Shepherd Express - August 2023

Clean Energy Future

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Mandela Barnes Returns to his Roots as a Political Organizer

BY TOM JENZ

Mandela Barnes, the Milwaukee politician and activist, narrowly lost his bid for U.S. Senator in 2022, but that setback has not slowed him down. He has always been in a hurry. Starting in 2012 when he was 25, he served in the State Assembly for four years, representing District 11 on Milwaukee’s North Side. In 2018, Barnes was elected as Wisconsin’s first Black lieutenant governor before stepping on to the national scene for his Senate bid.

Barnes was born and raised on 26th and Locust in the heart of Milwaukee. His mother is a retired public school teacher. His father is a retired factory worker at a General Motors subsidiary. Both parents were very active union members throughout his life. In 2003, he graduated from John Marshall High School.

In 2008, after he finished school at the historically Black university, Alabama A&M, he worked in rural Louisiana for the Obama Presidential campaign as a field organizer. After the election, he moved home, became the receptionist in Mayor Tom Barrett’s office, and then returned to organizing with various nonprofits including MICAH (Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope). Twelve political years later, he was running for U.S. Senator.

I met Mandela at a Fifth Ward coffee shop. He had shed his running-for-office dress suit and wore a gray sweatshirt and a baseball cap. One thing I always liked about Mandela is that he comes across as an ordinary guy, although he is anything but ordinary.

It’s been about six months since you narrowly lost the Wisconsin Senate election. How have you been doing since then?

I took some time to rest and recover, and then got right back into the work. I tell people just because your candidate loses it doesn’t mean the issues go away, or that you should give up. In some ways, this defeat has motivated me to show up in ways I haven’t shown up before.

And you definitely are showing up. Currently, you are heading up two organizations that encourage voter turnout. Power to the Polls and the Long Run PAC. Let’s start with Power to the Polls where you are the president. Describe the goals and achievements of that organization.

Power to the Polls is an organization dedicated to boosting turnout in Black, brown, and working-class communities. But beyond motivating voter turnout, we want to keep this

civic involvement going year-round. We organize around the important issues and make sure citizens know what their elected officials are doing. We look at voting trends and patterns, and public opinion. We’ve found that what seems to be apathy turns out to be that some citizens believe no one is looking out for them. So we let the public know what their representatives have been up to, what they are advocating for or not advocating for.

I understand that during the most recent spring election, Power to the Polls invested nearly $1 million, and the canvassers knocked on more than 85,000 doors in Milwaukee, Racine, Green Bay, Appleton, Brown, and Outagamie Counties.

Yes, we engaged people the old-fashioned way by knocking on doors, running digital and radio ads, and showing up in their mailbox. We were involved in two critical mayor races— Green Bay and Racine. They both won their races. We also were able to help increase voter turnout in the city of Milwaukee by 64% compared to the previous off-year supreme court election.

Photo by Tom Jenz.

In the 2022 fall elections, I know the Milwaukee Black community activists made a huge effort to get their inner-city residents to get out and vote.

We all have a responsibility to get the vote out because our voices are our power. That’s the theory behind Power to the Polls. If people are frustrated with their representatives, they can vote them out if they don’t have their best interests. Elected officials have to show up, interact with their constituents. Showing up is a crucial responsibility for a representative.

How is Power to the Polls funded?

A million dollars is a lot of money. Power to the Polls is comprised of community groups, labor organizations, and faith-based organizations as well. These types of organizations are investing in not just voter turnout but also in civic engagement. Power to the Polls is a new organization, but many of our supporters are seeing that it works.

Do you choose certain political candidates to support?

We try to find candidates who are fighting for democracy itself, and who support a better quality of life for everyone. Equality, in other words. In the last election, four out of five candidates that we supported in state races won.

Besides Power to the Polls, you are the founder and head of the Long Run PAC. What does the Long Run do?

After I lost the Senate election last November, I tried to figure out how to keep the momentum going. We wanted our base of support to be engaged even if it’s not me on the ballot. That’s why I started the Long Run to keep our supporters involved in what we stand for. The Long Run is supported by grassroots donors like those who contributed to my Senate campaign.

The purpose of a PAC is to raise money to help support candidates, financially or otherwise. The Long Run hopes to provide support with technical assistance, find good staff members, and also give general advice.

By the way, did you have any campaign funds left over from your Senate campaign? If so, how is that money allocated?

We spent most of our campaign money, but The Long Run PAC was formed from flipping my campaign committee. It would have been a dereliction of duty if there was a ton of money left. (laughing) I’d be persona non grata around here.

I’ve read that the Long Run PAC focuses on candidate diversity— young candidates, candidates of color, LGBTQ+ candidates—and candidates from working class backgrounds. How are you going about those goals?

We want to keep these goals as broad as possible because candidate diversity can be different depending on where you live. The problem with American politics is that so many citizens get left behind because people that are “different” feel discouraged about seeking office. People who have their feet on the ground should have a seat at the table, those closest to the residents they represent. We encourage them to run for office.

Do you recruit some of these diverse candidates?

No, we don’t recruit candidates, but we take recommendations. If you are running for office and want support from the Long Run PAC, you can visit our website and apply. Soon, we will be announcing candidates we will endorse for the 2024 election.

In your efforts to reach out to voters, you said, and I quote, “… we are breaking the mold of what leadership looks like.” How are you breaking the mold of what leadership looks like?

Take my own background. I grew up in the inner city, and with a working-class background. We don’t have enough working class elected officials in our system. That’s because the working-class residents don’t have enough financial resources to run for office. This is true of the overwhelming majority of Americans. Breaking the mold means taking a different approach.

As for different approaches, I think younger adult Americans are getting more involved in the election process.

In the November election, Wisconsin had the highest youth turnout in the country, close to 50% That shows that young people are taking control of their future. I’m trying to make politics tangible for all people.

Crime is a big issue in Milwaukee and other old industrial cities like Detroit, Chicago and St Louis. Milwaukee’s Black community deals with violence on a dayto-day basis. You once told me, “When violence becomes what people expect, it only gets worse with each generation.” What do you mean by that?

It all goes back to either an abundance of opportunity or a lack of opportunity. Those cities you named were once big industrial areas that offered good manufacturing jobs, a good life for families. People had a fair shot at the American dream. There weren’t high rates of crime. Then, these big American manufacturers moved the jobs overseas. When those job opportunities slowly went away, people were left with very little. In some cities, there were desperate situations. It got worse when nobody stepped in to stop the bleeding. There was the loss of good jobs, quality education, healthcare, things that families need to be successful. Violence can be the result.

Let’s talk about another major issue filtering the country. Racism. Do you think we can ever get past this racial divide toward one another? The mainstream media fuels racism, and social media fuels it further. White suburbanites are afraid to enter the urban Black neighborhoods. Black citizens are afraid to drive suburban streets. Is it possible to have respect and understanding for one another’s race and culture?

Racial hatred does exist, but I don’t think it’s as broad as it once was. But too often, in our politics, we see that sort of animosity being rewarded. Political hostility and rhetoric that used to be frowned upon is given a pass. But on the whole, I do think Americans are

inclined to engage with each other and build communities. Unfortunately, it’s the louder voices that get the attention on how we should not interact with one another based on your skin color or your background. I do think there’s a way our differences can be handled. It has to be where both sides come in neutral.

Can we ever overcome hate, keep disagreements on a respectful level? Get along despite our differences?

I think we can, and we should. Yet, there are those who benefit politically and make a career out of divisiveness—gender, race, origin, religion, all these things. Part of this goes back to money in politics, people using inflammatory rhetoric to be successful. If the financial incentive is there to keep the flame going, then that will serve to discourage efforts to achieve a more peaceful society.

If the different leaders all come in on neutral ground and say “I’m gonna listen to you, and you listen to me,” does that make sense? I think so. It’s like any sort of relationship. If you show up ready for war, it’s gonna end in war. You can go into that relationship recognizing that, if we are all gonna exist in this space together regardless, we should try to make the best of it, especially if the end game for each side is safer communities, safer streets and more opportunities.

What does the future look like for Mandela Barnes? Running for office again? Perhaps for governor? Running for office again? It’s not a “No.” The door is definitely open.

Tom Jenz writes Central City Stories for shepherdexpress.com.

The Cruel Republican Hatred for LGBTQ Americans

BY JOEL MCNALLY

Here’s something everyone should know that many may find hard to believe right now. Six-in-ten Americans, 61%, believe same-sex marriage is good for society and only 37% think it’s bad.

In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, that strong margin of national support for equal rights for LGBTQ Americans has remained remarkably consistent ever since the 2015 Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage supported at the time by 57% of Americans with 39% opposed.

Republican politicians have already lost their hysterical battle against equal rights for LGBTQ Americans, but it’s done nothing to stop the continuous outpouring of hatred from Republican-dominated legislatures. Republican states have passed more laws this year targeting LGBTQ rights than ever before in U.S. history.

Now Republicans supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are determined to make hatred of gays a central issue in

the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis, the distant second-place challenger trailing Donald Trump, released a lurid, homophobic video with ominous music and flashing lights to attack Trump as soft on LGBTQ rights.

REPUBLICANS SUPPORTING FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS ARE DETERMINED TO MAKE HATRED OF GAYS A CENTRAL ISSUE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

PROUD MOMENTS

We’ll get to that bizarre hate-off between DeSantis and Trump, but first we should simply celebrate the progress we’ve made in achieving equal rights for LGBTQ Americans. Gay people have existed throughout

human history, but millions of adults today including myself grew up during all the decades when gays had no rights at all in our nation. They could be arrested and prosecuted for existing, and many were.

It's bittersweet, but many of the proudest moments in the history of our democracy come after years of struggle when Americans previously deprived of rights—everyone who wasn’t white, women and LGBTQ Americans—finally achieve citizenship in their own nation.

Republicans have fought to exclude all those Americans from achieving equality starting when President Nixon betrayed the abolitionist party of Lincoln by welcoming Southern racists into the party to oppose Democrats supporting the civil rights movement.

A half-century later, Trump pushed extreme Republicans even further to support a violent assault on American democracy itself. After lying and scheming trying to overturn his election defeat by the largest vote in history,

Illustration by Michael Burmesch.

Trump called violent, armed militias supporting him to Washington to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s election. We all watched the deadly riot on television.

RED STATE HATE LAWS

DeSantis will never be able to out-lie or out-hate Trump. We all remember how many times Trump carefully mouthed every memorized letter of support for L-G-B-T-Q Americans in his 2016 debate with Hillary Clinton. Republicans knew it didn’t mean a thing. It was just another of the 30,573 lies Washington Post fact checkers documented Trump telling as president. Republicans think Trump’s lies are hilarious, totally oblivious that his jokes have always been on them.

But here’s the part about the anti-LGBTQ hate laws DeSantis passed in Florida that’s not at all funny. LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The Trevor Project’s 2022 national survey estimates 45% of LGBTQ youth 13 and older—1.8 million kids—seriously consider attempting suicide each year including half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

That’s the potential death toll from laws like Florida’s prohibiting teachers from providing information about sexual orientation or gender identity to middle school students and making it a felony for medical professionals to provide gender-affirming health care for transgender youth.

Red states are outlawing educators from educating young people about sexuality and gender at the most confusing time in their lives when they’re

trying to figure out who they are. Rightwing hate groups with fraudulent names like Moms for Liberty want to ban all the reliable resources from schools and libraries. It’s a good thing kids are better at using the internet than most adults.

PROSECUTING PARENTS?

But don’t believe Republicans who lie that they’re fighting for parental rights. Loving parents in Florida and Texas are facing the possibility of prosecution and custody battles for supporting their own children and working with mental health and medical professionals to protect them from political ignorance. That’s a welcome improvement in parenting compared to all the horror stories we used to hear about children being thrown out on the streets homeless after telling their parents they were gay.

