Victory gardens springing up in Milwaukee, around the country

Most folks have heard of victory gardens in the context of the First of Second World War. But ever-rising food prices and legitimate concerns about the safety of commercial food has spurred many people in this country and around the world to start victory gardens anew. Up in Shorewood, Wisc., the Victory Garden Initiative is dedicated to helping people start their own victory gardens in their back yards. And front yards. Because, really, who needs grass?

Here on Milwauke’s south side, the Anodyne Moments [Facebook link] group is rapidly gaining momentum, and we have begun talking with a few church ministers about planting gardens on their grounds, or even on their roofs. Book of Matthew, anyone?

Former Pabst brewery site poised to become a great neighborhood

According to OnMilwaukee.com, the many-acre site that was once home to one of Milwaukee’s biggest breweries is now becoming a veritable neighborhood. There’s a lot of adjectival phrases that are easy to circumscribe this site with, most of which include the word “abandoned.” For that’s what the former Pabst Brewery site once was. When the brewing company moved in 1996 from its original home here in Milwaukee to wherever they went (I don’t drink Pabst, nor do I know to where), the site sat vacant, a relic of a bygone era, literally bypassed by the sprawling I-94 freeway, forgotton by most of the suburban night-dwellers that crawl past it every day as they leave work.

But now, thanks in large part to the work of property developer and Milwaukee philanthropist Joseph J. Zilber, the former brewery will now be known as the Brewery Neighborhood. I sincerely hope that the incoming residential and business tenants are able to make this new neighborhood shine, and that it breathes life into the heart of Milwaukee, our city of neighborhoods.

People attend Drinking Liberally — and live to tell about it

Heck, Capper ever said he enjoyed the last one. Though I must have really drunk liberally that night, as I don’t remember anything at all about me appearing as a giant elf. (Or if it wasn’t me, then maybe Capper did…)

Normally, is on the third Wednesday of the month. However, this January, we will be having the very special “End of an Error!” party at Sugar Maple on Tuesday, January 20, in celebration of Barack Obama’s inauguration, and to say good riddance to the buffoon who’s lied, cheated, and stolen his way through the past eight years.

That said, the next Eating Liberally will be at 6:00 on Wednesday, January 7 at Stone Fly Brewery, which is at 735 East Center Street in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. You can take a look at their food menu before hand if you wish, too.

(Conveniently for me, Stone Fly is a direct stop on the #11 city bus line, which goes past my house. That’s something to consider if I wish to make that night another round of “Eating AND Drinking Liberally.”)

See you there!

Plans for a new Church’s Chicken on North Ave. scuttled

As discussed on this blog in late July, the Journal Sentinel’s resident grump Patrick McIlheran went on about how a local community activist had the gall to stand up and object to yet another fast food restaurant being planned for the center of the poorest part of Milwaukee’s African-American neighborhood.

As it turns out, plans to put in a grease-filled fast food joint have been withdrawn. As Tom Daykin wrote for the Journal Sentinel, “It’s the end of a high-profile battle between activists promoting better eating habits in a community with high rates of obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, vs. a business hoping to fatten its bottom line. Neighborhood residents and others said Church’s would have fed unhealthy eating habits and discouraged other types of businesses from investing in an area that has seen new homes and other developments in recent years.”

There is a real question and a genuine debate that can be had as to the value of having yet another fast food joint in a very poor area, as it would be a place that would provide some jobs, but at the same time, they would be very low-paying jobs with high turnover and minimal worker satisfaction. And it would do absolutely nothing to help deal with the effects of a poor diet that is based in eating such foods. And the vast majority of the money made at the fried chicken place would go to the company’s coffers, not the pockets of its workers, leaving little real value in the end.

I for one think that a large set of community gardens would help in many ways: the local resident could grow some of their own food, thereby saving them money, and it would be infinitely healthier than even the most low-fat product to make its way down a fast food assembly line. The gardens would give people a piece of pride in their neighborhood, and beautify it in ways that few restaurants can dream of. Get enough gardens going, and soon you’d have the basis for a small fresh food market, or even a shared food growing program that would directly benefit the people in the neighborhood.

