Coffee hour with Alumni Award winner Mark Sabljak
Throughout the years, UW-Milwaukee has seen many notable students. In October, the Alumni Association Awards were held at Discovery World, honoring notable past students who are succeeding outside of the classroom. More than 20 UWM alums were awarded because of their professional achievements, civic involvement, and partnerships with the university. Mark Sabljak is a Milwaukee native, graduating from PIUS XI High School. He continued his education at Marquette University and earned his B.A. in Journalism. Sabljak came to UW-Milwaukee for his graduate program in Communications the early 1980s. Today Sabljak is Publisher of the Milwaukee Business Journal. How was your college experience? Sabljak: Graduate experiences are very different than undergrad….I really juggled a growing family, full time job and my studies, so very little fun or friends but a rich experience in learning. What stands out to you about UWM? Sabljak: I was amazed at the talent on campus….from faculty, to student organizations, to the fabulous library. For someone who loved learning, UWM was a gold mine. How has UWM influenced your career? Sabljak: I was well into my career when I came to UWM, so the choice was very intentional. I looked at my studies as a way to distance myself from others I may have been competing with for promotions. Good news, I think it helped. Do you have any advice for the current students? Sabljak: Go to every class. No point in paying tuition if you don’t go to class. Ask questions. If you don’t get it, raise your hand. If you still don’t get it, get a tutor. Most important, if you have a clear idea of what you want to do when you graduate — GET AN INTERNSHIP. You have to separate yourself from the herd, so to speak, and internships do that. Was there a specific professor who challenged you? Sabljak: Dr. Kanti Prasad taught several marketing classes I took and found him a huge influence. We still interact as he is again the interim dean of the Lubar School. He’s a great man. What was your favorite campus hangout spot? Sabljak: When I had a few moments on campus, I hung out at a quiet spot in the Union. What do you love about Milwaukee? Sabljak: Milwaukee is the city I have lived in all but a year in my life — and I have done it intentionally. It is a big enough city where relationships are critical. It is a city with huge challenges but lots of good people working on them. We have all the amenities we need, and if we need to, can pop to Chicago or on a plane and go further What was your alumni award for? Sabljak: Community service. I have been highly involved in education reform efforts including serving on the UWM School of Education board of visitors, as well as Greater Milwaukee Committee education committee co-chair, and executive committee on Milwaukee Succeeds.
Nov 3rd, 2015 by Dave Reid
Joy Global closing Orchard Street plant
Joy Global Inc. will close its Orchard Street plant in Milwaukee and move its motor manufacturing work to Longview, Texas beginning in January. All 51 union employees plus five non-union employees who worked at the facility will be laid off, according to a WARN notice filed with the state Monday. The positions include inspectors, welders, punch press operators, winders and assemblers, among others, said Chris Chappelle, president of United Steelworkers Local 1114. Some of those employees may move to other Joy Global facilities, and some may retire, Chappelle said. “If they have certain skills, they could bump into other places like welding or machining,” he said. “We have to work out all the details with the company.” Joy Global has been in contact with union officials, and said the closure was a cost-cutting measure, Chappelle said. “Because their footprint, it was…a redundant facility,” he said. “They can do this in other places, and the Longview plant is non-union, that’s why they’re moving there. And it’s cheaper.” The Longview plant was acquired in 2011 as part of Joy Global’s $1.1 billion acquisition of heavy construction equipment manufacturer LeTourneau Technologies Inc. The Orchard plant closure is expected to be completed in April. There are now about 300 hourly Joy Global workers in Milwaukee, and that figure is likely to be about 200 by next April, Chappelle said. Joy Global spokesperson Caley Clinton said the Orchard Street plant is where motor assembly and electrical wiring work is done. “We do that type of work at eight other facilities in our network – Longview is one of them,” Clinton said. “There is not as much work across the board. We’re looking at the overall picture and trying to prioritize what each location does.” The Orchard Street building is 220,000 square feet, with 130,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Joy Global acquired it in 1968 and has not yet determined what it will do with the empty facility, Clinton said. Joy Global’s largest plants are at its national headquarters in Milwaukee, in Longview and in Franklin, Penn. Worldwide, the company has 11,500 employees, with about 1,001 in Milwaukee. The company announced last week it would lay off 26 salaried employees in Milwaukee.
