Dane101

Today is May 22, 2013.

* TDP: Citizen Dave: Don’t blame God for the Moore tornado

* WSJ [paywall]: Madison may set special hearings on some liquor license renewals

* WSJ [paywall]: City Council: No deal with MATC, city approves purchase for fire training facility

* MJS [paywall]: OSHA files eight violations against Palermo's pizza firm

* UppityWis: MacIver Relies on Old Friend (Intellectual Dishonesty) to Argue for Cutting Wealthy's Income Taxes

* LaCrosseTrib: 'Behind the Candelabra': Liberace biopic based on book by La Crosse lover

* LaCrosseTrib: Budget committee passes FoodShare work requirement

“Wrong” and “gruesome” aren’t among the words I would normally use to introduce Madison’s newest theatre company, but Theatre in All the Wrong Places made its Madison premiere with Rajiv Joseph’s 2009 play “Gruesome Playground Injuries” last weekend. One of the company’s goals is to “explore non-traditional performance venues” and the performance took place at community workspace Sector 67. The production concludes this weekend at The Frequency, a “wrong place” also selected by The Bricks Theatre for its inaugural production.

The play comprises eight scenes between Kayleen and Doug from ages 8 to 38, in a mixed chronological order. Doug has a different injury in each scene, while Kayleen’s traumas are of an emotional nature. The jumbled chronology and the dark humor of the the physical injuries provide an effective way to generate a left-brain interest in what happens in each scene, and the unusual friendship and desire for healing between the two characters evokes an emotional investment. (Doug’s injuries also provided the concept for a “Pin the patch on Dougie” game at the company’s public fundraising party earlier this month.) The play is directed by Theatre in All the Wrong Places co-founder Annelise Dickinson and performed by R. Peter Hunt and Kristin Hammargren, another company co-founder as well as a 2013 Wisconsin Wrights Award Recipient for her play “Discovering Austen.”

Sector 67 turned out to be an serviceable performance space, even with two banks of fluorescent lights providing the only “stage” lighting and a mechanical hodgepodge visible in the background. Something that makes the play a good fit for a non-traditional performance space is the fact that the scene transitions are prescribed by the script to occur in view of the audience. Hunt and Hammargren assist each other — it’s particularly attention-grabbing when Hammargren applies the bandages for the eye injury in the second scene — in a way that becomes almost a “ritual,” to use the word of one audience member. It was pleasant to see how simple things like a different hairstyle and change in demeanor can quickly and effectively anchor the scene in a new time and place.

Even with WALL-E in the rafter, Hunt and Hammargren held my attention. The moment that closes the scene where they’re thirteen years old was an audacious mix of gross and sweet, perfectly played. The physical and emotional revelations in the 18-year scene were vivid, a quality enhanced by the audience’s proximity; I wonder if the raised stage of The Frequency will produce a similar effect. In the 33-year scene, Hammargren accomplishes the impressive acting feat of being convincingly artificially sedated without being dull.

The first stated goal of Theatre in All the Wrong Places is to “provide challenging, accessible, and intimate theatre to Madison audiences,” and their first production hit all three of those targets. As with the former Lussier Teen Center, the former Mercury Lounge, Stoughton’s Veterans Park, Neighborhood House, and Breese Stevens Field, it’s fun to see some adventurous choices in performance spaces, particularly in areas that don’t have an abundance of stages. The All the Wrong Places team appears to have the right combination of artistry and enterprise and should be a group to keep your eye on.

The remaining performances of Gruesome Playground Injuries are at The Frequency, Friday May 24 and Saturday May 25 at 6 p.m. Running time is approximately 80 minutes. Tickets are “pay what you can.”

Photo by Stephanie Claire Birr.

Today is May 21, 2013. On this day in 1992, the second-to-last episode of The Tonight Show Staring Johnny Carson, featuring guests Robin Williams and Bette Midler, aired. Carson had no guests on his final episode.

* CT (paywall): 'Citizen Koch' filmmakers claim PBS killed their doc to please Koch brothers

* WSJ (paywall): Willy Street Co-op eyes upgrade and another store

* MJS (paywall): Report: Job training rule for food stamps would trim rolls by half

* Isthmus : Citizen Dave: Republican radicals attack Wisconsin outdoor tradition

* AP: $50 monthly surcharge sought from state workers who smoke

* UW: SELLING STATE PROPERTY: More cognitive dissonance from Walker, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Today is May 20, 2013.

