The South Milwaukee football team snapped a two-game losing streak with a decisive 42-7 victory over Wauwatosa West on Friday night.
Check out the Patch story here.
And check out these headlines from around the South Shore:
Filed under Headlines
Update: I just added a poll question on this topic. Vote!
The area around South Milwaukee High School was again transformed into a sea of toilet paper overnight as students prepared for Friday’s Homecoming game.
I have mixed feelings about it.
First of all, I think the school district’s response for the most part worked, and I thank the district for being proactive about the issue this year. Working with students and the police, school officials attempted to keep the TP confined to school property, west of the railroad tracks on the parkway and not north of the street. A drive through the area this morning confirmed that students pretty much stayed within those limits, and I appreciate that.
That said, I know some neighbors still aren’t happy with the mangitude of the TP. And I can’t disagree. It’s a lot. And I noticed rolls of toilet paper on city sidewalks and yards along 15th Avenue south of the school. That can’t happen.
Now, I am all for having fun during Homecoming week, and TP’ing is part of that tradition. I don’t want to be a fuddy-duddy on this issue. I’m only 35 after all, not that far removed from some of these same traditions myself.
However, as alderman, I must speak for constituents who do have issues with this. And I will.
Of course, the real test will be in the cleanup. I am anxious to see what the trees look like a week from now.
Hopefully, they’re green again. Not white.
Filed under Schools
The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center is something for the city to cherish — a point of difference that few communities our size can boast.
From its annual performance series to its jazz concerts at the farmers’ market, the SMPAC is terrific attraction that is only getting bigger and better as its offerings improve.
See for yourself Sunday, as the center’s 2011-12 season kicks off with a performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a popular group and “good get” for the SMPAC out of New Orleans. Tickets are still available for the show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the high school.
Learn more at the new SMPAC website.
The Oak Creek City Council has given a developer two more years to move ahead with a project at the corners of Pennsylvania and College Avenues.
It just may not be a postal facility.
That’s according to Oak Creek Patch, which has an update on the project. From it:
“The memorandum of understanding passed Tuesday night by the Common Council also allows for the possibility of a different development altogether for those empty 64 acres on the city’s northeast side.
And at this point, that scenario seems far more likely than the original plan for an 800,000-square-foot mail distribution center, proposed in 2008 shortly before the economy faltered. Though the Oak Creek facility was designed to increase efficiency and ultimately save the USPS money – the building would replace the downtown Milwaukee distribution center – the finances simply aren’t there for the postal service to invest in a large construction project.
“The postal service is projected to lose $10 billion this year. They’re closing facilities,” said Scott Yauck of Cobalt Partners, a Milwaukee development firm working on the project, at Tuesday’s council meeting. “There’s benefit of getting out of downtown regardless, (for) operating efficiency, but they don’t have the capital to do those things right now.
“This is really intended to allow for the exploration of other possibilities.”
So, what does this all mean for South Milwaukee and the 4th District, which borders this parcel? Right now, the future of that land (the former Van Beck’s) is uncertain, but this much is clear: The plan to widen Nicholson/Pennsylvania between College and Rawson remains on for 2012 … with no roundabout. And that’s a good thing.
I’ll keep you posted when I learn more.
Filed under Construction
Jim Nelson, well-known throughout South Milwaukee for his civic and community involvement, died Monday at the age of 87.
You can view the obituary at the Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home website here.
Visitation is from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, at Divine Mercy, 800 Marquette Ave. A memorial service follows.
Please keep the Nelson family in your thoughts and prayers. And if you have any memories of Jim, please post them below.
Filed under Community
It didn’t take long for former South Milwaukee High School soccer star Kelmend Islami to make his presence felt at the NCAA Division I level.
Islami scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to give Marquette a 2-1 victory over Michigan over the weekend.
Check out the Marquette Tribune story here. From it:
After not playing the first period of extra time, Islami came on at the start of the second period.
“He didn’t play every minute of this game, but he played invaluable minutes,” coach Louis Bennett said. “I had a funny feeling if we could get him one-on-one in a foot race, he was calm enough (to finish).”
And check out YouTube video of the goal here. The play starts at the 1:38 mark.
Filed under Sports
I’ve definitely lamented the loss of the Bucyrus name from South Milwaukee on this blog … which is why I’m glad to see the efforts of former Mayor Chet Grobschmidt and others to memorialize the mining manufacturer pay off.
