South Milwaukee Blog

Gary Wetzel is coming home.

Gary, South Milwaukee’s Medal of Honor recipient for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War, is returning to his South Milwaukee home this Wednesday, July 19, almost a year after a motorcycle accident left him seriously injured and in need of rehabilitation. He had been staying at a hotel in Franklin awaiting completion of accessibility upgrades to his house.

We are making his homecoming a little more special with a police and fire escort once he hits the South Milwaukee border, to his house in the 2500 block of 17^th Avenue. South Milwaukee veterans are also bringing a color guard to his house.

We want your help! It’s a simple request: Please head out to the street along the route and cheer as Gary goes by.

Here are details …

• What: Welcome Gary Wetzel to his newly remodeled home
• When: Gary will arrive at 15^th and College Avenues around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, to meet a police and fire escort, starting a ride to his house.
• Route: The escort will head south on 15^th Avenue, west on Menomonee Avenue, then north on 17^th to his house.
• Join us: Please stand anywhere along the route and cheer Gary on. Please keep disruption near his house at a minimum.

Thanks, Gary, for your service and your bravery.

Please join me in welcoming this hero back to South Milwaukee.

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

SMFD responded to a request from the US Coast Guard to assist a distressed boater south of Bender Park in Oak Creek. Upon the arrival of our rescue boat at the distressed boat, it was learned the vessel was without power and drifting towards the rocks along the shoreline. Although SMFD does not routinely tow boats unless they are at risk of harm, it was determined that the safest option in this case was to remove it from the hazard area and tow it back into the marina.

Nice work, guys!

Welcome back to South Milwaukee, Mari’s Flowers.

Mari Cucunato has moved her flower and gift shop, Mari’s Flowers, from Brady Street in Milwaukee to 905 Milwaukee Ave. downtown, completely transforming a derelict building into something truly special, with the help of Downtown Revitalization Grant.

The store softly opened in the last couple of days, with more regular hours to be announced. I had a chance to stop by on Saturday and welcome back Mari, who had a flower shop here more than a decade ago.

The building renovations are terrific, inside and out, the latest example of reinvestment in our city center. Stop by and see for yourself.

We will fix downtown South Milwaukee one building, one business owner at a time. It’s a long-term play, but the progress is real, and growing.

Welcome, Mari!

More details on Mari’s website. 

The Guardian Credit Union Movie on the Beach set for tonight has been been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 26.

Mark your calendars for the dusk showing of “Moana.”

It’s a beautiful setting — a postcard for South Milwaukee. See you there.

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approximately 8:13 this evening, SMFD responded to a 911 report of smoke coming from a house in the 1200 block of Minnesota Avenue. Upon their arrival, smoke was issuing from the west side of the structure and no occupants could be accounted for so the level of alarm was upgraded to a Working Still which brings in support from our neighboring departments. Entry was gained to the residence and a search for the occupants was conducted as the fire was extinguished. As it turns out, the occupants of the house were gone at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported. However, several family pets perished in the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Damage from heat and smoke was extensive to the first floor with moderate damage to the 2^nd floor. The American Red Cross has been called to the scene to take care of the displaced family.

Please join me in offering your thoughts and prayers to the family impacted by this fire — and to our first responders, from our police officers who were first to arrive at the smoke-filled house, to South Milwaukee firefighters and all of the area departments who raced to the scene.

I love the South Milwaukee Youth Theatre program.

My daughter, Shelby, has been a part of the junior program for five years now, and it’s been exciting to see it grow so much, under the direction of the incomparable Pam Cullen.

The 2017 show is “101 Dalmations,” and they have enough kids taking part to offer two different casts for their 1 and 6 p.m. shows this Saturday, July 15, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

The senior cast is presenting “Shrek: The Musical” on July 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. and July 30 at 2 p.m., also at the PAC. Mark your calendars!

