Sharon Adams
President,Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
When Sharon and Larry Adams moved back to Milwaukee and resettled in the Lindsay Heightsneighborhood in 1997, “it was such a confusing place to return to.” Once-tidyhomes were being demolished and abandoned. Sharon had remembered lush trees lining thestreets during her youth, but now no trees remained. Prostitution, drug salesand gun violence took place out in the open. People dumped junk on empty lots,filling them with “tires and trash and nonsense.”
So Sharon and Larry gathered their neighborstogether in 1999 and wondered: If we make a junk-filled lot beautiful, maybethey'll stop dumping on it. They planted a thousand tulip bulbs and waited forMother Nature to work her magic. And once the snow melted, She did.
“All of those tulips popped up,” Sharon said. “It was a sign.”
The resulting organization, Walnut Way ConservationCorp., located in a renovated Victorian home at 2240 N. 17th St., has become aworking garden that produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and honey“to live for, just to live for,” as Sharon puts it.
But Walnut Way has become much more than a communitygarden: It has become an advocate for its communitylongtime residents andnewcomers, kids eager to learn and make a positive contribution, smallbusinesses that see the value in the neighborhood, lovely but aging housingstock and gardens and greenspace in the heart of Milwaukee's near North Side.
The organization has become such a valued resourcethat it was chosen the lead agency in Lindsay Heightsfor the just-launched multimillion-dollar Zilber Neighborhood Initiative.
Sharonsaid the organization's success is due to a communal effort of theneighborhood's volunteers, who recognize that they're all connected and share apurpose.
“Everything done here has been spirit-led and donecollectively,” Sharonsaid.
Sharon Adamswas nominated by Christopher R. Boston, director of sustainable communities forLocal Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), who wrote: “Her desire to transform hercommunity is not based on what she wants to see. Rather, she listens to thestories of others about the abundance of opportunities that once was in herneighborhood, Lindsay Heights, and she works tocreate a path for others to live out their interests to make that community abetter place.”
Jill Brown
Founder, Friends of MADACC's Battle Against Dogfighting
Not manypeople would volunteer to help vicious dogs trained to attack. But Jill Brownhasand she loves it.
Brown haslong been an animal lover, but when she adopted a pit bull three years ago andbegan to learn more about how fighting dogs are abusedshot up with steroids,tortured to make them mean, trained to fight to the deathshe couldn't stopthinking about them. Their scarred faces haunted her. So she learned more abouthow other cities are combating animal violence and decided to act locally.
InSeptember, Brown launched Battle Against Dogfighting (BAD) as part of thenonprofit Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) to boostawareness of the horrors of dogfighting and encourage involved ownersmostlyteens and young adultsto stop the violence.
“Dogfightingis the city's dirty little secret,” Brown said.
Dogfightingencompasses street-level, impromptu fightswhere two owners decide to pit theirdogs against each other in an alley or empty lot for bragging rightsas well asmore organized fights in basements or abandoned buildings. These fights usuallyinvolve gambling, gangs and guns. Losing dogs are often abandoned and leftloose in neighborhoods.
In somecircles, tough dogs are a status symbol, a sign of manliness and power,glamorized on CD covers and in ads and videos. So Brown works to counter thatby showing the horrific consequences of abusing animalsnot only for the dog,but for the owner and spectator, tooby speaking to kids and changing theirperceptions.
“Sometimeskids get that it's wrong, but it depends on how desensitized they are,” Brownsaid.
Brown andBAD's network of supporters are encouraging dog owners to find new ways toshowcase their dog's power and athleticism. Brown hopes to find a space for dogtraining and agility classes in the city, and she's organizing fund-raisers(the Times Cinema will host a BAD benefit, featuring the Brew City BombshellsBurlesque and Crazy Rocket Fuel, on March 6) and continuing to partner withcompatible organizations, like TRUE Skool and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Browncredits MADACC's staff with helping her get the BAD program off the ground.
“They, and all the others in southeastern Wisconsin that deal withanimal cruelty, have very hard jobs and are the epitome of under-appreciatedheroes,” Brown said. “They come at these issues every day even though the casesare sometimes incredibly sad, emotionally draining, and quite often veryfrustrating.”
