Author Archives: Erik Brooks

Scandinavian Meatballs and all the fixings — including lefse — at Trinity Lutheran Church. Spaghetti to raise money for the Heritage Days Parade.

Enjoy dinner this weekend, South Milwaukee!

From the South Milwaukee Little League …

SMLL Early Bird Registration is Now Open!

To provide more opportunities, SMLL has updated its divisions:

• Rookie Ball – 4-5 years old
• A Baseball – 6-7 years old
• AA Baseball – 7-8 years old
• AAA Baseball – 8-11 years old
• Major Baseball – 9-12 years old
• Intermediate Baseball – 11-13 years old
• Senior Baseball 14-16 years old
• AA Softball – 6-8 years old
• AAA Softball – 8-10 years old
• Major Softball – 9-12 years old
• Junior Softball 12-14 years old

Baseball/Softball EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
CREDIT – $105 by February 13th, 2019 – thereafter $140
CHECK/CASH – $130 by February 13th – thereafter $140

Rookie Ball EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
CHECK/CASH/CREDIT – $70 by March 15th – thereafter $90

One fundraiser – Starting in April, sell $200 in candy bars OR select buyout option of $100 at the time of registration.

Volunteer deposit – $125 per family, refundable after three volunteer shifts (at least two in the concession stand).

Go to www.southmilwaukeell.org and select the “2019 Registration” button, then register your player for “Baseball” or “Softball” – divisions to be determined following skills assessment in February.

Interested in coaching, managing or umpiring? Contact Nick Sabel njsabel AT gmail DOT com. Questions? Contact Southmilwaukeelittleleague@gmail DOT com.

I am a big fan of our Little League program and encourage you to consider it for your children. My son played five years, including for the AA Durham Bulls when they won they won the championship under Coach Snead. (Gratuitous parent brag: That’s where the photo in this post is from.)

His experience taught him so much, not just about baseball, but life. And it’s the group of hard-working volunteers, from coaches to concession workers, who make it happen.

This program is something all of South Milwaukee should be proud of.

From the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center …

HIVE, a group of five fierce and very different vocalists who make music and sound effects solely with their voices, are headlining Milwaukappella, Jan. 19, 2019, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center www.southmilwaukeepac.org.

HIVE’s 7:30 p.m. performance opens with students who will have attended classes in a daylong workshop at South Milwaukee High School conducted by veteran vocal teachers and HIVE musicians.

Formed in August 2017, HIVE has released singles and music videos which can be found on all streaming platforms. HIVE also has exclusive numbers on Patreon.​

Advance tickets for the evening performance start at $19 for students and seniors, $24 for adults. Family-savings packages are available. Children 4 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased on the SMPAC website, or click here: http://southmilwaukeepac.org/event/milwaukappella.

More information about the event and the student workshop classes, which will cover beatboxing, vocal percussion, belting, blending, arranging, vocal technique, blocking and choreography, is at http://www.rcomf.org/Stories/a-cappella-music-milwaukee-milwaukappella-2019.

The workshop advance $45 fee ($55 at the door) includes classes, two meals, participation in the evening performance opening number and a great seat for the remainder of the show. The workshop classes and performance are presented by the Rotary Club of Mitchell Field, with additional support from Pineapple Café in Oak Creek, McDonald’s, Meijer, Farm and Fleet, Jimmy Johns and Culvers.

Performance proceeds support charitable efforts of The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field. RCMF funds student scholarships, grants to local non-profits, a Christmas party for Goodwill workers, and a prom for senior citizens, and provides food to families at Thanksgiving. The club has been serving Cudahy, Franklin, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, St. Francis and Bayview since 1958.A portion of Milwaukappella proceeds also go to South Milwaukee Music and South Milwaukee Music Parents Association to support the district’s music programs.

This is the consecutive fifth year Landaas & Company Investments will have sponsored and provided major funding for Milwaukappella. Landaas & Company Investments is independent of big banks and brokerage houses and therefore uniquely qualified to provide objective, unbiased investment advice to help people meet their financial goals.

Check out these additional South Milwaukee headlines …

• South Milwaukee Bar Offers Free Pizza, Beer to Federal Workers (CBS 58)
• Statue Honoring Wrestler “Da Crusher” to go up in South Milwaukee (CBS 58)
• Two Injured After Rollover Crash in South Milwaukee (CBS 58)
• Animal Cruelty Ends With Cat’s Rescue in South Milwaukee (TMJ4)
• Spring Election 2019: Cudahy to Get a New Mayor as Spring Elections Take Shape in Milwaukee’s Southern Suburbs (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Last night, I was proud to help recognize nine individuals who all played a role in saving the life of Dean Evers last fall.

