Fifty years ago, a baby-faced shortstop less than a year out of high school broke camp with the Brewers. The rest is Milwaukee baseball history.
BY JIM CRYNS
In spring of 1974, a fresh-faced 18-year-old named Robin Yount broke spring training as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, the beginning of a 20-year career spent entirely in Milwaukee. Now, the relationship between Yount and Milwaukee has reached its golden anniversary – 50 years and going strong.
Shortly after graduating from Taft High School in Los Angeles’ Woodland Hills neighborhood, the Brewers selected Yount as the No. 3 pick in the 1973 amateur baseball draft. After agreeing on a contract, the Brewers sent Yount to play summer ball with their affiliate in Newark, New York. Yount immediately impressed in his first season as a pro and was considered one of baseball’s best overall prospects.
As such, the next spring, Yount was invited to join the big league training camp in Sun City, Arizona. When he arrived, Yount was still more than six months away from his 19th birthday and looked so young he was quickly named “The Kid,” a moniker former teammates and friends still use when addressing him today. While Yount was expected to play in the major leagues at some point, conventional wisdom dictated that the teenager less than a year out of high school with an unconvincing blonde mustache wouldn’t do it anytime soon.
But Brewers manager Del Crandall just couldn’t find an excuse to send The Kid down. Much to the surprise of everyone – except, possibly, Crandall – Yount was going to be a starting shortstop in the big leagues.
Yount’s mother, Marion, knew her son was a competitor but also knew he had the ability to mask it. She said there were two Robins around her house – the son she raised as a good boy and the young man who went to the ballfield. Sometimes it was difficult to imagine them as the same person. Robin was always fearless and possessed unbelievable courage and unparalleled poise. While he was in high school, there were 24 teams in professional baseball – and a scout from every one of them came to Woodland Hills to watch him play.
In Milwaukee, Yount was known as a guy who typified dedication, conscientiousness and loyalty. He seemed to give 100% in every game he played in, running out every ground ball. Still, you would have needed a crystal ball to see how good he would become, and perhaps more importantly, for as long as he was. He won American League MVP in 1982 and 1989, collected 3,142 hits – just one of his franchise marks, along with games played, runs, doubles, triples, RBIs and walks.
“Robin is the best player ever to put on the blue and gold,” Dan Plesac tells Milwaukee Magazine. Plesac, a three-time All-Star relief pitcher who spent the first seven seasons of his 18-year career with Yount and the Brewers, is an analyst with MLB Network these days. “From a teenage shortstop to a Hall of Fame player, and MVP at two positions, Robin is everything that’s good about baseball. He grew up in California but made Wisconsinites feel like he was one of theirs.”
Only a few players in baseball history are synonymous with the city they played for – think Ty Cobb and Detroit, George Brett and Kansas City, Carl Yastrzemski and Boston.
Former Brewers owner Bud Selig would recall signing Yount as a crowning achievement for the franchise. Selig was aware how rare it was for a player to come to a franchise, play two decades and never cause one iota of a problem.
Yount, more than any player, led his teams by example on the field. But there’s also leadership that is sort of quietly displayed. Yount’s Hall of Fame teammate Paul Molitor led that way, too. Between those two superstars, there was never any berating or yelling at each other in the clubhouse, or temper tantrums on the field because they didn’t get a hit or missed a play. It was all about leading by example. Robin Yount doesn’t have an ego problem because he doesn’t have an ego.
Former Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn (1984-91) says it’s not often that you find a sports celebrity is a better person than their athletic prowess. “Robin Yount is a great person, period. And he made the Milwaukee Brewers a Major League contending team,” Trebelhorn tells MilMag. “The fans responded with admiration, respect and love for Kid. It was an honor to have coached him and always a pleasure to be his teammate.”
Yount is still extremely popular both among those within the game and his fans in Milwaukee and beyond. It may sound cliche to baseball fans around the country, but the love between Robin Yount and this town is real. It’s palpable whenever the man’s name comes up in conversation.
At the peak of his career, he could have played anywhere he chose. Yount knew who he was and didn’t need a big city to tell him what he was worth. He wasn’t about the statistics – never cared. All he could do was control his effort and output. He worked hard and never, ever boasted. “Publicity doesn’t make that much difference to me,” Yount once told a reporter. “I don’t especially like it, but I understand there is a need for it in baseball.”
Yount was refreshing in a sport dominated by “look at me,” mentality, and that isn’t lost on people that know and love the game. Before Ron Shelton wrote and directed the film Bull Durham, he was a professional ballplayer in the Baltimore Orioles system. Shelton says Yount and Milwaukee were a perfect fit – Yount seemed to thrive in the small market with no controversy or headaches that come with a huge city. A young California kid from the Valley. “Robin Yount was the most natural and effortless in his brilliance,” Shelton says. “Yount and George Brett are the kind of guys I love in the game. My favorites – and I’ve never met either of them.”
John Adam, the Brewers’ head athletic trainer through a good chunk of Yount’s career, was always been struck by Yount’s durability. His toughness. Adam recalls several times where Yount took a foul ball off his foot or shin that would have taken another player out of that game, or the next. But Yount never complained. That just wasn’t him, to even think about exiting the game early.
Adam says a lot of people throw accolades around when discussing Yount, but they always seem to miss one component of his game: “I don’t think fans really know what a strong runner he was,” he says. “I mean great speed. He was a fantastic base runner.”
In this life, in this sport, 50 years is a long time. Milwaukee has been blessed to have shared the same light with Robin Yount for five decades. The honor has been all ours.
BY JIM CRYNS
In spring of 1974, a fresh-faced 18-year-old named Robin Yount broke spring training as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, the beginning of a 20-year career spent entirely in Milwaukee. Now, the relationship between Yount and Milwaukee has reached its golden anniversary – 50 years and going strong.
Shortly after graduating from Taft High School in Los Angeles’ Woodland Hills neighborhood, the Brewers selected Yount as the No. 3 pick in the 1973 amateur baseball draft. After agreeing on a contract, the Brewers sent Yount to play summer ball with their affiliate in Newark, New York. Yount immediately impressed in his first season as a pro and was considered one of baseball’s best overall prospects.
As such, the next spring, Yount was invited to join the big league training camp in Sun City, Arizona. When he arrived, Yount was still more than six months away from his 19th birthday and looked so young he was quickly named “The Kid,” a moniker former teammates and friends still use when addressing him today. While Yount was expected to play in the major leagues at some point, conventional wisdom dictated that the teenager less than a year out of high school with an unconvincing blonde mustache wouldn’t do it anytime soon.
But Brewers manager Del Crandall just couldn’t find an excuse to send The Kid down. Much to the surprise of everyone – except, possibly, Crandall – Yount was going to be a starting shortstop in the big leagues.
Yount’s mother, Marion, knew her son was a competitor but also knew he had the ability to mask it. She said there were two Robins around her house – the son she raised as a good boy and the young man who went to the ballfield. Sometimes it was difficult to imagine them as the same person. Robin was always fearless and possessed unbelievable courage and unparalleled poise. While he was in high school, there were 24 teams in professional baseball – and a scout from every one of them came to Woodland Hills to watch him play.
In Milwaukee, Yount was known as a guy who typified dedication, conscientiousness and loyalty. He seemed to give 100% in every game he played in, running out every ground ball. Still, you would have needed a crystal ball to see how good he would become, and perhaps more importantly, for as long as he was. He won American League MVP in 1982 and 1989, collected 3,142 hits – just one of his franchise marks, along with games played, runs, doubles, triples, RBIs and walks.
“Robin is the best player ever to put on the blue and gold,” Dan Plesac tells Milwaukee Magazine. Plesac, a three-time All-Star relief pitcher who spent the first seven seasons of his 18-year career with Yount and the Brewers, is an analyst with MLB Network these days. “From a teenage shortstop to a Hall of Fame player, and MVP at two positions, Robin is everything that’s good about baseball. He grew up in California but made Wisconsinites feel like he was one of theirs.”
Only a few players in baseball history are synonymous with the city they played for – think Ty Cobb and Detroit, George Brett and Kansas City, Carl Yastrzemski and Boston.
Former Brewers owner Bud Selig would recall signing Yount as a crowning achievement for the franchise. Selig was aware how rare it was for a player to come to a franchise, play two decades and never cause one iota of a problem.
Yount, more than any player, led his teams by example on the field. But there’s also leadership that is sort of quietly displayed. Yount’s Hall of Fame teammate Paul Molitor led that way, too. Between those two superstars, there was never any berating or yelling at each other in the clubhouse, or temper tantrums on the field because they didn’t get a hit or missed a play. It was all about leading by example. Robin Yount doesn’t have an ego problem because he doesn’t have an ego.
Former Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn (1984-91) says it’s not often that you find a sports celebrity is a better person than their athletic prowess. “Robin Yount is a great person, period. And he made the Milwaukee Brewers a Major League contending team,” Trebelhorn tells MilMag. “The fans responded with admiration, respect and love for Kid. It was an honor to have coached him and always a pleasure to be his teammate.”
Yount is still extremely popular both among those within the game and his fans in Milwaukee and beyond. It may sound cliche to baseball fans around the country, but the love between Robin Yount and this town is real. It’s palpable whenever the man’s name comes up in conversation.
At the peak of his career, he could have played anywhere he chose. Yount knew who he was and didn’t need a big city to tell him what he was worth. He wasn’t about the statistics – never cared. All he could do was control his effort and output. He worked hard and never, ever boasted. “Publicity doesn’t make that much difference to me,” Yount once told a reporter. “I don’t especially like it, but I understand there is a need for it in baseball.”
Yount was refreshing in a sport dominated by “look at me,” mentality, and that isn’t lost on people that know and love the game. Before Ron Shelton wrote and directed the film Bull Durham, he was a professional ballplayer in the Baltimore Orioles system. Shelton says Yount and Milwaukee were a perfect fit – Yount seemed to thrive in the small market with no controversy or headaches that come with a huge city. A young California kid from the Valley. “Robin Yount was the most natural and effortless in his brilliance,” Shelton says. “Yount and George Brett are the kind of guys I love in the game. My favorites – and I’ve never met either of them.”
John Adam, the Brewers’ head athletic trainer through a good chunk of Yount’s career, was always been struck by Yount’s durability. His toughness. Adam recalls several times where Yount took a foul ball off his foot or shin that would have taken another player out of that game, or the next. But Yount never complained. That just wasn’t him, to even think about exiting the game early.
Adam says a lot of people throw accolades around when discussing Yount, but they always seem to miss one component of his game: “I don’t think fans really know what a strong runner he was,” he says. “I mean great speed. He was a fantastic base runner.”
In this life, in this sport, 50 years is a long time. Milwaukee has been blessed to have shared the same light with Robin Yount for five decades. The honor has been all ours.
Milwaukee-Filmed ‘Major League’ Celebrates 35 YearsTens of thousands of Milwaukeeans turned up to help shoot the classic comedy.
BY Jim Cryns
In 1988, notices for extras started popping up around Milwaukee, posted in universities and coffee shops. A film production was coming to town – Major League, a comedy about a down-and-out Cleveland Indians baseball team. The movie needed Milwaukeeans to play background baseball players and fans in the stands.
