Today in Riverwest

MPD reports lower crime [Article]

Dan Knauss — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:41:00 -0700

Today the police department reported that the first six months of 2009 have seen nearly 3,200 fewer crime victims in the city than a year ago at this time. Additionally, they reported violent crime is down 15.5% from a year ago, and 27% since 2007.

Further coverage of Dousman murder [Article]

Dan Knauss — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:21:00 -0700

CBS 58's latest coverage of the murder of Nathan Potter on Dousman St. on July 6 includes audio clips from resident 911 calls that add nothing to the story but a vicarious taste of others' emotions near the scene. However, statements in the clip from a neighbor who knew Potter suggest he had been involved recently in some kind of altercation at a nearby bar, leading to speculation that there is a connection between that event and the murder.

Early on July 5 Shooting at Gee Willikers, leading to gunfire outide. Police are investigating if there is a connection between it and the homicide the following night, which occurred near the opposite end of the same block.

Cross the Red Line [Article]

Dan Knauss — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:51:00 -0700

RedLine Milwaukee (redlineartmke.org) has set up shop at 1422 N. 4th St. as an urban arts laboratory and incubator "that seeks to nourish the individual practice of contemporary art and to stimulate the creative potential of the local community to which we are linked." Their grand opening will be in August, and they are sponsoring a women's self-defense seminar whose proceeds will go to support the RedLine project.

Thanks for the update [Comment]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:48:55 -0700

Thanks dots. I hear that Dousman residents are organizing a block watch and have set up a meeting with Alderman Kovac. Block watches are encouraged to use the "groups" part of this site if they find it useful as a way to attract members, control membership, and run something like an internal messaging/mailing system for their members. On the comments, if you register an account and are logged into it, you can post comments that get published right away without having to type an anti-spammer security code, but you won't be anonymous then--your name and a link to your profile will be attached to the comment. I have just switched on unmoderated comments for non-logged in users now and we'll see how that goes. The security code will still be active, yet spammers often find ways through them. If that happens, I have a couple of ways to beef up the security. If you already have an account on the site and you try to leave a comment without being logged in, you'll have to use a different name and email than the ones associated with your account or you'll get a message saying that name/email is already in use. (This is necessary to stop people from impersonating others and confusing the comment ownership records.) But it does leave everyone a way to be anonymous and to post quickly, which is fine if it's not abused. - Dan Knauss

riverwest love [Comment]

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:06:34 -0700

yeah, it was a confusing sequence of events for anyone not standing right there both nights. first off, know that i'm just reporting witness accounts which were given to police so they have this info and then some. and the only reason i know any of it is because most of my friends and i are insomniacs. on both nights, one such friend was home and awake at the time of these events and happened to see the insanity of both scenes. to clarify the chain of events, the pool fight at gee willickers led to A LOT of people being stopped for questioning, not only on clarke and within gee willickers but also on humboldt closer to north. of the 6ish cars stopped on humboldt, at least two contained absolutely inebriated white college students. as in, 2 kids passed out on the sidewalk during the investigation. and another guy wouldn't stop screaming "i just got shot at!" before he started asking the cops to shoot him. brilliant. would thus not be surprised if someone of that genre of human would be sought by thugs the next day. people who are thirty minutes away from passing out on a sidewalk generally don't make a great impression in a bar fight, right? the next day, a neighbor saw two suspicious men casing gee willickers. they were wearing jerseys, but the cops were called not because of the colors they were wearing, but because they were repeatedly sauntering back and forth in front of the bar, walking around back, looking in windows, and finally crouched in the alley behind the bar. this was 12:20 or so at night. given the events of the previous night, the concerned resident immediately contacted the bartender, who was unreceptive and several times said "i don't want anything to do with it." concerned neighbor then called me for advice and i advised to call the police and hole up in the house for the next five thousand years. the police and several detectives responded immediately. thugs were last seen walking down dousman before the shooting. responding cop took a statement and rushed off, advising neighbor to turn off the lights, lock the doors, and not answer the door "for anyone but a fucking cop." oh. the colors they wore was not a primary concern in calling the police, but i asked because i was curious (and frankly worried about my friend). they were wearing jerseys/colors (not red) that indicate allegiance to a gang different from the one you mention, and that has not historically bothered riverwest much. the police are best able to determine that stuff, though, as gang attire changes neighborhood to neighborhood, and within that community there is a tendency to employ trickery with clothing and anything else. milwaukee is also notorious for having a lot of people who pose as gang members but who actually are not members but more drama queens with guns. personally, being an average joe, i'd rather get into a bar fight with a high up gang member over the other variety. except for the obvious vl activity (red/black wearing) riverwest sees on occasion, i'd not jump to conclusions about who these guys are with, if anyone, based on a jersey alone. gangs are as much about symbols and letters and team jerseys as color, and all that changes some by region. like, the same gang you see in red and black here all the time will only use red as a "war color" in memphis. so if you're in memphis and you see guys in red and black on one side of the street and dudes in raiders jerseys or pirates hats on the other, or upside down cane shapes suddenly appear in graffiti, it's totally time to move. on the bright side, milwaukee gangs are both disorganized and very heavily infiltrated by the mpd (hence constant freaking out about "snitching"). if this is gang-related chances are excellent that the best info will come in from an informant or twenty within the gang. and if the gee willickers and gig incident are related, they have a massive group of witnesses to the earlier fight, some who may not have been shitfaced. if you live on this street, you also know that it is being very heavily patrolled and surveilled right now so it's safer than disneyland at the moment. word on the street is also that there are people of interest in custody, and that the poor kid who lost his life owed someone money. not sure if those are more than rumors, but am hopeful that progress is being made. and yes! i do agree that sharing information is better than living in unsubstantiated fear. that's what neighborhoods/societies are for, in part. this info is what anyone who happened to be on the street would have seen those nights. it's not a complete narrative; just a barely informed perspective to get us through till the media or authorities are able to let us know what's up. good tip on the registration idea. next time i'm not lazy i'll do that. also, dan, great work on the site if this site is your doing. hadn't been by for a bit until dousman shooting fest 2009 occurred. looking good over here. - dots

