Play in the City

Derby Debacle

Sorry for the lull. After a slew of posts last week it seems we’ve hit a drought. You see, I had big plans for last weekend, but unfortunately every single one of them fell through.

On Saturday, Eric and I rushed to meet my friends Karen and Brad at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin for the Brewcity Bruisers’ second-season championship. I had never seen a roller derby, not to mention Milwaukee’s first and only all-girl league, and I’ve been itching to check it out since the Brewcity Bruisers brought their new wave of sport to Milwaukee in 2005.

The Brewcity Bruisers represent ladies of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, attitude, and skill levels. They promote women's strength and self-esteem, camaraderie and friendship. And they are, well, pretty badass!

I decided we should get to the complex by 6:30 to get tickets since I couldn’t find where to purchase them online and we wanted to make sure we got seats and beat the crowd.

Boy did I underestimate the Bruisers’ fan base!

We were stuck in a line of cars that only inched down Ryan Road. Twenty minutes later, Eric and I paid for parking, tromped through the snow covered parking lot (I lost my shoe) and stood in a lengthy line for $12 tickets. When we finally got to the ticket window, we discovered that tickets were cash only and that there wasn't an ATM on the premises AND that between Eric and I, we only had $5 to our name. Grrr!

We had two options: Leave to find an ATM, wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic, repay for parking, and then get our tickets (which would be time poorly bestowed) or chalk it up to poor organization, planning and lack of information. Naturally, we chose option #2 and the four of us ended up in Bay View at the Palomino for a few beers to ease our tension.

Unfortunately, there were no catty throw-downs, no Crazy Eights, Shevil Knevils, Maiden Milwaukee or Rushin’ Rollettes, no athleticism or wild entertainment or tough competition, and no trophy, at least not for us.

I was really looking forward to my first Brewcity Bruisers event, which is why I’m still completely bummed. I don’t understand why the organizers didn’t indicate on their website or in the advertisements that you can only buy tickets with cash. It also would have been beneficial to know that the place fills up early. I had no idea. So, I’ll leave you with the advice I wish I’d been offered: bring cash or buy your tickets in advance, carpool, and arrive early – doors open at 6 p.m.

Now, I’m forced to wait to test my luck next season...

Film Tax Incentives: Take 1

Generous tax breaks that took effect on January 1 are already attracting attention from movie and television companies looking to film in Wisconsin.

Recently, Universal Studios committed to Wisconsin as the place to film major parts of Public Enemies, a depression-era gangster movie starring Johnny Depp (squeal!) as the infamous bank robber John Dillinger.

Director Michael Mann, a University of Wisconsin graduate, and his executives have been eyeing several locations around the state for filming. They toured downtown Milwaukee’s Germania Building (152 W. Wells St.) as a possible site. According to the news, the building’s marble grand foyer would serve as a bank lobby in the film. Mann’s staff is also evaluating five other sites around Milwaukee for banks, prisons, and street scenes; other locations are reported to include Madison and Chicago.

The movie is a screen adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934. (I’m definitely prompted to buy a copy.) The story unravels the Midwest crime sprees of Dillinger, Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd and Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis that lead up to Dillinger’s death in Chicago in 1934.

I’m thrilled about this movie – I love gangster flicks – and the opportunity it brings to Milwaukee, not to mention the extra perk of having a mega celebrity like Johnny Depp parading around our city.

This is the first major production to come to Wisconsin since the tax incentives went into effect. These inducements have been described as among the best in the nation and they’ve put Wisconsin on competitive footing with California and New York – it sounds a bit surreal, doesn’t it?

Under the law, a production company qualifies for a tax credit of 25% of the wages paid to employees to produce a film, video, electronic game, broadcast advertisement, or TV program in Wisconsin. Also included are credits for sales tax, construction, wardrobe, clothing and visual effects.

Incentives and the projects they attract will undoubtedly create high-paying, high-tech jobs and probably will have an economic ripple effect starting in local communities where filming is done. I think this will definitely increase tourism, but perhaps the new job industry will open doors for the younger generation that tends to flee the city for flourishing jobs elsewhere.

For instance, camera rental and sales companies like Fletcher Camera are already planning to open in Milwaukee and Third Ward Records is currently building a recording studio thanks to the 15% income tax credits that the incentives give to related businesses.

