Category Archives: South Milwaukee

All are welcome at this special gala event at the Bucyrus Club. Join us! More details here.

South Milwaukee lost a great man over the weekend.

Chester Grobschmidt, mayor for 28 years, has passed away at the age of 104.

He leaves a lasting legacy on this city, one that will live on for generations, and I thank him for his service to this city and this country. His love of South Milwaukee and passion for making this city a better place was very much evident even in the years later in life when I came to know him.

Rest in peace, Mayor Chet.

From the 2020 proclamation we delivered to Chet in 2020, as he turned 100 …

WHEREAS, Chester W. Grobschmidt was born June 8, 1920, one of five children of John and Ann Grobschmidt. The family moved to South Milwaukee in 1926. Chet attended St. Mary’s Grade School and graduated from South Milwaukee High School in 1938; and

WHEREAS, in 1938 Chet got his first job pedaling the Shopping News. Four years later, Chet egan his 40-year career at Bucyrus Erie, retiring in 1983. Chet served in the Navy during World War II from 1942-46 in New Guinea (Admiralty Islands), and was discharged with the rank of Second Class Metalsmith. Chet was celebrated for his service by participating in an Honor Flight to Washington D.C.; and

WHEREAS, in January, 1948, during the “Blizzard of ‘48”, Chet married Leone Repech and they had two children, Richard and Karen. Leone passed away in 1982 after 34 years of marriage. In 1992, Chet married Lorraine Schweitzer and expanded his family with four stepchildren: Sharon, Patsy, Jim and Jon. Chet and Lorraine were married for 24 years until her death in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Chet has a long legacy of service to his community. He served as Alderperson for the Fourth District for nine years. In 1966, Chet was elected Mayor of the City of South Milwaukee and served the city in that capacity for 28 years, retiring in 1994. During his time as Mayor, Chet provided strong leadership for the city during a time of significant change. This list of course is long, a few highlights are in 1982, City Hall moved to its current location at the former Parkway Elementary School on 15th Avenue, and the mayor led efforts to fund and open the South Milwaukee Senior Center, which was renamed the Chester W. Grobschmidt Senior Center in 1996. The new fire station was dedicated in 1981, and Chet was instrumental in bringing the Med-10 Unit to the city which began service in 1988. He also began the recycling program and kept local control over the South Milwaukee Sewage Treatment Plant; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Chet’s dedication to the city and its employees was ever present, and it didn’t end when he left office. Chet was a strong advocate for the beautification of the downtown area. An avid gardener, he prized his dahlias and would bring some to City Hall every year for the employees to enjoy. He was a member of multiple veterans organizations, involved with the War Memorial and served as president of the Historical Society.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Mayor Erik Brooks and the Common Council of the City of South Milwaukee do hereby declare June 8, 2020, as “Mayor Chet Day” in the City of South Milwaukee in celebration of his 100th birthday, wish Chet well as we recognize this milestone, and thank him for his lifetime of dedicated service to the city.

From an email sent by Athletics and Activities Director Ante Udovicic to South Milwaukee School District parents on Sunday …

Dear South Milwaukee Community, 

We are excited to announce a new chapter in South Milwaukee’s football program. Please join us in welcoming Dylian Nimmer as our new head football coach. Coach Nimmer brings a wealth of experience and passion for the game, and we are confident that he will be a great leader for our student-athletes.

Coach Nimmer has 10 years of coaching experience, including as an assistant coach at St. Norbert College, the University of Minnesota, UW-Oshkosh, and UNLV. His dedication to building strong, disciplined teams and developing student-athletes both on and off the field is exactly what we were looking for in a coach.

Nimmer, who lives in Waukesha, also has deep local ties and played against South Milwaukee as a Baby Redcat. In the short term, Coach Nimmer will meet with his coaching staff and with the team after school this week. He is excited to meet the team and begin off-season workouts with the team and planning summer contact days, 7 on 7s and ultimately a successful 2025 football season. 

In addition to his coaching expertise, Coach Nimmer is deeply committed to fostering a positive, supportive team environment and believes in the importance of teamwork, character development, and hard work.

Thank you to the search committee members for their work in reviewing candidates for this position and for your continued support of our athletics program!

Congratulations, and welcome to South Milwaukee, Coach Nimmer!

And a deep and heartfelt thank you to Coach Pete Dufek, who served in that position for five seasons, guiding the program through the pandemic and making a lasting impact on many young lives during difficult times. Thank you for your continued hard work on behalf of Rocket student-athletes, Pete.

UPDATE: The South Milwaukee Fire Department Facebook page has more details on the fire.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Kr2Mqiv41/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Check out coverage from TMJ4 and WISN — and please keep these families in your prayers.

From local media outlets …

• South Milwaukee looks to create a plaza space downtown with a large city name sculpture (JSOnline)
• Aurora Clinics Ending Services at Walgreens (TMJ4)
• South Milwaukee harm reduction vending machine now available to public (Fox 6)
• These three restaurants opened in the south suburbs in 2024; two more opening early in 2025 (JSOnline)
• See some of the cakes that South Milwaukee cake decorator Stacy Gasper designed (JSOnline)

From the City of South Milwaukee …

Exciting News for South Milwaukee Water Customers! 

