Wisconsin Gazette's Nov 19 Issue by Wisconsin Gazette

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November 19, 2015 | Vol. 7 No. 1

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MAM changes the perspective

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6 Failure at the faucet Clean drinking water is becoming increasingly elusive in Wisconsin. Even those who rely on municipal water should be wary.

8 Letter to the future Ahead of climate talks in Paris, people from all walks of life were asked to write letters to future generations. Read what some said. What would you say?

43 In ‘My Fair Lady,’ costumes define characters Designer Chris March says his costumes will help bring roles like Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins to life in Skylight’s production.

47 WI’s earliest Thanksgivings Plymouth Rock doesn’t have a monopoly on Thanksgiving — the Badger State has its own tales to tell.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

News with a twist Instant undies

O f f T h e Wa g o n S h o p . c o m specializes in the unique and, well, the unwanted gift — like the gift exchange goodie for the office guy who still gets a kick out of tricking people into saying “underwear.” OffTheWagon’s “funny underwear gifts” selection includes Instant Underpants, which retails for $3.99. Compressed into a compact pellet, the underpants expand in water. Uh, oh. Emergency Underpants are packed in a little tin that fits easily in a front pocket. Allegedly great for on-the-go emergencies — or overnighters.

Stocking stuffer?

This time of year, WiG gets inundated with pitches from PR reps promoting potential gifts. This is one of the more unique appeals, made on behalf of the Fun Factory, an “innovator” in the adult toy industry: An adult toy is “the ideal self-pleasure gift that releases feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins — you know, the clear-mood, confidence-building and stress-busting feeling you get after a great workout.” Plus, it’s a tool to boost brain productivity and help with weight loss. So, a

little something for those making new year’s resolutions?

Red cup collection

For that cousin or brother-inlaw who religiously reads the newsletter from the anti-gay Traditional Values Coalition or the magazine from ultra-right Focus on the Family, WiGWag suggests a complete collection of Starbucks’ red “holiday” cups — preferably used. And, while you’re enjoying your pumpkin spice lattes, we suggest tweeting a selfie and “Feliz Navidad” to Donald Trump. The GOP presidential candidate with the ugly hair and uglier platform has suggested a boycott of Starbucks over the minimalist cup design and vowed, “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying, ‘Merry Christmas’ again. That I can tell you.” Let’s tell him.

Don’t wear and drink

What On Earth offers dozens of T-shirt designs for the “me, me, me” character on your holiday gift list. The catalog specializes in “Your Name” gear. This year, with the craft brew revolution bubbling,

November 19, 2015

WiGWAG the company expects to print a lot of T-shirts with customized personal beer labels and logos. Just be a pal and make sure that your beer-loving bud’s acting responsibly when advertising his or her brew.

for the 1 percent that has almost everything

The 2015 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is out and the 89th edition does not disappoint. You probably can’t afford any of the featured oddities, but it’s worth a look just to see what the handful of people who’ve made billions off your labor and tax dollars are buying this year. For instance, there’s a journey for him and seven of his closest friends aboard a luxuri-

By Lisa Neff and Louis Weisberg ous capsule attached to a balloon that rises more than 100,000 feet above Earth for 360-degree views ($90,000 per person). And the KRGT-1, the first bike produced by Arch Motorcycle Company, owned by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger. Framed of steel and aircraftgrade billet aluminum with carbon fiber fenders and front cowling, the KRGT-1 has a 124-cubic-inch v-twin engine that produces 121 horsepower and matching 120 pound-feet of torque. The limited edition vehicle comes with a twoday ride experience for two along the California coast with Reeves and Hollinger. Hotel and airfare to California are included, along with a donation of $5,000 to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. The Arch Motorcycle and Ride Experience can be gifted for $150,000.

REI’s Reddit adventure

Jerry Stritzke, CEO of the outdoor gear company REI, tried to capitalize on the Internet buzz about his decision to close all stores on Black Friday by appearing on reddit to participate in an “Ask Me Anything” thread. The session might have been intended

to generate positive comments but it backfired when former and current employees hijacked the forum to complain about the company’s allegedly toxic employment practices — particularly the emphasis on selling REI co-op memberships above all other performance metrics, including customer service and product knowledge. After reading over the lively — and long — thread, we’re guessing Stritzke lost more customers than he gained.

ILLICIT FOAM

Smugglers hoping to give the gift of illicit Heinkens were foiled in Saudi Arabia, when customs officials intercepted 48,000 cans of beer with a wrapping that disguised them as cans of Pepsi. Drinking or possessing alcohol is a criminal offense in Saudi Arabia, ruled by an ultra-conservative Sunni government. If you ask us, the smugglers should have stuck with Diet Pepsi wrappers — any confusion over the taste could just be chalked up to the lack of aspartame in the company’s new formula.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Activist Grace Lee Boggs dies at 100, leaves lasting legacy By Roger Bybee

Contributing writer

Activist Grace Lee Boggs, 100, died on Oct. 5 in Detroit, leaving behind a long history of humane, revolutionary activism aimed at transforming U.S. society. Her vision of social justice and universal human rights inspired admiration and emulation. As an activist and writer, Boggs worked closely with husband James Boggs, an African-American autoworker. Their unabashed advocacy of the Black Power movement drew them to Malcolm X, who stayed at their home when he visited Detroit. The vision of Grace Lee and James Boggs, who died in 1993, was never restricted by race, gender, sexual orientation or class. They focused on building a tolerant, multiracial society founded on economic and social equality. In the eyes of the powerful, including the FBI, which compiled an 884-page file on her, Grace Lee Boggs was a dangerous revolutionary. But she was untroubled by the “subversive” label with which she was branded. “She never, never backed away from the idea of an American revolution,” said Rich Feldman, a board member of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership in Detroit. “For her, revolution meant more creating power than taking power. It meant self-transformation toward becoming broader, more cooperative human beings. She saw people moving from being workers and consumers into becoming self-governing citizens.” Boggs spread her message through her writings, lectures, extensive and probing conversations with a wide range of people and an indefatigable energy in launching projects to create what she called “a beloved community.” Boggs was especially noted for her bottom-up efforts to rebuild Detroit — which was devastated when the giant automakers moved many jobs to Mexico and China and then robbed of democracy by Gov. Rick Snyder, who installed his hand-picked “emergency manager” Kevyn Orr to displace elected officials and run the city. Boggs thus found herself operating in a city stripped of its right to democratic

Her experiments in urban agriculture helped reinforce similar efforts in other cities, such as Milwaukee’s Walnut Way and Growing Power project, led by Will Allen. self-rule and beleaguered by high unemployment, rampant crime, a falling population, decaying housing stock and collapsing infrastructure. At the same time, corporate planners sought to impose their vision for the city’s future, stressing gentrification and massive public subsidies for projects like a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Privately owned by billionaires, the arena will be built with $450 million in public funds. Boggs responded by initiating and consolidating a number of grassroots projects that represented a vastly different vision of Detroit’s future. She promoted urban agriculture on the vast acres of land left empty by torn-down factories and housing. That effort provided meaningful, community-building work and a plentiful supply of healthy food to residents, who otherwise lived in “food deserts” where fast-food restaurants and corner groceries supplied limited diets. Her experiments in urban agriculture helped reinforce similar efforts in other cities, such as Milwaukee’s Walnut Way and Growing Power project, led by Will Allen, said longtime Milwaukee activist James Godsil. Boggs also spawned annual Detroit Summer programs involving teenagers and other young people in art, music, dance, rebuilding homes and urban agriculture. Godsil recalled Boggs’ remarkable rapport

as she circulated among discussion tables filled with teenagers talking about the possibilities of a new Detroit rebuilt from the bottom up. Godsil remembers being impressed by Boggs at a 2006 conference, where “she broke down complex ideas simply.” Always insistent on re-evaluating and rethinking the goals of those seeking to radically restructure America, “She quoted Martin Luther King on the ‘bitter but beautiful’ struggle for the new world we’re conceiving.” Boggs continued her outspoken advocacy throughout her life. In poor communities, she aided in fighting the “crack houses” proliferating in vacant, abandoned homes. She was prominent in fighting the widespread water shut-offs of poor people imposed by the municipal water authority at the direction of Orr, who at the same time let major corporations rack up massive overdue water bills. Boggs saw her activism and community projects as building a “beloved community” that represented a radically different version of the new Detroit promoted by Snyder, Orr and corporate interests. In her eyes, she was creating on a small scale a new society within the shell of the old. Boggs spread her influence with her writing, as well as activism. She and James Boggs co-authored Revolution and Evolution in the 20th Century. She wrote Living for Change: An Autobiography (1998) and The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century (2011) with Scott Kurashige. Boggs’s staying power eventually produced widespread recognition and fame. She became a much sought-after lecturer across the nation and abroad because of the energy and imagination she displayed even as she grew older. She was the subject of a memorable 2007 interview by Bill Moyers and was featured in Grace Lee’s (no relation) PBS documentary American Revolutionary: Grace Lee Boggs. Boggs 100th birthday was marked by numerous celebrations, with the Smithson-

On the Web

To learn more, visit www.boggscenter.org.

Activist Grace Lee Boggs.

P H OTO : W i k i p e d i a

ian Asian Pacific American Center sharing 100 of Boggs’ most memorable quotes, one for each of her years. In recent years, Boggs accumulated honorary degrees from a number of major universities. But she was at her most joyful, said Rich Feldman, when she saw young people from Detroit’s mean streets take part in community efforts and transform their lives. “Her greatest honor ever was speaking at the graduation of the Freedom Growers, a group of young people working on an urban farm,” Feldman said. “She’d spoken at graduations at the University of Michigan and other prestigious places, but giving the graduation speech to these young people really made her smile.”

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

No federal charges in officer’s killing of Dontre Hamilton By Lisa Neff

“Mistake, misperception, negligence or poor judgment are not sufficient to establish a federal criminal civil rights violation,” according to DOJ. In the Milwaukee case, “the evidence was insufficient to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Manney acted willfully with a bad purpose to violate the law.” So the federal review ended without prosecution. “This decision is limited strictly to an application of the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statute; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the incident that led to Hamilton’s death,” the DOJ said. Responding, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said, “Although this decision is certainly a setback, it is by no means the end of our collective efforts to pursue justice for the Hamilton family. I continue to hold them in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, as I know the wounds from such a devastating loss will take time to heal.” Earlier this fall, Manney, who was fired from the force for failing to follow procedure, learned he would receive disability pay. Meanwhile, the Hamilton family plans to file a civil suit in federal court.

Staff writer

The U.S. Justice Department found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney, who killed Dontre Hamilton on April 30, 2014. Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI met on Nov. 10 with Hamilton’s family to inform them of the decision. DOJ, in a statement to the press, said authorities conducted a “comprehensive and independent review of the evidence” collected related to the death of Hamilton, who was shot during an encounter with Manney. Justice reviewed the state investigation and recorded interviews, consulted with the Milwaukee County medical examiner and examined transcripts from Manney’s termination hearing before the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. Federal prosecutors and FBI agents considered whether Manney violated federal law by willfully using unreasonable force against Hamilton. Under federal law, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a law enforcement officer willfully deprived an individual of a constitutional right. To establish willfulness, authorities must show the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.

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Dontre Hamilton’s mother, Maria Hamilton, right, hugs supporter Mary Devitt at a news conference in Milwaukee on Nov. 10. The U.S. Justice Department said it wouldn’t pursue criminal civil rights charges against Christopher Manney, a white Milwaukee police officer, who shot Dontre, a mentally ill black man, 14 times in a city park in April 2014.

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November 19, 2015

Failure at the Faucet Clean drinking water eludes many in Wisconsin By Ron Seely

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin’s 5.8 million residents are at risk of consuming drinking water tainted with substances including lead, nitrate, disease-causing bacteria and viruses, naturally occurring heavy metals and other contaminants. In many cases, residents are on their own when it comes to safeguarding their water. Private well owners are not required to test their water and only 16 percent do so annually, although 47 percent of private wells are estimated to be contaminated by one or more pollutants above health standards. Even consumers of some municipal water should be wary. In 2009, after researchers found viruses in public water supplies, the state began requiring disinfection, but the Legislature rescinded the rule in 2011. In 2012, drinking untreated municipal water was linked to acute gastrointestinal illness in 14 communities. Today, more than 73,000 people in the state use water provided by 60 municipal water systems that do not disinfect. In October, Doug and Sherryl Jones, of Spring Green, and Dave Marshall, a former DNR researcher, were among 16 Wisconsin residents who petitioned the EPA to revoke Wisconsin’s authority to issue pollution discharge permits under the Clean Water Act if the DNR does not correct deficiencies. The permits are a way the state limits the amount of pollutants, including manure from large farms, tainting the drinking water. Kimberlee Wright, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, the Madison law firm representing the residents, said Wisconsin lacks an adequate regulatory program to protect the quality of water, including what flows from residents’ taps. DNR spokesman Jim Dick countered that the state “takes its responsibility to protect Wisconsin’s waters seriously and does

enforce the Clean Water Act. We are working within the confines of current state and federal laws and rules to do just that.” The problem persists, and in some areas is worsening, because of flawed agricultural practices, development patterns that damage water quality, geologic deposits of harmful chemicals, porous karst and sand landscapes, lack of regulation of the private wells serving an estimated 1.7 million residents and breakdowns in public systems intended to safeguard water quality. Residents can begin safeguarding their water by having their private wells tested for contaminants common in their areas or using safer practices when it comes to using water from aging lead pipes. Filters and water conditioners also can remove some harmful elements. But environmental advocates say lawmakers and regulators must do more to ensure the safety of Wisconsin’s drinking water. Residents “think the government is protecting their water,” Wright said. “It’s not.”

Over the past year, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism examined the state’s drinking water. Major findings include: • Lead, dangerous especially to children’s brain development, is a threat in a projected 6,000 homes on municipal water systems and in as many as 16,920 households on private wells that likely have plumbing containing lead, according to state and federal estimates. Officials from the EPA and DNR have acknowledged current federal regulations fail to protect against dangerous levels of lead in water. Nitrate, especially dangerous to infants, exceeds safe levels in the private wells of an estimated 94,000 Wisconsin households, according to state estimates. Pesticides, some of which are linked with health issues ranging from cancer to repro-

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Frank Michna buys bottled water for drinking and cooking in his Caledonia home because of high levels of molybdenum and boron in his well.

Problems are statewide

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dozen communities continued to exceed the EPA’s maximum contaminant level for radium. • Molybdenum, a naturally occurring metal that can cause joint, gastrointestinal, liver and kidney problems, was found in unsafe levels in 200 of 1,000 private wells tested in southeastern Wisconsin by the environmental group Clean Wisconsin in 2014.

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ductive problems, are present in one-third of the state’s private wells tested. • Arsenic, which has been linked to cancer, diabetes, lower IQ, and other illnesses, has been found in some private wells. A 2013 Department of Health Services study of private wells statewide showed 2.4 percent exceeded the safe drinking water standards for arsenic, meaning some 22,560 homes may be consuming unsafe levels of arsenic. E. coli and other disease-causing viruses are found in 18 percent of private wells, according to that same study, published in the Journal of Environmental Health. • Radium, a naturally occurring contaminant linked to health problems including cancer, exceeded federal safety limits in 42 communities in 2006. As of June, two

The federal Clean Water Act was passed 40 years ago, and Wisconsin’s waters — especially its lakes and rivers — saw tremendous improvements in quality as point sources of pollution from industries were cleaned up. But activists contend the state has gone backward in recent years. In 2011, the EPA identified 75 failings in the DNR’s enforcement of the state’s wastewater pollution permit program. Last month, after the residents’ petition was filed, the state agency announced it is working on addressing most of the issues. “Our state has historically been, and continues to be, a leader in many water-related areas,” DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp said in a news release. But the residents’ petition filed with the EPA charged that the agency’s authority and staff have been whittled away. It cited the loss of 600 positions in the past 20 years and the move by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration to roll water regulation into a new department. “The governor and state Legislature have starved the DNR’s power and robbed the agency’s experienced staff of professional autonomy to make informed decisions,” Wright said in a statement. More reports from the nonprofit center are at wisconsinwatch.org.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

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November 19, 2015

Climate project compiles ‘letters to the future’ Leaders from 190 countries convene in Paris this year for the United Nations climate talks. Many agree this global summit is humanity’s last chance to address the major crisis of our time. Will the nations of the world finalize a global treaty aimed at reducing the most dangerous impacts of global warming? Wisconsin Gazette joined the Association of Alternative Newsmedia newspapers and the Media Consortium in a project led by the Sacramento News & Review. Letters to the Future invited people — some famous, some living around the corner — to think about future generations and predict the outcome of the Paris talks. Some participants were optimistic about what is to come — some not so much. Find more of their visions of the future at letterstothefuture.org and wisconsingazette.com. —Lisa Neff

stop diminishing nature

Michael Pollan, teacher and author Dear future family, I know you will not read this note until the turn of the century, but I want to explain what things were like back in 2015, before we figured out how to roll back climate change. As a civilization, we were still locked into a zero-sum idea of our relationship with the natural world, in which we assumed that for us to get whatever we needed, whether it was food or energy or entertainment, nature had to be diminished. But that was never necessarily the case. Read more at wiscongsingazette.com.

Resilient, timeless and tireless

Cheryl Nenn, Riverkeeper, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, member of the Waterkeeper Alliance Dear future friends of the rivers, ... Our rivers will survive — they are resilient, timeless and tireless. When imagining those rivers in the future, several possible scenarios come to mind. One features clean and cool rivers and lakes, which are being enjoyed by people fishing, swimming and paddling. Another, darker scenario features rivers and lakes with warm water, low oxygen levels and few fish — rivers and lakes with low water levels caused by evaporation, over-use and extraction for industry. Waters covered in blue-green algae caused by excess pollution. And cities regularly damaged by floods and rivers full of untreated sewage, from more intense and frequent storms that overwhelm our sewers. The dark scenario may sound extreme, far-fetched and even a little like science fiction, but it’s the path we are headed down. We hope that the 2015 Paris Climate Talks is when everything changed. When we saw leaders from across the globe not only recognize the importance of our waterways, but take bold action to protect them. When Waterkeepers from around the globe converged in Paris and convinced global leaders to help protect our waterways and ultimately the communities that depend on them. ... We hope that you are looking out your window at a beautiful, clean, flowing river or lake and that our vision of fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters for everyone has come true.

I’m deeply sorry

Logan McDermott, conservationist, Milwaukee Friend, Time is relative, and even though my body has already decayed, my actions are eternal. As humans, trapped on one planet together, we constantly battle over resources and ideologies. I’m certain even you are familiar with war and greed. We rarely take the time to collectively worship Earth — this ball of space dirt that should be our sanctuary. If our greed has left you with no green spaces or fresh water, I am deeply sorry. Know that I never gave up the fight for conservation, and I never once took for granted the air I breathe.

Brief opportunities

Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Dear great-great-granddaughter, Do you remember your grandmother Veronica? I am writing to you on the very day that your grandmother Veronica turned 7 months old — she is my first grandchild and she is your grandmother. That is how quickly time passes and people are born, grow up and pass on. When I was your age — now 20, I did not realize how brief our opportunities are to change the direction of the world we live in. The world you live in grew out of the world I live in, and I want to tell you a little bit about the major difficulties of my world and how they have affected your world. On the day I am writing this letter, the speaker of the House of Representatives quit his job because his party — called “the Republicans,” refused absolutely to work with or compromise with the other party, now defunct, called “the Democrats.” The refusal of the Republicans to work with the Democrats was what led to the government collapse in 2025 and the breakup of what to you is the Former United States. The states that refused to acknowledge climate change or, indeed, science, became the Republic of America, and the other states became West America and East America. I lived in West America. You probably live in East America, because West America became unlivable owing to climate change in 2050. That the world was getting hotter and dryer, that weather was getting more chaotic, and that humans were getting too numerous for the ecosystem to support was evident to most Americans by the time I was 45. At first, it did seem as though all Americans were willing to do something about it, but then the oil companies … realized that their profits were at risk and they dug in their heels. They

underwrote all sorts of government corruption in order to deny climate change and transfer as much carbon dioxide out of the ground and into the air as they could. The worse the weather and the climate became, the more they refused to budge and Americans, but also the citizens of other countries, kept using coal, diesel fuel and gasoline. Transportation was the hardest thing to give up, much harder than giving up the future, and so we did not give it up, and so there you are, stuck in the slender strip of East America that is overpopulated, but livable. I am sure you are a vegan, because there is no room for cattle, hogs or chickens, which Americans used to eat. West America was once a beautiful place — not the parched desert landscape that it is now. Our mountains were green with oaks and pines, mountain lions and coyotes and deer roamed in the shadows, and there were beautiful flowers nestled in the grass. It was sometimes hot, but often cool. Where you see abandoned, flooded cities, we saw smooth beaches and easy waves. What is the greatest loss we have bequeathed you? I think it is the debris, the junk, the rotting bits of clothing, equipment, vehicles, buildings, etc. that you see everywhere and must avoid. Where we went for walks, you always have to keep an eye out. We have left you a mess. But I know that it is dangerous for you to go for walks — the human body wasn’t built to tolerate lows of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and highs of 140. When I was alive, I thought I was trying to save you, but I didn’t try hard enough or, at least, I didn’t try to save you as hard as my opponents tried to destroy you. I don’t know why they did that. I could never figure that out.

