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This is a great day for San Francisco, the San Francisco Bay Area and the great State of California! On November 29, 2001, BASOC sent off (via Fed Ex) the required legal documents from the City and County of San Francisco, the State of California, and BASOC to the USOC, meeting the deadline of November 30, 2001.
The signing of these legal documents is a result of many hours of hard work by BASOC attorneys, City and County of San Francisco staff, and State of California staff, plus the leadership of Mayor Willie Brown and Governor Gray
Davis.
All of us at BASOC - the hundreds of volunteers, staff, theme team leaders, and board members - look forward to continuing the relationships we've developed as the bid process continues over the next several years.
Demonstrating the Olympic values of vision, perseverance, hard work, and camaraderie, I know our bid will continue to unite the entire San Francisco Bay Area in our quest to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
And, as I told Mayor Brown at the "document signing" press event today at San Francisco City Hall, we expect to gather again in November of next year to celebrate the selection of San Francisco as the U.S. Candidate City for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Thanks to all for your contributions to this effort!
In the Olympic spirit ...
Anne, BASOC President and CEO
Every four years, people of all ages and backgrounds come together to watch the Olympic Games. The lucky ones travel far and wide to attend the Games while the majority of us watch the exciting competition from the comfort of our homes, hoping to someday be a part of the action. Well, the time has come! We're not talking about visiting Salt Lake City in 2002, but staying here, in the wonderful San Francisco Bay Area, to watch not the Olympic Games, but a highlight of the Games – the Torch Relay.
The first leg of the relay begins in San Jose on Friday morning, January 18, 2002. The Torch will pass through downtown San Jose and will conclude at the intersection of Park Blvd. and Almaden Blvd. Come join the City of San Jose for a lunch celebration at the conclusion of the first leg of the relay.
The Torch then makes its way up to Oakland where the City of Oakland will host a free program and concert beginning at noon. The celebration will occur at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall. The Torch will continue on to downtown Oakland, through picturesque neighborhoods, and will arrive at Jack London Square around 3:00 pm where another celebration will take place. From here, the Torch will board a ferry to San Francisco.
Once in San Francisco, the Torch will wind through several of the city's most notable landmarks – including Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and Downtown San Francisco. The last leg of the Torch Relay will end at the Justin Hermann Plaza where a celebration will take place in the early evening hours. Come one, come all, and help cheer on the Torch Relay Runners!
February 8-24, 2002
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 12-15, 2002, University of California, Berkeley
The 7th World University Taekwondo Championship of FISU will be held June 12-15, 2002 at the University of California, Berkeley. Thirty-five countries from six continents will participate with teams of 8 male contestants and 8 female contestants in Haas Pavilion. For more information and how to register your university, check out: http://www.ucmap.org/events/wutc2002
On Thursday, November 15th BASOC held a salute to the Olympic Winter Games at the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation. The Honor, Pride, Glory reception featured the delicious Italian food creations of Il Fornaio catering, wines hosted by Fetzer Vineyards, and beer from Gordon Biersch brewery. The San Jose Ice Company created a magnificent ice carving of the BASOC logo that stood tall over the display of hors d'oeuvres. An exciting auction featuring a variety of sports memorabilia and official Olympic items caused a buzz of excitement among bidders.
The KNBR68 radio personalities broadcast live from the event and interviewed celebrities including San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Olympians Kerri Strug and Jennifer Azzi and BASOC CEO Anne Warner Cribbs.
The highlights of the evening were the Tech Museum's innovative displays open to all guests and the private screening of the IMAX film Olympic Glory. The film and program were emceed by KNTV Ch 11 Sports Director Roger Mathai. The film was a tribute to the athletes of the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. As the guests exited the theater they were greeted by a fabulous dessert display and coffees served by Il Fornaio.
The Tech Museum exhibits served as a reminder of the innovative technologies that Silicon Valley has to offer, a fitting backdrop for the event since technology is one of the main focal points of the San Francisco Bay Area's 2012 Olympic bid. At the end of the evening, all guests received a beautiful poster designed by Rick Tharp, of Tharp Did It, featuring many of the 30 Northern California Olympians attending this event.
On Saturday, November 3, BASOC fielded three Olympian relay teams to compete at Tri-California's inaugural Treasure Island Triathlon. The Olympian teams were made up of the following athletes:
SWIM-BIKE-ROW: Kim Carlisle (1980 Swimming) – SWIM, Nicole Freedman (2000 Road Cycling) - BIKE, & Lindsay Burns (1992/1996 Rowing) – RUN.
