Shroomin’ it up

At the end of a dusty road in Burlington, Wis., lined with wood-slat homes and people seated on wraparound porches enjoying the summer breeze, sits a country store reminiscent of days gone by. In the lush fields and farm structures behind the store grow the products that end up on its shelves-tomatoes for homemade pasta sauces, corn for corn relish, and garlic and beans to be pickled and canned.

And mushrooms. Lots and lots of mushrooms, to be sold fresh at the store and at various farmers markets, as well as for the farm’s specialty products including pickled mushrooms, Portabella chili, and Portabella salsa.

Eric Rose, owner of River Valley Ranch & Kitchens, said his father started growing mushrooms in 1972. His family is originally from Chicago, and Rose said they owned several different restaurants throughout the Windy City in the 1950s and 1960s.

When Rose was in his early 20s, after “doing the Woodstock thing and listening to rock and roll,” he helped his father when he was shorthanded and became intrigued by the growing process. River Valley Ranch & Kitchens now grows five varieties of mushrooms and assorted produce on 37 acres. Rose sells to farmers markets in the Milwaukee area and throughout Chicago, and also sells produce and canned products at the store and to restaurants. River Valley Ranch & Kitchens is in its fifth year at the South Shore Farmers Market.

Rose said he has noticed an increased awareness in recent years on the part of consumers about where their food comes from, plus an increasing focus on healthful food. This has led to an uptick in business, Rose said, even after business dipped when varieties of mushrooms became more readily available in grocery stores.

“It’s not easy to grow good food,” Rose said. River Valley Ranch & Kitchens uses no pesticides or chemicals on its mushrooms or produce.

While mushrooms have nutritional value, Rose said their flavor is more the selling point. Some people enjoy the meaty taste of a Portabella mushroom on its own, as a vegetarian substitute for a hamburger patty, while others use mushrooms to enhance a meal.

Portabella, Crimini (known more commonly as Baby Bella), White Button, Oyster, and Shiitake mushrooms are grown year-round in five cool, dim growing houses, each with a crop in a different stage of development. Rose said rotating the crop yields 8,000 pounds of mushrooms per week.

Nestled in eight-inch-deep wood trays, Portabella and Crimini mushrooms pop their domed tops through a combination of 80-percent compost and a mixture of peat moss and limestone. Portabella and Crimini mushrooms are actually the same mushroom, Rose said, just harvested at different stages.

Growing methods vary slightly for the other varieties. Rose displayed a sawdust block approximately the size of a cinderblock. Shiitake mushrooms of assorted sizes sprouted in all directions from the block.

On separate shelves, clear plastic bags slightly larger than grocery store bags were stuffed with pasteurized straw and calcium. This mixture provided the developing environment for Oyster mushrooms, which emerged through slits in the clear plastic.

For all varieties, the growing cycle is quick, Rose said, with Oyster mushrooms maturing within five days. Others mature in about one week.

Rose said some challenges with mushroom cultivation are mushroom flies and fungal viruses that attack the mushrooms, reducing the pounds yielded. He’s nearly completed three years’ worth of upgrades to improve sanitation and efficiency, and recently purchased a new ventilation system.

As for a favorite mushroom, Rose joked that it’s “whatever one we have too many of.”

More Than Mushrooms

Outside of the mushroom growing houses, fields of asparagus, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and squash blend into the rural landscape. Rose said the produce is both to sell fresh and for use in the products they offer at the store and the farmers markets. Most of the pickled vegetables, sauces, and salsas they sell are their own recipes. Rose said they also have worked with chefs, including Rick Bayless of Chicago’s Frontera Grill, to create recipes.

Much of the weeding is done by hand. Rose said the number of employees fluctuates, but is usually “30-something” among the farm, the store, and the kitchen. As for the produce, Rose said he doesn’t do his own seed starts, but orders plants from local businesses.

Rose paused to pluck a Japanese beetle from an asparagus fern. “These are menacing. There’s not many natural methods to get rid of them.” Rose crushed the dime-sized pest and flicked it into the distance, and said they’ve been a problem for farmers this season, and will lead to a lower plant yield next year.

Rose, like most small farmers, must constantly be creative with ways to protect his livelihood given the challenges of Wisconsin’s drastic climate swings. While checking the rows of Anaheim chili peppers, basil, and eggplant, Rose said they’ve expanded crops this season to make up for losses last year due to the cool weather. Warm temperatures this summer have led to a more bountiful harvest.

River Valley Ranch & Kitchens also offers mushroom kits for sale for those interested in growing their own mushrooms.

Despite the challenges of producing quality pesticide-free food, and the long hours involved with farming, Rose said it’s rewarding to hear feedback from customers who notice a difference in the quality of sustainable agriculture versus commercially grown food. He hopes the interest in good food stays strong.

More info: rivervalleykitchens.com.

Dick Knepper—from four wheels to two

Dick Knepper pedals through Bay View, noticing the make, model, and condition of cars whizzing past his bicycle. Once Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Fords were popular, but times have changed. These days he notices the influx of Volvos, BMWs, and Subarus. His observations aren’t surprising, given Knepper’s background as a gas station and car repair shop owner. Over the almost six decades he’s been working with and watching Bay View’s cars, Knepper has seen them and the neighborhood get more prestigious.

“Big time, what I’ve noticed is the clientele in the Bay View area. When I went into business, it was a working man’s, working class area. Since Bay View was ‘found out’ since they built the bridge, it was a big turning point in Bay View,” he said, referring to the Hoan Bridge, which opened for traffic in 1977.

Knepper sports a long gray ponytail which defies his age, 81, as does a substantial tan from his “snowbird” months in Florida and frequent bicycling. He launched the Bay View Bicycle Club in 1989 and is proud that “I used to bike when it wasn’t popular.”

Early Years

Knepper was born at 39th Street and Fond du Lac Avenue, ninth of 11 children. Through the years, he’s lived in several homes in or near Bay View, including one he and two brothers built for their parents. Knepper lived there with his parents until his marriage in 1957, when the young couple moved to Third and Oklahoma.

As a teenager, Knepper attended South Division High School for three years, then joined the U.S. Army and served three years as a mechanic, attaining the rank of sergeant. He used GI Bill money to attend night school, studying to become a mechanical engineer at what was then a UW extension, now UWM. But in 1952, he and his brother Herb started renting a Shell gas station at 2892 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. In 1959, they bought it.

