Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Restoration complete for historic 19th century bells at Convent Hill Gardens

Posted by Editor | Jul 11, 2018 |

At the conclusion of the 2018 annual meeting for the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) on July 11, two of the oldest bells in the region will be rededicated at Convent Hill Gardens, near the very spot where they once range in the late 1800s. The bells had originally been part of a massive convent complex, demolished decades ago and forgotten in Milwaukee’s postwar modernization. Located at 455 E. Ogden Avenue, the bells from St. Ignatius and St. Catherine have a special place in Milwaukee history. The elaborate Saint Ignatius bell was cast in St. Louis...

Milwaukee stars as final destination in new Mad Max style post-apocalyptic film

Posted by Editor | Jul 10, 2018 |

“The Domestics” is a gritty thriller released in U.S. theaters and digital Video On Demand (VOD) on June 28 and 29 by Orion Classics. The plot places the City of Milwaukee as the strategic goal in an “Escape from New York” meets “The Road Warrior” quest for safety and family reunification. The story behind The Domestics takes place in a terrifying apocalyptic post-Trump world inhabited by savage gangs divided into dеаdly factions: White-sheeted Ghosts, metal-masked Nailers, truck-driving Plowboys, dice rolling Gamblers, and femme fatale Cherries. Although the film claims to have a love story at its core, it is...

The Hop marks major milestone for end of Streetcar construction with ceremonial last weld

Posted by Editor | Jul 9, 2018 |

Hundreds of Milwaukee residents, business owners, Kiewit construction workers, streetcar operators, and children from nearby Ebenezer Child Care Center, joined city leaders and staff on July 2 for a “last weld” ceremony to mark the completion of construction for The Hop’s Main Line. All of the guests attending the historic event at 2nd Street and St. Paul Avenue had the opportunity to sign their names to a commemorative piece of rail, which will be put on display along the route later this summer. Streetcar route construction began on St. Paul Avenue in April 2017, and the completion ceremony was...

Generations share 4th of July tradition at Lake Park with John McGivern

Posted by Editor | Jul 7, 2018 |

Since 1911, the Lake Park Fourth of July Celebration has filled the day with festivities, and hearts with gratitude, by commemorating what it cost to secure freedom for the country and the community. Each year more than 2,000 people from the area gather at the park in celebration. The traditional festivities included ice cream, bike and buggy decorating contests, and various games. Nicole Teague-Howell, lead artist with Milwaukee Ballet, was on the judging panel along with former member of The Ghillies, Timothy Schmitz, and singer and songwriter Twila Bergeron. Master of ceremonies for the talent contest was the PBS...

Civil War veterans honored with historical marker on Gettysburg anniversary at Calvary Cemetery

Posted by Editor | Jul 6, 2018 |

The Milwaukee County Historical Society dedicated a special marker on July 1, the 155th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Gettysburg, to commemorate the three hundred Union Civil War veterans buried at Milwaukee’s Calvary Cemetery. The historical sign was placed at the landmark 1897 Gothic Revival gatehouse, at the entrance to the cemetery at 5503 W. Bluemound Road. Archbishop Jerome Listecki delivered the dedication invocation. Listecki is also a retired United States Army Reserve Chaplain, lieutenant colonel. Calvary is a Milwaukee Archdiocesan cemetery that was consecrated in 1857, by the Most Reverend John Martin Henni, first archbishop...

Milwaukee residents shutdown highway near Trump fundraiser to protest family separation

Posted by Editor | Jul 2, 2018 |

Hundreds of people marched and blocked streets around a fundraiser Donald Trump held for Wisconsin Republicans, in protest of his plans to intern tens of thousands of immigrant families in border camps on June 28. Marchers called for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol to be abolished and replaced by institutions that support and welcome immigrants, and demanded ICE close the case of Franco Ferreyra, a Waukesha father of 4 currently imprisoned by ICE. A dozen community members blocked an interstate off-ramp into downtown, backing up traffic for miles. “Our movement shut down streets and a major highway today...