Our community spends millions of dollars each year to make sure Madison remains a safe community with a high quality of life for all. Say what you want about the various strategies and means we undertake to pursue these goals, one thing is a given. Reading increases literacy; higher literacy leads to a better decision maker; a person who makes good decisions about their life is less likely to commit crimes or put themselves in situations to be a victim of crime. Hence, reading and literacy reduces crime.
I have had the opportunity to me a member of Madison South Rotary for over 20 years. Last year, our club purchased for the MPD South District a beautiful "Little Free Library" just like the one's you see all over our city. At one of our weekly, Monday, noontime Sheraton meetings last year, we received a very nice presentation from an Arbor Hills resident on the Little Free Library program. This prompted our club to make the purchase, and so on a Packer Sunday last fall, I decided to stain and install a Little Free Library out in front of MPD's South Police District at 825 Hughes Place.
Now Captain Joe has a unique challenge. I'm having a hard time keeping books in our Little Free Library. In the neighborhoods around the South District, we have hundreds of children. We routinely see mothers and children accessing the Little Free Library. We also routinely see Lincoln Elementary School students as well.
Yesterday I learned while having coffee at the Lakeside Street Cafe, the Madison Literacy Network was about to have their summer book sale. I promptly made my way to the 1100 block of S Park Street and for a mere $20 I walked away with nearly two dozen books. There were a number of biographies on MLK, Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan and of course some Mark Twain classics and Charlotte's Web. Given the diversity of the South District, I really make an effort to make sure we have a diverse selection of books in our Little Free Library. The Madison Literacy Networks summer book sale runs through the weekend. Check out their Facebook link below for more info.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1393897724250977/
If you would like to donate some books to our Little Free Library, children or adult, please feel free to place them in our library or if you have say a box or two, simply stop in and given them to our South District receptionist Connie Topper, Mon-Fri, during business hours. If after hours, use the after hours phone to see if an officer is around the station to drop them off to.
Thank you for your continued support !!!
Captain Joe Balles
MPD South Police District