The new business owners had lots of competition. The Kneppers’ Shell filling station occupied the northeast corner of Estes Street and Kinnickinnic Avenue (the present-day site of the car repair business that bears the brothers’ names), but there was a Mobil kitty-corner from them on the southwest corner (the present-day location of the Milwaukee Community Acupuncture). A few blocks to the south, gas stations occupied three of the four corners at the intersection of Kinnickinnic and Oklahoma. And up the block, there was a station on KK at Fulton and also at Russell.

“There was so much competition, I really don’t know how we did it,” Knepper said.

The brothers started selling gas at 21 cents per gallon, almost always paid in cash. High-school-aged boys filled the tank, checked the oil, and washed the windows for each customer.

Knepper and his wife Nancy had three girls and four boys, who sometimes helped out with window washing, checking fluids, and even tire rotation. Knepper enjoyed taking them bicycling on his Raleigh, an English bike he selected for its light weight. He remembers getting his bike serviced at the now-defunct Bayview Schwinn Cyclery (then actually in St. Francis across from the former Majdecki’s Inn on St. Francis Avenue before the shop moved to 43rd and Loomis Road).

Over the years, Dick and Herb had to borrow money to stay afloat and suffered through the 1970s energy crisis—plus conflict with Kneisler’s White House owners when they challenged his acquisition of a triangular city property between his business and the White House. Knepper and his wife divorced in 1975.

Knepper Brothers prevailed as other stations faded away. “We outlasted everybody in the whole area,” Knepper said. He attributes some of his success to honesty, and said his secret to being a good business owner is to “admit when you’re wrong.”

The brothers eliminated their closest competitor by purchasing the location in the late 1990s. But Knepper Brothers was itself to change its identity as a filling station. Federal Superfund money helped remove leaky tanks, and in 1998 Knepper Brothers became solely devoted to car repair. That same year, Knepper’s sons Andy and Rick took over the business. A few years later, Rick moved up north and Andy became sole proprietor.

Dick Knepper remains a regular at his son’s shop for a morning coffee klatch in the small lobby, which features historic photos of the old station. Relatives and friends, some from the South Shore Yacht Club, stop by to chat.

Passion for Cycling

In 1989 Knepper realized he wanted to meet some of the bike riders passing him on roads and paths. He concocted the idea of a bicycle club and hung flyers to announce a meeting.

Twenty-five people turned up at the first meeting. They formed the nonprofit Bay View Bicycle Club, which today is going strong with about 100 members and organizes rides each weekend of the season.

Knepper has left a legacy in the club.

“He is definitely leaving his mark on the bicycling community,” said current president Michael Dix. “I think the club still reflects his personality. It’s very down to earth. As a club we’re really just interested at getting out and riding.”

Knepper still rides, mostly solo, and chooses a route based on whim and wind. Dix points out that “Dick provides an example to others that helps them to continue to ride as they get older.”

In 1999 Knepper made local news when he rode his bicycle 1,600 miles to Florida with his then-18-year-old granddaughter, Liz Wyma, to celebrate his 70th birthday. Knepper said the ride challenged her stamina more than his.

Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The search for information led his romantic partner Donna Pogliano to coauthor the 2002 book A Primer on Prostate Cancer: The Empowered Patient’s Guide. Today, Knepper is fully recovered from cancer and in good health, always ready for another ride.

Bay View Bicycle Club
The Bay View Bicycle Club is a group of about 100 riders who organize rides around southeastern Wisconsin each weekend from April through October. The rides are focused on enjoyment rather than racing and might involve a stop for ice cream. Wheel & Sprocket provides support. Members serve as marshals during UPAF’s Ride for the Arts and donate to worthy causes. The club’s fundraiser, the Lake Country Classic, is held in July. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $40 for a household. More info: bayviewbikeclub.org.

Taking care of his sweet girls

Sunlight shone through jars of pure honey, highlighting the golden clarity of Zivojin “Jim” Cvejin’s untouched product.

Beekeeper Cvejin, 80, has sold his unprocessed honey and other products—honey mustard, honey candies, beeswax bars, bee pollen, and honey glycerin soap—at the South Shore Farmers Market since it started.

He’s earned quite a following among market regulars, who often stop by his stand seeking one of his honey varieties including Raspberry, Locust, Basswood, or Wildflower.

A native of the former Yugoslavia, Cvejin worked as a mechanical engineer until his retirement from Ladish Co. in Cudahy 14 years ago. Scientifically inclined, after retirement he quickly became bored with “being a couch potato.” Through a mutual friend he met Dr. Marla Spivak, professor of entomology at the University of Minnesota. Cvejin said he then became intrigued by the art and science of beekeeping. Voracious in his curiosity, he took a one-week beekeeping course, but his thirst for knowledge continued. He took another short course the following year, and later studied beekeeping under Dr. Marion Ellis of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Cvejin earned his Master Beekeeper certificate in 2002.

His passion for beekeeping is obvious, and he takes his charge to educate others about bees seriously.

He goes into great detail about bee colonies, which are like families and have structure and specialized roles for the queen, worker bees, and drones. Guard bees have a keen sense of smell, Cvejin said, and can detect intruders from other colonies.

He’ll also tell you that queens are made, not born, a product of a specialized diet of royal jelly, glandular secretions from worker bee heads more nutritious than the pollen consumed by adults. “Queens don’t eat—they’re fed,” Cvejin said. And there’s a reason: she’s busy. In 24 hours, Cvejin said, a queen bee can lay twice her body weight in eggs.

A Man of Bees

A soft-spoken, gentle man who doesn’t rush, Cvejin cares about the welfare of his “sweet girls,” as he calls his all-female worker bees.

Cvejin has hives in various locations around the Milwaukee area, including New Berlin and Caledonia. He averages about two hives per location, and has not kept more than four to five. He said there are no permits required in the municipalities where he keeps the hives, but he just needs a permit to sell.

He’s tried Australian, Russian, New World, New Zealand, and Minnesotan bees, but prefers Italian, which are productive and docile.

Cvejin said his honey varies throughout the season when the hives are pulled after certain flowerings, with Locust usually being the first to blossom. Several market customers had asked for Buckwheat honey, which Cvejin said would be ready in August. He said he sells through December, then begins the season again “when the dandelions first harvest.” Honey production varies, depending on the type of bee, where they are, and the weather.

He’s against migratory beekeeping, where bees are taken from Florida to Georgia to California on a flatbed truck and forced to pollinate crops beyond their natural seasonal rhythms. “That’s not beekeeping. That’s milking,” he said. “That’s not okay.”

