Shepherd Express - April 2025

APRIL 2025 NEXT ISSUE ON STANDS

APRIL 30, 2025

Earth Day ENVISIONING A CLEANER FUTURE How to Make Climate Activism Joyful

How 4/20 Day Bloomed into a Celebrated Holiday

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MONTH YEAR | 3

NEWS 06 How to make Climate Activism Joyful

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10 Metro Milwaukee's Unequal Landscapes 14 Milwaukee Community Center for Immigrants Provides Help for Refugees 18 Carville is Right: It's the Economy — Issue of the Month 21 This Modern World 22 Mao Beckett: Decolonized, LiberationCentered Therapy and Healing — Hero of the Month 26 Brian Sonderman, CEO, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity — MKE SPEAKS: Conversations with Milwaukeeans 30 Remebering Joel McNally

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FOOD & DRINK 32 Von Trier Continues to Create Gemütlichkeit 34 A Love Affair with Sicily — Beverages 38 DIY Chocolate — Flash in the Pan

SPECIAL SECTION 40 Keeping Your Pets Safe & Happy this Easter — Pets

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42 2025 Brewers Season Preview — Sports Spotlight SPONSORED BY 44 Buying a Home or Renting: How to Best Leverage Your Savings?

— Personal Finance

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50 Current Electric: Ask The Experts — Home 52 Some like it Cold — Garden 54 How 4/20 Day Bloomed into a Celebrated Holiday — Cannabis SPONSORED BY 56 Entering the Longetivity Zone — True Health 58 Any Ill to find the Cure — Out of My Mind

CULTURE 60 When a Nation Came Together in Resistance 64 This Month in Milwaukee

LIFESTYLE 68 Ask Ally

HEAR ME OUT 70 Nieces Turning Nasty — Dear Ruthie 72 We are Family — My LGBTQ POV

26 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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ART FOR ART'S SAKE 74 From the City that Always Sweeps

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Cover Illustration by Timothy Czerniakowski.

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NEWS

How to Make Climate Activism Joyful JOINING WITH OTHERS IN POSITIVE ACTION HELPS THE PLANET WHILE MAKING US HAPPIER

BY VIRGINIA SMALL

E

arth Day, first celebrated in 1970, popularized grassroots environmentalism and greater awareness of how everything is connected.

One personal approach to climate activism is to align everyday actions with our values and what gives us joy.

Larissa Dooley, a research scientist and psychologist at the Climate Mental Health Network, explains, “If we value being a good parent or citizen and then do something that reinforces our perception of ourselves as a good parent or citizen, that can lead to a release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins and a subjective experience of fulfillment and happiness.”

Joyful activism involves doing things that address the biosphere crisis while also fostering connection, validation and belonging. Climate scientists concur that human activities contribute to extreme climate events.

Conversely, people can help reduce levels of carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere. Here are some practical strategies and ongoing local options.

Engage in conversation. Talking about the climate crisis is an important step. It can lighten our collective burden by clarifying what is important to us and how we might address some aspect of the crisis. We can share our worries, fears and hopes. Regular check-ins with one or more collaborators strengthens accountability and counters futility.

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Find something you enjoy doing. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson introduced a Venn diagram to help people to address the climate crisis. Johnson is a marine biologist, conservation strategist and author of What if We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures. She suggests analyzing what you’re good at, what needs to be done, and what you enjoy doing. Mandi McAlister, an environmentalist and founder of Milwaukee’s Fair Future Movement, uses Johnson’s approach in groups she facilitates. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation that calls for all skills and trades. Any contribution is needed and will be helpful.

Contributing in a way that brings you joy is going to help you do so sustainably,” says McAlister.

Limit time on social media. McAlister uses social media to find actions and initiatives to support. “But, if I’m not careful, it can quickly lead to ‘doomscrolling’ and feeling overwhelmed. I’ve found I’m better able to face these issues when I’m in community with people with shared values, and away from the distraction of social media. Doing this work alone can feel really isolating and depressing. It’s important to do it with friends.”

Start close to home. Reducing food waste and composting are two personal actions with exceptional impacts on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the form of methane. We can all consider how to compost where we work and gather, and how to decrease food that gets wasted.

Photo by GettyImages/ViewApart.

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Lamont Smith, Milwaukee program manager for The Nature Conservancy, subscribed his household in the Milwaukeebased Compost Crusader program about 10 years ago.

Now she mentors others in how to maintain fruit trees.

Lamont Smith is among those who volunteer to care for orchards, and his children now eagerly join him.

“Our school-age kids have never thrown food into the household trash,” he said. Climate-conscious habits can easily become second nature.

Plant purposefully. Shade trees mitigate heat and serve other goals, including quality of life. Native perennial plants that attract pollinators—birds, bees and other insects— contribute to valuable ecosystem habitat. Seek out plants you find beautiful, or ones you’d like to grow for food.

Then research their needs, growth habits, maintenance and other practical matters. Follow the adage “right plant, right place” to ensure that your plantings will thrive and remain a source of joy for you and others. And, as with other actions, it’s usually most productive to start with modest, manageable efforts.

Decrease food waste. Some local organizations foster food justice while decreasing GHG emissions from food waste.

One project of the nonprofit Tikkun Ha-Ir (“Repair the City’ in Hebrew) is the Veggie Chop Shop, a community meal program that operates from July through October. It focuses on gleaning fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste, cooking healthy meals with it, and delivering those meals to organizations around Milwaukee that support low-income families and individuals. Related programs continue during the off-season. Visit https://thi-milwaukee.org/thi-veggiechop-shop/ to volunteer.

BEANS NOT BEEF Eat less meat, more legumes. Decreasing meat consumption, especially beef, is a proven strategy for reducing GHG emissions. Legumes are the most affordable and versatile food group for plant-based protein. This includes beans, peas and other food encased in pods. Legumes have nourished people around the world since prehistoric times.

There are unlimited options for using them in soups, casseroles, salads and dips.

Expand culinary horizons. Most people don’t eat specific foods simply because they are healthy or “good for the planet.” At least not on a regular basis.

Finding dishes that taste good is essential to joyful, climate-conscious eating. We can start by ordering plantbased options at our usual haunts and work up to visiting vegan or vegetarian restaurants or food-truck vendors.

Potluck and restaurant buffets with many plantbased items are good ways to sample new items.

Cooking demonstrations and classes, including ones that focus on plant-based fare, are offered by numerous local entities, including Alice’s Garden Urban Farm, Plant Joy, The Table, Tricklebee Café and the UW Extension Service.

Do climate-conscious things with others. Visit farmers markets. Cook or bake plant-based food together. Host a potluck meal. Join with someone to walk or bike somewhere, rather than driving. Look for ways to carpool. Connect with others in a book group focused on environmental topics.

Check out the City of Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Plan https://city.milwaukee.gov/City-Forms/ECO_ClimatePlan_ OnePager.pdf and discuss one or more of its key recommendations with someone.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Connect more dots. The climate crisis stems from many complex sources. Besides studying on our own, we can learn through community conversations, lectures and film series. For example, Milwaukee Film’s “Let's Dig In” film series showcases sustainability issues and solutions.

Each documentary is shown at noon on a Saturday at the Oriental Theater, followed by a panel discussion with experts. Venice R. Williams, a longtime leader involved in food systems and sustainability in Milwaukee, is facilitating conversations on multiple topics throughout 2025. The series is called “Imagine What America Can Be in the 21st Century.” Visit the Alice’s Garden website at https://www.alicesgardenmke.com/ for dates and locations.

Make it fun. Christie Melby-Gibbons infuses joy and creativity into everything she does, whether as executive director of Tricklebee Café (a pay-what-you-can vegan café) or as a parent. She and her husband David Gibbons have repurposed tree stumps in their back yard into a play kitchen, and they grow herbs and greens. “We do a lot of play time with the Earth,” she says. She teaches their three children how to recognize and forage edible plants, including in their yard. “I want them to have survival skills and be curious.” For vacations, they avoid air travel and instead choose getaways that are close to home.

To decrease the use of electricity, they often enjoy family dinners by candlelight.

Virginia Small is an award-winning Milwaukee writer

Volunteer on collective projects. Options abound throughout greater Milwaukee to participate in projects that positively impact the climate and the environment. Individuals can assist with environmental clean-ups, join a friends group to remove invasive plants, or organize ad-hoc efforts, such as picking up plastic trash. Jan Carroll, a retired nurse, became knowledgeable about caring for community orchards planted on vacant urban lots in Milwaukee.

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Illustration by GettyImages/Dmitry Volkov.

APRIL 2025 | 9

NEWS

Metro Milwaukee’s Unequal Landscapes

UWM STUDY ANALYZES EQUITY FACTORS IN ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

BY VIRGINIA SMALL

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new comprehensive study by the UWM’s Center for Economic Development (CED) examines environmental equity in the Milwaukee metro area. The report explores four separate themes: housing and lead exposure, climate change and environmental amenities, industrial pollution and motor vehicle pollution.

The study area includes Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties.

Nene Osutei, the report’s co-author with Joel Rast, told the Shepherd Express that the project’s goal was to create “a detailed inventory of environmental risk in Milwaukee.” While there are several ways of looking at and measuring environmental equity in metropolitan areas, the “principal lens” the authors use is that of race and ethnicity. In particular, they sought to “determine whether predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods face the same degree of environmental risks and enjoy the same access to environmental amenities as neighborhoods that are mostly white.”

Osutei is a senior researcher and policy analyst at the CED. His research focuses on urban development and environmental equity. His academic interests also lie in exploring how neighborhoods change over time and how institutional environments can shape urban development processes. He approaches these questions using quantitative and spatial analytical methods. Rast is director of the CED and UWM’s Urban Studies Department, and a professor of political science. His teaching interests include urban development/redevelopment since World War II, urban politics, environmental politics and the politics of climate change.

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The project was informed by an extensive body of literature on the topic of environmental justice, “much of which finds evidence of significant disparities in the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens along racial and ethnic lines in cities and states around the country. Our goal was to determine whether the Milwaukee region fits this pattern.”

Osutei said that they spent about a year and half collecting and analyzing many forms of data. They drew from research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as Wisconsin’s departments of transportation, natural resources and health services, among other sources.

The researchers found many instances of environmental inequities, especially in disparities in park space, tree canopy coverage and the presence of “heat islands,” as well as exposure to lead in homes. The study revealed “strong evidence that environmental benefits and burdens are not equitably shared among the region’s racial and ethnic groups.” Risks “associated with the planet’s warming climate grow increasingly pronounced. With little discretionary income for such luxuries as air conditioning and a preponderance of medical conditions exacerbated by extreme heat, many neighborhoods of color face growing vulnerabilities to heat-related health risks. Such concerns, along with additional hazards posed by climate change, can be expected to increase over time,” the study said.

However, the study’s findings were mixed. In other cases, certain longstanding environmental problems have faded in significance.

Photo by GettyImages/ImagesbyK.

“In the case of industrial emissions, for example, disproportionately high toxic emissions in mostly Black and Hispanic Milwaukee neighborhoods as recently as 1990 have dropped significantly as manufacturing has left these areas during the past three decades.”

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AMENITIES The study examined where shade trees are located and the implications of dramatically unequal tree canopy coverage, as well as the size and location of public parks and green space.

In terms of park space, the study found that “a community area’s overall park space … is the superior measure of park access. A one- or two-square-block municipal park is not the equivalent of a 200-acre county park with hiking trails and bike paths. The significant advantage that residents of mostly white and higher income census tracts enjoy in…access to overall park space comes in addition to their advantages in tree canopy coverage.”

Here are some of the study’s key findings about environmental amenities:

Trees are especially important in urban areas for the multiple roles they serve. In flood prone areas, trees help to intercept and absorb water, reducing water on impervious surfaces and stabilizing soils. For the Milwaukee area, this is especially relevant since the region’s natural floodplains (such as creeks, underground streams and wetlands) often have been replaced by asphalt and concrete, leaving areas more susceptible to flooding, especially during extreme rain events.

• On average, predominantly white census tracts have 221 square meters of tree canopy coverage per person, while mostly Black tracts have 110 square meters and mostly Hispanic tracts have just 64.

Other studies have found that “urban tree canopy cover provides one of the most important defenses against heat islands and heat-related illnesses by lowering ambient temperatures by nearly 10 degrees.” Researchers also have found trees to be associated with varied health benefits, including reduced air pollution, reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness, and increased opportunity for physical activity.

• Low-poverty tracts (representing less than 10 percent of residents) have more than three times as much park space as census tracts with the highest rates of poverty (representing more than 30 percent of residents).

• Census tracts that are predominantly white average 250 acres of park space, while those that are mainly Black average 140 acres and those that are chiefly Hispanic average just 91 acres.

• City of Milwaukee temperature readings indicate that summer temperatures for individual census tracts may vary by as much as 10 degrees. In temperature data collected in July 2022, 17 of the city’s 25 hottest census tracts were predominantly Black or Hispanic.

