The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee County Post • May 30, 2014 Question of the week Does the city of Milwaukee need greater public safety, as Alderman Bob Donovan suggested last week? "I feel that Alderman Bob Donovan is like the light at the end of the tunnel. Has anyone else come up with ideas and suggestions on Milwaukee safety problems? Alderman Bob does not suggest just raising property taxes. If we want law and order, we must have law enforcement officers that are concerned about the menaces to society that are threatening our neighborhoods.We have empty houses.We have junk cars parked on the grass. We have unlicensed vehicles. We have loud mufflers. We have large dogs that are not on a leash.The tax- paying citizens cannot be expected to stay locked in their houses while city and county officials keep asking them for their help. Our nice neighborhoods discourage crime, so don't fine people for fixing up their homes by raising their taxes. Public safety is at the low point in the city, and Alderman Bob needs to be heard, and his suggestions need to be paid attention to." – Dorothy Seidl Milwaukee This week's question Do you agree with Sheriff David Clarke's call for an independent review of the county justice system? Editor's note: When responding to the Question of the Week, please include your full name with spelling, phone number and city where you live. Phone numbers will not be published. Anonymous respons- es are no longer accepted by the publica- tion. Call 744-6370, Ext. 15 and leave a brief answer. Readers may also send an email with a brief answer to: dbutler@conleynet.com. By SARAH PRYOR Conley News Service WAUKESHA – The Clarke Hotel officially has a new owner. Harp & Eagle Limited, owners of inn- and-pub combos all over the state including Milwaukee's County Clare, closed on its $1 million purchase of the hotel on Friday, said Harp & Eagle's Director of Operations Dennis Radtke. "Harp & Eagle is very excited to be part of downtown Waukesha. We look forward to being an integral part of the community," Radtke said. Harp & Eagle specializes in Irish inns and pubs, which will likely be the direction of The Clarke Hotel in the very near future, Radtke told The Post. The $1 million price tag is a steal if you consider the 20-room boutique hotel's 2012 assessment value of $4.7 million. City Assessor Paul Klauck said that in 2013, his office lowered the assessment to $2.8 million because it was well-known that the hotel was in foreclosure and for sale. During the hotel's development phase, the city loaned $1.5 million to the project – $750,000 of which was to be paid through increased property taxes and $750,000 through the hotel's room taxes. Last year, Community Bank and Trust authorized foreclosure proceedings to be instituted on the hotel's two mortgages – one for $2.1 million and the other for $1.3 mil- lion. In March, the hotel was listed on Craigslist for $1.2 million. Milwaukee-based Harp & Eagle also owns Chateau De Pere French Hotel & Restaurant in De Pere, St. Brendan's Irish Inn & Pub in Green Bay, Ashling on the Lough in Kenosha and 52 Stafford Irish Inn in Plymouth. The company was founded in 2001, but owner Rip O'Dwanny has been building and developing bed-and-breakfasts since the late 1970s. Harp & Eagle also offers tours to Ireland, and has sent more than 11,000 people to the Emerald Isle over the years, Radtke said. Visit www.bestirishtour.com for more info. Contact Sarah Pryor spryor@conleynet.com County Clare owners purchase Waukesha's Clarke Hotel Sold for $1 million; assessed at just under $5 million in 2012 Groundbreaking Tuesday MILWAUKEE – The Fisher House and Veterans Affairs will hold a groundbreaking Tuesday for the newest Fisher House, which will open on the grounds of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. The Fisher House is where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. It offers a "home away from home" place for families, and is built through donations and the Fisher House Foundation. Submitted photo By ALLISON FOX Conley News Service MILWAUKEE – A new coalition, Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination, is working to remove the stig- ma of mental illness. It's estimated that 1 in 4 adults, approx- imately 61.5 million Americans, experi- ence mental illness in a given year, accord- ing to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Sue McKenzie, co-leader of Stigma Elimination and co-director of Rogers InHealth, noted that May is designated Mental Health Month. McKenzie believes there is no better time to unveil the new group. McKenzie said the group's goal is to encourage people who are affected by men- tal illness to share their stories of hope and success. "We always see the negative side of mental illness in movies and on the news," Mckenzie said. "We want to remove this stigma by sharing the positive stories of people who are affected by mental illness but are still able to live their lives." WISE is different from other mental health organizations because it focuses mainly on removing the stigma of mental illness where other organizations focus on treatment. Mckenzie said that one of the best ways to remove it is to reach out and get people sharing and talking. The group has united with more than 25 organizational partners, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and holds "Honest, Open and Proud" presenta- tions throughout Wisconsin, which help guide individuals through the process of telling their stories. Executive Director of NAMI Wisconsin Julianne Carbin said it can be empower- ing and actually increase one's self-esteem when people with mental health issues share their stories. "It also promotes understanding, pres- ents opportunities for support, assistance, and reasonable accommodations, or can simply relieve the stress and guilt con- nected to keeping a secret," Carbin said. For more information, visit rogersin- health.org/wise. Contact Allison Fox afox@conleynet.com Shedding the stigma of mental illness New coalition encourages people affected by it to speak up

• Cover