As I told the audience, South Milwaukee always steps up. We help people. It’s what we do — and it was on full display on an October night at South Milwaukee Middle School.

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At last evening’s Common Council meeting, the SMFD had the opportunity to recognize nine “Citizen Responders” who came to the aid of an adult male who collapsed last October after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest while playing volleyball at the South Milwaukee Middle School. A HUGE thank you goes out to Joe Bialkowski, Joel Bushman, Josh Evers, Tom Maasch, Rick Meszaros, Amy Pinkos, Colleen Placzkowski, June Sehrbrock, and Clayton Zieroth for their efforts in resuscitating Dean Evers, who joined us in recognizing his LIFESAVERS.

Congratulations to everyone who made a difference that night, each one of them a hero in my book. We need to tell these stories, and we will.

Check out coverage from TMJ4 and CBS 58. WISN was also in attendance.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

On January 11, 2019, the South Milwaukee Police Department responded to a stabbing in the 500 block of Clark Avenue. The victim, Deborah Lynch, 62 years of age, died from her injuries and the suspect, a 31-year-old man, was taken into custody near the scene. The suspect in this case has now been charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide, Use of a Dangerous Weapon. The suspect is being identified as Kehinde S. Afolayan. The suspect is not related to the victim but was an acquaintance who was temporarily staying at the victim’s apartment. Please continue to keep the victim and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

TMJ4 and Fox 6 and have more details from the criminal complaint. It was a brutal crime, with the suspect allegedly stabbing the victim 116 times.

In case you missed the Business Journal story on this Sunday night, there is continued progress on the redevelopment of the Bucyrus campus downtown, south of Rawson Avenue. Some highlights referenced in article — available here behind a paywall — and some not …

• Reich Brothers now has full control of the property, after buying out Caterpillar’s existing lease. This is significant, as it allows them to fully market and lease the various parts of the site without any influence from Caterpillar. The lease, “added another layer of complexity to any effort to bring new companies into the property,” according to the story. “They were great to work with,” Reich said. “We both wanted the same thing.”
• “Reich said work has begun to rehab the property’s buildings for new tenants. That work will include new paint, lighting, doors and roofs, and preparing interiors for future tenant renovations.” Said Reich: “We’re off and running, and the site is ready for business.”
• The end result? Reich “will transform it into a more traditional, urban business park with offices and manufacturing space for multiple companies,” according to the story. “City officials are working with Reich to design new public infrastructure to weave the campus into the surrounding city street grid and open it to the general public.”
• The Dickman Company Inc. is marketing the site.
• According to the story: “Reich and South Milwaukee officials also plan to change the city streets and sidewalks around the Bucyrus property. As a one-company campus, it was closed off to the surrounding public streets. South Milwaukee and Reich Brothers are splitting the cost of designing new roads and utilities to open it back up so multiple companies can move in, Brooks said. ‘In a lot of ways, the campus won’t feel like a fortress anymore.’”
• The formation of Tax Incremental District No. 5 will help in the revitalization effort, and with infrastructure investment. And not mentioned in the article are other potential sources of funds the city continues to explore, including funds available through the site’s Economic Opportunity Zone status, as well as new market tax credits.
• And Reich also now has ownership of the large parking lot at 12th and Milwaukee Avenue, as part of the lease agreement. They are required, through negotiations with the city, to make it available for public parking on nights and weekends. More details to come on that.

In other words, progress is real in the redevelopment of the Bucyrus campus, even as Caterpillar continues to produce equipment north of Rawson. There will be much more to come in 2019.

Indeed, the campus, and South Milwaukee, are open for business.

From the South Shore Chamber of Commerce …

It’s that time again for another South Shore Soup event!

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. This innovative micro-granting event has been done throughout the Country and in Milwaukee.

• Sunday, February 10, 2019
• Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Place: Polonez Restaurant – St. Francis

RSVP by registering online under Events at ssccwi.com.PLEASE RSVP ON OR BEFORE February 6, 2019.

(If registering children 12 and under, please email infossccwi@gmail.com or call 414-483-8615 and leave a message with this information)

Deadline to Submit Application: January 30, 2019. Winners will be contacted on February 3, 2019.

PLEASE EMAIL infossccwi@gmail.com for an application, or visit ssccwi.com under the Events link and find the application within the registration link.

How to attend: For a donation of $10 for adults (children 12 and under are free), attendees receive a variety of hearty soup, salad, bread, desert and they VOTE for a grantee. Pr-registration is recommended to get a count for the food.

