The feedback around this blog being down has been missing events and going-ons. Every year it seems like the number of local events keeps growing, and I’m proud to offer the most comprehensive list on this blog. Visit my Events page for the most updated listing of South Milwaukee events. If there are events that you would like posted on here please email me to be added!
Real change is coming to 12th Ave. & Milwaukee Ave.
On Tuesday night, the city’s Public Works & Public Property Committee approved six-month, interim safety improvements at one of South Milwaukee’s most challenging intersections—12th Ave and Milwaukee Ave.
The approved changes include removing the first on-street parking space closest to the intersection to improve sightlines, adding a high-visibility stop sign on the northwest corner, and potentially upgrading the stop sign on the southeast corner.
The city engineer designed the plan to expand the vision triangles to Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards, exceeding what current South Milwaukee code requires. Both the Police Chief and officers shared that, based on experience, high traffic volumes and poor visibility are major contributors to collisions here.
We’re encouraged to see the city take practical, low-cost action instead of waiting years for a full reconstruction or a $20,000 traffic study. This is exactly the kind of “try something, measure it, improve it” approach we support.
So what does success look like for this intervention?
So far, the conversation has focused almost entirely on drivers. From a Strong Towns perspective, success should also be measured by how this intersection works for everyone.
That means looking for fewer crashes and near-misses, lower vehicle speeds approaching the intersection, and better visibility for all users. It also means more comfortable crossing for pedestrians, greater predictability for people biking, and, just as importantly, fewer residents saying that “this intersection feels bad.”
In other words, not just does traffic move — but does this place feel safer to be in?
We applaud the city for taking this first step. Now let’s use this pilot to collect data, listen to residents, and keep moving toward a safer South Milwaukee.
Filed under Strong Towns South Milwaukee
Lisa Pieper
While I am relatively new to South Milwaukee, one thing I have heard is that there are a lot of things people say about each other. This is controversially represented in the South Milwaukee Town Hall Facebook page. I looked to Facebook in order to figure out where I belonged in this new community of mine. I have heard wonderful things about this space as well as horrible things about this space. While not officially associated with the city of South Milwaukee, this Facebook page is moderated by an alderperson, Lisa Pieper, which has stirred up some controversy over the years. Lisa and I met at Better Together Coffee shop. I was admittedly nervous with the variety of different reactions and things that I have heard about Lisa. I wanted to sit with Lisa and discuss her history, feelings about South Milwaukee, and why she does what she does.
Lisa is the 3rd generation here in South Milwaukee. Lisa and her husband, married for almost 40 years, lived here their entire relationship. Lisa did not envision herself being in politics. Starting in retail management then Lisa then was given the opportunity to run the community center. Lisa talked about the history of the community center and discussed how she really enjoyed being connected to the community in that way. At the time, the community center was a non-profit and as many people who may work in the non profit world, money is always tight. The building was heated using steam from the Bucyrus factory. After the factory updated, the heat no longer was supplied to the community center. According to Lisa, after this shift, to heat the building would have cost upwards of six thousand dollars. The community center became sadly unfeasible.
Lisa found herself wondering what was next. From Lisa’s experiences with the community center, Lisa decided to run for common council. Lisa said at that time that she missed working with people of the city and wanted to find a way to return to that work. Lisa ran against an incumbent and won. Lisa has been on the council since. Lisa talked about the various experiences being on the council, including often being the only woman and receiving death and physical harm threats to her home. Lisa said that she has always felt protected by her husband. Lisa stated that she often times feels as though she is a whistle blower and stated that she is ready to call out what she sees as ‘bullshit’. Lisa has seen the city through various changes and has felt deceived by some referendums that make her feel warry of others. Lisa’s husband and life partner sadly passed three years ago and has changed how safe and ‘sassy’ she feels being on the council.
I asked Lisa, “why are you still doing what you’re doing?”. Lisa said she loves South Milwaukee. I do see this in the way she posts about emergencies and the way she makes connections with her constituents to ensure their safety. One person recalled to me that Lisa automatically reached out to her in the recent floods to make sure their family was staying ‘afloat’. Lisa said during our coffee together that she would like to see a number of projects through that she feels will improve the city. These projects include the library referendum, the senior center, and a viable grocery store.
I went into this interview thinking honestly I was going to be ‘ghosted’, however I found myself really enjoying my time. Maybe its the nature of my job (therapist), but I really felt like what I took away from this is that we need to sit down with one another- face to face- and talk about how we are feeling and what we need from one another. It is so much easier to sit in front of a keyboard and say things that we may not exactly mean. Lisa and I have dinner planned for another day and I genuinely hope that we can continue to sit down and talk through our wishes and wants for this amazing community. I feel encouraged to get more people together and I wonder what we could do within this city if we did sit face-to-face and get to know each other more often.