* MJS: Proposal gives Scott Walker administration more power to sell state property; State power plants, UW buildings could be sold to help cut debt

* WSJ: Presidential speculation around Scott Walker heats up as he heads to Iowa this week

* C3k: State to investigate Friday's deadly shooting on the east side

* : Vernon Hershberger raw milk trial set to begin in Baraboo

* C3k: State Democratic Party adviser leaves; Zielinski had been demoted in March

* FS: Willkommen in Madison Sushi Express

* UW: VICTIMS OR PERPS? The rest of the tea party story in Wisconsin

* TPM: Jason Huberty talks to Rebecca Kemble and Matt Rothschild about his citations and hearing.

* MC: Make Music Madison hopes to diversify music access for the solstice

The response to the upcoming Make Music Madison event has been equal parts enthusiasm and wariness. Isthmus' update on MMM's city-wide efforts follows suit, noting that it sounds fun, but also seems incongruously stealthy. "If there was a billboard, I whisked right past it. If there was a radio ad or Facebook campaign, my social network was tuned in elsewhere," Jessica Steinhoff writes.

Speaking of big outdoor-music events, the Madison Mallards' Pondamonium fest won't be coming back in 2013, despite its big debut last summer.

This week I also wrote an update on music at the Wisconsin Union Directorate. It's a little bit about moshing and other crowd-control issues, but, I hope, more about what role WUD should or should not play when it comes to music.

The Capital Times has this preview of science-fiction author John Scalzi's May 23 book talk at A Room Of One's Own, which is a kickoff for Memorial Day weekend's feminist science fiction convention WisCon.

Rob Thomas reviews Free The Mind, a documentary that has one more screening this Saturday and centers on fascinating UW-Madison research into the human brain.

Today is May 17, 2013. On this day in 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.

* WisPolitics: Walker administration proposes two-year tuition freeze, cuts to UW budget

* MJS (paywall): State stewardship funds trimmed by $18 million; GOP lawmakers also want 10,000 state-owned acres sold

* WRN: Northern Wisconsin Wildfire started by logging operation

* WSJ (paywall): No signs of emerald ash borer in sampling of Madison trees

* LaCrosse Trib: Organic Valley ‘planning for a rebuild’ after fire destroys corporate headquarters

This week the Arts Extract Podcast gives you the first in a two-part preview of the Madison area’s outdoor entertainment options. During the first part of this week’s episode, co-host Mark Riechers tells the uninitiated what to expect at the Highway 18 drive-in theater near Jefferson, and the hosts also preview a series of films screening in city parks. Listen next week for the full rundown of shows on the Memorial Union Terrace, movies on the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s rooftop, and more.

Subscribe to us on iTunes or Feedburner.

This week’s event highlights:

5/16
Mercury Players Theatre’s The Arsonists. Bartell Theatre, through 5/22, see mercuryplayerstheatre.com for showtimes.

Telekinesis, Deep Sea Diver, Advance Base. High Noon Saloon, 9 p.m.

Tani Diakite And The Afrofunkstars, Son Contrabando. Crystal Corner Bar, 8:30 p.m.

Youth Lagoon, Magical Cloudz. Majestic Theatre, 9 p.m.

5/17
Anais Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer. Redamte, 8:30 p.m.

Crucial Twat Halfway To Halloween Party. Mickey’s Tavern, 10 p.m.

The Second City, Bryan Morris. Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Theatre In All The Wrong Places: Gruesome Playground Injuries. Sector67 (2100 Winnebago St.), 7:30 p.m. Also 5/18 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

V05 Dance Party. Memorial Union Terrace, 8:15 p.m.

Gurf Morlix. Kiki’s House of Righteous Music (1326 MacArthur Rd.), 9 p.m. (Email righteousmusicmgmt@gmail.com for ticket info)

Funeral And The Twilight, The Smunn, The Singing Knives, Dharma Dogs. The Wisco, 10 p.m.

5/18
B.B. King, Anthony Gomes. Overture Hall, 8 p.m.

The Iguanas. Harmony Bar, 9:45 p.m.

Get A Job Art Show. Bright Red Studios, 7 p.m.

Kristin Hersh. High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.

Stacian, Samantha Glass, Black Diamonds. Good Style Shop, 8 p.m.

5/19
Dale Kushner, Reading From “The Conditions Of Love.” A Room Of One’s Own, 2 p.m.

