Thinking about Wisconsin
I'm Bill Glauber and this is the Daily Briefing newsletter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sign up here to get it sent to your inbox each morning.
Thursday's weather is looking good, mid-70s and partly cloudy.
Thinking about Wisconsin
Sometimes a question is so obvious, it just stops you cold.
That's the reaction I had while taking the online survey that will help the Milwaukee Public Museum chart its future in its new downtown space.
There were questions about the museum experience, activities and exhibits.
And then there was a simple ask: "What words or phrases come to mind when you think about Wisconsin?"
As a transplant, I went for the obvious:
Barns.
Cows.
Lakes.
But did I miss something really obvious? So I asked our resident expert of all things Wisconsin, reporter Chelsey Lewis, what she would have on the list.
She liked barns. Liked cows. Liked lakes.
But says I missed two things: Beer and cheese.
"Since I've seen most of Wisconsin, I know it's so many more things than some of those stereotypes," she added.
Of course it is. So, do yourself a favor. Take the survey. Maybe skip the stereotypes. And help the museum figure out what it wants to be.
It's September, of course the political races are close
In politics, we're purple. So Wednesday's Marquette University Law School Poll delivered the sort of snapshot a lot of people expected:
The top two races are close heading into Wisconsin's midterms.
Key results among likely voters:
U.S. Senate race: Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson 49%, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes 48%.
Governor race: Democratic Gov. Tony Evers 47%, Republican businessman Tim Michels 44%.
Top quote: "I just assume it's a dead-even race." — Ron Johnson.
Santiago Calatrava returns to Milwaukee
It was an unlikely pairing that produced a magical building in Milwaukee.
And more than 20 years later, famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava returned to the city Monday and the scene of his signature creation, the Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
"It's so well-preserved," Calatrava said of the building.
He added: "The museum is an anchor," as he reflected on the changes in the area near the museum.
Tom Daykin writes about the celebration and all those changes that have helped transform a key part of the city.
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The Rock sports complex is too loud, neighbors say. A sound study is underway.
Main Street Agenda
It's Democracy Day.
We want to point you to a special project. It's called Main Street Agenda. And it's brought to you by The Ideas Lab, Wisconsin Public Radio and the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison.
Here's the genesis of the project, which revolves around a simple question: "What do you want candidates to talk about as they compete for your vote this fall?”
We've received 1,900 responses and we'll be discussing the subjects at four town halls. And you're invited. But you have to register.
►7 p.m., Sept. 21, Centennial Hall, Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch, 733 N. 8th St., Milwaukee. Focus: Is democracy at risk? To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/milwaukeeagenda
►7 p.m., Oct. 6, Ingleside Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee. Focus: Inflation and the state of the U.S. economy. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/pewaukeeagenda
►7 p.m., Oct. 11, Brown County Public Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/greenbayagenda
►7 p.m., Nov. 1, UW Stevens Point–Wausau Campus: UW Center for Civic Engagement, 625 Stewart Ave, Wausau. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/wausauagenda
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Bill Glauber can be reached at (414) 224-2526 or bill.glauber@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BillGlauber.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thinking about Wisconsin