It was the hottest summer in the city in 75 years, with six days over 100-degrees, as semis rolled into the city carrying film equipment, cameras, gear, scaffolding and lights. The movie crew set up its headquarters at the old Marc Plaza Hotel (now the Hilton), and tens of thousands of extras showed up for scenes filmed in Milwaukee County Stadium.
This year, Major League, which was released in 1989, celebrates its 35-year anniversary. The film was a box office hit, taking the number one spot on release and making $75 million on an $11 million dollar budget. It has since cemented itself in pop culture history, and its fans are still legion in Milwaukee, where memories of the summer of filming remain strong.
Major League was filmed in Cream City as opposed to Cleveland largely because Municipal Stadium in Ohio was unavailable for shooting, while County Stadium was. The film’s writer and director, David Ward is from Cleveland, but quickly came to view Milwaukee as a second home.
He told Milwaukee Magazine that he was extremely pleased with the turnout of fans who wanted to be extras. Ward said he was able to get about 27,000 people to show up at the stadium for shooting nights.
“I was stunned and I think the actors were surprised by the turnout as well,” Ward said. “On some nights the crowds weren’t as big as 27,000 people, but that didn’t matter because the shots were no longer wide and we needed extras directly behind the mound and in the batter’s box.”
Ward said there was a group of about 200 to 300 extras who showed up every day, and he came to know some of them, as did the film’s actors.
The movie has more Milwaukee to it than just its shooting locations – Mr. Baseball himself, Bob Uecker, plays radio commentator Harry Doyle.
“I’d seen Bob on television and Miller Lite commercials,” Ward explained. “He was hysterical. The guy was perfect. I can’t think of a better Hollywood actor to play Harry Doyle.”
Ward said it was onerous to film around the Brewers schedule at County Stadium, and the script called for mostly night shooting. “A critical reason the film was shot in Milwaukee County Stadium was because management was very good about allowing us to turn on the lights at night, but in retrospect I guess we paid for that,” he joked. He said the opportunity to film in Milwaukee worked well for the film, perhaps better than he could have imagined, and he felt he pulled off a magic trick.
Filming wasn’t entirely limited to County Stadium. Some exterior shots took place on Milwaukee’s lower East Side, including the apartment of aging catcher Jake Taylor’s romantic interest Lynn Wells, (Rene Russo). Gritz’s Pzazz, a long defunct restaurant in Brown Deer, was used as a location as well, and a mansion on Lake Drive in Whitefish Bay served as the home of the Indians’ third baseman, Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen). A major celebration scene during the film’s climactic win was shot at 4th Base in West Milwaukee, which remains open. The restaurant has even hosted staged reenactments of the very scene, jamming patrons inside and screaming wildly at the team’s fictitious success.
Many of the actors from Major League went on to major Hollywood success, including Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert, Rene Russo, Charlie Sheen and Tom Berringer. All these years later, many seem to have retained a fondness for the offbeat comedy about underdogs and misfits.
It’s nice to think Milwaukee had a bit to do with that.
CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett has hosted a podcast for seven years. While The Takeout With Major Garrett is entertaining, potential guests would be wise if they didn’t approach their appearance on the podcast as some kind of cakewalk.
“Not everybody is willing to do 45 minutes with me,” Garrett said. “We go the full 45 minutes. If someone lives by their talking points, they’re not going to enjoy being my guest.”
If a guest stumbles, Garrett won’t clean it up. These aren’t lay-down conversations. Garrett said you can’t interrogate someone, but you can indeed press them. He’s had a large number of Trump cabinet officials on his show.
“I have a reputation for being tough but fair. That’s all I ever wanted to be. I’m not going to ask the same question four times. If their reaction is to spin their answers, so be it. I’ll pierce it as best as I can.”
As with most journalists, Garrett admits there have been times he became frustrated at his lack of follow-up on a question, or if he left a topic hanging. He asks plenty of hard-nosed questions during his podcasts. If a guest ventures into an area, they’d better be able to finish. They’re not going to get off easy. His show is too risky for some politicians who can’t think on their feet.
He welcomes guests who have something to say, but he’s not going to devolve into a question of what is fact versus fiction.
“I’m not going to question Marjorie Taylor Green about Jewish lasers,” Garrett said. “That’s a wasted experience. There’s no value in that. I don’t pander and there is no predictable outcome to my shows. That may hinder some of the success of the show. I tell guests all the time we have to listen to each other, even if we fundamentally disagree with each other. It’s just too bad. We run a show that tries to bring issues to the surface. I try to listen to as many perspectives as possible.”
When he started hispodcast, Garrett wanted to create a different atmosphere where his podcast followers could relate to him. He did just that. Most of his shows are recorded in a restaurant.
“If I kept the podcast in a studio it would sound like a studio conversation,” Garrett said. “I wanted to take the alpha out of some of these Washington guests. Everyone in Washington is alpha or aspires to be. I wanted to deal with simple truths and a glass of wine or a meal together while we talk, helps bring all the tension down a notch.”
Before taping begins, Garrett said the meal is pre-ordered and later delivered during discussions. The streaming audience can see that happen.
“I can polish off a cheeseburger with the best of them,” Garrett admitted. “I do it with gusto for sure. Food is part of our process. When we did our shows on Ukraine, we decided we wouldn’t eat. I don’t think it’s appropriate to feast while people are being strafed with bombs. I did a show with Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) when Republicans were in the minority. He and I ate lunch at a place near Capitol Hill, and we jumped right into messy cheeseburgers.”
Garrett said the podcast is based on his career in Washington. Despite the turbulent nature of D.C., he said nobody comes to Washington D.C. with ill intent. No designs on destroying D.C. or the country.
“I built this show on the idea that all people would be equally heard, whether they were on the right, left, or center,” he said. “I never edit their words. Never. I make that promise to my guests and audience. If something is edited for time on the show, it’s something I said that’s edited, not something the guest said.”
There is an important component for anyone who is in a visible position on television, whether they’re an anchor or reporter. Viewers have questions in their minds when they watch; should I believe him? Should I trust her? One thing that comes across is whether you are the same person when you walk away from that camera.
“Viewers will make that determination if you’re relatively the same person or whether you’re a made-up person,” Garrett said. “They need to discover who are you under those lights. In front of the camera.”
Garrett said some broadcasters like Willie Geist deemphasize themselves and emphasize the mission. “That’s the intangible,” he said. “People will say they like somebody but don’t know exactly why. Maybe that anchor or reporter is capable of making you feel comfortable.”
Garrett said as an anchor, you’ve got to get out of your head. He said British broadcasters use a term some journalists could take as a slight.
“In Britain, the television ‘anchors’ are called presenters,” Garrett said. “It’s exactly the right term. It’s all about what you hold. You hold the news. You’re handing this over to your audience, presenting it to them. You’re offering everything your news division has compiled that day.”
Garrett said the way you hand it over is the secret sauce to success. He doesn’t see a therapist. Garrett said his podcast is a form of therapy.
“The Takeout is a reflection of my approach to journalism. We’re open, full spectrum, and we hand off the information to our audience. How popular we are notwithstanding, the podcast serves what I believe is at my core. For some, we may appear to be all over the map. That’s cool for me. As I said, it’s therapy.”
The podcast allows Garrett the opportunity to present information he’s gathered but never made it on the air on a newscast.
“I would work on a story and seven seconds of the story would end up on the air,” he said. “That’s a terrible ratio when you figure out how much you put into those pieces. I figured I’d take the material from these interviews that are on the cutting room floor and present them to the audience.”
Garrett said there are people smarter than him who have researched the components of hard-core conservatism. The skepticism toward the government is one of the components. Garrett said the Tea Party had been toying with the hardcore angry conservative part of the movement, making sure they could keep the hardcore activated and voting, but not running the party.
“Trump blew through all the guardrails,” Garrett said. “I’ve attended more than 100 Trump rallies through the years.” Something he wrote about in his book, Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency.
Garrett said Trump appeals to the person who feels alienated by the world. Trump made them feel smarter about themselves.
“The man says to his wife, ‘Honey, haven’t I always said what President Trump is saying?’ There is a connection built there. There’s no greater gift than someone telling you you’re smart. The man may think, ‘My neighbors and family told me I was dumb, but I had it figured out. I’ve never felt better about myself.’”
Garrett said people who went to Barack Obama’s rallies felt they were held in a radiant display of American Democracy.
“I will tell you the feeling at Trump rallies is the exact same thing. Some may find Trump’s rallies repellant, but some people attach themselves to his feelings and beliefs.”
Garrett said he’s not sure we’ll be able to sift through and analyze the Trump era anytime soon. Historian Paul Johnson wrote how it took 50 years to synthesize Winston Churchill’s behavior and career.
“I predict there will be as many books written about Trump as there were on Abraham Lincoln. Everyone will try to pick apart a particular component of this larger matter.”
Garrett said the podcast had focused on the war in Ukraine for six weeks straight. What he calls the biggest story about our century. Certainly the story with the most serious consequences. We’re just one wrong move from potential extinction. The war in Ukraine makes the entire world vulnerable. Garrett said the war in Ukraine can revive the psychological horrors of the Cold War.
“The stakes today are enormous,” Garrett said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to this sovereign country which could be drained of its lifeblood by Russia. We’ll be talking about this brutality for the remainder of the century.”
Will we be forever changed by the events of this war?
“I don’t know how you could argue the counterposition. Our structures of the post-WWII era are in question. There are issues with international law and sovereignty. I know Putin writes a kind of corrupted Russian history about Ukraine, but Ukraine is fighting for its destiny on its terms. Someone has to capitulate. Sue for peace. Putin is biding time and assuming Ukraine will fatigue.”
Garrett said this is very serious stuff. In the last week, we’ve had three United States B52s flown along the corridor. Three times they’ve scrambled jets to intercept them.
“Nothing happened but the rhetoric gets edgier. Declarative. In regards to the drone that was shot down, maybe it was an accident, or maybe it wasn’t. Either way, these scrapes can spin out of control as history has shown us.”
Garrett has kept an eye on the potential indictment of Trump.
“I do think there was something tactical about his announcement on Saturday. To redirect attention to the district attorney. I’m not sure he panicked. There could be something very strategic to this practice. There could be some very damaging court rulings coming up Friday on the classified documents case. I’ve been around both candidate Trump and President Trump. I have some familiarity with this approach. If there is bad news in one place, he will generate a story at another pace. He’s going to stir the drink his own way.”
“Not everybody is willing to do 45 minutes with me,” Garrett said. “We go the full 45 minutes. If someone lives by their talking points, they’re not going to enjoy being my guest.”
If a guest stumbles, Garrett won’t clean it up. These aren’t lay-down conversations. Garrett said you can’t interrogate someone, but you can indeed press them. He’s had a large number of Trump cabinet officials on his show.
“I have a reputation for being tough but fair. That’s all I ever wanted to be. I’m not going to ask the same question four times. If their reaction is to spin their answers, so be it. I’ll pierce it as best as I can.”
