2.10.12

Last night was the BID annual meeting, I had a chance to talk to a few fellow downtown stakeholders. I did find out that some angle parking supporters did not really know the whole story nor understand how Far West End is different from the rest of the Main Street with 13 driveways, downhill slope and the sharp turn to West Ave. I saw a document earlier in the day that the whole angle parking thing was talked about and defeated in BID in 2004, and I saw a signed petition from some Far West End property owners then siting the many driveway make it very dangerous for angle parking there. I guess this fight was started long ago, the angle parking stopped at Maple now for a good reason, and I certainly hope people do not support something just because the slogan sounds good to make the whole West Main uniform with more parking, or the secret agenda of sticking it to so and so due to all the ill will, because there are others in Far West End you are sticking it to.

I did shake hands and talk to Alderman Patton and I told him even though we are on the opposite divide of this issue, I still respect him. I think he jokingly challenged me to a fist fight because he is bigger, but I am no street fighter. :)

I know BID was different in 2004, the need for parking was different then too, but the number of driveways did not change, the same safety/liability concern is still there. I wonder if anyone is hearing me or am I just fighting the windmill by myself?

For the hot button issue of street closing, one opponent told me the current format will likely stay due to police decision, the event had just gotten to be that big, now the talk is the frequency of it. One supporter told me he fear changes to the street closing requirements will be too great of a financial burden to the stage owners and effectively kill FFNL.

For the guitar town, more will be revealed after the Common Council approval on 2-21.

The main concern on the horizon is the Hwy 18 road construction project and how it could affect the traffic to downtown Waukesha, but BID does not have all the detail yet.

River's End Gallery did win the downtown Renaissance award, congrats to Joan, she did a wonderful job with the project.

The good folks at Key Westconsin put out a wonderful spread; some stakeholders and I were hitting that bite-sized key lime pie pretty hard... Thank you for being a great host.

There was a mention of a bike rack fundraiser on 3-2-12 at Carroll U. but the biker gangs I ran into did not know anything about it, more detail to come I guess.

I am not messing with her...

Oops, I hope everyone will be okay.

Good stuff.

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There were also a lot of talks on the street about the T T bar... The consensus is that it will pass or a lawsuit is coming, and someone is gonna make a ton of money using that unique zoning.

BTW, a shout-out goes out to Mr. HBR whom is under the weather, from the League of Husbands.

P.S. Even some members of the Magical Downtown Committee are doubting their super power to handle all the issues by April 1st, some said it is a stalling tactic to push it off to this group to duke it out and make suggestions. I suppose when appointment time for committees comes in April, things will change again in the city government...

2.9.12

I think Mayor Scrima has to watch out for his public statement, he is getting a reputation for going after minorities disagreeing with him, fair or unfair. (Alderman Payne expressed similar concerns if I remember correctly.) Alderwoman Cummings has a unique voice, I might not agree with her all the time and at times criticized her, but she does have the passion and not afraid to speak the truth from her perspective and that deserves some respect. Remember how much an alder-person is getting paid to sit through all these meetings, I would not want that job. There is definitely a transparency issue if you happen to be on the dissenting side, and I can tell you that from the dealings with angle parking and Kendal Lofts.

I remembered getting that news tip phone call.

Is that area even zoned for adult entertainment but that is not even what they are asking? If it is and they are not asking for it but for TT (table tennis) bar use, then the lawyers will have fun with that. I also need to see how this woman with body paint thing go because we have Shay Armstrong doing live body painting in our future plan and that is art. ( Note the end of the Patch article, wow!) New WackySha shirt design coming on a reader's suggestion: Don't fear the duck.

Guitar Town moving ahead.

Good stuff.

Both artists were shown at Galleria Edge!

New show at WCT.

Hard hitting Wiggy.

SOUND OFF-Being an artist myself, I can tell you the money is not that much especially on the big guitars. The time put in seldom reflects the true cost and we are not even talking about materials. Lynn had said there will be strict control with this very public project, art direction will be there.

POLICE BLOTTER

The chief makes his presence known, I wish I was a fly on the wall though.

Wiggy showed some love... Now I have to buy him another beer...

There is something to say about all the meetings for biz owners to attend, it sucks when you have to physically work for a living. (... and I had to miss quite a few of them and feel guilty about it.)

Thanks to Carroll's famous "Tattoo Lady" Amelia, I was mentioned here.

The search goes on...

One more day until the artists are announced for the Gibson guitar town... I hope some of the artists we recommended make the list!

BID annual meeting is tonight at Key Westconsin. Who is going to win the award for renovating a downtown building this year? River's End or People's? Place your bet now...

