Heritage Days is here! I’ll be sharing a post each day this week on what’s happening … and it’s a lot.
It’s Friday, so that means it’s time South Milwaukee Lionsfest.
Today, it’s the car cruise, fish fry and much, much more. See you there!
Be sure to follow the Lionsfest Facebook page for updates throughout the weekend.
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Heritage Days is here! I’ll be sharing a post each day this week on what’s happening … and it’s a lot.
Tonight, it’s Evening on the Avenue, and this year may be the best one yet.
Food, entertainment, vendors from the South Milwaukee Downtown Market and other local businesses … it’s a terrific celebration of our city.
More details here and here. See you in the dunk tank at 6:30!
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Here is the third installment of South Milwaukee Business Spotlight, a collaboration with the South Milwaukee Community & Business Association where we’ll spotlight a local small business each month. Businesses will be chosen by the SMCBA.
This month, we profile Lovenote Creative.
The Basics
Learning More
How did you get involved in the business?
I started my career in high school at Sears Portrait Studio. In the 10+ years that I was in the big-box retail portrait industry, either full- or part-time, I tried them all — Olan Mills (where I was a Certified Professional Photographer & District Trainer), JC Penney Portraits, The Picture People — you name it, I’ve worked it. I then tried my hand at secretarial work for a couple years, but found myself spending too much time prettying-up Excel spreadsheets, and that’s when I decided to go to college for web design. However, in 1999, the art of the website was still in its infancy and I learned little about web design, so I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design & Multimedia, and started a career in print design. For the last 15+ years, I’ve designed catalogs, advertisements, magazines, newspapers, flyers, etc. for all sorts of companies such as Kohl’s, Taste of Home / Reader’s Digest, Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee Tool, and even Summerfest.
My hubby, Jason, is a talented musician and has the best bass voice anyone could ask for. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from UW Parkside, sang with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and has written, recorded & copyrighted 2+ albums of original music. He is also a master impersonator and can do fantastic impressions of Darth Vader, Alan Rickman, Bill Clinton, Christopher Walken & Arnold Schwarzenegger, just to name a few. He is also very analytical, is a great problem solver, has studied Six Sigma and is working towards his Black Belt Certification. I’ve been subtly teaching him the ropes of design, typography & composition since we met in late 2008, and now he’s working for Lovenote Creative full-time.
In 2013, I received a Canon Rebel DSLR camera for Christmas, and my passion for photography was reborn. I decided to start my own business later that year so I could utilize all of the multiple talents that I’ve acquired over the past 25 years in supporting others. I love helping other small businesses succeed via print & online marketing, while also providing families with heirloom portraits that they will treasure for generations.
What sets your business apart?
Between the two of us, we are literally a One-Stop Shop creative company. We have a combined experience of 40+ years in wedding, portraiture & product photography, graphic & print design, marketing & advertising, web design & social media, videography & video editing, copywriting & proofing, voiceovers & audio mixing, efficiency practices, and so much more! If you can think it, we can create it!
What is your business’ biggest challenge?
These days, everyone has a phone in their hand 24/7, which takes high quality pictures and has apps that let you create a cute collage or meme on the fly. Similarly, everyone also has a computer & a printer, and can design a flyer, handbook or presentation with relative ease. Our profession has become a part of the DIY culture, which is completely understandable, so why pay for an “expensive” service when you can do it yourself, right? Well, sometimes, you just need a professional before you get featured on PinterestFail.com.
Tum ta ta TAA! Lovenote Creative to the rescue! If your business, organization or non-profit is growing faster than you can keep up with, or Microsoft Word isn’t cutting it anymore, then we can help. We will meet with you to plan a branding & marketing strategy, design some eye-catching online & print ads to help get your word out, and/or take some beautiful photos of your company, products or events to illustrate your vision. Equally, we can alleviate you from being behind the camera at all of your get-togethers so you can instead socialize with your family, friends & colleagues, and assist you in designing a beautiful wall art collage or custom designed album to enjoy for years to come.
What is your business’ biggest opportunity?
Surprisingly, everything has recently come full circle. Once I started designing simple WordPress websites for other local small businesses, even more local small businesses started asking for web design services. Technology is just a tad bit different than in 1999, but I’m taking the bull by the horns and letting the demand drive my business; both my husband and I are in the process of earning a few web design certifications to better serve our area’s needs. This just adds another facet to the Jack-of-all-Trades moniker, and I’m excited to see where it leads us.
