Milwaukee Brewers fans who signed up for the National League Division Series ticket lottery will soon find out if they're among the winners, but be forewarned: it will be a long shot.
About 102,000 fans submitted applications for the right to purchase single-game tickets for the series - which will happen only if the Brewers stay hot and finish ahead of the Chicago Cubs.
The Brewers said that "on or around this Thursday," a random selection of winners will be made from the pool of registrants.
"There will be approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people selected from the lottery registrants, each of whom will be allowed to purchase up to four tickets to just one of the two NLDS games. It's first come, first served, so if you log on too late to get game one, you will have to get game two (or vice versa)," Tyler Barnes, vice president of communications for the Brewers, told SBT.
In other words, about two or three out of every 100 fans who submitted applications would receive an opportunity to try to buy tickets, and when they are notified by e-mail by the Brewers, they best act quickly..
If the Brewers manage to advance to the playoffs for the first time in 25 years, they will host only two games in the five-game series, because they will have a record that will be inferior to that of their opponent.
Brewers fans still have the option of guaranteeing purchase of postseason tickets by placing a deposit on 2008 season seat packages. Additional information is available at www.brewers.com.
The Brewers moved into first place, just percentage points ahead of the Cubs, with a victory over the Houston Astros Tuesday night.
In August, Barnes wrote a Milwaukee Biz Blog, reminding fans to "enjoy the ride" of the team's pennant run.

Midwest Environmental Advocates, Wisconsin's first and only nonprofit environmental law center, has expanded its capacity to promote environmental justice in Wisconsin by opening a Milwaukee office and hiring a new executive director.
"We're very excited that this day has come," said founder Melissa Scanlan. "Since opening our doors in 1999, Midwest Environmental Advocates has actively engaged communities across Wisconsin and has achieved victories for clean air and water, but with our new office, we'll be able to increase our work with low-income communities that are living with greater environmental degradation."
After founding and serving as the executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates for eight years, Scanlan has moved her family to Milwaukee to open Midwest Environmental Advocates' new office at 1845 N. Farwell Ave.
Scanlan now serves as senior counsel for the organization, which has hired Karen Schapiro, another experienced environmental lawyer, as its new executive director.
Schapiro comes to Midwest Environmental Advocates from the law firm of DeWitt Ross & Stevens, S.C., where she was a partner in the environmental practice group.
Earlier in her career, Schapiro served as an air enforcement attorney at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she prosecuted violations of the Clean Air Act around the country and also worked on regulation and policy developments.
Schapiro is a recipient of the EPA's Bronze Medal of Commendation for her role in negotiating emission reductions from more than 40 "high risk" sources of air toxics. While in Washington, D.C., she also served as a special assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.
"I'm honored to assume the role of executive director, and I'm looking forward to working to carry forward our mission of promoting environmental justice in the Western Great Lakes Region," Schapiro said.
Midwest Environmental Advocates has been at the forefront of the effort to gain approval of the Great Lakes Compact to protect the waters of the Great Lakes.

Modine Manufacturing Co. a Racine-based provider of thermal management technology and solutions, announced today that it has been approximately $15 million in contracts to provide passenger heating, ventilation and air conditioning modules to Mitsubishi FUSO Truck and Bus Corp.
Leveraging its presence in Asia, Modine will provide the modules to Mitsubishi FUSO's Kawasaki, Japan, plant. The passenger thermal management systems will be assembled at Modine's Shanghai, China, facility using the latest technology heat exchangers from the company's Asan City, South Korea, design center.
"The award of the FUSO business demonstrates the strength and alignment of our Asian operations in supporting growth in the commercial truck customer segment," said Brian Lee, managing director of passenger thermal management for Modine. "We are positioned well for future business growth with this customer and others in the expanding Asian commercial truck HVAC market."
Mitsubishi FUSO Truck awarded Modine business for the HVAC system for the Canter light duty truck program, beginning in 2009 and extending to 2014.
"This is an important and symbolic win for Modine," said Jerry Retallick, managing director of Modine Asia. "It is our first thermal management business award from a Japanese truck customer which signifies our commitment to profitable growth through the diversification of our markets, customers, and products."