Nov 3rd, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Joy Global eliminating more jobs
Joy Global Inc. is closing its mining equipment facility at 4107 W. Orchard St., resulting in the loss of 56 jobs, the state Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday. The job cuts will begin Jan. 6, Joy said in a letter sent to state officials. “This action is expected to result in the layoff of 51 union employees and the termination of five non-union employees as a result of the permanent closing of the Orchard St. facility,” the letter said. Last week, Joy said it was cutting 26 salaried jobs at its surface mining equipment facility on National Ave. Earlier in October, the company said it was laying off 113 people at the National Ave. plant, adding to the hundreds of people already on layoff at Joy and its primary competitor, Caterpillar Inc. Layoffs in the mining equipment industry are likely to remain a problem until commodity prices improve and mines step up production, resulting in the need for replacement equipment.
Nov 3rd, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Downtown office building near Milwaukee arena site sold to East Coast investor
An East Coast investor bought the six-story Riverfront Plaza office building in downtown Milwaukee for $7.5 million, according to state records. The office building at 1110 N. Old World Third St. has the Ale Asylum and Lucille’s Dueling Pianos on its ground floor. It is across Old World Third Street from two parking lots the Milwaukee Bucks owners recently bought to turn into a pedestrian thoroughfare into their planned entertainment block next to a new arena. It sold Oct. 30 to Andover Portland Avenue Associates LLC, according to state records. The company lists King Weinstein, of King Real Estate in Maine, as its agent. The new owners hired Siegel-Gallagher to manage the building and its leasing. Weinstein is part of the investor group that bought the building, said Patrick Gallagher, president and CEO of Siegel-Gallagher, Milwaukee. The group is planning upgrades, including a new air-conditioning system and interior renovations, Gallagher said, as it seeks office tenants for the building’s vacant space. The 108,000-square-foot building is 77 percent occupied and its largest vacancy is about 10,000 square feet, he said. Siegel-Gallagher began listing the property this spring on behalf of the seller, RFP Office LLC, a Milwaukee company affiliated with a developer group that prior to 2010 had worked on plans for a large Park East development to the north with a Palomar hotel. Weinstein was not available for comment.
Nov 3rd, 2015 by Dave Reid
Common Council set to vote Tuesday on budget
The City of Milwaukee would add 20 police officers, boost funding for job training programs, help fund new municipal ID cards and sell foreclosed properties to city residents for $1 under proposed changes to the 2016 budget that will be considered by the Common Council Tuesday. Those changes were among 14 amendments to Mayor Tom Barrett‘s proposed $1.55 billion spending plan that were approved Friday by the city’s Finance and Personnel Committee. Other amendments that didn’t get the backing of the budget committee, including proposals to add 50 police officers and continue funding for Safe Zones, will also be considered but would need to win the support of two-thirds of the council to be adopted. Additional changes to the budget could still be suggested but would require a two-thirds vote to be considered. With homicides at a decade high in Milwaukee, council members have focused many of their proposed changes on efforts to combat violence and improve public safety. Some three dozen amendments to the budget went before the city’s finance committee Friday. There were several aimed at boosting the number of police officers, but the plan that the committee backed, which came from Council President Michael Murphy, would provide funding for 20 police officers, including seven additional officers funded with the help of a $1.875 million federal grant announced this month. Barrett said last week that the mayor’s office had been working with Murphy on that amendment, as well as proposals to fund some workforce development programs and to create municipal ID cards for city residents.
Nov 2nd, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Kurt Chandler Stepping Down at Milwaukee Magazine
Kurt Chandler announced that he is stepping down as editor of Milwaukee Magazine, effective Nov. 13. In an email the veteran journalist cited “the front and center management stuff” as reasons for his departure. It is “not something I will miss.” He was senior editor and writer at the magazine when became editor in 2013. Prior to that he was a writer for hire with several non-fiction books to his credit and a writing instructor at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. “When Betty Quadracci asked me to return to the mag as editor, I knew I’d be setting aside writing for a while. But I feel a strong pull to get back to it. “I’m a writer at heart, been doing it for more than 30 years. It’s part of who I am.” No word yet on his replacement.
