Category Archives: Community

by | March 10, 2011 · 11:07 pm

Debating Debates: Stone, Abele and Wednesday’s South Shore Forum

I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s South Shore Economic Development Forum, and I give Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik for taking the lead in putting it together.

I am expecting an open, honest and robust discussion about some of the important issues facing the collective economies of South Milwaukee, St. Francis, Cudahy and Oak Creek. There are many … including many that we can, and should, tackle together.

One thing the forum won’t be, however, is a debate. So while the two candidates for Milwaukee County executive are scheduled to be there, state Rep. Jeff Stone and philanthropist Chris Abele will probably not interact much during the event.

Stone is raising Abele’s alleged unwillingness to debate as an issue in the campaign, even as the two candidates appear in 12 forums similar to next week’s before the April 5 election. Check out the Journal Sentinel story here. From it:

Stone called Abele’s rejection of debates a disservice to voters. The sessions Abele has accepted don’t allow an “opportunity for an exchange or a real, true debate of the ideas,” Stone said.

Abele spokesman Brandon Lorenz called Stone’s criticism “a desperate charge from someone who skipped out on two forums in the primary.” Stone did not attend the final two of four candidate forums held before the Feb. 15 primary, when it was a five-way race.

I hope this does not become an issue on Wednesday. There are plenty of other, more important, things we need to discuss.

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by | March 10, 2011 · 10:33 am

It’s Time for Me to Dial Down the Rhetoric … And I Will

I’ve had complaints in the past week or so about the direction this blog has taken, that I’ve crossed the line and become too partisan in my posts around the state budget.

I hear you, and I agree. My blog has become something different than it was before mid-February. And that changes today.

I launched this blog to be a (somewhat) objective source of news and information on South Milwaukee and the South Shore, and it was that for its first 16 months or so. Then came Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill and the state budget proposal, and, like too many in this debate, I have let my passions get the better of me on a single issue.

I owe my readers more. I owe my constituents more.

So, going forward, expect to see a return to what you were accustomated to on this website — with more of a focus on local issues, local news and local information. In other words, I will refocus on providing the service to my readers that I set out to, and, in doing so, I will continue to keep the community dialog going … without overtly injecting myself into it.

Will I still post items about the budget and collective bargaining? Yes, but in a much more straightforward way that aims to present the information objectively and let readers react to that information.

That is why I started this blog in the first place, and why it’s grown to become a pretty high-trafficked website.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding. Please know that I will learn from this and continue to stay focused on serving the people I represent … no matter what happens in Madison.

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by | March 3, 2011 · 12:23 am

Fresh Eyes: UWM Students Put Their Focus on Our Downtown

Now, more than ever, we need new ideas for our struggling downtown. I’m hoping a group of graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s respected School of Architecture and Urban Planning will help deliver some.

A study of downtown South Milwaukee is one of several projects that the Applied Planning Workshop is focusing on this semester, and I’m happy to have them bringing some fresh eyes and fresh perspectives to this issue.

Economic Development Director Danielle Devlin deserves credit for helping make this happen and coordinating with the group. I also joined Danielle in making an introductory presentation about South Milwaukee at a recent class, where we also had chance to meet the students on the project and see first-hand their genuine interest in delivering some creative thinking here.

Danielle is asking that the work of the students include:

  • Mapping analysis of current land uses, parking, vacant buildings, land values and zoning impacts;
  • A review of current zoning and development policies;
  • A design preference survey or other tool to gather input about desired uses and character;
  • Sign code updates;
  • Identification of redevelopment sites and potential strategies for marketing, programming, funding and phasing of projects; and
  • Recommended sustainable development and planning strategies.

For now, the students are still gathering information through interviews and other efforts, and they expect to make a presentation before city officials in May. I look forward to the results, and I hope their report is the start of what will be an ongoing discussion about a collective vision for our city center.

We need a plan for downtown South Milwaukee, something the community can rally around and then work on together to make a reality. We lack that now, and you can see the result: too many vacant storefronts, too little urgency and too much apathy.

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by | March 2, 2011 · 11:09 pm

News From the County: Updates from County Supervisor Jursik

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her March edition of E-news. Among the updates in this month’s edition of particular interest to 4th District residents:

  • The March 16 South Shore Economic Development Forum at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center;
  • An update College Avenue construction, including word that the stretch from Pennsylvania to Packard Avenues will close to through traffic from April to November; and
  • An update on the Hoan Bridge repair project.

Pat also provides a perspective on the ongoing budget debate in Madison. From it:

Is there some ability to compromise? Is it necessary to deal with the entire budget deficit in one year after the worst recession since the Great Depression? I hope all constituents will call on our state leaders to find a way to compromise.

Here here!

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by | February 26, 2011 · 6:02 pm

It Was a Great Ride: Bike Race Not Returning in 2011

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Even if it was for one year.

Sorry I haven’t blogged on this yet (the governor’s anti-union legislation has taken up much of my blogging time these days), but the City Council essentially sealed the fate of the International Cycling Classic bike race at its last meeting by not reviving it.

