Cudahy apartment building to be sold, rehabilitated with federal grant money

A subsidized housing apartment building on Packard Avenue that is in foreclosure will be sold and rehabilitated, the City of Cudahy announced Tuesday.

Cudahy was awarded a $350,000 federal grant through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to acquire and restore Packard Hall, 4932 South Packard Avenue, at the intersection of Packard and Somers Avenues.

The grant comes after Cudahy formed a regional housing consortium with the cities of Milwaukee and West Allis and Milwaukee County to apply for available federal community development block grant funds.

“This is another example of how Cudahy continues to develop outstanding partnerships with public and private entities,” Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue said in a news release.

The building, formerly owned by Tri-Corp Housing, Inc., has 18 one and two bedroom units.

Cudahy is now working with Real Estate Equities to take over the property. Michael Peine Architects will provide free design renderings.

Lara Fritts, Cudahy’s Director of Economic Development, said the city hopes to close on Packard Hall by April. Rehabilitation should begin shortly after that. When complete, nine apartment units will remain low-income housing and the other nine will be moderate-income housing.

Police investigating sexual assault of UWM student

A 21-year-old UW-Milwaukee student was sexually assaulted in her apartment near campus early Friday morning.

UWM Police said the student had just returned to her apartment in the 3000 block of N. Maryland around 2:30 a.m. Feb. 26, when she heard a knock on the door and opened the door thinking it was her roommate.

Police said a man then entered the apartment, displayed a knife and began to sexually assault the student.  The student then heard the main door to the apartment open and the man left.

Police describe the suspect as a white male in his early 20’s, olive skin, short black hair, 5′09″ in height with a stocky build. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a white tee shirt with no writing on it.

The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating.

Local firefighters travel to Haiti following quake

Milwaukee firefighters Craig Parello and Jeff Lang went to Haiti to help with disaster recovery efforts following the earthquake. They are pictured by a collapsed water tank on top of a building in Port au Prince. ~courtesy Craig Parello

Sign displayed in protest of fire station ‘brownouts’

A neighbor erected this sign in February across the street from the Kinnickinnic Avenue fire station to protest the city’s fire station “brownouts.” ~photo Michael Timm

Update on Hide House Community Gardens

Nearly 50 Bay View residents have made reservations for garden plots at the Bay View Hide House Community Gardens. A workday at the garden is being planned for May 1. Work will include building simple raised-bed frames and filing them with dirt. Additional help is sought for the water team, which will secure long-term water collection for the garden.

People interested in renting a plot or otherwise joining the community garden should contact Melissa Tashjian at (773) 383-9279 or bayview@victorygardeninitiative.org. More info: thevictorygardeninitiative.com and bvhhgarden.wordpress.com.

Local Curves holding annual food drive

Curves of Milwaukee is staging its annual food drive. They seek non-perishable food items and monetary donations for local food banks during the drive that runs March 1-31.

Cindy Kucera, of the Curves venue in Bay View, said that Curves members, who donate a bag of groceries or make a minimum donation of $30 during the month of March, will receive a reusable Curves grocery freezer-bag for free. Non-members who make the same donation between March 8-20 and who wish to join Curves will have the membership fee waived and join for free.

Kucera said Curves of Milwaukee is participating in a national, company-wide contest to collect the most food during the drive. Several winners will receive a cash prize that will be donated to a local food bank.

To donate food or for more information about the food drive stop in at the new Curves location in Bay View, 2869 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., or contact Cindy Kucera: (414) 482-2260 or curves@curvesmilwaukee.com.

Food collected by Curves in Bay View will be donated to the Bay View Community Center and Project Concern of Cudahy/St. Francis.

Chill bands sought by March 1

Source: BVNA

The Bay View Neighborhood Association (BVNA) in conjunction with Milwaukee County Parks is proud to enter its sixth year of providing the Chill on the Hill concert series to the community.  The BVNA, in partnership with the Milwaukee County Parks, will host various local bands and family-friendly events at the Humboldt Park band shell every Tuesday evening throughout the summer.  This year’s dates are from June 8th through August 31st.

