Most Popular Plenty of Horne Columns

In 2018 County Executive Chris Abele bought a 1920s lakefront mansion in Shorewood. In May, 2019, he announced plans to demolish the mansion. The Plenty of Horne story on this became the most popular one of the year. The column included other suburban news among its favored posts, including a review of the transit-unfriendly remodeling of Bayshore, a Glendale mall, and of a riverfront battle in the Village of River Hills.

Closer to home, a land purchase by Saint John’s on the Lake, the conversion of a Third Ward firehouse and memories of a nonagenarian South Side bartender were also popular with readers. A 2018 post wondered if a painting commissioned for the State of Wisconsin Executive Residence, and then evicted to the Milwaukee Public Library, would be returned to the governor’s mantle, and was answered in the affirmative in a March, 2019 column. A visit to Chicago for the 70th birthday party for former mayor John Norquist brought memories to many, including this columnist. A story from 2018 about the licensure of Rudy Giuliani, Esq. (or lack thereof) remained in the Top 10, and from the looks of things, might be back again in 2020.

I am grateful for all of the readers who have shown their support for Plenty of Horne and Urban Milwaukee in the past year, and look forward to serving you — and seeing you — in 2020.

10. Third Ward Firehouse Conversion Approved

105 N. Water St. Rendering. Rendering by Eppstein Uhen Architects.

9. Remembering Marcy Skowronski 

Marcy Skowronski. Photo by Michael Horne.

8. John Norquist’s 70th Birthday Party

Mike Sieger, John Norquist, Juli Wood, Robin Pluer and John Sieger. Photo by Michael Horne.

7. Scott Walker At Your Service

Scott Walker speaking at the 833 East groundbreaking event in downtown Milwaukee in 2014. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

6. Saint John’s Will Expand. Yet Again

1744-1750 N. Farwell Ave. Photo by Michael Horne.

5. The River War in River Hills

The Wright riverbank. Photo by Anne Vogel.

4. Painting Headed Back to Governor’s Mansion

David Lenz painting “Wishes in the Wind.” Photo by Michael Horne.

3. Giuliani Can’t Practice Law in D.C.

Rudy Giuliani. Photo is in the Public Domain.

2. Bayshore Plan Misses the Bus

Bayshore Town Center redevelopment rendering. Photo courtesy of Bayshore .

1. Abele to Destroy His Eschweiler Mansion

Chris Abele’s Shorewood mansion. Photo by Michael Horne.