16th Annual WORT Block Party. 600 block of West Doty Street, 11 a.m. See wortfm.org for band schedule.

5/21
Casey Foubert. Mickey’s Tavern, 10:30 p.m.

Brick Mower, 2 Way Mirrors, The Momotaros. The Wisco, 10 p.m.

Cork N’ Bottle String Band 17th Anniversary Show. High Noon Saloon, 6 p.m.

5/22
Lover’s Spit, Brain Food, Cowboy Winter, Roboman. High Noon Saloon, 8:30 p.m.

Contact: podcast@artsextract.com
Twitter: @ArtsExtract
Recording/editing: Mark Riechers
Intro music: “Troy” by Golden Donna (goldendonna.bandcamp.com)

Today is May 16, 2013. On this date in 1866, the US Mint authorizes production of the Shield Nickel.

* Lueders: "[Governor] Walker’s latest executive budget, for 2013-15, included what the [Legislative] Fiscal Bureau identified as 58 policy items and 15 pieces of pork — that is, expenditures or breaks with specific beneficiaries."

* WSJ [paywall]: "In a report to a three-judge panel, the two sides in the litigation [about Wisconsin's 2011 redistricting] said they found no solid proof the thousands of files deleted from state computers were removed with bad intent nor that turning those files over to plaintiffs would have changed the outcome of a federal case challenging Wisconsin’s redistricting."

* BB: "We have what? 7+ percent unemployment in this state and we couldn’t find a few local IT professionals to develop [a job database for the state of Wisconsin]?"

* LCT: A bill passed by the Assembly will allow bars to sue underaged patrons for $1000.

* MC: Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools to focus on achievement gap, STEAM education

* C3K: "...[I]t could take years to find out what is killing the honeybees."

Today is May 15, 2013.

* CT [paywall]: Proposed 500 State Street apartment tower unveiled

* WSJ [paywall[: A tireless Dalai Lama schools Madison audience on suffering, happiness

* WPR: WISPIRG Report Shines Light On High Costs Of Rent-To-Own Stores

* LaCrosseTrib: Poll: Paul Ryan leads GOP field for 2016 presidential nomination; Scott Walker takes third

* MJS: Tougher drunken driving threshold recommended

* WRN: Tenant-landlord bill up for vote

This post originally ran on Willy Street Blog.

A promise of the departed was fulfilled by his friends Saturday (May 11) as students of Erik Anderson were given airplane rides at the Dane Country Regional Airport. Anderson taught Aviation classes at Madison East High School and music at Sherman Middle School for 11 years before he died suddenly in his classroom last September.

Known by students and colleagues alike as having the unique ability to connect and motivate the most troubled students, Anderson reveled in teaching Aviation at East and promised to take any student that was interested for a ride his airplane, which he kept at his home on the Waunakee Airport.

When Erik died, his friends planned for a spring flight rally to make sure his students would receive that airplane ride and hopefully renew the inspiration to involve aviation in their lives in what ever way they wanted. Aviation is a welcoming community and a formal program to inspire kids through introductory flights has existed since 1992 through the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Young Eagle Program, which Erik participated often. So far the program has given over 1.7 Million children ages 8-17 years-old an introductory flight and many of those kids have gone one to give Young Eagle rides of their own. Other Young Eagles have gone on to great things in aviation. The flights are given by EAA members in their own aircraft, volunteering their time and costs.

Read more about Erik Anderson here.

On Saturday, nine children were given rides, which included two of Erik’s students. Charles Lombardo is a senior at East and will graduate next month. He moved from upstate New York in 10th grade and began taking Anderson’s classes as a Junior.

Charles is entering the Navy as an air crewman and hopes to eventually move to the front of the aircraft. During his flight he did most of the flying and his Young Eagle Pilot Bob Gilbreath said he did quite well even in the breezy conditions that day. See video below of Charles after his first flight; the wind noise makes it hard to hear him but you can’t mistake that “First Flight Grin”, it’s worth the watch.

Brady Nelson had been promised a ride a few weeks before Erik died. Nelson is an aviation legacy of sorts in the Madison schools. Growing up he was interested in the Air Force at one point and was also inspired by his father Brian who attended East but went to Lafollette for Aviation classes.

As far as the flight, Brady seemed quite enamored and even took notes as his pilot Nick Heffron showed him how to preflight the aircraft. After they returned from the air it seemed as if that interest in aviation had bubbled up once again.

