Bell makes name for self in Wisco win
“I’m very pleased with the way this season went,” he said. “I would say we overachieved compared to what the expectations were at the beginning of the year. It’s always rough when you lose like this, but I’m very proud of this group. We had a great coaching staff that kept them motivated throughout the year and it was a very coachable group of kids.”
“Pewaukee is a great team,” Lutheran head coach Kirk DeNoyer said. "I watched them on Friday night; they’re physical, they’re athletic, and we have a quite a week ahead of us getting ready for them.”
Muskego will make familiar trip to state
Bradford wins another nail-biter over Muskego
The artificial field turf at Charles Jaskwhich Stadium isn't exactly conducive to the "cloud of dust" that comes with an old football adage, but in a second half where Kenosha Bradford needed to slow the game down, the Red Devils had the "three yards" it needed.
Bradford made a third-quarter touchdown stand, and Muskego fell just short on two crucial fourth downs before falling to Bradford in Level 2 of the WIAA Division 1 football playoffs Friday night, 27-21. The Warriors finished 9-2, with both losses against the Southeast Conference champion Red Devils (12-0).
Bradford made a habit of long, methodical drives, chewing up the clock with drives of 14 and 10 plays in the second half, then turning it over to the defense. Kenosha Bradford held Muskego mere inches shy of a first down on 4th and 5 from the Bradford 31-yard line with under 1 minute to play.
"We still moved the ball in the second half," Muskego coach Ken Krause said. "We were one yard and two inches away. We never stopped believing."
Muskego quarterback Eric Pachowitz tried to stretch for the necessary yardage on the final meaningful play of the contest but was pushed out of bounds by Max Hagopian and Quanzell Murphy. Following a tense measurement along the Muskego sideline with players from both teams huddled around the officiating crew, the Kenosha Bradford players raced across the field in celebration.
» Read Full ArticleWaukesha County officials: Propane bottles, recycling don't mix
Waukesha - A Waukesha County recycling plant manager said residents are tossing propane bottles into their recyclables, including some that still contain gas and pose a danger of explosion to workers.
Fifty-five bottles were pulled from the metals recyclables just this week, and at least a dozen were full of gas, said Jim Lewis, plant manager with the agency that contracts to provide Waukesha County recycling.
"This could have caused a major explosion," he said.
This past summer, a small explosion and fire resulted at the plant, apparently caused by the compaction of a one-pound propane cylinder in a baler at the materials recycling facility plant, 220 S. Prairie Ave. Quick response by the Fire Department and facility workers limited damage, and no one was injured.
Karen Fiedler, Waukesha County's solid waste supervisor, said residents should not place propane cylinders in recycling bins, whether empty or partially filled. Information is available on their proper disposal from retail stores where the items were purchased or at the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association website at www.wipga.org.
Help us find the best of our communities
We’ve all recommended a place — maybe an eatery, a park, a theater — to family and friends.
So let’s combine our recommendations, our favorite places, and see what NOW readers think are the best places in the NOW communities.
Each week starting Oct. 31, we’ll ask you to submit your favorite places in a NOW community on our Facebook page. We’ll take submissions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the week.
On Thursday and Friday, we’ll take those suggesions and seek your votes for what are the best places in that community. We’ll even make a Foursquare list that you can follow.
Share your favorite places to go to in Wauwatosa on Oct. 31. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Just go to our Facebook page on Monday and let us know.
Common Council divided on budget issues
The battle lines were uncharacteristically drawn last night on the Muskego Common Council, which narrowly passed a 2012 city budget and a $14.5 million capital borrowing plan.
Approvals came on the same 4-3 vote that held unchanged through six failed attempted amendments to the budget, the borrowing and the capital budget.
Among other things, the voting block of three - Kert Harenda, Dan Soltysiak and Neil Borgman - didn't think controls will be strong enough on the $14.5 million borrowing package. They also didn't want the $2.5 million Pioneer Drive reconstruction and beautification next year, and preferred a pay freeze for city workers instead of the 2 percent raises budgeted.
The three had brought up most of their concerns during the prior weeks of budget discussions, but the four aldermen in the majority - Noah Fiedler, Neome Schaumberg, Keith Werner and Tracy Snead - still weren't buying their viewpoints this week.
The 2012 budget calls for no property tax increase. The operating budget will be $14 million, up 1.7 percent from this year's nearly $13.8 million budget. The levy will remain at $11,935,917 with the estimated tax rate dipping slightly to $4.41 per $1,000 of assessed value from $4.43 per $1,000.
