Village Spillage - Whitefish Bay

The Village website put out another solid update today .. highlights:

• The DPW will be picking up flood debris for several weeks.  They cannot pick up e-waste like TVs and computers, but will do so at a later date.  Chipping / yard waste collection has been suspended as priority is given to collecting flood debris.
• Flood kits are available at the WFB police station with bleach, mops, gloves, etc.  Free of charge.
• The Shorewood/WFB health department can provide tetanus shots at no cost.  414-847-2710 for more information.
• Electrical, HVAC, plumbing permits are still necessary.. but the Village will not be charging for them at this time.   I know getting a permit is a pain, but think of it this way:  It's a free check of your contractor's work by a trained Village inspector. (EDIT: Reminder, this is for flood-related items.)

Finally, an item was forwarded to me about what a "100 year flood" really means.  It's a good read.

Sadly .. a 100 year flood doesn't mean Whitefish Bay is good for another 99 years.

Read on:

The phrase "100-year flood" has caused much confusion over the years.  Many mistakenly believe that it is a flood that occurs every 100 years. However, the phrase really means a flood that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. Floods are classified according to their frequency and depth.

For instance, there are 10-year, 25-year, 50-year, 100-year, and 500-year floods. A 100-year flood, although less frequent than a 10-year flood, is deeper—and far more destructive. For this reason, the 100-year flood is now more commonly called the "base flood."  

The chart below shows the statistical chances of flooding a building located in one of these higher risk flood areas has over different periods of time. Buildings located in 100-year flood areas are required to have flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage loan or home equity loan.

Given that many mortgages have a repayment period of 30 years, you may want to point out that buildings in areas subject to a 100-year flood have a 26 percent chance of experiencing that flood during the life of the loan.

However, during that same period, there is only a 4 percent chance of a fire. So, the next time people say that they live in a 100-year floodplain, and the last 100-year flood was three years ago, so they don’t have to worry about another flood like that for the next 97 years, use this information to explain the real meaning of a 100-year flood.

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Monday, July 26, 2010 Comments

Tired of cleaning your basement? 

Tomorrow, Sunday 7/25 the annual "Whitefish Bay Classic" bike race is running.  The first race starts at 11:30 and more follow until 8:30pm.  The "pro" race starts at 5:45.  Website here. 

I believe the race route is the same as 2009, so here's the map (note last year's date) .. There are many good public viewing spots along the entire route.

--------------------------
FRIENDS OF KLODE PARK

Next up, the Friends of Klode Park is having their first meeting at Klode Park on Wednesday, July 28th at 7pm.    Below is an email that has been circulating through the Village.

If you'd like to be a part of this group and are on Facebook, please view the Friends of Klode group page by clicking here.  Then click 'join'.


To:             Residents of Whitefish Bay
From:         Newly Formed “FRIENDS OF KLODE PARK” Group

Important Community Meeting about Future Plans for Klode Park
Wednesday, July 28th – 7PM – Klode Park

Mission:
To encourage the development of a safe, healthy, environmentally-aware, universally-accessible comprehensive plan for the future of Klode Park based on child safety research and input from residents of Whitefish Bay

Purpose of meeting:
To come together with other concerned residents to discuss our wishes prior to the Village Board approving any more changes at Klode Park at the upcoming August 2nd Village Board Meeting

What we will do at the July 28th Community Meeting:
A Klode Park survey will be available for expressing your wishes and ideas.  We will compile these ideas with the research we are doing to share at the August 2nd Village Board Meeting.  There will also be a place to designate ways you can get involved by volunteering your time, energy, and expertise.

How you can help:

1. Attend “Friends of Klode Park” community meeting at Klode on July 28th at 7pm.
2. Invite your neighbors to come, too.
3. Join the “Friends of Klode Park” group on Facebook to stay informed.
4. Attend the August 2nd Village Board Meeting at 7pm to show support when we present a request to please halt continued plans at Klode until a comprehensive review can be made and an appropriate plan developed based on community input and safety standards.

-------------
FLOODING UPDATE:

First off, the special garbage pickups will be rolling today, Saturday.  Clearly, they will not be able to reach the entire Village in one day, as the amount of garbage on curbs is enormous and includes large items requiring many trips.

The Village will be running these special pickups -- at no cost -- for at least two weeks, so be patient.