Jill Brown was nominated by BAD volunteerTammy Neeb, who wrote: “Within minutes of meeting Jill it is apparent that sheis an extraordinary visionary and absolutely worthy of being honored as anoutstanding member of our community for the difference she has and willcontinue to make in Milwaukee.”
Michael Coleman
Founder, Futen Dojo and Utopian Fitness
The two coremartial arts virtues Michael Coleman learned as a kid have remained central tohis life's work as an adult. Jin(compassion) “means that you have to think about the other person,” Colemansaid. Gi (courage) is more difficult.“It's finding the inner and outer strength to do the right thing,” he said.
Even thoughit may be difficult, Coleman is attempting to put those ancient virtues intopractice by helping his community.
As the headof Futen Dojo (now with two studios, on Brady Street and on Kinnickinnic Avenue), Coleman teachesclassical martial arts, which goes well beyond studio-based self-defensetechniques. Coleman also reaches out to kids, women and the visually impairedto help them learn the benefits of martial arts training.
“I have tobe a role model,” Coleman said.
Mostrecently, Coleman has launched Utopian Fitness (found at getfitgivehelp.com),an innovative link between personal fitness and community investment. Colemanhas committed to donating membership fees to 10 carefully screened localnonprofit groups, such as CORE/El Centro, the Milwaukee Women's Center, theHunger Task Force, and more. He hopes to raise $10,000 for each organization.This year members can enroll in an online, holistic fitness program by signingup for the mailing list at getfitgivehelp.com, or they can become an elitemember and receive in-person training.
Colemanthought that the steady commitment to fitness would be a good match for thesteady support needed for service organizations.
“Fitness isabout maintenance,” Coleman said. “It's not just something you do on one day.If you give a little every month to an organization, not just make one paymentat the end of the year, it's like automatic giving.”
WhileUtopian Fitness is built on Coleman's singular vision, it requires communitysupport for its success.
“I hope thisgrows and will contribute to the community for years to come,” Coleman said.
Michael Coleman was nominated separately byJeff Becker, Baard Titlestad and CORE/El Centro's co-executive director, SisterMadeline Gianforte, who wrote: “The spirit of his martial arts teachings fitswith our mission of inspiring individuals to wholeness and building community.”
Erik Lindberg
Owner, CommunityBuilding and Restoration; UrbanGardener, Co-founder, Transition Milwaukee
ErikLindberg said he was always an “armchair environmentalist,” until he readBarbara Kingsolver's book Animal,Vegetable, Miracle three years ago.
“I was wowedby the amount of energy used in our food system,” Lindberg said.
So hedecided to bridge his knowledge of carpentry with his newfound awareness offood production by creating a garden on the flat roof of his carpentry shop inRiverwest. It was an experiment that succeeded wildly.
“It was anadventure,” Lindberg said. “That first year I didn't know what to expect.”
Since then,Lindberg has gotten involved with the Victory Garden Initiative, which promotesthe use of yards, roofs and patios for growing produce, and the year-oldTransition Milwaukee, which is raising awareness of the peak oil crisis and itsimpact on our daily lives.
The heart ofthese efforts is to localize food production, reduce energy consumption andreuse vital assets in our community. But it also requires a change inperceptions, lifestyle and expectations.
“When peoplelook to the future, it looks much like the present,” Lindberg said. “But ourtechnologies and our economy are entirely dependent on oil. That oil is notgoing to be here much longer. We need to start being creative and not assumethat there's a technological fix for the problem.”
Lindbergstresses that his role is just as a “worker bee” in a community of energetic,committed friends and neighbors.
“It's thecollective genius of the group that makes it matter,” Lindberg said. “Communitybuilding is where the vision comes from.”
Erik Lindberg was nominated by NicoleBickham, who wrote: “Erik is an unassuming, hard-working, thoughtful, modestperson who seizes opportunities to improve his community and his world… Erik'svision of Milwaukee'sfuture is both realistic and hopeful in the face of the immense challengesahead.”
