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Cudahy has designated June 4 as Michael John Cudahy Day, honoring the late local philanthropist
Michael J. Cudahy, a well-known local philanthropist and businessman, died on March 11 at 97 years old.
The city that bears his name is honoring his legacy by proclaiming June 4 as Michael John Cudahy Day.
Mayor Tom Pavlic said he reached out to Cudahy’s wife, Lisa, asking if he could do anything for the family.
“I told her I wanted to do a proclamation and she suggested June 4th, the birthdate of Michael’s mother (Katherine Reed Cudahy),” he said. “She was very appreciative of the city recognizing her late husband.”
Pavlic plans to send a duplicate proclamation and plaque to Cudahy’s daughter, Julie, per her request. Cudahy had six children and 10 grandchildren.
Pavlic made the proclamation during the city May 17 common council meeting.
In 1892, a new railroad depot was named "Cudahy" in honor of Patrick Cudahy, Michael Cudahy's grandfather, who built the Cudahy Brothers meat packing plant that same year, according to the Cudahy Historical Society. Three years later Cudahy became a village and in 1906 was incorporated as a city.
Michael Cudahy was a well-known businessman and philanthropist in Wisconsin. He was co-founder, with his good friend Warren Cozzens, of what became known as Marquette Medical Systems Inc., which creates patient monitoring systems.
“It was at Marquette Electronics, that Michael and Warren developed their first EKG machine, considered state of the art in American Medicine,” the proclamation said.
The company was sold to GE Medical Systems in 1998.
Cudahy was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, and he attended the Army’s Truax Field Radio School and radar school at Chanute Field in Illinois. There he became an Army Air Corps instructor.
Cudahy supported various causes with his time and money including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, Marquette University, the Cudahy Family Library (Irish Garden) among others.
“The current and former residents of Cudahy, thank you and Lisa Cudahy for your kind generosity and philanthropy throughout the Milwaukee area,” Pavlic said in the proclamation. “You will be missed.”
Cudahy married his fourth wife Lisa Ann Henningsen in 1990. They divorced a few years later but remarried in 2019.
Pavlic said no special events are planned for the day due to the short time frame. | 2022-05-18T17:37:22Z | www.jsonline.com | Michael John Cudahy honored with proclamation, day named after him | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/cudahy/2022/05/18/michael-john-cudahy-honored-proclamation-day-named-after-him/9815748002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/cudahy/2022/05/18/michael-john-cudahy-honored-proclamation-day-named-after-him/9815748002/ |
Here's how Waukesha officials plan to keep all future city parades safe
WAUKESHA - It seems fitting that the city's most somber annual parade will serve as the testing ground for new safety equipment aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade.
The Memorial Day parade through downtown Waukesha on May 30 will see limited deployment of the first shipment of safety barriers — portable devices capable of disabling vehicles as large as semi tractors from sudden and unauthorized access to key points along the parade route.
The event will give way to more celebratory parades, beginning with the Fourth of July parade five weeks later, when a more complete complement of Advanced Security Technologies' Modular Vehicle Barriers will begin making street-centered events safer, Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann said.
"In layman's terms, they get set up, they get put in place, and they are there to block vehicles from accessing areas of denial to, specifically, the parade route," Baumann said in describing the effectiveness of the MVB3X barriers. "They can be moved in emergency situations relatively quick and easy, but once they are set in place the idea is that they won't get moved until the event is completed."
Making Waukesha parades more safe
How effective are the barriers? Videos compiled by the manufacturer demonstrate how the barriers, when struck, roll and twist under trucks weighing up to 7.5 tons, disabling the vehicles within a few feet after initial contact.
Taking all that into consideration, public safety workers from City Hall and the police station set up a strategy to use the fully portable equipment. Without getting into too-specific detail, Baumann said the MVB3X barriers will secure the outer perimeter where vehicles could try to access the parade route within that secured perimeter.
The exception, of course, will be access points necessary for parade vehicles, where public safety vehicles will guard openings and keep a manual eye on traffic.
As part of the strategy, officials created a full-circuit route that will remain the same for all three parades — Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Christmas — every year, making the placement of the safety barriers routine. The route can be viewed on the city's website.
In a statement announcing the new measures, Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly tried to regain the confidence of the avid crowd of parade attendees of the past.
"I look forward to continuing our great tradition of community events and parades here in the City of Waukesha," Reilly said. "I appreciate the efforts of our entire Waukesha team as we review our safety measures and make improvements."
The first shipment of barriers were expected to arrive roughly a week before the Memorial Day parade. A second shipment, completing the order, was expected to be on hand in time for the July 4 event, Baumann said.
He has confidence in the effectiveness of the equipment.
"Where the barriers are placed to stop a vehicle, I'm highly confident of that," Baumann said.
The safety barriers will also be used for weekly Friday Night Live events, which this year will kick off on June 3. City officials previously announced that they were discussing whether the equipment can be rented out for such events, defraying the costs to the city.
The Waukesha Common Council voted on April 8 to acquire the MVB3X barriers with $830,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The decision was in response to concerns about enhancing safety following the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy on Nov. 21, in which six people were killed by an SUV driven by a man who drove past barricades and police officers.
Darrell Brooks Jr. was charged in those deaths as part of an 83-count criminal case still working its way through Waukesha County Circuit court. His trial is scheduled to begin in early October.
Baumann acknowledged the Memorial Day parade has a different connotation than the Christmas parade, given the May 30 parade's role in honoring fallen heroes in American wars, so one purpose of the barriers to allow the crowd to enjoy a fun, carefree event doesn't necessarily apply for now.
"You don't say 'Happy Memorial Day.' I think people understand what Memorial Day is," Baumann said. "This (parade) event, by its design, is going to be a somber event. It's not going to be festive."
But he's looking forward to the Fourth of July parade and a notably safer Christmas parade.
More:Waukesha Parade attack highlights a need to improve bail decisions. Do it in a thoughtful, bipartisan way that relies on science.
More:'Forced to reevaluate': At least two communities cancel their Christmas parades. Others add precautions. | 2022-05-18T17:37:28Z | www.jsonline.com | New safety barriers to be installed for all future Waukesha parades | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/18/new-safety-barriers-installed-all-future-waukesha-parades/9756862002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/18/new-safety-barriers-installed-all-future-waukesha-parades/9756862002/ |
Milwaukee-area home prices rose 14.3% in April, and houses spent fewer days on the market
A typical Milwaukee County home listed for $199,900 in April, up 14.3% from a month earlier, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows.
The median list home price in April was up about 9.9% from April 2021. Milwaukee County's median home was 1,438 square feet for a listed price of $145 per square foot.
The Milwaukee County market was busy, with a median 34 days on market. A month earlier, homes had a median 37 days on market. The market added 868 new home listings in April, compared with the 928 added in April 2021. The market ended the month with some 495 listings of homes for sale.
More:Milwaukee-area home prices rise 6.1% in March, with houses for sale in high demand
More:A four-toilet house, a jungle paradise and more: Four recent times Wisconsin Zillow listings went viral
What were Milwaukee-area home prices in April? Here's a county-by-county breakdown
Waukesha County's home prices rose 0.8%, to a median $519,900, from a month earlier. The typical house was on the market for 37 days, from 46 days a month earlier. The typical 2,001-square-foot house had a list price of $250 per square foot.
Washington County's home prices fell 8.3%, to a median $444,900, from a month earlier. The typical house was on the market for 31 days, from 43 days a month earlier. The typical 1,934-square-foot house had a list price of $241 per square foot.
Ozaukee County's home prices fell 1.5%, to a median $475,000, from a month earlier. The typical house was on the market for 37 days, from 47 days a month earlier. The typical 2,000-square-foot house had a list price of $224 per square foot.
Racine County's home prices fell 15.6%, to a median $289,000, from a month earlier. The typical house was on the market for 31 days, from 39 days a month earlier. The typical 1,700-square-foot house had a list price of $170 per square foot.
Walworth County's home prices rose 9.1%, to a median $418,190, from a month earlier. The typical house was on the market for 38 days, from 46 days a month earlier. The typical 1,762-square-foot house had a list price of $242 per square foot.
More:Apparently even the Brewers' Andrew McCutchen, a former MVP, is having trouble finding a house in Milwaukee
More:The number of homes listed in Milwaukee in January and February was the second lowest this century
How Milwaukee home prices compare to rest of Wisconsin and the country
Across metro Milwaukee, median home prices rose to $334,900, up 13.5% from a month earlier. The median home had 1,691 square feet, at a list price of $185 per square foot.
Across all of Wisconsin, median home prices were $344,900, rising 4% from a month earlier. The median Wisconsin home for sale had 1,790 square feet at list price of $184 per square foot. | 2022-05-18T17:37:40Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee-area homes for sale rise to $199,900 median price | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/2022/05/18/milwaukee-area-homes-sale-rise-199-900-median-price-up-14-percent/65356351007/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/2022/05/18/milwaukee-area-homes-sale-rise-199-900-median-price-up-14-percent/65356351007/ |
The 20,000-square-foot building, at 2322 W. Oak St., was sold to 2322 Milwaukee WI LLC for $1.65 million, according to newly posted state online real estate records.
The property's assessed value is $825,700, according to city records.
It is one block northwest of the intersection of West Fond du Lac and West North avenues The building was sold by Mequon-based Oak and Fondy LLC, which lists Gregory Martin as its registered agent.
The building is leased to a group which operates a Save A Lot limited assortment supermarket at that location.
The property's new ownership group is led by Dovie Sperlin, chief executive officer of Brooklyn, New York-based Affordable Housing Real Estate Corp.
Sperlin told the Journal Sentinel he bought the property as a long-term investment. He said Save A Lot has 10 years remaining on its lease.
"It's a blue collar neighborhood," Sperlin said. "People have to have a place to buy food."
Indeed, the Save A Lot is a rarity in Milwaukee's central city: a chain-operated supermarket. It opened in 2018.
It replaced a Lena's supermarket which operated for several years before closing in early 2016.
The building was remodeled extensively to accommodate Save A Lot, winning a Mayor's Design Award in 2019.
More:Deer District office planned for vacant space in Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum parking structure. That downtown site was envisioned for retail.
More:Downtown Milwaukee's newest office building has landed a sizable tenant. Old National Bank is leasing a floor at the Huron Building. | 2022-05-18T17:37:46Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee central city grocery building sells for twice its value | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/18/milwaukee-central-city-grocery-building-sells-twice-its-value/9822436002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/18/milwaukee-central-city-grocery-building-sells-twice-its-value/9822436002/ |
For Dayshun James, basketball is life.
When he got shot on Water Street Friday night following the Bucks game, he said it's all he could think about.
"I can't do anything without being around basketball," said the Bradley Tech High School senior.
For the 18-year-old forward, it's just as mandatory as "every day things," like brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
James — whose nickname is "Baby Giannis" — and his team, the Trojans, won the Milwaukee City Conference championship this year. It was the high school's first time since 2005. James averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds during the tournament.
In April, James committed to play at Bay College in Escanaba. He plans to study zoology and business there, and has a full-ride scholarship.
But now, in the aftermath of Friday, James' basketball career faces uncertainty. He has already started walking again "a little bit," but is expected to face months of physical therapy.
One thing is certain, though: He's going to do everything he can to get back on the court.
"I put so much time into it," he said. "I don't even know how to describe it — it would just be terrible for me to put all the effort and energy into it just to give up."
Injured in shooting, he called his family from the ground
On Friday, James, his brother, his cousin and friends went to Deer District to watch the Bucks play the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.
The group left the area to grab food, James said, and he left his car behind near Swing Park.
While they were eating, they heard there had been a shooting near Deer District, James said. On their way back to get James' car, they heard another shooting had occurred.
While they were walking down Water Street, heading toward Swing Park, they "ended up in the midst of another shooting happening," James said.
James, his cousin and 15 others were wounded. The bullet entered James through his butt and fractured his hip, he said.
From the ground, James called his family "just in case I wasn't gonna make it."
A police officer, whose name he didn't catch, stayed with James while he awaited medical help, then remained with him at Froedtert Hospital into the morning.
"He made sure I was alright, made sure that I was fed and that everything I needed was taken care of before he left," James said.
James' cousin turned over a gun he'd been carrying to an officer at the hospital, according to a criminal complaint. He now faces counts of carrying a concealed weapon, bail jumping and carrying a gun after being adjudicated of a felony as a juvenile.
James said his cousin did not fire a gun and was not involved in the altercations that occurred on Water Street Friday night.
Basketball 'is what I live for'
When he was younger, James was more into art and sightseeing. But his mom, who also played basketball, his grandma and his friends encouraged him to give basketball a shot.
"I got around the environment with a lot of people that played it every day and I realized that it was more to me than just shooting a basketball in a hole," he said. "It was like life, it was like air that I breathe."
This basketball season was full of firsts for James. It was his first year at Bradley Tech. He transferred in from James Madison High School. It was also his first time on varsity.
Over the course of the season, James said the team went from being strangers to family. And their championship victory? The cherry on top.
"It felt amazing," James said. "It was everything we all imagined at the beginning of the year ... We finished the job that we wanted."
On Saturday, James underwent surgery to see what kind of damage the bullet caused and if it could be removed. It was determined that it would be best to leave it in.
His goal: To get back on the court.
The current plan, James said, is to do physical therapy for three or four months. He was planning to head to Michigan later next month, but now is figuring out if he'll have to stick around Wisconsin for physical therapy or if he can do it there.
He said he hasn't gotten into the big questions yet — like if he'll for sure be able to ball again — with his physical therapist. But if he can, he will.
"It's what I live for now," he said. "I can't see myself doing anything else besides playing basketball."
A GoFundMe fundraising campaign has been set up for James by his mom to help with his recovery and school expenses. It can be found at bit.ly/dayshungofundme.
More:Milwaukee Police release surveillance video of shooting along Water St. near Deer District
More:Police will begin enforcing city's curfew ordinance for minors as first charges are filed in Friday's shootings | 2022-05-18T17:37:58Z | www.jsonline.com | Bradley Tech high school basketball player shot on Water Street | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/18/bradley-techs-dayshun-james-high-school-basketball-player-hurt-milwaukee-water-street-shooting/9801312002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/18/bradley-techs-dayshun-james-high-school-basketball-player-hurt-milwaukee-water-street-shooting/9801312002/ |
MADISON - A row of books sitting in the director's office of a prominent anti-abortion group's headquarters was set ablaze earlier this month in an attack launched just days after the leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, new emergency dispatch audio suggests.
A man driving by the offices of Wisconsin Family Action in the early morning hours of May 8 called 911 after seeing flames, smoke and a smashed window, according to audio of the emergency call obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel under the state's public records law.
"I see flames and smoke coming out of there — I walked over there, I could see the window smashed up and it looks like there are books burning in there," said the man, whose name was redacted from the audio by the Dane County Public Safety Communications department, citing a state law that provides anonymity in public records to people who provide information for criminal investigations.
"Whatever it is, it's smoldering in there and kind of flares up a bit and then it goes back down," he said.
More:'This is unacceptable': Gov. Tony Evers denounces attack on anti-abortion group's headquarters as police seek suspects
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told reporters last week his investigators were still searching for video footage of what took place that morning, when two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the group's offices on the north side of Madison. Madison Police have not yet identified a suspect in the arson.
Julaine Appling, the group's president, said police notified her about 7:45 a.m. while she was at church in Watertown, about 42 miles away. The 911 call to police reporting flames in Appling's office arrived around 6 a.m.
Madison firefighters extinguished the blaze that damaged the row of books that sat in front of the office window that vandals smashed.
Appling told the Journal Sentinel just a few hours after the incident that she believed the books acted as a barrier, preventing the office from becoming engulfed. | 2022-05-18T17:38:04Z | www.jsonline.com | 911 audio in arson at anti-abortion group Wisconsin Family Action | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/05/18/911-audio-arson-anti-abortion-group-wisconsin-family-action-madison/9822960002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/05/18/911-audio-arson-anti-abortion-group-wisconsin-family-action-madison/9822960002/ |
Far from Milwaukee, a son mourns his father's death with the help of an area synagogue
My father, Jerry Feldman, had decided he had had enough. After two weeks in a Chapel Hill, N.C., hospital, with terminal cancer and no quality of life left, he asked his palliative care physician to help him die. She removed his breathing support and ensured he had enough sedation to be comfortable. He was unbelievably brave.
“I will live on in you,” he said, to help comfort me.
That afternoon, as my mother and I held his hands while he slept, I remember suddenly noticing a stillness about him. I glanced over at his heart monitor. In a devastating instant, I realized that one of the pillars of my life was gone. It was Feb. 12, 2019.
As a dentist in Milwaukee for 40 years before retiring to North Carolina, my father had been comfortable with medical issues. As it turns out, he had remained in control of his care to that very last day. He did it his way, to paraphrase his favorite singer.
Now I was learning to grieve deeply in a way I had never had to before. For several weeks, I shed tears frequently, if only privately. But soon I took a play from my emotional playbook that I had used all my life when I encountered sadness: I made myself busy. Between work and social plans, I made sure there wasn’t much time to feel sad — or, looking back, to process my emotions.
That sadness was there, though, hidden just under the surface. For example, I couldn’t bring myself to go to Jewish services, even though I knew it would help the healing process. The reason: I was scared I’d break down and cry, since Judaism for me was so connected with my father.
In fact, even before his death, going to services had always been a door to my emotions. My favorite songs, such as Oseh Shalom (the prayer for peace), or the mourner’s prayer known as Kaddish would leave me overcome with emotion, although I’d always try to hide it. My father’s death only heightened that resonance.
Then the pandemic hit and so much of our lives moved online.
Ironically, the scourge of COVID-19 had one benefit for me, allowing me to reconnect with Judaism — via Zoom — in a way that felt emotionally safe. From my home in Washington, D.C., I rejoined the synagogue of my youth, Temple Sinai in Fox Point, mainly because of its thoughtful and insightful rabbi, David Cohen. From 800 miles away, I started regularly participating in Shabbat services, celebrating the sabbath.
During those online services, I could see into my fellow congregants’ living rooms, with their Green Bay Packers throws over their sofas. I thought: These are my people.
And the services did allow the flood gates of emotion to open. When they did, I simply turned off my camera and sobbed. It was cathartic.
I even placed a picture of my father and me — a favorite one from Mexico — next to my computer during services, as if to say, “You know what, emotions? I’ve always run from you, but you’re welcome here. Let’s be sad about Dad’s death. And let’s be grateful for his life.”
As I deepened my knowledge of Judaism as an adult, I realized how many Jewish services — including every Shabbat and most holidays — include the Mourner’s Kaddish. As Sarah Hurwitz notes in her book "Here All Along," “Judaism makes it hard for us to deny the reality of our loss.”
These days, with the pandemic waning, Shabbat services at Temple Sinai are mostly in-person again, so I join via livestream on YouTube. That means I can’t see people’s dogs and cats, or their Packers gear. But I still spend an hour almost every Friday evening “in Milwaukee,” a ritual that’s become important to me.
This summer, I’ll probably join a synagogue in Washington as well, to be part of an in-person faith community. When I do, I’ll be bringing some transformational lessons learned. That includes the importance of embracing one’s emotions and of finding ways to do so that feel safe and comfortable.
It also includes the realization that it’s OK to show emotion in public. After all, if I saw someone tear up in synagogue, I’d immediately think, “I know exactly how you feel.”
My dad, in fact, would tear up when he felt emotion. And he lives on in me.
Andrew Feldman leads the Center for Results-Focused Leadership, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting practice focused on helping government agencies use evidence-based decision-making. Twitter: @AndyFeldman | 2022-05-18T17:38:10Z | www.jsonline.com | Far from Milwaukee, a son mourns with the help of an area synagogue | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/18/far-milwaukee-son-mourns-help-area-synagogue/9717579002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/18/far-milwaukee-son-mourns-help-area-synagogue/9717579002/ |
The waiting game didn't work.
Before Wednesday's series finale with the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers placed shortstop Willy Adames on the injured list and recalled infielder Keston Hiura from Class AAA Nashville.
Adames suffered a high left ankle sprain on a slide into home plate early in Sunday's game at Miami and missed both Monday's and Tuesday's games.
After showing some improvement Tuesday, Adames was given an additional day of recovery in hopes he might be able to avoid an IL stint.
Now, with the move retroactive to Monday, he'll be out until at least May 26, with Luis Urías continuing to fill in at shortstop.
The decision to bring back Hiura was easy. He had been on a tear at the plate since being optioned to Nashville on May 6.
In five games with the Sounds, Hiura hit .421 with three home runs and 10 runs batted in while compiling an OPS of 1.417.
"It was good," said Hiura, who found himself in the lineup already Wednesday, batting eighth and playing first base with left-hander Max Fried on the mound for the Braves.
"I was seeing the ball well. I've been seeing the ball pretty good for the most part. I think it was more so just getting those at-bats, being able to play back to back, multiple days in a row, make those adjustments from day to day.
"Things felt good. I was able to hit a lot of pitches that I should be hitting. Try to build off that."
Hiura actually had been performing well in his initial stint with the Brewers too, building off a strong spring in which he hit .393 and led the team with four homers, 12 RBI and an OPS of 1.414.
He revamped his setup at the plate in the offseason, a move that quickly paid dividends.
Through 15 games of part-time duty with the Brewers that included six starts at first base, three at second base and three as designated hitter, Hiura hit .216/2/5/.688 before being sent down with Milwaukee needing an additional bullpen arm (Luis Perdomo).
"The rosters decreased in May, so I knew there was a chance (of being demoted)," Hiura said. "But I just try to do my job and whatever happens, kind of happens. It was good to get consistent ABs and get in there every day and help them win some games."
The back and forth certainly isn't foreign to Hiura, who had four stints with the Brewers in 2021 as he spent the season trying to gain a foothold.
"Yeah, I think last year definitely helps," he said. "Going up and down, getting pinch-hits or playing every other day or whatever, I think that was kind of the first adjustment I made, and I learned from those.
"Heading into this year, just understanding my role. I've realized the past year that if I'm not starting in a game, stay engaged, stay locked in because that at-bat could come. If I'm not focused or as engaged as I can, it's going to make it a lot more difficult."
Pitcher Ethan Small off to impressive start with Nashville Sounds
Speaking of players tearing it up at Nashville, perhaps no one has had a better performance than Ethan Small.
The left-hander, who is Milwaukee’s fourth overall prospect as rated by the Journal Sentinel, is 3-1 with a 1.95 earned run average and WHIP of 1.18 through seven starts. He also has struck out 46 in 32⅓ innings and is limiting opposing batters to a .149 average.
"He's been dominant like always,” said Hiura, who had a chance to play behind Small last week. “The way he controls the game, even though sometimes he gets behind in counts, he’s able to get back pretty quickly and bounce back. He got drilled by a line drive last week. Stayed in the game and did well.
“There was a player on the other team, I think he was hitting .370. It was either his first at-bat or second at-bat. He bunted for a base hit and got to second base. I was like, ‘Dude, you're hitting .370, why are you bunting right now? He said, 'Dude, you don't understand. I can't see his changeup. No one on our team can see his changeup. This is the best opportunity I have to get on base.'
“Second at-bat or the at-bat after that, he tried to bunt again, too. It just gives you a glimpse of what the other team is thinking of when they’re facing him. He's doing great down there. He's going to have a great future, for sure."
All that said, don’t look for the 2019 first-round pick to be pitching out of the Brewers’ bullpen in the immediate future.
“We view Ethan as a starter, and we think he's going to function best in that role, so we're going to keep him starting for as long as we can down there,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “He's still got work to do. I think he knows that. I think he'll continue to work, and his opportunity will come.”
The Brewers have a history of promoting pitchers they view as long-term starters to help them in the bullpen to start — Brandon Woodruff in 2017 and Corbin Burnes in 2018 are the most prominent examples — and manager Craig Counsell said in spring training he believed Small would make his major-league debut at some point this season.
So it would appear the question isn't if but more like when.
"I think the course of our season and our needs are going to dictate that," Stearns said. "I think for now, his proper place is in the starting rotation where he can continue to accumulate length and continue to throw strikes. That's probably the most important part of that development." | 2022-05-18T17:38:30Z | www.jsonline.com | Willy Adames on IL with ankle sprain, Brewers recall Keston Hiura | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/18/willy-adames-injured-list-ankle-sprain-milwaukee-brewers-recall-keston-hiura/9820391002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/18/willy-adames-injured-list-ankle-sprain-milwaukee-brewers-recall-keston-hiura/9820391002/ |
Hartland Village Trustee Robyn Ludtke is resigning her position on the Village Board effective May 31.
Village President Jeffrey Pfannerstill said Ludtke is moving out of the area.
The Village Board is expected to accept her letter of resignation May 23. The vacancy could be filled starting June 1.
According to village ordinances, a trustee vacancy is filled via the village president nominating a resident. The nomination must then be voted on by the Village Board. If approved, the new trustee would serve the remainder of Ludtke's term, which runs until April 2023.
If not approved, the president would have to put forward another name for consideration.
Pfannerstill said he already has someone in mind
"I have the best person in mind for the job," he said. "Hands down, the best person. Has served the village in many ways through things like helping create the baseball and softball programs. Head of the Park Board. Serves on the Plan Commission. That person is Tim Hallquist."
Hallquist has worked for the village's park board, and by default the Plan Commission, for 27 years, including 22 as chairman of the Park Board. He most recently ran for village trustee in the April election. There were three seats available, but Hallquist received the fourth most votes. He was only 29 votes behind incumbent trustee Michael Meyers.
Two months later, Hallquist may find himself in a trustee seat, after all.
“I know I can do a great job as trustee,” Hallquist said. “The issue of making Hartland a great place to live is always my No. 1 job. I’m looking forward to having my voice be heard a little more, be a little stronger than in an advisory role. I’m pretty excited about it.” | 2022-05-18T20:24:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Hartland Trustee resigning, new candidate to be voted on in June | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/18/hartland-trustee-resigning-new-candidate-voted-june/9824384002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/18/hartland-trustee-resigning-new-candidate-voted-june/9824384002/ |
A fire in the town of Oconomowoc destroyed a home March 16.
The Western Lakes Fire District received a call about an active house fire at N74 W37470 Sonday Road at about 7:31 p.m., according to Chief Brad Bowen. While heading to the scene, the duty chief noticed heavy smoke from miles away and upgraded the call.
The first engine arrived at 7:41 p.m. to find half the house was on fire as well as a car in the driveway. It was unclear whether the house was occupied. While town of Oconomowoc Police interviewed callers reporting the fire, they were able to make contact with the home owner and confirmed no one was inside the residence.
The first three units at the scene were able to suppress the main body of the fire using 5,000 gallons of water, Bowen said. The fire was under control by 8:53 p.m.
Bowen said WLFD encountered downed powerlines across the driveway when crews arrived. The wires were still energized until WE Energies arto cut the power to them.
"This is a reminder for occupants and residents to consider these dangers at fire scene," he said. "Just a week ago in Vilas County, two individuals were found deceased at a residential structure fire and found in the area of downed powerlines outside of the home."
Fire personnel remained at the scene until 11:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. The home was deemed inhabitable and a total loss. The owners are staying somewhere else.
Departments from Merton, Ashippun, Lisbon, Ixonia, Watertown, Pewaukee, Hartland, Hartford and Lake Country Fire & Rescue provided mutual aid during the incident, Bowen said. | 2022-05-18T20:24:29Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc home destroyed by fire | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/18/oconomowoc-home-destroyed-fire/9820698002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/18/oconomowoc-home-destroyed-fire/9820698002/ |
Three men have been charged in the Friday mass shooting that injured more than a dozen people in downtown Milwaukee.
Prosecutors filed charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery and seven counts of first-degree reckless injury against Lemont R. Siller, 21; Christopher L. Murry, 23; and Marquise L. Jackson, 24.
The criminal complaint filed Wednesday details surveillance camera footage and alleges the three defendants and a group of other, unidentified people spent almost 10 minutes looking at, and positioning themselves near, an unidentified 20-year-old man in the area of East Juneau Avenue and North Water Street.
Eventually, a confrontation led to a shootout with several hundred bystanders and at least 10 police officers nearby. The shooting was one of three reported in the downtown area near the Deer District after a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game Friday. Four people were injured in the other two incidents.
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said Tuesday the mass shooting was caused by a feud between two groups that “came to a head” when they encountered each other Friday night. He said there was no known gang affiliation with anyone involved.
Police initially reported the shooting injured 17 people, but the criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday lists 16 victims and their injuries. They include gunshot wounds to the chest, back, arms, hands, thighs, ankles, shoulders, hips and buttocks.
The shooting unfolded near food trucks in the area of North Water Street and East Juneau Avenue. On Tuesday, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the city would adjust where food trucks can park downtown because it is a location “where folks have been congregating and participating in some of this poor activity.”
The criminal complaint alleges Jackson was in possession of a long gun Friday, despite being barred from carrying guns because of an open domestic abuse case.
He was charged in December 2021 with felony strangulation and suffocation after the mother of his child accused him of confronting her outside her home, following her inside and then strangling her against a wall, according to court records.
Jackson did not show at a court appearance a week before the shooting and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, according to court records.
Murry also had a warrant issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court regarding a 2021 municipal citation for assault and battery, court records said.
Ten of the 11 guns seized by police on Friday were involved in the mass shooting, Norman said. Nine of the 11 guns, which included handguns and rifles, were fired.
The filings mark a second batch of charges in connection to the shootings. On Tuesday, prosecutors filed gun possession and bail jumping charges against Otis Green, 28, and Jeremiah Fraylon, 20, both of whom were injured in the shootings.
Wednesday’s filing notes that additional charges are expected at the completion of the investigation.
More:Bucks players react to the shootings outside Fiserv Forum: ‘What are we doing?’
Shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, many police officers were already in the area of East Juneau Avenue and North Water Street to investigate another shooting that happened nearby roughly a half-hour before.
According to surveillance video reviewed by police, Siller and Jackson were standing on a sidewalk with six unknown individuals on the north side of the same intersection.
The group moved up and down East Juneau Avenue while looking south at a 20-year-old man, who was standing in the street with two unknown individuals in front of Grohmann Tower, 233 E. Juneau Ave. At one point during this time, Murry is seen interacting with Siller and Jackson.
Siller later told police that he has a longstanding dispute with the 20-year-old man.
Murry is seen walking to the east to meet with additional unknown individuals on North Market Street as Jackson and Siller are seen making phone calls while looking in the 20-year-old’s direction.
Jackson and Siller then walk east, along East Juneau Avenue, and stop near a food truck. Jackson is seen with a long gun.
Two groups then began to converge. Jackson and Siller’s group continue moving east and stop again in front of a parked vehicle. At the same time, Murry and his group move west on East Juneau Avenue from North Market Street and “take up positions around” the 20-year-old.
At 11:08 p.m., one of the unknown individuals with Siller pulls a handgun while facing the 20-year-old. Another unknown individual with the 20-year-old then pulls out a handgun and fires shots to the east. The first man to pull out a gun then returns fire.
Siller, Jackson, Murry and five others in their group all fire shots toward the 20-year-old, who suffered a wound to his upper right arm. The shots were fired in a west and southwest direction.
At least 10 police officers who were already in the area for the prior shooting said they saw shooters fire shots in their direction, nearly striking them.
One officer saw Jackson ducking down near a parked car with his arms outstretched as if he was using the car to shield something he was holding. After he was arrested, police recovered a long gun from under the car.
Siller told police he returned fire after seeing someone raise a pistol and fire at him. Murry said he fired from behind a food truck but did not aim at anyone.
Ashley Luthern contributed to this report. | 2022-05-18T20:24:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Three men charged in Friday mass shooting in downtown Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/18/three-men-charged-friday-mass-shooting-downtown-milwaukee/9826104002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/18/three-men-charged-friday-mass-shooting-downtown-milwaukee/9826104002/ |
As in past years, Milwaukee Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee are hearing their names associated with head-coaching gigs in the NBA. The price of success often includes assistant coaches earning bigger jobs, and it's not the first time Ham and Lee have attracted interest.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Ham will get a second in-person interview with the Charlotte Hornets and is a serious candidate for the job. Charania also mentions that former Bucks head coach Terry Stotts is in the mix for that job as well, and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson will also get a second look.
Ham, 48, first garnered a following with Bucks fans as the high-flying member of the 2001 Bucks team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. He's been an assistant under Mike Budenholzer dating to 2013, first with the Atlanta Hawks and then with the Bucks as the franchise has gone on a run of success, including the 2021 NBA title.
Ham briefly served as interim coach in Budenholzer's stead this season.
Wojnarowski reported last year that Texas Tech, Ham's alma mater, had reached out about the school's head coaching vacancy before hiring Mark Adams. Ham also was linked to the Indiana Pacers openings two seasons ago and mentioned for the Boston Celtics opening that went last season to Ime Udoka. The Celtics just defeated the Bucks in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Lee and Ham are both candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers head coach opening, as well.
Lee, 37, has also been on Budenholzer's staff since 2014 and interviewed last year for openings in New Orleans and Orlando.
Lee was a star at Bucknell University and earned Patriot League Player of the Year in 2006.
Budenholzer, a former assistant with the San Antonio Spurs under the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, Gregg Popovich, already has a pretty significant coaching tree. His former assistant in Atlanta, Quin Snyder, has been head coach of the Utah Jazz since 2014. Atkinson was an assistant with the Hawks from 2012-16 before becoming the Nets coach from 2016-20. Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, whose team posted the second-best record in the Western Conference this year, was an assistant under Budenholzer with the Bucks during a 2018-19 season that ended in the Eastern Conference finals. | 2022-05-18T20:24:53Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks assistants Darvin Ham, Charles Lee are NBA head coach candidates | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/18/bucks-assistants-darvin-ham-charles-lee-nba-head-coach-candidates/9824401002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/18/bucks-assistants-darvin-ham-charles-lee-nba-head-coach-candidates/9824401002/ |
The chef at Milwaukee's Birch is now the restaurant's owner
Kyle Knall, who has been the chef for about a year at the open-hearth restaurant Birch, 459 E. Pleasant St., now is officially the owner.
Knall announced the change on social media Tuesday. The deal to acquire the restaurant from Rebecca Zwiefelhofer was finalized in April, he said in an interview.
“It seems to be a very exciting and seamless transition for Becca and myself,” he said.
Dramatic changes aren’t afoot, he said. But he recalled saying after installing some new shelves in the bar recently, “I think we’re going to be content for a few months, but we’re always going to want to grow and be better.”
Knall said the aim all along was to buy Birch. So changes made since the restaurant went on a pandemic hiatus and reopened in June 2021 were made with Knall in mind.
That includes moving the bar from the kitchen area to the former retail space last year, near windows facing Pleasant Street. “It’s kind of more welcoming,” Knall said, since it’s visible to passers-by.
“We’ve really worked hard to develop a wine list we love,” Knall said. Initially he was partners in the restaurant with Ben Christiansen of Waterford Wine and Spirits; Christiansen since has opened a third store, in Green Bay.
Knall has hired Jeff Cleveland, formerly of Movida, as general manager.
And “the food is completely different, and it’s a whole different identity,” he said.
Birch’s open hearth, live-fire cooking remains central to the menu. “The idea of having the fire lets us present everything in a kind of straightforward and clean way. It’s just such a simple way of cooking, it really lets the ingredients shine,” Knall said.
But the chef has emphatically tied the menu to what’s available from the area’s farmers.
“What they grow really determines what we cook daily and weekly,” he said.
“One statement that Zach (Nelsen, chef de cuisine) and I say pretty often: We can’t make delicious food without really great produce,” Knall said.
“We put as much thought into talking with farmers and seeing what they have growing as we do in building recipes,” he added.
The restaurant now is receiving a side of beef monthly through Stone Bank Farm, where Knall is a consultant for the farm market’s menu. He and Nelsen also conduct cooking classes there, such as one recently on grass-fed beef.
Another of Knall’s changes at Birch: an informal, chef’s choice tasting menu at dinner. At $84, it’s three or four bites followed by savory courses and dessert. It’s available Wednesday through Saturday, perhaps Wednesday and Thursday in summer.
Knall also is planning to use the seats at the chef’s counter for “a different kind of experience.”
“We don’t want it to be this formal thing. We want it to be fun,” he said.
Birch also is open for brunch Saturday and Sunday, and it has happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday in the bar.
Reservations can be made at birchonpleasant.com or by calling (414) 323-7372.
Related:Chef at Birch settles in Milwaukee after opening restaurants from Alabama to London | 2022-05-18T22:53:31Z | www.jsonline.com | Kyle Knall, chef at Milwaukee's Birch, is now the restaurant's owner | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/05/18/kyle-knall-chef-milwaukees-birch-now-restaurants-owner/9828380002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/05/18/kyle-knall-chef-milwaukees-birch-now-restaurants-owner/9828380002/ |
Texts from friends alerted Alex Lasry that gunfire was erupting outside Fiserv Forum at the end of Friday night's Milwaukee Bucks playoff game.
There was one shooting. And then another. And another. Twenty-one people were injured.
Lasry's two worlds had collided. On leave from his executive job with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lasry is running for U.S. Senate in a crowded Democratic primary.
"Whether it's outside of the Bucks game or on the north side of Milwaukee or the south side, or any other city, to me this is one of the biggest problems that I think our country and our cities are facing," Lasry said during an interview. "That's the issue of public safety."
This week, Lasry unveiled a public safety plan with a call to put more cops on the street, tighten gun laws and invest in violence prevention programs and other initiatives. He said the policy paper had been in the works for a while and wasn't rushed out in response to Friday night's shootings.
"What we can do at the federal government is make sure that we're sending resources and federal dollars, our tax dollars back to ensure that our mayors our sheriff's departments, our police departments, our schools have what they need," Lasry said.
The release of the policy paper comes at a significant moment. Public safety is a key issue in the campaigns for U.S. Senate, governor and attorney general. Images of past civil unrest in Kenosha and Madison, and the Christmas Parade tragedy in Waukesha are part of the swirl of political advertising.
Republicans running for governor have pounced on the recent shootings in Milwaukee's entertainment district and issued calls for more cops, tougher sentences and the ouster of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.
Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch declared: "We need Milwaukee to be a safe place for families, the Deer District to be a destination and not the fear district anymore."
Lasry's response to the Kleefisch dig?
"We can have people try to make light of the situation and come up with clever slogans," he said. "But I think at the end of the day, that's not solving any of the problems."
Lasry, who accused Republicans of a "lack of policies" on the issue of public safety, said his plan is a three-pronged approach
"We need more sworn officers on the street and not behind the desk," he said. "We need more things for people to do like jobs and after-school programs. And we need to get guns off the street. I think if we're able to do those three things where we're going to limit the amount of crime and violence that's happening in our cities, towns and villages."
Among the initiatives Lasry is calling for, investing in training for police officers, including around diversity, cultural sensitivity, use of force and passage of the George Floyd policing act to create structural change in policing.
"We need police," he said. "But we also need to make sure that they're trained. We need to make sure they have the resources to do their job."
He said Congress should help fund police departments to add more civilian staff to get more officers on patrol. And he said Congress should bolster the Department of Justice's COPS community policing grant program to provide communities more money to hire officers.
