Sunday, January 21, 2007
Ain't Nothin' Hard Like Playing Soccer in Clarkston
The New York Times finally follows AG's lead!
Today's NYT featured a front page story on the refugee epicenter that is Clarkston and our long-simmering soccer issues.
Clarkston is fulla refugees, see?
Like, for example, our grocer is apparently the only Iraqi that our local Fox affiliate knows. Whenever news happens in Iraq, the Fox5 van is down at his market to interview him and put his blurb on the news.
And there is a beautiful, wonderful, five-star ESL school here put on by Dekalb Tech. That place gives so many people their lives back. I am glad my tax dollars pay for that.
(Alas, though, the Cambodian restaurant was just replaced by a Bosnian [if I remember correctly] nightclub -- such are the changing demographics of the refugee population.)
But all is not well in the land of milk and honey. To wit, the mayor, and other of his ilk are giving our local kids' soccer team, the Fugees, trouble.
“There will be nothing but baseball and football down there as long as I am mayor,” said Swaney.
He's referring to the beautiful field at Milam Park, as NYT explains. Pictured at right, the field in question is past the picnic shelter.
There is also a beautiful field beside the community center. It is behind a padlocked fence and I've never seen anyone in there.
But this is local grousing. Just remember, yall, check the links on the right to hear about the massive refugee community here and how you can volunteer and meet the most remarkable survivors you will ever meet. Or just come for one of our many halal butchers, pho diners or Burmese laundromats.
PS, you always know when Lee Swaney is coming because his big 'ol truck has a big magnet on the door reading, "Lee Swaney, Mayor of Clarkston." ¶ 9:17 PM
Today's NYT featured a front page story on the refugee epicenter that is Clarkston and our long-simmering soccer issues.
Clarkston is fulla refugees, see?
Like, for example, our grocer is apparently the only Iraqi that our local Fox affiliate knows. Whenever news happens in Iraq, the Fox5 van is down at his market to interview him and put his blurb on the news.
And there is a beautiful, wonderful, five-star ESL school here put on by Dekalb Tech. That place gives so many people their lives back. I am glad my tax dollars pay for that.
(Alas, though, the Cambodian restaurant was just replaced by a Bosnian [if I remember correctly] nightclub -- such are the changing demographics of the refugee population.)
But all is not well in the land of milk and honey. To wit, the mayor, and other of his ilk are giving our local kids' soccer team, the Fugees, trouble.
“There will be nothing but baseball and football down there as long as I am mayor,” said Swaney.He's referring to the beautiful field at Milam Park, as NYT explains. Pictured at right, the field in question is past the picnic shelter.
There is also a beautiful field beside the community center. It is behind a padlocked fence and I've never seen anyone in there.
But this is local grousing. Just remember, yall, check the links on the right to hear about the massive refugee community here and how you can volunteer and meet the most remarkable survivors you will ever meet. Or just come for one of our many halal butchers, pho diners or Burmese laundromats.
PS, you always know when Lee Swaney is coming because his big 'ol truck has a big magnet on the door reading, "Lee Swaney, Mayor of Clarkston." ¶ 9:17 PM