That’s why Republicans in their current form as a Trumped-up coalition of hatred and ignorance have lost three straight national elections beginning in 2018 two years into Trump’s presidency. It’s why college-educated, multi-racial, suburban professionals are increasingly voting Democratic.

How many more elections will Republicans have to lose behind Trump or one of his hateful clones before they take action to become a conservative American political party again? There’s nothing conservative about hatred.

The sooner Republican leaders rid their party of Trump’s most dangerous supporters he called up as an armed militia to try to stay in power after losing the election, the sooner they can stop worrying about being murdered by members of their own party.

Joel McNally was a critic and columnist for the Milwaukee Journal for 27 years. He has written the weekly Taking Liberties column for the Shepherd Express since 1996.

REPUBLICANS HAVE FOUGHT TO EXCLUDE ALL AMERICANS FROM ACHIEVING EQUALITY STARTING WHEN PRESIDENT NIXON BETRAYED THE ABOLITIONIST PARTY OF LINCOLN BY WELCOMING SOUTHERN RACISTS INTO THE PARTY TO OPPOSE DEMOCRATS SUPPORTING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

Clean Energy Future

BY EVAN GOYKE

Ihave always believed that a cleaner future starts with us and that we can create a brighter future for all by choosing easy, impactful renewable energy solutions. The fact is, making a positive impact on the environment has never been easier.

Thanks to major legislation passed by President Joe Biden, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Democrats in Congress, a clean energy boom is sweeping our City of Milwaukee, the great state of Wisconsin, and the country. This new law creates good-paying jobs for Wisconsin workers and lowers energy costs for families. In other words, your household and community can be rewarded for helping the planet with lower utility bills, better comfort, and higher home value!

The groundbreaking federal legislation—the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) also known as President Biden’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan—provides nearly $370 billion to tackle the climate crisis, the largest investment in history. The nonprofit Environmental and Energy Studies Institute estimates that the IRA will reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 40% from 2005 levels, the peak year for U.S. emissions.

In Wisconsin, the new law will bring an estimated $4 billion investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to the Badger State between now and 2030.

The expansion of clean energy could create as many as 24,000 good-paying jobs in Wisconsin and lower energy costs for families while improving resilience against climate-fueled extreme weather. Just last month, Ingeteam announced its plan to begin manufacturing charging stations at its Milwaukee plant, bringing 100 new jobs to Wisconsin.

This is on top of Governor Tony Evers release of the state’s first Clean Energy Plan, which lays out a path for reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to Clean Wisconsin, reaching net zero emissions by 2050 would add $16 billion to the state’s economy, save up to $4.4 billion in healthcare costs thanks to a reduction in pollution, create 68,000 good-paying jobs, and lower out-of-pocket energy costs to households across the state.

Our state needs to take advantage of this opportunity by building on previous investments in renewable energy, reducing emissions from buildings, vehicles, and transportation infrastructure; supporting local clean energy projects; and implementing measures that will protect communities from extreme weather linked to climate change. A Green Homeowners United report found that 510,916 homes in Wisconsin are eligible for the heat pump rebates provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. And these investments will be bolstered by incentives for strong labor conditions, ensuring good-paying jobs for Wisconsin workers and building the economy of the future.

My family and I live in an old house on Milwaukee’s near West Side. We know it isn’t energy efficient and we want to make improvements to lower our energy usage and energy costs. But for years we haven’t known where to start. After following the federal legislation in Washington, we underwent a home energy audit to better understand how much energy our home uses, where our home is inefficient, and which problem areas and fixes we should prioritize to save energy and improve the comfort of our home. Whether it’s sealing old inefficient windows or installing better insulation, we now have a plan with estimated costs and cost savings that we can follow. Part of this plan is to take advantage of new federal incentives that reduce our initial costs. The efforts in Washington are making energy efficiencies in our own home more attainable and affordable. I encourage you to look into doing something similar, you may be surprised to learn how much support is available for your own project or home.

Beyond home efficiencies, there’s an exciting initiative paying big dividends in Milwaukee. A collaboration between Habitat for Humanity and Arch Solar will bring solar power to 35 homes across the City. In January alone, “Focus on Energy” provided $550,000 to pay for the installation of the solar panels. The group today is involved in many other ways to help even more families find affordable housing while saving on energy costs. Folks can learn more about how they can participate by visiting the Focus On Energy website. Countless other success stories are occurring across our City in which residents, activists, and businesses are joining forces in the fight against climate change.

The future of clean energy is happening right now and making a difference has never been easier, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Still, much work remains.

Evan Goyke is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, a former state public defender, a proud husband and father. Evan, his wife Gabriela, and son Miguel share their home with their dog Pistachio on Milwaukee’s near West Side.

Milwaukee and the United States are both at a pivotal moment for addressing the climate crisis. In late June, Milwaukee passed its Climate and Equity Plan and last year, the Biden Administration signed multiple laws as part of its Clean Energy Plan to bring historic investments to state and local governments—but unions are crucial to that success.

Pam Fendt, President of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, is at the center of much of the work being done to advocate for good paying union jobs here in Milwaukee. From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Inflation Reduction to the CHIPS and Science Act, “all of these things have job creation possibilities that are really a once in a generation type of thing,” said Fendt.

In her fourth term as president, she advocates for and works with workers of 90 to 100 local unions in the metro areas of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Washington Counties. She also served on the task force that laid out Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Plan and is making sure union jobs are part of the implementation of these climate investments. She explains that union contracts guarantee equal pay for workers, safety on job sites, and tend to create much fewer race and gender discrepancies in workplaces.

Pam Fendt Makes Sure Union Jobs are Part of Climate Solutions

BY ERIN BLOODGOOD

Before serving in a leadership role, Fendt was a researcher for a labor union for 13 years and has seen how the rise and fall of unions in Milwaukee—and across the country—has drastically changed neighborhoods.

LEGACY OF UNIONS

Milwaukee has a legacy of being a manufacturing and union hub. In its peak—roughly the 1950s and ‘60s—the city had booming industry, with factories like American Motors and AO Smith sustaining neighborhoods like Riverwest, Harambee and the North Side. But when those companies left, and the good-paying working-class jobs disappeared, incomes dried up and devastated those neighborhoods.

With these new climate investments, Fendt sees an opportunity to revitalize some of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods and give working-class people a chance to rebuild. “We’ve got the muscle memory to be able to pick some of these things back up and start making things for the clean energy economy,” she said.

We are already starting to see some of these clean energy union jobs coming back to Milwaukee with companies like Ingeteam that makes wind turbines and solar panels in the Menominee Valley. More projects and industry are on the horizon.

Photo of Pam Fendt by Erin Bloodgood. Denim photo by Big Nazik/Getty Images.

These new federal laws have provisions written in for new projects that require union jobs, USA-made products, and apprenticeship programs that will train a new workforce. That means there are significant tax incentives and funding opportunities for companies to build and expand here in Wisconsin. With the plans in place, Fendt says her and her union colleagues are focused on the implementation. As Milwaukee gets investments for electric buses, electric vehicle charging stations, solar farms, and more, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council is working closely with government officials, business leaders, and contractors to ensure workers are protected and are paid well.

Fendt is focused on the long-term solutions, not short-term fixes. That means training new people interested in trade jobs (particularly women and people of color), investing in neighborhoods that relied on manufacturing jobs and have been subjected to pollution, and making sure these jobs are here to stay. “I really think that implemented correctly, these investments could help bring a renaissance and we could see some great growth, opportunity, and prosperity for Milwaukee,” said Fendt.

Learn more about the Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO at www.milwaukeelabor.org.

Erin Bloodgood is a Milwaukee photographer and storyteller. See more of her work on her website at www.bloodgoodfoto.com.

KARIN TYLER

FACING THE CHALLENGE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN MILWAUKEE

BY TOM JENZ

Violence prevention looms as Milwaukee’s most important challenge. The city’s well-funded Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) will play an important role.

OVP’s Operations Manager Karin Tyler knows the neighborhoods. She was raised in the central city and experienced trauma and dysfunction. Her life story could be a dramatic movie directed by Barry Jenkins and starring Viola Davis. The daughter of civil rights activist parents, Tyler grew up on 12th and Keefe. “As children, we participated in protest marches with my parents. My dad had marched with Martin Luther King. He worked at Delco Electronics, and my mother was a nurse,” she said.

Tyler was a teenager when her parents divorced. She lapsed into personal problems: bouts of anger, drugs, hanging on the streets and suicide attempts. When she was 16, she had a child and the experience straightened her out. “My son and I kind of grew up together,” she explained.

As a young mother, she was living in an apartment with her boyfriend and was raising a second child with him. “My boyfriend could get violent, kicked my door in, climbed on the balcony, and assaulted me sexually. One day, he had a gun to my head. saying, ‘If I can’t have you, no one could.’ I think he wanted to kill me, but he didn’t have the courage. Eventually, he was incarcerated. As a result, I dealt with depression, anxiety, trauma. It took a long time to get myself together.”

If that near-tragedy wasn’t enough heartbreak, Tyler later lost her oldest son to homicide in 2011, and in 2018, her father, who was a crossing guard, was killed in a hit and run accident. Through an understatement, she told me, “I feel I can personally help abuse victims because of my own background experiencing the world of violence.”

How did you get involved in helping abuse victims and families?

At least 25 years ago. I got a job at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (now Vivent Health). I was coordinating a citywide harm reduction program for women. We were doing outreach on the streets, passing out condoms, needle exchange, safe sex practice information. I’d be going into

Photo by Tom Jenz.

jails and talking to incarcerated women. Then, I got into substance abuse counseling, and I became a clinical supervisor. Fifteen years ago, I took a job with the city of Milwaukee as a disease intervention specialist. I did that work for about 10 years, but then in 2011 at Christmas time, my son was shot and killed through a home invasion. I fell apart with grief and depression, just staring out the window for months. His death challenged my own spiritual beliefs. Fortunately, I came back to life and returned to my job of helping people.

So how did you come to work for the Office of Violence Prevention?

In 2018, Reggie Moore was head of the OVP. I asked if I could work for him, and I got the job. But right about then, my dad was killed in a hit and run accident. My son and my dad are buried side by side. So, I lost my son and my dad within about six years. I started my job with the OVP when my dad was dying in the hospital.

Violence prevention is one of Milwaukee’s biggest challenges as described in the recent MPD Violent Crime Prevention Plan. Can you explain the job of the OVP?

We are making changes, focusing more on the collective impact model. At OVP, there were always good goals, but now we are getting more hands-on. We’ve been meeting with city departments and community organizations. We are focusing on districts where the most crimes occur. These we call public safety Promise Zones. Our director, Ashanti Hamilton, initiated Promise Zones in his district when he was an alderman.

How are you doing the hands-on work in the communities?

We are starting to partner with outreach people, residents and organizers that will set up their own plans for safe neighborhoods. We also received a wonderful grant that deals with trauma and healing and equity. We have been actively working with Police Chief Norman. He has been very involved, asking how the MPD can help. He provides us with crime data on a daily basis, and his leadership team has been very helpful.

Your present job with the OVP is Operations Manager. What are your job responsibilities?

I am the chief advisor to Director Hamilton. I have the most experience within the OVP. I am also head of our leadership team. We recently hired two new managers - a community violence manager and a ReCAST manager.

Through your years at OVP, you were involved in crisis response and referrals related to domestic violence and sexual assault. What is it like working with or consulting victims?

I have been a technical assistant to community groups who do violence prevention in the homes. But I did have specific serious cases. For example, there was a woman whose abuser would come and strangle her and plead, “Stop struggling. I just want you to fall asleep.” Just horrific stories like that.