Lasry backs investments in violence prevention and substance abuse prevention programs as well as wider use of drug treatment courts. He also called for legalizing marijuana and expunging criminal records of people convicted of minor possession charges.
On guns, he advocates the passage of universal background checks, waiting periods on the purchase of firearms, and bans on assault weapons, high capacity magazines and so-called ghost guns.
Using urban design to deter crime, he called for Congress to invest in "modernized street lightning" in communities and backed redesigning streets to slow traffic and protect pedestrians.
And he called for added investments in after-school programs and initiatives to help those with criminal records re-enter the workforce. | 2022-05-19T11:46:43Z | www.jsonline.com | Alex Lasry public safety plan calls for more cops on the street | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/19/alex-lasry-public-safety-plan-calls-more-cops-street/9824218002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/19/alex-lasry-public-safety-plan-calls-more-cops-street/9824218002/ |
Smith: A novel idea and generosity by Grafton Eagle Scout could build brighter future for black terns, an endangered species in Wisconsin
"If you build it, he will come," from the script of the 1989 baseball film "Field of Dreams," became among the most recognizable movie lines in the last 50 years.
A slightly modified version — replacing "he" with "they" — has also been embraced in the conservation world.
It's a nod to the value of habitat improvement, whether natural or artificial, and the positive results for wildlife.
A story that originated in a southeastern Wisconsin marsh is showing how the principle becomes even more powerful when it builds on a novel idea freely shared and implemented by dedicated volunteers.
It has its roots in 2017 when Mike Alaimo of Dousman was part of a crew of Wisconsin Waterfowl Association members removing purple loosestrife, an invasive aquatic plant, at Rome Pond Wildlife Area near Sullivan.
An experienced birder on the outing pointed out a black tern flying in the distance.
Though he's an avid waterfowl hunter and keen wildlife observer, it was the first time Alaimo had ever seen a black tern.
The reason was likely related to abundance, or lack thereof.
Since 2014 the black tern has been listed as an endangered species in Wisconsin. And in North America, the number of black terns has declined by 50% in the last 50 years, according to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
After he learned the status of the species, Alaimo decided to try to do something to help.
He found out the birds nests are vulnerable to flooding by storms and fluctuating water levels and leveraged his experience in engineering to design an artificial nesting platform.
The first version didn't work. But a redesign with a sod top layer and drain showed great promise in 2019. Alaimo confirmed black terns laid eggs on the structures at Rome Pond that year but didn't know if the nests produced fledglings.
He repeated the process the next year and got proof of black tern nesting success.
He photographed fluffy tern chicks on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend in 2020.
A few weeks later I accompanied Alaimo on the marsh to learn more about his project and take photos of the birds. We observed more than a dozen black tern adults and juveniles flying over the public wetland.
An article I wrote about the experience was published July 25, 2020, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
It so happens it was read by John O'Donnell of Saukville, a long-time member of the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog in Ozaukee County.
O'Donnell knew the Bog, which includes several ponds and wetlands, was home to black terns in the past but the birds hadn't been seen in years.
Wouldn't it be great to provide nesting platforms at the site to try to draw some nesting terns?
O'Donnell thought so, and so did Braden Meyer of Grafton. Meyer, then 15, is an avid birder who was working on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
Meyer decided he'd like to try to build some tern nesting platforms for his Eagle Scout project.
So on Oct. 12, 2020, Meyer sent me an email asking if I could connect him with Alaimo.
I did and Alaimo didn't hesitate to provide Meyer with all the details of the successful platforms.
Meyer built five of the structures over the coming months and in spring 2021 deployed them into Mud Lake at Cedarburg Bog.
O'Donnell set up a trail camera to help monitor the sites.
Unfortunately no black terns were observed nesting there in 2021.
Alaimo wanted Meyer and O'Donnell to see the installations at Rome Pond so he took them on a boat ride last summer to view the structures and the endangered birds.
In January, Meyer attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Alaimo, an Eagle Scout himself, came to the ceremony.
But Meyer's quest to help black terns continues.
In April he again helped deploy two of the structures in Mud Lake at the bog.
And the fruits of his labor are spreading.
The other three nesting platforms Meyer built will be installed this spring in Allouez Bay near Superior in an effort to help restore a black tern colony there, said Sumner Matteson, Department of Natural Resources avian ecologist.
The chain — and the "building" — will likely keep growing. It remains to be seen how many black terns will come.
"I think it's cool," said Meyer, now 16 and a sophomore at Grafton High School. "I'm grateful to Mike for showing me how to make them and now I'm looking forward to helping the birds as much as I can." | 2022-05-19T11:46:49Z | www.jsonline.com | Nesting platforms built by Grafton Eagle Scout could help black terns | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2022/05/19/nesting-platforms-built-grafton-eagle-scout-could-help-black-terns/9820481002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2022/05/19/nesting-platforms-built-grafton-eagle-scout-could-help-black-terns/9820481002/ |
CITY OF OCONOMOWOC - A large crowd packed the common council chambers May17 to support the a proposed downtown development on Fowler Lake.
This was the first time the Rockwell Partners project, which would be at the former Schulte HVAC building and AJ’s Pub building from 125 to 131 N. Main St., has been in front of the Committee of the Whole since November. At that time, Common Council members made a few recommendations for the property along Fowler Lake, which developers took into consideration.
The latest renderings show a five-story building that developers say matches the historic aesthetic of downtown. An estimated 20 condos would fill the upper floors while the ground level would have two to three retail and restaurant spaces. Underground parking would also be built.
Renderings also included two docks, one public and one private, on Fowler Lake, and continuation of the existing boardwalk that would be open to the pub.
"I am in full support of this project," said Ald. Karen Spiegelberg. "Because it is in my district, this is the chief complaint I get in my district: Why isn’t something being done with those buildings?"
The proposal had mostly been contested in the past due to height concerns; the building is expected to be about 70 feet tall.
However, bathrooms were the central talking point of the evening.
One of the common council's November recommendations — as well as suggestions from nearby businesses — was that the project include public bathrooms. Currently, there are no public bathrooms in or around the village green.
This was a concern of business owners in attendance and in conversations had between developers and the businesses since November.
"Many of the downtown businesses are excited about including the additional bathrooms," said Sara Ninmann, president of the Downtown Oconomowoc Business District. "Many of the businesses, I’ve heard from 30, and 29 of 30 who have responded have been asking that it’s not an either-or, it’s an and. They think that if the project went through, the bathrooms would definitely be an asset."
The latest renderings included two four-stall public bathrooms. Additionally, a warming house was included that can be used for ice skaters on the lake or as a community space the rest of the year. Both would be owned and maintained by the city.
If approved, the public portion of the development is expected to be paid for by the city via a tax incremental financing. The estimated cost presented by developers was $5.283 million.
Council members were mostly in favor of the project, although they also considered a separate proposal for another public bathroom to be put in behind Etcetera Bar & Grill on the south endof the village green.
Renderings for that part of the project included a standalone structure with seven stalls in each bathroom and the possibility of having a uni-sex or family bathroom as well.
Council members tabled action on this bathroom..
During public comment at the Common Council meeting that followed a closed session on the Rockwell Partners development, residents spoke mostly in favor of the project. The development was on the agenda, but only for a vote to establish boundaries, prepare a redevelopment plan and designate land on Main Street as blighted.
More than 50 people packed the council chambers ahead of the meeting. However, because of the delayed start time, 10 people who had intended to speak were not present during public comment when called.
The rest stayed to speak, with mostly positive comments about the development.
“What I like most about the project is I do a lot of walking in Oconomowoc," said Bob Jeffers, who has lived on Fowler Lake for three years. "When you walk across the boardwalk and come to the end, what do you look at? Nothing but a an eyesore. A bunch of dilapidated buildings that have been sitting there ... I'm in favor of this."
One resident spoke against the project.
"I just think we have more than enough high-rises in our little city," said Cheryl Luck, who has lived in the city for more than 50 years. "You (the common council) are trying to do a new tagline for establishing Oconomowoc as the best small city. I don’t think it really is anymore."
The common council voted, 7-1, in favor of establishing boundaries, preparing a redevelopment plan and designating land on Main Street as blighted. The lone nay vote came from Ald. Charles Schellpeper.
The Rockwell Partners project is expected to appear on an upcoming agenda, possibly for public hearing next.
Rockwell Partners are hosting a open house at the Oconomowoc Community Center from 4:30 to 6 p.m. June 1. Developers said they plan to answer questions and detail their renderings. | 2022-05-19T14:13:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Latest renderings for Fowler Lake development include public amenities | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/19/latest-renderings-fowler-lake-development-include-public-amenities/9820972002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/19/latest-renderings-fowler-lake-development-include-public-amenities/9820972002/ |
There was an explosion at an Eagle construction business; one person was injured, officials say
Drew Dawson Alec Johnson Bob Dohr Joe Taschler Jim Riccioli
EAGLE — An explosion and massive fire heavily damaged a marine construction business in the village early Thursday, injuring at least one person, prompting evacuations and bringing fire and emergency crews from throughout the region to the scene.
An emergency alert indicated the explosion happened at Summerset Marine Construction, W357 S8715 Chapman Lane. It's unclear what caused the blast.
Firefighters were dispatched at 7:44 a.m. on a report of an explosion at the company.
"You're responding for the report of an explosion inside Summerset Marine... It was apparently a barge that exploded," a dispatcher reported to responding firefighters, according to emergency radio traffic provided by Broadcastify.
The county dispatch center also reported that the center was being inundated with calls about the situation and that there were likely people injured in the blast.
Fire commanders immediately upgraded the call, and upon arriving, upgraded it a second time. Within minutes, fire and emergency medical crews from throughout the region were heading to the scene, according to dispatch audio. Also within minutes, a fire commander radioed that everyone inside the building had been accounted for.
The first police officers on scene requested emergency medical crews respond to the back of the building, according to dispatch audio.
The number and extent of injuries wasn't immediately clear, but multiple sources said only one person suffered a broken leg. Everyone else inside the facility made it out safely.
A fire at the business could be seen from three miles away as of 10:15 a.m., a reporter on scene noted. At least 10 fire trucks were there, coming in and out to bring water to fight the blaze.
An unidentified worker at the neighboring Vick Trucking business said employees heard the explosion as they worked. They were evacuated from their building and were still being kept away four hours later.
Students and staff at Eagle Elementary School were evacuated to Palmyra Middle and High School as a precaution due to the elementary school’s proximity to the Summerset plant, according to the Palmyra-Eagle School District's public relations coordinator Caitlin Kirchner. Everyone is safe, Kirchner said. Parents can pick up students from Palmyra Middle and High School.
Summerset Marine Construction bills itself as the largest pier and lift dealer in Wisconsin. It opened in 1990, according to the company's website. | 2022-05-19T16:29:10Z | www.jsonline.com | Explosion reported at Summerset Marine Construction in Eagle | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/eagle/2022/05/19/explosion-reported-summerset-marine-construction-eagle/9836867002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/eagle/2022/05/19/explosion-reported-summerset-marine-construction-eagle/9836867002/ |
Jonathan Overby, host of Wisconsin Public Radio's 'The Road to Higher Ground,' named to Folk DJ Hall of Fame
Jonathan Øverby, a Milwaukee native and host of Wisconsin Public Radio's global music program “The Road to Higher Ground,” was inducted into Folk Alliance International’s Folk DJ Hall of Fame Wednesday night, at a ceremony in Kansas City.
“I grew up in the inner city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and there I learned the power of hatred, distrust and fear,” Øverby, a Rufus King High School alum, said in his acceptance speech. “But the power of music that I would learn later in life taught me about music and its power to create love, unity, inclusion and the celebration of people who were different than me.
"Not just because they were different, but in spite of their difference. I use my radio program to celebrate those people with the hope of creating a better understanding between diverse groups en route to reducing human hatred.”
Øverby has hosted "The Road to Higher Ground" since 1994. Before joining Wisconsin Public Radio, he produced and hosted weekly gospel music program for more than 20 years on WORT-FM, a community radio station in Madison. He's also the host and executive producer of the annual State of Wisconsin Tribute and Ceremony Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Folk DJ Hall of Fame recognizes radio show hosts "who have made an outstanding contribution to the preservation, promotion and presentation of folk music."
More:'Wheel of Fortune' live touring show, the first of its kind, is coming to Milwaukee and Madison | 2022-05-19T16:29:16Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin Public Radio's Jonathan Overby named to Folk DJ Hall of Fame | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/19/wisconsin-public-radios-jonathan-overby-named-folk-dj-hall-fame/9832728002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/19/wisconsin-public-radios-jonathan-overby-named-folk-dj-hall-fame/9832728002/ |
Multiple reports have identified Ralph Fields, 34 — the first cousin of former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams — as the victim of a fatal shooting at a park in East Palo Alto, California, on Tuesday. It's the same park where Adams donated equipment just two months ago.
Police say 33 shots were fired Tuesday evening at Jack Farrell Park, where children were playing tag and baseball nearby. Interim police chief Jeff Liu said four shooters were involved, and the shooting appeared to be targeted.
Adams donated fitness equipment in March to the park, located in his hometown, as part of a "Building Better Lives" campaign with Optimum Nutrition.
It was the first homicide in East Palo Alto in 2022. Three others also suffered injuries in the shooting.
Adams, who holds the Packers single-season receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards records, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before the season. | 2022-05-19T16:29:34Z | www.jsonline.com | Cousin of ex-Packers receiver Davante Adams victim of fatal shooting | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/05/19/cousin-former-green-bay-packers-receiver-davante-adams-victim-fatal-shooting-in-california-park/9837545002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/05/19/cousin-former-green-bay-packers-receiver-davante-adams-victim-fatal-shooting-in-california-park/9837545002/ |
After 65 years in Brookfield, Marty's Pizza will close its location on Bluemound Road
Marty's Pizza has been a staple on Bluemound Road for 65 years. But Friday, the owners will shut the doors of the popular pizza and pasta restaurant forever.
The business, 16630 W. Bluemound Road, has been in Brookfield since 1957, changing owners in 1980. There's also a location in Delafield, at 2580 Sun Valley Drive.
But after Friday, only the Delafield location will continue to stay open.
A manager at the Brookfield location confirmed the closing but declined to speak with a reporter on Thursday.
Signs in front of the restaurant and social media postings in recent weeks reveal the business was actively looking for employees.
Marty and Angela Skibosh opened Marty's Pizza in 1957. At that time, the surrounding land was farm fields.
The business changed hands in 1980 to the current owners, Ed Bautz and his wife, Donna.
More:Milwaukee-area restaurants that permanently closed in 2022
In a previous story, Bautz said the restaurant still follows the original family recipes.
The restaurant's pizzas are known for their rectangular shape, a natural fit for most pizza boxes and perhaps a nod to Sicilian pizza, usually offered in square slices. Marty's says its dough is made fresh daily.
The Delafield location, off Highway 83 and Interstate 94, is open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
More:PetSuites, a pet resort and spa, could soon be coming to Brookfield. It would be its first location in the state.
More:A new beer garden is opening in Brookfield at Fox Brook Park. Here's what visitors can expect. | 2022-05-19T18:34:52Z | www.jsonline.com | Marty's Pizza in Brookfield to close Bluemound Road location | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/brookfield/2022/05/19/martys-pizza-brookfield-close-bluemound-road-location/9836619002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/brookfield/2022/05/19/martys-pizza-brookfield-close-bluemound-road-location/9836619002/ |
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is pushing back against criticism that he is promoting the "great replacement theory" — a conspiracy that white Americans are being systematically "replaced" by immigrants and minorities.
But the Anti-Defamation League, which examined Johnson's comments at the request of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said the Wisconsin senator was promulgating a "subtle" version of the more overtly racist and antisemitic rhetoric circulated by white supremacists.
The idea was expressed in a manifesto by the suspect in the racially motivated shooting rampage in Buffalo that left 10 dead.
National news organizations like the New York Times have written that the "theory has migrated from the far-right fringes of American discourse toward the center of Republican politics."
In its roundup, The Times focused on a comment Johnson made during an interview last year in which he said the "administration wants complete open borders. And you have to ask yourself why? Is it really they want to remake the demographics of America to ensure their — that they stay in power forever?"
This week, Johnson rejected the accusation he was engaging in the theory.
He tweeted, "I've spoken extensively on the inhumanity of the Biden admin's open border policies. Pushing the lie that criticizing this admin's policies in any way supports 'replacement theory' is another example of the corporate media working overtime to cover up the Biden admin's failures."
Analysis: Ron Johnson needs to maximize his base, and draw in some anti-Trump Republicans, to win reelection
The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate group, examined several of Johnson's remarks and said the senator “touches on” the replacement theory when he talks about changing the country’s electorate.
“White supremacists promote a very racist and antisemitic version of the theory. Right-wing politicians and pundits use a more subtle form of the GRT," the ADL said in a statement.
“Senator Ron. Johnson, while more subtle than others promoting the GRT, touches on the theory in (recent) statements.”
In an interview Tuesday with WSAU radio, Johnson called the Buffalo shooting "a horrendous tragedy, and all of our hearts go out to all of the victims and their surviving loved ones."
Johnson charged President Joe Biden was politicizing the Buffalo tragedy, telling WSAU, "It is, as the Wall Street Journal described, what he's doing is despicable, what Democrats are doing, trying to blame conservatives for the deranged actions of a deranged individual."
During his remarks in Buffalo, Biden condemned the gunman's "hateful, perverse ideology rooted in fear and racism" and called out those who have pushed the "Great Replacement Theory."
Johnson spokeswoman Alexa Henning said in a statement: "This blatantly political attempt by the media and Democrats to blame Republicans for a deranged killer in Buffalo is despicable.
"Sen. Johnson has never spoken about this racist theory and any attempt to characterize his criticism of President Biden’s inhumane open border policies or his pointing out Democrats' own words supporting open borders for electoral gains is disgusting and an outright lie. This is yet another diversionary tactic by the corporate media working overtime to cover up for the disasters of the Biden administration."
Johnson has said or implied the administration is trying to change the makeup of the electorate several times in recent months.
In a May 2 interview with the Ross Kaminsky Show on KOA radio in Denver, Johnson discussed the border issue and made the case for a legal immigration system.
But when asked what explained the Biden administration policy on the border, Johnson said:
"The only thing I can think of — the only thing that makes sense — is they want to let a lot of people in. They want to let ‘em in. They want to get credit as Democrats for letting a bunch of people into this country illegally and then set up a system of voting that’s all mail-in balloting where you can send out ballots.
"You have no control over who's voting, whether they're citizen or non-citizen, whether they're eligible or not, and they can basically remake the electorate, so they establish themselves in permanent power as a one-party state.
"So, they complete their fundamental transformation, in other words, their fundamental destruction of this country. I don't know why they want to do that, but that's as best I can understand is what they want to do.” | 2022-05-19T18:35:04Z | www.jsonline.com | Ron Johnson rejects accusation he espouses 'great replacement theory' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/19/ron-johnson-rejects-accusation-he-espouses-great-replacement-theory/9813352002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/19/ron-johnson-rejects-accusation-he-espouses-great-replacement-theory/9813352002/ |
Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday was already named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year by players from around the NBA, making him the first player to win the award twice. Now, Holiday is a two-time finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award.
The award was created at the start of last season in honor of the Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers legend to recognize a player for “pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.”
Holiday is one of five finalists, along with Memphis’ Jaren Jackson, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Toronto’s Fred VanVleet and Dallas’ Reggie Bullock.
The winner will be announced before Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday. He will receive $100,000 from the NBA to direct to a social justice organization of his choosing, along with a trophy.
The NBA will donate $25,000 to social justice organizations on behalf of the other finalists also.
Holiday selected Urban Underground, located at 2342 N. 27th St., as his organization.
The organization is providing students a six-week summer internship that focuses on “college visits, career exploration and service projects” through field trips and other activities.
According to its website, Urban Underground’s mission is to “promote a new generation of young leaders committed to building safe and sustainable communities…through effective programs, strategic partnerships and youth-led social change in the areas of health, education, public safety and juvenile justice.”
In naming him a finalist for the award, the NBA cited Holiday’s voting rights advocacy in Milwaukee and Wisconsin and his work with New York-based FundBlackFounders to provide grants as well as a third round of grant funding for businesses in Milwaukee, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Los Angeles through the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund. | 2022-05-19T18:35:10Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks' Jrue Holiday a finalist for NBA social justice award | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/19/milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-finalist-for-nba-kareem-abdul-jabbar-social-justice-champion-award/9836881002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/19/milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-finalist-for-nba-kareem-abdul-jabbar-social-justice-champion-award/9836881002/ |
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is projecting a 2022 overtime deficit of roughly $4.6 million — a result of extreme staffing shortages at the County Jail.
More than half of overtime payments were for staff at the County Jail for the late March and early April pay period — that's upwards of $1.1 million of the $2.35 million overtime paid across the agency, according to a report shared with a Milwaukee County committee Thursday.
Of the 251 positions budgeted for 2022, 140 officer positions at the jail were filled as of May 2. With the monthly average of 10 officers not available to work due to either injury or modified duty, the number of available staff drops to 130, leaving the vacancy rate at 48%, according to the report.
In 2021, 104 officers either resigned, retired, didn't clear probation, or were discharged or terminated due to misconduct. That total for 2022 has reached 27 officers.
"If you're wondering how did we get to this point, it's no secret our wages are a lot less than other jails in the area," Chief Deputy Denita Ball told the committee. "Our officers are overworked and underpaid for the type of work they do and for the level of responsibility that they have."
Ball is running for Milwaukee County Sheriff in the Aug. 9 primary election. Sheriff Earnell Lucas announced in February he would not run for re-election.
The report came under fire from some of the county supervisors.
"The sheriff's office has exceeded the allotted overtime every single year for as far back as anybody can remember," Supervisor Ryan Clancy said.
Ball said the overtime deficit would be offset by savings from salaries and fringe benefits, as well as additional revenues from the unbudgeted continuance of providing emergency room security for Froedtert Hospital.
Overall the department is projecting a $20,173 budget surplus despite the overtime costs.
Clancy argued that the report did not fully capture the cost savings the department is expected to see. After questions from the committee, Ball confirmed that the report did not factor in the replacement of two full-time park rangers as ambassadors with sheriff's deputies, as well as the diversion of funds from the mental health budget to pay for sheriff's deputies.
The department also received $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to fund $3 per hour premium pay for officers in the jail, House of Correction and the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center.
"I am seeing that the data does not back up what this report says," Clancy said.
Clancy noted that the department has previously not offered any substantial plan to correct overspending on overtime. Supervisor Sequanna Taylor urged the Sheriff's Office to come back with a plan.
This is not a new hurdle for the county, as other correctional facilities have faced high staff vacancies.
The county's House of Correction recently reported 81 correctional officer vacancies as of March 2022.
"As a matter of concern, the HOC has lost 27 correctional officers this year with overtime cited as the main reason for resignations," Superintendent Chantell Jewell wrote in a file addressed to the Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee. | 2022-05-19T20:33:14Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee County sheriff overtime soars over jail staff vacancies | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/19/milwaukee-county-sheriff-overtime-soars-over-jail-staff-vacancies/9836616002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/19/milwaukee-county-sheriff-overtime-soars-over-jail-staff-vacancies/9836616002/ |
MADISON – Ross Candelino thought he was headed to American University to play basketball in the Patriot League.
Then as the senior guard from Ponte Vedra High School in Florida was on the court with friends recently, he received a text message from Wisconsin assistant Dean Oliver.
Oliver wrote: “When is a good time to call?”
Candelino wrote back: “Right now.”
“I called and we talked for about 20 minutes,” Candelino said.
Oliver told the 6-foot-5 guard UW’s staff had evaluated his game, had a walk-on spot available and wondered if he wanted to visit.
Candelino, whose father, Anthony, played for two seasons at Marquette (1987-89), was intrigued. The family arrived in Madison on May 13 and two days later Candelino announced via Twitter he was joining UW next season as a preferred walk-on.
“The camaraderie between the coaches, the players and the winning history,” he said, “I couldn’t have handpicked a better college.”
Candelino averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a senior and helped Ponte Vedra secure a berth in the Class 6A title game and finish 27-4.
Candelino isn’t guaranteed a scholarship. He is guaranteed a chance to earn one down the road.
“So, whether it be the next four years I’m sitting on the bench clapping and cheering my teammates on or I’m on the court,” he said, “I’m still going to give it 110% in anything that I do. That is just the way I was (raised). Whatever I am doing, I am going to (fill) the role I am asked to do and do it to the best of my ability.”
More:College basketball at American Family Field? Wisconsin-Kansas State game could be coming this November.
Was it difficult to turn down a scholarship offer? Yes.
“It was tough,” he said. “But at the end of the day, that program, you couldn’t craft a better program with your own hands.
“From the standpoint of basketball it was not a hard decision. It was a no-brainer. And Wisconsin is a great school. With everything Wisconsin offers – basketball and school – it was hard to say no.”
According to Candelino, the UW coaches joked during the visit that his father played for that other school in Wisconsin back in the day.
Ross Candelino knows where his father’s allegiance will lie when UW and Marquette meet.
“I’m sure he will be cheering for Wisconsin when they play Marquette now,” he said, laughing. “My dad started referring to it as the other school in Wisconsin.” | 2022-05-19T20:33:20Z | www.jsonline.com | Ross Candelino accepts walk-on spot on Wisconsin basketball team | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/19/ross-candelino-accepts-walk-spot-wisconsin-basketball-team/9835893002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/19/ross-candelino-accepts-walk-spot-wisconsin-basketball-team/9835893002/ |
The Milk House is returning to State Fair this year to serve flavored milks
After being closed for two years due to the pandemic, the Milk House — a State Fair tradition — will be back at the 2022 State Fair from Aug. 4 to Aug. 14.
The house, which is at the south end of State Fair Park, famous for its flavored milk, will serve four yet-to-be-announced flavors for $1 per cup.
Proceeds will go to the Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation, which will use the money for capital improvements to the park.
“The Milk House celebrates our history as a dairy state and for many fairgoers, it is a must-do for every visit,” said Anna Zeck, foundation executive director, in a news release. “We hope the milk will be that much sweeter for visitors with the knowledge that every sip helps the Wisconsin State Fair continue to grow.”
The house — originally known as the Herb Superb Milk House — opened in 1990, and was taken over by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013. For 2022, the house is sponsored by Gruber Law Offices and has been repainted "chocolatey" brown and pink to represent the milk's flavors. | 2022-05-19T22:27:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin State Fair Milk House is back at Wisconsin State Fair | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/2022/05/19/wisconsin-state-fair-milk-house-back-wisconsin-state-fair/9843842002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/2022/05/19/wisconsin-state-fair-milk-house-back-wisconsin-state-fair/9843842002/ |
CHICAGO - The NBA draft combine is a lot like any other job fair, except the people seeking employment are often exceptionally tall.
There's a lot of handshakes and a blur of faces as players get shuffled between interviews with teams and the media at Wintrust Arena. Every interaction is scrutinized.
A lot of the questions tend to get repeated. Who have you met with? What did they ask you? Where do you think you'll get picked on June 23?
Prospects can also choose to play in five-on-five scrimmages, though UW-Milwaukee's Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Wisconsin's Johnny Davis have opted not to participate.
There's often gamesmanship involved in those decisions, with prospects wanting to protect their draft stock.
“I want to," the 6-foot-5 Davis said on Thursday. "I’m never the type to shy away from competition. But my agents thought it would be the best thing not for me to compete.”
Players also don't play in the scrimmages to avoid injuries.
The 6-foot-10 Baldwin has been bothered by an ankle injury suffered in his senior year at Sussex Hamilton High School and it was one of the issues that plagued him in his lone season at UWM.
“That’s been a topic of conversation in interviews and just kind of in NBA circles," Baldwin said. "I know it’s a big deal, just being healthy and available. It’s just something you just got to take care of each day.”
Baldwin said he has been working out the last few months in Chicago with players represented by his agency, Priority Sports.
"I’m doing a lot physically," he said. "There really is no limitation right now to what I can do or limit of time that I can see on the court. So it’s just been great getting out there to work out and trying to stay healthy.”
Baldwin did take part in physical testing and it was clear that the ankle has held him back. His standing vertical leap measured 23.5 inches, the second-lowest mark of those tested.
“I’m not really worried about the testing," he said. "I’m a basketball player. As a competitor, I mean, you want to put up good scores. But, at the end of the day, I’m a basketball player. I’m going to continue to progress. I kind of figured (Wednesday's testing) would go like that, given where I’m at.”
Baldwin interviewed with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies. On Friday, he will add the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.
Once projected as a lottery pick, Baldwin has slid down most mock drafts to the late first round after playing in just 11 games with the Panthers and averaging 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. NBA teams ask about the tough circumstances, including playing for his father, who was fired after the season. Baldwin has also been touted as an elite shooter, though he shot just 26.6% on three-pointers at UWM.
“First and foremost, I have no excuses any time I step on the court," Baldwin said. "I’ve been on record saying this, I have to be an elite player and I have to perform. There was a lot to uncover this year and a lot that I really wasn’t expected to go through this year. All of it is growing pains and I’m ready to take that next step and show the player I am.”
NBA teams seem to know Davis, who averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Badgers while playing tough defense. That's why he was OK with skipping the scrimmages. He is expected to be among the first 15 players selected.
“I think the way I carried myself throughout the year and did everything I could for my team speaks highly about my game," he said. "I also don’t want to risk being injured or not playing as well and dropping out of where I was projected.”
He has interviewed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Spurs and Thunder. There's basketball questions and then there are the usual get-to-know queries.
“They ask me about my family," said Davis, whose twin brother Jordan remains at UW. "I speak very highly of them. I have a younger brother and sister who are twins as well. Everybody is shocked about that, having two sets of twins in the family.
"Just let them know I am a respectful person. I am very friendly. It may not seem like it on the court, but I have a life outside of basketball.”
Baldwin still has the option of returning to college after entering the NCAA transfer portal before May 1, which gives him immediate eligibility at a new school.
“I’m 99.9% committed to staying in this process," Baldwin said. "But just given the injury history, you always got to protect yourself. It’s important to protect yourself from that 0.1% chance of injury during this process. If I were to go back to college, that would be the reason.”
Davis is all in for the draft and is ready to hear his name called at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 23. Playing in the NBA will be the culmination of a lifelong dream.
“They ask me my ‘Wow’ moment about making it to the NBA and I think it’s just playing against anybody whose been there," he said. | 2022-05-19T22:28:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Patrick Baldwin Jr. Johnny Davis first round picks NBA draft combine | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/2022/05/19/patrick-baldwin-jr-johnny-davis-first-round-picks-nba-draft-combine/9835828002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/2022/05/19/patrick-baldwin-jr-johnny-davis-first-round-picks-nba-draft-combine/9835828002/ |
Brandon Jennings has reached legendary status among Milwaukee Bucks fans, after creating the mantra "Bucks in 6." The Bucks even had him participate in the 2021 championship parade.
Now, the former Bucks point guard is looking to leave another mark on Milwaukee, by launching a private middle school in the city.
Jennings issued a series of tweets Thursday regarding the proposed BALL City Academy. "414 has been great to me ... Time to bring different energy for the kids," wrote Jennings in a tweet.
Jennings also tweeted photos from a BALL City event, including a letter written by him to potential contributors.
"You may be wondering why Brandon Jennings wants to start a school. Well, growing up in the inner city of Compton, CA, I faced many of the same challenges kids face today," wrote Jennings in the letter.
Jennings went on to add that growing up money and resources were scarce and he did his best to avoid drugs and gang violence. Now, he wants to provide resources to youth in Milwaukee. "I want to make sure that youth have their own outlets and resources in this great city that I called home," he wrote.
According to a fact sheet tweeted by Jennings, BALL City would participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, which allows eligible students an opportunity to attend participating private schools.
Jennings wants to expose students to trades and "real-world readiness," according to the fact sheet. But, also prepare students for post-secondary education. The fact sheet also states that an onsite day care is planned.
B.A.L.L. City Academy, Inc. was registered in February with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the registered agent is Kristen Roloff, principal at Jerstad-Agerholm K-8 school in Racine.
"For many children, school is neither interesting nor fun," Jennings wrote. "However, with your help we can create a fun, safe, and interactive environment, where students look forward to attending school." | 2022-05-20T12:17:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Brandon Jennings launching a private middle school in Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/20/brandon-jennings-launching-private-middle-school-milwaukee/9848745002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/20/brandon-jennings-launching-private-middle-school-milwaukee/9848745002/ |
Just who did Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney vote for in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections?
Of course, only one person knows. But here is some key evidence:
Last year, six of Toney's past supporters — most of whom are liberal — wrote him a lengthy letter expressing concern about the direction of his campaign for attorney general. He is running against former state Rep. Adam Jarchow in the GOP primary for the right to challenge Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul this fall.
In the July 30, 2021, note, the authors, some of whom have known him 20 years, said they were upset that Toney was embracing former President Donald Trump and his right-wing, populist politics.
This was quite the switch, they maintained.
"After all, you have told us that you voted for (Joe) Biden and (Kamala) Harris against Trump in 2020, just as you say you voted for Hillary Clinton against Trump in 2016," said the four-page missive obtained by the Journal Sentinel. Two sources confirmed the authenticity of the letter, which Toney does not dispute.
Wait a second. Toney, a longtime Republican, voted for the Democratic nominee for president in the last two elections?
If this was false, it's something you would expect him to refute in his response.
But he did not.
In an email five hours later, Toney told the group that his politics probably were not like any of theirs. But he thanked them for the note, saying he did "appreciate seeing some of that (feedback) in writing."
He explained that he had deleted a pro-Trump post on his Facebook page after they called it into question. He also made clear that he was not part of the extremist anti-vaccine or "stop the steal" crowds.
"I wish you could be at events when I speak, and I tell people I don’t believe the election was stolen, that I don’t see an audit as being helpful, and that I’m vaccinated," Toney wrote.
Not a word about their claim that he had told them he voted for Clinton in 2016 and Biden four years later in his 1,000-word response.
Earlier this year, the Journal Sentinel tracked down Toney at a Republican congressional district caucus in West Bend and put the question to him about his voting record in the past two presidential contests.
The third-term prosecutor didn't answer immediately, saying he wanted to talk first to a campaign consultant. Three days later, on Feb. 16, he emailed this statement:
"I voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, and I organized law enforcement to attend a Trump rally with me. Like others, I’ve lost friends because of my support for President Trump and our cops."
He also emailed a four-page document showing his support for Republicans reaching back to former U.S. President George W. Bush.
And what is Toney saying now?
On Thursday, Toney said the letter came from "former friends," most of whom he's known since high school and now support Democrats. He said his email response was an attempt to salvage those friendships.
"Someone released (the exchange) and is trying to take advantage of it for political gain," Toney said. "It's disgusting but not surprising."
Toney said the former friends are upset with him for voting for Trump, standing with law enforcement and failing to enforce Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' mask mandate.
His statement did not say whether he ever told those onetime allies if he voted for Clinton and Biden.
The Journal Sentinel reviewed a series of January text messages between Toney and some of the authors of the July letter that appeared to demonstrate the fraying relationship between the two sides. Both sides argued vociferously about the mask mandate.
In response, Jarchow — Toney's opponent — took a swipe at the Fond du Lac County prosecutor for his handling of the entire matter.
"If someone confronted me at an event and asked if I voted for President Trump, it wouldn't take me three days and a political consultant to answer because it’s simple," Jarchow said. "I was a Trump delegate at the 2016 convention and proudly voted for him against Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden."
As for the two sources who confirmed the authenticity of the letter to Toney, they said they have known him for at least 10 years. Both lean Democratic, though they supported Toney's initial campaign for Fond du Lac County district attorney in 2012.
Both sources said they have heard Toney be extremely critical of Trump in private conservations in which he stated definitively that he voted for Clinton and Biden.
"He was never shy about his criticism of Trump. He called himself a Romney Republican during the first impeachment," the first source said. "We talked about how Trump should be impeached or how he should be removed via the 25th Amendment."
The source said Toney would acknowledge that Trump lost and that he wanted to save the Republican Party from "those people." Toney was also highly critical of such other top GOP officials as U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in those conservations, the source said.
The second source described Toney as a "reasonable, reality-based Republican" before his run for attorney general.
In their July 2021 letter, the six authors of the letter played up their long ties to him.
"Many of us have known you for more than twenty years. We all supported your improbable campaign for Fond du Lac County District Attorney in 2012," the letter said. "We have been watching your campaign for Wisconsin Attorney General, and we do not recognize the candidate."
The authors pointed to an April 2021 Facebook post in which Toney recalled attending a 2020 rally for Trump, who he said was a "staunch supporter of law enforcement."
They suggested Trump's statements at the rally seemed out of step with Toney's. In particular, they noted that Trump accused Biden and Harris of being "pro-crime and anti-cop."
While campaigning for attorney general, they said, Toney was hearing a lot from Republicans who thought the 2020 election was "stolen" from Trump and that the COVID-19 pandemic is a "hoax."
"You repeatedly said you expected to be able to 'thread the needle,'" the authors wrote. They added, "How far are you willing to go to attempt to convince the Republican primary electorate you are sufficiently Trumpy?"
The letter ends by saying the authors did not enjoy writing it. Rather, they said, they felt depressed, infuriated and exhausted. But they said they wouldn't take the easy way out and sit back and remain silent.
Toney responded by saying he doesn't tell people things just because that's what they want to hear.
He pointed to his decision to file 10 criminal complaints related to COVID-19 in 2020. All of the cases, which were later dropped, had to do with violations of Evers' safer-at-home order that clamped down on schools and closed non-essential businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I have Republicans that hate me because I filed covid cases, because it was the law," Toney wrote. "I dismissed them once it wasn’t the law."
But Toney said he was standing up for police officers with his campaign, noting that his father was in law enforcement. He said he wanted to defeat Kaul because of what he said was his failure to lead on any number of issues.
"You will not see eye to eye with me on everything, just like I don’t with all of you, but I still choose to be your friends," Toney concluded. "Hopefully you’ll all still choose to be my friend. It’s hard without all of you. I’m not perfect, and my friends help remind me when I’m not." | 2022-05-20T12:18:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Letter from past supporters says Eric Toney voted for Clinton, Biden | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2022/05/20/letter-past-supporters-says-eric-toney-voted-clinton-biden/9813885002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2022/05/20/letter-past-supporters-says-eric-toney-voted-clinton-biden/9813885002/ |
Milwaukee's Bradford Beach will be without lifeguards for the third straight year due to continued staffing shortages
Milwaukee County has hired only about 30% of the 200 lifeguards it needs this season, prompting a decision to again not staff Bradford Beach this summer.
Despite a six-month recruitment effort and pay incentives, the department has found itself about 20 lifeguards short of even the approximately 80 on staff this time last year, said Guy Smith, executive director of Milwaukee County Parks.
"It’s mindblowing," he said.
The department also cited ongoing staffing challenges for the closure of additional pools and water parks this season.
But there is some good news for the summer. The city of Milwaukee announced that 2022 will mark the return of its Fourth of July celebrations after two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county, too, is bringing back its famous July 3 lakefront fireworks after a two-year hiatus caused first by the pandemic and, last year, a lack of workers.