NOTE: They will NOT be able to pick up "electronic waste" which includes TVs, dehumidifiers, computers, due to new 2010 Wisconsin regulations.  HOWEVER.  The Village is planning another special pickup of these items, so they can be properly disposed of, but they will be left behind in these initial runs.

The WFB Library is now open.

I've toured around WFB, and it's pretty clear, the closer to Shorewood (and their combined sewers) you were, the worse the damage .. while the entire village was hit hard, the the 4700 blocks, east to west are the hardest hit.  Admittedly, I'm not expert enough to understand the sewer topography.  The biggest culprit is Mother Nature herself, dumping 11 inches of rain upon us.

I did receive a report that really made me unhappy.  A village worker was "booed" recently by residents.   I understand there's a tendency to look for someone to blame for woes, but booing a Village staff member is uncalled for.

A great number of village staff have been working around the clock since Thursday, let alone the efforts from the rain event last week.   One staff member was on vacation 250 miles away, and at 1 a.m. made the decision to drive through the night to help the effort in WFB. 

Village staff are trying to be as responsive as possible with the resources they have.  --  As a Trustee, I've asked dozens of questions and have been privy to the Village activities over the past two weeks and I'm confident they made the right moves at the right time with the systems they had to use. 

In the end, we had 8-11 inches of rain dumped upon us, and sewer systems that were designed decades ago.   2010's (and 2009) construction spending in WFB is the highest it has been in decades, as we systematically replace and upgrade systems that have been in place for 70-90 years.

It's a very long and expensive process, and Mother Nature works by different rules. 

Thank a village staff worker today.

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Saturday, July 24, 2010 Comments

Just a few updates..

First off, the Village Hall is mostly without power, as water ruined their electrical panel.  Some phones and computers are running off a portable generator.    911 operations have been moved to Bayside.

If you'd like to report water damage, please do so online at the Village website .. click on this link to fill out an online contact form through the website:

• Name, Address, Phone
• Did the water come through the floor drain?
• How deep was it?
• Did it smell of sewage?
• Did the water come from the wall or windows?

Please continue to check the WFB Website for more information, as they are updating it throughout the day.

The WFB Library is closed today due to water damage.  With luck, will be open Saturday.

The southern half of WFB got hit far worse than the northern half.   The 4700 blocks on the southern border got hit very hard.

WFB did perform active bypass of the sanitary sewers, trying to reduce the volume in the sanitary sewers, reducing basement overflows.  Clearly, that didn't prevent many sewage backups in homes, but it's one of the few tools in the box.

WFB will have a number of garbage crews out soon, picking up curb refuse.   I am uncertain if these special crews will be able to take electronic waste (TVs, Computers, etc) and am trying to verify.

The WFB High School, Cumberland, and Richards all had "a lot" of water and they are working to mitigate now.  I've heard the Middle School fared better.

Here's a great 2 minute YouTube video on the WFB flood.   Shows a number of flooded streets. 

As for Shorewood .. apparently some of the bike trails have washed away.  A part of Atwater beach/bluff has fallen down.  Their police station had tremendous damage.


*** Subscribe to this blog via email.  Free, of course.  Click here to have this blog covering WFB delivered to your email box whenever it's updated.

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Friday, July 23, 2010 Comments

Brutal night last night .. there's a report from a rain gauge in Shorewood that recorded 11.6 inches of rain.  

Suffice it to say, we got an overwhelming amount of rain last night.  If there's a dry basement in Whitefish Bay, I'd like to hear about it.  My street (5400 block of Kent) was flooded in the middle, with water lapping up against our front steps, and across the street, a home's basement window was partially submerged.   A neighbor busted out his canoe and floated down the street.   Brutal.

Here's a picture my wife took out my front window.  I'm actually in the middle of the picture, out in the road trying to clear the storm drain to no avail.

I haven't received other reports yet this morning, but I assume it is brutal Village wide.  WFB Village Hall is partially operating.

Below is an email I received from our Assistant Village Manager:

            Village Hall is not fully functional and we are running on some power from the generator that is located in the basement.  Our phone system for the moment is currently working and we have some computers running.  We expect to be operating like this all day.  If we completely lose power, the Library will be used as an alternative contact point for information.

The Village website has more information in regards to last night’s flooding and can be found through this link.  We will update it as more information becomes available. 

