2008 LUXE HOME TOUR

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

2008 LUXE HOME TOUR

I am not a economic wizard or a financial guru. But what I do possess is common sense. So this year in doing my fifth annual Luxe Home Tour of million-dollar-plus homes, I was not surprised to see a home that had been on the market for three years still sitting unsold.

Even my favorite home from last year is still unsold. As the economic market suffers a major meltdown, I always wondered who was making the money to buy all those homes?

Anywary the tour is still worth the time and effort that it takes to do it. I saw some wonderful homes and even went all the way to wisconsin to see the one off of Lake Delavan.

For anyone not familiar with the Luxe Home Tour, it occurs once a year in September. It is co-sponsored by Caribou Coffee and the Merchandis Mart Luxe Home. I may not be able to afford a multi-million dollar home, but I can take the time to see designs by local decorators that I can use to improve my beloved bungalow.

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Arlene Jones' Biography

I was born in Chicago. I grew up in Cabrini Green. I attended Wells Sr High, the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle where I majored in Spanish and minored in Education. I have a diploma in Computer Programming.

I moved to Austin when I purchased a home here. I have two children.

I have been active in the community since moving here. I started with my blockclub. In the early 1990s, I worked with several people to try and form the North Austin Homeowners Association. I even went on patrol with a group of people who had a walkie talkie car patrol of the neighborhood.

As with most programs in the AA community, many factors led to the demise of those groups. Lack of support from elected officials was at the top of the list.

There were several people who had a group and we met out of DaVinci Manor. DaVinci Manor was at the corner of North Ave and Central where Walgreen now stands. Again there was very little interest in saving that building and our community lost a beautiful hall.

I have protested the state of the Central Ave bridge. I worked with Leola Spann and did many a smoke out including one in the 1500 block of North Lorel where drug paraphenalia layed on the ground. I have over the years here in Austin worked with the following groups at one point or another:
Northeast Austin Organization (Mary Volpe, Tom Hosea);
Northwest Austin Council;
Mad Dads;
Brotherhood of Black Men;
Westside Health Authority;
Nobel Neighbors;
Every Block A Village;
Beat 2532;
25th District Housing Committee;
WVON Volunteer;
African American Employees at the Merchandise Mart (AAEMM);
Lafollette Park Advisory Council;
Garfield Park Conservatory Advisory Council;
Westside Executive Advisory Council;
Austin Landmark Cultural Center;
Concerned Citizens of East Garfield Park

and so many others that it gets hard to remember.

Arlene Jones

Arlene Jones - Featured Columnist Austin Weekly News

Tuesday, September 23, 2008