by | November 28, 2015 · 6:00 am

29 Ways To Shop Local This Holiday Season

Shop Local South Milwaukee

Today is Small Business Saturday, and what better time to join me in committing to shopping local this holiday season?

Be sure to like the Shop Local South Milwaukee Facebook page and maybe …

  1. Buy gift certificates from some of our great local bars and restaurants, from Azteca to China Chef to Barbiere’s to Paisano’s to Muskie’s Gourmet House to Spirts Pub & Grill to the new Tap Room – and many, many more. How about giving the gift of burgers and custard at the beach, in advance of Ferch’s returning next summer?
  2. Local coffee makes a great gift from MKE City Sippers or Nomi.
  3. Give the gift of fitness and health at Moxie Fitness, the South Milwaukee Fitness Center, Sorce Martial Arts, Dowling Community Acupuncture, Drenzek Chiropractic … the list goes on.
  4. Buy one of the limited-edition South Milwaukee Community & Business Association holiday ornaments. This year, it’s the city logo.
  5. Games for Christmas? Absolutely! Shop downtown at Board Game Barrister or Pink Bunny Games for traditional family board games, Magic: The Gathering gear and more.
  6. Get a beautiful stained glass piece from Studio One Art Glass. (We have one hanging in every first-floor window of our home.)
  7. Buy some unique wood art from Larry Oleson, the man who built all of the Little Free Libraries this fall.
  8. And speaking of terrific wood pieces, Wolfgang Calnin, the retired high school choir director who owns Urbanwood Studio, also does one-of-a-kind work using rehabbed local wood, including the cool Ecophoniq smart phone speaker.
  9. Buy Rocket or South Milwaukee apparel from one of our downtown t-shirt shops, Styled Aesthetic or JB’s Tee Shirt Factory.
  10. Have a NASCAR fan in your house? Green Flag Racing downtown is the only store in the area (state?) focused on selling items only for auto racing enthusiasts (like me).
  11. Staying with collectibles, check out South Milwaukee-based MEARS Online Auctions, which has one-of-a-kind vintage sports gear, toys, and military items up for bid as we speak. Troy has also opened a military collectibles store at 723 Milwaukee Ave. (the former Voice Journal building), with the candy store to come soon.
  12. Like horror? Graveyard Records & Movie Maniacs bills itself as “the Midwest’s larger horror collectibles store,” and Dave’s store at 1013 Milwaukee Ave. doesn’t disappoint. This is very cool (and somewhat macabre) stuff you can’t get anywhere else.
  13. Shop at the South Milwaukee Christmas Market on Saturday, December 5. Around 90 local artisans are expected — 90!
  14. Give the gift of performing arts with tickets to an upcoming show at the South Milwaukee PAC.
  15. Nothing says “happy holidays” like jewelry, right? Jewelry from Donn Powers, that is.
  16. Pick up some holiday flowers or a centerpiece from Parkway Floral.
  17. How about antiques? Check out Memory Lane or Grandma’s Attic in the Fenno Building, 916 Milwaukee Ave.
  18. Buy a bandanna, jigsaw puzzle, notebook and other HANmade item — designed by South Milwaukeean Colleen McCarrier.
  19. Enjoy a children’s book from award-winning local author Janet Halfmann.
  20. Buy a new chair, sofa or bed from Galaxy Furniture, Grant Park Plaza’s newest tenant.
  21. Keep your vehicle running right with the gift of an oil change or three from a local car care center in our fair city.
  22. Cater your holiday meal from a local caterer like Emerald City or Charlie’s Catering. Pick up a pie, bread or cookies from Wild Flour Bakery.
  23. And don’t forget holiday beer, wine and spirits — I’ll put a plug in here for Leinenkugel’s Snowdrift Vanilla Porter, Blue Moon Gingerbread Spiced Ale, Redd’s Apple Ale or a nice Miller Lite or Coors Light — from local liquor stores Chicago Avenue Liquor, Marquette Liquor, King’s Row, G&K Liquor or BJ’s Liquor.
  24. Give the gift of golf this Christmas, with a free round or three at Grant Park or other county courses.
  25. Know a disc golf fan? Stop by Acetime Disc Golf.
  26. Give the gift of a clean pooch at Fancy Paws Dog Grooming, 1200 Milwaukee Ave.
  27. How about a VISA gift card from one of our local financial institutions?
  28. Get a loved one (or you) a new hair style, with a gift certificate from one of our local salons.
  29. And, finally, let’s not forget local chains, many of them owned by local franchisees — small business owners themselves. If you’re going to shop at a chain store this holiday season, please do so at places like Ace Hardware, Planet Fitness, Pick ‘n Save, Aldi, Cousins, Subway, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, Toppers, Walmart, Napa, Speedway, Walgreens, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and others that all our city home.

