Economic Development Committee Hears STEM Presentation

One item on the agenda that stood out as significant was Dr. Keenan Grenell‘s communication from the Regional Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM). The study argues that “increasing the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pipeline in Wisconsin is a vital part of increasing and maintaining its economic stature” To promote the increasing of the economic stature the study recommends, the need to improve relationships between STEM organizations, to market STEM programs within the M7, and the creation of a “Research Institute for the Theory and Practice of STEM Entrepreneurial Wealth Creation” among other recommendations. This institute would be modeled after the successful IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and whose purpose would be to “create more STEM research, practice, and policies with the M7 region”. This report comes at a critical time as both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University are planning expansions of their Engineering schools and shows the value of these developments to the City of Milwaukee and our region.

Leah Jee rocks the BBC

Talking to Leah Jee is a cheerful experience; you get the impression she spends a great deal of time happily rocking out. She has carried this attitude with her from her home in sunny California, moving here in 2000 with a scholarship to Marquette. Jee plays an infectious, energetic, pop-punky Orange county-y sound, a ray of South Cali supersonic sunlight that blinds the frozen no-fun-niks of the local scene. Leah Jee and The Boys (her back up band: Jim Sinicki, bass, Lior Dar, drums, Bryan Burch, guitar) have played it all, from the sweat-soaked, beer-swilling masses at Summerfest to intimate serenades on a stormy night at the Riverwest Commons. The band toured in November, playing dozens of gigs in home, sweet home, California, from San Francisco to San Diego. “The California music scene was absolutely receptive to us, and we had a great fan response every show we played.” Jee told me. The band will hit the road again in May for a mid-Atlantic and East Coast tour. On March 8, Jee will rock the BBC, celebrating the release of her new EP, All The Things I Forgot To Mention, recorded at Studio Z in Milwaukee over several months. Leah Jee and the boys always give an ebullient live performance, and if the audience is lucky, they’ll hear a rockin’ cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” which wowed the crowd so much at one performance that they demanded the band play it a second time. Speaking of Paula Abdul, Miss Jee will be one of three guest judges for the Alverno College Idol contest, a replica of American Idol. Jee will certainly bring a healthy dose of Vitamin C to the contest. Leah Jee’s CD release is March 8 at 8PM at BBC, with Evenstar, The Identity Theft, and Now You Have Audio. The CD is available online.

On to Pennsylvania … and Possibly Denver!!!

So Hillary Clinton did what she had to do. Her victories in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island gave her the justification she needed to keep this battle going. She still trails Barack Obama in pledged delegates and it does not appear likely that she can catch him. But Obama is unlikely to get to the 2025 delegates necessary to claim victory before the August convention in Denver. So what is the party to do? Well, just as President Bush remained officially neutral until John McCain won the requisite delegates to secure the nomination (though his father endorsed the Arizona senator weeks ago), the party big shots need to hold their fire, urge the two combatants to fight fair, and let the process play out. Yes, that means on to Pennsylvania on April 22 (seven weeks away!) and maybe even on to a contested convention. If that’s what it takes, so be it. What we have here is basically the same as a heavyweight title fight when neither of the two palookas has been able to land the knockout punch. When that happens the outcome is decided by a panel of judges who award points based on their expertise and judgment. That’s where the superdelegates come in. Folks who complain that letting these party insiders decide the nominee is undemocratic are missing the point. Former Congresswoman, and Vice Presidential nominee in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro said on NPR today that the role of the party leaders returns some fairness to the process since many states (including Wisconsin) allow independents and even Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary, possible interfering with the best interests of the party. The role of the superdelegates serves as a safety valve to insure that the nominee accurately reflects the best interests of the party. All hell would break out if they overturned the strong wishes of the voters. I say let’s see where this leads. One outstanding issue for the party leaders is what to do about Florida and Michigan. Both were banished from having their delegates seated at the convention because they dared hold their primaries before the party wanted them to. Those were the rules that all the candidates agreed to so the easiest thing would be to stick to that position. But Hillary Clinton won both states so her camp will push to seat both delegations. Holding new primaries or caucuses would be costly and impractical. There are no easy answers to this dilemma. In the meantime the candidates should continue making their best cases for support and avoid launching unnecessarily negative attacks on each other. Hillary Clinton already has dabbled in this area with her “kitchen sink strategy” and it finally appears to have worked. Party leaders may need to step in and warn her about low blows then tell them to come out from their corners. May the most worthy candidate win.

March 15th – The Scarring Party at Turner Hall!

SATURDAY MARCH 15TH! THE SCARRING PARTY W/ GRANT HART OF HUSKER DU AND JOHN THE SAVAGE AT TURNER HALL! VITAL is sponsoring the CD release show for Milwaukee quartet the Scarring Party at TURNER HALL on Saturday, March 15th. We’ve staked out some real estate at the show where you can sign up to win free tickets to upcoming shows, snatch up a few VITAL goodies and make nice with some of the staff. They’re nice people and they want to give you free stuff! See you there! More information available online!

