Mirren’s reign continues At 69, the glamorous star is still on top, with a hit show playing Queen Elizabeth on Broadway and the new film ‘Woman in Gold.’ page 27 April 23, 2015 | Vol. 6 No. 11 Still groovin’ Madison’s hippie 4 You pay, they play The proposed new Bucks arena comes with buckets of hidden spirit lives on costs to taxpayers. page 8 12 The big decision The Supreme Court hears what could be the final case on marriage equality on April 28. We tell you what to expect. 23 Fungi from a fun guy Jaime Ramsay supplies mushrooms for Madison’s consumers and chefs alike. 34 Noel Gallagher flies high The Oasis guitarist talks about his success as a solo artist, as he releases his second studio album ‘Chasing Yesterday.’ 2 WISCONSINGAZETTE.COM | April 23, 2015 News with a twist WiGWAG By Lisa Neff, Louis Weisberg & Matthew Reddin AT THE SEASHORE bonafides, features a high- pal Kendra rels of the company’s signa- according to the Spring- ICE CREAM CHUGGER Among the seashells, kicking dance number com- Young. ture brew, Spotted Cow, on field, Illinois State Journal- Ben & Jerry’s is partner- sandcastles and ocean plete with sequined camou- tap — a felony offense. An Register, have been known ing with New Belgium Brew- waves at the Jersey Shore flage costumes. NO. 69 anonymous tip led police as “Burger-King” since ing to release a beer this last year, beachcombers A Vietnam to the Hudson, Wisconsin about fifth grade. The fall called “Salted Caramel also sighted a whoopee TRIMMING PLAN War vet sought to liquor store where the tav- couple announced their Brownie Brown Ale.” Sales cushion, a parking meter, A bill proposed by personalize his Utah license ern’s owners bought the engagement earlier this will benefit an organization human poop, an engage- Nevada state Sen. Mo plate with the year he was beer, and undercover offi- spring, posing in a photo- called Protect Our Win- ment announcement, a stun Denis has people looking in wounded and awarded the cers confirmed it by walk- graph beside a Burger ters, which helps gun, a ski pole, a set of vam- junk drawers for tape mea- Purple Heart. However, ing right up and ordering King sign. fight the effects of pire teeth, a clay sculpture surers. Denis wants to pass the Utah Division of Motor one. Hopefully the cop left climate change on of the baby Jesus, 563 con- legislation requiring the Vehicles denied Arnold Bre- a good tip at least. TWISTING mountains. doms, some bra padding state to report on obesity itenbach’s application for a HISTORY and 3,200 tampon appli- and efforts to slim the pop- plate reading “CIB-69” — EXPRESS TO SPACE Larry Kramer, you ‘LIKE’ THIS cators, locally nicknamed ulation. Her bill defines an for “Combat Infrantyman’s Yesterday, they had never change. The new Ellanora Baidoo “Jersey beach whistles” for obese person as a man with Badge” and “1969.” The Tang. And today? The (hopefully satirical?) doesn’t need to the propensity of children a waist size of 40 inches agency had a problem with space exploration team at book by the playwright have any facetime to pick them up and use or more or a woman with “69,” because it has sexual Cape Canaveral, Florida, and AIDS activist, The with her estranged them that way. More than a waistline of 35 inches or connotations. was struggling against bad American People: Vol- husband to get a 315,000 items of such trash more. weather to ship an Italian- ume 1: Search for My divorce. A New were picked up from New A SPOTTED COW made instant coffee espres- Heart, presents George York judge autho- Jersey’s coastline in 2014. OFFENSIVE SPEAKEASY? so maker to an astronaut Washington as a “big rized the woman to TO WHOM? Everybody loves New aboard the International queen” and describes notify her husband SOMETHING Officials at Clermont Glarus’ wide variety of Space Station. ISS resident Jamestown as a hotbed of divorce proceed- TO SING ABOUT? Northeastern Middle School craft beers, but everyone Samantha Cristoforretti has of gay sex before women ings through a Facebook There is no shortage of in Batavia, Ohio, censored a also knows the biggest been going without since arrived. Kramer also asserts message. Baidoo told the beards, camo, hunting and picture of an eighth-grader rule of New Glarus beer: November. that John Wilkes Booth was court her husband was hard God in Duck Commander who wore a T-shirt on class you can’t buy it outside of a gay man who gave Abra- to find, really hard to find Musical,” the stage version photo day with the word Wisconsin. So patrons of A WHOPPER ham Lincoln’s longtime — he’s only been in touch of the hit reality TV show “FEMINIST.” The word was the Maple Tavern in Maple OF WEDDING