What did I miss? Post your comments below … and shop local!

2 Comments

Filed under Local Business, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 27, 2015 · 5:33 pm

Sunday: It’s Old Fashioned Christmas!

OldFashioned3

Our Christmas celebration continues on Sunday!

A special thanks to Guardian Credit Union and Max A. Sass & Son for sponsoring the return of the tree lighting fireworks … and thanks to the South Milwaukee High School music program for bringing the Madrigal Singers, drumline and other special guests for the show.

Bring your family and friends!

Leave a comment

Filed under 12 Days of South Milwaukee Christmas, Events, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 26, 2015 · 6:00 am

Giving Thanks For Volunteers

Family, friends, faith, a roof over my head, food to eat — and a chance to lead the best city in Wisconsin into a promising future.

I have a lot to be thankful for. But today I give thanks to volunteers.

To do it, I share the letter I wrote for the cover of the South Milwaukee Neighborhood Guide that just arrived in the mail.

I mean every word of it, from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Neighbors,

In this season of giving thanks, I give thanks to all of the volunteers who work tirelessly to make South MIlwaukee a better place. Their spirit is inspiring.

There are so many people who do so much for our city.

Groups like our Friends, unwavering advocates for our parks and parkways. And Growing South Milwaukee, which is working to bring a community garden to South Milwaukee in 2016.

Organizations like Human Concerns, Interfaith and our local churches, which protect our most vulnerable citizens. Or the South Milwaukee Downtown Market Committee, which has helped build a truly special community event that is at the heart of our downtown revitalization efforts.

Our veterans work in a variety of ways to honor those who have served, and those who have paid the ultimate price for our country. Our local employers drive volunteerism, too, making giving back part of how they do business in South Milwaukee.

Then there are our youngest residents, like our Scouts, who have made community service core to their mission. South Milwaukee students also step up regularly. From fighting breast cancer with Pink Day activities to cleaning up our parks — I still remember the dozens of high school track athletes who turned out at Grant Park last spring — our youth are making a difference.

Volunteers also play a key role in city government. From the Plan Commission to the Board of Health to our new Beautification Committee, and many more, our dozens of board and commission members give their time and talent to guide South Milwaukee’s future.

The work of these people and organizations, and many more I haven’t listed here, is a big reason why I’m so excited about our promising future. We are all in this together, and we need each and every one of our volunteers to make our city a better place.

During this holiday season, as we celebrate with family and friends and at all the terrific events you can read about in this Guide, let’s recognize their work. Let’s say thanks. They deserve it.

1 Comment

Filed under South Milwaukee

Tagged as ,

by | November 24, 2015 · 2:59 pm

Supervisor Jursik To Not Seek Another Term

South Shore Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik announced today she will not be seeking another term on the County Board.

From her newsletter …

On Tuesday, November 24, 2016, I filed my Declaration of Non-Candidacy for the position I have held since 2007. This is the formal document indicating that I will not seek re-election for the office of County Supervisor in District 8.

