As reported today, another Whitefish Bay child died of a drug overdose this weekend.    I've been trying to write about it for the past 8 hours, struggling with what, when, and if I should write anything.   

Without writing anything today, I noticed a tripling of traffic to this blog, as Villagers have been searching for information on the story and what is happening in our community.  Clearly, there's a large segment of WFB that is in shock, and in mourning over the most recent drug related death in our community.

---

Maddie Kiefer, a 15 year old freshman at WFB High School died this past weekend.  At some point, the WFB police department may release more comments based on autopsy results, but the JS has reported:

...investigators believe that 15-year-old Madison "Maddi" Kiefer (sic) was dropped off by two adult males this weekend at a home in the 5100 block of N. Diversey Blvd., where North Shore Fire Department responders were unable to resuscitate her.

The release said that Whitefish Bay police, who were summoned to the home at about 10 a.m. Sunday, believe the "victim had been at a different (Whitefish Bay) residence where she may have consumed unknown quantities of drugs and was then transported to the address on Diversey."

Two adult males and one adult female are awaiting charges in connection with the case, the release said.

The specifics of this case aren't publicly known, but what is certain is that there are far too many families in a slow-motion tragedy in Whitefish Bay, who deal with substance abuse on a daily basis.  Some using, and some selling.   

In the past year, another WFB youth, Ben Paliafito, died from a overdose rumored to be Oxy and alcohol, we've had one (albeit 27 year old) arrested for dealing drugs with a homicide kicker because one of his customers died .. and another who, after many incidents of breaking into cars for drug money, is spending time in jail. -- Let alone a current issue with another, somewhere in the 5100-5400 blocks, square in the middle of WFB, who is on that same path, breaking in to cars, probably feeding a drug habit.

It will be interesting to see how those arrested in the Kiefer case will be charged, as selling/supplying drugs to someone who overdoses can be, as recent history has shown, charged as 1st degree reckless homicide.   This may not be the situation for this case, but the charges should be known shortly.

As I've written before .. I know this is beyond tragic for each family who has a child in trouble like this.  My heart goes out to the Kiefer family for the many tragedies they have endured over the years. 

There is an email circulating from the Kiefer family about these tragic events, and while no details need be shared here, it's very important to know Maddie was loved and cared for, and her family was working hard to keep her safe and healthy in all ways possible. 

This story is heartbreaking times ten.

 Make sure you read other items:

1. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
2. The Real Property Tax Report
   
3. WFB Police Annual Report
   
4. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
5. Fargoans .. way tougher
6. WFB Election Update III
7. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
8. Help out WFB - Shop Here!
   
9. Drugs & Whitefish Bay
   
10. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

  Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

First off .. hello, and welcome.  Interest in this blog hit a new high today, smashing the old record.

There's an obvious reason:  People in the Bay are searching for answers.  They want to know how this could happen in their community, how drugs and addiction can exist in our seemingly peaceful neighborhoods.  They want to know how the hell  "known drug houses" exist in Whitefish Bay.  They want to assign blame .. bad schools .. bad parents .. bad kids .. bad police.

I have no answers.

First .. some updates.  I googled this story, and WISN had more details than most.  I haven't been able to watch the local news this week, so am relying on what's online.  Shocking stuff.

"Kiefer snuck out of her home Saturday night, met with a 14-year-old friend and went to the nearby home of a 22-year-old alleged drug dealer.  Maddie's friend told police that the girl bought $60 worth of marijuana and an orange pill."

A 15 and a 14 year old, out looking for drugs in Whitefish Bay?   I just don't know what to say here.  $60 is not piggy bank money, and it begs many questions.

"(When Kiefer was unresponsive) ..the accused dealer and his father drove up (to Maddie's friend's house), dumped Kiefer in the driveway and drove off."

That sentence is unbelievable.  It's one thing to be quietly selling drugs, but dumping dead bodies on Whitefish Bay driveways is something out of Pulp Fiction.   This is truly monstrous.

"Neighbors said they've repeatedly complained to the police about possible drug deals going down at the home."

This really irritates me.   Apparently, there are known drug houses in Whitefish Bay, a piece of information many do not know.  I think the Whitefish Bay Police Department needs to issue some statements about the numbers of suspected houses, what police efforts have been to date, and what future plans are being pursued to drive this business out of WFB.   I am completely under the assumption that we have a highly professional police force, doing everything they can to shut down drug sales in Whitefish Bay -- but .. I think we all need details sooner rather than later.

--

Finally .. there's been a common theme from the many emails I've received today about this story.  It's a theme that somehow the Kiefer family didn't do the right things to prevent this tragedy.

I've read the email the family sent to friends and family.  It details their long and painful journey, and the many methods and tools they used to manage their child's addiction.  Clearly, in the end, they failed -- we all failed -- in preventing Maddie's death.

But I've learned something over the past few years.   Someone in my extended family went through something similar, with substance addiction with their child.   Even with the most dedicated, loving parents, who use every tool available, go to doctors, therapists, treatment clinics, leaving no stone unturned, they can still lose their child for months, years, or forever.   Sometimes, no amount of support is enough, beyond incarceration, and even that is just a temporary solution, as the demons are tremendously difficult to expel. 

So while you read these terrible accounts of Maddie Kiefer's addiction and her final days, before second guessing .. keep one thing in mind, something I wrote yesterday:

She was loved; her family was aware of her substance issues and they lost countless hours of their lives fighting this disease. 

Honestly, perhaps we failed as a community, more than Kiefer's family.  Village parents failed in teaching the lesson that drug use is unacceptable, as there are far too many users (and dealers) in our schools.  Our children failed in accepting drug use by their friends, in their schools, without alerting authorities.  Our police failed in shutting down a drug house.   All of these failures conspired to make the odds long.

