The Milwaukee Post

-lly hit hard with more than double amount the of heroin overdoses having been recorded from 2009 to 2013. In 2009, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties notched 45 over- doses. In 2013, the five-county region encountered 98 overdoses. For his part, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said he is commit- ted to allocating the resources necessary to bring an end to the growing heroin use. "We want to leverage the services we provide," Abele said. "Anyone who has ideas that bring a return has my support. I will kick down the door to make it hap- pen." During his brief address, Abele shared how Milwaukee County has pooled resources with other governing agencies to address heroin use. Alcohol and other drug abuse resources, for example, have been shared across county lines. Abele's comments were echoed throughout the event. Officials across the different disciplines stated a desire not to fight the epidemic in a vacuum, but instead work collaboratively with one another. Paul Decker, Waukesha County Board chairman, did not mince words as he dis- cussed the epidemic throughout Waukesha and its surrounding communities. Decker said Waukesha County's burgeoning popu- lation is, in part, made of people who have wanted to distance themselves from urban challenges. "Denial is one of our biggest chal- lenges," Decker said. "But education is the key thing. We've got to collaborate. We've got to work together." Other counties near Milwaukee County – including Ozaukee and Washington counties – are also facing the issue head- on. Like Waukesha County, organizers in the other two counties have held meetings that have drawn larger-than-expected crowds. Kirsten Johnson, director of the Ozaukee County Health Department, said a locally oriented heroin summit was expected to draw no more than 200 people when it was held in January. More than 600 people showed up. In the immediate aftermath of the sum- mit, Johnson said the health department is meeting regularly with other groups, including the sheriff's office and the coun- ty's two primarily health care providers, Aurora and Columbia St. Mary's. "We have partners from every walk of life in our community," Johnson said. "You name it, and everyone's at the table. We're really talking to one another." Local leaders also touted preventative measures. Ronna Corliss, a drug preven- tion coordinator with Washington County, said there has been a growing interest toward enhancing parent-student dialogue about the epidemic. Corliss pointed to a recent series of meetings in West Bend that were well attended. "We have to talk about how we can work beyond the borders of our counties," Washington County Manager Joshua Schoemann said. Early in the symposium, the hundreds of attendees heard from drug experts from outside southeastern Wisconsin, including state Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, who gained national attention when he pursued legislation to curb the rise in heroin use. For Nygren, the fight against heroin was personal. His daughter, Cassie, has been struggling with addiction to the drug. Nygren touched on his daughter's radical transformation – from being a high-achiev- ing student to one who was frequently truant. "We never had the opportunity to see her graduate because the straight-A student dropped out," Nygren said. "You think of heroin as something that is happening in dark alleys, but my beautiful baby girl was using it." After hearing some of the speakers offer candid recounts of how heroin use has altered their lives, Barrett described the epidemic as "a wake-up call." "Addiction does not have boundaries and is affecting families in all of our com- munities," Barrett said. "I'm proud to see a regional response being built." As the seven-hour symposium wrapped, Murphy recounted some of the startling statistics aired throughout the day. But he expressed optimism as well. "I believe, going forward, the informa- tion we gathered will serve as a foundation to making a difference," Murphy said. "There is a sense of urgency. We're all reaching out to the same audience." The recent symposium came to fruition with philanthropic support by the Zilber Family Foundation. 6 • Milwaukee County Post • June 13, 2014 UWM Libraries to launch historical photos Post Staff MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries announced it will launch Milwaukee Polonia, a digital collection of more than 32,000 historic pho- tographs of Milwaukee's Polish-American community, at Polish Fest this weekend. The exhibit will be at the Cultural Organizations Tent at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park on the Summerfest grounds. The collection also includes historic maps and entries on places and things shown in the photos. The digital collection features the pho- tography of Roman B.J. Kwasniewski, a stu- dio photographer who worked on Milwaukee's south side from the 1910s through the 1940s. Many individuals passed through Kwasniewski's studio on Lincoln Avenue and had their portraits taken for weddings, first communions, confirma- tions, and graduation ceremonies. Kwasniewski also took his camera into the community, creating detailed portraits of the world around him. He took more pic- tures of street scenes, buildings, parks, busi- nesses, sports teams and fraternal societies. His photos show an ethnic community during its most cohesive period. The nation- ally significant collection is used by scholars researching the history of Polish- Americans and by genealogists seeking glimpses of past family members. The UWM Libraries acquired the vast archive in 1979 and opened it for research in 1991. It has been featured at numerous com- munity events, illustrated many books on the Milwaukee's Polish community, and been the subject of its own book, "Illuminating the Particular: Photographs of Milwaukee's Polish South Side" (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2003). The collection consists of primarily 5-by- 7-inch glass negatives. "Milwaukee Polonia opens an entirely new perspective on the Kwasniewski pho- tos," said Michael Doylen, assistant director and head of archives. "With the digital col- lection, users are able to enter Kwasniewski's world, walk the old business district, visit Kosciuszko Park, and explore the South Side when it was primarily Polish- American." Contextual materials added by the UWM Libraries include a series of historic maps, from 1888 to 1927, showing the rapid devel- opment of the South Side Polonia, and entries on iconic places such as the Basilica of St. Josaphat, Kosciuszko Park, the Modjeska Theatre, as well as topics such as immigration, education and Catholicism. Polish Fest runs from noon to midnight Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Summerfest grounds, 200 N. Harbor Drive. Digital collection of Milwaukee's past Polish-American community to be unveiled this weekend at Polish Fest Heroin: Area leaders taking stand continued from Page 1 Murphy Post Staff MILWAUKEE – Kohl's Department Stores has renewed its partnership with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin with a donation of $3.7 million over the next three years. It will support the Kohl's Cares Grow Safe and Healthy Program, which is designed to make Wisconsin kids and fami- lies aware of safety risks in and out of their homes, and the necessary steps to avoid injury. The donation comes from Kohl's philan- thropic program, Kohl's Cares, which sells special merchandise, including plush toys and books, and donates 100 percent of the net profit to benefit children's health and educa- tion initiatives nationwide. Since 2000, Kohl's together with Kohl's Cares have combined to give more than $75 million to support charitable initiatives in the metro Milwaukee area, including more than $12 million to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Kohl's Cares donates $3.7M to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin W.S.Y.B.L. W.S.Y.B.L. is now taking applications for a new open division. This open division is for elite select teams with no school district restriction. Only U11-5th grade through U14-8th grade may apply. Sign-up deadline: July 1, 2014 238836002 Contact Darrell Standish at wsybl@wsybl.com WILLS, TRUSTS, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, PROBATE Pre and post death planning by a professional with over 35 years of experience. Law Offices of Attorney James J. Winiarski 3625 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee (414) 383-3902 236401186 Wheelchairs • Walkers • 3-Wheel Scooters MEDICAL EQUIPMENT BUY • SELL • TRADE • REPAIR Helping Aids, Inc. 414-321-6494 238736080

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