It has been both a privilege and a deep personal honor to represent my fellow citizens in the South Shore of Milwaukee County. Our government is formed to allow a single individual to represent many in the particular level of government in which they serve. I have never lost sight of this representative capacity. I know you may not always have agreed with my decisions, but I hope you always felt that I was trying my best to represent our larger district and the best interests of the people. I found that this is no easy task since you will always be “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” in some circles. This being said, it has nearly always been my experience that the people of District 8 are good, hard working folks that are fair minded and grounded in common sense.

I have filed my papers well before the actual deadline of December 28, 2015 in order to give those interested in running a full month to gather signatures on nomination papers. I do ask that all voters to learn about these candidates and remember that citizenship not only includes rights but also responsibilities. Please be an informed voter. I will not endorse any candidate. This is your job, not mine.

My last day in office is April 17, 2016. I will continue to fulfill my duties until that time. God bless all of our fellow citizens in the great South Shore of Milwaukee County.

I have mixed emotions about this. While I wish Pat all the best in her retirement, I will miss her deeply in this role.

We are losing a strong, caring and tireless advocate for South Milwaukee and the entire South Shore. I respect Pat tremendously, and, while we didn’t agree on every issue (we did on most), I wish I had four more years to work with her on priorities like enhancing our parks, revitalizing the Oak Creek watershed, economic development, and other important issues.

Good luck, Pat.

Leave a comment

Filed under Milwaukee County, Politics, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , ,

by | November 23, 2015 · 10:00 am

The Joes: Meet The Students Behind Painting The Rock

The painting of the rock near the entrance to South Milwaukee High School is a really cool tradition. What two Rocket seniors did with it last week is inspiring.

Meet Joey Kontowski and Joey Chojnacki, aka “The Joes.”

“They are best friends,” write Erik Wolbach, engineering teacher at the high school.

He continued:

“They are both students in our Technology & Engineering Academy. Joey Kontowski just enlisted in the Army Reserve as an engineer. He also works for the city during the summer doing road repairs. Both students serve as mentors to younger students in our machine tools program.

“They are also members of our Veterans Day student volunteers. This year we manufactured freedom pens in the Academy to give as gifts to our Veterans during the celebration on November 11th. Both students spent many extra hours after school to work on making the pens. As a reward for their hard work we were able to tour USS Milwaukee last week down at Veterans Park.”

 (In the picture below, Joey Chojnacki is at the far left, and Joey Kontowski is on the far right.)

 Congratulations to both of these young men, and thank you!

USS Milwaukee Student Picture

1 Comment

Filed under Schools, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 21, 2015 · 9:06 pm

Looking The Part For The Holidays

Thanks to our new Beautification Committee, the Street Department and local businesses like Parkway Floral for their work in decorating South Milwaukee this holiday season. It looks terrific, and it was on full display at Christmas on the Avenue today.

It’s inspiring to see this community come together.

Christmas carriage

Christmas tree lighting 2015

Christmas decorations

City Hall Christmas lights

image

1 Comment

Filed under Beautification, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 21, 2015 · 8:03 am

Two Families Displaced In House Fire

12289531_1006534329385945_2477601003498443469_n

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department Facebook page …

At 5:05 this morning, SMFD rec’d a call for smoke in the upper unit of a two-story duplex at 1431 Michigan Ave. Upon arrival, units encountered a fire burning in the attic and a Full Still response requested (Oak Creek & Cudahy). The fire was quickly extinguished and extensive overhaul ensued to ensure the fire didn’t extend to more of the attic area under the blown-in insulation. Both mutual aid departments were cancelled. No injuries were reported. Two families were displaced, but declined assistance from the American Red Cross.

Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.

