From Linda Ronstadt to John Denver to a cappella — and more — South Milwaukee and the South Shore have something for everyone this month when it comes to live music, starting this weekend.
Friday night, it was the Linda Ronstadt Experience at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Here is a sampling of what’s coming up the rest of the month, pulled from the blog’s Events page …
Sunday, October 16: John Denver Musical Experience, 2 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Friday, October 22: Rotary Club of Mitchell Field Milwaukappella 2022, 7:30 p.m. concert, Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center. Details
Thursday, October 27: South Milwaukee 125th Gala at the Bucyrus Club. Music by the Radio Rosies, presented by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Details
Sunday, October 30: Knightwind Ensemble, South Milwaukee PAC. Details
The South Milwaukee Police Department has created an internal committee to implement a K-9 unit. It is the department’s goal to add a K-9 in 2023 or 2024. To fund start-up costs, as well as annual expenses, a 501(c)(3) organization will be created.
At this time, the SMPD is asking the public for help with a $2,500 grant contest sponsored by Aftermath Services LLC. The grant is awarded based on an online public voting process to take place from October 24th through October 31st.
Said South Milwaukee Police Chief William Jessup: “Please join us as we work to enhance public safety in South Milwaukee through the addition of a K-9 unit. We are excited about this opportunity but we need your help to make it possible. Your votes can truly make a difference!”
The grant winners will be announced on November 3rd. Updates on the grant and the K-9 project will be provided through the City’s website and social media platforms.Commitments to support the K-9’s needs have already been made by Oak Creek Veterinary Care Clinic, Walmart, and Farm & Fleet.
And once the department gets around to choosing a dog, I nominate Teddy Brooks for the post. He’s ready to serve!
To me, libraries are an integral part of the fabric of a community — and they are many things to many people. Gone are the days of simply checking out books.
So it is with the South Milwaukee Public Library, whose mission “is to enhance the quality of life in South Milwaukee in a welcoming and innovative environment that provides information and ideas for lifelong learning and literacy.”
I continue to be impressed with how library is bringing that mission to life.
See for yourself at a couple upcoming events …
Tuesday, October 11: “Our Library: A History of the South Milwaukee Public Library.” Hear the story of how South Milwaukee’s library came to be and how it has adapted over the years to meet the needs of a growing and ever-changing city. The presentation will include rarely seen photographs and artifacts from the library’s past. 6 p.m. Details
Monday, October 24: “Getting to Know South Milwaukee’s Digital History Archive.” This introductory class for researchers and history buffs will showcase South Milwaukee’s new and growing digital history archive, teaching users about the resources and how best to utilize them. Details
I especially love the local history work the library is doing. From archiving Bucyrus “Scoop” magazines, to city directories and government publications, to high school yearbooks, to old photos and scrapbooks, the work the library has done to tell our city’s history story is significant — and really impactful.
The library has also started a new quarterly newsletter. The newsletter will cover a variety of topics including upcoming events, a Library Director’s report, and updates on our local history collection.
South Milwaukee always does Halloween right, and this year is no exception, as we ramp up to Halloween night trick-or-treating.
Today, it’s the Friends of Grant Park Trek ‘n Treat. From the Friends …
On Sunday, Oct. 9th, from 1 to 4 pm, Trek ‘n Treat is back again to satisfy all of those anxious ghouls, goblins, Spidermen and princesses. Featuring many stations along the Seven Bridges ravine trails in Grant Park, learn about the natural plants, animals, birds and insects that live in the park, and then get a treat. Participants can come in costume (or not) while hiking with their family. There are other activities and refreshments for sale after all that in the area 5A brown pavilion.
Remember to regularly check South Milwaukee Blog’s Events page for the most recent list of events around town. Here are some Halloween and fall-themed events coming up …
Sunday, October 9: Trek ‘n Treat, presented by Friends of Grant Park. 1-4 p.m. Details
Friday, October 14: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
Saturday, October 15: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
Friday, October 21: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
Saturday, October 22: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
Friday, October 28: “Tales & Tombstones” tour of the First Congregational Cemetery, led by historian Nels Monson. 6 pm. Details
Friday, October 28: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
Saturday, October 29: Fall Craft and Vendor Fair, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church. Details
Friday, October 29: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 6 p.m. (two-hour show). Details
Monday, October 31: Official South Milwaukee trick-or-treating, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Monday, October 31: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
And I’d like to put in a plug for Moran’s Pub. If you haven’t seen its transformation to a wizard-themed pop-up, you really should stop in. Artist Lauren Marvel and owner James Moran have teamed up to create “Wizarding World” this month. Learn more here. Here is a list of events …
Saturday, October 15: Wizard Games (scavenger hunt, Ministry of Magic Memo Paper Airplane Competition, and dueling dice)
Friday, October 21: A Tipsy Recitation of Our Favorite Wizard Books
Saturday, October 22: The Buzzed Word + Moran’s Beer Pong Tournament
Thursday, October 27: Sip & Craft Halloween crafts
Saturday, October 29: Moran’s Halloween Costume Party
Sunday, October 30: Doughnuts & Drafts event, with Supernova Doughnuts made by Moran’s neighbor and Avenue Coffeehouse owner Sara Lewkowski
A sampling of images from the new look of Moran’s Pub.
