Author Archives: Erik Brooks

Rocketober is here!

The celebration of fall in South Milwaukee begins this week with Homecoming festivities, a sure-to-be-terrific concert at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, and a full day of activities on Saturday. Then it’s food trucks  on Sunday.

Check out the schedule below, and be sure to like the Rocketober Facebook page.

• More details on The Official Blues Brothers Revue here.
• More details on the food trucks here.

One of South Milwaukee’s longstanding organizations has a new home — and with it a renewed commitment to the city it has called home for more than 50 years.

Mary Linsmeier School recently completed a move from Grant Park Plaza to South Milwaukee United Methodist Church, 1327 Marshall Ave.

I recently got a tour of the facility from David Linsmeier, son of the woman who founded the nonprofit, and I left impressed.

This is their third location in South Milwaukee after opening in 1965 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, shortly after Mary Linsmeier began offering preschool and kindergarten classes to children in Wauwatosa — work that has grown to include full-day child care, programming and other “wrap-around” services.

From their website …

Mary Linsmeier began teaching when her own eight children were young. Having taught elementary school, she was well aware of the child’s interest in learning if the lessons were taught in a simple and interesting way. After studying other methods of teaching, including Montessori education, she concluded that the more the senses are involved in learning, the more the child would enjoy and retain the concepts.

The first mary linsmeier school was started in 1964 in response to many parents who wanted a first rate early childhood education for their children. Since that time, additional programs have been established. The success of the program is best demonstrated by the reputation that mary linsmeier schools has throughout Wisconsin.

Today, there are 10 Mary Linsmeier locations in schools, educational wings of churches or near hospitals. The South Milwaukee location is licensed for 50 kids, and they currently serve 39.

Learn more about Mary Linsmeier Schools on their website and Facebook page.

Thanks for calling South Milwaukee home!

It’s budget season, and here are some key dates to keep in mind in the weeks ahead …

• Oct. 10: Executive budget review, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 25: Proposed budget published.
• Nov. 20: Public hearing on proposed budget, 6 p.m.
• Nov. 21: City Council meets to adopt budget, 7 p.m.

All meetings are at City Hall, and I encourage you to be part of the debate.

Remember, we will be preparing two budgets this year, one accounting for the two potential results of the Nov. 7 public safety referendum.

Both versions will be bring some amount of pain, as we face continued challenges due to rising costs and reduced revenues.

To illustrate this, I give you two numbers around the property tax levy, our biggest source of operating revenue, and the impact of state-imposed levy limits …

• $10,774,142: the amount of our 2017 operating levy.
• $9,688: the amount we are allowed to increase that levy in 2018.

So, we are faced with essentially no increase. Again.

This is a challenge (and many other fully developed, small-growth communities) have been confronted with for a decade. We have met this challenge with responsible budgets that have done their best to preserve our core city services. That is getting increasingly difficult, and our budgets in recent years have reflected that.

And barring reasonable changes to levy limit law, this will continue to be the case for 2018 and the years ahead.

This is our reality. The budget is that reality in writing.

I encourage you to learn more throughout the budget process this fall.

News from around the South Shore includes a story on a proposed self-storage development at the former South Park Lanes site and the retirement of our police chief.

• City Unenthusiastic About Self-Storage Development at Former South Park Lanes Site (NOW)
• After 28 Years Police Chief Ann Wellens About to Hang up Her Badge in South Milwaukee (NOW)
• St. Francis Apartment Project Looking for  $4.8 Million in TID Assistance (NOW)
• Oak Creek Moving Polling Locations out of Schools (NOW)
• Angelic Bakehouse Expansion Breaks Ground (BizTimes)
• Zimmers Landscaping Gets Final Approval for Move to St. Francis (NOW)

Also, NOW has published a new police blotter.

The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center keeps raising the bar on the acts it brings to our city.

The latest big name to come: the Violent Femmes!

The group is playing at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. The show was announced today.

From the press release …

It has been 19 years since the Violent Femmes did a special tour of small theatres around Wisconsin. That tour resulted in the live CD, ”Viva Wisconsin”. This fall they will visit 5 cities again playing small, intimate theatres. All shows go on sale Friday September 8.

Peter Jest will again be the promoter for this tour. “I am very excited and proud to be promoting these dates. I have been promoting 34 years and it is an honor to bring Wisconsin’s most famous and internationally known band back to their home state to play. The Milwaukee band that was “discovered” outside a Milwaukee Theatre by the Pretenders now will go inside 5 Wisconsin theaters playing before intimate crowds. I was at the Pretenders show in 1980 and I have promoted many Violent Femmes dates over the years. They never put on a bad show. Violent Femmes are a band that you could bring a person to one of their concerts who never heard of them and they would become an instant fan. The songs and musicianship are very unique and entertaining.”