Filed under City Council, Community, South Milwaukee
What’s Next For This Website: New Life, Thanks to Strong Towns South Milwaukee
Hello again, South Milwaukee. How you been?
After 15+ years and more than 1.8 million views on 4,603 posts, I am excited to announce new life and a sustainable future for this website.
I will be handing off the blog to Strong Towns South Milwaukee starting today, and I leave it in great hands.
You can learn more about Strong Towns here and here.
Globally, this is the Strong Towns mission: “We seek to replace America’s postwar pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable and inviting. We work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.”
Count me in! And while I also agree with the local chapter’s mission of “advocating for our city to be safe, livable, financially strong, resilient, and inviting,” I have come to know and respect the organization because of the South Milwaukeeans who are a part of it.
This is about people. And these are people who love this city, and have shown time after time they are more about action than words. From helping people cross the street safely during downtown events to neighborhood cleanups to celebrating Park(ing) Day to shoveling crosswalks to showing up and speaking out about transit, land use, and safer streets, this group is putting the work in to make our city a better place.
Taking ownership of this website is the latest example of that.
So, what does this mean? Long story short: Starting now, Strong Towns will assume full editorial control of South Milwaukee Blog. Content will be up to them, and I’m told not a lot will change from what you’ve found on this website since I launched it in 2009. Expect a mix of local news and information, perspective, event details, and more – maybe even an occasional column from a former mayor 🙂 – all with an intense focus on the people, places, businesses and issues that make South Milwaukee, South Milwaukee. The searchable archive of posts, a pretty good recap of what’s happened in this city the past 15 years, will also remain.
If you do not like this change, no worries; if you are a subscriber, simply unsubscribe. Otherwise, I encourage you to keep reading – I will. And spread the word!
Thank you, Strong Towns, for taking this on. It’s not a small thing. It’s a lot of work, which is why I’m ready to move on as publisher, as I focus on life as a husband, dad, basketball coach, marketing communications professional, and occasional rideshare driver. It’s also important work, and I know the new editors understand that, as they reinvigorate the website and make it their own.
I am excited to see what’s next. I hope you are too.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Update From Alderman Tim: June 2, 2025
South Milwaukee Alderman Tim Backes has graciously volunteered to write regular updates for the blog.
You can see his latest installment here.
Thanks, Tim, for bringing this idea to the blog! I am always looking for content to further our mission of keeping South Milwaukeeans informed on key issues, while also providing important context and depth where possible. It is why I started this blog as an alderman in 2009, and why I continue it today.
See all of Alderman Tim’s updates here.
Filed under Alderman Tim
South Milwaukee Events Update: April, 2025
Lots going on the rest of April!
See the updated Events page here — and check back frequently for updates.
And a message to event organizers: If there is an event you would like me to promote on the blog, please send it to me. I am proud to provide the most comprehensive look at at major local events in the city … but I need to know about them! Please send a graphic and language to include in the listing.
Email me at erikbrooks32@gmail.com, and I will do my best to include your event.
South Milwaukee Blog has nearly 1,000 subscribers, meaning close to 1,000 people get an email every time I publish a new post. Take advantage of this opportunity to lift up your event!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Transit Community Meeting Set for Thursday at the South Milwaukee Library
From the Milwaukee County Transit System … Phase 2 of MOVE 2025 is here! See how your feedback is shaping the future of MCTS routes by attending an upcoming meeting or checking out our updated website and survey at RideMCTS.com/MOVE.
More on proposed changes impacting South Milwaukee here.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Prosit! Beer Garden Returns to Grant Park in 2025
I’m excited to see the Milwaukee County Traveling Beer Garden back in South Milwaukee!
The Grant Park run is from June 25 through July 26, again making it part of our city’s July 4th celebration. See you there!
Beer gardens are a tradition brought to Wisconsin by German brewers in the 1850s – they’re outdoor areas where beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. The Traveling Beer Garden tours transform parks into temporary beer gardens May through September, for about two weeks at a time. Restored fire trucks were converted into mobile beer trucks, serving up craft beers, and more. The Traveling Beer Garden is managed by Milwaukee County Parks in partnership with Sprecher Brewery. Revenue from the beer gardens goes back into improving the parks.
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee Student Music Showcase: Get Tickets Now for April 15 Jazz & More Gala
This will be a special night of music, fun and fundraising for South Milwaukee school music students!
