If you’re thinking about beating the heat with a dip in South Milwaukee’s Grobschmidt Pool, it will have to wait until next weekend.
Grobchmidt Pool, along with other outdoor pools in the Milwaukee County Parks System, is scheduled to open on Saturday, June 16.
Hours will be 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. daily and also 5:30 to 7:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Learn more and see rates on the county’s website. Grobschmidt Pool is located at 2600 16th Ave., behind City Hall.
Filed under Community, Milwaukee County
County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published a new eNews update, and it includes a couple of interesting updates on airport projects.
Check out the update here. And here is a sampling of the airport items:
Filed under Milwaukee County
A key Milwaukee County Board committee on Wednesday approved a resolution advancing plans to extend the Lake Parkway (Highway 794) to Ryan Road in Oak Creek.
The resolution passed by the Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committee calls for the project to be added to the regional transportation plan, making it eligible for federal funding and getting the project closer to the preliminary engineering stage — even if it still may be 10 to 15 years before a shovel gets in the ground.
South Shore Supervisor Patricia Jursik co-sponsored the resolution and has been a leader on this project. Check out the press release here.
In other news out of that county committee, the panel declined to act on a request by Sheriff David Clarke to rent storage space at the former home to the 440th Air Refueling Wing near Mitchell International Airport.
See the Journal Sentinel story here. From it:
The move was criticized as an unnecessary and ill-advised expansion of the sheriff’s office at a time of tight budgets. Clarke wants to store gear for his bomb squad, SWAT team, canine unit, emergency services, boat patrol and dive rescue unit in space at the 440th, now county property and renamed MKE Regional Business Park.
“This is the wrong time for the sheriff to start spreading out instead of consolidating,” said Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who also faulted Clarke for not appearing personally before the committee.
Filed under Milwaukee County, Transportation
Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik has been named chairwoman of the county’s Committee on Economic and Community Development.
Jursik addresses the new post in her most recent Enewsletter. From the item:
This area has been a priority of mine. I am eager to help grow our area economy and tackle issues like the new MKE Regional Business Park at the Airport, Downtown lakefront redevelopment, the former Park East Corridor and the County Grounds including Innovation Park.
Jursik will also continue on the Finance & Audit; Personnel; and Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committees.
As you’ll recall, Jursik lost in her bid to become board chairperson to Bay View Supervisor Marina Dimtrijevic — a vote that Jursik clarifies in this press release. While that loss stung, Jursik’s roster of committee memberships is impressive … and a strong sign that South Milwaukee’s interests will be well-represented on the County Board.
We’re lucky to have Pat standing up for the South Shore.
Filed under Milwaukee County
The Seven Bridges are the Seven Bridges again — restored by a local company committed to the community.
Kohl’s Corp. invested thousands of dollars and brought forth dozens of employee volunteers this week to rebuild five of the Grant Park trail’s seven bridges. The end result: Rebirth of an iconic South Milwaukee landmark damaged by floods in 2008 and 2010.
Check out the Fox 6 story here. From it:
The project is part of Kohl’s Cares National Go Green Event. The company provided the labor and thousands of dollars worth of materials needed to complete the task.
“It almost brings tears to my eyes. It’s just beautiful,” said Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, who was emotional when she saw the work being done Friday. She represents the South Shore district.
“The seven bridges were damaged in the 100 years floods that happened in 2009 to 2010, and we’ve been struggling to get the money,” said Jursik.
“This is something that’s going to be here for future generations and I’m just touched,” said Milwaukee County Parks Director Sue Black. “The people who are going to use this for the next decades are going to know that Kohl’s cared.”
The bridges will be ready for use this weekend. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s a worthy investment.
Thank you, Kohl’s.
Filed under Community, Milwaukee County
It took 24 rounds of voting, but Patricia Jursik’s bid to become the next Milwaukee County Board chairperson fell short on Monday.
But the chairmanship will stay in the South Shore, with 30-year-old Bay View Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic winning the post.
Check out the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here. From it:
She replaces outgoing board Chairman Lee Holloway, who retired after 20 years on the board.
