Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 27. April 2009

Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 27. April 2009

RTA lobbying increases as lawmakers waver Alderman wants to green-light TIF money for streets The Edge condo complex opens – JSOnline Developer: no apartments at Park Lafayette – JSOnline MATC seeks bids for 6-acre Milwaukee solar farm OnMilwaukee.com Arts & Entertainment: Five questions for the United Performing Arts Fund Grocery store planned for Brady Street neighborhood – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Cognitive Dissidence: County Board Members Forget What Day It Is Veolia donates $1.5M for water research – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: MilwaukeeWorld: COUNTY BOARD DIPS PINKY TOE INTO VAST OCEAN OF INTERNET Nehring’s Family Market planned for Brady and Water – JSOnline Real Estate Weekly for Wednesday, April 22, 2009 – BizTimes Study: Milwaukee housing market undervalued – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: OnMilwaukee.com Bars & Clubs: Black Rose sprouts up on the East Side JS Online: High-rise envisioned ‘where east side meets downtown’ Upscale grocery store plans develop for downtown Milwaukee – JSOnline University Club Tower contractors hit with lawsuit – JSOnline Grocery store planned for Brady Street neighborhood – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Renewable energy facility proposed for Port of Milwaukee land – JSOnline Pabst shows signs of life – JSOnline Hare Strigenz moves to 3rd Ward Firehouse – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Habhegger looking for new home – JSOnline RTA lobbying increases as lawmakers waver Alderman wants to green-light TIF money for streets Real Estate Weekly for Wednesday, April 22, 2009 – BizTimes Will there be city help for Park East proposal? – JSOnline Planners approve turning Waynz World rec center into labor temple – JSOnline Manpower Inc. – Manpower Inc. World Headquarters First New Construction Project in Milwaukee To Achieve LEED Gold Certification Hyatt hopes to attract more customers now that renovations are done – JSOnline

Emotional Pain is Relative: <I>Anvil! The Story of Anvil</I> vs. <I>Heavy Metal in Baghdad</I>
Emotional Pain is Relative

Anvil! The Story of Anvil vs. Heavy Metal in Baghdad

both films share a very important message for every struggling musician out there trying to keep the faith while grasping for the brass ring (be it rock stardom or the freedom to grow your hair long without getting lynched): stick with it long enough, and eventually, a documentary filmmaker will come along to tell your story and make you famous.

What’s Happening: April 27-May 3
What’s Happening

April 27-May 3

Welcome to What's Happening, your weekly guide to the goings-on.

Dear Ken Macha: Don’t Fear The Beard (8-10)
Dear Ken Macha

Don’t Fear The Beard (8-10)

Dear Ken Macha, Nicely done, Ken. Sometimes a manager needs to find unorthodox ways to motivate a struggling team. Ned used to pick random games to completely freak the fuck out on an umpire  over a bad call or because his favorite NASCAR driver lost.  I can’t say I’ve never heard of managers embracing the beard in order to inspire their team, but it’s pure genius nonetheless. Corey Hart dyes his beard black, becoming a slightly more athletic version of Mose Schrute in the process, and after a four game winning streak all criticism about the front office, your grandfatherly looks and your players’ performance vanishes.  Just look at how it helped your offense: Ryan Braun, spurred on by the Amish work ethic symbolized in Corey’s Pennsylvanian chinstrap, hit 3 HRs,  knocked in 8 runners and raised his average by over 100 points.  He even had the game-winning RBI in Saturday’s back and forth game against the ‘Stros. After struggling mightily for the first three weeks, Prince Fielder responded to the beard like no other.  No stranger to facial hair himself, Fielder had his first multi-homer game and doubled his season RBI total over the weekend.  It’s always nice to have your two best sluggers hitting well on the road and it looks like your plan worked perfectly, Ken. JJ Hardy, fan of the goatee, had a three-hit game for the first time this season, bringing his batting average that much closer to local gas prices than the week before.  Baby steps, Ken, baby steps. If that wasn’t enough proof of your managerial brilliance look no further than your pitching staff’s response to the beard decree.  After a tumultous three weeks full of walks, walks, and more walks, this year’s staff is on pace to shatter the 2001 staff’s record for runs walked in.  I know you weren’t around at the time, Ken, but no one wants to relive the days when Ruben Quevedo was a part of our rotation.  But, I digress. Motivated by your embrace of the beard, serious beardsman Dave Bush was this close no-hitting the Phillies if not for mythic Matt Stairs’ home run in the eighth inning (I’m sure they hammered your ass for that, Matt).  Chinstrap enthusiast Yovani Gallardo even looked impressive in a complete game win against the hopeless Astros.   Is it possible that Braden Looper would pitch even better if he had a chin curtain or extended mutton chops?  Think about it, Ken. Not everyone benefited from your beard shenanigans, though.  Rickie Weeks still needs to remember what it’s like to take a walk or cleanly field and throw a baseball, and Jorge Julio needs to be left at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. But apart from those minor issues, your unconventional moves are starting to pay off.  Keep it up, Ken. Best Regards, Rob Vosters

