Category Archives: South Milwaukee

by | June 20, 2014 · 6:49 am

Happy Anniversary: South Milwaukee PAC Plans Special 10th Anniversary Season

10th anniversaryHard to believe that it’s been 10 years …

The SMPAC announced its 10th anniversary performing arts series this week, and it’s another good one.

From the press release …

The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center (SMPAC) announces the 10th Anniversary Performing Arts Series.

“Our 10th Anniversary Series features 10 shows that highlight topics relevant to our hometown and surrounding community. It will be the busiest, most diverse and engaging season in our history. Each show speaks to a memory of our city’s proud past, reflects on a shared experience, or brings hope and optimism for a bright, creative future,“ says Chad Piechocki, SMPAC Director.

“Some shows are celebratory and entertaining, while others address important social issues like the changing nature of Main Street or what it means to be “broken” yet inspired,” says Piechocki. “We strive to bring together diverse audiences and foster a deeper connection to our world and with one another. To this end, we’re planning a season finale that engages our patrons as key collaborators. Our 10th Anniversary Gala will be a variety show curated by patrons within the SMPAC community, featuring Tomas Kubinek as Master of Ceremonies.”

Season series tickets are now on sale, and please consider buying one or three, or at least attending a few shows. This is a terrific facility, with  mix of terrific performances we are lucky to have in our city.

And one other note: I want to wish Chad, the SMPAC director, well. Chad is headed to Present Music, a Milwaukee-based ensemble music organization. I’ve gotten to know Chad quite well the past few years, and his passion, energy, creativity and willingness to embrace big, bold ideas will be missed in this community.

Good luck, Chad. You leave a strong foundation for whoever comes after you.

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by | June 18, 2014 · 3:24 pm

Good News On Grant Park Plaza

It’s good to see some positive momentum at Grant Park Plaza.

Two new tenants are coming to the center in coming months.

The biggest name is Planet Fitness. The national fitness club has signed a 10.5-year lease for a vacant 18,308 square-foot space in the northern half of the center, near Pick ‘n Save. The club could open as early as September, following more than $600,000 in improvements coming to the center with the buildout of the new space.

To help fund those improvements, the South Milwaukee City Council approved disbursing $250,000 in tax incremental financing and other funds held in escrow per the development agreement with the center owners — funds that would come available only when the center reached an 80% occupancy rate. The addition of Planet Fitness brings it past that threshold.

The council also approved the sale of the Advanced Auto Parts lot to the Crowne Group Inc., a real estate investment company. It’s a deal similar to what’s occurred with other parcels at Grant Park Plaza.

Additionally, the center has a letter of intent from CSL Plasma to open in 10,000 to 12,000 square feet adjacent to Walgreens next spring. Stay tuned for more details on that tenant. CSL has locations nationwide, including in Racine and Beloit. Learn more on its website.

The addition of the plasma center will push mall occupancy past 90% — not bad for a strip center these days.

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by | June 16, 2014 · 5:56 pm

Drexel Avenue Is Open

Just a quick update …

Drexel Avenue is now fully open east- and west-bound from 15th to Nicholson Avenues. Thanks for your patience, and please drive safely.

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by | June 15, 2014 · 10:21 pm

Bringing New Faces, New Ideas To Our Boards And Commissions

Tuesday night, I’ll be nominating four residents to serve on our volunteer boards and commissions — talented people who are willing to sacrifice their time to use their talents and passions to make South Milwaukee a better place.

And I thank them for it. They are:

  • Police and Fire Commission: Heather Page
  • Library Board: Pat Bordak (who is being reappointed) and Jenn Medved
  • Traffic Commission: Tim Talaska

Do you want to serve on a board or commission? I’d love to hear from you. As I’ve written about, I’ve “opened up” this process to encourage people to apply for these important roles vs. seeking people from my circle of friends, colleagues and acquaintances — a decision that is already paying off.

There are openings on our boards and commissions throughout the year, so apply now, and we’ll keep your application on file.

Learn more, and get an application, here.

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by | June 14, 2014 · 12:37 am

More Headlines … And Info On South Milwaukee’s “Bug Whisperer”

Check out these headlines of local interest …

NOW has stories on the June 19 Kohl’s Cares Grow Safe & Health Mobile Tour stop at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market and the June 28 Garden Tour.

And here is a profile of Antonio Gustin, a South Milwaukee High School graduate affectionately known as the “Bug Whisperer.” Really cool.