As with most journalists, Garrett admits there have been times he became frustrated at his lack of follow-up on a question, or if he left a topic hanging. He asks plenty of hard-nosed questions during his podcasts. If a guest ventures into an area, they’d better be able to finish. They’re not going to get off easy. His show is too risky for some politicians who can’t think on their feet.
He welcomes guests who have something to say, but he’s not going to devolve into a question of what is fact versus fiction.
“I’m not going to question Marjorie Taylor Green about Jewish lasers,” Garrett said. “That’s a wasted experience. There’s no value in that. I don’t pander and there is no predictable outcome to my shows. That may hinder some of the success of the show. I tell guests all the time we have to listen to each other, even if we fundamentally disagree with each other. It’s just too bad. We run a show that tries to bring issues to the surface. I try to listen to as many perspectives as possible.”
When he started hispodcast, Garrett wanted to create a different atmosphere where his podcast followers could relate to him. He did just that. Most of his shows are recorded in a restaurant.
“If I kept the podcast in a studio it would sound like a studio conversation,” Garrett said. “I wanted to take the alpha out of some of these Washington guests. Everyone in Washington is alpha or aspires to be. I wanted to deal with simple truths and a glass of wine or a meal together while we talk, helps bring all the tension down a notch.”
Before taping begins, Garrett said the meal is pre-ordered and later delivered during discussions. The streaming audience can see that happen.
“I can polish off a cheeseburger with the best of them,” Garrett admitted. “I do it with gusto for sure. Food is part of our process. When we did our shows on Ukraine, we decided we wouldn’t eat. I don’t think it’s appropriate to feast while people are being strafed with bombs. I did a show with Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) when Republicans were in the minority. He and I ate lunch at a place near Capitol Hill, and we jumped right into messy cheeseburgers.”
Garrett said the podcast is based on his career in Washington. Despite the turbulent nature of D.C., he said nobody comes to Washington D.C. with ill intent. No designs on destroying D.C. or the country.
“I built this show on the idea that all people would be equally heard, whether they were on the right, left, or center,” he said. “I never edit their words. Never. I make that promise to my guests and audience. If something is edited for time on the show, it’s something I said that’s edited, not something the guest said.”
There is an important component for anyone who is in a visible position on television, whether they’re an anchor or reporter. Viewers have questions in their minds when they watch; should I believe him? Should I trust her? One thing that comes across is whether you are the same person when you walk away from that camera.
“Viewers will make that determination if you’re relatively the same person or whether you’re a made-up person,” Garrett said. “They need to discover who are you under those lights. In front of the camera.”
Garrett said some broadcasters like Willie Geist deemphasize themselves and emphasize the mission. “That’s the intangible,” he said. “People will say they like somebody but don’t know exactly why. Maybe that anchor or reporter is capable of making you feel comfortable.”
Garrett said as an anchor, you’ve got to get out of your head. He said British broadcasters use a term some journalists could take as a slight.
“In Britain, the television ‘anchors’ are called presenters,” Garrett said. “It’s exactly the right term. It’s all about what you hold. You hold the news. You’re handing this over to your audience, presenting it to them. You’re offering everything your news division has compiled that day.”
Garrett said the way you hand it over is the secret sauce to success. He doesn’t see a therapist. Garrett said his podcast is a form of therapy.
“The Takeout is a reflection of my approach to journalism. We’re open, full spectrum, and we hand off the information to our audience. How popular we are notwithstanding, the podcast serves what I believe is at my core. For some, we may appear to be all over the map. That’s cool for me. As I said, it’s therapy.”
The podcast allows Garrett the opportunity to present information he’s gathered but never made it on the air on a newscast.
“I would work on a story and seven seconds of the story would end up on the air,” he said. “That’s a terrible ratio when you figure out how much you put into those pieces. I figured I’d take the material from these interviews that are on the cutting room floor and present them to the audience.”
Garrett said there are people smarter than him who have researched the components of hard-core conservatism. The skepticism toward the government is one of the components. Garrett said the Tea Party had been toying with the hardcore angry conservative part of the movement, making sure they could keep the hardcore activated and voting, but not running the party.
“Trump blew through all the guardrails,” Garrett said. “I’ve attended more than 100 Trump rallies through the years.” Something he wrote about in his book, Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency.
Garrett said Trump appeals to the person who feels alienated by the world. Trump made them feel smarter about themselves.
“The man says to his wife, ‘Honey, haven’t I always said what President Trump is saying?’ There is a connection built there. There’s no greater gift than someone telling you you’re smart. The man may think, ‘My neighbors and family told me I was dumb, but I had it figured out. I’ve never felt better about myself.’”
Garrett said people who went to Barack Obama’s rallies felt they were held in a radiant display of American Democracy.
“I will tell you the feeling at Trump rallies is the exact same thing. Some may find Trump’s rallies repellant, but some people attach themselves to his feelings and beliefs.”
Garrett said he’s not sure we’ll be able to sift through and analyze the Trump era anytime soon. Historian Paul Johnson wrote how it took 50 years to synthesize Winston Churchill’s behavior and career.
“I predict there will be as many books written about Trump as there were on Abraham Lincoln. Everyone will try to pick apart a particular component of this larger matter.”
Garrett said the podcast had focused on the war in Ukraine for six weeks straight. What he calls the biggest story about our century. Certainly the story with the most serious consequences. We’re just one wrong move from potential extinction. The war in Ukraine makes the entire world vulnerable. Garrett said the war in Ukraine can revive the psychological horrors of the Cold War.
“The stakes today are enormous,” Garrett said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to this sovereign country which could be drained of its lifeblood by Russia. We’ll be talking about this brutality for the remainder of the century.”
Will we be forever changed by the events of this war?
“I don’t know how you could argue the counterposition. Our structures of the post-WWII era are in question. There are issues with international law and sovereignty. I know Putin writes a kind of corrupted Russian history about Ukraine, but Ukraine is fighting for its destiny on its terms. Someone has to capitulate. Sue for peace. Putin is biding time and assuming Ukraine will fatigue.”
Garrett said this is very serious stuff. In the last week, we’ve had three United States B52s flown along the corridor. Three times they’ve scrambled jets to intercept them.
“Nothing happened but the rhetoric gets edgier. Declarative. In regards to the drone that was shot down, maybe it was an accident, or maybe it wasn’t. Either way, these scrapes can spin out of control as history has shown us.”
Garrett has kept an eye on the potential indictment of Trump.
“I do think there was something tactical about his announcement on Saturday. To redirect attention to the district attorney. I’m not sure he panicked. There could be something very strategic to this practice. There could be some very damaging court rulings coming up Friday on the classified documents case. I’ve been around both candidate Trump and President Trump. I have some familiarity with this approach. If there is bad news in one place, he will generate a story at another pace. He’s going to stir the drink his own way.”
The woman is never bored. Karen Hunter can’t even recall the last time she was bored.
“Maybe when I was five years old,” Hunter said. “I talk to people, that’s what I do. People, by nature, are interesting. People I’ve talked to have done something, written something, or lived a remarkable life.”
Hunter sees her responsibility is to be curious about people, and about life.
“I’m a journalist, and I teach journalism. That’s the biggest thing, if you’re not curious, journalism is not the business for you.”
She said it’s parents who inform you when you’re young.
“We are the sum total of our experiences and the people who have affected us. I want to know who your parents were, and the things that impacted you. Every one of us has their origin story. Their Road to Damascus story,” Hunter explained.
Her parents put absolutely everything they had into her. They were married for 47 years and had their daughter while they were in their 20s.
“I watched them grow up. My family owned a grocery store left to them by my grandfather. My father was the first in the family to graduate from college. He was also a parole officer. He’d come home to work in the store during his lunch breaks.”
She said after work as a parole officer, he’d come home and reconcile the books for the store. He’d work holidays.
“Nothing happens without consistency and commitment,” Hunter said. “He grew up with both. He sent people to college. He was a beacon, and he lit everything up.”
Hunter was a latchkey kid, and that gave her a sense of responsibility. She explained how she owes her parents so much. In her house, books were everywhere.
“We’d play games and my father wouldn’t just let me win just to let me win. I had to earn it. I’m competitive in Scrabble. Games are so important. We had Uno, Clue, and Monopoly. Games are important because they make you interact. Segregation in our lives is willful. People run away from each other instead of running toward each other.”
Karen Hunter can be heard weekdays from 3:00-6:00 PM ET on Urban View on SiriusXM channel 126.
She earned her BA in English from Drew University, taught journalism at NYU for three years, and has continued to teach at Hunter for the past 21 years.
Hunter said the president of Hunter College, Jennifer Raab, is responsible for large endowments for the university.
“Ruby Dee and Audre Lorde are amazing examples of alumni from Hunter. One of the first colleges in the country to turn out notable Black women.”
During the past four years, she said Hunter College has instituted a journalism concentration. Hunter is a professor in the media and film department.
“I was brought in to shore up the journalism program. The journalism track is new at Hunter College, and I feel like there has been a resurgence,” Hunter said. “Journalism is a necessity in our country. I tell my students what I’m teaching them they won’t see in a workplace. They are the next generation. I’m teaching them to recognize when things aren’t true. When somebody isn’t being genuine, when you’re being gaslit.”
Hunter said young journalists need to discover where bias is in the medium. She urges her students to talk about media, listen to daily podcasts, and extract information in short format using audio. Hunter explains journalism isn’t just about getting it right. Her students will be the eyes and ears of the listeners and believes her students should think about it that way.
“Everything in this world is run through money,” Hunter explained. “This is capitalism at its heart, how many money moves that are made impact our lives. We say this all the time, follow the money. I get a lot of indicators from watching the markets and give me my breadcrumbs. Go to the citations at the bottom of an article. That’s where you get the real information. Things you want to know.”
Despite schools dropping curriculums that feature journalism as a specific degree, Hunter said a resurgence will only happen if it is demanded. Hunter has been successful in a lot of different areas, not only in radio. Hunter said a host may come on the air and say something meaningless to get a reaction from the audience. Something like, ‘Men are horrible. Women, don’t you agree?’ With that kind of blanket statement, the phone lines will blow up. It’s all manufactured. This is how the media is driven, the arguing and bickering.
“All the talking and arguing on the air is monotonous and not formative,” she said. “You see someone like Trump, who has gotten billions of dollars in free advertising from hosts and stations,” Hunter said. “He’s such a polarizing figure and the networks are going to keep him going because they’re making money while destroying the sanctity of journalism.”
Hunter said she’s intentional about shaping cultures and challenging them. It’s all about opening a dialogue.
“What’s happening today has broken our brains and hearts,” she said. “I don’t agree with my mother on things. Spouses don’t agree with each other. It’s all about ganging up against people. It challenges your way of thinking. The experiment in life is to stretch yourself. You don’t have to like everyone else.”
Hunter said it’s all going to crash and burn before it gets better.
“We’re hitting the iceberg, watching the meteor come toward the earth and destroy everything. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. But after a volcano, you’re left with lush soil. We’re in the eruption part of the volcano and MAGA is melting away. I look at the new crop coming in. I’m optimistic about young people. I’m going to hold the fort until the lava dries.”