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NEWS

Eighteen of the city’s 25 coolest census tracts were predominantly white. Compared with the coolest census tracts, the 25 hottest tracts have household incomes of $20,000 less and poverty rates more than double those of the coolest tracts.

The study revealed other key findings:

HOUSING AND LEAD EXPOSURE

• Of 74 regional highway segments meeting the Federal Highway Administration’s definition of high-volume segments, 64 run through neighborhood areas that are mostly white.

• Only 14 percent of high-volume highway segments run through residential areas in which residents are mostly non-white.

• The percentage of Milwaukee area children testing positive for lead has declined significantly since the 1990s.

However, the percentage of Black children testing positive today is five times

• Predominantly white residential areas located near highest-volume highway segments are not, for the most part, lower-income. All but two such areas have poverty rates below 20 percent.

higher than that of white children, while the percentage of Hispanic children is three times higher.

• Milwaukee’s pronounced patterns of residential segregation, with few Black residents living in suburban areas where many high-volume highway segments are located, may help explain why Milwaukee differs from other metro areas in which neighborhoods along highway corridors are more likely to be non-white.

• Census tracts that are predominantly Black or Latino have significant concentrations of older rental housing in which owners are less likely to have undertaken lead-abatement measures.

• Predominantly Hispanic census tracts contain 13 percent of the city of Milwaukee’s housing units, but 24 percent of the share of all housing units with lead service lines.

White census tracts contain 41 percent of housing units, but only 34 percent of units with lead service lines.

INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION • Toxic chemical releases have declined significantly across the region since 1990. In 1990, the 50 most adversely impacted census tracts had release levels nearly 15 times higher than those in 2020.

• In 1990, the largest concentrations of the region’s highest-risk industrial pollutants were located chiefly in or adjacent to the City of Milwaukee. By 2020, Milwaukee census tracts that had previously been hot spots of toxicity concentrations were testing at levels below those of portions of Waukesha County and south Milwaukee County.

• In 1990, 35 of the 50 most adversely impacted census tracts were predominantly non-white. By 2020, predominantly white tracts accounted for 33 of the 50 most impacted tracts.

• Fabricated metal establishments, the region’s largest source of toxic chemical releases, have declined since 1990 in both majority white and majority non-white census tracts, reducing chemical emissions. However, the EPA’s risk scores for fabricated metals are approximately 14 times higher for non-white census tracts as they are for predominantly white tracts.

MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS • Motor vehicle emissions may pose significant health risks for residents along major highway corridors. Research shows that in many urban areas, non-white and lower-income populations are more likely to live in close proximity to highways than white and higher-income residents.

The Milwaukee region does not appear to conform to this pattern.

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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS The authors said that addressing the environmental inequities identified in their report will not be simple. “However, steps can be taken—some small, others more substantial and longer-term—to begin shifting environmental outcomes in a more equitable direction,” they concluded. They outlined several policy recommendations that could most effectively address some of the key disparities uncovered by their research.

• The State of Wisconsin should consider adopting bloodlead testing requirements for children, particularly for cities where known lead hazards persist.

• The City of Milwaukee should require that owners of rental properties built before 1978 test for the presence of leadbased paint and complete any needed lead abatement before renting a property.

• Public resources should be aligned to ensure that urban greening programs, such as the City of Milwaukee’s “Growing Milwaukee’s Tree Canopy and Community Resilience” program have ongoing support.

• City and county officials should consider using targeted incentives such as developer tax credits, property tax abatements, or density bonuses to encourage the use of green roofs, especially in the city’s hottest locations.

• Heat-response plans should identify and publicize the locations of cooling centers, particularly in communities with the highest heat-related health risks. Orienting transit routes to maximize the accessibility of vulnerable populations to cooling centers should also be considered.

• The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should have the authority to independently test for the presence of contaminants when redevelopment is proposed on former industrial sites, without requiring the permission of the current owner, as the law presently states.

• State legislators should ensure that regulators have sufficient funds for effective oversight and enforcement to better ensure that the redevelopment of brownfield properties is carried out in ways that do not pose unacceptable risks to public health.

• Investing state and federal infrastructure funds in the expansion of highways without parallel efforts to improve public transit is an unsustainable strategy that will ultimately worsen the region’s already significant air-quality problems. State and regional transportation planners should proactively identify opportunities for major investments in public transit so that when funds become available plans are already in place.

• Noise-reduction walls and vegetation along highway corridors, commonly built to mute noise from passing vehicles, can also reduce exposure to vehicle emissions for populations downwind from highways. City and county officials should work with state and federal transportation officials on the I-94 East-West rebuilding project to place noise barriers or densely planted trees and shrubs in areas of high residential density to reduce air pollution.

GOING FORWARD This study follows a long line of applied studies produced by the CED examining various issues confronting Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin, including labor market trends, public transit access, and inner-city poverty, among other issues. Osutei said, “A key aspect of our mission is to provide data and analysis that can be used by decisionmakers and stakeholders in the process of developing solutions to the region’s policy problems.

The complete report is freely available online https:// uwm.edu/ced/unequal-landscapes-race-ethnicity-andenvironmental-equity-in-metro-milwaukee-2/ through the CED’s website.

Virginia Small is an award-winning Milwaukee writer.

Illustration by GettyImages/Greens87.

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Milwaukee Community Center for Immigrants Provides Help for Refugees

BY CAROL BRILL

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re you upset and feeling helpless about our country’s direction and the leaders in Washington?

Remember all change begins at the local level!

You can make a difference working for change and social justice here in your hometown, especially by supporting immigrants and refugees.

Lewis explains that her organization is a marriage between her personal and professional lives. During her studies to become an educator, she dated a Tibetan refugee living in India. The struggles experienced by Dhondup, her future husband, sensitized her to the difficulties that refugees encounter when immigrating to the United States.

Did you know that Milwaukee is currently home to the largest Rohingya refugee population in the United States?

The Rohingya are a stateless ethnic group who are predominantly from Myanmar (formerly Burma) in Southeast Asia. In 2017, over 740,000 Rohingyas fled Myanmar due to political persecution, ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by Burma’s military regime.

Refugees are often treated with hostility by immigration authorities and lack the knowledge or resources to claim their rights to U.S. citizenship. They also experience disproportionate levels of poverty, illiteracy, and discrimination.

The Rohingyas, Milwaukee’s newest group of refugees, joins other immigrants from Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan. Caitlyn Lewis, founder and executive director of Community Center for Immigrants, has worked closely with these communities since founding CCI in 2021.

CCI is a Department of Justice recognized provider of immigration legal services and educational programming for low-income immigrants and their families.

EDUCATION AND LEGAL SERVICES In 2024, CCI provided education and legal services to over 900 immigrants, seeking refuge in Milwaukee from war, political persecution, and ethnic cleansing.

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SKILLS AND CITIZENSHIP CCI’s goal is to help refugees and immigrants achieve U.S. citizenship and gain the skills needed for selfsufficiency, economic independence, and deeper community integration.

The organization’s “small but mighty” staff of four collaborates with teachers and volunteers to provide free English classes, citizenship preparation courses, workforce development, and affordable immigration legal services.

CCI’s passion for serving the immigrant community is reflected in the growing demand for their services.

However, the new Trump administration threatens the future of CCI. Since January, the federal government has frozen over ¼ of CCI’s funding. Yet, Ms. Lewis emphasizes that despite political headwinds, the organization has developed a strategy to support immigrant rights.

Photos courtesy of the Community Center for Immigrants.

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APRIL 2025 | 15

NEWS Through collaboration with resettlement agencies and other immigration legal providers, CCI is adapting services to the needs of an immigrant community under attack.

The need to support immigrants in Milwaukee is greater than ever! For every 1 affordable immigration legal service provider there are 14,000 low-income immigrants.

Therefore, CCI is calling on all good Milwaukeeans to step up and support immigrants.

SIDEBAR How You Can Help Further the Good Work of CCI and Help Your Immigrant Neighbors?

• Get Informed and Get involved. Milwaukee’s immigrant communities are diverse, each bringing unique cultures, languages, customs and challenges. Sign up for CCI’s newsletter at. Communitycenterforimmigrants.com • Volunteer! Teach, assist in class, help conduct citizenship interviews, market CCI to the larger community. Whatever your talents, there is a place for you at CCI. Contact Jeremy Booth to volunteer, learn more, get training on the “Volunteer with CCI” Contact form on the website: communitycenterforimmigrants.com • Donate. Under the new administration 28% of CCI’s budget is frozen. Donations large and small are accepted at communitycenterforimmigrants.com.

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APRIL 2025 | 17

NEWS ISSUE OF THE MONTH

Carville Is Right: It's The Economy

BY WILLIAM HOLAHAN

I

n 1992, when James Carville was the campaign manager and chief strategist for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign, he famously urged his staff to shift their focus from distractions—such as defending the candidate from accusations of scandal—to economic concerns that were of paramount importance to voters. Carville's directive remains relevant today: Democratic Party candidates would have a better chance of winning elections if they concentrated on the financial concerns of voters, including job security, income growth, non-wage worker compensation such as health insurance and pensions, and the prices of essential consumer goods and services like groceries, transportation, housing, health care, and education.

Carville emphasized this point by writing on a blackboard: “It's the Economy, Stupid.” (He was paraphrasing the KISS principle—Keep It Simple, Stupid—a military maxim advocating for equipment and strategies to be designed for ease of repair and modification, even with limited tools and sophistication available during battle.)

ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE: DEMOCRATIC VS. REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS SINCE 1949 Since household economics—the prices of gas, housing and favorite items at the grocery store, like eggs and ground beef—are influenced by the performance of the overall economy, it's useful to compare the longterm economic performance under Democratic versus Republican presidencies.

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The Economic Policy Institute (epi.org), using government data from 1949 to 2024, found that real GDP (adjusted for inflation) grew 1.2 percentage points faster during Democratic administrations than Republican ones, 3.8% versus 2.6%. Total job growth averaged 2.5% under Democrats compared to 1% under Republicans, resulting in an average of 2.4 million more jobs per year since 1949. Additionally, incomes of families in the bottom 20% of the income distribution grew 188% faster under Democratic administrations. Under Carville's maxim, the Democrats' failure to communicate these achievements was a key shortcoming in their 2024 campaign.

BIDEN HANDED TRUMP THE BEST ECONOMY IN DECADES Economist Dean Baker (via Patreon) provides recent data showing that Trump inherited a very strong economy from Biden. In Biden's last quarter in office, GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.3%, bringing the average growth rate for his presidency to 3.2%, the highest since Clinton’s second term.

By January 2025, the unemployment rate had fallen to 4.0%, maintaining a stable range of 4.0 to 4.3% since May 2024. Consequently, the average unemployment rate during Biden’s term was 4.1%, the lowest since Johnson's last term over fifty years ago.

Trump's second term began with an inflation rate of 3%, reduced from its Covid-induced high of around 10%.

The U.S. has had the best post-Covid recovery among developed nations, with productivity growing at 2% in 2024.

Alarmingly, Trump's fixation on tariffs threatens to undo this progress.

Photo by GettyImages/Lazy_Bear.

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NEWS ISSUE OF THE MONTH

FOLLOW THE TARIFF MONEY Contrary to Trump's claim that other countries, such as China, will bear the cost of tariffs when American consumers buy their products, the tariff is actually paid by the importing company when these products enter the US. These companies then recover their tariff expenses by raising the retail prices that consumers pay. The revenue from any tariffs paid by the importing companies will go to the U.S. Treasury to help offset the income tax cuts Trump has planned for upper-income groups.

Consequently, U.S. consumers end up paying twice—once when they buy imported products and again through a transfer of income from average taxpayers to the wealthy.

Democrats should show voters how to follow the money: the revenue from this tax on consumers could go either to the U.S. Treasury where it can finance a deficit reduction, justified by pointing to the large 36.5 trillion debt; but in a bait and switch, in accordance with the Project 2025 plan being implemented by the Trump Administration, the revenue will go to finance a tax cut for those in the top income tax bracket.

THE CARVILLE COROLLARY: DUTY TO INFORM AND PROTECT THE RECORD If the voting public had been better informed with readily available data on how well the economy was performing relative to the rest of the world as well as national norms, the outcome of the 2024 election—a loss by 1.5 percent— might have been different. That record also provides the point of comparison for future examinations of Trump's handling of the economy; Trump clearly understands this because he falsely denigrates the Biden economic record on a daily basis. Moreover, it is essential to warn voters that Trump's efforts to implement Project 2025’s imposition of tariffs, deportation of productive workers and indiscriminate firing of federal workers threaten to derail the Biden economy that he inherited.

William Holahan is emeritus professor and former chair of UWM’s department of economics.