She couldn’t get her abuser arrested?

She tried, but he would disappear. Her word against his. I would tell authorities that these kinds of victims are not safe. To remove violence victims from their homes, we needed more money for housing. You can’t expect a victim to keep going back to her own house. Abusers are diligent in getting into houses of their victims. There are also other obstacles: public defenders, prosecutors, judges, jails, restraining orders not enforced. At some point, you are not dealing with a victim but dealing with a system.

People ask, “Why does she stay?” They don’t ask, “Why does he come back?” Women are navigating so many issues. Their children may be threatened. Do they have access to their children at school? They may have filed a complaint, but it wasn’t successful, so they are scared to death. The abuser may threaten her family members or the elders. Her own family may not support her because she says she will leave him but changes her mind. We try to support a victim through the whole process including the bad times. What’s frustrating is the majority of abused women will return to their abuser. I see one solution in dealing with abusers is credible messengers–former perpetrators or victims of violence, service providers like myself who have experienced violence.

How does the OVP obtain their information about domestic abuse incidents or ongoing violent behavior?

We receive referrals directly from the community, community organizations and system partners, and we get daily incident reports directly from the police department. A lot of the information is about retaliatory violence, a man abusing a woman but disappearing. We work closely with the WE ARE HERE initiative.

As I recall, WE ARE HERE MKE assists victims of domestic and sexual violence and includes all cultures: Black, Latino, Hmong, Indian, Muslim and LGBTQ citizens. That’s right. Their counselors and volunteers are sensitive to cultural issues that might come up for the victim.

Grassroots community organizers—Vaun Mayes and his ComForce MKE, Tory Lowe, Tracey Dent and Antonia Drew Norton and her ASHA Project—they all tell me they would like financial and also on-theground help from the OVP. Will that happen?

I understand their needs. I’d rather financially support some of these on-the-ground community organizers than the large non-profits. They do great work. They are connected with the residents on the streets. Their outreach is amazing. But we are funding Antonia and the ASHA Project and the WE ARE HERE collective. As for the others, we have identified 13 Outreach teams for funding. They will be active in the Promise Zones with the most criminal activity. For example, last summer we did a 14-week Safer Summer MKE initiative and that included Vaun Mayes and many other outreach teams like the Nation of Islam.

Apart from the OVP, you are the co-founder of the Mother’s Love Movement, which galvanized mothers who have lost children to violence in order to prevent future violence.

The Mother’s Love Movement includes moms whose children have been killed. In the summer, we do a mother’s street march. Through our crisis response network, we try to help and support mothers who have experienced recent losses. The mother has to plan a funeral, work with detectives, do paperwork, experience grief. We want people to understand what it’s like to lose a child, to have compassion.

Currently, the OVP has a yearly budget of $3.7 million. The City of Milwaukee has provided the OVP an additional $8.4 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This $8.4 million funding is to be spread out over five years. I know that the OVP has been active in hiring new people. How is that going? We recently hired two new managers. We now have seven people in place. We hope to soon hire six more. We soon will have a community violence manager, a data evaluation coordinator, and a grants and budget coordinator. We are working to do a better job of showing the impact of violence prevention to the public. We support a lot of organizations, and we need to publicize our efforts.

I think you are required to have the Milwaukee Department of Employment recruit potential employees, right?

The process can be slow. We need urgency. In my opinion, we need to approach the violence crisis like governments and nonprofits handled COVID. When are we going to take the violence crisis as serious as we did COVID, an emergency pandemic? I’m trying to challenge the system and the process, and how slow it all happens. Tonight, somebody will die due to violence. What are we going to do about that? If people don’t care about that young man on the block getting shot on the street, who is?

Tom Jenz writes the Central City Stories column for shephedexpress.com.

MAGGIO'S FRESH AND FABULOUS WOOD FIRED PIZZA

BY SUSAN HARPT GRIMES

Earlier this year, Maggio’s, a new pizza place with an indoor wood-fired pizza oven, opened up on the busy “restaurant row” along North Avenue in East Tosa. Maggio’s is owned and operated by two friends; Jeremy Maggio, who spent years honing his pizzas, and Andy Fries, who spent years managing and working in restaurants. On any given day you will see these guys hard at work, alongside their crew. They genuinely seem happy to be there, and their positive attitude is rather inspiring.

Maggio’s has a bright, airy interior with big windows, which provides a com -

fortable European cafe feel. There is a charming children’s play area in one corner of the space that has several toy wooden pizzas for the kiddos to practice becoming the next generation of pizza chefs.

Maggio's friendly staff will put you at ease and make you feel welcome as you peruse the menu. Orders are placed at the counter, and on a recent visit, the food was delivered to our table after a surprisingly short wait. While there were plenty of customers dining in, there appeared to be a very brisk carryout business too.

Begin your meal with an order of the Meatballs ($9). The four flavorful meatballs are topped with the incredibly good house-made tomato sauce, fresh pecorino romano cheese and parsley. Or try the freshly baked Garlic Knots ($8) which are properly garlicky, buttery, and served with more of that wonderful tomato sauce. A fun and unexpected item on the starters list is the Orange ($1). It’s just an orange, but sure enough, there is a big bowl of oranges right up by the order counter.

Photos by Andy Fries, courtesy of Jeremy Maggio. Fig illustration by Ksenia Shnaider/Getty Images.

OHHH, THE PIZZA

All of the pizzas at Maggio’s are 10-inches. They are made in the Neapolitan style, with that particularly wonderful soft, almost pillowy, texture to the house-made crust. Traditionally topped pizzas like the Margherita ($12), Pepperoni ($13) or The Good Land ($14)—with sausage, mushroom and onion—are made with the freshest ingredients and are picture perfect. If you like to branch out a bit, try the sweet and spicy Jerk Chicken pizza ($15). It’s made with a tasty ranch dressing base and topped with zippy jerk chicken, pineapple, jalapenos, green peppers, onion, mozzarella, and fresh cilantro.

If you like a more of a sweet and salty flavor profile, try the Fig and Prosciutto pizza ($14), which is tomato sauce based, topped with a sweet fig spread, prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula. Another notable standout among the pizza offerings is the Raclette ($15). This incredible pizza is based with a flavorful house-made roasted garlic cream sauce and simply topped with locally made raclette cheese, thinly sliced, raw purple potato, and green

onions. Rest assured, the time in the pizza oven cooks the potato perfectly. The resulting pie is heavenly.

Dairy free options and an excellent cauliflower and cheese Glutenfree crust are also available for a small upcharge.

Fabulously fresh, high-quality woodfired pizzas are the star of the show, of course, but there are a few sandwiches ($8-$9) and salads ($8-$10) available to round out the menu. The Caesar Salad ($8) is quite good and pairs nicely with a pizza. The Meatball Sandwich ($9) is a lot like the starter from above, but is served in a soft, freshly baked bread.

There are several red and white wines available by the glass ($7-$12) or bottle ($28-$60), bottled beers ($5-$7) and soft drinks to enjoy with your meal. Gelato ($4) and Affogato ($5) are available for dessert.

Other restaurants have come and gone in this space over the years, but hopefully Maggio’s Wood-Fired Pizza is here for the long haul.

WOOD FIRED PIZZA

Susan Harpt Grimes is a Milwaukee writer and regular contributor to shepherdexpress.com.

BY ARI LEVAUX

"

Overnight” often means to get something in a hurry. But with oats, it means the opposite. Overnight oats are currently having a moment as a breakfast fad, but the dish is based on a very old concept: the fact that you can prepare grains by soaking, rather than cooking them.

To make overnight oats, you add liquid like milk, yogurt or water to some oats, and wait until morning. By then the oats will be as soft as if they were cooked on the stove top. It’s a great way to get your fiber without slowing down your morning or burning your tongue.

Part of the fun of this passive porridge is dressing it up with fruits, nuts, sweet syrups, or anything else you might put in hot or cold cereal. This time of year, frozen berries are on sale as distributors clear out last year’s inventory ahead of the new crops of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries currently on the verge of being harvested. As it happens, frozen berries are perfect for overnight oats. Add them at night, straight out of the freezer. By morning they will be fully soft and integrated into the dish.

Rolled oats are the softest of all of the grain options. They will be ready so quickly you don’t need to wait all night. Or even 10 minutes. If you don’t mind chewing a little you can dive in right away and eat your oats like corn flakes. Steel cut oats, where the grain is chopped rather than rolled, need a much longer time to soak, just as they take longer to cook.

Overnight Spelt and Rye

This recipe is a template for any type of overnight grain, with any type of soaking liquid, and any type of topping. It’s flexible, in other words. But my way results in a kind of cake/pudding that I’m happy to wash down with coffee, and repeat.

One Serving

• ½ cup spelt flakes

• ½ cup rye flakes

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 1 cup yogurt

• ½ cup frozen blueberries

• optional: sweetener

And then there are all of the other grains, whole and in parts. They all soften at different rates and have different textures and flavors. Rolled flakes will generally soften the most quickly. I’ve also had good luck with mixes like seven-grain and five-grain cereal. To get to know the personality of each grain I try it in plain water first, preferably in a lineup with other grains for comparison. My favorite grain for overnight soaking is a combination of rye flakes and spelt flakes. Both are varieties of wheat, and both take all night. The rye is more complex, assertive and coarse, while the spelt is mellow and smooth. Together they form a combination that is soft yet firm, without being at all mushy. Whichever grain or grains you choose, adding some chia seeds will give it a pudding-like stiffness.

Finally, you must choose your liquid. While water is enough to satisfy the most spartan of grain eaters, the majority prefer something creamier. Milk is one option, as are milk-like fluids made from nuts, grains and legumes. There is a certain symmetry and simplicity to adding oat milk to your overnight oats. Soy milk or almond milk are thicker. Some have vanilla, which you can also just add on your own. You can mix and match the soaking media to your heart’s content, but my favorite of all is plain yogurt. It’s thick and creamy, and the acidity helps the grains along their journey.

Ultimately, the proper consistency and flavor of cereal is a very subjective and personal choice, as is the presence or absence of gluten and other factors. Personal preference should guide the details of how you prepare your overnight grains. I will leave you with a recipe for my preferred formulation of overnight grains, in hopes that you will take it and transform it and make it your own.

Combine the spelt, rye and chia seeds in a bowl. Add the yogurt and stir it all together. Add the blueberries, and sweetener if using, and stir again. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, enjoy your bowl of soft, sweet, chewy tangy grains.

Ari LeVaux has written about food for The Atlantic Online, Outside Online and Alternet.

Discounted berries on sale at a store near you!

Photo by Ari LeVaux.

Photo by Ari LeVaux.

&Master Apprentice

A STORY ABOUT WINE AND GREAT CHEFS

BY GAETANO MARANGELLI

tist? What makes anybody great at any job? Do they have a distinctive ability for the job? Do they have an ideal energy for the job? Do they meet somebody who recognizes their energy and cultivates their ability?

This is the first chapter in the story about a master and an apprentice. A great chef who was the first teacher of a great chef who became a star. The master was my father, Chef John Marangelli, who had restaurants on Capitol Drive and 24th Street, at the Brown Port Shopping Center, in a Bay View hotel and at what was the Firstar Center in Downtown Milwaukee. The star is Chef Paul Bartolotta, whose experience at great restaurants of Italy, France and North America, including his own, has guided the founding, building and operating of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group.

My father’s passion for food and wine also inspired me. One of the wines which changed my life was a bottle he introduced me to over a midnight dinner at his Brown Port restaurant. A 1982 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia. A great vintage of a great wine. A bottle which made me realize the power of wine to metamorphose you.