We’re thrilled to introduce a new and improved water invoice! Starting this month, you’ll notice an updated design with clearer details, making it easier to manage your account.

Convenient Online Payments: You can now pay your bill, view your payment history, and manage your account anytime, anywhere via our new portal: https://bit.ly/SMWUConnect.

These new invoices will be rolled out gradually over the next couple of months, as South Milwaukee has 4 different billing cycles. So, keep an eye out for yours! 

I am happy to see this, and I hope to see more opportunities like this.

Governments aren’t businesses, but they can all do better to be more customer-friendly … and rate and taxpayers need to be treated like customers. Electronic payments have been the norm for years — decades? — and it’s time for governments to catch up. I am glad we are.

From the Crusherfest Facebook page …

Crusherfest returns on Saturday, May 31st thru Sunday, June 1st at Crusherfest Park in South Milwaukee. Meet & Greet your favorite pro wrestling superstars and watch some LIVE pro wrestling. Live Music. Food Trucks. Cold Beer. Stay tuned for more information.

Stay up to date on all major local events on my Events page.

From RideMCTS.com …

What is MOVE 2025?

We’re putting our Fall 2025 service changes in your hands. This is your system. Your ride. So, it’s your choice. We’ll provide the options, you’ll tell us what changes work best for you. Here’s your chance to tell us where you’d like to see improvements, and what trade-offs you’re willing to make to get you where you’re going. 

Why does MOVE 2025 need my input?

We’ve been listening to your feedback: some riders want more frequent service. Others want more coverage. Bus operators see ways to make their routes more reliable. Businesses would like changes that benefit their employees. Add to that new housing developments, entertainment hot spots, and changing traffic patterns, plus our incredibly detailed analytics on all things bus, and you’ll understand why we need your help! There are dozens of ways MCTS can make changes while staying within our budget. We have come up with several different route ideas but we need to hear from you: which of these options matter most.

How do I weigh in on MOVE 2025?

• The first opportunity to give feedback is at one of our 5 community meetings. (Two remain as of this writing — January 25 in West Milwaukee and February 4 in Milwaukee.)
• Can’t make it to a public meeting but still want to provide feedback? Please respond to the survey link here to shape your route.

Two options in the survey impact South Milwaukee directly, including (according to MCTS) …

• Route 52: These options come from rider feedback. Riders have told us they want Route 52 to serve more destinations on each end of the route. As the route extends, buses will come less often.
• Route 59: This option comes from rider feedback. Riders have told us, “MCTS needs more east-west connectivity on the southern end of the county.” The farther the route extends, the less often buses will come.

I’m excited to see South Milwaukeee remain committed to its Adopt-a-Tree program. Hundreds have been planted since it was launched — and we have a long ways to go.

From the city website and Facebook page …

The City of South Milwaukee, proudly designated as a Tree City USA since 2019, is excited to offer the Adopt-a-Tree Program. This program provides residents with a unique opportunity to enhance their neighborhood, support our urban forest, and make a lasting environmental impact. By adopting a tree, you’ll contribute to the beauty and health of our city while helping to create a greener future for all.

How it works:

• Apply to the program on our website: https://bit.ly/SMAdoptATree
• Commit to watering and care for the first two years.
• Watch it thrive and enjoy knowing you’ve made a difference!

Sign up today to secure your spot! Let’s plant hope this winter for a greener tomorrow!

I came across this obituary of a former South Milwaukeean today, and I love it. I’m happy to share it here, and ask you to share it too.

From it …

The Fearless and Unstoppable Dr. Carol.

Dr. Carol B Whitmoyer DVM age 92 of Boulder City, NV passed away peacefully on December, 22 2024 in Henderson NV. Carol was born in South Milwaukee, WI to Horace and Helen Brien Beitzel. From a very young age, Carol knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. Carol graduated from South Milwaukee High School with honors in 1950. Instead of doing the norm for the time and becoming a homemaker, Carol pursued her veterinary dreams, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1954 from Michigan State College and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University in 1956. She was the only woman in her class and the first woman to receive her full Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University.

After college Carol lived in Kansas, Florida Everglades and Utah before moving to Boulder City, NV in 1962. That same year “Dr. Carol” opened her practice, Boulder Animal Hospital. She was a founding board member of the Clark County Health District (now known as Southern Nevada Health District). In November, 1962 Carol adopted her son Paul and In September of 1963 adopted her son, Danny.

For 38 years Dr. Carol was Boulder City’s veterinarian and 30 of those years she was the only veterinarian. Dr. Carol loved being a veterinarian! It was her passion from childhood. She loved animals and would do whatever it took to help them and their owners in a time of need.

In the early years, Dr. Carol did both large and small animals in her practice. She took care of any animal in need of help even taking care of some exotics from snakes to orangutans and even a baby elephant. Carol spent a lot of time at the corrals riding her horses and taking care of their, and everyone else’s veterinary needs until large animal specialist veterinarian became available. She then switched her practice to small animals.