2.8.12

I was the only audience left at the Common Council meeting and Alderman Patton called me out to talk about angle parking. I said what I needed to say about a lack of solution for a turn-around area, safety concerns and the much larger parking issue, Alderman Patton then raised his not so secret petition and said 30 operators on West Main are supporting it ( yet he did not mention some support it with condition), then he said he could have gotten 7 (or several?) more to 30 if he had more time, and only 3-4 people are against it. The problem is, the 3-4 people own 7 out of 9 properties on south side of West Main from Maple to West. Round one (tabled) with angle parking, Alderman Patton said it was for bar patrons, round two (killed) he said it was needed for Kendal Lofts, now round three (on hold) is from this Community development study, and round four is headed to the new downtown task force then back to Common Council for round five. Despite all the changing stories, someone really wants this to happen regardless of safety and liability concerns from property owners, and that really troubles me. It is funny that the downtown parking issue, which no one had solved for a long time or dare to touch, is now in the lap of this magical downtown committee to come up with a suggestion along with other hot button issues... I do not envy anyone sitting on it but some thinks it leans to one side a bit by design, it is likely not 4 pro+4 con+2 neutral+1 as Alderman Patton proclaimed. ( ...and I do still like him BTW.)

There were some fireworks earlier regarding this magical committee and Alderwoman Cummings blasted Mayor Scrima on transparency, he was annoyed and fired back. There were also fireworks on Meadow Lane project and I think the city just avoided a lawsuit... The whole time I was thinking that Kendal Lofts did not even get near this kind of scrutiny on green space and density...

Mr. Jim Taylor did reach out to me about what I think of street closing and I told him I am neutral and relayed an idea for compromise from the moderates to him: Closing Clinton after public parking lot entrance by Hannon's to Mia's before the next public parking lot entrance. Leave Broadway to Five Point open and Main from Five point to Clinton open. Put Steaming Cup's stage on Clinton so it is still close to the coffee shop. That open street section should help Clarke Hotel and Nice Ash. The only big drawback: Police chief might not approve it because he will need more than three cops if the street closing areas are separated. Yup, we can talk compromise all we want, the police can veto all that some said.

I did take Wiggy's advice though, I sneaked out, speed away before Mayor Scrima can get into his car... ;)

More jobs coming!

Gregg's column

Darryl's column

Letter to the Editor

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It was a late night, I sure can use some coffee and breakfast now... (Kodiak sayz how about a milkshake too?)

2.7.12

Someone from one side of the divide came to talk to me, it was explained to me how difficult is to work with the other side. I was reminded that the street closing decision is still in the hand of the police chief. Is there any room of coming to a compromise? I do not know.

One more step to Waukesha Guitar Town and just a little more detail is being shown to the public. Is this a teaser or an effort to be vague, or everything is just that much in flux that they are making it up as it goes? Some said the big guitar might last only 4-5 years out there or the trust can only maintain them for so long? Who knows? We are not short on speculations, but there is certainly a buzz all over town.

Way to go, kids...

Michaela was one of the artists shown in Galleria Edge!

80 years... The League of Husbands salutes you...

Let's get the real info out there...

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Batting cage proposal?

Biker event coming up!

Common Council is tonight, I should pack a snack and get a good seat this time... I wonder if angle parking is going to be debated, that is another issue with a lot of secrecy and who knows who is pulling the strings. See you in the crowd, it is the new "happenings" in downtown Waukesha!

Big guitar in the City Hall

Update on Guitar Town

Brien has a few thoughts, but this is the latest development... If BID is the trust, responsible for maintaining the guitars, then what happen when they go outside of BID's boundary. I have no problem with the effort people are putting in and I am supporting it but in the back end, there are a lot of unanswered questions for a $100,000 to $145,000 project that lacks transparency. There is no free lunch, I keep telling myself, and I really wonder who is holding the carrot.

For selfish reason, I would still lobby for one guitar on the 453 property by the giant carpet sign, I would even have Flux design something so the sign and the guitar is more integrated. It won't be competing with the mural and it will still be the welcoming guitar from the West entrance to downtown.

2.5.12 Update

I went to the meeting for Riverwalk for Breast Cancer and I can tell you the money raised is for ALL cancers and it is being used locally on research and trials. I saw a chart, and only 18+% of fund is for breast cancer while prostate, ovarian are both at 15%, 30% is on blood related cancers. I just set up the team page, hope you will join our team (before 3-16) and we will distribute the shirts when they come in. Do note that no pets in the event this year and the police will give out $200+ tickets if you are caught.

The whispers on the street is that people are not impressed with the locations proposed for the guitars, and they are telling it to the steering committee. I doubt anything is final because sponsorship also dictates the location...

On the street fight front, some said no one is getting it, it is a grudge match. One side does not realize nasty emails and mails do leave an impression and start a downward spiral, and the other side does not see that there are points in opposition but all the moves to the throat. The issues are not about issues, it is about two groups distrust each other and do not want to see the other side win yet there are moderates on both sides. It had been a stalemate until someone decided to manipulate BID appointments for one side, now there is blood on the street and the sides are digging in... The proposed downtown task force will be the next battleground... Get ready for a rather interesting Common Council meeting.

