by | October 23, 2014 · 10:09 pm

A Rocketober Saturday To Remember In South Milwaukee

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10714067_694186337318358_5168643598416810070_oSaturday is another great day to be a South Milwaukeean! Here is the list of Rocketober events …

  • It all starts with the South Milwaukee Little Kickball and Costume Contest, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Little League complex.
  • Then, from 3 to 6 p.m., it’s the downtown trick-or-treating scavenger hunt. (To participate, print the scavenger hunt game card image above or stop by one of the participating businesses to pick one up.)
  • From 5 to 9 p.m., it’s the South Milwaukee e-Lions and Friends of the Mill Pond Halloween House at the Mill Pond.
  • And don’t forget about Trunk-or-Treat at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. That’s from 2 to 4 p.m.

Check out the full Rocketober schedule here. And like our Facebook page.

We’ll see you Saturday!

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by | October 23, 2014 · 8:37 pm

Council Roundup: Potential New Police Labor Deal And More

News and notes from Tuesday’s meeting, in addition to the South Milwaukee Pink Day activities …

  • Police deal. The council voted to approve a new three-year labor agreement with the South Milwaukee Professional Police Association Local 201. The deal — which would run from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2017 — includes a 2% pay raise each year over the life of the contract and other minor changes from the current deal. The union still must ratify the deal.
  • Downtown Committee. The council also discussed a proposal to form downtown advisory committee and referred the matter back to the Legislation & Permits Committee to work out more details and draft an ordinance, likely for action at our Nov. 25 meeting. I brought this proposal forward as another opportunity to drive downtown redevelopment. This committee — which I propose to be a mix of business/property owners and residents — would be out front in helping develop our downtown plan while also regularly advising the council, administration and others on issues related to our city center. More to come soon on this, the downtown plan and the hiring of an economic development to assist in all of this … and stay tuned for opportunities for you to get involved! I’m excited about where we’re headed in downtown South Milwaukee. I hope you are too.
  • New police captain. I want to congratulate Peter Jaske, who has been named a new South Milwaukee police captain by the Police and Fire Commission. The council recognized the promotion Tuesday night. Jaske, who previously was a lieutenant, replaces Terry Olson, who has retired.
  • Eagle Scout. We honored another Eagle Scout, Joel Dereszynski. I congratulate this fellow (soon to be) St. Thomas More graduate and am happy to recognize his accomplishments. Here is the proclamation we gave Joel.

The council next meets Nov. 25 to consider the 2015 budget. The budget will be published next week — look for a post on the budget in coming days — with a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 24.

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by | October 22, 2014 · 5:43 pm

Rocket Sports Update: New School Diving Record

From the South Milwaukee School District …

ROCKET GIRLS’ SWIM & DIVE

On Saturday another school record was broken, this time it was the diving record for 11 dives by Allison Osell (10)! Andrea Andreska held the previous record for 11 dives at 346.2 and Ally broke it with a 347.15. Congratulations Ally!!!

Wednesday is Culver’s Day for the Rocket Swim and Dive Team so if you can, please stop in at Culver’s and help support the Rockets!

Friday and Saturday the Girls Swim & Dive team competed in South Side Sprints in West Allis, The team took 4th out of 8 teams.

On Friday night Allison Osell took 5th out of 16 divers with a score of 320.45.

Saturday Results

  • 200yd Medley Relay team of Bocek, Z. Bellis, N. Swanson, T. Halama took 5th.
  • 50yd Freestyle Zoe Bellis took 3rd with a time of 27.07.
  • 25 Freestyle Alexis Holliday took 4th and Natalie Swanson took 5th.
  • 200yd Freestyle Relay team of Swanson, T. Halama, A. Holliday, Z. Bellis took 4th.
  • 50yd Backstroke Mackenzie Thayer took 3rd with a time of 33.51 and Haille Bocek took 5th with a time of 33.75.
  • 50yd Breaststroke Zoe Bellis took 5th with a time of 35.84.
  • 100yd Freestyle Relay team of Thayer, H. Bocek, K. Mildebrandt, A. Holliday took 3rd.