Lower East Side Grocery Store To Open

Lower East Side Grocery Store To Open

John and Anne Nehring will open Nehring Family Marketplace in a building owned by New Land Enterprises at the intersection of Brady and Water Streets.

Upcoming Events for the Week of April 27th, 2009

Upcoming Events for the Week of April 27th, 2009

April 27, 2009 Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting April 27, 2009 9:00 am The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 pa.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, […] April 28, 2009 Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Meeting April 28, 2009 9:00 am The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects.The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. […] May 2, 2009 PhotoCampMilwaukee May 2, 2009 9:00 am to 9:00 pm PhotoCampMilwaukee is a BarCamp-like event fully focused on photography. It’s an ad-hoc “un-conference” for people who love photography to get together and teach what they know, and learn what they don’t. It’s about sharing in an open environment. Everyone has experience to share, and getting everyone together in one place, for a full day, seems […]

Deep-Fried Romantic: The EPIC FAIL of MySpace (and why Facebook is next)
Deep-Fried Romantic

The EPIC FAIL of MySpace (and why Facebook is next)

As users of Facebook.com "vote" for a bill of rights and the founders of MySpace starting turning a foot towards the door, some thoughts about how low-culture and not 'the nightclub' analogy is to blame for social networking sites downfalls

Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Meeting

Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Meeting

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects. The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. Agenda

Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting

Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting

The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system. The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 pa.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. Agenda

A Pair of Streets That Need to Go on a Diet

A Pair of Streets That Need to Go on a Diet

The streets, E. State St. and E. Wells St., need to lose some weight because these multi-lane one-way expressways that run through East Town disrupt an otherwise walkable neighborhood.

Hair wants to shine, but falls flat

Hair wants to shine, but falls flat

Even though Hair defined the "rock musical" genre and illustrated drug use, its message was actually quite serious and intellectual. But the players at UWM seem to have trouble paying homage to these great American social issues. On stage, actors seem more intent on portraying various stages of being stoned. Illegal drug use pervades the entire show, but it here it seemed to overtake all other aspects.

Committee Approves Two-way State St.

Committee Approves Two-way State St.

Clearly this meeting of the Public Works Committee was not as colorful as recent meetings but there were a couple of items of interest. The first item was a proposed lease agreement between Waters’ New Biotech Company and the Port of Milwaukee.  This proposal would be the second large alternative fuel facility in recent years to open at the Port of Milwaukee.  Waters’ New Biotech Company intends to develop a facility that will convert wood waste into a solid fuel which will be used as an alternative fuel to coal.  This file was approved and will now go before the full Common Council. The second item was the culmination of three years of efforts by Alderman Robert Bauman.  In an effort to improve the walkability and vibrancy of East Town, he has been working to convert E. State St. between N. Edison St. and N. Prospect Ave. to two-way traffic.  His efforts resulted in the necessary changes to file number 081667 which will provide the funding to reconfigure E. State St., rebuild and repave the street, reconfigure the signals, construct a median at Water St., and potentially add a new signal.  This file was approved and will now go before the full Common Council.