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By Ralph Heun
Sunday, May 11 2008, 02:13 PM
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2008 MEMORIAL DAY
CEREMONY
Monday, May 26, 2008 is Memorial Day.
The only day of year we as a Nation have set aside to
honor the men & women that gave their lives for our Freedom.
We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice
made by them through out the history of our Nation. All to many of us
have lost sight of the true meaning of this most
important day. The men and women whose heroism we both celebrate and
mourn must
never be taken for granted. We must do everything we can to ensure that
the
generations that follow will fully appreciate the sacrifices that so
many have
made and the sorrow their families have had to endure so that the rest
of us
can live in relative peace and security.
The New Berlin Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is proud to join the Hoeppner-Horn Bros. VFW Post 5716
& Highland Memorial Park Cemetery to make Memorial Day mean even more to
the Citizens of New Berlin.
The ceremony will start at 11:00 a.m. with the VFW making their ritual march to the Veterans Memorial.
Former VFW Post Commander Don Hermann will speak.
Other guest speakers will include Mayor Jack Chiovatero and State Senator MaryLazich.
This year State Representative Mark Gundrum is serving his Country in
Iraq and for the first time may not be able to attend.
Members of the VFW Post
will perform a rifle salute.
Alderman Ted Wysocki has arranged for a Fly Over,
weather permitting.
New Berlin, Holy Apostles Boy Scout Troop 93 will help direct traffic, hand out programs & flags for those who attend.
There will be a balloon release with memorial tags.
Ament Industrial Truck and Moorland Auto Repair will provide the flags. The
event will end with a cannon shoot. The cannon supplied by Glen Porter of Highland Memorial Park Cemetery.
The New Berlin Community Band will perform patriotic music during the
ceremony.
The event should last about 45 min. to 1 hour.
Please join your New Berlin neighbors in honoring their
memory.
Dave Ament
7th District Alderman,
New Berlin
New Berlin Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Board of Director
Memorial Day Committee Chair
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By Ralph Heun
Wednesday, May 7 2008, 09:21 PM
Presented as a public Service by New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG).
Mayor’s Calhoun design to be presentedAnother 4-lane design for Calhoun Road reconstruction from just north of Cleveland Avenue to just south of Greenfield Avenue, called Design Scenario 2008-A, will be introduced to the public at a meeting Thursday, May 8, 2008. The meeting, which is being billed as a public information meeting, not a public hearing, will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at New Berlin City Hall.
Mayor Chiovatero said, “I was able to come up with an option that took care of the road needs, safety, stormwater and concerns of residents north of the railroad tracks.” Mayor Chiovatero’s new plan is basically the same plan that was rejected by the residents and Common Council. Mayor Jack Chiovatero said his new design will still be 4-lanes, but there will not be a median and lanes will be slightly narrower. The more reasonable plan that was one of the recommended options by the consultant for a 2-lane widened road that the residents wanted and was approved by the Common Council was vetoed by the Mayor and stopped the needed repairs and rehabilitation of Calhoun Road.
The rest of Calhoun road south to Cleveland Avenue will remain the same as the Mayor’s previous plan that was rejected by the residents and the Common Council with four 12-foot lanes, a median and left turn lanes and substantial residential and business land acquisition. According to the Mayor his rough figures show the cost of the new design would be about $4,600,000.00 plus another $1,550,000.00 for the land acquisition, for a total of about $6 to $6.5 million if the Mayor’s rough estimates are accurate. Previous cost figures for the recommended and approved 2-lane road reconstruction were about $3 to $3.5 million.
The consulting engineer for the Calhoun Road project, Bloom Companies, will conduct the May 8 meeting in an Open House format.