• How it works: At the Soup dinner you hear from four presentations ranging from art, urban agriculture, social entrepreneurs, education, technology and more in hopes the attendees will “grant” them the proceeds from the soup dinner for their cause.
• What is the process: Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. At the event, attendees eat, talk, share resources, enjoy and vote on the project they think most benefits the cities most. At the end of the night we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all the attendee registration money raised to carry out their project.

Winners come back to a future Soup dinner to report their projects progress. (Next event will be held in April 2019.)

Do you have a project you would like to support? Do you know a group that would like to sign up? Have them fill out an application. Questions? Email Trish Wimer at trish2@wi.rr.com.

Jan. 14 update: Click here.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

At approximately 9:30 AM the South Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments responded to an apartment building in the 500 block of Clark Avenue for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers found a 62- year-old female with multiple stab wounds. Despite lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced deceased. A 31-year-old male was taken into custody near the scene. We continue to investigate the relationship between the victim and suspect, as well as the circumstances that led to this incident. No other suspects are being sought and there is no further danger to the community.

And award-winning guitarist. An a cappella celebration. A music legend. Mandolins. Indeed, the next few weeks will be exciting ones at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center — and South Milwaukee as a whole.

Here is a lineup …

• Thursday, January 17: Jesse Cook, presented by ACG. From the PAC website: “I want to take people to places they haven’t been.” Jesse Cook, Juno winning master guitarist, known for his intoxicating fusion of world music, has traveled the globe looking for sounds that resonate with him. “I like finding common ground for different music traditions, a space where music from around the world can come together,” Cook explains. “A place where modern sounds can mix with ancient timbres.” More details here.
• Saturday, January 19: Milwaukeappella. “Now in it’s fifth season, Milwaukappella is a day-long a cappella workshop for high school and college age students followed by an evening concert featuring students from the dayside classes plus a show-stopping performance by a professional a cappella ensemble. This year our headliners are The HIVE Vocal Band. The five fiercely unique and uniquely talented women of HIVE are not only show-stopping performers, they’re accomplished educators as well. Giving back to the musical community through education is a core value of the group. … Presented by Landaas & Company Investments, an annual fundraiser for The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to fund community and international projects of The Rotary Club of Mitchell Field.” More details here.
• Tuesday, January 22: Randy Bachman’s “Every Song Tells a Story.” “Randy Bachman stands in rarified air as a member of a very exclusive club of recording artists who topped the charts with two different bands: “American Woman” with The Guess Who and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” as leader and singer with Bachman‐Turner Overdrive. It’s a club with precious few members. In a career spanning five decades and earning a staggering 120 platinum, gold and silver record awards, Randy’s record sales figures exceed 40 million. His distinctive brand of no‐holds‐barred, guitar‐driven rock is instantly recognizable worldwide. As host of the top‐rated CBC and Sirius XM radio program Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap, his listeners worldwide number in the millions each week, earning him the title as Canada’s favourite storyteller. Details here.
• Saturday, January 26: “Music That Made Milwaukee Famous.” “The Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra (MMO) has been a Milwaukee fixture since 1900. Known for its performance of music from America’s golden age of mandolin orchestras (the late 1800s to early 1900s), the MMO is considered one of the best mandolin orchestras to perform rags, waltzes, and marches. Now with world renowned classical guitarists Rene Izquierdo and Elina Chekan as directors, the MMO captivates audiences with inspirational performances of preeminent works of the baroque and classical periods.” Details here.

The deadline for nomination signatures has come and gone, and there are two local races to be decided on April 2 — one contested.

Here is who will be on the ballot in the spring general election …

• South Milwaukee Municipal Judge: Incumbent Judge Bill Fenger will go up against challenger Kelly Martyka, a local attorney, seeking a three-year term.
• South Milwaukee School Board: Incumbents Doug Perry and Sophia Williams join Augie Vega on the ballot, for three seats.

Sophia replaced Patricia Bordak on the board in October, and filled out her three-year term.

Therese Travia has previously informed the district of her intentions not to seek another term, after 23 years on the board. Terry, thanks for your service, and passion for our kids!

The general election is set for Tuesday, April 2. No primary is necessary.

The South Milwaukee Unite Against Drug Abuse Coalition will be hosting its third-annual Addiction Information Resource Fair at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

Please join us for this important community event!

From the South Milwaukee Health Department’s Facebook event …

This year’s event will feature a live podcast with Don’t Die Wisconsin. Join us for a conversation about addiction, treatment and recovery. There will also be an addiction information resource fair prior to the podcast. The podcast is for a mature audience due to language and content. For more information contact the South Milwaukee Health Department at (414) 768-8055.

The South Milwaukee PAC is located inside the South Milwaukee High School. Enter through door #9 located on the northwest side of the building. The PAC is on the 2nd floor.