ROCKET FOOTBALL

The Rockets fell last Friday to Greendale 42-7 to go to 8-1 on the season. The Rockets showed they were right there with the Panthers through the first half of the game, but a couple of plays made the difference in the second half against the #1 ranked team in the state as the Panthers broke it open. With that loss the Rockets ended up earning the #3 seed in their D2 bracket and a home game this Friday at 7:00pm at Spaltholz Field against the #6 seed Waterford (6-3 regular season record). Please come out and support the Rockets in their first playoff game. There isn’t a team in Division 2 that they cannot beat! Let’s hear that support loud and strong on Friday!

Friday, October 24

7:00pm Kickoff

#6 Waterford @ #3 South Milwaukee

Tickets are $4 for all spectators over the age of 6. Tickets are $1 for those under 6. NO PASSES are accepted for playoff games.

ROCKET CROSS COUNTRY

The Rockets competed in the Woodland Conference meet last weekend, and we are still not sure what place the boys took in the race. Pewaukee won with 61 pts, followed by Shorewood with 64 and SM with 65, but due to a scoring discrepancy, we are hoping that they will be in 2nd place by only 1 pt perhaps!!! The Rocket Girls’ CC team took 4th overall out of 12 teams.

  • Josh Janusiak took 2nd overall in the boys’ race and Maddie Wood took 3rd overall in the girls’ race!
  • Jordan Janusiak took 5th
  • Justin Weber took 8th
  • Chris Sobczak took 9th
  • Becca Heller took 8th
  • Sam Meszaros took 14th

FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

  • Josh Janusiak (12)
  • Jordan Janusiak (9)
  • Justin Weber (11)
  • Maddie Wood (10)
  • Becca Heller (11)

SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

  • Chris Sobczak (10)
  • Sam Meszaros (12)

Congratulations to all of the Rocket runners! Next up is the Rocket JV CC meet at Grant Park on Thursday starting at 4:00pm in picnic areas 5 & 6. We are expecting over 720 runners to compete!

On Saturday, the Rockets will be running in the WIAA Sectionals at Mitchell Park in Brookfield.

Saturday, October 25

WIAA Sectional CC Races

  • 11:00am Boys’ Sectional Race
  • 11:45am Girls’ Sectional Race

Directions

  • Location: Mitchell Park in Brookfield
  • Mitchell Park is located one block east of Barker Road, just south of Capital Drive.
  • From Highway 45 or from the north, take Capital Drive to Mitchell Park Blvd. Turn
  • south on Mitchell Park Blvd.
  • From Highway 94 take Barker Road north to River Road. Turn east on River Road to Mitchell Park Blvd. Turn left.

ROCKET MARCHING BAND

On Saturday the Rocket Marching Band finished in 8th place in their division at WSMA State Competition. While the judges might not have scored them as high as they had hoped, the crowd certainly approved of their performance and reacted with great cheering for the Rockets.

ROCKET GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

The Rockets travel to West Allis Hale HS tomorrow to take on the Huskies in the WIAA Regional opener. Tickets are $4 for all spectators.

Thursday, October 23

WIAA Regional Girls’ VB

South Milwaukee @ West Allis Hale

7:00pm start

ROCKET BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

The Rockets travel to Pius XI High School today to play in the Woodland Conference Boys’ Volleyball Tournament starting at 5:00pm. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for seniors and students 5 and older.

Best of luck Rockets!

ROCKET BOYS SOCCER

The Rockets season finished last Tuesday at Whitefish Bay in the WIAA Regional opener against a very good Blue Dukes team. Last week the Rockets had perhaps their most exciting match in recent memory. With a spirited crowd, the Rockets fought back from a 5-2 deficit against Brown Deer to win 6-5. Issey Valadez (11) had a goal, Adam Klosiewski (12) had 2 goals and Armend Kamberi (12) had 3 goals including the gamewinning penalty kick. Ryan Graber (11) had some tremendous saves in goal for the Rockets as well.

