by | February 5, 2015 · 5:34 pm

College Bound: Pribyl, Dess, Polak Make Their Choices

Wednesday was National Signing Day for college football programs, and at least three Rockets are headed to the next level (and probably more).

Two of them are headed to programs who played in national championship games last season.

From South Milwaukee football coach Derek Hoff …

6’2” 225lb South Milwaukee linebacker/running back Ian Pribyl has signed his letter of intent to play college football at the University of Minnesota State-Mankato. After being highly recruited all over the Midwest by Division I & II schools Ian decided to take the scholarship offer from the Mavericks! He will join fellow Rocket alum Bryan Honerlaw on the Mankato football team. This opportunity for Ian was made possible by his own individual hard work, the success of his team, and effort by his teammates!

Other teammates making commitments on National Signing Day we’re All-State WR Mitchell Dess, who will be playing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and all-conference performer Jacob Polak to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Still pondering their decision of where to play are all-conference performers Calvin Shilling, Justin Oliden and Dom Parello.

For more news on Rocket Football follow @CoachHoff1 on Twitter or visit www.southmilwaukeefootball.org.

Congratulations to all of these boys. The City of South Milwaukee is behind them!

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by | February 2, 2015 · 12:12 am

Snow Update: School In Session, No Garbage Pickup On Monday

A few updates on the storm …

  • The winter storm warning continues for a few more hours.
  • City crews were out all day Sunday working on snow removal. To aid in clean up on Monday, garbage collection will be suspended. Monday’s route will be rescheduled to Friday.
  • The South Milwaukee School District says on its Twitter account @SoMilwSchools that classes will be held as scheduled on Monday. The tweet from Sunday evening: “School is open tomorrow. Snow is projected to end tonight and it is predicted to be bright and sunny tomorrow.”

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by | January 31, 2015 · 10:45 pm

As The Snow Falls, A Few Reminders

With the first major snow of the season upon us, this is a good opportunity to update blog readers on some key South Milwaukee snow facts.

  • 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).
  • 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.
  • As for snow emergencies, they are rare in South Milwaukee, and I’d doubt we declare one this time.
  • Also don’t forget to keep your fire hydrants clear of snow.

Check back to the blog for more information on the storm, and stay safe!

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by | January 31, 2015 · 1:59 pm

Coming Soon To Downtown: JB’s Tee Shirt Factory

T-shirtsI’m really excited about the latest business to call downtown South Milwaukee home — another good example of a destination retail store that I’m hoping we become famous for.

It’s JB’s Tee Shirt Factory, which provides screen-printed, embroidered and other apparel for sports teams — including colleges like UW-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, and Cardinal Stritch — and other groups. It also has some cool designer t-shirts they will be selling at the South Milwaukee location, 1233 Milwaukee Ave., their first retail store.

They also have an operation in Muskego.

I met Jason and Aaron on Thursday night, and they are making some significant upgrades to the store. They hope to open next week.

Please join me in welcoming them to South Milwaukee … and shop local!

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by | January 31, 2015 · 1:58 pm

More Headlines

More South Shore headlines, including a disturbing story from Grant Park …

Also, County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her latest e-news newsletter.

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by | January 29, 2015 · 5:54 pm

Meet The Mayor Special Guest: Sen. Chris Larson

I’m happy to announce that State Sen. Chris Larson will be joining me for my next Meet the Mayor session on Saturday, February 21, at MKE City Sippers.

Join Sen. Larson and I to discuss key local and state issues — or just stop by and say hi.

Thanks to Sen. Larson for agreeing to do this!

And mark your calendars for these upcoming Meet the Mayor sessions …

  • Saturday, March 21: Ace Hardware
  • Saturday, April 18: I Can’t Resist Kids’ Resale/B’s Boutique

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by | January 29, 2015 · 5:30 pm

Cudahy Schools Interested In South Shore Y?

Update: The Business Journal has a few more details.

That’s according to Fox 6. From the report …

The plan was discussed at a school board meeting Monday, January 26th.

“While we are very excited about the potential for a new community center, we have to carry out due diligence to develop a plan and timeline and consider all possibilities. There is a lot of work that will need to be done prior to the end of February when the board will make a formal decision to move forward or not. First and foremost, we need to determine if the building is still available. We then need to explore all financial implications — both today and in the foreseeable future,” School District of Cudahy Superintendent Dr. Jim Heiden said.

I hope something comes of this. Either way, Saturday is shaping up to be a sad day for the South Shore.

 

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by | January 27, 2015 · 10:11 pm

Headlines!

Check out these South Shore headlines, including more difficult news about Caterpillar …

There is more news around Drexel Town Square, with Chick-fil-A and an apartment development in the works for this terrific new development in Oak Creek.

And NOW has published new police blotters here and here.

