by | July 9, 2015 · 5:12 pm

Celebrating South Milwaukee, With T-Shirts

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JB’s Tee Shirt Factory is giving South Milwaukeeans a chance to wear their community pride.

The new downtown t-shirt shop, which opened at 1233 Milwaukee Ave.. earlier this year, has designed three t-shirts featuring local scenes they aim to sell starting later this month.

First, they want your help in choosing the top designs.

See the three options and vote for your favorite from their Facebook page here.

(For those not on Facebook, here is a link right to the voting document.)

The shirts portray iconic parts of our city like Grant Park’s Seven Bridges and the downtown railroad depot, as well as a modernized version of the old “Homes | Parks | Industries” city welcome signs (which I love, by the way).

The two designs with the most votes will be sold at the Firehouse Spaghetti Dinner on July 22 and the South Milwaukee Downtown Market/Evening on the Avenue on July 23, and other community events. You can also buy the shirts at the t-shirt shop, with more retail opportunities coming soon.

Each shirt will cost $15, with $5 of each sale going to support and grow city-sponsored celebrations like July 4th, Community Night Out, and our Christmas festivities.

I want to thank Aaron and his team at JB’s for driving this great community- and business-building effort, and I’m happy to get behind it. I love these kinds of things.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a shirt, and show my South Milwaukee pride. Join me!

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by | July 9, 2015 · 10:34 am

Live Music Downtown … Every Week

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The South Milwaukee Downtown Market has announced its July music lineup, and it’s as strong as ever.

Many communities offer live music, most several weeks during the summer. Well, South Milwaukee has live music downtown every week from late May through early October. Just sayin’.

Check out the press release here, and check out some of these terrific acts every Thursday evening at the market.

In other words, come for the food, stay for the music.

More updates on the market’s Facebook page.

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by | July 8, 2015 · 5:16 pm

Long-Overdue Recognition

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We honored Kris Schell, the now-retired director of Human Concerns, at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, and I was proud to be a part of it.

Kris, a lifelong resident of South Milwaukee, has been a great asset to the community with her tireless efforts in promoting Human Concerns and working with the community to help countless families in need throughout the years.

I wish Kris the best in her retirement.

Check out the proclamation here.

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by | July 5, 2015 · 12:16 pm

Heritage Days Are Two Weeks Away

Heritage Days schedule 2

The best week of the year to be a South Milwaukeean. Here’s a schedule and a press release.

And be sure to check out the website for more! It’s SMHeritageDays.org.

 

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by | July 5, 2015 · 12:06 pm

Responding To The Saloon Fire In Oak Creek

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From South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …

At approximate 6:38PM this evening (July 4), the SMFD ladder truck and I responded to a report of flames and smoke coming from The Saloon at 120 East Rawson Avenue in Oak Creek.  Upon their arrival, OCFD units encountered a well-involved fire in the main bar area and attic of the structure.  SMFD truck 1671 was assigned to set up for possible defensive operations from the Howell Avenue side and I was assigned the Operations Chief role, coordinating fireground operations alongside the OCFD Battalion Chief who was in Command. The building suffered extensive damage and the cause is still under investigation by OCFD and OCPD.

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by | July 3, 2015 · 4:48 pm

Funfest!

July 10-12 at Divine Mercy, 695 College Ave. Should be a great weekend!

Funfest flyer

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by | July 3, 2015 · 9:38 am

Christmas, In July! Let’s Plan Now

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Merry Christmas!

OK, so it’s a few months away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about it, right?

With the Christmas spirit in mind, I want to bring together all of the folks leading the city’s top holiday events together — and anyone else interested in being part of the dialog — for a meeting at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, at City Hall.

The goal: Start talking now, as we look to jointly plan, brand and market these events.

We delivered a similar effort with Rocketober last year, to great success, and we’re working on Heritage Days. I think it’s time to do it with Christmas.

I am confident that by collaborating we can make the holiday season feel even more special in South Milwaukee … and help all of our individual events be better.

I also hope we can look to add a new event or two. One big one on my mind: a significant downtown event, one that could incorporate the existing chamber tree lighting along with activities like food, music, caroling, carriage rides, reindeer and more. Similar to what Greendale (pictures in this post from their 2014 event) and a number of other communities do.

I would also love to see a lighted Christmas parade, like this.

I ask you to join the conversation … and celebrate the season, a bit early.

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by | July 1, 2015 · 9:25 pm

Beach Food: Limited Opening For Ferch’s This Week

Ferch logoJust in time for the holiday weekend … some good news for Grant Park, and South Milwaukee.

The owners of Ferch’s Beachside tell me they plan to open Friday with a temporary menu of hot, dogs, brats, beer, soda and water, as buildout of their beach concession space continues.

For now, until they are open with a full menu in a fully renovated new space, days of operation will include weekends and volleyball league nights (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays), with hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Let’s welcome Ferch’s to town … and be patient for their more formal opening (with burgers, custard, etc.) later this summer.

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by | July 1, 2015 · 5:02 pm

Happy July 4th: See You At Grant Park On Saturday!

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Plan on bringing your family and friends to Grant Park for our July 4th festivities on Saturday.

The fun starts at 10 a.m., and the day includes bike judging, games, bouncy houses, music and more … oh, and a free lunch, with the second-annual Mayor’s Picnic.

Learn more in my previous post. And thanks again to our sponsors!

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by | June 27, 2015 · 7:34 pm

Celebrating South Milwaukee’s Top Garden Spots: And The Mayor’s Choice Winner Is …

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Update: I have posted photos from all eight gardens on my Facebook page.

The South Milwaukee Historical Society’s seventh-annual Garden Tour was in full bloom on Saturday.

