community meeting about 2016 Olympics

As part of its pledge to hold community meetings in all 50 wards, the Chicago 2016 Committee will hold a public hearing in the 19th Ward on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8/5, 7:00 p.m. at Saint Xavier University, 2700 W 103rd St., in the Butler Reception Room. Members of the 2016 Olympic Committee will give a presentation, followed by time for questions and answers and comments from the community.

This is an opportunity to learn more about the 2016 Olympic proposal and express your views. If you can't attend this meeting, click here for a complete schedule of 2016 Olympic hearings. You can also share your views by sending e-mail to Alderman Ginger Rugai at vrugai @ cityofchicago.org or calling her office at 773-238-8766.

Potemkin village

Eric Zorn summed it up well. All that apparent enthusiasm for the 2016 Olympics was just a shallow illusion. Shocking!

Do the vast majority of us support the Olympic bid? There are plenty of reasons NOT to do so.

last week's circus

Chicago has been quite the circus in the past week. On Thursday alone, we had the huge mid-day demonstration at City Hall and Daley Plaza by Chicago police and firefighters, the Blago indictments and associated media circus around the Federal court house, then the evening anti-Olympics protest at the Federal plaza.

Yesterday, there were plans for pro-Olympics groups running and cycling along the lakefront, to coincide with the IOC evaluation team's tour of potential venue locations. The weather may have put a damper on that. In mid 30s temps, rain and wind, I don't know how many people were motivated enough to get out there.

Will it be a circus again this week? Stay tuned...

anywhere but here

Toni - Well said.

Tonight's anti-Olympics protest at the federal plaza was vocal and well organized. The police presence there seemed almost as large as that at the noontime protest at City Hall and Daley Plaza. I was there in support of our officers and firefighters. The fact that they've been 2 years without a contract is a disgrace.

The track record of Mayor Daley and the city with major projects like Millennium Park does not inspire confidence in the likelihood of building multiple sports venues, an Olympic village, transit improvements and other necessary changes on time and without significant budget overruns. There's a very real possibility, based on the last few Olympics, that Chicago could end up incurring enormous debt without enough of an increase in tourism revenues during and after the games to avoid making our current budget deficit much worse.

I'd be happy to see Rio get the 2016 Olympics.

new Olympic cycling events?

While I was reading a news article about the city repaving some streets in advance of the IOC's upcoming visit, I had a moment of inspiration. Why doesn't Chicago propose a new Olympic cycling event or two? Some pothole-cratered streets could be preserved in their decrepitude for this very purpose.

Mountain bikers have technical courses, usually in the woods. How about an urban equivalent - the pothole course? Seems like a combo of slalom and jumps would be a natural. On second thought, BMX might be more suitable for maximum urban flavor.

What do you think?

unofficial mascot

A bit of satire from our favorite local cop blog. The comments add a lot, as is often true with this particular blog.

not in Chicago

If you're not a fan of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid, I've found the web site for you. The mascot is priceless. ;)

No Olympic welcome in Polish?

In the city with the biggest Polish population outside of Poland, this is just wrong! Click here for story.