I had a great time at yesterday’s July 4th celebration at Grant Park, but I’m wondering — is there any way to make it better?
So I ask you, readers: What suggestions do you have to improve the city’s Independence Day celebration? Or is it just fine the way it is?
Post your comments below!
Filed under Community
A big thank-you to South Chicago Veterinary Clinic … filling a need that I honestly never gave much thought to until now.
Late last week, Dr. Frederick “Rick” Ruhl, of the South Chicago Veterinary Clinic in Oak Creek, generously replenished our supply of animal oxygen masks. Dr. Ruhl originally donated two sets of these masks to our department, as well as the Oak Creek Fire Department, several years ago to use on animals suffering from respiratory distress. As a result of his donations, emergency responders are now better equipped and more aware than ever of the importance of providing supplemental oxygen to animals that suffer from respiratory distress, especially when exposed to the smoke and fumes from fires. SMFD recently used a mask to assist a dog at the fire we responded to a few weeks back on Blakewood Avenue. In addition, this equipment allows emergency responders to support families in crisis by taking care of what is important to them – their pets. The focus of the fire department in supporting families that have suffered loss due to fire revolves around the Four P’s – People, Pets, Pictures (personal belongings), and Pills (prescriptions). The peace of mind this gives pet owners is tremendous as pets are often considered one of the family and their loss can be devastating, especially when compounded by the damage and destruction resulting from a fire.
Update: Pat Jursik also has a press release out on why she voted to dismiss the county corporation counsel.
Check out these South Shore headlines …
Also, state Sen. Chris Larson has published two new Larson Reports with his thoughts on the recently signed state budget and July 4 wishes.
Filed under Headlines
And it includes an item on the Oak Creek watercourse …
Mayor Tom Zepecki, Don Bulley of the Friends of Mill Pond and I attended the Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) Root-Pike Watershed conference at Wingspread Conference Center on June 13, 2013. This conference discussed the study underway regarding the Root River Watershed. The City of South Milwaukee starting south of Grant Park and about the entire city east of the railroad tracks is included in the Root River Watershed study. Corrective action plans were discussed. This initiative is underway to improve the water quality of Lake Michigan and the shore line. The good news provided is that the Oak Creek Watershed will be their next project. No time was given but hopefully within the next few years. Money for this work is obtained from the Fund for Lake Michigan. The goal of the work is to identify priority areas for restoration.
Here is the full newsletter.
Filed under Milwaukee County
The thousands of pages of documents released Monday by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee about alleged priest sex abuse names names — including six former priests once assigned to South Milwaukee parishes.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the following men were “diocesan priests removed or restricted from ministry because of substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of at least one minor.” In parentheses are the names of the parishes in South Milwaukee where these former priests were assigned at one point, again according to the newspaper.
You can link to the case files for each individual on the Journal Sentinel website.
Please keep all the victims of these horrific crimes (whether their perpetrators were convicted or not) in your thoughts and prayers.
Filed under Crime
July 4 is one of my favorite holidays, and in South Milwaukee it’s all about Grant Park.
As usual, festivities start at 10 a.m. with the children’s bike parade, with games, food, beer, music and more scheduled the rest of the day at Brown Pavilion, picnic areas five and six. Fireworks start around 9:30 a.m.
Learn more here.
Here is a full list of area July 4 festivities, and check out a Grant Park map.
The South Milwaukee Fire Department also has some firework safety tips.
Happy Independence Day!
A few news and notes from recent South Milwaukee City Council meetings …
Filed under City Council
South Shore Supervisor Pat Jursik was one of the Milwaukee County Board members who voted to fire the county corporation counsel earlier this month.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more details as to why in a story published Friday. Check it out here, and these South Shore headlines …
And the Journal Sentinel has a very positive review of the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center’s 2013-14 season. Check it out here.
Filed under Headlines
Caterpillar’s Bay View welding operation, called an “overflow plant” for Caterpillar, employs about 60 to 70 workers.
From the Milwaukee Business Journal story …
Caterpillar Inc. will discontinue welding operations at its small Milwaukee facility and shift the work to its South Milwaukee factory, the company said in an email Thursday.
Caterpillar said the decision is not expected to result in additional job cuts beyond the previously announced indefinite layoffs of 260 production workers at the South Milwaukee plant due to weakness in the mining sector.
Peoria, Ill.-based equipment manufacturer Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) has its global mining equipment headquarters in Oak Creek.