I’m fighting for you

Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council It’s a long story, but like many of the children’s The wind turbines and solar panels that power your world, electric cars, high-speed trains and books you grew up with, it was a story of greed, solar airplanes weren’t so commonplace in my short-sightedness and wizards with too much time. They required a revolution in how we gold. But against these challenges, sometimes think about energy, about our relationship to with great bravery, people — young and old the world, about our faith in our own capacity from every nation — stood up and demanded that we take the steps to curb this terrible to innovate and change. scourge. What took us so long? Read more at wisconsingazette.com. Sigh.

The home office

Donnell Alexander, journalist and author Good luck with your new methane-dictated this though. And we’ll always have Paris, to normal and the sonic pollution and spiritual upset remind us of what might have been. of those executive flights to colonized Mars. Read more at wisconsingazette.com. Or, as the president calls that planet, the Home Office. Conditions should have never come to LETTERS next page

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

nobody could be that stupid

LETTERS from prior page

The stories they will tell We have hope

Staff and supporters of Clean Wisconsin, environmental advocate, Madison Dear Earth, We do not know how you will look in the next 50 or 100 years … but our world leaders will have a hand in determining that in Paris next month. But we do know how you have changed. ... The burning of fossil fuels has changed your landscape. It’s made your air more difficult to breathe, impacted your waters and endangered plants and wildlife. It has affected people of all ages, families and homes, cities and states. It has affected economies, whole industries. Despite this, we have hope for you. ... At Clean Wisconsin, we know the Clean Power Plan can be a win for Wisconsin, reducing health costs and slashing dangerous emissions. The plan presents a tremendous opportunity to lower electricity bills while creating goodpaying jobs, developing clean sources of energy such as solar and wind power and making our homes and businesses more energy efficient. For your future, Earth, we need to stop sending $12 billion out of Wisconsin to import dirty coal and other fossil fuels each year. Instead, we must seize the opportunity to lead the nation in innovation, job creation and health protections by developing a strong implementation plan immediately. We want to remember 2015 as the year our world leaders — and state leaders — listened.

I Hope you can do better

Beth Esser, stay-at-home mom and activist, Monona Dear future family, As I write this, I picture my two young children at a time in their lives when they are older than I am now. They are enjoying life with their children and grandchildren (and maybe even great-grandchildren). They are preparing for the annual recognition of the historic time 85 years earlier when the world came together to turn the tide on the biggest threat to civilization that ever existed — climate change. Miles and Ila, now 91 and 88, retell the stories of our world leaders pledging to keep fossil fuels in the ground, invest in clean energy and create a truly sustainable future. They’ll share the names — Bill McKibben, James Hansen, Sandra Steingraber and many of the others who are etched in the history books. But they will also tell the personal stories of how they attended meetings, made signs and marched with their mom and dad in the streets of Madison — demanding, “STOP Enbridge,” “NO more tar sands,” “Divest from fossil fuels NOW” and “INVEST in our future.” Of how they watched their mom travel to New York City in 2014 to participate in the largest march for the climate in history (and how they helped make her a sign to take with her). They’ll tell stories that seem funny to the youngest family members — how people used to fill up their cars with gasoline, how homes were heated by gas and coal plants, and how we didn’t yet have the ability to store wind and solar energy right in our homes. And at the end of the stories, they’ll pause to say their thanks to the strength and perseverance of the generations who came before them so that they could all be together in this moment. This is my biggest hope. If it doesn’t turn out that way, will there even be a future family to read my letter?

Leonard Sobczak, real estate, Milwaukee To the children of the future: we tried. I was heartened when President Jimmy Carter was promoting and modeling fuel conservation. I was horrified when President Ronald Reagan dispensed with that message and heralded the era of gas-guzzling SUVs and other use of fossil fuels with disregard of the consequence. I’ve been involved with environmental groups for many years, working to curb global warming and other effects of environmental degradation. I personally felt helpless as big corporate money purchased our government and fostered denial of the real consequences of environmental destruction. I painfully watched species go extinct over the years with no cessation in sight. The only comfort I can muster is keeping a historical context in mind: The Earth will eventually recover over the eons. My wish for you is to keep fighting for the Earth we have now, knowing that you are angry that we didn’t do more when we had the chance. Remember that some of us saw what was coming, tried to elect officials who would help plan better for the future that you now live in. Greed has always dominated and man has never lived in harmony with nature. Early extinctions are testimony to that. I just hope you can do a better job than we did.

Which path?

Kerry Schumann, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters executive director, Madison Dear great, great-grandchildren, As you look back on my generation, I hope you are thanking us. I hope we are remembered as having come to the brink of disaster, but turned back just in time to leave this planet in a better place for our children, for our children’s children, for you. If you are looking back with thanks and pride, it will mean that we’ve done the right thing. We have pulled back from the corporate greed and overconsumption that characterized my generation and the generation before. We have said “no” to lining the pockets of a few and done what is best for the incredible diversity of people, animals and plants across the planet. But if you are looking back at my generation and saying, “How could you do this to us?” — if the reality you are living in is so much worse than I can ever imagine, then all I can say is, “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry that we failed you. I’m sorry that we were too selfish, that we weren’t strong enough to fight the powers that profit from the devastation of the planet, that we weren’t thinking hard enough about you. We are at a crossroads as humans. One path leads us to you. I deeply hope that is the path we take. All my love.

Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer I just flushed my toilet with drinking water. I know, you don’t believe me: “Nobody could ever have been that stupid, that wasteful.” But we are. We use air conditioners all the time, even in mild climates where they aren’t a bit necessary. We cool our homes so we need to wear sweaters indoors in summer and heat them so we have to wear T-shirts in mid-winter. We let one person drive around all alone in a huge thing called an SUV. We make perfectly good things — plates, cups, knives — then we use them just once, and throw them away. They’re still there, in your time. Dig them up. They’ll still be useable. Read more at wisconsingazette.com.

Political boneheads

Jim Hightower, writer and radio commentator Our message was straightforward: When you realize you’ve dug yourself into a hole, the very first thing to do is stop digging. Unfortunately, our grassroots majority was confronted by an elite alliance of narcissistic corporate greedheads and political boneheads. They were determined to deny environmental reality in order to grab more short-term wealth and power for themselves. Centuries before this, some Native American cultures adopted a wise ethos of deciding to take a particular action only after contemplating its impact on the seventh generation of their descendants. In 2015, however, the ethos of the dominant powers was to look no further into the future than the three-month forecast of corporate profits. Read more at wisconsingazette.com.

at least some difference

Bill McKibben, author and activist Dear descendants, The first thing to say is, sorry. We were the last generation to know the world before full-on climate change made it a treacherous place. That we didn’t get sooner to work slowing it down is our great shame and you live with the unavoidable consequences. That said, I hope that we made at least some difference. Read more at wisconsingazette.com.

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November 19, 2015

Focus shifts to existing projects after Keystone XL KO At the National Audubon Society headquarters, Champagne corks popped after President Barack Obama rejected an application to build the Keystone XL pipeline after seven years of federal review. “The KO for Keystone is a win for birds and the rest of us,” said Audubon president David Yarnold. Obama, in announcing his decision, said the pipeline wouldn’t have created longterm jobs or reduced dependency on foreign oil. The president, deciding one of the most controversial environmental questions of his administration, also observed that he would soon be in Paris for an international climate summit. Negotiations on a global pact are expected from the conference. “President Obama’s decision to reject Keystone XL because of its impact on the climate is nothing short of historic — and sets an important precedent that should send shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry,” said May Boeve, executive direc-

Warming warning

tor of 350.org. In Nebraska, where TransCanada was working to seize by eminent domain farm and ranch property for the pipeline, Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska said, “We stood our ground and today President Obama stood with us, the pipeline fighters.” Landowners, she said, could “finally go to sleep knowing their family is safe and sound.” The focus turns now to monitoring existing pipeline projects and expansions, including in Wisconsin, as the industry looks for new ways to get tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The oil industry is making noise about expanding operations on existing pipelines, upping plans for proposed pipeline projects and increasing shipments by rail. And before the KXL decision, Canadabased Enbridge Energy was working to massively expand the pumping of tar sands crude oil through Wisconsin. — Lisa Neff

This year is on track to be a record 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the 19th-century average, hitting a symbolic milestone in the temperature rise that scientists blame mostly on human activity. A rise of 1 degree C is important because it’s halfway to the 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) that governments set as a limit to avoid dangerous levels of warming.

Britain’s Met Office Hadley Centre for climate science said global temperatures in January–September were 1.02 C above the 1850–1900 average, adding that the remainder of the year is expected to remain warmer than average because of the El Niño weather phenomenon. The World Meteorological Organization, the U.N. weather agency, is expected to release its assessment of this year’s temperatures later in November. — AP

P H O T O : St e ph e n M e l k i s e th i a n

Protesters demonstrate outside the White House, calling on the president to reject the application from TransCanada for the Keystone XL pipeline. Barack Obama did reject the application earlier this month.

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November 19, 2015

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November 19, 2015

E ditorial

Wisconsin GOP should flush bathroom bill “Bathroom fears flush Houston ordinance.” Such headlines circulated on Nov. 4, the morning after voters went to the polls in Houston and rejected a broad measure — the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, better known as HERO — intended to protect 15 classes of people from discrimination. The Human Rights Campaign called the defeat at the polls devastating for the people of Houston and a setback for the LGBT civil rights movement. The measure had strong support from local politicians and the business community, but was challenged by a conservative faction that dubbed it the “bathroom ordinance” and argued it would allow predatory men to invade women’s restrooms. A “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday Night Live earlier this month ridiculed the Fox-influenced right-wing campaign against the ordinance. “So the theory is that guys, in their relentless quest to watch women go to the bathroom, are going through years of hormones, surgery, changing their names, their wardrobe, coming out to their families, all for that big payoff of peeing in a room without urinals. What is this fantasy that they think is going on in there?” said actor Pete Davidson. Yet, as ludicrous as it seems, that was the argument to win over about 61 percent of those who cast ballots on Election Day in Houston. Of course, the opponents of HERO were peddling lies about its intent and its potential impact, just as Wisconsin Republicans, seeking to advance a “bathroom bill,” are circulating fiction as fact and playing up gross and harmful stereotypes, casting transgender kids as deviants, perverts and predators. Once a pioneering state on lesbian and gay rights, Wisconsin lacks a statewide law banning bias based on gender identity. What exists are partial piecemeal protections in more progressive communities and more progressive school districts. Now, Republicans are keyed up to roll back those limited protections for transgender students in dozens of districts and

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halt any further reform. AB 469, the Student Privacy Protection Bill, seeks to ban transgender students in K-12 schools from using the gendersegregated facilities that align with their gender identity and would require school districts to repeal or weaken antidiscrimination reforms and accommodations policies. The legislation is contrary to best-practice recommendations from leading medical and mental health groups, civil rights organizations and education associations. And the proposal is in conflict with findings and guidelines from federal agencies — from Labor to Justice, HUD to Education. In early November, the U.S. Department of Education issued a landmark ruling, finding that a suburban Chicago school district discriminated against a transgender student on the basis of her sex. In junior high, the girl was denied access to the girl’s locker room and the girl’s restroom. This treatment caused her to be bullied on a daily basis and her parents vowed that she would not suffer the same in high school. They legally changed the child’s name, obtained a corrected passport that identified the child as female and submitted medical records to the school. The result? The girl was still denied access to the girl’s locker room and disciplined when she did use the girl’s facilities. The Education Department, after a lengthy investigation, concluded the school district violated federal law by denying the student access to a gender-appropriate locker room for changing clothes simply because she is transgender. The decision placed school districts across the nation on notice that Title IX requires making such facilities available for students who are transgender. The girl, known in the ACLU’s legal challenge as “Student A,” has hopes that “no other student, anywhere, is forced to confront this indignity.” But if the ill-informed anatomy police succeed and AB 469 becomes law in Wisconsin, more students will be forced to suffer indignities — and head to court.

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ON THE RECORD “We have to be compassionate and we have to be united and keep a cool head. France needs to be strong and the state needs to be strong. What the terrorists want is for us to be scared. There are things to be scared about. But in the face of terror we have to be united and we will defeat these terrorists.” — French President FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, appearing on television shortly after the terrorist attacks on Paris. “Today, the Dallas City Council took action to strengthen protections for transgender Americans and reaffirm their commitment to equality and justice for every person. In the wake of a vicious campaign in Houston that attacked transgender people and led to the repeal of common sense protections, Dallas today sent a vital message that they will fight to protect and advance the rights of transgender people.” — Human Rights Campaign president CHAD GRIFFIN in a written statement comparing the enactment of civil rights protections for transgender citizens of Dallas with Houston’s recent vote against LGBT protections. “We actually are doing high-fives right now.” — Hillary Clinton spokesman BRIAN FALLON tweeting his reaction to Jeb Bush’s debate statement, “They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign when they’re hearing this.” Bush was warning some of his fellow Republican candidates to stop making the ludicrous boast that they’d ship 11 million undocumented workers across the Mexican border. “Climate change could result in an additional 100 million people living in extreme poverty by 2030.” — THE WORLD BANK in a report on the economic impact of climate change. “There has never been a more critical time to raise the minimum wage. Smart capitalists know that in order to thrive, a consumer economy like ours needs customers with money to spend. Raising the minimum wage will put more money in the pockets of people who will spend it. That spending will create jobs, which in turn will fuel more demand.” — MORRIS PEARL responding to GOP presidential candidates’ assertion that raising the minimum wage to $15 will hurt the economy. Pearl chairs the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of over 200 Americans with annual incomes of at least $1 million and/or assets of at least $5 million. “The future remains to be seen.” — GOV. SCOTT WALKER responding to a question about whether he’s interested in becoming vice president. “How stupid are the people of Iowa? How stupid are the people of this country to believe this crap?” — DONALD TRUMP during a rally at Iowa Central Community College, disputing Republican rival Ben Carson’s story of religious awakening. “We have, clearly, the arrogance of power. They don’t need our votes. They don’t care.” — State REP. TERESE BERCEAU, D-Madison, expressing her frustration that Republicans won’t consider a Democratic campaign finance bill instead of “clubbing us over the head,” as she put it, with their controversial measure.

November 19, 2015

Opinion Social Security must be preserved JAMAKAYA Social Security, one of the most successful government programs in U.S. history, marked its 80th anniversary this year. As it enters its ninth decade of providing basic income security for older Americans, GOP presidential candidates are working to undermine faith in it. They decry Social Security as an “entitlement” and warn of its insolvency. Using their favorite tactic of divide and conquer, they claim the money won’t be there for young people. They say Americans can get better returns from investing the same small sliver of their paychecks in private markets. So why should the government take the money? Please don’t drink their Kool-Aid. Social Security is not an entitlement. Each of us pays for it through a deduction of 6.2 percent from every paycheck. Our employers match that 6.2 percent and send the total

amount to the federal government monthly. When we draw from Social Security in retirement, we receive money we have invested in the system our entire lives. The earliest age to claim Social Security is 62. The monthly check is larger if a person waits until full retirement age, which is 66 or 67, depending on your year of birth. Social Security is not insolvent, and young people need only look at how the program benefits their grandparents to see what a valuable investment it is. All of my older relatives and friends rely on Social Security as an important part of their retirement income. They are not moochers. They have earned their benefits. Social Security was championed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and adopted by bipartisan Congressional majorities in 1935. Private charity had never fully met the needs of the poor and elderly poverty, a scourge that pre-

dated the Great Depression, grew more severe during the economic crisis. The Social Security Act included old age insurance (the focus of this column), unemployment compensation, welfare benefits for the poor and survivor benefits for widows and orphans. Welfare — Aid to Families with Dependent Children — was abolished under Bill Clinton in 1996. Many studies confirm that in the second half of the 20th century, Social Security helped significantly to reduce poverty among the elderly. Without Social Security today, 48 percent of Wisconsin seniors would descend below the poverty line. Concerns about the solvency of Social Security have been addressed over the years in several ways: raising the retirement age; increasing the percentage of contributions; and raising the amount of income subject to Social Security taxes. Currently, individuals do not have to pay Social

Security taxes on income above $118,500. Lifting the payroll cap to $250,000, which Bernie Sanders proposes, would secure Social Security for at least the next three generations. Of course, the GOP opposes any new taxes — even for a successful program that keeps millions from destitution. The financial windfall for investment firms is the real motive behind those who want to privatize Social Security. Why should Americans hand over our one small reserve of secure savings to the banks and Wall Street, whose practices have become more secretive and whose history is full of reckless speculation? Have we forgotten the near crash that took place only seven years ago? They not only stole our money, we had to bail them out! Social Security guarantees all of us a minimum retirement income when we grow old. It must be preserved.

Opinion GOP’s transparent motives Andrea Kaminski Who are the Wisconsin citizens who asked for more big money in our elections? Who called for a law giving politicians immunity to the John Doe investigations that can still target other people? Who wants partisan political appointees running our elections, and why would anyone want to do away with open government? I have not heard a public outcry for these proposals, yet they seem to be what is occupying our state Legislature. The leadership of the majority party is pushing major overhauls in how our state government operates at a dizzying pace and with minimal transparency. What is transparent, however, is that these ideas are written to serve the political interests of the lawmakers pushing them, not of the people they are supposed to serve.

This is not governing. Rather, it is a shameful abuse of power. Former Assembly Rep. Fred Clark likened this destructive pattern to “vandals in a museum with baseball bats.” The checks and balances designed to limit corruption in our state government reflect more than a century of thoughtful policy development. They protect us from government overreach. Now they are under attack. If you wonder why this is happening, you need look no further than our voting maps. With single-party control in the Capitol in 2011, the maps were drawn in secret and fast-tracked into law. The resulting districts are among the most gerrymandered in the nation. Lawmakers elected to a “safe seat” do not have to pay attention to constituents who disagree with them. They do, however,

have to follow the dictates of their caucus leadership. If they don’t tow the party line, they are likely to be targeted in the next primary election. Even in these difficult times, citizens hold considerable power to help shape policy, blunt the influence of money in politics and hold the bullies accountable. Here are a few tips on how to do it: • Talk to your representatives. Give them credit when they do the right thing. If they don’t, tell them you expect them to serve the people, not waste tax dollars concocting self-serving laws. When you contact your legislators, insist on a response whether they agree with you or not. If you don’t get one, keep that in mind when they run for re-election. • Vote in every election. In gerrymandered districts, the real contest takes

place in the primary election, because the outcome of the general election is almost assured. So be sure to vote in the primary. • Seek information from unbiased sources and be skeptical of anything you hear in a 30-second spot. Pay attention to who sponsors an ad. Why are they willing to pay millions of dollars to support or defeat a candidate? Is the outcome of the election important to their core mission, or do they have a financial stake? The League of Women Voters and certain other nonpartisan groups are trustworthy sources. Andrea Kaminski is executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for informed and active participation in government. Share your opinions with WiG. Write to lweisberg@ wisconsingazette.com.

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November 19, 2015

national news Animal abuse documented at Hormel Foods supplier

In a video shot in October by an animal welfare group at Quality Pork Processors, one worker can be heard acknowledging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture “could shut us down” for what was going on. Pigs covered with feces and abscesses were shown being beaten, shocked, dragged and slaughtered while still conscious. The company said it was disappointed to see employees not following policies requiring the humane treatment of animals, but no workers involved were fired or charged with wrongdoing. The USDA said it would look into the incident, but Erica Meier, executive director of the Washington-based Compassion over Killing, blamed the USDA for creating a system that encouraged the problem. A number of states have responded to such videos by making it illegal for anyone to tape or photograph activities on factory farms. Those laws are being challenged in court.

Missouri protests embolden student leaders on other campuses

In the ouster of the University of Missouri’s president, leaders of student groups on other campuses dealing with racial strife see an opening to press their

own university administrators for better treatment of black students. “It shows administrations that this is something that they need to take seriously,” said Eshe Sherley, a senior at Yale University, where more than 1,000 people joined a march in solidarity. “It also shows students that the work they’re doing isn’t in vain.” “You can’t just bring students in; you’ve got to have faculty and staff members in key positions and you’ve got to be current,” said Roger Pulliam, senior faculty adviser of the National Black Student Union, based in Whitewater.