Nov 2nd, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Sheriff Clarke tries to personally serve Chris Abele with board chairman’s lawsuit
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. was grabbing headlines with his over-the-top comments on Fox News and Twitter last week. But Clarke was trying to be equally provocative and confrontational behind the scenes at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. A week ago, the sheriff showed up unannounced in the offices of his political nemesis, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. Clarke brought with him one of his top aides, Inspector Edward Bailey. The two were seeking a face-to-face encounter with Abele so they could serve him personally with a summons and a copy of a lawsuit filed by Milwaukee County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb. Lipscomb ischallenging Abele’s authority to set pay for department heads and other employees not covered by civil service rules. Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately — Abele wasn’t around for the potential confrontation with Clarke, whom Abele once called “a childish bully” and “crazy.” Clarke, in turn, has accused Abele of having “penis envy.” Process servers or law enforcement officers provide defendants with all the relevant papers letting them know that they have been sued. Since when did the sheriff add this to his list of duties? And, more important, who asked him to do this with Abele? Not Lipscomb. “The chairman did not ask the sheriff to serve the county executive,” said Bill Zaferos, spokesman for the County Board. Zaferos said Lipscomb’s staffers let the sheriff’s office know that the board chairman was filing a lawsuit and that it needed to be officially served to Abele. Clarke’s No. 2, Inspector Richard Schmidt, then came and picked up a copy. Clarke then confirmed — in his distinctive style — that he decided on his own to play process server to Abele. “Danny boy,” Clarke wrote in an email, “you are mistaken. NOBODY directs Sheriff Clarke to do ANYTHING. I think you know that.” The sheriff didn’t stop there. “Sheriff alone decides what he does or doesn’t do,” Clarke wrote. “By state constitution, he doesn’t take direction from other county officials and that includes Abele. He is accountable to the voters, the people of Milwaukee Co and they spoke last November by a 79-21 margin. “Hope this answers your question.” Indeed. Asked to respond, Abele spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff confirmed that Clarke made a visit to the county exec’s office, though she was intentionally fuzzy on the details. “I’m not sure whether the sheriff attempted to serve papers on the county executive before or after he called Black Lives Matter activists ‘subhuman creeps’ on Fox News, or how often he personally serves people,” Baldauff said via email. “But it’s probably just a coincidence that he attempted service the very same day the County Board gave him $4 million to spend however he wants with no accountability.” She is making reference to Clarke’s incendiary remarks last week attacking members of the Black Lives Matter movement — which he calls Black Lies Matter — and defending law enforcement. He told a co-host ofFox & Friends that police brutality had ended in the […]
Nov 1st, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
‘Happy’ Popalisky was descendant of Milwaukee’s first mayor
Helen “Happy” Popalisky, who died Thursday at age 88, was a great-great-granddaughter of Milwaukee’s first mayor, Solomon Juneau, and she was a woman whose beauty stopped her war-hero husband-to-be in his tracks. He was Donald Popalisky, a Marine Corps pilot who landed the first plane at Tarawa after the atoll was captured from the Japanese. Popalisky, with a commendation from Adm. Chester Nimitz, was headed home to Buffalo but stopped in Milwaukee to visit his co-pilot, Robert Kiernan — Happy’s older brother. “He never left,” said their son, Tom Popalisky. “They fell in love.” Happy Kiernan was born in Indiana on Aug. 24, 1927. Her family returned to Milwaukee when she was still a girl. She graduated from Riverside High School and then the Marquette University School of Nursing. She was a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital until the birth of her first child. She and Donald would have five more, and Donald, who co-founded Building Service Inc., would acquire the nickname “Pop.” She was called Happy for just about her entire life. Tom Popalisky said the origin of the name is uncertain, but it fit her. “She was a joyful person.” Happy Popalisky was proud of her family’s historic ancestors. Her son said it remains a family tradition to visit Solomon and Josette Juneau‘s grave every Christmas and to drink a toast to them with Tom and Jerries. “Even when she was in a wheelchair,” Tom said. “We’d carry her up through the snow.” Besides Tom, Happy Popalisky is survived by five other children, Bill, Ann Riley, David, Jean Galins and Beth; 12 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Helen Popalisky Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Feerick Funeral Home, 2025 E. Capitol Dr., Shorewood. Mass will be celebrated at Lumen Christi Catholic Church, 2700 W. Mequon Rd., Mequon.
