[ d i s c o v e r y | |

My Mother’s Day Illustration. Happy Mother’s Day...

Sat, 11 May 2013 17:25:33 -0500

My Mother’s Day Illustration. Happy Mother’s Day Moms!

Språkbarrieren i Norge og Sverige

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:54:42 -0500

It has to be the most difficult battle when adjusting to a new world–a new culture. At times it keeps you isolated or confused but most of the time helpless. Something as simple as going to the grocery store in America can turn into…

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Reviving A Nation

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:08:24 -0600

Reviving A Nation

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.Here I captured Katy...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:01:28 -0600

First Lady Michelle Obama is a national icon and fashionista. Girls admire her and woman want to be her.

Nearly 18,000 rally for President Obama to win his second term.

Senator Herb Kohl waves, shakes hands, and talks to Wisconsin residents after introducing Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin's new Senator. Tammy is the first openly gay Senator.

President Barack Obama talks to the American people about how America will more FORWARD.

Fellow reporters hard at work capturing history.

"Our fight goes on!" - President Barack Obama

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.

Here I captured Katy Perry and Wisconsinites rallying together for President Barack Obama in Milwaukee just a couple days before he would win his second term.

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.Here I captured Katy...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:44:00 -0600

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.

Here I captured Katy Perry and Wisconsinites rallying together for President Barack Obama in Milwaukee just a couple days before he would win his second term.

VelkommenSoon I will embark on a journey that will take me...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:19:03 -0600

Velkommen

Soon I will embark on a journey that will take me through Scandinavia. There I will develop…

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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis killer Tiny Desk Concert at...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:29:20 -0600

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis killer Tiny Desk Concert at NPR.

-Enjoy.

Barack Obama is re-elected President of the United States |...

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:14:18 -0600

Barack Obama is re-elected President of the United States | 2012

©Amy Watanabe, photo taken at the Delta Center, Milwaukee, WI Nov. 3rd, 2012

My design for the EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT: REMNANTS OF

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:49:00 -0500

My design for the EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT: REMNANTS OF

I had the great opportunity to be a part of the White House...

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 09:16:00 -0500

I had the great opportunity to be a part of the White House Press Pool at President Obama’s speech in Madison, WI on October 4th, 2012.

Today’s doodle:Here I took a beautiful image Greg White...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:25:00 -0500

Today’s doodle:

Here I took a beautiful image Greg White captured and redefined its purpose, designing a poster for this years Milwaukee Film Festival.

© Amy Watanabe

A re-take on my series Verisimilitude. © amy watanabe

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:54:00 -0500

A re-take on my series Verisimilitude.

Mann

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:50:00 -0500

Mann

"we tie our knot in 287 days."

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:51:43 -0500

“we tie our knot in 287 days.”

Jackson Receives Life in Prison

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:04:00 -0500

Clenching a framed photograph of her great-niece Millie, pacing back and forth and finalizing her thoughts before she spoke in court, Francine Smith appeared pumped up, ready to hear the final verdict. Buttoned upon her chest laid her great-niece’s photo that was murdered last September.

Millie Smith, an 11-month old baby, was murdered by her father, Littleton Jackson, last year.

Jackson was sentenced to life in prison with no parole, convicted of first-degree intentional homicide.

The District Attorney Kevin Shomin stated Jackson admitted to police he was drunk and attacked Millie on Sept. 25, biting the child’s face and pummeling her. Sherona Smith, Millie’s mother, returned to the home that she shared with Jackson, finding Millie on the floor and Jackson shirtless with blood around his neck.

Even though Smith notified police of Jackson’s statements upon the death of their child, she pleaded for Jackson.

Smith believes he didn’t commit the crime. “We both love Millie. I don’t want him to go away for something he didn’t do. He should be sent home,” said Smith.

The prosecutor and judge stated multiple times Jackson had a history of violence, beating the mother of his child, his own mother, and his sister.

Judge Jeffrey A. Wagner described the death in detail with Millie naked and face up, bruised on the mouth, lips, and eyes, bite marks on both sides of the neck, fractured ribs, subarachnoid hemorrhage, a bruised lung, a swollen face and rectal bleeding.

Jackson initially slapped his daughter and preceded to bite both sides of her neck in attempt to stop her from crying, later that night stating to detectives he did lose his temper while watching his child, Shomin explained to the court.

“Because of his heavy handed hand, his daughter is dead,” said Wagner.

Wagner stated he took into consideration the nature of the case, the need to protect the public, previous offences, personality, character and social traits, the results of the pre sentence, etc.

“Listening to him repeatedly clear his innocence of his deceased daughter was highly disturbing,” said Wagner.