Besides Public Enemies, Milwaukee has already been chosen for another film, Blue World, a thriller set to begin shooting soon. Plus, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay or St. Norbert College will be the scene for the $1 million motion picture The Violinist, which will be filmed entirely in Packers country.

Filming for Public Enemies will begin in early March and continue through the end of June. Scenes in Milwaukee are rumored to start in April, if city permits are issued.

Just within the first month, the ratified tax incentives have created buzz about Wisconsin and have peeked interest from film makers. Can you imagine what this will do for Milwaukee in the coming years?

Bronze The Fonz?

In the news yesterday I learned that “The Fonz” will soon be part of Milwaukee’s downtown landscape.

I guess you can never underestimate the popularity of a 30-year-old TV pop culture icon.

Local visitor groups and civic boosters hope to attract visitors to the city by immortalizing the character of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in a life-size bronze sculpture.

Henry Winkler, the man behind the character, was in Milwaukee yesterday morning for the announcement that the money needed WAS raised and now the tribute statue will be dedicated sometime around Labor Day this year.

According to local news sources, this strange idea started with TV Land, who developed an icon statue program. For the statue program, TV Land donated six sculptures commemorating memorable TV characters to various cities, starting in 2000 with a NYC statue of Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners. The effort is also responsible for a Mary Tyler Moore statue in Minneapolis and one of Bob Newhart in Chicago, among others, but the cable network later ended the program for whatever reason. That left the idea of bringing a bronze “Fonz” to Milwaukee in limbo, that is, until Visit Milwaukee and Spirit Milwaukee jumped on board to make it happen.

Local groups were forced to raise $85,000 to create and erect the statue, but many people were eager to contribute towards the cost. I learned that Brew City Promotions even designed a special "Bronze The Fonz" t-shirt that you could purchase online or at the Brew City store at The Shops of Grand Avenue for $22 and $10 of that would go towards the fund-raising campaign. Had I known, I would have bought one just because they are hilarious – and of course, Fonzie is the epitome of cool. Check it out.

This idea, however, wasn’t without controversy. (And it fits in nicely with the AOL article I’ve been talking about.)

I’m impartial to the creation of the statue – I’m not offended by it, nor do I think it’s the best way to attract visitors or build a better reputation for Milwaukee. All in all, I just find it hilarious. But I figure if it helps the city, then I’m okay with it no matter how ridiculous the concept. Besides, you have to trust that our tourist groups know what they’re doing, right?

Still many Milwaukeeans are fighting the statue because they believe it perpetuates the perception that the only things Wisconsin can offer are the Packers, serial killer Jeffery Dahmer and the show Happy Days, said Newsradio 620 WTMJ reporter Jay Sorgi. People in Milwaukee are trying to move forward and rebuild the city’s reputation by making attempts to depict the city as some place other than the home of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, so is this a step in the wrong direction?

Then again, some think Milwaukee should embrace its stereotypes and that The Fonz just represents the old image of Milwaukee, which some visitors still appreciate. Maybe instead of running from our traditions – beer, brats, fish fries, cheeseheads, Happy Days, etc. – we should realize that they all embody a small piece of Milwaukee’s culture and we should accept them knowing that they are minor labels and don't define Milwaukee or those who live here.

What do you think?

Should Milwaukee put up a statue of The Fonz? Do you think he represents Milwaukee or do you think we need to shed the Happy Days image? Maybe you’d rather see a statue of some other famous person. If so, who? Or are you neutral?

Either way, the commemorative statue of Fonzie will be built within the year. An exact spot hasn’t been chosen, but new reports state that it will most likely be along the Milwaukee River.

The Buzz About Body Worlds

I often wonder what’s going on inside my body and how the systems relate to one another and work in concert to help my daily function. If you’re like me, you’ll find Body Worlds absolutely fascinating!

Body Worlds provides visitors with an unprecedented opportunity for understanding how the body works and how lifestyle choices can have an enormous impact on your body’s health.

I assume that by now most of you have heard of the Body Worlds exhibit that’s currently on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Body Worlds is a first-of-its-kind exhibition that showcases real human corpses that were donated to science and injected with a special plastic-like polymer, which preserves all of the tissues of the human body, explains the MPM website. Body Worlds is the only anatomical exhibition that uses donated bodies, willed by donors for the purpose of serving Body Worlds’ mission to educate the public about health and anatomy. According to the website, more than 8,000 people have already agreed to donate their bodies for Plastination – which is shocking to me. I don’t think I’d do it.

