St. Paul Paper Makes Doyle - Adelman Connection

The St. Paul Pioneer Press has picked up on the Travelgate story, including a comment that Governor Jim Doyle had long been friends with the Adelman family. http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/states/wisconsin/12957191.htm

We have not locally been reminded that Craig Adelman, the CEO of Adelman Travel, is the brother of Federal Judge Lynn Adelman. The Journal Sentinel is so bad at these things!
This is a matter of significance since family ties can be of interest in politics.
The award of the State travel contract to Adelman, which Doyle insists was made by bureaucrats and not himself, is being investigated by a number of agencies, including the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, since some Adelman family members, including Craig Adelman, donated to Doyle's campaign.
So, just in case you are wondering, there is a family connection between Craig and Lynn Adelman and if any case ever develops out of this, it would certainly not be heard in the courtroom of Lynn Adelman. Can you say, "recuse me, please?"
For architecture buffs, it might also be of note that the Adelman boys grew up in a Fox Point Frank Lloyd Wright home built for their dad, Albert B. Adelman, who still lives there to this day, one of the few remaining original occupants of a Wright home.
--Michael Horne

LaVoce d'Italia Silenced
Longtime Host Retires

The Sunday afternoon routine will be different in at least a few Milwaukee homes with the retirement of Giorgio Argondizzo, the longtime host of La Voce d'Italia, which had been broadcast for years on WMSE 91.7 from 3 to 6 p.m.
The program, broadcast in English and Italian, had a predictable format, and pretty much played the same few songs over and over again, week after week. Most of the tunes were kitschy Italian versions of American tunes, with the very occasional Sicilian tune or very, very occasional opera selection.
Giorgio was an entertaining host, and you could learn as much Italian listening to him speak English with his thick accent as you would when he spoke Italian, usually announcing the program's sponsors. "Carini La Conca d'Oro where you will find fresh American, Italian and Sicilian cuisine."
Notice -- Italian and Sicilian. That is a very Milwaukee distinction. Giorgio spoke Italian on the air, and Sicilian on the street, so although I picked up quite a large vocabulary, it still hasn't done me a bit of good trying to eavesdrop on Sicilians.
Giorgio also was a car salesman for Reina International Italian Sports Car Center, and he would pronounce "BMW" in English as "Bay-Em-Vu," which I found terribly endearing.
The show has been replaced by the Modern Chamber, hosted by Jason Wietlispach, 35, who has filled in on the Sunday Alternating Currents show on WMSE 91.7 FM. Modern Chamber plays music mostly of the 20th century or "Debussy and later," as Wietlispach said on the air. Last week he broke his rule and included some late Beethoven string quartet movements which he said must have sounded from outer space when first performed in 1824. He is very knowledgeable about modern music, so I wondered what his day job is.
"I drive a truck for Mickey's Linen," he answered.
I tell you, this city is loaded with blue collar intellectuals, God bless 'em.
--Michael Horne