- Jane Goodall
For information on upcoming Board, Committee and Commission meetings as well as other government-related meetings and events, please follow the link above to the Village Government Calendar.

December 7 Village Board Highlights

The Village Board met on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall Court Room. To access any of the agenda materials, feel free to click here.  These are the agenda items that the Board discussed or took action on during the meeting:
  1. Approved Presentation of Accounts December 7, 2015
  2. Presented proclamation for Bicycle Friendly Community Award
  3. Presented proclamation for Recently Retired Library Director Beth Carey
  4. Approved Ordinance 2056:  2016 Wage and Fringe Benefits for Village Personnel of General Classification and Management Commencing January 1, 2016
  5. Approved Ordinance 2057:  2016 Wage and Fringe Benefits for Lieutenants and Sergeants Commencing January 1, 2016
  6. Approved Special Exception to a Post Retirement Benefit
  7. Approved Credit Card Policy
  8. Approved Design Alternatives for Capitol Drive Crosswalks
  9. Approved Professional Engineering Contract for Combined Sanitary Sewer Area Study
  10. Approved Professional Service Contract for Cross Connection Control Enforcement
  11. Discussed Wilson Drive Community Task Force Framework

Shorewood Celebrates Bicycle Friendly Community Silver Rating

The Shorewood Village Board presented a proclamation on Monday, December 7 commemorating the Shorewood community on earning the Bicycle Friendly Community silver rating.  Shorewood received a bronze rating in 2011, and the League of American Bicyclists decided to upgrade Shorewood's rating to a silver rating for 2015.  The Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Committee took the lead by working on the application.  

A huge thank you to Wisconsin Bike Federation Deputy Director Dave Schlabowske for coming to the Village Board meeting to present the award.  In addition a special thanks to residents Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton, David Waters and Thomas Kuhlmann for their efforts on the application.
Property Tax Bills Mailed out this Friday
Property tax bills will be mailed to property owners on Friday, December 11, 2015.  The bills include taxes levied by the Village of Shorewood, the Shorewood School District, Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and the State of Wisconsin.  To view your tax bill, feel free to click here.
 
Taxes are due in full by January 31 of each year, unless using the installment plan.  If using the installment plan, the first installment is due by January 31, the second installment is due by March 31, and the third installment is due by May 31. Payments must be received in the office or Village drop box by close of business.  Village Hall will close at noon on December 31 and payments received by noon on December 31 will be processed in 2015.  Payments received after that time will be processed in 2016.  
 
Property tax bills can be paid in the following methods:
  • Credit Card (Online Only - Additional Fee)
  • Electronic Check (Online Only - Additional Fee)
  • At one of two North Shore Bank locations (Full payments or Installments only, no refunds given, no partial payments):
    • o   Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to Noon
    • o   3970 N Oakland Avenue
    • o   4414 N Oakland Avenue
  • By mail: Village of Shorewood, 3930 N Murray Avenue, Shorewood WI 53211
  • By postage-free drop box located in the parking lot behind Village Hall
  • In person at Village Hall, Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Escrow checks that have been made out to the property owner and the Village must be properly endorsed.  Refunds for overpayments will be processed within 20 days.  Receipts can be obtained through the Village website or by providing a self-addressed stamped envelope with the payment.
Appomattox Shipwreck Entered in National Register of Historic Places
Photograph was included in the news story on 58 WDJT Milwaukee.
In October 2015, the Appomattox Shipwreck was entered in the National Register of Historic Places by the Secretary of the Interior, and listed in the State of Register of Historic Places by the State Historic Preservation Office.  The shipwreck is located 150 yards off of Atwater Beach in the vicinity of Shorewood.  

According to the news story on 58 WDJT Milwaukee, the Appomattox, the largest wooden steam bulk freighter ever to ply the Great Lakes, embodies an important period in the economic and maritime history of the Midwest. Her period of operation (1896-1905) overlapped with profound changes in the technology, organization, and scale of industrial activity in the Great Lake region. An increasing anomaly during her career, this wooden steamer competed successfully with larger modern steel ships. The vessel is the product of master shipbuilder and successful maritime entrepreneur, Captain James Davidson, of Bay City, Michigan. 

At 319 feet in length, the Appomattox is, in terms of sheer size, Davidson's most ambitious steam bulk freighter and one of the last he built. Constructed in 1896, the Appomattox carried industrial commodities, predominately iron ore and coal, back and forth across the Great Lakes between 1896 and 1905.

