Neighborhood Walk By City Officials Result In Clean Up

Resident along the 1600 block of S. 37 St. told by police to remove young chicken from property

By H. Nelson Goodson
July 27, 2009

Milwaukee- On Monday, Alderman Bob Donovan, several city officials and two police community liaisons from the 2nd Police District walked along the 8th Aldermanic area to recruit block watch captains and inspect the neighborhood. Donovan walks through his district a couple of times a week, usually on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Police officers, Jesus Gloria, and Jose Arzaga along with Dennis Murawski, Sanitation Inspector, and Jennifer Weiser, Nuisance Control Officer, both from the City of Milwaukee joined Donovan’s walk through the neighborhood routine. While walking through an alley West of S. 37 St. in the 1600 block, the officers spotted a young chicken kept in an out door cage adjacent to a garage. Officer Gloria contacted a women in the residence and advised her they had to remove the chicken from the yard due to unsanitary conditions. The woman complied.
While entering into another alley, Alderman Donovan was temporarily stopped by a female passenger in a School bus who yelled at him “you are doing a great job...thank you.” Donovan smiled.
Murawski said, Donovan is practically the only Alderman he knows that actually walks twice a week along his neighborhood to help identify areas which need to be cleaned up and properties which need to be kept up to city code. Alderman Terry Witkowski from the 13th district does it once in while that I’m aware off, but his neighborhood isn’t as bad as Alderman Donovan’s, according to Murawski. A word of advice to residents, “Keep your yards clean and if you see me coming, there is a problem,” Murawski said.
Donovan on Monday noticed, some areas and properties along S. 35 St. to S. 38th St. between W. Burnham St. and W. Branting Lane need to trim their bushes and get rid of the weeds in yards adjacent to alleys and side walks.
Two years ago, Donovan and Murawski recalled an incident. While walking through the neighborhood a woman called to Donovan and ask him to give them a citation to clean up their property. The woman told Donovan “it’s the only way my husband cleans it up.” Donovan said they did comply with the woman’s request, but it was a minor property violation.