Cvejin also said heating and filtering commercial honey destroys all the good ingredients that occur in it naturally, like enzymes and vitamins. “All is destroyed with heating, filtering…All to make honey sit in jars on shelves for years.”

Many customers quizzically examined his jars of bee pollen granules, which Cvejin said can be beneficial for ailments such as allergies. He cited customers who special-order his honey and bee pollen for its healing properties and recommends consuming one teaspoon of his honey a day for its health properties.

He helped the sisters at the Eco-Justice Center in Racine set up a colony, but told them to be patient because the initial work of making wax is toughest for the bees. “You’ve got to be patient,” he told the sisters. “You’ve got to give it time. Time to build a house first.”

If people want to raise their own bees, Cvejin recommends that beginners start with two colonies, as it’s common for the first to be lost. He works with other beekeepers and helps troubleshoot. “Nobody knows everything,” Cvejin said. “We all learn from each other, if we’re smart enough.”]

Michael Timm contributed to this report.

Rasheed’s story — How he learned about bike safety the hard way

On Aug. 3, 2009, Bilal Markis’ 12-year-old son Rasheed rode his bike through a red light and was run over by two SUVs driving in opposite directions. His injuries were so severe that he lost one kidney and half his liver. He broke his pelvis, crushed one lung, and lost 46 pints of blood through surgery. Against all odds, Rasheed not only survived but is doing better today than before his accident mentally and physically, according to his doctors and teachers. His therapist told Bilal that Rasheed would need a minimum of two years of therapy. But in December 2009, after about three months, Bilal said therapists told him he needed no more. We asked Rasheed to provide his own account of his harrowing experience.

On Aug. 2, 2009, I was cleaning our old apartment on 16th and Greenfield, while my dad and my brother Elijah were packing and driving our furniture and boxes to our new apartment near 13th and Grange. My sister Yasmeen had to stay at her friend’s house for a few days until we moved and were settled in. Around 3pm we were done moving, cleaning, and then the last thing my dad had to do was drop off the U-Haul truck. The first thing we did once we got to our new apartment was to look for clean clothes and take showers. At around 5pm or so we went out to eat, I was so hungry. Where we ate, I forgot. After we ate, we then came home and went to bed—we were all tired from moving.

The next morning, we all got up early and started to unpack. My dad made a big breakfast and around 9am we ate. After we ate, my brother Elijah and I asked my dad if we could go for a bike ride. It was a nice day, so we kept asking as we were unpacking. Finally at around 11am, my dad gave in and let us. My dad did tell us to stay around the new area and not to go too far. What my dad didn’t know is that my brother told me outside that he was riding back to our old neighborhood.

As we left and crossed Grange Avenue, I didn’t look and a car hit the back of my bike. The person got out of the car to ask how I was, but I got nervous and didn’t say anything to the driver and rode fast and caught up to my brother.

After riding our bikes back to 16th and Greenfield, which seemed really far, we located some of our friends. We played basketball, hung out, and went to the library together. As it got late, around 10pm or so, we started to leave one friend’s house and crossed 16th and Greenfield and headed south on 16th Street. My brother decided to change directions and turn around. For some reason or another, we went back the same way we came from. My brother Elijah crossed Greenfield going north toward Chase Bank through a changing red light.

He made it to the other side safely; I stayed back for a moment with my friend Justin and then decided to go through the red light without looking. I never made it to the other side. Like I just blacked out or something.

I started to have fun when I was moved to a better and bigger room. In this room I was given a laptop computer to use, the Wii game, and many games to play from family and friends. I remember my sister Yasmeen telling my dad that it’s not fair that I have all these gifts from people. My dad told my sister that all she has to do to get gifts like this is “ride your bike through a red light and get run over by two trucks.” I will never forget her face. She said, “No, No. Never mind, he deserves it.” That was funny. She never said that again.

After a while, I got tired of hospital foods, especially French fries and shakes. I couldn’t believe how many people visited me. Many people I knew and many I didn’t. When I went home on Aug. 25, 2009, I was very weak. I couldn’t move like before.

I started therapy early September and started school on Sept. 9. At first kids started to be a little mean to me at school because of how skinny I was, but as I got stronger and bigger that stopped. Starting in late September I had my first interview with Fox 6 and then many more up until today. I did a commercial with Fox 6’s Nicole Koglin in November, and my Miracle story has been in many newspapers in Milwaukee and my story has been in the nationwide magazine Islamic Horizons. My dad said these interviews will be good because it could help others when it comes to bike safety.

Today my brother, my dad, and I are working with Wheel & Sprocket and BloodCenter of Wisconsin. I learned a lot about bike safety from talking with Liza from Wheel & Sprocket. She showed me a cantaloupe and threw it on the ground and told me to imagine that it was a head without a bike helmet. It broke in half. Then she showed me a cantaloupe and taped it in a bike helmet and threw it on the ground just as hard. It didn’t break.

Helmets are very important to wear when riding a bike. Also, when riding a bike at night, make sure you have bright colors on and a bike light. The last thing is to ride your bike through a green light only and still look both ways when crossing.

Celebrating the Miracle Comeback

Bilal Markis is sponsoring a Miracle Comeback event Aug. 3 in the 1700 block of W. Bow Street between Union and Muskego streets, two blocks west of 16th and Greenfield, directly behind Pete’s Market.

Markis has invited all major local televised media, local politicians, and will have a table on Rasheed’s story. BloodCenter of Wisconsin and Wheel & Sprocket will also have tables. He hopes to distribute free bike helmets. Clowns, food, and other area businesses are anticipated as well as the police, firefighters, and paramedics who helped Rasheed last year.

More info: www.miraclecomeback.com.

Taking the pressure off hydrants

Community gardeners look to harvest rainwater

Water wars don’t just involve places like Waukesha coveting Lake Michigan water or a thirsty Southwest vying for a dwindling Colorado River.

Water access has now become a local struggle as the city’s plan to restrict fire hydrant usage is forcing community gardeners to get creative.

Milwaukee’s community gardening scene is blossoming; and gardens need water. Since 1990, the city of Milwaukee Water Works has allowed gardens to legally access fire hydrants—for a permit and fee they are outfitted with a spigot adapter that enables summer use. But the city is shifting its policy. By 2012, Water Works wants to limit hydrant usage to fire suppression only.

That places gardeners in a precarious position.