Project staff members from the city and the consulting engineer will be available during the meeting to discuss the Mayor’s plan again. Project concept plan; location maps and other exhibits will be on display. Should you have any questions about this or any other issue, please feel free to contact me. If you would like to be included in my 7th District Email Update Group, please email your name, street address, phone number and email address to me and I will include you in the group emails.Dave Ament7th District Alderman, New Berlin262-544-4534
dament@newberlin.org
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By Ralph Heun
Tuesday, May 6 2008, 09:26 PM
A public service of New Berlin Cirizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG) First of all, NBCRG prays for a speedy recovery to Alderman Joseph Poshepny. Good Evening The
Mayor has submitted a new design for Calhoun Road reconstruction, which
will be presented at a Public Informational meeting on May 8th at
5:00pm at City Hall. The informational meeting will be an open
house with project staff members available to discuss the proposed
improvements for Calhoun Road, from Cleveland Avenue to Greenfield
Avenue. There will be concept plans, location maps and other exhibits
on display.
I encourage you to attend to see the design and collect information to better understand this project. Unfortunately, I have received little information on this newest plan and I am working hard to get the details. It
appears that the price tag has dropped, but even the Mayor is not sure
if it includes all costs necessary for the reconstruction. I am hoping
that this meeting will answer this question and many others that I have. Please join me on May 8th at City Hall to show your interest on Calhoun Road and the reconstruction process Thank you
Ron Seidl, Alderman 3rd district, City of New Berlin
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By Ralph Heun
Tuesday, Mar 4 2008, 09:04 PM
Guest editorial by Vern Bentley Mayor Chiavatero has requested
an affidavit from a Real Estate professional to prove that trails
operating across private property cause land values to fall more than
10% as compared to property that has no trails in place. He received an
answer but still insists on extending a trail into still another area.
A developer requested approval by the Planning Commission, of a
10 acre property to be split into a 2 lot land division at 17445 W
Observatory Road to include 2 -5 acre parcels When Ronald Reagan
School was built the school was forced to provise a 50' easemant for a
trail to the north to connect to these two properties. This
connection to Observatory Road would extend the trails further
north thru more private properties, crossing Calhoun Road and
lead to Malone City Park The city wants an easement thru these 2
properties, or they will probably not approve the land
division.There is no mention of financial compensation for this
easement in spite of the fact that the Mayor said the trails may not be
buit for another 20 years. These 2 lots have wetland areas that
would require Department of Natural Resources approval to build.
Granting this trail easement will affect placement of building,
driveways, septic systems and leech beds. Possibly both lots will
be uninhabitable. When developer offered to sell the 10 acre site
to the city of New Berlin. the mayor replied "That will never happen,
at least by this body".
Viewing the proposed trail map, this trail seems to travel south
across National Avenue and thru more private lands down to Calhoun
Park. The City is taking lands, without compensation, that
owners paid for and is forcing the current owners to accept strangers
in their yards in a blatant invasion of privacy. How can the City
compensate the owners for maintenance and insurance problems in case of
accidents or injuries and lowering of the value of their
properties. I would like to ask Mayor Chiavatero, all
Planning Commissioners, including Paul Gehring, who also chairs the non
functional Alternative Transportation Committee, "would you allow
trails to go thru your back and side yards"?
An example of what I mean: Plan Commissioner Lee
Sisson voted to approve trails and sidepaths. He also voted to approve
the Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center without a Public Hearing . Mr
Sisson was very upset that the The same Planning Commission approved
the Cement Batch Plant in the Johnson Quarry. Mr Sisson was upset because that put more traffic on National Avenue
near his home on Barton Road. How about a trail from Barton road up to the Historic Orchard on Propect Hill?
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By Ralph Heun
Wednesday, Feb 20 2008, 05:29 PM
This uniquely timed meeting is at 5:30 pm at New Berlin City
Hall, and is to give interested persons an opportunity to speak out
about the construction of 124th street from Layton to Grange avenues
during Privilege of the Floor.
The plan presented by the DPW, calls for sidewalks, that may be
as far as 25" set back from the road, on the west side of 124th street
and will cause residents to loose some trees, lawns and gardens in
their back yards. The Cities of Hales Corners and Greenfield have not published any plans to include sidewalks on the east sides of 124th street.
