October 1 means the start of fall leaf collection, and we’re proud to continue to offer this service, even as many do not (at least not free of charge).
Check out some rules and guidelines below. And please keep my 2014 open letter on this in mind as you rake. 🙂 We started the fee waiver for leaves a few years ago. Please take advantage of it.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Barring some big breaking news, I’ll be taking a few days off from blogging. We’ll see you next week!
In the meantime, please check out the revised Rocketober schedule, which gets bigger every day. Look at October 19, for example … what an amazing group of events on that one day alone. Learn more on Facebook.
As to the awards …
The South Milwaukee Beautification Committee has announced its fall awards program, the Rocketober Awards, recognizing those with the best fall, Halloween or Thanksgiving-themed decorations on their homes or businesses. Winners will be selected to receive a sign and recognition on the city’s/mayor’s digital platforms. Deadline to enter is October 16th.
Ways to enter …
Filed under South Milwaukee
“South Milwaukee influenced the built environment of this area as much as anyone in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s.”
Ben Tyjeski shared that sentiment with me at a lunch recently, and he was referring to the beautiful tile that came from Continental Faience and Tile Co., which was located near 9th and Menomonee Avenue until it was razed more than a decade ago. The building also made history as home to the Lawson Airline Co., where one of the nation’s first airliners was built.
Ben’s love is tile, and this local artist, author and historian is presenting on the legacy of Continental Faience and Tile at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, at City Hall. Mark your calendars and join us for this detailed look at what was made in South Milwaukee, and where you can still that tile today.
(Note the date change; the event was originally set a week earlier.)
Ben, a Milwaukee Public Schools art teacher when he is not immersing himself in this topic, is finishing a book now on the subject.
More details here. From the description …
Continental is responsible for tile installations in hundreds of buildings all across Wisconsin, and was used by architects such as Eschweiler, Russell Barr Willliamson, George Zagel, and even Frank Lloyd Wright. Continental’s major product was unglazed mosaic tile that was flashed by the fire in the kiln to produce warm earth tones in orange and buff hues. These tiles were commonly used in foyers and fireplace hearths, sometimes creating patterns and borders in which decorative glazed insert tiles were featured. …
This fascinating history of how the tile company came into being and transformed Wisconsin tile-making is the feature of my new book: Continental Faience & Tile Company. I am creating the book with two experts, Kelly Dudley and Kathy Roberts. Together we are writing, documenting, and designing a book that will be the definitive reference book on Continental Faience and Tile Company. …
Our collaboration began in the summer of 2018. While working on my book on architectural terra cotta I began to notice tile installations and began to dig into the subject. I quickly discovered Kelly Dudley and Kathy Roberts, a Phoenix, Arizona couple who have been collecting and researching Continental since the mid-1990s. Their passion for tiles and Continental have led them around the US and to Belgium, although it began in South Milwaukee on a visit to Kathy’s family. On that trip Kathy was astounded to discover that the empty warehouse building at the end of her block of Menomonee Avenue was at one time the factory and show room of a tile company, something she was unaware of while growing up. Whitney Gould wrote a fantastic article for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2005, featuring the factory building and the kaleidoscope of tiles inside.
We have now located approximately 250 sites containing Continental tile, from Wisconsin to Florida. The search continues, with the hope of locating Continental tile in all 50 states. Installations include schools, churches, homes, storefronts, theaters, and municipal buildings. While most of these sites feature floor tile, others include fireplaces, fountains, pools, and wainscotings with compelling, decorative appeal. Most surprising about these sites is that many of them were built in the 1930s, during the Great Depression that saw many other tile manufacturers go out of business. Documenting these sites has been a privilege. Having a mental library of all their work really makes you believe in the influence and impact of art tile. However, these sites that make you appreciate local culture and community may not last, especially if the public is not educated about them.
You can get that education on October 17. See you there!
Filed under South Milwaukee
An official welcome to South Milwaukee, Kathy Manning!
Here is the press release on the hiring of our new library director …
Kathy Manning, a 13-year library administrator in Milwaukee County, is the new Library Director of the South Milwaukee Library (SML). The SML Library Board officially appointed Manning director at its September 24 meeting.
Since April Manning has been the SML Interim Director, leading the library as it continues to innovate and attract returning and new patrons.
“Kathy has provided meaningful and creative leadership during her six months as Interim Director,” said Dan Reszel, Library Board President. “Along with the terrific professional staff, we are confident this great community treasure is in the best possible hands.”