And there will still be a number of staffed locations for Milwaukee County residents to get their toes wet.
More: Most Milwaukee beaches don't have lifeguards. Here's what you should know about safety before you go.
Third year without lifeguards at Bradford Beach
This marks the third year in a row that the county has had no lifeguards at Bradford Beach.
The post on Lake Michigan is particularly challenging and unpredictable, requiring more experience than many of the current lifeguards on staff can offer, Smith said. Much of the lifeguard corps was lost in 2020, when the department couldn't open its facilities due to the pandemic.
At minimum, the department would want 10 guards on the beach but would ideally have 12 to 14.
If there is capacity, Smith said he hoped the department could offer training on the beach this summer to rebuild its cadre of lifeguards to staff it in future years.
There will also be no lifeguards at Grant Park in South Milwaukee or Doctors Park in Fox Point, though those beaches have not been staffed in a long time, he said.
The beach at McKinley Park will also remain closed as a study on rip currents is under way there.
The Parks Department has struggled with a decline in lifeguard applicants since before the pandemic, but nationwide labor shortages in recent years have only exacerbated the problem.
The department had 202 lifeguards in 2017, and that figure declined each year until 2020, when there were no lifeguards on staff due to the pandemic.
At this time last year, the department had about 80 lifeguards, Smith said.
This year, a six-month recruitment effort, an increase in hourly wages and summer bonuses were enough for the department to fill only about 60 of the 200 lifeguard positions needed for the season.
Lifeguards this season are paid between $16.14 and $22 per hour, depending on the position and certifications.
Those interested in becoming lifeguards have a final chance next week.
Applicants will have to participate in training sessions from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and pass a test at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Some Milwaukee County pools, splash pads and wading pools to open
The facilities that are open reflect an effort to provide equitable access across the county, Smith said.
From mid-June to mid-August the county will open five splash pads, nine wading pools and four outdoor pools — Schulz Aquatic Center at Lincoln Park, Sheridan Park Pool, Wilson Park Pool and McCarty Park Pool.
Splash pads at Madison Park in Wauwatosa and Moody Park, Gordon Park, Carver Park and Dineen Park in Milwaukee will be open.
County wading pools will be open at Cooper Park, Smith Park, Humboldt Park, Wedgewood Park, Lindsay Park and Sherman Park in Milwaukee, in addition to West Milwaukee Park in West Milwaukee, Hales Corners Park in Hales Corners and La Follette Park in West Allis.
Dates, hours and fee information are available at MKEswim.com.
City of Milwaukee to bring back July 4 festivities
The city of Milwaukee is bringing back its Fourth of July celebrations this year after festivities were canceled for the past two years due to the pandemic.
Having celebrated Independence Day with community events across the city since 1911, Milwaukee wants to bring back activities throughout the city’s parks, including parades, picnics and the much-loved fireworks display, according to a statement from the city.
“Independence Day is special in Milwaukee. We look forward to recognizing the Fourth of July and providing a safe, friendly celebration of America’s independence in parks throughout the city,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. “I’m excited to continue the history of July 4th celebrations in Milwaukee with a focus on families, friends and neighbors.”
Celebrations will be held at Alcott Park, Enderis Playfield, Gordon Park, Humboldt Park, Jackson Park, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Lake Park, Lincoln Park, Mitchell Park, Noyes Park, Washington Park and Wilson Park.
Lincoln and Washington parks will have fireworks displays on July 4.
Earlier this year, Milwaukee County Parks confirmed that they planned to bring back the July 3 fireworks celebrated on Milwaukee's lakefront.
Smith said, though, that staffing remains a challenge.
To pull it off, the department is soliciting volunteers to help with clean-up efforts after events from July 3-5. And while members of parks administration often pitched in before, he said this year their help will be much needed.
"It’s necessary for us to do this," he said of the on-the-ground assistance from leadership, including himself. "Maybe it was a nice-to-have before." | 2022-05-20T12:18:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Bradford Beach in Milwaukee won't have lifeguards in summer 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/20/bradford-beach-milwaukee-wont-have-lifeguards-summer-2022/9844000002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/20/bradford-beach-milwaukee-wont-have-lifeguards-summer-2022/9844000002/ |
Jeffery M. Leving
Since the Supreme Court draft opinion that suggests the high court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked, abortion has once again become the issue on many minds.
It’s a divisive issue that most people have not wavered on since the landmark decision was issued in 1973. They are either for it or against it — with some debate over specific related issues such as prohibiting it after so many weeks of being pregnant or whether parental notification is required for minors. Overall, a Pew Research study completed earlier this year, before the Supreme Court leak, found that 61% of American adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.
What is clear, no matter your opinion on abortion, is that reversing the Roe v. Wade decision will increase the number of children born into poverty.
Half of all women who obtain abortions live below the federal poverty line, and that same group has the highest rate of any group having abortions, according to a 2017 report from the American Public Health Association.
More:What the end of Roe v. Wade could mean in a nation without child care aid or family leave
More:Unsuspecting men don't yet know that overturning Roe v. Wade will also change their lives
The APHA also put out a report in 2018 that said denying access to abortion disproportionately affects women living under the poverty line and increases material hardship for them and their children.
Currently, nearly 17% of all children in America — almost one-fifth — live in poverty, according to Columbia University’s Center on Poverty & Social Policy.
Factor in a repeal of Roe V. Wade, and child poverty will only increase, according to a study from the University of California, San Francisco.
Of course, some would argue that mothers would not be forced to bring a baby into poverty and point to adoption and safe-haven laws that decriminalize the leaving of unharmed infants at places like police stations, hospitals, and fire stations.
People who say that often do not realize that the choice to give up one’s baby is often just as gut-wrenching as deciding whether to have an abortion. For the sake of argument, let’s say free-choice was removed and women were forced to give birth — and that many did indeed turn them over to adoption agencies or drop them off at a safe haven. Many of these babies would end up as wards of the state, in a system that has been underfunded and over-burdened for decades, and while that may be preferable for some who seem to be able to cavalierly make decisions for women, they should also support increasing funds to child agencies.
Many also are silent when it comes to things like paid family leave, something I’ve written in support of in the past, and it should be noted that in the two-dozen states set to ban abortion if Roe V. Wade is overturned, not one has paid family leave. Additionally, eight of those states have also opted out of expanding Medicaid coverage under the health care law, which covers pregnancy through postpartum for low-income Americans.
Legislators in favor of overturning Roe are largely the same ones who blocked the Build Back Better Act earlier this year, another issue which I’ve written about. The BBB Act stalled in the Senate. If passed, it would have made the Children’s Health Insurance Program permanent; required states to give children and their mothers 12-months of continuous health insurance; reduced child care costs and created universal, free pre-k; offered children greater access to school meals and boosted family incomes through the improved Child Tax Credit.
The bottom line is that most people have their minds made up on whether abortion should be legal or not. It’s a fool’s errand to debate that. However, should the existing law that’s been on the books for almost 50 years be repealed, there will be consequences and things that need to be addressed. If the Supreme Court does ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade as the leaked draft opinion seems to indicate, legislators on both sides of the aisle need to do more to ensure against an increase in child poverty.
Jeffery M. Leving is founder and president of the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd.,and is an advocate for the rights of fathers. He is the author of "Fathers’ Rights, Divorce Wars and How to be a Good Divorced Dad." | 2022-05-20T12:18:17Z | www.jsonline.com | If Roe v. Wade is overturned, politicians should address child poverty | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/20/if-roe-v-wade-overturned-politicians-should-address-child-poverty/9794858002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/20/if-roe-v-wade-overturned-politicians-should-address-child-poverty/9794858002/ |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Badger Technology Group, of Port Washington, have received a U.S. Air Force contract to produce, test, and integrate a hybrid energy storage system at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
The system will use renewable and traditional energy for the electric grid at the base, home to the 28th Bomb Wing.
Badger is an engineering company involved in aerospace, renewable energy, transportation and health systems. It partnered with UW-Milwaukee's College of Engineering & Applied Science Energy Advancement Center, and the Center for Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, for the contract. The dollar value of the deal was not disclosed.
"This advanced smart storage system will support the Air Force's energy plan that has a goal of the Air Force being a cutting-edge leader in the areas of renewable energy and sustainability," Dan Wade, president of Badger Technology Group, said a news release.
More:Methane manure boom could be fueled by a proposed tax credit and state policies | 2022-05-20T16:12:22Z | www.jsonline.com | UW-Milwaukee to help develop renewable energy system for Air Force | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/20/uw-milwaukee-and-badger-technology-group-help-develop-renewable-energy-system-air-force/9852454002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/20/uw-milwaukee-and-badger-technology-group-help-develop-renewable-energy-system-air-force/9852454002/ |
A new concert venue, along with a hotel and soccer stadium, are planned for downtown Milwaukee's west side.
The mixed-use development is to be built on a site which includes the former Ramada Hotel, 633 W. Michigan St., according to a Friday announcement from Bear Development LLC and Kacmarcik Enterprises LLC.
The project is scheduled to break ground later this year, with the stadium and entertainment venue projected to open in spring 2024.
The 8,000-seat soccer stadium is to host a professional soccer team that Kacmarcik Enterprises owner Jim Kacmarcik plans to bring to Milwaukee.
More information about that team, and its league affiliation, are to be announced soon.
The stadium also will host Marquette University's men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams as well as community events, recreational programs and other athletic uses.
The field, featuring a synthetic turf surface, will be used from March through November, hosting approximately 200 events, according to the announcement.
Karmarcik, president of Kapco Inc., a Grafton-based metal fabricating and stamping company, has invested in other sports and entertainment businesses, including serving as lead owner of Forward Madison FC, Madison’s USL League One franchise.
Pabst Theater Group, which counts downtown's Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, Miller High Life Theatre and Turner Hall Ballroom among its concert halls, is to operate the new development's 3,500-seat venue.
The facility will host national touring acts 80 to 100 nights a year and more than 300 events a year in total.
The 140-room hotel will attach directly to the concert venue. Plans for the upscale hotel, owned by Bear Development, feature a full-service bar and restaurant overlooking the soccer stadium.
The development site covers 11 acres bordered by North Sixth Street to the east, West Michigan Street to the north, and the I-794/I-43 interchange to the east and south.
The developers are buying the site from Marquette University. The site includes a large vacant lot as well as other buildings, including one used by Marquette, that are to be demolished.
Bear Development in 2021 disclosed plans for apartments on the site's western portion. | 2022-05-20T16:12:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Concert venue, hotel, soccer stadium, planned for downtown Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/20/concert-venue-hotel-soccer-stadium-planned-downtown-milwaukee/9854505002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/20/concert-venue-hotel-soccer-stadium-planned-downtown-milwaukee/9854505002/ |
Milwaukee's convention center expansion will likely cost more than its $420 million price. Inflation is the culprit.
Downtown Milwaukee's convention center expansion will likely cost more than its $420 million price — which could bring more debt for the public project.
The inflation rate's big increase, and its impact on the price of steel, concrete and other construction materials, is the culprit, according to a Friday report to the Wisconsin Center District board.
The Wisconsin Center expansion, which started last summer, has so far seen bids that are 10% to 15% higher than budgeted, said Marty Brooks, district chief executive officer and president.
That's well above the 8.5% contingency that was included in the project's budget that was approved in April 2020, Brooks told the board.
As a result, the total cost will likely have what Brooks called "a variance."
So far, the district and firms overseeing the project have found ways to reduce costs without affecting the design of the expansion, he said,
But, that process can only do so much.
The district is seeking federal grants to help pay for portions of the expansion project, Brooks said.
Also, the state-created agency, which is supported in part by taxes on hotel rooms, restaurant meals and car rental fees in Milwaukee County, might be forced to borrow more money to help cover the likely project cost increase, Brooks said.
Another alternative would be to forgo interior renovations to the current Wisconsin Center in order to reduce costs, Brooks said.
But center officials are reluctant to do that because it would take away from the goal of having "a seamless experience" between the old and new portions of the Wisconsin Center, he said.
Brooks said he was "very optimistic" that the cost increase could he covered without eliminating that improvement plan for the current facility. He said a final report on the situation would be available by the district's August board meeting.
Brooks also said he still expects the project, which will double the Wisconsin Center's size, to be done by its targeted March 22, 2024, completion date despite a recent delay.
That delay was tied to some foundation piles being driven in the wrong location due to a surveying error.
Any costs tied to correcting that error will not be the responsibility of the district.
Related:Milwaukee, Nashville finalists for 2024 Republican National Convention | 2022-05-20T16:12:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee convention center expansion facing higher construction costs | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/20/wisconsin-center-expansion-downtown-milwaukee-facing-higher-costs-due-inflation/9853875002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/20/wisconsin-center-expansion-downtown-milwaukee-facing-higher-costs-due-inflation/9853875002/ |
Milwaukee Ballet makes a fairy tale come alive in 'Beauty and the Beast'
Perhaps the magic of fairy tales is the fact that they continue to resonate and teach us throughout our lives.
The Milwaukee Ballet opened a production of Michael Pink’s take on “Beauty and the Beast” on Thursday evening, telling the familiar story through expressive dance and gesture, accompanied by Philip Feeney’s lush, evocative score.
This retelling of the story is exactly what one wants from a balletic rendition of the familiar fairy tale: a story of redemption and romance, full of sweeping music, delightfully imaginative costumes by Paul Daigle, and stage-filling sets by Todd Edward Ivins, which include the surnames of the two women who wrote and later shaped the story as we know it today — Villeneuve and Beaumont — on the sign for Belle’s father’s business.
Let’s not forget the dancing, and lots of it, from elegant classical ballet to bits of expressive, modern-dance vocabulary, and elements of pantomime.
MORE:Milwaukee Ballet offers a family-friendly 'Beauty and the Beast'
In the absence of spoken words, the combination of movement, stagecraft, costumes, and music must not only convey the story, but must keep the audience’s eyes on the stage at all times — and it does.
Thursday’s cast included Annia Hidalgo who gave an articulate, seemingly effortless performance, filling her character with a warmth and depth that brought the story to life.
Davit Hovhannisyan combined physical strength and depth of character in a gripping portrayal of the tortured Beast, with Josiah Cook dancing the role of the Beast’s alter ego, the Prince, opening the show with harsh arrogance in early scenes, which transforms to grace and tenderness in the final pages of the story.
Garrett Glassman portrayed Belle’s father, bringing both dignity and a father’s love and tolerance to the role, with Marize Fumero and Lizzie Tripp giving vivid performances as Bell’s hilariously bickering sisters. Randy Crespo and Parker Brasser-Vos appeared as the equally hilarious, utterly indistinguishable twins who are smitten with the bickering sisters.
Alana Griffith danced the role of the Enchantress, bringing both a lighter-than-air grace and a commanding strength of character.
Dancers portraying characters borrowed from other children’s tales, as well as those dancing in ensemble scenes, formed an energized, polished, stage-filling cast. They were joined by a small army of poised, professional, young dancers from the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy in a bevy of roles and ensemble scenes.
The production was accompanied by the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra under the baton of associate conductor Pasquale Laurino.
"Beauty and the Beast" continues through Sunday at the Marcus Performing Arts Center's Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St. For ticket information visit www.milwaukeeballet.org, or call (414) 273-7206. | 2022-05-20T18:01:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Ballet to perform 'Beauty and the Beast' at Uihlein Hall | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/05/20/milwaukee-ballet-beauty-beast-annia-hidalgo-michael-pink/9852472002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/05/20/milwaukee-ballet-beauty-beast-annia-hidalgo-michael-pink/9852472002/ |
New apartment building proposed in downtown Menomonee Falls
A new apartment building has been proposed near Pop's Frozen Custard in Menomonee Falls.
The proposal for the new building, by Appleton Apartments LLC, calls for 16 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units, at N86 W16351 Appleton Ave. It would be next to an existing building owned by the same company. The existing building has 26 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units.
It's not the first time the company has sought approval for an apartment building at the site.
In 2018, the company proposed an apartment building attached to the existing building. But when village officials asked for more green space, parking and setbacks, Appleton Apartments withdrew its proposal.
A year ago, it returned to the plan commission with a proposal calling for with a total of 22 two-bedroom apartments and two one-bedroom apartments. Village officials had concerns about not having enough parking space for the new building.
"I believed they addressed the issues (with parking)," said Matt Carran, the village's director of community development. "They reduced the number of bedrooms, and there should not be any issues with that."
He also noted that the building is within walking distance of downtown Menomonee Falls and for the nearby businesses.
Carran said the proposal was expected to go before the Architectural Control Board on May 24 and then to the Village Board on June 6.
If the apartment proposal is approved, construction is planned for the fall. | 2022-05-20T19:46:20Z | www.jsonline.com | Menomonee Falls may get a new apartment building | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/20/menomonee-falls-may-get-new-apartment-building/9845484002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/20/menomonee-falls-may-get-new-apartment-building/9845484002/ |
Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy plans new school building in Milwaukee's Bronzeville area
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy filed plans Thursday to construct a new building on Vel Phillips and Garfield avenues, just south of North Avenue where there's currently a parking lot and vacant storage buildings.
The charter school is seeking approval from the city's Board of Zoning Appeals for the new building, which would serve about 500 students.
The location is in the Bronzeville area and about four miles southeast from the school's current location, at Capitol Drive and 29th Street, where about 325 high school students were enrolled for this school year, according to state data.
Calls to the school about the project were not immediately returned Friday.
The building would be at least four stories high, according to documents filed with the city, with part of the fourth level being an outdoor space.
The surrounding Bronzeville neighborhood is in the midst of a series of commercial developments tied to the visual arts, including the Bronzeville Center for the Arts.
The site is across from Milwaukee Public Schools' former Garfield Avenue Elementary School, which was targeted for renovation into apartments. The closest operating MPS school is Dr. George W. Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science, about five blocks away on W. Brown and N. 1st Streets.
More:A Christian academy will move into a former MPS school as the district competes for students
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy school was founded in 2004 by a group of pastors alongside Howard Fuller, a former MPS superintendent and longtime education activist, who now holds the title of Board Chair Emeritus.
Charter schools, which are given more flexibilities than traditional public schools, can be independently run but must be approved by a public board. Most are approved by school boards but in Milwaukee, charter schools can also be approved by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee or, in the Collegiate Academy's case, the city's Charter School Review Committee.
The school focuses on enrolling its graduates in higher education. Last year, about 88% of Fuller graduates enrolled in a four-year college and about 12% in two-year programs, according to state data.
The earliest the Board of Zoning Appeals could consider the proposal is June 30, city officials said. | 2022-05-20T19:46:32Z | www.jsonline.com | Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy plans new building in Bronzeville | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/05/20/howard-fuller-collegiate-academy-plans-new-building-bronzeville/9855941002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/05/20/howard-fuller-collegiate-academy-plans-new-building-bronzeville/9855941002/ |
MADISON – As a player at Wisconsin, Chris McIntosh performed during an era in which football divisions were not on the Big Ten’s radar.
The Big Ten was comprised of just 11 teams back then. Nebraska was still in the Big 12, Maryland was in the ACC and Rutgers was in the Big East.
When McIntosh replaced Barry Alvarez as UW’s athletic director last summer, the Big Ten had used a divisional system to crown its football champion for 10 seasons.
With the NCAA’s Division I Council ruling Wednesday that conferences no longer need to use divisions to hold a title game, it is possible the Big Ten could move to eliminate its divisions.
“Divisions are one of those things that are up for debate right now,” McIntosh said. “In terms of what is best for Wisconsin? I am a believer that we’ll play whoever is on our schedule and we’ll compete for a championship, whether that is with divisions or without divisions.”
UW, Ohio State and Michigan finished 7-1 to share the title in 1998 when McIntosh was a junior. The Badgers finished 7-1 in 1999 to win the title outright, one game ahead of Michigan and Michigan State, in McIntosh's senior season.
“I’ve had experience as a player here at a time when there weren’t divisions,” McIntosh said. “I do think if we were to move away from divisions that you’ve got to get to a clear champion. There are ways to do that.”
Scheduling will always be a controversial topic.
The ill-fated Legends and Leaders setup existed for only three seasons, from 2011-13. League officials then set up the divisions based on geography in 2014 and went from eight conference games to nine in 2016. The extra conference game meant teams went from playing two crossover games to three.
Teams set to face weaker crossover opponents generally had an advantage in the race for a division title.
“One of the drawbacks of divisions, in terms of how we have scheduled thus far,” McIntosh said, “is the inconsistency with which you play crossover opponents. That is one of the things that could be a benefit of doing away with divisions.”
UW has played a full Big Ten schedule seven times under the current East-West alignment. The outlier came during the COVID-19 season of 2020, when UW wound up playing just six league games.
Excluding the 2020 season, UW’s crossover games have been against Michigan (five times), Rutgers (four), Maryland (three), Ohio State (two), Michigan State (two), Penn State (two) and Indiana (one).
The Badgers are set to play at Ohio State, at Michigan State and host Maryland in 2022.
“I think it is a good thing for our players to visit each campus over a four-year period," McIntosh said. "I think it is part of the experience. I think it is also good to see a rotation of opponents from top to bottom on a more consistent basis.”
League officials are comfortable with a nine-game conference schedule. But if the divisions are disbanded, will teams have protected rivalry games that are played every year?
Remember that UW was placed in the Leaders Division and Iowa in the Legends Division in 2011 and the rivals did not meet for the first two seasons of that arrangement.
"Barry and Gary Barta accepted what might be best for the Big Ten might not be the very best for that particular game," McIntosh said, referring to Alvarez and Iowa's athletic director. "I think over the course of time, generally speaking, there has been an approach in which the decision-makers – the athletic directors and coaches and presidents – have done what is best for the Big Ten."
The Pacific 12 wasted little time in announcing it would determine its 2022 football champion based on overall winning percentage. The Mountain West announced Friday it will drop divisions after the 2022 season and other leagues are expected to scrap divisional play.
There are larger issues being discussed as well. Those include potential Name, Image an Likeness abuses, the transfer portal and whether the Power 5 leagues will break away from the NCAA, for football only, and govern themselves.
“We are living in a dynamic period of time for college athletes and we’re in the thick of it right now,” McIntosh said. “I think it is a healthy thing, whether it is football or on a more broad basis, to reevaluate everything right now.
“And there is so much debate and so much uncertainty right now and the NCAA is going through a transformation process.
“Postseason in football is up for debate. Everything is up for debate right now and I don’t think that is unhealthy. If it is going to be, now is the right time for that to happen."
UW's last Big Ten title came in 2012. The Badgers have reached the league title game in 2016, 2017 and 2019 under Paul Chryst. They lost to Penn State in 2016 and to Ohio State in 2017 and 2019.
Under the current format, the East Division is 8-0 in title games.
“I’m confident that our program is on strong footing and that we can be competitive with anybody," McIntosh said. "The expectation for our program hasn’t changed. That is that we’re fighting for championships.” | 2022-05-20T19:46:44Z | www.jsonline.com | How would disbanding divisions in Big Ten football affect Wisconsin? | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/20/how-would-disbanding-divisions-big-ten-football-affect-wisconsin-badgers/9852755002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/20/how-would-disbanding-divisions-big-ten-football-affect-wisconsin-badgers/9852755002/ |
The Greenfield woman who was killed in a domestic incident has been identified
A 50-year-old Greenfield woman who police say was killed in a domestic incident has been identified.
The body of Jamie Le Ward was found by Greenfield police Wednesday, May 18, at her home in the 4700 block of West Maple Leaf Circle, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.
Later, Greenfield police took Ward's 48-year-old husband into custody after a brief standoff in Franklin, according to a news release from the Greenfield Police Department.
Greenfield police were called to the home after an out-of-state relative asked them to perform a welfare check because the relative received information that Ward was dead, police said.
Greenfield police continue to investigate the crime and said no further information would be released until the case is reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. | 2022-05-20T21:24:58Z | www.jsonline.com | Officials ID 50-year-old Greenfield woman killed in domestic incident | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/20/officials-id-50-year-old-greenfield-jamie-le-ward-woman-killed-domestic-incident/9861568002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/20/officials-id-50-year-old-greenfield-jamie-le-ward-woman-killed-domestic-incident/9861568002/ |
The WI Cannabis Expo is returning to Milwaukee for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cannabis is illegal in Wisconsin, however a 2018 Farm Bill allowed hemp growers the ability to produce hemp-based products, like cannabidiol (CBD), and infuse them into things like gummies and oils.
The use of CBD is becoming more common and you can find the products at stores, including gas stations. Also, marijuana legalization remains a highly supported issue.
More than 80% of Wisconsinites support the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, according to a 2019 Marquette University Law School poll. Roughly 60% of Americans support legalizing marijuana for recreational use in addition to medical use, according to a 2021 Pew Research poll.
Thirty-eight states now have medical marijuana programs. Last month, for the first time ever, the Wisconsin Legislature held debate on legislation that would create a state-run medical marijuana program, however the bill went nowhere in the Republican-led state legislature. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has called for marijuana legalization in multiple state budgets.
Alternative newspaper Shepherd Express is the presenting sponsor of the expo. The publication dedicates a section to hemp, the fight to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin and hemp-related business.
Louis Fortis, editor and publisher of the Shepherd Express, said the expo will bring more awareness to the issue of marijuana legislation.
"The current legislators are ignoring the will of the people. I don't know what's driving them," said Fortis, who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1987 to 1993. "Medical marijuana has helped a lot of children with epilepsy and things like that."
The WI Cannabis Expo is being marketed as a two-city event (Milwaukee and Madison). The Milwaukee event takes place June 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wisconsin Center. The Madison event is in November.
Event goers can purchase a dual expo pass for both Milwaukee and Madison for $35. General admission into just the Milwaukee event is $20 if you purchase a ticket in advance or you can pay $30 at the door.
Like any expo, attendees will be able to chat with thousands of enthusiasts. There will also be presentations and a chance to sample and purchase product. Fortis said roughly 3,100 people went to the February 2020 event in Milwaukee.
Attendees must be 18 years or older to attend, and 21 years or older to sample any products.
The event's organizers said vaping, dabbing and smoking of any kind is not allowed at the event. Anyone seen doing it will be asked to leave the building.
To purchase tickets in advance, visit wicannabisexpo.com. | 2022-05-20T21:25:10Z | www.jsonline.com | WI Cannabis Expo returning to Milwaukee on June 4 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/20/wi-cannabis-expo-returning-milwaukee-june-4/9846310002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/20/wi-cannabis-expo-returning-milwaukee-june-4/9846310002/ |
A national shortage of baby formula has families worrying about how they will feed their infant children, and relief from the short supplies and hiked up prices could take weeks to arrive.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden invoked the the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of baby formula and launched a plan to fly formula in from abroad.
Congress passed the bipartisan Access to Baby Formula Act, which would allow low-income families to buy infant formula with their federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits during a crisis, such as a supply chain disruption.
Another bill, which would provide $28 million in emergency supplemental appropriations to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase inspection staff and generally deal with addressing the shortage, passed the House and is now in the Senate.
The baby formula shortage has been in the making for months, exacerbated by a recall that shutdown Abbott Laboratories manufacturing plant in Michigan after concerns about contaminated formula. The company reached an agreement with the FDA to reopen the Michigan factory provided the plant meets certain safety guidelines. But even with that agreement in hand, Abbott said in a statement it "will take six to eight weeks before product is available on shelves."
As of May 8, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula in Wisconsin was 43%, 44% in Milwaukee, and 45% nationwide, according to data from the data analytics firm Datasembly.
As a result, the state Department of Health Services and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued several key recommendations.
Formula usage and alternative milks:
Do not water down or dilute baby formula to stretch it out. Doing so would not give babies all the nutrients they need.
Do not make homemade formulas, as they can be unsafe and not meet the baby's needs.
Avoid giving babies cow milk, goat milk or plant-based milk until they're at least a year old. These milks lack minerals babies need and can also cause digestive issues.
Cow's milk can be given to infants who are older than six months and are usually on regular formula only in rare emergency situations and for no longer than a week. Talk to your child's doctor first.
It's likely that babies will do fine with different baby formulas as long as they're the same type. To switch, gradually introduce small amounts of the new formula with mixed with the usual one, and slowly increase the amount of the new one. Be patient, and call your pediatrician if the baby isn't tolerating the new formula.
It is not recommended to substitute toddler formula for infant formula. But for infants close to who are close to a year old, the products can be safe for just a few days, and only if there is absolutely no other choice.
Full-term babies can safely have formula designed for premature babies for a few weeks, but only if nothing else is available.
It is not recommended to give babies under 6 months old solid food to stretch infant formula.
Generally, formula should not be used past the "best by" date because it may no longer be safe or have the required levels of nutrients.
Finding formula in stores:
Check smaller stores and drug stores.
Search for stock information online before going to the store.
Check food pantries and other charitable organizations.
Check Wisconsin WIC clinics that can help connect you to a charitable organization and other resources, check on supplies, and get formula alternatives.
Avoid stockpiling so more families can access formula until supplies stabilize. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises buying no more than a 10-day to 2-week supply of formula to ease shortages.
Work with a health care professionals to make urgent requests for products through Abbott.
How to check if your formula was recalled:
Check the lot code, a multidigit number on the bottom of containers of Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare powdered infant formula, and do not use if:
Families can also check their lot numbers on the Abbott website.
Advice on the shortage from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Wisconsin Women, Infants, and Children clinic location list.
Breastmilk donations: Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.
Wisconsin WIC breastfeeding support information.
Wisconsin WIC approved formula substitutions.
List of comparable formulas from the North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
Gerber's MyGerber Baby Expert: reach a certified nutrition or lactation consultant by phone, text, Facebook Messenger, web chat, or video call, who can help you identify a similar formula that may be more readily available.
United Way's IMPACT 211 helpline: Call 211 or 414-773-0211.
Resources from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. | 2022-05-20T21:25:22Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin formula shortage: Key tips from health professionals | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/05/20/wisconsin-formula-shortage-key-tips-health-professionals/9856476002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/05/20/wisconsin-formula-shortage-key-tips-health-professionals/9856476002/ |
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks were honored for their individual defensive prowess from the 2021-22 season as they were named to NBA all-defensive teams on Friday night.
Antetokounmpo was named to the first team, which was the fifth career all-defensive team selection for him (four first-teams, one second-team). It tied him with Hall of Famer Sidney Moncrief for most selections in franchise history.
Due to center Brook Lopez missing 69 games with a back injury, the 27-year-old Antetokounmpo spent much of this season playing at the “five” position on defense for the Bucks.
Among players who played in at least 60 games, Antetokounmpo tied for 19th in the NBA with 1.4 blocks per game and was No. 22 in the NBA after earning .122 defensive win shares.*
Holiday was named to the second team and it is his fourth all-defensive team selection overall.
The 31-year-old point guard averaged 1.6 steals per game, which was tied for ninth in the NBA. He also earned .103 defensive win shares and was tied for No. 42 in the league in that category along with teammates Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen.
By earning a spot on an all-defense team, Holiday earned a $120,000 bonus.
*The NBA calculates win shares differently than other statistical sites. The Journal Sentinel uses official league stats in its reporting. | 2022-05-21T00:44:46Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo Jrue Holiday named NBA all-defensive teams | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/20/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-jrue-holiday-named-nba-all-defensive-teams/9853423002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/20/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-jrue-holiday-named-nba-all-defensive-teams/9853423002/ |
Oconomowoc High School students walked out of class to march for abortion rights
A group of Oconomowoc High School students on Friday walked out of school in support of abortion rights.
The walkout began around 2 p.m with students marching from the school to downtown Oconomowoc's Village Green on a rainy day. Once they arrived, they set up alongside the sidewalk and held signs and sang chants promoting abortion rights as cars drove by, some honking their horns. About 36 people were part of the walkout, most of them OHS students, and some adults.
"I was seeing rumors of walkouts at other schools and thought we should do it on our own," said junior Roman Fritz, one of the walkout's organizers. It's definitely a worthy cause, he said.
"It's very important that this decision isn't made, and that the Supreme Court doesn't have as much power as it does," Fritz said, referring to the recent leak of a Supreme Court opinion that could overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case.
Fellow student and co-organizer Mack Toson said that she researched chants for the walkout and asked a teacher about how to organize it.
"We got a meeting with the principal (Jason Curtis) and some police officers and we talked out the logistics of it and here we are," Toson said.
One of the signs Toson held said "Keep your laws off of my body."
"The issue with abortion is not an issue about life. It's an issue about control. Every person with a uterus should be allowed to choose whether or not they have to carry a fetus to term or not," Toson said.
Mary Uebelacher's son participated in the walkout. She said her experiences of having her own kids, a miscarriage and a subsequent dilation and curettage procedure, led her to support the walkout.
"It's having these feelings and experiences through life that makes me know what they're doing is right," Uebelacher said.
But the marchers faced opposition as well.
OHS student Brianna Wittenburg, along with her two sisters, her parents, and family friend Teri Giannetti, were on the Lake Road side of the Village Green wearing pro-life shirts.
"If they have the right to state their opinion, then we have the right to state ours," Wittenburg said.
"They definitely do not realize that there still are other teenagers in the school that do not agree with what (the marchers) agree with. Me, I would say that I fly under the radar with them. They talk like I agree with them and all that," said Samantha Wittenburg, Brianna's sister.
More:Here's what is likely to happen in Wisconsin if Roe v. Wade ruling on legal abortion is overturned
The Wittenburgs' mother, Jennifer, said that she thinks abortion is murder and knows women who have chosen to get an abortion and regretted their decisions.
"It's sickening to me as a mom of three daughters — especially teenage daughters — that someone would poison their minds and tell them things like 'A child is not a child' or 'a fetus is just a fetus' or 'it's a cluster of cells and it's not a baby.' If it wasn't raining, I would have happily brought out some materials for them to see what a child in the womb actually looks like and hear a heartbeat," Jennifer Wittenburg said.
The walkout was not endorsed by the school or any school-related club or organization, according to Oconomowoc Area School District communications and marketing manager Kelly Ellifson.
"While we respect our students’ freedom to exercise their first amendment rights, we are obligated to maintain a safe learning environment in our school. Therefore, students who choose to leave school unexcused during school hours will be held accountable to the attendance rules outlined in our student handbook," Ellifson said.
More:Almost all abortions would be illegal in Wisconsin if leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe stands | 2022-05-21T15:50:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc High School students walk out in support of abortion rights | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/05/21/oconomowoc-high-school-students-walk-out-support-abortion-rights/9863777002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/05/21/oconomowoc-high-school-students-walk-out-support-abortion-rights/9863777002/ |
EAGLE - More than a day since a fire destroyed an industrial building in the town of Eagle, some questions remain as fire officials sort through the steel rubble.
Not all the answers are readily at hand, though the reasons why are also telling in and of themselves. Simply, officials and the business itself are still trying to find their way to firm conclusions.
Summerset Marine Construction, W357 S8715 Chapman Lane, was consumed by the fire, which set off multiple explosions, injuring three workers and resulting in injuries to three firefighters, who fought the blaze throughout the day Thursday.
Here are five lingering questions and what is known to date:
What was the cause of the fire that set off the explosions?
Fire officials still don't know. A final answer is at least a week away. But from witnesses and other unofficial accounts, the fire started in the welding bay while work was being done.
In an afternoon news conference Thursday, Matthew Haerter, the assistant chief of the Western Lakes Fire Department who spoke as a member of the Southeastern Wisconsin Incident Management Team, seem to rule out the idea of spontaneous combustion. That would suggest the fire more likely started during normal welding operations.
Again, how exactly is still under investigation, which was delayed Thursday by the task of putting out the flames. Excavators began working on the site late Thursday.
"The structure of the building has collapsed significantly and trapped a lot of the combustibles that are burning underneath a very thick metal roof," Haerter said. "There is a line of how far do you go for extinguishment versus how long do you wait to be able to get investigators to get an eye on (the damaged building) before it is disturbed."
Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agents were among the investigators on the scene to try to pin down the cause of the explosions, Haerter added.
The Kettle Moraine Fire District is the lead investigator.
How much water was used and why did it have to be trucked in?
The 30 tanker trucks, some from as far away as Kenosha County, were used to transport water to the fire scene.
Through 1:30 p.m., roughly six hours after the fire started, about 400,000 gallons of water — drawn from two area lakes and fire hydrants in the villages of Eagle and Mukwonago — had flowed onto the fire, officials said. Each water tender on the back of the trucks holds about 3,000 gallons.
No fire hydrants were available in the business park itself. Given the rural nature of the town, that's hardly a surprise, officials noted.
"It's not something that people think of very often, but the vast majority of the United States does not have fire hydrants, except in major cities," Haerter said. "The vast majority of fire departments cover rural areas, and those rural areas typically have the necessity to have the water brought to the fire."
What will happen to Summerset Marine Construction?
Summerset Marine Construction's 24,000-square-foot Eagle facility served as a showroom, office, factory and warehouse, making, selling, installing and servicing waterfront piers.
The damage has sidelined those operations of the 32-year-old company for now, though a greeting message on the company's Eagle facility phone line indicated the business was still functioning.
Larry Chapman, Summerset's owner, was not immediately available to comment for more information about how his business will continue to service customers. But in a news conference Thursday, he pledged to do so.
"We're going to get through this," he said. "It's a tough time for our company, but we'll buckle down, persevere and make sure people can provide for their families, and we'll take care of our customers."
Summerset's territory includes all of Waukesha County's lake country as well as lakes in Walworth County, according to the company's website.
What will happen to the dozens of employees who work there?
It's unclear exactly how many of the company's estimated 80 workers will be idled by the fire. However, not all workers were dependent on the Eagle building.
Because the company is involved in sales for three brands and does onsite installation and service work along lakefronts, not all employees have been left without timely tasks as boats take to the lakes this spring.
"We are working diligently to serve our customers to the best of our ability and we are on the lakes working away," an updated greeting message on the company's Eagle facility phone line said.
Who else was affected by the fire, and was the community in danger?
Three workers and three firefighters needed varying levels of medical attention Thursday. One, who Chapman described as a "young worker," required surgery to repair a broken femur sustained during the incident.
Beyond that, the fire caused inconveniences for others, making the disaster a communitywide concern throughout the entire day. But there were few actual dangers to residents and nearby businesses.
Fire officials evacuated businesses along Godfrey and Chapman lanes as a safety precaution. But by early afternoon, the fire was considered sufficiently contained to no longer be a threat to other property.
However, the sheer amount of smoke — which early in the fire could be seen from miles away — caused enough of a concern to prompt public safety officials to order residents within a one-mile area of the site to shelter indoors, keeping the windows off and the air-conditioners off to keep the smoke out.
There was no issue with hazardous materials or toxins, Haerter explained, given that the burning combustibles were typical to what is normally found in fires.
Students and staff at Eagle Elementary School were also evacuated to Palmyra Middle and High School as a precaution due to the elementary school’s proximity to the Summerset plant. School was back in session Friday. | 2022-05-21T15:50:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Summerset Marine Construction explosion: What we know | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/eagle/2022/05/21/summerset-marine-construction-explosion-what-we-know/9855758002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/eagle/2022/05/21/summerset-marine-construction-explosion-what-we-know/9855758002/ |
WILMOT – Parker Price-Miller would rather be studying a racetrack than a medical dictionary.