Mill Road remains closed. Due to unforeseen conditions, Milwaukee County has revised construction drawings to include reconstruction of wing walls at the Mill Road bridge, pending plan approval by WisDOT. The plan changes were so substantial that the contractor moved off site temporarily. The contractor intends to re-mobilize operations to the site, and Milwaukee County and the contractor remain optimistic that the bridge can be reopened in late November with balance of work in spring 2023. Wing wall excavation and construction access on the south side of the bridge from Milwaukee Avenue has led to a delay of the City’s commitment to pave Mill Road until the bridge is substantially complete. Milwaukee County’s contractor did remove the old railroad trestle crossing over Mill Road and the City has been able to complete storm sewer and curb repairs, and extensive brush and tree removal, and Payne & Dolan is ready to mill and pave the road when the bridge is ready.
Here are some of the events happening around town this month …
See a more complete and updated list of local events on the South Milwaukee Events page. The page — and the top post on the front page of the site — is updated frequently. Did I miss something? Email me.
Thursday, October 6: South Milwaukee Downtown Market. Music by John Stano. Website and Facebook
Friday, October 7: Steven Wright, presented by ACG, 8 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Saturday, October 8: An Evening of Classical Opera and Armenian Folk Songs, South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Sunday, October 9: Trek ‘n Treat, presented by Friends of Grant Park. 1-4 p.m. Details
Tuesday, October 11: “Our Library: A History of the South Milwaukee Public Library.” Hear the story of how South Milwaukee’s library came to be and how it has adapted over the years to meet the needs of a growing and ever-changing city. The presentation will include rarely seen photographs and artifacts from the library’s past. 6 p.m. Details
Thursday, October 13: Final South Milwaukee Downtown Market the season.
Friday, October 14: The Linda Ronstadt Experience, 7:30 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Sunday, October 16: John Denver Musical Experience, 2 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Thursday, October 21: Free Community Dinner, First Congregational Church. Details
Friday, October 22: Rotary Club of Mitchell Field Milwaukappella 2022, 7:30 p.m. concert, Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center. Details
Monday, October 24: “Getting to Know South Milwaukee’s Digital History Archive.” This introductory class for researchers and history buffs will showcase South Milwaukee’s new and growing digital history archive, teaching users about the resources and how best to utilize them. Details
Thursday, October 27: South Milwaukee 125th Gala at the Bucyrus Club. Music (Radio Rosies) presented by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Details
Friday, October 28: “Tales & Tombstones” tour of the First Congregational Cemetery, led by historian Nels Monson. 6 pm. Details
Sunday, October 30: Knightwind Ensemble, South Milwaukee PAC. Details
Monday, October 31: Official South Milwaukee trick-or-treating, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
South Milwaukee lost an iconic figure on Thursday, as Earl Edwin Kneevers Jr. passed away at the age of 93 in Sheboygan.
What a life he led … from his groundbreaking service in the U.S. Army to his decades making music in South Milwaukee to his church and volunteer work to his post-retirement efforts as a historian and author, Mr. Kneevers left quite a legacy.
Earl was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on August 10, 1929. His parents were Earl Edwin Kneevers, Sr. and Erna Steil Kneevers. He was baptized at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on September 1, 1929. Earl graduated from Sheboygan North High School in 1947.
He earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees (1951 and 1961) in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He served in the United States Army for three years during the Korean War, performing with the Fifth Army Band, participating in the first firing of the atomic cannon, and serving as a prisoner chaser. His experience of the Operation Grable nuclear test is detailed in the book, Sheboygan County’s Unforgotten. Earl was proud to serve his country in the Army and made lifelong friends in service. (Details about his time in the Army here.)
He taught instrumental music in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin for thirty-five years, seventeen years as Senior High Band Director, eighteen years as Orchestra Director and also as K-12 Music Supervisor. Earl was awarded the Hugo Anhalt Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 1966 for his contribution to the Advancement of Music in the State of Wisconsin. In 1986, the Mayor and Common Council of the City of South Milwaukee presented him with a “Resolution Honoring Mr. Earl Kneevers for his Contribution to the Art of Music in the City of South Milwaukee.”
Earl met his wife, Charmaine Louise Chopp, in high school when they performed in the Music Makers Dance Band, Earl as a saxophone and clarinet player and Charmaine as a vocalist. They were married on August 14, 1954, at Bethany Lutheran Church in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin. During his career, Earl served the Boy Scouts of America as a Music Merit Badge Counselor.
He was President of Trinity Lutheran Church in South Milwaukee and also directed their choir. He was Conductor of the South Milwaukee Municipal Adult Band in addition to organizing and overseeing band, drum corps, twirler, and drill team competition for the Wisconsin Spectacle of Music in South Milwaukee for twenty years.
