South Milwaukee Blog

Ruddy Cancel Ramirez recently passed away at the age of 50, much too soon. His legacy in this city will live on for many years — through his art.

It’s only a small solace. 

This fall, Ruddy completed the mural at Tony G’s Grant Park Garage, and other designs and detail work at the South Milwaukee business. If you haven’t seen it yet, please check it out; it’s a beautiful painting that honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, just feet from the South Milwaukee veterans memorial.

Ruddy had plans for other projects, too, and we discussed those after a recent service at Trinity Lutheran Church in South Milwaukee, where we are both members. 

I just wish he could be with us longer to share his gift, and other passions.

From his obituary …

Ruddy had a passion for painting. He also loved to bird watch, and he combined his two favorite hobbies to create extraordinary art. His paintings of various birds & flowers were much admired not only by friends and family, but also by all who frequented the locations where his paintings were displayed. He was known for his quick wit, his infectious smile, and his kind and compassionate spirit.

We mourn the loss of that spirit at Trinity Lutheran and across the city, and we offer our heartfelt prayers to his entire family, including his mother, three children, two grandchildren, three brothers, three sisters, nieces and nephews.

Many joined me in paying tribute at his funeral on Thursday, sharing memories of the talent that I saw come to life in the years I knew him.

It came to life in big ways, like the mural.

And it came to life in small ways, like in the cross drawing you can see in this post, shared with our pastor. Or in the pencil drawing he did in my 10-year-old daughter’s sketch book in church just recently.

“Always dream,” Ruddy wrote to my daughter. “A journey of wonderful things will come your way. Keep smiling and praying. Never give up hope.”

We won’t, Ruddy. We won’t.

Look for more information soon on how you can help the family. 

The proposed 2019 city budget includes a 3.5% decrease in the property tax levy, driven in large part by a reduction in city debt.

And while I’m happy to potentially deliver a tax cut, the budget does not change the economic realities we continue to face — marked by restrictive state levy limits and other mandates that make it more and more difficult to fund our first-class city services.

You can see a draft summary of the proposed budget here.

A public hearing on the budget is set for 6 p.m. this Monday, Nov. 20, with the South Milwaukee City Council expected to vote on it the following night, with that meeting set for 7 p.m. Of note …

• The version of the budget being discussed on Monday differs slightly from the budget published last month. As if often the case, we were able to refine some of the numbers to get more clarity on certain revenues and expenditures.
• It includes a 2.4% reduction in expenditures, to just shy of $20 million, and a 1.05% decrease in revenues.
• The decrease in the levy stems from a reduction in our debt. Our 2018 debt payments were just over $4 million; in 2019, they are projected to be just over $3.6 million, with our levy being reduced by the $462,871 difference.
• Levy limits continue to hamstring us, and hundreds of communities across the state. For the 11th straight year, our “net new construction” figure measured less than 1%; this year it was 0.3%, meaning we were only able to increase our levy by approximately $22,000. This is obviously not sustainable.
• The budget reflects the referendum passed in 2017, and segregated the extra $616,641 in revenue to support the sustained funding of our paramedic program and the hiring of two new police officers. We feel it’s important to segregate the funds this way to ensure taxpayers can see the additional revenue is being spent in exactly the way we said it would. We will continue to deliver this transparency.
• The proposed budget also includes 2% pay raises for employees.
• Health insurance costs continue to rise at a high rate. Our initial renewal came back at +9%, but we have negotiated that down to a more manageable increase of 3.9% — still an additional $223,000 in costs to the city.
• The budget includes no expenditure restraint payment for 2019, typically more than $300,000 for us. This is due to increased expenditures following the referendum result. We expect to once again receive that payment in 2020.
• We are also anticipating state transportation aids to decrease by $24,000.

We remain committed to being good stewards of your money — it’s our most important job. And I welcome your thoughts on the 2019 budget.

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• Taste the Tradition: Barbiere’s Italian Inn Serves Italian Favorites like Pizza and Pasta (Fox 6)
• Franklin, Oak Creek, St. Francis Schools Get Decent Grades for Student Achievements (NOW)
• Kinnickinnic River Shedding its Concrete Lining at Pulaski Park as Part of Flood-Control Plan (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
  Police From 3 Communities Respond to Possible Swatting Incident (Fox 6)
• Board Game Barrister Plans to Leave, Relocate on North Shore (Journal Sentinel)
• First Snow Leads to Slick Roads (WSAU)

Also, the South Milwaukee Police Department has put out its weekly crime summary on its Facebook page.

You may see something new welcoming you to the City of South Milwaukee.

Two new metal and wood signs have been installed, reflecting our new logo: one at Lake Drive and another on Forest Hill Avenue. Signs on Drexel Boulevard and Rawson and College Avenues will be placed in coming weeks, as we continue our work to bring our new city brand to life. This is indeed just the beginning.