FALL SPORTS AWARDS

The Fall Sports Awards Program will be held on Monday, November 10th in the PAC. Letters were just mailed out to parents with the information.

 

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by | October 21, 2014 · 8:40 pm

Going Pink For A Great Cause

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Thanks to South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens, the South Milwaukee schools and many, many others for helping make Justice for a Cure Day another great success.

That check in the photo is for $5,178.49 — money raised through the hard work of local students through a variety of activities and events held today and in recent weeks.

Great work. Inspiring. And a terrific tribute to those who are fighting the battle against breast cancer, those who have won it, and those who have lost it.

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by | October 20, 2014 · 9:31 pm

Rocketober Update: Downtown Trick-Or-Treat Scavenger Hunt Highlights Busy Saturday

It’s another busy week of Rocketober …

I want to specifically call out South Milwaukee’s downtown trick-or-treating event this Saturday. More than 30 businesses are taking part.

It’s a scavenger hunt!

Simply start by stopping at one of the participating businesses, get a game card (or print one off here), and have each additional business you stop at mark that you were there. Turn in completed game cards at I Can’t Resist Kids Resale and be entered to win prizes. Downtown trick-or-treating hours are 3 to 6 p.m.

We hope to see you and your family there, supporting our local merchants and having some fun along the way. Then, be sure to stop by the Mill Pond Halloween House, from 5 to 9 p.m.

A full list Rocketober events this week:

  • Tuesday: Justice for a Cure Day
  • Friday: Human Concerns Haunted House; SMPAC Presents Imago Theatre “Frogz”
  • Saturday: South Milwaukee Little League Kickball & Costume Contest; Trunk or Treat at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church; Downtown Trick-or-Treating Scavenger Hunt; Mill Pond Halloween House; Human Concerns Haunted House
  • Sunday: Mill Pond Halloween House

Check out the full schedule here, and here is our Facebook page. And thanks for your continued support of Rocketober!

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by | October 20, 2014 · 12:43 am

No Injuries Reported In Molten Iron Spill At Appleton Electric

From South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …

At approximately 9:12PM this evening, SMFD rec’d a telephone direct call and a 9-1-1 call for smoke in the building at EGS Appleton Foundry, 2105 5th Avenue. Upon the arrival of SMFD units, heavy smoke was issuing from the building that houses their iron furnaces and EGS Appleton personnel on scene reported that one of these furnaces, which use high-voltage induction coils to melt iron for their manufacturing process, had developed a leak and spilled some or all of its molten iron into a below grade pit beneath the furnace. The pit contains high voltage electrical equipment, hydraulic lines, and water lines for cooling and runs beneath all five of the furnaces that are in this particular area of the foundry. Due to the potential for an escalating incident, a Working Still and MABAS Box Alarm was called bringing in our mutual aid partners. As a precaution, hoselines were laid out and the sprinkler system connected to. Additional EGS Appleton personnel arrived on scene and, after consulting with SMFD Command personnel, the electrical service and water supply to the involved furnace were disconnected, further stabilizing the situation. A dewatering effort was then initiated to remove a buildup of water in the below grade pit and the furnace was monitored for changes in its condition. No injuries were reported and the cause of the release has yet to be identified.

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by | October 19, 2014 · 11:56 pm

This Week In The Mayors’ Fitness Challenge: Pink Day Fit Camp Tuesday In South Milwaukee

From the Mayors’ Fitness Challenge organizers … hope to see you at the Fit Camp, or another event.

