In this writing, Tim shares some summer highlights, thoughts on the city’s new mascot, information on major new developments, and more.
Thanks, Tim, for bringing this idea to the blog! I am always looking for content to further our mission of keeping South Milwaukeeans informed on key issues, while also providing important context and depth where possible. It is why I started this blog as an alderman in 2009, and why I continue it today.
Terrific turnout, a resounding yes for the incumbent Milwaukee County treasurer, and a resounding no on the two consitutional amendment referendum questions …
Here are your 2024 partisan primary election results in South Milwaukee.
Thank you to the South Milwaukee City Clerk’s Office for another well-run election, and thank you to all the pollworkers who made it possible. Next up: November 5!
It’s Election Day for the August 2024 partisan primary, and there are just two contested races on the ballot — the Democratic primary for Milwaukee County treasurer and Republican primary for United States Senator.
Democratic incumbent David Cullen is running against challenger Ted Chisholm for the treasurer position; there is no Republican candidate, which means the August 13 vote essentially decides this election. I am proudly supporting Ted Chisholm, as he brings new energy, ideas and a commitment to working with municipalities on areas where the treasurer’s office interects with their work, especially around redevelopment of properties in significant arrears on their taxes. (This is a big issue in redeveloping cities like South Milwaukee working to reinvigorate vacant buildings.) And this. And this.
Eric Hovde, Charles Barman, and Rejani Raveendram are competing in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, with the winner facing incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
There are also two referendum questions related to the power of the Wisconsin legislature. I will be voting “no” on both of these questions, which represent the latest partisan power grab from a Republican-controlled legislature that, soon enough due to new maps, won’t be nearly as red.
You may have noticed something new on South Milwaukee Blog: Advertising.
Thank you to Milwaukee County Treasurer candidate Ted Chisholm for sponsoring this website the first couple weeks of August. For his investment, he received:
A sponsored profile post, emailed to the blog’s more than 900 subscribers.
An ad included in each blog post during the time of the sponsorship — with each new post also emailed to all blog subscribers.
An ad included at the top of the left column of the blog front page for a month.
So, who’s next? Businesses, nonprofits, event organizers, governments, campaigns, anyone who wants to amplify their message and promote their product, business, service, organization or event with local residents … let’s talk about how you can be a part of a website that, since 2009, has delivered more than 1.7 million page views by nearly 600,000 visitors
We will be accepting just one sponsor per month, for $500. I can also customize opportunities.
Interested in sponsoring South Milwaukee Blog? Email me at erikbrooks32@gmail.com. Learn more here.
From the blog’s Events page … and please email me if I missed something!
Tuesday, August 13: South Milwaukee Municipal Band concert, 7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Details
Thursday, August 15: Downtown Market Music-Val Sigal (polka). Details
Friday, August 16: Ferch’s Beachside Summer Music-Ben Harold Duo, 5:30-8 p.m., Grant Park Beach. Details
Saturday, August 17: South Milwaukee Celebrations Committee Movie Night, “Toy Story.” Event starts at 5 p.m., with the movie at 8, Bucyrus Commons. Details
Thursday, August 22: South Milwaukee Downtown Market Car Show and Market Music-Reverend Jerry K (country). Details
Friday, August 23: Ferch’s Beachside Summer Music-Ryan McIntyre, 5:30-8 p.m., Grant Park Beach. Details
Saturday, August 24: Cheaterama 26th Car Show, Bucyrus Commons, noon-8 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Details
Sunday, August 25: Suburban Soles — “Astronomy,” 8 p.m., Wil-o-Way Grant. Details
Thursday, August 29: Downtown Market Music-Kal Bergendahl (jazz funk). Details
Friday, August 30: Ferch’s Beachside Summer Music-Party Marty, 5:30-8 p.m., Grant Park Beach. Details
We’ve made a couple changes to the South Milwaukee Music Parents Association auction to get the bidding going. Opening bid is now $250 for each of three concerts — Apollo Jazz, Jazz Combo and a performance from music teacher Aimee Swanson.
Bid early and bid often. Buy it now for $1,000. All proceeds will help get South Milwaukee students to Nashville! The auction closes on Monday, August 12.
While money has already been raised for the trip, the group is looking to raise more funds to ensure more students who might not be able to afford the trip have an opportunity to go. “We don’t want any student to feel like ‘well I can’t go because I can’t afford it.’ So we’re a doing a lot of different fundraising things, both music parents and the kids doing their own fundraising,” Sarah Brooks said.
Swanson said at a South Milwaukee Music Parents Association meeting earlier this year that a colleague at her former school district, Lake Geneva, also played in the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra. She said her colleague asked her if she could donate voice lessons or playing the piano. She had played private concerts in the past, such as during cocktail hour at a wedding and a Christmas concert at someone’s home, that people bid on as part of silent auctions.
When asked by Erik Brooks, former South Milwaukee mayor and Sarah Brooks’ husband, if she’d be willing to play a private concert, Swanson said she would. Then the idea came up of having the Apollo Jazz or the South Milwaukee High School Jazz Combo perform outdoor concerts on porch steps, which came from a discussion about porch concerts happening during the pandemic. Swanson credited Erik Brooks for taking the ideas and bringing them together.
