Enderis Park Neighborhood Association Cookie Exchange

EPNA HOLIDAY COOKIE EXCHANGE
SATURDAY, DEC. 5 -- 4 - 5:30PM
ENDERIS PARK FIELDHOUSE

The holidays are chock full of dinners and parties - all of which call for a display of delicious cookies. Also, there are those co-workers, custodians, secretaries, kindly neighbors, mail-carrier, etc. who all deserve a small remembrance at Holiday time. What better way to acquire a supply of assorted, great, home-baked cookies than to participate in the Enderis Park Holiday Cookie Exchange?

Mix and Match Cookies for the Holidays

Just bake 8 dozen holiday cookies of one kind, bring them to the Enderis Park Fieldhouse at 4:00pm on Sat. Dec. 5 and leave with 8 dozen different types of holiday cookies. They make great looking displays at your parties or really nice gifts. Even better, you will be able to enjoy hot cider, some refreshments, and conversations with your neighborhood friends.

All are Welcome...Co0kies or Not

In fact, you don't need to bake cookies to come to the Fieldhouse and enjoy relaxing with your neighbors -- trading stories of holiday plans and shopping trips. Just stop by, all are welcome. Any questions, please call Kathy Grothe at 774-1898 or email kgrothe1@juno.com.

As you know, Wisconsin winter causes isolation from neighbors and this is one excuse for just getting together. Looking forward to seeing and talking to everybody -- should be fun!

story supplied by Kathy Grothe

A Little Taste of the Summer

With the weather turning colder and the local football team faltering, I find myself longing for a summer that was too short and too unseasonably cool. As the prospect of s*** rears its ugly head, I'm reminded of a nice way to spend the upcoming winter days...warmed by the flicker of a computer screen, playing MLB Dugout Heroes.

Fun Social Networking

MLB Dugout Heroes is an online game with simple controls, good graphics and real MLB rosters. It is also...wait for it...FREE. Games are organized with other people around the world and it includes a chat element so you can homer off someone on the other side of the globe and gloat about it as your player rounds the bases. Or you could, you know, be polite about it.

It Gets Better

MLB Dugout Heroes was already good when I discovered it in early May, but the company that produces it, Games Campus, keeps improving upon it. Not only is each major league roster up to date, but you can trade players and sign free agents. For a game with slightly cartoonish (although enjoyable) graphics, it is amazingly realistic. Players get hot, go into slumps and even get tired from time to time. It is a very good option for those who like baseball, gaming and free stuff.

Did I Mention It's Free*

How did that asterisk work its way in there? Okay. MLB Dugout Heroes is free. I've never paid a cent for it, but it does offer the option of buying credits. With credits, you can buy more and better players, increase your team's talent level and even customize your team's appearance. It's really up to you. MLB Dugout Heroes also keeps track of your stats - one of the great joys of following baseball.

Fun for Most Ages

Most importantly, this is a good way for distant friends and relatives to hook up and spend some time together, even if they are miles away. Kids can play it. Adults can play it. While I don't think you could give it as a Christmas gift, it would be a great rainy/snowy day activity for a bored kid. The price is right and it is an enjoyable game.

Gonna Check it Out?

If you aren't into gaming, what do you do online? Social networking? Surfing? Tell me your favorite rainy/snowy day internet activities.

Summer

I've been absent for awhile - traveling a lot. In the time I've been gone, the summer slipped away. It got me to thinking: what was the best part of this Enderis summer?
For me, it was The 4th of July Celebration. There were several great events: the games, the food, the watermelon eating contest.

But perhaps the best thing is the way the neighborhood comes together on the 4th. It really does seem like an extended family. We all have our differences, but on that day it seems we put them aside and celebrate the larger family we belong to...The American Family. And we celebrate the unique joy of being American with our slightly smaller family, our Enderis family.

What's your favorite part of summer in Enderis Park? Leave it in the comments. Perhaps, you think there might be something to add to summertime in Enderis. Leave those suggestions too.

The Way to a Neighborhood's Heart

It's been said...the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. After this summer, I think you can say the same about Enderis Park. The way to a neighborhood's heart, is through it's stomach.

After thinking about it, I realized many communities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and across the nation no longer have convenient access to a neighborhood grocery store. The concept of the superstore has pushed smaller stores out of business and in so doing has left the residents of great neighborhoods just like Enderis without a viable, local source for daily food and household needs.

