Shepherd Express - November 2023

NOVEMBER 2023

Twenty Twenty Years Years Ago Ago this this Month Month the the Milwaukee Milwaukee International International Film Film Festival Festival was was Born Born

IN THIS ISSUE:

HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE PAGE 22

SPONSORED BY

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PAGE 64

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NEWS 06 An Insider’s Guide to the CRT Debate in Wisconsin 09 This Modern World

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10 The Only Thing That Matters about Biden’s Age — Taking Liberties 12 Ranked-Choice Voting — Issue of the Month 14 JoAnna Bautch Builds Strength on the South Side through Community Engagement — Hero of the Month 16 Lynnea Katz-Petted, CEO of Revitalize Milwaukee — MKE SPEAKS: Conversations with Milwaukeeans

GENERAL MANAGER: Kevin Gardner (ext. 3825) MANAGING EDITOR: David Luhrssen (ext. 3804) BUSINESS MANAGER: Peggy (ext. 3832) ASSISTANT TO THE BUSINESS MANAGER: Tanya Bielinski (ext. 3808)

FOOD & DRINK 18 Cheese Curd Couscous — Flash in the Pan 20 Thanksgiving Chaos and Pinot Gris from Alsace — Beverages

SPECIAL SECTION

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Louis Fortis (ext. 3802)

22 Holiday Arts Guide, SPONSORED BY November-December 2023 47 'No Sweat' Thanksgiving Dining Guide — Holiday Dining 50 Best of Milwaukee Finalists

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Bridgette Ard (ext. 3811) Julee Mitchell (ext. 3831) Tyler R. Klein (ext. 3815) SALES MANAGER: Jackie Butzler (ext. 3814) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Chuck Hill (ext. 3822) IN MEMORY OF DUSTI FERGUSON (OCTOBER 18, 1971 – NOVEMBER 20, 2007) WEBMASTER: Barry Houlehen (ext. 3807)

64 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

STAFF WRITER & CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: Blaine Schultz (ext. 3813)

72 Buy Local First this Year — Small Business Saturday

INTERN: Sabrina Rosler

74 Hosting For the Holidays — Pets

Layout and design by WaterStreet Creative.

SPONSORED BY

CULTURE 76 Twenty Years Ago this Month the Milwaukee International Film Festival was Born

50 AT SHEPHERD EXPRESS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPONSIBLE PRACTICES. OUR PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON PAPER THAT IS CERTIFIED BY THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC), SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE (SFI), AND THE AMERICAN TREE FARM SYSTEM (ASTFS), ENSURING IT COMES FROM RESPONSIBLY MANAGED FORESTS. IN ADDITION TO OUR ECO-FRIENDLY PAPER, WE UTILIZE INKS THAT INCORPORATE RENEWABLE RESOURCES SUCH AS SOYBEAN OIL, LINSEED OIL, CASTOR OIL, TALL OIL ROSIN, AND GUM ROSIN. THESE CHOICES REFLECT OUR DEDICATION TO REDUCING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND PROMOTING A GREENER FUTURE. MOREOVER, OUR DEDICATION TO SUSTAINABILITY EXTENDS TO THE END OF THE PUBLICATION'S LIFECYCLE. OUR PRINTED MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED TO BE RECYCLABLE, ALLOWING READERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND PLAY A PART IN PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

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80 This Month in Milwaukee

LIFESTYLE 82 Arguing Politics at the Holiday Dinner Table? — Ask Ally 84 The “ism” We Tolerate — Out of my Mind

HEAR ME OUT

SPONSORED BY

86 Move Out & Move On — Dear Ruthie 88 Welcome to the Wimar Republic — My LGBTQ POV

ART FOR ART'S SAKE 90 From the City that Always Sweeps

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COVER: Illustration by Tim Czerniakowski.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 5

NEWS

An Insider’s Guide to the CRT Debate in Wisconsin

BY MARIA DOUGLAS

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ince 2021, terms like Critical Race Theory (CRT), banning books, parent’s rights and school choice have swirled through the media, school board meetings and community conversations. It’s seemingly a culture war, but many remain unsure as to the origins of this coordinated movement and its implications.

A great place to start is to distinguish between CRT and critically educating about race and racism in U.S. history.

CRT is a theoretical framework that was developed in the 1980s by legal scholars that helps us understand how societal structures perpetuate racial inequality and injustice, and how they are integrated into some of our laws and policy.

It creates a framework to consider racism systemically, not just as individuals mistreating one other.

CRT does not attribute racism to people of any race, but rather emphasizes how U.S. social and governmental institutions such as the healthcare system, education system, labor practices and others propel and support racial disparities. Opposition to CRT is a regressive agenda supported by conservative leaning communities and rightwing politicians, highlighting an underlying, collective fear of raising awareness about structural inequality and racism.

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This awareness implicates many of our collective societal practices and points to things that require change in our government to have a more fair and just society. It is part of a larger plan of prioritizing individuals over community, shielding those with conservative values from the discomfort of hard truths and to distract, incite societal fractioning across, race, gender and ethnicity.

WHY IS THINKING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT? The ability for students to identify and think critically about reliable sources of information to inform personal decisions is vital to their education. Learning how to develop a worldview equips students to thrive in our increasingly global society. When students are taught to consider racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities it helps them contextualize their observations such as understanding why people of color are far more likely to be incarcerated, have a lower life expectancy, experience poverty, among other sobering statistics. Removing study of a complete history and prohibiting honest conversations around race and society removes truth and reality from education. It also erases the history of many students as they and their heritage are not represented with intellectual integrity

Illustration by melitas/Getty Images.

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NEWS

The furor over CRT is having an impact. More than half of U.S. states have passed measures prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory in schools or government employee trainings. According to the National Urban League’s 2023 “State of Black America Report, over 567 laws have been introduced across the U.S. to suppress access to school libraries, censor and censure educators, and rewrite American history. This idea is skyrocketing on Fox News and in Republican-run state legislatures, leading to these bans.

To date many Wisconsinites are unclear if CRT is taught in our K-12 classrooms. According to Wisconsin State School Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jill Underly, the answer is no. She states that students are taught about race and racism. “To do anything else would be a blatant disregard for the truth of our country’s history and an erasure of the lived experience of our students. Teaching about race and racism is the only way to teach the complete story of the United States.”

EVERS VETOES GOP BILL In February of this year, Governor and former Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools, Tony Evers, vetoed a Republican bill that would have prohibited Wisconsin public schools from educating students and employees about concepts associated with CRT such as: critical self-reflection, social emotional learning (SEL), diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), cultural awareness, cultural relevance, patriarchy, marginalized/minoritized/under-represented, land acknowledgement, multiculturalism, racial justice, anti-racism, microaggressions, diversity training, educational justice, intersectionality and implicit/explicit bias.

The Wisconsin Public Educators Network (WPEN), the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and other Wisconsin education leaders strongly opposed the proposed bill. Evers rationale was his opposition to “creating new censorship rules that restrict schools and educators from teaching honest, complete facts about important historical topics like the Civil War and civil rights.”

Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) has led the charge in nonpartisan organizing for Wisconsin public schools. WPEN supports educators and community members with their advocacy, by empowering through education and sharing talking points. Christian Phelps, director of digital organizing and communications states, “WPEN is firmly in favor of a full diverse, robust, and representative curricula and diverse leaders. Black, indigenous and individuals from other marginalized groups deserve to see themselves represented in curricula and learn about themselves in history.”

He describes it as an effort to shut down strong, equitable public education. He sees Act 10 as a huge affront to the professionalism of educators and part of the movement to cripple Wisconsin public education. “When you ask people what they think of their kids’ teachers, or their neighbors who are teachers, they generally love them as individuals.”

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PUNISHING MPS? With regard to Milwaukee Public Schools, Phelps reported that, “It isn’t terribly unusual for MPS to be singled out.

It is the largest school district, a majority minority school district, and resides in the most diverse city in Wisconsin which boasts the widest racial disparities. It’s important to be aware of why they are being singled out with regard to legislation.”

The Moms of Liberty have risen as a major driving force behind anti-CRT, book banning, anti-masking and school voucher efforts both in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Their slogan, “We do not co-parent with the government” speaks to their belief of the government enforcing a liberal agenda on students and the restriction of parental rights. In Wisconsin, the Moms of Liberty are represented in 12 counties, including Milwaukee County. Moms of Liberty did not respond to requests for an interview.

This July, first grade teacher Melissa Tempel was fired after expressing disagreement with Waukesha School District after prohibiting her first graders from singing “Rainbowland.” School officials claimed the duet by Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus was controversial in light of school policy. Tempel, who insists she would not have done anything differently has since been hired by MPS and advocates for gender inclusivity.

Earlier this month, an MPS teacher, Angela Harris, of Martin Luther King Jr. School, sought legal action after an anti-CRT political ad used a portion of a Tik Tok video she posted without her consent. This current television advertisement was sponsored by Good to Kids, led by David Langdon of Langdon Law. In 2015 Politico cited Langdon as a funnel of “dark money” for far-right causes. Harris insists the clip was taken out of context and misrepresents her values as well as the values of the African American immersion school she teaches at.

In the words of State Superintendent Jill Underly, “I believe we have no other choice but to teach about it and learn from it if we want to protect the strength of our state and nation. Teaching about race and racism is essential, it is culturally relevant, it is good teaching, and saying otherwise is not only problematic, it’s racist.” WPEN’s Christian Phelps encourages Wisconsinites to “not be distracted by efforts to take our eyes of the ball.” He urges community members and advocates to support Wisconsin public school education by attending school board meetings, standing against school vouchers and book banning, supporting our public school educators, dispelling the anti-CRT agenda in conversations and on social media with facts, voting in elections and corresponding with school and elected officials.

Maria Ahmad Douglas is a Wisconsin-based nonpartisan political trailblazer. She urges community members to become informed on local and national issues, advocate for those who are underrepresented, vote and ask five others to make a plan to vote.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 9

NEWS TAKING LIBERTIES

The Only Thing That Matters about Biden’s Age

BY JOEL MCNALLY

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s a journalist, here’s what bothers me about the news media continuing to produce story after story, headline after headline, about the fact that President Biden will be the oldest president in history if he’s reelected next year.

The same is true of Donald Trump. Trump, the prohibitive favorite to be Biden’s Republican opponent, is only three years younger. Trump would also be the oldest president in history.

Since there’s so little difference in age between the two candidates, why do the stories always focus on Biden? Trump is not only old, he’s also a raving maniac. His randomly capitalized and punctuated threats with multiple exclamation points vowing to exterminate all his enemies read like ransom notes from a deranged terrorist.

THE FRAUDULENT RIGHTWING NARRATIVE BEGAN BEFORE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE, BUT IT CRANKED UP TO 11 WHEN HE BEGAN REPAIRING TRUMP’S DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA. Some analysts describe the continuing stories about Biden’s age as the media equivalent of the shocking Hillary Clinton email scandal. It’s a lame attempt to say something negative – anything – about a Democrat to balance all the negative stories Trump produces on a daily basis.

LIES, CORRUPTION Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign produced a non-stop series of stories about Trump’s constant stream of provable lies, openly racist appeals to white supremacists, corrupt business practices and his long history of sexually abusing women topped off with obscene boasts he could get away with grabbing the genitals of women any time he wanted.

Despite decades of rightwing attacks on the news media for liberal bias—or because of them—many news organizations were desperate to find something negative to say about Clinton to prove they were non-partisan. Sadly, they couldn’t find any vile acts by Clinton that even came close, so they went with the worst they had.

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Unbelievably, it was what server Hillary used to send her emails. But that was all Trump needed. Somehow an accomplished political demagogue like Trump can transform any boring nonstory into the Crime of the Century. Trump was suddenly leading chants by his crazed supporters all over the country to lock up Clinton for felonious emailing.

VICIOUS DISINFORMATION But the most disturbing part about the current flood of media stories by professional news organizations about Biden’s age is the subtext suggesting he might not be up to the job. That’s clearly driven by the vicious age-related lies about Biden from Trump, Fox News and the entire rightwing disinformation network.

That fraudulent rightwing narrative began before Biden took office, but it cranked up to 11 when he began repairing Trump’s destruction of America. It was a cruel cartoon caricature of Biden as a brain-dead, doddering old fool who doesn’t realize he lives in the White House or understand what the words in his speeches mean.

Never mind that Biden refutes Trump’s words every time he speaks publicly to respond to the continuing attacks on America from Trump and his MAGA extremists and the challenges to war and peace around the world right now that require strong, competent presidential leadership.

MEANING OF DEMOCRACY It’s the Republican party that no longer appears to understand the meaning of democracy or free and fair elections.

Nominating their defeated Republican president again isn’t going to prevent U.S. courts in the coming year under our Constitution from holding Trump accountable for attempting to overthrow Biden’s election by the American people.

The only similarity between Biden, who supports democracy, and Trump, who doesn’t, is they both have remarkable genes. It’s true many men their age wouldn’t consider running for the job of president. It’s also true only one of them, Biden, is fit to be president, but that has nothing to do with age. Trump was never fit to be president and the nation is still paying the price.

Here’s the only thing that matters about Biden’s age. It’s not whether he walks stiffly approaching the podium and when he walks away. Neither is it his lifelong stutter that occasionally causes him to misplace a word.

BIDEN HAS HAD A REMARKABLY PRODUCTIVE FIRST TERM AS PRESIDENT RECOVERING IN RECORD TIME MILLIONS OF JOBS LOST THROUGH TRUMP’S MISHANDLING OF THE PANDEMIC AND CONTINUING ROBUST JOB GROWTH, RAISING WAGES AND REDUCING INFLATION WHILE PREVENTING A RECESSION.

It’s that Biden has had a remarkably productive first term as president recovering in record time millions of jobs lost through Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic and continuing robust job growth, raising wages and reducing inflation while preventing a recession. Any president with such a successful first term would deserve a second.

Even more important is everything Biden is fighting for over the vehement opposition of Trump and Republicans—voting rights, reproductive rights for women to control their own lives, outlawing the sale of military assault weapons used in mass murders and protecting the planet from catastrophic climate change.

Biden will continue to be what he’s always promised, a bridge to younger generations of progressive Democrats who will continue the fight to prevent Trump and Republican extremists from destroying American democracy.

In 2024, eight years after Trump’s election, America will still be dealing with the crimes and corruption from his presidency legally and politically. Prosecutors and courts are dealing with the legal part. It’s our job as voters to rid his corruption from our politics.

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. For more McNally, visit shepherdexpress.com.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 11

NEWS ISSUE OF THE MONTH

Ranked-Choice Voting BEWARE OF ‘NO LABELS’ THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES

BY WILLIAM HOLAHAN

Photo by Dragon Claws/Getty Images.

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RANKED CHOICE VOTING (AKA INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING)

he perilous 2024 election is still a year away but is already shaping up as a reprise of Biden versus Trump, a prospect that has encouraged third-party efforts to arise to spare the nation such a re-run. Despite Joe Biden's numerous economic and foreign policy successes, polls of likely voters have his approval rating underwater. Presumably, this is because of his age and because the media finds it easier and more lucrative to report the criminal problems of Donald Trump than the legislative accomplishments of the Biden Administration.

Ranked-choice Voting (RCV) would assure majority rule in state elections of electors, even when Third Party candidates take part in the contests. The RCV ballot provides spaces for the voters to rank their provisional choices of candidates in the order of their preference. The ballot permits voters to vote for their preferred candidate and, at the same time, vote provisionally for other contestants should their first choice not win.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is now the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican party. Since Republican primaries are determined by plurality rule, not majority rule, and state party delegates are distributed on a winner-takeall basis, the dilution of the non-Trump vote among several candidates guarantees that Trump can win with just a slim percentage: 35% will do it for him as it did in 2016. National polls have him losing the general election popular vote, but running neck and neck with Biden in the Electoral College.

Trump could benefit from third party candidates taking enough votes in key states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that may be sufficient to swing the election to Trump, just as in 2016.

After the polls close computers would tally the first-choice votes. A winner is declared if the top vote-getter has a majority of all cast first-choice votes. If not, a second round of tabulation ensues in which the last-place finisher in the first round is eliminated. In this second round, the ballots which had a first choice for the eliminated candidate are searched for their provisionally ranked choices. That is, their lower-ranked votes are then redistributed to the other candidates. If this second round calculation produces a majority vote getter, that candidate is the winner. If not, additional rounds are conducted in the same way, promoting more provisional votes to first choice votes until a candidate gets a majority.

ENTER "NO LABELS" THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES

If the No Labels candidate is eliminated in this process, subsequent rounds will face off Trump versus Biden in a true test of which the voters prefer without the spoiler effect of third-party candidates. If either Trump or Biden is eliminated, then the No Labels candidate—Manchin in this scenario—would go head-to-head in the next round against the other survivor; winner to be determined by majority rule.

The No Labels coalition claims they are only fulfilling a compelling public service since polls indicate the voters do not want a rerun of Biden versus Trump. According to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), National Chair of No Labels, “... if most of the voters don’t want A or B, we have an obligation to give them C, I mean, for the good of the country.”

No Labels is the best financed and publicized of the third-party efforts and so far is likely to promote the presidential ambitions of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin together with his probable running-mate former, Utah governor John Huntsman, a ticket with relative youth and the appearance of bipartisanship.

But recall the fundamental rule: third party candidates will take votes from those with whom they are most closely aligned. Recent examples of third-party candidates changing the course of history: Ralph Nader in the Bush v.

Gore race in 2000; Jill Stein in three swing states during the Trump v. Clinton race in 2016.

TOO LATE TO IMPLEMENT RCV FOR 2024 True, it is obviously too late to implement rank choice voting for the 2024 election. But the high anxiety over the upcoming election indicates that between now and November 2024 will be an excellent time for a continuance of explanation of how RCV would calm our angst by assuring majority rule.

It is clear that certain institutional arrangements, including the Electoral College, two senators for each state regardless of population, gerrymandering, voter suppression, are all impediments to representative government. Reform will take time and diligence in each case. Rank choice voting should be added to the list.

William Holahan is emeritus professor and former chair of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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NOVEMBER 2023 | 13

NEWS HERO OF THE MONTH

JoAnna Bautch Builds Strength on the South Side through Community Engagement BY

BY ERIN ERIN BLOODGOOD BLOODGOOD

Photo by Erin Bloodgood.

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oAnna Bautch grew up on Milwaukee’s South Side and knows the neighborhoods Burnham Park, Silver City and Layton Park intricately. Now the executive director of VIA Community Development Corporation (VIA CDC), she serves the people of the neighborhoods she has always called home.

At a young age, she started her path toward community building and saw the power that work could create.

When she was 19 years old, Bautch’s sister took her to a conference that trained women who were interested in running for elected office.

“I learned how the issues we face as women, women of color, and queer people intersect, and how the intersection of our problems is what really brings us together,” said Bautch.

That led to her first job as a community organizer, which opened her eyes to many of the unique challenges her community faces. “I realized how challenging it was for folks to get family supporting jobs, how college seemed inaccessible to people from my neighborhood, and that a lot of folks didn't have access to good, quality health care.”

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Her passion quickly turned to civic engagement and a goal of getting more of her community to the polls. “When our communities are civically engaged, that impacts the resources we get.”

After years of work in electoral nonprofits—and a run for state legislature—she found her way to VIA CDC where she gets to work directly with her own neighborhood. The organization has three main focuses: economic development working with small businesses, housing support, and community connections alongside civic engagement.

Through economic development, the organization helps businesses navigate resources and connects them to community events. Under their housing sector, they support renters and homeowners through trainings, legal support, and home improvement grants. In their Turnkey program, they renovate foreclosed homes and build new homes in collaboration with the City of Milwaukee to provide affordable starter houses to new home buyers under market value.

Lastly, with community connections they build stronger relationships between neighbors and help people understand the public policies that impact their lives. “We believe that if our neighbors can know each other, that is a form of community safety,” said Bautch.

INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT Since Bautch has led the organization starting in March of 2022, she has worked to grow the civic engagement programming. Her experience in prior jobs showed her that Latinos are one of the lowest voting constituencies in the state—and she wants to change that.

She has seen firsthand the barriers in front of her community that make it harder to vote. Political mailers, for instance, often are not translated into Spanish – directly excluding people who do not speak English as their primary language.

Many Latinos are also undocumented or face challenges obtaining a voting ID. But Bautch has seen that when teaching folks how policies and city budgets truly affect them, and what candidates are doing for their communities, they want to become engaged with the process.

Bautch and VIA CDC are creating real change and community ownership that is building strength among their southside neighbors. “I think if we talk more to each other and can understand one another, we can really see changes in our neighborhoods, our community, and in our city.”

Learn more about VIA Community Development Corporation at www.viacdc.org.

Erin Bloodgood is a Milwaukee photographer and storyteller.

See more of her work on her website at bloodgoodfoto.com.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 15

NEWS MKE SPEAKS: CONVERSATIONS WITH MILWAUKEEANS

LYNNEA KATZ-PETTED, MIDDLE, WITH HER 2 HOUSE CAPTAINS Photo by Tom Jenz.

LYNNEA KATZ-PETTED, CEO OF REVITALIZE MILWAUKEE HELPING STABILIZE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH FREE HOME REPAIRS.

BY TOM JENZ

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any elderly low-income Milwaukee homeowners are unable to afford needed repairs. Enter the nonprofit Revitalize Milwaukee, whose mission is to preserve neighborhoods by providing free home repairs to low-income homeowners including veterans, seniors and the disabled. Since 2005, Revitalize Milwaukee has completed critical home repairs on about 4,000 homes with the help of 12,000 volunteers. It has invested over $24 million into Milwaukee-area housing.

This amazing organization was begun and vitalized by one woman, 52-yearold Lynnea Katz-Petted, and it took her 18 years. What’s even more remarkable is her annual blitz-repair program called Block Build MKE. On Saturday, Aug.19, 18 homes in the working-class Muskego Way neighborhood were remodeled for free, courtesy of Revitalize Milwaukee and their corporate sponsors. On that one day, 650 volunteers worked on 18 homes, rebuilding porches, doing bathroom conversions, 16 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

updating kitchens and more. August 19 marked the 19th annual Block Build event made possible by sponsorships from 45 different companies.

On that sunny Saturday, I ventured into the busy Muskego Way community and tracked down CEO Lynnea Katz-Petted. She was frequently on her walkie-talkie but took some time to chat with me. Behind her, people prepared box lunches for the army of workers.

She told me she was born in Calgary, Canada, and raised in Vancouver in a two-parent family. When she was nine years old, she had her first of three heart surgeries. When she was 16, her parents moved into public housing and then divorced. It wasn’t long before she moved out and rented her own place. To support herself at 16, Lynnea worked nights full-time at a drug store and attended high school in the mornings. It proved a difficult transition, but she persevered.

As a young adult, you held various jobs. Tell me about those experiences and how they helped develop your career path and how you ended up in Milwaukee.

In Vancouver, I eventually started working at consumer banks and later in the financial consulting business. I even got my license to sell stocks and made a living as a stockbroker. I did that job for eight years inside and outside the bank. I learned how to write RFPs, requests for proposals, in other words, grants. I started working for the Public Administration Service who moved me to Washington D.C. I stayed with that company for three years. Then, I met my husband. He was from Milwaukee, and we moved here in 1999.

As I understand, you started out in Milwaukee with a job at U.S. Bank.

A few years later, you went to work for the 501(c)3 nonprofit Revitalize Milwaukee. Why did you leave the private sector?

At U.S. Bank, I headed up their Performance, Improvement, and Training division for nine states. The day the 9/11 tragedy happened, I was in Lexington, Kentucky leading a conference. All the state governors were staying in our hotel. It was crazy because I felt like we might be the next ones killed because all the governors were confined to one place. The Secret Service had sharpshooters on the roof. That experience was a revelation. I decided to move on and do something more meaningful.

Is that when you went to work for Revitalize Milwaukee?

No, not yet. I took a couple years off and finished my degree at Alverno College. My husband and I built a nice house in Franklin on two acres, and we had a comfortable lifestyle. A friend told me about a small nonprofit called Rebuilding Together, which was to eventually become Revitalize Milwaukee. In 2005 I started out part-time, running the organization.

I was the only employee, the executive director, and we had a $40,000 budget all funded by the Potawatomi Foundation. Working 40-plus hours a week, it seemed like my work was never done, and I also realized I didn’t know how to work part-time. I began expanding the organization.

You had spent your career in the private sector. Did you like working in the nonprofit sector?

The first few years were challenging.

For instance, I had a hard time with Milwaukee’s racism problem because I came from a place that was not racist.

Also, the area nonprofits are kind of incestuous. Lots of competition between organizations. Very political. In the first three years, I thought about quitting a dozen times. I think we remodeled about seven homes the first year, and we did that project in one day. My goal was to double that amount of remodeled homes. When I compared my beautiful home with those old rundown homes, I burst into tears, thinking “Why me and why them?” But I found the homeowners to be pretty resilient.

Through the years, I was writing grants, and raising money to expand the amount of homes we remodeled.

Revitalize Milwaukee’s stated mission, and I am reading from your website, is “to reduce social, economic, and environmental disparities by providing free home repairs throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. We are the largest provider of home repairs to eligible homeowners in Southeast Wisconsin and the only one that provides them for free.” I’m thinking, “how can you afford this free service?” How is Revitalize Milwaukee funded? Who are the main contributors?

Up until 2022, we were mostly privately funded by local foundations, corporations and individual gifts. The Zilber Foundation was a large contributor. We also received $40,000 from the city. Eventually, HUD, the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development also funded us. Currently, our sponsors also include Bader Philanthropies, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Bradley Foundation and many more.

I believe that you employ roughly 18 City of Milwaukee licensed and insured minority contractors on a yearly basis, and that you pay sustainable wages. Are these people outside contractors or your full-time employees?

I have 15 paid staff employees and managers who do office and programming work. They are not in the trades and doing the hands-on work. The workers who do the actual repairs are paid outside contractors who are licensed by the city. We also train young people interested in pursuing a future in the trades. We also have a lot of volunteers. So far this year, we’ve completed 250 houses. Our goal is 600 houses all over the county, and I think we will get there. We currently operate on an annual budget of over $12 million dollars.

Let’s say I own a small home and can barely make my monthly mortgage payments. I’m in need of a lot of repairs. How do I go about qualifying to get help from Revitalize Milwaukee?

Most of the applicants call us, but we do have the application form on our website. Many are living in situations not fit for humans, but they own their homes and are not leaving. The guidelines are that you must be 60 or older, or disabled at any age, or a veteran or in a family who has a veteran. Our average homeowner makes $14,000 annually. We evaluate each person on an individual basis.

What is Block Build and how does Block Build work to help residents in need of home repairs?

Block Build MKE is our signature program. Since our inception, we’ve been doing the work on homes on one block all in one day. In 2016 we changed to the Block Build model. The day before, Prep Day, we have all the building materials delivered including pods, dumpsters and porta-potties—thousands of dollars-worth of materials.

The pods are placed in front of each house for the workers to easily access. On this one day, we fix porches, bathrooms, ramps, windows, electrical, plumbing, subfloors, landscaping and garbage cleanup.

I found this recent quote from you, “One of the things I say a lot in the office is: ‘We always have to do the human thing. Our whole goal is to help people stay in their homes and make sure they can have a good quality of life.’” Can you expand on your philosophy?

The homeowners we help have lived in Milwaukee a long time. I feel there is a lack of dignity given to elders in our community, and it bothers me. No one wants to be poor or have cancer or live in a home in need of repair.

But so many of our clients are resilient. I am helping them not out of pity but out of love. They need to know they are not alone.

Tom Jenz writes and photographs Central City Stories for shepherdexpress.com.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 17

FOOD & DRINK FLASH IN THE PAN

CHEESE CURD COUSCOUS

Cheese Curd Couscous

BY ARI LEVAUX

A “

lways drink your best beer,” says my buddy Chad Harder. “That way you will always be drinking your best beer.”

This mantra is as close to religion as Harder may ever get. And its wisdom is available to all, including non-beer drinkers like myself, whose fridge is not teeming with different types of beer to choose from every time I get thirsty.

But as a wine drinker I have faced similar calculations deciding which bottle to drink, and Chad’s algo takes all of the stress and guesswork out of that ordeal. Don’t over think it. Drink your best stuff. Always. That’s it. The same logic applies to most other foodstuffs.

And elsewhere in life. You can take it as far as you wish.

No matter where you apply it, in the kitchen, dining room, or any other stage, you should go for that crème de la crème. That way you always will be enjoying nothing but the crème.

A restaurant doesn’t have this luxury.

In that insane business, success often hinges on using food before it rots.

Which means doing the exact opposite of Harder Principle. Which is to say, always eat your worst produce first, and you will always be eating your worst produce. Yum! Supermarkets face a similar pressure.

But at home, we’ve no need to eat our worst food first. We can and should focus on the absolute best of the fridge. If that means some other produce goes south, so be it. If you can recover it in some fashion, such as 18 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

by putting carrots, celery, onions and other suitable vegetables into stock, or baking those wrinkled cherries that got pushed aside by the golden raspberries. And with dairy products, including you guessed it, cream.

I know this because all last week I had both whole milk and heavy cream in the fridge. Which do you think I put in my coffee? That’s right, folks. Always drink your best cream. That gallon of milk ended up in a cooler when we took a trip by the river. The clock was ticking on that poor gallon of milk, and everything else in the cooler for that matter.

My old milk made it through the night and was fine in my morning coffee.

After breakfast I heated the milk and added the juice of a lemon I’d brought with me. The acid curdled the milk.

I added salt to the curds in order to preserve them, and strained them in a dish rag, and then twisted the rag to squeeze out the water. This process is the first step in making most types of cheese. I took the salted curds home and crumbled it upon a batch of couscous that I made with the vegetables I had on hand: purple bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and zucchini. Since my cheese was so salty, I made that batch of couscous salt-free. In the recipe below I don’t salt the cheese, out of an abundance of caution. I find it easier to add more salt, if necessary, than to remove it if I’ve added too much.

So, that is the recipe I’ll be leaving you with. Along with a reminder to drink your best beer. Always.

Photo by Ari LeVaux.

The lemony cheese makes a lovely complement to the vegetables and couscous.

Serves 4 • 1 gallon milk • 2 lemons, juiced and zested • 1 pound large-grained couscous • 1 clove garlic • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, pierced with a fork • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 purple bell pepper, sliced into spears • 1 zucchini, sliced into rounds In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the milk on medium, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding.

When it starts to foam, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. The milk should instantly separate into curds and whey.

Lay some cheesecloth over the colander and pour the curdled milk through it. Save the whey.

Tie the corners of cheesecloth together and hang the ball of curds to drain.

Put the whey in a pot and add the couscous, and heat on medium. Add the garlic, tomatoes, butter and oil, mix it well and let it cook until nearly all of the whey is absorbed. Add the pepper and zucchini, mix them in, and cook for five minutes, covered. Crumble the cheese on top and cover again. Turn off the heat and let it rest for ten minutes. Then serve.

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

NOVEMBER 2023 | 19

FOOD & DRINK BEVERAGES

Thanksgiving Chaos and Pinot Gris from Alsace

BY GAETANO MARANGELLI

We’ve been here before. We’ve talked about this.

We know Thanksgiving dinner is culinary chaos.

Turkey, Tofurky, or possibly ham, served with dishes of stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes or yams, Brussels sprouts, mashed or baked Idaho, russet, or Yukon Gold potatoes, cranberry sauce, and butternut, acorn or pumpkin squash.

Savory next to sweet next to fatty next to sour next to buttery next to bitter next to creamy next to tart. A dinner you could serve in five separate courses.

We like our Thanksgiving dinner with all its dishes on a table before us. And we like servings from its dishes all on our Thanksgiving plates. We’ve asked before which wine could bring harmony to our Thanksgiving chaos of American flavors. And the answers are Beaujolais-Villages and Cru Beaujolais. But what if you’d also like white wine with your Thanksgiving dinner?

The answer is pinot gris from the wine region of Alsace in the northeast of France. Which isn’t like pinot grigio from the Alto Adige and Friuli regions in the northeast regions of Italy.

Yes, pinot gris and pinot grigio are the same grape. But, no, pinot gris doesn’t taste like pinot grigio. The terroirs—the earth and climate where the grapes grow — make pinot gris a world apart from pinot grigio. Where the character of pinot grigio is light and bright, that of pinot gris is rich but with minerality and acidity. Where the primary aromas and flavors of pinot grigio are citrusy, those of pinot gris are stone and tropical as well as citrus fruits. Which is the kind of character and quality of fruit which makes pinot gris ideal company for the panoply of flavors of Thanksgiving dinner.

On the east side of Alsace is the Rhine River. On the west side are the Vosges Mountains. The vineyards of Alsace are primarily along the foothills of the Vosges, where there’s a great variety of soils, including those of granite, limestone, sandstone, clay, loam, loess, and volcanic ash. The wine growing villages of the region create a geographical ribbon up the foothills of the Vosges, with the Haut-Rhin vineyards to the south and the Bas-Rhin vineyards to the north. Alsace also has vineyards on its plains, where the soils are alluvial. This geological complexity contributes to the distinctive richness of character, and quality of Alsace pinot gris. The region’s climate is also ideal for growing wine grapes, with little but sufficient rainfall, lots of sunshine, warm summers and long, dry autumns.

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FR ANCE WINE GROWING VILLAGES ALSACE REGION

Like the reds of Beaujolais-Villages and Cru Beaujolais, pinot gris from Alsace is a perfect foil for the culinary chaos of Thanksgiving. They’ll play along nicely with all of the foods on your Thanksgiving plate. They’ll make your Thanksgiving dinner taste even better.

WHICH PINOT GRIS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER? The challenge of serving pinot gris from Alsace with your Thanksgiving dinner is locating pinot gris from Alsace at your local wine shops. These two wines offer the kind of quality worthy of your Thanksgiving table and appear at independent, local wine shops.

Domaine Barmes-Buecher, Rosenberg, Pinot Gris, 2019, about $30 (farmed biodynamically): The Rosenberg vineyard is in the Wettolsheim appellation in the Haut-Rihn of the Vosges Mountains. Its clay, limestone, and sandstone soils make for this ripe, round, and elegant wine.

Laurent Bannwarth, Obermorschwihr, Pinot Gris, “Nature,” 2019, about $31 (farmed biodynamically): Made from the loess, loam, and limestone soils of the Obermorschwihr vineyards in the Haut-Rihn. An irresistibly charming gourmandise. Unfined and unfiltered, with no added sulfur.

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.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 21

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HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023

Skylight Music Theatre’s ‘School of Rock’

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

I

“ t’s about how much fun confidence building can be—and how unwitting, unlikely heroes exist in our midst,” says Artistic Director Michael Unger, describing the meaning of School of Rock.

The musical began as director Richard Linklater’s hilarious 2003 movie, starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a washed-up rock guitarist. At loose ends, he cons his way into a gig as a substitute teacher in a private school.

Although he begins as a poor role model, he starts to recognize the untapped potential of his fourth graders as he drills them for victory in a battle of the bands.

School of Rock caught the ears of Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose adaptation debuted on Broadway in 2015 with a book by “Downton Abbey’s” Julian Fellowes. Since then, it’s caught the attention of producers and audiences across the U.S.

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Photo courtesy of Skylight Music Theatre.

“Dewey is a selfish, self-absorbed slacker of a guy who learns he has the power to inspire,” Unger says. “Each kid he influences is transformed by him.”

Skylight’s cast of kids are all Milwaukee grown and the musicians among them will play their instruments live on stage.

Unable to find just the right boy pianist for the School of Rock band, whose Broadway productions featured three boys and one girl musician, Unger received permission for a “gender switch.”

In Skylight’s School of Rock, the band consists of two boys and two girls.

Does School of Rock represent counterprogramming during the holiday season? Unger answers that he’d love to direct Christmas Carol, but the Rep occupies the spot. “I’m happy to do family friendly counterprogramming that involves a lot of kids,” he continues.

Cast members will be at the door holding baskets, collecting exit donations from theatergoers for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Milwaukee.

Skylight Music Theatre will perform School of Rock, Nov. 17-Dec. 30 at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway.

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 23

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53212 PRESENTS

APERI ANIMAM

CAPITAL CITY THEATRE, MADISON

53212presents.org

aperianimam.com

capitalcitytheatre.org

5 POINTS ART GALLERY

ARTS @ LARGE

It’s a Wonderful Life, Dec. 8-10

5ptsartgallery.com

artsatlargeinc.org

ACACIA THEATRE COMPANY

BACH CHAMBER CHOIR

acaciatheatre.com

bachchoirmilwaukee.com

ACACIA THEATRE COMPANY

BAY VIEW GALLERY NIGHT bvgn.org BEL CANTO CHORUS belcanto.org Carols and The Christmas Story, Dec. 8-10 (St. Joseph Basilica) BLACK ARTS MKE blackartsmke.org

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Nov. 10-Dec. 3 The period comedy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon is fast becoming a holiday favorite. In Christmas at Pemberley, Mary Bennet, a character in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, grows tired of her role as the bookish middle sister and hopes that an unexpected guest will spark romance and adventure. (David Luhrssen) THE ALICE WILDS thealicewilds.com ALL IN PRODUCTIONS

carrollplayers.weebly.com CARTHAGE COLLEGE THEATRE carthage.edu/fine-arts CATEY OTT DANCE COLLECTIVE cateyott.com CEDARBURG ART MUSEUM cedarburgartmuseum A Decade of Collection Acquisitions, through Jan. 14 CEDARBURG CULTURAL CENTER

BLACK HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

cedarburgculturalcenter.org

abhmuseum.org

Bluebird Café, Nov. 1

BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Little Show, Dec. 2-Jan. 14

boernerbotanicalgardens.org

In Rehearsal: Shannon Nettesheim Klein and Ben Yela. Photo by Alexandria Eggert. Courtesy Acacia Theatre Company.

CARROLL PLAYERS

BOMBSHELL THEATRE CO.

CEDARBURG PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

bombshelltheatre.org

cedarburgpac.com

BOULEVARD THEATER

MSO Holiday Concert, Dec. 7

milwaukeeboulevardtheatre.com

A Rockapella Christmas, Dec. 16

THE BOX THEATRE CO.

CHANT CLAIRE CHAMBER CHOIR

boxtheatre.co.org

chantclaire.org

Elf the Musical, Dec. 1-17

St. Sava Christmas Concert, Dec. 2

BRONZEVILLE ARTS ENSEMBLE facebook.com/ BronzevilleArtsEnsemble BROOM STREET THEATRE, MADISON bstonline.org CABARET MILWAUKEE facebook.com/cabmke

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral is a unique structure in Milwaukee, its interior covered in Byzantine mosaics.

The setting is conducive to spiritual reflection, ideal for the 70-strong Chant Claire’s performance with the Stevan Sijack Choir of St. Sava.

(David Luhrssen) 10th Anniversary Winter Concert, Dec. 16 (St. Joseph Chapel)

allin-mke.com ALL SAINTS CATHEDRAL ascathedral.org

CHANT CLAIRE

ALVERNO ART & CULTURES GALLERY Connections: Alverno Alumnae Exhibit, Oct. 13-Nov. 3 AMERICAN PLAYERS THEATRE (APT) americanplayers.org Photo by Donna Miller Photography. Courtesy of Chant Claire.

24 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 25

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BALTIMORE CONSORT

Photo courtesy of Early Music Now.

CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM

COVERED BRIDGE ART STUDIO TOUR

EX FABULA

charlesallis.org

cedarburgartistsguild.com

exfabula.org

Talk Back Chapter One: Estate, through Jan. 7

DANCECIRCUS

StorySlam: Oops, I Did It Again, Nov. 2 (Turning Tables Tavern)

CHAZEN MUSEUM OF ART (UW-MADISON)

DANCEWORKS PERFORMANCE MKE

chazen.wisc.edu

dancecircus.org

danceworksmke.org

Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection, through Dec. 23

DAVID BARNETT GALLERY

Art of Enterprise: Israhel van Meckenem’s 15th Century Print Workshop, Dec. 18-March 24

facebook.com/Dead-Mans-Carnival

CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN choralartsonline.org

davidbarnettgallery.com DEAD MAN’S CARNIVAL

EARLY MUSIC NOW earlymusicnow.org Benjamin Bagby, Beowulf, Nov. 4 (Irish Culture & Heritage Center)

Lessons and Carols, Dec. 2 (First Presbyterian Church, Racine)

Baltimore Consort, Wassail, Wassail!

Music of the Yuletide Season, Dec. 2-3, St. Joseph Chapel

THE CONSTRUCTIVISTS

The Baltimore Consort focuses on instrumental music from Shakespeare’s time. For their holiday concert, the Consort will come armed with lute, cittern (an ancestor of the lute), viols, crumhorns (an early double reed instrument), recorders, rebec (an early violin) and percussion as they perform carols and dance numbers from the British Isles and beyond. (David Luhrssen)

theconstructivists.org CONCORD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA concordorchestra.org CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY cuw.edu

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The Experience: It’s a Match, Nov. 29 (North Ave. Market) StorySlam: Good Music, Dec. 19 (Arts@Large) A forum for storytellers, Ex Fabula has also worked to serve individuals with disabilities. In 2016, the organization started The Equal Access Project, which included free workshops, venue accessibility assessments, training for volunteers and the creation of Braille materials. In 2018, they launched the Deaf Stories Project. And in 2020, the organization began offering free payit-forward tickets to their Story Slam events and workshops to remove cost barriers for all community members.

(Morton Shlabotnik) FALLS PATIO PLAYERS fallspatioplayers.com Christmas Carol, Dec. 1-3

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 27

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FESTIVAL CITY SYMPHONY

FLORENTINE OPERA

GROHMANN MUSEUM

festivalcitysymphony.org

florentineopera.org

msoe.edu/grohmann-museum

Beyond Words: Harmonious Symphonic Poems, Nov. 18 (Bradley Symphony Center)

Holiday Caroling at the Fireplace, Dec. 12 (Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts)

When he emerged, the Soviet government hailed Dmitri Shostakovich as the first illustrious child of the revolution; he received commissions from the regime to international acclaim.

But soon enough he fell afoul of Stalin, who had particular ideas about art, and was forced to tread cautiously, even after the dictator’s death, for the rest of his life. Shostakovich’s October is exemplary of his subtle defiance and headlines a program featuring 19th century Russian composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin.

(David Luhrssen)

Holiday Carols and Classics, Dec. 14 (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church)

FINE ARTS QUARTET fineartsquartet.com FIRST STAGE firststage.org

FORTE THEATRE COMPANY fortetheatrecompany.org FORWARD THEATER, MADISON forwardtheater.com Clyde’s, Nov. 2-19 FOUR SEASONS THEATRE, MADISON fourseasonstheatre.com All is Calm, Dec. 7-17 FRANKLY MUSIC franklymusic.org The Journey Home, Dec. 2 (Milwaukee Youth Arts Center) The Miró Quartet returns to Milwaukee for the Frankly Music series. Frank Almond remarked that he leaves their program up to them; his only input is sharing what he already has in mind for the full season. For “The Journey Home,” the quartet will play compositions by Haydn, George Walker, Kevin Puts and Beethoven. (Ken Kapp) FRESCO OPERA THEATRE, MADISON frescoopera.com GALLERY 218 gallery218.com

Graphic courtesy of First Stage.

The Forgotten Girl, through Nov. 12 India Hill Brown’s debut children’s novel, The Forgotten Girl, is a ghost story haunted by America’s past. Iris and her best friend Daniel, playing in the woods on a cold winter night, find the gravestone of a young girl and learn that the burial site is in a segregated cemetery. Adopted by playwright-rapper Idris Goodwin, The Forgotten Girl was commissioned by First Stage in partnership with Seattle Children’s Theatre.

(David Luhrssen)

GALLERY FOOD HALL GALLERY NIGHT AND DAY gallerynightmke.com

Artwork courtesy Grohmann Museum at MSOE.

Mining Gems: Stories from the Collection, through Dec. 17 "Mining Gems will include some ‘new’ paintings from the collections vault, but also highlights some works that have traditionally been on display— with updated interpretations,” says the Grohman’s director James Kieselburg.

“The exhibition is a cross-section of a variety of working themes and scenes.

I chose to feature many of the stories related to the artwork that have been gathered over time, often in correspondence or by meeting relatives of the artists in the collection or those working in industry.” (David Luhrssen) Excavations: Paintings and Drawings

by Michael Newhall, through Dec. 17 GROVE GALLERY gallerygrove.com

GHS DRAMATIC IMPACT gsdwi.org GREEN GALLERY Thegreengallery.biz GREENDALE COMMUNITY THEATRE greendaletheatre.org

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Nov. 24-Dec. 24 28 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 29

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HAGGERTY MUSEUM OF ART

HOVER CRAFT

JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE

marquette.edu/haggerty-museum

hovercraftmke.com

jewishmuseummilwaukee.org

Image in Dispute: Dutch and Flemish Art from the Haggerty Museum of Art’s Collection, through May 12

HYPERLOCAL MKE

Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, through Dec. 31

It was a time of upheaval and religious conflict in the Low Countries with militant Protestants waging war against religious iconography. “As traditions of artmaking came under increasing verbal and physical attack, artists began to innovate, developing new subjects to accommodate changing beliefs and new pictorial modes that rendered conventional themes with gripping emotion and psychological force,” said curator Kirk Nickel of an exhibit featuring some 50 paintings, engravings and etchings from the Haggerty’s collection. (David Luhrssen)

INSPIRATION STUDIOS ART GALLERY

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM harley-davidson.com Mama Tried: Bringing It Together, through January 2025 Mama Tried is an annual invitational for custom motorcycles—from choppers to racing bikes—that draws enthusiasts from around the world to Milwaukee. The H-D Museum’s first major new exhibition since COVID gathers 13 motorcycles, “an eclectic selection of everything and everyone,” says curator David Kreidler. When held in recent years at the Eagles Ballroom, Mama Tried has included as many as 100 motorcycles plus vendors. “We’re not trying to recreate the event but introduce the event,” Kreidler explains.

(David Luhrssen) Off-Road Harley-Davidson, continuing Building a Milwaukee Icon: HD’s Juneau Ave. Factory, continuing Tsunami Motorcycle Display, continuing H. F. JOHNSON GALLERY OF ART carthage.edu/art-gallery Ages and Ages, through Nov. 17 Senior Exhibitions, Dec. 1-9

hyperlocalmke.com

inspirationstudiosgallery.com Oh, the Things You Can Think!

(Broadway Bound Kids, Nov. 18) Gabriel Sanchez Exhibit, November The Hildegarde Show, November IRISH CULTURAL AND HERITAGE CENTER ichc.net David Francy, Nov. 18 Cassie & Maggie, Dec. 2 Nova Scotia’s long been a hotbed of Celtic music, with Scottish influenced fiery fiddles, step dancing and a distinctive piano sound. Out of this come sisters Cassie and Maggie MacDonald like a fresh breeze off the North Atlantic, with a guitar-fiddle-vocals sound steeped not only in the Nova Scotia tradition but also with many flairs of American country music and other contemporary influences. (Barry Houlehen) Ashley Davis Band, Dec. 8 The High 48s, Dec. 15 Chloe Agnew, Dec. 20 JAMES MAY GALLERY jamesmaygallery.com Peace of Wild Things: Mark Thompson, Clare Doveton, Debbie Kupinsky & Craig Clifford, November JAZZ GALLERY CENTER FOR THE ARTS jazzgallerycenterforarts.org

Women have long been associated with weaving and textiles in many cultures. “Pulling at the Threads” examines how contemporary textile artists have used their medium to reflect on social and political issues. “The museum will add context to the exhibit through educational and community programs.,” says curator Molly Dubin.

“The slate of programs includes a presentation of the intersection of race, gender and politics, a look at women’s issues at the U.S.-Mexican border, a deep dive into the missing and murdered indigenous women in the U.S., a ‘Find Your Voice’ tapestry workshop, and many more.” (David Luhrssen) JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER jmkac.org/home.html Asberry Davis: Run Your Own Way, through Jan. 7 Sunny Leerasanthanah: Naturalization, through Jan. 28 Kea Tawans: I Traveled into the Future in a Dream, through Jan. 28 Recent Acquisitions: Mary Jo Schwalback, through Feb. 4 Sharing the Same Breath, through April 21 Rose B. Simpson: Counterculture, through Feb. 25 KETTLE MORAINE SYMPHONY kmsymphony.org Holiday music, Dec. 2 (UWM-Washington County)

Free Improvisation Sessions, Saturday mornings

KOHLER MEMORIAL THEATER

Milwaukee Jazz Institute, Sunday afternoons

KO-THI DANCE COMPANY

kohlerfoundation.org

ko-thi.org LAKE ARTS PROJECT lakeartsproject.com

Beauty Will Save the World, Dec. 1-Jan. 20 30 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

LAKE COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE lakecountryplayhousewi.org A Christmas Carol: Musical, Nov. 25-Dec. 10 LATINO ARTS, INC. latinoartsinc.org Tres Souls, Nov. 3 Day of the Dead Ofrendas, through Nov. 17 Celebrating Our Shared Indigenous Roots, through Nov.17 Grupo Mono Blanco, Dec. 8 LILY PAD GALLERY WEST lilypadgallery.com Into the Night, through Jan. 7 LYNDEN SCULPTURE GARDEN lyndensculpturegarden.org

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MADISON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY THEATRE

mmoca.org

marquette.edu/communication/ theatre-arts.php

MADISON THEATRE GUILD

MASTER SINGERS OF MILWAUKEE

madisontheatreguild.org

mastersingersofmilwaukee.org

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Dec. 8-16

A Timeless Holiday, Nov. 19 (St. Monica’s Church, Whitefish Bay)

MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

MATERIAL STUDIOS + GALLERY

marcuscenter.org B: The Underwater Bubble Show, Nov. 2 To Kill a Mockingbird, Nov. 7-12 (Broadway Series) Yippee Ki Kay: A Die Hard Parody, Nov. 30-Dec. 2

materialstudiosandgallery.com MEMORIES DINNER THEATRE memoriesballroom.com Revival at Possum Kingdom Community Church, Nov. 3-12 A Tuna Christmas, Dec. 8-17 MENOMONEE FALLS SYMPHONY

MARN ART + CULTURE HUB

www.mfso.net

marnarts.org

Winter Concert: Holiday Pops, Dec. 2 MIAD GALLERY AT THE AVE galleryattheave.miad.edu

32 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 33

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THE NUTCRACKER

Sketch by Todd Edward Ivins. Courtesy of Milwaukee Ballet.

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM

MILWAUKEE BALLET

MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATER

mam.org

milwaukeeballet.org

milwaukeechambertheatre.org

Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader, through Jan. 28

The Nutcracker, Dec. 8-26

Liberace, Nov. 15-Dec. 10

Many Milwaukeeans mark their calendar each year for a visit to The Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky’s incomparable score never loses its beauty, but costumes wear out and sets get old. This season, Milwaukee Ballet’s Artistic Director Michael Pink unveils his new interpretation of The Nutcracker with updated choreography and lavish new costumes and sets. (David Luhrssen)

As Liberace, Milwaukee native Brett Ryback, a familiar name Off Broadway, will play the biggest musical star from Milwaukee in the pre-rock era … maybe he’s still the biggest musical star to ever come from Cream City? Written and directed by the Chamber Theater’s Artistic Director Brent Hazelton, Liberace was performed at the Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret in 2014. Shepherd Express critic Harry Cherkinian praised that production for capturing “the heart and spirit and, in particular, the charisma of the man who became ‘Mr. Showmanship.’” (David Luhrssen) MILWAUKEE CHILDREN'S CHOIR milwaukeechildrenschoir.org Feed the Soul: All Choir Concert, Nov. 4 (St. Sebastian Parish)

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Head of an Old Man in a Cap, ca. 1630. Oil on panel. 9 9/16 × 8 in. (24.3 × 20.3 cm).

Kingston, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Gift of Alfred and Isabel Bader, 2003, acc. no. 46-031

34 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MILWAUKEE COMEDY milwaukeecomedy.com

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

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MILWAUKEE FESTIVAL BRASS

MILWAUKEE JAZZ INSTITUTE

MILWAUKEE OPERA THEATRE

mfbrass.org

milwaukeejazzinstitute.org

milwaukeeoperatheatre.org

Holiday Brass, Dec. 9 (St. Sebastian Parish)

Affinity Trio, Nov. 4 (Bar Centro)

Night of the Living Opera, Oct. 28-Nov. 5 (Broadway Theatre Center)

MILWAUKEE FILM mkefilm.org MILWAUKEE FRINGE FESTIVAL mkefringe.com MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN GALLERY

Abigail Riccards Quartet, Nov. 18 (Bar Centro) Jazz Circle Jam Session, Dec. 11 (Jazz Gallery) Big Band Holiday, Dec. 20 (Sharon Lynne Wilson Center) MILWAUKEE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

miad.edu

mjojazz.com

Predecessor: Works from the Layton School of Art, through Dec. 8

Kenosha Jazz Fest, Nov. 10

MILWAUKEE IRISH ARTS milirisharts.wordpres.com

MILWAUKEE MAKERS MARKET milwaukeemakersmarket.com MILWAUKEE MUSAIK milwaukeemusaik.org

36 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

The music for Night of the Living Opera was composed by Andrew Dewey with a libretto by Josh Perkins (of the Angry Young Men puppet troupe) that follows George Romero’s 1968 screenplay with several digressions. MOT veteran Julianne Perkins is credited as cocreator. “My favorite thing was when the composer said, ‘The zombie chorus is a descending minor 3rd,’” says MOT’s Artistic Director Jill Anna Ponasik. “I’ve been really pleased by the way the music features the voice. It doesn’t sound derivative to me. It’s tonal. If I had to put it in a category, I’d say it’s cinematic in its sweeping expressivity.”

(David Luhrssen)

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 37

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

| SPONSORED BY SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents A Christmas Carol in the Pabst Theater November 28 – December 24, 2023 Pictured: Matt Daniels, Jordan Anthony Arredondo, AJ Paramo, Jaelyn Raiford and Todd Denning. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER milwaukeerep.com Nuncrackers, Nov. 3-Jan. 7 (Stackner Cabaret) Dial M for Murder, Nov. 14-Dec. 17 (Quadracci Powerhouse) A Christmas Carol, Nov. 28-Dec. 24 (Pabst Theater) “A Christmas Carol is one of the most beloved stories in the English language,” says the Rep’s Artistic Director Mark Clements, who directs this year’s production of the holiday perennial.

“It’s no wonder its message of love, hope and redemption combined with the artistry and magic of live theater continue to bring audiences together during the holidays year after year.”

(David Luhrssen)

MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MILWAUKEE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

mso.org

myso.org

De Waart Conducts Elgar, Nov. 10-11

Angels and Cathedrals Concert, Nov. 11 (Shattuck Auditorium)

Edo de Waart, the MSO’s music director laureate, returns this season for two nights. The program spans two centuries of music, including the familiar composition by that most English of composers, Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations. That Romantic work of lofty sentiment is joined with the 20th century minimalism of an American, John Adams’ The Chairman Dances, and a Russian commenting on an Italian, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. South Korean born Joyce Yang, winner of Van Cliburn International Competition at age 19, guest stars on piano. (David Luhrssen) Ruth Reinhardt Returns, Nov. 17-18

38 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Fall Chamber Ensemble Program, Nov. 19 (Milwaukee Youth Arts Center) MILWAUKEE YOUTH THEATRE milwaukeeyouththeatre.org The Snow Queen, Nov. 3-5 (Church in the City) MORNING STAR PRODUCTIONS morningstarproductions.org Mr. Fezziwig’s Feast, December MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART wisconsinart.org Lon Michels: Disrupting Patterns, through Jan. 21 Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 39

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

MOWA | DTN (SAINT KATE-THE ARTS HOTEL)

| SPONSORED BY SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

OUTSKIRTS THEATRE

PRESENT MUSIC

facebook.com/outskirtstheatre

presentmusic.org

Vaughn Larsen: Everything I Could Ever Want, though Jan. 14

OVER OUR HEAD PLAYERS

Simple Songs, Nov. 19 (Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist)

MOWA ON THE LAKE (ST. JOHN’S ON THE LAKE)

Who’s Holiday? Dec. 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29 (Sixth Street Theatre, Racine)

A Year by the Lake, through Dec. 3

overourheadplayers.org

NEXT ACT THEATRE

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, MADISON

nextact.org

overture.org

The Mousetrap, Nov. 22-Dec. 17

Forward Theater, Clyde’s, Nov. 2-19

What a run! Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap opened in London’s West End in 1952 and ran without break until March 2020 when Covid pulled the curtain down. The murder mystery reopened in London a year later but why fly to England when one of Milwaukee’s top theater companies is producing it for the holiday season?

Mary MacDonald Kerr, a prolific actor on Milwaukee stages, directs the production. (David Luhrssen)

Madison Opera, Tosca, Nov. 3-5

NŌ STUDIOS nostudios.com NORTH SHORE ACADEMY OF THE ARTS facebook.com/ northshoreacademyofthearts

Danz Trad, Nov. 4 Craig Ferguson, Nov. 5 Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Brahms, Nov. 10 Kanopy Dance, Nov. 11 Madison Symphony Orchestra, Ken Cowan, Nov. 11 Jim Brickman, Nov. 12 Madison Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Gems, Nov. 17-19 PAINT CEDARBURG: A PLEIN AIR PAINTING EVENT cedarburgpleinair.com

Present Music returns to the Cathedral after a year’s absence with their long-standing Thanksgiving concert.

“Seeing different strands of our community join together in that space has always been a special experience,” says Co-artistic Director Eric Segnitz.

“A featured work, Simple Songs by Aaron Jay Kernis, really epitomizes the theme of this concert— different cultures sharing a common spirituality— with varied text settings from the Book of Psalms, the 12th century abbess Hildegarde von Bingen, the Japanese Zen master Ryokan, and the famous Sufi poet Rumi.” (David Luhrsssen) PROMETHEUS TRIO wcmusic.org Concert, Dec. 4 (Wisconsin Conservatory of Music) MSO violinist Ilison Lovera joins the Trio for this concert. Lovera suggested “Tango Trio” by the Uruguay composer Miguel del Aguila, and Copland’s Vitebsk, which springs from a Jewish folk song in S. Ansky’s play The Dybbuk.

Tisdel said that this is a challenging piece for string players since it involves quarter tones to achieve the Eastern-European atmosphere of the shtetl. Trios by Beethoven and Dvorák fill out the program. (Ken Kapp)

NORTHERN SKY THEATER

PENINSULA PLAYERS

northernskytheater.com

peninsulaplayers.com

OCONOMOWOC ARTS CENTER

PHILOMUSICA QUARTET

oasd.k12.wi.us

philomusicaquartet.com

Once Upon a Mattress, Nov. 10-11, 17-8

PIANOARTS

QUASIMONDO PHYSICAL THEATRE

pianoarts.org

quasimondo.org

Wisconsin Philharmonic, A Royal Christmas, Nov. 30

PORTRAIT SOCIETY GALLERY

RACINE ART MUSEUM

portraitsocietygallery.com

ramart.org

It’s a Wonderful Life, Nov. 25, Dec. 3

Thomas Antell: Empire, Sept. 15-Nov. 11

RAM Showcase: Four Jewelers and the Artists of Color Acquisition Fund, through Jan. 13

Christmas with Line, Nov. 26 Girls Like Us: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Dec. 2 The Nutcracker, Dec. 15-16 OIL GALLERY MILWAUKEE oilmilwaukee.com OPTIMIST THEATRE optimisttheatre.org

40 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Tom Antell is an Ojibwe artist who has lived on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation near Hayward, Wisconsin since 2001. His work deals with issues relating to Native culture both past and present. Antell refers to Ojibwe writer Gerald Vizenor: “Survivance is an active sense of presence, the continuance of native stories, not a mere reaction, or a survivable name. Native survivance stories are renunciations of dominance, tragedy and victimry.”

