South Milwaukee Blog

It’s Halloween week in South Milwaukee!

Starting Thursday and running through the weekend — and into Halloween trick-or-treating next Wednesday — there a ton of family-friendly activities to enjoy in South Milwaukee in coming days.

Check out the full schedule below, and on the Rocketober Facebook page.

Happy Rocketober, South Milwaukee, and we’ll see you around town!

In-person absentee voting for the Nov. 6 election is now open, and runs through Friday, Nov. 2.

You can cast an absentee ballot at the clerk’s office at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave. Hours for voting are 7:30 to 4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, and 7:30 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2.

Remember to bring your photo ID.

There are contested races for Wisconsin governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer; state senator and assembly person; 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.

To apply for an absentee ballot to be mailed, please visit MyVote Wisconsin.

More details on the election information page on the city website.

Last night, we held the Karla Harris Dinner — our  annual celebration of our city board and commission members and others who give of their time and talents every day to make South Milwaukee a better place.

About 150 people attended this truly special event at the Grobschmidt Senior Center.

We were especially honored to celebrate the longstanding service of two of our board and commission members: Matt Glaske (Water/Wastewater Commission) and Bernice Czarnezki (Board of Appeals/Old Fashioned Christmas).

Combined, they have logged more than 80 years service to the city.

As I said in my remarks …

We could not do any of this without you. Your volunteer spirit is inspiring … and you all make me so excited for the promising future of this great city.

I’m proud to be your mayor. We have so much going for us, and it starts with all of you in this room. When we talk about our promising future, it’s built with people like you all here tonight. Sure, we have work to do. But we are doing it, and we will do it, with your support.

Indeed, it’s all about people. People like Karla.

Also from my remarks …

As you may know, Karla passed away last November after a courageous battle with brain cancer. I have never seen someone so focused on helping others. Karla was tireless in her work to make her community, and world, a better place.

She did so … as a director for Lions International, building on more than two decades as a South Milwaukee Lion. As president of the South Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission. As executive director of the South Milwaukee Community Center. As volunteer coordinator for the American Red Cross and Women’s Center. As a member of the boards of the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, Wisconsin Make-a-Wish, the UW-Milwaukee School of Education, AFS International, and others.

And she did all of this in addition to her professional career in nonprofits.

Yes, Karla was a truly amazing woman, one who left an indelible mark and legacy on this city, and me. She was, and is, an inspiration, and she will be missed deeply.

In other words, she’s a perfect choice to be the namesake of this event.

The South Milwaukee football team is playoff bound, although it faces a tough test in round one, as the eighth-seeded Rockets play at No. 1 seed (and 2017 WIAA state runner-up) Brookfield Central on Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

South Milwaukee finished the regular season 5-3 despite losing its last two games, because of a loss-turned-victory over Milwaukee Lutheran due to a forfeit.

A highlight? South Milwaukee’s 27-0 Homecoming win over Cudahy in September. With the Rocket victory, Cudahy Mayor John Hohenfeldt lost our friendly bet, and he paid it off last night when he wore a Rocket football jersey to Cudahy’s city council meeting.

All in good fun.

Go Rockets!

Here, at 11th and Milwaukee. And it’s the perfect location …

• In the heart of our downtown, so we can prominently show off this soon-to-be fun and iconic part of our city;
• City-owned, making upgrades to the site much easier to accomplish;
• With adjacent parking; and
• With built-in potential event space that’s already being used that way by the South Milwaukee Downtown Market and other events throughout the year.

I thank the South Milwaukee City Council for getting behind this at last night’s meeting, city staff for their review of the several options we looked at, and Chris Smith and Da Crusher Foundation for their continued support and partnership.

Next up: A more detailed design of the conversion of the southern portion of the parking lot to a “pocket park,” and then installation of the statue in summer 2019.

More details here. How ’bout that?!

Check out these South Milwaukee headlines …

• Hidden Gem: The Tap Room (Milwaukee Record)
  • The photos are from The Tap Room, which joined The Golden Lion as two local bars giving out free Miller Lites on Friday, in recognition of the Milwaukee Brewers’ National League Division Series win over the Colorado Rockies.
• September’s Top Teachers: Hallie Schmeling, Joanna Rizzotto; Real Academy (WISN)
• Fearing for Her Life, Woman’s Desperate Text to Sister Leads to South Milwaukee Man Facing Battery Charge (NOW)
• South Milwaukee Fire Department Receives Donation of Carcinogen-Blocking Hoods (NOW)
• Man Attacked a Cudahy Dollar Tree Employee After Being Confronted for Shoplifting, Police Say (NOW)
• 7 Spots Around the Milwaukee Suburbs to Take in the Fall Colors (NOW)

And don’t forget that the South Milwaukee Police Department publishes weekly crime updates on its Facebook page. They just published a new one yesterday.

Demolition of the former Amoco/BP gas station is underway, paving the way for new life on a key blighted corner of the city.

The station closed more than five years ago, and the property has deteriorated since.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which owns the property after the bank that previously owned it failed, decided it would be more cost effective — and provide a better redevelopment opportunity — for them to tear down the building, rather than undertake the significant repairs we were requiring.

