MEDIA ADVISORY
May 16, 2005

HEATH, OHIO – The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority was formed through a joint agreement of the Licking County Commissioners and the cities of Heath and Newark which was signed on May 18, 1995. To commemorate that event and celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Port Authority, a cake cutting ceremony is set for Wednesday, May 18 starting at 11:00 a.m.

Current and past Board members of the Port Authority as well as personnel of the Port Authority’s tenant customers at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center have been invited to celebrate the anniversary on the patio outside the Flightline Café on the west side of The Base.

Joining in the ceremony at 11:00 a.m. will be longtime Base advocate Wally Horton. Horton’s role in the community goes back to the days when planning for the Newark Air Force Base first began in 1958. He led the charge to retain the jobs and the economic impact through privatization and, in 1996, became the first executive director of the Port Authority. He served on the Board in 2002 and 2003 and remains active with the Port Authority.

Two current Board members, Mary Jane McDonald and Bob Klingensmith, have served continuously on the Board since its inception in 1995.