The BVNA’s Chill on the Hill Committee is looking for local bands who can take to the stage this season.  The series provides an eclectic and diverse musical mix, and the concerts typically draw an audience of between 800-2500.

Bands who are interested in submitting a media kit should review the requirements in the Call for Bands document on the BVNA’s website prior to submission.  Any submissions or questions can be directed to the Chill on the Hill Co-Chair, Carol Voss, at bvnachill@gmail.com with “Chill on the Hill” in the subject line.  The strict deadline is Monday, March 1, 2010, and the line-up will be announced during the first week of April.  More details are available on http://www.bayviewneighborhood.org/chill-on-the-hill-call-for-bands-2010/.

MPS Board of Directors meeting canceled

Source: MPS

Due to inclement weather, the meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors’
Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
this evening, Tuesday, February 9, 2010, has been cancelled.

Governor: locks will stay open, $75-80M from feds to continue Asian carp battle

Chicago’s locks will stay open–for now–but new money will flow to Illinois to bolster the battle against Asian carp.

Following a Feb. 8 White House summit of Great Lakes state governors on Asian carp, the federal government plans to spend $75-$80 million in a series of steps to keep the invasive species out of the Great Lakes, where the filter-feeding fish could significantly alter the ecology.

The federal government will expedite construction of a third fish barrier downstream of two existing electric fish barriers already on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, according to Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. Construction on this third barrier is expected to begin this May and be completed by September, Doyle said.

Doyle, with all other Great Lakes state governors except Illinois’, had pushed the White House to close the Chicago area locks. The locks are seen as a last line of defense against the northward movement of Asian carp from the Mississippi River and its tributaries–connected artificially to Lake Michigan in the Chicago area by canal–but the locks were not designed to block fish.

The feds did not order the locks closed. But Doyle said a new Army Corps of Engineers report to consider full or partial closure of the locks is expected in early March.

Federal money will also go to infrastructure intended to limit spillage between the Des Plaines River and adjacent Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which could provide another pathway for invasive species during flood conditions.

Netting and shocking of fish in the canal also remains ongoing, Doyle said, as authorities look to document just how prolific the carp are and how far they have spread.

Doyle spoke to reporters by conference call following the Feb. 8 Asian carp summit at the White House where Great Lakes states governors met with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa Jackson, head of the Army Corps of Engineers, and others.

Doyle called it a “very significant meeting” and said he appreciated that the Asian carp issue was getting cabinet-level attention. He contrasted the current level of federal investment with prior years when the Army Corps required significant state support to build the fish barrier.

Doyle admitted there were concerns on both sides of the locks issue, but had hoped the White House would accept his argument that the effects of a sustainable population of Asian carp invading the Great Lakes would be irreversible, while economic harm from closing the locks would be temporary.

Safe to drink the water again in South Milwaukee

Source: City of South Milwaukee Health Department

Residents of South Milwaukee now able to consume city ’s tap water, the city announced Saturday.

Feb. 6 — They may now drink the water, use the water to cook food, make infant formula, and bathe infants as they normally would. All South Milwaukee food establishments and businesses may resume operations as usual.

Per the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, tests have come back negative for any bacteria, following the repair Friday night of the City’s primary water main, which had broken earlier in the day.

Approximately 1,800 families received water from two distribution sites Friday evening. The process was efficient, and the city wishes to thank all residents for their patience and understanding, as well as those companies, organizations and communities that donated water during the city-wide emergency.

“We are extremely proud of the entire emergency management operation,” said Jackie Ove, Public Health Administrator. “That’s a credit to our people. We are so blessed to live in a community – and a region – that pulls together like this in times of need.”

Residents who drank city tap water on Friday should continue to monitor their symptoms. If they experience any diarrhea, cramps, nausea or headaches, they should call their healthcare provider.

Residents are also asked to continue to alert neighbors who may not be aware of this advisory and tell them that South Milwaukee tap water is now safe for normal use.