This is a win for the city. A key parcel will now have a much better chance of redevelopment in the years ahead, potentially fueled by this site’s (very purposeful) inclusion in our new downtown Tax Incremental District No. 5.

Expect the parcel to listed for sale once there is full closure of the site by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which has indicated will come in 2019. The underground fuel tanks have already been removed from the site.

The city is doing more than ever to encourage the improvement, redevelopment, rehabilitation, and reuse of underutilized and vacant properties. This is the latest one. It’s hard work, and we have more to do. But we’re doing it.

One demolished gas station at a time.

It’s a busy week of family fun, starting with the final South Milwaukee Downtown Market of the season this Thursday.

Details below, on the Rocketober Facebook page and from each organization.

Here is more on the cleanup from the Friends …

Reminding you of an opportunity to help clean up the Oak Creek Watercourse this Saturday October 13th, 2018.  Our targeted area is: N Chicago Avenue west to Nicholson Avenue.  We meet at 8:00 am in the High School parking lot – a Tan Hyundai Sonata – where you’ll sign in, receive a safety vest to wear, some gloves, bags and a bottle of water.  If you have boots, grabbers etc..please bring them along.  You can even bring a change of clothes in case you get wet.  We work till around noon.  The Friends of the Mill Pond will sponsor the lunch which is at Grobschmidt Pool behind City Hall.  If your group does come, we ask that adults be present and participate too. Milwaukee County Parks will be picking up the garbage along the route.  If you are coming could you give me an estimate amount so we have enough food and drinks. (Email: NancyWucherer@gmail.com)

I love October in South Milwaukee!

I love this. Thanks, St. Mark’s for stepping up! The next one is this Saturday.

Two terrific annual events! Details below and at the Rocketober Facebook page.

It’s a busy month in South Milwaukee, with some really fun activities in coming weeks, all leading up to trick-or-treating on Halloween. Yet again, we’re the only community in the county offering it on October 31, and I love it!

Crowdfunding creative ideas big and small … I love this!

From the South Shore Chamber of Commerce …

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce is introducing SOUTH SHORE SOUP – serving the communities of the South Shore Chamber. South Shore Soup is a micro-granting soup dinner supporting creative projects in Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee; the communities that make up the South Shore Chamber. This innovative micro-granting event has been done throughout the Country and in Milwaukee.

• Sunday, October 21, 2018
• Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Place: Joe’s K Ranch side room, 4840 S Whitnall Ave, Cudahy, WI 53110

Register online under Events at ssccwi.com

PLEASE RSVP ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 17, 2018. (If registering children 12 and under, please email infossccwi@gmail.com with this information)

• How to attend: For a donation of $10 for adults (children 12 and under are free), attendees receive a variety of hearty soup, salad, bread, desert and they VOTE for a grantee. Pre-registration is recommended to get a count for the food.
• How it works: At the Soup dinner you hear from four presentations ranging from art, urban agriculture, social entrepreneurs, education, technology and more in hopes the attendees will “grant” them the proceeds from the soup dinner for their cause.
• What is the process: Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. At the event, attendees eat, talk, share resources, enjoy and vote on the project they think most benefits the cities most. At the end of the night we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all the attendee registration money raised to carry out their project.
• Deadline to Submit Application: October 8, 2018. Winners will be contacted on October 15, 2018.

Please see ssccwi.com under Events for the link and the application.

Winners come back to a future Soup dinner to report their projects progress. (Next two events will be held in February and April 2019.)

Do you have a project you would like to support? Do you know a group that would like to sign up? Have them fill out an application.

Questions? Email Trish Wimmer at trish2@wi.rr.com.

I had a chance to visit last week with Chris Hitler, owner of My Storage Home at 1005 Columbia Ave.

I left impressed. He has transformed this property, making a significant investment in our city in bringing his growing small business to our community.

Construction on My Storage Home just recently wrapped up, and interior and exterior units are now available.

The facility has 250 units in all, with a potential future phase coming depending on lease-up rates. (That part of the property is currently used for outdoor parking.)

A variety of options are available, from small outdoor units to large, climate controlled indoor units with vehicle access. All have 24-7 access and are gated, with key pad entry and security cameras.

For Chris, it’s his ninth facility, and his first in the South Shore.

More details on the company here, and here is information on South Milwaukee.

Please join me in welcoming Chris and My Storage Home to South Milwaukee!

Congratulations to Parkway Floral and Chris Daniels, South Milwaukee’s two local honorees at last night’s South Shore Chamber of Commerce dinner.

Parkway (with owners Leah Manthey and Carly Johnson) was named South Milwaukee’s Business of the Year, and Chris — work-based learning coordinator and youth apprenticeship coordinator for the School District of South Milwaukee and South Shore Suburban Consortium — was named Honored Educator.

I can’t think of two more deserving honorees from South Milwaukee.

Here is Chris’ proclamation. And here is Parkway’s.

Also winning awards were St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, Joy Mark Inc., Paul Oestreich and James Papala. Well done, everyone!

And thanks to Alderman David Bartoshevich for pinch hitting for me, due to the Homecoming Parade and Bonfire. Much, much appreciated.

A message from the South Milwaukee Street Department …