Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

The Pestilential Summer of 2010: Request for water damage reports in Franklin

After facing yet another Biblical-level rain event, many Franklin resisents are dealing with wet basements and other damage (I got nailed pretty bad in 2008, but was spared this time around).

The city is working to gather information on where damage occurred. Here's a note from 3rd District alderman Kristen Wilhelm:

REQUEST FOR WATER DAMAGE INFORMATION

The Fire Chief has made note in an email of a few of the damaged areas he has been made aware of. I have heard from some of you. However, I am looking for a more accurate assessment of water damage in the 3rd District so I can pass this information along to him. 

If you live in the area bounded by 27th, Drexel, 51st and College and had water damage from the July 22nd rainfall, please send me an email with your home address and the extent of the damage.

Example: 1234 W. Waterway (water in basement).

Also, you may want to report damage on the County’s Emergency Management hotline by calling 211. This information is used to assess damage and aid to the area.

If you require a reply, please be patient as I have received many calls and emails in the past few weeks.

Please forward this to your neighbors that may not be on this email list. Those outside the 3rd District that requested to be on my email list may want to contact their individual alderman.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.


Kristen Wilhelm
3rd District Alderman
City of Franklin

Wisconsin receives $46.5 million installment for high-speed rail

Another step closer to the 21st century in Wisconsin:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle today announced $46.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for work to continue on the state's high-speed rail system. Doyle and LaHood spoke today in Watertown, where a new high-speed rail station will be constructed at the site of a former grocery store.

"Because of the vision and investment of President Obama and Secretary LaHood, Watertown, Madison, Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin will see the tremendous economic benefits of high speed passenger rail," Doyle said.

In the next two and a half years, over 5,500 construction workers, engineers, machine operators and others will be working hard to make track improvements, build train stations, and improve the roads around these tracks. You are going to start seeing a lot of hard hats and neon vests around here and that is good news for everyone in this state.

Read the rest at: Wisconsin receives $46.5 million installment for high-speed rail - BizTimes

Sometimes nice guys finish FIRST

(Photo from FranklinNOW)

To my family, Coach Hughes is "Mr. Jim," the bus driver who gets a hug every morning from my son, Ben, when he picks him up for summer school. To everyone else in Franklin -- and the state -- he's the winningest coach in Wisconsin prep baseball history.

"Mr. Jim" surprised us by showing up at one of Ben's very first baseball games after he learned that he was participating in the Challenger League, a baseball program for kids with special needs. After circling the bases, my son got a high-five from the winningest baseball coach in the state, and one of the nicest bus drivers in the world.

Congratulations, Coach! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. 

The number was 743. The significance was that it was the number of career victories Franklin coach Jim Hughes had moved to that night, moving him past former Arrowhead coach Tim O'Driscoll's 742 and into first place as the winningest coach in Wisconsin high school baseball history.

"I mean, how many 20-win seasons is that. Thirty?" Kleszczynski said. "Those are big numbers. Hats off to Jim. He gets his guys to win ball games. He's a good coach."

Hughes called the victory just another game, but acknowledged that he didn't get to 743 on his own.

"You just keep coaching," he said. "I've been around a long time. I've been lucky. I've got good players all the time and we win a number of games each year, you've got to have that as well. And right here, we've got outstanding parents. I've got real good parent support. You put all that together, my family support, and I'm a pretty lucky guy."

A handful of parents presented Hughes and his players with a cake with the number 743 on it and a player gave Hughes a game ball after the victory.

Read the rest at: Historic win keeps Sabers alive - FranklinNOW

Terms, mind-sets must be changed to encourage and enable more walking in cities

Walkable community advice from Roger K. Lewis, a practicing architect and a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Maryland:

How can we encourage and enable more walking? What will motivate people to change long-standing perceptions and deeply engrained behavior? We must plan and develop -- or redevelop -- metropolitan environments so walking becomes safe, comfortable, enjoyable and stimulating. This requires satisfying several design criteria:

-- Street patterns must be easily navigable and latticelike, with blocks that are not too big and intersections that are not too far apart. Streets must be continuous and interconnected, providing motorists and pedestrians with more than one path for traveling to a destination.

-- Public streets must be artfully proportioned. Widths of sidewalks, planting strips, cart ways and medians are critical, as are the heights and setbacks of buildings flanking streets. Well-configured street spaces balance a sense of architectural definition and enclosure with desirable exposure to sky, sunlight, air movement and views.

-- To make walking truly pleasurable, streetscape quality and amenity are important. A thoughtful mix of shade trees and vegetation beautifies streetscapes and makes them ecologically greener. Good lighting and signage, convenient street furniture and attractive paving materials enhance a streetscape experience visually and functionally.

-- It must be safe to walk, day or night. In addition to good lighting and durable walkway paving that doesn't trap high heels, streets need well-marked crosswalks and synchronized traffic-control signals. Police or other public safety officials should be seen regularly patrolling streets.

-- Buildings facing public streets need lots of windows, entrance doorways and storefronts. These benefit merchants looking for customers and pedestrians looking for merchandise. Because there is safety in numbers, streets lined by eateries with outdoor seating are even safer, not to mention livelier. People will walk along such streets because walking is delightful.

Read the rest at: Roger K. Lewis - Terms, mind-sets must be changed to encourage and enable more walking in cities

My Economic Development Commission agenda items for July 26th meeting

I like to post my Economic Development Commission agenda item submissions here because often it's the only place I'll see them -- they often mysteriously drop off the actual meeting's agenda.

1. Locally owned business support/boosterism: I'm reintroducing this after having it batted away the first time I tried. We simply HAVE to demonstrate some manner of support for Franklin's locally owned businesses in the form of a card-punch program, "Featured Business" on the city website, etc. It's getting embarrassing that there is no city sanctioned support for the kinds of businesses that build strong communities and encourage further commercial investment.

2. Drexel Interchange Economic Mitigation: Discussion of potential negative consequences of the Drexel Interchange and actions the EDC can undertake in advance to mitigate those consequences.