Author: Lee Matz

Photo Essay: 50 Years of Irish tradition

The 2016 parade featured more than 140 units including floats, Irish and Celtic dancers, bagpipe and marching bands, civic leaders, and local business sponsors. 1966 started the first of what has been a fifty year tradition in Milwaukee with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, produced by the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin. But the institution itself began in 1843, and predates both the incorporation of the State of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee. The first recorded parade was actually part of a temperance rally. Crowds and People Watching Half the fun of viewing the St. Patrick’s Day parade is...

Read More

Photo Essay: The day Obama came to town

“And you’ve made Milwaukee a model for the nation, and you’re proof that the Affordable Care Act works.” A purely pictorial chronicle of President Obama’s address in Milwaukee on February 3. The event included elected officials, civic leaders, and the general public who all shared in the celebration of the city winning the Presidential Healthy Communities Challenge. The beauty of photojournalism is that the images tell the story. Members of the audience included: John W. Daniels Jr., Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Former United States Senator Herb Kohl, Ricardo Diaz, Keith Stanley, Representative David Bowen, Alderman Nik Kovac, Alderman José Pérez,...

Read More

How Obamacare saved a Wisconsin Republican’s life

| Thank you for serving me when I didn’t vote for you. | A Republican writes to the President after Obamacare saved his life. The event to celebrate Milwaukee’s participation in and benefit from the Affordable Care Act was held at a packed community center inside Bruce Guadalupe Middle School, where about 780 people had gathered, according to school principal Santiago Navarro. President Obama was introduced to the crowd by Brent Brown from Mosinee, Wisconsin. Brown, who had also joined the President for lunch before the event, said that he didn’t vote for Obama. In fact, he had actually...

Read More

Milwaukee leaders welcome President Obama

| President Barack Obama I congratulate Milwaukee, and all of the other communities who took part in the challenge, for their passion and innovation in finding ways to make sure they and their neighbors could get the health care and peace of mind that they deserve. That’s what the Affordable Care Act is all about. The efforts from mayors, local officials, assisters and residents remind me of what’s best in America, and what I see whenever I travel around the country: good people in strong communities who look out for each other and take care of their own. As always,...

Read More

Countdown to Milwaukee’s 2016 Anime Invasion

The Ninth Annual Anime Milwaukee is expected to welcome 8,000 visitors to the 2016 convention. Held from March 11 to 13 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee and Wisconsin Center, it is Wisconsin’s largest Anime and Japanese cultural event. Known by its acronym AMKE, Anime Milwaukee has continued to increase attendance each year, bringing a flood of fans and economic reward to downtown Milwaukee. The three-day celebration of Japanese art will feature programming and activities that run 24 hours a day. These include costume play, or Cosplay, combat chess, Masquerade, Charity Ball, Manga graphic novel library, children’s events, Maid Café,...

Read More