On November 2, 1905, the vessel ran aground near Atwater beach in Milwaukee. Declared a total loss, the vessel's cargo and some of its machinery were salvaged. Today, the bottom and sides of the vessel retain excellent integrity, with long areas of the bilge fully intact. Resting in approximately 15 to 20 feet of water, and flattened by nearly a century of wind, waves, and ice, the Appomattox's steel-strapped wooden hull is well-preserved, revealing a host of engineering details not visible on more intact wrecks.
Wilson Drive Steering Committee Meets for First Time Thursday
The Wilson Drive Steering Committee will meet for the first time this Thursday, December 10 at 6 p.m. in the Village Hall Court Room.  This is a public meeting; anyone from the community is welcome to attend. The agenda and meeting materials can be accessed here.

The Wilson Drive Task Force is in the process of recruiting and selecting members from the community to participate in one of four work groups:  Traffic & Safety, Environment, Recreation, and Development.  Those community members that have questions about the Wilson Drive Task Force or the four work groups can contact Trustee Paul Zovic at [email protected] or Planning Director Ericka Lang at 414.847.2647.

Shorewood Foundation Offers Donation Opportunities to the Shorewood Community

The Shorewood Foundation continues to partner with the Shorewood Parks Commission and the Shorewood School District to invite you and your family to enhance the beauty and quality of our community by donating useful and attractive amenities to our parks and public areas.  

By creating a planned giving donation or honoring a loved one's life with your gift, you can help preserve the quality of life in Shorewood for years to come. Amenities that are most needed in the community include bike racks at the schools and parks, benches at Atwater Park and additional picnic tables for all the parks.  To acknowledge your gift, memorial plaques can be attached to the item whenever possible, and donors will be recognized in the Manager's memo and in the Shorewood Today magazine.
 
Your gift to the Shorewood Foundation can be directed toward a specific item or request, or to the general fund.  All gifts, no matter how big or small, are welcome and appreciated, and go directly back to support our community.  Please contact the Village Manager's Office at 414.847.2700 for additional ideas about legacy giving.  For more information, feel free to also visit the Shorewood Foundation website.  What a wonderful way to make a difference and a lasting impression in the Shorewood community we all love.

Shorewood Police Department Offers Tips to Help Avoid Scam Shipping Emails

Online gift shopping during the holiday season opens up the market to scammers using fake shipping emails to spread malware or gather personal or banking information. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) warns consumers to be on the lookout for these fake emails and to avoid clicking links or opening attachments in these messages.

"Whether you shop online or not, expect to start seeing fraudulent package delivery and 'order status' emails in your account," said Frank Frassetto, Division Administrator for Trade and Consumer Protection. "This ploy occurs year-round, but the holiday shopping season is a chance for scammers to increase their spam email output and sneak them in around legitimate shipment emails that consumers might also be receiving."

Look out for emails or texts that warn you about a problem with a delivery, that ask for account information for security purposes, or that ask you to open an attached "shipment label" in order to claim a package from a local office. Scammers often use the names, logos and color schemes of major shipping companies and retailers to add legitimacy to their messages, and they may also spoof the company's web address (URL) in the sender's email address.

If you question whether an email link is legitimate, hover the mouse over the link (but don't click it!). At the bottom of your browser window, you can view the URL where the link will actually take you.  Look out for the following red flags in your inbox this holiday season:
  • Messages claiming that there is a "problem" with a shipment or your account. These emails will ask you to provide personal or banking information or to complete a form on a linked page in order to fix the supposed problem. Do not reply or click any links in the email!
  • Poor grammar and spelling errors in emails that claim to come from major organizations. If the message is sloppy, it likely did not come from a legitimate business.
  • Sender addresses that don't match the URL for the company that supposedly sent the email. For example, the "From:" line in a fake FedEx email read: "From: FedEx Express Saver ([email protected])"
  • Shipment emails that lack specifics about the sender or the package's supposed contents.
  • Emails asking you to open an attachment in order to review an order. Never open an attachment in an unsolicited or questionable email.
  • Emails containing threats that a package will be returned to the sender and you will be charged a fee for not responding to the message.
In actuality, there is no product waiting for delivery, and the alarming language in these emails is intended to make recipients act quickly without considering consequences. By clicking on any of the links in the email, a recipient risks downloading malware or handing over personal information to the scammers. If you receive a similar email, delete it and do not click any of the links contained anywhere in the message.