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APRIL 2025 | 21

NEWS HERO OF THE MONTH

Mao Beckett: Decolonized, Liberation-Centered Therapy and Healing

BY BEN SLOWEY

H

ealing is rooted in decolonization and liberation at Reset & Resilient Wellness. Founder Mao Beckett is an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist who incorporates somatic and spiritual awareness into her practice, guiding her clients into paths of radical self-care, intuition strengthening, relational healing to self and others, and divestment from colonial and perfectionist thinking. Beckett started Reset & Resilient Wellness in 2020 and has lived in Milwaukee since 2023.

After getting her master’s degree in social work at Boston College, Beckett found herself disillusioned by the whitewashed, heteronormative approaches to therapy, finding them lacking cultural competence or being trauma-informed.

The Reset & Resilient Wellness website reads, “Healing and community is sacred and revolutionary. Connectedness and collectivism is rooted in all of us. Sometimes, we just need a reminder.”

“Luckily I was able to connect with other therapists who were feeling this collective misalignment,” she recalls.

“Around the same time, mindfulness had this huge boom in the mental health field, and I saw therapists selling certificate programs that cost thousands of dollars, but mindfulness is of the East; it’s ancestral to Buddhism, Hinduism and so many other cultures, and people were out here appropriating and commodifying this healing.”

Originally from outside Boston, Beckett’s interest in healing and wellness stems from her Kru Khmer ancestry.

Her father and grandfather were traditional medicine men from Cambodia who came to the U.S. in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Additionally, the show “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” piqued Beckett’s interest in psychology.

On top of it, Beckett would frequently observe buzzwords being used in the mental health industrial complex that only served to suit a capitalist paradigm, causing people to plateau in talk therapy more easily. “Everybody’s in survival mode,” Beckett continues. “That’s what shifted me into this somatic space of reconnecting our mind, body and spirit.”

“I love the study of behavior and the root of why someone would do what they do,” she says. “I know in my heart that there’s more to that, and that guided my trajectory.”

PREVENTATIVE CARE Beckett served in the U.S. Air Force for seven years and worked in the medical field as a public health technician doing preventative care work.

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COMMUNITY CARE To Beckett, liberation-centered healing is rooted in collective and community care as well as rebuilding the authentic sense of self. It is also where clients may reclaim their voices through non-pathologizing, non-judgmental and social justice-oriented praxis. “Colonization has disrupted that for hundreds of years,” she elaborates.

“We are not born as blank slates or with blank nervous systems.”

Header photo by Nini Xiong, Plant illustrations by GettyImages/Vadym Sukhorukov.

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NEWS HERO OF THE MONTH

In fact, Beckett’s practice fully acknowledges intergenerational trauma at the hands of colonial and imperial oppression. She incorporates concepts such as Daniel Siegel’s Interpersonal Neurobiology and Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory into her practice. Beckett cites from Polyvagal Theory, “Trauma is the chronic disruption of connection.”

To treat complex traumas, Beckett adapts these ideas into her EMDR intensive therapy. “It’s effective because it gets to things that we’re not even conscious of,” she notes. “In every memory reprocessing session, your brain connects with different networks and naturally taps into pent-up thoughts and insights, like a free association. Your brain takes you where you’ve been ready to go, so after a session, folks will feel like they just ran a marathon.”

STRESS RELIEF With her somatic and spiritual therapy services, Beckett adopts an integrative process for relieving stress and tension by way of techniques like mindfulness, movement and meditation. She also offers reiki and auriculotherapy (ear seeds) sessions. “New Age spirituality, well-intentioned in the beginning, became so watered-down and sterilized, which takes away the sacredness,” she affirms.

For pricing, Beckett utilizes the Green Bottle Sliding Scale in accordance with economic justice. “People have said that they feel like they can breathe again after they finish a session,” Beckett remarks about EMDR. “I experience EMDR with my somatic therapist in my own healing. You have more space for your feelings and emotions and reactions where you can better handle them. We’re not trying to get rid of them; we need our emotions to be our signals and protectors. We’re just not scared of them anymore.”

Beckett is part of local practitioner collective MKE Wellness For Palestine. She also hosts the collectivist self-care-themed “Hold Up, Wait A Minute!” podcast, which can be streamed at https://link.edgepilot.com/ s/3f2b3182/jfAEwEbh3UeN7FYndXf1ww?u=https://www. resetandresilientwellness.com/podcast-episodes, and she has a monthly newsletter that folks may subscribe to.

Follow her on Instagram @maobeckett_resetresilient.

Ben Slowey is a Milwaukee writer and regular contributor to shepherdexpress.com.

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Plant illustrations by GettyImages/Vadym Sukhorukov.

APRIL 2025 | 25

NEWS MKE SPEAKS: CONVERSATIONS WITH MILWAUKEEANS

Brian Sonderman, CEO, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity HELPING HARD WORKING RESIDENTS BUILD NEW HOMES

BY TOM JENZ

H

ousing or lack of housing is often in the news.

Can ordinary residents, especially people of color, afford to buy their own homes anymore?

Milwaukee's history of segregated housing is rooted in discriminatory practices begun in the early 20th century when African Americans started settling here. Due to economic constraints and racial discrimination, they were largely confined to a nine-square block area north of Downtown.

After years of resistance and 200 consecutive nights of marches led by the NAACP Youth Council in 1967-‘68, Milwaukee finally passed a fair housing ordinance on April 30, 1968, following the national Fair Housing Act. Despite these legal changes, housing segregation in Milwaukee still persists, discrimination patterns are hard to break. Enter Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity with CEO Brian Sonderman leading the way. His motto: “Everyone deserves a decent place to live.”

In 1919, Washington Highlands in Wauwatosa became the first metro Milwaukee neighborhood to impose restrictions prohibiting non-white residents from purchasing, owning, leasing or occupying property. By the 1940s, at least 16 of Milwaukee's 18 suburbs had instituted racial restrictive covenants.

To get to the Habitat for Humanity headquarters on Booth Street, I drove north on Holton Street, a corridor lined with mostly new, two-story row houses with almost the same design, clapboard sidings, peaked roofs and practical porches. These homes had been built through the Habitat for Humanity program.

In the 1930s, “redlining” entered the picture, making it difficult for African Americans to obtain mortgages in certain areas. By the 1960s, despite comprising 15% of Milwaukee's population, Black families were still highly segregated in isolated neighborhoods. Racially restrictive covenants legally prohibited homeowners from selling or renting to non-white buyers.

I met Sonderman at his Habitat office. He is tall, smart and serious, and encyclopedic about Habitat’s methods of providing new homes to the disadvantaged.

The civil rights movement in Milwaukee gained momentum in the 1960s when African American Alderwoman Vel Phillips introduced the first fair housing ordinance in 1962.

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Tell me about your background, where you grew up, your parents, schools and neighborhoods.

I grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin. My parents built their first home in Brookfield in 1960 for $12,000 and never had a mortgage. My dad’s entire career was at Allen-Bradley as an economist. My mom was a public school teacher but later stayed home to take care of myself and three older brothers.

Header photo by Tom Jenz.

We lived in an old-fashioned neighborhood where neighbors looked after one another. Kids played outside all day and came home for dinner. I went to the Brookfield public schools for 12 years, graduated from Brookfield Central.

You earned an accounting degree at UW Madison, and then got your Master of Divinity degree in Theology at Trinity University. Why go from accounting to theology?

Early in my career, I enjoyed accounting and banking, but I felt a calling to pastoral ministry. In later high school and then college, my faith became personal. I had a brother who was a pastor, and I looked up to him. After Trinity University, I went to work at the nondenominational Elmbrook Church as a pastor in 1998. Elmbrook Church developed new churches in Southeastern Wisconsin, and as a pastor, I started the east side Metrobrook Church in Downtown Milwaukee in 2005. Our congregation was mostly young professionals, college students and some retired people.

The name was later changed to Brew City Church. I did a lot more weddings than I did funerals.

How did you get involved with Habitat for Humanity?

You’ve been with the organization for 14 years, first, as executive director and then as the CEO. What drew me to Habitat was the work it was doing in the neighborhoods, investing in houses for families in need, mainly African Americans. The job connected me with two of my skills, banking and finance with the pastoral ministry side because Habitat has a faith foundation. This is a fulfilling job. I look forward to coming to work each day.

What exactly is Habitat for Humanity and how does it work?

Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity is a 501c3 nonprofit with a homeownership focused program. Our mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.

We utilize paid professionals and volunteers from all walks of life —suburban, urban, Blacks, whites, women, religious and nonreligious. They come together with a future homeowner to help build that person’s new home. That new homeowner spends over 200 hours to help us do the actual work. Over the past 40 years, we have served over 1500 families to build their new homes and also do home repairs for existing homeowners. We are focused on the central city, mainly north side neighborhoods. Currently, we build in MidTown, Lindsay Heights and Harambee. We encourage the development of strong neighborhood organizations like the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance.

There are 1,000 Habitat affiliates in this country, and Habitat is in 70 different countries around the world.

Beside building homes, I get the impression that Habitat is also providing stability.

That is a big part of our efforts.

Reading from your website. Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity has an open-door policy: “We invite you to help us build, no matter your race, religion, age, gender, political stance, or any other distinction.” If I am a low-income earner in need of a home or I need help with house repairs, how do I qualify?

You can do your application online through our website.

It’s a homebuyer assessment to see if you qualify for our program. To qualify, you need to be a first-time home buyer, have the means for paying back a monthly mortgage, and be willing to put in the hours to help build your new home. Generally, what we see is that applicants are spending 40% to 60% of their income on rental housing.

Our goal is to make sure that an applicant’s mortgage payments will be less than 30% of their monthly income.

As far as our house repairs program, most of our clients are elderly and want to stay in their homes. They just need repairs. We often get our new clients through referrals, homeowners who experienced our programs. In the last six months, we have gotten about 1,600 applications for homeownership. In 2025, we will build 34 homes.

Our Family Service staff evaluates every application.

Many people are not quite ready to qualify, and we call them “Not Yets,” and we provide those applicants with coaching and referrals.

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NEWS HERO OF THE MONTH

I understand the average cost to rent a dwelling in Milwaukee is more than $1,800 per month, and the average cost to own a home is more than $2,300 per month. According to your website, Milwaukee Habitat can help reduce that cost. Your typical monthly payment to own a brand new home is less than $950. But the new homeowners are required to help build their own homes to qualify for the affordable mortgage. How does Habitat for Humanity accomplish all this? Where does it get the funding?

And is Habitat involved in collecting the homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments?

We work with many different partners. Income comes from the sales of new homes to the buyers, but our homes cost more than we can sell them for. That subsidy gap is filled by individual and corporate donors, foundations, churches, and some government funding. We also make money off our three ReStores where we sell donated furniture and household goods. As far as collecting mortgage payments, for the first 35 years, Habitat was the bank, but we now partner with community banks and credit unions to provide below market mortgages for our homebuyers. Fixed term mortgages with no down payment. We vet the applicants and hand them off to a loan officer at a financial institution, who will collect the future mortgage payments.

Who does the work of evaluating applicants for your service? Who does the paperwork, and who helps build the houses?

Including our ReStores, we have close to 100 employees.

Seven employees comprise our Family Service team who work with families pre-purchase by providing financial coaching. That consists of evaluating about 1600 applications per year. The team also supports post-purpose by hosting classes and workshops. In terms of building the homes, we have thousands of volunteers who work with us each year. A couple hundred are highly skilled “habituals,” who work multiple times per month or even per week.

These are construction sites, and safety is paramount.

Our construction site foremen also manage the homebuyer who works alongside the volunteers. We have a very low foreclosure rate historically, under 0.4%. Personally, the best days for me is when I go to a completed house and do a new home dedication, cutting the ribbon with the family.

On a different avenue, existing homeowners can qualify for affordable home repairs of everything from roof replacements to electrical work and lead removal. Up to 80% of project costs can be covered based on the applicant’s income. Who, then, covers the bulk of the repair costs?

Our funders do. Grants from Northwestern Mutual, Bader Philanthropies, and Zilber, for instance. And the city of Milwaukee. Currently, we are doing nearly 120 repair projects with the city, such as lead abatement.

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Mayor Johnson was telling me the city is selling their empty lots for something like one dollar a lot.

We are very involved with that. Almost all of our lots are purchased from the city for a dollar each.

Escalating prices are making homeownership more difficult. A typical low-price house in the city cost about $71,000 in 2019. Today it costs $126,000, a 77% increase. A mid-price city home cost $126,000 in 2019. Today, it goes for $206,000. And a higherprice city home went for about $200,000 in 2019.

Today, that home sells for $294,000. What caused these price increases?

Simple supply and demand. In Milwaukee as in other cities, we have not done enough to replenish the housing stock in recent years, especially low and mid-priced houses. If you look at homebuilders in southeastern Wisconsin, they cannot really build a new home for less than $400,000 if they want to make a profit to stay in business. In the city of Milwaukee, there are 3,000 city owned vacant lots and 100s of vacant houses. Most of our homeowners want a stable home for their children, so they don’t have to move and go to different schools, so they will have a hopeful future.