As you will recall, Bucyrus International announced last fall that it would not sponsor the event, which was known as the Bucyrus International Cycling Classic in 2010, again this year. This, combined with the chairwoman of the committee not wanting to fill that role again in 2011, put the race in jeopardy.

However, I worked with the ICC to secure a pledge of $7,500 from Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare to pay half of the “site fee” for 2011. Fundraising was underway for the rest of the $15,000 fee, and additional funds, when the council voted in late January to extend an opt-out clause in our contract with the ICC until March.

Then it got complicated. The race was formally cancelled when the city did not receive necessary paperwork in time from the ICC regarding the extension. It’s a long story, but this was ultimately due to the paperwork being sent to the wrong email address.

The City Council debated the issue at its Feb. 16 meeting, and no motion was made to revive the race (nor, I suspect, would a motion have been supported had it been made). So the event remains cancelled.

And I do not expect any additional efforts to bring back the race for 2011.

I feel bad this happened, and I hope we can one day bring it back. I continue to support the race and see it as a great way to market our city to a new and diverse audience while also delivering a fun and exciting spectator event for our residents and others.

We simply did not do this event justice. In order for something like this to work, it has to be a multi-year commitment. I know the Cycling Classic would have been better in 2011, even better in 2012, better still in 2013.

Imagine if we had killed Evening on the Avenue after its first year … a decision that could have easily been made due to low participation early on. The community would have been robbed of a special celebration without giving it a chance.

I feel that way about the bike race. I’ve seen this work in other communities, where it has turned into a memorable event that the city looks forward to every year. I was hoping that could happen here. Unfortunately, it won’t … and that’s a loss for South Milwaukee.

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by | February 17, 2011 · 6:37 pm

Where is Chris Larson? He’s Where I’d Be …

So, where is Chris Larson anyway?

The South Shore state senator won’t say, but he did tell the Journal Sentinel in an interview Thursday afternoon why he and other state senators boycotted a potential vote on the union-busting proposal from the governor.

From the story:

State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) said Thursday afternoon that Democratic senators had left the Capitol out of frustration over Republican legislative leaders’ refusal to discuss meaningful revisions to Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed elimination of most collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Larson said the hope was that by leaving the Capitol, Republicans might agree to negotiations on the measure, which Walker included as part of a state budget repair bill.

“You saw this huge outpouring of support” from the public against Walker’s union measure, yet majority Republicans have been unwilling to budge on revisions, Larson said.

“They shot down debate when people had a right to be heard,” Larson said, referring to the 3 a.m. Wednesday cutoff of public testimony before the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.

(Update: Larson told the Bay View Compass he was in Illinois.)

I congratulate Chris and his Democratic colleagues for taking a stand on principle, for standing on the fact that negotiation is the best and only reasonable path here, that ramming through a proposal to kill public unions with just a few days of debate is simply wrong.

As others have said today, it’s simply un-Wisconsin. We all deserve better.

I say this being married to a public school teacher who absolutely is not getting fat on pay and benefits. Far from it. With a master’s degree and more than 10 years of real-world experience, she could easily earn more in the private sector but chooses to teach because she is dedicated to a greater good: shaping young minds. And she is great at it.

So for anyone to suggest otherwise — that it’s time for her to somehow “pay her fair share” — is simply not willing to know the truth here, and Republican talking points suffice.

Would I, and she, support negotiated cuts in pay and benefits for public workers? Probably. But the key word is negotiated, not through the strong-arm, union-busting tactics like those on display from Madison Republicans right now.

It’s disgraceful … and it’s right that Senate Democrats are doing what it takes to call attention to it.

These lawmakers are doing what they need to do to right a wrong, and I stand behind them.

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by | February 17, 2011 · 5:00 pm

Local Impact: Channel 12 Features South Milwaukee in Budget Piece

WISN 12 was in South Milwaukee on Wednesday doing a story on potential local impacts of looming state budget cuts — and the ongoing crisis over Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to do away with collective bargaining for many employees.

Check out the video here.

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by | February 10, 2011 · 11:10 pm

Maintaining the Creek: Finding Common Ground on a Local Waterway

I’ve written a lot about how I love Oak Creek. It’s such a special part of the 4th District as it meanders on its way to Grant Park and Lake Michigan.

It’s also far from perfect. It’s overgrown with vegetation in places, and it can get dammed from time to time with fallen trees and other debris. It’s also far from desirable as a recreational option.

What can or should be done to address these concerns and make the creek an even more valuable resource for South Milwaukee and other area communities?

That was the subject of a meeting held earlier this week at City Hall, where about 20 people gathered to discuss the creek and its future. Among those in attendance were city leaders (including Mayor Tom Zepecki, Alderman David Bartoshevich, City Engineer Kyle Vandercar and me) and representatives from the Milwaukee County Department of Public Works, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

The discussion centered around what can and should be done to ensure Oak Creek is effectively controlling flooding (and not contributing to it).

Among the questions raised: Who “owns” certain parts of the creek? Who is responsible for keeping it clear? What about dredging the Mill Pond? And, perhaps more importantly, would improving the flow of the creek and/or dredging potentially help lessen the severity of flooding for area homeowners? Also, what role could these efforts play in enhancing the recreational options the creek allows?