In other national news … • BIKERS INDICTED: A grand jury returned indictments for engaging in organized criminal activity against 106 of 177 bikers involved in a deadly shootout outside a Waco, Texas, restaurant in May. Nine people died and 20 were injured during the shooting, which authorities say arose from an apparent confrontation between the Bandidos and the Cossacks motorcycle clubs. More than 430 weapons were recovered from the crime scene.

decision extending marriage equality nationwide in June, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, 96,000 same-sex couples have tied the knot. • MURDOCH’S MAKEOVER: The National Geographic Society says it will lay off about 9 percent of its staff of 2,000 as part of a deal to sell the magazine and other media properties to 21st Century Fox nears completion. The deal will give the company controlled by Rupert Murdoch’s family a 73 percent stake in the new National Geographic Partners venture. • SUPREME TOPIC: Religion, birth control and President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul are converging in yet another high-profile dispute at the

Supreme Court. The justices are taking up the fourth legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act since Obama signed it in 2010. • IMMIGRATION SETBACK: A federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court’s injunction against the president’s plan to protect an estimated 5 million people living in the United States from deportation. The administration will appeal to the U.S Supreme Court. • RUBBER DODO DELIVERED: Monsanto, producer and seller of Roundup and its toxic active ingredient glyphosate, is the recipient of the Center for Biological Diversity’s 2015 Rubber Dodo Award, given annually “to those who have done the most to destroy wild places, species and biological diversity.” Glyphosate is a “probable human carcinogen” and its heavy use is considered a leading cause of the drastic decline in monarch butterflies. — from AP and WiG report

• MARRIAGE PAYS OFF: Same-sex marriages generated an estimated $813 million to state and local economies and $52 million in state and local sales tax revenue since the U.S. Supreme Court’s

P hoto : W IKI M EDIA C O M M O N S

VETS AFFAIRS: A poll released just before Veterans Day shows two-thirds of military veterans don’t support the push by Concerned Veterans for America, a Koch brothers front group, to privatize the Veterans Administration health care system. CVA is pressing Republican candidates for president to take up its call to replace the VA health care system with a voucher system.

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November 19, 2015

REGional news Milwaukee County vote clears way for local ID card

Milwaukee County supervisors voted on Nov. 9 for a budget amendment creating a work group to produce a local ID card. The vote was 14–3. Milwaukee Common Council had previously approved the effort in a 14–1 vote. With the backing of the common council and the county supervisors, a task force will develop a program that should result in the card being issued in early 2016. “The task force will include grassroots groups like us, representing the people who will most benefit from the card, as well as people from banks, health care providers, law enforcement, small business, the courts and other institutions to ensure it’s as widely accepted as possible,” said Sam Singleton-Freeman of Voces de la Frontera. Singleton-Freeman called the votes for the local ID card a major progressive victory for Wisconsin.

In other regional news … • OSCAR MAYER BALONEY: U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan called for a meeting with Kraft Heinz’ CEO after the company announced plans to close the Oscar Mayer plant and headquarters in Madison. The operation has employed hundreds for nearly 100 years. Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker told the press that the closure and consolidation of the HQ in Chicago “has nothing to do with Wisconsin.” • GETTING ON TRACK: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind on Nov. 9 urged the GOP House leadership to bring his rail safety legislation to a floor vote. Kind’s call came

after three train derailments in three days — a train carrying ethanol derailed in Wisconsin on Nov. 7 followed by the derailment of a train carrying crude oil on Nov. 8. Another train derailed in Iowa on Nov. 9.

DRUNKS DRIVE ON: Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a bill that would require state transportation officials to revoke repeat drunken drivers’ licenses for at least a decade. The Department of Transportation currently can revoke licenses for drunken driving for up to a year. Under the proposed bill, the DOT would be required to permanently revoke the license of anyone caught for drunken driving five times or more. The agency also would have to permanently revoke the license of anyone with three or more drunken driving offenses and two or more convictions for serious crimes involving a vehicle. Offenders could apply to get their licenses back after 10 years. — L.W.

• FUTURE SHOCK: Scott Walker says he’s going to focus on helping his party establish its grassroots support for the presidential election. And, asked by the press on Nov. 10 whether he was interested in being vice president, the governor said such considerations were premature, but “the future remains to be seen.” • FEDERAL REVIEW: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., asked the Justice Department to review loans made by Scott Walker’s scandal-plagued “job creation” agency. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Baldwin requested a review of the handling of three loans by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The loans have not been repaid. • BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Scott Walker has sent out a fundraising email to backers asking for their help as he faces an estimated $1 million debt from his failed presidential campaign. Walker said in the email that he “incurred a campaign debt” before seeking donations as low as $10 to “end this campaign in the black.” • LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: The number of accidents on Wisconsin’s interstate system has increased since the speed limit was raised to 70 mph. Statistics from the Bureau of Transportation Safety show crashes in June through September were up nearly 13 percent over the same period last year. The speed limit signs began changing in mid-June. • PRINT REDUCTION: For many years, UW-Madison was the nation’s only university that produced two daily newspapers. But The Badger Herald now prints weekly and the Daily Cardinal recently announced plans to reduce its print frequency, which had already been lowered to four days a week, to just Mondays and

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Thursdays. Like the Badger, the Cardinal will beef up its digital presence. • WOMEN’S HEALTH HYPOCRISY: State Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, is sponsoring a bill to require state buildings and taxpayer-supported schools to dispense free feminine hygiene products in women’s bathrooms. Wisconsin State Journal columnist Chris Rickert sought reactions from 18 of the 24 GOP legis-

lators who supported a law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have credentials at nearby hospitals. But there was only one respondent: The chief of staff for Sen. Steve Nass called the “tampon bill” an “embarrassment to the Legislature.” — Lisa Neff and Louis Weisberg

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Walker threatens to ignore law and refuse Syrian refugees in Wisconsin

Gov. Scott Walker on Nov. 16 called on President Barack Obama not to allow any Syrian refugees into the United States pending a full review of security and acceptance procedures. Walker said, “Wisconsin will not accept new Syrian refugees,” although he didn’t explain how he would prevent them from settling in the state. Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in March 2011, two Syrians have settled in Wisconsin, according to the U.S. State Department. Walker’s announcement came on the heels of similar statements from the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. All of them cited concerns raised by the Paris terrorist attacks. But despite their objections, governors do not have the power to close state boarders to refugees. Lavinia Limon, president of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigration, said governors are prohibited under the Refugee Act of 1980 from blocking refugees from settling in their communities. Stacy Taeuber, director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, told The Associated Press, “Once you’re lawfully admitted to the U.S. as a refugee, you have the same

rights of anybody else that is lawfully in the U.S.” After living in the United States for several years, refugees who meet certain requirements and pass an additional background check can apply for a green card, Taeuber added. Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Assembly echoed Walker, saying they didn’t want Syrian refugees in the state. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester said no refugees should be allowed in Wisconsin until steps are taken to ensure no terrorists slip through. In September, the Obama administration said it would accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees as European allies deal with the influx of migrants fleeing war-torn regions in the Middle East and Africa. “The people who are fleeing Syria are the most harmed by terrorism, the most vulnerable as a consequence of civil war and strife,” the president said at the conclusion of the G-20 summit in Turkey. Ben Rhodes, the Obama administration’s deputy national security adviser, said on NBC’s Meet the Press that the massacre in Paris would not alter U.S. policy toward taking in Syrian refugees. — from AP reports

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November 19, 2015

Community Briefs Protesters rally on GOP’s Debate Day in Milwaukee

As GOP presidential candidates gathered at the Milwaukee Theatre on Nov. 10 for their fourth debate, demonstrators from across the state assembled to demand that Republicans address racial, economic and environmental injustices. The demonstrations were part of a national day of action during which fast-food workers and others fighting for living wages stepped onto strikelines in 270 cities. Milwaukee participants included Fight for 15 Wisconsin, Black Lives Matter, Voces de la Frontera, People for the American Way, Wisconsin Jobs Now, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Union and also a number of peace groups and environmental organizations. A Wisconsin demonstrator in the Fight for 15 on Nov. 10.

Guide features ‘UW-Made’ products

The faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison receive a holiday gift guide the day after Thanksgiving — and it isn’t in a newspaper packed with circulars for big box stores. The guide features made-at-UW products. School officials shared a few of the listings with WiG readers: The UW-Zoological Museum is featuring Wisconsin’s 183 fish species, illustrated at full-life size, on the Fishes of Wisconsin poster. For more, go to charge.wisc.edu/ zoology/items.aspx. The 2016 Wisconsin Wildlife Phenology Calendar features bird habitats. Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events influenced by seasonal change, such as wildlife emerging from hibernation, birds migrating and flowers blooming. Dates are based on Aldo Leopold’s data with updates gathered by daughter Nina Leopold Bradley and other natural resource experts. For more, go to learningstore.uwex. edu. The Babcock Hall Dairy Store offers a selection of award-winning cheeses made in Wisconsin. The store also sells Babcock coffee, coffee mugs, baseball caps and reusable shopping totes. For more, go to babcockhalldairystore.wisc.edu.

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In other community news … • CRAFTING CALL: The Racine Art Museum is collecting handcrafted ornaments for the Art of Adornaments display through the holidays. An entry deadline is Dec. 6 at 4 p.m., which coincides with a reception at the museum, 441 Main St., Racine. For more, go online to ramart.org. • GSAFE GATHERING: GSAFE, the organization dedicated to safer schools in Wisconsin, is seeking volunteers to put together a mailing at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 23. The group is offering “creative conversation and free pizza.” For more, email Amber Sowards at amber@gsafewi. org. The Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools is at 301 S. Bedford St., Madison. • SIDE BY SIDE: Shoulder to Shoulder Counseling Services hosts a free addiction recovery group for women on Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. The group meets at The Pathways of Light Wellness Center, W314 N720 Hwy 83 in Delafield. For more, go to www.shouldertoshouldercounseling.com. • WISCONSIN NATIONS: Twelve American Indian nations call Wisconsin home. Each has its own customs, its own identity, its own story. A new website, wisconsinact31.org, is helping educators tell the stories to K-12 students. Wisconsin Act 31 is the term for the five state statutes requiring schools to teach American Indian Studies and maintain instructional materials that appropriately reflect diverse cultures.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Mother, son don habits for Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence By Anne Curley Special to WiG

They call each other “Sister” when they don their habits. In their street clothes, Sister Causa de Change calls Sister Mae Nora by a different name: Mom. As members of the gleefully over-thetop Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Joshua Shumaker and Lynne Stiglitz are believed to be the only mother-son combo in this global order that spans 32 North American cities and 17 other locations around the world. The two are active in the Milwaukee chapter, the Abbey of the Brew City Sisters, which was founded in 2008 and has a membership of 12. When they are “manifesting,” they and their fellow sisters are easily recognizable in their whiteface, brassy makeup and nun garb. (To top off this eye-catching ensemble, each chapter designs its own distinctive “coronet.” In honor of its Wisconsin roots, the Milwaukee group’s are made from cheesehead hats wrapped in cloth.) Although they are best known for passing out condoms at gay bars to promote safer sex, the sisters also raise funds, make small grants and provide volunteer support for a range of LGBT-related causes. Since the first chapter was founded in San Francisco in 1979, the SPI has raised and distributed more than $1 million. “We call ourselves a 21st-century order of queer nuns who work within our com-

munities to bring joy and rid people of guilt,” said Shumaker, 35, who serves as secretary and Mistress of Propaganda for the Abbey. Shumaker entered the order in 2011 after meeting two of the Milwaukee chapter’s founding members, Sister Anita Nutter Cocktail and Sister Truly Fierce, at a memorial service for James Marr, who had owned the Triangle Bar. “I was at the bar having a good time, when all of a sudden I turned around P H OTO : Co u rt e sy and saw these two amazing creatures.” They struck IT’S GETTING TO BE A HABIT: Joshua Shumaker, aka Sisup a conversation and the ter Causa de Change, and mother Lynn Stiglitz, dressed up order’s combination of as Sister Mae Nora. The mother-son duo belong to the SisAIDS prevention work and ters of Perpetual Indulgence, a global order of do-gooders. flamboyant fun hooked him. Stiglitz, 59, signed on in 2013. She was drawn to the order by Shumaker’s enthuStiglitz is now a postulant, dressing in full siasm, the warmth of the other sisters and regalia but wearing a black eye band. Posthe fact that SPI gives away 100 percent of tulants can talk about their own journeys the funds it raises. She joined as an “aspi- but cannot speak about the order. One of rant,” the first step toward membership. the next steps for postulants is to choose Aspirants wear secular clothing, with no a “vocation” as either a sister (vivacious whiteface or showy makeup allowed. Their female persona) or guard (more subdued job is to accompany sisters on “mission male persona who plays a protective role). work” to listen and learn.

Each step has its own requirements related to meeting attendance and event participation. (“It’s not all fun,” said Shumaker. “You can’t just throw on a pound and a half of greasepaint and glitter and call it a night.”) When interviewed for this story, Stiglitz was organizing a fundraiser for the Pathfinder organization, which provides shelter and other support to homeless LGBT youths. The event’s successful completion will pave the way for Stiglitz to become a full member of the Abbey, which prides itself on being open to any adult committed to its mission. While some are surprised to see a heterosexual woman in habit and whiteface, Stiglitz said she has been warmly received by other SPI members and the LGBTQ community at large. “I get a lot of young people who, when they find out I’m his mother, they start crying,” Stiglitz said. “They’re so happy to see there’s a parent who supports her child to this extent.” Added Shumaker, “Every time she runs into a disenfranchised youth, she does this open and accepting and loving thing … which ties into the love she has for me. It’s a very powerful thing.” “We’re there,” Shumaker said, “in whatever capacity the community needs us to be.”

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November 19, 2015

Pet Animal Planet introduces world to ‘Dr. Dee, Alaska Vet’ By Sue Manning

Associated Press writer

Dr. Dee Thornell bought the first heated surgery table in the state of Alaska — for animals. But as a veterinarian with an animal hospital in Fairbanks, she doesn’t always get to use that table. She’s just as likely to be flying to some remote location, performing surgery using a church pew, pool table or truck bed. Thornell also is the first veterinarian from Alaska with a reality television show. Animal Planet’s Dr. Dee, Alaska Vet, debuted on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. CST. Some of the show is filmed in the wild. The rest comes from her practice — which she calls Animal House. It includes a large, modern animal hospital, a Montessori dog training school, a laundry, groomer, retail store and the latest addition, a crematorium. She likes her job, from the dogs, cats, moose, beavers, woodchucks and other animals she cares for, to the people. “The people are helpful, friendly and outgoing. There is not a single soul who

would not stop to help you. It’s a big little city,” she said. It’s also a cold place in winter, with an average low in January of minus 17 degrees. Throw a cup of coffee in the air and it might freeze, she says. She wants her 15 employees to be happy at work, so she makes sure there is warmth and laughter on the job. In the first episode, viewers traveled with Thornell as she did welfare checks on a black bear and a team of sled dogs, castrated a group of piglets and untangled a reindeer’s antler growth. Trying to save a horse injured in an expedition was her biggest challenge, partly because of the weather and partly because it is a good friend’s beloved pet. Thornell set up the Golden Heart Pet Assistance League so remote villagers can get help paying for treatment for domestic and farm animals. She also uses the charity to do as much spay and neuter work in outlying areas as possible. And she conducts a two-week class every year to introduce 10 high school juniors and seniors to the world of veterinary medicine. As a grade-schooler in Michigan, Thornell wrote a report on Alaska and fell in love with the state. She and her husband, Ken Rodriguez, met in 2005. “His dream was to fly and I was building a house. He helped me build the house and I helped him learn to fly,” she said. Now he works for the state of Alaska as a pilot and they share a house and barn with three dogs, three cats, two Friesian horses, one donkey named Gus and several pet chickens. “I’ve been going to her for 35 years. She’s a wonderful lady, a good vet and she cares

P hoto : C o u r t e s y o f An i m a l P l a n e t

Dr. Dee Thornell of Dr. Dee, Alaska Vet on Animal Planet. deeply for you and your animals,” said Cindy Reason, who has two blue heelers (Australian cattle dogs), Dottie and Missy. Reason invited all her friends and relatives to a viewing party the night the first episode aired. Reason said Thornell has been by her side during her toughest moments over the

last three decades — including helping her through the loss of several dogs. “When you have to make the hard decision to put your babies down, that’s extreme. Dr. Dee has the compassion that helps you through that. She’s just fantastic support for you during that time,” she said. Thornell says she’s been told: “You are not Dr. Doo-little, you are Dr. Do-a-lot.” But she says life only makes sense if “you close your eyes for the last time, and there are no ‘what ifs.’”

Court upholds NYC law against puppy mills

Pet stores in New York City are still prohibited from buying puppies from commercial puppy brokers and USDA-licensed breeders with severe Animal Welfare Act violations under an ordinance passed earlier this year. Several pet stores challenged the ordinance, but a federal judge has dismissed the case. Kimberly Ockene of The Humane Society of the United States, said, “New York City pet stores sell more puppies than any other city in the country. The successful defense of this ordinance and several others throughout the country affirms that local jurisdictions can act to prevent animal cruelty and protect consumers. — WiG

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Five steps to keep pets healthy over the holidays From StatePoint Editorial Service When making holiday plans, consider your pets’ health needs. Below, five veterinary experts explain how to keep pets happy and healthy this time of year.

Resist those pleading eyes

According to veterinary nutritionist Dr. Dottie LaFlamme, high-calorie tidbits contribute to caloric overload and bad habits, while lacking necessary nutrient balance. “Just one teaspoon of beef fat can contain almost twice the calories a small dog should consume in daily treats,” LaFlamme says, adding that feeding from the table also promotes begging behavior. “If you must give pets a treat, feed it in their bowl after the meal to help with portion control.”

Avoid holiday hazards

The holidays can be toxic to pets. Chocolate poisoning is one of the most common accidents during the holidays, according to veterinary critical care specialist and toxicologist Dr. Justine Lee. Other food foes include grapes, raisins, bones, unbaked yeast bread dough, alcohol and xylitol, a common sugar substitute. Likewise, “Potpourri liquid contains detergents that can cause severe ulcers and burns in a cat’s mouth, while tinsel can act as a severe linear foreign body when stuck in a cat’s stomach and intestines,” she explains. If you’re hosting, ensure houseguests use pet-proof pill bottles.

Take preventive measures

Owners often experience a false sense of security about parasite prevention when the weather turns cooler. However, the holidays are no time to take a break from heartworm prevention, even though heartworms are spread by infected mosquitoes, says veterinary parasitologist Dr. Patricia Payne. Why? Because preventives work retroactively on heartworm larvae acquired earlier in the season. “There’s no way to accurately predict past or future transmission, so the American Heartworm Society recommends year-round heartworm prevention for dogs and cats,” she explains. “Make sure to put a reminder on your holiday calendar to give routine monthly preventives to pets.”

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Veterinary experts say simple considerations and precautions can keep canines healthy during the holiday season.

Give the gift of activity

“When we removed hunting from pets’ daily lives, we reduced their physical and mental activity,” explains veterinary behaviorist Dr. Jacqueline Neilson. “When pets lack mental stimulation, they can become bored and depressed, and often create their own stimulating activities, such as chewing items or barking at passersby.” Beat this concern with food puzzles and toys that require pets to work, play or “hunt.” “Consider your pet’s personality when choosing holiday gifts,” says Neilson. “If your dog likes to chew things, a food toy that needs to be squeezed between the jaws may be ideal. Herding breeds may prefer a toy they can nudge.”

Travel prep

An estimated 30 million people travel with their pets annually, and holidays are primetime for hitting the road. Flying? Check your airline’s pet requirements. For car travel, invest in a carrier. “Your pet will appreciate a safe haven while traveling,” says Dr. Robert Stannard, who recommends adding a favorite blanket to provide a sense of familiarity. Travel bowls, favorite toys and medications are necessities, not luxuries. Just be careful not to overfeed. “Like us, pets can get motion sickness,” says Stannard. “Don’t feed your pet right before leaving, and limit food during travel to help prevent digestive upset.” With a few precautionary measures, your four-legged family members can have a happy, healthy holiday season.

