Morales V Darling Race Set

Milwaukee School Board member Jennifer Morales has decided to challenge Alberta Darling and her hold on the 8th Senate District Seat.

Selig Take A Hit

Washington Post Trashes Commissioner and Journal Communications. Plus: The Mea Culpa of Charles J. Sykes and Thompson’s Boycott of Miller Park.

Lavender, Black and Green

The Green Party’s national convention will be in Milwaukee this week, with voting by delegates to be held on Saturday. The big question: will the outfit endorse Ralph Nader? This vexing question will put Milwaukee, however briefly, once again in the national spotlight. The party has endorsed the formation of several subgroups including the Black Greens, and the Lavender Greens. The first group consists of African-American members of the party, and the second with its Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered and “Intergendered” (a new one for me) members. As of May there were 297,964 registered greens from 22 states, along with an undetermined number from states like Wisconsin where voter registration does not specify political party. Candidates for the party include four for U.S. Senate, 38 for the House of Representativees, one for Governor, one for Lieutenant Governor and 94 for State Legislatures. According to the party, at least 204 Greens hold office in 27 states, including Wisconsin. Nader, who received the party’s nomination in 2000, has 50 delegates thus far, behind David Cobb, with 194 and Peter Camejo with 112. Over 200 delegates support none of the above or are uncommitted. Nader wrote the party in March to say “I am running as an Independent and am not seeking nor accepting the Green Party nomination. If you do not choose a presidential candidate in Milwaukee, I would welcome your endorsement.” You can figure out for yourself whatever that means. Whomever the candidate, the party promises to run television ads in the presidential race, another first. One of the featured speakers at a post-convention rally will be Frank P. Zeidler, a former presidential candidate himself (Socialist Party) and reason enough to attend the event. A Man in a Hurray: Marc “Leadfoot” Marotta Department of Administration head Marc Marotta has a date in the Jefferson County intake court on June 29th at 9 a.m. in conjunction with his citation on May 24th for speeding on the freeway. The 41-year old attorney and former basketball star was busted for exceeding the speed limit by 20 – 24 miles per hour, an offense that carries a $255.40 bond. Officer Michael Meyers of the Jefferson County Sheriff Department collared the Mequon resident after clocking him going 21 miles over the limit. Earlier this year, on February 25th (the day after Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager was busted for drunk driving) Peter Moe of the State Patrol cited Marotta for speeding on the freeway, also in Jefferson County. It was a more easy-going Marotta that time, since he was caught speeding 16 – 19 miles per hour above the speed limit. On April 22nd, that charge was amended to Speeding on Freeway 1 – 10 miles above the limit. Marotta pled no contest to that charge and was fined $181. The vigilant officer Moe also noted that Marotta, a senior government official, had expired plates (PUR108), so we assume it is his personal vehicle in which he was hot-rodding, but that charge was dismissed. His attorney was Michael […]

The Governor and the Empire Builder

Ronald Reagan

I remember when Ronald Reagan was considered too far-right to become President. The fact that he did become the chief executive shows how much America has changed since then, a change brought forth, in part, by Reagan himself. Although I never voted for the guy, and to this day I am amazed at the adulation he received in his lifetime, I respected his humility and good humor. I thought his wife was frightening, yet I admire her lifelong dedication to the man she married. Nancy Reagan has made it easy to forget that Ronald Reagan was the first divorced president. I remember going to Jimmy Carter‘s inaugural where a five dollar ticket could get you into the “people’s” inaugural ball. By the time Reagan got into office there was absolutely no attempt at a “people’s” ball, just a few parties for the ultra-wealthy. I was in Washington for Reagan’s second inauguration when all public events – like the parade – were cancelled due to single-digit weather. The expensive, indoors events went on as scheduled. Still, Reagan had an undeniable appeal to the common people. I remember the Reagan years for the now-forgotten Savings and Loan scandals. (Forgotten now that the common people have paid off the debts.) I remember the Reagan years for the government’s failure to act against AIDS, even when, as Hollywoodites, the Reagan’s social life was swarming with gays. I remember the Reagan years for the introduction of evangelical Christianity as an active partner in the government, and this from a guy who rarely went to church. I remember the Reagan years for Ollie North. I also remember that no matter what, people loved Ronald Reagan. Mostly, though, I remember the Reagan presidency as the first eight years of the Bush administrations. How I miss the Reagan years. Montana Until last week I had only vague memories of Montana, which I had first and only seen as a teenager on a family motor trip. While others rhapsodized of the Purple Mountains’ Majesty, I kept my eyes to the manmade world before me and found it deficient. The buildings seemed haphazardly-constructed and landscaping was an unknown art. The bleached bones scattered across the plain could well have been those of architects. That’s the way I remembered it, and Montana still has a patched-together look. The residents in this sparsely-populated state seem as oblivious to urban planning as they are to the coastal tides. That’s the way they want it in Montana, and no outsider is going to tell them any different. Now get off my land! In the urban center of Billings, the state’s largest city, you get the feeling of being in a community on the rebound. The city is laid out on a grid along the railroad tracks that gave the place its raison d’etre. The station was built before the town lots were sold, and the city was named after the president of the railroad, just as Mitchell South Dakota was named after our own […]