riverflow and dragonfly [Flickr]

riverwest-network — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:13:08 PDT

riverwest-network posted a video:

Old camera, 30s clips, and windows movie editor with audio track of Randy George playing a theramin along with the piano version of La Valse D'Amelie by Yann Tiersen from the sound track to the movie Amelie. (http://randygeorgemusic.com)

be safe [Comment]

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:12:52 -0700

It's OK, I think Guy was just coming into the middle of it, and it is confusing how the two bars and incidents relate. Are you saying that on July 6 after midnight, someone saw guys in gang colors (what colors? red?) sneaking around Gee Willickers, police were called and came out, the fatal shooting occurred down toward the Gig, and the police hardly got even a description of the perps' car? I agree with you about sharing information. Share it, but share it with the police first. I think the value, beyond informing people, is connecting them and letting them know it's OK and possible to connect and talk about things like this, or whatever. And to learn to deal with that, and to deal with things going on that are not always good. I hope it motivates connections and questions that lead to people trying to be part of solutions. On communication from the police, they need to be careful and tight-lipped for a lot of reasons, plus they don't have time to brief everyone individually. If you do make a point of getting to know the district cops and community liaison, like at the monthly district meetings, or if you are persistent in using those channels to communicate you can build a relationship that might be a little more satisfying and valuable on both ends. Especially if you do it as a block watch group with neighbors, which actually helps police gather and spread information in an organized way. We will have to wait a bit for answers, but no you do not have to wait silently. I hope it is being made clear to the police and alderman that Dousman residents expect answers as soon as it is reasonably possible. It's good to hear the cops are putting a lot into it. I ask about the colors because I and others have seen plenty of red from 2nd and along clarke with the younger guys doing standard territorial bullshit on corners or clogging up the intersections and blocking cars. Coincidentally the robbery/burglary trend blossoms out from that line in RW, and there is a clear sense some days from these guys that they are marking territory and flexing muscle. Buffum-Meinecke and 2-3 blocks down to the south is a different group I don't see waving any colors. They were doing the territorial flexing in May in the creative form of "cruising" 2 cars abreast, driving wrong-way east down Meinecke. Then an SUV with assault rifles made them target practice--while managing not to hit anyone. The police have been more active there since, and it has been quieter, but there are still guys drifting in to see if anything is happening, and some work hard to project a message that they deeply desire to be feared rather than loved. I don't want to reinforce the mythical idea that the rats all flow east from holes west of Holton to wreak random mayhem on polite eastern society--that just happens to be the angle I see most. Let's say it would not hurt to flush out some of the Riverwest-based enablers who do business with these thugs and then hope they will be protected by their location. On the comment moderation, if you log in first, your comments will be posted immediately. Unmoderated open comments would likely attract spammers and other abuse. - Dan Knauss

Rash of burglaries, armed robberies south of Center UPDATED [Article]

Dan Knauss — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:19:00 -0700

The southern end of Riverwest has seen a string of over a dozen burglaries or criminal breaking and/or entering in the past month, with a small surge in the last week. At least two resulted in rapid arrests. There were also around a half dozen robberies, at least five of which involved weapons or the threat of a weapon, in the past 30 days.

UWM expansion update [Article]

Dan Knauss — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:43:00 -0700

The expanding UWM campus has been in the news twice this week. First, for receiving public funds in an $800,000 State grant for blight elimination and brownfield redevelopment at the new dorm site on North Ave. Second, for contributing the the public coffers by buying County land in Wauwatosa for $13.55 million to develop an engineering campus. This "windfall" already has County supervisors arguing over how to spend the People's money.

