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Meet Me at the Corner
A former newspaper reporter who has lived in Franklin for nearly 40 years, Marjorie is active in several Franklin and Hales Corners organizations.
March 2008 - Posts
By Marjorie Pagel
Monday, Mar 24 2008, 10:11 AM
Most computer users are familiar with MapQuest or similar programs that show us how to get from here to there by following detailed directions and a line on a map. Of course, it’s still possible to get lost, depending on who’s the navigator sitting next to the driver. (Just ask my husband, who generally does the driving when we go anywhere together.)
A couple of months ago, as you probably know, Google has added a feature to Milwaukee area maps that should make it even harder to get lost navigating the local streets. Google now includes the “Street View” option, with photographs of the streets we drive on, along with glimpses of homes, signs, and scenery in our own neighborhoods.
The first time I did this, I had an eerie sensation that the Big Brother of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, had come to life and could see right into my kitchen window and tell everyone what I was doing. But then I realized, there was no snow on the ground. Everything was green, the way it will be in a month or two. All of these Milwaukee area photographs were taken last summer.
If you haven’t yet tried this, start by typing into your browser: www.google.com/maps There are all sorts of options to try, but I’m suggesting we start by typing “Franklin City Hall” into the box next to “Search Maps.” Almost instantly you’ll see a little map of the area, with Legend Park in green, Highway 36 and Drexel Ave. in yellow, and a choice of 17 specific locations to visit. For today’s tour I clicked on the library, and voila! – there in full color is our magnificent Franklin Library, and I can zoom in to see it up close or back off to see it from the street. That’s a helpful feature for people trying to find the library for the first time.
But now, for the real fun, I click on “Street View” and all of a sudden it’s as though I’m behind the wheel of a car looking northeast along Loomis Road. By clicking on the white arrows, I can choose to drive either northwest or southeast, or I can click on one of the curved arrows at the top of the insert to whirl around for a panoramic view. And then suddenly there it is: the Franklin water tower. If I click ”full screen”, I can see it up close. Ah yes, I remember -- Ted Fadrow was mayor when that familiar Franklin landmark was built!
Now you try it. Just zoom in and zoom out, follow the arrows and explore. Don’t worry if you get lost. You don’t even need a driver’s license. You’ll be safe and sound, sitting in front of your computer and – depending on how much time you have for local touring -- you can keep typing in different addresses, including your own, and take a spin around your own neighborhood.
In the meantime, I’m going to take my Hales Corners readers started on a virtual tour in their own village. Again, begin at www.google.com/maps and then type “Hales Corners Village Hall” in the “Search Maps” box. A little red balloon marked “A” will pinpoint the address at 5635 S. New Berlin Rd. You will see Grange Ave. in yellow to the north and Schoetz Park in green, to the southeast.
Driving southeast at 5634 S. New Berlin Rd., I see a white van approach in the opposite lane. Using the curved arrows, I reverse direction and, at 5612 S. New Berlin Rd., l can see two adults, dressed in shorts, their backs to the camera, taking a brisk walk along the left side of the road.
Sometimes on your virtual tours, you may see an orange stick figure. If you click on him, you can drag him to anywhere on the map. I did that just now, for fun, and moved him, as I would a board game piece, over to another green area southeast of Hales Corners – Whitnall Park. But all of a sudden, I found I wasn’t even on a road. My virtual tour had me navigating among the trees. Oh, it’s beautiful up here, but I’m glad my husband isn’t riding along beside me. He’d chide me about getting lost AGAIN and want me to put him back on the streets – even if they’re all covered with pot holes after this long Wisconsin winter.
Excuse me, while you make your own virtual tour discoveries. I’m going to put both hands on the steering wheel to see if I can navigate back to earth!
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By Marjorie Pagel
Tuesday, Mar 4 2008, 04:52 PM
At the end of December 2007, Matthew Zellmer, of Hales Corners, was named to the Reader Advisory Committee of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Editorial Board. Since then, his opinions on a variety of issues have appeared in the Crossroads section of the Sunday paper.When Zellmer first learned he had been accepted on the Reader Advisory Committee, he shared this happy news on his blog at www.onmilwaukee.com:
“Greetings amidst time away from work during the holidays. I received word that I’ve been accepted to the 2008 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel advisory committee, meaning as many as 12 people (including myself) will be advising the paper’s editorial board on what positions to take on news stories. We don’t have all the details of what the position entails yet, but we’ll apparently be working from a list of something called ‘advisory hits’ and getting an opportunity to pen occasional snippets of commentary that will appear on the editorial page, ideal for an aspiring journalist like me. I’m excited to be the first person with a significant disability to serve on the committee, and even more pumped that this role could lead to a community columnist job at the end of the one-year term. I’ll do my best to post goings on from our monthly meetings in this space, unless a ‘What’s Said Here Stays Here’ edict is imposed. Please feel free to email me thoughts on what’s important to you in terms of news coverage. Happy New Year.”