NOTE: I will be writing about this story throughout the week, including an article from the mother of one drug addicted child.  Please check back, or consider signing up to have this blog emailed to you when published.  (Click here to sign up.)

 Make sure you read other items:

1. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
2. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
3. The Real Property Tax Report
   
4. WFB Police Annual Report
   
5. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
6. Fargoans .. way tougher
7. WFB Election Update III
8. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
9. Help out WFB - Shop Here!
   
10. Drugs & Whitefish Bay
    
11. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about "blame" .. and said I had no answers for the death of 15 year old Maddie Kiefer.  None of us really do.  But some of the comments that have been made are just flat wrong. 

Firstly, let's talk about WFB High School, and/or Principal Henkle.  Dear people.  High Schools, principals, guidance counselors only play a small role in "raising" a child beyond their education.  While the kids are within the 4 walls, certainly, the schools are responsible for making a valiant attempt at keeping the schools drug free.  However, they are NOT the police.  They are NOT parents.   Drug education is important, but honestly it is the smallest piece of the puzzle when getting teens to not experiment with substances.    The other pieces?  Parents, peers, culture, and police.  

If there are peers surrounding a teen doing drugs, and accessible dealers, a billion hours of the best drug education money can buy may still fail.

Please read this carefully:  There are two types of people.  Those who have been touched by substance abuse, and those who have not.

Honestly, I might have done the same kibitzing three years ago.  But after going through, admittedly on the periphery, having an extended family member with a child with severe substance abuse issues, I have a vastly different understanding than I did before.

Imagine every single day, you had an out of control child.  Every single week is filled with small victories, and often large defeats.  You absolutely cannot watch the child 24/7.  It's just impossible.  You have a job to go to, groceries to buy, events to attend.    You can't treat a teenager like a 2 year old, carrying them from room to room.    Just the fact that they go to school, means they are out of your direct control for 9 hours a day.  

In the end, those with substance abuse issues are simply unstoppable in the long term, until they choose a different path.

You can delay their access to drugs, but you simply cannot stop them without shackling them to a pole.   You can try to minimize their contacts with the outside world, but can't eliminate them.  You can try to minimize their access to money, but they will do what it takes to get their fix, whether that be through breaking in to cars, or selling themselves in the most base manner imaginable.

It is a slow motion tragedy.

I will write this for the third time:  Maddie was loved, and after her family tried 100 things to help her, they tried 100 more.   

All their victories were temporary, and were followed by defeats.   

Before you think you know how you could have done better; stop.   Stop because you don't know, and stop because the Kiefer family just lost their 15 year old daughter and are mad with grief.  --  Just stop.

Finally .. to the Journal Sentinel:   Printing an email addressed to "Friends and Family" because you argued it was in the "public domain" is INFURIATING.   I received it as well, did not pass it along, and treated it like the private missive it was meant to be.

I've been in contact with the author, and know she asked for privacy and compassion, yet the JS ran with it anyhow, adding an "extra level of stress and violation" that the family didn't need.    Way to serve the public interest and sell newspapers.

---

NOTE: I will be writing about this story throughout the week, including an article from the mother of one drug addicted child.  Please check back, or consider signing up to have this blog emailed to you when published.  (Click here to sign up.)

 Make sure you read other items:

1. Searching for answers..
   
2. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
3. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
4. The Real Property Tax Report
   
5. WFB Police Annual Report
   
6. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
7. Fargoans .. way tougher
8. WFB Election Update III
9. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
10. Help out WFB - Shop Here!
    
11. Drugs & Whitefish Bay
    
12. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

Last December, I was contacted by Whitefish Bay resident June Rubner.  She had a story to tell about her own son's battle with drugs and his eventual incarceration, and I published her story on this blog.

At one point in our conversation, we discussed the possibility that June's son would also write something for publication, as it could help with his recovery, and perhaps help others in the community.   In a tragic moment of serendipty, he finished his story for this blog the same week that Whitefish Bay's Maddie Keifer died of a drug overdose.

Currently Justin is in jail at the Franklin House of Correction.  The article below is jointly written by June and her son.

LIFE ON DRUGS as told by a drug user . . .

"I know that I've always had trouble following the rules, but the truth is that I've always been one to learn the hard way.  I've definitely learned a damn good lesson in life due to this experience in jail, and due to my good friend Ben Paliafito's death as well.  All this seemed to come at me so fast and it's just overwhelming when I think about Ben.  It's definitely been an eye-opener to me, but I'd rather not try and talk about Ben because it just makes me wish that he was still with us way too much."  -- Those words were written to me by my son Justin as he was sitting in the Franklin House of Correction on his 162nd day of his sentence (which my husband Stu keeps track of each day in his journal writing). 

AND YET . . . we have one more drug-related death here in Whitefish Bay . . . Maddie Kiefer, 15 years old and a freshman at WFB High School.  PARENTS OF WHITEFISH BAY . . . PLEASE WAKE UP TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND YOU BEFORE IT BECOMES ONE OF YOUR OWN CHILDREN!  Please, read on and you may recognize some of these signs in your own child.

Justin continues to write: "I've barely talked to you (my parents) about myself or my addictions and have not been completely truthful to you, or even to myself, so now while I have time; I thought I'd paint you a picture of what my addiction had become in my life.  I've always been a self-centered person, shy, withdrawn and never seemed to fit in with what seemed to be 'normal.' "

"I always had an underlying sense of weakness while I was growing up, looking for something to help me fill the void I felt, something to help me feel more secure, satisfied with myself and how I viewed myself as a person.  I had always been curious about drugs since the middle school health class when we talked about how drugs can make you feel.  I smoked "weed" for the first time in 7th grade and it made me feel high as hell.  Drugs made me feel good about myself, took away all my worries and voided my troubles in life, like I had nothing to worry about at all."

