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New Kid's View

Family lured Jerrianne and her husband to South Milwaukee in 2002 from Southern California where she worked as, first, a journalist, then, as a court information officer. She now stays busy with media-relations consulting, playing with her three grandchildren (part of the lure), writing, discovering her new environs, and hoping her garden will produce before the first fall frost.

2013 "Pullin' O' The Green, Oh My!

Posted by Jerrianne Hayslett on March 13, 2013

Garlic Mustard Pickers, Betsy Abert, Jody Johnson, Don Lawson, Bobbie Groth, Ann Marie Adsen, Jackie Benka, Lynn Crawford, Alexis Gassenhuber, Pat Jursik, Rich Kaiser, Jan Marsh, Deb Pizur, Bob Porth, Keith Schullenberg, Rob Vajagich, Friends of the Mill Pond, Nancy Wucherer, Kathy Briesemeister, Marilyn Geiger, South Milwaukee Honor Society, Keith Sobczak, Explorer Troop 252, Explorer Troop 230, Emerald City Catering, Anodyne Coffee Roasters, Sprecher Brewery, Parkway Floral, Nona's Cafe, Guardian Credit Union, Matt Collins, Seven Bridges Ravine, Friends of Grant Park, Sweetwater Water Quality Mini-Grant Program, county parks staff,

Garlic Mustard Pickers help make for a fun evening at Grant Park Clubhouse. More below photo. 

While lots of people partake of what has become a fantastic annual event -- two seatings, full house for each -- it's possible not all know who does the coordinating and work and what the purpose of it is -- except to have a great time, eat great food and listen to great food. I asked one of the organizers, Betsy Abert, for a list of those who should be thanked. She did such a great job letting me know who they are, what they did and the work that will be done with the funs that were raised, here is her reply in her own words. Thank you, Betsy!

While the cast/crew changes somewhat annually, we do have an amazing core group right now.  In addition to irreplaceable Jody Johnson and the dazzling duo of Don Lawson/Bobbi Groth, we could not have made this fundraiser happen without Ann Marie Adsen, Jackie Benka, Lynn Crawford, Alexis Gassenhuber, Pat Jursik, Rick Kaiser, Jan Marsh, Deb Pizur, Bob Porth, Keith Schullenberg, and Rob Vajagich.  The task of managing the bar and sharing historic info goes annually to congenial Friends of the Mill Pond members Nancy Wucherer and Kathy Briesemeister.  And we are completely indebted to the ever-organized Marilyn Geiger, also a Mill Ponder.  We often receive volunteers from the South Milwaukee Honor Society, and the three strapping lads this year proved to be, like their predecessors, incredibly helpful.  Finally, the delightful and hard working members of two Explorer groups, Troops 252 and 230 led by Keith Sobczak were, not surprisingly, invaluable (and really polite) servers.  
 
Jody's vegan potato kale stew and Bobbi's excellent beef stew were again, well-received. This year we were glad we ordered corn beef and cabbage from Emerald City Catering here in SM.  Freshly ground coffee was generously donated by Bay View's Anodyne Coffee Roasters.  Root Beer was donated by Sprecher Brewery, and we are indebted to local partners, Parkway Floral, Nona's Cafe, and Guardian Credit Union for selling advanced tickets. 
 
We also wish to recognize donations made by a number of individuals and companies locally. That list will be available this week at www.fogp.org. Finally, Parks staff and Grant Park unit coordinator Matt Collins are our heroes, helping at every turn. 
 
The moneys collected this year will be tied to one of the two slope restoration projects taking place this Spring in the Seven Bridges Ravine.  FoGP [Friends of Grant Park] was awarded a $5,000 matching grant by the Sweetwater Water Quality Mini-Grant Program.  This program provides grants of $1,000-$5,000 to achieve the objectives of healthy and sustainable water resources; our grant aims to stabilize highly eroded slopes adjacent to the beach and the previously flood damaged/now-repaired bridges in the ravine.  A second project, directed by the County Parks staff to repair and replant the slopes damaged during the installation of the main connector bridge at the base of the ravine, will take place separately. 
 
We will be announcing June project implementation dates in the coming month, and would happily accept volunteer help in the work of soil and compost application, tree and shrub planting, seeding, installing erosion controls, creating sturdy perimeter fencing to protect what has been planted, and to irrigate all newly established plants.  Signs will be erected in the critically important effort to redirect slope users to using steps in accessing the bridge and beach.  This has proven to be the undoing of a couple other attempts at repairing the eroded slopes, wherein folks' desire to get to the beach overwhelmed earlier plantings.    
 
Our work continues as well in invasive species management within the Park.  We meet the first three Saturdays in May at 9am at the Tennis Courts parking lot, and move out in groups through the park to pull the dreaded garlic mustard whose spread has damaged the fragile woodland ecosytem. 
 
Prospective volunteers and donors may join us on the second Thursday of the month at the Golf Course Clubhouse on Hawthorne Ave. at 6:30pm, or contact us via: info@fogp.org.

 

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