Showing posts with label Joe Mantegna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Mantegna. Show all posts

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Latest news on Chicago's 2016 Olympic hopes

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August 21, 2009

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AVP Pro Beach Volleyball in Chicago, 8/27-8/30

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Letter from Pat Ryan

Photo of Pat Ryan

Dear 2016 Supporter,

I’m writing to you from the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, where I witnessed history in the making with Usain Bolt’s world record performance in the 100 meters. A few weeks ago, I was with the Chicago 2016 team in Rome for the FINA World Championships and saw Michael Phelps and a host of others set 43 world records. In addition to giving me the opportunity to continue to tell the story of our bid to international sport leaders, these events have given me a glimpse into what a Games in Chicago could be like.

As I thought about what I’d seen, I imagined the effect it would have on young people who watched these athletes—on television, on the Internet—and read about their feats. And I also thought about the citywide track meet that capped off Chicago’s Summer Track Program. More than 300 youth from across the city participated in the event, which included a parade of athletes. They have already begun to pursue their dreams.

That’s why I got involved in this bid—for the youth of our city and to support sport. Chicago 2016 has laid a foundation for what we can accomplish if we’re awarded the 2016 Games. As we come down the home stretch, we should emulate Usain Bolt in Berlin—eyes on the finish line with no intention of letting up.

Your support is more important than ever. Click here to find out how you can support bringing the Games to Chicago. Together, we can achieve this dream.

All the best,

Pat Ryan
Chairman and CEO
Chicago 2016


3,600 attend USOC Hall of Fame to Support Chicago 2016


Stage at the U.S Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Chicago youth and communities were the big winners at the 2009 Induction Ceremony for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, which also served as a fund-raiser for Chicago 2016. Most of the money raised will be devoted to World Sport Chicago, the legacy organization created by Chicago 2016 to engage young people in sport, promote Olympic values and produce a lasting legacy of Chicago’s bid for the Games.

Nearly 3,600 guests enjoyed dinner and saw a who’s who of Olympic and Paralympic inductees such as Michael Johnson (athletics), Picabo Street (alpine skiing), Sarah Will (skiing), the 1992 men's basketball “Dream Team,” and many others.

The ceremony was held at McCormick Place, Chicago 2016's proposed site for eleven Olympic and eight Paralympic sports and the International Broadcast Center and Main Press Center.
The event will be broadcast nationally on NBC on Saturday, September 5 at 2pm EST.


30-Day Countdown Event in Hyde Park


30 Day Countdown Chicago 2016 will celebrate the 30-day countdown to the IOC’s October 2nd decision with an evening of networking, drinks and hors d’oeuvres on Wednesday, September 2 at Park 52 restaurant in Hyde Park.

Athletes and members of the Chicago 2016 bid team will be on hand to discuss how the Games will continue to positively benefit the South Side community.

Located at 5201 South Harper Avenue, Park 52 is just a few blocks from Washington Park, where the proposed Olympic Stadium and aquatics venue would be located.

The event is hosted by Chicago 2016’s Next Generation Leadership Advisory Council. Tickets are $30. All proceeds benefit Chicago 2016. To purchase tickets in advance, go to www.chicago2016.org/park52.


Chicago 2016 Summer Sports Roundup


Summer in Chicago saw an array of Olympic sport sponsored by Chicago 2016 and its legacy organization, World Sport Chicago (WSC).

In June, 200 men and women across a range of weight classes took part in the Pan American Weightlifting Championships. The athletes competed over three days at the UIC Forum at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Youth boxers competeing in IrelandJune also saw the kickoff of Mayor Daley’s Summer Track Program, a free, citywide program for 8- to 14-year-olds. The track program featured instruction and inspiration from Olympians Bob Beamon and Gail Devers and introduced kids to one of the oldest Olympic sports. More than 300 kids from across Chicago participated in a series of track meets that culminated in a city championship on Sunday, August 16.

The month of July featured the WSC Youth Soccer Championships. Premier under-15 club teams from Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and the United States competed over five days at locations throughout Chicago. Teams from Nigeria won first and second places, with Chicago coming in third.

Also in July, WSC partnered with the Chicago Park District to send a contingent of 11 young –boxers to Ireland to compete. The young athletes fought an Irish team in Cork and Galway. The teams split the first match, 5-5, and Ireland won the second 5-4.

WSC also sponsored the Chicago Park District’s 41-member, Junior Olympic–qualifying water polo team to Stanford, California to compete in the national championships.

To cap off the summer, WSC, in concert with Badminton Chicago and the Chicago Park District, provided badminton camps for more than 1,000 children ages 6–12.





Chicago 2016
200 E. Randolph, Suite 2016
Chicago, IL 60601



I've been on the Chicago 2016 mailing list since they
made the first cut, and think it'd be great to have the
Olympics in the American Midwest, in an area with
as much over-sized personality and enthusiasm as
Chicago, where I lived for a few years in the mid-'80's,
in Evanston, Wilmette and Chicago proper, which
included the Bears' Super Bowl-winning year.




This is the p.s.a. that WGN-TV has been showing
a lot starring
Michael Jordan, which I see at least
a few times a day on average.



