It’s going to be a lot easier to know whether you’re in Clarke Square, now that decorative markers and banner have been installed throughout the community.
“We want residents to know the neighborhood they live in so when we go door to door and talk about the steps the initiative is taking to improve quality of life here, they know the area we’re talking about,” said Paul Grippe, chairperson of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI).
Installation was delayed after the city denied permits at three of the five original sites. It took nearly a year for the process to be completed.
The markers were created to “demonstrate pride in the neighborhood’s diverse cultures and attractions,” according to the community’s Quality of Life Plan. The original plan was to place at the four corners and center of Clarke Square.
However, city requirements that the markers could not block the view of oncoming traffic; must have 5 feet of clearance on the sidewalk; and could not interfere with underground utilities forced CSNI to find other locations.
The corten steel markers with glass-like inserts are now are in place at Longfellow School, 1021 S. 21st St.; Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd.; at the corner of the 1600 block of West National Ave.; the 1300 block of S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive; and the 1300 block of S. Layton Blvd.
Ascend Design of Milwaukee, along with C R Industries of Cudahy, fabricated the markers, which include a description of the neighborhood in English and Spanish.
Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.
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