"I continued smoking weed off and on, but it wasn't until my sophomore year that I bought my own bag for the first time, along with a glass pipe.  It was kind of cool, yet scary at the same time, sneaking around, hoping not to get caught since I was doing something illegal and could get in trouble.  Senior year I began seeing some major changes in myself and my habits as I began smoking weed at least once a week, sometimes even by myself.  "

"Before I knew it I was 18, legally responsible for my own actions, and smoking weed at least once a day at that point.  I had developed a change in my personality that just made me stop caring what other people thought of me anymore – it was only important to me to feel good about myself, and the way I made that happen on a regular basis was to get high on drugs."

Justin had a job that was paying for his habit.  He found that once the "high" from weed wasn't enough, he moved on to experiment with opiates: Xanex, Ecstasy, Speed, LSD, Vicodin and Percocets.  Soon he discovered Oxycontin, a much better high for him.  But when that high wasn't high enough for him anymore, he moved on to heroin at the suggestion of his dealer. 

His dealer told him "it's better than Oxycontin" and at that point heroin became his new drug of choice.  At first he only snorted heroin because he was "afraid of the needle" he says in his letter, that "he didn't want to go that deep."  But once again, not being able to reason and because his dealer told him, "you can shoot up half the amount for a better high," was when Justin decided to pick up the needle.  What Justin really wanted at that point was to get as high, if not higher than he ever had been before. He was "playing with the devil at that point" and he sold himself to the needle for that "better rush of euphoria."

All of this obviously took a toll on Justin's life:  he got fired from his job because he could never show up on time or sometimes he went out on his break and never went back; his family and friends were seriously worried about him; and he started a whole new way of getting money for his drugs by breaking into businesses and cars.  He was selling stolen merchandise for money and had lost his soul to drugs.  It didn't take much time before Justin was arrested while breaking into a car early one morning. 

Justin will be spending one and a half years in jail, "his life lesson" as he now calls it and I still worry about what will happen when he gets released. 

During our visits he tells me that "he is honestly and totally done with drugs of any kind."  But once back out on the streets you have to really "remove yourself" from any past associations or temptations to drugs. 

"Stay Strong" is what I say to Justin before I leave following each of our weekly visits.  Staying strong and staying tough is what we, as parents, have to do as well if we want to keep our kids safe in today's society. 

Peer pressure is more today than it's ever been for our kids.  Just "trying to fit in and be popular" sometimes means not listening to reason.  It's not an easy path to take when you have your own child arrested, but one can only hope that it is a "life lesson" that starts their life moving in a better direction. 

As told by Justin and June Rubner.


TO BE CONTINUED . . .

Powerful stuff.   I wish to thank June and Justin for their candor, writing about something that is incredibly personal and embarrassing. 

June has suggested a Part 3 to this story, which centers around her desire to help the community in more formal ways, like forming a drug awareness group.

NOTE: I will be writing about this story throughout the week.  Please check back, or consider signing up to have this blog emailed to you when published.  (Click here to sign up.)

 Make sure you read other items:

1. Drug death - Day 3
   
2. Searching for answers..
   
3. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
4. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
5. The Real Property Tax Report
   
6. WFB Police Annual Report
   
7. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
8. Fargoans .. way tougher
9. WFB Election Update III
10. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
11. Help out WFB - Shop Here!
    
12. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

Tom DeMuth has dropped out of Whitefish Bay's School Board race for personal reasons.   He wishes to thank his supporters, and hopes to run again in the future.  An official notice may appear in the NOW newspaper at some point.

DeMuth's name remains on the April ballot with the four other candidates:

• Kathy Rogers
• Geraldine Steele
• Deborah Frensz Taran
• Joseph W. Martinelli

The top 3 vote getters will take positions on the School Board.  

It'll be interesting if DeMuth finishes in the top 3 anyhow .. in which case, he'd be elected, and would then perhaps resign.   In a 5-person race, the winners and losers will be separated by only a few hundred votes, so anything is possible. -- Last April, Doug Weas dropped out of the WFB Village President race, and still won about 30% of the vote.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:

WFB's Advocates for Education is hosting a candidate forum:

AFE School Board Candidate Forum
Thursday, March 26th 7 p.m.
Whitefish Bay Public Library

Moderator: Bruce Kestelman, Former School Board Member

Website: http://www.advocatesforeducation.org

 Make sure you read other items:

1. Drug death - Day 3
   
2. Searching for answers..
   
3. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
4. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
5. The Real Property Tax Report
   
6. WFB Police Annual Report
   
7. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
8. Fargoans .. way tougher
9. WFB Election Update III
10. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
11. Help out WFB - Shop Here!
    
12. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

I spent an hour talking about the tragic events of last week, and crime in general with WFB's Chief of Police Robert Jacobs.

Here are notes from our conversation:

Concerning the Kiefer tragedy, and specifically the Laughrin "drug house" .. the police were indeed aware of many complaints neighbors had made, and had over the years, tried to catch Laughrin doing bad deeds.

But the police have to play by rules .. they need probable cause and warrants to enter buildings.  Apparently, citizen complaints about shady looking dudes (or middle school girls at midnight) frequently visiting a home isn't enough for a judge to sign off.  

He explained that the Sunday of the tragedy, it took a Milwaukee County DA, with officers, hours to write up paperwork and affidavits, to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant for Laughrin's house.  

The WFB PD received many tips, from pictures of people entering the house, to license plates of cars in front, taken by neighbors.  Jacobs said they follow up on all of them, trying to create a pattern where they can wiggle some probable cause and step in.  Sadly, this was never achieved.