“Groundbreaking” for Bridge

Changes at the Election Commission

Art Dealer in Jail

Don’t bother calling Kennedy Fine Arts in Northbrook, Illinois. Don’t even try to leave a message, because the voice mailbox is full. Of course, it is easy to see why – James F. Kennedy, the art dealer, has been sitting in the Milwaukee County jail without bail since May 7th, and it looks like he’ll be there at least until a hearing date on May 18th, according to a jail spokesperson. (According to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Kennedy’s offense occurred May 10th.) He is charged with a felony under statute 976.03(13), “extradition – arrest prior to requisition.” Milwaukeeworld.com told you two weeks ago that an individual was trying to peddle fake Picassos in the Milwaukee area. Although Kennedy is held on an unrelated out-of-state warrant, he is the fellow who was trying to pass off the fakes in our community. Apparently police did not have enough evidence to charge him with a crime in the matter – mere possession of fake artwork is not a crime, and there was insufficient evidence he had tried to sell the works, they say – Kennedy’s van was seized along with some 300 works of art that were allegedly fakes. He was arrested on Milwaukee Street, and is from Northbrook, Illinois. It is doubtful that Kennedy was the author of the fakes, and it is likely that he is a player in a much larger art fraud ring. So, just to remind you once again, if you have purchased any “Picasso” drawings in the last couple of weeks, contact a reputable art dealer or law enforcement authorities. Kennedy was born on May 17, 1957, so it looks like he will be spending his birthday in jail. Concordia Gets Bush President George W. Bush visited the Ozaukee County megalopolis of Mequon Thursday to deliver the commencement address at Concordia University at the Lutheran school’s very secure lakeside campus. Milwaukeeworld correspondent Patrick C. Horne, a Mequon resident, was at the intersection of Port Washington Road and Highland Road where Bush supporters and detractors hoped the presidential motorcade would pass. Of course, it didn’t, since the president’s motorcade traveled along Lake Shore Drive, far removed from the supporters, detractors, and reality. “We’ve got protestors on one side and the republicans on the other side,” Horne said via cellular telephone while awaiting the motorcade’s non-arrival. “We’ve got TV people on the other side, we’ve got Secret Service, we’ve got Germantown, Milwaukee, Ozaukee County, all sorts of people, all sorts of squads, all sorts of everything. Now, the mystery is which way he’s going to come in. I hope they take our President on LSD.” [Editor’s note: LSD is Mequon slang for Lakeshore Drive.] According to Horne, there was a good deal of “ranting and raving back and forth” between the President’s supporters and detractors. “’Give him four more years.’ ‘No, give him five more months,’” they chanted, he said. “Lot of Republicans,” Horne said. “’Oh! I forgot my flag!’ ‘Oh! Don’t they have anything better to do […]