Early congratulations came from Independence First, where Zellmer has worked as a volunteer. “Check out his blog,” the newsletter editor advised readers. Zellmer’s blog, "The World On Wheels," was originally intended to offer “his insights and experiences being a young professional with a disability in Milwaukee.” Lately, though, it covers a whole range of topics, including primary election politics and teenage pregnancy. (See “Election Year Advice,” published Jan. 27, and “Pregnant Pause,” Feb. 24.)
Here’s an excerpt: “Don’t pay much attention to anything the national media call a ‘trend.’ Hillary Clinton went from surefire nominee to dead after one caucus nominee to dead after one caucus defeat, now she’s suddenly rejuvenated. Barack Obama was the hot guy, but his expected post-Iowa bounce hasn’t translated into more victories. Rudy Guliani was a GOP lock until almost no one actually voted for him. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but that’s a good thing. Wisconsin’s primary might actually matter this time. It’s up to the voters to make informed decisions.”
Of course, a lot has happened since Jan. 27 in the various primaries, but Zellmer had it right – it’s not over yet.
Here’s another excerpt: “Teen pregnancy is a growing problem best solved the old-fashioned way: by teaching abstinence. Contraceptives aren't foolproof, and the magnitude of the crisis suggests they often aren't used at all. There is no compelling reason society should accept the notion that kids are going to have sex. No matter what they might think, teens aren't ready to have sex. Their loved ones and schools need to explain why.”
One of my personal favorites from this Hales Corners blogger was posted on Jan. 21, a day off from his job with the NBA in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“With the day off on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (thanks, NBA, for the respite) I got to thinking. The good Reverend once said, ‘I have a dream that one day people will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ This was a man of vision, someone willing to be thrown in jail (and sadly, give his life) to see justice served and social change enacted. This was a man who emerged and is remembered today as unquestionably the most influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Forty years after his assassination, we of course focus on the progress he achieved toward racial equality.
"But as someone with a physical disability, I see another application of Dr. King’s vision. I believe that if he had gotten the chance, he would have been at the forefront of the disability rights movement as well. One could just as easily replace “color of their skin” with ‘functioning of their limbs’ or ‘effectiveness of their eyes and ears.’ From my observation, MLK had such a desire to implement positive, revolutionary reforms that there’s no reason to believe he would have stopped fighting after conquering the barriers of segregation. And since his methods of choice were nonviolence, oratory and civil disobedience, there’s no reason to believe his message wouldn’t have resonated with the masses in any era. But unfortunately he left us too soon, leaving everyone to wonder how much more he could have achieved.
“That’s not to say people with disabilities can’t use him an example of how to advocate. We do need to be careful not to distort his message by excessively whining, complaining, or becoming overly reliant on the government in an attempt to advance ourselves. I don’t believe he’d want that anymore than he’d want kids to skip school in order to attend ceremonies honoring him. (You may scoff, but I witnessed this happen.) What I believe MLK would want is for people with disabilities to battle for change using faith, intellect and determination, just as he did. Can’t you picture him sitting on the steps of a government building in the 1980s, refusing to go in as a peaceful protest of the lack of a wheelchair ramp? I sure can.
“So as we commemorate this solemn occasion today, let’s thank him for helping open the door to opportunity for so many previously oppressed minorities. Let us also remember that we need to try to walk (or push) through the door ourselves, rather than wait for someone to help us.”
Zellmer’s online I.D. is “mz80” and on his blog he describes himself briefly: “I graduated in 2003 from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and then in 2006 earned a Master's in communication from Whitewater. I'm an aspiring sportscaster but just landed a job as a sales associate with the Bucks, so now you know whom to call for season tickets.”
I hope this brief introduction to Matthew Zellmer, aspiring sportscaster, will have you watch for his next published opinion at www.jsonline.com/blog/index.aspx?id=107 and on the onmilwaukee website listed above.
You can reach him at mz80@yahoo.com.
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