Hunter started as a sportswriter in 1988, then wrote features and business stories. When she graduated from college, her mother told her she had to find a job.
“As an English major, I wasn’t sure which direction I should go. I found two jobs at a local paper in town, the News-Record. I applied. The paper was owned by a couple and they told me one job was a reporter position and the other was a sports editor. The editing job paid more so I took that one. I realized there were very few black women reporting sports. I was there for three months then started at the Ledger.”
It was then her career took off. She had a news story appear on the front page of the Sunday news about a kid who played basketball but went to a homeless shelter at night.
“Once you’re in the business you make relationships,” Hunter explained.
“I covered the death of Arthur Ashe, the murder of Michael Jordan’s father. They started sending me out to do news-related stories. The key is to find the angle to the story. Everyone is going to write about the game-winning home run, the X’s and O’s. When I started I was doing Yankee and Mets sidebars. Everyone was writing about baseball prowess. I looked for the human angle. Something that would resonate with people that weren’t only interested in the game.”
She’s co-authored eight New York Times bestsellers.
“If you’re a writer, you have to write,” Hunter said. “I’m a journalist, I don’t think of myself as a writer, I’m a person who can put things together. I’m a visionary, not a classic writer.”
Hunter doesn’t go to bed with notepads on the side table. It’s not the writing that drives her. She puts things together to drive people to something they want to learn about. The one who thinks about the three critical moments in a story that ultimately makes the book. It’s already there, and it’s not driven by words.
“I can appreciate great writing, but I can’t do it,” she said. “I don’t look at what anybody else is doing. We have fingerprints for a reason. Find your excellence. Your greatness. I admire Toni Morrison, but I’ll never write like her. There are writers in my field that like Danyel Smith. I’ll never write like her either.”
Does Your House Have Radon in It?
BY JIM CRYNS
Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers nationwide, and it might be in your home in Milwaukee and around the state. According to national health officials and readings in the Milwaukee suburbs, 33% of homes have radon levels above 4 pCi/L, (picocuries per liter) or more, which is considered the ‘danger zone.’ The Environmental Protection Agency recommends corrections if the radon levels register above 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter.) But there is no known safe
level of exposure to radon.
Radon is a chemically inert radioactive gas that is a naturally occurring element.
It’s odorless, colorless and tasteless, and it percolates up from the ground into homes, daycare centers, schools and many other buildings. The levels of radon present in those spaces depends on the composition of the soil beneath the structure. In Wisconsin we have a general soil content that is high in uranium. Over time, uranium decays off-gasses into radon, which rises
through cracks in sub basements and can build to dangerous levels. Overall, Wisconsin has an estimated mean radon level of 5.7 pCi/L. Molly Collins is the advocacy director with the American Lung Association and said the awareness of the problems radon is causing is increasing, but it still has not permeated the public consciousness the way the Lung Association would like to
see.
The EPA says radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, with roughly 2,900 of those deaths occurring among people who have never smoked. Jeremy Clausing of Lifetime Radon Solutions in Milwaukee said Wisconsin has
some of the largest radon concentrations in the country.
“The gas attaches to dust particles which we breathe into our lungs,” Clausing said. “The particles release alpha rays of radiation which damage cells, lung tissue and DNA, creating the risk for lung cancer.”
During the housing boom around the country the past few years, home buyers have increased the possibility of moving into a home with high and dangerous levels of radon. Many are waiving home inspections, which in turn means the homes are not being tested for radon. A home inspector would have tested to see if a mitigation system was necessary.
Wisconsin does not require the party selling a home to take any corrective action if the home tests high for radon. However, the seller is legally obligated to disclose the results of their radon test to any potential buyers.
“People often first learn about radon after they receive life changing news, and by then it’s too late,” Clausing said. “A lot of what is known about uranium’s link to lung cancer comes from studies focused on uranium miners in Germany.”
The only way you’ll know your radon level is to have a specialized test. Clausing says it should cost you $125 for a reliable at-home testing kit.
“If you smell something like rotten eggs, people could be smelling natural gas. Radon is odorless so out of sight out of mind, making it trickier to detect,” Clausing said. Radon mitigation systems can cost anywhere from $700 to $4,000, but the
average homeowner will pay around $1,000. Depending on the method, price of materials and labor in your area are all factors in how much a radon mitigation system will cost.
Inspectors say you should monitor and test every couple of years, even if you already have an abatement system. Any changes in conditions of a house, like installing new windows, can cause levels to rise. The ‘sealing’ of the house traps gasses in the home. If there is any type of construction nearby, such as digging for a basement, this could also agitate the ground and cause levels to
increase.
The DNR has a ‘heat map,’ indicating the hottest locations for radon concentrations. It’s more than likely that if your neighbors needed abatement, you probably need it as well. There’s a common misconception that new construction homes would register
lower in radon levels. The opposite is true. A neighbor with an old farmhouse that’s drafty and has bad insulation, will trap less of the gas. The newly built homes use a spray foam for insulation and seal the windows. This is ideal for
radon to concentrate.
“Why not test? It’s still cheaper than replacing a water heater,” Clausing said. “You and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time.” Wisconsin is heading toward making testing mandatory. Since March 2023, all licensed Wisconsin daycare facilities had to test for radon by September 2024. If there were elevated levels they would have to mitigate. Radon has a greater impact on younger people because of smaller lungs, and it affects people relative to their body mass. If you have family members sleeping in the basement, their exposure to radon will be higher as they are closer to the
source.
High levels of radon have been found in schools across the country. A nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that nearly one in five has at least one schoolroom with a short-term radon level above the action level
of 4 pCi/L. EPA estimates that more than 70,000 schoolrooms in use today have high short-term radon levels. According to Collins, the Lung Association consults with public officials to increase awareness. Collins said there is a current bill pending in the Wisconsin legislature, Senate Bill 434, which encourages air quality testing but does not provide any resources for the schools or health departments to provide that testing, or to mitigate any problems that are found. The Lung Association is not registered in
favor of the bill.
Wisconsin state assemblyman Shae Sortwell, in Two Rivers, is the legislator who introduced Senate Bill 434. “I was approached by a constituent concerned about air quality in general in schools, including radon. It went to a hearing but
hasn’t passed as of yet,” Sortwell said. Five states – Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, and Ohio – impose criminal
and civil penalties for misrepresenting radon readings. Wisconsin does not. I’m hopeful and we’ll keep plugging away,” Collins said.
Democrats Speak at Latino Convention
Sanders, Warren, O’Rourke and Castro offer tough words to attendees at packed Wisconsin
Center.
Jim Cryns
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is hosting its 90th Annual National Convention & Exposition this weekend at the Wisconsin Center. With 24 Democrats still in the marathon for the office of president, LULAC’s organizers invited them all to speak to the convention last night, but only four accepted the offer.
LULAC is the oldest and largest U.S. Hispanic advocacy organization. The speakers at the presidential town hall included Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro. More than 1,000 people filled the ballroom at the Wisconsin Center on Thursday night, not a vacant seat to be had. LULAC National President
Domingo Garcia welcomed the large crowd. He said Wisconsin is a battleground state and anybody with ambitions of winning the presidency has to navigate their way through Wisconsin. Each candidate spoke separately and sat onstage with a moderator and prepared questions were offered by the audience. First Castro spoke, then Warren, followed by Sanders and O’Rourke.
The candidates were given two minutes to introduce themselves and outline their philosophy as president.
“America is broad, expansive,” Castro said. “I’m happy to be here because so many of you in the audience have made that possible.” Castro told the audience he spoke some Spanish but wasn’t fluent. “I’m from Texas and as a second
generation American, speaking English was stressed. In school, they tried to beat the Spanish out of you.” Castro says the road to the White House goes through the barrios and Hispanic neighborhoods.
“Every 30 seconds a Latino is turning 18,” he told the crowd. “We know how to organize, mobilize and show up at the polls.” In regards to immigration, Castro cited the example of Irish fleeing the famine and refugees from Cuba in the 60s,
saying a common denominator among refugees are dire conditions. Castro proposes a type of Marshall Plan to help restructure countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and give them the resources to produce and create jobs, thereby eliminating the need for people to cross the border into the United States.
He also gave a passionate plea to bring home several thousand veterans that have been deported. “The last thing we should do is deport them after they’ve so honorably served our country,” Castro said. He also said he’d like to address the teaching shortage in our country by increasing teacher’s pay, incentivize them to work in impoverished areas, and invest in teacher recruitment and retention. Castro says he plans on spending a lot of time in Wisconsin, coming back often. When asked about his low ranking in a Washington Post/NBC poll (just one percent), Castro discounted it: “When you look at the polls, you have to
question the accuracy. My favorability has gone up and we’re going to go out and capitalize on that.”
A visibly energetic Elizabeth Warren took to the stage after Castro. She said the President Donald Trump’s administration is about serving up more hurt. “If something isn’t working, he blames Mexicans, Muslims.” Warren says she supports universal healthcare and raising wages of all child care workers to the levels they deserved.
A question from the audience referenced Trump’s throwing paper towels to the hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, and Warren jumped on it. “Trump treats people like they’re not part of our country. Hard working people who don’t get the respect they deserve. I want us to be an America that fulfills the dream of opportunity,” Warren said.
Senator Bernie Sanders followed Warren, standing during most of his time on the stage. He was quick to address the issue of healthcare. “American people do not love their health insurance companies because they know they’re making a fortune,” Sanders said. “The function of health care should not be to make huge profits.”
Sanders says as a country we’re making progress toward free education. “We can cancel all student debt in this country,” Sanders said. He did agree the United States requires a new trade agreement. Sanders said he stands by his voting against NAFTA. In past interviews Sanders has said President Bill Clinton was just plain wrong about NAFTA, something Sanders says was a
sellout to corporate America and a disaster for the working people of this country.
“We need to end the xenophobia and hatred that exists in this country,” Sanders concluded. Former Representative Beto O’Rourke came out just like he did for the last Democratic debates — speaking Spanish. But it was brief. When he returned to
his native tongue O’Rourke said what President Trump proposes to do is separate thousands of families that have not committed a crime and that makes
America less safe. As the former congressman of a border district, O’Rourke has made immigration one of the cornerstones of his campaign. “If we make these people live in fear, they won’t report crimes. They won’t testify to crimes they’ve seen.
We are not safe because of walls, we’re safe in spite of them.”
In the same NBC News/Washington Post poll, O’Rourke fares just a tiny bit better than Castro, at two percent, compared to Sanders at 13 percent and Warren at 19 percent.
“I want to serve this country,” O’Rourke said. “In the 2017-2018 Senate campaign we went to 254 counties in Texas. If you want to win, you can’t write anybody off. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red state or a blue state. It’s a movement,
not a candidate, that will beat Trump.”
Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas is Atticus Finch in the history-making production of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.
The production is historic because the play and the multi-year national tour across North America has set the record as the highest-grossing American play in Broadway history. The current tour has played more than 500 performances in 44 cities and has been seen by more than a million theater goers.
