Brearly Street Added to Rail Crossing Closures

Posted on September 12, 2012 by TheEastSider

State Rail Commissioner says Livingston and Brearly Crossings must close

Wisconsin’s Railroad Commissioner has ordered both Livingston and Brearly Street crossings closed, leaving five crossings between Blair Street and East Washington Avenues.

Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner Jeff Plale has ordered the closing of two rail crossings along the rail corridor on Madison’s Eastside. Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, which operates the tracks owned by Union Pacific Railroad, had petitioned to close Blount, Livingston, and Brearly crossings in 2009 and Plale had ordered Livingston Street closed earlier this year following a hearing.

The City of Madison was exploring its legal options and during a regular Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission in July options were discussed on a response, but so far nothing has been announced.

Continue reading →

Kjell Erik Anderson (1961 – 2012)

Posted on September 10, 2012 by TheEastSider

Madison East High Aviation educator lived to help others, some into the air

I am very sad to have learned that my friend, Kjell Erik “Da Swede” Anderson, suffered a massive heart attack this morning (September 10, 2012) and passed away, at school here, in Madison. He was 51.

Erik taught Aviation and Band at East High School and Sherman Middle school in Madison, carrying on the proud tradition of educating area youth about aviation.

That was his dream job, but he also taught music in the Milwaukee schools for many years. Regardless of his focus, he always was trying to help young people excel, achieve, succeed, or just survive.

Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Obama Drains it from Three Point Land

Posted on September 6, 2012 by TheEastSider

Oh, its on!

Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for convention. Courtesy: Politico The highly choreographed infomercials that are our political conventions are now over. The Republicans held a distracted and somewhat shrill gathering that was high on complaining and offered little in solutions or more crucial; inspiration that undecideds can take to heart.

The Democrats were highly focused and on message over 90 percent of the time. It was a stronger line-up of surrogates and party stars that made effective pitches. It helps that they have a better brand, incumbency, accomplishments that have solid support by the electorate, and frankly better speech writers. Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Bill Clinton’s Political Potion Number Nine

Posted on September 5, 2012 by TheEastSider

How Bill Clinton seduced Peter Griffin and America

President Barack Obama joins former President Bill Clinton after he gave a rousing speech in support of his reelection. Courtesy: The Washington Times

There is a magic about Bill Clinton. Its obvious there is a sex appeal that women fell for during his entire political life as exhaustively chronicled in the 1990s. But his underlying irresistible mojo has to do with his wonky command of policy details along with his innate ability to communicate to his fellow Americans how these policies impact them.

Clinton’s defense of Barack Obama’s stewardship over the last three years all but eviscerated every Republican attack on Obama’s record. Clinton relished the role because as of late, Republicans were in a way co-opting Clinton’s legacy by praising Clinton on issues like welfare in order to tarnish Obama with a dubious and largely discredited attacks on his welfare policy. Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Michelle Obama Pitch Perfect

Posted on September 4, 2012 by TheEastSider

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention Tuesday September 4, 2012. Courtesy: YahooNews

Schedules kept me from covering the entire evening of speeches, but as one MSNBC Analyst put it, tonight was about speaking to the Democratic base, and reigniting their passion and reminding them why they supported Barack Obama in 2008.

Michelle Obama told a personal story about how their marriage began and the journey they took to the presidency. Obama showed that that journey was a familiar one for Americans in that it was done with student loans, low-paying jobs, and support from family members.

It was an important picture to paint, saying that Barack Obama understands your situation best, mostly because he has largely lived the same life that many Americans have. Continue reading →

Scott ‘Baghdad Bob’ Walker

Posted on September 2, 2012 by TheEastSider

Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf a.k.a “Baghdad Bob” was the Iraqi Information Minister under Saddam Hussein.

I’ve been wanting to write a post involving “Baghdad Bob” for quite a while and now I think I’ve finally found a reason. If you don’t know who former Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf is, he was the face of the Iraqi regime during the beginning of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein was nowhere to be found but al-Sahaf, dubbed “Baghdad Bob” by the American press, was on the television spinning fantastic lies about how the war was going for Iraq.

