by | January 6, 2012 · 10:42 pm

January Golf At Grant Park And Other Headlines

Update: Also, one of the Gov. Scott Walker appointees charged in the John Doe investigation last week is from Cudahy. See the story here. 

Grant Park is open again for some January golf. How crazy is that?

Learn more in this Journal Sentinel story.

And check out these other headlines of local interest:

Also, state Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report, and there is a new police blotter on South Milwaukee NOW.

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by | January 5, 2012 · 10:30 pm

Reminder: Voter ID Information Meeting Is Jan. 19

Don’t forget: The city clerk’s office is hosting a public information meeting on the state’s new voter ID law on Thursday, Jan. 19, at City Hall.

Election experts from the Government Accountability Board will present information about the new law and be on hand to answer questions.

The meeting is from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

See you there!

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by | January 5, 2012 · 10:35 am

More Local Headlines

Check out these headlines from around the South Shore:

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by | January 5, 2012 · 10:29 am

Positive Sign: City Hall Gets New Everbrite-Built Sign, Message Board

You’ve seen some significant improvements to the look of City Hall in the past six months.

This summer, City Clerk Jim Shelenske led a volunteer effort to upgrade the landscaping in front of the city administration building – and the results have been easy to see.

The most recent upgrade is also eye-catching to anyone who has stopped by City Hall in the past few weeks: a new sign and message board.

Jim and South Milwaukee Public Health Administrator Jacqueline Ove, working with local signage company Everbrite, helped make this improvement happen – and it is a big improvement. The lighting on the old sign had failed. And the new message board gives the city a chance to share key messages with residents about anything from upcoming meetings to emergency notifications.

As part of the deal, Everbrite is also donating a new Grobschmidt Senior Center sign, which will also get fresh paint around its frame,  and the Police Department sign and frame will also be replaced.

Which brings me to another key point: No city property tax dollars are being put toward the new signage, which is coming at a cost of about $20,000. (Some city funds are being spent on wiring upgrades.)

The purchase was made possible through Public Health Emergency Preparedness funds that were unexpended in the five-year grant cycle.

Thanks to Jim and Jackie for their work on this — and to Everbrite for the partnership.

One other note about the grant funds: As of August, we have started a new five-year cooperative agreement with the state and federal government for these funds.

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by | January 4, 2012 · 11:26 am

Decision 2012: More Ballot Competition In Other Nearby Communities

While South Milwaukee elected officials have little to no competition this April, that is not the case in a couple nearby communities.

Oak Creek and Greenfield are among the cities where elected officials will have opponents come April 3. 

These headlines detail some of that:

The Journal Sentinel has a roundup of all contested races here, and here is a story taking a more global view of competitive local elections.

Note: Cudahy does not have any city races on the ballot this spring.

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by | January 4, 2012 · 11:06 am

New Enews From Jursik … And Where To Find Future Editions

State election laws prevent Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik from sending her monthly email news blast out during her campaign.

But it doesn’t stop her from publishing eNews.

You can check out the latest edition (and all editions through April) here.

It includes updates on the South Shore transit, Seven Bridges repairs and Grant Park roadway construction. It also details a Friends of Grant Park meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, where a Department of Natural Resources conservation warden will be on hand to discuss suspected poaching in the park. The meeting is at the Grant Park clubhouse.

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by | January 3, 2012 · 6:58 pm

Decision 2012: Little Competition In South Milwaukee

Uncontested races have become the norm in South Milwaukee in recent years — and that won’t change this April.

All candidates running for city office will run unopposed, as the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline for prospective candidates to declare their intentions to run and submit the necessary signatures came and went with no challengers stepping up.

So here is who you will see on the April 3 ballot:

  • Mayor: Tom Zepecki
  • City Clerk: Jim Shelenske
  • City Treasurer: Karen Skowronski
  • City Attorney: Joseph Murphy
  • Municipal Judge: William Fenger
  • 1st District Alderman: Fran Van Dusen III

You’ll recall that Frank, appointed to his seat this summer to replace Mike Karbowski, must run for the seat and the chance to serve a one-year term. He will be up for re-election again with the rest of the aldermen in April of 2013.

The South Milwaukee School Board will see some competition in April, as incumbents David Maass and Kathleen Molus and challenger Sophia Williams vie for two seats. I will post more information on this race in coming days and weeks.

At the county level, Supervisor Pat Jursik, who represents South Milwaukee, is also running unopposed (as is County Executive Chris Abele).

Frankly, I’m surprised at the lack of competition at the city level, especially in the political climate were in — and given the rancor surrounding the Walmart debate last fall. There was so much anger over that issue — along with threats of ballot challenges and recalls — that I was certain that that votes taken by the council (and mayoral support) would lead to at least one candidate for mayor (and perhaps a couple of the other seats).

I was wrong.

In  a way, that’s disappointing. I think competition is a good thing. It makes everyone better.

Of course, I’d like to know what you think. Post your comments below!

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by | January 1, 2012 · 9:10 pm

Council Approves 6 a.m. Alcohol Sales

You can now buy alcohol at liquor, grocery and other “off-premise” South Milwaukee retailers starting at 6 a.m. — two hours earlier than you could before.