Unfortunately when the doctor says, “double-hit, large B-cell diffuse non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” life changes.
An active 23-year-old who worked out and played basketball with his buddies and raced sprint cars for a living, Price-Miller was naturally blindsided by the diagnosis of what once felt like an ankle sprain.
“I was in a very low place from October to January, and I didn’t really do much those few months,” he said. “I felt sorry for myself and wasn’t in a good place, mentally and physically. Finally I was like, y’know, I’ve got to get off my (butt). I’m not going to beat it sitting here and feeling sorry for myself.”
With the understanding that cancer always carries an asterisk, that’s exactly what Price-Miller has done.
Using racing as both an incentive and a distraction, he built strength in the gym, followed his doctors’ guidance and was able to race between rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. He is off to a strong start on the racetrack and appreciating his success more than ever.
Price-Miller headed for Wisconsin this weekend with reasons to celebrate. He has finished radiation and will turn 24 Sunday, the last day of a three-race Wisconsin swing for the All Star Circuit of Champions.
“I’m just really enjoying racing,” Price-Miller said Friday at Wilmot Raceway, before the opening round got rained out.
“With everything I’ve been going through I kind of been looking at things differently. I used to get stressed out easily, bummed, kind of got stressed out about things. Now I’m just ready for the next night. I’m just in the moment.
“And I kind of feel like that’s some of why we’ve been running good. We’re here to have fun. We want to win, for sure. But we want to have fun and enjoy it. There’s plenty of other things we could be doing other than racing, and we’re just lucky enough we get to come out here and do this for a living. Just keep on going after it every weekend.”
Price-Miller came into the weekend third in All Star points behind Tyler Courtney and Justin Peck. He arrived with top-10 finishes in all but one feature, and although he hadn’t won with the All Stars he did win a local show in South Dakota recently for his first post-diagnosis checkered flag.
The second of three combined All Stars / IRA Sprints shows was scheduled for Saturday night at the Plymouth Dirt Track on the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds, and the swing is set to finish Sunday at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie.
“Each week I can tell I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Price-Miller, who has been to victory lane with the All Stars, IRA and World of Outlaws.
“It’d take me three to five days after chemo to start feeling OK enough to get up and move around. As soon as I felt like that, I’d immediately go to the gym and start working out so that way I could feel as good as possible and not lose as much muscle and lose all that stamina and stuff for the race car. It helped me out in the long run.
“I would say (I’m) 80-90%, and in these things you want to be 100% all the time. I feel like even though I’m 80%, I’m still giving it my 100% effort and … I don’t think I’m holding things back.”
Price-Miller’s off-track odyssey began in February 2019, when he noticed his right ankle hurt as if he’d rolled it. But the irritation came and went, and given his athletic endeavors and the way a driver can get bounced around in a 900-horsepower sprint car, aches and pains are to be expected. He ignored it.
The problem flared up more frequently in 2020, though, and Price-Miller finally went to an orthopedist in August.
“He gave me an X-ray and immediately found a bone spur on the top of my right foot,” he said.
Surgery was straightforward and physical therapy quick and productive. The pain was gone.
“Then May of 2021 came along and the pain was coming back,” Price-Miller said. “I was like, y’know what, this is part of it, it’s gonna come back, part of aging. My mom made me go back, so I went back in August 2021.”
The orthopedist ordered an MRI that came back with “abnormal findings.” So he sent Price-Miller to an oncologist, who set up a CT scan, which led to a bone biopsy, some questions about whether he might have leukemia and finally a diagnosis with a long and scary name. The cancer was considered Stage 2, and treatment began.
“One of the days that really opened my eyes, I wasn’t feeling good, could barely get out of bed, It was a nice day in February, it was like 60 degrees, and it’s rarely like that in Indiana,” said Price-Miller, who is from Kokomo.
“I got outside and just took a walk. I was super thankful to be able to get out and walk, based on how I was feeling. Before that I wouldn’t have been thankful for that. I’d take it for granted. It’s something that I’ll never do again, like taking each race for granted. It just goes by so quick.
“I’ve learned that over the past few months. That’s something I’ve learned through this experience that I’ll be grateful for the rest of my life.”
Chemotherapy took care of a spot in Price-Miller’s neck and another in his pelvis and shrunk the large tumor in his lower right leg significantly. He’s due for another PET scan next month to see if the radiation took care of the rest.
Price-Miller has heard people find his story of working to race between treatments inspirational, and he’s happy if that’s the case but points out that his goal was just to get better.
“Racing has been something that’s helped me get through it,” Price-Miller said. “It’s something I can do to get away from it all. I really don’t think about it when I’m racing. Selfishly it’s been helping me out more than anyone.
“Before I would always race or work to try to impress and show people what I can do. Now I just kind of do it for my own enjoyment and still try put on a show for others and inspire others. Before I didn’t really enjoy my own success. Now I make it a point to try to do that.” | 2022-05-21T15:50:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Driver Parker Price-Miller races sprint cars between cancer treatments | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/21/driver-parker-price-miller-races-sprint-cars-between-cancer-treatments/9854591002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/21/driver-parker-price-miller-races-sprint-cars-between-cancer-treatments/9854591002/ |
The 2021-22 outbreak of avian flu in North America is already the worst in seven years among U.S. domestic flocks and evidence is mounting it could be the deadliest ever documented among America's wild birds, including bald eagles.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain, called EA H5N1, has been circulating since late 2021. It had been detected in 38 states as of Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
So far about 38 million domestic birds have died in the outbreak, mostly through depopulations at infected poultry farms, according to federal figures.
It's the biggest since 2015 when HPAI subtype H5N2 affected about 49 million domestic birds. At a cost of $1 billion, the outbreak was the most costly animal health emergency in U.S. history, according to the USDA.
The toll on wild birds is much more difficult to assess.
In the last major avian flu outbreak, 98 HPAI-positive wild birds were detected between December 2014 and June 2015, according to the USDA. Most were hunter-harvested waterfowl from the Pacific Flyway.
That number has spiked by more than 10 times among wild birds in the current outbreak, according to USDA figures released Monday.
Among the 1,156 wild birds documented with avian flu over the last six months, three states have more than 100 cases (212 in North Dakota, 143 in North Carolina and 108 in Florida); Wisconsin has had 51.
But wildlife experts say the number of birds tested is a tiny fraction of the number likely affected by the disease.
"It's simply not possible to find all the sick birds in the wild," said Sumner Matteson, avian ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "The testing tells us the disease is here but not how many birds have it. The trend this year is worrisome, certainly."
The global spread of avian flu is driven in large part by migratory waterfowl, according to the USDA.
Knowledge about migratory patterns and intercontinental associations of waterfowl, as well as genetic analyses of viral strains, supported the hypothesis that previous HPAI outbreaks entered North American from Asia via migratory birds.
Wild waterfowl and other species shed the virus into the environment through their oral and nasal secretions and feces.
Scavenging and predatory species can also pick up the virus by feeding on infected dead or live birds.
Symptoms of birds with avian flu include swimming in circles, twisted necks and tremors.
Among domestic birds in Wisconsin, the virus had been found in poultry in Barron, Dunn, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Marinette, Pierce, Polk, Racine, Rock and Sauk counties, according to Monday's USDA report, and affected eight commercial flocks, 13 backyard flocks for a total of 3,027,690 birds.
Among wildlife in the state, the disease has been linked to the deaths of wild birds in Milwaukee County (Canada goose), Brown County (herring gull), Columbia County (lesser scaup), Dane County (bald eagle, Cooper's hawk and turkey vulture), Grant County (red-tailed hawk), Polk County (trumpeter swan), St. Croix County (wood duck) and Winnebago County (American white pelican).
Other wild bird species documented with the disease across the continent include common loon, double-crested cormorant, great-horned owl, northern harrier, peregrine falcon and snow goose.
It has also been detected in wild red fox kits in Wisconsin, the first such finding in a mammal in the state.
The avian flu outbreak is leading to concerns about its potential to significantly reduce recruitment, or survival of young birds, especially among bald eagles and other raptors.
As of May 15, the Raptor Center in Minneapolis had tested 283 birds admitted for care and 169 were positive for HPAI. Only one affected bird survived to be released, according to the center.
Madison Audubon has conducted a Bald Eagle Nest Watch program since 2018 in Wisconsin. The citizen-science effort includes frequent monitoring of eagle nests from the mating season in winter through fledging in spring and summer.
From 2018-21, the program recorded 28 eagle nest failures on 187 nests observed, or 15%. This year the failure rate has spiked to 35% on 145 monitored nests.
The failures included cases where the adults left the nest, apparently because the chicks had died, and at least one instance where the adults disappeared, said Brenna Marsicek, Madison Audubon director of communications and outreach.
In one well-documented case, an adult bald eagle was euthanized after it was found unable to fly near its nest in Bay View in Milwaukee County. It was later determined the bird had avian flu.
Marsicek cautioned that since none of the chicks have been tested for HPAI the causes of the nest failures can't be ascribed to avian influenza.
"Over the five years we've been doing this program, this year the percentage of failures is much higher," Marsicek said. "Something appears to be going on. For now, we'll keep working to monitor the birds and assisting with efforts to document the disease to learn more."
Wildlife health experts at the Raptor Center are hopeful warmer weather will help slow transmission of the disease over the coming weeks.
The DNR recommends people wear gloves if they have to contact a sick or dead bird. After contact, wash your hands with soap and water and throw away any gloves. | 2022-05-21T21:01:49Z | www.jsonline.com | Highly pathogenic avian influenza EA H5N1 hitting domestic, wild birds | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/outdoors/2022/05/21/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai-strain-ea-h-5-n-1-hitting-domestic-and-wild-birds/9862417002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/outdoors/2022/05/21/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai-strain-ea-h-5-n-1-hitting-domestic-and-wild-birds/9862417002/ |
Willem Dafoe haunts UW-Milwaukee campus for the first time in more than 40 years, on the eve of receiving an honorary doctorate
Visiting one of his old haunts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the first time in more than 40 years, Willem Dafoe started off by telling a ghost story.
Dafoe, the four-time Oscar nominee from Appleton who spent two years as a theater student at UW-Milwaukee in the 1970s, was on campus Saturday before his starring role on Sunday as the featured speaker at the university's 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. commencement ceremonies at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee. At the latter ceremony, he's receiving an honorary doctor of arts degree.
Saturday afternoon, Dafoe spoke to about 750 students in an "Actors Studio"-style forum at the Peck School of the Arts' Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. Later, he stopped by the Mainstage Theatre at UW-Milwaukee, the launchpad of his acting career.
There, he remembered the ghost story.
Dafoe was playing Ariel in Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and, after he said a farewell on the stage, he made his exit crawling up "this kind of jungle gym" to the proscenium ring above the stage.
"I was ready to chin up and swing my legs up there and I felt like someone was in the way," Dafoe recalled. "There was someone standing right where I would usually put my feet to get on the ring. (He said,) ‘Go! Go! Move! Move!’ Eventually, they moved. I got up there, I went up against the wall because of (audience) sightlines — there was one last speech. And I could feel this breathing next to me. … Eventually, it went away, I went down to the curtain call.
"I said, ‘Who left the door to the catwalk open? There should be nobody up there. There’s a speech, and also I almost hurt myself getting up there.’ They said, ‘It was locked. Nobody was up there.’ And I thought, ‘OK, I’m mistaken.’ And then someone said, ‘You know … when they built this and they were pouring the concrete, a guy fell from the ring and died.’ I don’t know if it’s true.”
'Milwaukee to me was the big city'
This weekend was Dafoe's first stop in Milwaukee since 2007 when he took part in a three-film retrospective at the Milwaukee International Film Festival.
He first came to Milwaukee as a 17-year-old from Appleton eager to pursue acting.
RELATED:Willem Dafoe hosts 'Saturday Night Live' for the first time, shows off his 'Wisconsin accent'
RELATED:Willem Dafoe's UWM roots are showing in videos of his time on Milwaukee stages
“Milwaukee to me was the big city. And it was college," he said, emphasizing the last word. " … I grow up middle class, but when I come here I fail two classes, because I have to work (two) jobs because nobody’s paying for my education. I didn’t know anybody here. It was like being an immigrant … but that didn’t discourage me, I just thought that was my next chapter in life — moving away from my hometown and my big family and pursuing what I was interested in.”
Dafoe said he had wanted to be part of UW-Milwaukee's theater program after seeing a university production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest."
“I had a friend that I had worked with in summer stock in Appleton who was a technical director here, and he invited me and I saw the show and I said, 'Wow, the level of production is very high. I want to go to school here.' He said, ‘Cool. You can sleep on my couch.’ ”
'Always felt like a kid here'
But the adjustment was daunting: He hadn't even finished high school when he first auditioned.
“I always felt like a kid here … I felt like a kid among adults,” Dafoe admitted. “I wasn’t very sophisticated. I remember, there was a production class, and part of the warmup was we gave each other massages. I’m a 17-year-old kid and this beautiful woman that’s probably 10 years older than me says, ‘OK you’re my partner.’ I don’t think I had ever given anyone a massage before.”
“I get thrown into the deep end, but I was fine with that, and somehow that seems to be a scene that repeats itself in my life,” he continued, laughing. “But I think that’s a good thing. I embrace that because it makes forever a beginner, and I think I can brag that I still love what I do, and I still get excited by it. So I have this kind of a beginner’s mind.”
Since his acting days in Milwaukee, at UW-Milwaukee and two years with the experimental theater troupe Theatre X, Dafoe has made more than 100 movies.
“I like to say, even my mother hasn’t seen all my films,” he said, smiling.
To Marvel and DC movies, and beyond
Dafoe has worked with just about every notable director of the past 40 years, from Wes Anderson and Kathryn Bigelow to Guillermo Del Toro and Martin Scorsese. Although he often plays a villain, he's done his share of comedy and even a number of leading-man roles, although three of his four Academy Award nominations are for best supporting actor: "Platoon," "Shadow of the Vampire" and "The Florida Project." (The fourth, for 2017's "At Eternity's Gate," was for best actor.)
He's been in Pixar films (the voice of Gil in "Finding Nemo") and, in an elite club, both the Marvel (as Green Goblin) and DC (the hero's mentor, Vulko, in "Aquaman") cinematic universes.
But the beginner in him is always looking for a new acting experience.
“Every time I see a movie that I like, I think, 'I wonder what it’s like to work with them.' Or I see something that’s very personal and resonates with me and I think, 'Oh, I’d like to be in the room with them and make something with them,' Dafoe said.
"That has to be weighed also against the fact that sometimes you see someone you admire and you like their films, but you’re not their guy … you’re not seeing the fit because either they don’t get you, or you aren’t the physiognomy or something doesn’t work, and you’ve got to accept that sometimes. That’s like a heartbreaker sometimes.”
RELATED:31 movies with Wisconsin ties in 2021, from 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' to 'No Time to Die' | 2022-05-22T01:23:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Willem Dafoe returns to UW-Milwaukee campus for honor, ghost story | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/05/21/willem-dafoe-returns-uw-milwaukee-campus-honor-ghost-story/9828456002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/05/21/willem-dafoe-returns-uw-milwaukee-campus-honor-ghost-story/9828456002/ |
MIDDLETON - Wisconsin Republicans refused to endorse any of the four candidates for governor at their annual state convention for the first time — a symbolic rejection of the political apparatus that has been blamed by its own members for failing to deliver statewide victories in recent years.
Kleefisch received 55% of delegates' votes — far more of the vote share than any other candidate. But it was just shy of the 60% threshold required under party rules to receive a party endorsement, which provides party resources to a candidate throughout the rest of the primary and general election.
“Guys, I'm declaring victory,” she told reporters. “When you take a look at the numbers in there, I won the majority."
She noted she won the 2010 race for lieutenant governor even though she was the first candidate eliminated for consideration of an endorsement that year.
Kleefisch said she did not expect the lack of an endorsement to hurt her fundraising. Primary opponents Tim Michels is funding his campaign using his vast wealth and Kevin Nicholson is benefitting from spending by a group funded by Uline president Dick Uihlein
“Every single week we are eclipsing our weekly goals," Kleefisch said of her fundraising. "We're going to continue to be on a tear. I'm familiar with the path of being an underdog and I know as a challenger to Tony Evers, who has more money than Midas, I will be exactly that.”
More:Get ready for nonstop political ads. A Democratic group announces plan to spend $21 million this fall for Tony Evers
Nicholson, who received 3% of delegate votes, has campaigned for months at local county party gatherings for a convention ballot that featured "no endorsement" as an option, or abandoning the endorsement process altogether.
In his unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 2018, Nicholson lost the party endorsement to then-state Sen. Leah Vukmir, who went on to lose to Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin by double digits.
In his race for governor, Nicholson has urged Republicans to abandon the party endorsement process he predicted would deliver Kleefisch the party blessing. He said he viewed the outcome of the endorsement vote as a "solid rejection" of Kleefisch.
"Her campaign has been predicated on this. She believes she needs it to win the primary. She's the candidate that went hardest at this and really laid herself out there and begged for it. And she didn't get it," Nicholson said after the vote.
Chris Walker, adviser to Michels' campaign, heralded the outcome of the vote.
"We came into today expecting Rebecca Kleefisch would win this vote of her delegates on the first ballot. Nothing about today's results changes our campaign plan," he said in a statement. "It's going to take an outsider with the resources and the right experience to united the party, bring in new voters, and beat Tony Evers."
State Rep. Tim Ramthun, who initially received about 5% of delegate votes, said he was pleased to see the party had not endorsed anyone and believed it gave him momentum in the primary.
“The party needs to stop forcing something like they wanted to try to do today for someone they had a preference, who was very clear,” he said, acknowledging he was referring to Kleefisch.
Kleefisch has become a symbol for the state GOP establishment, even as she makes the case to voters as being an outsider to what she has characterized as a boys' club she infiltrated in 2010 when the party's preferred male candidate failed to defeat her.
In her convention speech, Kleefisch argued against abortion, noting her role as a mother who did not let her desire to have a family to get in the way of a career.
“Now, I’m not a biologist,” Kleefisch said. “But I am a woman and I will not let a man like Tony Evers tell me how I’m supposed to feel about Roe. I will win this because I can speak with a mother’s heart.”
In his speech to delegates, Nicholson framed himself as a born-again conservative who sacrificed his relationship with his parents, who support Democrats, for his political beliefs.
"They actually donated to Tammy Baldwin as I was running for the U.S. Senate. We have not heard from them in years. That was not my choice," he said.
Ramthun, the first speaker in the governor's race, triggered the first applause line among the speeches as he outlined his unsuccessful effort to get lawmakers to take up a resolution to decertify the 2020 election, which legal scholars have said is impossible at this point.
"I will never stop pursuing closure for truth and transparency to get right so we can feel comfortable" while voting, he said.
Michels, like Kleefisch and Nicholson, said the August primary election should be moved to April to avoid months of mudslinging between Republicans.
"I'm tired of Republicans fighting in public, letting the media fuel the fire and letting the Democrats take advantage of us," he told convention attendees. | 2022-05-22T01:23:24Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin Republicans withhold endorsement of governor candidates | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/21/wisconsin-republicans-withhold-endorsement-for-governor-at-convention/9870587002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/21/wisconsin-republicans-withhold-endorsement-for-governor-at-convention/9870587002/ |
Basketball great Dwyane Wade told Marquette University's Class of 2022 Sunday to take time for solitude, practice self-awareness and infuse passion in their future journey.
Wade returned to Milwaukee to receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Marquette and serve as the school's commencement speaker.
Wade beamed and threw his hands in the air when University President Michael Lovell handed him his degree.
Probably one of Marquette's most recognizable alum, Wade attended Marquette from 2000-03 and left early for the NBA draft. He became an NBA superstar who won three championships, an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and a place on the NBA's list of the 75 greatest players ever.
Wade spoke to 1,942 undergraduates at American Family Insurance Amphitheater on the Summerfest grounds. Graduate students were recognized later in the day.
"Today, we celebrate what you have accomplished as we should," Wade said. "Tomorrow, wake up to begin the next leg of your journey. Your passion. I repeat your passion lies on the journey.:
He told the graduating class it wasn't until former Marquette basketball coach Tom Crean visited his home with a university cap and gown while Wade was still in high school that he started thinking about his future.
"He wasn't recruiting me just because of my basketball abilities, but also because he believed that I wanted more for myself and my family," Wade said. "Coach Crean recognized me as someone worthy, and was giving me a chance to prove myself."
Wade went on to talk about how he has matured. Now 40, Wade retired in 2019.
On Sunday the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduated more than 3,500 students during two ceremonies.
Actor and UWM alum Willem Dafoe was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree and gave the commencement address.
More:New college graduates with degrees in supercomputing, artificial intelligence are in hot demand. 'War for talent' gives grads many options. | 2022-05-22T20:29:17Z | www.jsonline.com | Marquette University alumnus Dwyane Wade receives honorary doctorate | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/22/former-nba-star-dwyane-wade-addresses-marquette-university-class-2022-undergraduate-commencement/9884207002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/22/former-nba-star-dwyane-wade-addresses-marquette-university-class-2022-undergraduate-commencement/9884207002/ |
One of Marquette University's most recognizable players returned to Milwaukee Sunday to accept an honorary degree from the school and serve as the commencement speaker during its graduation ceremony.
Dwyane Wade spoke at American Family Insurance Amphitheater on the Summerfest grounds, telling 1,942 undergraduates and their families that he asked his 14-year-old daughter, Zaya, what she would want to hear.
"Really nothing," Wade told the crowd, which roared with laughter.
Below is an edited transcript of Wade's speech:
I talked to Zaya about this being a really exciting time in your life, and she began to help me formulate my ideas, which are now at the heart of what I want to speak to you guys about today: solitude, self-awareness and that's the journey.
If my speech today is not good, please, blame my kid.
Now how did I get here. I'm at the time in my life where I'm a 40-year-old man and I'm starting to do more things by myself. In mid-April, I was on a golf course in Orange County, California, playing golf all by myself.
And when I play golf alone, I like to play with earbuds. I'm not that good so music kind of calms me. If we have any golfers in here y'all understand what I'm talking about. But anyway, I'm about to tee-off, my phone rings. Now a first thought was — this better be an emergency.
I look down at my phone, and to my surprise, it says 'President Lovell Marquette University.' I of course pick up the call and President Lovell shares with me that he would like me to be the commencement speaker for graduation day.
He also shared that I would be presented with an honorary doctorate. Then he says his daughter Anna is also graduating and that my being here would make a special day that much more special. So, Anna, I hope this helps. And I thank you guys for this honor.
I want to take you guys back about 23 years. Some people in the back were born about 23 years ago, I don't know about the ones up front. My college coach at Marquette was Coach Tom Crean. The very first call I got was before my senior year was from coach.
The first person to bring a cap and gown into my house was from coach. He wasn't recruiting me just because of my basketball abilities, but also because he believed that I wanted more for myself and my family. The first person to offer me a scholarship — whether I passed my ACT or — not was coach.
I later found out he didn't even have permission to do so. But once he showed he had the confidence in me, I began thinking about my future, and myself. I began to do what I always do when I want to accomplish something. I work hard. I took ATC classes during school. I took speed reading classes at night with the hope that I would be able to get through the test faster.
I waited for months for my test results. And I remember sitting in class one day, when my name was called off the loudspeaker to come to the office. For several days I had anticipated seeing my test scores. My stomach instantly filled with knots. These test scores were going to determine if I can play basketball at Marquette next season or if I will have to choose another path.
I left that classroom and took that same walk that I had taken many times over the four years at Harold L. Richards High School.
But this one, this one felt different. I'm an 18-year-old kid who's afraid of what those test scores are going to be. And what this will say about me. If I didn't pass, if I didn't pass. I felt like everyone would look at me as a failure. Or was my way out being taken away?
With each step, all I could think about was fear. I arrived at the office. I was handed an envelope and not to my surprise, I didn't pass. I immediately became frantic, nervous and scared.
My first call was to coach. My voice was trembling and through tears I said, "Coach, I didn't pass."
With a tremble in his voice, he said, "Dwayne we will still proceed with a plan." And he told me that I would be attending Marquette University in the fall.
In a couple of minutes, I went through a rollercoaster of emotions. From one of the loneliest most terrifying moments of my life, to one of the most exhilarating. Coach Crean recognized me as someone worthy and was giving me a chance to prove myself.
I now turn my attention to the fear of the unknown. What will be the next leg of my journey? What would the next leg of my journey look like? Who here has fear of the unknown? Please raise your hand.
In these moments when I feel fear, I create space for solitude. The definition of solitude is alone, not loneliness, as some may figure. But alone in our thoughts. In solitude, I find clarity. There is no judgment. It's where I get to know the real me. In solitude I find understanding and I create solutions.
It's also where I visualize what I want for my life, and I design the plan for achieving it. In solitude there's nothing that will get in the way of creating the life you want, except you. When I was 9 years old, I visualized making it to the NBA, I visualized an NBA championship..... In solitude there are no barriers. Let me say that again, in solitude there are no barriers.
We all look in the mirror every day. In that mirror we really get to see ourselves. We see our strengths and our weakness. Our imperfection. This is an opportunity to acknowledge ourselves again without judgment. This is self-awareness.
As we become more self-aware, we achieve a better understanding of who we are. We discover our values, our character, and what we consider to be right or wrong. We discover what drives, inspires and motivates us. We observe our habits and discern what we're doing.
We learn to enhance what is positive and discard what is negative.Through self-awareness we are given the opportunity to design who we truly want and deserve to be.
Let me give you guys a basketball story. Back in 2011-2012 season, I was playing with the Miami Head, and I turned 30. I was playing with the 27-year-old LeBron James, one of the greatest talents this league has ever seen.
Unfortunately, we were coming off a championship loss from the Dallas Mavericks the previous season. After losing there is a lot of soul searching that goes on. I decided to take a deep look inside myself. My game, my age, my injuries.
That self-awareness helped me recognize that I needed to step back from being that man..... it was the most difficult professional decision that I've ever made and also the correct one.
I share this story because the success was only achieved through this moment of solitude and self-awareness. Who here is chasing their dreams? Raise your hand. What I've learned since retiring, is it's not the dream that we should chase. It's the experiences on a journey to fulfilling our dreams. That's the win.
I'm quoting my good friend, Kobe Bryant. He said: "It's those times that you get up early and you work hard. Those times that you stay up late and you work hard. Those times when you don't feel like working, you're too tired or you don't want to push yourself, but you do it anyway. It's not the destination. It's the journey."
If you follow Kobe's advice, you won't only accomplish your dreams, something greater will happen. Will your journey have some highlights? Yes. Will your journey have some lowlights? Yes. But if you could build on your discoveries and experiences, if you establish the moments of solitude and allow yourself a space for self-awareness, you will arrive at a place where you can grow not only in terms of what someone else has planned but living life on your own terms.
Today, we celebrate what you have accomplished as we should. Tomorrow, you will wake up to begin the next leg of your journey.
Your passion — I repeat your passion — lies in the journey. So, to all of you, the graduating class of 2022, I just want to say congratulations. Thank you.
More:Dwyane Wade returns to Milwaukee to receive honorary degree from Marquette University, gives commencement address | 2022-05-22T20:29:23Z | www.jsonline.com | NBA star Dwyane Wade returns to Milwaukee for Marquette graduation | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/22/nba-star-dwyane-wade-returns-milwaukee-marquette-graduation-class-2022/9884244002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/22/nba-star-dwyane-wade-returns-milwaukee-marquette-graduation-class-2022/9884244002/ |
For just the second time in his career, country superstar Eric Church is gearing up to headline a stadium concert — and it's happening at American Family Field on May 28, a one-off show dubbed "One Hell of a Night in Milwaukee."
If it feels like the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark just hosted a major country music stadium concert for 40,000 people, that's because it did. Kenny Chesney was just there May 14 for a show that had been postponed from 2020. This is the first month with two major stadium concerts in Milwaukee since the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd both headlined County Stadium in June 1975.
If you went to Chesney's show, some of the same guidelines apply, but there are some different circumstances. Here's everything you need to know.
Arrive early (but not as early as Chesney)
Traffic getting into Chesney's Milwaukee show May 14 wasn't too bad, slowing to a relatively brief crawl as it usually does once you reach the line for parking. (Getting out, though, was a bear.) That Church's show, too, is on a Saturday should help, traffic-wise, and people are going to show up early to tailgate, too. Just don't show up too early — parking lots don't open until 4 p.m., two hours later than they did for Chesney, with Church's show also starting two hours later, at 7 p.m. The gates to get into the stadium open at 6 p.m.
Pay for parking in advance to save some money. How much does it cost?
People who pay for parking in advance — highly recommended by the Brewers, to ensure a spot — will save some money. It's $25 in advance for general parking, $40 for preferred parking closer to the stadium. Otherwise, you'll pay $35 for general parking on-site, $50 for preferred parking.
Skip driving, but brace yourselves for long ride-share lines
The Milwaukee County Transit System has two bus routes that drop passengers off within walking distance of the ballpark: the GoldLine on Wisconsin Avenue and Route 18 on National Avenue.
If you're using Uber or Lyft, the pickup and dropoff point is in the stadium's Gantner parking lot. If you take a cab, pickup and drop-off are just outside Helfaer Field.
Just a head's up if you plan to use a ride share service: The crowd waiting for pickups after the Chesney concert was huge and not well-organized.
Tickets are still available. How much are they?
All the VIP packages are spoken for, but there are still other tickets available, ranging from $45 to $215 at the Brewers website. That doesn't include platinum seats located in the center sections on the field. Tickets for those seats range from $173 to $518, with portions of sales benefiting Church's Chief Cares of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. You're going to need to secure a wristband on the 100 level if you have a ticket for the field. And if you're doing will-call, you'll be able to get your tickets at the box office near the home plate gate. You'll need your ID, and it'll need to match the designated will-call name and name on the credit card that was used to purchase the tickets.
How to notify staff if there's an issue
If you run into any problems, flag down a staff member or visit one of the guest services booths on the field level behind Section 116, the loge level behind Section 222 and the terrace level behind Section 419. You can also text "Crew" and describe the issue to 41835.
Signs cannot be larger than 18 by 24 inches, and poles and banners are prohibited. And no standing on the seats or blocking the aisles when you're singing and dancing along.
Here's who's playing, and what else to expect
Church tends to forgo openers in favor of marathon sets, but he'll bring some special guests for this stadium show.
Parker McCollum will kick things off at 7 p.m. sharp; in March, he won the ACM Award for new male artist of the year. The more seasoned country duo Brothers Osborne follow after that, and they too recently added some hardware to their trophy case, winning vocal duo of the year at the ACM Awards in March, and a Grammy for best country duo/group performance for their single "Younger Me," inspired by T.J. Osborne's experiencing coming out as gay.
As for what Church will play, he may not even know. He prides himself (and thrills fans) by offering different setlists each night. There are some standards you'll likely hear in Milwaukee — including "Drink in My Hand," "Smoke a Little Smoke" and "Talladega" — and fans can expect a marathon set. As Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter Kendra Meinert accurately put it in her glowing review of a Church Resch Center show in March: "You’re in for one of the best live concert experiences in all of country music." | 2022-05-23T13:31:20Z | www.jsonline.com | Eric Church to perform at American Family Field May 28 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/05/23/eric-church-perform-american-family-field-milwaukee-may-28/9835257002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/05/23/eric-church-perform-american-family-field-milwaukee-may-28/9835257002/ |
In less than a year, you'll need to obtain a Real ID to fly within the U.S. or visit a federal facility, like a military base.
The Department of Homeland Security will begin enforcing the policy on May 3, 2023, after postponing the deadline — originally set for late 2020 — due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here's more to know about Real ID and how to get one in Wisconsin.
Do I have to get a Real ID?
No. Your driver's license is still valid, and will continue to be valid even after the 2023 deadline. However, without a Real ID, you will not be able to fly domestically or visit a federal building unless you have a U.S. passport.
What's different about Real ID?
Real ID is a more secure version of the traditional driver's license.
The cards have a detailed black and white photo laser-engraved on a polycarbonate card.
The card has two high-definition, high-contrast images, making the card much more difficult to counterfeit, according to the DMV.
Wisconsin Real ID cards are marked with a star in the upper-right corner.
How do I obtain a Real ID in Wisconsin?
You will need to go to the DMV — you cannot complete the process online. You will need to bring a number of additional documents to the DMV.
You can, however, use the DMV's interactive website dlguides.wi.gov to start the process and begin filling out the right forms.
What should I bring to the DMV?
You'll have to prove your information in up to six categories:
Name and Date of Birth
Legal Presence in the U.S.
Name Change (if applicable)
Address (two forms)
For proof of name, date of birth and legal presence in the U.S, there are a number of options you can provide, including your passport, passport card, birth certificate and certificate of naturalization.
The DMV website lists more forms of proof for name and date of birth and additional forms to prove citizenship status.
To prove your identity you can use your driver's license or photo ID. You can also use a marriage certificate, social security card, or W-2 tax form. The DMV lists further options.
If you changed your name you will need to provide a marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court order or your passport with your current name.
You will need to provide two forms of proof of address. A utility bill for water, gas, or electricity will work. You can also provide a cable internet bill, or mobile phone bill. A medical bill from a doctor or hospital is also acceptable. The DMV lists more options.
All documents must be original or a certified copy. Photocopies will not be accepted.
You also must know your Social Security number, and provide it at the DMV. If you are not eligible for a social security number, the DMV asks that you fill out form MV3741 at the DMV.
In Wisconsin, getting a Real ID is the same price as getting (or renewing) a regular driver's license — $34.
A regular photo ID costs $28.
If your current ID will not expire before 2023 and you want to get a Real ID before then, you will have to pay the cost of a duplicate card — $14.
The DMV website has a full list of driver licensing fees, including for motorcycles. | 2022-05-23T13:31:38Z | www.jsonline.com | How to get a Real ID from Wisconsin's DMV before the 2023 deadline | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/how-get-real-id-wisconsins-dmv-before-2023-deadline/9813775002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/how-get-real-id-wisconsins-dmv-before-2023-deadline/9813775002/ |
Wisconsin awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants for housing and community development
Wisconsin received more than $58 million in community development block grants as well as a combined $46 million in other grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development meant to bolster public services, support resident-led problem-solving and housing programs throughout the state.
Public housing authorities across the state also received nearly $30 million in capital fund grants, and 11 Indian Housing Block Grants totaling $25 million were allocated to Wisconsin tribes.
Here we break down what that means for the state.
What are Community Planning and Development Formula Grants?
Community planning and development formula grants are federal monies used to provide safe and affordable housing, and expand economic opportunities for people with low-to-moderate incomes. The grants include community development block grants, HOME investment partnership grants, emergency solutions grants, housing opportunities for persons with HIV/AIDS and housing trust fund grants.
Community Development Block Grants. These HUD-based grants are awarded to city and county agencies with initiatives focused on revitalizing neighborhoods, bolstering small business opportunities, supporting community centers and improving public facilities and services. Specific grant-funded projects can include public library renovations, vacant building redevelopment, road improvement or updated water infrastructure.
HOME Investment Partnerships. States and municipalities typically partner with local nonprofits to assist in the construction, purchase and/or rehabilitation of affordable housing for renters and homeowners. The funds are typically intended to support low-income households and can also be used for direct rental assistance.
Emergency Solutions Grants. These grants are used to help fund emergency shelters, transitional shelters, rehome homeless households, prevent imminent homelessness and conduct street outreach to those currently homeless.
Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS. As the only federal program for housing people with HIV/AIDS, grants under this program are designated for projects that help provide housing and supportive services to low-income people in need.
Housing Trust Fund. These funds are specifically designated for acquiring, constructing, redeveloping or rehabilitating affordable housing for very-to-extremely low-income households. At least 80% of these funds must be used for rental housing, while 10% must go toward supporting homeownership and the other 10% to supporting administrative and planning costs. The units created from these funds must remain affordable for at least 30 years.
How much did Wisconsin receive in each category of grants?
Wisconsin received $58,438,232 in community development block grants, $26,982,266 in HOME Investment Partnerships grants, $5,414,179 in emergency solutions grants, $2,259,887 in grants for Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS and $12,144,277 in Housing Trust Fund grants.
The state of Wisconsin received an estimated $23 million in community development block grants, $12 million in HOME grants, $3.5 million in emergency solutions grants, nearly $1 million in housing for people with HIV/AIDS and $12 million in housing trust fund grants.
The city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County received roughly $17 million in community development block grants, $7 million in HOME grants, $1.5 million in emergency solutions grants and $1.2 million in housing for people with HIV/AIDS. In rough estimates, Racine received $1.8 million in community development block grants, Madison received $1.9 million, West Allis received $1.2 million and La Crosse received $850,000 while Appleton, Eau Claire, and Wausau each received between $550,000 and $600,000.
What are capital fund grants?
Capital fund grants are specifically provided to county and local public housing authorities across the country. Those agencies can use the funds for developing, financing, modernizing, redesigning, updating and conducing the deferred maintenance of public housing. The funds can also be used to help residents relocate, improve safety, add technology such as on-site computers and provide homeownership education.
Under federal guidance, only 20% or less may be used for operating expenses by public housing authorities with less than 250 units. The state received a total of $29,541,775 in capital fund grants.
How can I find out how much my public housing authority received in grants?
You can click around on the map to find out how much your public housing authority received in capital fund grants.
What are Indian Housing Block Grants?
Indian Housing Block Grants are used to help finance affordable housing projects on Indian reservations and tribal areas. Such projects can include housing development, housing services and crime prevention and safety. Wisconsin received $$25,877,650 in these grants for the 2022 fiscal year.
Tribes that received the grants include the following:
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa: $1,735,232;
Forest County Potawatomi Community: $438,740;
Ho-Chunk Nation: $4,784,253;
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa: $3,537,243;
Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa: $2,174,200;
Menominee Indian Tribe: $3,134,283;
Oneida Nation: $5,416,993;
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa: $1,348,772;
Saint Croix Chippewa Indians: $1,694,270;
Sokaogon Chippewa Community: $1,026,767; and
Stockbridge-Munsee Community: $586,987 | 2022-05-23T13:31:44Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin receives $1.5 billion in federal grants from HUD | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/wisconsin-receives-1-5-billion-federal-grants-hud/9826796002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/wisconsin-receives-1-5-billion-federal-grants-hud/9826796002/ |
Students and staff returning to school this week in the Whitefish Bay School District will have to put on masks again.
In a May 20 letter to parents, the district said that students and staff at all district schools would be required to wear masks starting May 23 due to the level of community COVID spread in Milwaukee County.
According to the district's protocols, masks are required at all district schools when the Milwaukee County community level of COVID transmission reaches the "high" level based on indicators from the Centers for Disease Control.
The district also has school-based criteria based on the percentage of positive cases in a school, meaning that if positive cases in a school reach 3% or more, masks will be required in that specific school. A check of the district's COVID dashboard on May 23 showed that rate is at less than 1% at all district schools. The dashboard was most recently updated May 20.
The district will revisit the Milwaukee County Community Level and School Positivity Rates on May 27 to determine whether masks will be required the week of May 31.