"Alderman Moore and the other members of the Committee, which is
composed of Mayor Chiavatero, aldermen Ament and Augustine, and JP Walker, City engineer, needs to
listen to the citizens,,,,vote locally as he
professes to have a "green conscience" nationally....and understand the
Bicycle Association of Wisconsin does not mandate bike trails...nor
does the Alternative Transportation Committee which is almost
non-functional and without authority in the city of New Berlin...we
want "a little bit country" not a lot of SIDEWALKS romanticized as bike
trails, side paths..A sidewalk is a sidewalk and it must be
maintained..not with my tax money" !
by Sally Hanson If you have any comments about this project
and wish to be heard, you are invited to attend this meeting. Please be
courteous and make your comments known to your representatives.
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By Ralph Heun
Sunday, Feb 17 2008, 01:08 PM
| Guest editorial from a Citizen of New Berlin, Mary Hiebl
Bill Moore: While
browsing the Sierra Club website, I came upon your Testimony before the
Wisconsin Dept of Transportation from a hearing in Dec. 2007 I have
read your testimony in its entirety and having finished it, I am more
perplexed than enlightened. -
You seem to be keenly aware of the ridiculousness of 'putting money into more lanes while the mass transit situation in southeastern Wisconsin is among the worst in the world' yet you support any and all four lane expansions in New Berlin. -
You express concerns over land use control, improved arterials over more lanes 'SEWRPC
recently responded to remarks by the Florida-based traffic engineer,
Walter Kulash. When he suggested that land use control, smart growth,
public transit and improved arterials would be better answers than more
lanes...,' yet you argue forcefully for road expansions within New Berlin. -
You have taken a stand on overspending on new highways and new lanes 'let’s
"look ahead to the past" and stop the overspending on new highways and
new lanes; we must divert that money into public transit,
transportation for all, not just the majority.'. yet your New Berlin aldermanic voting record is the opposite of what you here proclaim. -
I
am unable to reconcile the following statement with arguments you
have presented to the New Berlin Common Council: Recognize
that constructing more lanes adds to the problem of global warming.
Think now about 50 years from now, not just 5 years from now...Please, no more lanes!
- I
could cite more examples but these few clearly point out the
inconsistency between your testimony and the reality of your aldermanic
voting record in New Berlin.
Concerned, Mary Hiebl
Testimony before the Wisconsin Dept of Transportation from a hearing in Dec. 2007 by Bill Moore
Concerning the reconstruction of I-94
I
live in New Berlin and one would think I would have less of a concern
about this section of I-94 than points west. But I am very interested.
For example, the daughter of a friend goes to college in northern
Chicago and has no car. In making arrangements to get her to our house
for Thanksgiving, we found that the best way was for her to take the
train to Kenosha where we could pick her up by car. Travel by the Metra
was quick and convenient. How much better it would have been had the
train been able to take her all the way to Milwaukee, or, better yet,
to New Berlin.
Highways only provide a means of transportation
to one segment of society: those with enough money to have a vehicle.
And so we put more money into providing transportation options for the
people who already have money, leaving the poor relatively stranded.
The objective of government should be to help spread the wealth around,
to make life just a little easier for those without the wherewithal to
have just a little bit better life. Putting money into more lanes while
the mass transit situation in southeastern Wisconsin is among the worst
in the world is an abomination and ignores the equality clause of the
14th amendment. We still have not learned the lessons of the Civil War.
SEWRPC recently responded to remarks by the Florida-based
traffic engineer, Walter Kulash. When he suggested that land use
control, smart growth, public transit and improved arterials would be
better answers than more lanes, SEWRPC said that that freeways were
constructed because of congestion. But that’s not the whole story.
Collusion between the auto, oil and bus companies, documented in a
recent PBS program, resulted in streetcars being downgraded and
dismantled rather than upgraded and expanded. Freeways were a result of
poor planning and special interest money buying out transit systems
across the country along with advertising dollars spent to increase
people’s desires to travel by car rather than a logical progression:
remember “See the USA in your Chevrolet”?
Alternatively,
Europe and most other countries did not fall into the same trap. All
people there have options. I ask you to imagine the United States with
no freeways. There would already be mass transit options for all
people; our population would be more congregated around transportation
centers, allowing more prairie, forest and farmland instead of urban
sprawl. We would have saved trillions of gallons of oil, making us a
richer country, with more oil available into the future for items like
plastics and other oil-based products. Since it might take a little
longer for goods to reach market by train than by truck, our
infrastructure would be more attuned to local products rather than
counting on China to make all our electronics, footwear and toys.