So far, Paddy Mac has little to say on this. But if he does muster the courage to do so, remember that it came down to the city council’s decision to attach a condition to the zoing permit that would require Midwest Hospitality, the company seeking to open the fast food joint, “to seek a permit renewal after one year.” [jsonline.] The people, speaking through their city representatives, were listened to, and the city council made it unsavory enough for Midwest Hospitality to open there. In my opinion,  in having to decide between having the few lousy jobs the fast food stand would create, or giving the people another false choice of bad food, no great moral or strategic victory was accomplished.

Liberal + conservative = Progressive? Join in the debate!

A blog post over on TPM has me thinking about what it means to have liberal thoughts and (fiscally) conservative thoughts co-existing in the same mind. It is possible! I wrote a quick rant/diatribe incorporating Milwaukee’s great Socialist mayors in reply, and bring it to you here:

Knowing that this may be easily taken in the wrong direction, let me say that one very good example of liberal + conservative was the Milwaukee Socialist Party. The Milwaukee Socialists had the mayor’s office for a better part of the twentieth century, and even if later mayors were not Socialists themselves, they did continue one tradition of the Milwaukee Socialists: fiscal conservatism. The Milwaukee Socialists were very tight with money, which is not to say that they did not help the people. Quite the opposite. Mayor Daniel W. Hoan set up and ran a city food buying program during the Great Depression to ensure that people were not getting pinched when they bought food. Any profits he made were donated to charity, but Hoan did not keep a penny to himself. He was the kind of a socialist who put the people of the city first. Not a revolutionary Marxist, but one concerned for his city and its people.

In the time of the Socialist mayors, Milwaukee won many accolades, including “Healthiest City” and maintained a AAA municipal bond rating. It may now be down to just AA, which is still very good, considering the massive deindustrialization and job loss that has occurred. To this day, our mayors run a tight ship. Graft has spread since the Socialists’ day, especially on the county level.

I am very socially liberal, but relatively fiscally conservative. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend money on anything. I do want to have good, effective programs in place, such as drug rehabilitation, a super-low-interest microloan program for city residents to start small businesses, and victory gardens in every back yard. Those would take time, and money. But they are still well within the rubric of good, socially liberal programs that can help make a difference. Perhaps that is what my fellow Jason, Mr. Miller, is referring to when he combines liberal + conservative. I believe that is the sort of thing Mr. Obama will be leading us toward as well.

Speaking of supporting local business, Cudahy says “NO!” to Wal-Mart again

Excellent.

Hats off again to Mayor McCue for not wavering in his opposition to having Wal-Mart’s destructive presence in his community!

(h/t No Cudahy Walmart.)

Sad news: Atomic Records will close in February

Nowadays, not many people go to record stores. The success of online music stores, and the widespread availability of music through ostenisibly illegal acquistion, has a lot to do with this. And, things change. I try to make a point of it to support locally owned brick-and-mortar shops, but sometimes, it’s just hard to do that, and certainly one person alone who occasionally buys a few small items can’t save a store. It would take a lot of people doing that over a longer period of time to do that. But, people’s habits change, and the venerable Atomic Re lcords will be the latest store to disappear in the shifting sands.

This is unfortunate, as Atomic is an institution in the local rock music scene in a way that a CD or record store in a shopping mall could never be. Atomic has character, a certain air about it that only veteran record stores have. They’ve been directly involved with the local music scene for all of the 25 years it’s been open.

At least they’re going out in style, with big discounts and a message over thanks to the community. Details of that are on their website. And they’re not closing forever until February, which means I have time to get some discs on special order in my last feverish localist binge. I just got back into KMFDM, which I made a point of geting through Atomic, walking uphill through the snow just to go there. (Well, at least through the snow. It’s pretty flat from UWM to Atomic. Though the uneven snow and ice on the sidewalks can make for an interesting walk.)

