Council Considers Bid For Winter Olympics
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(Wednesday) March 31, 2010
By Roger Digilio
Special Correspondent
alexandrianews.org
The Alexandria City Council is considering a bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Details emerging from a special closed meeting called to discuss the subject indicate more than minimal interest.
“We have to do something dramatic to take people’s minds off our budget woes,” Dell Pepper is reported to have said. “We had more snow this year then Vancouver, we have the hill at the Masonic Memorial and we can do this.”
She received enthusiastic support from the vice mayor who knows sports since he was athletic director at TC Williams and from the mayor who suggested Mel Miller head up a citizens’ committee to explore the idea. Councilman Rob Krupicka reportedly balked at hiring a consultant to evaluate Alexandria’s chances.
Councilman Paul Smedberg said, “We hire consultants and lawyers for everything else. Why should this be an exception.”
Councilman Frank Fannon and Councilwoman Alicia Hughes were non committal according to our sources but were coming around when the others assured them that the private sector would play a prominent role. ”We are not a socialist state,” was the remark that turned the tide.
We have had no confirmation that the City Manager Jim Hartmann and Deputy City Manager Mark Jinks suffered simultaneous heart attacks and had to be rushed to an unknown location to recover.
