Nonprofit group snags downtown Milwaukee building (access required)

Published: August 18, 2010
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By Marie Rohde
The bad news is business is booming for Community Advocates, a Milwaukee nonprofit organization that helps the homeless.
The good news is the recession that put people out of their homes also positioned the group to buy a downtown Milwaukee building that otherwise would have been unaffordable.
Community Advocates bought the long-vacant building at 728 [...]

Assembly candidate calls for ironworkers licensing

Published: June 21, 2010
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Comments: 2

By Paul Snyder
An ironworker running for state Assembly wants to revive a licensing bill for his trade even if industry reps consider the proposal little more than a power grab.
“We can’t afford to have buildings falling down in this state,” said Thad Kubisiak, a member of Ironworkers Local 383 who is running as an independent [...]

Changes to ironworkers bill fail to sway opponents

Published: April 12, 2010
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By Paul Snyder
State lawmakers Monday introduced an amendment to a bill requiring licensure of ironworkers in Wisconsin, but the changes are not enough to win over the bill’s opponents.
“In my first read of it, it looks like they tried to meet concerns of some of the other labor unions,” said Mark Reihl, executive director of [...]

Waterloo weighs its rail options

Published: April 6, 2010
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By Sean Ryan
Waterloo is waiting on a train, but not the high-speed version likely to be first to pass through the city.
Commuter rail, on the other hand, has captured the city’s attention and, in some cases, support.
“Follow the money,” said Bill Hogan, president of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, I think the commuter rail, [...]

TRAINING DAYS: Education programs plagued by lack of money, opportunity

Published: February 24, 2010
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By Sean Ryan
sean.ryan@dailyreporter.com
Four hundred does not go into 20, no matter how optimistic the math.
That was the harsh reality for the 400 unemployed people who attended a series of Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board meetings in December and January to chase 20 landscaping jobs with the Milwaukee Department of Public Works. The jobs pay [...]

Annexation bill defies dictionary

Published: February 19, 2010
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By Chris Thompson

editor

With one word, state Rep. Andy Jorgensen succeeds and fails in calming the annexation anxiety in towns and municipalities.

Annexation bill divides towns, municipalities

Published: February 18, 2010
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Comments: 1

By Paul Snyder
Veterans of the annexation battles between towns and municipalities are split over a bill that would define the rules of engagement.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Andy Jorgenson, D-Fort Atkinson, would prevent cities and villages from annexing town land that is not contiguous — or adjacent — to municipal property.
The bill also would [...]

Opposition to ironworkers bill grows

Published: January 29, 2010
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By Paul Snyder
Authors of a bill that would require licensure of ironworkers in Wisconsin are working on amendments to quell growing opposition in the construction industry.
Critics argue the bill is a thinly veiled jurisdiction grab and say passage will result in contractors losing flexibility to select workers and nonunion or other unions losing the ability [...]

Bill to license ironworkers draws fire (UPDATE)

Published: January 22, 2010
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By Paul Snyder
Backers of a bill requiring ironworkers to be licensed in Wisconsin say safety is at the core of their effort. But they lack evidence showing that the ironworkers or the public would be safer with state licensure.
Nationally, data show accidents among ironworkers declined during a recent five-year period despite more people working in [...]

Talented bench waits for willing contractors

Published: January 11, 2010
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By Sean Ryan
VJS Construction Services Inc. has a 4-inch-thick stack of resumes reflecting the bright side of an industry report that one in four builders is out of work.

West Bend/School Addition-Renovations
West Bend/School Facilities Plan

And the Pewaukee-based builder is taking advantage of the opportunity, hiring about 25 new employees for the start of a few large [...]

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THIS MONTH'S WISCONSIN BUILDER



The tree architect

Roald Gundersen’s ideas are as big as the trees he shinnies up like a man half his age. The Stoddard-based “tree architect” wants to take wood construction far beyond the rustic cottages with which people associate him, but first he has to convince builders and architects of trees’ potential. Caley Clinton heads to western Wisconsin to see what future the forest holds.

Check out the Wisconsin Builder site.