aliceWaraxaHello citizens and people of our great neighborhood,

I thought it only fair that I write this to you as I am the new editor of your newspaper.

Don’t you worry, the hurricane that is Alice M. Waraxa will not disrupt too much, just yet.

I am a native to this fine neighborhood. My family originally moved here from Poland/Austria and Germany in the very late 19th century and has resided in its bounds since then.

I myself have lived in many of the greater Milwaukee’s vicinages like the East Side, Bay View, even as far south as Cudahy and as far west as Greenfield and many places in between. Yet I find myself brought back to just west of the river, missing it more and more the farther and farther I go.

I have made my way through the various educational systems of our fine city. Starting at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, passing through MATC where I earned a technical degree in the applied science of Photography in 2009, and then finally skipping my way down the halls of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, where I graduated in 2013 with my BFA in Photography.

I have always turned to writing to collect myself and have been a published poet at the ripe age of 12 in 1998. I have come a long way since then and have gladly taken the reins of the great beast that is the Riverwest Currents.

This neighborhood, neighbors and great community has shaped me from a young age and enough that I know where my roots started no matter their reach. I am born, raised and identify as clean punk of Riverwest.

I have lived in the shadows and by the chimes of St. Casimir church. I have thrown my fair share of bowling balls down the lanes of Falcon Bowl, stumbled the angled sidewalks and ridden the recently paved bike lanes inside this “hood.” I have enjoyed the street festivals, the music venues, refreshments and even the “musty” basement shows that this fine neighborhood can offer. I often drink at the bars, eat at the restaurants, drink coffee at the cafes and volunteer at the cooperatives. So if ya see me, stop me, introduce yourself and prepare for a hug or a gentle pinch of the cheek as I am “that guy.”

I am friendly, honest, at times philosophical, and I try to be genuine with a wicked twist in humor. I try to live a healthy existence, simple and clean.

My mind is on art, my nose is in books, my heart is in ecology and there always seems to be baking soda in my ear.

Since 2011 I have tried to reduce my reliance on the oil industry and focused my efforts on living a chemical free life, as much as it is possible without running to the woods and giving up on society. I do my best to walk or ride my bike. I live by the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Since January of this year have kept my hawks eyes on the petroleum-based chemicals I put in and on my body. I have not washed my hair with shampoo since then, only baking soda, shea butter and apple cider vinegar, which might explain the strange ear contents.

I also want to thank Jan for pushing me off the ledge in hopes I can fly. Now let’s soar together Riverwest.

Get excited, because I am for the new era of the Riverwest Currents.

This was just a brief introduction,

Hello I am Alice Marie Waraxa (war-axe-a)