Why am I an MHNA Member?
We asked neighbors in various areas of Murray Hill to share their response to the above question. We thank them for sharing their thoughts. Their comments speak for themselves.
“No man is an island” – Every person in a neighborhood is important to the integrity of the area. A group of persons in a neighborhood blend friendships, knowledge, and share information and goals for a healthy, vibrant area in which to live. A neighborhood association, such as Murray Hill, provides a vehicle to help facilitate the aforementioned. Change occurs-some good, some not so good. The ability to affect change comes with numbers of members to have a voice. – Jayne Pelton
Shortly after I moved into the area, a friend invited me to a Murray Hill meeting. I met people who are not only dedicated to the health of this neighborhood, but who also represent a range of talents and experience – teachers, lawyers, city workers, students, architects, even a pilot … the kind of mix which makes this a good place to live. – Dolores Knopfelmacher
It’s important for me to be involved in what’s going on in my neighborhood, the UW-M campus, and the larger city and state. The membership meetings and guest speakers provide great opportunities to learn about upcoming events, ongoing issues, problems and improvements; and it provides a chance to get to know my neighbors a little better and share ideas. If residents work with each other, the police, UW-M, local and state representatives regarding safety and quality of life problems, I am hopeful that things can improve. – Doreen Hickey
Membership in MHNA provides one of few ways to improve our neighborhood. Years of leadership in MHNA have demonstrated the importance of our valued neighborhood by addressing both good and bad in our community. – Mike Hauer
Membership in MHNA is a way of keeping neighbors informed about what is happening in our Murray Hill community. The excellent newsletter contains articles of general interest and also covers issues that are important to our neighborhood. Monthly meetings offer presentations by community representatives and are a format for discussing positive ways of dealing with neighborhood disruptions, asking questions, and expressing concerns. – Anne Bales
I’m an MHNA member because we live in the Murray Hill neighborhood. And we live in the Murray Hill neighborhood because it’s the best deal around. Our kids have the opportunity to attend excellent schools, public, charter, or choice — did you know that Rufus King has had several students admitted to Harvard in the past several years? Riverside has also graduated Ivy Leaguers in the past several years. My daughter can walk to the String Academy, whose students regularly win competitions to play as soloists with the Milwaukee Symphony. My son crosses the street to participate in the UWM Math Circle — 3 math professors who enjoy spending an hour a week with kids who like math. We don’t need to sink our income into multiple cars, because everything is either walking distance, or accessible by a panoply of regular or express buses — we have the highest concentration of bus service in the city outside of downtown, and we can get almost anywhere in town without a second car. And on the occasions when we do need to run an errand in a second car, we just step across the street and get a Zipcar for $7/hr. This saves us thousands of dollars every year. We can walk to the grocery when we need milk, to the store when we need a quick birthday present, or to an eatery when we want a tasty take-out lunch. We can take a walk in the woods or by the river. We want all of this to remain viable, and thrive. This is why we are members of MHNA. – Joyce Tang Boyland
The comments of these members provide varied perspectives but all include important reasons to be committed to the neighborhood. Join and become an active partner in MHNA and the neighborhood. The quality of life and safety in the neighborhood depends on it.