Milwaukee, WI

On Monday a man was found dead in his car in Waukesha. Police suspect that he may have been there since Friday, when he was evicted from his apartment.

Patrick L. Greinke, 60, had been evicted from his apartment on the 400 block of N. Washington Ave. and although the cause of death has not been determined, exposure to the harsh elements this weekend seems a likely culprit.

Although homeless shelters were filled this weekend due to the weather, tragedies like this one do not need to happen. While the Salvation Army had no room over the weekend, there are other shelters which can take in the overflow, including the Hebron House which typically only shelters families and women. The Hebron House says it will accommodate men who are turned away from the Salvation Army shelter due to bed availability. Although the Salvation Army and many other shelters have been at capacity all winter this year, the shelters in Milwaukee work together in finding a shelter for those in need. In the event that all of the shelters are filled, hotel vouchers are available to ensure that no one needs to endure exposure to the elements.

Should you see someone sleeping in a car or out in the elements, call a shelter or the police immediately. A car will not provide sufficient shelter from the extreme temperatures that we have experienced this winter. The harsh weather is nothing to trifle with, and there’s no reason that anyone should have to try to endure the elements.

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Think warm thoughts.

November 10, 2007 marked the 44th annual Veterans Day Parade in Milwaukee. The weather was beautiful and the sky clear for this great event, and the parade was quite impressive. Here are some of the photo highlights:

This was a beautiful sight on that clear Milwaukee day.

I had the privilege of standing near this World War II veteran.

Throughout the parade, many soldiers came up to him and shook his hand and thanked him for his service.

Like all good Milwaukee parades, there were plenty of motorcycles in this one.

There were a number of flyovers during the parade - very impressive.

Korean War Veterans have a special place in my heart.

Military vehicle buffs couldn’t be disappointed during this parade. There was a lot to see.

In all, its was an excellent parade.

As a final note about this Veterans Day, I really enjoyed reading this piece on a Columbus, Ohio blog and I want to pass it on to my Milwaukee readers.

Thank you, Veterans. Thank you to you on Veterans Day and every day.

I hope my readers aren’t tired of hearing about our Veterans, because with one day left before Milwaukee’s Veterans Day Parade and two days until Veterans Day, I still have more to say.

Wisconsin has had its share of very notable veterans through its history. Here are some brief snapshots of three fascinating lives:

John Bradley, one of the six Marines pictured in the image of the Iwo Jima flag raising, was from Antigo, Wisconsin. Bradley gave just one interview in his life. In it he said, “People refer to us as heroes–I personally don’t look at it that way. I just think that I happened to be at a certain place at a certain time and anybody on that island could have been in there–and we certainly weren’t heroes–and I speak for the rest of them as well. That’s the way they thought of themselves also.”

Franklin Van Valkenburg the commander of the USS Arizona when Pearl Harbor was attacked, was appointed from Wisconsin. In February of 1941 he became Commanding Officer of the battleship Arizona. He was killed in action when his ship exploded and sank during the December 7 1941 Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. For his “conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage” at that time, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., a Winnebago Indian from Wisconsin, was on a ridge guarding his company command post on November 5, 1950 when he was surprised by Chinese communist forces. He sounded the alarm and stayed in his position firing his automatic rifle and point-blank to check the assault. This gave his company time to consolidate their defenses. After being severely wounded by enemy fire, he refused assistance and continued firing upon the enemy until he was fatally wounded. His heroic action prevented the enemy from overrunning his company’s position and gained time for evacuation of the wounded. U.S. Army Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. was honored with the military’s highest honor for his fearless and heroic deeds Nov. 5, 1950 in a battle near Chonhyon, Korea, that saved his comrades and cost him his life.

Please remember all our Veterans this Veterans Day. Consider doing some research about veterans from your own hometown and share what you find with your friends and family so that the endeavors of the men and women who have served our country will not be forgotten.

Everyone loves a bargain, but where do Milwaukee’s bargain hunters go for thrift shopping? Milwaukee is home to a number of great (and not-so-great) thrift shops, and in this three part feature will take a look at the best and worst of Milwaukee’s thrift shops. The first segment will feature the thrift behemoth Goodwill Industries. The second segment will examine some of the other large thrift shops like the Salvation Army. The final installment will take a look at some of the smaller, boutique thrifts.