There honestly weren’t many answers coming out of the meeting, but at least we’re talking about these issues. That’s why Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik should get a lot of credit for organizing the gathering and taking the lead on this issue.

This discussion is long overdue, and valuable, and it ended, for now, on Monday with SEWRPC pledging to look into what it will take to do a deeper dive study on the creek and come up with some options. We’ll see where that leads.

Like the creek, this will move slowly. But at least it’s moving. I hope it leads to a day where all key stakeholders realize that maintaining and enhancing the Oak Creek watershed is a partnership, a shared responsibility by all of those who enjoy and benefit from a well-maintained waterway.

It’s not the county’s creek. It’s not one city’s creek. It’s the region’s creek. We need to act like it.

I’ll keep you posted, and please post your comments below.

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by | February 7, 2011 · 8:52 pm

Big Events Coming up at South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center

From the Bodeans to murder mystery dinner theater, it’s a busy month at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. And that’s great news for one of South Milwaukee’s crown jewels.

Here is a rundown …

  • Friday-Sunday: Grant Park Players present “Dearly Beloved”
  • Saturday, Feb. 19: John Gurda and “The Making of Milwaukee”
  • Thursday, Feb. 24: The BoDeans
  • Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26: Mystery dinner theater fundraiser
  • Friday through Sunday, March 11-13: FAME

Check out the SMPAC website to learn more, and get out and support this great community offering!

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by | January 24, 2011 · 10:20 pm

Putting a Plug in for Meat, Lefse and a Good Time

The meatballs are coming!

Trinity Lutheran Church’s Meatball Supper is returning for the 33rd straight year from 4 to 7 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 28.

Join us (it’s my church) for a great meal at a great price … and taste for yourself why the closely guarded meatball recipe — and the traditional handmade lefse — is second to none.

Learn more in this South Milwaukee NOW story. See you there (2507 5th Ave.).

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by | January 16, 2011 · 12:36 am

25,000 Views: Blog Hits a Milestone

When I launched 4thDistrictBlog.com in October of 2009, I had no idea it would grow like it has. But it has.

This week, the blog hit a major milestone (at least for me), as the number of page views to date topped 25,000.

Simply … thank you, thank you, thank you. I could not do this without you, and I appreciate and value your readership.

I look forward to continuing this service in 2011 and beyond, so please tell your family and friends about this website.

And please consider subscribing to the blog by clicking on the button on the right-hand side of this page. By doing so, you can have new blog entries automatically emailed to you, saving you the hassle of having to log on to see what’s new (although I’m not complaining if you do).

And did I say “thank you” yet?

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by | January 3, 2011 · 11:37 pm

Read it NOW: Heart-Touching Stories of Resolve from South Milwaukee

I’ve been a pretty vocal critic of the NOW newspapers and websites on this blog.

So, I think it’s only right that I call out a strong piece of journalism from this media outlet when I see one. The paper’s new year’s “stories of resolve” are just that — examples of what reader-generated (and first-person) journalism can be if done well.

There are a couple of South Milwaukee stories of note. Check them out:

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by | January 3, 2011 · 12:30 am

Wondering About Those South Milwaukee Welcome Signs?

You see that sign at the top of this page? It’s the city’s welcome sign at the intersection of Nicholson and College Avenues.

Well, it went missing several weeks back … and it’s been found again.

Apparently, all of the city’s welcome signs are being (or have been) temporarily removed to be cleaned and otherwise touched up to address fading from the elements. The new one looks great — it’s really eye-catching.

And that’s what a welcome sign should be, shouldn’t it?

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by | December 28, 2010 · 11:46 pm

Oak Creek Patch Site Launches

Oak Creek has a new local news source. South Milwaukee? Not so much (other than my blog, of course).

The Oak Creek Patch.com site has launched, and with it hyperlocal coverage that that community hasn’t seen since the demise of the Oak Creek Pictorial newspaper. For instance, as I write this, the front page has stories on a car crash, the Oak Creek boys’ basketball team and student artists, as well as guides to local businesses and events. The site is edited by Mark Schaaf, who previously worked for the local NOW papers.

You can learn more about Patch in my previous post.

As I’ve said, I like the Patch concept. With the demise of the local community weekly newspapers and continually dwindling south suburban coverage in the Journal Sentinel, there is a huge demand for community news in this area. It’s just too bad that Patch only has plans for certain communities — and South Milwaukee is apparently not among them.

(Nor is Elm Grove, apparently. As an aside, a local businessman has started a monthly newspaper in that community for much the same reason I started this blog and the same reason Patch feels it can make inroads in the Milwaukee area.)

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by | December 24, 2010 · 11:00 am

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my readers!

I hope this day finds you with family and friends celebrating the joys of the season.

This is my favorite time of year, and I hope you have a blessed holiday.

Barring some major breaking news in South Milwaukee, I’ll be taking a few days off from blogging and returning next week. Until then, God’s blessings to you and yours.

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