Bedminster businesses brace for effects of possible Trump vacation on their small town

Record ID: 904805

  • Title: Bedminster businesses brace for effects of possible Trump vacation on their small town
  • Date: 1st August 2017
  • Summary: PITTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) SMALL PLANE TAKING OFF AT ALEXANDRIA FIELD AIRPORT WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR TANDEM SKYDIVERS SKYDIVERS DESCENDING SKYDIVERS WALKING AFTER LANDING SKYDIVE JERSEY OWNER, CHUCK OWEN, HELPING CUSTOMER (SOUNDBITE) (English) SKYDIVE JERSEY OWNER, CHUCK OWEN, SAYING: "When Trump's here August 4th through the 20th, basically any of what the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) considers to be a recreational aviation activity is shut down, and that includes skydiving." TANDEM SKYDIVERS DESCENDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SKYDIVE JERSEY OWNER, CHUCK OWEN, SAYING: "We're open April through October - the brunt of our business being done June through August. So, to lose an entire month out of the busiest time of our season is not just hurtful to the business, it's devastating." SMALL PLANE ON RUNWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SKYDIVE JERSEY OWNER, CHUCK OWEN, SAYING: "Not only is he here every other weekend as what we've been told and what has occurred, we'll never know which weekends those are. So it's very hard from a customer service perspective and from a staffing prospective to keep employees on when it's a completely unknown schedule. So at this point, it looks like the likelihood of us continuing after this season is relatively low." PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS AIRPLANE AIRPLANE AT AIRPORT BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) SIGN AT ENTRANCE TO TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF COURSE IN BEDMINSTER ROAD TRAFFIC AND ENTRANCE SIGN READING (English) 'PRIVATE' VARIOUS OF BEDMINSTER PIZZA MANAGER, ENZO GRANDE, MAKING A PIZZA (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEDMINSTER PIZZA MANAGER, ENZO GRANDE, SAYING: "It affects us really well because not only does the Secret Service come in, we also got people from all over the state and even New York. And they come in just because he's here, and they just want to see him, maybe they'll catch a glimpse of him." GRANDE PUTTING PIZZA INTO OVEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEDMINSTER PIZZA MANAGER, ENZO GRANDE, SAYING: "As a business, we're OK with it, but as a town, not a lot of people like that because it's just more chaos going around, more cars coming by, and you know, it's busy. This is a small town. That's why they are here because it's quiet. They don't want any extra curriculum going on. Because you know, when he's here, there's a lot of protesters too, on both sides. So you got sometimes a hundred protesters here on the corner up this street here and it's chaos. You never know what can happen. But as a business, we love it. We love it." VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (English): 'ENTERING TOWNSHIP OF BEDMINSTER' WHITEHOUSE STATION, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SOLBERG AIRPORT OFFICE ENTRANCE TO AIRPLANE HANGER SOLBERG AIRPORT CO-OWNER, THOR SOLBERG, TALKING TO STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOLBERG AIRPORT CO-OWNER, THOR SOLBERG, SAYING: "We've had two or three tenants that would have been here now had they been able to continue to fly through August, but have left. And some of the airplanes you see here will be leaving before he comes." SOLBERG AND MECHANIC WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOLBERG AIRPORT CO-OWNER, THOR SOLBERG, SAYING: "We all understand we have to live through that hardship, but I'm not sure it's equitable for individual businesses to pay for the public good of protecting the president." READINGTON, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ROAD WITH SIGN FOR NEW JERSEY TRANSIT WHITE HOUSE STATION
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2017 22:56
  • Keywords: Bedminster Trump vacation Solberg Airport Skydive Jersey Bedminster Pizza
  • Location: PITTSTOWN + BEDMINSTER + WHITEHOUSE STATION + READINGTON, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
  • City: PITTSTOWN + BEDMINSTER + WHITEHOUSE STATION + READINGTON, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016SBSUH3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A flight restriction imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration over the small town of Bedminster, New Jersey, for most of August has some business owners hoping for a boon from a late-summer presidential vacation but others fearing they will lose business.
    The FAA issued a VIP Movement Notification over Morristown/Bedminster from August 4-20, signaling to townspeople that U.S. President Donald Trump will spend a substantial part of the month there at his sprawling Trump National Golf Club, which he calls his "summer White House".
    Along with the president, Bedminster residents said they expected to see an influx of law enforcement, media, protesters and curiosity seekers.
    The area surrounding Bedminster will also be subject to very tight security, including temporary flight restrictions, which will ground most aircraft within a 30-mile radius of President Trump, local airport business owners told Reuters.
    For businesses like Skydive Jersey, which makes most of its revenue during the summer months, the flight restrictions are "hurtful to the business" and "devastating," said owner Chuck Owen.
    "When Trump's here August 4th through the 20th, basically any of what the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) considers to be a recreational aviation activity is shut down, and that includes skydiving," Owen said.
    Skydive Jersey operates at Alexandria Field airport. Alexandria Field is one of more than 20 general aviation airports located within the area affected by flight restrictions.
    With its proximity to New York, Skydive Jersey is one of the busiest skydiving operations in the northeast and employs 25 people, according to Owen. But with weeks-long and frequent weekend trips to the area by the president, Owen said his planes are too often grounded.
    "Not only is he here every other weekend," he said. "We'll never know which weekends those are. So it's very hard from a customer service perspective and from a staffing perspective to keep employees on when it's a completely unknown schedule. So at this point, it looks like the likelihood of us continuing after this season is relatively low."
    However, over at Bedminster Pizza, one of the few eateries in the town, manager Enzo Grande is expecting to make a lot of dough during Trump's stay.
    "It affects us really well because not only does the Secret Service come in, we also got people from all over the state and even New York. And they come in just because he's here, and they just want to see him, maybe they'll catch a glimpse of him."
    Grande adds while Trump is good for business, the small town of about 8,000 cannot absorb the added traffic and crowds.
    "As a business, we're OK with it, but as a town, not a lot of people like that because it's just more chaos going around, more cars coming by, and you know, it's busy. This is a small town. That's why they are here because it's quiet. They don't want any extra curriculum going on. Because you know, when he's here, there's a lot of protesters too, on both sides. So you got sometimes a hundred protesters here on the corner up this street here and it's chaos. You never know what can happen. But as a business, we love it. We love it."
    Solberg Airport, open since 1941, is also located within the restricted flight area. Airport co-owner Thor Solberg said the corporate jets and personal planes that usually fill his hanger have taken their business elsewhere.
    "We've had two or three tenants that would have been here now had they been able to continue to fly through August, but have left. And some of the airplanes you see here will be leaving before he comes," he said.
    "We all understand we have to live through that hardship, but I'm not sure it's equitable for individual businesses to pay for the public good of protecting the president," he said.
    Solberg and Owen have joined with other local aviators and the New Jersey Aviation Association to press Congress to work with the Secret Service, FAA and Coast Guard and find a way to minimize the impact on small businesses.
    In July, New Jersey Congressman Leonard Lance's office announced it received confirmation from the U.S. Secret Service that Bedminster was designated "a priority for presidential protection - allowing law enforcement and other protection-related costs eligible for reimbursement by the federal government."
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