SWIM-BIKE-SKI: Laura Siering (1976 Swimming) – SWIM, Karen Kurreck (2000 Road Cycling) – BIKE, & Stacey Blumer (1998 Skiing Aerials) – RUN.
BASOC/STANFORD TRIATHLON: Tom Wilkens (2000 Swimming) – SWIM, Ted Huang (1996/2000 Windsurfing) – BIKE, & Fred Carter (Elite Current Runner) – RUN.
The three teams arrived bright and early, eager to begin. For some, the event was part of their current training; for others, an end to an extended period of competitive hibernation. Getting everyone together seemed to get
the competitive juices flowing, and two of the cyclists could be seen carefully timing their warm-up (on their cycling trainers) to perfectly coincide with their swimmer finishing.
With BASOC CEO, Anne Cribbs, acting as honorary starter for the relay race, Kim, Laura, and Tom set off in the 50-something degree Bay water for their 1500 meter swim. After making it through the swim, they tagged off Nicole, Karen, and Ted for 40 kilometers of a technical and hilly course encompassing Yerba Buena Island. Then it was up to Lindsay, Stacey, and Fred to complete the pancake-flat 10K double-loop course to bring the teams home.
Each of the teams presented themselves admirably, with the BASOC/Stanford Triathlon team of Tom, Ted, and Fred, beating all of the professional triathletes and posting the fastest time of the whole day. This means that BASOC holds the Treasure Island Triathlon course record! BASOC Executive Committee member, Kim Carlisle says of the experience:
"After some hesitation about how far I could swim, how I would look next to all those young, fit triathletes in a wetsuit, and how cold the water might be, I decided to go for it. As it turned out, the day was gorgeous, the water not so bad, and, after the usual scramble for open water at the start,
I was able to stretch out and breath comfortably. My Olympic teammates, and our guest coach for the day -- Eric Bean, the Stanford Triathlon coach -- were loads of fun. It was a great event for BASOC and you can slot me in, provided I don't get any slower, for next year."
Everybody had a great time hanging out in the hospitality tent and several Olympians have also volunteered their bodies to take on the infamous Escape from Alcatraz in June! Special thanks to Terry Davis and all the folks at Tri-California for publicizing BASOC's Olympic bid everywhere, and for putting on such a great event for athletes and spectators alike.
Many of you may have seen our recently redesigned web site. We're especially excited about our upcoming kids' section. Phase II of the web site will include several new areas and there's one area that we need your help with. Our new 'No Adults Allowed' means exactly that – this section is intended for kids 15 years old or younger. No parents, please! In order to finish this part of our web site, we need your help to write articles and tell us what you think!
The section 'Who's Your Favorite?' allows you to vote for your favorite Olympian. Please send us your vote, a sentence or two explaining why this person is your favorite, along with your name, age, what school you go to, and the city you live in. We will put your vote on the web site and everyone can see what you think. Send all votes to info@basoc2012.org and we will take it from there!
The area 'From Me to You' allows kids 15 years old or younger to write a story about meeting an Olympian, what they think about the Olympic Games, or anything relating to the Olympics. For those who are more adventurous, we would like to have you interview a Bay Area Olympian and write a story or article about your interview. If you're interested, just tell us what sport you like the best and we will try to match you up with an Olympian in that sport, give you their contact information, and also give you a list of questions – unless you have some of your own! This is a great chance to talk to an Olympian! If you have any questions, want to send us your story, or you're interested in writing about an Olympian, please email us at: info@basoc2012.org.
And for those adults who are reading this section (you're not a kid anymore, sorry!) this is for you – if you know any teachers, principals, or after-school centers, please pass the word along! This would make a great assignment in class, especially with the Olympic Winter Games right around the corner in Salt Lake City.
Please feel free to contact info@basoc2012.org with any questions or comments you may have. And we hope to hear from you soon!
'God respects us when we work and He loves us when we play.' These words are dear to Alex Tarics, Hungary's Oldest Olympic Champion (88 years old) and our focus for BASOC's Olympic Icon of the month. They are words by which he has lived his life both personally and professionally. Alex's Olympic story takes us back to pre-World War II Germany and the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games where America's Jesse Owen's made history in what some historians call 'Hitler's Games.' As a young man of 23, Alex competed for his home country of Hungary in water polo, bringing home a team gold medal.