In September at Ristorante Bartolotta in the Village of Wauwatosa, Chef Bartolotta will offer a tribute to the culinary mastery of Chef Marangelli with an evening of great food, great wine and great stories. Like all great stories about teachers and their disciples, this story ends with the disciple becoming the teacher.

This is the first chapter of that great story. Paul Bartolotta narrates the chapter, which features him as a 16-year-old in Wauwatosa and John Marangelli as the chef and owner of his Brown Port restaurant.

“I was working at the Chancery, and I told my dad, ‘I think I want to be a chef.’ So, I started looking at the want ads, and I see this: Working apprenticeship for master continental chef. I didn’t have a driver’s license yet, so my brother Joe drove me out there.’

John is like, ‘You should pay me to apprentice, because in Europe, when you apprentice, you pay to learn your craft.’

I say, ‘You’re not going to pay me?’

‘You have to work for free if you want to be a serious apprentice.’

And I’m like, ‘No. Thank you.’

So, I go home, and I’m sitting at the family table, and my dad is like, ‘Well, how’d it go?’

‘The guy wants me to work for free. I mean, are you kidding me? I’m making $2.45 an hour at the Chancery, and this guy wants me to work for free? That’s crazy.’

‘How was the interview?’

‘Oh, he’s a really interesting guy. He told me some stories about how it works in the old country. But this isn’t the old country. This is the new world. We pay people here.’

‘How did it end?’

‘It ended with me telling him I’m not going to work there.’

Two days later, I’m at the table

Photo by Arx0nt/Getty Images.

Photo courtesy of Gaetano Marangelli.

Chef John Marangelli. Photo courtesy of Paul Bartolotta.

Chef Paul Bartolotta and my father, Chef John Marangelli, circa 1978.

again with my dad, and I say to him, ‘Can you believe that guy? I mean, the gall of him to ask me to work for free.’

My dad is like, ‘Why are you still talking about it?’

‘Because,’ I say, ‘I kind of was interested.’

‘Then go talk to him.’

So, Joe drives me back out there again, and I talk to John, and he says, ‘I can’t pay you. I won’t pay you. I need to make sure you’re serious about really wanting to be my apprentice. I’m not hiring somebody to work in my kitchen. I’m hiring an apprentice.’

I said, ‘Let me think about it.’

And as I’m walking out the front door, he says to me, ‘Don’t think about it. Come here for a few days next week. See if you like it. See if you’re interested.’

And I was like, ‘OK.’

This chapter of the story ends in next month’s Shepherd Express, as John teaches Paul one of the most valuable lessons of his culinary life.

Gaetano Marangelli is a sommelier and playwright. He was the managing director of a wine import and distribution company in New York and beverage director for restaurants and retailers in New York and Chicago before moving to Wauwatosa.

Cool, Summer Treats Cool, Summer Treats

BY CARRIE MARBLE, OWNER BARK N’ SCRATCH OUTPOST, AND CALEY

Popsicles, ice cream cones, and ice-cold lemonade. There’s nothing better than a cool summer treat, and it’s time to let our dogs indulge, too! Summertime is the perfect time to let your dog explore new treats and chews because you can leave the mess outside! A smoked bone will help your dog feel included during the backyard barbecue. Bone broth or goat’s milk are fun ways to keep your pup hydrated. Frozen treats such as yogurt, tripe, or produce are a tasty way to cool off on a sunny afternoon. Before choosing an outdoor snack for your canine companion, it is best to do a bit of research.

When selecting a new chew for your pup, there are a few things to take into consideration. It is important to select a chew that is too large to fit entirely inside your dog’s mouth. Keep in mind that certain bones, antlers, and other hard chews are not suitable for teething puppies, senior dogs, or dogs with weak teeth. Always monitor your dog when they have a bone, bully stick, antler, or anything of the like. As you supervise, watch for splinters, small pieces, and bleeding gums (this is what happens when the dentist scrapes our gums, too). When first introducing a new snack, set a timer for 15-30 minutes before taking it away until next time. Enforcing a time limit will help prevent an upset tummy.

Let your dog join the party with a fun summer beverage! Fill their bowl up with bone broth or goat’s milk! Not just any bone broth will do, though. Bone broth made specifically for dogs isn’t made with salt, but instead contains beneficial nutrients such as carrots, turmeric, or ginger. Goat’s milk is another great supplement that can help improve your pet’s digestion, reduce inflammation, and strengthen their immune system. They’ll be hydrated, healthy, and happy!

You can’t go wrong with a frozen treat on a hot summer day. The freezer selection at Bark N’ Scratch includes everything from turkey necks to pig feet; from beef tripe to whole quails. These cold snacks are great for teething puppies or dogs needing to cool off from the summer heat. Make your own frozen treats using Messy Mutts ice cube molds or your favorite LickiMat. Get creative with canned food, goat’s milk, blueberries, pumpkin, carrots, cheese, and so much more!

Regardless of what you choose, your four-legged friend will be licking their lips and wagging their tail!

Content sponsored by Bark n’ Scratch Outpost. Locally owned since 2006, Carrie, Michael and staff are dedicated to educating pet owners about the importance of their pet’s diet. Bark n’ Scratch Outpost is located at 5835 W. Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53213

Dinner, Drinks, Appetizers and a View

BY: ELIZABETH LINTONEN

There’s no better way to enjoy the summer weather than at one of Milwaukee’s many top-tier rooftop bars. Around every corner, one can find a wide range of craft drinks perfectly suited for brunches, happy hours, late-night dinners and more. This August, be sure to enjoy the beautiful city skyline with a creative cocktail, rich draft beer, or tasty appetizer at one of these can’t-miss Milwaukee venues.

CAFE BENELUX

346 N. Broadway Ave.

(414) 501-2500

cafebenelux.com

Overlooking the heart of Milwaukee’s Third Ward and boasting an exceptional espresso martini, Cafe Benelux is the perfect rooftop restaurant for brunches, lunches, and more. With many fruity cocktails, rich espressos, a variety of curated bloody mary’s and 40 bottles and 30 draught beers to choose from, Cafe Benelux is a Third Ward staple. Appetizers, midday snacks, and happy hour beverages all contained within the cozy, Belgian-bike themed atmosphere, located just across the street from the Public Market.

CENTRAL STANDARD CRAFTHOUSE

320 E. Clybourn St. (414) 445-8870

thecentralstandard.com

Central Standard Crafthouse is a chic, airy bar and restaurant located just off the freeway near Milwaukee’s Third Ward. The food menu is filled with delicious, creative appetizers, including a huge charcuterie board. The rooftop bar has bartender service after 3 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are imaginative and tasty, from the ‘Milwaukee Mule’ to the ‘Matcha Tonic.’

GOOD CITY BREWING

2108 N. Farwell Ave. (414) 539-4343

goodcitybrewing.com

Modern, sleek, and classic, Good City Brewing is an ideal spot for after-work drinks, events, and casual dining. With four locations throughout the Milwaukee area, the Lower East Side’s location features a rooftop that is a prime location to watch the sunset while enjoying one of their many craft beers that pair well with their handheld sandwiches, burgers or savory stuffed pretzel.

Photo by ViewApart/Getty Images.

THE OUTSIDER

310 E. Chicago St. (414) 291-3980

outsiderrooftop.com

On the ninth floor of the Journeyman Hotel, you’ll find The Outsider, a tasteful, sophisticated cocktail lounge with spectacular views of the Third Ward and Downtown. The Outsider has a knack for presentation and a substantial list of fruity and frozen cocktails that pair well with the truffle fries. The Outsider is the perfect choice for high-end, summer evening drinks and satisfies any need to sip a Sunset Sangria while looking out at Milwaukee’s skyline, nine stories above the street below.

RED LION PUB ON TANNERY ROW

1850 N. Water St. (414) 431-9009

redlionpubmke.com

Anyone looking for a peak spot to catch a soccer game or show off extensive knowledge of Harry Potter trivia will find themselves very satisfied with the Red Lion Pub on Tannery Row. Just three blocks from bustling Brady Street sits the kitschy, sprawling English themed pub complete with rooftop patio overlooking the river. The appetizer menu features an enormous 24-oz. pretzel, shepherd’s pie, and on weekends, full English breakfast is available for brunch. Enjoy the sounds of The Beatles while sipping one of the many draft beers at this Milwaukee gem.

Elizabeth Lintonen is a regular contributor to shepherdexpress.com.

UNCLE BUCKS ON 3RD

1125 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. (414) 988-0355

unclebucksonthird.com

Uncle Bucks is a fun, casual eatery overlooking the Milwaukee River in the heart of the Deer District. With many options for shareable food, such as wings with many choices in homemade sauces, and an extensive drink menu filled with a wide variety of beer and whiskey, Uncle Bucks is an excellent rooftop choice for all your pre- and post-game needs.

CAFE BENELUX

Photo by Michael Burmesch.

RED LION PUB

Photo courtesy of Red Lion Pub.

THE OUTSIDER

Photo courtesy of The Outsider.

ALFRESCO GUIDE ALFRESCO GUIDE

CAFÉ CORAZON

Multi locations in Bay View, Riverwest & Brown Deer

Corazonmilwaukee.com

The Riverwest location along the Beerline Trail complements the restaurant's bright, fresh Mexicaninspired food. In Bay View, you'll find a quiet, artsy patio tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Kinnickinnic. The Brown Deer location hosts the largest Corazon patio with seating for 60. It too is off the Oak Leaf Trail and will feature its own outdoor bar.

CAFÉ MANNA

3815 N. Brookfield Rd. Brookfield

(262) 790-2340

Cafemanna.com

Celebrate this summer season at our neighborhood gem, nestled within our fresh garden. Enjoy the scenic surroundings as you indulge Manna’s craft cocktails and modern summer cuisine, which is also vegan friendly.

CAFÉ AT THE PLAZA

1007 N. Cass St.

Milwaukee

(414) 276-2101

Plazahotelmilwaukee.com/eat/

The Café at the Plaza courtyard is Milwaukee's most unique patio. Nestled in the heart of downtown, ivy-covered walls and the city's best brunch make this spot a can't-miss hidden gem.

Photo courtesy of Cafe Corazon.

Photo courtesy of Cafe Manna.

Photo courtesy of Cafe at the Plaza.

Illustration by Michael Burmesch.

DOM & PHIL’S DEMARINIS

1211 E. Conway St. Milwaukee

(414) 481-2348

Domandphildemarinis.com

Dom & Phil’s Original Recipes are recognized for having some of the best pizza in Milwaukee. There’s also a wonderful menu of Italian entrées, weekly specials, appetizers, and salads and a full bar where you can grab a bite or drink. People love the outdoor patio with a great view of the downtown skyline and the fireworks!

FIVE O’CLOCK STEAKHOUSE

2416 W. State St. Milwaukee

(414) 342-3553

Fiveoclocksteakhouse.com

Relax and enjoy your supper club experience on our intimate patio lined with beautiful flowers and firepit. Five O’Clock Steakhouse specializes in serving award winning steaks and seafood paired with a notable wine list, classic cocktails, and outstanding, personalized service.

LOST VALLEY CIDER CO.

408 W. Florida St. Milwaukee

Lostvalley.com

Lost Valley Cider Bar serves up the largest selection of ciders from near and far. Featuring over 50 different ciders to choose from plus cider slushies, spirits, and craft beer. All of Lost Valley is dog friendly, both inside and the large outdoor patio. Check out their free live music Fridays and Wednesday trivia nights.

Photo courtesy of Dom & Phil's DeMarinis

Photo courtesy of Lost Valley Cider Co.

Photo courtesy of Five O'Clock Steakhouse.