"We thank you for your continued flexibility as we prioritize our collective commitment to keep students safe and in schools for the 2021-22 school year," the district said in its letter.
This decision isn't the first time in the last two months the district has required masks.
The district also implemented a districtwide mask requirement April 25 for two weeks after an increase in COVID cases in the North Shore area. That decision came after Milwaukee Public Schools reinstated its mask requirement after just one school day of making them optional. | 2022-05-23T18:19:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Masks required again at all Whitefish Bay School District schools | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/whitefish-bay/2022/05/23/masks-required-again-all-whitefish-bay-school-district-schools/9892815002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/whitefish-bay/2022/05/23/masks-required-again-all-whitefish-bay-school-district-schools/9892815002/ |
Check out these Memorial Day observances in the Milwaukee area
To honor the people who died while serving, here are some of the Memorial Day observances taking place in the Milwaukee suburbs for 2022.
Some of these take the form of parades, services, a charity walk for Operation Finally Home and an honor ride to the War Memorial Center.
This may not be a comprehensive list of observances. Check with your local veterans organization for more information on other local events.
What: Memorial Day parade
When: 10:30 a.m. May 30. Children, accompanied by adults, are invited to patriotically decorate their bikes and meet at 9:45 a.m. on the rocks near the east entrance of Elm Grove Village Park, 13600 Juneau Blvd.
Where: The parade route begins at Elm Grove Village Park and ends at Elm Grove Road and Wall Street
For more information or questions: Email memorialday@elmgrovejuniorguild.org or visit www.elmgrovejuniorguild.org/Memorial-day-parade
What: Organized by Willey-Herda American Legion Post 192, there will be a Memorial Day service with a prayer service, a discussion on Memorial Day and recognition of people who lost their lives. After the event, there will be a flag retirement ceremony at VFW Post 10394, 11310 W. Church St., Franklin. Those with worn flags are encouraged to bring them for retiring.
When: 10 to 11 a.m. May 30
Where: Franklin Public Library, 9151 W. Loomis Road
For more information: Call 262-784-2807
What: This event is slated to include more than 60 vendors, live music, a car show, an art show, kids festivities and food and beverages
When: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 28
Where: Downtown Menomonee Falls, including Village Park, N87 W16749 Garfield Drive, and Mill Pond Park, N88 W16460 Main St.
For more information: Visit www.menomoneefallsdowntown.com
What and where: The parade begins on Main Street at Harrison Avenue, travels to downtown Menomonee Falls and continues west on Main Street, then north on Grand Avenue to end at the parking lot at Neu's Building Center, N95 Falls Ave.
For more information: Visit www.fallsparades.org
Operation Finally Home 5K
What: This event is a fundraiser for Operation Finally Home, a nonprofit that provides homes and home modifications to wounded, ill or injured veterans, first responders and their families. Operation Finally Home has gifted six veteran families with homes and plans to continue that work.
When: 8 a.m. packet pickup and race day registration; 8:45 a.m. kids 1K; 9 a.m. 5K; 10 am. awards, all on May 28
Where: The race is slated to begin in Mill Pond Park, N88 W16460 Main St., adjacent to the pavilion, just north of the downtown waterfall
Cost: $32.50 for individuals for the 5K if registered by May 27 and $40 for same-day registration. The kids race is free.
For more information and to register: Visit runsignup.com/Race/WI/MenomoneeFalls/OperationFINALLYHome5K
Mequon-Thiensville
What: Annual Memorial Day parade and observance sponsored by Howard J. Schroeder American Legion Post 457
When: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 30
Where: The parade begins at Grace Lutheran Church, 303 Green Bay Road, Thiensville, and continues south to Mequon City Hall, 11333 N. Cedarburg Road, for patriotic observances.
For more information: Visit www.Post457.org or call 262-643-4328.
What: This Memorial Day event includes a memorial service, a visit with 10 notable Milwaukeeans at their graves and a history of Milwaukee tour. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the grounds
When:11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 30. 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. is the memorial service in the Historic Landmark Chapel and a laying of a wreath in the Garden of Honor; 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. a visit with 10 notable Milwaukeeans at their graves; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. is the sale of hot dogs, bratwursts, chips and soda available for a monetary donation to the Forest Home Historic Preservation Association and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. is a history of Milwaukee tour
Where: Forest Home Cemetery, 2405 W. Forest Home Ave.
Cost: Free but preregistration recommended
Registration information: bit.ly/MDobservance
What: There will be a Memorial Day Parade with an observance in front of the cemetery.
Where: The parade is slated to begin at Parkview Middle School, 930 N. Rochester St. and will end at the Mukwonago Community Library, 511 Division St. Scheduled will be an observance at Oak Knoll cemetery on Highway 83 and Washington Ave. at a stop during the parade
What: Memorial Day observance sponsored by VFW Post 8171
Where: Muskego ProHealth Regency, W181 S8540 Lodge Blvd.
For more information: Visit business.muskego.org/events/details/memorial-Day-observance-32800
What: New Berlin Memorial Day ceremony, sponsored by the Hoeppner-Horn Bros. VFW Post 5716. At this ceremony, the members of VFW Post 5716 will perform their Memorial Ritual Service, including a rifle salute. There will be a number of guest speakers, and the New Berlin Community Band will play patriotic music. The event will end with a balloon release with memorial tags.
When: 11 a.m. May 30. The event is slated to last 45 minutes to an hour.
Where: Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, 14875 W. Greenfield Ave.
For more information: Visit www.facebook.com/CityofNewBerlin
Orchestra concert
What: The Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra is slated to return to the stage for its first live performance in more than two years. The 90-minute program will include classical, patriotic and baseball-themed selections. Musical performances will be conducted by OCO Music Director Roberta Carpenter.
Where: Oconomowoc Arts Center, 641 E. Forest St.
Cost: Reserved seats are $32, with reduced rates for youth, seniors and military
For more information or to reserve tickets: Tickets are available at the OAC Box Office, 641 Forest St., or online at tickets.theoac.net.
For further information about the OCO, visit www.oconchamberorch.org or www.facebook.com/oconorch.
Harley-Davidson Honor Celebration
What: The Honor Celebration features live music by Weird Science, a car show, bike show, motorcycle ride to the War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee, a bar, food and vendors, including military and nonprofit veterans organizations.
The ride to the War Memorial Center is slated to include jeeps to accommodate all interested veterans.
A portion of all ride registration fees will be donated to the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association. A portion of all car and bike show registration fees will be donated to the VFW Unmet Needs Program.
When: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 28. Motorcycle ride registration is from 8:30 to 10 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony, including the presentation of colors, taps and the national anthem, from 10 to 10:30 a.m.
The motorcycle ride to the Wisconsin War Memorial begins at 11 a.m. Recognition of veterans and car and bike winners will be announced at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Wisconsin Harley-Davidson, 1280 Blue Ribbon Drive, Oconomowoc
Cost: $10 a person to participate in the honor ride to the War Memorial Center, all veterans receive a free T-shirt. For the bike and car show, the cost is $10 a vehicle.
For more information and for registration: Visit bit.ly/HDMemorialDayEvent.
What: Organized by the Waukesha Allied Veterans Council, the Memorial Day commemoration will begin with a service at the Lee Sherman Dreyfus State Office Building followed by a parade and concluding with a program by the Waukesha Civic Band.
When: 9 a.m. to noon May 30. The service begins at 9 a.m.; the parade at 10 and the Waukesha Civic Band performance at 11.
Where: The service is at the Lee Sherman Dreyfus State Office Building,
141 NW Barstow St., and the Waukesha Civic Band performance is at Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Ave. The parade begins at Wisconsin Avenue and Maple Street, goes through downtown a and ends at Wisconsin and Grand avenues.
For more information and for the parade route: Visit bit.ly/WaukMemorialDay.
What: West Allis is planning a Memorial Day observance ceremony featuring patriotic songs sung by the Nathan Hale choir, a flag ceremony, a rifle salute and a veterans’ tribute.
Where: Veterans Park, 6900 W. National Ave.
For more information and event updates: Visit westalliswi.gov/411/community-events
What: The Memorial Day ceremony is for veterans to connect with one another and for the community to honor the country's fallen service members. This event is also slated to give Whitefish Bay families a way to teach children the meaning behind Memorial Day and to witness traditional military customs.
Where: Armory Park, at Henry Clay Street and Ardmore Avenue
For more information: Visit www.wfbcivicfoundation.org | 2022-05-23T18:19:32Z | www.jsonline.com | These are some of the Memorial Day observances going on in the Milwaukee area | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/23/these-some-memorial-day-observances-going-milwaukee-area/7237687001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/23/these-some-memorial-day-observances-going-milwaukee-area/7237687001/ |
Adrienne Pedersen, morning news co-anchor at WISN-TV (Channel 12) since 2018, is leaving the ABC affiliate — and TV news.
Channel 12 announced Monday that Gerron Jordan, who joined the station's morning news team as live desk anchor in November, will take Pedersen's place as co-anchor of the morning newscasts alongside current co-anchor Diana Gutiérrez, meteorologist Lindsey Slater and News Chopper 12 reporter Matt Salemme.
Pedersen, who according to Channel 12 is "leaving the industry for a career outside of television," will have her last day at the station June 3.
Pedersen joined Channel 12 in 2016 as weekend evening co-anchor and weekday evening reporter. She was named co-anchor of the weekday morning newscast in 2018; in 2019, she also was named host of "Upfront," the station's Sunday morning public-affairs program formerly hosted by Mike Gousha.
Jordan, a Chicago native, came to Milwaukee from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he worked as a co-anchor at WVLA/WGMB-TV. Before that, he was at stations in St. Louis and in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
More:Jonathan Overby, host of Wisconsin Public Radio's 'The Road to Higher Ground,' named to Folk DJ Hall of Fame
More:Milwaukee's WDJT-TV (Channel 58) names Frankie Jupiter morning news co-anchor | 2022-05-23T18:19:44Z | www.jsonline.com | Adrienne Pedersen leaving Channel 12; Gerron Jordan named co-anchor | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/23/adrienne-pedersen-leaving-channel-12-gerron-jordan-named-co-anchor/9893170002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2022/05/23/adrienne-pedersen-leaving-channel-12-gerron-jordan-named-co-anchor/9893170002/ |
MADISON – First, he was booed and jeered. Then, more than a third of Wisconsin Republicans gathered at their state convention Saturday voted to oust him. But Robin Vos survived. Again.
Wisconsin's Assembly speaker remains at the center of the fight within the state Republican Party over the false claims of voter fraud successfully deployed by former President Donald Trump to build doubt over his legitimate election loss in 2020.
And on Saturday, Vos withstood a second attempt in as many years to call for his removal — a punishment Republican activists want to level for his refusal to rescind the state's 10 Electoral College votes cast for President Joe Biden.
About 36% of convention delegates voted to approve a resolution calling for Vos to resign or be removed from his position as speaker. Forty percent supported a resolution to decertify the 2020 election, which has been deemed by legal scholars and constitutional attorneys to be impossible even as Trump continues to say otherwise.
The convention resolutions are symbolic votes with no practical impact.
The vote to oust Vos came hours after he had enraged much of the convention audience by declaring again that the 2020 election was over.
"I am going to say something that I'm sorry many of you might not want to hear, but we have no ability to decertify the election and go back and nullify it — we do not," Vos told the convention crowd during a legislative panel with Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.
More:There's no legal way to decertify the 2020 election, but the Gableman report is forcing Republican candidates to confront the question
Over their boos, Vos said, "We need to focus on going forward. We need to focus on making sure that we have an election in 2022 and 2024 —." Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Paul Farrow, a former state lawmaker, interrupted Vos and the crowd's jeers to ask the delegates to "be respectful."
"We can say no, I know you disagree. And there's some of us that disagree on it. But let him talk," Farrow said.
Afterward, Vos said he didn't mind the backlash.
Biden won Wisconsin's presidential election in 2020 by about 21,000 votes. Recounts, lawsuits, a state audit and a conservative study have confirmed this win. But Trump and his allies continue to push the idea that the election was manipulated — a false claim that persists in Wisconsin political discourse nearly two years after it was first floated.
As the most powerful state lawmaker, Vos has become the symbol of Republicans' frustration despite keeping the beliefs in a stolen election alive by launching a now indefinite review of the 2020 election that is funded by taxpayers and has not revealed any evidence of significant voter fraud.
More:Wisconsin Republicans refuse to endorse any of the party's 4 candidates for governor
Russ Otten, chairman of the Sheboygan County GOP, later introduced a resolution to demand Vos resign or be removed as speaker for being "guilty of violating their oath of office by refusing to uphold the laws and standards" of the Wisconsin and state constitutions."
But the measure and a resolution to decertify the 2020 election ultimately failed.
More:Ron Johnson unifies Republicans at state convention as they remain split over issues and other candidates
"The motto of the state of Wisconsin is forward, not backwards. Let's forget about 2020. It's gone. It's done. Let's move forward," Bob Kordus of the Walworth County GOP said before the vote.
His comments were met with loud boos. | 2022-05-23T18:19:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Robin Vos survives GOP convention resolution to oust him as speaker | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/23/robin-vos-survives-wisconsin-gop-convention-resolution-oust-him-speaker/9890789002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/23/robin-vos-survives-wisconsin-gop-convention-resolution-oust-him-speaker/9890789002/ |
A Greenfield man charged with fatally stabbing his wife told police his wife suffered from chronic pain and had asked him to help her end her life, according to court records.
Braeden Ward, 48, was charged May 20 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
He's being held on $1 million cash bail.
Greenfield Police found the body of Jamie Le Ward on May 18 at her home in the 4700 block of West Maple Leaf Circle.
Braeden Ward was arrested later that day after a brief standoff in Franklin.
According to police and the criminal complaint:
A relative called police May 18 and said Braeden Ward had called her and told her that he had cut his wife's throat about 10 days earlier, and her body should be at the couple's residence on West Maple Leaf Circle.
Officers responded to the home and found the body of Jamie Ward. They said it appeared that she had been dead for "a period of time."
Braeden Ward told police that his wife had suffered from chronic pain for years and had begun to talk about killing herself, with Ward's assistance, about a year ago.
On May 3, Ward said his wife again asked him to end her life, and he agreed, using a large knife from the kitchen to stab her in the neck. About an hour later, he also stabbed her in the abdomen and legs because he said he thought he needed to drain the blood from her body.
An autopsy determined the manner of death was multiple stab wounds, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.
Ward, who was communicating with police by phone May 18, eventually told officers that he was in his vehicle near the Whitnall View Motel in Franklin.
Greenfield and Franklin police responded and found Ward sitting inside a vehicle. He told police he was armed with a handgun, but he was taken into custody without incident.
Cash bail for Ward was set at $1 million during his initial court appearance Saturday, according to online court records.
Ward is being represented by attorney Travis Schwantes, who wasn't immediately available for an interview. | 2022-05-23T20:29:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Greenfield man charged with first-degree homicide in death of his wife | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/23/greenfield-man-charged-first-degree-homicide-death-his-wife/9893602002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/23/greenfield-man-charged-first-degree-homicide-death-his-wife/9893602002/ |
Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday he will send $2.2 million in federal funding for additional security measures in downtown Milwaukee and support other police investigative efforts.
The resources come after Milwaukee officials regroup from a series of shootings May 13 in the downtown area that police said injured 21 people as thousands of revelers were walking the streets following a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game.
“The governor has been consistently making investments in public safety in Milwaukee and certainly the governor and I had conversations after the incidents happened on the 13th of this month and the governor wanted to see what the state would be able to do,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. “This is Gov. Evers again stepping up, making investments in public safety in Milwaukee.”
For downtown, the funds will help pay for police overtime costs in that area this summer, according to a news release from Evers’ office. It will also allow the city to install fencing that can be remotely raised and lowered to create pedestrian-only zones on weekends and during major events.
The money will also help the Milwaukee Police Department hire civilian contractors to manage ballistics technology used to investigate gun crimes and the processing of sexual assault kits, the release said. Forensic workstations, “night vision devices,” and a device that will provide instant, on-scene ballistics analysis can also now be purchased by using the funds.
Chief Jeffrey Norman said the fencing will help reduce incidents of reckless driving downtown, while the investigative support will have citywide benefits.
“We’re always appreciative of the help,” Norman said. “Seeing the governor give an investment to the city… helps us be able to get the job done.”
Since the shootings May 13, city officials have announced they will begin enforcing the city’s curfew ordinance for minors as a way of preventing youth crime and victimization. Johnson also said the city will adjust where food trucks can park in the downtown area to prevent loitering.
Police said Monday that 11 curfew citations have been issued since the enforcement measure was announced May 17.
None of the 11 arrests police announced in connection with the May 13 shootings were minors, although the victims included a 16-year-old female and 15-year-old male.
But as a violent crime wave in Milwaukee and cities across the nation continues to persist since its arrival in 2020, minors have also been caught up in violence.
Between 54 and 61 minors were victims of homicides and nonfatal shootings each year from 2016 through 2019, according to the Milwaukee Homicides Review Commission. Those numbers rose to 99 in 2020 and 137 in 2021.
As of May 9, there have been 37 juvenile victims of such incidents in 2022. Ten minors have been identified as suspects in such incidents, or 7% of all suspects in homicides and nonfatal shootings, according to the commission.
The May 13 shootings were reminiscent of a spate of downtown shootings following Bucks games during the summer of 2021. Officials have said a primary factor behind the incidents is the knack for young people below legal drinking age to “tailgate” in the downtown during large events.
Officials have associated the tailgating with loitering, drinking, smoking, gun-carrying and various disturbances.
One of the May 13 shootings, which injured at least 16 people, was centered around an area of Water Street where food trucks commonly park on weekends. Last week, Johnson said the city would adjust were food trucks can park because it is a location “where folks have been congregating and participating in some of this poor activity.” | 2022-05-23T20:29:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Gov. Evers sends $2.2 million for public safety efforts in Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/gov-evers-sends-2-2-million-public-safety-efforts-milwaukee/9896825002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/23/gov-evers-sends-2-2-million-public-safety-efforts-milwaukee/9896825002/ |
Opinion: Milwaukee should definitely host the RNC. It will raise the city's profile.
Omar Shaikh
If Milwaukee is selected to host the Republican National Convention, the city will benefit from $200 million in economic impact.
That's $200 million to help 50,000 Milwaukeeans employed by hospitality businesses. And that’s $200 million to help countless local businesses, many of whom were ravaged by the pandemic and are still struggling due to supply-chain issues and labor shortages.
But beyond the immediate windfall, the RNC will positively elevate the profile of our city throughout the world, attracting other major events to southeastern Wisconsin for the long-term, and leading to more business and more money invested in our economy. That helps every resident and business in our region.
As a business owner, parent, former board chair of VISIT Milwaukee, and someone who deeply loves this community, the RNC is an undeniable game-changer.
My perspective hasn’t changed since we bid and landed the Democratic National Convention. I said it then and I will say it today: All major political parties should choose Milwaukee. It is not about red or blue. It is about the green that these major events bring to a city.
Just before the city began bidding on the DNC, the Wisconsin Center hosted a large convention for a group that had local and national detractors. But, at the end of the day, that group filled our restaurants, bars and hotels and left a lot of money behind in the process. What stuck with me most, though, was a conversation I had with one of my servers at Carnevor in the lead-up to that convention. When we were planning staffing to welcome this group, my server began crying when it hit her that, thanks to this convention, her kids would soon experience their best Christmas yet.
That is what it means to bring meetings business to Milwaukee, and that is why I am voicing my support for the 2024 RNC today.
With 45,000 attendees from around the country, this convention will provide an immediate boost to the businesses and their employees hurt worst by the pandemic. It will also elevate the perception of our city, thanks to the thousands of members of the media who will be here showcasing to the world what an amazing, exciting, and safe place Milwaukee is. Milwaukee’s pursuit of this convention alone has already generated 6 billion impressions, or roughly the reach of an entire Super Bowl’s worth of ads. This exposure keeps the city top of mind for travelers, meeting planners, and businesses alike.
In the years since Cleveland hosted the RNC in 2016, meeting leads have nearly doubled. Cleveland also attributes its landing of the 2021 NFL Draft, the 2019 MLB All-Star Game and the 2022 NBA All-Star game in part because of the vetting from the RNC.
Other long-term benefits are nothing to scoff at. In 2012, for that year’s Republican National Convention, cellular providers collectively invested millions in Tampa Bay’s data networks. In the lead-up to Cleveland’s RNC, AT&T alone invested $325 million in wireless and wired network upgrades. Upgrades like these would improve quality of life for all Milwaukeeans.
These kind of investments and exposure equal growth in our community, and that growth creates more visitors, more residents, and a stronger Milwaukee for many years to come. This is the growth Milwaukee deserves, and we must think of the 2024 Republican National Convention as a key component to get us there.
Omar Shaikh is owner of Carnevor and co-owner/founder of 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee. | 2022-05-23T20:29:27Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee should definitely host RNC. It will raise our profile. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/23/milwaukee-should-definitely-host-rnc-raise-our-profile/9896254002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/23/milwaukee-should-definitely-host-rnc-raise-our-profile/9896254002/ |
SAN DIEGO - There was both good news and bad news for the Milwaukee Brewers regarding the extent of starting pitcher Freddy Peralta’s right shoulder injury.
Manager Craig Counsell said Monday that the Brewers expect Peralta to pitch again this season, including in the playoffs should they qualify for the fifth consecutive year, but the diagnosis of a right posterior shoulder strain means he will miss a “significant” amount of time.
“He will be back this season but it’s going to be a lengthy absence,” Counsell said. “We’re confident that there’s gonna be no kind of, like, after effects to this thing but it’s going to take a while to heal and then build it back up.”
The Brewers are confident there will be no lasting effects from the injury, which will not require surgery.
Peralta exited Sunday’s contest against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning and underwent imaging on the shoulder Monday.
The 2021 National League all-star has a 3.15 earned run average in 35 starts dating back to last season.
There will be time for Peralta to get a base underneath him in terms of building his arm up in game action, but the Brewers don’t have a timetable for how long Peralta will be shut down at the moment.
“I don’t know the answer (to that),” Counsell said when asked about a shut-down period. “The best I can say right now is we expect him to pitch again this year, but it’s gonna be a significant chunk of time.”
Aaron Ashby will step into Peralta’s spot in the starting rotation in his absence. The team’s top pitching prospect entering the season, Ashby has oscillated between starting and relieving this season.
“Every loss and every loss of significance of who Freddy is chips away at your group of pitchers,” Counsell said. “We have a very capable replacement in the starting rotation but Aaron has impacted us in other places. The way we were trending, Aaron was probably going to impact us in the bullpen a little bit more as we move forward.
“So we lose that and that means somebody else has to step up and try to set a very high bar with his performance here.”
Josh Hader not with team
The Brewers will be without another all-star pitcher during their three game series in San Diego, which began Monday night.
Closer Josh Hader was placed on the family medical emergency list while remaining at home with his wife, Maria, who is experiencing complications with her pregnancy, Counsell said.
“They are at a stage where Josh did not feel comfortable leaving,” Counsell said. “Josh will not be with us for this series and then he’s just playing it day by day going forward.”
Hader has yet to allow a run this season in 15 games, recording a save each time out. He has set the major-league record for most consecutive outings with a save to begin the season.
The three-time NL reliever of the year award winner missed the Brewers game Wednesday due to a family emergency, as well.
Down two arms, the Brewers recalled Trevor Kelley and Miguel Sánchez from Class AAA Nashville.
Brewers utilizing taxi squad
For the first time in 2022, Milwaukee is traveling with a handful of players on its taxi squad.
With an 11-game, 10-day road trip beginning Monday and facing potentially difficult travel circumstances if they needed to fly a player out to San Diego on short notice, the Brewers felt most comfortable having potential active roster replacements with the team.
Pitcher Peter Strzelecki, catcher Alex Jackson and utility man Mark Mathias were present in the visiting clubhouse at Petco Park. A team is permitted to carry up to five players on its taxi squad for all road trips.
For Strzelecki, an undrafted free agent signing by Milwaukee in 2018, it marks his first time in a big-league clubhouse. The right-handed reliever wasn’t with the Brewers on the major-league side in spring training, either. | 2022-05-24T02:09:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Freddy Peralta injury update: Right shoulder will require long absence | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/23/freddy-peralta-injury-update-right-shoulder-require-long-absence/9891343002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/23/freddy-peralta-injury-update-right-shoulder-require-long-absence/9891343002/ |
Growing up in Milwaukee, rarely far from Lake Michigan, artist Khari Turner thought about water "all the time," including its leading role in the composition of human bodies.
While doing a residency in Venice, California, he used a little Pacific Ocean water in a painting.
Then his brain "exploded."
"What locations can I put into this? I can now physically put actual history into the paintings in one way or another," he said during an interview at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, where his artwork is on view.
"if I go to a location where maybe a massacre happened, or maybe a baptism happened, I can put the water in that location in this work, and then talk about that space at the same time."
"Mirroring Reflection" at MOWA in West Bend brings together 20 of Turner's recent paintings, which blend abstraction with realistic depiction of Black lips and noses. While his focus on those facial features began with a different motivation, it became "an opportunity to talk about beauty, or to talk about breath and liveliness … an opportunity to talk about something beautiful, and about something that matters."
Also, given the past two years of mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is surprising, even startling to see lips and noses featured rather than hidden.
Turner said he paints "Jackson Pollock's way," with canvases lying flat on tables. Water comes first, he said. "It's only after the water is set and dry that I start actually working on maybe the color and texture and all that other stuff."
Incorporating natural sources of water is not only a symbolic gesture. The mineral composition of river, lake and ocean water affects paint. Ink dropped into a jar of tap water will disperse and "pretty much diffuse," he said. But ocean water will create crystals and particle effects, Turner noted.
True to his epiphany at Venice Beach, Turner has sourced water from the coast of Virginia, where the first slave ship landed in 1619, and from Alabama, where the remains of the Clotilda, the last slave ship, were discovered along the Mobile River. A friend brought him water from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal. He also uses water from Lake Michigan, the other Great Lakes and the Milwaukee River.
Giving credit to Lake Valley Camp
Turner, 31, thinks he always knew he wanted to be an artist, though he spent time trying to figure out how he could make art without being poor.
A formative experience in his life was the 13 summers he spent as a camper, mentor and counselor at Lake Valley Camp in Boscobel, run by The PEAK Initiative, including two years as the art specialist.
"It gave me an opportunity to be my full self without any type of judgment," said the artist, who would one day like to create a holistic community center that could include art activities for kids as well as a food pantry and shelter.
Turner graduated from Brown Deer High School. During non-summer months, he worked retail and warehouse jobs, their routine alleviated by his experiences as a Milwaukee Bucks cheerleader and member of the Rim Rockers crew.
But Lake Valley galvanized him to go to Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, where he earned his bachelor's degree in fine arts, followed by a master's degree at Columbia University in New York.
"I focus on Black history to celebrate my ancestors for surviving the challenges they faced, not to display their pain," Turner writes in an artist's statement on his website. "I paint to bring the stories and histories with images holding an elegance and chaos that comes with this existence."
More:Ck Ledesma, Nirmal Raja are named Milwaukee Arts Board's Artists of the Year
More:'Everyone can be an artist': Children are invited to help create a mural at Village Park in Menomonee Falls
"Khari Turner: Mirroring Reflection" is on view through July 10 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, 205 Veterans Ave., West Bend. For information, visit wisconsinart.org or call (262) 334-9638. Khari Turner will give an artist talk at 2 p.m. June 18 at the museum. | 2022-05-24T12:36:02Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee artist Khari Turner uses locally sourced water in paintings | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/05/24/milwaukee-artist-khari-turner-incorporates-water-paintings-black-life/9805783002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/05/24/milwaukee-artist-khari-turner-incorporates-water-paintings-black-life/9805783002/ |
BEER HERE
A dream 20 years in the making will come to life when Torzala Brewing Co. opens in Bay View
When Jeff Torzala was a kid, his dad would always bring home Miller shirts, hats, signs, cups and mirrors. He was a carpenter for the brewing company.
"I probably looked like a little brewery representative," Torzala laughed.
With brewing in his blood, Torzala dreamed of opening his own brewery for decades.
"I've been chasing this dream for probably 20-plus years," he said.
His dream will become a reality in June, when he and his wife, Tricia, open Torzala Brewing Co. on the second floor of the Lincoln Warehouse, 2018 S. 1st St., in Bay View.
The brewery will focus on "traditional beers" to honor Milwaukee's deep brewing history.
"I want to make sure that us, in our space, are able to pay homage to that era and to our roots," said Torzala, a Mukwonago resident.
Offerings will include pale ales, pilsners, stouts, lagers, porters and a Munich-style helles, he said.
Some brews were designed off of recipes from "days gone by" and styles that used to be prevalent in the area, Torzala explained. Others were based off of what family and friends enjoy.
The taproom will initially offer about five beers on tap, then expand to 10. For non-beer options, the brewery plans to offer sodas, tea, possibly hard seltzers and coffee in partnership with local roasters. Someday, Torzala wants to create his own sodas as well.
For food, the brewing company is looking to partner with local restaurants for delivery, as well as food trucks. Down the road, Torzala said, the taproom will offer in-house eats.
From homebrewing to chasing the dream
After studying electronics engineering at DeVry University in Arizona, Torzala worked around the country — and also Belgium — falling more in love with the craft beer industry everywhere he went.
"It wasn't just to me about brewing good beer," he said. "I also really enjoyed being around the people in the industry."
He started homebrewing in the late 1990s or early 2000s and developed a passion for it.
Knowing he eventually wanted to start his own brewery, Torzala got his MBA from Rollins College in Florida and took brewing classes at Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago.
After moving back to Wisconsin to care for his dad, Torzala participated in "Barley to Barrel," a 10-week craft brewery incubator program, where he learned about opening a brewery and networked with locals in the industry.
He worked in the aggregate mining industry but stepped away from that during the COVID-19 pandemic to teach his and Tricia's 5-year-old twin daughters and nephew 4K. Tricia is a psychotherapist.
Around the time he started looking at jobs again, he said, he came across a Facebook post that Component Brewing Co., which opened in the Lincoln Warehouse in 2018, was moving to a larger spot on the first floor of the building. Component debuted its new taproom earlier this year.
Torzala thought "this might be the opportunity to chase the dream." It was.
What to expect, opening date
The space — which was also once home to Eagle Park Brewing — has a "modern rustic," comfortable and earthy feel, Torzala said.
The taproom — which has a max capacity of 49 — will feature an array of woods, warm lighting and tables handmade out of different species of trees.
A lot of family and friends have been helping get the brewery ready to launch, Torzala said, including his brother-in-law Jake Palubicki and lifelong friend Brian Michalak.
The brewery plans to open June 18.
It feels "surreal," Torzala said.
"When you know you have a passion for something, I think you just have to trust that instinct that you have and that passion and that gut feeling," he said. "Obviously, there are no guarantees in life, so give it a shot and make it happen."
While the taproom's hours aren't yet set in stone, the owners are thinking 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday; and during games.
For more information or updates, visit facebook.com/torzalabrewing. | 2022-05-24T12:36:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Torzala Brewing Co to offer traditional beers at new Milwaukee brewery | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/beer/2022/05/24/torzala-brewing-co-offer-traditional-beers-new-milwaukee-brewery/9798700002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/beer/2022/05/24/torzala-brewing-co-offer-traditional-beers-new-milwaukee-brewery/9798700002/ |
Here are 8 waterparks within driving distance for Milwaukee families
Your kids love swimming. But sometimes they want to do something water-related that's a bit more exciting than just swimming.
Lucky for them, there are plenty of swimming destinations with slides, playgrounds, splash pads and features to spray them and dump water on them to their hearts' content.
Lucky for you, quite a few of them are in driving distance.
Check out our guide to water parks within driving distance for Milwaukee families.
Schultz Aquatic Park
This water park is in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park, 1301 W. Hampton Ave. It has a bucket dump and spray jets, spray posts and water troughs for kids to play in the water. There's even a lazy river.
The waterpark's season will be June 11-Aug. 20. Check the Milwaukee County Parks website for hours and admission prices.
TOSA Pool at Hoyt Park
The Hoyt Park pool, 1800 N. Swan Blvd. in Wauwatosa, has a storied past. Popular for years as a neighborhood pool, it was eventually closed as a result of Milwaukee County budget cuts. Neighbors didn't take that lightly and banded together to open a completely revitalized water park.
There are slides, a zero-depth-entrance pool and a water playground. Plus, there are concessions, movies on summer nights and even a beer garden.
Opening day is May 28. Open swim is available 1:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 1:30-6 p.m. Fridays, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and holidays and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Evening swim is 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Parent/tot swim (ages 6 and under) is 9-11 a.m. Mondays-Fridays. There are also extra hours throughout the week for season pass holders.
Admission is $9 per session. Children 2 and under are free. Season passes are also available for purchase.
Wiberg Aquatic Center
If you want to stay in the Waukesha County area but are more interested in being outside than in, the Wiberg Aquatic Center at Wirth Park, 2585 N. Pilgrim Road, Brookfield, is a good choice.
There are diving boards, flume slides and water playground features for your kids to enjoy.
Opening day is June 4, but there are only evening hours the week of June 6-10. Normally, the center is open weekdays 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for the zero-depth pool, 1-4:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. for the full facility; and 1-8 p.m. on weekends and the Fourth of July.
The Springs Water Park at The Ingleside Hotel
Even though The Springs Water Park is in Pewaukee's The Ingleside Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, you don't have to stay overnight to enjoy the water attractions, as day passes (and birthday party packages) are available.
The water park has three slides (two tube slides and a body slide); the Waukesha WaterWorks water playground, which has its own children's slides and a dump bucket; and Night Fall Springs, an indoor/outdoor whirlpool.
If you're willing to go all out and spend the night, Great Wolf Lodge is right across the street from Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills, at 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee, Ill. Day passes are also available for purchase.
The indoor waterpark is massive, with family and individual water slides, a lazy river, a water playground, a wave pool and a wading pool and splash pad with spray features for little ones. There's also an outdoor swimming pool for when the weather's nice.
Timber Ridge Lodge
Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark is a hotel on the grounds of Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva, at 7020 Grand Geneva Way.
The waterpark has both indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, a lazy river and an area for young children with swings, slides, spouts and a water table. Overnight stays include passes to the waterpark, and day passes are also available, including a Toddling at Timber Ridge day program available to young children and their caregivers.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is adjacent to Great America, at 1 Great America Parkway. Your admission fee includes a day packed with water fun, including the Buccaneer Bay water playground with plenty of lounging space for Mom and Dad. There's also the Dive Bomber, a water ride where you fall through a trap door; a surf simulator and plenty of water slides, including the Mega Wedgie (enough said).
This outdoor waterpark in Yorkville, Il., 4000 N. Bridge St., is about 2 hours south of Milwaukee. It has several water slides, a lazy river, children's areas, a water playground and a sandy beach area. The park opens for the season on June 4. | 2022-05-24T12:36:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Great Wolf Lodge, Hurricane Harbor among waterparks near Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2022/05/24/great-wolf-lodge-six-flags-hurricane-harbor-schultz-aquatic-park-in-milwaukee-among-area-waterparks/9618849002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2022/05/24/great-wolf-lodge-six-flags-hurricane-harbor-schultz-aquatic-park-in-milwaukee-among-area-waterparks/9618849002/ |
Representatives of more than a dozen youth-serving agencies gathered with Milwaukee’s mayor and police chief Monday to highlight a number of summer programs aimed at children, teens and twentysomethings.
The effort comes during a recent push from city officials and other stakeholders to find ways to prevent youth crime and victimization in the summer months during a time of historic violent crime in the city.
“You can go to a makerspace, you can work, you can eat, you can swim, you can play basketball, you can have conflict resolution,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a press conference outside the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee. “There are so many things that are available to young people in Milwaukee.”
Last week, Johnson and Police Chief Jeffrey Norman announced the city would begin enforcing the city’s curfew ordinance for minors. After six days, police said 11 citations had been written as of Monday afternoon.
“We all know the challenges Milwaukee experiences with our youth, especially when it comes to senseless violence and also reckless driving,” Norman said. “We cannot just sit by and watch our kids, our young, be idle.
“We all need to be part of the solution, we all need to be part of the effort. There is no bystanders allowed in this particular lift.”
Here is a list of organizations who spoke at Monday’s press event and a glance at the summer programming they provide:
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee: Offers programs for all ages, including families, and access to academic programs, an urban garden, art and science labs, an indoor skating rink, a remodeled gymnasium and outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, fishing and rock climbing.
Employee Milwaukee: Offers a summer youth employment program for anyone ages 14 to 24.
Milwaukee Public Library: Offers reading programs and makerspace events for teens interested in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The library is also recruiting workers for an AmeriCorps program that facilitates child access to technology and reading.
Milwaukee Recreation: Hosts free evening recreation programs at “twilight centers” for anyone ages 10 to 18, with access to sports, games, swimming and enrichment activities. Hosts midnight sports leagues for anyone ages 17 to 29. Offers $5 swimming classes and other programs for youth with disabilities.
Beyond the Bell: Runs a website that advertises programs across the city for young people.
Boys and Girls Club of Milwaukee: Offers various programs for sports, arts, education, college and career preparation, health and wellness, leadership services and social and emotional development across 40 locations in Milwaukee.
Running Rebels: Offers basketball leagues for anyone ages 8 to 15 and other programs for those as old as 19, including one-on-one mentoring, educational programs and workforce development.
Safe & Sound: Provides programming at Milwaukee Recreation events, including youth dialogue sessions about reckless driving, crime, drugs, police and other community issues.
City on a Hill: Hosts “Super Saturday Celebrations” weekly throughout the summer for children ages 3 to 12 and other activities for those ages 6 through 18 on weekdays.
COA Youth and Family Centers: Offers programs for teens focusing on youth leadership, academics, barbershop Mondays, video game tournaments, storytelling, basketball and healthy relationships.
Journey House: offers programming for a range of athletics, including baseball, basketball, football and soccer, along with other programs focusing on dancing and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
Milwaukee Christian Center: Hosts two summer camps at the Kosciusko Community Center and Forest Home Avenue School that employs more than 30 youth to clean and beautify neighborhoods.
Neu-Life Community Development: Offers summer programs for youth ages 4 to 18 involving summer camp, arts, health and wellness and family programs.
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center: Offers experiential learning opportunities focusing on social and emotional development, wellness, agriculture and field trips to destinations around the city and state. | 2022-05-24T12:36:32Z | www.jsonline.com | Here's a list of summer programming for young people in Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/24/heres-list-summer-programming-young-people-milwaukee/9890999002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/24/heres-list-summer-programming-young-people-milwaukee/9890999002/ |
'Pop-up' in-person absentee voting could come to Milwaukee hubs like Gee's Clippers, Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee community hubs like Fiserv Forum downtown and Gee's Clippers on King Drive could serve as "pop-up" in-person absentee voting sites in this year's elections for governor and U.S. Senate.
"There are a lot of people out here with no transportation, navigating through life on minimal resources, so if we can make it a little bit easier for them to take care of something that could possibly change their life, or change the lives of many in this world, then let's do it," said Gaulien "Gee" Smith, owner of Gee's Clippers.
