AIRPOT MANAGER LIST TRIMMED TO 7 FINALISTS

Seven finalists have emerged from a list of more than 160 applicants for the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager's job.

Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie said he is interviewing finalists and hopes to name the new airport manager in a few weeks.

Interim Airport Manager Andy Perry, 23, isn't among the finalists.

Perry, who was an assistant to former Airport Manager Randy Holdman, took over when Holdman resigned July 31. Perry isn't being considered for the job because he doesn't have the experience of the finalists.

Holdman is now working as a pilot and real-estate developer for Drury Southwest.

The process of screening resumes was slowed when a national aviation publication put the wrong zip code in the advertisement.

"Because of the error, it took us a few more weeks to get all of the applications back," Leslie said.

Airport Board Chairman Bill Walker and board members J. Fred Waltz and Mike Wandrick helped Leslie trim the list to seven.

Leslie said there were several impressive applicants from coast to coast.

"I think the interest in this job shows that the efforts to improve the airport and increase usage over the past four years are paying off," Leslie said.

The capital improvement projects at the airport involve apron reconstruction, apron expansion and taxi way construction.

The biggest project is apron expansion, scheduled to be completed in the 1994-95 fiscal year at a cost of $1,284,600. Apron reconstruction will cost $758,000 and taxi way construction $358,600. The projects are being paid for by state grants and loans.

There are also projects for recalling and wind cones, costing $144,400, and emergency power backup, which carries a price tag of $60,000.

The firm of Crawford, Murphy and Lilly will attempt to get a state maintenance grant to help pay for painting the main runway at a cost of $100,000.

The airport will celebrate its one-year anniversary of the new terminal building on Sunday with an open house from noon to 4.