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HOLIDAY HO H O OL LIDAY

Gift Gifftt Guide Gi Guid i e

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HOLIDAY Gift Guide

Happy holidays, and welcome to this year’s installment of the Wisconsin Gazette Gift Guide! It’s always tough to figure out what new, exciting gifts to get your friends and relatives, especially when you’re trying to avoid big retailers and aim for something unique. So our editorial staff sat down and looked over what’s really out there, putting together this package of stories out of what we found. Inside, you can find everything from national subscription boxes and the hottest toys from yesteryear that are making a comeback to the best stores you can find in local malls and shopping districts. We’ve also looked outside of our own circle for recommendations. Throughout this guide, you’ll be able to “unwrap” gift recommendations from local experts, collected by freelancer Kerrie Kennedy. She contacted seven local businesses and organizations, each of which offered their

insight into what you should look for this holiday season. Like something you see? You might be in more luck than you think: This year’s Gift Guide is being launched simultaneously with the WiG Shop, our brand-new online store offering deals and discounts to our loyal readers. We’ve already got deals from restaurants and vendors like Rodizio Grill, Ward’s House of Prime, Discovery World, and Elements Massage up now, and you can find additional items mentioned in this guide or featured as advertisers in the days to come. It’s the perfect way for you to support both local businesses you love and the journalism we’re pursuing, while saving money at the same time. To see what’s currently on display, go to wigshop.kostizi.com or visit us at wisconsingazette.com and look for the link at the top of the home page. Now stop reading this introduction and get to the rest of the guide — after all, the holidays aren’t getting any further away!

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Gifts to bark or purr about

By Louis Weisberg Staff writer

Millions of Americans wouldn’t consider celebrating the holidays without including their pets. In fact, pet lovers go all-out. According to a Harris Poll released in October, 61 percent of pet owners plan to buy presents for their pets this holiday season. Even among people without pets, 16 percent plan on buying a present for someone else’s pet. Durvet, a pet product distributor, reports that pet owners will spend an average of $48 on their furry ones this year. Holiday shopping sprees for pets account for about 10 percent of the total amount individuals spend on pets throughout the year, Durvet has found. Each year, there’s a wider and more imaginative array of pet gifts from which to choose. But, thinking from the pets’ point of view, edibles probably top the wish list. All the fancy bedroom furniture, rhinestone collars and woolen sweaters are really made for pet owners. Wisconsin features a number of specialty pet stores that offer locally baked goods for dogs, including End of the Leash (325 Bayview Rd., Mukwonago). Although they’re made to look appetiz-

ing to people (who are, after all, picking up the check) baked goods for canines omit the sugar, chocolate (often poisonous to pets) and other unhealthy ingredients. Unlike humans, animals actually enjoy healthy treats. Treats for cats have less visual appeal to humans, but are equally healthy. At Bark n’ Scratch Outpost (5835 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee), you can stuff kitty’s stocking with freeze-dried pollock, wild boar, elk, salmon and other exotic and protein-rich goodies that are gluten-free (cats did not evolve to digest grains). There are enough choices to please even the most finicky feline. Nutritious and locally sourced food is as much a gift for you as for your pet, since it can keep your furry pal purring or barking for years longer. “Anything you can give that’s healthy and absolutely wonderful — that’s the best gift,” says Bark n’ Scratch Outpost staffer Kathleen Folz. Both Bark n’ Scratch and End of the Leash offer a variety of food options, nothing like those you’ll find on supermarket or big-box pet store shelves. The stores’ owners carefully research and select from the highest quality options available in today’s burgeoning pet food

market, which racked up sales of $22.6 billion domestically last year, according to the American Pet Products Association. One of Folz’s favorite pet food brands is Orijen, a Canadian company that produces what she calls “species appropriate” nutrition. For instance, Orijen’s Regional Red cat food “replicates the diversity and balance of fresh meats, fruits and berries that cats would encounter in the natural environment and for which they are evolved to eat,” according to the Orijen website. The protein content includes human-grade Black Angus beef, wild boar, Alberta lamb, heritage pork and bison — all of them raised locally, according to the company. Although a pet’s first gift choice will always be food, the critters also crave activity. Few pets, especially indoor cats, get anywhere near the level of activity their bodies crave. That’s why they leap and bound around the house all night, knocking expensive knickknacks from shelves and destroying the furniture. Most pet toys are designed to replicate an animal’s natural activities: Dogs P hoto : Stoc k enjoy chew toys, while cats prefer inter- Just dangle something shiny and alluring over kitty’s PET GIFTS next page head and watch her go to town.

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PET GIFTS from prior page active toys that make them work to get a treat, according to Folz. Folz recommends chews made by Chelsy’s Toys, based in Wheaton, Illinois. According to the company’s website, their chews are made of recycled material that’s gentle on a dog’s teeth and an owner’s hands. The strength comes from a patented knotting system that’s hard to unravel. Squeaky throw toys for dogs are as popular as ever and also more elaborate than ever in design and durability. The single most important quality to look for in a squeaker is safety, Folz says. Nothing that’s been bleached is acceptable and squeakers should be checked frequently to ensure your pooch isn’t in danger of choking on something inside, Folz adds. Cats are natural hockey players, so they’ll be engaged by anything — even a piece of broccoli — that they can bat around until it’s lost forever under a couch. Remember: Cats like variety. Dangle alternating toys over kitty’s head, just beyond her reach and watch her go to town. Large stores such as End of the Leash and Bark n’ Scratch have dozens of other cat toys, including sturdy teaser wands on which you can attach a variety of cool toys, including dragonflies. Of course, when all else fails, there’s always catnip. Although some cats are immune to its charms, most find it irresistible. You can find it in a seemingly endless variety of breeds and strengths. Folz says it’s best to introduce a new catnip product slowly to see how your cat reacts to it. We want to include our pets in human holidays, but we don’t want them to overindulge human-style and wind up at the emergency room. Let’s keep that aspect of holiday cheer to ourselves. EDITORS’ NOTE: See story on page 19 about keeping your pets safe and healthy during “the most wonderful time of the year.”

TOYS Where: Little Monsters, 2445 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee. In-house expert: Owner Andie Zacher. Best craft toys: Make-your-own snow globe/totebag/friendship bracelets/tiaras/ swords and superhero masks are just the thing to conquer holiday break boredom. $21–$42. Best musical toys: Encourage a love of music with a simple harmonica, an old-fashioned accordion or a microphone that comes with its own stand — not to mention background rhythms. $10–$55. Best old school toys: All the stuff you grew up with is back, from the Simon game to Ross Across, plus record players, telephones, View-Masters, clocks from the ’60s and ’70s and all the old Fisher Price stuff. Let’s hope the kids get a chance to play too. $22–$40. Best stocking stuffers: Sometimes the best gifts come in small sizes. Stuff their stockings with miniature toys, games, pretend play objects and a range of holiday candies. $5 and up. — Kerrie Kennedy

Classic toys ‘baby boom’ing

By Lisa Neff Staff writer

Nana’s list includes an Easy-Bake Oven for Pip. Papa wants to give Gavin a Slinky. And Aunt Connie is looking for Colorforms for all the nieces and nephews. Many baby boomers visiting toy stores this holiday season will be buying familiar toys for girls and boys. Some toys, like the Duncan YoYo, never fell out of favor as stocking stuffers. Other toys get updated year after year to remain relevant, like the Easy-Bake Oven — which now has both a dedicated heating element that retired the un-green incandescent bulb and gender-neutral packaging. Hasbro holds the rights to many of the toys loved by boomer kids, their kids and now by their grandkids: Scrabble, Twister, Monopoly, Playskool and Play-Doh sets. “One of the first Christmas presents I remember is a Play-Doh Fun Factory,” said baby boomer Paul Armstrong of Milwaukee. “I would have been maybe 4 years old. Like 1962. It was marketed by Play-Doh Pete. I loved it. Hours of fun.” This year, Armstrong plans to buy a Play-Doh set for his 5-year-old grandson. “Of course he wants the Star Wars Play-Doh. It does look pretty cool.” The Play-Doh line features more than one Star Wars-themed set. The Millennium Falcon Playset features Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and Darth Vader can-heads and fighter-jet molds. WiG caught up with other early shoppers of the baby boomer age outside the exits of several toy stores and found them with purchases they didn’t know much about: Descendants dolls and Little Live Pets Clever Keet, Click-ABricks and Nintendo 3DS games. “I’m still looking for a Doc McStuffins Take Care of Me Lambie — whatever that is,” Rachel Goodman, grandmother of three children, said as she left a store, unknowingly in search of a plush doll that sings a song when her tummy is pressed. But many boomers’ shopping bags contained the tried and tested — Erector Sets and Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and Tonka trucks, Hot Wheels cars and Barbie dolls “I’ve bought so many toys for the kids and grandkids over the years. The fad stuff. The gadgets. The electronics. Most of it doesn’t last the winter, but some toys last forever,” said boomer Jen Miles, a member of the generation credited with giving rise to a U.S. toy industry. “This year, I’m going with the classics, what I know and what has value.”

Toy trends

1. The Force is strong. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has awakened a new enthusiasm for Star Wars toys for children and adults, according to ToyInsider.com, which reviews and recommends toys. The site has published holiday toy reviews and lists, including top tech and STEM toys. 2. Communication craze. Kids have always talked to their toys, but now their interactive toys — Play All Day Elma, Hello Barbie, Clever Keet — are talking back. 3. Cooking up fun. Kids are cooking sweet and serving savory with Girl Scouts Cookie Oven, Yummy Nummies, Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven and Number Lovin’ Oven. 4. Construction with function. Toys to build vehicles, structures, people — Kids First Aircraft Engineer, Super Copter, Mighty Makers: Fun on the Ferris Wheel — now feature lots of moving parts. 5. Content creation. Digital games and appenhanced toys — Super Mario Maker, Disney Infin-

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The Star Wars-themed Disney Infinity 3.0 Toy Box. ity 3.0 Toy Box, Stikbot and Crayola Easy Animation Studio — allow kids to create animated videos and customize content and stories. — Lisa Neff

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26 By Kim Cook

Many months of merry: the wide range of subscription gifts Food

Associated Press writer

Suffering from a pre-holiday “what to give” headache? The prescription may be a subscription. Subscription gifts, one of the hottest retail trends, literally keep on giving: New installments arrive over the course of weeks or months. Gift recipients can also cancel the subscription at any time, so if you buy the first month or two, they get to make the call on whether they stick with it after the holiday buzz has worn off. While the idea isn’t new (remember those record-of-themonth clubs?), the breadth and variety of what you can subscribe to is. Everything from Anna Sui makeup to zebra masks for kids. Freshly-pressed records, juices and highfashion togs. Mystery boxes for people and for pets. If your loved one is more into content than stuff, consider ordering a subscription for e-books, movie passes or classes in art, cooking or exercise. “They’re a great improvement on the gift card,” says Neale Martin, a consumer expert and CEO at Sublime Behavior Marketing in Marietta, Georgia. Like gift cards, subscription gifts are easy to buy, especially last-minute, at a variety of prices, but they also can be highly customized. “The idea of giving a present that will be bringing smiles for months creates a very powerful reinforcement,” he said. Liz Cadman founded a website, MySubscriptionAddiction.com, devoted to boxes containing a mix of items each month. That improves the odds that your recipients will like what you gave them, she says: “Boxes give you variety. Most include five-plus items, so you know someone’s going to like at least a few of them.” For ideas, here are some online offerings:

HOME

One place to start your hunt for subscription boxes is Cratejoy, which describes itself as the “world’s first subscription marketplace.” Featuring mostly home goods subscriptions but also branching out into fashion, food and other types of boxes, Cratejoy presents visitors to its site with new and trending subscriptions, rated and reviewed by users so you can hopefully avoid duds (cratejoy.com). Set your style parameters at Linen Crate and get a monthly box of tablecloths, placemats, towels or rugs, as well as coordinating items like platters and spa accessories (linencrate.com). Barkbox lets pets in on the subscription-gift game with dog and cat toys and treats arriving monthly. (barkbox.com )

The edible subscription universe is vast and varied — with too many options to list them all here. Some can be almost alarmingly targeted. A Bacon of the Month Club will deliver different varieties of gourmet bacon to you 12 times a year (baconfreak.com). Candy Japan sends two to six different kinds of Japanese candy, twice a month (candyjapan.com). And health nuts may enjoy Pressed Juicery’s packages, sending an array of green, root, citrus and fruit juices to your door (pressedjuicery.com). Of course, there’s simpler options. Club W seeks to cut out your trip to the liquor store by sending you three to six bottles a month, tailored to your “Palate Profile” (clubw. com). Alternately, the Craft Beer Club aims to do the same for beers, offering 12 world-class beers every month (craftbeerclub). Be advised: Alcohol shipments require an adult signature to accept, so either make sure you’re home when the tracking number says it’ll be there or have your boxes shipped to a workplace.

BEAUTY & FASHION

There are all kinds of beauty, fashion and wellness subscriptions, many of which ask you to describe your personal style and makeup parameters and take it from there. Birchbox, a subscription pioneer, offers monthly boxes of sample sizes and one full-size product (birchbox.com). At Quarterly, prominent curators like fashion guru Nina Garcia, actor Will Wheaton and science icon Bill Nye create their own boxes and include a personal note explaining their choices. Nye’s boxes, for example, have included bow ties and cardboard DNA models (quarterly.co). With Stitch Fix, five new women’s wardrobe items chosen by a stylist, appear at the door. Send an e-gift card that your recipients can redeem; the select delivery dates, keep what they want and return the rest in the prepaid mailing bag (stitchfix.com). Chicago-based Trunk Club has boxes for men and women and stylists’ selections can be previewed and approved online. When the items arrive, you can nix them if they don’t fit or don’t look right (trunkclub.com). Cadman recommends Popsugar Must Have as a subscription gift for women, offering a variety of beauty, fashion, home, food and fitness items. October’s box included a satin pillowcase and a gift card for monogrammed jewelry (musthave.popsugar.com). For men, try Bespoke Post, Cadman says: “It’s $45 a month and they deliver high-quality items (think ties, bar-

BOOKS Where: Boswell Books, 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee. In-house Experts: Book buyers Jason Kennedy and Anne Mechler-Hickson. Best coffee table book of 2015: Milwaukee, City of Neighborhoods by local historian John Gurda and published by Historic Milwaukee, Inc. looks at 37 Milwaukee neighborhoods, from past to present. $45. Best children’s book: With its gorgeous illustrations of homes of every kind — from an artist’s home to a bee’s home, a shoe home to a tree home, Home, by Car son Ellis, offers insight into the meaning of

“home sweet home.” $17. Best cookbook: The Food Lab: Better Cooking Through Science, by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, teaches how to make the perfect pan-fried steak, homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, moist turkey and much more by using science as a guide. $50. Best new series for teens: Set in a high-fantasy world similar to ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes, the first in a series, tells the story of a slave fighting for her family and a young soldier fighting for his freedom. $20. — Kerrie Kennedy

P hoto : C o u r t e s y

Birchbox, a subscription pioneer, offers monthly boxes of sample sizes and one full-size product. ware, grooming kits, shoes, etc.). Each month they announce new box options, and your giftee gets to pick which one they want.”(bespokepost.com). Or give a gift that keeps on giving. With Dollar Shave, subscribers choose the style of blade and razor they want and refills arrive on a regular schedule (dollarshaveclub.com).

FUN & GAMES

Arts and crafts are a fun subscription gift for children, because each month brings a new box of creative possibilities. Check out Green Kid Crafts and Art in a Box (greenkidcrafts.com; artinabox.net). Tinker Crate offers puzzles and engineering challenges for 9- to 12-year-olds (tinker.kiwicrate.com). Spangler Science Club, aimed at kindergartners through sixth graders, sends enough stuff each month for over a dozen science experiments (spanglerscienceclub.com). GiftLit sends monthly book boxes, while Brickbox’s niche is — you guessed it — all things Lego (giftlit.com; brickbox.com). Expose your budding 3- to 12-year-old traveler to new places with Little Passports. Young armchair globetrotters get started with a little suitcase and a map. Then comes a monthly array of activity kits, gadgets, stickers and souvenirs that explore sciences and world cultures (littlepassports.com). Citrus Lane sends boxes skewed to babies, toddlers or preschoolers, full of quality toys, games and snacks (citruslane.com). Matthew Reddin contributed reporting to this story.

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Shop local at Milwaukee’s top retail districts

By Matthew Reddin Staff writer

Having trouble finding that perfect gift this year? Braving Black Friday or adventuring on Amazon.com are not the only options. Milwaukee’s diverse shopping districts offer a variety of opportunity and options for every sort of gift recipient — from the fashionista to the quirky uncle and everything in between.

THIRD WARD

Perhaps the best place to start discussion of Milwaukee’s shopping districts is the Third Ward. Just south of downtown, the district is packed to the brim with boutiques, galleries and specialty shops, thanks to a successful campaign in the ’90s and early ’00s to draw businesses to the area. Much of the development has continued southward, into Walker’s Point, but the best shopping still remains in this small neighborhood — perfect for a weekend afternoon of wandering. Third Ward businesses have a reputation for high price points, but there are options for the cost-conscious shopper. The big news in the district is the new West Elm store, 342 N. Water St. The modern home decor and furniture store opened in June, amid a great deal of hype from devotees and newcomers. While West Elm is part of a Williams-Sonomaowned chain, Milwaukee’s store features a curated selection of products from Wisconsin artists as part of its LOCAL initiative. So you don’t have to feel too guilty about shopping at a national outlet instead

Spa Treatments Where: WELL Salon + Spa, Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. In-house expert: Lisa Brandt, esthetician at Well Salon + Spa at the Pfister Hotel. Best pampering package: The Pure Decadence package, featuring a hydrotherapy bath, an aroma glow body scrub and an hour-long massage or a facial, is the perfect way to eliminate holiday stress. $190. Best pre-party prep: Airbrush makeup and a set of musthave party lashes create a flawless look for your party pics and selfies. Makeup, $85; lashes, $20. Best me-too package: Give to you, your partner and your relationship with the You Plus Me package, which includes a luxurious

of something closer to home (westelm. com). Boutiques are one of the Third Ward’s main draws, and it’d take a full article to go through them all. One that stands out among the crowd is Denim Bar, 317 N. Broadway. Whether your loved ones are hopping back on the ’90s trend and hoping to deck themselves out from head to toe, or if they just need a nice designer pair of jeans, this should be your first stop. Denim Bar offers Wisconsin’s largest selection of denim for both men and women. Denim Bar also features a number of options from owner Heidi Darrow Mains’ original gig, online boutique Stella’s Trunk, featuring luxury gift items from around the world (denimbarmke.com). You might also consider popping into Lizzibeth, one of the newest additions to the Third Ward. Formerly a pop-up fashion boutique that sold jewelry and clothing in random stores, restaurants and homes, as well as online, Lizzibeth now has a brickand-mortar location at 550 E. Menomonee St. Owner Lizzi Weasler opened the store in November 2014. A year later, the store is a solid addition to the neighborhood, offering affordable women’s fashion options, with most jewelry priced under $40 and most everything else under $100 (lizzibeth.com). You know what goes with new clothes? New shoes. And Shoo, 241 N. Broadway, has been the Third Ward’s top place to pick up unique footwear for more than a decade, specializing in hard-to-find footwear lines from the States and abroad.

couple’s massage and a couple’s hydrotherapy bath. $295. Best treatment on the run: The Express Yourself package, featuring a 30-minute massage, an express facial and an express mani-pedi, is a welcome gift for the busy people in your life. $210. — Kerrie Kennedy

P H OTO : W e st E l m

West Elm, a subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, recently opened its first Wisconsin store in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Operated by siblings Kate and Pat Blake, the store is known for its inventory, customer service and antique decor — creating an exceptional shopping experience in a store with a homey feel. For Madisonians, Shoo recently opened a location on State Street (shoostore.com). If your giftee is the outdoorsy type more obsessed with function than fashion, the Third Ward has an answer. Clear Water Outdoor, 250 N. Water St., is an outdoor clothing and gear store offering such top brands as Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear and Arc’teryx. In addition, the store offers kayak, cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals and lessons (clearwateroutdoor.com). Wrap up a Third Ward shopping experience with a trip to Red Elephant Chocolates, 333 N. Broadway, to complete your list and pick up a tasty reward for yourself. Red Elephant specializes in handmade chocolates, including special seasonal batches, and their product is a perfect stocking stuffer (redelephantchocolate.com).

