Fire Reported On North Chicago Avenue

313 North Chicago 002Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire at 313 N. Chicago Ave. in South Milwaukee this morning … but there was extensive damage to the home. Please keep the family in your prayers.

Here is the report from the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approximately 10:13AM this morning, SMFD received a 911 call of fire in the living room at 313 North Chicago Avenue.  Due to the nature of the 911 call, an immediate request for a “Working Still” level response was called bringing in mutual aid assistance from Oak Creek, Cudahy, St. Francis and the 128th Air Guard.  Upon my arrival, dark smoke was issuing from the front door and a front window that had broken out from the fire.  Contact with the occupants proved that all had self-evacuated and the fire was located in the living room.  Hoselines were laid to the front door and a quick knockdown of the fire was made by SMFD crews.  Additional crews performed a search of the dwelling to confirm the absence of occupants. The occupants also evacuated their pets from the house.  Heat and smoke damage to the living room was extensive with moderate to extensive smoke damage to the rest of the first floor and moderate to light smoke damage to the 2nd floor and basement.  WE Energies was called to the scene to control the utilities and the American Red Cross was requested to assist the family with lodging and belongings.  No injuries to the occupants or fire personnel were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  Damage to the structure is approximately $50,000.

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Three 21st Assembly District Candidates Enter The Fray

Update: And, now, a fourth

Three Republicans have stepped up so far …

An Oak Creek alderman, a school choice champion and tea party leader.

Here is the Oak Creek Patch story on Jessie Rodriguez and Larry Gamble. And here is the story on Ken Gehl.

I’ll keep you posted … and post your comments below!

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Filed under 2012 Elections, Oak Creek, Politics, South Milwaukee, State Lawmakers

Report: South Milwaukee’s Grobschmidt Pool Targeted For Closure

South Milwaukee’s Grobschmidt Pool is one of four Milwaukee County pools the new parks director is eyeing for closure in 2014, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Here is the story. From it …

Indoor pools at Noyes and Pulaski parks and outdoor pools at Jackson and Grobschmidt parks all have relatively high costs and low attendance, Dargle said.

A proposed pool closing plan would include reinvestment of savings for other amenities at those parks, Dargle said in an interview and comments before the County Board’s parks committee Tuesday.

He said costs greatly exceeded revenue at Noyes and Pulaski pools each year, in response to a question by Supervisor Khalif Rainey on whether Abele would propose their closure.

“We are losing some money at those” pools, Dargle said. “They are old pools.”

Noyes Pool is at 8235 W. Good Hope Road and Pulaski is at 2701 S. 16th St.

The two pools need a combined $4.2 million in repairs, the report said. That includes nearly $1 million in electrical work and more than $700,000 for heating and cooling system upgrades.

In the interview, Dargle added Jackson and Grobschmidt to the potential closure list. The Jackson Park pool is at 3500 W. Forest Home Ave. Grobschmidt pool is at 2600 16th Ave. in South Milwaukee.

An Abele spokesman said full details of his 2014 budget won’t be released until next week. Any potential changes with pools Abele may propose would be better described as offering supervisors “options to open amenities that get more use by the public” and cost less, said spokesman Brendan Conway.

This is really disappointing news and thankfully far from the final word. As this debate continues, please make your voice heard … and let’s work to save this community amenity.

As County Board Chairwoman Marina Dimtrijevic put it: “I don’t understand this philosophy of eliminating public amenities.”

Instead, let’s invest in them to make them viable. What a concept.

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Filed under Community, Milwaukee County, Parks, South Milwaukee

Date Set For Assembly Election

Now we just need some candidates …

Here is the Oak Creek Patch story. The special election in the race to replace South Milwaukee Republican Mark Honadel for his 21st Assembly District seat is set for Nov. 19, with any primary being held on Oct. 22.

Also, check out the press release and executive order. Nomination papers are due Sept. 24.

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Filed under 2013 Elections, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, State Lawmakers

More Headlines

Check out these South Shore headlines …

Also, Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik has put out a press release announcing committee passage of a regional housing plan. It and the report itself are worth a read.

And NOW has published a new police blotter.

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Going Pink Again In South Milwaukee

Thanks to a partnership between the South Milwaukee School District and the South Milwaukee Police Department, the city is going pink on Oct. 15. The goal: Raise money for breast cancer awareness and to help find a cure.

