South Milwaukee Blog

Due to the historic winter (?) storm, we are rescheduling the official City of South Milwaukee trick-or-treating to this Saturday, November 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Please help us spread the word, and stay safe, South Milwaukee!

From the Facebook event …

The Friends of the South Milwaukee Library will be hosting its book and bake sale on Saturday, November 2 from 10 AM to 2 PM. We invite you to stop by to browse and shop our gently used selection of adult, teen and children’s books, DVDs, artwork, fixtures and sweet treats. All sales during the event will go to benefit the library.

• Curious what our book sale prices are?
• Adult books: $1.00
• Children’s books: $0.25
• Coffee table books: $3 – $5
• All artwork and fixtures will be priced as marked.

In addition to our twice a year large sales, we also have our “Book Nook” sale whenever the library is open; this area is located near the stairway on the first floor. Children’s books are 25¢ while all other items are $1.00 unless otherwise marked.

If you’d like to support the library year-round, you can become a member of the Friends of the South Milwaukee Library for a low annual fee. As a member of the Friends group, you can enjoy special member invitations and discounts at future book sales and library events and your support will directly help the library with children’s reading programs.

For more information, please visit: http://smlibrary.org/friends.

Check out these South Shore headlines, and congratulations to South Milwaukee native Kyle Olson!

• A South Milwaukee Native Just Won an Emmy. His Next Project Will be a Milwaukee Murder Mystery Podcast. (NOW)
• Registered Sex Offender in South Milwaukee Sexually Assaulted a Woman Outside a Bar, Police Say (NOW)
• Cudahy Police: Standoff in Neighborhood Near Merrill and Allison is Over (Fox 6)
• DNR Orders Mitchell Airport to Clean up ‘Forever’ Chemicals Detected in Lake Michigan Tributaries (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Caterpillar Cuts Profit Outlook as China Construction Sales Slump (Reuters)

Also, South Milwaukee’s football season came to an end on Friday, with opening round WIAA playoff loss to Waterford. The Rockets finish 7-3.

Great detective work from the South Milwaukee Police Department, solving a very difficult case …

On Thursday, August 15th, shots were fired in South Milwaukee, near the intersection of 10th and Milwaukee Avenue. No one was struck by the gunfire but investigators from the South Milwaukee Police Department have identified a 36-year-old man who was responsible for the incident. Dustin Benn was taken into custody on October 24th and has been charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

South Milwaukeeans are really getting into Halloween decorating!

Here are your 2019 Rocketober Award winners, as chosen by members of the Beautification Committee and others …

• 517 Michigan Ave.
• 1720 Manitoba Ave.
• 1384 James Circle
• 1412 Manistique Ave.
• 1612 Manistique Ave.

Others top displays, of the more than two dozen entrants: 629 Michigan Ave., 1231 Michigan Ave., 1785 Tamarack Ave., 604 Walnut Ave., 2908 17th Ave., 1206 15th Ave., 710 Hawthorne Ave., 1305 Edgewood Ave.

Thanks to everyone who has decorated this Halloween season … and be sure to check out our 2018 winners again!

• 1322 Edgewood Ave. (Lights on Edgewood light show)
• 1304 Edgewood Ave.
• 1716 Sherman Ave.
• 1432 Lakeview Ave.
• 1907 17th Ave.​​

The fun starts tonight with the South Milwaukee Library Halloween Party.

Then, on Saturday, check out the first-ever Spooktacular Citywide Halloween Party and other family-fun activities — including more Halloween Lights on Edgewood shows.

South Milwaukee’s official trick-or-treating is on Halloween, as always — we’re still the only community in the county to do this, and I love it!

Happy Rocketober, South Milwaukee!

Make your plans now, and get your parade entries in soon!

Congratulations to the South Milwaukee marching band, which had a strong performance last weekend at its state competition, including a big win for its color guard. From Gail Kablau, band director …

We just finished our marching band season on Saturday at the WSMA State Marching Band Championships. The South Milwaukee High School Rocket Marching Band had a very successful season, achieving personal record high scores, not once, but twice. Our Color Guard (students in the photo) took the State AAA Color Guard Caption award, after winning the same award at two previous competitions. It was a huge victory for them, and for our marching program. Our five (5) Color Guard students beat out guards from 8 other groups in our category – some of them large and more prominent groups.

Here is a video of the band’s performance at state.

Well done, Rocket marching band!

Here is an update on partial street closures and more …

• Milwaukee Avenue eastbound (9th to 10th Ave) will be opened to traffic on Monday, October 21st. (The south side parking may remain closed or intermittently closed for WE Energies lighting work)
• 9th Avenue between Milwaukee Ave and Madison Ave will remain closed.
• Milwaukee Avenue westbound (9th to 10th Ave) and parking lane will be closed starting at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 22nd for pavement saw-cutting, removal, and replacement.
• Wood poles have been installed at 10th Ave and Milwaukee Ave for temporary traffic signals while signal equipment is replaced. Installation of new equipment is anticipated over the next 3 weeks.
• All excavations behind the curb will be filled with stone and concrete slurry or asphalt surface for winter.
• Pavement removal and replacement west of 10th Ave will continue through October weather permitting. Any remaining pavement work will begin in spring 2020 if we run out of decent weather.

The South Milwaukee football team is headed for the WIAA playoffs, and they are in for a challenge.

The eighth-seeded Rockets — who finished the regular season 6-3 after a 42-20 loss to New Berlin West in their Woodland Conference crossover game on Friday — travel to top-seeded Waterford in a first-round game on Friday.

