Milwaukee

From the Article:

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is spearheading an effort to help more workers in the upper Midwest gain skills for green jobs that support manufacturing.

UW-Milwaukee will assist nine community colleges in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois to establish Industrial Training Assessment Centers — places where workers can develop energy assessment skills. Those skills can then be used to help manufacturers reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Energy Department selected UW-Milwaukee to lead one of its Clean Energy and Manufacturing Workforce Consortia, with the goal of helping companies be more competitive while addressing climate change. The university received a $5.7 million federal grant to assist in the effort, the college announced this week.

From the Article:

The 19th annual Downtown Employee Appreciation Week kicks off Monday, Aug. 19 and runs through Friday, Aug. 23 in Downtown Milwaukee.

Downtown Employee Appreciation Week's mission is to reward Downtown Milwaukee’s dedicated workforce with a week of incentives, including daily giveaways, office challenge games, employee discounts and more.

Monday’s highlights start with free coffee at “The Morning Jolt with Levy Restaurants” located at Baird Community Commons, 799 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – while supplies last.

An opening day ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m. in Red Arrow Park, complete with live music from KOJO, Office Challenge Games sponsored by Educators Credit Union, a Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Shootout, an appearance from the Milwaukee Brewers Street Team, 1,000 sandwiches from Downtown Kitchen and 300K Café and free cookies from Davians.

In the evening, a Moment of Meditation wellness session will be held at Sampson Square in Schlitz Park from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

From the Article:

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced plans to lay off 32 tenured faculty members.

Chancellor Mark Mone revealed the layoffs in a letter sent Monday to faculty and staff.

The job cuts come after the UW System said it will close its campuses in Waukesha and Washington counties.

In addition to the layoffs, Mone recommended shutting down UW-Milwaukee's College of General Studies and its three academic departments: Arts & Humanities, Math & Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Business.

"I am deeply saddened by this scenario and wish it were not occurring. However, proceeding with the proposal is aligned with our mission and is the most responsible decision for UWM’s future," Mone said in the letter.

The UW Board of Regents must approve the cuts.

From the Article:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee rejected this week a proposal to lay off 35 tenured faculty after the closing of two suburban branch campuses.

The university’s faculty senate voted 24-11 Wednesday in opposition to the plan that had been advanced by UWM Chancellor Mark Mone earlier this year.

The next step for the controversial is not clear. The plan must be approved by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents. In a statement reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a UWM spokesperson said that the process was still underway.

The Wisconsin conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) on Friday called on Mone and the UWM administration to change course.

“We call on the chancellor to slow the process down and reconsider his proposal in light of the serious reservations that led the Faculty Senate to reject it,” AAUP-Wisconsin President Nick Fleisher, who teaches at UWM, wrote in a statement posted on the group’s website. “Under no circumstances should the current proposal be submitted to the Board of Regents at its August meeting.”

The board’s next scheduled meeting is August 22. Meeting materials have not yet been posted.

From the Article:

A long-awaited Oak Leaf Trail project may finally move forward.

Milwaukee County Parks is seeking funding in the 2025 county budget for a new access ramp connecting the Oak Leaf Trail directly to E. Hampshire Street on Milwaukee’s East Side. The project would create a safer, more direct commute for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling to UW-Milwaukee and it would fix a tunnel causing sinkholes along the trail.

The department has gone after funding at the state and federal level for the project, estimated to cost approximately $1.85 million. In 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) awarded the county a $1.3 million Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant for the project. Now the Parks is asking county policymakers for the 20% matching cost (approximately $540,000) so it can use the grant and move the project forward.

A 2025 county budget won’t be finalized and signed until November, but the project was ranked as a priority by the parks department for 2025 and it is currently scoring high on the county’s list of infrastructure projects for 2025, based on criteria used by the county’s ad-hoc Capital Improvements Committee (CIC).

“A new trail access ramp at Hampshire Avenue would provide a much safer and direct connection to the campus of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and the 135-mile Oak Leaf Trail system while also addressing an old tunnel that threatens the existing trail,” according to a project summary from Parks. “This ramp would increase bicycle and walking commute rates to campus for students, staff, and the community; improve safety; and reduce driving rates.”

Residents of the local neighborhood and the university have been requesting a trail ramp at this location for about a decade, according to the department.