The owner of the popular barbershop said he would love to open his doors to such efforts in future elections as well and believes businesses across the community should, too.
The voting sites could pop up in conjunction with events not only at Gee's but also at locations such as Coffee Makes You Black on North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said.
They are just a few of the 27 potential locations that got the nod from the Common Council's Judiciary and Legislation Committee on Monday. The list will go before the full council June 1.
However, all of the sites will not necessarily be used. The list represents a mix of possible pop-up and daily locations, in addition to places the city previously installed unstaffed drop boxes on which the state Supreme Court is set to rule.
"They are not binding, but as we learned in 2020, we don’t want to live with the regret of leaving one off!" Woodall-Vogg wrote in an email of the possible locations.
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, the Election Commission in August announced plans to use Fiserv Forum and what was then Miller Park (now American Family Field) as in-person absentee voting locations before backtracking in October due to concerns over potential legal challenges.
The change of course followed a federal court ruling rejecting requests to expand in-person absentee voting and a Wisconsin Elections Commission notice to clerks saying the state agency had "no ability to authorize" clerks to designate alternate or additional sites for in-person absentee voting for the November election. Those sites had to have been designated by June 12, the notice stated.
As the coronavirus pandemic was raging that fall, the city broke historical records when 61,323 voters cast ballots at in-person absentee voting locations, according to the legislation approved by the committee. That amounted to 36% of all absentee ballots cast.
Woodall-Vogg anticipated the city would offer 12 to 15 daily locations, in addition to the pop-up sites.
The Nov. 8 election will be the highest-profile since the 2020 race in which Democrat Joe Biden beat then-incumbent Republican President Donald Trump.
Biden beat Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. Trump sought recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, which confirmed Biden's win. Trump sued and the state Supreme Court upheld the results on a 4-3 vote on Dec. 14, 2020.
This fall, Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson will face challengers. Who will oppose the two incumbents will be determined in the Aug. 9 primary.
As for why the Election Commission is launching these new sites now, Woodall-Vogg said, "Why not?"
On the list of potential locations are resource centers like the Social Development Commission on North Avenue.
Woodall-Vogg said she'd like to see that center and others like it become regular, daily voting hubs to reach people who might not otherwise be engaged in the democratic process. Potential voters regularly arrive at resource centers already in possession of the documents they need to register and cast a ballot, she said.
In addition, Serb Hall on West Oklahoma Avenue and Mexican Fiesta on South 20th Street will be added to the daily in-person absentee voting sites to serve a need for larger locations on the city's south side, Woodall-Vogg said.
They will function similar to the Midtown Shopping Center on Capitol Drive on the city's north side and will help address the longer lines at Zablocki Library on West Oklahoma Avenue, she said.
"We also think that they will both serve as important anchors as we work to make sure that our Latino community has the resources they need and the knowledge in order to register and to vote if they so choose," she told the committee.
Finally, she said she included in the list the locations of the city's 15 secure, unstaffed absentee ballot drop boxes in case the state Supreme Court's pending ruling on their legality requires that the drop boxes be noticed like the other voting locations. | 2022-05-24T12:36:44Z | www.jsonline.com | Gee's Clippers, Fiserv Form may be hubs for Milwaukee "pop-up" voting | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/24/gees-clippers-fiserv-form-may-hubs-milwaukee-pop-up-voting/9862603002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/24/gees-clippers-fiserv-form-may-hubs-milwaukee-pop-up-voting/9862603002/ |
Some area beaches will be without lifeguards this summer.
Pewaukee Beach is one of a number in the county that will be "swim at your own risk" because of a shortage of applicants, according to Monica Kaskey, director of recreation for the city of Pewaukee.
"We’ve seen challenges with all of our seasonal staff," Kaskey said. "We have always struggled with lifeguards. It takes additional certification, and it also seems like we have a lot of competition from retail and food services. We also don’t have a pool at the high school. Our swim team competes at other schools. So it’s been tougher for us, overall.”
Kaskey said she was only able to conduct three interviews for lifeguard positions this year. Two others were reached out to about interviews but never responded.
Ideally, the beach requires at least eight or nine lifeguards for a season. Three people work each shift unless there is inclement weather. They take breaks for 20 minutes every hour to get a break from the sun, but one lifeguard is always scanning the water between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pay is $13-$15 per hour.
"There is definitely more of a concern when you staff the beach minimally rather than appropriately," Kaskey said. "It gives a false sense of security to people. That’s why we need to staff three lifeguards at a time and have enough for the season."
More:Waukesha County beaches will open this weekend with no lifeguards on duty
Kaskey said staffing shortages have affected many of the seasonal opportunities offered by the city, like camps and sports. Availability is a big reason, she said, stating that staffing camps has taken more people with fewer shifts than in the past, with fewer people taking more shifts.
It is possible that if enough lifeguards applied, there could be lifeguards stationed at Pewaukee Beach this summer. However, that will not be the case to start the season Memorial Day weekend.
As always when there are no lifeguards on duty, signs will be posted at the beach.
“We understand that safety is a concern,” Kaskey said. “We request that if utilizing the beach, please make sure that if you have a low-level swimmer, make sure they’re being watched by a parent or guardian or a high-level swimmer nearby and to make sure you’re a strong swimmer if you’re going to swim in the lake."
Elsewhere in Lake Country, city of Oconomowoc's beaches City Beach and Bender Beach will be staffed with lifeguards for the 2022 season.
"I sympathize for the facilities that must close or revert to 'swim at your own risk' and hope that the lifeguard shortage takes a turn soon," said Oconomowoc city recreation manager Jennifer Froemming. "As someone that began their career as a lifeguard over 30 years ago, it is a great summer job, and as a manager, I work hard to ensure working at our beach is a place where our team wants to be, so they return year after year."
Froemming said she has seen a shortage of lifeguard applications over the years as well.
"Unfortunately, like others, we are seeing a nationwide lifeguard shortage affecting facilities, and it becomes more and more challenging each year," she said in an email. "We continue to work hard to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for Oconomowoc families and have been able to hang in there staffing our beach for the season."
A shortage in lifeguards is a national trend. Waukesha County will have six county beaches that are "swim at your own risk" this summer. They are Fox Brook Park, Menomonee Park, Minooka Park, Mukwonago Park, Muskego Park and Naga-Waukee Park. The latter four have been without lifeguards for several years. | 2022-05-24T15:45:59Z | www.jsonline.com | Lake Country beaches see shortage of lifeguards for 2022 summer | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/24/lake-country-beaches-see-shortage-lifeguards-2022-summer/9896719002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/24/lake-country-beaches-see-shortage-lifeguards-2022-summer/9896719002/ |
Wisconsin State Fair 2022: Kansas with Asia headlining main stage Aug. 5
The Wisconsin State Fair is close to closing out its main stage lineup for 2022. The latest headliner the fair has announced: Kansas, performing Aug. 5.
Asia featuring John Payne will open the 7:30 p.m. show, promising fans several rock staples of the mid '70s to early '80s, including Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind," and Asia's "Heat of the Moment" and "Don't Cry."
Reserved seats, at between $30 and $40, go on sale at 9 a.m. June 2 at wistatefair.com. They include general admission to the fair for Aug. 5.
Just two main stage show slots remain to be filled for the 2022 fair, which runs Aug. 4 to 14.
The other headliners include: Toby Keith, on Aug. 4; Jeff Dunham, Aug. 6; the Happy Together tour, Aug. 7; Zach Williams, Aug. 8; Kidz Bop Live, Aug. 9; Charlie Berens, Aug. 10; Nelly, Aug. 12; and the Oak Ridge Boys, Aug. 14. | 2022-05-24T15:46:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin State Fair 2022 announces Kansas with Asia headlining Aug. 5 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/05/24/wisconsin-state-fair-2022-announces-kansas-asia-headlining-aug-5/9905950002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/05/24/wisconsin-state-fair-2022-announces-kansas-asia-headlining-aug-5/9905950002/ |
An oasis in Riverwest: How a food pantry learned to find 'kinship' in a Milwaukee neighborhood
It’s early April, and it's still chilly, but after months of serving shoppers in the parking lot during the darkest days of a COVID-19 winter, everyone at the food pantry is back inside the basement at St. Casimir Catholic Church.
It’s a welcome bit of grace at Kinship Community Food Center. One of many.
Vin Noth, the executive director of Kinship in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood, calls the volunteers into a circle. The rail-thin Milwaukee native is a bundle of energy. Years ago, he trained as an actor, then served in the Peace Corps and settled finally back in his home town. His brief monologue is part infomercial for pantry services and part a call to service. He ends with prayer.
“Let’s pause for a moment just to welcome the spirit of goodness, and truth, and beauty, and love into this space,” he intones. “This community can become a prayer, a prayer for the whole city, a prayer that no child in the city will go to bed hungry, a prayer that that no person who is isolated will remain isolated. … We're asking you to join us, whatever your tradition, as we cry out for a better city.
And then, the silence is broken by the lively cacophony of shoppers, the swish of plastic bags and the creak of metal carts loaded with canned goods and produce being rolled across the floor.
More:The lessons I've learned in feeding Milwaukee's hungry
Formerly known as Riverwest Food Pantry, the organization was founded in 1979 to care for the hungry. The pantry’s new name evokes a broader mission that began percolating a few years ago: the idea that food is a convener and can open doors to meet other pressing needs for impoverished neighbors.
Our family has volunteered for several years at Kinship, and the parish we belong to has made it a priority. It's one of many organizations and individuals across Wisconsin that are bringing people together in service. The USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is highlighting some of them this year as part of our Wisconsin Weavers Project, an idea borrowed from The Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Aspen started Weave: The Social Fabric Project in 2018 to help solve the problem of broken social trust that has left many Americans divided. Aspen works to find weavers, tell their stories and offer them support and connection.
At Kinship, an emphasis on dignity
Kinship's community food center model is based on other successful approaches, notably The Stop, a Toronto organization that has used healthy food to bring people together for 35 years in “spaces that are warm, dignified, and respectful."
That emphasis on dignity is a key. Kinship shoppers select their own food, can watch cooking demonstrations and get a bite to eat and a cup of coffee. In addition to healthy food, some of it home grown at Kinship's farm, they often get pre-packed special meals with recipes to guide preparation. The whole experience is meant to feel like a visit to the corner grocer, and there is evidence this kind of approach helps people live healthier lives.
A three-year study of Freshplace, an innovative food pantry in Hartford, Conn., found that people who shopped there were more likely to be food secure, more self-sufficient, and ate more fruits and vegetables than patrons of traditional pantries.
While the Freshplace model is not precisely the same as Kinship's, there are similarities. Freshplace members “shop” the pantry by appointment rather than waiting in line. Volunteers trained in nutrition co-shop with patrons, and help shoppers develop their own nutrition plans. The pantry is set up like a grocery store.
Kinship measures all the usual things — number of people served, pounds of high demand, nutritious food distributed, amount of produce grown at its urban farm and gardens. And it’s beginning to focus on qualitative measures, too, through long-form interviews, focus groups and surveys. Are people cooking more at home? Are they developing healthier eating habits? Could a food pantry distributing healthy food help lower diabetes rates in its neighborhood?
'Not a place of stigma, a place of destination'
But the experience needs to feel right, and shoppers told me that it does.
“This is a warm, welcoming place for people that are in need — and for those not in need, the ones who need help and the ones who want to help,” said LaToya Johnson, 21, a first-time shopper, who was picking out produce.
“Instead of a place of stigma, it’s a place of destination,” Noth said. “You get here, there’s a ton of great food, there are some prepared foods, you can sit down and meet somebody that’s different from you.”
That's another key point: building connections is a big part of what Kinship tries to do.
Many of the volunteers come from Milwaukee’s well-to-do suburbs; the shoppers generally are from the neighborhood and have far fewer material comforts. The pantry works hard to disrupt the notion that these differences in class, status and bank account mean that the people themselves are essentially different.
There is a common refrain that is repeated like a mantra here: Everyone at the pantry gives and everyone receives.
At Kinship, everyone wears the same nametags, everyone is encouraged to get a cup of coffee or a snack and sit down to chat with someone they don’t know. (Breaking the invisible cultural and social barriers can be uncomfortable for new volunteers but well worth the effort in my experience).
In addition, all volunteers take the pantry’s “101 training,” which helps them understand the demographics of hunger in Milwaukee and the systems that perpetuate food insecurity.
“Who’s a shopper? Who’s a volunteer? Who’s both? If you just walked in here, everyone has the same name tags, and you just see a bunch of people talking at a table, which is really cool,” says Savannah Hagen, 23, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
An Illinois native, Hagen is one of Kinship’s mission interns, who give a year of their lives in service and live communally in the neighborhood. About half of them end up staying in the neighborhood after their stint ends.
“I love the sense of community that they foster here,” says Amelia Strahan, 26, a freelance costume designer and frequent volunteer. “It’s this idea that everyone has something to give and everyone has something to receive. It really refills my tank emotionally.”
Housing insecurity, food insecurity deeply entwined
Here's another takeaway: Don't try to be a savior. You're not here to "fix" anybody. You're here to be in solidarity with them.
The most common problem that comes up in addition to hunger is housing insecurity, and the two are often deeply interwoven. About half of the people Kinship serves are families, and nearly a quarter are on a fixed income. About half are spending half of their monthly income on housing. “The most chronic problem at the crisis assistance table is families short on rent,” Noth says. “Kids are food insecure, in part, because they’re housing insecure.”
And peoples’ lives can be messy and complicated. As the staff at Kinship say, people sometimes come in after they have just experienced the worst 48 hours of their lives. Maybe they’ve been evicted, lost someone to gun violence, gone without food for several days. Or maybe, they are just lonely.
And sometimes, the most you can do is be present.
“If you focus on trying to ‘fix’ somebody or ‘save’ somebody, you’re going to get burned out. But if you focus on trying to know somebody and be with them, and stand with them, you end up making friends, and you end up seeing yourself in kinship with them,” Noth says.
He tells the story of a young man who visited Kinship one recent Tuesday. The man had just been released from prison and was looking for work, work he was confident he could find, but he didn’t have a job yet and he was hungry. He also needed help securing vital documents that most of us would take for granted.
Noth helped him and listened. He heard a surprising story.
"And then the story came out," Noth recalls. "His brother had been shot and killed two weeks ago. His mom had a massive stroke.
“And, all of a sudden, I realized that there’s not one wave crashing on this guy. There’s like seven waves crashing on him.”
'Standing in awe, not in judgment'
For some time, there has been talk of moving from St. Casimir's at 2600 N Bremen St. Noth and the team at Kinship envisions a new home with a community room, and a larger, full-service kitchen and café. There would be space to help young people, including training in life skills. The plan is to launch a food-based social enterprise to focus especially on young people who have barriers to employment.
"The models that I've seen around the country that are the most inspiring to me, are the ones that really focus on healing the trauma," he says. "Young people getting involved in violence — part of it is that they never were in a nurturing environment, or if they were, it was taken from them."
Kinship is a small oasis in Riverwest that is pushing back against hunger but in a larger sense building community in its corner of Milwaukee. And doing so with compassion.
Noth often quotes Father Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in Los Angeles.
Boyle once said:
“Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.”
David D. Haynes is editor of the Ideas Lab. Email: david.haynes@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidDHaynes or Facebook.
To learn more about Kinship Community Food Center
Address: St. Casimir Church, 924 E. Clarke St., Milwaukee
Program headquarters: 2610 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee
For information, email: info@kinshipmke.org or call: (414) 301-1478
To donate, email: donations@kinshipmke.org
Website: https://www.kinshipmke.org/ | 2022-05-24T15:46:17Z | www.jsonline.com | How food pantry found 'kinship' in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/05/24/how-food-pantry-found-kinship-milwaukees-riverwest-neighborhood/7384083001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2022/05/24/how-food-pantry-found-kinship-milwaukees-riverwest-neighborhood/7384083001/ |
Menomonee Falls will soon get a tumbling facility.
Elite Tumbling Factory is scheduled to open at N93 W14560 Whittaker Way as an instructional facility for tumbling and gymnastics.
There will be two full-time employees and three part-time employees. Hours of operation will be from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, according to village documents.
The company hopes to open by August, according to a company official.
Elite Tumbling Factory also has locations in Brookfield and Oak Creek.
A company official said the Menomonee Falls location will offer recreational tumbling classes for ages 6-18.
"I am very thankful for the increasing number of diverse sports activities for our youth in the village. So this recent development is very exciting for our village," said Village President Dave Glasgow.
For more information and updates, find Elite Tumbling Factory Inc. on Facebook or visit elitetumblingfactory.com. | 2022-05-24T21:06:19Z | www.jsonline.com | Elite Tumbling Factory will open in Menomonee Falls this summer | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/24/elite-tumbling-factory-open-menomonee-falls-summer/9904778002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/05/24/elite-tumbling-factory-open-menomonee-falls-summer/9904778002/ |
Greenfield High School student critically injured in hit-and-run crash in Greenfield, driver arrested
A Greenfield High School student is hospitalized in critical condition and a motorist has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Greenfield.
The crash happened Saturday night on West Loomis Road near West Edgerton Avenue.
Greenfield police responded at 10:18 p.m. for a report of a pedestrian being struck, according to a joint news release from the Greenfield Police Department and Greenfield School District.
When they got there, they found a critically injured boy. He was treated at the scene and taken to Children's Hospital.
The striking vehicle had left the scene, police said.
The injured boy is 16-year-old Trevor Le-Morrison, a resident of Greenfield and junior at Greenfield High School, according to Oanh Le, Trevor's mother.
Trevor's injuries are extensive, Le said in a phone interview, including fractures of both legs, a broken collarbone, internal bleeding and other medical issues.
She said recovery will take time.
"We're seeing progress. He's stable right now," she said. "He's fighting."
Le said the support she's received from the community after the incident has been tremendous.
"The Greenfield community has been superb; the Greenfield family has been superb," she said. "The kids, they're consistently asking every day how Trevor is, and Miss Le, how are you, what can we do?"
Le said she's also received support from Trevor's soccer coach, Peter Knebel, Greenfield High principal Todd Willems and the family's parish, St. Charles Borromeo.
She said social media has been the source of a lot of those well wishes.
"I have people from his grade school reaching out now that I haven't seen or talked to in years, and it makes me feel so good that even those people are supporting and reaching out, seeing what else they can do," she said.
Knebel has set up a GoFundMe account to help the family with medical expenses.
Le said in a post on her Facebook page that any donations would be greatly appreciated.
Le described her son as a great kid who is caring, lovable and brings joy and laughter and fun to everybody.
"In his free time, it's really soccer and training or being with his friends," Le said. "Like how he was that night, he was just being with friends, hanging out."
Police arrested a suspect on Sunday, May 22. T is in the Milwaukee County Jail while a charging decision is made by the District Attorney's Office. | 2022-05-24T21:06:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Greenfield teen critically injured in hit-and-run, driver arrested | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/24/greenfield-student-critically-injured-hit-and-run-driver-arrested/9907326002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/05/24/greenfield-student-critically-injured-hit-and-run-driver-arrested/9907326002/ |
Wisconsin Division of Health Services shifting 200 employees to northwest side building
The Wisconsin Division of Health Services is shifting around 200 employees from Milwaukee's central city to a northwest side building.
The state agency has signed a seven-year lease for 56,000 square feet of office space within a 375,000-square-foot warehouse at 6101 N. 64th St.
That's according to an announcement from building owner C.H. Coakley & Co., which operates a moving and storage business.
C.H. Coakley bought the building, formerly used by years ago as an Outboard Marine Corp. factory, in 2021 for $6.5 million, according to city assessment records.
The company was attracted by the property's central location, ample parking and "abundance of space” said President Mike Coakley, in a statement.
“This location highlights the hybrid leasing concept our clients are looking for," Coakley said, "and enables us to create spaces that are customized for each of our individual clients.”
The move will involve approximately 200 employees, with the space to be converted from warehouse to offices by November, a company spokeswoman told the Journal Sentinel.
Those employees work in the DHS Division of Medicaid Services Milwaukee Enrollment Service, said Jennifer Miller, a department representative.
That division now leases space at the Milwaukee County-owned Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center, 1220 W. Vliet St., where it's been located since 2010, according to information filed with the State Building Commission.
"DHS has identified a series of deficiencies with the location that negatively impact operations including: lack of adequate safety and security provisions, lack of ADA accessibility, deferred maintenance, and lack of adequate parking for clients and staff. In addition to these factors, DHS has also reduced the space requirements for the location," the February commission report said.
County officials in December recommended spending $32.3 million in federal grants to make improvements to the center, which also houses county social service programs.
But that proposal didn't proceed after County Board members raised concerns about it. | 2022-05-24T21:06:31Z | www.jsonline.com | State moving 200 workers from Milwaukee central city to northwest side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/24/state-moving-200-workers-milwaukee-central-city-northwest-side/9910419002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/24/state-moving-200-workers-milwaukee-central-city-northwest-side/9910419002/ |
As temperatures begin to rise and pools and water parks across Milwaukee County are closed, Lake Michigan remains one of the only options for beachgoers this season — and a closed-off McKinley Beach remains a popular option for many residents.
It is a point of concern for local officials as there are growing safety concerns as people continue to use the beach despite its closure in 2020, supervisors noted during the county's Parks, Energy and Environment Committee meeting Tuesday.
This comes less than 24 hours after the death of a 16-year-old girl, who drowned in Lake Michigan near McKinley Marina Monday afternoon, and less than a week after Milwaukee County announced on-going lifeguard shortages.
"It underscores we need to have solutions identified for McKinley Beach," said Guy Smith, executive director of Milwaukee County Parks.
One such solution is to reestablish the original design of McKinley Beach introduced in early 1989 in an effort to reduce significant erosion and improve beach safety, according to a new report presented to the committee.
The $500,000 proposal said the improvements would accomplish the objective of reducing rip currents, but not stop them.
"There's no solution which completely eliminates them. That's just a fact of hydrodynamics and geography," said Heather Stabo, a senior engineer and project manager for the proposal.
The proposal also faces another hurdle: construction would not be done for this year's swimming season — meaning that McKinley Beach should remain closed this summer, according to Sarah Toomsen, the Parks Department's manager of planning and development.
The report, which was carried out between fall 2021 and spring 2022, focused on McKinley Beach, looking into swim safety in the area, the beach's sustainability as well as water quality. The findings showed that both the beach's geometry and high water were the cause of beach erosion and rip currents.
The beach has been closed since 2020 following a deadly record of drownings and has had a rickety fence sectioning off the beach from the walkway near the edge of McKinley.
There were at least four drownings at McKinley Beach in 2020, including a 14-year-old boy and a 50-year-old man, who attempted to save the teen. The report found that three drownings at the beach were tied to hanging around right off the end of the rip currents mentioned in the report.
But for all of the supervisors present, the redesign is not enough to mitigate possible drownings in the coming weeks.
Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, whose east side district includes McKinley Beach, called for a more urgent measure for this season.
"We need the last-chance rope," he said, calling on the Parks Department, Smith and Toomsen. "I want to get some type of rope up there this summer — something to grasp onto."
While Wasserman called for a rope system to be put in place to help swimmers who are dragged out by rip currents, the team of experts who carried out the report noted that a rope did not address the problem at the beach and could be seen as a perceived safety measure that would eliminate the risk of drowning.
As it stands, Milwaukee employs a Beach Ambassador program, which monitors Bradford and McKinley beaches. The program has been recommended for a full proposal for American Rescue Plan Act funding for multiple years, Smith mentioned at committee.
But one thing is clear for Wasserman: nothing will stop residents from using the beach.
"McKinley Beach has to be open," said Wasserman. "So, the bottom line is that it has to be open as soon as possible. People don't care if those fences are there." | 2022-05-24T21:06:37Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee aims to improve safety of McKinley Beach, 16-year-old drowns | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/24/milwaukee-aims-improve-safety-mckinley-beach-16-year-old-drowns/9907154002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/24/milwaukee-aims-improve-safety-mckinley-beach-16-year-old-drowns/9907154002/ |
Milwaukee police are investigating a fatal crash Tuesday evening that followed a police pursuit on the city's north side.
Police said the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on the 5500 block of North 37th Street.
A vehicle that was being pursued by a Milwaukee County Sheriff's vehicle disregarded a stop sign, traveling at a high rate of speed, and collided with another vehicle, according to police.
A 1-year-old baby girl and 43-year-old woman were passengers in the vehicle that was struck and were transported to a hospital and are expected to survive, according to police.
Police are seeking a known suspect. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips App.
According to the Milwaukee Police's traffic safety dashboard, at least 23 people have died in fatal crashes in Milwaukee this year. Last year, 67 people died in fatal crashes in the city. | 2022-05-25T05:36:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Vehicle fleeing Milwaukee Police crashes into vehicle, killing driver | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/24/vehicle-fleeing-authorities-crashes-into-vehicle-killing-driver/9920252002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/24/vehicle-fleeing-authorities-crashes-into-vehicle-killing-driver/9920252002/ |
SAN DIEGO - The hits just keep coming on the injury front for the Milwaukee Brewers.
And the latest bad news comes for the player who had been delivering plenty of hits himself.
Hunter Renfroe was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right hamstring, the third key contributor to hit the injured list in the last week for the Brewers.
The Brewers rightfielder, who is hitting .266 with a .807 OPS and nine homers, suffered the injury scoring from first base on a double in Monday night’s game.
He is expected to miss “approximately” two weeks, according to Brewers manager Craig Counsell, while Renfroe himself was uncertain of a timetable to return.
“It could be 10 days, it could be four weeks. We don’t know,” he said. “Hopefully it’s 10 days. It depends on how I feel going forward. I’ll take some anti-inflammatory stuff and try to get that stuff out of there, and get some treatment and keep rolling from there. I’ll try to still do as much as I can on the field and the weight room to stay ready.”
The injury occurred the same day the Brewers found out that starting pitcher Freddy Peralta would miss a significant amount of time this year with a right posterior shoulder strain, though he is expected to return sometime in 2022. Shortstop Willy Adames is currently working his way back from a left high ankle sprain and closer Josh Hader is not with the team while tending to a family medical emergency.
“We’re gonna miss Hunter,” Counsell said. “Swinging the bat well or not, you’re a game away from swinging the bat well. He’s been a regular for us, a good presence. He’s been a really good offensive player for us. We’re gonna miss that for sure. And again, it challenges your depth.”
Mark Mathias had his contract selected from Class AAA Nashville and was activated prior to the game Tuesday against the Padres. The utility player, who appeared in 16 games with a .639 OPS for the Brewers in 2020, missed all of last season with a right shoulder injury. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster in November but has worked his way back to the big leagues by hitting .341 with a .974 OPS at AAA this year.
“It’s great, man,” Mathias said. “I went through a really major shoulder surgery. Last year at this time I was in Arizona rehabbing and I was there the whole year. It was very frustrating for me.”
Willy Adames to miss weekend series
Adames took batting practice and fielded grounders on the field Tuesday but a return this weekend in St. Louis has been ruled out.
“He’s doing good. He’s doing really good,” Counsell said. “I think he’s ahead of where we thought he would be at this point. But especially with this kind of injury, you have a choice of what percentage do you want him to play at?”
The answer for Milwaukee, evidently, is 100 percent as opposed to rushing him back at anything less.
The Brewers have been without Adames since last Sunday, when he suffered the injury sliding into home plate in Miami. He has hit nine homers, driven in 24 runs and recorded a .766 OPS while playing in every game prior to the injury. | 2022-05-25T05:36:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers place Hunter Renfroe on injured list with hamstring strain | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/24/brewers-place-hunter-renfroe-injured-list-hamstring-strain/9905564002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/05/24/brewers-place-hunter-renfroe-injured-list-hamstring-strain/9905564002/ |
Paint Cedarburg expects to bring 165 artists for 2022 outdoor live-painting event
Artists will once again fill the streets of Cedarburg and Ozaukee County this June.
The 21st annual Paint Cedarburg event will take place from June 4-11, bringing 165 artists to the plein air, or outdoor painting, event. Spectators are encouraged to venture through the city and county all week to watch the artists in action.
Participants come from all over Wisconsin and the country to participate.
"Our event is open to everyone," said Barbara Rossi, hospitality chair for the Cedarburg Artists Guild, which hosts the event. "We have a range of professional artists and amateurs. It makes it very interesting and fun to be a part of as an artist or spectator."
Split between both weekends, artists will have the opportunity to showcase their talent and skills in two ways.
Opening weekend will task artists with painting a specific area in downtown Cedarburg. On Sunday, June 5, those paintings will be up for sale on the Cedarburg City Hall Lawn from 3 to 5 p.m.
More:What’s going on in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin in spring 2022
After that, artists will spread out around Ozaukee County to paint any scene or landscape they like. Artists will have all week to make their creations. This art will be showcased and for sale at the Cedarburg Cultural Center from 2 to 9 p.m. June 10 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 11.
Awards totaling $10,000 will also be given out to artists.
"If you’re walking around town or driving around Ozaukee County, you’ll see them set up with their easels," Rossi said. "The paintings take a number of hours. You’ll see them on the Milwaukee River, downtown Cedarburg, Covered Bridge Park and all over the county. The artists are very nice and happy to talk with people."
Admission for the event is free. Rossi said the Cedarburg Artists Guild is still looking for volunteers to help with hanging and labeling the art and working with artists and spectators. Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about the event can do so at www.cedarburgartistsguild.com/paintcedarburg. | 2022-05-25T12:36:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Paint Cedarburg bringing 165 artists for 2022 live-painting event | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/cedarburg/2022/05/25/paint-cedarburg-bringing-165-artists-2022-live-painting-event/9909110002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/cedarburg/2022/05/25/paint-cedarburg-bringing-165-artists-2022-live-painting-event/9909110002/ |
WAUKESHA - Between the jokes, the recollections and the traditional honors usually associated with a retirement party came the tears — most notably from the 27-year police veteran at the center of it all.
Denny Angle, Waukesha's deputy police chief since 2011 and a department mainstay since 1995, had worked with four police chiefs in his long tenure with the Waukesha Police Department, but it was his tight-knit connectiveness to his contemporaries that drew out his emotion.
"I'll do the best that I can," Angle said, acknowledging his tears as he spoke May 17 to a gathering a Waukesha City Hall honoring him. "When I fall apart — it's not just a possibility — I make no apologies. I'm overwhelmed."
He was, and he did.
After hearing heartfelt praise the city's mayor, police chief and fellow officers, Angle pointed back at them and others for both his long tenure in Waukesha and his professional accomplishments.
"No one gets to this position or retirement on their own," said Angle, a renown Green Bay Packers fan who joked he now knew how Brett Favre felt when he retired ("the first time"). "I had a great of help over the years."
Choking back tears, he noted those who offered that help — from his taekwondo instructor "who took a skinny kid from West Allis with mullet and turned him into a fighter and an instructor" to Chief Dan Thompson, hired in 2020, for leading the way toward "intelligent neighborhood engagement."
He reflected on his relationship with Lt. Jerry Habanek, a friend within the department with whom Angle trained during their academy days more than 40 years ago; the four field training officers who helped him grow throughout his career; numerous colleagues in "the late-shift crew" in the mid-1990s, and Capt. Chris Connolly, who set him on a path toward becoming an instructor of other police officers.
Each chief — from the late Tom Stigler, who hired him, and the late Les Sharrock, who first promoted him, to Russell Jack, who made Angle deputy chief, and Thompson — added something to his career.
For each of those people, and others, he repeated a quoted attributed to his favorite Packer, Charles Woodson: "Because of you, I am here."
His tears were justified.
The succession of well-wishers were not of the "good luck on your retirement" variety. Though with a mix of humor, they were more of the "you will be truly missed" stripe.
"One of the things that I think Denny excels at is teaching people," said Mayor Shawn Reilly, a nod to Angle's leadership roles in firearms, tactical approaches and defensive training of officers. "He taught me. He taught a prior mayor. ... Denny was very patient with me."
Thompson said Angle helped him transition to the "family," the collection of close-knit Waukesha police officers who had carried on a legacy of positive contact with residents as part of their law enforcement efforts. Training was a key part of that, as well.
"The foundation of what we do is about relationships, about people," Thompson said. "When I talk about legacy, what I inherited from Chief Jack and Denny Angle was one of the best-trained departments in the state. ... A lot of that has to do with you, Denny."
Capt. Ron Oremus, who started with the department at roughly the same time as Angle, also stressed Angle's role as a instructor, noting his reach helps shape police officers beyond the city.
"He has now trained hundreds and hundreds of recruits for use of force, and that wasn't enough," Oremus said. "He has become influential at the state level. He's also a master instructor trainer, and trains people to be trainers for use of force. ... He has gone to the point to being one of the best instructors in the state, if not the best instructor."
Angle, joking afterward that he had teared up from "allergy issues," acknowledged his emotions.
"I was a puddle up there for a reason," he said.
However, he isn't through with law enforcement entirely. Angle has begun his new role as senior manager of security for the Milwaukee Brewers, a year-round position.
"It takes a lot of the skillset that I have," including training and executive responsibilities he honed with the Waukesha police. "It's just a perfect fit."
At least, for a role that's not with the Green Bay Packers. | 2022-05-25T12:37:00Z | www.jsonline.com | Waukesha deputy police chief Dennis Angle retires after 27-year career | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/25/waukesha-deputy-police-chief-dennis-angle-retires-after-27-year-career/9803161002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/25/waukesha-deputy-police-chief-dennis-angle-retires-after-27-year-career/9803161002/ |
'Beer as a way to bring people together': Gathering Place Brewing turns 5, adds a location, plans events
Fork. Spoon. Life. Joe Yeado
Every year, Joe Yeado makes a beer that brings him right back to his home brewing roots. It’s the recipe that won him a Sam Adams competition, pushing him to consider his own brewery. He set out to create a space for both beer and community.
This summer marks the fifth anniversary for Gathering Place Brewing, 811 E. Vienna Ave. in the Riverwest neighborhood. An anniversary party is scheduled for Aug. 27, along with other limited-release beers, food trucks and live music. There will also be beer garden events June 25 and July 16 (which is also the date for Riverwest Food Truck Rally).
Next up he’s expanding with a second location of Gathering Place planned to open this summer at the new Flour + Feed Marketplace, 2150 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bay View. Two pop-up beer garden events with food trucks, a makers market and live music are planned at that marketplace June 17, 18 and 19 and July 8, 9 and 10.
Additionally, Gathering Place Brewing Company brings back the fourth annual Lager & Friends Festival, featuring lagers from around the country, from noon to 4 p.m. June 4 at Old Heidelberg Park, 700 W. Lexington Blvd., Glendale.
Yeado and his wife, Kirstin, live with their family in Bay View.
More:Bay View will get a food hall and market called Flour and Feed in the new Kinetik building
I started home brewing about 15 years ago, entering beers into competitions and winning awards. I entered a home brew competition put on by Sam Adams, the judges were the brewing team from Boston. I was one of the winners. That’s when my wife and I thought maybe this hobby could be something more. I shifted from learning to make beer to learning the business. … That was 2013, and in 2014 I did the competition again and was again a winner. We moved back to Milwaukee in 2016, opened the brewery in 2017.
Their style
We focus a lot on lagers. That is in part informed by time I spent living in Germany. We also make Belgian style beers. We make double IPAs and coffee stouts …
It is hard to believe this summer will be five years. We distribute our beers to about 140 bars and restaurants in the Madison and Milwaukee area and to about 80 liquor and grocery stores, including Outpost, Woodman’s, Sendik's and Festival Foods. One thing that is unique is we self distribute. I’m literally driving around with it in the back of a Subaru.
Creating their space
We are just a little bit off the beaten path in Riverwest, off Capitol Drive and one block off Humboldt. We don’t have the benefit of being on a busy commercial street, so we have grown very much by word of mouth.
Gathering Place was very intentional. My wife and I both come from the nonprofit world. … To me food is culture and beer is food. Cuisines around the world reflect their culture, and beer changes around the world to reflect that. We want to use beer as a way to bring people together.
Lager love
We enjoy them because they are full flavored. We use all malt, they tend to be lower in alcohol. They tend to be 4 to 5% alcohol, whereas most IPAs tend to be 6 to 7.
For us it is about beer being paired with food, people and occasions. The goal is to spend time with people, not drink to excess. That’s where we find that lagers are wonderful beers for those occasions with family and friends. It is almost a counter culture to the counter culture that is craft beer.
Sip to savor
There are some beers that have stayed since the beginning, including our flagship kolsch style, which is light and crisp. The treffpunkt, it is the German word that means "gathering place," and that is our flagship word. It perfectly describes what we are going for: lots of flavor, lower alcohol, and pairs well with everything.
Seasonal sip
There are a number of beers that are seasonal that we come out with at the same time every year. One is the Limb Shaker, a Belgian style trippel we make with Door County cherries. The only reason we make it just once a year is we use fresh cherries harvested in August. The cherries are put in the beer and sit for about six weeks.
That beer sells out quickly every fall. That is also the recipe that won my first Sam Adams competition in 2013, so that beer launched the brewery. It is always a fun day when we release that beer.
We work with the same farm in Door County every year for our cherries, Barnard Family Farms in Carlsville. They sell at the (South Shore) farmers market in Bay View. When we do release that beer, we have kegs of prior years on tap so you can get a flight and see how it has changed over time.
Brewing bonds
The brewers here in Milwaukee are a tight-knit group. While we are all technically competitors, we help each other when we can. If people are missing an ingredient, they reach out. Someone will have it. We have taken advantage of help from others. We have helped others. Everyone needs a hand at some point.
An example of that here in the Riverwest neighborhood, about five years ago we started the Riverwest Brewery Syndicate. We’d do a bus tour to take people to all four breweries. Now there are five, at the time it was us, Black Husky, Company Brewing and Lakefront Brewery. This ran every Saturday. … For the past two years we haven’t had any events, but we are in the planning stage for more.
At any one point we have about 14 different styles available in the taproom. In a given year we’ll make over 40 different beers. Some of those are beers we make a lot of because they are year-round lineups. That’s a new beer every week or every other week.
Coming to Kinnickinnic Ave.
That project (at Feed + Flour) should be open later this summer, it is something we are very excited about. The marketplace we will share with four or five other food vendors. We are all local, usually family-run businesses. The location has such a great patio, and it feeds right into Zillman Park. | 2022-05-25T12:37:12Z | www.jsonline.com | Gathering Place Brewing creator sees beer as bringing people together | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/fork-spoon-life/2022/05/25/gathering-place-brewing-creator-sees-beer-bringing-people-together/9828835002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/fork-spoon-life/2022/05/25/gathering-place-brewing-creator-sees-beer-bringing-people-together/9828835002/ |
Here's where your family can enjoy swimming pools, wading pools and splash pads in Milwaukee County this summer
When summertime temps hit, it's time to get your kids outside and playing in the water. Of course, there are sprinklers, water balloons, slip and slides and inflatable pools.
Most of us don't have our own pools, so we depend on public pools when our kids have tired of the small stuff in the yard. Here's where to go in Milwaukee County this summer when you need to cool off.