Leave a comment

Filed under Fire, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 20, 2015 · 5:00 pm

Snow Removal Reminders

With a storm approaching, it’s time for the annual update to blog readers on what our ordinances say around snow removal responsibilities …

  • Remember, snow and ice must be removed from your sidewalk (if you have one) “within 24 hours of daylight” after the end of a storm, according to Section 12.20 of the municipal code. That means if the snow stops overnight you have 24 hours from the next sunrise to clear public sidewalks.
  • If you don’t comply, according to our code, “the Street Superintendent shall without notice have the ice and snow removed therefrom” … and have the service charged to the homeowner “as a special tax against said lot or parcel of land, and the same shall be collected in all respects like other taxes upon real estate.” (Section 12.26). Please report those who don’t comply with the ordinance to the South Milwaukee Police Department at 768-8060.
  • And, while you’re at it, be careful where you push or blow that snow. Section 12.23 of the code prohibits blowing or throwing snow or ice onto public streets.
  • Also don’t forget to keep your fire hydrants clear of snow.

Stay safe!

2 Comments

Filed under South Milwaukee, Weather

Tagged as ,

by | November 19, 2015 · 1:58 pm

Reminder: Christmas On The Avenue Is Saturday!

Christmas on the Avenue

Very excited about this one … see you Saturday!

Leave a comment

Filed under Christmas, Downtown, Events, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , ,

by | November 18, 2015 · 8:00 pm

Milwaukee Public Museum BioBlitz Coming To Grant Park

One more cool event happening at the park …

From South Shore Supervisor Pat Jursik’s new e-newsletter:

A BioBlitz is a scientific “race”– a 24-hour species count by a team of scientists and surveyors that produces scientifically valid data, as well as interesting discoveries and public education about the biodiversity that exists in an urban setting. You can read and hear two WUWM stories about Milwaukee’s first-ever BioBlitz here and here. The first BioBlitz (run by MPM at Schlitz Audubon Center) counted 820 species in 24 hours, identified several Federal or State-listed endangered species that Audubon didn’t know it had onsite, as well as discovered an invasive Asian worm that could, if left unchecked, devastate the Audubon Center’s landscape.

The Grant Park BioBlitz will take place June 10-11, 2016 and the public will be welcomed to base camp from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday to meet the scientists, participate in activities with MPM educators, and watch the action. Grant Park was specifically selected because of the variety of landscapes and habitats it holds. More information forthcoming.

1 Comment

Filed under Events, Parks, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , , ,

by | November 18, 2015 · 7:00 am

Made In South Milwaukee: Expansion Underway For Downtown Apparel And Graphic Design Company

The latest in a regular series.

To me, the future of downtown South Milwaukee lies with the owners of small, locally owned businesses who provide a product or service you simply can’t get at a big box store or shopping mall. It rests with young entrepreneurs like Kyle Werra and Steve Welk.

Kyle and Steve own Styled Aesthetic at 918 Milwaukee Ave.

It’s a unique business that you may better know as the Rocket Shop, where you can purchase wearables and other South Milwaukee-themed items. But it’s also a thriving screen printing business, with clients including auto racing teams, national corporate clients and your local pub.

Both parts of the business are growing.

First, they are planning to expand and renovate the Rocket Shop to create a more inviting retail space. Work will be done in the next six months. They’ve also expanded their product line and store hours (it’s now open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays and 10-5 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with new Black Friday and Small Business Saturday hours coming up later this month).

And earlier this month, Styled Aesthetic announced a partnership with the school district where it would sell its clothing at the Orbit store at South Milwaukee High School.

Then there is the screen printing business. Kyle and Steve are adding a third printing press and a second dryer at their downtown location, as they ramp up production.

One cool customer of theirs: Dr. McDreamy. Fans of “Grey’s Anatomy” get the reference. Styled Aesthetic provides wearables and an online retail outlet for Dempsey Racing, the pursuit of the former TV star better known as Derek Shepherd (before he died on the show earlier this year).

Not bad for a business that started in Kyle’s basement shortly after both he and Steve were attending Franklin High School.

From their website …

Playing pool, listening to music, making fun of everything (including ourselves), wanting to have a cool Pabst t-shirt for a bar crawl and a strong desire to be our own boss are the main reasons we started a company.

