Further Down Stream April 2008

Send news & tidbits to tess@riverwestcurrents.org The winter of 2007- 2008 went on record as the snowiest of the century when 12.4 inches of snow fell from 6 am on Good Friday, March 21 until Saturday at 4 am. It’s the second highest total in Milwaukee with 96.9” – just behind the top spot of 109.8” in 1885-86. All of the previous snow had just melted down when the city got socked again on the second day of Spring. If this keeps up, number one is just around the corner! PARISH FESTIVAL Meet your friends and neighbors at the 4th annual Our Lady of Divine Providence festival at Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden, 1872 N. Commerce St. on Sun, April 6. The festivities start at 11 am with music by The Squeezettes (formerly the Riverwest Accordion Club) and DJ Sammie Borrero. There’s fun for everyone til 5 pm with displays by local artists, food, and Lakefront Beer specials, all for only $5. RIVER ART SHOW See the river corridor from all angles as snapped by the winners of the Milwaukee Central Park Photography Contest. The show opens on Sun, April 6 with a reception from 2-4 pm and runs through the end of the month at the Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place. USED BOOK SALE Find a bargain book and help support Tamarack Waldorf School on Sat, April 12. The sale runs from 9 am to 3 pm at 1150 E. Brady St. Prices will be slashed during the last hour from 2-3 pm. HUMAN RIGHTS TORCH RELAY A torch relay is making its way around the world and comes to Milwaukee’s City Hall at 4 pm on Wed, April 16. Events are planned in 37 countries to highlight concerns about human rights abuses in China in the run up to the Summer Olympics in Beijing from Aug 8-24. More info at 414.737.1199 or www.humanrightstorch.org ROLL CALL The best power networking event for anyone in the music industry, including DJs, stylists, artists, rappers, poets, promoters, producers, singers, managers, labels, writers, dancers, fashion designers, lawyers, retail owners, photographers, engineers, web masters, videographers, actors, and models happens on Fri, April 18. Bring media kits, promotions, and business cards to this third annual event at Questions, 3041 W. North Ave. starting at 7 pm; $10 includes food with drink specials served. Highlights include a Model Roll Call for male and female beauties and Roll Call Award presentations to innovators and pioneers in the Milwaukee music industry. More info at mkerollcall@gmail. com or 414.899.1949 . ART IN YOUR INBOX Get fresh artwork by Wisconsinbased artists every week. Sign up to get a painting, sculpture, photograph, or other piece of art in your email inbox at www. artmailmilwaukee. com. Artists are also encouraged to submit their work for possible consideration by the review committee. OUTPOST BDAY Outpost Natural Foods celebrates 38 years and Earth Day with a Birthday Prize Drawing. Enter to win the grand prize of a Trek Bicycle, Outpost gift cards, and other prizes. No purchase necessary – enter at any Outpost location from April 12 to 26. Prizes provided by Trek, Laacke & Joys, Comedy Sportz, and Fair Trade for All. The prize drawing will be held on May 7. EARTH FILMS We gotta live here! See how UWM students view issues affecting the environment at a free screening of short films (under 40 minutes) at the Share the Earth Environmental Film Series on Thu, April 24, 7:00 pm at the UWM Union Theatre, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. STUDENT FILM FEST Calling all high school students! Make your own movie and show it to the world. Film submissions are due by July 18. Screenings will take place on Oct 11 at Bucketworks with an Awards Ceremony on Oct 12. More info at www.milwaukeespotlightfilms.org RNA MEETING – All Riverwesters are invited to the monthly meeting of the Riverwest Neighborhood Association (RNA) at 7:00 pm on Tue, April 8. Meetings are held at Gordon Park Pavilion; park in the lot on Hadley & Humboldt. More info at www.my- RNA.org NORTHEAST SIDE PLAN The public hearing before the City Plan Commission for the Northeast Side Plan has been rescheduled to Mon, May 12. Depending on the outcome, the public hearing at the Zoning, Neighborhoods, and Development committee of the Common Council could be as early as Tue, May 13. View the full plan at www.mkedcd.org/ planning/plans/Northeast/index.html FREE PRESENTATIONS Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers has free presentations available in English and Spanish that train citizens to identify and prevent stormwater pollution. The three presentations, about one hour each, are: Rain Gardens & Landscaping for Stormwater Management, Environmentally Friendly Lawn & Yard Care, and Illicit Discharges & Construction Site Violations. To schedule a presentation contact Jenni Reinke at 414.287.0207, x35 or jenni_reinke@mkeriverkeeker.org. More info at www.mkeriverkeeper.org GREEN WORKSHOPS The UWM School of Continuing Education is running a series of Green Home & Yard workshops: Green Home Remodeling on Wed, Apr 2; Earth Friendly Approaches to a Healthy Lawn on Tue, Apr 15; and Natural Landscaping & Yard Care on Tue, Apr 22. Workshops are from 6-8pm at 161 W. Wisconsin Ave and cost $39 each. More info at www.scegreen. uwm.edu SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Don’t pour unused medicine down the drain! Milwaukee County residents can bring them to the Medicine Collection Day on Sat, April 19 from 9 am to 1 pm at Miller Park by the “sausage haus.” Residents can also bring household hazardous wastes to the special collection at State Fair Park, Gate 8 on Fri, April 25, 11 am – 6 pm and Sat, April 26, 8 am – 2pm. More info at www.mmsd.com.  COMMON COUNCIL TRANSITION The last meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council with its present roster will be Wed, April 9. The last day in office for all outgoing Aldermen is Fri, April 11. The Charter Meeting and swearing in of the new Council members takes place on Tue, April 15. No Committee meetings are held during the month of April while new Aldermen get acclimated to the various city departments, staff, and procedures. The new cycle begins with the License Committee on May 6. The first regular meeting with the new Council will be on May 20.