Erik Brooks said the idea is a continuation of momentum gained after a successful gala event called “Jazz and More” that was held in April at the Bucyrus Club in South Milwaukee that he said raised over $7,000. “For that donation, you’ll get a really special evening in your backyard or on your front porch or probably in your family room if you really wanted to. It’s an opportunity for the kids to show off what they can do and raise money for their trip to Nashville,” Erik Brooks said.
The trip to Nashville will include stops at the National Museum of African American Music, where choir students will possibly perform; the Grand Ole Opry, where the group will do an outdoor performance, take a backstage tour and watch a show; Fisk University, for a tour and choir clinic; Vanderbilt University, for a band and orchestra clinic; and Centennial Park. Fisk University is home of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, which performs spirituals “originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War,” according to the singing group’s website.The group will also get to see the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and possibly tour RCA Studio B there, tour the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, go on a walking ghost tour of Nashville, take line dancing lessons and possibly tour Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the home of the seventh U.S. president.
The following is sponsored content, as Ted Chisholm vies to become the next Milwaukee County Treasurer. The partisan primary is August 13, and Ted is running as a Democrat in a field without a Republican candidate on the ballot. In-person absentee voting is open now. Details here.
Interested in sponsoring the blog? Learn more here.
What does the Milwaukee County Treasurer do?
The Milwaukee County Treasurer is an elected constitutional officer responsible for several core functions: managing Milwaukee County’s banking, cash flow, check issuance, and accounts receivable functions; investing Milwaukee County’s surplus funds; and collecting delinquent property taxes in 18 of Milwaukee County’s 19 municipalities, including the City of South Milwaukee. The County Treasurer leads a ten-person staff responsible for these functions.
How does the Milwaukee County Treasurer impact the City of South Milwaukee?
The County Treasurer collects late property taxes owed by City of South Milwaukee property owners who have not made their tax payments (due on January 31) by July 31. After this date, Milwaukee County makes the City whole for the outstanding tax balance. From this point forward, the outstanding balance is owed by the property owner to Milwaukee County, not to the City of South Milwaukee. This means that on one hand, the County Treasurer is in a position to help homeowners who have fallen behind on property taxes due to financial emergencies. The County Treasurer can offer assistance by offering manageable payment plans. On the other hand, the County Treasurer has the power, working with Milwaukee County’s lawyers, to take action against vacant and abandoned properties that are in tax delinquency for years, foreclosing on these properties and making them available for reuse or redevelopment.
What qualifies you to serve as County Treasurer?
I have the hands-on financial management experience to serve as an effective, engaged, and highly informed County Treasurer. I am the former Senior Administrator for Management, Finance, and Strategy in the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office, where I managed a $42 million budget and oversaw accounting, purchasing, and contract services for a 300-employee county department. I increased annual return rates on court-invested funds and was actively involved in managing Milwaukee County’s contract for court-ordered collections, and am prepared to oversee investment and collection services in the Treasurer’s Office, as well. I was previously the chief of staff to former Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas, helping lead a 700-employee law enforcement and corrections agency, and oversaw a $49 million budget process in this role.
What is your vision for the County Treasurer’s Office?
I am committed to transforming the County Treasurer’s Office into a more dependable partner for our municipalities, including the City of South Milwaukee. If elected, I will work with our municipal partners – mayors, village presidents, city council members, building inspectors, and economic development personnel – to take more decisive action on vacant and abandoned properties in tax delinquency. Rather than allow these properties (like the one at 1208/1210 Milwaukee Ave in South Milwaukee) to sit delinquent for years, I will work with local partners to create real plans for reuse and redevelopment, then take appropriate foreclosure action to restore these properties to the tax base. Conversely, I will do everything in my power to intervene early when residential homeowners and small business owners fall behind on property taxes, offering manageable payment plans that prevent the risk of sustained delinquency and foreclosure. I also plan to modernize the office, improve its customer service, and establish a regional service model that assigns dedicated support staff in the office to meet the needs of taxpayers and municipal partners in each geographic region served by the Treasurer’s Office.
When is the election for County Treasurer?
This year, only two candidates are on the ballot for Milwaukee County Treasurer and we are both running in the August 13 Democratic primary. This election will decide which candidate will advance to the November general election. I hope to earn yours and your readers’ vote on or before August 13th.
Early voting is now open for the August 13 partisan primary election, and there are just two contested races on the ballot — the Democratic primary for Milwaukee County treasurer and Republican primary for United States Senator.
Democratic incumbent David Cullen is running against challenger Ted Chisholm for the treasurer position; there is no Republican candidate, which means the August 13 vote essentially decides this election. I am proudly supporting Ted Chisholm, as he brings new energy, ideas and a commitment to working with municipalities on areas where the treasurer’s office interects with their work, especially around redevelopment of properties in significant arrears on their taxes. (This is a big issue in redeveloping cities like South Milwaukee working to reinvigorate vacant buildings.) And this. And this.