I was initially a little nervous about seeing this exhibit. A few weeks ago, I purchased advanced tickets online to check out Body Worlds on Friday – I figured there would be a high demand to see it on the weekend. We got to the museum and exchanged our confirmation number for official tickets and waited to be let into the exhibit at our scheduled time. Even though they only let a select amount of people in every 15 minutes, it was still quite crowded. Upon entry we were told that cell phones and cameras were prohibited and I didn’t argue because the thought of snapping photos of real dead bodies seemed really disrespectful.

I’ve heard the exhibit described as feeling like a funeral and when we walked into the dim room, it felt just like one. Everyone moved through the exhibit cautiously while using hushed voices. There were no shrieks or freak-out’s to break the reverential environment, just an occasional “yuck” whispered.

Look Who’s Talkin’

On Milwaukee is.

On Tuesday, OMC staff writer Jeff Sherman scooped the AOL story by Carol Vinzant. I’m glad that the AOL article is getting out to a number of Milwaukeeans. It seems like most people who have read the story feel rather miffed and a little confused about Milwaukee appearing on a "Worst Places to Live" list. I couldn’t agree more with you guys – I think it's absurd that Milwaukee would be categorized with dead-end cities like Detroit and East St. Louis (no offense).

Anyway, I told Jeff that I’d link his article from Play in the City. So, click here to read what On Milwaukee had to say.

There's Always Next Season

I wasn’t planning to delve into Sunday on here, but I need to get it off my chest.

I’m depressed. Correction. I’m irritated.

If I would have expressed my feelings towards Sunday’s NFC Title game against the Giants immediately after that abomination, this post would have been filled with profanities, and clearly this isn’t the forum for that.

You all know what happened. It was a blend of penalties and bonehead plays that caused the Packers and Giants to go neck and neck for the majority of the game. It wasn’t supposed to be so close, just like I wasn’t supposed to chew off all of my finger nails.

As the game moved back and forth and back and forth again, there still was a glimmer of hope until the Packers failed to get a first down on their last two drives, which inevitably gave the game to the Giants with a pretty ribbon on top. At that point it was tied as New York drove the ball down the field. Then, a high snap led to a missed 36-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes as time expired and the game went into overtime.

I nearly passed out.

My hope was fully restored as the Packers won the coin toss, but luck wasn't on our side. I told Eric that the game was in the bag as long as they don’t get picked. And what do you know? Just like that, Favre threw an interception and it was over. (Enter four-letter word here). I jinxed them. Tynes made up for his other misses with a 47-yarder to send the Giants to Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots. Our Super Bowl. As I picked my jaw up off the floor, I felt that familiar sense of devastation that comes with an all-too-abrupt end to the season.

On Sunday, a lot of fans were disappointed or in denial like I was. I had to remind myself that the Packers (and Favre) had a remarkable and record breaking season and exceeded nearly everyone's expectations, including my own. The Super Bowl just wasn’t in the cards this year. If Favre comes back and if the young team stays healthy, maybe next year Favre will lead the Pack all the way. Until then, my green and gold will be hanging in the closet.

So here we are two days later and I’m still a little irked. However, I’ve realized that 1) it’s just football; 2) baseball is starting soon and I have season tickets once again; 3) we have snow and now I can finally partake in winter activities.

Speaking of #3, the snow totally cheered me up. I love snow like Wisconsinites should! Actually, I’ve wanted to strap on my snowshoes and trek through Doctors Park or Lake Park since the first snowfall in December, but I was too busy with the holidays. And even after the madness wound down there wasn’t any snow to tromp through anyway, that is, until yesterday. Now, I’ll get to dust off my sled and hit the slopes. I can’t wait! And since we have about seven inches of snow, as well as, frigid temperatures, I’m sure the snow will stick around for awhile. Thus, I’ll have plenty of outdoor activities to share with you in the next couple of weeks, though, I might wait for it to warm-up just a little more.

Remember, even though the Packers’ season is over, winter isn’t. There’s still a lot to look forward to, folks.

The Winner is…

Michael Peragine!

Just in the nick of time, Michael successfully identified all three photos with the correct name and location. I’m impressed. Congrats Michael! As promised, I’ll send you the $25 gift certificate to Water Buffalo. If you haven’t been there yet, I’m positive you’ll love it!

