A few years ago the Westown Association and the Shamrock Club dyed the Milwaukee River green. It didn't have quite the production or fanfare that the greening of the Chicago River has, but it was a start.

Today, as thousands troll the greater Downtown neighborhoods the Milwaukee River remains its typical shade of brown. Meantime, 90 miles south the great Chicago River flows through Downtown Chicago with a festive shade of emerald green. Where's our green river?

Oh well. The bars and restaurants are packed, the streets full of green tee shirts, hats and beads and the Third Ward's Wicked Hop has one of the biggest corned beef sandwiches I've ever seen ... so I guess that's plently. But, is it too much to ask for our river, too, to flow green this St. Patrick's Day?