7 Mile Fair is Dead. All Hail the New 7-Mile Fair!
It began as a flea market founded by a farmer in 1961 on an acre of his own land near the Racine and Milwaukee border along the I-94 corridor. Some might think of 7 Mile Fair as stuck in time, essentially unchanged in the 20 years since they last shopped there, but today’s active consumers and vendors there have fundamentally changed the dynamic, even though the set-up doesn’t look much different. It’s late Sunday morning in early April. The temps outside are still a little too cold for vendors to camp outside in the acre behind the market square and expo buildings – except for that one guy who has eternally camped out his southwest corner spot with permanent wares ranging from old vacuum cleaners to play sets. From a distance, shrouded under a hoodie, he looks like a hermit. I watch him while standing in the long line to get in the door. I have never waited in line during the off-season before. This semi-annual pilgrimage is not special; I just need to kill some time. And, like a true pilgrimage, I don’t fully comprehend the languages spoken around me. The new dynamic of 7 Mile Fair makes it a familiar and welcome gathering space for recent Wisconsin immigrants (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Honduran, Chinese, Korean, Hmong, Pakistani, Indian), who are often treated the same by the old immigrants (Dutch, Czech, Norwegian, Irish, French, Slovenian, German) elsewhere. The funny thing is: the ethnic shift hasn’t changed the makeup of how 7 Mile Fair works in the slightest. A cursory look across internet blogs often bemoans the loss of 7 Mile Fair’s original concept. It used to be a place to find fresh-off-the-farm eggs and vegetables. It used to be a place to find used goods, spare parts, oddities, antiques, shammies, cookware, toys and as-seen-on-TV items. It used to be a place you could haggle and wrangle. The only problem with this complaint: all of this can, of course, still be found there. But some time during the past 10 years, vendors found it profitable to not only reach an untapped market with ethnic wares, but to specifically market ethnic material not commonly found in retail stores. And beyond that, a mashed-up market of Americanized teens belonging to a race via family and neighborhood – who then create mashed-up American products – created an entirely new, ethnic-American flavor. This is how Bart Simpson-as-Latin-gangster t-shirts, full-sized slot machines with Chinese characters and Buddha desk lamps propagate. You can get a treat while you walk around, from homemade ices layered with fruit and lime juice to churros and even off-season corn-on-the-cob. The fruit stands have tomatoes and oranges. These don’t appear to be as fresh as the cacti and peppers, though. It might be a waste of time to complain about a decline in quality over the years. What was cheap and made overseas then is still being sold now. But what qualifies here as a low-culture beat is not the existences of foreign […]
Apr 9th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
Holy Rollercoaster
This time of year always reminds me of the 6 am Easter service I attended as a kid. The entire Sieg family would wake up early and, with our eyes half open, prepare for worship at St. John’s of Antrim Township, the sister of our usual church. We attended that particular church on that particular day because Mom and Dad thought sunrise was the best time to observe Easter. Either that or it was the fresh egg bake and warm cinnamon rolls being served by the Ladies Aid afterward. My family would sit somewhere near the front-of-the-back of the church, where my sisters and I could show off our frilly, pastel-colored Easter dresses (if they weren’t under our winter jackets). And we could see that the rest of the congregation was also wearing the best of their Sunday bests. As worship began, joyful music ushered in the Pastor, who wore a white stole to signify the resurrection and the life. And the Easter lilies filled the chapel with wonderful hints of hope. Ah, Easter Sunday – a joyous time, indeed. And to think it wasn’t all that long ago that Jesus was on the rollercoaster known as the Lenten season. Today, Lent is usually observed by attending dark and somber Wednesday night services – right before you head over to Target for bright and beautiful Easter baskets filled with Jelly Bellies, Peeps and of course, Cadbury eggs. (Although, I’ve always thought the best thing about those eggs was actually the commercial). The famous Cadbury Egg commercial Once Easter arrives, it’s easy to forget that Jesus had just returned from history’s first-ever silent retreat in the wilderness. And when I say “wilderness,” I’m not talking about an Eddie Bauer tent and a self-inflating mattress, or an REI single-wall shelter, which even most Subaru drivers consider “roughing it.” I’m talking about the desert. Where the original Survivorman spent 40 days alone fasting, praying and resisting temptation. First, Satan told him to change a rock into bread and feed himself. Then he asked him to worship him in order to receive the kingdom. Next, Satan told Jesus to jump off a cliff and be saved by his father. Oh Satan, if you watched any Lifetime Movie Network at all, you would know Jesus’ family actually had a much more dramatic salvation in mind. So instead, Jesus told Satan to jump off a cliff. And a few days later, he received a wonderful homecoming as he rode into Jerusalem. Atop a donkey. People waved palm branches to welcome Jesus as a king. (I’m pretty sure they used them as donkey pooper scoopers as well. Hey – just because it’s not in the Bible doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.) Later in the week, Jesus made dinner plans with a bunch of his friends for Thursday night. Toasts were made, dinner was shared – and so were sentiments. To walk off the wine, Jesus took a quiet stroll in the garden. And that’s when the real trouble […]
