Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Hispanic Collaborative launches with mission of inclusive economic prosperity

Posted by Editor | Jan 15, 2019 |

A new nonprofit was officially launched at a press conference held at the University Club of Milwaukee on January 14, with the aim to boost inclusive economic prosperity among Latinos, and utilize Milwaukee’s Hispanic population to achieve the region’s economic growth goals for the future. The Hispanic Collaborative is the result of nearly two years of conversations and meetings among Milwaukee’s Hispanic leaders. The group of more than 150 organizations and individuals is focused on improving Hispanics’ economic opportunities, representation and participation in key regional initiatives. “Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the population fueling economies all across...

Video: Controlled roof demolition leaves Bradley Center topless

Posted by Editor | Jan 14, 2019 |

For 30 years, concert bands raised the roof at the Bradley Center. On January 13, demolition crews razed the roof in 30 seconds. After slowing deconstructing the former home of the Milwaukee Bucks for the past few months, construction crews detonated shape charges in the Bradley Center’s roof at 9:02 a.m. and brought the superstructure crashing down. The resulting plume of debris rose to a height almost equal that of The Moderne tower across the street. Crowds gathered at the edges of the safety areas and on rooftops with vantage points to watch the historic demolition in person. Social...

In becoming 46th Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers calls for unity and “putting people first”

Posted by Editor | Jan 9, 2019 |

After being disparaged and made the scapegoat of state problems for nearly a decade, Milwaukee once again has a friend in the Governor’s chair. Tony Evers was sworn in as Wisconsin’s 46th governor on January 7. Along with Evers, four additional State constitutional officers for Wisconsin were sworn in during the inauguration, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and Secretary of State Douglas La Follette. The outgoing state schools superintendent reminded the crowd of hundreds inside the Capitol’s rotunda about the themes he campaigned on last fall, including fully funding public education, making healthcare...

Tina Kambouris: A bittersweet farewell with the closing of Mykonos Cafe

Posted by Editor | Jan 4, 2019 |

After serving classic Greek and American dishes for more than two decades, the owners of Mykonos Gyro & Cafe closed the landmark restaurant in downtown Milwaukee on December 20, 2018. An “Opa!” was exclaimed for Mykonos’s Saganaki, Kefalotiri cheese flamed with brandy, for the last time just before the cafe closed its doors at 1014 N. Van Buren Street, where it had welcomed the public since 1995. “After 24 wonderful years, Mykonos Gyro & Cafe will be closing its doors on Sunday, December 30th. That is a difficult thing to write but what is even more difficult will be...

Why Milwaukee should care that a Chinese photographer is missing in China

Posted by Editor | Dec 22, 2018 |

With the experience of spending nearly a decade of my life taking photos in China, I know all too well about the daily dangers of that job. Just snapping “slice of life” photos of Uighur Muslims selling their crafts from Xinjiang at the local train station put them and myself at great risk. Living under an authoritarian government driven by capitalism is a challenge. Thankfully my faith, life experiences in segregated Georgia, and affinity for Martin Scorsese movies helped me navigate the complexities. The irony of the 2016 election cycle was that China had already prepared me for what...

John Gurda shares how the update of his classic book brings Milwaukee into the new Millennium

Posted by Editor | Dec 17, 2018 |

Historian John Gurda spoke at the Milwaukee County Historical Society (MCHS) on December 8 to a packed crowd of historical enthusiasts, sharing his insights into local developments from the past two decades and why a major update was made to his classic book about the city. First published in 1999, John Gurda’s book The Making of Milwaukee has been used as a standard history resource for the community it chronicles. It tells the story of how a Native American trading post at the crossroads of three rivers by a Great Lake became a thriving European settlement under Solomon Juneau,...