Category Archives: South Milwaukee

I love the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, and its Season Series lineup truly sets it apart.

We should all treasure the performances that come to our city each year. The PAC lineup may be second to none among similar venues in the region, if not the state.

The PAC announced its 2023-24 lineup recently. In addition to the image in this post, also coming is an Oct. 14 show by The Zombies, presented by ACG.

See details and order tickets here.

From the South Milwaukee School District …

Learn more about the project and fundraising effort here.

And please consider a contribution.

This a significant investment in the entire community, sparked by the Bucyrus Foundation and being brought to life by the school district and a dedicated group of volunteers working to Launch a Legacy for future generations of South Milwaukeeans. Go Rockets!

Crusherfest was just the start! The South Milwaukee summer events lineup is as strong as ever.

That of course starts with weekly events like the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, live music at Grant Park Beach and regular activities like Suburban Soles. And it includes one-time events that are uniquely South Milwaukee — including some cool new ones for 2023 you may have not heard about yet.

I try my best to keep a full list of local events updated on my blog. See it here, and bookmark it.

Here are some of my top picks for the summer, from that list, including a couple new events during Heritage Week. It’s quite an impressive list for our city …

• Thursday, June 22: South Milwaukee Downtown Market, 3-7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Music by All About Jazz/Kal Bergendahl, sponsored by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Details
• Saturday, June 24: South Milwaukee Historical Society & Garden Club Garden Tour, 9 a.m. Details
• Wednesday, June 28: Milwaukee County Traveling Beer Garden opener, 5 p.m., Grant Park Brown Pavilion. Beer garden runs through Monday, July 9. Hours vary. Details
• Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15: “Embers,” a play by Tim Backes, presented by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Council. 7:30-9:30 p.m. each night, Wulff Lodge at Wil-o-Way Grant. Details
• Thursday, July 13: Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival: Bonfire at the Beach, hosted by NEWaukee, 6 p.m., Grant Park Beach. Details
• Sunday, July 23: Friends of Grant Park Art Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Picnic Area 5 and 5A. Details
• Monday, July 24: South Milwaukee Police Department DARE Golf Outing, Grant Park Golf Course. Details
• Tuesday, July 25: Veterans Appreciation Day at Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home. Details
• Wednesday, July 26: South Milwaukee Fire Department Brat Fry. Details to come.
• Thursday, July 27: South Milwaukee Downtown Market, 3-7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Music by Radiation. Details
• Friday, July 28-July 30: South Milwaukee Lionsfest. Car Cruise on July 28. Details
• Saturday, July 29: South Milwaukee Heritage Days Parade. 11 a.m. Details
• Saturday, July 29: Friends of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Watercourse Great Duck Race. Details to come.
• Thursday, August 3: South Milwaukee Community Night Out. Details
• Friday, August 11: “A Starry Night Dance,” presented by the Mt. Meru Tumaini Health Clinic, a fundraiser event supporting the Ndoombo Community Dispensary. 5:30-11 p.m. at the Bucyrus Club. Details
• Thursday, August 24: South Milwaukee Downtown Market, 3-7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Car show planned, and music by American Graffiti Band. Details
• Saturday, August 26: Cheaterama hot rod and custom car show, noon, Bucyrus Commons. Details

From the city’s press release …

Centerline Design & Fabrication, a company offering turn-key solutions for end-to-end manufacturing, has signed a lease to move their operations from Waukegan, IL to 1123C E. Rawson Avenue in South Milwaukee at the former Bucyrus campus. The company had outgrown their space in Illinois and reached out to Milwaukee 7 and the City of South Milwaukee for assistance.

The new space will allow them to expand operations, attract new projects, and potentially add staff.

“Centerline Design and Fabrication, Inc. provides high quality turn-key manufacturing of commercial and industrial goods to regional and national markets. With the expansion and relocation of our headquarters to downtown South Milwaukee, we will now be able to offer even more high-volume production, while also providing gainful employment opportunities to the Milwaukee area economy. We at Centerline are excited to now call South Milwaukee our new home,” said Adam Buckley, President of Centerline Design & Fabrication.

I’m told Centerline will be leasing space not currently occupied on the campus, and will be bringing approximately 10 employees to South Milwaukee initially, with plans to grow.

Welcome to South Milwaukee!

The $10 million contribution from the Bucyrus Foundation is a rare legacy gift that will make a difference in our community for generations.

You’re already seeing its impact, from the South Milwaukee School District’s Launching a Legacy effort to Streetscaping, grant programs, and other improvements downtown.

The latest investment of foundation funds is just as exciting: tens of thousands of dollars in donations to local nonprofits each year. From the press release …

In 2021, the Bucyrus Foundation awarded the City of South Milwaukee and the School District of South Milwaukee with $10 million. In addition to project goals like downtown redevelopment and STEM education, the Bucyrus Foundation also asked that a grant program be created for South Milwaukee nonprofit organizations.