The Bay View Hide House Community Gardens, for example, occupy a privately owned but previously vacant grass lot with over 100 raised garden beds. A Bay View Neighborhood Association member paid the fee for hydrant access and individual gardeners currently walk across the street to a nearby hydrant to carry water to their plots. There have been discussions about collecting water from neighboring roofs or neighbors offering up water, but right now, without the hydrant, these gardens could depend only on rain.

July 14 Meeting

Approximately 60 people came, including Forestry Services Manager David Sivyer, Third District Alderman Nik Kovac, 13th District Supervisor Willie Johnson, Jr., 14th District Supervisor Chris Larson, and Mark Rohlfing, who became fire chief in May.

Water Works Superintendent Carrie Lewis provided those assembled with several rationales for getting gardens—and other uses, like private landscapers—off hydrants.

First, firefighters are concerned about a few seconds’ delay should they need to access a hydrant outfitted with a garden adapter. Second, vandalism to or failure of hydrant caps could make them into dangerous projectiles. Third, hydrants weren’t made to be “on” for an entire summer and there is concern about expensive damage to them. Fourth, Water Works is eager to ensure all its water is metered, excepting that used by firefighters (who spray between 1,500 and 4,000 gallons per minute).

Going into the meeting, many feared the city’s shift would stymie the local food movement by cutting off the water access that had helped gardens start up in the first place.

VGI’s Mead characterized the hydrants as just one piece of a complex situation of how government can support or hinder a healthier populace. She argued that encouraging local food ought to be viewed as part of the public interest and compared the issue of food security with the public safety concerns cited for discontinuing hydrant usage. Mead also raised the question of whose water it really is.

Harvesting Rainwater

Meeting organizers hoped to turn the threat of hydrant shutoff into an opportunity for community gardeners to take the lead in making Milwaukee into a water hub that specializes in exporting innovative, low-tech solutions to stormwater management.

Ron Doetch of Urban Ag Design, 2803 N. Teutonia Ave., offered a presentation to support his point that “we can help the city manage stormwater runoff while providing water for healthy places.”

Doetch helped design the Teutonia urban gardens in 2008—which include a 5,000-gallon underground cistern that collects rainwater from a nearby roof. That water is pumped into a tower for garden plots by the action of children on play equipment.

Instead of looking at hydrants as a lost water source, he suggested harvesting rainwater more efficiently. “Part of our problem is we take an industrial approach,” Doetch said.

Doetch asked how much stormwater management is worth to the city in dollars per land area and suggested crediting properties that retain it.

Based on rainfall data per acre, Doetch argued that every square-foot of land in our area receives about 19 gallons of rainwater per year. Doetch suggested viewing this as a resource currently being squandered. Especially as—based on water utility and sewage rates per acre—he calculated that land currently costs owners $.21 per square-foot.

Doetch suggested manipulating soil types, microbial and worm populations, ground cover, slope, engineering features, and other variables to increase the land’s ability to capture water—which could be used for gardens and reduce runoff.

Heavy rains and flooding in recent weeks provided a stunning reminder of the consequences of land use and how important, if inglorious, managing stormwater is for a community—in human, property, repair, and environmental costs.

Milwaukee Water Works maintains 19,824 fire hydrants in Milwaukee, Greenfield, St. Francis, and Hales Corners.

Picking Up Momentum

The threat of losing hydrants brought community gardeners from different corners of the city together into one room on July 14 and laid the groundwork for future collaboration and an exchange of ideas.

A meeting to discuss policy is 6pm Aug. 4 at Milwaukee Urban Gardens’ office, 1845 N. Farwell Ave.

A meeting to discuss strategy is 6pm Aug. 11 at Independence First, 540 S. First St.

Jan Christensen plans to publish a directory of Milwaukee urban gardeners later this year.

Emmanuel Pratt, a Columbia University doctoral candidate researching Milwaukee urban agriculture, plans a map of Milwaukee’s community gardens.

Students create interactive history display

Discovery World has teamed up with Bay View High School and the Bay View Historical Society to produce the Bay View Observatory, an interactive public art display showcasing the neighborhood’s history on the front lawn of the Beulah Brinton house, 2590 S. Superior St.

It’s the culmination of 10 weeks in the collaborative Art and Archaeology of Me program for 25 Bay View High School students. Working with Discovery World archaeologist Kevin Cullen and digital media producer Heidi Heistad, students learned archaeological methods, researched the history of Bay View, and designed displays about local history as well as large-format banners of their “personal archaeology.”

The idea is to give students the tools to better understand their personal relationship to their city and its history—and to understand their role as producers of cultural artifacts. The program is also intended to empower students to pursue college and careers in communication or the graphic arts.

The Bay View Observatory is a public art display envisioned as a macro-compass. Large banners lead to a 30-foot circular area defined by 16 compass points surrounding a central table. Each point denotes a site of historical or archaeological significance and presents brief information about its context and its distance and direction from the display. Students at the center will interview neighbors to compile oral histories, scan photographs, and photograph artifacts.

This information will be stored at the Beulah Brinton house and added to a publicly accessible online archive. Three students also developed a downloadable audio historical walking tour for the Bay View neighborhood.

The Bay View Observatory opened to the public July 31 and students will be on site collecting oral histories from 10am to 2pm.

“I just think it’s such a great project,” said Kathy Mulvey, historical society president. “We are delighted.”

It will raise the society’s profile but also mesh with its outreach mission, Mulvey said, adding that students are not only learning historical research methods and exploring Bay View, but also showing many historical society members that “nifty stuff” is happening at their alma mater.

Steve Atwell, Discovery World’s development director, is excited about this project and said Bay View High School has proved a good partner.

“Because archaeology is such an interesting cross-disciplinary platform for learning about science, it really has been over the last years a stellar program area,” he said. It’s also a way to break down the disciplinary “silos” within traditional education, Atwell said.

Bay View High School’s relationship with Discovery World in the Art and Archaeology of Me began last year. Seven students who participated last year became paid interns on the project this year.

After summer display outside the historical society, components of the Bay View Observatory will be moved to Bay View High School and Discovery World respectively.

The Northwestern Mutual Foundation contributed a $40,000 grant and the Ethel Herzfeld Foundation contributed a $25,000 grant to support this project. Discovery World and Bay View High School also contributed to the collaboration.

The big race

For one day, the intersection of Packard and Barnard avenues became a glorious start/finish line, framed by an announcer’s stage and merchandise tents.

