Brady
by Tim Lambrecht
The Brady Street Blessing of theBridges took place on Saturday, May20. In attendance were Mayor TomBarrett, Alderman Mike D’Amato, StateSenator Jeff Plaly as well as other localdignitaries. Father Mike Hammer of theAIDS Ministry blessed the MarsupialBridge over the river and the PedestrianBridge over Lincoln Memorial Drive. Itwas nice to see a group of people showup for the event and more people takingadvantage of the nice weather andenjoying the new bridges. Canoeistspassed by underneath the MarsupialBridge and bicyclists rode across. Thesebridges definitely add accessibility andadd to the revitalization of the RiverwestRiverfront and the beautification of thelakefront…

Mike Kostal, owner of the Up ‘N UnderPub had a stroke early in May. In orderto help pay for his medical bills, abenefit and all-you-can-eat barbecuewas held on Sunday May 21 at the bar.Performers such as The Steve Cohenand Jim Liban Blues Band, The BluesDisciples, Robert Allen Jr., MississippiCactus, Southbound, and ReverendRaven donated their time and playedfor the crowd. To make a contribution,please contact Tasha Sorenson at thebar, 276-2577…

Three Holy Women Parish attempt to“Raise The Copper Roof.” In an effort torestore the copper roof on St. Hedwig’sChurch, the Three Holy Women Parish(Mary Queen Of The Holy Rosary,St. Rita and St. Hedwig) are hoping tocollect enough donations to pay for theestimated $500,000 restoration project.They also hope to be able to do somerepairs on the brickwork of the steeple.To donate or for more information,contact Dan Peter at 271-6557…

Mimma’s Café will be offering aSummer Cooking Class from noon to 3pm on Sunday, June 25.Each participantwill select a favorite Italian dish toprepare. Everyone will enjoy a feast ofauthentic Italian dishes afterward. Thecost of the class is $100 and is limited to10 participants. Call Mimma’s at 271-7337 to register…

Update: Ross Bigley, the localfilmmaker who was hit by a car onBrady Street in October, is rehabbingnicely. He is off crutches and his brokenleg is on the mend. Bigley is the directorof The Milwaukee Short Film Festival,which will be held on Sunday, June 4 atthe Times Cinema…

Two new plays will be performedat the Astor Theatre located in theBrady Street Pharmacy in June. RayBradford’s “Closer,” an emotionallyraw play about personal relationshipswill be performed June 15-17 and 21-24at 8 pm. Tickets are $12. The EsplanadaTheatre will perform Stephen Belber’s“Tape” June 28-July 1 at 8 pm. The playis about two longtime friends and thewoman who comes between them.Tickets are $7. Both plays are ratedPG-13 for adult themes. Tickets areavailable at the door or by calling 272-4384…

The Bike-In Movie May 26 at theMarsupial Bridge Media Center wasa collection of short films titled “TheSpirit Of Biking.” On June 30, thefeatured film will be “Il Postino”(Italian,1994), a film about friendship, poetryand bikes.

If you have a story idea or item forBrady Bits, contact Tim at 374-7772.

Riverwest Currents online edition – June, 2006