Chad and his team have a terrific recap of the year that was at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center … and some information on what’s to come, including a June 10 10th anniversary season announcement.
(Hard to believe it’s already been 10 years, right?)
Check out the newsletter here, and please continue supporting this community treasure.
Filed under Community, Schools, South Milwaukee PAC
Check out these South Shore headlines …
And there is more bad news for Caterpillar and its global mining business.
Filed under Headlines
Congratulations to the Rocket softball team!
From the school district …
SOFTBALL
Congratulations to the Varsity Softball team as they finished the regular season with a 19-3 record and 16-2 mark in the Woodland Conference. That record has earned them at least a share of the Woodland Conference Championship for the 2nd year in a row!
The Rockets swept a Doubleheader against Brown Deer last night, both games by run rule.
The Rockets put themselves in position to capture the crown with a 13-4 extra-inning win at Greenfield on Monday with a stupendous NINE (9) runs in the top of the 8th inning! Maddie Veres (9) had a HR and 5 RBI while Abby Mahsem (11) continued her stellar pitching throwing 13 K’s in the win.
Next up for the Rockets is the WIAA Playoffs. Seeding is yet to be determined, but they will either start next week Tuesday or Thursday at home, depending on their seed.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
The Rocket JV Soccer team is on a roll! They beat Cudahy 4-0 on Monday and defeated Greenfield by the same score of 4-0 last night! Great job girls!
The Rocket Varsity Girls’ Soccer team lost a tough one last night to Greenfield 2-0 while playing pretty short handed, but they did beat Cudahy 3-0 on Monday in yet another crazy weather game (stopped in the 71st minute due to lightning). Nicole Adamec (10), Megan Hilbelink (11) & Emily Grunert (10) scored goals in the win!
The Rockets host Wauwatosa West tomorrow night (4:30pm JV and 6:30pm Varsity) so come on out and cheer the Rockets on at the SM Memorial Soccer Complex (old site of the Junior High).
BOYS’ TRACK
The Rockets took 2nd in the Woodland Conference Outdoor meet last night in a lightning-delayed affair. Alex Hoover (12) set the school record in the pole vaiult with a vault of 14’0″ making him the Woodland Conference Champion! Andrew O’Neill (12) also was Woodland Conference Champion in the Intermediate Hurdles and AJ Plewa (12) was Woodland Conference Champion in the Long Jump with a jump of 21′ 5″! Andrew O’Neill also took 2nd in the High Hurdles.
I will get an update on the Girls’ Track highlights later on today.
GOLF
Congrats to the rocket golfers for winning the 6th and final mini at Oakwood golf course shooting a team score of 168, making it a clean sweep 6-0 in the woodland east division! Matthew Boyle (10) lead the way with a 40, making him the woodland east division champion. Ryan Graber (10) also shot a 40. Ben Rosploch (11) andAndrew Manikham (12) shot 44’s, and Brian Hofer (12) came in with a 47.
The Rockets travel to Washington County Golf Course today for the Woodland Conference Championships. Good luck Coach Kubel and Rockets!!
BOYS’ TENNIS
The Rockets start day 2 of the Woodland Conference Tournament this afternoon at Hart Park in Wauwatosa. In the semifinals of the backdraw shooting for the Consolation Championship are #1 Singles player JP Saskowski (12), #1 Doubles team Tyler Stuhr (12) & Mathias Chapa (12) and #3 Doubles team Corey Wolf (12) & Adam Klosiewski (11). Matches begin to get called at 1:30pm.
Good luck this afternoon!
BASEBALL
The Rockets summer baseball season kicks off this Saturday at home at 11:00amagainst longtime rival Franklin! The forecast calls for 66 degrees and some sun…perfect baseball weather so come on out and check the Rockets out in their Home Opener!
Filed under Schools, South Milwaukee, Sports
I’m proud to announce that our July 4th celebration at Grant Park is getting bigger and better in 2014, thanks to the generosity of two local businesses: TASC Services and Max A. Sass & Sons Funeral and Cremation Service.
New this year: a Mayor’s Picnic (free lunch for all attendees) and bouncy houses.