Eric Hovde, Charles Barman, and Rejani Raveendram are competing in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, with the winner facing incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
There are also two referendum questions related to the power of the Wisconsin legislature. I will be voting “no” on both of these questions, which represent the latest partisan power grab from a Republican-controlled legislature that, soon enough due to new maps, won’t be nearly as red.
He was hard to miss the last week, but in case you did …
South Milwaukee has a new mascot! Hello, South Milwaukee Sam.
The Sasquatch lives in Grant Park and he loves his new hometown, calling himself “the biggest cheerleader for South Milwaukee’s local businesses, community events, and good old-fashioned fun.”
Savage Solutions, the Milwaukee-based agency which helped rebrand the city in 2018, was tasked with coming up with this new campaign.“They came back with a couple (ideas) that were a little more traditional,” Brever said. “And then they came back with this very creative and outside the box idea that we thought was a lot of fun and decided to go down that route.”
Savage Solutions met with city officials one at a time because they didn’t want to spoil the campaign by presenting in front of the Common Council publicly.“We were so pleasantly surprised with how much (city staff) were gravitating toward it,” said Cory Savage, founder and CEO of Savage Solutions. “They’ve been so supportive which makes us work twice as hard.”
He was surprised the idea didn’t leak out ― other than a few times when Sam was out filming scenes reminiscent of classic Big Foot sightings.“He’s been out and about,” Savage said. “People were stopping in their cars looking and taking pictures.”
Savage said the idea came from the Milwaukee Lion sightings on the city’s north side from nearly a decade ago. He commended South Milwaukee officials and staff for agreeing to and rallying behind such a unique campaign. “This is the first project in the history of this company where every single employee at Savage had a piece of it,” Savage said.
Creative Director and partner at Savage Solutions Mark Hungsberg said it’s a campaign that “legitimately has legs.” He said Sam was to be “a regular kind of guy” and was designed and redesigned many times to make sure he wasn’t too scary for kids. The primary Sam actor has experience in children’s theater and mascot work.
“We also wanted to be true to the history of South Milwaukee by doing this almost blue-collar worker shirt, that mechanic’s shirt,” Hungsberg said. “He’s not some gimmicky, over-the-top, showboaty thing. He’s a hard worker.”
Savage said Sam “just fit the mentality and personality of what South Milwaukee has to offer.”
Brever said he’s happy with the costume and campaign.“It’s just kind of a fun way to get some attention to the community and our businesses,” Brever said.
I like Sam. Sam is a unique way to lift up the people, places, businesses and organizations that make South Milwaukee special, a creative extension of the branding work we launched in 2018.
The whole thing is a bit weird, but it’s fun. And we need more weird and fun these days — as well as creative opportunities to promote our city. Go Sam!
In May 2024, the Common Council approved five exciting projects totaling $50,000 as part of the Bucyrus Civic Grants Program. For 2024, the approved community projects include:
$22,000 for ArtWorks: Supporting the artist’s professional services and materials for a beautiful new mural on the west side of 907 Milwaukee Avenue.
$13,600 for Friends of the Library: Add improvements to the Children’s Area at the South Milwaukee Public Library by adding child-appropriate tablets, comfy lounge sofas, and child-sized workspaces.
$11,400 for Warm Up South Milwaukee: The purchase of three defibrillators along with training, and creating a winter coat program by getting new coats for local elementary schools.
$2,000 for Friends of Mill Pond: Adding an informational kiosk near the Oak Creek Parkway Warming House to share educational information, events, and Warming House pictures.
$1,000 for South Milwaukee Historical Society: Adding a laptop and printer for everyone to use and search for ancestry and historical data.
Congratulations to all the organizations receiving an award in 2024! This program is completely funded with the generous support of the Bucyrus Foundation.
More on the program — and all of the grants made available through the Bucyrus Foundation’s legacy donation to the community — here.
Three events, seven hours, one special night. This might be the biggest downtown South Milwaukee celebration in my 20+ years in this city.
Three events are planned for tonight …
South Milwaukee Downtown Market: 3-8 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. This week’s market includes a special fun zone for kids (inflatables, face painting), music by Dog House Charlie from 5 to 8 p.m., and a proclamation by Mayor Jim Shelenske for NCAA Champion and South Milwaukee native Nate Snead (6 p.m.) Details
Moran’s Award Winning First Annual Mid-Summer Block Party Extravaganza: 4-10 p.m., 900 block of Milwaukee Avenue. Down the block from the market, check out family-friendly activities like the Dance Academy of Mexico, food, live music and more. Radio Radio plays at 7 p.m. Details
Paint the Mural. 4-7 p.m., 907 Milwaukee Ave. Join the Art Works team and muralist Tone Gomez in painting the next mural in downtown South Milwaukee. Grab a brush and be part of making history on Milwaukee Avenue! Details
Check out these South Milwaukee headlines, including a great story by Tim Van Vooren from Fox 6 about the journey of College World Series champion Nate Snead and his Rocket roots.
It’s Da Crusher, of course! Shot the night of Crusherfest, as we unveiled this statue to the world. Do you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog? Send it along.
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