Holiday Cheer: FUEL Milwaukee and MMAC members celebrated the holidays with a soiree at the new Hilton Garden Inn, once the historic Loyalty Building. The crowd brought toys for MargaretAnn’s Place, networked, partied and toured the beautifully rehabbed facility.
FUEL’s executive director Corry Joe Biddle and events manager Jessica Quintanilla welcomed attendees, while Quintanilla’s husband, Carlos, snapped photos. FUEL members there included Robert Foster, chair of U.S. Transportation Energy and Technology Alliance (USTETA); commercial banker Francisco Sanchez; Sarah Stevens of I Do Photography; web designer Lori Highby, owner of Keystone Click; and newcomer Nora Dix from San Francisco. Mingling were BuySeasons’s Margaret Drake, Molina Healthcare’s Alexandria Alvarado, Tyra McFarland and Voloria Jackson. B&D then checked out the hotel’s bar, running into Tom Matthews, Trowbridge Street School’s principal.
The evening still young, B&D next headed to Bacchus and happened upon a jolly Christmas-do in the Cudahy Tower’s cozy lobby. Partying were Moira Fitzgerald, Karen Drummond, historian E.J. Brumder, Julie Cudahy, Jennifer Segel and Turner Kunkel and Reuben and Mildred Harpole. Longtime Cudahy employees Rick Mundt and Ronnie Stepanski supervised.
In Praise of Equality: Equality Wisconsin held a holly-holiday celebration at Israel Ramon and David Marstellar’s gracious home. Executive director Jason Burns provided an upbeat update, thanking Adam Stoffel for his website design and praising staffers Emily Bunzel, Baraq Stein, Mike Strong and Deon Young for their year’s hard work.
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Speakers included Richard Carlbom, who ran the successful campaign to defeat Minnesota’s proposed same-sex marriage ban, and former state Sen. Gary Goyke, who spearheaded Wisconsin’s 1982 law that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Also attending were state Rep. Jon Richards, Circuit Court Judge Carolina Stark, Cream City Foundation chief Paul Fairchild, Kevin Flaherty and Paul Williams. Chatting were Palillrah Goodwin, glam in a full fox coat, and Corey Ellison. Circuit Court Judge Bill Pocan gathered names for his upcoming judicial race.
What a Drag!: At Boom & The Room, the one and only KV (Karen Valentine) hosted her annual Yule extravaganza, rotating through three flamboyant costume changes. Other talent included Maple Veneer, Corky Morgan, Goldie Adams and Baby Jane Hudson. Bartenders “Bodacious” Burt Gross and “Loquation” Lance VanOvermeiren were kept hopping. Circulating were Roger Krawiecki, Marshall Eheler, Tim Goulet, Joe Kender, Kevin Rude, Mark Krueger and Tony Torti, whose stepdaughter Jordin Baas is auditioning for “The Voice.” KV’s neighbor, Roland Hoffmann, Blue Harbor Resort & Spa sales manager, was also there, as were Donnie Johnson and Bill Wardlow.
Great Art: The new exhibit at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, “Revealed: Private Collections from the Jewish Community,” featured prized possessions of 18 Milwaukeeans. Selections ranged from Neena and Rick Florsheim’s silver spoons to Jody Kaufman Loewenstein’s Kiddush cups and Marie and Jim Seder’s primitives.
Exhibits coordinator Molly Dubin led a “Chavarah” (friends group) from Congregation Shalom. Among them was a Couples Club: museum docent Judy Naimon and her husband, Burt; Ann and Jordan Fox, Ralph and Annette Evans and Herb and Dorothy Cummins.
At the museum’s members-only sneak preview, Ellen Flesch described her contemporary art selections, Sheri Levin showcased her dreidels and Bob Melton highlighted his political memorabilia. Also attending were collectors Kay and Richard Yuspeh and Suzy Ettinger, along with artist David Lenz and Barbara Stein, who owns his work. QR codes on the works linked to interviews with the collectors. The facility also has an intriguing permanent collection reflecting Milwaukee’s Jewish history.
Later, B&D ran into Shelly Schnupp and her husband, Steve Daily, who is now the executive director of the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. The late Avrum M. Chudnow’s collections are displayed in his historic house.
Progressives Party: Grassroots Northshore celebrated its eighth anniversary, the holidays, the re-election of President Obama and Tammy Baldwin’s senatorial snare. The group’s “spiritual leader” Keith Schmitz talked about the state’s future, while honorary guest Gus Gnorski quipped about the political scene. Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Ed Fallone stumped, scooping up nomination signatures.
Stopping in were the organization’s volunteer co-leaders, Joe Messinger and Ginny Goode, office manager Eilene Stevens and her husband, Mark, Shirley Horowitz and a slew of steering committee members including Martha Pincus, Norma Gilson and Darcy Gustavsson. Talking politics were Tammy Bockhorst, who is running for Shorewood trustee, plus Sheldon Wasserman, Youthaiti’s Gigi Pomerantz, Nathaniel Haack, United Wisconsin political director Erik Kirkstein, and Jeremy Mitchell.
Tidbits: Louise and Alexander Kempe are the proud parents of Seth, 9, and Alexia, 7, who won the prestigious 2012 Toy and Game Inventor (TAGIE) Award for young inventor of the year for their work on HoodiePet. The kids were honored at an awards gala in Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.
When stopping at Dr. Dawg for delicious Kobe beef dogs and beer with Jane and Dr. Bob Gleeson, restaurateur Dave Ross mentioned he is looking forward to the opening of his new Dawg spot in Greenfield.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the Jan. 10, 2013, issue of the Shepherd.