Your ticket includes three hours of student music around the Bucyrus Club & Event Center, including a cocktail reception at the Bucyrus Museum; a plated, gourmet meal in the 1893 Ballroom; and a silent auction and 50-50 raffle.
Presented by the South Milwaukee Music Parents Association. Tickets must be purchased by April 8, so act quickly!
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee Results: Big Turnout and Big Wins For Crawford, Underly; Hansen and Williams for School Board; Razor-Thin Margin for Martyka
Here are your 2025 spring election results in South Milwaukee, where we saw voter turnout surpass 60% and margins for the top two races far exceed the state as a whole.
In local races, incumbent Kelly Martyka won her South Milwaukee Municipal Judge race by 31 votes — out of more than 5,600 cast. And Steve Hansen and incumbent Sophia Williams won the top two spots for South Milwaukee School Board.
Congratulations to all of our local winners!
- Wisconsisn State Supreme Court: Crawford 58.5%, Schimel 41.3%
- Wisconsin DPI Superintendent: Underly 55%, Kinser 44.7%
- South Milwaukee Municipal Judge: Martyka 2,831, Zienkiewicz 2,795
- South Milwaukee School Board: Steve Hansen 2,995, Sophia Williams 2,954, William Sakalaucks 1,639, Matthew Scales 1,363
Filed under South Milwaukee
It’s Election Day: Vote!
Of course, the races for Wisconsin State Supreme Court and Department of Public Instruction Superintendent headline the ballot, but there are important local races, too: for South Milwaukee School Board and Municipal Judge.
- Check out a sample ballot.
- Local candidate profiles: School Board | Judge
- Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Polling locations map
- Not registered? You can do so at the polling place on Election Day. Details here.
- More details on city elections here.
And look for local election results on the blog!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Shelby’s Banned Book Reviews: “Nineteen Minutes”
I am proud to offer this space to my daughter, Shelby, who will be writing series of book reviews of banned books. Get in some good trouble, kid! See all of her reviews here.
The 2008 novel Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult was banned 98 times in the 2023-24 school year, and it made the list of the PEN America’s most commonly banned books. According to the Alpine School District in Utah, it reportedly contains “explicit sexual content” and “nudity”. This district also claimed that the novel as a whole “does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
This harrowing and brutally honest novel tells the story we often overlook: the events leading up to and the aftermath of a violent shooting. It takes place in the small town of Sterling, New Hampshire, covering many different perspectives to show just how complicated this fictional shooting was.
I don’t even remember my first lockdown drill. It wasn’t some big traumatic moment for me, and it isn’t something my parents remember either. I was probably in kindergarten, and it was likely the same general message as I’m told now during lockdown drills. Locks, lights, out of sight. I roll my eyes everytime the associate principal says those words, but it still repeats in my head like a mantra. The constant threats of school shootings is something that has shaped my childhood, and it’s about as natural to me as a monthly fire drill.
Josie Cormier is a member of the main cast, and she has a deeply interesting perspective that you can’t really hear outside of this book. Josie is addicted to maintaining a specific image, and she’s torn between the shallowness of popularity and her true, compassionate nature. She doesn’t like how her friends treat the unpopular kids, but she never finds the courage to speak up against it, even when it’s against her childhood best friend, Peter Houghton, who ends up being the shooter. Peter is ultimately motivated by the endless bullying he’s experienced throughout his years in school.
After the shooting takes place, killing multiple of Josie’s friends and her boyfriend, she pleads for things to get back to normal, finding solace in a few of the other popular kids. “He tore a piece of the damp napkin and stuck it in his mouth, then tossed the spitball at the back of an overweight boy who carried the tuba in the school marching band. Oh my God, Josie thought. Nothing’s changed at all. Drew tore off another piece of napkin and rolled it in his palm. “Stop it,” Josie said. “What?” Drew shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted to go back to normal.”
There’s this flawed belief that cliques only exist in 90s coming of age movies, but as someone who’s a current junior in high school, I can confidently say that clique culture is alive and well. I usually find myself drawn to the theater, music, and art kids… but I’m very aware that I’m moderately popular. When I was younger, it was a different story. When I read about Josie’s character, I’m brought back to this single moment in 3rd grade music class. One of the main bullies in our class, my good friend, was picking on a student who’s far less popular. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and I knew I wasn’t going to speak up. The difference about that day was that I chimed in. I don’t remember what I said, but I know it wasn’t nice. I knew from the moment I said it that I shouldn’t have, but everyone laughed and the day continued. That moment still haunts me to this day. I see this kid in a ton of my advanced classes, and when I look at him, I can’t understand why I felt the need to say whatever I did.
