It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.

Gig Simulator and Arts @ Large Inc. will host a youth open mic called “Jam House” from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10 at 1100 S. Fifth St. Students will be able to showcase their musical talents, such as singing or playing an instrument. More information here.

The Garden District Association, Ald. Scott Spiker and the Department of Public Works are collaborating to host the third annual tree mulching and non-working Christmas lights collection from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 11 between South Sixth Street and West Norwich Avenue. Residents can bring their holiday trees to be mulched and Christmas lights will be recycled. More information here.

Friends of Havenwoods State Forest invites adults to bring a project they are working on and meet other crafters. This open craft session will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 6141 N. Hopkins St. Coffee and tea are provided, but feel free to bring other refreshments. More information here.

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and Kinnickinnic Neighbors in Action are giving residents an opportunity to  learn about energy usage, climate change and more from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2677 S. 16th St. During this session, each household will receive a free energy kit. Click here to register. More information here.

Adults are welcome to come relax with coffee, music, coloring and more from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Milwaukee Public Library Villard Square Branch, 5190 N. 35th St. More information here.

The newest “tourist attraction” in Milwaukee is the abandoned boat stuck since October at Bradford Beach. With 60 Google Reviews as of Thursday and listed as a “tourist attraction” on Google Maps, the location lovingly named “The Minnow” – a reference to the S.S. Minnow of Gilligan’s Island notoriety – has a perfect 5-star rating.

Nate Weiss, listed as a Local Guide on his Google account, wrote that visiting the beached boat is “a uniquely Milwaukee experience.” There’s actually two Google Map listings for the abandoned vessel. The other, terrifically labeled a “religious destination,” unfortunately is uncreatively titled “Milwaukee boat.”

The Minnow’s actual name is Deep Thought. The 33-footer slid ashore Oct. 13. Its owners, identified by WISN-TV as Richard and Sherry Wells of Mississippi, reportedly got caught up in a storm and ran out of gas. They were rescued, but efforts to pull it free thus far have been unsuccessful. Now with the shoreline ice thickening, there’s no hope of dislodging it until spring.

Here are some of our favorite takes social media has had in the past 90 days about Milwaukee’s favorite Minnow:

Jon Proves He’s a Local

From the Google Reviews…

“There can be a bit of a wait, but the atmosphere is so electric the time flies by! Be sure to spend the extra $25 for the bottomless mimosas,” wrote Google userJoshua Sheeran. (It should be noted that there are no bottomless mimosas, or any other beverages offered by the non-existent crew of the beached boat. In fact, it’s probably best if you don’t eat or drink anything found in Bradford Beach’s sand. And definitely don’t kiss Ginger if she’s wearing her new lipstick.)

Exorbitant Rates!

Somebody Call Mr. Lightfoot

Dustin Schmaus thinks Gordon Lightfoot should come back from the grave to sonically eulogize Milwaukee’s Minnow: “It’s not the Edmund Fitzgerald, but it’ll do,” Schmaus wrote in his Google review.

Perhaps Summing it up Best

From Chris Merkel via Google: “This is absolutely everything you expect from a beached boat. Boat. Water. Beach. Sometimes fish.”

A new local clothing brand, Unfinished Legacy, staged a video shoot in front of the boat.

We Do Too, Tom…

We do too.

Following a frustrating loss in Chicago, the Spurs looked to get back in the win column against the Bucks on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, Milwaukee’s hot shooting led them to a 121-105 blowout victory, pushing San Antonio’s losing streak to three.

Despite the disappointing result, the Spurs started the game with a bang. Wemby was unsurprisingly at the center of attention, as he blocked Giannis on the first defensive possession before making a one-legged three. San Antonio used their ball movement to score from all three levels, while the Bucks relied on their outside shooting due to Wemby’s interior presence. As soon as the Alien was subbed out, though, Milwaukee went on a mini-run to break open an otherwise close game.

That trend continued in the second quarter as the Bucks built up an insurmountable lead. Milwaukee was only up by a point when Wemby sat halfway through the quarter, but by the time he came back, San Antonio was already down by 15. The offense completely stalled without Wemby’s interior presence, and it’s not a coincidence that San Antonio scored on their first possession with the big man back on the court. Unfortunately, the Bucks continued to build momentum, as they hit four threes in the final minutes of the half to build a double-digit lead.

Even so, the Spurs didn’t give up. CP3, specifically, caught fire in the third by hitting multiple threes to cut the deficit to under 10. San Antonio began playing with renewed vigor and looked to make a comeback, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Spurs’ execution was just a bit off all night: their passes and timing were always an inch short and a second late. As a result, Milwaukee soon rebuilt their lead, and the competitive portion of the game was over.

The starters for both teams stayed in the game at the beginning of the fourth, before the result became inevitable and key players started subbing off. It was a disappointing result in what was a highly anticipated game, and San Antonio is now left to regroup before their showdown in LA on Saturday night.

Game notes

• Wemby had his worst game in over a month, finishing with just 10 points on 4-10 shooting. He actually started the game with three highlight reel plays in the first six minutes but looked quite lethargic the rest of the night. This is just one game, but it’s still worth monitoring how engaged he looks on Saturday against the Lakers. Remember, Wemby posted a 5×5 the day after he scored just six points on five shots back in late October.
• Interestingly, the Spurs seemed to dislike the Wemby-Giannis matchup. Mitch Johnson made sure that Wemby was on the court at the start of the second quarter when Giannis sat, though that might just be both teams’ regular rotations. However, considering that Wemby looked the most engaged when guarding Giannis (he blocked him three times), it was still a bit surprising to see him play more as a roamer on defense. The Greek Freak was unsurprisingly most hesitant to attack the rim with Wemby on him, so the game might’ve been different had they been matched up more often.
• Keldon Johnson had a great game off the bench, as he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 boards on 7-15 shooting. On a night when most of the team lacked energy, Big Body brought some much-needed juice.
• Another bright spot? How about the Point God, who had 18 points and seven assists while making five out of six threes. Even at 39, CP tried to will the young team to make a comeback, and he’s at no fault for the end result.

Play of the game

What the heck even is this???

Next game: at Lakers on Saturday

The Spurs will look to get back in the win column on Saturday as they take on a Lakers team that has also lost two straight.