MULLIGANS IRISH PUB & GRILL

8933 S. 27th St. Franklin

(414) 304-0300

Mulliganson27th.com

Enjoy lunch or dinner on their beautiful, spacious smoke-free patio that is perfect for private parties and large groups. You can also catch live music with Ian Gould each First Tuesday of the month, starting in July (weather permitting).

PEOPLE’S PARK – TAYLOR’S

337 W. Main St. Waukesha

(262) 522-6868

Peoplesparkwaukesha.com

A unique place. Make each level your favorite! Our fun and hip gastropub has a full service patio and funky rooftop perfect for people watching! Each one of our three levels are unique and offer an experience we know you’ll enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill.

Photo courtesy of People's Park - Taylor's.

Alfresco

Off the Beaten Path Alfresco Off the Beaten Path

BY BLAINE SCHULTZ

Before we turn the page on summer and outdoor dining consider the options Milwaukee has to offer beyond sidewalks and patios. With a little planning, taking a meal to go can offer memorable views.

Lakeshore State Park sits just east of the Summerfest grounds and the walkway that marks the eastern boundary of Henry Maier Festival Park offers great picnic spots. The Public Market as well as restaurants in the Third Ward provide a variety of food options.

Nearby, the War Memorial Beer Garden operated by Kegel’s Inn is conveniently located for anyone looking to enjoy Lake Michigan or stroll to the tip of Veteran’s Park. Colectivo on the Lakefront is an option for grab-and-go sandwiches, plus freshly brewed coffee, espresso, tea and bakery items made daily from scratch. Catch one of their Musica del Lago concerts or enjoy relaxed alfresco dining from McKinley Park to Bradford Beach to the Gun Club Rugby Park. Lake Park offers a bluff’s-eye view of Lake Michigan. Grab a bite to go from nearby Downer Avenue eateries BelAir Cantina, Café Hollander or Canela Café.

HUBBARD PARK BEER GARDEN

Photo by Blaine Schultz.

Looking for something a little more secluded? Nestled next to the Milwaukee River, Hubbard Park Beer Garden in Shorewood might have you convinced you are up north. The daily menu expands to a Friday fish fry that features live polka music and on Sunday the Lodge serves a Lumberjack Brunch Buffet.

South Shore Terrace Kitchen and Beer Garden boasts a farm-to-table menu, sandwiches, lobster roll and Friday fish fry. With a beer garden and another 30 picnic tables on the edge of Lake Michigan and a fantastic view of Milwaukee’s skyline this neighborhood destination is one of the gems.

Here's one that might be the city’s best kept secret. According to legend Kaszube’s Park (Milwaukee’s smallest park at about 6566 square feet, located on Jones Island) is the former site of a tavern owned by the island’s last permanent resident, Captain Felix Struck. Named for people from the Kashubia region of Poland, the park conjures history of immigrants, lake travel, commerce and mega-festivals all hidden in the shadow of the Hoan Bridge. On any given day your only dining companion might be the huge anchor standing sentinel. Food options include Bay View mainstays G. Groppi Food Market, Palomino Bar, Café Corazon and Huê Asian Kitchen.

Photo by Blaine Schultz.

KASZUBE'S PARK

Photo by Blaine Schultz.

Blaine Schultz is the Staff Writer for the Shepherd Express

SOUTH SHORE TERRACE KITCHEN AND BEER GARDEN

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE 2023 RECIPIENTS:

The roster of recipients of the 2023 Shepherd Express LGBTQ Progress Awards represents a broad spectrum of exceptional talents applied with unrelenting dedication and long-term commitment. This year’s awards dinner will be held 5 p.m., Aug. 3 at Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel. For more information, visit shepherdexpress.com/shepherdevents.

ARTS & CULTURE: SANDY LEWIS

LGBTQ arts is as much a political expression as entertainment. As such, they contribute to LGBTQ progress. Born into a Vaudeville family, Sandy Lewis has always made the stage her home. Her first foray into the realm of LGBTQ arts came decades ago when she became involved with an LGBTQ theater group and Fest City Singers (FCS). Notably, in the early 1980s she performed as the mascot for the Milwaukee AIDS Project (MAP, later AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin), a fundraising role that entailed an outlandish costume and blue and yellow painted face. Over the following decades she appeared in numerous LGBTQ dedicated theatrical productions, performing in plays, cabarets and musicals at Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, Off the Wall Theatre, and the Boulevard Theatre. She often sang at the AIDS Walk with FCS, and, for over two decades, as half of the duo Side by Side with lesbian singer-songwriter-cabarettiste Diane Bloom.

BUSINESS: HAMBURGER MARY'S

When twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Wright launched Milwaukee’s Hamburger Mary’s in 2011, they located the latest branch of the popular gay-themed restaurant chain in a cramped, abandoned restaurant on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View. Its opening party featuring the drag punk band, The Joans, would portend great things to come. The latest addition to the Milwaukee bar and restaurant scene, it soon became a popular destination with an innovative mission of social engagement and reciprocal community support with drag queens hosting fundraising “HamBingo” nights as a fundraising opportunity for community causes. Over the following dozen years, Hamburger Mary’s has become a virtual community center. In 2016 it moved to the Walker’s Point gay-borhood where its expanded space allows greater outreach with bingo, drag shows (even during the COVID pandemic with parking lot performances featuring queens wearing face shields) and meet and greets with local politicians.

Photo courtesy of Sandy Lewis.

Photo courtesy of Hamburger Mary's.

EDUCATION: CARY COSTELLO, UWM, LGBT STUDIES PROGRAM

Cary Costello, associate professor of sociology, has worked with the UWM’s LGBTQ+ Studies Program since 2002 and served as its director since 2010. Founded in 1993 as the nation's second oldest program of its kind, the UWM LGBTQ Studies under Costello’s tenure has grown from teaching two courses and granting six certificates in LGBTQ+ Studies annually to offering eight course per year and has since granted well over 100 Certificates in LGBTQ+ Studies. As a trans man he has also been recognized as an advocate for transgender and intersex people. Costello holds degrees from Yale College, Harvard Law School and a PhD from University of California-Berkeley. He has published a dozen works across a spectrum of binary, intersex, trans and identity subjects. Using his own trans experience as a foundation, Costello maintains a blog, “TransFusion” on trans issues.

EQUALITY: KATHLEEN "KASS" HUME & STEPHANIE HUME

The mother and daughter duo of Kathleen and Stephanie Hume represent a rare family bond through their common mission of activism in Milwaukee’s LGBTQ community. Be-ginning in 1986, as a straight ally, “Kass” Hume became in-volved with numerous Milwaukee’s LGBTQ organizations, serving on the boards of directors of some and providing oth-ers with pro bono legal services. Later she held “legal nights” at the LGBT Community Center for those needing legal advice and served on the Center’s board from 2013-18. She was instrumental in the community’s public relations response to the Jeffrey Dahmer crisis. Her daughter, Stephanie Hume was a Human Rights League and Lesbian Alliance board member, and served on the founding board of the LGBT Community Center. Her greatest contribution to LGBTQ progress was her service from 1992-2015 as a liaison to the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Following the Dahmer arrest in 1991 she would become a leading facilitator to implement positive change in MPD relations with the LGBTQ community and helped create the Milwaukee Commission on Police Commu-nity Relations. In 2001, she was co-chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change Conference held in Milwaukee and later a member of US Justice Department’s Mediation Program.

HEALTH: JOHN GRIFFITH

Nominated by the Milwaukee County Executive in 2018, John Griffith joined the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging, later becoming that body’s secretary and its chair in 2022. As a voice for LGBTQ seniors, he has been a member of numerus state and local senior and health advisory groups and councils. Griffith lifelong dedication to activism began as an 11-year-old “doing doors” for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Later, as a freshman at UW-Eau Claire in 1967 he met Eugene McCarthy and became an original member of the “Get Clean with Gene” campaign. Moving to Milwaukee in 1990, Griffith immediately engaged with the LGBTQ community, attending PrideFest at Veterans’ Park, then volunteering for that event as well as for the Human Rights League. He helped create the LGBT Community Center and has remained a Center volunteer for 25 years.

Photo courtesy of John Griffith.

Photo by Paul Masterson, courtesy of Stephanie Hume..

Photo courtesy of Cary Costello.

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION: JERRY JOHNSON

Founded by Jerry Johnson and his partner Terry Boughner in 1987, Wisconsin Light soon became Milwaukee’s leading LGBTQ newspaper. It covered a full spectrum of relevant local, regional and world news, arts and politics. As the publication’s editor and publisher, Johnson engaged writers from all corners of the community, presenting all points of view. Its motto “Give the people light and they will find their own way” guided its mission for over a dozen years. Johnson’s community dedication was underscored when he donated proceeds from the paper’s 10th anniversary “A Decade of Light” gala, nearly $10,000, to the Cream City Foundation. An adamant archivist, he collected documents and ephemera that he later donated to The UWM Library’s LGBT Archive. In 1991 he became a founding member of the city’s Fair Housing and Employment Commission (later the Equal Rights Commission) and, later, of Milwaukee’s LGBT History Project.

PHILANTHROPY: POTAWATOMI CASINO HOTEL

While the LGBTQ struggle for equality has depended largely on its cadre of activists, its allies play an equally critical role in propelling its cause. Especially in the early years when supporting the LGBTQ community had inherent risks and liabilities, certain businesses recognized their common cause of social justice. Since opening in Spring of 1991, Potawatomi Casino Hotel (then-Potawatomi Bingo) has lived up to its mission stated in Potawatomi motto, Gde Pê Nme Go Men, meaning “our responsibility.” That responsibility to serve the greater good includes the greater LGBTQ community as a beneficiary of its philanthropy. Over the decades, as a community sponsoring partner, Potawatomi Casino Hotel has generously supported all aspects of the LGBTQ community from Vivent Health (formerly ARCW) to PrideFest and from Diverse & Resilient to Cream City Foundation. It is also a Gold Founding Member of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

PIONEER: DAVID CLARENBACH

As a Democratic politician and LGBTQ activist, David Clarenbach has an extended history of achievements. However, most importantly, as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature, he is credited with the 1982 passage of the nation’s first LGBTQ anti-discrimination law. Known as Assembly Bill 70, the law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation by state or private entities in employment and housing. The bill’s passage came after a long process of advocacy and lobbying that began decades earlier. Clarenbach noted that this credit “is to be shared, of course, by the hundreds of community and religious organizations and thousands of individuals who created the political climate to allow the bipartisan group of legislators and a Republican governor to make history. We can all be proud of the accomplishments made during that era 40 years ago and more.”

Photo courtesy of Potawatomi Casino Hotel.

Jerry Johnson (left) and Joe Pabst at PrideFest 2013.

Photo by Paul Masterson.

Photo courtesy of David Clarenbach.

Will the Packers be Contenders This Season?

BY PAUL NOONAN

As the Packers enter uncharted territory after moving on from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they find themselves in an ideal spot for a quick rebuild. The NFC North features a declining Vikings team, a still rebuilding Bears’ team facing uncertainty at quarterback, and the up-and-coming Lions, who will be relying on a bottom third defense. It’s a bad division, and even though it’s fair to say the Packers are rebuilding, if they manage to hit on a few draft picks, there is a good chance they contend anyway.

To make the playoffs, the Packers will only need to be average, and average is easily achievable with this roster. An offseason binge on young offensive talent should allow new quarterback Jordan Love to operate in ways that Rodgers simply could and would not. Rodgers is an all-time great, but he relishes being the captain of the ship, diagnosing the defense, and picking the matchups he wants. That’s actually not how the Matt LaFleur offense is supposed to operate. LaFleur is a disciple of 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan, and their offense focuses on physical mismatches, using the middle of the field, and putting receivers in a position to generate yards after the catch. It’s an extremely quarterback-friendly offense if run properly, but it sometimes requires targeting young, unproven players. Aaron Rodgers loves his veterans, avoids the middle of the field, and plays favorites, often to his detriment. If Love can avoid these tendencies, he can be an improvement, even if he isn’t as technically proficient, but he will need some help.