The Chief explained, that "when one thing was tried and failed, we went to another .. we were taking it seriously."

I asked the Chief if they'd ever parked a squad out front, and he said they did, for a time, but an approach like that is only a temporary fix.  

The Chief mentioned, at one point over the past year, they tried to use an informant to place a drug buy, who was known to Laughrin, but unfortunately, the informant backed out.  (Anecdotally, a blog reader wrote me that if the police were unable, SHE would volunteer to be their undercover drug buyer!)

Jacobs added, he'd gotten a question about "What would the police be doing today, if the Kiefer tragedy hadn't occurred, about the Laughrin drug house?"   -- A fantastic question.

To an extent, his answer was "more of the same" .. which unfortunately was not working.   That being said, he also suggested that, as you ramp up police intervention, you run the risk of violating 4th Amendment rights, and receiving claims of police harassment.   He hinted that more police pressure could have been forthcoming that might have helped, but didn't want to use the word "harassment."

I explained to the Chief, that if you took a poll right now, 99% of Whitefish Bay residents would be very pro-police harassment of drug dealers.

In the end, he said it takes coordination and involvement from the schools, neighbors, kids, and parents to combat drug use and sales.

--

But that cooperation doesn't always occur.  

He described a story from JUST LAST WEEK, after the Kiefer tragedy, when a tip came in about a WFB teen and her MySpace account, on which, it indicated she had done drugs, and had some clues as to the dealer who sold them.  The child and her parents came to the station.  The girl "was indignant that we'd invaded her privacy on MySpace."

ATTENTION CHILDREN: MySpace is totally not private.  There is zero privacy on the internet.  If you post your misdeeds there, be prepared for the consequences.  -- The end of the story is, when the police asked the family to help them capture the drug dealer, the parents ended the conversation suggesting they would get a lawyer instead.

Now, in that case, no charges were filed, because all the police had was a MySpace page hinting drug use.  So .. your child is doing drugs and there's a possibility you can help police catch the dealer who is supplying children with drugs.  Shouldn't you feel an enormous obligation to help police?  Help your neighbors, help the parents and the children around you?  -- To the Whitefish Bay parents who are involved in this story, please, step forward.  I'd be happy to hear your side of this story.

On the plus side, Chief Jacobs did mention he'd heard of a couple of parents who were inquiring about their own children, that they thought might be using drugs. 
--

I asked the Chief directly, if there were other "drug houses" that the WFB police were actively investigating.  His answer was .. diplomatic.  He said no, but "there are individuals we are observing carefully."

--

I've heard from many people, who have decried police priorities, suggesting instead of having squads catching traffic speeders, they should have been parked outside Laughrin's house.  The Chief responded, "But my first year in WFB, people said the PD wasn't taking traffic and pedestrian safety seriously, and to put more emphasis on that.    You try to make best use of resources, but there will always be people who suggest 'you shouldn't be doing this, do that instead.'"

Chief Jacobs suggested that he wanted to work with the School District and Village Board to arrive at a comprehensive plan to combat drug use and sale.  He gave examples of drug education, the possibilities of School Liaison Officers who can get to know specific kids and problems within the schools, or like Nicolet, which apparently allows for occasional building sweeps with drug dogs.

He wasn't recommending any of that specifically, just that all options are on the table. -- I also asked him if the PD needed more resources, and his response was that he wasn't going to issue a knee-jerk reaction to last week's tragedy that more police is the answer.

Jacobs said he rated his department's ability very highly, and in this tragic case, every officer has been involved, that they are working very hard, and want all charges sustained.

--

After thinking about my conversation with the Chief, I am left with a couple of observations.

1. While at one point, our sleepy suburb might have thought traffic / pedestrian safety should have priority, clearly this is not the case at the moment.  Even those that strongly advocate for pedestrian safety must admit that drug houses take priority. 
   
   
2. After this conversation, I am left wanting for a more aggressive style of police enforcement.   It's the "known" part of "known drug house" that kills me.  Neighbors knew.  Kids knew.  Police knew.  But somehow, this 22 year old addict/drug salesman was just too clever, and never made a mistake?
   
   I think our PD was paying attention to Laughrin, knew he was dealing drugs, and made strong efforts when they legally "could".. but those efforts were clearly not enough to prevent this tragedy.  I am left with the belief that if Maddie Kiefer hadn't died last week, Laughrin would be dealing drugs right now, and he would have continued doing for a long period of time, perhaps years.  That's entirely unacceptable on twelve different levels, for our kids, for those neighbors, for our community.
   
   I think all the citizens, and especially the parents in WFB are in favor of the police department "pushing the limits" when it comes to shutting down drug dealers in our Village.   The next time we have a "known drug house" .. the clock is ticking.

 Make sure you read other items:

1. DeMuth Drops out of School Board Race
   
2. Drug death - Day 3
   
3. Searching for answers..
   
4. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
5. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
6. The Real Property Tax Report
   
7. WFB Police Annual Report
   
8. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
9. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
10. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

I had no idea.

Last Tuesday, when I posted my notes from talking with WFB Police Chief Robert Jacobs .. I had no idea he hadn't spoken to other media outlets, and that little ol' Village Spillage had some kind of media scoop.

I didn't know until Wednesday, when I heard WTMJ's Jeff Wagner mention the Chief wasn't talking to the media, but had done an interview with "some blogger."    My parents, may they rest in peace, would be so proud.  I have reached the status of "some blogger."

Later that night, Charles Benson from Channel 4 called me, wanting to do an interview, now that I'd reached "some blogger" status.

My wife had an outing that night, and I had the kids, one of which does not like staying put in bed.  After some thought, I turned Benson down, as I just couldn't count on my kids being asleep when his video crew invaded my house.  