Amateur and pro, local and international alike—competitive racing cyclists descended upon Cudahy on July 15 for the South Shore Cyclery Classic, the first Milwaukee-area stop of the Point Premium Root Beer Superweek Pro Tour and International Cycling Classic (ICC).

Barricades and metal fencing blocked traffic from the 0.8-mile race course, which began in sight of the newly-remodeled façade of South Shore Cyclery.

City officials and law enforcement scurried past cyclists as they secured helmets, rode warm-up laps, and pedaled in place on stationary training devices on the sidewalks.

The Compass caught up with John McGill of Vermont as he was gearing up for the Masters Men 35+ Category 1/2/3 race, the second of the day’s six races. Categories, or Cats in racer lingo, range from 1 to 5, 1 including the most elite cyclists and 5 including the least experience.

McGill said his first ICC racing experience was in 1986. He’s also participated in races in Belgium and France. He said he enjoys the thrill of racing, and the speed. “It’s also a knowledge-intensive sport,” McGill said, as one must learn about racing tactics and strategy.

McGill, like many racers who are not yet pro, has a career, working as an environmental consultant. He juggles work, family life, and 20 hours of training a week. He stressed a proper diet rich in protein, no alcohol, which can slow recovery, and lots of sleep.

“It’s also a countercultural sport, a popular sport in Europe,” McGill said, adding that the following it has in the United States allows exposure to different cultures.

A Unique Event

The Cudahy racecourse led each tight pack of cyclists north from Packard and Barnard, right around the corner onto Squire Avenue, where they sped down the slight hill. Cyclists then took the sharp turn onto Kirkwood, following Kirkwood until turning up the hill onto Holmes, then turning back onto Packard.

Residents of Washington Square on Packard gathered on their front lawn to watch the race. “It’s our first time watching a race like this,” said Maria Victoria Campos North, who sat with her husband Ron. She leaned on the edge of her lawn chair whenever the racers sped past.

Across from Washington Square, businesses including Anytime Fitness, FIXX, Lakeshore Medical Group, and Skyline Catering & Deli set up in the vendor area. Other businesses along Packard were also open, including some taverns. With the new smoking ban, patrons who stepped outside to enjoy a cigarette lingered long after their Marlboros were extinguished to observe the race.

Judy Carlin, owner of The Gift Shoppe on Packard, let the South Shore YMCA sell hot dogs in front of her store for a fundraiser, and seemed pleased by the attention from the race. “The city of Cudahy has started what will be a continuing movement to improve the downtown area,” she said.

Steve Sohner of Columbus, Ohio was one of the ICC announcers. “Ninety-nine percent of people had never seen a bike race before,” Sohner said. “We’re a rolling arena. We bring cycling to the masses.”

Sohner added that cycle tours bring money to the host city. “And our crew is doing laundry,” Sohner said, nodding toward Arlyn’s Laundromat on the corner of Packard and Barnard.

Race day was a community affair.

Cudahy resident Greg Janisch volunteered to be a course marshal. Stationed at the barricades near Packard and Munkwitz, with the Milwaukee Police Explorer Scouts his job was to keep the track area clear.

An impatient minivan driver who had to wait until the pace car and the racers passed grumbled at the Explorer Scout who moved the barricade and quickly waved him through. One spectator booed the van as it passed. “Closed means closed, buddy,” another spectator said, then turned his attention back to the course.

Sources of Inspiration

Back at the finish line, Sohner, whose smooth deep voice sounds more mature than his 21 years, announced the racers as they approached. After several cool-down laps and lots of water, the cyclists got to chat and cheer on the winners as they took the podium.

Cyclist Gary Doering owns Team MACK, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competitive cycling out of Springfield, Ill. Doering said Team MACK sponsored the Masters Men Cat 1/2/3. Doering said he’s had a passion for cycling since he was 13. This was his 13th year at ICC, and he finished 18th in the Masters Men Cat 1/2/3.

Fellow Team MACK member and Pewaukee native John Fleckenstein finished second. He’s been racing for 15 years.

Although he came in fifth in the July 15 race, Ricardo Otero of Chicago finished second overall in cumulative points at the ICC when the 10-day race ended July 25. He said he had always enjoyed bike riding around his neighborhood and has been racing for 24 years.

“I was inspired by the movie Breaking Away,” Otero said. The 1979 cycling film featured Indiana youths, one of whom obsessed with bike racing, who formed a team to compete in Indiana University’s Little 500 bicycle race. Otero said he eventually competed in the Little 500 himself.

South Pasadena, Calif. resident Morgan Kapp, the victor of the Pro Women Category 1/2/3, is in her fifth racing season and her third year at Superweek. Kapp, like Otero, was inspired by a cycling movie. For Kapp, it was American Flyers.

Young Canadian cyclists Devon Borus and Heather McLean both made the trip from Winnipeg, Manitoba to participate.

Borus is a speed skater who uses cycling for cross-training. “I’m getting more into it,” Borus said of cycling. He finished 11th in the Category 4/5 Men.

McLean, an entrant in the Category 3/4 Women, said she has been cycling for three months and became interested because some of her friends were involved. “I like the adrenaline rush.”

Biggest Such Race in the World

Temperatures approached 90 degrees by the afternoon, but the heat and humidity didn’t seem to thwart the cyclists nor the spectators present. Children rapidly pedaled their bikes on the sidewalk in attempt to keep up as the racers whizzed past.

With a comfy spot on her front porch along the route, Squire Avenue resident Karen Wedor was amazed by the sheer speed and endurance of the cyclists. “I love it! It’s exciting,” Wedor said.

Also on hand for the day’s events was Otto Wenz, founder of ICC Superweek. Wenz was a businessman and had owned a Sentry grocery store on Downer Avenue in Milwaukee. He said he’s always had a passion for cycling and enjoyed watching bike races as a child. He started Superweek 42 years ago in conjunction with Summerfest. “A lot of races come and go, but we’ve stayed pretty strong,” Wenz said.

The ICC Superweek is currently the longest running multi-day, multi-category cycling race in the world, featuring both amateur and professional cyclists. It began as a one-day event, then two-, then graduated to seven days and beyond. Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemans have made appearances.

Eddy Van Guyse took the stage to announce the Pro 1/2 race, the day’s finale with racers from the United States as well as Australia, Columbia, Germany, Trinidad, Tobago, France, and South Africa.