The mother told police Jackson was crying and told her, “I think she’s (Millie) going to die. She can’t breathe. I think I’m going to jail for the rest of my life.”

Appearing incompetent, Smith stuttered and mis-read and pronounced words, struggling to read her final court statement, attempting to sway Wagner’s final decision.

Both Smith and Jackson asked the judge to “go easy on him.”

After Smith left the courtroom, her mother Charline Smith entered. She yelled her final words to Jackson and the court, “I hate the ground he walks on.”

Exclaiming, Shomin believed Jackson was guilty. “I don’t know who he (Jackson) is trying to fool, but that’s incredible…Frankly, I’ve seen some horrific things, but I cannot recall any case where some intruder has killed a defenseless baby with no remorse,” said Shomin.

The court sentenced Jackson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jackson claimed his innocence several times. “I never murdered my daughter. DNA came back that it wasn’t mine,” said Jackson.

Lori Kuehn, Jackson’s lawyer, claimed the evidence of blood on Jackson’s neck was left after trying to save his daughter’s life. “He was doing everything he could to resuscitate this daughter,” said Kuehn.

The defense asked for 30 years in prison with 10 years of extended supervision.

“There was blood around my neck because I was holding her. There weren’t blood on my knuckles from beating her,” said Jackson.

Kuehn and Jackson emphasized he was the sole caregiver of his family, working and taking good care of Millie. “The child protective services reported the child was in good care and that the death may have been caused due to incorrect performance of CPR,” said Kuehn.

Francine Smith, Millie’s great aunt, entered the courtroom with a picture of Millie ready to say her final thoughts. She agrees with the court and believes Millie was equally entitled to the people who loved her. Smith said she would have protected her.

“The torture that inflicted upon Millie should never happen again. Life in prison without release is the least of the penalties he should get for murdering and torturing his own biological child,” said Smith.

After Smith finished he final statement, she asked Jackson to turn around to look at a picture of his daughter one last time. He didn’t flinch. “He can’t even face it,” said Smith.

Media Milwaukee

Amy Watanabe

Farmers filled the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center as over...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:48:00 -0500

Farmers filled the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center as over 1,000 locals streamed in through the doors eager to learn how they can buy directly from local sustainable farms at the annual Local Farmer Open House on Saturday afternoon.

Smiles greeted you at the wooden entrance while people outside queued for the stocked organic food-truck vendors of Tigerbite and Vegan which lined E. Park Pl., with food ranging from Korean BBQ tacos to a classic BLT or a couple egg rolls, filling once empty bellies to satisfied and full.

In 1991, the grassroots non-profit Urban Ecology Center was formed, revitalizing the Milwaukee’s Riverside Park after decades of industrial pollution.

The center’s mission is fostering an ecological understanding as inspiration for change, neighborhood by neighborhood. Focusing on outdoor science education for urban youth, they protect and preserve use of public natural areas, promote the community, practice responsible environmental behaviors.

Jeff Schreiber of Three Sister Farms of Campbellsport believes the Local Farmer Open House is the kind of event for people to come to, meeting local farmers growing organic sustainable food in the Milwaukee.

“It’s a good place to be and to get out into the community where a lot of people don’t know about this concept (Community Supported Agriculture), talk to them and let people know that there is a lively local food movement around Milwaukee,” said Schreiber.

Ten years ago with four local farmers, the cafeteria of Riverside High School, and 20 local food eaters, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Open House was born. Now it’s known as the Local Farmers Open House hosting about 26 farms, and over 1,000 people participating in the CSA memberships each year.

At the open house, the community is encouraged to learn about the CSA so they can buy directly from local farmers having fresh produce. That’s just what the locals did who attended the open house.

John Suhar of the Urban Ecology Center stated, “It truly was a diverse multicultural crowd with young folks, middle-aged folks, and old folks that came out.”

Farmer’s tables were constantly surrounded, answering questions left and right.

The event ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with short intro to CSA, cooking, and health workshops.

Meet a Farmer

Perched at his stand filled with canned jams, pickled vegetables, fresh greens, and fresh cut meats packed in coolers to back him, Ken Ruegsegger represented his organic farm.

His glasses, slightly foggy and rectangular, slipping down his nose, he nudged them up while he dished information out for all who inquired. Ruegsegger was hard at work. He looked the part with his washed blue jeans, a deep red and navy blue button-up paid collard shirt, and his worn-in brown working boots.

Natural is the way to go on Ruegsegger’s farm, chickens, pigs, and cows roam free and fed natural foods like grass or bugs. “We concentrate on the grass fed (technique) for mostly health reasons,” said Ruegsegger in an interview with WTMJ4.

Ruegsegger’s farm motto is raising all-natural from beef, pork, lamb, and poultry to vegetables and fruit.

