breakfast

“People are not our enemies, they are our mission,” said Rev. Dr. Elie Hasbani, the speaker at this year’s annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by Milwaukee’s Christian Courier newspaper. The Grand Ballroom of the Wisconsin Club on West Wisconsin Avenue was filled with several hundred attendees. Rev. Hasbani is a native of Lebanon, was trained as a soldier by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and was severely wounded when he stepped on a landmine. He came to the US in 1991 and now pastors Ethnos Church in Milwaukee, while also operating a ministry called Running for Hope that provides healthcare in…

As the sun rises on a Wednesday morning in May, a vintage ‘65 Ford Mustang cruises up to a home just off Milwaukee Street on Madison’s east side. Dave Bechtold jumps up and helps the driver back the classic pony car in next to a bright yellow Dodge muscle car of more recent vintage. Before long the front yard and curb is filled with cars and motorcycles, as their owners sit nearby enjoying cups of coffee, donuts, and other breakfast fare. It’s another Dads at Dave’s morning. Each Wednesday during May and October, it’s a place for guys to hang…