What are your growth plans?
We opened 7 Bridges Studio in May of 2016, which is a photography collective; a space shared by several businesses. It’s the cream building on the corner of 13th & Milwaukee, across from The Tap Room, and was built in the late 1800s. It features Cream City Brick, which serves as a stunning background for any family portrait — just ask Mayor Brooks! (I enjoy joking that “I shot the mayor’s family with a Canon last summer.”) Anyway, we’re hoping to be chosen as a recipient of the generous Downtown Revitalization Grant to replace the large picture windows, eliminate the siding, and bring its olde-tyme charm back to life. We’re also planning on renovating the old barber shop, in the west 1/3 of the building, into a shared office for home-based and small businesses that need a private, part-time space to meet with their clients that’s a better alternative to a noisy & bustling Starbucks.
Why should others consider doing business in South Milwaukee?
Being a Kenosha native, I used to think of living in South Milwaukee as a temporary move. However, the longer I’m here, the more I love it. The people are great, the businesses are amazing, and it has such a cozy, small-town charm that doesn’t feel like a big-city suburb. The Milwaukee area is big into the arts, and it’s making its way down the coast and turning South Milwaukee into a destination location for tourism and creative ventures alike. We, as a city, are on the cusp of something great that you can just feel in the air.
Both Jason & I love South Milwaukee so much that we regularly volunteer where we can. Jason sits on the board of directors for the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, while I am a director in the South Milwaukee Community & Business Association and part of the Project ReStore committee, which is focused on the downtown revitalization. Every interaction I have with SM residents is a positive one; all of the phenomenal business owners & volunteers have a goal of keeping our city great, and an end-game strategy to reach it. I’m now proud to say that I’m a permanent resident of the City of South Milwaukee and I will work tirelessly to build & sustain this wonderful community and its businesses.
If you could change one thing about South Milwaukee, what would it be?
The current culture of smartphones & WiFi has us all moving so fast — and as that is happening, this enormous world of ours is becoming a vastly smaller place. We’ve become so accustomed to having large entities supply us with so many of our needs that the small-town Main Street has gone through a dramatic transformation over the past couple of decades. The very street that was the heart of the city when it was first placed on a map has become neglected as the corporate big-box stores dominate the area. Thankfully, in South Milwaukee, our Main Street — Milwaukee Avenue — is starting to make a comeback. All of the behind-the-scenes players have the town’s best interests at heart and we continually strive to make #SoMKE a fun place that everyone is proud to call their own. I mean, what other mayor runs a blog around here? Come on?! Talk about transparency! 😉 If anything, I wish there was more involvement with all of our many activities, even if it’s just coming out and enjoying them. We work really hard to create events that are family friendly and keep us all busy, especially during the summer, and even while Trick-or-Treating down Milwaukee Avenue (which I organize, hint, hint). Our work isn’t done until you’ve had a fabulous time, so put down your phones and come mingle with all of your amazing neighbors!
What is something people would be surprised to know about you or your business?
We host a monthly Girls’ Night Out Pop-up Shop that features 10-20 different home-based, women-owned businesses! It usually falls on the first Friday evening of the month, but will sometimes move to the 2nd Friday if it conflicts with holiday celebrations. We’re also adding a Saturday shop on August 19th, so make sure you come out & see all of the fantastic products offered by the wonderful women in this group. Visit us at http://www.GirlsNightOutSM.com for more details.
A surprising fun fact about me is: I traveled the country for 10+ years, riding roller coasters! You know those wacky coaster enthusiasts on the Discovery Channel that rave about all of the rides they’ve ridden? Those are my friends! (I’m even in one that was filmed on the Hades coaster in Wisconsin Dells lol) So! I’ve been to 80+ different parks and have ridden 300+ different roller coasters. I’ve made hundreds of friends throughout this awesome country and have thousands of pictures and hours of videos of my adventures (which was pretty unique back “in the day” before cell phones). I also started a pretty popular roller coaster photography website in 1998, which also influenced my decision to go to college for web design. Actually, one of my favorite long-term clients is a roller coaster engineering firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, run by a couple whom I became friends with because of this fun hobby! Now THAT’S a fun fact!