From the Article:

There was a time when Milwaukee was awash in great bookshops. This is not that time. But don’t fret because there is still a range of great booksellers purveying everything from fine literature to kids classics to cutting edge poetry to political works and more.

Though there are a number of chain shops, I have not included those, nor have I dwelled too heavily on used books, though I have included a few. After you visit these, you might want to delve deeper into some of the other shops – offering mostly pre-owned books.

From the Article:

Milwaukee voters have a good chance of finding a contested primary, potentially with high stakes, on their ballot Tuesday.

There are 10 state-level partisan primaries on city of Milwaukee ballots Tuesday.

While candidates are technically running for the party’s nomination, a handful of primary races will actually determine who wins the seat come November. With few Republicans running for office in a Democratic stronghold like Milwaukee, some winners will coast into the general election unopposed.

Our candidate guide notes which races will be determined by the outcome of Tuesday’s partisan primaries. Uncontested races are not included.

The majority of the races on the ballot are for seats in the Assembly, where representatives serve two-year terms. The only Senate race is a rematch of the special election held in District 4 last month.

From the Article:

After nearly eight decades of family ownership, Glorioso’s Italian Market is being sold.

Brothers Carmine, Dominic and Paolo Presta, an Illinois-based family, are preparing to take over the specialty grocer, 1011 E. Brady St., with plans to honor and continue the store’s neighborhood legacy.

Carmine, who will serve as president of the new ownership group, said the transition will commence as soon as the licensing process is finalized.

“Our thing is to keep everything the same,” he said. “Same staff, same chef, same recipes.”

The brothers plan to work closely with the current general manager and registered agent, Michael Glorioso, who will act as an ambassador and adviser moving forward.

“We’re kind of like Michael’s younger generation that he’s always wanted, to see what he’s done with Glorioso’s, and to see it keep going forward and expanding,” Carmine said. “We thought it was a great opportunity.”

From the Article:

There are 100 new foods in which you can indulge at the 2024 Wisconsin State Fair. But which ones are worth trying?

For the eighth year, I spent a good portion of opening day at the Fair working my way through a list of reader-suggested foods, tasting every single one. I've ranked 16 of them from worst to best (16 being the worst). I’ve also included my tasting notes and candid thoughts for your reading enjoyment.

From the Article:

The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel, will return to regular M-Line and L-Line service beginning Sunday, Aug. 11. The streetcar system had been operating its combined “Festivals Line” throughout the summer months to better accommodate passengers accessing the multitude of summer events held along Milwaukee’s lakefront.

“The combined Festivals Line was a wonderful pilot program that brought a number of benefits to our riders, particularly with so many new riders looking to access the Lakefront and not being familiar with the newer L-Line and need to transfer,” Milwaukee Commissioner of Public Works Jerrel Kruschke said. “We’ve learned a lot over the last few months and will continue to evaluate how we can best serve our riders during peak times, whether they are looking to access the Lakefront or not.”

Beginning Aug. 11, The Hop will once again operate the M-Line and L-Line independently, with three cars serving the M-Line during peak hours and one car dedicated to the L-Line. Service will continue to be provided during the system’s regular hours of operation from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

From the Article:

Major cleanup is about to get underway on the expansive campus of the Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home. The work on three buildings, to the tune of $25 million, is expected to benefit, not just the veterans who live here, but the entire Milwaukee area. Michele Fiore reports.

"It is a real win for the veteran community and really everyone in Milwaukee and the state to see this transformed again to what it once was," said Jonathan Beck, Development Project Manager, The Alexander Company.

Three solid structures, rich in Milwaukee history…

"You have people that actually fought in Gettysburg sitting in these seats at one point in time," said Beck.

…about to be brought back to life after sitting vacant for some 40 years.

"So where are we standing right now? -35 Jonathan: We are standing in the Ward Memorial Theatre," said Beck.

In the 1880s, a number of soldiers called this home. Now, some buildings that had fallen into disrepair, will be making a full return.

From the Article:

Motorcycles are all over Milwaukee this weekend, but a different kind of bike is taking over the Riverwest neighborhood.

We're now three hours into the Riverwest24.

The 24-hour bike race started as a community block watches in the neighborhood, giving people a way to welcome new people and strengthen the community together.

Some people try to do the while 24 hours, but others form teams to break it up into shorter segments.