South Milwaukee High School has some cool-looking t-shirts for sale, with proceeds going to the Justice for the Cure Foundation. Here is the flyer, and here is more information on NOW.

T-shirt order forms are also available from Parkway Floral.

Let’s hope we can beat last year’s total!

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Filed under Community, Police, Schools

Reading More Tea Leaves On Honadel’s Replacement

Mark Honadel has yet to officially step down from his Assembly seat, but the search for candidates is in full swing.

The Wisconsin State Journal and Oak Creek Patch have stories, including this information …

But Jessie Rodriguez, who is making plans to run for an Assembly seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Mark Honadel, R-South Milwaukee, could represent a significant step forward in the state GOP’s attempts to diversify.

Rodriguez is an outreach coordinator for Hispanics for School Choice, a non-profit advocacy group that pushes for the expansion of private voucher schools. It has close links to several Republicans, such as former Department of Administration Secretary Jim Klauser, the group’s advisory chairman. The group is also tight with socially conservative Christian groups, as illustrated by the motto on the group’s website: “Faith, Family, Freedom.”

Rodriguez did not respond to emails seeking comment. So far, she appears to have registered a campaign website but the content, if any exists, is still not publicly accessible. She has a Facebook campaign page up which includes a short statement declaring her support for local government and school accountability. 

The district, which includes South Milwaukee and Oak Creek, leans Republican but is competitive. Mitt Romney edged out President Obama in the district last year, 51-49. But in a low-turnout special election, the Republican advantage is typically greater, meaning Democrats have an uphill battle.

The district is only seven percent Hispanic but in a swing district, that bloc of voters is too sizable to ignore.

Joel Gratz, executive director of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, says Democrats expect to have an announced candidate next week and hope to avoid a primary.

“It’s a very winnable seat so finding the best candidate and getting them a quick, strong start will be important to winning it,” he says. 

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Filed under 2013 Elections, State Lawmakers

The Beat Goes On: Rockets Move To 4-0 With Win Over Brown Deer

South Milwaukee’s perfect season continues …

Ian Pribyl rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, and Andrew Plewa caught seven passes for 100 yards to lead the Rocket football team to 29-14 victory over Brown Deer Friday night at Spaltholz Field.

Quarterback Justin Oliden was 9-of-15 passing for 145 yards and added a touchdown on the ground for South Milwaukee, which scored 15 unanswered points to snap a 14-14 halftime tie.

Next up: Tough road tests at Whitnall and Greenfield.

More details here … and go Rockets!

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Filed under Schools, South Milwaukee, Sports

Flu Clinics Coming To South Milwaukee Health Department

Need a flu shot?

The South Milwaukee Health Department is offering flu clinics from 2 to 4 p.m. every Thursday starting September 26. Shots are $30 for adults 19 and over. Uninsured children and those on Badgercare or Medicaid get shots for free.

No appointments are necessary.

Learn more here, and check out the Health Department’s web page.

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Headlines (And Little League News)

Check out these South Shore headlines …

NOW has published a new police blotter.

And there is this from the South Milwaukee Little League …

This Friday, September 13th at 6:30, before the Rocket football game at Spaltholz Field the 2013 Intermediate All-Star State Champs will be honored. Please come and join us in this celebration and stay for the Rocket football game as they take on Brown Deer at 7:00.

You’ll recall the historic season the Intermediate team had in 2013.

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South Shore Fire Consolidation Report Released

Are we better as three or one?

That’s the question we’ll have to answer in the South Shore when it comes to fire consolidation.

The Public Policy Forum weighs in on the issue in a detailed study commissioned by South Milwaukee, Cudahy and St. Francis released this morning. Here is the press release. From it …

Three consolidation scenarios are presented for consideration, which differ based on minimum staffing levels at each station location. It is assumed that under each scenario, the consolidated department would have identical governance, command and administrative structures, as well as the same apparatus and equipment. In addition, it is assumed that one of Cudahy’s two fire stations could be eliminated under each of the scenarios, so that the three cities collectively would be served by three stations – one each in Cudahy, South Milwaukee and St. Francis.