That turned out to be a good decision.  About 8:30pm, my 2-year old came downstairs needing a wardrobe change.  I imagined the scene if I had a video crew in my kitchen, and had to ask "Hey, Charles Benson, could you hand me some wipes?  I've got a code brown over here."

Instead of a live interview, Benson screen-capped my blog and put quotes in his news report.   The 620am morning crew wanted to do a radio interview with me, but the next morning the Chief had spoken to the JS, so they had the reporter on, instead.  Which was a good choice all around.   Being on TV or the radio would have given me more chances to stick my foot in my mouth.

All of this made me wonder .. why did the Chief pick me as his media outlet?  I think the answer is he thought of me as a villager, and future Trustee, and perhaps underestimated how far the blog could reach.

I imagine the blog being read by thousands in the area was a catalyst for the Chief to go on TV himself.

It's interesting to think of how these events will shape how people speak to me in the future, as a Trustee, knowing that I may hear information that is, or should be public information about our community, and write about it.

In this case, I believe the WFB PD needed to release information about their investigation into the Laughrin house, and the drug problem in general .. I asked the Chief questions, heard the answers, and believe I fairly wrote about it.   Honestly, I wish there were more folks doing that, whether they be "real" journalists or bloggers.  -- I was probably the 20th villager to talk with the Chief.  

In case you haven't noticed .. newspapers are dying.  Time did a story on 10 Major Newspapers That May Fold, that included giants like the Philadelphia Daily News, Minneapolis Star-Trib, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, Detroit News, SF Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times.  The writing is on the wall.  The journalism field is shrinking by the minute.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is on the decline and will be vastly different in 2-3 years.  I'll predict that before the end of 2010, the MJS will be 6-days/week of website only, with Sundays the only printed version.  Ad revenue is sinking like a stone during the recession, and zero young people are buying newspaper subscriptions.

Our Whitefish Bay Herald became the NorthShore Herald, then the NOW, and is about 2 minutes from being on-line only.  How long they'll keep that alive, who knows.  -- The JS told the bloggers than 80% of the traffic to NOW sites were for blogs!  Sure tells you there's a thirst for local news that goes unmet by the "professionals."

I don't write that with any pleasure.  I grew up in a newspaper reading household.   Living in St. Paul, we had the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Dispatch, and the Minneapolis Star, and the Tribune .. 4 daily newspapers .. and my dad had all 4 delivered to our house, 7-days a week.

Make sure you read other items:

1. WFB Police Chief on the record..
   
2. DeMuth Drops out of School Board Race
   
3. Drug death - Day 3
   
4. Searching for answers..
   
5. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
6. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
7. The Real Property Tax Report
   
8. WFB Police Annual Report
   
9. WFB Crime Alert & Kaehler
10. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
11. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

I've collected a long-form letter from one of the candidates for School Board from Gerry Steele. 

Here's an into piece from the Advocates for Education Winter Newsletter:

Gerry and her husband Chris have lived in Whitefish Bay for over 19 years.  They have two children who attend the Middle School and High School and Gerry, herself, attended both Richards Kindergarten and Whitefish Bay High school. 

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison and currently a Corporate Event Manager.  Her service to the community includes six years on the Advocates for Education Board and six years on the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation Board along with a number of positions on the Richards PTO Board of Directors. 

When asked why she chose to run, Gerry replied, “We are facing increasingly difficult times in finding ways to deliver high quality public education in Whitefish Bay. The only way to continue the legacy of excellence is through strong leadership on the School Board with a team willing to provide thoughtful, long term planning, communication with all stake holders, and fiscal responsibility.

Gerry's letter:

With four candidates running for three open seats in this year’s April 7th election, I urge voters in Whitefish Bay to compare the candidate’s qualifications and ideals. I have lived in this school district for 34 years and attended Richards Elementary School for kindergarten, and Whitefish Bay High School.  I graduated from UW-Madison with a BA in Communications.  I am married with two children, ages 12 and 15, grades six and grade nine, attending Whitefish Bay Middle and High School. I have served on the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation Board for 6 years; Whitefish Bay Advocates for Education Board for 6 years, and held various positions on Richards PTO.  I work outside the home as a corporate event manager. 

I believe that working hard to advocate on behalf of our children is an honor, and my responsibility.  For the past eleven years, it has been a priority in my life to learn as much as possible about how our schools work, get to know staff and administrators, and continually communicate and advocate about the issues affecting education.  

School Funding is one of the most pressing issues facing our district that has a direct impact on our children’s education. What classes are offered?  How do we apply and integrate technology across disciplines?  What extra-curricular activities are offered?  What world languages are taught, and how many world languages are offered at the elementary schools and middle school?  The list goes on.  

Our schools are operating in a very lean mode right now.  When adjustments to the district budget are made, it should be through a combination of three factors: cost avoidance measures, revenue enhancements, (such as reviewing the number of seats available to students through open enrollment, increasing of rental fees for facilities, increasing student fees, and expanded use of Bay Ball and Education Foundation Funds) and last, adjustments in our budget through expenditure reductions.  In the past, the district has tried carefully to weigh the reductions as they relate directly to our children in the classroom. 

Funding for facility maintenance in particular is something we must face. While this is a very tough time for everyone economically, w need to consider going to referendum in Fall 2010 or Spring 2011 to ask voters whether or not school projects should be funded.

There are pressing needs facing our old buildings. If we do not carry out the maintenance projects, we may face even more costly and unavoidable repairs in the future. We have to take a long view on education, and that includes preserving our facilities while bringing them into the 21st century to make them current and competitive. Ultimately, our role is to consider the impact of our facilities on our student’s opportunities.