It was of course going badly but you had to respect the man for doing his duty until the end. But what dictator survives without his very dedicated communications staff, and Bob’s role was to obsfucate the truth as much as possible.

Continue reading →

LiveBlog Wrap: Optimistic Nostalgia

Posted on August 30, 2012 by TheEastSider

Romney gives speech with few details, goes full neo-con on foreign policy

Mitt Romney gives his nomination speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on August 30, 2012. Courtesy: FoxNews.com

On a night when Romney had to appear human and the Republican party appear inclusive, it sort of happened. The line-up of Romney warm-up speakers strained to present a party that was inclusive of women and minorities. Several speakers rolled out sentences and whole paragraphs of Spanish to prove they like people that are not white. Then they were put back in their cages. Continue reading →

Skysurfer Ready to Test Jet Wing

Posted on August 30, 2012 by TheEastSider

Former MTV Stuntman Troy Hartman ready for Phase 2 of flight testing

Troy Hartman tests his Personal Jetpack as part of Phase 2 testing for his Jet Wing, which will be powered by the two UAV engines that are strapped to his back. Courtesy: Troy Hartman

Do you remember in the late 1990s a Super Bowl ad featuring a goose drinking Pepsi, aerial refueling style from a guy flying next to him, his feet strapped to a snowboard? The ad was the tops for the Super Bowl in 1998 and remains one of the best all-time for Super Bowls ads. By then sky surfing, which is what the man in that ad was doing, was a worldwide sport and Troy Hartman was its champion. Continue reading →

LiveBlog Wrap: Ryan’s Night of Lies

Posted on August 29, 2012 by TheEastSider

Ryan avoids truth telling in acceptance speech, Maddow owns Walker in interview

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan speaks before the Republican National Convention Wednesday night August, 29, 2012. In accepting the Republican nomination for Vice-President, it was his first major national speech. Courtesy: Politico.com

Below is a summary of WSB’s live blog of the RNC convention from Wednesday night, August 29, 2012. We joined the evening speeches when Former National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice addressed the convention. She was followed by New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez who gave way to one of the Tea Party’s kingmakers Mike Huckabee. The final speech was given by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as he accepted the Republican nomination for Vice-President.

Probably the most entertaining part of the evening was seeing Scott Walker get grilled by MSNBC anchors Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz after Ryan’s speech. Walker, who has been hailed as a hero this week probably expected to go on television, spew his prepared talking points to the floor reporter, smile his dopey smile, and move on. Continue reading →

C.D. Smith / EUA Withdraw Union Corners Proposal

Posted on August 27, 2012 by TheEastSider

The C.D. Smith Construction/Eppstein Uhen Architects proposal includes a plan for a grocery store. EUA also designed the Goodman Community Center.

In an email to City of Madison officials C.D. Smith Vice-President Mike Krolczyk said the firm was withdrawing their proposal for Union Corners due to “specific market conditions” and other opportunities they were pursuing.

C.D. Smith partnered with Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) on their proposal which included a grocery store as part of the retail component of the site, however the plan did not depart much from a 2004 plan that failed before ground was ever broken. EUA has history in the neighborhood as just over the hill to the east of Union Corners is the recently redesigned Goodman Community Center, which was an EUA project.

Union Corners had been dying a slow death for decades as businesses struggled to exist on that corner and Ray-O-Vac’s manufacturing plant faded away. In 2010 the city purchased the site for $3.57 million and issued an RFP in June. The remaining proposals vary in cost, topping out at $108 million with public assistance requests as much as $15 million, which the Mayor said may be difficult to provide.

With C.D. Smith / EUA dropping out only the team of Livesey / Stonehouse remains to present to the Union Corners Committee which will take place August 29. A public hearing on the four active proposals is on September 12, 2012 at 5 p.m at the Madison Senior Center.

Related: Where the Sidewalk Ends