Some studies suggest the loss of the neighborhood grocery store spells trouble for the neighborhood that loses it. They cite a decline in property value, loss of jobs, and general decay in quality of life. I'm not into studies. I don't feel like fact-checking and my contrarian ideology makes me question any such report. But I do like to examine things around me logically. So I asked myself... What does our neighborhood grocery store (Sentry on Lisbon) do to improve the quality of life in Enderis? Here's what I came up with:

They've got a Redbox. Admittedly this was my first exposure to Sentry. I was accustomed to Aldi or Pick-n-Save and never really considered Sentry as an option, until I discovered Redbox. Redbox is a machine that dispenses new releases and popular movies for the low cost of $1 per night. There are no late fees. You can reserve your movies online and pick them up at the Redbox of your choice. You can return your movie to any Redbox kiosk. This is a great low-cost alternative to Blockbuster (which should be avoided like the plague) and Netflix (I can't knock Netflix, it's pretty awesome, too).

They have inexpensive cook-outs on Saturday's during the summer. I just recently found out about this. Hot dogs, brats, polishes, chips and soda for ridiculously low prices. Here's the best part: the profits go to local food pantries. Sentry on Lisbon is helping the thrifty feed the needy. I dislike the cliche' "killing two birds with one stone" so I'll coin my own, "giving two dogs one bone." Yeah, I'm not sure what that means either.

They give back to the neighborhood. Jim Seftar, the owner of Sentry on Lisbon is the business member of the Enderis Park Neighborhood Association Board. What does that mean? It means he is taking a vested interest in the health of the community and helping formulate plans to improve the lives of his customers. How? You might ask.

They donate food to the concert series. Many companies donate to the concert series and they all deserve our support. Do they hope their generosity is recognized through more patronage? Of course, but isn't that the whole point of a neighborhood, helping each other out and accepting help in return?

Their existence makes Enderis Park a "walkable" community. Think about this the next time your cooking and the recipe calls for Herbs de Provence, or Cumin, for Heaven's sake, you can't cook without Cumin...or so I've been told.

In a day and age when the media and even our own government is teaching us to regard businesses as the enemy, I think it's important to highlight some of the great things businesses do for us, especially our neighborhood grocery store, Sentry on Lisbon.

What do you think? Am I wrong? Am I right? What would Enderis be like without Sentry? I'm interested to hear your comments. Please post below by clicking on "Comments".

Baby We Were Born to Run

Birdstud (a neighbor to the park) recently posted...
an interesting comment, wherein he asked, should dogs be allowed to run free in the park, signs be damned. (Yes, that is an actual photo of the actual sign in Enderis Park. I saw this discussion coming.)

As I was told, by a dog owner, not an EPNA representative, the official position on dogs in the park is they ARE allowed off-leash for a half-hour in the morning. Sadly, I do not know which half-hour that is, despite once being told. My wife can attest, I usually must be told more than once and it is best to stand directly in front of the television when doing so.

Are dog owners ignoring the sunrise clause?
I have seen dogs unleashed at all hours of the day in the park, albeit without incident, and it's my belief that currently there is a mixed message and not enough communication. (Someone should start a blog to discuss these things.) The sign obviously says "dogs on leash only", but I believe my neighbor when she says she and others were given permission to release the hounds around sunrise. The problem comes from a select few knowing about the revamped dog rules in Enderis Park. Those without dogs see a clear violation of the sign. Those with dogs see others "flouting the law" and feel emboldened to run their dogs at all hours of the day. So what's the solution?

I do not want to anger the dog lobby.
Despite pumping millions of dollars into the political machine, they also organize hits on journalists and anyone that opposes them (kidding). But dog-walkers love their dogs and as Springsteen said, "Baby, [dogs] are born to run." I think they should be given the opportunity via a special time. The current arrangement seems fair, so long as people know about it and can avoid the park at that time AND other dog-walkers don't abuse the privilege by unleashing outside the prescribed time. Communication seems key. I feel a newsletter article coming.

Yet another solution.
I don't know what effect unleashed dogs have on the local bird population, a subject seemingly near and dear to Birdstud, whose comment inspired this post, but I assume it ain't good. Additionally, unleashed dogs could potentially harm the many children, squirrels, adult residents and fire hydrants who love the park, but let's face it, those children, squirrels and adult residents (I'm giving the hydrants a pass, here) could also do harm to their neighbors. So I propose the following...birds, squirrels, children and adults must all be leashed when enjoying the park, except at the specified "unleashed hour" right around sunrise. Fair is fair.

