Tosa historic buildings proposed as public open space
A pair of historic buildings in Wauwatosa would be converted into public open space, featuring portions of their red brick walls and newly planted trees, as part of Mandel Group Inc.'s plan to develop nearly 200 apartments near the site.
The buildings are on the County Grounds, east of Highway 45 and south of Swan Blvd., and are among four buildings designed by noted architect Alexander Eschweiler.One of the other Eschweiler buildings would be demolished.
Friday Morning Music
It's the start of August. And the start of the weekend.
Time for a cool tune from The Stones covered by Social Distortion...
The Garden Chronicles
I have a suspicion that the Tosa Food Pantry is going to be the beneficiary of some surplus garden produce this week. It has been a busy harvest so far.
Broccoli, pole beans, cabbages,cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, beets and spinach.
This small world
I've been working up north, conducting surveys about eating out, and it's been a long week. Someone asked what I look forward to when I get home, and it's eating simple food I make myself, in my own kitchen. That and walking the dog on the County Grounds.
Best of all is preparing food from the Saturday farmer's market and sharing it with friends. The dog is immune to the pleasures of fresh vegetables.
On Taverns
In Sunday's Journal-Sentinel there was an article on Milwaukee's corner bars, and how they're "drying up." I'd like to respond to that with a couple thoughts.
As one of those "younger people" who wouldn't normally stop at a corner tap, this doesn't mean that I haven't. This has actually been a topic of conversation amongst friends - corner bars are great and often more convenient and cheaper than going downtown, etc. But here's the thing about the corner pubs: they are often very unfriendly!
Friday Morning Music
It's the start of the weekend! Nothing better than beginning it with three beautiful ladies with beautiful voices...
Random Musings and Idle Chit Chat
Last Saturday I was rearranging the dirty dishes that my pal Lawyer had loaded into the dishwasher. Everyone knows that you cannot just lay your plates in the bottom rack so that they all lay against one another. Plates that are laid cattywumpus are not going to be clean after the wash cycle.
So I lined them-up in an upright, orderly and tidy fashion. After which Lawyer informed me:
The Old Drews Building - In With the New
When I am in or near the building at 7505 Harwood Ave., I often wonder "what would Hilbert and June think about this?"
Hilbert and June Drews were the owners of Drews' V&S Variety Store, which used to take up that entire big building in the heart of the Tosa Village. Actually, Hilbert passed earlier this year. They had owned and operated I believe up to 20-some dime stores in the Milwaukee area at certain points, the Tosa Village location being the last to close (although the family still owns a hardware store in Port Washington, Drews' True Value).
Not gossip, but what do elected officials owe us?
When asked why Tosan Sue Black, Parks Director, was summarily fired, County Executive Chris Abele retorted "I don't owe you gossip."
Of course not. Gossip is a disservice to everyone.
Summer Bummer
After the number of hours I’ve spent sitting in Starbucks this summer, feeling the warmth of any sun would be a relief. Unfortunately, though, I’m still stuck inside reading The Warmth of Other Suns as required summer reading for school.
Out in the "Country"
When we moved over to the west side of Tosa earlier this year, from over yonder out east, we knew it would be a bit of a culture shock, per se. Many people have referred to our new neighborhood as "out in the country," "the boonies," etc. My response is usually "you call being in walking distance of Highway 100 being 'out in the country?'"
The thing that has indeed taken the most getting used to has been not having sidewalks. In general, the west side of Wauwatosa is not very pedestrian-friendly. This is not to say that the folks living out here are not friendly to pedestrians; it is the streets themselves. No sidewalks, no crosswalks, sometimes if you're lucky you'll get a walk signal at a stoplight.
Further adventures in riding the bus
As I read the death dates tatooed on the beautiful brown skin of the woman sitting next to me, I wonder whether her heart rests a little easier for having them there, a reminder for everyone to see.
The bus stops and a small, pale old man wrestles his walker aboard. He wears a Filippino shirt with suspenders underneath so as not to interfere with the smooth and casual lines. The walker sports an Amnesty International bumper sticker, and the man sports a button proclaiming "I stand with the sisters." I'm pretty sure it's the nuns on the bus, the religious women defending themselves in their own church, he stands with, and I smile. He winks back.
New charter schools planned for area get start-up grants
Eleven new public charter schools in the works for the Milwaukee area - eight in the city and three in the greater metropolitan area - are slated to receive about $2.4 million in federal start-up planning grants this year, according to information released Monday from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Planning grants were awarded to a total of 24 new charter schools starting up statewide, and that money is part of a total pot of $16.1 million in federal charter school grants that will support the initial or ongoing activities of 84 charter schools in Wisconsin this school year, according to the DPI.
Idaho peaches, oh my!
They say Wisconsin has two seasons: winter and road construction. But the Wisconsin I live in has two, and my favorite is farmer's market season. So while my friend Tom writes of the gustatory and comardely pleasures of the pursuit of the finned, feathered, and furry flesh, I must write of pursuit of the fruit.
Idaho peaches. I could stop right there, but you know me.
Walleyes and Northerns and Bears, Oh My!
8/26/12
I first became acquainted with my pal Lawyer more than two and a half decades ago when we were neighbors on 71st Street. He's an OK guy for a lawyer. And not a middling lawyer either. I was issued a speeding citation a few years ago and...Voilà! He turned it into a faulty right turn signal.
Friday Morning Fish
No trip to Canada would be complete unless it involved fishing.
With our bear tags filled it was time to wet a line.
