Olney/Logan: Opinion Formed

Growing up I was told that Olney/Logan is not a place I wanted to be. I had quite a few family members who lived there decades ago and no longer have any desire to go back, saying that it has changed quite a bit. I have never been in Olney for any other reason than to drive to La Salle University or Einstein Hospital, so my opinion was blindly built. Bluntly stated, my opinion has changed. After spending everyday for the past six weeks exploring every inch of a neighborhood that was considered “not a place I wanted to be,” I formed my own opinions. From day one, Kelly and I enjoyed our time in the neighborhood and never ran into any confrontations or problems. Most, if not all, of the residents were warm and welcoming and seemed to have a comment or story about everything Kelly and I told them we were covering. Working with the local paper, Your Community Voice, offered great opportunities to an area with a plethora of story ideas to begin with. Jean Pleis, the editor in chief of the late Olney Times and now Your Community Voice, was a great source of information and pointed us to a number of story ideas. Some we used, some we angled differently and some we did not use simply because there was no room. Jean pointed us to our first story with the Mormon community, which ended up leading us into Donte Holland, local rapper known as Beloved. Another resident of much help was the secretary at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Tracey Sims-Brooks. Tracey was such a big help, hooking us up with the kitchen they run as well as the great people of the Fifth Street Revitalization Project. Every story Kelly and I covered ended up being covered with ease, as all sources were accessible and extremely welcoming. Tracey even mentioned taking a picture of Kelly and I to put in their newsletter. That never happened but the thought is what counts. So about 200 words ago I mentioned that my opinion of Olney/Logan has changed. I believe that Olney/Logan is a strong knit community of residents who truly care about what is happening around them. Some of them recognize that outsiders stamped a stigma on the area, so when they saw us they felt a need to fill us with positive information hoping to change at least two opinions. Well, they did. I enjoyed my time in Olney/Logan.

Dave Nescio and Kelly McManus. Group 14. Olney/Logan.