What do you think?
There are many rules in Enderis Park regarding dogs, people, alcohol and charcoal grills. Some of those rules get broken...usually without incident and in a way that furthers enjoyment of the park. I often see violations, but hold my tongue unless they are dangerous or incredibly annoying for fear the park will become less free and less enjoyable when someone wants to limit the activities I enjoy. I encourage you to speak up in the comments section. By the way, this blog is not the property of the EPNA, nor do I express their opinions. These opinions are mine, not theirs. Now, I'm off to try out my new driver at Enderis, I bet I can hit the pavilion from Hadley. Any takers? (And yes, golf is strictly forbidden in Enderis Park and ruthlessly enforced. I was screamed at once just for thinking about golf.)

Save a Mint with Free Budgeting Software

Perhaps the most annoying thing about trying to make and keep a budget is the time and money it takes. The main point of a budget is to save money...saving a little time is also a nice thing. Who wants to go over excel spreadsheets all day? Okay, maybe some people like doing that, but for those of you who don't, I suggest you check out Mint.com to get your finances under control. I've been using Mint.com for over a year now and here's why I like it:

It's feature-rich, even if you're dirt poor

• It's Free. Just sign up, enter your information and you get all the functions of Mint's robust budgeting applications.
• It does (almost) all the work. Your initial visit represents the most work you will need to do. Simply enter your account numbers and Mint will keep track of all your expenditures. Each time you log in, Mint will automatically update your accounts: that includes your savings, checking, credit cards, loans, cd's, stocks...you get the point, all of your accounts.
• You won't get the runaround. With all of your accounts collected in one place, you no longer need to check multiple sites to get your balances. All your accounts in one place allows you to focus on your expenses, offering you a clearer picture of your finances.
• Budgeting tools are fun and easy to use. Besides a list view of all your transactions, which allows you to categorize each expense, Mint offers graphical representations of your spending habits, making it easy to zero in on each area of your budget. You can easily see what you spend on utilities, food, entertainment, etc. This is crucial in helping to identify ways to cut cost.
• A gentle nudge from Mint. Mint features email reminders to alert you to upcoming bills. This is especially handy if you don't use automatic withdrawal. Eliminating late fees has got to be one of the easiest ways to cut costs - Mint will email, or text you each time your important bills are due, so you can stop worrying about them.
• Helpful hints from Mint. Mint also identifies areas you can save by displaying savings, checking and credit card plans that offer more favorable interest rates and fees than your current plans. Again, you don't have to search, they are all posted to your mint.com page.
• Knowledge is power. Mint also has the power to balance the value of your assets against your obligations. Have you ever been able to tell, in 30 seconds, what your net worth is? I can.

How Mint Saved Me
I was recently laid-off for a period of three months. On my first day of being jobless, I went through every transaction for the previous three months and brainstormed over 30 ways to cut my expenses. By enacting these measures, I managed to weather the financial storm and my wife and I actually ended up BANKING MONEY during my three months of unemployment.

How do I know we banked money?
I was able to see what we spent and what we made using Mint's budget analysis graphs, and it only took a moment. Expenses can be separated by categories and time periods. I also used Mint's budgeting goals tools to set limits for key expense areas, such as food and entertainment.

Mint motivated me to be prepared.
Nearly a year before I was laid-off, I read an article about the necessity of an emergency fund: it protects you against job loss and unforeseen expenses. An emergency fund should cover 3-6 months of your salary, or, if you prefer, 3-6 months of your expenses. At that point, I had little knowledge of my financial health. After using Mint, I realized we barely had enough savings to cover one month of unemployment. It was eye-opening. Using Mint, I was able to track and motivate the establishment of my emergency fund - which was fully funded by the time of my unemployment. Ironically, Mint also negated the need for an emergency fund by allowing me to proactively cut costs during the coldest winter of the recession. We never dipped into our savings, but knowing the fund was there made life a lot easier.

Speak up Enderis. Do you have a budget? An emergency fund? What do you use to monitor your expenses and how do you like it? Have you had similar experience? I and your neighbors would like to know.

Cheap at Twice the Price

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday the 4th) is National Night Out, a program designed to strengthen community - police relations, encourage neighborhood spirit and send the message that fear, crime and violence have no place in our neighborhood.

All excellent reasons to participate in National Night Out, but for me, a cheapskate at heart, the best reason is FREE LIGHT BULBS! The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association promotes National Night Out by giving away free fluorescent light bulbs to use for your porch. Studies have shown well-lit neighborhoods have less crime - so the idea is to get your free bulbs and turn on your porch light every night. Who knows, maybe you'll see your neighbor while your putting up your bulb. It's not too late to get your light bulb. Call Kathy Grothe at 774-1898.

