Maple & Main

I’m trying a new feature here on the blog. I thought it might be nice to share with all of you some of the outstanding work the kids are doing at the art school.

This oil painting was done by 10 ½ year old Sarah Giordano. Sarah has been a student at Otto’s Art Academy in Waukesha for almost a year now and has been painting with oils for the past 4 months.

A recent to trip to San Francisco inspired Sarah to duplicate this painting, originally done by Thomas Kinkade early in his career.

Check here every week for more works by inspiring young artists.

I was born and raised in Chicago, so it probably comes as no surprise that I am a Bears fan.

However, with the rivalry that exists between the Packers and Bears, living this far north in Packer territory can be difficult at times. Fellow Bear fans are few and far between in these parts.

That’s why I am so excited about Waukesha’s latest addition to the Fox River walk! I can’t believe it! Right here, in downtown Waukesha, we are going to have three new bronze statues…

…of Bears!

How awesome!

I am still in disbelief over the whole thing. Here I thought I had to reside in secrecy over my support of the Bears while in Waukesha, but this city has shown me I can be proud. There must be more Bear fans here than I thought.

A friend of mine had the Bears logo tattooed on his leg. I thought HE was a big fan. But the generous people financing the addition of three, larger than life, sculptures of Bears set along our riverfront- wow- they must be HUGE Bear fans.

From what I understand, the statues are going to be 150 percent the size of real Bears.

Outstanding!

I wonder which Bears they are going to choose. A recent article I read on the web states the statues are going to be modeled after black Bears- so I guess that leaves out Mike Ditka, coach of the Super Bowl XX champs or George Halas. Maybe it will be Walter Payton, or Mike Singletary. How about Refrigerator Perry?

I can’t wait to see it!

A dedication of the statues is scheduled for October 7th. It coincides with the celebration of the completion of the Fox River Corridor Project Redevelopment.

So if you are a Bear fan, living in the shadows of Lambeau Field here in Wisconsin, stop hiding in shame and show your support of Waukesha’s newest tribute to the Bears. Join us October 7th along the Fox River front for the Bear dedication. As a matter of fact, there is parking lot adjacent to the area ideal for tailgating.

B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Barbeques).

Rumor has it that a new speakeasy will grace the streets of downtown Waukesha in the coming months- perhaps as soon as the next Art Crawl (October 7th).

I was lucky enough to be given a quick tour of the location a few days ago. It isn’t much to look at now, but through the eyes of the visionary behind it, it looks like it could turn out to be a first-rate edition to the downtown.

As we wandered through the space, the proprietor made mention of the new establishment having an old feel to it, like that of the speakeasies from years ago. It will be a quaint place, where people can meet friends for a drink and some good conversation. The spot is perfect for this concept.

Eventually, the owner would like to see the location become the lobby to an upscale dining facility, something many downtown residents and tourist have been asking for.

Where will this place be, you ask? What will it be called? Who’s behind all of this?

It’s too early to spill all of that. As the premier grows closer and the vision begins to take shape, I am sure word will begin to spread. You’ll just have to be patient- or you can stroll the streets of downtown and look for it.

I’ll give you one hint- it’s not on Main St.

Thursday, August 31st, 2006:

It was nearing 7PM on an ordinary late afternoon in Waukesha. My wife and I had just returned from a trip up North and were tidying up our apartment.

I was out on the back deck sweeping up dead petunia pedals when I heard what sounded like a DC10 roaring through the parking lot behind our place.

As I looked up to identify the source, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a black Brinks truck- Brinks as in the armored car company. It was screaming through the clock tower parking lot and appeared to be headed for Main Street.

My wife, Monica was inside folding clothes at the time. She, too, heard the revving engine of this massive truck and ran to the front window to see what was going on.

I called in to Monica and asked her to give me an update of what she saw. She notified me that the truck had squealed out of the lot, flew down Main, and took the corner at Maple Avenue at a very high speed. It had now come to a screeching halt in front of 724 Maple Avenue.

724 Maple Avenue is an address her and I had come to loath over the summer. In recent months, unsettling criminal activity had been taking place at this location. We could only imagine how this Brinks truck was going to add to the issues.

To our surprise, it was quite the contrary.

As the Brinks truck idled, an unmarked, white box truck pulled next to it. Out of these two trucks emptied a barrage of police officers dressed in full SWAT gear, rifles in hand, and they stormed 724.

Three Waukesha Police cars then joined the scene and officers had the location surrounded. It was an impressive sight to behold.

You see, 724 was a crack house- right here in Waukesha, only a few doors up from Main Street. And although that may concern a lot of people, please read on and understand the whole story before you decide never to come downtown again.

724 started out with only a few folks hanging out around the place. As time went on, the number of loiterers increased and concerns began to be raised.

Who raised these concerns? The residents, the business owners, and the community that has become downtown Waukesha.

And who listened? The police, the Alderman, and the Mayor.

And together all of these people worked to begin keeping an eye on a growing problem.

As time went on, the situation grew worse. 724 was becoming more popular with a shifty crowd. Drug use and drug dealing was becoming more obvious, and these characters were becoming more brazen about it. As their confidence grew, so did the surveillance.

We all did our parts; the community reported the activity, the police monitored it, we met together to discuss it, and together, over time, we were able to end it before it got out of hand.

The downtown community continues to grow stronger like this every day. Together we are all striving to make this a safe, clean, and friendly destination.

Downtown Waukesha should be a place where locals and tourists alike can fancy warm summer days and enjoy fun summer nights without the worries some of our bigger cities face.

As Milwaukee begins enforcing its curfews and cracking down on its crime, Waukesha continues to maintain its reputation as one of the top places to live in the United States. Instead of letting the situation get out of hand and then dealing with it, Waukesha steps in and takes control first.

And although certain underhanded elements are trying to make Downtown Waukesha their home, they will eventually meet the same fate as the residents of 724 Maple Avenue.

This isn’t the Downtown of ten years ago- where drugs and crime were as prevalent as ants at a picnic.

This is the New Downtown. These are the new residents, the new merchants, the new police- the new community. It’s made up of those that have seen it since its days of uncertainty, and those that are fresh on the scene.

Together, with the support of all those who continue to visit and enjoy downtown, Waukesha will continue to evolve in a very positive direction.

A special thanks goes out to the Police Officers who were involved in the raid last Thursday. There were 19 people in that house, a lot more than they had expected. Word on the street says they ran out of handcuffs. Nine individuals were arrested on various charges including possession, robbery, and obstruction.

It was a professional job from beginning to end; we watched the whole thing from our front window. How brave do you have to be to storm a house of crack heads on a Thursday afternoon, not knowing who or what you are going to find on the inside? The Waukesha Police Department has our sincerest thanks.

However, it doesn’t end here. New issues will arise, but you can bet this community will be there to meet them along the way. It will be an ongoing effort for all those who call downtown their home, their workplace, or just their favorite place to hang out.

By the way, the house at 724 is for sale if anyone is interested. I’m pleas