A New Transit Service Pilot Program
This week the city of Milwaukee announced the launch of FlexRide, an Uber-esque service that is starting a pilot program here. There will be five stops in Milwaukee, and from any of those stops anyone living in the city can request a FlexRide, like an Uber, which will then drive them to work in Menomonee Falls and Butler. The cost of the ride is $1.50 or less. Depending how the pilot program goes, FlexRide may become a permanent service.
I’m all for affordable transportation, but I am slightly offended that the city chose FlexRide over my proposal – Archer’s Affordable Unicycle. For only $50 a ride, Milwaukee workers could hop on my shoulders for a one-wheeled ride to their Menomonee Falls job. Given, it takes about two hours to get their by unicycle, and also I’m not actually any good at unicycling so you’re probably going to get a little busted up, but it’s great for the environment!
The Oil-Soaked Snowy Owl Returns to the Wild
In this column back in December, I wrote about a snowy owl that had been found injured and soaked with oil from the Milwaukee River spill. The owl, later named Annabelle, was taken to the Humane Society to recover. Well, we got some good news. Annabelle was released back into the wild this week. She looked fresh and ready to go after her 93-day rehabilitation.
The Rep is Putting on a Sinatra Show
Is it weird to have read seven biographies of one famous singer? Not that weird, right? What about if you also read the book his butler wrote about him, and the books his kids wrote about him, and also the entirety of his FBI file? And maybe also you used to print out pictures of him and tape them to your walls?
I think that’s normal.
I think that’s perfectly normal.
So anyway, I’m pretty excited about this Milwaukee Rep show covering Frank Sinatra songs. My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, which is running now, brings together four musicians and singers for a two-hour virtuoso performance of Sinatra tunes all the way from his bobby-soxer teen idol era to Ol’ Blue Eyes last few years as Chairman of the Board. It is safe to say that I will attend.
Red Bull is Doing Some Wacky Stuff
This week, Red Bull announced that the company is bringing Flugtag to Milwaukee for the first time ever. Flugtag’s a crazy flying competition, in which teams will craft handmade flying machines, run them off a giant ramp in Veterans Park and see how far they can go before tumbling into Lake Michigan. On July 16, you can watch folks in the wackiest of costumers flinging themselves into the water in these insane airships. If that doesn’t interest you, it’s worth noting Donald Driver is going to be a celebrity judge so maybe just go to see a true Packers legend.
Sure, Red Bull does this and everyone think’s it cool. I try it one Saturday at three in the morning, and its “criminal endangerment” and “indecent exposure.” Whatever.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
More Lawyers Leave the City Attorney’s Office
This week, the Journal Sentinel reported that four more lawyers have left the City Attorney’s office. That brings the total number that have left since city attorney Tearman Spencer was elected in April 2020 to 25, including two attorneys fired last week. According to the JS, that 62% of legal staff turned over in under two years. “It’s a terrible place to work,” Alderman Michael Murphy told the JS. “Why would you work there?”
Normally this is the part of the blurb where I’d make a joke about, like, how that office sounds more chaotic than … I dunno … my time as a ferret wrangler, or something stupid like that. But really, this blurb is a chance to link to Larry Sandler’s excellent story investigating the situation over at the City Attorney’s office, which we published in the August issue last year. The story’s clearly still relevant, and I’d suggest reading it for some insight into this ongoing issue.
Also, working at that office sounds worse than my gig at Big Al’s Discount Exotic Dancers.