SEWRPC’s
response to Mr. Kulash’s concern about suburban sprawl and the
degrading of central cities was likewise unimaginative and incomplete.
Again, one should imagine a region without freeways in the first place.
Had SEWRPC done that, their answer would be very different.
While
it is impossible to return to the past, it is possible to learn from
our mistakes and the lessons learned from countries that did it right.
Let’s look ahead to the past and stop the overspending on new highways
and new lanes; we must divert that money into public transit,
transportation for all, not just the majority. Mr. Kulash proved it’s
the right decision monetarily. It’s the right decision for Wisconsin,
for the environment of our planet, for the poor and for all our
children. Listen to Mr. Kulash. Listen to the Milwaukee City Council.
Recognize that constructing more lanes adds to the problem of global
warming. Think now about 50 years from now, not just 5 years from now.
Reconstruct I-94 to its present lane configuration, and put the
residual in mass transit. And not buses, but fixed-track
transportation. Please, no more lanes!
Bill Moore
4260 South Victoria Cir.
New Berlin, WI 53151
262-785-9022 |
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By Ralph Heun
Friday, Feb 15 2008, 11:18 AM
COFFEE ROAD
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
The
City has hired a consultant to do the design work for the Coffee Road
Reconstruction Project. This segment of the project will be from National Avenue west to Calhoun Road.
The
preliminary plans for this project include stormwater improvements (storm
sewers) along the entire length of the project and then north to Poplar Creek.
It will also include lane widening, completely reconstructing the base and
surface of the roadway as well as to lower (cut down) the hill just west of St. Francis Drive.
The
preliminary drawings also include 4 lanes from National Avenue to about Monterey Drive and then narrowing back to 2-lanes, with
curb and gutter. The plans include sidewalks/sidepaths in the entire project.
The sidewalks/sidepaths would be 8’ to 10’ wide with a terrace between Coffee Road and the sidewalk/sidepath.
I
will be holding a neighborhood meeting to give you as much information as I
have as of now and to make sure that the City addresses your concerns at the
very beginning of the design so that we are in a position to influence how this
section of Coffee
Road
is rebuilt.
While
those of you who live west of Calhoun Road will not be immediately affected, you need
to be aware that this would be the 1st leg of the Coffee Road and Sidewalk/sidepath project. If they are
installed east of Calhoun the next leg would be from Calhoun Road to Racine. So if you are interested in this project
please come to this neighborhood meeting.
This
neighborhood meeting will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 12:00 noon at your New Berlin City Hall 3805 S. Casper
Drive.
Dave
Ament
7th
District Alderman, New
Berlin
262-544-4534
dament@newberlin.org
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By Ralph Heun
Wednesday, Feb 13 2008, 03:50 PM
Guest editotial brought to you as a public service by New Berlin Citizens for Responsible government If you Have not Signed a
Petition ; Call Hansons at: 414-525-0563
& One will Be
Delivered
Show City Hall...Government is By the People—Not
Politicians !
Call it a Side Path, Nature Trail; It’s a Sidewalk Maintained with Your
Increasing Tax Dollars…
The Side Path
brochure recently distributed to residents is an insult to Taxpayers’
intellects. Why would anyone think that the State Bicycle Federation should determine
whether or not a Sidewalk is constructed ?
Will the Federation be responsible for maintaining it ? Will
construction of a path mean that you now ride a bike or walk to work, school,
shopping, etc. as the flyer implied
because you have the opportunity to “reduce congestion” ? When was
the last time you saw someone elderly or disabled riding a bike ?
No mandates say
that a path MUST be constructed…
The US Census
Bureau says that the Median Household Income in New Berlin is $67,946.
Logic says most people with that income
could afford a car. What ”large segment” of the population does not have access
to a car ?
While walking
and bicycling may promote physical fitness, we already have parks, safer, less traveled
roads within sub-divisions that allow people to exercise in this
MARK Your
Calendars Thurs. Feb.