After a decade of unrest and war, Alex came to America where he eventually become a U.S. citizen, enjoyed a successful engineering career, and raised a family. The balance Alex has found between work and play lends to his vibrancy and continuing contributions to his profession and community. Although Alex officially retired in 1980, he is still active in engineering research, recently receiving two major grants from the National Science Foundation. He currently resides in Belvedere with his wife Elizabeth (who is a Princess of Transylvania) and is an active member of the Northern California Olympians. Alex spoke with me regarding his life as an Olympian in a recent interview.
How did you become a Hungarian Olympian in water polo?
I began playing water polo in high school at about the age of 14. We had high school competitions among the high schools. As the years went by, we got stronger and better. We had clubs like the Olympic Club here and each club had a team. There were competitions for what we called the Hungarian Championships. From those teams they selected maybe 20 players, which was a special group who received special training. They picked 11 players from this group of 20 to go to the Games. Each nation had the right to name 11 players to their team.
What is your most memorable Olympic experience?
When the Hungarian team played against the European country of Malta. One of the Maltese players fainted during the game. He just went down. Then we noticed that there was one less player than there should be and we looked at the bottom of the pool. There was this man who evidently had fainted and was ready to drown and die. So we picked him up and put him on the shore. It was not permitted by the rules to replace a person with another player so the Hungarian captain told one of us Hungarian players to leave the water so that the two teams would be equal. The interesting part of it was that the Hungarian team was so much better than the Maltese team. It was already assured that we were going to win the game but the gesture we made of voluntarily having one of our players leave the water created such an ovation - an ovation that was bigger than when we won the Olympic gold medal! It was a gesture of sportsmanship that the audience really appreciated.
A lot of times team would take advantage of a team being down by one player instead of doing something like that. That is why is was such a noble thing to do and that's how it should be in the Olympic Games.
When did you come to the United States?
I came to the United States in 1948, receiving a professorship which qualified me for a visa. I began my teaching career in Fort Wayne, Indiana having completed a doctorate in engineering. I came to the Bay Area in 1950 and started working for an architectural engineering firm in San Francisco where I became a partner, then chief executive officer, and eventually president and owner of the company. The name of the company was Reid and Tarics Associates, Architectural Engineers. Although we did some work in San Francisco, such as five of the BART stations under Market Street and major building of the University of California Medical Center, the bulk of our work was all over California and the United States.
When did you last visit Hungary?
I went back last year and Hungarian TV did a 20-minute story on me that was shown in Slovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. There are pockets of Hungarians living in those countries. It has also been shown several times on Hungarian TV.
How did you get involved with BASOC?
I was on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Olympians and I got to know Anne (Cribbs, BASOC CEO) at that time. I was very excited when I heard about them wanting to bring the Olympic Games to San Francisco because I've lived in San Francisco for 50 years, more than half of my life. My children were born here and I have five grandchildren. I am an American, an American of Hungarian origin, having received my citizenship in 1952.
Why do you think San Francisco should host the 2012 Games?
We have the facilities here, perfect weather, and a good transportation system. We have the charm of California and everybody wants to come to San Francisco. It would bring in a lot of people and that would be good for the economy. Everybody would benefit. We would all feel such pride being hosts of an Olympic Games.
Which event would you like to attend at the Olympics?
Water polo is number one as far as the Olympics goes but I would also like to see tennis.
Thank you, Alex, for your continued support of BASOC and your inspiring life story
'No company has the right to degrade the environment for their benefit at the expense of others.' This is the sort of philosophy that has helped Mark Jordan become Chair of the Northern California Board of Waterkeepers (formerly San Francisco Baykeeper, Petaluma Baykeeper, and DeltaKeeper), a citizen-based, Clean Water Act enforcement group that trolls the waters of the Bay looking for signs of unauthorized pollution or waste hazards. It is also a philosophy that rings well with Olympic planners, who try to ensure that as the Olympic Games get bigger and better, they don't damage the environment in the process.
Originally from Newport Beach, California, Mark enjoyed ecology, biology and field science during high school and college, but decided that a career as a doctor, dentist, or lab scientist wasn't for him. He earned a B.S. in Business from the University of the Pacific, and a Masters in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona, before working overseas in several consulting and management positions. He returned to the Bay Area in 1986 and worked for Stanford University's development office until founding Stanford ProNet in 1989, an organization that links potential employers with highly skilled, professional alumni. He remained CEO of ProNet until 1994 when the company spun off and was recreated at other elite universities. Mark decided it was time to re-enter the public arena and has served community-based projects, like Baykeepers, since then.
