Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/139929
The FREEMAN Brookfield & Elm Grove THIS MONTH INSIDE JULY 2013 Hiking a healthful way to learn about your community Many opportunities for Waukesha County hikers By Sara Rae Lancaster Brookfield East gets its three-peat 8A Barbara Eash antiques column 5A Calendar of events 4A Special to The Freeman BROOKFIELD – Tell your neighbors to take a hike. No, really. It turns out hiking isn't just a great form of exercise. It's also a great way to get to know your community. Debbie Kotlarek and Jon Russell joined the Wisconsin Go Hiking Club in 1998. The club, founded in 1924, offers five weekly hikes throughout the greater Milwaukee area that range from a minimum of 4 miles to as much as 22 miles. Not only have these weekly club hikes provided Kotlarek and Russell with a fun way to get regular exercise, they also introduced the couple to new people and places near their home in Brookfield. "We always hiked and took hiking vacations," Kotlarek said. "But we tended to only do it as a vacation, and we felt we should be doing it more often. So we set a goal of doing a hike once a month." Kotlarek and Russell started by planning hikes near their home and inviting family members to join them. Then a member of their book discussion group told them about the Wisconsin Go Hiking Club. "One of the things about the hiking club that is so nice is the social aspect. We've met so many people and made new friends," Kotlarek said. "You meet people who have varying interests," PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WAUKESHA, WI PERMIT NO. 3 Using open space in Waukesha County 3A Hello, Brookfield & Elm Grove! Submitted photo Hikers wend their way on a Wisconsin Go Hiking Club trek. Russell added. "Sometimes the conversations we have on the trail tend to be quite interesting." It's not uncommon for those conversations to continue from the hike to a post-hike meal. The Tuesday night group will often eat dinner at a local restaurant after the evening's hike. Sometimes members host get-togethers at their homes. Serendipitous friendships aside, "The real surprise to us was how many places in the area we had never been to," Kotlarek added. Waukesha County is home to eight county parks and, within those parks, over 16 miles of groomed trails. City parks, like Fox Brook Park in Brookfield, and other recreational areas and trails, such as the Bugline Recreation Trail, Kettle Moraine State Forest, parts of the Glacial Drumlin State Trail and a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, offer additional hiking opportunities. The Ice Age Trail Alliance will soon receive a $500 grant thanks to an award Grape Nuts "What's Your Mountain" contest. Kotlarek was one of 60 recipients nationwide to receive the grant after she submitted an essay stating that if selected, she and members of the Wisconsin Go Hiking Club would "summit" Lapham Peak in Delafield, Waukesha County's highest point, and the grant money would support the Ice Age Trail. The Ice Age Trail covers approximately 1,200 miles entirely in Wisconsin. See HIKING, PAGE 2A Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WaukeshaFreeman Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WaukeshaFreeman 232749002 Comfort Keepers helps MS client with daily living needs 20% OFF * 38% OFF * *Remodel Projects Only Offer Expires August 31, 2013 Cabinetry FULL SERVICE Kitchen Bath AND Visit our showroom: REMODELERS Monday-Friday • 9am-5pm 20880 W. Enterprise Ave. Brookfield, WI 53045 231492008 County rich in parks, trails Kotlarek won from the Post Brookfield & Elm Grove This Month is free and will arrive in your mail the first week of each month. In each month's edition we will take an in-depth look at an issue, person or other story in the community. We will also provide other important information such as community activities and updates on local stories. We encourage you to subscribe to the daily Freeman for coverage of Brookfield, Elm Grove and the rest of our area. To subscribe, to reach one of the editors with story ideas or for photo reprints, call 542-2500. We hope you enjoy this month's edition. – Freeman editors Cristina was diagnosed with MS when she was 27 years old. But she doesn't let that get her down. As she so eloquently puts it, "MS lives with me." She still manages to babysit for her four grandchildren, who range in age from 11 months to 10 years old. She loves to bake and cook, and still volunteers at her beloved Greek Fest each year. Her enthusiasm for life radiates through her smile. In the summer of 2008, Cristina's sisterin-law thought she needed some additional help because she was using both her walker and her wheelchair. She called Comfort Keepers and some other companies, but when owner Shannon Meller came out and they both saw her passion and compassion, the decision was made. Comfort Keepers chose Cindy, a caregiver since 2006 who was awarded Caregiver of the Year by the company in 2007. 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