Nov 1st, 2015 by Dave Reid
Keith Stachowiak
OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: How long have you worked at your job? Keith Stachowiak: I have been a licensed architect since January 2015, but I have been in the field for 8-plus years. However, if you count Lego, I’ve been an architect since I was 4 years old. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: Where do you currently work? Have you worked in this field before? Stachowiak: I work for Uihlein-Wilson Architects and have been here since my undergrad at UW-Milwaukee. I also work part-time building a Superhighway for my cat. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What time of year / season is your favorite in Milwaukee? Stachowiak: I could never live anywhere that doesn’t have four distinct seasons. If I had to pick one, it would be winter, which far too many people complain about. I don’t – I live a short distance from where I work and within a stone’s throw of half a dozen bars. I have radiant floor heating, indoor parking and a good pair of boots. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your favorite or least favorite smell in Milwaukee? Stachowiak: When I was growing up, I always loved the smell of yeast from the Red Star plant next to I-94 in the Menomonee Valley. I always associated this smell with Milwaukee, but they left a few years ago. And I miss them dearly. If there is one thing to appreciate about Milwaukee’s combined sewerage system, it’s the lack of sewer gas smell, like you find in most dense American cities. You can still find it in certain areas around town – notably in the Valley, where it is no longer masked by the sweet, wonderful smell of yeast. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What neighborhood do you live in? Stachowiak: The best one in Milwaukee: Riverwest. If you haven’t had the chance to witness or participate in the Riverwest24, this is a must. Team Pancakes! OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your hope for Milwaukee? Stachowiak: My hope is that one day we won’t be able to identify poor or dangerous neighborhoods in Milwaukee. I hope that everyone will have access to a great education regardless of family income and location. I hope that we will maintain and grow our world class institutions without sweeping our problems under the rug. Also, I hope the bobblehead museum will open soon. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: When / how did you fall in love with Milwaukee? Stachowiak: I’ve lived in Milwaukee my entire life – and I continually find new reasons to love this city. When I was younger, I fell in love with Milwaukee’s old buildings. Milwaukee has a better stock of historic buildings and intact neighborhoods than most other American cities. Years later, I find myself working on many of the same buildings I admired as a child. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: Why do you do what you do? Stachowiak: Architecture is the closest thing to permanence that we have in life. Many […]
Nov 1st, 2015 by Dave Reid
Johnson Controls CEO wired tens of thousands of dollars to strangers
For several years, Alex Molinaroli was not only bankrolling the defense of a now-convicted con artist, but also wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to strangers while funding Joseph Zada‘s jet-setting lifestyle, according to a transcript of a deposition obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 2012 testimony by Molinaroli, 56, now the top executive and chairman at Johnson Controls Inc., revealed more frequent contacts and financial dealings between the CEO and the swindler than Molinaroli has previously acknowledged publicly. The testimony of Molinaroli, who was president of Johnson Controls’ battery division when deposed, did not provide a clear picture of how many millions of dollars he invested, lent or paid to support Zada, 57. Molinaroli was introduced to Zada in 2006 by his stepson, John Shealey, 42, who lives in Florida. In September, Zada was convicted of 15 federal fraud counts for running a $50 million Ponzi scheme that snared dozens of victims, including Molinaroli, Shealey, firefighters, an Olympic medalist and a onetime National Hockey League star. A second Johnson Controls executive who was told about the Zada investment by Molinaroli also bought into the scheme. The federal indictment says Zada’s scheme ran for 10 years and involved conning investors into giving him money to invest in foreign oil and currency trading. Court records show he was actually using the millions to finance a lavish lifestyle that included two mansions, bodyguards and extravagant parties — one in which actors posed as a Saudi Arabian prince and princess. “Alex Molinaroli is not an ally of Joseph Zada,” Johnson Controls declared in a statement issued last week. The statement by Wisconsin’s largest public company followed a Journal Sentinel report that Molinaroli had financed Zada’s defense while allowing him to live rent-free in a Michigan mansion. A federal prosecutor said in court that Molinaroli had offered to pay $20 million restitution on behalf of Zada. Molinaroli has denied making the restitution offer. During his 2012 deposition, Molinaroli said he paid for trips taken by Zada to a variety of locations, including Las Vegas, Florida, Milwaukee, Frankfurt and London, where Zada’s room charges at the 5-star Dorchester Hotel in April 2012 