Waukesha County Board does about face on loan program
Waukesha - The Waukesha County Board reconsidered its earlier rejection of County Executive Dan Vrakas' proposed business loan program Tuesday night, tweaking some of the details and then approving it on a 15 to 8 vote.
The Small Business Leverage Loan Program will be established beginning Jan. 1 at $300,000 in tax funds and will provide loans of up to $50,000 to eligible companies in existence at least a year. Targeted businesses would be in manufacturing, technology, suppliers of local manufacturers and similar job creators, the type that are considered to have higher growth potential and higher pay levels.
Initially proposed to be interest free for three to five years, each loan will now carry a 3% annual interest rate, based on an amendment by the board. Supervisors also established a sunset on the program after three years. The program will be administered under contract by the nonprofit Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp.
Last month, the board rejected the program on a 13-9 vote.
Vrakas proposed the program as an economic initiative for the county to help expanding companies that are highly leveraged, often asset rich but cash poor. In the past, second and third mortgages were often used to fill funding gaps, a market that has dried up with declining property values and tighter lending regulations.
Eisenhower to play Wisconsin Lutheran Saturday night
New Berlin Eisenhower will play Wisconsin Lutheran at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Wisconsin Lutheran COLLEGE in a WIAA Level 2 football playoff game.
The Lions (8-2) beat Cudahy of the Woodland Conference (27-7) on Saturday afternoon at home to advance to the second round.
The Vikings (8-0) beat Milwaukee Lutheran, 39-29, on Friday night to move on.
Ike finished second (6-2) behind Greendale (8-0) in the Black Division of the Woodland Conference.
Wisco won the Wisconsin Little Ten (7-0)
Crusaders earn right to defend soccer title
The winning goal came in the 59th minute as Memorial’s Mark Samuel was knocked down from behind in the New Berlin penalty area. On the resulting penalty kick, Patrick McNulty chose to place the ball to goalkeeper Jesse Steger’s left. Steger got his hands to it but couldn’t keep it out of the goal as the ball ricocheted off of the woodwork and in, giving Memorial the 2-1 lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game.
“He served it in, and I got my head on it and put it in,” said Horvat. “Towards the beginning of the year, we weren’t good at set pieces but we work on them a lot, and now we’re executing.”
“We knew they were strong in the air and it showed,” said West head Coach Ryan Otten. “They had a lot of good opportunities off of corner kicks.”
“We had to maintain our shape and get possession," Memorial Coach John Bisswurm added. "We needed to try to get around the touch line and get the service in. In the first half, we had a lot of opportunities doing that; unfortunately we didn’t finish a lot of them, but we were executing what we wanted to.”
It wasn’t until the restart at the beginning of the second half that the Vikings began to make a serious threat. The Vikings controlled more of the ball and in the 46th minute, Shilling sprinted up the left wing with the ball, beating his marker, and placed the ball perfectly in the upper 90 of the near post to equalize for West.
“Our strength is our outside forwards where we’ve got good speed,” said Otten. “We got early crosses in but they didn’t lead to any shots on goal, and then early in the second half, finally we got one. When we’re more composed, we tend to play well. In the second half we didn’t really make any tactical adjustments; it was more along the lines of keeping composure.”
West continued to create scoring chances until the Crusaders took the lead again off of McNulty’s penalty.
“We anticipated that they were going to come out strong and be aggressive,” said Bisswurm. “When you’re in that situation, you know it’s the last 40 minutes of the season and you just have to give everything you have. We anticipated that and expected that. Unfortunately we weren’t able to weather it in the beginning.”
The Crusaders nearly doubled their lead on a counter-attack in the 60th minute.
Horvat passed the ball to Ryan Allen on the right wing, who sent the ball back across to Horvat, who headed it towards the goal, but this time Steger was there to make the save. As the game wound down, West pressured hard, trying to find a way to tie the score, but the Crusaders defense wouldn’t allow any clear scoring chances, and Zingsheim was well positioned to make the necessary saves to keep his team in front.
Woodland battle goes to Lions
The New Berlin Eisenhower football team has relied on the recipe of stingy defense and an opportunistic offense all season.
They followed it to a T again on Saturday afternoon.
Behind its typically stout defense and two long play-action passes from quarterback John Crowley to tight end Dylan Petre, host Eisenhower prevailed over Cudahy, 27-7, in a WIAA Division 3 opening round playoff game.
Cudahy (4-6) was able to pressure Crowley early, sacking and forcing him into an interception on Eisenhower’s opening drive. But the Packers were unable to take advantage of the field position, going three-and-out on their first two possessions near midfield.
“They have good team speed and their linebackers pursue hard,” said Cudahy head coach Ryan Serfort. “We tried to get out on the edge with our quarterback, but they have some great athletes. That is a good defense.”
