Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Racine’s Tiny Home Village a model for Milwaukee Homeless Vets

Posted by Editor | Aug 10, 2016 |

Nobody should be homeless in America, especially someone who put on a uniform. “When I got out of the Marine Corps, I lost all sense of who I was. Being a Marine was all I knew,” explained combat veteran David Smith. “This organization has helped me get back on my feet, given me a sense of purpose with a job and a duty. And that’s helped me turn my life around.” Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin will be constructing a Tiny Home Village within the city of Racine. But the program is much more than just a shelter for homeless...

Photo Essay: Beach Party raises funds for Lakeshore State Park

Posted by Editor | Aug 9, 2016 |

NEWaukee hosted the Sixth Annual Urban Island Beach Party on August 5 as a fundraiser to sustain Lakeshore State Park.

Dan Emmer: Beloved Pabst historian buried among Beer Barons

Posted by Editor | Aug 5, 2016 |

On the day of his passing, local historian became part of the narrative he spent a lifetime preserving. Daniel Paul Emmer had an affinity for the Pabst legacy and volunteered his time for years to portray the German-American brewer, at events held by the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion. Pabst was buried at Forest Home Cemetery in 1904, and just last October Emmer played the beer baron at his gravesite during a Halloween tour. So it was a bittersweet honor for Emmer to be interred on August 4 at the cemetery he loved and...

Guerrilla knitters create yarn graffiti for Alzheimer’s awareness

Posted by Editor | Aug 4, 2016 |

Art becomes the voice of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. The Alzheimer’s Association – Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter rolled out art from its “Memories in the Making” program in front of the Grand Avenue Mal on August 1. “The Blue” exhibit will be on display around the Rait Reuss Plaza of the Milwaukee Federal Building at 310 W. Wisconsin Avenue. The unique display of urban art was created by fifty area guerrilla knitters will be on exhibit in downtown Milwaukee during the months of August and September. In addition to the exterior knittings, the interior of the Federal Building has on...

Dragon Boat Festival brings culture and competition together

Posted by Editor | Aug 2, 2016 |

In a city of festivals, the Dragon Boat Festivals stands out for its culture-inspired competition and embrace of diversity. Fifty teams, from some of the area’s largest companies, participated in the 2016 Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival that challenged them to race across the lagoon waters of Veterans Park on July 30. Known as the Duanwu Festival, a traditional holiday that originated in China, the celebration involved eating and racing boats decorated as the ancient mythical beast. The festival has more than tripled in size since the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center began the event in 2012 with 14 teams. Between...

Norrie Daroga: A sense of purpose and the art of empathy

Posted by Editor | Jul 29, 2016 |

Leaving his home in India as a teenager for an education overseas, Norrie Daroga’s life took him from work as an engineer to a career in law. But experiencing clinical death twice, and enduring the long journey of recovery, gave him the art of empathy and fueled his passion for connecting the human experience with medical technology to solve problems. | Q&A with Norrie Daroga Milwaukee Independent: What experience or individual was the biggest influence during your youth? And what is the fondest memory you have of growing up? Norrie Daroga: I remember being picked up from the school bus...