Habitat is the largest builder of new construction homes in the city and one of the largest in southeastern Wisconsin.

At Habitat for Humanity, what is Women Build Week?

Women coming together to build a house. Last year, the women built two houses over a two-week period.

Only women do the construction.

How many homes have you built recently?

We built 32 homes last year, and this year, we will build 34, along with over 100 critical home repair projects. By 2028, we will be building 40 homes, I hope.

And you build homes in other countries, I believe.

Yes, we have a global platform. Ten percent of our unrestricted donations we give to our partners in the countries of El Salvador and Zambia. We also send Milwaukee volunteers to these two countries to help build homes. Historically, we have donated $5 million. I am very proud of that.

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

APRIL 2025 | 29

NEWS

Remembering Joel McNally

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

T

he Shepherd Express is mourning the death of Joel McNally. Joel died in February. He was 80 years old.

Joel brought a sense of humor to his mission as a writer. He loved his job, but it was more than just work. He covered city hall for a while and was legendarily carried out of a meeting on orders of Mayor Henry Maier, a politician who took himself too seriously and seldom cracked a smile. Like a latter-day Mark Twain, Joel used his next assignment for the Milwaukee Journal, the “Innocent Bystander” column, to satirize the world as he saw it. He took particular delight in tweaking the deer hunters each fall at the start of hunting season. He was sometimes a thorn in his editor’s side.

After 27 years with the Milwaukee Journal, Joel was let go in 1995 during the paper’s ill-executed merger with the Milwaukee Sentinel. In 1996 he became editor of the Shepherd Express.

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He departed as editor in 1999 but continued to write his weekly column, “Taking Liberties,” a pointed and no-holdsbarred commentary on the state of politics in the United States. The Shepherd’s publisher, Louis Fortis, gave Joel a verbal contract allowing him to write the column for life and to say what he thought on any issue—as long as he adhered to the facts.

Joel moved to Charlottesville, VA in 2016 with his wife Kit, whom he married in 1966 after graduating from Indiana University’s Journalism School. He continued writing his Shepherd Express column until ill health intervened late in 2024. He remained as an irascible foe of the bullying, corruption and lies that have increasingly characterized American politics. We will miss him.

For more on Joel McNally, visit shepherdexpress.com.

Photo via Joel McNally@Facebook.com.

APRIL 2025 | 31

FOOD & DRINK

Von Trier Continues to Create Gemütlichkeit

BY SUSAN HARPT GRIMES

A

n East Side institution, Von Trier has occupied the corner of North and Farwell for nearly 50 years.

Von Trier is known for an exceptional beer selection and friendly Germanic atmosphere. Generations of Milwaukeeans have bent an elbow under the iconic wrought iron antler chandelier, which once hung in the Pabst mansion.

The gorgeous wooden bar is backed with a German mural, and shelves throughout the space display a dizzying array of authentic beer steins. Memorabilia carefully curated over the years is proudly on view, while custom stained-glass windows with geometric shapes keep distractions of outside traffic to a minimum and create a vibe of being in an entirely different place or time. In warmer months Von Trier’s inviting brick walled beer garden is a favorite spot for a refreshing beverage and quick bite on a summer evening.

Before the current owners took over about six years ago, food offerings at Von Trier were limited to mostly simple bar bites. A newly remodeled full kitchen added just before that change in ownership means there’s some nice growth of the menu, making Von Trier more than a place for a drink before a show or after a movie, but a legit place to get a bite on a night out. In May, John Dye (Bryant’s, At Random) will become Von Trier’s new owner and he promises no major changes.

The food menu is brief, but solid. Expect German American fare and note that it all pairs quite nicely with a tasty draft beer (in the proper glassware, of course). On a recent visit service was fast and friendly. Begin your meal with a starter or two. You can’t go wrong with the giant pretzel from the Milwaukee Pretzel Company ($13) served with both a haus mustard and a delicious bier cheese dip—definitely meant to share if you expect to have room to eat anything else.

The Trier Poutine ($11) is also quite good, featuring crisp fries topped with a rich and tasty haus mushroom gravy and muenster cheese curds.

Von Trier’s main dishes consist mainly of specialty brats.

The exceptional Berliner Currywurst ($16) features two grilled knockwurst drizzled with a yummy curry ketchup, and served over fries, with sauerkraut, and delightful pickled onions on the side. Or you could try the Italienisch Sausage ($14), an Italian sausage loaded with green peppers and pepperoni, topped with marinara smothered with mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheese. If you are craving a more traditional German dish, go with the Pork Schnitzel Platter ($18) consisting of tender breaded pork loin served with the wonderful haus mushroom gravy and spätzles, plus sides of sauerkraut, pickled red onion, and vegetable. An incredible looking Smash Burger ($16) is also available.

Salads ($12-$13) and Soup ($5-$7) round out the menu.

Von Trier offers an extensive list of German, craft, and other imported draft beers, bottled beers, wines and specialty cocktails, so you will have no trouble finding the perfect beverage to pair with your meal. Prost!

Von Trier 2235 N. Farwell Avenue (414) 272-1775 www.vontriers.com Reservations: No Handicap Accessible: Yes $$-$$$

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Photos courtesy of Von Trier.

APRIL 2025 | 33

FOOD & DRINK BEVERAGES

A Love Affair wit h Sicily

BY GAETANO MARANGELLI

I

t began in early summer. She was an Illinois importer whose Sicily portfolio was leaving her. I was a wine buyer in Chicago. She had one last case in her inventory. I added it to my cellar. And glass by glass, bottle by bottle, what began as a fling, turned into a love affair.

Three-thousand years ago, the Greeks colonized Sicily, introducing their ways of growing grapes and making wine to the east side of the island. The quality of Sicily’s wines cast a spell on the Greeks. They called the island Oenotria, “the land of vines.”

Sicily has a breadth of history and climates and landscapes, as well as over 65 indigenous wine grapes. For most of its contemporary history, the farmers of Sicily opted for higher yields, which turned the island into a bulk wine producer.

But for the past half-century, improving viticulture and viniculture has made Sicily one of the most exciting wine regions in the world.

WINE REGIONS OF SICILY

KEY D. O. C. G.

Malvasia delle Lipari

D. O. Cs I. G. P. Terre Siciliane

Erice

Faro

Palermo Contea di Sclafani

Marsala

Etna

Sicily

Menfi

Cerasuolo di Vittoria/ Vittoria

Noto

Eloro

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Sicily has 23 Denominazioni di Origine Controllata (DOC) and one Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). (Denominazione di Origine Controllata and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita are the highest classifications of wines in the Italian government system which serves to protect the quality and authenticity of Italian wines.) The island can be divided into four geographical wine regions: Sicilia DOC, Etna DOC, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, and Marsala DOC. The Sicilia DOC wines, as well as those of the Terre Siciliane IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which are quality wines that don't meet the Italian government standards for DOC or DOCG classification) are commonly made from the primary red wine grape of the island, nero d’avola, which offers dark, brambly fruit and spice, with medium to full body and juicy acidity.

ETNA DOC The climate of the Etna wine region is distinctive in all of Sicily. Etna is cool and sunny but receives twice as much rainfall as any other region on the island. Its primary red grape is nerello mascalese, which thrives in the volcanic soils of Mount Etna. At warmer, lower altitudes, nerello mascalese yields burly, tannic wines. At higher, cooler altitudes, the acidity of nerello mascalese rises, its body becomes lithe, its complexion turns ethereal. Nerello mascalese is often mixed with nerello cappuccio, a rustic, spicy grape. Carricante is the primary grape in Etna’s white wines, which are commonly classified as Etna Bianco. These wines display aromas and flavors of citrus, anise, and honey, with rich veins of saline through and through.

CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA DOCG

Sicillia

Pantelleria

SICILIA DOC

The elevation of Cerasuolo di Vittoria in the southeast of Sicily is lower and its temperatures higher than the Etna region in the northeast. The appellation of Cerasuolo di Vittoria refers to a red wine made up of nero d’avola and frappato.

Header photo by GettyImages/extravagantni.

Background photo of Sicily by GettyImages/wiesdie.

Photo of Sciacca Sicily port by GettyImages/Sean Pavone.

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FOOD & DRINK BEVERAGES

Nero d’avola brings color, structure, and depth to the wine, while frappato offers aroma, freshness, and finesse.

Cerasuolo means cherry, and Cerasuolo di Vittoria is lush with cherry, licorice, and tobacco. There are two quality categories of Cerasuolo di Vittoria: rosso and classico.

Rosso has to be aged a minimum of eight months, while classico has to be aged a minimum of 18 months.

MARSALA DOC The city of Marsala is located in the wine region of Marsala in the southwest corner of Sicily, where the primary grapes include insolia, catarratto, and grillo. Marsala wine is made like Sherry, using a system called solera. Like Sherry, Marsala can be dry or sweet. Like Sherry, Marsala has age-related categories, which are fine (one year); superiore (two years); superiore riserva (four years); vergine or solera (five years); and vergine stravecchio or vergine reserva (ten years).

Color and residual sugar are also noted on the bottle.

Colors are identified as oro (gold), ambra (amber), and rubino (ruby). Residual sugar categories are secco (dry), semisecco (semisweet), and dolce (sweet).

If you’re looking for a summer fling, don’t go looking in Sicily.

You’re going to fall in love.

Gaetano Marangelli is a sommelier and playwright. He was 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.

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APRIL 2025 | 37

FOOD & DRINK FLASH IN THE PAN

DIY Chocolate

BY ARI LEVAUX

Photo by GettyImages/Liudmila Chernetska.

N

ot everyone loves chocolate, but those who do feel it deeply. My son Remy is one of those people.

A skilled cook with the ability to think himself inside the dish he’s preparing, traveling between the food molecules and comprehending the forces at work. All cooking is an expression of love, but chocolate, more than most foods, confers the feeling of being loved. And for the last several years Remy has been researching the process by which chocolate is created from raw cacao beans. So, when we arrived in Hawaii a few weeks ago, Remy was ready.

Within minutes of arriving at my friend Ken’s lushly planted property, Remy had an oblong yellow cacao pod gripped firmly in hand, freshly twisted from one of Ken’s trees.

He carried that pod around as he took stock of the location of Ken’s other cacao trees, counting the ripe pods.

Harvesting the rest of them was complicated by the fact that Remy was now working one-handed, as it never occurred to him to put down his original pod.

CANDIED CACAO BEANS

Long before he’d unpacked his suitcase, Remy had harvested roughly 20 more golden pods. Moving with the calm steadiness of an expert, despite never having touched cacao in his entire life, Remy opened the pods with a small machete and extracted the seeds, which are covered in a sweet white fruity pulp. He then asked Ken for a container in which to ferment the beans.

They decided on a sun tea maker, into which they placed the pulpy beans and left it in the sun. For the next few days, we enjoyed the kombucha-like liquor that built up as the pulpy beans fermented in the sun. It was fruity, alcoholic and decidedly non-chocolatey, despite being pure cacao parts.

Although Ken has a grove of cacao trees, he doesn’t bother with the laborious chocolate making process with his small harvest. Instead, he has a hack to easily turn the beans into a tasty snack. He simply places the individual cacao seeds on dehydrator trays, pulp and all. He dries the beans to a crisp and done. The pulp shrinks down and hardens into a sweet leather that encapsulates the seeds, adding just the right amount of sweetness to balance the bitterness of the cocoa bean, to my taste anyway. If I had cacao trees, I would probably opt for doing the same with my beans too.

But Remy was laser focused on the smooth, refined chocolate you find wrapped in bars, with zero interest in shortcuts or hacks. After several days of fermenting his beans, he then dried and roasted them on cookie sheets in the oven, carefully stewarding them into a rich, Oreo shade of brown. The transformation was impressive, as the beans developed a rich and deeply fulfilling chocolatey flavor that Ken’s dehydrated beans lacked. Taking note of this, I began my own research project.

As Remy had cleaned out Ken’s ripe cacao pods, I visited a nearby self-serve farm stand and grabbed a few, with which I made a batch of Ken-style seeds, but with a twist.

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Photo of Candied Cacoa Beans by Ari LeVaux.

Before dehydrating them, I tossed the white pulpy seeds with sugar and vanilla, because nothing brings out the flavor of chocolate like those two. After dehydrating these seasoned cacao seeds, I roasted them to add that rich, dark chocolatey flavor. At this point they were perfect. No further processing necessary. A sweet and vaguely fruity deeply chocolatey snack, as crunchy as a corn flake. I am munching on some of these as I sip my coffee. A more pleasurable and potent combination of beans does not exist.

GRIND THOSE BEANS Meanwhile, Remy was ready to grind his beans, but there was no cacao grinder in the house. So, he used Ken’s coffee grinder on his roasted fermented beans, shaking it like a maraca as it spun so as to prevent a paste from building up and sticking to the bottom, out of reach of the blades.

