS THE WORD: After last year’s bond ratings for the city were released, some city pols and officials predicted we were destined to see a drop this year due to deteriorating economic conditions and local issues. However, the city’s bond ratings have all either stayed stable or gone up.
• MONEY, IT’S WHAT HE WANTS: The WCCA funding situation has been brewing for months now, and it’s more than just a debate on how much the station should get (the current 60 percent of Charter’s 5 percent franchise fee, or 55 percent, as proposed for future years by City Manager Michael O’Brien). Station head Mauro DePasquale has for months been claiming he was locked out of the process led by the Cable Advisory Board, and never even got to see the final contract as recommended until he got a call from T&G columnist Nick Kotsopoulos.
• FUTURE FUNDS: There’s another angle to the debate though: O’Brien touted the fact that despite WCCA receiving a smaller slice of the pie in future years, they’d actually be receiving more money, as Charter projected higher revenues going forward. At the same time, it’s no secret in town that many officials and pols would like to see a bit of cable competition down the road. Fiberoptic cable has been slowly being laid across the city, and Verizon Communications’ Fios service is frequently mentioned as a provider for sometime in the future. But more competition could mean lowered revenues for Charter, and thus a lower allotment for both WCCA and for the government and education channels. o
