Author: Nick Hansen

Remembering the Fallen: Wood National Cemetery’s 88th Memorial Day ceremony

Hundreds gathered on May 28 at the only national cemetery for military veterans in the state, to honor the sacrifices of the tens of thousands buried there. Organized by the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, the Memorial Day tribute honored servicemen and women going back to just after the Civil War. Days earlier, teams of volunteers planted more than 30,000 American flags by the headstones. Veterans shared their war memories with the crowd during the service, along with elected officials and local leaders. The ceremony concluded with the laying of wreaths, and the release of black balloons coinciding with a...

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Milwaukee passes first conversion therapy ban in Wisconsin to protect LGBT youth

The Milwaukee Common Council for passed a measure protecting LGBT youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” The ordinance prohibits licensed mental health professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minors and carries a civil penalty for each violation. Milwaukee is the first city in Wisconsin to pass such a measure. “The majority agreed that conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation by utilizing violent and damaging methods, has no place in the City of Milwaukee,” said Alderman Cavalier “Chevy” Johnson in a statement. “Conversion therapy has been found to...

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Photo Essay: Chinese lanterns illuminate the Boerner Botanical Gardens

The magic of Chinese art concluded in Milwaukee for another season, as dozens of larger-than-life sculptural lantern displays went dark across 10 acres of the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park. Each year it takes 24 artisans from China more than a month to construct the lantern exhibition on-site, welding metal frames, lighting them from within, covering the framework in brightly colored fabric, and hand-painting finishing touches. The effort in 2017 ultimately produced a 200-foot dragon, a phoenix with a long undulating tail, glowing flowers, swans, fish, and pandas for the local public to enjoy. The outdoor cultural exhibit...

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Fondy’s eco-Park opens as a community oasis for Lindsay Heights residents

The City of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) and Fondy Food Center celebrated the grand opening of Fondy Park on September 16. The full day of festivities took place at 2200 W. Fond Du Lac Avenue, and included the Centennial anniversary of the Farmers Market. With a history that dates back to 1917, the Fondy Farmers Market has been suppling fresh produce to Milwaukee’s Northside. The vacant lot next to the market was converted into a storm water park and community green space through the city’s HOME GR/OWN program, which has been greenscaping North Avenue from 8th to 27th...

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Annual East Side tomato fight slings the red vegetable to help end hunger

The 11th Annual Tomato Romp Festival, a day of eating, drinking and throwing over-ripe tomatoes, splattered Milwaukee’s East Side September 9. In 2006, the East Side made Milwaukee the first city in America to host a rotten tomato fight inspired by La Tomatina in Spain. Now the event is imitated in cities across the country including New York City, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Maglio Companies donated 8,000 pounds of inedible, over-ripe tomatoes for the tomato fight that took place Murray Avenue. It has become a tradition for many tomato fight fans to dress in costume for...

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