Catching up from some news from the South Milwaukee Fire Department over the weekend …

Our boat was put into action again earlier this afternoon (Saturday, July 8). A 64 y/o kayaker capsized off of Grant Park Beach. Following a reported 30 minutes of attempted self-rescue, bystanders activated 911. We responded and rescued him and secured his kayak. He was evaluated by our personnel and, based on the results of a 12-lead EKG, he was transported as a precaution by OCFD ALS. Med-10 was in the process of transporting a patient from a different call to Wheaton Franklin Hospital at the time and was unavailable. The Coast Guard was notified and indicated they were going to respond, but by that time we had the patient in our boat and enroute to the yacht club.

This is the second time our boat has been in action. Last week, we assisted with a disabled boater near Grant Park.

South Milwaukee no longer bans pit bulls. Instead, we are treating all dogs equally under our tough, but fair, vicious dog ordinance.

The City Council voted to remove the pit bull ban, in place since the 1990s, last week. I support the change, and the rationale for making the decision.

There are a number of reasons why this is a good decision.

First, our Health Department doesn’t have the resources — specifically, people and time — to properly enforce the current ban. And even if they did, there is no definitive, scientific way to even tell a dog is a pit bull.

So how can we enforce this fairly?

Studies have also shown no single dog breed bites more than another. And the costs of breed bans for agencies like the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission — where 45% of the dogs they bring in each year are either pit bull or pit mixes, something I saw first-hand on a tour of the county taxpayer-funded facility last year — are real. Because of this, the Humane Society shows South Milwaukee is not alone in moving away from these breed-specific bans, and some states have even moved to prevent communities from enacting such bans.

Still, I would not support removing South Milwaukee’s ban, but for this: Our vicious dog ordinance has and continues to put strong regulations on the owners of vicious dogs, of all breeds, and delivers real punishments on those dogs and their owners. We will continue to diligently enforce it.

A vicious dog is a vicious dog. The revised ordinance keeps our community safe, and doesn’t discriminate.

Check out the ordinance here. Search “vicious dog.”

Mark your calendars!

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• Health Department Warns Public After Extremely Small Ticks Removed from Children in South Milwaukee (Fox 6)
• 3 Adults, 6 Children Rescued After Boat Took on Water Following U.S. Bank Fireworks (Fox 6)
• IKEA Will Be Catalyst for More Development in Milwaukee’s South Suburbs, Oak Creek Mayor Says (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Downtown Market Continues to be Discovered (NOW)
• South Shore Serves up Free Summer Lunches (NOW)

Also, NOW has published a new police blotter.

What a day!

We have done a lot to enhance our July 4th festivities in recent years — all without a single additional taxpayer dollar. That is due to our sponsors.

Thanks for stepping up! I’m looking at you, presenting sponsor Max A. Sass and Sons Funeral Homes, as well as TASC Services, South Milwaukee Ace, Nicholson Realty, Inc., Caterpillar Inc., Mara’s Sewing House, Sprecher Brewery, Beer Capitol Distributing, South Milwaukee Recreation Department and Milwaukee County Parks. And thanks to MJ Media for all the design and printing.

With their support, we were able to recognize the kids for their work on their bikes and costumes, offer games and bouncy houses, serve 1,100 hot dogs (up from 900 last year) and 1,000 cups of ice cream, deliver terrific live music throughout the day and finish with a fireworks show featuring the best finale I’ve seen at a parks event.

It was maybe the biggest crowd I’ve seen at our July 4th festivities since I’ve lived here, and I’m already can’t wait for 2018. Happy Fourth!

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

Join the South Milwaukee Police Department for Coffee with a Cop. Come with topics to talk about, ask questions. or just stop by and say ‘Hi”.

We will be meeting at the Gazebo, located behind the Grobschmidt Senior Center.

Come and enjoy coffee and donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Thanks to the SMPD for opening new lines of communication with residents!

A weekend of fun! Pro tip: Check out the famous Bukowski chicken on Sunday.

The South Milwaukee City Council passed an ordinance outlawing parking in front of mailboxes in June, and clarified the ordinance around street parking of trailers, boats and related vehicles.

Check out the updated mailbox and trailer parking ordinances on our new, searchable municipal ordinance database tool. Enter “mailbox” in the search box.

And please obey the law!