Author Archives: Erik Brooks

Alderperson Pieper is raising $5,000 for the purchase of a soon-to-be-retired South Milwaukee ambulance, which will be donated to a Third World country.

She’s already more than halfway there … and here’s another opportunity to help!

A note from the city engineer …

Sanitary sewer, watermain, and storm sewer replacement is in the final stages of construction with service laterals being installed the week of August 22, 2016. 

Pavement removals will be starting on the southbound lanes from Pine Street south to Oak Creek Parkway starting as early as Thursday August 18^th.

During pavement installation, the road will be detoured and opened for local and business access only.  Northbound traffic will be detoured onto Hawthorne, Memorial and Pine, and back to Chicago Avenue.  Southbound traffic will be detoured at Walnut, Oak Creek Parkway, and back to Chicago Avenue. Local access as allowed, will be on gravel at certain times.

For northbound lanes, from the bridge to Hawthorne, concrete should be complete for the start of school on September 1^st. (E.W. Luther) The balance of paving work and other work should be complete by mid-October.

Please use alternative routes as much as possible. 

And I have two asks as mayor: Please be patient, and please support the local businesses impacted by this project. I know they would appreciate it!

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• Medal of Honor Recipient Recovering from Crash (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Couple Takes Enhanced Ranch House to a New Level (Journal Sentinel)
• Former Cudahy Police Official Charged (Journal Sentinel)
• Retail Website Developer Buys Oak Creek Office Building for Expansion (Milwaukee Business Journal)
• Oak Creek Lions to Host Annual Labor Day Lions Fest (Oak Creek Patch)

And NOW has published a new police blotter.

Summer turning to fall — that means it’s time for South Milwaukee football.

The Rockets open their season at 7 p.m. this Friday against Sussex Hamilton at Spaltholz Field. The next week, it’s at Nathan Hale, then at home against Greenfield.

And mark your calendars for Sept. 23: Homecoming vs. Cudahy, with the parade, bonfire and other festivities planned for the evening before.

It’s football season, and I love it. Go Rockets!

Check out the full South Milwaukee schedule here. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has team capsules here, and it calls South Milwaukee, behind first-year head coach Mike Bertok, a “contender.” 

I can’t think of a better time to bring a community together, and support law enforcement at the same time.

Join us this Wednesday, August 17, for South Milwaukee Community Night Out!

From the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission …

Join us for the next Oak Creek Watershed Restoration Plan meeting on August 30, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Oak Creek Civic Center’s Multipurpose Room, 8040 S. 6th Street, Oak Creek. SEWRPC staff will give a presentation on goals for the meeting and attendees will break out into small groups based on geography to discuss restoration priorities and projects.

The public is welcome, but attendees are asked to register. Do so here.

As we prepare for the meeting, a lot has happened with the early efforts to produce a much-needed restoration plan.

I asked SEWRPC for an update …

SEWRPC staff have begun field work for the Watershed Restoration Plan, focusing first on the mainstem of Oak Creek. Staff are walking the stream, collecting data and photos for streambank erosion, sewer outfalls, debris, sediment, and channel characteristics. Commission staff have also started to collect historical information on the Mill dam and pond.

Success in downtown South Milwaukee must be long-term success.

There are no quick fixes. Instead, we must build a foundation of strong policies, programs, and approaches that transforms the passion we have for revitalization into action.

We’re doing that with our new Downtown Revitalization Grant recently, with new Milwaukee Avenue streetscaping coming in 2017 and with our stepped-up business outreach efforts. We’re doing that with an unmatched downtown events calendar — including  last night’s well-attended Guardian Credit Union outdoor movie. And we’re doing it with the “ownership” work that is now underway.

I’m especially excited about that last piece. The city, working with Graef, our consulting partner, has formed a workgroup of nine local business and property owners, other residents and city officials (including me) to help us answer key questions facing us as we continue the work in our city center.

The goal of this group: Deliver a set of recommendations for action as early as next spring, bringing to life strategy No. 1 in the downtown we passed in May. That strategy reads: “Organize a downtown revitalization structure to build local capacity and credibility to conduct successful work over the long-term.”

In doing so, we will answer key questions like:

• Who should “own” our downtown revitalization efforts in South Milwaukee? Should it be some sort of nonprofit association, or our local chamber of commerce, or the city, or some sort of hybrid? Is a downtown ownership group even necessary at all?
• And should our efforts involve a taxing entity like a business improvement district — one that can assess property owners to fund an executive director and efforts like marketing, building rehabilitation, streetscaping, events and more?
• What role should the Main Street program play? The program has certainly worked in other communities, but is it the right thing for us? Should we make an application?