She was locked in a three-way tie during earlier rounds of balloting, in which Dimitrijevic, Supervisor Theo Lipscomb Sr. and Supervisor Patricia Jursik each had five votes. The deadlock broke after Supervisor Willie Johnson Jr. ended his bid for chairman and switched his support for Dimitrijevic.
What do you think of the vote? Post your comments!
Filed under Milwaukee County
South Shore County Supervisor Patricia Jursik is one of five candidates formally seeking the Milwaukee County Board chairmanship, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Check it out here. From it:
All except Jursik have aligned with the board’s liberal majority. Jursik has carved a moderate path on the board.
The selection usually comes quickly, but four years ago the board struggled for seven hours and 45 ballots before Holloway was able to get a majority for another term as chairman. He’s been a lightning rod for controversy and once nearly had his chairmanship stripped from him after an ethics case. Holloway also sometimes generated internal strife by juggling committee chairmanships.
None of the chairman aspirants referenced Holloway specifically by name in their formal appeals, but several promised fair treatment for colleagues and efforts to improve public perception of the board. The decade-old county pension scandal was mentioned once, indirectly.
“It is my hope and prayer that this new board earns the respect that has been lost over the last decade,” Jursik said.
What do you think of Jursik’s bid? Post your comments below!
Filed under Milwaukee County
Update: Be sure to vote in the poll on this issue!
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge has ruled in favor of the city in the case against a sex offender who challenged unsuccessfully the constitutionality of South Milwaukee’s sex offender ordinance.
Judge Maxine A. White has ordered that Todd Kester move from his residence at 809 Manitowoc to a residence that complies with the city’s sex offender ordinance — one more than 1,000 feet from schools, day care centers, parks and other “specialized facilities” — by June 30.
Read the ruling — and a good history of the case and the ordinance — here. Kester is appealing the ruling.
White had already declared the city’s ordinance constitutional in a previous ruling, and a state Appeals Court declined to take up the matter.
Filed under Crime, Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her new Enews newsletter, and it includes an update on repairs to the Seven — now actually five — Bridges.
And it doesn’t seem to signal they’ll be fixed quickly.
Check out the newsletter here. From it:
Seven Bridges trail at Grant Park continues to have two footbridges out of commission, the lakeside bridge and a small bridge, due to flooding several summers ago …
Milwaukee County currently has a consultant, Graef USA, designing the two replacement bridges. These bridge replacements pose a challenge in accessing the sites with the proper equipment and materials.
The consultant hopes to meet with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in early April to get a better understanding of limitations for access and permit requirements. The meeting should clarify the types of equipment and materials that can be used for the project and will help to determine a timeline.
I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Community, Milwaukee County
You’ll have your chance to weigh in on the potential extension of the Lake Parkway south to Highway 100 at a public hearing and informational meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.
The meeting, which is planned from 6 to 8 p.m., specifically seeks comment on whether or not the project should be included on the regional transportation plan — a key step in actually helping this project become reality one day. It will also include a chance to view maps, ask questions and hear a presentation about recommendations from a committee studying the extension.
There are several ways to submit comments: verbally or in writing at the Feb. 29 meeting, via mail or at this SEWRPC website.
Learn more about the Lake Parkway project here on County Supervisor Pat Jursik’s website.
Jursik is chairing the Advisory Committee of the Lake Parkway Extension Study. The committee is working with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to analyze the project.
Of course, I’d like to know what you think of the extension. Post your comments below!
Filed under Milwaukee County, Transportation
South Shore Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her latest E-news update, and it includes information on a public hearing for the Lake Parkway extension project, transit changes, Family Care and Grant Park improvements.
Check it out here.
And check out these other local headlines of interest:
Also, South Milwaukee NOW has published a new police blotter, including information on a snowblower theft on Lakeview Avenue, tire slashings on Sycamore Avenue and an underage drinking party on Marshall Avenue.
Filed under Headlines, Milwaukee County
The changes to Route 15 — South Milwaukee’s only bus line — take effect Sunday morning.