Forum Subject: Re:Makeshift dog park closed - by: Melissa Tashjian

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:29:24 -0700

So there was a meeting last week that took place between Johnson Controls, Nik Kovak, myself and the chair over Riverwest Neighborhood Assoc. Johnson Contorls would like to make a permanent contribution to the community. They are going to excavate the land about 3 ft deep and then fill with new topsoil. Their goal is to have new sod in place around October. Right now we are introducing the idea to the County Park system hoping that they will take over the land. In order to persuade them to do that I belive we need to create a "friends" network of neighborhood volunteers that would like to help beautify the land. The city/county is not going to want the property b/c in the long run they may lose money with it. However, there are several successful programs and entities (ie. Lakepark friends and lighthouse friends) that have been able to raise a lot of money to help the city out. If the county is adament about not taking the property then a new association will have to be formed or the land will be put under the Riverwest Neighborhood Association. Either way the biggest hinderance at this point is insurance/liability and park maintenance. If you would like to be apart of the "Friends of Riverwest Dog Park", please email me and let me know. Thanks Melissa mtash34@yahoo.com

Base Enterprises, LLC

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:56:18 -0700

Our Professional Mowing Service consists of: 1) Removal off debris from lawn (cans, bottles, sticks etc...)** 2) Cutting of grass. 3) Catching of grass (if needed or requested). 4) Trimming around trees, poles, landscape beds etc... 5) Edging of all grass that butts up to concrete driveway and sidewalks. 6) Cleanup of all grass clippings on concrete driveway and sidewalks. Spring/Fall cleanup consists of: 1) Leaf removal. 2) Removal of fallen branches, sticks and other debris. 3) Cutting of grass. 4) Catching of grass (if needed or requested). 5) Edging of all grass that butts up to concrete driveway and sidewalks. 6) Cleanup of all grass clippings on concrete driveway and sidewalks. Property Management We will maintain your property in first class condition and otherwise in good, clean, attractive, sanitary and safe order, condition, habitability and repair. When tenants move out, we will clean the apartment, repaint, and make repairs and minor changes as requested. We will stay on top of typical home maintenance. Air filters and smoke detectors should be checked and changed out on a routine basis. When you do this, it's a good chance to go inside the property and look around for damages and needed repairs. Inspect the property and look for damage. As a landlord, you want to respect the privacy of your tenants. But you also need to make sure your property is being kept in good condition. If we notice anything that needs to be repaired, we can take action before it gets out of hand. We are not satisfied until you are satisfied and completely happy with our work. Please call us today; we look forward to talking with you. Base Enterprises, LLC Where service and quality are always in season. (414) 778-0966

Renovated HUGE One Bedroom for Rent

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:00:43 -0700

Recently renovated 2nd floor flat in triplex house on a quiet dead end street immediately west of the river. Newly carpeted living room and bedroom with many large windows. HUGE master bedroom with his and her separate closets. Hardwood floor dining room and eat-in kitchen with large pantry. New fridge and oven included. Fully tiled bathroom with shower. Large backyard great for bbques. Place for gardening if interested. Vast street parking never an issue. Friendly and safe neighborhood. Personal front and back door entries. Private front porch large enough for furniture. Right next to the running path, parks, and local entertainment. $700 per month, no pets please. Available August 1st, 2009.

Riverwest Automotive Services

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:03:51 -0700

Full service auto repair. Volkswagen and Audi specialists, ASE certified. M-F 8:30-5:00 by appointment please. (www.riverwestauto.com)

Outdoor Film, Fish Fry, Lobster Boil, Golf, Bazaar at Discovery World

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Outdoor Film, Fish Fry, Lobster Boil, Golf, Bazaar at Discovery World

"A Sense of Wonder" screening, discussion with lead actress

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:30:00 -0700

"A Sense of Wonder" screening, discussion with lead actress

Bike-In Movie Series

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Bike-In Movie Series

Bliffert's Grand Opening

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Bliffert's Grand Opening

East Side Green Market

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

East Side Green Market

Gardeners Market

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Gardeners Market

Riverwest Secret Garden Tour

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Riverwest Secret Garden Tour

Garden Park development meeting

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Garden Park development meeting

Skyline Music Series

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Skyline Music Series

Riverwest Neighborhood Association (RNA) Meeting & Annual Potluck

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Riverwest Neighborhood Association (RNA) Meeting & Annual Potluck

River Rhythms Concert, Canoe Downtown from UEC

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0700

River Rhythms Concert, Canoe Downtown from UEC

2010 City Budget Hearing

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0700

2010 City Budget Hearing

Outdoor Film, Fish Fry, Lobster Boil, Golf, Bazaar at Discovery World

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Outdoor Film, Fish Fry, Lobster Boil, Golf, Bazaar at Discovery World

East Side Green Market

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

East Side Green Market

Endeavour Cycling Challenge: King Drive, Brewers Hill, Schlitz Park Race

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Endeavour Cycling Challenge: King Drive, Brewers Hill, Schlitz Park Race

Garfield Ave. Festival of Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and Art

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Garfield Ave. Festival of Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and Art

Riverwest Community Music Series

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Riverwest Community Music Series

Gardeners Market

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Gardeners Market