Woods Saved: Advocates for protecting St. Francis' Seminary Woods received a shot in the arm this week when Cardinal Stritch University announced that it would not purchase 90 acres of former power company land to build sports fields. As part of an ambitious $150 million plan, the university had announced that it was building new buildings and dorms on Cousins Center land and would also build sports fields and parking lots on the adjacent We Energies land.

The We Energies land abuts the Seminary Woods -- long revered for its virgin timber. Woods preservationists had argued that the school's plans put the parking lots and sports facilities too close to the trees and that they would stress the Woods, but St. Francis city officials gave the university cart blanche zoning ability, anyway.

Ivory Tower Clash: UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago didn't win many friends at his appearance in front of the Common Council this week. When asked if UWM would consider a Downtown location for its new College of Engineering, Santiago responded with a simple "no."

That inspired Ald. Bob Bauman to call for a lobbying effort against the university's effort to build its new school in Wauwatosa.

"We would have preferred to work with the university to find a suitable location in Downtown Milwaukee for the engineering school; however, the chancellor's intransigence appears to foreclose the possibility of cooperation and collaboration," Bauman said.

No Sweat: The city is cementing itself as a sweat-free community. The Common Council this week voted to join the Sweat-free Consortium, a national network of anti-sweatshop organizations that recognize the potential in humane government purchasing. The group seeks to build a system of fair trade and create positive alternatives to global sweatshops.

What does that mean here? Mainly, it assures that city isn't buying its stuff made in sweat shops in Third World countries. The move for sweat-free stuff generated opposition from the city's budget office.

"Milwaukee is a Fair Trade City and has made great strides to facilitate purchasing decisions that promote humane working conditions and our membership in Sweat-free Communities is the ideal next step," said Ald. Tony Zielinski.

Worked Up About Spanking: Ald. Ashanti Hamilton found himself in negative headlines again this week after word leaked to the press that he spanked one of his kids. A social service agency was called in as a result. He didn't appreciate the attention.

"I have four beautiful daughters at different stages of development. As a responsible parent, I am attempting to raise respectful, positive and healthy children who will hopefully grow to have these attributes when they become adults. I am deeply saddened that my parenting skills and motives have been called into question," he said. "I am disappointed in the public spotlight being put on my children -- minors who would otherwise be protected by confidentiality rules meant to prevent further harm."