Milwaukee, WI
After the latest delay on the Milwaukee city flag, an alderman proposes a city-wide vote
The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday again delayed a vote on changing the official city flag to “Sunrise Over the Lake,” this time with the measure’s sponsor saying he planned to pursue a change in the City Charter to allow the flag to go to a binding referendum in April.
However, whether a referendum is legally feasible remains to be seen, and other council members raised concerns about the broader implications of changing the city’s most important legal document that is akin to its constitution.
Ald. Peter Burgelis, who revived the debate over changing the Milwaukee flag this summer, said he had talked with other council members and others in recent weeks. (The council delayed a vote last month after a heated hourlong debate.)
“Given the conversations we had, I think the best path forward would be to put this question to voters and let voters decide,” he said.
The People’s Flag, as “Sunrise Over the Lake” is known, depicts the sun rising over Lake Michigan. Under the legislation Burgelis put forward, the change would take place as of Jan. 31, 2025.
Referendum on Milwaukee city flag faces unsure path
It is unclear whether it would be within the city’s power to put a referendum like the one Burgelis has proposed on the ballot.
Under a change he put forward and then withdrew Tuesday, the flag legislation would have been amended to direct the city Election Commission to place a binding referendum on the April 2025 ballot.
Such a referendum, however, “is not supported by state law,” according to an email City Attorney Evan Goyke sent to Burgelis Monday night.
The question cannot be placed on the April ballot without a change in state law or, theoretically, a change in the City Charter to adopt a process for such a step, Goyke told the Journal Sentinel. The latter option would require additional legal work from the City Attorney’s Office to determine whether it is feasible, he said.
And, even if a Charter change would offer a path to referendum, it is unclear whether enough council members would support a change.
Ald. Jonathan Brostoff said he objected to sending a decision on something like the city flag to referendum.
“If that’s the case, why do we make decisions on much more important things?” he asked.
Ald. Robert Bauman said sending the flag to a binding referendum would set a precedent for sending any number of issues to such a referendum.
“I think that’s a very bad precedent, particularly if it only takes only a majority vote,” he said.
Burgelis after the meeting framed such referendums as an avenue for direct democracy after state legislators last y year banned local governments from putting advisory referendums on the ballot. (The law left in place an exception for capital expenditures proposed to be funded by the property tax levy, according to Goyke’s memo.)
Questions of equity, inclusion in city flag process persist
Tuesday’s meeting followed at times tense discussions last month at council and at the Steering and Rules Committee, which recommended the legislation on a 5-3 vote.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Burgelis sent his colleagues a nine-page memo that sought to answer questions council members had raised about the proposed flag’s design, whether the selection process was equitable, how much the change would cost and more.
Burgelis argued in the memo that the flag selection process was equitable and inclusive. The city’s chief equity officer disagreed.
Burgelis wrote that the design initiative was publicized by all major news outlets locally as well as on social media, more than 1,000 designs were submitted by members of the public, the judges on the selection panel were chosen based on their knowledge of design, history or flags and that the rating process for the five final designs was active for two weeks and open to the public.
“Given the foregoing, it is clear that the selection process that was followed to identify the People’s Flag design was even more comprehensive and inclusive than a City-managed process would have been,” he wrote.
Among the concerns that have been raised, including by Mayor Cavalier Johnson, was that the sun rising over the lake was a sight not equally afforded to all residents across this racially segregated city.
“While that may unfortunately be true, part of the vision for the People’s Flag is that it can be a symbol of a city looking towards the future, where all members of the community can enjoy the water resources that make Milwaukee special,” Burgelis wrote in the memo.
He also said the flag’s rising sun is an element “visible from every neighborhood in the city, and can be interpreted as our commitment that every resident of the city be given a fresh start and a bright future.”
It is unclear whether Johnson would sign the legislation. Last month he said there ought to be more conversation about using an image of the lake, when Black and Latino Milwaukeeans do not have the same access to it.
In a separate memo, Chief Equity Officer Bernadette Karanja wrote that it is important to include the opinions of children and parents in ZIP codes not exposed to Lake Michigan or the city’s rivers.
“If I was to use an anecdotal representation of the proposed Flag’s acceptance, then, I would subjectively and anecdotally observe that this flag is flown predominantly on the East Side of Milwaukee,” she wrote. “I would also subjectively observe, there’s little to no representation of this flag on the North and immediate Southsides of Milwaukee where Black and Brown people reside.”
She raised concerns about the extent to which the voices of low-income residents and people of color were included in the flag’s selection process.
Karanja included in her recommendations the creation of processes through which the preferences of people of color are accurately represented in decision-making on “a Flag that will be representative of Milwaukee for hundreds of years.”
“It may likely be that when all people are included in an evidence-based manner that this flag is chosen again,” she wrote. “This will only affirm its relevance to all communities of Milwaukee. However, it is my humble opinion, that the data we have thus far does not provide this evidence.”
Cost of City of Milwaukee flag replacement could range depending on work done
As for the cost, a city fiscal analysis found that it would be about $800 to replace flags currently flown at 13 locations by the Department of Public Works, Police Department and the Mayor’s Office.
Burgelis’ memo said a group of donors had offered to cover the replacement cost.
It would be much more expensive to replace the seals on Department of Public Works vehicles, but only if they were replaced all at once on existing equipment. The department’s current seal incorporates the city’s existing flag.
To replace all the seals at once would cost an estimated $463,750. There would be no extra cost to change the decals if they were phased out as the existing vehicles were replaced.
Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.
MILWAUKEE – The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Milwaukee and all of southeastern Wisconsin from noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday, with heat index values expected to reach the upper 90s to around 100 degrees.
While the advisory is expected to end Wednesday evening, hot and humid conditions are forecast to continue through the remainder of the week.
Forecast conditions can change, so everyone is encouraged to monitor local forecasts and follow guidance from the National Weather Service.
Milwaukee County cooling sites
What we know:
Cooling sites are available throughout Milwaukee County.
For an updated list of cooling locations, heat safety information, and resources on preventing heat-related illness, visit the City of Milwaukee website or call 211.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Staying safe during extreme heat
What you can do:
Stay cool
- Limit outdoor activities, especially during the hottest part of the day.
- Spend time in air-conditioned buildings whenever possible such as libraries, shopping centers, or community centers.
- If you have an air conditioner, make sure it is installed and working properly.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
- Take cool showers or baths, or use cool, wet towels to lower body temperature.
- Fans may provide comfort but should not be relied upon as the primary cooling method during extreme heat.
Stay hydrated
- Drink water regularly, even if you do not feel thirsty.
- Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Encourage children, older adults, and others at higher risk to drink fluids throughout the day.
Protect yourself and others
- Never leave children, older adults, or pets unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside a parked vehicle can become deadly within minutes.
- Check on older neighbors, family members, and others who may need assistance staying cool.
- Many public cooling sites are located along Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) routes. Visit RideMCTS.com for transit information.
Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Heat exhaustion may include:
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness or fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Fainting
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Symptoms may include:
- High body temperature
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Confusion
- Rapid pulse
- Loss of consciousness
Call 911 immediately if someone is experiencing signs of heat stroke.
For additional hot weather safety information, visit the City of Milwaukee website.
The Source: City of Milwaukee Health Department sent FOX6 the information.
Milwaukee, WI
Squire Robinson leads a new generation of Milwaukee artists with his distinctly bold style
In a cavernous attic studio stands Squire Robinson.
Next to him on the ground is an unfinished painting of his. Hung above him are numerous paintings that he’s finished in the past year.
The walls are filled with works of art, crafted by the various artists who also call 100% MKE, a nonprofit arts studio and workspace at 217 N. Broadway, home.
Robinson’s art doesn’t just stand among them – it stands out.
Maybe it’s the saturated reds that prevail in each of his pieces.
Maybe it’s the bold strokes that create the even bolder figures that call his paintings home.
Either way, Robinson’s art has a tangible effect for those with the eyes to see.
“Sometimes the most important piece of art is that you feel. His art makes you feel,” Richard Badger Jr. said. Badger, who goes by the artist name Coyote Rich, is also an artist in residence at 100% MKE.
Robinson first fell in love with art through his grandfather, who painted signs for corner stores. Early memories of drawing contests with his grandfather enchanted Squire into the art world.
Later, Robinson drew comics and superhero characters, foreshadowing the powerful figures he paints today.
“My style has always been there, it’s just evolution, it grows and changes,” Robinson said.
Robinson, a 2024 graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, has always had a certain fascination with Renaissance-era paintings.
Yet despite his appreciation of the style, something was missing.
“I appreciated the technique and skill, but I just couldn’t really relate to it,” Robinson said.
For him, the lack of diversity made the style feel distant.
Black culture in art
Now, Robinson’s style flows through the powerful Black people he paints.
“I took some of that flavor and remixed it to something that is more me,” Robinson said. “My inspiration comes from Black culture, music and my dreams.”
Robinson’s own personality is vehemently present in each of his pieces.
“His art has a very strong personality behind it,” said Nelle Speerschneider, a co-founding board member of 100% MKE.
By the end of a lengthy creative process, Robinson’s pieces are saturated with color and shapes that make viewers stop and stare. For Robinson, that’s the goal.
“To me, good art is when you can just stare at it and sit with it and think,” Robinson said. “If you see my work and walk right past it, then I didn’t do something right.”
Music and the flow state
Robinson said when he is met with a blank canvas, he doesn’t begin with a person or a setting; he starts with the mood. Then, with the help of music, he lets his art flow.
“I don’t try to contain the style, it’s just all me,” Robinson said.
Music is a big deal for Robinson. So much so that he can’t paint without it. Robinson’s taste in music, from classical and jazz to his love for Kendrick Lamar, seeps into his art.
“Squire’s art makes me feel like music,” Badger said.
Robinson said music helps him loosen up and get out of a funk.
“It helps me escape and enter that flow state,” Robinson said.
He said music supports his ethereal creative process.
“Sometimes when I paint, I feel like I’m being guided by something higher than me,” Robinson said.
Milwaukee made
As a young figure in the Milwaukee art scene, Robinson wears the city on his sleeve.
“Growing up in Milwaukee made me hard in the sense of staying true to myself,” Robinson said.
At 100% MKE, Robinson offers a unique voice. “It’s nice to have his youthful and urban take in the studio,” Speerschneider said.
Badger said young artists like Robinson are vital for pushing the scene forward.
“They’re the driving force of what Milwaukee looks and feels like,” he said.
Future goals
Going forward, Robinson wants to become an art therapist, someone who uses the medium of art to process emotional challenges.
“Art has always been a way to self-express and get my own feelings out,” Robinson said. “That’s why the tone of my paintings matters the most, because those feelings are what I’m trying to evoke.”
As for his art career, Robinson says his finest work is yet to come.
“I haven’t created my best one yet.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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Milwaukee, WI
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