Apr 9th, 2009 by Michelle Sieg
great Chipotle recipes
I don’t normally plug chain restaurants, but Chipotle is one I’d like to have in my own neighborhood. The meat they use is a special attraction to me because every time I’ve supped there, everything from the steak to the chicken or pork has been tender and lean. Although I generally prefer independently owned places, I recently stopped in an a Mexican eatery, to remain nameless, that served meat so tough and greasy it was inedible. With both pinto and black beans and fajita-style vegetables on the menu, Chipotle works for vegetarians as well. Even for my friend who is a strict macrobiotic vegetarian. For about $10 bucks you can have a massive burrito with a beer or Margarita. The Margaritas are large, potent and also rank with the best I’ve had at corner-in-the-wall ethnic gems. For just a couple of dollars more, you can have outstanding (it tastes like what I make at home) guacamole and chips. None of the stores have the convenience of drive through service and according to corporate sources, that’s not in the works. Considering the prices, the fast buffet service and the quality of product, I would project Chipotle to be relatively recession proof. Chipotle does not offer coupons or specials, but if you come in on Halloween dressed like a Chipotle burrito, your burrito is on the house. Two recipes from Chipotle Ancho Chile Marinade for Meat by Steve Ells, Founder & CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill 1 pkg (2 oz.) dried ancho chilis or dried pepper of choice 1 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. cumin powder 2 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped 6 cloves garlic 1/2 red onion, quartered 1/4 cup vegetable oil 4 cuts of meat of choice Soak dry chilis in water overnight or until soft. Remove seeds. Add all ingredients except meat in food processor. Puree until smooth. Spread mixture over meat and refrigerate at least one hour, up to 24 hours. Heat grill to about 400 degrees, or if cooking inside heat small amount of oil in skillet or grill pan over high heat. Salt meat to taste. Grill meat about 4 minutes per side, depending upon thickness, until done. Serve with rice, black beans, or choice of side dish. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Chipotle Adobo Marinade for Grilled Vegetables by Steve Ells, Founder & CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill 1 small can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 1 – 2 tbs. Soft butter (olive oil for vegans) 1 – 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice Use four tablespoons of the Chipotle adobo sauce. Save the Chipotle peppers for another use. Mix adobo sauce with butter and lemon juice. Brush over vegetables before and during grilling. Salt and pepper to taste. Recommended vegetables Corn on the cob Peel back husks but don’t remove remove silks. Brush with adobo mixture, rehusk and wrap in foil. Grill 10 – 15 minutes, turning occasionally until tender. Japanese eggplants Quarter lengthwise and parboil until bright in color (2 – 3 minutes). Brush with adobo mixture. […]
Apr 8th, 2009 by Cate Miller
Fincher
On the advice of my friend Max Lawton I have been revisiting the films of David Fincher. When I first viewed these films, I did not like them. I found Fight Club to be too belligerent and Seven to be over-the-top and Gothically dark. The Game, as I remembered it, played too much with reality too much and facility and not enough truth. The filmmaking is obviously very skillful, but the morality is heavy-handed. And Zodiac , though it had great set pieces and some nice performances, was long, choppy and lost the continuity it needed to make a cohesive whole. I still haven’t seen Benjamin Button. I think perhaps there is a sense of humor behind Fight Club that I didn’t understand the first time through. But if it is intended as humor then it is almost obliterated by the testosterone and the brutality of many of the images. The idea of men going into parking lots and basements and beating each other senseless, learning to love each other through this violent intimacy, is a wonderfully over the top and humorous comment on the Robert Bly “Iron John” movement of the 1990s. The absolutely necessary feminist movement that brought women out of their closets and kitchens and encouraged them to form significant relationships with each other and to demand a share in our economy and social organization naturally precluded men, who felt left behind and out of the dialogue. The power – or more accurately, the presumption of power – that men wielded for centuries was felt to be slipping away, and they flailed about in what will be, hopefully, the last death throes of white male supremacy, we waged a few stupidly motivated wars, like Grenada and the two Iraq wars, the embrace of greed as a goddess, and some bizarrely adolescent behavior as witnessed in the White House over