How can we make our neighborhood more safe?
Light bulbs are a great place to start, but how can we make our neighborhood more safe? I'm sure you must have some ideas and I'd like to hear them. We've come a long way already by taking down the basketball hoops at night and placing the radar speed display on 68th street. What else can/should we do? Speak up Enderis.

Enderis Summer!

A little housekeeping first...

Kim Anderson won the contest for best comment in response to the post "Addition by Subtraction". For her efforts, she will receive a $10 Sentry gift certificate. Good job, Kim.

Enderis Summer is in Full Spring...er...Summer!

We're already halfway through the summer. With only a few concerts left and a few events planned, time is running out to experience the heart and soul of the Enderis Park neighborhood...the Enderis Playfield.

The 4th of July celebration was one not to be missed, but if you did, you can check out this web album for a few of the iconic images from the day.

Upcoming Concert: Show the Hope Benefit concert

St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Burleigh is hosting a day of music and fun at Enderis Park on Saturday, August 8th. Christian recording artist Mike Westendorf will be on hand. The concert is offered free of charge in support of the Second Harvest Food Pantry. Bring non-perishable food items or contribute cash to help forward Second Harvest's cause.

What's your favorite experience from Enderis Park?

Weigh in with your comments on your favorite Enderis Park experience and help grow the interactive experience of the Enderis Park Blog. Just click on "comments" below this post.

Addition by Subtraction

On my better mornings (when I'm not too lazy) I go running first thing in the morning. I've established a route that takes me through Enderis Park twice on each run.

Most mornings, the sun is out, the air is fresh and my runs are inspiring; the park plays no small role in this. However, each morning, without fail, I find litter. My first reaction is anger for those who would litter in the park. Ample garbage bins are located throughout Enderis Park, yet litter is a common, usually daily occurrence.

The saving grace of my runs and the inspiration they give me comes not in spite of this litter, but because of it. While it is my preference to not see litter, I have made a habit of moving past my initial anger and viewing the odd bottle, chip wrapper and Sentry cart as an opportunity to take ownership of Enderis Park.

Each morning, when I set out, I make it a goal to pick up just one piece of trash. Sometimes, I pick up more, but my goal is one. The benefit is twofold: the park looks a little nicer and I feel responsible for it. Furthermore, it's a goal that's easy to pass on. That's the point of this post - to pass on the spirit of leaving things better than we found them, one tiny task at a time.

How do you take ownership of Enderis Park or the Enderis Park Neighborhood.? Leave a post in the comments section at the bottom of this post, all suggestions will be posted, the best post will receive a $10 gift certificate to Sentry.

Be sure to leave your name and address so I can contact you if you win. (Your address will not be posted).

June/July Roundup

You may have missed the most-recent release of the Enderis Park Newsletter. Here's a quick summary of what has and will happen in and around Enderis Park.

Did you catch the first concert?

• June 18th was the first concert of the season for Enderis Park's Concerts on the Green series. The Haakon-Frye Blues Band kicked it off with Enderis Park resident Eric Thorne on guitar and vocals. H2OH finished things off with some classic rock favorites and a few originals off their new album. The next concert is Thursday, June 9th at 6PM.

• Be sure to check the agenda to the right for the rest of the concert schedule and more upcoming events.

Game on at Enderis Park

• The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association is committed to providing a safe, fun atmosphere for children and adults alike and provides supervision of the basketball courts at Enderis Playfield.
  

• The sand courts for volleyball have been raked, the nets are up and Melissa and Jennifer are waiting for teams or individuals to set up a schedule for league games. Games are co-ed and typically take place middle of the week during the evenings. Contact Melissa at 771-4936, magillies3@yahoo.com, or Jennifer at 774-2658, jwolff@gklaw.com.

• The Enderis Park Wading Pool opens June 22nd. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11AM to 4PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 3PM.

4th of July

Independence Day is almost here. Enderis Park is home to many family-friendly events that celebrate our freedom and way of life...somehow a watermelon eating contest seems in order. Below is a brief list of EPNA-sponsored events.

• 8:30 AM - Parades leave from 81st Street School and MGC Church.
• 9 AM - Registration for stroller, coaster, bike and trike decoration judging.
• 9:15 AM - Flag Raising
• 9:45 AM - Music, contests and games until noon
• 11 AM - World Famous Watermelon-Eating Contest

• Free ice cream and flags
• Volunteers are needed: Contact Kathy Grothe 774-1898

As we approach the first official day of summer please remember to keep Enderis Park safe and enjoyable for all who visit by following these few guidelines:

• Alcohol is prohibited in the Enderis Playfield
• Lighting fireworks is not allowed in the City of Milwaukee
• Trash receptacles are located through the Enderis Playfield for your convenience and to preserve the beauty of the park

Have a good summer!

