Category Archives: South Milwaukee

Our history story is authentic, and uniquely South Milwaukee’s. We as a city need to do a better job telling it.

That’s why I was excited to hear about a new public-private partnership the South Milwaukee Historical Society, South Milwaukee Library and a local business leader (Jay Benkowski and Benkowski Builders) — one that you can also help with.

From the society …

One hundred and twelve rolls of 35 mm microfilm covering South Milwaukee newspapers from 1892 to 2006 are currently unusable because of a microfilm reader/printer failure.

The South Milwaukee Historical Society and the South Milwaukee Library have begun a project to copy the film digitally that will make research of the newspaper files much easier.

A local businessman, Jay Benkowski and his firm Benkowski Properties have generously agreed to match all new donations toward this project dollar for dollar. We hope to reach a total of $15,000 dollars, which would allow completion of the project.

Newspapers are considered a primary source of historical information about people and events. Their preservation and access is very important to researchers both today and in the future. Please help in achieving our goal of making these papers easily researchable.

We are a 501(c)3 Organization. Donations over $250 will be acknowledged by letter.

Send checks to: South Milwaukee Historical Society, 717 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee, WI 53172

Thanks, Jay, for stepping up to support this effort!

The Shepherd Express “Best Of” awards were announced this week, and once again South Milwaukee is well represented.

Congratulations to all of these locally based runners up!

• Caribbean Restaurant: Island Jam
• Fine Jewelry: C3 Designs
• Flower Shop: Parkway Floral
• New Retail Shop: Hollyville
• Bratwurst and Sausage: Milwaukee Sausage Company
• Bar to Watch Soccer and Sports Bar: Moran’s Pub

Also, congratulations to Educators Credit Union! They won three awards, for “best financial institution for getting a business loan … home mortgage … and checking account.” And Associated Bank won for “Best Bank.”

As for politicians, State Sen. Chris Larson won for “Best State Legislator,” and Steven Shea was a runner-up for “Best County Supervisor.”

Here is the full list of winners.

There is lots on tap at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center these days — literally.

Here is an upcoming schedule.

It starts Thursday, Jan. 30, with “Shaun Boothe: The Unauthorized Biography Series,” described as “a critically acclaimed musical motivational project that celebrates the world’s greatest cultural icons Creator Shaun Boothe is an award-winning hip hop artist, TEDx motivational speaker and founder of Live Your Legacy Academy.”

Then, on Friday, Feb. 1, it’s the Varsity Vocals International Championship of a Cappella. From the SMPAC website …

The Varsity Vocals International Championship of A Cappella is the only international tournament that showcases the art of student a cappella singing. Our programs include both The Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and The Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA), and both are dedicated to providing top-notch a cappella groups with valuable feedback from our highly qualified judges. Our young vocalists also have the opportunity to showcase their talent to an international audience and develop relationships with each other, cultivating the art of a cappella singing and a lifelong love of music.

Also mark your calendars for Feb. 29 and “The Tap Pack” … “an elegant, high energy, tap comedy show inspired by the infamous “Rat Pack” which included the famous talents of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. With dazzling performances on stage, dressed in slick suits and equipped with sharp wit, The Tap Pack is a modern twist on the classic “Rat Pack.” 

My wife and I had the pleasure of celebrating the installation of the new South Milwaukee Yacht Club officers on Saturday, including Commodore Bryan Gahan, who has been elected to a second year in the position.

It’s going to be a big year for the club in 2020, as it turns 70 with a big party tentatively planned for July 11. (Many more details to come on that.)

The club is making more than $500,000 in capital investments to their facility this year, including upgrades to their public fishing pier and their outer ring wall — not including another nearly $100,000 in fixes for damage caused by the winter storm earlier this month. (The club’s damage was included in Milwaukee County’s federal disaster declaration this week.)

The club’s slips are full, with a waiting list, and it’s easy to see why demand is high: Its people, the dedicated members and volunteers who filled the club at the event last weekend, including two original members.

I love this public-private partnership. The club leases its land and building from the city, and in return we get a terrific community asset built in the 1950s and maintained today by the hands of volunteers. The club also allows our fire department boat to dock and launch there.

South Milwaukee’s story is a strong one, and this facility is part of that story, a point of pride. Let’s tell that story as the club turns 70.

The lack of transparency from the United States Postal Service on their project on our city’s borders continues to frustrate me.

No other developer would be allowed to act this way, and keep the public in the dark as to what is happening at the corner of College and Pennsylvania Avenues. But, by law, the USPS can.

So we are forced to struggle to find out even the most basic details about their project … a lack of public input that led to the Oak Creek and South Milwaukee City Councils to oppose the project last year.

The public’s first chance to learn more about the project and share their feelings on the development comes Tuesday, Jan. 28, at a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wetlands permit public hearing at Oak Creek City Hall. The hearing begins at 6 p.m.

Check out the notice here, and here is NOW coverage.

I’ll see you there. Please ask tough questions. I will. We deserve answers.

Do better, United States Postal Service.

Check out these South Milwaukee headlines …

• Return to Hometown of South Milwaukee Led to Avenue Coffeehouse and a Future in Baking (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Good Samaritan Unites Lost Phone Found in South Carolina With its Wisconsin Owner (WISN)
• Loud Unidentified Sounds Heard at South Milwaukee MS Prompt Temporary Lockdown (Fox 6)
• TODAY’S TMJ4 Helps South Milwaukee Woman Resolve More Than $30K Medical Bill (TMJ 4)
• Jan. 12 Was the Last Day for Milwaukee Sausage Company (Journal Sentinel)
• South Milwaukee Dental Assistant Says She Was Fired After Posting Pro-Trump Comment on Facebook (NOW)

From the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department …

Do you or someone you know need help? Do you have questions about medication assisted treatment for addiction? Join us January 20th 6:30pm at the South Milwaukee PAC to learn more.

