Our monthly look at Milwaukee shines a light on technology, bikes, beer, Krispy Kreme koffees, YPM, Food Network's recent visit and more. The OMC Buzz, always on top of what's shaking in Milwaukee.

LIGHT IT UP, LIGHT IT UP

Two hundred blue neon lights will be distributed free of charge to selected tech businesses beginning November 13, with the only requirement being that they agree to keep it plugged in and displayed in an exterior window. It's a cool way to showcase the sometimes too silent innovation and tech work going on in and around downtown Milwaukee.

EAST SIDE BIKING

Construction work on a $375,000 bike ramp connection to the Oak Leaf Trail on Milwaukee's East Side began recently. The project will connect the popular East Side below-grade trail to the intersection of North Oakland and East North Avenues via a 400-ft. long asphalt ramp. The project is funded entirely by a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant awarded to Milwaukee County and East Side Business Improvement District #20. The scheduled completion date is May 31, 2003.

Y-NOT NEW YEAR'S EVE?

Word is that the owners are readying the new Y-Not III for a New Year's Eve opening. You can't miss the brightly painted facade on Kenilworth Place behind Beans and Barley.

DOWNTOWN TO SHINE

The 2002 Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival doesn't begin until November 21, but the lights are already going up. Three parks will come alive: Cathedral Square Park, Pere Marquette Park and Zeidler Union Square. Plans for Cathedral Square Park include a Techno-tree Forest with 20 fabric-covered, dramatically lit trees.

JOE AND MO

According to the Journal Sentinel, Bartolotta's has decided to pass on the former Nola's space at O'Donnell Park, 931 E. Wisconsin Ave. That's too bad, but the Buzz hears that both Bartolotta and Johnny V at Mo's are scouting out locations for new downtown restaurants. Stay tuned.

BOSTON LOVES MILWAUKEE

The Boston Globe wrote a glowing piece on our city on October 9 called, "Where art is brewing -- Visual gems divert eyes from the suds scene in Milwaukee." It read, "Walk down Wisconsin Avenue toward the shores of Lake Michigan, and an elaborate white structure starts to emerge, looking like a whale's fluke. Step inside this new addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and you enter the bow of a futuristic boat, all panes of glass and bright white tiles, walls and ribbing, docked at water's edge. Look up, and the whale's tail is now the wings of a bird that, yes, can flap up and down. It's a louvered sunscreen that is used to help control the lighting and temperature inside." Read it all on the Globe's Web site.

BE A PART OF THE PARK EAST

The final public review and adoption process for the ambitious development in and around the crumbling Park East Freeway will take place Thursday, Nov. 14 and Friday, Nov. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. You can check out renderings, videos and schedules of this huge and exciting development.

DOUBLE YOUR GALLERY PLEASURE

Future downtown Gallery Nights might expand into Gallery Weekends with two nights of gallivanting and gallery hopping. The next event is Oct. 18.

PILSNER URQUELL TIME!

OMC has long been a fan of Pilsner Urquell. Now that it is part of the Miller Brewing/SAB Family, the Buzz feels compelled to ask you to sample this fine brew. In the next few months, SABMiller plans to use Miller's distribution network to launch Pilsner Urquell nationally. John J. Taylor III, president of J.J. Taylor Cos., which distributes Miller brands, says Pilsner Urquell has been growing nicely in Minnesota. "I think Pilsner is the one they will work on for the next 12 to 24 months. They are not going to bring anything else in on a national basis," he says.

WALL STREET TAKES TIME OFF FOR MAM

"Leonardo da Vinci and the Splendor of Poland" exhibit made the Wednesday, Oct. 9 edition of the Wall Street Journal. It was listed in the paper's "Time Off/Art" column. The exhibit runs through Nov. 24.

CONTESSA NO LONGA

Contessa Brewer ends her three-year anchor/reporter stay at WTMJ-TV next month and heads for Seattle.

INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR MILWAUKEE DOWNTOWN

Milwaukee Downtown, BID No. 21, works hard to make downtown happen. In recent years the big BID's programs have fueled the re-birth of downtown and really helped to promote the city's vibrant events. Its TIK (traveling information kiosk) won an International award at the International Downtown Association's recent Annual Conference in Boston. Congrats to Beth Nicols and Dave Salkin (whose company designed the TIK) and all at Milwaukee Downtown. More on the TIK here, www.onmilwaukee.com/marketplace/articles/tik.html

BREWERS FINISH FIRST!

Kudos to Pat McIiheran at the Journal Sentinel for compiling Major League Baseball attendance numbers based on metro area populations. You see, when you factor in the size of our area (1.7 million people), the Brewers finished FIRST in MLB attendance this past season with 14,300 per million people coming to each game. Los Angeles and Florida finished last. Again, Milwaukee proves that it supports an outstanding amount of entertainment given its relatively small metropolitan population.

TRENNI TAKES OFF

As OMC reported, Milwaukee will be down to one TV sports gal when Trenni Kusnierek departs for FOX Sports Net later this month.