Please feel free to contact the South Milwaukee Health Department at 414-768-8055 or visit the city website.

State of emergency declared in South Milwaukee

Feb. 6, 2010 Update: Emergency canceled
Water safe to drink, officials say.

Residents Told To Stop Drinking Tap Water

The City of South Milwaukee declared a State of Emergency Friday, Feb. 5 after experiencing a major water line break that likely contaminated the city’s water supply.

Officials said all tap water is assumed to be contaminated and must not be used. Additionally, the Department of Natural Resources said boiling water prior to use will *not* make the water safe.

The ban on water consumption could run through Sunday as the Water Department flushes their system and tests for bacteria.

In the meantime, residents have been told to use bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, cooking or bathing of infants. 

The city provided bottled water to residents from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm Friday and has told businesses to stop all tap water operations — including ice and coffee making until further notice.

Water pressure in the city remains very low, although officials said it’s improving. Residents are asked to conserve water by limiting showering, clothes laundering, and dish washing until Saturday morning at 6:00 am, so that fire department functions can remain operable.

The presence of E. coli bacteria indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. These bacteria can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea or headaches in infants, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system is at an increased risk for developing more severe symptoms.

Residents who experience any of the symptoms — whether or not they drank or used the water on Friday — should call their healthcare provider.

The order is in effect until further notice from the South Milwaukee Health Department.

Residents are asked to contact neighbors who may not be aware of this advisory.

For more information and updates, visit http://www.ci.south-milwaukee.wi.us or call the South Milwaukee Health Department at 414-768-8055.

Related Links

• City of South Milwaukee: Water Safety Facts (PDF)
• City of South Milwaukee: Main Page
• WISN 12 Video: City Officials Hold Press Conference Friday

So. Milwaukee residents told to stop drinking tap water

February 5, 2010

Feb. 6, 2010 Update: Emergency canceled

Water safe to drink, officials say.

Residents Told To Stop Drinking Tap Water

Water Department To Run Tests For Presence Of E. Coli

The South Milwaukee Water Utility told residents Friday to stop consuming the city’s tap water.

A water line break is causing water pressure to be very low, the city’s Water Utility said.  The South Milwaukee Water Department is attempting to fix the break in the main water line now and has contacted Oak Creek Water Utility for back up water supply.

All food establishments and any business that utilizes water for patients/patrons (i.e. restaurants, taverns, foodstores, doctors, dentists) within the City of South Milwaukee that process and/or prepare food need to cease and desist all tap water operations (including ice made on the premises) until further notice.

All tap water is assumed to be contaminated and must not be used. Per the Department of Natural Resources, boiling water prior to use will NOT make it safe at this point and time.

Residents will encounter a disruption in services and may experience some discoloration in their water supply or low water pressure when back up supplies arrive from Oak Creek.

Due to this, the South Milwaukee Health Department orders that bottled water must be used and not to drink boiled water.

The water system, once tested will need to run clean for 48 hours prior to any use for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, cooking, or bathing of infants. This means that until further notice from the City of South Milwaukee, tap water MUST NOT be used for any of the above activities. This could run through Sunday or beyond.

Water Department tests will be run to test for any presence of E. coli bacteria in the public water supply. The Water Department is working closely with the Health Department to correct the problem as soon as possible.

The presence of E. coli bacteria indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. These bacteria can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea or headaches. Infants, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system is at an increased risk for developing more severe symptoms.

Residents who experience any of these symptoms, even if tap water has been avoided, should call their healthcare provider.

This order is in effect until further notice from the South Milwaukee Health Department. Residents are asked to contact neighbors who may not be aware of this advisory.

For more information and updates, visit http://www.ci.south-milwaukee.wi.us or call the South Milwaukee Health Department at 414-768-8055.

Related Links

• WISN 12 News Video: City Officials Hold Press Conference Friday
• WISN 12 News Video: S. Milwaukee Residents Need To Conserve Water

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