How did you first become involved in BASOC?
I belong to a discussion group that meets to discuss modern issues in biology, philosophy, religion and physics, and one of our members is a BASOC board member. She gave a presentation on BASOC that inspired me to make some inquiries about the organization. She introduced me to Anne Cribbs, and we discussed the environmental theme team that Anne was putting together. She noted that the International Olympic Committee had placed a strong focus on the environment by adopting it as the third pillar of the Olympic Movement. Anne later chose me to head the team, saying that she wanted someone who was committed to the environment but also had a business background.
What sort of work did the environmental theme team contribute to the bid?
Anne told us that this bid had to be compliance oriented—that the Olympic Games have to have a neutral, if not positive, effect on the environment—so our goal was to go above and beyond ensuring that a Bay Area Olympic Games will comply with all local laws. We focused on setting out the details of our plan now, because it will give us more leverage if the bid is accepted. In keeping environmental concerns on par with financial concerns, we created a Chief Environmental Officer to serve the future Olympic Committee, as well as a sustainability council made up of representatives from local and national non-governmental organizations.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
We adopted Agenda 21 from the Rio de Janeiro summit as the model for the Bay Area Olympic Games environmental standards. Under this sophisticated plan, all Olympic vendors and contractors must be accredited by an outside environmental agency, and must submit to an annual environmental audit with publicly available results. It has historically been difficult to protect the environmental jewels of the Bay while stimulating the economic engine, but so far our feedback has been very positive.
What will you be focusing on over the next few months?
The sustainability council will work to make sure that environmental groups, both small and large, have a channel to voice their concerns without disturbing the progress of the bid. This group will also continue to oversee several projects that are already underway for 2012, such as the Monterey Horse Park, and ensure their environmental compliance. Finally, we will continue our affiliation with local sporting events to observe the environmental programs currently being used in the Bay Area.
Do you have a favorite Olympic memory?
I can vividly remember the USA hockey team victory over Russia in the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980. It was the middle of the Cold War, and I was in France watching the game. When the USA won, all of the French spectators celebrated as joyously as the Americans, and I felt very strongly the importance of democracy to the two countries.
What events would top your list in 2012?
After the Opening Ceremonies, the first event I'd probably watch would be the sailing. I used to do some racing on the Bay, and I think BASOC has planned a wonderful event to capture the beautiful setting.
Thanks Mark, for taking the time out to speak to us!
We are now less than one year away from the final selection of the American bid city for the 2012 Olympic Games. Support from the political and corporate communities continues to grow along with our grassroots support. One of BASOC's initial Gold Founders was Greater Bay Bancorp. Greater Bay Bancorp is a Bay Area company that operates in the financial world much like BASOC operates in the civic world. It has a philosophy of sharing resources, but decentralizing execution.
Its Chairman, Duncan Matteson, who was profiled in his own right in this newsletter two months ago, has been instrumental in assisting BASOC with financing. Greater Bay Bancorp is a $7.6 billion holding company that encompasses twelve community banks and lenders throughout the Bay Area. It grows by strategic mergers and acquisitions as well as sound business development with its clients. It is a community of branches that together provide each other with favorable economies of scale. Thus, all of their branches form a "super community bank" which can deal with their clients in a community banking environment, but with the resources of a major commercial bank.
The commitment to the Olympic movement runs through the Greater Bay Bancorp family. Jim Woolwine, the Chairman and CEO of Golden Gate Bank, a subsidiary bank, serves as co-chair of the BASOC executive committee. Duncan says that he and Greater Bay Bancorp are committed to bringing the Games to the Bay Area because "there is no better way for young people around our world to gain a greater understanding of each other and share in common hopes and dreams that should unite us and never divide us as a world." He adds "the Bay Area would be an incredible site" with existing sports venues and its diversity of cultures and ethnicities. The Olympic Games would also be wonderful commercially with over $7 billion generated for the economy. The legacy of the Olympic Games would be a much improved transportation infrastructure in our region which would lead to a better lifestyle for all of us.
The sentiments of BASOC are revealed by our CEO Anne Cribbs. "We could not have come so far in this process without the early and steadfast support and commitment of Greater Bay Bancorp and the hard work of its Chairman Duncan Matteson. From raising financial resources for our efforts to raising the profile of our bid among Bay Area business leaders, Greater Bay Bancorp has been a true partner of BASOC and a true leader in the Bay Area business community." With support from Greater Bay Bancorp and others, BASOC is poised to make a successful bid.