“It was quite interesting, I learned quite a bit, it was overall a great experience,” Nelson said. ”I might get into private piloting, might get into the Air Force, might get into the National Guard". At the end of each Young Eagle flight the pilot signs a certificate which also bears the signature of Young Eagle Program Chairmen Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles who you may know as the men who landed an Airbus in the Hudson River in 2009.

Jeff Skiles is now Vice President of Chapters and Youth Education at EAA and lives in Oregon, Wisconsin where he grew up, learning from his parents who are both pilots.

All kids who complete rides also receive an access code to a free online ground school that if completed qualifies them to take the actual FAA Written Test that is part of the qualification to earn a Private Pilot License. The next Young Eagle Rally in the area is Saturday May 18 at Morey Field in Middleton sponsored by EAA Chapter 1389. There is also a June 1 rally in Milwaukee sponsored by EAA Chapter 18.

While all four Madison high schools have offered some sort of Aviation education, East and Lafollette have had the most highly developed programs. Madison East’s program became one of the top high school programs in the country. Aviation education at East High School, which was started in World War Two, was taught out of the Science Department until Michael McArdle took over in the mid-1980s.

During that time Bud Rodgers (now retired) was also teaching Aviation at Lafollette including a class that centered on building an airplane. McArdle would go on to form an Aviation department at East, growing the program to four years of class offerings in ground training for pilots as well independent study options for a range of aviation focuses such as air traffic control, maintenance, and travel agency. Both McArdle and Anderson would split time teaching at Lafollette after Rodgers retired.

By the time I graduated from East’s program in 1991 McArdle had forged credit agreements with several universities in the upper Midwest. I graduated from St. Cloud State University’s flight program but I had a head start, testing out of 18 credits due to the aviation course work I completed at East. Michael McArdle is now in the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame.

Erik Anderson would takeover for the retiring McArdle in 2001 and while he still carried on the career training aspects of the program, Anderson emphasized the nuts and bolts of flying and aircraft building which he excelled at best. I remember visiting his classes often and seeing his students working on radio-controlled models. And Erik was an example to his students, showing how a regular guy could build an airplane as he and his building partner completed the construction of their two-seat RV-6 in January 2012.

It was truly a great loss for all of us who were very close to Erik, but we mourn mostly for the students at the schools where he taught. We were told he had an uncommon bond with them that brought out their best when no one else could. While the students were able to continue their classes this year, the future of this proud program is very much in doubt.

In an email to Willy Street Blog, East High Principal Mary Kelly confirmed that the program would not be offered next year. “As you know Erik was a one of a kind teacher and very difficult to replace. Because it is not a full time position it is very difficult to fill.”

In fact eighth grader Peyton Agard, who received a ride on Saturday, enjoyed the experience but was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to take Aviation classes next year at East; something he had been planning to do. But for one day though, Erik’s energy returned through the promise of his students Charles and Brady who are continuing their dreams.

Today is May 14, 2013, the 40th Anniversary of the launch of Skylab, which was the first U.S. space station. Skylab crews proved humans could live and work effectively for long periods of time in space. After attempts to correct its orbit were unsuccessful, Skylab mostly burned up reentering Earth's atmosphere on July 11, 1979 over Australia.

* WSJ (Paywall): 'Junk food' bill sparks debate

* WSJ (Paywall): Federal sentence for repeat offender seen as caution to others

* LT: Wisconsin unlikely to follow Minnesota's lead on gay marriage

* WRN: Speaking out against rent-to-own

* FL: TRC Board Rarely Speaks Out About Legislation

* WSJ (Paywall): Madison startup joins prestigious TechStars incubator

* Isthmus: Mercury Players Theatre considers a Wisconsin town’s reactions to Ed Gein in The Arsonists

* MJS(Paywall): Measure requiring 4 work searches per week for jobless benefits advances

* MJS(Paywall): Crowds of supporters to attend farmer's raw-milk trial

* DC: Students, faculty reflect on consequences of ending Minnesota-Wisconsin reciprocity

* DC: Softball: Badgers claim first Big Ten title in school history

Dear friends and gentle hearts,

This is the last regularly-scheduled No Pepper Games I will write for this website.

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a sports columnist to separate himself from the blog which has so graciously hosted his musings for the last two years, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind state that the guy ought to state the whyfore that he's giving himself the heave-ho.