Among the recent innovations and successful programs at the SML during Manning’s brief tenure:
Manning has worked in the Germantown and North Shore libraries. She was the head of Circulation Services at North Shore for more than 10 years. Manning holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
The SML is the city’s most used non-school public facility. In 2018, there were more than 78,000 patron visits, with almost 7,000 active library users, about one-third of the city’s population. It is located at 1907 10th Avenue. For news and updates, visit smlibrary.org and facebook.com/SouthMilwaukeePublicLibrary/
I’m a big fan of libraries, and ours in particular. They provide so much for so many different people, beyond just books. With the support of its board, ours has seen a lot of positive changes in recent years, and I’m excited to see where it heads next, under Kathy’s leadership.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Carol Dufek has left the South Milwaukee School Board, creating a vacancy that will be filled through an interview process.
From the school district Facebook page …
The School Board for the School District of South Milwaukee has an available opening. Letters of interest, including why you are interested in being a School Board member, are due to the District Office on Thursday, October 10, 2019, by 4:00 pm. Letters may be mailed or dropped off to 901 15th Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53172, attention Jessica Hess.
School Board interviews with candidates will be held on or about Wednesday, October 16, 2019, during an open meeting. It is anticipated that the selected candidate will be sworn into the School Board on October 23, 2019. The term will run through spring 2020, at which time there will be a formal election process for a standard three-year term.
I want to thank Carol for her nine years of leadership on the board. She served the community, and its kids, very well.
Filed under South Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Avenue streetscaping project hit a minor milestone today, with the installation of the first new LED streetlights to replace outdated fixtures from decades ago.
The result will be higher quality, more energy efficient lighting delivered from poles fitting of our city center’s new look.
It’s part of the first phase of the project, which includes …
Phase two next spring includes sidewalk replacement, the planting of street streets and the addition of other amenities, like planters. Indeed, there still a lot of work to do. I thank you for your continued patience.
Learn more on the Milwaukee Avenue Streetscaping Project page on our website, or by joining the Facebook group we’ve started.
We are committed to strong communication on this project, and regularly share updates like this one posted this week: “Please be advised that ‘No Parking’ signs will be skipping around Milwaukee Ave as construction continues, especially over the next few days. One side of the street should always be available for parking. Thank you for your patience.”
On those platforms you can also find broader project description and timeline and other resources, including a downtown parking map.
As to parking, we have more public parking available downtown than many realize — including at 1008 Milwaukee Ave. made available through a partnership with Guardian Credit Union — and I encourage to make use of those lots during this construction and beyond.
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee families and kids of all ages: Don’t miss out on our new “Spooktacular” Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mark your calendars as we deliver a citywide celebration of what makes fall and Halloween so special.
And, of course, free candy.
Business owners and organizations: There is still time to participate! Please let me know by email (brooks@smwi.org) by Wednesday, Oct. 9. All we ask is that you give away candy or something else to the kids, and offer a simple fall or Halloween activity that you can repeat for kids who stop by throughout the three hours.
A big thanks to DB Tax and Wealth and Pink Bunny for sponsoring this event! Here is a list of businesses and organizations already taking part …
Filed under South Milwaukee
Filed under South Milwaukee
My favorite part of all of this might be the outdoor screening of the old wrestling matches. This will be a blast.
Filed under South Milwaukee
The Thursday before Homecoming is one of my favorite of the year. Here are some photos (thanks, Kim Slusar, for the parade shots) …
See you at the game tonight!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Come alone, or bring your family, friends and co-workers. All ages welcome! And lunch will be served by the South Milwaukee Lions.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced today that in his executive budget he will restore service to a number of Milwaukee County Transit Routes proposed to be cut just last month.
That includes Routes 48 and 52, two of the three routes that serve South Milwaukee. Route 15 was not in jeopardy.
Check out the story here.
This is great news for our city!
Advocacy efforts helped, and I want to thank the South Milwaukee Common Council for its support of a resolution passed in support of the routes. Other South Shore communities, and the South Milwaukee School Board, passed similar resolutions.
And thanks to Supervisor Steve Shea and South Milwaukee Superintendent Jeff Weiss for their work as well. Both were leaders in this fight.
More than 1,000 signed Supervisor Shea’s petition, and he, Superintendent Weiss, Alderman Craig Maass, School Board President David David Maass, and I rode the 52 last week to raise awareness on the issue.
The fight is not over — the budget still must pass the Milwaukee County Board. Also, County Executive Abele was clear in saying that deeper cuts are possible if a new funding source isn’t found, including the sales tax referendum legislation in front of lawmakers now.
But, for now, these routes have been spared. And that’s great news for South Milwaukee and the hundreds of people who rely on them to get to and from school, work and stops in their everyday life.
I was proud to be a part of the fight.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Parade, pep rally and bonfire tonight … game against Milwaukee Pius XI on Friday. Join in this terrific community celebration, and go Rockets!
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Shore Soup is a micro-granting soup dinner supporting creative projects in Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee, the communities that make up the South Shore Chamber. See you there!
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee Blog 