the past eight years. If Fincher and Chuck Palahniuk, the man who wrote the novel Fight Club, are commenting on this situation, then I don’t think they have gained enough distance to see it clearly – certainly not Fincher, anyway. A big part of him is still down in the basement whimpering in the corner, with blood on his lip, fantasizing about the next time he comes up against that bad man who beat him up. Or maybe it was a woman he had to negotiate with. When Fight Club really does become comedic is near the end when the anarchy that Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) preaches becomes an organization of men without lives or roots running around making explosives in the semi-abandoned house that they call home. It reminds me of the cockroaches in an old episode of “Fairly Odd Parents,” the Saturday morning cartoon, where the cockroaches set about to attain “world domination” and are nearly successful. I know Cosmo, Wanda, Jimmy and the cockroaches are funny but I am not sure if it is intended as comedy with Fincher. When I say that Fincher’s style […]
Apr 8th, 2009 by Mark Metcalf
Accents on the Interstate, Lipstick on a Pig
If accent lighting on the interstate isn't the perfect definition of lipstick on a pig, I don't know what is. That said I'm not opposed to it. In fact, I think dressing the Marquette Interchange for the prom was a positive step forward. There is, however, only one thing I wish would have happened differently.
Apr 8th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Episode #4 – Jonathan West and Mistaken Identity
Jonathan West and Mistaken Identity - This week on the ThirdCoast Cast, Mark Metcalf speaks with Jonathan West, the new managing director of the Sunset Playhouse on the changes currently underway at Sunset, and Nick Schurk gets an unexpected and confused call from a surprisingly devoted listener. Enjoy
Apr 8th, 2009 by ThirdCoast Podcast
RadioMilwaukee names new Executive Director
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (April 8, 2009) – Mary Louise Mussoline, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s former senior director of development, has been named executive director of non-commercial 88Nine RadioMilwaukee. Mussoline, a longtime Milwaukee resident, has served for many years as a top executive and consultant to numerous area non-profits, working in areas of management, training and fundraising. Her selection followed a multiple-month search and extensive interviewing process for the open position, said Eric Resch, board chair of Radio For Milwaukee, which operates the station. “Mary Louise brings a wealth of experience in management and fund development,” Resch said. “Her strong background, talent and working relationships within Milwaukee’s non-profit and business communities will help RadioMilwaukee realize its vision for creating a better city through the power of music and our collective voice.” Resch said Mussoline will work closely with her senior management team, Station Manager Vicki Mann and Program + Content Director Sam Van Hallgren, to increase the station’s impact within the area and grow community support. Mussoline said she has been an avid listener of RadioMilwaukee since the station’s current format went into effect two years ago. She said she looked forward to helping the station grow into an even more important community asset. “In a short time, RadioMilwaukee has established itself as a powerful force to bring people together in celebration of music, local arts and community building,” Mussoline said. “By tapping into more of the Milwaukee area’s many resources, I hope to help build an even stronger foundation for our future growth and success.” As the Milwaukee Art Museum’s campaign consultant and then senior director of development from 2005 until earlier this month, Mussoline oversaw the museum’s completion of its capital campaign, membership efforts, annual campaign, major gifts, planned giving and special program fundraising. The most recent campaign raised $4.9 million in annual gifts, including $3 million from major donors and an additional $2.3 million in grants and sponsorships. Annual campaign contributions increased by 30% under Mussoline’s team. Prior to her work at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Mussoline served as the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s vice president for institutional advancement from September 2002 until December 2004; The Brico Fund, Inc.’s executive director from 1998 to 2002; and a Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation program officer from 1998 to 2001. Since 1987, Mussoline also has owned a consulting practice, MLM Associates, which has provided training and select consulting to a variety of organizations. Groups MLM has worked with include the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, Neighborhood House, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Highland Community School, Tirimbina Rainforest Center, Children’s Service Society, YWCA of the USA, Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee. 88Nine RadioMilwaukee (88.9 FM and www.radiomilwaukee.org) broadcasts and webcasts a unique mix of rock, urban and local music, while promoting and celebrating involvement in the Milwaukee community. The station has won “best of” awards from the Shepherd-Express weekly newspaper, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry and Milwaukee Magazine.