Either way, it's always a popular event every year.

From the Article:

After nearly eight years in the Walker’s Point neighborhood, Hamburger Mary’s is preparing to bring its burgers, bloodies and beauties to a new locale.

The restaurant, known for its drag performances, will close its doors at 730 S. 5th St. after service on Sunday, July 28.

Co-owners Ashley and Brandon Wright told Urban Milwaukee they plan to reopen in a new location. At this time, the brothers are still unsure exactly where that will be.

“This is bittersweet,” Brandon said in a statement. “While we are sad to announce that Hamburger Mary’s will be closing, we are excited for the possibilities that a new location can offer.”

The brothers also own Hunty’s Social Club (formerly Mary’s Arcade Bar) at 734 S. 5th St. The space, which adjoins Hamburger Mary’s, has quietly been on the market for over a year.

The brothers said they listed the social club space for sale after reckoning with the lingering effects of COVID-19.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/14727808

From the Article:

Milwaukee backers of the Republican National Convention coming to the city, who have predicted a $200 million economic impact from the event, said they weren’t fazed by former President Donald Trump citing an impact of over $250 million during his speech accepting the party's nomination.

Two leaders of the Milwaukee 2024 RNC Host Committee said Friday they don’t yet know the final estimated impact of hosting the convention and don’t rule out finishing higher than their $200 million prediction.

Here is what Trump said Thursday night at Fiserv Forum:

“By the way, Wisconsin, we are spending over $250 million here creating jobs and the other economic development all over the place, so I hope you will remember this in November. Give us your vote. I am trying to buy your vote – I’ll be honest about that.” Trump's remarks drew cheers from the audience, which included the Wisconsin delegation near the stage.

A reporter from Milwaukee CBS affiliate WDJT-TV (Channel 58) reported the teleprompter for Trump's speech said $200 million, indicating Trump deviated from the script. However, the audience at Fiserv Forum and on television, streaming and other platforms heard the $250 million figure.

Visit Milwaukee president and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith said Friday that her organization and the Host Committee's $200 million figure was based on the impact of previous national political conventions.

“I do not control what Donald Trump says,” she said. “I’m still going with $200 million.”

Williams-Smith said she’s awaiting financial reports on the convention’s impact before declaring a final dollar amount.

“Obviously with inflation, I can totally see that ($250 million) happening, but I’m not going to increase it right now,” she said. “My gut feel says it’ll be higher (than $200 million), but we have to wait and see.”

Tim Sheehy, senior adviser and past president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said the convention met performance goals for attendance and impact on the local hospitality industry.

“I don’t know whether it’s $200 million or $250 (million),” Sheehy said. “Past conventions, it’s been around $200 (million). I don’t make this as a political statement, but inflation’s going to drive that up.”

Sheehy acknowledged that while the convention delivered revenue boosts for hotels and many hospitality and service businesses, it wasn’t a win for all businesses.

“I’m going to have to describe it as 'lumpy peanut butter,'” he said. “The reason I describe it as 'lumpy peanut butter' is I think the spread of exposure for Milwaukee nationally and internationally was fantastic.

“The lumpy part is not every business met the expectations that they had for the convention. That’s somewhat understandable,” he said.

Sheehy said convention guests faced challenges entering and exiting the security zone, which likely limited their access to businesses beyond the perimeter.

Williams-Smith said she was sad that not all businesses in Milwaukee did as well as their owners and managers thought they would, but she said the Host Committee never promised all businesses would benefit. She said activity picked up through the course of the week at bars and restaurants.

Before the convention started, the Host Committee announced raising over $85 million from businesses and organizations in Wisconsin and beyond. The sales pitch to local donors was that their contributions would boost the Milwaukee area during the convention week and lead to opportunities for more large conventions.

Sheehy, who worked on the fundraising campaign, said the final figure was about $87 million, and about $40 million of that was raised in Wisconsin.

From the Article:

Despite years of delays, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport officials are preparing for potential reignition of a dormant project.

Mitchell International submitted a request for proposal for the demolition of the existing Concourse E and the construction of a new international terminal building. Bids are due on July 25 by 2 p.m.

This is the most recent development for a project that has been in the works since 2016. With funding originally included in Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele’s 2018 budget plan, the airport has had to pivot its plans due to an increased price. In March, Milwaukee County airport director Brian Dranzik said inflation has increased the cost to more than $80 million.