If you are expecting a shipment that may be delayed, contact the shipper directly to inquire. Some e-commerce companies offer package tracking features right on their website. If you made an online purchase, log into your account on the site and see if these options are available.

For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at datcp.wisconsin.gov, call the Consumer Information Hotline at 1.800.422.7128 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Give to the Library - and Get a Lot in Return!

Consider a tax-deductible gift to Shorewood Library before the year is over. 

Both Shorewood Public Library and the Friends of Shorewood Library accept monetary donations and bequest year-round. While the majority of the Library's funding comes from Village tax support, donations can go far towards building our collection, enhancing the library's space, and expanding programs and services. 

To learn more about donating to the Library or the Friends, please visit our website.

Sustainable Shorewood Tip of the Week        

Reusable Dry Cleaning Bags
Not only are individual clear plastic bags wasteful, but they are very bad for clothes, causing them to yellow if they are not removed right away. Many dry cleaners will agree that the bags were bad for clothes and the environment, but insist they have to use them because otherwise the cleaned clothes might get dirty on the holding racks where they are held for pickup. Instead, ask about purchasing a sturdy clothing bag like the garment bags made for travel.
See more at the following website

Health Department Highlights        

Did You Know?
December 6 - 12 is National Influenza Vaccination week. CDC established National Influenza Vaccination Week in 2005 to highlight the importance of continuing flu vaccination through the holiday season and beyond. Last year a little less than half of North Shore residents reported that they received the flu vaccine (48%). This falls way short of the national objective of 70% of adults getting the vaccine. The North Shore Health Department continues to recommend everyone 6 months of age and older get their annual flu vaccine. As long as flu viruses are spreading and causing illness, vaccination can provide protection. Once vaccinated, you can relax knowing that you have taken the single best step to protect yourself and loved ones against the flu.  It's not too late!
 
Last week at the North Shore Health Department
Communicable Disease:
Thus far, the health department has administered over 500 flu vaccines for the current flu season, an increase of over 30% from 2014. See below for more information on where and when people can still get their vaccine.
 
Environmental Health:
The North Shore Health Department was awarded funding through a competitive grant process to participate in the Voluntary National Food Regulatory Program Standards Mentorship Program. The department was selected by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) as one of 27 sites in the United States to participate. Brad Simerly, Public Health Sanitarian will directly benefit as a mentee in the program.
 
Strategic Planning:
Health department staff participated in a retreat last week to begin developing the department's 2016-2019 strategic plan. The group identified initial priority areas, goals, and objectives. These will be shared with the Board of Health in January and distributed more broadly in late January.
 
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We continue to offer flu immunizations during our regular All Immunization Clinic times. Please call the North Shore Health Department for an appointment at 414.371.2980.
 
The next Immunization Clinics are scheduled for the following days:
  • Tuesday, December 15 from 7:30 - 9 a.m. - Shorewood (appointment required)
  • Wednesday, December 16 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Brown Deer (appointment required)
  • Tuesday, December 29 from 3:30 - 4 p.m. - North Shore Library (appointment) 
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Upcoming Adult Health Clinics
  • Wednesday, December 16 from 8 - 10 a.m. - Brown Deer (appointment required)
  • Tuesday, December 22 from 8 - 10 a.m. - Shorewood (appointment required)
Upcoming Blood Pressure Screenings (No appointment required)
  • Wednesday, December 23 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. - Shorewood
  • Tuesday, December 29 from 3:30 - 4 p.m. - North Shore Library
To make an appointment, contact the North Shore Health Department at 414.371.2980 or visit the website.
Upcoming Community Events

Shorewood Welcome New Neighbors Reception
Saturday, December 12, 2015 from 9 - 11 a.m.
Olson House

Shorewood Woman's Club Holiday Concert (with SHS Chamber Orchestra)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 1 p.m.
Village Center Lower Level Meeting Room

Shorewood Men's Club Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 6 p.m.
Hubbard Park Lodge

Shop Shorewood Holiday Raffle
Currently happening through Monday, December 21, 2015
Village of Shorewood Business District

Village Facilities (Village Hall, Police Department, DPW, Library) Closed
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 31, 2015 (Village Hall closed after 12 p.m.)
Friday, January 1, 2016
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