Apr 8th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
Around town with Bones – 4/8
I can’t figure out why any artist in their right mind would complain “there’s nothing new” in Milwaukee. Balls! I just saw two great Peter Barrickman paintings at Green Gallery, plus at GGWest, the most minimalist piece of art I’ve ever seen: a slender slice of wood painted white and propped in a corner of GGW’s third floor space, which also houses Club Nutz, the world’s smallest stand-up comedy club. You know, when I talk to John Riepenhoff I feel a real burst of hope for the arts. The people around him are smart and young and energetic. What a tonic. It isn’t that I don’t respect artists who are mature (or old like me), but there comes a time when bi-focals have to give way to firm flesh and sharp eyes and keen ideas. Riepenhoff must be like Dean Jensen was in the olden days, and his adventurous mind reminds me much of Jensen, who is, by the way, a big fan of John and company. Deb Brehmer is down-on-her-knees sorting through piles of drawings from various Wisconsin-based artists. My eyes like Paul Caster’s stuff, but you can decide from seven participants when the show (Tender is the Line) opens in the Portrait Gallery (Floor 5) on Gallery Night & Day (April 17-18). Her expanded space now includes TWO galleries, the latter to be known as “Gallery B,” with walls being painted blood red as I write. Down the hall, also on floor five, Catherine Davidson has established a new little office with walls of eggplant hue. Her larger venue is on floor two. Jilan Glynn is curating a GN&D exhibit at Soups On. Does anyone remember Jane Brite, co-founder of Walker’s Point Center for the Arts? Allegedly, she’s the new “art consultant” for the Charles Allis/Villa Terrace Museums. They’ve ground through quite a number of staffers in the last few years, and seem to be very zipped-lipped when it comes to press releases announcing who’s new and who’s not. I’m really saddened that no one has ventured forth with a guess as to who “Pierre Renee” is. His photographs are hanging in the Riverfront Pizza Bat & Grill on Erie St. I guess no one cares but Mr. Renee, hey? Okay, Stella will sweeten the Pierre pot and buy a veggie pizza for the FIRST person who posts the correct answer in the comment section. All the stupefying silly-ness over whether or not alderpersons like the public sculpture proposed for Wisconsin Avenue. It’s sort of a low blow to make comments about Bob Donavan’s missing teeth though. Or is it tooth? It should be even more stupefying when “concerned” artists mass in order to voice their ego-driven agendas about the project’s ix-nayers. Real artists will be home making art, but Pegi Taylor will likely be out and about milling around. Stella says later gator. There’s way more coming …
Apr 8th, 2009 by Stella Cretek
Tales from the Dugout
Pink Banana Theatre Co. opened its annual show comprised completely of original one-acts on Friday, March 27. Staying true to its mission of encouraging new artists, Pink Banana used locally grown writers, actors and directors. With few mis-steps, Pink Banana once again showed itself to be a hot bed of young Milwaukee talent. Using a video screen as a back drop served two-fold: first, as a way of introducing the writers, actors and directors of each one-act and also as a set piece to suggest location. In Along for the Ride, a video of the retreating road through a back window added scenic depth and clarity to what could have just been actors in chairs on stage. Muffin’s Man was certainly the best received by the audience. Written by Patrik Beck and directed by Michael Cotey, it’s the perfect storm of wit and absurdity. Three men wait outside a coffee shop on an ordinary morning and at least one of them is not what he seems. Rob Maass, Daniel Koester and Travis A. Knight form a perfect triad for this brief yet action packed comedy. The last scene before the intermission proved to be a bit off kilter. Written and directed by Stephanie AB Wiedenhoeft, A Squirrels Nest aimed to examine the lives of five women. While obvious that the point was to highlight the internal and external conflicts that unite women, it was generic and used too many blanket statements to be truly insightful. Subject to Change, written by Alison Niles and directed by Joe Foti, lived up to its title by showcasing the rapid adjustments women in the armed forces must make. Unrequited Hate, written by Russ Bickerstaff and directed by Fjosh Redbeard, was an intriguing look into the relationship between co-workers. Complemented by actors Nick Firer and Adrian F. Feliciano, this fast-paced spoof was another audience favorite. Rounding out the show was The Interpreters, written by Artistic Director Rose Wasielewski and directed by Patrik Beck. A couple seeking marriage counseling receives help and answers in a pair of frank and outspoken interpreters who voice the true meanings of their words. For complete schedules and ticket information for all of Milwaukee’s theaters, visit Footlights online.