Splash pads are perfect for younger kids who aren't great swimmers yet. They can have the fun of being sprayed with interactive water toys, and there's less chance of getting accidentally run over by big kids, especially at the Milwaukee County Parks splash pads, since children age 12 and up are only allowed if they're watching younger children or accompanied by an adult. Plus, admission is free. Call the pool hotline at (414) 257-8098 for daily hours.
Carver Park, 911 W. Brown St., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Dineen, 6901 W. Vienna Ave., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Gordon, 2828 N. Humboldt Blvd., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Madison Park, 9890 W. Glendale Ave., Wauwatosa, June 11-Aug. 13
Moody Park, 2201 W. Auer Ave., Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
The Milwaukee Recreation Department also operates several splash pads for kids ages 6-17. The season starts June 21, and they're open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Burnham Playfield, 1755 S. 32nd St.
Clovernook Playfield, 6594 N. Landers St.
Columbia Playfield, 1345 W. Columbia St.
Franklin Square Playfield, 2643 N 13th St.
Green Bay Playfield, 3818 N. 8th St. (Scheduled to open mid-July due to construction)
Southgate Playfield, 3350 S. 25th St.
As your kids get a bit older and more confident in the water, it's time to graduate to wading pools.
Cooper Park, 8701 W. Chambers St., Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
Hales Corners Park, 5765 S. New Berlin Road, Hales Corners, June 11-Aug. 13
Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
La Follette Park, 9418 W. Washington St., West Allis, June 18-Aug. 20
Lindsay Park, 4360 N. 87th St., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Smith Park, 5462 N. 33rd St., Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
Wedgewood Park, 7201 W. Wedgewood Drive, Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
West Milwaukee Park, 5000 W. Burnham St., West Milwaukee, June 11-Aug. 13
Call the pool hotline at (414) 257-8098 for daily hours.
The Milwaukee Recreation Department also runs several wading pools for children 8 and under. They open for the season on June 21. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Burbank Playfield, 6225 W. Adler St.
Enderis Playfield, 2938 N. 72nd St.
Holt Playfield, 1716 W. Holt Ave.
Merrill Park, 461 N. 35th St.
Ohio Playfield, 974 W. Holt Ave.
If you have older kids, kids who are little fish, or the weather is hot enough that you're eager to swim too, here are some regular old outdoor pools you can enjoy with your family. The pools are open from mid-June through mid-August.
McCarty Park, 2657 S. 79th St., West Allis, June 18-Aug. 20
Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy, June 18-Aug. 20
Wilson Park, 4001 S. 20th St., Milwaukee, June 18-Aug. 20
Call the pool hotline at (414) 257-8098 for weather conditions. | 2022-05-25T12:37:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Swimming pools, wading pools, splash pads for kids in Milwaukee County | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2022/05/25/swimming-pools-wading-pools-splash-pads-kids-milwaukee-county/9618837002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2022/05/25/swimming-pools-wading-pools-splash-pads-kids-milwaukee-county/9618837002/ |
The ThriveOn King mixed-use development coming to Milwaukee's Bronzeville area will include a Versiti blood donation center.
The ThriveOn King mixed-use development coming to Milwaukee's Bronzeville area will include a blood donation center.
Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin plans to open the 3,500 square-foot facility in 2023 at ThriveOn King, 2153 N. King Drive.
It will help address neighborhood healthcare disparities through training and employment, education and blood donation, according to the announcement from Versiti.
“Versiti has proudly been part of the Milwaukee community for 75 years. While we have made great strides to address racial disparities in blood and organ donation, we know there is much work yet to do,” said Chris Miskel, president and chief executive officer.
“Through advocacy and community outreach, Versiti hopes to further establish itself as a trusted resource and agent of change for the donors and patients we serve," Miskel said, in a statement.
ThriveOn King is to convert the long-closed historic former Schuster's department store into apartments, offices and other new uses — including a food hall and an early childhood education center.
The project is named for the ThriveOn Collaboration, which will focus on education, health, housing and other issues within 100,000 square feet of offices and research space.
That partnership will include Wauwatosa-based Medical College of Wisconsin's community engagement programs and a new home for Greater Milwaukee Foundation's offices.
“Versiti’s commitment to health equity and resources for the community aligns with the dedication of ThriveOn Collaboration to make generational investments in the well-being of Milwaukee communities aimed at eliminating racial, health, economic and social disparities,” said Greg Wesley, co-leader of the ThriveOn Collaboration.
“Offering new resources and opportunity to the community, based on their feedback and collaboration, is a key goal coming to fruition," Wesley said, in a statement.
Construction work for the project was initially to begin in spring 2021 but was delayed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and construction cost increases.
It was then to begin in February. But renovations have yet to start.
Meanwhile, Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, a charter school, has filed plans with city officials to develop a four-story high school at 2212-2218 N. Phillips Ave. — a site next to the ThriveOn project now occupied by a vacant lot and warehouse.
More:Wisconsin Division of Health Services shifting 200 employees to northwest side building
More:She started modeling, photography and woodworking ventures — now she's redeveloping a historic Harambee building to house them | 2022-05-25T17:09:12Z | www.jsonline.com | Bronzeville ThriveOn King project to include Versiti blood donor site | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/25/bronzeville-thriveon-king-project-include-versiti-blood-donor-site/9924526002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/25/bronzeville-thriveon-king-project-include-versiti-blood-donor-site/9924526002/ |
The update of Milwaukee's downtown area plan is the subject of a Wednesday event to get input from the public.
The open house will be held at 3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., from 3 to 7 p.m., according to the announcement from the Department of City Development and Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District.
Milwaukee residents will have an opportunity to learn about the current area plan, engage with neighbors and provide input in the planning process.
Ongoing dialogue is also encouraged at www.connectingmke.com, where users can post ideas on a virtual wall, pin comments to an interactive map, and view comments from fellow Milwaukee residents.
“Connec+ing MKE – Downtown Plan 2040” is expected to be released in 2023.
More:FPC Live pitches concert venue in Milwaukee's Deer District. It replaces the dead Third Ward plan - and brings another new downtown stage. | 2022-05-25T17:09:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Wednesday open house set for Milwaukee downtown area plan update | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/25/wednesday-open-house-set-milwaukee-downtown-area-plan-update/9926785002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/25/wednesday-open-house-set-milwaukee-downtown-area-plan-update/9926785002/ |
A federal class action lawsuit has been filed against Advocate Aurora Health alleging it used its status as the largest health care system in Wisconsin to raise prices for employers.
The 75-page complaint was filed Tuesday in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by East Troy-based Uriel Pharmacy, Inc.
Uriel is a self-funded health plan that negotiates rates for its employees through its vendor, Cigna.
The lawsuit alleges Advocate Aurora's prices are higher than New York City and 44% above the national average.
According to the complaint, Advocate Aurora's negotiated price for a knee replacement is $62,538 — more than $21,000 higher than the price at a competitor hospital.
A colonoscopy with biopsy will cost an employer health plan more than $10,700 at Advocate Aurora compared to $4,700 at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, according to the complaint.
“Advocate Aurora’s actions in recent years look more like that of a ruthless Wall Street institution that happens to own Wisconsin hospitals instead of a non-profit charity focused on the delivery of healthcare," said Jamie Crooks, managing partner of Fairmark Partners, LLP, which represents the plaintiffs.
In a statement to the Journal Sentinel, Advocate Aurora Health said the system had just been made aware of the complaint, but was mounting what will be a "vigorous defense."
"All of our decisions are guided by a relentless pursuit to provide the highest quality, affordable care for our patients," the statement says. "Our data continues to demonstrate the added value we provide for our patients, communities and team members by growing as a system. Through our population health model, we drive efficiency and quality improvements, enhance health outcomes and bend the cost curve."
Lawsuit comes after Advocate Aurora announced merger with Atrium Health
The antitrust lawsuit was filed two weeks after Advocate Aurora announced plans to merge with Atrium Health, creating the fifth-largest health system in the nation.
If approved by regulators, the merger will mean the combined systems will have more than 150,000 employees and combined revenue of more than $27 billion.
An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found consolidation of health systems often leads to higher prices for patients.
That's because health plans offered to employers must include the largest health systems, which in turn give the system more leverage on pricing.
For example, in Burlington, Advocate Aurora owns the only inpatient hospital. The next nearest inpatient facility is Aurora Lakeland Medical Center, which is 20 minutes away.
To get to a non-Advocate Aurora facility, a Burlington resident would need to drive more than 25 minutes to Mercyhealth Hospital in Lake Geneva and even if they did, the Lake Geneva hospital does not offer a PET scanner, cardiac catheterization
laboratory, cardiac rehabilitation, or an Extracorporeal ShockWave Lithotripter (the most common way to treat kidney stones). All of those things are available at the Burlington hospital.
That means, employers in Burlington and surrounding areas must have Advocate Aurora in their insurance plans.
The complaint also cites a monopoly on inpatient care in the Marinette, Two Rivers, Sheboygan, Plymouth and Port Washington areas.
The suit asks for Advocate Aurora to refund the amounts it has allegedly overcharged businesses, unions, and local governments and seeks to ban Advocate Aurora from engaging in specific kinds of anti-competitive conduct. | 2022-05-25T19:06:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Lawsuit alleges Advocate Aurora price gouging of Wisconsin employers | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/25/lawsuit-alleges-advocate-aurora-price-gouging-wisconsin-employers/9915078002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/25/lawsuit-alleges-advocate-aurora-price-gouging-wisconsin-employers/9915078002/ |
I am a Milwaukee mother. I'm not sure I can send my 8-year-old to school after the Texas shooting rampage.
Angela McManaman
As I write this, it is six hours before I need to awaken my 8-year-old, a second grader, and get him ready for school. Except that, I don’t know if I have the heart to do it.
He has done his part: He completes his work on time, is a leader among his peers, follows classroom rules, wears his mask all day, every day. But his parents and the politicians that we elect are not doing our part to prevent his school from becoming the next Sandy Hook, Parkland or Robb Elementary. Our refusal today and every day to enact gun-control measures of any kind is killing our children.
When I think about not sending my child to school, I fear what every American parent does: that I could at any moment be the next mom waiting outside a community center or in a police station to learn how many bullets my child took while I was working, because even well-trained and well-armed police officers cannot stop a teenage shooter with multiple rifles and body armor.
I don’t know if I will send my son to school tomorrow. I also fear that the psychological stress of being an innocent child in a gun-sick country has done irreparable damage already. Will my son learn that second graders just like him were targeted Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas, from a friend, because I was too scared to tell him myself? Will a classmate whisper it on the playground? Will my son’s teacher cry, watching our children file into the classroom, feeling the enormous weight of their growing minds and bodies in their care? Teachers must protect our children from assault rifles and pandemics and summer brain drain. This is a responsibility we can neither accurately quantify nor adequately compensate.
'Get back! There's a shooting!'
Another reason I don’t know if I will send my son to school tomorrow is earlier this spring, he experienced his first active shooter event. On Friday the 13th, he went to the Fiserv Forum with his 20-year-old brother to see their beloved Milwaukee Bucks play in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Maybe this wasn’t a conventional Brothers Night Out for an 8-year-old, but my sons have grown up in Giannis Antetokounmpo jerseys and on Milwaukee Public Schools and county park basketball courts, even the ones without nets. Milwaukee is a basketball city first and foremost.
Or maybe it’s a gun city first and a basketball city second.
After the game that night, my sons were just a few steps from the ground floor of the arena when the fan exodus abruptly changed course. Patrons leaving early to shake off the Bucks loss streamed back inside, charging up the stairs.
“Get back! There’s a shooting!” someone, or several people, yelled. My younger son tells me that his brother scooped him up and sprinted to The Jockey Club, a VIP chandelier-and-big-screens lounge. My sons say they heard shots outside as they raced up the interior staircase.
More:21 people were injured in shootings in downtown Milwaukee; Mayor Johnson imposes curfew Saturday night
At first, my 8-year-old explained, spectators in the room asked the new arrivals “Why are you coming back?” Or, “What are you doing here?” But news and kindness travel fast. Bystanders became bouncers as folks streamed in. Or as my young son explained it: “People who were not working there but just trying to, you know, be nice, were standing by the doors and guarding them because we thought maybe the shooters would try to come inside.”
The shooters did not make it inside. At last count, three separate shootings occurred in Milwaukee’s downtown entertainment district on Friday the 13th: 21 injured, no fatalities, 11 arrests and 11 guns seized, according to the Journal Sentinel. I wasn’t there, and I’m not following news accounts closely. Instead, I’m following my son’s lead. The shooting was the last thing he talked about at bedtime that Friday and the first thing he mentioned upon waking Saturday.
My 20-year-old says that his little brother was brave, stoic even. When his friends’ parents asked my second grader if he was near the city’s “Deer District” during the shooting, he agreed to talk about it only if they promised to keep the details from their own sons.
“I thought they should cover their ears,” my youngest told me. “I didn’t want them to be scared.”
My three older sons have tried to reassure my youngest, telling him that they were really scared the first time they heard gunshots, too, that active shooter drills are scary, but you get through them, that listening to responsible adults is a wise move when there are shots fired and people down.
My 16-year-old did not mention the tennis practice four weeks ago when he and his teammates heard two separate rounds of gunshots around 4 p.m. near school. Last fall, he and fellow JV soccer players were robbed at gunpoint, outside the same school, while they waited for a bus to transport them to a game. Our 8-year-old heard that story, but not the one about the drive-through customer who had an assault rifle resting between his legs. My 16-year-old saw it when he walked up to deliver the man's hamburger, cheese curds and Mountain Dew. Is there anything more America’s Dairyland than that?
More guns in the U.S. than people
So, Tuesday night, when my 20-year-old asked my 16-year-old if he heard about Uvalde, I snapped: “LATER,” hoping to get my youngest into bed for an untroubled night’s sleep.
And that’s the most honest, most accurate thing I can say. When it comes to gun violence in America there will always be a “now,” and we are guaranteed a “later." Three hundred twenty-one Americans are shot every day in the U.S., according to Brady United.
At least we can put Friday the 13th in the rear-view mirror. It’s eight months until the next one: Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. That’s about 27,000 gun deaths from now. I don’t believe in superstition, but I do believe in data. With America’s 120.5 to 100 gun-to-resident ratio, with guns now the leading killer of our children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with state legislators more focused on bathroom bills, abortion and (nonexistent) voter fraud than on gun safety, maybe sheer dumb luck is the only thing standing between any one of us and gun violence.
Is there anything more American than that?
Angela McManaman attended Cudahy High School and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She lives in Milwaukee. | 2022-05-25T19:06:21Z | www.jsonline.com | After Texas shooting, I'm not sure I can send my 8-year-old to school | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/25/after-texas-shooting-im-not-sure-can-send-my-8-year-old-school-milwaukee/9927481002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/25/after-texas-shooting-im-not-sure-can-send-my-8-year-old-school-milwaukee/9927481002/ |
MADISON – A Republican member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission under fire from members of his own party for refusing to entertain 2020 election distortions stunned his colleagues Wednesday by announcing his resignation from the oversight board and blasting the GOP's continued focus on former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud.
Dean Knudson, a former state lawmaker who helped design the commission in 2015, said he was leaving the commission because it has become clear "I cannot be effective in my role representing Republicans on the commission."
His announced departure pushed the commissioners to delay the election of their next chair.
"I'll put my conservative record up against anyone in the state of Wisconsin, and yet, now I've been branded a RINO," Knudson said at a meeting Wednesday, referring to an acronym that represents "Republicans In Name Only" — a nickname applied by 2020 election deniers to Republicans who acknowledge Trump lost to President Joe Biden.
"Two of my core values are to practice service above self and to display personal integrity. And to me, that integrity demands acknowledging the truth even when the truth is painful. In this case, the painful truth is that President Trump lost the election in 2020 — lost the election in Wisconsin in 2020. And the loss was not due to election fraud."
Knudson said instances of voter fraud occur in every election but not at a large scale.
"Unfortunately, his close advisers didn't have the courage to accept the truth of the election, instead believing and spreading falsehoods. And unfortunately now elected officials, appointed officials, and candidates at the highest levels in my party have refused to believe that President Trump lost. Even worse, some have peddled misinformation and perpetuated falsehoods about the 2020 election."
More:Wisconsin elections commissioner says fellow Republicans are looking for a scapegoat after Trump's loss
Knudson said he would leave the commission as soon as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who appointed Knudson in 2017, named his replacement. A spokeswoman for Vos did not immediately answer questions about the process.
More:Robin Vos survives a symbolic vote at the Republican state convention to oust him as Assembly speaker
Now, as the commission has become a symbol of baseless claims of fraud to Republicans who deny Trump's legitimate election loss, all four Republican candidates for governor want to abolish the commission altogether and most want to put its duties in a partisan office.
"My message to Republicans today is simple. If you're a candidate focus on the issues that affect Wisconsin families and their pocketbooks. It's time to pivot away from conspiracy theories to kitchen table issues," Knudson said.
Knudson and Republican commissioner Robert Spindell are the only eligible commissioners to be elected chairman for the next two years because of state rules requiring Republican and Democratic members take turns being chair. Following Knudson's resignation, commissioners voted 5-1 to delay a vote to choose the next chair to June.
Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chairwoman of the commission, called Knudson's comments "heartfelt and incredibly brave."
"You and I have not always seen eye to eye on this commission but I feel we have at our best worked very hard together across the aisle to make sure that Wisconsin has fair safe and accurate elections," she told Knudson.
Spindell, who posed as a presidential elector in 2020 for Trump, unsuccessfully pushed to keep the vote on Wednesday, in part, because he is taking a cruise to Italy and Greece.
"I c
a cruise to Athens and Rome, and wants to at least make sure the postponed meeting isn't when he's on the cruise. "I can't do this at sea." and read prepared remarks anyway.
"I believe I can do the best job as chairman of this besieged organization by ensuring that transparency is the name of the game," he said, reading his prepared remarks.
Republicans have turned against the commission they took the lead in creating because of policies it approved during the 2020 presidential election. | 2022-05-26T00:34:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin Republican elections commissioner abruptly resigns | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/25/wisconsin-republican-elections-commissioner-abruptly-resigns/9933427002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/25/wisconsin-republican-elections-commissioner-abruptly-resigns/9933427002/ |
A key Milwaukee Common Council committee delays the vote on the Republican National Convention after raising questions about the deal
After a lengthy meeting Wednesday, a key committee of the Milwaukee Common Council delayed a vote on an agreement to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to the city.
The move came despite a deadline of the end of next week described by Gerard Randall, a Republican Party of Wisconsin vice chairman who is the treasurer of the host committee.
Randall told the council's Steering and Rules Committee that the deadline would allow the Republican National Committee to announce by the end of next month whether the massive convention will go to Milwaukee or Nashville.
But Common Council President José G. Pérez, who chairs the committee, said after the meeting that key unanswered questions on what sorts of benefits the city could gain from the deal prompted the decision to hold. He also said the deadline "was a surprise to us" and that council members had been told there was no specific deadline.
"We're not saying no," Pérez said. "We are going to continue to work with the host committee."
The delay came after a nearly two-hour closed-session discussion in which raised voices could occasionally be heard outside the meeting room.
It is not clear when the committee or council will again take up the agreement.
Randall declined to comment on the hold.
The agreement was negotiated with the city, the Republican National Committee and the local host committee, which is led by former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.
On Wednesday, members of Mayor Cavalier Johnson's administration, VISIT Milwaukee and the host committee highlighted what they said would be benefits to the city's residents and diverse businesses.
But council members raised concerns about security needs, the validity of economic impact estimates and the stated deadline for approval.
They also said the cash-strapped city government needed to benefit financially from the huge undertaking.
Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa introduced an amendment that would require the host committee to provide the city $6 million to address housing, higher education and workforce development.
But Ald. Michael Murphy said he had been told the addition of that requirement would kill the negotiation with the host committee.
Johnson's spokesman, Jeff Fleming, said the administration would continue discussions with members of the council.
"This convention will bring financial benefits to hardworking Milwaukee residents, and we are hopeful the council will act affirmatively," he said in a text message.
The vote came a day after five left-leaning community and labor groups called for Milwaukee leaders to reject the convention that Johnson has been working to win.
Many of the same groups reiterated their objections just before the committee took up the contract Wednesday, calling the Republican Party "neo-fascist" and accusing the party of attacking basic democratic rights and waging a war on Milwaukee.
In response to the statements, RNC spokesperson Preya Samsundar said in a statement that “far-left Democrat groups are so threatened by the Republican National Committee’s continued investment in Milwaukee and communities across Wisconsin that they’ve resorted to ridiculous and blatantly false attacks.”
The first-term mayor argues the massive event presents an economic opportunity for the city, not only in the days the convention would be here but also by putting Milwaukee on the map for future mass gatherings.
City Development Commissioner Lafayette Crump told the committee that while he understood the groups' concerns, bringing the convention to Milwaukee would give city residents a national or international platform to make their feelings known.
"If this convention is in Nashville, how do Milwaukeeans get heard by MSNBC? How do you get heard by CNN? How do you get heard by potentially the London Times? No one's going to be paying attention to what Milwaukeeans have to say if the convention is not here in Milwaukee," said Crump, who served on the host committee for the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in 2020.
If the city wins the RNC, it will represent an opportunity to host the full-scale event of national significance that Milwaukee had been expecting two years ago, before the DNC moved mostly online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Key elements of the agreement council members took up Wednesday include:
Police, fire, security, bomb disposal and emergency and rescue services deployed in and around convention facilities and other areas, with the city also entering into agreements with other agencies to make sure the event is adequately secured.
Armed security patrols would also be provided for a range of convention offices, hotels and other activities, with special security for delegates and other dignitaries.
Installation and operation of magnetometers, hand scanners and X-ray machines at entries to convention facilities. The host committee would provide private security in the premises leased for the convention.
Parking made available for about 2,500 cars and 350 buses.
Closures of public streets and walkways during the convention period.
Broadcast and livestream of the convention proceedings on the city-owned or public access cable stations.
Top city officials would have to get permission from the RNC to respond to media inquiries about the convention except in specific circumstances.
Milwaukee would be unable to host any other political convention in 2024. | 2022-05-26T00:34:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Common Council committee delays vote on hosting 2024 RNC | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/25/milwaukee-common-council-committee-delays-vote-hosting-2024-rnc/9862707002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/25/milwaukee-common-council-committee-delays-vote-hosting-2024-rnc/9862707002/ |
At least 15 Milwaukee Public School students were lost at the hands of gun violence this school year.
Courtney Chavez, vice president of the Milwaukee School Social Work Association, shared that heartbreaking number at a "Rally Against Gun Violence" at Milwaukee's Wick Field Wednesday night.
"People don't value life," Sienna Binns, a ninth grade student at Riverside University High School, said at the event. "It's so easy for somebody to kill somebody. ... That's somebody's life. They have parents and siblings, and they are part of clubs and after-school activities. Why would you want to take that person's life?"
According to the Milwaukee Homicides Review Commission, as of May 9, 37 juveniles have been victims of homicides and nonfatal shootings in 2022, a previous Journal Sentinel report said.
"Enough is enough," school social worker Jennifer Erickson told the Journal Sentinel. She came up with the idea for the rally following the death of a 13-year-old MPS student last month.
Wednesday's event was organized by the MPS social workers union and teachers union, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, and featured speakers from multiple area groups, including Mothers Against Gun Violence, Mom's Demand Action, MPS' Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, and 414Life, a violence interruption team.
While about a month of planning went into the rally, it came just a day after a shooter killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
"Every educator woke up this morning in Milwaukee Public Schools and across this country very heavy hearted to go to their school and their classrooms this morning," said special education teacher Amy Mizialko, president of MTEA. "Parents and families took their children to bus stops this morning, drove them to their schools this morning in tears, knowing what happened yesterday. We must have the protection necessary to protect students and classrooms and schools and educators in our schools."
"I am sick of the headlines of children being murdered, whether it's in a school or a home or on the street," said Arnitta Holliman, director of Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention. "There is never a moment where a parent should ever get a notification that their child has been shot and killed in any place under any circumstance."
Despite rain pouring down for much of the rally, dozens of people came out to show their support, including U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee.
"These are the tears of all of those parents, in the past, and the tears of future parents, maybe even us, if we don't do something," Moore said.
"What I hate the most about Congress, what I hate the most about representing y'all is standing up on the d--- floor in one of them moments of silence," she said. "No more moments of silence, y'all, against gun violence."
Chavez of the Milwaukee School Social Work Association said people need to step up now to affect the future.
"If we keep acting, we will have a safer future for all of our children here in Milwaukee and in the United States," Chavez said. | 2022-05-26T03:54:06Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee rallied to support MPS students who died by gun violence | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/25/milwaukee-rallied-support-mps-students-who-died-gun-violence/9930452002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/05/25/milwaukee-rallied-support-mps-students-who-died-gun-violence/9930452002/ |
The job market is leaning in the workers' direction, but for students wanting to get a job or work experience during or after college, it can be overwhelming.
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the newly opened Lubar Career Center aims to be a space where business students can find their next spot after their college careers.
“If you don’t have first-class career connections, if you don’t have formalized programs preparing students for careers with an eye toward that, it’s like the greatest company in the world putting its product into a warehouse and really never caring about getting it into distribution channels,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center earlier this month.
The university is not disclosing how much money was donated to build the center, but officials did confirm the center was 100% funded by private donations.
The remodeled career center includes eight interview suites with virtual interview capabilities, Dream Exchange Conference Room, and staff offices for one-on-one career advising for Lubar School of Business students.
Mone said the Lubar school is one of the “critical pillars for economic development and for meeting the needs of the state.”
“This is part of our larger campus initiatives to have every student have real-world experience,” Mone said. “To have internships, to have different types of coordinated work that they’re doing very much preparing them" for the future.
Kaushal Chari, dean of the business school, said this is where the “seeds of success are planted.”
“At the Lubar school we are committed to supporting the success of our students both inside and outside of the classroom through mentorship by faculty and alumni of a large and diverse student body,” Chari said. “Many of whom are first-generation college students.”
Joan Nesbitt, UWM vice chancellor for development and alumni relations, said the career center donors are catalysts to the success students will have.
“This center was funded entirely by generous donors who understand how important it is to not only educate our students but help them cross the bridge that spans the worlds of college and career,” Nesbitt said.
“Their gifts made it possible for us to have beautiful furnishings and up-to-date technology. But they didn’t do it for the space, they did it to give students an entrée into the business world.”
One of those donors was Joe Cecala, founder of Dream Exchange, a company focused on growing small business capital and diversity through public investing.
“We are deeply involved in seeing that the investment and the useful tools that are developed at the university level can then be transported into the corporate world,” Cecala said. “That people get meaningful, gainful employment and expand these small companies … and that’s where our society survives.”
Cecala said he wanted Dream Exchange to be part of the solution students will come up with as they enter or start a business.
“Without each other in that small business setting, I think we’re in great peril,” Cecala said.
“But I think the university is doing something about that. We want to contribute to that effort and we really wanted to be in the career center because we’re a brand-new company and we’re going to be hiring people.” | 2022-05-26T11:33:54Z | www.jsonline.com | Career center at UWM Lubar Business School to plant 'seeds of success' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/26/career-center-uwm-lubar-business-school-plant-seeds-success/9619995002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2022/05/26/career-center-uwm-lubar-business-school-plant-seeds-success/9619995002/ |
Smith: Aldo Leopold's Shack, journals and virtual tours focus of campaign
It's about as humble as any human dwelling you'll find.
Even its name – the Shack – is self-effacing.
It started as a chicken coop on a worn-out farm in the middle of a nation stricken by dual disasters: the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
But in 1935 the structure began to transform into something much, much more.
That's when Aldo Leopold and family of Madison bought the property and building along the Wisconsin River west of Baraboo.
They cleaned up the coop's interior and knocked out a wall to add room for bunks and installed a wood-burning stove.
The site became a weekend getaway for Aldo, his wife Estella and their five children.
They tended a garden, hunted, fished, planted trees and attempted to restore health to an ailing piece of land.
One of my favorite photographs shows Nina Leopold Bradley as a school girl carrying a picnic basket, books, guitar and shotgun to the Shack. It's titled "The Essentials."
Their work to plant native grasses and wildflowers on the old farm is considered one of the earliest prairie restoration efforts in the U.S.
His experiences at the Shack were the basis for Aldo Leopold's seminal book of essays, "A Sand County Almanac," published in 1949.
The book has been translated into 15 languages and is regarded by many across the world as a bible of ecological principles.
As such The Shack has acquired a lofty stature in the minds of Leopold's legion of admirers.
But the physical structure is still the modest plywood assemblage it has been for many decades.
As you might expect, weather and age have taken their tolls.
It's time for some maintenance at the Shack.
Executive director Buddy Huffacker and staff at the Aldo Leopold Foundation have embarked on a campaign to do just that.
The Foundation held an informational session Thursday on plans for investments to restore the Shack and land around it as well as improve virtual visitation for fans around the globe.
Huffacker described it as "three chapters over two years" and invited the public to join the Foundation "to help write the Shack's next chapters together."
The first is the Shack itself, which, among other things, needs wooden shingles replaced on its roof and a drain installed around the foundation. The "Parthenon," Leopold's name for the outhouse, will be replaced, too, and security cameras installed.
The building, a National Historic Landmark, won't change its dimensions or look but it will be fortified to make sure it stands for decades more.
One aspect of the work – digitization of Leopold's Shack journals – will allow the public to lend a hand. Huffacker said people are needed to read and transcribe Leopold's handwritten notes from the 1930s and 40s.
About 1,000 pages are ready and waiting.
One page, shared with viewers Thursday, included May 20 (year not stated) notes from Leopold about his work at the Shack, including "Went after spiderwort and violets for garden. Slight rain. Tried catfish - no bites" and the following day "Made another bluebird house for west entrance. Warmer and south wind. Regretfully went home."
The next phase in the campaign is restoring the land around the Shack. Pines will be thinned, the prairie will be replanted and hiking trails will be improved. Some equipment will be purchased for the work, too.
The public will have a chance to pitch in here, too, during work parties.
The last part of the new push is creating virtual, online Shack tours that will allow people to visit the building and property from anywhere on the planet.
"This is the most requested part of the programs we offer," Huffacker said. "So many people or school groups can't get a bus, can't travel to the site, but would love to be able to inhabit the space. With new technologies there are so many more dynamic ways to present it to people and allow them to choose the way they interact with it."
Huffacker said the three phases will take about 10,000 hours of staff time. To help pay for it, the Foundation's Shack campaign seeks to raise $750,000.
About $300,000 has already been contributed.
Supporters of the Foundation include musician Chuck Leavell, actor Nick Offerman and pro golfer Steve Stricker.
Leopold articulated his desire for a "thinking community" to advance a "land ethic," or a moral responsibility to the natural world.
"Leopold said for the land ethic to be successful it would need an ever-growing and ever-diverse community of thinkers and doers," Huffacker said. "Only then could it become real and pervasive. This drive to restore the Shack and prairie and create new virtual assets is an effort to expand that community in this and future generations."
In my opinion, that community can't be big enough.
For more information, visit www.aldoleopold.org. | 2022-05-26T11:34:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Aldo Leopold Foundation efforts to restore Shack, create online tours | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2022/05/26/aldo-leopold-foundation-efforts-restore-shack-create-online-tours/9913198002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2022/05/26/aldo-leopold-foundation-efforts-restore-shack-create-online-tours/9913198002/ |
Parking and security changes are coming to this year's Friday Night Live series in Waukesha
WAUKESHA - As the 18th Friday Night Live season opens for what organizers hope will be a surprise-free series, this year will add increased security measures to the popular downtown event.
There will be no unauthorized vehicles working their way through the downtown streets during the June-through-August weekly festival series. Officials can be all but certain of that, thanks to safety equipment acquired by the city to make future parades and street events safer.
The first shipment of the Modular Vehicle Barrier barricades arrived in time for the city's Memorial Day parade and, by extension, the June 3 opening day for Friday Night Live, the Waukesha Downtown Business Association-sponsored festival that runs weekly this year (except for July 1) through Sept. 2.
Waukesha police did not immediately indicate the precise deployment of the vehicle-disabling barricades, but they were expected to be at points similar to the wooden barricades from past FNL events — including on West Broadway and Clinton Street, West Main Street both at Barstow Street and West Avenue, Grand Avenue near South Street and Gaspar Street near South Street.
The arrangement carries with it one important change: No vehicles will be allowed to remain parked within Friday Night Live's event space.
"The biggest thing that will be different for people is that there will be no parking on Main Street after 5 o'clock and that (police) are going to towany vehicles left there," said Norm Bruce, owner of Martha Merrell's Bookstore and a leader in the Waukesha DBA.
Other aspects of Friday Night Live, which began in 2004, remain largely unchanged.
There will again be nine stages, one each outside Crush Wine Bar, Guitar for Life Café and BrewCade, Hannon's Fine Foods and Cocktails, Magellan's, Martha Merrell's Bookstore, Mia's Italian Cuisine, People's Park, the Salty Toad and the Waukesha Civic Theatre.
Bruce said his stage, like the others downtown, will see more new acts — the result of older performers retiring about the same time as the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also stymied what would've have been the 16th year of FNL in 2020.
But, aside from the new acts, what he personally he looks forward to seeing is people.
"That's part of what it's about, getting people out and about downtown," he said. "And raising the level of awareness of what we have to offer. People kind of get out of the habit, so we have to re-establish the habit of coming down on Friday night."
It seems like people are interested in returning to such routines, Bruce added, based on attendance at the city's farmers market, which is also sponsored by the downtown business association.
"We've really had much larger crowds than what we've had," Bruce said. "People are just wanting to get out and about."
Friday Night Live, which runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each week, also features night-time dining and shopping, though the live music acts are the biggest drawing point. For a complete lineup of the acts and the stage locations, see the Waukesha DBA's event-specific page.
Updates can also be found on the Waukesha Friday Night Live Facebook page. | 2022-05-26T14:46:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Waukesha Friday Night Live 2022 to limit parking, traffic downtown | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/26/waukesha-friday-night-live-2022-limit-parking-traffic-downtown/9834393002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/05/26/waukesha-friday-night-live-2022-limit-parking-traffic-downtown/9834393002/ |
Wisconsin State Fair 2022: Tesla with Fuel complete main stage lineup
Wisconsin State Fair officials have revealed the final main stage show for 2022.
Rockers Tesla, with special guest Fuel, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11.
Tickets, at $35 to $45, include admission to the fair Aug. 11, and go on sale at 9 a.m. June 2 at wistatefair.com.
That's also when tickets go on sale for two other main stage headliners announced earlier this week: Kansas with Asia opening on Aug. 5 and Brett Young on Aug. 13. Reserved seats for the Kansas concert are $30 to $40, and tickets for Young's show are $40 to $50. Tickets include admission to the fair that day.
The Wisconsin State Fair returns Aug. 4 to 14 with all of the other main stage shows previously announced. Those include: Toby Keith, on Aug. 4; Jeff Dunham, Aug. 6; the Happy Together tour, Aug. 7; Zach Williams, Aug. 8; Kidz Bop Live, Aug. 9; Charlie Berens, Aug. 10; Nelly, Aug. 12; and the Oak Ridge Boys, Aug. 14. | 2022-05-26T14:47:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin State Fair 2022 completes main stage lineup with Tesla, Fuel | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/05/26/wisconsin-state-fair-2022-completes-main-stage-lineup-tesla-fuel/9940550002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/05/26/wisconsin-state-fair-2022-completes-main-stage-lineup-tesla-fuel/9940550002/ |
The former UWM Alumni House is striking on so many levels.
At 25,000 square feet, it’s huge for a single-family home, and it’s considered one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in the Midwest. North of Lake Park, on a bluff overlooking the lake, it looks a bit like a castle from the outside. And from the inside, the views are spectacular, as are the rooms.
Next month, anyone can tour the house, when it will be this year's Breast Cancer Showhouse. The event, from June 4 to June 19, is a fundraiser for breast cancer and prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Visitors can see how the new owner, entrepreneur and philanthropist Andy Nunemaker, is restoring the structure and how 28 designers have transformed 41 spaces, said Ellen Irion, board chairwoman for the Showhouse.
“Andy brought back to life much of the interior that was hidden while the house was owned by UWM, and he is working closely with the designers. ...
“I think he really loves this home. It shows in the changes and the improvements and the bringing back to life that is occurring through the Showhouse. And this is just the beginning of what he is going to do with this property,” she said.
Nunemaker has been a supporter of the event for years, and this is the third house he has owned that has been a Showhouse. One was in 2012 and another in 2017.
“It’s a good fundraiser for a worthy cause, and it seems like everyone wins. The public gets to see these historic homes, the showhouses raise money for cancer research, and I get some great design ideas," Nunemaker said.
“The Breast Cancer Showhouse team is also so easy to work with. They understand the drill, and now that I have done it a few times I understand the drill,” as well, he said.
He said he's been working closely with the designers.
“Because there are strict historical easements on the interior of the house, many of the designers were limited in what they could do. We had to keep true to the original historic look. For example, walls that have original wood could not be altered. … they could only paint walls that had already been painted.
“But even though they were limited, the end result is still very good. They used their creativity with carpets, furniture and decorations,” he said.
One room that could be changed in some ways was the billiards room, which was formerly a library.
“We basically took the original library, and sprayed and lacquered the woodwork a blue-green. It’s a darker, richer color, and we redid the top of the historic billiards table in a charcoal-colored felt. Then I had Brass Light Gallery build a historic-looking billiards light for the center light fixture,” he said.
He loves a light added to “the corner observatory” and said he plans to buy it after the Showhouse ends. Designer Nick Konzal, of Nicholas Carl Designs, also added leather to the walls of that room, which used to be an office, he said.
Nunemaker, who bought the home in January 2021, plans to move in after the Showhouse's run ends.
“I’ve been doing a very extensive renovation for the last 18 months. We ripped out all the internal mechanics. We redid the HVAC, the plumbing and the electrical. It’s been unlivable” until now, he said.
A rich and varied history
Kay Brogelman, historian for the Showhouses since 2006, said this home is unique because of its amenities and its history.
It was built for Myron T. MacLaren and daughter Gertrude Schlesinger Roller MacLaren by architect Fitzhugh Scott Sr., she said.
The permit to build the house, issued in July 1920, shows an estimated cost of $85,000. The final cost was said to be $335,000. Construction started in 1920 and was completed in 1923.
The homeowners spared no expense.
“Gertrude traveled to Europe like she was going to Madison," Brogelman said. "It was back and forth with her father. They brought all the materials for this house back with them, like the chandelier in the dining room that came over in five suitcases. ... There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room. It’s from 1588 A.D … all the firebacks in the house came from castles and manor houses in Europe.”
Brogelman compiled a history of the home with information from Nunemaker.
“Andy sent me 60-plus pages of information that had been compiled by UWM, the State of Wisconsin, the Historical Preservation Committee, architectural historian H. Russell Zimmerman, and some information from the daughter of Gertude Schlesinger Roller MacLaren. I sorted through it all and wrote the narrative,” she said.
Historical information, along with memorabilia, will be displayed in the “history room” at the Showhouse.
Nunemaker's memorabilia includes photos of the original owners and residents of the house when it was a dorm, as well as political figures and Hollywood stars.