Our story begins in 2006 three years before Styled Aesthetic was incorporated. After designing a shirt for a pub crawl Kyle found it difficult to find a screen printer who would print the shirt.  Rather than change the design he purchased a screen printing press and ran the shirt himself. The one color press quickly turned into a 4 color press for the next year’s more elaborate design, which led to small screen printing jobs for friends and family.

In the late winter of 2007 Kyle and Steve started talking about starting a business (while on a holiday pub crawl of course). With Steve’s background in marketing and sales and Kyle’s design background and growing knowledge of screen printing, a screen printing and design business was a natural fit. After months of planning Styled Aesthetic was born in January of 2009 in the basement of Kyle’s house in Franklin, Wisconsin.

From our humble beginnings we have grown out of the basement to a 2,800 square foot shop in South Milwaukee. We now have 7 employees and customers that span the continental United States from a diverse group of industries and companies.

And they are now proudly Made in South Milwaukee.

Check them out on the web and Facebook.

3 Comments

Filed under Downtown, Local Business, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , , ,

by | November 16, 2015 · 8:00 am

Winter Parking Permits For Sale

Restrictions begin Dec. 1.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

As a reminder, please be advised that winter parking permits have been available for purchase at the police department since Nov 1. Winter parking permits are required to park on city streets Dec 1 to March 31 from 3am-6am. Permits cost $25 per month for the 4 months, but a 4 month season permit can be purchased for only $80 for a savings of $20. Permits can only be purchased at the police department 7am-8pm, Monday thru Friday. Permits are not available for purchase on weekends or holidays, so please plan ahead. The police department urges residents to obtain your permit(s) early to avoid long lines for the end of the month rush. More information can be found on the SM City website at www.smwi.org within the “city departments” tab under “police department”, or at the SMPD website at www.smpolice.com within the “parking permits & regulations” tab.

Leave a comment

Filed under Police, South Milwaukee

Tagged as ,

by | November 14, 2015 · 3:17 pm

Celebrating Small Business At South Milwaukee’s Business Incubator

Thanks to Steve Fenno for hosting me at today’s Meet the Mayor session — and thanks for supporting small business at his self-described business incubator at 916 Milwaukee Ave.

Rocket apparel. Antiques. Disc golf accessories. Signs. Unique woodworking gifts. Firearm safety training. Dry cleaning. There’s even a guy in the basement who makes fishing lures.

In all, there are more than 10 small businesses located in this historic building in the heart of downtown, and it was great to meet so many people working to deliver unique goods and services through a really unique property.

Steve describes the Doyle and Fenno building as a “small business incubator center.”

He writes: “The focus is on a safe, clean, attractive facility with reasonable rates to allow small businesses to flourish in our city. The building owners and tenants consider themselves to be partners, working hard together to help each little business succeed. Thankfully, we are fortunate to have a business-friendly city government, which we also consider a partner in this endeavor.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Here are a few photos from today …

12243247_1647431705539833_5211038264761198240_n

12234860_1647431718873165_6469033917091729959_n

11169493_1647431782206492_6182319645965464970_n 11261590_1647431758873161_4698540852596788604_n 12208399_1647431845539819_5832431913294054794_n 12227697_1647431738873163_6859058670973767593_n   12247022_1647431768873160_2063284812197403482_n 12247066_1647431835539820_6349017059543028032_n

File_000

Leave a comment

Filed under Downtown, Small Business, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | November 14, 2015 · 3:00 pm

Headlines!

Check out these South Shore headlines …

Also, NOW has published a new police blotter.

Leave a comment

Filed under Headlines, South Milwaukee

Tagged as

by | November 13, 2015 · 8:00 am

Old Fashioned Christmas 2015: Fireworks Are Back!

Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 29 … and be sure to check out the tree lighting.

Fireworks are back!

That is thanks to our sponsors: Guardian Credit Union and Max A. Sass & Sons Funeral and Cremation Service. I am so appreciative of them for their continued support of community events. Without partners like this, we could not do what we’re doing.

We’ll see you the Sunday after Thanksgiving!

OldFashioned3

2 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Events, South Milwaukee

Tagged as , , ,