Apr 7th, 2009 by Russ Bickerstaff
Milwaukee Rep Announces Latest Pay-What-You-Can Performances
If you’re looking for an affordable way to see some great live theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater offers Pay What You Can for select performances, you literally pay what you can afford for the ticket. (A minimum donation of $5.00 is suggested.) Tickets go on sale at 5:30 on the day of the Pay What You Can Performance. There is a limit of 10 tickets per person for the Quadracci Powerhouse performances and 4 tickets per person for the Stiemke Theater performances. Pay What You Can Performances for I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE MAN are Wednesday, April 8th and Thursday, April 9th. Dates for THE CHERRY ORCHARD are Tuesday, April 14th and Wednesday, April 15th. I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE MAN will be playing in The Rep’s Stiemke Theater, and THE CHERRY ORCHARD is in The Rep’s Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. All Pay What You Can Performances begin at 7:30. Both theaters are located at 108 E. Wells Street. For more information, please call The Rep’s Ticket Office at 414-224-9490. Enjoy!
Apr 7th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
How Not to Run a Public Hearing
We often hear about the lack of "transparency" or that "the process wasn't followed," and it is actually my belief that often enough this isn't true.
Apr 6th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 06. April 2009
County Grounds: A mockery of the democratic process The politics of public art – JSOnline MilwaukeeWorld: MCTS: BYK-RAKS HERE BY JULY WisDOT pressured to pay for county work After plea from Barrett, panel blocks funds for suburban projects – JSOnline Milwaukee Talkie: A school choice paradox (or two) Virchow Krause looking downtown – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Milwaukee bucks national housing trends – JSOnline Milwaukee’s economy needs commuter rail – BizTimes OnMilwaukee.com Milwaukee Buzz: A designers Zweig thoughts and call to action New arena could be in cards Marquette goes it alone on building project Artsy Schmartsy: Can we save Janet Zweig’s art? We need to try. Marquette Interchange gets “accent lighting” – JSOnline Plale and Richards announce the $240 Million for UWM clears another hurdle : The Bay View Compass Sick leave law would trump bargaining Vouchers and Howard Fuller – Murphy’s Law – Milwaukee Magazine Staybridge Suites construction may resume this month – BizTimes CARW says county should transfer Park East land to city – BizTimes Cardinal Stritch drops plans to buy Wisconsin Energy Corp. land in St. Francis – BizTimes Walker says he never said never about matching stimulus funds – BizTimes Janet Zweig’s public art project in trouble – JSOnline Why Milwaukee is ready for Zweig’s public art – JSOnline Realtors: City Hall should take over Park East land – JSOnline Turmoil continues in squabble over Milwaukee County’s stimulus dollars – BizTimes Federal agency backs bigger bonds Milwaukee County in running for stimulus money We need a regional transit authority now – BizTimes Group seeks stimulus funds for KRM commuter train – BizTimes RTA ought to defer to our voters – JSOnline Marquette Interchange gets ‘accent lighting’ – JSOnline Dialogue needed on arena issue – JSOnline Milwaukee’s economy needs commuter rail – BizTimes Pharmacy school looks at Mequon, not Pabst site – JSOnline City Hall restoration wins downtown award – JSOnline Virchow Krause looking downtown – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Potential impact of intermodal station identified – Sacramento Business Journal: ‘Johnny V’ faces foreclosure suit – JSOnline Staybridge Suites construction may resume this month – BizTimes The Bradley Center has a problem – JSOnline Dan Cody – “Left on the Lake” » Southeastern Wisconsin Business Leaders Advocate for KRM & Mass Transit in Editorial Milwaukee council majority backs TIF money for streets – JSOnline Realtors: City Hall should take over Park East land – JSOnline
Apr 6th, 2009 by Dave Reid