Eleanor Roosevelt, in Wisconsin to deliver a speech on women's rights, visited in 1959. Milwaukee native Spencer Tracy stayed at the house some weekends, and Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, friends with Gertrude and Myron, stayed many times. Pickford based her home in California on the MacLaren house, Brogelman said.
Room for dazzling design
Jeff McEathron, a district design manager at Ethan Allen stores who is on the Showhouse design committee, said more designers worked on the home this year than in the past because of its size.
Their design plans had to be approved by the design committee, which includes volunteers in the design trade.
“Each designer has to bring their boards before the committee. They have to show us what they plan to do, and we review their plans and make sure they are up to our standards, and also that it has some cohesiveness with the rest of the rooms. It has to be something the homeowner loves, too,” he said.
McEathron, who has been volunteering at Showhouses for 21 years, designed the first floor conservatory with designers Marilynn Dal Porto, Lisa Hanseter and Wendy Williams, all from Ethan Allen Brookfield.
While a conservatory is generally used for plants, they turned it into a combination living room, music room and entertaining room, he said.
“It’s the largest room in the house. It has terrazzo floors, lots of crown molding” and because it’s on the south end of the house, it has
western, eastern and southern exposures.
“When we first saw it, everything in there was beige. The windows are leaded glass, so we painted the trim a flat black to go with the windowpanes. We painted the walls a gray-taupe-cream color in a flat sheen. It’s really beautiful. It’s called Gray Mist,” he said.
He and the other designers kept the piano that was already there, plus a single plant. Then they brought in new pieces that give the room a contemporary look but go with the style of the house.
“We also have a great ottoman that has a woven velvet fabric and is just beautiful. It has a little bit of an Asian vibe to it. We also added a beautiful rug that has gray, black and a little cream in it, and two large tables that we put together to make a big table.
“We envisioned playing off a historical vibe of an English Tudor but suited for the 21st century. In the room, art and music go hand in hand with a space plan that creates two seating groups that is intimate yet cohesive to hosting a large gathering.
“We used a sophisticated palette of blacks, grays and whites mixed with some wood elements to keep it warm and inviting. Pops of brass along with soft blues and natural greens were added for a bit of personality to the environment,” he said.
Jessica Bertoni, owner of House of Bertoni in Milwaukee, said she has been donating her time at Showhouses since 2015.
This year she designed the home’s billiards room, about 315 square feet. It has built-in bookcases, heavily layered crown molding, thick floor molding, hardwood floors, a fireplace and large leaded-glass windows with views of the lake.
She added wallpaper behind the bookcases, brought in large area rugs and worked with Nunemaker to arrange furnishing and accent pieces already in the room.
“I didn’t have to bring in furniture and accent pieces. We choose to work with the owner. I talked to him about almost every single thing I did. … He has been very receptive to my ideas,” she said.
Pieces already in the room included a billiards table custom made in the 1950s for the owner of a billiards table company in Chicago, chairs and a console table.
Bertoni said the room, originally painted beige, was repainted in different sheens of teal.
“The name of the paint is Still Water. It’s a deep teal. It’s saturated and rich color without being energetic or pushy. It works nicely with grays and neutral tones. I used a matte finish on the ceiling, a cashmere finish on the walls, and the trim is a high gloss," she said.
She refelted the red top of the billiards table in a color similar to the walls, and she added metallic watercolor wallpaper.
The rugs are in tribal and traditional Oriental styles in a modern color palette. "They have vibrant tones that are kind of unexpected," she said.
"As soon as the rugs were put in there, it made everything look complete. The room wasn’t flat anymore. It needed that boost of color.”
She also added lighting.
“There were lamps in the room that were original to the house. I just added new lampshades. The light fixture that was added over the pool table is a very classic approach to a billiards light, but the shades on it are a slate blue, which lends a fresh spin. The details on it are not too intricate. It remains masculine and lets the personality of the room shine,” she said.
She added that the accent pieces in the room were from Nunemaker's travels, giving the space a collected look.
Make it look like it belongs
Colleen Thompson, an interior designer and owner of i.e. Design, has worked on four previous Showhouses.
This year, one of the rooms she designed was the first-floor bathroom, done in black and white.
She said the room originally had very basic fixtures.
“I wanted the new vanity to be centered on the outside wall where the window is. I put in a new vanity with a white sink, a new white toilet and new accessories. The vanity is black with gold accents, and it’s on legs. It reminded me of a tuxedo. It has very classic lines.
“I also added wallpaper. It’s called Indian Flower and it’s a botanical print that’s mostly black and white,” she said.
Other additions include gold sconces with white shades on either side of the vanity, a black-and-white marble mosaic floor, a large leaning floor mirror and a Cambria quartz countertop that’s white with flecks of gold and amethyst.
“It’s a tiny top but it’s adorable. The faucets are gold. It’s a traditional style, but everything is still very tailored and traditional. It has clean lines. It’s not fussy.
“When I design, I like it to look on purpose — like it’s always been there. I want it to look like it belongs, not trendy,” she said.
Alexandra Wood, owner of Alexandra Wood Design in Madison, took a casual approach in blue and white when she designed the home’s breakfast room. This is the third time she has designed a room for the Showhouse.
She said the space, about 15 by 15 feet, is off the kitchen and connects to the dining room. It has two walls filled with windows facing the lake, two walls made of stone, and crown molding.
“The breakfast room is meant to be a casual space where you can enjoy coffee or breakfast with the family. It’s not meant for entertaining guests.
“I love the classic and timeless feel of blue and white. When I first saw the space. I immediately thought of that color scheme,” she said.
She added two large, matching cabinets found elsewhere in the house and filled them with accent pieces mostly in blue and white.
“We refinished the cabinets and built some shelves for them and I added a tablescape. I got a floor-length custom tablecloth designed in India. It’s blue and white floral. I also got a natural fiber rug from the Bahamas.
“There are also four vintage chairs from Florida. They’re rattan and I had custom cushions made for them in a blue design.
“The table is fully set for breakfast. I used a lot of lettuce ware there as well as in the cabinets. The room also has two very large wicker urns on pedestals that have plants on them, and there is a floral centerpiece for the table. The room has layers of rattan and blue and white materials,” she said
She added that while the light fixture in the room is original to the home, she updated it with new custom shades.
A fountain, a garage and a sunken garden
There also will be a lot to see outside, where a three-car garage is being built and large portions of the 4-acre property are being restored.
The Showhouse boutique will be in the garage, which eventually will be clad in stone found buried on the property. It's the same stone as was used on the home, Irion said.
The home's original 120-by-28-foot pool had been filled in. "That has been dug out and is now going to be a fountain. It will be just as big but not as deep. People who attend the Showhouse will be able to get a sense of what it will look like," she said.
One of the four terraced walls of the sunken garden will be finished, said Irion, who is the owner of Landscape by Design and is working with Nunemaker on the restoration.
She said the Showhouse, which started in 1998, is in its 23rd year. It was canceled for two years during the pandemic.
“Over the years, we have invested $7.09 million in breast cancer and prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Two million of that has been used to endow two professorships, one for breast cancer research and one for prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Each was endowed with 1 million dollars,” she said.
What: Showhouse for a Cure, the 2022 Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse. Tour the former UWM Alumni House, now a single-family home. All three floors will be designed by 28 interior decorators. Some portions of the home’s sunken garden also will be open.
Where: 3230 E. Kenwood Blvd.
When: June 4 to June 19. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: Available at breastcancershowhouse.org, at some area ticket outlets, or at the door for $35.
Events held in conjunction with the Showhouse, detailed on the website, include:
Raise a Glass to Hope: 5:30 to 10 p.m. June 3. An opening gala that includes a tour of the house.
Whiskey and Watch, a casual event outdoors under a tent that includes a tour of the house, whiskey tasting and a preview of fine watches. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 10.
Great Gatsby Party. An evening of music, hors d'oeuvres, a signature cocktail, and a murder mystery. Held outdoors under a tent. From 5 to 10 p.m. June 11.
Behind the Scene Events: Three events run June 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16. All start at 6 p.m.
Bayside: Bayside Garden Center
Brookfield: Calico Corners, Ethan Allen, Shorewest Realtors
Cedarburg: Wyndrose Fine Jewelry
Delafield: UPS Store
Grafton: Shorewest Realtors
Greenfield: Shorewest Realtors
Menomonee Falls: Shorewest Realtors
Mequon: Cafe 1505, Mille Tesori, Shorewest Realtors
Milwaukee: Bachman Furniture, G. Groppi Food Market, Manhattan Textiles, Nehring’s on Downer, Shorewest Realtors
Mukwonago: Shorewest Realtors
New Berlin: Shorewest Realtors
Oconomowoc: Shorewest Realtors
Racine: Shorewest Realtors
Shorewood: Shorewest Realtors
Watertown: Shorewest Realtors
Waukesha: Shorewest Realtors
Wauwatosa: Shorewest Realtors, Steinkellners Decorating Center
West Bend: Shorewest Realtors
Whitefish Bay: Fringe, Winkies Variety
Parking: Street parking will be available on Lake Drive and streets nearby. Parking restrictions in areas where there is limited time parking will be eased. | 2022-05-26T14:47:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Breast Cancer Showhouse, the former UWM Alumni House, open for tours | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/home-garden/at-home-with/2022/05/26/breast-cancer-showhouse-former-uwm-alumni-house-open-tours/9745209002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/home-garden/at-home-with/2022/05/26/breast-cancer-showhouse-former-uwm-alumni-house-open-tours/9745209002/ |
A Milwaukee brewing equipment manufacturer plans to construct a $9 million, 73,000-square-foot facility on the city's north side.
Spike Brewing plans to develop the manufacturing plant on a city-owned vacant lot, at 4132 N. Holton St.
The company is now located nearby, in a 22,000-square-foot facility at 3866 N. Fratney St.
The company will retain its 25 employees and plans to hire another 20 people with the expansion, according to a Wednesday announcement from the Department of City Development.
The expansion will allow the company to implement three new production lines, and will include temporary rental space for another business. Spike Brewing plans to eventually occupy the full building as its business grows.
Spike Brewing was founded in 2011 by Ben Caya, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alumnus.
It sells brewing equipment products throughout the United States and Canada. Its products include brewing kettles, fermenters, brew systems, brewing pumps, electrical panels and beer chilling devices.
“After winning the Reader’s Choice Homebrew Brand of the Year Award in 2021, it only seems fitting that we move into a new, state-of-the-art production facility,” Caya said.
The company's growth has been driven by both the craft beer explosion as well as increased interest in home brewing.
Spike Brewing’s goal is for the building to be 100% solar powered. The facility also will include a test brewery, where Spike will teach about brewing beer at home.
Spike Brewing is to buy the 4-acre lot from the city Redevelopment Authority for $1. That land sale will need authority and Common Council approval.
The city worked with the site's previous owners, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up contamination at the property near the Milwaukee River.
The project's financing will include federal New Market Tax Credits and a Redevelopment Authority loan.
“Milwaukee boasts a rich history in manufacturing and beer making. Spike Brewing’s new facility will be an excellent addition to the community that will add value to the neighborhood,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
“With strong partners like Spike Brewing, we are building a manufacturing future here with good companies, modern facilities, and jobs for great Milwaukee workers," Johnson said, in statement.
“I’m thrilled Spike Brewing is investing in the 6th District and creating new jobs in the neighborhood,” said Ald. Milele A. Coggs.
“This is an exciting development that is respecting iconic Milwaukee industries, growing our local economy, and providing new opportunities for residents and families," Coggs said, in a statement. | 2022-05-26T14:47:33Z | www.jsonline.com | Spike Brewing to construct $9 million plant on Milwaukee's north side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/26/spike-brewing-construct-9-million-plant-milwaukees-north-side/9932673002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/05/26/spike-brewing-construct-9-million-plant-milwaukees-north-side/9932673002/ |
The fight for democracy in Wisconsin isn't partisan. In fact, it is good for business.
David Lubar and Anoop Prakash
In today’s hyper-partisan and dysfunctional political climate, Wisconsin business leaders could be forgiven for turning off their news feeds and focusing only on growing and sustaining their companies and organizations in the face of inflation, and other persistent pandemic-era challenges.
This approach has worked for generations of Wisconsin business leaders, even during politically charged times. They trusted government officials to look out for the state’s prosperity and economic stability, and to safeguard our proud history of free, fair, and open government and elections.
But the world has changed and trust in government has eroded.
According to The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, the foremost annual global survey on trust, Americans no longer trust the government or the media and instead are increasingly looking to business to lead and drive stability. Almost one in two survey respondents (48%) viewed the government as a divisive force and viewed government leaders as the least trusted leaders in society today, with less than half of respondents (42%) indicating trust in elected officials).
Now that we know more is expected of us as business leaders, what exactly can we do?
How can we effectively engage in societal issues?
A seminal first step is to help restore trust and stability in our election process by creating and supporting policies within our organizations that encourage voter participation and civic engagement.
Civic engagement: Why it's so important in Wisconsin
Wisconsin elections have some of the highest participation rates in the country. In the last presidential election, 76% of eligible voters cast their ballot. Despite the loud assertions of some, voter fraud has not been a problem in Wisconsin. Wisconsinites care about the direction of their state and they show up to vote. While we may have very different opinions, we believe enough in the legitimacy of our system to vote.
More:Here's what was behind Wisconsin's record-breaking 2020 turnout — and what it means for the war over voting rules
As the August primaries and November elections approach, let’s work to maximize participation in these elections. There are many specific actions business leaders can take, most of which do not require financial contributions or disruption to our businesses. Several strategies were outlined in a recent case study published by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, called “Civic Responsibility: The Power of Companies to Increase Voter Turnout”:
• Promote National Voter Registration Day and Election Day on your company social media channels to drive awareness among your followers and provide a reminder for them to plan ahead and engage.
• Host an in-office or virtual voter registration drive followed by election day events at work that help build support and positivity around voting.
• Leverage your internal website and email communication channels to provide calendar reminders to employees on key registration and voting dates, and share local voting locations, hours and procedures ahead of time.
• Provide employees time to vote. Open later, close early, make it a “no meeting” day or even provide the day off if you can. If we can do it for snow days, we can do it for democracy!
• Become a champion for civic engagement by encouraging companies in your area or industry to drive similar initiatives, posting about your own civic engagement activities on LinkedIn, and speaking up in local business groups, including young professional groups, the next generation of leaders.
Prioritizing civic engagement and taking concrete actions to increase participation by providing employees time, information and support will be good for business and good for everyone. It allows us to stay true to our state’s core values and to move forward together.
We invite our area chambers, industry associations and business owners across the state to actively engage in driving high voter participation and civic engagement. Doing so ensures business plays a leadership role as a stabilizing force for Wisconsin.
Please join us. Visit our website wibusinessfordemocracy.org to find out how you can add your name to this effort.
David Lubar is president and CEO of Lubar & Co, a Milwaukee-based investment firm. He has served as a director of many for-profit companies and civic organizations. Anoop Prakash is a division president at REV Group. Prior to REV, Anoop held leadership roles in business and government, including in the administration of President George W. Bush. Anoop is a former Marine Corps officer, and serves on the board of the Hunger Task Force. Both are co-founders of Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy coalition. | 2022-05-26T14:47:45Z | www.jsonline.com | Fight for democracy in Wisconsin isn't partisan, is good for business | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/26/fight-democracy-wisconsin-isnt-partisan-good-business/9841201002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/05/26/fight-democracy-wisconsin-isnt-partisan-good-business/9841201002/ |
So many details have faded into oblivion, and connecting a name to a date to a set of circumstances was never my strength.
That’s why we take notes, why we type our thoughts, why we read newspaper clips and history books or search for videos online.
Actually that’s a little funny, the last option on that list, given the context of this column. This Sunday will mark my most Indianapolis 500 of Indianapolis 500s: No. 33. YouTube wouldn’t exist for another 15 years when I called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway credentials office and told the people Phil Cash had died and I was the new auto racing writer for the Milwaukee Sentinel. Choppy black-and-white films and yellowed ABC videotape were tougher to find then.
What’s the best way to commemorate the anniversary? Maybe we shouldn’t. Most people who read the coverage from 1990 have gone the way of Doug Shierson Racing and the Sentinel itself. On the other hand, the goal has always been to tell stories.
Never a car guy and still new to racing, I hadn’t been to the Indy 500 before that year. I knew the facility was huge and the event enormous, and that some of the people would be familiar from the few times I helped Phil at State Fair Park Speedway – the “Milwaukee Mile” nickname came later – and at Road America. This race would be a little like those but also more different than I could imagine.
The first thing I learned was that it’s impossible for a first-time visitor to focus on a car going 240 mph while standing behind the pits for practice. The second was pit road is a lousy place to try to talk to a driver.
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Arie Luyendyk, the Dutch-born driver who had lived in Brookfield, recognized me from my part-time days two and three years earlier and invited me to the Shierson garage for a proper chat. That worked out well. If you’re going to know one driver, the guy who wins on Memorial Day weekend is the best one to know.
That pressroom scene was overwhelming, a concrete bunker with no view of the track, filled by chain smokers who seemed to know one another and despise their computers and their editors. (“Blankety-blank, this is the last blankety-blank thing I need on deadline.” Slam! There goes the handset of another rented telephone.) At the end of the day, though, someone usually would bring beer. That part I understood.
Could we rank my 500s and turn them into an Indy-style lineup? Well … there’ve only been 32 so far and I’d have to refresh my memory by reading a lot of embarrassingly bad stories. Then, frankly, how do you even begin to compare Rick Mears’ fourth win from 1991 with Helio Castroneves’ from 2021? Someone will. I can’t.
But I will say this: The cool Mears remains one of the most thoughtful, analytical and well-spoken teachers you could find in the sport, and his star pupil, the excitable and ebullient Castroneves, will forever be one of the great characters of the race.
The ’91 500 had the buildup with Willy T. Ribbs becoming the first Black driver to compete and a heck of a battle between Mears and Michael Andretti. Last year’s was won by a passed-over, 46-year-old driver given a chance by the upstart Meyer Shank team and followed by a raucous victory celebration that virtually made up for the previous year’s COVID 500 with no fans on site.
One might have predicted in 1990 that Roger Penske would continue to own the 500, metaphorically, and sure enough, he won 11 of the 32 races from that May forward, with Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Jr., Gil de Ferran, Sam Hornish Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud and Castroneves times three.
One might not have believed, though, that he would literally hold the deed to the world’s most famous facility and the series that carries the Indy name, as he has for 2½ years.
But that’s the way things work for most of us. In many cases, we’re disinclined to imagine, accept or cope with change.
Pat Patrick, Carl Haas and Paul Newman have gone, but Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti and David Letterman are players. The venerable Speedway Motel is no more, but that’s addition by subtraction. The party has matured a bit. Probably.
Mario and A.J. are still around, and they’ll never need last names. That’s a good thing.
The decline of Foyt’s driving career was sad to see and his exit unceremonious, but he’s hardly alone in that regard. Still, what Indy and the first of its 4 four-time champions mean to each other is a bond like few others in sports. To have seen that close up has been a privilege.
An aside on Foyt: Early in my career I needed a few minutes with him for a story and when his public relations representative presented the idea to him, he asked her whether I was “that guy from Milwaukee I don't like.” Talk about intimidating. I wasn’t – that was Roger Jaynes, a Journal predecessor – and would like to stay that way.
No conversation about what’s changed and what hasn’t in the past 33 years would be complete without the Indy Racing League era, as much as we’d all love to forget.
The goals of preserving oval-track racing and a place for the little guy were noble, but in addition to being misguided they came at a bad time. The popularity pendulum swung further toward NASCAR at a time the love of the automobile was on the wane and myriad options were spreading entertainment dollars thinner.
The best things were Luyendyk’s second win and almost a third, Buddy Lazier’s story of perseverance, Kenny Brack taking Foyt back to victory lane, and Tony Stewart. The worst was a racing dentist and the way too many other in-over-their-heads drivers in a race that lost considerable luster.
Around that dark period, though, the 500 has been graced by the likes of Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Fernando Alonso – Formula One champions, all – and their NASCAR counterparts Kurt Busch and now Jimmie Johnson. There aren’t many sporting events in which something like that can happen.
Another aside: Villeneuve was asked one of the all-time worst questions by a reporter who wanted to know, what did his father do for a living? Well, Gilles Villeneuve may have been the fastest and boldest driver in Formula One, winner of six grand prix races, before his death in a racing crash a dozen years before the question. … Of course, Wikipedia wasn’t around then either.
Anyone with a shred of modesty will admit to having asked a bad question or 10 over three decades plus, whether due to ignorance, ineptitude or momentary brain-lock. Now I can blame a memory overwhelmed by years of facts and data.
In sitting down to record memories of my first 32 Indianapolis 500s, I expected to have more specific, vivid moments of races come back. A few stand out, but the key word there is few.
Penske’s failure to qualify with winners Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi in 1995. Janesville native Stan Fox, airborne, his legs hanging out from his shattered car on the start of the race that year. Sam Hornish Jr. running down Marco Andretti on the final lap in 2006. Leader JR Hildebrand’s crash within sight of the checkered flag in 2011. Takuma Sato’s all-or-nothing try on Dario Franchitti in 2012. Ryan Hunter-Reay’s pass nearly in the grass to beat Castroneves in 2014.
I had to look up the year for each of them.
At least as memorable are the people and their stories.
Foyt and Fox, Mears and Luyendyk, and Franchitti and Castroneves. Bobby Unser. Uncle Bobby, retired from driving by then, was a special case. He once spent so much time answering a question I nearly wet myself waiting for him to finish, and our final interview – ostensibly about Bob Wilke but ultimately about whatever topic Unser chose – will remain on my recorder as long as I own it.
Chuck Lynn, who despite cerebral palsy hawked newspapers in Gasoline Alley for decades, and Mario Andretti, who tipped Chucky far better than anyone in the media center could.
So many are no longer with us: Writers Robin Miller, as big a critic and as big a cheerleader as the sport could have; and Shav Glick of the Los Angeles Times, who both watched Jackie Robinson play junior college baseball and covered Indy into his mid-80s. Tom Carnegie and Bob Jenkins, whose public address voices positively screamed Indy. And Jim Nabors, who sang “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” and talked about his nuts with the same zeal. What? He grew macadamias on a farm in Hawaii.
Then there’ve been such surreal moments as seeing daredevil Robbie Knievel hit it off with Florence Henderson over dinner that’ll leave a person shaking their head.
Will my personal field of Indy 500s grow to 34th, or 35 like my old friend Shav Glick? Times have changed, and the only way I got to the last few was by saying I was going, not by asking if I could, and dipping into my pocket. The opportunity to stay relevant and see history firsthand are as professionally and personally valuable as when I first arrived at the intersection of 16th and Georgetown for qualifying ahead of the 74th Indianapolis 500.
I wish I knew half as much now as I thought I did then.
I also wish I could have imagined then what all I would have seen and learned over this time. | 2022-05-26T14:47:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Foyt, Fox, Mears, Luyendyk among many Indianapolis 500 race memories | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/26/foyt-fox-mears-luyendyk-among-many-indianapolis-500-race-memories/9885113002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/26/foyt-fox-mears-luyendyk-among-many-indianapolis-500-race-memories/9885113002/ |
Admission to Wisconsin state parks is free during 2022 Free Fun Weekend
There's no better time to explore Wisconsin's great outdoors than the first weekend in June.
The DNR is once again waiving admission fees, trail passes and fishing licenses for the state's annual Free Fun Weekend June 4-5.
That means free admission to 49 state parks, 15 state forests and 44 state trails, plus free fishing on 84,000 miles of rivers and streams and 15,000 lakes. Camping fees and fishing regulations still apply, however.
If you're new to fishing, there will be a handful of Learn to Fish clinics around the state, including at Long Lake Recreation Area in the Kettle Moraine State Forest's Northern Unit near Dundee from 1 to 4 p.m. June 4, and at Puckett's Pond at Harrington Beach State Park in Belgium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 4. Fishing gear will be provided at both events.
RELATED:10 of the best Wisconsin state parks to visit this summer
The weekend also coincides with National Trails Day on June 4. This year marks the 30th anniversary for the celebration that is coordinated by the American Hiking Society.
Local chapters of the Ice Age Trail Alliance will host hikes on segments of the national scenic trail throughout the state, including a 3-mile hike of the Hartland segment beginning at Nixon Park at 9 a.m., a 3-mile hike on the Pike Lake segment in the Kettle Moraine State Forest near Hartford beginning at 2 p.m., a 5.2-mile hike along the Devil's Staircase and Arbor Ridge segments in Janesville beginning at Riverside Park at 9 a.m., and a 20-mile hike through the southern Kettle Moraine beginning at the Rice Lake trailhead near Whitewater at 8 a.m. For details and more events, see iceagetrail.org.
RELATED:50 of the best national scenic trail miles in Wisconsin
Outside of Free Fun Weekend, admission to most Wisconsin state parks requires a vehicle admission sticker, which costs $28 per year or $8 per day for most parks (day passes for popular parks like Devil's Lake, Peninsula and Willow River are more). Annual stickers are available online at yourpassnow.com/ParkPass/wi. Both day and annual passes are available at park offices and self-registration stations within parks, or by calling a park office during business hours.
For more on Wisconsin state parks, see wiparks.net. | 2022-05-26T14:47:57Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin state parks admission is free during 2022 Free Fun Weekend | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/05/26/wisconsin-state-parks-admission-free-during-2022-free-fun-weekend/9806641002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/05/26/wisconsin-state-parks-admission-free-during-2022-free-fun-weekend/9806641002/ |
DOT looking at dangerous Oconomowoc intersection, but change unlikely soon
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is looking at the intersection of a recent fatal crash that has long concerned residents, but action is unlikely to come soon.
Molly Dunn, 38, of Oconomowoc died in a crash at Highways CW and 67 in the town of Oconomowoc on April 17. Three others, including two juveniles, were injured.
The town board of nearby Ashippun, which is just north of the intersection, recently voted to send a resolution to the town of Oconomowoc about making the intersection safer.
Oconomowoc Town Chairman Bob Hultquist agrees that something needs to be done.
“When that intersection was first put up, I was out there with the former chief of police and someone from the DOT ,and they said this is not going to work. This is dangerous. You’re going to have a lot of accidents there," Hultquist said. "They couldn’t afford to do anything there. They couldn’t do more than a stop sign."
This intersection is under state jurisdiction, and any modifications would need to be initiated by the Wisconsin DOT. Michael Pyritz, southeast region communications manager for the DOT office of public affairs, said that data from 2016-20 shows just under two accidents per year at the intersection.
But according to data from Waukesha County, there have been 29 crashes at the intersection, including four fatalities and 25 injuries, since 2000.
"We are aware there are some concerns at this location," Pyritz said. "The crash rate is rather low for that type of intersection, so there are others in the region we would be more inclined to be taking more immediate action due to the fact that they have higher crash rates."
There are no plans at the moment for improvements or adjustments to the intersection.
"We do have this on our radar," Pyritz said. "We do know the locals have expressed concern and thoughts about that location."
The town hopes more can be done sooner rather than later.
"Something has to be done with this after the latest fatality," Hultquist said. "This was the fourth at the intersection in addition to a lot of bumps and bruises." | 2022-05-26T17:36:57Z | www.jsonline.com | DOT looking at dangerous Oconomowoc intersection, change unlikely soon | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/26/dot-looking-dangerous-oconomowoc-intersection-change-unlikely-soon/9940557002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/05/26/dot-looking-dangerous-oconomowoc-intersection-change-unlikely-soon/9940557002/ |
People should monitor the worldwide outbreak of monkeypox, health officials say, but at this point the number of cases remains relatively small and the virus is much harder to transmit than the one causing the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, there have been more than 230 confirmed monkeypox cases around the world, including two in the U.S., according to a spreadsheet kept by the health collaborative Global.health. The two confirmed U.S. cases were reported in New York and Boston.
"The average person shouldn't be worried about monkeypox. It's more about knowing when and where it's been found and monitoring your own health," said Dan Shirley, medical director for infection prevention at UW Health in Madison. "If you have anything that seems like monkeypox, report it right away."
However, the outbreak should be a greater concern to public health officials, said Richard Kennedy, co-director of the vaccine research group at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
"Looking back, we had the first human cases in 1970," he said. "But we didn't really see a lot of cases outside of Africa. Now we're seeing more cases outside of Africa than we have in the entire history of the disease. We need to find out why."
So far, cases have been confirmed in 19 different countries, including England, Spain, Portugal, Canada and Israel. Kennedy said some cases are believed to have come from a so-called super-spreader event, a party in Africa that included men who have sex with other men. He said the theory is that the party participants had come from a variety of countries and developed symptoms after they returned home.
Shirley said the disease is not easily transmitted. The virus spreads through close contact with skin lesions or large droplets. The droplets would not be light enough to hang in the air like those that have spread the virus that causes COVID-19.
2003 Wisconsin monkeypox outbreak
In 2003, Wisconsin became the epicenter for a monkeypox outbreak, recording 39 of the 71 confirmed cases.
"I think the concern right now is very low," said Paul Biedrzycki, who led the city of Milwaukee Health Department's response to the 2003 outbreak. "It's not widespread and it's not very easily transmissible."
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Biedrzycki said the city conducted contact tracing in 2003 and also trapped and tested mice and rodents near exotic pet stores that had housed infected animals. Health officials did not want the virus getting loose among animals in the wild.
Unlike the current outbreak, the one in 2003 included no confirmed cases of humans spreading the disease to other humans. The 2003 outbreak, which lasted three to four weeks, came from exotic imported animals, including two African giant pouch rats, and spread to prairie dogs that were sold as pets.
People who contract monkeypox generally don't experience symptoms until seven to 14 days after they're infected.
The first symptoms are headache, fever, muscle aches and fatigue, but patients infected with the disease later develop swelling of the lymph nodes and a red rash that produces blisters called pustules.
"You'd have to have extremely close contact to someone who'd been infected," Shirley said. "You wouldn't get it just passing by an animal or a human."
Infection, he said, would come from handling or touching an infected animal.
People who do contract the disease can be treated by receiving the monkeypox vaccine. While few hospitals have the vaccine, it can be delivered from stockpiles kept by the U.S., Shirley said.
Also, there are three antiviral medicines that have proven effective when given to animals infected with a version of the disease.
Otherwise, patients are treated with plenty of food and fluids, as well as other supportive care. | 2022-05-26T17:37:15Z | www.jsonline.com | Health officials puzzled, but not alarmed, by monkeypox outbreak | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/26/health-officials-puzzled-but-not-alarmed-monkeypox-outbreak-university-of-wisconsin-uw/9926821002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/26/health-officials-puzzled-but-not-alarmed-monkeypox-outbreak-university-of-wisconsin-uw/9926821002/ |
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has been using taxpayer dollars to cover the cost of flights between a Florida family vacation home and Washington, D.C., including nine such trips last year, federal records show.
Democrats say the expenditures by the multimillionaire Republican are a waste of public money because they say the trips have nothing to do with his official job representing Wisconsin at the U.S. Capitol.
But Johnson officials say these are legitimate expenses that were all approved by the Senate Rules Committee.
"The senator has always gone above and beyond to abide by Senate rules," said Johnson spokeswoman Alexa Henning. "He has never been reimbursed for travel to visit family in Florida but is reimbursed for returning for official business to Washington, D.C."
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JFT Investments LLC bought a 3,400-square-foot waterfront house in Fort Myers, near Sanibel Island, for $1.6 million in October 2013. JFT Investments is an affiliate of the Johnson family trust, which was set up by the senator and his wife, Jane Johnson, for their three children, Johnson's office confirmed.
The limited liability corporation, a holding company for various properties, used to share the same address with Pacur, an Oshkosh plastics company formerly owned by Johnson. Ben Johnson, the senator's son, had been listed as the company's registered agent, and Jane Johnson once signed a notice for repairs to the house.
Johnson's adult children also own a private business jet that he used to travel between Wisconsin and Washington during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Johnson, first elected in 2010, took no trips to or from Fort Myers before the Florida house was purchased by JFT Investments in 2013.
By contrast, Wisconsin's senior senator went to Fort Myers at least nine times between Jan. 1, 2021, and May 10, 2021. Those flights between Florida and Washington cost taxpayers anywhere from $227 to $1,152.
Travel records show that Johnson attended a meeting, via teleconference from Florida, with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and a couple of Republican senators at Trump International Hotel to discuss allegations of election fraud on Jan. 4, 2021. Johnson also did a televised interview with host Chuck Todd of NBC's "Meet the Press" from Fort Myers.
Johnson then billed taxpayers $565 to fly to Washington two days later to vote on certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Johnson was among those who voted in favor of certification, after first indicating that he planned to join with 10 other Republican senators in objecting to the certification.
He returned to Florida on Jan. 7, the day after the attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
It is impossible to determine the exact cost for Johnson's jaunts from Florida because many of the reimbursements were lumped in with expenses from other trips, including some within Wisconsin.
But Senate records show the trips cost taxpayers at least $5,418 and no more than $18,781.
Johnson is running for reelection to a third term in the Senate, a race that could help determine which party is in control of the body next year.
Philip Shulman, a spokesman for the Democratic Party, said the wealthy two-term senator should not be asking taxpayers to pay for flights between Florida and Washington.
Johnson and his wife recently listed assets worth between $16.55 million and $78.3 million at the end of last year, about the same as the previous year. Johnson wasn't required to report his annual $174,000 salary as a U.S. senator.
"Whether it’s helping pass legislation that enriched himself and his biggest donors or spending thousands in taxpayer dollars to fly to and from his family vacation home in Florida, Ron Johnson’s priority is his self-serving agenda, not Wisconsinites," Shulman said.
But Henning, the Johnson spokeswoman, said the reimbursements for the flights were approved by auditors and the Senate Rules Committee.
She pointed to a Senate rule that she said allows senators to get reimbursed for traveling to the Capitol from somewhere other than their "duty station," usually their official residence, as long as the cost is equal to or less than travel from their duty station.
"Any attempt to portray this travel as something other than completely abiding by Senate rules is another coordinated political smear by the media and the Democrat Party,” Henning said.
But a lawyer for the Democratic Party disputed that interpretation of the rules.
Jacquelyn Lopez, a partner with the Elias law firm in Washington, said tax dollars are intended for official business, not personal trips.
"The rules are clear," Lopez said. "A senator may not use taxpayer dollars to fund personal travel to or from a family vacation home. As a matter of federal law and Senate ethics rules, senators may only use official funds for travel that is essential to the transaction of official business.” | 2022-05-26T17:37:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Ron Johnson used tax dollars for trips from Florida home to Capitol | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/26/ron-johnson-used-tax-dollars-trips-florida-home-capitol-wisconsin/9931923002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/26/ron-johnson-used-tax-dollars-trips-florida-home-capitol-wisconsin/9931923002/ |
MADISON – A Republican member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission announced his resignation this week after U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told a top GOP lawmaker that the commissioner had lost support from his own party.
Dean Knudson, already under fire from his own party over his refusal to embrace false claims about the 2020 election, said in his announcement that he was leaving his post because members of his party at the "highest levels" made clear he should not run to be commission chairman — an election that was supposed to take place Wednesday but was delayed by Knudson's resignation.
A spokeswoman for Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday that the state's top Republican talked to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to "express his belief that Dean Knudson had lost the confidence of the grassroots Republicans in representing their interests on the Wisconsin Elections Commission."
Knudson stunned his colleagues by his resignation and said he had been effectively excommunicated from his party because he refused to dispute President Joe Biden's 2020 victory over Donald Trump.
Knudson declined to say who had made that clear to him. He said he was not pressured by Vos, who appointed him to the commission and will get to select his replacement.
Knudson said he made the decision to leave on his own. He said he told Vos but not others about his plans.
Spindell, who in 2020 posed as a presidential elector for Trump, said Thursday the meeting made clear to him that the Democratic members of the commission were not going to support him as chairman.
As the commission has become a symbol of baseless claims of fraud to Republicans who deny Trump's legitimate election loss, all four Republican candidates for governor want to abolish the commission altogether and most want to put its duties in a partisan office.
"My message to Republicans today is simple. If you're a candidate focus on the issues that affect Wisconsin families and their pocketbooks. It's time to pivot away from conspiracy theories to kitchen table issues," Knudson said Wednesday. | 2022-05-26T17:37:27Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin election official resigned after Ron Johnson voiced concerns | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/26/wisconsin-election-official-resigned-after-ron-johnson-voiced-concerns/9942525002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/26/wisconsin-election-official-resigned-after-ron-johnson-voiced-concerns/9942525002/ |
Since drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013, the Bucks have been a more consistent international draw for the NBA and the team will head to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for a pair of preseason games against Atlanta on Oct. 6 and 8.
They will be the first games the league has played in the Middle East.
“Our league, the NBA, does an amazing job to try and grow our sport, share our sport abroad.”
At that point of the late summer, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo may have already ramped up as it has been reported internationally that the Greek national team expects them to play in the EuroBasket tournament, which runs Sept. 1-18.
Of course, the biggest part of the trip for the league is creating a foothold in the Middle East and expanding the reach of the league – NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged as much when announcing the location of games in the UAE in April.
But it also puts the league and the Bucks and Hawks in a position where they have to answer for participating in games in a country that the United States Department of State has noted has “significant human rights issues” and has criminalized the LGBTQ+ community. | 2022-05-26T17:37:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Bucks' international profile grows with trip to Abu Dhabi | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/26/milwaukee-bucks-international-profile-grows-trip-abu-dhabi/9928803002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/05/26/milwaukee-bucks-international-profile-grows-trip-abu-dhabi/9928803002/ |
Taco fans soon could have another dining option in West Allis.
A Taco John's restaurant is being proposed for 6767 W. Greenfield Ave. on what's now a parking lot north of the Pick 'n Save.
The single-story, 2,439-square-foot restaurant would have a drive-thru and a small outdoor patio, according to city documents.
Property owner NDC LLC and Pentex Restaurant Group are proposing to split the existing parcel and construct the business on the newly created parcel.
The West Allis Plan Commission on May 25 approved the proposal with some conditions, said City of West Allis Lead Planner Zac Roder.
The site, landscaping and architectural plans will be revised to include minor adjustments to screening along West Greenfield Avenue, he said.
The city's common council plans to hold a public hearing and vote on the conditional use June 7.
If city approvals are given, Taco John's plans a December opening, Roder said.
The proposed $1.3 million project in West Allis is part of a broader expansion effort by Taco John's.
In 2021, the company signed a development agreement with Michigan-based Meritage Hospitality Group that calls for 50 new restaurants by 2026, with the option to develop an additional 150 restaurants beyond that.
Taco John's called it the biggest deal in the company's history.
More than 30 new Taco John openings are planned for 2022, including one in West Milwaukee.
Taco John’s operates and franchises nearly 400 restaurants in 23 states, making it one of the largest Mexican quick-service restaurant brands in America, according to the company's website. | 2022-05-26T20:14:13Z | www.jsonline.com | Taco John's is proposing to open a new location in West Allis | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/05/26/taco-johns-proposing-open-new-location-west-allis/9927386002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/05/26/taco-johns-proposing-open-new-location-west-allis/9927386002/ |
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