The Packers haven’t had a reliable pass-catching tight end since Jermichael Finley, and production at the tight end position is necessary for the offense to work as it should. To address this, the Packers added two great prospects in this draft. Both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft were among the

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

most athletic players in the draft at any position, and according to the NFL combine aggregation metric Relative Athletic Score, they both resemble Kansas City’s Travis Kelce more than any other tight end. Musgrave is a vertical burner, and more of a big slot, capable of stretching the field. Kraft is a more physical mauler, but still dangerous once the ball is in his hands.

POWER RUNNING, DYNAMIC PASSING

Having a pair of good tight ends is essential as it allows the LaFleur offense to seamlessly flip between a power running look and a dynamic passing formation based on the defense. Having skilled tight end play in the middle of the field creates some of the easiest throws in football, perfect for a first-year starter. More than anything, it will be incredibly difficult for any defense to account for the Packers as a running team, as they still feature a formidable offensive line, and veteran Aaron Jones. If any defense goes heavy to stop Jones, the speed of second year receiver Christian Watson, plus the new tight ends, and rookie slot receiver Jayden Reed, will immediately create a mismatch. If defenses skew light, Jones and AJ Dillon should be able to capitalize.

While Jordan Love is a huge question mark stepping in as the starter, he couldn’t be entering a better situation. Love has made tangible progress shortening his long delivery, which led to so many interceptions in college. He will need to improve on his accuracy if he is truly to succeed, but even if he doesn’t, the Packers will have the flexibility to move on next season should he not work out.

The bigger question for Green Bay is, as usual, on defense, where countless high draft picks have failed to produce an average unit under coordinator Joe Barry. But even on defense there is reason for hope. First round pick Lukas Van Ness, an edge rusher from Iowa, should give the Packers one of the fiercest edge groups in the league, especially when Rashan Gary returns from injury. Jaire Alexander is also still around to anchor one of the better cornerback units in the NFL.

The defense may still have issues stopping the run due to a lack of talent on the defensive line, and at safety, but compared to their peers in the NFC North, the Packers are in better shape where it really counts. If Love is average or better, this team likely makes the playoffs. If he struggles, the team will have several high draft picks they can use to replace him for 2024.

Paul Noonan writes about the Green Bay Packers each week during football season at shepherdexpress.com.

LOST AND FOUND

MILWAUKEE’S JAY MATTHES CHRONICLES JOURNEY OF LOVE ON NEW ALBUM

BY JOSHUA M. MILLER

Life and love can often feel like a roller coaster, full of twists and turns. There are highs and lows along the way that can tug at a wide range of emotions and test or strengthen one’s resolve. Sometimes, this complex and at times uncertain journey can lead to a state of pure ecstasy.

Milwaukee singer-songwriter Jay Matthes learned this while writing and recording his latest album Loved and Lost and Found. The album, which he will celebrate August 25 with a release show at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., details his journey discovering himself pre- and post-marriage. Its narrative starts with him as a single person searching for purpose and follows him as he meets and falls in love with his now wife Amanda and starts a family.

“All those songs are put in chronological order to tell this story of who I was before I met my wife, and the road that led me to her,” says Matthes.

His trips to Nashville between 2016 and 2019 helped him strengthen the album’s songs and develop a theme, culling down 60 to 70 songs to create a ten-track narrative of his journey.

“I found this pattern really of writing about my journey of finding my wife,” he says. “I wrote about the heartbreak and taking opportunities and putting myself out there. And then I would write about finding somebody. I thought that was a really interesting album concept of basically starting the album lost in a way, and then telling this story throughout the album of taking chances and things sometimes not working out, but ultimately finding what you were looking for.”

SOMETIMES LOVE LASTS

The album ends with the song “Sometimes It Does,” which he feels sums things up well. It features the lyric “sometimes love don’t last, but sometimes it does.” The song is about proposing to his wife and telling her that he’ll be with her forever.

“You go through life and you're like, ‘man, this love thing sucks,’ ‘man, I keep getting my heart broke and it doesn't work for one reason or the other,’” says Matthes. “All it takes is finding that one person. It took me almost 30 years to find that person but finding that one person made everything worth it.”

Photos by Krissy Kopplin, courtesy of Jay Matthes.

Background texture by phongphan5922/Getty Images.

Matthes has long found music therapeutic, something he learned from his late father, a traveling bass player, who died in 2014. “You discover parts of yourself and emotions that you didn't know were there and memories that you didn't know you had,” he says. “That can definitely bring back some good memories, some great memories, some bad memories, all of the things.”

“But at the end of the day, it’s so therapeutic and what you’re putting out is authentic to you. I’m not trying to be somebody that I’m not, I’m trying to tell an honest story and share something with the world that maybe that listener needed to hear when they hit play on my album.”

BIG THEMES, BIG SOUND

While Matthes has sole writing credits on most of the album, “When We Danced Slow” is a co-write with fellow Wisconsin singer-songwriter Jay Roemer. He met Roemer at Mile of Music.

Matthes hoped to match the expansive lyrical theme with an equally big sound. After releasing a “real chill, mellow album” in Dancing After Dark, he wanted the songs on Love to sound bigger and translate better to the concert stage. He describes the album, which features a mix of country, Americana and rock, as danceable, loud and fun.

Part of making the album “sound big where we could,” included adding horns on an album for the first time.

“I really wanted this big music that I could see myself getting backed up on the Summerfest stage and playing,” he says. “It’s got big drums, it’s got big horns, and then similarly it’s got big ideas. Love is a big idea. Love is a big grandiose thing. And finding somebody you wanna spend your life with is this big grandiose thing. I wanted the music to reflect that as well … Even the slow, quieter songs build and end up being big songs.”

Matthes credits his marriage as the reason he’s still able to be a songwriter. His wife is his biggest supporter. “I don’t think I’d be able to have the schedule that I have and be able to work on music the way that I work on it without her support,” he says. “She comes to my shows, she believes in my music, she likes my music, she shares it. That’s a pretty great backbone to have.”

Much like the album’s theme, the writing and recording of the album was a journey in itself. Matthes spent a lot of time writing, evaluating and tweaking songs to make them the best that they could be. Coupled with recording, the album took him over two years, which was longer than anticipated.

The studio he started recording at shut down, forcing him to relocate to Wauwatosa studio Wire & Vice to work with Kyle White as producer. In addition to working with different studios, producers, his longtime local backing band, and a busy schedule, he carved out time to be a dad after the birth of his son, who is now two.

“It’s been an exhausting rollercoaster ride,” says Matthes. “It was the most fun I ever had in my life, but I left this album drained. I gave this music everything that I had. I gave each song everything that I had, each line, every note, I gave it everything that I had. I feel like the end product is authentically me, authentically us, and authentic to the place where I live.”

He’s expecting a second child in November.

Joshua M. Miller is a local music writer and frequent contributor to the Shepherd Express. You can follow his work on Twitter at @JoshuaMMillerWI.

Photos by Krissy Kopplin, courtesy of Jay Matthes. Background texture by phongphan5922/Getty Images.

Milwaukee’s Lil Rev Returns with his Biggest Album

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

Unheard: Songs from the Street, Lil Rev’s 20th album (if you include his recordings with Frogwater and Larry Penn), is unlike anything else by the Milwaukee folksinger. Unheard is a collaboration with longtime musical partner Jim Eannelli, a veteran Milwaukee musician whose resume includes the power pop Shivvers and the techno pop Colour Radio as well as bluegrass, folk and stints in just about every genre. The songs are all Rev’s, but Eannelli, working out of his home studio and playing guitars, drums, bass and keyboards, adds a sonic dimension that Rev admits is unheard on his previous recordings.

Although he’s worked with many other Milwaukee producers, including William Stace and Scott Finch, “we recorded those albums live with very

little overdubbing,” Rev recalls. By contrast, Eannelli’s production for Unheard is multitracked without losing the music’s organic sensibility. The recording sessions began in 2021 (Rev and Eannelli wore masks at first) and concluded this spring. The album was released in July. “We had time,” Rev explains of the unhurried process. “We could let the songs breath, put them aside for a week or a month and listen to them again. I could never have made this album without Jimmy.” Rev completed work on Unheard with the end of COVID restrictions and resumed his usual coast-to-coast performance schedule of folk festivals and clubs.

Unheard is the culmination of a long relationship. Over the past decade, Rev and Eannelli have played together as a duo, augmented by distinguished

guests such as Jim Liban and Guy Fiorentini, at Summerfest, South Shore Farmers Market, Tonic Tavern and house concerts across the state. “The first time we sat down and started playing, it was like putting on an old shoe,” Eannelli says. He describes the recordings that came from the Unheard sessions as “the Americana that’s been spinning around in my head for years.”

STITCHED WITH AMERICANA

The album opens with “Soda Pop,” a lyric that embodies the lulling hours of an endless summer, catching in a bottle the lazy mood—sex and maybe love notwithstanding—in those hazy, crazy days. Eannelli’s edge comes across in an anthemic electric guitar riff that lifts “Soda Pop” to the stratosphere. It’s a great rock song stitched with American threads.

Unheard ’s songs were written mostly during the pandemic’s early lock-down days. “The album grew out of the insanity of that crazy time in America,” Rev says. And not just COVID, albeit “Black Hole #19,” with Rev on ukulele, is about the death of a family member from the virus. He describes “Jericho” as “about all the lying that’s gone on in the last few years—the hypocrisy of holding up the banner of being a Christian and continually lying.” The title song evokes the murder of George Floyd in the context of the centuries-long struggle for civil rights. Eannelli crafted a spooky soundscape for “Unheard” with wavering guitar pedals.

“We Could Ride” bounces along like an old-time string band as Rev grabs the key to the highway and sings of escape from confinement. “If you want to, we could run far away,” he urges, and “live by our own code.” But the album’s next track, “Wait,” is the flashing red light signaling the wrong path, the minor key folk rock amplifying a scarecrow landscape where “the folks who call you

friend” will never “be there in the end.” Rev’s wailing harmonica paints the picture blue as Eannelli adds a sinister solo on electric guitar.

Eannelli describes the production as a “variety show,” with different instruments and microphones enhancing the sonic variety. Veteran Milwaukee producer Gary Tanin mastered Unheard to perfection. “We went beyond our capabilities. We were in the zone,” Eannelli says, “and I live for that!”

Lil Rev and Jim Eannelli will perform the songs from Unheard at 7 p.m., Sept. 30 at Paradigm Café in Sheboygan; and at 7 p.m., Nov. 3 at Anodyne Coffee Roasters, 224 W. Bruce Street.

David Luhrssen is coauthor of two books on local music, Milwaukee Rock and Roll 1950-2000: A Reflective History and Brick Through the Window: An Oral History of Punk Rock, New Wave and Noise in Milwaukee, 1964-1984 .

14 THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST 14 THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST This Month in Milwaukee

BY ALLEN HALAS, ELIZABETH LINTONEN, DAVID LUHRSSEN, SHANE MCADAMS, MICHAEL MUCKIAN, JAMIE LEE RAKE AND BLAINE SCHULTZ

THROUGH AUGUST 13

“Mestiere Biennale”

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum

“Mestiere” is Italian and translates roughly as craft or skilled handiwork. Phoenix Brown, senior curator at Villa Terrace, explains that the museum’s exhibition of contemporary Wisconsin artists, “Mestiere Biennale,” was prompted by the recent “renaissance in craft and decorative art.” Villa Terrace’s Executive Director Jaymee Harvey Willms adds that the rebirth is “a human reaction—the antithesis of the internet.”