totaled more than $8,800. Molinaroli, who said his net worth at the time was about $10 million, expressed frustration at losing money and testified that he hoped funding Zada’s travels would result in him and other victims being repaid. “Why would he need to go to London to accomplish that?” asked Brendan Frey, a Michigan lawyer representing Sergei Fedorov, the former Detroit Red Wings center who lost more than $40 million in the Ponzi scheme. “I don’t know,” Molinaroli responded. “Have you asked him?” Frey said. “No,” said Molinaroli, who was named top executive at the Fortune 100 corporation in July 2013 — 10 months after the deposition. A federal court ordered Zada to pay his victims $56 million — a judgment that was upheld on appeal this year. Molinaroli and board members of Johnson Controls declined through a spokesman to comment […]
Oct 31st, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Johnson Controls CEO wired tens of thousands of dollars to strangers
For several years, Alex Molinaroli was not only bankrolling the defense of a now-convicted con artist, but also wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to strangers while funding Joseph Zada‘s jet-setting lifestyle, according to a transcript of a deposition obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 2012 testimony by Molinaroli, 56, now the top executive and chairman at Johnson Controls Inc., revealed more frequent contacts and financial dealings between the CEO and the swindler than Molinaroli has previously acknowledged publicly. The testimony of Molinaroli, who was president of Johnson Controls’ battery division when deposed, did not provide a clear picture of how many millions of dollars he invested, lent or paid to support Zada, 57. Molinaroli was introduced to Zada in 2006 by his stepson, John Shealey, 42, who lives in Florida. In September, Zada was convicted of 15 federal fraud counts for running a $50 million Ponzi scheme that snared dozens of victims, including Molinaroli, Shealey, firefighters, an Olympic medalist and a onetime National Hockey League star. A second Johnson Controls executive who was told about the Zada investment by Molinaroli also bought into the scheme. The federal indictment says Zada’s scheme ran for 10 years and involved conning investors into giving him money to invest in foreign oil and currency trading. Court records show he was actually using the millions to finance a lavish lifestyle that included two mansions, bodyguards and extravagant parties — one in which actors posed as a Saudi Arabian prince and princess. “Alex Molinaroli is not an ally of Joseph Zada,” Johnson Controls declared in a statement issued last week. The statement by Wisconsin’s largest public company followed a Journal Sentinel report that Molinaroli had financed Zada’s defense while allowing him to live rent-free in a Michigan mansion. A federal prosecutor said in court that Molinaroli had offered to pay $20 million restitution on behalf of Zada. Molinaroli has denied making the restitution offer. During his 2012 deposition, Molinaroli said he paid for trips taken by Zada to a variety of locations, including Las Vegas, Florida, Milwaukee, Frankfurt and London, where Zada’s room charges at the 5-star Dorchester Hotel in April 2012 totaled more than $8,800. Molinaroli, who said his net worth at the time was about $10 million, expressed frustration at losing money and testified that he hoped funding Zada’s travels would result in him and other victims being repaid. “Why would he need to go to London to accomplish that?” asked Brendan Frey, a Michigan lawyer representing Sergei Fedorov, the former Detroit Red Wings center who lost more than $40 million in the Ponzi scheme. “I don’t know,” Molinaroli responded. “Have you asked him?” Frey said. “No,” said Molinaroli, who was named top executive at the Fortune 100 corporation in July 2013 — 10 months after the deposition. A federal court ordered Zada to pay his victims $56 million — a judgment that was upheld on appeal this year. Molinaroli and board members of Johnson Controls declined through a spokesman to comment […]
Oct 31st, 2015 by Dave Reid
State Rep. Josh Zepnick arrested for drunken driving
Madison— State Rep. Josh Zepnick — who has told the story of his sister’s death at the hands of a drunken driver to argue for tougher impaired driving laws — was arrested for drunken driving on Thursday. “Last evening, I was pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol,” the Milwaukee Democrat said in a statement issued Friday. “I cooperated fully with Greenfield Police, and I believe it is important to be forthcoming and transparent with my constituents about this matter. I am deeply, deeply sorry for the decision I made to drive under the influence. “I made a critical mistake, and I am embarrassed by my decision. I apologize to my family, constituents, colleagues, and community members for my inexcusable decision to drive. This incident has made me confront the need to seek professional help to overcome problems affecting my judgment.” The incident comes as Zepnick seeks the seat on the Common Council held by Ald. Bob Donovan, who is running simultaneously for mayor and re-election to the Common Council. Zepnick’s sister died in 1990 in a drunken driving incident. He has talked about the matter as he has argued for tougher laws.
Oct 30th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