In November 2022, the South Milwaukee Common Council created an annual civic grant program that invited nonprofit organizations to apply for up to $25,000 to address a community need, improve community support, solve a problem, or enrich the people of South Milwaukee. A five-member Civic Grants Commission of stakeholders was created to help determine how funds should be disbursed.

In total, 11 nonprofits submitted funding requests. The Civic Grants Commission narrowed this list down to seven and recommended the below 2023 allocation:

• South Milwaukee Police Department K9 Program – $5,000 for the new K9 unit program.
• Friends of Grant Park – $1,600 for new trail entry signs at Seven Bridges, educational wayfinding, work progress announcements, and relevant County and City information maintained by Friends of Grant Park.
• South Milwaukee Lions Foundation – $6,000 for new and upgraded electrical service for Lionsfest event space.
• Bucyrus Museum – $1,825 for large format scanner for scanning historical collections and contributing to “Recollection Wisconsin Program” online catalog.
• Friends of the South Milwaukee Public Library – $16,300 to create a multi-use lab and learning space to enhance technology and training opportunities and to create a more friendly post-COVID-19 children’s play area for ages 6 and under.
• South Milwaukee Historical Society – $4,500 to create a new website and new Ancestry.com subscription.
• Warm Up South Milwaukee – $14,775 to develop plans for a new fire extinguisher program for seniors and other future projects.

I can’t thank the foundation enough for this investment, which is in addition to the Bucyrus Club, Bucyrus Museum and Bucyrus Commons — all a reality thanks to a separate $2 million contribution from the foundation in 2020.

I can’t think there are many — maybe any — communities in the country who are doing a better job celebrating their heritage in this way, ensuring through a public-private partnership that the story of its proud past is told for generations to come.

Be proud, South Milwaukee.

What a weekend! Thanks to all of the volunteers who made the event a success, as thousands (tens of thousands?) gathered at the new Bucyrus Commons for an amazing celebration of a man and his legacy.

The energy events like this bring to our city is real, and with the Commons our downtown now has a first-class venue to host them. The venue was up to the task.

Da Crusher Statue went into the ground in 2019. I can’t wait for the fifth-anniversary party, as we celebrate our most famous native son in a way that is uniquely South Milwaukee.

Until then, here are photos from the Crusherfest Facebook page …

More details on Facebook and its website.

And here is a look back at the first festival … love it!

A South Milwaukee summer tradition is back!

The South Milwaukee Downtown Market begins its 15th season tonight at its new home, Bucyrus Commons, with special music from Reverend Raven, presented by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. More details on the market website and Facebook page. Check it out!

See the full issue online here.

I’m excited to see this partnership with the school district flourish — and win an award!

Honor those paid the ultimate price on Memorial Day with a program starting at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 29, at the South Milwaukee War Memorial. A lunch will follow at noon at American Legion Post #27.

And a special shoutout to the South Milwaukee Garden Club for getting the site looking great again!

Every Thursday night starting this week!

View the full South Milwaukee Police Department annual report here.

Here is the letter from Chief Jessup to the community …

To the citizens of South Milwaukee, Mayor James Shelenske, City Administrator Tami Mayzik, the South Milwaukee Common Council, the South Milwaukee Police & Fire Commission, and members of the South Milwaukee Police Department:

In 2022 I completed my fifth year as Chief of Police for the South Milwaukee Police Department. Each and every day I am proud to serve this City and this Department, and I am grateful for your support, confidence and enthusiasm as our officers diligently work to keep our community safe. I am pleased to present to you the 2022 South Milwaukee Police Department Annual Report and I believe you will find that it provides an accurate overview of the challenges and accomplishments, as well as the activities undertaken by our staff to enhance public safety in our community.

The past year brought some notable changes to our staff, with the hiring of three new police officers, Jakob Horsley, Matthew Klecha and Blake Reynolds. They are great additions to our force and are looking forward to serving this community for many years. We were also joined by a new police clerk, Kyra Van Scyoc and she is proving to be an excellent addition to our staff.

The police profession comes with many challenges, and crime prevention is always near the top of the list. In addition, quick response times are equally important as we continue to advance the department’s mission and vision. We strive to make our city safer through a community-based policing strategy that is responsive to the needs of individuals and businesses while following a set of principles that fosters mutual respect. Our members are committed to their profession and they work tirelessly on behalf of our citizens to provide prompt service that keeps our community safe.

There is one truism in public safety; our work is never done. As we move forward, we will surely encounter new challenges but I am confident in our members and grateful for the support of our community. In partnership, we will overcome those difficulties and will make South Milwaukee healthier and stronger.