The signs were made locally by Brandon Chodkowski, a South Milwaukee High School graduate who runs a small machining shop on the southeast side of town.

And a big thank you goes out to City Clerk Jim Shelenske, custodian Jason Boswell, and our Street Department crews for working together to bring these signs to life.

I hope you agree their work was worth it. I love these. So unique.

A Babe Ruth bat worth millions of dollars is up for auction after a legal battle — after it leaves South Milwaukee, of course.

Local business MEARS Online Auctions has the bat for sale as we speak. The asking price: $3 million minimum. So far, there are no bids, but owner Troy Kinunen thinks it will fetch as much as $10 million by the time the auction closes Dec. 1.

WISN had a story on this recently, and here is coverage from Sports Collectors Daily.

From the Sport Collectors Daily story …

No matter how many stories have been spun about Babe Ruth, there always seems to be another one waiting to be told.

Here’s one with an intriguing history.

The bat used by Ruth when he hit his first home run of the 1924 season was awarded to a high school senior who won a batting title in the Los Angeles area. The bat was an heirloom that was bought by a relative when the man’s family held an estate sale after his death. Then, it was stolen after an act of good faith went awry, only to pop up again nearly 30 years later.

After a lawsuit and settlement over ownership of the bat, the Louisville Slugger model is being offered by Milwaukee-based MEARS Online Auctions. Washington state resident Mike Robinson is hoping for big payday from a bat that once belonged to his uncle.

“Over $10 million,” Robinson told Sports Collectors Daily.

“Look, Muhammad Ali is cool. Thomas Hearns is cool. Nolan Ryan is cool. But we’re talking about Babe Ruth,” Robinson said. “People know about him in India and Japan, all over the world. There’s no comparison.”

Check out the website — 1924BabeRuthBat.com — for more.

From the South Shore Chamber of Commerce …

Join us for an evening of presentations from economic development representatives for the Cities of Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, Cudahy, and St. Francis to learn about new and planned projects in the south shore of Milwaukee County.

This is a free event and is open to the public!

RSVP is recommended, but not required. Please email infossccwi@gmail.com.

The event begins at 5:30, and I look forward to sharing some of the positive news we’re delivering in South Milwaukee.

Details on the event Facebook page. See you there!

While floats are welcome — and there will be prizes — entries don’t have to be ornate. Just throw some lights on your SUV and promote your organization or business.

Signup information in the image. Join us on Saturday, Nov. 24 … let’s make this first lighted parade something special!

I love Christmas in South Milwaukee … and it starts today!

I’ve pulled together some of our top holiday events again, and you can see them in this post, and in this PDF. Please share.

Today, it’s the Holiday Bazaar at the Grobschmidt Senior Center and the Holiday Craft Fair at Knights of Columbus.

And that’s just the start. Make your plans now for a South Milwaukee Christmas!

Just a reminder about two opportunities to enjoy a free community meal in the next week — and every month. Spread the word!

Thanks again for stepping up, St. Mark’s and First Congregational.

At St. Mark’s on Saturday, special guest Grandma Story Time & the Great Zotz will be entertaining kids of all ages with fun stories and surprises.

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“Keep the lights on. We’re coming in behind you.”

I’ve been saying that for a while now in regards to the former Bucyrus campus downtown – 28 acres with more than 750,000 square feet of buildings being left vacant with the completion of Caterpillar’s move to the north side of Rawson Avenue.

And what I mean by that is simple: Unlike similar facilities you see across the region, state and country – where idled industrial facilities sit in decay for years, sometimes decades, in hopes of redevelopment, often before meeting their demise by wrecking ball – this campus is different. South Milwaukee is different.

We are reinventing ourselves, and it starts at 1100 Milwaukee Ave.

There is already positive momentum. It started with work the city did in the past year securing grant funding from the Bucyrus Foundation for, among other things, campus planning; applying for and obtaining Economic Opportunity Zone status from the federal government; and, perhaps most significantly, creating a new tax incremental district to encompass the now-vacant campus and other high-profile parcels downtown.

Then Reich Brothers closed on its sale a little over three months ago.

Since then, the pace of progress has quickened, as the new owners quickly began moving to buy out Caterpillar’s lease for the south-of-Rawson property (to fully enable the site for development) and take a deep dive, with an engineer’s eye, into subdividing the campus. That work continues, and there was more progress this week – the reason why I am writing this post today.

On Tuesday, the South Milwaukee City Council voted 7-0 to enter into a master planning agreement with Reich Brothers, contributing $40,000 of the Bucyrus Foundation grant money to, as the resolution states, “pay for a party in 2018 to subdivide and reconfigure parcels, design access points and road layouts and connect to the city’s grid for maximum use and visitor benefit.” More specifically, Reich Brothers wants to hire a consultant to study and report on existing site conditions, and offer cost estimates for necessary repairs. Importantly, the study will provide “initial plans for subdivision of the site that will provide improved circulation and public access to existing facilities.”