On a totally different note, I’ll make a point of it to special order some blues discs through them — Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, maybe some old New Orleans dixieland as well. It seems quite appropriate to get the old American music through a time-honored-yet-fading American institution of the record store. And after that I can see about supporting Bay View’s record store, Rushmore Records at 2635 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue. It’s funny, I suppose, rediscovering music through Pandora, but then making a point of it to buy the music locally rather than through iTunes or Amazon. To each their own, eh?

Victory Custard!

The electricity of the big election night will have passed, but the “victory custard” will be fresh when Eating Liberally gathers at Bella’s Fat Cat tonight, Wednesday 5, 2008. The monthly event brings fans of democracy and good food together for an evening out at a Milwaukee eatery. Regardless of who you hoped would win the election, the taste of Bella’s custard and burgers will be welcome tonight.

Eating Liberally is an informal social-political club that eats at local restaurants and farmers markets. Like its sister group Drinking Liberally, the newer Eating Liberally is designed to bring together the area’s progressive community, albeit over food rather than drink. (Moderates and conservatives are welcome, too.)

Here’s the low down:

Where:
Bella’s Fat Cat
2737 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
(We’ll be in the party room)

When:
6 PM on Wednesday, November 5th

Upcoming Eating Liberally events:

December 3: Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, 101 W. Mitchell Street

In 2009, Eating Liberally plans to meet at Stone Fly Brewing Company, Maxie’s Southern Comfort?, and Rice Palace Asian Cuisine, making one last stop at Transfer in April ‘09 before going to farmers markets over the summer.

Times are subject to change without notice so we always suggest calling ahead, or you can find the plans for the next event posted on the Eating Liberally blog.

(h/t milwaukeefood.com)

Milwaukee Eating Liberally eats this week — Wed. Oct. 1 ‘08 @ Beans & Barley

Eating Liberally, which one astute blogger (ignore the first two smarmy comments) described as Drinking Liberally’s solid cousin, meets on the first Wednesday of the month. Tomorrow, Wednesday Oct. 1, we will be eating at Beans and Barley, 1901 E. North Avenue, at 6 PM. Join us! Moderates, conservatives, and in-between are quite welcome as well. A good time is guaranteed for all.

Sarah Palin doesn’t like community organizers — at least not the liberal kind

So John McCain’s veep pick Sarah Palin apparently doesn’t like community organizers. Unfortunately, that alienates many coveted independent voters such as myself, men and women who works as community organizers. While she should be thanking community organizers — are evangelical Christians not community organizers? — Palin’s attack has only given Barack Obama more support.

My work as a community organizer has been hosting of the Milwaukee chapter of the social club Drinking Liberally. And with the help of another community organizer, I helped organize its sister group Eating Liberally. The two groups are designed to help bring people back into the political realm in positive ways. And they work. We’ve given dozens of people in Milwaukee the chance to have a voice in the political process, to meet their elected officials, and the people running for office. We’ve given them a way to vent their frustrations with the incumbent regimes, and a way to make new friends. While I am a community organizer, I’m not the only one who’s part of it or who works as an organizer.

In fact, I helped start two other people start the Milwaukee chapter of Drinking Liberally. The first bar that we had it at was the suggestion of a third person, who had lived all his life in the south side Milwaukee neighborhood that Drinking Liberally meets in. And we brought people out from not only this neighborhood, but neighborhoods all over Milwaukee, north, south, east and west. Because of my work as a community organizer, and the work of Stacie, Scott F., Scott S., and Jeff B. — all of whom were community organizers — we are helping people find their voices. We work to overcome apathy and disillusionment. And we help people have a good conversation, good beer, and good food.

Liberals and conservatives have come together there to talk to one another at our groups. That kind of dialog is critical for us to get anywhere as a society. And it wouldn’t happen with community organizers such as myself, Stacie, Jeff, the two Scotts, or the hundreds of people on our mailing list who come to the two Living Liberally events each month.

Eating Liberally at 6:00 PM on the first Wednesday of each month at a different location around the Milwaukee area. (Google “Eating Liberally Milwaukee” to find out where.)

Drinking Liberally meets at 7:00 PM on the third Wednesday of each month at Sugar Maple, a smoke-free bar at 441 E. Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee.

See you there!

Also: James Rowen has a comment about this matter of Palin’s poor choice.