WARNER ROBBINS GA- The Museum of Aviation reopened Thursday. The museums' Gift
Shop and Victory Café are also open. The museum's normal hours of operation are
from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.
"We are pleased to have the Museum of Aviation fully open to the public again and resuming all normal activities," said Museum of Aviation Director Ken Emery.
The Museum of Aviation Foundation upcoming events in October
will continue. The Nevermore Hills Haunted Trail will be open from 8 p.m. to 11
p.m. on October 18-20 and October 24-27, and open from 8 p.m. to midnight
October 30-31. Also happening Saturday, October 19, is the Fall Fun Day from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m.
Photo: Bart Ramos removes the closed sign at the front gate of the Museum of Aviation.
"We are excited to be back in business and to serve the
community that supports us so well. We hope many will come out this weekend to
enjoy the events" said Museum of Aviation Foundation President Pat Bartness. Museum
of Aviation in Warner Robins attracts more than 450,000 visitors a year. The
museum's exhibits tell the story of the U.S. Air Force.
The Warner Robins Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place as previous
scheduled Saturday at the Museum of Aviation now that the government shutdown
has ended. Officials scrambled over the weekend to find an alternative location
and had settled on the Wellston Center when it was announced last week that the
museum would be closed.
But with Wednesday's late night budget deal, the government was set to open again Thursday, prompting the move back to the Museum of Aviation.
Six will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They are:
• The Rev. Willie J. Johnson, who helped guide the city through desegregation. He founded the first Boy Scout troop for black boys in 1951.
• Claude Lewis, who brought T-ball to Warner Robins in 1958 and literally wrote the rules for the game. Also, he was the first leader of the Warner Robins Recreation Department and is a member of the Georgia Recreation and Park Hall of Fame.
• Charles R. Singleton, a member of the Boy Scouts of America 100th Anniversary National Hall of Leadership, was a Boy Scout leader for more than 45 years. Over those years, he mentored thousands of boys and helped 170 of them become Eagle Scouts.
• C.B. Watson, who was the first mayor of Warner Robins. He was appointed mayor in 1943 and led the city in that position until 1950.
• William Wisse, who helped charter the city's first Rotary Club in 1956, becoming the club's first president. In 2007 he received the Rotary's Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Edward J. Wiggins, who was a founding member of the 21st Century Partnership, and he served as chairman for many years. FMI: http://www.museumofaviation.org/