People still pick on this kid and tons of others like him. I don’t think it’s okay, but unless they’re picking on one of my friends, I usually keep my head down and stay quiet. Doesn’t that make me worse than the bullies themselves? I wonder, in Nineteen Minutes, if somebody would have stood up for Peter, would he have done what he did? I think Josie and I are in the same boat.
Above all, Lacy Houghton is the most compelling character in this book. She’s a completely average woman; a midwife, true empath, and Peter’s mother. Lacy spends most of the book attempting to grapple with the facts of what her son has done. “What if it was something Lacy had said or done… or not said or done… that had brought Peter to that point? Could you hate your son for what he had done, and still love him for who he had been?”
When we as a society look at what we call bad people, we always want a cause. We want a broken home, a different chemical in their brain, an abusive past. It doesn’t excuse their actions, but at least it explains it. We view school shooters as monsters, but Peter is shockingly human. He comes from a stable family. An educated father and deeply loving mother. The unfortunate truth is that, in some cases, that doesn’t make a difference. “Everyone, Lacy thought, is somebody’s son.”
I didn’t grow up around guns. No one in my family hunts, and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve even touched a gun. I know my perspective is different from others, but I’ve found myself very frustrated with America’s inability to enact lasting gun reform laws. I mean, you’ve seen it on the news! A school shooting occurs, everyone sends their thoughts and prayers, but when is that not enough?
A few months ago, I told a family member I was constantly scared to go to school. Just as she gave me this funny look, asking why, I completely lost it. I live in constant fear of a school shooting. Yesterday, when the intercom beeped an hour before school ended, the class went entirely silent. Announcements happen everyday at the start of 3rd hour, and besides that, they only ever use the intercom during homecoming week. I glanced at my phone in my back, wondering if I would need to text my parents that I loved them… and a few members from our Unity Club spoke, giving a thoughtful tribute to Women’s History Month. I sighed in relief and moved on from the whole ordeal instantly.
If you look at the facts, school shootings are not an issue in any other country on the planet. The kicker? The countries with the least amount of violent shootings also have the more strict gun regulation. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, each day 12 children die from gun violence in America. When will the safety of our children come above that of our firearms?
The value of Nineteen Minutes and other stories like it is irrefutable. These are stories that need to be told, especially since they’re occuring more often than ever. In reference to attempted censorship of Nineteen Minutes, author Jodi Picoult states, “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor – it’s a call for alarm. Nineteen Minutes is banned not because it’s about a school shooting, but the because of a single page that depicts a date rape and uses anatomically correct words for the human body. It is not gratuitous or salacious, and it is not – as the book banners claim – porn. In fact, hundreds of kids have told me that reading Nineteen Minutes stopped them from committing a school shooting, or showed them they were not alone in feeling isolated. My book, and the ten thousand others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.”
Filed under South Milwaukee
Update From Alderman Tim: March 26, 2025
South Milwaukee Alderman Tim Backes has graciously volunteered to write regular updates for the blog.
You can see his latest installment here. In this writing, Tim shares some insights on the South Milwaukee Theatre Company production of “Chicago: Teen Edition” he led, the Bucyrus campus redevelopment, the upcoming election, summer events, and lead water pipe replacement.
Thanks, Tim, for bringing this idea to the blog! I am always looking for content to further our mission of keeping South Milwaukeeans informed on key issues, while also providing important context and depth where possible. It is why I started this blog as an alderman in 2009, and why I continue it today.
See all of Alderman Tim’s updates here.
Filed under Alderman Tim
New South Milwaukee Rec Center? School District Plans Community Workshop For April 3
From the South Milwaukee School District …
A Recreation Department committee made up of community members and district employees has been exploring this idea since the fall. Please come to share your thoughts and help answer these two questions:
- Is the community of South Milwaukee interested in building a community recreation center?
- If so, what should be included in a potential community recreation center?
Come provide your input on April 3rd at 6:30 p.m. in the High School north gym!
Learn more and RSVP at https://rec.sdsm.k12.wi.us/community-workshop.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Spring Election: In-Person Absentee Voting Available Through March 28 at South Milwaukee City Hall
From the city …
In-person absentee voting hours are:
- Tuesday, March 18 – Friday, March 21 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Monday, March 24 – 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday, March 25 – Thursday, March 27 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday, March 28 – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
If you would like to request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you, please visit MyVote WI: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/
To view the sample ballot for the upcoming election, please visit: https://bit.ly/Spring25SMSampBallot
Also, please check out my candidate profiles on the South Milwaukee Municipal Judge and South Milwaukee School Board races.
Election Day is April 1.
Filed under South Milwaukee
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