Rumor has it a new restaurant is moving into the old Stork Club…the potential owners, who operate a successful East Side eatery, aren’t speaking on the record about their plans yet, but they say it “will not be your typical Riverwest bar.” The building is currently being refurbished, and if everything falls into place, the new restaurant could be up and running as early as August. Tamarack Community School is moving to Brady Street… now many Riverwest and East Side families who send their children to the Waldorf school will have a shorter commute. The move is slated for June 8. Kids can learn to “Radiate Peace” at Peacemaker’s Day Camp, to be held July 15-19 at the Friends Meeting House at 3224 N. Gordon Place. The camp, for ages 6-12, helps children learn about peace and non-violence through cooperative games, arts and crafts, music, and guest presenters. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day and is staffed by volunteer teachers and teen helpers. Participating families are asked to contribute either money, snacks, volunteer time, or transportation. Call Christian Yoder at 332-7757 to sign up or get more information. If it’s outdoor recreation you’re looking for this summer, Riverwest Outdoor Enterprises might be a good place to start. Owned by Riverwest resident Kim Kosmitis, the sole proprietorship was established in 1989 to provide camping equipment rentals and guide services for outdoor adventures. Kosmitis took some time off to work for non-profits, but now he’s back in business and offering guided adventure programs in canoeing, rock climbing, rapelling, snowshoeing, and kayaking. His specialty: “getting people introduced and excited about being outside,” he says. Prices are quite reasonable at $20 per adult for a two-hour canoe trip. Kosmitis is also leading a Boundary Waters trip this summer. For more information, call 264-3184. Initial roadwork has begun on the removal of the Park East Freeway spur. The north bridge of the Park East Corridor is slated to be demolished beginning in June. Bicyclists can take advantage of warm weather and some freebies, including coffee, snacks, and bike safety checks, at Bike to Brady Street Saturday, June 8 Artist David Middlebrook was in town May 17 to show neighborhood residents a model of his sculpture for Gordon Park. Middlebrook, from San Jose, was commissioned by a 10-member committee to sculpt a welcoming gate-like structure at the entrance to the park. Middlebrook works with stone and plans to emboss fingerprints from neighborhood residents onto his work. He traveled from here to Italy to pick out the marble, which he will use to make the $50,000 installation. The cost of the project is covered by the county’s Percentage for Arts program. Middlebrook said he wants to include symbols that represent the cultures of the neighborhood, past and present. Need a haircut? There’s a new barber shop in the neighborhood: Spotlight Barber Shop at 3271 N. Holton. They’re open Monday 3-7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Appointments can be made at 431-0748. Sunday afternoon, May 19, there was an attempted armed hold-up near the intersection of Pierce and Wright Streets. The perpetrator was an African American man with a gun, about 5’7″, medium build, wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt and dark pants, who said to “throw your money on the ground.” The young man who was threatened ran. Police were called and said there had been other similar complaints in the same area. In Riverwest Neighborhood Association news, the group approved a letter to be sent to aldermen, Jewel Osco, and the Utilities and Licensing Committee. The letter revoked the covenant made with Jewel Osco on Capitol Drive because of its use by Jewel Osco to construe neighborhood support of a liquor store, and because near-neighbors of the liquor store made strong arguments at a May 7 meeting against allowing Jewel Osco to get a liquor license. Among other arguments, neighbors pointed to a statistical increase in crime in areas near liquor stores. As the letter states, “we recognize that our covenant with Jewel-Osco has no place in the current proceedings in the face of overwhelming neighborhood opposition and very limited actual support for the license.” The RNA also talked about the importance of preserving affordable housing in the area, including a discussion of cohousing and gentrification (see related articles on pages 6, 7, 16, and 17). Great news for bicyclists… the City of Milwaukee is installing more than 150 new bike racks downtown. The Riverwest Co-op continues to grow and is making plans to expand the store and install an industrial-grade sink after last month’s successful rummage sale. Its hours will be increasing starting this month, when the store will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The co-op also offers pick-up for produce box subscribers of Growing Power and Rare Earth Farms. Call 264-7933 for more information. The Riverwest Currents has moved its offices to 733 E. Clarke, where it shares building space with the Riverwest Co-op. Got a neighborhood news tip or interesting tidbit of information? Call the Riverwest Currents office at our new phone number: (414) 265-7278, or e-mail rwcurrents@earthlink.net