Breast Health: Strategies for Prevention and Early Detection

Monday, October 20, 2014 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Oak Creek Public Library, 8620 S. Howell Avenue, Oak Creek

Brought to you by Aurora Health Care and the Oak Creek Health Department . . . Dr. Lakesha Lawrence, MD is a board certified OB/GYN whose practice focuses on prevention and early detection of a variety of women’s health concerns and specializing in minimally invasive techniques and treatment.

Pre-registration is required for this event. Please call 414-768-6539 to reserve your spot.

South Milwaukee Pink Day Fit Camp

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Grobschmidt Senior Center, 2424 15th Ave, South Milwaukee

Moxie Fitness and the South Milwaukee Health Department present an all-ages ʺFit Campʺ to get everyone moving! Please bring a water bottle and a towel. A donation to “Justice for the Cureʺ will be accepted in honor of South Milwaukee’s Pink Day. No pre-registration is required.

Barre Workout – Academy of Performing Arts (Franklin)

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 7:30 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. The Academy of Performing Arts (Franklin), 7221 S 76th St, Franklin

This popular new workout combines Yoga & Pilates with ballet barre work and dance moves. This adults-only class is appropriate for all levels of fitness. Please bring a towel and a water bottle.

Space is limited, so pre-registration is required. Reserve your spot here.

Future Challenge Events:

  • October 25, 8:00 a.m. Drenzek Chiropractic-Stability Ball and Core Strengthening Class, South Milwaukee Fitness Center
  • October 25, 8:15 a.m. Moxie Fitness Run/Walk Circuits, Oak Creek High School Knights Stadium
  • October 25, 10:00 a.m. Sole Serenity All Levels Yoga Class, Oak Creek East Middle School
  • October 25, 10:15 a.m. Zumba at Cudahy Community Wellness Day presented by Anytime Fitness Cudahy, North Shore Bank Cudahy
  • October 25, 11:00 a.m. RUFP Community Challenge (Session 1), Rosencutter Ultra Fitness and Performance
  • October 25, 12:30 p.m. RUFP Community Challenge (Session 2), Rosencutter Ultra Fitness and Performance
  • October 25, 1:00 p.m. Cleansing for Change, Udana Yoga & Wellness

Please see our Event Calendar or Facebook Event Listings for more information.

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by | October 19, 2014 · 5:20 pm

In-Person Absentee Voting Opens Monday

Starting Monday, you can cast a vote in the Nov. 4 election.

In-person absentee voting opens then, meaning you can vote at South Milwaukee City Hall during regular business hours through 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31.

You don’t need a reason to vote this way — you can simply show up and request a ballot and cast it right there.

Learn more on the city’s elections web page, where you can also see a sample ballot.

And keep in mind that an ID is not required to vote for this election.

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by | October 18, 2014 · 2:25 pm

Road To State: South Milwaukee Gets #3 Seed, Home Game In Playoffs

It’s #3 South Milwaukee vs. #6 Waterford in the first round of the WIAA playoffs this Friday night.

Pairings were announced Saturday. Check them out here. Here is a bracket.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Spaltholz Field.

A potential second-round game with #2 seed Waukesha West would be next, with top-seeded Greendale looming. Greendale beat South Milwaukee, 42-7, Friday night. Here is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage.

Learn more about Waterford, which is 6-3 after four straight wins and a shutout victory over Delavan-Darien this week, here.

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by | October 17, 2014 · 10:23 pm

More Details On The Proposed St. Adalbert’s Project

Update: Here is a frequently asked questions document.

More than 200 people attended Monday’s public information meeting for the proposed St. Adalbert’s apartments, and that was the first of a number of opportunities for residents to learn more about the project and have their voices heard.

Indeed, that is my promise: continued open and honest communication as we move through the process.

Monday’s meeting was more about learning about the development and developer, getting questions answered about project details. It lasted about 90 minutes.

  • You can see the presentation Gorman & Co. gave here.
  • And look for a more detailed Q&A document, with answers to questions raised at Monday’s meeting, to be posted soon on that same page.

