MAYOR: $10 K BRIDGE AWARD GOES TO STAIRS

By Michael Horne

The Holton Marsupial Bridge, now two years old, received a $10,000 recognition Tuesday morning, September 11th, 2007. The recognition, in the form of a check, was presented to Mayor Tom Barrett by the Rudy Bruner Foundation, an organization that commends and rewards urban initiatives. The event was headlined by City Engineer Jeff Polenske, and took place at the eastern approach to the bridge, underneath the massive structure. In addition, the small crowd of perhaps 50 were able to hear brief addresses from such worthies as Julilly Kohler, the bridge's muse; its architect James Dallman, whose wife and partner Grace La brought along her architecture students for an al fresco site visit and lecture; Alderman Michael D'Amato and engineer Yakov N. Nenaydykh, who credited East Side Dark beer as the inspiration for the solution of many of the bridge's peculiar structural challenges.
(This observation gratified Lakefront Brewery President Russ Klisch, who brews the aforementioned beer across the river, right next door to the bridge.)
Ald. D'Amato said the city has received a very prestigious award, and that it is significant that "a simple neighborhood project led to this amount of attention." Indeed, if they were to hang all the medals the bridge has won on the bridge itself, they'd have to call out the engineers to brace up the structure.
D'Amato said how the project started as a bus stop (also designed by LaDallman, and the winner of a number of its own awards) and then "worked its way down to no man's land," under the bridge.
Julilly Kohler took to the podium to acknowledge her "friends and fellow movers" and gave a pitch for grassroots involvement in neighborhoods as exemplified by the "Crossroads" Project. "We on the ground know what's wrong, and we can come up with the solution," she said.
The bridge has been embraced by bicyclists, those in wheelchairs and joggers and runners, she said. However, the pedestrian contingent is a bit slow in coming, "due to the lack of a simple thirty step staircase needed on the west end." She implored the mayor to use the $10,000 award in furtherance of that goal, and the mayor, pocketing the check, said he would.
Among others at the event were Lynn Lucius; Mike Eitel, whose Trocadero lies across the street; bicycle enthusiast Dave Schlabowske; Ray Chi, whose River Pulse project will enliven the bridge while enlightening us as to water conditions, and will be an award-winner in its own right; City Planner Robert Greenstreet and others. All mingled freely without the annoyance of being troubled by television news cameras, or indeed reporters of virtually any sort. You would have thought such an event celebrating alternative transportation would have been a natural for a live remote from our local talk radio hosts. Like heck you would!




THE BOLD LOOK OF KOHLER
Marie Kohler attended the Holton Marsupial Bridge award event to cheer on her sister. She has been demonstrating "The Bold Look of Kohler" in her own way, with a portable toilet now in place on her east side front porch. Is this some sort of performance art? Or political statement? A new family enterprise? (You never can tell with those Kohler sisters!) "Oh no," she replied, laughing. "I am having some work done on the house, and the contractor put it there for his crews to use."
Husband Brian Mani has been receiving rave reviews for his performance as the title character in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens in the American Players Theater production of the Bard's lesser-known work (now, through September 29th.). Has he been maintaining his divinity studies? (Brian and Marie got themselves ordained to officiate at their niece's wedding.) "Yes," he said. "In fact I married a couple this summer."
--Michael Horne