by | September 15, 2010 · 9:04 pm

On the Nicholson Expansion Meeting

Update: Here is the PowerPoint deck presented at the meeting.

I wanted to thank everyone for turning out for tonight’s Nicholson/Pennsylvania expansion public information meeting.

By my count, about 50 people were there for the presentation by Foth, the engineering firm working on the project. It was informative, and I think most questions were answered.

I will post the PowerPoint deck shown by Foth as soon as I get it, and I (and the city engineer and his staff) are committed to keeping you updated on this project as it goes forward.

Of course, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, and post your comments below.

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by | September 15, 2010 · 8:55 pm

Perspective on the Larson Victory

So, what happened?

That’s on a lot of people’s minds following Chris Larson’s surprisingly big victory state Sen. Jeff Plale Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a good follow-up story on the race online today, with interviews from both candidates. From the story:

A crossover of Democrats voting in the GOP primary for governor set state Sen. Jeff Plale up for a devastating 61% to 39% primary loss to Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson, both candidates agree.

“There was a huge turnout in the Republican primary and that coupled with the Democratic version of the tea party, I don’t know if it’s any more complicated than that,” Plale said of his loss. “The folks who have traditionally supported me through thick and thin were faced yesterday with a very difficult decision.”

Here is some additional perspective from various blogs and other media outlets:

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by | September 14, 2010 · 11:27 pm

Big South Milwaukee Turnout and Other Interesting Local Polling Data

Update: See the full local results here.

South Milwaukeeans turned out in huge numbers to vote in Tuesday’s primary.

Turnout was 35.3 percent, as 4,664 of the city’s 13,196 registered voters came out to the polls, according to totals from the South Milwaukee city clerk’s office.

That is a pretty amazing number for a primary election, and it’s clearly a reflection of the bitterly contested 7th Senate District race between incumbent Jeff Plale and challenger Chris Larson, among others.

Plale easily beat Larson in the city (see post below).

So, how did South Milwaukeeans vote in the other races?

  • For starters, 1,740 people voted in the Republican primary on Tuesday, compared with 1,443 in the Democratic primary. That means 1,740 people did not vote in the Plale-Larson race … voters that would have probably leaned toward the more centrist Plale and led to an even wider margin in South Milwaukee for him.
  • As he did in other areas in southeastern Wisconsin, Scott Walker scored a big victory over Mark Neumann in South Milwaukee, 75.2 to 23.4 percent (1,874 votes to 585).
  • Republican Rebecca Kleefisch and Democrat Tom Nelson, candidates for lieutenant governor, each scored big victories in South Milwaukee, easily tallying more than twice as many votes as their next competitors.
  • The race for Milwaukee County sheriff was much closer here than in the rest of the county, as incumbent David Clarke tallied 931 votes to Chris Moews’ 886 in the Democratic primary.
  • U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore easily beat Paul Morel in South Milwaukee but by a smaller margin (66.1 to 33.8 percent) than the overall spread of 84 to 16 percent as of 11:15 p.m.

I’ll post more details on the election as I get them. Check out voting totals on the Journal Sentinel website.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 11:20 pm

Surprising Margin: Larson Cruises Past Plale

Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

South Milwaukee will have new representation in the state Senate.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson rolled past incumbent Jeff Plale, a 4th District resident, in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Larson had 7,607 votes (60 percent) to Plale’s 5,033 (40 percent).

As expected, Plale did well in South Milwaukee, topping Larson 1,157 to 658 — a huge margin that shows just how wide the gap was in the rest of the 7th Senate District.

Larson will face Republican Jess Ripp in November and be a heavy favorite.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 9:44 pm

Man Found Dead in Car Near 13th and Rawson

A 46-year-old man was found dead in a car on 13th Avenue near Rawson Tuesday morning, South Milwaukee Police reported.

Check out the complete press release here. From it:

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office has been contacted and the incident remains under investigation.

Here is the story from AM-620 WTMJ.

I’ll post more details as soon as I get them.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 9:38 pm

Resurfacing Planned for Grant Park, Mill Road

Milwaukee County is going to make your drive through Grant Park a little smoother in 2010.

The county plans to resurface a stretch of the park’s main road near the north entrance next spring, as well the stretch of Mill Road from Milwaukee Avenue to Hawthorne venue, according to Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

It’s about time, and if you’ve driven through Grant Park recently, you know what I’m talking about. There are stretches that are literally crumbling, an unfortunate example of the county’s mounting deferred maintenance concerns.

Check out a map showing the stretches in question. The roads in blue are the ones being addressed in 2010.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 7:38 am

Polls are Open … It’s Election Day!

Today promises to be one of the more interesting primary election days in recent history, and I hope you get out and vote.

You won’t be alone, according to this story in the Journal Sentinel.

Learn more about all the races on this page on JSOnline, and click here for city election information. You can also learn more in our online city newsletter here.

