by | January 23, 2012 · 9:35 pm

New South Milwaukee Police Blotter And Other Local Headlines

South Milwaukee NOW has published a new South Shore police blotter.

Among the items reported to police in the past few weeks were a break-in on Blakewood Avenue, the theft of a laptop computer from a Willowcrest resident, a Craigslist paycheck scam and a bar fight and chase that started at Pat’s Oak Manor.

Check it out here.

And check out these other local headlines:

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by | January 20, 2012 · 10:38 pm

Exploring Wisconsin’s New Voter Photo ID Law … In South Milwaukee

I was able to attend Thursday’s voter photo identification law information session at South Milwaukee’s City Hall, and I was glad I did.

I learned quite a bit from the presentation from the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

Of course, the most-publicized major impact of the law is probably its most controversial: Voters must show a photo ID in order to vote beginning this year. And all voters must sign a poll list before being issued a ballot.

Other mandates, however, were more of a surprise to me. Among them:

  • The residency requirement — the time someone must live at their current address before voting — has changed from 10 days to 28 consecutive days.
  • Voter registration is no longer a year-round option. Registration now “closes” for a short window — from 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day to the day of the day of the election — for each election. This allows for clerks’ offices to prepare their voter lists. Registration then reopens at the polls.
  • Voters will no longer be able to select a straight-party ticket. Instead, each candidate must be selected individually.
  • Absentee voting is also being changed. The window for in-person absentee voting is shrinking, as it now begins the third Monday before the election and ends at 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day. Photo ID must be provided. Ballots received by mail will be made available sooner.

In the end, I support the new law, which will clearly bring some major changes to how we vote in Wisconsin. The new requirements are reasonable and provide good safeguards to further protect the integrity of the vote.

But I also have this message: Be patient at the polls.

The ID and signature requirements will slow down the voting process, no question about it. Tests done by the GAB showed it took at least 20 seconds per voter to accomplish these tasks — and when you multiply that by hundreds, if not thousands, of voters that you’ll see during high-turnout elections like the upcoming presidential primary and gubernatorial recall and it’s significant.

South Milwaukee poll workers — who comprised most of the approximately 30 people in attendance on Thursday, as the meeting was presented by the city clerk’s office — do their best, but there is a learning curve for them, too, with the new voting rules. Please keep that in mind.

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by | January 19, 2012 · 10:13 pm

Southridge Macy’s Store To Open March 14 And Other Local Headlines

Southridge Mall isn’t quite in the South Shore, but it is this area’s mall of choice. And, as you probably know, it’s getting a major facelift.

The biggest change: The addition of a new Macy’s store at the former Younkers space.

The store will open March 14, and they’re already working to hire 160 people.

Check out the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here and Business Journal story here.

And check out these other local headlines of interest:

Also, State Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report. The main headline: “Wisconsin is at a Standstill, Forward no More.”

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by | January 18, 2012 · 11:42 am

South Milwaukee Council Recap: Walmart Site Stormwater, Appleton Noise, Junk Trucks, Upcoming Meetings, Police And Fire Commission

It was a rather full agenda at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, our first since December. Here is a brief recap … 