Some months back, an out-of-state professional opportunity was dropped in the water in front of me, and I; large-mouth bass that I am, clamped down hard on the hook and am now flopping around in a Styrofoam cooler far from home.

Madison is not an easy town to say goodbye to. They say it's 77 square miles surrounded by reality. Let me report from the outside that "reality" looks a lot like the parking lot of a Red Lobster.

Madison is a town that knows where it is, and who it is. You have here a city that does for itself. You get local theater that isn't just the latest touring company of "Cats." You get live music made up of your friends and neighbors. You get a radio station that does... actually; I'm not sure what WORT does. It's different every time I tune in

As for sports, this is a sports column after all, Madison has its own weird array of homegrown sports. As dearly as I love big-time televised sports, I'm telling you to turn them off and go experience some of the local stuff. Take roller derby for a spin. Catch some Ultimate Disc.

As far as the big sports go, I have been informed by the editors that, in the event of a cataclysm, such as a Brewers World Series or the Badgers actually winning a Rose Bowl, that I am welcome to come back as a guest commentator. Like my in-laws, I plan to abuse that invitation at every juncture possible.

I've called a lot of towns "home" over the years. That label doesn't come off of Madison easily.

I owe these editors a great debt of thanks for letting me be a part of this endeavor. This site isn't here for the prestige, and the Good Lord knows they don't do it for the money. They do it because someone should keep an eye on the three-ring circus of calumny playing under that dome up the hill. Give them your support. They have stepped up where the crumbling edifice of traditional news reporting has failed.

They're too Midwesternly modest to shill for themselves so shamelessly. I'll do it for them.

I'm proud to have been associated with Dane101.com. Proud to have been your intrepid sports columnist. Proud to have been, and always be at heart, a Madisonian.

Today I consider myself the luckiest columnist on the face of the earth.

Live long and prosper.

Happy trails to you. So long, farewell, auf weidershein, adieu. Goodnight, sweetheart, it's time to go. M-I-C, see you real soon. The rest is silence.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Cincinnatus Van Lingle has left the building.

Go Brewers.

Today is May 13, 2013. On this day in 1995, 33-year-old Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest without the help of oxygen or sherpas.

*WRN: Change to residency rule still falls short for Milwaukee.

*WRN: New oversight proposed for WEDC.

*MJS (paywall): Joint Finance Committee deals major blow to Milwaukee’s streetcar.

*WSJ (paywall): Wisconsin Technology Council head: Long-term growth strategy at play in WEDC flap.

*MJS (paywall): Wisconsin conservation groups hope to ward off cuts to stewardship fund.

*WSJ (paywall): Venture capital bill stalls; dispute over whether biotech firms should be included.

*WRN: Bipartisan bill would make unauthorized drone surveillance illegal.

*MC: A resource hub for the visually impaired promotes independence, equality.

*TDP: Beer Here: Thumbprint Berliner Weiss from New Glarus Brewing.

Breakfast Bonus below the fold: David Bowie's "Space Oddity," performed from the International Space Station.

This week marks the end of music writer Andy Downing's tenure at The Capital Times. His last full feature, previewing noise-rock band METZ's Saturday show at the Frequency, demonstrates why it's important that daily newspapers (or, in this case, whatever it is dailies are becoming) hire knowledgeable arts writers. You don't want just anyone to attempt writing about weird and abrasive music, and you want someone to be able to write about that music in a way that makes sense for a broader audience without dumbing it down.

Also: This means that nobody—not one single person—is covering music full-time for any Madison publication. In a recent shake-up at Capital Newspapers, Downing's position was converted to "Features reporter with music emphasis." And yes, there is a difference. Everyone else in town who writes about music for a local publication is either a freelancer or a full-timer with several things on his or her plate in addition to music coverage.

Downing is relocating to Columbus, Ohio, where he will continue to pursue freelance writing and other opportunities. Like his fellow Cap Times writers Lindsay Christians and Rob Thomas, he's banged out a hefty volume of stories and injected some quality arts writing into a daily-paper world that often fails to nurture it. Here's wishing him well.

In other previews of ear-scarring concerts, I wrote this Isthmus piece on The Dillinger Escape Plan, who play Friday at the High Noon Saloon.

In theater, Isthmus' Jessica Steinhoff reports on Tara Ayres stepping down as LGBT theater company StageQ's artistic director and Dane101's Christian Neuhaus reviews Strollers' production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

For whatever reason, there's a lot of coverage of Wisconsin authors in the local press this week. Rob Thomas catches up with Driftless author David Rhodes' new novel, Jewelweed, ahead of Rhodes' Tuesday appearance at the Madison Public Library's Sequoya Branch. Isthmus has this feature on Madison resident Dale Kushner's nationally published first novel, The Conditions Of Love. The Capital Times also covers In Search Of Goliath And Hercules, a bug-centric kids' book by UW-Madison design-studies professor Jennifer Angus.

Today is May 10, 2013.

* C3K: Lawmakers consider how to spend $575M in unexpected revenue

* WSJ (paywall): Wisconsin LGBT Chamber plans Madison launch event

* MJS (paywall): Panel recommends Minnesota students attending UW-Madison pay out-of-state tuition

* WRN: "Wisconsin communities would be stopped from creating their own laws against the sale of junk food and sugary drinks, under language added to the proposed state budget."

* TDP: Madison Urban Design Commission gets first look at the Hub proposal for State Street's 500 block

* IoM: Main Street Pour House

This week, Arts Extract Podcast co-host Scott Gordon and Isthmus food critic Andre Darlington take a food journey to Melly Mell’s, a soul-food institution located behind a metal door and down a flight of stairs on Madison’s south side. Hear owner and cook Carmel Jackson boast about her desserts and hear Scott and Andre trying to figure out how the hell to get there.

Subscribe to us on iTunes or Feedburner.

This week’s event highlights:

5/9

The Dan Potacke Show. Frequency, 7 p.m.

Arlo Guthrie. Barrymore Theatre, 8 p.m.

5/10

Dharma Dogs, Non-Travellin’ Band, Aluminum Knot Eye, The Soft Act. Mickey’s Tavern, 10:30 p.m.

The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless, Royal Thunder. High Noon Saloon, 8:30 p.m.

Romero, Space Collector, Tyranny Is Tyranny. Revolution Cycles, 9 p.m.

Stephanie Rearick, Faun Fables, Bucky Pope. Dragonfly Lounge, 10 p.m.

5/11

Charlie Brooks Benefit Concert. Knuckle Down Saloon, 8 p.m.

Metz, No Joy, Galactic Cannibal. Frequency, 9 p.m.

Oedipus Tex, Hello Death, William Z. Villain. Dragonfly Lounge, 10 p.m.

5/12

Wolf Eyes, Paul Metzger, Madden, Lens. Dragonfly Lounge, 8 p.m.

Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Hood Internet, Oscillator Bug. Majestic Theatre, 8 p.m.

5/13

Fall Out Boy, DJ Clinton Sparks, Sarah Tiana. Majestic Theatre, 8 p.m.

Adam Waldron, Sarah Connor, Jeffrey Schultz. High Noon Saloon, 6 p.m.

5/14

His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Alliant Energy Center, 9:30 a.m.

The Presets, Dragonette, Classixx. Majestic Theatre, 8:30 p.m.

5/15

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thenewno2. Barrymore Theatre, 8 p.m.

Today is May 9, 2013. On this date in 1960, the FDA approved the first birth control pill.

* RAD: "By any metric, our state’s performance in the area of attracting business, creating jobs, and emerging from the recession has been dismal, bordering on abysmal. The WEDC has been a laboratory experiment on exactly how NOT to run a business: cronyism, corruption, weak or nonexistent fiscal control, a revolving door for leadership positions; a dysfunctional human resources effort - as witness the brief tenure of WEDC’s latest PR-meister, John Gillespie, who lasted a month before somebody bothered to check his background and discovered he was a big tax cheat and apparently a huge unemployment cheat. (I thought business people HATED unemployment compensation.)"

* Lueders: Incoming UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank will "be stepping into a host of controversies, drawing flak from all directions."

* FL: "Alder Lauren Cnare made a good point last night at the council meeting – even if you don’t care about renters rights, you should care about what this means for the neighborhoods and how they will be affected by landlords that don’t take care of their property or tenants that are destabilized and pushed around the city."

* BH: "Ald. Ledell Zellers, District 2, said the six-story apartment building [proposed for East Mifflin St] will target a general audience, including students, graduate students and professionals. 'Housing is a great use of the space,' Zellers said."

* TDP: Tip Top Tavern will be rejuvenated by team behind Lazy Jane's and Mickey's