Pipeline protest before Dem debate, and other community notes

Environmentalists protesting a planned pipeline expansion to bring more Canadian tar sands to Wisconsin will demonstrate on Feb. 11 outside the Milwaukee venue for the Democratic presidential debate.

The #ClipperIsTheNewKXL Rally will be at noon outside the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts on the UW-Milwaukee campus, where Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley will debate that night.

Organizers of the youth-led demonstration are looking for lodging for travelers to Milwaukee.

For more information, email Cassie Steiner at

The debate is at 8 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. PBS NewsHour co-anchors Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff are the moderators.

Milwaukee Pride hires executive director

Milwaukee Pride, Inc., the parent organization of PrideFest Milwaukee, has named Eric Heinritz as its first executive director for a one-year, renewable term. 

Heinritz worked for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., from 2001 to 2014 in a series of administrative leadership roles.  As a longtime volunteer and former member of the Milwaukee Pride, Inc. board, he has applied his knowledge of finance, operations and project management to increase efficiencies, create organizational structure and improve overall festival performance.

PrideFest Milwaukee is June 10–12. For festival news as it happens, follow Milwaukee Pride on Facebook and Twitter.

In other news

• SAFE COMMUNITIES BREAKFAST: The Safe Communities Annual Breakfast Meeting for “those with a stake in community safety” is set for March 3 at the Goodman Community Center in Madison. For more, email Safe Communities Madison-Dane Co. at

• EARLY INTERVENTION AID: The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment recently dedicated $300,000 over two years to help ensure children have access to early intervention developmental screenings in Milwaukee. Early intervention saves $13 for every $1 spent. For more, go to milwaukeesucceeds.org.

• WAY TO QUIT: The smoking rate among adults is at an all-time low nationally, but not in the LGBT community. LGBT Americans are up to 200 percent likelier to be addicted to nicotine. Experts at National Jewish Health run the nation’s largest nonprofit quitline, a first-of-its-kind program that matches smokers with counselors in their demographic group to help them quit. Tobacco-users who want to quit can call 800-QUIT-NOW.

• CHANCE TO BE SEEN: The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Google Maps “Street View” to bring the popular technology to member businesses, beginning the first week of February. A Google Street View photographer will be in Milwaukee on Feb. 2, Green Bay/Appleton on Feb. 4 and Madison on Feb. 5. For more, go to wisconsin-lgbt.seeinsidebusinesses.com. 

— from WiG reports