(Morton Shlabotnik)

Gathering Voices at RAM: 20 Years of Building America’s Largest Contemporary Craft Collection, through Feb. 24 RAM Showcase: Focus on Clay, through May 25 RAM’s First 20 Years: A Visual History of the Art and Architecture, through July 20

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 41

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

| SPONSORED BY SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

RACINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

SUNSET PLAYHOUSE

racinesymphony.org

sunsetplayhouse.com

RACINE THEATRE GUILD

Blithe Spirit, through-Nov. 5

racinetheatre.org

A writer decides to contract the services of a spirit medium in the interest of getting material for his next book.

After the séance, the writer’s very assertive ex-wife begins to haunt him in ways that only an intimate relation can. It’s a very clever idea that could go wrong so many ways, but since this is Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, it’s going to be good. (David Luhrssen)

Seasonal Allergies, through-Nov. 12 Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Dec. 8-17 REAL TINSEL GALLERY realtinsel.com Edging In, through December RENAISSANCE THEATERWORKS

Fairy Godmother’s (Song) Book of Wisdom, Nov. 4

r-t-w.com Witch, through-Nov. 12 Contemporary playwright Jen Silverman draws on Jacobean drama for inspiration for her dark comedy about a devil bargaining for souls. Suzanne Fete directs a cast that includes Marti Gobel, Neil Brookshire, Joe Picchetti, Reese Madigan and James Carrington.

(Morton Shlabotnik)

SEAT OF OUR PANTS READER THEATRE mkereaderstheatre.com SHARON LYNNE WILSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Alice in Wonderland, Nov. 11-12 Seusical Kids, Nov. 18-19 Jayne Taylor Christmas Show, Nov. 25

wilson-center.com

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Nov. 30-Dec. 17

Clarity & Connection, Nov. 3-4

Tenors MKE Holiday, Dec. 5

SACRA NOVA CHORALE

Jessica Vosk, Nov. 10

Dean Martin’s Cool Yule, Dec. 10

sacranovacathedrale.com

Mary Poppins, Nov. 17, 19

A Carpenters Christmas, Dec. 11

SAINT KATE - THE ARTS HOTEL GALLERY

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert, Dec. 8

SUNSTONE STUDIOS

saintkatearts.com Holiday Marketplace, Dec. 10-11 Donna Ruff: Focal Point, through Jan. 14 Erik Benson: A Happy Place, through Jan. 14

Caroling at the Fireplace, Dec. 12

THEATRE GIGANTE

Voctave, Dec. 15

theatregigante.org

Take It Easy: A Tribute to the Eagles, Dec. 16

THEATRICAL TENDENCIES

Big Band Holiday, Dec. 20

Soobin Jeon, through Jan. 14

SHEBOYGAN THEATRE COMPANY

William Lamson, through Jan. 14

stcshows.org A Christmas Carol, Dec. 1-9 SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE skylightmusictheatre.org School of Rock, Nov. 17-Dec. 30 SOUTH MILWAUKEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER southmilwaukeepac.org The Zombies, Nov. 14 Sincerely Sondheim, Nov. 18 I Got Yule Babe, Nov. 30 Mariachi Christmas, Dec. 7

42 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

sunstonestudios.mke

theatricaltendencies.com THIRD AVENUE PLAYHOUSE, STURGEON BAY thirdavenueplayworks.org It’s a Wonderful Life, Dec. 13-31

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 43

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

| SPONSORED BY SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

THRASHER OPERA HOUSE, GREEN LAKE

UW-MILWAUKEE PECK SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

UWM THEATRE/ PECK SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

thrasheroperahouse.com

uwm.edu/arts/events

Barnaby Bright, Nov. 4

Double Reed Day, Nov. 4 (Music Building Recital Hall)

The Moors, Nov. 1-5 (Kenilworth Square East)

Barnaby Bright, an alt-Americana trio offers a unique blend of contemporary influences and a geographical journey that spans from Brooklyn to Nashville to Kansas. Drawing on Nathan Bliss’ Oklahoma roots and his distant relation to Merle Haggard, the band creates a sound that pushes the boundaries of indie folk. Murder ballads such as “Highway 9” and “Castle Rock” seem to reign in the dark and mysterious world of spooky Americana Music while “Just the Same” and “The Hurting Times” expose the romantic underbelly of conversational songwriting. (Blaine Schultz) Matt Schofield, Nov. 10 Damn Tall Buildings, Nov. 11 The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Dec. 9 Fox Cities Swing Band, Dec. 10 The Barefoot Movement, Dec. 15 TORY FOLLIARD GALLERY toryfolliard.com Mark Mulhern: New Paintings, through Nov. 25

First Year Music Theatre Showcase, Nov. 6 (Music Building Recital Hall) Masterworks Concert: “The More Things Change …” Nov. 10-11 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) New Dancemakers 2023, Nov. 15-18 (Mitchell Hall, Studio 254) Premiers of New Music, Nov. 16 (Music Building, Recital Hall) Middle School Honors Band Festival, Nov. 17-19 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) Contemporary Craft Exhibition, Nov. 17-19 (Kenilworth Square East Gallery) UWM Wind Ensemble & Symphony Band, Nov. 18 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) Faculty Violin & Piano Recital, Nov. 18 (Music Building, Recital Hall) UWM Piano Studio Recital, Nov. 20 (Music Building, Recital Hall) Saxophone Studio Recital, Nov. 30 (Music Building, Recital Hall)

Macbeth, Dec. 6-10 (Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre) UWM UNION ART GALLERY agallery@studentinvolvement.uwm.edu Crossing Over 2023, through Nov. 3 Seeds of Culture: The Portraits and Voices of Native American Women, Nov. 16-Dec. 15 UW-WHITEWATER CROSSMAN GALLERY uww.edu UW-WHITEWATER YOUNG AUDITORIUM uww.edu Guys on Ice: The Buddies are Back, Nov. 4 Chuck Owen & ReSurgence, Nov. 8 The Company Men, Nov. 11 Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Nov. 17 Gala Holiday Concert, Dec. 2 Church Basement Ladies: Away in the Basement, Dec. 9

Holiday Show, Nov. 17-Dec. 30

Chamber Wind Ensemble, Dec. 1 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts)

UW-PARKSIDE THEATRE

Opera Scenes Performance, Dec. 2-3 (Music Building, Recital Hall)

VAR GALLERY & STUDIOS

UWM Percussion Ensemble, Dec. 2 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts)

VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM

uwp.edu/the rita/ theatreperformances.cfm Burn: The Musical, Nov. 10-11

University Community Orchestra Concert, Dec. 3 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) University Community Band Concert, Dec. 4 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) BA/BFA Exhibition, Dec. 6-16 (Kenilworth Square East) Popular Music Ensemble, Dec. 6 (Kenilworth Square East, Jan Serr Studio)

44 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Lauren Jelencovich, Dec. 13

vargallery.com

villaterrace.org Tension, through Dec. 24 VILLAGE PLAYHOUSE villageplayhouse.org VOICES FOUND voicesfoundrep.com WALKER'S POINT CENTER FOR THE ARTS wpca-milwaukee.org

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 45

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ARTS GUIDE

| SPONSORED BY SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

WAREHOUSE ART MUSEUM

WEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

WISCONSIN CENTER

wammke.org

nbexcellence.org/ community/westpac.cfm

wisconsincenter.com

Pause/Connect: Photography in the WAM Collection, through Nov. 10

Pat McCurdy, Nov. 3

WISCONSIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

WATER STREET DANCE MILWAUKEE

NBW Players, Clue, Dec. 8-10

wcmusic.org

waterstreetdancemke.com

NBW Band, Dec. 12

WAUKESHA CIVIC THEATRE

The WhiskeyBelles, Dec. 15

waukeshacivictheatre.org Men on Boats, through Nov. 12 (Mainstage) To Step Out on Faith: A RayDar Production, Nov. 16-17 A Christmas Story: The Musical, Dec. 1-17 Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule Babe, Dec. 13-14 Twas the Month Before Christmas, Dec. 20-23 Four Guyz in Dinner Jackets, Dec. 29-31 WEST ALLIS PLAYERS westallisplayers.org WEST BEND THEATRE COMPANY westbendtheatreco.com A Christmas Carol, Dec. 1-3, 8-10 (West Bend Masonic Center)

NBW Choir, Dec. 19 Tenors MKE: A Not So Silent Night, Dec. 20 WILD SPACE DANCE COMPANY wildspacedance.org Choreo Kitchen, Nov. 9 (MARN Art + Culture Hub) This new creative process event dreamed up by the company’s new artistic directors Dan Schuchart and Monica Rodero challenges three local choreographers to create a dance (solo, duet, or trio) inspired by the contents of a mystery box containing bits of music, visual art, literature and oddities. Choreographers open the box a week before the show and are allowed just one rehearsal with their dancers.

Brilliant musician/composer Tim Russell will respond to the same mystery prompts and add live music. The twohour event (6-8 p.m.) will also include music/dance improvisations, and opportunities to savor MARN’s visual art gallery and café/bar. (John Schneder) Choreo Kitchen, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 (UWM Mitchell 254) WINDFALL THEATRE windfalltheatre.com

46 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Monthly Jazz Jam, Nov. 11, Dec. 9 WISCONSIN CRAFT wisconsincraft.org WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE CENTER FOR ARTS AND PERFORMANCE wlc.edu WISCONSIN MUSEUM OF QUILTS & FIBER ART wiquiltmuseum.com Quilts Japan, through Dec. 3 WISCONSIN PHILHARMONIC wisphil.org A Royal Christmas with John McGivern, Nov. 30 (Oconomowoc Arts Center) WOODLAND PATTERN BOOK CENTER woodlandpattern.org Feed Your Soul Fundraiser with Emily Igwike, Nov. 3 Alternating Currents Live, Nov. 5 Formations Series for New & Improvised Music, Nov. 16 Open Mic: Resound Return, Nov. 17 Formations Series for New & Improvised Music, Dec. 21 WUSTUM MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ramart.org

Illustrations and background by Ali Bachmann.

Photo by AlexRaths/Getty Images.

‘No Sweat’ Thanksgiving Dining Guide WHY NOT LET THE PROS DO THE COOKING THIS YEAR?

BY SUSAN HARPT GRIMES

I

f the idea of cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner seems daunting, or maybe the thought of squeezing your whole family into a too tiny dining room sounds claustrophobic, this may be the year to start a new tradition. Dining out on Thanksgiving, or even just re-heating a professionally prepared dinner can save you a lot of time and anguish. Every year it seems that more restaurants offer carry-out and/or dine in meals on Turkey Day. There may be a little pre-planning involved though because most restaurants will require advance reservations for dining in, or pre-orders for pick-up dinners.

Background by TheCrimsonRibbon/Getty Images.

So, if you’re considering sitting back with your feet up to watch the Packers rematch with the Lions this year, check out this sampling of the many area restaurants that will prepare holiday dinners for Thanksgiving. And please, remember these folks are working hard to give you a break. Be kind, tip well and be thankful you’re not the one cooking this year!

NOVEMBER 2023 | 47

SPECIAL HOLIDAY DINING

Photo by AlexRaths/Getty Images.

ALIOTO’S RESTAURANT

THE CAPITAL GRILLE

THE PACKING HOUSE

3041 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa (414) 476-6900

310 W. Wisconsin Ave. (414) 223-0600

900 E. Layton Ave. (414) 483-5054

thecapitalgrille.com

Packinghousemke.com

(Dinner)

(Dinner, Drive-thru Pick-up)

ELDR + RIME

THE PFISTER HOTEL

139 E. Kilbourn Ave. (414) 276-8686

2300 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa (414) 867-9200

424 E. Wisconsin Ave. (414) 273-8222

saintkatearts.com

eldrandrime.com

(Dinner)

(Brunch)

aliotos.net (Dinner) ARIA

thepfisterhotel.com/events (Brunch) SAZ’S

GRAND GENEVA RESORT 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva (262) 249-4788 grandgeneva.com/ thanksgiving-brunch

201 W. Walker St. (414) 256-8765 sazsholiday.purely.it/ sazs-hospitality-group/thanksgiving (Pick-up, Pre-order Dinners)

(Brunch)

SHULLY’S CUISINE & EVENTS

MADER’S RESTAURANT

146 Green Bay Road, Thiensville (262) 242-6633

1041 N. Old World 3rd St. (414) 271-3377 madersrestaurant.com

shullyscuisine.com

(Buffet)

(Pre-ordered Dinners for Pick-up, Delivery)

MASON STREET GRILL

TRE RIVALI

425 E. Mason St. (414) 298-3131

200 N. Broadway St. (414) 291-3971

masonstreetgrill.com

trerivalirestaurant.com

(Dinner)

(Buffet)

OLD TOWN SERBIAN GOURMET RESTAURANT

WARD’S HOUSE OF PRIME

522 W. Lincoln Ave. (414) 672-0206 Oldtownserbian.com

540 E. Mason St. (414) 223-0135 wardshouseofprime.com/thanksgiving (Pre-order Dinners for Pick-up)

(Dinner) 48 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Background by TheCrimsonRibbon/Getty Images.

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50 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ART GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM) MARN Art + Culture Hub Sadler Gallery Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel Var Gallery ART MUSEUM Grohmann Museum Haggerty Museum of Art Milwaukee Art Museum Warehouse Art Museum | WAM ART & CRAFT FAIR/MAKERS MARKET Hovercraft Milwaukee Makers Market Milwaukee Night Market Re: Craft & Relic CHORAL GROUP Bach Chamber Choir Master Singers of Milwaukee Milwaukee Symphony Chorus Sacra Nova Chorale CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE Bach Chamber Choir Milwaukee Musaic Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Philharmonic

COMEDIAN Carly Malison Charlie Berens David Louis Dana Ehrmann

LOCAL TV PERSONALITY Brian Kramp Mark Baden Rob Haswell Ted Perry

COMMUNITY FESTIVAL Bastille Days Bay View Bash Franksville Food Truck Festival & Taco Fest of Racine Lakefront Maifest Gluten-Free Friendly Festival

MILWAUKEE AUTHOR Christopher Chan David Luhrssen John Gurda Wes Manko

ETHNIC FESTIVAL Black Arts Fest German Fest Irish Fest Mexican Fiesta DANCE COMPANY Danceworks, Inc. Milwaukee Ballet Company Warped Studios Water Street Dance ILLUSIONIST / MAGICIAN Glen Gerard Lonesome Bill Walker Luka Live Two Brothers One Mind LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY Don Black Chris Treater Jayx Kenny Perez

MOVIE THEATER Avalon Atmospheric Theater Landmark’s Downer Theatre Marcus Majestic Cinema Oriental Theatre MKE MUSEUM (NON-ART) America’s Black Holocaust Museum Discovery World Harley-Davidson Museum Milwaukee Public Museum MUSIC EDUCATION Be Sound Music Milwaukee Jazz Institute Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Conservatory of Music LAKEFRONT FESTIVAL German Fest Irish Fest Polish Fest Summerfest

NOVEMBER 2023 | 51

SPECIAL BEST OF MILWAUKEE

OUTDOOR MUSIC SERIES Chill on the Hill Franksville Craft Beer Garden Jazz in the Park SoLu Estate Winery RADIO STATION 88Nine Radio Milwaukee WYMS-FM 91.7 WMSE-FM 1130 WISN Jammin’ 98.3 FM STAGE ACTOR Dimonte Henning Matt Daniels Rae Pare Tommy Hahn THEATER COMPANY First Stage Milwaukee Repertory Theater Next Act Theatre Skylight Music Theatre

CITY CONFIDENTIAL LOCAL ACTIVIST Brad Schlaikowski Deisy Espana Peter Burgelis Vaun Mayes LOCAL CHARACTER Charlie Berens Dear Ruthie Isaiah Funderburke Milverine LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR Geoff Hoen Noel Kegel Ryan Laessig Scott Noll LOCAL PODCAST 2 Familiar Podcast Bridge The City Radio Free Galaxy Tell Them You Mean Business

by Hupy and Abraham, S.C. MILWAUKEE ALDERPERSON JoCasta Zamarripa Jonathan Brostoff Marina Dimitrijevic Mark Borkowski MILWAUKEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR Liz Sumner Marcelia Nicholson Peter Burgelis Ryan Clancy MILWAUKEE INFLUENCER Chris Novak DJ Shawna Discover Milwaukee JMatt

52 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

MILWAUKEEAN OF THE YEAR Hazel Jones Ryan Laessig Symphony Swan MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS Artery Ink Funky Fresh Spring Rolls Paw Perfecta Twisted Plants

STATE LEGISLATOR Chris Larson Evan Goyke Robyn Vining Ryan Clancy WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS Artery Ink Flour Girl & Flame For the Love of Drax Front Runner Chiropractic

MOST BELOVED POLITICIAN Peter Burgelis Ron Johnson Tammy Baldwin Tony Evers

LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT

MOST DESPISED POLITICIAN Robin Vos Ron Johnson Tony Evers Bob Donovan

AFRICAN RESTAURANT Alem Ethiopian Village Blue Star Cafe Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant Immy's African Cuisine

MOST TRUSTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL Chris Larson Mandela Barnes Marina Dimitrijevic Tony Evers

BAGEL Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheon Big Apple Bagels Bruegger’s Bagels Ruby’s Bagels

ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING VETERANS Dryhootch Coffeehouse Float Milwaukee Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce

BAR FOOD Camino Crafty Cow Drunken Cobra Pete’s Pub

NON-PROFIT/HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION Courage MKE Ex Fabula Ignite The Spirit- Milwaukee Mattie's Memory PHILANTHROPIST Bader Philanthropies Dan Bader David & Julie Uihlein Katie Heil PLACE TO PICK UP THE SHEPHERD EXPRESS Colectivo Coffee Metro Market Outpost Natural Foods Pick 'n Save PLACE TO WORK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ACLU-Wisconsin Ex Fabula Milwaukee Turners UBUNTU Research & Evaluation PLACE TO WORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE Advanced Ionics Auburn Supply Co. Milwaukee Riverkeeper Urban Ecology Center

BARBECUE Double B's BBQ Restaurant & Timber’s Catering MKE-Style BBQ Heaven's Table BBQ Smoke Shack Speed Queen Bar-B-Q BREAKFAST Blue's Egg Comet Café Ma Fischer’s Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern BRUNCH Blue's Egg Comet Café Honeypie Vocado MKE BUFFET Café India India Garden Lovers Lane Sushi and Seafood Maharaja BURGERS Camino Crafty Cow Kopp's Frozen Custard Oscar's Pub & Grill BURRITO Café Corazón Guanajato Mexican Restaurant Judy’s On North Tavos Signature Cuisine

NOVEMBER 2023 | 53

SPECIAL BEST OF MILWAUKEE

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT Cubanitas McCoco’s Restaurant Mobay Cafe Sabor Tropical

FISH FRY Kegel's Inn Lakefront Brewery Pete’s Pub The Packing House

INDIAN/PAKISTANI RESTAURANT Cafe India India Garden Maharaja Taste of India

CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICAN RESTAURANT Amilinda Chef Paz Restaurant Mara’s Grill Triciclo Peru

FRENCH RESTAURANT Lake Park Bistro Le Reve Pâtisserie & Café Pastiche Bistro North Shore Boulangerie

IRISH RESTAURANT County Clare Irish Inn & Pub McBob’s Pub & Grill Mo's Irish Pub Wauwatosa Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill

FRIED CHEESE CURDS Camino Crafty Cow Lakefront Brewery Pete’s Pub

ITALIAN RESTAURANT Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza SALA - Modern Sicilian Dining Tenuta's Italian Restaurant

FROZEN YOGURT SHOP Daddy Yo’s Frozen Yogurt Hefner’s Frozen Custard Smart Cow Yo Mama!