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.
But this year all attendees are invited to the Mayor’s Picnic, where we’ll serve hot dogs, chips, ice cream, 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, courtesy of Max A. Sass, temporary tattoos for the kids, courtesy of the South Milwaukee Rec Department, and more … all ending with fireworks that night.
My goal is to find new ways to get more families to our July 4th events and keep those families at Grant Park longer. Thanks to these donations, I think we’ll accomplish that this year.
Thanks to TASC and Max A. Sass for stepping up! Mark your calendars, and make Grant Park part of your July 4th plans.
Filed under South Milwaukee
While there isn’t a parade this year, South Milwaukee will still honor its fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.
The city’s Memorial Day ceremony is Monday morning, May 26, as attendees gather at the American Legion Hall Post #27 at 10:30 a.m. and walk to War Memorial park for a ceremony starting at 11.
The South Milwaukee High School and Municipal Bands will play, and there will be a memorial wreath laying and an award presented for South Milwaukee Veteran of the Year.
Learn more here … and please keep everyone who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country in your thoughts and prayers this Memorial Day (and every day).
The Legion hall is at 906 Monroe Ave. War Memorial Park is near 10th and Rawson Avenues.
Filed under Community
You may have seen this item on JSOnline — a story about one of the city’s newest firefighters.
The South Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission appointed Nathan Fager to the role of firefighter on May 13, and the City Council will vote on recognizing that appointment at its meeting Tuesday night. Mr. Fager is expected to start with the SMFD on June 1.
I stand behind the selection made by the PFC, which, per state statute, handles all police and fire hiring, discipline, etc., so as to remove politics from the process. The PFC, department and others fully vetted Mr. Fager prior to his appointment and were assured by a number of Milwaukee department officials that, while he was assigned to the station in question as a probationary firefighter, he was not part of the vandalism, nor did he witness it.
Moreover, Mr. Fager was a highly decorated member of the Milwaukee Police Department before seeking to move to the fire department, and he was at the top of his MFD Fire Academy class, well-regarded by instructors. He also went through our very comprehensive employment process, which includes a written exam, psychological evaluation, interviews and a background investigation.
I wish Mr. Fager well in joining a first-class department.
Filed under City Services, Fire, South Milwaukee
Check out the report here, and learn more about the department, its people, and its work in keeping our community safe.
From it …
Once again, the members of the South Milwaukee Fire Department demonstrated their commitment to providing an exceptionally high level of service and standard of coverage with the limited resources at hand.
Call volume remained relatively stable during 2013 with a slight increase in the number of emergency medical service (EMS) calls. This increase is something that is being realized across our country as the demographics of our society change to reveal an aging population. While the number of incidents classified as “building fires” was less, the number of actual working fires increased. Our department requested mutual aid from our neighbors for 7 working structure fires in 2013. Dollar loss from these fires remained relatively unchanged when compared to 2012. Unfortunately, the fire department experienced its first fire fatality in a residential house fire in over 10 years in a fire that occurred on December 21st in a single-family home that claimed the life of an 80-year male. The cause of this fire remains undetermined.
Filed under City Services, Fire, South Milwaukee
The Frontier League team initially proposed for Franklin is now looking at Oak Creek — on a site across the street from South Milwaukee’s Fourth District.
Here is the Business Journal story …
Zimmerman now is working with Cobalt Partners LLC, Milwaukee, to build on a 62-acre property at the southwest corner of East College and South Pennsylvania avenues in Oak Creek. The U.S. Postal Service owns the property, and has been working with Cobalt to develop it.
Oak Creek’s Common Council on Tuesday will consider a proposed tax incremental financing and development agreement that Cobalt submitted. Zimmerman, via email, confirmed the TIF proposal is for his stadium project.
I’ll keep you posted.
Here is the Oak Creek City Council agenda.
Filed under Oak Creek, South Milwaukee
Thursday night brought one of my favorite events of the year: the 128th Air Refueling Wing Civic Dinner Dance. And the event had a local flavor.
Among the honorees from retired Chief Master Sergeant Tom Ludka, a former South Milwaukee resident who, along with his wife Barb, still has strong roots in the community.