Mary Glorioso’s Death a Shock to Brady Street Community

A car accident Saturday claimed the life of Mary Glorioso, 83, the matriarch of the family, a long-time fixture of the Brady Street neighborhood. Glorioso died Monday evening as the result of severe trauma she suffered in an automobile accident. Glorioso and her husband Joe opened Glorioso Brothers, 1020 E. Brady Street in 1948. The firm, which remains in business, is an importer and retailer of Italian foods and goods, and was a catalyst in the Brady Street rejuvenation. The family resides a block from the store. It was while walking between the two that Mary Glorioso was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of E. Brady Street and N. Astor Street. A diminutive woman who walked with the aid of a cane, Mary Glorioso always crossed at that intersection, between Regano’s Roman Coin tavern and the Brady Street Pharmacy, often with the aid of neighbors or store employees. “We are all shocked,” an employee of the store said Tuesday. Joe Glorioso was in seclusion. His brothers Ted Glorioso, who operates Glorioso’s Gold Imports from a shop above the store, and Eddie Glorioso, who works at the store’s deli counter were also unavailable for comment. Joe and Mary Glorioso were familiar names to readers of the Italian Times. Virtually every issue of the monthly newspaper of the Italian Community Center mentioned an example of the Gloriosos’ frequent gifts to the building fund there in memory of departed friends. Now, Mary Glorioso will be the one memorialized. Mrs. Glorioso also frequently oversaw operations at the store, and was usually no more than a step or two away from her husband. The two were an extremely devoted couple. A call to Bruce Scott, public information officer for the 5th District of the Milwaukee Police Department did not yield any information about the accident. “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” he said. Members of the Brady Street Business Improvement District have put traffic concerns on the agenda for their Wednesday meeting. Just a week or so another pedestrian suffered injuries after being struck by a car on Brady Street and dragged about a half a block. Information on funeral arrangements for Mary Glorioso will be in Wednesday’s newspaper. Trolley Returns Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, along with a host of participating businesses will bring back the downtown trolleys starting May 26th. The Milwaukee Trolley Loop travels one-way in a clockwise direction with departures every minutes. The circuit takes about 36 minutes to complete. It runs from 5th and Wisconsin Avenue at the south and west to Brady Street and Farwell Avenue at the northeast as it zigs and zags its way through town. The major shopping streets of downtown and the Historic Third Ward are included in the route. It makes about 20 stops along the way. The trolley will run Wednesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fare is $1.00. Seniors and the […]

How Did Peggy Know?

Over Cocktails in 2001, then-A.G. Candidate Peg Lautenschlager Said Rival would be Indicted

The Inaugural

Marvin Pratt did not stand up with the crowd when Tom Barrett was inaugurated mayor, and the press has made a good deal of the slight. However, just after Judge Louis Butler administered the oath of office to the new mayor, Barrett’s first comments were to commend Pratt, and the former acting mayor did stand up and take a bow. The ceremonies were held April 20th outside of City Hall in some perfectly dreadful Milwaukee spring weather. So, who was the idiot who came up with that idea? “I’m the idiot who thought to hold it outside,” fessed up Kris Martinsek. After all, the president is inaugurated outdoors in January. However, January in Washington is not nearly as unpleasant as Milwaukee in April. The stage was set up on Wells Street, facing east. Upon the stage sat Milwaukee’s new leaders, including the mayor, the common council, the comptroller, treasurer, city attorney, city clerk and a municipal judge. Their families sat out in the street and in the adjacent park next to the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building. Frank P. Zeidler was there himself, sandwiched between Marvin Pratt and Senator Herb Kohl. Kohl was dressed as he always is around here. He wore a shirt, a tie, a Milwaukee Bucks cap and a windbreaker. Except for the tie, he pretty much looked like the guy who harvests aluminum cans from my recycling bin. If he tried to walk on to the floor of the United States Senate in that getup, the sergeant-at-arms would toss him out. But this is Milwaukee, the “come as you are” capital of America, and he fit right in. Barrett has made a list of 18 things he wants to accomplish in his first hundred days in office. I don’t know if reducing the police overtime budget is one of them, but the men in blue were certainly racking up the hours during the interminable ceremony. The aldermen were sworn in sequentially according to district. Each alderman then gave a little speech. The last district, the 15th, is occupied by Willie Hines, who is now the Common Council president. He then gave a big speech. He began by saying, “my ascent to the Council Presidency is not a compromise or consolation prize for the African-American community.” This was an effective way to defuse speculation that his election was a compromise or consolation prize, and was a rather sharp thing to do. Hines also insisted that corruption will not taint his council. (We’ll check back on that in four years.) His delivery was generally quite good, and had a hint of religious fervor to it. Moments earlier, he did have a slip up. When Valarie Hill was about to be sworn in as municipal judge, Hines said, “The City Clerk will now come to the altar – er, the podium – to take the oath.” Also, when Hines introduced the new mayor he called him “Mayor Marvin Pratt – er, Mayor Barrett.” These things happen. The Common Council […]

Mother Denies Child Abduction

A Moncada family feud.