Rummage Sale

On my daily runs, I've started to notice some rummage sales popping up. Small wonder, it's a great time of year to clear out some of those gently used things you no longer need. With a good bit of traffic, you might make enough scratch to check out a Brewers game, or take the family out to dinner.
The best way to maximize your rummage sale traffic is to join up with the Enderis Park Neighborhood rummage sale. If you check the calendar, you'll see the rummage sale takes place June 20th from 8am to 1pm. You can have your address listed for inclusion in the rummage sale ads and maps by downloading this form and mailing it to the specified address.
Not only is this a great way to make some extra spending money, it's a good way to meet your neighbors.

A Quick Look Around

Time to take a look around the blog itself. If you're new to blogs and have no idea what they do or how to use them, this is the post for you. I plan to add more functions to the blog as time goes on, but I wanted to keep it simple to start, as one of my goals is easily discernible information. Some duded up blog won't help me and probably won't help you.

Here are the features I'll be talking about today:

• The events list
• The followers list
• The blog archive
• Comments
• Subscription

To the right of this post you will see 3 elements. At the top: "Enderis Park Events." This is exactly what you think. It's a calendar in agenda format. This is a good place to check for upcoming events.

Below the events, you will see, "Followers." If you are a frequent visitor to the blog, I suggest becoming a follower. Just click the button labeled "Follow" and Google will guide you through the setup. Once you set it up, play around a bit. You can see who else is following the blog, you can see what other interesting blogs they follow as well as sending messages to them right from the Enderis Park Blog.

Below the Followers list you will see the "Blog Archive." Pretty self explanatory. If you want to catch up on posts you might have missed or would like to reference an old post you can find it in the Blog Archive.

Below each post you will see some smaller type. The first thing you see here will be something like, "Posted by dwworks at 10:01 AM" Right after, you will see a "Comments" link. This is where you can have your say in the blog. It doesn't have to be groundbreaking, but if you have a thought about the post you just read or would like to share some information you have about the topic, click the comments link and post your comment.

Finally, at the bottom of this page is a link that reads: "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)". Click this link to set up a subscription service (free of charge). Once you are enrolled, you will receive a notice in your feed reader whenever a new post is added to the blog. Confused? Don't be afraid to click the link and choose one of the feed readers. I use Google. It's fairly intuitive and will make following this and every other blog you like ridiculously easy. I'm a big fan of ridiculously easy and simple things.

Hello and Welcome

I've decided to open this introductory post to the Enderis Park Blog with a picture of myself, the Enderis Park Blogger, looking awkward in my efflorescence-caked basement. It's an appropriate methaphor for the aim of this blog: to go beneath the surface of Enderis Park and shine a light on why people choose to live and do business here. Specifically, you will find the following:

• Upcoming event details
• Helpful hints for living in Enderis Park, living in Milwaukee and just living in general
• Profiles of businesses and residents
• Fun stuff, like polls, trivia, contests and giveaways

Most importantly, if you live here, you will be reminded of why you do so; if you're thinking of living here, hopefully the content of this blog will make your decision easier. Enderis Park is pretty safe, pretty diverse and...well...pretty.

Many believe the residents of a community make it desirable. I agree. So this blog is here to serve you, the residents past, present and future. Like every street in Enderis, this blog runs two ways. It is an outlet of information, but also a forum. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions. In fact, I encourage your feedback and ideas, but let's keep it clean, okay people?

Who do I think I am?

My name is Derek. My wife and I have lived in Enderis Park for about two years. I am an aspiring writer and perspiring videographer. I enjoy running, playing football, basketball and kickball, watching movies, surfing the net and various other things you probably don't really care about. But hey, you asked.

What gives me the right to act as a voice for Enderis Park?

Nothing really. Okay, this blog is authorized by and associated with the Enderis Park Neighborhood Association, but I like to think of it as your blog. I'm just taking care of it for you. My content is free for you to use and reproduce where ever you choose. In the case you don't like what I write, realize it's just an opinion. In the case you are offended, please let me know. Compliments and concerns are also welcomed by Enderis Park board members. Don't know any? Stay tuned for more posts.

This is the Enderis Park community, people, houses, businesses and now, a blog, all surrounding a great little park. Welcome.