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approx.. 4:57pm, SMFD Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call of a fire in a house in the 1700 blk. of Rawson Avenue. Due to the description of the fire provided by the caller, mutual aid was immediately called and Oak Creek, St. Francis, and Cudahy responded. Greendale also responded with a paramedic unit to standby at our station and Milwaukee provided both an engine (special called due to another ongoing EMS call in SM) and a paramedic unit to the scene.

The caller for the house fire stated he did not know for sure what was on fire, but that there were flames in the bedroom in the rear of the house. SMFD and SMPD units arrived to find a small, single-family residence with smoke issuing from the building. The sole occupant was out of the building and reported no other occupants. Fire crews advanced a hoseline into the house, conducted a primary search to confirm that there were no other occupants and extinguished the fire while another crew cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the heat, gases, and smoke out.

Damage to the interior of the structure was extensive. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by SMPD and SMFD personnel.

Crime fighting is a partnership. We all play a role — and we all can help.

That is why I love this post on the South Milwaukee Police Department Facebook page so much.

Great work from the SMPD, and thank you to the citizens who stepped up to help with video doorbell footage. Well done!

You may have already seen the “lines” on our main streets.

Ahead of this weekend’s winter storm, the city is adding a new weapon in our fight against snow and ice — brine.

From the city Facebook page:

The truck in the picture has been outfitted with a new piece of equipment used in delivering a salt brine solution to our roads before inclement weather. 

The salt brine is a solution of salt and water, used to deliver a pre-treatment anti-icing approach. The anti-icing approach is taken to decrease the likelihood of snow and ice bonding to the pavement surface. Anti-icing involves placing a layer of brine on the surface of the pavement before the winter storm has begun.

A benefit of this process is that anti-icing will achieve the same level of service on the roads using 1/4 to 1/5 the amount of salt!

Indeed, cost savings are a big part of this. Not only should this reduce our use of road salt, it could also reduce overtime costs, as we can potentially wait longer to call in Street Department personnel to deal with a storm.

There are also big environmental benefits to reducing road salt usage, critical as we sharpen our focus on cleaning up the Oak Creek watershed.

It’s also a great example of a regional partnership, as we look to purchase most of our brine from the City of Cudahy.

(The purchase of the large tank was also a win. We will use it year-round to water flowers, grass and other plantings on city-owned property, and to keep dust down on South Milwaukee road projects.)

I want to thank our Street Department for exploring this and putting it into action. It was months in the making, and took a lot of research and discussions with other communities about their approaches before we settled on moving ahead with brining.

In that way, I am glad we are not at the “bleeding edge” of this. Others have done this for years, and we get to learn from their trials and errors, and put those refined best practices to work here.

I urge patience as we roll this out locally. It will take time to get this right for South Milwaukee, but we’ve started on the path to another example of our city teams finding new and innovative ways to deliver services more cost effectively, and better. We won’t stop here.

Stay safe, South Milwaukee!

The campaign filing deadline for spring 2020 candidates came and went on Tuesday, and here is who is running for what locally.

These races will appear on the April 7, 2020, ballot …

• South Milwaukee Mayor: I will not have ballot opposition, as I seek a third three-year term leading the city. I am grateful for that, but also pledge to not stop working to deliver South Milwaukee’s promising future, together. Forward!
• South Milwaukee School Board: Five candidates are vying for three spots: three incumbents (my wife, Sarah Brooks; John Haslam and Augie Vega) and challengers Crystal Champagne and Patrick Hintz.
• Milwaukee County Board: Supervisor Steven Shea is also running unopposed, as he seeks his second two-year term.

There will be a contested primary on Tuesday, Feb. 18, for Milwaukee County executive. More details on that and other races here.

I’ll be posting more on the upcoming elections as they get closer. Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to run for public office!

Don’t forget about the Community Meals at First Congregational Church the third Thursday of each month … with the next one set for January 16. Skyline Catering will provide the meal, after more than 100 people attended the December meal (Knights of Columbus).

Thanks to First Congregational for hosting this community event, and to all of the partners for their work in preparing and serving. If you haven’t attended one of these yet, please do.

And save your appetite! If you’re in town Jan. 24-26, check these two meals out … I’ll save some lefse for you at the Meatball Supper!

I especially love this first story … thanks for stepping up, Ms. Bobber!

• English Teacher Steps up to Help Displaced Foreign Exchange Student (CBS 58)
• These South Shore Communities are Cutting Down on Salting to Protect Lake Michigan and Save Money (NOW)
• Case Dismissed Against South Milwaukee Mom Accused of Leaving Kids in Cold Car While She Shopped (Fox 6)
• South Milwaukee Home Decorated in Extravagant Light Display Draws Crowds During Holiday Season (CBS 58)
• Construction Has Begun on New Urgent Care in South Milwaukee (NOW)
• Man Accused of Leading Authorities on 65-mile Chase, Backing Car Over Officer Due in Court (Fox 6)

Effective today, Jan. 3, the Self-Deposit Station, at 1106 Blake Ave, will be changing its user fees from a daily user fee to a per visit user fee.

The new user fee will be $3 per visit.

Making this change will help sustain the facility, a valuable service we are proud to provide, and will continue to.

The self-deposit station will likely never be self-sufficient, and that’s OK.

It costs us more than $175,000 to operate the facility each year, and we recover less than half of that cost through fees. We need to find ways to reasonably cover that expense in an era of rising costs and limited sources of city revenue, and I think this fee change is reasonable.

Remember, each home owner also receives a free special pickup each year.

Self Deposit Station winter hours (December 1-March 31) are …

• Tuesday and Friday 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• CLOSED Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Get more details on the Street Department and self-deposit station here.