friend Joshua Speed — a with his wife via phone and Duck Dynasty. The 90-min- photoshopped out, because Grove, Minnesota, should Burger King is paying for male hustler, according to Facebook since the civil cer- ute Las Vegas show, with “some people might find have known something was the wedding of Joel Burg- Kramer — to the president emony more than five years Broadway backers and it offensive,” said princi- up when the bar put six bar- er and Ashley King, who, as a “gift.” ago. WISCONSINGAZETTE.COM | April 23, 2015 3 4 WISCONSINGAZETTE.COM | April 23, 2015 NEWS ANALYSIS THUMBS-DOWN ON STATE ARENA FUNDING They play, but you pay Only 17 percent of Wisconsin voters back proposed state funding of $150 million to support a new arena com- Public financing for the Bucks arena entails hidden costs plex for the Milwaukee Bucks, accord- ing to a recent Marquette University By Virginia Small year for the city. Located on Fourth Street, ect. The Bucks proposal encompasses 27 Law School poll. In the Milwaukee Contributing writer extending from Highland Avenue to Juneau acres, nearly twice the Bradley Center’s metro area, opposition to the funding Polling shows that voters strongly Avenue, it’s in a prime location — directly current footprint. But the city-owned park- stands at 67 percent, compared with oppose public funding for a new Milwau- across from the new arena site and next ing complex is not needed for an expanded 88 percent of residents outside of Mil- kee Bucks arena complex. Yet elected offi- to the tony Moderne residential high-rise arena footprint, when there’s vast unde- waukee. cials forge ahead with the project, which and a dining/nightclub district. It includes veloped acreage both west and north of could put taxpayers on the hook in myriad two large storefronts. The city built the the proposed arena site, much of it already ways that lie buried beneath piles of hype structure in 1988, reportedly for $25 mil- publicly owned by the Bradley Center. The its upkeep and state taxpayers have paid and denial. $10 million for arena repairs since 2009. New Bucks owners Marc Lasry, Wesley Lease terms give the Bucks a share Edens and Jamie Dinan have pledged $150 of every concession, along with catering, million to the project and former owner suite leases and merchandise sales for Herb Kohl has pledged $100 million. The all arena events, not just Bucks games. In new owners now are pressuring elected fiscal 2014, the Bradley Center paid the officials to contribute at least $250 mil- Bucks $4.7 million on gross revenues of lion from taxpayers to complete the com- $11.3 million. The Bucks also receive any plex, which will cost at least $500 million, Bradley Center surpluses, while the public according to estimates. authority struggles to cover deficits (and But throw in financing costs, tax incen- has not kept up). tives, property-tax exemptions and other As a mechanism for funneling state freebies, and the public could be on the money into the project, Walker has pro- hook for up to $1 billion in subsidies. posed issuing $220 million in state bonds. While the owners promise Milwaukee Legislators believe the governor’s plan ulti- residents pie-in-the-sky rewards in the mately will cost $380 million after tacking form of increased economic activity and on interest. They propose bonding should more jobs, the payoff equation is lop- be limited to $150 million. sided. The new venue would handsomely reward the Bucks, a for-profit business, ‘STARS IN THEIR EYES’ with free rent and a large percentage of Even when subsidies are disguised and every dollar collected from all enterprises direct taxes avoided, economists say that located within the expansive proposed public financing is nearly always a los- complex (in 2014, the Bucks received 41.6 ing proposition. Nonetheless, for myriad percent). But the taxpayers, who would reasons, municipalities continue the hand- bear the lion’s share of expenses, would outs. receive no ownership stake in the team Hope and hype that an arena will spur — a detail that belies the project’s bill- more nearby development were expressed ing as “public-private partnership.” This when the Bradley Center was built in 1988. “partnership” entails taxpayers investing Mostly, that did not happen, although in a rapidly depreciating asset (a building) downtown development has been boom- that supports a greatly appreciating asset ing since the recession ended. (a major-league franchise). Now Lasry and Edens, who are big- time real estate developers, say they will CITY, COUNTY COSTS invest in private development, including a The Bucks want the city and county to nearby team practice facility.