We will be taking calls throughout the day, but our response will be focused on getting people to the website to contact the County 211 number and follow the other information on there as this is a public safety issue as well.  Please continue to direct people to the website as much as possible for this information.  The information is on the front page.  We will try to assist people as much as we can through the phone or in person, but our response is limited due to available resources.

The Village website is located here:  http://www.wfbvillage.org

The Village has been sending trucks to pick up items (from basements) on curbs this week from LAST week's storm .. and will be doing so again.  Clearly, resources are stretched very thin at this point.

Concerning reporting your water damage to the County 211 number .. Here's a quote from the JS:

211 is not an emergency response number. The information will be used to build a damage estimate for Milwaukee County that will be used to seek state and federal disaster aid.

Callers should have the following information available: Contact name and phone number, address of damaged property, name of property owner or renter, type of damage, a brief description of damage and estimated dollar amount, and the percentage of damage covered by insurance.

Looks like there's more rain coming today.  AQUAMAN .. SAVE US!

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Friday, July 23, 2010 Comments

A few items of note:

First up, Whitefish Bay’s 4th of July was a huge success, albeit a sweaty one.   Thousands packed Silver Spring for the parade & Klode for the festival.   Hats off to the WFB Civic Foundation for donating hundreds of volunteer hours, giving up their time for what is Whitefish Bay’s biggest party.   They do an amazing service for our community.

As a reminder, those festivities are not funded by tax dollars.   The WFB Civic Foundation is funded by the individual donations of your Whitefish Bay neighbors.  Take a minute and think of what Bay would be like without a 4th parade, without the Pumpkin festival, without the Ice Cream Socials, without Sounds of Summer --  then please consider supporting your Civic Foundation with a few bucks.  Click here to do so online. 

You're probably tired of me beating that drum.  Sorry.   As long as these Bay traditions continue, the need for financial support will as well.

Next up .. Silver Spring will be hosting "red wagon days" next weekend, July 16 and 17.   It's a sidewalk sale, silent auction (to benefit the new Silver Spring Art Fund).. with wagon decorating and live entertainment.   If you ever wanted to shop local, now's your chance.

Two weeks from now, Sunday, July 25th, the annual bicycle race will be running on Silver Spring again .. same route as last year. 

Finally .. at tomorrow's Village Trustee meeting, there's a few items of interest.    We will be discussing for-profit use of Klode again, and with the throngs of friends and neighbors excited about Boot Camp, this may be a hot topic.

We're also going to discuss the future of Klode's playground structures, as they are being slowly replaced.   Personally, I think we missed the boat last year, not getting enough public input on the new structure installed in October 2009.

If you have an interest in Klode's playground, it's important to come to this meeting.

A while ago I was flipping through Google's news archive .. it's very cool.   Didn't know in 1965, they considered putting Village Hall at Klode.  (yikes.)    In 1995, an article was entitled "Neighbors complain about sex, nudity at Klode Park beach"  (wow!)

The article that made me think of blogging was from 1987, where they were discussing several Klode projects and 350 villagers showed up.  What a different time.  In my tenure, 350 is a few years' attendance.

Today, thousands use Klode playground each year.   Are you interested in its future?  C'mon over, Monday July 12, 7pm at Village Hall.  

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Sunday, July 11, 2010 Comments

There's a public information meeting that I think many will be interested in, yet few will know about without some additional help.  I'm a Trustee, and I didn't know about it until I received an email forwarded three times!

Tomorrow, the Village Engineer will be having an informational public meeting "Regarding Klode Park Playground Handicap Accessibility Improvements and Rehabilitation."

The meeting will be at Village Hall, in the upstairs board room, Wednesday, June 23 (tomorrow) at 1pm.   Kids are welcome.

Last fall, the Village installed a new piece of playground equipment that has garnered mixed reviews, especially concerning the safety of the "danger" slide.   Eventually, more pieces of the old playground equipment will be replaced in a phased roll-out.  

If you are interested in discussing the future of Klode's playground, please try to make the 1pm meeting, or perhaps email your comments to the Village Engineer.

--

Speaking of Klode .. I'll beat the drum again: The 4th of July festival still needs about 50 more volunteers. 

Please click here to sign up and see the 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm shifts:  http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/92-621829048106  --  Middle-school kids and up are welcome to volunteer.    Please consider giving an hour of your time.