By the way, with a broad stroke, both sides accuse each side of secrecy and unfair tactics, both sides see the other side as a bully and self as a victim. Where is this gonna go unless the power players have some awareness of a larger picture? The street fight likely will take attention away from what we really need to pay attention to, and I wonder if that is the Wag the Dog motive.

There is also a growing concern in the background that the Mayor Driving School incident will end in lawsuits, and it will cost taxpayers... The odds is not good from this view and I wonder what the Common Council will do to stop this from spiraling down.

Perhaps we will know more this week... Enjoy your Super Bowl day, and don't over do it or you will be taking the power rushing Browns to the Super Bowel tomorrow... ;)

P.S. I don't want to forget to promote the Little Free Library, you can read about it and you can support it here!

2.4.12

Never mind.... ( The Riverwalk for Breast Cancer informational is this morning at 8:30am, I will be there... for free breakfast...)

The proposed guitar locations and a reaction from last night... So you all know, WTC will be honored to have one and we can even put it within our property boundary on 453 or 463 to avoid sidewalk issues. We will guard it with the proposed machine gun nests, which has yet to go in front of the Plan Commission...

Big Common Council meeting coming up and one reaction.

An angry reaction to threats and a mild one to an open question.

Great story by HBR and note the Carroll connection.

Is he a Big Love (HBO) fan too? The main character was also Bill and carried a gun as a lawmaker and fired it off at the Utah capital building...

More complicated than I thought... but at least we are clear here.

Who? I don't know country...

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POLICE BLOTTER

FINALLY! An answer to WackySha...

P.S. I have to give a shout out to the Moxie gals, I had an awesome pedicure yesterday (and I am secured enough to say that.) I am supposed to mention Argyle boy too...

2.3.12

This is the concession speech when the challenging party leader lost the presidential election earlier this year.

This is the part that is most quoted, and even in Mainland Chinese media.

Although there is no way that we will govern, that we would turn our ideals into reality, this doesn’t mean that there is no power in opposition. Taiwan must not be without oppositional voices, and it must not be without checks and balances.

That is how I feel about downtown Waukesha at this moment, we can not let the moderate voice die out in fear, we certainly need to have some check and balance even if the downtown power structure is being tampered.

Wiggy, don't say it will taste like chicken...

Good burgers and wings coming to Sussex...

We are donating to Riverwalk for Breast Cancer, and not in the controversy... Sad when politic or religion takes over the focus of a good cause...

More jobs coming!

Kool story...

Dakota might had some PTSD with crows.

SOUND OFF- Wiggy has a supporter!

POLICE BLOTTER-I had to read the last one twice...WHAT?!

Man on the Street said there will be some activity in City Hall as one of the big guitars making its way to there. The smaller playable guitars are also here now according to Lynn. She came to tell Jason that he will be working on a tattoo themed real guitar and he has a nice design drawn already... Tattoo artists will be represented in Waukesha guitar town!

2.2.12

Is there still an effort to bury all the stories? Now there is some fear or "warning" being said that Gibson can pull Guitar Town if downtown or the city is being seen as chaotic, perhaps that is in the same tone as to put in fear for one's job? The buck should stop at the top, we should hear it from the Glorious Leader for some apology or "Clarification". The (alleged)bully culture on the street is validated by the (alleged) bully culture in the City Hall... When is Common Council gonna put a stop to all this (alleged) madness?

Even though Freeman is $1 on Saturdays now, it is still the main voice of Waukesha. That voice is also under a lot more legal restriction than some "graffiti with words" bloggers like me. I can also feel the subtle hints that I "talk too much"... Trust me, if one side disagrees, I am the local blogger that spreads malicious rumor that need to be stopped, but then in the same breath I will be getting tips for things favorable. I have no illusion of that, I might be just a tool in a larger game, and I am sure you readers are aware of this potential short coming of mine...

There is a new judge...

He will not be popular in my circle... Especially when I have a sandhill crane tattooed on me.

We need to put those heads in use for Christmas parade!

(Bonus game, name seven downtown notables to play each...

The names of the dwarfs are:

1. Sneezy




2. Sleepy




3. Dopey




4. Doc




5. Happy




6. Bashful




7. Grumpy )
   

Wiggy's column.

Mr. Barta speaks. Well, bullying even happens within one side of the divide...

SOUND OFF- Here it comes from the Scrima's Screamers PR machine...

POLICE BLOTTER

Patch reports...

Were there enough artist submission for the guitar project? I have heard different things but there are still interested artists out there to submit so you know...

BTW, here is the said truth posted.