by | July 30, 2015 · 4:40 pm

For A More Beautiful South Milwaukee

Beauty shot

Its mission is simple: Promote, encourage, and work to enhance the beauty of the City of South Milwaukee.

It’s also critical to our promising future.

Welcome to the new South Milwaukee Beautification Committee, which the city council unanimously endorsed at its meeting Tuesday night. The committee replaces the Streetscaping Committee, providing a broader approach to beautifying our city.

Its duties …

“Explore and help implement a variety of beautification efforts, working with applicable city departments, community organizations, and others to:

Promote and enhance natural, private and public areas in the city, including:

  • Central Business District plantings and other streetscaping efforts;
    • City welcome signs (in partnership with Garden Club);
    • Street medians;
    • City parks (Heritage Place, etc.); and
    • Other non-city public spaces as appropriate.
  • Assist in tree planting efforts, including advising on a community tree management program (per Tree City USA requirements), coordinating an Adopt a Tree program for area residents, leading on the city’s annual Arbor Day celebration, and helping secure private funding for city tree planting efforts;
  • Partner with existing groups, organizations, and events (Friends, Lions, Earth Day, etc.) to drive organized clean-up activities in South Milwaukee;
  • Develop and implement a landscape (resident and business) award program and other efforts to encourage residents and businesses to beautify their properties;
  • Educate and engage residents in other beautification projects as developed; and
  • Other programs that align with the mission (i.e., recommend locations for and requirements for community gardens; etc.).

Want to join this nine-member committee, and get your hands dirty when it comes to making our city a more beautiful place?  Learn more here. Apply for it, or any of volunteer boards and commissions, now here.

I have met so many people since I’ve been mayor who have a real passion for making South Milwaukee a more beautiful place. I join you in that passion. Here is your chance to help make that a reality.

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by | July 30, 2015 · 12:19 pm

The Next Generation Of St. Mary’s: Milwaukee Chin Baptist Church

A new church has plans for the former St. Mary’s.

Milwaukee Chin Baptist Church — a small congregation comprised of primarily Burmese refugees — plans to purchase the former Catholic church and relocate from a rented space in West Allis. The rectory will be used to house the pastor and offices.

The church has about 150 members, with average Sunday worship around 80, Pastor Jody Hice told the Plan Commission this week. They only plan to use the church for Sunday worship.

I welcome them to South Milwaukee … and am glad to see the former St. Mary’s Church fully used in a variety of creative reuses. Besides the new church community, the school is now home to Max A. Sass Funeral & Cremation Services; the hall and gym are home to MEARS Online Auctions; and the convent is home to St. Mary’s Manor.

You can learn more about Chin Baptists here. Their website is here.

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by | July 29, 2015 · 3:55 pm

Grillworks: New Restaurant Eyed For Former Nona’s Cafe, Grebe’s

Grillworks wants to continue the legacy of great food coming out of the building at 2206 10th Ave.

South Milwaukee’s newest downtown restaurant, in the former of home of Nona’s Cafe and Grebe’s, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and feature a “supper club-style” menu with a small bar area serving Old Fashioneds and ice cream-type drinks, as well as bakery items and hot ham on Sundays.

That’s according to Jessica Hess, who will operate the restaurant, and her family, the Orens, the former owners of Slick Willie’s (well regarded for its terrific food).

The city council’s Legislation and Permits Committee approved the establishment’s Class B liquor license at its meeting on Tuesday. It will go the full council in coming weeks.

I’ll keep you posted as the reopening date approaches. And welcome, Grillworks!

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by | July 29, 2015 · 8:53 am

Getting CPR Instructions When You Need Them Most

We’ve enhanced our dispatch service to save lives.

In an effort to increase cardiac arrest survival rates, South Milwaukee went live this week with dispatcher-assisted CPR instructions. We join several other area dispatch operations in offering this, in which certain callers to our 911 system will now be transferred to the Milwaukee County EMS Communications Center to deliver CPR instructions.

Learn more here, and here is an investigative report on how well the program has worked in Oregon.

I thank and congratulate our police and fire departments and dispatch crew for stepping up to be part of this program — and consider it another example of how we’re partnering to invest in our city services.

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by | July 28, 2015 · 9:43 pm

Help Shape The Future Of South Milwaukee

Graef flyer

Join the conversation!

The GRAEF team is looking for feedback from residents, visitors and others as part of their ongoing work to update South Milwaukee’s comprehensive plan.

