by | May 14, 2012 · 10:55 pm

Bursting At The Seams: Caterpillar Seeks More Parking From The City

It’s almost always a good thing when your largest local employer needs more parking. That’s certainly the case with Caterpillar.

The mining equipment maker — which continues to be in growth mode locally — has been in discussions with the city for some time about finding solutions to its parking crunch.

And here is where we’ve ended up: Potentially leasing a small piece of city-owned land at 1701 10th Ave. to Caterpillar, which would pave it and do whatever else it takes to get the site ready for up to 50 parked cars.

The city’s Public Works & Public Property Committee discussed the item at its meeting on Monday night. I’ll keep you posted.

The city has owned the site for some time, and it has already put around $20,000 into the property in acquisition and demolition costs. Leasing the land will help us recoup some of that money — while still allowing for future development there, even if that is unlikely given its odd shape and location. And it shows our willingness to do what we can to make it easier to do business in South Milwaukee.

That’s why I support this. What do you think?

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by | May 14, 2012 · 10:42 pm

More Headlines

Check out these headlines of local interest …

Also, South Milwaukee NOW has published a new police blotter, which includes this disturbing item:

Police received several reports about 7:10 p.m. May 9 of a man standing behind a light pole in the 1400 block of Rawson Avenue for about 45 minutes staring at little kids playing in the area, while keeping his hands near his groin area. When he was confronted by the callers, the man became aggressive and tried to fight them. Police checked the man out; he had no prior sexual-related offenses on his record. He was warned to stay away from the area and sent on his way.

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by | May 11, 2012 · 10:16 pm

Mark Your Calendars! South Milwaukee Farmers’ Market Returns May 24 — With Special Guest Melinda Myers

Nationally recognized gardening expert and author Melinda Myers will help the South Milwaukee Downtown Market take root this summer, as she appears at the market’s outdoor season debut on Thursday, May 24.

The market is located on and around 11th Avenue, south of Milwaukee Avenue, in the heart of South Milwaukee’s city center. Hours are 3 to 7 p.m. each Thursday through October 11 – a 21-week run.

More than 60 regular vendors are expected throughout the year selling produce, organics, arts, crafts, baked goods, prepared foods and other specialty items. Weekly live music and other special events are also planned as the market enters its fourth year.

Myers’ appearance kicks off the season, as she does gardening demonstrations, holds a question-and-answer session and meets her fans. Myers, who has more than 30 years of horticulture experience, has written more than 20 gardening books and hosts nationally syndicated “Melinda’s Gardening Moment” segments that air on nearly 100 television and radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more in this press release, and check out more details on the market on our website: www.smmarket.org.

See you May 24!

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by | May 10, 2012 · 10:56 pm

Headlines!

The Business Journal has an interesting story with Tim Sullivan’s thoughts on the state of manufacturing in Wisconsin — and his viewpoint on a related issue near and dear to his heart: worker training.

The piece includes this reference to South Milwaukee:

Sullivan noted that Bucyrus, which was purchased by Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. in a deal that closed last year, set up a plant in Kilgore, Texas, in 2009 because it struggled to find welders to fill open jobs. The plant now employs about 200 welders.

“Those 200 jobs should be here in Milwaukee. We spent $250 million renovating and expanding a (Bucyrus) plant in South Milwaukee that we couldn’t fill because we couldn’t find the work force.”

Check out the story here.

And check out these headlines from around the South Shore:

Also, State Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report. The headline: Education is the Backbone of Our Community.

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by | May 10, 2012 · 9:54 pm

Gypsy Scam Alert From South Milwaukee PD

Just got this notice from the South Milwaukee Police Department about a “gypsy” scam occurring in our area.

Strange, and scary, stuff. See it here.

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by | May 10, 2012 · 10:43 am

Whooping Cough Update: Six Confirmed Cases In South Milwaukee … And Some Advice From The Health Department

The South Milwaukee Health Department is reporting six confirmed cases of whooping cough since March … and is urging parents to be vigilant about pertussis symptoms.

That number also continues to rise, along with numbers across the state, according to Public Health Administrator Jacqueline Ove.

Here is her message: If you suspect your child has whooping cough, take him or her to the doctor, and work to ensure that the doctor tests for the illness. If the test comes back positive, treat with antibiotics. Additionally, those in the ill person’s household and those who had close contact with him or her should also be treated with antibiotics.

Those with symptoms should also stay home from school or work.

Learn more about whooping cough symptoms in this note sent to South Milwaukee Middle School student families last week. One of the confirmed cases involves a middle school student.

Also, keep in mind that because we have children who attend our local schools and daycares from outside of South Milwaukee, all of the local cases may not live in the city. That requires a lot of coordination with other communities, as these large outbreaks do not know jurisdictional boundaries.

Our Health Department is up for the challenge. I’ll keep you posted.

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by | May 9, 2012 · 9:03 pm

County Board Committee Backs 794 Extension

A key Milwaukee County Board committee on Wednesday approved a resolution advancing plans to extend the Lake Parkway (Highway 794) to Ryan Road in Oak Creek.

The resolution passed by the Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committee calls for the project to be added to the regional transportation plan, making it eligible for federal funding and getting the project closer to the preliminary engineering stage — even if it still may be 10 to 15 years before a shovel gets in the ground.

South Shore Supervisor Patricia Jursik co-sponsored the resolution and has been a leader on this project. Check out the press release here.