EAST SIDE

What the boundaries of Milwaukee’s “East Side” are may differ from person to person, but there’s no denying that traveling north of downtown along Lake Michigan you will find exceptional shopping opportunities. From Brady Street and North Avenue up toward Downer Avenue

and Shorewood, there’s a string of businesses worth checking out. Start with the artsy options of East Meets West, 918 E. Brady St., an Asian art, clothing, accessories and gift shop. With most of its inventory purchased by the owner in her native Thailand, the eclectic shop is packed with one-of-a-kind men’s and women’s apparel and accessories that can’t be found anywhere else in the city. Further down Brady, you can stumble across Uncommon Items, 1316 E. Brady St. This small boutique doesn’t look like much from the street, but inside it’s stuffed with affordable women’s apparel and handcrafted jewelry, with a bohemian aesthetic (uncommonitems.com). Buying for pet lovers? You won’t want to miss EcoPet, 1229 E. Brady St., a local pet shop with an emphasis on healthy treats and accessories. The shop’s offerings include dog pizza slices and smoothies, natural and organic catnip and a wide selection of affordable travel gear and accessories that the humans’ll love. Or, if you’re buying for parents of cuddly humans instead of cuddly pets, try Little Monsters, 2445 N. Farwell Ave. This vivid little shop features quirky toys, clothing and miscellaneous other items — and it is designed more for discovering that one special gift than the latest, most on-trend sensation (littlemonstersmilwaukee.com). NEIGHBORHOODS next page

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29 performing Arts In-house expert: Dave Fantle, chief marketing officer for United Performing Arts Fund. Best way to give back: Talk about the gift that keeps on giving — make a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to UPAF and get a smart card offering two-for-one value on performances for each of UPAF’s 15 member groups, as well as discounts at local restaurants. $100.

P H O T O : Spa r r ow C o l l e ct i v e

Sparrow Collective specializes in handmade decor by local artists, like this screen print of the Great Lakes on wood. NEIGHBORHOODS from prior page Beans and Barley, 1901 E. North Ave., is best known for its restaurant and deli, but its adjacent specialty market is an out-of-the-box option for loved ones. Plus, while you’re browsing through Beans and Barley’s selection of natural bath and body care items, magazines and books, and food and wine options, you might find something for yourself to take home! (beansandbarley.com) Still looking for one last thing? That’s exactly what Shorewood’s Mod Gen, 2107 E. Capitol Drive, is for. Around since 2001 as the Garden Room, Mod Gen recently rebranded as a 21st-century general store, expanding to offer more books, home goods, specialty foods, toys and more. (modgenmke.com)

BAY VIEW

Bay View isn’t just where Milwaukee 30-somethings go to settle down. It’s also a great place for Milwaukeeans of all kinds to find unusual, hip gifts for their artistic and adventurous friends, and the influx of residents to the area over the past few years has come with a similar influx of high-quality businesses. Take Sparrow Collective, 2224 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., as an example of the Bay View aesthetic you can find all along KK Avenue and its tributaries. The artistic consignment store, established in 2009 after similar shops shut their doors, features handcrafted art, jewelry and decor by individual artists and groups — and a lot more of it than you’d think from the modest facade. (sparrowcollective.com)

But not every Bay View gift destination is a new addition. Rush Mor Records, 2635 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., is Milwaukee’s oldest record store, founded in 1971. It’s also still an essential a place to shop for vinyl lovers, fresh off an exterior makeover earlier this year and packed with music from across every genre and era. (rushmor.com) If it’s old clothes instead of old records you have in mind, you’re in luck. Bay View’s an antiques, vintage and thrift store hub, with more options than we can list. One of the more established choices is Tip Top Atomic Shop, 2343 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., a kitschy treasure trove of vintage clothing and household goods that’s a retro aficionado’s dream. You seldom go wrong gifting a good book, which makes Bay View Books and Music, 2653 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., a mustbrowse stop. The store is one of Milwaukee’s few old-timey, claustrophobicin-the-best-way shops not to either close or relocate in the past few years. The shop stocks a healthy assortment of records and DVDs, too. Bonus: The entrance bleeds seamlessly into R Vintage N More, an overstuffed furniture and antique mall that shares the space with the bookstore. Wrap up the gift hunt with one of the best-smelling places in Milwaukee: Halo Soap, 2227 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. This storefront owned by soapmaker Stacie Cherubini stocks handmade soaps, bath bombs, skin care products and more. Technically, you can also buy any of Halo’s products online, but that’s a terrible, unscented decision. (halosoap.com)

Best holiday ballet: Milwaukee Ballet’s holiday chestnut, The Nutcracker, is truly a group effort, with featured performances from the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, the Milwaukee Children’s Choir, 150 students from the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy, and of course, the Milwaukee Ballet company. Through Dec. 27 at the Uihlein Hall Marcus Center. $25–$105. Best holiday play: This season, Milwaukee Repertory Theater celebrates 40 years of staging Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, on Dec. 24. Wisconsin actor Jonathan Smoots will return for his second year as Scrooge, along

P hoto : R i c k B r o d z e l l e r

with a cast of Carol-ers old and new. Tickets are $35–$85. Best after-the-holidays show to look forward to: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra celebrates the work of multi-Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, with a one-night-only performance featuring songs from Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles, among others. Jan. 13 at the Marcus Center. $20-$110. — Kerrie Kennedy

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Give the gift that lasts forever: A great experience By Matthew Reddin

out southeast Wisconsin (paintnite.com).

Buying presents for people is hard. So stop doing it — and get them something they’ll like even better. Both scientific studies and good old common sense are increasingly arguing that material goods aren’t as fulfilling as shared experiences. According to one study by psychologist Thomas Gilovich, while people believe buying or receiving things will bring them happiness and satisfaction, it’s actually experiences — vacations, group adventures, time spent with friends and family — that provide long-term happiness. That’s great to know in theory. Now put it into practice. In addition to all the boxes you’re thinking of putting under the proverbial tree this holiday season, consider some of these experiential options for your gift list.

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

Staff writer

DRINK WITH PAINTER’S INK

Throughout childhood, kids are tasked with making art — finger-paintings, doodles, Play-Doh sculptures. As adults, we rarely have the luxury of artistic creation. Perhaps that’s why the idea of painting and drinking has taken off across the country — it’s the perfect blend of juvenile and grown-up relaxation. The concept is simple: show up, have a drink, paint something. Most of the time, you’re led by an instructor, but many groups also offer free painting days, when you can explore independently. For a good example of what you can expect, consider Splash Studio, 184 N. Broadway, Milwaukee (splashmilwaukee. com). Co-owner Marla Poytinger and husband David opened the painting bar in 2012 as a way to blend her background in arts management and his former work in logistics for the beer industry. Splash offers eight or nine three-hour sessions a week, each featuring a local artist, for $29 ($34 on select days). When participants arrive, Splash provides them with a canvas, easel, paint, brushes and an apron, as well as a full-service bar. The artist then walks the group through the session’s featured painting — although Marla says participants are free to paint something of their own choosing. At the end of the session, the painters get to take the original art home, which means giving someone a Splash Studio experience is, in a way, giving a material gift too. Splash specifically caters to an adult crowd (participants have to be 15 or older), and only has a Milwaukee location, so it may not be the perfect gift for recipients who would want to bring their kids or who live outside southeast Wisconsin. Other painting bar options to consider: Vino and Van Gogh (Madison, vinoandvangoghmadison.com), PaintBar (Delafield and Madison, paint-bar.com), A Stroke of Genius (Waukesha, paintwinestudio.com) and national franchise PaintNite, which holds its events in bars and other venues through-

Have a friend who’d rather get out of the house than get a gift? Two smart, scrappy startups offer a solution: A modern-day twist on the coupon book that’ll feel adventurous, not cheap. The more established of the startups is City Tins (citytins.com), started by Christin Cilento Ladky and Tara Laatsch as a fundraiser idea. The company sells tins of coasters that double as coupons for area businesses, offering gift recipients a more affordable night out and an excuse to try new things. All tins are $30. The company offers restaurant and bar & lounge coaster sets for Milwaukee and Madison. Each tin contains more than 20 coasters offering $10 off a $25 tab. New this year in Milwaukee is a performing arts tin, with each coaster providing a buy one, get one ticket offer. And Ladky says the company hopes to launch a pet goods-focused tin in the spring to target a new niche and to give something to offer after the other tins sell out during the holiday season — as they always do. If your gift recipient is really just a beer person, you could try this year’s PubPass (getpubpass.com). PubPass offers a passport-like booklet for $25 that entitles the holder to free beer at 25 local establishments throughout Milwaukee. Co-founder Jake Nyberg says the company pursues bars that are “places we would take our friends who were in from out of town.” Most, but not all, of the 25 bars specialize in craft beer.

GET OUT — OF A LOCKED ROOM

For many people, being trapped in a room with no easy way out would be a nightmare. For the rest, consider offering them an opportunity to jump on a new 2015 trend: escape rooms. Already a hit abroad, escape rooms have been springing up across the United States over the past few years, as entrepreneurs hop on the bandwagon. Essentially, escape rooms are real-life versions of puzzle mysteries that are ubiquitous across other forms of media — like the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure — in which a hero or group has to decode a series of increasingly complex clues to get out of a room before time runs out. In the real-world version, the consequences of time running out are much lower, but the challenge provides a thrill that increases the excitement of solving each consecutive puzzle. Themes of individual rooms vary, as do difficulties. Escape Chambers (escapechambers.com), a franchise with locations in Milwaukee and Madison, has rooms like “The Assignment” (group members play FBI agents trying to prove a history professor is a criminal mastermind), “The Heist” (groups are thieves hoping to rob an art gallery and get away with it) or “The Raid”

P H O T O : Sp l a s h St u d i o

Splash Studio offers art-lovers a night out that comes with the opportunity to create art under the guidance of local painters. (a drug raid turns bad when the group finds a time bomb instead). Because a room isn’t fun for participants after they solve it — or if they solve it — escape room companies will change rooms throughout the year. Tickets for rooms average around $30, but vary from company to company. For other

options, consider checking out: Escape Room Wisconsin (Appleton and Green Bay, escaperoomwisconsin.com), EscapeMKE (Milwaukee, escapemke.com) and Seven Keys to Escape (Racine, sevenkeystoescape.com).

ARTSY GIFTS Where: Milwaukee Art Museum Store, 700 N. Art Museum Drive. In-house expert: Donele PettitMieding, marketing and web store manager Outstanding ornament: “Snowy Afternoon,” hand-painted by local artist Christiane Grauert, celebrates the winter season in Milwaukee at twilight and features the museum’s newly renovated lakefront galleries. Meet the artist and have her personalize your ornament on Dec. 3 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $24. Best house guest gift: A set of Walking Milwaukee Cards, 10 mapped, self-guided walking tours of downtown Milwaukee that highlight the city’s iconic architecture. $20. Clever colleague gift: The “Orbanizer,” a handcrafted wire ball, holds pens, utensils, craft tools and even flowers. $28.

Haute hostess gift: Midwest artist Laurie Freivogel’s handmade glass collection — silk screened images of vintage cameras on fused glass — celebrates the museum’s new exhibition, Larry Sultan: Here and Home, which runs through Jan. 24. Coasters, cheeseboards and trays run $18–$120. — Kerrie Kennedy

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Holiday cards with an artful edge

By Kim Cook

Associated Press writer

Seasonal greeting cards have long been an artistic niche that inspires a wide range of illustrators and designers. Besides today’s ubiquitous family photo cards, contemporary designs often take advantage of advances in drafting and production — holography, music embeds, digital photography and laser-cutting among them. Other designs begin life with timehonored tools like the paint pot, pencil box and scissors. Shondra Neumayer of Portland, Oregon, combines vintage-style typography, folkarty woodland silhouettes and antiquestyle, marquee-light imagery with rustic barn-board backgrounds in cards she sells at her Etsy shop, InkDropDesign. She began designing cards out of frustration with what she saw as a market filled with cheap and cheesy holiday cards (etsy.com/shop/inkdropdesign). “Going to the mailbox should be an exciting event,” she says. “Each (year) I found myself asking the question, ‘Why can’t Christmas cards be cool?’” In a series of cards sold at Society 6’s online store, Christina Rollo, a photographer in Binghamton, New York, makes intimate portraits of plump little chickadees and sparrows nestling among snowy boughs and berries. (society6.com) The Museum of Modern Art in New York has been selling holiday cards since 1954. Chay Costello, the museum’s associate director of marketing, says the card program began as a way to foster and encourage young and emerging artists by exposing their work to a larger audience.

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The program’s early years included work by Alexander Calder, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol. Costello says Indiana’s famous “Love” sculpture was originally a holiday card illustration. MoMA’s card art is selected through an open submission process and the museum receives hundreds of designs annually. Popup cards have become particularly popular. “We started to see an increasing trend toward cards with special features,” Costello says. “Instead of a card with graphic artwork on its front, many artists have begun to think three-dimensionally, with spiraling and fold-out elements and elaborately crafted pop-out constructions that result in a card that’s a gift in and of itself.” The designs feature paper manipulation at its best: shimmering snowflakes, shooting stars, skiing reindeer and holiday bouquets that “bloom” when the card is opened. There are twirling ornaments, sleds that swoosh through a forest, Santa perched precariously on a ladder decorating a tree and a paper bucket full of holiday Champagne. New York-based Elsa Mora’s lanternshaped card with intricately cut woodland flora and fauna is a favorite in the MoMA shop, Costello says. This year, Mora’s “Wintertale” card includes a village complete with homes, holly and dancing children. “Festive Dinner Table,” a card by artist Sophie Blackall of Brooklyn, opens to a holiday dinner party. (momastore.org) Other cards, pop-up and not, are available at Papyrus, Galison and the Art Institute of Chicago’s web shop, among other places. (papyrus.com and galison.com)

WINe Where: Thief Wines In-house expert: Owner Phil Bilodeau

Gift certificates available

www.mypineapplecafe.com

Best Chardonnay: Desparada 2013. From Edna Valley, California, this chardonnay is well balanced with lots of creamy butteriness and a nice acidity. $35. Best Pinot Noir: Failla 2013. This classic pinot from the Sonoma Coast offers savory earthy notes and cherry/strawberry fruits. A nice wine to accompany dinner. $48. Best Champagne: Michel Rocourt Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru. A grower Champagne (meaning they grow all their own grapes), this 100 percent chardonnay Champagne is a great value. $43. Splurge wine: Pahlmeyer Jayson 2013. This red blend from Napa Valley is lush, hedonistic, full-bodied and offers a smooth finish. $54. — Kerrie Kennedy

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Madison’s malls offer quirks and character

By Michael Muckian Contributing writer

A community’s shopping destinations reveal a lot about a community’s character. Madison, the state’s second-largest city and the home to Wisconsin’s largest university, boasts stores that pack a lot of variety into a little bit of real estate. Consider State Street, the mile-long pedestrian mall that connects the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to the Capitol. The many shops along State Street reflect the quirkiness of the city’s academic, political and hipster influences. Monroe Street runs southwest from Camp Randall Stadium, threading several older west side neighborhoods. The stores and galleries offer more upscale fare, but all are colored with Madison character. In Madison, even the shopping malls, often the bane of urban existence, put a unique spin or two on the retail experience. Several warrant a visit as you complete your holiday gift list this season. Hilldale Shopping Center, 426 N. Midvale Blvd., on the city’s near west side, may be one of Madison’s most emblematic malls — thanks to the nature of its tenants and the history of its founding and development. Originally part of the Hillfarms neighborhood development that enabled Madison to continue its 1960s-era westward

expansion, Hilldale sits on land that was once part of the UW School of Agriculture. A 1961 legal tussle between shopping center developers and the UW Board of Regents reached the U.S. Supreme Court, but the justices declined to hear the case. An agreement was reached and the shopping center finally opened on Oct. 25, 1962. Fast forward 50-plus years to a new and vastly improved Hilldale, characterized by a bright new “street scene” shopping and dining experience to complement an adjoining enclosed mall. The space features cleverly designed parking structures and a row of private residence townhouses facing Midvale Boulevard, creating traffic and density issues significant enough to concern the mall’s residential neighbors. Macy’s anchors Hilldale, occupying space formerly filled by Marshall Field’s and, originally, Gimbels. The upscale department store and its vast array of goods set the tone for the rest of the shopping community. Sundance Cinemas 608, another anchor tenant that opened in 2007, was the first theater in Robert Redford’s Sundance Group to open in the United States. The six-screen cinema, named for the Madison area code, shows independent, foreign and first-run films with the feature of being

P hoto : C o r e y C oy l e

Middleton’s Greenway Station is an open-concept mall that draws patrons from that city, as well as Madison, for stores like Chico’s, Pendleton and DSW. able to reserve specific seats. The smaller stores make Hilldale even more attractive. Shopping for someone with a sweet tooth? Gigi’s Cupcakes offers creative and delicious baked goods. Specials through Nov. 29 include Apple Pie and Mama’s Butterscotch Bacon cupcakes. Just down the “street,” DB Infusion Chocolates offers artisanal truffles. Our

favorites include the Pomegranate-Malbec, made with pomegranate molasses, Malbec wine and rich dark chocolate. We also like Caribbean Fire, a mashup of Ecuadoran chocolate laced with chipotle peppers, nutmeg, allspice and jerk seasoning. Upscale clothing is one of Hilldale’s hallmarks and there are few better places for men’s and women’s shoes and accesMALLS next page

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M | N o v e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 15

MALLS from prior page sories than Cornblooms. Locally owned since the 1970s, the store offers one-stop shopping for footwear, handbags, jewelry, wallets, belts and novelty socks. Look for top brands, including Birkenstock, Frye, Dansko, Pikolinos, V Italia and Kanna. Hilldale also is home to one of only two Anthropologie stores in Wisconsin. The company sells upscale clothing, shoes and home goods — and is a good place to start whether you’re looking for something boho-chic or suiting up for the next wedding. If you really want to ramp things up, kate spade new york offers ultra chic clothing, shoes, handbags, housewares and gifts. One of only two kate spades in the state, the store’s motto is — “Buy what you love and you’ll never go wrong.” The shopping center features Madewell for great jeans — and everything that goes with them — and L’Occitane en Provence for skin and body care products. On the far west side, commercial areas of Madison and Middleton blend seamlessly, offering a wealth of shopping options. High-end retail outlets tend to cluster at Greenway Station, an openconcept shopping mall at 1650 Deming Way in Middleton, where clothing, accessories and dining options dominate. But the shopping center is not without its economical stores, too. Chico’s is a perennial favorite among women who want to look their best. The boutique’s artisan jackets and wrinklefree Travellers collection have built a following. A wide array of women’s clothing and accessories also can be found at J. Jill,

Maurice’s and Soft Surroundings. Nearby, Pendleton features enduring American style in its classic wool clothing and blankets. Featuring men’s and women’s fashions, the store offers goods woven in American mills for higher quality and that “made in America” cachet. Athletes can get their game on at several Greenway stores. Total Hockey offers everything for the hockey and lacrosse players and fans in your life, including skate-sharpening and lacrosse stickstringing services. Triathletes, runners and walkers will feel at home at Endurance House, which provides casual and serious athletes with shoes, gear and even a personalized movement profile that helps staff address a customer’s capabilities and needs. Hunters and fly fishers can gear up at Orvis, home to the Distinctive Country Lifestyle line. Shoppers can find unique clothing and home furnishings while shopping for products for their dogs or even taking fly-fishing lessons. Greenway Stations also offers Christopher & Banks and Marshalls for lower cost alternatives to chic designer togs and you can outfit your feet at DSW (aka Designer Shoe Warehouse) with the latest in discount fashion footwear. Once you tire of shopping, you can top at Claddagh Irish Pub, Cold Stone Creamery or any other of Greenway Station’s many restaurants for a pick-me-up and chances to review your purchases. Remember, if you buy what you love — even if it’s a pint of Guinness stout or two scoops of your favorite frozen confection mixed before your eyes on a frozen granite slab — you’ll never go wrong.

MUSIC Where: The Exclusive Company, locations in West Bend, Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Greenfield and Janesville In-house expert: Milwaukee store manager Brian Kirk Best new LP: Adele’s 25 is the record to buy this season and available at the Exclusive Company starting on Nov. 20. $22 in vinyl. Best classic rock LP: The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, whose Andy Warholdesigned cover has become as classic as the album. A real collector’s item. $25 in vinyl. Classic jazz: John Coltrane’s My Favorite Things, which will jazz up any holiday party. $15–25 in vinyl. Best local CD: Milwaukee band Testa Rosa’s new CD, Testa Rosa III, showcasing Betty Blexud-Strigens’ striking voice. $11. — Kerrie Kennedy

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November 19, 2015

Antiques & Uniques

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, November 22 @ 4pm Christmas Parade ~ Serving Hot Chocolate~

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ANTIQUES & UNIQUES ON MAIN 2 levels ~ OVER 20,000 square feet ~ Featuring over 90 dealers

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jewelry • Fine Jewelry • vintage jewelry We pay up to 20% more than our competitors. Many restaurants with in walking distance. Complimentary snacks and drinks. Gift cards available.

