| Olympics
Would Be a Boost |
| Baseball in Northern Virginia? That concept, as glorious
as it may sound, pales by comparison to the notion of having
the Summer Olympics hosted by Metro Washington in 2012. |
| When the idea was first brought up several years ago, I
admit I was one of many who was skeptical of the Olympics
in Washington. We've all heard disaster stories of corruption,
bankruptcy, crime, transportation problems, security and a
host of other negatives. |
| And why would we want to add to the mess we already have
in this area? Internal transportation and congestion are poor.
What good could the Olympics do for us? The area historically
has had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country,
and this area is neither lacking in positive public relations
nor in entertainment opportunities. |
| But two things have occurred since those negative thoughts
swirled in the minds of the policy makers in the Washington
area: Sept. 11 and the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Winter
Games. |
| Sept. 11 has brought economic woes to this area that no
one could have imagined. Hotels, restaurants and a host of
other businesses suffered greatly. Unemployment rose, funds
were cut off for much needed transportation improvements,
commercial tax revenue fell and the rest of the country fought
to avoid coming to Washington. |
| The suburbs, such as Herndon and Reston, follow the trends
of the greater Washington area, and consequently residents
in this area have felt the dimming of the lights since Sept.
11. |
| We need help, and the promise of the Washington Olympics
could be a great opportunity. |
| Dan Knise, president of the Chesapeake Region 2012 Coalition,
the group working to bring the Games to Washington, highlighted
the benefits of hosting the Olympics during a meeting last
week in Herndon. |
| Knise noted that Salt Lake City received $1 billion in new
transit funding for the event. |
| "A key project is bringing rail to Dulles," Knise said,
adding that most of the travel will come through Dulles. "You
will not be driving to the Games of 2012, I assure you. In
Los Angeles, to this day, they remember the days of Œ84 as
the best traffic they've ever had." |
| He said the Olympics would also be a great opportunity to
market the businesses in the area. |
| He said the Olympics would funnel $5.3 billion into the
economy, create 70,000 new jobs and bring 5.5 million new
visitors annually beginning five years before the Games. "It's
not just 17 days in 2012," he said. |
| The second event that happened that changed the minds of
many is the success of the Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Fraught with early corruption, construction and public relations
problems, Salt Lake City pulled off a miracle by producing
an Olympics filled with excitement, entertainment and great
competition. |
| The Salt Lake City Olympics team also overcame one of the
gravest of all concerns: Security. The events of Sept. 11
put unprecedented pressure on the Olympics Committee to assure
a safe event. They did it without a hitch. |
| What would a 2012 Olympics mean to Herndon, Reston and Eastern
Loudoun County? There are obvious benefits, such as thousands
of extra visitors pouring through Dulles, staying at hotels
and eating at local restaurants. It is predicted that every
hotel from Philadelphia, through Herndon to Richmond would
be booked. |
| Also, the worldwide public relations of having an Olympics
in our backyard would have benefits beyond belief. John Harris,
president of the Committee for Dulles, said, "The Olympics
truly is an opportunity. Think about the impact of having
over 5 billion TV viewers see what's good about this region." |
| And guess what? Maybe by that time the old Citgo gas station
will be torn down, the "for lease" signs will be gone from
the building across from Town Hall, and the 50-foot bus with
its for sale sign will be gone from Elden Street. |
| The Olympics will give everyone something to be proud of. |
| And that's Our Town this week. |
