Family Guy

Looks like Bigg’s & Hector’s will get there smoking back.

After showing the City that they lost over 10% of revenue from the
smoking ban, Bigg’s & Hector’s  probably will get a reprieve from the
city.   The reprieve will be good for 17 months. 

Hector’s may survive, but I don’t think Bigg revenue loss was because
of smoking, it was because of a bad location and huge competition from
Mo’s & Mayfair restaurants.

I will be interesting to see if Hector’s business increases from more smokers
or if it stays flat because of more competition from other restaurants.

 I wonder if Gov. Doyle’s bill has loopholes.  

I applaud those restaurants who did invest in doors  (Bluemound Garden, etc)
or who went smoke-less.  It’s always hard to be ahead of the curve. 

In deference to Tom’s blog, I think it important that individuals have a right
to exercise there rights to smoke and let the market place chose the winners & losers.


Sorry I haven't blogged lately.   I guess I haven't felt very creative.

 

God called, he said

"Take the day off and play in the snow"!

 

Good last year, good this year.   Drive safely:)

Adopt a Retired City Worker Program earns praise from Aldermen


The New “Adopt a Retired City Worker Program” was praised by
Aldermen A. Vandelay in Tuesday’s Common Counsel meeting.

“The New City Program gives local residents the ability to adopt a
retired City worker by paying the retired worker’s health insurance each
month until the retiree reaches 68 (Medicare limit)” is a great idea said Vandelay
Having people step up and be willing to commit to this program shows
that some Wauwatosan’s have a big heart. There is nothing more
gratifying then seeing the smile on a retired working face when they
realize that they won’t have to work at Walmart to get health insurance
(like almost all private sector retirees).


“Adopted a Retiree” will help lower the City’s Real Estate Taxes which
Are some of the highest in the State. Resident who elect to join the
Program will be sent a month bill (currently around $1,900/mo).
For their payments, contributors will receive a picture & letter from
the adoptee thanking them for their gift. Contributors will be notified
of annual increases (currently running at 11% per year).

The City is working to get the contributions to be tax deductible
(similar to Real Estate Taxes).

Vandelay said “if “Adopt a Retiree” is successful in Wauwatosa, maybe the State could
initiate a program as well” Vandelay mentioned that the City’s expensive employee
health care retirement benefit is critical in attracting & retaining world class clerical & midlevel management staff. If you got good people and want to keep them, you need
to pay now & pay more later.

If interested in joining the “Adopt a Retiree” program, please visit www.adoptnow.com.

MP3 & Vanity

I just submitted my three selections to WUWM Cafe' Tonight

I chose Bruce Hornsby "Halcyon Days", The Gourds "Hookie Junk"
and Nora Jones "I've got to see you tonight¨
The Hornsby song has Sting & Eric Clapton on it. Nora Jones is recorded in a NY Club &
The Gourds is a Party song for the 2007 ski trip.

I have over 1400 hand picked songs on my IPod.
(well not really, I unfortunately have some of my 10 yr old daughter's
"disney tunes¨ Totally bad.


I listen to music much more than I blog.

I received $50 I Tunes gift certificate from my brother-in-law for X-Mas (great gift)

Here's a sample of what I bought:
76 songs for $50
The Gourds CD "Live at the Blueblue" for $10 (36 songs)
Widespread Panic, Ry Cooder, The Rippingtons, Pat Metheny, Poco, Pat Travers,
Tom Scott, Neville Bros, Subdudes, John Mayer, N. Mississippi Allstars, Style Council,
Steve Morse, Los Lobos, Oregon, Jeff Beck, String Cheese Incident, Daryl Stuermer,
Ben Harper, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Average White Band, John Mayall & the Blue Breakers
and some more (my hands are getting tired)

Music is the only thing wars are not fought over.

Music makes me happy :)

Paul Cebar, Pete Christensen (MSOE), Ron Cusnier ("the Dark Side"). Remember Bob Barry?

Milwaukee has great music listeners.

I know what I want for my birthday. Another gift certificate from the I Tunes.

Beatles will be there in '07

Also, Tosa Library has great CDs to listen to.
I promise to pay my late fees when I return the ones I currently have
(early Genesis / Steve Hackett, Badly Drawn Boy, Stanley Clarke, etc)

Well, good listening.

PS. Mitch if you can put in a good word for me at the station, that would be great!