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by | June 11, 2014 · 5:50 pm

Farewell, Mr. Nowak

Former South Milwaukee teacher and Rawson and Blakewood principal Erv “Mick” Nowak passed away this week.

Here is his obituary, and the online tributes show the impact this man had.

From the obituary:

His career in education spanned 34 years in South Milwaukee – as both a 6th grade teacher and math teacher at Parkway for seven years and then as principal of Rawson and Blakewood elementary schools. His philosophy was “do what’s best for the children.” Known to his students as “Mr. Kickball,” Erv was full-time pitcher and refereed the popular lunchtime recess games.

Erv was known for his flawless penmanship, likely the result of all the practice he received penning the thousands of hand-written notes he mailed to each and every student on their birthdays. He spent countless hours writing these notes on index cards, always with a reference to what made that child special and unique. He remembered former students and their families by name, even decades after they had been at one of his schools.

Please keep the Nowak family — and all who knew him — in your prayers. The visitation and funeral are Friday at St. Matthew’s in Oak Creek.

Did you know Mr. Nowak? Post your comments below.

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by | June 11, 2014 · 11:09 am

Fire Damages Michigan Avenue Home

1725 Michigan (1)From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approximately 5:14PM last evening (Tuesday, June 10), SMPD Dispatch rec’d a telephone call from a male caller who stated he needed a fire engine at 1725 Michigan Avenue and hung up the phone.  Without knowing the exact nature of the call or even if an emergency existed, SMFD responded with an engine to investigate.  While responding, Capt. McCoy could see a column of smoke rising into the sky in the area of the call and immediately requested that the level of response be upgraded to a Working Still for a structure fire.  The Working Still level brings in assistance from our mutual aid partners.  Upon their arrival, the encountered a single-family Capt Cod style house with heavy smoke “pushing” from the attic.  Hoselines were deployed to attack the fire while additional personnel and equipment arrived and an SMFD attack crew made their way into the 2nd floor and attic and extinguished the fire.  No injuries were reported.  Damage to the attic and 2nd floor was significant.  As can be seen in the attached photos, the house was being re-roofed at the time and both the workers and the homeowners reported that their 60-amp electrical service repeatedly blew fuses when the contractor’s air compressor kicked in.  The fire remains under investigation by SMFD Lt. Frost, but involvement of the electrical system cannot be ruled out absent a detailed examination by a qualified electrical professional.

Here is coverage from TMJ4.

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by | June 10, 2014 · 8:17 pm

Now Showing: Outdoor Movies

Outdoor movies are returning to downtown South Milwaukee.

I am excited to announce that Guardian Credit Union Movies at The Market have been scheduled for three Thursdays this summer and fall at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market: Aug. 14 and 21 and Oct. 9.

Showtime is approximately 8 p.m. for the August shows and 6:30 p.m. for the October movie, which concludes the market’s popular season-ending Fall Family Festival event.

We’ll announce the movies in coming weeks, but for now mark your calendars!

I can’t thank GCU enough for stepping up with the donation for the movies – and thanks as well to the farmers’ market for hosting them. It’s great to have this family event returning to downtown South Milwaukee.

These types of partnerships are exciting to see, and you will see more of them with me as mayor. Learn more here.

 

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by | June 9, 2014 · 8:17 pm

Rising Above Politics To Get Stuff Done

10415585_10203912583604704_2955800412544252098_nI pledge to live by every word I said in this BizTimes cover story.

More importantly, I’m excited to see South Milwaukee included in the company of Oak Creek, Wauwatosa and Waukesha. It’s an honor to stand next to my colleagues and share goals built around common sense, apolitical approaches to solving problems.

Indeed, South Milwaukee is “open for business” — and I’m committed to work together to move this city forward, no matter your politics.

Here’s to a promising future!

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by | June 8, 2014 · 10:29 pm

Flag Day Ceremony Set For Thursday

Please join me for the city’s annual Flag Day ceremony this Thursday at City Hall.

The brief ceremony starts at 6 p.m. at the gazebo outside of the Grobschmidt Senior Center. It will feature a flag retirement ceremony, music from the South Milwaukee Municipal Band, food and refreshments.

Check out the event listing on the city’s Facebook page for more information.

See you there!

(Flag Day is actually June 14, but we typically hold this event on a weeknight.)