The physicians of Advanced Pain Management today announced the opening of a new office in Franklin at 7400 W. Rawson Ave.
"Advanced Pain Management is committed to providing the most comprehensive
therapies and treatment options available today," said Bhupinder Saini, M.D., chairman of Greenfield-based Advanced Pain Management. "The new office will focus on the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation branch of our practice, which a great complement to the interventional treatment services and procedures we offer elsewhere. This new office will help meet the growing need for pain management services in our area."
Through the new facility, patients suffering from severe pain will be able to access a wide range of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation services. The services, some provided directly through Advanced Pain Management and others through referrals, include: acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic care, cranio-sacral therapy, herbal medicine, massage, medications, meditation, mind/body healing, myofascial release, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, relaxation techniques, self-hypnosis, tai chi, visual imagery and yoga.
A team of three pain management professionals are available to treat patients at the
Franklin location: Jerome Lerner, an M.D. who is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation; Mary Laan, a certified physician assistant with experience in fibromyalgia management; and Jonathan Ferris, a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in massage and acupuncture in the treatment of pain.
Advanced Pain Management has grown to become the largest pain management group in the nation, with 19 board-certified/eligible physicians offering the most advanced techniques for pain control. Advanced Pain Management physicians operate out of 28 locations in metropolitan Milwaukee, the greater Madison area, Sheboygan, Racine, Green Bay and Kenosha.

PointBridge, a Chicago-based Microsoft solutions provider, announced today it has opened a new office in Brookfield 200 South Executive Drive.
The new office is needed to meet the growing demand for collaboration and communication solutions in Wisconsin, according to the company.
"We are excited about PointBridge's entry into the Wisconsin market and its ability to help meet the growing demand of the SharePoint business. It is excellent to have such a strong resource in the region," said Rob Busch, enterprise sales manager for the Midwest district for Microsoft
Microsoft named PointBridge its 2007 US Central Region Partner of the Year. PointBridge is a resource for organizations seeking to implement or optimize SharePoint, Exchange, Office Communications Server and core infrastructure solutions.
"Communication and collaboration are some of the most important technology arenas for corporations competing in today's economy. Microsoft offers excellent technologies that enable companies to more efficiently find, use, share and store information, and we are pleased to be bringing these valuable solutions to clients in Wisconsin," said Lance Russell, co-founder and director of marketing and alliances for PointBridge.

Start-up companies can apply for one of two chances to present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, to be held Nov. 14-15 at Madison's Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
The annual conference, which has existed under different names for more than 20 years, will feature the third annual "Elevator Pitch Olympics" for companies in a seed financing stage and a separate Wisconsin Angel Network Early Stage presentation track for companies seeking angel investments in the $500,000 to $2 million range. Up to 30 companies will be selected to present at the conference.
The "Elevator Pitch Olympics" will allow entrepreneurs to make 90-second presentations to a panel of venture and angel investors. The term describes a pitch that's short enough to be given during an elevator ride. Just as in the real Olympics, investor judges hold up their scores and give points ranging from 1 to 5 in the categories of “quality of presentation” and “business fundability.” Immediately afterwards, presenters will get constructive feedback from the judges – all seasoned investors.
First preference in the Elevator track will be given to companies that take part in the VentureQuest educational seminar, which helps entrepreneurs prepare to seek private equity and other financing. About 20 companies will be selected for the Elevator track. E-mail an executive summary to Liz Katz at lkatz@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com by 5 p.m. on Oct. 12 if you wish to be considered.
Ten companies that are currently looking for funding (within the next six months) will make full presentations to investors in the WAN Early Stage track. Tech-based companies that are looking for $500,000 to $2 million in financing are eligible. The presentation length will be seven minutes. Submit executive summaries to Liz Katz at lkatz@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com by 5 p.m. Oct. 12 for review by the conference steering committee.
For additional information, contact Katz at (608) 442-7557, extension. 27, or WAN director Joe Kremer at ext. 23.
The conference is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and its partners and sponsors. Visit www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/events/earlystage to register or learn more.