Performances of the current show began Nov. 1, 2018, at the Shubert Theatre and played to sold-out houses until the Broadway shutdown in March 2020. Now, it’s in Milwaukee through Nov. 12 as part of the national tour.
Thomas plays the southern lawyer and gentleman. The film version of the story starred Gregory Peck. “For any actor, like Peck, to have created a part which lives on, one that people identify with and has a life of its own, is one of the greatest privileges any actor could experience,” Thomas said. “It’s incredible to play a character that remains with you so well.”
Thomas’s portrayal of Atticus has been embraced by critics and audiences alike. Atticus is the father many of us aspired to be, but most of us have fallen dramatically short. Atticus is a tall order to live up to. Of all the characters in American history, Atticus Finch transcends nearly all of them.
“Atticus is one of those fictional characters that is so vivid,” Thomas explained. “The character has a life off the page. In the novel, Atticus was a man who talked to clients, judges and lawyers like no other. It’s as though he is a personal mentor to everyone, especially his children.”
Thomas said Peck’s performance has had a powerful effect on actors and audiences. “He’s seen as some sort of perfection,” Thomas said. “The perfect idealized version of a good father and lawyer. To that end we can only aspire.”
Stage and film writer Aaron Sorkin wrote this version of the story. On stage, Thomas said the embodiment of that perfect character isn’t so interesting dramatically. He said Sorkin altered some of the characters to make them more interesting.
“Aaron Sorkin has done such a great thing with the play. He’s taken Atticus off his pedestal, which is a gift for actors and the audience.” Thomas said. “He wanted to make Atticus the protagonist, as Scout Finch was in the book and film.”
Thomas said Atticus doesn’t develop as a character that much in the book and film. The play is different. “Atticus has a lot to learn in this production,” Thomas said. “He suffers a loss of innocence like the kids do. But we still experience his sense of community and belief in the goodness of people. Sorkin humanized the character. We don’t need another white savior.”
The character of Calpurnia, who runs the Finch household, has been brought to the front of the story; her role takes on more of the story. In the book and film she was a background character. In the play, Calpurnia has been expanded and the play shows a strong relationship with Atticus, as much as the kids, and how they’re raising the kids together.
Thomas said Jacqueline Williams expertly plays Calpurnia and deepened that part. “Tom Robbins is given great depth as well.”
Thomas said they didn’t shrinkwrap the novel and they’re different in a lot of ways. “Sorkin created something that is purely theatrical. Young roles are played by adults. You can only do that in theater. Time goes back and forth and you’re immediately pulled out of your nostalgia zone. The language Sorkin uses is beautiful. He captured the southern idioms and cadence.”
Thomas said within 10 minutes, the audience is in their world. Getting to know his version of Atticus.
Jeff Daniels was Atticus on Broadway and he and Thomas go way back, both attending McBurney School in Manhattan. Robert DeNiro, J.D. Salinger and Henry Winkler went there as well.
Thomas was born in Manhattan and lives there today. “I was a city kid,” Thomas explained. “My parents were both dancers with the New York City Ballet, and they operated a ballet school. I did a little dancing, but not much.”
He went to Columbia College in New York and majored in Chinese before switching to the English Department.
“This was the late ’60s and we all had a language requirement at Columbia. I’ve forgotten all of it. It was the beginning of the language arts lab thing. The two strongest language schools at the time were Stanford and Columbia.”
Thomas has been blessed to play another beloved character. He was John-Boy Walton on the long-running CBS series, The Waltons, an American historical drama television series set in Virginia during the Great Depression, and the story continued into World War II.
“John-Boy was just a young man who was trying to figure out where he was in life, what he wanted to do,” Thomas said. “He’s very different from Atticus, who was older, comfortable with the community. Atticus knew who he was, loved his family and the world they lived in.”
In contrast, John-Boy lived in a rural area with his family with one foot in that world, another outside, searching for the universal experience, a new time and place.
“It was an incredible honor to play that role and I’ve never taken it for granted,” Thomas said. “Sometimes I wonder how the hell I got so lucky. The cast is still very close.”
Thomas said he’d never been to Milwaukee before this show. “I got in on a Monday. Tuesday I was able to run some errands and get all that stuff done. Wednesday we’re doing press.”
There are three things any Chicagoan would be familiar with; The Magnificent Mile, The Gold Coast, and Bob Sirott. Generations have grown up with the life-long Midwesterner. First as a top Chicago rock and roll DJ with WLS in the 70s and later as a news anchor on CBS2, NBC5 and Chicago Tonight on WTTW and on Fox32. After several previous stints on WGN Radio, Sirott is back home on “Chicago’s Very Own” AM 720 weekday mornings from 6-10 am.
The Chicago radio legend went to Columbia College located in the South Loop. It leans a bit artsy with alumni such as Pat Sajak, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Janusz Kaminski (1982–87) – Academy Award-winning cinematographer for Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan.
“I went there for four years in the late 60s,” Sirott said. “The faculty was more radical than the students. A tremendous place to learn. I knew a lot of cinematographers, film people, those like me who went into broadcasting or advertising.”
Columbia’s philosophy is to turn out working professionals, not professors working on getting published or future game show hosts. (Sorry Mr. Sajak.)
There are three things any Chicagoan would be familiar with; The Magnificent Mile, The Gold Coast, and Bob Sirott. Generations have grown up with the life-long Midwesterner. First as a top Chicago rock and roll DJ with WLS in the 70s and later as a news anchor on CBS2, NBC5 and Chicago Tonight on WTTW and on Fox32. After several previous stints on WGN Radio, Sirott is back home on “Chicago’s Very Own” AM 720 weekday mornings from 6-10 am.
The Chicago radio legend went to Columbia College located in the South Loop. It leans a bit artsy with alumni such as Pat Sajak, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Janusz Kaminski (1982–87) – Academy Award-winning cinematographer for Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan.
“I went there for four years in the late 60s,” Sirott said. “The faculty was more radical than the students. A tremendous place to learn. I knew a lot of cinematographers, film people, those like me who went into broadcasting or advertising.”
Columbia’s philosophy is to turn out working professionals, not professors working on getting published or future game show hosts. (Sorry Mr. Sajak.)
“As a student, I was able to do a lot of networking in the city. Al Parker is one person who was instrumental in my success at Columbia.”
I think our mission at Columbia is a very simple one and always has been. And that is: To provide the finest education that we can to our students so that they’ll understand what communications is all about and pick an aspect of it that has some appeal to them, that they are obviously suited for. –Al Parker
Parker’s name is synonymous with the radio/audio department at Columbia. He was a huge influence on Sirott until the day he died.
“We often had coffee together and I’d ask his advice on this and that,” Sirott said. “I realized early that I didn’t want to go to school to learn how to work in radio, flip switches, and work the reel-to-reel. I could learn that later.”
Sirott said the physical aspects of the job weren’t going to take him four years to learn. Instead, he focused on classes like European literature, the art of cinema, advertising and science classes. He felt he needed a general education.
“Nobody hires you solely because you went to this school or that school,” Sirott explained. “Especially in broadcasting. You’re better off to have a general sense of knowledge so you’ll be able to discuss things intelligently on the air.”
His father was a furrier in downtown Chicago, near State Street and Wabash.
Sirott is a sharp guy. Always into learning something new. A self-described dabbler. Jack of all trades, master of none. He was also a very introverted kid. “I never had a huge ego. I was always a shy type of kid. We lived in apartments and growing up when my mother gave me the rent check to take to the landlord of the building, I was terrified.”
Growing up, Sirott always liked to learn a little about a lot.
“I grew up in a household that was interested in news, documentaries. I remember my father always watching programs about U.S. History, watching different kinds of interviews. That served me well. Gave me the desire for a broader curriculum in college.”
Growing up on the north side, Sirott was a Cubs fan. “I grew up watching WGN when all the games were on Channel 9. Then things got weird when not every game was on WGN. You could find them here and there. With Marquee Sports Network, at least the games are in one place. Baseball is all I wanted to do. I wanted to do what Jack Quinlan did.”
Quinlan was best known for doing radio play-by-play for the Chicago Cubs, first on WIND and then on WGN. His broadcast partners were Lou Boudreau and Charlie Grimm. He currently hosts “Icons of the Ivy,” a series of interviews with Chicago Cubs legends, on the Cubs Marquee Sports Network.
“I know a little about baseball. I’m not like an X’s and O’s guy that follows it every day,” Sirott said. “I always made fun of the TV news live shots when they were interviewing fans at a bar. If I want insight or commentary I want to hear it from a player or manager. I can go and interview my friends and ask what they think. It’s the same thing.”
Sirott said he’s always tried to focus on the personality angle whether on the radio or television. He strived to get to know the players, the musicians. That curiosity served him well in both mediums.
His radio career began when he was 21. While working as a producer and writer at NBC Radio in Chicago, he landed a summer on-air job at WBBM-FM.
Sirott achieved great success for the next seven years before moving to television in 1980.
“Radio is a lot more creative than television,” he said. “It’s harder. My early radio career allowed me to adapt to television. It goes the other way too. I think the television work has made me better at the radio the second time around.”
Radio prepared Sirott to roll with it if things went wrong in television. Doing something live with a news cam definitely helped me on the radio with the kind of shows I do. He says he’s a kind of ‘dabbler.’ Likes sports but isn’t interested enough to do it full-time. Likes hard news, but not only hard news.
“I can’t fake it. I’m a terrible actor,” Sirott said. “I can only be me and it’s sort of worked out okay. I was always this way. Influenced by everybody I grew up listening to. I’ve anchored news at quite a few different stations and I always did it the same way.”
Sirott recalled it was Johnny Carson who said if you’re always yourself, there is no guarantee of success. But if you’re not yourself on-air, there’s a guarantee you won’t make it. Hopefully, whoever you are, you’ll find an audience who likes you.
“John Chancellor was an NBC news reporter and anchor I always listened to,” Sirott said. “He was natural. “I can go back to tapes and watch him. I was always struck by how he talked to you as a viewer. It wasn’t announcing.”
Sirott said he used to do a newscast for WBBM-FM in the morning in 1971. The FCC required 15 minutes of news. He couldn’t fake the news-guy voice.
“I just tried to be as conversational as I could. I didn’t want to be a high-energy guy who couldn’t maintain that persona. I wanted to be natural and comfortable.”
He recalled how Conan O’Brien was a real guy when he interviewed him a while back. “I’d interviewed him before,” Sirott said. “He was the real deal as a person. I think that comes through in whatever you’re doing. Whatever that quality is. He was really cool and would go into a lot of funny schtick with me, but I always felt he was the real Conan. He was just talking about things. That’s who I am. I had done quite a bit of research on Conan. I asked him what he was like in high school and he told me he wasn’t the most popular kid. Not a leader. O’Brien jumped in and said, ‘I don’t’ like the way this questioning is going.’ He was joking, that is just his sardonic way.”
After being hugely successful in radio at WLS, Sirott dipped his toe into the hugely competitive Chicago television pool.
“I did some guest shots on television in 1980 at CBS 2,” he said. “This was during the reign of Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis,” Sirott said. Kurtis and Jacobson were a big deal in Chicago–‘newsmen, not announcers,’ as proclaimed in a 1975 promo for WBBM TV.