  • The council voted 6-2 to spend more than $99,000 to construct a new stormwater relay at the North Chicago Avenue site soon to be a Walmart. The new pipe and other infrastructure will replace rusty, metal pipe more than 50 years old and improve stormwater flow through the area. This is work the city has contemplated for some time, but we wanted to wait to do it until we had formal plans from a developer for the vacant site to move ahead. The system will connect to Walmart’s proposed underground detention pond and also serve the approximately 10 acres north of Carroll Avenue to College – site of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc. Bids ranged from the one we selected to more than $170,000. We chose Bradford Contractors out of Burlington to do the project starting as soon as possible.
  • The council voted 8-0 to spend up to $8,000 to hire a consultant, Sigma Environmental Services, to study noise and vibration reported by neighbors of Appleton Electric in 5th and Milwaukee Avenues. Neighbors have complained for some time about excessive vibrations coming from the foundry. The city looked into the matter in 2011, but with continuing complaints, we felt it best to bring in an expert to look into the issue further. Sigma will do two weeks of testing in and around homes in the neighborhood. I am glad we’re doing our part to get to the bottom of this. I’ll keep you posted.
  • The council also agreed to amend our ordinance around junk dealer licenses. It passed 8-0, but the debate was more on the size of the annual fee we’re now asking junk dealers to pay. As part of the approval of our annual fee schedule last fall, we increased the junk truck fee from $150 to $1,000. I was uncomfortable with the increase then but voted yes because it was one of hundreds of line items in the schedule – and the only one I had serious issues with. We now plan to have a deeper discussion on the junk truck fee at a future Legislation & Permits Committee meeting, where I hope the fee – which would kick in July 1 – will be lowered to a more reasonable increase. I’ll keep you posted.  
  • Aldermen also made a couple changes to upcoming meeting times. We moved our meeting scheduled for Feb. 21 to Feb. 22 to accommodate the primary election for Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. We also decided to cancel our first April meeting (April 3) and only hold our April 17 meeting that month. This is because of expected high turnout (and added work for the clerk’s office) for the election on April 3, which you will recall is also the Wisconsin presidential primary. The council also meets May 1.
  • We also named former Alderman Mark Milinovich to the Police and Fire Commission, replacing Richard Cole, who is moving from the city.

Of course, if you have comments on any of the topics above, post them below!

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by | January 18, 2012 · 11:31 am

More On That South Milwaukee Comedian …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a profile today of Jackie Kashian, the South Milwaukee High School graduate and rising comedy star.

Check out the story here. From it:

This weekend, Kashian returns to her old stamping grounds – including a gig only eight blocks from the house where she grew up. She headlines shows at Daddy’s Rockin’ Steakhouse in South Milwaukee on Friday and Rounding Third on Saturday.

Kashian, who describes her comedy as “social commentary with family stories,” expects her family – otherwise known as the people in her jokes – to be in attendance, including her father, the man she describes in terms not appropriate for a family newspaper. But she does it tenderly.

She tells one story about meeting her dad at a McDonald’s during a visit home, when her dad arrived in too-short jean shorts that he made himself. She gave her father’s wardrobe a “creep factor of 90.”

“He’s a handsome guy,” Kashian said. “If anyone could wear such an outfit or if he were looking for gentlemen callers . . .”

She doesn’t finish the thought, although she likely will this weekend.

Did you know Jackie? Did you envision her becoming a comedian? If so, or not, post your comments below!

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by | January 18, 2012 · 11:25 am

Caterpillar Selling Part Of Bucyrus Distribution Business And Other Local Headlines

Caterpillar is selling another piece of the former Bucyrus International distribution business — this time to the world’s largest Cat dealer.

Check out the Journal Sentinel story here. From it:

Separately, Caterpillar said in December it would sell a part of its Bucyrus distribution business to the industrial division of Malaysia’s Sime Darby for about $360 million.

“We are making good progress as we transition the product distribution and support of former Bucyrus machinery to Cat dealers around the world,” Steve Wunning, Caterpillar group president, said in a news release.

Here is the news release. And check out these other local headlines:

Also, a new South Shore police blotter is available on NOW, and it includes items on a fight at Liquid Hideout, the theft of a snowblower from a garage on Drexel Boulevard and more on the fire on Laurel Lane last week.

And mark your calendar for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, when Studio 915 will hold an artist reception for Amy Magnuson, a Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School for the Arts student who specializes in abstract pieces. Wine and appetizers will be served, and there will be live music. Learn more about Studio 915 here.

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by | January 16, 2012 · 11:47 am

Local Laughs: Some South Milwaukee Comedy And More Local Headlines

Update: Here is a Journal Sentinel story on the wandering boy in Cudahy.

Comedian Jackie Kashian is returning to South Milwaukee to poke some fun at her hometown — including a visit to the 4th District’s newest bar and eatery, Daddy’s Rockin’ Statehouse on 17th Avenue.

Learn more in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story, and here is a YouTube clip where she references her roots. And here is Kashian’s opening act.