A brass historic plaque commemorating Bucyrus as an icon in the world mining industry will be unveiled and dedicated at a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Heritage Park on 10th and Milwaukee Avenues.
The plaque depicts the history of Bucyrus since its founding in 1880, its relocation to South Milwaukee in 1892 and its “retirement” in 2011 as Bucyrus International. Check it out here.
All are encouraged to attend the ceremony. I hope to see you there!
Filed under Local Business
The Tri-City National Bank inside the Pick ‘n Save store on Ryan Road was reportedly robbed Monday night.
Check out the story from Fox 6 here.
And check out these other local headlines of interest …
Filed under Headlines
OnMilwaukee.com has an article with more information on the six new Griddlers Cafes, including the one in South Milwaukee.
Check it out here.
You’ll recall that the six were previously George Webb restaurants, but they changed their nameplate after the franchisee decided not to renew their agreement with Webb’s.
With the new name will come some menu, ambience and other changes. (New signs went up in the last week at the South Milwaukee location.)
According to the article:
“We’re being more creative, and we are improving the quality of the food,” Don Hensiak continued. The coffee is now freshly ground in store, the portion size of the hash browns has been increased, and the combined double cheeseburger patties now weigh in at one-third of a pound. “We’re upgrading the bread products and using more of a bakery bun for the double cheeseburger,” Don added. …
Many of the Webb concepts remain. Griddlers Cafes serve breakfast and burgers around the clock.
All employes have been retained, as has the folksy Webb culture. The staff uniform is a polo shirt in a palette of solid colors over black slacks.
Interior decor is changing to soften the look and suggest cafe rather than diner. Grand opening festivities are planned for next month.
I’d like to know what you think. Have you been to Griddlers? Write your review below!
Filed under Local Business
I have been added to the email list for Rocket Update, an email from the South Milwaukee School District with updates on Rocket athletics.
This week’s edition includes a schedule of Homecoming events, starting Sunday.
Filed under Sports
The South Milwaukee football team fell 14-7 to Greendale on Friday, dropping the Rockets to 2-2.
Check out the story from the Journal Sentinel here. And here are some photos from Greendale Patch.
Check out these headlines of local interest:
Filed under Headlines
It’s time for the second installment of “What’s For Sale?” a new, and regular, feature of South Milwaukee Blog that takes a closer look at real estate values around South Milwaukee.
This week, it’s listings from Shorewest.
Wonder what you can get for the following dollar amounts? Click on them to find out.
Filed under What's For Sale
The South Milwaukee Downtown Market is partnering with South Shore Family Chiropractic to host the “10 Steps to Wellness” Health Fair on Thursday, September 15, at the market.
The free event is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. – the regular hours of the market – and will feature a variety of local health care providers providing wellness information, demonstrations and other services.
These vendors will be in addition to the dozens of produce, organics, baked goods, prepared food, arts and crafts and other vendors who call the market at 11th and Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee home every week.
Learn more in this press release, and I hope to see you there!
(And mark your calendars now for our Oct. 15 Fall Family Festival at the market. This free event includes pumpkin decorating, apple bobbing, trick or treating and even a tamale eating contest. Stay tuned for details.)
Filed under Community
Milwaukee County and South Shore Supervisor Pat Jursik had a thought-provoking editorial in Sunday Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel, in which she criticized the “false dichotomies” that pervade the debate over road building and transit.
From it:
Community columnist Nancy Ettenheim on Sept. 2 mischaracterized my “really, big millennial” idea as just another new freeway. In effect, Ettenheim is singing the same old song: the Milwaukee blues. This is the blues of false dichotomies: If you support a bike trail, you can’t have a road; if you support buses, you can’t have a bike rack; if you support road building, you can’t have bikes or buses.
Check out the full piece here.
And check out these other local headlines:
Filed under Headlines
People have been waiting for weeks to see just how Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele will address a projected shortfall of $55 million in his 2012 county budget.
One detail emerged Tuesday: a proposal eliminating the county’s subsidy to communities for paramedic service.
Check out the Journal Sentinel story here.
This is a big deal for the communities that provide this service — including South Milwaukee. Elimination of this funding would leave an approximately $300,000 hole in our budget for 2012, making our work in crafting a responsible budget even tougher in coming months.
I’ll keep you posted as we go through this process. In the meantime, why not call Abele and urge him not to make this cut? We must maintain our high level of paramedic service, and this proposed cut makes that much more difficult.
Filed under 2012 Budget
