Tag Archives: Willywash

Community, Great Organizations, Great People, Madison, Roy Elkins

Willywash Project – Madison City Creed

1 Comment

Willywash: Below I have posted the Madison City Creed for the Willy Wash Project. Please note this was transcribed grammatically “as is” from the original.  Roy Elkins

Here is a link to an article the Willywash group.

Yahara River WillyWash

I BELIEVE IN MADISON, The Four Lake City.

I BELIEVE in her PAST achievement, in the men and women who created and conserved that I might produce and earn, enabling me to buy and pay, in the courage of her pioneers whose wisdom and foresight built between these lakes a well – planned organic city, every foot of whose ground is worth in gold its market value because the brain and brawn of man has added wealth to nature’s own endowment.

I believe in the reality of her PRESENT, a present that combines the push and friendliness of the newer West with the reflection and poise of the older East, a present which makes her the distributing center of one of the most productive agricultural sections of America, the heart of the richest dairy region in the world, the location of going industry and commerce, and the focus point of miles of railroad trackage, that converges into this hub like the spokes of a wheel from nine directions, a present that makes her the seat of the government for forward Wisconsin, the home of the state university that spells freedom and utility, and the birthplace of so powerful an influence for the well-being of humanity that thousands are attracted annually to this center of achievement in democracy.

I believe in her ability to become the FUTURE, a city of even greater influence and power, a city destined to become the abode of one hundred thousand people, where the poor shall be less unhappy, the rich less self-satisfied, for the one shall have a more intelligent understanding of the other; where jails shall be empty of prisoners, streets clear of beggars and neither shall the aged in want be cast upon the charity of strangers; a city where friends shall be true friends; neighbors real neighbors; a city where the strong shall really sympathize with the weak; where there shall be even more respect for those who have traveled the longer road; and even more hopeful confidence in the promise of glowing youth; a city where progress shall be the result of retaining the good of the old and accepting the tried of the new, where co-operative competition shall be the ideal in trade, live and let live the slogan of business, serve others well to successfully serve self the policy of industry and commerce; and finally, where each and every citizen shall be a community builder in fact, as now in name.

AND I PLEDGE TO MY CITY a more complete understanding of her problems, a more liberal conception of her limitations, a more hopeful attitude toward her possibilities, a more generous contribution to her needs, and a more active participation in the broader functions of her citizenship in order that my city may become a greater credit to herself, to Wisconsin, to America and to God because of my having lived in Madison, “The Four Lake City.”

If you would like to get involved in the Willywash project, please go to the Willywash website or leave your comments here.

 

Press & educational links – Hangout June 6, 2014, “Blanket” Music Licensing, Industry Projections, Celebrating Sonic Foundry, A Music Platform, Project Famous – Great Photographer, Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms

 

Community, Madison

Willywash

2 Comments

WillyWash by Roy Elkins

WillyWash is a great example of how a forward thinking group of folks can get together and make something significant happen. They met at the Student Union on the UW campus in Madison, Wisconsin and discussed many things. The focus of this meeting was to develop the area between the capital and the Yahara river into a music and arts district.  The southern border would be Willy Street and the north would be East Washington, hence the name WillyWash.  The group was born.

Yahara River WillyWash
Yahara River on Madison’s East Side

All kinds of ideas for this project have emerged including a performance venue, a charter school, a themed based restaurant museum, music rehearsal spaces and street performance venues.  But the primary idea is to create an artistic zone where Madison citizens who enjoy music, can live, work and play in.  The movers also hope to attract tourists and new high tech business to the area as well.

High tech businesses are attracted to culturally creative environments. If there is a strong artistic nightlife, there is a work force who are intelligent and creative. Many tech start ups are in the process of bringing lots of young and talented people to the workplace. They need a place to play and live as well and that’s what the WillyWash initiative is all about.

Madison is ripe for this kind of development as the city is growing and the music scene is rockin’.  Recently, the Madison Area Music Association hosted their annual awards show and the talent has reached a new level. Here is a link to the winners list and another to the a review of the multi-winners.

They WillyWash “movers” have made a choice to make something happen. If there is a movement with a potential return on investment, the capitalists will be there.  Numerous projects have already been launched and many more are following.

Please visit the WillyWash site for more detail. It’s amazing what a small group of citizens can do.

 

Press & educational links – Hangout June 6, 2014, “Blanket” Music Licensing, Industry Projections, Celebrating Sonic Foundry, A Music Platform, Project Famous – Great Photographer, Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms