I just checked online. I live just under four miles from the northern edge of State Fair Park. So, why did it sound like there was a car race a block from my house yesterday?
It seemed like all day long there was a constant, annoying loud thrum in the air. Oh, wait, that's right. There was.
That's because there was a race four miles away. And despite the impressive natural hill that separates my Milwaukee neighborhood from the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis (there's an entire municipality separating us, too), it sounded as if the race was taking place a block away.
Then, of course that hum -- like an advancing horde of locust -- was there in advance of race day, too. I'm not sure about you, but more than one of my neighbors commented about the racket and most wondered what it must be like to live on 76th Street between, say, Greenfield Avenue and I-94.
I'm all for a renaissance at the Mile and at State Fair Park and for the crowds and national media attention that the races draw. But, c'mon, fellas (and Danica), can't we tone it down a bit?
After all, I've known a couple people who've gotten tickets for driving with noisy mufflers. And I bet they were nothing compared to this.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