 “Our fiscal analysis estimates that the impacts of a consolidated department could range from a collective added annual operating cost of $67,000 for one of the three staffing models, to annual operating savings ranging from $248,000 to $890,000 for the other two,” says Forum President Rob Henken. “In addition, under each of the scenarios, we estimate that the three cities would save more than $1.7 million in vehicle replacement costs over the next seven years because of the ability to shrink the size of the collective vehicle fleet.”

Obviously, this is a very complex issue that requires further additional examination and debate before any action is taken — or not taken, for that matter. Should we consolidate at all? If so, what should that look like?

My take is consistent: I am open to consolidation, as long as we can save money while also delivering the same level (or an enhanced level) of service. These options may deliver on that … but the devil will be in the details.

I promise to continue to get as informed on possible on this issue and act in the best interest of the city. I also pledge to think about this holistically, not forgetting that we also did a dispatch consolidation study a year ago with its own set of recommendations.

Whatever happens, I will keep you informed along the way. The community must be involved in this debate, and I encourage you to make your voices heard.

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Filed under City Services, Cudahy, South Milwaukee

SMPD Warns Of Door-To-Door Scam

Here is the information from the South Milwaukee Police Department …

I received an email from a South Milwaukee citizen this evening reporting a possible door-to-door solicitation scam.  This particular one revolved around the Milwaukee Restoration Church and a male using the name “Eugene Hankins.”  The Milwaukee Restoration Church is an actual organization that solicits door-to-door for legitimate reasons, Hankins is no longer affiliated with the church and does not fund raise for them.  If you feel something is not right about a solicitor, the best thing to do is politely decline.  You can also call the SMPD (or your local jurisdiction) and report the incident.  As always, when reporting an incident be sure to report in a timely manner and include a description of the person and the behavior that you found to be suspicious.  

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Growing Locally: Sorce Martial Arts Invests In Downtown South Milwaukee

We need more businesses like Sorce Martial Arts in downtown South Milwaukee.

The studio has announced an expansion and remodeling project made possible by the Sorces purchasing the building they call home at 926 Milwaukee Ave. Learn more in this news release, and on the studio’s Facebook page.

From the release …

Sorce Martial Arts opened its doors in 2004 with about 1,600 square feet of training space and 50 students. In 2007, the school grew to more than 120 students and was expanded to approximately 3,300 square feet. The latest expansion will nearly double the training space to serve the school’s current enrollment of approximately 220 students, two full-time and three part-time employees. Completion of the renovation is expected later this year.

Thanks to the Sorces for choosing to expand in South Milwaukee, and let’s hope they have many more years of success at 10th and Milwaukee Avenues.

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Filed under Development, Local Business, South Milwaukee

Out In The Community

Fire hydrant smallerIf you were driving around town today, you may have noticed (they were hard to miss) the yellow “God’s Work … Our Hands” shirts. They were on the backs of more than 150 members of Trinity Lutheran Church, as we fanned out across South Milwaukee and the area to do community service projects.

This is a picture of me and the family painting a few of the city’s more than 600 fire hydrants. Others picked up garbage, harvested vegetables at the Hunger Task Force farm, cleaned up at Human Concerns, painted benches the South Milwaukee arboretum, even wrote letters to soldiers, among other projects.

If you’re looking for a church that is committed to making a difference, try Trinity. It’s an amazing group of people led by an amazing pastor — and I’m proud to be a small part of the congregation.

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Free Knowledge: Community Invited To Presentation By Local Historian, Author Gurda On September 22

We’re bringing a Community Lecture Series to my church — Trinity Lutheran in South Milwaukee — and the community is invited.

Our first two speakers are noted Milwaukee historian John Gurda on Sept. 22, and award-winning local children’s author Janet Halfmann on Nov. 3 Both Sunday events start at 4 p.m., to be followed by a simple supper, and they are free and open to the public.

Gurda has authored 19 books on local history and will bring his “Making of Milwaukee” book and television documentary to life with a fascinating examination of the people, places and events that have shaped the Milwaukee area.

Halfmann, who lives in South Milwaukee, has authored more than a dozen children’s books, including critically acclaimed titles like “Little Skink’s Tale,” “Fur and Feathers,” “Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish” and “Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be?” She will speak about her journey to becoming an author and share tips of for aspiring writers.

Both authors will also sell and sign copies of their books.

I hope you can stop by!

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Filed under Community, South Milwaukee