WEA Trust grant funds West Allis neighborhood vision
MADISON — As part of the 4th Annual Local Spark Award, WEA Trust awarded the City of West Allis a grant to support their vision to help create a sense of place within the West Allis neighborhoods.
In conjunction with the neighborhood Associations, the City of West Allis will use the funds to incorporate poems and sayings into sidewalks that are being replaced.
The poems or sayings will be picked out by each neighborhood, each showing their uniqueness and creativity. In the Local Spark proposal, Mayor Dan Devine stressed the importance of creating a sense of place within neighborhoods as well as the collaboration between the city and the Neighborhood Associations.
“Each year the number of submissions to the Local Spark Award increases and this year has had some of the best yet,” said Jon Klett, the Trust’s Vice President of Sales. “It’s so inspiring to see the vision and dedicated that our 2017 winners have,” said Klett.
In partnership with League of Wisconsin Municipalities, WEA Trust created the Local Spark Award to recognize and reward innovation in Wisconsin’s cities and villages. This summer, WEA Trust received over 70 project proposals from around Wisconsin, which were reviewed by a panel of four judges:
- Jerry Deschane – Executive Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities
- Dan Hill – Local Government Specialist at the UW-Extension
- Terry Estness – Executive Director, Wauwatosa Chamber of Commerce
- Shawn Reilly – Mayor, City of Waukesha and former Local Spark Award Winner
The City of West Allis was one of three Local Spark Award winners chosen by the selection committee. Other winners include the City of Marinette for their Menekaunee Harbor mural memorial and to Aiming for Acceptance, a non-profit in the City of Fennimore.