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Heritage Days is here! I’ll be sharing a post each day this week on what’s happening … and it’s a lot.
Today, it’s the annual South Milwaukee Fire Department Firehouse Spaghetti Dinner, with dinner from 4:30 to 8 p.m.
More details here.
And a bonus event — the rescheduled Guardian Credit Union Movie on the Beach! Showing at dusk on Grant Park Beach: “Moana.”
See you there!
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Heritage Days is here! I’ll be sharing a post each day this week on what’s happening … and it’s a lot.
Today, it’s the St. Luke’s UCC Ice Cream Social and South Milwaukee Municipal Band concert, from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Luke’s, 2200 18th Ave. The band concert starts at 7.
Learn more here. See you there!
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Heritage Days is here! I’ll be sharing a post each day this week on what’s happening … and it’s a lot.
Today, it’s the South Milwaukee Police DARE Golf Outing. And while it’s too late to sign up, please mark your calendars for 2018, and consider a donation now for this terrific program: Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
Coming Tuesday: the St. Luke’s UCC Ice Cream Social and Municipal Band concert.
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Here is a schedule … I love to see all the terrific programs!
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I just heard about the concept of “Slow Rolls,” and I’m happy to see one is coming to South Milwaukee.
From organizer James Davies: “Join us for a short (4 mile) bike ride through South Milwaukee. Short safe riding guidelines and minor bike repair from 5:00pm to 5:30pm.”
The ride begins at 6 p.m. from Avenue Coffeehouse, 911 Milwaukee Ave.
More details on the Faceook event page, and more information on what the concept looked like in Detroit here. From the Detroit site …
Slow Roll is for everyone; all ages, all skill levels and every type of bike is welcome. Our slow pace keeps the group safe and gives riders a unique perspective of our great city and its neighborhoods. Slow Roll is far more than just a bike ride, in its 7th year, this unique nonprofit brings together thousands of people from all over the region during 25 weekly bike rides a year to discover more about our city and each other.
In 2016, Slow Roll grew to over 12,000 registered riders and that number continues to increase. In 2017, Slow Roll is focusing on continuing to educate people about Detroit, engage riders with local businesses and charities, and create the cohesive and peaceful community we all strive for.
We believe that Slow Roll is transforming Detroit through exercise, education, experiences, and community.
Let’s do it here!
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Those were the words of Gary Wetzel, who we welcomed home today with an escort featuring the South Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments, as well as more than 20 motorcycles from local riding clubs.
More than 200 people cheered the Medal of Honor recipient on as we made our way down 15th Avenue and west on Menomonee to his home, where South Milwaukee veterans, Wetzel family members and workers from Bartelt Remodeling met him as he took his first steps into his newly remodeled house — a place he hadn’t been in months.
It was an amazing tribute, something I’ll never forget, and it took the work of lots of people to make this day happen. I want to specifically call out …
You can see Facebook live video of the escort on my mayoral Facebook page. Also, check out coverage in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WISN and TMJ4. CBS 58 and Fox 6 were also on hand.
Gary, it was an honor honoring you. We thank you for your service, bravery and heroism. All of South Milwaukee is proud. Welcome home.
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Celebrating Grant Park and local businesses, while showing off the best South Milwaukee has to offer to potentially hundreds of new people.
Welcome to South Milwaukee: NEWaukee and 7 Bridges BBQ!
From the NEWaukee event page …
NEWaukee presents a progressive dinner and music event on the Seven Bridges trail within Grant Park. Guests will wander through the forest, sip and sample local food and beverages from South Milwaukee as they make their way to the beach to enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Michigan on a warm summer evening.
Tickets are $25 each and include five food and beer samples. A cash bar will be available on the beach at the end of the trail.
For just $25 you will be treated to:
Participating Restaurants:
So, what is NEWaukee? It’s a “social architecture” firm founded in 2009 “where people (young and old) find a sense of place and a charge to take action to make Milwaukee the best city it can possibly be.” From its website …
Put simply — it is the conscious design of an environment that encourages a desired range of social behaviors (How People Work, Live & Play) leading towards a goal (To Make Our City More Awesome!). NEWaukee’s programs and initiatives motivate Milwaukeeans to look critically at the city in which we live, to realize its potential and to empower folks to shape a city of which we all want to be a part. We hope that whether you’re new to Milwaukee or simply ready to look at Milwaukee through a new lens, NEWaukee can help you fall in love with this city.