--

And don't forget .. tomorrow (Wednesday, June 23) at 7pm is the first Ice Cream Social of the season at Schoolhouse Park, in front of the Library.   The WFB Community Band will be playing.  

Hard to turn down FREE ice cream. 

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Tuesday, June 22, 2010 Comments

Two quick hits:

First, the 4th of July Klode festival needs help.. Your WFB Civic Foundation needs volunteers to run the festival games.  Please consider spending an hour helping out, as they have about 95 one hour shifts that need to be filled.

Games workers work in pairs and must be middle school students or older, or sign up to work with a parent.  If your children need community service "hours" for any group of which they are a part (NHS, Milwaukee Service Club, Key Club, church confirmation class, etc.), these hours usually qualify. 

Please click here to sign up and see the 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm shifts:  http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/92-621829048106

Please forward this message to your friends & neighbors who could volunteer.  

Naturally, many gravitate to volunteering at the beer tent, making those shifts very easy to fill.  Beer shifts will be posted later, once they have enough to staff the other parts of the festival.

The 4th of July schedule can be found here.

---

Has your group signed up to march in the 4th of July Parade yet?   The deadline to sign up has been extended.    Click here to view and print the parade entrance form. or email Brian Gaertner at bgaertner@wi.rr.com

So if you have a church group, baseball team, pom-pom squad, drum corps, or kung fu posse, let's see your stuff in the Parade.

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Sunday, June 13, 2010 Comments

Remember the hotly debated school referendum that passed 9 months ago?

Back in November 2009, Whitefish Bay voted (in large numbers) to approve borrowing $22.9 million in bonds to finance school maintenance and improvements.

Further 2009 calculations estimated a 5.5% bond interest cost, and the loss of $5m in Wisconsin State Aid.   Using this estimate, the Schools suggested passing the referendum questions would cost a $350k homeowner, about $248 per year.

Referendum opponents claimed the "true" cost of the referendum was a whopping $40 million. 

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the bank.  While the District conservatively used a 5.5% interest cost in their calculations for the public .. it turns out the total rate is now estimated at an incredible 1.91%.  --- And remember the possibility the School District could get some 0% interest loans?   To be announced next week, the District should be receiving about a third of the total cost in 0% Qualified School Construction Bonds.

Oh, and total amount borrowed is less, too.  Instead of $22.9m, the schools are projecting a cost of $20m due to lower construction costs.    Net, net, instead of the $248/year 2009 estimate on your taxes, it should fall to about $175.  Still a chunk of change, but about 30% less than originally estimated.

The 1.91% interest rate is really amazing, in light of April's credit rating downgrade.

So, good morning:  The construction costs are lower than expected.  The borrowing costs are far less than expected.   That's outstanding. 

*** Doug Armstrong at the YesYesProgress blog has done a tremendous job covering this story.  Make sure you read his account, and check his wonderful blog for WFB school board updates.

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Thursday, June 10, 2010 Comments

This Monday, Whitefish Bay will celebrate Memorial Day by dedicating the Veterans Memorial & Gardens at Armory Park.  The public is invited.

Officiated by Brigadier General Dunbar & Rev. Ray Stubbe, the ceremony begins at 11am.  


Armory Park is located on the corner of Lake and Henry Clay. 

--

As a follow up to the Armory Park dedication, the Friends of the Whitefish Bay Library has arranged to have noted Wisconsin author, James Campbell, give a talk on Monday, June 1st at 7pm.

James Campbell, author of The Ghost Mountain Boys will discuss the book and expects to be joined in this talk by two Red Arrow veterans from the Oconomowoc area. The Red Arrow Division, more formally known at the 32nd Division, was principally made up of soldiers from Wisconsin and Michigan.

So why this guy?   The WFB Armory was part of the 32nd Division.  Ever notice all those Highway 32 signs on Lake Drive?   The full name is the 32nd Division Memorial Highway. 


Those little red arrows on the sign?  The 32nd Division's insignia was a red arrow.

The new Armory Park, from above, looks like an arrow.

I hope to see you Monday & Tuesday night!

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Friday, May 28, 2010 Comments

This past Monday was the deadline for Bay Ball tickets.   I've heard from the organizers and they are extending the deadline this week, until the spots are gone.  If you were on the fence, tip over.  They need to fill the place.


I've never been to Bay Ball before .. but my wife and I will be going this year, even though we don't have kids in school.