» Read Full ArticleMuskego win sets up meeting with Bradford
Condo owners won't get beautification money
The Bay Breeze Condominium owners will not receive the $5,000 grant owners requested from Muskego to help with a $23,619 project that they said would beautify not only the condominium entrance on Janesville Road, but the roadway itself.
The problem is that the Community Development Authority doesn't consider Bay Breeze a commercial development so, it doesn't qualify for a commercial grant.
And while the city tried to establish a residential grant program along Janesville for property owners who will see landscaping cut down as the road is widened, the program never got Common Council approval.
The Bay Breeze Condominium Association plans to plant 39 trees and add landscaping to the entrance.
Waukesha County armored vehicle pressed into duty on first day
Waukesha - A planned demonstration of the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department's new $260,000 armored vehicle was hijacked by a real-life tactical incident.
Deputy Inspector Eric Severson said the vehicle, a military-type truck bought with federal Department of Homeland Security funds and money seized from drug dealers, was called into service just as it was being driven from the county's fleet garage to the courthouse complex for the demonstration planned Thursday afternoon for county supervisors and the news media.
While he did not know all the details, he said the Bearcat, as it is called, was summoned by Waukesha police to an incident involving a man with a gun at the Stop-N-Go convenience store at the corner of St. Paul and S. Washington avenues.
Waukesha Police Sgt. Jerry Habanek said the call shortly before 2 p.m. involved a man who was sitting in his car, reportedly with a gun in his lap, at the gas pumps for about 30 minutes. The city's SWAT team in its vehicle and the county's new Bearcat responded, with the man's vehicle sandwiched between the two. Severson said the "intentional accident" didn't damage the Bearcat.
Charges referred
» Read Full ArticleVrakas' business loan plan may get new life
Waukesha - Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas' proposed small-business loan program, rejected last month by the County Board, could get a second chance next week.
Supervisor Dave Falstad, one of 13 supervisors to vote against the $300,000 tax financed program, will ask for reconsideration at the board's meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse.
Nine supervisors supported the plan in September, but County Board Chairman Jim Dwyer, who was among them, said three supervisors - Ted Rolfs, Pamela Meyer and Jean Tortomasi - were absent for the vote and two of them have indicated support for the plan. If all 25 supervisors are present Tuesday, 13 votes would be necessary for reconsideration and passage.
The Small Business Leverage Loan Program would have provided no-interest loans of up to $50,000 to highly leveraged eligible companies in existence at least a year that need temporary gap financing. Businesses targeted for the loans would be in manufacturing, technology, suppliers of local manufacturers and similar job creators.
The $300,000 comes from tax funds returned to the county by communities who close out tax incremental financing districts with surpluses. Under tax incremental financing, communities keep all the property taxes on new development in a designated area until public investments that helped spur that development are fully paid off.
Ryan to hold town halls in Muskego and Oak Creek
Muskego - U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is planning to hold six town-hall meetings in southeastern Wisconsin in the next two weeks, starting with events in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties.
The Republican congressman is scheduled to hold listening sessions in Muskego and Oak Creek on Thursday. A third event is scheduled for Friday in Racine.
Ryan is the architect of a Republican budget plan to cut taxes. His plan would also restructure Medicare and cut social safety-net programs such as food stamps and Medicaid.
After the plan was introduced, Ryan held a series of town-hall meetings in the spring that drew large and sometimes raucous crowds.
A coalition of groups who want Social Security and Medicare preserved is planning protests Thursday.
» Read Full ArticleEisenhower to host Cudahy Saturday at 4 p.m.
The New Berlin Eisenhower football team will host another Woodland Conference school on Saturday at the Level 1 playoffs begin.
The Lions (7-2) of the Black Division will host Cudahy (4-5) of the Blue Division at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Eisenhower.
Ike has won five straight games to close out the season.
Muskego football playoff slated
The Muskego football team will open WIAA playoff action on Friday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at home against Milwaukee Washington/CEO/North, which is 3-5 on the season.
That was announced this afternoon after the legal issues surrounding Shorewood/Messmer were resolved.
Oak Creek's rally just short
Petre at front of big-play barrage
After the Falcons fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, Crowley went right back to Petre on first down, this time from 24 yards out. A total of 15 seconds separated the two scores. At the end of the first quarter, Eisenhower senior Mitch Teipner blocked a Brown Deer punt and recovered it in the end zone to give the Lions a 21-0 lead.
But the Falcons clawed back and made it 21-8 after a 16-play, 74-yard drive capped by the most impressive 1-yard run you’ll ever see by senior running back Najee Williams. With 4:22 left in the third quarter, Brown Deer faced a fourth and goal from the 1-yard line. The Falcons ran a toss to the left to Williams, who was met by a defender and then changed directions, outran an entire defense and scored on the opposite side of the field.