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November 19, 2015

ut on the town November 19 – December 3 A curated calendar of upcoming events ‘French Fantastique’ Nov. 20 to 22

Madison Symphony Orchestra’s French Fantastique concert will celebrate the work of three composers instrumental in the development of symphonic music in France. The orchestra will perform works by Ravel, Berlioz and Saint-Saëns, inviting Grammy-winning cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio to join them on the last. At Overture Center, 201 State St. Tickets are $16 to $85, and can be ordered at 608-2584141 or overturecenter.org.

‘FACING Home: Love & Redemption’ Nov. 19 to 21 UW-Madison’s dance department will channel the music of Bob Marley into a contemporary concert that investigates his music’s expression of humanity’s struggle and the deep-rooted homophobia of Jamaican/West Indian culture. The idea comes from guest choreographer Kevin Ormsby, of Toronto’s KASHEDANCE Company, who’s worked with UW-Madison professor Chris Walker to confront the paradox of West Indian teachings of liberation and the culture’s historic oppression of LGBT individuals, in an attempt to ignite change. At the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, 1050 University Ave. Tickets are $20, $15 for students and seniors. Call 608-265-2787 or visit uniontheater.wisc.edu for tickets.

Holiday Art Fair Nov. 20 to 22 The Holiday Art Fair is one of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s major fundraisers, but you don’t need philanthropy as an excuse to show up. The three-day event is considered one of the year’s best opportunities to pick up unique artwork and crafts from across the nation, with more than 85 artists and specialty food vendors filling MMoCA and the Overture Center. You’ll also get to see performances by local arts groups and you can peruse the Rediscovered Arts & Treasures Sale. At 227 State St. Admission is $6, with free entry for children under 12. Visit mmoca.org for more information.

‘The Mousetrap’ Nov. 20 to Dec. 20

In London’s West End — in the world, in fact — there’s no production that’s run longer than The Mousetrap, the Agatha Christie murder mystery that opened in 1952 and is as famous for its twist ending as its longevity. The play’s largely been locked away in the UK over the last 60-plus years, but a few North American productions have been greenlighted this year, and the Milwaukee Rep’s managed to secure one of them. Local actors Jonathan Gillard Daly and Laura Gordon will lead a talented cast in this tale of unlucky individuals trapped in a blizzard with a murderer. At 108 E. Wells St. Tickets start at $20 and can be ordered at 414-2249490 or milwaukeerep.com.

‘The World of the Fortepiano’ 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 You might think you know a piano when you see one, but its earliest versions weren’t like the instrument we know and love today. South African musician Kristian Bezuidenhout will visit Early Music Now to take us back to the time of the fortepiano, the proto-keyboard used by musicians like Mozart and C.P.E. Bach. He’ll use works by those 18th century composers to demonstrate the articulations and detail only possible via the piano’s comparatively diminutive predecessor. At Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. Tickets are $29 or $46, $10 or $15 for students. Visit earlymusicnow.org or call 414-2253113 to order.

‘Hot Club of San Francisco: Cinema Vivant’ 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 In 1930s France, the music of traveling gypsy caravans blended with the Parisian jazz scene to create a pioneering, unique fusion. The Hot Club of San Francisco will resurrect that sound at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, performing works by artists like Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, as well as original compositions by lead guitarist Paul Mehling. The performance also will include three short films from the early days of cinema. At 901 S. 15th Ave., South Milwaukee. Tickets are $10 to $35 and can be purchased at 414-766-5049 or southmilwaukeepac.org.

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ut on the town November 19, 2015

Tanya Tagaq 8 p.m. Nov. 21 Ever heard an Inuit throat singer? There’s no time like the present, since Madison will be graced by one of the world’s most esteemed innovators of the form, Tanya Tagaq. Tagaq began practicing the ancient tradition when she was 15 and has subsequently integrated the style into punk and electronica, creating her own unique genre of performance. At Union Theater, 800 Langdon St., Madison. Tickets are $10 to $25 and can be purchased at 608-265-2787 or uniontheater.wisc.edu.

‘Thanksgiving’ 5 p.m. Nov. 22 Present Music’s annual holiday event takes the same basic components — the Present Music ensemble, Bucks Native American Singing and Drumming Group, vocalists from area high schools and the Cathedral of St. John’s the Evangelist — and recombines them in new and exciting ways. The centerpiece this year is The Branch Will Not Break, a world premiere work by Christopher Cerrone, about the meaning of home. The audience also can anticipate the return of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and other works by artists including John Cage. At 812 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee. Tickets are $40, $30 or $20, and can be ordered at presentmusic.org.

Kevin Bozeman 8 p.m. Nov. 25 Comedian Kevin Bozeman did his very first night of stand-up at Madison’s Comedy Club, while he was a student at UW-Whitewater, and for more than a decade since, he’s been paying his respects with his Pre-Thanksgiving Show. Like any good Thanksgiving, he’s inviting friends to the table — guests can look forward to Shaq’s Comedy All-Stars veteran Jeremy Alsop, Chicago Fire’s Russell Williamson, Andi Smith of Last Comic Standing and Dwayne Kennedy, who’s hosted specials on Comedy Central and Showtime. Work out those ab muscles with some laughter in preparation for your turkey the next day. At The Comedy Club on State, 202 State St., Madison. Tickets are $20, $28 for VIP seats. Visit madisoncomedy. com to order.

‘Home Alone’ 8 p.m. Nov. 27 and 28

Most of us have seen Home Alone at least once, but you almost certainly haven’t seen it the way the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will present it this month. As the classic holiday film plays on the big screen at the Marcus Center, the company will perform John Williams’ score live — and it all benefits the holiday gift drive for Children’s Hospital. At 929 N. Water St. Tickets are $17 to $107 and can be ordered at 414-291-7605 or mso.org.

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November 19, 2015

A curated calendar of upcoming events ‘A Country Christmas with Sara Evans’ 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2

As a country pop artist, Sara Evans has carved out an impressive place in the industry, releasing seven studio albums in the past two decades including 2000’s Born to Fly, her biggest hit to date. But when she flies into Milwaukee this December, it’s not just her catalog she’ll be performing. Evans will bring holiday favorites new and old to the Marcus Center, joining the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Jeff Tyzik. At 929 N. Water St. Tickets are $17 to $107 and can be ordered at 414-2917605 or mso.org.

Nov. 19 – Dec. 3

‘A Christmas Carol’ Dec. 1 to 24 It’s a rare theater tradition that has the staying power of the Milwaukee Rep’s annual Christmas Carol. The Dickens tale of redemption will receive its 40th annual production with the company this year, with local actor Jonathan Smoots returning to the role of Scrooge alongside a cast of new and old carolers alike. If going with your family is a tradition, don’t pick this year to break it — and if it isn’t, there’s no better time to start than Christmas Present. At the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at 414-224-9490 or milwaukeerep.com.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Nov. 27 to Jan. 3

This year, your holiday tradition of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas can come with a whole new twist. First Stage Children’s Theater will present a new stage production of the Peanuts special, in which the beleaguered Charlie Brown tries to get himself into the holiday spirit by directing the school Christmas play. At the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee. Tickets are $13 to $28, and can be ordered at 414-267-2961 or firststage.org.

Cameron Esposito Dec 3 to 5 Cameron Esposito’s rise to the top has been quick and well-deserved. With appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, @midnight, Conan and Maron, as well as the success of comedy album Same Sex Symbol and hit Buzzfeed video series Ask a Lesbian, Esposito has made a mark as a comic both for her stand-up’s take on LGBT topics and its overall whip-smart quality. She’ll be in Madison for a weekend residency that shouldn’t be missed. At The Comedy Club on State, 202 State St., Madison. Tickets range from $10 to $15. Visit madisoncomedy.com to order.

Keep reading for… ‘My Fair Lady’: Skylight Music Theater stages this classic musical about the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, complete with spectacular outfits to mark her transformation. Nov. 20 to Dec. 27. See page 43. ‘Love Stories’: Local actors and married couple Jim Pickering and Tami Workentin play themselves in this Milwaukee Chamber Theatre production, as they rehearse three one-act plays about love. Nov. 25 to Dec. 20. See page 44. Found Footage Festival: The live comedy event returns to Milwaukee, presenting weird stuff hosts Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have found on VHS tapes from across the country. Nov. 25. See page 46. ‘Schubert + Grieg’: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra gets in touch with nature, with a symphonic program featuring three diverse, reflective works. Nov. 20 and 21. See page 48. ‘History of Rock & Roll in 10 Songs’: At Alverno Presents, rock critic Greil Marcus ignores the obvious choices in picking 10 songs that track the evolution of rock music from 1956 to the present day. Nov. 20. See page 50.

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November 19, 2015

! T U WiGO

Milwaukee Art New-seum MAM reinvents with a lakefront entrance and a dynamic new plan for galleries By Matthew Reddin Staff writer

Most museum renovations wouldn’t be undertaken the way the Milwaukee Art Museum’s has been — closing everything but the special collections gallery in the Quadracci Pavilion to the public for a year. More common, says chief curator Brady Roberts, is for a museum to close sections of a permanent collection a bit at a time and revealing each revision as it’s completed. “It’s hard to tell what’s changed,” he says. “and it’s not very dramatic.” MAM’s big reveal, on the other hand, brings new meaning to the word “dramatic.” The museum that reopens its doors on Nov. 24 will be completely different from the one that closed last November, thanks to an expansion and reinstallation that will add a new lakefront entrance and 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, filled with 2,500 works of art — a thousand more than the museum has ever been able to display. In many ways, Roberts says, the renovation, spearheaded by museum director Dan Keegan, was as much a matter of practical need as artistic innovation. The Milwaukee Art Museum is a multi-building complex, with this lakeside addition (informally dubbed the “East End” by curators) joining the War Memorial Center, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957; a 1975 expansion, designed by David Kahler; and the iconic Quadracci Pavilion, designed by Santiago Calatrava. The older buildings were in dire need of repair, with severe structural issues, including a leaky roof and a failing HVAC system. “It was really putting the collections at risk,” Roberts says. “Water and moldy air and art don’t mix.” But those practical concerns gave Roberts and his curators an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the entire museum. Judging the museum’s original floorplan a “maze” even veteran curators had been known to get lost in, Roberts says his team wiped the slate clean, redrawing the museum’s boundaries to find the best place for every gallery. “Say there are no walls, that you just have a blank canvas. How would you build the walls to best show the art?” Roberts asks. For the first time, that question has different answers for each gallery. Previously, MAM’s galleries were largely uniform, with simple brown-gray walls. Now, each curator has been allowed to design galleries that

best fit the art within. In addition, the Saarenin building has been restored to better resemble its original design, and elements of Kahler’s expansion now accent certain galleries. The expansion also has given the museum the ability to create two new galleries. The 20th- and 21st-Century Design Galleries, arranged by MAM’s newest curator Monica Obniski, give the museum’s expansive collection of industrial design objects their own space for the first time, and Roberts says Obniski is using her new space to acquire works that push the collection closer and closer to our present day. “We’re surrounded by design objects,” he says. “You can be surrounded by beautiful design every day of your life, if you think about it.” Also exciting is the new Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, located on the lower level of the museum. When the collections closed last year, Roberts says the museum’s photography gallery had been diminished to a wall that held about five photographs — an alarming lapse even before you know that MAM was one of the earliest museums to collect photography, with MOMA as its only real predecessor. The Herzfeld Center, curated by Lisa Sutcliffe, is finally a space worthy of MAM’s collection. The word “photography” literally means “writing with light,” and Roberts says Sutcliffe and the museum have taken that as inspiration, including light and video installations along with print photography, making the gallery a national destination in the process. “In 200 years,” Roberts says, “when people look back at the 21st century, this will be the century of photo-based media.” Roberts says the renovation also fixes a persistent problem for the museum: the lack of an additional special exhibition space. While the Baker-Rowland Gallery in the Quadracci Pavilion (currently home to the museum’s Larry Sultan retrospective) is the main driver for museum attendance, it has to close for a month every time MAM swaps exhibitions, adding up to a full quarter of the year. With the new Bradley Family Gallery, on the second floor of the East End, that lost time vanishes. Starting with the new gallery’s first show — the unveiling of recently acquired works by abstract expressionist printmaker Sam Francis — there will never be a period in which both special exhibition spaces are closed.

P H O T O : M i lwa u k e e A r t M u s e u m

MAM’s new expansion, informally dubbed the “East End,” gives the museum a lakefront entrance for the first time in decades. And the rest of the museum will be more dynamic — with this version of the “permanent” collection being the least-permanent it’s ever been. Roberts says curators plan to rotate works in and out of galleries on a regular basis, so there’s always something new to see in addition to the old favorites — as if people needed a better excuse to return over and over again. The Milwaukee Art Museum will unveil its renovated galleries at a grand opening on Nov. 24, with members-only previews the weekend before. For more information, visit mam.org. To get a better sense of what’s in store in the redesigned galleries, WiG spoke to the museum’s curatorial team, responsible for reshaping the floor plan for its six major gallery collections. Read on for more details.

P H O T O s : M i lwa u k e e A r t M u s e u m

Top: The Walk-In Infinity Chamber will be a cornerstone of the new Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts. Above: The expansion features windowed sculpture galleries, offering views of the city and lakeshore.

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Brady Roberts | Modern & Contemporary Art Galleries

Goals for the galleries’ expansion: “For the Modern and Contemporary collections we created soaring, white cube spaces that serve as neutral platforms to emphasize the works of art. The floorplan is clear and logical, allowing for intuitive navigation through the galleries.” Design of the new gallery space: The Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries include a series of halls filled with works by major artists of the 20th and 21st century, as well as a sculpture gallery overlooking Lake Michigan. Roberts says the spaces feature ceilings more than 17 feet high, better suited for the monumental works within. Also, the sculpture gallery exposes the original concrete columns designed in the 1970s Brutalist style by David Kahler, architect of the museum’s 1975 expansion. The Bradley Galleries also include new special exhibition space. High-profile works to look for: MAM owns three sculptures by Donald Judd, considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century, but has never been able to put them together. “To be able to present these three sculptures in one gallery where they all have their breathing room is something that any modern art museum would be envious of,” Roberts says. Other significant works include Eva Hesse’s fiberglass sculpture “Right After,” a rare example of her work that has not deteriorated due to its fragile materials.

Brandon Ruud | Constance & Dudley Godfrey American Art Wing

Goals for the gallery’s expansion: “I was particularly excited about creating a space that not only showcased the beauty and power of the Museum’s important American art collections in all its forms — decorative arts, paintings and sculpture — but one that allowed us to reveal the full, rich history of the nation’s arts and crafts.” Design of the new gallery space: The new American wing at MAM will feature paintings and decorative art objects — including the collection curated by the Chipstone Foundation. Ruud says he considers the museum’s collection of 17th- to 19th-century decorative art to be one of its greatest strengths and the new gallery space was designed to include decorative art in vignettes that suggest how they were used during their time periods. “These spaces range from airy, grand galleries where visitors will hopefully have a ‘Wow!’ moment, to more intimate spaces that allow for intense examination and viewing,” he says. High-profile works to look for: Ruud says the expansion has motivated new acquisitions and donations, including a rare canvas by 18thcentury painter Jeremiah Paul and a Long Island scene by Thomas Moran. In addition to John Singleton Copley’s better-known portrait “Alice Hooper,” Ruud recommends patrons check out a pair of Copley portraits that haven’t been presented in the United States since they were painted more than 250 years ago.

Lisa Sutcliffe | Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts Goals for the new gallery: “The photography collection has never had dedicated galleries at this scale before and it is exciting to show the work in the broader context of light-based media including video, film and digital media. The first show celebrates our collection highlights and gives the community a chance to get to know our photography collection, which hasn’t been shown together for 25 years. Design of the new gallery space: The other new space in MAM’s addition takes over the lower level of the museum, providing Sutcliffe with a light-controlled space to work in. Sutcliffe says exhibitions will rotate on a shorter cycle (3 to 4

November 19, 2015

months) to offer an evolving selection and help preserve the light-sensitive photographs. High-profile works to look for: Sutcliffe is well aware that there’s an excitement among patrons-in-the-know about the return of Stanley Landsman’s Walk-In Infinity Chamber, which uses two-way mirrors and light bulbs to create a unique, nearmagical space. But she’s also excited for them to get to know Anthony McCall’s “You and I Horizontal, II,” a participatory light installation that digitally recreates a solid light film from the 1970s. MAM will also be installing its earliest photographic acquisition, Edward Weston’s “Bad Water, Death Valley.”

Monica Obniski | 20th- and 21st-Century Design Galleries

Goals for the new galleries: “This is the first time the design collection will have dedicated space within the museum, so my goal is to display a diversity of works within thought-provoking vignettes. … I am really excited about building a contemporary design collection that makes sense for MAM.” Design of the new gallery space: One of the two new spaces in MAM’s addition, the design galleries bring the museum’s decorative artworks to a prominent position near the new lakeside entrance. Obniski says the space is designed so a viewer traveling around the periphery can get a loosely chronological survey of design from about 1900 to the 1960s, but also can dig deeper, exploring the interplay of dichotomies — beauty and functionality or art and technology. High-profile works to look for: Since the design galleries are new, Obniski is excited to display works that were tucked away in the archives, like experimental furnituremaker Mathias Bengtsson’s “Slice Chair.” She’s also pursuing new works to add to the collection, including MAM’s first 3-D printed chair (arrival TBD). And you won’t be able to miss the “chair wall” — a display of chairs from the 20th century hung along an exposed concrete wall.

Margaret Andera | Folk and Self-Taught Art Gallery, Haitian Art Gallery Goals for the galleries’ expansion: “Both the Haitian art and the folk and self-taught art were in parts of the building that didn’t make as much chronological sense for the collections. The collections now are adjacent to contemporary and modern art, exactly where they fit into the chronology.” Design of the new gallery space: Before the renovation, the mezzanine level of MAM wasn’t used for gallery space, so Andera says it may surprise regular attendees when they see it for the first time. To convert a former study center into the folk and Haitian galleries, the museum knocked down walls and doors, dramatically opening up the space. “It’s now this one, contiguous gallery space and I think it’s one of the most transformed spaces in the whole

re-installation,” Andera says. That also allowed the museum to open up a balcony overlooking the first floor, allowing patrons to see into the sculpture gallery from the mezzanine. High-profile works to look for: Andera says the museum’s “Newsboy” sculpture has long been used as visual shorthand for the folk and self-taught galleries, and its new placement will allow patrons to see it from multiple angles for the first time. She’s also excited that the museum will be able to exhibit a banner by Milwaukee self-taught artist Josephus Farmer — previously too damaged to present to the general public but restored by the museum’s conservators for the reopening.

Tanya Paul | Antiquities and European Galleries

Goals for the galleries’ expansion: “My goal was twofold. On one hand, I wanted to respond to and better highlight the strengths of our collection — in particular its uniquely broad, panEuropean perspective with distinctive strengths in German art. On the other hand, I also wanted to fully integrate our collections of fine and decorative European art.” Design of the new gallery space: The two-floor galleries, twice the size of the original space, will interconnect MAM’s collection of European paintings and prints and its European antiquities collection. Paul says the spaces will “blend into one another, resulting in a complex portrait of European art and its interrelatedness.” The museum’s salon-style room for the Layton Art Collection will return, presenting works from the collection as they would have been in a late-19th/ early 20th-century gallery. High-profile works to look for: Viewers should

look forward to once again seeing the museum’s arresting “Saint Francis of Assisi in His Tomb,” by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán, along with other recognizable works like Jules Bastien-Lepage’s “Woodgatherer” and the museum’s Monet painting. Paul also recommends keeping an eye out for a monumental decorative vase by Barbedienne and new acquisitions from French portrait painter Alexandre Cabanel.