Activity at 4th and Wisconsin

Despite the market downturn The Ghazi Company appears to be pressing forward with their Catalyst project. Back in November they launched the project website CatalystMilwaukee.com and today they began advertising the project with a large banner on a neighboring parking garage. The project includes 150,000 square feet of retail space to be leased out and approximately 200 condominiums and apartments to be leased or sold which is a considerable undertaking in any market but more difficult as the country faces a possible recession. Despite this these increased marketing efforts show The Ghazi Company’s willingness to carry on with the Catalyst project and that potentially Milwaukee’s market is still strong enough to support these new developments.

Public Works Committee

Location: City Hall, 200 East Wells St. Room 301-B Agenda

Weekend Music Report #3 – Doc Hammer/Video Games Live

VITAL’s 2008 Short Fiction Call for Entries OPEN

  Entry Deadline: APRIL 18, 2008   Submission Guidelines: • Entrants may submit two original, unpublished pieces of short fiction (max. 3,000 words). • Entries will be judged by professional editors and educators not affiliated with VITAL Source. • Winner will have his or her entry published in the June print edition of VITAL Source Magazine and on our website. • Runners-up may have selected text from their story published in the print edition and up to their entire entry published on the VITAL Source website. Honorees will be asked to participate in a public reading event in June at a Harry W. Schwartz Bookstore location TBD. Entries must be formatted as follows: • 8.5 x 11 page • 1” margins all the way around • Times New Roman 12 pt. type, single-spaced body text, 14 pt. title, left-justified • Double-return between paragraphs – no indents • Title and word count at top of page • Include contact information (author name, address, phone number, email address) and a brief biography (50 words maximum) on a separate sheet. Submitted entries will not be returned. Email electronic entries to: contest at vitalsourcemag dot com Mail hard copy entries to: VITAL Source Magazine Attn: Fiction Contest 133 W. Pittsburgh Ave. #409 Milwaukee, WI 53204 No calls, please.

Of Mice and Men

By Jill Gilmer “A play based on an American classic is only worth doing if it can spark a revolution.” This was the inspiration behind Rebecca Holderness’decision to direct Of Mice and Men at the UWM Mainstage theatre. Through the effective use of archival material and a variety of other unexpected touches, Ms. Holderness attempts to shine a light on the political messages that are usually overlooked in this adaptation of John Steinbeck’s heavily-analyzed novel. Time will tell if this student production achieves its director’s lofty goal, but Holderness clearly succeeds in creating a moving experience that simultaneously disturbs and inspires. Of Mice and Men is the simple tale of George and Lennie, two migrant workers who roam the countryside during Depression-era California seeking work to finance their dream of buying their own ranch and living off “the fat of the land.” George and Lennie are an unusual pairing in the ranch-hand community. Lennie, a mildly-retarded giant of a man who doesn’t know his own strength, is in many ways the antithesis of the sophisticated George, who offers a vision of a better life and the brains to make it happen. Their tight bond of friendship is a source of envy for the other ranch-hands, many of whom travel solo and fight intense loneliness to maintain near-poverty wages. The story follows the evolution of their relationship as George seeks to balance the benefit of Lennie’s brawn and friendship with the liability associated with his uncensored comments and his propensity to touch soft things, including mice and their boss’ wife’s hair. The superb student cast brings authenticity to characters much older than the actors who portray them. Moreover, the cast successfully captures the delicate balance between sadness and hope that makes these characters seem so familiar and the story so stirring. Andrew Edwin Voss is excellent as Lennie. His innocence and unbridled honesty is perfectly juxtaposed against acts of depravity related to a series of conflicts between the ranch hands. Marques Causey, who plays the only African American character, strikes a chord with the audience as the amiable and devious Crooks. As George, Daniel Koester appears slightly less comfortable in his role than the other actors. However, he succeeds in communicating the internal struggle between his loyalty to his friend and his desire to achieve his dreams. Black-and-white photos on elevated screens combine with dramatic lighting and a minimalist set to transport the audience to the 1930s. Another effective mood-setting device is a series of monologs by two characters that take place prior to the start of the play. Powerful archival images outside the theatre combine with excellent performances inside to penetrate the soul. The overall effect is a production that transcends a study of generally likeable characters to compel the audience to examine the priority of friendship and money, dreams and character in their own lives. The commentary on issues of labor and race may be more of a backdrop for exploring these broader themes than a central focus of […]