The City Council approved the change at its Dec. 20 meeting, aligning our start time with a new state law that took effect in late December.

Communities could enact ordinances more restrictive than state law, and some have decided to keep their 8 a.m. starting times.

Our vote was 7-1, with all but Alderman Craig Maass voting in favor of the ordinance change.

I voted yes because it could help local business, boosting sales with, among others, third-shift workers looking to purchase beer on their way home from work.

I also don’t see harm arising from the increased hours. In my mind, there is no significant difference between allowing sales at 6 a.m. or 8 a.m. — and in cases like that I will generally side with local business.

Keep in mind that off-premise retailers can still only sell alcohol until 9 p.m. each night in South Milwaukee. That does not change. This is stricter than state law, which allows for the off-premise sale of beer until midnight.

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by | December 31, 2011 · 9:18 pm

A Banner Year For South Milwaukee Blog: Looking Back To 2011

Again, I’d like to thank everyone for reading South Milwaukee Blog.

It’s been a year of major growth for this blog, and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to check out the site, with a special thanks going out to my regular readers and subscribers.

All in, the blog logged about 44,000 page views in 2011, and it’s seen more than 71,000 since I launched it in October of 2009. The biggest single day for page views this year came on Nov. 2, with 488.

Of course, while I’d like to think that it’s my prose that keeps people coming back, I know news stories drive traffic to this blog. And 2011 was a big year, with the happenings in Madison, sale of Bucyrus and approval of Walmart among the stories dominating the headlines.

Here are the five most-viewed stories from 2011, according to this summary:

These were five of the more than 415 posts on this blog in 2011 … and I look forward to doing even more in 2011. Thanks again for your support, and please keep reading, commenting and spreading the word about South Milwaukee Blog. Happy new year!

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by | December 31, 2011 · 9:15 pm

Oak Creek’s Growth, Upcoming Transit Changes And Other Local Headlines

Oak Creek Patch has an interesting story on the explosive growth of Oak Creek in recent decades.

Check it out here. From it:

As you may have noticed, the once-small community of Oak Creek is no longer small. So much so that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 report, Oak Creek led Milwaukee County in population growth.

The population is now nearing 35,000, making it the sixth-largest community in Milwaukee County. That’s nearly double the population from 1980.

And check out these other local headlines:

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by | December 29, 2011 · 10:18 pm

Cudahy Kmart Survives Cut

Sears Holdings — which includes the Kmart brand — announced this week that it will close 100 to 120 underperforming stores across the county.

The Cudahy Kmart is not on the list.

But a Rice Lake Kmart and West Baraboo Sears Grand/Essentials store is.

Check out stories in The Business Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Of course, this list of closures is only partial, and the fate of the Cudahy Kmart bears even closer watching once the South Milwaukee Walmart is up and running — likely not until 2014. I’ll keep you posted.

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by | December 29, 2011 · 10:49 am

What’s For Sale? Taking A Look At Properties For Sale In South Milwaukee

It’s time for another installment of What’s For Sale? — a regular glimpse at the local real estate market.

A highlight this week: the former Zion Lutheran Church (and later Calvary Academy) property at 2200 9th Ave. (9th and Madison). The building, listed at $150,000, is back on the market after an attempt by a local man to use the property as a commercial kitchen, breakfast/fish fry restaurant and indoor farmers’ market fell through earlier this month.

The plan has been considered at a couple Plan Commission meetings and approved by the City Council before it fell apart.

Check out property details here. And here are some other properties listed through Metro MLS at Nicholson Realty’s website, a sampling of single-family, multifamily and commercial property:

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by | December 28, 2011 · 10:55 pm

Back To Blogging … And Here Are Some Local Headlines From The Past Week

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and found some time to relax and enjoy gathering with family and friends. I know I did.

Sarah and I will always treasure these times with our two young children. They make the holidays that much more special.

Anyway, it looks like it’s been a light news week around the South Shore. Here are a few headlines, as I return to regular blogging:

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by | December 23, 2011 · 10:16 pm

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all readers of South Milwaukee Blog!

With the holidays finally here, I am taking a few days off from blogging, but I’ll be back next week and beyond with more news, information and viewpoints from South Milwaukee and the region. In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy some time with family and friends (like I will), all while keeping in mind the reason for the season.

Thank you for reading!

Here are a few holiday reminders:

  • City Hall has limited hours through Jan. 2. Learn more at the city website.
  • The library also has limited hours.
  • There will be no City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3. It next meets Jan. 17. Learn more on the city calendar.
  • South Milwaukee schools are on break through Jan. 1. See the school calendar here.

And, finally, be sure to check out this funny and heart-warming Journal Sentinel column about a truly unique South Milwaukee nativity display. Ewe’ll be happy ewe you did.

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by | December 23, 2011 · 9:58 pm

Caterpillar Sales Jump And Other Local Headlines

Good news for South Milwaukee: Caterpillar continues to see strong sales growth of its construction and mining machinery.

That’s according to this story from the Wall Street Journal. From it:

The November period was the 19th straight three-month period of sales growth for the world’s largest seller of bulldozers, excavators and wheel loaders. But the growth has been moderating in recent months because of tougher year-ago comparison figures and softening economic conditions throughout the world.

And check out these other local headlines:

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

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