The Harley Museum is easily the coolest venue in town.   One thing you might not have noticed is with every Bay Ball ticket, you receive a free ticket to the HD Museum to be used at a future date, normally $16 a pop.

As a note, this event is not reserved for School families, it’s open to the public.   Besides the 4th of July Klode festival, this is the biggest event Whitefish Bay has to offer, and the proceeds benefit the schools.   It's a big, Whitefish Bay party.   

And apparently, it is not fancy schmancy.  No tuxes allowed "unless they come with chaps." 


No reason not to go.  Swing by and say hello to my wife and me.

Call/email Lori Kampschroer for tickets at 414-688-6244.  Click the ticket form on the right (a bigger copy should appear).
--

The WFB Business Improvement District will be hosting a local Farmers' Market for eight Saturdays in August & September, from 8-noon.  -- The market will be located across the street from the Fox Bay, on Berkeley, which will be blocked off.

--

The construction on Lake Drive is progressing normally.  We're finishing week 4 of the 6 week project.   With good weather, it will wrap up in a couple weeks, and it'll be opened for traffic once again.

I know the detour has been a pain for many, and I've received many emails from concerned parties, and have had a number of conversations with the Chief of Police.  I am comfortable that all parties are doing the best they can with the resources they have available. 

Speaking of Lake Drive, WFB will be improving pedestrian safety with some traffic calming measures, namely "continental crosswalks" (think 'big rectangles') and white edge lines that delineate the driving lanes.   Should be implemented this summer.

--
Finally, as a follow up to the Richards School tennis court issue .. there is a new Facebook group that has information on the subject.  Click here to view. (Don't have to be a Facebook user.)

There are two opportunities for public input on the school construction:

• Architectural Review Committee, Thursday (tomorrow), May 20 at 5:30pm in board room at Village Hall
  
• WFB School Board Open House & Meeting, Wednesday, May 26 at 6:00pm in Rm. 47 of the WFB High School

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Comments

A loyal reader has sent an email with some interesting commentary about Richards school's construction.  Admittedly, I am no expert on the subject, so he's given me permission to republish his email.

I have bolded a few items below to draw out the most pertinent items.

(Additionally, check out the YesYes Blog which covers this subject as well.)

As most of you probably know, voters in the village approved a referendum last November to conduct renovations and expansions at all of the district schools, including Richards.  My neighbors are probably aware that I actively supported the referendum, and still support what was approved last November. 

However, what is less known is that this construction -- as detailed in plans just this spring, after the referendum vote -- is going to result in the permanent elimination of the Richards tennis courts and the temporary removal, with no determined date of reconstruction, of the north end playground on the corner of Santa Monica and Belle.

The main project at Richards involves the construction of a new multipurpose room on the north end of the building.  The planned location of the new room is on top of the current teacher parking lot and playground on that side of the building.  The plans that were publicly available at the time of the referendum last fall indicated the playground would need to be relocated, and plans were to move the parking lot to the location in between the tennis courts and the back of the building (current location of bike racks).

In email communications with the superintendent this spring, however, it's come to my attention that plans have changed for the parking lot, and it's now scheduled to be placed on top of the current tennis courts rather than next to them.  The attached diagram was sent to me by the superintendent, and it outlines the new plan. 

This new plan results in the elimination of 4 of the 6 tennis courts currently available on the north end of the village (leaving just the two courts at Klode), which effectively eliminates (or at least greatly complicates) the tennis instruction Richards students currently get during gym class (the big kids are actually getting that instruction now), and eliminates a popular spot for tennis and play for kids, families, and the recreation department.

In terms of the playground, although initial plans suggested the relocation would be part of the construction process, my emails with the superintendent indicate now that replacement of the playground is only something "Richards hopes" to complete "in the future."  This is concerning for a few reasons: 1) the emphasis on Richards replacing it, as opposed to emphasizing it as a district issue, 2) the word "hope," suggesting a replacement isn't a guaranteed, and 3) the "in the future" phrase, which means, at the least, the loss of the only playground on site that's well-suited for younger children for an undetermined amount of time.

More information on the Richards construction can be found here: http://yesyesprogress.com/richards

For those who are interested, the school board is planning to hold an open house in a couple of weeks where the architects of the construction will be on hand to talk about the current plans, and board members will be on hand to hear your comments, as well.  That open house is scheduled to take place from 6:00-7:00pm on Wednesday, May 26 in Room 47 of the WFB High School.  A school board meeting will immediately follow the open house.