While Brown Deer dropped to 5-4 and 4-3 to finish second in the Woodland Blue, both teams will qualify for the playoffs, which begin next weekend.
West wins, but Eisenhower falls in regional finals
New Berlin West used 3 goals by Brock Shilling gave the Vikings a 3-0 win over Delavan-Darien to win the regional championship.
Shilling scored at 5:33 and 9:56 (Matt Rink assist) to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead early.
He then added another unassisted goal at 23:35 and coasted to the win.
Pewaukee beat New Berlin Eisenhower, 1-0, on a goal by Nico Bartolomeo at 55 minutes for the game's only goal.
West will travel to Pewaukee at 630 p.m. next Thursday in the sectional semi-finals.
» Read Full ArticleBid fails to keep Waukesha County girls detention unit open
Waukesha - An attempt to reverse Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas' budget proposal that would close the girls' secure detention section of the Juvenile Center failed to win support of the County Board's Health and Human Services Committee Thursday.
Supervisor Janel Brandtjen, chairman of the committee, proposed a budget amendment that would restore funds for the operation, but her motion failed on a 3-4 vote in committee. She said after the meeting that she didn't know whether she would independently pursue the amendment with the full County Board.
Vrakas proposed closing the unit because the number of girls held at the center has dropped to about 30 a year, compared with 127 a year five years ago. The budget calls for contracting with Washington County's unit in West Bend for the service, with transportation back and forth provided by Waukesha County.
Health and Human Services Director Peter Schuler defended the closing, saying he saw no change in the trend toward fewer girls being held in secure detention. He also said that "Washington County will do a good job."
Contracting for the girls' detention space would save nearly $200,000, according to Vrakas' budget proposal. Some of that would be used to fill other gaps created in the health and human services budget, including replenishing funds for programs aimed at keeping troubled youth out of more expensive correctional and residential care facilities.
» Read Full ArticleMuskego takes step to preserve boat launch
To protect the most reliable access the public has to Big Muskego Lake, the Muskego Common Council last night gave the go-ahead for an appraisal that would be the first step in the city possibly buying the boat launch located beside the Boxhorn Gun Club, W13960 Boxhorn Drive.
For about 10 years, the city has leased the boat launch from the gun club to provide the public access to the lake. But that lease is only good for another 10 years. The gun club owner has said that if the club were to go away, he would like to develop the entire property so the city would lose access to the launch, said Craig Anderson, recreation director.
The only other public boat launch on the Big Muskego Lake is at Durham Drive. But for the last two years, boaters have found the channel leading from the launch to the lake blocked by floating islands of cattails, Anderson said.
Ike, West kickers advance to regional finals
Both New Berlin Eisenhower and New Berlin West won first-round regional matches on Tuesday and advanced to Thursday's regional final games.
West (12-7-3) whipped Whitewater, 5-1, and will now host Delavan-Darien at 4 p.m.
Eisenhower (7-11-4) beat Wisconsin Lutheran, 5-1, on Tuesday and now travels to Pewaukee for a 6:30 p.m. match on Thursday. (There was no information available at deadline on the game).
Reed Albinger had two goals and an assist to spark the Vikings, who led 4-0 at half-time. David Franke added a goal and an assist.
Matt Rink and Brock Shilling also scored and Kevin Marx (2) and Nate Henrichs added assists.
» Read Full ArticleBaby formula case brings guilty pleas
What started with federal agents raiding a Waukesha County warehouse four years ago and seizing more than 81,000 cans of suspected stolen baby formula culminated Tuesday when a prominent Milwaukee-area businessman and his brother were charged with conspiracy and hiding income to avoid taxes.
Rassem "Russ" Kaloti, 50, owner of Kaloti Wholesale of New Berlin, and his brother and partner in the business, Ishaq "Isaac" Kaloti, have agreed to plead guilty to the tax and conspiracy counts. In addition, Isaac Kaloti, 45, will plead guilty to knowingly receiving stolen baby formula.
Federal prosecutors laid out a complicated scheme in which the brothers hid millions generated by their grocery distribution company and a hotel they owned using secret bank accounts and secondary computer systems. They also paid illegal immigrants in cash to sort and relabel baby formula - and to iron the brothers' clothes and wash their cars, according to the charging document filed Tuesday.
"These charges reflect our continued commitment to investigate and prosecute criminal conduct occurring at the highest levels of business, no matter how complex the case, and to bring to justice wrongdoers regardless of their stature, office or position," U.S. Attorney James L. Santelle said in a statement.
