HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 26 1989 Van Antwerp witnesses city's changesA moment in the\sun
' city's chanVan Antwer witnesses es g
p .
By Art Picard. \
Some things never change, but
Sebastian isn't one of them, accord-..:
IA
ing to city Airport Manager John Van
Antwerp.
He should know. Van Antwerp was'
born in Sebastian, and he's watched it
grow from a few dirt rciads to the
rapidly growing town it is today.
As a teen-ager, Van Antwe re-
calls fishing with his father commer- y1 t
�F
cially when the river was dotted with H a
other commercial fishermen, who
snagged their catch with, gill nets:
"The Sebastian city limits only
went as far as the current city hall in 7
those' days," Van Antwerp said.
MOMf
",U.S. 1 ran along the river, and `the -
city hall, fire department, police. de- _«�Y
partment and public works all were in
the building that is now the library."
"Back then, there was only one
policeman, and the speed limit was25
mph," Van Antwerp said.. "The fines :+
for speeding through Sebastian were
one of the main things that supported John Van Antwerp operates J&S Aviation out of the Sebastian Municipal Airport
the. government. Things have Sun photo by Art Picard
changed a lot since then." ,
Van Antwerp is both an airplane income resulting from Sebastian's his first pilot's license. The cold "Nbw.though, we're growing and
getting all these new things in Sebas-
� mechanic and a pilot; and he operates growth, Van Antwerp feels that Se- weather bmughC'hicti-home to Sebas- g g g
! J&S Aviation with the help of his bastian is getting too developed. tian two years later. tian," he said. "We're getting the drug
! �. problems and the crime problems.
wife, Edwina, and his son, Steve. He I hope we can keep the pollution ,Van Antwerp then worke$ at the P p .
manages the Sebastian airport on a down and the density down. It de- Fort Pierce airport until 1959, when The city's forthcoming airport leg -
part -time basis. stroys the quality of life," he. stated. hewas drafted into theU.S. Armyand islation has made Van Antwerp's,;
The 52-year-old Sebastian native After graduating from Vero Beach was stationed in New York for two future uncertain, but he hopes to,°
recalls that 16 years ago, J&S.Avia- High School in 1952, Van Antwerp years. manage the airport full-time.
tion was the only building on the left Sebastian and went to Miami, "I didn't like New York," Van. "The management job will proba-
airport and ne planes were kept there. where he attended Embry -Riddle Antwei pTh
aid. "ere were too many bly pay less than I would make if 1
Now, there are three other companies Aeronautical University and re- people, 'too much rush, too much expanded J&S, Van Antwerp said. :!
there, and approximately 50 planes ceived his mechanic's license. After- crime and corruption." "But the workload will be less, and '
are based with him. wards, he worked as an aircraft me He Caine home to quiet Sebastian it's time I started- slowing down n.; .A
little.".,
While he appreciates the increased . chanic in St. Louis, Mo., and obtained living. '��'