It was a generous move by Ken to allow him to use the coffee grinder, which was never the same, to put it mildly.

Before that heroic little machine overheated and died, Remy managed to incorporate cocoa butter, sugar and some powdered milk to his mixture, and grind it to a state of smoothness that was probably as silky as we were gonna get without a stone roller to slowly grind away at the beans for about 48 hours.

Our chocotourist proceeded to spoon his mixture from the broken-down coffee grinder into a rubber mini-ice cube tray and put it in the fridge to harden. A few hours later we enjoyed some damn good chocolate. These DIY chocolate methods, finding cacao pods online is significantly cheaper than a trip to Hawaii.

CREATIVE CHOCOLATE But you don’t have to go to anywhere near those lengths to in order to get creative with chocolate. Allow me to introduce my own hack that was created out of necessity one evening when I found myself needing chocolate but had only cocoa powder. I came up with a little recipe that is so simple and easy that I fear I might have to go into hiding after telling you this, so the Hershey hitmen don’t hunt me down and give me the kiss of death.

I kid you not, people. All you do is combine cocoa powder, heavy cream and sugar—or the sweetener of your choice— and stir it until thick and smooth. That’s really it, and you have essentially created an instant ganache, with way less effort and fewer dishes. Proportions don’t matter, because it’s all to taste. If it’s not sweet enough, add more sweet. If it’s too sweet add more cocoa powder. If it’s too thick add more cream. If it’s too thin add more cocoa and sugar.

If you want to shape this divine paste into a cute animal be my guest, but it will never be finger friendly. This chocolatey goodness is definitely spoon material.

Ari LeVaux has written about food for The Atlantic Online, Outside Online and Alternet APRIL 2025 | 39

SPECIAL PETS

Happy Easter!

KEEPING YOUR PETS SAFE & HAPPY THIS EASTER

BY CANINE EINSTEIN

T

his spring holiday season is a time of celebration, gifts and traditions for many families. However, while it is important to make time for family this Easter, we also need to remember our furry friends. It is just as important to keep them safe and happy. Below are some quick tips and tricks to keep your furry friends safe this Easter season.

1. Reconsider purchasing baby chicks, ducklings, and bunnies as gifts this Easter

While these adorable baby animals may be a cute addition to any Easter basket or photo shoot, they are still living breathing beings. Animals such as these require constant care, similar to our dogs and cats. Especially when they are purchased as babies, many people do not realize their needs and end up giving them up to shelters after the holiday. It is important to consider all animals as family members who require our care and attention, rather than as accessories!

4. Watch your furry friends during the Egg Hunt Another fun activity that happens this time of year is an Easter egg hunt. Be sure to keep a close eye on your furry friend during these activities, whether they're indoors or outdoors. Plastic eggs are easy for larger dog breeds to pick up and may be mistaken for a toy or treat. Especially colors within the dog’s visual spectrum (blues and yellows) may be enticing to your furry friend. If you’re looking for a way to include your pet in these activities, consider creating a treat “hunt” indoors or outdoors by placing some of their favorite snacks around the house or yard for them to find (and no eggs are needed!)

Any holiday is a time for fun and celebration. Just like you would with any family member, keeping a close eye on your pet is essential. We’re not asking you to change any of your Easter plans or traditions, just be mindful of your pets this time of year!.

2. Be mindful of what’s in your Easter baskets A tradition around Easter is to hide Easter baskets around the house. While this is fun for kids, imagine how fun it would be for a pet to find! Chocolate, jellybeans and other Easter treats can be toxic to dogs and cats of any size because of the sugar contents and other non-digestible ingredients.

Basket fillers, such as Easter grass, may be ingested by your pet and become stuck in their digestional tract. If you are giving these to family members, just remember to keep an eye on your furry friends.

Dawn Jacques Milwaukee Paws Pet Care and Canine Einstein work together to provide personalized pet care for Milwaukee Area Pets.

Located in Bay View at 1601 E Oklahoma Ave. Milwaukeepaws.com (262-794-2882) canine-einstein.com (414-215-9809)

3. Don't forget to check if your flowers are pet safe Even simple gifts of real spring flowers can be toxic to our pets. While they may be beautiful this time of year, they may be tempting for dogs and cats alike. Flowers that are toxic include: any lilies, tulips, azaleas and daffodils. (A complete list of toxic plants can be found here!) Keeping these plants out of your pets reach is a must!

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Header photo by GettyImages/SilverV.

APRIL 2025 | 41

SPECIAL SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | SPONSORED BY POTAWATOMI SPORTSBOOK

2025 Brewers Season Preview

BY KYLE LOBNER

T

he Milwaukee Brewers have reached the postseason in six of the last seven seasons, including four seasons where they won the National League Central.

Somehow, they’ve been able to maintain that extended run of success while routinely asking their front office to do more with less.

The Brewers have only been in the top half of MLB teams in Opening Day payrolls twice this century: In 2008 when they were 15th, and in 2012 when they were 13th. More recently they were 19th in 2022, when they set a franchise record in raw numbers with almost $132 million committed. They cut that figure to just under $119 million in 2023 and again to just over $104 million in 2024. It’s likely to be closer to the 2024 number than the 2022 number again in 2025.

Those payroll cuts have led to some difficult decisions and unpopular departures. Since 2022 the Brewers have traded A Cy Young Award-winning starting pitcher and two different closers who won the National League’s Reliever of the Year Award in Milwaukee. They’ve also lost a multitime MVP candidate shortstop to free agency and seen the winningest manager in franchise history leave to manage their archrivals. Yet somehow, they’ve kept winning.

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SPEND LESS, WIN MORE That 2022 team that had the highest payroll in franchise history went 86-76 and missed the postseason. Since then, the Brewers have spent less and won more each year, winning 92 games in 2023 and 93 in 2024. The fact that they’ve routinely weathered the loss of stars and bounced back was enough for some national writers to excuse their relatively quiet offseason this winter.

“The only reason I don’t include them is that they have a track record of succeeding and exceeding expectations and at this point I feel like you doubt the Brewers at your own peril until proven otherwise,” Ben Lindbergh said on the Effectively Wild podcast while excusing the Brewers from his list of this winter’s most demoralizing offseasons. “They’ve just found guys. They’ve managed to just kind of churn, let guys go and bring in replacements who were less heralded but were pretty productive, and they’ve been doing that for a while now.”

Not everyone is convinced, however. In February Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic called out Mark Attanasio for the organization’s lack of spending and the risk that eventually his front office won’t be able to patch the holes.

Photos by Tyler R. Klein.

“Mark Attanasio keeps getting away with it,” Rosenthal said.

“Yet, as Attanasio continues to clamp down on spending, his team’s margin for error keeps shrinking. And if this is the season his frugality finally costs the Brewers, he will deserve some, if not most, of the blame.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES For better or worse, the Brewers’ organizational personality now sits in a class with teams like the Guardians and Rays, perennial contenders with front offices that overcome budgetary limitations. It’s part of the reality for the players that remain.

“That’s part of what comes with playing here. You just know that’s how it’s going to be,” Christian Yelich told Rosenthal in that February piece. “We face different challenges every year, it seems like. We’ve (succeeded) time and time again.

We’ve got to figure out how to do it one more time.”

After guiding the Brewers through the challenges they faced during the 2024 season senior vice president and general manager Matt Arnold was selected as the sport’s Executive of the Year by The Sporting News, Baseball America and Major League Baseball. To return to the postseason in 2025, however, Arnold and the magicians in the Brewers’ front office might need to pull an even bigger rabbit out of an even smaller hat.

Kyle Lobner writes the weekly Brewers On Deck Circle column for shepherdexpress.com.

APRIL 2025 | 43

SPECIAL PERSONAL FINANCE

Buying a Home or Renting: How to Best Leverage Your Savings?

BY LOUIS FORTIS

A

mericans have always felt that part of the American Dream was being a homeowner, having a real stake in the community. Most Americans built a big share of their net worth through the appreciation of their home. Homeownership was promoted in various ways by the government including institutions that purchase mortgages from financial institutions. This secondary market for mortgages lowers the risk for these institutions making 15 or 30-year loans at relatively low interest rates and freeing up money so these lenders could continue to make housing loans.

Then, the great financial recession of 2008 hit, and people watched friends or family members lose their homes when they couldn’t continue to pay their mortgages.

Property values dropped, and many people were underwater on their home, meaning that they owed more to the bank than the property was worth.

Homeownership began to lose its luster for some people.

Now that we are about 15 years past the great recession, some people continue to debate whether it’s a smart investment to buy a home. Bank or credit union savings accounts that are not locked in for multiple years are not keeping up with the rate of inflation. Stocks are doing rather well and some selectively chosen stock are doing very well, but the uncertainty in the market is very real and always present. So, it comes back to the question, should I buy a house or condo, or should I continue to rent?

Photo by GettyImages/badmanproduction.

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SPECIAL PERSONAL FINANCE

Assuming you have the money for a down payment, usually 20%, does it make sense to invest that money in homeownership?

The following will provide you with arguments for purchasing a home followed by arguments for continuing to rent.

It’s your money, so you decide. There is no right answer.

REASONS TO CONSIDER BUYING A HOME

• First, a home purchase is more than just an investment.

It provides you with a place to live where you have some control over your life. For many people, it makes them feel more integrated in their community and gives them a greater sense of well-being.

• Historically, if you purchase your house in a community where most people own their homes and where they properly maintain them, you will probably have solid appreciation over the long term.

• Your mortgage is usually a fixed-rate 15- or 30-year loan.

Currently rates are hovering around 7%, a relatively high interest rate for a mortgage compared to recent history.

If you have no prepayment penalty on your loan, you can refinance your property if interest rates fall significantly and lock in at a low rate for the next 15 or 30 years. With a fixed-rate mortgage, your monthly principal and interest will not change, whereas with rent, it continues to increase over the long term. After 10 years, your monthly mortgage will be the same amount as it was when you borrowed the money, whereas your rent may have doubled depending on the inflation rate and the relative demand for apartments in your area. Unlike rent, your mortgage is eventually paid off.

• You build equity in your house as it appreciates in value and as you pay down the principal on your mortgage, enabling you to borrow against that equity at a relatively low interest rate to cover unplanned medical bills or college tuition.

• You can leverage your money. Most lenders require a 20% down payment and will lend you 80% at a fixed rate.

Let’s assume you purchase a $200,000 home with a $40,000 down payment. Now, assume that inflation is running at 2% per year. After one year, if you had your money in a high interest money market fund or some instrument where you earned 5% return, your $40,000 is now $42,000.

Assuming you bought a home and it increased in value just equal to the 2% inflation rate, the value of your home is now worth $204,000. Without including the amount that you paid down on your mortgage, your net worth went up $4,000 in nominal terms, whereas with your 5% return on investment, your net worth went up only $2,000.

You essentially used your lender’s money to benefit from inflation.

• You can remodel and expand your living quarters to suit changes in your life or lifestyle and increase the value of your home. You can also spend your free time making your basement into a recreation area and again increasing the value of your home.

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SPECIAL PERSONAL FINANCE

• Finally, if you pay your mortgage and your taxes, no landlord can evict you so their brother-in-law can rent your apartment.

REASONS TO CONSIDER RENTING RATHER THAN BUYING

• You can shed off responsibility: There is a landlord or management company that takes care of the repairs and the upkeep on the property. You don’t need a lawnmower or snow shovel.

• You are safe from unexpected major financial hits such as a roof replacement or the need to purchase a new furnace or air conditioning system.

• You can enjoy a high level of mobility, especially if you have a month-to-month lease to accommodate your future life plans. If you are uncertain about your employment, you are considering going back to school or you met your true love online who lives in a different city, when your lease expires, you can start packing. Because of the various costs associated with purchasing and selling a home, it seldom makes sense to buy unless you plan to live there for at least three years.

• You believe you can make more money by investing in something else, whatever that might be.

Again, there is no right or wrong choice. The best choice is the one that fits your needs at this time.

Louis Fortis is a development economist by training and has taught graduate courses in Community Economic Development at UW-Milwaukee. He is Publisher and Editorin-Chief of the Shepherd Express.

Illustration of keys by GettyImages/Vladyslava.

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APRIL 2025 | 49

SPECIAL HOME

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APRIL 2025 | 51

SPECIAL GARDEN

Some Like it Cold

VEGETABLE CROPS THAT THRIVE IN COOLER WEATHER

BY SHEILA JULSON

A

s we shake off another Wisconsin winter, most gardeners can’t wait to start playing in the dirt.

While spring is too early to plant crops like tomatoes and peppers, other plants such as lettuce, kale, spinach and broccoli thrive during the cooler months of April and May. Mark Jorgensen, who co-owns Plant Land (6204 S. Howell Ave.) with his sister, Karen Matt, sells nine varieties of “cut and come again” leafy lettuce varieties such as romaine that can be harvested repeatedly before the summer heat sets in. He says lettuce can be planted during April and can handle a frost of 30 degrees.

