Author: Anna Miller

Dickey Chapelle: Pioneering photojournalism not forgotten

Renowned photojournalist Dickey Chapelle died in combat while reporting from Vietnam on November 4, 1965. The Shorewood native’s inspiring work remains an example of the dedication and sacrifice required to capture history in images. Dickey Chapelle’s story was forgotten by most Milwaukee civilians and journalists alike, until last year. A half a century after her dеаth, Governor Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed November 4 as Wisconsin’s Combat Journalist Day in honor of Chapelle. Even more so than today, 1965 was a time of fiercely divisive politics and social turmoil. With a war in Southeast Asia and the...

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The Lone Vegetarian on Thanksgiving

A vegetarian describes the trials and tribulations of being the sole vegetarian, during a national holiday, where family members are gathered to consume a menu filled exclusively of meat. Aunt Virginia, your mother’s oldest sister who never got the memo that the 1950s had ended, invites you to the annual Thanksgiving feast at her affluent abode in the suburbs. Your heart palpitates with anxiety from the annual ritual, because you know you will be the only vegetarian there. Even though you have endured countless family dinners relegated to salad and crackers, your distant relatives always forget that you are...

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Gouda Girls bring curbside comfort to Pabst Building

The wildly popular Wisconsin-themed food truck, The Gouda Girls, opened a food court location at Eleven25 at Pabst. As soon as the Eleven25 at Pabst student housing, formerly the Pabst Brewing and Bottling Building, opening a food court, The Gouda Girls did not have to wait long for customers to arrive. They were greeted by fans, old fans and new, who came to devour their award-winning grilled cheese, cheese steak, and mac and cheese. Owned and operated by a married couple, Katherine and Tina Tonn, The Gouda Girls fixed location is an extension of their hugely successful food truck....

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Wendy Baumann: Finding a Seat at the Table

In her 23 years as executive director, Wendy Baumann has been instrumental in the success of Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC). She has fought for a seat at the table with male-owned financial institutions, to support the business education and small loan institution. Even though Wendy Baumann is technically not an entrepreneur, she has the spirit of one. With tenacity and a can-do attitude, the executive director has transformed the non-profit Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) from a company employing two people, herself included, to a successful enterprise of over 50 employees and four offices. WWBIC primarily...

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Gateway Plaza plans to make lakefront Milwaukee’s front yard

The City of Milwaukee chose a design for the Lakefront Gateway Plaza Project, with a focus on what they call “unprogrammed programs.” It might not have been the most exciting way to spend Halloween, but over 30 city planners, designers and local residents gathered at Milwaukee County’s War Memorial on October 31 to discuss a key aspect of the city’s Lakefront development plans: the Lakefront Gateway Plaza Project. The Lakefront Gateway Plaza will be located along a two-acre block in front of Discovery World, extending from Michigan Avenue past Clybourn Street. The project aims to make the area more...

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Arts and entrepreneurship intersect at StartUp Week panel

The first ever Milwaukee StartUp Week held the panel Creativity, Diversity, and Entrepreneurialism on November 3, at the Harvest Strat Gallery next to the Milwaukee Independent’s editorial office. The panel featured three prominent African American artists who talked about the connections between art and enterprise, and how Milwaukee could become more welcoming to innovators. “My soul ain’t for sale, but my art sure is,” said Milwaukee artist Christopher MacIntyre Perceptions, according to spoken word artist Bobby Drake. Drake was member of the Milwaukee StartUp Week panel entitled Creativity, Diversity, and Entrepreneurialism in Milwaukee, which discussed the vital role of...

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