Upon retirement in 1989, Earl became a Master Adjudicator and Field Representative for the Wisconsin School Music Association. He was also appointed to serve as Chair for Retirees and History. Several of his news articles were published in the Wisconsin School Musician magazine. Community service projects for Earl included serving as President of SCARTA (Sheboygan County Area Retired Teachers Association) and President of the S.M.E.A. (South Milwaukee Education Association).
He also served as Commander of the Sheboygan Falls American Legion Post #149 from 2002-2005. He was an adjudicator for the Sheboygan Music Club Scholarship Program and was Chairman of the South Milwaukee Retirees Scholarship Committee. He worked with people who have memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease at “The Gathering Place” located at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. As an avid reader, he was a student of conservative politics and was an active member of the Sheboygan County Republican Party.
In 1998, Earl and his wife, Charmaine, published a historical book, The Kneevers Hotel – A Sheboygan Landmark 1887-1978. Their second historical book, The Sheboygan Socialists, was published in 2003. A retirement highlight for Earl was fishing with his granddaughters at the family cabin in “God’s Country” at Three Lakes, Wisconsin.
Learn more in this YouTube video, described as “a collection of memories from South Milwaukee High School Band/Orchestra Director, Earl Kneevers’ scrapbooks. This slide show features, momentos, photos, newspaper articles and such contributed by friends, students and colleagues.”
The South Milwaukee football team scored a 43-41 Homecoming victory in overtime over Whitnall Friday.
A touchdown pass from Adam Finn to Everett Lentz and a two-point conversion run by Blake Maldonado was the difference. A goal-line stand turned back a two-point conversion attempt by Whitnall to seal it.
Finn finished with three touchdown passes and two TD runs on the night. Lentz also had a big game, with two TD catches. Roy Scott also caught a touchdown.
A key sequence came at the end of the the first half, as Maldonado followed an interception return for a score by Whitnall with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Rockets (2-5) close the season with games at Grafton on Oct. 7 and at home against Wisconsin Lutheran on Oct. 14. See the full schedule here.
It’s Homecoming Week! Show your support this Thursday and Friday, as the Rockets prepare to take on Whitnall.
Thursday Homecoming Events
6 p.m. Parade begins. Staging is near 15th and Maple Avenues, and the parade heads north on 15th to Oak Creek Parkway, ending near the pep rally and bonfire.
After the parade: Homecoming pep rally, near Galewski Field
After the pep rally: Homecoming bonfire
Then at 7 p.m. on Friday it’s kickoff against the Falcons.
If you haven’t yet experienced this tradition, you should. Go Rockets!
It’s time for a property revaluation in the City of South Milwaukee, the first in 11 years — and plenty of questions, I’m sure.
Notices should be arriving this week. Mine did on Wednesday, and it showed a 46.6% increase in our home’s assessed valuation.
What does that mean? I have many of the same questions many of you do, and the city seeks to answer many of them here.
First, why?
The goal of the revaluation is to assure that taxes are distributed equitably and uniformly, as well as to comply with State Statutes.
Some other key points from the city …
The 2022 revaluation used sales that occurred between November 2020 and December 2021 to arrive at an estimated fair market value of each property as of January 1, 2022.
The average property would have been assessed 49% below market value as of January 1, 2022 without conducting a revaluation. … Note that a 49% increase does not mean a 49% increase in taxes. Typically, in this scenario where the average increase in value is 49%, property owners that receive an increase in value of 39% to 59% do not see a major change to their tax bill.
Does everybody’s tax go up because of revaluations?
No. Revaluation redistributes the existing property tax burden so that all property owners pay their fair share based on the market value of their property. If the total tax levy remains the same, only those properties which are not presently paying their fair share of the tax burden will pay more tax because of the revaluation. Property owners currently paying more than their fair share would actually pay less after the revaluation. The total amount of taxes levied is completely independent of the overall assessment.
How does the assessor value property?
Wisconsin Law requires that property assessments be based on fair market value. Estimating the market value of your property is a matter of determining the price a typical buyer would pay for it in its present condition. The assessor used 1 to 5 comparable properties that sold between November 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 to arrive at the 2022 assessed value.
Do all assessments change at the same rate?
There are differences between individual properties and between neighborhoods. In one area for a certain type of property, the sales may indicate a substantial increase in value in a given year. In another, there may be no change in value, or even a decrease in property values.
How can I determine what impact this revaluation will have on my property taxes?
The exact amount of your property tax bill will not be known until December, based upon the tax levies established by the City, as well as the other taxing jurisdictions (South Milwaukee School District, MATC and Milwaukee County).
Let’s also look back at Saturday’s Open Doors event. Thank you to all of those who participated and attended. It was an honor to help deliver it, and I already can’t wait for year two.
It’s Da Crusher, of course! Shot the night of Crusherfest, as we unveiled this statue to the world. Do you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog? Send it along.
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