So, what’s next? The South Milwaukee Plan Commission will consider the project at its Oct. 27 meeting, when it may make a formal recommendation to the full city council on the rezoning request by Gorman. The council would then take up the issue and potentially schedule an official public hearing. After that hearing, a final vote by the council may not happen until early 2015.

As we go through the process, I also want to share a message I shared at Monday’s meeting — about what the city can and can’t consider in deciding on this project.

By law, there are strict limits as to what we can consider when it comes to a request for rezoning, as Gorman & Co. is seeking. For example, under zoning law (Wis. Stats. 62.23(7)), the common council can regulate the:

  • Height of a building;
  • Number of stories and size of buildings and other structures;
  • The percentage of lot that may be occupied;
  • The size of yards and other open spaces;
  • The density of population;
  • And the location and use of buildings, structures and land.

In deciding this, the statutes are also clear as to what we can’t consider in making our decision. We cannot consider who lives there, how much money they earn or where they earn that money (as long as it’s a lawful occupation). In other words, whether the development is for rich or poor or middle-income residents is not, and can not, be a consideration in zoning matters.

Furthermore, we must uphold South Milwaukee’s commitment to fair, non-discriminatory housing. This city ordinance reads in part: “It is the declared policy of this City that all persons shall have an equal opportunity for housing regardless of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, lawful source of income, age or ancestry.”

Simply, we can’t discriminate. Nor should we. Not just because it’s against the law. It’s also the right thing to do.

I think those parameters are important to know as the debate picks up in coming weeks.

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by | October 16, 2014 · 10:50 pm

Rocketober Update: Cemetery Tour, Haunted House Starts Friday — And Donate A Pumpkin

Rocketober is in full swing, and here are a few updates …

  • Tales & Tombstones, the historical tour of the First Congregational Cemetery, is set for 6 p.m. Friday.
  • The Human Concerns Haunted House also kicks off Friday night at 821 Marion Ave. Hours are 7-11 p.m.
  • The South Milwaukee PAC is also hosting its Arena Dance Main Street Project show on Saturday. It’s a unique mix of community recollections with dance — something I was proud to contribute to this week. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
  • And don’t forget about the Great Pumpkin Display! The South Milwaukee E-Lion’s Club and Friends of the Mill Pond are excited to host the family-friendly Halloween House at the Mill Pond on Oct. 25-26. Ahead of the festivities, they are asking folks to bring a carved pumpkin to light up at the Mill pond. They will provide the light. Just bring your carved pumpkin to the Mill Pond from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Oct. 18., or leave it in front of building. Pumpkins will be displayed inside the warming house.

Check out more details on Rocketober on our Facebook page, and here is a full schedule.

Next up:  A big day on Saturday, Oct. 25, with events at South Milwaukee Little League and downtown in addition to the Mill Pond.

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by | October 16, 2014 · 10:22 pm

Leaves Update

So, leaf collection is in full swing and will continue into November.

As I’ve said, we are continuing this service this fall and expect to continue it into the future. I’ve also asked residents to consider other options given what we had been facing for the first time this fall: trucking all of our leaves to a landfill almost an hour away.

I say “had been facing” because, thanks to the hard work and persistence of our Street Department staff, we have a couple better disposal options.

First, we’re now trucking most of our leaves to a composting farm in Caledonia. Besides being much closer than Muskego, thus saving us fuel and man-hour costs, the fee they charge us to accept our leaves is also significantly less.

We’ve also been working with the Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin as a potential disposal source.

So, good news. But the ask doesn’t change: Please put the rakes away, and mow. (Or ask the football team for help.)

It’s good for the city, the lawn and the environment.

