In this issue:
Harvest Fest is October 1!
NEW! Featured sponsor profile: Meet our neighborhood Sentry store owner.
Check out the Trick or Treat deets.
Who will win this year's Halloween decorating contest?
We welcome Ann Dee Allen, our new board member.
It's never too late to join (or rejoin) EPNA.
Kick off October at Harvest Fest! Saturday October 1 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park To allow more lead time before Halloween and to get mums and other fall decor out sooner, we've moved Harvest Fest ahead three weeks to the start of October this year. Please plan on joining us at the park between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. There you'll find:
pumpkins, mum plants, hay bales and other fall decor from Minors Greenhouse, available at bargain prices thanks to support from EPNA membership dues and the City of Milwaukee.
Fall-flavored craft activities for kids.
A return of the BB's on North food truck, this time serving brunch fare.
...and the popular Build-a-Scarecrow opportunity where you bring the clothing and we provide everything else. Let's make this neighborhood a scarecrow showcase!
We'll also be collecting gently used children's books, jackets and other cold-weather apparel at Harvest Fest. So bring them if you've got them to spare and we'll make sure they get to where they're needed.
Meet Bharat Bansal, our neighborhood grocer.
Not every neighborhood has a full-service grocery store within walking distance, and one that is locally owned as well. The Sentry Foods store at 7101 W. Lisbon Ave. is a fixture in the Enderis Park neighborhood and a longtime generous sponsor of EPNA activities. It’s a place local residents rely on for fresh produce and bakery, a variety of deli and meat selections, frozen and refrigerated items, and packaged goods. The store is owned by Bharat Bansal, who also owns the Sentry store at 9210 W. Lisbon Ave., two additional Sentry stores, as well as food wholesale and other businesses. He bought the Enderis Park store in July 2021, when the former owner retired. Bansal is committed to the area, Sentry’s customers and the employees who keep things at
the store running smoothly. He has already made a number of updates to the store — including new lighting, coolers, windows, heating and cooling system, ovens and meat smoker — and plans to make additional improvements. He knows the store would not be as sustainable as it is without the people of Enderis Park. “We’ve been successful here because of customer loyalty and employee retention,” he said, adding that locally owned stores are essential for community stability and quality of life. “It’s important for people to access fresh food at competitive prices, and to bring good jobs and positive traffic to the area,” he said. “When you go to Sentry, you see customers talking to employees. Our employees know our customers well enough to ask them about their families. We care about the community. Big-box stores don’t have those types of relationships.” Store co-managers Leslie Schwartz and Karen Morgan have worked at the location for more than 15 years. Bansal promoted each of them after they had served in various positions, including as department managers. Ten other employees have worked at Sentry for more than 10 years, including the produce, meat and bakery managers. “They know about 75 percent of the customers who walk in the door,” Bansal said. The store also has a give-back program, through which employees decide what they can do for people in the community. They recently helped a customer in need of items for their home, including sheets and towels, and gave another customer a new pair of shoes. “These small things can make a big difference,” Bansal said. Bansal has kept the store a major sponsor of EPNA's summer concerts and other activities in the park. “I am more than happy to invest in the community,” he said. “We want to be a part of the community. Most of our employees and customers live here.” EPNA President Pat Yahle said the warm feelings are mutual. “We are grateful for Sentry’s long history of financial and in-kind support for all of the EPNA activities enjoyed by our friends and neighbors,” she said. “Mr. Bansal has joined the previous two Sentry owners in his strong commitment to the neighborhood's health and well-being. We are so fortunate to have a high-quality grocery store right within our community.” Bansal invites neighborhood residents to talk to the store’s managers and employees if they have a request, question or suggestion. “You can expect our employees to interact with you,” he said. “Come and shop, express your concerns, and we will continue to be better.”
Trick or Treat! is going to be sweet.
Friday, October 28 6 to 8 p.m.
Trick-or-treating will take place on Friday, October 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. for neighborhood children and their friends 12 years old and younger. A few ground rules and requests:
Children MUST be in costumes and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All candy and treats must be individually wrapped.
Households that wish to participate should have on their porch lights and other lights.
Non-EPNA guests are welcome and are asked to observe parking restrictions.
IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION
There will be no additional special parking restrictions posted (beyond the usual parking restrictions) during the hours of EPNA trick or treat. However, with so many little witches and warlocks enjoying this fall favorite activity, safety is our greatest concern. Narrow streets make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass through if needed.
We ask that neighbors voluntarily observe parking for themselves and their guests as follows:
Park cars off the streets (in garages, parking spaces and driveways) wherever possible.
Park only on the even side of the street during the hours of Trick-or-Treat.
Encourage all guests to arrive and park before the festivities begin and to observe these voluntary parking requests.
Drive with extra care through the neighborhood during the hours of Trick-or-Treat.
...and may a great time be had by all!
Which will be the scariest home -- or the most festive? Halloween Decorating Contest 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 28 Once again this year, EPNA invites you to enter into the spirit of Halloween by decorating your house and yard. Just imagine: Yours could be one of this year's Halloween Decorating Contest winners, with the lawn sign to prove it. As if that weren't enough excitement, the winner will also be featured on the EPNA website and facebook page. Judging will occur between 6 and 7:30 pm on Friday, October 28th, with winners selected in two categories:
Most Decorative: e.g., fall leaves and flowers, wreathes, friendly ghosts and witches, artistic scarecrows, pumpkins, orange lights, etc.
Most Scary: e.g., vampires, tombstones, scary witches and ghosts, bats, howling dogs, etc.
We can't wait to see what participating households come up with!
Ann Dee Allen joins the EPNA board EPNA is delighted to welcome Ann Dee Allen to the association's board of directors. A longtime communications professional, Ann Dee has lived in the Enderis Park neighborhood for 12 years. She enjoys walking and biking in the area as well as attending EPNA events. "I look forward to helping sustain EPNA's activities and working on new initiatives with other board members," she said.
Membership is WAY up! Can you help take it higher?
Wow. As of September 6, EPNA's membership was up by more than a third, at 234 households versus 175 a year earlier. And that's real growth, not a bounce-back from a COVID decline (which did not occur). But EPNA President Pat Yahle thinks COVID probably has something to do with the membership boom. "After being isolated during the pandemic, people seem to have new enthusiasm for engaging with others," She said. "There seems to be renewed appreciation for being part of a community."
The more members we have, the more we can do to keep ours one of the very best neighborhoods in the city. It's not too late to join EPNA or renew a lapsed membership. Just use the QR code below or visit https://www.enderispark.org/pay-membership-fee-online.
Want to come to a board meeting?
EPNA members are welcome to attend board meetings. The board almost always meets on the first Wednesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Enderis Park Field House. But once or twice a year, we may meet online via Zoom. And on rare occasions, a meeting is cancelled. So if you would like to sit in on a meeting, you may want to contact EPNA President Pat Yahle beforehand at epna.paty@gmail.com. If you would like to add an item to the meeting agenda, you should contact Pat by the end of the previous month.
The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association promotes neighborhood stability and a rewarding quality of life for all by working with neighbors to support and maintain an attractive, diverse, respectful and safe community.
Our mailing address is:
epna.paty@gmail.com or EPNA | PO Box 100284 | Milwaukee, WI 53210
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