Van Guyse, born in Belgium and raised in Chicago, is also a former competitive racing cyclist, currently residing in Long Beach, Calif. He also has some acting under his belt, having played “the villain” on the Italian racing team in Breaking Away—the racer who jammed a tire pump into the main character’s wheel, causing his crash.

More spectators gathered along the race course as entrants of the Pro 1/2 race took the track. “Eye of the Tiger,” the 1980s hit by Survivor, cranked through the speakers as spectators cheered for the leading cyclists as they were introduced and rode to the starting line.

Then the gun for the final race fired and they were off, starting the first of 72 laps for a total of 100 kilometers.

Near dusk, Australian racer Jonathan Cantwell crossed the finish line first, with Milwaukee’s own Andrew Crater finishing second, and Rene Birkenfeld of Germany coming in third.

Scott Wilke, owner of South Shore Cyclery, and his business partner Steve Whitford, were responsible for bringing the ICC to Cudahy. They entered a three-year deal with Breakaway Events to host the race.

Wilke took the stage and thanked Cudahy city officials, citizens, and South Shore Cyclery employees, one of whom, Patrick Diamond, placed fourth in the Category 3 Men.

“Events like this are important to us, since we don’t advertise on the radio or TV. We’re not a corporate bike shop,” Wilke said, “but we’re also here to have fun. That’s what today is all about.”

Milwaukee Ukulele Club

You might have heard an unusual sound at South Shore Park July 11—the strumming of ukuleles.

You might have heard an unusual sound at South Shore Park July 11—the strumming of ukuleles.

Or on the Café Centraal patio June 13, where about 15 people played their ukes and one man played a Birdsley Bucket Bass, an upside-down bucket with a big rubber band attaching it to a broomstick handle.

The players were all very friendly, some singing along to songs like “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian,” “Stand by Me,” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” by Bob Dylan. At one point, one of the group members handed out sheet music for “What a Day for a Daydream” and everyone joined in. Other diners in the area seemed to enjoy the serenade, as the group often got a round of applause.

Growing in Popularity

Started in 2008 with a group of eight people who gathered at a Bay View residence, the Milwaukee Ukulele Club has today grown to more than 65 members.

“There are a lot of people who are bitten by this horrible, addictive instrument,” said member Mark Peterson, a philosophy professor in the UW system, with a smile. “It’s sort of spreading around. There are more and more people out there [picking up the ukulele]. We try to make sure that everyone who wants to get involved can.”

The group meets monthly at Café Centraal and other locations, including the Jewish Community Center. Anyone with musical ability or inclination is invited to play or observe. Most who attend have musical backgrounds, but all experience levels are welcome.

Club member Jim Howitt attended his first ukulele club meeting in April after purchasing two ukuleles, one each in March and April.

“The ukulele just gives me pleasure to play,” said the 66-year-old retiree. “You can play hundreds of songs just by knowing a couple chords or you can become a true musician on this little four-stringed instrument. You’d think it’s easy but there is a lot to learn, just as with any instrument.”

Milwaukee resident and professional musician Lil’ Rev is the group’s director. But he’s quick to point out it operates as a democracy, and members continue to gather even when he’s unable to attend due to his performance schedule.

“Ninety-eight percent of them [group attendees] are amateur musicians,” he said. “It’s a hobby for most of them. It’s also a therapy for many of them—it’s a really happy-go-lucky, fun instrument.”

Adding that he offers workshops to improve members’ skills if they so desire, Rev contends that “for many people across the United States who are in ukulele clubs, it’s more about the social aspect, having an extended family to make music with and sing some nice songs. It’s both therapeutic and a social network.”

Relatively speaking, ukuleles keep things simple. By the time she was introduced to the ukulele, Cherylann Kelly, who works as a massage therapist and caterer, already had experience playing the guitar. But she said she found ukulele chords a lot easier to play.

Her brother, who belongs to a ukulele club in Kansas City, first showed her how to play this mini-guitar-like instrument. Within an hour of being shown the chord pattern she had learned to play. “Ukulele strings are nylon, so they are relatively easy on your fingers,” Kelly said, as opposed to other stringed instruments, such as the guitar, whose strings are often made from steel, bronze, or nickel.

Her luck inspired Kelly to contact her old friend Lil’ Rev and suggest they put together a Milwaukee-area club of their own. Originally using her home as a gathering place, they started their free monthly meetings, later moving to Anodyne, Central Library, and the Jewish Community Center.

The group receives a warm welcome wherever it goes, Kelly said. “What happens is when we play in public places, people often clap for us—they really seem to enjoy it, but we’re just doing what we do.”

Kelly said the club attracts a wide range of people. “We have kids who come out with their moms or dads—there are some teenage boys and some little 8- or 9-year-olds who come.”

What is it about the ukulele? Why do so many people love it?

As Howitt put it, “You can’t be sad when you play the ukulele. It’s just fun and it’s great to find so many others who enjoy it so much.”

About Ukuleles

Ukuleles are best represented in Hawaiian, vaudeville, early American string band, and Tin Pan Alley music—popular music from New York City-centered publishers and songwriters from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (Examples include “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” “Hello! Ma Baby (Hello My Ragtime Gal),” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”)

The ukulele was first created in the 1800s when Portuguese agricultural workers brought a similar instrument, the braguinha, along with them to Hawaii. Hawaiians were enamored, and craftsmen there began producing it for residents. Nicknamed ukulele, which means “jumping flea” (uke in Hawaiian means “flea,” and lele is “jump” or “leap”), a name which reportedly came from the way a players’ fingers jump across the strings while playing the instrument, the ukulele experienced a number of episodes of resurgence in popularity over time. “The first in the teens and ’20s, and then in the ’50s and ’60s, and the third wave of ukulele revival started in the 1990s and has been building since then,” Lil’ Rev said.

Rev points out that the instrument’s sound is even in the number-one hit song by Train, “Sweet Soul Sister,” and it has made appearances on Oprah and American Idol. He said there are also a lot of ukulele festivals and clubs all over the United States.

There are four basic types of classic ukuleles: the soprano, the concert (also known as the alto), the tenor, and the baritone. Each is a different size and produces a different range of sound. Ukuleles have between four and 10 strings and are generally made of ply or laminate woods (although some have been made partly or entirely of plastic), and there are more expensive varieties produced from a hardwood such as mahogany. Prices range from around $20 to upwards of $1,000.