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by | October 15, 2014 · 7:26 pm

Ready For Some Football? I Am

From South Milwaukee Athletic Director Ante Udovicic, who rightfully calls Thursday night’s game against Greendale “one of the biggest games in school history” …

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IN SOUTH MILWAUKEE

On Thursday, the 8-0 Rockets will be hosting the 8-0 Greendale Panthers in the Woodland Conference Championship game. The game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable 32 (1332 in HD) with a 7:05pm kickoff, so for those within a 50 mile radius, set your DVR’s to record it and make sure to come on out to the game! You do not want to miss out on the event that this game will be. It is with no exaggeration when I say that this is one of the biggest games in school history!! We need everyone who can possibly come out and cheer the Rockets on! Let’s show the state how great our home field advantage is, how much spirit we have and how much support we have for our kids!

Unlike last year’s game when as visitors many of you were surprised to see higher ticket prices, we are not raising tickets prices!

So once again, come on out to Spalholtz Field and hopefully join the rest of the City of South Milwaukee in cheering on your Rockets to the Woodland Conference Championship.

OCTOBER 10 RECAP

The Rocket Football team traveled to Pewaukee on Friday night with a 7-0 record on the year. After lighting up the scoreboard, the Rockets left Pewaukee with an 8-0 record and a 56-41 victory!

While Pewaukee put up a lot of points, the defense stood strong when it needed to and if it weren’t for a couple of trick/fluke plays, I could argue that we could have won by 35 points. Joey Nelson (11) led the way with 14 tackles (and a 56 yard TD reception as well!). Mitchell Dess (12) had 6 passes defended and an interception. Chuks Ozodi (11) had 8 tackles and Calvin Shilling (12) and Robbie Fields (12) had 7 tackles each. 

Justin Oliden (12) was on fire and was 15-21 for 397 yards (a school record) and 5 TD’s passing. He also had 15 carries for 50 yards and a TD rushing. 397 yards is almost certainly one of the top 5 biggest passing days in Woodland history as well. Justin now has 1521 yds passing, good enough for 20th best in the state. His 21 TD’s passing is good enough to tie for 9th in the state!

Ian Pribyl (12) had another monster game as well finishing with 30 carries for 175 yards and 2 TD’s raising his rushing total to 1214 yards on the season, good enough for 19th best in the state. His 19 TD’s rushing is good enough to tie for 11th best in the state as well.

Mitchell Dess (12) had one of the best receiving nights in STATE history. Mitchell had 10 receptions for 317 yards and 4 TD’s including a remarkable catch while essentially being hit and spun into a backflip in the back of the end zone. The 317 yards is good enough to rank 3rd all-time in WIAA Football history!!! Mitchell’s 928 yards receiving is 2nd best in the state! His 14 TD’s receiving is tied for the most in the state!!!

VOTE OLIDEN!

Rocket Senior Quarterback Justin Oliden has been nominated for the AIR NATIONAL GUARD Wisconsin High School Football Player of the Week.

Click the Link Below to vote!

 http://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/435595?referrer_id=532452

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by | October 15, 2014 · 7:15 pm

Meet The Mayor This Saturday At Sorce Martial Arts

It’s time for another Meet the Mayor session, and I’m excited to be holding this one on Saturday at the newly remodeled and expanded Sorce Martial Arts at 926 Milwaukee Ave.

I’ll be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., so stop by, say hi and check out the facility. No topics are off limits.

And here are dates for the next two Meet the Mayor sessions … mark your calendars.

  • Saturday, November 15: Mears Sports Auctions
  • Saturday, December 13: Emerald City Catering

See you Saturday!

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by | October 14, 2014 · 5:48 pm

Navigating The Hoan

If you’re like me — a proud South Shore resident who commutes daily through downtown — you can’t wait for the Hoan Bridge work to be done.

Well, the bad news is it will be a while: The project won’t be complete until late 2015.

The good news: Progress is being made.

I just came across the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Hoan Bridge reconstruction website, so I’d encourage you to check it out for regular updates.

The new news is around the Jackson/Van Buren on- and off-ramp. Arch repainting also continues into the late fall.

And one more note: I think this movable barrier — where they can add a lane depending on the time of day — is really cool. I’ve never seen a piece of machinery like it.

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