c:* Jeffrey Powers

THE MILWAUKEE

JOURNAL Thursday, November 29, 1984 Metro

Circus Parade fan says money is there

Parade fan kicks in $500

THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL Thursday, November 29, 1984

By Mark Ward of The Journal Staff

The president of a Mequon travel agency said Wednesday that he had sent a check for $500 to organizers of the Milwaukee Circus Parade to show that the business community supported the parade.

Jeffrey Powers, 35, of Powers Travel Service, said he was disturbed by Mayor Maier's veto of a Common Council resolution supporting the parade.

Powers sent a letter to council President John Kalwitz that enclosed a $500 personal check made out to Milwaukee Circus Parade.

In another development, several state legislators said they had writ-ten West Allis Mayor Jack Barlich suggesting that his city host the pa-rade.

That letter was signed by Demo-cratic State Senators John 0. Nor-quist and Joseph J. Czarnezki and Democratic State Representatives Jeannette Bell and Thomas J. Craw-ford.

The legislators asked Barlich to "come to the rescue" of the parade.

In their letter they said, "It is un-fortunate that [Maier's] sensitive ego would prevent the city, the state of Wisconsin and the nation from enjoy-ing the traditional circus parade."

In his letter Powers said: "Mayor Maier's contention that the business community will not support the Cir-cus Parade is truly absurd.

"Ben Barkin [a Milwaukee public relations executive who is promoting the parade, knows that the money

can be raised. I know that the money can be raised, and the business com-munity of Milwaukee knows that the money can be raised."

Powers said Maier "represents the status quo, the plateau that Milwau-kee has reached, and in general serves as the perfect example for those who claim that a politician's term in office should be limited."

In a telephone interview, Powers said he had sent the letter "because I wanted to make a statement that we need this parade and I'll go out and raise the money myself if I have to."

Barkin said he did not know Pow- Turn to Parade, Page 6

Parade, from Metro Page

ers but said he was pleased by the offer. He said that, since Maier's veto, he had received support from others who want the parade.

Meanwhile, leaders of ethnic groups in Milwauke said they agreed with Maier that a second parade could detract from the City of Festi-vals parade and from the city's var-

ious ethnic festivals in general. Klaus Hueppe, president and direc-

tor of German Fest, said he did not think the city could afford two pa-rades.

"Our concern would be finding sponsors in the future to keep the parade going," he said "I think that if there were another parade it would hurt us."

Kenneth Sims, president of Afr Fest, agreed that another parade i Milwaukee "would damage our abil ty to secure sponsors for the City Fedtivals parade."

"We have a limited market as it here in Milwaukee," he sal, "Another parade would limit it eve more."

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MILWAUKEE SENTINEL 80 Pages, 4 Parts

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Friday morning, November 30, 1984 * * * * Edition

Council overrides parade veto Mayor says he might sue aldermen

By Bruce Gill and Toni Ahern

The Common Council voted, 16-0, Thurs-day to override Mayor Maler's veto of the circus parade, but Maier indicated later that he might file a lawsuit against the council.

The council's action means the circus pa-rade has the city's permission to roll down Wisconsin Ave. July 14, 1985.

The council took its unanimous action after Maier challenged its authority even to deal with the issue Thursday. After the vote,

some aldermen put bright red clown-type noses on their faces.

Before the 1:30 p.m. meeting — called originally to deal with Malet's 1985 city budget vetoes — Maier sent aldermen a let-ter saying he was using his "authority as chief executive officer of the City of Milwau-kee" to call an 8 a.m. council meeting for Dec. 11 to take up his parade veto.

Privately, Maier had challenged whether the council had given the proper public no-tice that it was going to take up the parade issue.

But Council President John R. Kalwitz told aldermen at the meeting that they could le-gally discuss the parade. He said he based his position on a legal opinion from City Atty. Grant F. Langley.

Asked later whether the council action was legal, Langley said, "I can't comment until I take a look at it." He said he would study the matter Friday.

Maier said In a telephone Interview after the meeting, "If this thing falls as it very well may fall, we intend to pursue legal ac-tion to make some kind of an effort to pre-serve due processes in this government."

Speaking of the council, he said, "I have never seen a cabal like this In all my days In politics."

Ben Barkin, who Is leading the effort to return the circus wagons to Milwaukee, said of the vote, "I'm happy, and hoping the pa-rade will take place without further obstruc-tion so we can all join hands in tribute to Milwaukee County's 150th birthday.