The school board must take the time to create meaningful discussion opportunities and listening sessions for all stakeholders about budget discussions, and around the possibility of a referendum, in order to understand fully what the facility study committee’s final report recommends.  We need to determine what we see as critical needs, and most importantly, how facility maintenance directly impacts our children’s learning.

Finally, at the high school level particularly, I believe strongly that the school board and administration must closely monitor the balance of academic excellence and high expectations, with the fact that our students are still kids. Our children consistently exceed Wisconsin and the nation’s averages in ACT, SAT and AP scores. The curriculum is rigorous.  Challenging curriculum is essential to preparing our students for success.  We need to stay on track, continue to see progress, strive for fairness and continued excellent outcomes.

We also have to allow these kids to enjoy the experience and create positive memories.  By and large, the expectations are high.  That message comes from the schools and from our homes, a strong sense of community, family, and parental involvement.  Residents hold the district to high standards and parents hold their children to high standards.   These are strong partnerships.  Taken together, this is what our kids need to move forward and continue as critical, life long learners.  These are the years to set the standards for our children, or more importantly, these are the years for our children to learn to set their own standards. 

Gerry C. Steele

Over the past two weeks, I've received over a dozen inquiries about what people can do to organize to fight the drug abuse problem in the Whitefish Bay School District.

Here's your answer.

A couple of WFB parents have set up an initial meeting of a group they'd like to call "Bay United" .. the first meeting is this week.

More information:

Wednesday, March 18th  7 P.M.
Whitefish Bay Middle School Cafeteria

"The first meeting is a discussion on how we, as a community, can fight back and demand changes to help prevent further drug incidents.   This first meeting is set up as a basic 'fact finding' for the community's concerns.  We will be meeting again on April 7th with the WFB Police Chief and detectives to address our concerns. 

We also are planning on having school officials present following the April 7th meeting to let everyone know what is in their realm of responsibility within the walls our schools."

Agenda:

• Welcome
• Why we are here?
• What would we like to accomplish? In the community? In the schools? At the State level?

Here's another long-form letter from a WFB School Board Candidate.

We have a great school district – let’s make it better!

My name is Joe Martinelli, and I am a candidate for the Whitefish Bay School Board. I live at 5319 N Lake Drive with my wife, Karen, and three adopted grandchildren. Jazmine is 8 years old and attends 2^nd grade at Richards, Mike is 12 and is in 6^th grade at the Middle School, and Tony is 14, a freshman at the High School.

I am running for a position on the School Board because:

• I have a vested interest with three children in the system.
• I believe we all have the responsibility to improve our communities, to 'give back.'
• I would like to apply my educational and professional background, my skills and experience in business, to help the district in meeting the future challenges it will face, in any way I can.

Background

My educational background includes 12 years of Catholic school in Pittsburgh, undergraduate study in Petroleum Engineering and graduate study with an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. At Carnegie Mellon, I earned the Executive Management Certificate.

I worked more than 40 years in the petroleum industry, both domestically and internationally. In 1996, I retired to the San Juan Islands, northwest of Seattle, and continued to consult for industry.

In 2004, we gained custody of our three grandchildren, who we adopted in 2006. With our new family, we once again appreciated the value of good education, and renewed our commitment to it. We came to Wisconsin to be close to our extended family, but chose Whitefish Bay to live because of the reputation of its schools. We researched schools throughout southeast Wisconsin, and found that Whitefish Bay Schools earned exceptional academic rankings.

Business Experience

I bring extensive business experiences and interests to Whitefish Bay.  In the petroleum industry, I gained experience in field operations in Venezuela, Canada and the US.  I was promoted to the executive level in engineering, design and construction, and technology development. At the end of my career, I served as President of Chevron Pipeline Company when it was the fifth largest pipeline company in the country. After I retired from Chevron in 1996, I started my own consulting company, which assisted a variety of businesses in developing continuous performance improvement programs. Throughout my career and well into retirement, I have held leadership positions in numerous industry associations, in both the petroleum and construction fields.

I was honored to be selected an Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, a Federal Government program that has as its objective quality improvement in the management of business and medical organizations. I was part of a team of examiners that visited companies at their world-wide locations, and rated their performance relative to a set of quality standards. Recommendations were then made for specific, multi-faceted improvement programs.

Educational Experience and Interests

During my career, I have been involved with education on many levels. I organized, coordinated and presented executive management programs at the Northwestern University Transportation Center in Evanston. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I worked with the San Ramon Valley School District to develop their quality based, continuous improvement program, which identified many opportunities for change and improvement in the district. I have also served on the business advisory boards of numerous major universities and colleges.

In my life, I have lived in many parts of the US and Canada with my first family. Consequently, I have been involved with many schools in many different districts, and have had the opportunity to compare their successes and challenges. I have also managed organizations that constructed schools in California and Nigeria, which broadened my knowledge of school’s needs.

School Board Initiatives

I recommend that the Board should consider implementing the following initiatives:

• A Scenario Planning Process that will assist in formulating alternative strategies to deal with the future uncertainties caused by the current economic crisis
• An active Benchmarking Program that would compare Whitefish Bay Schools with other institutions and delineate areas of improvement, to insure that our schools have “world class” curricula and activities programs  
• "Best in Practice" Processes for hiring, developing and compensating our people, because people are a school district’s most important asset
• A Facilities Improvement Plan that implements the recommendations of the recent District Facilities Study, and develop a long-range construction plan

Our expectations of the Whitefish Bay schools have been exceeded – our children’s educational experiences and challenges will undoubtedly benefit and improve their lives. However, while Whitefish Bay has an exceptional school system, my knowledge of continuous improvement tells me it can be better. Please support my candidacy and help make Whitefish Bay
School District the best it can be.