“The first week I was there I had to do a live shot from Chicagofest, a short-lived music festival on Navy Pier,” Sirott said. “When I got back to the station everybody was very complimentary. I’d just come from a job where I was doing four hours live, six days a week. I do a three-minute segment on WBBM, and I’m a hero.”
Sirott was and still is a bit uncomfortable with the notoriety.
“When somebody in my family came across someone asking, ‘Are you related to Bob Sirott?’ I’d feel so uncomfortable. I can talk to tens of thousands of people using the microphone or camera, but feel uncomfortable in front of three people.”
Other things kept Sirott from getting a big head. When he joined WLS in 1973, he worked with a great DJ staff that wasn’t afraid to pop the proverbial balloon if it became over-inflated.
“We were cohesive, worked hard and respected each other,” he said. “If anybody showed a sign of a swollen ego, they’d get shot down by the other six people. We were all very close and hung out off the air. We helped keep each other in line. If you got too big for your britches, you were heckled to death and would never hear the end of it. I was grateful for that, always have been.”
In college, Sirott wasn’t one of those guys that hung out at clubs, despite Chicago having an immense music scene.
“For one thing I didn’t drink, hated the taste of alcohol,” Sirott said. “To me, it always tasted like the first time you took a sip of your father’s drink. I didn’t like it. If I went to concerts it would be at the Arie Crown Theater. We’d also go up to Belmont to see performers.” Sirott said folk clubs like The Quiet Knight were also a destination to listen to music.
In addition to his morning gig at WGN, Sirott hosts Legends of the Ivy for Marquee Sports Network. It’s all about players, not about salaries or statistics.
“I’m able to get to know players,” he said. “This kind of stuff brings me back to the love of the game. The fun and inside stories. Inside baseball, that’s where the stories are.”
As a kid going to Wrigley Field, Sirott would sit in the grandstands and then at the end of the game, he would get to work.
“The grounds crew would give each kid a row and say if you step on the cups in this entire row, we’ll give you a ticket to tomorrow’s game because stepping on the cups would make it easier for the crew to clean it up.”
He still loves going to Wrigley Field. As a fan, he said it’s harder to get access to players than it used to be. But he also recognizes the love of the game is still there. Among players as well.
“One time I was at Wrigley and saw Mark Grace sitting at the top of the dugout stairs during batting practice before a game,” Sirott said. “I could just tell he was taking it all in. Loved the game. How wonderful it was when you talked to some of these guys who were baseball purists. It’s so generational. My dad took me to my first game. No other sport has the same quality. Poets don’t write about football or basketball. Baseball is romantic.”
The human voice is a funny thing. While the rest of our body tends to whither and disappoint us as time goes on, the voice often maintains the sound and presence of our youth.This was oh-so-true during the Steely Dan show at the BMO Pavillion on the Summerfest grounds on Saturday night. Donald Fagen, one of the founding members of Steely Dan, displayed a voice as strong as it was in the 1970s, the band’s heyday. The opening artist, Steve Winwood, could easily have been a headliner with his fantastic hour-long set. His voice may even be stronger than Fagen’s. After all these years. Winwood can still nail the high notes and dispatch you to the early 80s and the memories that are conjoined with his music.
Saturday’s incarnation of Steely Dan was accompanied by a large contingency of extremely talented musicians as well as a powerful core of three women with voices that could break down brick walls.
After a few minutes of “warming up the audience,” Fagen strutted on stage like a king on his way to the throne, followed closely by the trio of female singers. The near capacity crowd was quick to react with cheers and hoots of admiration.
Fagen made a bee-line to the piano where he and the band belted out “Black Cow,” released as the B-side of the single version of “Josie,” which reached number #26 on the US Hot 100 in 1977. The crowd was into the show from Winwood’s set so the seat was figuratively warm for Steely Dan.
“The Dan Who Knew Too Much” tour, as this one is being billed, is somewhat of a departure for the band, who were, for a long time, almost exclusively studio musicians. These days, they look as they’re having as much legal fun as you can in front of an audience. After “Black Cow,” the band deftly navigated through “Aja” and “Hey Nineteen,” with the crowd singing along with every lyric.
Fagen’s piano playing was so feverish that at times he resembled Dr. Frankenstein flailing over his creation of life, with his head rolling forward and back, then sideways.
Winwood opened for Steely Dan and delivered a set that matched the headliner, step by step. Backed by four incredible musicians, Winwood opened on the organ for a few songs, then took center stage with a guitar, then went back to the organ. He’s surprisingly good at lead guitar. Winwood wooed the audience with “Can’t Find My Way Home,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” and a surprising and delightful rendition of “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys,” from his days with Traffic.
Steely Dan has been creating music since the first Nixon administration. Winwood was barely a man of 18 when “Gimme Some Lovin’” was released in 1966 when he was with the Spencer Davis Group.
On Saturday night, both bands made you feel like yesterday was a lot more recent than it was.
Stroebel speaks out at Ozaukee Lincoln Day Brunch
Jim Cryns , News Graphic Correspondent
MEQUON - About 130 people gathered for Sunday's Lincoln Day Brunch, including three Republicans who hope to succeed U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, who has announced that he will not seek re-election to his District 6 congressional seat.
The brunch, held at the River Club in Mequon, was hosted by the Republican Party of Ozaukee County. Petri, a Republican, was first elected in 1979 and his retirement announcement spurred several hopeful candidates into high gear.
Jeff Johns, chairman of the Republican Party of Ozaukee County and the organizer of the event, said he was pleased the brunch served as the first forum for candidates to kick off their campaigns. Republican politicians who have thrown their hats into the ring are state Rep. Duey Stroebel of Cedarburg, state Sen. Glenn Grothman of West Bend and state Sen. Joe Leibham of Sheboygan.
"This is an open invitation event and Tom Petri was invited but declined," Johns said. "When I'm organizing an event, it's always difficult to get a featured speaker and for them to commit. When this campaign started brewing in February and March, I knew this event was going to be rather successful because we were going to have a lot of interest in the featured speakers."
Johns said he knew the candidates were going to try to differentiate themselves.
"There are people that like all three of them. I know all of these people will be at the (state Republican Party) convention next week in Milwaukee."
Grothman, who lives just outside Petri's district in West Bend, said he plans to move to Campbellsport in Fond du Lac County. Grothman was very direct in his criticism of Petri and why he decided it was time to run.
"I think Congressman Petri was the type of Republican who frustrates us in Washington," Grothman said. "That's why I felt it was important he had a challenge now." He says he understands some were satisfied with what Congressman Petri was doing and they didn't get involved until he was no longer there.
Grothman was quite blunt when asked about his chances.
"I'm not confident at all (about winning)," he said. "There's no question with as many people running, it's going to be a very difficult race and I don't have as much money as the others." Stroebel lives in the 6th District by virtue of redistricting that shifted Ozaukee County into Petri's district and out of the 5th District, held by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Menomonee Falls.
"Government at the most local level possible is always the best government," Stroebel said. Stroebel said he's running for his eight children and the next generation. "I'm a private businessman and I've been vetted with some time in the state Assembly. Leibham has represented Wisconsin's 9th Senate District since 2002." Leibham filed his noncandidacy declaration for state Senate. Facing the press last week Leibham told reporters he very much enjoys the responsibilities and the job he has today.
"I love America even greater," he said. "I'm willing to give up that great pleasure of the great job in the Senate to seek to try to make a difference and be a reformer in Washington." Petri has not come out and endorsed a candidate as of yet. Leibham said he looks forward to Petri's counsel.
"I've enjoyed his friendship and I'm sure that will continue over the next couple of months," Leibham said.
Senior Olympians don't let age slow them down - 'Age of Champions' screened at Newcastle Place
Jim Cryns , News Graphic Corespondent
MEQUON - Retirement is normally associated with a stage in life where you put your feet up and take it easy. There are many seniors that will tell you they are not ready to take it easy.
A documentary focusing on athletic excellence and prowess of senior citizens has prompted people to get up and get going. The film is "Age of Champions." It aired on PBS last year and has been screened around the country more than 3, 000 times. Producer and director Keith Ochwat recently brought his film to Newcastle Place Retirement Community in Mequon. The screening drew a crowd at Newcastle, including Jim Partleton, a resident at Newcastle.
"I greatly enjoyed the film," he said. "It was interesting and inspiring to see people in that age group living such active lives."
One may be a decent athlete today. Perhaps even the best golfer at one's club or the best bowler in a league. But will that be the case as one ages? That's exactly what these folks in the film, and many more who didn't make the final edit of the film, are doing.
Ochwat and his business partner, Christopher Rufo, are co-founders of the Documentary Foundation. A nonprofit organization dedicated to documentary production, education and outreach. They've produced three films for PBS, "Roughing It," "Diamond in the Dunes" and "Age of Champions." They've developed a documentary education program for students in California's Central Valley.
The fulcrum of "Age of Champions" is the Senior Olympics program. But it's about much more than that. The Senior Olympics came about in 1985 in St. Louis. A group of seven men and women formed the original leadership for what was initially known as the National Senior Olympics Organization. The vision: to promote healthy lifestyles for adults through education, fitness and sport. Ideas for a film can come from anywhere. Ochwat's "aha" moment came when he met the CEO of the National Senior Games by chance. They found the topic of seniors competing at elite levels an intriguing concept. Something they had never considered before.
"The moment I first heard about the Senior Olympics, the proverbial light bulb went off," Ochwat said. "Just the idea of an Olympic competition with seniors ages 50 to 100-plus, turned my idea of seniors on its head." Film directors have varying strategies when shooting. Some will film a minimum of footage. Armed with a strong idea of what they want. Some shoot more, capturing everything, then cut it down.
"We had about 120 hours of film we had to cut down to 54 minutes," Ochwat said. "It took about three years for the entire process. From the selection of the subjects, shooting and editing." Preparation was a big part of any film. Ochwat said they held a casting call around the country.
"It was important to find the right people," he said. "It wasn't about being just a great athlete. Our athletes had to have a compelling story. Ochwat said the budget for the film was close to $1 million. The money came from various sources, he said. The budget included travel around the country to capture the daily life of the athletes and the athlete's training and practices. The senior Olympians live in Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, Cape Cod, Mass., and many other areas of the country.
"The athletes range from 50 to 100 years of age," Ochwat said. "There is some friendly competition and some not-so-friendly competition. When you see the film that comment will make a lot more sense."
The film focuses on a few key stories; a 100-year-old tennis champion from Cape Cod; and two brothers in their 80s who swim for gold. The film spends a lot of time unearthing the fiery competitive spirit of two pole vaulters, also in their late 80s. They share a friendly competition. At least they were friendlier than two women basketball teams with athletes ranging from 60 to 75 years of age.
The Washington Post called the film "infectiously inspiring" and said theater audiences across the country have fallen in love with its light-hearted take on growing older. Ochwat said what unites these athletes is the belief that the best in life still lies ahead of them. "They're constantly striving to make it to the next competition or break the next record," he said. "After filming nearly 100 senior athletes and their family members, I found that it wasn't their diet, what they drink or good genes. What they do have is a support network to encourage, engage and enrich them."
