Bookies: Milwaukee authors are coming out in droves to celebrate their recently published tomes. At the Brico Fund’s headquarters, Spectrum Nonprofit Services’ Steve Zimmerman launched his new book, Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, co-authored by CompassPoint’s Jeanne Bell and Blue Avocado’s Jan Masaoka. After wife Sarah’s introduction, Zimmerman spoke about analyzing and adjusting nonprofit organizational models for greater sustainability.
The event was co-hosted by Jim Marks from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Lynde Uihlein of the Brico Fund, Danae Davis from PEARLS for Teen Girls and Dan Magnuson, Pathfinders’ CEO. The gathering was a who’s who of the nonprofit world, including Sandra Price from Milwaukee FIX; Jerry Benjamin from A.B. Data; Marquette University’s Kathy Miller; Dan McKinley of PAVE; Ann Brummitt from the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition; Skylight Opera Theatre’s managing director, Amy Jensen; Gil Llanas, Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s director; Anne Hérisson-Leplae, executive director of Alliance Francaise de Milwaukee; and Frank Martinelli, consultant at the Center for Public Skills Training.
Shelly Schnupp, an associate director at UW-Milwaukee’s Helen Bader Institute, stopped by after the open house of the new Bader headquarters.
Elsewhere, longtime Milwaukee journalist and short-fiction writer Douglas Armstrong was peddling his first novel, Even Sunflowers Cast Shadows, at the annual Elite Fitness holiday fair. The story draws from bits and pieces of his own family’s life in Kansas to background a vivid picture of 1920s small-town life. Author Sally Hickey was also there, promoting her young adult novella, Alex.
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Italian historian Bobby Tanzilo’s latest book, The Milwaukee Police Station Bomb of 1917, touches on the barely remembered tragedy when nine policemen and a civilian died in the largest loss of police life in the United States until 9/11. Tanzilo chatted up a crowd at Mequon’s Next Chapter Bookshop, a space that he helped start years previously as a Schwartz bookstore.
Braving a frosty, wind-blown night to listen were attorney Bill Jennaro and his wife, Rita; children’s book buyer Elly Gore; Carol Anderson, whose parents grew up in the 1920s’ Italian Third Ward; and WMSE’s “Milwaukee Midweek” host Ann DeKorsi and her husband, consultant Peter Rohde. Jennaro will soon be featured in an Australian television show about Aussie actor Paul Mercurio, whose family has Milwaukee roots.
Holiday Happenings: The Kanyakumari, an ayurveda and yoga wellness center at the GreenSquare Center for the Healing Arts in Glendale, held its annual Holiday Open House in its expansively beautiful space. Guests were treated to treatments of energy therapy by Jerry Becker and massage therapy by Barbara Chernov and Kim Taddei. Heather Burkart demonstrated ghee making, while bassist Frank Tarantino Jr. performed from his disc, Let Me Be Frank, creating a wonderful musical backdrop.
Kanyakumari director Cheryl Silberman warmly greeted guests, along with her husband, Howard, of Ma Jolie and daughter Rachel Kruse, president of Organicville Foods, there with her husband, Adam, and son Sky. GreenSquare Center owners Hollie and Armin Nankin and their business manager Thalia Mendez also made the rounds. Many of the center’s practitioners were on hand, explaining the wide range of their healing and cleansing offerings.
Meanwhile, Actaea Works salon, spa and boutique held a festive holiday open house to show off its snazzy Bay View building redo, designed by Continuum Architects Planners’ Falamak Nourzad. Owner/hair designer Jason Wedesky, developer Mark Rustebakke and their adorable sons Christian, 3, and Qualel, 2, circulated, along with many of their 30-plus employees.
Salon and spa director Jennifer Volz greeted guests as tours of the expansive facility were offered by hair designer Jamie Hanson and other staffers. First-time visitor Debbi Nesta had a mini-nail treatment by technician Lauren Pfluger. Fabulous artwork adorned the walls, including photographs by 5 Cards Studs’ “lead stud” Chris Tishler, whose wife, Julie, works in the salon; images by Neil Kiekhofer, owner of Front Room Photography; and acrylics by Amanda Rochwite.
Let’s Get Together: Debra Mason, head of the Religion Newswriters Association, keynoted the 40th anniversary Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee celebratory luncheon. The event, held at the Italian Conference Center, was hosted by organization director Tom Heinen and emceed by Episcopal Bishop Steven Miller. Addressing attendees, Mason issued a “call for civility” in “a perilous world.”
Attendees applauded honorees, among whom were Rev. Louis E. Sibley III, who received the coveted Frank Zeidler Award for community service. Sibley is the always-busy pastor of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and first vice president of the Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention. Also receiving awards for their youth leadership activities were Beatriz Lemus, a Dominican High School senior, and Marquette University High School senior Fernando Espino. Dorothy and Ralph Babcock of Grace Presbyterian Church were given the 25th Anniversary CROP Hunger Walk Award.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the Dec. 30 issue of the Shepherd.
