Congratulations to the South Milwaukee softball team, which clinched the Woodland Conference championship last week.
The Rockets also won their WIAA regional opener, 7-5, over Racine Horlick on Tuesday. Next up for the seventh-seeded Rockets is a regional final against second-seeded Kenosha Tremper.
Gametime is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in Kenosha.
Here is the bracket. Go Rockets!
Just got this email about a cool event coming up Thursday …
Blakewood Elementary Troop 3011 is hosting DiscoverSTEM on Thursday May 23rd from 4:00-7:30 pm. We were hoping you could share a little about this awesome showstopping event.
Eight members of the Troop won the Gracious Professionalism Award at both the Regional & State Competitions for First Lego League and are now sharing the amazing things they have learned about STEM and Character Education.
Fox 6 has more information on the event, which includes science experiments, technology displays, engineering robotics demonstrations and a math scavenger hunt.
Filed under Community
Various media outlets are reporting that negotiations between Caterpillar and the United Steelworkers will resume Thursday.
Let’s hope there is progress.
Check out coverage in BizTimes.com, The Business Journal, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wall Street Journal.
And check out Caterpillar’s “2013 Milwaukee Negotiations” website, which includes details on the previous contract offered and other updates.
Filed under Caterpillar, Local Business
Check out these South Shore headlines …
And NOW has published a new police blotter, which includes too many reports of vandalism and these two disturbing robbery reports …
Filed under Headlines
Simply tragic. Tragic.
But not necessarily surprising — not in an era where it seems like weather is more extreme than ever.
Please keep everyone impacted by these storms in your prayers. And hold your kids a bit tighter tonight.
Filed under Weather
The Business Journal has the story … and the South Milwaukee Plan Commission and City Council will take up the issue at meetings this week.
From the article …
Developer Heitzer Inc., Oconomowoc, has proposed 16 townhouse-style apartment units in South Milwaukee on a 1.5 acre former manufacturing site.
Mike Heitzer, who also has built townhouses in Oak Creek, said he expects to rent the three-bedroom townhouses for $1,100 a month. They are proposed at 909 Menomonee Ave., a vacant site the city owns.
“I don’t think there is a lot that has been built down there, and I think there’s a need for it,” Heitzer said.
Heitzer is seeking city approval for the development plan, and said he wants to start construction as soon as possible if approved.
You will recall another project had been proposed here last year, but the one under consideration now is from a different developer.
I’ll keep you posted.
Here is the Plan Commission agenda, and here is the council agenda.
Filed under Development
Continuing a regular series of blog posts on the South Milwaukee Police Department’s annual award winners …
This one was particularly inspiring (and emotional) to hear at the South Milwaukee City Council meeting earlier this month, as Mrs. Schulz — and the man she saved, and his family — were in attendance.
Police Chief Ann Wellens also read from a heart-felt story posted on NOW about the case. It’s absolutely worth the read.
CITIZEN RECOGNITION AWARD
Whenever any officer believes that behavior coming to the attention personally or through a third party is deserving of recognition by the Department, an officer should indicate the circumstances of the incident in writing and should forward same to the Awards Committee. Upon Committee approval, the Chief will affix their stamp of approval.
Mrs. Cynthia Schulz
Officer Dave Stratton recommended Mrs. Schulz for a Citizen Recognition Award for her actions on May 15, 2012.
On May 15, 2012 Ms. Schulz was driving on College Avenue in South Milwaukee when she observed a serious traffic accident. She immediately stopped at the scene and began rendering assistance. Ms. Schulz removed the non-responsive driver from the vehicle and immediately began CPR. Ms. Schulz continued CPR until relieved by SMFD personnel. Because of her actions the driver of the vehicle was transported to Froedert Hospital and began a successful recovery. Ms. Schulz’s concern for this subject and his welfare should be commended.
Filed under Uncategorized
Business Week has an interesting profile of Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman, as the labor dispute in South Milwaukee continues.
Among the comments: “We can never make enough profit.” From it:
After walking through the Peoria factory, Oberhelman takes off his safety glasses and sits down to eat his low-carb lunch: turkey wrapped in lettuce. He talks about his upbringing in Illinois and his career at Caterpillar. He lists his hobbies (hunting, “outdoors things”). Then comes the difficult question: Why is Caterpillar fighting its workers over wages? Oberhelman nods briskly, eager to put the issue to rest.
