Fueled by persistence from club neighbors Fred and Ann Vogel, the Friends of Milwaukee Rivers has gotten involved in the issue as well, asking that the village adopt stronger shore land protection measures. The Village Board -- with several country club members making up a majority on the board -- has found that the club has not violated shore land protection, despite the fact that the Friends noted that erosion has already started on the river banks. In a closed session meeting last week the board adopted a plan that would allow Vogel and the River Hills Environment Committee to work out an agreement with the country club.

In Glendale, the issue is more intense. The Friends of Milwaukee's Rivers and Midwest Environmental Advocates earlier this month filed an intent to sue Heartland Development and ACT Planning and Development for clear-cutting five acres along the Milwaukee River near Estabrook Park in Glendale using the Clean Water Act. Again the issue is shoreline erosion.

New Life for South Side Clinic: A venerable South Side institution, the Johnston Health Clinic, 1230 W. Grant St., will go under yet another transformation according to the latest plan by the city. The former hospital, a mainstay of South Side health care, has most recently been operated as a clinic by the city, which has been looking to get out of the business.

"When we had broken bones from the playground that's where we used to go," says Ald. Jim Witkowiak, a South Side native.

Under a proposal up for vote this week, the city would declare the property surplus and sell it for $1 to Mercy Housing Lakefront, Inc., operators of homeless dwellings that offer on-site social service counseling. Mercy is currently active in the Chicago area.

Witkowiak says he welcomes the new owners as does the neighborhood. Most of the homeless and low-income people that will be served by Mercy are from the neighborhood and not imported from other parts of town, the alderman assured. About 90 units will be created. Mercy will also invest several million dollars into the clinic, he says.

It's the latest chapter for Johnston, a fortress-like structure with terrazzo floors and sturdy construction, although it needs substantial upgrades. When the city first indicated it wanted to get out of the clinic business on the South Side after federal funds were to run out at the end of last year, a proposed clinic swap with Aurora and the 16th Street Community Health Clinic didn't materialize, but Aurora helps fund doctors at the clinic. The city has one other such facility, the Isaac Coggs Clinic, which had financial issues that threatened its existence, but now has expanded to the Northwest side. New management came in and stabled the ship.

Damage Control: It looks like another popular North Side club will close its doors after a weekend shooting. A gunfight between two men and some armed guards outside Club Escape, 6263 N. Teutonia Ave. resulted in one death. There were estimated to be 400 people in the club.

Ald. Ashanti Hamilton called for the club owner to turn in its license. Instead, owner Thomas McNeal and manager Craig Berry issued an unsigned press release, stating, "This sort of violence cannot be tolerated, nor can we allow common thugs to destroy the economic development in this city by making the cost of doing business unbearable for business owners. ... I have sought out counsel who will contact Ald. Hamilton office along with the mayor and the Police Department to determine just how to best protect my customers in the future."