Democrats Speak at Latino Convention
Sanders, Warren, O’Rourke and Castro offer tough words to attendees at packed Wisconsin Center.
Jim Cryns
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is hosting its 90th Annual National Convention & Exposition this weekend at the Wisconsin Center. With 24 Democrats still in the marathon for the office of president, LULAC’s organizers invited them all to speak to the convention last night, but only four accepted the offer.
LULAC is the oldest and largest U.S. Hispanic advocacy organization. The speakers at the presidential town hall included Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro.
More than 1,000 people filled the ballroom at the Wisconsin Center on Thursday night, not a vacant seat to be had. LULAC National President Domingo Garcia welcomed the large crowd. He said Wisconsin is a battleground state and anybody with ambitions of winning the presidency has to navigate their way through Wisconsin.
Each candidate spoke separately and sat onstage with a moderator and prepared questions were offered by the audience. First Castro spoke, then Warren, followed by Sanders and O’Rourke.
The candidates were given two minutes to introduce themselves and outline their philosophy as president.
“America is broad, expansive,” Castro said. “I’m happy to be here because so many of you in the audience have made that possible.” Castro told the audience he spoke some Spanish but wasn’t fluent. “I’m from Texas and as a second generation American, speaking English was stressed. In school, they tried to beat the Spanish out of you.” Castro says the road to the White House goes through the barrios and Hispanic neighborhoods.
“Every 30 seconds a Latino is turning 18,” he told the crowd. “We know how to organize, mobilize and show up at the polls.” In regards to immigration, Castro cited the example of Irish fleeing the famine and refugees from Cuba in the 60s, saying a common denominator among refugees are dire conditions.
Castro proposes a type of Marshall Plan to help restructure countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and give them the resources to produce and create jobs, thereby eliminating the need for people to cross the border into the United States.
He also gave a passionate plea to bring home several thousand veterans that have been deported. “The last thing we should do is deport them after they’ve so honorably served our country,” Castro said. He also said he’d like to address the teaching shortage in our country by increasing teacher’s pay, incentivize them to work in impoverished areas, and invest in teacher recruitment and retention.
Castro says he plans on spending a lot of time in Wisconsin, coming back often. When asked about his low ranking in a Washington Post/NBC poll (just one percent), Castro discounted it: “When you look at the polls, you have to question the accuracy. My favorability has gone up and we’re going to go out and capitalize on that.”
A visibly energetic Elizabeth Warren took to the stage after Castro. She said the President Donald Trump’s administration is about serving up more hurt. “If something isn’t working, he blames Mexicans, Muslims.” Warren says she supports universal healthcare and raising wages of all child care workers to the levels they deserved.
A question from the audience referenced Trump’s throwing paper towels to the hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, and Warren jumped on it. “Trump treats people like they’re not part of our country. Hard working people who don’t get the respect they deserve. I want us to be an America that fulfills the dream of opportunity,” Warren said.
Senator Bernie Sanders followed Warren, standing during most of his time on the stage. He was quick to address the issue of healthcare.
“American people do not love their health insurance companies because they know they’re making a fortune,” Sanders said. “The function of health care should not be to make huge profits.”
Sanders says as a country we’re making progress toward free education. “We can cancel all student debt in this country,” Sanders said. He did agree the United States requires a new trade agreement. Sanders said he stands by his voting against NAFTA. In past interviews Sanders has said President Bill Clinton was just plain wrong about NAFTA, something Sanders says was a sellout to corporate America and a disaster for the working people of this country.
“We need to end the xenophobia and hatred that exists in this country,” Sanders concluded.
Former Representative Beto O’Rourke came out just like he did for the last Democratic debates — speaking Spanish. But it was brief. When he returned to his native tongue O’Rourke said what President Trump proposes to do is separate thousands of families that have not committed a crime and that makes America less safe.
As the former congressman of a border district, O’Rourke has made immigration one of the cornerstones of his campaign. “If we make these people live in fear, they won’t report crimes. They won’t testify to crimes they’ve seen. We are not safe because of walls, we’re safe in spite of them.”
In the same NBC News/Washington Post poll, O’Rourke fares just a tiny bit better than Castro, at two percent, compared to Sanders at 13 percent and Warren at 19 percent.
“I want to serve this country,” O’Rourke said. “In the 2017-2018 Senate campaign we went to 254 counties in Texas. If you want to win, you can’t write anybody off. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red state or a blue state. It’s a movement, not a candidate, that will beat Trump.”
MillerCoors a Leader in Water Conservation
MMSD salutes company for installing a green roof and rain garden.
Jim Cryns
“You can’t have beer without good water,” says Joan Meyer, an environmental engineer with MillerCoors at the Milwaukee facility. The company also has breweries in Colorado, California, Ohio, Virginia and Texas so they’re water-conscious to the brim.
MillerCoors is the July recipient of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Green Luminary Award. “I think we have a great relationship with MMSD,” Meyer says. “And we’re very excited about the award.”
Green Luminaries are recognized by MMSD for leadership in promoting and installing green infrastructure to capture, cleanse and reduce storm water runoff and the resulting pollution that would occur. Rain barrels and rain gardens, permeable pavement and green roofs are known as green infrastructure because they supplement the capacity of traditional gray infrastructure like metal sewer pipes.
It can take a brewer 20 gallons of water to produce a pint of beer.
“Without water, there is no beer,” Meyer says. “We do everything possible to do things right. We’re here because of Lake Michigan and we’ve got to be good corporate citizens, protect the lake.”
By 1890, Milwaukee breweries were exporting more than half a million barrels of beer each year. It’s safe to say we know a bit about beer, and the importance of water to the product. But we live in an age where there’s a decline in water resources, and many are taking arms against the problem.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an estimated 10 trillion gallons of untreated storm water runs off roads, rooftops, and parking lots each year, contaminating beaches, habitats and water resources.
“I think awareness has rubbed off,” Meyer says. “Having the green roof on building 35 is a great way to show people how to participate in green infrastructure. People who go on our Brewhouse tour get to see the efforts first hand.” The roof processes 90 percent of the water that falls on it.
Since 2005, MillerCoors has reduced the amount of water used in its cooling system by more than 50 percent by installing a new cooling tower. It has taken many other steps at its plants to reduce water usage.
Since 2007, MillerCoors has also annually donated 1,000 poly-drums to MMSD that they in turn offer as rain barrels.
“That’s also a direct way to affect and influence a thousand different families each year. Our employees ask where they can get one,” Meyer laughs. “I tell them to check with the MMSD.”
Meyer says two buildings on the brewery ground have storm drains that aren’t directly plumbed, so the company has created roof drains to abate any runoff. Rain gardens around the brewery capture runoff and don’t require much maintenance. Meyer says they make the grounds look more aesthetically pleasing.
“All water for production is treated through carbon filters,” Meyer says. “Our testers have to make sure it’s consistent. So our Lite beer tastes the same in Milwaukee as it does in Texas.”
Meyer says she’s not sure if their breweries in other states have as extensive a program as they do in Milwaukee.
“In some places we brew, water is more scarce,” Meyer says. “Places like Fort Worth and Colorado. I know our facilities out there do a lot of dry-scaping. This is gardening that utilizes plants that need a minimal amount of water.”
Are people across the country buying into the idea they can be part of the solutions to better water?
“I think they are,” Meyer says. “But you also have to take into account where you live. For folks that live in California, Texas, they are living it. Experiencing it. Not being able to water their lawns. They get it. Living next to Lake Michigan, I think some people get it but it’s not as obvious.”
Meyer says businesses need to be efficient and reduce overall water usage wherever possible. “When our gardeners are working, they have to turn off the end guns when they’re not in use, and hit the plants directly with water, not water wastefully.”
To conserve resources, businesses must work together strategically, Meyer says.
“A farmer may be growing potatoes for General Mills, and we have our barley growing with the same farmer during a different season. It all comes down to partnering.”
The company’s relationship with the MMSD is another such partnership. “With nature conservancy,” Mayer says, “it’s been a huge win and we’ve seen better results.”
Will Any DA Appeal High Court John Doe Ruling?
Jim Cryns
Two days after the Wisconsin Supreme Court essentially fired the lead John Doe II prosecutor Francis Schmitz, a watchdog group has called on other prosecutors to take his place. The court had already shut down the Doe probe, but has now ruled that Schmitz, who intended to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, was never legally appointed a Doe prosecutor, meaning he may not have standing to appeal the high court decision.
Matthew Rothschild, executive director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has sent a letter to five Wisconsin district attorneys who were also involved in the John Doe case, asking them to step in and appeal the high court decision.
“To let this dangerous State Supreme Court decision stand without challenge would do a grave disservice to the people of Wisconsin you represent,” Rothschild said in the letter. “Since this case has profound significance not only for the John Doe but for the integrity of our campaign finance system, I urge you to step up and take this on.”
The latest Wisconsin Supreme Court decision was “not meant to interfere with the ability of the prosecution team to seek Supreme Court review,” the court declared, The court invited five district attorneys who have had some involvement with the case to take over for Schmitz.
Rothschild sent the letter yesterday to those prosecutors: Columbia County DA Jane Kohlwey, Dane County DA Ismael Ozanne, Dodge County DA Kurt F. Klomberg, Iowa County DA Larry E. Nelson and Milwaukee County DA, John Chisholm who initiated the probe and has been a particular focus of conservative opponents of the decision.
“I’m hoping Ozanne will rise to this occasion and appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Rothschild says.
In his letter Rothschild outlines grounds for the appeal as; failure of judges to recuse themselves, a blatant misreading of campaign finance precedents and ignoring evidence of potentially illegal express advocacy coordination.
The letter indicates the four member majority of the State Supreme which wrote the decision shutting down the Doe probe benefitted from $8 million in election expenditures spent on their elections by the Wisconsin Club for Growth and the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, two groups that the John Doe probe was investigating. Schmitz had asked two of the justices to recuse themselves because of a conflict of interest but they declined.
The the second John Doe investigation had been launched in 2012 and the judge who oversaw the investigation, Gregory Peterson, had overseen the appointment of Schmitz. But the supreme court ruled the appointment was improper because special prosecutors are allowed to be appointed only in certain circumstances, such as when the district attorney has a conflict of interest.
“I am disappointed,” Schmitz said in a statement in response to the high court ruling. “I continue to believe that the investigation was justified. The voters of Wisconsin have a right to know the identity of large donors, corporate and individual, which coordinate with campaign committees.”
Schmitz said he had underestimated “the power and influence special interest groups have in Wisconsin politics. My career in the military and as a federal prosecutor fighting violent criminals and terrorists did not fully prepare me for the tactics employed by these special interest groups.”
Schmitz said that “if I have the resources, (I) intend to pursue an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court,” but some legal observers say that may be difficult. Chisholm and the other four DAs who were also involved in the case have so far had no comment about the high court decision or Rothschild’s call for them to appeal the case.
Will TV Series Help Free Steven Avery?
Popular Netflix series probing Manitowoc murder case causes national furor.