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November 19, 2015

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Skylight’s ‘Fair Lady’ uses costume to define character By Michael Muckian Contributing writer

Skylight Music Theatre’s My Fair Lady will be a full-on fashion run, tapping designer Chris March’s considerable talents and wicked sense of humor to bring to life the story of phonetics professor Henry Higgins, who, on a bet, turns Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a proper English lady. As March and fans of the 1956 Lerner and Lowe Broadway musical know, costumes are the largest visual cue for differentiating the classes of the play’s cast members. And costumes always have played a role in the history of the show. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, the musical, opening on Nov. 20, embraces Shaw’s socialist views and upends his era’s thesis, which said no one can escape the social caste into which he or she is born. With instruction from Higgins (Norman Moses), Eliza (Natalie Ford) picks herself up, dusts herself off — literally — and successfully enters upper-crust society. But not before multiple suitors, including Higgins, fall ass-over-teakettle in love with her. What a difference a Dior — or a March — can make. “We’re making sure the poor in the cast are dirty and disheveled and the rich bejeweled and glamorous,” said March, best known for his appearances on Bravo network’s Project Runway and Project Runway All-Star Challenge. “The show is about the differences in classes and we wanted Eliza’s makeover as a lady to show some travel between the two distinctly different aspects of her character.” The concept of “costume as character” is not new to My Fair Lady. Sir Cecil Beaton populated the original Broadway production, starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, with frocks dazzling enough to earn him a Tony Award. Beaton then repeated the feat for the 1964 George Cukor film version, with Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, garnering an Academy Award for his costumes. “You have to acknowledge Cecil Beaton’s designs for the brilliance that they are,” March said. “I used them as a jumping off point and followed on to the point of absurdity.” March, a San Francisco native, became notorious for his trademark hats and wigs in Beach Blanket Babylon, the Bay City’s longest-running musical revue. So one can only wonder just how absurd his definition of absurdity can get. “My aesthetic has more of a sense of humor,” March said. “I think we do a little more to have fun with and skewer the socialite class.” But the source material is not without constraints. Consider the “Ascot Gavotte” number, a cornerstone of the musical and Eliza’s coming-out society event. Conventions of the day for the Royal Ascot horse race dictated restraint, which meant morn-

Costumes go a step further than fashion in that they define the people and the characters they play. ing coats, waistcoats and striped trouser for men and subdued dresses in shades of black, white and gray for women. But other than color, nothing was said about ladies’ hats in terms of size and style. This is where March and assistant costume designer Susanne Maroske had some fun. “The Ascot scene is fraught with the women trying to outdo each other with their haute couture and outrageous hats,” March said. “We’re going all-out for that one.” “All-out” means really big hats, some 3 feet tall or 3 feet wide, March notes. “We decided in an early design meeting that the Ascot number could be a bit surreal and a fantasy,” March said. “The entire sequence is a pretty wild departure from what’s expected. It’s a big eye-opener in the middle of the show and the point where we really turn up the volume.” The Ascot sequence is almost immediately followed by the formal ball, which has an entirely different air. March dresses the members of London society in elegant, dark jewel tones to mirror their economic levels. Eliza emerges dressed in virginal white, a stark contrast in color and tone to the others. The importance of costuming in these two sequences demonstrates the importance of couture — haute and otherwise — in the execution of the show, March said. “In some shows, the costumes can be more important than other things based on the nature of the action,” March said. “In this show, costumes are particularly front and center due to the class divisions that we need to showcase and define.” March bridles when those in the fashion world look askance at theatrical costumes as second-class. “Theatrical costuming is kicked around in the fashion world like an ugly step-sister and that’s ridiculous,” March said. “Costumes go a step further than fashion in that they define the people and the characters they play. And unlike other technical aspects, that’s a distinct step further in defining those characters beyond the playwright’s words.”

On Stage

Skylight Music Theatre’ production of My Fair Lady runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 27 at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.

P H O T O : M a r k F r ohn a

In Skylight’s My Fair Lady, costume designer Chris March is going big and bold, especially when it comes to the outrageous hats worn by Eliza (Natalie Ford) and others.

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November 19, 2015

Married actors Jim Pickering and Tami Workentin tell ‘Love Stories’ at MCT By Matthew Reddin Staff writer

This holiday season, local actors Jim Pickering and Tami Workentin are going to get up on the stage of the Broadway Theater Center’s Studio Theater and tell some love stories — as themselves. The two are perfectly suited for the task, being both longtime members of the Milwaukee theater community and more recently partners off stage as well. They met several years ago during a production of The Exonerated at Next Act Theater and married a few years later. Love Stories, directed by Paula Suozzi, uses as its conceit the idea that the two are in rehearsal for a trio of one-act plays about love and relationships, which causes them to reflect on their marriage. Suozzi previously directed Madison actors Colleen Madden and Jim Ridge, also married, in the world premiere production at Forward Theater in 2012. With a play in which the lead actors play themselves, there seems no better way to get at the heart of what it’s all about than to ask them directly. WiG sat down with the couple to learn about the show and what they’ll be bringing to the stage. How did you get involved with this production? Tami Workentin: Michael came to us. I had him over for dinner one night and I had said to him, “I think it would be a really nice idea if Jim and I did something together.” With that, he suggested this show, which we had heard dear friends of ours, Colleen Madden and Jim Ridge, had done at Forward Theater. Jim Pickering: It was when I was in Spring Green, a year and a half ago. Michael plans ahead.

What about the idea appealed to the two of you? TW: Working together. Because you’ve only worked together once before? JP: And never to this extent. The only time we worked together before, I played a cop who arrested her for murder. TW: (The Exonerated) was about death row inmates. So not nearly as happy. It was together, but it was in a cast. JP: There was a lot of people. TW: So this one is really a two-hander. JP: It’s a cage match. How would you describe the structure of Love Stories? TW: There are the three one-acts: “Village Wooing,” by George Bernard Shaw; “The Jewish Wife,” which is by Brecht; and “Here We Are,” by Dorothy Parker. JP: It was Jen Uphoff (who put the plays together). TW: Jen Uphoff Gray had done this when she was in college; she put these three together. To say that we have a full understanding of what the framework is yet — not really, because we’re still figuring it out. JP: We’re still forming it. TW: But the framework is that Jim and I — as Jim and I, as ourselves — are coming to a rehearsal process where these interns are there in attendance. We’re going to give part of our own life and all of that stuff in between. JP: It’s weird. It’s taking place in the theater itself, so we just decided the rehearsal process is at the place where we’ve left the rehearsal hall and we’re just getting into the theater for the first time. There hasn’t even

ON STAGE

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Love Stories will run Nov. 25 to Dec. 20 at the Broadway Theater Center, 158 N. Broadway. Tickets are $34 to $38, and can be ordered at 414-2917800 or milwaukeechambertheatre.com.

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P H O T O : M i lwa u k e e C h a mb e r T h e at r e

Married actors Tami Workentin and Jim Pickering will tell three one-act love stories — as well as bits of their own story — in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s holiday show.

been tech and stuff like that. So it’s rehearsal props and rehearsal furniture, though some of it’s the “real stuff,” the way you would do with a regular rehearsal process for a play. I think it’s going to be really easy to identify that that’s the stage (of rehearsal). But exactly what our interaction is with one and other, and with the stage manager and with Bobby (Knapp, acting intern) and Erika (Kirkstein-Zastrow, acting/dramaturgy intern) and Megan (stage management intern) is evolving. We’re figuring that out as we go. Why these particular plays? Why do you think they go together? TW: Why (Gray) picked them would be a better question for her. But I think… JP: They’re all about… TW: Love at different stages. Relationships. What I love about “Village Wooing” is that this couple are at a later point in their lives. His wife passed away and this woman is past her prime a bit. So she’s feeling a desperation to get married and she finds this man. He doesn’t know yet that he should be in love with her. JP: But she does. (laughs) TW: So there’s something about that kind of love, and that kind of pursuit of love, that’s different from younger people’s. Certainly that abandon they have. “The Jewish Wife” takes place in 1935, in Germany, and she’s Jewish and he’s not. So she’s making a choice to leave and he’s not fighting for her to stay. JP: So “Village Wooing” examines the

very beginning of a relationship, the progress of a relationship. “Jewish Wife” is the end of a relationship. And it’s not a comedy. Then, Dorothy Parker, who wrote all kinds of satirical and scathing stuff about men and relationships — all her poetry is kind of about that — is writing a partly satirical but very poignant comic piece about two newlyweds on a train on their way to New York for their honeymoon. And the tensions that go along with that. It’s three real different angles of looking at love stories between two people. We’re playing people who are younger than we are, but so what? (laughs) Michael wanted to use us because we got together late in life and after things that happened during the earlier part of our lives. There’s something harmonic about that. Would you say those plays contain situations that are similar to your own life or vice versa? (Both laugh) JP: You can write down “They laughed, heartily.” TW: Oh, hell yeah. JP: Which is just — I mean it just tells you how good the plays are. TW: We’ll be in a conversation — and I’m going to use the word “conversation” very loosely (Jim laughs). There’ll be something that harkens back to the play, and Jim — more often than I, because I’ll be in the middle of it — he’ll go, “Baby this is just like in the play.” And it really is. JP: “But shut up while I make this point.” STORIES next page

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

STORIES from prior page TW: Or, “Shut up because I’ve got to be right about this one.” (Both laugh) Yes, yes and yes. How has it been for you as actors to prepare to reveal elements of your personal lives to an audience that may not know anything about you off stage? TW: We don’t know the answer to that yet. JP: It’s not going to be like — This ain’t like Real Housewives of Bay View, we ain’t opening up that far. Just hinting, I think. TW: A crack in the door. JP: For peeping Toms. What has the rehearsal process been like? How would you describe getting to work together this closely? JP: It’s exciting. It really is exciting. TW: And you’re learning each other’s way of going. It’s interesting. When you work with someone, there’s a point at which you have to stop working. JP: Cause you’re going to go home and you have to live with this person. TW: Or you’re going to kill each other. So there’s a point on the trip home where we have to open the windows of the car and let everyone out. JP: Let everybody else out. TW: Except for he and I. And we really have parameters for when we can talk about it.

JP: Yeah. There’s a point at which we ask permission to talk shop. You just have to set up rules like that, otherwise it’s chaos. TW: We also have a younger son who’s home too, who’s 13. He comes home with his life, and you’ve got to be ready to hear about his day too. Would you say you’ve enjoyed the opportunity to work together more closely? TW: I think it’s a gift. JP: It certainly is. TW: It’s a crazy world; you (usually) don’t get to go to the theater for your job with your spouse. It’s kind of nice, to share it. So much of what you do in front of people is a shared experience, and it’s great that we then can get in the car and go “Wow, that felt great.” Or whatever. Art is evolving. It isn’t a movie. It changes every night. And a look or a gesture or a breath makes it different. When you’re up on the stage with someone, it’s scary. And if you’re up there with somebody who has your back, is in it with you, and you know them on a whole other level too, that’s pretty outstanding. JP: We’ve done two plays together. Fifty percent of the plays that we’ve done have been just the two of us. That’s pretty good, I think. When Michael (asked), we were so glad. We wanted to do something together, we just didn’t know what it would be. This was the perfect situation.

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November 19, 2015

Found Footage Fest salutes VHS oddities By Colton Dunham Contributing writer

The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” rings true for Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, hosts of the Found Footage Festival, a celebration of VHS nostalgia. Prueher and Pickett have been video collectors since 1991, searching thrift stores, garage sales and even dumpsters for lost gems. This year’s Found Footage Festival has been dubbed a “salute to weirdos” and will reach Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom on Nov. 25. WiG recently spoke with Prueher about the collection, “cultural anthropology” and encounters with the weirdos the fest salutes. You’re originally from Wisconsin, right? I’m from Stoughton, outside of Madison. Is that where you and Joe stumbled across the training video outside of McDonald’s? Exactly. I was working at McDonald’s there in high school. It’s a training video for McDonald’s janitors that I found in the break room. It was covered in dust because nobody really watched it. It was remarkable. I snuck it home in my backpack and it became a cult thing among my friends. What was it specifically about that video that made you want to collect more? Whenever a video raises more questions than it answers, that’s what we’re looking for. That was the very first one where it was like, “Wait a minute. This is a multi-billion dollar corporation and this is the best that they can do?” It’s this trainee’s first day on the job and he just couldn’t wait to go clean the bathrooms. There’s this overly perky crew trainer. There’s sexual tension between the trainer and the trainee. It’s just one of those videos where we became obsessed. How did you and Joe meet and when did your fascination with VHS tapes start? We had a mutual friend in the sixth grade. We met and we had a slumber party at his house. I remember specifically watching Small Wonder, which was a terrible syndicated show about a robot little girl in the ’80s. We were in tears at how bad this show was. We loved to hate it and watch it ironically. What are some of the best places you and Joe have found videos? When you know you’re looking for VHS tapes, they turn up in weird places. I’ve found them in a dumpster behind my apartment building while I was taking out the trash. I’ve happened to find them on the street lying on the ground. Joe took a job at a Suncoast Video because he heard they had horrible training videos. He took the job just so he can get the training videos. He dubbed them all at home, turned them in the next day and then quit the job. I’ve read that you and Joe encourage fans to send tapes your way. About once a week in the mail, we get a package and it’s always a gift that keeps on giving. The only frustrating part about

P H O T O : Fo u n d Foota g e F e s t i va l

The Found Footage Festival will feature a “salute to weirdos” this year.

our job is that we can’t be everywhere. Some thrift stores aren’t even accepting VHS donations because nobody is buying them. It’s heartbreaking to think that some of these will just be lost for the ages or they’ll end up in a landfill somewhere. During the fest, you and Joe provide “where-are-they-now” updates on people featured in the videos. How much time does it take to track these people down? Usually they’re fairly easy to find because they’re in the phonebook or they’re online. Sometimes, on the occasion that we can’t find somebody, we’d hire a private detective. In this particular show, we get obsessed with this weirdo who hosted a pet advice college show from Long Island in the ’90s. He would just bring pets from this pet store onto this little table and take viewer calls about pet care. But these pets that he has on this table should not be together, like a snapping turtle and a chinchilla or a cat and a lizard. They’re always after each other, fighting, always knocking things over or falling off the table. It’s chaos, but you can’t look away. Have you had any strange or bad experiences with some of these people? The one close call we had was this guy named Frank Pacholski. He said he’s from Milwaukee, but I don’t know if that’s true. He’s living out in California now. He made a public access show where he dances in a Speedo in a Lone Ranger mask in front of a semi-circle of elderly people who don’t want to be there. We flew all the way to Los Angeles to interview him and he had all of these demands about the interview. It had to be on the beach. It had to be on the Santa Monica Pier. We were like, “OK, whatever.” We get there and whatever he’s doing, he’s convinced he’s doing art. We tried to joke around and he was not having it. We couldn’t get to the bottom of what this was all about and he said, “I want my manager to meet you.” We went there to meet the manager about a half-hour later and it’s him, but he’s dressed in a three-piece suit. He maintained that he was a different person through the entirety of our interview. This guy was a real deal weirdo.

The theme to this year’s tour is “Salute to the Weirdos.” What’s the meaning behind the tour name? We don’t really pick out videos around a theme. We just pick out the one that make us laugh. With a lot of the videos, we noticed a pattern (this year): All of them, or the good ones anyway, involved some weirdo who is in front of the camera or behind the camera making the decisions. That’s really what makes life interesting and I think that’s why we’re so drawn to these amateur productions. If you’re watching the polished version on TV, it’s boring. We like imperfections and weirdos bring those out in full force. We’re paying tribute to them by picking out the greatest weirdos from 20-plus years of collecting VHS. In the past, your work has been called “cultural anthropology.” Would you agree? I think we’re definitely excavating artifacts from a bygone era. You’re seeing some of the unvarnished history. AFI has put out a list of the greatest movies of the last 50 years, (but) it’s a pretty incomplete picture of who we are as people. If you’re looking at exercise videos, people’s home movies, training videos and other things that aren’t meant to be shown in public, that’s a more complete picture of who we are. What can fans expect from the upcoming show in Milwaukee? There’s going to be some full-frontal male nudity, so that’s something that they can really look forward to. I always look forward to going back to Wisconsin because a lot of our videos come from there. A lot of my friends and family are from there. And I love Turner Hall. That’s why I’m excited to be back home for the holiday and bring these videos back to where they all started.

ON STAGE

The Found Footage Festival will take place at 8 p.m. on Nov. 25 at Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. Fourth St., Milwaukee. Tickets are $12 and can be ordered at 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.org.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Reflecting on Wisconsin’s earliest Thanksgivings By Jay Rath

Contributing writer

The story sounds familiar: In the 1600s, starving Europeans, new to the continent, were rescued with gifts of food from Native Americans, with whom they joined to give thanks. Except this particular Thanksgiving story didn’t happen near Plymouth Rock. It happened in Wisconsin in 1659, just 38 years after the Pilgrims’ feast. That’s one example of the rich Thanksgiving history held by the Badger State. Mary Spielman Roller, a resident of what became Milwaukee’s south side, even claimed to have introduced turkeys as the Thanksgiving bird in the state of Wisconsin, in 1835. She brought four birds from Buffalo, New York, when she settled in Milwaukee at the age of 18. “Mrs. Roller assisted her husband in cutting down huge trees to use in building a log hut, and to make a clearing in the forest wherein to plant some grain and build a coop for the turkeys,” according to an early newspaper account. As the animals multiplied, “The Indians were constantly trying to steal them. Although not openly hostile, the Indians were apt to show anger when opposed by a woman.” Of course, Roller could only claim she was the first to distribute turkeys to others for Thanksgiving — the bird is native to Wisconsin, and common. The Wisconsin State Journal recalled in 1930 that in Madison’s

early days, turkeys “ran wild over the present university campus.” White settlers had great difficulty hunting them, however. Mark Twain later wrote of his own frustrating experience, “Hunting the Deceitful Turkey.” Roller’s daughter recalled that Native Americans were invited to her mother’s first Wisconsin Thanksgiving. They “came in their native costumes, adding a touch of bright color to the monotony that pioneer decoration has always assumed.” Native Americans here already had their own thanksgiving ceremonies. The Ojibwe celebrated in early spring, however, as a “first fruits of the season” event. Any food caught, collected or harvested had to be first offered to what white settlers called their “Great Spirit.” As a federal holiday, Thanksgiving is fairly recent. Far from a banquet, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln set aside Aug. 30 as “a national day of humiliation, fasting and prayer.” The Civil War still raged and the occasion was decidedly spiritual, “so that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high.” It continued as a semi-religious observance for decades. Wisconsin’s first official observance of Thanksgiving was in 1830, when it was still part of the Michigan Territory. Gov. Lewis Cass declared that a day of Thanksgiving be observed on Nov. 25. “I recommend to the inhabitants of the Territory that, refraining from all labor, inconsistent with the duties and solemnity

of the day, they repair to their respective houses of public worship,” he proclaimed, “and unite in suitable acknowledgements to the ‘Giver of every good gift.’” As late as 1876, the State Journal reported that much of the day was spent in church, although dining also was celebrated. In Madison, former Gov. Cadwallader Washburn and other nabobs ate in hotels. “There was good skating on Monona Bay, which was well enjoyed by a large number of youth.” Evening brought a fireman’s ball and several plays — one of them starring a young man soon to be known as “Fighting Bob” LaFollette. Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848 and the holiday afterward roamed the calendar; the present national date wasn’t fixed until 1939. In 1844, Gov. James Duane Doty even named Dec. 12 as Thanksgiving. But Wisconsin’s earliest-recorded meal of thanksgiving was that celebration in 1659. Pierre Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart Sieur des Groseilliers, the first French explorers to enter the state after Jean Nicollet ran out of provisions during a hard winter in what is today Bayfield County. They ate their dogs. They backtracked to their previous camps and dug the refuse of past meals from snowbanks. They boiled guts, skin and sinew and consumed it. They crushed and ate powdered bones. Some of the hair from hides was burned for fire, “the rest goes downe our throats, eating heartily these things most abhorred,” Radis-

son wrote later. “We went so eagerly for it that our gums did bleede like one newly wounded.” They started to eat wood. “Finaly we became the very Image of death. We mistook ourselves very often, taking the living for the dead and ye dead for the living,” he wrote. They were rescued by the Odawa (Ottowa), who fed them wild rice, turkey and other foods. Groseillers gave a speech of thanksgiving. The pair were later reclothed and underwent a series of Odawa ceremonies they did not understand. “After this,” wrote Groseillers, “they weeped upon our heads until we weare wetted by their tears.” And so it was, just a few decades after Plymouth Rock, that Thanksgiving came to Wisconsin.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Milwaukee Symphony connects with Nordic nature in Grieg, Sibelius program By Julie Steinbach Contributing writer

The MSO will put a Milwaukee twist on Scandinavia Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, with the help of guest pianist Jon Kimura Parker and guest conductor Lawrence Renes. Renes, a Dutch conductor currently leading the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, will present with Parker composer Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, a Nordic-themed work that introduces a program of Romantic-era symphonic works. Renes, who has previously worked with MSO music director Edo de Waart as an assistant conductor for the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, says the program also will include Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony and Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony. He believes the three together share a focus on connecting to nature, and particularly identifies with the two Nordic works. “I spend about half of my time being music director in Stockholm in Sweden,” says Renes. “To the west is Norway, with Grieg being one of the giants, and to the east is Finland, with Sibelius being one of the giants, and so through my being here and working so much here in Scandinavia I feel that it has opened me up. I have always loved the music by both Grieg and Sibelius.” Renes says Grieg’s concerto evokes the imagery of the Norwegian fjords and the indescribable expansiveness of the landscape. “There’s no other concerto like the Grieg,” he says. “For me there’s no real storyline but it is more about feelings, big feelings that you get when you are in nature. I actually enjoy leaving the city behind for Corcoran two days and disappearing in nature here in Sweden. When you wake up next to a lake, in the fjord in the mist, it brings these huge feelings inside me and it is hard to

P H O T O : L aw r e nc e R e n e s

Lawrence Renes, a Dutch conductor currently leading the Royal Swedish Opera, says he finds Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony share natural imagery.

explain in words.” For Parker, it’s his knowledge of the Grieg concerto’s historical significance that helps him bring out the imagery of the concerto. “This is the famous Norwegian piano concerto,” Parker says. “There’s a certain harmonic language that Grieg uses — minor 7th chords superimposed over dominant harmonies. I feel like that helps to create a picturesque element of the music.” Like Grieg, Sibelius was proud of his cultural heritage. Both composers incorporated the unique qualities of folk music — dance forms, melodies and more — into their compositions.