We’ll find these answers after site visits to four or five downtowns in the region, additional study and meetings of the group. I can’t wait to begin.

This “ownership” work has the biggest potential for driving long-term success. If we figure this out and do it well, it will enable so many other efforts that will drive the positive change and promising future we need in our city center.

It will take time, but we will do this right. I’m as excited as ever about the opportunity in front of us.

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• South Milwaukee Teacher on Leave Facing Drug Dealing Charges (WTMJ)
• South Milwaukee’s Matt McCarty Ready for Next Phase (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Cudahy Police Spokeswoman Arrested (WISN)
• Growth Fuels Master Lock’s Oak Creek Decision (Business Journal)
• Photo Project in Oak Creek Honors Those Serving in the Military (WISN)

NOW has also published a new police blotter.

I did reach out to the South Milwaukee School District on the case involving the Lakeview teacher, and Superintendent Rita Olson said the district immediately put the woman on unpaid administrative leave. She could not comment further, as it is a personnel matter.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

Come and visit Dunkin’ Donuts on August 12th, while our local police officers stake out Dunkin’ Donuts rooftops to benefit Special Olympics Wisconsin. Guests who make a donation will receive a coupon for a free medium hot or iced coffee.

They’ll be on the rooftop from 6 to 11 a.m. DD is at 3103 S. Chicago Ave.

More details on the overall Special Olympics effort here.

Tuesday’s partisan primary saw a good turnout — more than 20% of registered voters in South Milwaukee — and no close races locally.

The headline: Jack Redmond will square off against incumbent Rep. Jessie Rodriguez in the Nov. 8 race for the 21st Assembly seat. Redmond, a Democrat from Oak Creek, defeated South Milwaukee’s Frank Disco Gratke, 52 to 25%.

Also winning big locally in their Democratic primary races were Russ Feingold in the race for U.S. Senate, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. Check out the full results here.

Thanks to all of our pollworkers. It’s a long day, and they aren’t paid much, but their work is a critical part of the democratic process come election day.

Tuesday is partisan primary election day, and I ask everyone to get to the polls, do their duty as citizens and vote.

Here is the ballot, and don’t forget that, because this is a primary, you can only vote for candidates in one political party.

Here are additional voting details …

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• First District voters vote at Divine Mercy School, 695 College Ave.
• Second District voters vote at Lakeview School, 711 Marion Ave.
• Third District voters vote at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave.
• Fourth District voters vote at Rawson Elementary, 1410 Rawson Ave.
• Not sure what district you live in? Here is a map.
• Don’t forget: Voter ID is now in effect.

Check out more details on the city’s elections web page … and look for more information on local results from South Milwaukee Blog later tonight or Wednesday morning.

Here is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage.

A local hero can use your thoughts and prayers tonight.

Gary Wetzel, South Milwaukee’s Medal of Honor recipient, was reportedly injured in a motorcycle accident on Sunday in western Wisconsin, as he headed to Sturgis, S.D., to receive the Freedom Fighter award from the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

Here is the story from Fox 6. I’ll keep you posted if I hear more.

The photo are from last year’s ceremony honoring Gary at the Milwaukee County War Memorial.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

On Monday August 8, 2016 at about 1:03am, the SMPD responded to a report of a motorcycle crash in the 2900 blk of 5th Avenue. A 29 yr old male South Milwaukee resident was transported via ambulance to Froedtert Hospital with serious injuries. The operator did not have a passenger. The condition of the driver is unknown at the time of this press release. Speed and alcohol are possible contributing factors of the crash. The WI State Patrol assisted the SMPD with the crash investigation. No further information will be provided at this time. An updated press release will occur should new information develop. Thank you.

Guardian Credit Union’s latest Movie in the Grass is this Wednesday, with “Inside Out” showing on the inflatable big screen at the site of the Downtown Market.

Showtime is around dusk.

Thanks again to GCU for bringing these movies to our city center!

Look for more details soon on the makeup date for the June movie.

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• Red Caret at All Levels Lured Caterpillar to Tucson (Arizona Daily Star)
• Hit-and-run Crash Causes Power Outage in South Milwaukee (Fox 6)
• Milwaukee Talks: Gilbert Brown on his Foundation, Favre, Fried Chicken and More (OnMilwaukee.com)
• Hundreds Gather to Remember Sikh Temple Shooting Victims (WISN)
• Oak Creek Sonic Restaurant is Closed (Patch)
• New Book Provides a Glimpse into Cudahy’s Commercial History (WUWM)