Former Milwaukee Journal Editor Walks The Walk

Congratulations to Dick and Barbara Leonard for placing valuable land into conservancy on Big Muskego Lake.

There are people who dismiss sprawl as a reality, and there are people who talk about stemming sprawl - - then there are people who can actually do something about it, and follow through.

Now there will be 50 acres of open space, wetlands and even lake frontage in the public domain, and as an integral part of a prized ecosystem.

As Dick told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Darryl Enriquez:

"They're building houses out there like crazy. For that property it would be a horrible thing to do," Richard Leonard said. "It's a beautiful valley with a forest that goes to the lake. We didn't want it to be turned into half-acre lots."

I'm sure the Leonards could have made far more money selling the land in individual lots, or to subdivision builders.

Instead, they put the common purpose first.

So, again, congratulations to the Leonards.