NEW PRESIDENT FOR TOSA BANK

Dear Reader:

I have a few new items for you today. Firstly, I would like you to meet the new president of Wauwatosa Savings Bank, and then I will take you downtown where people are paying to park on grass -- that's a no-no. We'll find out what the company is doing about it, and uncover an interesting city lease in the process. Finally, I have printed, without comment, Ald. Michael McGee's statement released today about whatever went on during that bus trip to Washington, D.C.
Thanks for reading, and give me a call.
Michael Horne
Editor / Publisher
1 414 978-8039
horne@milwaukeeworld.com

NEW HEAD FOR WAUWATOSA SAVINGS BANK
a Milwaukeeworld.com scoop

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, October 26th 2005 -- Douglas S. Gordon will become the President and Chief Operating Officer of Wauwatosa Savings Bank on November 7^th, 2005.

He will replace Donald J. Stephens who will cease serving as President of the bank, but will remain the Bank's Chief Executive Officer and its Chairman.

The bank entered into an agreement with Gordon on October 25^th 2005 that “provides for an initial base salary of $250,000 per year, plus the eligibility to receive a bonus of no less than $150,000 for fiscal 2006 and $200,000 for fiscal 2007, provided certain performance goals are met as determined by the Board of Directors, and for other benefits,” according to a filing by Wauwatosa Holdings, Inc., the bank’s newly-listed, publicly traded corporate parent (WAUW – Nasdaq.)

Gordon was also elected to the Board of Directors of the bank. His contract runs for a term through December 31^st 2007, subject to extensions by the board. –Michael Horne

PARK ON THE GRASS -- DOWNTOWN

According to the City of Milwaukee Municipal Code,

"All parking lots, parking spaces, parking areas, off-street loading or unloading berths or areas, and all access roads, drives or lanes leading thereto shall have a surface of concrete, asphalt macadam, or tar macadam.
Crushed stone, sand, gravel or cinders shall not be used for the surfacing materials."

However, this law has been blithely disobeyed by parkers at 749 N. 2nd Street, a grassed area that is adjacent to the paved parking lot operated by Central Parking Systems and right across the street from the stately Germania building in the heart of downtown.
On October 25th 2005 at 5:30 p.m. fourteen automobiles were either partially or completely parked on the grass there, with parking receipts visible on their dashboards.
The grassy area looked like an arena for dirt biking, with deep ruts in the lawn, and mud coating the sidewalk and paved areas.
Payment for parking on the lot is now automated, with no attendant present.

Mike Kenney of CPS said "we haven't been staffing that lot, and we raised the rate there to control demand. We will have to discuss whether to staff the lot or not. Obviously, it is not our intent to have people parking on the grass. The owner has applied to expand the parking lot to the unpaved area."
The property owner, FB Joint Venture, which is comprised of Towne Realty, Inc., the Zilber Family Partnership LLP and the Arthur & Mary Ann Wigchers Revocable Trust of 1995 acquired the lot above and the adjacent parking lots at 746-52 N. Old World Third Street, and 215 W. Wells Street from Wispark, LLC.
An adjacent pair of lots at 738 and 744 N. Old World Third Street totalling 11,699 square feet will be leased to FB to "allow the Redeveloper to pursue development options that include these parcels and their adjoining parcels. In the interim, the Redeveloper will continue to operate the property as a surface parking lot," according to a land disposition report of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee dated September 13th 2005.
The lease was approved by the Common Council on September 27th 2005 and signed by Mayor Tom Barrett on October 6th 2005.
It is for a term of eight years and calls for a monthly rent of $2,275 with a 3% annual increase.
During that time, FB Joint Venture has an option to purchase the city lot at fair market value.
According to the disposition report, "If an acceptable development proposal is not submitted by the end of the lease term, the Authority will have the option to acquire the Redeveloper's adjacent property at 746-52 N. Old World Third Street" at fair market value."

The landscaping at the site has always been dreadfully maintained. If downtown Milwaukee is to have yet another paved surface parking lot for another eight years in the heart of the "tourist" and "convention" and "theater" district, let's hope it is done lawfully and tastefully.
If Central Parking System cannot make enough money on an 11,700 square foot parking lot at a rent of $2,275 per month to afford to properly maintain its property, perhaps another operator would like to take a chance at it.