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by | June 7, 2014 · 10:23 pm

Rocket Baseball Team Off To Hot Start

Baseball 6-7-14A quick shoutout to Coach Galewski and the Rockets, who are off to a 7-1 start after 10-3 win over Homestead on Friday …

Good luck the rest of the way.

Why not take in a game in coming weeks? Check out their full schedule here. Their next home game is June 16 against Whitnall. First pitch is 5 p.m.

(The photo is of my son, Christian, pitching to one of the Rocket players Saturday, when Little Leaguers were invited to practice with the team. Very cool.)

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by | June 5, 2014 · 8:51 am

It’s Market Day!

I love Thursdays during the summer.

The South Milwaukee Downtown Market opens its sixth season today, and I hope to see you there.

Hours are 3 to 7 p.m. at its new, temporary location at 12th and Milwaukee Avenue (until the 11th Avenue construction project is complete in July).

More than 50 vendors are expected selling organics, arts, crafts, baked good, prepared foods and more.

Learn more on the market website and Facebook page … and join me in supporting this community attraction.

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by | June 4, 2014 · 10:20 pm

Volleyball Returns To Grant Park — And That’s Just The Start

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This photo is from the Grant Park Beach Facebook page.

Yes, there’s new life at the beach this summer, with four new volleyball courts now up and plans for the reopening of the concession stand, rentals and more. Volleyball leagues are forming now. Register here.

Stay tuned for more information — I promise, it’s really good stuff, for both Grant Park and the entire City of South Milwaukee.

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by | June 4, 2014 · 5:14 pm

Business As Usual At South Shore Y

I just spoke with the interim director of the South Shore Y in Cudahy, and she assured me it’s “business as usual” at the location as the organization enters bankruptcy.

Membership, classes, hours, etc. will remain the same during the bankruptcy process.

“We will operate as we always have,” she told me.

Learn more about what’s next — and check out a Q&A — here. From it …

Operations at each of these centers and Camp Matawa will continue without interruption through the bankruptcy process. The YMCA of Central Waukesha County and Kettle Moraine YMCA are very strong operators. If these transactions are approved, they intend to not only run, but help improve, our West Suburban, Tri-Country, Southwest and Feith Family Ozaukee Y’s. We hope to find similar partners for the South Shore Y and Camp Matawa …

We are open for business as usual during the bankruptcy process. Our intention is that all programs, camps, classes, etc. will continue to operate as normal. Ultimately, our belief is this plan will help reestablish a strong, healthy Y in Milwaukee while preserving the majority of our centers, programs and staff. 

I wish the best for the South Shore Y — and the entire organization. It does so much good in our community, in each community it serves, something my family has witnessed first hand. For example, the Y teaches 9,000 kids to swim each year. My two kids were two of them. So was I.

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by | June 4, 2014 · 12:40 pm

What’s Up With The South Shore Y?

You’ve probably heard the news about the bankruptcy filing of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee today.

So, what does that mean for the South Shore Y? To be determined.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel …

Under the restructuring plan announced Wednesday, the Y will deliver services through centers that are primarily leased, restricted or gifted and establish “a truly urban mission.”

The centers that will remain include:

  • Rite-Hite Family YMCA, which offers a wellness and prevention partnership and includes the Schroeder Aquatic Center
  • Northside YMCA, in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood
  • Parklawn YMCA
  • Downtown YMCA, in the Shoppes of Grand Avenue
  • John C. Cudahy YMCA, which houses adaptive baseball programs
  • Camp Minikani, on the shores of Amy Belle Lake in Hubertus

The other properties will be sold to “operators better positioned to continue these Ys and invest in these centers for the long term,” the release said.

Those other properties include:

  • The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee has a letter of intent from the YMCA of Central Waukesha County to purchase the West Suburban YMCA, Tri-County YMCA and Southwest YMCA. A majority of the proceeds from this transaction will be used for debt reduction, officials said. Pending the sale, which requires court approval, operations, membership benefits, programs and services at these facilities will continue as normal.
  • The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee also has a letter of intent from the Kettle Moraine YMCA to purchase Feith Family Ozaukee YMCA. A majority of the proceeds from this transaction will also be used for debt reduction. Pending the sale, which requires court approval, operations, membership benefits, programs and services at this facility will continue as normal, officials said.

Here is the Y announcement. It says the Y is “seeking long-term strategic partners for both the South Shore YMCA and Camp Matawa that are better suited  to maximize the potential of those operations.”

I’ll keep you posted as to what that means.

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