The project is anticipated to begin as early as 2025, though that could change based on funding availability and other contingencies, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport director of public affairs and marketing Harold Mester told the Business Journal in an email. The project would take approximately two years to complete and final costs will be determined by the bids that come in, Mester wrote.

Instead of receiving funding through the Milwaukee County budget plan, the airport will apply for federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration through its Airport Terminals Program which distributes $1 billion annually to provide competitive grants for airport terminal development projects. FAA grant applications are due July 31.

“Hopefully we get that award next year, and hopefully we get enough funds to then actually bring that project along,” Dranzik said in March.

From the Article:

Women’s rights, a free Palestine, defeating the Republican agenda, immigrant rights, the end of war and LGBTQ+ protections.

The Coalition to March on the RNC offered messages on all those topics and more as it snaked through downtown Milwaukee Monday afternoon.

The coalition, formed by more than 100 groups nationwide, spent more than a year preparing for the march. Its efforts included suing the City of Milwaukee for a permit to march its own route near Fiserv Forum and developing a team of medics and organizers to support the disparate groups.

Co-chair Blake Jones said the primary mission Monday was to “show the Republicans that their hateful and racist agenda is not welcome here.”

In the months leading up to the march, co-chair Omar Flores stressed the group would hold a “family friendly” and peaceful march. On Monday, it appeared they delivered on that promise. Flores, in an interview, estimated 3,000 people attended, but added, “maybe I’m being optimistic.”

The group was big, but the large contingent of international media members and police officers circling through the area made it tough to precisely measure the numbers.

I received this email earlier today. I wasn't sure how safe it was going to be at the Marcus Performing Arts Center anyway.

From the Article:

Commercial aviation was just getting off the ground when this photo was taken in 1940. Milwaukee County had opened its first primitive airport in what is now Currie Park in 1919, only 16 years after the Wright brothers terrorized the resident birds of Kitty Hawk, but the focus of attention shifted steadily to what we know today as Mitchell Airport, pictured here.

Milwaukee County began to buy land near the intersection of Layton and Howell avenues in 1926, and commercial planes were soon taxiing down cinder runways on what had once been a seasonally soggy horse pasture.

Scheduled passenger service began less than a year later, when a Northwest Airways three-seater made its inaugural daily flight from Chicago to Minneapolis, stopping in Milwaukee en route. The one-way fare was $50 – nearly $900 in today’s dollars – and the plane cruised at an airborne snail’s pace of 85 miles per hour.

As flying became faster, cheaper and easier, demand soared, and Milwaukee soon needed a genuine passenger terminal. In 1940, with major help from New Deal relief programs, the building pictured here was dedicated at 1011 E. Layton Ave. It served paying passengers, but there was still plenty of room for airline offices, a weather station and a control tower.

Within a decade, rapid growth had made the “new” terminal obsolete. In 1950, Milwaukee County decided to shift the airport’s operations center westward. A state-of-the-art facility opened on the Howell Avenue side of the field in 1955, and it became the nucleus of the sprawling complex familiar to today’s travelers.

Useless for anything but storage, the Layton Avenue terminal was demolished in 1966. Its site was eventually occupied by private hangars, and sleek corporate jets now touch down where biplanes and Trimotors once ruled the runways. 

From the Article:

The Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the City of Milwaukee have reached a near last-minute deal on the coalition’s plan to march inside the soft security perimeter and within view of the convention being held at Fiserv Forum.

“We’re very proud to announce that as of 11 a.m. today, we have reached a handshake agreement with the city of Milwaukee that will allow us to march within sight and sound of the Fiserv Forum,” Omar Flores, co-chair of the coalition, said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “A member of the City Attorney’s office will be observing the march at the very front to make sure that things go without a hitch.”

It is the second time this week the coalition has had to change the protest route. After losing a lawsuit over the city’s permitting for public demonstrations earlier this week, coalition leaders said the march would still go forward and announced a new route running through the “soft zone” of the RNC security perimeter. Pedestrians and cyclists are able to pass freely through the “soft zone” but vehicles must go through a security checkpoint.