THROUGH AUGUST 26

Cheeseheads: The Musical

Northern Sky Theatre

Peninsula State Park

The musical comedy by Paul Libman and Dave Hudson had its 2017 world premiere at Northern Sky and returns for another long run. It explores (“with typical Wisconsin good humor”) the dream of winning the lottery shared by workers at a Sheboygan factory in danger of shutting down. It’s been called “a touching and joyful Wisconsin musical gouda luck fable” (ouch!)

THROUGH OCTOBER 1

“On the Grounds Of”

Charles Allis Art Museum

The sculptural installation is definitely worth seeing before the greens fade to ochre and rust. Siara Berry represents an increasingly rare example of a young artist working in the realm of conceptual object-making and language in a playful, hands-on manner. Even rarer, that she’s delicately adept at constructing things around ideas.

THROUGH OCT. 1

Andrea Chung: “if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away”

John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Andrea Chung, a San Diego-based artist, seeks to “confront the legacy and trauma of slavery from the perspective of an Afrofuturist utopia.” The artist, of Jamaican/Chinese and Trinidadian descent, acknowledges the overriding influence of slavery’s horrors in the exhibit. Despite the dark overtones, Chung sees her installation as a place of healing, one that honors midwives and celebrates birth, rather than death.

Andrea Chung: if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away installation view at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 2023. Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

AUGUST 3-13

Wisconsin State Fair State Fair Park

The unifying factor uniting acts gracing 2023’s Wisconsin State Fair Main Stage is their breadth of nostalgia.

Alabama, country’s dominant band from the 80s through the Clinton years, play one of their first dates since co-founding guitarist/fiddler Jeff Cook’s 2022 passing (Aug. 3). Shaggy and Salt-N-Pepa (Aug. 4) makes for a rambunctious bridge from late 20th-early 21st century dancehall reggae to crossover hip-hop. This year’s comedy slot goes to ventriloquist Jeff Dunham (Aug. 5) and his dummies.

Diminutive crooner Little Anthony, whose hits with The Imperials extend back to 1950s, opens for Tommy James whose ‘60-‘80s radio run encompasses garage punk, bubblegum, psychedelia and adult contemporary maturation (Aug. 6). The Kidz Bop Kids (Aug. 8) keep fresh the family-friendliness of the late Radio

Disney's tween pop with curse-free remakes of recent chart favorites and occasional originals. Heartland rockers

R.E.O. Speedwagon ruled the FM airwaves in the ‘80s (Aug. 10).

From the current decade come the provocative, engaging hard rock of Halestorm (Aug. 9) and the majestic contemporary Christian pop of For King & Country (Aug. 7) classical violin fusionist Lindsey Stirling (Aug. 12). The amiable trad-popcountry of Trace Adkins (Aug. 13) spans the millennial gap.

AUGUST 5

Honey Creek, Glitch Gum, Cyrus Chrome & Skymall Cactus Club

2023 was a turning point for pop punks Honey Creek. The sixpiece, who have been at the forefront of the city’s pop punk revival, are set to release their new EP, Self Preservation, on August 5 at Cactus Club. After a recent re-brand and a lean towards a more synth-driven sound, the band are turning up the pop appeal for a night that will surely hit capacity, with the addition of Nashville’s Glitch Gum and Milwaukee indie pop duo Cyrus Chrome & Skymall. If you’ve longed for the days of singing along to catchy songs in a sweaty venue, this is exactly the night you’re looking for. (Allen Halas)

AUGUST 9

Taylor Kay Phillips, A Guide to Midwestern Conversation Boswell Book Company

Anyone experiencing the dog days of summer as a seasoned Wisconsinite is sure to appreciate Midwestern validation in book form. A Guide to Midwestern Conversation is a witty and relatable take on the lingo found in America’s heartland. Join Emmy-award winning writer Taylor Kay Phillips for an evening of remembering tornado drills, deciding on using “soda” or “pop” to describe a carbonated beverage, and dissecting many more Midwestern conversation essentials. The talk starts at 6:30 p.m.

AUGUST 11-12

Waukesha Rotary Blues Fest

Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield

Maria Muldaur is remembered by many for her lone pop Top-40 hit, “Midnight at the Oasis” (1974), but in the ‘60s she was at the forefront of NYC’s folk-blues revival, performing with John Sebastian, Stefan Grossman and her husband Jim Muldaur in the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. She headlines on Aug. 12. The Aug. 11 headliner at the 16th annual outdoor festival, Grammy nominee and Stax recording artist Southern Avenue, draw from ‘60s soul. The music begins at 1 p.m. each day with a lineup of national, regional and local blues bands.

Photo by Samer Ghani, courtesy Honey Creek Music via Facebook.

HONEY CREEK

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin State Fair.

AUGUST 12

Stand Up / Fight Back 2

X-Ray Arcade

A full evening of music kicks off at 6 p.m. on August 12 at Cudahy’s X-Ray Arcade, in the second annual benefit for the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Seven bands will hit the stage in total, headlined by Iowa-based hardcore act Closet Witch. Milwaukee’s own Mind Harvester, It Is Dead and Milorganaut will be in the mix, joined by Chicago punks Sarin, Minnesota grindcore band Wanderer and North Dakota metal band Maul. Stand up and fight back.

AUGUST 12

Wonderful Bluffer, Barely Civil, Moonglow

The Back Room at Colectivo

A trio of Milwaukee acts will take the stage on the East Side on August 12, with a stunning display of musicianship set to take place. Headlined by classic rock meets blues act Wonderful Bluffer, the night will also feature up and comers in Barely Civil, and the jazzy pop stylings of Moonglow. If you’re a fan of technical instrumentation, this is a show that will drop at least a jaw or two in the crowd.

AUGUST 15

Son Volt w/ Anders Parker

Turner Hall Ballroom

Decades ago, Jay Farrar and his group Uncle Tupelo barnstormed Milwaukee’s Toad Café. When that band split up Farrar formed Son Volt, whose debut album Trace delivered a template that expanded the confines of the Americana genre. Billed as 28 Years of Son Volt: Songs of Trace and Doug Sahm this concert revisits the debut and spotlights a new album in tribute to American musical treasure Doug Sahm. Day Of The Doug pays homage to Sahm’s career leading the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados.

AUGUST 16

Adekola Adedapo & Friends

Indaba Nights

(St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.)

Jazz-centric vocalist and educator Adekola Adedapo’s reputation in Milwaukee’s artistic circles is unmatched. When the pandemic silenced concert schedules, Adedapo performed with her group on a flatbed truck with Washington Park Wheels, taking the music to the people. Here is a chance to catch her at the Indaba bandshell.

AUGUST 17-20

Irish Fest

Henry Maier Festival Grounds

This year’s Milwaukee Irish Fest is as big as ever with a lineup of familiar names from the world of Celtic music including Gaelic Storm, Scythian and the Byrne Brothers. Milwaukee acts are well represented with Fox and Branch and Frogwater among them. Hungry? This year’s Irish Fest boasts dozens of food vendors. The Cultural Area includes Irish and Celtic-themed shopping booths in addition to authors from Ireland, genealogy experts, presentations on historical and contemporary Ireland, workshops and more.

AUGUST 25

Social Cig, Fellow Kinsman, Diet Lite, Bug Moment

Turner Hall Ballroom

In the fallout of the pandemic, a slew of local indie rock bands emerged from the basements and rehearsal spaces around Milwaukee’s colleges, and a new generation of the music scene was born. Many of those acts were embraced by Pabst Theater Group, who used their Back Room at Colectivo as a hub for local indie music. After several sellouts, though, four of the many standout acts are making the leap to the 700-capacity Turner Hall Ballroom on August 25 for an evening that will go down as a celebration of Milwaukee music.

MILWAUKEE IRISH FEST

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Courtesy xrayarcade.com/calendar.

interrupting the interruptors

BY PHILIP CHARD

The news anchor asked the guest expert a question. Midway through her response, he interrupted with another question, albeit a rhetorical one. And, sure enough, after the expert began to reply, he cut her off again. Exasperated, I flipped the channel to one of those political “discussions” by a panel of pundits. After a brief period of listening to them, I realized none of them were listening to each other. Rather, they were four people shouting over each other, cranking up the volume to drown out the others.

The same scenario plays out in many talk shows, and they don’t call them that for nothing. It’s all talk and no listen. And this dismal script is hardly confined to red-faced ninnies in broadcast media. Rather, it has become an accepted modus operandi in many venues—academia, workplaces, political groups, families and street corners. The underlying message is, “I share, therefore I am.” But, when everyone is sharing, nobody is available to listen.

It has been said that one of the greatest acts of respect one person can extend to another is to ask them a question (a real one) and then attentively listen to and thoughtfully consider their response. Thankfully, a smattering of courteous civil discourse remains, largely on less in-your-face media outlets like PBS and NPR, or in the company of good friends or loving family, but, overall, it’s on the wane.

Don’t underestimate the emotional impact of cutting someone off mid-sentence. The implicit but unmistakable message is, “I don’t care what you think or how you feel.” That may not be our actual mindset when interrupting someone,

but that’s how the message is received. Granted, all of us interrupt others on occasion, either out of enthusiasm or thoughtlessness, but an increasing number of folks do so habitually, even intentionally. Why?

BULLIES AT THE BULLY PULPIT

For one, there is the hurry sickness that permeates our culture. Interrupting is the verbal equivalent of speeding on the highway or multi-tasking at the office, reflecting the inner drive to get to the destination or outcome as rapidly as possible. Of course, sometimes it simply reflects egocentricity, the belief that one is the center of the known universe and, therefore, deserves to occupy the podium, if not the bully pulpit, at all times. Many chronic interrupters believe nobody else could possibly have anything of comparable value to say, so they hold court.

And, for some, it is merely a way to beat somebody up without using one’s fists. When some bullies discover they can’t get away with physically assaulting folks, they do so verbally, stoking a perverse satisfaction in silencing and intimidating others. What’s more, studies show women are much more likely to suffer interruptions than men, reflecting the sexism pervasive in our culture and the mansplaining it generates. For some interrupters, it’s all about establishing dominance hierarchies.

How should one react? I learned one of the best responses from a former mentor. In the middle of him making a point, I interrupted. He just kept calmly speaking as if it wasn’t happening, which prompted me to stop and recognize my

misdeed. So, one option involves continuing your statement as if you aren’t being verbally trampled on, but without the “shout over them” pyrotechnics. This sends the message that you expect to be heard and won’t accommodate the interrupter’s rude behavior. It’s also a statement about your personal power and self-respect.

For another, you can simply discontinue the conversation altogether because, in reality, you aren’t actually having one. Just tell the interrupter you’ll be happy to resume the interaction when they are prepared to listen. That takes some mettle but can be effective with certain folks. Granted, this does not work well with those who become overly defensive when given respectful feedback, so choose these battles carefully.

Social scientists point out the easiest way to get people to dislike you is to not listen and frequently interrupt. This fact seems lost on many. Bottom line? We can’t control those who interrupt us, but we can choose not to play their ill-mannered game.

Philip Chard is a psychotherapist and author with a focus on lasting behavior change, emotional healing and adaptation to health challenges. For more, visit philipchard.com.

MONEY CAUSES MATRIMONY CONUNDRUM

DEAR RUTHIE,

I’m supposed to marry my fiancé in 3 weeks. Last week he told me about his incredible debt. He has more than $100,000 in bills, has collection agencies calling (which he hid from me all this time) and owes back pay on a loan.