Stop by their booth at the South Milwaukee farmers’ market from 3 to 7 p.m. this Thursday to meet the group, provide your input … and have your voice heard.

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by | July 26, 2015 · 10:02 pm

Going Big With Little Free Libraries

Little Free Library

Update: A point clarification, only those who requested libraries initially will get one for free. We are accepting no more requests for the complimentary libraries. 

So, you might remember in June that we put a call out to local residents interested in giving Caterpillar’s former Little Free Library a good home. We had a great response. Eleven people said they wanted one of these in front of their homes!

So we began wondering, “How can we say ‘yes’ to everyone who asked?’”

Well, we’re proud to announce that everyone who initially asked for one, will get one. That is due to a generous donation of time and expertise from local woodworker Larry Oleson.

I just met Larry a few weeks ago, and if you’ve driven down 15th Avenue near City Hall over the years, you may know some of his work. His carved wood (and some metal) pieces adorn the front of his house 2413 15th Ave., and he has even more terrific works in his garage, from tables and chairs to wooden animals.

He’s also no stranger to Little Free Libraries. He’s constructed more than a dozen over the years.

So when I asked him about taking this on, Larry was more than happy to help.

So was Ace Hardware, which is donating paint and stain for the project, and the South Milwaukee Library, which is donating some of the wood (from old library shelves) that Larry will use and provide some books for the libraries, as needed.

The plan: Larry now has the list of people who expressed interest in the libraries and will begin construction soon. The goal is to have everyone their free library by the time the snow flies, starting with the one from Cat.

I am really excited about this community partnership, and I want to thank Caterpillar, Ace, the library and especially Larry for his contributions.

This is why I love South Milwaukee!

Be sure to check out Larry’s work for yourself at his home. Give him a call first at 414-764-6786. Tell him I said hi, and please thank him personally for stepping up to help with this project.

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by | July 24, 2015 · 11:17 pm

Disappointing Caterpillar Earnings And Other Headlines

Check out these South Shore headlines …

And NOW has published a new police blotter.

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by | July 23, 2015 · 11:05 pm

What A Weekend: What’s Happening Around Town

Lion slide

Heritage Days is off to a great start, including a Firehouse Spaghetti Dinner on Wednesday that soared past last year’s attendance figures and a stepped-up Evening on the Avenue celebration last night.

And we’re just getting started! Here is what’s on tap this weekend …

  • Friday: South Milwaukee Lionsfest begins, with the car cruise and car show, fish dinner, and music by the Cheap Shots and Mount Olive.
  • Saturday: It’s Heritage Days Parade day, starting at 11 a.m. Then it’s the Friends of Mill Pond Duck Race at 2 p.m., and more Lionsfest (rib dinner, music by Pat McCurdy, Jamit and 76th Juliet).
  • Sunday: Be on the lookout for the #MKELion as Lionsfest continues with Family Day activities, chicken and music by The Do-Wa-Wa. Also check out Ability Fest at Wil-o-Way Grant Park, as we celebrate 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. More details here and here.

Check out the full Heritage Days schedule here. And here is the detailed Lionsfest schedule.

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by | July 23, 2015 · 9:56 pm

Dye Job: Mill Pond Going Green (Briefly) As Part Of Water Quality Testing Initiative

A note from the South Milwaukee Health Department …

In a project sponsored by the Fund for Lake Michigan, the City of South Milwaukee Health Department is working in cooperation with the City of Racine Health Department to analyze water quality within the Oak Creek Watershed. The results of the water quality project will be used to inform a larger Oak Creek Watershed Study planned to begin in 2016. As part of the water quality testing effort, on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at 11:00 a.m., the City of Racine Health Department will conduct a study to determine water circulation patterns within the Mill Pond. A green fluorescent dye will be applied to the water to allow the visualization of circulation patterns. The dye being used is non-toxic and is commonly used to trace water currents, municipal plumbing, among other applications. The dye will naturally fade within several hours. The application of this dye will be used to help interpret other water quality results from the Mill Pond.

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by | July 22, 2015 · 4:10 pm

Moody’s Affirms City’s Strong Bond Rating

I am proud of how the city manages its finances — taxpayer money, your money. Our Moody’s bond rating supports that belief.

The independent rating agency has reaffirmed our bond rating as Aa2, based in part on the city’s “sound financial operations.” You can see the full report, tied to our upcoming bond sale, here.

I’d like to thank all of our departments heads and staff for their work in getting us to this point, and the city council for supporting responsible budgets that help us live within our means.

