Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• What is it with Milwaukee and elusive animals? Lions, turkeys, iguanas, and wild Milverines have all made headlines in recent months and years. Now, add to that list a mysterious pony that may or may not be hanging around a south side neighborhood. Even worse, it’s smelly.
A Facebook video published earlier this week shows what appears to be a pony standing in an alley on the 2000 block of South 18th Street. WISN investigated the scene and found one peeved neighbor (“It was stinky,”) a bunch of pony poop, and some hay bales. Oh, and they talked to the woman who apparently owns the illegal pony. “The woman didn’t want to give her name, nor the name of the pony,” WISN noted.
According to officials at the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, domestic livestock in the city is prohibited. Residents are being urged to report any future pony sightings to the Department of Neighborhood Services. (And yeah, we know that Li’l Sebastian was a miniature horse, and not a pony. For more on the “Horse or pony?” debate, click here.) [WISN]
• A new middle-sized music venue is coming to Walker’s Point. Jim Rice and business partner Jay Stamates hope to open Walker’s Point Music Hall in the former site of Gibraltar (538 W. National Ave.) this October. Rice has worked as the operations manager at Summerfest’s Rebel Stage for the past 11 years. [OnMilwaukee]
• Domino’s Pizza gave Milwaukee a cool $5,000 to fix some potholes. According to the Department of Public Works, the money will pay for 50 tons of asphalt, and can be used to fill 200 potholes. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Fiserv Forum will celebrate its grand opening Sunday, August 26. More than 40,000 people have signed up for free tickets to take a sneak peek at the place. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Fresh from getting kicked out of Walmart, the ever-busy Brett Newski (and drummer Matt Spatola) played an impromptu show at a Family Dollar in Cudahy. Things went pretty well! [Shepherd Express]
• Downtown restaurant Louise’s will close this weekend, but the space—well, some of the space—won’t be empty for long. Next door neighbor This Is It! will expand into one-third of the former Louise’s. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Eight producers remixed a single Guerrilla Ghost track, “Everybody Rap.” Guerrilla Ghost’s upcoming album, Perpetually Sad Motion Machine, is set for a November 23 release. In the meantime, catch them this Saturday at Triple Eye Industries Fest. [Music & Riots]
• View MKE—a.k.a. the new restaurant in the former Wolf Peach site—will unveil a 3,000-square-foot outdoor dining patio on August 30. “We’re creating a truly special outdoor space that invites our guests to relax and enjoy all that Milwaukee has to offer, from exceptional cuisine, to laid-back time together, to breathtaking views of the city,” View MKE co-owner Carl Tomich told the Milwaukee Business Journal. The patio will be known as “The Back Yard.” [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Bronzeville has seen a lot of development in recent years, and may eventually see a streetcar expansion. [Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service]
• Scrimshaw’s latest song/video is everything. [YouTube]
• The president of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra isn’t a fan of the Miller High Life Theatre. (But “Double Dare Live”!) [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• East Side mainstay Kashou Carpets will close at the end of November—after a stunning 108 years in business. “All I can say is, ‘Thank you, Amazon,'” said store owner Robert Kashou, who owns the building and is searching for a new business to set up shop there. [BizTimes]
• Foxconn is altering its deal with Wisconsin. Pray they don’t alter it any further. [Urban Milwaukee + DJ Hostettler for the Star Wars reference]
• RIP Pizza Man founder Michael Amidzich. [OnMilwaukee]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!