KAREN MATT, PLANT LAND CO - OWNER

Spinach can be direct seeded into the ground during April and grows according to the weather. Peas, carrots, kale and chard varieties can also be planted by seed during mid-April.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage and Brussel sprouts also do well during cooler weather. Jorgensen sells these plants already “hardened off” or transitioned from an indoor growing environment to the outdoors, by mid-April. He recommends a hardening off period of about four days outdoors for cruciferous plants started from seeds.

Unpredictable weather can still bring a late spring frost; if this occurs after planting, cruciferous crops can be covered with bed sheets or frost blankets.

When planting lettuce during early spring, full sun exposure is best. Most varieties Jorgensen sells are ready to cut for the first time 45 days after transplant, under optimal weather conditions. “But if you want to try to get a second cutting during mid to late May, lettuce does better in filtered light or partial shade.” Cut the leaves from lettuce plants one to two inches from the ground, rather than cutting the entire head or pulling the plant out of the ground, to yield three to four crops, or cuttings, from each plant.

“But after about a week of 80 degrees, they’re done. I try to get the lettuces outside by April,” Jorgensen advises.

Once the summer heat kicks in, lettuce, spinach and broccoli can bolt, or quickly go to seed, leading to a bitter flavor that makes the plant unpalatable. “Planting lettuce under a tree will still provide some light yet keep it cooler, offering more cuttings.”

Kale and Swiss chard need full sun. Once kale and chards are well established, they can be harvested until the first killing frost in fall. Remove only the desired number of leaves and leave the rest of the plant intact, rather than cutting the entire plant, to keep it growing through fall.

BUILDING PLANT RESILIENCY Jorgensen observes that many home gardeners make the mistake of overwatering their plants and “killing them with kindness.”

Photo by McManigal photography, Richfield.

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Header photo by GettyImages/Helin Loik-Tomson.

Photo by McManigal photography, Richfield.

“I tell people to put your finger into the ground down to your first knuckle. If it’s dry that far down, you need to water— especially lettuce. Lettuce doesn’t like it soaking wet all the time, but if you let it dry out, that will also cause bolting.

Broccoli will also bolt if it’s not kept moist enough.

While climate change has affected traditional growing and harvesting times, Wisconsin is still considered a Zone 5.

Yet we have microclimates that can also affect garden plants during the wild weather swings of early spring.

“When you hear ‘it’s cooler near the lake,’ remember that it gets warmer a few miles west of the beach,” Jorgensen says.

“When you get to 27th Street (from Lake Michigan), you’re not near the lake anymore; you’re in a different zone that’s warmer in summer and cooler in winter. Just those few miles make a big difference.”

It’s tempting to baby tender young transplants, but they’re more resilient than we think. “After the first 10 days the plants are in the ground, you want to let the plant take care of itself, to a point. If you water too often, the roots don’t have to search for moisture and will stay near the surface.

Then if you’re away from the garden for a weekend, you might not have plants when you return because the root system won’t support the plant. You want the roots to grow down to search for moisture. Making them work for it helps them become well established.”

Milwaukee writer Sheila Julson is a regular contributor to shepherdexpress.com.

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SPECIAL CANNABIS

| SPONSORED BY KNUCKLEHEADS WELLNESS

How 4/20 Day Bloomed into a Celebrated Holiday

BY LOTTIE SASS

W

hen a group of bell-bottomed pals met after school and football practice each day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke a joint, little did they know they were starting a cultural tradition.

4/20 Day, which on April 20 celebrates all things related to cannabis culture, traces back to a group of ‘70s teens at San Rafael High School, in California. PBS News relates in an April 2023 story of how this group, who called themselves “the Waldos,” which referenced the wall they would sit on at their school, would meet at 4:20 p.m. at the school’s statue of chemist Louis Pasteur to smoke a joint and head out to search for a friend’s brother’s weed patch.

Local news stories featured on outlets such as FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, and FOX 2 KTVU Oakland, Calif., share that the origin of the Waldos has been documented in letters, military records and high school newspaper clippings.

While the term “four-twenty” ultimately became synonymous with the drug, we can thank bands like The Grateful Dead for promoting it. One of the Waldos, Dave Reddix, later worked as a roadie for Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.

Later during the early ‘90s, Steve Bloom, a reporter for High Times, was at a Grateful Dead show and received a flier from a Deadhead urging people to “meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais.” High Times published it.

The rest, they say, is history. The Waldos, now in their 60s, have shared their 4/20 story with outlets such as Huffington Post, Time and LA Times. Today, 4/20 has made it into mainstream lexicon as cannabis sativa becomes more accepted in American society. Thirty-nine states have legalized medical or recreational marijuana.

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Wisconsin still is not one of them, despite that our neighboring states of Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota have passed medical or recreational marijuana legalization.

Yet Wisconsin dispensaries that sell cannabis derivatives legal under the 2018 Farm Bill openly celebrate 4/20 Day each year with offers and events.

Keep in mind that 4/20 Day falls on Easter Sunday this year, so some businesses are celebrating early.

Club LaFleur, located inside Cannabloom Farmacy (2770 E Sumner St. Ste. 3, Hartford) will celebrate with a 4/20 weekend, beginning with a comedy show coordinated

by John Behrens, on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available through Eventbrite.

On April 19, Club LaFleur/Cannabloom is holding a fundraiser for Rivers of Recovery, a nonprofit that helps women veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The event includes a Wake and Bake from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; free tastings of their Happy Dazed Live Resin Soda throughout the day; Cannabis Bingo from 1 to 3 p.m. ($10 per person, all profits donated to Rivers of Recovery).

From 4:20 to 7 p.m., the classic rock band The Box Crates will perform; free admission with a two THC drink-minimum (all proceeds going to Rivers of Recovery). The event also features vendors, a THCA flower special, and “buy two, get one free” deals.

Kelly’s Greens (8932 W. North Ave.) is a woman-owned business offering hemp-infused, scratch-made bakery.

Their second annual 4/20 Party takes place Saturday, April 19 from noon to 6 p.m. They’ll have cannabis drink specials, a hot and cold hors d'oeuvres spread, live bluegrass by The Barred Owl Stringband from 2 to 4 p.m., free gifts with purchase, and a raffle drawing at 4:20 p.m.

Photo by GettyImages/Inside Creative House.

Kind Oasis (2169 N. Farwell Ave.) sells tinctures, gummies and body care items. They will have sales of up to 40% off certain items during the week leading up to 4/20 Day. Ethereal Gold Dispensary (237 Harrison Ave, Waukesha) carries massage oils and lotions, edibles, drinks and sports creams. Their 4/20 Day specials include 5% off all non-drink products on orders $125 or more (up to 35% off with case pricing) with promo code 420YAY-ND. In addition, they’ll have 10% off all drink products on orders $125 or more (up to 20% off with case pricing) with promo code 420YAY-DRINKS. Four-twenty Day offers cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, including subscription discounts and rewards points. If purchasing both drink and non-drink products, to use both coupons they must be placed in separate orders. Sale begins April 19 at 12:01 .a.m. and ends April 21 at midnight. These coupons are usable online and in-store but are not valid at their self-service kiosks.

Lottie Sass is a Milwaukee writer.

Marijuana photo by GettyImages/IURII BUKHTA.

APRIL 2025 | 55

SPECIAL TRUE HEALTH

Entering The Longevity Zone

BY KATHERINE BAYLISS, MD

I

am frequently asked about supplements that are purported to have a positive impact on longevity. There’s a plethora, and admittedly, I personally cycle through some of them as part of my anti-aging strategies. Still for the greatest gains, I most often recommend to first focus on the basics.

So, what are the basics? One way to answer this question is to look at what might be learned from the so-called Blue Zones, those rare pockets of the world where people have seemed to discover the secret to a long and happy life.

Researched by Dan Buettner, the “Blue Zones” have disproportionately high numbers of centenarians and includes regions like Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and the Seventhday Adventist community in Loma Linda (California).

These diverse places share common habits that have residents living not just longer but with a notable zest for life.

As Buettner states, longevity might be achieved “not by trying to prevent death, but by learning how to live.”

SOME OF THE COMMONALITIES IN BLUE ZONES • Diet - Plates are mostly filled with plant forward whole foods— fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, with fish on occasion. Many locals practice “Hara hachi bu,” an Okinawan rule of eating until you’re 80% full.

• Movement — People in the Blue Zones move a lot.

Instead of clocking in gym hours, these folks incorporate natural movement into daily life and sit way less than an average American. Walking, gardening, and even light manual tasks are part of the routine. It’s the kind of “exercise” where you don’t dread the treadmill but actually enjoy the stroll.

• Relationship — Social connections form another cornerstone. In these communities, strong family bonds and lively social networks are the norm.

Regular communal meals, lively chats, and supportive relationships not only provide joy and laughter, but also help reduce stress.

• Meaning — Residents commonly have a deep sense of purpose. Known as “ikigai” in Okinawa or “plan de vida” in Nicoya, this personal mission or reason for living offers the difference between merely getting through the day and genuinely loving the day. Retirement is not a thing.

• Stress — these communities have mastered the art of unwinding. Daily practices like prayer, meditation, or simply spending quality time with loved ones help keep stress at bay. Life’s too short to let anxiety run the show — so they take time to relax, recharge, and laugh.

The primary conclusion from Blue Zones research is refreshing: longevity is less about genetics or what’s in a capsule, and more about lifestyle choices. The scientist in me, however, starts to consider just what might be happening at a cellular level with Blue Zone lifestyles.

Epigenetics! As discussed in my last article, epigenetics literally means “on genes.” It is the way that our environment, exposures and experiences impact gene expression. All of the above lifestyle factors have been shown to positively impact epigenetics—turning on genes we want on and turning off genes we don’t want expressed. These favorable patterns of gene expression can be measured as favorable patterns of gene methylation and gene methylation can be intentionally modified. Stay tuned as I will go into this more in my next column.

In the meantime, rather than surfing the internet for the next best longevity supplement, take a hard look at how your lifelines line up with the Blue Zones. Do you have habits and/or areas of your life to work on? After all, as Eric Verdin, president of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging so aptly stated, “We will not have, for the next 20 years, an anti-aging medicine or supplement that is better than physical activity.”

This is the third article in a series on aging. For previous True Health columns, visit shepherdexpress.com.

Information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.

Always consult with your personal physician or health care professional.

Katherine Bayliss, MD, a Milwaukee native, practiced in conventional medicine as a pathologist for 25 years.

She now lives her passion, helping others through the more holistic Functional Medicine model.

Photo by GettyImages/Tijana87.

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APRIL 2025 | 57

SPECIAL OUT OF MY MIND

Any Ill to Find the Cure

BY PHILIP CHARD

Photo by GettyImages/EyeEm Mobile GmbH.

A

s an old Eagles song reminds us, some people will “try any ill to find the cure.” Cindy was a painful case in point.

“I’ve been divorced twice and went through a half dozen other romances that ended in disaster,” she lamented.

“Like recurring dreams, repetitive behaviors are usually telling us something,” I suggested. “What’s the message you see here?”

“Apparently, I keep choosing the same kind of man, the wrong kind,” she replied.

Obviously, but what was behind this self-defeating broken record? The fact that Cindy repeatedly played out a doomed romantic melodrama with the same sort of partner suggested she was under the spell of an unconscious mental script. In this scenario, one seeks relationships that will elicit the same (or similar) themes, conflicts, interpersonal dances and, in many instances, calamities.

WANTING TO BE MISERABLE? “Do I want to be miserable?” she wondered.

“More than likely you want to be cured,” I suggested.

“You seek the same stage and similar actors to play out an important but dysfunctional drama, hoping that sooner or later you will figure out how to change the plot and the ending.”

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“But why is that important to me? Why can’t I just move on to a different kind of man?” she asked.

Good question.

In most instances, the need to keep enacting the same destructive interpersonal dance arises from early parent-child interactions. Cindy’s father was emotionally unavailable, leaving her feeling insecure, unloved and alienated. Without realizing it, she sought out men like her dad, hoping to attain the emotional intimacy with them that always eluded her with him.

SELF-SABOTAGE For some, the “ill” for which they seek a cure doesn’t stem from a parental relationship, but rather from deficient interpersonal patterns with friends, other family or earlier failed romances. For example, Alex, a thirty-something with a long history of unsuccessful courtships, realized he repeatedly pursued women who were carbon copies of his first teenage heartthrob, but wasn’t sure why. He described that adolescent love interest as aloof and difficult to woo.

Despite all his efforts, she dumped him.

Consequently, he repeatedly sought out this type of woman, courted her intensely until winning her over, and then gradually grew detached and emotionally unavailable.

His unconscious script was a quest for pay-back, a passive aggressive strategy. Still, after each courtship ended, he felt conflicted and upset.

“What’s going on with me?” he wondered, exasperated.