21st 5:30 pm City Hall
Why do we oppose Sidewalks?
In the relatively short time that
residents have been aware of the thousands of tax dollars spent
on consultants,
city engineering time, etc., the Sidewalks...have varied in width from 10 feet to 30 feet….have
gone from the west side to the east side of the
street.. Little Or no forethought has gone into the short or
long term Impact of such a project.
Some people moved to New Berlin
because it is…
“a little bit country” and
don’t want the “little bit city” added with the addition of sidewalks. The
proponents of this project on one hand say that it will “enhance property
values up to 40%” . This is supposedly another quote from bicyclists. Let’s imagine, this was true. Would you want
to pay 40% more in property taxes?
As Realtors we believe it decreases
property values...Why ? Let’s use common sense…
- Increased Noise - Increased access to back yards promotes crime.
-Promotion of Greater Traffic, Less Privacy
- Destruction of Green Space by cutting down large trees homeowners lawns and gardens.
How Does the Creation of
Sidewalks Increase
Taxes ?
Sidewalks must be maintained, shoveled, swept, re-surfaced, replaced...with equipment
that needs to purchased, maintained and replaced.
This is done by city employees who need to be paid and have benefits.
Pretty Simple….More sidewalks, more expense.
Let’s show city hall WE aren’t simple. Thurs. Feb.21st at 5:30
We
know the meeting will go on for quite a while..come when you can...bring your friends, neighbors
and anyone who cares about property values and not adding further to the cost of running the city.
Remind city officials who elected them and why.
Thank
you for your Support !
JUST SAY NO to sidewalks, sidepaths, more recreational trails.
MARK Your
Calendars Thurs. Feb.
21st 5:30 pm New Berlin city hall City Hall
GO GREEN—Mail a Postcard, Make a Phone Call, Write an
E-Mail–
TOGETHER
WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE !
If you have not
signed the
Call Hansons:
414-525-0563
One will be delivered to you at your convenience.
E-mail: Council@NewBerlin.org
Mayor Chiovatero
Alderman Harenda
262-77-2441
262
971 1048
Alderman Seidl Alderman Ament
262-784-1352
262 544
4534
Alderman Poshepny Alderman Augustine
262-780-5440
262 617 1554
Alderman Moore
262 785 9022
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By Ralph Heun
Thursday, Jan 31 2008, 10:50 AM
The editor of New Berlin Now removed the following portions of a
letter that was published today in the paper. Ron Koessler the writer,
asked that the full letter be published and this is done as public
service under the First Amendment
Pubic Forum
In a letter to the Public Forum on January 10,2008. Alderman William
(Bill) Moore District 6, reminded city residents that we have a
representative form of governmant, where for the benefit of the
community, our elected officials have the responsibility to make policy
decisions for the benefit of the community, rather than offer
referendums on numerous issues. Removed by Censor
Bill Moore supported a referendum to exceed the State spending limits in the City budget in December 2007, In
addition Bill Moore, when he was a School Board member, supported a
referendum to fund an increase in the Annual School Board operating
budget. It seems that the selective use of referendums is appropiate when it supports Bill Moore's agenda, but not when in opposition. Removed by Censor
It is a coincidence that the election for aldermen in New Berlin is April 1, April Fools Day.
Ron Koessler Letters from Residents are an important part of paper., By Vern Bentley
#2
Public Forum: I would like to reminisce with those of you who
remember when New Berlin had a newspaper named the New Berlin Citizen.
A former editor wrote in one of his columns that newspapers spend huge
amounts of money to hire dedicated reporters, who keep up with local
news. But it seems residents rush to read the letters and
comments of their neighbors. Where have all the letters gone? What
happened to people who just want to express their opinions? In
two of the recent letters I wrote, I included several pages of written
documentation, and also audio tapes to verify my information, only at
the request of the editor. It's been suggested that I set up a
blog, I do not have a computer, and am trying to enlighten my friends
and neighbors, who still choose to read a newspaper. I wonder
just how many recipients of Muskego-New Berlin NOW, our city's only
newspaper, would like to see more letters from their neighbors. Vern Bentley
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