This week on The Upswing, WTMJ’s Jeff Sherman takes a step back and brings back some of the best conversations from 2026 so far.
First up, Milwaukee has officially joined the Global Swimmable Cities Alliance, aligning with other Great Lakes communities like Sheboygan and Ottawa in a growing movement to make urban waterways safer for recreation. Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn joined Sherman back in July.
Also in July, Jeff pointed something out to Martin Moore on The Future of Almost Everything: Milwaukee has a lot of murals dedicated to famous men, but not many dedicated to famous women. Jeff has some ideas that he bounced off Martin, who in turn provided a few lesser-known ideas for possible new celebrity murals in downtown Milwaukee.
In June, regular Tedd Lookatch from the ERA Group joined. He explained how the collaborative nature of Milwaukee is easier than in other, bigger cities and provided a deep dive into his experience as a music reviewer.
All the way back in March, Steve “Saz” Sazama looked back at Saz’s first day in 1976, how that leap of faith paid off in the early years, and the moment he realized the State House was built to last.
And just last week, we learned all about the Milwaukee Parks Foundation’s new strategic plan. Tristen Shorter, Associate Director of the Milwaukee Parks Foundation, joined us to discuss how engagement and community building will grow the parks pie.
Finally, more from last week – because it was just so good – Purslane on Milwaukee’s East Side made Yelp’s Best Mediterranean list. Chef Mary Kastman told us all about her award-winning restaurant.
The Upswing is presented by Horicon Bank.
