Our Lost Olympic Bid

Friday, October 02, 2009

Our Lost Olympic Bid

There are no tears streaming down my face from this. In truth, I woke up this morning feeling like President Obama being summoned to Copenhagen only to find out that his appearance didn't really change the minds of the IOC was just a ploy to embarass him and have him taken down a notch on the world's stage . Yes he was in a catch-22 dilemma. The first American president to appear before the IOC and now the first president to be ignored by the IOC.

For years, the city has ignored the South and West Sides of Chicago with the total emphasis being on downtown and the Near North Side. Even the new children's museum overlooked a site on the south side so as to place it in Grant Park.

Don't forget that this is the same city that refuses to put a damn Wal Mart on the south side. Can you imagine the Olympics in town and they couldn't even find a Wal-Mar south of Division and north of 95th street.

Come February, 2011 I urge all of Chicagoans to have an OLYMPIC EVENT by running, walking, slipping, sliding, snowboarding, skiing, ice skating and whatever else is needed and get to the polls and vote for a new mayor.

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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

Friday, October 02, 2009