“Sounds like you’re trying to fix a self-sabotaging pattern,” I suggested. “My guess is you’ll keep applying your ‘sickness’ until you discover how to heal that old wound. But now that you know what’s driving your behavior, you can choose to change it.”

Clearly, the first step in addressing this déjà vu affliction is awareness. Just as there is a fog to war, so too is there one that surrounds love, particularly during the infatuation phase. That makes it harder to accurately perceive one’s partner and understand why one feels attracted to them.

It is exceedingly difficult during the swoon of a hot-blooded romance to put one’s emotions on ice for a time, take a mental step back and look more dispassionately at one’s would-be mate. Nonetheless, that is precisely what folks like Cindy and Alex need to do if they ever hope to get off the not-so-merry-go-round of broken relationships.

For some, it helps to write down the characteristics that have typified one’s prior romantic choices. One client of mine composed a detailed description of several former would-be mates who exhibited marked similarities to each other, and each time she began dating someone new, she read this over as a reminder.

Because it is sadly true that those who ignore history, including their own interpersonal history, become doomed to repeat it.

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.

Illustration by GettyImages/Maria Schreiner.

APRIL 2025 | 59

CULTURE

When a Nation Came Together in Resistance

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

I

n today’s divisive world, it’s not easy to imagine an entire society coming together to save an endangered minority from harm. But it happened in Denmark during the Holocaust where more than 95 percent of the country’s Jews survived. Denmark was an anomaly in Nazi-occupied Europe, a story of solidarity recalled in an exhibition at Jewish Museum Milwaukee.

The heart of “Choices of Consequence: Denmark and the Holocaust” are dozens of silver nitrate photographs

by Judy Glickman Lauder. She began her documentary photography by visiting the death camps and killing sites of the Holocaust. In 1992, she visited Denmark in a visual exploration of a nation that came together against genocide.

Unlike the nations of Eastern Europe, Denmark was regarded by the Nazis as a “model protectorate” with its king and government left in place under German supervision.

“Hitler deemed the Danes as Nordic people,” explains JMM Chief Curator Molly Dubin, on par with Germans in the Nazi racial hierarchy. The nation’s Jews had lived in the country since the 1600s when they were invited by the king. They long enjoyed full civil rights. Antisemitism was a negligible factor in Danish politics; the local Nazi party was miniscule.

The German army overran Denmark after a brief skirmish in 1940 and allowed the country’s institutions to function more or less as before. Unlike France, Denmark passed no antisemitic legislation. Unlike the Netherlands or Belgium, there were no Jewish ghettos, no yellow stars, no seizure of Jewish property. In the summer of 1943, when the Nazis decided to finally impose their agenda on the country by rounding up the nation’s Jews, the Danish king, his government and the nation’s people rallied to rescue their Jewish fellow citizens.

JENS MOLLER, GILLELEJE

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Photos by Judy Glickman Lauder. Florida Holocaust Museum collection.

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CULTURE RABBI BENT MELCHIOR

The Danes were alerted to Nazi plans by a quietly subversive German diplomat in Copenhagen, Georg Duckwitz, who also reached out for help to neutral Sweden.

Over the course of several days, Danish police helped most of the country’s 8,000 Jews to reach ports where fishermen ferried them to safety in Sweden. Danish churches and hospitals provided shelter en route.

During her stay in the country, Lauder photographed places and people associated with the rescue of the Danish Jews. Her photos, Dubin says, “have a sense of presence.”

Pier Humleback Beach shows a stony surface and the rough boat dock from which many Jews escaped. Harbor Gilleleje reveals one of the ports as it looked in 1992, not so different from 1943, still crowded with small fishing boats capable of carrying no more than 10 people per trip.

Boat Hatch peers into the dark hold of one of those boats where Jews were concealed. In the deep shadows of Crypt Trinity Church, Torah scrolls from the nearby synagogue were hidden from the Nazis.

Lauder also located many survivors during her 1992 visit, Jews and Gentiles. Her black and white portraits include Pastor Palle Dinesen of Trinity Church; Thormod Larsen, a policeman later arrested by the Nazis for his role in the rescue; Birgit Krasnik, a rare fisherwoman among the rescuers; and playwright Finn Abrahomowitz, four years old when he fled by boat with his parents. Some of the text panels record memories of the participants, most of whom, Dubin says, “did not consider their actions heroic but simply the right thing to do.”

“Choices of Consequence: Denmark and the Holocaust” runs through May 25 at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave. For more information, visit jewishmuseummilwaukee.org.

HIDING SPACE, CHURCH, GILLELEJE

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David Luhrssen is author of Hammer of the Gods: The Thule Society and the Birth of Nazism and Managing Editor of the Shepherd Express.

Photos by Judy Glickman Lauder. Florida Holocaust Museum collection.

APRIL 2025 | 63

CULTURE

This Month in Milwaukee 13 THINGS TO DO IN APRIL

BY SOPHIA HAMDAN, DAVID LUHRSSEN AND BLAINE SCHULTZ

APRIL 5

THROUGH APRIL 6

APRIL 11-13

4th Annual 80’s Prom The Cooperage The 4th Annual 80’s Prom returns to The Cooperage on April 5 from 7-11:30 p.m.

Join the premier ‘80s New Wave cover band The First Wave, rock out to your favorite classic retro tunes and dance the night away with Michael Jackson and DJ Dance Commandr. The event is 21+.

Disney & Pixar’s Finding Nemo First Stage The pioneer computer animation studio, Pixar, was still at its prime in 2003 when it released Finding Nemo (2003), a delightful fable about family, children and parenting. Like many other recent Disney and Pixar productions, Finding Nemo became material for the stage as a musical.

Sleeping Beauty Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee Ballet (Marcus Performing Arts Center) Western Civilization has lived so long with Sleeping Beauty, and through ever evolving choreography, that it’s easy to overlook the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s music. When writing for ballet, the Russian composer had the extraordinary gift of catching the exact rhythm and mood needed in every scene.

Milwaukee Ballet’s presentation will be top notch.

THROUGH APRIL 12 The Beauty Queen of Leenane The Constructivists (Broadway Theater Center) Some of the most familiar names in Milwaukee theater have gathered for this Tony-nominated play by Anglo-Irish writer Martin McDonagh. Among them, director James Pickering, and Flora Coker as a “spinster” in a remote Irish village.

Also cast are Maureen Folan and Pato and Ray Dooley.

APRIL 11 Mount Eerie & Alan Sparhawk Turner Hall Ballroom Mount Eerie, the musical alter ego of Phil Elverum, has released records since 2003 “on a fake record label, stubbornly still DIY to the bone.” Musically, heavy sonic textures blend with Walt Whitman-esque lyric observations. Alan Sparhawk is no stranger to Milwaukee; his visits with Low were always incredible performances made intimate. Last summer, Sparhawk’s show with Tired Eyes was a rare glimpse, a heavy night of music drawing from Neil Young’s darkest chapters.

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APRIL 13 James McMurtry w/ Betty Soo Shank Hall McMurtry’s songs cut to the bone; character-driven with people often in circumstances that will define their lives.

Likewise, lyrics might depict the details of the day-to-day existence of working and underclass folks. In fact, it might be a worthwhile project to try to connect the dots from characters in his songs beginning with his 1989 debut Too Long in the Wasteland.

APRIL 22-MAY 24 Million Dollar Quartet Milwaukee Rep (Marcus Performing Arts Center Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall) Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, the four most acclaimed stars of the Sun Records label gathered together for a jam that has become legendary. The show based on that session includes songs associated with those artists such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Hound Dog.”

Header photo by GettyImages/RudyBalasko.

APRIL 2025 | 65

CULTURE APRIL 24

APRIL 26-27

Smoking Popes w/ Off With Their Heads X-Ray Arcade Picking up where The Replacements and Dead Milkmen left off, The Smoking Popes played bold, punk-influenced pop music. When frontman Josh Caterer tried to bring his newfound Christianity into the band’s secular music in 1999 the group broke up. Their reputation grew posthumously, as bands like Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy sang their praises, until an ongoing Popes resurrection began in 2008.

Dinur Conducts Tchaikovsky Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

APRIL 24-MAY 8

Jerusalem-born Yaniv Dinur became a welcome familiar face in town as the MSO’s resident conductor and organizer of chamber music concerts at Villa Terrace and Charles Allis. He returns to the MSO podium for a concert pairing two Russians, Sergei Prokofiev and Peter Tchaikovsky, with an American, Samuel Barber, influenced by Tchaikovsky.

Alexander Korsantia will perform on piano.

Milwaukee Film Festival

APRIL 27

The 2025 festival will include some 200 short and feature-length documentary and fiction films from around the world and Milwaukee. “This year’s lineup is shaping up to deliver the rich depth and breadth that our audiences have come to expect from the Milwaukee Film Festival,” says Cara Ogburn, artistic director.

Spring Concert Bach Chamber Choir (St. Jude the Apostle, Wauwatosa)

APRIL 25-MAY 11

For the final concert of their 55th Anniversary Season, the Bach Chamber will be accompanied by an orchestra for Mozart’s exuberant, six-movement Solemn Vespers (1780). It's one of the composer’s significant choral works and is rarely performed in Milwaukee.

Topdog/Underdog Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

APRIL 30

Suzan-Lori Parks won a Pulitzer and a Tony for Topdog/Underdog. The dark comedy follows Lincoln and Booth, two Black brothers with troubled upbringings.

Booth is a petty criminal while Lincoln wants only honest work—and the only job he can find is at a boardwalk arcade as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Miller High Life Theatre As frontman for Australia’s musical conflagration The Birthday Party, Nick Cave would have been voted least likely to release 17 studio albums over four decades. Yet Cave has survived and evolved into a respected songwriter whose perspective moves between filigreed grace to sheer aggression.

Over the years, The Bad Seeds musical telepathy has been a changing canvas.

THE COOPERAGE

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Patio photo courtesy of Boone & Crockett.

APRIL 2025 | 67

LIFESTYLE ASK ALLY

Dear Ally,

Since the Presidential election, political differences with my good friend have increased. How could she have voted for Trump? She’s always been an advocate for women. She even defends Elon Musk.

The other night, I lost my cool and ranted about Musk, an unelected henchman. She raised her eyebrows, like she knew better than me and talked about how he’s saving taxpayer money.

In the middle of my explanation of Musk’s real motives, she cut me off and changed the subject. The bottom line: she treats me with disrespect.

What can I do to get through to her?

Sad at losing a friend

Dear Sad at losing my good friend,

You’ve identified a big problem in our country. Many people, just like you, are faced with politically difficult relationships with parents, siblings, children, co-workers and extended family.

How do we even try to agree to disagree without a complete destruction of the relationship? For me, it’s my neighbors.

Since the president was elected the first time, we have respected the unwritten rule that the discussion of politics was prohibited at neighborhood gatherings.

After the most recent election, the underlying tension is almost unbearable and now the get togethers have come to a standstill.

In the past, I have provided friendship advice on this issue, but the situation between you and your friend’s challenge is a bit more complicated.

In Trump’s second term, his foreign policy changes and program cuts are cruel and hurting millions of people, from hard working immigrants to babies’ lives, who will no longer receive critical life-saving medicines, due to AID cuts.

Anyone other than a small group of wealthy people are at risk: Women, Gays, LGBTQ, Black, Brown, Trans, people with disabilities, working and middle class; we are all on the target list. The budget cuts go way beyond government efficiency and slice the heart out of anyone that doesn’t fit the right financial profile.

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The uncertainty and lack of compassion is causing universal fear around the world.

I’m not sure why your friend doesn’t see this, but here are a couple of suggestions to try and resolve your differences: 1) Agree that your relationship will not allow the discussion of politics (I’m afraid your friendship will take a toll with this solution.)

2) Have an open discussion about politics with a specific time limit for both of you, and the intent that neither one of you will try to persuade the other of their point of view. (This too is difficult, because we are motivated in our desire to be right in our disagreements.

This is a barrier to all discussions. If you both understand that the reason you’re talking about your political views is not to persuade, you will be able to better listen to each other.

This will be an excellent practice for both of you.)

You can recite this quote from Esther Perel, “Listen. Just listen. You don’t have to agree. Just see if you can understand that there’s another person who has a completely different experience of the same reality.”

3) No matter what you do, if she’s a good friend and you want to remain good friends, I recommend that you tell her that the friendship is important to you, but that you have not felt heard in past political discussions. Always start your statements with I. For example: “I have not felt heard when we’ve discussed politics in the past.” In this way, because you’re only talking about your own feelings, your friend will not feel judged.

The talk will be healing for you and may be insightful for her.

In the meantime, please keep working to make the U.S. a strong democratic country, like your life depended on it.

Because it does. This is the time to be active about our political viewpoints.

Download the 5 Calls app. It’s simple and will give you the phone number of your elected officials and key talking points. Phone calls are more important than emails. The staff counts the calls and tells the elected federal representative. As former Congressman John Lewis said, “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble and help redeem the soul of America.”