Also, I wanted to take a second to thank all of the Play in the City readers who eagerly participated in this lil' contest. There were several people who made a huge effort, but just didn’t email me fast enough. I hope you still had fun!

If you’re curious, here are the answers:

1) North Point Water Tower – North Ave./Lake Drive, East Side

2) Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Veteran's Park, Lakefront

3) Burke Brise Soleil – Milwaukee Art Museum

Here’s to another 100 posts. Thanks for playing everyone!

Defending Milwaukee

Milwaukee is a great place to live and I'd be the first to defend my stance on the subject!

Last week, I was interviewed for an online article written by freelance writer Carol Vinzant. The AOL article, The Worst Places to Live…Or Are They?, was published online yesterday and I finally had a chance to read it over a cup of coffee this morning.

It’s a fascinating article because it exposes the stereotypes that different cities have. Some of Carol’s mentions include Detroit’s supposed decline, New York City’s excessive costs and overwhelming population, and L.A.’s phony and impious lifestyle. Carol also tapped into cities typecast as bad places to live based on high crime rates (New Orleans, Philly and Baltimore) and poverty reports (Mississippi). It’s also interesting to read how people defend the status of their city against such blackened reputations and condemnatory accusations.

As I read, I noticed that I also have unjust prejudices against other cities, which is hypocritical since I hate when people who have never been to Milwaukee speak badly of it.

It’s a great article. Interviewees did their city and state proud, albeit we all were probably a little bias. Take a look at it by clicking here and then share your thoughts. There are some amusing, often uproarious, comments following the story as well. Let me know if you agree or disagree with the statements and the resident’s justifications.

If you're here for the first time because of the AOL article – WELCOME! I hope you'll stay awhile. Feel free to scroll through some of my recent posts or allow me to direct you to the links under "Favorite Posts" because, well, they're my favorites!

Don't Forget...

This is the last day to participate in the Play in the City photo contest!

You have until midnight to submit your answers, so take your last stab at it and email me your guess.

I've received emails from several people who've been making a serious effort in decoding the three photo clips. I'm told these people have been doing research online and have been cruising around the city in an attempt to solve the puzzle. So far we've had some really close guesses, but no one has gotten all three right yet!

Maybe I made it too difficult (?), but c'mon, I didn't want the contest to be over in five minutes and I know you can figure it out!

If you've already tried, I encourage you to give it another shot, and if you haven't yet, why not have a go at it? After all, you never know, you might be the one who wins the $25 gift certificate to Water Buffalo – it will totally be worth it when you try their grilled veggie sandwich!

If you have a question or concern or gripe, feel free to leave them in the comments section or shoot me an email. Otherwise, I should be able to announce a winner early next week!

Keep it up!

Tooting My Own Horn

I have some exciting news!

Today, I had my first non-job interview, er, interview. Carol Vinzant, a writer for AOL, emailed me this morning asking if I’d talk to her about Milwaukee for a story she is writing – I think that warrants a post!

Carol is doing an article for this weekend on places that get a bad rap to live. She is asking people who actually reside in these cities, and like it, to explain how misunderstood it is. She said she found Play in the City and thought I’d be a great candidate to quote for the story since I talk about Milwaukee on a regular basis.

I hate that Milwaukee was featured as a bad place to live because I love living here! Since I'm a huge advocate of getting positive publicity for the city, I'm hoping I served it well.

Carol called around 2 p.m. and we went over the negative stereotypes of Milwaukee – mainly the beer and bratwurst bit – and then she asked me several questions – What negative stereotypes are you sick of from outsiders? How realistic is the beer and brats image? What makes Milwaukee more fun or more of an opportunity for a young person? Why do people move to Milwaukee? What does Milwaukee have that Chicago doesn’t?

I bet she could have asked any of you the same inquires and you’d easily be able to throw down your two cents. Knowing that's the case, feel free to share your thoughts on the subjects in the comments section. I'd like to hear what you think.

The interview itself went really well even though I was a little on edge. Carol was really friendly and cool, and she told me I was perfect for the story and that I was funny – I made some jokes about Milwaukeeans herding sheep over the M-Change and milking cows on Water Street – so I like her even more.

I think it will be a fun story as it will represent different people from around the country. I’m excited to get my point of view out there, commend this city and give Milwaukee the praise it deserves, plus spread the word about PITC if she lets me.

Carol said the article should launch on Sunday and since I'm told it’s okay to toot your own horn once in a while, I’ll link it from here after I read it.