REPORT FROM THE AMBASSADOR

The report from the Ambassador Hotel, 2308 W. Wisconsin Avenue, is that the place has been extensively refurbished and looks great. A reception was held to introduce the hotel's improvements at a fundraiser for Ald. Bob Bauman in the newly-named Envoy Room on Thursday, October 27th, 2005.
Among the attendees were Bill Ward, Boris Gokhman, Common Council President Willie Hines, Ald. Jim Witkowiak (still nursing that messed-up left ankle), Ald. Terry Witkowski, Vince Bobot, H. Carl Mueller, Joel Lee and others too numerous to mention, including Kevin Soucie and Beth Nicols.
Bobot has cast his hat in the ring to run for sheriff as a Democrat. This would pit him in a primary election against incumbent Sheriff David Clarke. But there are forces in the Democratic party that would be happy to be rid of Clarke for several reasons, and there are forces in the Republican party who would like to see Clarke become a candidate for their party for their own reasons. There are still others, many of them employees of the sheriff's department, who would like to see Clarke resign, retire, or simply disappear.
Bobot, who had toyed with running for district attorney, said he would run a positive campaign. Even so, any serious candidate must do research on his opponent's weaknesses, which in this instance would be both easy and time consuming.

Ald. Bauman told the crowd at the event that hotel owner Rick Wiegand moved three houses that were on the site to N. 26th St. and W. Kilbourn Ave. to be rehabilitated, whereas he simply (and more affordably) could have razed them. The refurbished hotel awaits completion of its Cafe Deco, which will offer outside dining in season. The hotel is open for luncheon and dinner now, and will also offer breakfast soon.
H. Carl Mueller said he will make some changes to the cool building he bought for his offices on N. Prospect Ave. and E. Royall Pl., just across from the Charles Allis Art Museum. The old, modified mansion had served as a hospital and an advertising agency, and will be home to Mueller's public relations firm which is now in the Fifth Ward area. He says the mantles to the building's fireplaces have disappeared over the years and is looking for period replacements. So, if you have five vintage mantles, H. Carl is the man to call.

Onmilwaukee.com on the Move
The website onmilwaukee.com will be occupying quarters on the second floor of the Continental Savings Bank branch at 1930 E. North Avenue.

J.D. Watts Announces Candidacy
J.D. Watts, J.D. has announced his candidacy for a seat on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court at an event at the Wisconsin Club on October 20th 2005. J.D. is a Juris Doctor, so he truly is J.D. Watts, J.D.
So, what does the first J.D. in his name stand for? "It's Jonathan Dwight," he said. "But I was always raised as and called by the name J.D. in honor of my dad's best friend in the Marine Corps, named J. D. Sharpe."
According to Watts, his father, George Watts, served in the Marine Corps where he befriended southerner Sharpe. They both entered as privates and became 2nd Lieutenants during World War II.
After the war Watts returned to Milwaukee where he operated the family's fine china and gift store, and J.D. Sharpe became a lawyer in Washington, D. C. By the time the Korean conflict rolled around, George Watts was married (to Martha) and had a family. Sharpe, a reservist, was called up to duty and was killed in a deadly attempt to save Army soldiers in the Chozin Reservoir in 1951.
"Dad vowed to name his first son after J.D. and I was born in January 1952," Watts said.
What did the initials "J.D." stand for in Sharpe's name?
"Jefferson Davis," Watts said. "A common practice among those from the south."

OLD LIGHTHOUSE GETS NEW PAINT
It is covered in canvas now, but the old North Point Lighthouse, located in Lake Park, should have a new coat of paint by November 22nd, its 150th birthday. A private group working to repair the attraction has raised $1.45 million, and hopes to raise the remaining $225,000 for the project by November 22nd, when an event is planned.

TRANSIT SYSTEM REJECTS STANDARD TIME
The Transit Television Network devices installed in Milwaukee County Transit System buses have not been changed to reflect Central Standard Time, as recently as Thursday morning.
On Wednesday evening November 2nd, 2005 at 8:25 p.m., the annoying little video screens (which were mercifully muted at the time) read "Today is Tuesday, January 08 2002. The time is 5:25 p.m."