Milwaukee  Ukulele Club Events
Aug. 29, meeting at Bradford Beach main pavilion, 2pm

Sept. 11, ukulele concert at Central Library, 10:30am

Sept. 19, meeting at Café Centraal, 2pm

Sept. 25, Milwaukee Ukulele Festival at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 631 N. 19th St., 9am-10pm. Advance tickets available online at mufest.com. Lil’ Rev is mc; ukulele club will perform with other musicians.

Who’s your farmer? — Meet Betty Adelman

Under the hot June sun, shoppers who attended the opening weekend of the South Shore Farmers Market wove through the crowded paths, canvas bags full of fresh greens in hand and canine companions at the ends of their leashes. Many shoppers paused to admire the unique flowers and plants on display at the stand belonging to Heritage Flower Farm. The mostly tall, wispy varieties in both bright colors and subtle earthy tones attracted shoppers who tapped proprietor Betty Adelman’s knowledge of horticulture.

“What plants are good in a shady yard?”

“Which flowers will attract birds?”

“Are these plants native to the area?”

Adelman, in her bright green apron and warm smile, displayed her passion and wisdom of horticulture as she quickly assisted market patrons with detailed answers and showed examples of flowers to best suit their needs.

This season marks Heritage Flower Farm’s fourth year at South Shore Farmers Market. Adelman has owned Heritage Flower Farm, a seven-acre nursery with two greenhouses in the Town of Waterford, for 12 years. She cultivates, she said, thousands of antique and rare perennial varieties. In addition to plants to grow and sell, Adelman said Heritage Flower Farm recently grew nearly 1,000 plugs-very small plants-for a four-acre prairie in Door County.

In contrast to the growing methods of most nurseries, Adelman said, Heritage plants grow in their fields, with rows of perennials stretching for acres. She said this method allows Heritage Flower Farm to offer more than 1,000 varieties of plants without starting them over every year in a greenhouse-and without being limited to buying from a wholesale grower. She has plants to sell for the entire market season, but said interest in purchasing plants wanes after the end of summer.

Adelman said she developed an interest in gardening when she house-sat for people who had an exquisite garden. She began vegetable gardening shortly after, and when she moved into her current home on the farm, as fate would have it, there were old gardens already present. She also studied horticulture at MATC.

Science and History

Adelman uses the botanical names of flowers and plants in all sales at the market, the nursery, and through the farm’s online catalog. The common name is also listed on all the labels. For example, Delphinium x formosum is listed on the tag in the pot of the light blue cupped flower. The more common name, like belladonna, or garland delphinium, is listed after.

“It makes a difference,” Adelman explained, as referring to flowers by their common names can lead to confusion.

She cited two different flowers as examples. “Like this pink flower, and that yellow one that just sold,” she said, gesturing to a potted Oenothera speciosa, better known as evening primrose, and then to an empty spot on the shelf where the yellow flower stood before being purchased. “People called them all sundrops, and they’re not.”

Adelman also pointed out the difference between heirloom and native plants.

“Well, they’re all native to somewhere,” Adelman said, laughing, “but only some are native to Wisconsin.”

Adelman studies the culture and history behind the plants and flowers. She pointed to the rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) plant as an example of a plant native to Wisconsin. The plant, tall stems topped with spiny gumdrop-shaped thistles, was used by the Potawatomi tribe to bring good luck in gambling, she said.

Another customer paused and quizzically studied some plants before flagging Adelman down. “My yard gets a lot of sun…”

Again, Adelman provided detailed advice.

Adelman also shares her knowledge of flowers and plants through events at her nursery. She offers activities including craft projects and presentations ranging from caring for certain varieties of flowers and gardening to attract birds. Some presentations are given by gardening authors.

Long Days

Back at the farm, Adelman typically starts in the gardens around 8am. After the planting, potting, and paperwork involved with running a nursery is done, her days don’t wind down until around midnight.

“You have to love it,” she said.

It takes Adelman approximately three and a half hours to pack for the market, drive in from Waterford, and unpack and set up her stand.

She gets a small reprieve during the winter months, which she spends increasing her horticultural knowledge by researching plants. She starts her seeds in February.

Adelman said choosing a favorite flower is like asking her to choose which of her children she prefers. “Some of my favorites are prairie poppy mallow for its magenta flower blooms from June through October, Spanish poppy for its tangerine flower from April through October, delphiniums for their true blue, fringed leaf bleeding heart for its sweet pink hearts for six months in the shade, Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ because of its pure white open face with yellow stamens in the fall, perennial sweet pea for its clear white or rosy pink pea-flowers all summer on a six-foot-tall vine, rattlesnake master for its history, queen of the prairie for its pink cotton-candy like plumes, cardinal flower because of its clear red spikes in fall, blue oat grass for its spiky blue foliage-do you really want me to go on and on?”

And the rewards of floral farming?

“The propagation,” Adelman said, “just watching the seeds germinate and grow.”

Heritage Flower Farm
33725 County Road L
Mukwonago, WI  53149
(262) 662-0804
heritageflowerfarm.com

Queen’s Cup

It was something to behold outside the South Shore Yacht Club the evening of Friday, June 25-more than 200 weaving sailboats, their skippers gauging the wind and their competition to gain even the slightest edge in the 72nd annual Queen’s Cup race.

The Queen’s Cup, an annual regatta hosted since 1938 by the South Shore Yacht Club, saw 204 boats from all over the Great Lakes, and even as far away as New York, race overnight across the lake to Grand Haven, Mich.

For some racers, like Scott and Debbie Bruesewitz of the Redrum (which finished sixth overall), the Queen’s Cup is a real competition, and one they wouldn’t participate in if they didn’t think they could win. According to Scott, the most important factors in a race are the boat, the crew, and the weather. “Of course you’d rather be lucky than good, but you have to be good to be lucky,” he said.  »Read more

Sweet Water urban farm expanding

One year after the first young fish were plopped into the trenches at Bay View-based Sweet Water Organics, the urban fish and vegetable farm is in the midst of expansion.

Outside, just north of Sweet Water’s repurposed industrial complex at 2121 S. Robinson Ave., eight greenhouses for growing plants and nine 5,000-gallon insulated trenches to raise another 35,000 fish are being built, with completion expected in August. A Verti-Gro aquaponic system of stacked potted plants is planned for these greenhouses and one will be dedicated for educational uses.

Water from the fish tanks will circulate through the plants in the greenhouses-Sweet Water uses an aquaponic system where fish waste in the water fertilizes the plants, which, along with bacteria, clean the water for the fish.