Jim Cryns
It’s a story fiction writers would have found far-fetched. Back in 2003 Steven Avery was released from prison after DNA evidence proved he was innocent of a rape charge. He went free, but in less than two years was back before authorities, charged with a new crime, a brutal murder. This, on the heels of an 18-year stint for something he didn’t do.
Avery is the primary subject of a Netflix series, Making A Murderer, which debuted in December. The series focuses on the murder of a young photographer, Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc County, and questions about how law enforcement personnel handled it.
New York filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos were intrigued with Avery’s story and traveled to Wisconsin to determine whether there was enough material to warrant a project. They considered making a film of Avery’s story, but opted instead to tell it in broader scope–a 10-part series that Netflix eventually purchased.
Many argue the series provides clear evidence the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department used improper methods to convict both Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.
Is it compelling television? Absolutely. But it’s bigger than that. There aren’t many things on TV that will mobilize people to action. The series has prompted two petitions for Avery’s release from prison, along with his nephew Brendan Dassey.
According to NBC News, one petition to President Barack Obama has amassed more than 160,000 signatures. NBC says the petition seeks Obama’s pardon of Avery and Dassey. If a petition gains 100,00 signatures, the executive branch is required to issue a public response. (However, as our update below notes, Obama has no power over a state criminal proceeding; only Gov. Scott Walker has the power to issue a pardon.)
Dassey will be eligible for parole in 2048, but Avery is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. But he maintains his innocence and believes he was framed in retribution for filing a $36 million lawsuit against the county and authorities.
Walter Kelly, a Milwaukee attorney, represented Avery in the civil right lawsuit for his wrongful rape charge. “I was first contacted by Steven Avery,” Kelly says. “He may have gone online to get my name or somebody may have given my name to him.”
The initial question for Kelly was whether there was any basis to believe there had been some legal violation or mistake with respect to Avery’s conviction. He was found innocent years later because DNA evidence had advanced to the point where Avery was ruled out as the perpetrator.
“We searched all the records, reviewed all the facts,” Kelly says. “We were doing this at the same time Wisconsin’s Attorney General was investigating what happened. Once we learned what was in the Attorney General’s report, we felt it was enough for us to proceed.”
Kelly says Avery’s civil lawsuit sought $36 million dollars with half toward compensatory damages and half seeking punitive damages.
“As far as the punitive damages, we wanted to deter law enforcement agencies from conducting investigations in a similar manner. That’s how we got to $36 million.”
Kelly says his first meeting with Avery was encouraging.
“When I met Steven and his family, they all seemed completely credible,” Kelly says. “You can see that in the series. Over the course of time it shows how Steven changed. When he first walks into the federal courthouse in the beginning of the series, he looks hopeful, in shape, willing to talk with people. As time went on, his mood understandably darkens. He loses his attentiveness. Has dark circles under his eyes.”
With the power of editing, films and television projects can make someone look however they want, either by omitting information or presenting facts in different order.
“I don’t think the film made Steven look better than he actually was,” Kelly says. “I think the film made the prosecution look bad. That’s the great contribution of Making A Murder. It brings balance to a terribly unjust situation.”
Kelly says he was contacted by Ricciardi and Demos explaining their interest in following Steven and speaking with attorneys.
“There was no idea this would be a 10-year process to release a film,” Kelly says. “They watched the story morph and after Halbach’s murder, it became something entirely different. I don’t think the filmmakers could have dreamed that would happen. They scrambled and worked very hard to stay with the story. That’s one of the things I admire most about them.”
How does Kelly view the public’s reaction to the series?
“It says a lot to me,” Kelly says. “I think it brings a lot of questions about reasonable doubt about Steven’s guilt. A lot of information was shielded from the jury such as the matter of a third party alternative. The highly questionable behavior in a coerced confession of Dassey. The series raises the most basic questions.”
Kelly believes we haven’t heard the end of the case. “I don’t think many cases get this kind of exposure and treatment,” he says. “I believe additional information will come forward.”
Kelly says he’s never seen anything similar to the reaction to the series and its potential affect on a case. “The series exposes the underbelly of the Wisconsin criminal justice system,” Kelly says. “And it’s not a favorable portrait.”
Was Avery railroaded?
“Having been involved in the case, I’ll say there was sufficient reasonable doubt. In the final segment of the series, Steven’s attorney’s are talking about what might arise.”
Kelly is referring to Wisconsin attorneys Dean Strang and Jerome Buting.
“Strang and Buting talk about how poorly the case was handled,” Kelly says. “So do the lawyers from Northwestern University’s Law School.”
Kelly says after Avery was charged with murder, he needed big money for the best lawyers. “We were able to settle for $400,000.” Kelly and his team were paid $160,000, leaving Avery $240,000 to retain Strang and Buting.
For many viewers of the series, Strang and Buting come across as empathetic and devoted defenders. “I think people saw what the two were up against,” Kelly says. “The resources, power and attitudes were overwhelming. Their willingness to stand by him, keep his loved ones on his side and updated was huge. You just see their professionalism under an awful lot of pressure.”
Kelly says he imagines viewers asking themselves what would happen to them if they were in Avery’s shoes, and realizing how important a good defense would be to them.
As to the actions of the Manitowoc Sheriff’s Department, Kelly says this: “I think their work was extremely questionable. For them to come out in a press conference making all sorts of statements. To tell the public they would have nothing to do with the investigation. Then the Sheriff’s department finds the key to Halbach’s vehicle?”
In the press conference, officials describe the cutting of Halbach’s throat, the spilling of blood.
“There was absolutely no evidence to support those claims,” Kelly says. “No evidence to support that. No blood. No semen. No DNA.
Then they say, ‘That’s not what happened. She was shot in the garage. We found a bullet with DNA.’ When you put those things together, it says a lot.”
The prosecutor in Avery’s case, D.A. Ken Kratz, has since left the county and gone into private practice. People magazine communicated with Kratz recently, who was critical of the series.
“You don’t want to muddy up a perfectly good conspiracy movie with what actually happened,” Kratz told People magazine by email. “And certainly not provide the audience with the evidence the jury considered to reject that claim.”
But the series is still winning more viewers, fueling more skepticism of the work of Kratz and Manitowoc’s law enforcement personnel.
A Bay View Landmark Glows Again
Jim Cryns
When John Nehring took his wife, Anne, a former Milwaukee Ballet principal dancer, back to his old neighborhood two years ago, one stop on this sentimental journey was to the corner grocery store where his mother used to send him with a shopping list.
The friendly smiles were still there to greet him when he walked through the doors. The pleasant smells of homemade sausage filled the store. So did the memories of growing up in Bay View. Today, John is doing the greeting and he is making the sausage. And, Bay View, well, let's just say this community is grateful that its little market is back in business.
It wasn't too long ago, that a sign hung on the door at G. Groppi Food Market, located at 1441 E. Russell, that read, "It's time to retire." Sadly, after 90 years as a mainstay of the community, the grocery store closed last January. Long gone are Giocondo and Giorgina Groppi, who founded this neighborhood staple of fresh fruit and vegetables in 1913. Lamentably gone, too, is Mario, who together was his brothers Tom and Louis, kept the traditions alive.
Fate must have brought Nehring back to his roots.
"I ran into Mario and we started talking," Nehring recalls of his visit. "We shared memories of his parents and growing up in the neighborhood. I told him, if he would ever want to sell, I'd be interested." Perhaps his love of this little store led Nehring on his path in life. Together with his wife, Nehring, a former wine and gourmet food buyer at Sendik's in Shorewood, now owns six businesses, including Shorewood's Jean-Pierre's, a bakery and café, and Sommelier's Palette, a wine bar.
In 1998, they purchased East Side Sendik's. Last year, the Nehrings purchased Brookfield's V. Richards Market and its catering business, now called Tres Bon Catering. Despite the demands on his busy schedule, Nehring recognized the need to save this neighborhood market which had meant so much to Bay View.
"Over the next few months, Mario and I talked on occasion," Nehring continues. "He was tired and really wanted to get out of the business. He told me that when he was ready, he'd sell it to me." Happy with the news, Nehring respected Mario's wishes to ease out of the business in time. "I wasn't in a rush," he adds. "I knew that in time, he'd sell it to me."
Unfortunately, time was not so kind to Mario, who passed away in September 2002.
"I thought badly for him and the family," Nehring says. "But also, I thought that my dream to buy this place was gone, too."
Not so. Three months later, Nehring received a telephone call.
"I got a call in January from Tom," Nehring says. "He said that he knew of Mario's wishes to sell the store to me. He said Mario's intentions were to keep it as a grocery store and that the entire family believed I could do it the best. "I felt so honored that the family felt that way about me. You have to understand, that this was a very emotional situation. The family loved this store and they loved the business and neighborhood."
Plans for the purchase and remodeling consumed most of 2003. But Groppi's Market finally and appropriately opened the week of Thanksgiving. "The community has been overwhelming," Nehring says. "People come in here and are literally thanking us for reopening. We really wanted to hang on to the old flavor but still make the necessary updates."
The upgrades included new heating, plumbing and electrical systems. To spruce up the store, the walls were painted and the floors refinished. Nehring says, however, that some things just couldn't be replaced.
"I looked at the place and realized I needed to keep the meat case and cooler," he says. "They were part of the store and they needed to be renovated. I could have easily bought new but I decided to keep some of the old charm. It was a bit more costly, but it was worth it.
"I've kept the original counters up front. They are from 1913. I had a cabinet maker custom finish the wooden counters, shelving and bins." Even the family photographs still adorn the store.
"Heck, Louie still has keys to the place," Nehring adds. "Louie is in here every day, smiling as he looks at every product. We have three of the grandchildren working here.
"I want the family to feel comfortable with me running the business. Listen, they spent their entire lives making this store what it is and I don't want to change it. "The emphasis continues to be produce and small assortments of basic grocery items. But what keeps customers coming back are the homemade Italian sausage and other imports, like olives, hams and cheeses.
"We've got the Groppi recipes with their blessings," Nehring says with pride. Expansion is also in the offing. "We are looking at expanding to include a working restaurant and kitchen, a new cheese department and in the back, we'll have a wine shop," Nehring explains. "In the restaurant we'll be featuring sausage and sandwiches from the store."
As a way to reconnect with the community, Groppi's will offer an adjacent patio for customers to sample the wines and enjoy a sandwich while conversing like the old days. "I had people come in and notice their neighbors who they hadn't seen for a long time and they started talking," Nehring says. "Sure, it's like a gathering place again. That's what we wanted to bring back. We wanted that personal connection between the grocer and the neighborhood. I think we've accomplished that here."
The Nehrings have put a lot of time and effort into reopening the market. But, it's obvious they've also put their heart and soul into the place. To many, the Nehrings are now officially part of the family.
"I've actually dreamt about this ever since I got into the business," Nehring says. "I've always wanted to carry on the traditions of this store, just because of its history, my childhood and because I truly do love this community. "I'm so glad to be back in Bay View. I spent 21 years of my life here. And I had great memories of growing up down here. My grandparents lived here. I went to school in the neighborhood. My friends lived here. It's like coming home."
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