ASKING PRICE FOR BRADY STREET DUPLEX + LOT: $500,000

Shawn Hutchens, operator of Green Fields on N. Farwell Avenue has listed the vacantsouthwest corner of E. Brady St. and N. Arlington Pl. for sale with a price of $500,000. The adjacent duplex, which could have a commercial use, is included in the package. Nancy Beutner Meeks was able to turn over a N. Jackson St. lot for her clients in just a couple of months. The $90,000 investment netted a $60,000 profit for the clients. The site is on a bluff overlooking the city and was one of my favorite hangouts when in the mood for urban solitude.

BIERSTADT PAINTING FOR SALE
A landscape painting by Alfred Bierstadt (aren't they all), long on loan to the Wisconsin Historical Society is being sold by the family that owns it and has been moved to Milwaukee in order to do so. The painting is insured for $3 million. The record for a Bierstadt is $7.7 million, set at Sotheby's in 2003.

FROM BREW CITY TO CAPITAL CITY

“Of the Capital and Brew, Appropriately Enough…”

By Paul Snyder

First off, yes, I was out on State Street Saturday night, but no, that was not me getting doused with pepper spray on the evening news. My friend and I avoided that whole melee by ducking into the Karaoke Kid for a couple rounds of beers and a bleary-eyed shot at becoming the next American Idols, if only in our own minds.

I will say this, though. He, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, and I, dressed as Batman’s arguably coolest nemesis the Joker, did have a fine go at Tears For Fears’ 1984 classic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” And if you think about it, there’s really no song quite as apropos for the Great Emancipator and the Clown Prince of Darkness to duet on.

Anyway, that was last month.

And what does a new month bring this fair state of ours? Financial dilemma. No surprise, really… but now you know it’s getting serious, because out here on Capitol Hill, the Assembly has passed AB 787, which could restrict the growth of the state’s smaller breweries, and raise the price of beer.

I think Macaulay Culkin said it best in both Home Alone and Home Alone 2:
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

Imagine! Wisconsin attempting to put the shackles on beer! Somewhere, cheese is hiding in a corner in its best attempts to remain unnoticed.

Essentially, the bill would require Wisconsin small breweries to build or lease a distribution warehouse separate from their brewery if their production exceeds a certain amount (essentially, if you like a beer, don’t let other people know, because the last thing we’d want is for it to become popular). It also grants exclusive distribution territories for beer wholesalers.

Apparently California recently pushed similar legislation through, and the Federal Trade Commission said it could result in higher prices and lower amounts of variety. Well, that’s all well and good for Schwarzenegger’s land – but when’s the last time you had a good California beer? That might be ignorant on my part, yeah – but my preference of Capital Amber, New Glarus Spotted Cow, and pretty much anything concocted by the Lake Front Brewery over Miller High Life is significant no less, if only to myself.

But only 16 members of the Assembly thought it wasn’t a good idea. 78 thought it was. 78? And they call themselves Wisconsin State Representatives…

Continuing on from my soapbox beer crate, aren’t the microbrews what give a state, especially this one, its character? They came here to make beer… Freddy Miller thought it was a good enough arena to do it, and look how far he got. Can the microbrews ever compete? Maybe not, but at least there’s an option right? Testament enough to this are the crowds gathered at Water Street and Lake Front tents during Summerfest. Oh, and the fact that the state’s holds the country’s Microbrew Festival every September.

But apparently, legislators are content enough with Milwaukee’s Best as an option. ::Tremble::

It’s almost enough to make you valiantly brandish a stein of New Glarus on the Senate Floor, rallying the state behind you with a cry of “You can take our pride, but you’ll never take our freedom!”

But God forbid they think it’s a popular beer…

[Paul Snyder is the Madison correspondent for The Daily Reporter newspaper.]