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by | January 27, 2015 · 5:46 pm

June 16-28: Beer Garden Arrives At Grant Park

Milwaukee County Parks unveiled its 2015 Mobile Beer Garden schedule today, and it includes a stop at Grant Park June 16-28.

Mark your calendars!

From the release …

At least 15 parks will be on the tour. Each stop will feature beer and other refreshments from Sprecher Brewing and, new this year, there will also be authentic German Food available from Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub.

The Traveling Beer Garden concept was unveiled by County Executive Abele in 2014 and was a huge success, raising nearly $250,000 and creating a fun and safe atmosphere at all the parks it visited. Beer gardens at Estabrook, Humboldt and Hoyt Parks raised another $180,000 in 2014.

All the revenue the County receives from the beer gardens goes back into improving parks across Milwaukee County.  In addition to the revenue earned by the Beer Gardens, Sprecher Brewing, through the Park People of Milwaukee County, will be donating $32,000 or approximately $2,000 per tour stop for improvements to parks this summer. …

The Traveling Beer Gardens will feature both Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub, and Sprecher Brewing products. Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub, located in Glendale’s Bayshore Town Center, will offer authentic German food on the tour, including brats. Also available at the beer garden will be Sprecher Brewing products such as root beer floats, pizza, popcorn, and pretzels.

Indeed, 2015 will be a great year for Grant Park. The Beer Garden is just the start.

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by | January 27, 2015 · 7:58 am

No One Hurt In Overnight South Milwaukee House Fire

Chestnut fireDamage was extensive, but thankfully no one was hurt in an overnight fire at 1512 Chestnut Ave. Details from South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …

At approximately 20 minutes after midnight this morning, SMPD Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from a passerby reporting fire coming through the roof of a house near the intersection of 15th & Chestnut.  SMPD Officer Hoeppner was first to arrive on scene and confirmed the address of 1512 Chestnut Street and reported a well-involved fire.  This information was relayed to SMFD and the level of alarm was immediately upgraded to a Working Still, which brings in our mutual aid neighbors. 

Not knowing if there was anyone at home, Officer Hoeppner forced entry into the house through the front door and was able to check the first floor and did not locate any occupants.  He did, however, remove a dog from a kennel in the kitchen and take it from the house.  SMFD units arrived on scene and encountered a large volume of fire already venting from the rear area of the roof.  The initial attack on the fire was from the interior on the second floor, however, attack crews were making little progress due to a large portion of the roof already being burned away and many areas that were difficult to access.  The attack line was withdrawn momentarily while ladders were brought into the interior and areas of fire were then darkened down.  Lines were redeployed to the interior and an extensive overhaul operation ensued. A MABAS Box Alarm was requested due to the cold temperatures and extent of the operation, bringing in our next level of mutual aid response. 

No injuries were reported.  Damage to the house is extensive.  The sole occupant of the house was not home at the time of fire, which remains under investigation at this time.

Please keep the occupant of this home in your prayers, and join me in thanking our firefighters and police officers for their work.

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by | January 26, 2015 · 5:29 pm

New Citgo Station Opening By End Of February

CitgoI’m excited to see another new business coming to South Milwaukee, an investment in our downtown area to rehabilitate a dilapidated building …

The latest example: the new Citgo station opening at 10th and Manitoba. I spoke to the owners — who also operate several gas stations in Appleton — and they expect to be open by the end of February.

The new signage went up last week, and it’s already a big improvement. Welcome to South Milwaukee!

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by | January 26, 2015 · 9:27 am

Welcome To Wil-o-Way

20150122_163320WilowayI had a nice visit this week with Mike, Debbie, Nicci and Harrison, who have brought Adult Day Services of Southeast Wisconsin to Wil-o-Way Grant. They just began programming earlier this month.

What do they do? They provide day programming for those with cognitive disabilities, traumatic brain injuries and autism at the Grant Park location. I’ll let Program Director Nicci Nageotte explain more …

We combine activities such as crafts, music, reading, dance and exercise, and cooking with outdoor activities such as walking and exploring  to help individuals learn more about themselves and things they might like to do but have never tried. We then add in the community component with “outings” for movies, lunch, the library- things they may have limited access to in their home lives. The volunteering help them learn skills that help with future employment (some attend work programs part time)  and also give them the satisfaction of doing things to help others.

It’s a terrific mission, and I wish them well at their new location. They just started at Wil-o-Way Grant this month, and they have capacity to serve 40 individuals. For now, they are under 10.

I was also happy to get a tour of the Milwaukee County facility, which is impressive. Recently remodeled and essentially empty during the day the past two years, it includes a large open hall with a stage, a kitchen, accessible outdoor play area and even a solarium.

For me, this has always been a hidden part of Grant Park, even though I’m told it is often rented out on weekends for events. It was nice to get a glimpse inside — and to learn more about the work of its new tenant.

