Today Milwaukee ended its mask mandate – and while some people, vaccinated or not, may still feel more comfortable masking up after the past year (unvaccinated should remain masked) – others are happy to see smiles and normalcy again.
In that spirit, Major Goolsby’s, 340 W. Kilbourn Ave., is celebrating the end of the mandate with a ceremonial mask-burning.
According GM Marty Petricca, Goolsby’s is, “inviting all vaccinated people to drop off their masks in a ceremonial ‘fire,’ which will be housed in a grill that will be given away after Game 1 of the next Bucks playoff series.”
Every time you toss in a mask between now and that next Bucks playoff game, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win the grill, which, by the way, won’t – for obvious safety reasons – have actual fire but rather a “ceremonial faux fire” to consume the masks.
Owner Jerry Cohen, who opened Major Goolsby’s in 1972, adds that anyone who is vaccinated can get a free shot (of booze, that is) every time visit Major Goolsby’s.
“We are so happy that customers will be able to see our smiling faces again. And we are happy to support continued vaccination efforts by giving away free shots to anyone with a vaccination card.
"I couldn’t be more excited about the return to normalcy."
Goolsby’s is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, plus Bucks game days.
“We are thrilled to be able to be at full capacity, and felt that lining up a giveaway to coincide with the next Bucks game was a great way to combine our excitement about the Bucks playoff run and the end of the restrictions we’ve been operating under since last March,” says Petricca.
“We invite everyone to come in, drop off a mask, get a drink, and maybe win a grill!”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
