With spring comes our desire to clean out the old and make things new, both indoors and out. In the coming weeks our Kops Park event schedule will be distributed. A natural kick-off to our neighborhood’s activities is for families and neighbors to band together for the 4th Annual Kops Park Spring Cleanup. It feels right that we continue in the tradition that our friend and advocate Kevin Hinckley made strong in our neighborhood. Perhaps it was his design all along that these efforts would make us strong as a group of friends. Let’s keep the enthusiasm and neighborhood pride going.

Kevin was pleased that after 50 years, Beautiful Savior began bringing helpful activities to the area; also help – where needed – in the form of volunteers. How exciting it is to keep the vision of Kevin Hinckley alive! As we piece things together among the neighbors, i.e., “How did Kevin want Spring Cleanup to go?” “Do you think Kevin would like the new growth in Auer Garden?” “Who from the neighborhood is best suited to carry on such-and-such a duty?” and the all-important question, “Who will do the grilling from now on!?!”

Working in and belonging to a church, I can’t help but think back to how it must have been for the disciples during those first few weeks after Jesus rose from the dead. Echoing in their ears were the instructions that He left for them; it took the passing of time and the faith-changing events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday for them to understand all that had been said.

Continuing with our neighborhood revitalization reminds me of how Jesus’ disciples must have felt in those early days. Just as we’re piecing together the new path for our beloved Kops Park, they had to patch things together and figure out, “What do we do next?”

Luckily, we have the Bible, with Jesus’ words written down to give clear instructions. Also, there is a major difference in the message Jesus left behind: His was a command, a direction, that we “go, therefore, and preach the Gospel to every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

So, to take the example from our everyday lives, our work in the neighborhood continues, thanks to the “seeds that were planted” by our friend, Kevin. A different kind of seed is planted every week at Beautiful Savior. No, we won’t stand on a street corner and “thump people on the head with Bibles.” But every week we joyfully make learning about the Bible and Jesus’ words available to all who are curious and have questions that need answering. That’s all we’re about here at Beautiful Savior. You’ve got to admit, we’re a happy lot, and with good reason. We’re here for you.

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Some may say that this summer had a slow start. Blame it on the early cold weather. But we here at Milwaukee's Kops Park, just blocks east of the Menomonee River Parkway, have built something very special with each new event. Together, we've threaded a patchwork quilt of neighborhood WARMTH. That only comes with turning off the tube, "x"-ing out of the games and websites (all except ours here at Beautiful Savior, of course!) and heading for the great outdoors. Sure, it's a neighborhood park, our Kops Park. But we can ALL agree that this summer, we as a cooperating neighborhood have voluntarily made Kops a GREAT park with a great reason for going outdoors!

So often we tense up when asked to spare a volunteer hour or two here and there. Look and review all the photo galleries on our Beautiful Savior church website or Facebook page. We can all realize that when we squeezed a helpful hour or two into our daily ratrace, we wove the threads of n-e-i-g-h-b-o-r-h-o-o-d into some very neat time shared. Sure, we're all different, but many of us like to do the same things; doing them within walking distance gives us such a breath of fresh air, doesn't it? 

Thanks and thanks again go out to Kevin Hinckley and Janese Baket, plus the many Kops Park Neighborhood Association leaders and friends who stepped up to make every single attempt this summer bigger and better than the last! Let's keep it going. Let's work with the beauty of fall and keep our community warm and vibrant in the coming weeks.

Keep an eye out for what's coming next, but that'll keep for another day. Today, I'm just enjoying the memories of helping out with these just-plain-fun events:

~Auer Garden & Kops Neighborhood Cleanup

~Beautiful Savior Easter Egg Hunt

~Kops Park Patriotic Parade

~Monthly reading and craft and other kids' activities

~Beautiful Savior Vacation Bible Camp (See ya next year!)

~AWE artists (Terrific job on the pavilion!)

~National Night Out

~Kops Park Doggie Dip

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If you are a dog owner in Kop's Park on Milwaukee's fashionable northwest side, the coolest spot this Sunday, August 21, will be at the Kop's Park wading pool. You see, the last dip in the pool is reserved from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. for our trusty four-legged chums who help protect -- and bring smiles to -- our great neighborhood. Bring a camera to capture the real meaning of "Dog Days of Summer!" (A towel might be a good idea, too.)

Just in case you owners get hungry,  there will be Bunzel's all-beef hot dogs, brats and beverages for sale. Maybe, just maybe we might even have a treat for your dog(s)!

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Happy Independence Day to our Kops Park neighbors!

As promised, here are the photos from our first annual Kops Park Patriotic Parade that was held on Wednesday, June 29. Response from neighbors was indeed red, white and true-blue! Kids had a blast being part of (as opposed to just watching) their own neighborhood parade celebrating the 235th birthday of our country. At times it looked as though the grownups were having as much fun -- or more -- than the kids; and their dogs were all well-behaved and decked out as well. (See photos.) The turnout was incredible and far exceeded our wildest expectations as a group of more than 150 people showed up to either participate or spectate!

We had kids, we had dogs, we had vuvuzelas (Go ahead, google it; you know you want to!), we had prizes, we had a giraffe unicyclist (Google that, too, while you're at it.); we even had a violin soloist playing patriotic marching band music! 

Sometimes the most spontaneous fun is the most memorable. Folks, this was one spontaneous bit of home-town fun, right here in our own Kops Park. It shows what we all can accomplish together! If it weren't for the help of our Kops Park Neighborhood Association helpers and some from Beautiful Savior, the word wouldn't have spread as far. Sincere thanks for your part in making this event a tremendous success.

So sit back, enjoy the snap shots of fun the way it used to be, long before iPods, texting, Wii -- not that those are bad things(!) and share more memories with your kids about a more simple time for growing up. And kids, take a moment during your celebrations over the 4th of July holiday; ask your folks, grandparents, aunties, uncles, neighbors  or other older adults. You'll be tickled to hear stories about how kids entertained themselves across summer vacations gone by.

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