VOTE on APRIL 7^th!

joe.martinelli@att.net

Make sure you read other items:

1. Gerry Steele - School Board Candidate
   
2. WFB Police Chief Addendum
   
3. WFB Police Chief on the record..
   
4. DeMuth Drops out of School Board Race
   
5. Drug death - Day 3
   
6. Searching for answers..
   
7. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
8. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
9. The Real Property Tax Report
   
10. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
11. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

Many of you may know, I'm a huge Marquette Basketball fan.  My wife and I haven't missed more than a handful of MU games over the past dozen years, my car has MU license plates, and I write a blog, CrackedSidewalks.com, that covers all things Warrior.

Last month, 4 minutes into the UConn game,  Marquette's point guard, Dominic James, arguably one of the top 10 players in MU's history, broke his foot, ending his career in heartbreaking fashion.  MU, who had hopes to take a Big East title, lost 5 of the next 6 games (against three #1 seeds and two #3 seeds) without James.

DJ had surgery and had a screw inserted into his foot, and was expected to be out 3 months while healing, seriously hurting any chance he had at getting into the NBA draft.

All that changed around 1am this morning.

Amazingly, Dom James has no pain in his foot, and doctors have cleared him to play today against Missouri in the 2nd round of the NCAAs.  What usually takes a normal human 3 months, has taken DJ just 1.  It's really miraculous.

Freaking.  Amazing.  Even if he only plays 5-10-20 minutes, he will provide an enormous lift to the team, and Warrior nation, as everyone had thought his collegiate career was over.

Game time is 3:50pm today.

LET'S GO WARRIORS!!!

Here's a long-form candidate letter from WFB School Board Candidate Kathy Rogers:

Thanks to Kevin Buckley for offering to post a letter about my School Board candidacy on the Village Spillage blog. In the months since I declared my candidacy, I have been talking with a lot of voters in the village. I thought I would share some of their comments with Village Spillage readers.

First, some information about the election itself. Election Day is Tuesday, April 7. In Whitefish Bay we have a seven-person School Board, and this year, three seats are up for re-election. Citizens will get to vote for three candidates.

What makes this election unusual, besides being a year when three seats are up, is the fact that none of the incumbents are running. In other words, voters will be electing three new School Board members.

Voters I have spoken with have raised a variety of issues, questions and concerns. Here are some of the most common, along with my responses.

Substance abuse among students: I attended the community meeting at the Middle School March 18, facilitated by Toni McBride and June Rubner (regular readers of Village Spillage will recall that June and her son, Justin, currently incarcerated for drug use, have shared their stories in this space.) Calling their initiative “Bay United,” the women support a broad-based approach to helping kids. 

In specific regard to the schools, questions were raised about the adequacy of the curriculum, the effectiveness of school policies and their enforcement, the effectiveness of the district’s relationship with the police department, and the wisdom of having an open-campus policy at the high school. The School Board had requested a review of relevant policies even before Bay United’s meeting, and these are legitimate areas of inquiry.

Several people suggested that school administrators are afraid or unwilling to acknowledge the extent of substance abuse among students. It seems clear that, in order for school policies to be credible, they must be seen by the community as reflecting the most accurate information we can acquire about the scope, depth and causes of the problem.  

Our best results will come from the kind of collaboration Toni and June are advocating, between students, parents, teachers, administrators, and law-enforcement and treatment professionals. 

Investment lawsuit: For the moment there is no School Board activity on this issue, pending the outcome of the lawsuit filed by Whitefish Bay and four other affected districts. As a School Board member, I would support a settlement that was fair and equitable to Whitefish Bay, even if it meant a separate settlement from those of the other districts.

Chapter 220/Open Enrollment: Both programs allow non-resident students to attend Whitefish Bay public schools. I feel that the district has participated responsibly in both, with careful attention to the different ways the programs are funded. Chapter 220, a school desegregation program, fully funds participating students and provides transportation. Open Enrollment does not fully fund participating students or provide transportation, and the reimbursement to the district is less than our per-pupil cost. The district has been careful to only accept Open Enrollment students in cases when seats were available and no additional costs were incurred.

Facilities upgrades: The School Board appointed a public committee to study the district’s facilities and make recommendations of repairs and upgrades that would be needed over the next 15 years. Its report outlined three possible approaches (and funding levels) to making improvements.

The district is limited by state law in the amount of money it can raise from property taxes. It could not embark on any significant facilities improvements unless voters approved their funding in a referendum. However, some suggest that, in the current economy, voters shouldn’t be asked or expected to approve a referendum.

I am open-minded on all facilities questions. Our buildings, though well-maintained, are old and in many instances incompatible with modern curricula and technology. Deferring maintenance could cause problems that would be more expensive to repair in the future. Prior to deciding whether to hold a referendum, the School Board would hold outreach meetings to inform the public of the proposed improvements, explain why they were necessary, and hear questions. I would also support taking a survey to assess public support, prior to incurring the expense of a referendum. 

Support for the public schools. Voters I have spoken with have expressed support for strong public schools. Even families who don’t have kids in the schools have commented that quality schools keep property values high. I have realized, more clearly than I understood before, that the schools are widely seen as a defining element of Whitefish Bay’s identity. 

My background. My husband and I have lived in Whitefish Bay for 16 years and have a son who attended Cumberland School and is now in sixth grade at the Middle School.  I have an extensive background in education: bachelor’s and graduate degrees in education; high school and college teaching experience and 18 years as a college administrator.  For the past six years I have been substitute teaching in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay, so I am familiar with our schools and our community’s expectations.  I have served on the UWM Children’s Center Advisory Board, the Cumberland School Parent-Teacher Council and the district’s Social Studies Curriculum Review Committee, and I am the past president of Advocates for Education of Whitefish Bay.