Part One: Goodwill Industries

Perhaps the most well-known and widespread of Milwaukee’s thrift stores are the Goodwills. Since Goodwill has the advantage of being so well-known, they receive many more donations than other thrift stores and accordingly the selections they feature do not get so stale. Staff at Goodwill is on the whole friendly and helpful, making shopping at Goodwill a consistently pleasant experience.

The Milwaukee area has four Goodwill locations, but not all Goodwills are created equal.

Franklin Store
6941 S. 27th Street in Franklin (located behind Gander Mountain on S. Riverwood Blvd.)
While not quite the cream of the crop, this Goodwill is always relatively neat, clean and usually good for a nice clothing find or two. For some reason, casino shirts and rockabilly wear turn up here on a regular basis, so if that’s your thing, this is your place. This location also seems to have an unusual amount of name brand purses at any given time. Furniture shopping can be hit or miss, as some days they have lots of nice offerings, and others they don’t have much of anything. Decor and glassware are fairly strong here. Overall, this is a nice Goodwill and worth a drive.

Oklahoma Avenue Store
11000 W. Oklahoma Avenue in West Allis
If you only have time for one Goodwill, this should be it. The clothing tends to be good quality and great variety. Record heads will find a nice selection of vinyl. The furniture is some of the best at any of Milwaukee’s thrift stores, and for some reason this store seems to have the most incoming furniture daily. The workers at this location are always extra helpful and extra friendly too.

Palmer Street Store
3900 N. Palmer Street
Unless you live in the area, this Goodwill is not a good bet for clothing or furniture. Items tend to be lower quality and the selection doesn’t seem as varied. The store itself is a bit cluttered as well. If you are desperate for some thrifting, give this one a try, but if you are in a hurry your time is better spent at any of the other three locations.

Milwaukee Store
6055 N. 91st St.
This store is another great Goodwill. Well lit and clean, this store is the opposite of what most people think of when they imagine thrift shopping. Clothing is very strong at this location and the variety is impressive. Furniture is not always a strong suit but some good finds can be had if your timing is right. Knicknacks and decor are always available in great quantity, and more often than not there are quality items hidden among the rest.

For more information on Goodwill Industries in Southeastern Wisconsin, including all locations and store hours, visit the Goodwill SEW website.

The next installment of Thrifting in Milwaukee will feature some of the other larger thrift stores, including the American Council of the Blind and the Salvation Army.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Thrift, Resale

We Milwaukeeans can be a prideful bunch. Take us on a trip to any other city and you’re likely to hear an awful lot of, “In Milwaukee, [insert bragging comment here].” Sure there is the occasional person who longs for the likes New York or San Francisco, but we generally stand firm in our convictions.

Of course, this tends to cause some friction every now and then with our state’s other well-known city - Madison. The Milwaukee vs Madison debate is an old one, but also one in which everyone seems to have an opinion. I have had some experience living in both cities, and I have a few thoughts of my own. I never intended to bring up the topic, but after taking a trip back to Madison this weekend, I just can’t help myself.

So here it is, my unofficial list of ways in which each city tops the other. (more…)

When most people cut down an alley, they only see heaps of unwanted trash and green bins stuffed with garbage. As an avid cyclist, it can sometimes feel like a trip through death row. Go down enough alleys and you will inevitably see a mass of bent spokes, a rusted frame, or a pair of handlebars poking out of the debris. Every week there seems to be a new pile of bikes waiting for the scrappers, or worse, to be forgotten in a landfill. Every week, a new bike waiting to be saved.

If you haven’t noticed already, Milwaukee has a huge biking community. Go out on a sunny day and you’ll see kids riding to the park, mountain bikers heading to the trails, fitness enthusiasts on perfectly tuned machines, and college students racing to classes. Unfortunately, most people don’t know the first thing about bike maintenance, and when a problem arises, many assume their bikes have reached the end of the road. Instead of seeking repair, they ride their bikes into the ground, toss them out, and buy a new one. As outrageous as it sounds, I once stopped someone who was going to trash his one year old bike because it had a flat tire.

Not only is this a matter of unnecessary waste, but many bikers like myself want those bikes for parts. Last summer I set out to make a new road bike as cheaply as possible. Having a decent bike doesn’t always entail throwing down a few hundred dollars on brand new equipment.
Frame – a 1980s Schwinn sanded and repainted.
Handlebars – from a beach cruiser, chopped and flipped upside down.
Cranks and chainwheel – found by the road, caked with rust. Removed the rust to reveal a gorgeous chrome finish.
Seat – traded for a $100 racing model. Fixed a small tear with superglue. (more…)