Andheck out these local headlines of note from around the South Shore …

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by | January 13, 2012 · 9:12 am

Thoughts On The South Milwaukee Snow

So, we got more than six inches of snow on Thursday — a pretty good storm for our first real storm of the season. It could be worse.

With the first snow, it’s probably a good time for a refresher on city snow removal ordinances. Check out a previous post on those here.

Of course, if you have any snow-related issues to report, let me know! You can call the Street Department at 768-8075.

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by | January 12, 2012 · 9:39 pm

Walker Backs Honadel’s Job Training Plan And Other South Milwaukee-Area Headlines

Gov. Scott Walker has thrown his support behind South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel’s “Wisconsin Wins” legislation.

Check out Walker’s press release on his “Wisconsin Working” jobs plan. From it:

Governor Walker also announced his support of the Wisconsin Wins legislation proposed by Representative Mark Honadel.  As currently conceived, the program will allow Wisconsinites receiving unemployment to take part-time training jobs with employers potentially leading to full-time employment and allowing current job seekers to receive training and demonstrate their skills for potential employers.

Learn more about Wisconsin Wins in this post.

And check out these other local headlines:

Also, state Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report, in which he strongly criticizes Walker and the Waste, Fraud and Abuse Commission.

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by | January 10, 2012 · 9:52 pm

So, Who’s Right? Larson Questions Waste Panel Report Findings And Other Local Headlines

Gov. Scott Walker’s Waste, Fraud and Abuse Commission has identified $456 million in annual government spending that can be cut. Or has it?

A Walker press release says yes. South Shore state Sen. Chris Larson says no.

Consider it another example of the political times we’re in, where politicians can’t even agree on the numbers, much less solutions.

Wherever the truth lies — and it’s probably somewhere in the middle — this line in the Larson press release does concern me: “The misleading report did not even include a final vote for passage by its members before completion.”

This, to me, raises questions about the validity of its findings. We’ll see.

In the meantime, check out these other local headlines:

South Milwaukee NOW has published a new South Shore police blotter.

Also, The Business Journal has a deep dive study into the ease of commuting in communities nationwide. Find South Milwaukee information here and see how they arrived at our “commuting index” of 0.774 and our ranking of 1,341 out of 3,012 communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000.

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by | January 10, 2012 · 8:27 am

Report: No One Hurt In South Milwaukee Fire

Update: The fire, reported at 1:47 a.m. Tuesday, causd an estimated $35,000 in damage, according to the Fire Department. A neighbor reported seeing flames in a second-story window, called it in and apparently helped the person get out of the house.

There was a bedroom fire at 214 Laurel Lane early Tuesday morning, but thankfully no one was hurt. Check out the story and video on Fox 6.

I’ll keep you posted if I learn more.

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by | January 9, 2012 · 10:40 am

A Local Connection To The John Doe Charges

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an in-depth look at Tim Russell and his role in the “inner circle” of Gov. Scott Walker and local Republican politics — including his alleged work to defeat Pat Jursik in her run for the Milwaukee County Board.

Check out the story on Russell, one of three people charged in the ongoing John Doe investigation, here. From it:

Russell played a role in County Board campaigns, as well. Olen managed the 2007 board campaign of Chris Kujawa and said Russell was an adviser to the campaign. Thursday’s criminal charges against Russell said he had control over Kujawa’s campaign bank accounts and took $3,000 for personal use. Then, the complaint said, Russell used money intended for a county-run military appreciation day to repay Kujawa’s campaign.

Olen said he never became aware of any problems in the campaign’s books and was shocked by the charges.

Russell wasn’t listed in county records as treasurer for Kujawa’s race or the County Board candidacy of Larry Spicer in 2007, from whom Russell is charged with stealing $550. It was Pierick who held the formal title as Kujawa’s treasurer. Russell’s name, however, is attached to a copy of a bank statement for Kujawa. …

Pierick and Russell were referred to Kujawa at a time Walker was hoping to pick up a seat or two for conservatives on the County Board. Kujawa said Russell had offered to help with things like establishing a campaign account. Kujawa said he didn’t know Pierick well and seldom spoke to him.