Following the deal with the city, the new route will still run through the security perimeter and through the “soft zone”, going past the intersection of W. Highland Avenue and N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where it will be roughly within a block of Fiserv Forum. The march is scheduled to take off Monday morning from Red Arrow Park.

The coalition sued the city after the city refused to permit a march inside the security zone of the Republican National Convention. With legal representation from the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin (ACLU), the group sued the city in federal court seeking an injunction against the permitting restrictions, arguing they violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. District Court Judge Brett Ludwig did not grant the injunction and said the city’s restrictions meet the standard for “time, place and manner” limitations accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision released late Monday.

From the Article:

The nation’s top Republicans will descend on Milwaukee this weekend ahead of the party’s national convention, which kicks off Sunday evening.

Alongside former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, two prominent names in socially progressive advocacy are planning to make an appearance.

Ben and Jerry.

The popular ice cream brand, which has a long history of political activism, is set to open its new scoop shop in the Historic Third Ward on Sunday, July 14.

The neighborhood announced the news on social media Wednesday, noting that the business, 203 N. Broadway, will soon be serving “creamy cones and sweet treats galore.”

Frederick and Patricia Rasmussen are co-owners of the upcoming business, which will be the first Ben & Jerry’s location in the state. Both reside in Illinois, according to a license application.

From the Article:

Buses will make a wide berth around the Republican National Convention (RNC), cutting off much of Downtown from direct bus service.

The transit system remains uncertain when the detours will begin, but said they could begin as soon as July 11 when fencing for the perimeter begins going up. The detours will last throughout the entire convention, which runs from July 15 to July 18, plus another day afterward.

Buses will not travel west of Broadway, nor east of N. 10th Street, according to a map released by MCTS Monday.

Detoured routes will also run north of W. Walnut Street and south all the way to Walker’s Point while skirting around the security perimeter created for the event.

There will be no temporary stops installed outside of the security perimeter to make up for the route changes. “For safety reasons, riders are asked to go to an existing bus stop as there are no temporary stops,” the statement by MCTS says.

The detours will affect 14 bus routes running through Downtown: CONNECT 1, BlueLine, GreenLine, 12, 15, 18, 19, 30, 31, 33, 34, 57, 80 and 81. Most of the service is being rerouted along N. 12th Street, W. Walnut Avenue and N. Milwaukee Street. The detour for Route 18 is not illustrated in a map from MCTS, but is included in a descriptions of detours (included below).

The large chunk of service taken out of the transit network — nearly all of Westown — will have ripple effects across the entire system. “While public transportation will be most impacted in downtown Milwaukee, riders should also expect delays across the system due to the overall increase in traffic expected at the event,” MCTS said.

The transit system’s paratransit service, Transit Plus, will have access to the security zone for dropoffs. Riders will be subject to security screenings and MCTS asks that riders prepare for longer travel times as a result. “We welcome delegates and visitors to the RNC and look forward to helping you make the most of Milwaukee County and have a wonderful experience during your visit,” said MCTS. “While we’re ready for this worldwide event, we ask everyone to allow more time in your travel plans and know that security measures could change service on short notice.”

From the Article:

Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland wants to raise the fine for illegal dumping in Milwaukee County Parks.

Illegal dumping has been a problem in the parks system for many years. With many secluded areas and plenty of space, parks are a ripe target for contractors, landlords and others who want to skirt the fees charged at local dumpsites.

Municipalities struggle with the problem, too. The City of Milwaukee has a $5,000 fine for dumping, as well as a reward for tipsters. Milwaukee County ordinance sets the fine for dumping at $200. Rolland has authored a resolution raising the fine to $5,000, bringing it in line with the city’s fine.

“It’s time to send a message that’s crystal clear: our parks are jewels, not junkyards,” Rolland told Urban Milwaukee. “And if you bring your garbage to our parks instead of your local dump, you’re going to get a painful fine.”

In 2021, parks officials began cataloging instances of illegal dumping throughout the system. They found that much of the dumping is occurring within a few parks in the system, McGovern Park, the Little Menomonee River Parkway and Washington Park are among them.

The problem is tricky to solve. The parks department is already understaffed and the system includes more than 15,000 acres of parkland. Even if the department deployed cameras at the hot-spot parks, it would be difficult to put up enough to catch everything. Department staff have also noticed that when someone gets caught dumping in a specific area the dumping will increase elsewhere.