Due to the nature of his debt, much of it will become my problem, too, once we legally marry. I love him and want the rainbow-themed wedding we planned but this is all too much. Should I call off the wedding? Not sure I’m up to this HELP!

Runaway Groom

DEAR RUNAWAY,

Yikes! Sorry to hear, sugar. I wish you two would have discussed finances before wedding plans got this far; and if you did discuss finances, then I’m sorry your guy wasn’t honest with you.

Taking the plunge or canceling the wedding aren’t your only options. I’d consider postponing the wedding instead. Matrimony is a huge step, and it sounds like you might be starting down the aisle on the wrong foot. Explain your fears to your fiancé and suggest postponing things in favor of seeing a financial planner. An expert can help you put together a plan for success so you’ll both feel better about tying the knot.

Ruthie's Social Calendar

AUGUST 2

"RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE LIVE: WERQ THE WORLD TOUR 2023” AT THE RIVERSIDE THEATER (116 W. WISCONSIN AVE.): Asia O’Hara, Daya Betty, Kandy Muse, Lady Camden, Naomi Smalls, Rosé and Mistress Isabelle Brooks hit the stage during what’s being billed as the world’s largest drag production. While the lineup is subject to change, a jaw-dropping show is sure to be had. Get tickets at www.pabsttheatergroup.com.

AUGUST 3

2023 LGBTQ+ PROGRESS AWARDS AT SAINT KATE ARTS HOTEL (139 E. KILBOURN AVE.): Join me and County District Supervisor Peter Burgelis as we honor the movers and shakers in the local LGBTQ+ community. The delightful gala includes a friendly 5 p.m. cocktail hour and incomparable dinner. Help us thank those making a difference in our city by ordering tickets at www.shepherdexpress.com.

AUGUST 5

MADACC FUNDRAISER AT WOODY’S (1579 S. SECOND ST.): Save Milwaukee’s animals with this change-of-pace event. One dollar from every drink purchased goes to Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, and sales from the incredible raffle also help save the puppies and kitties. I’ll see you at the 8 p.m. drag show, but the fun begins at 7 p.m.

AUGUST 10

VIEWING OF “CAMP WANNAKIKI” SEASON 5 FINALE AT THIS IS IT

(418 E. WELLS ST.): The locally-produced drag reality competition crowns its winner and dishes out $10,000. I’ll be there alongside my cousins the Sugarbaker Twins and Milwaukee contestant Jaclyn Jill. The show airs at 8 p.m. but arrive early for a good seat.

AUGUST 14

"PINK: SUMMER CARNIVAL 2023” AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD (1 BREWERS WAY): Considered one of the country’s top concert entertainers, Pink promises yet another phenomenal, memory-making experience with this colorful tour. Featuring special guest Pat Benatar, the night starts at 6:30 p.m. Swing by www.ticketmaster.com for more.

AUGUST 25-27

2023 GAY CAMPING FRIENDS MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETUP AT CAMPIT OUTDOOR RESORT (6635 118TH AVE., FENNVILLE, MI): Located just minutes from Saugatuck, this popular haven offers up all the camping fun you’re looking for. Learn what Campit has to offer while you mix and mingle with likeminded campers. Just be sure to reserve a spot at www.campitresort.com.

AUGUST 26

MISS CLUB WISCONSIN AT FIVE NIGHTCLUB (5 APPLEGATE CT., MADISON): One of the bigger pageants in the state, Miss Club kicks off at 8 p.m., honoring the current Miss Club, Nia Chanel Sidora-Sanchez. The glamorous evening involves a $10 cover charge, but tables can be reserved by reaching out to blbreeze14@gmail.com.

AUGUST 30

KATYA MEET & GREET AT THIS IS IT (418 E. WELLS ST.): Kiki with Trixie Mattel’s bestie, Katya during this 8 p.m. meet and greet! Tickets to meet Katya and take a photo can be found at www.eventbrite.com and include passes to the 18+ drag show later that night.

Lula Reams: An Unsung Black Milwaukee Activist Quietly Advanced Local Women’s Equality

BY PAUL MASTERSON

Born in rural Tennessee, at age 10 Lula Reams moved with her sharecropper family to Racine, Wis., to the anticipated “land of milk and honey,” as she described it. The move did not quite live up to expectations. It was the 1950s and while Reams had grown up in the difficult, overtly racist and segregated world of the South, she experienced a similar, yet subtler, racism in the North. However, despite all, Reams was able to pursue her education and, as importantly, to write a chapter of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ history.

Her realization of a feeling of difference, of something missing, came at a later date, after she married. When she decided to embrace her difference, she had been married for 19 years. In her 2007 oral history interview for the Milwaukee LGBT History Project (available on the UW-Milwaukee Libraries website) she said, “When I came out one of things my husband said to me was ‘you’re not a lesbian. There are only white women who are lesbians.’”

Reams volunteered at the Counseling Center of Milwaukee and that lead to “more learning,” as she would phrase it, adding “My exposure to lesbianism there was through support groups for women who were married and seeking a lesbian lifestyle.” The impact was a positive one.

LESBIANS OF COLOR

Continuing the story, Reams explains, “Some of us decided to get divorced others stayed married. We met for six to eight weeks to determine what direction to go. I was the only Black woman in the group. Another woman suggested we might do something for Black lesbians.” It was then she would conceive her brainchild, an organization known as “Lesbians of Color” (LOC). With co-founder Sarah Ford, Reams’ innovative idea would mark a historic moment for both her and the Milwaukee community she had embraced.

“The timing was great for me because I had ended a 19-year marriage. There were no ‘strictly women’ bars but there was a beer garden that had a ladies night. No other bars did,” Reams said.

At first, gatherings were held at Reams’ home. “People came, six to eight people. That whet my appetite to formulate something to meet on a regular basis,” Reams relates. Those first meetings were potlucks followed by music and dancing. There was the Annual Martin Luther King Potluck, held before MLK Jr. Day was an official holiday. LOC quickly outgrew Reams’ home, and a suggestion was made to hold events at the Lake Park Pavilion. According to Reams, an entrance fee covered the cost of the venue’s rental and a DJ, so, as she adds, “we could control the music, Black music that women felt comfortable dancing to.” LOC events were planned among the leadership and announced by word of mouth, and everybody came.

Lesbians of Color co-founders Lula Reams (Right) and Sarah Ford (Left)

Photo courtesy of Paul Masterson.

Initially, the organization was conceived to be attractive to lesbians of color. But, Reams found, white people were supportive as well. Some women did not want to limit the group to lesbian members only and wanted to open to all Lesbians and women of color. Activities now included a book club that met at a member’s home to discuss works of interest to women, “There was also a baseball team, Word got out and we had enough women to play in the city league one season,” Reams tells … and they did.

SIGNIFICANT ROLE

Over the next decade, LOC continued to play a significant role in Milwaukee’s LGBTQ community and, especially in the struggle for women’s equality. It provided a social bridge for lesbians of color and the greater lesbian community. Reams would leave the group to focus on her studies to become a psychologist. She remained active in the community; however, serving for a time on during the 1980’s on Cream City Foundation’s board of directors.

Reflecting on LOC’s role at the time, Reams said, “The organization filled a need. But times changed and it faded away. I think it made a significant impact on both white and Black communities. Word went out and white friends attended. We did activities together. Some ladies had white partners. There were interracial friendships, a few were long term.”

Reams does regret not having incorporated LOC and become a 501C3 organization, if only to have official files to document its decade of history. Still, she reflects how greatly the LOC era influenced her life and Milwaukee’s

greater lesbian community, saying, “It was one of the most enjoyable pleasant experiences. I was living life, coming out and meeting fantastic people. Everywhere I sought help, people were kind in giving me direction. It was an opportunity to come out and celebrate out in the open. The dances especially allowed us the awesome experience to be out and express affection with others. For many of us we never had that before.”

Paul Masterson is an LGBTQ activist and writer and has served on the boards of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, Milwaukee Pride, GAMMA and other organizations.

From The City That Always Sweeps

From The City That Always Sweeps

From The City That Always Sweeps

BY ART KUMBALEK

I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, here we be, praise the lord or whomever, in the holiday-less month of August named after some kind of Roman emperor a good couple thousand years ago, one of those guys that when you see a photo of his statue, looks like the dude is wearing a skirt, I kid you not.

Perhaps the pantaloon had not been discovered back in the BCs, but had it been, and Augie rather chose the ancient-trans look, I say you go “they,” you rule an empire, what the fock.

So yeah, we got what they call the Dog Days this month—or diēs caniculārēs as they said in the ancient land of fair Latinia before it sank to the bottom of the sea, I’ve heard. August, a month chock-packed with 31 days of dwindling summertime. Yes sir, it’s those days this time of year “marked by dull lack of progress,” as was my schoolboy study of Latin so marked, back at Our Lady In Pain Because You Kids Are

Going Straight To hell But Not Soon Enough,

you betcha.

And speaking of our canine friends/ freeloaders, I’ve discovered that there’s an updated calculation to what constitutes a “dog year” in time compared to the lordly human trip around the sun. Now, those-in-the-know speculate that “each human year would be approximately five years for a dog.” Jeez louise.

I can only imagine that equation would also apply to a “dog day,” in that the master’s day of 24 hours-times-five would equate to a nifty 400-hour day for Fido. And with that amount of time on their paws, you’d think and hope that “man’s best friend” could dream

up something more constructive to do rather than yap at the rubber Garfield chew-toy that rolled under the living-room couch (Arf! Stay back, tall bi-ped! That squeakie is all mine! Arf!) or lap up their own barf after chowing down half-a-load from the focking cat’s litter box.

Alas, species evolution is a slow, slow process, not unlike a Department of Justice investigation into the fascistic bullshit scams and schemes of an ex-“president.”

And speaking of alien life, here’s a story courtesy of cnn.com/. Headline:

He said visitors to our fair planet from outer space could be “nomads, looking to conquer and colonize.” Conquer and colonize? Yikes! And I agree—not just “conquer and colonize,” but how ’bout these technologically advanced aliens might hail from a resource-depleted corner of a solar system and so they’re out looking for new nutrient food sources.

Alien-like

message sent to Earth in a test to prepare for the real thing

Yes sir, good to be prepared, aye, captain. The first paragraph to the story is this:

What would happen if aliens contacted us? It’s a longstanding question that now has at least a partial answer, after a transmission designed to mimic correspondence from an extraterrestrial civilization made its way to Earth from Mars.

Whoa, Nellie. Is this not too late, given all the recent hoopla surrounding sightings and visitations of UFOs, UAPs, HMOs, ELOs, Ei Ei Ei Os?

About this, I got to tell you’s that I re member a TV show a while back on the Discovery Channel where the eminent rocket-scientist Stephen Hawking—a brainiac bon vivant whose résumé includes every goddamn thing with the exception of a guest spot on “Dancing With the Stars”—declared that intelli gent life from other cosmos could be, well, dangerous, what the fock.

Could we, the sapien de la Homo race of human beings, become the chickens who be sliced, diced, chopped, seasoned and fried to be served on a fastfood sandwich to 12-foot aliens who sport bald, large-cranium brains the size of elite university-library globes of the planet Earth?

You betcha, we can. And all I can say is it’s time to be no longer simply Native Americans, Native Mexicans, Africans, Euro-focking-peans, Muslimites, native blah-blah and blah-blah. Time to be Native Earthlings ’cause those alien extraterrestrials from the planet You Are Focked Up the Ass, Earthling Losers may be due any day now the way this year 2023 has been proceeding, and the first thing they want to do is reach up and tear our livers right clean out of our assholes, besides screw our

Photo by ALLVISIONN/Getty Images.