The group has a local connection, too. Its drummer, John Sparrow, is a South Milwaukee graduate. Here is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage of the news.

And here is information on the SMPAC season series, which starts Sept. 15 with the Official Blues Brothers Revue. Get your tickets now!

This post and list will be updated as events are added. It was last updated September 5, with the Violent Femmes concert at the PAC. To stay on top of the latest Rocketober developments, please follow the Facebook page. 

Several years ago, we sought to bring together all of the cool activities happening around town in October (plus or minus a couple weeks) and brand them.

The goal: Help our fair city “own” this terrific time of year. It’s working.

The lineup for Rocketober is again impressive this year, as we become famous for the events we host in South Milwaukee in the fall (and throughout the year).

Here is a PDF of this year’s list, starting with Homecoming weekend.

Mark your calendars. We’ll see you around town, and happy Rocketober!

Welcome to Bird City!

I’m proud to announce that South Milwaukee has been selected as a Bird City by Bird City Wisconsin, a partnership led by the Bird Protection Fund of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Audubon Society.

From our city website …

The City of South Milwaukee is committed to making our community healthy for birds and people, and is proud to be a designated Bird City Wisconsin. The City is part of an important migratory flyway, and also provides vital nesting habitat for many species. Lake Michigan, the Oak Creek Parkway, Grant Park, the Mill Pond, and perhaps even your back yard are all appreciated by people and birds alike.

Today, we celebrate that, as we join more than 90 other communities across the state with this designation. Look for events, signage and more opportunities for us to celebrate our newfound status and take pride in what makes our city special.

I thank local birder Rita Wiskowski for her work on the application, and for the photos in this post. She, along with many others in the area, has a passion for birding that helped deliver this well-deserved recognition.

With the public safety referendum coming up Nov. 7, we want to make sure residents of South Milwaukee have the facts they need to make an informed decision at the polls.

With that in mind, we’ve created a one-stop source on our city website for information about the referendum and what got us to this point. Find it here.

Among the information you will find on this page …

• The options assessment that took a deep dive at the issues facing us when it comes to funding our paramedics and police;
• Results of the community survey we did in May; and
• A “frequently asked questions” document that we will continually update throughout the next two months. We posted this document on Wednesday.

Please review this information and share it, and look for more information soon on additional opportunities to learn about the referendum, including public events in September and October. For example, I’ll be at the Sept. 28 South Milwaukee Downtown Market from 4 to 6 p.m. answering questions on this and other topics as part of a Meet the Mayor event. That’s just the start.

You can also email questions to referendum@smwi.org, or call 414-768-8051. Obviously, you can always contact me via email, my Facebook page or this blog.

We are committed to keeping the lines of communication open as the special election approaches — and giving you the information you need to make an educated choice.

From South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens …

The South Milwaukee Police Department is seeking to promote understanding improved relationships between the department and the community. To this end, we are seeking citizen participation in a Citizen’s Academy. This academy is designed not to train those who attend to become police officers, but rather to provide information that will help enhance understanding of how the Police Department performs its duties and responsibilities.

This 10 week program is set to begin in September. It will be held once a week for 3 hours during the evening.

Citizen participation in this program is encouraged. We at the Police Department are committed to a frank and forthright dialog about the topics covered in the Academy curriculum.

For more information and an application, please contact Lt Chad Milow at (414) 768-8060 or at milow@smwi.org

Congratulations to the South Milwaukee Police Department for two recent arrests, including one overnight. From the SMPD …

Vehicle Eggings Early Morning 8/29/17

On 8/29/17 at 12:54am SMPD Late Shift took a report of a reckless driver in the area of Lake Drive and Sycamore Ave. Caller further reported that the suspect vehicle occupants were throwing eggs at parked cars that they drove past. Caller gave a great vehicle description and partial plate. Our 3rd shift Officers responded quickly to the area. The vehicle was located and the Officer then observed the subjects in the vehicle throwing eggs as the vehicle traveled south on 6th Ave. A traffic stop was performed on the suspect vehicle. 4 subjects were taken into custody at that time. Over 20 vehicles were egged by these individuals. The 4 subjects were issued citations for their actions.