This rating is really strong by comparison — just two steps below Moody’s highest Aaa rating — and besides being a reflection of our responsibility as financial steward, it also has practical value. It means we can borrow money at lower interest rates, which continues to result in real savings for the city.

Of course, there are risks to this rating going forward, and the reports notes those. Nothing is guaranteed. And improving from an Aa2 is very difficult. Nonetheless, I still see my job as driving, as Moody’s puts it, “sustained growth and expansion of the city’s tax base and economy.” That work is just getting started, and even brighter days are ahead.

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by | July 21, 2015 · 12:23 pm

Tragic News From Cudahy: Woman Found Dead In Submerged Car

From the City of Cudahy Facebook page …

At 8:23 a.m. the Cudahy Police Department received a 911 call reporting a vehicle was submerged in a retention pond located on the property of the Walnut Ridge Condominium Complex at 6250 S Walnut Lane. The caller did not know if the vehicle was occupied. The Cudahy Police Department and Fire Department responded and advised the vehicle was occupied at least one time and requested mutual aid for an Advance Life Support Ambulance from the city of South Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Fire Department Dive Rescue Team. An elderly female was located inside the vehicle and transported to an area hospital. The elderly female was pronounced deceased at the hospital at approximately 9:36 a.m. The Wisconsin State Patrol is on scene
reconstructing the accident site. This incident is under investigation by the Cudahy Police Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Please keep this woman’s family in your prayers.

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by | July 19, 2015 · 10:52 pm

Heritage Days Are Here!

It’s the best week of the year to be a South Milwaukeean … we’ll see you at one of these terrific events.

Full details at SMHeritageDays.org.

Heritage Days schedule 2

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by | July 16, 2015 · 8:00 pm

Steady Stream Of Progress For The Oak Creek Watershed

Waterfall

Momentum continues to build toward sustainable, long-term solutions for the Oak Creek watershed.

Two key things happened this week in our ongoing work to clean up the watercourse and set us on a path to a healthier, more vibrant watershed, one that we and our kids our kids’ kids can be proud of.

  • First, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council — a group comprised of each mayor and village president in the county — unanimously endorsed this week a resolution in support of the development of an Oak Creek watershed restoration study. You can see the resolution they endorsed here. It’s similar to the one endorsed by the South Milwaukee City Council in May, and it reinforces how much broad support there is for what we’re doing here. I thank my colleagues for their support. Next up: Securing funding for a January 1, 2016, start, and we’re working hard to make that happen.
  • Also this week, the Fund for Lake Michigan announced $107,500 in grant funding for a water quality testing initiative in the Oak Creek watershed. The Racine Health Department is leading these efforts, and I can’t thank our neighbors to the south enough for stepping up here. Testing has already begun, and that data will be instrumental in informing the watershed restoration study to come, and in efforts to improve Lake Michigan water quality. Here is the Fund for Lake Michigan news release, which details $1.9 million in overall funding for 27 projects across the region. I thank the Fund for their strong support.

And that’s not all. We’re also making investments in the creek today, from the upcoming replacement of the Beech Street Bridge to installation of new fascia underneath the Milwaukee Avenue bridge to vegetation removal in the channel near 15th and Milwaukee.

None of this would happen alone. MMSD, the county, communities across the region, grant funding agencies like the Fund for Lake Michigan, Friends groups and more … they’re all uniting around this common cause. And that’s what has me so excited.

Here’s to a cleaner Oak Creek!

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by | July 16, 2015 · 7:12 pm

Cudahy School District: Community Center Plans Off For South Shore Y

The Cudahy School District has posted an update on the South Shore YMCA on its Facebook page …

Recently School District Officials learned that BMO Harris Bank has accepted an offer from a religious organization for the former YMCA property thus ending the District’s quest to create a community center at the Barland Avenue site.

Superintendent James Heiden would like to thank the numerous supporters of that endeavor. “While a community center would be a great use for the facility, knowing that the building will not become another vacant building in Cudahy is more important.”

I’ll keep you posted.

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by | July 13, 2015 · 11:03 pm

Art City: Youth Theater Performances Set For Next Two Weekends

SMYT poster

South Milwaukee has a strong local theater scene, and that starts with our kids, including mine. See for yourself the next two weekends, with South Milwaukee Youth Theatre performances of “Cinderella” and “Legally Blonde.”

Christian and Shelby Brooks are two of the more than 50 kids acting in “Cinderella” alone.

Thanks to Pam Cullen and all the volunteers who make this happen!

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