How it CSA Works

The first step is signing up for the CSA membership and purchasing a “share” with a farm before growing season begins. Shares include receiving weekly deliveries of fresh produce through the growing season of May to November. Memberships have become an important connection between local farmers and consumers.

“We only sell face-to-face,” said Ruegsegger.

Shares come in a variety of different prices depending upon what produce, poultry, or meat you need. Some farms such as Ruegsegger’s farm allows you to pick what the consumer wants and when they want it.

The Urban Ecology Center describes the CSA as connecting to a farm and your food; it’s like having your own personal farmer.

Sustainable and Organic?

First, what does sustainable and organic mean?

Jamie Ferschinger, the Branch Manager of the Riverside Urban Ecology Center, defined sustainable food. “It’s a food system that can continue indefinitely. It strives to have little impact on the environment and ecology of both the soil and water, preventing soil degradation,” said Ferschinger.

Food doesn’t travel far in a sustainable system. “Food only travels an average of 45 miles, using less fossil fuels and petroleum where as most food in stores travel up to 1,500 miles. As well, the farmer’s wage is a livable wage,” said Ferschinger.

Organic food is grown the old fashion way. “We don’t use hormones, anti-biotics, or chemicals,” described Ruegsegger.

Eating Local

Sustainable and organic aren’t the only reasons people should eat fresh; it’s about being local too. “The food is getting picked that day or the day before. It’s extremely fresh food, healthy food—ecologically sound,” said Ferschinger.

On top of that, consumers are able to develop a relationship with their farmer who grows their food, meeting face to face, learning more about how the food is actually grown.

Isaiah Rembert, a young adult, came out to support the Urban Ecology Center and his community, strongly emphasized the impact of the open house.

“It’s important to know where your food comes from and often at times people don’t really understand through the agriculture process where their food comes from and how it gets to their table,” explained Rembert.

Because farms do provide a wide variety of produce and meats many people may be exposed to new foods and new ways of cooking.

Advantages for Farmers When You Buy & Eat Local

Early in the season, farmers receive payments directly from the consumer, which helps with the farm’s cash flow. This is important because no money then goes to the corporate hands.

“Nearly 80 percent of the money from food sold in stores goes to packaging, marketing, and the middle-men,” said Ferschinger. As a result of participation in the CSA, farmers directly receive the fruits of their labor.

In addition, it creates an opportunity for farmers to get to know the people who buy and eat their food.

The Urban Ecology Center is open daily for the public.

Media Milwaukee

Amy Watanabe

A Face of War

Mon, 28 May 2012 17:46:00 -0500

Sweaty and hot, 23-year-old United States Army photographer, Ted Acheson, wandered the streets of Chang Hai at night. Shuffling his feet from bar to bar, he and the rest of the unit’s stress levels dwindled as they gulped down pint after pint of beer.

The day’s gruesome events, men bleeding to death or with limbs blown off into too many pieces that the remains were unrecognizable, are quickly tossed in the back of their minds. “There is nothing worse, believe me, than the smell of a dead human being. You don’t ever forget that,” Acheson said in an interview after giving a speech at the opening night of The Face of War: Vietnam Combat Photographers, held May 6 at the Northwestern Mutual Art Gallery at Cardinal Stritch College.

Vietnam photographs of U.S. Army soldiers ducking for cover as a bomb is launched at them or on their knees praying to see another day lined the walls at the the gallery where four United States Army Veteran photographers later revealed their stuggles of war at the opening night of the exhibit, which was held to show the life of soldiers in war.

Since returning from the war in Vietnam, Acheson went back to school where he studied communication at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Now retired and living in Texas, he was the keynote speaker at the gallery event.

It’s taken Acheson nearly 45 years to finally open up and talk about his experience about life and war in Vietnam.

Claire Odishoo who curated the show said 50 people attended the talk and over 100 people came to look at the photos.

“The talk and film presentation given by Ted Acheson really brought to life what combat life was about. It let people understand how difficult things were out there and how much courage it took.” said Odishoo.

The Face of War: Vietnam Combat Photographers featured photographs by the Department of the Army Specialized Photographic Office Military Unit (DASPO) and Robert J. Ellison at Cardinal Stritch University’s art.

The exhibition will be open until July 31, with a closing ceremony of performances, student artwork in response to the exhibition, and music.

The DASPO unit operated from 1962 to 1974 photographing and producing films of Vietnam army combat.

Ellison was photojournalist for magazines such as TIME and Newsweek. He shot photographs while protesting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the time of the civil rights movement and dirtied his hands and feet in the swamps of the Vietnam War in 1966.

In 1968 he died at the age of 23 on a plane that was shot down in Khe Sanh, Vietnam.

He is a Man Among Men, Dedicated to His Profession.