I’m certain they will find lots love in South Milwaukee, and at Grant Park.
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Things will happen around 12:30 p.m. Join us!
More details here. And here are a few updates from Facebook …
See you along the route!
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It’s the best week of the year to be a South Milwaukeean … see you around town!
From the Heritage Days website …
D.A.R.E. Golf Outing
Monday, July 24, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.
Oakwood Golf Course, 3600 W. Oakwood Road in Franklin
Organize your foursome now and support the South Milwaukee Police Department’s youth anti-drug efforts.
Ice Cream Social
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 – 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
St. Luke’s United Church of Christ, 2200 18th Ave.
Enjoy hot dogs, sloppy Joe’s and, of course, ice cream — along with a South Milwaukee Municipal Band Concert at 7:00 p.m., and raffle.
Firehouse Spaghetti Dinner
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 – 4:30 to 8:00 p.m.
South Milwaukee Fire Department, 929 Marshall Court
Pasta, salad and garlic bread from Trattoria di carlo top the menu at this terrific annual tradition.
Evening on the Avenue
Thursday, July 27, 2017 – 4:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Downtown South Milwaukee
Celebrate our city center with our annual street festival feature, food, music, games, demonstrations and more.
South Milwaukee Farmers’ Market
Thursday, July 27, 2017 – 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Hours will be extended from 3pm to 8pm on that night to accommodate the increase in shoppers and traffic.
2017 Car Cruise
Friday, July 28th, 2017
16th & Rawson Avenues
Registration at 12th & Milwaukee – Stan’s Automotive
4:00 – 7:00 pm
2017 Lionsfest
Friday, July 28, 2017 – Sunday, July 30, 2017
16th & Rawson Avenues
Enjoy three days of music, food, rides, games and more!
Heritage Days Parade
Saturday, July 29, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
Starts at 8th and Milwaukee to 16th North to Rawson Avenue
South Milwaukee’s biggest annual parade is bigger and better than ever for 2017.
The Great Duck Race
Saturday, July 29, 2017 – 2:00 p.m.
Milwaukee Avenue at 15th Avenue
Sponsor a duck or three as they float down Oak Creek toward prizes.
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Gary Wetzel is coming home.
Gary, South Milwaukee’s Medal of Honor recipient for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War, is returning to his South Milwaukee home this Wednesday, July 19, almost a year after a motorcycle accident left him seriously injured and in need of rehabilitation. He had been staying at a hotel in Franklin awaiting completion of accessibility upgrades to his house.
We are making his homecoming a little more special with a police and fire escort once he hits the South Milwaukee border, to his house in the 2500 block of 17th Avenue. South Milwaukee veterans are also bringing a color guard to his house.
We want your help! It’s a simple request: Please head out to the street along the route and cheer as Gary goes by.
Here are details …
Thanks, Gary, for your service and your bravery.
Please join me in welcoming this hero back to South Milwaukee.
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From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …
SMFD responded to a request from the US Coast Guard to assist a distressed boater south of Bender Park in Oak Creek. Upon the arrival of our rescue boat at the distressed boat, it was learned the vessel was without power and drifting towards the rocks along the shoreline. Although SMFD does not routinely tow boats unless they are at risk of harm, it was determined that the safest option in this case was to remove it from the hazard area and tow it back into the marina.
Nice work, guys!
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Welcome back to South Milwaukee, Mari’s Flowers.
Mari Cucunato has moved her flower and gift shop, Mari’s Flowers, from Brady Street in Milwaukee to 905 Milwaukee Ave. downtown, completely transforming a derelict building into something truly special, with the help of Downtown Revitalization Grant.
The store softly opened in the last couple of days, with more regular hours to be announced. I had a chance to stop by on Saturday and welcome back Mari, who had a flower shop here more than a decade ago.
The building renovations are terrific, inside and out, the latest example of reinvestment in our city center. Stop by and see for yourself.
We will fix downtown South Milwaukee one building, one business owner at a time. It’s a long-term play, but the progress is real, and growing.
Welcome, Mari!
More details on Mari’s website.
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