In other news out of that county committee, the panel declined to act on a request by Sheriff David Clarke to rent storage space at the former home to the 440th Air Refueling Wing near Mitchell International Airport.

See the Journal Sentinel story here. From it:

The move was criticized as an unnecessary and ill-advised expansion of the sheriff’s office at a time of tight budgets. Clarke wants to store gear for his bomb squad, SWAT team, canine unit, emergency services, boat patrol and dive rescue unit in space at the 440th, now county property and renamed MKE Regional Business Park.

“This is the wrong time for the sheriff to start spreading out instead of consolidating,” said Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who also faulted Clarke for not appearing personally before the committee.

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by | May 8, 2012 · 9:57 pm

South Milwaukee Election Results: Barrett Rolls Over Falk In Recall Primary

Not surprisingly, Tom Barrett easily beat Kathleen Falk in the Democratic gubernatorial recall primary on Tuesday in South Milwaukee. The margin among local voters, however, is noteworthy.

Barrett more than doubled up Falk, 67.4% to 28%, or 1,660 to 689 votes, in South Milwaukee. Kathleen Vinehout got 47 votes, and Douglas La Follette got 46. That margin is well ahead of the statewide spread.

Other results and observations:

  • Gov. Scott Walker beat “fake” Republican candidate Arthur Kohl-Riggs, 97.8% to 2%, in South Milwaukee.
  • Mahlon Mitchell easily won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor with 43.7% of the local vote to 27.7% for Isaac Weix and 26% for Ira Robbins. The fact that a “fake” Democrat (Weix) got such a high percentage of the vote locally is concerning to me — probably as concerning as the fact that these “fake” candidates were allowed to run, on both sides, in the first place.
  • Turnout was a surprisingly high 41.4%, as 4,849 of the city’s 11,699 registered voters cast a ballot on Tuesday.
One other observation, for what it’s worth — and reading tea leaves in elections like this can be tricky business: More Democratic votes (2,461) were cast for governor locally than Republican votes (2,364). How that translates (if it translates at all) to the June 5 general election remains to be seen.

Check out the complete results on the city’s website. What are your observations? Post them below!

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by | May 8, 2012 · 8:08 pm

Even More Headlines

Check out these headlines from around the South Shore:

Also, NOW has published a new South Shore police blotter.

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by | May 8, 2012 · 7:41 am

It’s Election Day: Vote!

No reminder is probably needed, but here’s one anyway: Today is recall primary day.

Please do your civic duty and vote.

Not sure where? Check out the election information page on the city’s website, where you can find a list of polling places, district maps and sample ballots.

Let me know what you see at the polls. Also, if you haven’t already, please vote in the poll on the right side of this page.

Turnout of between 30 and 35% is expected statewide.

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by | May 7, 2012 · 8:50 pm

Celebrating Two Great Local Businesses

We’re lucky to have some strong businesses anchor our downtown. Parkway Floral and Nona’s Cafe are two of them.

Both are featured in online articles this week. Check out the NOW story on Parkway Floral, and here is a piece from OnMilwaukee.com on Nona’s. And be sure to patronize both, especially with Mother’s Day coming up.

What’s your favorite local business? Post your comments below!

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by | May 7, 2012 · 10:49 am

More Headlines

Check out these headlines from around the South Shore …

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by | May 6, 2012 · 9:06 pm

Flood Advisory: What Are You Experiencing?

Update: The South Milwaukee Wastewater Treatment Plant reports the city had “just” 1.22 inches of rain from 7 a.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday. 

The National Weather Service issued an urban and small stream flood advisory Sunday night, and one of the bodies of water included was Oak Creek in South Milwaukee.

So, I ask: With up to 1.75 inches of rain in the span of an hour, did you experience any flooding?

Post your comments below …

And I’ll keep you posted if I hear additional details.

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by | May 5, 2012 · 5:20 pm

Mitchell Interchange Construction Changes Will Impact South Shore Motorists

The ongoing work on Interstate 94 and 43 features a change effective Saturday sure to be felt by those heading to South Milwaukee from points north.

Motorists heading south on 94/43 and looking to exit at Layton Avenue, the Airport Spur or College Avenue will now have to exit onto a “collector” ramp with exits to all three of those roadways. Learn more in this Wisconsin Department of Transportation document.

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by | May 4, 2012 · 10:48 pm

Welcome To “Downtown” Oak Creek: Delphi Site’s Future Revealed

Update: Oak Creek Patch has more details in this story.

Oak Creek will finally get a “downtown” with the redevelopment of the former Delphi property — plans that were formally revealed on Friday.

Learn more about the Drexel Town Square project at BizTimes.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oak Creek Patch and The Business Journal.

From BizTimes.com:

The eastern third of the site will feature junior box retail stores (about 20,000 to 40,000 square feet each) and some outlot retail development, said Wispark president Jerry Franke.

The middle third of the site will have a “Main Street,” lined with multi-story buildings with retail on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.

A Town Square on the Main Street could be a community gathering place and it used for ice skating in the winter and farmers’ markets in warmer months, Franke said. The Main Street area will also be the site of the city’s new library and city hall.

The western third of the site will have “Third Ward” style apartment buildings, Franke said.

“We’re hoping to attract young professionals working on the south side by offering them something different,” he said.

The residential component of the development could also include an assisted living building, Franke said.

Not to be forgotten is that the groundbreaking of the new Interstate 94 interchange at Drexel Avenue was also held Friday. That’s a significant project for South Milwaukee, too, as it provides another easy entry point into our city.

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