Ludka, who spent nearly 30 years in our fair city, was inducted into the Wisconsin Air National Guard Hall of Fame, which was established in 1982 as a way to honor “enlisted or commissioned airmen who have greatly contributed to the success of the mission of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.”
That certainly sums up Chief Ludka, whose biography is as impressive as his commitment to community. Congratulations!
The Honored Citizen recipient was Richard Paradowski of St. Francis.
Filed under Community, South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee High School’s REAL Academy — an alternative school within a school serving high-need, at-risk, special education youth — is a terrific example of education innovation, a sign of the district’s commitment to do everything in its power to educate all students and engage all students in the community.
Here is a recent example provided by academy teacher Joanna Rizzotto …
On Friday, May 9th, students from the South Milwaukee High School REAL Academy participated in rain garden planting and water quality testing at Grant Park in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks and the Great Lakes Alliance. Students surveyed the natural areas, planted a rain garden in a parking lot median near picnic area 3&4, and evaluated the health of water on the beach and in creek beds. This was the third event the students have participated in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks to prevent erosion and work toward coastal restoration at Grant Park. Earlier in the year the students planted trees and removed invasive species. Grant Park is a South Milwaukee community treasure. The REAL Academy students will continue the partnership with Milwaukee County Parks into next school year and are proud to contribute to the stewardship of a park they use often and know so well.
Filed under Community, Schools, South Milwaukee
The South Milwaukee Downtown Market begins its sixth summer season on Thursday, June 5 … one block away from its traditional home.
You’ve probably noticed construction on 11th Avenue, which is expected to continue through July. Until then, the market will set up in the Salvatore’s/Papa Luigi’s II/Caterpillar parking lot on 12th and Milwaukee. The market will move back to its current home when the work is done.
Hours are the same: 3 to 7 p.m. each week. And the market will still feature the same vendors and weekly live music at its new (two-month) home.
So mark your calendar, and we’ll see you June 5!
Check out the NOW story for more.
(And look forward to the new-look 11th Avenue, too. When it’s done, besides a new road, the project will deliver decorative lighting, enhanced landscaping and other improvements.)
The FBI has more details on the robbery Sunday evening at South Milwaukee’s Tri-City Pick ‘n Save location, with an image of the suspect and word that they are looking at the man for other crimes …
Here is the press release.
Filed under Crime, South Milwaukee
Check out these South Shore headlines …
And NOW has published a couple new police blotters, from May 5 and May 12, including this item …
Police are seeking a South Milwaukee man suspected of taking $1,780 in cash from Marquette Liquor, 1123 Marquette Ave., just after 9 p.m. April 28. According to police reports the man was helping close the store, but was seen on a surveillance video re-entering the store at about 9:06 p.m. He went to where receipts were kept, then left immediately. The man’s mother told police he had left home early the next morning.
Filed under Headlines, South Milwaukee
“As a result of this new agreement, each community will be analyzing its fire and emergency response plans and determining whether neighboring communities might have resources closer to an emergency than the home communities’ resource in order to provide a rapid response to critical emergencies,” said Greendale Fire Chief Tim Saidler, the President of the Milwaukee County Association of Fire Chiefs.
Here is the press release for the initiative, which area mayors and village presidents signed earlier today at the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council meeting in West Allis.
(That’s me signing in the photo.)
For us, this agreement essentially formalizes something we’ve done for years — partnering with nearby communities to fight fires and provide emergency medical response. But it doesn’t hurt to put this in writing … and potentially find new approaches to make these partnerships even stronger.
Check out more coverage from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Filed under City Services, Fire, South Milwaukee
Just got this from the South Milwaukee Police Department …
On 05-11-14 at 1951 hrs the Tri City Bank, located within the Pick N Save, 2931 South Chicago Ave was robbed by a lone subject. No weapons were implied or displayed. Subject left the scene on foot and has not yet been located. Investigation is ongoing.
I will keep you posted. And to receive crime alert updates like these via email, learn more here.
Filed under Crime, Police, South Milwaukee
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