What a terrific showcase for South Milwaukee!

My family visited all eight gardens on the tour, and we came away so impressed with the painstaking work put into keeping these homes beautiful. These are just amazing outdoor spaces.

I can’t thank the volunteers from the Garden Club and Historical Society enough for all the hours they put into this event. It paid off with a wonderful celebration of what makes South Milwaukee so special — our unique neighborhoods, homes, people and, of course, gardens.

So, who was the best of the best?

For the first time, I was asked to give out a Mayor’s Choice Award, and instead of one, we are giving out four. Here is the list …

  • Mayor’s Choice Award Grand Prize: The home of Jerry and Kay Grant, 1414 Fairview Avenue. Their backyard is home to a working model railroad, complete with a station, and some beautiful plantings. A few photos are in this post. They receive a wonderful piece of window art from Garden Tour vendor and local resident Deb Sindric (Flowers and More by Deb), $50 in local restaurant gift certificates, a Historical Society membership and a proclamation from the city.
  • Mayor’s Choice Award Honorable Mentions: The homes of Becky Gresser (906 Fairview Avenue), Judy Lewandowski (800 Lake Drive) and Tom and Peggy Bartelt (111 16th Avenue). All three of these were special in their own right, with immaculate and meticulous gardens, seating and entertainment areas. Each honorable mention winner receives a Historical Society membership, a copy of the society’s “Letters to Mettie” book and recognition in the proclamation.

Congratulations to everyone who took part in this, and I wish I could have given all eight participants an award. These spaces were that outstanding. But, in the end, the real winners here are the people who had a chance to experience these terrific South Milwaukee homes on Saturday, including a number of folks from outside our fair city.

I can’t think of a better postcard for South Milwaukee.

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by | June 27, 2015 · 7:25 pm

Grant Park Updates: Oak Leaf Trail, Last Call For Beer Garden

Beer garden

A couple quick updates on the ongoing work in Grant Park …

  • First, I’m told repaving and widening work on the Oak Leaf Trail through the park is expected to start around July 13. It will begin near the golf course clubhouse and work north, with a completion date around August 20. The park drive may be closed for a short period during tree removal. This is a significant project that is long overdue — and just one of a number of upgrades planned along the Oak Leaf Trail and other trails throughout the region. Learn more here and here.
  • The traveling beer garden at Picnic Area 5 ends Sunday night. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with last call at 9. It’s been a big success, by all accounts, and sales are very strong. Now let’s work on bringing it back in 2016!

More to come in the park this summer, as Ferch’s Beachside continues to work toward its opening … stay tuned.

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by | June 25, 2015 · 7:12 pm

Emergency Repair: County Board Backs Bridge Funding

Beech Street bridge

Good news for South Milwaukee from the Milwaukee County Board today, as supervisors overwhelmingly passed a measure to spend $200,000 in emergency funding for reconstruction of the Beech Street foot bridge over Oak Creek.

Here is the press release from County Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who drove this effort.

I thank Pat for her hard work on this, and for all who voted for this important piece of legislation for South Milwaukee. This foot bridge is a vital connection between our middle and high schools and the northwest side of town.

From all the upgrades under way at Grant Park to investments in Grobschmidt Pool to the continued partnership around an Oak Creek watershed restoration study, the county continues to make an investment in South Milwaukee.

I am very appreciative to see this project added to the list, and was happy to get behind this effort.

I will keep you posted on timelines for replacement. The hope: We have a new bridge in place in time for the start of the new school year.

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by | June 24, 2015 · 10:37 am

Join Us For Another July 4th To Remember

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Our July 4th celebration at Grant Park will be bigger than ever in 2015.

As always, the festivities start at 10 a.m. at Picnic Areas 5, 5a and 6 with bike judging, followed by games and the penny scramble. Ice cream and cracker jack will be available free for all participants.

All attendees are then invited to the second annual free Mayor’s Picnic, where Steve and his team from Emerald City Catering will serve hot dogs, chips, soda and water, thanks to a generous donation by TASC Services, a local commercial cleaning company. And that’s not all: We’re also offering bouncy houses, temporary tattoos for the kids, and more … all ending with fireworks that night.

Max A. Sass & Sons Funeral and Cremation Services is sponsoring the inflatables again this year, and Educators Credit Union is sponsoring the local DJ, from noon to 7 p.m.

My goal is to find new ways to get more families to our July 4th events and keep those families at Grant Park longer. Last year, we delivered on that, and we’ll do it again in 2015. I hope you can make it.

Thanks to all of our sponsors for stepping up!

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by | June 20, 2015 · 4:55 pm

Looking Back, To Move Ahead: Take Your Own Downtown History Tour

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I can’t thank Nels Monson and the South Milwaukee Historical Society enough for their efforts with the downtown history walking tour on Saturday.

Nels’ knowledge of local history and storytelling abilities are amazing, and hearing him speak about our “proud past” inspires me.

My ask: Take the tour for yourself. Here is a brochure for a self-guided version of this trip into South Milwaukee’s past.

I think you’ll agree that, more than ever, this much is clear: We need to embrace that past as we look to the future of downtown, a future that we’ll be writing in coming months as part of our downtown planning efforts. There is so much inspiration we can draw from our history, as we look to drive investment, energy and new life in our city center.

Of course, we can’t dwell on the past. And we don’t. But as we plan for the future, I’m excited to learn all I can about where we’ve come from as we work together to determine where we’re headed.

Let’s get moving on this journey!

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by | June 20, 2015 · 4:24 pm

Baseball + Outdoor Movie = Summer Fun

SMLL movie night

See you there!

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