"I want this parade to be a unifying force, to help lift the spirit for Milwaukee, Milwau-kee County and the state of Wisconsin.

Parade Turn to Page 18

Council unanimous in override Reagan calls of Maier veto on circus parade for freeze

on budget

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ESTABLISHED IN JEDDAH IN 1976

SAUDI ARABIA'S NATIONAL DAILY

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iggest circus parade returns MILWAUKEE, Mon. (AP)

2, IT was a circus parade to end all circus 'T parades — a 33-block spectacular

cheered by 750,000 people yesterday who lined the streets to thrill to the 600 horses, 18 elephants and 3,000 clowns and other performers.

A But most of all, there were the 75 antique circus wagons borrowed from the Staiical Sy's Circus World

4 - Museum for what sponsors called the world's biggest circus parade. The parade marked the return of the

annual tradition to Milwaukee after a 12-year absence.

The police department said its offi-cial crowd estimate was 750,000.

C.P. "Chappie" Fox, former museum director, said the parade generated enthusiasm because it is wholesome, family entertainment.

Among the clowns was actor Ernest Borgnine, who was invited after he remarked on a television show that he had always wanted to perform in a clown costume.

But the main attraction was the circus wagon. The Western Wisconsin Museum has been collecting them for years from abandoned circuses throughout the world. Restored in the museum's workshop in Baraboo, the gaily painted wagons are converted with carved statuary, minors, and gold leaf.

In keeping with tradition, all were drawn on Sunday by teams of draft horses that were shipped to town from farms throughout the nation and Canada.

•

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MIGHTY • MAGNIFICENT • TOWERING • TRIUMPHANT

ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN

MILWAUKEE

A MAGNIFICENT PROCESSIONAL

SPECTACLE

Sunday, July 13, 1986

January 13, 19 86

Mr. Jeffrey Powers 11739 N. Shorecliff Lane Mequon, WI 53092

My dear Jeff:

Thanks to your moral & financial support, the 1985 Great Circus Parade proved to be a significant unifying force for the greater Milwaukee community, bringing together the citizens of the city, the suburbs and the State of Wisconsin and attracting to the community people from all parts of the nation and even some from abroad.

As you know, despite its rebirth amid controversy, the Parade won the approval of more than three-quarters of a million citizens who stood and sat along the parade route for hours in 90-plus-degree July weather. And thousands more had come to the Coachyards to see the colorful display of restored antique circus wagons, to see more than 500 of the nation's finest draft horses and to come into close proximity with the exotic animals of the circus world. At least 20,000 came to enjoy a wholesome, family-oriented performance of the under-canvas circus at bargain prices. •

All this followed the arrival of the special circus train from the State of Wisconsin's Historical Society Circus World Museum at Baraboo, Wisconsin. This steam-powered rolling show brought additional thousands to every crossroad and every city and hamlet on its buttonhook route through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois and the Chicago suburbs and the communities of Waukegan, Kenosha and Racine.

811 East Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Ms. Marilyn Green-Fisher Page 2

connection with the Parade. During the 10 years that the Parade took place I coordinated the Parade for the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. I am now coordinating the Parade and volunteering my services completely because I know what this event meant to the country. I would be pleased if you so desire if you would contact Mr. Vernon Jordan at 202-887-4000 who serves on the Board of Directors of American Express and Mr. Willie Davis at 213-564-7831 who serves on the Board of Directors of the Fireman's Fund, one of your company's sub-sidiaries. I am sure these men would not hesitate to tell you of my involvement across the country. I am also one of the owners of the Milwaukee Baseball Club. I tell you these things not from the standpoint of ego but merely to let you know that vou would be working with a reliable person.

Incidentally, it was one of the few. . parades where every branch of the Armed Services was represented by a band or drum & bugle corps. I am enclosing a very small sample of previous publicity materials which clearly indicate what a tourist attraction the unique event meant to the entire country. You will note that Smithsonian magazine devoted 8 pages to the historic significance of the circus wagons (see pages 64-71). The Chicago Tribune annually did the front page of its Travel Section in color. A sample of its recognition of the Parade is enclosed. LIFE Magazirie twice did layouts on the Parade.

I get to New York very often and would be pleased to meet with you to further discuss possible participation of American Express. Participation in the Great Circus Parade would bring American Express as well as the Parade itself the plaudits of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

/Pw

Enc.

bcc: Governor Anthony S. Earl County Executive William O'Donnell Mr. Vernon Jordan Senator Robert W. Kasten, Jr. Senator William Proxmire Mr. Richard Raney Mr. Jeffrey Powers