As usual, who else but wonderful actor and Chicago
native
Joe Mantegna could put it all in its proper
perspective:




For more information on Chicago 2016:
http://www.chicago2016.org/

To keep up with news on Chicago's bid as the
October 2nd announcement approaches, go to

http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=%22Chicago+2016%22&cf=all&scoring=n

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Mini-review of April 16, 2008 HB City Comm. mtg.

Wednesday April 16th, 2008

11:45 p.m.



Just got back from spending four hours at the Hallandale Beach City Commission meeting.


They took a breath and a break at 11:30 after a long night and that was my cue to come home.


Am currently watching ABC News' Nightline's review of the Clinton-Obama debate, which I'll probably watch in its entirety some other time on C-SPAN, and will soon be rewinding my videotape that caught tonight's new episode of longtime TV favorite Criminal Minds., which I LOVE! http://www.cbs.com/primetime/criminal_minds/


Don't mind telling you, I was greatly concerned when it became clear that the wonderful Mandy Patinkin was leaving the show, but what better way to try to replace a great character on a show that requires great ensemble skills than getting a great and talented professional like Joe Mantegna, who makes everyone look better -just like Dan Marino and Michael Jordan.

See http://www.cbs.com/primetime/criminal_minds/ , http://www.mandypatinkin.net/cd.html and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001505/ )


Given those wonderful skills, the show's producers were genius casting his character as someone who'd previously been a 'lone wolf' while creating the BAU team at Quantico.
That's right -casting against type!


Some times, it really works!


Not that I don't still find myself singing or humming Patinkin's particular versions of great American standards, since I went thru two copies of his great eponymous album while living in D.C., often listening to it over and over -and over -while walking, running or biking along The National Mall on way over to Reagan National Airport or Arlington National Cemetery.
See http://www.mandypatinkin.net/cdmp.html


Will have more to say on Thursday about the HB City Commission meeting, including fireworks in afternoon session, and some other things, but these are the two main points I wanted to leave you with until manana:


1.) For the presentation on the Oasis project on the 11oo block of East Hallandale Beach Blvd., Joseph Geller filled-in and took over first-chair for brother Senator Steve Geller who was still up in Tallahassee.


2. The Oasis project passed the city commission's first reading, along with an amendment by Comm. Keith London that would ensure that the project's flex units would revert back to the city if there were no progress on the ambitious project within 48 months of pulling the first permit for phase one, which will be the five-story retail and commercial office development along HBB -153,000 square feet- and the four-story garage behind it.


The 27-story residential building, which would border a future and absolutely necessary S.E. 2nd Street, will be the second phase.


This particular amendment is the city learning the painful lessons of The European Club on HBB and Three Islands, which failed colossally and is still an empty and ugly area eyesore after all this time.


Judging things by a PowerPoint presentation, of course, is no way to judge anything so large.
What I saw actually looked pretty good, but...

That particular lesson was learned the hard way by current and former members of the Hollywood City Commission -Comm. Richard Blattner?- who lamented out loud two weeks ago tonight, when comparing how great Radius looked on Young Circle -on paper and against the city commission wall- and the sad current reality, where it creates a canyon effect, albeit a curved canyon. See http://www.radiuscondo.com/ and

http://localism.com/article/186587/Desperately-seeking-a-Seller-Radius-Condo

Well, it's not like there weren't critics of Radius, witness the very last breaths of Beth Dunlop's impassioned 2004 column in the Herald, "Razing of history may bust Hollywood's boom" which pondered whether the City of Hollywood would be as wise and prescient as the hard-working man who had founded the city decades ago, Joseph Young.

The excerpt below comes from the smart, savvy and civic-minded folks at Balance Sheet Online, a Hallandale Beach Blog linked fave since Blog Day One.
http://www.balancesheetonline.com/bdunlop.htm

CAMPED OUT
When Radius opened its sales office, potential buyers camped out overnight to be first in line -- reminiscent of old photos of the 1920s land boom. Radius has great slogans -- ''Once you've gone round, you'll never be square again'' and ''Don't be square. Live the circle.'' -- but perfectly unexceptional architecture, blocky buildings on the usual podium, with a half-hearted tower at the corner where Tyler Street and Federal Highway meet Young Circle. It does not set any standard.
And those standards are all-important.

Downtown Hollywood could fulfill the vision of Young, or it could end up looking just like another suburban office park. The first step is to stop the Great Southern project cold and determine to preserve the city's tiny historic core; without it, there's no identity. The second step is to exact high standards of design for every new building that will line the rest of the circle, making sure that each one contributes rather than detracts.

Young's ''City Beautiful'' endured the tribulations of the decades, and today, it's still possible to see his dreams and ambitions in three dimensions, as a city. But now we're in a new boom, and far too little seems sacred any more, putting the ideals that created Hollywood, created Florida, at risk. Wouldn't it be a crime if it is this boom that leads to the real bust?

Which reminds me, I wonder if that Starbucks downstairs on the U.S.-1 side finally opened yet?

Must check that out in the next day or so when I see if all that junk on the northeast Circle opposite the Radius, south of the Papa John's, has been cleaned up after all these months of it festering and mocking eager visitors to the Arts Park.