Thanks, and feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Seth Zlotocha szlotocha@gmail.com

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Thursday, May 13, 2010 Comments

This is really cool.   Whitefish Bay residents Ted Perry (Fox6) and Molly Fay (Morning Blend) have lent their mugs for a "commercial" for Bay Ball 2010.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube .. it's worth a 90 second look.



RSVP's are due this coming MONDAY, May 17th. .. For Tickets call Lori Kampschroer at 414-688-6244 (email: lkamp@att.net) . Proceeds go to the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation.

Check out Bay Ball's Facebook page, here. 

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Comments

First off, our long local nightmare is over! Last week, City Market "closed" on the property formerly known as Mike Crivello's.

Word is, they start construction in September. I have no idea why they'd wait 4 months to start, but that's what I was told. If true, figure them opening sometime in 2011.

--

Next .. "TNT Nails" is history. On the Plan Commission's agenda is its replacement "Minoan Intimate Apparel (retail-foundation and accessory boutique)."

A google search turns up nothing on Minoan Intimate Apparel, but it does return a bit about "some artifacts depict the Minoan women who inhabited the island of Crete wearing primitive bodices made of bone, which fully exposed their breasts, emphasizing women’s role as the creators of life."

The horror! Won't somebody think of the children?

--

Construction-

As many would now know, Lake Drive is undergoing construction. The first few days of the detour haven't been as smooth as one would like. Everyone, from the Police Department, Village Engineer, DPW, down to the school crossing guards are working on the issue, tweaking the signage, cones, and barrels. It will get better.

Truth is, human nature will take care of a chunk of this problem. Within a week, drivers will alter their driving routes beyond the "official" detour. Naturally, that's good and bad, but it is to be expected.

The official detour map can be found by clicking here.

Further information will be posted at the Village's Construction Update page. -- Indeed, you might want to check out the map of ALL 2010 scheduled projects. Whitefish Bay will see the most construction in 2010 than in recent memory.

--

Green Day in the Bay was a success, even though for the third year running, Mother Nature did not cooperate and rained upon us. Gordy Lang has some pictures of the event here.

One blog commenter said they wouldn't participate because WFB was already clean. I picked up about a pound of garbage in the hour long cleanup. 32 teams, around 200 people = 200 pounds of garbage no longer on our streets. Not a tough call.

Thanks to Amy Lukas, Gwen Koscinski, and Bob Kuesel and the rest of the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation for putting this event on every year.

.. Speaking of the CF, the WFB 4th of July parade is just two months away .. if you or your group would like to participate, click here for the parade form.

--

El Guapo's is having their "first annual" Cinco de Mayo festival next week.

May 5th - 6:30 - Man vs. Burrito and Taco Eating Contest - 7-9pm Live Music
May 6th & 7th, 7-10pm - Live Music
May 8th - Live Music at noon, and 6-8pm.

Take a look at EG's new website and details about the Cinco de Mayo week.

Has WFB ever had a taco eating contest? My guess is that this will be a historic event, with the winner being spoken about for years.

--

Finally, unless you've been attending WFB School Board meetings, or perhaps reading the YesYesProgress blog, you wouldn't know that an elected official, WFB School Board member Joe Martinelli resigned this month.

The School Board accepted his resignation at the April 14th meeting and later interviewed 3 residents who heard about the vacancy and applied.

On April 28th, the SB decided to select former School Board member Pam Woodard over the 3 who had been interviewed. (14 days from public notice to selection. Now that's what I call .. efficiency!)

One would assume that about 98% of the WFB electorate had no idea any of that happened because .. drum roll .. not one word was written in the newspaper. The only reason I knew was because I read the YesYes blog last week.

Nice going, Journal Sentinel/WhitefishBayNOW. Not that big a deal. Just the selection of an official that approves a $31 million budget accounting for most of the property tax bill. No one would care about that, right?


(Also, hey, what's the deal with 3 people interviewing for the School Board opening? Not three weeks ago, we had an election for two School Board seats, and could only scrape up two candidates to run unopposed.)


Read more at the YesYes Progress Blog:

School Board mulls whether to fill vacant seat

Pam Woodard returns to School Board

Posted by Kevin Buckley at Thursday, April 29, 2010 Comments