The mail arrived. Acheson picked up the envelope that read United States Department of Defense, his military unit orders laid inside, assigned to the DASPO 84C Pacific Detachment in Hawaii, later deployed to Vietnam ten days after the Tet Offensive.

The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the People’s Army of Vietnam on South Vietnam, the U.S. and other allies that was considered the turning point of the Vietnam War.

Acheson explained in his presentation that after critiquing film sent back from the Tet, he turned to his unit buddies staring them straight in the face, eyes bulged and heart racing, he said, “Oh my, what did we get ourselves into? What did we sign up for?”

“It was very—very scary,” Acheson said in an interview.

Acheson described arriving at Tan son Nhut airbase his first day, he walked past decaying bloody bodies that lied scattered on the grey cement like sprinkles would on a cupcake. A 122 mm rocket hit the airbase the night before. These were sights Acheson would see for the two year’s he served in Vietnam bush.

Helicopters constantly circled throughout the skies producing a deep walloping sound typically followed by the rapid fire of M16’s.

William San Hamel was also part of the DASPO unit.

“The helicopter’s that flew above were the soundtrack to the war,” said Hamel after the film presentation.

“There are sounds and smells that you never forget, like the smell of battle and the cordite from the shells…I don’t like the forth of July anymore,” said Acheson.

Screams of Vietnamese people echo through the air as napalm fumes hit their skin and slowly burn through the flesh.

“Each day we would go from heaven to hell, we saw what the Vietnamese were doing to each other,” said Acheson.

After passing through the gallery of photographs for the second time, the wallops of helicopters, banging of guns, and the smell of decay emerges to the visitor’s senses.

Dale Christian, a man from the Vietnam’s era and saved from the draft by the switch to voluntary military service, he remembered how it felt at that time. “I remember having cousin’s who were helicopter pilots that crashed and friends who came back with tragic stories…death, blood, and guts,” Christian said.

The Bush

“You’ve got to change the film in camera, open up your camera and your sweating. Your adrenalin is running and sweat is dripping in on your film. Your trying to get everything just set for the next shot, but when you can’t film anymore you start thinking am I ever going to make it out of here,” Acheson said.

Acheson stood up to get an action photograph in the bush. Bullets flew through the air passing him left and right.

Frightened he’d get shot by a People’s Army soldier, shaking hands and sweaty palms he attempted to capture the war scene with his five pound Hasselblad film camera. It felt like an eternity but it was only ten seconds. Acheson twitched while standing, jerking the camera, creating a blurry image—Acheson knew he’d have to attempt the shot again.

The words described in the presentation and interview brought the photo exhibition to life.

Trudging through waist high swamps with camera’s and film held high above heads, hiking hills without trying to dehydrate life in the combat field was not easy as many photographs showed.

Acheson took a canteen and shoved it into a pond. Filled up with murky water, he brought the canteen to his lips and took a swig, attempting to keep the dirt from going down his throat, he drank the water through his teeth trying to filter it clean.

The DASPO unit was just as courageous as soldiers with weapons.

Upon graduation Acheson married and moved to Detroit, Michigan to receive his doctorate from Wane State University, where he also learned production.

With his DASPO photography and film skills, Acheson soon advanced to making national commercials and background music for major companies like Ford Motors.

Now retired and residing in Texas, “Success was a direct result from being trained for DASPO and as a cinematographer for doing commercias,” said Acheson.

“Corporations are people, my friend.” -Mitt...

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:27:00 -0500

“Corporations are people, my friend.”

-Mitt Romney

“I know what it’s like to worry about being fired....

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:25:00 -0500

“I know what it’s like to worry about being fired. There were a couple of times I wondered if I was going to get a pink slip.” -Mitt Romney

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:18:00 -0500

“I’ll bet you $10,000.” -Mitt Romney

[ d i s c o v e r y | |

My Mother’s Day Illustration. Happy Mother’s Day...

Språkbarrieren i Norge og Sverige

Reviving A Nation

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.Here I captured Katy...

Shooting in the White House Press Pool.Here I captured Katy...

VelkommenSoon I will embark on a journey that will take me...

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis killer Tiny Desk Concert at...

Barack Obama is re-elected President of the United States |...

My design for the EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT: REMNANTS OF

I had the great opportunity to be a part of the White House...

Today’s doodle:Here I took a beautiful image Greg White...

A re-take on my series Verisimilitude. © amy watanabe

Mann

"we tie our knot in 287 days."

Jackson Receives Life in Prison

Farmers filled the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center as over...

A Face of War

“Corporations are people, my friend.” -Mitt...

“I know what it’s like to worry about being fired....

“I’ll bet you $10,000.” -Mitt Romney © AMY...