Again, thanks to Kevin Buckley for making this space available to me.  If I am elected to the School Board, I will do my best to encourage community involvement, and to help ensure that the issues we face are considered in an open and inclusive way.

Kathy Rogers

Make sure you read other items:

1. Joe Martinelli - School Board Candidate
   
2. Gerry Steele - School Board Candidate
   
3. WFB Police Chief Addendum
   
4. WFB Police Chief on the record..
   
5. DeMuth Drops out of School Board Race
   
6. Drug death - Day 3
   
7. Searching for answers..
   
8. Another Sad WFB Overdose
   
9. Are you in the WFB Crime Zone?
   
10. The Real Property Tax Report
    
11. Buckley for WFB Trustee?
12. Here's an idea: WFB Wi-Fi

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

I went to the WFB School Board forum on Thursday.   Huge thanks to WFB's Advocates for Education for having a forum.  It was well attended, well produced, and well moderated.  (Too bad no group stepped forward to host a Village Board forum!)

The format was simple, each candidate had two minutes to respond to about 10 questions.  The first six questions, however, were given to the candidates prior to the event.  Inevitably, some candidates had written out responses to these questions and stuck close to their script, while others had no problem speaking off the top of their head.

I understand those who volunteer for Board service are not professional politicians .. so I understand the need to give them some concept of the questions that will be asked .. although I think giving them the exact question defeats some of the purpose for having a live forum.   --  The 'surprise' questions from the audience were probably more important, as the candidates had to show how they could respond without preparation.

I don't think any candidate won or lost the 'debate' .. each candidate proved they could represent WFB in their own way.  While I've read candidates' positions, actually seeing them in action really explains their roles.

From left to right, Joe Martinelli is the guy with the pragmatic corporate wisdom you need on a board.  Kathy Rogers is the super-smart, super-educated educational professional.  Gerry Steele is the super energetic WFB parent who's been participating or leading school events forever.  Debbie Frensz Taran filled the pragmatic mom role, often referring to her experience and family.

Judge for yourselves .. Here are five video clips of the forum:

(For those of you receiving this as an email, you may need to click here to see the video.)

Make sure you read other items:

1. Sean Finnigan - Village Board Candidate
   
2. Kathy Rogers - School Board Candidate
   
3. Joe Martinelli - School Board Candidate
   
4. Gerry Steele - School Board Candidate
   
5. DeMuth Drops out of School Board Race
   

Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

Whitefish Bay has been going through a bit of a crime wave the last two weeks.   If you check the WFB Police Alerts .. it's riddled with car break-ins .. mostly from cars that are NOT LOCKED.

Look, there's one or more bad actors roaming around WFB, looking for easy targets.  Lock your car.

Here's the list:

• At approximately 12:00pm on Saturday, 03/28/09 an African-American male, late teens exited an early 2000 small black over grey SUV (similar to Toyota RAV) and entered a vehicle parked on the driveway in the 1400 block E. Fairmount Ave.  Vehicle on driveway had the driver's side window smashed.  Taken was a GPS unit.

• Sometime between Friday, 03/20/09 and Monday, 03/23/09 unknown actor(s) entered a vehicle parked on a driveway in the 1600 block E. Blackthorne Place.  No items missing at this time.

• Sometime between 1:00am and 7:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked auto parked on a driveway in the 4800 block N. Lake Drive.  Taken was an empty wallet and change.

• Sometime between 5:00pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 8:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle in the 900 block E. Lexington.  No items taken.

• Sometime between 8:30pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 7:30am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle parked on a driveway in the 900 block E. Lexington.  Nothing taken.

• Sometime between 8:30pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 4:45am unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle parked on a driveway in the 900 E. Lexington Blvd.  Nothing taken.

• Sometime between 9:00pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 8:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered two unlocked vehicles parked on a driveway in the 4600 block N. Morris Blvd.  Change taken from one vehicle and power adapter from other.

• Sometime between 8:30pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 7:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle in the 4600 block N. Idlewild Ave.  Taken was  a shoulder bag containing a camera and other personal and business items.

• Sometime between 6:00pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 6:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle parked on a driveway in the 5000 block N. Larkin Ave.  No items taken.

• Sometime between 8:15pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 7:50am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked vehicle in the 5000 block N. Larkin St.  Taken was a GPS unit.

• Sometime between 11:00pm on Tuesday 03/17/09 and 8:15am on Wednesday, 03/18/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked garage and then an unlocked vehicle in the 5400 block N. Hollywood Ave.  Taken was change.

• Sometime between 10:30pm on Tuesday 03/17/09 and 7:30am on Wednesday, 03/18/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked garage and then an unlocked vehicle in the 5300 block N. Hollywood Ave.  Taken was a GPS Unit.

• Sometime between 8:30pm on Wednesday, 03/18/09 and 7:00am on Thursday, 03/19/09 unknown actor(s) entered an unlocked garage and then two unlocked vehicles in the 5100 block N. Elkhart Ave.  Taken from one vehicle was a pair of prescription sunglasses.  Sunglasses recovered in nearby yard.

BAY UNITED has sent out a meeting notice for their next meeting w/agenda (see below.)  (Edit:  BAY UNITED is a new local group formed to discuss & take action on the drug problem in WFB.)

You may notice, it is next Tuesday, which is ELECTION DAY, with important local elections for School Board and Village Board. 

PLEASE VOTE before you attend this meeting.  Polls close at 8pm, and the meeting will go later than that.

Looking for info on each candidate?  Some have written the blog:

• Kathy Rogers - School Board Candidate
  
• Joe Martinelli - School Board Candidate
  
• Gerry Steele - School Board Candidate
  
  
• Sean Finnigan - Village Board Candidate