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
May 17th, 2009 by Dave Reid
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
May 17th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Friday Photos Friday, 15. May 2009
Signature Suites at 2040 Lofts Zilber Hall Eckstein Hall Pabst Brewing Co. Bottling Department The Brewery
May 15th, 2009 by Dave Reid
The Milwaukee Sound – John the Savage
Fan-Belt Milwaukee's Erin Wolf has a seat with six of the seven members of John the Savage.
May 15th, 2009 by Erin Wolf
The Hollywood Collector’s Show
Mark Metcalf meet Lois Lane, Bobby Brady, Big Bird and a mailman with a machine gun at the Hollywood Collector's Show in part two of his three-part series on conventions.
May 14th, 2009 by Mark Metcalf
Milwaukee County Pension Trial Underway
The Milwaukee County pension troubles are a serious issue that affect everyone in the Milwaukee area. By eating a significant portion of the county's budget every year in the form of increased pension payments, the pension scandal has forced cuts in county services and tax increases. Milwaukee County has taken Mercer to court over the highly-flawed pension system, and a decision in Milwaukee County's favor could relieve a lot of stress at the county level.
May 14th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Dandelions and the Persistence of Life
Quite suddenly last week, there were dandelions everywhere. It was as if we were paying attention to other trivial matters when the little yellow flowers just popped into existence. They covered open fields by the thousands and small patches on city boulevards. It was the official sign that spring is here in Wisconsin, and a subconscious switch in the brain that life is still happening despite our best efforts. So let’s talk about our love/hate relationship with a bitter flower. What is considered a weed by many lawn owners, a brilliant bouquet to a child, a wine source to a few (recipe), and scientifically known as the flowering plant Taraxacum to horticulturalists often takes on a certain low-culture status when compared to roses and garlic mustard alike. Its scent is earthy, attractive only attractive to the bees. It’s an invasive species more prevalent than kudzu, yet milder and easier to get rid of, making it low on the daisy chain of pests to obliterate. But it’s also a symbol of true freedom. It can grow almost anywhere, from a bed of silt loam to a crack in the sidewalk. You can step on it, but it will keep going. It comes in only one color – joy – with intricate little petals. When the flower dies, those petals become ghostly parachutes and fly away. Its spirit is at once indomitable and transitory. There is already a canon of books devoted to ridding a prized lawn of dandelions, but there could also be a library dedicated to our sublime relationship to this temperate climate bloom, filled with philosophy and analogies to love, life, the recession, childhood, politics and so forth. What begins as a gentle and soft thing becomes sharp and brittle when aged (the origin of ‘dandelion’ is actually from the French ‘Dents de Lion’ or ‘Lion’s Tooth’). It is everywhere, and cannot be defeated by cutting off the head. Underneath the surface of a supple, green plant structure we pull out a massive, spiraling root that has burrowed deep into the soil. It is a menace when the little white puffs blow into our eyes and over our clothes. Yet we know that this process will ensure their return and sustain the environment. The dandelion might be perceived as innocuous and trifling in the detailed scope of daily life. It is persistent, it comes back in cycles, and the petals stain the skin. The bitter greens can be used in salads, but they also have a diuretic effect. The flower once picked for mother as a sign of love will quickly wilt and smell. It is something that we are aware of once seen, but quickly forgotten once gone until we encounter them again with spring anew. So what seems like something that is beneath us – not just beneath our feet – is the ultimate persistent advertising the world has to offer. The world cannot reason with us, but it can make us feel.
May 12th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
Five questions for Milwaukee Film’s Jonathan Jackson
Milwaukee Film Artistic Director Jonathan Jackson answers five of YOUR questions about film in Milwaukee.
May 12th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
Hamlisch, Ambassadors, and an ingenue enchant Milwaukee audience
From the minute Hamlisch stepped on stage, the program soared as the Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony/Pulitzer Prize winning composer paid homage to audience member Mary Youth, who was celebrating her 101st birthday. When Hamlisch asked her to divulge the secret of long life, Youth emphatically stated, "I laughed my way through life."
May 11th, 2009 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
Smoke Free Compromise Expected to Pass
The good news is that the Wisconsin legislature is likely to pass a comprehensive bill to prohibit smoking in all workplaces in the state as soon as Wednesday. Yes, that includes all bars and restaurants. The bad news is that the law won’t take effect until July 5, 2010.
May 11th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
The Legend of Bob Marley
May 11 marks the 28th anniversary of legendary reggae musician Bob Marley’s death. For many people, Marley’s music offered a strong opposition to hatred, oppression and neo-colonialism. But for those with an unfortunately limited worldview, the musician was nothing more than the patron saint of weed. To illustrate the second stance, I’ve decided to turn this playlist over to my cousin, Ryan Schurk. Ryan is a former day-shift manager at the Grafton Costco who lost his job after an ill-fated attempt to turn a defective Slap Chop into a bong. At age 26, he currently lives with my aunt Gina and spends his days blowing smoke in the ear of his family’s cat, Tuff Gong, in an attempt to get him high. Ryan was kind enough to sit down and share five songs with ThirdCoast Digest that he feels are appropriate to commemorate Marley’s life. Sixto Rodriguez – “Sugar Man” I first heard Sixto’s album Cold Fact on a high school service trip to South Africa. I knew right away that it was something special. It’s a shame the R-Man never caught fire in the US. “Sugar Man” has got all the hooks of a Donovan jam, but cuts out the bullshit and directly professes love to my “Sweet Mary Jane.” When I got back to the states, I knew that my life finally had purpose. Cold Fact single handedly convinced me to forego “higher education” and devote all my efforts to being a full-time dude. Was it the right decision? You think that over while you eat your panini on your paid lunch hour. Meanwhile, I’ll be watching an all-day “Cheaters” marathon on G4. The Rolling Stones – “2,000 Light Years from Home” Their Satanic Majesties Request is probably my third favorite Stones album of all time. Whether I’m kicking around town trying to break in a new pair of mules or playing bag toss at my pal Moose’s duplex, there’s no better soundtrack than this underappreciated psych-rock gem. Sometimes I’ll throw “2,000 Light Years from Home” on when Tuff Gong and I are going on one of our “spirit journeys.” Before we know it, we’re tearing through the cosmos on big-ass Harleys in a mad dash to liberate the people of Space Station Zion from the dreaded Downpressor Men. The song’s spacey-synth is like something out of a sci-fi flick, and we’re frickin’ Jedi masters. The only difference: Once our job is done we score some “death sticks” and spit game at those sweet Twi’Lek honeys. Ghostface Killah (Feat. Raekwon) – “Kilo” I’ve never taken a ride on the white pony before, unless you count that nummer I did with the guys from the Costco TV department. Still, I think I know where Ghost and Raekwon are coming from with this song. I’ve dangled my fair share of God’s green herb, and I can tell you that the life of a kingpin isn’t easy. Shariff don’t like it when a small businessman such as myself starts climbing the […]
May 11th, 2009 by Nick Schurk
May 12-18
This week in Performance and Visual Arts: live improv comedy, Ko-Thi's 40th anniversary, "Common People" (yep, the Shatner ballet) at Milwaukee Ballet, Paul Cebar and David Greenberger at the Pabst, pajama jamborees, a "no instrument spared" musical event at the WCM, True Skool (sic) at MAM and much, much more.
May 11th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