Under the sentencing guidelines, the brothers - who both live in Brookfield - each face a minimum of three years in prison, but prosecutors agreed to recommend 30 months behind bars for each and allow the terms to be "staggered" so one brother is always out to run the business.
» Read Full ArticleMarcus to open Zaffiro's Pizzeria at Ridge Cinemas in New Berlin
Marcus Theatres plans to open a sit-down Zaffiro's Pizzeria and Bar at the Ridge Cinemas, in New Berlin, next spring.
That announcement came at Tuesday's annual shareholders meeting of Marcus Corp., the Milwaukee-based company that operates Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels and Resorts.
There are two other Zaffiro's restaurants: at the company's North Shore Cinema, in Mequon, and Majestic Cinemas, in the Town of Brookfield. The expansion of food and beverage services is part of Marcus Theatres' growth strategy, said Bruce Olson, Marcus Theatres president.
The original Zaffiro's Pizza opened in 1954 and is still operated by the Zaffiro family at 1724 N. Farwell Ave., near E. Brady St. Marcus Investments, which is owned by members of the Marcus family, owns the licensing rights to open additional Zaffiro's restaurants.
Ridge Cinemas is south of I-43 and east of S. Moorland Road.
Eisenhower makes early scores stand
New Berlin Eisenhower scored touchdowns off of two costly Greenfield turnovers in the first half and rode a stout defensive effort to a 15-7 Woodland Conference Black Division victory at home Friday night.
A promising opening drive for Greenfield came to a halt when an errant halfback pitch from Tyler Laverdure was recovered deep in Eisenhower territory.
Eisenhower quarterback John Crowley immediately found tight end Dylan Petre for a 36-yard pass down the middle and running back Anthony Stewart put the Lions on the board moments later with a 6-yard touchdown run. Stewart bulled his way in for the two-point conversion to give Eisenhower an 8-0 first quarter lead.
The turnover disparity was not lost on Greenfield head coach Scott Otto, who saw his team fall to 4-4 overall and 4-3 in conference despite outgaining the Lions, 277-266.
“We ran for 240 yards and scored seven points,” said Otto. “The turnovers were huge and credit to them, they were able to take advantage. They caught us a couple of times with the pass, and that was enough tonight.”
» Read Full ArticleNew Muskego clinic recommended for approval
A new medical clinic is in the works for Muskego, at the intersection of Janesville and Moorland roads, with the Plan Commission recommending zoning approval.
The 24,178-square-foot clinic, proposed by land owner Boulder Venture Inc., would be built by Briohn Building Corp. at the northeast corner, next to Kohl's Department Store, according to information filed with the commission.
The clinic's main tenant, which was not identified, would lease around 16,000 square feet, with room for expansion.
Muskego mom faces serious sex charges
MUSKEGO - A 37-year-old school volunteer stands charged with assaulting a young girl for someone she never met.
The woman faces serious charges of 'child sexual assault' and 'sexual exploitation of a child' after her husband went to police.
Investigators claim the woman recently started a relationship with a man on a fetish website and started objectifying a 4 year old girl.
Authorities maintain Annmarie Schulte took sexual pictures and video of the child--even ordering an animal collar for the girl at one point.
Muskego superintendent Joe Schroeder confirms Schulte volunteered at Tess Corners Elementary for years. He stresses the victim is not a student and the woman never raised any red flags.
» Read Full ArticleMan calls 911 in search of missing remote, doesn't miss Brewers game
A 97-year-old man who wanted to watch a Milwaukee Brewers game called 911 to report someone had stolen his remote control.
According to the Greenfield police report:
The man called 911 to report someone had stolen his remote control from his residence in the 9300 block of West Howard Avenue prior to 8 p.m. Sept. 26.
The remote control was found after police responded, so the man was able to watch the Brewers game.
Take a capsule look at the week's top stories in NOW's Prep Sports Primer
Join NOW and Lake Country Sports Director JR Radcliffe for this week's Prep Sports Primer, the fastest 90 seconds in local high school sports.
Each week, JR will highlight some of the top sports stories in the suburban area. This week includes looks at the standout Homestead girls tennis team, some of the top girls golfers, including Kettle Moraine's Leighann Cabush, and more.
Student uses electric stun gun on others - because they wanted it
A student was charged with possession of an electric weapon after bringing an electric stun gun to a Muskego High School football game and using it on three other students.
According to the Muskego police report:
The student brought the gun to the Muskego homecoming football game on Sept. 23. Three students were stunned with it, but they admitted that they wanted to be stunned.
The student who brought the gun told police he bought it on Amazon for $15.
