The Daily Reporter articles from October 2004

The Daily Reporter archives from October 2004

Milwaukee Community Service Corps sponsors Hard-Hatted Women work crews.
October 1, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Chris Litzau, executive director of the Milwaukee Community Service Corps, said he and others with the organization had noticed something peculiar. "For several years, we always ran mix-gendered crews, and we...

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission criticized at hearing.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The city of Milwaukee and area groups that opposed the plan to expand freeways in Milwaukee County united against the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission during its federal recertification hearing Tuesday....

Supreme Court to decide whether widows' jury award was too much.
October 5, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Later this month, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether a Milwaukee jury awarded too much money to the wives of the three ironworkers who died building Miller Park. In December 2000, a...

Pabst Brewing files trademark-infringement suit against developers.
October 5, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Last week, Pabst Brewing filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against the developers of PabstCity, who have been negotiating for the Pabst naming rights since December 2002 but haven't signed an agreement. In...

Milwaukee Common Council OKs Dept. of City Development Commissioner nominee.
October 6, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A Milwaukee Common Council committee Tuesday approved Department of City Development Commissioner nominee Rocky Marcoux, who said he wants to improve DCD's relationship with aldermen and developers. "I intend to shape...

State to require apprentices on projects.
October 6, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state government is preparing to update and begin enforcement of a decades-old executive order requiring apprentices on state projects. The state Department of Workforce Development recently released a draft...

Commentary: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's leaky report.
October 6, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale To no one's surprise, the mayor's so-called independent Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District audit report exonerated the MMSD from any blame for dumping 4.6 billion gallons of waste into Lake Michigan. The deep...

Prevailing-wage changes debated.
October 7, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state Department of Workforce Development is battling the clock in its effort to revise the state's prevailing-wage law in time for the next round of wage calculations. On Wednesday, the Assembly Labor...

Vote delayed on Milwaukee's Main Street program.
October 7, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee's Community and Economic Development Committee delayed voting on the Main Street Milwaukee development program to wait for a more detailed assessment of how many jobs it could generate. For the past year,...

Commentary: Who determines workers' comp rates?
October 7, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney Back in the early 1990s, there was a crisis in the workers' compensation insurance market. Rates were rising quickly, and fewer and fewer carriers were interested in writing workers' compensation insurance in our...

Wis. legislative panel discusses linking transportation networks.
October 8, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell A looming lack of funding will play a central role in a special legislative committee's investigation into beefing up and linking the state's various transportation networks. But the panel's chairman said that...

Steamfitters union and contractors assn. volunteer to prepare Dane County homes for winter.
October 8, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan This Saturday, more than 80 steamfitters from Local 601 will volunteer to do furnace safety checks and install carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in 80 Dane County homes. "It's completely a donated service," said Local...

Town of Richfield likes proposed 100-acre commercial, industrial park.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The town of Richfield is embracing Helsan Development's proposed 100-acre commercial and industrial park, which will begin early construction work this year. "This is the first shot at bringing in a first-class...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 11, 2004.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Dick Snow The opportunity to visit old friends and prolong the summer days was just too much to forgo so we gave ourselves a little R and R by attending the Annual Fall Meeting of the Associated General Contractors of America in...

Smart Commute pilot program offered in Milwaukee.
October 12, 2004... Byline: Dick Snow Fannie Mae brought its Smart Commute pilot program to Milwaukee so homeowners in the area can receive better mortgages in return for riding public transit. "Our goal is to see this mainstreamed in trend mortgage...

Construction industry expected to increase employment in coming decades.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The construction industry figures to be one of the state's biggest employers in the coming decade, according to recent government projections. Both in the number of new workers the industry will take on and the...

Nonprofit developer making transition into building affordable homes.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan After four years of building a reputation by using federal funds to rehabilitate housing, Milwaukee's West End Development Corp. is successfully making the transition into building affordable homes from scratch. "It...

Commentary: Presidential debate: Domestic issues said and unsaid.
October 13, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale This evening, the final presidential debate will focus on domestic issues. What will be interesting is if the candidates opt for sound bites or whether the fundamental differences between the candidates will come...

Potawatomi challenges Kenosha casino.
October 14, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Despite denying opposition to a Kenosha casino, the Forest County Potawatomi Community is forming a group to lobby voters against a countywide Nov. 2 referendum. The nonbinding referendum will guide local...

N. Wisconsin Regional Council of Carpenters breaks ground in Madison on training center.
October 15, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The Northern Wisconsin Regional Council of Carpenters on Thursday broke ground in Madison on what the union hopes will be the "third link in the chain" of training centers. The Carpenters union nationally has...

Columbia St. Mary's expansion planned.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Candace Doyle Columbia St. Mary's announced plans to double the size of its Ozaukee Campus in Mequon. The proposed $100 million project will transform the 106-bed community hospital into a full-service, acute-care facility with...

Dept. of Workforce Development refusing to withdraw prevailing-wage law proposal.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The Department of Workforce Development is refusing to bow to a legislator's request that it withdraw a proposed change to the state's prevailing-wage law. On Monday, Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Palmyra, chairman of the...

Commentary: ACE Mentor Program created to aid construction work force.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Mike Fabishak Appreciating the important need to provide a sustained flow of construction professionals into our industry, the Allied Construction Employers Association and Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee have...

Commentary: Construction and the American Dream.
October 20, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Economist Bruce Bartlett wrote recently about the American Dream - whether people still believe in it, is it achievable and what it means. For most people, the American Dream means a good job and financial...

Commentary: Maintaining water quality needs plan.
October 21, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney Groundwater is a vital resource for the area's residents and business enterprises. Groundwater sustains our lakes and rivers and contributes to the natural beauty of Wisconsin. It is critical that we protect the...

Energy industry coming together to meet challenges.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan After releasing the Public Service Commission's six-year forecast of Wisconsin's electricity needs, Chairwoman Burnie Bridge said the energy industry is coming together to meet its challenges. "I think we're staying...

U of Wisconsin-River Falls student union project falls short of funds.
October 22, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Rising material prices put the state university officials in the awkward position of having to reduce the scope of the project while still seeking more money for the job. In August, the state opened bids for a...

WisDOT honors 9 DBE companies, 7 individuals on Marquette Interchange project.
October 25, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan At the Department of Transportation's annual Secretary's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Awards Luncheon, officials said business development on Marquette Interchange is working but that greater challenges lie ahead....

Church being rebuilt after fire.
October 26, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Redeemer United Church of Christ in Sussex is trying to raise an environmentally friendly church out of the ashes of its original building, which burned down in March. "Many of us feel it's almost a blessing to have a...

Wisconsin Center District may delay capital projects.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A harsh and competitive 2004 convention market is leading the Wisconsin Center District to consider delaying capital projects in 2005 to keep its budget balanced. "2004 has not been an exceptionally good year for us;...

Commentary: Remembering the presidents of recent history.
October 27, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Successful leaders and managers know that achieving long-term goals works better than putting out fires. In a few days, we have a chance to decide on a person whose leadership and decision-making may impact...

Children's Hospital of Wisc. and Medical College of Wisconsin planning research facility.
October 28, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin, playing off the state's rising status as a biotechnology center, are teaming up to build a $117 million research facility in Wauwatosa. Late last...

Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin meeting focuses on funding.
October 29, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Transportation advocates are gearing up for the next state budget, making a case for increased spending while also preparing to fight against cuts. An overarching theme at Thursday's annual meeting of the...