SPITFIRE SELLS OUT

The Skylight Opera Theatre completely sold out its first production of the 2002-'03 season, "The Spitfire Grill." Said Skylight managing director, Chris Libby, "Presenting a new work is always risky business. After the success of this new work, it is our hope that Milwaukee audience will continue to take the risk with us as we present more new works in the future."

KRISPY COFFEE

What goes better with donuts than coffee? Okay wise guy, cops is another correct answer. Anyway, Krispy Kreme is set to introduce four, new original coffees: Smooth, Rich, Bold and Robust decaf.

MILWAUKEE MOSAIC

To YPM (Young Professionals of Milwaukee) diversity doesn't mean another task force or study. It means people, learning and getting to know one another. On Oct. 22 "Cafe Mosaic" will bring professionals together to discuss how Milwaukee's reputation as a segregated city holds us back as individuals and as a community. The first in a series of mosaic cafes, the event was designed in collaboration with YPM, MULYP, Hispanic Business Council, MARN, UPAF, Public Allies and Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. We guarantee you will meet a mix of people who share a common desire to have positive impact on Milwaukee! Call (414) 287-4100 to be a part of this event.

CONSERVATORY IS EXCELLENT

Each year, the Milwaukee chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives grants its Emerging Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award to an organization that best demonstrates the innovative and creative sales and marketing strategies that comprise the driving force behind its growth. The organization must be in existence for three or more continuous years and must demonstrate growth from 1999 to 2001 as defined by a percentage increase in revenues. This year's winner is the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, for its continuing growth over the past decade, resulting in six years in a row of operating in the black. Through creative marketing and development of new community programs, the number of students grew from 950 in 1993 to 4,744 in 2002. The Conservatory also was able to fund the complete restoration of its historic Prospect Avenue mansion by raising $5.4 million from its supporters.

SIGNS

Robert John, owner of the Renaissance used book store on Plankinton Avenue, is appealing an order of the Commissioner of Neighborhood Services to eliminate his building's blighting effect as required in Section 275-32-1 and remove his abandoned sign as required in Section 244-3-2 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances No. 6272. How's that for legal lingo? And, have you seen the Panera Bread sign on the old John Ernst Café building? Ouch! This is the city, not the suburbs. Hopefully the bread leaves a better taste than the signage.

SIGHTINGS

Milwaukee Buzz staff bumped into a teenager wearing a Milwaukee German Fest T-shirt in Boston recently. A Badgers tee was also spotted on a teen in Asti, in northwestern Italy, last week. A few miles up the road near tiny Portacomaro, there's a Harley Cafe, which stands as a tribute to the world's love of Milwaukee iron. Unfortunately, the same week, Italian television aired a prime time show about mass murders featuring a fair amount of Milwaukee footage, thanks to Jeffrey Dahmer.

KENILWORTH REBIRTH

UWM is seeking proposals for the development of the 500,000-sq. ft. Kenilworth Building on the East Side at 1925 E. Kenilworth Pl. You know, the one with the funky four-piece art work. They want student housing and space for their Arts School.

EAST SIDE BURRITOS

Watch for another Q-Doba to pop up soon on the East Side.

NEW VECCHIO

Café Vecchio Mondo is undergoing renovations and a façade lift/improvement.

PRESS CLUB HALL OF FAME

The Milwaukee Press Club will hold its 23rd Annual Media Hall of Fame Dinner on Oct. 25 at The Wisconsin Club. The following local media vets will be honored: Ed Hinshaw, Colleen "Koky" Dishon, Avery Wittenberger, Jo Sandin, Warren Bovee, Mel Kishner, Ray McBride, Marian B. "Toni" McBride, Howard "Buck" Herzog and Fred Remick. Call (414) 276-2582 for tickets.

SANTA IS COMING

Mark your calendars for Nov. 23. It's the TDS Metrocom Holiday Parade in downtown Milwaukee, and OMC is a proud partner and sponsor.

CHICAGO IS TO NY AS MILWAUKEE IS TO?

If you answered Chicago, you are correct. At least according to a recent Chicago Tribune article. It went like this, "Chicago isn't the only town to suffer Second City Syndrome. Milwaukee's got it bad. Not in relation to New York, but to Chicago. However, thanks to the opening of a dramatic new addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) designed by noted Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the city has been getting the kind of press -- good press -- it hasn't seen in years. Kudos for the museum's addition, which opened last fall, included a thumbs-up from Time magazine."

TOP 5

"The Best Of," Food Network's half-hour television magazine program, visited Milwaukee in July to shoot upcoming editions. On her trip host Jill Cordes shot segments in the categories of: Little Italies (Brady Street: Sciortino's Bakery/Glorioso Brothers Grocery/Vinifera); Take Out (Speed Queen BBQ); Delicious Dives (Real Chili); Fifties Favorites (Leon's Frozen Custard); 24/7 (Ma Fischer's); Cocktails (Safe House); Cheese (Frauchiger's). Leon's will be featured on the "Best Of 50's Favorites" show which airs Monday, Nov. 4 at 9:30 p.m.