Please join me for this important event, as I join Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi and Pardeep Kaleka, whose father was killed in the 2012 Sikh Temple shootings in Oak Creek, on a panel discussion following the showing of the movie.
The response to the shootings was heroic, and the dialog they sparked continues. I’m proud to be a part of it.
Filed under South Milwaukee
From the South Milwaukee School District …
MARCHING BAND
The Rocket Marching Band won both of their AAA competitions last weekend (at Greendale on Saturday & at WA Hale for the Wisconsin Lutheran Invite last Sunday)! They scored some of their best scores ever!
They compete tomorrow night at Cudahy and again on Sunday afternoon at Fort Atkinson! Good luck Rockets!
CROSS COUNTRY
The Rocket Boys CC Team won last Saturday at the Cudahy Purgolder Invite. Jordan Janusiak won the meet again as well individually! The Rocket boys also won the meet yesterday at Westosha Central (see results down below).
Girls Results – Cudahy
Girls Resuts – Westosha
BOYS RESULTS – CUDAHY
BOYS RESULTS – WESTOSHA
The Rockets next race at Whitnall (Hales Corners Park) next Thursday at the Woodland Conference Championships!
WC Time Schedule
FOOTBALL
The Rockets are on a roll winning their last 3 games (55-18 over Brown Deer, 36-0 over Cudahy on Homecoming! and 33-27 last Friday against Whitnall)! The win over Cudahy earned the Rockets back The Hammer! The win over Whitnall made the Rockets playoff eligible which means that they have guaranteed themselves a .500 record in conference and a very good chance to make the playoffs.
The Rockets next travel to New Berlin West tonight at 7:00pm in a crossover that is a non-conference game and then finish by hosting Greendale on Friday, 10/14 in the final conference game of the season.
Speaking of being on a roll, South Milwaukee Senior QB Jake Simuncak is on a roll that has only happened twice in state history. Behind some stellar offensive line play, Jake has rushed for 308, 418 and 309 yards in his last 3 games!!! Yes, you read those numbers correctly! This has only been accomplished twice before in Wisconsin HS FB State history (1970 & 2001). Jake’s 418 yards is also a state record for rushing yards by a QB (the former record was 363 yards) and is obviously also a school record and Woodland Conference record (formerly held by Zack Baun currently a Wisconsin Badger) for any position! See the article and blog down below for more info including a nice little family State Record tie-in for Jake and his dad Dennis!
Player of the Week by Lake Country Now
Preps Plus
Jake will also be the featured student-athlete of the week by Preps Plus on Sunday night! Due to the Packer game being on NBC (Channel 4 or 1004 on TWC), the show (which is scheduled to air at 11:05) will be delayed undoubtedly closer to midnight just so you know for DVR purposes. Jake will also be featured soon on Fox6 and I will let you know when that will air (likely Sunday, 10/16).
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
The Rocket Varsity BVB team won it’s first conference match in at least 5 years with a thrilling 5-set win last night over Greendale! Great effort by the boys!
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
The Rocket Varsity GVB team won their first crossover with the always tough West Division (they beat New Berlin West) last week! Again it was a tremendous effort by the girls!
BOYS SOCCER
The Rockets tied Greenfield on Monday 2-2 (Luke Harty scored both goals for the Rockets) and lost 3-2 to NB West on Wednesday. The Rockets are at NB Eisenhower on Monday and then host Pius XI on Wednesday (4:30pm JV & 6:30pmVarsity)
GIRLS SWIM & DIVE
The Rockets will be hosting St. Thomas More/St. Francis on Wednesday, 10/12 at 5:00pm and New Berlin West on Wednesday, 10/19 at 5:00pm as well. Good luck to senior diver Ally Osell as she dives at Nicolet tonight and Cedarburgtomorrow morning!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Filed under South Milwaukee
This was the stated goal of the Downtown Revitalization Grant we launched in May …
South Milwaukee’s Downtown Revitalization Grant program has been designed to improve downtown’s buildings and to support ongoing investment in South Milwaukee’s Downtown. Through these improvements, the City hopes to foster the growth of new downtown businesses and the expansion of downtown’s current businesses. This emphasis on business growth and expansion will enhance the downtown’s vitality, attracting new customers and their dollars to downtown’s businesses and additional investment in the downtown over time. Ultimately, South Milwaukee’s revitalized downtown can become the community’s central place for residents and provide a unique experience for visitors to the community.
We’re off to a terrific start.
The South Milwaukee City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to fund a $17,463 grant application by Steve Fenno, owner of the building that houses Jen’s Sweet Treats at 907 Milwaukee Ave. The 50% matching grant will support a $34,926 interior and renovation of the property and allow for the expansion of Jen’s into the entire first floor.
Plans include adding new windows and doors, rehabbing the brick facade to its original appearance, installing a new canopy, upgrading interior electrical and plumbing, refurbishing interior walls, and seamlessly connecting the two existing storefronts — to create both an expanded retail space and a new community room.
Jennifer Clark, owner of Jen’s, which first moved into the smaller space just this spring, plans to begin construction ASAP, with the renovated store reopening by December.
Thank you to Steve and Jennifer for their investment in downtown South Milwaukee, and their ongoing commitment to our city center.
This is exciting news for us — and I’m betting the first of more grant applications to come, as we use this program to demonstrate our commitment to breathing new life into our city center, one property, one business, at a time. We’re well on our way.
We couldn’t do it without our property owners stepping to help.
As Steve said in his grant application: “We see a concerted effort by city officials to genuinely attempt to upgrade our city center. It is our responsibility to join the effort.”
