Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Beloved Pete Tsitiridis brings food, family, and the future to MLK Drive

Posted by Editor | Sep 18, 2017 |

“You can’t just love Pete, you have to understand why you love Pete. He took a young man, living in low income, with a single parent mother, and it was not always the best the neighborhood. But that’s not what he saw. He saw a young man who was working hard, who wanted something out of life. Pete took him under his wings, and brought him into his family. Today, this young man was able go to college because of Pete’s Fruit Market. This young man was able to represent his community because of Pete’s Fruit Market. This young...

Stacey Williams-Ng: Big fish and lots of joy

Posted by Editor | Sep 15, 2017 |

“One thing I love about mural art is being out in the open and getting to meet passers by. I had one woman come by and introduce herself, and say ‘thank you’ for investing in my community, and gave me a big hug. And that really meant a lot to me. We had two children from the children’s center come out and look at the mural, and one of them kept exclaiming ‘big fish.’ Later I found out that the child is legally blind, and that the fish are so big she was able to actually see them, which...

John Ridley’s comic book sequel continues journey of black hero in alternate timeline

Posted by Editor | Sep 8, 2017 |

Oscar-winning writer John Ridley returned to comic books with “The American Way: Those Above and Those Below,” uniting with his series artist Georges Jeanty. The six-issue monthly miniseries hit the shelves over the summer, published under DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint. Staying true to The American Way, this sequel will explore historically significant sociopolitical and racial themes still relevant today. The story picks up in 1972, the year of Richard Nixon, Angela Davis, Watergate and the Weather Underground, when social and political tensions in America were at an all-time high. “On the 10-year anniversary of the series, it feels both...

Documentary about Packers fandom in Japan seeks Kickstarter funding

Posted by Editor | Aug 31, 2017 |

Film tells the once-in-a-lifetime story of Japanese Green Bay Packers fans traveling to the United States to see their very first Packers game, live and in person. Green Bay Packers have the smallest market share of any NFL team, but they have the most loyal fans, both across the country and outside of it. In Japan, there is a small but fervent pocket of incredibly devoted and excited Packers fans. Not expats, but Japanese citizens who have come to love all things Packers and Green Bay. They are the Japanese Packers Cheering Team, and the group plans to travel...

WHEDA’s Transform Milwaukee initiative celebrates 5th year of economic results

Posted by Editor | Aug 28, 2017 |

Governor Scott Walker announced on August 23 that the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) would utilize two capital products to help small businesses expand through a new WHEDA fund. The additional lending channels, representing $11.1 million, will provide new financing opportunities for the Transform Milwaukee area as well as statewide. “This has been a strong effort by our administration to package resources to grow businesses and restore Milwaukee as a vibrant place in which to live and work,” said Governor Walker. Governor Walker made the announcement at Milwaukee’s Global Water Center during a celebration marking the five-year...

Historic King Drive BID designated first Main Street Community in Milwaukee

Posted by Editor | Aug 23, 2017 |

The announcement in Milwaukee on August 22 was attended by elected officials and community partners, held concurrently with 12 statewide events as part of the first-ever Wisconsin Main Street Day. The Historic King Drive Business Improvement District (BID) No. 8 in the city of Milwaukee has been designated as a Wisconsin Main Street community by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), joining a select group of communities that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to revitalizing their commercial districts. The BID, which was created in 1992, is the state’s 34th currently active Wisconsin Main Street community. It is the only...