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It’s this synthesis of nature and culture that Renes believes makes these Nordic works so resonant. He also thinks it’s what makes them feel so different every time he conducts them. “When you walk in nature, if you go to the same place it will look differently every time you go — whether it’s the light, whether it’s the weather, the smell, which birds are there,” Renes says. “Something like the Sibelius symphony will always be different. …With Schubert and with Sibelius, it’s much more imaginative and in the moment.” Having worked with the MSO before, Renes knows they will be more than ready for this style of work. “I hope what the audience picks up from our concerts is a kind of chamber music feel … something spontaneous and alive.”

ON STAGE

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will perform a program featuring works by Grieg, Sibelius and Schubert at 11:15 a.m. Nov. 20 and 8 p.m. Nov. 21. Tickets range from $17 to $107 and can be ordered at 414-291-7605 or mso.org.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

PRESENTED BY JENNY AND BOB HILLIS IN HONOR OF BOB AND GENIE FRIEDMAN

Nov. 5 - Feb. 28, 2016

Experience the psychology of interiors. Artists Include: Simon Bukhave David R. Harper Jeremy Hatch Kim Hindman Toby Kaufmann-Buhler William Kentridge Beth Lipman Chloe Mackinnon Linda Marcus Catherine Peña Brian Ritchie Paul Sacaridiz Kyle Seis Julie VonDerVellen Christina A. West

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VILLAGE WOOING by George Bernard Shaw

THE JEWISH WIFE by Bertolt Brecht

HERE WE ARE by Dorothy Parker

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Nov 25 - Dec 20 Directed by Paula Suozzi | Featuring James Pickering & Tami Workentin Broadway Theatre Center 158 N. Broadway | 414.291.7800 milwaukeechambertheatre.com

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Music critic Greil Marcus’ ‘10 Songs’ will rock Alverno By Michael Muckian Contributing writer

When it comes rock ’n’ roll journalism, few writers boast a greater pedigree than Greil Marcus — many argue the veteran Rolling Stone contributor invented the genre. But where the San Francisco native outpaces the pack of music writers and fans is in his view of what rock music means from a cultural perspective. Marcus’ 1975 book Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ’n’ Roll explores the impact of rock on American culture and mythology through the stories of Harmonica Frank, Robert Johnson, the Band, Sly Stone, Randy Newman and Elvis Presley. Time recognized Mystery Train in 2011 as one of the 100 most influential nonfiction works published since 1923. Marcus’ latest book is The History of Rock ’n’ Roll in Ten Songs, published in 2014 by Yale University Press. In this history, Marcus selects 10 songs — some familiar, others perhaps not — and dramatizes how each embodies rock ’n’ roll. The songs, the writer says, contain the whole DNA of rock. Forget Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” Marcus says. Listen instead to “Transmission” by Joy Division, “All I Could Do Was Cry” performed by Etta James (and later, Beyoncé) and Phil Spector’s “To Know Him is to Love Him,” first recorded by the Teddy Bears and covered much later by Amy Winehouse, among others. Like a good rocker, Marcus is touring. His

road show arrives in Milwaukee on Nov. 20, part of Alverno College’s Alverno Presents series. Joining the author will be Jon Langford and Sally Timms (The Mekons), who will provide additional commentary and musically illustrate aspects of the songs that led Marcus to place them on his list. WiG recently talked with Marcus about rock criticism, his book, the history of rock ’n’ roll in 10 songs and who and what didn’t make the list.

What prompted you to define rock ’n’ roll in 10 songs? I was asked by Yale University Press to write a history of rock ’n’ roll. I said it was a terrible idea, had been done to death, that there was a master narrative of all the people from Elvis to Nirvana and beyond that you had to talk about, of all the events from Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show to Woodstock and beyond that you had to talk about, and who would want to do all that again? But I kept thinking about it and the idea of telling the whole story in just a small number of songs — I originally thought of 16, a nice rock ’n’ roll number — interested me. Especially, if you left out everything you otherwise couldn’t leave out. So, no Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis, James Brown, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Tupac or Nirvana. Name someone who had to be there and rest assured he or she wouldn’t be. That was the premise, along with a kind of secret list. A lot of people have realized

Greil’s Ten Songs “Shake Some Action,” by the Flamin’ Groovies “Transmission,” by Joy Division “In the Still of the Night,” by the Five Satins “All I Can Do Was Cry,” by Etta James and Beyoncé “Crying Waiting Hoping,” by Buddy Holly “Money (That’s What I Want),” by the Beatles “Money Changes Everything,” by The Brains and Cyndi Lauper “This Magic Moment,” by The Drifters “Guitar Drag,” by Christian Marclay “To Know Him Is To Love Him,” by the Teddy Bears and Amy Winehouse that if you could find the whole history of the form in 10 songs, you could also find it in one song, almost any song. I succeeded, except for the Beatles. There was just no way to keep them out. They are the history of rock ’n’ roll in one band. Your choices are unorthodox, or at least none that I would have expected to be included on the list. How did these particular songs fit the bill? When I started there were only two songs I knew I would write about: The Flamin’ Groovies’ “Shake Some Action” and Joy Division’s “Transmission.” The others made their way into the book while I was writing it. I never would have even thought about “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” an embarrassing No. 1 1958 hit by the Teddy Bears, if I hadn’t heard Amy Winehouse’s version on the radio after she died. I knew I had to write about it. The song sailed into the book from out of nowhere. The book organized itself around songs I wanted to write about — or songs I’d always loved and had never written about, like the Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Night.” I wanted to see if I could find a story in them that I could tell. Did you consider lyrics, melody/harmony, social implications or a combination of those and other factors when you made you choices? None of those things. If the history of rock ’n’ roll could be found in any one interesting song, then I could write about any song I wanted to write about, if I could tell its story. I wasn’t in any way interested in what influence a song might have had outside of itself. “Shake Some Action” has probably influenced a lot of hearts, but perhaps no other songs. The Beatles’ version of

ON STAGE

The History of Rock ’n’ Roll in Ten Songs, featuring Greil Marcus, Jon Langford and Sally Timms, will be performed Nov. 20 at Wehr Hall, 3400 S. 43rd St., Milwaukee. Visit alvernopresents.alverno.edu for more information.

“Money” is so big it couldn’t have influenced anyone, unless it was to convince them to quit before they started. Jon Langford and Sally Timms from The Mekons will be on hand to perform during your Alverno presentation. Why did you choose them to participate? Jon and Sally are old friends. I actually appeared — I don’t know if I can say performed — with the Mekons some years ago at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. We did a show based on my book at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago last year. And we had so much fun we wanted to do it again. I will talk and read from the book, they may talk and read from the book, but also play songs from it. There will likely be analyses from them directly, but their interpretations of the songs are analyses of the songs. Are there any rock songs and artists that people might consider a serious omission from your list? Of course there are. I dedicated the book, “To everyone I left out.” But the 10 songs are not meant to be the 10 best songs, the 10 most important songs, the 10 anything songs. They are a constellation of songs, all rushing off in different directions, bumping into each other, just missing each other, smashing together and coming out differently. Given your extensive body of work, does this presentation/book represent nextgeneration thinking for someone who clearly looks beyond the current music scene? For me the book is a kind of conversation, with the different songs and performers talking to each other, listening to each other, as we might hear any of these songs in a single day on the radio. (And there are stations at the back of the end of the dial that might even play Christian Marclay’s “Guitar Drag” soundtrack). So for that conversation, I wanted men and women, black people and white people, people from the 1950s and people from the 2000s. I really do believe they all speak the same language and would have no trouble understanding each other. When Jon and Sally play, I think that is what their performance will say.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

The Sets List

Colors and Chords

7 p.m. Nov. 24 at Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee. $25. pabsttheater.org. Want to help children and young adults on the autism spectrum develop graphic design skills with the help of professionals in the field? Of course you do. So you should stop by Colors and Chords, the fundraiser that pairs seven local bands (including Nineteen Thirteen, Testa Rosa and Jon Mueller and Chris Roseneau of Volcano Choir) with seven local artists, who’ll create works on the spot inspired by the bands’ 20-minute sets. You can discover more about the nonprofit they’re supporting, Islands of Brilliance, at islandsofbrilliance.org.

Louis Prima Jr. & The Witnesses

4 p.m. Nov. 29 at Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee. $40. pabsttheater.org. Ready for a full day of big band and swing music? That’s what WMSE is offering for its second annual Big Band Grandstand, a fundraiser to support its operations. Headlining the day is Louis Prima Jr., heir to one of the swing era’s biggest names and a fine jazz and pop musician in his own right. He and his big band The Witnesses will be joined by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Rhumba ensemble.

Local H

9:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at High Noon Saloon, Madison. $13, $15 day of show. high-noon.com. Chicago-based punk rock duo Local H has been performing with new drummer Ryan Harding for two years and so far he and original guitarist/vocalist Scott Lucas are living up to the 25-year reputation set by the band, cranking out singles, covers and a new album (Hey, Killer). And, most importantly, their live shows are still as chaotic and exciting as ever. They’ll return for a set to High Noon Saloon, with Madison acts The Hussy and Dumb Vision opening.

Justin Bieber :: ‘Purpose’

It’s time for Justin Bieber haters to put their arguments to rest. Purpose is no masterpiece, but it is an enjoyable listen that makes a strong argument for Bieber’s place among today’s top pop stars. After finding his career mired in a morass of bad behavior and bad publicity, the 21-year-old artist has rolled through the latter half of 2015 with three consecutive hits, “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry.” “Sorry,” the most recent and arguably the best, is a Skrillex production that will have you singing along right from the start. Musically, Purpose is awash in the slick, digital, dance pop style of the moment, which can be tiring. Songs like the simultaneously dark and breezy “The Feeling,” featuring rising female star Halsey, put the pieces together in a way that points toward an exciting artistic future for Bieber.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO :: ‘Alone In the Universe’

British prog rock band ELO has been gone for some time now — the last album, Zoom, is 14 years old — but songwriter/producer/vocalist Jeff Lynne has resurrected the name as a solo effort. The well-crafted songs of Alone in the Universe are a dead ringer for classic hits “Strange Magic,” “Telephone Line” and “Mr. Blue Sky.” You’ll never hear songs like this on today’s mainstream pop radio, but the breezy retro dance pop of “One Step at a Time” or the more stately “Love and Rain” make this album an early Christmas present for fans.

Sara Bareilles :: ‘What’s Inside: Songs From “Waitress”’

Kid Cudi

8 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Orpheum Theater, Madison. $45, $50 day of show. madisonorpheum.com. Kid Cudi burst on the hip-hop scene in 2008 with “Day ’n’ Nite,” but as his career’s progressed, he’s shifted from breakout star to cult favorite. That’s arguably a good shift for him — it’s given him the opportunity to experiment with unique sounds including frequent flirtation with indie rock. His latest record, Speedin’ Bullet to Heaven, is set to drop in less than a month, so glimpses of it should be visible in his set at the Orpheum.

Best Coast

Music reviews

8 p.m. Dec. 2 at Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee. $17. pabsttheater.org. Sophisticated, sparkly and psychedelic — that’s Best Coast in a nutshell. The LA-based duo released its third studio album, California Nights, earlier this year, revealing it to be yet another dreamy yet dark exploration of the West Coast aesthetic they’re surrounded by. Hopefully they can bring some of that California sunshine along with the gloom to their Turner Hall gig. Midwestern indie rock band Cloakroom opens.

Sara Bareilles’ latest album is a collection of songs written for the upcoming Broadway adaptation of the 2007 film Waitress, set to open in 2016. What’s Inside is an exciting and fun preview that proves Bareilles’ album of the year Grammy nom for The Blessed Unrest was no fluke. With bright, clear production reminiscent of Kaleidoscope Heart, this album’s lyrics are cleverer than is obvious at first blush, and Bareilles’ vocal talents continue to evolve. “She Used To Be Mine” is the show-stopping, reflective ballad to watch for.

One Direction :: “Made In the A.M.”

Their fifth album in as many years makes One Direction sound like they are ready to say farewell, especially on the cusp of their 2016 hiatus. Ironically down to four members after releasing last year’s Four (losing Zayn Malik), the quartet has another set of radiofriendly hooks, albeit more introverted than usual. “Love Me Goodbye” sounds particularly aimed at Directioners, with lyrics like, “It’s inevitable everything that’s good comes to an end.” The album closes gracefully with the loose, laidback singalong “History” and the group insisting in unison “We can live forever.” Not ending one of the most popular boy bands of all time with an album like this would just be bad marketing at this point. — Bill Lamb

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

Coppola’s new winery honors legacy of Virginia Dare By Michael Muckian Contributing writer

Here is a quick, one-question U.S. history quiz designed to challenge even the most astute history buff: Who or what was Virginia Dare? If you said she was the first female American aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean: Good guess, but that was Amelia Earhart. You failed the quiz. If you said she was the first white, English-speaking child born to English colonists in the New World in 1587, congratulations on your mastery of historical minutiae. You pass the quiz, plus you earn extra credit if you identified her birthplace as Roanoke Island, North Carolina. And if you said she was the namesake for a new California wine venture by filmmaker-turned-vintner Francis Ford Coppola, you also pass the quiz — and owe yourself a glass of wine from the new Sonoma Valley winery that entered the market on Sept. 24. As Thanksgiving approaches, our thoughts turn to those who settled the North American continent, causing us to

wind up here rather than in some other country that could be facing even greater financial challenges. What better way to honor them than to toast their restlessness with one of four teaser blends issued by American Pioneer Wine Growers, part of The Family Coppola winemaking and entertainment empire. The Coppolas are not the first to use Virginia Dare’s name on wine bottles. Prior to the new APWG enterprise, located at the former Geyser Peak Winery, winemakers as early as 1835 were producing Virginia Dare wines from the native Scuppernong grape varietal in Dare’s native North Carolina. In the early 1920s, owners Garrett & Co. moved the enterprise to the heart of East Coast wine country — Brooklyn, New York — just in time for the start of Prohibition, which caused them some unique challenges. However, the brand survived those dark times, expanding once Prohibition ended in 1933. The line eventually was acquired by Constellation Brands, which also owns Robert Mondavi Wines and other brands,

where it has since become a part of winemaking history. The newly minted Virginia Dare Winery’s brands go beyond the wine’s Scuppernong roots, ratcheting both the winemaking expertise and concept to a much higher level. All are worth considering for your Thanksgiving table. The White Doe ($13), named for the legend about a lover’s curse and its retribution, is created with a blend of 80 percent chenin blanc and 20 percent viogner grapes. As expected, the 2013 vintage combines the honeydew and citrus flavors from the chenin blanc with viogner’s floral, white peach characteristics. Expect a light, bright wine redolent of its fruit and clean in its delivery. Manteo ($18), the second release in the series, was named for a Native American tribesman who legend says protected Virginia Dare and her mother when they became lost in the woods. The 2012 Sonoma County red wine is produced from a veritable cornucopia of varietals, including syrah (28 percent), petite verdot (16 percent), cabernet sauvignon (16 percent), cabernet franc (15 percent), petite sirah (13 percent), merlot (6 percent), malbec (4 percent) and zinfandel (2 percent). The wine is a collision of rich, robust aromas and flavors, including cassis, boysenberries, anise, smoke and pink peppercorns. The earthy flavor is supported by well-integrated tannins that help carry the lush blend to a long, fragrant finish. Two Arrowheads ($16), the third release, comes closer in flavor to The White Doe. The blend of viognier (71 percent) and roussanne (29 percent) delivers the same hints of melon, honey and tropical flavors with a lush palate and mouthwatering fruit. The Lost Colony ($17), the fourth release, is a direct reference to Virginia Dare’s fate. John White, Dare’s grandfather and governor of the colony into which Dare was born, traveled to England after her birth for supplies. When he returned to the New World three years later, the entire colony — his granddaughter included — had vanished. Fortunately, the colony’s namesake wine is a little too bold to vanish. The wine’s blend of 47 percent syrah, 42 percent malbec, 10 percent cabernet franc and 1 percent viogner deliver spicy, earthy notes, with a floral nature to balance the sensations. Flavor of blackberries, cherries and currants blend with notes of pepper, cloves, smoke and a minerality that gives the wine a bold, unique character. Virginia Dare Winery also has planned a year-end release of what will be its flagship chardonnay and pinot noir, but the wines were not yet available locally at press time.

P H OTO : V i rg i n i a Da r e W i n e ry

The four wines of Virginia Dare Winery each are a worthy addition to your Thanksgiving table.

W I SCO N S I N G A Z E T T E . CO M |

November 19, 2015

With holiday cookies, go big or go home — go bourbon cherry bars! By Alison Ladman

decided to go heavy on the indulgence. After all, it is the holidays. We started with a basic pecan-brown sugar base, then heaped a rich bourbon-cherry topping over it. For good measure, we glazed the whole thing with a bit more bourbon and brown sugar. Bourbon not your speed? Substitute rum or brandy.

Associated Press writer

There is something immensely satisfying about bar cookies. They just have so much more heft than a typical cookie. And in our world, cookie heft translates into serious satisfaction. So when we created this bar cookie, we

BOURBON CHERRY BARS Start to finish: 1 cup pecans, toasted and cooled, plus extra to garnish 1 cup all-purpose flour 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 tsp table salt 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided Heat the oven to 350 F. Mist an 8-by, 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray hparc en kitch with m botto the line then ment, letting it also go up the sides. In a food processor, pulse together the pecans and flour until the pecans are very finely chopped. Don’t over-process or the mixture will become gummy. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, salt and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar together until . creamy. Add the egg and mix thoroughly a until just ure mixt ur n-flo peca the in Stir ly dough is formed. Press the dough even min20 for Bake pan. ared prep the into utes, or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, make the cherry topping. In a food processor, pulse the cherries until

45 minutes Makes 16 bars

1 egg 2 cups dried cherries 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup plus 4 tsp bourbon, divided 3/4 cup powdered sugar the pieces are no bigger than 1/4 inch. In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, cinnamon, orange juice, 1/4 cup of the bourbon, and the remaining 1/4 cup , of brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently liquid the of all until or for 5 minutes, y, is absorbed. When the crust is read top. the over ure mixt ry spread the cher r Allow to cool. Using the parchment pape pan, the from bars the to assist, pull removing and discarding the paper. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 4 teaspoons of bourbon and le the powdered sugar until smooth. Drizz over the tops of the bars, then garnish . with pecans. Cut into pieces and serve Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.

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We posted... you commented... Tammy Baldwin asks U.S. Dept. of Justice to review loans made by Scott Walker’s ‘job creation’ agency Tim Handley: Tammy is doing the job we elected her to do!!

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Kelli Straight: Review loans??? How about investigating the whole administration! There’s more than shady loans going on in the Capitol! James DeGroff: Fed should come down on the criminal Walker gang like a ton of bricks. Mark Adsit: While this may be political payback, it is also very much needed. How about subpoena for that Governor’s Mansion log book too? Elaine Todd Schnell: Thank you Tammy Baldwin.

Lax enforcement, outdated rules and numerous substances — natural and manmade — threaten drinking water in Wisconsin. An investigative report finds arsenic, bacteria, nitrate, lead, radium, molybdenum and more in your drinking water. Patty Jewett: Farmers contaminate many wells with farm chemicals, fertilizers and animal wastes. I use to live I n Rock Prairie where my well and many others are contaminated. Owen Nastachowski: I remember as a kid living in Mukwonogo are parents bought bottled water when they found out there was Radium in the water. Then we moved to West Allis, and crypto hit! Terris Muhammad: Water quality has been a major problem in the United States for at least 35 years. Industrial pollution of the ground and waterways has gone on unabated. Only a long, massive environmental campaign can begin to tackle the problem, and that is

only if the polluters put health over profit. smile emoticon Connie Wilson: With 100 year old pipe in the ground delivering your drinking water, you can expect contamination. Some things are naturally occurring, like radium. Patricia E. Cosgrove: And the Republicans want to weaken the rules even more. Make them drink the run off. James-Ann Mattes: If the high power lines running directly above our house doesn’t get us... the water will!

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November 19, 2015