Here, here!
Know of someone who may be interested in the grant? Learn more here … and apply!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Spend a few minutes getting your group together, for a good cause.
Filed under South Milwaukee
I love Pink Day! Celebrate with us by ordering your pink gear in the next two days. Details below … and stay tuned as Oct. 18 approaches. 
Filed under South Milwaukee
Our best Rocketober yet continues Thursday, as the South Milwaukee Downtown Market concludes its ninth season with the Fall Family Festival from 3 to 7 p.m.
Then, next week, the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center hosts Travis Tritt and The Donny McCaslin Group, and on Oct. 13 there is a screening of the powerful “Waking in Oak Creek” documentary and panel discussion at the South Milwaukee Library.
Here is an updated calendar … see you around town!
Filed under South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee is full of smart, passionate people who want to make a difference. One way to do it – step up and be considered for a volunteer board or commission.
The city has more than a dozen of these groups providing oversight and guidance to various city departments and functions, and we’re always looking for new people to provide their expertise in any number of areas.
We are currently looking for people to serve on …
Interested in any or all of these, or spots (when they open up) on any of our board and commissions? Learn more and apply here.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Eaton Corp. has been a strong community partner, a great example of a corporation — like its legacy companies — stepping up make this a better place.
They showed that this weekend.
It started on Friday night, when representatives from the company’s Community Investment Team presented a $40,000 donation to the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center before the SMPAC’s “Simply Swing” show.
And it continued Saturday, as Eaton hosted a heck of a part for its employees and retirees at Grant Park to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the automatic circuit recloser.
I love to celebrate “cool stuff made in South Milwaukee,” and I can’t think of something cooler than the recloser, defined as a “circuit breaker equipped with a mechanism that can automatically close the breaker after it has been opened due to a fault. …
“Since many short-circuits on overhead lines clear themselves, a recloser improves service continuity by automatically restoring power to the line after a momentary fault.”
In other words, when you see the lights flicker in a storm, think of Eaton. Even when they go out, think of Eaton — because the products Eaton employees make in South Milwaukee ensure that happens when it’s supposed to happen.
Eaton and its legacy companies — Line Material, Kyle, Cooper — have been a part of South Milwaukee since before World War II, and the future of its 9th Avenue facility is as strong as ever. We celebrate that proud past and promising this weekend and recognize, as I did in the proclamation I presented Saturday, “the legacy of people and products that have played a major role in making our electric power supply more dependable.”
Thanks to the hundreds of employees — thousands before them — for making that happen. Congratulations on 75 years!
Filed under South Milwaukee
I’m starting up Meet the Mayor sessions again, and my next one is at one of South Milwaukee’s newest business: Taco Stop MKE.
Join me from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 513 Chicago Ave.
Bring your questions, comments or concerns, or just stop by to say hi, and check out some of Taco Stop’s terrific Mexican food. My door is open!
Filed under South Milwaukee
Check out these South Shore headlines …
And NOW has published a new police blotter.
Filed under South Milwaukee
Those of you on the north side of South Milwaukee I’m sure know this already, but there was a large power outage around 8 a.m. this morning.
I’m told a transformer blew on the north side of South Milwaukee.
At one point, more than 1,400 customers in the area were impacted — and that included Rawson Elementary and the high and middle schools, as well as City Hall (and my house).
The schools let out early. City Hall ran on generator power for a while.
Here is the message the schools posted on their website this morning …
A power outage occurred today at approximately 8 am due to a neighborhood outage. While we expected power to return around 10 am, we only have partial power at this time. We Energies is unable to provide us with a definite time for full power recovery. Therefore, we have decided to close these three schools early.
Rawson students will remain at school until an authorized parent or emergency contact arrives at the school for an individual release. Students who attend the YMCA after school program may remain at school. Middle school students will be released at 11:15 am. Parents should pick up outside the middle school at 11:15 as normal. High school students will be released at 11:00.
As of 1:50 p.m., the We Energies outage map showed less than 50 customers still without power.
Fox 6 and WISN also had stories. And I had more real-time coverage of this on my mayoral Facebook page. If you haven’t like it yet, please do so!
Filed under South Milwaukee
It’s up for auction, actually. Starting bid: $400,000. Details here.
The Sunrise Plaza is a 36,175-SF t multi-tenant retail shopping center, located at 2410-2430 10th Ave in South Milwaukee, WI. The property 57% leased to a mix of national and local tenants: Ace Hardware, Aurora Pharmacy, and Sunrise Restaurant. With roughly 43% vacant, there is significant upside opportunity for an investor. Several of the vacant spaces are ‘white-boxed’, allowing for minimal investment when re-tenanting. The site is located in the heart of South Milwaukee on 10th Ave off the intersection of Marquette Ave and Madison Ave, seeing over 25,000 VPD. Neighboring national tenants include; BMO Harris Bank, PyraMax Bank, Dollar General, Pick-N-Save, Walgreens, Planet Fitness, Subway, McDonalds, Dollar Tree, Aldi, among others. South Milwaukee is conveniently located 15 minutes away from Milwaukee, WI.
I’m pleased with the investment the current owner made in the property, after a decade of little to any investment.
I’m especially pleased to see the upgrades and long-term lease at Ace Hardware. This is the anchor the center needs. I’m hoping the next owner will build around that.
Filed under South Milwaukee
This is always a fun time. Check out the full schedule and event updates and recaps on the Rocketober Facebook page.
Filed under South Milwaukee