Sweet Water now has a total of seven indoor 10,000-gallon in-ground trenches (fish raceways) and three smaller ones. Ten more 10,000-gallon raceways are planned for inside the complex and are hoped for by the fall.

Sweet Water is working toward 34 fish systems total, in order to produce fish every five to seven days, said facility manager Henry Hebert. Hebert thinks Sweet Water will meet that goal about one year from now, adding that it takes 12 months for fish in each system to reach maturity.

Right now, about 45,000 tilapia and 33,000 perch are swimming through Sweet Water systems.

According to Hebert, demand is high and the challenge is to build up capacity. “Right now we know we’ve got a draw,” Hebert said. “It’s matter of how we ration it out.”

Selling Produce to Local Markets

Thousands of tilapia will mature in mid-August, with the perch maturing in October, but Sweet Water has already been busy selling produce to local markets and restaurants.

Every week, Sweet Water sells 30 pounds of greens, including lettuce and watercress, to Honeypie and Comet, according to Theresa Kopac, Sweet Water’s chief executive director. It also sells 20 pounds to Coquette Café and 20-40 pounds to Beans & Barley. Every Tuesday and Friday Honeypie special-orders chard and basil.

In the new greenhouses, Kopac said Sweet Water will start growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers as well.

Sweet Water plans a marketplace on site, to be open several days during the week, where the public can buy fresh fish and produce. It will have an old-Milwaukee hardware store feel and is also expected to open in August.

“We really love the idea of selling directly to people, having them come here and have the whole experience,” Kopac said.

Sweet Water also has a booth at both the South Shore and East Side farmers markets. Starting this month, Kopac said the plan is to sell certificates there good for a fish. In August, certificate-holders can come by Sweet Water Organics at the posted hours with a cooler to pick up their fish.

Sweet Water does not yet have its own processing facilities, so fish are often still alive when sold, literally flopping on ice.

“Right now all our restaurants will take whole fish so it’s not a problem,” said Sweet Water president Josh Fraundorf, but he wants to add on-site processing to keep things local and be more vertically integrated. Current plans are for the tilapia to be processed at Rushing Waters Fisheries in Palmyra, Wis. and the perch at Schwartz Fish Co. in Sheboygan, Wis.

Selling their fish wholesale is difficult, partly because the volume of fish in demand from local retailers exceeds what they can currently produce.

“Unfortunately we just don’t have the volume,” for the larger local retailers who’ve expressed interest like Roundy’s and Whole Foods, Fraundorf said. But in July Fraundorf  said Sweet Water will start a smaller-scale relationship with Roundy’s in a few specialized venues. Fraundorf also hopes to sell fish at Beans & Barley and Outpost Natural Foods.

Sweet Water now employs eight full-time employees, Fraundorf said, with 40 total employees anticipated in 2011. Fraundorf looks to achieve profitability this fall, less than two years from the company’s startup.

Fraundorf’s goal is to build three Sweet Water facilities in the city of Milwaukee in the next five years. Sweet Water is financed by personal investments and a couple of local business investors, Fraundorf said.

Tilapia are being phased out as Sweet Water focuses on perch. Tilapia are hardier fish, and raising them allowed Sweet Water to tweak and optimize their aquaculture system with less risk of killing off valuable floating stock. But Hebert said the “bulletproof” tilapia aren’t very local-they’re imported from New Mexico-and it would be difficult to compete against Chinese farm-raised tilapia.

Pushing the Frontiers

Perch are central to the Sweet Water mission.

Hebert lamented the fact that so many perch fried in Milwaukee now actually come from Canada. “We’re trying to bring back that local fish fry,” he said.

Sweet Water is also hoping to change the way people think about and interact with their food, its price, and what they’re paying for.

“I don’t need 500 oranges for a dollar,” Hebert said. “I call it the Walmart mentality. We need to get away from that. America is not a race to the bottom.”

Instead, Hebert said Sweet Water operates on a “JIT” or just-in-time approach to food freshness. For example, he said, lettuce harvested at 7am is shipped out by 10am.

Nationally and internationally, people are taking notice of what’s going on at this Bay View enterprise. Fraundorf said people have traveled from as far as India and Holland to knock at their door, eager to learn how Sweet Water is implementing Will Allen’s aquaponic aquaculture system at a commercial scale. “Siberian missionaries showed up outside,” Kopac added.

“This is the model,” Fraundorf said with pride. “This is the biggest in the world.”

Sweet Water Foundation

Earlier this year, Sweet Water started the nonprofit Sweet Water Foundation, whose mission is to educate the public about urban agriculture and converting waste into resource. So far it’s developed partnerships with the Scooter Foundation, National Association of Black Veterans, Victory Garden Initiative, Bay View Hide House Community Gardens, and Honey Creek School, where it helped build raised garden beds. A classroom space for the foundation is planned in the Sweet Water facility.

Local older adults faring well

A local group is researching and addressing older adults’ ability to live happily in the area. The south shore’s Connecting Caring Communities partnership surveyed adult residents age 55 and older last year and found that they are doing relatively well.

Currently, 82 percent of survey respondents own and occupy their home, while 13 percent rent a home or apartment. “Aging in place” (staying in the community as they grow older) is a high-priority concern cited in AARP studies. The local CCC survey found that 45 percent of respondents are “very confident” they can continue in their residence for as long as desired, and 40 percent are “somewhat confident.” Anticipated factors forcing a move are health reasons (cited by 68 percent of respondents), economic reasons (59 percent), and transportation (17 percent).

Complete survey results are available online at milwaukeeccc.org or through St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care.

The survey was funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Helen Bader Foundation, and Faye McBeath Foundation. Those organizations have sponsored several other Milwaukee-area CCCs.

To help older adults participate in neighborhood life and age in place, South Shore CCC is addressing areas of concern: political advocacy, access to information, safety, transportation, and combating loneliness through friendship. Generally, the survey results state that “St. Francis and Bay View have several assets which contribute to a high quality of life for its older residents.”

Membership in the South Shore CCC is led by St. Ann and includes participants from Milwaukee’s Connecting Caring Communities Partnership; Interfaith Older Adult Programs, Inc.; and members of the public. The group convenes monthly at Unity Lutheran Church.

The South Shore CCC held a May meeting to share the survey results and gain insights from local leaders, politicians, and organization members. “We’re still in a seminal stage so this is really a developing thing,” said Ron Zeilinger, the coordinator of marketing for St. Ann and the South Shore CCC.

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