JAPANESE RESTAURANT Hungry Sumo Kanpai Izakaya KIN by Rice n Roll SUSHI BAR Kyoto

GELATO SHOP Babe’s Ice Cream & Dessert Cold Spoons Gelato Divino Gelato Cafe Ltd Glorioso's Italian Market

JEWISH/KOSHER-STYLE RESTAURANT Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette Benji's Deli Friendship Cafe & Bakery Jake's Deli North

GERMAN RESTAURANT Kegel's Inn Mader's Restaurant Old German Beer Hall The Bavarian Bierhaus

KITCHEN OPEN AFTER 10 P.M. Elsa’s On The Park Oakland Gyros Pete's Pub The Vanguard

GLUTEN-FREE/FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Cafe Manna Cubanitas Lakefront Brewery Maya Ophelia’s

KOREAN RESTAURANT Char'd Maru Korean Bistro Momo Mee Asian Cuisine Stone Bowl Grill

GOURMET RESTAURANT Amilinda Odd Duck Morel Sanford Restaurant

LOUISIANA/SOUTHERN RESTAURANT Belli’s Bistro & Spirits Crawdaddy’s on Greenfield Lowcountry Milwaukee Maxie's

GREEK RESTAURANT Apollo Cafe Cosmos Cafe Gyros West Oakland Gyros

MAC & CHEESE Comet Café Crafty Cow Lakefront Brewery Out & Out Eatery

HOT DOG Martino's Italian Beef and Hot Dogs Sammy's Taste of Chicago The Dogg Haus Vanguard

MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Casablanca Lebnani House Lupi & Iris

HOTEL RESTAURANT ARIA – The Restaurant at Saint Kate Il Cervo Mason Street Grill Tre Rivali

MEXICAN RESTAURANT Botanas Restaurant Café Corazón Guanajato’s Mexican Restaurant Señor Tomas Mexican – Latin Restaurant Tavos Signature Cuisine

CHEAP EATS Conejitos Place Oakland Gyros Ma Fischer’s Martino’s Italian Beef and Hot Dogs CHEF Adam Pawlak Anthony Gallarday Gregory Leon PJ Carini CHICKEN SANDWICH Crafty Cow Heirloom MKE Palomino Bar Pete's Pub CHICKEN WINGS Mangos Café East Mr. Wings Points East Pub TomKen's Bar & Grill CHINESE RESTAURANT Emperor of China Jing’s Momo Mee Asian Cuisine Sze Chuan Restaurant COFFEE SHOP Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. Avenue Coffeehouse Discourse Coffee Stone Creek Coffee DONUTS Cranky Al's Grebe's Bakery Mochinut Supernova Coffee and Doughnuts FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant KIN By Rice N Roll Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza SafeHouse FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT Amilinda Birch Odd Duck ParkSide 23

54 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

ICE CREAM/FROZEN CUSTARD STAND Joy Ice Cream Social Kopp's Frozen Custard Leon's Frozen Custard Purple Door Ice Cream

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MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT Casablanca Damascus Gate Lebnani House Pita Palace NEW RESTAURANT (OPENED IN 2023) Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza Hannah’s Kitchen Catering & Events Heirloom MKE The Edison

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

RIBS Double B's BBQ Restaurant & Timber’s Catering MKE-Style BBQ Junior’s Smoked BBQ Pitch’s Lounge & Restaurant Saz’s State House ROMANTIC RESTAURANT Amilinda Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Lake Park Bistro Milwaukee ChopHouse

TAKEOUT/CURBSIDE PICKUP Café Hollander Hannah’s Kitchen Catering & Events LuLu Café and Bar Ono Kine Grindz TAPAS (SMALL PLATES) La Merenda Movida at Hotel Madrid Odd Duck Story Hill BKC

SANDWICH Benji’s Deli Hannah’s Kitchen Catering & Events LuLu Café and Bar Riley's Sandwich Co.

THAI RESTAURANT Bangkok House Authentic Thai Cuisine EE-Sane Thai-Lao Cuisine Rice N Rol Bistro Sticky Rice Sweet Basil

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Harbor House Lowcountry Milwaukee St. Paul Fish Company

VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Beerline Cafe Cafe Manna Strange Town Twisted Plants

SOUL FOOD Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille Maxie’s Nino’s Southern Sides Sam’s Place

VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Beans & Barley Beerline Cafe Cafe Manna Twisted Plants

PIZZERIA - WOOD-FIRED OVEN Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Flour Girl & Flame Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza Wy’east Pizza

SOUPS Café Zupas Libby Montana Pete's Pub The Soup Market

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT Hué Asian Kitchen Mekong Cafe Pho Saigon Vientiane Noodle Shop

PLACE TO EAT ALONE Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza Oakland Gyros Pete’s Pub Zaffiro’s Pizza

STEAKHOUSE Carnevor Five O'Clock Steakhouse Mo’s A Place For Steaks Rare Steakhouse

WINE LIST Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Mason Street Grill Nonfiction Natural Wines Story Hill BKC

RAMEN Easy Tyger Hungry Sumo Kawa Ramen and Sushi KIN by Rice N Roll

STREET FOOD VENDOR EZ Tiki Flour Girl & Flame Maya Ophelia’s Vocado MKE

LOCALLY OWNED FOOD-RETAIL

RESTAURANT OPEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY Emperor of China India Garden Mason Street Grill Sze Chuan Restaurant

SUB SANDWICH Cheba Hut Cousins Subs Suburpia - Wauwatosa The Chocolate Factory

OUTDOOR DINING Barnacle Bud’s Café Benelux Pier Garden at The Starling The Bridgewater Modern Grill PIZZERIA - DEEP DISH Capri di Nuovo Fixture Pizza Pub Flour Girl & Flame Tomaso’s PIZZERIA - THIN CRUST Balistreri’s Italian-American Ristorate Fixture Pizza Pub Lisa’s Pizzeria Tomaso’s Zaffiro's Pizza & Bar

RESTAURANT SERVICE Amilinda Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant Lakefront Brewery Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW Harbor House Lake Park Bistro Lakefront Brewery The Bridgewater Modern Grill

56 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

ARTISINAL CHEESE Alpinage Cheese Clock Shadow Creamery The Village Cheese Shop West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe

SUPPER CLUB Five O'clock Steakhouse Mo’s A Place For Steaks Schwarz’s Supper Club The Packing House

BACON Becher Meats Bunzel's Meat Market Held’s Meat and Cheese Market Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon Usinger’s Sausage

SUSHI Kanpai Izakaya KIN by Rice N Roll Kyoto Screaming Tuna Milwaukee

BAKERY Aggies Bakery & Cake Shop Bakehouse 23 BB Cakes Bakery Rocket Baby Bakery

TACO BelAir Cantina Café Corazón Paloma Taco and Tequila Tavos Signature Cuisine

BEER SELECTION 1840 Brewing Company Consumer Outlet Beverage Discount Liquor Inc Ray's Wine & Spirits

TEA Urbal Tea HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary Café Rishi Tea & Botanicals Tippecanoe Herbs and Apothecary

BRATWURST Bunzel's Meat Market Karl’s Country Market South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats Usinger's Famous Sausage

GROCERY - ETHNIC El Rey Glorioso’s Italian Market Jerusalem Market Ono Kine Grindz

BUTCHER SHOP Becher Meats Bunzel's Meat Market Ray’s Butcher Shop South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats

GROCERY - GOURMET Frannie’s Market G. Groppi Food Market Glorioso's Italian Market Sendik's Food Market

CHEESE CURDS Clock Shadow Creamery Hill Valley Dairy Inc. West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe Widmer’s Cheese Cellars

GROCERY - ORGANIC Beans & Barley Fresh Thyme Market Good Harvest Market Outpost Natural Foods - Bay View

CHEESE SELECTION Alpinage Cheese Sendik’s Food Market West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe Widmer’s Cheese Cellars

HARD CIDER Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill Cache Cider Lost Valley Cider Co. Pomona Cier Company

ARCHITECT Absolute Home Improvement Dan Beyer Johnsen Schmaling Architects Racinowski Design Studio

CHOCOLATIER Freese's Candy Shoppe Indulgence Chocolatiers Kilwin’s Milwaukee Bayshore Melt Chocolates, Ltd.

HOME COOKING MEAL KITS A to Z Dinners Bunzel’s Meat Market Freshchef Meal Prep The Real Good Life

BASEMENT/REC ROOM REMODELER Design Tech Remodeling Home Path Remodeling LaBonte Construction Refined Renovations

CRAFT BEER Eagle Park Brewing Company Lakefront Brewery OPE! Brewing Co. Vennture Brew Co.

HOT HAM & ROLLS Grebe's Bakery Layton Fruit Market Peter Sciortino Bakery South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats

BATHROOM REMODELER Design Tech Remodeling LaBonte Construction Home Path Remodeling Refined Renovations

CUPCAKES Aggie's Bakery & Cake Shop Bakehouse 23 Classy Girl Cupcakes Cupkate Jen's Sweet Treats

LIQUOR STORE Bert’s Beer & Liquor Consume Outlet Beverage Discount Liquor Inc Ray's Wine & Spirits Siegel’s Liquor

CLOSET DESIGN All About Organization California Closets Closets by Design JJB Home Improvements

DISTILLED SPIRITS Bass Bay Brewhouse Central Standard Crafthouse & Craft Distillery Great Lakes Distillery & Tasting Room Twisted Path Distillery

MEAT SELECTION Becher Meats Bunzel's Meat Market Ray's Butcher Shoppe South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats

FARMERS MARKET Riverwest Farmers Market South Shore Farmers Market Tosa Farmers Market West Allis Farmers Market FROZEN PIZZA Cedar Teeth Flourchild Pizza Palermos Screamin' Sicilian GOURMET POPCORN Goody Gourmets Knights Gourmet Popcorn and Candies Lush Popcorn Pop's Kettle Corn GROCERY - ALL PURPOSE G. Groppi Food Market Outpost Natural Foods - Bay View Sendik's Food Market Woodman's Food Market

SAUSAGE Bunzel’s Meat Market Karl's Country Market (World Famous Sausage) South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats Usinger's™ Famous Sausage, Inc. SAUSAGE SHOP Bunzel's Meat Market Karl's Country Market (World Famous Sausage) South Milwaukee Sausage and Meats West Allis Cheese & Sausage SODA Black Bear Dead Bird Brewing Company Lakefront Brewery Sprecher Brewing Co. TAKE-OUT DELI Bunzel's Meat Market Glorioso's Italian Market Hannah’s Kitchen Catering & Events Ono Kine Grindz

WINE SELECTION Discount Liquor Inc. Nonfiction Natural Wines Ray's Wine & Spirits Waterford Wine & Spirits

HOME IMPROVEMENT

ELECTRICIAN Best Electric Service Brighter Connection Electric Current Electric Roman Electric HOME BUILDER Bielinski Homes JJB Home Improvements LaBonte Construction Stepping Stone Homes HOME REMODELING Design Tech Remodeling JJB Home Improvements Home Path Remodeling LaBonte Construction HVAC Dave Jones Gross Heating & Air Conditioning Roman Electric West Allis Heating & Air Conditioning INTERIOR DESIGN Carpetland USA Graceful Space MKE JJB Home Improvements Refined Interiors

NOVEMBER 2023 | 57

SPECIAL BEST OF MILWAUKEE

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

KITCHEN REMODELER Design Tech Remodeling JJB Home Improvements Home Path Remodeling LaBonte Construction

BOOKSTORE Boswell Book Company Downtown Books Bought & Sold Lion's Tooth Voyageur Book Shop

FLOORING (NON-CARPET) Carpetland Floor Coverings International Hunt’s Flooring Stu’s Flooring

LANDSCAPER/LAWN MAINTENANCE Cream City Landscaping Eco Harmony Landscape & Design Legacy Landscaping M C Green Services

BOUTIQUE CLOTHING Alive and Fine Boho Luxe Boutique Hollyville Omen Subculture Clothing and Accessories

FLORIST 414loral Flowers By Jan Flowers For Dreams Parkway Floral Inc.

PAINTER AJ Painting Contractors Brandon & Sons Painting Colorwheel Painting Perfectionist Painting PLUMBER Bontempo Plumbing & Drain Cleaning Budiac Plumbing Inc. Erspamer Plumbing Roman Electric ROOFER Absolute Home Improvements Allrite Home & Remodeling Formula Home Improvements Semper Fi Roofing & Exteriors WINDOW & SIDING Absolute Home Improvements Allrite Home & Remodeling Formula Home Improvements Home Path Windows and Doors

BOUGHT AND SOLD ANTIQUE STORE Antiques On Pierce BC Modern Clocktower Antiques Spectre Vintage AUTO DEALERSHIP - DOMESTIC Andrew Chevrolet Service Campbell’s Auto Sport Heiser Chevrolet Mike Juneau's Brookfield Buick GMC Millennium Motor Sales

CARPET/FINE RUGS Hunt’s Flooring Shabahang and Sons Persian Carpets Shabahang Rug Gallery, Persian and Oriental Carpets Stu’s Flooring CBD RETAIL SHOP Canni Hemp Co. Kind Oasis Knuckleheads CBD & Vapes Terrasol Dispensary CLOTHING - CHILDREN'S Blackbear Children’s Orchard Creatively Yours Once Upon A Child CLOTHING - MEN'S Beard MKE Jos A. Banks Milworks MODA3 Omen Subculture Clothing & Accessories SayWerd CLOTHING - WOMEN'S Artery Ink Boho Luxe Boutique FIFTH-MAIN Omen Subculture Clothing & Accessories COMIC BOOK STORE Downtown Books Bought & Sold Immortal Toys & Collectables Lion's Tooth Lost World of Wonders

AUTO DEALERSHIP - IMPORT Andrew Toyota Reina International Auto Sommer’s Subaru Schlossmann Honda CIty

EYEWEAR 414 Eyes Eyes on the Lake Metro Eye Milwaukee Eye Care

AUTO DEALERSHIP - PREOWNED Boucher Cadillac of Waukesha Campbell’s Auto Sport Cassandra’s Motorsports David Hobbs Honda Reina International Auto Schlossmann Honda CIty

FASHION ACCESSORIES Beard MKE J. Riley Omen Subculture Clothing & Accessories SHOP

BIKE SHOP South Shore Cyclery The Bikesmiths Truly Spoken Cycles Wheel & Sprocket 58 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

FINE JEWELRY STORE A Trio Jewelry Design Studio MKB Jewelry Rohr Jewelers The Jewelry Center

FURNITURE - NEW Bachman Furniture BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses Colder’s Furniture, Appliances, and Mattresses Steinhafels FURNITURE - RESTORED BC Modern Home Again Ormson Supply Spectre Vintage GARDEN CENTER Bayside Garden Center Kellner Greenhouse Plant Land Stein's Garden & Home GIFT SHOP Angelic Roots Beard MKE Beth Eaton Pottery Fischberger’s Variety Oniomania HARDWARE STORE Ace Hardware-Lisbon Ave Bliffert Hardware Elliott Ace Hardware Menard’s HEAD SHOP Blue on Greenfield Knuckleheads CBD & Vapes Pipe Dreams LLC Smokin Glass Greenfield LIGHTING SHOWROOM BBC Lighting Luce Lighting MATTRESS STORE BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses Brady Street Futons HassleLess Mattress Verlo Mattress MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP House of Harley-Davidson Indian Motorcycle of Metro Milwaukee Reina International Auto Suburban Motors MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE Brass Bell Music Store Cream City Music Korinthian Violins LLC Wade’s Guitar Shop White House of Music

NEW RETAIL STORE (OPENED IN (2023) Bakehouse 23 Blast Radius Ebb & Flow Design Co. Omen Alternative Music and Media To Hell & Back Vintage

ATTRACTION FOR OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS Bear Paw Adventure Park Franksville Craft Beer Garden Harley-Davidson Museum Lakefront Brewery

NOVELTY / VARIETY STORE Beard MKE Fischberger's Variety Immortal Toys and Collectables Winkie’s

AXE THROWING BAR AXE MKE Axe Zone NorthSouth Club West Bend Axe & Escape

PET RETAIL STORE Bark N Scratch Outpost Mac's Pet Depot Barkery Pet Supplies Plus Greenfield Skilos | A Family Pet Store

BAR FOR QUIET CONVERSATION At Random Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge Sugar Maple Tied House

RECORD STORE Acme Records Lilliput Records Omen Alternative Music and Media Rush-Mor Ltd Music & Video

BAR ON A BUDGET Clementines Tavern Redbar The Drunk Uncle The Gig The Newport

SHOE STORE Allen Edmonds Milwaukee Boot Company SayWerd Stan's Fit for Your Feet TOBACCO SHOP Blue Dream Vape & Smoke Knuckleheads CBD & Vapes Metro Cigars Brookfield Uhle Tobacco Company VAPE SHOP Blue Dream Vape & Smoke Blue on Greenfield Knuckleheads CBD & Vapes TerraSol Dispensary VINTAGE/THRIFT STORE Dupree’s Vintage Plume SayWerd Ultratwist Vintage

OUT AND ABOUT ALL-AGES VENUE Bear Paw Adventure Park Cactus Club Franksville Craft Beer Garden X-Ray Arcade ARCADE/GAMING Reunion Restaurant The Garcade Up-Down MKE X-Ray Arcade ART STUDIO/CLASSES (NON-BAR) Angelic Roots Cream City Clay The Art School Vibez Creative Art Space

BAR TO BE SEEN IN La Pina NorthSouth Club The Bar at Saint Kate Tied House Milwaukee BAR TO WATCH SOCCER Moran's Pub Nomad World Pub Pete's Pub The Highbury Pub BAR WITH A PATIO Blackbird Bar Boone & Crockett Fluid Milwaukee SoLu Estate Winery & Meadery BEER GARDEN Franksville Craft Beer Garden Estabrook Beer Garden Kegel’s Inn South Shore Terrace Kitchen & Beer Garden BLOODY MARY Centraal Grande Café & Tappery Matty’s Bar & Grille Sobelman's The Wicked Hop BOWLING ALLEY Bay View Bowl Falcon Bowl Landmark Lanes South Shore Bowl BREWERY TOUR Lakefront Brewery Layman Brewing Miller Brewery Sprecher Brewing Co.