Learn more about Adult Day Services here. Thanks for calling South Milwaukee home.

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by | January 25, 2015 · 3:36 pm

Nomi: New Life For The Former A&W

NomiNo doubt you have noticed some of the changes happening at the former A&W at 513 N. Chicago Ave.

The rotted canopies over the parking spaces are gone, and there is a fresh coat of paint, but that’s just the start.

The new owners of the building are Marko and Athina Tase, (pictured above). Along with their son, Aldo, they are planning to open a specialty coffee house, also serving specialty bakery and breakfast sandwiches. It will feature Valentine Coffee, an upscale coffee roaster based on Milwaukee’s west side. It will be named Nomi.

They hope to open in the next month, so stay tuned for more details.

And welcome to South Milwaukee, the Tases!

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by | January 24, 2015 · 11:51 am

Big Plans For Board Game Barrister

DSC01873I’ll let Gordon Lugauer explain it in his blog post. An excerpt …

This location has a really nice Mainstreet-style showroom. However, while we will be adding some additional racks to display more product, there is no getting around the fact that the space is too small to display the same range of products we are known for. So we’re doing something different.

The Board Game Barrister Clearance Center!

Part of my retail philosophy is that if I’ve made a mistake when choosing products for my stores, either because I bought too much or because I just got it wrong, I take it off the shelf. No point in having the wrong game on the shelf when we could try something else that might prove to be the right one. These aren’t bad products, just wrong for the stores they were at (truly bad products, like the batch of card holders we got last year, never get sold once we know about the problem). Or perhaps that last item from an assortment that looks lonely on the shelf, too lonely to be attractive as a possible gift. These items will at last have a home at the Clearance Center, arrayed all nice and shoppable at the Board Game Barrister – South Milwaukee.

Currently, we have just over one row of shelves, probably 100 items, in our clearance center. Everything from thinky hobby games to puzzles to LEGO. Eventually, we’ll include some ding-n-dent items and games from our demo library that are no longer seeing use. This is a really neat way to get these games, toys, and puzzles on display, and is something unique for the South Milwaukee store.

And, at a good price, too. Everything in the clearance center is 30% off.

The Garden Theater building, which was the South Milwaukee Carpets warehouse for the past 35 years, has become our warehouse and processing center. Processing what? Currently, processing games, toys, and puzzles that are in the warehouse and sending them to our Bayshore and Greenfield stores. But in 2015, this will also include processing orders from our soon-to-be-ready (really, I promise) online store. Having a warehouse is really pretty fantastic, and allows the other stores to focus on connecting with people through games, not receiving shipments. This will be a huge boon when we open our 4th location (no, no plans yet).

Thanks to Gordon and Board Game Barrister for investing in downtown South Milwaukee!

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by | January 23, 2015 · 10:22 pm

Driving The Debate Downtown

I’m happy to announce the formation of the Downtown Advisory Committee — the group of business and property owners and residents who will be front and center in the debate over our city center in coming years.

The goal of the committee: To advise the South Milwaukee City Council and Plan Commission on downtown issues big and small, and play a key role in the development of a downtown plan that we’ll be working on as part of our comprehensive planning update.

It’s a big job, and an important one. I know this group will deliver, bringing passion, energy, enthusiasm and experience — along with some fresh voices — to the table. I can’t wait to get started!

It is a 10-member committee. Voting members are:

  • Jay Benkowski: Owner of Benkowski Properties, which owns and manages a number of downtown and area residential properties. He is based out of the downtown South Milwaukee Depot.
  • Brett Breisemeister: Owner of Breismeister Realty & Appraisal and member of the Plan Commission.
  • Kristin Drenzek: Owner of Drenzek Chiropractic.
  • Natalie Gajewski: Owner of The Revolution Hair Studio, Natalie is serving as one of the resident members of the committee.
  • Chris Haslam: South Milwaukee resident and Caterpillar employee with education in civil and structural engineering.
  • Timothy King: South Milwaukee resident with significant experience in real estate development and community revitalization as a developer, builder, operator, consultant, advisor and executive.
  • Nicole Maxey: Owner of MKE City Sippers.
  • Donn Powers: Owner of Donn Powers Jeweler.
  • Rachel Sorce: South Milwaukee resident and executive director of the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

The non-voting city council liaison will be Ald. Frank Van Dusen III.

I expect this group will first meet in February, coinciding with the hiring of a new economic development coordinator for the city. (We had strong interest in this position and are starting interviews in coming days.)

I want to thank everyone who applied to be on this committee. Interest was high, and we had some great candidates, making for some difficult choices. I see that as a really good sign for what we’re doing here.

I hope that those not chosen — and everyone reading this — joins the conversation. There will be plenty of opportunities to have your voices heard when it comes to revitalizing our downtown. Be heard.

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