The Wauwatosa Neighborhood Association Council (NEC) held its first meeting of 2007 today at Harwood Place. Members of boards of directors and NAC representatives from most of Wauwatosa’s neighborhood associations were attendance to give input on future NAC’s quarterly meetings for 2007.

The meeting was meant to be brain-storming session on what NAC meeting should be.

We (I was attending in place of our Mayfair Park President who was out of town) first introduced ourselves and then Denise Lindberg (NAC President) gave those in attendance an overview of NAC. Denise then asked us to break into small groups to discuss a list of questions and report back to the larger group after about 40 minutes

The questions the group will be discussed include:

1. What would benefit your association most when it comes to the structure, agenda, and process of quarterly NAC meetings?

2. What have you liked most about past NAC meetings? What would you change?

3. What benefits were there in having the NAC eBlasts in 2006? How could they improve? What could be done to get wider electronic distribution of the NAC eBlasts to more members of Tosa’s neighborhood associations?

4. Other suggestions, ideas to make NAC meetings better

5. I forgot (I handed in my notes) at the end of the meeting.
My overall impression of the meeting was the following:

A. There are more Neighborhood Association in Tosa then I every thought
I knew Jacobus, Highlands, Hillcrest, Ravenswood but not Pabst Park, Historic Heights, Lowell Damon, Wellauer Heights and many more.

B. Those in attendance really cared about living in a Neighborhood and making it better. The great thing about Tosa is it’s closeness. Neighborhoods are the fabric
makes Tosa work. Community involvement is the cornerstone of the Neighborhood and I saw one at work.

C. The small group idea encouraged newcomers such as myself to interact and express ideas on how to make 2007 NAC meetings better.

D. The meeting was structured, well organized, directed and maintain a scheduled
which meant that when Denise said the meeting would be over @ 8:00.
It was!

E. My group represented four neighborhoods, Wauwatosa Village, Tosa East Towne
Ole Hillcrest & Mayfair Park (I felt a little out of place being the Westsider-although I grew up in Village.) so my group was nice to me.
I won’t go into the suggestions made because they will be better summarized
In the eBlast (an emailed newsletter sent out to the members)

I would like to finish by saying that NAC is a very worthwhile organization
which encourages members, non-members and guests to attend their meeting
for the sole purpose of making Tosa a better, friendlier place to live.


PS. Next meeting bring chips & salsa :)

Predictions for 2007

Bush won’t be impeached, and will spend most of the year
going over the details, bringing in experts, consulting with consultants
and make plans for his presidential library
(est cost ½ billion dollars--small price to change/revise history)

Cheney won’t shoot anyone (at least that we will find out about)

Condi Rice will acknowledge that there is a civil war-- somewhere in the world

Number of kids in poverty & without health care will increase

Number of Billionaires will increase

The world will get warmer the human inhabitants colder

Milk will go over $3/gallon and then come back down to $2.50

Favre will not retire, Henderson will.

Badger Basketball team will make it past the sweet sixteen (Not sure about Marquette)

Hoyt pool will not open in ’07—West Nile ponds #1 & #2 will.

The Wauwatosa Charter School will open with a disproportionate number
of students coming from Wilson School

Mo’s parking problems will continue

Alderman Vandulay will run for Mayor 

Nancy Pelosi will be voted “Most annoying grandmother on Earth”

The State’s gaming industry will have a record year

Toyota will buy either Ford or GM

A Pill will be discovered that will attempt to fix stupidity (I will be one of the first on the list
to test it for FDA approval)

There will be more bloggers, more opinions, more funny stories, more sad stories
and more connection made.

Buy some new shades!! The future looks bright 

Decrease traffic congestion around Mayfair by restricting growth

Charge Mayfair a user fee for increased Police cost

Draft restrictive usage language to prohibit check cashing, gun selling & other
type establishments from moving to Tosa

Review parking space requirements for New restaurants (ala Mo's)

Choose a location for the New Fire Station so that residents who live
around the Village will know if they have to worry if their homes being taken by the City

Make Stone Pointe Condominiums pay for their clean-up of their own property

Vote for two-year re-assessments to improve the quality and fairness of the tax burden

Invest in a better recycling plant and dump the Waste Management contract.

Fight for existing green space instead of giving MMSD the green light to bulldoze
trees and create West Nile ponds in Tosa.

Shift focus of City Planning from developer to resident