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Village Board Highlights

The Village Board met on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. These are the highlights from this meeting:  

1. Heard Presentation of the Planning and Development Department's Annual Report.
2. Approved Ordinance regarding solar and wind energy systems.

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Joint Village Board / Community Development Authority Meeting Highlights

The Village Board and the Community Development Authority met to discuss the 2014 Annual Community Development Authority/Tax Increment Finance Report provided by Ehlers Financial Advisors which can be found here. Please contact Village Manager, Chris Swartz with any questions 414.847.2701.

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February 17, 2015 Primary Election Results

A Primary Election was held on February 17, 2015 for the Village of Shorewood School Board. The results were as follows:

The Village experienced a 7.48% turnout for this Election.  This was an increase of 2.21% for the same type of election held on February 18, 2014. 

The next opportunity to vote will take place on April 7, 2015 for the Spring Election.  In 2014, the Village experienced a 20.37% turnout.  Please mark your calendars and consider going to your polling location to cast your vote between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 7.

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Metro Market Redevelopment Begins

The Oakland Avenue redevelopment project started the week of February 9. The developer, General Capital Group, began demolition work of the vacant Walgreens and bookstore buildings at Oakland and Kenmore and foresee the new Metro Market grocery store foundation to start taking shape in March. The Village and developer will have project information and updates available.  

Sign up to receive project alerts from the Village at www.villageofshorewood.org/signup. The Village also has project renderings and a construction schedule on the website at www.villageofshorewood.org/metromarket.

Also check out the developers project page which will include a blog highlighting project details and status at www.shorewoodmetromarket.com.

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Extreme Cold is Here Again

We are experiencing an extreme cold snap. We encourage you to avoid being outdoors as much as possible, but if you must leave your home, here are a few tips:

1. Layer up!- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm.

Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

2. Don't forget your furry friends- Bring pets indoors. If they can't come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

3. Remember the three feet rule- If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away - things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.

4. Requires supervision - Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

5. Don't catch fire!-If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

6. Protect your pipes- Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

7. Better safe than sorry- Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

8. The kitchen is for cooking- Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

9. Use generators outside- Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

10. Knowledge is power- Don't hook a generator up to the home's wiring. Connect equipment directly to the generator.

Please reach out to the Fire or Police Departments regarding any local concerns. Also, check on neighbors who you believe might be in peril and keep an eye out for animals who are stray or being neglected. Call MADACC with concerns regarding animals.

North Shore Fire: 414.357.0113

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Shorewood Reads: 

Find a Book, Read a Book 

This past weekend, the Shorewood Reads committee distributed 50 copies of Shotgun Lovesongs throughout Shorewood. You may find a copy at your bus stop, in your neighborhood Little Free Library, or at your favorite coffee shop. If you do find a copy, it's yours to read! Once you've read the book, you should pass it along by giving it to a friend or leaving it somewhere for another unsuspecting reader to find it. Our goal is for many Shorewood residents - even those who think they aren't big "readers" - to be inspired to read Shotgun Lovesongs by happening upon it in an unusual way. 

Of course, you can also get the book in a more traditional manner: the Shorewood Library has 10 copies of the book in paperback, in addition to seven hardcover copies, the audiobook on CD, and a large print edition on its way. You can read more about Shorewood Reads 2015, taking place April 11-16, on our website at ShorewoodLibrary.org/ShorewoodReads/.

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Tax Forms & Tax Help

State and federal tax forms can be found at the Shorewood Public Library during tax season. As of this memo, the major state forms (1, 1A, WI-Z, 1NPR, H/H-EZ, WD) and federal (1040, 1040A) are available at the library.  

This year, due to funding cuts, the IRS was unable to print large quantities of instruction booklets. Due to this cut, the Library will not receive any instruction booklets for federal taxes. However, they are still available to you! You can access instruction booklets - and any and all tax forms - online through the IRS website (state forms can be found through the WI Department of Revenue website).  Download instructions and forms to print, or request hard copies to be mailed to your home. Librarians at Shorewood Library are happy to help you with this process as we understand this is a major and inconvenient change for many.

Tax preparation help is also available through the Senior Resource Center's partnership with AARP volunteers. Volunteers will be in the Village Center Meeting Room every Thursday, 1-5 p.m., from February 5 through April 9. No appointment is necessary - anyone is welcome.

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Join the Club

The evening book club meets for the first time on Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. 

The first book we'll discuss is Shotgun Lovesongs, the choice for Shorewood Reads 2015. At that meeting, all who attend are invited to suggest titles for the book club to tackle. The first three selections (March, April, May) were chosen by Adult & Community Services Librarian, and book club liaison, Hayley Johnson with help from Friends of the Library Secretary Jeannee Sacken, and can be found on the Shorewood Library website.

Everyone who enjoys a good book and a great discussion, is welcome to join either club - or both!

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Health Department Highlights

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