Blessed Assurance

As messed up as things seem in the United States right now, it is reassuring to realize that certain things were much worse 100 years ago. A lot happened in the 20th century. In theory, every adult citizen of the United States can vote now. This was not the case on the other side of the 20th century. And while the actual power of that vote is subject to speculation, many people exerted a great deal of courageous effort to make universal suffrage a reality. This month Acacia Theater Company stages Laddy Sartin’s Blessed Assurance, the story of one African-American woman who demanded her right to vote in Mississippi in 1964. Ericka Wade stars as Olivia, a cook at a diner in Sunflower County. As the play opens, that familiar face at the diner has become a controversial one. Olivia had climbed the courthouse steps to register to vote and been turned back. Wade has a kind of quiet strength that ties together the rest of the cast quite nicely. Wade has given some stand-out performances at the Boulevard Theatre recently and makes an equally impressive Acacia debut in a role she inhabits quite memorably. Evan Weisfeldt plays Harlan, the owner of the café. While Harlan seems to respect Olivia, he is a victim of prejudice, and when pressed, he is caught between his apparent respect for Olivia and his place in society in a volatile period of American history. Weisfeldt captures the uncertainty of the time, but his performance fails to shed much light on that side of the human psyche that is unable to accept change towards greater equality. Finding the source of deep-rooted intolerance would be a tremendous challenge for any actor, and Weisfeldt plays the character with enough balance to keep him interesting. But without a deeper understanding of his motivations, he comes off as something of an enigma. Olivia’s friend Lewis, played by Mario Andre Alberts, is concerned for her safety and joins her in her second trip to the courthouse to demand to be registered to vote. It’s a move that makes things that much worse at the café, which by this time has closed for business and become a refuge for the two of them. Alberts’ performance is compassionate, and he coaxes Lewis and Olivia closer together over the course of the play. There’s a strength between the two of them, but things are going to get much worse before they get better as the two are accosted by a man named Slick. Jason Will plays the face of blatant racism as Slick. He’s apparently a regular at the café, but his relationship to the other characters is complicated. Perhaps he knows Olivia and Lewis as people, but doesn’t recognize them as equals. This dynamic comes into subtle prominence in a scene between him and Lewis. Slick sits on the counter and asks Lewis to shine his shoes – something Lewis stopped doing a long time ago. The scene is uncomfortable to watch, […]

Knock out

The Powerful Hand of George Bellows: Drawings from the Boston Public Library Milwaukee Art Museum Koss Gallery Now – March 23 The Milwaukee Art Museum’s spin for the George Bellows exhibition (now- March 23) goes like this: special rare drawings and lithographs, important chronicler of American life in the early twentieth century, highlights include scenes of boxing, racetracks and the glory of rabble-rousing preacher Billy Sunday. I was intrigued enough to visit the Koss Gallery, but not because of any touted aspects of the exhibition: in the ‘40s, I watched my dad enjoy boxing matches on television, and later, when we moved to Kansas City, he invited me out to watch the regional Golden Gloves boxing matches. I guess he thought it was a good way to bond (plus the Moriarty clan lays claim to John L. Sullivan, a shirt-tail relative from our Irish past). It was surreal to watch the sweat fly and blood splat near our ringside seats in a smoke-filled arena mostly populated by men. As years passed, I found myself fascinated by Body and Soul and Raging Bull. When Joyce Carol Oates, one of my favorite American writers, penned On Boxing in 1994, I learned that she and her dad had attended a 1950s Golden Gloves match, too. I’m also fascinated with old-time evangelical preachers, having seen them scream and shout in tents set up in my small Iowa hometown. Elmer Gantry, a movie I re-visit at least once a year, is based on preacher Billy Sunday, who is prominently figured in the works of George Bellows. Bellows’ (1882-1925) focus is primarily power, be it religious, political or athletic in nature. Prior to studying art, he was a star athlete in college where his discipline likely gave him a competitive edge in the art world. In this dark and gritty, near-hysterical political year of 2008, his change! change! change! artist/anarchist message rings familiar. I have a sneaking suspicion that the artist deemed the American masses as sheep in need of a shepherd and figured he might as well be it. The Koss Gallery is crowded with the artist’s work (smartly coordinated at MAM by Mary Weaver Chapin, assistant curator of prints and drawings), but the intimate space helps viewers focus on the cramped turbulence of the American city. The detailed drawings and lithographs remind me of pages in a historical novel punctuated with black and white images, though there is one colorful oil painting from 1916, “The Sawdust Trail.” It is the “star” of the Koss’ central gallery, but it is certainly not the prime example of images depicting Billy Sunday. Compared with the seven images surrounding it, the oil seems ham-fisted and blowsy. Bellows considered Sunday, an athlete who played with the Chicago White Stockings, the “worst thing that ever happened to America,” so perhaps the artist saw himself as a kind of “art evangelist.” Late in his career, he turned to lucrative portrait work (some of it is included in the exhibition) and seascapes; […]

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