In 1994, I found myself working and living in downtown Boise, Idaho. Every year in the summer there is a festival called Boise River Music Festival, which is a small version of Summerfest. I remember seeing several T-shirts that said, “What’s the best part of the Boise River Music Festival? The end.”
The point is, while it’s fine to interview the people who go to the festival and the people who run the festival, what about the people like myself who live and work in the Third Ward? During the festival, we open early and we close our businesses early. We make sure we let our customers know what is going on so they can decide for themselves if they want to come down during Summerfest.
I live in the Third Ward where it’s almost impossible to find parking during the festival by my house. So why isn’t anything said about us? Simply put, the answer is because it’s all about money. The businesses and residents of the Third Ward are collateral damage. We have no say in when or where the event is, and if we complain about it, we are labeled as whiners and naysayers.
I would like to see dedicated parking for those who live in the area and a program from the city to offer to people who come down for business in the area. I’m sure the people who come for Summerfest wouldn’t mind paying a few extra dollars to help those who are displaced during Summerfest.
Steve Burek, Milwaukee
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Big Gig is a big headache for displaced Third Ward residents | Letter
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Letters to the Editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