As you recall, a new Route 52 will replace some of the 15’s service in the South Shore, including South Milwaukee.
This Milwaukee County Transit System publication describes the new routes in more detail and includes a color map. This document lists all of the new Route 15/52 bus stop locations.
You can also learn more about the system-wide changes in this Journal Sentinel story and on this MCTS web page.
Of course, I’d like your thoughts on these changes. Post your comments below!
Filed under Milwaukee County, Transportation
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an in-depth look at Tim Russell and his role in the “inner circle” of Gov. Scott Walker and local Republican politics — including his alleged work to defeat Pat Jursik in her run for the Milwaukee County Board.
Check out the story on Russell, one of three people charged in the ongoing John Doe investigation, here. From it:
Russell played a role in County Board campaigns, as well. Olen managed the 2007 board campaign of Chris Kujawa and said Russell was an adviser to the campaign. Thursday’s criminal charges against Russell said he had control over Kujawa’s campaign bank accounts and took $3,000 for personal use. Then, the complaint said, Russell used money intended for a county-run military appreciation day to repay Kujawa’s campaign.
Olen said he never became aware of any problems in the campaign’s books and was shocked by the charges.
Russell wasn’t listed in county records as treasurer for Kujawa’s race or the County Board candidacy of Larry Spicer in 2007, from whom Russell is charged with stealing $550. It was Pierick who held the formal title as Kujawa’s treasurer. Russell’s name, however, is attached to a copy of a bank statement for Kujawa. …
Pierick and Russell were referred to Kujawa at a time Walker was hoping to pick up a seat or two for conservatives on the County Board. Kujawa said Russell had offered to help with things like establishing a campaign account. Kujawa said he didn’t know Pierick well and seldom spoke to him.
“I really don’t recall the exact circumstances” of how Russell’s help came about, Kujawa said.
Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who defeated Kujawa, remains upset at what she views as the intervention of Walker and Russell in the County Board race.
“I was incensed by the whole way it was going down,” Jursik said.
Filed under Milwaukee County
State election laws prevent Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik from sending her monthly email news blast out during her campaign.
But it doesn’t stop her from publishing eNews.
You can check out the latest edition (and all editions through April) here.
It includes updates on the South Shore transit, Seven Bridges repairs and Grant Park roadway construction. It also details a Friends of Grant Park meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, where a Department of Natural Resources conservation warden will be on hand to discuss suspected poaching in the park. The meeting is at the Grant Park clubhouse.
Filed under Milwaukee County
Update: The City Council on Tuesday decided not to move ahead with putting either question on the spring ballot. A motion to do so was not seconded — essentially killing the proposed referenda.
Should South Milwaukee voters weigh in on the size and full-time status of the Milwaukee County Board?
The City Council will consider that issue on Tuesday night, when we discuss and potentially act on two potential advisory referendums that several other communities are adding to their local April ballots.
One asks voters if supervisors should be part-time, instead of full-time, positions. The other under consideration would ask voters if the board should be reduced from its current 18 members to nine.
Five other local councils have already voted to bring these questions before voters next spring, and the County Board had considered calling for a similar countywide referendum — an effort that now appears dead.
Where do I stand? Let me start by saying I think we have a terrific county supervisor in Pat Jursik. She is smart, hard-working, passionate and focused on positive change, and she truly cares about her constituents.
Even so, I absolutely support a smaller county board, and nine seems about right. (I’m not sure about the part-time issue.)
I am just not sure these local referendums will make any difference toward this end.
With only a handful of the county’s communities planning to ask the questions, their effectiveness is limited, and the message they may send would be severely weakened. And with these questions only being advisory in nature, you have to ask: How seriously will county supervisors take the results? My guess: Not very.
Any referendum on this issue should be countywide. Only then would it carry significant weight with the people who need to hear the message the loudest: the county board.
While I am open to hearing other arguments, I am hesitant to support putting this on the ballot only in South Milwaukee. It strikes me as a waste of time.
What do you think? Post your comments below!
Filed under Milwaukee County
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