A master of two mediums, Elizabeth Faletti has skillfully crafted images of professional athletes with words and with bronze. She interviewed and wrote about professional female basketball players while serving as the editor of Scoreboard, the San Jose Lasers marketing and community relations publication, and also wrote for Real Sports Magazine in San Jose. Her advocacy for women's sports later inspired an experiment in sculpting female athletes in motion, and the popularity of her bronze sculptures allowed her to open her own sculpting business in Berkeley this year. Before beginning a new piece, Elizabeth studies photos, watches interviews and videos of the chosen athlete, or even talks to the athlete herself.
A native of the Bay Area, Elizabeth earned her B.A. degree at Mills College with a major in English and minors in Music and Studio Arts. She learned her trade as an editor and writer working on various education-oriented projects at Word Masters and Academic Services in the East Bay, and later took on several Y2K documentation projects for Wells Fargo Bank in Concord before opening her own writing and editing service. At ‘The Write Stuff!', Elizabeth produces business plans and marketing materials and writes procedure manuals for local businesses and organizations, including pro-bono client BASOC. We were recently able to ask Elizabeth a few questions about her dual jobs and her role with BASOC:
How did you first become involved in BASOC?
I worked with Anne (Cribbs) at the ABL when I was with the San Jose Lasers and ran into her at the showing of the American Basketball League's documentary film, 'Breaking the Glass'. I thought that BASOC had a great bid plan, so I accepted her offer to start up a monthly newsletter featuring Olympians, BASOC volunteers, and upcoming events. I write the Olympic Icon and BASOC Superstar interviews each month and edit all of the newsletter pieces.
How has the newsletter worked out?
Since publishing our first online issue in April, in a text-only format, we have upgraded to HTML to include graphics and a link to BASOC's website. It's a great way to publicize BASOC because it can be passed to many people via email at no extra cost to us. Over the next year, I'd like the newsletter to become completely integrated with the website to make it more interactive. I'd also like to add other features, such as a kid reporter, to connect young students to the athletes and to BASOC.
Which Olympian interviewed have you enjoyed the most?
That's a really tough one. All of the interviews have been fun! Everyone's stories are so unique and interesting. I'd have to say fencing champion Barbara Higgins sticks out because she is very animated and tells great stories. I also enjoyed interviewing Brandi Chastain. She is a very warm person and it is great to watch her interact with children. I think she's a great ambassador for women's soccer!
Who is the most inspiring Olympian you have interviewed?
Definitely Marilyn King, who competed in the Olympic pentathlon and now does a lot of motivational speaking. The story of her rise to success was very inspiring for me, so I was touched when she complimented me as being a 'pentathlete in life.' The multi-dimensional quality inherent to the pentathlon is what I strive for every day.
Who will be the subjects of your next bronze sculptures?
Right now, I'm completing a sculpture of former San Jose Laser and Olympian Jennifer Azzi. My next two pieces will be tennis legend Billy Jean King and soccer star Brandi Chastain. I've also been talking to tennis champion Rosie Casals about featuring my pieces in her new sports art business, so it's a very exciting time for me. In sculpting, I have found a way to balance my interests with my skills and it is very rewarding.
Do you have a favorite Olympic memory?
Seeing the USA Women's Basketball team win the gold medal in Atlanta was special for me because I'd watched many of the women play in college and move onto pro careers in Europe. That team's success in Atlanta laid the foundation for women's professional basketball in the United States. The gold medals won by women's softball and women's soccer that year, along with basketball, were an important reflection of the success of Title IX in the U.S.
If BASOC wins the 2012 bid, what events would you like to see?
Of course I'd love to see the Opening Ceremonies! I think I'd try for the track and field events because professional races are so much harder to see live in the U.S. Track and field has long produced notable female champions such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gail Deavers, Regina Jacobs, and Marion Jones. I'd especially like to see the women's sprints, hurdles, and relays because I'm sure world records will be broken and unexpected champions will emerge. The Olympics are magical in that way.
Thanks, Elizabeth, and keep up the great work!
Please send comments, suggestions, and questions to: BASOC E-Newsletter, Attn: Berta Lim, 1900 Embarcadero Road, Suite 102, Palo Alto, CA 94303, info@basoc2012.com
BASOC e-newsletter writing provided by dedicated BASOC volunteers, editing by Berta Lim, and writing and editing by Elizabeth Faletti of The Write Stuff! - Berkeley, CA (510) 486-1843.
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