The Wolverines (8-1 after suffering their first loss of the season on Friday, to Lake Geneva Badger) were the fifth-ranked Division 2 team in the state, according to the Oct. 15 rankings.

Check out the full Division 2 bracket here. And go Rockets!

Start your day at DB Tax & Wealth and end at Pink Bunny Games. In between, enjoy all sorts of fun Halloween activities!

Get the full list of activities when you pick up your game card at DB.

Bring family and friends to this new Halloween tradition!

(Note: This event replaces the Downtown Trick-or-Treating of years past, and I’m excited to see 26 business and organizations from across the city take part … and to make the event more than about candy.)

You may have seen news coverage recently that the United States Postal Service sorting facility project originally proposed more than a decade ago for the southwest corner of Nicholson and College Avenues might have new life. Check out coverage here, here, and here.

There is just on thing missing in the process so far — you.

The project planners have yet to engage the governments of Oak Creek and South Milwaukee in any meaningful way, and have not committed to a robust public process as their plans are brought to life.

That’s not acceptable.

With that in mind, both the Oak Creek and South Milwaukee City Councils passed similar resolutions last week calling for local community input around the revised plans and impact of the project.

From our resolution …

WHEREAS, on July 30, 2019 the City of Oak Creek received a letter from the United States Postal Service (USPS) declaring its intent to construct a mail processing center on the properties (the Project), and providing the City of Oak Creek the opportunity to review and comment on the project; and

WHEREAS, on August 1, 2019 the City of Oak Creek responded to the United States Postal Service and formally requested the opportunity to review and comment on the project; and

WHEREAS, the City of Oak Creek has not received any correspondence from the USPS in response to its request to review and comment on the project; and

WHEREAS, the City of Oak Creek has yet to receive assurances from the USPS that it intends to honor its agreements with the City of Oak Creek with respect to the construction and operation of a postal service processing and distribution center on the properties

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that for and on behalf of themselves and the taxpayers of the City of South Milwaukee, and for the reasons herein above set forth go on record as requesting that any construction and operation of a postal service processing and distribution center on the properties take place in accordance with the construction and operational standards that were agreed upon as part of the initial rezoning approval.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, any development of a postal service processing and distribution center proceed in accordance with the standards established by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act standards for soliciting, assessing, and incorporating local community input.

I’ll keep you posted, and continue to fight with Oak Creek and our federally elected leaders to ensure we’re not shut out of this process.

These new two weekends are what make South Milwaukee so special. So many activities and events … I love it!

And it starts tonight (Thursday, Oct. 17) with 6 p.m. talk called “Remembering Continental Faience and Tile Co.”

Artist, author and historian Ben Tyjeski will tell the story of this former, influential South Milwaukee company, as he completes his book on the subject. Join us at City Hall!

Here is what’s coming up this weekend alone …

   THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

• 6 p.m. “Remembering Continental Faience and Tile Co.” Artist, author and historian Ben Tyjeski tells the story of this former, influential South Milwaukee company, as he completes his book on the subject. City Hall.  

   FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

• 7 p.m. South Milwaukee football at New Berlin West (Woodland crossover).

   SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

• 9 a.m. Downtown Decorating! Help the Beautification Committee hang corn stalks on 10^th Avenue light poles. Meet at Tri-City Plaza, and bring family and friends.
• 1 p.m. Fall Color Walk. Join the South Milwaukee and St. Francis mayors on a walk through Grant Park’s 7 Bridges. Meet at the Brown Pavilion/Picnic Area 5. Presented by the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department.
• 4-6:30 p.m. Chili for Charity. Enjoy a chili dinner at the Grobschmidt Senior Center, with all proceeds benefitting South Milwaukee Human Concerns. Adults $8, Children $5, and includes chili, drink, bread, salad and dessert.
• 5-9 p.m. South Milwaukee Art Walk: Monsters on Milwaukee Avenue. Check out downtown merchants for shopping, art, music, food and drink. After party at Moran’s Pub. Presented by South Milwaukee Art Collective.
• 6:30 p.m. Rocktoberfest. Annual South Milwaukee Football Boosters beer tasting at Pat’s Oak Manor. Admission is $25 and includes a glass, tastings, food and raffle.
• 7:30 p.m. “I Am … He Said.” Matt Vee Family and Friends Celebrate the Music of Neil Diamond. South Milwaukee PAC.

The South Milwaukee Common Council voted 6-0 at its meeting Tuesday to formally accept the donation of Da Crusher statue from Da Crusher Foundation — along with a pledge of continued support from the foundation for statue and site upkeep and additional site investments.

In doing so, we welcomed back artist Beth Sahagian, who, with her team, built this iconic work of art that will last generations.

Thanks, Chris Smith, for leading this effort, and thanks for the donation of this beautiful statue. See you at Crusherfest 2020!

South Milwaukee won its fourth straight game and moved to 6-2 on the season with 7-6 victory over Greenfield on Friday night.

Elijah Anderson’s 14-yard touchdown run in the first quarter held up — but it took a missed extra point late from the Hawks to seal it.

Check out video of Anderson’s run here.

The win sent the Rockets to 6-1 in the Woodland East, good enough for second place in the division. Next up, at New Berlin West on Friday, in a Woodland Conference crossover game.

Then it’s on to the WIAA playoffs, which begin Oct. 25-26.

Go Rockets!