COCKTAIL LOUNGE At Random Bryant's Cocktail Lounge La Pina Tied House Milwaukee COCKTAIL KIT Discount Liquor Foundation Great Lakes Distillery Style Up Group CRAFT BEER SELECTION AT A BAR Burnhearts Matty’s Bar & Grille Sugar Maple The Drunk Uncle DANCE CLUB Bodega LaCage NiteClub Mad Planet Room Seven ESCAPE ROOM 7 Keys 60 To Escape - Milwaukee Escape Rooms Escape the Room Milwaukee City 13 HAPPY HOUR Fluid Milwaukee Franksville Craft Beer Garden Mason Street Grill Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill HOOKAH LOUNGE Casablanca Dream Lab Revel Bar Room Seven HOTEL LOUNGE Kimpton Journeyman Hotel Pufferfish The Bar at Saint Kate The Pfister Hotel IMPORT BEER SELECTION AT A BAR Archie’s Flat Top Café Benelux The Drunk Uncle Von Trier IRISH PUB County Clare Irish Inn & Pub Moran's Pub Mo’s Irish Pub Paddy's Pub JAZZ CLUB Bar Centro Blu Caroline's The Jazz Estate KARAOKE BAR Amped Drunken Cobra Tonic Tavern Walkers Pint NOVEMBER 2023 | 59

SPECIAL BEST OF MILWAUKEE

LIVE MUSIC VENUE Cactus Club Franksville Craft Beer Garden SoLu Estate Winery & Meadery X-Ray Arcade MARGARITA Café Corazón La Pina Tavos Signature Cuisine Tied House Milwaukee MARTINI Blu Elsa's On the Park SALA – Modern Sicilian Dining Tied House Milwaukee MICROBREWERY/TAPROOM Lakefront Brewery Layman Brewing OPE! Brewing Co. Third Space Brewing MILWAUKEE TOUR Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery City Tours MKE Lakefront Brewery Tippecanoe Herbs and Apothecary MOCKTAIL SELECTION Boone and Crockett Kul Mocks HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary Café Tied House NEW BAR (OPENED IN 2023) Camp Karma La Pina Pomona Cider Company Pop PET-FRIENDLY ESTABLISHMENT Bad Moon Saloon Black Husky Brewing OPE! Brewing Co. SoLu Estate Winery & Meadery PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN Bear Paw Adventure Park Franksville Craft Beer Garden Little Sprouts Play Cafe SafeHouse ROCK CLUB Cactus Club Paulie's Pub and Eatery Promises Shank Hall X-Ray Arcade ROMANTIC BAR At Random Blu The Bar at Saint Kate Tied House Milwaukee

60 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

SPORTS BAR Matty’s Bar & Grille Moran's Pub Pete's Pub Points East Pub The Highbury Pub STRIP CLUB Airport Lounge HeartBreakers Rickey’s on State Silk Exotic Milwaukee Gentlemen's Club TRIVIA NIGHT Blackbird Bar Creed’s Foggy Dew Lakefront Brewery Moran's Pub

COVER/TRIBUTE BAND Failure to Launch FM Rodeo Landline Smart Mouth ELECTRONIC ARTIST CHAN Heart of Black Johnny Franchino Ronco FOLK BAND Atlantic Wave Ladybird Long Mama The Midnight Purchase

VIDEO ARCADE Dead Bird Brewing Company The Garcade Up-Down MKE X-Ray Arcade

INDIE BAND Bug Moment Lack of Reason Ladybird Social Cig Volcano Choir

WHISKEY SELECTION AT A BAR Giggly at Saint Kate The Stillery The Vanguard Tied House Milwaukee

JAZZ COMBO B.D. Greer & The Gents Donna Woodall Group De La Buena Garrett Waite

WINERY Apple Works Winery Chiselled Grape Winery Pieper Porch Winery & Vineyard SoLu Estate Winery & Meadery

METAL BAND Apex Aura Conniption Heart Of Black Snag Still Stayer

MUSIC ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN Adam Fettig Catelyn Picco Evan Christian Holly Haebig Peter Thomas COUNTRY Dan Lepien LadyBird Rebel Grace Road Crew BLUEGRASS BAND Chicken Wire Empire The MilBillies The Whiskeybelles Valley Fox BLUES BAND Altered Five Blues Band Big Al Dorn and the Blues Howlers Hanna Simone Jonny T-Bird & The MPs Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective CLUB DJ Don Black DJ Shawna Goth Barge Ronco Sushi Lor

MUSIC PRODUCER / ENGINEER Jeff Hamilton Mystik Musik Ryan Rosmann TTP Music Lab POLKA BAND Blaskapelle Milwaukee November Criminals Tally Ho Brass Band The Squeezettes RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST D’Aych Emmitt James Johnny Franchino Taiyamo Denku Twan Mack Vincent Van Great ROCK BAND Diet Lite Ladybird Scam Likely The New Grey Tigera VOCALIST - FEMALE Ashley Patel Angie Rypel Anna Zaleski B.D. Greer Holly Haebig

VOCALIST - MALE Adam Fettig Johnny Franchino Leandre Poe Rich Hoffman

CHIROPRACTOR Chiropractic Company of Germantown Front Runner Chiropractic North Point Chiropractic Shorewood Family Chiropractic

PSYCHIATRIST / PSYCHOLOGIST Aaron Munson Anika Heaverlo Dr. Carlyle H. Chan Lakeshore Psychology Services

SPORTS & RECREATION

COSMETIC DENTIST Afterglo Organic Teeth Whitening Major Dental Clinics of Milwaukee Megan Steiner Stephanie Murphy DDS

SOUND THERAPY Adagio Sound Kalm Wellness Services Center Living Lighter Health Coaching Syinthesis Sound Healing Center

COSMETIC SURGEON Bailey Family Dental Lorelle L. Kramer, MD Mark F. Blake Thomas G. Korkos, MD Visage Facial Plastic Surgery

SPEECH THERAPIST Communication And Feeding Specialists Dawn Wilson Speech Specialists Tender Touch Therapy

ENDURANCE EVENT Brew City Half Marathon Lake Country Triathlon Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Milwaukee Marathon FAVORITE BREWERS PLAYER Christian Yelich Corbin Burnes Rowdy Tellez Sal Frelick FAVORITE BUCKS PLAYER Bobby Portis Brook Lopez Giannis Antetokounmpo Jrue Holiday FAVORITE PACKERS PLAYER Aaron Jones AJ Dillon David Bakhtiari Jordan Love GOLF COURSE Brown Deer Park Golf Course Erin Hills Golf Course Washington County Golf Course Whitnall Park Golf Course MINI GOLF COURSE Gastrau’s Golf Center Holey Mackerel!

Missing Links Driving Range Nine Below PADDLESPORTS - RENT OR BUY Brew City Kayak Milwaukee Kayak Company Nomad Boardsports Paddle Pewaukee REC SPORTS LEAGUE Beckum Stapleton Little League BrewCity Bruisers Fat Daddy’s Volleyball NorthSouth Club ROCK CLIMBING VENUE Adventure Rock Turner Hall Climbing Gym

MEDICAL ALCOHOL & DRUG REHAB CENTER 10th Street Comprehensive Treatment Center Rogers Behavioral Health Serenity Inn Inc. United Community Center

DENTIST Daniel M. Domagala DDS Darling Dental First Place Dentistry Stephanie Murphy DDS EYE DOCTOR 414 Eyes Metro Eye Milwaukee Eye Care MyEyeDr. HOME MEDICAL CARE Aurora Health at Home Comfort Keepers Home Care Hearts To Home Senior Home Care Raylyn Homecare HOSPITAL Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Aurora St Luke's Medical Center Children's Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital LASIK SURGEON Jason N. Edmonds, M.D. LasikPlus Milwaukee Eye Care TLC Laser Eye Centers OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST Allison Ayers Debbie Callif Tender Touch Therapy Vita Fitness & Physical Therapy ORTHODONTIST Barden Orthodontics Bell Orthodontic Solutions Bubon Orthodontics Grafton Orthodontics PERIODONTIST Cynthia T. Jarzembinski Dale A. Newman Dr. Eddie Morales Premier Periodontics PHYSICAL THERAPIST Chiropractic Company of Wisconsin Revitalize Physical Therapy Vita Fitness & Physical Therapy Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy

TELEMEDICINE PROVIDER Natural Escape LLC Wellness Speech Specialists Thrive Holistic Medicine Zuza's Way Integrative Care WOMEN'S MEDICAL SERVICES Moreland OB-GYN Associates, S.C. Natural Escape LLC Wellness Thrive Holistic Medicine Zusa’s Way Integrative Care

LGBTQ DRAG EVENT Blonde Ambition Hamburger Mary’s Lakefront Brewery This Is It! DRAG PERSONALITY Dita Von Ester Flonaze Marbella Sodi Melee The Queen LGBTQ ADVOCATE Arika Kaosa Courage MKE Geoff Hoen Peter Burgelis LGBTQ EVENT Courage MKE Gala Hue Review Slayground Pridefest LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE BUSINESS Amilinda Beard MKE Cactus Club Flour Girl & Flame LGBTQ-OWNED BUSINESS Artery Ink Beard MKE Flour Girl & Flame Maya Ophelia’s

NOVEMBER 2023 | 61

SPECIAL BEST OF MILWAUKEE

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE AGENCY Corcoran Realty & Co. Cornerstone Realtors Jay Schmidt Group Shorewest Realtors REAL ESTATE AGENT/BROKER Katie Corcoran Lea Byrd Peter Adams Tegan Dunk RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GROUP Home Path Property Management New Land Enterprises The Bozzuto Group Welcome Home Milwaukee

SERVICES RENDERED ACCOUNTANT/TAX ADVISER Bryan Esarco Murray’s Tax Service Nelson Tax Accounting Ltd Simply Balanced Accounting AESTHETICIAN Aesthetics by Ashley Beauty Marked LLC Lovely Salon and Spa Natural Escape LLC ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION Humane Animal Welfare Society - HAWS of Waukesha County JR’s Pups N Stuff Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission Wisconsin Humane Society Milwaukee Campus AUTO BODY SHOP Hale Park Automotive Milwaukee Auto Body Mander Collision & Glass Pro Comp Auto Body Inc AUTO DETAILER Endless Detailing Limitless Auto Spa Metro Car Wash Sauced Detailing AUTO SERVICE & REPAIR Hale Park Automotive Knepper Brothers Inc Manyo Motors Riverside Automotive Service BANK Bank Five Nine BMO Harris Bank Chase Bank PNC Bank

62 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

LISTINGS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

BARTENDING SERVICES Allure Over The Moon Bartending Pour Inc. The Crafted Tavern

FINANCIAL PLANNER/STOCK BROKER Educators Credit Union Melinda Wilke & Associates Summit Credit Union The Wolf Group

BED AND BREAKFAST Brumder Mansion County Clare Irish Inn & Pub Schuster Mansion Bed & Breakfast Sheridan's Bed and Breakfast

GREEN BUSINESS Anguil Environmental Systems Everything Grows LLC Tall Guy and a Grill Catering Tippecanoe Herbs and Apothecary

BODY PIERCING STUDIO Atomic Tattoos Avant-Garde Golden Crystal Body Piercing Str8 Klownin Ink

HAIR REMOVAL European Wax Center Kiras Kove Lovely Salon and Spa Rose Aesthetics - Third Ward

BOUTIQUE HOTEL County Clare Irish Inn & Pub Dubbel Dutch Hotel Kinn Guesthouse Downtown Milwaukee Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

HAIR SALON - MEN'S Cutting Group Gent's Classic Barber Shop Hedwig's Hair Salon Stag Barbershop

CATERER Bunzel's Meat Market Carrot Bomb Catering Over the Moon Bartending Tall Guy and a Grill Catering

HAIR SALON - WOMEN'S Elements Salon Suites Fever Salon Hedwig’s Hair Salon Lovely Salon and Spa

COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY Alverno College Marquette University Milwaukee School of Engineering University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

HOTEL ROOMS Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel The Brewhouse Inn & Suites The Iron Horse Hotel The Pfister Hotel

CREDIT UNION Educators Credit Union Landmark Credit Union Summit Credit Union UW Credit Union

INSURANCE AGENCY Gramoll & Associates Inc. Leonard Insurance Services Reilly Insurance Services, Inc. Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC

DOGGY DAY CARE/BOARDING Bay View Bark Central Bark Oak Creek Dog City Hotel & Spa Dogtopia of Milwaukee East Side

INSURANCE AGENT / BROKER Claudia Reilly J Gramoll & Associates ason Marquardt Meissner Insurance Agency

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR GETTING A BUSINESS LOAN Associated Bank Chase Bank Educators Credit Union Summit Credit Union

LASHES GADIS Beauty Lash Dolls Milwaukee Salon Nova The Beauty Hub LLC VeVa Beauty Bar

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR GETTING A HOME MORTGAGE Educators Credit Union Summit Credit Union UW Credit Union Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation

LAW FIRM - BANKRUPTCY Bankruptcy Law Office of Richard A. Check S. C. Becker, Hickey & Poster S.C. Debt Advisors Law Offices Milwaukee Lumbardo Law Office

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FOR OPENING A CHECKING ACCOUNT Associated Bank Bank Five Nine Summit Credit Union UW Credit Union

LAW FIRM - BUSINESS Fox O'Neill & Shannon Gruber Law Offices Melnick & Melnick S.C. OVB Law & Consulting, S.C.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION PROVIDING BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE BMO Harris Bank Educators Credit Union Summit Credit Union UW Credit Union

LAW FIRM - CRIMINAL DEFENSE Jacob Manian Jones Law Firm Kim & LaVoy, S.C. Mastantuono, Coffee & Thomas, S.C.

LAW FIRM - DIVORCE Gapsarri & Joyce, S.C. Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP Halling & Cayo, S.C. Nelson, Krueger & Millenbach

PHOTOGRAPHER Dee Von Drasek Photography Eric Ellis Lila Aryan Lien Phu Photography

BOUTIQUE FITNESS Afterglow MKE Burn Boot Camp Healium HIIT SPIRE Fitness

LAW FIRM - ESTATE PLANNING Becker, Hickey & Poster, S.C. C.H. Law, LLC Fox O'Neill & Shannon Law Offices of Carlson & Lunde, S.C.

PICTURE FRAMING GALLERY Creative Enterprises Greenwood Park Gallery & Framing Sadler Gallery South Shore Gallery & Framing

CROSSFIT-STYLE GYM Badger CrossFit BrewCity CrossFit Dropout CrossFit Train Moment MKE

LAW FIRM - FAMILY LAW Bagley Law Firm MacGillis Weimer LLC Nelson, Krueger & Millenbach Law Offices of Carson & Lunde

SENIOR LIVING FACILITY Alexian Village Azura Assisted Living and Memory Care Clement Manor Milwaukee Catholic Home

GYM Burn Boot Camp Peak Physique Personal Training Vita Fitness & Physical Therapy Wisconsin Athletic Club

LAW FIRM - FULL SERVICE Fox O'Neill & Shannon Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP Groth Law Accident Injury Attorneys Law Offices of Carson & Lunde

TATTOO PARLOR Black Dawn Tattoo Black Rabbit Tattoo Inkwell Tattoo Company Str8 Klownin Ink

MASSAGE THERAPIST 9th Cloud Therapy Jay by the Bay Massage and Wellness RPM Bodywork Zen Garden Bodywork

LAW FIRM – NEW (UNDER 5 YEARS) Gendlin Liverman & Rymer Jones Law Firm LLC

VETERINARIAN Brown Deer Animal Hospital Community Veterinary Clinic Riverwest Veterinary Clinic Small Animal Hospital

PERSONAL TRAINER Alex Feavel Garrett Van Auken Margaux Chandler Michael McVicker

WEDDING VENUE Story Hill Firehouse The Ivy House The Pfister Hotel The Starling

PILATES STUDIO Afterglow MKE Club Pilates East Side Pilates Flying Squirrel Pilates

BODY, MIND & SPIRIT

REIKI STUDIO A Right Path Wellness Angelic Roots Lovely Salon and Spa MKE Yoga Social

LAW FIRM - PERSONAL INJURY Action Law Offices Gendlin, Liverman & Rymer Groth Law Accident Injury Attorneys Gruber Law Offices Hupy and Abraham, S.C. MOVING COMPANY Back Breakers Moving Coakley Brothers & Brothers Interiors Hernia Movers Two Men and a Truck NAIL SALON Future Nails Lovely Salon and Spa Nail Bar Milwaukee Studio Nails PET GROOMING/SERVICES Beauty & The Barks Central Bark Oak Creek Embark Pet Spa Tails N’ Trails Pets

ACUPUNCTURIST Acupuncture & Holistic Health Associates Amanda Gawrysz Heaven & Earth Acupuncture and Wellness Milwaukee Community Acupuncture ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL CLINIC A Right Path Wellness Natural Escape Wellness Thrive Holistic Medicine Zuza's Way Integrative Care

SPA Beau-T Works Elle Bleu Threading and Spa Kalm Wellness Services Center Lovely Salon & Spa YOGA STUDIO Embody Yoga Healium Hot Yoga The Heart Revival Center for Yoga & Buddhist Studies Yoga by Analisia

NOVEMBER 2023 | 63

SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

2023

Holiday Gift Guide ART BAR

C3 DESIGNS

2710 N. Murray Ave., Milwaukee 414-808-0005

722 E. Burleigh St., Milwaukee 414-372-7880

2110 10th Ave., South Milwaukee 414-764-3892

We are one-of-a-kind shop with lots of heart—the perfect place to find a unique gift for the holidays! Provider of semi-precious gemstones, hand-blown glass, metaphysical objects, healing tools, and art from local artists. Come check us out on Milwaukee’s beautiful East Side. Receive 20% off on Saturdays. Students with college ID receive 10% off any time. Open 6 days a week!

facebook.com/artbarmke/

C3-designs.com

artbarwonderland.com

C3 Designs is the best jewelry store in the Milwaukee area to help with your holiday gift giving ideas. Store owner Chris Jensen is a nationally award-winning jewelry designer who has won over 25 awards for his custom creations. His design team at C3 Designs can help you choose the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for this holiday season.

AMERICAN BEAUTY

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Give the gift of original art this holiday. “MINI” TINY ART @ TINY PRICES, is the largest local small art show of its kind. Over 150 juried talented artists have created small art pieces (under 8” x 8”) and everything is priced under $100. Select from over 700 pieces on display and 1,500 items in back-up stock, the show is replenished daily and has something for everyone. Art Bar is open daily at 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. on weekends. All credit cards accepted; the show runs until Dec. 31.

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

DISCOUNT LIQUOR

FIFTH-MAIN

GALLERIA GREENDALE

5031 W. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee 414-545-2175

1550 W. Mequon Road, Mequon 262-242-2110

5640 Parking St., Greendale 414-344-8244

919 N. Barstow Ave., Waukesha 262-547-7525

118 N. Franklin St., Port Washington 262-536-4300

galleriagreendale.com

discountliquorinc.com

174 S. Main St., Thiensville 262-302-4226

Discount liquor is your one-stop shop for all your gift-giving needs with our expansive selection of 8,000 wines, 4,000 liquors and 2,000 beers. Check out our huge variety of holiday liquor, beer and wine gift sets perfect for friends, co-workers and loved ones.

Find out why we have been voted the best for 22 years running.

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fifth-main.com FIFTH-MAIN brings together both new and pre-owned designer, vintage, couture and contemporary fashion essentials. Our eco-conscious mission extends the life of luxury products, bringing “green” fashion to our community. All pre-owned items, sold at FIFTH-MAIN, are acquired from our customers through our Retail Buying Counter. Safer and easier than consignment. FIFTH-MAIN is unlike any other shop. Visit us today to Trade-In & Trade-Up to see for yourself! Your local source for luxury.

Galleria Greendale is one of Milwaukee’s newest art boutiques, featuring the talented work of more than 80 artists from across the U.S. It is located among the charming shops of Historic Downtown Greendale, Wis., established in 1938. Galleria Greendale is known for its unique jewelry, sculpture, decorative accessories and its new Art-to-Wear apparel! Stop in soon!

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM

HEALIUM HOT YOGA-WEST ALLIS

KNUCKLEHEADS

400 W. Canal St., Milwaukee 877-436-8738

6679 W. National Ave., West Allis, 414-616-1106

2949 N. Oakland Ave., Milwaukee 414-962-3052

harley-davidson.com /us/en/museum.html

healiumhotyoga.com/hhy-west-allis

knuckleheads.shop

Breakfast with Santa! Premium shopping and unique gifts at the Harley-Davidson® Shop and H-D Factory Outlet! Fun family photo ops, interactive exhibits and so much more! Come celebrate the holidays on the H-D Museum campus. Visit HDMuseum.com for more information (or to book your breakfast with the jolly old elf).

HEALIUM HOT YOGA-BAY VIEW 2534 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee 414-232-2165

435 E. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee 414-232-2165

Stop by Knuckleheads and check out their large variety of Wellness products! Stop by and take 25%-75% off select items Nov 17–28 and Dec 1-Jan 1. Visit on a Saturday or Sunday and enjoy discounted Wellness products!

Discover why Knuckleheads is voted “Best of Milwaukee” Best Head Shop, Vape Shop AND CBD Shop 2019-2022!

healiumhotyoga.com/ restore-bay-view

MB SQUARED PHOTOGRAPHY

healiumhotyoga.com/hhy-bay-view HEALIUM RESTORE

HEALIUM HIIT

mbsquaredphotography.square.site

2865 Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee 414-309-0472

Instagram: @mbsquaredphotography

healiumhotyoga.com/hiit-bay-view Give the gift of Healium Yoga and HIIT this season! Our “5 Class Pack” is onsale Nov. 24-Dec. 31. Our class packs work at our new Healium Hot Yoga-West Allis studio, in addition to all three of our Bay View locations—Healium Restore, Healium HIIT, and Helium Hot Yoga. 2023 Best of MKE Finalist!