Remember that all 4th District residents vote at Rawson Elementary. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Check back later tonight, when I’ll post election results. I’ll also post city-specific results when I get them, so you can find out how South Milwaukeeans voted in the key races.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 7:35 am

Reminder: Nicholson Expansion Meeting Wednesday

Don’t forget that the public information meeting to discuss the staff-recommended option to widen Nicholson/Pennsylvania to four lanes is Wednesday evening at City Hall.

The meeting runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with a presentation starting at 5:30.

City engineering staff, representatives from Foth Engineering and others (including me) will be there to answer any questions you might have about the project. (And I’ll probably learn a bit more about it myself.)

Learn more in my previous post, and I’ll see you there!

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by | September 10, 2010 · 10:25 pm

Election Information: Where and How to Vote on Tuesday

Tuesday is primary election day, and the city website has a page with more information for would-be voters.

Click here to learn more about polling places, registration information and instructions on how to fill out the ballot.

Keep in mind that all 4th District residents now vote at Rawson Elementary, 1401 Rawson Ave. Voting is no longer held at South Milwaukee Middle School, as part of an effort to condense city polling places from eight to four.

No matter who you vote for, I hope you cast a ballot on Tuesday. It’s your chance to have your voice heard in our democracy … a chance to shape the future of your county, state and nation.  Make your voice heard.

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by | September 10, 2010 · 10:00 pm

Journal Sentinel Endorses Plale

Update: The Journal Sentinel also has a nicely done summary of the race here.

State Sen. Jeff Plale’s tough re-election campaign got a nice lift with an endorsement from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

From the article:

On the whole, Plale has earned another term for his independence and commitment to common-sense solutions.

Click here to read the full endorsement.

Plate faces Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.

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by | September 10, 2010 · 9:01 am

Armed Robbery Reported Near Johnny Mo’s

An armed robbery was reported around 1 a.m. Friday outside of Johnny Mo’s on 13th and Milwaukee Avenues.

The strange part? The suspect may have been wearing a Spiderman mask. Here is the description of the suspect from police:

Maile, white, age unknown, about 5’9″ tall and about 150 lbs. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a dark hooded sweatshirt, and a dark mask with red markings on it, simlar to a Spider Man mask.

Click here to see the full police press release.

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by | September 10, 2010 · 8:47 am

Fire Extensively Damages Willow Lane Home, Leaves Five Homeless

Update: Here is the press release from the police department.

Some scary moments overnight for one 4th District family, as five people escaped a house fire at 500 Willlow Lane shortly after midnight Friday morning.

This WTMJ radio report says one child was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation, and this one from WISN says two people were taken to the hospital. Other reports from Fox 6 and CBS 58 say two dogs were killed.

I’ll post more information when I get it. In the meantime, please keep this family in your prayers.

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by | September 7, 2010 · 10:25 pm

Council Update: 1st District Alderman Mike McCarthy Resigns

The resignation of 1st District Alderman Mike McCarthy was the biggest news from Tuesday’s South Milwaukee City Council meeting.

Mike’s last day will be Sept. 21, when the City Council is expected to determine how to fill his seat, if at all.

Mike resigned the post because he is moving from the city, as he sells his house and buys a downtown Milwaukee condominium.

I wish him the best. In the 16 months I have been on the council, I have come to respect him as an independent thinker who acted with the thoughts of his constituents — and the good of the city — at heart.

As to the future of Mike’s 1st District seat, it is possible it won’t be filled. It’s a matter of timing. November is the earliest a potential replacement for Mike could begin, meaning that that person would serve less than two months before nomination papers are due for the upcoming April election. That is a pretty tight time frame.

What do you think? And do you have any thoughts about Mike to share? Post your comments below.

In other council news, we approved, 6-1, the condo trash collection policy I wrote about here. Alderman Mike Karbowski voted no, and Alderman Pat Stoner was excused from the meeting.

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by | September 7, 2010 · 9:54 pm

A Great Economic Development Idea in Cudahy and Other Local Headlines

Selling a home in this market, and in this economy, isn’t easy. A bit of creativity certainly can’t hurt.

So it is in Cudahy, which is holding a citywide open house later this month in an attempt to get people through the front door of for-sale homes … perhaps people who would have never otherwise considered moving to the South Shore.

Learn more in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story … and congratulations to Cudahy on devising, planning and executing a unique approach to solving a problem most communities are facing these days, including South Milwaukee.

And here are some other headlines of interest from around the area:

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by | September 6, 2010 · 10:49 pm

Reminder: Water Rate Increase Hearing on Thursday

The Public Service Commission hearing on the South Milwaukee Water Utility’s proposed 55 percent increase will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the South Milwaukee Library.

For those who can not make the hearing in person, you can submit comments in writing to the PSC. Do so here.

Learn more in my previous post on this topic.

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