Caterpillar’s Milwaukee welding operations are located within the Chase Commerce Center, 3073 S. Chase Ave., in the Bay View neighborhood.
“Due to current business conditions and demand for products made in the Milwaukee area, Caterpillar has informed its employees that it will consolidate welding work now conducted in the Milwaukee facility with similar welding work conducted in South Milwaukee,” Caterpillar said in an emailed statement to The Business Journal. “As we move forward this year, the company will conduct an orderly transition of the work from the Milwaukee location to South Milwaukee.”
Here is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage.
Filed under Caterpillar, Local Business
Check out these South Shore headlines …
And NOW has published a new police blotter.
Filed under Headlines
Update: An reward of up to $2,000 is being offered in the case.
South Milwaukee police want to talk to two “persons of interest” following the June 16 hit-and-run motorcycle crash in South Milwaukee that injured two.
Here is the release …
On Sunday June 16, 2013 at about 4:45pm the City of South Milwaukee Police Department responded to a hit and run crash at the intersection of 15th Avenue at Drexel Blvd. in the City of South Milwaukee. The suspect vehicle, which was described by witnesses as a maroon in color early to mid 2000s GMC Yukon, struck a motorcycle and then fled from the scene. The operator of the motorcycle remains hospitalized. The striking vehicle should have passenger side damage, a tinted window missing, and was reportedly occupied by two persons described as black males.
Attached are still photos of surveillance camera footage from a gas station a few blocks from the crash scene. The images are of a maroon Yukon and the two males that had occupied it when it came into and then left the gas station minutes before the above reported crash. The City of South Milwaukee Police Department would like assistance in identifying the men and vehicle in these images so that they can be located, the persons interviewed and the vehicle examined. Probable cause does not exist to arrest these subjects or charge them with any crime.
Persons with information on the pictured subjects and vehicle or any other information regarding this incident are encouraged to contact the South Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 768-8060. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the Southern Milwaukee County Crime Stoppers at (866) 373-6227. Persons providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this hit and run could get cash reward up to $1000.00 from Crime Stoppers and the family of the victim have offered a cash reward currently at $1000.00. Callers should refer to South Milwaukee Police Department case #13-013687.
Fox 6 has the story. From it …
Officials were called to Appleton Electric in South Milwaukee on Sunday, June 23rd in response to reports of explosions.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. at the Appleton Electric building next to Grant Park. Officials say the “explosions” were caused by a transformer on the building that shorted out.
Officials say the flames quickly went out on their own.
No one was hurt, and damage was minimal.
I’ll keep you posted if I learn more.
The Interstate 94 on- and off-ramps won’t open until late fall, but Rawson Avenue is open once again following the construction and movement into place of a new overpass bridge.
One lane is open each way into September.
Check out information on the Wisconsin DOT I-94 construction website, including this video of the new bridge being put into place.
Filed under Construction
My family has some go-to local businesses in the South Shore.
For Mexican food, it’s Azteca, hands down. For Chinese, it’s China Chef. For hardware, it’s South Milwaukee Ace. For groceries, it’s Pick ‘n Save or Piggly Wiggly. Parkway Floral, Donn Powers Jeweler, Studio One Art Glass, Green Flag Racing … the list goes on.
There is another one that’s been at the top of this list for us for years: Cudahy Midas. We go nowhere else for car repairs.
Why? Because I know we will get great customer service, affordable repairs, quality workmanship and, perhaps most importantly, straight talk from Mike Surprenant and his crew.
So it came as a shock today when I took our van in for an oil change … only to hear that Midas Mike had passed away unexpectedly on June 9 from a heart attack. He was 52. What a tragic loss, made even more tragic by Mike’s hard work on improving his fitness in recent months, working through Anytime Fitness in Cudahy.
He leaves behind a wife, four children and a grandchild — and a legacy of running a business the right way.
He will be missed. Rest in peace, Mike. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family, friends and employees.
Filed under Local Business
That’s according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which has added South Milwaukee to its list of communities with confirmed cases of emerald ash borer.
Thankfully, we’re doing something about it, although I fear it’s too late. Our tree study is underway, and we’ll have a better idea of the potential scope of the problem — and potential short, medium and long-term solutions to debate — once it’s done.
Learn more about EAB here.
For the record, here are all the communities added today to the list of confirmed cases …
Apparently, the infected tree in question in South Milwaukee was removed from Oak Creek Parkway.
Filed under Emerald Ash Borer
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