The areas where these eggings took place are: 400blk 11th Ave, 1000blk-500blk Sycamore Ave, and the 2100-2200blk of 6th Ave. Officer attempted contact with all of the affected vehicle owners. If your vehicle was egged earlier this morning, related to this incident, please report it to the SMPD. Thank you to the person who called this in and thank you to the fast response of the our late shift Officers.

Car Theft 8/27/17

On Saturday, August 26th, at approximately 7:59pm, SMPD took a report of a vehicle theft. At approximately 10:07pm, SMPD took a report of a one vehicle car accident near the intersection of Blakewood and Edgewood Avenues. The vehicle involved in the accident was found to be the same as the vehicle reported stolen earlier. One juvenile was taken into custody.

Love to see local businesses coming together this way … nine bars in all.

From the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, as they prepare for their “Ex Fabula: Risking It” show on Nov. 17 …

I love the unique performances the SMPAC brings to this city. Things like this challenge us artistically, and as a community. Well done!

Storytelling Workshop
Sat., Sept. 23, 10am-noon @SMPAC
Open to the community. No fee.

What’s your story? We’ll help you tell it.

Learn from an experienced storytelling coach through small group exercises about:

• Finding your story: Why storytelling is important & how to select a great story.
• Crafting your story: How to structure your story for maximum impact.
• Telling your story: Tips to practice before sharing your story with others. You may decide to audition to tell your story live at “Risking It” on Nov. 17.

Ages 18 and up.

Space is limited. Registration required by Sept. 20. Call 766-5049 now.

More information here.

Check out these South Milwaukee headlines, including word that the Rawson Elementary principal has accepted a position in Pewaukee, and details on the latest production of a proud product of South Milwaukee schools.

• Colin Jacobs Named Pewaukee School District New HR Director (NOW)
• “Deathtrap” Brings Rising Star Michael Cotey Back to Director’s Chair (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Third Woman Sues Over Jail Birth Conditions (Journal Sentinel)
• Wisconsin Schools Raised $217M Above Tax Caps for Green Projects (Journal Sentinel)
• Community Newspapers — Rebuilt for the Reader (NOW)

As the parent of a current and former Rawson student, we’ll miss you Mr. Jacobs!

And here is more on Cotey, a true rising star …

In his professional debut as a director, Cotey helmed a now-legendary Youngblood Theatre Company production of Mickle Maher’s “Spirits to Enforce” (2010), about actors playing characters from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” now trapped in a submarine and doubling as superheroes trying to once again become relevant.

Ensuing productions he directed with Youngblood, for which Cotey was the founding artistic director, included one play set in a psychiatric ward and a second unfolding within the disturbing interior landscape of a sadistic child’s mind. Both plays were preoccupied with how stories can be used and abused.

Then it was off to Northwestern, one of the most prestigious graduate programs for directors in the country. 

Cotey is now concluding a four-year stint there that included directing three more plays – adaptations of “Frankenstein” and “The Great Gatsby” among them – suggesting his ongoing preoccupation with stories that can alternately impede and expand one’s definition of self and world. 

I saw all three of these Northwestern productions; collectively, they confirm Cotey’s status as one of the most promising young directors to emerge from Milwaukee in the past 15 years.

Should be a fun week , with Guardian Credit Union and Ferch’s Beachside’s presentation of “Zootopia” at dusk on Wednesday, and the Restore the Lagoon Festival on Saturday. And don’t forget to sign up for NEWaukee’s 7 Bridges BBQ, set for August 30 at Grant Park, by Friday!

We don’t know what we don’t know when it comes to downtown (re) development — but we can certainly learn from others.

That’s why I’m excited to announce that South Milwaukee — a partnership between the South Milwaukee Community & Business Association’s Project ReStore and the city — has been named a Connect Community by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The WEDC announced the news today. The application is a result of the efforts we started about a year ago with Graef Consulting and Downtown Business Districts Inc. — work that included tours of several city centers in the region, to see what’s working, what isn’t, and what can be applied to South Milwaukee. A key finding: Partnerships can only help in delivering expertise and best practice sharing, and the Main Street/Connect Communities program is a great example of that.

Thanks to everyone on Project ReStore, led by chamber President Leah Manthey from Parkway Floral, and the city staff who helped put together this application. It was worthy investment of time and resources.

The press release is below. As I state …

“It’s an honor to be accepted into this program, and to partner with the SMCBA and local business owners on our downtown revitalization efforts. We’ve made strong progress already. Being a Connect Community will allow us to accelerate that work and help us on our journey to bringing new life to our city center.”