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Easy-to-frame 8”x8”, 12.5”x12.5” photography art prints, as well as drink coasters/magnets, and stickers, are available for purchase online, or at local holiday markets and events.

Milwaukee, Greater Wisconsin and Midwest region is highlighted. When shopping online you may select free pickup in Bay View (Milwaukee), or delivery within Milwaukee County with shipping for a small fee.

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN (MIAD) 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee 888-749-MIAD miad.edu/holidaysale Join us at the MIAD Holiday Sale, an annual tradition! The MIAD Holiday Sale is your opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art and design gifts, from sculptures to greeting cards, paintings, photographs, jewelry and more, created by MIAD students and alumni at affordable prices. Preview night: Nov. 30, 6-9 p.m., $10 admission.

Free admission Dec. 1, 5-9 p.m. and Dec. 2, 10 a.m.- p.m.

MILWAUKEE MAKERS MARKET MilwaukeeMakersMarket.com November 5: “Milwaukee Makers Market DayLight Savings Sale” at The Ivy House November 25: “Milwaukee’s Official Shop Small Saturday” at Discovery World December 17: “Milwaukee Makers Market Holiday Pop-Up” at Discovery World Milwaukee Makers Market encourages shopping Small Local Businesses this Holiday Season! On Saturday Nov. 25 at Discovery World from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Market will feature over 50 Local Businesses including art, jewelry, soaps, clothing, candles, unique gifts, Milwaukee themed accessories and more!

Admission to the Market is free!

More information online.

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MOBCRAFT BEER

THE JEWELERS GUILD

505 S. Fifth St., Milwaukee 414-488-2019

2408 E. St. Francis Ave., St. Francis 414-488-2727

Mobcraftbeer.com

Jewelersguild.biz

Celebrate the countdown to the holiday season with MobCraft beer! Each box will have 24 unique brews, making it the perfect gift for the craft beer lovers in your life with 8 limited release beers, 3 barrel-aged beers, 6 yearround beers and 7 collaboration beers.

Preorder now bit.ly/mobcraftadvent

Milwaukee’s most unique jewelry store has brilliant holiday gifts available for you in their gallery showroom: rubies, opals, sapphires and diamonds.

Located just off KK on St. Francis Ave. They offer custom designs, repairs, and appraisals as well as their special Make Your Own Wedding Ring project for you! Local handmade jewelry by our masterful designers, Goldsmiths and Jewelers. Check out the Online Store.

RE:CRAFT AND RELIC HOLIDAY MARKET 2023 6000 W. Ryan Road, Franklin (Milwaukee County Sports Complex) www.recraftandrelic.com The re:Craft and Relic Holiday Market is back! re:Craft and Relic is the largest market of its kind in Southeastern Wisconsin, with over 160 artists, makers, vintage curators, food artisans and pop-up boutiques from around the Midwest. This two-day, indoor event, November 11-12, also includes live music, food trucks and mobile boutiques, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days with a VIP hour from 9-10 a.m. on Saturday.

VIP tickets are $10, General Admission is $7, kids 12 and under are free. Ticket discounts available online.

ULTRATWIST VINTAGE 7730 W. National Ave., Milwaukee www.ultratwistvintage.com Ultratwist Vintage is the place to find true vintage clothing, as well as new retro-inspired, and recycled clothing in sizes XS-4X. From classic silhouettes to bold prints and bright colors, we’ve got style with a twist so you can wear your personality!

VISAGE FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY 19275 West Capitol Drive, Suite 205, Brookfield (262) 701-7040 myfacialplasticsurgeon.com While you're checking off your holiday shopping list, don't forget yourself!

At Visage Facial Plastic Surgery, we can help you look radiant this holiday season with a facial peel, Dysport or dermal filler treatment. Mention Shepherd Express when booking to receive a free skincare product at your appointment (while supplies last).

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Buy Local First This Year

BY MICHAEL MUCKIAN

S

avvy shoppers already have been sharpening their debit and credit cards in anticipation of the biggest spending holiday of the year. With Thanksgiving out of the way, the hearty ones will find a queue to stand in outside of their favorite big-box store to capture what they believe will be incredible deals. Black Friday—and, increasingly, Black Thursday Night—has become the traditional gateway to holiday spending.

Falling on Nov. 24 this year, Black Friday is a windfall for large national

merchants. Electronics and appliance giant Best Buy anticipates 2023 revenues of $44.5 billion, actually an 8.9% decrease from 2022 revenues of $51.8 billion. Discounter Walmart, however, is planning on 2023 revenues of $611 billion, a nearly 4% increase over 2022 revenues of $587.8 billion.

And Milwaukee’s small business tend to patronize each other, which Sheehy describes as “washing each other’s socks.” The best small businesses, he says, can sell outside the local market.

“That brings in more socks to the washing machine,” he adds.

As for online buyers looking ahead to Nov. 27—Cyber Monday—ecommerce business is anticipated to boom more loudly than ever before. According to FTI Consulting, online retail sales likely will reach $1.14 trillion, total revenues that have been increasing 10% year over year. In fact, FTC predicts that 42% of all retail sales growth this year will be in the ecommerce market.

Some U.S. federal government programs define small businesses as having 500 or fewer employees. Using that parameter, small business employment in the area comprised of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties is home to 28,614 small businesses that support 370,461 employees with a total payroll of $17.3 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. According to Sheehy, MMAC uses a parameter of 100 or fewer employees, which changes the figures to 27,528 small businesses with 246,193 employees supported by a payroll of $10.9 billion.

Sandwiched between these shopping holidays is Nov. 25—Small Business Saturday—devoted to encouraging shoppers to support the local economy by spending their shopping dollars with small local merchants who, in turn, recirculate their profits in the community. In a very real sense, this is the most significant shopping holiday of all.

ECONOMIC LIFEBLOOD “Small business represents the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, employing well over half of the workforce in the country,” says Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. “Small businesses by their nature are customer-friendly, innovative and scrappy, and Milwaukee is well-served by the small to mid-size business we have.”

The pandemic hit small businesses hard across the country, when one in five businesses shut down between October 2020 and October 2021. Despite that, small business growth on a national scale is making progress—a 2.2 percent increase in 2022 over 2021.

Locally, census data from 2020 shows the number of small businesses has remained stable between 2019 and 2020.

The Milwaukee metro area has more than its share of small manufacturing firms, Sheehy says, noting that only San Jose, California’s “Silicon Valley” has more manufacturers. Even though many such firms won’t be patronized on Small Business Saturday, they provide the area’s small business strata with significant economic strength.

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IT’S IN THE NUMBERS

The financial impact, in aggregate, certainly doesn’t measure up to Walmart’s performance, but it does illustrate how significant small businesses are, especially when you realize that the flow of funds largely stays local, Sheehy explains.

“Small businesses foster a symbiotic relationship,” he says. “The more you spend locally, the more products and services can be provided to the community. It makes a tighter supply chain and a healthier local economy.

“Shopping small business or using their services makes for a healthier local economy,” Sheehy adds. “We believe in shopping locally, not only in our dayto-day lives, but looking locally when it comes to finding vendors and suppliers that make our businesses run, too.”

Michael Muckian was the banking and finance writer for the Milwaukee Business Journal and is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Financing and Accounting and The One-Day MBA in Finance and Accounting.

Illustrations by Tim Czerniakowski.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 73

SPECIAL PETS | SPONSORED BY TAILS N' TRAILS PETS LLC

Hosting For the Holidays

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

T

he holidays are right around the corner, and it’s time to plan the festivities! From yummy food to friendly faces, holiday gatherings can take a toll on all of us, our pets included.

ing them, too. Foods loaded with salt, butter and spices may upset your pet’s digestive tract. Worse yet, foods such as garlic, onions, chocolate and raw dough can be deadly.

If your dog joins you in the kitchen this holiday season, be sure to limit the amount of human food they intake, and ask guests to refrain from feed-

We can still spoil our four-legged friends, though! Raw or cooked organic free-range turkey is a healthy source of protein and other nutrients for cats

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and dogs as long as it is unseasoned.

Consider cooking them a turkey in a separate pan with low sodium bone broth such as Ewegurt Bone Broth for pets. Pair it with a side of raw carrots and green beans.

Photo by JasonOndreicka/Getty Images.

Let them eat the turkey, but not the bones! Cooked bones are extremely brittle and may splinter, resulting in mouth injuries or even a puncture of your pet’s stomach or GI tract.

Alternatively, if you want to give your dog a special chew, offer a fresh smoked bone from Bark N’ Scratch or Fresh is Best Freeze-Dried Turkey Necks. Our store associates are happy to help you choose a treat that is perfect for your pet!

In addition to keeping our pets healthy, we need to keep both our furry friends and our human guests safe and comfortable during gatherings. If your cat or dog is shy with new people, make sure they have a safe space to escape to for some alone time. Ask guests not to approach the animals, as that can increase anxiety and fear. On the contrary, if your dog gets overly excited to greet people, try keeping her tethered to you on a leash until she settles down.

Give her treats when she greets people without jumping. This strategy will help you maintain control as she adjusts to the increasingly busy environment.

Start thinking about what you can do to keep your dog safe and healthy this holiday season. Come to Bark N Scratch Outpost to get everything you need for your pet’s perfect Thanksgiving Feast!

Content sponsored by Bark n’ Scratch Outpost. Locally owned since 2006, Carrie, Michael and staff are dedicated to educating pet owners about healthy options for their pets.

Bark n’ Scratch is located at 5835 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213. www.milwaukeepetfood.com

NOVEMBER 2023 | 75

CULTURE

Illustration by Tim Czerniakowski.

Twenty Twenty Years Years Ago Ago this this Month Month the the Milwaukee Milwaukee International International Film Film Festival Festival was was Born Born

BY RICHARD G. CARTER

wenty years ago this month, the Milwaukee International Film Festival (MIFF) opened its first 11-day season with 90 films from 33 countries presented at four theaters. Never had there been a film festival of its scale in Milwaukee. Some said it couldn’t be done, but happily, the founders of MIFF didn’t listen to doubters.

T

After the meeting, Fortis asked Luhrssen why Milwaukee didn’t have an international film festival. Noting that the city had several festivals with a specific focus, such as the Jewish Film Festival and the LGBT Film Festival, Luhrssen said something bigger hadn’t been discussed. In a moment of high energy, Fortis said, “let’s create one.”

MIFF was more than a year in planning before the festival’s first film was screened at the Oriental Theater. In April 2002, two young men from Lake Geneva wanted to meet with Dave Luhrssen, arts and entertainment editor and film critic of the Shepherd Express, to discuss their upcoming film festival, the two-day Black Point Film Festival. Due to his interest in international films, Shepherd publisher Louis Fortis went along to that meeting at La Boulangerie in the Third Ward.

After all, he reasoned, the Shepherd’s 258,800 readers (according to Media Audit) looked to it as a consistent source of high-quality arts coverage. So why not use the newspaper to vigorously promote an international film festival? Doing some research, Fortis found that 47 out of America’s top 50 cities already had film festivals. And that these festivals were quickly becoming one of the major requirements for any “world-class city” in the 21st century.

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It became clear that Milwaukee not only needed a festival but coming so late in the game relative to other cities, Milwaukee needed a world-class festival right from the start.

Such a festival needed to be more than just a weekend of movie screenings. Thus, the festival that opened on Nov. 6, 2003, was a large, sophisticated, 11-day event whose goal was to bring unseen films to Milwaukee and to make Milwaukeeans even more proud of their city.

The Shepherd Express was the founding sponsor, but couldn’t support the festival singlehandedly. It would also need to raise financial support from local businesses, foundations and individuals. Major corporations got behind the festival. Included were Roundy’s, Time Warner Cable, Reinhard Boerner, Baird and Laughlin Constable. Support came from foundations such as Bader, Brico, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and others. In subsequent years, MIFF received support from Potawatomi, the Lubar Family Foundation, the Jack Rosenberg Charitable Foundation and others. MIFF sought involvement from community and ethnic groups in cosponsoring films of interest to their constituents.

GOALS OF THE FESTIVAL MIFF was started with four goals in mind.

One: Break down biases and prejudices in our society. MIFF believed that better understanding of other cultures could be achieved by viewing high-quality cinema from around the globe via the festival’s World Cinema program.

Two: Make the festival a learning opportunity for local high school students. MIFF brought some of its highly educational films into high schools where teacher volunteers led pre- and post-screening discussions. The festival would also create year-round programs where students learned how to write a screenplay or learn all of the techniques and skills necessary to produce a short film.

Three: Bring screenwriters, directors and the best cinema in the world to Milwaukee for 11 days each fall, creating an event that would make Milwaukee an exciting place where young professionals would want to work and live.

Four: Encourage the development of a filmmaking industry in Milwaukee and all of the businesses and jobs associated with it. If this strategy worked, thousands of high-paying jobs could be had for the city. MIFF also created a Midwest filmmaker competition to begin to build the image of Milwaukee as a center for independent filmmaking, as well as a Milwaukee Issues program of videos examining local concerns.

THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING SOMETHING NEW While planning the first festival and asking people for their support, many told Fortis and Luhrssen things like, “It just won’t work in Milwaukee,” or, “There was a reason that there was no film festival in Milwaukee,” or, “If you are able to pull off a festival the first year, don’t assume that there will be a second year.” And on and on.

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CULTURE

ORIENTAL THEATER Photo courtesy of VISIT Milwaukee.

However, there were enough people who believed there was a new Milwaukee that was striving to be a great 21st-century city. Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, was perhaps the most heroic. Without her help, there might never have been a second festival.

Even before he decided to run for mayor, Tom Barrett said the festival was something Milwaukee desperately needed.

“Just tell me how I can help,” he told us. And another early player was attorney Matt Flynn, who was on a number of arts boards and was especially helpful.

For example, when Flynn and Fortis met with Dick Abdoo, CEO of WE Energies, Abdoo said, “I will support the festival, but if we make a financial commitment, how do I know that the festival will actually happen?” Fortis told him he would guarantee that a festival would be launched and that the Shepherd Express would end up being the angel if there was a shortfall in revenue. It would lend MIFF the money to put on a world class festival. Abdoo said fine and WE Energies was onboard.

Luhrssen became the festival’s executive director and hired Jonathan Jackson, formerly manager of the UWM Union Cinema, as programming director. Operations director Rubina Shafi played a key role, including organizing a memorable opening night party at the Renaissance Place on Milwaukee’s East Side. When Jackson was temporarily sidelined by health issues, MIFF asked Eric Levin, owner-manager of the Times Cinema, to stepin as acting programming director. A team of eager volunteers assisted in organizing the festival including Mark Metcalf—a star of Animal House—who lived in Milwaukee at the time. The festival recruited an impres78 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

sive advisory board numbering former Mayor John Norquist, future Mayor Tom Barrett, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Senator Russ Feingold, Francis Ford Coppola biographer Michael Schumacher, Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo, singer-songwriter Willy Porter and Summerfest Director Bo Black.

MIFF’s November 2003 festival was a great success in bringing excellent world-class cinema to Milwaukee, and also sparking excitement and interest in a broad base of Milwaukeeans. The festival was on the local news each night for the entire 11 days. Members of various ethnic communities contacted MIFF to say how proud they were to see a movie from their country or heritage being screened at the festival.

The Milwaukee International Film Festival operated under its original management for five years through 2007. When the Shepherd stepped back, the Milwaukee International Film Festival morphed into Milwaukee Film with Jonathan Jackson assuming the role of executive director.

Off to a great start in 2002, Mayor Barrett said, “I’m incredibly impressed that an independent group like the Shepherd Express just stepped forward and created an institution of this magnitude. It was an extraordinary gift to our city.”

Richard G. Carter was a Milwaukee Sentinel reporter, Milwaukee Journal columnist and local radio commentator, a New York Daily News columnist, and has appeared on “Larry King Live” and “Donahue.”

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Illustrations by catrinka81/Getty Images.

This Month in Milwaukee

8 THINGS TO DO IN NOVEMBER

BY ALLEN HALAS, ELIZABETH LINTONEN, DAVID LUHRSSEN AND BLAINE SCHULTZ

NOVEMBER 11 Benefit for Lee Olson featuring Greg Cartwright, The Championship, Gallery Night with DJs Christreater and Jon Heebz Cactus Club Vocalist Lee Olson made his mark with The Mystery Girls, Gut Reactions, and The Off Days. This fundraiser pitches in to help with Olson’s ALS medical costs. Star power is provided by Greg Cartwright, of Memphis’ The Reigning Sound, Oblivians and Compulsive Gamblers who lends a hand. The evening also features a rare appearance by Milwaukee’s best kept secret Gallery Night, The Championship, DJs and raffles.

NOVEMBER 4-5 Sleepy Gaucho, Long Mama p Cactus Club The worlds of psych and Americana will merge in Bay View for a special weekend of music at Cactus Club, as Milwaukee acts Sleepy Gaucho and Long Mama will take over the club for a pair of shows.

Singer/Songwriter Andy Goitia has pulled international appeal with Sleepy Gaucho, with his most recent EP Sueños que Sobran released via French label Nice Guys. Long Mama’s sets will feature songs both old and new before they return to the studio for a new record.

NOVEMBER 9 Grace Weber u Pabst Theater Many Milwaukee acts have graced the stages of the Pabst Theater Group, though few have played its namesake venue. New York by-way-of Milwaukee singer/songwriter will do just that, though, headlining the theater as part of her fall tour, supporting her new project Paperflower. The homecoming show is the second-to-last stop of an eight-city tour from coast to coast, where she’ll debut music from the new album.

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NOVEMBER 16 Andy Mozina u Boswell Book Company Milwaukee native Andy Mozina returns to Boswell with his latest novel, a dark comedy about grief, truth, and the lengths people will go for love. Tandem features the story of two strangers whose lives intersect in the most awful of ways, and is tender, touching, psychologically engaging, and hilarious. Mozina’s awardwinning writing takes readers on a journey of the human condition. The book talk featuring Tandem is on Tuesday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER 16 Catastrophe Made in America u Jewish Museum Milwaukee The issues addressed in much of JMM’s current exhibit, “Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, are “fundamental to the topics we’ve always explored, giving voice to underheard groups” curator Molly Dubin said. Among the many programs in conjunction with the exhibit is a talk by local activist Siobhan Marks (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) on the front lines of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) initiatives to resist the trend of violence towards Native women.7 p.m. at JMM.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19

NOVEMBER 22

t Subspace 10 Year Anniversary

Nod to Bob: a Bob Dylan tribute and fundraiser for Hunger Task Force Linneman’s Riverwest Inn This year marks the 25th annual Nod to Bob, the tribute to the music of Bob Dylan that doubles as a fundraiser for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force, during its most needy time of the year. This annual night-before-Thanksgiving event features scores of great Milwaukee songwriters in their own write, performing their best renditions of favorite Dylan gems.

X-Ray Arcade Subspace has become a hallmark of Milwaukee’s underground electronic scene, and they’ll celebrate a decade of their eclectic history on Nov. 19, with an all-ages show at Cudahy’s X-Ray Arcade beginning at 4 p.m. The lineup will feature elements of industrial rock, post-punk and more, with AM.Psych, Bellhead, Bradley, and Conn.rar playing sets, bringing together Chicago and Milwaukee talent.

NOVEMBER 25-26

t Soul Low Uneasy 10 Year

Glacial Justice, 2023, Artist: Abigail Engstrand, Photo credit: Larry Sanders. Courtesy Jewish Museum Milwaukee.

