The Academy of Unconventional Art (3172 N. Bremen St.) is offering a one-month workshop on the basics of oil painting. The nine classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays. Greg Jacobon and Shawn Gurath will conduct the classes. Gurath describes the classes as “classical in foundation, but branching off into contemporary concepts” with a focus on technique. Cost is $75; bring your own supplies. For more info, e-mail gurath@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . center street daze is looking for vendors and Art Cart racers. All push carts must be human-powered and handmade. Call Sparky at 414/264-4797 for rules and entry info; the race starts at 11 a.m. September 18. The festival also needs vendors: food, jewelry, clothing, art, crafts, books, music, products, and services welcome; for more info contact Tess Reiss at contessa_milw@yahoo.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scrape up your pennies for the Super Summer 10 Cent Used Book Sale at the Central Library (814 W. Wisconsin Ave) on August 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Includes books for adults and children, magazines, and more, all for 10 cents a pop. Proceeds fund special projects at the Milwaukee Public Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kids can create their own miniature greenhouse and learn how to start a new plant without seeds at the Ready, Set, Grow! Program sponsored by the Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens. The free program will be held Monday, August 9, at 2 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Library (310 W. Locust St). Seen an adult-sized, handpainted tricycle around? A tricycle was stolen at a picnic on East Meinecke and Dousman streets on Sunday, July 18th. It is handpainted with glow-in-the-dark white paint and decorated with blue, red, and purple circles and spirals. The owner, who is partially paralyzed, used the tricycle for exercise and maneuvering outdoors. If you find the tricycle, please leave it at 1139 E. Meinecke or call 414/372-7617. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer HEALTH survey: In coming weeks a community health survey will be dropped off at randomly chosen homes in Riverwest. The survey is anonymous and results will be made available for all, so that we can learn how to become a healthier neighborhood. If a survey comes to your door, please fill it out and mail it back. The survey is conducted and sponsored by the Columbia/St. Mary’s Family Care Center, the UWM College of Nursing, Community Partners, COA, Franklin Pierce School/Riverwest Pierce Community Nursing Center, and the Riverwest Health Initiative. On July 23, more than 25 volunteers of Center Advocates (affiliated with the LGBT Community Center) went door-to-door in Riverwest in an “Equality Knocks” campaign. The group is organizing against the proposed amendment to the Wisconsin constitution that would not only ban marriage for same-sex couples but also would ban civil unions and possibly Milwaukee’s existing domestic partner health benefits. Rep. Polly Williams, whose district includes Riverwest, voted in favor of the amendment in March. Equality Knocks will be in Riverwest in August too; for more info, call 414/271-2656 x119. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check out the Labor Day parade downtown and LaborFest on September 6 at the Summerfest grounds. An all-city neighborhood gathering is scheduled for later that day at the Soldier’s Home grounds. The gathering is an opportunity for neighborhood organizers and community activists citywide to share ideas and collaborate on projects of interest. JEWEL OSCO LIQUOR LICENSE VOTE POSTPONED Despite an RNA vote that opposed a liquor license for Jewel-Osco, a Common Council committee last month voted unanimously to recommend approval for a license for the big box store at North and Humboldt. Riverwesters of all colors were fairly evenly split in e-mail conversations about the license. However, during the lengthy hearing, JO and Ald. Mike McGee racialized the debate, implying that the rationale to block the license was racially motivated. JO brought out supporters in the African American community to testify to its good corporate citizenship. (It should be noted that all mentioned gratefully the money and and support JO had given their organizations.) Arguments against the license included the fact that JO has not directly supported any Riverwest organizations and initiatives and that the area is already saturated with liquor licenses. The measure was held in Common Council til September, when it will likely be approved.