Hip-hippo hooray!!
My son greeted the news of a new hippo exhibit at the Milwaukee County Zoo with a big smile and an effusive hooray.
The announcement was perfectly timed for our in-house hippo fan. That's because on our most recent visit to the zoo, he not only got to view one of the polar bears swimming under water, said bear was playing with a toy, bumping his bulky body up against the window and offering close-up views of his massive furry paws. Much to the delight of the crowd gathered there and especially to my son, who -- right up against the glass -- was mere inches from the bear.
The idea of being able to see his hippos like that was bound to be a winning proposition.
The zoo unveiled its plans for the new exhibit -- expected to cost anywhere from $9 million to $12 million -- Wednesday in front of the current hippo home outside the family farm and next to the elephants.
The new exhibit, which is kicked off with a $1.75 million donation from the Dohmen Family Foundation, will have a large aquarium -- replacing the small pool -- with windows allowing viewers to see the hippos swimming. It will be one of just 10 such hippo exhibits in the U.S.
The money from the Dohmen Foundation will pay for the design of the exhibit and an endowment to maintain the completed exhibit.
A statement from the zoo suggests that current hippos Puddles and Patty will get some company when the exhibit is completed, noting, "the extra space will let the Zoo house at least three adult animals and several youngsters."
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.