“We have to be competitive if we’re gonna win. And frankly, if we’re not competitive … we’re not gonna be here in the next 30 years. That’s a simple message, but”—he starts to hammer his hand against the table, punctuating his words with raps—“it’s very … very … tough.” After a pause, he lets his hand lay flat.
“I always try to communicate to our people that we can never make enough money,” Oberhelman continues. “We can never make enough profit.”
Filed under Caterpillar, Local Business
It seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it?
Well, the South Milwaukee Downtown Market open its fifth season on Thursday, May 23, bigger and better than ever.
As always, the market is open from 3 to 7 p.m., and we’re located at 11th and Milwaukee Avenues. Our season runs for 20 weeks through Oct. 10, taking July 4 off.
Here is the press release, and check out the market website for more information.
Tell your family and friends, and bring them with you on Thursday. It’s going to be a great summer!
South Milwaukee’s Bernice Czarnezki was the honored citizen at Thursday’s 128th Air Refueling Wing Civic Dinner Dance. I was happy to be there for the event — and thank this wonderful woman for all she has done for our community.
Please join me in wishing her congratulations. At 87 years young, she has earned them.
Update: Milwaukee Avenue was expected to reopen by late Friday afternoon.
Sorry I didn’t blog about this before now, but those of you who drove through downtown South Milwaukee today already know this: Milwaukee Avenue is closed at the railroad tracks in both directions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Here is the good news: The crossing is expected to reopen Saturday.
Union Pacific is performing crossing maintenance, forcing the closure. Detour routes are posted and include using Rawson Avenue, Marquette Avenue and Highway 32.
Filed under Construction
Check out these South Shore headlines …
Also, bird watchers are gathering this Sunday, May 19, at Wil-o-Way Grant for a Warbler Walk. Apparently, warblers love Grant Park. Who knew? Learn more here.
Filed under Headlines
If you haven’t already found alternate travel plans to avoid the mess around Interstate 94 and Rawson Avenue in recent months, you should probably do so ASAP.
The big news — Rawson will be completely closed from 13th to 20th Streets from May 28 to late June. Freeway and ramp closures are also planned at various times.
See the full recap from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation here. I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Construction
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the story, which quotes FBI documents as saying Wade Michael Page lived for a time in South Milwaukee. From it:
According to the FBI search warrant, Page was in a relationship with Misty Cook from April 2011 to June 2012. The document does not say how they met, but at first it was a long-distance relationship. Page, 40, and Cook, 32, traveled back and forth between Wisconsin and North Carolina from April to October 2011 to visit each other, it says.
During Cook’s trip to visit Page in May 2011, the couple visited a shooting range and Cook fired Page’s 9mm handgun, according to the warrant.
Cook cannot legally handle a firearm because of a previous conviction. After the Oak Creek shooting, police searched her South Milwaukee apartment and found a gun. No charges have been filed in state or federal court. State and federal prosecutors did not return calls for comment Monday on Cook.
Cook and Page were active participants in an online message forum for a white supremacist group and joined in dozens of the same conversations – including some well before the time that Page is thought to have moved to this area, according to research by the Anti-Defamation League and the Journal Sentinel.
The Journal Sentinel reviewed posts under the names “End Apathy” and “Luluroman” on a message board for a white supremacy group known as the “Hammerskins.” According to the league, Page frequently posted under the name End Apathy – the name of his skinhead band – and Cook used the Luluroman handle.
In October 2011, Page used the forum to promote his band. That same month, Page moved from North Carolina to live with Cook in South Milwaukee. Page was an alcoholic skinhead, Cook later told the FBI.
In January 2012, Page encouraged Cook to join “Crew 38,” a Chicago-based white power group. Toward the end of their relationship, Page became increasingly interested in conspiracy theories and videos online, according to the newly unsealed documents. The warrant does not detail what Page was looking at on the web, but it said Cook was disturbed by it.
The warrant also says Page was active on social media, having at least two Facebook pages, under the names “Wade Hammer” and “Jackboot.” …
Page and Cook split in June 2012, and he moved into an apartment in Cudahy.
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