Spread Light. Spread Hope. Act Now.

Ally

Send your questions to AskAlly@shepex.com.

APRIL 2025 | 69

HEAR ME OUT DEAR RUTHIE | SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

NIECES TURNING NASTY DEAR RUTHIE, I have two nieces (late teens). I love them but they’re growing into horrible people. They’re privileged, rude and mean, and I can’t stand being around them long. I can’t say that they’re racist or xenophobic but I’m sure they’re headed in that direction.

I’ve mentioned this to my sister, and she disagreed.

(We stopped speaking for a month!) I want my nieces in my life, but I’m not sure how to proceed with my relationship with them.

HELP,

Upset Aunt ie DEAR AUNTIE, You can’t control the people your nieces grow into. You can introduce them to your values/morals/way of thinking but that’s about it. If their behavior continues to rub you the wrong way, you may need to take a step back. Loving them doesn’t mean liking them. Supporting their health and future, doesn’t mean supporting their current values.

Remember, too, that they’re young. They’re beginning to discover their own values and worldly outlooks. Things can change quickly at their age, so be open to the idea that their attitudes may shift in time. Until then, keep them in your hearts—from a slight distance.

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 APRIL 4 MAKE A PROMISE AT SAINT KATE-THE ARTS HOTEL (139 E. KILBOURN AVE.): Cocktails, dinner, auctions, dancing and more await when you attend this extravagant 6 p.m. gala that strives to improve the lives of those living with HIV. See www.viventhealth.org for details.

APRIL 5 '80S LADIES PARTY/DRAG SHOW AT POP (124 W. NATIONAL AVE.): This 4 p.m. bash celebrates ‘80s music and videos, with craft cocktails and savory finger foods. Best of all, a fast and fun 5 p.m. drag show includes 80’s numbers, trivia and prizes.

PRIDE NIGHT FOR SISTER ACT AT SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE (158 N. BROADWAY): Take a trip to parochial school with Sister Mary Ruthie where we’ll play bingo, sing songs and enjoy cocktails and appetizers.

Your Pride Night ticket includes access to this 6 p.m. fun as well as a seat to 7:30 p.m. musical. Visit www.skylightmusictheatre.org, using the code PRIDE2425 for the pride-night offer.

APRIL 6 THEY ATE: BURRITOS & DRAG SHOW AT CLOUD RED (4488 N. OAKLAND AVE.): This feisty noon to 4 p.m. event includes a drag performance every 15 minutes in addition to a mouthwatering menu of burritos. Dita Von hosts the day (and I join the fun at 2 p.m.).

APRIL 9 “LADY BUNNY: DON’T BRING THE KIDS” AT MILWAUKEE IMPROV (20109 W. BLUEMOUND RD.): The queen of comedy serves up her rowdy routine with this new tour. Not for the faint of heart, Bunny’s fantastic act features all the bawdy song parodies and hilarious takes on current events she’s known for. Nab tickets to the 21+ show at www.improv.com/milwaukee.

APRIL 13 CLOSING NIGHT BUYER & CELLAR AT RENAISSANCE THEATREWORKS (255 S. WATER ST.): Local favorite Doug Clemons plays all 13 roles in this must-see show set in Barbra Streisand’s shopping-mall basement. A perfect date night, an ideal girls’ night out and an LOL evening for all, it’s one show you’re not likely to forget. Nab tickets via www.rtwmke.org.

APRIL 18 BI+ HAPPY HOUR AT POP (124 W. NATIONAL AVE.): Check out this 5 p.m. cocktail party for bisexual+ folks and their allies. Make community connections and new friends, try a few of Pop’s infamous cocktails and order an appetizer or two while you unwind.

APRIL 19 “THE CHER SHOW” AT MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (929 N. WATER ST.): The one-night-only production of this Tony Awardwinning musical features the songs, costumes, humor and overall determination Cher is known for. Order tickets via www.marcuscenter.org.

APRIL 26 “LEGENDARY” STAR IMPERSONATION SHOW AT HAYES PLACE (1145 N. SHERMAN AVE., MADISON): I don my best Joan Rivers drag to emcee a cavalcade of lookalikes each month in Madison. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show an hour later.

APRIL 30 “JUNO BIRCH: THE PROBED TOUR” AT THE VIVARIUM (1816 N. FARWELL AVE.): The English drag sensation brings her intergalactic comedy show to Milwaukee with an all-ages production. Transport yourself to www.axs.com for tickets to the 8 p.m. concert.

APRIL 2025 | 71

HEAR ME OUT

SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

‘We Are Family!’

MILWAUKEE CELEBRATES LESBIAN VISIBILITY WEEK 2025

BY PAUL MASTERSON

Photo by GettyImages/Carlos Barquero Perez.

S

ince 1990, Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW) has been celebrated by the world’s lesbian community.

According to the Curve Foundation, the event’s national coordinating entity, LVW “serves as a beacon of support, shining a light on the experiences, perspectives, and needs of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people. Our mission remains clear — to increase understanding, visibility, and create a positive legacy for our community.”

With “We are Family” as its theme, LVW runs this year from Monday, April 21 to Sunday, April 27. It culminates on April 26 with International Lesbian Visibility Day. Here in Milwaukee, a local committee, LVW MKE, comprised of a dozen members representing a broad range of the lesbian community, is organizing the city’s LVW activities.

Among them are familiar personalities including Tanya Atkinson of Planned Parenthood, Brenda Hanus of LAMM (Lesbian Alliance of Metro Milwaukee) and Bev Jenkins from the African American women’s community with Brenda Coley as an advisor.

In a conversation I had with committee members— community activists Stephanie Hume, Janice Walker and Francesca Wilson—we discussed the particular need for lesbian visibility, especially now, and the efforts to organize this year’s special events.

During that conversation Janice Warren, a former Lesbians of Color (LOC) board member and co-founder of Connexus, a male and female organization under the auspices of Diverse & Resilient, reminisced about the days she spent as an activist with LOC. Noting how it produced a broad range of events functions from Black History Month and holiday dinners to other events, some in collaboration with the Martin Luther King, Jr Center, Warren noted the changes she has observed over the decades.

“It was in the 1990’s when Lesbian Visibility Week was originally established as a means of gaining social recognition and awareness,” Warren said, adding, “but today, even though the ‘L’ is the first letter of ‘LGBTQ,’ lesbians have never been at the forefront. Today Trans and POC are being pushed back into the closet. We have to meet the moment. Given today’s divisiveness and fear, there is a greater need.”

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UNITED FRONT Stephanie Hume, a decades-long activist and currently a community advisor to the Wisconsin LGBT History Project, continued the thought on lesbian visibility and beyond. “Now there is a concerted effort to erase us.

We need to make sure all of the community be seen. That means trusting each other and committing to diversity and acceptance. The divide and conquer strategy of our opponents needs to be confronted with a united front.

LVW is really important. We can see and feel it in your own backyard. It’s happening here,” Hume said.

In the spirit of LVW, Hume noted she had nominated Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin for inclusion of the Curve Foundation “Power List.”

Turning to the week’s activities, LVW MKE committee has planned their main events with the “We are Family” theme in mind. Focusing on encouraging and organizing communication between generations as well as on providing opportunities for gathering together, feeling safe and having fun, each event provides a different means to that end.

PROCLAMATIONS AND RECEPTIONS The first takes place on Tuesday, April 22, at City Hall with an official acknowledgment of the lesbian community through a proclamation issued by Mayor Cavalier Johnson and a resolution passed by the Milwaukee Common Council.

(Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin have also issued proclamations). During the event the lesbian flag will be raised. It will be flown for the duration of LVW. A reception will follow.

The City Hall event was made possible by the efforts of Common Council member JoCasta Zamarripa, the council’s first LGBTQ identified member, and the city’s newly appointed LGBTQ liaison, Courtney Langosch, as well as HIVE, the city of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ affinity group.

Other collaborating partners include the Wisconsin LGBT History Project, Diverse & Resilient and Planned Parenthood.

On Saturday, April 26, a dance takes place at Denizen MKE, 4227 West Vliet Street. The event opens at 7 p.m. with an hour-long open mic featuring local poets, performers and entertainers. The dance follows from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The festivities are organized by the LVW MKE committee and, in particular, member Francesca Wilson, owner of HerLounge MKE, a pop-up women’s dance club.

The following day, on Sunday, April 27, a traditional lesbian potluck lunch takes place from 1-4 p.m. at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court Street. The family focused event is made possible through the collaboration of the Community Center and Wisconsin Rainbow Families, a local volunteer organization dedicated to the support of LGBTQ families.

In a special message to Milwaukee, Curve Foundation founder Frances “Franco” Stevens stated, “In this moment, being visible is an act of defiance. Lesbian Visibility Week is about standing proud, sharing our stories, and making sure our voices are heard. It’s a chance to stand on our values, build community, foster understanding, and create a lasting legacy that ensures LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people are never erased.”

Events information and updates may be found at https:// www.lesbianvisibilityweek.com/ and social media.

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.

APRIL 2025 | 73

ART FOR ART'S SAKE

From The City That Always Sweeps

BY ART KUMBALEK

I

’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, right now I’m in the kitchen of my dinky apartment with a bunch of my buddies—all of us once youthful pupils over by Our Lady In Pain That You Kids Are Going Straight To Hell But Not Soon Enough—as we boil up but good a 10-pound ring baloney so’s to celebrate the end of the Lenten season, here, late-ish April, by clearing out a case or two of Rhinelander not to mention a boatload from our fabulous hometown Lakefront Brewery.

An essay bonus: Here’s a snatch of the conversation as we fumbled for the location of an ashtray, what the fock: Julius: Any you’s guys know if any local radio stations play 24-hour continuous Easter music this time of year?

Ernie: Good focking question ’cause I believe Easter ought to be a way bigger holiday than Christmas. What’s the big deal with Christmas? For christ sakes, a lot of big-time guys get born all the time, but how many actually rise from the dead? Now that’s something to write home about; so’s you got your Easter Sunday ain’a?

Little Jimmy Iodine: Jeez, off the top of my head, I can only think of two other guys who got up from the dead—Richard Nixon in 1968 and that John Travolta actor after he made the “Pulp” whatcha-call-it.

Emil: Easter can never be bigger than the Christmas because every year they dick with the goddamn date it’s supposed to be on. Is that because Easter comes in spring and the Pope likes to check the weather forecast in the Farmers’ Almanac first before he chooses the exact date to make sure the people have a nice day for their Easter parade?

Julius: You talk like a sausage, Emil.

Emil: Baloney.

Herbie: You focking bunch of nitwits. We go through this every goddamn year. How many times I got to tell you’s the exact date when the Christ became resurrected has nothing to do when Easter comes. Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon, also known as the paschal moon that comes after the vernal equinox. Now, if the paschal moon—deduced from a system of golden numbers and epacts and does not necessarily coincide with the astronomical full moon— occurs on a Sunday, Easter day is the succeeding Sunday.

Thus, unless you’re a focking idiot, you know that Easter can fall anywheres between March 22 and April 25.

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Ray: What the fock, I never heard Sister talk meshuggah like that when she explained the Easter to us. But I tell you, when it comes to religion and they try to figure a date by using B.S. like full moons, equinoxes and golden numbers, it makes a guy feel like instead of going to the Pick ’N Pocket for the Easter ham, he ought to go buy a whole pig somewheres and slaughter it right there on his front lawn for the sacrifice.

And maybe a couple of goats to boot.

Art: So Emil, what do you think about that?

Emil: I still believe that Easter falls on a Sunday this year.

Herbie: So I’m on the No. 30 bus and this guy next to me asks if I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior. I said I could accept Jesus as a son of a god—the son of a god who never flushed a toilet or picked up a bar tab. Sure, god knows everything, but do you think he ever had to remember where his focking car keys were? I think not. But how ’bout a daughter of god? Logically, there’s got to be one, and so I will only accept Marilyn Monroe as my saviouress. Now there’s a Second Coming I could get behind, so to speaketh.

(It was then I excused myself, briefly, from the confab since I needed to tie the ribbon on this month’s essay.)

And so I say, good lord, on the calendar I see it’s April, fourth month of this year 2025, how the time flies like crap through a goose, what the fock.

So, what do we know about this month known now in these modern days of the world as “April”? I’ll tell you’s what we know, ’cause I spent a good chunk of a handful of minutes researching this topic. Saddle up.

April is the month some scholars have deduced to be named after the ancient Greek goddess known around those olden vivilacious establishments as Aphrodite—“associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation.”

Hot-cha!! You betcha!

Cripes, I’m guessing that if we had started naming months of the calendar back in the 1950s rather than a couplethree thousand years ago, the fourth month of the year would’ve been named “Monroe,” you think?

And so onward we march forward from showers to flowers, lord willin,’ ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.

Photos by GettyImages/VladOrlov.