The work will be done in the spring of 2019.

In other words, this is the first step toward a new day for this campus, our downtown and our city – redevelopment of a site that for more than 100 years was a city unto itself, into one that, while different, will hopefully be just as central to South Milwaukee’s growth and prosperity as it was in 1892.

Proud past, promising future, indeed.

What will that look like exactly? That’s what the master planning effort is for, for which we’ll have a seat at the table the whole time, per the agreement we signed.

Have a plan, work the plan, together. There is no wishing, hoping and waiting here, as we’ve seen in so many other cities. The time is now. Let’s go!

Check out these South Shore headlines …

• Kmart in Cudahy, the Brand’s Last Store in Milwaukee County, Will Close (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• South Milwaukee Voters OK $3.8 Million School Referendum (Journal Sentinel)
• South Milwaukee Man Found After Missing Person Alert (WISC-TV)
• South Milwaukee Woman with 3-Year-Old in Vehicle Arrested for OWI (CBS 58)
• Man Flees South Milwaukee Walmart Wearing Multiple Stolen Jackets and Pairs of Pants (NOW)

Also, check out coverage of how various city/school referendums fared in Cudahy, Oak Creek and St. Francis on Tuesday.

The South Milwaukee Veterans Day event is planned for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11, at Van Eimeren-Kolonka American Legion Post #27.

The ceremony will be held in the parking lot of the post, starting at 11  a.m. Lunch will be served afterwards inside the post.

Please note the location change, due to construction on 10th Avenue. There will be no march to the memorial this year.

Thank you to all of the veterans who take part in this event, and to everyone who has served. Please join me Sunday in honoring these everyday heroes.

Here is a list of more area veterans events. 

Wow — what an Election Day in South Milwaukee!

Here are the local results. Some highlights …

• Let’s start with the huge turnout, more than 85% of registered voters, as 9,343 ballots were cast on Tuesday. Terrific!
• The South Milwaukee School District referendum easily passed, 55.6% to 40.8%.
• In the Assembly race, Democratic challenger Gabriel Gomez beat incumbent Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez in South Milwaukee by 15 votes: 4,553 to 4,538.
• Incumbent Democratic State Sen. Chris Larson beat Republican challenger Red Arnold, 53.7% to 41.9%.
• In statewide races, Democrats swept in South Milwaukee: Tony Evers for governor (49.3% to 47.1% for incumbent Scott Walker); Josh Kaul for attorney general (48.6% to 46.6% for incumbent Brad Schimel); Doug LaFollette for secretary of state; and Sarah Godlewski for treasurer.
• Rep. Gwen Moore beat Republican challenger Tim Rogers, 49.4% to 43.6%.
• Sen. Tammy Baldwin easily beat challenger Leah Vukmir (55.6% to 42.7%).

Also, South Milwaukee voters overwhelmingly backed the Milwaukee County marijuana legalization referendum, 63.3% to 34.8%.

Thanks to everyone who voted today. We consistently outperform on turnout, and I love that. And thanks to the clerk’s office and all of our pollworkers for their work today.

Today is Election Day! Please do your constitutional duty and vote.

There are contested races for Wisconsin governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer; state senator and assemblyperson; U.S. senator and representative; and U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

There are also two referendum questions: a countywide question around legalization of marijuana and the school district referendum (on the back of the ballot).

Here is a sample ballot.

And and here are additional voting details …

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• First District voters vote at Divine Mercy School, 695 College Ave.
• Second District voters vote at Lakeview School, 711 Marion Ave.
• Third District voters vote at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave.
• Fourth District voters vote at Rawson Elementary, 1410 Rawson Ave.
• Not sure what district you live in? Here is a map.
• Please remember to bring photo ID.
• For information on voter registration, polling locations, and to request an absentee ballot for future elections, visit MyVote.

Check out more details on the city’s elections web page … and look for more information on local results from South Milwaukee Blog later tonight or Wednesday morning.

And while you’re out, please thank a pollworker. These dedicated citizens bring democracy to life through their too-often thankless work.

See you at the polls!

There is lots going on at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center these days, with an another rich mix of performances coming to our city.

Here are some highlights …

• Nov. 9-11 (this week!): The South Milwaukee High School Theatre Co. presents “Almost, Maine.” Details here.
• Thursday, Nov. 15: Soweto Gospel Choir, “South Africa’s Grammy Award-winning heavenly voices.” Show at 7:30 p.m. Details here.
• Thursday, Dec. 6: “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio Theatre.” Show at 7:30 p.m. Details here.

Get the full list of events here … and support this terrific community institution!