Michael Wisniewski of the City was the "responsible staff" for the agreement

McGEE'S STATEMENT

[Alderman Michael McGee has released a statement responding to a recent Spivak and Bice column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regarding activities during a bus trip to Washington, D.C.
It is reprinted here without comment. --Ed.]

Statement From Ald. Mike McGee, Jr. Wednesday, October 26, 2005 The biased duo Cary Spivak and Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have assembled another subjective, fact-free article titled, “Millions More Lessons of Intolerance.” The article, which appeared in the newspaper last Sunday, was not only biased, but a blatant attempt to demoralize the objective of the Millions More Movement and the credibility of Black leadership in the city of Milwaukee. I took on the noble effort of spearheading free bus rides from Milwaukee to Washington, D.C. The bus rides were offered to both youth and adults wishing to take part in the Millions More Movement. Despite my efforts, Riverside University High School students Keenya Hofmaier and Rosetta Riley showed their disapproval by providing Spivak and Bice with fabricated allegations filled with innuendo about events that never took place and statements that I never made during the trip to D.C. The false accusations that appeared in the article include the following: • There was little food provided to the passengers aboard the bus. • Videos full of “racist propaganda” were shown throughout the bus ride. • That I repeatedly used derogatory language, including the word “faggot” during the trip to D.C. Contrary to the statements made by Hofmaier and Riley, there was an abundance of food and water provided throughout the trip. Food and beverages sponsored by Lena’s Food Market were made readily available to all passengers aboard the bus. Also, passengers not wanting to eat the food provided on the bus were able to purchase meals and refreshments at each stop made for refueling, and for all breakfast, lunch and restroom breaks. At no time throughout the entire trip did food become limited or scarce. Keenya Hofmaier and Rosetta Riley were the only individuals not motivated or inspired by the content of the videos shown during the trip. The videos shown were award-winning documentaries and filmed lectures given by some of the top scholars in the country. Each video coincided with the purpose of the Millions More Movement, which was to promote cultural awareness and unity among individuals from all backgrounds. Racist doctrine believed to be offensive to white or biracial individuals was not included in the content of the films. Because of the large number of youth registered for the trip to D.C., supervision was strictly enforced. Youth were not allowed to hold hands, display any inappropriate or affectionate behavior nor were they allowed to wander off without a chaperone. Several individuals observed Keenya Hofmaier and Rosette Riley disobeying those rules on a number of occasions. Out of fear of losing the two students in a crowd of a million or more people, I approached the ladies to discuss the expectations of the chaperones. I informed the young ladies that they were to remain with their chaperone, Mr. Paul Moga, at all times. -More-
Ald. Mike McGee, Jr. – Statement Page Two Also, I brought to their attention that some of the other students, several who were as young as twelve years old, were questioning why Keenya and Rosetta were constantly holding hands at every bus stop and subsequently at the rally. Later, both ladies approached me and said that they were offended by this insinuation that they were lesbians. In response, I again explained that their distant behavior and independent roaming was not appropriate. Upon return from the Millions More Movement, the parent of Keenya Hofmaier, Pamela Allen-Newton, demanded a written apology from me, claiming that I made inappropriate comments to the young ladies. After unloading the bus, I, as well as Mr. Moga, informed Ms. Allen-Newton that the young ladies’ version of what happened was unequivocally false. I offered to further discuss the situation with the parents involved in this alleged incident by giving Ms. Allen-Newton my cell phone number. Ms. Allen-Newton would not accept my version of the alleged incident and instead chose to go to Common Council President Willie Hines and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It is very unfortunate that the young ladies, and their parents went to the media and perpetuated a series of outright lies and deception. The alleged incidents are maliciously false! I demand that the parents and students, as well as the Journal Sentinel staff involved in fabricating this conjured-up story, apologize directly to me and to the community. To lie and spread pernicious rumors and propaganda with the intent to assassinate my character and credibility, is unacceptable and those involved must be held accountable. The fact remains that a vast majority of youth and parents who traveled to the Millions More Movement by bus, as well as myself, had an inspirational, and motivational trip to Washington, D.C. Consequently, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to empower the community through the various ministries defined within the national agenda, and for the Millions More Movement, under the auspices of several Local Organizing Committees. End