The World Trade Center Wisconsin will conduct a seminar for Wisconsin companies on protecting intellectual property in China, Europe and South Africa on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
The seminar, titled, "International IP: What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead of the Game," will take place at the Milwaukee Yacht Club from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
The seminar will examine recent international treaties and protocols and provide the fundamentals on how to best protect products globally.
The seminar will be an opportunity for corporate attorneys and in-house legal counsel to remain knowledgeable and will also be relevant for business owners seeking to stay informed on how best to protect their product and when to seek legal advice.
The featured speakers at the seminar will include: Lisa Bridge, shareholder at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek law office in Milwaukee, who is an expert on trade in China; Jeffery Makeever, shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren's  Intellectual Property Department and a managing partner at the firm's office in Rockford, Ill., who will speak about doing business in the European Union; and Otto Carl Gerntholtz, a patent attorney at Dr. Gerntholtz Inc., who will speak about trade in South Africa.
For additional information, call (414) 274-3840 or visit www.wistrade.org.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday gave its approval for We Energies to sell the Point Beach nuclear plant for nearly $1 billion to FPL Energy Inc. of Juno Beach, Fla.
The PSC vote was 2-1, with commissioner Lauren Azar dissenting. Chairman Dan Ebert and commissioner Mark Meyer voted for the plan.
For the deal to go forward, the two utilities will have to agree to changes made by the PSC. The commissioners asked that We Energies and FPL agree by this afternoon to the commission's alterations.
Barry McNulty, spokesman for Milwaukee-based We Energies, said the sale of the nuclear plant could save ratepayers millions of dollars.
For the full story, visit WisBusiness.com, a media partner of Small Business Times.

Commercial real estate owners, developers and brokers are invited to submit their best properties for consideration in a free listing for the annual Small Business Times Honor Roll of Prime Leasable Commercial Real Estate. Read more in the latest edition of SBT's Real Estate Weekly.

The Oshkosh Plan Commission has approved The Waterfront development, which will include a new hotel and office space along the Fox River. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com.

The debate on the Healthy Wisconsin reform plan continues today in the Milwaukee Biz Blog, with State Sen. Jon Erpenbach saying that Wisconsin's small businesses should embrace the plan, because it will be less costly than paying for rising health insurance premiums and will produce significant property tax relief. To read SBT's ongoing coverage of Healthy Wisconsin, search the archives.

The BizTimes Stock Index soared 7.56 points to close at 184.56 Tuesday, and the stock market continued to rise this morning in the afterglow of the Federal Reserve Bank's rate cut. The largest local gainers this morning were Joy Global Inc. (up $2.20 to $50.50) and MGIC Investment Corp. (up $2.15 to $35.65). The largest local decliners this morning were A.O. Smith Corp. (down $1.43 to $47.59) and Strattec Security Corp. (down 94 cents to $45.13). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.
Northern Trust Corp. economic analyst Asha Bangalore today predicted more weak economic data and additional rate cuts by the Fed in the near future.
"By taking a two step approach after the onset of the current crisis, the Fed has sent a message that it is not in the business of bailing out excessive risk takers. The weak employment report of August played a major role in justifying today's Fed action. By stating that 'today's action is intended to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the broader economy that might otherwise arise from the disruptions in financial markets and to promote moderate growth over time,' the Fed implicitly indicated that the reach of the housing market problem is wide and deep. Today's Fed action should clear out some of the bottlenecks in money and credit markets gradually. Additional weak economic data will most likely translate into additional rate cuts in the months ahead. The key is weak economic data," Bangalore stated in his daily global market commentary.