Anniversary Reunion Cactus Club Milwaukee’s Soul Low were a force to be reckoned with at their peak, and while the band ultimately went their separate ways and moved out of town, they’ve left a discography that still ranks amongst the top Milwaukee acts of all time. They’ll celebrate their breakout, 2013’s Uneasy, with a pair of shows at Cactus Club that fall around a Thanksgiving return home. The band has reunited before, and undoubtedly would still be making music together if they were all centrally located, but for two nights, they’ll celebrate a record that cemented their locally legendary status.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 81

LIFESTYLE ASK ALLY

Dear Ally,

It’s really important for my partner to dine with his parents and brothers’ family over the holidays. There’s no escaping it, except faking illness. My in-laws are MAGA Republicans. I’d create a big blowout if I shared my views, so I just bite my tongue. But staying silent feels like I’m betraying myself. When they drink, it only gets worse with lots of insulting remarks. I think they’re trying to bait us into an argument. Instead, we go home early, feeling awful. Please advise me on ways that I can tolerate this horrible situation.

Survivor: one holiday meal at a time Dear Survivor,

You’re not alone. Too many families have been broken up by our country’s political divide. It’s just human nature to believe that our perspectives about the facts are right. If we just provide more information, it will surely convince the other party to agree with us.

Instead, facts are a trigger that will only lead to arguments in this current political environment.

Right now, it’s too irrational for enlightened conversation, where people actually listen to one another. I’m not giving up on compromise, but with all of the crazy thinking around us, we need to take it slow, especially with family members.

Pew Research states that 85% of American voters felt largely misunderstood by voters from the opposite side. This is a problem. Use your desire for change and contact your state and federal legislators on issues you care about. It’s their job to listen and respond to you.

Braver Angels is an organization dedicated to depolarization, They run workshops where “red” and “blue” participants try to understand one another and discover shared values.

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To enjoy a successful holiday dinner, resist the temptation to change your relatives’ minds. Once you are free from persuading them to your viewpoint, you can go to the dinner with an open heart, rather than prepare for potential combat.

Believe it or not, even if we are divided, we can still connect as human beings. It’s easy to forget when no one is talking to each other. Pat yourself on the back for making plans that will work best for you and your partner.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF Emotions are already running high during the holidays. Know that there are thousands of people in your shoes.

Here are some steps that might help.

They will require some prep work on your part. It’s worth it, especially if you can enjoy your time together.

BEFORE YOU GO Meditate or spend some quiet time to center and ground yourself.

Try the tapping exercise for anxiety on YouTube. Even if you are not feeling nervous, think of it as a preventative technique. I do this all the time, especially before going to the dentist.

Scan your brain for things you might have in common with your partner’s relatives: sports, gardening, celebrities,

new restaurants, novels, websites, apps or Netflix series. Be curious. Ask them about their interests as a way to start the conversation.

Baratunde Thurston, author of How to Be Black and host of PBS’ America Outdoors, was recently interviewed

by Margaret Hoover. When asked, how he handles folks whose opinions on important issues are diametrically opposed to his, He said, “If we can find something to laugh about, that always works.”

It does! When you can share a laugh, human connection becomes instantaneous. If you have a funny story or joke, tell it. For a good laugh watch SNL Thanksgiving Blessings on YouTube.

Small connections go a long, long way in creating trust. These moments create openings and possibilities for future conversations. A foundation is built for the next dinner. And the next.

Here for you,

Ally

Send your questions to AskAlly@shepex.com.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 83

LIFESTYLE OUT OF MY MIND

The “ism” We Tolerate

BY PHILIP CHARD

W

ith my most recent birthday behind me—and I ain’t no spring chicken—I feel the insidious presence of ageism in our culture. While not as visible as sexism or racism, it remains equally destructive. In some ways, it is a silent “ism” that garners far less notice or condemnation than the others.

For example, there are legions of folks in their 60s, 70s and beyond who, despite a wealth of talent and experience and a desire to contribute, can’t land a job commensurate with their capabilities. The disqualifier? Age. And when older workers are “let go,” to use the popular euphemism for fired, many employers are careful to construct legally defensible but still bogus reasons for doing so, employing a CYA strategy. In our youth obsessed culture, being older often proves an occupational and financial liability.

This issue emerges in widely shared attitudes toward senior politicians, like Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell and a host of others. The general view regards them as “over the hill.”

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Meanwhile, the immaturity and incompetence of many of their younger colleagues, including some who can’t form words with more than two syllables or pass a basic civics course, often gets overlooked because... well, they aren’t old.

YOUTH IS NO GUARANTEE Sure, we can age out of certain abilities, both mental and physical, and there comes a time when advanced age robs folks of the capacities needed to perform particular functions. But being younger is no guarantee that a person knows what the hell they are doing on a job or in life.

Meaning we should evaluate a person’s competence based on their character and performance, not their birthdate.

In the social arena, mocking people for their age is widely accepted, even applauded. Insult people based on their race or gender, and one is far more likely to feel the wrath of those who rightly believe in treating others with respect.

I think those individuals are called “woke,” which, to me, is a compliment. But even these folks often fail to display sensitivity toward elder bias.

Composition by Timothy Czerniakowski. Old Man Photo By Prostock-Studio/Getty Images. Glass Shatter Photo By quickshooting/Getty Images.

For instance, consider the popular TV ads by Progressive Insurance where various younger people are saved from “turning into your parents” by some self-help guru with the demeanor of a frog. The implication? Older people are fuddy-duddies. The background music is gloomy, as if some tragedy is underway. What if you happen to admire your parents? Wouldn’t you like to be like them? No, the ad asserts. Why? Because they’re old.

Some social science surveys ask younger people what they think of when they hear words like senior, elder, old, octogenarian, etc. Most associate these labels with senility, clumsiness, dependency, infirmity and death. The composite image is of doddering old fools staggering from bathroom to kitchen to bed, mumbling to themselves.

Are there some elders like that? Sure. And there are some 20-somethings like that.

So, what makes us old? Is it the years? The wrinkles? How we climb stairs? I think it’s a state of mind that figures out one’s emotional and spiritual age, and if one remains optimistic in a realistic way and makes the best of what time remains, then ageism is unmasked. We see that it’s another dumb, petty ism, like all the rest.

As a warning for both young and old, philosopher Gabriel Garcia Marquez stated: “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old. They grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

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.

So, the next time you hear someone make a hurtful “joke” at an elder’s expense, or witness some other slur or bias aimed at the old, consider saying telling that person to grow up. Perhaps add that you hope the older version of their self proves kinder and wiser than the current one. Because we elders are more similar to younger folks than we are different. When we look in the mirror at that time-sculpted person, it often seems out of sync with how many of us feel inside — engaged with life and hopeful.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 85

HEAR ME OUT DEAR RUTHIE | SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

MOVE OUT & MOVE ON DEAR RUTHIE, I’m renting a place with three roommates. Two of them are a couple. Everything was cool until the other single roommate joined the couple, making them a throuple!

The dynamic of the home has now changed, and I feel like a third wheel. I love the home, and feel I shouldn’t have to move out because they altered the living situation. They’ve also made it clear that they need a fourth roommate to pay bills, putting pressure on me to stay.

I hate the idea of moving but things here just aren’t great for me now, and I’m torn on what to do.

THANKS,

Third Wheel in a Foursome

DEAR WHEELY, Seems to me the writing is on the wall, honey pie. Start putting your needs and overall happiness first. As their relationship grows, you’ll likely feel more left out than you already do, so you may want to move out and move on before friendships are damaged.

Talk to your roomies and let them know how you’re feeling so things shift in a positive direction for you asap. Simultaneously, start looking for a new abode. Moving can be tough, but also exciting. Focus on the good awaiting you, sugar booger, and let that be your motivator to find a living situation more suited to you.

XXOO

Ruthie

Have a question for Ruthie? Want to share an event with her? Contact Ruthie at dearruthie@shepex.com.

Follow her on social media, too!

Facebook: Dear Ruthie | Instagram: RuthieKeester | Twitter: @DearRuthie

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DEAR RUTHIE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Ruthie's Social Calendar NOVEMBER 4 DIANNA JONES CD RELEASE PARTY AT MARY’S CADDYSHACK (1959 S. 124TH ST.): Local legend and LGBTQ+ favorite, Dianna Jones celebrates the release of her new CD, “I Can Wait for You,” with this party/ concert. Open to the public, the fun runs 8 to 11 p.m.

MR. AND MISS TRANS USA PAGEANT AT WILSON THEATER/VOGEL HALL (929 N. WATER ST.): The Marcus Performing Arts Center hosts this national competition that spotlights state representatives from the across the nation.

The pageant includes categories such as state costume, evening wear, Q&A and others. Nab tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

NOVEMBER 9 TASTE OF IRELAND AT TURNER HALL BALLROOM (1040 VEL R. PHILLIPS AVE.): If gingers churn your butter, you don’t want to miss this tasty tribute to the Emerald Isle. Enjoy a bevy of foods from the city’s top Irish restaurants as well as Irish music, dancers, drinks and more.

Skip over to www.pabsttheatergroup.com for tickets to the 5:30 p.m. event.

NOVEMBER 11 MARGARITA FEST AT TRIPOLI SHRINE CENTER (3000 W. WISCONSIN AVE.): Margarita madness reigns supreme during this 6th annual festival. Sample some of the state’s best margaritas and vote for your favorite between 3 and 6 p.m. You’ll also find food trucks, tacos and more, so get your tickets today at www.shepherdtickets.com

NOVEMBER 16 PRIDE NIGHT DIAL ‘M’ FOR MURDER AT MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER (108 E. WELLS ST.): Join me and a few of my gal pals at The Rep! Your Pride Night ticket includes access to the 6 p.m. cocktail party, featuring free wine, beer and appetizers. Afterward, we’ll take in the edge-of-your-seat murder mystery at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are limited for this rainbow-clad package, so get yours today at www.milwaukeerep.com. Use the code “Pridenight” for the $30 offer.

NOVEMBER 22 MILWAUKEE TRANS AND QUEER DEPOT AT ZAO CHURCH (2319 E. KENWOOD BLVD.): Do you take injectable hormones as part of a medically recommended regiment? Need help or advice regarding those injections? This group meets every Wednesday from 3-7 p.m., offering a safe, sober space for trans and queer folks to help one another with injection therapy, needle supplies and more.

NOVEMBER 25 THE TAYLOR PARTY AT TURNER HALL BALLROOM (1040 VEL R. PHILLIPS AVE.): Celebrate all things Taylor Swift with a 9 p.m. dance party. The 18+ bash promises all the glitz, glamor and good times of previous theme nights held at the city’s legendary ballroom, so don’t miss out on the fun. See www.pabsttheatergroup for details and tickets.

For Milwaukee’s most comprehensive coverage of music, visit shepherdexpress.com

NOVEMBER 30 OLDER ADULT DROP-IN AT MILWAUKEE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER (315 W. COURT ST.): If you’re a senior looking to make friends, find support and simply have a good time, check out this 2-5 p.m. get-together. Enjoy snacks, card games and lively discussions. Email ccarter@mkelgbt.org for more info.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 87

HEAR ME OUT | SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

Welcome to the Weimar Republic

BY PAUL MASTERSON

T

his year, November 9 marks the 100th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s so-called Beer Hall Putsch. It was a significant moment in the history of the Weimar Republic, Germany’s ill-fated attempt at democracy, when, in 1923, Hitler’s Stormtroopers tried to overthrow the elected government. The Putsch failed and Hitler was briefly imprisoned (his prisoner number was “45”).

of iterations united in common grievance, antisemitism and homophobia. In the past, Nazis appeared in home-made storm trooper uniforms at PrideFest and elsewhere, to shout “not in our town” slogans, then to retreat to the suburbs for brats and beer. Now, however, they are organized and armed, following an undeniably Nazi inspired playbook.

It may seem an odd centennial to recognize. For many, especially those with no interest in history, mentioning it gets a confused look at best. However, a reference to the popular musical Cabaret might jar a memory—you know, the movie version with Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli, and the Rep staged it years ago ... It’s set during the Weimar Republic. And, if you were ever curious what life was like at the time, we’re living it today.

Recently, more and more dots have been lining up to be connected. Reminiscent of 1920s right-wing German rallies, during the 2016 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump regularly called for political violence and locking up his rival candidate. Months after his inauguration, in August 2017, he endorsed the neo-Nazi white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA who, during their “Unite the Right” march, chanted “Jews will not replace us” while parading under swastika and runic banners. Trump called them “fine people.”

Like the characters of “Cabaret,” who, for all the distraction created by the Roaring ‘20s explosion of artistic energy, sexual liberation and progressive democratic ideals, chose to dismiss the rise of Nazism, we, too, have ignored the many warning signs. Today, in the guise of the MAGA GOP, Nazism is again on the rise.

ORGANIZED AND ARMED In fact, it has been here all along, closeted, as it were, limited to a variety

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The next year saw another international news item, the infamous photo of Baraboo High School juniors giving the Nazi salute and flashing the white power sign. Gov. Tony Evers condemned it. I wrote about it. The German press covered it as well, quoting the “stunned” reaction of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp Memorial.

The “Official Trump Card” hawked to followers featured an eagle design appropriated from a Nazi SS flag bearer’s emblem. Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) made headlines when, in 2021, its conference dais was in the shape of the Nazi Odal rune (also seen at Charlottesville). Deutschland Erwache! the Nazi Weimar-era motto and clarion call “Germany Wake Up!” has also been adapted to the “ReAwaken America” tour, a MAGA movement gas lighting road show promoting white Christian nationalism.

CONTROLLING SOCIETY Still, one could argue the use of salutes and iconography by extremists does not a Nazi party make. But there’s more, of course, that does. The Nazi strategy to control all aspects of society was already in motion prior to their takeover in 1933. Today’s GOP exerts identical efforts to seize school boards, health departments, election boards, the judiciary, civil service and law enforcement in order to control the mechanics of democracy. Wisconsin’s spate of school districts crushing LGBTQ expression, book bans and the recent Racine School District firing a beloved school principal because he is gay are only the most recent examples.

Meanwhile, the Nazi cult of personality that eventually propelled Hitler to power is embodied by Trump himself.

Red hat photo by undefined undefined/Getty Images. Stage photo by mel-nik/Getty Images. Composition by Michael Burmesch.

In fact, echoing Nazi racial theory, he has denigrated people of color for “poisoning the blood of our country” while touting his own superior “German genes.” Of course, his narcissistic conviction in his own superiority is his modus operandi, even musing about being president for life.

Then came the 2020 election. Trump’s defeat launched the Big Lie narrative of the stolen election. The attempted coup on January 6, 2021, was his version of the Beer Hall Putsch. Like Hitler, this failure to overthrow democracy only made his fixation on power even more determined.

Now running again for president, Trump has laid out his vision of America. Looking ahead, Republicans have created Project 2025, a plan for the systematic removal of tens of thousands government workers to be replaced by loyalists. In a recent CPAC speech, the would-be GOP Fuhrer has announced a new “baby boom,” suggesting government subsidies, “baby bonuses,” to encourage it. Coupled with the campaign to end all abortions, the effort is to provide a white work

force to end the reliance on immigrants and the replacement of the white race by minorities. He also revisited the Nazi concept of Lebensraum, living space, promising to build “freedom cities” for young families. Those cities would be built in “the magnificent classical style of Western civilization” (read in the manner of previous authoritarian regimes of Hitler and Mussolini.). Ugly modern buildings (read degenerate art like the Calatrava), would be razed, he added. Naturally, he has suggested terminating the Constitution.

Another Weimar déjà vu is our LGBTQ complacency. There has been a significant increase of Nazi harassment at Pride events, throughout the nation.

Wisconsin’s turn came at Watertown Pride where a cadre of neo-Nazis disrupted the event chanting “There will be blood, blood, blood.” In response Gov. Evers released a statement condemning the Nazis. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) also issued a public declaration of solidarity with the LGBTQ community, in part stating, “We extend our unwavering support to our LGBTQ friends and allies, and we will not be silent in

the face of attacks upon them.” Wes Shaver, Milwaukee Pride Inc. president, publicly thanked the JCRC for their statement and Cream City Foundation shared it on social media. Other LGBTQ organizations and leaders were sadly silent, neither reacting to the Nazi’s intimidation at the Pride event nor responding to the governor’s and JCRC’s statements.

To be fair, as preoccupied as we are with drag shows and pronouns it is of little surprise that when the first Republican presidential debate took place in Milwaukee, news coverage of protests by various women’s, immigrant and civil rights groups showed neither rainbow flags nor garnered a mention of a participating LGBTQ group.

“Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome…”

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.

NOVEMBER 2023 | 89

ART FOR ART'S SAKE

From The City That Always Sweeps

BY ART KUMBALEK

Photo by Drazen Zigic/Getty Images.

I

’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, I hear it’s already the 11th month of this year, the one we ought to call November. For christ sakes, didn’t we just have the Halloween schmutz and now out-of-the-gray we got this month to deal with?

Cripes, the passing of Halloween reminds me that another wintertime is right ’round the corner. This season, I’d like to practice what-you-call your “safe winter.” You can bet your bottom’s dollar that no focking way am I leaving the house without my rubbers ’cause you never ever really do know when Old Man Winter will rear his frosty head and administer one of his patented massive snowjobs, and that sure as hell is no time to be caught with your pants down, you think?

How time flies, what the fock. But as the august philosopher Groucho Marx, circa 20th century, once opined: “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”

So true, and “so it goes”; to borrow a phrase from the treasured soothsayer, Kurt Vonnegut, birthdate, the 11th of a November—the month I’m aiming to talk about here, I kid you not.

But allow me to borrow another quote from the WWII veteran, prisoner-of-war (thank you for your service in every way) and survivor of the needless Dresden (Florence on the Elbe), Germany, Allied-bombing destruction: “A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” (From The Sirens of Titan, 1959.)

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And so now, this year 2023, Veterans Day falls on November 11; so it goes to remember.

But as I scan my “South Seas Strumpets” yearly calendar for other important dates within this 11th month, I do notice another birthday, that being for yours truly (as a gift, a load of cold cash enclosed within a bullshit Hallmark card sent to the Shepherd Express would be appreciated as would a personal hand-written check not to mention personal ID info so’s I could access your credit/debit card whenever I ran a bit short on paying off a nomiss sports bet; so’s to thank you.)

And before I begin to forget, to those of you’s who plan to jump the gun on the holiday shopping season: I take a 42-44 regular in a nice sports coat; also, I’m running low on wearable socks, god bless you.

Hey, speaking of November, I’m reminded that we’ve come upon your orange-clad deer-hunting season.

And so for our valiant big-buck hunters up a tree or scattered to and fro across Badgerland’s hills and dales presently, here’s a little riddle that never fails to put the guys in the mood for a night of beer-bingeing after a day outdoors shooting at each other before they snore the walls off their cozy deer camp: What’s the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts? Give up? OK. Beer nuts can run you a good buck twoeighty out of pocket, but deer nuts are always under a buck. Ba-ding!

Anyways, I got to go but here’s the least I can do: For those of you who read this essay before trotting off to your Thanksgiving obligations, let me give you a little something you can take along and share at your gathering so you don’t show up empty-handed like some kind of freeloading fockstick. If you’re too damn lazy or broke to bring a dish or gallon of bourbon, a swell little story would be a nice alternative, you betcha.

So this young Ivy Leaguer from the city goes down South to visit a distant great-uncle on his farm. For the first few days, the uncle shows him the usual things—chickens, hogs, the cotton crop. After three days, it’s obvious that the nephew was bored on his ass, and the uncle ran short of things to amuse him with.

The uncle has an idea: “Listen son, why don’t you grab a gun, take the dogs and go do some hunting?” This cheers the nephew and off he goes with the dogs. Couple, three hours later, the nephew returns. Uncle says, “So, y’all have a good time?”

Nephew says: “Fan-focking-tastic!

Hey, got any more dogs?” Ba-ding!

And so in conclusion, I wish for you’s that wherever you find yourself this T-giving holiday, god speed and remember to fight the good fight. And whilst gathered ’round the turkey table, perhaps take a moment to perhaps toast, perhaps pray, for the couple-three thousand-year veteran ingenious Indigenous stewards and protectors of this land. May their service be so honored, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.