“I really don’t recall the exact circumstances” of how Russell’s help came about, Kujawa said.

Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who defeated Kujawa, remains upset at what she views as the intervention of Walker and Russell in the County Board race.

“I was incensed by the whole way it was going down,” Jursik said.

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by | January 8, 2012 · 4:40 pm

Proud Past, Indeed: Celebrating South Milwaukee And Oak Creek’s Civil War History

Oak Creek Patch has published a well-done series of articles on Oak Creek Township’s impact on the Civil War. And it was significant.

The township — which included what is now South Milwaukee, once upon a time — sent dozens of people to the war, including some from prominent families, and they fought in some major battles.

Check out the series here. It’s worth the read. From it:

Oak Creek Township consisted of modern-day Oak Creek and South Milwaukee. White pioneers had arrived in the late 1830s and 1840s, at a time when Native Americans hunted and fished in the area. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, South Milwaukee incorporated as a village in 1892 and a city a few years later, and Oak Creek did not become a city until 1955.

A total of 38 men from the township served in Company K of the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, according to “Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865,” an invaluable research book that has been put online by the Wisconsin Historical Society. One of them joined in 1864, so the number from Oak Creek when the company went into the war in 1862 was 37.

The dead included two cousins – Frederick Fowle of Company K, in 1863 of wounds received in the Tennessee battle, and Royal Fowle, an artilleryman in another unit who died of disease in 1864 in Louisville, Ky. Disease was an equal-opportunity killer of Union soldiers and Confederates in the war; many units lost more men to illness than in battles.

Frederick was the son of Frederick Fowle Sr. and Electra Rawson, while Royal was the son of John Fowle Jr. and Lavina Fowle, according to Judy Balestrieri, a descendant of the Fowle clan and a mainstay of the South Milwaukee Historical Society.

They were grandsons of John Fowle Sr., who was one of the first pioneers of the area and built two sawmills on the waterway that was named Oak Creek. The soldiers’ uncle, Horace Fowle (son of John Sr. and Sarah Dibley Fowle), built a Queen Anne Victorian home in 1892 that everyone today knows as the clubhouse in Grant Park.

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by | January 8, 2012 · 4:38 pm

A South Milwaukee Must-Read: SouthMilwaukee.org

I wanted to put a quick plug in for SouthMilwaukee.org, the community events website founded and maintained by City Clerk Jim Shelenske.

While I try to focus my site more on news and viewpoints on current issues, Jim does a great job rounding up many of the happenings around town — from performances at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center to local church activities.

Jim also publishes his monthly eVents newsletter. Check it out here — and be sure to get on the email list, if you aren’t already.

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by | January 7, 2012 · 10:43 pm

Gurda Draws Parallels And Differences Between M&I, Bucyrus Acquisitions

Local historian John Gurda has another great piece in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — this one taking a closer look at the acquisitions of M&I Bank and Bucyrus International in the past year.

“Before 2011 disappears completely in the rear-view mirror,” Gurda writes, “we should pause to consider two local business giants who lost their independence during the year. One succumbed to failure and the other, ironically, was a victim of its own success. Those icons, you may have guessed, are M&I Bank and Bucyrus International. They’re both still with us, in most of the same locations and with substantially the same products, but they operate under different principles and entirely different principals.”

As for Bucyrus, he writes:

Turnabout, I suppose, is fair play. Milwaukee snatched Bucyrus from Ohio in 1893, and now an Illinois firm was returning the favor. Caterpillar moved quickly to secure its new prize, changing the signs on the South Milwaukee plant to yellow and gold almost overnight.

The Caterpillar sale was a tribute to Tim Sullivan’s management skills, a windfall for stockholders and a testament to the quality of the Bucyrus labor force. Whether it works out for the long-term benefit of those employees and their communities is a question that only Caterpillar can answer.

Check out the column here, and post your comments below.

By the way, Gurda also spoke at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center on Saturday. The topic: “A Region Built on Water: Milwaukee’s Use and Abuse of a Vital Resource.” If you went to the show, I’d like to know what you thought.

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