She considered herself very fortunate to have an occupation that she loved so much!

Dr. Carol was always up for an adventure! Her love for the outdoors and traveling is well-known. From week long backpack trips in the backcountry of Yosemite when her family was young, to canoe trips in the Boundary Waters and Yellowstone, or wherever else she could paddle a canoe. It’s hard to count how many white-water river trips she took down the Green, Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and so many more, many of them rowing or paddling her own boat. Dr. Carol was an avid scuba diver until her late 70s. She would do live aboard dive boats for a week (before they were even popular) and dove a lot of the top dive spots in the world.

She loved gardening and her backyard showed it. Photography was another passion. She had some of her flower photos published in a Southwest desert wildflower book. One of her many adventures was hiking coast to coast across England with her sisters, Helen, Sally and brother-in-law, Ron.

Dr. Carol retired in 2000 and instead of slowing down she turned it up! She continued to do more of everything. She was away more than she was home. She was off on African photos safaris, more diving, Hawaii, Europe, India, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and so many more places, wherever else she thought she needed to see. People would ask not how is she, but where is she now? She ran the white water of the Pacuare river in Costa Rica along with an eight-stage zip line at age 85. Dr. Carol never passed on an adventure, even if she had to go by herself. She would always say, “do it while you can because you never know when you’re not going to be able to.” Words to live by!

Words to live by, indeed.

Small business in South Milwaukee is alive and well!

Here is proof: Local businesses were finalists in 18 different categories in the recently awarded “Shepherd Express Best Of” awards.

The full list follows. See all the finalists and winners here.

• Boutique Clothing: Omen
• Men’s Clothing: Omen
• Women’s Clothing: Omen
• Fashion Accessories: Omen
• Vintage/Thrift Store: Dupree’s Vintage
• Bakery: Bakehouse 23
• Bratwurst: South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats
• Butcher Shop: South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats
• Cupcakes: Bakehouse 23
• Meat Selection: South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats
• Sausage: South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats
• Sausage Shop: South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats
• Soups: Bakehouse 23
• Bar to Watch Soccer: Moran’s Pub
• Car Show: Cheaterama
• Irish Pub: Moran’s Pub
• Law Firm (Under 5 Years): Jurowski Law
• Wealth Management/Financial Planning: DBHW Wealth Management

Congratulations to all of our local entrepreneurs!

I love that this event has become a monthly tradition in our city … and that the Bucyrus Club is hosting the next one. Details below. Thank you, Ernie and Elyse Wunsch and team, First Congregational United Church of Christ, and all of the community partners who make this meal happen each month!

This will be fun! Showtime is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

Musical Theatre Cabaret: Celebrating 20 Years of Musical Theatre

Presented in celebration of our 20th Anniversary by South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center …

Join us for a musical stroll down memory lane since the first South Milwaukee high school production, Oklahoma! was performed here in 2005. You’ll enjoy music from a variety of other shows such as selections from Grease, Fame, Bye Bye Birdie, Hairspray, In the Heights, Fly by Night, The Sound of Music and the most recent 2024 production of Legally Blonde. You may even see some folks you recognize, as we proudly welcome back SMHS performing arts alumni for this cast. Some of these actors have been away for decades, while others graduated just a year ago. They all have a passion for musical theatre and can’t wait to perform for you!

This 20th anniversary Musical Theatre Cabaret stands to be the largest musical bonanza staged here by our alumni and students, and is designed to pay tribute to our community’s long-standing tradition of excellence in high school musical theatre. This show is produced by the talented and fearless SMHS Theatre Director, Tim Backes, and is sponsored by the SMPAC Council, a 501c3 organization.

Learn more (and reminisce) at the South Milwaukee High School Theatre Company Facebook page.

Contested races for South Milwaukee School Board and South Milwaukee Municipal Judge highlight the local ballot for this spring’s election.

Election Day is April 1. Also on the ballot is the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Locally, here is what you will see …

South Milwaukee School Board

Four candidates for two seats, with incumbent David Maass choosing not to run for a new term. Thanks for your service, Dave!

• Steve Hansen
• William Sakalaucks
• Matthew Scales
• Sophia Williams (I)

South Milwaukee Municipal Judge

Two candidates for one seat.

• Kelly A. Martyka (I)
• Megan Zienkiewicz

More details on our local elections here.

From my friends at the Friends of the South Milwaukee Library …

New Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Pass Added to Library’s Free Pass Collection

Patrons at South MIlwaukee Public Library can check out a three-day pass to visit local attractions for free. Explorer passes include:

• Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
• Harley Davidson Museum
• Milwaukee Art Museum
• MItchell Park Domes
• Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Passes are first come, first served and may not be held.

Friends of the Library Social Set for January 16

Soul Music Celebration at the Library for Black History Month

This is an event that deserves a larger audience than we have been attracting. It feels like watching an intimate jam session with a bunch of very talented friends. They will cover a variety of soul styles including Windy City Soul, Classic Soul and Southern (Chitli’ Circuit) Soul.